Disclaimer: These characters belong to the Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Jhonen Vasquez.
May God bless you all.
"So that's all I have so far." Said Dib.
"What!?" Replied the alien. "You are telling me the mighty Zim! That after nearly an entire earth month you haven't figured even a little of what the plan could be?"
"Sorry, but without knowing more about Spork or Miyuki…"
"More!" Zim screamed. "You want more than what the computer can give you!?"
"Never satisfied are you?" The Computer added.
"I meant more about their relationship." Dib explained.
"What? What does that have to do with anything?" He asked.
"Well, perhaps the plan was personal. Not specifically something for the irken empire."
Zim scratched his chin. "Computer do we have anything on Miyuki and Spork's errr… mating rituals?"
"Mating rituals? Really?" Asked Dib.
"Negative…" replied the A.I. "…Any files like that either don't exist or were erased.
"Grrrr…. Why must this always happen to Zim!?" He yelled and planted his head once again on the console. "It actually hurts less this time."
"You know there is another way." Dib suggested.
"What way would that be?" He asked his voice slightly muffled as he had not removed his head from the console.
"You still have the time machine right?"
"So it's set for one year in the future?" Asked Dib.
"Yes, yes, unfortunately, we cannot go back or forward too far or else Zim would just go back and observe Miyuki and/or Spork." Zim answered.
"Good, now just let me send mine." Dib said as he prepared his own paper airplane.
"What? You never said…"
"Hey, it was my idea so I get to ask something too." He reasoned.
Zim grunted but didn't give any further protest so they both set up and sent their messages at the same time…
…and two paper airplanes came shooting right back in their faces.
"Ah! The Mighty Zims eye!" He shouted.
Dibs bounced off his head. He quickly retrieved and opened it.
"What!?" He exclaimed.
"Let me see, Let me see…" Zim shouted as he reached for Dib's paper.
"Let me see yours." Dib suggested.
The two traded messages. Dib chuckled as he read Zim's.
"Figure it out. Love Zim. Really?" He said with a chuckle.
"What did you ask yourself?" Asked Zim.
"What?"
"This answer, it just says 9157. What did you ask yourself?"
"I didn't ask myself anything." Said Dib. "I actually asked your future self something."
"What!?"
"Well, how could I send it to myself unless we set it to my house instead of your base?" Asked Dib.
"What did you ask future Zim!?" Demanded the green alien.
At this Dib began to step out.
"I just… wanted to know…"
"What are you guys doing!?" Asked a familiar and scary voice nearby.
"Gaz-human? Why are you here!?" Asked Zim.
"I was in the simulation room but paused for a snack break. Lo and behold my brother and his new friend are using the time machine again."
"We just wanted to ask future Zim something?" He explained.
"No! No, more future!" She yelled as she approached.
"What are you doing!?" Asked Zim.
"You and Dib are not going to…" Gaz began but then paused. "…Wait where's Dib?"
Dib practically ran back to his room and shut the door.
"Yes!" He said as he grabbed a tracking device and put in the frequency. 9157.
Immediately the tracker started to beep.
"Now where are you?"
*beep* *beep* *beep*
The beeping intensified until finally.
"AH HA!" He screamed as he located Tak's device.
"Spy on this!" He shouted as he destroyed it.
"Yes!" He shouted
*beep* *beep*
"Really there's another one?"
Dib went down the stairs and out the door. It was coming from outside.
Turns out a spy camera had been placed in a nearby tree.
"Great how am I supposed to get up there?" Dib asked himself.
"I'll get it for you." A voice next to him said and almost immediately a pac leg reached up and impaled the monitoring device.
"Thanks." Said Dib as the broken device landed in his hands.
"No, problem."
Dib pondered for a second. That wasn't Zim's voice. He gasped as he turned and saw…
"Wait… you!" He shouted.
"Yes, me."
"Dib?" Asked Gaz as she entered her home.
"Hey, Dib-stick!" Zim added.
"Probably up in his room. My advice, stay clear." Warned Gaz.
*beep* *beep*
Zim reached into his pac and removed a tablet.
"What? This can't be right?" He said.
"What?" Asked Gaz.
"Well according to this… there's residue nearby…"
Zim paused as he went outside to the backyard.
"Yup… it flak gun residue." He said.
"Flak gun?" Asked Gaz.
"It's used to completely paralyze an enemy who is then usually brought in for questioning." He explained.
"Neet." Said Gaz nonchalantly.
It took a moment or two but the realization came flying at both of them almost simultaneously.
"DIB!"
"Oh, my head…" The boy groaned.
"Wait… where am I?" He asked as he struggled.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Said a nearby voice.
"Wha?" Asked Dib as he turned his head to see…
"You!" He yelled.
"Yes me." The voice came back.
"You… you kidnapped me." Said Dib.
"Eh… I guess." Replied the irken.
"Why?" Asked Dib.
"Oh… well it wasn't my idea." Replied the alien.
"What? What do you mean?" Asked Dib.
"He means I asked him to bring you here." Said a much lighter irken voice.
Dib looked forward and saw…
"You!"
"Do you really think that saying that will make either of us believe you somehow know us?" She asked.
"I know you your… hold on it's um… it was a number… yes Tenn and he's Skoodge!" Dib yelled.
At this, the pink-eyed irken raised her right… well, there wasn't a brow but she still raised it.
"How do you know our names?" She asked. "Zim?"
"Eh… something like that." Dib answered not wanting to reveal the whole traveling to the future and all.
"Well regardless… we would like to ask you some questions." She told him as she came closer.
"You're not gonna try to read my mind?" Dib asked.
"We would." Replied Skoodge. "but your head's too big for the helmet."
"Really?" Dib asked now wondering if all irkens just think his head is big.
"So first question." Asked Tenn. "The code with Zim's name what does it mean."
"I don't know." Dib answered. "We're still trying to figure that out."
"We? Ah yes, second question." She went on. "Why do you and Zim seem so friendly?"
"What? We're not friends I'm just helping him figure out the code and my sister just likes to go to his base to use the simulation room." He answered.
"Well, that answers the third question." Tenn stated.
"I told you we should have just asked Zim." Said Skoodge as he got up and walked to Tenn.
"As if Zim would ever tell us." She said.
"Tell you what?" Dib asked.
"I'm asking the questions." Tenn insisted as she pointed a Talon toward Dib.
"Now then next question…"
Suddenly red lights started flashing.
"Intruder alert, Intruder alert!" Shouted the A.I. in a female voice.
"What? Can't be!? Zim?" Asked Tenn.
"I doubt it, he wouldn't be so quick to come to rescue me." Said Dib.
"Perhaps that sister of yours persuaded him." Said Skoodge.
Dib sighed. "You don't know her."
Then suddenly the lights went out.
"Power lost back up power returning in 5…4…3…2…1… back generators running." Said the Computer.
"Skoodge watch him I'll…" Tenn began to say but Skoodge cut her off.
"Watch who?" He Asked.
"The bo…" Tenn said before looking back to where Dib was.
"Computer!" She screamed. "Lock all exits!"
"Hurry up." His rescuer said as he was led through the vents.
"Tenn probably locked all the exits by now."
Dib remained silent. This whole situation seemed weird. Why would those other irkens' want to question him?
"Okay, so I'll deploy a shield around us."
"Why?" Asked Dib.
"We won't have an exit…" Replied the irken. "…So I'm gonna make one."
With that, a small metallic device shot out of the pack and attached itself to the vent roof. The shield came around them just shortly before it went off.
"Intruders have escaped!" Announced the A.I.
"Get us topside quickly!" Yelled Tenn.
Suddenly pipes descended and absorbed both her and Skoodge. The two shot upward and landed…
…just shortly in front of the escapees.
"Back off Tenn!"
"Me!" Tenn screamed. "I'm the one who should be angry here!"
Just then they were joined.
"Skoodge!" Shouted Zim.
"Hey Zim." Said Skoodge.
"Oh, great, we're all here." Said Gaz as they ran over.
"Back off!" Warned the irken closest to Dib.
"Ok, can we just get our bearings." Gaz suggested.
"Like which, one of you actually kidnapped my brother?" Gaz asked.
"That would be us." Skoodge answered.
"Yeah, Gaz, but I was rescued…"
"AH HA!" Zim yelled. "I knew… wait rescued?"
"Yes." Dib answered.
"OH, well carry on the mighty Zim can return… hold on NO! You all are trying to figure out the message aren't you!" He accused.
"We all figured out it spelled Zim!" Tenn yelled back. "What the plan actually was though seems much more complicated."
"Um, guys." Said Gaz as she pointed to their right. They had gotten a good amount of attention from the neighbors.
"Perhaps we should discuss this in private." Said Tenn. "Come inside."
"What? But you just kidnapped me!" Dib accused.
"Yes, and if you don't come in willingly we'll be forced to do it again." Said Tenn in an almost nice voice.
"Don't worry I won't let them hurt you." Said the irken next to him.
"Thanks…" Said Dib.
"Not while you still have my ship anyway."
Inside they all gathered around Tenn's couch. The base was hers, Skoodge technically no longer had one as the Tallest tried to kill him after he conquered his planet first.
"Okay so here's the thing… hold on I still have no idea who you are." Said Tenn.
"I'm Tak." Replied the purple-eyed irken.
"Tak… there's no invader by that name." Said Skoodge after he had looked through his tablet.
"She's not an invader!" Zim yelled. "She's a Janitorial drone."
"Zimmmm…" Tak warned.
"Then why are you here and why did you rescue the big-headed one?" Asked Tenn.
"Because he's mine to spy on. Not yours!" She yelled.
"Please as if a janitorial drone would even… wait why am I even talking to you!? Zim!"
"Yes, Tenn?" Asked Zim.
"The code had to do with you so why don't we just go through your pac memories." She suggested.
"Zim has already done that and the results were less than satisfactory." Zim replied.
"Why is this code so important to all of you?" Asked Gaz.
"Just following orders here." Said Tenn.
"Orders who's orders?" Asked Zim.
"Who do you think?" She replied.
"The Tallest." Answered Tak.
"Give the Janitorial drone a prize." Tenn replied. "The Tallest know you're snooping and they want to know what the plan means before you do."
"Why would the Tallest… hmmmm…" Said Zim.
Suddenly the tv screen came on.
"Well well well…. Well" Said Tallest Purple. "What do we have here?"
"My Tallest." Said Tenn. "I was just…"
"We know what you were doing Tenn." Said Red. "Revealing our plan."
"My Tallest! Why would you not want Zim to find…"
"Oh please no." Said Purpled. "We don't need another Mighty Zim! Speech."
"We were pretty clear we don't want you snooping on this file." Said Red. "But just in case let me tell you. Leave it alone!"
"But why my Tallest!?" Asked Zim.
"We don't have to explain ourselves to you." Answered Purple. "Just cease your investigating!"
The screen went black.
"Well, there you have it." Said Tenn. "I have been assigned this task so the rest of you can just… go back to whatever you were doing."
With that, the 4 began to leave.
"What about the interrogation?" Asked Skoodge.
Tenn sighed.
"Don't worry. We have plenty of time for that."
Zim sat on his couch. The tallest had assigned this to Tenn and to continue investigating would be a direct violation of their orders. However, Zim felt as though he almost needed to be the one to find out. The plan had something to do with him. He should try at least to figure out what it was.
*ding dong*
"Gir see who's at the door." Said Zim.
Gir suited up and ran to the entrance.
"It's Tak oooh and a little kitty." Said Gir.
Zim groaned.
"Zim let me in!" Tak shouted.
Gir opened the door.
"Hey, kitty!" He shouted as he launched himself at Mimi.
"What do you want?" Asked Zim.
"Listen very carefully." Said Tak as she came in.
"I knew the Tallest were wary of you poking around this." She said.
"I think I know why too."
"What does it matter?" Zim said. "You heard them Zim is forbidden to investigate… ack!"
Zim was yanked off the couch and soon he was staring Tak right in her undisguised purple irken eyes.
"Now you listen to me!" She shouted. "Whether I like it or not the plan has something to do with you. Which means you will most likely play a big part in figuring it out. So get off your pity horse and… I can't believe I'm saying this but start behaving more like Zim!"
Tak released him and he fell on the floor.
"You are right I am the mighty Zim!" He answered. "Zim will figure out this code… wait what does this have to do with you?" He asked.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with." She answered.
"Okay! I the mighty Zim!"
"I'm leaving." Said Tak as she turned to go.
"Ok see you! Zim has investigating to do!" He shouted as he ran for the toilet.
Dib sat on the roof. It had been one of those days. He looked up at the sky and wondered if any other aliens were going to make a visit to earth. It was just so weird. First Zim, then Tak, now Tenn and Skoodge. However, if the things they had seen in the future was to be believed… they wouldn't be the last irkens to come here.
He thought he would find answers but all there were was more questions.
"Star watching?" Asked a familiar voice.
"Tak?" Said Dib as he shot back a bit.
"Well, there's a reaction after I rescued you earlier." She said as she sat next to him.
"No, I'm grateful… but… why?" He asked.
"I'm a very territorial irken." She answered. "I don't like other irkens touching what I've claimed."
"Claimed?" Asked Dib.
"You know what I mean." She answered. "I've been spying on you too long just to let some other irken come and claim all my hard work."
"Thanks…" Said Dib though honestly, he wasn't sure whether he should be thanking her or… creeped out.
"Speaking of which. How did you know where my spy drones were?" She asked him.
"Oh… Zim actually." He told her though he left out the part that it was Zim from a year in the future.
"Figures." She answered. "So you are really helping him to figure out the plan?"
"Yeah, as long as he's figuring out this plan he'll stop trying to invade the earth." Dib answered.
"I see." Said Tak.
"So, I guess you'll be heading back?" Asked Dib.
"Oh, no…" Tak answered. "You see you destroyed my spy drones. So now I'll have to keep an eye on you personally."
"What? Tak? Why?" He asked.
Tak chuckled slightly. "See you in school."
She said as she walked away.
Dib sighed, but then smiled.
"Yup…" He said.
"…Definitely one of those days."
Thank you for all who made it to the end. Don't forget to leave a review.
May God bless you all.
