Episode Summary: Gaz is finally free from her cage and gets the privilege of exploring her new home on Zec. Meanwhile as Joshua lies in the hospital fighting for his life, his brother Joseph is now on trial; facing possible imprisonment for various crimes!
Author's Note: Thank you for reading and please review!
Episode 12: Welcome to Zec (Part 1)
(135 years ago)
This was it!
This was the very moment that could make him or break him!
Cadet Zim squirmed as he stood in line for his final exam, he had work long and hard for ten long years now, and finally he was here; at the end of the rope! Finally, he would learn his true purpose!
'But what if my true purpose is death?' Cadet Zim shivered at the thought, for he bared a deadly secret. And that secret was that he was defective, and he knew it! He had been lucky to have been born an Amon in the first place otherwise he would have already been dead! But now that he had stepped down there was no saving him.
The computer brain would see right through his defenses, and it would sentence him to death!
'No, I've come too far, for this to stop me!' Cadet Zim declared inwardly 'I must fool this brain; it can be done for I have done it before!' He knew this to be true because every PAK was inspected before it was attached to a newborn Smeet. If the PAK was defective it was destroyed, but Zim had somehow crossed under their radar.
And if he could just remember how than he could be saved.
'But how? My memories from my past life was drained before I was attached to my new body that's how it is for every PAK. So how can I remember a strategy that's been drained from my mind?'
It was a troubling question to say the least, and he was running out of time!
Then suddenly as the testing unit door opened, one thought formed in his mind.
'You are normal, you are not defective, and you are one of thousands... You will never stand out...'
Cadet Zim wasn't sure of where this thought had come from, but it sounded familiar to him, as if he had thought the exact same thing before. So, with really nothing else to go with he allowed the words to take hold as he entered the testing unit and closed the door.
"Irken Zim you are by far the most diverse Irken I have ever met!" The Computer Brain boomed.
'Really we just met?' Cadet Zim thought.
"No, you may not remember, but I am the Computer who brought you to life all those years ago." The brain told him.
'Whoa did she just read my thoughts?' Cadet Zim wondered.
"Yes, Zim now pay attention!" The brain boomed. "One wrong thought and this could all be over for you." She reminded him. "If I label you defective not even your Amon heritage can save you now." She warned.
"I understand." Cadet Zim assured her.
"Then let's begin!" The computer boomed.
Cadet Zim tensed as the Computer Brain wrapped its tentacles around his head and the next thing he saw was darkness!
Cadet Zim's eyes tried to adjust to the darkness as he looked around the room. Only to find that he was no longer in the Testing Unit but trapped in the middle of some dark void.
'Where am I?' he asked himself.
'We are in the void of your most inner thoughts young one.' A voice rasped.
Cadet Zim gasped as the computer brain materialized in front of him.
'It is here that we will test the value of your mind.'
Cadet Zim watched as visons of his past began to flash all around him.
'Your life has been a hard one, but whether you've realized it or not, your hardships have molded you into a warrior.'
'I'm too small to be a warrior.' Cadet Zim thought.
'You may be small...' The brain seemed to agree. 'But you have something more valuable than height and physical strength...'
'Yeah like what!' Cadet Zim snapped.
'Devotion.' The brain answered. 'You have a devotion for your people, one that I have not seen in any Irken since the Ancients ruled.'
The Ancients, Cadet Zim had heard of them; back than all Irkens were pure breeds, and young was brought into the world by natural birth, not test tubes. However, as time grew on, and technology took root things changed, natural birth resulted in at least 1/5 of their young being born with some sort of birth defect.
And for Amons birth defects result in death more than not, so in order to save their kind from dwindling further they changed tactics; Young would be created not born, this way the brains could manipulate the young and alter those for the better before the defect took root.
It was a solid solution...
However even solid solutions can produce a few upsets, some way or another a strand of DNA was made weaker than the others, this strand soon produced the second breed of Irken: The Shew!
Shews were smaller, and showed no developments of the Amons special abilities, however the Irkens did not believe in something ridiculous as being defective; no, they were unique; and back then different didn't mean useless!
It meant new opportunities to excel!
However once Tallest Miyuki gained control of Irk everything changed for she believed only certain Irkens deserved to live, while others were simply in the way. The Ancients had looked upon the horrors of what Irk had become, and had left, disgusted in the new ways of their people.
Leaving Irk to plunge into darkness!
Yes, everyone knew about how the Ancients had abandoned their people...
'What good is devotion when you're powerless?' Zim growled.
'If you are not devoted to your people than you are a waste! An Amon should want nothing but the best for his people. He should slave away with the determination to do nothing but serve his kind as he brings them into the new generation.' The brain snapped.
Cadet Zim knew what the computer was getting at, and it wasn't going to work. 'You can't make me doubt my decision to step down!' he snapped. 'I made the right choice!'
'Have you?' The brain asked. 'You know it's the Tallest who are trying to sabotage you, and yet you do nothing!'
'They're just staking their claim!' Cadet Zim hissed.
'They are power hungry swine!' The Brain corrected him. 'And if you think it will stop with you than you are wrong!'
'I have stepped down and there is no going back!'
Silence...
It dragged on...and then...
'Very well, you have made your choice.' The Brain sighed.
This was it, the moment she sentenced him to death!
'No young one, I will not send you to your death.' The brain told him. 'Your name speaks volumes of your future. You are one of greatness, and one day you will bring us back to simpler times. For sometimes we must walk backwards in order to move forward.'
Cadet Zim found her words funny but shrugged them off as he waited his fate.
'Cadet Zim you are small, but even small things have their worth; your devotion shall serve your people well. Promise me you will never lose that devotion.'
'I promise.' Cadet Zim assured her.
'Than from this day forward I label you as an Invader! Serve your people well young one!'
Invader Zim's chest swelled with pride as the darkness faded around him, the test was over; and he had a bright future ahead of him.
However, what the Invader didn't know was the brain had chosen this job on purpose!
For all brains could see the future of each individual of their people, and this brain knew that one day this job as an Invader would lead Zim to a planet that would show him his true destiny.
(Present Day)
This was it!
This was the moment that her freedom would begin!
Gaz sighed in relief as Tak appeared in front of her cage.
"Sorry this would have happened sooner, but I had to attend some stupid trial because a bunch of cadets tried to kill each other." Tak explained.
"Really?" Gaz asked.
"Yeah and get this some humans were involved too." Tak laughed.
"What idiots!" Gaz mused.
The two laughed as Tak opened her cage.
"I can't believe we're actually in business!" Tak admitted out loud to her. "I mean I just never thought a plan to destroy the Tallest would ever work."
Gaz couldn't agree more, things were finally starting to look up, and nothing could stop her now!
(In Zec's Maximum Prison Unit!)
Jail!
It was no place for children…Then again he wasn't really a child.
Zim, who was disguised as the human Joseph, paced his cell back and forth awaiting the inedible fate of his demise. He had no doubt that the Cadets would be found innocent, just the thought of those cadets, and what they did sent his nerves into a frenzy!
The monsters had set his home on fire with Dib still inside and laughed as it burned to the ground! And now Dib, someone who had been like a brother to him for more than a year, was now fighting for his life in some hospital bed; and it was all because of them!
Zim tried to swallow his anger; it did not go down easily. 'And to think I actually wanted to save them!' Zim felt sick to his stomach just thinking about it. 'Those beast don't deserve my devotion, or my loyalty! They are animals that would soon murder one another for their own personal gain then stand up for what's right! I can't believe I use to be the same way!' Zim almost vomited at the thought.
'How could I have been so naïve to think I could save both of them? And how could I have been stupid enough to want too?! They have never respected me, for years they have walked all over me well no more! I don't need them, nor do I want them to be around! When this is all over I'll stay with Dib and Gaz, they're my real family not these Irken swine!'
Zim forced himself to push his anger away, as much as he hated it he had to focus. If he ever wanted to see Dib or Gaz ever again he had to be found innocent!
Luckily, he did know a thing or two about Irken trials; considering the fact that he had been in a few himself. He knew what to say, all he had to do was play the victim, besides the spy drone that had arrived on the scene claimed to have seen everything. Which means Cadet Rene's confession to the crime would be recorded and presented to the court. It would then become clear to the court that Joseph's actions were out of hurt and anger for his losses.
Still Joseph had assaulted the Cadet, he could be held for at least 3 months for said crime.
'I have to do whatever it takes to get out of here and see Dib, even if that means…sucking up to THEM!' Zim stiffened another growl as an Irken Guard approached his cell.
"It's time!" the Irken Guard spoke as he opened his cell. "Don't try anything stupid human, just do what you're told, and you'll be out to see your brother in no time."
"Is he alright?" Zim tried not to sound hostel; it wasn't easy. In all honesty he wanted to punch the guard in the face. The swine had been watching him like a hawk and even had the nerve and try to befriend him during his, now 2 day stay.
Try being the key word!
Why? Zim had an idea. The Irken race always had their guards try and befriend the accused in order to earn their trust. They knew if the guards were trusted enough then the accused would let their own guard down and reveal their true selves, they may even slip something that can in turn be used against them in trial.
So Zim had no doubt a Spy drone was nearby recording everything.
"He is recovering well." the guard assured him. "That's a strong brother you got there."
"I hope he pulls through, he's all I have you know?" Joseph sniffled wiping the tears from his eyes. It wounded his pride to cry like a pathetic crybaby in front of this Irken pest; but it did have the desired effect.
"Come let's get this over with so you may be there to see him wake up." The guard looked almost heartbroken as he put Zim in chains and lead him to the awaiting court room.
(Back In Dib's Hometown at the hospital...)
She had never felt such anger in all her years of living, but seeing him now, one of her closest friends in a hospital bed; tore at her insides!
Rachel Hearting wiped the tears from her eyes as she brushed Josh's hair out of his face. The Irken doctors had him hooked up to several machines in hopes that it would help clear the boy's lungs. The fire had destroyed the Campbell home leaving nothing but a pile of ash.
Rachel remembered how the resistance had to close up the secret tunnel that led to the underground Seward System from the Campbell's kitchen. They also had to commandeer the robot doubles and any other traces that could link Josh and his brother to the Resistance.
"Thank you for letting us see him." Rachel said to Principal Razi who at the moment was standing by the door.
"Yeah thanks." Mark mumbled too lost in his worries for Josh to remember to show Principal Razi a lick of respect. Even though the Irken Female had kindly given them a ride during school to see Josh.
"It means a lot to us to know he's okay." James said giving his cousin a dirty look.
"Of course," Principal Razi forced a smile. "You and your friends are the closes family he has right now." She sighed "You know, since Joseph is…"
"In jail!" Rachel finished rather bluntly.
"Yes..." Principal Razi spoke coldly.
"Do you think he will be alright?" Rachel asked her voice more emotional now.
"I'd like to say that I know my students very well." Principal Razi answered. "And I know for a fact Joseph would never do this; he loves his brother and would do anything for him. The court will realize this and see things in his favor."
"I hope your right." Rachel said.
"I am!" Principal Razi assured her, but her voice was shaking almost as if she didn't believe them and Rachel didn't blame her; no one could!
After all, when you lived in a world ruled by the most corrupted dictators in the universe there was only one person's judgment you could trust, and that was your own!
Rachel could only hope for a miracle to come and save the day. What she didn't know was that fate did have something in mind, but whether it was a miracle or not remained to be seen!
-To Be Continued