It Came From Outer Space (Mira-Charma13 and Dip)

[Mira-Charma13]

Rhapsody couldn't wait to gush to Bohemian the next time they went to lunch together. She was in charge of delivering some of the new human's meals every now and again. They had to be specially prepared, per the Head Surgeon's orders, and hand-delivered. She described in detail the interaction she witnessed. Dib was eating his lunch outside of the bars. Apparently he'd dropped by to eat lunch with the foreign human, which she found rather strange.

On her way back to the Medical Bay she passed by the Tallest, who didn't even acknowledge her when she greeted him. An aura of discomfort and anger surrounded him. As she walked away she stole a peek over her shoulder and noticed him leaning forward and peering into the depths of the Prison, antennae drooping and expression pitiful at best.

Their Tallest was Defective. Rhapsody knew this long ago, when she was still young. Zim's various exploits and screw-ups were infamous in Irken society. He was a social pariah of the highest degree. Everyone knew his name, and knew about him, but no one wanted anything to do with him. His emotional outbursts and erratic behavior were indicative of a highly Defective PAK. This behavior he was displaying toward Dib was even more telling. Surely they weren't the only Irkens to have noticed it!

And yet, in spite of the reports that must have been pouring in...the Control Brains left him alone.

She passed on a rumor she heard once before to Bohemian--that the former Tallest dragged Zim before a pair of Control Brains once in the past and they tried to Deactivate him. But...they couldn't. When they attempted to drain the data from the Defective PAK something went horribly wrong. The Control Brains malfunctioned, speaking in high-pitched choppy sentences and sparking. They complained at first of being corrupted with bad data, but then they began speaking in tongues. They dropped Zim like a boiling hot piece of metal and declared him to be the most impressive Irken they had ever seen. And then they squealed and kept talking in gibberish, and allowed Zim free reign of the Massive for a few minutes.

Jazz was apparently very interested in getting the full story from the Tallest at some point, and so was Rhapsody. If the Tallest's corrupted PAK had that kind of power over the Control Brains...well, that was amazing!

---

---

Zim watched closely as the live camera feed from the elevator played, with crisp video and audio. He idly wondered, as the two humans conversed, if it would disturb the Dib to know that almost every location in the Massive and on most Irken-controlled planets was under strict surveillance. Luckily enough for both of them Zim's two predecessors weren't fond of being constantly watched. They ripped every last piece of surveillance equipment out of many rooms, including their bedchambers, private dining area, media room, spacious cleansing room, and lounge. Zim took a similar route once he became the Tallest and destroyed surveillance equipment in several other spots.

He wasn't surprised in the slightest to hear that the Plookesians didn't sleep. It was a common fact. Irkens were not required to sleep, either, so it wasn't quite so strange to him. That wasn't the norm among most creatures in the Known Universe, however. Even the mighty Meekrob had to sleep sometimes.

A growing pit of suspicion formed in the bowels of Zim's mind the more and more the two humans chatted. Dwicky's behavior was peculiar, to say the least. He was already well aware that Dib initially wanted to invite him to do something with the two of them later, though he had no idea a sleepover was what they were planning and he also had no idea they would be absconding to the stolen golden ship. What if...Dwicky was planning on abducting Dib?

He briefly muted the audio. "Computer? Place a call for me. I want to talk to the Head Guard."

"Okey-dokey. Uhh..." The AI hesitated. "Are you going to do something drastic?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

"Gosh, this is exciting!"

Zim only had to wait a couple of seconds before the Head Guard picked up. He demanded that four of his best guards head straight for the Hangar that housed the strange golden ship. He gave no reason, and the Head Guard was just fine with that. A small group of soldiers marched straight there. The Tallest's orders were to hang back at first and make sure the two humans were already inside. After affirming that, they were to move in and conceal themselves behind another ship. Once there they had orders to wait until a violent commotion or a call for help was heard, or the Tallest commanded them to move in.

"Computer. I'm going to need access to any audio or video surveillance that exists within the golden ship."

"You're really gonna spy on them in there?" The Computer sounded downright gleeful. "I wonder what the Dib-human would say about that."

"Be quiet and do my bidding!"

"Okay, okay. Sheesh. Processing...let me see..." The Computer was silent for a few moments as it did a bit of digging. Every ship that was captured by the Irken Empire was studied closely and then retrofitted with the latest Irken technology, so that it could be monitored if anyone decided that it was worth using. "I don't have video feeds. But I do have audio."

"Is it good audio?" Zim's antennae perked upward. It was disappointing knowing that he wouldn't be able to see what was going on, but audio was good enough.

"Seems decent. I'll let you be the judge of that."

"Mm-hm..." Zim squinted at the mainscreen and turned the audio back on. He had a bad feeling about this. Hopefully his guards would be able to step in quickly if trouble was truly afoot.[/hr]

 

[Dip]

The two humans took the long way to the Hangars, to avoid being caught by... well, by anyone, really. Dib wasn't entirely sure if he was breaking a rule by sneaking off into the Hangars and hanging out into a ship, but the unknown was exciting for the human nonetheless. Dwicky, however, knew that this was a serious risk.

A few knew he had the keys to the Heart of Gold, but those certain people had assumed that he made it back to his holding cell by that point, but as far as the Prison Guards knew, he was still cleaning to the delight of others. He did have a set schedule, but he was no stranger to random acts of cleaning, ordered by others around the Massive.

The Earthlings managed their way into the Hangars quickly and as quietly as they possibly could, which was a hard task, considering that the two humans were basically reduced to mules, with a number of supplies they carried. In addition to the blankets and food, they had a plethora of other needed supplies. Cables, to connect to the screens within the Heart of Gold, clothes to change in in the morning, and some books... Just 'cause.

Dwicky fumbled with the golden keys as he tried to unlock the door, but he managed to do so. Dwicky, as he entered, raced to the nearest counter, and placed the food he had grabbed onto it. He then, promptly, dropped all of his supplies onto the floor, and held his arms out, as if he was taking credit for the amazing golden interior.

Dib stepped in quickly and closed the door behind him just as quickly. Dib turned around and took a gazing sweep around the entire room. He thought the outside was amazing, but it seemed that the inside was equally as enthralling! Dib placed his food items where Dwicky had placed his-- it seemed to be a large conference table, but it hadn't been used in a long time-- and he dropped his blankets on the same pile.
"The ship is beautiful!" Dib moved towards one of the golden walls and touched it gently. "Is it really all made out of gold?"

"Dunno." Dwicky shrugged, tucking his hands into his pockets. "It's pretty, though."

"How fast does it fly?"

Dwicky smirked at this. He wanted to ask Dib if he wanted to find out, but he went a different route instead. "Well, let me see... Do you know the coordinates to Milliway?"

Dib thought for a moment, closing one eye and thinking deeply. "Uhm.... I know this, I know this... 80.29864 Latitudinal? 84.41--"

"Hypothetically speaking-- I know you know them, but I don't care.." He interrupted before he continued. "The long answer is what you just said, the short answer is this: a long long long long ways away. And, where did you discover the Heart of Gold?"

"Just outside of the Damogran solar-system." Dib shrugged.

"Well, if my calculations are correct... it flies pretty damn fast." Dwicky decided before be took the blankets and pillows and began to set base. Dib followed and knelt down to prop up a few pillows up against the golden wall. The young man rose, and grabbed a few snacks, and sat down in his newly designated spot.
The two humans situated themselves within the golden interior of the ship and talked idly for quite some time. Dib would have been more for conversation, but his mind was racing with thoughts about the ship. How fast did it really go? How did the Improbability Drive work within the ship? Did the Scientists already take out the Drive? Could it function without the Drive in place?

The two humans weren't strangers to silent conversations. One thing that Dib noticed after spending weeks with both Zim and Dwicky was that the Irken had a lot more to say to Dib, whereas Dwicky would usually sit and enjoy the silence. The latter conversation was always more strange to the young human, mostly because he wasn't very fond of silence when it was awkward.

The silence was soon disrupted when the hitchhiker turned to face Dib, after a spell of silence. "Dib."

"Dwicky." The young man replied.

"If you could name... one song to describe planet Earth, what would it be?"

Dwicky, for some odd reason, was a fan of questions like that. He would often ask opinionated questions, but that wasn't entirely a bad thing. That really got the conversation rolling for the humans, and tangents were often made about the song or film choices. Dib thought for a minute and then spoke.

"Uhhhmm.... I dunno. I never really take the time to listen to songs."

Dwicky made a face as if this personally offended him. "What? What do you mean?"

"Well, on Earth, I just kinda played the radio. I never really listened."

"You suck at this game," Dwicky said, before easing into a more relaxing position. "Africa, by Toto."

"No, you've been saying that title for-- for everything," Dib argued. "You always say Africa describes something about Earth!"

"Do-do do-do do do do-dooo." Dwicky hummed, with a smile on his face. "I had a lot of time to think about that song, and I have come to the conclusion that it is the best song in the entire Universe-- Galaxy, even. It is the best describer of human beings as a whole."

"The Universe is bigger than a Galaxy," Dib commented gently, with a smirk. "And I don't think the lyrics apply to Earth, y'know? It applies mostly to... Africa."

Dwicky was silent again, for only a moment, before he spoke mildly out of context. "You're really smart, Dib."

This took the other young man back, but he didn't seem all that bashful about the comment. "Uh... Thanks? But Afri--"

"Why did you want to be a Paranormal Investigator? You're so... good at science and stuff."

Dib shook his head. Besides the 'and stuff', Dwicky sounded a lot like his father.

"Imagine what you could do on Earth. For humans! What you could have invented, and created, and stuff."

"I don't really like science," Dib admitted. "I don't want to focus on something that's... I dunno, already been discovered. I don't want to look at the same thing and try to find something else. I want to-- well, I am looking for things that no one else has ever seen before! What isn't amazing about that?"

Dwicky nodded and thought his next choice of words over carefully. "So... you like seeing strange and amazing things?"

"Duh! What do you take me for?" Dib smiled, before twisting the cap off of his Irken beverage. "I've always loved strange and amazing things. They're just so... strange and amazing."

"Then why are you still on the Massive?"

Dib paused, knitting his eyebrows together tightly. "What?"

"Well, there's really nothing cool about the Massive." Dwicky shrugged. "It's impressive, sure, but Dib... I've been around, and you're missing out."

Dib shook his head. "Missing out on what?"

Dwicky sat up from his relaxed position. "On... well, on everything!" He started. "There are so many planets that the Massive skips past every day, there's so many life-forms that you've never seen-- that I've never seen-- that we have never seen before, and... don't you want to see them all?"

Dib was placed in a compromising position. "Well, yeah, I want to see them all... But I will. On my own time. I have to--"

"You have to work first," Dwicky answered for him. "Dib, you worked on Earth. You get abducted, and now you're put to work--"

"I was never abducted." Dib interrupted quickly. "Never. I was never abducted. I wanted to come along, okay? I wanted to do this. No one forced me onto the Massive, and no one forces me to work on here."

"Well, it sure doesn't look like it to me," Dwicky replied, with a sigh.

"What does that mean?" Dib asked, defensively.

"To me, it looks like some alien-dictator is holding you captive and forcing you to adapt to their strange-weird-gross culture. It looks like their making you forget that you're human, Dib!" Dwicky paused, looking back at the human. He let out a breath that he wasn't aware he was holding. "Look, Dib, I've seen humans in space. With aliens. I've seen what they have become-- they're not even human anymore! Humans need to explore, not be tied down to come inter-Galactic job--"

"Inter-Universal," Dib corrected. "And the Irken culture isn't 'weird' or 'gross', okay? It's neat, and everyone knows I'm a human. Well... I think. They call me human, anyway-- but that's not the point! The point is--"

"The point is that I want you to come with me, Dib."

Dib's entire train of thought derailed and crashed into the nearest bridge. "...What did you say?" Dib almost whispered.

"When this whole 'prison' thing is taken care of and over with, I want you to come with me and the Plookesians. Our first stop is across the Universe, back at Milliway, to get our ship, and then--"

"No, Dwicky, I can't." Dib shook his head. "I can, but I don't want to. I... I-I wanna stay here. On the Massive."

"It will take a while to get back to the Restaraunt, but we can stop and enjoy the view on certain planets and galaxies. Right?" Dwicky smiled, wondering if he used the right word to describe where they'd go.

"Right-- Right about the galaxies, but I don't want to go." Dib insisted. "I have--"

"You have work, I know, I hear that from you every day, Dib." Dwicky persisted. "But you need to take a break for yourself! When was the last time you got a day off from your job, huh?"

"Last week, actually! Zim and I had to--"

Dwicky groaned loudly, which stopped Dib right in his tracks. "What?" Dib asked, almost losing his patients.
"You always talk about Zim with me. Always! I don't care about Zim, Dib." The former Counselor chuckled, which did nothing for Dib whatsoever. "Even when you were a kid, you talked about him! None stop!"

Dwicky paused, and the young occultist turned away from him. "Does Zim talk about you as much as you talk about him?"

Dib sighed. "Well, I--"

"No, he doesn't--"

"I don't know if he does, okay? So what if he doesn't? I...I don't care. That doesn't mean anything."

"It does mean something." Dwicky started. "It means that he doesn't appreciate you."

Dib turned back to Dwicky and balled his fists gently. "Shut up, okay? He does appreciate me. He does!"

"Yeah, he just has a funny way of showing it, then." Dwicky started. "If he really did appreciate you, he would treat you with more respect, wouldn't he? He treats you like-- I dunno, like a lesser being."

This struck a cord within the Paranormal Investigator. "He treats me like an equal." He spoke, mostly to himself.

Dwicky rolled his eyes. "Dib, you will never be his equal. Why would you settle for awful treatment when I can treat you so much better?"

"I am his equal!" Dib spoke up, louder than before. "He has done everything for me! He-he's given me a place to stay, he takes care of everything I need, he... he goes out of his way for me. He's such a good friend to me, Dwicky." Dib paused, and turned from him again, instantly wishing the mood of the sleepover hadn't gotten sour so fast.

"He would never do this for anyone else because... Well, because I think I'm his best friend."

"See? That's your first mistake." Dib groaned into his hands and listened as Dwicky continued on. "You can't be their friend. They can't feel emotion. They're only in it for themselves. Can't you see? Zim is using you because he knows you work hard, and he knows you're good at your job. He's using you to get what he wants!"

"You don't understand--"

"You're right!" Dwicky protested. "I don't understand! I don't understand how a human being can forget their entire being! I don't understand how you can pick aliens over your fellow humans! I don't understand why you would do this to yourself, Dib!"

This was, in Dib's opinion, the worst sleepover ever. Finally, Dib erupted. He had been calm for far too long. "This is the best decision I've ever made!!" He gesticulated frantically. "I don't regret it one bit! I didn't do anything to myself. Zim did this to me! He did this for me! And it's the nicest thing anyone has ever done-- no human has ever been this nice to me before!" Dib protested. He motioned downwards as if Earth was below him. "They--They never," He turned, and pointed to Dwicky. "You never believed me! You just humored me-- they all humored me, while Zim took me seriously!"

Dwicky raised his hands in defense and spoke. "Look, Dib, calm down--"

"I am calm!" He said, as calmly as he could.

"I didn't mean to make you upset, okay? I just..." Dwicky sighed, and looked down himself as if he was embarrassed. "I'm so lonely, Dib."

Dib lowered his own hands and raised an eyebrow at the human. "...Okay...?" He wasn't sure where this was going.

"I don't want to say so soon, but I haven't been with someone in so long--"

"Dwicky, no, stop," Dib laughed nervously. "I'm-- I'm not interested. At all. I just-- you're really old, and-- and you've known me since I was twelve! And I just-- I kinda..." A nervous blush colored his face. How many exits were there in the Heart of Gold?

Dwicky looked up Dib. "Is there someone else?"

"No-- I mean... yeah, but no. Kinda. Kinda, yeah."

Dwicky and Dib were silent for a long time. Dib nervously palmed the ground, as if he was ready to take flight, whereas Dwicky was deep in thought. Silently, he looked up to the other young human and tugged nervously at his long fingers.

"It's Zim, isn't it?"

Dib, was again, silent. But that was all that Dwicky needed. The human spoke up again. "Dib, you're not stupid. You and I both know you can't-- you can't be with him."

"..." Dib shrugged.

"You and I both know that. You know that!"

Dib was, once again, silent. This seemed to annoy Dwicky to no end.

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "What is it about him, huh? What does he have that humanity doesn't?"

"Well, he isn't you, for starters." He sneered. "And he... he came back for me."

"So did I--"

"Shut the fuck up," Now, Dib was pissed. "You never came back for me. You-- you forgot I existed! You stumbled upon me! Zim went out of his way to look for me! You would never do something like that-- no one would do something like that for me, but Zim did."

"He left you--"

"Oh, my god, shut up, so did you! He. Came. Back. He came from outer space! For me! And I know, I'm a moron for thinking that he could ever be more than my friend, but maybe it could happen. Maybe, somewhere along the way, he might feel the same way for me. Maybe he might learn to love me, I don't know... But what I do know is that he traveled across the entire Universe, during a war, to pick me up, because he thinks I deserve better." Dib had never said this information out loud, and it was shocking just to hear it. "Me... He thinks I deserve better.. Well, I don't know about that, but I know... I know he missed me. He missed me a lot, and so did I. I missed him so much, it hurt all the time. I was so alone, I wanted to die-- but I didn't, because... I always hoped he could come back."

Dwicky, after behind told to shut up so many times, did as he was asked. He didn't interrupt the young man as he ranted and raved, but he instead went silent as the human pushed himself onto his feet. "I would... I would follow him to the ends of the Earth-- I have! -- and to the bottom of the ocean, and to the corners of the Universe, and I don't care what he feels for me because I'd do it regardless. He came back for me, and I'm never going to leave him. I don't care if he still considers me a nemesis, I'll be the best damn nemesis ever! But you--"

Dib turned a sharp eye to Dwicky. "I'm never going with you."

Dwicky soon followed onto his feet and grabbed Dib by the shoulder. "Wait, Dib, don't go--"

"Don't touch me--" Dib pushed his hand off of his shoulder, and turned to face him. "Don't touch me." Dib grabbed his backpack and made his way out of the Heart of Gold in a blaze of fury.

Dwicky didn't follow Dib out of the Hangar, and he certainly didn't follow him down the hall... mostly because, by the time Dib was out of sight, Dwicky was once again subdued.

 

[Mira-Charma13]

Zim wasn't nearly as impressed with the interior of the stolen ship. Gold was a precious metal on planet Earth, but the only precious metals that mattered to the Irken Empire were metals that could be put to good use for war and invading and conquering. Gold was, for the most part, utilized to create fancy things on planet Earth. It was also used in dentistry and crafting electronics, among other things. But the Irken Empire only used gold for a tiny handful of things. The bustling city center before Tallest Tower back on planet Irk was home to a gigantic golden statute depicting the current Almighty Tallest (or Tallests). Similar, much smaller statues of each and every previous Tallest were housed in the Hall of the Empire, which was basically a glorified museum.

As far as precious Earth metals went, Zim actually preferred silver. GIR bought him a silver piece of Earth jewelry for Christmas one year, and though he pretended to despise it he kept it--hidden away, of course. He still had it to this day.

The conversation between the two human beings picked up and Zim listened in with apparently rapt interest. "Milliway?" he echoed, sounding surprised. "It came from that far away? That quickly?! How?"

"That Drive-thing, I'd imagine," the Computer answered as simply as it could. "I heard they extracted the thing."

"Ooh." The Tallest's thick black antennae stood straight up. "Does it work?"

"I don't think so. I think it got banged up a bit."

"Oh." Zim visibly deflated. "Well, that stinks. Perhaps the Dib could have visited Earth if it was in good working condition..."

The conversation that followed after the spell of silence intrigued the Irken monarch. A single song to describe planet Earth? Hm...he would have to think on that one. Perhaps GIR would have a better idea than he did. He hated to admit it, even this far into the future, but his little SIR was much more familiar with planet Earth, its odd foreign customs, and everything on it than he was. Though GIR was Irken technology created on planet Conventia, Earth was his true home planet.

Dib's enthusiasm for the paranormal never ceased to amaze, and amuse, Zim. He imagined that seeing new things and being able to document unusual stuff would never get old for the human. As for himself, well...seeing new and strange things was always exciting. But dedicating his life to documenting and studying these things? That was definitely not what he wanted.

Then again, being the Almighty Tallest wasn't what he really wanted either...

The contemplative little smile curling Zim's lips vanished in an instant when the conversation quickly went downhill. He did agree with the problem human on one point. The Massive was boring. There wasn't much to do other than work. That was plenty for the average Irken, but for non-Irkens...it was a different story. Mercifully enough for Dib Zim was particularly un-Irken when it came to constant work, and he always knew how to ditch work and have a good time.

But that was where the agreeable comments halted.

Zim grew progressively angrier with each statement that spewed out of that foul Earth beast's mouth. The degrading statements toward Irken society he could allow to slide...but the disparaging things that dribbled from his filthy human mouth could not be taken lightly.

He almost--almost--demanded that his Computer connect him directly to the speakers in the foreign ship so that he could shriek and scream obscenities the second Dwicky revealed that he wanted Dib to leave with him. His innards churned and roiled wildly as an unprecedented spike of jealousy surged through him. Had the two humans been present, before Zim, at that very second...Dwicky would now be little more than a pile of bones and flesh on the ground.

Zim was accustomed to being unable to control his own actions and fledgling emotions...but the ferocity behind his desire to eviscerate Dwicky actually startled him. Irkens normally didn't lose control when it came to jealousy...unless...

The distinctly dark and Irken section of his mind refused to entertain that thought. Zim was still in denial. But that wouldn't last long.

It was immensely relieving to hear that Dib didn't want to leave. That dark part of his mind had almost convinced him that the Dib did want to abandon him. He felt all warm and fuzzy inside when the human went on to declare that he was such a good friend to him. It should have been revolting to hear, and it was admittedly a bit embarrassing, but overall, he felt...happy.

Dib's emotional outburst was expected, but the words he shouted were not. Zim took a step closer to the screen, magenta eyes as wide as dinner plates, and took everything in. The jealousy that seemed to be running rampant throughout his body returned in an instant when Dwicky declared that he was lonely. At first Zim didn't understand why--apparently some part of him must have if the jealousy popped up so soon--but when Dwicky spoke again it all came full circle.

"Is there someone else?"

If it was possible for Irkens to have hair, every single hair on Zim's body would be standing straight up right about now. Instead his antennae rose, the cricked tips swinging forward and curling inquisitively. He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a high-pitched breath. Part of him didn't want to know the answer to that question, and wanted to demand that the Computer cut the connection. Another part of him already knew the answer. And the part that won out wanted to just stand there and wait with bated breath.

"It's Zim, isn't it?"

There it was. The million-monie question. And yet...the Dib was oddly silent. Zim went through a wild flurry of emotions in the span of five seconds, which included panic, fury, and sadness, before the other human spoke again. Apparently, the silence was...a confirmation? But he couldn't be sure until Dib spoke! He was actually thankfully that Dwicky was badgering his fellow Earth creature.

The confirmation was subtle, but it was there. Zim only registered half of the following conversation at first, as he was so engrossed in his own thoughts, but began paying attention again when Dib finally lost his temper. Every lingering bit of reluctance bled from his mind as the human spoke. He felt...peculiar. As if a hundred squirming parasites were going to town on his insides. Was he happy? He couldn't tell. The emotions were in a jumbled mess. He could barely comprehend them to begin with--trying to do so now was futile!

It wasn't negative. For the very first time, there were no negative feelings mixed in with these strange and slightly unnerving things he felt for the Dib. It was...comforting. And it gave him confidence. Perhaps there wasn't anything to fear about these feelings after all...? GIR woke up halfway through Dib's final impassioned speech and watched both it and the dramatic change in his master, rubbing his eyes groggily.

Hm...his master looked an awful lot like one of those lovestruck ladies on the soap operas...

The positive emotions took a back seat when Dwicky had the audacity to reach out and touch Dib without his permission. Without even thinking about it Zim barked an order to the Computer, which was quickly passed on to his team of Guards. They were able to apprehend Dwicky within seconds, and without alerting Dib either.

"What should I have them do with him, master?"

Zim, who was in the middle of disrobing and rapidly pulling on the pieces of his Almighty Tallest regale, didn't answer. It wasn't until the Computer cleared its nonexistent throat that his head shot up, startled by the sound. It took him a little bit to realize what the AI wanted of him, but when he did he scoffed and pulled his second boot on. "Battery on a close confidant of the Almighty Tallest is a crime punishable by jail time."

"But...that isn't a real crime."

"YOU'RE LYING!"

"But I'm not--"

"It is now!"

"Okay, okay. Geez. What should I have them do with him, then?"

One of Zim's antennae twitched with annoyance as he strode to the door--GIR tottered after him, still yawning but seemingly excited. "Have him carted off to a high-security prison!"

"Which one?"

"I don't care!"

"Well, okay."

Zim wasn't even listening anymore. He had to hurry if he wanted to intercept Dib. It didn't occur to him until he was out of the elevator and hovering at high speed through one of the hallways that he had no idea what he was going to do or say...but by then it was too late to turn back.

 

[Dip]

The fact that the entire ship was created out of gold was what initially attracted both humans to the cruiser in the first place. From a more scientific standpoint, gold is used by humans to protect from heat radiation. That means that the satellite's sensitive parts (the batteries are usually most critical) are protected from fluctuations of the temperature on the surface, such as when the satellite passes through the shadow of the Earth. That would mean that an entire ship made out of gold would, in theory, be extremely cold if it were to fly any slower than it already did.

If the heart of gold was an actual spaceship, used for long-term space travel, the beings aboard would surely die. Even the hardest working heater couldn't fight a temperature equilibrium. It was an amazing design, and it was wise, as well. Traveling as fast as the heart of gold did, things would get hot within the ship. The gold within and surrounding the ship act as something of a thermo-regulatory system, once again, protecting the passengers on the inside.

Sadly, the Improbability Drive did take a big of damage. Mostly due to inexperienced drivers at the controls, but there were many reasons for the malfunctioning of the Drive. Almost instantly after they repossessed the ship, the Invader Tak led the team of Damogran Scientists and a few Irken Scientists to extrapolate the device, and rework it's inner machinations.

This, however, was entirely useless. It was discovered by lucky chance, and then developed into a governable form of propulsion by the Scientist's research center on Damogran. There was a small probability that the chance would ever happen again, but as of late, the Damogran Scientists have taken to poking and prodding at the piece of machinery, in order to see if anything new and exciting would come of it. Nothing has happened yet, but when something does happen, they'll be ready.

It was an amazing piece of technology, but Dib wished he could explore it in better circumstances.

The human walked briskly out of the Hangars (still, sadly, completely unaware that his Spittle Runner was damn near ruined due to some outside force that wasn't, for the first time, space) and out of the hall. He, as anyone would understand, was pissed. And just as anyone would understand, he was annoyed. And embarrassed. And frankly, confused, and bewitched, and bothered, and bewildered, and feeling a whole slurry of emotions that he didn't really want to deal with.

The young man didn't really know what he wanted to do. He knew he wanted to sleep off the bad experience, but he knew that no amount of sleeping could rob him of the bad conversation that had previously transpired. Maybe a shower would work, and he would feel better. The young man sighed and ran a hand through his hair and under his glasses. He rubbed his tired eyes as he walked, and pushed his glasses up the length of his nose.

The human made his way to the elevator at the end of the long hallway and entered by himself. As the doors closed behind him, he pressed his forehead to the glass and heaved a heavy sigh.

What was wrong with him?

Dib had never admitted to anyone, out loud or otherwise, that he had those certain feelings. While most people felt better about talking things over, the human felt icky, and anxious all over. He felt... he felt as if Zim heard some of that, even from across the Massive, he could feel that he heard certain snippets of the conversation.

He pulled his head from the glass, and watched as he slowly floated upwards, away from the Hangars, away from the heart of gold, away from Dwicky, and unbeknownst to him, away from the guards that threw Dwicky onto a one-way cart to the jail on Irk.

Dib, as soon as the glass doors slid open, took a step out and began his walk once more. He looked down at the ground as he tried to get his thoughts in order. It felt like it hadn't been him talking and arguing with Dwicky, for the past... God know's how long! He felt like he had just been in the room, while two other people argued. He played the words he had said over and over to himself in his mind, and came to the conclusion that it wasn't him speaking.

The human felt second-hand embarrassment from what he said, and he decided that he would never speak those phrases out to any other living being ever again. He looked up from his downtrodden gaze, and once again, zoned out.

He told himself that he was content with hiding his affections. He would be fine, wouldn't he? You couldn't die of a broken heart if your heart was never broken to start with! If Zim never knew, that was just fine by Dib. Maybe they would work better that way... Well, there was no maybe to it. They were friends. Nothing more, and thankfully, nothing less.

The human looked over himself, and wondered if he would have time to run back down and collect his blankets again. A thought played within Dib's mind to just sleep with Zim, like he did all of those weeks ago, but he pushed that far into the dark and deep pits of his mind. That was outrageous. He would never... unless Zim offered. If he offered, he would take it up in a heartbeat!

It was funny to think about, because Zim hardly offered anything recently. It seemed to have stopped... when Dwicky came about. Dib knew that Zim wasn't the biggest fan of Dwicky, but surely, that couldn't change anything, right? Dib did spend a lot of time with him, but Zim would have done the same thing, right?

Dib turned the corner, and the devil spoke true.

The first thing that the human could register was pain. Not really a sharp pain, but a dull, pulsating pain. This, the human could allude, was due to the large green beanpole colliding with the human at maximum velocity. The human fell back, right onto his ass, and groaned something that was a mix between a yelp, and an exclamatory phrase.

He turned upwards, to see the very being that he had just been professing about.

Dib tried to smile, and he palmed the ground where he sat.

"...Hi'ya." Was all he could muster.

 

[Mira-Charma13]

GIR actually spotted Dib long before his master did. As he shook off the lingering remnants of sleep he only grew more and more excited. The tiny SIR could feel that something big was about to happen, and though he wasn't sure what that was he somehow knew it was gonna be good! In his excitement he managed to overtake his master, skipping through the hallways cheerfully and humming an Earth tune to himself. When he turned that fateful corner first he stopped dead in his tracks, having caught sight of the Earth boy. He tried to say something--tried to greet him...

But it was too late.

Zim collided with the human at mach speed. He yelped like a kicked puppy. The hover belt shorted out and his thin legs stumbled and struggled to find purchase on the ground. Eventually the Irken leader lost his footing and nearly tumbled to the ground...but a last-ditch effort from GIR, attaching himself firmly to one of Zim's legs and using magnetic force to root himself to the spot, managed to prevent that. He did twist that ankle uncomfortably, and he was faintly aware that he might have broken a bone or two in his foot, but at least he didn't fall over onto the metal floor. He could have broken his spine.

Again. What would it have been, now? The twentieth time or so?

As the wobbly Irken steadied himself against the nearest wall he pointedly avoided making eye contact with Dib. GIR knew exactly what would happen now if his master didn't interfere. He recognized the signs he was making. The lowered, droopy antennae. The set jaw. The tension in his shoulders. And even a nervous rumbling in his belly. He was about to freeze up and not say anything at all. So...GIR broke the ice first. He darted forward to snuggle with the downed human, practically beaming at him. "We missed you! We did aaaaall kinds a' things while you were gone!"

Zim cleared his throat. "...We watched...movies...and things." His voice was a low and nervous mutter. Rather uncharacteristic of him.

A mechanical-sounding snicker emanated from the ceiling above. Zim outright ignored it. Instead he leaned over slightly and offered a hand to the human to help him up. He didn't keep his gaze on the other creature for long, however, and instead kept glancing around the hallway like a startled prey animal searching for predators lurking nearby.

"Are you all right, Dib-thing?" Again, he sounded...strangely muted. He didn't understand what was happening to him as well as GIR did. He was overflowing with envious fury just a few moments ago, and now...now he was frightened. What were his intentions, storming out of his quarters like that? The damage had already been done, and that accursed Dwicky was well on his way to a maximum security prison somewhere in the Known Universe. Sure, the Dib was angry...but he wasn't injured.

Why was he so intent on intercepting him, anyway...? And what could he possibly do to help remedy the situation now? Well, nothing, really...if he didn't want Dib knowing that he was spying on him, that was...

"I, ehh..." Zim turned away, rubbing one of his arms and scowling irritably at the ground. "I was informed that there was some sort of commotion near the Hangars. I just wanted to make sure that you were not involved."

"But he was involved. You know that." The Computer seemed to be just as weary of Zim's evasive behavior as GIR was. The little robot flashed a smile skyward. "Uh-huh!" he chimed in. Zim immediately made a grab for him, perhaps to silence him, but GIR made an impressive leap to freedom just before his master's arms closed in around him. "'Cause mah master was worried about you! That other Earth guy is shady." GIR pouted. "And he wanted to make sure he wasn't gonna do nothing fishy to ya."

Zim shrugged his shoulders awkwardly, once again avoiding eye contact. "...It bothered Zim when he realized that Earth beast was spiriting you away to the Hangars," he admitted in a gruff voice. "So he had guards stationed outside just in case something went wrong."

When Zim failed to elaborate both GIR and his Computer cleared their nonexistent throats. Zim growled like a territorial Rottweiler. "Something did go wrong!" he declared firmly, as if he was defending his last statement. "So Zim made a good call stationing those guards outside! They were able to hear the commotion and moved in to capture that human. He had no business wandering around in the Hangars anyway. He was supposed to be back in his cell."

"Yeah. And instead he decided he was gonna do something despicable."

"Uh-huh."

"He had no business doing that..." A sly undertone crept into the Computer's artificial voice. "Right, master?"

"Of course not!" Zim's antennae twitched angrily. "He upset the Dib and touched him without his permission! That is a crime!"

It took Zim a few seconds to realize that he'd just confirmed what GIR and the Computer suggested all along. That Zim had been spying on Dib...and not just in the hallways, either. He spied on him the entire time. He heard every single word that the two Earth beings exchanged. Every impassioned statement. Every honest admission. Every. Single. Thing.

GIR just stood there and grinned like a cheerful madman while the Tallest turned his back on the two of them, rubbing his arms anxiously. What...just happened? His mechanical servants turned on him! They duped him into admitting to his own sneaky spying ways! But why? Why would they do something like that to him? When he had no idea what he was feeling in the first place, or even how to control it!

After a few tense seconds of silence Zim peered over his shoulder, his eyes wide and brighter than usual and his antennae quivering with...something akin to fear. He couldn't just pretend that he had no idea what either of them were talking about now. So...he said the first thing that came to mind.

"...Zim is not angry," were the first words out of his mouth. "About...what the Dib said." And that was the truth! He wasn't angry! He knew that! He wasn't angry, or disgusted, or anything recognizable! He was something else. Something he couldn't name. Something he couldn't describe.

And that terrified him.

 

[Dip]

Dib was in a state that was all too focused. He had set his sights on a shower, and some time by himself. He had left nearly all of his blankets in the Hangars, and he wasn't sure how badly he truly needed the blankets. Maybe Dwicky headed back to his holding cell, or maybe he took the Heart of Gold and sped off like a demon in the night-- er, a demon in space, because relative to the human, it was always night.

The Massive ever passed a star system, and if it did, it was hard to catch sight of a sun. Any sun, really, of any color. There were scarce dwarf gas giants, and hardly any yellow balls in the sky, but if there was, it usually threw off Dib's sleeping schedule. He was still trying to recover from the planet Damogran trip-- seeing their sun while he tried to sleep at night was a hell of a lot harder than one would guess. While Dib was no stranger to sleeping in at all hours of the day, this was entirely different. He could feel the heat, even with the blinds drawn and the false wall closed. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it just felt like he should be active.

The collision derailed not only Zim and Dib, but also his train of thought. Personally, the human was fine, and it seemed that the Tallest, as well, was fine. Dib watched as the Irken steadied himself with the help of his robotic companion, and that's when the awkward showdown started. Dib looked at Zim, and Zim made it glaringly obvious that he didn't want to even look at the human at that point.

Dib opened his mouth to ask if something was wrong, but he had a feeling that he already knew what was wrong.

He had been indirectly avoiding Zim lately, and it seemed... it seemed that maybe it had taken a toll.

The human knew he had spent a lot of time with Dwicky, and he knew that he hadn't really been around Zim all that much either, but he had been fine with it before, right? Dib meant no harm by it at all, and surely Zim knew that. All Dib was trying to do was spend some time with the new human, but sadly, the young man was never good at prioritizing his time wisely.

But Zim had nothing to worry about now, because Dib had a feeling that he wasn't going to spend very much time with Dwicky in the future.

Dib felt the android basically burrow into his chest, and he smiled gently. He turned to see the Irken speak, and that seemed to lift the entire world off of his shoulders. Dib would have rather watched movies with the two than have a sleepover with the human, he decided. He wished that he would have been invited previously, but he knew that he wouldn't have blown off the other human.

Dib slowly took the Irken's clawed hands, and helped himself up. "Yeah-- Yeah. Thanks, no, I'm fine, I guess." Dib said gently, with a shrug of his shoulders. "Are you okay?" Dib watched as the Irken eyed the hallways as if someone was going to lunge out and attack him.

Dib watched as the Irken seemed almost anxious to approach the topic of the Hangars. As soon as the word was mentioned, Dib did his best to cover his ass, much like the cryptids he so often pined over. "Yeeeaaahh, no, that was just... not a big deal at all. There was no, uh, no commotion of any kind." He lied through his teeth.

But, sadly, his lie was foiled when the robotic voice revealed itself from the ceiling. Dib looked upwards, trying his best to not look as guilty as he felt. He laughed his off nervously. "Heh, yeah, no... I wasn't...." He tried, weakly. The air of confidence he had for a moment was entirely gone.

Dib looked down to see GIR speaking up to him, and he felt as if he should be the one looking up at GIR. He felt like a child, trying to get away with lying to his father. But Dib, while he was a bad liar, he lied for the life of him. He would keep insisting that the lie was truth, until either the recipient of the lie got sick of hearing him, or through constant and confusing reverse phycology, the truth-ee became the liar, and Dib became in the clear.

But even his lying couldn't help him here. Zim was intelligent... but he wasn't smart enough to know that Dwicky and Dib were heading to the Hangars... unless Zim followed him the entire way, somehow. Well, he knew that he had cameras... but the fact that Zim used them on him was slightly unnerving. "You send guards? No, Zim, that was-- nothing, really-- nothing happened. At all--"

Dib was cut off by the barking orders of the Tallest. The human looked down bashfully. He knew that Dwicky was suppose to be in his cell, sure, but a sleepover never hurt anyone! Dib kept silent as he listened gently, holding his tongue. He felt as if he was... not entirely betrayed, but icky. He wondered how much the other had seen. Surely, it was nothing, right? Just two humans sneaking about, into a golden ship. It wasn't like he could see or hear inside the ship, right?

Right?

Wrong.

Dib's head snapped upright, stairing Zim down. "What did you say?" His voice nearly cracked. "What did you say? I--How did you--How do you-- that never happened." Dib lied again, almost shaking with nervousness. If he heard that-- if he saw that--

Oh god.

Dib felt his chest tighten like an air compressor. The hornets were back, and they were out for blood. Dib felt every single drop of blood move from his heart to his face, giving it a bright red hue. Zim heard it. Zim heard all of it. Every single bit of it. Dib's breath hitched as he wondered how many exits there were on the Massive, and if he could find a place to just live out the rest of his emabrassing exsistance.

Dib felt sweat form on the palms of his hands. Was the entire room hotter than it was before, or was it just the human? His eyes darted about, much like he was looking for the predator that was slowly encroaching on his space. But the predator was right infront of him, and he was green, and tall, and far too nice to Dib for his own good. Dib would have rather felt the wrath of Tak-- the mighty fist of a Snarlbeast-- the intense heat of the Earth sun-- than have this situation play before him.

But Dib wasn't that lucky.

"I was lying--" Dib blurted. "And I--I was just-- I said a thing, and I didn't really-- It wasn't really a real-- You're lying. You're lying to me, right now." Dib had no idea where he was going with this, but he hoped that he could get a functional sentence out before he had a heart attack. It felt like the hornet's nest inside his chest was bustling with commotion, and Dib was the unfortunate hive.

"I never said what you think I said, and I think I said something-- something really very different than... that what I think I said." Dib paused. "No. No, that's not-- what you think I said. I never said anything to Dwicky, ever. Never. I don't know her." Dib was growing more and more flustered by the minute, and he felt like the entire world was watching him.

Everything felt hot, and he just wanted to die.

"Me? Saying things?" Dib laughed nervously, but it came out strained and forced. "That's... hoo, that's... something."

Dib knew that this kind of thing was not something that should be adressed. This kind of thing could really ruin not only his career on the PIT, but also his life. A human, having feelings for the most powerful figure head of the entire Irken race? Now, that was something to laugh about. It was something to be angry about, even. Dib only made eye contact with the Irken once, and he felt like pins and needles were being forced into his skin.

He turned away from his magenta eyes. Dib had to leave. He had to go. He had to leave, somwhere. He couldn't deal with this kind of rejection. He could hardly handle a rejected dollar bill in the vending machine, there was no way in hell he was going to handle this. So, Dib decided to outwardly deny everything.

"I know you're not angry! And! You have nothing to be angry about!" Dib started up again, tip-toeing as best as he could. "Because I didn't say anything-- and nothing was said. Ever. Now, what you should be angry about is, uh... is-is the fact that.. that there.. that there are-- oh, my god, I'm such an idiot-- there is a severe de...de-deforestation problem on the planet Damogran. And I.... think. That you should get on that." Dib clapped his hand together nervously, trying to wipe the sweat from them. "Right now. Right away. Because of how un-angry you are. With what I absolutely did not say about having feelings and stuff."

Dib saw an opening to get out, and he decided to take it.

"And--and I just... know how angry you are about theeeeeeee FOREST--the forest, on Damogran, soo.... I'm going. To leave right now. I'm going to leave, and I am going to get some information about the.... forest." Dib paused. "For you." Dib added. "Because you're not angry at what I didn't say. Because I didn't say anything. At all."

But wait... what if Zim was actually angry...?

Dib paused again, unsure if he was able to move. He felt like a stone statue, and Zim was the Medusa. "...You're not angry..." Dib tried to tell himself. It was hard to do, because Zim had a temper that could not be matched. Dib spent a moment looking at the ground, before he snapped himself out of his nervous and anxiety-riddled trance.

"PAPERS-- You needed those-- and I'll get them. Now. About the forest-constellation on the planet Anagram--" Dib sputtered to correct himself. "The-- the deflorest-population on Gram--Damogran." Dib was just digging himself into a hole he couldn't get out of.

He spun on his heels, and bolted.

 

[Mira-Charma13]

The jumbled and unintelligible mess of words that spewed from the Earth creature's mouth was...fascinating, to say the least. In fact, the experience was so bewildering that it served to calm the antsy Tallest down...but only just a bit. Zim stared with wide, owlish eyes as the human spoke in gibberish, tripping over his words and making very little sense. He was lying, obviously--denying that anything ever happened in that golden ship. He was also desperately trying to change the subject to something less personal, such as the flora situation on planet Damogran.

Both Zim and GIR watched with identical blank expressions until Dib turned and bolted, obviously wanting to distance himself from the situation. Both stood in an awkward and uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Zim became progressively less calm as those minutes ticked by. His face gradually began to darken until it became an interesting mauve color. His breathing picked up, becoming faster and shallower. His thick black antennae startled to tremble and his shoulders rose. GIR was the one who eventually broke the silence.

"But...what happened?" He sounded hurt and genuinely confused. "All them romance movies told me there'd be happy crying and kissing and lots and lots of hugging. Where's that true love's kiss?"

A shudder of revulsion wracked the Almighty Tallest's body.

"Yeah. I'm a little confused, here." The Computer's voice was quieter and more contemplative than usual. "Weren't the two of you supposed to hold hands--" Zim gasped, "--look each other longingly in the eyes--" Zim gagged, "--and profess your undying adoration for each other?"

"E-enough!" Zim waved his hands around wildly, his eyes wide and terrified like that of a startled fawn. "Stop with this disgusting nonsense! It's vile! It's unnecessary!"

The Computer openly laughed. "Master, it's time to drop your facade. You can fool the Head Adviser, you can fool your subjects, and you can even fool yourself! But you can't fool me. Or GIR, for that matter."

"Nope!" GIR saluted his master in a goofy manner, grinning like the mechanical embodiment of the Cheshire Cat. "You wanna be all lovey-dovey with the big-headed boy! You wanna take long walks on the beach and go on dates and get hitched! And that's all right! Everybody needs a little love!"

Zim groaned, holding his head between his hands and doubling over somewhat. Never in his life did he think he'd ever felt so mortified. He began to mutter to himself under his breath. GIR helped to guide his emotionally ailing master back through the hallways as the inevitable breakdown began to fester and manifest itself from deep within. Emotional breakdowns such as this one were commonplace. Zim had no idea how to deal with some of his emotions, and oftentimes he resorted to isolating himself in his chambers and going through an array of different emotional displays. Sometimes he cried, sometimes he threw tantrums and ravaged his entire room, and other times he sat there catatonic in the darkest corner.

On this day, anger and catatonia took center stage. When Zim returned to his room he immediately began shrieking like a mortally wounded animal and ramming his fists into the wall. GIR and Minimoose eventually managed to calm him down, if only somewhat. He huddled up in one corner with the two of them, staring blankly out into space and muttering disparaging things about himself, about Dib, and about anyone and anything that crossed his mind.

The angry outbursts would return soon, though. The Computer was sure of it. If his master had another angry outburst, he was going to do something he knew Zim would be furious about later.

He was going to contact the Head Surgeon and tell him about these outbursts. Highly-charged emotional outbursts such as this were almost exclusive to Defective Irkens...but it was pretty much common knowledge by now that Zim was a Defective Irken, and the Computer felt as if he had a responsibility to tell the Head Surgeon the truth so that the Tallest could get the medical care he needed.

---

---

"I don't understand why I'm the one stuck organizing these files..."

Rhapsody didn't like to sit still. This was a trait that many Defective Irkens possessed, and she was no exception. Busywork like organizing file cabinets, packed to the brim with junk no less, absolutely bored her. She wasn't the best Medic, and she knew that...but still, she felt as if there was something just a little more interesting that she could be doing.

Therapy work was something she figured that she'd be good at, but in Irken culture that was not considered to be a viable career. Once an Irken became mentally damaged, that Irken was automatically deemed to be Defective. So in the eyes of the Control Brains, there was no need for Therapists or Medics that focused on the mental and emotional health of other Irkens. An Irken that could not efficiently serve the Irken Empire was not needed, and would be terminated.

A shudder went down her spine as she pictured the Control Brains Deactivating Irkens just for having mental problems, or being emotionally disturbed or even traumatized. It was vile, and it only strengthened her conviction to rid the Irken Empire of them once and for all.[/hr]

 

[Dip]

The mess of word vomit that left the boy's mouth was relatively common, but it was usually more articulate. He was quite good at talking the head off of various people, and he was good at lying at his own expense, but that right there? That was a whole other story. He had panicked, and it was obvious that that was the case. Dib, as he nearly sprinted down the hall, palmed his black pants and tried to rid himself from the remaining sweat on his hands.

He couldn't go to the Hangars, because Dwicky was probably still there.

He couldn't go to his room, because Zim was still guarding the doors, as dumb-struck as DIb had left him.

Dib had nowhere to go, and nowhere to hide. If he were on Earth, he could simply hide in an abandoned alleyway until the situation blew over, but that wasn't possible here. His every move--every step was watched! The human turned the sharp corner, and let his feet lead him to... well, he wasn't really sure.

The room and the Hangars were obvious no-gos, but there were still plenty of other places that he shouldn't even bother. If Skoodge caught wind of this, he would be chasing Dib down for sure. Hell, if anyone heard that the human just professed his affections to the Tallest, everyone would be on his ass!

And that terrified him.

The human turned another corner, and soon found himself on an elevator. He had no idea what he was going to do, or where he was going to go, or how he was going to accomplish anything. He would have to leave the Massive. He would have to change his name, and his appearance, and grow a mustache, and hide on some uncharted planet in the backwaters of the galaxy-- Dib happened to know most of those unfashionable planets, and he knew that maybe one of them was capable of handling human life.

His new name? ...Dirb? Darb? Manbrine... Darb Mindcrane. The elevator stopped, and he paused as he found himself at the foot of the Medical Wing. He took a few nervous steps forward, and checked behind himself to make sure that he wasn't being followed. GIR was an expert of disguise, and if anyone could hide and follow him, it was GIR.

Dib turned to face forward, and took a few more steps.

---

Rhapsody was the one stuck organizing all of the files because, frankly, Bohemian didn't want to see her at that moment.

He had been feeling very... strange, the past few days, and he had a hunch that Rhapsody was the cause of his less-than-good grief.

---

Dib found himself nearly half way down the hall, before he found an open room. As any nervous and paranoid human would do, he walked in with rapt disregard for anyone else, and closed the door behind himself. When he turned, he nearly lept out of his skin at the sight of Rhapsody. Once he was back on solid ground, he let out a sigh, and clutched his chest.

"Oh, Rhapsody..." He sighed. "I thought you-- nevermind..." He swallowed a lump in his throat, and sat down infront of the door, leaning his back against it, as if he was trying to barricade himself inside the room with the files. "Hey, hypothetical question... let's say... someone did something awful to the Tallest. Like, really really really really awful. What is... the location of the nearest escape pod? Just a hypothetical question. Not really... a real question. Just a hypothetical. Question, that is."

If Dib wasn't careful, the word vomit would spew out once more.

 

[Mira-Charma13]

Rhapsody was just as startled by the sudden appearance of the Earth creature as he was startled by her presence in the file room. She squeaked like mouse that had just been stepped on and the files piled high in her arms went flying, some fluttering to the ground and others managing to get themselves stuck in nooks and crannies between the cabinets. To be perfectly frank, she wasn't all that bothered that they were strewn all about and made no effort whatsoever to retrieve them. They were mostly pointless, anyway. Physical files were kept on hand for easy access, especially if the Irken Database went down.

The Irken Database was a lot like a combination between Earth internet and the Library of Congress. It was oftentimes unreliable and blackouts were common, so these physical files served as an easy back-up in a pinch. If there was an emergency the Medics had to have some way of accessing medical records, after all!

And certainly the well-being of the human creature was more important than these files! Rhapsody could tell from the moment she laid eyes on Dib that something was horribly wrong.

"Pardon?" Her long, curly antennae bounced and raised ever so slightly. "What did you do to the Tallest?" she inquired, sounding bother concerned and extremely curious. "You didn't hurt him, did you? I don't think you're capable of that. The two of you are so close. So...did you hurt his feelings or something?"

This wasn't a question that a run-of-the-mill Irken Medic would ask, but Rhapsody was well aware of her monarch's Defective state. It should have been a telling sign to anyone paying close attention.

"And you aren't going to leave and abandon him, are you?" This time the violet-eyed Irken sounded almost accusing and she puffed out her chest like an angry songbird. "The Tallest needs you. Can't you see that? You're really, really important to him. I don't think he can function properly without you, to be honest. So, uh...I apologize, but I'm not going to tell you where any of the escape pods are."

One of her antennae flicked in the Earth being's direction. "But it's pointless whether or not I tell you, right?" A sly expression crept onto her face. "Because you'll figure that out on your own eventually. So the real question is...why do you want to leave in the first place?" Confusion swam in her deep violet gaze. "What happened? Can I help?"

She was...oddly excited, for some reason. This! This right here was something she knew she was good at! And she could definitely help...if the human opened up to her, that was!

---

---

In a nearby room, not too far away (and unbeknownst to Dib and Rhapsody, of course), a similarly puzzling situation was beginning to unfold.

"Head Surgeon?"

The voice of each Irken's Personal Computer was distinctive. This voice sounded unusually concerned, which was strange for a Personal Computer. They were supposed to be deathly calm and completely devoid of any emotional construct.

"I believe the Tallest may require your assistance," Zim's Personal Computer informed Bohemian, concern still weighing heavy in his voice. "He is having a breakdown of epic proportions. It is an...emotional breakdown." At this point a hint of awkwardness tainted his voice. After all, normal Irkens didn't have these kinds of breakdowns. "He has damaged his own property and himself. He usually comes out of these...breakdowns on his own. But this one...I have assessed the situation and I am certain that outside intervention is necessary."

Zim would never forgive him for this...but he felt this intervention was necessary to protect his master.[/hr]

 

[Dip]

Dib sat amongst the fluttering papers, and gently took one into his fingers, reading it absently. He had gotten better at reading Irken after so many months, but it wasn't as impressive as some would think it to be. People like Ceedid memorized almost an entire alphabet within a few short weeks, and it took months for Dib to spell his own name! He didn't want to say so soon, but he still used his computer to translate large blocks of text whenever possible.

Jazz hated it, Zim hated it, Ceedid hated it-- everyone hated it, but if it worked for the human, it was hunky-dorey for the human being.

"I mean-- I didn't really do anything. I mean I did do something-- hypothetically! I did something hypothetically. Soo..." He paused as he listened to the rest of her speech, and he turned off to the side, as if he was a guilty puppy being reprimanded for eating a chocolate cake.

"If we're still talking in hypothetics... I messed up." Dib put it simply. Dib had known Rhapsody since he had first ventured onto the Massive-- she was one of the only Irkens who would help him after his falling-out with the late Serloz! She helped him, and while she wasn't the best at her job, she wasn't entirely Irken herself. She wasn't anything like Serloz, or Bohemian, or anyone else. She seemed a lot more willing to help-- and that was completely foreign to him! "I messed up really really badly." He admitted.

"Ooookay, so," Dib started, clapping his hands together. "Say you had a friend, a best friend, that you haven't seen in a while. And you and your friend hang out, and your friend is all, 'ooh man this is fun!' and you're all like, 'yeah it's great,' and then they're all like, 'run away with me,'." Perhaps Rhapsody couldn't understand this, but surely she could follow, right? "And then, you're all like, 'no, i don't want to do that, friend,' and then your friend is all like, 'but, friend.... i don't want to be friends anymore, actually, and i want to date--'," Dib paused, and rephrased his last statement. "err-- 'i want to be your mate, and stuff', but then you're all like, 'no!' because you have this other friend, and you want to-- well, not be their mate, but you want to, like... you want to just... you want them to feel the same way you feel, about them, but for you--" He shook his head, and looked at the Irken. "Am I making sense?"

He wasn't.

"Well, okay, so, imagine that the friend that you do want to be with hears you say this?" He paused. "Now, this wouldn't be a big deal, because... well, you're not sure about your friend, but they might feel the same, but your friend is... kinda the most important Irken ever, and you're pretty sure he doesn't feel the same, and they might tell you they're not mad, but they're probably really really mad, and you know that if anyone finds out you're going to get killed because this has to be a capital offense, right? Right...?... Ohmygod," It dawned on Dib that maybe, just maybe, this was a capital offense. "OhmygodI'mgoingtodieinspaceprisonbecauseofmyfeelingsohmygodohmygodohmygooooooood." Dib, at this point, buried his face in his hands, and changed from actual words to something more of a groan.

Rhapsody was so easy to talk to, mostly because she had a hard time of responding. Dib rubbed his face, and sighed. He turned back to the female Irken. "So, let's say... let's say this all happened to you, within the span of..." Dib looked to his wrist watch, and looked away. "About forty-five minutes... where would you go to find the escape pods? That... isn't the Hangars, or near the Tallest's chambers? Because I'm pretty sure-- er, you're pretty sure that you're going to get killed."

Dib sure did need help, but he needed more help that Rhapsody could offer.

---

"Hmm?"

The Head Surgeon hummed, as he worked carefully on a new venture in the Medical field. To the untrained eye, it would seem that Bohemian had taken up sewing, but he was in reality working on a new way to stitch patients and suture wounds. He had been sitting at his desk for quite some time, and he had only gotten up a few times to grab some more items to test.

In Bohemian's case, he was testing on highly tender Vortian meat. It was repulsive, and it was disgusting, but if he would stitch two pieces together without them falling a part then he had done it correctly. He didn't bother looking up from his position as the Computer started, but he did pause as his assistance was called.

"What's the matter?" He asked, placing the meat onto the floating lab tray near his desk. He stripped himself of his gloves, and threw them into the trash. An emotional breakdown was... interesting. Very interesting. Bohemian, to be quite frank, was hesitant on this prospect, and decided to approach the situation with caution.

Zim was taller than he was. Zim was faster, too. While he was fragile, his teeth were sharp and Bohemian wouldn't dare raise a hand to Zim. If ZIm were to attack, Bohemian would surely be dead.

"What is the cause of his discomfort?" Bohemian asked, as he pulled a clean pair of surgical gloves from his lab coat. He paused. "Has something happened to the Tallest?" He would do anything to protect the Tallest, and he knew that meant death. If these breakdowns caused self-inflicted harm, that was enough to throw Bohemian into the line of fire.

He readied any materials he would need, and waited for a responce.

 

[Mira-Charma13]

Rhapsody knew better than to interrupt the Earth creature as he spoke, even if his fast-paced rambling did throw her off and raise a few questions as it continued. She waited, with more courtesy than one might expect from an Irken, for Dib to finish his emotionally charged and rather strained spiel before finally raising her voice.

"So...let's just paraphrase that, shall we? For my sake and for yours, since you seem to be in..." One antenna angled in the human's direction, "...hypothetical denial, if you don't mind me saying." The young Medic ran a hand over one of her antennae, cleaning it thoroughly, as she paused to gather all of her stray thoughts on the matter. This was important. Very important. She could feel it deep down. These next words she spoke could very well determine the future safety and sanctity of the Irken Empire. She sincerely doubted that she'd be able to fix things on her own, but it wouldn't hurt to try, right?

"That other human must be this other party you're referring to, yes?" She began, keeping an eye on the door the Earth creature blocked with his body. It would...unfortunate, to say the least, if any other Irken were to walk in on his very much taboo conversation. "So, you knew this human from before. From long ago. And you recently reunited. And he had intentions of making you his mate. Am I on point so far?"

She sure hoped she was, because if she wasn't that would be kind of embarrassing.

"But you don't want that," she continued in a strangely chipper voice. "And it's because..." Rhapsody pressed her hands together and her shoulders raised. A mischievous smile curled her lips. "You have similar feelings for the Tallest. Right? You'd rather have the Tallest as your mate. Somehow the Tallest found out about your true feelings during this exchange where you turned down the other Earth creature. And...I'm guessing he didn't react well."

There was a spell of silence before a pleasant lilting giggle escaped the trainee Medic.

"Dib!" She made a point of addressing the Earth being by his given name, which was a sign of friendly respect. "Feelings like those are nothing be ashamed of! I mean..." She scuffed one of her boots against the metal tiling underfoot. "I've suspected that the Tallest felt that way about you for a long time based on his behavior alone...but I never knew that you felt the same way! You don't have to run away. Trust me! ...But..."

Rhapsody cleared her throat and averted her gaze, fixing it on the ground. "The Tallest isn't very...stable, emotionally. I'm sure you've figured that out already. He doesn't know how to identify or even control his own emotions. That's why he loses his temper and seems not to listen so often. It might explain any...unsavory reaction he might have had when he confronted you. I...I really do believe that he has similar feelings. But...he wouldn't understand them. So he might respond with anger and disgust in an attempt to hide them. And, well..."

She met the human's gaze as evenly as she could. "It is illegal. Not a capital offense, mind you...but definitely illegal. Irkens are allowed to take mates, sure. But...those mates can only be Irken. Irkens aren't allowed to mix with non-Irkens. It's considered...bestiality, for lack of a better word, in our culture, because we're supposed to be superior to other sentient beings. To put it simply..."

A heavy sigh escaped her. "If such a relationship was uncovered, you'd be driven out of the Empire and killed if possible...but your demise wouldn't be a priority. You'd probably escape unscathed, as long as you fled quickly. But...as for the Tallest..." She winced.

Zim would be Deactivated on the spot. He would suffer the most from engaging in such a relationship and being found out.

---

---

"Well..."

Hesitance tainted the Computer's voice. This was also uncharacteristic of a Personal Computer, but then again...if Zim was Defective, the chances were good that his Computer was also just as, if not more, Defective. Just like GIR, the Computer seemed to have a broader emotional range than most average Irkens.

"...There was an...incident...with the Earth creature." Should he be frank with the Head Surgeon? What if he ran off to report his master to the Control Brains? As Irken technology he was hard-wired to obey the Control Brains over anyone else, including his master...but was he really willing to allow them to harm his master?

...He wasn't. And if the Head Surgeon tried to run to them and declare that his master was Defective...the Computer would have no qualms about silencing him, regardless of the consequences.

"I must ask that what I speak does not leave this room." He sounded dead serious. "I have already taken the liberty of temporarily disabling the security system in this room. In order to assist the Tallest, you must promise me that you will not speak a word of this to anyone other than the Tallest and the Earth creature." He paused briefly to allow those words to sink in before speaking again. "The Tallest overheard a conversation between the Earth creature and the recently imprisoned human. The other human offered to take Dib away. To show him the world. He offered to become a mate to Dib. Dib refused, vehemently so when the other human began to speak disparagingly of the Tallest. And..."

Another pause. "He...may have gone on to reveal that he has...feelings of a romantic nature for the Tallest. And the Tallest...does not know how to react. He may or may not share those feelings. But I have no way of knowing. Because he does not comprehend his own feelings he is in the throes of an emotional breakdown. He uses anger and hysteria to cover up feelings he does not understand. He may have broken an ankle and perhaps a few small bones in his fingers. He is out of breath and has nearly vomited once or twice. I believe he may be panicking. And I don't know what should be done from a medical standpoint."[/hr]

 

[Dip]

Hypothetical denial? This was the realest shit he had ever experienced. Dib blushed at the comment, but listened nonetheless.

Dib only stewed in his misery as Rhapsody made pleasantries out of his sorrow. He nodded gently, trying his best to keep a bright attitude, but it was hard. Hearing someone relay his problems back to him was absolutely horrible. Dib would have much rather preferred directions to the nearest escape pod instead of a therapist session, but he supposed this was good for something. Rhapsody would never do anything bad, like use this against Dib in the future or anything, right?

Dib, once again, jumped slightly when his name was called. He calmed down, and tugged nervously at his fingers when she mentioned that these kind of things weren't anything to be disappointed about. He snapped his head up for only a moment though, not because he was mad, but because he was surprised at Rhapsody.

"You knew?" He asked, a small smirk slowly pulling his lips taught. He looked down at himself, and tried to keep from pulling his face apart. Why did he feel like a middle schooler again? The hornets in his chest stung against his diaphragm, and he felt chills roll up through his spine. Maybe.. maybe he wasn't really angry.

Something turning out right for Dib? That was absolutely absurd.

And it was true, because Rhapsody took his word and crushed it. He could handle Zim not being the most stable of beings, and that was fine, because Dib wasn't all that well-to-do anyhow! There were times in his childhood when he would get so annoyed and so anxious, and so frustrated, and just so overwhelmed, that he would literally have a seizure. He had them at home, in class, in public, everywhere!

With age he was able to manage them, but he had to admit, they did flare up when the going got tough. The little stunt that Zim pulled, telling the entire Universe that Dib knew about agriculture? Dib was about really to writhe on the ground for a few house, but he pulled through.

It was obvious that Dib could handle his emotions slightly better than Zim, but atleast the human could identify his own emotions. He thought back on when he first encountered Zim, and how me might have been feeling at that given time. His eyes darted around nervously, he nearly froze up on the spot... he seemed almost scared. What could he be scared of?

Well, Rhapsody gladly answered that.

Dib always knew that they couldn't be together, but someone confirming his fears wasn't needed at the time. Rhapsody didn't have to finish her statement, because Dib knew what would happen to the Tallest. He would die, and he would suffer for it. Dib rubbed his eyes, and groaned gently. Feelings were hard, and feelings sucked. It was no wonder why he didn't bother with them on Earth!

But... somehow, getting all of that information out in the open was relieving. It sucked, sure, but it did make the human a little less nervous. Was he going to face Zim right then and there? Hell no. Was he going to escape via pod? Well... he was going to hold off on that for now, but it was still on the table. Was he feeling a little more confident in himself? Absolutely not. Did that deminish his feelings for Zim?

Not in the slightest.

---

Bohemian's antennae bobbed gently as he collected some materials he knew he would use. Irkens were prone to violence, but these resulted from fights, not usually pure emotion. He packed his pockets with bandages, sedatives, pain-killers, and the like, and listened closely as the computer spoke to him.

He paused for only a moment, but did not interrupt.

He did not feel comfortable with the idea that the interface disabled the security systems, and he really didn't like the feeling of being threatened, but he knew better than to raise attention to this. As Bohemian listened, his pace slowed into a halt, and he stood in stunned silence.

Well, that was quite a development, he had to admit.

Rhapsody was right. She was right all along! He recalled their first meeting together, when the Tallest fought and killed the former Head Surgeon because they had wrong the human somehow.

"So... what do you think the Tallest's intentions are with that Earth creature? The only time I ever see him behaving that defensively is when he's protecting that SIR of his. This whole situation is just strange to me. I wonder what the history between them is..."

"Perhaps they are... friends? Which is strange because it seemed that the Tallest did not have friends. I assumed the Human was a pet. But certainly someone would not divert course for a pet... I cannot say. Perhaps they had been friends in another time. I heard that Earth was a terrible place, perhaps they had worked together previously?"

"I never thought the human was a pet, why on Irk would the Tallest divert the Armada for six months during an Invasion Operation and a war to claim a single Earth creature as his pet? That line of thought never made sense to me...so I assumed from the moment I learned why the Armada was diverted that the human is something special. But he doesn't look all that special. He might be rather intelligent...I suppose we'll all have to be the judges of that... Friends...That would be...strange, to say the least. Our Tallest is a bit of a loner, wouldn't you say? Skoodge is the only other Irken he hangs out with. Why would he choose an Earth creature over one of his own kind, though? I wonder if they did work together."

"Maybe they're closer than we know."

She was right all along.

Bohemian was quiet for a long time after the computer spoke. The rumors were true: Zim was Defective. Worst yet: Zim may or may not have feelings for someone outside of his race. Even worse yet: It was confirmed that the human beheld some level of feelings. The worst of it all: Bohemian had no idea what to do.

Just weeks ago, he planned on turning in almost ten members of the Irken Resistance to the Tallest himself. Now, it seemed that if he wanted to turn anything in, he had to go to the Control Brains directly. A feeling, something he likened to anxiety, rose within the pits of his stomach. The discussion of Defectiveness hadn't been sitting will for quite some time, but he didn't know what it could be.

"...I see." The Head Surgeon spoke. "A broken ankle? That is no problem... a few tight wraps, an enhancement serum and a few days on his hover-belt will be fine..." He spoke to himself. "Fingers are even easier..." He turned towards the ceiling, as if he would find a man talking to him from below. "Where is the human?"

The Surgeon shook his head. "No matter. I will be there shortly. The Tallest's chambers?" Bohemian collected more items that he assumed he would need, and he walked out of his office without a second word. Bohemian tucked the items inside his pockets, and walked a short distance across the hall.

Bohemian knocked on the closed door to the filing room, and he wondered why it was closed in the first place.

"Rhapsody," For some strange reason, speaking the name gave off a strange sensation to Bohemian's tongue. "I will be making a visit to the Tallest. May I come in?"

"Absolutely no--"

"Dib-Human?" Bohemian spoke up, interrupting the human who spoke out of turn. "Well, perfect." He didn't know why he was in the room, but he could care less. "Dib-Human, The Tallest broke his leg," Not his leg, but if it meant that the human came with, maybe he could get back to his suturing. "And I want you to come and help me. I understand that you are in a situation yourself, and you might greatly benefit from this."

Dib, behind the door, turned to face Rhapsody as he asked her inverbally if he should follow Bohemian on the offer or not.

 

[Mira-Charma13]

"Take care of my master for me." The Computer spoke in an oddly somber tone. "I am unable to do so myself. And...don't reveal his secret." Smugness now bled into the AI's voice. "Or you'll have to deal with Red and Purple again, this time as Head Surgeon."

Red and Purple were revered and highly respected...but they were infamous for being insufferable to their subjects. The employees that had to deal with them the most--the Head Adviser, the Head Engineer, the Head Scientist, the Head Chef, and the Head Surgeon--were often subjected to their awful and tyrannical behavior. Red was just short and dismissive and tended to ignore other Irkens for the most part. Purple was a notoriously rude and condescending bastard, constantly making snide comments and pushing other Irkens around. Both of them hated the Medical Bay just as much as Zim did, and when they had to visit they were loud, screechy, obnoxious, and abusive, micromanaging every little detail and contaminating the Medical Bay with snack crumbs.

At least Zim tolerated the poking and prodding. Purple was known to physically lash out and scratch the shit out of anyone who touched him even slightly out of turn, and if Purple felt threatened...well, Red was sure to get involved too. They were a handful for the medical team.

---

---

"Bohemian...?"

Rhapsody sounded uncharacteristically wary. She was normally cheerful and overtly friendly, especially with her superior. But this...this was a particularly sensitive topic. She wasn't sure if she wanted the Head Surgeon anywhere near the Earth creature right now. It was jarring enough that he was on his way to see the Tallest. She wasn't close with Zim, but if she knew anything about Defective Irkens--and she did, considering that she was Defective herself--Bohemian was walking into an extremely stressful and foreign situation.

Would he understand that the root of the Tallest's pain couldn't be ebbed through medical means?

When the human looked to her for guidance, she understood immediately that he was just as unsettled as she was about involving another Irken--and a non-Defective Irken, to boot. With that in mind she made her decision easily.

"I'm going to tag along." She spoke firmly and with an air of confidence. Even if Bohemian ordered her to stay behind right this second, she would refuse. "I think I know what the Tallest is going through. And it's more than just a broken bone, or maybe two." She didn't want to admit it out loud, but she hoped that she got the message across to her superior. She was Defective, just like Zim was. She struggled with her own emotions from time to time. If medicine couldn't calm the raging beast that was their Tallest down, perhaps she could.

Well...she hoped she could, anyway. She readily accepted that she was Defective once she realized something was vastly different between herself and her Irken peers, but Zim was different in that sense. He vehemently denied being Defective for a long, long time. She read many things about their Tallest's antics in the past, before she was even hatched. He always denied wrongdoing and responsibility whenever something went wrong. He rabidly and obsessively worshiped the Almighty Tallest, and he saw the Irken Empire through rose-tinted glasses.

But there was always one telling past record that made her think Zim knew about his affliction all along, and that was the record of his botched Existence Evaluation on planet Judgementia. If she could just sit him down and talk to him--make him understand the things he was feeling...maybe he would eventually feel the way she did. Rhapsody was proud to be Defective.

"Here. Let's get out of this filing room." She approached Dib with a newfound spring in her step. Apparently she had high hopes for this incoming encounter with the Almighty Tallest. "We'd better bring some food with us, too. Eating has always calmed the Tallest down." Zim often stuffed his face with food after arguments and particularly heated calls with foreign leaders and such.

---

---

Back in his quarters, Zim had gone from raging, ranting, and raving to sitting quietly in the corner again, ensnared in a tight and calming embrace with his loyal SIR unit. Minimoose retreated under the bed long ago, knowing that GIR alone had a better chance of calming their master. The walls were covered with claw marks and were even gouged out in some places. The room was in disarray, with furniture knocked over and linens shredded by sharp claws. Even the floors were covered with claw marks!

GIR had managed to calm Zim down, but only slightly. It wasn't enough. The Tallest was still quaking with...was it anxiety? Fear? Anger? Sadness? GIR wasn't sure, and neither was the Tallest himself. The door to the cleansing room was wide open. Zim felt nauseous, like he might vomit at any given moment, so he left it open in case he had to run off and do just that. He felt...weak. And other things that he couldn't place or identify.

Why couldn't he calm down? What was wrong with him?![/hr][/hr]

 

[Dip]

The final words the AI left him with sent a shudder down his spine. He had been a humble Medic during the reign of the Tallests, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to handle the two with the same grace and ease that the late Head Surgeon Serloz did. They had hand-picked Serloz, and truth be told, Bohemian would have picked the other, aswell. He was intelligent, quick and agile, incredibly careful and quick to please, and not to mention, he was the tallest Medic that the wing had ever seen!

Those were all major factors, but the more Bohemian thought about it, Serloz also held the very same prejudices that the former Tallests once had. Serloz always served the best of the best Irkens personally, leaving the others to the trainees. Serloz outright opposed working on non-Irkens, and that was a fatal flaw that ended the Surgeon swiftly and brutally.

The Head Surgeon's blood ran cold-- well, as cold as a cold-blooded being's blood could get-- when he heard the young Medic speak his name. He was thankful that the door had separated the two so elegantly, or else Rhapsody would have seen the slightest of shifts withtin his posture.

As far as Bohemian knew, he was the only one who was in charge of the Tallest at that moment. He had no clue that the human had spilled the beans, and if asked, Bohemian wold say that he found the human hiding amongst the files and papers with the young Rhapsody. While this situation may be stressful and unnerving, he had worked on worse situations before. The Tallest, while a daunting task in itself, was nothing to be scared of, right?

Considering this was Dib's doing, he would be the one working on the Irken Monarch.

As soon as Rhapsody spoke that she was coming along, this erupted in two different reactions. Dib's nervousness ebbed away only slightly, melting off of him like a shell. Bohemian stiffened only slightly, and tried to keep his guard up as best as he could. Dark forces seemed to oppose the Head Surgeon, and he couldn't let these forces interfere with the work he was meant to do.

"You think you know what the Tallest is going through..." Bohemian spoke softly. "I am surprised, you do not seem the type to break an ankle and a finger." Bohemian spoke, keeping as low as a profile as he possibly could. The works spoken by the Defective Irken intrigued him, and he wondered if Dib let on to the other.

Bohemian couldn't possibly help but feel offended.

"Very well. Do not keep me waiting." He seemed far more cold than he had been in earlier confrontations. It was the dark forces, he convinced himself. Dark forces drove him to strange feelings, and he did not want to discuss those with his lesser at that moment. Perhaps it was guilt that he was feeling, for pulling her files and the files of others, with intentions of sending them to the Tallest. Perhaps it was the shame of nearly being caught, and of being paranoid of a capture. Perhaps he was unsure what he should do with his information.

Perhaps he had learned something about himself that he wished he hadn't.

He hovered behind the door, and waited for the other two to move with him. They, in the end, had kept him waiting, but Bohemian didn't quite mind.

Dib stood up, his legs feeling much like jello. He hadn't been sitting down for long, but he was sure his blood had solidified due to anxiety. He almost opened his mouth to mention that it would be better for him to stay put, within the filing room, but Rhapsody had nearly dragged the human out of the room by the teeth.

The three walked down the hall. Bohemian walked with as much determination as a Surgeon had, and Dib mostly stumbled over his own gelatonous limbs. He fidgeted nervously with his hands, scratching at his sweaty palms and popping his knuckles. He felt like he was being sent to the principals office after ditching school, and frankly, the human wasn't ready to face the consequences of his actions. Dib's anxiety rose deep within the pits of his stomach, the bugs in his belly writhing, trying to worm themselves free.

It was a far too quick trek to the Tallest's bedroom, and it was a sight to see. Bohemian observed deep clawmarks that seemed to jutt out of the side of the door. He pressed his fingers over them gently, feeling them rise and fall, as if the creator of the marks was a trapped animal who longed to get out.

Bohemian gently asked for acess inside, and Dib braced himself. He was glad that the door to the cleaning chamber was wide open, because he felt like he was going to be sick, aswell.

 

[Mira-Charma13]

Zim didn't hear Bohemian initially. In fact, it wasn't until GIR tugged on his Almighty Tallest gauntlets and declared that Bohemian was at the door that he realized he had company at all. A fresh wave of anger surged through his body and he cast a baleful glower at the ceiling overhead. It was his Computer, wasn't it? That wretched AI alerted the Head Surgeon of his plight!

He just hoped his Computer had the good sense to tweak the facts accordingly. He really didn't want anyone else knowing just how deep this emotional turmoil ran.

With a loud and over-the-top sniff the Irken monarch slowly rose from his comfortable nook in the corner. With GIR still clasped firmly in his hands he began his grudging trek, hovering toward the door at a leisurely pace. Rhapsody heard him as he drew nearer and nearer and suddenly tensed, shimmying so that she was ahead of both her superior and the Earth Creature. It was as if she already knew what was going to happen, and anticipated resistance from the Almighty Tallest.

She barely had time to apologize under her breath, both to Bohemian and to the Tallest, before the door whooshed open to reveal Zim's form towering over them, holding GIR much like one would hold a newborn human baby to burp it. What Rhapsody anticipated occurred rapidly, in the span of four seconds. The Tallest's eyes widened to nearly twice their original size when they locked onto the human. An equal amount of fear and fury overtook his expression. A snarl escaped him and he immediately moved to manually slam the door shut. Rhapsody shot forward in an instant and blocked the door with one of her boots. All Medics were required to wear protective gear, and that included heavy-duty boots that could take some serious damage. Therefore, even though the Tallest tried to slam that door shut in their faces with all of his strength Rhapsody's foot was clearly not injured by the impact.

Neither of them said anything for almost a full minute. They just stared each other down, Rhapsody with firm determination, Zim with a peculiar mixture of emotions, and GIR with poorly-concealed worry. He made no attempt to dislodge her foot. Eventually a frustrated growl escaped him and he backed off, releasing his hold on the door and hovering miserably toward his bed. Rhapsody pushed the door open with her foot, rubbing one of her arms in an awkward fashion as she did so.

With an Irken as stubborn as Zim, who was very much used to getting his way (even more so now that he was the Tallest), a certain degree of forcefulness was absolutely necessary when it came to something like this--something he wanted to avoid at all costs. She figured that if he got the chance to shut that door that it would take hours, if not days to coax him out. And that wasn't ideal, considering both his mental state and the state of his potentially fractured bones.

"So, you wormed your way into Zim's chambers. What do you want?" Zim's voice sounded oddly hoarse, as if he'd been screaming as loud as he possibly could for a long time. He refused to look at any of them, instead turning his back on them and staring pointedly out of his window.

Rhapsody cleared her throat rather than speaking, in an attempt to force the Irken leader to turn around. It worked quickly--after all, Zim wasn't known for being particularly patient. He turned slowly, his antennae pressed down firmly against the top of his head. Though he turned to face them he made a point of avoiding eye contact with the human. Apparently, he was intent on pretending that Dib wasn't even there with him.

He also didn't care to explain the ravaged state of his quarters. As usual, he was making an attempt to pretend that nothing was out of order. It was a front he was used to maintaining, especially around other Irkens, but in this instance it was a futile effort.

GIR ended up speaking before anyone else did, gently patting his master's back. "You here to fix my master?" he asked, directing his questions toward all three intruders. "'Cause he's pretty broken right now."

"Be quiet, GIR."

The tiny SIR pouted, and for a moment it seemed as if he was going to defy Zim, but he eventually sighed and bobbed his head in agreement.

Zim was certainly a sight to see. Even if he tried his best to pretend that nothing was awry, the physical cues were far too telling to simply write off. His antennae were constantly quivering and droopier than usual. His breathing seemed heavier and far more labored than usual. His skin looked to be a shade or two paler, which indicated that he might have been making himself sick over this ordeal. His hands shook whenever he moved them. His eyes constantly darted about the room, settling on everything but the human being.

Perhaps most suspect of all was the state of his PAK. It wasn't trembling or squealing...but the ordinarily light rose pink panels were flashing between stark white and a striking, luminous crimson color. Those colors usually indicated that Reactivation, a full body shock, was on the way to either restart the heart of the host or punish the host for particularly treasonous thoughts. But even though the Reactivation colors kept flashing, no Reactivation occurred.

It was a telltale sign of a highly Defective PAK.

 

[Dip]

The human had no qualms when the Irken female presented herself forward to face the tyrannous (well, more so grumpy) king. If he had it his way, he would be so far from the sleep quarters it wouldn't even be funny. If he had it his way, he would have propelled himself off of the ship and into the nearest gas giant. But, sadly, he had to face up to the mistake he had made, and that mistake was trusting another human soul with a secret.

Well, trusting a human soul with a defensive statement, but a secret nonetheless.

Bohemian gave Rhapsody a wide birth as she stepped forward before the Tallest's door, and for as much as Bohemian didn't want to admit it, he was impressed. He, for a fact, would have acted like his peers and hesitated at the threshold of the monarch's room, but Rhapsody faced with ease and eagerness. She seemed to know what she was doing, so Bohemian let her take charge.

Which, to him... felt very strange. Bohemian caught himself slip, and by that time, it was too late to fix it. He was the Head Surgeon! He was the one who thankfully took the place, when all others failed to meet the Tallest's demands! Shouldn't he be the one to come face to face with the Tallest himself? Surely, anyone but the lowly Medic!

Bohemian turned off to the side, and did not look at Rhapsody. He thought to himself, and no matter how much he tried to convince himself that he should be mad... he wasn't. He wasn't furious to be upstaged, and he wasn't ready to reprimand the Medic for surpassing the superior in a time of crisis, but if he was anything... he was impressed.

What was wrong with him?

Dib, unlike Bohemian, kept his eyes forward. is light-brown retinas danced about the battered door, and he wondered faintly if Zim had taken his frustration out on the door. Dib also, for a moment, wondered if Zim would take his frustrations out on him. Dib watched as the door cracked open, and slowly swung open to reveal the Tallest and all of his glory.

Zim was certainly a sight to see.

Dib felt his feelings slowly slide up his throat like his famous word vomit, and he could feel them all sink to the deepest and darkest pits of his stomach as magenta orbs scrutinized every inch of his carbon-based form. Dib turned to the side, and felt like he should just bolt for the escape pods once more. If it hadn't been for the two Irken Medics there to keep the peace, Dib would have ran as soon as the door cracked a sliver.

Dib was sure that if the circumstances had been different, he would be disemboweled by Zim. He was just glad that the odds were in his favor.

The two males behind Rhapsody had to admit, she was quite the convincer. The human only moved his eyes from the very interesting floor to view the scene, and even then he turned his gaze the other way. Bohemian, on the other hand, watched with eyes wide open and his antennae at attention.

It wasn't long before a growl was delivered, and then swift clearance into the dilapidated room of the Tallest. Bohemian followed after Rhapsody, and Dib soon stepped forward with minor coercing. The human wrapped his arms around himself, and wondered if anyone would notice if he just... up and left.

The human was never good when it came to emotions-- in fact, there had been plenty of times when Dib forgot the simple names of the emotions he was describing. This was the worst case scenario for Dib, and this was a living nightmare. Dib looked about gently, recalling the place he held Zim not too long agi, and wondering if he could possibly live with the truth he told.

Bohemian paused after Rhapsody did an amazing job of collecting the Tallest's attention, and he spoke. "My Tallest," Bohemian started easily. "I was alerted of your condition not too long ago. Your ankle, and some digits on your hand seem to be fractured." Bohemian paused as the SIR unit spoke, and Bohemian paused for am moment. Bohemian had never seen an Irken so downtrodden, so out of touch with themselves, so out of place among society, and he sure has hell never saw a PAK do that!

"Well," He started, after a spell of silence. "It seems that your master is broken." He started gently. "But that is nothing a few bandages and some TMF and supplements can't fix." Was ignoring it the best option? Perhaps not. Was bringing it to attention any better? Absolutely not. Unless there were any better ideas, Bohemian would just bother with his own plan: nothing at all. Winging it, and hoping that everything worked out in the end.

This plan made Bohemian unbelievably nervous and anxious, but it was something that must be done. He would have atleast appreciated a scheduled mental breakdown next time.

Dib found the holes within the wall very interesting, and wondered if they reached and poked through the other side, into his bedroom. He kept his distance from the Irken monarch, and he wanted nothing more than for this entire situation to be done and dusted.

 

[Mira-Charma13]

"Bandages and medicine can only fix so much, Head Surgeon."

Rhapsody spoke firmly, but in a softer, much gentler tone than her superior. That didn't seem to help any when it came to the frayed nerves of the Almighty Tallest, though. The moment those words escaped the trainee Medic Zim crumpled in on himself, antennae pressing down hard against the top of his head and a low, feral growl rumbling forth from the bottom of his chest. He didn't like the way those words sounded--not at all! How many Irkens now suspected or even knew his deepest, darkest secret?!

Zim sure hoped that his Computer was quaking in his motherboard right about now, because he would never, ever forgive him for this betrayal!

The unpleasant reaction from the Irken monarch didn't seem to faze Rhapsody at all, which was rather impressive. She folded her arms behind her back, smiling in the warmest of manners at her leader. "It's all right, my Tallest. You're in similar company." Zim's long antennae shot upward, but only for a second before dropping aggressively once again. When he spoke he sounded more disinterested than hostile.

"Whatever." It didn't surprise him to find out that Rhapsody was Defective as well. She wasn't exactly the most Irken of Irkens, after all. Any normal Tallest would have surely thrown a fit and threatened to oust her to the Control Brains. But Zim was far from normal. Rhapsody hoped that this display would prove once and for all to Bohemian that Zim really was Defective, through and through.

"Let the Head Surgeon take a look at your ankle and your fingers, okay?" She made a valiant effort to keep her voice even and quite soothing. "Because if those bones don't heal correctly, we're going to have to break them all over again." A shudder ran down Zim's spine and he immediately stuck one of his ankles out. He carefully deposited GIR on his bed and extended both of his hands, as well. The ankle seemed a bit twisted and sore, indicating that at least one bone was broken. He would have to use his hover belt for some time until it healed. One finger on his left hand (a long one) and two fingers on his right hand (one long one and his thumb) were obviously broken. The injured finger on his left hand seemed to be immobile, while the other broken fingers could still be moved.

Subtly threatening the Tallest with medical procedures was a good way to make him agreeable, it seemed. There was little that Zim hated more than spending hours upon hours in surgery, being poked and prodded at by Medics of all shapes and sizes. He was an extremely private Irken who loathed being touched, even by professional Medics and Irken Stylists, so intensive medical procedures were not his favorite thing in the Known Universe.

GIR observed worriedly for just a moment before hopping off of the bed and tottering his way across the room. He approached Dib without so much as a shred of hesitation and held his arms out, silently asking to be picked up. As much as he wanted Zim to hold him, his master was hurt at the moment...so he would seek comfort elsewhere for the time being

"You okay?" The tiny SIR sounded generally concerned for the Earth creature's well-being. Zim ignored the exchange between Dib and his servant entirely.

Rhapsody was itching to talk in detail about the Tallest's conflicting feelings. She wanted to help as best she could. But she could tell that Zim was uncomfortable. There were three creatures intruding upon his private quarters, and invading his personal space. Somehow, she doubted that Zim would speak openly with all three of them in the room. She was hoping that if Bohemian did his best to mend those broken bones, provided the Tallest with supplies, and then went on his merry way to attend to other patients, Zim would finally buckle under the pressure and talk.

Perhaps if she could accomplish this feat and help to mend some of the Tallest's emotional wounds...she could convince Bohemian that therapy work such as this was no joke. Most Irkens weren't in need of therapy work, but Non-Irkens certainly were. Many of them were prisoners of war, held on the Massive against their will. Suicide was a common occurrence here among Non-Irkens.

"...Do you think we should chance a look at his PAK? Or not?" Rhapsody turned to Bohemian, seeming unsure about that prospect. If the rumors circulating about the Tallest's PAK were true, that it actively defended itself against the Control Brains to avoid being drained of data, would it react defensively if anyone tried to examine it? "It's flashing like it should be Reactivating..." she mused, squinting curiously at the flashing piece of machinery. "But...it isn't Reactivating. That's a little odd."

"Ehh." Zim shrugged his shoulders. "It always does that." His voice seemed much steadier, now. As strange as it was, even though he didn't want company having company seemed to be helping him calm down. "Zim cannot make it stop. It will stop on its own, eventually. Zim's PAK only Reactivates him when his heart stops working or he falls unconscious."

PAKs were also supposed to Reactivate their hosts whenever they lost control, emotionally or physically, or were contemplating doing something highly treasonous. Defective PAKs normally didn't Reactivate for treasonous thoughts...but most of them, while still corrupted, did still Reactivate when the host lost control. Zim's PAK must have been severely Defective.

 

[Dip]

Bohemian sighed. Well, there was no use in ignoring the Defectivity now, thanks to Rhapsody.

The Head Surgeon, albeit slightly annoyed, stood rigidly as his monarch snarled and spat at the other Defective in the room. He remained unchanged as the assistant took it upon herself to console the Tallest with kind words, and he was pleasantly surprised to see that... it actually worked, to an extent. He turned to the side to view her for only a second, and he faced forward once more. Defectives seemed to get along well amongst each other, and that wasn't odd in the least... But fully-functioning Irkens never got along with those beings.

What did that mean about Bohemian?

When the Head Surgeon was beaconed for medical proceedings, he stepped forward and did what he does best. He knelt down to inspect the ankle, and he took it gently within his hands, turning it ever so slowly to inspect all sides. While it wasn't the most serious wound in the world, Bohemian could tell that it was hurting the other Irken. If Zim could feel it or not (and Bohemian doubted that he could feel that-- his pulse was out of this world, and Bohemian could just tell that he was in fight-or-flight mode, and there was a slim chance he'd calm down soon), it was painful.

The Head Surgeon took away one hand, and slipped it into the pockets of his lab coat. He would be at a loss if anyone swiped his coat, because it was the most convenient way for him to carry any items he may find use for. He pulled out a small number of medical items-- TMF, manipulative and mendable casts, and the like-- and began his work. He was silent and diligent as he worked, but kept a close antennae on the conversation taking place over him.

Once the ankle was properly cast and realigned, he worked upwards to the fingers. He used a rather dense and cumbersome metal to realign the bones back into place, and the TMF (while mostly used for mending tissue) would seduce the regeneration of bone marrow and enhance the healing process. The cast itself was maluable, but once it was locked into place, there was no way that thing would budge. While they were still medical, they had something of an aesthetic look to them, as they were rather simplistic in design. To Bohemian, they were just medical equipment. To Dib, they seemed almost regal.

While it wouldn't do the job entirely on it's own, it was a good start. He would have to schedule a meeting with the Tallest to help push the process along further, but he knew it would take a lot of convincing to get the Tallest back to the Medical Wing. Baby steps, Bohemian told himself, baby steps.

The Head Surgeon took a few steps away from the Tallest, and inspected his work. He didn't have to tell ZIm that he needed to use his hover belt for the next few days, but maybe Dib could ensure that the Tallest let his ankle heal properly.

Dib, as much as he hated to admit, tried to dissociate himself with the conversation as much as possible.

If Dib could liken himself to any Earthling animal at that point, it would have to be a raccoon. Much like those mammals, he was:

1) Guilty as sin.
2) Feeling rather dirty and gross.
3) Looking for a way out as quickly as possible.
4) Hungry, more so for attention rather than cat food.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw GIR below himself. The human, unlike the defective SIR unit, hesitated before picking the other up. Dib held him as he always did, and that was like an Earth baby. The human at that point felt very much like a baby.

When asked that question, Dib spoke without knowing it. "No." He said, rather bluntly. "Not at all-- er, no, wait, not really," He correctly. "I'm... not really okay. I'm kinda-sorta okay, but I'm not really okay. Okay?" Dib paused for a moment again. "Okay, no, I mean, I'm okay. I'm so unbelievably okay, it isn't.. it isn't believable how okay I am, but..." Dib wished he had an airplane bag for all of the word-vomit coming from his mouth. He sighed, and turned back to the walls he had taken an interest in. "I'm fine." He gave up at that point. "Really, I'm... I'm fine."

He wasn't fine. Really? He wasn't fine.

Bohemian turned to Rhapsody as she spoke, and gave her a look that told her, 'there is no way in hell that I am looking at that thing.' But, sadly, she wasn't gifted in the stealth department like Bohemian was. The Tallest overheard, and spoke some very disconcerting information.

While it was interesting to view the display of flashings and strobe lightings, the Head Surgeon wanted to keep it just at that: a display. Bohemian nodded after the Tallest spoke, and he stood silently for a moment. "...My Tallest, it seems as if my work here is done." He clasped his hands together, and paused once more. "If you need anything, I will be in the Medical Wing, awaiting your request." He said, simply. He turned to make his leave, and he wasn't surely sure of Rhapsody would follow him out.

Dib watched as he slowly strode out, and he made his way to follow him.

The Head Surgeon turned sharply at the sound of human footsteps (he had gotten good at listening out for them, now. He could hear them a yard away!), and gave him a look. It wasn't a regular look, it was something like an icy stare. This was the humans doing. Bohemian could deal the medicine, Rhapsody could do all of the grief 'counseling' that her little heart wanted, but it was Dib who wrangled them all into this mess, and it was Dib who was going to sort through it.

"No." Bohemian spoke to the human. Dib understood immediately, and took a step back from the Irken Surgeon. He felt more guilty than ever.

He couldn't bring himself to turn and face Zim. Not even if his life depended on it.

 

[Mira-Charma13]

GIR's response to the deluge of nonsensical words and ramblings pouring out of the human's mouth was surprisingly simple. He smiled in that vacant, yet cheerful manner of his and reached upward to pat the Earth creature on the cheek. "You'll be okay." He sounded awfully confident about that. "You should be happy. And my master should be happy, too. It should be a happy ending, like all a' those Disney movies!"

Despite making a valiant effort to ignore both Dib and GIR entirely, Zim couldn't help but scowl the moment those words left his robotic servant. This was no stupid lovey-dovey Earth drivel! He felt almost insulted that GIR would dare to compare him to a human being, especially concerning something like this. Humans and Irkens couldn't possibly be more different when it came to romance and mates and feelings.

Rhapsody made no effort to prevent Bohemian from leaving. This kind of stuff...it wasn't exactly the Head Surgeon's forte. This sort of issue was best left to a Defective Irken who could understand what the Tallest was going through. She did shuffle her feet uncomfortably, watching closely as the brief confrontation took place between the human and her superior. She wholeheartedly agreed with Bohemian--the human had to stay. If Dib were to leave now...the issue would never be resolved. Rhapsody could only do so much on her own.

She purposely waited until she could no longer hear the Head Surgeon's footsteps before turning, splitting her attention equally between the nervous human and her irritable Tallest. She stood up as straight as she possibly could, folded her arms across her chest, and cleared her throat.

"So...do you two want to ignore each other forever, like a couple of immature smeets, or do you want to settle it now like mature adults?"

Zim rolled his eyes like a rebellious teenager, pouting off into the distance and flicking one antenna in the Medic's direction. Rhapsody puffed up like an angry Earth bird, antennae lowering and eyes narrowing. There was a stand-off for a short while as neither of them spoke a word. Eventually, Zim's infamous impatience got the better of him and he groaned in an over-the-top manner, rolling his eyes again and glaring at the other Irken.

"Fine. Whatever." He did seem much calmer now that Bohemian, who he believed was nowhere near being Defective, was not present. The only sign that he was still in turmoil came from his erratically flashing PAK. "What do you want Zim to do?" he demanded, one antenna rising slowly.

"Oh, that's simple." Rhapsody glanced between the two taller beings, the brightest and most cheerful of expressions plastered on her face. "I want you to be honest with each other. Completely."

Predictably, Zim instantly broke eye contact and glowered venomously at the nearest wall.

"There's no point in trying to ignore it," she continued, well aware that even though the Tallest was deliberately pretending not to listen he was absorbing her every word. "Now that it's out in the open it won't just go away. You're going to have to discuss it sooner or later, whether you like it or not. Unless you'd rather be miserable forever. Because that's an option, too."

Zim began tapping one of his feet against the ground, grunting in acknowledgement. Rhapsody could tell right away that he would be much tougher to crack than the human. At least the human could understand his own feelings, outlandish as they might be. The Tallest was still inexperienced when it came to those prohibited feelings. He struggled with things everyday Irkens had no problem doing. He held grudges, for instance, and was always intent on getting revenge when he was wronged. Irkens did like to get revenge, but once they exacted that revenge there was no need to hold a grudge in their minds. Zim couldn't let things go. His lingering feelings of resentment for the two former Tallest were a prime example of that.

"I'm going to leave most of this up to you," the trainee Medic declared, turning swiftly in Dib's direction. She folded her arms behind her back, standing as tall as she could. "Because the Tallest is the most stubborn being I have ever met and I sincerely doubt that he'll be the first to budge." Zim pouted for a moment, apparently offended by that statement. "By now I'm sure you know what a Defective Irken is. That we feel things other Irkens are brainwashed not to, and that we have a stronger sense of free will." She scuffed her boots against the floor, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Zim's antennae were rising just a bit. He was paying close attention.

"But...do you understand what that means for the Tallest? In regards to your unwitting admission, I mean." Rhapsody flashed the human a sheepish smile. "He's a Defective Irken. He feels things other Irkens don't. But he doesn't understand some of those feelings, especially if they're new or conflict with his own beliefs. When he doesn't understand something...like most Defective Irkens, he tends to cover it up with anger and by isolating himself from others for a time."

Zim growled, but didn't speak up to correct her. Which most likely meant that she was correct.

"So, this is what I think..." A smile curled her lips as she strolled confidently toward the door. "If he really was angry with you, he would have killed you on the spot. So he isn't angry with you. He's angry with himself, for not understanding. But as soon as he was alone, in the privacy of his quarters...he lost control of himself and of his emotions." Rhapsody paused near the door and motioned toward Zim's PAK, which was still flashing between dull white and bright red. "He had a breakdown, because he doesn't understand what he's feeling. His PAK didn't understand, either, because it was unable to calm him down. Which means...that it must be an emotion he isn't familiar with. Or an emotion that he's been suppressing for some time."

Rhapsody rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, smiling mischievously. "An emotion he isn't familiar with? After all this time? I wonder what that could be. Is it a coincidence that it just so happened to pop up after you made this confession of yours, Earth creature? I don't think so."

She took a step closer to the door, which opened automatically. "Swallow your pride, my Tallest!" she called out, still seeming cheerful. "And remember, you two--honesty."

With her piece said she strolled right out of the room. As soon as she left Minimoose poked his head out from underneath the bed, peering up curiously at his master. Zim was no longer scowling. He was just sitting there, rubbing one of his arms and staring awkwardly at the floor. His antennae didn't seem to want to stop twitching. And--was that a trick of the light, or did his cheeks seem...darker than usual...?

 

[Dip]

Dib wished at that moment that he was as simple-minded as the Irken Software. If he was just less conscientious, less nervous, less anxious, less... well, less human and more automaton in nature, that would be perfect for him. If he was just a simpleton and spent less time worrying about this, that, and the other thing, everything would fine.

The cold and metallic hand on his cheek, as much as he didn't want to admit it, was the most comforting thing he felt all day. The human was just exhausted. Exhausted of emotion, exhausted of communicating, exhausted of aliens, exhausted of humans, exhausted of everyone and everything.

He was even sick of himself, and his big fat stupid mouth! It was his feelings that got him in that mess in the first place, and it would be the thing that would certainly be his demise. He faintly wondered if a PAK attached to his being would correct these undesirable fits of emotion, but the human quickly neglected that idea.

If he was like the other Irkens, that would break Zim's heart.

The human had to admit defeat when he was shot down by the Head Surgeon. He felt a wind of second-hand embarrassment wash over him, and he hoped that it wasn't anything that Zim could see. Damn his feelings! Things were never this hard on Earth! Things were never this hard with humans, but space had to complicate things. He knew for a fact that Gaz would never have this problem in her life.

The day that Gaz admits to being interested in a being not of her own species, Dib would take her to the game store and buy the entire thing out. The day he encountered another human dealing with the same issues that lay before him, he would fly himself back to Earth and make a public fool of himself. On purpose!

Why was it always Dib? Why couldn't it be someone else for a change?

It was silent for a while, and Dib shifted his weight on both legs. He gently placed GIR on the ground, subconsciously wondering if it was still possible for him to make a break for it. The human felt uncomfortable in his own skin, and he felt like this feeling would never leave him. Emotions weren't something he enjoyed, and when he had them, he wished them on someone else.

Dib took a free hand and rubbed the back of his neck as if that wasn't telling enough that he wasn't ready to talk about this issue whatsoever. Dib was hardly an adult by human standards. He was just a kid! Dib was as quiet as a mouse as he waited for Zim to begin the conversation. The Irken Monarch already knew his position when it came to their relationship, and there was no need to reiterate that whatsoever.

When Rhapsody spoke, Dib could feel his insides churning. He felt disgusting and nervous all over, and there was no way out of this situation. Being honest? Being open? Now, those were things that both of the beings could admit defeat to. Dib lied to gain an edge over others, and Zim was just absolutely awful when it came to the truth. Being open? Open to what? Open to more of the pain and anxiety he was feeling?

That was a hard pass on the human's side. For some reason, being miserable forever seemed like the more favorable of the options.

Dib turned gently to see the shorter Irken, and he nearly yelled like a kicked puppy. "Me? Why me?" He begged, but was saddened with the answer he got. Why couldn't someone else fix his problems for him? Why did Dib have to be the one to go out and right the wrongs? Dib was meek and, frankly, sick of the entire situation. Dib knew that there was no way that Zim was going to speak up, and that made the situation all the more insufferable for both parties involved.

Dib, much like the Tallest, listened to the words that Rhapsody had to say about the situation. He nodded gently but refused to look in the direction of the two other Irkens. He felt like a kicked puppy, and if he had any outward displays of emotion, his tail would be tucked between his legs and his ears would be folded.

Dib knew that something like this would happen if word got out that he was into the Tallest. Dib, if they had been in any other situation... well, scratch that, it would be just as hard if Zim was a lowly scientist instead of the leader of an entire race, but being the Monarch to the Irken Empire didn't help either. Dib knew he was Defective, and he's known that he was different for... well, for as long as he had known the green creature.

Isolation wasn't surprising in the slightest. It was a very human thing to do, and it seemed very un-Irken, aswell. Irkens did have a tendency to be by themselves, but Dib observed that they were, for the most part, social creatures. Most Irkens ate at the same table every day, and if the order was disrupted-- say, someone takes someone's seat-- that would result in anger, and a disruption of social normalities wasn't something that Irkens took too kindly to.

They were selectively lonely but surrounded by members of their own race nonetheless. Zim, on the other hand, was alone and surrounded by no one.

Dib turned his gaze at the door as the other began her slow stride towards freedom, and he felt the bugs within his being slither up a storm inside his abdomen. It...never really occurred to Dib that Zim wasn't really angry. Sure, Zim said he wasn't angry, but that could mean a lot of different things. Dib took it as 'he wasn't angry... right then.' He would have been angry later on-- and he was! But... just not at the human.

Why is an Irken better at human emotions that just the human?

Dib wrapped his arms around himself as he listened to Rhapsody finish, and he wished that she wouldn't leave. He wanted to ask her questions and see if she knew the answers to them. Why was this so hard, for one. Why did she make it seem so easy, for two. And lastly, WHY COULDN'T HE DO IT?!?

It wasn't long before the Irken Medic left the room, and her words hung in the air the same way brick doesn't. Dib stood still within his own little corner of the room, and he slowly dared to turn and face his life-long enemy.

He swept a gaze over the Monarch and turned to the side. He couldn't help the color flush his cheeks.

"...Hey." Dib started, in a voice not his own. That was a good step, right? Was that a good place to start out?

"...Sorry." This wasn't a good start. "For... for this happening." He admitted, slowly. "I just-- it all just kind of... happened, and I didn't think you'd be hearing what I was saying, or else I-I just wouldn't have said it," He started, and the cycle of bad decisions continued. "And then this--this, whatever it is, could have been avoided, and this could have been just... just one normal night, without Bohemian, and Rhapsody, and everyone, and just..." The human sighed.

"Sorry."