Eyes of Blight
  Turbuggy  

Over the past 9 years, not once did Dib ever think he would end up living with Zim. The very thought would have been laughable at best to the adolescent paranormal investigator. He, the sworn defender of Earth, living with a hostile alien Invader? Not in his lifetime! Though, the IRKEN didn’t seem so hostile now.

Just a little over a month had passed since the boy had officially relocated, and although Zim had nearly completed his physical recovery, his mental state remained worse for wear. He had stopped leaving his base altogether, often spending his time down below. He didn’t speak much when the two crossed paths, and the odd time he did, his words barely held any weight at all. Dib had originally assumed that the alien’s reclusiveness was simply due to healing. After all, the little guy had hooked himself up to some pretty hefty medical devices after his last call to the Tallest, which immobilized him for some time. The boy didn’t even want to think about the painful blood removal process he had witnessed the Computer perform on Zim, though he supposed it had to be done. Without a proper supply of pain aids at his disposal, Dib couldn’t help but grimace along with his companion each time the long, syringe-like apparatus punctured the IRKEN’s torso, bright pink liquid swirling up through connected tubes. It was like nothing he had ever seen in a human hospital before. Thankfully, whatever the Shaman had given him seemed to make quick work of his internal wounds, and no more invasive procedures were required to remedy the squeedilyspooch damage.

Dib’s new worries began to take root as the alien’s absence continued past his physical recovery. Even after he had grown stronger, regained his ability to walk on his own, take care of himself, he still stayed hidden in the lower levels of the base. After knowing Zim for so many years, Dib had a sneaking suspicion that his unusual behavior stemmed from the loss of his mission, not his physical condition. Zim always felt that he needed a purpose, needed a way to prove himself, and without a way to do so, the boy could only assume that the smaller was feeling more than a little lost. Perhaps they were both alike in that regard.

Today, while Dib was lounging on the couch, allowing himself to indulge in some old Saturday-morning cartoons, Zim had quietly entered the room, holding two familiar red-and-purple containers of IRKEN LICKY STICKS— his favorite. The boy was still wrapped up in his blanket, curled into his pillow as if he had just woken up. The couch had become his bed, after all, much to the dismay of a certain little robot. When the alien stepped in front of the television, expression sullen and deep bags under his eyes, Dib sat up, his glasses sitting crooked on his nose. Using the mechanical spider legs built into his PAK, Zim hoisted himself up into the new vacancy left by the human, and held one of the snacks out towards him.

“What are you watching?” he asked halfheartedly, slumping in his seat.

“Oh, uh, just some dumb cartoon.” Dib replied, crossing his bare legs under the blanket now loosely draped over his lap. He hadn’t gotten himself dressed yet today, and was still clad in an old t-shirt and boxer shorts, “You get bored down there all by yourself?”

“Mhm.”

Zim said nothing more, his attention only passively directed towards the television screen. He dipped his candy into the sugary powder as sunken eyes watched bright colors dance in front of them, before sticking it into his mouth. Although Dib found the IRKEN confectionery to be sickeningly sweet, he still made an effort to mirror the alien’s action, allowing the powder to melt on his tongue. He had learned of Zim’s ration limitations a few years back, and he suspected those shipments wouldn’t be coming any longer. He’d hate to waste the last of the real IRKEN food Zim had left.

Watching the alien quietly, Dib couldn’t help but feel a pang in his chest at the sight of his weary expression. It was as if he wasn’t even the same Zim anymore. What had happened to the little menace, full of boundless energy and dead-set on conquering the planet? Where had he gone? Was he ever coming back?

“Hey… you doing okay?”

“Yes.” Zim’s response was quick, dismissive.

A pause, as Dib attempted to choose his words carefully. Perhaps a distraction was a wiser move? “You ever watch this show before?”

“Yes.”

Maybe not.

Dib had never been skilled at comforting others. Comfort was not something he had often received in childhood— he and Gaz both— and thus he had always struggled with the concept of sympathy, let alone empathy. This had changed as he had grown, had matured, though he could never claim them as his strong suits. Here, in this moment, the boy was at a loss. What was he supposed to say that could possibly make this better? “Sorry that your biggest mission was actually exile in disguise”? Absolutely not.

“What is this thing?”

He hadn’t even realized that he had been staring off blindly until he heard Zim speak. The question roused Dib from his thoughts, and he turned his gaze back towards the alien. In his grasp, Zim held the glowing pink crystal, which Dib had taken off for the night. It looked so much larger in the IRKEN’s tiny hands, as he turned it over and over, inspecting it closely.

“Oh! That’s a crystal I got from the Shaman over on that second healer’s planet. I’m not sure if you remember her.”

“Zim remembers her.” the alien grumbled, a small clawed hand moving to press against his middle, “How did you even find that planet?”

“I guess you don’t remember everything, huh?” Dib offered a sympathetic, lop-sided smile, “We met a stranger on MEDICINA who gave me a note with the coordinates written on it. It was super cryptic, and she even knew our names and stuff. I was seriously—” a pause, and brown eyes widened, “Oh shit, the note!”

Zim jumped at the sudden exclamation, dropping the crystal onto the floor. He watched in confusion as Dib scrambled up off of the couch, stumbling over his blanket in the process. With antennae perked upwards, the IRKEN leaned forward in order to watch the boy rummage through his suitcase and pull out his black trench coat. He fished through the pockets, pulling out a slightly crumpled note.

“Aha!” Dib blurted, standing and moving to hold the paper out to Zim, “I totally forgot that this thing had a message I was supposed to give you! It’s on the back. I think it’s some kind of code?”

With his brow furrowed, and antennae pinned back once more, Zim took the note from the human’s hand. His frown only deepened as his eyes scanned the written words, and the message that had been left for him. Batch 43sub12 #762.

“So? What is it?” the human pressed, craning his neck to get a better look, “The activation key to some super-secret alien doomsday device?”

“Eh? This is just a PAK encoding number!” Zim huffed, “An old one.”

“A what?”

A heavy sigh escaped the IRKEN, before he began to elaborate, “A PAK encoding number. It’s a fancy identification number worker drones assign to each and every PAK after completing its creation. It’s all based on which new batch of PAKs is being processed, which PAK-MAKER MACHINE it comes from, its place in line, blah blah blah, YOU GET IT! It’s used for tracking and establishing communication transmissions and stuff.”

“Wait!” the boy leaned in, “What was that last thing you said?”

“Stuff?”

“No, before that!”

Zim paused, quirking an antenna, “... Blah blah blah?”

“NO! Zim, just—!” groaning, Dib ran his hands down over his face, “Communication. You said it could be used for communication!”

“So?”

“So, let’s, y’know, communicate with it!”

The alien frowned, looking back down at the paper in his clawed hands. His antennae flicked, and he raised a brow up at Dib, “You know that this PAK was made 850 Earth cycles ago, don’t you? This guy is already halfway through his life! He’s probably some sort of Elite by now! Eh, if he’s not already dead.”

It was Dib’s turn to knit his brows, and shake his head, “This code was given to us for a reason, Zim. I’m certain that they want us to use it. I don’t know what for, or why, but after they saved your life, I’m willing to follow their lead, even if it is… kinda cryptic.”

Zim was quiet a moment, simply staring down at the note and chewing absently on his LICKY STICK. He wasn’t so sure about just contacting some random IRKEN. What if they weren’t even meant to call them? What if they were supposed to use the number in some other way? What if he got into some kind of trouble? Glancing up at Dib, magenta eyes met the hopeful expression in those of deep brown, and Zim heaved a heavy sigh, “COMPUTER! Establish a transmission link with 43 dash 12 dash 762.”

Static burst forth from the television screen as the Computer obeyed the command of its master. Dib, now facing the appliance, slowly shifted back to sit on the couch once more. The buzz of the open airwaves droned on for some time, long after Zim had decided this a lost cause. Even the boy was beginning to waver, until in an instant, the snow dissipated, giving way to a wary three-eyed gaze. The moment the alien on screen saw the unlikely pair, her face lit up.

“Human Dib! IRKEN Zim! I knew you would call!” she exclaimed, a broad smile spreading across her face, “It’s so good to see you again!”

Dib recognized this alien’s features as being not unlike those he had met on Kestasis; yellow skin, stripes, and feelers. She was even clad in the same garb, and wore a crystal to match his own. One thing set her apart, however; she spoke English.

“Again?” Dib ventured, preparing to air his suspicions, “Are you… the stranger we met on MEDICINA?”

“That’s me!” the alien replied, her three green eyes shining with excitement, “You always were a smart one!”

“Uh… right. Listen, we—”

“WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ZIM, NERLONIAN SCUM?!” the IRKEN suddenly blurted, springing up to stand on the couch cushion, his half-full container of LICKY STICK powder spilling onto the floor, “Is this a THREAT?!”

Outrage was only met with laughter, a sound that carried a hint of melody, “It’s good to see you’re feeling better, IRKEN Zim. We were all really worried about you!” she gave another, shorter chuckle, and an amused shake of her head, “Look at me, getting ahead of myself again! My name’s Ria! I’m one of the head Nerlonian healers over on Kestasis! Sorry I missed your visit, I was off duty at the time.”

Dib was quick to whip around, place his hands onto his IRKEN roommate’s shoulders, and attempt to sit him back down. Zim resisted, grabbing onto the boy’s wrists with small clawed hands, “Uh, yeah, it’s nice to meet you, Ria. You already know Zim and I somehow, so—”

“UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT, HUMAN WORM!”

“Zim, quit it!” Dib hissed under his breath, before turning a sheepish smile back towards the television screen, “Don’t mind him, he doesn’t really mean what he says.”

“YES I DO!” the IRKEN protested, “YOU DO NOT SPEAK FOR ZIM!”

Further laughter escaped through the speakers as Ria watched the two bicker. She didn’t seem the least bit fazed by the sight, as if she was completely accustomed to it. This only worked to anger Zim further.

“SILENCE! SILENCE YOUR LAUGHING IMMEDIATELY!” he snapped, squirming away from Dib, who dove to try and catch him as he stormed towards the television. His PAK legs deployed, raising him up so that he may lean in and glower at the screen, “You think that you have tricked Zim?! FOOLISH NERLONIAN GERM! You will not be so cheerful when I report you for fabricating a PAK signature!”

“Fabricating? Oh, no, you’re misunderstanding! This signature isn’t fake, it’s just been rerouted to a standalone Nerlonian communicator! Easier to conceal the signal that way.” Ria replied, not at all intimidated by the mechanical legs, or the new proximity to the agitated IRKEN.

“LIES! No IRKEN in their right mind would reroute their PAK signature into a piece of Nerlonian GARBAGE TECH!”

Zim suddenly felt a hand grab the hem of his tunic from behind, tugging him backwards, causing his spider legs to stumble. Dib was getting pretty tired of all of these accusations with few answers. The entire ordeal had been more than a little confusing so far, and the boy felt he needed to voice his questions quickly before Zim said something they would all regret.

“So, Ria, if this PAK signature thing really is connected to an IRKEN, why didn’t they answer this call? Where are they? And… why did you give the number to us in the first place?”

“What a shame, I thought you of all people would have figured that out, Human Dib!” the healer teased, “This signature belongs to the Crystal Shaman!”

Dib’s face blanked, and he stood, dumbstruck, for a moment, simply gawking at the transmission feed. Those pupilless blue eyes, that strange language… no wonder it had seemed so familiar! The Shaman…

“... she’s IRKEN.”

“Bingo!” Ria exclaimed, “Give the human a prize!”

Dib held a hand up, shaking his head with a frown. Something still didn’t add up, “Wait wait wait, hang on a second! I thought you told me that your area of space was hostile to IRKEN?”

“Oh, it is. The Shaman is… a bit of an exception.” the Nerlonian giggled amusedly at this, “Her name is Savi. She’s an IRKEN rogue that fled her planet after an attempted rebellion turned sour. I found her on the outskirts of our end of the galaxy, all beat up and sick. She’s been living on Nerlon with us and working as a healer on Kestasis ever since! She’s kinda something of a celebrity here, actually.”

Ria barely had enough time to allow the words to fully leave her mouth before Zim interjected, his voice suddenly filled with a newly ignited form of rage, “YOU FILTHY, LYING RAT-BEAST! The Rebel Savi has been dead for TENS OF MEEPS! The ALMIGHTY TALLEST DESTROYED HER along with her MISERABLE BETRAYERS! You DARE to speak of such a WRETCHED TREASONIST as if she still WALKS?!”

“Uh, yeah, ‘cause she does.” Ria simply smirked, leaning her head in one hand, “I’m telling you the truth, IRKEN Zim. Savi didn’t die. The Tallest lied to you. Lied to all of you. But that’s not really all that surprising, is it?” the laugh that followed devolved into a snort.

“NonSEEENSE! The Tallest would NEVER lie to— they would NEVER…!” Zim’s voice trailed off, the anger both on his face and in his tone seeming to waver, to crack. He suddenly felt as though he would choke on the lump that had formed in his throat.

“H-Hey, I think that’s enough!” Dib interposed, placing a hand onto Zim’s shoulder. Slowly, the alien sunk back down into his seat, magenta eyes unblinking and suddenly blank, “That’s enough.”

“Oh, shoot, I’m sorry! I forget that Tallest jokes probably aren’t funny to a loyalist…”

“Listen,” the word sounded far harsher than the boy had meant it, “... Listen. Zim and I are… stressed. This whole… thing has been pretty taxing on the both of us, and the cryptic messages and spoken riddles aren’t helping. We just want answers. I. Just want answers. If you can’t give that to us, I think it’s time we ended this.”

“Wait!” Ria felt her heart leap into her throat, her adrenaline spike. The feelers on either side of her temples raised in alarm, “Don’t go! Look, I promise we’re not trying to confuse you, and I wish I could have given you answers sooner! But… things are complicated, and things are… dangerous. Safety precautions have to be taken, you know? But I get it! I do! That’s why I gave you Savi’s PAK encoding number in the first place! So that you could talk to her in a more secure location. The ARMADA can’t track this signal, see?” she shook her head, “I’m sorry that this has been such a nightmare for you both, but… I can answer your questions now. For real this time.”

Dib’s hand gently squeezed Zim’s shoulder. The Nerlonian’s words seemed genuine enough, but the boy had reason to be skeptical. Neither Ria nor the Shaman— Savi— had been straightforward with him from the start. Who’s to say they would start now? Though there was always that second factor, the other end of the coin, that pushed him to believe; they had saved Zim’s life. Finally, after a long moment of hesitance, the human heaved a sigh.

“Alright, fine. Yeah. If you’re willing to give me some straight answers now, let me talk to Savi.”

Ria smiled sheepishly, clasping her hands together in front of herself, “She… can’t talk right now.”

“What do you mean she can’t talk right now?!”

“Hold on, hold on! I promise there’s a good reason!” those hands were quickly raised in a universal surrender, in hopes that she could calm the boy, “Human Dib, you need to know that the IRKEN and the Nerlonians have been at war for a long time. They sent an Invader to our planet years ago. It was close, but they didn’t end up successfully conquering. Since then, they’ve made four more full-scale Invasion attempts, all ending in victory for Nerlon. We’d never even had a single soldier before the IRKEN arrived, and now we’ve got an entire military.” Ria crossed her arms over her chest, “Ever since Savi came to live with us, she’s been helping to keep our planet safe, and our people healthy, and in return, we do the same for her. Like I told you, she’s a rogue. The ARMADA is constantly on the lookout for her, and this side of the galaxy is like a dead zone for IRKEN tech.”

“Why are you telling me this? What does this have to do with my question?!”

“Recently, someone tipped the Tallest off to where Savi has been hiding. The ARMADA launched a fifth attack on the planet, and although the cockroaches still couldn’t take us, Savi didn’t get out unscathed this time. She’s not dead, but… she’s not doing so well.”

Dib’s form suddenly went rigid, brown eyes widening in panic, “She’s hurt?!”

“Unfortunately. Took a blast of plasma straight to the gut. Nothing vital was hit, but she’s got a gnarly wound.” the medic paused to look over her shoulder, though nothing could be seen on screen, “Most of the other healers have gone with the Nerlonian military to chase the ARMADA back onto their side of the galaxy, make sure they’re good and gone. It’s just me and a few others here for now, a few wounded soldiers, too. They wanted me to go, but… I couldn’t leave Sav back here with someone that wasn’t me.” her grip on her arms tightened, and her expression grew spiteful. When she spoke once more, her voice held a new bite, a venom, and it came as more of a mutter to no one in particular, “Just when you think they’ve done all the damage they can do…”

“Ria, she— she’ll be fine, right?” any irritation that the human had once carried had vanished, replaced with a growing sense of dread. After the Shaman had aided the duo, had pulled Zim back from the brink of death, had saved Dib’s purpose, it had been them who had given her away. The call to the Tallest, their strange behavior, their questions about the crystal, Dib’s mention of a blue-eyed alien; the final pieces of a long, ongoing jigsaw puzzle. One that spelled doom for a savior, “Tell me she’ll be alright.”

Unease seemed to overcome the Nerlonian, all three of her emerald green eyes averting, flicking downwards as she squeezed her arms once more. She took in a slow sigh, shifting her weight to one foot, “I dunno, Human Dib. I want to say yes, but I don’t want to lie to you. Savi’s real tough, but she’s not young. Been through a lot, you know? A body can only heal so many times.” a pause, “I guess I’ll just say… here’s hoping, and leave it at that.”

“There— There has to be something we can do, right? She must have some kind of miracle cure like she had for Zim! Can’t we just—”

“Listen, Human Dib,” a third anxious glance over her shoulder, “I have to go. We can talk again in the future, okay? It was nice to meet you for real. Don’t lose this frequency.” and with that, static filled the screen once more, leaving the duo in a bath of white noise.