Eyes of Blight
  Turbuggy  

“We have now entered hostile territory. If I’m lucky, perhaps my disassembly will be quick.”

Dib had been lightly dozing when the ship’s simulated voice spoke. It startled the boy, and he jumped awake, jerking upwards in his seat. Zim, still nestled safely in his arms, gave a small, pained grumble in response to being jostled, though was soothed by a gentle hand stroking over his blanket-covered head.

“How much longer until we reach Kestasis?”

“Approximately two Earth cycles remain until we reach planet Kestasis. Two more horrible days.” the ship replied.

Two more days. It may as well have been two lifetimes left to go. Things had been so suffocatingly quiet over the past couple weeks, even the boy’s “Captain’s Logs” having come to an unceremonious halt. There just wasn’t a point in logging when there was nothing left to be said. He could only express his sickening anxiety so many times before the act became moot. Not only was he wracked with worry for the faux-Invader, but his own food and water supply was beginning to run low. He hoped that, if they did make it to Kestasis, they would have something edible that he could stock up on. Something that agreed with his biology as well, that is.

“Hey, Ship,” Dib began, “how’s our cloaking? Is it working?”

“No, we are completely unhidden. I figured it would be fun to fly as an IRKEN vessel in territory hostile to IRKEN.”

“Our cloaking is working just fine, Dib!” the boy mimicked Tak’s voice, “How hard would it be to say something like that, huh? Why do you always have to be such a jerk?”

“Because you stole me, and I hate you.”

“That’s fair.”

Tak’s Spittle Runner was getting awfully tired of having its hardware abused. The moment the healer’s planet had come into view, Dib had slammed his hands against the controls, driving the joystick forward with such force it was a miracle it hadn’t snapped. The ship had expressed its disdain, though it had fallen on deaf ears. All the boy cared about was landing on that planet as fast as possible.

Kestasis was a relatively small celestial body, bright yellow and littered with swirling blue clouds. It was lacking all of the neon lights and bold IRKEN signs that busied MEDICINA, its natural beauty untarnished by its inhabitants. In fact, the planet had no signs whatsoever, and if Dib didn’t have direct coordinates, he would never have been able to discern this place from any other alien planet they had passed on their journey. Perhaps knowledge of Kestasis was spread solely by word of mouth? How tightly-knit were the aliens on this side of the galaxy? Dib hadn’t spent much more than two days here, and yet he already noticed the drastic differences between IRKEN-owned territory, and territory that fell outside of their militaristic rule. There was a distinct lack of unnatural space debris, and the constant bustle of ships had died down to near nothing. Each planet Dib passed was bright, and seemed full of life, a stark contrast to the dull, polluted bodies under IRKEN command. Perhaps that was part of the reason they were all so very often over-encumbered with flashy neon lights and signs. The boy remembered Zim mentioning that his leaders could “just turn Earth into a parking lot planet” or something once. Was that normal? Parking lot planets?!

Dib just hoped that these differences meant that the aliens here were friendly. At least, to those who were not IRKEN.

Disguised as a Vortian Cargo Runner, Tak’s ship landed on the surface of Kestasis. The simulated personality inside the Runner opted to keep its comments to itself this time, not wishing to break the illusion of its cloaking. Dib didn’t care what the reasoning behind the silence was, he was grateful nonetheless. He wasn’t interested in snarky remarks at the moment. The boy was on a mission— possibly the most important mission of his life— and nothing was going to distract him. Not sarcastic ships, and certainly not beautiful alien worlds!

Kestasis was beautiful. The yellow sky was bright, with only a few wispy blue clouds dotting its face. The planet’s surface was covered in a lush jungle of flora, all colours, shapes, and sizes, seemingly allowed to grow freely around the clearing used for the docking of ships. It felt almost like a primitive world, when compared to MEDICINA. A maintained green-dirt pathway lead Dib through a thick stretch of alien jungle, until he stood in a new, fully occupied glade. Huts and tents were set up inside the circular area, most made of vibrant fabrics or other natural materials. Aliens of a few different races came and went, though the most prominent of the bunch was a race of yellow-skinned creatures, sporting three eyes and odd feelers that protruded from both their backs, and the sides of their faces. Each member of this race was dressed in brown robes, eerily similar to that of the stranger on MEDICINA. In fact, each alien manning one of the many medical stations wore the same type of cloak, adorned with the purple stripes that had accented the stranger’s own clothing. Other stripe colours littered the area as well, though purple seemed to be the most popular. Did these stripes, and their colours, hold some kind of meaning? Dib tucked that thought into the back of his mind; no time to find out right now.

Not a single second was wasted as the human hurried up to the very first hut he saw, “Listen, I don’t have a lot of time to waste, so I’m going to cut to the chase here. I need to see someone who can help my friend! The, uh… Crystal Shaman, I think they said? No, there was another word! What was it? Think, Dib!”

As the boy pressed a hand to his head, the alien seemed to grow concerned, her three eyes frowning. All of her long, feeler-like appendages seemed to bristle, and she held out her hands in a universal “calm down” gesture. She didn’t understand what this creature was saying, but it was obviously distressed, and as a healer, it was her job to help those in need! If only she could understand the strange language the alien was speaking!

“Key-jel-keys? Left-nam? Kel— no, uh… Shit!”

Too many eyes widened, “Qjylkes Lfenem?”

“Yeah! Yeah, that’s it!” Dib exclaimed, his face lighting up. The alien manning the tent took note of the change in demeanor, and gave a quick, curt not, before stepping away from her station and gesturing for Dib to follow.

Zim, still bundled up in blankets and completely covered, was held close to the human’s body as they were led through the market-like setup of the clearing. Those that passed raised their temple feelers in greeting to both the healer and the human, or offered small smiles. Even those who were suffering from obvious ailments made a point to direct a kind greeting their way. From what Dib observed, this did not seem to be a practice reserved only for him, but a cultural norm on this planet. This place was definitely far from IRK.

Tents and huts began to thin as the trio reached the edge of the glade. Dib could feel his heart beating against his chest as he hurried alongside his guide, his anxiety spiking as the reality of the situation overcame him. He still had no idea if this was a trap or not. The stranger had told him that if he mentioned the Crystal Shaman, they would know who he was, and what he had come for; that hadn’t been a lie. However, how did he know that wasn’t how the trap was to be sprung? After all, they would need to know who to target, and he had just given them a bullseye. Besides, if this “Crystal Shaman” was supposed to help Zim, would they not be stationed in the common area with the other healers? Where was he being led? This entire setup was beginning to give Dib some second thoughts, though he didn’t have long to dwell on them. Stopping in front of the thick wall of colourful jungle, the healer reached forwards to pull back some overgrown foliage. A new pathway was revealed, clearly lacking maintenance, and only wide enough for one person to travel at a time. Quick gestures urged Dib forwards, but the human hesitated.

“Are you telling me that this, uh, “Keyjellies Lifename” thing is through here?”

The alien nodded, though she only recognised two— attempted— words, “Qjylkes Lfenem!”

Dib frowned, and peered once more down the narrow footpath. Everything inside of him was screaming to turn around, but the shivering bundle in his arms pushed him to make the first step. If he died, at least he died trying!

Foliage was replaced once the human had begun his journey, after a small wave from the helpful healer. This alien jungle was densely packed, and the natural canopy hanging overhead let in very little of the planet’s light. Dib found himself stumbling in the overgrowth, having to reach blindly for— what he assumed were— trees to keep himself from toppling over more than once. Not far along the trail, however, a soft light came into view, creating a glowing arch that beckoned the human to come closer. Squinting as he finally poked his head out into yet another clearing, Dib laid eyes on one singular hut. It didn’t look much different from those lining the common area, save for the colourful bottles filled with liquids of various colours that decorated the landscape around it. Cautiously, the human stepped forwards, approaching the primitive building, ducking in through the hanging fabric that served as its door. Inside, sitting on a colourful mat positioned in the middle of the floor, was an alien dressed in garments similar to the other healers of the planet. However, instead of the long, billowed sleeves of the standard healer’s robe, this alien bore long, tight purple sleeves, with matching leggings. A brown poncho rested over her shoulders, adorned with familiar purple stripes at its hem, and a purple hood covered the figure’s head and face, allowing only closed eyes to be seen. Their legs were crossed, hands held up, pressed together, in front of their chest. Were they praying? Meditating?

“Uh… Hello?” Dib ventured, “Are… you the Crystal Shaman? Or, uh, the “Keyjelly—”

“Human Dib.” the alien interrupted, her feminine voice soft and smooth. Though she addressed the human in the same fashion the stranger had, Dib could tell this had not been his visitor, “I am She. I have been awaiting your arrival for some time now.”

Slowly, the Shaman rose, lowering her hands as she stood. Her eyes opened, revealing two piercing blue pupiless eyes. Though Dib could not see her expression behind her covering, he could almost feel her warm smile. “You have travelled a long way to get here, my friend. Please, rest, and allow me to examine your IRKEN companion.”

Dib was reluctant to give Zim over so easily, but his hope got the better of him. After not only making it all this way, but actually finding this so-called “Crystal Shaman”, he couldn’t back out now. Not when he was so close to possibly saving Zim from the virus that plagued his tiny body. Hesitantly, the human held out the blanket bundle, which the Shaman carefully took into her arms. She sat once more, placing Zim onto the mat in front of her, where she uncovered his shivering form. Quiet, foreign words were breathed, as she stroked a hand gingerly over the smaller’s white antennae. Dib couldn’t place where he had heard that language before…

“H-Hey, careful!” the human warned, kneeling on the opposite side of Zim, “Those are sensitive!”

A soft laugh escaped the healer’s throat, “I am quite aware, Human Dib. You have no need for worry.” as she spoke, she reached over to take one of the boy’s hands in her own. She guided it to Zim, and placed it over his antennae, “Here. It is a soothing gesture. It will calm him while I work.”

Dib could feel his hands shaking as he slowly ran his palm along the length of the little alien’s sensory organs. Zim didn’t seem to react negatively, and in fact, his body seemed to ease, which aided in keeping the human’s spirits up. Maybe this really wasn’t a trap after all. Maybe Zim really was going to get the help he needed!

“Can you describe his symptoms to me?”

“Uh… I heard him say shivering, loss of color, chills… I think fever? Stomach— I mean, uh, spoochaches, obviously white antennae, and, uh… oh! He mentioned pain. I think it’s abdominal pain.” Dib frowned, pausing his petting in order to fiddle with one of the antennae, “He called his leaders, and they said he has some old, incurable IRKEN disease.”

The Shaman nodded as Dib spoke, though she didn’t pause in her examination. Her hands carefully pressed against certain points on the smaller’s body, testing for soreness or abnormalities. Nothing got much of a reaction from Zim; no more than a small groan, mostly. That is, until the healer’s fingers poked into his middle, tearing a wail of pain from his throat. Dib nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound. That was the loudest thing he had heard from Zim in weeks!

“I know, I know…” the alien healer soothed, “Forgive me, little one.”

Zim’s trembling had spiked, and he struggled to try and catch his breath with pitiful, open-mouth gasps. Dib was growing anxious, and wanted this to stop. He wanted nothing more than to bundle the IRKEN back up and run away with him, keep him safe and free of pain.

“Are you almost done? I-I don’t think he can handle much more!”

A deep frown crossed the Shaman’s face, and she looked up at Dib apologetically, “Yes, I am finished now. I hope you understand I do not intend to harm.”

“Just… go easy on him. Please. It’s been rough.”

The Shaman gave a sombre nod, before lifting the IRKEN’s tunic to reveal deep, blackened bruises across his torso. Dib took in an audible gasp, his eyes widening. No wonder Zim had been in so much abdominal pain.

“The Tallest did not lie.” the healer began, “Though I have not seen a case of this in decades, they have certainly identified this pathogen correctly.”

“What is it?”

“A death sentence.” came the Shaman’s response, her soft voice gaining a bite that had been absent previously. She closed her eyes, and took a slow, calming breath, before continuing, “This virus, it attacks the squeedilyspooch. That is where all of this bruising is coming from.”

Dib lightly brushed his fingers over the patchy green skin, but pulled back when Zim’s face contorted into a grimace. “Is it true? That this is incurable?”

Standing, the Shaman stepped silently around the two in order to approach one of the hand-crafted shelves that decorated the inside of the hut. “For them, it is. For us,” a few of the dozens of brilliantly coloured bottles were pushed carefully aside, so that something may be retrieved from behind them. A vial of translucent orange liquid was held up to the light, “it is not.”