Goddess Rising

Over the coming weeks, Zim and Dib were fairly inseparable. Dib spent most of his time looking over the multitude of things in Zim's lab, oohing and aahing when appropriate. Zim never admitted it, but he was happy to be able to show off his accomplishments to someone that actually would be impressed by them.
After a while, their days together became formulaic; Dib would come in the morning, they would argue over something, Dib would placate Zim by asking to see something of his or they would go outside to explore, then eventually they ended up entangled in eachother's bodies somewhere about the annals of Zim's house. After awhile GIR even became accustomed to these rituals and would keep far away from them when their time for lovemaking arrived.

Another thing Zim wouldn't admit was that he himself was becoming accustomed, and would grow anxious if the routine was thrown off in any way. Particularly in the end... The things Dib made him feel were wonderous and foreign, and he craved to experience them whenever possible. He would never advance on Dib, but if Dib lingered too long over something he would try to get his attention; usually an accidental touch or forlorn look would do the trick.

One day in early August, Dib lifted himself from Zim's chest and started to put on his clothes rather early.

"I have to be in bed early tonight," Dib stated after observing Zim's aghast look. "I have to leave for Freshman Orientation tomorrow."

An antenna poked curiously at the air. "'Freshman Orientation'?"

"Yes," Dib answered, nodding. "I'll be receiving all the information I need to attend college. I have to drive to Ft. Ark and catch a plane to Roswell. I'll be gone until Friday."

"Oh... That's only a few days," Zim speculated, placated a little. "...College?"

"It's like skool, only more difficult. It's what humans attend so they can get an adult job."

Understanding began to dawn on the alien. "Oh--do you--attend it at the same time every day, just like skool?"

"It depends on what class schedule I have," Dib replied. "But yeah--you're getting the idea."

Zim smiled dimly. "Then you can come visit me after college then."

Dib's face fell. He looked away for a moment, then back at Zim's face, softened with insecurity. "Um... That's the thing, Zim... I'll--The college is in Roswell. That's hundreds of miles away--I won't be able to come and visit you every day like I do now."

Suddenly, the room felt much, much smaller. Zim looked crestfallen for a moment, but then his face brightened with realization. "You--can borrow my ship! I trust you. You can just use it to fly back here and see me." He nodded as if the decision was already made and got to his feet, slipping his clothes back on as well.

"I can't fly back here to see you every night after classes! I--I have to study, and God, it's Roswell! I'd be in the tabloids before I ever took off! I--"

Zim's hopeful face suddenly turned angry.

"I see what this is--You just came here and used me to get access to my technology!" Zim yelled, stepping back. "You're going to take all of the things you learned and use it for your own personal gain!"

"No!" Dib cried. He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair, then adjusted his glasses. "Zim--I--I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd care if I left. I've been planning on going to this college since I was a junior in high skool! Long before you ever came back--"

Choking, Zim pushed Dib back towards the elevator to his first floor. "Don't feed me your lies! I'm not as stupid as you think I am! Just get out of here! Go! Go to your precious COLLEGE and leave me here all alone! I don't care! I never needed you!"

Tears escaped Dib's eyes. "Don't do this, Zim! Please!" Zim was still pushing him, growing more feeble with every step. Dib pushed back towards him, crying, "I don't want to leave you! But---But what choice do I have?? Would you ever come with me?"

"Never!" Zim retorted, pushing ever harder. "I'm not your slave! I'm not your pet! I don't need you for ANYTHING!"

He was, by this point, beyond all reason, and Dib realized this. He finally resigned to stepping backward toward the elevator. "I'll be back Friday, Zim. I'll come see you as soon as I get back. And--And maybe we can talk about it. We can work out something so that you can see me every day."

Zim's antennae perked up for a second, and Dib knew that Zim wanted him to do this, even if he wouldn't say so.

"I'll see you Friday night, Zim," Dib said, stepping backward into the elevator.

Zim crossed his arms and glowered. "Whatever," he mumbled. He then pushed the button next to the elevator and Dib was rushing away from him--away from comfort and happiness.

************

As the shuttle closed in on Merinoo University, the excitement that Dib normally would have felt was overshadowed with sadness and uncertainty. He stared out the window at the sprawling campus, which was overrun with tall men in suits and silver vans with satellite dishes on the top of them.

"Why the long face?" a female voice called over his shoulder. He turned to find a very pretty blonde with thick glasses leaning over the seat, looking at him with interest.

Dib tried to muster a smile and shrugged. "I'm just--lost in my thoughts, that's all."

"A thinker, eh?" the girl giggled. She had a bit of a high voice, but it was eloquent. Taking his ambiguous answer as an invitation to talk, she hopped up and sat next to him in the long bus seat. "M'name's Valerie," she said, holding out her hand.

Dib shook it, happy for a distraction. "I'm Dib..." he started, not sure exactly what to say.

"Oh my God! Dib Membrane?!" Valerie cried, her eyes growing twice as wide. Startled at the reaction, Dib nodded.

The blonde girl bobbed excitedly. "I can't believe it! I heard rumors that you were coming to this University, but you know how word spreads in the Supernatural circle..." Dib didn't know, but he nodded anyway, and Valerie continued, "I've admired your work ever since I heard about your Zero Thruster!" She grabbed his shoulders. "When Dr. Membrane integrated that design into the military's 02X jet engines, I couldn't believe how much their efficiency increased!"

Dib remembered his dad asking if he could take a look at the Zero Thruster design specs once, but he never really asked if anything had been done with them. He didn't figure his father would have any interest in his little toys. Dib blushed, feeling as if he didn't even deserve the credit; it was just an improvement he had made when trying to get Tak's ship to run again.

"Of course, it was probably child's play to you, eh Dib?" Val giggled. "I read an interview with Doctor Membrane once that said you were only attending skool so that you knew how the 'average kid' did when growing up... and that you could've went right to college any time you wanted..."

It was an effort to keep from snorting at that comment. What kind of bull was his dad spreading about him? Gaz got better grades in school than Dib did--he was more absorbed in his science and Zim than homework. He shook his head and looked out the window; it was suddenly apparent that the world was much bigger than Dib had ever imagined, even looking down on it from space. His father was a celebrity. This was a well-known fact, but because he never spoke much about it, and there were never media circuses on their lawn, Dib didn't consider it that much.

"I'm nothing that great," Dib finally said, blushing at the girl. "I just--like to tinker with stuff I find laying around, that's all. Sometimes I come up with something good, sometimes it's a total failure. You know?"

Valerie giggled. "That's science! And you're a scientist. An inventor!" She bobbed again. "I can't believe I had the chance to meet you!" She shook his hand again, excitedly. Then she blushed furiously and said, "Do--do you have anyone to sit with at the welcome dinner?"

Dib didn't know anyone at the university. He had never had any friends in his hometown, and despite the availability of technology such as the Internet, he never really used it to meet people. He was never that concerned with having friends. Feeling priveledged at the invitation, he shook his head. "I don't know anyone here. You're the first person I've met." He looked back out the window at the frenzied campus. "Looks like there are a lot of newcomers this year. The dining hall will probably be pretty crowded."

Looking in the direction Dib was gesturing to, Valerie shook her head. "Those people? Oh no, they're from the government. Professor Linton was the one who discovered the radio transmissions--the ones that appear to be coming from some foreign objects located on just the other side of the asteroid belt?"

"Foreign objects?" Dib cried, turning quickly to Val.

"You haven't heard?" Valerie said incredulously. "A group of objects giving off some radioactive waves--They're also transmitting radio signals to someplace in the midwest. Everyone's speculating that they're some type of communications, but nobody can discern where exactly they're being beamed to."

Dib blinked. "So--has anyone intercepted the signals? Can they figure out what they're saying?"

"Some kind of code--but we can't decipher it," Valerie replied, shaking her head. She grinned. "I figured you would know all about this. It's being beamed somewhere near your hometown--Dr. Membrane is on the team trying to decipher the code."

All of the color left Dib's face. He didn't know what to think. Or maybe he did, but he just didn't want to think it.

"It's probably just some satellites someone launched in the sixties without government consent," Valerie conceded. "I'm not even sure why everyone's making such a big deal about it. They're mostly just afraid they'll interfere with current government studies." Bubbling with enthusiasm and grabbing Dib's arm, she finished, "You know how they are. They have to control everything to the thousandth decimal point or they'll be wasting money."

Dib nodded slowly, trying to swallow though his mouth was incredibly dry. "You're right. It's nothing that important," he said, smiling meekly.

Valerie waved away the discussion with a delicate hand and continued talking about Dib's inventions until the shuttle came to a stop outside the dining center. She eagerly pulled Dib to his feet and outside the bus. "I want to get a table right next to the podium!" she cried excitedly.

The dining room itself was impressive. The south wall was lined with pictures of famous paranormal investigators, scientists, and divinators the school had produced. Among the portraits were many of Dib's idols. The tables were all small and round, but carved intricately of solid oak. As he sat down across from Valerie, he felt a jolt of electricity run up his spine.

"I still can't believe you're going to this school!" Valerie cried as the servers brought them water to drink. "I hope your father will come speak here for us! I've always wanted to meet him in person."

Dib sipped uncomfortably on his drink while she cooed some more. "I can't imagine what it must be like to be a MEMBRANE! To live in a house like that all your life--gee!"

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," Dib coughed. "My dad's not around all that much, and my sister--Well--She takes joy in causing me many kinds of pain."

"At least it's--a family," Valerie said, quieting. "I would love to have one..." Dib tilted his head in questioning, and Valerie's eyes widened. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sound bitter, I just--"

Dib leaned forward. "Did something happen--to your family?"

Blushing, Valerie fidgeted in her seat. "Oh--Well--My parents--" She looked at her lap and sighed. "My parents weren't--very nice to me. I was taken away at the age of four. And... Well, I've been a ward of the state ever since."

"Nobody adopted you??" Dib said in disbelief.

She shook her head. "I'm just your average blonde white girl. I don't have any special problems or disabilities... The state doesn't give as much money to foster parents for *normal* children... And, well, nobody ever wanted to adopt me." She looked up Dib and forced a smile. "I'm doing really good, though. I got a job at a local toy store when I was 16 and I saved up enough to be able to go here!" Grinning wide, she finished, "So I'm happy as a clam! I'm going to be staying here all four years if I can manage it. I'll just get an apartment on-campus."

Dib twisted his napkin awkwardly. "I'm sorry--for complaining about my family. I didn't know--"

"It's okay, Dib!" Valerie interrupted cheerfully. "I understand!" She giggled. "But--you can make it up to me by making me a really nice ship! See, I've always wanted to study the stars because I want to leave this planet someday. I want to--you know--explore. Because I know there's something better out there, and I have no attachments to this place. That's why I've always admired your work... Rumor has it that you've even built a ship for yourself!"

Tak's ship. Of course, someone that was paying attention would have seen him taking it on test flights some nights... "I--just used some ideas from others," Dib said. "It can't even really achieve escape velocity. After I tinkered with it for awhile with no results, I gave up."

"But to even get that far..." Valerie leaned on her hands and looked admiringly at him. "It takes real brains and endurance."

***********

Dib awoke the next morning in his temporary dorm with a plethora of thoughts in his head. He was so confused at everything that he could barely focus. The dinner had been delicious and Valerie had been good company. Even though their personalities were complete opposites, she was very intelligent and Dib could always speculate about Interstellar Travel. They talked all through the dinner, even through the Dean's welcoming speech, and were together in the dining room until at least an hour after most of the Freshman had left.

When she had walked him back to his room, which was on the way to hers, she looped her arm through his, and walked a little close for comfort. Dib let her do this, not wanting to be rude, but he didn't return her attentions. They were taking different academic lanes, and it was likely they would see eachother very little after the orientation was over. He decided it would be more pleasant if he accepted her attentions with humbleness and let her think whatever she wanted. He gave her a polite goodnight at his door and let her go back to her dorm alone.

There were two full days to the Orientation. One involved class scheduling and paperwork, while the other was an extensive campus tour. Knowing most people would be taking the tour first and already having the classes he wanted in mind, Dib opted for the scheduling first. Though he was preoccupied most of the day, he was able to schedule his classes and fill out everything with little trouble. He managed to give himself a later class every Monday and an early day off every Friday, so it was almost like having a long weekend. Perhaps he could venture home then and attempt to satisfy Zim's needs somewhat.

Zim was only at the forefront of his thoughts for a short time before he walked out of the Main Office building on campus and ran right into Valerie. He looked a bit surprised to find her smoking a cigarette underneath the marquis.

"It's a bad habit, I know," she said sheepishly, extinguishing it in the ashtray. "I've been a nervous wreck this week, though!"

She giggled and ran up to him. He smiled lightly at her, finding the twinkle in her big blue eyes to be rather cute.

"You decided to do scheduling first too, eh?" she laughed. "Great minds think alike!"

Dib nodded. "I wanted to avoid the crowds, I guess."

"Good thing you did!" Valerie cried. "Tomorrow the tour will be going right through Professor Linton's lab! We'll be able to peek in on the research they're doing into those foreign objects!"

Smiling earnestly, Dib said, "Sounds really interesting! I think I have a class with Linton this semester..."

"Oo! Oo!" Valerie cried, taking out her schedule and gesturing for Dib to do the same. They put the papers up next to eachother and compared. Unfortunately, they had no similar classes.

Valerie pouted prettily. "You have weird hours for your classes," she stated. "I wanted all of mine to be in the morning, so I could do my homework better at night..."

Dib nodded. This made sense, seeing as how she would be studying the stars. He mentally scolded himself for not taking those things into account when scheduling. He did have kind of an awkward schedule.

"I was heading over to the cafeteria for dinner," Valerie informed him, blushing. "Are you--?"

"I AM kind of hungry," Dib said, smiling at her and starting to walk toward the dining area. He had been heading there anyway, but he might as well make it seem like her idea.

Valerie hooked her arm into his again, trotting happily at his side. They walked in silence for a few minutes, but she finally piped up, "I'm--really disappointed that we won't be taking any classes together." She looked at him for some kind of reaction, but he just continued walking, his handsome profile seemingly lost in thought. "I hope that--we can still find time to see eachother. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent with you so far."

"You haven't met enough people yet," Dib replied sheepishly, laughing a bit. "I'm sure you'll meet a lot of people that are more interesting than me..."

Poking him playfully in the ribs, she giggled, "Don't be so modest! You're one of the most interesting people I've ever met..."

Dib felt something warm in the pit of his stomach, but he wasn't sure what it was. "Well..." he said quietly, "You're pretty, ah, neat yourself."

She laughed loudly, airily, and squeezed his arm. He looked at her, blushing, wishing this were a different time, a different life... She looked back, something meaningful in her expression that he chose to ignore.

Leaning into him just a bit more, pressing her soft body into his lean chest, she sighed.

"You smell good," she whispered.

They walked the rest of the way to the cafeteria in an awkward silence.

When they got there, a few extra people were sitting at the table they had occupied the previous night. Valerie dragged Dib towards them, chatting animately and bragging about him to them. She had obviously picked up a few extra companions during her adventures that day.

"Dib Membrane, hmm?" one prim-looking girl said, setting her chin on her hand. "I've heard quite a bit about you. I hope we can work on some stuff over the course of this year. I'm studying supernatural science as well."

Dib smiled and blushed again. "That'd be cool," he said, sitting down and avoiding eye contact with anyone. Valerie giggled at his shyness and proceeded to brag about him some more throughout the dinner. It was obvious that most of her attentions were centered on him, much to the chagrin of one of the males at the table.

Dinner was over all too soon, and Valerie's new friends said their goodbyes and left, one after the other, soon afterward.

"Time for bed, I guess," Valerie said to Dib, rising from her chair. She hesitated for a second, obviously wanting Dib to follow her. Not knowing what else to do, he finally rose and walked with her back to the dorms.

They made small-talk until they reached Dib's room. He backed up into the door, making it plain that he was very eager to retire.

"Would you like me to come get you tomorrow morning for the first tour?" Valerie asked hopefully. "It's at about 1000 hours--not too early, I don't think."

Knowing it would crush her if he refused, Dib nodded absently. "Sounds good to me."

She smiled happily and those blue eyes twinkled again. "I'm looking forward to it!" she said. They looked at one another for a second, and she blinked at him, blushing. Spontaneously, as was her fashion, she bolted forward and planted a kiss on his lips.

Before he could react, she stepped back and ran off toward her room. "Goodnight, Dibby!" she cried over her shoulder, waving jerkily.

Feeling like a total heel, he scooted into his room, pulled off his boots, and fell into bed without even removing his clothes. All he could think of was Zim... How he always gave him modest little kisses like that whenever he wanted a favor. He knew those were Dib's weakness.

Suddenly, Dib wished that Zim had never existed. If only he had lived a normal childhood--if only he didn't harbor this strange attachment to a male alien that only considered him a plaything...

Bitterness was the feeling that resided as he drifted into slumber.

**********

The next day's activities were so interesting that Dib and Valerie had little time to deal with personal issues. Valerie insisted on going to see her classes first, mostly because she wanted to pique Dib's interest in her. He was indeed fascinated with the facilities; though they weren't much compared to his dad's lab, and a far cry from Zim's, they had technology not in use by the general public. Valerie had obviously only heard of such advanced equipment and was ecstatic to be able to work with it.

Dib's classes were much different. The 'Supernatural Sciences' seemed to deal less with science and more with speculation and deduction. Dib was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to work with more equipment.

"Seems pretty ancient, doesn't it?" Valerie scoffed while eyeing a small glass machine that puffed out purple smoke. "This is like something out of 'War of the Worlds'!"

Dib shook his head. "I am a bit disappointed. But I'll still be able to study some pretty revolutionary techniques here." He looked about the classroom and saw that many of his classmates were filtering outside excitedly. "I wonder..."

They walked into the hallway and heard a spindly young man chatting excitedly with a small group of students. "They've managed to get photos of the objects now--they've made their way inside the asteroid belt, and--"

Before Valerie could even suggest it, Dib was sprinting toward Professor Linton's lab. There was quite a group of people gathered at the door, but he hustled through with a few "persuasive" techniques he had learned from Zim. Valerie was soon to follow, totally speechless at Dib's sudden change in behavior.

The students were not allowed to come close to the floor of the lab, but there was a good enough view of the enlarged photos from the second-floor observation deck. Many young men and a few geeky-looking girls were there at the very edge of the deck, straining with all their might to lean over the bars and get an extremely close look at the photos and Dr. Linton's exploits on the floor. He was scrutinizing the originals on a small computer screen, with a team of government scientists and a few of his assistants milling about, drawing up formulas and talking to various people on cell phones. Though the floor was buzzing with activity, the deck was silent as death, save for a few whispers of speculation.

"Oh my God, Dib!" Valerie murmered in his ear. "Those are--Those are--!"

Dib's eyes narrowed, his jaw set hard as stone. "Those are spaceships."

Two large ships, one red and one purple, were drifting through the serenity of the inner solar system. They were flanked by a number of smaller ships which were all placed in a forward formation.

"Dib! Dib!" Valerie squealed, pointing at the little ships in the photos. "Those look so eerily similar to your T-157 ship design!"

Professor Linton looked up at the deck and smiled at the sight of his newest observers. "Indeed, young Mr. Membrane," he called up to them. "It appears that whoever crafted these ships were somewhat inspired by your innovative concepts--many of which our technology cannot yet create."

Though uninvited, Dib climbed over the railing and jumped the ten feet down onto the floor of the lab. When he hit the ground, he teetered a bit, but his boots absorbed most of the impact. Valerie gasped but dare not follow.

He walked up to Linton's computer and looked more closely at the photos of their progression. "They're at full throttle," he murmered, looking closely at the thrusters and scrutinizing their progress.

"Apparently," Linton answered, obviously impressed at Dib's observation. "At this rate, we suspect they'll reach Earth in a matter of a few days."

"Irken ships," Dib said under his breath. "I can't believe it. They're Irken."

Linton looked strangely at the young man. "Did you say something, Mr. Membrane?"

Without answering, he turned on his heel and strode quickly from the lab. Valerie cried out and ran out into the hallway. She met him at the top of the stairs from Linton's lab entrance. When he saw her before him, he didn't stop or even acknowledge she was there.

"What--what are you doing, Dib?" she begged him, her voice quivering as she tried to keep up his pace.

Dib blinked, finally realizing there was someone in his presence. "I--am going home. I have to--"

"How will you get home?!" she interrupted desperately. "You told me yourself, your plane doesn't leave until 1900 hours! It's only noon!"

"There's an early flight," Dib stated, handing her the flight schedule. "It's a little more expensive, but dad--dad will cover it." Because he could hack his dad's credit card number.

Still trying to keep up with him while looking at the schedule, she cried, "It's not until two o'clock, though! You don't have to be in such a hurry--"

"I have to pack."

She followed him, grabbing the tail of his trenchcoat and trying to get him to slow down. But he did not slow, and eventually he stopped heeding her pleas. It was only a matter of minutes before they reached his room.

A bit of sense returning to him, he looked seriously at her. "I'm going to leave, Valerie. I'm sorry. This is a big deal."

"What do you mean?"

Not wishing to waste any time, he turned and stepped into his room. She jumped sideways and barely missed having the door closed on her.

"I'll--help you pack, okay?"

Dib considered this for a moment, and finally agreed. She tried to speak more about the situation to him, but he ignored her questions and firmly told her what to grab, how to fold it, how to pack it, and left her in the main room to gather his linens from the bathroom.

Irken ships... A whole fleet of them. Two mother ships! What does this mean? How is this happening? Why are they coming here?

Dib grabbed his shaving cream and shoved it harshly into his traveling bag, making the cap pop off and ooze foam all over his tooth and hairbrush.

Was this because Zim was angry at me for leaving? Did he finally decide to get rid of this planet and all the annoyances with it?

Dib shook his head. Why would the Tallest suddenly heed Zim's wishes and send a fleet of ships for him to toy with? They could care less about how he felt. Maybe it was just a coincidence that they were in the vicinity... They were probably on their way to another solar system, another planet, with more snacks on it. The radio transmissions were probably just guidance systems getting information from Zim. Knowing the Irken arrogance and ignorance, it was probably all they could do to keep from slamming into planets while they traveled.

The mission was over. Zim said so himself. And it was plain in the way he spoke of the Tallest that he no longer wanted anything to do with them. There was nothing to worry about. Dib would just go home and talk it over with Zim; he would say that they just wanted some cool tunes to listen to on the radio and that they would soon be out of everyone's hair. Dib would laugh, Zim would mope, and then they would fuck all their cares away.

When he returned to the bedroom, considerably more calm, he found that Valerie had finished neatly packing all of his clothes into his suitcase. She sat pensively on the soft chair nearest the window, looking at him with large, shiny eyes.

He shoved his toiletries into the suitcase and zipped it up, making sure it was secure and then dropping it on the floor next to his door. He went over to the desk, a couple of feet away from Val, and began to pack up his laptop and other equipment.

Afraid to speak but feeling she needed to, Val finally cleared her throat. Dib glanced at her, giving her a little encouragement.

"Do you know... what's going on here?" Valerie asked quietly, twiddling her delicate fingers.

Dib stopped packing and straightened, looking at her with his jaw set. "I'm not sure. It could be nothing. But--but my gut's telling me it's something very, very bad."

Tears filled the lovely young girl's eyes, and she looked up at him with a questioning look on her face.

Feeling horrible about frightening her so much, he reached down and put comforting hands on her shoulders. "Valerie--I know you planned to stay here until the start of the semester, but... But I think you should go back home."

"Why...?" she asked, so quietly that Dib could barely hear her.

Dib swallowed hard. Just thinking about what MIGHT happen... What they could possibly have in mind...

"It's probably a good idea to stay away from all the hubbub until--until they get everything all sorted out." She didn't look convinced, so he squeezed her shoulders and leaned in closer. "Trust me on this, Val. Please. I don't--I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

He let go of her shoulders, backing up a step in order to continue packing. But she grabbed his forearms fiercely and, with a stifled sob, leaned forward and kissed him so deeply that he became dizzy.

Surprised at this reaction, he tried to pull away. "Valerie, please don't do this--" he protested, but it was too late. She was on her feet, arms about his neck, pulling him down to her height so she could cover his lips with hers. He tried to fight, but when she shoved her tongue deep into his mouth, he became so dizzy that his knees gave way underneath him.

They dropped slowly to the floor, her supporting him, the kiss never breaking. When he finally stopped trying to escape her grip, she slowly broke the kiss and pulled back far enough so that she could look into his eyes. "If I never see you again--"

"Don't talk like that, Valerie. Please. I never meant to alarm you--" He was silenced again when she renewed her attempt to kiss him. He tried to resist yet again but she grabbed his head, steadying him so that she could probe still deeper into the recesses of his mouth. Her tongue circled his, caressing him with the urgency of one truly dying. With this, Dib finally gave in.

She let go of his head and her hands traveled downward, across his chest, and wrapped around his hips. She gurgled; a sound bordering on a moan and a whine, and leaned her head back. Dib, lost in the heat of her body, leaned into her, nuzzling her cheek with his. He smelled her hair, sighing, and began to kiss her neck with a sweet finality.

"Why now?" he whispered in her ear, not so much to her as himself. "Why here? Why me?"

She sighed and swallowed a lump of emotion. "Dib--"

He pulled back and glimpsed at his watch. It was almost one o'clock already. "I have to go," he told her, getting back to his feet and putting away the rest of his equipment, flushing hotly.

Grabbing the leg of his pants, she began to sob. "Dib! Please! Don't leave--"

"I have to," he told her firmly. "And so should you. I don't care how you do it. But do it soon. Go HOME. And stay there until this all blows over."

She jumped up and grabbed him from the back, around his waist. "I--"

Dib wrenched a hand away from his body a placed a small, penlike object in it. She let go of him and looked quizzically at the little black device.

"It's a signal jammer," he informed her as he slung his backpack full of technology over his shoulder. "It's very useful against a great deal of mechanical instruments. If something is--say--pursuing you... Use this and their signal will be scrambled. That'll give you at least a couple of minutes until they recover..."

Clutching the pen close to her heart, Valerie looked at him with a darkened expression.

"You know more than you let on," she said quietly. "Those awesome ships, those thrusters--all that stuff you designed... It wasn't really yours, was it?"

Dib grinned conspiratorially at her. "Of course it was!" He picked up his suitcase and opened the door with his other hand. "But I had a great deal of inspiration. A muse, if you will."

He waved almost childishly at her, and she gave a feeble wave in return. He closed the door behind him, leaving her to her thoughts, and knowing somewhere deep inside of him that he would never see her again.

**********

When Dib filtered out of the tunnel from the jet, he was surprised to find Gaz waiting there for him, her face betraying no emotion.

"How did you know I'd be here?" he asked her as soon as they met one another.

"Oh, come on, Dib-face. You act like I haven't had to put up with your obsession/compulsion all these years." They walked to the suitcase claim and she grabbed his suitcase, walking quickly ahead of him. "You're as predictable as the sunrise."

Dib was taken aback, but happy for someone to be at his side at a time like this. He followed Gaz quickly out to the parking lot, where he saw a shiny new red Isuzu awaiting them, parked awkwardly in the package unloading zone.

"Plus," Gaz added as she shoved his stuff roughly into the back seat, "When I went to rent a car, dad's credit card had an unexpected 700 dollar charge on it." He climbed into the passenger's seat and she jumped behind the wheel, glaring at him. "If it weren't for you, I could've gotten a BMW."

"Err--there's a ticket--" Dib stammered, gesturing at the windshield wiper on his side. Gaz started the car and turned them on, causing the ticket to rip and flutter to the wayside. He stared incredulously at it as she pulled jerkily out of the unloading zone and took off, almost running over a pedestrian. "What are you doing with a car, anyway?? You don't even have a license!"

She looked at him for a second, then sniffed, "In a few days, do you think that's really going to matter?"

Silently, Dib sized up his younger sister. She didn't look bothered by this fact at all. Her fatalistic attitude was not exactly encouraging.

"So, does that mean dad finally deciphered the code? What does it mean? What are they planning?" He gripped the dashboard, searching the streets for any irregular activity as they drove. Everyone was going about their business as if nothing at all was happening. "Is dad so resigned to our fates that he's letting you go on joyrides?"

They reached the Main Street intersection and Gaz turned right.

"Uh... Gaz... Our house is in the other direction," he informed her shakily.

Gaz gripped the steering wheel so hard that her knuckles turned white and the soft leather cover cracked. "We're going to Zim's house."

"Wha--Why--"

Gaz shook her head quickly and glared at Dib. "Dad's gone, you stupid fuck!" she cried, tears brimming in her eyes. "He left early this morning--he just took his laptop, hopped in the car, and was gone." She looked back at the street, blinking the tears away. "Someone called the house at 7. They were looking for dad, and when I went to find him he wasn't in his room, in his lab, anywhere."

Forcing herself into a deadly calm, she turned on her signal and got into the next lane. "When I entered the kitchen looking for him, I saw a note pinned on the refrigerator. It simply said:

'I'm sorry, I wish I could take you both with me.
~Daddy'"
Despite her best efforts, a tear escaped Gaz's eye. She pulled onto the curb in front of Zim's house and stopped abruptly. Dib looked at her in confusion while she reached over and pulled a gun-like gadget out of the glovebox.

"It's a laser," she informed him, shoving it into his hands. "It's amplified by water particles and crystal fragments--It'll slice through him like he wasn't even there."

Dib was horrified. "What do you expect me to do, here?!"

Gripping his upper arm until he squealed in pain, Gaz growled, "I know about your little skoolboy crush, Dibby-Boy. But unfortunately, puppy-dog faces and blowjobs aren't going to get us out of this mess." She pushed the buckle on his seatbelt and he had to lean his head back quickly to avoid getting slapped in the face with it. "The little green fuck's either for us or against us, and if he's against us, he needs to be taught a lesson. Your girlfriend's ship is only capable of going into subspace. Therefore, we're going to go in there, grab his ship, and get the fuck out of here before his extended family starts using our skulls as bowling balls."

"Well, when you put it that way..."

Gaz jumped out of the car and slammed the door. Dib followed her lead and had to trot a few steps to catch up with her. They strode across the lawn with determination in their posture, but Dib didn't feel so confident. He noticed that the lawn gnomes were no longer following their progress as they always did.

Just as they reached the door it was flung open and little GIR was standing before them, only looking much different. He was polished so that light glinted off of his sharp little forehead. His antenna had been straightened, and he had a layer of armor added to his shoulders, chest and leg joints.

"It's Dib! DIB'S HERE!" the little robot cried, clapping ecstatically. He noticed the laser in Dib's hand and said innocently, "What's thaaat...?"

Gaz stepped forward and grabbed GIR by his head, picking him up off the ground and holding him in midair. "Where's your Master, shrimp?"

Giggling maniacally at being dangled helplessly in such a fashion, GIR kicked his legs and cried, "In the basement, on the launch pad!"

His sister nodded sternly at him, and Dib knew what he had to do. He didn't necessarily want to do it, but at the time he had no other options. He walked slowly, with purpose, toward the toilet and stepped into it as GIR cried, "Again! Again!" in the background.

The ride down was agonizingly slow. He was scared that Zim would be waiting for him at the bottom with a spider-like mechanical leg trained on his forehead, so he lifted the laser a bit in preparation. What was he going to do? Was he going to demand that Zim save them? Was he going to beg Zim to take him back, to stop the Irkens from destroying his planet? Or was he going to beg Zim to end his misery right there and then? For a moment, he contemplated training the laser on himself, but the elevator stopped suddenly and the door rushed open, taking him by surprise.

The lab was quiet, even for under normal circumstances. The lights down there seemed much dimmer. The computer console was nowhere to be seen and the captain's chair rested on the floor, looking forlorn. Dib stepped out of the elevator and it, unlike normal, closed behind him and rushed back up to the surface. He looked about for Zim and, finding him nowhere in sight, headed for the launchpad as GIR suggested.

After he walked about a semicircle downward into the annals of Zim's lab, Dib saw him.

Zim also looked different. His Pak, normally small and unobtrusive on his back, had encircled him in a layer of thick, glinting armor. It covered his shoulders and chest down to where his waist began. His normal red and black uniform peeped out underneath that, though he was wearing a much heavier pair of black boots--and they were metallic.

He didn't seem to hear Dib approaching as he worked quickly, leaning over the engine on the very back of his little red Voot ship. He was testing every moving piece and valve busily, scrutinizing even the smallest abnormality. When Dib was at arm's-length, he reached up and aimed the laser squarely at the back of Zim's head.

Zim kept working without skipping a beat. In this way they stayed for a few minutes, until Zim finally spoke up.

"Kill me if you want." He picked up a hammer and knocked a small rod back into place. The loud banging noise reverberated throughout the high ceiling of the lab. When it finished, he continued, "Kill me if you want. They'll still come. They've been headed this way for almost a year. I've only just discovered it."

Dib's extended hand started to shake violently, and he reached up with the other hand to steady it.

"Why."

Zim's arms were finally still. He did not, however, try to move from his prone position.

"They realized. They saw that there were more opportunities on this side of the galaxy--the other 1/3 of the universe."

Trying to steady himself, Dib choked back his tears and lowered the laser. Zim finally stood up and turned to him. Dib realized that his eyes were hollow and very dry. His normally bright green skin had darkened and was marred by a few mottled spots.

"They want to make this planet their base on this half--because they know how easy you all will be to subdue, and they know this planet still has a great deal to offer." Zim's antennae lay flat on his head, quivering a bit. "I had no choice, Dib. When they see how tall I've become, they'll kill me anyway." He turned and shut the lid on his engine with a heart-shattering finality.

"What is this?" Dib asked, gesturing towards the ship. "Are you trying to escape?"

Zim turned to him and nodded. "They might deactivate me in mid-flight, and leave me to suffocate in there... But I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe... They'll consider me harmless and let me escape with my life." He reached out a tired hand to Dib. "You can come with me... You and your sister and come with me."

The tears finally came. "We can't just run away!" Dib cried. "We have to try and stop them! This isn't just my planet, it's yours too! It's your home!"

"Don't be foolish," Zim said quietly. "We have no chance against them. They've stolen technology far more advanced than anything in this room. And your human forces haven't a prayer."

"I know if we band together--You, me, Gaz and GIR--we can somehow overwhelm them and--"

There was a blinding pain at the back of his neck and he was knocked out cold.

End Chapter 3