Double Crossed (Invader Zim)

Chapter 18

Zim starts tugging me through the vent, with little participation on my part. I flail my legs uselessly in an attempt to get any kind of grip and start moving on my own, because at the moment, the metal arm that's carrying me is using my shirt, and it's starting to dig into my throat.

Finally, Zim puts me down and lets me move on my own after I start coughing. Rubbing at my neck and crawling with one hand, I ask, "What did you see down there?" If it were just scientists, we probably wouldn't be in this much of a rush.

"Do you remember when I was emptying out my Pak, looking for the time device?" Zim asks me. I nod, then, realizing he's in front of me and can't see me, I agree vocally instead. "When a Pak is detached from it's host, it starts to search for whatever being detached it in the first place. It's goal is to kill, and then find it's way back to it's original host. If it can't find it's original host, then the nearest living being becomes a temporary host. Then, if the Pak isn't returned to the original host before their ten minutes are up, the new host becomes permanent." Zim explains. The information fascinates me, and I almost space out thinking about it until Zim starts talking again.

"Usually, if an Irken needs to detach their Pak purposefully, say to do some work on it, they'll deactivate and detach the part of the Pak that has the search and kill mechanism until they reattach their Pak." After saying this, Zim seems to tense up. "But while I was emptying my Pak, I threw the device out without deactivating it, and so I couldn't reattach the device to my Pak once it was back on me, so now it's coming to kill the one who detached my Pak from me."

"But... aren't you the one that detached it?" I ask.

"Yes," Zim answers, his voice tense. "And until we can catch it without it catching us first, we need to stay away from it. It has a scanning device on one side of it, which is only activated if it's outside of the Pak. Because usually, the being that detached the Pak doesn't know about it's mechanisms, and the device is left inside. Anyways, if we can get it from behind while it's recharging it's search beam, then we can put it back into my Pak so that it doesn't kill me."

"Wait, wait, wait," I interrupt. "Wouldn't it recognize that you're the original host of the Pak?"

"That isn't it's function," Zim answers, still intent on moving as fast as possible. "It doesn't scan any molecular structures until it needs to find the being that tried to kill it's host. The only thing that it knows is that it's looking for my molecular structure."

"But doesn't the Zim from this time period have the same molecular structure as you?" I ask. If he was sought out instead, then the Zim right in front of me would cease to exist.

"The Zim in this time period hasn't been through what I've been through," Zim answers. "All the experiences we've gone through together have changed me, even if just slightly. The environments, and the injuries I went through. And, even if our molecular structures were the same, the device finds the nearest victim. The Zim in this time period is too far."

Suddenly, without warning, Zim drops down out of the vent. Once he's down, he beckons me to follow. I slide down, landing on the floor louder than I would've liked. "Why're we here?" I ask, looking around. The room doesn't look familiar, though I don't know why it would.

"It was the first room I saw that was empty," Zim answers. "I'm just looking, seeing if there's any way to figure out where in the building we are exactly. But there doesn't seem to be a map, and the room has no windows." He puts his hands on his hips in disappointment.

"We should try to find a fork in the vent. That's most likely to be where the edge of the building is." I suggest. "Then, if we can find the edge of the building and find a window, we'll know where we are."