Hey Spacejerk

Reactionary Response

"First, in case you have gotten brainworms and had my name eaten out of your memory, I am Zim. Not Spacejerk. Zim. Although I would also accept 'Slave Master' or 'Overlord of Doom.'"

From his neck to his boots, Zim was dressed in a neon yellow hazmat suit. Between two thickly gloved claws, he held a crumpled sheet of notebook paper at arm's length.

"I received your most primitive and germ-filled communication today. This sort of monkey-scratch is beneath an Invader such as myself. You may choose to communicate like your earliest ancestors, but that doesn't mean I will reciprocate the form."

A laser blast disintegrated the paper, and Zim sneered, "How d'ya like that, Earth Smell? Your biological warfare has failed against a superior species. This base has been hand-scrubbed three times. Not one single germ will live to carry my secrets back to your filthy mouth!"

Dib smirked. He'd gotten under Zim's skin.

"And I absolutely will make this acid rain you speak of. Foolish of you to offer this idea to the enemy. I will use this acid rain and render your city a melty puddle of flesh-goo. Since you are no longer here, you can no longer stop me. Once I deliver this communication to your computer, I will begin my assault."

Zim put his fists on his hips, a pleased smile on his face. He looked like a deformed Teletubby in that hazmat suit, and Dib couldn't help laughing. As if he could hear the mockery, Zim frowned.

"Wait, Computer! Read back the transcript of the worm's letter. There was a thingy in the middle. What was the thingy?"

A pause. Then, a jolt ran up Zim's spine and his antennae twitched out in both directions. His tongue hung out for a moment before snapping back into his mouth. "Eh... what... oh, right. Right! Spy-cams. From the Dib. Those will be eradicated quite soon. Quite easy to find your earth technology. It stands out like a florb in a box of chewshmoops."

Frowning, Dib poked the screen. That twitch was kind of weird.

"And I don't need your stupid citizenry registration!" Zim shouted. "I can infiltrate your world perfectly! Without a trace! Untrackable Zim, that is me! The location I chose is perfect as it is! And you are stupid and smelly, and that is all!"

The screen turned blue again. The edge of the frame opened, extending a tiny tray with two pills. White letters flared on the screen.

N U T R I T I O N   A N D   H Y D R A T I O N

Dismayed, Dib took the pills. Did Zim seriously expect to keep him here and feed him pellets? The tray closed with a sharp click and the screen hovered off toward the bars.

"Nugh!" Dib lunged forward, trying to catch the device. The room pirouetted as he hit the ground, moaning and clutching his stomach. Too fast. His head throbbed and he pressed his forehead to the cool concrete floor. He felt the pills sliding around in his sweaty grip.

He had no idea why he was being held in a prison, but if Zim had wanted him dead, he'd already be dead. Grimly, he eased the pills through the tiny gap between his teeth and swallowed.

Metal tendrils wrapped around his chest and waist, dragging him back onto the pallet. He shut his eyes, breathing slowly through his nostrils to ease the nausea. He just had to endure until he could get word... to...

Nobody. There wasn't anybody. He'd written to Zim and Zim had come. There wasn't anyone better than Zim to save him, and Zim hated his guts. Sighing, he pulled the thin blanket up over his body and faced the wall. If that was the case, all he could do was endure and see what the space freak had in mind.