Lost

Secrets

"Can I play with it?"

"For the hundredth time, GIR, no!"

"Whyyyy?!"

Zim grunted. "Because you'll end up breaking it!" This caused the little robot to burst out in yet another hysterical fit.

"Would you two be quiet?!" Red snapped from his spot near the fire. He rubbed his temples. "It's bad enough I have to put up with you already, Zim! Besides, who said you could play with the map?"

"Given that Captain-beast has gone to vent off somewhere, I'm taking the liberty to trace our next route to rescue Tallest Purple."

"More like tracing the path to our doom..." Red stared at GIR skeptically as the SIR snatched the tablet from Zim and ran around the camp. It was hard to believe this was the same robot who had saved his life from the mendigo. It had happened before, right? Back on the cliff, he had gone... functional for a few brief seconds, long enough to suggest something useful.

It had to be the thing messing with technology. Perhaps GIR's... unique properties caused the opposite effect. Instead of not working properly or deactivating, the loose screws in his head went back into place or something (literally)*.

When GIR ran close to him, Red snatched him up by his single antenna. "Okay, you little metal menace, let me check something out..."

GIR didn't even protest as the data pad was taken from his hand. Instead, he took out the fake, second-hand piggy Zim had made for him. "Can I play with Piggy?"

Red rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just don't move." He said, connecting GIR's auxiliary cable to the tablet.

"My Tallest...?"

"What are you doing, Red?"

"I'm trying to see if I can trigger his duty mode, or at the very least see if his scanners and communications can be used to better the pad's."

Zim almost went pale. He still remembered the last time that happened. "M-My Tallest, I don't think that's a good idea... I'm afraid to say GIR's duty mode is defective. When I tried to do that he turned against me, his master! He even went as far as to say I was a threat to the mission*!"

Red rolled his eyes. I wonder 'why'.

"It's the first time I've seen a SIR unit behave in such a way, actually..." Lena pointed out. GIR had proceeded to make mini snow-pigs to eat them or throw them at Zim and Fury in a playful manner.

"I'll explain later..." Red murmured, sending yet another array of codes into the pad. Okay, if what he had in mind worked he should go into duty mode in about...

GIR's eyes flashed crimson and his posture went to a stiff salute. "Reporting for duty, My Tallest!"

Zim yelled and hid behind Ilk while Blue leaned in, interested. "What did you do exactly?"

"I worked with a SIR of my own back when I was an Invader, so I know a trick or two about the duty mode," Red said with an undertone of pride.

"GIR, who is your master?" Ilk asked the robot. She had to make sure her father hadn't programmed him in secret to kill, hurt or somehow harm Zim in any way. Yes, she did believe him capable of that.

GIR blinked and searched the camp; he spotted Zim just as he took a nervous peek from behind Ilk's back. "Irken Zim is my master. However, since the Tallest is present, his orders can override any given by the master." Zim visibly relaxed. GIR didn't seem to remember the last time.