Venus
Deep beneath the noxious clouds of the planets humans call Venus lies a
scorched, blasted surface nearly invisible even to one standing on it.
I've found clues as to the existance of an advanced race, possibly
irkenoid, but whatever once thrived here is now long gone. All that
remain are various forms of lower, animalian life, such as the yellow,
scaly, wolf-like beasts I've dubbed Bakuchi - Irken for "monster" - and
the smaller, herbivorous Dorsha - "fuzzy." Would that the vegetable diet
of the Dorsha was suitable for Irken consumption... you see, it's been
six months since I crash-landed here, and I'm almost out of food.
Well, "month" is hardly accurate on a moonless planet, so perhaps I
should say "A period of time equivalent to six revolutions of its
natural sattelite around the Earth." But "month" is easier.
I must search for help myself. During my battle with Zim, Mimi
malfunctioned and has been pretty much useless ever since. Once she went
out at night and encountered a Bakuchi; with her strength she could
easily have overcome it, but was overcome by fright, and came running
back to the location of the escape pod - though unable to move, still an
adequate shelter. Since that day four months ago, I myself have gone out
daily in search of something, anything that could help me escape this
accursed planet.
Well... there was one day I didn't go out. The previous night I'd been
attacked by a large snakelike creature, a Hebvi, and I was too injured
to leave. I'd barely made it back to the shelter as it was. Mimi gently
nursed me back to health, and that night as I drifted off to sleep she
whispered into my antennae, "I love you, Master."
At least, I think she did. I was semi-conscious, at best. But she's
been acting strangely anyway; if a malfunctioning SIR can feel fear,
why not love? She never mentioned it again, and I haven't brought it up.
Tonight I'm on my way back to the escape pod/shelter. The sun is low in
the east, and because of Bakuchi, Hebvi, and other such creatures I try
not to be out at night.
But I don't walk fast enough.
The shelter is still a good kilometre away when I hear a low growling
sound. I freeze and glance quickly around - a futile gesture, as even in
full daylight visibility is limited to around four metres. I begin
walking again, faster now. The growling comes again, and my nasplich
leaps into my throat. I break into a run.
But there, just ahead, is the scaly face of a Bakuchi. When I see the
flat head and glowing red eyes I jump aside - and smash into a giant
rock.
The monster bears down on me, and I skitter aside. 'Skitter...'
Something dawns on me, and my mechanical legs pop out of my pak. Now
I'm equal in height to the beast, and my running speed...
I don't get a chance to see which of us is faster. Another Bakuchi
leaps from behind, crushing the artificial legs. I fall to the ground
with a thud and a disturbing smashing noise; as both creatures stand
over my prone form, my senses darken.
Never to see Irk again, or Earth, or...
'Mimi...' If I weren't fading into unconsciousness, I could pull my
radio from my pak and call her. 'Mimi, help me...' Shuddering with fear
and utter revulsion at my helplessness - I'm an invader, or I should be,
and... I pass out, expecting never to awaken.
'Mimi... I can almost hear her voice...'
---
But awaken I do, lying in the seat of the escape pod. It's dark, and
there's an awful pain in my chest. I can barely breathe. 'My pak... why
isn't the air purifier working?'
I lean forward and reach my hand back to touch my pak, grimacing at the
growing pain. My... my pak... it's smashed. It must have been destroyed
when I landed on my back. What I'm breathing is the sulfuric atmosphere
of Venus, not the helium/neon mixture of Irk.
So... there. I'm trapped on an alien planet, foodless, breathing
poison. And my most pressing thought is, 'How did I get back to the
shelter?'
"Master?" A voice comes through the darkness; I start and gasp. I
collapse back into the seat, coughing now.
"Master." Something climbs onto my lap... Mimi. It's just Mimi. Her red
eyes peer up at me.
"M-Mimi... did you save me?"
"Yes, Master. You were late. I was worried."
Worried... she'd never have been worried before this whole mess began.
But thanks to her malfunction she felt worry... anger... love...
I gulp. I'm dying, and my thoughts turn to her profession of months
before. "Thank you, Mimi... Mimi... do you remember when I was injured
before? A couple of months ago?"
"I..." Is it me, or does her voice crack? "I do. Master, your pak
is..." Yes. It's definitely cracking.
"Shh... shh..." I try to soothe her; it's not easy, as I'm afraid
myself. I don't want to die. "You said you loved me."
She throws her little arms around me. It hurts so much, but I don't
stop her, I just stroke her back.
"Master, I'm sorry." Something wet falls onto my chest; my robot is
crying. "Master, I am malfunctioning. SIR units should not--"
"No!" My voice is raspy, but I speak as loud as I can. I'm getting
dizzy. "You aren't malfunctioning. You're not..."
My vision is dimming; in the near-pitch darkness, it doesn't have far
to go. I feel my mind beginning to shut down, and I keep repeating,
"You aren't, you aren't..."
But she is, and I wish she weren't, because she'll have to feel grief
when I...
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