Part 1
-Begin manual text log-
[I’m writing this on the Word-o-tron, a robot I…commandeered from…doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s not tracked.]
September 3, 2 AZ
Dear Journal,
This is my first entry. Hello world. Or what’s left of it.
The world is not a world that we once knew. It has been filled with darkness. I should have said goodbye world up there.
People like me like the darkness. But this darkness is different. It is not the kind of darkness that holds you gently in the late hours (the witching hour). It is not the kind of darkness that seeps from my record player while listening to my favorite band. It is not even the kind of darkness that covers my clothes (they are all black).
This darkness is the darkness of oppression. The oppression that covers the world now that Zim has succeeded in taking it over. I tried my best to stop this from happening, but I failed. Now the darkness envelops me as well. And it’s not the kind that I like. That kind is gone.
But I will get the good darkness back. I must.
It all happened two years ago, a date that will live in my mind forever: December 11th, 2002. I was sitting in Ms. Bitter’s class, not focused on academic pursuits as usual. Those things didn’t matter to me. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in learning anything, I just found it hard to focus when I knew that any day could be our last as an un-invaded race.
Zim wasn’t there that day. This was not unusual, as he would be missing for days at a time planning who knows what. I often tried to sneak out of school to keep an eye on him but I would be caught by ever present hall monitors. Oh to return to the days of simple minded authority figures being the only thing standing in my way. I bet they regret stopping me now! Now the whole world is a hall monitor.
Despite his absence, I knew Zim was planning something big. I had a feeling. Feelings like that come naturally to me. I know when something bad is going to happen. I have this feeling a lot. And as usual I was right.
At 10:14AM, the power went off in the entire school. Being in lower middle class suburbia this wasn’t an unheard of occurrence, but my feelings told me something different. I knew instantly that this wasn’t any normal power outage. This wasn’t just the electrical power going out. It was a power outage of all humankind. Our power over our own destinies was out. And this time, there would be no utility workers to restore it. This restoration would take much MUCH more.
Ms. Bitters demeanor suddenly changed. She was no longer the cruel and uncaring “teacher” that despised us. No. Now she turned into a monster of oppression. It had to have been something she always wanted, and now that the lights (and security cameras) of human authority were out, she was free to do with us as she pleased. Or, as it turned out, as Zim pleased.
There was however a silver lining on that horrible mid-December day. In that dark classroom, beside me sat a new student. His name was Ort Yawgren and he had only been with us a week. A peculiar name, and there was a reason for that which I will get into later. Ort was, forgive my language, a bad ass. He always wore the coolest of clothes (all black of course) and his jet black hair, with a streak of white down the left side, hung loosely down to his shoulders. His small rectangular sunglasses sat perched atop his head every day as well. I knew from the moment he took the desk next to mine that we were on the same team. I knew he would be more than willing to take on Zim at my side.
In fact, we seemed to be thinking the same thing when Ms. Bitters forced us out of the classroom and into the gym. She locked the doors as soon as we were all accounted for. No other classes were in there with us. Ort and I looked at one another. We had never spoken a word to each other before, but in that moment we knew. We knew that something was wrong. The other students around us must have sensed the same thing. Nervous murmurs surrounded us in an uneasy cacophony. Soon after, Ms. Bitters voice echoed through the room.
“Children! You will direct your attention to the television!”
We all turned at the squeaking sound of one of the school TV stands being wheeled in front of us by Torque Smacky, who then stood behind Ms. Bitters like a good little stooge. She held up the remote and flicked the TV to life.
The dull light filled the dark gym. The face of Zim stared at us from behind the screen, his human contact lenses removed. It was a moment I’ll never forget. I will equally not forget what he then said through the tinny little TV speakers:
“Hi! I am Zim!”
It was Zim alright, of that Ort and I were certain.
“Now, classmates. It is my duty to inform you that you now and will forever be under the control of the mighty Irken Empire, who have rightfully bestowed me with the title of Earth Overlord. Your puny race is now under my control!”
Everyone gasped. The reality of the situation was now beginning to sink in. Zim continued.
“However! Since you were my darling classmates, I have a special job for you above all the other rank and file humans. One that comes with certain privileges that you will find most noteworthy. You are to find and report all humans that refuse to submit to your new ruler.”
Faces of unease looked around the room. None of them seemed like they were prepared for this new “job” they had been suddenly volunteered for. Zim must have known this would be their initial reaction. The screen suddenly cut to a large green room full of adults. They looked disoriented and scared. It was then I realized that the room was green because it was pitch black inside. What we were seeing was through a night vision camera.
“Before any of you object to your new duties, take a look at this secure room full of your parents. I call it…the parent room! Of doom!”
Panic set in all around us. I remained calm, as I did not see my dad among the other adults. Ort remained stoic as well, leaning against a nearby wall.
“Silence!” Zim said, “You will now go forth and complete the objective I have given you! But don’t worry, I will direct you to your very first target. And he is very close.”
My blood ran cold. Colder than normal. I knew what was coming next.
“Dib! You will apprehend him now!”
[The Word-o-tron’s battery is low, so I must leave the story here for now. I will be back soon. Continue fighting the darkness. -Dib M.]