i may be cringe

"Urban people can be a little..." She paused for a bit. "I guess pretty disconnected. There's a definite cultural difference between rural folks and folks from the city. Not only that but the environment there is different too."

ZIM turned what Mar said over in his mind as they walked back to the cabin. Before coming to Earth, he had only been familiar with a monolithic IRKEN culture. Sure, he had worked with a Vortian engineering team in the past, but they knew what was good for them, and had adopted IRKEN sensibilities long before ZIM had been assigned to their crew. While it shouldn’t have surprised him that the humans, primitive in their various languages and settlement patterns, would have various cultures—he hadn’t previously considered it.

That got him thinking…. If the environment was different enough, that could lead to changes in evolution. It wasn’t unheard of.

After a long pause, ZIM spoke, his voice serious, “And what sort of abilities does environmental change grant humans? The ability to spit acid? Camouflage? Steel bones?”

His mind was already running with tests he could preform on his next human subjects as soon as he was back to his base.

He sighed disappointedly at Mar’s insistence on going to bed. “I wasn’t lying about not needing sleep.”

It was very off putting to her that ZIM didn't sleep. She wasn't sure how safe it was to be in such a vulnerable state while an actual alien was in her house. How did she know he wasn't going to stand over her and watch her or implant a probe inside her...

"Oh, right. I guess that'll take some getting used to." She said, as she made her way up the stairs. "I guess in that case you can...read...? I mostly have books about farming but there's some fiction too. I'll be up here if you need anything."

Soooo yeah, Dib is recording but with the wrong camera lol

"Wait, where have you been living all this time?" She asked. "I mean, you told me at first that you were just passing through but now that I know you've been hear for a year, where have you been?"

"Urban people can be a little..." She paused for a bit. "I guess pretty disconnected. There's a definite cultural difference between rural folks and folks from the city. Not only that but the environment there is different too."

She glided her hand across the dewy grass as her breath fogged in the air. "Right now we're transitioning from winter to spring. The lambs have been born, the ground is almost ready to work. It's like the Earth is holding her breath and waiting.."

"Wait, where have you been living all this time?" She asked. "I mean, you told me at first that you were just passing through but now that I know you've been hear for a year, where have you been?"

"Still avoiding holding up your end of the deal," he chided, although his voice didn't hold any malice.

She glided her hand across the dewy grass as her breath fogged in the air. "Right now we're transitioning from winter to spring. The lambs have been born, the ground is almost ready to work. It's like the Earth is holding her breath and waiting.."

As she did so, she stifled a gasp and looked down. In the blur of the chase, Mar didn't realize that she had ran through some kind of thorny brush. Her pant legs were torn and her skin was scratched up.

She caught her breath a bit before letting go of ZIM's wrists. She was surprisingly strong for a "pitiful human", in fact her farm weathered hands were like vices. She was heavy too.

"Listen..." She said. "I'm sure there's a lot of things about Earth that you don't understand." She climbed off of ZIM and sat on her knees which were now scrapped and bloody from tearing her way through the bushes.

"Before you annihilate us or take us as slaves or whatever you're planning to do, let me show you the thing that are *good* about Earth, ok?"

As he listened to Mar’s plea, ZIM resisted the urge to recoil back from her intense gaze. He was tempted to refuse; he did not make alliances with humans… but it would be a misstep not to take free intel on what humans consider “good.” Maybe he’d even find something that could lower their defenses.

It’s not like he could easily leave. No. He wouldn’t think about that now.

As she did so, she stifled a gasp and looked down. In the blur of the chase, Mar didn't realize that she had ran through some kind of thorny brush. Her pant legs were torn and her skin was scratched up.

Then, he saw it. Really saw it for the first time, not clouded by pain or panic. The once perfectly acceptable glorious feat of IRKEN technology reduced to smoldering chunks. It would be a miracle if the engine was even salvageable.

She caught her breath a bit before letting go of ZIM's wrists. She was surprisingly strong for a "pitiful human", in fact her farm weathered hands were like vices. She was heavy too.

"Listen..." She said. "I'm sure there's a lot of things about Earth that you don't understand." She climbed off of ZIM and sat on her knees which were now scrapped and bloody from tearing her way through the bushes.

"Before you annihilate us or take us as slaves or whatever you're planning to do, let me show you the thing that are *good* about Earth, ok?"

She was about to make another move until she came to a realization. She grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door closed, trapping ZIM inside. She slid a kitchen chair over and jammed it under the knob. Her heart pounded in her chest as she began to slowly her breathing. This would hold him off.

She was about to make another move until she came to a realization. She grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door closed, trapping ZIM inside. She slid a kitchen chair over and jammed it under the knob. Her heart pounded in her chest as she began to slowly her breathing. This would hold him off.

"Ok..." She huffed. "Okokok...what do I do?" She began to frantically look around for some way to escape or at least hide. She grew more and more panicked until finally she looked at herself in the mirror and...realized something.

She was 5'3. Small for a human but towering over that alien. She was nearly 200 pounds. She wakes up and does hard labor all day, everyday. Compared to ZIM, she was huge.

He quickly slid them back in and grinned; a momentary feeling of victory overcame him.

“Finally! You’ve seen the error of your ways- ah.” And then he spotted the wrench.

His smile became strained. Curiously, he found himself backing away without any conscious thought. He could take Mar—he’s faced bigger foes, both during his elite military training and in the field—so why was he backing away?

This changed everything.

She obviously couldn't help him with fixing his ship but now was unsure how he would react if she refused. Would he force her? Would he be willing to *kill* to keep this secret?

After Mar slams the door, he belatedly chases her down. He slams against the wood door with both fists. "We made a deal! Does that mean nothing to you??"

"Ok..." She huffed. "Okokok...what do I do?" She began to frantically look around for some way to escape or at least hide. She grew more and more panicked until finally she looked at herself in the mirror and...realized something.

She was 5'3. Small for a human but towering over that alien. She was nearly 200 pounds. She wakes up and does hard labor all day, everyday. Compared to ZIM, she was huge.

He awkwardly chuckled, "Ehh... Ignore that whole 'ensuring your planet's doom thing' that was, uh..."

He paused. He had gotten out of these close calls with other humans, he just had to think.

This changed everything.

She obviously couldn't help him with fixing his ship but now was unsure how he would react if she refused. Would he force her? Would he be willing to *kill* to keep this secret?

"How about we eat a bit more then we'll get some rest and start tomorrow." She said as she put her coat and boots away. "Go ahead, take of your boots and get some sleep. You must be exhausted from today."

Humans were pitiful, fragile creatures. They gave in to every base whim, like 'resting,' and taught all their bad habits to his robot. They were so unlike an Irken- or ZIM’s idealized image of an Irken. An Irken should be unparalleled in their stamina and uncompromising in their goals.

Yes, ZIM would not become complacent, and he would not be bested on this planet. He could take whatever this planet throws at him and be just the same as he always was—forever.

He ignored Mar’s suggestion of relaxing. “You just ate! I upheld my end of the agreement and fed your lambs DESPITE their repulsive nature. It’s time for you to assist me and ensure your planet’s doom!”

"Wait, do you know what cats and dogs are?" She asked. The lambs finished the bottles before teetering sleepily back to their spot under the heat lamp.

ZIM mulls that over and hums approvingly. "So not useless like cats and dogs."

"How about we eat a bit more then we'll get some rest and start tomorrow." She said as she put her coat and boots away. "Go ahead, take of your boots and get some sleep. You must be exhausted from today."

"All you have to do is stick the nipple through the fence and let them latch." She chuckled before giving an example. She stuck both bottles through the fence and two of the lambs hurried over and began to suckle, their little tails whipping back and forth with joy.

The other two watched their siblings being fed and pressed their faces to the fence to stare impatiently at ZIM. Their nostrils flared as the snorted and bleeted for the bottle.

"Eurgh." He winced as they latched on.

"Wait, do you know what cats and dogs are?" She asked. The lambs finished the bottles before teetering sleepily back to their spot under the heat lamp.

The cold air filled with the smell of animal musk and manure and the sounds of ruminants bleeting softly. She turned on a light to reveal the hay covered dirt floor and stables to house the animals.

His snickering was cut short with a gag. What was that smell? How did she not notice the den of filth she had just walked into??

"All you have to do is stick the nipple through the fence and let them latch." She chuckled before giving an example. She stuck both bottles through the fence and two of the lambs hurried over and began to suckle, their little tails whipping back and forth with joy.

The other two watched their siblings being fed and pressed their faces to the fence to stare impatiently at ZIM. Their nostrils flared as the snorted and bleeted for the bottle.