THE VORTEX PART THREE
Continuing with the story, the scene switches to the Vootrunner cutting over the planet Thegosis’s atmosphere. It is moving straight and smoothly, and leaving a white vortex trail where it zooms.
Scene switch to Zim, Dib, Gaz and GIR in the Vootrunner. Zim is looking straight ahead with his tongue out, Gaz is still playing her Game Slave, and Dib is staring out the side window. After a few moments, he turns towards Zim.
Dib: Are we set for land?
Zim (still looking straight ahead): Yes, in a few moments… (Turns the Vootrunner) We need to set out and scan the planet, to make sure that there’s no danger here…
Dib: Why the heck do we need to do that?
Zim: The radar that scans the Ergetigaton is very strong. An Ergetigaton is a dangerous creature. One time it killed and swallowed a Graniteton.
Dib: Yow.
Zim: Okay, we’ll need to go higher up…
He turns the control upward, and the Vootrunner speeds upward until it is about 500 feet above the planet’s surface. He turns them back down and the Vootrunner tips and evens. Then he scans the ground and turns back to the others.
Zim: There’s nothing here. Odd… I sensed something was here…
Then something smashes into the Vootrunner, and they all fall to one side of the Vootrunner.
All: WHOA!
Dib: See why safety belts are such a good idea?
The something then smashes into the other side of the Vootrunner, and they all slide down to the other side, which is dented and smashed. GIR falls headfirst.
All: GAAH!
Zim (surprised): Who’s doing this!
Gaz: I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s making me lose my last level.
GIR: Yay! We’re all gonna die!
Dib: Oh geez, it’s coming around the other side!
The thing smashes into the Vootrunner again, then a red eye, triangular in shape, appears through the front window of the Vootrunner. Dib taps Zim on the shoulder.
Zim (gripping onto the side door, his teeth clenched): What?
Dib (frightened, pointing to the eye): Zim, what’s that!
Zim: I’ve seen that somewhere before, but—
A loud sound—a sound somewhat between a growl and a roar—is heard from outside the Vootrunner, then a large, lizard-like claw appears, and smashes through the front window.
Zim, Dib, Gaz and GIR: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!
The claw draws back, then smashes through the side of the Vootrunner. Zim reaches for a button on the control panel.
Zim (shaking): Must… Abort…
He presses the button, then four colored tubes appear from the ceiling, covering them all. Dib glances around, surprised.
Dib: Hey, what’s going on?
Zim: Hold on! We’re going to abort!
Dib: You mean into space!
Zim nods.
Dib (shouting, waving his arms): Are you NUTS? There’s no air out here!
Zim: I’ve managed.
The claw draws back, then smashes in again just as the four shoot through the tubes and burst out of the Vootrunner, wearing special, kick-butt space suits. They speed away from the Vootrunner, with the thing and the destroyed Vootrunner in still lock, growing farther and farther away. The thing remains a shadow, but in a strange dog shape. The eyes are still visible, though. It grabs the Vootrunner between its teeth and chomps it, making a sound like metal striking metal. Zim, Dib, Gaz and GIR land on the ground, then look back at the thing.
Zim: What WAS that thing?
Gaz: It was a level loser that’s what.
GIR: We didn’t die again!
Dib (panting): That was TOO close. We could’ve died!
Zim (scanning the landscape): Yeah, but this planet is bigger then I expected it to be. It might take days to get anywhere, even with space suits.
Dib (sarcastically): Oh boy! Out in the middle of nowhere with the vehicle destroyed by a giant shadow! What are to do? (Turns to Zim) Now what, wise guy?
Zim (holding up his hand to silence Dib): Take it easy. I know the Vootrunner was eaten. But I managed to save a few things we could use to get around faster.
Dib: And WHAT could that be?
Zim: Hold on a minute…
He fiddles with a few things, then his spider legs shoot out of his backpack, each one holding what looks like a snowboard of some sort. The spider legs drop them, then shoot back in. He picks up one of the boards and holds it in front of Dib.
Zim: With these, of course!
Dib: How are snowboards supposed to get us around?
Zim: They aren’t snowboards, whatever those are! They’re what we space creatures call ‘hoverboards.’ Great for speed traveling, some use it for sport.
Dib: Gotta see it to believe it.
Zim: Ugh! You are so stubborn! (Places the board on the ground and hops onto it) Very well, I shall show you.
The board rises up into the air as soon as Zim steps on it, then shoots up into the air. Zim steps down on it, then the board tips. He does a 360, then straightens the board and steps down on it the other way. It shoots downward, and as soon as it is a few inches from the ground he hops off it. Then he steps on it, and like a skateboard, it flies up and he catches it.
Zim: Good enough proof for you?
Dib: That… Was… COOL!
Zim: Wasn’t it? (Tosses him a board) Come on, we need to get to the other side of Thegosis. I’m supposing that’s where they keep the humans they replaced with robots. However—(looks out on the horizon)—This could prove dangerous.
Dib (looking at the board): Um… What do we do with the hoverboards if we don’t need to use them?
Zim: Just press the button on the side.
Dib: Ah…
Gaz (looking at the hoverboards): Sweet.
Zim: Alright, let’s do this!
They jump onto the hoverboards, then step down on them. They shoot up into the air. Scene switch to them flying on the hoverboards. The background is cosmic and psychedelic. Zim is at the front, and Gaz and Dib are on either side of him. GIR is in the back, using his jet rockets to move instead of the hoverboards. All of them have determined looks on their faces.
After a few minutes they slowly fade to an image on a computer screen again. The creature is tapping his fingers on the control panel.
Creature: Clever, quite clever. I’m surprised at that. (Cracks his knuckles) But I’ll be really surprised if they can defeat—(Presses a button next to the computer)—THIS!
Scene switches to Dib, Zim, Gaz and GIR landing in the middle of what is painted to look like a battlefield. Zim kicks up his hoverboard, then presses the button on it. It folds up into a small box, and he sticks this in his backpack. Dib and Gaz do the same. GIR lands next to them.
Zim: Something is wrong here. (Scans the landscape) But I can’t think what…
Voice (o/c): That’s because we’re gonna destroy you!
Zim and the others whip around. About a dozen creatures, equipped with weapons and such, are standing in front of them. They form a ring around them, then start to advance.
Creature 1#: We’ve got you surrounded!
Creature 2#: Surrender or die!
Creature 3#: We’re gonna give you one chance to surrender. If not, you’ll fight us, and you’ll die. So, do you surrender?
Zim: Never!
Creature 4#: Very well… (Turns to the other creatures) Get ‘em, boys!
The creatures yell, then form a line and start to run towards them, raising their weapons and shouting. Zim and the others stare at them.
Zim: They’re gonna kill us if we let them. (Turns to Dib) What say?
Dib (glaring at the creatures, gritting his teeth): Let’s kill ‘em.
Gaz: YEAH!
They form a line also, then start to run towards them, their fists raised.
The creatures and the Zim characters clash, then Zim, Dib, Gaz and GIR start to kick the creatures’ butts…
A tour bus, with a label that says ‘SPACE TOURS’, then slowly jets by. A lady wearing a dress and helmet is talking to some other people through a microphone.
Lady: This is Thegosis, otherwise known as the fighting planet. If you look to your left, you’ll see a few bigheaded kids and a bunch of green creatures fighting each other. Feel free to take pictures to remember this.
Camera switches to Zim running towards three of the creatures. The creatures look at him, then grin evilly, yell, then start to run towards him. One of the creatures runs across the landscape, then leaps up, its target—Zim—locked. Zim looks up, is surprised for a moment, then glares, grits his teeth, and leaps and ducks down just as the creature zooms by him. He then gets up and smirks at the creature.
Zim (coolly): Now it’s my turn.
He leaps up into the air, then karate yelps and zooms down in a sidekick towards the creature. A double take of this three times.
He then brings his foot down on the creature’s head. The kick is forceful, and the creature, having its head kicked almost open, collapses on the ground. Zim lands in front of it. His feet are in back of the creature, and the scene slowly slides up to Zim, his fists clenched and his teeth bared.
Zim: That’s for trying to kill GIR.
He turns around towards the other creatures and holds up his fist, glaring.
Zim: Who else wants some?
The second creature clutches its laser gun, then runs towards Zim, stops, and fires a laser at him. Zim barely dodges it as the creature fires another laser at him. Zim duck under it, then leaps up into the air and lands behind the creature. The creature is surprised for a second, then turns around and spots Zim. He arms the gun but before he can fire again, Zim socks him in head and knocks the gun out of his hand. It falls into the dust, and before the creature can reach it, Zim grabs it, then arms it and shoots a laser at the creature. The creature turns black, then disintegrates. Zim blows the smoke from the top of the gun, then steps on the pile of black dust.
Zim: You knew that was coming.
He equips the gun, then turns towards the last creature. The creature screams, and runs from him. Zim snaps the gun in half, then throws it in the dust.
Zim: Let this be a lesson to you!
He stares around.
Zim (dusting his hands off): Well, my job here is done.
He walks away.
Scene switches to Dib and two other creatures. The third creature is lying in the background with its tongue out and a long pole wedged through the glands in its head.
Dib advances on the next creature, leaps up into the air, flips, then lands on top of the creature and starts socking it in the head and kicking its sides. Finally the creature faints. Dib kicks it one more time, then advances on the last creature and leaps up into the air.
The creature is equipped with a hacksaw razor and hurls it at Dib. Dib flips out of the way, dodging the razor. As it boomerangs back, he grabs it, then hurls it at the creature. It misses the head but catches on its cape, and it flies backward and smashes into a rock. The hacksaw blade is pinned through its cape, securing it to the rock.
Dib: Looks like that’s the rest of ‘em. (Turns around) Better go find the others and see how they’re doing…
Scene switches to Gaz fighting the creatures. The other two are a bloody mess behind her, and she is advancing on the last creature. The creature yelps, and Gaz jumps up, then karate-chops its head. The creature staggers around dizzily, and Gaz karate kicks it, then hacks it again, and so on, until the creature collapses. Gaz breathes hard, staring at it. Then she holds up her hands. They are coated with blood.
Gaz: Ugh.
She wipes her hands off on one of the creatures’ capes.
Gaz: Well, better go see how the others did. (Turns back to look at the creatures) Better think twice before messing with someone who knows every karate move in the book!
She runs out towards the place where the creatures had surrounded them. Zim, Dib and Gaz all reach there at the same time.
Zim, Dib and Gaz: How’d you do with the fighting?
A long pause.
Dib (looking around): Say, where’s GIR?
A determined yelp is heard from across the landscape as the others think.
Scene then switches to GIR running from the creatures. He stops at a rock, then looks around, then turns to look at the creatures.
Creature 1#: We’ve got you now, shrimp.
Creature 2#: Let’s tear him limb from limb!
GIR glares at them, then runs between them, glows with a bluish light, then battle cries and unleashes the energy. The creatures turn yell, then melt into the ground. GIR slowly returns to normal mode.
GIR: I like energy!
He walks off to the ring. Zim, Dib and Gaz are staring in disbelief at him. GIR looks up at them. A long pause.
GIR: What?
Scene switches to Zim and the others walking across a desert landscape. They are wandering around, as if they are lost. GIR is walking around, singing the Doom Song. Zim squints across the landscape.
Zim: Nothing. (Rears his head up) Darned hideout. They hid it well.
Gaz: Well, I hope some more creatures come by. Then we can kick their butts.
Dib is not paying attention, as he is scanning the landscape. The Tour Bus is gone. He seems to be pretty confused by this and taps Zim on the shoulder. Zim turns around.
Zim: What?
Dib: The Tour Bus.
Zim: So…?
Dib: What happened to it? It was here a minute ago…
Gaz (shouting frightfully): GET DOWN!
She pushes them to the ground as the Tour Bus, one side of it bit out, lands on them, then rolls down the dune with them in it. It creaks as they roll down the hill, but not over their yells of terror.
All: Ah! Oof! Ee! Yah! Oh man! Geez! GAAAHH!
The Tour Bus then hits the bottom of the dune and lands, making a large dust cloud. When it clears, it is tipped on its side. The bottom (the side that was bit out) is facing towards the dune, and the Zim characters slowly stagger up and heave themselves out of the bus. Zim looks out over the landscape.
Zim: Dib, what happened?
Dib: I don’t know. All I know is that something ate the people in here.
Zim (resting his head on one of his hands): The question is, what?
He then looks down. A four large holes are aligned a few yards away from them, three in front and one in back. They are huge and very deep into the ground. They are filled with water of some sort.
Zim: Wait. This is strange. (Pauses) Hey, that’s a footprint!
Dib (looking at the holes in disbelief): It is?
Zim: Yes, and only one creature makes this print.
Dib: What is it?
Zim doesn’t answer but looks down at the print. An echoing BOOM! Sound is heard, and the water in the print ripples. The sound is heard again about five times before Zim looks up. His eyes widen in fear.
Zim: GET BACK IN THE BUS!
They leap into the bus just as the last BOOM is heard and a large, doglike creature appears over the hill on the horizon. It roars, showing every one of its teeth, which are made of steel and coated with blood. As it roars, blood leaks out of its mouth. Dib stares at the creature in fear.
Gaz (shakily pointing at the creature): What’s that?
Zim: THAT is an Ergetigaton. (The Ergetigaton roars again before Zim continues.) It was what I was telling Dib about. It probably ate the people in this tour bus and spit out the bus. And, if I’m not mistaken, this was the creature that ate the Vootrunner.
Dib: So, what do we do?
GIR: We’ll tip the bus over!
Zim: No, GIR, it’ll—
Before Zim can finish, GIR tips the bus so they are underneath it. This provokes a CRASH sound, and the Ergetigaton pricks its ears, then growls and turns towards the bus. Its ears fold back on its head and it starts to advance towards the bus.
Scene switch to Zim and the others inside the bus.
Zim: Nice going, GIR. It spotted the bus moving.
GIR: It won’t eat us! It can’t tip the bus over!
Then a claw smashes through the bus wall and a dog nose pokes through the hole and starts sniffing around. Zim, Dib, and Gaz back up against the wall in fright.
Dib (quietly): Scared… So scared…
Zim (clamping his hand over Dib’s mouth): Shut up, it’ll hear you!
Scene switch to the Ergetigaton. Its nose is through the hole in the bus, and it is in a bow pose. It then sniffs one last time, gets up, and starts stomping away. Inside the Vootrunner, the others watch as the Ergetigaton walks past.
When its tail disappears, Zim and the others relax.
Dib: Whew, it went away!
Zim: Yeah that was close!
Gaz: Is it just me, or is the bus starting to tip?
Zim and the others look at the hole in the bus. The Ergetigaton’s tail is through the hole and is raising the bus up. Zim and the others look up for a bit, then start screaming.
Camera switches to outside the bus. The Ergetigaton keeps raising its tail until the bus tips over. It then lowers its tail and turns around, blowing steam out of its nostrils. The Zim characters stop screaming and stare at it.
Zim (nervously): Um… Nice doggy?
The Ergetigaton lowers its head down in front of Zim, then after a few moments of glaring at him, bares its teeth. They are indeed long, about three times taller then Zim. His eyes widen in fear, then he slowly backs up. The others back up after him.
Zim (starting to turn around, his eyes still locked on the Ergetigaton): Um… We’ll just be going now…
Ergetigaton (loudly): RAARFF!
Zim (turning around completely): RUN FOR IT!
They start to run away from the Ergetigaton, and it rears its head, roars, and starts thundering after them. It is much taller and takes a lot longer strides, so it runs past them and blocks their path. Gaz backs up and runs away, but Zim and Dib remain where they are, staring at the Ergetigaton in fear.
The Ergetigaton bares its teeth and rears up one of its paws, then starts to bring it down. Zim and Dib whimper, then shield their heads with their hands. The claw is just about to smash them when Gaz zips by on her hoverboard and grabs them by their collars. They zigzag out of the way just as the Ergetigaton’s claw strikes the dust. It looks up, then roars. Gaz zooms up into the air, away from the Ergetigaton.
Gaz: Well, you could’ve died for all I care. This is the LAST TIME I’m going to save your butts. I swear, you two are more empty-headed then that Tour Bus!
Zim and Dib just stare at Gaz. GIR rockets behind them.
Gaz steps down on the hoverboard, and it shoots down towards the ground. She drops them, then gets off herself, kicks the board up, and presses the button on the side. After it shrinks, she sticks it in her pocket.
Gaz: Well, I admit that it was pretty heroic to save your butts from an Ergetigaton!
Zim and Dib (sheepishly): Thanks.
GIR: Whoohoo!
Gaz (turning around): Well, come on. We must’ve rocketed somewhere near the hideout.
Dib: So that’s an Ergetigaton.
Zim: Well, I told you it was dangerous!
Dib (starting to follow Gaz): Why is it that the girl always saves the boy? Why isn’t it the other way around these days?
Zim: Well, Gaz could be qualified. She’s a tomboy, of course—
Dib (kicking him in the side): Shut up, Zim.
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART FOUR
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