Invader Pib

The Dream

I found myself standing in front of the Tallests. Their stares burned my skin uncomfortably.

"Invader Pib," Tallest Red said in an unexpectedly low voice, "We had trusted you."

"Why can't you trust me now?" I cried nervously. What were they saying?

"Why can we? You have betrayed the Irken empire." Tallest Purple joined in. Their glares froze me on the inside. I had never seen my leaders this disappointed.

Then it hit me. I did betray them. I turned my back on the whole race, the whole planet, the whole mission. My hands became sticky with sweat.

"I... I...." I started, but Tallest Red gestured for me to stop. "Silence. You have failed your mission; you're punishment... Death."

A bucket full of water hovered over my head, then poured down on me. I felt my skin burn and cripple. I lay on the floor in front of my Tallests' hating gazes, in a seizure. Foam came out of my mouth as I screamed in pain. Then I felt myself start to go stiff. My heart had stopped, and I couldn't breath properly. I was dead.

My eyes shot open. I whipped my head around until I realized it was only a dream. I lay my head back down on my couch. The dream had seemed so real. In the waking world, my muscles ached as if I was brought back to life from the water. I could barely lift my legs they were so stiff, but I managed to get up.

Thankfully, it was a weekend so I didn't have to go to Skool. I walked to the back and pulled the lever. Of course, the platform went down and I stepped off. Bug was checking if everything worked properly. As usual, everything was fine. I sat down in my giant chair in front of the computer.

The temptation to call my sister was overwhelming. I pressed the call button and within seconds, her face appeared on the screen.

"Hi..." Gim said weakly. There was a fresh scar on her face and her antennae were messy. Her big, light blue eyes were dull and she looked battered. I felt a stab of pity for her.

"Gim? Are you alright?" I asked. Pinkish blood dripped from her scar. She noticed the blood and covered it up with a cloth she grabbed from somewhere off to the side.

"I got into a fight with one of the inhabitants, but I won. Don't worry, I'm fine." she said unconvincingly. A sense of discomfort scorched through me as I saw her breathe with massive effort. I couldn't see her like this.

"If you say so," I muttered to my sister, "You should at least get patched up."

I saw her antennae twitch slightly with agitation.

"I said I'm fine!" she scowled. The tone had taken me aback. I could tell she was too confident to say she was hurt or needed help. Too confident to listen to me. I sighed.

"I'm just trying to help you." I told her sternly. She stared at me icily.

"I can take care of myself," Gim's voice was cold, "Now let me get back to my research."

The screen went black and my sister had hung up. I stared at the empty blackness, not even twitching. The spice in her voice had made questions spread through my mind like wildfire.

What just happened? I wailed in my thoughts. I kept searching for the answer. My head spun and I felt a little queasy. After a few minutes, I turned around. Bug scared me out of my skin when I found her standing right behind me, staring up at me.

Had she been there the whole time?

"Bug? You saw that, right?" I asked her.

"Yes ma'am," she replied, "What do you think she was beat up for?"

I was silent for a moment. "Something definitely not healthy for her. She said she had gotten into a battle with one of the inhabitants, but I'm not sure if I believe her." I told her.