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Author’s notes: Thanks to everyone who reads this story. Also thanks to
everyone who wrote fanfiction in TLZ, I read every story and they inspired me
to go ahead and write my own. Obvious thanks to the guys who make TLZ possible
and very special thanks to Alexei E, for all the help he gave me just going thru
the story before it was posted. If any of you guys that write fanfics or draw
fanart would help me and send me feedback, I’d be most thankful (can’t
wait for part 3 of the longest journey home, and part 2 of no more fun and games).
YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH
NIBBLER: I know you since the day you were born.
LEELA: (Surprised, confused and scared) What!?, you’re kidding! How!?
We just met when Vergon 6 exploded a few years ago!?
NIBBLER: Not quite true. While you saw me for the first time in the Vergon
6 incident, me and my people have been watching you since you were born and left
on the orphanage. When I was commissioned as the Nibblonian ambassador to Earth,
which is a figure of speech, since formal contact between the two races has yet
to be made, we Nibblonians sat the stage for our first contact. Now if you will
excuse me, I would like you to hear my story.
Leela sat on her side of the bed, calmed down, and nodded. Nibbler started
to tell his story.
NIBBLER: (Serious) Many eons ago, our race, known as the eternials, ruled
an empire far bigger than all known to man. We were a prosperous and peaceful
people, so we were not prepared for what followed. Millions of years ago, our
prophets claimed that a terrible scourge from the unknown would almost wipe us
out. We did not believe them…(sad) SIGH, we have since then, because their
predictions were truthful, as the brainswarm quickly appeared out of nowhere.
LEELA: (Confused) The brainswarm?
NIBBLER: (Serious) They are an intelligent race of brains. They seek to learn
all knowledge in the universe, then destroy it so they will know everything and
do not have to learn anything new. They nearly wiped us out of existence. Fortunately,
they completed their lifecycle and died, leaving us free to rebuild and prepare
for their next assault. The Eternian militia was created to defend our home, orbital
defense systems were created, quantum missiles were developed, powerful battlecruisers
were built. But none of that did a scratch to those evil brains. They are invulnerable
to all conventional and unconventional weapons. We were wiped out once again;
This time it was worse, we were stupefied by their mind absorbing beams.(Tears
of rage start to flow from Nibbler's eyes) Many of us were liquefied for nutrients
for the brains, others were worked to death in slave camps, all of the women and
children were kept locked up and eventually most of them died from starvation,
and I was there to watch it. However, some of us resisted their vile rule and
avoided being stupefied. We could do nothing to stop them, as we saw our families,
our friends, our people suffer and die…
LEELA: Are those the giant brains that Fry mentioned?
NIBBLER: Yes.(Serious) But in the darkest hour, our prophets told us of the
mighty one… the one that could make them pay… we waited for several
millenniums until he appeared here on Earth. We were surprised to see that he
was human. So we had to freeze him until the next assault of the brainswarm. He
is invulnerable to most mental threats because of his lack of the delta brainwave.
LEELA: (Thinking) Frozen?…Lacking the delta brainwave?…(Shocked)
OH MY GOD!, YOU MEAN THIS MIGHTY ONE IS FRY!!!.
NIBBLER: (Smiles)Yes. The one you call Phillip J. Fry is the mighty one.
LEELA: (Still shocked) I… I don’t know what to say!
NIBBLER: Then be quiet while I finish this story. The mighty one however, does
not have physical strength, coordination, or intelligence. We were not disappointed
because he could still hurt the brainspawn with his thought waves, but we knew
that he could never defeat it alone. We discussed how to beat this obstacle for
years, since we could not help him since our high council decided that we could
interfere directly with another planet’s history because of an unfortunate
incident that happened while we were here on Earth. So we chose instead to assign
him a guardian from this planet. We waited for a proper guardian to appear to
freeze her with him, but it turned out that his ideal guardian was not in the
past, but rather in the future, she was born in 2975 to be more specific.
LEELA: (More shocked) That’s me!!??
NIBBLER: Indeed. We made sure you survived and were properly skilled to be
the guardian of the mighty one. We set certain events of your life in order to
mold you into a proper guardian, and liking your target .
LEELA: (Angry) YOU MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL SO I COULD WATCH OVER A MORON
FROM THE STUPID AGES!!!
NIBBLER: (Firm but not angry) Silence! Wait until I finish my story! And listen
to yourself!, think about what you just said!.
LEELA: (Suddenly realized what she called her loved one, she feels guilty)
I’m so sorry… Thank god Fry didn’t hear that, it would really break
his heart…
NIBBLER: We were responsible for some events like you abandoned and you learning
octarian kung-fu with a jerk, but most of the other stuff was your own responsibility.
Being alive means you make your own decisions and shaping your own future, even
if you are destined to do some things. For example, we never thought you would
fall in love with the mighty one. We also never predicted the brannigan incident,
we thought you were a bit smarter than to…
LEELA: (A bit angry) Don’t say it!.
NIBBLER: Anyway, as I was saying, you are destined to protect the mighty one.
Fortunately, you two also fell in love with each other, which will bring another
benefit. If you two reproduce, your offspring will inherit the mighty one’s
abilities and your own physical abilities. They will be apt to become soldiers
against the brainswarm, defeating it easily.
LEELA: Why are you telling me this?
NIBBLER: This is not an informational speech, it is a mission briefing.
LEELA: But if Fry’s story is true, he already defeated the brainswarm,
didn’t he?
NIBBLER: This is not exactly about the brainswarm, but it’s a threat
important enough for high council to authorize me to intervene directly, use the
Nibblonian armed forces, and to ask for your help.
LEELA: Shouldn’t Fry also be here for this?
NIBBLER: You can pass the information to the mighty one later. One of your
people, the one named Zapp Brannigan, was “recruited” by the brainswarm
to do their bidding very recently. This individual was given the mission to eliminate
the mighty one and his guardian. We were wary of their plans in advance, as our
foreseers saw the death of the mighty one a week ago. We did not kill this individual
nor release him from his mind control because we thought we were risking making
our existence public and possibly create a war. So we put advanced implant technology
in the mighty one’s body so that he could protect himself, we didn’t
tell him the whole truth either because we expected that this would be enough
to ensure his survival.
LEELA: So that’s how Fry got so good at fighting all of a sudden.
NIBBLER: Yes, we increased his reflexes, speed, strength and improved his
response time, but we could not do anything about his intelligence. It seems that
it is his choice to be stupid. But the brainswarm passed it’s knowledge of
time mechanics to Zapp’s technicians, and together they built a working time
gate generator. Zapp will send 4 of his best men and a cybernetic construct to
destroy Fry when he was still frozen so that he would not defeat them in the future.
The gate is almost operational and the strike team is ready. So we are forced
to attack the time gate and destroy it before they can use it.
LEELA: So why do you need us?
NIBBLER: Because, if the gate is used before we get a chance to destroy it,
you two will be going to the past, and stop them before they can change history.
If you fail, Fry will die and you will be forever trapped in the past. If you
succeed, you will get to keep this knowledge and go on living. The mission will
begin as soon as you are ready. (Goes close to Leela and attaches a small chip
to her wrist-comp) Now you will be able to contact me, just click on the new button
in the broadcast function.
LEELA: (Serious) Sounds to me like you just want us to do your dirty work.
NIBBLER: I am not asking you to like it, I am asking you do it.
LEELA: (Thinks for a while)…Okay. I’ll tell Fry and we’ll be
going with you.
NIBBLER: Great. You better get ready, this could be your last escapade, so
if you got any unfinished business now would be a great time to…
LEELA: (Interrupting) We will get back.
The video phone rang and Leela got up and answered it. Before she did, she
looked back at Nibbler, but he was already gone. Fry’s image appeared on
the screen.
FRY: (Worried) Leela!, I got to work and Hermes said you disappeared! Why did
you leave all of a sudden?
LEELA: (Serious) Fry, get to my apartment right now, we have something to
do.
FRY: (Sly) Leela, you feeling a little hot now? (He chuckles)
LEELA: (Annoyed) Not that Fry! Just get over here ASAP.
FRY: (Playful) Aye, aye captain (he hangs up).
Leela also hung up and let out a small laugh. She was a bit annoyed, but she
really needed Fry’s carefree attitude and sense of humor now. That got her
thinking if Fry was ready for this thing. She knew from Nibbler that Fry was not
to be underestimated, and his new abilities were useful, but maybe he wasn’t
serious enough and he’d put them both in jeopardy. Then she remembered that
if one of them wasn’t ready for this, it was her. She didn’t knew the
21st century, Fry did, besides he survived a suicide booth… twice!. She didn’t
fish her thoughts because Fry was knocking on her door.
FRY: Leela, I’m here, open up.
LEELA: Coming Fry!. (Opens the door) Get in, quick!.
FRY: (Being pulled inside by Leela) Gee, what’s the rush? You look like
somebody just died and you killed him (He smiles at Leela who is dead serious,
she does not smile back)
LEELA: This is not the time for jokes Fry, we got something serious going on.
Leela tells Fry Nibbler’s story, she doesn’t tell him the parts that
were about her. Fry turns pale.
FRY: (Scared) I’m gonna die!?
LEELA: (Calmed) Only if we don’t do this right.
FRY: Why now!? I was finally happy, I got the girl of my dreams, a job that
I like, I moved out of bender’s closet. It was finally happening for me,
and now I’m dead (Breaks into tears).
Leela feels bad about herself too, she is also a bit scared, and she feels
guilty for Fry. But she comes to her senses and slaps Fry.
LEELA: Pull yourself together! I didn’t marry a coward! Now stop drowning
in your self-pity and be a man! The Fry I married risked his life without question
whenever his friends were at risk! Don’t throw that away!.
FRY: (Straightens up) I’m sorry Leela. (Determined) I won’t go down
without I fight!
LEELA: You won’t go down. I didn’t go thru so much to see the man
I love give up and die. Now let’s kick some DOOP ass!
They both get out of the apartment and go to planet express. Their mood lightens
a bit when they get there and see Hermes giving a lecture on “excessive use
of the life support system”.
HERMES: This is costing us too much people! You got to breathe less or I’m
docking your pay!
AMY: But it was Zoidberg’s fault!
ZOIDBERG: Horray, Zoidy gets mentioned in the meeting.
HERMES: Yeah ya are right, It’s always that filthy lobster. Zoidberg,
I’m docking ya pay!
ZOIDBERG: Awww.
HERMES: On otha ssue, I found this disc (Fry and Leela gasp as Hermes holds
up the disk) on ma desk, and I’m displayin it on ta scrin to see what’s
in it.
FRY/LEELA: No wait! It’s mine!
But Hermes had already put it on the player and pushed play.
(Flashback to AFTERMATH)
LEELA: (Sexy) So Fry, you want more of this?
Leela opened the shower curtain …
BENDER: (Filming Leela) Smile for the bender-cam skintube.
LEELA: (Startled) AHHH!!. (Angry) GET OUT OF HERE YOU PERVERT!!!
(End flashback)
Mixed reactions are observed around the table.
FRY: Well, at least it’s all out in the open (No pun intended).
BENDER: Yes it is! HA HA HA HA HA! (Pun got anyway)
LEELA: (Her face completely red from the embarrassment)……
AMY: And I thought the ship rocking back and forth was awkward… and the
worst part is that I feel attracted… (Everyone looks at Amy with eyes wide
open) Did I just say that out loud!?
PROFESSOR: Oh my…
HERMES: Ditto.
ZOIDBERG: Oh my god!. (Looking at Leela) Young man, you should worry about
your health. You’re got 2 ink glands and no blow horn!
SCRUFFY: Scruffy liked it.
HERMES: Ya are married, but that das not mean ya can leve ya dirty tapes around
mon!
SCRUFFY: Scruffy says it’s ok.
LEELA: We…(Grabbing Fry by the shirt) Gotta run!
They leave their co-workers behind and run to the planet express ship, they
get a couple of laser rifles (Good, not the DOOP kind of) and leave the building.
Once outside, Leela contacts Nibbler.
LEELA: We’re ready.
FRY: Yeah!, Beam me up Scotty!
They are teleported. But Fry hits his head on the ceiling of the room.
FRY: Ouch!
LEELA: SIGH.
They are now on the Nibblonian battlecruiser. Many Nibblonians are there, running
nervously, and making arrangements for the upcoming assault. They are greeted
by a couple of Nibblonians that lead them to the bridge. Nibbler is standing in
front of the windshield looking at the view. A Nibblonian approaches him and whispers
something inaudible. Nibbler turns around and meets them.
NIBBLER: Glad you could make it. Mighty one, Guardian, we are heading to the
base where the time gate generator is. This base is on a remote location and no
high authority in the DOOP other than Zapp knows of it’s existence, so we
can use all of our forces without starting a war.
LEELA: So what’s the plan?
NIBBLER: The plan is to attack the main facility directly. We got no time
for alternatives, our sensors picked up disturbances in the main facility that
suggest the generator is powered up and ready. The strike team is also in the
base.
FRY: Can’t we just nuke it and end this thing?
NIBBLER: The disturbances could mean that the strike team has already been
sent through time. We could be vaporizing our only hope for survival.
LEELA: So that means we’ll have to take the base, right?
NIBBLER: Correct. We will send an air strike to create a diversion near the
power core, while a ground team commanded by myself with you both will attack
the main entrance. We can then capture the generator, and examine it to determine
if it is already been used. If it was not used we will destroy it, if it was we
will proceed with plan B.
NIBBLONIAN: Lord Nibbler, the bombers are in position and the shuttles are
ready. We are awaiting orders.
NIBBLER: Tell the bombers to fire around the building, then attack the forces
defending it. By the time we arrive, everyone will be attacking the bombers. Okay
people, let us get moving.
FRY: Yeah, Let’s rock and roll!
EVERYONE: What?
FRY: SIGH, Just forget it…
They all get on the dropships (They look like those in Starship troopers but
smaller) and get to the base. Everything is quiet, except for the occasional explosion
at the distance. Leela takes point and opens the main doors with a futuristic
grenade. They all get into the building and are greeted by 2 squads of DOOP soldiers.
Everyone opens fire and a firefight ensues. Rockets fly, blood spatters around,
and members of both sides drop as the battle rages on, but finally the Nibblonians
take the upper hand and the soldiers retreat. Leela connects her wrist-comp to
a console and is able to get the layout of the base.
FRY: So, where to?
LEELA: There’s a spiraling corridor that gets to the hall where the generator
is located, but it’s full of soldiers and hiding places, and it’s really
long.
NIBBLER: We will not be intimidated by these human soldiers!
LEELA: I say we get to the ceiling, blast a hole above the control room next
to the generator, kill the couple of soldiers there, then get to the generator.
It’s the easiest, quickest way.
NIBBLER: Then let us follow you, oh guardian of the mighty one.
FRY: Could you stop it with the “Mighty one” stuff, it’s not
like I don’t like the ego boost but it’s kinda weird.
NIBBLER: So be it… Phillip.
FRY: SIGH, just call me Fry.
They execute Leela’s plan and it works to perfection. But when they get
to the generator hall, a whole platoon is there to meet them, and along with them
are Zapp and the strike team (Zapp is full of bandages and bruises from the bathroom
incident).
ZAPP: (Arrogant) Well, well, well, if it isn’t the…
FRY/LEELA: (Bored and annoyed) Sexy captain Leela
NIBBLER: Surrender, pompous, blowhard. There is nowhere to run!.
ZAPP: Aue contrer-ey monter-ey (Everyone on both sides sighs or finds the
floor very interesting), You are the ones that should surrender.
NIBBLER: NEVER!
ZAPP: Well then I guess I surrender... Wait, KILL THEM!
The soldiers open fire and take down a few Nibblonians. These soldiers are
different, they are well trained and well armed, but that doesn’t stop some
of them of dying. Everyone takes cover and picks their target, blood runs thru
the floor, and smoke starts to float in the air as the lasers burn skin, flesh,
bone and sinew. Barrels and crates explode with a deafening roar and computers
are destroyed as they get hit by stray shots. The bodies start piling up around
the covered spots and little craters from the laser blasts riddle the walls as
the only things in the room that escape damage are those vital to the function
of the time gate generator and the generator itself.
FRY: (Shouting because of the noise) This is starting to get messy!
LEELA: (Also shouting) Gee, you think!?
NIBBLER: (He doesn’t shout cause he talks telepathically) Has anyone
seen the strike team?
LEELA: Damn! They must have already gone back in time!
FRY: No! Look!
Three soldiers and Zapp are working the controls. They would already have finished
but, thank god, Zapp was with them messing everything up.
FRY: Leela!, got any more grenades!
LEELA: (explosion) No!
FRY: In that case, cover me!
Leela gets up from behind a flipped desk and shoots full auto and a pair of
soldiers near the controls get killed, the rest of the guys near the machine take
cover, leaving it alone. Fry jumps from behind a metal crate and makes a run towards
the generator. He got lucky and wasn’t shot but had to stop half-way while
Leela recharged her laser rifle. He takes cover behind a control panel and motions
Leela to move. Leela does a spin jump over the desk and runs at Fry, she dives
and takes cover with Fry.
LEELA: Now what!
FRY: I don’t know!, that’s all I got!
LEELA: (Sarcastic) Great!
Another explosion silences their argument, and a few body parts fly past them
it was where Leela was covered, which now is just a smoldering crater. They look
up to the generator and see a shimmering gate appear in front of it, and Zapp’s
strike team making a mad dash towards it. They all make it trough except for the
cyborg who gets shot by a wounded Nibblonian. The soldiers start retreating and
a few remain with Zapp. Zapp is setting some explosives near the machine, and
is about to blow himself up by accident when Nibbler cuts his head off with his
laser sword.
NIBBLER: Your commander was killed, surrender now!
The soldiers hesitate, but they finally drop their weapons to the ground. Now
Nibbler, Fry and Leela are standing around the time gate generator. Fry is talking
to the surrendered soldiers.
FRY: Ha ha. You guys suck, we won, W-O-N, In your face!
LEELA: Cut it out Fry, they deserve to be treated with dignity (But then the
competitive side of Leela betrays her), YOU GOT BEAT BY A GIRL! YOU GOT BEAT BY
A GIRL!
FRY: (Seductively) But not just any girl, a very special, strong, sexy, intelligent,
and compassionate one.
LEELA: (Blushes) Oh Fry you’re so sweet. (Pulls Fry near her) And you’re
not bad yourself (Locks Fry into a kiss).
NIBBLER: (Talking to Leela and Fry) Ahem! Although you two getting offspring
would be good, now would not be a good time.(Fry and Leela ignore him and are
still kissing) So break it off NOW!
FRY/LEELA: (Embarrassed) Sorry.
NIBBLER: Anyway, we all saw the strike team go to the past. But because of
our attack they did not have the time to fine tune their co-ordinates, and might
have ended up in any place in the region that was known as North America. But
the time was well set and they are in the correct year.
FRY: Then what are we waiting for, send us in!
NIBBLER: Just let me set the exact coordinates for old New York and you’ll
be on your way. (Nibbler operates the control console next to the generator and
another gate appears) Leave all your weapons here, their power source becomes
unstable because of the disruption field.
LEELA: That means I have to leave my wrist-comp too?
NIBBLER: Not if it’s battery operated.
LEELA: It is. But then we’ll be unarmed in an unknown environment.
FRY: What if we take some guns from my time, maybe we could get some from
old Manhattan.
NIBBLER: You are indeed correct, mighty… Fry. We’ll send you any
equipment that can be sent, just ask for it.
LEELA: How?
NIBBLER: Use broadcast transmission if you want to talk to us, the signal
is so slow that we’ll get it a 1000 years later exactly at the right point
in space. Leave the transmission channel open when you get there so we can lock
onto it. We can then open time gates and deliver equipment as you request it.
FRY: Leela, if we fail, I want you to know, that I have always loved you,
always will. I want you to be happy so if I die, I want you to move on.
LEELA: Fry, you are the only one that I love. If you die, it’ll be because
I died first, because I’m not letting you get away from me.
Leela and Fry jump into the portal together. Their thoughts on each other as
they cross thru to the 21st century…
To be continued… |
