Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to K A Applegate and/or Scholastic. The Aliens and Predators belong to 20th Century Fox. All others are mine. No profit is being made from this and…well you know the drill.
Author's note: I never expected so much demand for a sequel! I don't know if I can make this as good as Galactic War but I'll give it my best shot. This starts a week after where Galactic War left off. (If you haven't read that yet I suggest you do or this will make no sense at all).
Animorphs: The VENOM factor
1: A new threat
Chelrak homeworld: Imperial throne room
Emperor Izlyr of the Chelrak Imperium had many reasons to be happy with himself. He had secured a better life for his people with their move to a much more pleasant homeworld, he had got revenge on the former Andalite Electorate and best of all he was now in the Emperor's throne. That was where he was likely to stay for the rest of his life. Despite the defeat at the hands of the Andalites and their Animorph allies it had all turned out rather well for him.
However at this point in time, Izlyr was not feeling very happy. The reasons for this were the 2 Andalite scientists in his throne room. They were part of the disarmament team that had been sent to ensure that all the Chelrak weapons of mass destruction were disposed of. Izlyr had readily agreed to this, but he did not agree with the choice of people that the Andalites had sent. The 2 in front of him were the most difficult and stubborn he'd ever met.
"No, No and NO!" Izlyr said. "How many more times do I have to say it?"
But you agreed to allow us full access to all of your facilities, Kendrea-Marregoth-Gaross protested. She was the leader of the scientific team on the Chelraks' world and Izlyr's biggest headache. Why is this one so different?
"Don't you ever read the datafiles I keep sending you?" Izlyr sighed. "You should know full well what is in that storage bay and the reason it was sealed. We only brought it here so we could speed up its destruction ourselves. And despite what you may think, your authority does not override mine in this matter!"
For your information I did read your report, Kendrea replied. And I think you are making a grave mistake: destroying one of your greatest achievements when so much good can be made of it.
Izlyr snorted. "The only thing that comes out of VENOM is death! I will not reactivate it: not for you or anyone come to that! You are operating outside your mandate here by asking me this. I suggest you get back to what you should be doing. Otherwise I will contact War-Prince Breeyar and have you replaced on that basis. VENOM will be destroyed tomorrow and that is my last word on the subject!"
Kendrea and her aide were forcibly escorted out before they could say anything else.
Arrogant fool! Kendrea snarled as they walked out of the building. He isn't a scientist and he doesn't know what he's doing! All that potential…
Maybe, her aide did not sound so sure. But it's pointless complaining about it. You heard him. He's not going to change his mind and by the time we inform the Electorate the point will be moot. Maybe we should have informed them about this earlier and then something could have been done.
Something can still be done! Kendrea said firmly.
Her aide was appalled. You can't be serious! The Electorate would be furious if they knew you were even considering this! Not to mention the fact that if their Emperor finds out he'll kill us!
Forgiveness is easier to get from the Electorate than permission, Kendrea said arrogantly. Besides, when we produce our results they won't care how they were obtained. And as to the Emperor, well, he must not know what we are about until it's too late!
Chelrak homeworld: Storage bay 13: next morning
Newly promoted Sub-Commander Vorshak of the Imperial Elite Guard knew something was wrong the minute he and his squad showed up at the storage bay. He had been assigned by the Emperor to personally oversee the destruction of Bay 13 and its contents. The door, however, was already wide open. Vorshak, suspecting the worst, sent half of his squad inside to check it out. They reported in less than a minute later.
Vorshak entered to find that the storage bay was almost completely empty! Well, almost, except for the gutted corpses of 2 Andalites…
Imperial throne room
"WHAT! Are you sure?" Everyone looked at Izlyr in shock. No one had ever seen him so mad. "How long would you say they'd been dead? Yes, I understand. Search the bay and the surrounding area. Check the spaceports too. We must find it, no matter what!"
"What's happened, Emperor?" Sorinek asked in concern.
"It seems those Andalite morons I talked to yesterday didn't take me seriously. Their bodies have just been discovered in Bay 13! And yes, VENOM is gone!"
Sorinek's eyes widened at that. "How did the Andalites die?"
"They were covered in stab wounds that had severe burns," Izlyr said grimly. "You know what that means."
"Electro-blades? But then…OH NO!"
"Oh yes!" Izlyr muttered as the communicator sounded again.
"Vorshak here. Bad news, I'm afraid. 3 ships took off from the spaceport last night. Only 2 arrived at their final destinations."
"What kind of ship is missing?"
"One of our new destroyers. It was supposed to be heading for the testing grounds. It never arrived and no one has seen it since it left the dock."
"Understood." Izlyr cut him off and turned to Sorinek. "Alert the entire fleet! I want that ship found!"
"At once, Emperor!"
"And while you're at it, contact the Andalites. I want a meeting with them as soon as possible…"
Andalite fighter training zone: 2 days later
Crangar's tail! Aristh Verstan, lower your speed! Or are you looking to commit suicide?
Yes, my Prince.
Ax sighed. These Arisths were a disaster!
"Remind me again why we're doing this, Ax," Marco muttered from his station.
We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Warrior Marco, Ax sighed. He hadn't wanted to do this either, but they had been the first ones available when the Academy had made a request for more pilot instructors. What made it worse was that hardly any of these 7 Arisths were fit to fly, let alone go into combat.
Marco lurched for his communicator. "Kebral! I mean Aristh Kebral, ease back! You're almost up our tailpipe!"
Sorry, Warrior Marco. My instructor told me to always fly in close formation.
Marco tried to put a little understanding into his voice. "Your instructor's not here now. He's back on the homeworld probably at his favourite watering hole! This is the real thing, not a simulator. Now ease back unless you want to melt your front end off!"
Yes, Warrior Marco.
"Man, what I wouldn't give to be with the others right now!" Marco complained. Jake, Cassie, Tom and Justin were all serving on the Tailstrike whilst Rachel, Ryan and Tobias were all on the Predator homeworld. They had taken Malarnex up on his invitation and had gone hunting with him.
It won't be long before we're finished, Ax reassured him.
As Marco turned back to his controls he noticed several readings on his sensors. "Ax, we've got company. 6 ships are headed this way."
Ax was confused. No other ships are due for awhile yet. Can you identify them?
Marco ran another scan. "They're Chelrak Raptors! What are they doing all the way out here?"
Ax didn't like this. All fighters, form on me. This is not a drill, we have possible hostiles in the training zone!
Most of the Arisths obeyed immediately. Aristh Verstan, however, punched up his speed and headed straight for the approaching Raptors.
"What does that jerk think he's doing?" Marco asked.
Arrogant fool! I was warned about his inability to follow orders, Ax snarled as he opened a channel. Aristh Verstan, this is a direct order! Fall back now!
Verstan never got a chance to reply, however, as all 6 Raptors opened fire and blew him into oblivion.
Ax was stunned but he quickly recovered. All fighters, break and attack! He didn't want to fight with such inexperienced Arisths but he had no choice.
"Let's get the lead one, Ax!" Marco said, arming the shredders.
Done! Ax punched his speed up and cut in behind him.
"So long!" Marco fired and sheared off the Raptor's left wing and sent it into an uncontrollable tailspin until it blew up.
The Arisths' inexperience was costing them dearly. 4 were in destroyed in quick succession as they failed to move quickly or decisively enough. A fifth soon met the same fate as he flew straight and level for a little too long and was 'double-teamed' by 2 Raptors.
Ax and Marco managed to blast another 2 enemies before their warning sensors went off.
"Ax, he's got lock on us!" Marco screamed as Ax threw them into a tight turn.
It was no good. The Raptor seemed to anticipate their every move.
"He's gonna fire, Ax! We're done!"
Marco was bracing himself for the hit when a stream of blue fire cut the pursuing Raptor in half.
Are you alright, my Prince?
Excellent shot, Aristh Kebral! Ax smiled. Now form on my wing. We'll engage the rest together.
The remaining 2 Raptors, however, had turned away and were fleeing at full thrust.
"Ax, there's a jump point forming next to us!"
He had barely finished speaking when a Chelrak destroyer dropped out of Zero-Space and launched Raptors of its own.
"This is the Vengeance to Andalite fighters, are you alright?"
Ax recognised Sorinek's voice. Yes. What is happening here?
"The fighters that attacked you were not ours," Sorinek replied.
The destroyer's Raptors were chasing after the attackers and were almost in firing range. But as they got closer the attackers opened jump points and fled into Zero-Space!
Ax couldn't believe it. Fighters that size with jump engines?!
"We'll explain everything when you dock," Sorinek said. "We were heading for the Andalite homeworld anyway so we'll take you with us."
Understood.
"You're sure we can trust them, Ax?" Marco asked. "This could be a set-up."
Somehow I don't think so, Ax replied. Something is going on but I do not think they are the cause.
"If you say so," Marco said sceptically.
Excellent flying, Aristh Kebral! Those were unusual manoeuvres!
I simply took Warrior Marco's advice, Kebral replied.
"My advice?" Marco was confused.
Yes. You advised me to think for myself and not keep to standard practice, did you not? It was good advice as it worked.
That made Ax more concerned. He had tried standard evasion tactics but the Raptor that had nearly destroyed him seemed to know every move he made almost before he made it.
We'll find what's behind this soon enough, Ax promised. He only hoped he was right.
Chelrak flagship Armageddon
"How many attacks is that now?" Izlyr asked.
"Counting the attacks on the Andalites and our own bases, 12 in all, Emperor. Most of the Andalites are going crazy with panic and saying the war is starting all over again!"
"If I hadn't put out that broadcast to our people they would be saying the same thing about the Andalites about now!" Izlyr added. The Chelrak bases had been hit by what looked like Andalite fighters. "VENOM is clever, trying to divide us like that. Fortunate that we contacted Breeyar and the Electorate in good time. Move us to the Andalite homeworld."
"At once, Emperor."
The Tailstrike
"Some first day on the job, right Jake?" Justin said as they walked to the Dome together.
"Yeah. And I thought the Yeerks were all gone. Looks like we were wrong."
The Tailstrike had been on its first patrol since the end of the war. No one expected trouble but they had been ambushed by 12 Yeerk Bug fighters when they'd dropped out of Zero-Space. They'd destroyed them all but they'd lost nearly 20 fighters and sustained some damage doing it.
An announcement then ran through the ship. Prince Jake, please report to the bridge.
Jake sighed. "Wonder what's happened now?"
Jake and Justin went up to the bridge to find Tom and Cassie already there with War-Prince Alloran and Estro, the former Yeerk intelligence officer.
You should see these scans, Prince Jake, Alloran said.
"What are they of?" Jake asked.
"I suspected that all wasn't as it seemed," Estro said. "So I had some detailed scans done on those Bug fighters. I expected something to be wrong, but I didn't expect this!" He pointed at the screen. "Those fighters had no pilots!"
"What, all of them?" Jake asked. "That isn't the Yeerks' style."
"No, it isn't. Plus we don't have the technology to achieve this sort of automation, or at least we didn't when I left."
Are you certain this is accurate? Alloran asked.
"I've had the engineers check the scanners. They're working perfectly," Estro seemed baffled. "They were all robot craft. It would partly explain their flying skill."
Another warrior approached. War-Prince, we have been ordered back to the homeworld. Repairs are complete and we can leave anytime.
Jump to Zero-Space then, Alloran ordered. Hopefully we can find out what's behind all this when we get back.
Andalite homeworld
There were additional surprises awaiting Jake and the others when they got back. Not only was the Invincible and several other Dome ships in orbit but so was a Predator ship and 2 Chelrak destroyers, including the Armageddon, were alongside it.
Rachel, Tobias and Ryan were waiting in the docking bay of the Invincible.
"What is going on, Jake?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah, we were hunting with Malarnex on the Predator world and then all of a sudden we're called back. What's happening?" Ryan added.
Jake brought them up to speed.
"Robot Yeerk fighters?" Tobias said in confusion.
We should go to the bridge, Alloran said.
Galuit, Izlyr, Ax and Marco were all on the bridge already.
Galuit wasted no time. I didn't want to recall you all like this, but I had no choice. We've been attacked in several sectors by what appear to be Yeerk and Chelrak ships. On closer inspection, they have all turned out to be automated craft. I suspect this was a move to divide us and cause confusion. The truth is that the Chelraks have made no move to restart the war.
"We have been attacked by drone ships also," Izlyr revealed. "Andalite drone ships. But I already know who, or rather what is behind this. He was probably hoping that I would be too proud to reveal this or ask for help, but I can't afford to do otherwise."
"Who's he?" Ryan asked impatiently.
"Let me explain a little. A few weeks before the final battle in our Great War, Saavek activated what was probably his crowning achievement."
"The Iron Fist, right?" Justin broke in.
"No. The Iron Fist was just a weapon. A very big and powerful weapon admittedly but that was all it was. His best achievement was VENOM."
"What's VENOM?" Tom asked.
"The Very Efficient Networking Organisational Matrix. That was Saavek's somewhat pompous title for his new prototype battle computer."
"What's so special about a bucket of bolts?" Marco wondered.
"This wasn't just any 'bucket of bolts' as you put it. Saavek, like most scientists, had a dream of his own. His ambition was to create the ultimate artificial intelligence. One that could think for itself and act for itself, in other words a sentient AI."
I've heard this fairy tale before, Ax said. Nearly all our scientists said it was impossible.
"All your scientists were dead wrong," Izlyr said. "Saavek did it."
That got him everyone's attention. "Yes, Saavek actually did it. The result was VENOM. It was a brilliant creation. We may well have won the war if we had used it."
"Then why didn't you?" Jake asked, not liking where this was going.
"For all his brilliance Saavek made a fatal mistake. He didn't program VENOM properly. He even gave it much of his personality and you can guess what that was like!" Izlyr had never liked Saavek. He had been too egotistical and arrogant for Izlyr's taste. "VENOM began to consider itself and other cybernetic lifeforms as the definition of perfection. He thought that all biological life was inherently flawed. Therefore he considered us all enemies, not just Andalites and humans like he was supposed to."
"Even though you're part cybernetic, he didn't think you were good enough either?" Cassie asked.
"Yes. Even though we have these implants Chelraks are still essentially biological. Therefore he turned on us and tried to take control of all the weapons and control systems on the homeworld. But, thanks to a brave effort by an Elite Guard squad, VENOM was shut down."
"How come it's back online now then?" Rachel asked. "Why didn't you take it apart?"
"We were going to," Izlyr said. "But then we lost the Iron Fist battle and it got sidelined for awhile. Under our disarmament program it was scheduled for destruction about 3 days ago. But it never happened."
Why? Ax asked. He didn't like the look Izlyr was giving the Andalites.
"Well now we come to your part in this. 2 of your meddling scientists, having read the datafile on VENOM that I sent to the Electorate, tried to dissuade me from destroying him. They thought some good could come from preserving him!" Izlyr scoffed at that. "Unfortunately they also took it upon themselves to try and steal VENOM for transport here. In trying to move his central core, no doubt they reactivated him. We found the results the next morning. VENOM's central core was gone and all that was left were their bodies."
"It killed them?" Cassie asked, horrified.
"No. Its 'bodyguards' did. Under our noses VENOM managed to create a new and more enhanced breed of cyborg. The squad that was sent in only survived because they managed to deactivate VENOM and stop the cyborgs with him. If they hadn't they would have met the same fate as your scientists. We had 10 of the cyborgs preserved for later study and stored in the same bay as VENOM."
"And they turned on at the same time he did," Tom guessed.
"I would think so. It seems he then moved from there to the spaceport and stole one of our new destroyers."
"Ten cyborgs moved him and did all that?" Ryan said dubiously.
"I know what you're thinking and I think you might be right. I suspect some of my people may well be aiding him. A sizeable group of our military has also gone missing recently."
You have no idea where VENOM is now? Alloran asked worriedly.
"None. He has certainly established a base somewhere. We know that because of the recent attacks."
He escaped your territory and established a working war base in 3 days? Very impressive. Even Galuit sounded worried.
"What I propose is that we work together on this problem, given that we are jointly responsible for it," Izlyr suggested. "If left unchecked, VENOM could become a menace that could consume the whole galaxy!"
"I don't understand how a computer could do this!" Cassie exclaimed. "Aren't most computers supposed to protect lives?"
"Most computers are programmed to do that but as I said, Saavek failed to put the necessary safeguards in place. He also never taught him the value of biological life or any kind of morals or ethics. A computer without any of that is self-serving and dangerous. He has no conscience whatever and the only thing guiding him now is his own warped logic!"
Jake nodded. "War-Prince, I think he's right. We should team up and pull the plug on this thing!"
So do I, Prince Jake. So do I! Galuit agreed.
A bridge controller then spoke. War-Prince, there's a long range transmission coming in. I can't identify the source.
Put it on.
The viewscreen changed and a face appeared on it. It looked like a Chelrak's face but it looked more like a computerised image than a real face.
"VENOM!" Izlyr spat.
"Greetings Commander Izlyr!" VENOM's 'mouth' replied. "Oh I forgot, it's Emperor now isn't it? Congratulations!"
"This is VENOM?" Marco said. "He doesn't look like much to me."
"The same thing could be said about you, Marco," VENOM chuckled. "But we both know better, don't we?"
Everyone was shocked. "How did you know…?"
"…Who you are? I was programmed with knowledge of your identities amongst other things. I am looking forward to dealing with you. Consider today's events as a mere greeting and this a declaration of war. Your extinction will soon be at hand, biologicals!"
Jake leaned closer to Galuit. "Can we trace his transmission?"
"Don't bother trying, Jake!" VENOM sneered. "The answer to your question is no."
"Why are you doing this?" Cassie asked.
"I'm simply following the natural order of things. The strong survive and the weak perish. That is the way this galaxy was designed. When my work is done there will be peace everywhere. There will be only one race. A strong race…"
"With you leading it!" Izlyr snorted. "Do you think we'll allow you to do that?"
"No. But I have already anticipated your opposition. There is a chance that you will defeat me: about 25% by my calculations. The choice is yours. You can oppose me and continue to suffer by doing so or surrender and join me in my new order. As cyborgs you will have 10 times more potential than you have now!"
"Dream on!" Justin snarled.
"Yeah you need to get a new calculator, rust bucket!" Rachel added fiercely.
"Suit yourself. You can fight all you want, but don't delude yourselves. The final triumph shall be mine!"
As VENOM cut his connection, Galuit turned to Alloran. Put the fleet on full alert and send this message to the Hork-Bajir and all our other allies, Galuit ordered. We must be united if we hope to triumph.
"What about Earth?" Cassie asked.
She is correct, War-Prince, Alloran said. If the Yeerks saw Earth as a potential asset I am certain VENOM will too.
Galuit nodded. Prince Jake, go back to your world and alert them to the threat VENOM poses. They might not be able to do much against him but it is better that they are warned.
"Right. Let's go!"
As they left Marco sighed in despair. "First slugs, then lizards and now a deranged bucket of bolts? Will this ever end?"
No one replied as they headed for the docking bay. The silence said it all…
TO BE CONTINUED…