The Nightmare
Chapter 1
I sprung to my feet.
Sweat was streaming down my face. I looked around.
Darkness.
Danger!
I opened my mouth to roar my defiance. Out came a loud scream.
What?
I sharpened my eyes.
Darkness.
Yes, darkness.
I had human eyes.
Human. I was human. I felt my hands and face, my entire body. No fur. No tail. No claws. The floor was cold under my bare feet.
I listened. No sounds. No Hork-Bajir.
I felt my throat.
It was whole. In one piece.
I twisted to the side to meet this new attacker, and felt a Hork-Bajir foot-blade slice into the side of my throat. Not too deep. Not immediately deadly. But I would need to demorph fast... no. No time. I had to…
I shuddered. The dream came back to me. Or at least a piece of it.
The same dream as the night before. And the night before that. I knew it. Exactly the same. But I could just remember that piece…
It haunted me through my days. That part of a dream. A harmless nightmare.
I turned my lamp on. I walked up to my window, and opened it. The cold air blew in, blessing my face with the sweet feel of night. I stood there, catching my breath. Letting my heart slow down again. Trying to get rid of the clutching feeling in my stomach. Trying to escape the horror of my nightmare.
Then I silently walked over to my phone. I picked up the receiver with shaking hands, and dialed a number.
The signal went through. I waited for someone to answer.
"Hello?" a tired voice said.
"Cassie?" I asked. "Is that you?"
"Yeah," she replied, yawning. "It's me, Jake. What is it?"
"I just realized I missed some studying yesterday," I said. "Can you fill me in on the contents of the math test?"
"Jake, it's barely midnight," Cassie complained. "Tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," I said. I hoped she was awake enough to get my clue. "I'll come by early. You can show me that owl you were talking about. The one you found in the construction site."
"Whatever," Cassie said. "Can I go back to sleep now?"
"Sure."
"See you."
I puffed up my pillows and made it look as if I was asleep. I made sure no-one was awake, especially checking my brother Tom.
Tom is one of them. The enemy.
I went back to my room on my toes. I sat down in the open window. I began morphing the owl.
I welcomed the changes. The eyes. The ears. The cold confidence of a predator mind. The feeling of total freedom, as I soared away from my window, aiming for the construction site.
I circled around silently on my beautiful wings as I waited for Cassie. I tried to get the dream out of my head.
But it haunted me. It kept returning, that fragment of a dream, that only clue to what was happening during the rest of the nightmare. I knew nothing of the other parts, except that they were horrible. I could feel it in my bones; I didn't want to know.
It all scared me.
Jake?
The familiar voice startled me, caught up in my thoughts as I was. I steadied myself, rearranging the multitudes of feathers that kept me on course, and motioned towards the ground with one wing.
The area was safe. I had checked it, again and again.
We landed.
We demorphed.
Cassie must have seen the worry on my face. The worry I had managed to hide before, but not any more.
"What's wrong?" she demanded. "Tell me."
"I've been having a nightmare," I mumbled.
"We all have nightmares," she said. She took my hand. "I have them. Marco has them. Tobias has them, and Ax too. Even Rachel has them."
"Not like this one," I said. "This one makes me cold. I've had it three times now, Cassie, and each time… well, it scares me."
"Don't worry about it. It's just a figment of your imagination."
"No!" I cried sharply, surprising myself. Then I added, hopefully more calmly: "No. Not just my imagination. This is different."
"In what way?" she asked. Her eyes focused on mine.
Before me, motionless on the ground… oh god. Her eyes stared up at me. Her dead, cold eyes. Dead. Cold. Dead!
"In what way?" she repeated. I shook the horrible picture away.
"It feels so real. I wake up, and… I'm still in the dream. I'm still terrified. I'm still… I don't know. I just don't know."
Cassie told me to ignore it. It would go away. She was right, of course. It would disappear, eventually. The question was when.
She put her arm around me, kissed my cheek and began humming a sweet tune.
Pearls mean nothing,
Tears of joy, Treasure the moments,
Treasure the past, Pearls of joy,
Tears mean nothing, If your heart keeps true.
The words reached my ears. But they didn't comfort me. There was something frighteningly familiar about the tune…
Chapter 2
There was really nothing to do about it. I went to school for the last days before the summer vacation. Everything happened in a fog. Days passed and afterwards I couldn't keep them order.
I couldn't sleep.
Every time I tried, I woke up terrified and sweating, the dream biting at my haunches as I tired to somehow escape it.
Cassie worried about me. Marco seemed almost frightened. Every time he tried to talk to me, somehow I brought up the dream. Now he was avoiding me. Rachel shrugged and said "It's just a dream". Ax insisted the same, and Tobias… well, who knew?
Just a week after school was out, we heard about the Yeerk mass-infestation plans. Erek told us about them, in great detail. The underground network designed for one thing; trapping humans and infesting them in fast passes. Catching people in the mall, herding them into the network, and infesting them quickly before letting them out again.
As Controllers.
It had to be stopped. We, helped by Erek's hologramic map of the network, came up with a plan.
It ended up with us entering the network, of course. We planned it for the next Saturday, just before Sunday when the network was supposed to be brought into use.
It was just another mission. Another facing-death, barely-escaping combat situation. So why were my insides churning violently at the mere thought?
Maybe because I had a terrible déjà vu feeling.
And as I morphed the well-known fly and watched my friends go through the same changes the feeling grew stronger.
We followed the human-Controller in charge of the network by hitching a ride on his shoe. We'd have to find a way out later, of course, (or make one) but that problem for that day. Right now we were doing one of Rachel's favorite things; smashing Yeerk plans.
The plan was to find and disable the Yeerk pools in the network. Thereby making it impossible to keep Yeerks down there for longer periods. Maybe we'd even find the control room and keep it all simple… by destroying from the inside. Activating a bomb or something to make the network blow up in the Yeerk's faces.
As soon as we were in, we bailed from the shoe.
Okay, Rachel said. When do we start smashing things?
Patience, Marco instructed. Patience, or great human-slash-bulldozer. You will be set free to ravage in time.
Marco, Rachel sighed. Marco, Marco, Marco. Shut. Up!
I think we can find a place to demorph and remorph not far ahead and to the right, Ax said. According to Erek's map, we should be able to turn to the right about two of your meters ahead.
They're everyone's meters, Ax, Marco reminded him. Not just "ours". They are "yours" also.
I seem to remember the Andalite measuring system being slightly different from your, Marco, Ax said. Your meters are very out of length compared to our adhis.
"Your" adhis? Ax, we've been over this again and again. They are everyone's adhis, not just yours. They're mine too. And Cassie's. And Jake's. And everyone else's.
Am I correct to suspect that you are in fact enjoying this discussion, Marco?
Yes. Yes, I suppose so.
By that time we had flown the two meters. We turned right, and Ax led us to the safe room where we could demorph without risking anyone entering.
We demorphed. We quickly went over the plan. And we morphed.
I felt the strength of the tiger seeping into me. Strength I needed more than ever. I felt the incredible power.
The confidence. I needed that confidence. My own was shattered at my feet, without any reason.
You ready? I asked.
It's butt-kicking time! Rachel said, laughing evilly. Her elephant trunk waved through the air.
I think I just signed my own death-certificate but, yeah, I'm ready, Marco said.
Let's get this over with, Cassie said. Her wolf ears were flickering with uncertainty. My own uncertainty was rubbing of, it seemed.
I am ready, Prince Jake, Ax said.
Ax-man, one more time; don't call him Prince, Tobias said, stealing my comment. Tobias had no lift in the still air down in the network, and had morphed a Hork-Bajir. I'm ready to go, too.
We exited the room, trying not to look like a zoo on the move. There was one more thing which made me unsettled; it was too easy.
There were no guards. No security. No nothing. Nobody tried to stop us. Nobody even came near us.
The tunnel was not dark to my tiger eyes. A human could easily have seen enough to avoid walking into others and things, but not much more. Not many details, only shapes. My tiger eyes saw everything as if it was in bright daylight. So walking was no problem, and battling wouldn't be either.
We continued along our route, guided by Ax who had memorized the map. We turned another turn.
Are we there yet? Marco asked.
That's right, Marco, Rachel said. Do your "little-kid-in-the-backseat " impression. But wait. That is an impression, right?
We are entering the tunnel which is filled with traps, Ax warned us. At the end of this tunnel we will find the first pool. If we reach it. I suggest great caution.
Everyone walked a little more tensely after that. I was in the lead. Cassie was behind me. Then Marco and Rachel, with Tobias walking right after. Ax was last, keeping two stalk-eyes watching our backs.
You said traps, right? Cassie asked. Do you know what type?
Yes, Ax said. Trap doors, poisonous arrows shooting out of the walls, dracon beams, hidden rooms… everything the Yeerks could imagine.
So everything unpleasant. That's nice to know. Marco, of course.
Yes, that would very well - aaah!
Ax!? five voices called, alarmed.
I spun around. We all did. And we were faced by the same scene; Ax was gone.
I believe I found a trap door, Ax's thought-speech voice called… equipped with that annoying calm of his.
Got that right, pal, Marco said. His gorilla eyes were focused, trying to see any traces of the trap. Where are you? You okay?
I fell through the floor. I landed on a platform. I am unharmed. But there seems to be a gas down here. It is causing me to feel confused.
Gas? Describe it, Cassie ordered. She was at the place Ax had disappeared, sniffing the air with her very sensitive wolf nose.
It is sweet and oily, Ax said. His voice seemed further away now. But highly unpleasant. I believe I am loosing consciousness. And this platform is descending. Prince Jake, I think… this… this gas…
Hang on, Ax, I called. Rachel, see if you can stomp that trap door open.
Rachel did. She stomped. She stomped bad. I mean, she raised on her hind legs and smashed her entire tonnage down hard. And for a full-grown male African elephant, that means crushing-trucks hard. Falling-house hard.
But the trap door didn't budge.
Ax, we can't open this thing! Rachel cried in frustration, trying again. She stomped. She smashed. She trumpeted in aggravation and smashed again.
There was no reply from the Ax-man.
Ax!
No reply.
The gas Ax described… Cassie started, seemingly unwilling to continue. I know that gas. I caught sniffs of it up here, too. She paused, before she added; It would have taken him out by now.
Ax is caught? Tobias said darkly. Then he answered his own question; Yep. Ax is caught. The Yeerks know we are here.
Walk carefully, I instructed. Keep close. We're going to find a way to get Ax out, and that means no-one else has permission to get caught. Get it? Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets caught.
We continued, forwarding cautiously in a tight cluster. Cassie trotting close to my left flank, and Rachel's massive feet stomping down only centimeters behind me. Marco knuckle-walked in front, my nose almost touching his back. Tobias held one massive Hork-Bajir hand on Rachel's shoulder, his blades swishing as he moved.
There is a turn up here, Marco said. Are we supposed to turn here?
Yes, Tobias confirmed. Ax would know, but… Ax isn't here. But I'm pretty sure we're supposed to turn right somewhere soon.
Okay, Marco said. I'm entering the tunnel first, to see if it's safe.
Marco knuckled his way up in front. He disappeared behind the curve, into the tunnel.
BANG!
A door closed behind him.
Chapter 3
What? Marco roared.
BANG!
That second "bang" was Marco attacking the door.
Hey! This isn't fair!
Step aside, Rachel ordered. She launched herself forward. She slammed shoulder-first into the door with all her might.
BANG!
A small buckle appeared.
Rachel turned, trumpeted angrily, aimed, and slammed again. And, yeah, that's right; she slammed with a great big huge capital "S". She slammed with all her might.
BANG!
The buckle grew larger.
Hey, I'm catching scent of a gas in here, Marco reported.
Don't breath in that gas! Cassie warned.
BANG!
Rachel slammed.
Marco? I called. Hold on. This door can't hold much longer.
It better not, Marco agreed. I can't hold my breath forever. I better sit down. He seemed to be finished, but then he said;Whoa! There's… someone in here!
Rachel aimed. She shook her head to the side in frustration, launched forward and slammed.
BANG!
Who's in there?
I… I don't know… there's more… more than…. What? More than one… but…
Rachel, hurry! Cassie urged.
I should have been rhino! I told myself. Rhino! That would have been perfect!
Rachel aimed. She sprung forwards. She slammed.
The door gave up. A gap appeared.
Just large enough for Rachel's trunk to squeeze in and grab hold. She did. And then she pulled.
RH-RRIIIP!
The gap widened. The gas is coming out! Rachel warned. And it stinks!
Tobias hurried forwards. He grabbed the edge of the gap. He strained his Hork-Bajir body and helped Rachel pull. The gap grew, millimeter by millimeter.
Too slow!
Marco! Move towards the door! I called.
No reply.
Marco!
Cassie pushed past Tobias and pressed her wolf head into the gap. The Hork-Bajir and the elephant kept pulling.
After what seemed like a year, Cassie managed to struggle through the gap.
There's no-one here! she informed us. I can't sniff too much, for the gas, but two Hork-Bajir and a Taxxon were here. They dragged Marco away through a door over there… I'm coming out again. Move.
Rachel and Tobias stepped aside. Cassie leapt gracefully out through the by then more than wide enough gap.
Let's go, Cassie said. This gas can take us all out in time, even if it's spread out a lot.
It'll take a lot of gas to get an elephant to faint, Rachel growled.
Yeah, it will, but we're not risking it, I said. Move.
We moved - fast. Cassie flanked me, and Rachel and Tobias ran side by side behind us. We continued for hundreds of meters forwards. Then we took a right turn.
We were out of the tunnel of traps. We stopped to think. I sat down, panting. A tiger is not a distance runner.
Rachel angrily swung her trunk from side to side. She filled up the entire tunnel with her width, so Tobias was behind her, and me and Cassie in front.
This isn't going too well, Cassie said. We've got both Marco and Ax gone, and we haven't even destroyed a single pool yet.
Let me go loose on this silly place, Rachel growled. Let me stomp! Let me demolish! Just tell me where Mr Top Yeerk is and I'll…
We don't know where he is, I reminded her. Right now we get those pools. At least one. From there it should be easier to find some kind of base where Ax and Marco are being kept.
Then can I stomp?!
Sure. Then you can stomp everything in sight. I promise.
I smell someone! Cassie warned us. She sniffed again. Or something… behind Rachel…
I sprung up to my feet again.
Tobias! Rachel cried out.
I'm here! Tobias replied. To my great relief. So are a bunch of Hork-Bajir. My relief dissolved. And they don't look friendly.
Rachel tried backing up. Then she let loose a tremendous roar. Let me past!
What's wrong? I demanded.
There's a force field behind me! Rachel raged. I can't get past! Then she called out; Tobias!
Yeah, Rachel, I'm still here!
Tobias! I can't get past this cursed force field! Rachel called.
And for Cassie's and my part, we couldn't get past Rachel.
Bad tactics, I thought. Shouldn't have let Tobias be alone on his side of Rachel. Shouldn't have…
I know, Tobias answered. And, Jake? I really, really don't like this.
What can we do? Cassie asked.
Nothing, I told her darkly.
I'm surrounded here, Tobias informed us. They've got dracon guns.
I got an idea.
Make them shoot the force field!
It just might, might work.
It's worth a shot, Tobias agreed.
A second of silence. Then…
Tseeew!
BZZZ-IIP!
The dracon beam hit the force field. There was a short flash of light. The ground rumbled slightly.
But the force field was still there.
You guys go on, Tobias called. Leave me. I don't have any way out of here.
Don't play hero! I snapped. There is a way to fix this!
Rachel tired to back up again. Suddenly, the force field was gone. Rachel had a look of triumph, just before…
TWZIP!
Aaah!
Rachel fell. Her enormous bulk covered that end of the tunnel.
Rachel! Tobias cried.
TWZIP!
The sound came again.
TWZIP!
What happened to Rachel? Cassie called.
It sounded like an arrow, I said. Tobias?
No reply.
TOBIAS!? Cassie cried.
No reply again.
Oh, no… Cassie moaned. No…
Cassie leaped up, towards Rachel, and slammed into air. Actually, another force field, this one invisible, but it looked like air. She fell, scrambled to her feet, and looked at me.
She was scared. She was trembling. And she looked at me for help.
But I was scared, too. I was terrified.
Jake, she whispered. What do we do?
I could have told her everything was under control. I could have calmed her, I could have assured her that I knew exactly what to do, how to save the others, and how to keep safe.
I could have told her we get out of there. We run, we find an exit, and we leave. Yeah, we leave - leaving Rachel, Tobias, Ax and Marco stuck down there.
I could also have said anything else.
But I would have been lying - to myself and her.
I didn't know what to do. So I did the only thing I could do.
Keep close, I instructed. If they separate us as well, then we're done for. But right now, we need to find a pool and destroy it.
We're leaving Rachel, right? Cassie said, walking up to me with short, fast steps. And Tobias. We can't help them, right?
Not right now, I said. But soon.
I cast one glance at the motionless hulk of the unconscious Rachel.
Then I began running away. Cassie ran next to me.
Running away felt good.
I ran into a dark tunnel. The tunnel grew darker, darker, until even my tiger eyes barely could see anything.
I could see the shadow of a wolf, running tirelessly, so close to my side that I could feel her shoulder brushing past my leg for every step. Her breathing came easier than mine. I was panting, exhausting my tiger body. The wolf didn't know exhaustion.
I kept running. I had no clue where, I didn't know how far, but I kept running.
She trusted me. She trusted me blindly. They all had, and I had failed them. I had failed them. I had… I couldn't fail her. Not Cassie. No matter the price, the cost, I could never fail Cassie.
I glanced at her. I thought about how much I loved her.
And saw as the floor opened to swallow her.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Author's note:
Hehehe. I just HAD TO split the story up there... it's just too perfect. What happens? You'll have to read for yourselves. The next chapters are up...
Chapter 1
I sprung to my feet.
Sweat was streaming down my face. I looked around.
Darkness.
Danger!
I opened my mouth to roar my defiance. Out came a loud scream.
What?
I sharpened my eyes.
Darkness.
Yes, darkness.
I had human eyes.
Human. I was human. I felt my hands and face, my entire body. No fur. No tail. No claws. The floor was cold under my bare feet.
I listened. No sounds. No Hork-Bajir.
I felt my throat.
It was whole. In one piece.
I twisted to the side to meet this new attacker, and felt a Hork-Bajir foot-blade slice into the side of my throat. Not too deep. Not immediately deadly. But I would need to demorph fast... no. No time. I had to…
I shuddered. The dream came back to me. Or at least a piece of it.
The same dream as the night before. And the night before that. I knew it. Exactly the same. But I could just remember that piece…
It haunted me through my days. That part of a dream. A harmless nightmare.
I turned my lamp on. I walked up to my window, and opened it. The cold air blew in, blessing my face with the sweet feel of night. I stood there, catching my breath. Letting my heart slow down again. Trying to get rid of the clutching feeling in my stomach. Trying to escape the horror of my nightmare.
Then I silently walked over to my phone. I picked up the receiver with shaking hands, and dialed a number.
The signal went through. I waited for someone to answer.
"Hello?" a tired voice said.
"Cassie?" I asked. "Is that you?"
"Yeah," she replied, yawning. "It's me, Jake. What is it?"
"I just realized I missed some studying yesterday," I said. "Can you fill me in on the contents of the math test?"
"Jake, it's barely midnight," Cassie complained. "Tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," I said. I hoped she was awake enough to get my clue. "I'll come by early. You can show me that owl you were talking about. The one you found in the construction site."
"Whatever," Cassie said. "Can I go back to sleep now?"
"Sure."
"See you."
I puffed up my pillows and made it look as if I was asleep. I made sure no-one was awake, especially checking my brother Tom.
Tom is one of them. The enemy.
I went back to my room on my toes. I sat down in the open window. I began morphing the owl.
I welcomed the changes. The eyes. The ears. The cold confidence of a predator mind. The feeling of total freedom, as I soared away from my window, aiming for the construction site.
I circled around silently on my beautiful wings as I waited for Cassie. I tried to get the dream out of my head.
But it haunted me. It kept returning, that fragment of a dream, that only clue to what was happening during the rest of the nightmare. I knew nothing of the other parts, except that they were horrible. I could feel it in my bones; I didn't want to know.
It all scared me.
Jake?
The familiar voice startled me, caught up in my thoughts as I was. I steadied myself, rearranging the multitudes of feathers that kept me on course, and motioned towards the ground with one wing.
The area was safe. I had checked it, again and again.
We landed.
We demorphed.
Cassie must have seen the worry on my face. The worry I had managed to hide before, but not any more.
"What's wrong?" she demanded. "Tell me."
"I've been having a nightmare," I mumbled.
"We all have nightmares," she said. She took my hand. "I have them. Marco has them. Tobias has them, and Ax too. Even Rachel has them."
"Not like this one," I said. "This one makes me cold. I've had it three times now, Cassie, and each time… well, it scares me."
"Don't worry about it. It's just a figment of your imagination."
"No!" I cried sharply, surprising myself. Then I added, hopefully more calmly: "No. Not just my imagination. This is different."
"In what way?" she asked. Her eyes focused on mine.
Before me, motionless on the ground… oh god. Her eyes stared up at me. Her dead, cold eyes. Dead. Cold. Dead!
"In what way?" she repeated. I shook the horrible picture away.
"It feels so real. I wake up, and… I'm still in the dream. I'm still terrified. I'm still… I don't know. I just don't know."
Cassie told me to ignore it. It would go away. She was right, of course. It would disappear, eventually. The question was when.
She put her arm around me, kissed my cheek and began humming a sweet tune.
Pearls mean nothing,
Tears of joy, Treasure the moments,
Treasure the past, Pearls of joy,
Tears mean nothing, If your heart keeps true.
The words reached my ears. But they didn't comfort me. There was something frighteningly familiar about the tune…
Chapter 2
There was really nothing to do about it. I went to school for the last days before the summer vacation. Everything happened in a fog. Days passed and afterwards I couldn't keep them order.
I couldn't sleep.
Every time I tried, I woke up terrified and sweating, the dream biting at my haunches as I tired to somehow escape it.
Cassie worried about me. Marco seemed almost frightened. Every time he tried to talk to me, somehow I brought up the dream. Now he was avoiding me. Rachel shrugged and said "It's just a dream". Ax insisted the same, and Tobias… well, who knew?
Just a week after school was out, we heard about the Yeerk mass-infestation plans. Erek told us about them, in great detail. The underground network designed for one thing; trapping humans and infesting them in fast passes. Catching people in the mall, herding them into the network, and infesting them quickly before letting them out again.
As Controllers.
It had to be stopped. We, helped by Erek's hologramic map of the network, came up with a plan.
It ended up with us entering the network, of course. We planned it for the next Saturday, just before Sunday when the network was supposed to be brought into use.
It was just another mission. Another facing-death, barely-escaping combat situation. So why were my insides churning violently at the mere thought?
Maybe because I had a terrible déjà vu feeling.
And as I morphed the well-known fly and watched my friends go through the same changes the feeling grew stronger.
We followed the human-Controller in charge of the network by hitching a ride on his shoe. We'd have to find a way out later, of course, (or make one) but that problem for that day. Right now we were doing one of Rachel's favorite things; smashing Yeerk plans.
The plan was to find and disable the Yeerk pools in the network. Thereby making it impossible to keep Yeerks down there for longer periods. Maybe we'd even find the control room and keep it all simple… by destroying from the inside. Activating a bomb or something to make the network blow up in the Yeerk's faces.
As soon as we were in, we bailed from the shoe.
Okay, Rachel said. When do we start smashing things?
Patience, Marco instructed. Patience, or great human-slash-bulldozer. You will be set free to ravage in time.
Marco, Rachel sighed. Marco, Marco, Marco. Shut. Up!
I think we can find a place to demorph and remorph not far ahead and to the right, Ax said. According to Erek's map, we should be able to turn to the right about two of your meters ahead.
They're everyone's meters, Ax, Marco reminded him. Not just "ours". They are "yours" also.
I seem to remember the Andalite measuring system being slightly different from your, Marco, Ax said. Your meters are very out of length compared to our adhis.
"Your" adhis? Ax, we've been over this again and again. They are everyone's adhis, not just yours. They're mine too. And Cassie's. And Jake's. And everyone else's.
Am I correct to suspect that you are in fact enjoying this discussion, Marco?
Yes. Yes, I suppose so.
By that time we had flown the two meters. We turned right, and Ax led us to the safe room where we could demorph without risking anyone entering.
We demorphed. We quickly went over the plan. And we morphed.
I felt the strength of the tiger seeping into me. Strength I needed more than ever. I felt the incredible power.
The confidence. I needed that confidence. My own was shattered at my feet, without any reason.
You ready? I asked.
It's butt-kicking time! Rachel said, laughing evilly. Her elephant trunk waved through the air.
I think I just signed my own death-certificate but, yeah, I'm ready, Marco said.
Let's get this over with, Cassie said. Her wolf ears were flickering with uncertainty. My own uncertainty was rubbing of, it seemed.
I am ready, Prince Jake, Ax said.
Ax-man, one more time; don't call him Prince, Tobias said, stealing my comment. Tobias had no lift in the still air down in the network, and had morphed a Hork-Bajir. I'm ready to go, too.
We exited the room, trying not to look like a zoo on the move. There was one more thing which made me unsettled; it was too easy.
There were no guards. No security. No nothing. Nobody tried to stop us. Nobody even came near us.
The tunnel was not dark to my tiger eyes. A human could easily have seen enough to avoid walking into others and things, but not much more. Not many details, only shapes. My tiger eyes saw everything as if it was in bright daylight. So walking was no problem, and battling wouldn't be either.
We continued along our route, guided by Ax who had memorized the map. We turned another turn.
Are we there yet? Marco asked.
That's right, Marco, Rachel said. Do your "little-kid-in-the-backseat " impression. But wait. That is an impression, right?
We are entering the tunnel which is filled with traps, Ax warned us. At the end of this tunnel we will find the first pool. If we reach it. I suggest great caution.
Everyone walked a little more tensely after that. I was in the lead. Cassie was behind me. Then Marco and Rachel, with Tobias walking right after. Ax was last, keeping two stalk-eyes watching our backs.
You said traps, right? Cassie asked. Do you know what type?
Yes, Ax said. Trap doors, poisonous arrows shooting out of the walls, dracon beams, hidden rooms… everything the Yeerks could imagine.
So everything unpleasant. That's nice to know. Marco, of course.
Yes, that would very well - aaah!
Ax!? five voices called, alarmed.
I spun around. We all did. And we were faced by the same scene; Ax was gone.
I believe I found a trap door, Ax's thought-speech voice called… equipped with that annoying calm of his.
Got that right, pal, Marco said. His gorilla eyes were focused, trying to see any traces of the trap. Where are you? You okay?
I fell through the floor. I landed on a platform. I am unharmed. But there seems to be a gas down here. It is causing me to feel confused.
Gas? Describe it, Cassie ordered. She was at the place Ax had disappeared, sniffing the air with her very sensitive wolf nose.
It is sweet and oily, Ax said. His voice seemed further away now. But highly unpleasant. I believe I am loosing consciousness. And this platform is descending. Prince Jake, I think… this… this gas…
Hang on, Ax, I called. Rachel, see if you can stomp that trap door open.
Rachel did. She stomped. She stomped bad. I mean, she raised on her hind legs and smashed her entire tonnage down hard. And for a full-grown male African elephant, that means crushing-trucks hard. Falling-house hard.
But the trap door didn't budge.
Ax, we can't open this thing! Rachel cried in frustration, trying again. She stomped. She smashed. She trumpeted in aggravation and smashed again.
There was no reply from the Ax-man.
Ax!
No reply.
The gas Ax described… Cassie started, seemingly unwilling to continue. I know that gas. I caught sniffs of it up here, too. She paused, before she added; It would have taken him out by now.
Ax is caught? Tobias said darkly. Then he answered his own question; Yep. Ax is caught. The Yeerks know we are here.
Walk carefully, I instructed. Keep close. We're going to find a way to get Ax out, and that means no-one else has permission to get caught. Get it? Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets caught.
We continued, forwarding cautiously in a tight cluster. Cassie trotting close to my left flank, and Rachel's massive feet stomping down only centimeters behind me. Marco knuckle-walked in front, my nose almost touching his back. Tobias held one massive Hork-Bajir hand on Rachel's shoulder, his blades swishing as he moved.
There is a turn up here, Marco said. Are we supposed to turn here?
Yes, Tobias confirmed. Ax would know, but… Ax isn't here. But I'm pretty sure we're supposed to turn right somewhere soon.
Okay, Marco said. I'm entering the tunnel first, to see if it's safe.
Marco knuckled his way up in front. He disappeared behind the curve, into the tunnel.
BANG!
A door closed behind him.
Chapter 3
What? Marco roared.
BANG!
That second "bang" was Marco attacking the door.
Hey! This isn't fair!
Step aside, Rachel ordered. She launched herself forward. She slammed shoulder-first into the door with all her might.
BANG!
A small buckle appeared.
Rachel turned, trumpeted angrily, aimed, and slammed again. And, yeah, that's right; she slammed with a great big huge capital "S". She slammed with all her might.
BANG!
The buckle grew larger.
Hey, I'm catching scent of a gas in here, Marco reported.
Don't breath in that gas! Cassie warned.
BANG!
Rachel slammed.
Marco? I called. Hold on. This door can't hold much longer.
It better not, Marco agreed. I can't hold my breath forever. I better sit down. He seemed to be finished, but then he said;Whoa! There's… someone in here!
Rachel aimed. She shook her head to the side in frustration, launched forward and slammed.
BANG!
Who's in there?
I… I don't know… there's more… more than…. What? More than one… but…
Rachel, hurry! Cassie urged.
I should have been rhino! I told myself. Rhino! That would have been perfect!
Rachel aimed. She sprung forwards. She slammed.
The door gave up. A gap appeared.
Just large enough for Rachel's trunk to squeeze in and grab hold. She did. And then she pulled.
RH-RRIIIP!
The gap widened. The gas is coming out! Rachel warned. And it stinks!
Tobias hurried forwards. He grabbed the edge of the gap. He strained his Hork-Bajir body and helped Rachel pull. The gap grew, millimeter by millimeter.
Too slow!
Marco! Move towards the door! I called.
No reply.
Marco!
Cassie pushed past Tobias and pressed her wolf head into the gap. The Hork-Bajir and the elephant kept pulling.
After what seemed like a year, Cassie managed to struggle through the gap.
There's no-one here! she informed us. I can't sniff too much, for the gas, but two Hork-Bajir and a Taxxon were here. They dragged Marco away through a door over there… I'm coming out again. Move.
Rachel and Tobias stepped aside. Cassie leapt gracefully out through the by then more than wide enough gap.
Let's go, Cassie said. This gas can take us all out in time, even if it's spread out a lot.
It'll take a lot of gas to get an elephant to faint, Rachel growled.
Yeah, it will, but we're not risking it, I said. Move.
We moved - fast. Cassie flanked me, and Rachel and Tobias ran side by side behind us. We continued for hundreds of meters forwards. Then we took a right turn.
We were out of the tunnel of traps. We stopped to think. I sat down, panting. A tiger is not a distance runner.
Rachel angrily swung her trunk from side to side. She filled up the entire tunnel with her width, so Tobias was behind her, and me and Cassie in front.
This isn't going too well, Cassie said. We've got both Marco and Ax gone, and we haven't even destroyed a single pool yet.
Let me go loose on this silly place, Rachel growled. Let me stomp! Let me demolish! Just tell me where Mr Top Yeerk is and I'll…
We don't know where he is, I reminded her. Right now we get those pools. At least one. From there it should be easier to find some kind of base where Ax and Marco are being kept.
Then can I stomp?!
Sure. Then you can stomp everything in sight. I promise.
I smell someone! Cassie warned us. She sniffed again. Or something… behind Rachel…
I sprung up to my feet again.
Tobias! Rachel cried out.
I'm here! Tobias replied. To my great relief. So are a bunch of Hork-Bajir. My relief dissolved. And they don't look friendly.
Rachel tried backing up. Then she let loose a tremendous roar. Let me past!
What's wrong? I demanded.
There's a force field behind me! Rachel raged. I can't get past! Then she called out; Tobias!
Yeah, Rachel, I'm still here!
Tobias! I can't get past this cursed force field! Rachel called.
And for Cassie's and my part, we couldn't get past Rachel.
Bad tactics, I thought. Shouldn't have let Tobias be alone on his side of Rachel. Shouldn't have…
I know, Tobias answered. And, Jake? I really, really don't like this.
What can we do? Cassie asked.
Nothing, I told her darkly.
I'm surrounded here, Tobias informed us. They've got dracon guns.
I got an idea.
Make them shoot the force field!
It just might, might work.
It's worth a shot, Tobias agreed.
A second of silence. Then…
Tseeew!
BZZZ-IIP!
The dracon beam hit the force field. There was a short flash of light. The ground rumbled slightly.
But the force field was still there.
You guys go on, Tobias called. Leave me. I don't have any way out of here.
Don't play hero! I snapped. There is a way to fix this!
Rachel tired to back up again. Suddenly, the force field was gone. Rachel had a look of triumph, just before…
TWZIP!
Aaah!
Rachel fell. Her enormous bulk covered that end of the tunnel.
Rachel! Tobias cried.
TWZIP!
The sound came again.
TWZIP!
What happened to Rachel? Cassie called.
It sounded like an arrow, I said. Tobias?
No reply.
TOBIAS!? Cassie cried.
No reply again.
Oh, no… Cassie moaned. No…
Cassie leaped up, towards Rachel, and slammed into air. Actually, another force field, this one invisible, but it looked like air. She fell, scrambled to her feet, and looked at me.
She was scared. She was trembling. And she looked at me for help.
But I was scared, too. I was terrified.
Jake, she whispered. What do we do?
I could have told her everything was under control. I could have calmed her, I could have assured her that I knew exactly what to do, how to save the others, and how to keep safe.
I could have told her we get out of there. We run, we find an exit, and we leave. Yeah, we leave - leaving Rachel, Tobias, Ax and Marco stuck down there.
I could also have said anything else.
But I would have been lying - to myself and her.
I didn't know what to do. So I did the only thing I could do.
Keep close, I instructed. If they separate us as well, then we're done for. But right now, we need to find a pool and destroy it.
We're leaving Rachel, right? Cassie said, walking up to me with short, fast steps. And Tobias. We can't help them, right?
Not right now, I said. But soon.
I cast one glance at the motionless hulk of the unconscious Rachel.
Then I began running away. Cassie ran next to me.
Running away felt good.
I ran into a dark tunnel. The tunnel grew darker, darker, until even my tiger eyes barely could see anything.
I could see the shadow of a wolf, running tirelessly, so close to my side that I could feel her shoulder brushing past my leg for every step. Her breathing came easier than mine. I was panting, exhausting my tiger body. The wolf didn't know exhaustion.
I kept running. I had no clue where, I didn't know how far, but I kept running.
She trusted me. She trusted me blindly. They all had, and I had failed them. I had failed them. I had… I couldn't fail her. Not Cassie. No matter the price, the cost, I could never fail Cassie.
I glanced at her. I thought about how much I loved her.
And saw as the floor opened to swallow her.
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Author's note:
Hehehe. I just HAD TO split the story up there... it's just too perfect. What happens? You'll have to read for yourselves. The next chapters are up...