Disclaimer: I don't own Animorphs at all. KAA does. You knew that, right? Because if you thought I owned it, we need to have a talk.
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Definition: This starts shortly after #34.
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The Nothlit Files
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Compiled by The Drode
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My name is Rachel, and I guess it's all my fault. I blew the mission. Okay. Technically it wasn't a mission. Technically, we shouldn't have done it at all. But that doesn't matter. Nothing really matters anymore. Not for me.
I'll bet you think you know what's going on. I'll bet you think that I've been infested. That a Yeerk, one of the sluglike aliens that are invading our planet, has slithered through my ear, wrapped itself around my brain, and is now watching my every thought and controlling my every action.
Nope. That's not what happened. Let me go back to the beginning. Back to when I had a life.
Cassie and I were walking through the pasture below her barn. I was slowly destroying a weed as I listened to her. She was talking, her eyes fixed on the ground, mouth twisted in a frown.
What a beautiful day to ruin my life.
"I don't know," Cassie sighed. "I mean, yes, I should go to this picnic. It's a tradition. But I don't think Mom and Dad understand how badly I want to see Edda Norrington."
"Okay, I still don't get what the big deal with Edda Norrington is," I said. "I mean, yes, she works with animals. But you've been each of the animals she's worked with, Cassie!"
She shook her head. "Not even close. She's been all over the world. She's an expert on everything from deep sea anglerfish to arctic terns! And do you know how many nature preserves she's founded?"
"Twenty-three. You told me."
"What better use for a couple million dollars than that? I mean, most people would have used it on something totally selfish." She stopped, and toed a dirt clod. "And she's going to be here tomorrow!"
"So explain it to your mom and dad. They'll understand."
"Rachel, we've been having this annual picnic since I can remember. They'd have a heart attack and die if they knew I was trying to skimp out of it. Mom is almost as much of an Edda fan as I am, but she's setting that aside for this picnic. It's that important."
"Oh. So, you basically need to be in two places at once."
"Basically," she mumbled.
"Hey, I know!" I said. "Why don't you get the Chee to cover for you?"
She shook her head. "No good. It's not important enough. They lead lives of their own. They can't impersonate us unless it's something really big."
"You asked?"
"I asked."
I bit my lip. And that's when the idea came. I don't know where it came from. Hell, I guess. "Okay," I said. "So how about I cover for you?"
She looked up. "How?"
"Do you trust me with your DNA?" I asked.
Her eyes got wide. "Rachel . . ."
"I know, I know, I know," I said. "Jake wouldn't approve. But this is really important to you, and it's not like we're going anywhere dangerous!"
"But . . ."
"I've been your best friend forever. I can impersonate you for a day. This is Edda Norrington we're talking about here."
I could see the wheels turning. She knew what I was thinking. It would be perfectly simple for me to morph her and go to the family picnic for her. Meanwhile, she could go off and see Edda Norrington. I could see her waffling on the brink of indecision.
"C'mon. Are there trees near your picnic spot that I can demorph in?"
"Yes . . ." she said tentatively.
"Then no problem," I said. "We're gold. I'll say I'm hanging out with you for the day. You and I make the switch early in the morning. You come back that night. Hey, presto, we both had fun, made your parents happy, and didn't even endanger our lives doing it!"
I had convinced her. I could see it in her eyes. She smiled. "Rachel, you're crazy. We can't do this."
"Sure we can. I'll meet you at five o'clock tomorrow morning. Have some suitably awful outfit ready, or I'll dress nice and your family will know you're gone."
"If Jake finds out . . ."
"He won't find out, you goofball."
Her smile broadened. "Thanks, Rachel!"
"No problem."
No problem. Hah. Right.
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Definition: This starts shortly after #34.
.
.
.
.
The Nothlit Files
.
Compiled by The Drode
.
.
.
.
My name is Rachel, and I guess it's all my fault. I blew the mission. Okay. Technically it wasn't a mission. Technically, we shouldn't have done it at all. But that doesn't matter. Nothing really matters anymore. Not for me.
I'll bet you think you know what's going on. I'll bet you think that I've been infested. That a Yeerk, one of the sluglike aliens that are invading our planet, has slithered through my ear, wrapped itself around my brain, and is now watching my every thought and controlling my every action.
Nope. That's not what happened. Let me go back to the beginning. Back to when I had a life.
Cassie and I were walking through the pasture below her barn. I was slowly destroying a weed as I listened to her. She was talking, her eyes fixed on the ground, mouth twisted in a frown.
What a beautiful day to ruin my life.
"I don't know," Cassie sighed. "I mean, yes, I should go to this picnic. It's a tradition. But I don't think Mom and Dad understand how badly I want to see Edda Norrington."
"Okay, I still don't get what the big deal with Edda Norrington is," I said. "I mean, yes, she works with animals. But you've been each of the animals she's worked with, Cassie!"
She shook her head. "Not even close. She's been all over the world. She's an expert on everything from deep sea anglerfish to arctic terns! And do you know how many nature preserves she's founded?"
"Twenty-three. You told me."
"What better use for a couple million dollars than that? I mean, most people would have used it on something totally selfish." She stopped, and toed a dirt clod. "And she's going to be here tomorrow!"
"So explain it to your mom and dad. They'll understand."
"Rachel, we've been having this annual picnic since I can remember. They'd have a heart attack and die if they knew I was trying to skimp out of it. Mom is almost as much of an Edda fan as I am, but she's setting that aside for this picnic. It's that important."
"Oh. So, you basically need to be in two places at once."
"Basically," she mumbled.
"Hey, I know!" I said. "Why don't you get the Chee to cover for you?"
She shook her head. "No good. It's not important enough. They lead lives of their own. They can't impersonate us unless it's something really big."
"You asked?"
"I asked."
I bit my lip. And that's when the idea came. I don't know where it came from. Hell, I guess. "Okay," I said. "So how about I cover for you?"
She looked up. "How?"
"Do you trust me with your DNA?" I asked.
Her eyes got wide. "Rachel . . ."
"I know, I know, I know," I said. "Jake wouldn't approve. But this is really important to you, and it's not like we're going anywhere dangerous!"
"But . . ."
"I've been your best friend forever. I can impersonate you for a day. This is Edda Norrington we're talking about here."
I could see the wheels turning. She knew what I was thinking. It would be perfectly simple for me to morph her and go to the family picnic for her. Meanwhile, she could go off and see Edda Norrington. I could see her waffling on the brink of indecision.
"C'mon. Are there trees near your picnic spot that I can demorph in?"
"Yes . . ." she said tentatively.
"Then no problem," I said. "We're gold. I'll say I'm hanging out with you for the day. You and I make the switch early in the morning. You come back that night. Hey, presto, we both had fun, made your parents happy, and didn't even endanger our lives doing it!"
I had convinced her. I could see it in her eyes. She smiled. "Rachel, you're crazy. We can't do this."
"Sure we can. I'll meet you at five o'clock tomorrow morning. Have some suitably awful outfit ready, or I'll dress nice and your family will know you're gone."
"If Jake finds out . . ."
"He won't find out, you goofball."
Her smile broadened. "Thanks, Rachel!"
"No problem."
No problem. Hah. Right.