"Oh great," Marco said. "We have a .1% of survival. Why don't we just all just jump off a really tall building instead?"
4 humans, one red tailed hawk, and one alien disguised as human were sitting in a barn. The Animorphs. They were discussing their mission and Ax had just calculated that they had about a 1 in 1000 chance of winning.
"Really?" Cassie looked up. "Only .1%?"
"Don't listen to him Cassie," Rachel said. "He did fail Algebra last year."
"Hey! I resent that. That's only because I swear Ms. Bassel is a Controller but none of you believed me."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Marco, if every teacher that failed you was a Controller, the entire Teacher's Union would be infested with Yeerks."
An interesting idea Rachel. said Tobias in thought speak. She smiled up at him.
"What is this Teacher's Union? Nion. Is it race we should be wary of?" Ax enquired. He had morphed human just in case Cassie's parents came into the barn.
"Yes Ax," Marco laughed. "Be afraid, be very afraid of the ominous Teacher's Union. They will suck your souls out and replace it with..." he paused dramatically. Ax leaned in eagerly. "KNOWLEDGE!!" Marco cried. Everyone laughed, even Jake.
"Human humor I assume." Ax said dryly
"No Ax, that's what we call "Marco Humor"," Rachel said. Marco stuck out his tongue at her.
"Ok people can we focus on the mission here?" Jake called, but he was still smiling too.
"What exactly is the mission?" Cassie asked. "I mean we know the basics but what else do we know?"
"Other then the fact that there's only a .1% of surviving." Marco grumbled.
"The mission," Jake interrupted, giving Marco the evil eye. "Is this."
He went on to explain that Erek the Chee has informed him that Visser Three and his compadres had just captured many more Hork Bajir from the planet Libertas. Apparently they had escaped during the invasion of Yeerks long ago.
"But that doesn't make any sense," said Cassie. "Wasn't it a proven fact that all Hork Bajir had been captured? I mean that's what we heard, right? The entire planet infested, the entire race defeated?"
"Yes, Cassie is right." Ax replied. "The only free Hork Bajir left are the ones in the Valley."
"That's what you would think, wouldn't you?" Jake said grimly. "But Erek is sure. And it makes sense too. His source says that all the free Hork Bajir the Visser has just captured are seers."
"Seers!" Cassie gasped. "But how?"
"Erek didn't know." Jake replied. "But his theory is that when the Hork Bajir were being attacked, the Seers left somehow. Maybe escaping with technology that only they knew about."
"But that doesn't make any sense," Rachel interjected. "I mean, that doesn't exactly seem like Seer behavior to me."
Rachel's right. Tobias agreed. Look at Toby. She's a seer and there is no way that she would ever abandon her people. Usually when you are smarter then your entire race you wouldn't run. You would fight.
"That's not necessarily true," Cassie said thoughtfully. "There have been many times when the most intelligent part of a species will do anything to survive. Like humans for instance. I think that if only intellectual people knew that a meteor was about to hit earth, they would try to find some way to escape."
"The law of the Jungle." Marco stated. "Eat or be eaten. Only this time it's run your butt off and not get eaten."
"I believe both of you are right." Ax spoke. "Perhaps some of the Seers did stay and fight, maybe for their people, maybe not. They might have thought that the intruders would spare them because of their unusual intelligence. Ence."
"But when the others saw their fellow Seers being taken anyways, they must have fled." Cassie mused.
So it wasn't an act of cowardice, it was an act of-
"Defeat." Rachel finished softly.
"Yeah," Jake said after a minute of silence. "Yeah, that's what Erek thought too."
No one talked for a while, they were all imagining what it would be like to be put in the situation the Seers had been put in. A choice would have had to be made. Would you stay and fight and risk infestation with their brothers and sisters, or would they flee. Flee with a sense of guilt and shame. A choice the Animorphs themselves have had to face, and perhaps in the future face again. Finally Marco spoke.
"I don't think it really matters how the Hork Bajir got to planet Libya or whatever-."
Libertas. Tobias interrupted. It's Latin for freedom. Rachel looked up at him surprised, but with a knowing smile on her face.
"I don't care if it's Latin for Donut," Marco replied. "The point is, we have to get them out of wherever Visser Three is holding them."
"Are you sure Marco," Rachel teased. "There is only .1% chance of winning."
"I'll take my chances." Marco retorted.
"Jake," Cassie started. "I have a question."
"I have an answer." Jake said simply. Marco snorted, Cassie ignored him.
"What if we're too late? I mean why wouldn't Visser Three infest them already and get it over with."
"I..I don't know." Jake admitted. Marco snorted again.
"I can answer that," Ax said. "As you know Seers have more brain power then any of their fellow Hork Bajir, but they also have more brain power then humans and possibly...well possibly Andalites."
Marco feigned a gasp. "What?! Something smarter then Andalites???"
"I never said they were smarter than us." Ax sniffed. "I simply said they had more brain power."
But what does that mean? Tobias asked.
"It means that they can resist the yeerks not physically, but mentally. Their brain is strong enough to block memories, orrries, that would be harmful if the Yeerks found out."
"So there's no point of infesting Seers because they wouldn't give up any information anyways." Cassie stated
"Correct," Ax agreed. "They would have to take more extreme measuuuures to extract information. Shun."
"Like what?" Rachel demanded. "At this point, I don't think threatening to take away their family, their friends, even their home isn't an issue anymore. They've lost everything."
"Correct," Ax said again. "Everything except their lives."
"You mean..." Cassie started, her voice incredulous.
"Yes," He nodded. "Torture. The price of death if the Yeerks don't get the information they want. After years in hiding, the Seers will probably do anything to stay alive."
"Well in that case," Rachel got up and stretched. "Let's kick some Yeerk butt!"
"Ugh I hate it when she says that," Marco groaned.
They all laughed. But all of the sudden Tobias whipped his heard toward the barn door.
"What is it Tobias?" Rachel asked, the only one who had noticed.
Jake you better cut it short He replied Cassie's parents are on their way to the barn. They'll be here in five minutes, max.
"Alright then let's take a quick vote." He said briskly. "I'm in. Cassie?"
"Saving the last of a free species from an evil alien race? What do you think? Of course." She replied.
Jake smiled. "Alright a yes from Cassie. Ax?"
"I will do whatever your will is, Prince Jake."
"Well my will is that you're in. And Ax? Don't call me Prince."
"Yes Prince sssss Jake."
Jake sighed. "Ok, Rachel?"
"I'm in."
Me too Tobias said before Jake could ask.
"Why does Bird-boy always side with Xena?" Marco muttered to himself, thinking no one heard him. And no one did except for Tobias. And Rachel, who then punched Marco lightly on the shoulder. Well light for Rachel anyways.
"Ouch!" Marco exclaimed, holding his shoulder. "What was that for?"
"Oh nothing" Rachel said, smiling sweetly.
"Marco, you in?" Jake asked.
"Hmmm, let's see. We have a .1% chance of winning. Which basically means I have a better chance of getting a date with Rachel, and that's saying something. Sure why not? It's not like I have anything to do this weekend anyways." Marco replied.
"Good, it's unanimous then. Since tomorrow is Saturday we'll do early." Jake said. "Meet at the barn around...let's say two. After lunch, before dinner. Tell you're parents we're going on a picnic or something. Agreed?"
Everyone nodded.
"Alright. Get some rest guys, you'll need it"
They got up and slowly filed out of the barn. Cassie went over to her parents and distracted them while Ax demorphed and morphed again into Harrier behind the barn. Jake and Marco morphed into their birds of prey too and flew away. All that was left were Rachel and Tobias."
"So," said Rachel. "You sleeping tonight?"
Probably not. Tobias replied You?
"Nah," Rachel said. "I never sleep before a battle. But I do have a ton of math I need to catch up on."
Need some help?
"Sure. I'll see you tonight then?"
Yeah, see you tonight, Rach. Tobias said and flew away.
Rachel smiled and watched him fly until she couldn't see him anymore. Then she turned and walked home, waiting for night.
4 humans, one red tailed hawk, and one alien disguised as human were sitting in a barn. The Animorphs. They were discussing their mission and Ax had just calculated that they had about a 1 in 1000 chance of winning.
"Really?" Cassie looked up. "Only .1%?"
"Don't listen to him Cassie," Rachel said. "He did fail Algebra last year."
"Hey! I resent that. That's only because I swear Ms. Bassel is a Controller but none of you believed me."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Marco, if every teacher that failed you was a Controller, the entire Teacher's Union would be infested with Yeerks."
An interesting idea Rachel. said Tobias in thought speak. She smiled up at him.
"What is this Teacher's Union? Nion. Is it race we should be wary of?" Ax enquired. He had morphed human just in case Cassie's parents came into the barn.
"Yes Ax," Marco laughed. "Be afraid, be very afraid of the ominous Teacher's Union. They will suck your souls out and replace it with..." he paused dramatically. Ax leaned in eagerly. "KNOWLEDGE!!" Marco cried. Everyone laughed, even Jake.
"Human humor I assume." Ax said dryly
"No Ax, that's what we call "Marco Humor"," Rachel said. Marco stuck out his tongue at her.
"Ok people can we focus on the mission here?" Jake called, but he was still smiling too.
"What exactly is the mission?" Cassie asked. "I mean we know the basics but what else do we know?"
"Other then the fact that there's only a .1% of surviving." Marco grumbled.
"The mission," Jake interrupted, giving Marco the evil eye. "Is this."
He went on to explain that Erek the Chee has informed him that Visser Three and his compadres had just captured many more Hork Bajir from the planet Libertas. Apparently they had escaped during the invasion of Yeerks long ago.
"But that doesn't make any sense," said Cassie. "Wasn't it a proven fact that all Hork Bajir had been captured? I mean that's what we heard, right? The entire planet infested, the entire race defeated?"
"Yes, Cassie is right." Ax replied. "The only free Hork Bajir left are the ones in the Valley."
"That's what you would think, wouldn't you?" Jake said grimly. "But Erek is sure. And it makes sense too. His source says that all the free Hork Bajir the Visser has just captured are seers."
"Seers!" Cassie gasped. "But how?"
"Erek didn't know." Jake replied. "But his theory is that when the Hork Bajir were being attacked, the Seers left somehow. Maybe escaping with technology that only they knew about."
"But that doesn't make any sense," Rachel interjected. "I mean, that doesn't exactly seem like Seer behavior to me."
Rachel's right. Tobias agreed. Look at Toby. She's a seer and there is no way that she would ever abandon her people. Usually when you are smarter then your entire race you wouldn't run. You would fight.
"That's not necessarily true," Cassie said thoughtfully. "There have been many times when the most intelligent part of a species will do anything to survive. Like humans for instance. I think that if only intellectual people knew that a meteor was about to hit earth, they would try to find some way to escape."
"The law of the Jungle." Marco stated. "Eat or be eaten. Only this time it's run your butt off and not get eaten."
"I believe both of you are right." Ax spoke. "Perhaps some of the Seers did stay and fight, maybe for their people, maybe not. They might have thought that the intruders would spare them because of their unusual intelligence. Ence."
"But when the others saw their fellow Seers being taken anyways, they must have fled." Cassie mused.
So it wasn't an act of cowardice, it was an act of-
"Defeat." Rachel finished softly.
"Yeah," Jake said after a minute of silence. "Yeah, that's what Erek thought too."
No one talked for a while, they were all imagining what it would be like to be put in the situation the Seers had been put in. A choice would have had to be made. Would you stay and fight and risk infestation with their brothers and sisters, or would they flee. Flee with a sense of guilt and shame. A choice the Animorphs themselves have had to face, and perhaps in the future face again. Finally Marco spoke.
"I don't think it really matters how the Hork Bajir got to planet Libya or whatever-."
Libertas. Tobias interrupted. It's Latin for freedom. Rachel looked up at him surprised, but with a knowing smile on her face.
"I don't care if it's Latin for Donut," Marco replied. "The point is, we have to get them out of wherever Visser Three is holding them."
"Are you sure Marco," Rachel teased. "There is only .1% chance of winning."
"I'll take my chances." Marco retorted.
"Jake," Cassie started. "I have a question."
"I have an answer." Jake said simply. Marco snorted, Cassie ignored him.
"What if we're too late? I mean why wouldn't Visser Three infest them already and get it over with."
"I..I don't know." Jake admitted. Marco snorted again.
"I can answer that," Ax said. "As you know Seers have more brain power then any of their fellow Hork Bajir, but they also have more brain power then humans and possibly...well possibly Andalites."
Marco feigned a gasp. "What?! Something smarter then Andalites???"
"I never said they were smarter than us." Ax sniffed. "I simply said they had more brain power."
But what does that mean? Tobias asked.
"It means that they can resist the yeerks not physically, but mentally. Their brain is strong enough to block memories, orrries, that would be harmful if the Yeerks found out."
"So there's no point of infesting Seers because they wouldn't give up any information anyways." Cassie stated
"Correct," Ax agreed. "They would have to take more extreme measuuuures to extract information. Shun."
"Like what?" Rachel demanded. "At this point, I don't think threatening to take away their family, their friends, even their home isn't an issue anymore. They've lost everything."
"Correct," Ax said again. "Everything except their lives."
"You mean..." Cassie started, her voice incredulous.
"Yes," He nodded. "Torture. The price of death if the Yeerks don't get the information they want. After years in hiding, the Seers will probably do anything to stay alive."
"Well in that case," Rachel got up and stretched. "Let's kick some Yeerk butt!"
"Ugh I hate it when she says that," Marco groaned.
They all laughed. But all of the sudden Tobias whipped his heard toward the barn door.
"What is it Tobias?" Rachel asked, the only one who had noticed.
Jake you better cut it short He replied Cassie's parents are on their way to the barn. They'll be here in five minutes, max.
"Alright then let's take a quick vote." He said briskly. "I'm in. Cassie?"
"Saving the last of a free species from an evil alien race? What do you think? Of course." She replied.
Jake smiled. "Alright a yes from Cassie. Ax?"
"I will do whatever your will is, Prince Jake."
"Well my will is that you're in. And Ax? Don't call me Prince."
"Yes Prince sssss Jake."
Jake sighed. "Ok, Rachel?"
"I'm in."
Me too Tobias said before Jake could ask.
"Why does Bird-boy always side with Xena?" Marco muttered to himself, thinking no one heard him. And no one did except for Tobias. And Rachel, who then punched Marco lightly on the shoulder. Well light for Rachel anyways.
"Ouch!" Marco exclaimed, holding his shoulder. "What was that for?"
"Oh nothing" Rachel said, smiling sweetly.
"Marco, you in?" Jake asked.
"Hmmm, let's see. We have a .1% chance of winning. Which basically means I have a better chance of getting a date with Rachel, and that's saying something. Sure why not? It's not like I have anything to do this weekend anyways." Marco replied.
"Good, it's unanimous then. Since tomorrow is Saturday we'll do early." Jake said. "Meet at the barn around...let's say two. After lunch, before dinner. Tell you're parents we're going on a picnic or something. Agreed?"
Everyone nodded.
"Alright. Get some rest guys, you'll need it"
They got up and slowly filed out of the barn. Cassie went over to her parents and distracted them while Ax demorphed and morphed again into Harrier behind the barn. Jake and Marco morphed into their birds of prey too and flew away. All that was left were Rachel and Tobias."
"So," said Rachel. "You sleeping tonight?"
Probably not. Tobias replied You?
"Nah," Rachel said. "I never sleep before a battle. But I do have a ton of math I need to catch up on."
Need some help?
"Sure. I'll see you tonight then?"
Yeah, see you tonight, Rach. Tobias said and flew away.
Rachel smiled and watched him fly until she couldn't see him anymore. Then she turned and walked home, waiting for night.