My story really begins about seven months ago, back before I became a traitor to my kind, back before I became Visser Ten's right-hand man, back before I fell in love with Terez, and back before I infested Matt.
On that day when my story begins, I was waiting impatiently at the host receiving area of the Yeerk Pool. My best friend, Tristan three-five-nine, was waiting with me. It was the day that Tristan and I had been anticipating for nearly three pool cycles; today we were receiving our very own hosts.
(I hope my host isn't a Taxxon,) I remember saying nervously to Tristan. (I don't think I could deal with that kind of hunger on a day-to-day basis.)
Tristan and I had heard stories about Taxxons and their hunger, horror stories, although we had never infested a Taxxon before. The only thing that Tristan and I had controlled at this point was the training Hork Bajir that all Yeerks first practice with.
(A Taxxon is fine; you just have to keep a strong control.) Tristan argued. (I don't care what I get species I get, just as long mine isn't a child.)
(Why not? A child would be fine by me.) I asked in confusion. (Any host is better than no host—unless it's a Taxxon.) I hastily amended.
I remember Tristan laughing dryly. (Iden, Iden, Iden. Since when has a Yeerk with a child for a host ever become a Visser? )
(Since never.)
(Precisely. A Visser never has a child for a host, and we'll never become Vissers One and Two with children as our hosts.) Tristan chided me.
Becoming Vissers One and Two, that was our dream back then. Tristan would be Visser One, and I would be Tristan's right-hand man, Visser Two. Then, being the most powerful Vissers, Tristan and I would lead the Yeerk Empire in the conquest of the galaxy. Looking back on our starry-eyed plans, I now realize that the pursuit of power was always Tristan's idea and never mine. I simply went along with Tristan's dream, because if becoming Visser was important to my oldest friend, then it was also important to me.
(Iden two-seven-four, Tristan three-five-nine prepare for host infestation) the call reached Tristan and I. The call is the communication network that exists inside the Yeerk Pool. Since Yeerks communicate by touching palp to palp, if one wishes to send a general message throughout the Pool, every Yeerk must participate. The sender Yeerk transmits his message via palp-to-palp contact with his nearest neighbor, who in turn transmits the message to his next nearest neighbor, and so on until the message is transmitted to the receiver Yeerk. Thus, the call functions like a giant nervous system, with each Yeerk acting like nerve synapses.
(Well that's us! Guess they've got our hosts all ready!) Tristan said gleefully after we'd received the call. (We'd better get to the receiving platform.)
Tristan and I were already in the host receiving area, so it was short swim to the receiving platform. As I coordinated my strokes to Tristan's, it suddenly hit me that this would be my last swim with my best friend before everything changed and before Tristan and I changed. And change we would, because Tristan and I would not being going to the same place, I suddenly realized. We would be separated. I guess it was stupid of me to think that we'd be together, but up until that moment it had not even entered my mind that Tristan and I could be separated. We had always been together.
What was I going to do without my best friend? I wasn't the strong one, Tristan was. He always seemed to have the answers to any problem I'd ever had, and I'd relied on his solid presence since I was barely two hours old.
(You know this will be the first time that we're going to be split up) I said suddenly saddened and worried. (You don't think that anything will happen to our friendship, do you?)
(Of course not! Iden you are so contrary to life!) Tristan's confident tone replied instantly, and Tristan's favorite saying, that I was "contrary to life" reassured me.
(Iden, you act like we're never going to see each other again!) Tristan continued. (We'll see each other every three days at feeding time. Nothing is going to change between us.)
Of course Tristan was dead wrong, but in my naivety I believed him. I guess that's me in a nut-shell, always viewing the world as I'd like it to be, and not as it actually is. Both Tristan and I have changed dramatically from fresh young Yeerks who were eagerly awaiting our first hosts. Or maybe we've just become more fully who we are. I don't know. Either way, we are no longer the inseparable pair we once were. Now that I've betrayed Tristan's precious Empire, I doubt we are even friends.
(Iden two-seven-four, your host is ready. Proceed with infestation) the call passed from the Yeerks in the receiving area until it reached Tristan and I.
(Well, you're up) Tristan said enthusiastically. (See you in three days.)
The infestation proceeded without a problem. I sensed my host's ear; clambered up into the ear canal; secreted my numbing agents, and suddenly I was inside the head. Tentatively, I reached out with my palps and contacted the host's brain. A small electric current surged between my palps and the brain, and then I had access.
Human. My host was human; I knew this immediately.
The first things that I accessed were my host's physical controls. Arms, legs, mouth, eyes.
Eyes. Oh those eyes, those marvelous eyes. I could see! So many forms! So many shapes! The colors, even in the dim-light of the Yeerk Pool, all those wonderful colors! The grays, yellows, reds, browns.
Then I accessed the sound controls, and I could hear. I could hear all the different sounds. The bubbling of the Yeerk Pool, the cries of human hosts, the soft tapping of feet on the unpaved floor—perhaps nothing but noise, but to me who had heard true sound only thrice in my life-time—and each time with the poor sound reception of the training Hork Bajir— it was a symphony.
(What? Huh? What's going on? Why can't I move?) A brazen sounding voice interrupted my euphoria.
That voice? It was my host. Was it speaking to me?
(Come on feet! Move! Why can't I move? What did those monster-things do to me?)
During my practice drills with the training Hork Bajir, I had never heard my Hork Bajir host speak. That poor beast had been infested so many times that it didn't even bother acknowledging it's Yeerk masters. The Hork Bajir was so defeated that it no longer even fought the Yeerk control.
(HELP! SOMEONE HELP! I'M PARALYSED! WAIT! WHY CAN'T I TALK? WHAT DID THOSE THINGS DO TO ME?)
Should I answer? Was I supposed to?
My infestation drill-officer had taught that the best way to respond to my host was by using a very direct and in-charge tone. I was supposed to inform my host that I was now in charge, and that he was merely a vessel. My training officer explained that the more in control I acted, the more defeated my host would become, and the sooner I would stop having to listen to my host's complaints.
I'm not actually a very forceful person, not really, but I could pretend, couldn't I?
(Greetings human.) I said, forcing a sneer into my voice. (Welcome to the end of your freedom.)