Chapter 16
"So how do we plan to get in there?" Marco asked me. We were a block away from the Tri-I building. We had demorphed in an alley three blocks away and crept closer under the cover of darkness.
"What do we remember about the place's defenses?" I asked them.
"Nothing," Jeanne said. "The only ones who have infiltrated this building are Marco, Tobias, and Santorelli. All we know about it is that it is less defended than their main building."
"Well, we managed to get inside of that once before," I reminded her. "All conventional ways are probably covered. We need something...unusual."
Marco looked around. "Well, see that manhole over there..."
"Marco," Jeanne interrupted, "I am not crawling through the sewers in any morph. Is that clear?"
"Go on," I said to him.
"Well, if I know how sewer tunnels work, that should go right under the building..."
"Yeah, but I doubt it has any place that opens up into the building," Melissa reminded him. "I mean, there's not an entrance to the sewers in your basement, is there?"
"I don't recall," Marco said truthfully.
"So we make our own entrance," I told her. "Ax, you've got a Taxxon morph, don't you?"
((Yes, Prince Jake. I believe the morph will serve us well for this. Although I would advise that you all be morphed into something less...appetizing. The morph is impossible to control, especially around food.))
"What doesn't a Taxxon find appetizing"? Marco mused. "I can't think of anything."
"Something that can kill it," I told him. "I'm getting a plan now. We all go down into the sewers. Ax chews us a hole. In the mean time, we'll all be in battle morphs. Once we've got our in, we take a look around."
"I love how well-thought-out that ending part is," Marco muttered. "Okay so... Jeanne, what's my battle morph?"
"Garatron," she supplied.
I shook my head. "Not Garatron. They're sentient creatures and we've got to stop using those. We've got rules against that."
"Tobias is not going to stop morphing Howler," Jeanne reminded me.
"Maybe not. But this isn't Tobias's team. I don't know what rules he's going to put on his people, but I do know what ones I'm going to be using. And one of them is no morphing sentient creatures unless it's absolutely necessary."
Marco nodded. "Alright then. What other morph would I use, then? Jeanne?"
"Gorilla," she told him.
"Why don't you do that now and get that manhole opened?" I suggested.
"In the middle of the street?"
"Uh...yeah," I decided. "We don't have time for secrecy. We'll worry about explanations when this is all over. Right now, we've got hostages to save."
Marco nodded and started to morph. "In fact," I said, "everyone morph now." I focused my mind on the tiger inside of me. It was so familiar that I didn't really even have to think about it. It felt natural. The fur, the senses, even the mind... It was all second-nature to me now.
I took a look around. The night may as well have been day to me. Marco, a gorilla, holding the manhole cover. Jeanne, a leopard. Melissa a panther. And Ax was a Taxxon. ((You in control, Ax?))
((No,)) he hissed. ((But I can control enough.)) He set off into the sewers. I jumped down after him, followed by Jeanne and Melissa. Marco climbed down the ladder and replaced the manhole cover.
Ax was about a hundred feet ahead of us, already chewing into the ceiling. ((Ax, as soon as you have a hole you can fit through, demorph,)) I advised him.
((An Andalite can't crawl through a hole in the ceiling,)) Marco reminded me. ((He'll have to wait until after he's inside. Sorry, Ax-man.))
Ax ignored us and kept chewing. Only he and Tobias had ever done a Taxxon morph, and I can't imagine what it was like. The hunger of a Taxxon is so powerful that not even a Yeerk could control it. Morphing one must be like being possessed by a demon or something. Not that I know what that's like either.
It only took a minute or so for Ax to get us an entrance. He started slithering through. ((Wait, Ax!)) I called, ((If someone's waiting inside there-)) I cut off when he disappeared through the hole. I followed, jumping through the hole without much effort. Tigers are cats, after all. Big deadly cats, but still cats.
We appeared to be in some sort of closet. One that already didn't have enough room for us. Ax was mostly Andalite now. ((I am sorry, Prince Jake. I could not stand another moment in that morph. I should not have disobeyed you.))
((Forget about it,)) I told him. ((Just get this door open; we can't fit in this room.))
Ax nodded and opened the door. By removing the handle with his tailblade. He exited quickly and I was right behind him. I paused in the doorway, though. A gorilla bumped into me and knocked me over. Marco and I disengaged ourselves and took a look around.
We were in the reception area of the building. What we noticed first were the bodies. Seven of them, lying on the floor. They all had Dracon beams next to them. ((Jeanne, Ax, take a look at those bodies,)) I told them. ((Melissa and Marco, help me make sure this area's secure.))
The three of us broke off and started circling the area. ((These appear to be Shredder burns, but they cannot be,)) Ax informed us.
((He is correct,)) Jeanne agreed. ((Although the burn marks are closer to Shredders than Dracon beams, a Shredder would have destroyed a larger area of the body. I do not know what sort of weapon could do this.))
((Maybe human?)) Melissa suggested. ((I mean, this is Tri-I and all. Maybe they've made their own laser guns. We can't be piggybacking off of Andalite stuff forever, right?))
((Could be,)) Marco agreed. ((Maybe these Yeerks came to take hostages and security shut them down. Makes sense to me. I mean, you don't run into Tri-I with guns blazing and come out without a scratch, now do you?))
((I don't smell much else on this floor,)) I told them. ((And I don't hear anything moving, either. I think this place is deserted. Maybe we'll find something up a few levels.))
((I believe Mark's office is on this floor,)) Jeanne reminded me. ((Perhaps we should look there before we continue.))
((Good point. And I guess I wouldn't smell a Chee. Alright, let's poke around a bit and see what turns up.))
Chapter 17
Jeanne led the way to Mark's office. She had been here once before, although she didn't remember the security systems since she didn't have to break in that time. She and Rachel had come to acquire Yeerks for a crazy mission that resulted in them freeing Ax.
((Ax, open the door,)) I ordered. FWAP!
((The door is now open, Prince Jake.))
((You could have just used the handle, you know.))
((I am aware of that Prince Jake. I took more pleasure in it this way, if you do not mind.))
I sighed. At least he was loosening up. ((Carry on.))
Mark's office was deserted except for three bodies lying on the floor and one on his massive desk. ((The same marks as on the bodies in the reception area,)) Jeanne confirmed.
((Alright. Let's get to the dropshaft,)) I said. ((We'll check on the upper floors. Security's at the top, right? We should look there first.))
We heard it just before we reached the dropshaft. The TSWEE of gunfire. It was echoing down the dropashaft. ((Come on,)) I ordered, jumping into the shaft. I didn't move.
((The dropshaft seems to be inactive,)) Ax said unnecessarily. ((Perhaps we should look for an alternate rout.))
((Yeah, they've got to have stairs,)) Marco agreed.
The shaft lit up suddenly. I looked up and saw some streaks of yellow light flashing across from one side to the other. Red streaks joined them in moments. ((What's that?)) I asked them.
((The red light is from Dracon beams,)) Ax said. ((The yellow...))
((Probably from those human weapons,)) Jeanne finished.
The gunfight died down. The red streaks stopped coming, at least. Then I saw something move. A dark figure almost invisible against the darkness of the dropshaft, even to my tiger eyes. It leapt from one side of the dropshaft to the other. A ten-foot jump.
((What the hell was that?)) I wondered.
((It would appear we are not alone,)) Ax answered.
((Ax, congratulations. You've been promoted to War-Prince Obvious. Why don't you give us a little speech?)) Marco suggested. ((You think Tri-I has a little help of their own?))
((Let's go find out,)) I decided. ((Where are the stairs?))
((Logically, they would be nearby,)) Jeanne said.
((Found 'em,)) Melissa called. She was next to a door that looked like part of the wall except for the handle on it. ((In case of emergency, use stairs,)) she read.
((I think this qualifies,)) I muttered. ((Marco, the door.))
Marco nodded and opened it. He started up the stairs first, but I easily passed him. ((Any idea where we saw that guy?)) I asked. ((What level?))
((Um... Try thirty two,)) he decided. ((I think that's where we saw it jump to.))
I kept going up the stairs. At least the levels were labeled so I didn't have much trouble. The stairs wrapped around the dropshaft, so I was starting to get dizzy by the time I reached level thirty two. I paused. Should I wait for the others to catch up or go ahead on my own?
I couldn't waste time. This guy was probably gone already and I couldn't afford to lose him. Without waiting any longer, I decided to go forward. The problem was that it's hard to turn a doorknob with tiger paws. Instead, I leaned against the door with my forepaws at the top and my other legs on the ground. My weight was enough to break it open pretty quickly.
I was in a hallway, with the dropshaft just a few feet from me. Also a few feet away were some more bodies. Five of them. By now, even I could recognize the wounds. I probably couldn't tell the difference between a Shredder, Dracon beam, and whatever this was, but these wounds looked like the ones on the other bodies.
((This man is very precise,)) Jeanne noted, coming out of the stairs behind me. ((Note the location of these wounds. All are concentrated on the upper torso. Nothing around the legs or head.
((Could be a woman,)) Melissa added, joining us.
((I believe this is certainly the work of a male,)) Ax argued as he arrived as well. ((I cannot think of many females who would have the requisite skills for something of this magnitude.))
((Uh... Rachel?)) I suggest.
((If it was Rachel or someone like her,)) Marco reminded me as he closed the door, ((some of these guys would definitely have some wounds below the belt.))
((Maybe-))
"AHH!" I cut off and snapped my head towards the sound of the screaming. A woman and a man had just emerged from one of the rooms and seen us.
((Calm down mam, It's okay,)) I said. ((We're here to help.))
"Then perhaps," said deep voice, "you should demorph."
A figure emerged from the darkness behind the pair. He was huge, almost seven feet and he had to have weighed at least three hundred pounds. Between his skin color and the clothes he wore, he was almost totally invisible. He wore a black stealth suit, military-looking, and a trench coat. And, oh yeah, he was aiming some sort of rifle made of black metal at us.
((I told you it was a dude,)) Marco said quietly.
"I am Operative Adrian Rook. Who are you?"
I hesitated for a moment. But then I decided to give him the first answer that came to mind. ((We're the Animorphs.))
Chapter 18
Slowly, Rook lowered his weapon. He turned to the two. "Take the stairs to the top level. The other hostages are there a well. You will be safe."
The two nodded and ran past us, glad to be out of there. ((What are you doing here?)) I asked. ((And who are you? The name doesn't tell us much.))
"I'm a Sword Branch Operative. That little stunt outside of your home caught my attention, so I called in to see what exactly was going on. When the Director told me what was going on, I came to fix it. What are you doing here, Animorphs?"
((That little stunt outside of our home caught our attention, too,)) I said dryly. ((We know an Operative and he called to ask what was going on. The Director told us in code that there was a hostage situation here so we came to help.))
"What do you know of the situation?" he asked.
((Less than you,)) I responded. ((What's been going on here, Rook?))
"My partner and I came in through the roof and landed in the security control room. Whoever's behind this put the place on lockdown and she's working on getting our systems back online. So far, all she's been able to do is get the doors unlocked and some of the cameras on line. I've been sending hostages up to her for safety."
((You don't know who is behind this?)) Marco asked.
Rook shook his head. "Hard to say. They've got Dracon beams, which makes me think the Yeerks got some people to try something like this. They could be terrorists, supports, Controllers... They could just be some nuts or some cult who got their hands on a cache of Yeerk tech. It doesn't matter right now anyway."
((Any idea where they're keeping the director?)) I asked.
"No clue. Once Jawa gets the cameras back online, we should know everything. Until then, I'm working on the hostages."
((How do you find them?)) Ax asked him.
"These guys have been keeping groups of them in large rooms. Cafeterias, mostly. There's one just a few levels up from here. There should be more in there."
((We'll help,)) I decided. ((At least until we can find the director. We've got to put an end to this.))
Rook led the way up the stairs. ((What sort of weapon is that?)) Ax asked him at one point.
"You mean Rachel here? She's a beaut, isn't she? We can't be getting weapons off your people forever, Andalite. So we made some of our own. The guys back at the head branch are working on getting it smaller, like a Shredder or Dracon beam, but I'm content with this one."
((You named your gun Rachel?)) Marco asked.
"You don't name a gun. The gun has the name from the day it's built."
((Okaaaay...)) We were all looking at him a little oddly now. ((What made you choose that one, then?))
"I didn't. She chose me. Love at first sight."
((Tobias is missing out on his other soul mate,)) Marco said privately.
((Jake, I believe this man may be slightly mentally unbalanced,)) Jeanne added.
((Off his rocker,)) Melissa agreed. ((This dude's definitely a little out of his gourd.))
((While I am not certain of his position relative to his, presumably metaphoric, rocker and or gourd,)) Ax whispered, ((we cannot deny his abilities.
I nodded. ((We'll stick with him for now. I think-))
I cut off as I heard a buzzing noise. ((What's that?)) I snapped, looking around.
Rook reached into his pocket. "My phone." Then he put it to his ear. "Talk dirty to me." We all looked at each other and then back to him. He nodded and made some sounds of agreement. Then he hung up. "Good news. Jawa's got the systems back online. She's going to gas this building in sixty seconds."
((Who is going to do what?))
"Jawaharlal, my partner. She's going to activate one of the building's defenses: knockout gas. The vents will put it into the air and knock out everyone in the building, hostages and hostage takers."
((What about us!?)) Marco squealed.
"I have a mask. I'll be fine."
((And the rest of us?)) Jeanne demanded.
"You get a little nap. Don't worry, I'll wake you up soon. The gas is totally harmless. Unless you've got the bad luck to be standing somewhere you shouldn't be, then you'll have some problems."
((This building has poison gas built into it?)) Jeanne asked.
"Comes in handy, as you can see," Rook replied dryly. "In the event of...well, something like this, the security guys vent gas into the building and it takes everyone out if they don't have the mask for it. Then the security team comes in and does a little cleaning."
((Wait a minute, Rook, I don't think-)) HISS........
Chapter 19
"Wake up, kitty cat," someone said. A sharp scent brought me back to my senses. I snapped my eyes open and saw a woman waving something under my nose. She must have been Middle Eastern or maybe Indian... And no taller than Melissa.
Rook was nearby, waving something under Jeanne's nose. "Told you I'd wake you up," Rook said to me.
((Yeah... Who's this?)) I asked, pointing at the woman with a paw.
"Jawaharlal," she introduced herself. "Just call me Jawa."
"Put her in a brown cloak and I bet she looks like one," Rook said mostly to himself.
"You'll have to forgive Rook. Back before he was with Tri-I, he sustained some brain damage. It makes him a little...off. On the plus side," she added brightly, "he doesn't feel pain."
((That could be helpful,)) I agreed. ((You got the cameras back online?))
"Yeppers. The former hostages are getting their friends to safety right now and locking up the attackers. But we've still got problems. The Director's nowhere in sight."
((You think they took him?)) Marco asked.
Rook shook his head. "I doubt it. If he's not in sight, there's only one place he could be. The armory. Every branch has one. It's where we stockpile all sorts of nasty little things. They'd need him to access it."
((Lead us there,)) I told them.
Rook hesitated. Jawa shook her head, though. "Sorry, but this is official Tri-I business now and-"
((And without Jake and me, there wouldn't be a Tri-I,)) Marco interrupted.
I nodded. ((Look, we're grateful for everything you've done, but you can't just cut us out of this now.))
"Sorry, Jake, but there isn't much choice," Rook said. He raised his gun. "You should probably leave now."
((You are a human, Rook,)) Ax said calmly. ((I am an Andalite. Do you think that you can pull that trigger before I remove the requisite finger?))
"Let's find out..."
For a moment, we all stood there, looking at each other. Then Jawa pushed Rook's gun down. "This is ridiculous. If the freakin' Animorphs want to come, they can come. Put the gun down, Rook."
"She has a name," he reminded her.
Jawa sighed. "Fine. Sorry."
"Don't apologize to me, apologize to her."
She sighed deeper this time. "Fine. Sorry, Rachel."
"Now kiss her."
"I'm not doing that."
Rook shrugged. "Worth a shot." He turned back to us. "Fine, come on then. But stay quiet and you can't tell anyone about anything you see."
((Don't worry,)) Marco assured him, ((I'm...forgetful.))
Rook and Jawa led the way to the dropshaft and then up a few levels. A few minutes later, we found ourselves in front of a door. Rook opened it in pretty much the same way Ax would have: he shot off the handle and hinges.
Mark was standing in the middle of the room with nine unconscious men around him. He looked like any random guy in a suit, but I knew better. That was a hologram. Beneath it was one of the Chee, a race of Androids that- Well, I'm sure you know all about the Chee by this point.
"Adrian? Jawaharlal? I'm surprised you actually made it," Mark said. "And the Animorphs."
((Glad you're okay, Mark,)) I said. ((But we've got some things to take care of right now.))
He nodded. "I know. Adrian and Jawaharlal, I need you to take me to the security room so that I can call back our forces in the field. Go on ahead, I'll be along in just a moment."
Rook and Jawa left, waiting outside. Mark turned to us and whispered so that only our enhanced animal senses could hear him. "This is the Visser's work. He threatened to kill the hostages he took if I did not do as he said. My programing would not allow me to disobey him. He ordered us to blockade your home and to let him into the armory."
((He's in there now?)) I asked.
Mark nodded. "Yes, and some of his morph-capable Controllers. There are many things in there that would be of use to the Yeerks and I do not know what it is that they want. This all leaves too many questions. What happened to our security? How were we compromised? And what it is that they really want?"
((We'll stop him,)) I promised. ((Where is the armory?))
Mark nodded to the wall. "Over there. You'll need the key code to enter, though."
((What is it?)) Marco asked.
((Is it six?)) Ax suggested.
"No, this code was designed by humans." He rattled off a string of numbers and letters that I couldn't keep track of. When he was done, I turned to Ax.
((You got all that?))
((Affirmative, Prince Jake.))
((Then let's go.))
Chapter 20
The armory, as it turned out, spanned several levels of the building. A steel ramp corkscrewed around the whole building, leading to different parts of it. Everywhere I looked, I could see weapons. Racks of Shredders and Dracon beams. Partially built ships. Uniforms. Everything imaginable.
((How're we doing on time, Ax?)) I asked.
((Unless I lost track while we were unconscious, you have fifteen minutes remaining in your morphs.))
((That's cutting it too close,)) Marco muttered. ((Although, I don't think I'd mind spending the rest of my life as a muscular, hairy guy. I mean, didn't I always want to be one when I grew up?))
((No,)) I answered, ((you wanted to be taller.))
((Well, this body has that, too. I say we run out the clock and go get some bananas.))
We ignored Marco and kept going. A few minutes later, we heard a familiar sound. The ding of hooves on steel. There was an Andalite walking around up ahead. And I had a pretty good guess which Andalite it was.
We turned the corner and, as I expected, saw the Visser. Even after all this time, he still scared me. Maybe it's because, in spite of everything we had done, after all the wars, defeats, rebellions, and everything else, he was still here. Still powerful. Sometimes, he seemed like he was something immortal. Sometimes I thought that maybe he really was the Devil.
((Ah, look who finally arrived,)) he said, his voice dripping with its usual arrogance.
Ax turned and grabbed some sort of weapon from the wall. ((You have chosen a bad place to stand, Visser,)) he said. Then he fired.
A bean of yellow light lanced through the air. But when it hit the Visser, there was a flash of bright bluish-white and the beam reflected off of him, burning a hole in the wall next to him. ((Do you like my new toy?)) he mocked.
((I must admit,)) he said, pacing, ((that when Salheer suggested invading Tri-I and seeing what we could find, I was...skeptical. But this little device here,)) he tapped something belted around his torso, ((certainly makes it all worth it, don't you think? And imagine it, Animorphs. Once I send this off to the Pythagi, all important Yeerks will be equipped with them. And in time, all our warriors will wear them. We will be immune to Shredders, Dracon beams, and anything else you have. It was so very kind of humans to develop this, now wasn't it?))
Hork-bajir started surrounding us. Some were demorphing from small animals or bugs. Others had been lurking, hiding behind experiments or on the ceiling and walls.
((Give it up, Visser,)) I told him. ((This little scheme of yours failed. Mark is calling back the forces from our home. Tobias and the others will be on their way soon; they probably already are. And there are some Operatives here and I doubt you want them to see you. So give me the device and I'll let you walk away from this.))
((Jake, Jake, Jake,)) he said, ((perhaps you've forgotten how this works. You, as always, are in no position to demand anything. All the cards, as you say, are in my hand.))
Then his eyes swiveled to Melissa. ((And what do we have here? Not a morph I recognize. Tell me, please, which of my old friends is wearing a new face?))
((I'm not your friend, slug,)) Melissa spat.
((Hmm... The voice is unfamiliar to me. Let me guess, then...))
((He's toying with us,)) Marco muttered.
((I know, but-))
((Jordan, perhaps? Rachel's sister would make a logical choice, after all.))
((We're not playing games here, Visser,)) I growled.
((Not Jordan, then. Hmm... Surely little Sara is too young. What other females do you know? You have stumped me, Animorphs. Perhaps I should ask Salheer; he is very clever.))
((Give us the device and we'll tell you,)) I tried. It seemed pretty obvious that this wasn't going to get me anywhere. I tried to guess how many Hork-bajir there were. Could we take them? Maybe. But it wouldn't be a picnic.
((You can't guess?)) Melissa spat. ((You took my parents from me and left me to die alone and you can't guess who I am? You can't even remember my voice!?))
((Melissa, don't give him the satisfaction,)) I warned her.
All four of his eyes snapped towards her. ((Melissa... Ah, yes, the girl. Your father cared about you very much. So much that he traded the human race for your freedom. How do you like that, Melissa? He betrayed his own people, sentenced thousands of them to slavery. Do you enjoy being responsible for that?))
Melissa made my decision for me. She leapt at the Visser. He swatted her aside with the flat of his tailblade and stepped back. ((Did I hit a nerve? Jake, I am disappointed in you. You used to have much better control of your people. You are slipping. It is painful to watch.)) Then, to his Hork-bajir, he said, ((Almost as painful as this will be. Put them out of my misery.))
Chapter 21
The world seemed to explode in a frenzy of blades, teeth, and claws. Jeanne and Melissa were both dealing with a Hork-bajir. Marco and I each had two on us. Ax was attempting to fight off three at a time. We were holding our own, but just barely.
I dodged the blade of one, but the second caught me in the side. It had been a while since I felt a Hork-bajir blade cut into my side that way. I roared, turned my head, and chomped deep into his arm. He tried to shake me off, but trust me when I say that you don't just shake off a tiger. When I finally did come off, I had about half a foot of his arm in my mouth.
That was one Hork-bajir out of the fight, but the second one hadn't been idle. I had three new gashes along my flank and back. He and I glared at each other. If I went for the throat, I might get him, but he'd probably impale me.
I faked a lunge and it worked. He flinched. I swatted a paw at his leg and swept it out from under him. The Hork-bajir dropped to the floor and I pounced on top of him. I sank my teeth into his throat. He twitched for a few moments but he soon stopped struggling.
I rolled off and spat the taste of Hork-bajir blood out of my mouth. There are some flavors you never get used to. I took stock of the battle, looking to see who needed my help the most. Jeanne was doing well enough, and Marco was down to only one enemy. Ax was still fighting two of his three.
My eyes locked on Melissa. She was bleeding pretty badly. Her Hork-bajir was scratched and bleeding but he looked steady on his feet. Then I realized the problem. ((Melissa, use your jaws,)) I told her. ((The claws don't do much against a Hork-bajir. Like this.)) I leapt on him.
The Controller spun and raised an arm but it was too late. My weight knocked him down and my teeth finished what Melissa had started. ((Oh, okay. I get it now. Thanks Jake.))
I turned back to the fight and rushed in to help Ax. Melissa went to aid Jeanne. ((Oh,)) the Visser said, ((did I forget to show you the little gift the Pythagi gave me? I think you'll like it.)) Then he started to morph.
The two surviving Hork-bajir pulled back and stood in front of their changing Visser. His forelegs fused together into one long, strong leg. His back legs and hindquarters sucked in. His body became like a tube, almost like a Taxxon's body. But out of it grew six arms, each of which had a blade at the end of it. His head became nothing but a mouth with a ring of red, globulous eyes around it.
((Do you like it, Animorphs?)) he mocked. ((I know how much you all missed those amusing morphs I used to let you see from time to time. Thanks to the Pythagi, we can have all that fun again! How wonderful!))
((This guy is really starting to piss me off,)) Melissa muttered. ((Can't we just kill this bastard?))
((We're trying,)) Marco promised.
We all paused, unsure how to attack this thing. With six bladed arms, it wouldn't be easy. ((No one wants to make a move?)) the Visser laughed. ((Then I suppose I will.)) Then he jumped. See, it turns out that his single leg was actually like a massive spring. He jumped right in the middle of our little cluster of Animorphs.
Ax parried one of his arms. Marco grabbed hold of another. Melissa, Jeanne, and I dodged the ones that came at us. Marco swung around and wrapped his arms around the Visser's body. Ax sank his tailblade into his flesh.
((I seem to have a monkey on my back,)) the Visser mocked. Then he pried Marco off of him with one of his blades. The gorilla flew about five feet and lay on the ground, bleeding from the chest.
Another blade smacked Ax to the side. ((This is a wonderfully stupid creature, Aximili. So stupid that it takes a long time for pain signals to reach its brain. Useful, you can see. Perhaps you would like to try again?))
"Visser," one of his guards said, "galhack frish Salheer draskna."
((Fine, fine, go about it, then. I'll be done shortly.)) Melissa snarled and leapt at him. Again, the Visser batted her aside easily. ((Really, now, you already tried that once today. Why would it work the second time?))
((Why won't you just kill me!?)) she demanded. ((Just split me in half next time and get it over with.))
I shot a look at her. ((Melissa, what-))
((Far be it from me to refuse a lady,)) the Visser laughed. Then he swung a pair of arms at her. I did the only thing I could think to do. I jumped in the way. I landed on the ground with two less legs and a massive chunk of my back ripped out.
I turned my head to look at the Visser's morph. He was missing one of his blade-hands. I noticed it sitting on the floor near Ax. The creature's green blood dripped from his tailblade. ((Perhaps you should demorph, Prince Jake.))
((Yeah, I'll...you know...do that...)) I said slowly. It was getting hard to think. I had been here before. Darkness was coming. It was peaceful there. No more war, no more Visser, no more blood in my mouth... Why had I ever wanted to leave that place? Why had I ever wanted to come back here? Why would anyone choose to be alive?
((Come on, Jake,)) Melissa whispered, nuzzling my ear. ((You've got to demorph. We need you. Imagine being human. Think about...))
I tuned her out as I started imagining things. My human life the way it had been. Home, school, the mall...the construction site, the Yeerk pool, the Hork-bajir valley... My home, the students I taught, the car I used to have... The Rachel, the One's devastation over the Hork-bajir world, the hangar full of Yeerks... The ones I had killed... The ones who had killed me...
And then I started imagining a new life, one I hadn't yet lived. Maybe it was because she was the one who I heard last, maybe it was because of the thoughts Tobias and Marco put in my head, but I was imagining a life with Melissa. A home...kids... a real life.
"So that's why anyone would choose to be alive," I whispered. With a human voice. I opened my eyes.
The Visser was gone. My friends were humans now, too. There was a large hole in the wall. I could see the moon through it. "What happened?" I asked, rubbing my head.
"Well, here's the thing," Marco told me. "See, we were kind of forgetting that while we may not have been able to get our claws into the Visser's morph, there are, oh yeah, a WHOLE FREAKIN' LOT of guns lying around this place. So, being the guy with hands, I grabbed one and started shooting."
"But what about that device he had?" I asked. "Shouldn't that have stopped the beams?"
((It would have, had he been wearing it,)) Ax agreed. ((But he had to remove it to morph.))
"Where is he now?"
"Gone," Melissa said bitterly. "He got away. And he probably took that thingy with him."
Jeanne nodded to the hole in the wall. "The Hork-bajir made that while we were fighting. Salheer arrived in a helicopter shortly after you passed out. When Mark called Tri-I's forces away from our house, he got suspicious and came to check things out."
I nodded. "So the Visser got away with the device. That's bad. Real bad."
Marco nodded. "On the other hand, none of us are dead."
"Yeah." I met Melissa's eyes. "Thanks for that."
"Hey, it's in the contract, right? Right under the health care?" she joked.
I shook my head. "Not the way this economy is going. We had to cut the health care out."
"Damn. And I was going to go have my teeth whitened when we got home."
Chapter 22
In spite of everything, none of us could get back to sleep when we got home. Jacques was cooking breakfast when we walked in. "You cook?" I asked him.
"I'm French," he answered simply.
I was too tired to think about whether that made sense or not. I needed to find Tobias; I knew he'd want to talk about what had happened. He wouldn't be happy about all the attention we had gotten.
I found Rachel first. "Where's Tobias?" I asked.
"He's doing some work on the Reliquary," she answered. He did that when he was angry. "I guess waking him up at four in the morning and locking him in the basement with my mother wasn't a very good idea; especially considering that she doesn't like being woken up at four a.m. either."
I went off to the garage/hangar. I found Tobias inside of his ship. What was he doing? Sitting in the pilot's chair drinking a bottle of rum and flipping through a book. "I thought you were working on the ship," I told him.
He jumped a bit when he heard me but settled down when he realized I was alone. "Jake, think about something for a minute here. I'm not a mechanic. I'm not a computer programmer. I don't make furniture, paint stuff, or anything like that. What sort of work could I possibly be dong?"
I shrugged. "So all those times you came here to 'work on the ship', you were just coming here to drink?"
He nodded. "Yeah, but I figured that wouldn't go over all that well with Rachel." He held the bottle out to me. "Rum?"
I shook my head. "Nah; I'm not twenty-one yet," I reminded him. "And with all the laws I have to break, I want to try and show a little respect for the ones I don't."
"Poor you. How'd the mission go?"
I shrugged. "Some success, some failure. It was two Tri-I Operatives who did the hostage rescuing. All we did was...well, let the Visser get away with some sort of shield device," I admitted. "So I guess it went pretty badly."
"And Melissa?"
"She need some work. Practice, mostly. And..."
"And what?"
"She kind of worried me today. There was a point when when asked the Visser to kill her."
Tobias nodded. "I thought something like that might happen. Rachel said I was crazy, but..."
"Thought what might happen?" I asked.
"Think about Melissa's life, Jake. Losing her parents to the Yeerks not once but twice, seeing her friends all move on without her... It's the kind of life someone could be desperate to escape. And this job... It's not one for people who are overly invested in their own lives."
"You think she's suicidal?" I demanded. Maybe Melissa was a little on edge, but definitely not that.
"I don't know. I don't know her. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you, of all people, how much easier dying can make everything. It's always a temptation, to just end your life and and let all the problems of this world slip away."
"Yeah, I... I was thinking that. I was sort of dying in the fight against the Visser. I started remembering death...how peaceful it was. I wondered why anyone would ever choose life."
Tobias nodded. "I've thought about it. During the First War, I thought about it a lot. After I got trapped, I tried it once. I tried to fly straight into some glass in the mall. Thank God for Marco, because he saved my life that day. When Taylor was torturing me, I thought about it. About how much better it would be to be dead than be here. And after Rachel died..."
"Yeah... So what's the answer, then? Why did you go on? Why did I?"
"Because...because Marco saved my life. Because Elfangor did it, too. All of you did at one point or another. Your life...well, my life at least... it doesn't belong to me. What is it that the Andalites say? 'My life is not my own when the people have need of it.' I'll always keep on living because I don't have the right to die."
"Do you really think that, Tobias?"
"I don't know. I think it, but I don't know if I believe it. What I do believe is this, though. I've had everything taken from me. And I mean absolutely everything. Bit by bit, everything I loved was stripped from me. In the end, the only thing I had left was my life. And that's the one thing that can never be taken away. Once you lose that, it's game over. Not until then. As long as you have your life, you're not done yet.
"So I'll always choose to live, because by choosing to live, I win. The mere act of choosing life means that you haven't been beaten yet. No matter what happens, no matter how bad it gets, you still have your life. Sometimes, it feels like it's impossible to keep living. Believe me, I've been there. But that's when you know it's time to change your life."
"And how do you do that, though?" I asked.
He shrugged. "You find something to live for, If your life alone isn't enough for you, then give it to something greater. Find a cause, a dream, an ambition... It's what kept me going. It's what drew you back here. There are countless causes in this world. I'm sure everyone can find at least one thing to believe in."
"And if you wake up one day and find out that you're believing in a hopeless cause?"
"Then I'd say you found a cause that needs your life a lot more than any other. One worth giving your life for."
I realized then that he had been looking over my shoulder. I turned around to see Melissa standing under the roof hatch. "Uh... Breakfast is ready," she said quietly. "If I'm interrupting, I could-"
"Not at all. Interruptions come with life," Tobias said, giving her a rare grin. "I just have to finish some work here in a minute." Then he raised what was left of his bottle. "Here's to life." I followed Melissa out of the ship. I was halfway out when Tobias called, "Oh, and Jake? One more thing." He clapped twice. I took a look at the screens and nodded.
"Here's to life," I echoed.
And now for some words of wisdom from Streetlight Manifesto:
"And
I don't know much, but I do know this: And it makes me sick when I think of it
With a golden heart, comes
a rebel fist.
I can't help agreeing with those that would not
quit.
All my heroes
could not live with this
and I hope you rest in peace
Because
with us, You never did!
And K.D.C., you were much too young!
And
you changed my life!
But I draw the line at suicide!
Here's To
Life!!
-Here's to Life
Don't miss the next installment of the Animorphs series:
70: The Memories
I went into the house after that. I doubted I'd be back in here any time soon. In some ways, it made me a little sad. I had come to like the place. But there were plenty of things I hated about it. The biggest thing being Naomi. I don't know if you've ever seriously considered murdering someone in cold blood, but if you haven't, have a conversation with Naomi and you'll know how it feels.
Everyone was there. Naomi, Jacques, Jordan, and Sara. Ronnie and Cassie. Menderash, too. This was the last time I'd see him for a while, too. He was heading back to the homeworld. The Electorate had sent him here a couple of months ago to find out what I was doing on Earth. Now, they didn't care what I did on Earth; they just wanted me off of it.
The Omegamorphs were there. That's the name we gave to Jake's team. He, Marco, Ax, Jeanne, and Melissa were lounging around. They wouldn't be going anywhere. Loren, my mother, and Dan, Rachel's father, were standing with packed bags. They would be coming with us. Dan lived about an hour's drive away from Alpha front, and he decided he wanted to catch a ride with us. Loren was coming with us all the way.
Naomi was clearly torn. She wanted Rachel to stay as much as she wanted me to go. But where one of us went, the other followed. I'd be glad to get away from her for a while. She was as bad as my other relatives. I said my goodbyes to her first. "See you in Hell, Naomi."
"I can't imagine a worse punishment."
I nodded to Jordan and Sara. Jordan doesn't like me very much, I don't think. She's a lot like her mother. And I think she blames me for taking James off to Alpha front. The two of them have a thing going and she wasn't happy that I was taking James away from her.
"Can I come visit you guys sometime?" Sara asked. She liked me more than most of her family; probably because she's so much like Rachel. And she seemed to be pretty good friends with Al. And, as weird as it sounds, I get the impression she has a thing for David. I try not to think about that one.
"No," Naomi said instantly.
"Any time you want," I told her. I turned to Jacques. I guess it's kind of weird, but he and I don't have any sort of relationship. He's Rachel's step-father, but neither could ever come to think of the other in terms of father and daughter. He respected her too much, and she already had a father. Technically, if and when Rachel and I get married, he'll be my father-in-law. But we all know my track record with fathers. I didn't get attached to him. He was just...some French guy who we lived with for a little bit.
"Keep an eye on them," I told him, nodding to the Omegamorphs. "Especially Marco."
"It is Jeane who needs watching," he replied. "Take care of your family, Tobias."
"Back at you," I responded. Then I turned to Ax. "Ax..."
((I deeply regret that I am not going with you, Tobias,)) he said after I trailed off. ((I long for the day when we will fight side-by-side once again.))
"Don't worry. We will," I assured him. "Cao Cao wouldn't have gotten very far without his Xiahou Dun." I knew he wouldn't understand that little joke. And I didn't have the heart to tell him the Xiahou Dun was Cao Cao's most trusted general, even after he lost an eye in battle. A man named Cao Xing shot it out with an arrow. Xiahou Dun pulled out his eye and ate it; he said he couldn't throw it away because his mother gave it to him. Or so the legend goes. And yeah; he was nuts.
I turned to Marco. He wasn't one for nice goodbye speeches, and I...well, I've never been much for talk. So I told him something I thought he'd appreciate. "I'd give you a nice long goodbye speech, but you'd forget it."
He nodded. "Good point. Do I get a hug at least?"
"Not from me."
"Rachel?"
Rachel gave him a look. Then she shrugged. "What the hell? You won't remember it."
After she hugged him and he stopped celebrating exaggeratedly, I turned to Jeanne. "Keep him on a leash." Then I thought about that statement. "Never mind, he'd probably enjoy it."
Melissa looked from me to Rachel. "What exactly is it that you two do to each other?"
I turned to her. Melissa was our newest Animorph; and I still wasn't happy about it. It was far too late in the game to start tossing in rookies. Worse, I'm afraid she might be suicidal. I think she might be in this just to find a way to get herself killed. But I had been outvoted on this one. "Take care of yourself. Melissa," I told her. "Or let Jake do it for you."
I wasn't sure what to say to Jake. He was my fellow general, the other leader. He may say I'm in charge, but as far as I'm concerned, he's at least an equal. I decided to say the only thing one general could really say to another when one marched out to war and the other stayed behind. I looked around the house and told him, "Good luck."
"It'll all be here when you get back," he promised. "Watch yourself out there, Tobias."
I nodded. "Guraff's dangerous, but he's not anything I can't handle. And I don't think Kalroth will be much of a threat. It's Salheer who worries me. You sure you can handle him?"
"No. And I'm not sure I can take the Visser, either. But we don't have a choice, do we?"
"There's always a choice, Jake. But we made ours."
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess we did. Good luck, Tobias."
Preview Summary
The time has come for the Animorphs to officially separate. Tobias must lead the Alphamorphs off to fight Guraff and Kalroth, leaving Jake and the Omegamorphs to defend the homefront. But with this separation comes more than just a change in the war. Tobias has decided that its time for the Alphamorphs to have lives outside of the war.
But the Electorate is not happy about Tobias's refusal to return to the front lines of the galactic war. And life becomes very difficult when one displeases the Electorate. Things are getting out of control, and Tobias will be forced to seek help in a place he swore he never would. The past and future will collide, as the words of heroes long dead echo through time.
