Chapter 9

The four of us flew mostly in silence, the anticipation of what to expect brewing in all of us. Sam led the way, skimming the ceiling, with Ferdie and Maggie just behind, hugging the walls. I followed up behind, keeping a watch out for other Controllers catching sight of us. Wasps and beetles on a ship in the middle of the ocean can arouse suspicion among suspicious Controllers.

--Er, guys, he's heading down another level,-- I heard Sam call, and moments later, I saw the huge shape of the Controller drop down into the stairwell. We followed, emerging into an even longer, narrower, damper smelling corridor than the one we'd just left. The Controller turned right, and strode briskly down the hall, we followed, he turned at the end of the corridor, we followed him further, he turned again.

--I dread to think how we're going to find our way back…-- whispered Maggie.

--Oh come on, Mags!-- laughed Ferdie. --Do you not just love it down here?--

--Guys - shush-- said Sam. --He's going through a doorway.--

Finally, the Controller seemed to reach his destination. He stepped through the doorway, and we buzzed in over his head and quickly made for the ceiling again. The Controller shut the door behind him, took a deep breath, and turned around.

"Sub Visser forty-two," he said. "Thank you for taking the time to report your findings to me."

I scanned the room. We were in a large, warehouse style room, with no port-holes on any of the walls. There was a complete absence of any kind of furniture - no computer terminals, no chairs, very little equipment. The whole room was lit by several rows of florescent strip lighting, hanging from the ceiling. To us, they seemed as big as aircraft carriers. And then, as I focused my wasp eyes, in the middle of the room was what seemed like a small army, standing in formation in a three-sided square. In the centre stood a man, tall, dark haired, wearing a full Commander's uniform, with the addition of a Dracon beam in a shoulder hoister. It was the same guy I'd seen on the computer at the port - the Yeerk infested captain of the ship, Lort-Strelitz.

--What the heck are those things?-- said Maggie, fearfully.

I knew straight away what she was referring too. The troops around Lort-Strelitz included not just human Controllers, but Hork-Bajir and a number of other alien races. My wasp eyes couldn't see anything clearly over a few meters in front of me, but I could make out some hazy shapes. Smaller, stumpy little creatures with greyish skin and large, round heads. And larger, terrifying looking worm-like creatures, with many multiple jointed arms, jelly-like eyes and huge, circular round mouths.

--Uggh,-- muttered Ferdie. --I'm really not sure I want to know!--

--I think they must be Gedds or Taxxons,-- said Sam. --Eramas said something about those life forms being infested, didn't he?--

--Did he?-- I retorted. --How did you remember something like that?--

--News that alien species are being controlled isn't the sort of thing to slip your mind,-- Sam replied dryly.

--Eramas mentioned those names to me, too,-- said Maggie. --That the Taxxons were voluntary Controllers, with huge appetites and a flair for cannibalism.--

--The Taxxons have got to be the worms then,-- said Ferdie.

--Hush, guys,-- said Sam. --Lort-Strelitz is speaking up…--

"Intrid four-nine-zero," acknowledged Lort-Strelitz - Sub Visser Forty Two - with a curt smile. "I understand that it will be your department carrying out the analysis of this artefact?"

"Yes, Sub Visser. My team are currently liasing with the Mother Ship regarding issues of transportation devices. I have informed my team of their duty."

"Good. I'm sure you no doubt agree that this is a quite momentous finding of ours, and that the following weeks will be certainly reveal some fascinating and valuable information that will be of benefit to us, and the great Visser Three, when it comes to the next Council review meeting."

"Open war," smiled Intrid four-nine-zero. "I'm sure our superiors will be most gracious of our work."

"No doubt," agreed Lort-Strelitz. "The time has come at last to overthrow the incompetent Visser One's dreams of a quiet war, and get this invasion into top gear."

"Absolutely."

"Have you been granted admission to the artefact yet, Intrid?"

"Not yet, Sub Visser. I have only been shown holographs of the item."

"Well, you must take a look. It gets the adrenaline of this body going just looking at it. Serath - the artefact," Lort-Strelitz boomed.

"Yes, sir," said a new voice.

A movement near the back of the room. A large Hork-Bajir stood to attention and strode round the back of the group of Controllers. After a moment, he reappeared pulling some kind of trolley on which stood a large object inside a protective transparent box.

--Come on, let's get a bit closer,-- said Sam. --On the ceiling, right above, if we can manage it. Try to stay out of the light.--

We flew upwards and over the captain, waiting fearfully for the artefact to be revealed. The Hork-Bajir came into the space, removed the box like covering and stood back to give the Controller Intrid a better look.

It was definitely a weapon of some sort, there was no doubt about that. A large, gunmetal black cylindrical weapon, maybe six of seven feet long and at least two feet in diameter. One end of the cylinder speared to be attached to some kind of sheet like object, twisted and gnarled as if had been peeled off the frame of a larger object. Smooth grey piping ran the length of the weapon. The whole object appeared to have sustained heavy damaged - it was blackened and scorched, with chunks of metal having been blown off here and there.

"We believe it to be a minor slave Andalite shredder," explained Lort-Strelitz. "One of the reserve weapons, usually hidden from view by the engines. Capable of operation in both normal and Zero Space. Highly dangerous. Of course, this was a ship at the top end of the range, so we know little of it's specification, but there is no doubt this weapon was of the elite class, as well."

Intrid nodded, and edged a little closer. His expression - from what I could make out - was one moulding both intense excitement and fearful respect. He gazed at it for a moment, then tore himself away and addressed Lort-Strelitz.

"Have you managed to power it up at all?"

"Yes, briefly," said Lort-Strelitz. "With a powerful generator, it can be operated for short periods at a time. Despite it's impairments, it is practically intact - most of the damage was to the tough outer shell of the shredder. The inner workings themselves are almost untouched. With a generator on loan from the Mother ship, it will be no doubt be more than capable of fulfilling it's duties."

Intrid nodded. "And this…you believe that this was once a part of the ship belonging to…" He held his breath, knowing the answer.

"To the Beast Elfangor, yes. That is what we believe."