Chapter Ten: Cassie
Author's Note:
Sorry, guys! I'm sorry this update took so long. A lot has happened in the last few months. I'm in the middle of a move and I have to stay with a friend until our new place is ready in August. I'm having a lot of health problems recently, as well, so writing has sort of taken a back seat. Good news is that we may have pinned the problem down and I'm getting some new treatments that are helping.
Please bear with me. I'm still dealing with a lot and I haven't completed my move yet, so my progress may be slower than it was when I started. I promise I haven't forgotten about this story and I promise that I will finish it, no matter what. I've gotten so much good feedback and love from you guys that I'd never leave it on a cliffhanger. I respect my readers far too much for that.
Thanks for sticking with me. More updates are coming, I promise.
It took us all a minute to digest the gravity of what Jake had said. The cube was the only power we had. The power to create new morphers.
I grimaced. To create more soldiers. More warriors. More people to die. Creation and destruction, like playing God. Tom was right; this power was too dangerous for anyone to have, human or Andalite. It never should have been created in the first place. The sooner we destroyed it, the better off we'd be.
"How?" Tom asked.
~Destroying an Escafil device would require a matter/antimatter particle deconstructor. But I doubt Earth scientist are advanced enough to comprehend the creation of such a complex piece of machinery,~ Ax said.
"Way to not be a snob, Ax," Marco said sarcastically.
~Thank you, Marco,~ Ax said. No one corrected him.
"Is there any other way to destroy it that doesn't require advanced alien technology?" Jake asked.
~Super-heat,~ Ax said. ~It would have to reach a significant temperature to melt the exterior casing and dissolve the antimatter gel that makes up the nanoscopic transient DNA resequencing technology.~
"Right, all the things that Ax just said," Marco replied.
"There are several machines downstairs that are capable of generating such temperatures," Sapheda said. "However, they are all guarded and closely monitored."
"Where else are we going to find something that can generate that kind of heat?" Rachel asked.
"Erek, do your people have anything that could help?" Jake asked.
"No," Erek said morosely. "Other that the tech we used to create the dog park, all of our other technology is stored on our masters' ship, which is hidden miles under the ocean. You wouldn't be able to reach it in morph. Even swimming straight down, it would take longer than two hours to get there."
"Can't you, like, make something that could do it?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah, sure," Erek said dryly. "You got any radium on you?"
There was a collective sigh, and the eight of us stood wracking our brains.
"Well, we can't just go breaking into another science facility," Marco said. "That never works well."
~No,~ Tobias agreed. ~It wouldn't be safe to go anywhere that's monitored, which would be everywhere. They could have Yeerks in every major facility that specializes in technological advancement.~
"They do," Tom said. "It's a great way to introduce new technologies slowly while, at the same time, gauge the human capacity to assimilate knowledge. You can bet there will be biofilters at any we could reach, especially in the states."
~Why can't you use your powers to just cut off all the security cameras and biofilters like you did at the experimentation facility?~ Tobias asked Sapheda.
"Because shutting down an entire building completely is surprisingly more easy than that cherry-picking which systems go down and when."
~How so?~
"The experimentation facility was a planned purge that was prepared for weeks in advance. I spent days learning the sub-routines and command protocols required to infiltrate the system. This is a sudden, urgent mission for which we'd have no back-up and I have no preparation. I'd have to hack into their computer, shut down the camera systems, bio-filtration systems, and communications systems without shutting down power to the equipment you would need to destroy the device. Not to mention, I would have to monitor your progress by watching you through the security system while locking the staff of the facility out, because the doors would be computer-operated with security clearances. All while either flying a ship or cloaking it from radar and sensor arrays. It requires a ridiculous amount of focus and concentration."
"Couldn't you do it?" Marco asked.
"Possibly," She said. "But the statistical likelihood I could maintain all of those functions long enough to get you into the facility, destroy the device, and get you back out again is laughably minuscule."
"There's got to be a way," Jake said.
Suddenly, it hit me. If heat was all we needed to destroy the cube, the answer was obvious.
"Forget science, what if we let nature help us?" I said.
"Cassie, I really don't think burying the cube in a flower garden and asking Mother Nature nicely to destroy it for us is going to help much," Marco said.
"I mean, what about a volcano?" I said. "There are plenty of active volcanoes. The closest one I know of is in Hawaii. It's in a state of continuous eruption."
"How do you know that?" Jake said.
I scoffed in exasperation. "Did no one pay attention to geography in school besides me?"
There was a general shaking of heads. Tom joined in.
"Well, I'm in," Marco said.
"Marco's volunteering for a mission? Marco?" Rachel said snidely.
"Hey, you heard the lady," Marco said. "Hawaii. Beaches, babes, and sun. I'm all in for that."
~We're not exactly going to be taking a vacation, Marco,~ Tobias said. ~An active volcano isn't all thermals, meadows and field mice. You can't even set foot on it without special bodysuits and equipment.~
"That's another thing," Rachel said. "How are we even going to get there? We can't fly over the ocean in morph, and it's too far to swim. And once we do, how are we supposed to get close enough to drop the cube in there?"
"I could take you," Sapheda offered.
We looked at each other, then stared at her.
"You could?" I asked.
"Sure," Sapheda said, shrugging. "I can fly any ship here."
"So all we have to do is steal a ridiculously expensive weaponized jet from a secret, heavily patrolled underground military installation. Sweet," Marco said. "Brilliant. Why wouldn't that work?"
"You won't have to steal anything," Sapheda said. "I have my own ship."
"Cord gave you a ship?"
She laughed. "Certainly not," She said. "It would be irresponsible of him to give an underage civilian, whatever her pedigree or ability, a ship made from taxpayer money."
"So where'd you get your own ship?" Tom asked.
"I built it myself, of course," Sapheda said with a piteous smile.
"Of course," Marco repeated flatly.
"And Cord's just going to let you go on a field trip?" I asked.
"From the day I first got here, I made it clear to Director Cord that I would work for him, but that he didn't control my time. I'm not human, not really, and as such, he has no control over me. If I wanted to leave, then I would be free to do so. He agreed, with provisions. But it's different for the seven of you than it is for me. I've spent the last three years using my abilities to earn me a degree of freedom here. You haven't. He'll forgive me doing this, but you could sacrifice your place here and severely limit your choices."
"You were the one who told us that the cube couldn't stay here, and now you're telling us otherwise?" Rachel accused.
"I'm just making sure you understand the risk," Sapheda replied. "It's a good possibility that you could talk to Cord and get him to understand why you did it, but he would have trouble trusting you in the future, especially when it comes to missions. Should you each decide to stay and fight, that is."
"What if we told him that we made Tom an Animorph, and we were out getting him some new animals to acquire?" Rachel asked.
~Then, I imagine, the question of how that was achieved would come up,~ Ax said.
"Precisely," Sapheda said. "And I would rather avoid lying, if at all possible."
"Let me just ask you this," Tom said. "If we get found out, when we get found out, would it jeopardize our families' place in the settlement? Or their chances of being recruited by the Division?"
"No," Sapheda said, shaking her head. "Your actions would not bring any repercussion against your family. They are still considered refugees. They're placement in the community is assured. I can vouch for that."
We all stood there, looking from one to the other.
"Okay, last question," I said carefully. "What would happen to us if Cord learned what we were about to do? Best and worst case scenarios."
Sapheda considered this. "Best case scenario, he understands. He gets annoyed that you went behind his back and didn't consult him, but ultimately realizes you were acting in humanity's best interest and decides your abilities are too valuable to waste. He proceeds to allow you into the program, but keeps a close eye on you from now until forever. That's absolute best."
"And the worst?"
She sighed. "Worst case scenario, he decides that your risk-taking and destruction of invaluable alien technology would make you a liability and a severe detriment to the security and wellness of the Division. He would be compelled to make sure you did not damage the integrity of either the military installations or the community he carefully cultivated to be the sanctuary of free human beings."
"Which means?"
"You would not be permitted to join the Division or be placed in the community, to preserve and protect both the military interests and the civilians. You would be ejected from both and left to your own devices. That's if you weren't imprisoned. Though, being underage, I'm sure he would show some leniency."
"No," Jake said. "No, look, it only takes one of us to do this. There's no reason for all of us to go. One is enough. I'll do it myself."
"Oh, don't be a dope," Rachel said. "We've always been a team, and we still are. Nothing's going to change that. You're not going anywhere by yourself."
I shot an ironic look at her, but she didn't notice. Or at least pretended not to.
~Certainly not,~ Ax said. ~I go where my Prince goes.~
~And if Ax-man goes, I have to, as well. Just to make sure he minds himself,~ Tobias said.
Ax's stalk eyes swiveled to look at Tobias and narrowed.
~Besides that, I'm a bird. What's the worst Cord could do? Lock me in a cage and feed me frozen crickets?~
"Let's not talk about that, since it might actually be a possibility, please?" Rachel said, gently poking Tobias, who was riding on her shoulder.
Jake turned to Tom. "You stay, then, Tom. This shouldn't be your first mission."
"If you're going, Little Brother, so am I," Tom said. "I didn't spend the last four years in a brain-slug coma to play it safe. And besides, I've been on a lot of missions, if indirectly."
Jake looked a little choked up, but he shot a glance at Marco. "You should stay, man," Jake said. "You and your Dad just got a fresh start. Don't waste it by doing something you know you don't want to do."
Marco had a sort of sideways smirk on his face. "You heard me the first time, dude. Hawaii!" He shook his head and slapped Jake on the shoulder. "Let's go."
The lack of hesitation on Marco's part was startling. I didn't know what to make of it. He'd been acting different since his Dad arrived. I wanted to ask him if he was alright earlier, but I never got the chance. We had been too caught up in the plan of making Tom an Animorph to allow much time for anything else.
Jake walked up to me and took my hands in his. He had his back to the others and lowered his voice, as though I was the only one there.
"You don't have to come, Cassie. We can do it without you. You just got your Dad back, you should stay with him. You finally have the choice you've always wanted. You can choose now. Stay."
He looked me straight in the eye. He was trying to shield his expression, but for me, he had always been easy to read. His face and voice may have said "stay here," but his eyes said "come with us." I knew Jake. As much as he wanted me to be safe, he also wanted his team together. He liked having us all within his sight, because if we were with him, he didn't have to worry about what might happen if he weren't there. He was a little bit of a control freak, that way.
The question if I should go or stay didn't just extend to this one mission, but to my identity as an Animorph. I didn't have to fight anymore. I could stop being a warrior and go back to being a young girl, like I was supposed to be. It's what I wanted from the start. If I went on this last mission, I could lose the ability to make the choice I had waited so long for.
But the cube was our beginning. It was only right that I was there for its end.
"I'm going, too," I said softly. "I can start deciding when we get back."
I saw relief so acute that Jake's posture practically sagged. "Okay," he said. He was trying not to smile, because this was serious. But I knew he was glad.
"Alright, lovebirds," Marco said. "If we're going to do it, we should do it now."
"So, how do we do it, then?" Rachel asked. "We can't all just waltz down to the hangar bay and tell the guards we're all going on a little joyride. They might let her out," She said, motioning at Sapheda. "But they won't let us set foot out there without some sort of guard or security to keep an eye on us."
"No," Sapheda said. "You'll have to be in morph. All of you." She looked pointedly at Tom.
"As what?" He asked.
"Something small," She replied. "Very small. Small enough to fit into a purse or a bag, the one I'll be carrying the device in. I'm sure your friends have insect morphs. You'll also need to acquire such a morph."
Tom looked torn between revulsion and excitement. "Like what?"
"Housefly or a mosquito. Cockroach is just really gross." Rachel shivered.
"It's too late in the season for mosquitoes," I said. "But houseflies are essentially year round."
"There are plenty in the dump cans behind the kitchens," Sapheda said cheerfully.
"Great," Tom said with a faint smile. "My first day as an official Animorph, and it's going to be spent digging through garbage. I don't know if I should consider this normal or not."
Marco put a hand on Tom's shoulder. "Dude, you have no idea."
"Thanks for you help, Erek," Jake said. "I hope coming here wasn't too inconvenient for you."
Erek smirked and shook his head. "The great thing about holograms is that there could be literally dozens of me. Makes taking a trip super easy."
"So, how do we know you're the real Erek, then?" Marco said skeptically.
"You don't," Erek replied, grinning widely and winking. He turned, fizzled, and was gone.
"So..." Tom said slowly. "That Erek kid is an alien too?"
"Actually," Jake said with a smile. "He's an android."
Tom nodded. "Of course. Obviously."
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
It didn't take long to return to the compound main level and into the back of the kitchen. The dinner rush was in full swing, so the kitchen staff was busy and actually seemed grateful when we offered to carry dirty plates to the back. It helps to be helpful when you have ulterior motives; people are more likely to look the other way when you're somewhere you're not supposed to be if you are accommodating.
It really doesn't matter how clean a kitchen is, if there's any amount of food anywhere, there will always be flies. It's the nature of things, really. Catching one took the better part of ten minutes. Acquiring it took less than ten seconds. Morphing took two minutes, even for Tom. He managed keep a grip on his head and we all found our way into the bag Sapheda had stowed the cube in and landed on it, holding on for dear life. Rattling around in it was rather terrifying.
~So, I'm thinking that while we're in Hawaii, we should get Tom some morphs. Some good ones,~ Jake said. ~He needs a battle morph, among other things.~
~That could be a problem,~ I said.
~Why's that? Afraid it'll take too long? Considering we'll probably be exiled when we get back, I don't think we have to worry about time restraints,~ Marco said.
~Not that,~ I said. ~Hawaii has no natural predators. Not big ones, anyway. The biggest predatory animal they have is feral dogs. They don't even have wolves.~
~Oh,~ Jake said. ~Yeah, I suppose that is a problem.~
~How do you know all that?~ Tom asked.
~I was in hiding for six months. There was a lot of internet use during that time,~ I replied.
~Hiding?~ Tom echoed.
~I'll explain later,~ Jake said. ~He needs a good battle morph, regardless. Could be pass by the Gardens on the way back?~
~Too risky,~ Tobias said. ~It'll still be swarming with Yeerks, despite no recent "Andalite bandit" activity.~
~He's right,~ Tom said. ~Just about every employee is a controller now.~
~What about a cougar? We'll come across cougars while we're out there.~ I said.
~Hawaii has cougars? I thought you just said that there were no natural predators,~ Rachel said.
~No, not in Hawaii,~ I replied. ~But they're all over the west United States from Texas to California to Canada. We'll be flying right over their territory both ways. We could easily find one for Tom to acquire.~
~Yeah, finding one won't be the hard part,~ Tobias said.
~We're almost to the docking bay,~ We heard Sapheda say in thought-speak. ~Stay in morph until I say it's safe.~
~Will do,~ Marco said.
Our terrible housefly ears picked up the distorted, cavernous echoing of Sapheda's high, child-like voice speaking to one of the hangar guards.
"I'm taking The Toroth out for a little while," We heard her say.
"You've got clearance for that?" We heard one of the guards ask suspiciously. ~It's pretty late. How long will you be gone?"
"I'm taking an overnight trip. I've logged in the time on the logbook. It's been approved already,~ Sapheda said patiently. "Check the roster on the computer. I'll wait."
After a few minutes, the guards replied, "Alright. You're clear. Have a good trip. You sure you don't want some security?"
"No thanks," She said. "I'm going to a green zone. And I'll be tracking."
"Alright, then. Have fun."
"Always," Sapheda said pleasantly.
~Are you crazy? You logged the trip in the logbook? And got it approved?~ Jake said incredulously.
~Yup,~ She said smugly. ~About thirty seconds ago. Who do you think approves the outgoing computer departure codes?~
~I think I love you,~ Marco said.
She laughed softly.
We felt the bag settling and become still, then felt the vibration as the ship's engine sprang to life.
~Stay in morph. There will be biofilters at all of the exits. One human and seven flies won't set it off. Six humans, a hawk, and an Andalite certainly will."
The wait seemed like a long time. ~We have less than twenty earth minutes before our time limit expires,~ Ax said.
~I'm well aware of the limit, Aximilli,~ Sapheda said mildly. ~We're almost out and away. Another five minutes, at the most.~
True to her word, after another few minutes, she instructed us to demorph. When we did, we noticed that the cabin of the ship was a strange combination of human and Andalite technology. The console had no knobs or switches or buttons, clearly designed specifically around Sapheda's personal telekinetic link with the onboard computer, meaning no one but her would be able to fly it. There were chairs with harnesses, but there was also a space for an Andalite to stand unimpeded. The design of the cabin was fluid and circular, with few corners or edges. It was bright and silvery. It was actually quite beautiful to look at.
We were flying so fast that the outside terrain whipped by at a blur. At the speed we were traveling, I didn't doubt that we'd reach Hawaii within two hours. Surfing the air on thermals was great, but not doing all the work was pretty nice, too.
"I've got to get me one of these," Marco said, walking freely around the cabin. "What would I have to do to convince you to build me one?"
Sapheda smiled. "Depends. Do you know where I can find another phase converter for the central engine core? I only know how to build around Andalite technology and the only bit on Earth ever found was from my parents' crash, which is what's powering my ship at the moment."
"Don't kill my dreams," Marco said. "If I'm going to die of stress at the early age of forty, I want to have as many of my bucket list entries completed as possible. One of them is own a ship."
"Why would you die so early?" Sapheda said.
"Well, most people who fight wars don't live to be the ripe old age of seventy-five, generally."
Sapheda looked confused. "But... You're all morphers."
"So?" I said. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Sapheda looked at Ax and narrowed her eyes. "You never told them?"
Ax stepped uncomfortably. "It never came up."
"What are you talking about?" Rachel said.
Sapheda laughed uneasily. "Morphing suspends the natural aging process. Why do you think Andalites live so long?"
There was a slightly horrified silence that followed those words.
"An Andalite's average life expectancy is in the ballpark or one hundred and fifty years. But a morpher can expect to live as long as their collective morphing time, up to fifty to seventy-five years longer."
~So,~ Tobias said. ~We could potentially live to be a hundred and fifty years old?~
Sapheda nodded. "Or longer, depending on how much you stay in morph."
I made a sudden, terrible realization. Looking at Rachel's stony face, I realized that she did, too.
The trip was quiet after that. We sat in our seats, thinking over the implications of what Sapheda had said. I didn't know if I wanted to live another thirty or forty years past eighty. When we took the morphing power, and all the times we used it since, we never really though to ask if there were side affects. The only time it ever occurred to us was when Rachel had that reaction to the crocodile. That was weird enough. But this was one side effect we never would have guessed. And I don't think any of us knew how to handle that.
"We need to land on Maui, in the forest reserve. The volcano will put off a lot of atmospheric debris that'll play havoc with the sensors. I need to calibrate them before we can safely approach."
"That'll be fine. We can use the time to find Tom some new morphs," Jake said. "How long will it take?"
"Not longer than an hour. And the ship will be cloaked, so no chance of unwanted attention."
We landed in a smallish clearing in the forest reserve. The ship's door opened and we all stepped off. Ax remained inside the cabin to assist Sapheda with the calibration. Tobias winged up into the trees, looking for an animal good for acquiring. Jake, Tom, and Marco were in the lead, talking animatedly about morphing and the different animals they had acquired. Which left me and Rachel at the back of the group.
We walked quietly behind the boys. Rachel's body posture was tense. I didn't pry, but I knew she was upset.
"Cassie," She said quietly, so the others wouldn't overhear.
"Yeah?"
"What's the life expectancy for a red-tailed hawk?"
I knew she had understood the same time I had in the ship, even if no one else had. "In the wild or in captivity?"
"Both."
"In the wild, they only live a few years. Predators, environment, human interference, what have you. They generally die as soon as they manage to create and/or raise a chick."
"But they don't have the human intelligence that Tobias does," She said.
"That's true," I admitted.
"What about in captivity? What's the longest they live?" She asked me.
"Rachel..." I began, and then stopped when I couldn't think of anything that would be comforting.
"Just tell me, please."
"Twenty years, give or take."
"And even if he morphed a lot?"
I sighed. I wish I could tell her something that would help, but there was nothing I could say. "It would only add ten years, at the most."
Rachel wasn't crying. She didn't do that. She wasn't that person. "And how old was the hawk that Tobias acquired?"
"He was mature. Probably three or four years old."
"So I could live another hundred years. And Tobias will only have twenty five at the most? Yeah. That's fair. That's real fair."
~Guys,~ We heard Tobias say. I heard Rachel heave a huge, shivering sigh, and the mask was back up. The tough girl mask she wore all the time. I couldn't help feeling part of her was dying, the way Tobias was. When he was gone, so would the part of her that was his. It didn't matter that it could be twenty years from now, as far as Rachel was concerned, Tobias's days were numbered. Being a hawk was as good as being terminal.
"Yeah, what is it?" Jake called.
~I found an animal about twenty yards to your left. Maybe it's the light, but it looks like a kangaroo.~
"A kangaroo?" Marco said. "Tobias, you need to get your eyes checked."
~Hey, even in the dark, I could still beat you at spot the varmint,~ Tobias scoffed.
We came into a little grove, and sure enough a little kangaroo creature was sitting in the root of a nearby tree, eating a nut.
"That's not a kangaroo," I said. "It's a wallaby."
"Hawaii has wallabies?" Jake said
"Ha, you were wrong!" Marco shot a Tobias on the branch.
~I still saw it first,~ Tobias said snidely.
"How do we catch it?" Tom said.
"The rest of us will morph and create a circle, cut off it's means of escape. Piece of cake," Jake said.
Tom's expression was dry and ironic, but he nodded and sighed. The creature was sitting still, sniffing. We branched out and began to morph into our battle morphs. The sniffing became more insistent, left to right. We got into position.
~Now!~ Jake said.
It was as mad a scramble as one might expect. We managed to keep it from getting away long enough for Tom to grab one of the strong lower paws, getting fantastically scrapped up in the process. Once the acquiring trance started, everything slowed down. Tom picked himself up and brushed himself off once he was done, letting the wallaby escape. We all demorphed.
"What else?" Tom said.
"It's been forty five minutes. We should head back to the ship," I said.
On the way back, we encountered a reticulated python and a veiled chameleon. Tom acquired both. Never know when that could come in handy.
When we got back to the ship. Sapheda said she was ready to go. Ax said, rather sullenly, in fact, that the technology on Sapheda's ship was efficient and advanced, more advanced than he was familiar with and all had been hand-engineered by Sapheda. Ax wasn't used to being upstaged, and he didn't like it when he was. Perhaps it was unkind of me, but I smiled a bit at his frustration.
But as we took the ramp, I caught a glance at Rachel's empty face, and stopped smiling.
The doors closed, and we returned to the air, bound for Mount Kilauea.
