Cassie
I had morphed a Yeerk several years ago. A member of the Yeerk peace movement had been captured. She needed to be rescued. I was the only member of the group not infected with an alien virus, and Ax was near death. So I had gone down to the Yeerk pool alone, as a Yeerk in the head of one of our teachers. He and his Yeerk was also members of the peace movement.
It was not a good memory. Yes, I had been successful. I had even performed the surgery that saved Ax's life with the help of the rescued Yeerk. But I had been inside that man's head. I had seen his thoughts, and I had been trying to be careful of his privacy. But it hadn't been possible. It seemed like every part of the brain was full of memories. I felt the memory of his grief when his wife died, and I saw the memories of their marriage. I had felt horrible; I had violated Mr. Tidwell's privacy, and it was not something I cared to repeat. But to prevent the Yeerk takeover of Earth, I would do what had to be done.
The rest of the drive was fairly uneventful. We slept in shifts, and Jake worked on his presentation for the president. He had to quickly convince one of the most powerful men in the world to listen to him, then he had to convince him that the Yeerk threat was real. Finally, he had to present a workable solution. Jake knew the enemy, and the president did not. That meant the responsibility for this battle remained on Jake's shoulders.
Jake
We arrived in Washington with a less than a day left before Tom's Yeerk would die of Kandrona starvation. If we needed the President to witness the sight, we had to move quickly.
We got a hotel room, and took turns showering. Once everyone felt presentable, we headed out for the White House. Fortunately, there was a morning tour. We each carried a live cockroach with us; if the bugs survived, we would know that there was not a gleet biofilter at work on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Erek and Ax stayed behind to watch Tom, and the five of us blended in with the other tourists. There was a regular metal detector, but the cockroaches survived. If there was a biofilter, it was not concealed there. We got to see the kitchen, and I was thrilled to see a few flies. There was also a cat prowling around. It looked promising.
Once outside again, it was time for action. We conferenced in the van.
"Plenty of open windows. No sign of Yeerk presence. I say we just go for it. Fly right in." Rachel, of course.
"Yeah, I'm sure no one notices a flock of birds flying into the White House," Marco said sarcastically.
"We can't afford too much caution," I agreed, "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be a little careful."
"One bird, five fleas?" Cassie suggested.
"Better. Tobias carries us in. We demorph in the bathroom off the Oval Office. I'll approach the President alone. The rest of you morph flies. Then, you won't be discovered prematurely but you'll be able to hear what's going on. You'll also be able to demorph when I give word."
"Let's do it!" Rachel said with enthusiasm.
"This, might I point out, is insane, but I'm with Xena on this one. Let's do it." Marco added.
I've been nervous before. I've risked my life, and the lives of my friends, more times than I can even count. We've done impossible, terrifying things. But this was different. I wasn't afraid of being killed on this mission. I was nervous about my ability to convince the President that I wasn't crazy. And I had to do it barefoot, in spandex. This was the ultimate public speaking nightmare.
We morphed to flea inside the van. We needed Ax, so we had no choice but to leave Tom alone with Erek. We stunned him with the dracon beam, and I felt like a heel for doing it. But we couldn't afford to lose him now. Tobias flew us in the open window. The office was empty, and so was the bathroom. We demorphed. The others immediately morphed flies. I stayed me. And waited.
"...and no interruptions," the President said as he closed his office door.
I waited for him to cross the floor, but I assumed there would be a panic button at his desk, so I stepped out of the bathroom before he reached it. I held my hands up in a gesture of surrender, showing no weapons.
"Sir, I need to speak with you privately, please," my voice was quaking. The leader of the free world looked at me in shock. "It's important, and I know I look a little crazy, but I can prove I'm not."
"How did you get in here?" he asked.
"I'll come to that if you hear me out," I answered.
"OK. I'll hear you out." Fortunately, he seemed to realize that humoring me was his best option even if I was some nutcase.
"Sir, I don't expect you to believe me. At least, not at first. But I can prove every word I'm about to say. The Earth is under attack, and we have less than two weeks to prepare for the main assault. Aliens have been infiltrating Earth for several years. They are a race of parasitic slugs called Yeerks. They take over the brains of their hosts, their slaves.
"Four years ago, an Andalite came to earth and gave my friends and I the power we use to fight the invasion. We can morph; become any animal we can touch. My friends are in the room now, in morph. Rachel?
"We were able to hold our own, as long as the Yeerks wanted to keep their presence a secret. But now, the Yeerks are preparing an all-out invasion. Without your help, Earth is doomed."
As I finished my summary, Rachel demorphed. The President stared in horror as my beautiful blonde cousin grew out of a giant housefly. Cassie and Marco weren't far behind her.
"And that, sir, is how we got in here. I'd like to present Rachel, Cassie, and Marco. I'm Jake."
The president, his grasp on reality obviously rattled, shook each of our hands. It gave him something normal to do while he tried to wrap his brain around the situation. That had been Cassie's idea.
"I'd also like you to meet Tobias, who was trapped in hawk morph during an early battle. You see, morphing has a two hour time limit."
A red-tailed hawk fluttered down to land on Rachel's shoulder. (It is an honor to meet you, sir.)
"Likewise," the President said to the talking hawk. He was starting to recover from the shock.
"And finally, meet Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, the brother to Prince Elfangor, who warned us of the invasion and gave us our powers."
The President stared in sheer blank system error at Ax, now in Andalite form. Ax bowed his head solemnly and said, (I am greatly honored to make your acquaintance.)
"Sir, if you'd have a seat, we'd like to discuss the situation with you in more detail," I said. "We are short of time, but the situation is far from hopeless. Please do not call anyone in here until we have finished."
The President walked around and sat at his desk. He struggled to regain his composure. It would have been nice to allow the man some time to adjust, but we didn't have the luxury.
"In their natural state, Yeerks are slugs. They are blind and deaf. The Yeerk enters its host through the auditory canal, flattens itself around the brain, and attaches its own neurons directly to those of its host. It then has complete control of the host's actions. It also has access to all of the host's knowledge, memories, and skills. A person infested by a Yeerk, known as a Controller, is nearly impossible to detect. Anyone could be a Controller.
"Fortunately, the Yeerks have a weakness. Once every three days, they must leave their hosts and swim in the Yeerk pool, where they absorb Kandrona nutrients. This weakness has helped us to identify human-Controllers.
"We have been fighting the Yeerks for three years, and we have held our own. Our power to morph is actually a technology invented by the Andalites. The five of us are the only non-Andalites to possess this technology. It has a few rules, but has proven to be a powerful weapon. We cannot stay in morph more than two hours, or we will be trapped in morph. We cannot morph directly from one form to another; we must pass through our natural bodies. But we have acquired dozens of morphs which have helped us for years. Also, the Yeerks believe we are all Andalites. We have kept our identities hidden.
"In addition to our powers, we have had a couple of other advantages. We have contact with a network of spies within the Yeerk forces. There is a growing Yeerk peace movement. These Yeerks understand that it is wrong to take control of an unwilling host, and they wish to find a new way of life.
"We also have a doomsday weapon. Exposure to instant ginger oatmeal will drive a Yeerk insane. Unfortunately, once exposed to that substance, a Yeerk loses its need for Kandrona nutrients. This means that the human host is now permanently the slave of a Yeerk, although that Yeerk is no longer in complete control and is no longer capable of working for the Yeerk invasion. You can imagine what torture that is for the host. There are a large number of such individuals in mental institutions, primarily in California. We have theorized that it may be possible to perform brain surgery to remove the Yeerk from those individuals already afflicted by this condition, but that would be risky.
"The Yeerks completely enslaved the Gedds on their home world. They now consider the Gedds to be inferior hosts, since they lack strength and dexterity. They conquered and enslaved the Hork Bajir, a peaceful sentient species of limited intelligence, but great physical power. They use these Hork Bajir as shock troops. Tobias?"
I paused, allowing the President to watch Tobias morph to Hork Bajir. "In their natural environment, the Hork Bajir eat bark. While they appear dangerous, they are actually adapted to strip bark from trees.
"The Taxxons, on the other hand, are cannibalistic. They surrendered to the Yeerks voluntarily, and should be considered Yeerk allies, rather than slaves. If you disembowel a Taxxon, it will actually attempt to eat its own internal organs before dying."
The president stared in horror as Cassie morphed a Taxxon. She morphed back immediately. Taxxon is an extremely unpleasant morph, not to mention the fact that it is exceptionally difficult to control.
"The Yeerk Empire is governed by a Council of Thirteen, which has recently given the order to accelerate the invasion of Earth. The highest military rank is Visser One. The current Visser One has enslaved an Andalite. He has the same morphing power that we possess. As Visser Three, he took over the invasion of our planet shortly before Prince Elfangor came to Earth. The former Visser One, who had begun the invasion, left Earth at that time and went to the planet Leera.
"The two Vissers were bitter rivals, and while visiting Earth Visser One interfered in Visser Three's operation, to our benefit. Friction between the two aided us greatly in our struggle.
"When the former Visser One was ordered executed as a traitor, we intervened. The human host previously enslaved by Visser One is living in seclusion, and will be available to help plan our military action. She is a wealth of knowledge on Yeerk battle strategy and weaponry."
"We have also kidnaped a known Controller of fairly high rank. His Yeerk will begin Kandrona starvation tonight. For a Yeerk, this is an unbearable way to die. We may be able to bargain with him and use him. Regardless, we cannot trust the Yeerk. The human host, however, will be a reliable source of information when free of the Yeerk.
"Once we have as much information as possible, we will be able to plan our defense. We already have a plan to infiltrate the Yeerk command center prior to their attack; we will be able to solidify this plan once we can count on your cooperation, as well as once we receive information on the battle plan itself." I stopped talking.
The president had sat and listened to my entire presentation. He had watched several morphing displays. I hoped he believed us. My instincts told me he had. I waited for his response.
"How do you know that I am not a Yeerk?" he asked.
"I don't, sir. We took a calculated risk coming here. We know that as of six months ago, you had not been infested. We know that there is not a major Yeerk pool in Washington. And we have found no evidence of a portable Kandrona within the White House. Our sources have heard no rumors of your infestation. We had to take the chance. We will not allow you to be alone, for any reason, until the battle. I hope you understand. It is for your own protection as well as ours. The Yeerks could be planning on grabbing you tomorrow, or next week. We don't know."
He nodded, "I understand. I will not object to your presence, under the circumstances. I doubt we will spend much time apart in the next two weeks anyhow. We need to work together on a plan of action; you are the expert on the situation. Our first step is to put together a top secret task force. But we need a way to be sure we don't accidentally recruit any... Yeerks. What would you suggest?"
"We were planning on using a modified CAT scan on the troops we'd be using. We figured if the President ordered medical tests on some military personnel, he wouldn't be refused. The trouble is that any Controllers who hear of it might catch on. The Yeerks have superior weaponry. We cannot afford to lose the element of surprise." I answered. "For that reason, we have reluctantly decided to use a slightly more controversial method. For those who will be in positions of command, or who will otherwise be involved in the planning stages, I regret to say that the best solution I have is to morph a telepathic species and check them myself. It is a step we have refrained from taking in the past, but I see no better alternative at this time."
Again, he nodded. "We'll have to set up in here, and bring people in here one at a time. No one leaves the room without being certified Yeerk free. I assume that begins with me?"
I nodded. I must say I was impressed. Here was the most powerful man in the world, and he was willing to work with a group of kids in spandex. And here was a man whose entire world view had just been destroyed, and he was holding it together. An impressive combination of strength of character and humility.
I began to morph the Leeran. It was a morph I had not used for years. When I finished, I could clearly read the President's carefully concealed terror. His desperate hope that he was right to place his faith in me, because he had no other choice. I saw private thoughts I had not wanted to see and which it would be inappropriate to repeat. But one thing was clear; this man was not a Controller. I demorphed quickly.
(We need to contact Erek soon. Tom could wake up any time now) Ax reminded us.
"OK. Rachel and Tobias: Go meet up with Erek. Check on Tom. Bring our stuff back here. Mr. President? What sort of delivery could show up here unnoticed? We'll create a hologram to mask the arrival of our prisoner."
"Office equipment. We have a copy machine that's been acting up. I doubt anyone would think twice if one were to be delivered."
"OK. You heard the man. And we'll need a real copier, too. It wouldn't look right if one was delivered, only to disappear. Seagull and flea. Go."
"You are very young to have such responsibility on your shoulders. I'm impressed."
"Thank you, sir."
"You've given me a great deal of information. How about you tell me some of the things you've done?"
"Fair enough, sir." What could I say? I had just witnessed this man's inner terror. I owed him a glimpse into my own brain, and I knew that he wanted some proof that he really could trust the world's fate to my hands.
I told him of our first trip down to the Yeerk pool. Of how it felt when I realized what we were up against. And of the horrible consequence of that failed mission; Tobias trapped as a red-tailed hawk.
I told him about the summit meeting. How the Yeerks had planned to infest the previous president and four other world leaders. How we had fallen into a complex trap. And how we were forced to break up the summit meeting with a desperate elephant attack. And I told him about David. How we had been forced to trap him in rat morph to avoid killing him when he betrayed us.
I also shared some more recent missions. I wanted him to see me as a capable leader, but I knew I would not sound honest if I didn't describe some of the growth I had experienced.
"So you see, sir, I've made mistakes. I've been forced to do things I am not proud of. But my friends are all still alive, and the majority of Earth is still free, so I cling to that."
Cassie spoke up, "Jake has lead us into hell itself and back again. But always back again. Somehow, he can think and make decisions that save lives when the rest of us are too tired, injured, or scared to even think."
"That is part of what makes a great leader," the president answered solemnly, "History will remember him as one of the great heroes of our time."
I blushed, but was saved by the bell when the office door opened itself and closed again.
"Erek?" I asked. The air shimmered. Erek, Tobias, Rachel and Tom appeared. Rachel had a dracon beam pointed at Tom's head.
"Mr. President, I think you'd better call your secretary in here," she said.
He complied instantly. I once again morphed the Leeran, but I was spared the discomfort of touching her mind. She fainted when she saw me, and I reversed the morph.
"Well, that was easy. She's no Controller," Marco laughed, and helped the president lift the poor woman onto a couch.
"Did anyone else see you come in here?" I asked Rachel.
"Secret Service saw two delivery men leave a copy machine at a rear entrance and drive back out the gate. I don't think the secretary saw anything, but I figured, you know."
"Good thinking Rachel. Tie Tom up in the bathroom," I ordered, "Ax, how long does his Yeerk have?"
(Approximately four hours and thirty six minutes.)
"Mr. President? I'd like to assemble and brief our team tomorrow, and we need to do some planning tonight. But I have security concerns. How many people have access to the West Wing?"
"If they haven't been compromised, we can trust Secret Service to do their jobs. Then again, your group got past them..." the President answered.
"OK. We'll call Secret Service people in here one at a time. I'll morph the Leeran, and conceal myself in Erek's hologram. Ax, stay behind the door. Be ready to knock out any Controllers I identify. Mr. President? Send those who are clear into the conference room. Marco, tie up any Controllers in the bathroom."
"Once we've cleared the Secret Service who are currently nearby, we'll determine who we need on the task force. You know better than I how many people you can call in here tomorrow without arousing too much suspicion. We'll have more information once we learn what Tom knows."
Tobias
Once Jake was happy with our immediate security, we got down to business. I sat quietly on Rachel's shoulder and marveled at the site of a barefoot teenager in spandex talking military strategy with the leader of the free world.
"Mr. President, I believe we'll need a sizable Air Force unit to defend against the first attack. We'll then need ground troops to help with the cleanup operation. Finally, we'll need people to help deal with the aftermath. We'll have some very unique POW's, as well as some difficult medical situations, especially if we are forced to use oatmeal during the operation."
"OK. Secret Service, military personnel, NASA...Should I get someone from Area 51? They might have uncovered something there of which we are unaware."
Marco laughed. Jake gave him a look. "Unnecessary, sir. We know the secret of Area 51. The object kept there is, essentially, an Andalite toilet. It has no military significance whatsoever."
The next several hours were more of the same. Jake and the President were virtually the only ones to speak. Even Marco was for the most part quiet. The President was shocked to learn that the National Security Agency would be useless due to heavy infestation, but on the whole the discussion was fairly dry, so I'll spare you the details.
When Tom's Yeerk was within an hour of Kandrona starvation, we began to attempt to bargain with it. Unfortunately, it was a stubborn Yeerk. It could not be tempted by oatmeal, coaxed out at the sight of the blue box, or fooled with a fake Yeerk pool. It died in Tom's head, and none of us was able to acquire it.
Jake
My brother was free. That triumph overshadowed my failure to acquire his Yeerk. After all, there was certainly no shortage of Yeerks. We'd find a way to acquire another soon enough.
"Jake! My little brother is the leader of the so-called Andalite bandits!" Tom seemed delighted. "That filthy thing in my head has spent the better part of the last four years hoping to obtain an Andalite host. I'm glad I never suspected..."
"I wish I could have freed you sooner," I said apologetically.
"It's best you didn't. I have plenty of information you'll find very useful. That information is worth far more than the price I paid."
"Good. Do you know any specifics about the invasion plan?" I asked.
"I don't think the Visser has much of a plan. Basically, he's going to bomb the heck out of D.C., then split his troops and move up and down the East Coast. He expects no significant resistance, so that's pretty much it. He figures that once D.C. is a smoldering ruin, people will surrender in droves.
"You'd think by now he'd have more respect for humanity," Rachel scoffed. "He's been here nearly five years and he hasn't learned a thing!"
(Not a smart Yeerk) Tobias commented dryly.
"Tom, is there any chance you know the Visser's schedule? We know he has a private Kandrona. Do you have details?" I had a plan, but I hadn't wanted to mention it earlier. I wanted to know if it were possible first.
"Jake, your big brother is usually one of the guards for the Visser's host body. I know exactly how it works."
I smiled. I looked at my troops. "My friends, we have a way to win this," I announced.
Cassie
Jake's plan was terrifying. But it was brilliant. I would go Yeerk. Tom would carry me down to the Yeerk pool. While creepy, that's not the scary part.
Tom would take his place guarding the Visser's host body, the Andalite War Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass, while the Yeerk fed on Kandrona. When Alloran's head was forced back into the Visser's private Yeerk pool, it would be me, and not the Visser, who would infest him.
"The timing will be crucial," Rachel fretted. "If Alloran doesn't agree to cooperate quickly, Cassie risks being trapped in morph."
"We have absolutely no reason to believe Alloran won't help us," I answered. (Cassie does risk being trapped in morph. But not because of Alloran. The visser may spend more than two hours in the pool.) Ax said.
"Tom will just have to find a place for her to demorph and remorph." Marco said.
"It doesn't have to be Tom," Rachel cut in. "Jake could morph Tom. That might be better, anyhow. Tom doesn't have the combat experience Jake has."
"I like that. We'll get in and get into position. We'll find an opportunity to demorph and remorph. We'll be in a position of authority, so it should be possible get out of site for a few moments." Jake agreed.
Tom nodded.
"If necessary, you can scrap the mission, free Alloran, and tear the place up," Marco half-joked.
"Hey, as long as the visser dies." Rachel said coldly.
"So, Tom, your choice. Can I borrow your DNA?" Jake asked.
"Absolutely. That's actually less creepy than having Cassie in my head." Tom answered. "No offense, Cassie."
"None taken. I agree." I assured him. "Actually, I was just thinking. The biofilter can't tell if the Yeerk is actually inside the host, can it, Ax?"
(I do not believe so, Cassie.) he answered.
We all stared at each other for a minute.
"OK. I missed that one." Jake said, a little embarrassed.
(That will increase the risk of detection; if anyone saw a supposed Controller carrying his Yeerk, it would look...) Ax pointed out.
(slightly odd.) Tobias finished. (But I think the odds of her being seen in Jake's pocket are less than the odds of her being seen slithering out his ear.)
"A new thought." I interjected. "A morph is just instincts, not memories. If a Yeerk entered the brain of a morph, wouldn't it only see what was in that physical brain?"
(You're right! When in morph, your real brain is in zero space! Cassie, I really think you've got something there!) Ax was astounded.
"So, let me get this straight. Say I morph Cassie. And Cassie morphs a Yeerk and infests me. Both of our real brains would be in zero space. She, as a Yeerk, would not be able to read my memories, only my instincts?" Rachel asked.
(It would require further study. But I believe that is a strong possibility.) Ax answered.
(A real Yeerk could force you to demorph, of course. We know that from Jake's experience.) Tobias pointed out.
"Jake! You were infested?" Tom asked.
"During one of our first missions, I was knocked into a portable Kandrona while in tiger morph. Fortunately, Ax caught on right away and they were able to starve the Yeerk." Jake paused. "It was... well, it was the first Yeerk that controlled you, Tom."
"So that's what happened. He'd been promoted, you know. They were going to give him the governor."
"We know. But back to business, here. I think I have a plan. I was reluctant to send everyone down to the Yeerk pool as Controllers. I think we all have enough bad memories and nightmares without peeking into each other's brains. But if this theory is true, we don't have to worry about that." Jake said, "Cassie and I can have backup for this, and I'd say that lowers the odds."
"OK. I morph Tom. Cassie goes as my Yeerk. Tobias and Ax have human morphs. Rachel and Marco play Yeerk. Then you all go Hork Bajir as soon as we get down there."
(Prince Jake, I'd suggest we test this theory first. It is only an educated guess.) Ax advised.
"Agreed. Volunteers?" Jake asked.
"I'm the only one who already has a Yeerk morph," I pointed out.
"Tom, may I?" Jake asked. He touched his brother's arm. Tom got a little glassy eyed. Then Jake started to change. It wasn't too much of a change, actually. Then it was my turn.
I shrunk. My entire body oozed mucous as my bones desolved and I became a slug. And Jake lifted me to his ear. I was hoping desperately that Ax and I were right, and that I wouldn't be able to see Jake's memories. We all needed a little privacy, and none of us needed each other's nightmares on top of our own.
I was only half way into Jake's ear when I realized my theory was invalid; I had barely touched Jake's mind when I got a glimpse of some pretty personal thoughts. I stopped and disengaged immediately. (Someone get me out of here, please!) I yelped.
"It didn't work," I stated simply after demorphing, I avoided everyone's eyes. What I had seen wasn't exactly horrifying, it just wasn't appropriate for group discussion and I was somewhat embarrassed.
"I'll carry her in," Jake decided "This is our last mission, so if some of us must go in human, well, it will be worth the security risk."
On that note, we retired for the evening. Erek spent the night tearing apart the CAT scan that had been delivered discreetly, everyone else took shifts guarding the President, and we all caught some sleep before the morning meeting.
Jake
The next morning we had thirty men and women gathered in a conference room adjacent to the Oval Office. We also had two unconscious controllers tied up in the bathroom. One was from the NSA and the other was Air Force. That was good and bad news. It meant that the Yeerks had managed to infiltrate both of those organizations, but then again we knew that. The good news was that we would soon know exactly how much influence the Yeerks had in those two organizations.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have asked you here today to discuss an extremely serious situation. I ask that you hold your comments and questions until after the presentation. I will now turn the floor over to the man who will lead this task force, Commander Jake Gates."
Thankful for the spandex-free clothing Rachel had brought me, I moved to the head of the table. "Thank you, Mr. President."
Rachel
Jake hadn't been a normal kid for years. Now, as I watched him take the podium at the White House, I realized just how extraordinary he really was. Sure, I knew the dirty parts of Jake's job, but I was proud of my cousin.
I had seen his bravery in battle. But it took a different kind of courage to stand at a podium and address a room full of powerful men and women. Some magazine had once taken a poll of people's greatest fears. Public speaking had ranked above death.
Yet Jake seemed remarkably cool and confident as he began his speech. I could feel his determination from across the room, where I stood with Tobias and Marco.
"The situation is indeed serious. We as a nation are once again called upon to fight for freedom. Not merely freedom as an abstract concept. Not merely political freedom. Not merely freedom from a government we view as oppressive. In this coming war, the word freedom takes on new meaning. We are here to fight for the freedom of all of humanity, to fight against a human bondage worse than death. The responsibility for humanity's right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is on our shoulders.
The facts, ladies and gentleman, are as follows: The Earth is under attack. Aliens have been infiltrating our world for several years. They are a race of parasitic slugs called Yeerks. They take over the brains of their hosts, their slaves..."
At this point, I had expected some response from the audience. I expected disbelief, annoyance at having busy schedules interrupted by what seemed a hoax. But they believed Jake. I could see it in their faces. Along with fear, and a determination to do their parts to fight this new threat. I marveled at the power of Jake's words.
He proceeded with the same basic presentation of Yeerk information that he had given the President earlier that afternoon. He introduced Ax, told of our original contact with Prince Elfangor, and gave a brief history of our struggle. He had Cassie demonstrate several morphs. As we had all agreed, he left out several things. We had chosen to share the facts regarding oatmeal with the President, and he had agreed with our decision that we not make that information widely available. The existence of a doomsday weapon was best kept secret.
We did not feel it appropriate to reveal the existence of the free Hork Bajir; that would be a decision for Toby, their seer. We also decided to reveal Erek and the Chee only to the President. Jake did not mention our possession of the Escafil Device. If we needed more morph capable members of our force, we'd use it. But we preferred not to be responsible for another David. We also held back information on our Leeran morph; there was no reason to make these individuals wonder if they had been personally violated. We also held back our plan to liberate Alloran. That was our 'ace in the hole,' so to speak, and even if the Yeerks discovered human awareness and military preparations, we would still have a chance if Alloran was free to play the role of Visser One.
"Today we will begin preparing for the most important military action in Earth history. I have faith in our ability to succeed. American history is full of success at overwhelming odds; The Revolutionary War was won by a handful of Patriots with the courage to stand against the entire British Empire. They were outnumbered and outgunned. But they were more determined. They were fighting for freedom. And no army is more powerful than one defending a cause for which they are prepared to give their lives.
I have faith in the resilience of the human spirit. Yet the words I choose make little difference in the reality of what we must now do. What will make the difference is your own determination. The future of human existence is now the responsibility of each and every one of you. And I know we will not only defeat the Yeerks in the battle for Earth, but that the human race will rise to take its place beside the Andalites in the final battle for the galaxy itself. For nothing is more precious to humanity than our God given free will."
The moment was indescribable. I had just witnessed a great historical event. I knew Jake was right. I knew we would win. That image froze in my mind. Jake, the great leader of Earth's Resistance, filled with a determination so fierce that it became tangible and spread to every member of his audience. In the background, the young Andalite warrior, pride in his Prince clearly visible. It would make a painting to rival Washington crossing the Delaware; the artist would certainly need to take less liberties than had whoever painted Washington.
The discussion got underway. Cassie questioned the Surgeon General in relation to her theories about the surgical removal of a Yeerk which had lost its dependence on Kandrona rays. Schematics of bug fighters and blade ships, drawn up by Marco's parents, were studied by military men. Maps of the greater D.C. area, as well as Northern California, were pored over.
The president handed out an unexpected order. "For the next two weeks, no one eats a meal that doesn't include instant ginger oatmeal."
That made everyone pause a moment. News of alien invasion they could accept. This was unexpected.
"Yeerk repellent," he explained. "If you are taken, we have reason to believe that the presence of this substance in your digestive tract might delay infestation."
Packets of breakfast cereal were passed out by the secretary I had startled the day before. The meeting broke for a quick lunch. Our little group gathered in the corner. "Schoolchildren everywhere are going to hate Jake forever!" Marco said.
(Why?) Ax asked.
"Because they are going to have to memorize that speech in future history classes." Marco explained.
Jake blushed furiously and everyone else laughed.
"Seriously, Jake, it was like the Gettysburg Address or something," Marco said, "You gave me chills."
An Air Force commander was dispatched to Area 51, allegedly to check on the possibility of a security leak. The real mission was to fetch Marco's parents. As a former host to a Yeerk Visser, Marco's mother would be invaluable in predicting Yeerk strategy. The Chee would fetch them from the valley of the free Hork Bajir and bring them to Crazy Helen's tourist shop just outside the base.
Cassie
Before the meeting resumed, I overheard something that didn't make me too happy. The President was planning on issuing cyanide capsules to everyone on the task force.
While I understood the need for security, I didn't approve of this plan. Suicide, even for such a seemingly noble cause, was an end of hope. I worried about the psychological effect that order would cause, even with instructions to save it as a last resort. I explained my concern to Jake.
He went to the President, quietly requesting a private conference. The two disappeared together. I took the opportunity to ask Erek a favor.
"If we die, well, if we die there won't be bodies. If you can, if it's possible, explain what happened to us to our parents. Don't make it too terrible..." my words trailed off. I started again. "I just want my parents to know that I died fighting for a good cause, and I want them to know I loved Jake...that even through all the fighting and hardship, I found happiness as well."
"Cassie, I give you my word. I only hope I won't have to carry out your wishes." Erek promised.
Jake
"I will not have people commit suicide on my orders," I informed the President, speaking with more force and confidence then I felt. "And I will not allow you to give those orders for me."
The President met my gaze. It was a silent battle of wills for a twelve hour minute. He looked down first. "Find another way to keep those people from unwillingly betraying us all."
"I will, sir. That will be our next step."
I called the meeting back to order. "We need to address the issue of task force security. Obviously, due to the way the Yeerks work, absolutely no one can be trusted. The Yeerks even infest small children for use as spies. You all understand what Top Secret means, and I doubt that you really need the reminder. But I wanted to add that even admitting you were at a classified meeting might tip off a Yeerk.
"The larger concern is capture. We have no reason to believe that any one of you is currently a target for infestation, nor is it likely that you will be in danger before the attack, as long as you remain on the East Coast. However, we need to be prepared for the unexpected."
"We are all on the instant ginger oatmeal diet," one of the Generals pointed out.
"Yes, and in the event of capture, the Yeerks would probably hold off on infesting you until it was out of your system. The hope is that it would give you the opportunity for escape, or rescue. But the Visser is sometimes impulsive, and your oatmeal consumption might be overlooked or ignored.
"We need a small device capable of blocking the auditory canal. The catch is, if the Yeerks discover one, it might tip them off as to human knowledge of the invasion."
"So we should use cyanide capsules," the CIA agent suggested.
"No." I said firmly. "That would tip them off just as easily. Suicide is not an option, especially when its intended 'noble purpose' is in vain."
I turned to the Surgeon General. "I need internal hearing aids for every person here. They don't need to work, but they must be altered in order to be difficult to remove."
He nodded, "I'll have to pick them up myself. I assume it would be bad security to have them delivered."
"Agreed. Until everyone has been fitted with a pair of hearing aids, I will request that no one leave the White House. Cassie, would you please go along as backup?"
I figured she would put the time alone with the Surgeon General to the best use, and although I hated to be without her during the planning session, I knew it would be going on for several days.
As it turned out, Cassie returned at about the same time that Marco's parents arrived. Also accompanying them was Toby, to my delight. That meant we would have Hork Bajir assistance.
"Ladies and Gentleman, I am pleased to introduce Toby Hamee, the seer of the Hork Bajir people. They have been indispensable as allies."
Toby nodded to the group, and took the seat Tobias vacated for her. He demorphed and resumed his former perch on Rachel's shoulder.
"We are also now joined by Eva - , the former host Edriss Five Six Two, who held the rank of Visser One, and her husband, who is an expert on Yeerk technology."
Marco
Three days had passed since our arrival in Washington. None of us had gotten quite enough sleep. Between the long planning sessions, the actual preparations, and security for the entire operation, we were spread a little thin. But I was feeling a guarded optimism, and I wasn't alone.
Ax and I had taken a cue from the movie Independence Day, and had devised a computer virus of sorts to take out the shields and weapon systems on the bug fighters. Unlike in the movies, we would have to infect each onboard computer separately, and by hand, which meant a bit of risky sneaking around in enemy territory. But Jake had decided that we'd go for it, once the Visser was out of the picture.
My dad, in the meantime, was working feverishly to help upgrade Air Force weapons and shielding. The Yeerks were in for a number of nasty surprises. Through Erek's "Chee net" we had relayed a short message to Mr. Tidwell, the host of Illim, our contact in the Yeerk Peace Movement. The message was simple, "The Andalite's have a plan. Await further instructions." Jake wanted to make sure they did nothing to endanger themselves or our plans prematurely.
Tomorrow was the first, and in many ways the most important, step. Tom was fairly certain that the Visser would be feeding, and once again Erek's ability to communicate with the other Chee proved invaluable when Mr. King confirmed the timing.
Tom and Erek would remain in Washington. Our original team of six would return to the west coast, where we would carry out the mission to free Alloran. I wondered if any of us would be able to sleep tonight.
Animorphs © and related properties are Registered Trademarks of Scholastic, Inc. No copyright infringement intended. No profits made here. © Spiletta42, October 2000.