Tobias
"Um, Ax?" Jake questioned. "How did the mission go?"
(Fine, Prince Jake...well, not fine, actually, but it turned out fine. So I guess my answer is, fine.) Ax answered, oddly distracted.
I must admit I was pretty distracted myself. My mother? Why on Earth would Ax ask about her? Especially after a mission - odd.
"I never thought I'd see the day that Ax would start stuttering in thoughtspeak," Marco commented.
(I do not believe that I was stuttering, although I will admit I was experiencing some difficulty in organizing my thoughts. The mission was...eventful.) Ax replied.
"Why don't you start at the beginning," Jake suggested.
(Well, the Visser's pilots weren't very good at following Alloran's orders. We missed the mark, and landed a distance from Toby's troops.) Ax began. (One of the Hork Bajir Controllers declared Alloran an Andalite bandit, then took off.)
"Oh no," Cassie gasped.
Jake looked pale.
(Alloran gave chase,) Ax continued. (I was left to face eleven Hork Bajir and a dozen Taxxons alone. Then, out of nowhere, this human girl appeared, with a baseball bat. She saved my life.)
"Ax got his butt saved by a human girl with a baseball bat?" Marco asked, incredulous.
(She was no ordinary girl. She called me Elfangor. And Alloran knew her.) Ax explained not at all. (She was remarkably efficient with her weapon.)
(Ax...) I began tentatively (You mentioned my mother?)
(She made no such claim,) Ax answered. (But I have a suspicion. She appeared too young, but Alloran claimed to have known her twenty years ago, and she mentioned the Ellimist.)
(It must be her...) I answered, barely daring to believe. (How many women named Loren could Elfangor have known?)
"Where is she now?" Rachel demanded.
(With Alloran on the Blade Ship.) Ax replied. (I have not told her of my suspicion. She was quite upset at the news of Elfangor's death.)
"She didn't know? That's so sad," Cassie commented.
"This could prove a complication." Jake interjected. "First of all, are we sure this Loren is not a Controller?"
(Quite certain, Prince Jake.) Ax answered. (If she were a Yeerk, she could have become a Visser today merely by standing idle and letting me die.)
"Fair enough. I assume Alloran and Toby are continuing the training exercise?" Jake asked.
(Yes, Prince Jake. They will not return to the Yeerk Pool without backup.) Ax answered.
"Good. We need to get down there so that you and Marco can program your virus. Any volunteers to stay here with Erek and the President?" Jake asked.
"I will," Eva answered. "I can't go on the mission anyhow."
"Imagine the panic that the late Visser One could cause in the Yeerk Pool," Marco mused.
Eva laughed, "That would be interesting."
"You two are sick," Rachel commented. But she was smiling at the thought as well.
I wondered if I would be able to joke with my mother soon. I wondered if she really was my mother, or an elaborate Yeerk hoax. A memory of a certain photographer cousin came to mind.
"Anyhow..." Jake interjected. "We have a mission to plan, people."
"People? You're calling us 'people' now?" Marco questioned.
"Yeah, Jake. Don't offend Marco and leave him out," Rachel joked.
Jake sighed. "Marco, is that virus ready to go?"
"Yes, sir!" he answered with a salute.
"Ax, did Alloran confirm a time to meet?" Jake asked.
(Yes, Prince Jake. He will be over the rendezvous point at approximately 2:38 pm, Eastern Standard Time.) Ax replied.
"Approximately? Ax-man, get out a dictionary. That is simply not an approximation." Marco groaned.
"Tobias?" Rachel looked concerned. "What are you thinking?"
(I'm thinking that our lives have gotten profoundly weird.) I answered.
"No, seriously. Your mother just appears and saves Ax's life? How much sense does that make? Someone has some explaining to do!" Rachel struggled to keep from raising her voice. "She leaves you with apathetic relatives for your entire life, and now she's suddenly back?"
(You heard Ax. She mentioned the Ellimist. It might not be her fault.) I answered.
"And what right did he have? He took your father; now we find out he took your mother, too?" Rachel raged. "Is that what he calls 'not interfering'? Stealing parents from children?"
(Rachel, calm down. Life isn't fair; we know that. But now I might have a chance to get to know my mother. This is a good thing.) Until I said it, I hadn't been sure. But however apprehensive I felt, I was looking forward to approximately 2:38 PM, Eastern Standard Time.
Rachel
I was angry. Hadn't Tobias been through enough? It was the Ellimist who had whisked Elfangor across the galaxy before Tobias was born. It was the Ellimist who, however indirectly, had dragged us all into this war. And it was the Ellimist who had given Tobias back his morphing power without restoring him to his human body. It was unbearable to think that the same being was responsible for the fact that Tobias grew up without a mother.
And if the Ellimist was not responsible, and this woman had willingly abandoned her son... Well, then a baseball bat certainly wouldn't be enough to protect her.
We were in the air at two-thirty. We were on our way to yet another trip into the Yeerk Pool, but that wasn't what was making us edgy. We were all wondering about Ax's mysterious savior; Tobias especially.
Jake and Marco were concerned that her appearance was some sort of Yeerk trap. I was worried about that possibility as well. I was also uneasy about the effect this would have on Tobias.
Alloran was punctual. The six of us flew into the ship, demorphed, and headed for the bridge.
"Rachel, Marco: battle morphs. Just in case." Jake ordered. "Everyone else: Stay yourselves."
I morphed to grizzly. When we reached the bridge, we found Tom at the weapons station. Sharing the helm with Alloran was a teenage girl with long blonde hair and hopelessly out of fashion clothing.
"What's the situation?" Jake asked, looking around the bridge warily.
(The Visser had planned an important meeting of the Sharing for tonight. Tom and I must attend or Chapman may get suspicious. Toby and I are nearly finished with the exercises.) Alloran answered.
"We'd better get him shipped off to France before he becomes a problem," Jake replied. "Where's this mysterious Loren?"
(Prince Jake, may I present my old friend Loren...)
The teenager in the unlikely clothing rose from her seat at the helm. This couldn't be her; she was no older than Tobias himself.
(It's her, but how...) Tobias told me in private thoughtspeak. (Ax, when you said 'girl' and 'appeared too young' you really meant it, didn't you?) Tobias questioned.
(Yes, Tobias) Ax answered. (She mentioned the Ellimist; I imagine he has tampered with her personal timeline.)
(...And Loren, may I present Prince Jake, leader of the Resistance.) Alloran continued.
"Pleased to meet you, Loren. It sounds like we were lucky that you happened by this morning." Jake said cautiously. "How did you happen to be in the woods?"
"I don't know. My memory is a little jumbled. I thought I was just on the Taxxon home world, but I have memories from much later..." she mused, "...I was at home, and something was wrong, but I couldn't figure out what...Then I knew. Elfangor was missing. The Ellimist appeared. He told me he could make me forget. It made me so angry. He had taken my husband and now he wanted to take my memory of him? I remember arguing...it felt like forever..."
Her words trailed off. I realized she was fighting back tears. Jake and Cassie exchanged a look. They were trying to decide whether or not to trust her, and how to proceed.
Loren spoke again. "I don't know what happened. But I do know what is going to happen. Alloran filled me in. We have a war to win. We'll figure out the rest later."
With that, I knew I was going to like Loren.
Jake
I decided to trust Loren. If there was a Yeerk in her head, it deserved an Academy Award. Cassie thought she was sincere, and we needed to get back to business. We had a great deal to accomplish in the next twenty-four hours.
"Who is on this ship other than the nine of us?" I asked. We had been forced to keep a number of former Controllers on board as part of Alloran's cover, instead of sending them to the relative safety of the refugee camp as I would have preferred.
"There are a couple of former human hosts in engineering," Tom replied.
"Where are the rest?"
"Still in the Hork Bajir valley, as we discussed." Alloran answered.
"Good. Alloran, take us into the docking bay. Be ready to fight if they're on to us. Tom, don't leave the weapons station until Alloran gives the all-clear. Loren, am I to assume you can fly this thing?"
"Yes," she answered confidently.
"Good. Do not leave the helm; Be ready to take off. Ax and Marco, as soon as we're clear you need to go Hork Bajir and get to work on installing your virus. Everyone else, let's find a hiding place. Be ready for battle morphs. Rachel, once we're clear you're on guard duty."
"Let's do it!" Rachel replied. She was practically vibrating with energy. I desperately hoped she wouldn't need to use it. A battle right now meant the Yeerks were on to us. And if the Yeerks were on to us, the Earth was probably doomed.
Alloran left the Blade Ship and stormed around the hangar bay, bellowing at the Hork Bajir technicians who were responsible for running the place.
(Prince Jake, I believe we are still undetected.) Alloran told me privately.
He blustered some more, then shouted for Tom. He sounded so much like the Visser I couldn't help but get chills.
(You!) he bellowed at Rachel, who was standing guard in Hork Bajir morph, (Kill anyone who gets near my ship!)
(The rest of you! No one comes in here! I will not have this facility compromised by those blasted Andalites!) With that, Alloran and Tom headed into the Yeerk Pool.
Ax and Marco moved out in Hork Bajir morph, and began installing their virus on the Bug Fighter computers. The rest of us stayed on the Blade Ship. It was nerve wracking, not having anything to do.
"Tobias, why don't you go sit at the weapons station," Cassie suggested. "I'm sure Loren could use the company. I don't suggest explaining who you are quite yet, though. She's had a hard day."
"Good idea. I think I'd better wander down to engineering and chat with the crew." I held my hand out to Cassie. "Shall we?"
Marco
I won't bore you with the details of the virus, although it was rather clever. Our little bug would wait a set time period, and then rename all of the command codes that we specified. The computer would therefore be unable to find those codes. It was also designed to duplicate itself, like all viruses, so if it did come in contact with other computers of yeerk design, it would do the same thing. But I digress.
Simply put, it meant every bug fighter in the hangar would be without both shields and dracon beams during the upcoming battle. Yet all systems would test normally in the meantime.
Ax and I morphed Hork Bajir and marched boldly from the Blade Ship to the first bug fighter. No one even thought to stop us. And why would they? How crazy would the Andalite bandits have to be to stow away on the Visser's own Blade Ship?
Every guard in the place was watching the entrances fiercely, to the exclusion of all else. That left only a few Hork Bajir technicians in addition to Toby's people. Our trouble, therefore, came not from suspicious Yeerks, but from the bug fighter computers themselves.
The first three were a snap. We spent no more than five minutes each on those fighters. The fourth computer stubbornly refused to read our code. We had to alter the program to get it to work.
(Ax, why don't we try adjusting the second subroutine so that it...) I suggested.
(I believe that might do the trick) Ax replied.
(It's too bad we can't get it to display a skull and crossbones, like in the movie,) I commented.
(I do not see what purpose that would serve) Ax answered.
(Humor, Ax-man, humor) I explained.
(Ah, yes. I understand. That would be quite amusing, if any Yeerks would actually see it. Which they will not.) Ax answered.
(I certainly hope not.) I agreed nervously. (Is it working yet?)
(We have achieved success. It has identified the codes.) Ax informed after a long pause.
We moved on. Fortunately, only that one bug fighter seemed to have a different set of command codes. We soon had hidden our virus on more than two dozen bug fighters. Any fighters that took to the air following the destruction of the first strike team would meet the same fate. They would be defenseless against our air force.
"Halt!" the "Hork Bajir" guarding the Blade Ship demanded.
(Chill, Rachel. It's us,) I answered in thoughtspeak. Out loud, I uttered some of the hybrid speech of the average Hork Bajir Controller.
(Prove it,) she teased.
(Stuff it, Xena. If you can't tell by the thoughtspeak I don't know what else to tell you) I answered. (I suppose we could display Ax's tremendous ability to eat a Cinnabon.)
She let us pass. Humor is a powerful weapon.
Tobias
"Loren? I'm Tobias. Jake sent me up to man the weapons station." I explained.
"Hi," she replied. "Would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions?"
"Not at all," I answered. "What do you need to know?"
"I've missed a few years. Alloran has filled me in a bit, but if I need to talk to anyone I'm a little shaky on current events."
"Well, what's the last thing you remember?"
She thought for a while. "Ronald Reagan was President..."
We spent some time rehashing the last two decades.
"Bill Gates? Really?" Loren looked shocked.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"Elfangor knew him, that's all." She laughed. "I wouldn't have guessed that one."
"So you knew Elfangor?" I asked, knowing the answer but wishing for details.
"I was married to him. At least, I have memories of being married to him. The Ellimist tampered with the timeline, although I'm not sure exactly what was changed, yet. Did you know him?"
"The Ellimist, or Elfangor?"
"Both, I guess."
"I have had a few dealings with the Ellimist. Elfangor..." I struggled to keep the emotion from my voice. "Elfangor I met only once, four years ago."
"I'm sorry. I take it that is not a pleasant memory?"
"I was with him when he died."
"The Visser killed him, didn't he?" she said bitterly.
"Yes, it was the Visser," I admitted. "How did you know?"
"I guessed. Alloran would not speak of it..." she whispered. "I knew then."
For the first time I thought of how horrible Elfangor's death must have been for Alloran. I shuddered, but I decided Loren deserved to hear the story. If I found myself in a reality where Rachel had died...Well, I would want to know.
"Elfangor's fighter crashed in a construction site near the mall. The five of us were walking home together. We investigated. We found Elfangor fatally wounded. He told us about the Yeerk invasion, and gave us the ability to morph. When the Visser arrived, Elfangor ordered us to hide. To live to fight another day, while he faced the Visser alone. He was too weak to morph, or to fight back. The Visser killed him."
"Thank you for telling me." Loren's eyes were full of tears. "I needed to know. I loved him. Whether the events I remember were erased or not, I loved him. I wonder if he remembered me..."
"He did," I answered.
"How do you know?" she asked.
"He mentioned you. Before he died, he asked about you." I swallowed hard, praying she wouldn't ask for details. Elfangor hadn't asked after a woman named 'Loren'; He had asked about my mother.
Loren, my time-shifted mother, looked me in the eye. She knew she was missing something. Fortunately, Marco and Ax chose that moment to enter.
"The virus is planted," Marco reported. "Where's Jake?"
"Right here," he answered, appearing at the entrance to the bridge. Cassie was right behind him.
"So, what do we do now, twiddle our thumbs?" Marco asked.
"As soon as Alloran gets back, we'll get back in the air. We need to spread your little gift to the Pool Ship, if possible." Jake answered.
"Oh, now that certainly sounds like fun," Marco complained. "You've just survived two trips into the Yeerk Pool. Where do you go from here? Why, the Pool Ship, of course!"
Cassie
Jake and I had found two able and willing, if nervous, former controllers working in the tiny Engineering room. While both were anxious to get back to their lives, they were more anxious to stop the Yeerk threat once and for all, and they had the skills necessary to be helpful aboard the Blade Ship.
When Alloran and Tom returned from the Sharing, Ax and Loren piloted us to the Visser's current feeding location. Jake didn't waste any time while we were en route.
"Our next task is to get rid of Chapman," Jake said. "Alloran, have you..."
"Chapman!" Loren gasped, turning to Alloran. "It couldn't be the same Chapman, could it?"
(One and the same,) he replied. (Although how he survived the destruction of the Jahar is a mystery to me.)
"Wait a minute. You two knew Chapman?" Jake asked, puzzled. "As in, before he was a Controller?"
(Yes,) Alloran replied. (He was not a particularly pleasant individual. He betrayed us on the Taxxon home world.)
"I knew he was scum," Rachel spat.
"Scum or not, we need to be rid of him before tomorrow." Jake said evenly. "Where is he now?"
(Home packing, I hope) Alloran responded. (He and his wife will be flying to Paris tonight. They will be taking a commercial airliner, which should waste some time.)
"Excellent," Jake mused. "Now, is it possible to keep him from reaching the Yeerks in France without looking like we're involved?"
"Maybe. The French aren't expecting him, so..." Tom mused.
"Could we get him arrested somehow?" Marco asked.
"We could slip something into his bag to get him detained by Customs," Rachel suggested.
"Like drugs?" I asked. "Where would we get drugs?"
(The D.E.A. Remember, we have the government at our disposal here) Tobias reminded me.
"O.K." Jake decided. "We're off to Paris, with a layover in Washington. Alloran? In your opinion, how long can you be out of contact with the Yeerks?"
(With Chapman out of the picture there is no one left who will give too much thought to my absence. They will be too busy being relieved that the Visser is not breathing down their necks. Esplin was often absent for days at a time.) He answered.
"We really shouldn't leave Toby's people alone down there for very long," I worried.
"We won't," Jake answered. "But Toby's smart enough to handle the situation while we visit the Pool Ship. We'll make contact through the Chee before we head for Paris."
We landed, and Alloran grabbed a quick meal.
Ax
Once we were positive we were not observed, I headed out and joined Alloran. We ran through the field, absorbing nutrients through our hooves.
(War-Prince Allor..) I began.
Alloran cut me off. (Call me Warrior Alloran. I am not worthy of more.)
I was surprised, but I could tell that it would be unwise to argue. (While I disagree, I shall honor your request.)
(There is much you do not know, Aximili.) Alloran answered. (I intend to atone for the sins of my past, however, not dwell upon them. What were you about to ask?)
(Well, you were on the Taxxon home world with Elfangor. I was wondering about that.)
(Your brother was a noble warrior. Be assured of that. The rest can wait.) Alloran replied. (You'll hear it even if I don't survive to tell the tale. Cassie knows everything, I'm quite sure, and Loren was there.)
(Fair enough) I agreed reluctantly.
Alloran turned and headed back towards the ship. (I have a question for you, Aximili. Are you planning on returning home after this is over?)
(I cannot answer that,) I replied. (Because I do not know the answer myself.)
Jake
As soon as Alloran and Ax had eaten, we were off again. We had to make contact with Erek and Eva, cause some grief for Chapman, and plant Marco's computer virus on the Pool Ship. Then we had to get into position for the Yeerk strike. I didn't know whether to be worried about how much was yet to be done, or thankful that we had something to do other than sit and fret.
"We're due for a check in at the White House, but we don't all need to go," I decided. "Who's coming with me?"
"Does going with you get us out of the Pool Ship mission?" Marco asked.
I didn't bother to answer him, and instead decided I didn't have the energy for democracy. "Rachel, you're with me. Marco, Ax, Alloran, and Tom can go over the Pool Ship plans. Loren, stay at the helm. Cassie and Tobias, give her a hand. Everyone: Be ready for a strategy meeting when we get back."
Rachel and I flew to the White House. A member of the Secret Service headed off to find us some contraband to plant on Chapman. Erek assured me that there was a Chee with Toby, and that the Hork Bajir volunteers were safe. Eva and the President confirmed that there weren't any new problems, and that everything else was still on schedule.
The lack of trouble worried me. As much as I wanted our operation to go off without a hitch, I doubted the likelihood of an easy victory. And if there was going to be trouble, I didn't want it to come at the worst possible time.
"As soon as the first explosion is noticed off the coast, we're going to have to deal with questions from the press" the President reminded me. "What shall I tell them?"
"The most important thing is to preserve Alloran's cover as long as possible. If the Yeerks in either California or France learn that D.C. is not a smoldering heap of ash it could compromise our ground strikes."
"We could knock out some satellites," Rachel suggested.
"We can't afford to cause a public panic with a complete news blackout," I countered. "Perhaps we could distract the media somehow."
"What would interest the American media more than intergalactic war?" Eva had a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Could it be scandal, perhaps?"
"What are you thinking?" I asked warily.
"We know what time the attack is coming." Eva answered. "We just need to have the media focused on something else when it happens."
"Easier said than done," the President commented. He'd been quiet. He knew there was only one person in the room with the power to create a scandal of the necessary proportion. I would have felt bad for him if I could have spared the mental energy.
"So, we call a press conference and tell them what?" Rachel asked.
"Doesn't matter. Something shocking. Something that will push a mysterious explosion or two off the front page, so to speak," Eva answered. She looked directly at the President. "You're call. Do you have something scandalous to confess?"
"Just make sure you can prove it false after the fact," I warned.
When we left, Eva and the President were debating the possibilities. With our contraband safely in Rachel's Bald Eagle talons, we headed back for the ship. Tomorrow was going to prove interesting.
Tobias
Jake and Rachel headed for the White House. Marco, Ax, Alloran and Tom disappeared to discuss the Pool Ship computer system.
Loren and I were alone, except for Cassie.
"Tobias, why would Elfangor ask you about me?" Loren asked. "I feel like there's something important that I'm not remembering."
I looked helplessly at Cassie.
"Loren," Cassie asked gently, "Do you remember having a son?"
Loren turned to her, startled. "What? Oh my...Elfangor's son! I had just been to the doctor; that's when he disappeared. But I...I couldn't have had a son. I was... I can't be more than...I found out I was pregnant, and then the Ellimist...My gosh, did he take my baby away? Did he erase...What happened to my son?"
Tears of confusion and sorrow started to run down her cheeks as she considered the possibility of her unborn child being simply erased from existence.
"I'm right here." I assured her.
She looked up at me with surprise. "Tobias, you're Elfangor's son? My son?"
"Yes," I answered. "When Elfangor died, he asked about my mother. I thought it was odd, but in the midst of so much chaos, I didn't have time to wonder about it. Later, I learned he was my father."
Loren jumped up and laid her hand on my arm. "Tobias, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you."
"It wasn't your fault," I told her, "I'm not sure what happened, exactly, but I do know it wasn't your fault."
"Please tell me you weren't raised by your uncle," Loren pleaded, looking me in the eye. Evidently she knew he was a drunk.
I couldn't lie to her. "I was, at least part-time. But it all worked out for the best."
She sat back down at the helm. I moved to sit beside her. "Cassie, could you take the weapons station for a few minutes?"
"Sure," she answered tentatively.
I turned to Loren. "I'd like to learn how to fly this thing, if you wouldn't mind teaching me."
"I suspect that it's the least I could do," she laughed. "So I didn't get to raise my own son. At least I get to teach him to fly an alien spacecraft."
Rachel
When Jake and I got back to the Blade Ship, we found Tobias and Loren bent over the helm, and Tom showing Cassie the workings of the weapons console.
"We have a pretty good plan for sabotaging the Pool Ship," Marco told us.
"Good. Let's hear it," Jake answered.
They proceeded to outline a plan of action. The computer system on the big ship was different from the ones on the bug fighters, but Marco and Ax had modified their virus. They would need about fifteen minutes to plant it, and would need backup. Alloran would keep the Yeerks busy with his angry Visser routine.
Simple enough, I thought dejectedly. Then I scolded myself. What was wrong with me that I was spoiling for action, when action might mean the destruction of Earth? I hoped Tobias was right, and that I was merely tired of waiting, and not mentally ill. Was I going to turn into some sort of sociopath after the war ended?
"Rachel, are you all right?" Cassie asked.
I jumped. "What? Yeah, why?"
"Jake just asked you to cover guard duty," she answered.
"Yeah, and you didn't answer with a battle cry," Marco added. "Now I'm worried."
I smiled weakly. "Let's do it!"
"Loren and Tom, be ready to get us out of here if necessary. Everyone else, Hork Bajir. Cassie and Tobias, go with 'the Visser' on his inspection. Rachel, you and I will cover Ax and Marco."
Jake
I tried not to worry about Rachel's momentary lack of focus, but I decided I'd stay with her while Marco and Ax worked on the computer.
We docked with the Pool Ship, and once again Alloran's blustering distracted the Yeerks from even thinking about being suspicious. Terrified underlings tend not to question anything.
In very little time we were back on board the Blade Ship. The Yeerks on the Pool Ship would find themselves without communications, shields, weapons, or indeed any system other than life support when the virus kicked in. They would be unable to assist the Yeerks on the planet, and wouldn't be aware that an assist was necessary, anyhow.
As for us, it was on to France.
"We can't get the Blade Ship too close to the airport," Marco pointed out. "I know we're invisible to radar, but they might notice the anomaly."
"Agreed. Hold a low orbit just south of Paris. We should still have plenty of time." I said.
(By my calculations, Chapman shouldn't be more than an hour out of New York at this point) Ax commented.
"Good. Alloran, what was that flight number?" I asked.
He told me.
"Rachel, you get to carry the goods again." I tried to fake enthusiasm. "Bird of prey time, everyone."
"Paris, the most romantic city in the world, and me without a date," Marco commented.
"Hardly a surprise," Rachel told him. She started to say more, but her lips chose that moment to harden into a beak.
We watched the sun rise over Paris as we flew to the airport.
(I wish there were some thermals) Tobias complained. (All this flapping isn't very efficient.)
His complaint reminded me of how long it had been since morning. I needed to make sure everyone got some rest before sunrise in D.C.
At least Marco seemed in high spirits. (Hey, Tobias! Did I remember to tell you that your mom's a babe?)
(Shut up, Marco.) Rachel ordered.
(Hey, I can't hide the truth!) he protested.
Cassie scrambled to change the subject before Marco went too far and Rachel killed him. (Does anyone know if Chapman speaks French?)
No one answered her.
(I guess I should have thought to ask Alloran that,) I sighed mentally. I hoped I wasn't going to start making mistakes on this mission just because I was a little tired.
(If he doesn't, it's to our advantage) Marco pointed out.
(Why do different parts of your planet speak entirely different languages?) Ax questioned. (I've never heard an explanation for that phenomenon.)
(Neither have I, Ax-man, but I think it's just so that they can make us take French in school) Marco answered.
We demorphed in a dumpster not far from the airport. Tobias and Ax morphed human.
"Ah, the glamorous life of the super-hero," Marco sighed, "Do you all have any idea how much time we spend standing barefoot in garbage?"
"Hey, we've eaten garbage. This is nothing." Tobias responded.
"Speaking of eating, we really should try to find a meal sometime soon," Rachel reminded me.
"Tobias could catch us a rat," Marco suggested. Rachel punched him in the stomach.
We looked fairly ridiculous. Six American kids in spandex roaming around Paris barefoot. Rachel was carrying the contraband we planned on sticking in Chapman's baggage. I hoped she had at least one other thing in the small bag.
"Rachel, do you have your credit card with you?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I think my parents will notice if I charge something in France," she answered.
"Fortunately, this time it doesn't matter. This will all be over by the time the bill arrives." I said hopefully.
"Jake, it's like six in the morning at the latest. Just where do you think we're going shopping?" Cassie demanded.
"Airport gift shop," I answered wearily. "We just need some cheap shoes."
"No problem, Jake. But if this thing doesn't go public in the next two weeks, you can explain the bill to my mom." Rachel threatened.
"You see, we heard that their was a great sale on cheap sneakers at the Paris airport," Marco quipped.
Once we were properly shod, we checked on Chapman's flight. It seemed we had about an hour to kill. Almost grateful for the delay, we collapsed into some airport seats. Rachel, Cassie, and Marco even managed to catch naps. I just sat there and worried that Chapman would spot us. Ax and Tobias had to visit the men's room and demorph as the hour drew to a close. When they got back, we woke up the others.
"I can't believe I fell asleep in here. It's loud and brightly lit," Rachel observed.
"We can't assume Chapman checked any luggage, so we need to get the package into his carry-on bag," I whispered. "Suggestions?"
"What's the smallest morph we have that is still able to lift something that size?" Tobias wondered. "Birds would be noticed..."
"Raccoon, chimp," Rachel mused. "I don't know."
"Perhaps something a little more common," I interjected.
"Rachel has a cat morph," Cassie suggested.
"One problem there." Marco pointed out. "The cat she acquired belonged to Melissa Chapman. I'm sure he'd wonder what his daughter's cat was doing in France."
"If he recognized it," Ax said. "The creatures probably all look alike to the Yeerks."
"The human Chapman would know," Marco countered.
"Snake, maybe." Rachel tried. "Ax or Marco could partially swallow the package, then slither into the overhead compartment..."
"One of us would have to carry them onto the plane." Cassie said. "It would be just as easy to carry the package onto the plane without the snake."
"Easier, probably," Marco observed.
Reluctantly, I voiced the only idea I had. "How about rat?"
"No," Rachel answered firmly.
"The plane will be landing within minutes. We'd better think of something," Ax pointed out unnecessarily.
"Seagull?" Cassie asked.
I sighed. "That would be great if we were sure he had checked some luggage. But I don't see how we could get to his carry-on as gulls."
"We need to do rat," Rachel told Cassie. Fearless Rachel was pale, and I could tell she had to fight to keep her voice from quaking. We had all had nightmarish experiences. Rachel's worst experience had involved rats. But only Rachel and Cassie had rat morphs, and Rachel wasn't about to let her best friend go on a mission alone.
I, however, could let my cousin face her greatest fear, in a potentially deadly situation, and on virtually no sleep. Not even 'let' - that was too kind of a word. I was making Rachel do this. I hated myself.
Rachel
So I had to become a rat. What was the big deal, really? I had been many worse things. There were certainly more defenseless creatures, such as mole and trout. None of us were willing to become ants ever again. I had suffered an allergy to a crocodile morph with disastrous consequences, and I had been split in half while in starfish morph. Yet it was the rat that appeared in my worst nightmares.
It wasn't really the danger I had faced as a rat that caused my reaction. Sure, Cassie and I had almost been beaten to death by a couple of thoughtless thugs after morphing Cassie's science project Courtney. But that experience was actually mild in comparison to the average day in the life of an Animorph.
My heart beat faster as I remembered the only other time I had been a rat. I relived the rat's shrieking terror as it faced a rattlesnake. That was the most pleasant part of the memory, and I tried to hold on to it. I did not want to recall what came next.
David. He was a traitor. For his own personal gain he was willing to betray us, and all of humanity, to the Visser. He had nearly killed Jake. He had murdered a hawk that he had mistaken for Tobias. We needed to silence him. We weren't willing to murder him. Instead, we devised a plan.
I morphed rat, and led David into a cruel trap. He became a nothlit, trapped in rat morph, and I left him on a tiny, miserable island. I didn't have the guts to kill him, so instead I created the circumstances for nature to do my dirty work for me. Instead of the quick, painless death we could have arranged, I left David to a lonely existence and a slow death. All in the name of morality.
Hypocrites that we were, we couldn't bring ourselves to become murderers. Sure, we killed Yeerks, Hork Bajir, and Taxxons, all sentient beings. And we couldn't deny that there was human blood on our hands as well. But for our own selfish desire to delude ourselves into thinking we were above murder, we did something much worse.
I should have killed David, it would have been far kinder. I should have spared him the suffering. I should have spared my friends the guilt. Rats, and one rat in particular, have haunted my nightmares ever since.
I didn't want to use rat morph, but the success of our mission was far more important than my own selfish desire to pretend that David had never existed.
Cassie and I snuck into the men's room and morphed rats. Jake and Marco would carry us back to the waiting area. We each took a small package from Jake. The Secret Service agent had provided us with enough narcotics to guarantee Chapman's detainment.
"Good thing rats can't get arrested," Marco commented dryly.
In the meantime, Tobias and Ax headed for the tarmac. Tobias demorphed, and took to the sky as a lookout. Ax morphed seagull and joined him.
Once in the waiting area, we scampered across the carpeting and hid under one of those little trailers they use to cart luggage around. We waited for what seemed an eternity.
(Rachel...) Cassie began.
I cut her off. (Don't you dare ask how I am. I'm fine, and this isn't the time or the place for me to be otherwise.)
We were silent for a while longer.
(There's a big jet heading your way,) Tobias informed us. (It's probably Chapman's flight.)
As soon as the aircraft had taxied into position and was coming to a stop, we scrambled down the tunnel. We had to get on board quickly, or we risked missing Chapman. There would be a window of opportunity maybe three or four minutes long.
(If he stashed a bag under the seat, we're golden,) Cassie said as we raced down the aisle. (If it's overhead this will get tricky.)
We dodged around moving feet as we hunted for row G. I had been worried that we would have trouble recognizing Chapman, but he was still in his seat, and I heard a whispered fragment of conversation.
"...Visser has been strange for days..."
My blood ran cold in my veins. Was Chapman on to Alloran? If he was, the importance of this mission had just escalated greatly. What if customs overlooked the contraband? There was a small piece of luggage at his feet. It would be easy to get into, but now I was worried that they might not check everything.
(Cassie, put your package in that bag. I've got an idea.)
(Rachel, what are you planning?)
(I'm going to put this one in Chapman's pocket.)
(Are you insane?)
(That's Marco's line.)
(Rachel, I'm serious. That's too dangerous.) Cassie protested.
(Hurry and get to that bag before he gets up!) I answered, and Cassie had little choice but to comply.
I looked at Chapman's jacket pocket, looming above me. Fortunately, rats can jump. I launched into the air. My tiny claws found brief purchase on the fabric of the jacket, and I released the package. It fell directly into the pocket.
(Two points!) I said gleefully as I fell to the ground. (Run!)
Cassie and I raced back out of the plane and down the tunnel, narrowly avoiding hurrying feet and rolling luggage.
Jake and Marco were waiting. They scooped us up as inconspicuously as possible, and headed for the men's room.
"Well?" Jake whispered impatiently.
(There's one package in his carry-on, and one in his jacket pocket.) I answered.
"Rachel, are you crazy?" Jake scolded.
(Hey, it was Cassie's idea,) I tried lamely, but I know Jake wasn't fooled for a minute.
Once we had demorphed and snuck back out of the men's room, which was no easy task, we headed towards customs. We planned on waiting to make sure Chapman was detained, but he was already there.
"Do you know who I am?" he bellowed. "You can't hold us! The Prime Minister is waiting for us!"
The two French authorities paid little heed to his words. Chapman wouldn't be giving us any trouble for a while. We could all go take a nap. All that remained now was the final battle for Earth.
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