CASSIE
I concentrated in giving the animals their meds as the others sat around waiting for Erek to show up. This whole situation was bothering me, all of it.
Jake trusted me to be able to read people, I knew that. That was the way it always was. But for some reason, I was getting a mental block with Alanna.
She had been my friend. Was she still my friend? This morning I had had the sudden, strange urge to call her and see if she wanted to do anything tonight. There had actually been a second where I had forgotten who she was, who I was.
Had her being friends with us been just some kind of sick amusement for her?
"Cassie?"
"Hmm?" I said, jerking up my head as I realized that Jake was talking to me. He looked concerned.
"What do you think about all this? You're more quiet than usual."
I forced a smile. He had no way of knowing all the doubts and questions I was having. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe when we talk to her today I'll get a better idea of what's going on in her head."
Yeah, that sounded like I knew what I was talking about.
(Erek's here,) Tobias announced from his usual perch. (In one, two, three-)
"Hello, everyone," Erek said, walking into the barn.
"Wow, Erek, what a surprise!" Marco said. "Have I ever told you how happy I am when you come to visit us, O Bearer of Bad News?"
"Actually, I think you have," Erek said tolerantly. I watched his hologram face carefully. Something was up.
"What's up, Erek?" Rachel asked.
"I know what he is."
That got everyone's attention. I turned away from the animals fully, and even Marco was silent. Erek was not smiling.
"You might want to sit down for this," he said. He took a deep breath. "His name is Alexxen 337, but he's not a Controller. He's a genetically engineered fighting 'machine' you could call him, created by the Arn before they were all destroyed."
"That's not good," Marco said after a long pause, speaking for all of us.
"What can he do? Can he be killed?" Rachel demanded.
Erek shrugged. "That's all I know. I don't know exactly how powerful he is."
"What about Alanna?" I asked. "How is she related to all this?"
"No idea," he said apologetically. "Nobody knows anything about her. Although… I overheard something…"
(What?) Tobias asked.
"I think she's supposed to be dead."
"The Visser did seem very surprised to see her," I admitted. "And I think he did say something about her being still alive…"
"That still doesn't explain who she is, and if she's on our side or not," Jake pointed out.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Marco said. "She does seem to hate Visser Three."
"I actually agree with Shorty on this one," Rachel said. Marco made an indignant noise, which she ignored. "I say we work together with her. She seems to know a lot of good information we can use."
(But she could also be trying to trick us,) Ax added.
(She helped save us yesterday. Why save us just to defeat us, Ax-man?) Tobias interjected.
"Actually, I'm kind of with Ax," Jake said. "We have to be wary around her. I'm still not sure we can trust her."
I kept out of the debate. I needed to see her again, talk to her again as a human in order to form my opinion. I wanted to see her as a friend, and see if I could notice things about her that I had overlooked before, when I had thought she was just a normal human.
"She's just a human," Rachel pointed out. "Or at least in a human body. We can handle-"
"Yeah, well, Alexxen looks human, too, and we took care of him, didn't we?" Marco snapped.
"And she would have to do is tell Visser Three anything we told her to betray us," I said slowly. "But I don't think she'll do that."
"I wish I could be sure," Marco said.
"We have to meet with her today, if she comes," Jake said. He looked at me. "She might run scared."
I shook my head. "I… don't think so." But I wasn't sure. How could I be? "We should probably wait to see what's on her mind before we make any decisions about her."
Alright, I know this isn't very good (or long) but stick with me! It'll get better! Also, please review, review, review!
I concentrated in giving the animals their meds as the others sat around waiting for Erek to show up. This whole situation was bothering me, all of it.
Jake trusted me to be able to read people, I knew that. That was the way it always was. But for some reason, I was getting a mental block with Alanna.
She had been my friend. Was she still my friend? This morning I had had the sudden, strange urge to call her and see if she wanted to do anything tonight. There had actually been a second where I had forgotten who she was, who I was.
Had her being friends with us been just some kind of sick amusement for her?
"Cassie?"
"Hmm?" I said, jerking up my head as I realized that Jake was talking to me. He looked concerned.
"What do you think about all this? You're more quiet than usual."
I forced a smile. He had no way of knowing all the doubts and questions I was having. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe when we talk to her today I'll get a better idea of what's going on in her head."
Yeah, that sounded like I knew what I was talking about.
(Erek's here,) Tobias announced from his usual perch. (In one, two, three-)
"Hello, everyone," Erek said, walking into the barn.
"Wow, Erek, what a surprise!" Marco said. "Have I ever told you how happy I am when you come to visit us, O Bearer of Bad News?"
"Actually, I think you have," Erek said tolerantly. I watched his hologram face carefully. Something was up.
"What's up, Erek?" Rachel asked.
"I know what he is."
That got everyone's attention. I turned away from the animals fully, and even Marco was silent. Erek was not smiling.
"You might want to sit down for this," he said. He took a deep breath. "His name is Alexxen 337, but he's not a Controller. He's a genetically engineered fighting 'machine' you could call him, created by the Arn before they were all destroyed."
"That's not good," Marco said after a long pause, speaking for all of us.
"What can he do? Can he be killed?" Rachel demanded.
Erek shrugged. "That's all I know. I don't know exactly how powerful he is."
"What about Alanna?" I asked. "How is she related to all this?"
"No idea," he said apologetically. "Nobody knows anything about her. Although… I overheard something…"
(What?) Tobias asked.
"I think she's supposed to be dead."
"The Visser did seem very surprised to see her," I admitted. "And I think he did say something about her being still alive…"
"That still doesn't explain who she is, and if she's on our side or not," Jake pointed out.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Marco said. "She does seem to hate Visser Three."
"I actually agree with Shorty on this one," Rachel said. Marco made an indignant noise, which she ignored. "I say we work together with her. She seems to know a lot of good information we can use."
(But she could also be trying to trick us,) Ax added.
(She helped save us yesterday. Why save us just to defeat us, Ax-man?) Tobias interjected.
"Actually, I'm kind of with Ax," Jake said. "We have to be wary around her. I'm still not sure we can trust her."
I kept out of the debate. I needed to see her again, talk to her again as a human in order to form my opinion. I wanted to see her as a friend, and see if I could notice things about her that I had overlooked before, when I had thought she was just a normal human.
"She's just a human," Rachel pointed out. "Or at least in a human body. We can handle-"
"Yeah, well, Alexxen looks human, too, and we took care of him, didn't we?" Marco snapped.
"And she would have to do is tell Visser Three anything we told her to betray us," I said slowly. "But I don't think she'll do that."
"I wish I could be sure," Marco said.
"We have to meet with her today, if she comes," Jake said. He looked at me. "She might run scared."
I shook my head. "I… don't think so." But I wasn't sure. How could I be? "We should probably wait to see what's on her mind before we make any decisions about her."
Alright, I know this isn't very good (or long) but stick with me! It'll get better! Also, please review, review, review!