The Animorphs have decided to return to the field, but change their approach. They know they have no time to waste, and know that The Controllers are hiding something serious, filled with grim determination, the Animorphs restart the mission.


Rebound


Day 23, Morning

Alice was staring at the tank the Controller had been placed in, the creature had sunken to the bottom and stayed there, unmoving. Bella had pierced it with a scanning device and was looking at eery possible readout it was giving.

Just then the door to the Security Room opened and Tobias walked in.

"How goes interrogation and study?"

Alice turned around to answer.

"It's dead," Alice said. "It's just an autopsy now."

Tobias turned to see the tank with the completely inanimate creature within.

"Dead? When did this happen?"

"A few hours ago, it just started twitching and convulsing, obviously suffered shock of some sort, before it swum to the bottom of the tank and stopped moving, we're preparing to dissect it."

Tobias shook his head.

"The others are on their way. Do you have readouts from when it was alive?"

"Yes, we'll try to make a scanner, but I don't know if it'll work. What about the prisoners and...the dead man?"

"I managed to scan the contents of their stomachs, the birds were so uncooperative that I had to get them to throw up, but they just wouldn't. I literally had to suck the contents of their bellies out with a tube in order to scan it."

"That uncooperative?" Bella asked. "Are the parasites controlling them trying to starve them to death?"

"Likely," Tobias said, putting his fist in his hand. "If that's really the case, then these guys are willing to sacrifice everything, so we keep them alive for as long as possible until we can get The Controller's out of their heads."

"What do the birds eat?"

"Funnily enough, they have all sorts of things in their stomach, insects, berries, even some mixed nuts, not that surprising for a bird but the Controller's defiance is going to be an issue, so I restrained them in a harness that'll keep them from vomitting out their food or trying to kill eachother or themselves, they're completely immobilized."

"What about the Blade Dragon?" Bella asked nervously.

"Still hasn't woken up, but his examination was more surprising, his wounds are healing, and he's set to make a full recovery, as for the contents of his stomach, there's some tree bark in there."

"Tree bark?"

"Bella? He's still talking," Alice started.

"Oh, sorry."

"Yes, tree bark, but also some salad, bread, ranch dressing, a lot of nuts, and...get this, fried chicken, pizza, and burgers from McDonalds."

"What?" Alice asked. "I'm sorry, but did you just say that you found fast food in the Blade Dragon's stomach?"

"I know the shape of those burgers anywhere, and from the stage of digestion they were in, he must have eaten them only a few hours before we captured him, and his stomach acid is some seriously strong stuff."

"How do you know they're McDonald's?" Alice asked.

"I know the shape anywhere, it's very distinct."

"But what does it mean?" Bella asked. "If the Controllers like eating restaraunt food, then how's that relevant?"

"It means that the Controllers have access to a lot more of our own food supply then we thought, they either have a restaraunt in that underground fortress of theirs, or they get exclusive deliveries."

"It means that these brain-stealer things have entrances to their HQ in McDonalds, and maybe other restaraunts and fast food joints, too."

And all of a sudden Marco was there, arms crossed, wearing his morphing underwear.

"The others are waiting, we're ready to roll when you are."


((Are you absolutely sure we should be using the Stratokite for this?)) I asked from wihin the confines of my cage, dangling on the same exact chain the others were.

((We need to bypass the security,)) Tobias said. ((The Controllers still think we're outside of their perimeter, and they won't expect us to attempt an insertion from the low stratosphere.))

((It's seriously cold up here, man!)) Marco said. ((How can you Old Bloods not freeze to death in transit?))

((They're just built different,)) James said. ((Special. Weak as they are they're a lot tougher than normal humans, The Cube just restores them to the state they're supposed to be in, free from defects...))

((Alright, blah blah blah, we heard enough of it, but how long are you able to stick around?)) Rachel asked.

((Two hours,)) James said. ((Flying this thing takes a lot out of me, after I drop you off I'll need to land safely outside their range, once whatever you're doing in there's done, call me, it'll take me a bit to get there, but faster than yesterday.))

((So, Eyelizard's already scouted for those Hunters, right?))

((No drones,)) Alice reported. ((He couldn't get in deep, but as far as he could tell, they were gathering at a lake.))

((We're past the perimeter!)) Tobias said. ((I think we're directly over the site, now!))

((Alright people, this is it!)) I said. ((We jump on count of three! Get ready!))

I walked to the edge of my cage, as a Preregrine Falcon I peered over the side, looking down from the dizzyingly tall height. And just as Eyelizard reported, there was a lake right beneath us, and surrounding it was a building and a lot of tents.

((Someone hold me, I've never jumped from this high!)) Marco said.

((One! Two! Three! Jump!)) I said, and just then I launched myself from the Stratokite's cage and entered freefall.

((Bonzai!)) Rachel cried.

((Ouw! Ouw! Ouw!)) Harry barked out some strange war cry like an Indian (Native American).

Instinctively, I went into a dive, and the wind started rushing past me, my invisible eyelids blinked away at the wind.

((Headcount!))

((Here,)) Rachel.

((Present,)) Ben.

((I'm okay and ready to let loose,)) Harry.

((I'm out,)) Cassie.

((Diving,)) Tobias.

((I'm behind Marco,)) Alice.

((If you're happy and you know it, please respond!)) Marco sang.

At that a wave of laughter resounded from us all.

((Alright, follow my lead!)) I said once most of the humurous energy had died down. ((We go a little bit away from the lake, don't land on top of them or get close to those buildings.

It didn't take us long to reach the 'landing' area.

((Unfurl!)) I ordered just as I flapped my own wings out to catch the air. We circled around until we were just below the tree tops, we split up and found our own landing zones.

((Alright, does anyone see Eyelizard?)) I asked.

((Sent the signal, he should be-ah, there he is!)) Alice said.

I heard a scrabbling sound and saw the strange gecko climbing up the tree where Alice was perched at a shockingly fast pace.

((We'll move on ahead and split up, make sure to look out for Flitterers and Flutterers and stay hidden at all times. When we're in visual range of the lake itself, I bet we'll be able to get a good look at what this Controller Operation is, and what they're trying to do.))

And with that we launched off of our branches and flapped away, which was a lot more energy intensive than the soaring part, it took us a little bit. I felt dread in the pit of my stomach, the whole point of us using the stratokite to begin with was so that nobody would see us, and we'd be able to sneak past their perimeter. Yesterday, we saw the Controllers, we fought Them face to face for the first time, and lived to tell the tale, but it was a brutal struggle.

If we're seen, now, we have no advantages, we're in the heart of enemy territory and outnumbered vastly.

Soon enough I heard the voices, alien voices speaking incomprehensibly, and human voices speaking alien tongues, then came the sound of water.

((I see the lake,)) Marco said.

Just a few more hops, and flapping and I could see it, the enemy outpost.

There were a legion of tents, dozens, and in the camp a multitude of people milled about, humans, average every-day ordinary people. Some of those faces I recognized were shooting at us yesterday. It was early enough that the sun hasn't risen above the treeline, so the entire lake and clearing around it was shrouded in darkness.

((There's so many of them...)) Cassie remarked.

Interspersed throughout the camp, though, were outhouses, and these large adobe spheres that were resting on the ground. This seemed almost like the shooting of a movie until we noticed the other aliens mulling about in the shadows.

((Look out! Get to cover!)) Ben said as I heard them, the flapping noises of an air patrol. This time it was a mix of Flitterers, and the much larger Flutterers, flying side by side, I closed my eyes and pressed myself against the side of the tree I was next to, holding my breath. When the flapping noises and the vocalizations of the bird people passed us by, I opened my eyes again and looked to the camp.

Several Hungerers were milling about, lumbering past the humans walking around them with neither party reacting. And then I saw the newest alien creature.

It was entirely orange, like some freaky giant insect, but not, it was covered in orange skin like a cheeto, and its face was expressive, its mouth was invisible, and had flaps on the sides of its head that twitched and fluttered in the wind. Its hands were grasping the cart, it didn't really have any dedicated feet to speak of, just hands to grasp the ground, the rest of its limbs were holding human weapons, a shotgun, pistols, even an assault rifle. Every living thing in this camp was extremely heavily armed.

((Is that a Grasper?)) I asked the others. ((Are you guys seeing this?))

((Yep, indeed it is)) Harry confirmed.

((There's this new orange creature, it has a lot of limbs and is pushing around a cart filled with supplies.))

((Oh, I see it,)) Ben said.

((That is one ugly critter,)) Marco observed.

Beyond the tents and alien spheres, though, were the buildings, there were two of them, and they were made of some alien material that was black, I shuddered to think of what horrors lied within. There was another building like it on the other side of the tents, and all of them had this wierd device that was like a transmitter disk, but more like a tower, the top of which had spires reaching far out into the sky like some sort of bizarre giant umbrella skeleton. What interested me the most though was the structure that was being built.

Right above the lake was a sort of box connected by a large pipe underneath an intersection of these huge beams that all reached out to the shores of the lake, next to this elevator box were a series of black cables reaching into the bottom of the lake and disappearing beneath the depths. Above this elevator looking thing was a tripod of strange alien metal ending in three places on the shoreline, and right next to the bases of this structure were things that looked like generators.

((Look!)) Cassie said. ((The Hungerers, they're emerging from the water.))

I looked around and sure enough, the giant lumbering insects walked out from the water onto the rocky shore, in their tiny pincer arms they carried what were no doubt alien tools.

((What are they trying to do here?)) Tobias wondered out loud.

"Zha gin, deyk'hur," the angry voice came from behind us.

((We're spotted!)) Rachel said.

((No! Remain still!)) Tobias said as the sounds of the creature became louder. ((They're not after us.))

I looked behind at the thing, and I didn't need to wait long to see it, it was huge! The size of an elephant! It was like some sort of ogre with these massive arms that looked like they could demolish buildings with a single swing.

It stepped on bushes and lumbered on, its face came next to my tree branch and I closed my eyes again. The giant creature passed us by and entered the camp, all in there stepped aside rapidly, making room for the titanic beast.

((We're not in Kansas anymore.))

The lumbering beast turned and began walking back to the buildings.

"Attention, all Nameless Personnel," a voice reached us, someone speaking on an intercomm.

((Nameless, they call themselves nameless?)) I asked.

"Stand at attention at your posts for the arrival of Blade 3-9, ETA two minutes."

And just like that the mood of the entire camp changed, everybody dropped what they were doing and activated, they ran, scrambling to get to their posts, and Hungerers were crawling out of those adobe spheres, which must be those worm's places of habitation.

((Whoever this Blade 3-9 is, he seems pretty important.))

((Guys, look up!)) Harry said. ((It's the ship! The one I followed here!)) I looked up, and there it was, just out of the dawn sky, the air began to shimmer, the vessel was landing.

((Wait, something's wrong,)) Tobias said. ((That's not The Ship, this one's smaller.))

((This one's still pretty massive-)) Marco said.

And all of a sudden, the shimmering stopped, and in its place was a dark shape out of my nightmares.

It was shaped like a battle axe, the bulk of the vessel was like an axe-head, but it had many sharp curves that were likely weapons coming out of it, the front of the ship, the ax's 'hilt,' was thick, but the very front of the ship, the bridge, was the narrowest part. When the black vessel appeared, we were stricken silent, without a sound the ship kept lowering,we felt its terrible presence paralyze us with fear. This was Blade 3-9, and in an instant we knew who this ship belonged to.

When the alien warship lowered, it easily took up a quarter of the lake's shoreline, the trees around which had been cleared.

A minute later, the ramp lowered from the center of the ship and out from it came Blade Dragons, only these weren't the naked creature we could barely hold our own in the woods yesdterday, no. These were fully armored, wearing suits made from what looked like bands of entirely blue metal, they were helmets that made their faces look like skeletal demonic creatures, and they carried weapons, not human guns, full on alien rifles that their hands fit into like gloves.

The Blade Dragons as they emerged formed an honor guards, turning toward the center of the path as they stopped.

I looked to see where the honor guard line was leading, and another Blade Dragon was walking forward, this one more naked like the one we fought yesterday, but this one's stature was completely different, instead of exuding confidence, this one was afraid. Behind him were a line of five individuals, his subordinates, there were two other Blade Dragons, and the others were very large, very fit, and very handsome human men.

From between the blue metal covered bodies of the Blade Dragon honor-guard, the hooved foot came forward, then another, until He was revealed in all its glory.

((It's Him,)) Tobias fearfully whispered. ((Visser 3, the one who gutted Elfangor...))

We could feel this thing's presence, at the first glance at his blue fur we could feel the malice and evil oozing from him like a microwave, raosting everything. He was like a centaur, a centaur covered in blue and tan fur head-to-toe, his body was thin, but the thick muscular arms ended in seven fingers, and the face had no mouth, as for the nose it was only a row of four verticle slit. At the front of its head were green eyes, and rising from the top above his pointed ears were stalk-eyes, flitting everywhere to peer at all sides.

The creature's rear end was adorned with a long and thick tail, one that could whip around in an instant, and at the end of this tail was a club looking thing shaped like an artichoke.

((So, that's what an Andalite looks like,)) Rachel said. ((This creature feels like every kind of wrong combined, including ones I didn't know existed.))

((I didn't think one would be so...intimidating,)) Marco remarked, his voice shaky. ((No wonder Elfangor never assumed his true form.))

How...? I asked myself as I stared at the monster from the other shore of the lake. This is the same creature from my nightmares, down to the muscles and patterns on the fur?

((Jake?)) Tobias asked. ((Are you okay?))

((Nightmares?)) Cassie asked, concerned.

((I don't think we should discount Jake's dreams anymore,)) Alice said.

((Young man,)) Ben said to me, whispering in private thought speech. ((After we get out of here, come to my house.))

Before I could think of any response...

((Greetings, Sub-Visser 3-089,)) the voice rang out in our heads like a megaphone, silencing every thought we had in there and forcing us to pay attention to Him. Everyone was hearing the leader of the Controller Invasion of Earth.

The Blade Dragon was now standing in front of Visser, I saw his beak moving, no doubt reporting on the events that had happened yesterday.

Wait, 089? Wasn't that the one we capture-?

((Oh, my mistake,)) Visser 3 said in mock politeness, slowly putting his hands together. ((You're Sub-Visser 3-090, you know, it's so hard to keep track of officers, and officers who want their superior's positions.))

His voice then turned darker, sending chills down my back, ((Tell me, where is your superior? Where is the one I appointed to lead this operation? I specifically made 3-089 the master of this operation, why am I talking to you, his underling, and not him?))

The Blade Dragon's composure broke and he fell to his knees, red eyes filled with fear, begging.

A Blade Dragon, one of the creatures we could barely stand against, begging for his life.

((Animorphs?)) The Visser said, the word making me feel so so tempted to just fly away as he leaned down to peer into the Blade Dragon's eyes. ((He went and engaged with an Animorph incursion, alone?))

The Blade Dragon spoke more, nodding desperately.

((I believe you, he would investigate alone, but you are in charge of the security of this operation, are you not? Isn't it your obligation to ensure that when he investigates a breach of security, he is not by himself? And was this not a standing order I gave you personally?))

Sub-Visser 3-090 then began speaking and moving frantically, still on their knees.

((And so in the name of respecting your superior officer's wishes, the one who I gave your old rank, you allowed him to investigate a possible enemy incursion alone, while such dangerous creatures as Animorphs capable of obliterating entire armies were on the loose? And waited to send in reinforcements until he had already vanished into thin air?))

The Blade Dragon went still.

((Sub-Visser 3-090,)) Visser 3 spoke in a voice that had a deathly silence to it that I couldn't describe. Just then, something came from the Blade Ship, its was a wheel, yellowish green with black stripes, it rolled down the ramp in between the honor guard until just a few feet behind the Leader of the Invasion. Then it stopped, limbs jumped out from the center, and the rim split apart, revealing a strange ooblong creature holding a container the size and shape of a soda can, it walked on its own four legs in a strange hobbling gait and presented the cannister to the Sub-Visser. ((You shall leave your host at once, and submit yourself to Judgement Preview, until your assessment is finished, another will be appointed as the commander of this operation and will inhabit this body.))

The Blade Dragon stopped completely and began pleading more?

((I have no intention of killing you, but I am giving you an order. Leave your host, you will not be demoted, and your host will be returned to you, unless you are found guilty. But why else would you be so insubordinate if you were innocent in your superior's disappearance?))

Still, the Blade Dragon argued, beak mouth moving very rapidly, the Visser just stared at him all the while, blankly, unmoving. Then his tail moved!

Before the Sub-Visser had any time to react, he found Visser 3's tail artichoke thing had unfolded into two parts around his head, the alien stopped and began twitching, and the two pieces of Visser's tail club parted further, revealing a massive tail-blade jammed up his neck and deep into the Blade Dragon's head!

Visser 3 yanked the tail-blade out, allowing the Blade Dragon to fall to the floor, and just as he did, purple crystals exploded from his body! Bursting out of his eyes, mouth, throat, chest and back.

Antimorph crystals, exactly the same as the ones from the Ghost Town!

((Oh my God!)) Cassie cried out in horror.

((By the Ellemist,)) Harry said.

((So this is what Crittagium crystals look like...)) Ben noted.

The crystals kepts sprouting, growing more and more like some demonic bloody mold growing over something that was in the fridge too long. As the blood pooled around his hooves, Visser 3 turned to the others lined up behind him.

((Sub-Visser 3-090 was a fool!)) He declared, pointing his tailblade at them, the Blade Dragons were still and the humans palefaced. ((This invasion out of all of them is the one we cannot afford to botch! Everyone has their own personal issues and grievances, but every single failure, mistep, and infight here will be felt by all of the empire!))

((The humans of this world are divided, ignorant, primitive, and above all, complacent! This is the perfect time for an invasion, but our window is closing. The Humans may be weak, but they are many, and are rapidly advancing their technology, soon enough they'll be able to detect us and there goes the easy prize you've failed to claim because you wanted to be the one higher up, and thought your plan was better than The Plan!))

((I can't turn without seeing one of you fighting against each-other, when you weren't fighting someone else! Your desire for prestige, jealousy, and backstabbing may have been tolerated by Visser 1, but I am your Visser now, and unlike her, I will not tolerate any action that jeopardizes the unity of our mission! Any act of treachery, and disobeying of orders will be not be tolerated, no matter how valuable your host is, if you are offending you will be punished!))

The Andalite arm pointed at someone in the line of officers.

((You!))

A human stepped forward and nervously gestured to himself, mouthing the words me?

((You are now in charge of this excavation.))

((As you seem to have the most sense out of the officers here, you must understand that because of this constant infighting, in the span of less than a full rotation of this planet, we have lost two officers, both of whom inhabited Brute Retards-))

((That's what they call them? How horrible!)) Cassie said in shock.

((You gotta be kidding me...)) Rachel whispered.

((-nd because of how at odds we are with eachother, we crumble in the face of an opposing force that poses an actual threat to us.))

Visser 3 leaned forward, bending his body to stare at the subordinate in the face.

((Don't repeat history, Sub-Visser 3-089.))

The Human's eyes widened at his promotion to Sub-Visser, he bowed his head and his lips moved, smiling in gratitude.

((Then see to it that this camp remains in proper order, I will send in reinforcements along with another Sub-Visser who will show you the ropes of your new station.))

The Visser then turned around, his pet Wheelie, and his guards, all reentered the ship.

((Ah, they have a weakness!)) Marco said.

((Weakness?)) Harry said. ((What kind of weakness did you see there? Their leader is an Andalite who could kill us all in the blink of an eye!))

((just look at that thing!)) Rachel said. ((He has the most armed and armored aliens I've ever seen for bodyguards and Antimorph crystals.))

((They're not united!)) Marco said. ((They're prone to infighting! we can take advantage of this!))

((Yeah, but whatever we're doing here, we have to do it quick. Visser 3's sending more Controllers this way,)) I said.

((I'll try to get into that building,)) Tobias offered. ((If they're still out here, and building this much infrastructure around here, then it's pretty obvious that this site is important. I think they're trying to dig up a Pemalite relic at the bottom of the lake.))

((Do it, but be careful,)) I said. ((Make sure to take Eyelizard with you and take no chances.))

Just a few moments later, as the ramp of the ship raised itself, and prepared to liftoff, Tobias flew away, but I saw nothing of him as he flew towards one of the buildings.

What were the Controller's doing here?