(A/N I've probably lost 40% of my readers by dropping Ax and Rachel, but don't worry, they'll be back)
CHAPTER 5
Marco
Morphing Yeerk is a horrifying, idiotic, extremely risky thing. So how did I wind up doing it? I'll tell you.
Over time I've observed an effect being an Animorph has on females: it makes them go crazy. Insane. Absolutely, totally woolly.
I've seen it in Rachel. Her overpowering bloodlust. Her craving for battle.
It's in Cassie, too. Maybe it's more subtle, but oh yeah, it's there.
Like the plans she makes. They're twisted. So, completely twisted. Dangerous, and insane.
She always makes us morph the strangest things. You know... any king of bug, spiders... I mean, who else do you know that morphs Anteater?
Whoops, stupid question.
Anyway. I guess you're wondering what her plan was. Well, lemme tell you, I wasn't. I was hoping and praying she wouldn't say it, and that it wouldn't be crazy.
Hah! Fat chance.
You see, we were going to morph Andalite. Is that so bad? No. It isn't.
But actually, not all of us were going to morph Andalite. Only a lucky pair would.
Me? Well... I'm nowhere near lucky.
So, that's how I wound up morphing Yeerk. Yep, Yeerk. According to Cassie, she and I would infest Jake and Tobias.
Absolute insanity. Well, at least I wasn't getting my mind read.
Oh, by the way, we were going to enter the Yeerk pool directly through the main entrance. Through the main entrance! It was suicide, I tell you.
The main entrance was a hole in the ground 5 miles west off route 94, near exit 66. I guess the Yeerks did have a sense of humor, 9466 was Visser One's number.
So, do you think searching for a 10 foot hole somewhere along a five mile field is hard? Okay, well, the main entrance was covered up by a hologram extending 90 feet in every direction. We wouldn't be able to see it until we got close enough. Oh yeah, not to mention the fact that once you step inside the hologram, there will be two dozen Hork-Bajir guarding the stupid hole. One wrong move, or one wrong word, and you're toast. A dozen Dracon Beams shot at you at once.
How did we know all this? Our only resources were the Chee and Tobias, who accidentally stumbled upon it while following a suspected controller.
A little while later we had all morphed bird and made our way along the route 94, reading the exits as we passed them. 62... 63... 64... 65... 66. There.
We landed and demorphed in a bush away from all the highway where cars could see us. Unfortunately we discovered the bush had thorns a bit too late, and Cassie and I waited painfully as the others morphed Andalite (we had all acquired Ax a while ago). Then came the bad part.
Cassie was first to morph, and I swear she set some kind of a record. It only took like thirty seconds. Once she was done I had to fight down the urge to step on her as I morphed. Slowly, slowly I shrank down, and two antennae emerged from my forehead. My arms and legs dissolved into my body and I fell forward onto my stomach. I watched as Cassie crawled into Jake's ear. Yuck. That was the last thing I saw before I lost my sight. And my hearing. Well, I could still hear really faint sounds, like the cars on the highway.
The Yeerk in me was easy to control, but it felt panicky at first.
Dry! it thought. I'm too dry, I need to swim, Kandrona rays! Can't fire echoloaction!
I fought the Yeerk down and felt around with my antennae, trying to make sense of where I was. I felt something pick me up, and I panicked more.
::Relax Marco. It's me.:: Whew, it was Tobias. I relaxed a little.
I felt him hold me up to his ear, and I immeaditly crawled in. Ah, safety.
::Okay, here's the plan,:: Jake said. At least, I think it was Jake. ::Yeerks, don't take control of us, we'll do all the work. You act as props for the BioFilter, if they have one.::
Then a moment of silence. Wait -- what was supposed to happen? Oh yes, this was the part where Rachel says "Let's do it!".
Man, I must have been developing watery eyes... for once I couldn't make a joke to cover for what I felt.
::Yeah, I miss her too,:: Tobias said.
::Huh?:: It took me a minute for my mind to register what happened. ::Oh yeah,:: Tobias could read my thoughts if I wasn't careful...
We started walking along, into the field and revealing ourselves to guards we couldn't yet see. I could see everything and hear everything Tobias saw and heard. I could even taste the grass beneath my feet.
::Here's the deal.:: Jake ordered. ::Tobias, you lead. You know where the pool entrance is, and we need to make it seem like we've been here many times. If anybody asks, say "our host bodies are twins".::
Tobias nodded slightly, without looking at Jake. We/Tobias pulled ahead of Jake/Cassie.
Soon we were there. I could feel it when we stepped through the hologram. I didn't even have to look to know there were Hork-Bajir nearby.
"Halt!" One of them ordered, stepping in front of us and blocking out path. He pointed an Advanced Dracon Beam at us. Believe me, once I learn a gun's name and look, I don't forget it. Especially when it is pointed at me. I have to know about guns -- I'm in danger of being shot all the time.
"State your buisness!" The Hork-Bajir blocking us commanded, not moving an inch.
::You fool, I'm going to feed!:: Tobias said, trying to imitate a Yeerk.
The Hork-Bajir lowered his gun a little. Obviously he had been through this a lot. "What's your name?"
::Uhh...:: I thought. ::Epson 851.:: I told Tobias. He relayed it to the Hork-Bajir.
"Okay, who's your friend here?" He jerked his gun toward Jake/Cassie.
::Um... Delan... 911. Yeah, he's Delan 911.:: Tobias said. The Hork-Bajir stepped aside.
"You may enter, but you smell funny. Don't pull anything weird, eh. Go." He grunted.
Bleep. Succesfully past the BioFilter and down a ramp that led underground to you-know-where. It was pretty steep, but our tail kept us from falling face-foward. I knew this ramp was definitely designed for Andalites.
As the Yeerk pool came into view I groaned. ::Man, how the heck are we gonna find Ax in here? Look at all the Andalites!::
I guess neither Jake nor Cassie had thought about that, because they paused. I groaned again. ::Oh well, we tried.:: I said. ::C'mon Tobias, turn around.::
Tobias ignored me. ::Ax isn't here,:: he said in a tone that was matter-of-a-factly.
::How can you tell?:: Jake/Cassie asked.
::Because, I...:: Tobias was cut off by a deep voice.
The deep voice bellowed: ::They're not controllers, after them!:: Someone pointed at us.
And then like heck we ran.
We got out of the Yeerk place as fast as we could, out running the Hork-Bajir guards because they had been caught off guard. We were well outta there and demorphed before those Hork-Bajir-Controllers realized what happened. Only one guard shot, and it nipped one of my/Tobias' stalk eyes. Nipped as in completely blew it off.
"Well," Jake said, after we demorphed. "Since neither Ax nor Visser One was in that place, I bet I know where they are." Jake said. Wait a minute... was he smiling?
"Man, you're really scaring me..." I said.
Jake ignored me. "They're on the Blade Ship."
I looked at Cassie, who must've been completely caught off-guard on something, because she nearly lost her balance and fell over. "What!?"
CHAPTER 5
Marco
Morphing Yeerk is a horrifying, idiotic, extremely risky thing. So how did I wind up doing it? I'll tell you.
Over time I've observed an effect being an Animorph has on females: it makes them go crazy. Insane. Absolutely, totally woolly.
I've seen it in Rachel. Her overpowering bloodlust. Her craving for battle.
It's in Cassie, too. Maybe it's more subtle, but oh yeah, it's there.
Like the plans she makes. They're twisted. So, completely twisted. Dangerous, and insane.
She always makes us morph the strangest things. You know... any king of bug, spiders... I mean, who else do you know that morphs Anteater?
Whoops, stupid question.
Anyway. I guess you're wondering what her plan was. Well, lemme tell you, I wasn't. I was hoping and praying she wouldn't say it, and that it wouldn't be crazy.
Hah! Fat chance.
You see, we were going to morph Andalite. Is that so bad? No. It isn't.
But actually, not all of us were going to morph Andalite. Only a lucky pair would.
Me? Well... I'm nowhere near lucky.
So, that's how I wound up morphing Yeerk. Yep, Yeerk. According to Cassie, she and I would infest Jake and Tobias.
Absolute insanity. Well, at least I wasn't getting my mind read.
Oh, by the way, we were going to enter the Yeerk pool directly through the main entrance. Through the main entrance! It was suicide, I tell you.
The main entrance was a hole in the ground 5 miles west off route 94, near exit 66. I guess the Yeerks did have a sense of humor, 9466 was Visser One's number.
So, do you think searching for a 10 foot hole somewhere along a five mile field is hard? Okay, well, the main entrance was covered up by a hologram extending 90 feet in every direction. We wouldn't be able to see it until we got close enough. Oh yeah, not to mention the fact that once you step inside the hologram, there will be two dozen Hork-Bajir guarding the stupid hole. One wrong move, or one wrong word, and you're toast. A dozen Dracon Beams shot at you at once.
How did we know all this? Our only resources were the Chee and Tobias, who accidentally stumbled upon it while following a suspected controller.
A little while later we had all morphed bird and made our way along the route 94, reading the exits as we passed them. 62... 63... 64... 65... 66. There.
We landed and demorphed in a bush away from all the highway where cars could see us. Unfortunately we discovered the bush had thorns a bit too late, and Cassie and I waited painfully as the others morphed Andalite (we had all acquired Ax a while ago). Then came the bad part.
Cassie was first to morph, and I swear she set some kind of a record. It only took like thirty seconds. Once she was done I had to fight down the urge to step on her as I morphed. Slowly, slowly I shrank down, and two antennae emerged from my forehead. My arms and legs dissolved into my body and I fell forward onto my stomach. I watched as Cassie crawled into Jake's ear. Yuck. That was the last thing I saw before I lost my sight. And my hearing. Well, I could still hear really faint sounds, like the cars on the highway.
The Yeerk in me was easy to control, but it felt panicky at first.
Dry! it thought. I'm too dry, I need to swim, Kandrona rays! Can't fire echoloaction!
I fought the Yeerk down and felt around with my antennae, trying to make sense of where I was. I felt something pick me up, and I panicked more.
::Relax Marco. It's me.:: Whew, it was Tobias. I relaxed a little.
I felt him hold me up to his ear, and I immeaditly crawled in. Ah, safety.
::Okay, here's the plan,:: Jake said. At least, I think it was Jake. ::Yeerks, don't take control of us, we'll do all the work. You act as props for the BioFilter, if they have one.::
Then a moment of silence. Wait -- what was supposed to happen? Oh yes, this was the part where Rachel says "Let's do it!".
Man, I must have been developing watery eyes... for once I couldn't make a joke to cover for what I felt.
::Yeah, I miss her too,:: Tobias said.
::Huh?:: It took me a minute for my mind to register what happened. ::Oh yeah,:: Tobias could read my thoughts if I wasn't careful...
We started walking along, into the field and revealing ourselves to guards we couldn't yet see. I could see everything and hear everything Tobias saw and heard. I could even taste the grass beneath my feet.
::Here's the deal.:: Jake ordered. ::Tobias, you lead. You know where the pool entrance is, and we need to make it seem like we've been here many times. If anybody asks, say "our host bodies are twins".::
Tobias nodded slightly, without looking at Jake. We/Tobias pulled ahead of Jake/Cassie.
Soon we were there. I could feel it when we stepped through the hologram. I didn't even have to look to know there were Hork-Bajir nearby.
"Halt!" One of them ordered, stepping in front of us and blocking out path. He pointed an Advanced Dracon Beam at us. Believe me, once I learn a gun's name and look, I don't forget it. Especially when it is pointed at me. I have to know about guns -- I'm in danger of being shot all the time.
"State your buisness!" The Hork-Bajir blocking us commanded, not moving an inch.
::You fool, I'm going to feed!:: Tobias said, trying to imitate a Yeerk.
The Hork-Bajir lowered his gun a little. Obviously he had been through this a lot. "What's your name?"
::Uhh...:: I thought. ::Epson 851.:: I told Tobias. He relayed it to the Hork-Bajir.
"Okay, who's your friend here?" He jerked his gun toward Jake/Cassie.
::Um... Delan... 911. Yeah, he's Delan 911.:: Tobias said. The Hork-Bajir stepped aside.
"You may enter, but you smell funny. Don't pull anything weird, eh. Go." He grunted.
Bleep. Succesfully past the BioFilter and down a ramp that led underground to you-know-where. It was pretty steep, but our tail kept us from falling face-foward. I knew this ramp was definitely designed for Andalites.
As the Yeerk pool came into view I groaned. ::Man, how the heck are we gonna find Ax in here? Look at all the Andalites!::
I guess neither Jake nor Cassie had thought about that, because they paused. I groaned again. ::Oh well, we tried.:: I said. ::C'mon Tobias, turn around.::
Tobias ignored me. ::Ax isn't here,:: he said in a tone that was matter-of-a-factly.
::How can you tell?:: Jake/Cassie asked.
::Because, I...:: Tobias was cut off by a deep voice.
The deep voice bellowed: ::They're not controllers, after them!:: Someone pointed at us.
And then like heck we ran.
We got out of the Yeerk place as fast as we could, out running the Hork-Bajir guards because they had been caught off guard. We were well outta there and demorphed before those Hork-Bajir-Controllers realized what happened. Only one guard shot, and it nipped one of my/Tobias' stalk eyes. Nipped as in completely blew it off.
"Well," Jake said, after we demorphed. "Since neither Ax nor Visser One was in that place, I bet I know where they are." Jake said. Wait a minute... was he smiling?
"Man, you're really scaring me..." I said.
Jake ignored me. "They're on the Blade Ship."
I looked at Cassie, who must've been completely caught off-guard on something, because she nearly lost her balance and fell over. "What!?"