1 [Author's note: This chapter deals with issues of a sensitive nature,
including terrorism, Islamic issues, war in central asia, and anti-
American/imperialist ideology. I am very much opposed to terrorism, and do
not condone the acts of any terrorist group, no matter what the cause. If
you are offended by these issues, please read not further.]
2
3 Episode One: Fury
Part Four: Unholy Alliance
April third, 2000, The Gobi Desert, Somewhere over Central Asia…
DAVID
The men on the ground opened fire on the Lancer, twelve stinger surface-to- air missiles striking its blindsides.
ARGHH! Screamed the Sub-Visser, Damage report! Now!
"Sir, the humans have struck our engines! Reactors one and two are out, three is operating at 32 %, shields are down, armour plating weakened at 82 % , Dracon Reactors all down, Z-space drive operating at 12 %, three fires throughout the ship and…" The unseen Lieutenant barked off a list of technological speculations, but was cut off.
"Having some engine troubles, Sub-Visser? Maybe I should have brought my jumper cables." I mocked.
Enough of your gloating Taggart. I will destroy your band of Terrorists soon enough.
"My men are soldiers, not Terrorists."
The company we keep tells the universe who we are, Taggart. You are a terrorists, you keep terrorists. Pirates and Terrorists look after their own.
How forboding.
"Sub-Visser! The humans on the ground are preparing to fire again!"
Get us back to the pool ship. We can deal with this problem later.
Slowly, Sub-Visser eight's Lancer Battleship limped off into the sky, licking its wounds.
"Take us down," I said to LaRouche, "We need to find out who our rescuers are."
"I do not like the feel of this," Said Skorre, an air of caution in his voice.
"Shut up, you damn Carver! Is there anything you do like?" Asked Ripper.
"I know enough about this planet to know that this region is extremely unstable. It is war torn and controlled by hundreds of individual Warlords, each vying for power. Those people on the ground could turn on us at any moment. We need to be careful."
"That is true, Skorre," I said, "We will land to make prepares and meet the soldiers on the ground, but we will proceed with caution."
"I'm landing down for repairs. We can get back to systems at 100% in two days," Reported LaRouche.
"Good."
We landed on the desert floor, and immediately saw a dozen men approaching, clad in robes, some of them wearing turbans. Most carried AK-47 assault rifles.
"This doesn't look good," Said Sara, piping up for the first time since the end of the chase.
"Nothing does, these days," Agreed Aleks.
"Hey!" I yelled, walking down the exit ramp, "Do any one of you speak English?"
The crowed was about thirty meters away, moving in fast.
"Weapon's at the ready," Said Aleks, "Get ready for a firefight."
I saw his hand moving around his Dracon Pistol, in his back pocket. Ripper did the same for the Thompson SMG he held, Skorre flexing his muscles, ready for a fight.
Sara looked very nervous. She had no weapons, no training and no morphs.
LaRouche looked cool as a cucumber.
The twelve men stood eight feet away from us now, and one man, tall and skinny, with a long grey beard, stepped out front.
"Do you speak English?"
He nodded.
"I am Usama Bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaeda group, enemy of all imperialists and infidels. Welcome to this Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan."
ALEKS
"I am David Taggart, Leader of the Antimorphs, Captain of the Antimorph Fleet Vessel Anubis, sworn enemy of the Yeerk Empire, Animorphs, and Andalites," Said David, "These are my followers, we are glad to make your aquaintance, Mr. Bin Laden."
Just who the hell was this guy? Was he our friend or our enemy?
"You are American."
"Once, but no longer. We are men of the stars, now."
"I fight the empire of Jews and Crusaders, is this empire of Yeerks the same?"
"No, the Yeerks pose a greater threat to you than American ever could."
"If you fight these Yeerks who endanger the lands of the Prophet, then you are our ally."
I like that logic.
"The Yeerks pose a threat to all on this world. If you can take us to your head quarters, we can explain further."
The Arabic man shook David's hand, "I feel that I will enjoy this, David Taggart."
"As do I."
We boarded seven pick up trucks , loaded ourselves in the back, and drove for about an hour, till we saw a large campground, dotted with stone bunkers and buildings, perfectly built into the landscape. Hundreds and thousands of men fired rifles on firing ranges, threw grenades at targets on an empty field, or listened to older men and soldiers talking.
There were thousands of them.
We got out of the truck and entered one of the bunkers, walking deep into the ground. Eventually, we ended up in a room with chairs and mattresses. Bin Laden was with us, along with a few of his original entourage.
"Will you now tell us of these Yeerks?"
"Yes, I will tell you all I know."
And David told the Arab his story, the tale of the Yeerks and Andalites, who he was, and why we fight them.
At the end, Bin Laden and his men were in shock.
"So, the Yeerks are a threat to us all. They would destroy all we hold holy and true in the Koran, they would disregard Allah and his prophet. They are a much more dangerous enemy than the Crusaders."
"Yes. We are the Antimorphs. We seek to stop the Yeerks as they prepare to take this planet. Will you aid us, Al Qaeda? You would make powerful allies."
The tall Arab looked quizzically upon us.
"You are not of Islam. You follow no god, Antimorphs, yet you oppose evil, you aid truth and justice. You are very strange."
"Yeah, I guess we are, aren't we?" Asked Sara.
"Even stranger to allow a woman in battle."
"She isn't one of us. She's the blood of a bitch-ass dog. She's fodder. Expendable," said Ripper, looking upon Sara with distrust.
"It is as your dream fortold, Usama," said one of Bin Laden's soldiers.
"Yes," the man answered mysteriously, "My dream."
"Wait a second, what dream?" I asked.
"Six years, six months and days ago, I had a dream of a great Dark beast. The Dark Lord told me that though I had rebelled against him long ago, and that he had sent me to this world, I would forever serve him. He told me to watch for the one who comes in the Ax-Ship, for he is a servant of the Machine, and the Dark Lord. I must aid and protect him. He then showed me a place to be, a time to be there, and told me to be well prepared. Since then, I have pondered that dream every day."
"Whoa, sounds creepy," said LaRouche.
"Yes. Very much so. He said that there would be six of them. A beast man, a mercenary, an innocent, a bladed beast, and the spawn of a philosopher, from the land of France. He said, the leader would bear the number of the days on his side that would pass before I would meet them."
"Number? I don't have any number, except this."
David stood up, pulling up his shirt. On his kidney, was a serial number.
DAVID FOUR, B.H., SERIES 652, MODEL 13
"David, what is the meaning of that? 652 and 13?" Asked Skorre.
"Holy shit…" exclaimed LaRouche.
"Oh, man…" I said.
Ripper let loose a hiss.
"David, 652 and 13, they add up to six hundred sixty six." Said Sara.
"That is the number, six years, six months, six days…" Said a man in the corner.
"I do not understand," Said Skorre.
"Simple, Skorre, 666 is a very important number to many religions. A lot of them agree that the being that will destroy everything, the entire universe, will have that number on him somewhere." I said, remembering church from when I was very young. Before The Rampage.
"Yes, but they all believe that his followers will bear the mark also. David cannot be the Antichrist." Said Ripper.
"How would you know?" Asked Bin Laden.
"I serve God. I eliminate Satan's foul Dog minions on earth."
"Hmm. You are truly, a beast man, Ripper."
"Thanks." Ripper smiled, showing off his filed teeth.
"And now it seems that it is all true, for these are the six that you dreamt of." Said a soldier.
"Yes. It is as the Dark Lord fortold."
"But still, who is this Dark Lord? And what does this all add up to?" I asked.
"There are some things that no man was meant to know." The response came from an unlikely source: Ripper.
"'More things in heaven and earth than could be possibly dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio," said LaRouche, eerily distant.
"We will help you, Antimorphs. We had been planning to strike at the Great Satan within the next year, but we will aid you against these Yeerks."
"It is a deal, Usama. It is a deal. How will you help us?'
"We have many weapons. We know that God is on our side, and that is the greatest weapon of all."
"This is the alliance that could save the world." Said Ripper.
But as I walked away, after Bin Laden and David, I heard LaRouche say, "Or destroy it."
2
3 Episode One: Fury
Part Four: Unholy Alliance
April third, 2000, The Gobi Desert, Somewhere over Central Asia…
DAVID
The men on the ground opened fire on the Lancer, twelve stinger surface-to- air missiles striking its blindsides.
ARGHH! Screamed the Sub-Visser, Damage report! Now!
"Sir, the humans have struck our engines! Reactors one and two are out, three is operating at 32 %, shields are down, armour plating weakened at 82 % , Dracon Reactors all down, Z-space drive operating at 12 %, three fires throughout the ship and…" The unseen Lieutenant barked off a list of technological speculations, but was cut off.
"Having some engine troubles, Sub-Visser? Maybe I should have brought my jumper cables." I mocked.
Enough of your gloating Taggart. I will destroy your band of Terrorists soon enough.
"My men are soldiers, not Terrorists."
The company we keep tells the universe who we are, Taggart. You are a terrorists, you keep terrorists. Pirates and Terrorists look after their own.
How forboding.
"Sub-Visser! The humans on the ground are preparing to fire again!"
Get us back to the pool ship. We can deal with this problem later.
Slowly, Sub-Visser eight's Lancer Battleship limped off into the sky, licking its wounds.
"Take us down," I said to LaRouche, "We need to find out who our rescuers are."
"I do not like the feel of this," Said Skorre, an air of caution in his voice.
"Shut up, you damn Carver! Is there anything you do like?" Asked Ripper.
"I know enough about this planet to know that this region is extremely unstable. It is war torn and controlled by hundreds of individual Warlords, each vying for power. Those people on the ground could turn on us at any moment. We need to be careful."
"That is true, Skorre," I said, "We will land to make prepares and meet the soldiers on the ground, but we will proceed with caution."
"I'm landing down for repairs. We can get back to systems at 100% in two days," Reported LaRouche.
"Good."
We landed on the desert floor, and immediately saw a dozen men approaching, clad in robes, some of them wearing turbans. Most carried AK-47 assault rifles.
"This doesn't look good," Said Sara, piping up for the first time since the end of the chase.
"Nothing does, these days," Agreed Aleks.
"Hey!" I yelled, walking down the exit ramp, "Do any one of you speak English?"
The crowed was about thirty meters away, moving in fast.
"Weapon's at the ready," Said Aleks, "Get ready for a firefight."
I saw his hand moving around his Dracon Pistol, in his back pocket. Ripper did the same for the Thompson SMG he held, Skorre flexing his muscles, ready for a fight.
Sara looked very nervous. She had no weapons, no training and no morphs.
LaRouche looked cool as a cucumber.
The twelve men stood eight feet away from us now, and one man, tall and skinny, with a long grey beard, stepped out front.
"Do you speak English?"
He nodded.
"I am Usama Bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaeda group, enemy of all imperialists and infidels. Welcome to this Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan."
ALEKS
"I am David Taggart, Leader of the Antimorphs, Captain of the Antimorph Fleet Vessel Anubis, sworn enemy of the Yeerk Empire, Animorphs, and Andalites," Said David, "These are my followers, we are glad to make your aquaintance, Mr. Bin Laden."
Just who the hell was this guy? Was he our friend or our enemy?
"You are American."
"Once, but no longer. We are men of the stars, now."
"I fight the empire of Jews and Crusaders, is this empire of Yeerks the same?"
"No, the Yeerks pose a greater threat to you than American ever could."
"If you fight these Yeerks who endanger the lands of the Prophet, then you are our ally."
I like that logic.
"The Yeerks pose a threat to all on this world. If you can take us to your head quarters, we can explain further."
The Arabic man shook David's hand, "I feel that I will enjoy this, David Taggart."
"As do I."
We boarded seven pick up trucks , loaded ourselves in the back, and drove for about an hour, till we saw a large campground, dotted with stone bunkers and buildings, perfectly built into the landscape. Hundreds and thousands of men fired rifles on firing ranges, threw grenades at targets on an empty field, or listened to older men and soldiers talking.
There were thousands of them.
We got out of the truck and entered one of the bunkers, walking deep into the ground. Eventually, we ended up in a room with chairs and mattresses. Bin Laden was with us, along with a few of his original entourage.
"Will you now tell us of these Yeerks?"
"Yes, I will tell you all I know."
And David told the Arab his story, the tale of the Yeerks and Andalites, who he was, and why we fight them.
At the end, Bin Laden and his men were in shock.
"So, the Yeerks are a threat to us all. They would destroy all we hold holy and true in the Koran, they would disregard Allah and his prophet. They are a much more dangerous enemy than the Crusaders."
"Yes. We are the Antimorphs. We seek to stop the Yeerks as they prepare to take this planet. Will you aid us, Al Qaeda? You would make powerful allies."
The tall Arab looked quizzically upon us.
"You are not of Islam. You follow no god, Antimorphs, yet you oppose evil, you aid truth and justice. You are very strange."
"Yeah, I guess we are, aren't we?" Asked Sara.
"Even stranger to allow a woman in battle."
"She isn't one of us. She's the blood of a bitch-ass dog. She's fodder. Expendable," said Ripper, looking upon Sara with distrust.
"It is as your dream fortold, Usama," said one of Bin Laden's soldiers.
"Yes," the man answered mysteriously, "My dream."
"Wait a second, what dream?" I asked.
"Six years, six months and days ago, I had a dream of a great Dark beast. The Dark Lord told me that though I had rebelled against him long ago, and that he had sent me to this world, I would forever serve him. He told me to watch for the one who comes in the Ax-Ship, for he is a servant of the Machine, and the Dark Lord. I must aid and protect him. He then showed me a place to be, a time to be there, and told me to be well prepared. Since then, I have pondered that dream every day."
"Whoa, sounds creepy," said LaRouche.
"Yes. Very much so. He said that there would be six of them. A beast man, a mercenary, an innocent, a bladed beast, and the spawn of a philosopher, from the land of France. He said, the leader would bear the number of the days on his side that would pass before I would meet them."
"Number? I don't have any number, except this."
David stood up, pulling up his shirt. On his kidney, was a serial number.
DAVID FOUR, B.H., SERIES 652, MODEL 13
"David, what is the meaning of that? 652 and 13?" Asked Skorre.
"Holy shit…" exclaimed LaRouche.
"Oh, man…" I said.
Ripper let loose a hiss.
"David, 652 and 13, they add up to six hundred sixty six." Said Sara.
"That is the number, six years, six months, six days…" Said a man in the corner.
"I do not understand," Said Skorre.
"Simple, Skorre, 666 is a very important number to many religions. A lot of them agree that the being that will destroy everything, the entire universe, will have that number on him somewhere." I said, remembering church from when I was very young. Before The Rampage.
"Yes, but they all believe that his followers will bear the mark also. David cannot be the Antichrist." Said Ripper.
"How would you know?" Asked Bin Laden.
"I serve God. I eliminate Satan's foul Dog minions on earth."
"Hmm. You are truly, a beast man, Ripper."
"Thanks." Ripper smiled, showing off his filed teeth.
"And now it seems that it is all true, for these are the six that you dreamt of." Said a soldier.
"Yes. It is as the Dark Lord fortold."
"But still, who is this Dark Lord? And what does this all add up to?" I asked.
"There are some things that no man was meant to know." The response came from an unlikely source: Ripper.
"'More things in heaven and earth than could be possibly dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio," said LaRouche, eerily distant.
"We will help you, Antimorphs. We had been planning to strike at the Great Satan within the next year, but we will aid you against these Yeerks."
"It is a deal, Usama. It is a deal. How will you help us?'
"We have many weapons. We know that God is on our side, and that is the greatest weapon of all."
"This is the alliance that could save the world." Said Ripper.
But as I walked away, after Bin Laden and David, I heard LaRouche say, "Or destroy it."