Part Four: Shifty Switchblade
DAVID
The seven of us were on the Anubis, speeding towards the crippled Yeerk freighter, the Sehkmet.
"Why, may I inquire, are we performing such an illogical action?" Asked Britz, with his usual cold demeanor.
"Because I say so. This freighter has some sort of cargo that is way off the scale. I want it. I will have it," I spat.
Aleks was in the engine room, supervising the power core readouts to prevent a meltdown. We didn't know the limits of the Stone at that time. We always had someone on watch whenever possible.
Aleks usually wanted that watch. No one protested.
Lately, I'd noticed Ripper acting a lot more civilized…more human. He seemed to be opening up…but to what I don't know.
LaRouche was becoming more of a brooding little bitch, if I ever did say so.
Sara…She seemed to hang around LaRouche and Ripper whenever she could…but…it was weird. I couldn't explain it.
Skorre, Britz, and I were at the helm. The ship was on the horizon.
I motioned over to Skorre, "Send the call to board."
"As you wish."
SARA
I was sitting in the armoury when Ripper came in.
I never knew what to make of him. He's saved my life more than once, but sometimes snapped at me stuff.
Once, when this boy named Riley was pushing me, calling me names, when I was really little, Rachel explained that that was how boys, immature ones (she thought most were) showed that they had a crush on you.
Ripper crawled in…somewhat more tired than before.
"What's on your mind, Ripps?"
Ripper suddenly stood at full attention, looking around.
"What the bloody Hell?" He snarled.
"What's wrong?"
"Ripps…who is he?"
"Uh…that's what I called you just now," I replied uneasily, " I was kind of trying to be friendly." I showed a sweet smile that never failed to melt a guy's heart.
Ripper was no exception.
"Uh…ok… just don't do it again…I don't like it."
"Sure thing, Rippo."
"Yeah, that's cool."
There was an uneasy silence.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I need some advice," he said apprehensively.
"About what?"
"I don't know what I am."
I was kind of shocked. For a moment, I was speechless.
I had never thought of Ripper as anything but a guy with a loopy personality. He was just…Ripper.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It's like…I dream I'm someone else. It all seems so real, like it actually happened. I dream of bad things…like dogs, being friendly…I dream weird shit, I'll tell you."
I paused, "Maybe, and that's a MAYBE, your remembering your past. Who you were…before."
"I don't like them!" He spat, " I hate it!"
"Why?" I whispered, not too shocked at his sudden mood swing, but not trying to get him fired up.
"They won't let me be an animal…and I can't be a man," He said, quietly.
Ripper continued, "I never…wanted the world to see me. I didn't think it would understand. Only you seem to know what I am. I don't know if I'm the Ripper, or someone else. I think that the truth would kill me."
Ripper was walking closer to me…becoming docile.
"I'm not even sure what I am, anymore, "I whispered, " A few months ago I liked dolls, I had two sisters, a boy named Riley had a crush on me. Now it's all dead. I don't want to become a monster, like Aleks…or…"
Ripper shut me up by hugging me.
"Thank you."
I suddenly felt a moisture on my arm. Ripper was crying.
"I just…I can't be what I am anymore. I have a job…a sacred duty. I don't even know anymore. Everything I thought I was is strange now."
I hugged back.
"It's all become like a movie, hasn't it?"
"I could bleed right now, just to know I'm alive. Maybe I'm in Hell…" he paused, " I just want you to know who I am."
"You'll find out," I said, " I know you will."
ALEKS
"Alright, lets move up alongside the ship, and connect with the umbilical," David said.
That fucker was so dull. Jesus, you'd think that he'd at least try to be imaginative with it! Maybe shoot out the engines, or blast a hole in their side with a torpedo.
But no, we don't do that. We're 'civilized'.
"This is quiet," Skorre said.
LaRouche replied, "Too quiet."
A short silence followed, as LaRouche pulled us up alongside the Sehkmet.
The Frenchman pulled a lever down.
THUD
"Umbilical connected. We can board the Yeerk ship now."
"Let's do it. Arm yourselves, we're goin' in," David said.
The rest of the crew departed for the armoury.
Britz remained.
"Britz! Get a move on! We ain't here to sight see," I ordered.
The hybrid looked mechanically at me, " I do not wish to kill. To take life is illogical."
I laughed. A do-gooder clone. Was he for real?
"It's what we do. We're Antimorphs. Means we're better than them. Their Yeerks, and that makes them the enemy. Whatever's on that ship is ours. And we'll leave them dead and dying when we take it."
"I do not like that sentiment, Aleksander."
This…thing was starting to annoy me.
"Fuck you, you little twat," I snarled, "I'm Air Commander. Second in command. You're low man on the totom pole here, you'll do as your told."
I walked to the armoury. I was going to take the biggest gun I could find, and shoot it right between some motherfuckers head.
And it didn't matter who.
DAVID
We crossed the umbilical into the Yeerk ship.
We each carried a weapon. Aleks with a mini-gun like Dracon beam, Ripper with a Scatter Dracon beam, LaRouche, Sara and Skorre with Dracon rifles. Britz carried a Heavy Shredder pistol.
I held a Drac Pike, and duel Heavy Dracon pistols in reserve.
The lights were dark. Around us, were about a dozen dead controllers, mostly Sstram or Naharan.
Here or there, though, were Andalites.
"Looks like the Andalites are up to their knees in an invsion," Skorre said, "Serves them right."
"Anyone remember what that Leeran told us? He said the Andalites had a bounty on our heads, too. What the hell could that be about? We havn't done shit to them," Muttered LaRouche.
"Shut up!" Barked Aleks.
"Stay frosty," I agreed, "There could be trouble at any moment. We don't need that shit."
"There's nothin' here, man! Just dead bodies! Dead long time! Dead dogs!" Ripper cawed.
"Don't jinx us, dumb shit," Aleks muttered.
Britz, who had been very quiet thus far, spoke up, "What is a jinx?"
Without warning, a human came barging around one of the corridor corners.
It was running fast, and took a massive leap at the person out front…Ripper!
"Yee-haw! Die, you filthy dogs!" It held up two giant knives, and sneered a demonic smile, revealing dozens of filed off teeth.
The human coming at us…was Ripper