The Drode's Infiltration
Marco
Five days after my honeymoon and Yeerks were trying to invade the world again. I hadn't even had the time to unpack, or have kids. I was already about to go on a suicidal mission after a trip that finally relaxed me. Within three years the Yeerks had already replaced Visser One and had already built a new pool, and put a new mothership in place. My mission was to destroy the Yeerk pool and kill Visser One. I needed help.
Autumn
Marco means we, but is right about everything else. So, we called Jake, Cassie, Rachel, and Ax for help. They all said they'd be there by that weekend. Except Rachel. Nobody we called knew anything about the location of the mothership so we decided to pay a visit to Erek. " Over here." "Hey Erek," Marco said, "Have any information?" Now when you look at Erek, you'd normally see a boy. But if you step into the hologram when he's making something bigger, like a truck, he looks like a metal and ivory dog. "Yeah, the ship is hiding behind the moon. It's using it to deflect radar," Erek said. "Thanks," I replied.
Jake
I'd been waiting for Cassie to get home. I couldn't believe that the Yeerks were back. I hate Yeerks. Their persistent ways got on my nerves. Right when I thought they were gone. I heard the door open. " Hey," the usual greeting. "Bad news," I said. "Uh-oh." "Yeah. Uh-oh is right. The Yeerks are back," I said grimly. Then it happened.
Ax
I'd just come out of light-speed travel and I saw it. A bright beam of light came from the moon. Eltirin, did you see that? There really was no reason he shouldn't have; he was grazing only a few feet away from me. Yes Do you think it was a dracon beam? I asked. Yes Oh, no.
Marco
Autumn and I were just pulling into Jake's driveway when it happened. The house just splintered. It was destroyed. I saw Jake and Cassie get thrown out of the mass of splintered and burned wood. Our car was also thrown about thirty feet. We climbed out of the twisted car and ran to the two of them. "Jake! Cassie! Wake up!" Autumn screamed. Jake had a splinter of wood large enough to injure a giant through his leg and Cassie had one through her shoulder. I called the hospital and told them it was an emergency. I looked at my car. "Damn! That car cost me 50,000 bucks!" I yelled, " I'll have to buy a hovercraft next time." I was trying to get Autumn to yell at me; to get my mind off the problem. We rode in the ambulances to the hospital and what we saw when we got there was worse than what happened to Jake and Cassie.
Cassie
The pain was impossibly intense. I barely remembered what happened. I'd walked into the living room, Jake told me that the Yeerks were back, and then the house was blown up. I think. I looked around. I was in a hospital. I looked toward where the pain was coming from. I saw bandages. And blood. I felt like I would die. Another wave of pain. I cringed. Then someone yelled "Hey! She's conscious!" Then I saw Marco. He had such a worried expression on his face. Another wave of pain washed over me and I passed out.
Jake
OWWWWW. OWWWWW. The pain. My leg. The pain woke me up from a dream. A dream. I saw Ax in my dream. He was fighting a Yeerk mothership- and losing badly. He was injured. Eltirin was with him- and injured. OWWWWW. OWWWWW. I opened my eyes and looked at my leg. Blood. And bandages. What happened? Oh. The house. The house! Now I remember! The house was blown up. Where was Cassie? Was she alive? Owwwwwww.
Marco
Cassie had woken up. But what about Jake? I thought I saw him open his eyes and look at his leg, but I wasn't sure. I looked out the window and nearly had a heart attack.
Autumn
I looked out of the window. Oh, @#$%! Ax's Dome ship! It was about to crash into the city! Then it exploded. "Ax!" I screamed. Then I saw two little balls of light. Escape pods I thought, good. They were okay. Whew. I looked at Marco. He looked like he'd had a heart attack.
Ax
SELF DESTRUCT IN THIRTY SECONDS. Eltirin, to the escape pods! I yelled. We had to destroy the ship before it crashed into the city. We would get away in the escape pods before the dome ship exploded. Eltirin was getting the pods ready. We were badly injured, but the injuries weren't enough to kill us. The escape pods were ready. We got in and waited. TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE. SPOOOOOOOOOSSHHHHH!!! SPOOOOOOOOOSSHHHHH!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Marco
I was horrified. The dome ship just exploded. Gone. Like Jake's house. Then I saw two little balls of light. Escape pods. "We have to go," I said. "Why?" Autumn asked. "To get Ax and Eltirin." So we left to find the escape pods. We went to the beach, a favorite hangout for Andelites. "Anyone seen two escape pods?" I asked. That way, a younger Andelite said. He was pointing out over the ocean. "Thanks." The ocean.
Jake
OWWWWW. My leg. Hold it, I thought, I can morph. I decided to morph to Peregrine Falcon. My lips started to become hard, my legs and body shrank. Then feathers sprouted all over my body. My arms started to form into wings. I demorphed and walked into the lobby. "Where's Cassie?" I asked. "In the room next to yours," the nurse said. I went into Cassie's room. I looked at her. She had bloody bandages all over her shoulder. I went back out into the lobby. "Where did Marco go?" I asked. "He left to find Ax. His ship blew up over the city," She said, "He left toward the beach." My dream. It was true.
Ax
I was back in the ocean. Back where I ended up when I first came/crashed to earth. I saw animals that were familiar. Eltirin? I asked. Yes? Do you have a morph that can survive in water? I asked. Yes. Morph, when your gills form, open the hatch, I ordered. Yes, sir Luckily my gills formed first. I opened the hatch and water rushed in. My body elongated and my tail blade became a shark's tail. An opening formed in my face and was instantly filled with teeth. My eyes dulled, my ears seemed to disappear, my legs shriveled, my arms became triangular and stubby, my skin became sandpapery, and many of new senses flooded my brain. I was a shark.
Rachel
I was three steps ahead of everyone. I was actually the Andelite who gave Marco and Autumn directions. They were about 300 feet behind me. I work alone. No partners period. I would be found saving the day while everyone else was still trying to find Ax and Eltirin. I would get all the glory. Oh, really? He, he, he. That voice. It was mocking and cruel. Do you really want to do this? Are you sure it's right? I've heard it before. the Drode.
Visser One
I had no power. After years of no power I still had no power. No power over my own host. He had given himself to us. He had given himself up. The Drode had volunteered for infestation. To be Visser One. I wanted that power. The power to distort the time line and do things no other being (Except Crayak and Ellimist themselves) could do. Let me out! I yelled. I hated this. No. A voice cruel and mocking How could you even imagine controlling a powerful being such as myself? But you volunteered! I screamed. I needed a cover. Being Visser One was perfect. He replied. The Council of Thirteen will have your head! I yelled, knowing they couldn't do anything. They can't do anything. No power is equal even to my power. He said cruelly. Animorphs! Help! Please! I cried in private thought-speak. They could do something.
Cassie
I was conscious again. Morph time. My nose elongated to become a snout. My front legs grew to accommodate my legs, which were shrinking. Gray fur sprouted and my legs crunched as they reversed. A few organs and bones to rearrange and I became a wolf. Then I demorphed. I walked out of my room to see Jake sitting comfortably on the couch. " It's about time Sleeping Beauty, " He said. "Where's Marco?" I asked. " They went to find Ax," he replied.
Marco
I saw a shark. Two sharks. Three! Something was definitely wrong. Hello? I called. Marco, a hostile shark is attacking us. Ax said. HOSTILE SHARK!? I knew that voice. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HOST- Cool it, Rachel I said, I thought you couldn't come, I added. GRRR. Caught in a lie, eh? Autumn said. SHUT UP YOU LITTLE- WHAM! I slammed into Rachel. Nobody talks to my wife that way! I yelled. TSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Marco (again)
I woke up and looked around. It was my house. With different furniture- futuristic furniture. " It's about time you woke up." It was me- future me- I guess. "What year is it?" I asked "2014." Future me said. "O.K. What just happened? " I inquired," and what do I call you?" "The dracon beam tore through a time barrier and threw you forward into the future-like a reverse Sario Rip- and call me 'Dr. Marco', " he said. " O.K. Now how do I get out of here?" I asked, " And please don't say time machine," I added quickly. "Too bad, so sad. Time travel is the only way back. I've already done the calculations, but it will take about six months to make it work," Dr. Marco said. "Great, it was bad enough almost being eaten by Big Rex," I moaned. " Well, maybe meeting your future son and daughter will help." He said. We walked into a playroom with game systems, Legos, and remote control cars. " Duce, Sarah meet former me," Dr. Marco said. They were twins. This was so cool. Sarah and Marco Jr. had my eyes and hair, but otherwise looked unlike Autumn or me. They looked like they were about 8 or 9. " How old are you two?" I asked. "Eight," they replied in perfect unison, then Sarah added, " I'm older by two minutes."
Autumn
Water sizzled all around me. I looked over toward where Marco should've been and saw a bright green light. I tried swimming into it, but it closed before I could get there. Sario Rip, Ax said, I've heard about them- but I don't know much about them. "He, he, he, he. Just like I planned," said the Drode "A weak spot in the time barrier was all I needed." Rachel tried to attack him. The Drode held up his hand and, beams of energy shot out, and Rachel sizzled into nothingness. Goodbye and good riddance, I thought. "I didn't like her that much either, Autumn," it said. The Drode was too evil to be a he. " Just don't try to oppose me.you don't have a chance without your friend." Then he disappeared.
Marco {3 months later}
This was taking way too long. More and more people were showing up all over the place shooting dracon beams at Dr. Marco and me. We stole five dracons two weeks ago for protection and souped them up to make Yeerk-killing guns- the first of the kind to kill Yeerks in their host- to free as many people as possible. "Dr. Marco, I have a question," I said. " Go ahead," he replied. "Where is everyone?" I asked. He paused. " I don't know." "Oh." I didn't ask any more questions. Dr. Autumn (She asked me to call her "Dr." too) was in space at the Jupiter space station doing research for two months after I got here. It was amazing that she got home safely because the Yeerks had set up a blockade around earth to restrict space travel. Dr. Marco, Dr. Autumn, and I were working on the time travel project together and completion time was reduced to four months. I couldn't wait to go home.
Jake
We'd been waiting for Marco for three months. Yeerks were enslaving people by the 100's. We'd only been surviving by living with Erek. This was getting bad- really bad- and there was nothing we could do until Marco came back. Nothing.
Visser One
I'm over being powerless. I'm used to watching the Drode do what none of the other Vissers have EVER done before. I was ecstatic. I was happy. But I was powerless. I could read his thoughts; I could enrich my skills and learn how to weaken the Andelites with those skills. But I was still in a host that I couldn't use. I could do better with a Hork Bajir body. I will escape.
Marco {at departure time}
Ohhhhhhhhhhh yeah! The machine is finished! I'm going home! Oh yeah, by the way, we found the other Animorphs. They were staked out at Erek's place. Everyone who wasn't a Yeerk (Only the morphs and their kids) came to watch me go. I was going home, but not until I prevented the Drode from infiltrating the Yeerks.
Marco
I was at the time and place where the Drode decided to become a host for Visser One. I tackled him and concentrated. I felt the Drode go limp. I started to morph into the vile creature known as the Drode. When I finished, I could feel his destructive instinct and his power. I felt like blowing him to pieces, but I needed to take him to the other Animorphs. Then they'd acquire its DNA and use it for good. I entrapped him in a ball of energy and went back to where I should be.
Epilogue
Since Marco took the Drode from the past none of the people who'd been enslaved had been enslaved and although the Animorphs remembered it; it never happened. The couples had kids, and until there's another Sario Rip, everyone will live happily ever after. Oh, yeah, Rachel's not dead, but she didn't get Drode DNA.
Marco
Five days after my honeymoon and Yeerks were trying to invade the world again. I hadn't even had the time to unpack, or have kids. I was already about to go on a suicidal mission after a trip that finally relaxed me. Within three years the Yeerks had already replaced Visser One and had already built a new pool, and put a new mothership in place. My mission was to destroy the Yeerk pool and kill Visser One. I needed help.
Autumn
Marco means we, but is right about everything else. So, we called Jake, Cassie, Rachel, and Ax for help. They all said they'd be there by that weekend. Except Rachel. Nobody we called knew anything about the location of the mothership so we decided to pay a visit to Erek. " Over here." "Hey Erek," Marco said, "Have any information?" Now when you look at Erek, you'd normally see a boy. But if you step into the hologram when he's making something bigger, like a truck, he looks like a metal and ivory dog. "Yeah, the ship is hiding behind the moon. It's using it to deflect radar," Erek said. "Thanks," I replied.
Jake
I'd been waiting for Cassie to get home. I couldn't believe that the Yeerks were back. I hate Yeerks. Their persistent ways got on my nerves. Right when I thought they were gone. I heard the door open. " Hey," the usual greeting. "Bad news," I said. "Uh-oh." "Yeah. Uh-oh is right. The Yeerks are back," I said grimly. Then it happened.
Ax
I'd just come out of light-speed travel and I saw it. A bright beam of light came from the moon. Eltirin, did you see that? There really was no reason he shouldn't have; he was grazing only a few feet away from me. Yes Do you think it was a dracon beam? I asked. Yes Oh, no.
Marco
Autumn and I were just pulling into Jake's driveway when it happened. The house just splintered. It was destroyed. I saw Jake and Cassie get thrown out of the mass of splintered and burned wood. Our car was also thrown about thirty feet. We climbed out of the twisted car and ran to the two of them. "Jake! Cassie! Wake up!" Autumn screamed. Jake had a splinter of wood large enough to injure a giant through his leg and Cassie had one through her shoulder. I called the hospital and told them it was an emergency. I looked at my car. "Damn! That car cost me 50,000 bucks!" I yelled, " I'll have to buy a hovercraft next time." I was trying to get Autumn to yell at me; to get my mind off the problem. We rode in the ambulances to the hospital and what we saw when we got there was worse than what happened to Jake and Cassie.
Cassie
The pain was impossibly intense. I barely remembered what happened. I'd walked into the living room, Jake told me that the Yeerks were back, and then the house was blown up. I think. I looked around. I was in a hospital. I looked toward where the pain was coming from. I saw bandages. And blood. I felt like I would die. Another wave of pain. I cringed. Then someone yelled "Hey! She's conscious!" Then I saw Marco. He had such a worried expression on his face. Another wave of pain washed over me and I passed out.
Jake
OWWWWW. OWWWWW. The pain. My leg. The pain woke me up from a dream. A dream. I saw Ax in my dream. He was fighting a Yeerk mothership- and losing badly. He was injured. Eltirin was with him- and injured. OWWWWW. OWWWWW. I opened my eyes and looked at my leg. Blood. And bandages. What happened? Oh. The house. The house! Now I remember! The house was blown up. Where was Cassie? Was she alive? Owwwwwww.
Marco
Cassie had woken up. But what about Jake? I thought I saw him open his eyes and look at his leg, but I wasn't sure. I looked out the window and nearly had a heart attack.
Autumn
I looked out of the window. Oh, @#$%! Ax's Dome ship! It was about to crash into the city! Then it exploded. "Ax!" I screamed. Then I saw two little balls of light. Escape pods I thought, good. They were okay. Whew. I looked at Marco. He looked like he'd had a heart attack.
Ax
SELF DESTRUCT IN THIRTY SECONDS. Eltirin, to the escape pods! I yelled. We had to destroy the ship before it crashed into the city. We would get away in the escape pods before the dome ship exploded. Eltirin was getting the pods ready. We were badly injured, but the injuries weren't enough to kill us. The escape pods were ready. We got in and waited. TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE. SPOOOOOOOOOSSHHHHH!!! SPOOOOOOOOOSSHHHHH!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Marco
I was horrified. The dome ship just exploded. Gone. Like Jake's house. Then I saw two little balls of light. Escape pods. "We have to go," I said. "Why?" Autumn asked. "To get Ax and Eltirin." So we left to find the escape pods. We went to the beach, a favorite hangout for Andelites. "Anyone seen two escape pods?" I asked. That way, a younger Andelite said. He was pointing out over the ocean. "Thanks." The ocean.
Jake
OWWWWW. My leg. Hold it, I thought, I can morph. I decided to morph to Peregrine Falcon. My lips started to become hard, my legs and body shrank. Then feathers sprouted all over my body. My arms started to form into wings. I demorphed and walked into the lobby. "Where's Cassie?" I asked. "In the room next to yours," the nurse said. I went into Cassie's room. I looked at her. She had bloody bandages all over her shoulder. I went back out into the lobby. "Where did Marco go?" I asked. "He left to find Ax. His ship blew up over the city," She said, "He left toward the beach." My dream. It was true.
Ax
I was back in the ocean. Back where I ended up when I first came/crashed to earth. I saw animals that were familiar. Eltirin? I asked. Yes? Do you have a morph that can survive in water? I asked. Yes. Morph, when your gills form, open the hatch, I ordered. Yes, sir Luckily my gills formed first. I opened the hatch and water rushed in. My body elongated and my tail blade became a shark's tail. An opening formed in my face and was instantly filled with teeth. My eyes dulled, my ears seemed to disappear, my legs shriveled, my arms became triangular and stubby, my skin became sandpapery, and many of new senses flooded my brain. I was a shark.
Rachel
I was three steps ahead of everyone. I was actually the Andelite who gave Marco and Autumn directions. They were about 300 feet behind me. I work alone. No partners period. I would be found saving the day while everyone else was still trying to find Ax and Eltirin. I would get all the glory. Oh, really? He, he, he. That voice. It was mocking and cruel. Do you really want to do this? Are you sure it's right? I've heard it before. the Drode.
Visser One
I had no power. After years of no power I still had no power. No power over my own host. He had given himself to us. He had given himself up. The Drode had volunteered for infestation. To be Visser One. I wanted that power. The power to distort the time line and do things no other being (Except Crayak and Ellimist themselves) could do. Let me out! I yelled. I hated this. No. A voice cruel and mocking How could you even imagine controlling a powerful being such as myself? But you volunteered! I screamed. I needed a cover. Being Visser One was perfect. He replied. The Council of Thirteen will have your head! I yelled, knowing they couldn't do anything. They can't do anything. No power is equal even to my power. He said cruelly. Animorphs! Help! Please! I cried in private thought-speak. They could do something.
Cassie
I was conscious again. Morph time. My nose elongated to become a snout. My front legs grew to accommodate my legs, which were shrinking. Gray fur sprouted and my legs crunched as they reversed. A few organs and bones to rearrange and I became a wolf. Then I demorphed. I walked out of my room to see Jake sitting comfortably on the couch. " It's about time Sleeping Beauty, " He said. "Where's Marco?" I asked. " They went to find Ax," he replied.
Marco
I saw a shark. Two sharks. Three! Something was definitely wrong. Hello? I called. Marco, a hostile shark is attacking us. Ax said. HOSTILE SHARK!? I knew that voice. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HOST- Cool it, Rachel I said, I thought you couldn't come, I added. GRRR. Caught in a lie, eh? Autumn said. SHUT UP YOU LITTLE- WHAM! I slammed into Rachel. Nobody talks to my wife that way! I yelled. TSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Marco (again)
I woke up and looked around. It was my house. With different furniture- futuristic furniture. " It's about time you woke up." It was me- future me- I guess. "What year is it?" I asked "2014." Future me said. "O.K. What just happened? " I inquired," and what do I call you?" "The dracon beam tore through a time barrier and threw you forward into the future-like a reverse Sario Rip- and call me 'Dr. Marco', " he said. " O.K. Now how do I get out of here?" I asked, " And please don't say time machine," I added quickly. "Too bad, so sad. Time travel is the only way back. I've already done the calculations, but it will take about six months to make it work," Dr. Marco said. "Great, it was bad enough almost being eaten by Big Rex," I moaned. " Well, maybe meeting your future son and daughter will help." He said. We walked into a playroom with game systems, Legos, and remote control cars. " Duce, Sarah meet former me," Dr. Marco said. They were twins. This was so cool. Sarah and Marco Jr. had my eyes and hair, but otherwise looked unlike Autumn or me. They looked like they were about 8 or 9. " How old are you two?" I asked. "Eight," they replied in perfect unison, then Sarah added, " I'm older by two minutes."
Autumn
Water sizzled all around me. I looked over toward where Marco should've been and saw a bright green light. I tried swimming into it, but it closed before I could get there. Sario Rip, Ax said, I've heard about them- but I don't know much about them. "He, he, he, he. Just like I planned," said the Drode "A weak spot in the time barrier was all I needed." Rachel tried to attack him. The Drode held up his hand and, beams of energy shot out, and Rachel sizzled into nothingness. Goodbye and good riddance, I thought. "I didn't like her that much either, Autumn," it said. The Drode was too evil to be a he. " Just don't try to oppose me.you don't have a chance without your friend." Then he disappeared.
Marco {3 months later}
This was taking way too long. More and more people were showing up all over the place shooting dracon beams at Dr. Marco and me. We stole five dracons two weeks ago for protection and souped them up to make Yeerk-killing guns- the first of the kind to kill Yeerks in their host- to free as many people as possible. "Dr. Marco, I have a question," I said. " Go ahead," he replied. "Where is everyone?" I asked. He paused. " I don't know." "Oh." I didn't ask any more questions. Dr. Autumn (She asked me to call her "Dr." too) was in space at the Jupiter space station doing research for two months after I got here. It was amazing that she got home safely because the Yeerks had set up a blockade around earth to restrict space travel. Dr. Marco, Dr. Autumn, and I were working on the time travel project together and completion time was reduced to four months. I couldn't wait to go home.
Jake
We'd been waiting for Marco for three months. Yeerks were enslaving people by the 100's. We'd only been surviving by living with Erek. This was getting bad- really bad- and there was nothing we could do until Marco came back. Nothing.
Visser One
I'm over being powerless. I'm used to watching the Drode do what none of the other Vissers have EVER done before. I was ecstatic. I was happy. But I was powerless. I could read his thoughts; I could enrich my skills and learn how to weaken the Andelites with those skills. But I was still in a host that I couldn't use. I could do better with a Hork Bajir body. I will escape.
Marco {at departure time}
Ohhhhhhhhhhh yeah! The machine is finished! I'm going home! Oh yeah, by the way, we found the other Animorphs. They were staked out at Erek's place. Everyone who wasn't a Yeerk (Only the morphs and their kids) came to watch me go. I was going home, but not until I prevented the Drode from infiltrating the Yeerks.
Marco
I was at the time and place where the Drode decided to become a host for Visser One. I tackled him and concentrated. I felt the Drode go limp. I started to morph into the vile creature known as the Drode. When I finished, I could feel his destructive instinct and his power. I felt like blowing him to pieces, but I needed to take him to the other Animorphs. Then they'd acquire its DNA and use it for good. I entrapped him in a ball of energy and went back to where I should be.
Epilogue
Since Marco took the Drode from the past none of the people who'd been enslaved had been enslaved and although the Animorphs remembered it; it never happened. The couples had kids, and until there's another Sario Rip, everyone will live happily ever after. Oh, yeah, Rachel's not dead, but she didn't get Drode DNA.