Drastic times call for drastic measures. I think these two chapters are the
best so far.
Anifan1: Ampriss and Angelica had been working all day. Angelica's memory is better than Ampriss's. Ampriss forgot that the movie was on pay-per- view. And she never reads Angelica's memories without permission, so she couldn't "remember" that way.
Jay's "Five Minutes" will be revealed eventually...just be patient :o)
Lastly, This is probably going to be long. I figure I still have about 10 more chapters in this thing.
Here we go.
Chapter 7: Ampriss
SPLASH!
Angelica woke up in terror.
I woke up relaxed. I knew what was going on. We were about to be interrogated.
I looked around. Apparently, we hadn't been out for too long, because we appeared to be in Angelica's walk-in closet. We were tied to a chair, and a strip of duct tape was over our mouth.
A large human in a plain, black shirt set the bucket down. He must have been my alarm clock.
"Sub-Visser...she's up."
Black Shirt was quite tall...maybe six feet, five inches by human measurements, and with a solid build.
I've seen this guy before...
But before I could think, someone else walked in. We've definitely seen this one before.
"Ampriss Seven-Six-Five. I'm glad you were home. I need to talk to you, and it's most urgent."
I could almost see the arrogance dripping out of his mouth.
Ampriss! What's going on? What are they going to do?!?
Calm down, Angelica. I'll get us through this.
The Sub-Visser yanked the tape off our mouth, but I made sure we didn't show that it hurt.
I wasn't going to show any fear at all.
"What do you want, Sub-Visser? I'm very busy right now."
"Calm down, Ampriss. You mustn't be so stubborn. You'll only make things worse."
Black Shirt went out the door, and sat down outside the closet. I couldn't make out what he was doing...
"Now, Ampriss, I'd like this to be as fast and as painless as possible. Just give me some names of your friends, and I'll promise I'll let you go back to work. I hear your client needs you."
How does he know about Luther?!? Angelica asked.
That monster. He knows that a human life depends on me and Angelica right now...he picked a perfect time to try and torture me.
I don't know, Angelica...just calm down and relax.
"I won't let you find them."
"All right. That's a pity. It appears I need to conduct more drastic measures. Forsil Three-Two-Six, bring in my new toy."
Forsil 326. That's Black Shirt's name. Now I knew.
Forsil 326. Most Yeerks call her a hero. Members of the movement, however, have another name for her.
She slaughtered two helpless Andalites. She slaughtered countless Hork- Bajir before that. That's why we call her "The Butcher."
Forsil brought in the new "toy". When I saw it, I was petrified. When Angelica saw it, she was confused.
Ampriss...why does he have my vacuum cleaner?
He's going to try and torture me with it.
What? How...oh...oh no...he can't do that!!!
Calm down, you'll be fine.
Something told me that my reassurances weren't going to keep Angelica calm for long.
"You see, Ampriss...everyone knows that the best way to scare a Yeerk is with a Vanarx...the Yeerkbane. Unfortunately, one wasn't available. We had to borrow your host's vacuum cleaner on short notice. I hope she doesn't mind."
I tried not to flinch...but both Angelica and me were coming unglued.
"No answer? Very well..."
Sub-Visser 57 turned the vacuum cleaner on.
"I'll give you one last chance! Give up your accomplices or you'll be sucked up like dust!!"
I couldn't take it anymore. Neither could Angelica. We began to panic.
Sub-Visser 57 brought the vacuum cleaner closer.
Six inches.
Four inches.
I began to scream.
Two inches.
I'm sorry, Angelica, please forgive me!
This was it. This was my final moment. I tried to prepare myself.
One inch.
And then...
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!
Chapter 8: Ampriss.
Sub-Visser 57 dropped the vacuum.
I looked up to see what happened.
I saw Forsil standing over the Sub-Visser with an electric stun gun.
What...What happened?
I think Forsil decided change sides, Angelica...
Forsil began untying us. I couldn't help myself, I had to ask.
"Why, Forsil? Why?"
Forsil put the stun gun away, and finished untying us.
"Put simply: I'm tired. Tired of all this. I just want to live. And I don't want to see another innocent person die. I've seen enough of them."
Ampriss...What does he mean?
Forsil is a female Yeerk in a male body, Angelica. She's been a veteran of many battles...and she's well known for her viciousness.
I felt I had to say something.
"Forsil...if you ever need someone to talk to, the peace movement will help. We can make sure you are at peace."
"I seriously doubt that."
What? What did that mean?
"Forsil...I'm not kidding. We can keep you safe."
"Ampriss...I hate to disappoint you...but your numbers are pitiful. You can't keep me safe. You couldn't stand up to an inquisition, so don't try to convince me to join."
"Inquisition? What?"
"Eventually, one of you will be found. They will give names. Those names will be found, and they will give more names, and so on. Your movement will be crushed."
"But no one is on to us yet...well, except him."
Forsil looked me in the eyes.
"Sub-Visser 57 said he found you alone. I believed him. He was also acting alone, I am the only other Yeerk that knows we're here tonight."
"You'll keep my secret safe, won't you?"
"I will. But he won't." Forsil looked at the Sub-Visser's body...which seemed to be coming to!
"He's getting up! He'll be awake soon!"
"Then I guess I'll have to put him to sleep permanently."
I shuddered.
"You can't...his host!"
"His host will be fine. Vanarxes don't harm the host...much." Forsil began to tie the comatose Sub-Visser up.
Vanarx?
"No! He doesn't deserve that!"
"There is no choice. If he leaves, we will both be hunted down and killed."
He's right...dammit, it's horrible, but he's right!
Angelica's statement just made it sting so much more.
"I will not let another Yeerk be murdered in my presence!"
"Ampriss, what were you doing when I stunned you?"
"I had just found a way to clear my client of his charges."
"Is your client really guilty of those charges?"
"No, he is innocent. I swear."
The Sub-Visser stopped stirring.
"TRAITOR! I will see you burn!"
Forsil tuned him out.
"Then go save your client, Ampriss. I'll save us."
Forsil then pushed us out of the room, then closed and barred the door.
I should have went back to the casework. I would not have heard the two most chilling sounds of my life.
One was human screams.
The other was my host's vacuum cleaner at full power.
Anifan1: Ampriss and Angelica had been working all day. Angelica's memory is better than Ampriss's. Ampriss forgot that the movie was on pay-per- view. And she never reads Angelica's memories without permission, so she couldn't "remember" that way.
Jay's "Five Minutes" will be revealed eventually...just be patient :o)
Lastly, This is probably going to be long. I figure I still have about 10 more chapters in this thing.
Here we go.
Chapter 7: Ampriss
SPLASH!
Angelica woke up in terror.
I woke up relaxed. I knew what was going on. We were about to be interrogated.
I looked around. Apparently, we hadn't been out for too long, because we appeared to be in Angelica's walk-in closet. We were tied to a chair, and a strip of duct tape was over our mouth.
A large human in a plain, black shirt set the bucket down. He must have been my alarm clock.
"Sub-Visser...she's up."
Black Shirt was quite tall...maybe six feet, five inches by human measurements, and with a solid build.
I've seen this guy before...
But before I could think, someone else walked in. We've definitely seen this one before.
"Ampriss Seven-Six-Five. I'm glad you were home. I need to talk to you, and it's most urgent."
I could almost see the arrogance dripping out of his mouth.
Ampriss! What's going on? What are they going to do?!?
Calm down, Angelica. I'll get us through this.
The Sub-Visser yanked the tape off our mouth, but I made sure we didn't show that it hurt.
I wasn't going to show any fear at all.
"What do you want, Sub-Visser? I'm very busy right now."
"Calm down, Ampriss. You mustn't be so stubborn. You'll only make things worse."
Black Shirt went out the door, and sat down outside the closet. I couldn't make out what he was doing...
"Now, Ampriss, I'd like this to be as fast and as painless as possible. Just give me some names of your friends, and I'll promise I'll let you go back to work. I hear your client needs you."
How does he know about Luther?!? Angelica asked.
That monster. He knows that a human life depends on me and Angelica right now...he picked a perfect time to try and torture me.
I don't know, Angelica...just calm down and relax.
"I won't let you find them."
"All right. That's a pity. It appears I need to conduct more drastic measures. Forsil Three-Two-Six, bring in my new toy."
Forsil 326. That's Black Shirt's name. Now I knew.
Forsil 326. Most Yeerks call her a hero. Members of the movement, however, have another name for her.
She slaughtered two helpless Andalites. She slaughtered countless Hork- Bajir before that. That's why we call her "The Butcher."
Forsil brought in the new "toy". When I saw it, I was petrified. When Angelica saw it, she was confused.
Ampriss...why does he have my vacuum cleaner?
He's going to try and torture me with it.
What? How...oh...oh no...he can't do that!!!
Calm down, you'll be fine.
Something told me that my reassurances weren't going to keep Angelica calm for long.
"You see, Ampriss...everyone knows that the best way to scare a Yeerk is with a Vanarx...the Yeerkbane. Unfortunately, one wasn't available. We had to borrow your host's vacuum cleaner on short notice. I hope she doesn't mind."
I tried not to flinch...but both Angelica and me were coming unglued.
"No answer? Very well..."
Sub-Visser 57 turned the vacuum cleaner on.
"I'll give you one last chance! Give up your accomplices or you'll be sucked up like dust!!"
I couldn't take it anymore. Neither could Angelica. We began to panic.
Sub-Visser 57 brought the vacuum cleaner closer.
Six inches.
Four inches.
I began to scream.
Two inches.
I'm sorry, Angelica, please forgive me!
This was it. This was my final moment. I tried to prepare myself.
One inch.
And then...
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!
Chapter 8: Ampriss.
Sub-Visser 57 dropped the vacuum.
I looked up to see what happened.
I saw Forsil standing over the Sub-Visser with an electric stun gun.
What...What happened?
I think Forsil decided change sides, Angelica...
Forsil began untying us. I couldn't help myself, I had to ask.
"Why, Forsil? Why?"
Forsil put the stun gun away, and finished untying us.
"Put simply: I'm tired. Tired of all this. I just want to live. And I don't want to see another innocent person die. I've seen enough of them."
Ampriss...What does he mean?
Forsil is a female Yeerk in a male body, Angelica. She's been a veteran of many battles...and she's well known for her viciousness.
I felt I had to say something.
"Forsil...if you ever need someone to talk to, the peace movement will help. We can make sure you are at peace."
"I seriously doubt that."
What? What did that mean?
"Forsil...I'm not kidding. We can keep you safe."
"Ampriss...I hate to disappoint you...but your numbers are pitiful. You can't keep me safe. You couldn't stand up to an inquisition, so don't try to convince me to join."
"Inquisition? What?"
"Eventually, one of you will be found. They will give names. Those names will be found, and they will give more names, and so on. Your movement will be crushed."
"But no one is on to us yet...well, except him."
Forsil looked me in the eyes.
"Sub-Visser 57 said he found you alone. I believed him. He was also acting alone, I am the only other Yeerk that knows we're here tonight."
"You'll keep my secret safe, won't you?"
"I will. But he won't." Forsil looked at the Sub-Visser's body...which seemed to be coming to!
"He's getting up! He'll be awake soon!"
"Then I guess I'll have to put him to sleep permanently."
I shuddered.
"You can't...his host!"
"His host will be fine. Vanarxes don't harm the host...much." Forsil began to tie the comatose Sub-Visser up.
Vanarx?
"No! He doesn't deserve that!"
"There is no choice. If he leaves, we will both be hunted down and killed."
He's right...dammit, it's horrible, but he's right!
Angelica's statement just made it sting so much more.
"I will not let another Yeerk be murdered in my presence!"
"Ampriss, what were you doing when I stunned you?"
"I had just found a way to clear my client of his charges."
"Is your client really guilty of those charges?"
"No, he is innocent. I swear."
The Sub-Visser stopped stirring.
"TRAITOR! I will see you burn!"
Forsil tuned him out.
"Then go save your client, Ampriss. I'll save us."
Forsil then pushed us out of the room, then closed and barred the door.
I should have went back to the casework. I would not have heard the two most chilling sounds of my life.
One was human screams.
The other was my host's vacuum cleaner at full power.
