I explained the plan to the crew. Their reaction was predictably Helmacron.
You wish to become Helmacrons. That is, of course, understandable. Species have been slavishly longing after our perfect forms for millenia.
Marco's reaction was also predictable. Fortunately, he kept it to dry heaves. The Helmacron crew voluntarily stepped forward, offering their DNA. I glanced at Cassie. I could see she had misgivings about the plan, but as the Helmacrons had willingly agreed, there wasn't much she could say.
All Helmacron body-donators should leave the bridge after you have acquired their DNA, in order to minimalize confusion, Mary Sue suggested privately.
I nodded, and repeated her words in an authoritarian tone.
The largest Helmacron female stood in front of me. I guess I got prime pick, since I was Captain. Helmacrons really aren't the most attractive people in the galaxy. I don't know, call me crazy, but something about pool-ball eyes on a flat, cone-shaped head, with a barbed chin and insectoid mouthparts, four legs, and teal skin all combined to a rather unappealing whole. This one was no exception. If anything, she was more exxageratedly Helmacron than the others - her mouthparts were larger, her eyes bulged farther from her head than those of the others.
Captain, I am Zhrimka. It is my honor to share my DNA with you.
I nodded, reached forward, and touched her arm. I noticed for the first time that Helmacron skin feels like ClingWrap. I focused on her. Watched as her eyes unfocused and she became limp. I looked around the room. Tobias clung to the shoulder of a Helmacron in the acquiring trance. Ax had his fingers on the chest of another. Jake, Marco, and Cassie nodded at me. The other Helmacrons looked on with eager interest and concern.
We stepped back, and waited for the Helmacrons to snap out of it. I noticed that it took them a little bit longer than most species. When they had all straightened up, I said, "We're done. Go and perform your duties elsewhere."
Obediently, they swiveled on their four legs and trotted off the bridge. I looked around at the others. They all looked about as nervous as I felt. We knew that Helmacrons had some pretty powerful instincts, and this was the first time we had ever morphed their species. We were in for a wild ride.
I closed my eyes, and began to morph.
Flllllltttkkk.
I felt my skin crinkle. I couldn't help it. I opened my eyes, and looked at my now-teal skin. Prodded it with a finger. It felt like ClingWrap. My finger had changed, too. It was longer, slenderer, thicker in the middle, and flatter. It was the finger of a Helmacron. I focused on the morph. I was very grateful I couldn't see the changes I could feel.
Skrrrrrrtch.
I felt my face split vertically from the bottom of my nose to my chin. The four segments of my mouth stretched and squished. My tongue dissolved, and I felt tiny spikes grow inside of my mouth. My gag reflex kicked in, but just as I was about to start choking, my throat slipped and my vocal chords disappeared. I felt my internal organs sloshing around, twisting. Bones crunched and changed shape radically.
I looked around at the others. Marco's eyes were crawling up his face, ballooning out as they reached the top of his head. Oh, this is pleasant, he commented privately.
Jake had four legs. Ax had lost his tail and become bald. Tobias was a confused lump of blue feathers and thin, extending limbs. Even Cassie couldn't make the morph attractive, as her chin split apart and became a number of sharp barbs.
My insides finished rearranging themselves with a schlooorrpt.
I then grew my other two legs in an extremely unattractive way. Stop laughing, Marco, I growled. My morph is bigger than yours.
It sure is! he choked. His laugh came out in the high-pitched "SEET! SEET!" of his morph.
Then my vision swam, shifted colors, and everything was confused as my eyes trickled upwards and became the Helmacron billiard-ball eyes. I was surprised how much taller it made me feel.
I looked around, down at myself, at the others. The changes seemed to be complete. I waited for something more, but there was nothing.
Well, Tobias said. That was easy.
Are you finished? Mary Sue asked tentatively.
Of course we are! I laughed. I mean, come on, if anybody's good at morphing, it's us.
We are pretty amazing, Cassie agreed.
Pretty amazing? Marco snorted. Try totally awesome on for size! I mean, I figured I would be fighting all these instincts, but I so totally have this under control!
No kidding, Jake said. Man, those Yeerks don't have a chance. I'd like to see any of them morph Helmacron and not have problems with its instincts!
"SEET!" I shrilled. Not likely. Stupid Yeerks. Who do they think they are, going up against us? We're so going to crush them!
Mary Sue looked at us, a confused expression on her face. Hey, I could read Helmacron facial expressions! I looked around, and realized that I could see what each Helmacron in the room was thinking, just by their eyes. I was such an amazing natural at this.
Ax nodded. I concur, Rachel! The Yeerks have no chance of survival against such opponents as us!
Just think of how humiliated Visser Three will be when we kick his butt in Helmacron morph!
Let's laugh long and hard at him first, Cassie suggested. I'd love to see the expression on his idiotic Andalite face!
Mary Sue frowned. Captain, perhaps we should --
Ah! The prisoners! Of course. I turned to regard the viewscreen. Why are we hiding here on top of the cage? We should announce our presence! We can take on these Yeerks! None of them have a ship. They're no match for us.
Mary Sue's eyes widened. Captain, I'm not sure that --
Don't argue with me, Heretic! I snapped, suddenly filled with outrage that she questioned my orders. I said, announce our presence!
You're making a mistake, she hissed in private thoughtspeech.
HOW DARE YOU!? I screamed. I'm the CAPTAIN!! Obey me or die! The rest of the Helmacrons looked in confusion from Mary Sue to me. What were they all, stupid? I was the captain! I couldn't make a mistake! I had figured out all of the angles! The Yeerks weren't even a problem! We can end this war right here, right now! Let us destroy this pitiful pool and have done with it!
I swiveled, demanding support from my subordinates. Jake, Ax, Tobias, and Marco nodded their agreement. Cassie looked disturbed. The real Helmacrons continued simply gaping at each other.
Why are you waiting!? I have spoken!! I am the captain! I am infallible! I am perfect! You shall obey my orders!
One by one, the Helmacrons drew their rapiers from their sheaths.
Yes! I shouted. Kill the Heretic! She contradicted the captain, she must die! I worked my mouthparts angrily.
Oh, my gosh, Cassie breathed. Rachel! The instincts! You've got the Helmacron instincts! We all do!
Silence, Cassie! Ax barked. We are in perfect control of our faculties!
I shook my head at Cassie. So weak. She might have fallen prey to the Helmacron instincts, but not me. I was far too skilled, too strong to ever make that mistake. If Cassie had, maybe we should kill her after Mary Sue was dead. I wasn't about to give in to Helmacron arrogance, to Helmacron violence. Only the perfect and the strongest should be allowed to live.
Which meant that, inevitably, I'd be the only one left standing. And that was just fine with me.
You wish to become Helmacrons. That is, of course, understandable. Species have been slavishly longing after our perfect forms for millenia.
Marco's reaction was also predictable. Fortunately, he kept it to dry heaves. The Helmacron crew voluntarily stepped forward, offering their DNA. I glanced at Cassie. I could see she had misgivings about the plan, but as the Helmacrons had willingly agreed, there wasn't much she could say.
All Helmacron body-donators should leave the bridge after you have acquired their DNA, in order to minimalize confusion, Mary Sue suggested privately.
I nodded, and repeated her words in an authoritarian tone.
The largest Helmacron female stood in front of me. I guess I got prime pick, since I was Captain. Helmacrons really aren't the most attractive people in the galaxy. I don't know, call me crazy, but something about pool-ball eyes on a flat, cone-shaped head, with a barbed chin and insectoid mouthparts, four legs, and teal skin all combined to a rather unappealing whole. This one was no exception. If anything, she was more exxageratedly Helmacron than the others - her mouthparts were larger, her eyes bulged farther from her head than those of the others.
Captain, I am Zhrimka. It is my honor to share my DNA with you.
I nodded, reached forward, and touched her arm. I noticed for the first time that Helmacron skin feels like ClingWrap. I focused on her. Watched as her eyes unfocused and she became limp. I looked around the room. Tobias clung to the shoulder of a Helmacron in the acquiring trance. Ax had his fingers on the chest of another. Jake, Marco, and Cassie nodded at me. The other Helmacrons looked on with eager interest and concern.
We stepped back, and waited for the Helmacrons to snap out of it. I noticed that it took them a little bit longer than most species. When they had all straightened up, I said, "We're done. Go and perform your duties elsewhere."
Obediently, they swiveled on their four legs and trotted off the bridge. I looked around at the others. They all looked about as nervous as I felt. We knew that Helmacrons had some pretty powerful instincts, and this was the first time we had ever morphed their species. We were in for a wild ride.
I closed my eyes, and began to morph.
Flllllltttkkk.
I felt my skin crinkle. I couldn't help it. I opened my eyes, and looked at my now-teal skin. Prodded it with a finger. It felt like ClingWrap. My finger had changed, too. It was longer, slenderer, thicker in the middle, and flatter. It was the finger of a Helmacron. I focused on the morph. I was very grateful I couldn't see the changes I could feel.
Skrrrrrrtch.
I felt my face split vertically from the bottom of my nose to my chin. The four segments of my mouth stretched and squished. My tongue dissolved, and I felt tiny spikes grow inside of my mouth. My gag reflex kicked in, but just as I was about to start choking, my throat slipped and my vocal chords disappeared. I felt my internal organs sloshing around, twisting. Bones crunched and changed shape radically.
I looked around at the others. Marco's eyes were crawling up his face, ballooning out as they reached the top of his head. Oh, this is pleasant, he commented privately.
Jake had four legs. Ax had lost his tail and become bald. Tobias was a confused lump of blue feathers and thin, extending limbs. Even Cassie couldn't make the morph attractive, as her chin split apart and became a number of sharp barbs.
My insides finished rearranging themselves with a schlooorrpt.
I then grew my other two legs in an extremely unattractive way. Stop laughing, Marco, I growled. My morph is bigger than yours.
It sure is! he choked. His laugh came out in the high-pitched "SEET! SEET!" of his morph.
Then my vision swam, shifted colors, and everything was confused as my eyes trickled upwards and became the Helmacron billiard-ball eyes. I was surprised how much taller it made me feel.
I looked around, down at myself, at the others. The changes seemed to be complete. I waited for something more, but there was nothing.
Well, Tobias said. That was easy.
Are you finished? Mary Sue asked tentatively.
Of course we are! I laughed. I mean, come on, if anybody's good at morphing, it's us.
We are pretty amazing, Cassie agreed.
Pretty amazing? Marco snorted. Try totally awesome on for size! I mean, I figured I would be fighting all these instincts, but I so totally have this under control!
No kidding, Jake said. Man, those Yeerks don't have a chance. I'd like to see any of them morph Helmacron and not have problems with its instincts!
"SEET!" I shrilled. Not likely. Stupid Yeerks. Who do they think they are, going up against us? We're so going to crush them!
Mary Sue looked at us, a confused expression on her face. Hey, I could read Helmacron facial expressions! I looked around, and realized that I could see what each Helmacron in the room was thinking, just by their eyes. I was such an amazing natural at this.
Ax nodded. I concur, Rachel! The Yeerks have no chance of survival against such opponents as us!
Just think of how humiliated Visser Three will be when we kick his butt in Helmacron morph!
Let's laugh long and hard at him first, Cassie suggested. I'd love to see the expression on his idiotic Andalite face!
Mary Sue frowned. Captain, perhaps we should --
Ah! The prisoners! Of course. I turned to regard the viewscreen. Why are we hiding here on top of the cage? We should announce our presence! We can take on these Yeerks! None of them have a ship. They're no match for us.
Mary Sue's eyes widened. Captain, I'm not sure that --
Don't argue with me, Heretic! I snapped, suddenly filled with outrage that she questioned my orders. I said, announce our presence!
You're making a mistake, she hissed in private thoughtspeech.
HOW DARE YOU!? I screamed. I'm the CAPTAIN!! Obey me or die! The rest of the Helmacrons looked in confusion from Mary Sue to me. What were they all, stupid? I was the captain! I couldn't make a mistake! I had figured out all of the angles! The Yeerks weren't even a problem! We can end this war right here, right now! Let us destroy this pitiful pool and have done with it!
I swiveled, demanding support from my subordinates. Jake, Ax, Tobias, and Marco nodded their agreement. Cassie looked disturbed. The real Helmacrons continued simply gaping at each other.
Why are you waiting!? I have spoken!! I am the captain! I am infallible! I am perfect! You shall obey my orders!
One by one, the Helmacrons drew their rapiers from their sheaths.
Yes! I shouted. Kill the Heretic! She contradicted the captain, she must die! I worked my mouthparts angrily.
Oh, my gosh, Cassie breathed. Rachel! The instincts! You've got the Helmacron instincts! We all do!
Silence, Cassie! Ax barked. We are in perfect control of our faculties!
I shook my head at Cassie. So weak. She might have fallen prey to the Helmacron instincts, but not me. I was far too skilled, too strong to ever make that mistake. If Cassie had, maybe we should kill her after Mary Sue was dead. I wasn't about to give in to Helmacron arrogance, to Helmacron violence. Only the perfect and the strongest should be allowed to live.
Which meant that, inevitably, I'd be the only one left standing. And that was just fine with me.