Hey everybody! thanks so much for reading my story!!! J
answering your questions/comments:
SimplySara: did I say that the Yeerks were the evil villains in this story? evil laugh The real villain of my story is introduced here. The poor little Yeerkies are just "victims of circumstance" .... cough. cough yeah even I don't believe that!
So does the One seem uh- villain-ain enough? (villain-ain, gawd I sound like Ax!) anyways, thanks much for R&R!
weetzybat: yeah, actually that warning recording w/the Phalanx: I started really thinking about it after you mentioned that earlier in a review. I mean I knew that I wanted to have a warning, but I was going to do something gay like inscriptions on the ship...although, I still might do that, but the recording was a much better idea!
and yeah, the Yeerks can't be too evil in this story b/c the One is supposed to be my evil little guy. Two evil guys just ain't cool.
Rachel9466: Thanks for the long review! Me appreciate much!
And really, no one's eva written from Efflin's POV? that's odd. scratches chin hmmmmmmm
The Yeerks will get more ruthless as the story progresses, but right now they're just perdy defeated and don't have much time or resources to be.
DID: I'm glad you liked the card. After you didn't respond for a while, I was wondering if I weirded you out or something.
The Visser has been human for a long time, so I guess that kinda did wear off on him. (okay, that's bull, I actually just wrote and I guess he turned out more human-like than I'd originally intended. But I guess that's good, considering what's going to happen... nope! not telling, it's a secret! )
and I'm not sure I understand your question w/the star charts.
anyways, thanks for R&R!
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Disclaimer: Ya, uhm this chapter actually doesn't use an Animorphs words, so I don't have to have a disclaimer! So HAH! (The One is my creation! Not that buddy from the Elliminist Chronicles!)
no wait! I just typed the word Animorphs and Elliminist, darn it!
okay, fine.
I don't own the Animorphs or the Elliminist.
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The One:
I am the One.
The One who is many. The One who is all.
I am the Destroyer of Races, the Stealer of Souls, the Scourge of Galaxies.
I am the One.
And I am trapped.
For star-lives I have remained in this Phalanx ship, this free-floating prison.
The Phalanx, Redan Fin-Va, did not put me here. No, he did not trick me. I was simply careless. I acted rashly when I should have been cautious.
I will not repeat that mistake. Next time I will be careful.
I am the One.
And I am hungry.
The life-forces of the Phalanx race, rich because of their experienced and lengthy lives, satisfied my cravings for a long time.
But now I am hungry. Very hunger.
And bored.
There is little I can do to amuse myself. I have taunted my captives so often that few of them even respond.
But still, it is a way to pass the slow creep of time.
I turn inward and search inside myself. There are many here. Toltar, Squew, and countless other races that I do not know the names of.
Phalanx.
Looking carefully, I distinguish it from the others. It is a string, a tiny thread of essence, a small slip of consciousness.
A soul.
I pull on the string, forcing the essence into my presence.
(REDAN FIN-VA!) I demand of my captive. (YOUR MASTER REQUIRES YOUR COMPANIONSHIP.)
The Phalanx essence does not answer.
(REDAN FIN-VA!) I repeat.
Again, the Phalanx does not answer. It is difficult to incite a response from him. Difficult, but not impossible. It requires subtlety.
I glide purposefully around the silent ship. It is dark. Empty. Devoid of life.
Reaching a familiar hall, I allow a stronger light to radiate from my glowing red eyes.
The sickly light casts eerily throughout the hallway and off the exit panel. In places it flickers like a dying ember, as it reflects off the frozen surfaces of the ship. Everything is frozen, even the gas molecules of the air.
Even Redan Fin Va's body.
Gripping the Phalanx essence tightly, I train my sight on the frozen green corpse. I know that Redan sees what I see. Because I grasp his essence, the Phalanx looks through my eyes.
He has no other choice.
I stare at Redan's long dead body. It entombed in ice and free from decay.
(Lovely sight, isn't it?) I ask Redan's essence wistfully.
I gaze critically at the corpse's face. The mouth is contorted in a painful scream, the eyes wide with horror.
(Now what were you thinking at that moment, I wonder?)
The Phalanx essence does not answer me. But then again, I do not expect him to.
(Perhaps you were praying for peace after your death?) I ask with mock thoughtfulness.
Redan does not reply.
(But is that not what you received?) I pretend to be perplexed.
(Well peace, perhaps not ) I concede. (But you received something better. Much better. You joined with a god. You are part of the most powerful Being in the universe.)
Redan still does not reply.
As I said, it is a challenge to incite a response from him. When he was first joined to me, his angry speeches and flaming tongue greatly amused me.
I remember that time. Those first few days into space, before the ship's central heating stopped, before the craft froze over. I remember watching Redan's body die.
Those fleeting first days as the Phalanx body starved itself. Without Redan's essence the body could not function. Breath, yes. And digest.
But feed itself?
Shelter itself?
Move?
I recall how I trained my eyes on the body as it slowly died. I forced Redan's essence to watch with me.
I listened as he yelled and screamed and demanded. As the grief and pain crept into his voice.
It was all very amusing.
But that was a very long time ago.
A very long time ago.
I return my attention to the frozen green corpse and Redan's essence.
(Why do we not talk like we used to, Phalanx?) I sneer. ( I do miss the sound of your voice.)
He does not reply.
I train my eyes back at Redan's frozen body and then to the exit panel. It too is frozen over, not that it matters –the panel is locked from the outside. My only escape, and it is affixed.
I must leave this prison cell! I am hungry!
(What is that?) A hushed voice suddenly whispers.
Redan's essence?
He is speaking?
He sounds shocked.
Why?
Then I hear it too.
A low rumbling noise. Getting louder.
Then the ship rocks slightly as it impacts with another object. Most likely a small projectile. It will only alter our velocity.
But oddly I feel that we are accelerating, the velocity is not constant.
(No.) Redan gasps in horror.
I watch transfixed, as the area nearest the exit panel begins to shake.
A loud pounding noise sounds from outside.
With my seeing red eyes trained on the exit panel, I feel their life-forces. I sense their souls.
Ten. No, twenty.
(NO!) Redan moans in despair. (DO NOT!)
The exit panel suddenly shatters into a thousand pieces as something cracks through the brittle metal and frozen ice.
(NO!) My captive essence pleads.
(They cannot hear you, Phalanx.) I laugh.
I glide swiftly away from the shattered exit panel. Out of the viewing area. I do not wish to prematurely alarm my new quarry.
I am hunger, but I will not be careless.
Not this time.
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okay, I'm not sure if that's how I wanted to portray the One or not. He's supposed to be an evil dude, so I don't want anyone sympathize with him. Did anyone?
do ya'll think he's evil enough? He's supposed to be morbid and have this sick sense of humor, and like to do the cat-mouse thing. Does that seem that way to ya'll? Or do I need to take it up a notch?
do ya'll get all that about Redan's essence and Redan's body and stuff?
Anyways, thank you so much for reading this! I really really appreciate it! Now if you'd please review, so I know you're reading this, that'd be great! Even if you just wanna type "hi."
Gracias!
DH