Hello everybody! It's been quite awhile, hasn't it?
Answering your questions/comments
First off... THANKS SO MUCH TO Asmodeus1389 and especially Lady Chocho for inspiring me to take another stab at it! I most certainly take flames (and often they're even more encouraging for me than positive reviews) just as long as they're aimed at the story and not me.
-Asmodeus1389: here's the update... finally! Thanks for reading and for all the reviews! Much appreciated! I will try to be a more responsible author and not make you wait so long for the next updates!
-Lady Chocho: thanks for the flame! Honest, I got it right around finals week and was like-- HEY! Somebody still cares about my story?!? Awesome! Totally made me want to take another stab at this chapter (which, by then I'm written off as near impossible to write)
-Samhain13: thanks for the compliments! I liked the grease passages too!
-Bird1111: I will try to get a Tobias POV in here somewhere. And if I can't, I'll still make sure to have enough passages from him, so don't worry b/c he's not going to be left out. (Rachel would be so pissed with me if I did!)
-weetzybat: I told you that the ending sucked royal! And hopefully this will help you "heal" as you said... if I update regularly that would prolly help, huh? sheepish look
-DeLorean86: kool name! Thanks for reading : ) uh...the One is that guy at the end of #54, that suddenly appears for like two pages, but royally screws up my closure that the series ended!
-UltraBeing: uh, no, I've never actually read anyother of KA's books. I was so upset with the ending to Animorphs that I've boycotted her stuff ever since. (well except for Animorphs since I'd already bought the entire series... didn't want to skimp-out on my investment!)
-icekestrel: thanks much for reading!
-SimplySara: glad you liked the One. Yup! Tried super-hard to make him evil, but kinda with a personality behind it...
and I totally understand what you mean about reading books and being able to suddenly speak in tongues.... I'm wondering if my sudden writing ability (serious, just happened today) is a result of me reading bits of Tolkien for the past couple 'o weeks...
-Midnightrose: thanks for reading! And yeah, I totally meant "The One" (dumb-me!) thanks for noticing that! I totally corrected it!
-DID: man! You are psychic or something! The double essences...read on, I think you'll get a kick out of what happens with that! (although, that part shouldn't appear until chapter 8, but I already finished with chappie 7, so it oughta be up soon)
-Dr. Billy Bobby Bob: Thanks for reading! I'm glad you like the suspense! I'm trying to make the less exciting parts as suspenseful as possible, so they're not too boring to read.
-Elendil Star-Lover: Thanks for trying out my FF. The One (the dude who killed them in the last book) was never eva explained (grrrr!) which is why I was so upset, that I was driven to writing Ani-fanfic!
-Brutal2003: glad you liked Chapter 5, and I'm totally sorry for making you wait for chapter 6. (bad me!) I also wanted to thank you for all the reviews that you gave me in all the other chapters, b/c they were super-appreciated!
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Disclaimer: if Animorphs belonged to me, then the series would still be running!
But it doesn't.
Pooh,.
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on the Blade ship:
"My patience is running thin sub-visser 15," I growled to the Hork Bajir Controller at the helm.
I was standing on the bridge of the Blade ship waiting to dock with the large alien craft. The bridge crew had located the single entrance to the ship, and had unsuccessfully tried to dock with the other ship for nearly an hour.
"With due respect Visser One, we are trying the best that we can," sub-visser 15 quickly replied. "But something on the other ship is making it impossible to create a magnetic lock."
Impossible to create a magnetic lock? That certainly was odd.
The Blade ship docked with other ships by extending a long tube, the docking terminal, and magnetically sealing it at the other end. The result was something like an airport terminal between the two ships.
Or it was supposed to be.
"Visser, I believe that the metals on the hull may be diamagnetic because the other ship is repelling our magnetic lock."
Repelling the magnetic lock?
I softly swore under my breath.
(Oh, poor Efflit. ) My host, Regan, crooned. (Doesn't look like you're going to get your dream ship after all.)
(Shut up Regan!) I retorted angrily.
"Did you try a pressure seal?" I asked sub-visser 15 wearily.
The Hork Bajir appeared startled. "Why didn't I think of that?" He asked in surprise.
"Because you're stupid." I replied dryly.
Sub-visser 15 issued a few orders and I felt the ship sway slightly as the docking terminal contacted the alien ship.
"Visser we have made contact with the alien vessel." Sub-visser 15 announced. "We are now pumping out the air in the docking terminal. This will reduce the pressure between our ship and the alien craft and create a pressure lock."
" I know how a pressure seal works," I snapped in exasperation. "Don't tell me what you're doing, only if its working!"
"Yes Visser, of course." The Hork Bajir replied quickly.
I drummed my human fingers impatiently on a console.
"Visser, we have successfully created a pressure seal to the alien ship," one of the bridge crew announced. "Docking is complete."
About time.
I nodded to sub-visser 15. "Tell Visser Two that his boarding party may proceed. Put his video unit on the main viewing screen."
I turned to stare at the main viewing screen where Visser Two's video unit was projecting. Through the eyes of the video unit, I could see everything that he could.
There were ten Controllers on screen. All humans. As the temperature readings we'd gotten from the other ship indicated that it was extremely cold, they were all dressed in thermal suits, complete with protective helmets and air packs. Each Controller carried a dracon beam, a flashlight, and a hand-held scanner. In addition, each of the boarding party had a video unit attached to their helmets and a helmet radio.
"Air packs on," Visser Two instructed his team. "Follow me."
The team entered the docking terminal and in a short minute, they'd reached the end of the hall and were staring at the smooth, undulating surface of the black alien vessel. The surface was flawless, polished like a giant marble counter-top, but oddly did not reflect. In fact, the surface was the dullest I'd ever seen, seeming to absorb all the light around it.
"You are sure there is that the ship entrance is located here?" I asked quietly over the radio link.
Visser Two, hearing my question through his helmet radio nodded. "A ship-wide scan of the outer hull located a small indention at this specific spot." Visser Two turned to one of the members of his team. "Yaban Three-Four-Four-Nine, prepare to blast."
Yaban Three-Four-Four-Nine, a gangly human with stringy brown hair approached the hidden doorway. In his gloved hands he carried three round metallic objects which he positioned in a triangular pattern onto the dull black surface of the alien ship.
"Thermal blast units in place, Visser Two," Yaban reported. "Particle shielding online. I am awaiting your orders."
"Blast." Visser Two commanded.
A sudden spray of frozen ice and jagged chunks of the dull black metal erupted from where Yaban had activated the blasting units. A large, elliptical hole was jaggedly etched into the black frame.
The Controllers, protected from the explosion by the particle shield, waited impassively for the rubble to settle.
When the debris from the blast had finally cleared, Visser Two turned to his team. "We have determined that this ship is abandoned, but do not be over-confident. This is still an unknown alien craft and we must remain alert."
Stooping lowly, Visser Two made his way through the newly carved entrance, careful to avoid its jagged edges. A rip in the Controller's thermal suit would ensure an immediate death as the icy cold leaked in and instantly froze its wearer.
I heard a stark clanging as Visser Two's booted foot landed onto the deck of the alien ship. The noise was repeated nine more times as the remainder of the party followed.
"Wow, this is amazing." Visser Two murmured over his radio unit.
The lighting in the ship was poor and the video unit was not returning a very good picture, but I even so, I could still just make out the gleaming outlines of the inside of the alien craft.
The Controllers were standing in the middle of a long corridor with tall arched ceilings. The hall was constructed of the same seamless metal as on the outer hull but it was toned of a deep red color, like onto the hue of red wine. The entire corridor was covered in a thick layer of ice, which intensified the colorings of the scarlet-washed walls. Here and there the weak, ambling light from one of the Controllers' flashlights winked off the crystalline surface of the ice, so that the effect was that the Controllers seemed encased in a giant ruby cage.
The sight was beautiful, beautiful but awe striking at the same time. Even Regan, my host, was (for once) at a loss for words.
Visser Two and his party moved further from the blasted entrance, and the video image became even poorer as it lost the light that spilled in from the docking terminal.
"Visser!" A startled voice called over the radio links. "Sir, I think you need to see this."
Visser Two moved to source of the voice. "Yes Omeria Seven-One-Five?"
Omeria, sub-visser 67, motioned with her fully helmeted human head, and Visser Two followed the direction of her gaze.
There was a collective gasp from the Controllers on the alien craft and from those watching the view-screen on the Blade Ship Bridge.
It was the green creature.
The creature that had appeared on the warning message just a few short hours ago.
The thing was dead, enshrouded in ice and perfectly whole, perfectly intact. It was like we were staring at a museum exhibit inside a glass casing.
"Look at his face," Omeria whispered.
The creature was foreign to me, I'd never encountered its like before, but even so I could read the expression of pure terror written into its facial features as clearly as I could feel my host's terror radiating beneath my palps.
Visser Two remained in front of the green creature, staring as if he were in a trance. Finally he shook himself. " I want everyone to split up into groups of five." Omeria you will lead one group." Omeria nodded. "Spread out and search the ship, but maintain radio contact. And be careful," he added, almost an after-thought.
The party split into two groups according to Visser Two's directive. Omeria's team headed down the left end of the hall and Visser Two's took the right.
"Sub-visser 15," I directed the Hork Bajir on the bridge. "I want to see both of their viewing units."
The Hork Bajir, performed a quick action on his console and the main viewing screen was subdivided into two sections: one video following Omeria's progress and the other tracking Visser Two's.
Omeria's team passed quietly down the left side of the frozen red hallway. The smooth walls were unbroken, but for the inconsistencies in the ice coverage. As the five Controllers turned a bend they were suddenly greeted by a large oval shaped room.
The space was largely empty but for an odd collection of cylindrical objects mounted in the center.
Omeria cautiously approached the objects. "Now what are these, I wonder?" She asked aloud.
"Should I scan them, sub-visser 67?" One of the other Controllers in her party questioned.
Omeria nodded, and the Controller moved to the nearest cylinder. It was tall, taller than the human Controller, and like everything else they'd seen, of the same deep wine color and layered with ice crystals.
"Sub-visser," the Controller reported. "I am picking up growing energy readings."
Energy readings?
From my position on the Blade Ship, I turned to the helm. "I thought that the Blade Ship found no energy readings," I said in confusion.
The Hork Bajir at the helm, sub-visser 15, returned my confounded gaze. "No sir, we did not pick up any energy readings." His frown deepened. "And we still don't."
"Sub-visser 67," I called to Omeria over the radio links. "The Blade Ship does not confirm your energy readings. Perhaps your equipment is faulty."
On the view screen, Omeria shook her head. "With all due respect Visser One, my scan matches, and the readings are the same as the rest of my team. We're all picking up an alternating current with maximum amplitude of 300 megaFreads, no 350 megaFreads."
"Visser Two," I radioed to the other team on the deserted alien craft. "Can you confirm Omeria's energy readings?"
Visser Two's party had wandered down the right side of the corridor and were now investigating a smaller oval shaped room akin to Omeria's.
"Visser One, I can confirm Omeria's energy readings. But I'm only reading 50 megaFreads." Visser Two replied over his radio link.
"We can't confirm that either," the Hork Bajir at the Blade Ship helm said wearily. "In fact, we can't even confirm that they're on the alien ship!"
I flashed sub-visser 15 a scathing look.
"I'm sorry Visser One," the Hork Bajir stated apologetically. "According to the Blade Ship computer there is no life on the alien vessel, including our Controllers."
Something was altering our readings then. Something on the alien craft.
I returned my attention to Omeria's group. "Visser One," Omeria addressed me over her radio link "we've reached 425 megaFreads and its still increasing. I --"
Omeria stopped short and gasped.
The oval room was suddenly filled with a blinding light, overpowering everything else.
"Oh my --" Omeria's voice started in shrill terror.
Then the video unit of Omeria's team suddenly blacked out and her radio link went dead.
And we were left with the echo of her cries, resounding in our minds.
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there, that's a semi-long chappie...
hope you enjoyed! (and that there wasn't too much info in this chapter!)
I've got the next chapter, written and rearing to go.. so that oughta be up in a short bit!
Anyways please review!
-was it too scientific? (no one got a headache reading it, did they?)
-did it move the plot, or was it too slow?
-did you catch all that at the beginning about the docking terminal and such? (If that was way too complicated, or too much of a waste of reading, I'll get rid of it!)
anyways... thanks much for reading!
DH