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Controller
Chapter Four
Orifix
Edriss was stable on my back. Tehlit had been right in saying she was not heavy at all. The alarms were sounding through a large spinning, gleaming red horn on the roof of the Sulp Niar pool building. And though it was pitch black aside from the light emitted from the horn and the windows in the building, the night was alive with Hork-Bajir-Controllers and another sort of creature that I had never before seen. This particular sort of creature was very big, almost cylindrical, and with rows of cone legs on the bottom. It was quite slow-moving, and it had four red eyes, actually below its red rimmed mouth! Fascinating. But also very unappealing.
Tehlit was ready to run. I was ready to run.
So run is exactly what we did.
" You're leading the way, Tehlit, and don't forget it!" I told him, " You're the only one who can bring us to this Me-Star base or whatever it's called."
" Mitar base, you silly Yeerk!" Edriss corrected me. " So let's hurry up and get there so I can get a new host!"
" I second that option," laughed Tehlit.
We ran faster. Before us lay a row of the Yeerk Homeworld's ridiculously short, long trees. And suddenly, something very strange happened...
Who are you? asked a Hork-Bajir out of nowhere.
" I'm Orifix!" I exclaimed, " Orifix One-One-Four-Four. You know, a Yeerk? Like you? Only good? Tehlit, there is a Controller of Sub-Visser Nine's behind us. Only... I can't seem to find where... exactly."
By the way, in case you are wondering how I came up with the One-One-Four- Four, it was quite simple: I simply used the first three letters of the word "Andalite". "A" is the first letter in the alphabet (strangely, the Galard alphabet and the human alphabet are the same), therefore "One". "N" is the fourteenth letter, therefore "One-Four". And "D", the fourth letter, would be translated into "Four". Making One-One-Four-Four.
Yeerks don't have last or multiple names. They only have first names. But there are so many Yeerks that they are given a number at the end of their name. The numbers don't necessarily go in order, though. It's just a way of telling them apart. So now, enough about Yeerk history! This invisible Hork-Bajir was beginning to scare me...
What are you? Get out! the Hork-Bajir yelled.
" I'm telling you, I have no clue what you're talking about!"
" Orifix, did you say something?" asked Tehlit.
" Are you okay? Why are you talking to yourself?" added Edriss.
Now, I was not only confused, but also dumbfounded.
" Okay, WHAT is going on here?" I exclaimed.
You're telling me! added the Hork-Bajir, Can't move! Where is bark?
I wondered for a moment, confused. And then, suddenly, it hit me: The Hork- Bajir wasn't behind me. It wasn't in front of me, either. It was nowhere.
This Hork-Bajir was my host.
My host was speaking to me!
And I soon realized I could speak back to it. Alone. In my head.
I could thought-speak to it.
I could thought-speak again!
Who are you? I asked my host.
I Oketo Mesch. answered my host. You capture little sister Vec!
Vec? I asked, Who's Vec?
Vec Hork-Bajir on your back. Oketo said. Then, he added regretfully: Vec blind. She never see since birth.
I understood. Vec was Edriss's host.
But why you here? asked Oketo, Why can't I move?
I explained to him the process of controlling another creature. I explained about Yeerks. About Edriss and Tehlit, and how we were stuck on a ship for months waiting to be placed into Andalites' heads to keep them controlled until we gave them to Vissers. A lie, of course. Edriss and Tehlit had done that, but not Orifix the Andalite.
I then told Oketo how deeply sorry I was that his sister got captured. I had to, see, because the same thing had happened to my sister. And I remembered how painful that was for me.
Don't hold it against Edriss, though, I told him. It was not her choice to take Vec. If she'd had a choice, I'm one hundred percent positive she would have picked another one. This being because Edriss yearns to see. For more than fifteen minutes, because that is the only time she's ever had.
In the corner of his mind, Oketo smiled at me.
From then on, I guess we sort of became friends. As good friends as a Yeerk and his host can be.
We approached a building now. It was quite large, having about ten storeys. And it was wide across, too. Painted in a vivid red. I could not read the words on the large sign above the main entrance, but I think Tehlit must have known them by heart.
" Mitar base!" he exclaimed in victory, " I knew we'd get here eventually! Now let's hurry up and get inside. Sub-Visser Nine's controllers can't be far."
" Yes, so open the door, Tehlit," said Edriss. " It's pouring down rain out here!"
" I'm on it," Tehlit assured her.
He ran to the main entrance under the sign saying clearly in the Yeerk language: Gosháv Mitar. Pressed the "Open" button.
In vain. The doors did not slide open. Tehlit pressed the button again. No! The doors would not open!
And to top it all, we suddenly heard voices behind us. Unfamiliar voices. Well, most of them, anyway...
I recognised three. And obviously, so did Edriss.
" It's Sub-Visser Nine!" she exclaimed angrily, " And Sub-Visser Thirty- Eight, too!"
" And Eidan," I added.
" Who gives a Gedd's behind about Eidan?!" yelled Edriss. " Tehlit! Tehlit, Sub-Visser Nine is coming, we must act quickly!"
Tehlit banged on the button. Then on the door. But it was no use. All the Yeerks in the building were probably sound asleep.
The mud on the ground squished under Tehlit's Hork-Bajir feet as he returned, defeated, to Edriss and I.
" You guys, it's no use." he said softly. " We have to hide. Sub-Visser Nine will be here any minute! He'll find us if we don't get out of here! And we--"
" Who is out there? This is Aliss Nine-Four-Six. What is the problem out there?"
We all turned around. Faced the doorway. There was a red light blinking over the door. It was a speaker! Someone had heard us!
Tehlit rushed back to the door. But before speaking he turned back to me.
" Orifix!" he said. Then he pointed at a couple of extremely large, red bushes on the side of the long building's smooth wall. " Take Edriss and hide in those bushes over there. And Orifix? If they catch me, don't come for me. I'll... I'll make it. You have to take care of Edriss. Stay with her at the base."
" But Tehlit--" I started to object.
" Promise me this!" Tehlit cut me off.
I stayed silent for a moment, not knowing what to think. What to feel. My two Yeerk friends had become important to me, without me even realizing it. And the thought of going through in this world without Tehlit was unbearable.
But on the other hand, a true friend knows his friends can count on him. And I wanted Tehlit to be able to trust me.
" I promise," I finally conceded.
" Thanks," he said.
Then for a moment, he smiled. I smiled back. And then, Tehlit's face became stone-hard again.
" Now go!" he said as I ran towards the bushes. " And Orifix?"
He paused, and smiled.
" Good luck."
" And you are in... What sort of peril?"
Edriss and I could, even at our present location within the bushes, hear that Tehlit had explained to the Yeerk on the speaker about our situation. And he or she seemed to be very confused...
" We are being chased, ma'am." Tehlit said, " By Sub-Visser Nine. He gave my friend a blind Hork-Bajir host, and though there are hundreds of hosts in the stocks, he refused to cooperate by giving her a new one. So we escaped, hoping to find another host for Edriss. But they think she will be a nuisance, that she is in a destructive state, and want to lock her up. We have returned to the base in order to hide out until Edriss gets a new host."
" Esplin? I cannot believe it." said the Yeerk on the speaker. " Esplin refuses to give an innocent Yeerk a seeing host?! I knew the power was going to his head..."
" Wait a minute..." said Tehlit, sounding confused. " You know Sub-Visser Nine?"
" Of course," replied the Yeerk in a happy tone, " He is my younger brother! My on-the-road-to-evil younger brother... But anyhow, you seem truthful. I will be down to open the doors in a few minutes. Please be patient."
- Clic. The speaker shut off. Tehlit sighed happily. He raised a finger toward us in a "one instant" gesture.
I smiled.
" What's going on, Orifix?" Edriss whispered, kneeled down a few inches from me.
" Tehlit received permission to enter the building," I said. " He signaled to us that it would only take a few more minutes."
" But is a few minutes--" started Edriss, before she was interrupted by loud voices a little ways off. " Orifix, listen!"
I listened. And, spreading the leaves of the bushes a bit, I also saw. And I immediately wished I didn't...
To my sheer horror, I saw about fifty Hork-Bajir-Controllers running this way at full speed. We would not make it inside the building in time!
" Tehlit!" I yelled, " LOOK OUT!!"
- TSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWW!!
Dracon Beams fired! And one of them was headed... straight for Tehlit!
" Dracon Beams!" Edriss shrieked. " Orifix, what are we gonna do?"
" I don't know, do you have any ideas?"
" We have to save Tehlit!" yelled Edriss, " I don't care if I get killed!"
With that, she ran blindly out of the bush. No! Not her too!
" There she is!" yelled a voice. " Catch her!"
It was Sub-Visser Nine! No!
What could I do? I couldn't think straight. My mind was in a state of ultimate panic and grief. I was about to lose the two friends I had in this new life, and I was powerless to do anything about it!
- TSEEEEEEEEWW! TSEEEEEEEEEEWW!!
" Aaaaaahhhhh!!" yelled Edriss.
She was hit!
" Edriss!" yelled Tehlit, " No! NO!"
I simply could not take this anymore. I found a rock on the ground. A big one. I easily picked it up with my two strong arms that wouldn't have been so strong should I still have been in my Andalite body.
And then, I ran at full speed out of the bush. I recognized Sub-Visser Nine quickly. He was easy to recognize with his green band wrapped diagonally around one shoulder, his chest, and coming back up to the shoulder.
I aimed at him. Yes, at Sub-Visser Nine. Threw the rock as hard as I could. And, well, if there's one thing I was able to keep from my Andalite self was my excellent aim.
The rock hit at dead center of the Sub-Visser's side of head.
He yelled in pain and slumped to the ground, unconscious.
" Almost as effective as a tail," I muttered to myself.
" Orifix, help!" yelled Edriss.
I snapped out of the reverie caused by my small victory and shot my eyes in front of me. Edriss was being dragged away unwillingly by two Hork-Bajir- Controllers.
" They've got me!" she yelled, " Let me go! Let me go, you idiots!"
As soon as she said that, the door to the base behind me opened and out came a taller Hork-Bajir-Controller.
" WHAT is going on on my base grounds?!" the Controller yelled.
Everybody immediately froze. Except Edriss. She screamed and wailed, kicking at spitting at her captors.
" Release me!" she yelled. " Orifix! Tehlit! These guys are crazy! Run away while you still can!"
But Tehlit was busy trying to get the taller Yeerk's attention.
" Ma'am!" he said, " Stop them, please!"
" There are Sub-Vissers here." the Yeerk said, " I'll do my best, but I doubt they will listen."
Suddenly, Sub-Visser Nine rose to his feet. He looked at me in black anger. Straight at me. And then he turned to his servants.
" Bring the female to the ship!" he said. Then he turned to me. " That foolish child assaulted me! Get him!"
And then, in front of my own eyes, Hork-Bajir-Controllers ran at me, their Dracon Beams pointed. I was absolutely terrified.
Yet, they would not win. I would make sure of it.
" Tehlit!" I called, " Get inside the base. Save yourself! At least one of us will be safe. They won't win as long as we're not all captive! Now go."
" I will get you out of there, Orifix!" he promised me. I saw a tear roll down his Hork-Bajir cheek. I guess Hork-Bajir can cry. " Take care of Edriss for me..."
He put on a brave smile. So did I.
And so, I watched as he and the tall Hork-Bajir hurried into the base and shut the door. And I turned back towards Edriss. She had been knocked unconscious by one of her captors. There was no saving her now.
Or me, either.
All I could do was wait until they caught me. Until they dragged me to a life of imprisonment.
So I stood there, defenseless, as the Hork-Bajir-Controllers grabbed me by the arms. I walked willingly to the ship with them. They were awed at my behavior. I liked that.
I was okay with all this. Because I knew I could trust Tehlit. I knew that he would make sure that one day, someday, Edriss and I would see the light of day again. Both of us.
And I also knew it would be a hard and painful journey for all of us. Edriss. Tehlit. Even Sub-Visser Nine would have a hard time with us, especially Edriss. The Yeerk in charge of the base.
They all would be involved in this. In this extremely long trial that was now my life. And I was also involved, of course.
And you know what? I was ready. The Andalite that I was could accept this new life. As long as I had my friends, I could go through anything. The Andalite in me was ready for any challenge that I'd face. I was more determined than ever.
And slowly, I realized that the Yeerk part of me was determined, too.
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