The Waiver (16)
We traveled quickly from dome to dome in the vast underground world of creatures we knew as the "Blue." In the dark tunnels, our only light source came from our escort's many light-pods and the greenish-yellow sunlight filtering through the evenly spaced holes in the planet's surface. At this point, we had all demorphed, save Marco who was in Gorilla form if the need arose for a bit of violence.
The tunnel we were in shunted leftward into a massive underground dome, larger than any we had walked through yet. Even if I estimated it's size with my usual measurement of "school buses and football fields"... well, it would one bus-packed field day. The roof of this area was so far away, I couldn't make out the blue light that was significantly placed at the top of every dome.
I expected more walking ahead, probably ending at some regal throne or palace. More to my surprise when we were stopped at a large metal panel or hatch in the ground, flanked by two guards carrying something similar to Dracon Beam weapons. One of them waved his arms slowly up and down, like a giant tired butterfly, while the other stopped down to open the hatch. I tried to ignore the strange rituals and habits of an alien species and climbed through the hatch, the second guard content to stand there flapping away.
In a flurry of lights from one of our escorts, Mederash's translator chattered off a string of Galard. "He says it's a greeting and a warning to evil things that may have attached itself to you. The local Tunnel-Lord is highly germ sensitive."
Glad the silence was broken, but still wary of unnecessary conversation, I asked, "How deep are we now, Menderash?"
Menderash hummed and hawed for a bit as we trudged down the stairs and dumped out into a large corridor. "About one hundred, English system, Earth yards, Sir."
Tobias laughed in thought speak, ((Wow and I thought Ax was too detail oriented. Now they're English system yards?))
"I am only trying to be specific so there are no misunderstandings." Menderash miffed. "I would hate for, say, our ship to be crashed into a planet or anything of that nature."
Anxious to change the subject, I stopped walking for a moment. The others, trained soldiers and veterans alike, obediently halted and gathered alongside me. The escorts bumped into each other in their haste to turn around and ask what the hold up was. The translator spouted out monotonous Galard, only a few words of which I were able to pick up as meaning, pretty much "what's the hold up?"
But since crash landing….and waking up from my concussion, we hadn't had a moment to summarize the situation and set-up some sort of game-plan.
I yanked the translator from Menderash and muttered. "Gafrash. Klinefor cliff-def." Which I think meant "Attention. Time needed." in the mush-mouth language. But I couldn't be too sure. I aimed the translator towards the Blue, giving them full view of the blips of light emitting from the grill. The escorts stopped flashing their pod-lights and waited patiently, so I guess my Galard was close enough to make my point.
Menderash gave me a look of discontent. "You have an Earthling accent, you know."
"We prefer to be called Terrans, now." Santorelli chirped up, happy to be part of the conversation.
I shook my head, ending the banter. "Menderash, I know I won't understand the specifics, but can you tell me how desperate our situation is?"
"It depends on our constraints for time. If the materials are few here and we have several Earth years to spare…" he trailed off giving a pointed look at Tobias, "then I see no urgency. We are hoping however that the 'Blue' inhabitants here will be technologically advanced enough to have some simple gears and materials pre-fabricated. Which should diminish our landside time, Sir."
Jeanne half-raised her hand. "I am an Avionics Structural Repairer. Perhaps my limited i Earth /i expertise could be of helping for you, Menderash?" she smiled in his direction.
"Perhaps." He allowed, with a nod for Jeanne's accomplishments.
"Okay, that's enough, let's go." I gestured unnecessarily to the others as they filed in behind me. The escorts flashed off a snatch of conversation that the Translator didn't catch and we were on our way again.
As we trooped along, the dark soil and rock walls gave way to tiny multi-colored glowing tiles. We silently kept our various limbs from touching these tiles, with an unspoken group fear of radiation. But now the aliens were well illuminated, apparently the only light that didn't confuse their method of communication was radioactive lights. Unless these tiles were some sort of phosphorous. Of course the Translator's efficiently was only at a point where it could translate common terms like "And, The, if, or" and "is". The most complicated noun it could read was "cup" or "door". There was no way I could ask the aliens anything scientific at this point.
Under the disturbing glow, I saw our escorts clearly. Flat top heads, glowing communication pods… four legs connected at super-sized hips.
"Holy crap."
I turned, surprised to hear that from Cassie and couldn't help but laugh childishly at her cursing. "What's up?" I asked.
"They're Helmacrons!"
Well that wasn't funny. Not funny at all.
"What's a Helmacron?" Jeanne asked.
((I happen to hate Helmacrons. Almost more than Yeerks.)) Marco offered, helpfully.
"A bit of an exaggeration. See, Helmacrons are a very small species who are highly developed in space travel, weaponry and genetic manipulation." Cassie explained.
((Plus they're freakin' annoying.)) added Marco, raising one Gorilla fist.
"We had some run-ins with Helmacrons in the past and while everything turned out okay, nothing was gained from any interaction with them." I said neutrally. "Besides, these guys aren't really Helmacrons. They look similar, sure, but you could just as easily call me a chimp."
Marco, predictably, thought spoke, ((You're a chimp.))
I raised an eyebrow at the fact that a Gorilla was telling me this, knowing the irony was not lost on my best friend.
"I can't believe you're being so laid-back about this, Jake." Cassie was walking close and raised up to whisper in my ear.
"Well, I've never been shrunk to the size of a pea and forced into Helmacron servitude." I repressed a smile, imagining a miniature Cassie, bowing down to tiny aliens in a toy-like spaceship. Of course at the time the situation seemed more dire, but I could laugh about it. As a matter of fact, I found it easy to laugh about a lot of things now.
I "discretely" allowed Cassie and I to fall back in the group, although when you're in charge nothing you do is so unnoticeable to your subordinates. So Santorelli tossed a grin over his shoulder and Marco thought speak "chuckled", but I ignored them both.
I threw an arm around Cassie's shoulder and felt hers wrap around my waist. Whispering into her ear, "We'll be fine" with a quick peck on the cheek. When I felt her spine relax under my hand, I let go and sidled back to the front, right behind the ambassadors.
Everything about this mission was personal. Make a deal with a leader of this planet for supplies. Search the galaxy for an old comrade. Secretly pilot a ship into restricted space. It was a nice vacation, as for once the entire human race wasn't at stake. No. This was protection of an endangered species. The highly dangerous and hunted Animorph.
How many more systems would we pass through, planets would we land on, aliens would we encounter… it didn't matter. We would find Ax. Because he would find us.
But first, our ship needed a tune-up.
Finally, the green tiled corridor ended with a steep downhill slope, guarded by another pair of gun-slinging guards. There was a flurry of arm-waving and light flashing, then downhill we continued. The walls pressed in tighter, squeezing our team into single-file. I became more nervous the further down we traveled in this fashion. A single-file line is more difficult to defend and to a veteran mind this had the makings of an ambush.
"Does it occur to anyone else that we might be able to send out a scout to gain information on their aeronautical storage and just steal it?" Santorelli stage-whispered. Apparently, I wasn't the only one with an imagination.
"Nothing doing. We don't know when we'll run into these guys in the future," I replied.
Wouldn't want to give Humans and Andalites a bad rep if the Blue are peaceful, Tobias clarified.
"Plus I want to know who shot at our ship. But that's not a bad idea, Santorelli." I continued, not wanting to discourage him from putting in his thoughts.
Finally we entered a room that was somewhat how I envisioned for the past hour of walking. Glittering green tiles lined the walls, various ancient and decorative weapons were displayed on the wall, made entirely of the green rock with handles woven from the golden grasses of the planet's surface.
The center of the room featured a pit. No stairs or elevator to the bottom, although I probably could have climbed down if I wanted to. The bottom of the pit was only ten feet down from where I was standing. In the center of the pit floor, however, was a brilliantly bright glowing chair or throne. A very large Blue adorned with green jewelry sat on the throne, cushioned by woven grass. He held a large green pipe which he occasionally pressed to his chest, only to have smoke seep from pores all over his body as he exhaled.
"Amazing physiology!" Menderash gasped, fumbling for one of the many devices in his overly-pouched jacket. "They breathe through their pores? No lungs! I- This would explain the germophobia and superbly clean air, Sir. I would need to extract DNA to report on the capabilities of their immune system, however."
I waved him away from the edge of the pit and he sadly put away his scanner, still visibly excited at the prospects of a closer look.
Immune system?" Tobias looked to Menderash. "Might these green things have anything to do with that? I mean, if they're radioactive and the TL is down here all the time, would that make him more sensitive to germs?
In a very human moment, Menderash shrugged. "I'm a Pilot and Botanist. Geneticist isn't my secondary profession. More of a hobby." At Tobias's sudden wing preening, he amended, "It seems feasible, however, that slight radiation over a long period of time would diminish his immune system."
Tobias calmed and stopped picking at his wings in embarrassment, resettling his perch on Marco's massive arm. To me it seemed that he had become close to the Nothlit Andalite while onboard. It was obvious that Tobias thought highly of Menderash's assessments.
It was then that the Tunnel-Lord decided to put on a fantastic lightshow, beams and flashes emitted from the pods on his arms, legs and torso, light blasting from out of his Throne-Pit up into the room above.
The translator worked furiously. "Galahash. Guardex tringin, sengtaur ba! Inkvit padew genek…."
"Well, I got 'welcome' and 'who' and that's about it, Menderash." I drawled.
Menderash cleared his throat and attempted to catch up with the still chattering translator.
"He or she says: 'Welcome those who come from the Dark Sea! You brighten our tunnels and our innards with the glorious light of-"
I sighed and rubbed my nose, fending off an oncoming super-headache. "Menderash, can you just give me the important stuff?"
"But sir? How will I know what is important? I couldn't possibly know what my prince will deem-"
"Just use your better judgment. I trust you, you're my Executive Officer."
Menderash's human body swelled with pride, a gesture of body language common between both Andalites and Humans. "I was unaware that I still held my former… That is to say, yes Captain."
The translator finally stopped spouting all the eloquencies, pleasantries and general butt-kissing-ecies of the Tunnel-Lord.
"Odd, Sir. He asks if we are in this part of the galaxy chasing or being chased."
"Tell him… tell him that we are not exchanging any information until we have verified that he is not the one who fired on us."
Menderash hesitated, "I can't do that."
I made a 'go on' gesture and Menderash apparently understood human gestures enough to continue. "You must speak simply, Captain. This is a captured Skit Na Translator. While it is more versatile in the types and dialects of language, it is wholly inaccurate when compared to an Andalite Language Translator which is guided by thoughtspeak. Which we all know is far more accurate than simple Galard-"
"Okay understood." I interrupted. "Tell him that we are chasing. And we will help him chase if he helps us." I figured if I only used words I heard from the translator, it would be understood by the basic program.
Menderash whispered Galard into the machine, aimed the lamp-grill and pressed a button.
Lights flared again from the giant Helmacron-esque body of the Tunnel-Lord, "The Red of the Grass-Land war with the Blue of the Tunnels. Give to stop the Red. What we give you."
"My engineer… uh, friend go where you have metals…um, Dark Sea ship pieces. You give him what he wants."
"We have no Dark Sea Ships! We are not powerful as the great aliens who… Sorry, Captain." Menderash sighed and waited for the TL's pleasantries to expire. "Ah, he says they do have tunneling machines. And if you tunnel through space perhaps those can help you." He looked at me over his shoulder. "I'd have to look at these machines first, but it is a start."
"Agreed. Tell him we need a base. A place to plan. To sleep, certainly. We need… I don't know, maps, intelligence."
Intelligence being our primary concern… Marco thought-muttered.
We were escorted again, this time with a different pair of guards. These were bejeweled with the green artifacts and held themselves higher, walked slower, than our previous ambassadors.
Finally in a hole of our own, we were given planet-boring grub delicacies and offered comfortable, possibly-radioactive, beds. Obviously these rooms were set aside for the TL's personal guests. After much tinkering of the translator and haggling with our guards, we managed to get across that while we were grateful, we'd prefer more Spartan settings. The guards were appalled but eventually complied. After kicking out some Blue who looked to be soldiers, we settled into their barren living space.
It wasn't too long before visitors sent by the TL came along.
Between Menderash, the Skrit-Na Translator and I, we managed to decipher Light into Galard into English.
Painting a terrible picture of just what happened on this planet, who the Blue were… and why we should never help them.
REVIEWER'S RESPONSE:
LJstagflower4e: (14,13,12)Cassie's your favorite character? And you're admitting it? Well, first step to solving a problem, I suppose… As for the "what is the matter with Cassie" question, that comes in a couple of chapters. It's the "B" story. Main focus is on Jake, the Ship and this planet. I really AM sorry that it took me so long to continue this. I mean, 2 years, right? But I swear the circumstances were not under my control. Thanks for reviewing!
Freak Apple: That's why I put Cassie on top. Less pressure on her delicates. Heh. "Delicates."
Julie: "the best fan-fic EVER!" Okay, I'm printing out your review and mounting it on my freakin' wall. There's not much else I can respond to your beaming review except, hey, thanks for the ego-boost!
Alikat:(14)-You forgot you were following along with my fic? That's okay, I usually check my stories reviewed stats after logging in to keep track of what I've reviewed and read in the past. So I sympathize.
Oedipal Kat: Possessed? Nah. No Atafal Ixcila either (like Aldrea ) Keep guessing!
Clear Candles: Ugh (I know my statement may alienate from some readers, however…) You went over to Harry Potter section! Never to return to Animorphs! I fell like a separated parent who was just told his kid chose to stay at her mothers!
RASPBERRY GIRL (who gets her name in capitals)- You have no idea how much I loved writing that temporary chapter. If only I wasn't bound by the unofficial ghostwriter rules… I even deleted the original file! But that was the first smut scene I have ever written and the first chapter I ever thought was actually good. So if anyone kept a copy of that chapter for, erm, "personal reasons" I'd love to have it back. Maybe to temporarily post it again. (sneaking past the rating system, of course)
Lovelyinsanity: It's a running joke, actually. I change my avatars and online pics once a month to confuse people as my gender and nationality. One day it's a Chinese girl, the next an American man. I always switch pronouns between male and female. I also claim to be Gay, straight or xenon-sexual. I'm only pointing trying to point out that it doesn't matter. Any person could have written this, I'll never be famous and I don't date online. So there's no reason for anyone to need to know my gender, nationality or species. Sorry I confused you and thanks for reading!
SarcasmSage: With a name like that I was expecting a review far more scathing! Thanks for being merciful oh sarcastic sage! And I'm glad that I gave you your J/C fix to go along with the coffee and sugar. Care for a cigarette? LOL Hope to see you in the next chapter and be more critical if you review again! EARN that name.
Vamp: Here's hoping I describe said "cool, alien race" appropriately so it's not just a gaggle of descriptive various body parts thrown into a blender.
Dracos-Wife: More J/C is in production. Don't worry, plenty of angst to go before The One enters.
Animorph19: Yes, she IS starting to act like Rachel, hmmm. Wonder if I did that on purpose? Maaaaayyyybbeeee… Any who thanks for reading and I'm truly sorry I took so long. Bad Early.
Elwing: Aw man, why didn't you log in to review! When people log in to review, I get to check out THEIR stories too! No fair. And I believe the most reviewed fic was One Least Likely by Augustine Quill. But if we're doing Review-to-chapter ratio, I think I'm at 6 Reviews Per Chapter and his is 5.5 RPC.
Goddess of darkness3: Another Cassie fan? You guys are more numerous than I anticipated. Guess I can't kill her off, then, huh? Damn. Thanks for reading and I hope you aren't disappointed with this chappy. I submitted this without the aid of a Beta to draw attention. I'm hoping that if Beta's see I am active, they will come (eerie music plays)
Thank you all and no bitching if the next chapter takes too long, first I have to finish it, then I have to submit it to a willing and able Beta.
Well actually, first I have to smoke and drink, THEN I have to write it and…