Chapter 7
I heard some hoof steps and turned round. Eramas the Andalite was trotting back over to us. The others looked up.
--I have managed to hack into the Skrit-Na data base,-- announced the Andalite. --It appears that the ship has suffered serious damaged caused by Yeerk Bug Fighters. However, most of this damaged was caused to the master Zero Space engines and the hull, rather than the transportation levels or the escape hatches.--
I tried to make sense of this new information, and, remember past conversations, so I asked the Andalite,
"So, your saying, this ship is unstable, but we can still escape? Before these, what do you call them…Yeerks capture us?"
--Yes,-- said the Andalite. --I must brief you on the Yeerk situation and what you can do when I am sure that these modules are functional. But first, I need you to recognise your home planet of a list of recent co-ordinates so that the modules can return you to your planet.-- He motioned us to follow him to one of the screens of the wall.
--Primitive,-- he muttered. --No thought-speak connections of any kind.--
Eramas bought up a list of combinations of strange figures and symbols. He played around with the computer for a bit, and the symbols suddenly translated into standard English letters and numbers.
"Isn't it useful how all aliens can speak English?" Ferdie asked no'one. "You'd at least have thought they'd speak French."
"How do you know all aliens speak English, Flawless?" said Philip. "You've only met two."
--Which of these co-ordinates is your home planet?-- asked the Andalite, pointing to the lists of seemingly random digits. I blinked.
"I have absolutely no idea," I said. "I didn't even realise our planet had co-ordinates. We just know it as 'Earth'."
--They don't teach you the most basic of intergalactic geography in your Academy?-- asked Eramas, clearly taken aback.
"Well they teach us the names of the planets in our solar system," said Asha. "And stars and that, if you take that class. But not all this mumbo-jumbo."
The Andalite thought for a moment. --If you can tell me some basic information about your planet, I should be able to select your planet from the list by a process of elimination. This list contains all co-ordinates reached within the past thirty-six hours by all Skrit-Na vessels in this sector of the galaxy. One of them must match your planet.--
"I see," I said. "The vessel that abducted us should have recorded its destination, and you can find it on that list?"
--That is correct. These letters stand for different pieces of information about the planets. This part of the co-ordinate here--- he pointed to the third quarter of a co-ordinate, --tells you how advanced the life forms of the planet are. And these numbers tell you how many other planets in their solar system. A rather odd way of categorising planets – no mathematical basis at all – but the Skrit-Na have different priorities to most species in the galaxy. I know a little about Erath from our records, but not enough to distinguish it from this comprehensive list. Now, if you could tell me some facts about your planet, it should help me work out which is yours.--
We started spilling out a series of random facts about our planet. Some basic, like Asha's "it's got blue water and blue sky", to Philip's comprehensive analysis of the Earth's geographical structures and mineral content. I gave my share of fundamental information, like the population of Earth was around six billion, and that humanity had engaged in two world wide wars in the last centaury. Ferdie was barking out useless facts like he'd swallowed a text book.
"Ninety-five million miles from the sun," said. "The chief gases are nitrogen and oxygen – 78 and 21"
The Andalite was furiously tapping away, eliminating co-ordinates. --Narrows it down,-- he kept telling us. --Narrows it down.-- Slowly but surely, the list became shorter and shorter, until, after about fifteen minutes, the Andalite suddenly cried, quite out of character,
--I've got it!--
"Eureka." Ferdie said dryly.
--Co-ordinate Beta-1911-Raskilin Level-78367294.--
"What on Earth does that mean?" asked Asha. "I mean, what on the Skrit-Na ship does that mean?" She laughed at her little joke and tossed her long black hair.
--The co-ordinates tell us: one sun, nine planets, one habitable planet with one moon. Rasklin Level is the level of your species' intelligence and technological advancement. I do not know what the last eight digits mean.--
"Is Rasklin Level good or bad?" I asked.
--Rasklin was the name of the individual know discovered the first of this level – a race known as the Olbartar. They were a race obsessed with religion and cult.--
"We're the same category as a race of Bible-belters. Great," muttered Asha.
"Excuse me," said Philip, "but I'm what you call a Bible belter. So how do you think that makes me feel?"
"Do I look as if I care?" She was clearly getting fed up.
"Guys, please!" I said, exasperated. "We're not going to get anywhere if we start bickering like this.
The others shut up. "Ok," said Philip. His eyes met the aliens'. "What do we have to do to get back to earth? And what this situation with the Yeerks?"
Eramas stiffened for a second, and then relaxed. --We don't have much time. I hacked into the Skirt-Na communications switchboard whilst I was searching for co-ordinates. I found evidence that suggest that the Yeerks know that you are humans who have the morphing power.--
"Who are the Yeerks?" I asked.
--The Yeerks are a race of parasites,-- said Eramas. --In their normal states, they have no useful bodies or senses. They are like small, grey slugs – blind and deaf. Yeerks live by taking the body of another useful creature and enslaving them.--
"My God!" gasped Asha. "And they're coming after humans? Is that right?"
--Yes. The Yeerks have already enslaved many species throughout the galaxy – the Hork-Bajir, the Taxxons, the Gedds. Now they are turning to humans. There are far more Yeerks than there are host bodies. Only the most important Yeerks are given hosts. But with a planet such as yours, containing billions of potential hosts, the Yeerks are beginning to infest in much larger numbers.--
"How to they control us?" asked Philip.
--The Yeerks enter the host body through the ear canal. They release a chemical from their body that dulls the pain. Their bodies stretch out, pushing other organs and bones aside as they slide deeper and deeper towards the brain. When the Yeerks reach the brain, they flatten their bodies and sink into the many crevices in the organ. They latch onto neurones. They read the brain like a computer screen. They gain complete and utter control of the host – moving its' limbs, speaking through its mouth or by thought-speak. Eating for it, performing necessary bodily functions for it. Complete, total control.--
I felt sick. A race of parasites, invading earth. "And what about the host body? Are they aware of what is happening to them?"
--Completely. This is one of the true horrors of the Yeerk invasion. The host body is constantly aware of what is going on, but they are unable to do anything about it. They cannot call for help. They cannot move their own arms, legs or tail. They can only watch as the Yeerk uses their bodies to enslave and infest their friends and family.--
Ferdie swore softly. "Evil. Pure evil," he said.
Eramas started fiddling around with the controls some more. --We have very little time. I shall tell you what you need to know, and then I shall have to send you on your way.--
"You're not coming with us?" I asked.
--I have my orders to remain on this ship.-- He hesitated. --When you are back on earth, it will be very difficult to distinguish between who is a Controller – someone controlled by a Yeerk, and who is not. The Controllers act just like the host would. Anyone could be a Controller. We estimate that around five percept of your planet is infested, although this figure seems to be increasing.--
"Five percent?" I was appalled. "But that's one in every twenty people!"
--The Yeerks do have some weaknesses, however. They must leave their host bodies every three days to feed on what are called Kandrona rays – rays of nutrition that imitate their own sun. They feed on these rays in complexes called Yeerk Pools. These are tanks and lakes of various sizes in which the Yeerks swim in their natural state to soak up the rays. If a Yeerk is denied its' Kandrona rays, a painful and lengthy death will follow.
--There is something you must know about the Yeerk military hierarchy. The Yeerk in charge of the invasion of earth is known as Visser Three. He is a ruthless character, and will stop at nothing to engage in all-out war on earth. He is held back by Visser One – the most powerful Yeerk short of the Council itself. Visser one ensures that the invasion of earth remains quiet and inconspicuous.--
"A back door entry," Philip nodded.
--Visser Three is also famous for another reason. He is the only Controller to have infested an Andalite body. He alone has the power to morph. He is an abomination.
--Another controller you may meet is Visser Five. We do not know much about Visser Five, other than he has a Hork-Bajir host. He has been newly promoted from Sub-Visser Eighteen.--
"What's he got to do with us?" I asked.
--Visser Five answers directly to Visser Three. He is in charge of the operation to retrieve the morphing technology. He learnt that, early today, a newer model of the Escafil Device – the cube one must touch to attain the morphing technology – had been stolen by the Skrit-Na. This cube is an recent update of the original version – it gives the individual the power to morph more quickly, and to include in their morphs various types of artificial skin, and the ammunition sashes that we Andalites wear. The Skirt-Na are a species famous for their obsessive hoarding and collecting of both alien technology and bodies and have been after this particular technology for years. It was this race that abducted you humans and, unsuccessfully, tried to test the Escafil Device out on you all. The Yeerks heard that a device was in the hands of the Skirt-Na, and launched a fleet of Bug Fighter ships, and, under command of Visser Five, to steal the cube. They want the cube not for it's value, however, but as a weapon.
--Luckily, my ship was on a simple reconnaissance mission is this part of the galaxy. We received new orders from the High Command who had intercepted Yeerk communications. We were to highjack the Skrit-Na transporter, remove any Yeerks present, and recover the morphing cube. It has so far been successful – the only problem is that Visser Five has learnt that there are humans on board with the morphing power. He will stop at nothing to capture and infest you.--
