Chapter 8

"Absolutely, Sub Visser. The artefact was retrieved at twenty-one hundred hours, Earth, GTM time. Yes, Sub Visser. Just let me inform the rest of the crew. Of course. I would be…delighted."

Five hours later, and we had finally stumbled across some relatively useful information. The four of us were in insect morph, cramped together in a dark corner of what Sam had informed us was the Primary Reconnaissance Office. I don't know how she knew that, whether she managed to read a sign - perhaps she is better at interpreting the eyesight of her wasp morph better than the rest of us. The room appeared to be your standard marine style radio-telecommunications office, among one of the upper decks. As far as my wasp eyesight could see, we were in the corner of a medium sized room, filled with twenty or so computer terminals, lined up against three of the four walls. Monitors, speakers, radios, microphones, headsets - all your basic equipment lay about the room. Being a wasp gave me a completely new take on the environment - with my compound eyes, I could actually see the infra-red beams connecting some of the electronic equipment. At many of the computer terminals sat a member of the crew - mostly low ranking but with a few more distinguished looking officers here and then. Of course, it was highly unlikely the ranking here had anything to do with the British Navy system - we had long accepted that the vast majority of crew were Controllers.

--Sounds interesting,-- commented Ferdie, listening to the young officer to whom we'd been listening to for the last couple of minutes. He was talking into his headset - talking, obviously, to a high ranking Yeerk - whilst studying what looked like a blurry photograph on his screen. He seemed to be trembling, from what I could make out, and his voice was shaky. Was he nervous, or exciting, or both? We soon found out. The Controller stood up and addressed the crew.

"Listen up everyone," he said. He had a typical commanding British accent. His stance was that of an important commander, but with a strange, arrogant sneering swagger which was most unusual. Most alien.

"The artefact, having been retrieved from the ocean floor an hour ago, is soon to be studied by this very department. I shall receive more detailed information in the briefing but I can tell you now - this is an exciting step for our race! A very exciting step indeed." He pointed at a picture of something on his screen, and the rest of the crew turned round and gazed at it.

"For if this artefact is what we think it is - and we are more that certain it is - it is something that we have been trying to get hold of for a long time - since the beginning of the war with the Andalites. Technology denied from us for such a long time. Technology that could be one step closer to helping us retrieve the Escafil Device - and one step closer for our great leader, Visser Three, to openly declare war on this wretched planet!"

--My god…-- muttered Maggie.

--They're really up on their motivational speeches, aren't they?-- said Sam.

--Told you it would be worth it, Sam,-- said Ferdie brightly.

--I'm not sure I want to hear anymore!-- moaned Maggie. --It sounds pretty terrifying!--

--Let's stick it out,-- I encouraged. --We're learning loads more than I imagined. This could give us a real lead when we start fighting back against these guys.--

I thought back to what we'd heard over the last few hours. At first, we'd got hold of very little - partly because we kept getting lost in utility cupboards and partly because we seemed to run into lowly crewmen who just grumbled about being bored. It was difficult to tell whether they were Controllers, or not. But the more we spied, the more we heard. And the more we heard, the more we'd learnt.

--They've definitely found something under the ocean, that's for sure,-- said Sam. --And from the way they talk about it, it's got to be Andalite. Certainly not human, and no way it would be Yeerk, if they're kicking up such a fight. I reckon they've come across the remains of an Andalite ship!--

--A ship, on earth?-- gushed Ferdie. --How exciting! Maybe then the human race will wake up to the fact that we're being infested by aliens!--

--Ferdie!-- I snapped. --God, for once would you get your brain in gear before you open your mouth? We don't know that this is a ship at all!--

--That Yeerk just said they're one step closer to getting the power to morph, though,-- said Maggie. --It's got to be something big.--

--Not if they're a thousand steps from getting the technology,-- muttered Sam, who was probably still fuming from not getting her own way about leaving the ship.

I sighed. Clearly the Yeerks were excited about something, or else they wouldn't have commandeered a Naval ship to hoist up the remains of something from the bottom of the ocean. The problem was, we had no idea, other than wild guesstimates, what it might be. And we'd learnt from experience that the Yeerks tended to make a big deal out of the slightest little discovery.

--Did Eramas say anything about an Andalite ship crashing into earth?-- I asked.

--He said that the resistance were given the power to morph by a renegade Andalite,-- replied Ferdie.

--Yeah, and that's all we know,-- said Sam. --Unless you know anything else, Maggie?--

We'd rescued Maggie from the hands of the Yeerks after escaping back to earth ourselves, with the help of the Andalite Eramas. But Maggie had spent some time in the captivity of the Skrit-Na before being captured by the Yeerks. She'd also later been given the morphing power by Eramas - seconds before he died.

--Aye, now I think about it,-- said Maggie, --he did say something useful. He was jabbering on about everything - most of which I had no idea what he was on about. But he said they'd had a report that there'd been a final battle just above the Earth's orbit, between the Yeerks and an Andalite. I can't remember which Yeerk it was - it was one of the Vissers, though. And I don't recall the name of the Andalite either, but I get the impression he was pretty important. Prince something or other. He was killed on Earth by this Yeerk Visser, not that long ago. A huge blow for the Andalites. Maybe, before they landed on Earth, the Yeerks damaged the Andalite's ship, causing a piece of it to fall to earth?--

--And now the Navy's discovered it, and the Yeerks are infesting anyone who knows anything about it, and taken over their ship?-- I suggested.

--Obviously, they can't let the human race know about it,-- said Maggie.

--What about this thing for all-out war?-- asked Sam. --Eramas told us Vissers Five and Three were planning for all-out war, but they were being held back by the top dog, Visser One?--

--I guess now they think they might have the means to take charge,-- said Ferdie, buzzing his little gossamer wings in anticipation.

--At least this gives us an indication of how far out to sea we are. The itinerary said the ship was scheduled to carry out some task two thousand miles out - I expect this is it,-- Maggie said.

--Nearly half way across then,-- said Sam. --Saves us flying, at least.--

--Thought you wanted to get off this ship,-- I said.

--Yea, well…-- muttered Sam, but was interrupted by Maggie.

--Guys - that Controller's leaving!-- she hissed. --His briefing!--

--Let's follow him,-- said Sam, powering her own wings into action.

--Oh, yes,-- drooled Ferdie. --Hello, Sam the Wonder Woman!--

Sam laughed, as she buzzed down parallel to the walls, keeping her eyes fixed on the Controller's head. --Or Wonder Wasp, as the case may be.--