Chapter 14

The three of us immediately started to morph. I focused on the musk-ox, it's DNA floating around inside me. I felt the changes begin as I pictured the powerful animal in my head. Although I had several other animals to choose from - wolf and wolverine in particular, I settled on the ox. It would be a risk, I was well aware of that. It was a large and bulky animal, which wouldn't be useful for the narrow corridors below deck. But I thought we'd need some firepower - and apart from maybe a rhino, there's nothing like an ox to tear through a couple of doors. And I felt that it was long overdue for one of my risks to pay off.

"That really is disturbing," said Ferdie. He was going lynx.

"What?" I asked.

"Your horns," he said. My horns were the first parts to appear. They shot out of my forehead, sharp and curved like the Andalite's tail blade. My skull split open, unable to support the horns in human shape. My eyes became blurry and were forced apart, sliding round my head and giving me an increased line of vision. My nose became wet and huge, darkening and moistening. I could soon pick up a huge array of smells aboard the ship - scents from Maggie and Ferdie, scents from the Controllers, other animals far beneath us in the water, or birds in the sky, and the smell of the salt from the sea. My ears grow outwards and upwards, increasing my sense of hearing. Fur sprouted from my body. It grew thick and matted, covering my entire body, almost touching the ground. The muscles of the ox started layering themselves on top of my own - pounds and pounds of pure strength. My shoulders bulked upwards, forcing me into a hunch. My arms and legs thickened, the joints changing direction. I looked down at my hands and feet. Fingers and toes were fusing together, melting into each other like hot wax, only to replaced by a hard, nail-like keratin substance that formed into the ox's hooves. Finally, I felt the animal's mind surface beneath my own - another feature of morphing. You don't just take on the animal's form, you get its mind and instincts as well. Sometimes, they can be useful. Sometimes, they can become overpowering. I concentrated on keeping the ox's mind at bay - enough to prevent it's skittish nature ruling my actions, but not so much as to loose interpretation of the different sounds and smells around me. To my left, Ferdie and Maggie were completing the last of their changes. Ferdie was almost lynx. He growled as he tested out his new claws. Maggie was fully wolf - her black fur barely visible in the moonlight.

--Right,-- I said, squeezing out from the now even more cramped space behind the lifeboats. --Maggie, you keep watch for any Controllers. Your senses are the most acute. Ferdie, you get behind me, back up Maggie, and be ready to attack. I'll be ready to take down anything that gets in my way. But saying that, try not to draw attention to yourselves until we have to.--

--Which way are we going in?-- said Maggie.

--Same way as before. They'll probably have moved her, but we'll just have to do our best.--

--They might not have caught her,-- said Ferdie. --She could have stayed as wasp and remained unseen.--

--Can't imagine Sam wanting to become trapped as wasp, though,-- said Maggie.

--Like anyone would?-- I snapped.

--I can,-- said Ferdie. --She'd be the first to sacrifice her human body to save others.--

We crept down into the heart of the ship, remaining unseen. For the first few minutes, at least. We'd barely gone down the second stairwell when Ferdie, with his super-sharp cat hearing, heard the sound of humans behind us.

--Guys - Controllers!-- he hissed.

--Try and get out of sight!-- I said. --I know there's not exactly anywhere to go, but try and remain unseen just a little longer!--

Ferdie pounced in front of me, jumping up to the ceiling, hidden up among and supported by the pipework. I couldn't jump, obviously. I lowered my horns and ploughed into a doorway. Unluckily, it was made of metal, and I felt the shockwaves reverberate through my body. Luckily, it was ajar, and I ended up falling straight through into the room behind it.

"Fugitives!"

So much for remaining out of sight. I was in a large room - nothing compared to the huge warehouse in which we'd left Sam - but large enough to hold several Controllers and half a dozen computer terminals quite comfortably. Five of them were staring at me, their eyes wide. One - the guys who'd shouted - looked at me with a manic expression. He immediately put his hand to his belt, ready to pull out a holster. I snorted and waved my head, almost impaling a terrified looking seaman. Another Controller grabbed him and held the guy back.

"No - don't shoot it!" he barked. "You heard the Sub-Visser - he wants them alive!"

He shoved past the Controller and made his way to the drawer of a desk.

"Of course," he said, "you don't need to kill them to render them immovable."

--I'd stop telling me your plans, then, Yeerk,-- I said, awkwardly moving my huge bulk between him and the desk. --Ferdie? Maggie?-- I called in private thought-speak.

--Philip!-- said Maggie.

--I need you to guard the corridor, Mags!-- I said. --What's Ferdie doing?--

--He's making his way further along the hall - no one's seen him yet, but I think some of your guys have seen me!--

--Well, I'm going to take them out - you be my back-up.--

I turned my attention back into the Controllers in front of me.

--Time to rock and roll,-- I said to myself, reliving the thrill of battle.