Animorphs: The Rendezvous
This is the forth and final of four stories following a group of morph capable humans on the run from Visser Five. Led by Sam, they must travel to America to seek out the Animorphs to aid the fight against the Yeerks. This final story is by Maggie.
Introduction
Hiya, my name's Maggie. Maggie Shepherd. I guess that's not the most interesting way to begin my story, but it's probably the most fitting. I suppose it doesn't sound like much, right? Those words could probably have come from anyone. I wouldn't say they really make me stand out. They make me seem like the most average girl in existence. And by just looking at me, you would probably assume I was pretty much run-of-the-mill too. If you met me in the street, you would probably assume there was nothing extraordinary about me whatsoever. If you stopped to chat to me, you might find out that I'm fifteen, I have one older brother and I come from Scotland. You would probably notice I have dark hair that is more ginger than it is brown. I have large green eyes, pale skin and you might secretly think to yourself that I should maybe try and loose a bit of weight. Makes me seem even more average, doesn't it? Like there's nothing special about me whatsoever. Well, maybe that's true and maybe it's not. You'll just have to decide for yourself as you read my story.
But I can tell you now, that description of me, that little bio you read just then that took me less than a minute to write, that is by no means average to the Yeerks. That little passage which sets me apart from maybe one percent of the human race is of utmost interest to the Yeerks, and to them, it certainly sets me apart. Unfortunately, it is in their hands. The Yeerks know everything about me, and now that description could get me killed, or worse. You see, the Yeerk race is searching for me and three of my friends, ever since we escaped from their custody, and they will do anything to get us back. They are so desperate to find us that they have an entire army of Yeerks, led by Visser Five, to track us down. He's pretty keen on finding us. A few days ago, he proved this by showing he was willing to blow up an entire British navy ship, and, more importantly, a piece of advanced Andalite technology, to ensure that we fell into his hands, and not those of his opponent Visser One. Luckily for us, though, his plan didn't quite work out, and we managed to escape. We've managed to escape from him quite a few times, as a matter of fact. But that's another story, one that maybe my friend Philip would care to tell you. So. Where was I? Ah, yes. The Yeerks know exactly who we are, and where we live. But they don't know where we are now, or what we plan to do next.
I'm sure you all know the story of the Yeerks. The whole taking over the world, infesting our brains thing? If you don't then I can't see how you managed to read this far, as you wouldn't have had any idea what I've been going on about for the last paragraph. So if you don't know, I suggest you go and ask Jake. Or maybe Sam. Yeah, ask Sam, as we haven't actually met Jake yet. But, since you're still reading, I'm assuming you know about the Yeerks. And if you know about the Yeerks, you'll know about the Andalites and the war between them and the Yeerks. That's all very well, but I guess you're still asking one question. How did I come into the equation? Well, I have left something out of my description. Something that will certainly set me apart from all but a tiny handful of the human race. The morphing power. I have it. Along with a small group of humans in America - the guys who are stuck in the middle of the Andalite-Yeerk war and are Earth's only resistance against the Yeerks, and the same guys were are trying to find. They, myself and three of my friends are the only humans who possess this power. Those guys, plus Samantha, Philip, Ferdie and I. The power to morph - change - into any animal we touch.
It's an amazing power, absolutely incredible. It gives us the ability to do things no other human has ever been able to do. You ever imagine what it would be like to soar above the sky as a bird? I've done it. It's as amazing as you might think. Or swimming through the ocean as powerful, deadly sharks? Yup, done that too. Morphing it amazing, but it does have it's dangers. We can't stay in morph for over two hours at a time, or we become trapped, fixed in that shape forever. I've not seen it happen to any of us yet, and I sure hope I never well. Morphing - a double-edged sword with both powers and dangers, but a great sword none the less. It's not a magical power by any means. It's a technology. A fascinating new technology invented by the Andalites, centuries ahead of human technology and another thing that the Yeerks are trying to get their hands on. The Yeerks know that my friends and I have this power - another reason why they want to get their hands on us. The power was given to us by a renegade Andalite, Eramas-Corion-Jarvis. Five of us humans, the four I have already mentioned plus a girl called Ashima, had been abducted by a race know as the Skrit-Na. I have no idea why we were abducted, or what aliens were doing buzzing around the mountains, but it certainly changed our lives, and not so that we could ring up the tabloids and demand two hundred pounds to tell our story. We discovered that alien life really did exist. That there were hundreds of sentient species out there, that humans just don't know about. We found out about the Yeerks, the Andalites, and many other races of alien. The Skirt-Na ship, the one where we were being held on, was raided by Yeerks who had discovered that they were in possession of the Escafil Device - the device used to transfer the morphing power to an individual. A battle broke out between the Yeerks and a small band of Andalites, led by Eramas, who had picked up on the Yeerk's intentions. Somehow, Sam, Philip and his brother Ferdie, and Ashima were rescued by Eramas and given the morphing power to help them escape. With the help of Eramas, they arrived back on earth and went on to begin a mission to find the small band of human resistors who Eramas had told them about. For me, however, things went rather differently.
I had woken up aboard the spaceship alone. Whilst I'd heard the others had woken up together, and had been rescued as a group of four, I had been separated from the others and found myself alone. I'd heard the story from the others, how they'd been given the morphing power by an Andalite then sent back to earth in an escape pod. I'd also been given the morphing power by that same Andalite, but I'd not had the chance to acquire anything before I was taken by the Yeerks. Long story cut short: I was not infested there and then - I'm not entirely sure why but I assume it's because they were aboard an alien craft and so did not have any host-free Yeerks to infest me. Also, I guess that Visser Five, their Visser, would liked to have infested me himself. In any case, I had been transported back down to Earth ready for a little dip in the Yeerk Pool, via, of course, catching the Fugitives who they'd happened to trace. There'd been a fight. I'd been freed by Sam and given a beetle to acquire. I'd escaped, along with Sam, Philip and Ferdie. But Ashima had been killed. She'd given her life so that Sam and I could escape. It's something I've not been able to mention to the group. The other three all got to know her and work with her, but I barely had a chance to speak to her. Maybe if I was the type of girl who understood feelings and death and all that, I'd talk to Sam about it. But I can't. Whether it's guilt, feeling like it was my fault she was killed, or shame, I can't mention it. But I'll always be grateful for her sacrifice.