A/N: Well, I'm on a very mild writer's block for V3D, and I decided it was about time I released another CF one-shot. Then, THIS idea popped into my head! This story is a collection of four one-shots, telling the story of Closet Fan in four different parts of their relationship. This first one tells of their first meeting after Visser One leaves Earth to be promoted. What was their relationship like before her promotion, and how did it change because of it? Find out in this first one-shot. Enjoy and don't forget to review!
Borders of Heaven and Hell
"First Meeting"
"In the desert of my dreams I saw you there
And I'm walking towards the water steaming body cold and bare
But your words cut loose the fire and you left my soul to bleed
And the pain that's in your truth's deceiving me, has got me scared"
-- Sarah McLachlan
---
Visser One, at the time Sub-Visser Four-Hundred-NineI was sitting in a boat. Just a small, motorized boat, in the middle of the very lake where my human host loved to be. Soon, in merely moments, the ship would come. The Blade ship which would take me away from this place I'd come to loathe. And when that happened, this boat would tip, and this human, Eva, with a husband and son, and a family and friends, would never be heard of again by the people of Earth. Her body would never be found.
I know it sounds cruel to you. But, as Yeerks, sometimes cruelty is necessary. We do what we have to do, no matter what the cost.
( You don't have to do this! ) Eva screamed in my head, crying and yearning for her family which was already lost. ( You do this because you're a hateful, loathesome creature. You take away my family so you don't have to put up with the fact that you don't have one anymore! )
And even though I didn't show it, her remarks stung. It was true. I'd once had a family, though not anymore. The male Yeerk which I'd come to call my mate, Essam Two-Nine-Three, and I had committed a great crime. We'd procreated, had twin children, and not as ourselves but in human hosts. There were now two abnormally intelligent human children in this world who carried genetics from not two but four parents. Procreating in general wasn't something that was looked upon very highly in the Yeerk society.
Yeerks aren't supposed to fall in love.
Yeerks aren't supposed to see their children.
Yeerks once weren't supposed to see… at all.
You see, we Yeerks are in fact just small gray slugs. We live in large aquatic spaces on our home planet called Yeerk pools, where we feed and grow. In our natural state we are completely blind. Practically deaf. We have a good sense of smell, though… but what is there to smell, really?
Over time our species evolved, and we learned a new ability, with its own pros and cons: we realized we could, through the ear canal, enter the brain of another creature, wrap ourselves around it, and take complete control of that creature. When you are controlled by a Yeerk, you can't do anything on your own. Anything. You just sit around in the back of your head while the Yeerk lives your life, betrays your friends, enslaves your family…
You see? Pros and cons. At least you can still see, hear and feel. Not that that will help you very much when your Yeerk gets you into a perilous, painful situation…
I snapped back out of my thoughts as I heard something from up above. The wind very suddenly changed directions. I looked up from the boat. There was an abnormal wave in the air. I smiled, relieved, for I knew it was the ship, coming to rescue me from my beloved Essam's graveyard, this planet of utmost tragedy.
The hologram started to disappear, but only on the bottom, to reveal the hatch by which I would enter. I signaled to the ship, happy as I never was. Through the joy though I still heard Eva's incessant wails.
( Please! Please, I beg of you, let me say goodbye! Please let me say goodbye to my son! ) she screamed.
I ignored her. And yet something about her worried me… Her body felt different, somehow. Weaker. Could it be Eva was becoming physically ill because of the trauma of losing her family?
I certainly hoped not. In that case, I would need to enslave a different, healthy host for the time being. Thing is, there were no other hosts to enslave. Unless whichever Visser who operated this Blade ship was carrying extra hosts… The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in bed with a sick, traumatized host.
Believe me, I've been through trauma before. It isn't exactly fun.
" Sub-Visser Four-Hundred-Nine!" I head a rough, low voice call.
My head jerked up. I saw a head and shoulders poking out through the under hatch. It was a standard Hork-Bajir-Controller.
" Yes?" I replied loudly.
The Yeerk pressed a button which was out of my line of vision. Soon after, the hatch widened, and a long, thick metal pole with a horizontal platform at the very end protruded out of the hatch and started descending towards the boat I stood in.
The Controller proceeded to giving me instructions.
" Grab on to the pole and stand on the metal platform," he said. " It will pull you up and into the ship."
I nodded up to him as the strange mechanism reached the floor of the boat. I quickly climbed on (Eva cried harder), almost instantly feeling the pull of gravity as the ship's mechanism pulled me up with it.
I sighed in relief. I was leaving this place at last.
---
As soon as I got up inside the ship, Eva's tragic screams giving me a serious headache, I thanked the Hork-Bajir-Controller for taking me aboard the ship.
" You're very welcome, Sub-Visser," the Controller said, smiling. He held out a hand, which I shook. " I am Iniss Two-Two-Six of the Ket Minar pool, personal assistant of Visser Three. Welcome back."
" Thank you, Iniss," I said. " I'm Edriss Five-Six-Two of the Sulp Niar pool."
He smiled again and started walking down the long corridor we were standing in. I followed him.
" Sulp Niar, huh?" he asked. " I was located there for two weeks after my home pool was destroyed."
" I'm sorry," I said with genuine regret. " My best friend is also from Ket Minar. He was located with us too, though for more than two weeks."
Iniss nodded, then suddenly stopped and looked at me. " Is everything alright, Sub-Visser? You seem quite pale."
My eyes widened as I held a frail hand to my face. He was right, I could already feel my face burning up.
" Eum…" I started hesitantly. " The Visser wouldn't happen to be in possession of extra hosts? I'm afraid this one is becoming ill."
Iniss smiled knowingly. " Of course! We have a wide selection of the four regular types of hosts in the pool room."
I stopped walking. " Four?"
" Of course. Humans as well. Oh! … You're wondering why I'm still in Hork-Bajir form. Well… seems Hork-Bajir are a wee bit stronger than humans… I usually lift the Visser's desk over my shoulders with this host. Yesterday I tried to do it in a human host… The desk fell on top of me and broke both my legs. And so, here I am."
I smiled. He turned and indicated a room three doors down on our right.
" Those are the Visser's private quarters," he said. " As soon as you have your replacement host, could you go report your presence to him?"
" Yes, of course," I replied.
" Alright, well…" he pointed in the opposite direction, " the pool room is that way. We'd better get going."
I nodded. And then, we turned around and walked away. Eva silenced herself just a bit, evidently glad I'd decided to be a good Yeerk and leave her alone with her sorrow for a little while…
---
I walked, in my new, healthy human host, to the room which Iniss told me was Visser Three's shipboard residence. I stopped in front of the door and knocked.
I had chosen another female human host for my temporary replacement, that is until Eva was relieved of her annoying sickness. This host had black hair and eyes and reminded me very much of Allison Kim, the host I had used when I was with Essam.
This host's name was Isabel Jameson. She was younger than Eva and even younger than me myself. She had dreams of marrying her high school sweetheart, whom she met in eleventh grade and hadn't seen in five years. Her dreams had, of course, been crushed since she became a replacement host, which didn't stop her from being angry and screaming. She was practically worse than Eva!
So anyway, my huge headache still not gone, I knocked with an unfamiliar hand on the door. Little did I know that that simple action would change my life forever…
( Enter! ) I heard an annoyed voice inside my head.
Confused and wondering about the strange voice, I pressed the "open" button, letting the door slide open. I walked in and it closed swiftly behind me.
" Hello?" I said hesitantly. " Visser Three?"
I stepped into the room and saw, beyond the doorframe, an Andalite – an Andalite-Controller, the only one in all the universe – shuffling frustratedly through quite a large pile of paperwork. He lifted his stalk eyes to see who it was bothering him in his work, and when he saw me he stopped working to raise his entire head up. All four of his eyes were on me now.
… Which made me quite nervous. Considering that I was but a lowly Sub-Visser, in the presence of the third most high-ranking Visser in the Empire.
( … Yes? ) Visser Three asked.
" Pardon me Visser," I blurted. " I… I did not mean to interrupt, I --"
He smiled a tired smile. ( Don't worry about it. ) His smile faded again. ( But if I may ask, what brings a female such as yourself down here in my quarters? )
" Well," I replied. " I am Sub-Visser Four-Hundred-Nine. I have discovered a potential Class-Five species and have begun their infestation on the planet's surface."
His eyes widened. ( Well, it's very nice to meet you, great discoverer. )
" And you," I said. Then, my nervousness of meeting a high-ranking Visser eased, I tried to make conversation. " Quite a nice ship you have here. Have you had it for long? It looks almost new."
( You have good caretakers to thank for that, I'm afraid. ) He chuckled a little. ( I've had this ship ever since I became Visser Three. Was almost a year ago. )
I laughed. " That isn't that long. I haven't seen the home world in more than two years now!"
He smirked. ( Well, in any case, I shall give you a quick tour of the ship. Coming? )
" Of course, Visser," I said, following him out into the hall.
---
I didn't tell him about my promotion. I didn't feel the need to. The truth is, I thought he already new. Just a few days ago had I received the message from the Council of Thirteen: I was to leave Earth and return to the home planet, in order to be promoted to Visser One. Visser One. Me. My lifelong dream was being realized. At last, I, Edriss Five-Six-Two of the Sulp Niar pool, would have the entire Yeerk military under my command.
Perhaps, once I was Visser One, the Visser and I would get to see each other much more often. Maybe we could even become friends. That would be wonderful, since evidently we had very much in common. Even now, we got along wonderfully. I had a hard time believing all the things the other Yeerks on Earth now said about him: They told of how bitter, cruel, angry Visser Three was. But I kept looking, and found none of that in him.
Maybe he was just having a very good day.
Or maybe they were all wrong.
I was allowed an entire escorted tour of Visser Three's Blade ship. It really was a fascinating ship. The walls were of colored metals, almost indestructible. The outer coat, as I had seen upon my arrival, was of a beautiful midnight black. There were too many rooms to count.
But most comforting, was that now, I needn't put on any human act. I could be myself.
I was home.
When we returned to Visser Three's chambers after having finished my tour, we were surprised to find Iniss waiting there. He smiled at me.
" Sub-Visser," he said. " We're waiting for you on the bridge. It's time to receive your promotion."
Visser Three's eyes widened.
( A promotion? ) he asked. ( Well, good for you! I'll come with you to see it. )
I smiled genuinely. I had no idea… I had no idea of how drastically this simple promotion would change things between us. So I just smiled, happy that he would be there to witness my greatest moment.
We walked side by side, the three of us – Visser Three, Iniss and I -- to the bridge.
Upon arrival we noticed that there was, in the center of the room, a huge hologram containing thirteen Hork-Bajir-Controllers in beautiful, flowing red garbs. The Council of Thirteen. They themselves would hand me my entire future covered in a few spoken words.
I nodded to them. They acknowledged me in turn. I struggled to contain this flow of emotions I was feeling. Me, Visser One. At last. At long last.
" Welcome, Edriss Five-Six-Two." A member of the Council, perhaps the Emperor himself, perhaps not, stood up to greet me.
" Thank you, Council Member," I said softly, feeling completely unworthy.
" Edriss Five-Six-Two," he continued proudly. " You have performed invaluable services to this Empire by finding and starting infestation of the only known Class Five species to date. You are to be greatly rewarded for your efforts."
He paused. I looked at Visser Three and Iniss, and they both looked back encouragingly.
" I, Garoff One-Six-Eight of the Council of Thirteen," he said finally, " hereby appoint you to the rank of Visser One."
Just hearing those words. Oh! It was amazing. I practically broke down in tears and fainted and smiled all at once. But of course, my strictly controlled self could only allow the latter.
" Thank you, Council Members, thank you!" I exclaimed, a huge smile lighting up my face. " I will not let you down, you can count on that!"
" We will be reaching you for further explanation of your next mission, Visser," Garoff said. " In the meantime, enjoy your promotion."
And with that, the hologram disappeared.
I turned back to rejoice with the others. Iniss was smiling almost as much as I was.
" Visser One!" he exclaimed. " Visser One, wow! I have never seen a Yeerk rise so many ranks at once. And a female, on top of that! You must be so proud."
I laughed happily. " You'd better believe it!"
Then, I looked back at Visser Three. And I was appalled to see that his reaction was nothing I had expected…
He just looked at me angrily. His eyes… There was no longer that calmness, that niceness he previously had. Now, his eyes were nothing but jealousy. And hate.
And, as he turned and stormed out of the room without saying a word, I knew that this friendship was over before it even had time to begin.
I was Visser One, leader of the Yeerk invasion of Earth, and of many other invasions yet to come. I stood alone at the very top of the military hierarchy at long last.
And because of his jealousy for my newfound rank, I had lost my potential friend.
And there's your first one-shot, describing their first meeting. Not at all the same as now, was it? Well, I hope you enjoyed, and please review to tell me what you thought of it. No flames, please. I worked hard on this. :P
