Notes:
--None. ^^;;
Chapter 10
Ankulei-Shloroun-Dristhfill
By Aura Kage
Once, I remember, I had seen a small insect flying around on another planet. It was unbelievably small – twenty of them could have perched easily on a strand of my fur, and I would have never noticed. Still, it was visible…and I watched it idly as it was wildly tossed about in the custody of a passing breeze. Its minuscule legs and wings flailed uselessly, and finally it careened relentlessly into a rock, where it was smashed into an almost nonexistent pool of skin and innards.
That's what I felt when we – Cassie and I – were dropped abruptly from the realm of the Ellimist, as if we were falling through an endless array of glowing stars and galaxies. The grass that I had involuntarily absorbed earlier twirled around in my stomach, and an immense nausea greater than that I received from hybrid-morphing swept over me like a tidal wave of sickness.
And then, just as I felt that I couldn't take the tossing any longer, it stopped. I crashed to the ground, seemingly from thin air, my stalk-eyes filming over in a thin sheen of damp soil. I blinked them furiously, trying to clear them, and even as I did I heard the girl Cassie land behind me with a slight grunt of the impact against her furless skin.
Again, I pitied her, poor human that she was.
Slowly, I slid my forelegs underneath me and shoved up into a sitting position, brushing off my arms from the dirt that had accumulated upon them and gently caressing my stalk-eyes with the tips of my fingers, clearing them of the film.
My main eyes, meanwhile, immediately noticed two things, both of which frightened me immensely.
The first was that the Ellimist had dropped us in some sort of underground area, and if I reached up with my hands I could easily press my fingers against the roof. Andalites are, unfortunately, grazing beings and susceptible to claustrophobia, fear of enclosed spaces; I felt my whole body grow rigid, my breathing become hoarse and strained as if the air were somehow thicker. The Andalite version of stress management.
There is sufficient space, I chanted to myself, trying to calm down my nerves and feeling embarrassed that a tight space was enough to make me hallucinate. There is sufficient air.
The second thing I noticed before me, that I didn't even see until perhaps a minute had passed from my determined chanting, was that there was some sort of creature before me – brown-furred, so it was hardly distinguishable from the earth all around. Its dark beady eyes – two of them – that gazed right through me. Its most obvious weapon were the claws growing from the end of its arms that reached down easily to the its thick, muscled ankles – just concealed behind those wicked spurs were strong fingers that hung curled in a fist. The species reminded me vaguely of a rodent.
"Aagraah!" the mole-creature grunt-screamed, lifting a claw and pointing it at me. The length of the appendage was so large that the point nearly stabbed me in the stomach, though the creature was quite some distance away. "Aagraah!"
I backed away a step and felt Cassie get to her feet, quickened by the sound of the harsh grunts.
"Oh my god," she murmured as her eyes adjusted to the relative darkness in the tunnel, only very dimly lit by glowing stones studded into the sides of the walls like radioactive crystals. "What…?"
"Aagraah!" the creature screamed again, this time taking another step forward and brandishing the other claw threateningly.
I lifted up my arms and held them before me, signaling I meant no harm, and prayed that the translator chip implanted into my head would make sense of what this creature was saying. But for some reason, the chip would not do what it was created to do – I heard a murmur of static on my head, and realized that it might have been distorted or damaged somewhat by the time-and-space warp that the Ellimist had so thoughtfully allowed us to endure.
Peace! I said soothingly into the creature's mind, knowing that it would understand even as I didn't know its words. Thought-speak knew not the bounds of language. We mean no harm! I cannot understand you.
The creature again shrieked – the same sound that it had said three times before. I wondered whether its species had yet encountered evolution, but my theory of their primitive ways was quickly banished as I spotted a brightly glowing computer console behind it.
"Aagraah!" the creature repeated savagely, but now its words were accompanied by a forward dash.
Its speed was incredible! So fluidly powerful, so very feline! I had a moment to admire before I realized belatedly that the creature was attacking me, and with the trained speed of someone that was needed and precious to the rise of technology and therefore could not be killed, I sidestepped and slammed the flat of my tail blade against the side of the creature's head.
Excellent, Ankulei, I thought to myself proudly, as the creature toppled to the ground, its claws burying with shocking easiness into the ground. You did well…
And then I felt the fixed hum of the translator chip correctly functioning, and beginning to easily translate the word that it had witnessed four times.
Then – and only then – did I feel the pain that lanced up my entire side. I stared in surprise as a two-inch-deep lash that stretched from my torso's waist to the end of my hindquarters began to slit open, spilling body fluids onto the ground.
Cassie screamed again, an almost inarticulate word: "Demorph!"
Demorph? But I was already in my body!
My mind was racing; the morphs I had acquired were unreachable through my frantic state.
I did the only thing I could think of doing, the one last-defense single-time trick that Fradulan had told me only to use in emergencies – just as I buckled to the ground in the throes of my injury, I flicked my tail blade out to the unconscious form and acquired it.
Ebony dimmed my vision; I quickly tried to focus on the creature, on its rodent-like features and massive claws, again paying no attention to how the image came and allowing the DNA to flow and take control.
Moments later, I was on the ground of the tunnel, my claws dipping through the soil as easily as if it were mist and I was merely reaching through it. I trembled and braced myself for the onslaught of instincts, but felt nothing except perhaps a strong will behind my mind.
"Are you alright?" Cassie asked frantically, touching my loricate back with her fingers. I almost felt like laughing. Impossible that I had once envied those pitiful human arms – as I struggled to my feet, trying not to plow up the dirt on the ground, I felt the awesome strength of these new arms, the acute sides of my new claws. I swiped one through the air experimentally – so easy, so sharp. I felt as if I was cutting open the air itself.
And I felt so at home amongst the tunnels that I had disliked as an Andalite. I stepped forward, felt my muscles coil in my legs, and flexed my dexterous non-bladed fingers, moving them along the foreign "keyboard" of the computer console. They were so sensitive! I twitched my semi-long muzzle and caught whiffs of smells that I had missed entirely as an Andalite – the moisture of the soil all around me, the supple, solid scent of Cassie, more of this species moving through a nearby tunnel. My ears perceived every sound, vibrated as they caught each one, as if the sounds emitted a bit of force when they were made.
I was nearly blind…but oh, how I could see! I knew everything that was happening the mere instant it transpired. I walked closer, towards the keyboard, and now saw the significance of the brightly glowing foreign lettering – I was unable to see colors and make the slightest distinction from one thing and another with my poor vision. But the light…I could see that. The silhouettes of figures covering the light made it easy to read.
"Um…Anku? Ankulei? Are you alright?"
I attempted to speak, but all that issued from my mouth was a harsh murmur. I remembered the word that the mole-creature had screamed, and tried to recall what the chip had said it was. I was not paying attention.
My single heart stopped beating as soon as I remembered.
"Anku?" Cassie asked again. "Are you over the morph?"
Cassie! I cried out incredulously in thought-speak. Cassie!
"What's wrong?" Cassie demanded, confused.
The word that the mole-creature referred me to – it means – he said…he called me Kelbrid!
I was bewildered. I was more than bewildered. How could the mole-creature have called me a Kelbrid? That revealed at least that they were not Kelbrid…but if they were not, then who was?
My left ear perked and trembled violently as I caught the noise of someone coming down the corridor-tunnel. I quickly moved my claw and gestured at the unconscious creature, careful to keep in control of the movement.
Quick! Acquire it!
"Why?"
Someone is coming!
She kneeled down by the creature and seemed to hesitate. But only for a moment – she pressed her fingers against the damp, hairy hide and I felt her concentrate on the image of the creature.
Hurry! I urged, scenting that he was growing closer. She nodded, frowning slightly, and began to morph. I realized my mistake as soon as I realized the clarity of the senses of my morph, and heard Cassie's transfiguration. The noise of her insides contorting, the fur growing on her skin, was so loud it seemed as if someone had placed an amplification device to them and then embedded it into my brain. Surely if it was that loud to me, the others would be able to hear it as well!
"What is going on here?" he demanded as soon as he stomped down the hall, looking back and forth between the two of his kind now before him. He didn't seem to sense the unconscious one on the floor, which was a good thing. "Slahara, you are to be working the computer!"
His words were strangely, perfectly comprehensible to my ears, and even as I thought the words I wished to speak my mouth spoke them, in the weird grunting tone of this species.
"I apologize!" I replied sincerely, hoping that he would not notice that Cassie was of the same scent as I. "I was distracted."
He seemed to accept this explanation, and glanced at the computer, his body signs speaking of thoughtfulness.
"Well, do not do it again," he grunted finally, tapping the computer gently with the back of his hand. "Gorun sent me down to tell you to tap into the Kelbrid harddrive and see if they have any information about a set of humans. They were found and subdued earlier, and sent to Track 12, Sector 16-A."
He seemed to find this bit of information particularly disturbing, so I shuddered and hoped that this was proper response.
"That is awful," I replied.
"Yes," he agreed with a shudder himself. He glanced at the morphed Cassie behind me. "Who are you?"
"She is…a temporary assistant," I explained haltingly. "Yes…I have been encountering trouble with the computer – I think the last hack that transpired prior to this moment somehow transferred a virus onto the harddrive."
He narrowed his eyes and grunted repetitively, and I was struck with fear at the awful noise – but then realized that it was chuckling.
"Heheheh. I love your Kelbrid impersonations," he snickered. "You sound just like them, with all of their confusing terms and words. Well, get going."
"Of course."
He walked away, swaggering oddly. As soon as I could no longer hear him, I turned to Cassie, who was looking, much to my surprise, immensely sickened.
I just acquired a sentient creature, she said, as if accusing me.
I know, I agreed, confused. I turned back to the keyboard and worked at figuring out the symbols, reclining my surprisingly skillful claws back so they wouldn't smash against the keyboard. Is there a problem?
We should have asked.
I don't understand.
Sentient creatures…you should ask. I mean…they live, they think. Just like us. We should just…it's right to ask.
When we could not understand, and when we could not take a response? I replied, staring fixedly at the keyboard and allowing the translator chip to do its work. I had a very advanced version, an advantage to being decol – it could decipher text and numbers as easily as spoken speech. I changed the subject, as I felt that the current topic was making Cassie uncomfortable. I believe hacking into the Kelbrid harddrive would be a good idea. Do you agree?
I began typing on the keyboard, marveling at how far this species had come. Humans had still not advanced to this technology! And yet these creatures lived far beyond the caress of sun, underground. Strange. But not as strange as humans.
Behind me I still mentally felt Cassie fuming at me, so I attempted to evaporate her ill nature. It would not be good if we were not amiable and had to work on the same assignment…mission…quest…whatever.
I am sorry that it had to happen.
No response.
Cassie, I believe that we should at least be on friendly terms. Later, I promise that we will attempt to make it up to this species.
Mmmm, Cassie said, the emotions in that wordless sound incomprehensible.
We stood silently as I continued to make myself familiar to the computer, and learned information about this species via their stored databases. They called themselves the Gyuren, and had once lived on the surface. But then a large asteroid had struck their planet, sending its rotation off. In fact, the planet no longer rotated at all – it merely stayed in its orbit, drifting nearer and closer to its sun, which was a bi-system of two stars rotating about each other. The planet was caught by both forces of gravity and spun in an awkward and unreliable figure eight in Earth's Arabic number formations, but apparently there was a precise era when the planet was either unnaturally attracted to both stars – causing a season labeled the Gyuren word "Fire" – and unnaturally repelled, causing a season labeled "Ice." Between both was an interval of "Neutral," a balanced time.
Most of the earliest population had been killed when immense cold and immense heat swept repetitively over the planet. Finally, during the period of Neutrality, the Gyuren had managed to make a small underground town just when the time of Flame came, and when Neutrality came again they did not wish to come out from their dens to experience the time of Ice.
So they continued living underground. The roots of plants that grew above the earth, plants that could somehow stand the immense temperatures, provided food. Groundwater pooled constantly from glaciers created during Ice that melted during Flame. Rocks that were mined from deep underground provided light, and as I read further, I realized that the rocks must have been radioactive, supporting their evolution from land-dweller to…underland-dweller. They were not primitive, but not advanced either. Computers were commonly owned, but of course the most high-tech belonged to those of high rank – just like other cultures, where the highest on the hierarchy received the best. Apparently, their civilizations spread almost throughout the planet, unhindered by any opponent race.
Truly a remarkable species.
I took careful notice of the next temperature period to hit the planet, and what temperature it was currently – Neutral. We had been lucky, though I must admit now that I did not believe in the theory of "luck." We could perhaps survey the aboveground environment, if it was safe, to take better assessment of our surroundings, exactly where we were. Most likely the Kelbrid and Aximili were on the surface as well…though I could not think of a device that could evade the warmth of a sun or cold of a non-sun. It was logical that they would not go underground, where these powerful Gyuren took den, and seemed to dislike the Kelbrid very greatly.
I took note of the times of the seasons and the current time, and then proceeded to hack into the Kelbrid harddrive – no hard task, even to an Andalite with my somewhat stunted caliber of technological knowledge.
I'm in, I told Cassie. I am now searching for data that relates to five humans.
Five? That could probably be Jake and the others.
Most certainly it will be, I agreed, my four fingers deftly pressing against the keys. I scrolled through the directories and memory, which were strangely filled with almost-empty files. Individually they made sense, but together I could find no connection between them.
I was immediately suspicious. There was once a story, a myth told to Andalite children on my home world, that spoke of an antagonist that set up a false harddrive that the protagonists repeatedly tapped into to take information from. Of course, the information on the harddrive had been set up, meant to be hacked…so that the protagonists would ergo receive false information.
I strongly believed that this was the case in this situation.
Cassie, I believe that the information on this database is bait, I said grimly.
What? What do you mean it's bait?
I believe that the information on this harddrive is placed for the purpose of misleading anyone who would wish to hack into the files.
What? Oh…oh. I see what you mean.
Yes.
So…so then, what are we going to do now? Cassie asked. I turned to "look" at her with my weak Gyuren eyesight.
I have no idea, I told her. I had never been much of a leader – I was one quite happy to follow instructions, so long as they seemed reasonable. Apparently, Cassie was no leader either, as she seemed disheartened by my reply.
We stood around awkwardly for a moment, both hoping that we would not get into any sort of trouble, and finally I remembered what the Gyuren that we had met earlier had said.
The prisoners…he said earlier that they…were brought into the Track… I started. They are most likely the rescue squad – if we free them, perhaps we can continue to save Aximili and leave this planet. I believe that I can locate the Track and Sector via this console.
Um…great. I guess, Cassie said, shrugging her Gyuren shoulders, at loss for words to make an appropriate reply.
But we must hurry, I continued, my fingers tapping deftly against the keyboard.
Why?
I have done momentary research on this planet, I explained. Its orbit was long ago disrupted, and its revolution varies between what these people, the Gyuren, believe are three different 'seasons.' They are, comparatively translated, as Flame, Ice, and Neutrality, and they are distinguished by how this planet veers towards or away the sun. We are currently in Neutrality, but the season will change to Flame in three Earth days.
I allowed Cassie to digest this.
Wait a minute, she began incredulously. You mean…the whole planet will incinerate…in three days?
No. I am saying that the surface of this planet will incinerate, I said patiently. Obviously, the underground settlements of the Gyuren are safe. But if the rescue crew even has any of the equipment they used as transport here, we could perhaps repair it and use it to escape.
It always comes down to a life-and-death situation, doesn't it?
I don't understand.
Nevermind.