My name is Tom.
When I first got infested, it was pretty much the only thing that still belonged to me.
Well, that's what I told myself.
Not that it mattered, at least as far as what the Yeerk inside my head called me. Mostly, it was just "human".
Granted, I rarely called him by his name, which was Temrash 252 of the Sulp Niar pool.
I called him a lot less polite things.
Given that he stole my body and my life, I figured I had this small right.
If you've never been infested by a cruel Yeerk like Temrash, thank your lucky stars. Or God, if you believe in Him. I still do, anyway.
Yeerks come from another planet and are parasites by nature. Not like ticks or leeches. They don't make you sick. At least, they say they don't. Who knows what we'll find out ten years from now, if they're still on the planet. Maybe, they do cause permanent damage to your body.
Speaking from personal experience, they sure can cause damage to your mind.
In their natural form, they're basically harmless. They're even helpless. I've seen them, swimming around in the Yeerk Pool. They look like oversized grey green slugs. Hardly pretty, and definitely something you'd want to wipe away from your shoe if you accidentally stepped on one.
So, if you saw them as they are, you'd probably think, oh, no big deal.
Except, they don't just live in a pool. They want hosts, which are basically any intelligent beings. On their home planet, the most complex life form was the Gedd, which kind of resemble our monkeys. They used those as hosts. They still do.
Somehow, they got off their home planet and started invading others. Like the Hork-Bajir, who are these bladed beasts, even though they were a peaceful race before they were enslaved. The blades were just what they used to cut and harvest tree bark. Not anymore.
Then, the Taxxons. Taxxons look like oversized centipedes, or maybe millipedes. Totally gross creatures. They joined up with the Yeerks, because the Taxxons suffer from endless hunger, and the Yeerks promised them meat in exchange for their bodies. Of course, given that a Yeerk dulls the senses when they're in a host body, the Taxxons might have signed up just for that.
Now, the Yeerks are after the humans. We're not as dangerous as the Hork-Bajir, or our bodies aren't, but there are billions of us, and our bodies aren't horrible. So, we're their latest target. Of course, since there are so many of us, we'd blow them up into space if they tried to attack, so they're doing it secretly. They have this organization called The Sharing, which sounds like a co-ed Boy Scout group or something innocuous. It's for all ages and they do a lot of fun trips and volunteer work. Perfect for kids wanting to earn brownie points for college, or adults wanting to make connections or just friends.
Little do they know that once you become a "full member" of The Sharing, you're saying yes to getting infested by a Yeerk. You can kiss your freedom goodbye.
Well, except for a couple of hours every three days, when the Yeerk has to feed. They leave their host to swim in the Yeerk pool for about two hours, soaking up these Kandrona rays that are a replica of their home planet's sun. If they don't do this, they'll starve.
Voluntary hosts, people who figured that being a slave to a parasitic alien didn't sound so bad, or maybe figured that there was no getting out alive without a Yeerk in their head, wait in a nice area while their Yeerk feeds. They watch TV and eat snacks.
Involuntary hosts, like me, get dragged to a cage, where they're crammed in with other involuntary hosts. By Hork-Bajir Controller guards.
That's where I was right now. Temrash 252 of the Sulp Niar pool had been promoted, not just to 114, but to become the Yeerk to infest our governor. Who was planning to run for president. If everything went off without a hitch, our country could be the first one to have an alien as an elected president.
As for me? I would be given to another Yeerk.
Sure, I'd thought for a whole five seconds that Temrash's promotion meant I'd be freed. He'd laughed at me, told me I'd just be given to another Yeerk.
(Your only escape, human, is death,) he'd told me. Laughing.
I'd been trying to make that come sooner, rather than later, practically since I'd been infested by Temrash.
Maybe it sounds morbid, but you try living without even being able to blink on your own for days on end. Your only small slice of freedom being confined to a cage, so small you can hardly move.
The Andalite Bandits attacked, once, but they barely made it out alive. As for the involuntary hosts like me? Ha.
They didn't come back. Oh, they tried to fight in other ways, but they haven't deigned to return to try to free people like me.
We were on our own.
Anyway, several times, I tried to breathe in the water from the pool when the guards held me down. It usually took Temrash the better part of a minute to connect to my head and seize control, since I never stood still to make it easy for him. I thought that if I tried to breathe in enough water and thrash around enough, I'd be dead before he could connect enough to my brain to alert the guards that he was in control.
The first time I'd tried, I'd almost chickened out. The second time, I'd actually started to see lights above my eyes, but he managed to get into the control center of my brain just in time.
Then, the slug got smart. He told the guards to hold my head sideways, preventing most of my face from entering the water. Even if I tried thrashing, he'd get in before I could do much in the way of breathing in the pool sludge.
Since the same pool guards who dragged me to the cages probably weren't the ones who did the infestation, he'd give them the instructions right before feeding. They always remembered. They had to, because he outranked them.
I promised myself that if he ever forgot, I would try again and make it count.
They opened the cage door and dragged me to the pier. I was pretty sure it hadn't been a full two hours, but this was a new Yeerk, and it must have started feeding earlier. Maybe, been waiting for me for days in the pool sludge.
A glimmer of hope dawned on me when the guard pushed my entire head under the water, instead of holding it to the side. I lost a few seconds in this realization before I opened my mouth and tried to swallow and breathe in as much pool water as possible.
Maybe, if I hadn't been so stupid, those few seconds would have been the difference between life and death.
Looking back, though, those few seconds were what changed my life, for the better.
Even through my oxygen deprived state, I felt the sharp pinch of the new Yeerk entering my ear, followed by numbness as the Yeerk shot out some anesthesia, or whatever it was they used. Then, pressure. I tried to fight, but I knew that unless I managed to die within the next thirty or so seconds, it was pointless.
Then, the all too familiar but no less terrifying loss of control.
I could feel the new Yeerk's alarm as it worked to still my body. Guess its old host hadn't made a habit of trying to kill itself. All the same, I was vaguely aware of the guard's Hork-Bajir claw releasing my head. My new captor immediately lifted me from the pool, spat out a gallon of water, and took several deep breaths and coughed just as many times before standing up and walking out.
Mission Suicide: official failure.
Again.
It was no less depressing than it was expected.
The Yeerk cleared my throat several more times as it made its way up the stairs, away from the screams. Once it was breathing more or less regularly, I felt it touch my mind, and I winced. I tried to pull away, even though I knew from experience that was futile.
To my surprise, the Yeerk withdrew.
(It's okay,) the Yeerk spoke, its voice sounding, oddly enough, gentle. (I won't hurt you. What's your name?)
I didn't want to answer, but I also didn't want this Yeerk searching through my memories. Well, I knew that it would do so sooner or later, but maybe, I could put it off.
I vaguely wondered if I was its first human. I had been Temrash's. Not that he didn't know how to hurt me.
They trained Yeerks in the art of hurting their hosts, I'd bet.
(Tom,) I answered, finally.
(Tom,) she repeated, quietly. Almost tentatively. (Thank you.)
She walked the rest of the way out of the Yeerk Pool, leaving the screams far behind. I remained silent-or, not addressing her, anyway-like a good little broken host.
(Tom?) she asked, once we were within the regular mall.
(Yes?) I answered, my mental voice probably sounding shaky.
(I...) She paused for a second, then plunged forward. (I need to open your memory, just for a minute or so. I won't do a full memory search, but I need to learn who you are and where you live.) She paused, again (Is that okay?)
I didn't have much of a choice, really. At least, this Yeerk seemed aware that searching my mind-however briefly-would be awful for me.
(If you have to,) I sighed, because, really, I couldn't say no.
A flash of images went through my mind. It was like I was watching everything on TV. I saw my first infestation, only for the thousandth time. Before I could react, the "channel" changed to when I'd totally failed at trying to warn Jake not to join The Sharing when he and his friends showed up at the barbecue. Then, me being freed from my cage as the Andalites invaded the Yeerk Pool. More memories, recent, of me having given up, sobbing in my mind. Temrash's latest attempt to get Jake to join The Sharing, telling him that they could spend more time together. Me begging him to leave Jake alone, with the promise that I'd never bother him again. Temrash learning of his promotion, and his celebrations that followed-all at my expense.
Like I said. These were all flashes. So quick that I had barely recognized them for what they were before the Yeerk had moved on to something else. Really, I could barely mentally flinch at one memory before another took its place.
Then, I shrank back in my mind, trying to hold back mental tears.
The images stopped. The Yeerk must have cut them off. Even though it couldn't possible have had all the information it needed to impersonate me.
Then, the Yeerk spoke.
(Oh, honey,) she murmured, gently. (I'm so sorry you had to go through that.)
I would have blinked in surprise had I been in control. Her voice-I could now tell that the Yeerk was female, or considered itself that way, since Yeerks don't have genders the way most species do-was gentle. More than that, it felt sincere. Not that I was an expert on Yeerks, but I could believe that this one meant what she said.
Then, reality hit me.
This was all just a trap. Or, a way to lure me in, make her think she cared.
I tried to back away from her, to hide in a corner of my mind. Pointless. My entire mind, my entire being, belonged to this new Yeerk. The only power I had was to think what I wanted, and really, she could easily take that away by subjecting me to memory torture.
She sighed. (No. I would never do that. I promise, Tom, I won't be anything like your former Yeerk. I want to help you.)
(Help me?) I echoed, baffled.
(Yes. To heal, honey,) she explained, still speaking gently.
But, it was more than that. It felt, just then, like she was an adult, and I was a child.
A scared child.
(Why?) I asked, quietly.
Another sigh. I felt her reach out towards me, but withdraw as I flinched away from her. She walked several steps towards the mall exit before speaking again.
(Tom, not all of us like seeing our hosts suffer. Many of us do not want to take unwilling hosts at all. We would rather live inside the mind of someone who wants us there, and share control with them. We want to befriend our hosts, not harm them,) she explained.
It took me a minute to process this. I knew that The Sharing basically existed to get voluntary hosts, but I had always assumed this was because a host who didn't scream or fight made it easier for Yeerks to serve the empire. Not unlike trying to do your work without a screaming kid in the background.
But Yeerks who wanted to be friends with their hosts? That seemed laughable. Yeerks saw hosts as meat. Temrash had told me this often enough. Even if you were voluntary and weren't tortured, you were hardly on the same level as your Yeerk.
(I don't...I can't believe you,) I finally told her, my voice bitter.
She sighed, then did something that seemed almost like a nod. (No,) she allowed. (I suppose that based on your experience, you wouldn't.)
We were out of the mall, now. The day was warm, but not overly hot. I was aware of the Yeerk walking my body back to my car. Well, technically, it had been my mom's car, but was now designated the family car ever since I'd gotten my license. Sure, I was sixteen, but Dad didn't want to buy me a car for at least another year. He thought I should get as much practice as I could with Mom's old one before buying a new/newer one for my use. I hadn't minded, really. Temrash had. Given how much time "I" had been spending doing volunteer work at The Sharing, and Temrash's not so subtle hints, I got the feeling that he was wearing Dad down, that my own car might come sooner than later.
As the new Yeerk moved my body, it occurred to me that I could feel my senses as acutely as when there was no Yeerk in my head. Oh, I was still powerless, but this Yeerk hadn't muted my senses.
(It's called loose control,) she explained, gently.
I had to snort at that description. How Yeerkish.
She laughed a little in response. (Yes, very Yeerkish,) she agreed, pleasantly. (But...it's better, isn't it?)
(Yeah,) I admitted. (But I'm still powerless.)
The Yeerk sighed, then started my car. Instead of driving in the direction of my house...well, I wasn't privy to her thoughts. For all I knew, we were headed to another state. Temrash had filled up the tank the other day, and I had a handful of 20's in my pocket from Mom.
At first, she just drove, but after a few lights, she spoke up.
(I should have told you my name earlier, honey. It's Liliss 325 of the Sulp Niar Pool.) After a pause, she added, (Of course, just Liliss is fine. My last host called me Lily.)
Once again, I didn't know how to respond. If this was true, her former host must have liked her, at least enough to give her a semi decent nickname.
Assuming that she liked lilies, anyway.
(She did. They were among her favorite flowers,) the Yeerk—Liliss—affirmed.
(So...I was a promotion?) I asked, curious in spite of myself.
Liliss paused, just for a few seconds. (More of a linear move.) After another pause, she added, almost reflectively, (Although, I suppose, the empire would consider a teenage male to be an improvement over an elderly woman.)
I could see this. With the exception of babies, no age seemed to be off limits to the empire. Still. A teenage boy probably ranked higher than an old, or older, woman.
(Then, she got reassigned? To another Yeerk?) I confirmed.
That was, I knew, how it worked.
Liliss sighed. (They murdered her. Because she went blind. I wasn't even able to say goodbye to her.)
I could feel Liliss' pain, which meant she was either telling the truth or a really good liar. Temrash could keep his thoughts from me, but his emotions were as clear to me as my thoughts were to him.
If that was true, maybe the rest of it was.
Maybe, she wanted to help me. Or, at least, not hurt me any more than I was already.
Maybe.
Anyway, the idea that the empire would kill off a human just for going blind didn't surprise me. Liliss might have been shocked, or at least upset, but, really, Visser Three killed hosts for far less.
Liliss turned the car onto a side road, and then parked near a walking trail. I had run laps on it, back when I was on the team and could still use my body. Good exercise during the weekend. It was a seven mile circle, but my starting point was a ten minute walk (or, more likely for me, a three minute jog) from my house. Safe enough, especially during the day, especially for a six foot tall teenager like myself.
It was a part of my past. When I was free. I wished I could run again. Without being controlled by a Yeerk, of course. I could feel it, already. The sweat down my face and my back. The feel of my long legs moving. My heart beating rapidly as it tried to keep up. The rush of endorphins at pushing my body to its limit.
Not after Temrash took over. He wasn't into running.
(Let's take a walk, honey,) Liliss murmured, as she got out of the car and locked it.
Then, suddenly, I could move my body.
Author's Note:
After I wrote "Cassie's Capture", I received comments asking me to turn it into a series. Readers wanted to see Tom and Liliss throughout the series, and how their symbiotic relationship might change how the series went. While I won't say I will never write a sequel to that story, it's unlikely to happen anytime soon.
That being said, having written/being in the process of writing numerous Free!Tom or Peace Movement!Tom fics, it seemed only natural to write a story involving Tom receiving a Peace Movement Yeerk immediately after Temrash was promoted. While this story takes place in a different universe as "Cassie's Capture", the character of Liliss 325 is the same. If you keep reading, you will see how this turns out in the chapters that follow.
Finally, if you could take a few minutes to leave a review, I would really appreciate it.
