We made our way to the Yeerk Pool without much conversation at first. I could tell that Terlin was starting to feel hungry-Mom had insisted on making us a quick dinner when she heard about the meeting, and as a result, we hadn't left the house until after 6:30-but I couldn't actually feel his hunger. I didn't think it was too bad at this point. Not enough to put Terlin in a bad mood, at any rate, just happy to be on his way to feed at the Yeerk Pool.

Having been there just a couple of days ago, I knew what to expect. Kind of. Maybe not the voluntary area, but definitely the screams and cries of the involuntary hosts. I thought about much pain they had to be in during the time their Yeerk was in charge. Did those Yeerks torture them for fun? Threaten to infest their friends and family? Even worse, make their hosts watch as they performed the infestation? I could only imagine what it was like, but I had always had a pretty vivid imagination.

He didn't respond to these musings. Probably didn't want to lie, or have to confirm, what I imagined to be the case.

At least for some.

Maybe it was a good thing that Terlin had taken control after we left my house. Not complete control-my face and my voice was still my own-but enough so that it wouldn't be a complete shock when he did take full control at the Yeerk Pool. I was glad for the small amount of freedom that I still had, and whenever I started to panic about not having complete control of my body, I reminded myself that I would once Terlin left and, even more importantly, once we returned to my house, he had promised that my body would be mine once more.

(You're doing very well, Tom,) Terlin told me, navigating my bike to the parking lot. (Just a little longer, and we'll be there.)

I knew he was trying to reassure me, and I tried to give him a mental smile. A real one might have drawn some odd looks from people passing by.

(Tell me again what's going to happen at the pool,) I entreated. He'd told me the night before, but I was afraid that I would forget something major.

Terlin gave me a mental nod. (Once we get to the first line, a Hork-Bajir guard will ask if you're voluntary or involuntary,) Terlin explained, patiently. (I'll say voluntary, and that it's your first time as a host. Another guard, probably also a Hork-Bajir, will have you follow him to the voluntary area, and give you a tour.)

(Will the guard speak English?) I asked.

(Yes. We speak Galard amongst each other, when we have non-human host bodies, but Hork-Bajir Controllers have become quite proficient in English. The Hork-Bajir brain does tend to mix up languages, so you may hear some Galard by accident, but the Yeerk controlling the Hork-Bajir will make every effort to communicate effectively with you,) Terlin reassured me. (Especially after learning that you're voluntary. They may be less careful around an involuntary host-liable to use Galard profanity and whatnot-but even then, they try to get their message across clearly.)

I imagined that the "message" they typically sent involuntary human-Controllers was along the lines of "Get in your cage or I'll stun the living daylights out of you".

Terlin chuckled at my observation, a little hesitantly.

(Okay, so the Hork-Bajir's Yeerk takes me to another room and shows me around. Then, what? How will I know when you're ready? And how will I know that it's you?) I added the last part as it came to me. I may have felt ambivalent around Terlin, but I definitely didn't want to start over with another Yeerk. Especially a potentially cruel one.

(After I have finished feeding, I will alert the guards via pool communication, and they call your name. You'll go back to the Pool, wait in line, and I'll infest you again when it's your turn.)

(Okay, but how will I know that it's you?) I asked, chewing on the inside of my lip.

Terlin sent me a mental smile in an attempt to be reassuring. (The pool guards will call me when you're ready. Occasionally, a voluntary host isn't ready when their Yeerk is. Maybe they had to go to the bathroom, or they were immersed in a TV show and missed the warning. On occasion, one of the sub-vissers who oversees the voluntary hosts has called that host into their office, just to make sure that things are going well. The sub-visser will hear the notification from the office, as will the host, but it's a good minute walk away from the rest of the voluntary area. So, we expect there to be the occasional delay. If that happens, they call on the next host, and will repeat the notification five minutes later, and have me wait until you've entered the pool area before getting in line. The guards communicate via the pool communication system to ensure that each Yeerk enters the correct host. Imagine what would happen if there was a mix up! But it's all very regulated.)

Maybe he meant to be reassuring, and I supposed that it was, but it also reminded me that the Yeerks had been flying all over the galaxy in the quest of taking host bodies for longer than I had been alive.

It was depressing, especially since I was now part of this.

Suddenly, I felt Terlin's mind reach out to mine and I felt as though I was being hugged. Well, a mental hug. I didn't know how to return it, and wasn't sure if I would have done so had I known how to, but I couldn't deny that the effect was reassuring. Comforting. It lasted for the better part of a minute, and I was a little disappointed when it ended.

(Thanks,) I murmured.

Once again, I reminded myself that Terlin wasn't really one of the bad guys. He was just another Yeerk caught up in this big war started by a corrupt empire. He was decent, he hadn't shown me anything except kindness, and besides, if I tried to rebel, it would accomplish nothing. Well, maybe infestation with a worse Yeerk, and that was the last thing I wanted.

(You're welcome,) he told me, and we walked in silence for a few minutes. Then, as we neared a building that would-I assumed-be the beginning of one of the entrances to the Yeerk Pool, he told me, (Tom, I have to take full control, now.)

I took a deep breath, then nodded my consent. I could feel all control of my body leave me as Terlin pressed down on my mind. I couldn't even do as much as blink on my own. I fought back my panic without much success, and Terlin finally had to take a couple of deep breaths to steady my breathing. That helped.

(It's all right, it's all right,) he soothed.

(Like I said earlier, I'm still in the freaking out stage because you're in my head,) I managed to joke, but I was finding very little funny about the situation. I couldn't even blink on my own. (Add that to having no control whatsoever, and I think I've earned the right to panic!)

Terlin stopped our stride, and we leaned against the hallway outside of one of the classrooms.

(It's only temporary,) Terlin attempted to reassure me. (In a few minutes, I'll be gone, and you'll have your full body back. And when I reinfest you, I will give you complete control as soon as we're out of the Yeerk Pool area. I promise.)

Knowing this on an intellectual level and knowing it on an emotional level were two different things.

(Look, let's just get this over with,) I replied, a little testily.

He walked on in silence for a couple of minutes before speaking again.

(Tom? What would you say to us practicing this...transfer of control...as it were? In private, of course,) he added.

(What?!) I practically yelped. (I thought you said you wouldn't take control unless you absolutely had to!)

(I know, and I still mean that.) I gave a mental nod, and Terlin continued. (I am simply speculating...if we attempted to share control at times, perhaps, or if I took full control for short periods while giving you plenty of warning...then times like now may not be so difficult for you,) Terlin attempted to explain. (I don't object to your being in control for most periods, Tom. I know how important that is for you. But I'm beginning to wonder if that is starting to produce an adverse reaction when I have to take over.)

He had a point, but I wasn't willing to admit it out loud. Well, in my mind, to him, which for all intents and purposes, was the same thing. (Terlin, I know you're a Yeerk and you don't have a lot you can do in the Yeerk Pool. I get that you need a host in order to be able to see, move around easily, that kind of thing. But think about me. And your other hosts. We are losing all power over our bodies. I don't care if it's for a few hours or for days at a time. It's freakin' terrifying, okay? And I don't think that being terrified when it happens merely warrants calling this an "adverse reaction"!)

Terlin didn't respond right away, and I wondered if I had pushed him too far. Great. What if he started torturing me, or decided he'd had enough with playing nice and forcibly infested my family that evening? The possibilities of what he could do to me were endless.

I spoke first, my anger spent. (Um?)

(Tom, you're right to be angry. What we do...) He gave a mental shudder. (It's easier when it's not creatures as intelligent as humans. Simpler to justify to ourselves.)

The whole evil empire again. Yeah.

(It's just that...well, you understand that it has to happen when I go to feed, and when I am on Yeerk business?) Terlin was almost pleading with me. Almost.

(I get that.) I didn't like it, but I got it.

(So, wouldn't it be better for you if I made it so that it felt more normal than traumatic?)

I swallowed hard. I did. I realized that Terlin had released his hold on my body. Or, had I fought him for control? It didn't seem like it.

Anyway, I could see that he was still in charge of most of me. So, it was probably him trying to be nice. Or, at least, appeasing.

(I need to think about that,) I told him. Okay, a part of me was still annoyed, especially since I knew that he wasn't going to turn all cruel Yeerk on me, but I couldn't logically deny that what he was saying made sense.

Was that what exposure therapy was?

I felt Terlin's mind reach out to mine in another mental hug, this one longer than before. It occurred to me that there were definitely benefits of having such a close mind to mind connection. I had been preoccupied with all of the negative stuff attached to it-like the ways a Yeerk could torture me-but there were benefits, too. For one thing, he completely understood me. And Terlin could probably-if I asked him to-play back good memories for me. Maybe, they'd be even more vivid because of his link to my brain.

I didn't know if I would actually ask him to do this. Not anytime soon, at any rate. Still...

I closed my eyes, briefly, then opened them. (Okay, take over. Let's get this trip to hell over with,) I told him.

I felt the last of control slip away from me, and then Terlin continued the walk to the Yeerk Pool.

Minutes later, I heard the beginning of the screams. Nothing that I hadn't heard before, but it was still pretty awful.

I could feel that Terlin felt similarly to me by his emotions. (The screams at the pool are nothing compared to the ones a host can make in its own head,) he told me. (It's one reason I was glad to have a Taxxon host. Despite the hunger.)

(You've got me now,) I told him.

(Yes, and despite being a male teenager, you haven't had a lot of emotional outbursts. Well, ones that weren't justified,) he told me, laughing a little.

I gave him a mock glare. (Oh, if you think a male teenager is bad, you don't ever want to be inside the head of a female one. Especially during that time of the month.)

I knew that my memories gave him the information about girls and periods. Not something I had ever experienced firsthand-my mom was the only woman in our house, and even though she was probably still getting them, she didn't exactly announce it to me and Jake.

Still, it was a given that girls my age had all gotten them, and they could be particularly moody during that "time of the month". Not all of them, sure, but enough. And if they were bad around their family and friends, they would have to be ten times worse around their Yeerk.

Terlin snorted. (I'll have you know that my Hork-Bajir was female, and let's just say that they go through something similar on a weekly basis after they've matured.)

Checkmate.

Still...

(Okay, then as a voluntary male human teenager, you can't complain,) I pointed out.

He chuckled. (I will give you that one, Tom.)

We'd reached the line for the Yeerks who were leaving their hosts. I wanted to look around. Morbid, maybe. See just how many people were in the cages, and how many were screaming. How many were crying. What they looked like. I knew that pretty much anyone could be a Controller, but I sort of wanted to know if I recognized anyone there.

But Terlin had focused my eyes directly ahead of me, and I couldn't say that I blamed him. We watched as the people in front of us had their Yeerks leave them. Maybe half of them were voluntary. The Yeerk would always say beforehand if their host was voluntary, but based on the reaction of most of the involuntary hosts, they almost didn't need to say anything. Almost. There was one person-a female about my mom's age-who looked too broken and defeated to do much of anything except allow herself to be led to the cages.

Terlin let me eyes linger on her, and then spoke up.

(She's been infested for at least six months. That, or her Yeerk is exceptionally cruel. But I'd bet it was the first.)

(How can you tell?)

(Involuntary hosts like that, the ones who look so broken...they aren't just opposed to infestation. They've fought their Yeerk. The Yeerk always wins, of course, and they slowly lose a part of themselves each time. At about six months, assuming they've been fighting nearly continuously, they simply cannot do so any longer. They've given up. They don't even protest when the pool guards take them to a cage. They realize that resistance is...well, pointless.)

I shuddered mentally. (Do they stay this way?)

(Unless there's an event that spurs them into fighting, or they're reassigned to a more compassionate Yeerk.) Terlin wasn't gloating or anything. He didn't even sound happy about this. The knowledge that pretty much permanent defeat would come at about six months didn't come as reassuring. And I didn't think it was because it was difficult to fight with an involuntary host. I mean, Yeerks had all the power. Someone like that woman might be seen as a nuisance to her Yeerk, but a real problem? Doubtful.

I didn't say anything, and the next two hosts were human Controllers. Both voluntary. The next was a Hork-Bajir, and to my surprise, he followed the humans to the voluntary area. Well, I had known that there were a few voluntary Hork-Bajir, but I assumed it was maybe one in a thousand.

Then, it was our turn.

(Tom, please remember to keep your head still until I leave completely. It's especially important when I go back in.)

(Got it.) The anticipation of having full control over my body again made me wish Terlin would hurry with leaving my head.

He understood this. Knew it wasn't personal. (See you in a couple of hours.)

Using my voice, he told the guard, "First time voluntary host."

The Hork-Bajir nodded. "Does he need someone to show him where to go?"

"Yes."

Another nod, and the Hork-Bajir Controller turned to another one on his left. "You will do it?"

"Yes. It's my turn for a break from guard duties, anyway."

I managed to feel a little amused that even aliens had something resembling a union. Or workplace rules, anyway. Terlin laughed at my observation, bid me farewell again, and began to disconnect from my brain.

Gaining control was almost stranger than losing control. Left foot. Right eye. Shoulder, then arm. I would guess the whole process took about two minutes, but it felt longer because it was the first time that Terlin was leaving my head. Far from the last time, though.

I felt our mental connection most of the time, but he was too busy disengaging from my brain to talk. Besides, he had already told me that he would see me in a couple of hours, and I guessed that anything else would have felt superfluous.

I remembered his request for me to hold my head still until I saw him fall into the pool. After I saw his body fall into the pool, I stood up. A little shakily, but that was more out of nerves than because he'd been in full control for the past fifteen or so minutes. I looked at the pool guards and managed a weak smile.

"I'm Tom. Voluntary," I told them, sounding more confident than I felt.

The second guard nodded-the first was preoccupied with the next person in line.

"Yes. I am Sorren Three-Five-Two. Follow me. Please." He added the last part as an afterthought, as though it wouldn't kill him to be polite to a mere human host-after all, I was voluntary.

I followed him past the cages, giving him a good three feet lead. This turned out not to be necessary. Hork-Bajir were much taller than humans, and their stride was longer as well. I had wanted to keep Sorren in my line of sight without risking getting too close, but I would practically have to run just to keep up with him.

Fortunately, the voluntary area was pretty close to the pool, and we arrived in less than a minute. Sorren opened the door without doing anything to unlock it, so I made a mental note that, for voluntary hosts, we didn't exactly need a key or a security card to gain access to the room. Probably, an involuntary human could get in-except for the fact that their Yeerk would have given their status as an involuntary host away beforehand.

The screams were starting to give me a headache, and I had to admit that I was relieved that when Sorren closed the door behind me, the noise faded considerably. The Yeerks hadn't bothered to soundproof the voluntary area-either they hadn't known how when they built it, or they wanted us to be aware of the alternative if we had second thoughts about letting our Yeerks back into our heads-but about 90% of the sounds from the Yeerk Pool were gone. It was hard not to let out a sigh of relief, but I managed.

"This is the main room," Sorren told me. I glanced around to find a big TV propped up against one wall, and a long table filled with food. Mostly healthy stuff, but there was an assorted cracker platter in the middle. Lots of comfortable chairs and a few couches took up a lot of the space in front of the TV, and they were being used by most of the humans in the room. I would have guessed there were forty humans there. All ages, except there was no one younger than Jake. Definitely a few people his age, though. Still, they were voluntary, so they must be reasonably happy with their Yeerks. Maybe I could talk to one of them, just in case the worst case scenario happened and Jake decided to join The Sharing and become a full member. Those kids had to know of other Yeerks who were decent.

I pushed these thoughts away as I scanned the rest of the room. A bookshelf filled with books and some videos to choose from. Small tables along the back, some with humans playing board games, while others were just reading or watching the TV show. It looked, in many ways, like a regular Sharing meeting. Minus the five Hork-Bajir who were also there, standing together and conversing in either Hork-Bajir or Galard.

I turned to Sorren. "There are other rooms?"

"Yes." He pointed to the four doors along the wall, opposite of the TV. The one on the far right had a greater distance separating itself from the others. "The one on the far right leads to the Taxxon feeding area. Don't go there." I nodded in understanding. "The one next to it leads to the Hork-Bajir bathrooms. Not for humans...but you won't die if you forget that." I managed a laugh, which he returned with one. At least, I thought it was a laugh. "The one next to that leads to our exercise area, and our quiet area." I must have raised my eyebrows, because Sorren said, "Some of the humans want to have a space to read or think without the noise from the pool. The last door, on the left, is where the human bathrooms are located. The exercise area also has a door that leads to them, because they contain showers, and humans often want to utilize them after exercising."

I nodded, taking all of this in.

"The very last door leads to the offices for the sub-vissers." I turned my head, realizing that I hadn't seen the nearly hidden door on the corner. "There are four who have offices and speak with voluntary hosts. New ones will often be asked to speak to the sub-visser on duty, to make sure that they are settled in. Sub-vissers are also responsible for the assignments of human and Hork-Bajir hosts, so if a human is having trouble with a particular Yeerk, he can tell the sub-visser."

"What, like apply for a new Yeerk?" I asked him. Well, I thought it was a him.

Sorren shook his head, which looked a bit weird for a Hork-Bajir. "Humans can't demand to be reassigned. But a sub-visser can help if there are problems."

Sound of like a resident advisor on a college dorm, then. Except, the sub-vissers have actual power. Also, I probably shouldn't go blabbing that Terlin had promised to give me full control most of the time, or that he would do his best to keep my family safe.

If I had to talk to a sub-visser, I'd keep it short and to the point. Yeah, I'd been taken to the Pool against my will because I'd invaded a full members Sharing meeting. But once my Yeerk explained what was going on, I knew it was best to cooperate. Maybe, I could add that Terlin had been pretty decent and I didn't mind having company in my head. Something innocuous like that.

Still, the fact that Terlin hadn't told me this made me nervous. Wouldn't he have thought to let me know? Then again, his only voluntary host had been a Taxxon, and they probably gorged themselves on fresh meat in the feeding area for the two hours that Terlin fed. I couldn't imagine much desire to interrupt that to make sure the Taxxon was doing okay emotionally. Especially when the entire race had agreed to Yeerk control in exchange for food.

I just had to hope that I wouldn't be summoned to any offices today, and that Terlin could brief me on what to say in the event that it occurred.

Sorren was still staring at me, waiting for me to speak, and I just shrugged.

"Well, my Yeerk's been okay so far, so I don't have any complaints. Are they going to want to talk to me today?" I tried to sound nonchalant, and I hoped that Sorren had never had a human host before, because I was not THAT good of an actor.

Sorren clicked his tongue before responding. Maybe something that Hork-Bajir Controllers did to indicate they were thinking?

"Unlikely, especially since it's your first time. They like to give voluntary hosts some time to adjust. But they might want to speak to you before it's been a full month."

I wondered if a month was how long it took most voluntary humans to adjust to Yeerk control. But Sorren didn't have a human host, and his was probably involuntary, so it seemed like it would be pointless to ask the question.

I just nodded, instead.

"Do you require a tour of any of the voluntary areas?" Sorren asked me. "It's fairly straight forward, and there is enough of what you humans call 'traffic' that if you get lost, there will be another human who's able to assist you."

"Naw, I'm good. I figure I'll stay in this room for today. Maybe say hi to some of my fellow hosts," I added.

Sorren nodded again, and widened his mouth in what appeared to be a smile, although coming from a Hork-Bajir, it was anything but reassuring. Perhaps realizing this, he set his expression to normal (I thought) a few seconds later.

"I will return to the pool, then. You will be notified when your Yeerk has finished feeding."

"Thanks for your help," I said, scanning the room and deciding to take a seat on one of the comfortable chairs near a group of people chatting.

Another nod, and then Sorren was off.

One of the people in the group-an Asian male who looked to be in his early 20s-raised his eyebrows when he saw me.

"Hey, aren't you the one they dragged in screaming last Friday?" he asked without preamble.

Was I that famous? Then again, it made sense that at least SOME of the same Yeerks who had been feeding at the Yeerk Pool on Friday would be back here today. Besides, I guessed that breaking into a full members Sharing meeting and ending up infested wasn't exactly a routine occurrence.

I raised my hands in surrender. "Guilty."

"Ha. Won THAT bet with my Yeerk," a blonde woman at least twice my age remarked. She was smiling. "So, did they give you a decent Yeerk, or did your Yeerk warn you that you'd end up in the cages if you didn't cooperate?"

A/N: I had written more for this chapter, but it was getting pretty long, so I thought that this would be a good place to end it. Sort of a cliffhanger-which is the point! Please leave feedback below. :)