A few months passed with the Andalite Bandits, as Visser Three had named them, attempting to mess up the Yeerk empire's plans for a stealth invasion on Earth. Creepier than the fact that they managed to be a real pain in Visser Three's butt-well, maybe, his host's butt, as Terlin told me that Yeerks didn't actually have butts-was how they managed to obtain the information that they had about the invasion. Maybe, they were really good at spying. Or, they had allies within the Yeerk empire. Terlin knew that traitors existed, and given how often Visser Three killed his subordinates, it wasn't difficult to see why. Neither of us thought that any of the Andalite bandits were actually Controllers, but they sure were good at finding out necessary information.
Not that we witnessed any of the damage. They didn't exactly attack the Yeerk Pool on the regular since that first night. Must have realized they were outnumbered and couldn't hope to escape with much more than their lives. All the same, Terlin told me that the Yeerks in the pool were worried about potential long term damage. Some, naturally with involuntary hosts, complained that there was a lot more hope of rescue, now that their hosts could see the Andalites fighting against the Yeerks.
Not for the first time, I was glad that I had taken Terlin up on his offer of friendship. I didn't really mind having an extra mind in my head, since he let me be in control most of the time, and was interesting to talk to. Even though I'd never been a science fiction nerd, there were times when I had to admit that it was pretty cool, being friends with an alien. Sure, Terlin knew me way better than anyone else in the world, but once it was clear that he respected me as more than just a body to live in, even that didn't really bother me.
They say that humans can get used to almost anything.
Of course, it was one thing to say that I didn't mind Terlin being in my head and, sometimes, having full control over my body. It was another to say that I liked being a part of an alien invasion set to take over the human race. Even if, based on numbers alone, it would probably end up that no human who didn't like a Yeerk would be stuck with one. If anything, there would be a wait list to get Yeerks. Still, the worst part of it all was going to the Yeerk Pool every two and a half days. Hearing the screams of my fellow humans, and knowing that a lot of them were being treated way worse than I was-it tended to stay with you. At least once a week, I'd wake up from a nightmare, and Terlin would take control until I calmed down enough not to scream bloody murder.
It helped, somewhat, that he didn't like it any more than I did. Vissers could have their own portable Kandrona, when necessary, but Terlin wasn't even a sub-Visser, so he waited in line like everyone else. We all heard the screams as we waited.
At least the voluntary area was sound proof. It could have passed for a Sharing meeting for the non full members, except for the occasional Gedd and Hork-Bajir that came by.
Yes, there were a few Hork-Bajir who were voluntary. Since they all had around the same intelligence level, Terlin and I guessed that the ones who wanted to have Yeerks in their heads had been treated decently by their first Yeerk, maybe given some control, and so they weren't as affronted by Yeerks as most of their species. Whatever the reasoning, they existed, and in large enough numbers that there was tree bark especially for them in the voluntary area.
Which is how the whole "when will the first Andalite Bandit be killed?" debate came to be settled with a bet in which the loser had to eat a piece of tree bark.
The two people involved with ten year old boys. Yeah, you probably had already guessed that.
Noah was the host of Nessir Five-Eight-Zero, and Jack, the host of Onglud, who was sub-Visser eighty-three. Oh, yeah, and they were identical twins. I'd talked to them, a little, beforehand. They'd both become full members on the same day, and, clearly, got decent enough Yeerks.
"I'm telling you, Noah, Onglud says that there's no way they're all going to survive another month, let alone another year," Jack was saying, not exactly yelling, but certainly not speaking in what my mom would call an "inside voice".
"Yeah? Well, you were saying last month that you thought one had already died, but they're back to five, so either they got another one from their home planet, or the one you thought died was on another mission!" Noah shot back. "I think they're going to last at least another year. Maybe longer!"
Jack rolled his eyes at his brother. "Wanna bet on it?"
"Sure!" Noah replied, looking kind of happy at the idea.
"What will be the terms?" asked a red headed guy who looked a couple years older than me.
"If they're all still alive in six months, I win," Noah announced. "If at least one of them is dead, Jack wins."
"Right, but what will the winner get?" the same guy pressed.
Noah glanced around the room, eyes landing on the plates of food. "The loser has to eat a piece of that Hork-Bajir tree bark!" he announced, snickering.
Jack's face broke into a grin. "Deal!"
More than a few of us voiced concern over this. "Is that even safe?" I spoke up. "You're not doing anything that's going to get yourself killed from food poisoning."
"Bark is good," one of the Hork-Bajir assured us, taking a piece from the table. "Not bad for us."
As this wasn't exactly a reliable endorsement, a forty something woman who I was pretty sure was Molly suggested we get the sub-Visser.
Elksar Three-Four-Six, better known as Sub-Visser Thirty, was the "on-duty" head for voluntary hosts today. We had a different one for each day, and they all had voluntary human hosts. Their official duties were recruiting voluntary hosts for The Sharing, which meant they were usually present when it came time for the infestation of new full members. Not that I'd actually witnessed a first time infestation. Even though "host sympathy" was officially a crime, it was unofficially acknowledged that humans were the smartest of the available species, and the most desired because most Yeerks didn't want to have a voice screaming at them at all hours of the day. So, they wanted to keep us happy, within reason. New voluntary hosts often made appointments with the sub-Visser on duty for their first few trips to the Yeerk Pool, if they wanted to, and would be given advice on how to get along with their Yeerk. The sub-Vissers were also advocates for allowing voluntary hosts some control, and if a human went to the sub-Visser to complain that their Yeerk was essentially being a jerk to them in that way, action could be taken. In short, if you had a voluntary human, you wanted to do what was necessary (within reason) to keep it that way.
I wasn't sure, though, how a sub-Visser would react to being called down to the voluntary area to settle a debate as to whether it was okay for a human to eat a piece of tree bark designated for Hork-Bajir if they lost a bet regarding the longevity of the Andalite Bandits.
Jack and Noah played a best-out-of-three game of Rock Paper Scissors to determine who would go to the sub-Visser's office and bring her down to settle the debate. Jack lost, so with a determined look, he headed down the hallway that would take him up the stairs to her office.
Since a lot of the Sub-Vissers' hosts were Hork-Bajir, I expected Sub-Visser Thirty's to be one. Then again, a lot of my expectations regarding an alien invasion had been off during the six months of being Terlin's host, so I wasn't that surprised when a twenty-something woman who was wearing a light blue pants suit came to the voluntary area, looking for amused than annoyed.
"I'm here to settle the terms of a bet?" she asked, without preamble.
Like I said, the Sub-Vissers try to stay on good terms with voluntary hosts, at least while their Yeerks are feeding. We might not have any real power in whether or not our Yeerk returns, but we can make it pleasant for them, or unpleasant.
Granted, they probably had the same power over us.
Noah and Jake had gone quiet under her gaze, so, taking pity on them, I spoke up.
"They're betting on whether or not the Andalite Bandits will still be alive in six months," I explained. "The loser has to eat a piece of Hork-Bajir tree bark."
I swore that she smiled. "And you want to know if it's safe to eat?"
"Well, they do, yeah," I answered.
"Because a dead host body is of no use to their Yeerk," Sub-Visser Thirty remarked, glancing over at Noah and Jack. "Yes, one small piece of tree bark will not result in any lasting harm to a human adult or child."
"How small?" I pressed.
She shrugged her host's shoulders. "No more than six inches by six inches. Also, it should be chewed thoroughly before swallowing, to prevent any possibility of choking," she added, looking at Jack and Noah again. "Understood?"
They both nodded, still not speaking.
"Anything else, while I'm out here?" she continued, glancing around at us. "Questions, concerns?"
If there were any, I didn't find out. I heard my name called on the speakers, and I didn't want to cause any problems by making Terlin wait. They were pretty lenient with voluntary hosts if they fell asleep or were in the bathroom, but I was in the main area, and there was no excuse for delay.
So, I rose from my chair and waved goodbye to a few of the other humans I recognized before heading out to the Yeerk Pool, and gave a nod to the Sub-Visser, who returned it. I tried not to linger too long at the cages as I made my way to the line for reinfestation.
As much as I liked Terlin, I hardly enjoyed this part of being a Controller. No one did, really. I didn't know how involuntary humans were treated, but I could imagine that it wasn't like me. They probably only got control when their Yeerks fed, and based on what former involuntary humans told me, mental torture wasn't exactly uncommon. I hated even contemplating the idea of having to relive my worst memories, however mild they were, for hours on end. Was that how every involuntary human was treated, though? I couldn't imagine that being the case. I knew that Terlin wouldn't do that to me, even if I had been resistant. There had to be different kinds of Yeerks, ranging from downright sadists to the ones like Terlin and the others who infested most of the voluntary humans.
I was so glad that Jake hadn't decided to continue going to Sharing meetings. Maybe he would have ended up with a Yeerk like Terlin, maybe not. The risk that he would have been involuntary was too much to leave to chance.
When it was my turn, I knelt down and placed the side of my head into the pool. There was a brief burst of pain, but that disappeared within a second or so. Slowly, Terlin took control of my body, and then moved me away from the Yeerk Pool entirely.
(Hey,) I greeted, as soon as he had connected to my brain.
(Hello,) he answered, sending me a mental smile, as well as a hug. (Have fun?)
I gave a mental shrug in response, then leaned into the hug. (Kinda.)
(May I...?) he asked, feeling my conflicting emotions about him searching my memory.
What I said earlier-about people being able to adapt to anything? Terlin searching my memory was one thing that I wasn't used to.
(Yeah, sure,) I half agreed, half grumbled.
We both knew that it wasn't like he had much of a choice in the matter.
He laughed at the bet and the way the Sub-Visser had settled the "safety" debate.
(You humans will place bets on just about anything,) he mused.
I shrugged inside my head, again. We were out of the Yeerk Pool, and Terlin had released control to me, but shrugging in real life might have attracted some stares.
(Do you ever think about what would happen if-you know?) I asked him.
Terlin sighed, a little. (The Andalites want us all deprived of hosts, willing or not. I've had involuntary hosts, Tom, and it's far more pleasant to occupy the brain of someone who wants you there. And, there are so many humans that it shouldn't be difficult, in the end, to find enough who agree to infestation.)
I wasn't so sure. Frankly, I wasn't sure that Terlin was sure. Anyway, at the rate at which Visser Three killed subordinates, and rumors of other Vissers and Sub-Vissers doing the same, I had a feeling that the Yeerks wouldn't just compromise with humanity and say, "Give us fifty million willing hosts and we promise not to infest anyone who doesn't want us there."
At the same time, the Andalites would probably commit genocide, or, at best, tell the Yeerks they would have to go back to their home planet, never take any hosts (willing or otherwise), and have their spaceships and military there guarding them as long as the race survived.
Or, more likely, guarded by robots with bombs or guns.
Which was the better solution? Neither, really.
What, exactly, was behind door number three? Did door number three even exist?
Also, would it protect Jake from becoming a slave to an unsympathetic Yeerk? Or, my parents? My family?
I didn't have the answers, and neither did Terlin.