Esplin 1894:
((Why did you agree to this?)) I asked grumpily, as Karl threw us, again. The padded mat wasn't that soft.
((Because I'm an idiot, and enjoy humiliation)) Jacob concluded woozily, climbing back to our feet. Our ear hurt.
Karl was instructing the "recruits" in how to fight smarter, not harder.
The Spanish girl laughed at us. We still didn't know her name. I'd seen her following Sonili around though. They were probably the same age.
Jett was also watching, head cocked slightly, curious.
She was also making the other humans nervous. Force of habit, most likely.
"You will never be bigger, or stronger than your enemy. So you have to let your enemy fight for you," Karl said, motioning for Jacob to charge again. This was stupid. We were faster than this, but Jacob wasn't using his speed, just his strength. And Karl was humiliating us because of that.
To be fair, I supposed the ex-controllers were learning something from this.
One of the brothers raised his hand.
((What's his name?)) Jacob asked.
((Kevin)) I replied promptly.
"What is it, Kevin?"
Kevin was almost painfully skinny, and had a nervous aspect to him.
"Wouldn't it be better to shoot them, instead of fight them like this?" Kevin asked.
"And if they are too close to shoot? Or you can't get to a weapon?" I asked.
"Ah," Kevin nodded, and shut his mouth, turning red.
"That's right, white-boy. If you have to fight like a pussy, then fight like a pussy—," Tin man said, on his way through the cargo bay.
"—better that than bending over like a bitch," the car thief sneered.
"Also, never assume you have superiority in a situation," Karl said, motioning for us to attack again… but Jacob noted a difference in her posture. We weren't the target.
Jacob nodded slightly, and Karl blinked at us. Tin man's ego was a brittle thing. Stepping on it in front of others probably wasn't the safest idea. He was a slippery bastard… but this might work out. Karl would just have to be on guard against retribution at a later date. At all times…
We feinted at Karl. Tin man slowed to watch as he passed the mat, and Karl spun, her foot sweeping the back of Tin-man's weight bearing knee. The big man buckled, his mouth opening in surprise. A moment later Karl had him in a rather secure choke-hold (we knew from personal, painful experience). If she applied pressure, he would be unconscious in less than ten seconds.
"If I fight like a pussy, where does that leave you?" Karl asked coldly.
"Between your tits," Tin-man sneered.
((Ouch)) Jacob flinched, looking away from Karl's response.
((Although literally true…)) I mused.
((For all the good it did him)) Jacob snorted, amused.
((()))
We ate together. Jacob had insisted on this. Even Jett did so, although she didn't use a chair at the make-shift table, just squatted at the head. Karl and Tin man were also sitting at opposite ends of the improvised table.
"So… how did you escape?" Buddy asked, picking at his food.
"The first time was by accident, my Yeerk starved when I was pinned by debris after an Andalite attack. The second one… took some work," Jacob said, smiling faintly.
((Liar)) I said.
"I can still hear Akdor in my head sometimes," Buddy shivered.
Bill placed a calloused hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezing slightly,
"Does it get better?" Bill asked us, his face pinched.
"Yes and no. I still hear them in my head. My first was a sadistic bastard, but the second one… she was almost a friend by the time I escaped," Jacob said sadly.
"Surely you don't feel sorry for them. You were pretty quick to kill human controllers down in the pool," the fraternal twin of Kevin interrupted sharply. His name was George.
"I can regret the necessity of my actions… but no, I'm not sorry," Jacob said coolly.
George nodded, as if mollified. He was the angry twin. Kevin was the thoughtful one.
"Do they ever… talk back?" Buddy asked.
"Mostly in dreams," Jacob said.
"Can they hurt us?" Buddy demanded. His eyes wanted a specific answer, desperately. He wanted Jacob to say no.
Jacob studied the tired man levelly.
"Only if you let them."
This wasn't the answer Buddy wanted.
"You won, they lost. What's in your head is a shadow. You're used to being weaker than the Yeerk. But now you're stronger. You just have to remember that, and eventually, believe it," Jacob said firmly.
"Don't give it even an inch," Tin-man snarled, his glowering animosity towards the escaped hosts temporarily forgotten, "It's your bitch now, got it?" he growled.
Bill and Buddy's eyes were wide, but not entirely from fear. They nodded.
"Do you hear them when you're awake?" Jacob asked, curious.
"Not when I'm awake. It's more like… I'll see something Akdor liked, and want it, even though I don't want it, but I do, because Akdor wanted it…" Buddy said, groping his way through the explanation.
"You get cravings," Bill clarified.
"Yes, exactly!" Buddy said, relieved.
"I wouldn't worry about those… unless they involve serial-killer stuff," Jacob shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. (And failing).
"Probably shouldn't listen to him," Tin-man said dismissively. The two men looked at Tin-man, confused.
"Why not?"
"Crazy bastard hears both of his dead yeerks. Talks to the little shits too," the thief said.
"I only talk with the second Yeerk. Neither of us likes the first Yeerk. We think he's an ass," Jacob laughed.
"See? Crazy bastard," Tin man grumbled into his soup.
"Do you really?" Kevin asked us, both curious and wary.
"It's not a real conversation. More like a way to sift through the memories she left behind, keep them organized," Jacob lied.
"But… she's not separate from you, right, it's really just you, talking to yourself? The Yeerk isn't actually still with you, right?" Buddy shivered.
"I don't know… but I do know one thing—" Jacob said calmly.
((Jacob, that's probably not a good idea…)) I said, seeing the direction of his response.
"—if not for whatever it is in my head… you all wouldn't be here now. It's a resource. We paid a terrible price for it… so we might as well use it," Jacob said quietly, looking at Tin man, Bill, and Buddy in turn.
There was silence for nearly a minute, as everyone at the table considered Jacob's words.
"More soup?" Jacob asked.
Carger 943:
I ignored the pain walking caused me. It was immaterial. Thomas did not think so, but I cared little for the opinions of a host body. It was meant to serve a function, just as I was. Pain signaled damage, made a body reluctant to do anything that might worsen that damage. The damage was mending, and the physical activity was strengthening the atrophied / regenerated muscles. Therefore the pain had no purpose at the moment. My leg would heal. I walked through the nearly abandoned Yeerk pool, and stopped in the kandrona generator facility. Our technicians had examined it, and pronounced it thoroughly useless. Someone with excellent technical knowledge had fused the internal components of the generator.
A Yeerk had done this. Escaped hosts could not have done so, even with extensive memories. A very exacting level of technical/mechanical experience was involved in this particular treason. Andalites would have simply overloaded the primary matrix, destroying the entire complex. They would not have shown restraint.
Therefore, this sabotage had come from one of our own.
That made me suspicious. Someone wanted Visser One to fail, or be disgraced. This hinted of internal politics. Something I loathed. If a Visser was playing games, and was using this Jacob as a pawn… I would see that their involvement was discovered. I would ensure they died of starvation, a slow starvation of many weeks…
As an example so others would not attempt such again lightly.
Too many had died here.
Helaine-Mtalenon-Ashul:
((What are the humans doing now?)) I asked suspiciously, studying the debris scattered across the cargo hold. I'd been woken half-way through my sleep cycle by the noise of the human engines and their loud voices. Even as I watched, another wheeled vehicle was driven up the ramp into the bay, and was clearly responsible for the chill in the air. Not to mention the stench of combusted petrol.
((The one Jacob calls Tin-man has... procured human weaponry, per Jacob's request)) Torfan reported, in Hork-bajir morph. He was struggling with the large wooden containers, assisting the humans in transporting them from the two vehicles.
Sonili's pet was also present.
((Crude ballistic weaponry)) I sneered.
((We have only six dracon beams, and no means of recharging the few spare power cells for them we possess)) Torfan pointed out.
I was awake now, sleep would not be possible. I supposed I could make an early start of it, and get to work…
Esplin 1894:
((That… is not exactly a subtle weapon…)) I noted. Jacob pulled the bulky human rifle out of the shipping crate in awe. Even with our enhanced musculature, the weapon was hard to maneuver; the weapon's weight was not centered over the grip, but rather, three inches in front of it. Jacob shouldered it, like a normal rifle, and laughed. "All hail the pig," Jacob breathed. We had no idea how to load or cock it. We didn't even know where the safety was. Perhaps there was an instruction manual included?
((Pig? The inventory lists it as a 7.62mm M60 machine gun)) Sonili said, confused, consulting her clipboard. Typically her small hand carried one of the Yeerk data pads. It was incongruous to see the human clipboard instead.
"It's the same thing. Pig is the nickname American soldiers gave the weapon," Jacob explained, relying on old war movies he'd seen with his grandfather, distracted. He set the heavy weapon down, almost reverently, and pawed through the rest of the packing material. There were no additional M60's in the crate (and no manual), but there was an assortment of rifles and submachine guns.
Jett slowly walked by, carrying another crate in her arms. It was obviously very heavy. With a grunt, she set it down on the deck.
"Hey, Jett, have you seen this?" Jacob asked, gesturing to the M60.
"Jett sees it."
"Hey, do any of these crates say 7.62mm ammo?!" Jacob called, excited.
((Jacob, there are still additional crates to unload. We can play with the toys later)) I chided.
"Yes, mother," Jacob groaned.
Jacob and the others hurried to haul the rest of the crates into the ship. The closest description I have would be his memories of Christmas Eve, particularly the one when he was six years old.
((That was a terrible Christmas though)) Jacob grumbled.
((Perhaps, but you were overcome with anticipation and excitement before hand)) I pointed out.
((Yeah… right up until the socks…)) Jacob thought darkly.
((Be fair. You did not indicate which of the Power Rangers you preferred)) I said diplomatically.
((No one likes the pink power ranger)) Jacob grumbled.
((Courtney did)) I said smugly. She had traded Jacob her brother's baseball for them.
((No one with decent taste)) Jacob hastily amended.
((Considering she dated you, insulting her personal tastes seems… counterproductive))
I had the barest impression of a thought from my friend; Zack Flanders.
((Drop it. Now)) Jacob said.
Ah… I was beginning to understand.
It was not the betrayal that had stung. It was the unexpectedness. No reason had been given. No explanation. Then Jacob had been taken.
He'd had no closure, and the "wound" that had been so traumatic for his young ego had never been redressed, or revisited.
Repression was a bad habit for Jacob.
"Why the hell do we have paintball guns?" George called from the truck, looking into one of the crates.
Tinman burst into slightly malicious laughter.
Jacob Nyles:
It took a full day to create the combat maze in the cargo bay, reusing recycled crates, and anything else Tinman could jury-rig.
I flicked at the condensation on my face mask in annoyance, then moved position, running silently across the top of a row, and hopped over to a different stack. Below me, four flashlights bobbed along, taped to the barrels of paintball guns.
"Not all of your enemies think in two dimensions," I breathed into the whisper mike, shooting one of the people below. I hit the visor, obscuring it.
"Shit!" Kevin yelped, wiping the paint away with the bottom of his shirt.
"Hork-bajir like to attack from above, but they aren't the only threat," I continued, dodging out of sight before any of the panicked return fire could find me in the dark. The recruits had headsets, so they wouldn't be able to locate me by sound as I lectured them.
I dropped down beside one of the crate walls, and moved to the blind corner, where I had left a half meter gap at knee height. Tinman was standing next to it, waiting. Sure enough, the group passed by, still scanning above them, and at shoulder height with their flashlights. The last pair of feet to walk by, I grabbed their ankles, and pulled them off their feet.
"Ahh!" the owner of the feet screamed, and I yanked them through the hole.
Tinman calmly double tapped our victim's visor, blinding him, before we scrambled away.
"Bill!" someone shouted, and I watched Buddy pull the poor man out of the hole.
((You are enjoying this)) Esplin observed lazily, hardly paying attention.
"Taxxons are easy to kill, but they're nasty buggers," I whispered.
"They're fast tunnelers, and are deadly from ambush. Even if one doesn't actually kill you, they have a good chance of mauling the shit out of a leg or foot, crippling you."
The group came to Y shaped intersection in the maze, and split up two and two.
I switched channels, "Torfan, go," before returning to the trainee's channel.
Torfan and Helaine were dressed identically to the recruits in black pants, shirt, and facemask. They moved ahead of one group, panning their guns around nervously. After a few minutes, they approached one group, as if the entire thing was a giant loop.
Karl, was with me, dressed just like the recruits too, and we mimicked Helaine and Torfan, for the other group. I advanced cautiously, spotting our group at the same time as Torfan spotted his. Tinman held back, since he was obviously too tall to pass for anyone else.
I nodded cautiously to the guy in front, who nodded back, and we moved towards each other, scanning the tops of the maze, and any holes near the bottom of the walls. They were too distracted to notice that we weren't the other group. I spun, and we opened fire, pelting their helmets mercilessly, then while they were trying to wipe their visors, we disappeared.
"Finally, the nastiest enemy of all are humans. They look like your friends, but they're not," I said sadly.
The lights came back on in the cargo bay.
"You can take off your masks now," Karl said.
The class glared at me, and George's fists were trembling, "That was a dick move," he accused.
I shrugged, "What's your point?"
"There's no way we're going to be fighting Controllers that disguise themselves as teammates," George protested. I nodded. I had expected as much, and had a paintball in my hand.
"Right guys? I mean, seriously—" George looked to his brother for support, and I struck. I darted between the space separating us, and jerked him to his knees, breaking the paintball in his ear, and I pinned his hands. Everyone stared at me, shocked. Three seconds later, I let go, and stepped back.
"That fast," I whispered, "If the Yeerks have some prep time, they can capture someone that fast. They don't need to drag you to the pool to turn you. A Yeerk can survive in someone's hand for almost five minutes, and we will be near a Yeerk pool, more often than not. Now, it might take a minute to take full control, but the first thing you lose is basic motor control. You won't be able to pull the slug out, or warn anyone."
They were scared. Good. I wasn't looking at them though, I was staring at Karl. She was the only human here who didn't have any experience with infestation.
"Unless you don't have a choice, never split up. Less chance of someone going missing without being noticed, and returning with an extra passenger," I growled.
I handed a scrap of cloth to George,
"Sorry about the ear," I said.
George glared at me for a moment, but he looked down and nodded grudgingly, conceding the point. He knew better than to argue… he just liked arguing.
"Now, let's try this again," I said.
The kids groaned, "Fear not, for we shall be with you," I chuckled, hooking my thumb towards Karl.
"Who's going to shoot at us then?" Bradley asked.
"Jett, Torfan, Tinman, Doc…"
The lights flicked off.
"Masks on!" I hissed, and the recruits scrambled to strap their helmets back on, and activate their flash-lights. I turned my light on too.
"Remember, assault formation," Karl growled, and the kids stacked up into a rectangle.
((Bill and Buddy are older than us)) Esplin pointed out.
"Keep your eyes moving, not just on where your flashlight is, otherwise you lose your peripheral awareness," Karl whispered quietly.
Jett hit us first. I smelled her before I saw her though. She opened fire, blinding George and Bill in the front row, and we returned fire, belatedly, but the warrior was gone.
"Hork-bajir have a strong scent, especially when they're excited," I whispered. I could practically hear the eye rolls. Jett hit us again, from the rafters this time, which I hadn't expected. It took her longer to escape our line of sight though, and a few pellets tagged her.
"Good!" I snarled. Pellets slammed into my back, and I spun, throwing myself in front of Kevin beside me, taking his pellets to the helmet. He grabbed me, and fired over my shoulder, surprising the Hork-bajir. I took another spread of paint pellets intended for Kevin… which Esplin wasn't too thrilled about.
"Good!" I praised again, laughing as the Andalite in morph retreated, his ass and back mottled with blue paint.
Jett dropped from the rafters, right into the middle of the group. Her blades were capped, for the exercise, but still, she could kill someone by accident with a careless backhand.
"Scatter!" Karl barked. The warrior had George pinned in her free arm, her tail was wrapped around Buddy's throat, and Bill was pinned under one talon. That left Karl, who opened fire without hesitation, and Kevin (who was still turned around after using me as a meat shield). Torfan tried to jump us, but I was watching. I wasn't sure where Tinman was lurking, waiting for his chance…
"Karl!" I said, the paintball gun knocked out of my hands.
((I'm thinking its broken now)) Esplin noted.
Kevin was too slow, too focused on Jett. He didn't turn, so I tackled Blue-ass.
"Karl!" I shouted again, straining against Blue-ass's brawny arms.
((Jacob, something's wrong)) Esplin said, confused.
Suddenly, the world spun for a moment, and the Hork-bajir shoved me away. I stumbled and fell, stars flickering at the edges of my vision before I even hit the ground.
((Jacob?)) Esplin asked, terrified. I couldn't move.
((Jacob, are you all right?)) Torfan asked, concerned.
"What happened?" one of the recruits asked, Kevin, I think.
After a few seconds, the dizziness started to subside, and the stars faded.
((Jacob, what is wrong?)) Torfan demanded.
"Don't know," I slurred. Thinking was difficult. I tried to sit up, but Jett kept me pinned to the deck, "Jah-kob not right. Lie down."
I shook my head, lucidity returning, "Let me up, I'm fine now," I insisted.
Jett wasn't buying it though.
"What happened?" George asked.
"Got dizzy, all of a sudden," I said, worried. I didn't mention the paralysis.
((I think we are done here)) Torfan said softly.
They didn't even let me walk to the damned medical bay.
Esplin didn't say anything sarcastic, cluing me in on just how worried she was.
Dr. Helaine stared at the medical scanner, professionally puzzled. ((There's nothing wrong with you, no imbalances, and no significant changes from the last scan I performed on you months ago…))
"Well something knocked me on my can," I said.
((Clearly, but whatever it is, I cannot detect it with these crude instruments)) Dr. Helaine shrugged.
((Ask her to scan for Kandrona)) Esplin said.
"Esplin wants you to scan for Kandrona," I relayed.
Dr. Helaine shook her head, ((These instruments are not sensitive enough. Is there any particular reason?))
((Just curious)) Esplin said evasively.
"No reason," I relayed, curious.
((What do you know?)) I asked her.
((Nothing… yet. But I have some suspicions)) Esplin answered, worried.
((There is no reason for you to remain here)) Dr. Helaine concluded, dismissing me from the med bay.
"Sleep can't hurt," George said, awkwardly slapping my back.
"Unless it's a closed head injury," Karl muttered darkly.
What a cheerful woman. It was truly stunning that she was still single with an attitude like that.
Esplin 1894:
Jacob was roused by Sonili from his nightmares of the mist world roughly three hours after we managed to fall asleep.
"Sorry, kid, I'll try to be quieter," Jacob mumbled, rolling over.
((Jacob, wake up. My mother wants to see you in the cockpit)) Sonili prodded, her small hand shaking our shoulder.
"Fine… in five minutes," Jacob shamelessly lied, playing for time.
((What are you, seven? Get up)) I growled.
((Don't wanna)) Jacob mumbled back at me.
He wasn't paying attention, so I pushed us out of bed.
Jacob yelped in the half-meter free-fall, instantly coming fully awake as the adrenaline hit us, right before the metal deck plates.
((Bitch)) Jacob sulked, rubbing our throbbing elbow. He didn't mean it.
((Please hurry, Jacob)) Sonili said, pushing us in the small of the back, hurrying us along.
"Yes master," Jacob groaned, though he was more playful now that he was actually awake.
We squeezed past Torfan's hindquarters, and into the cockpit.
Dr. Helaine looked up from her datapad, and nodded to Sonili, ((Begin))
Nervously, the alien girl stepped forward, and touched the projector, keying in a visual of earth. A red dot appeared in the southern part of Great Britain.
((An hour ago, I intercepted a coded transmission from a ship in orbit, to this facility, here. It was heavily encrypted with an algorithm I deciphered several days ago. The facility is a manufacturing plant, specifically, for atmospheric and deep space interceptors))
"Bug fighters," Jacob sighed.
((Correct)) Sonili continued, ((The major infrastructure is in place, but the plant has not yet started production. This is an opportunity))
((If we destroy the facility, it will set back the Yeerks back several months, nothing more)) Torfan pointed out.
"Yeah, they'll just rebuild it, somewhere else. Now, if it was building capital ships… that equipment would be almost irreplaceable…" Jacob trailed off.
Dr. Helaine shook her head in annoyance ((You must think bigger than simple asset denial. We have a chance here to possibly change the course of the war))
((Do you know what she's getting at?)) Jacob asked me.
((Not a clue)) I replied, curious.
"We're listening," I said.
Sonili glanced at Torfan, who nodded encouragingly, ((I have been refining my basic program that lets us track Yeerk communicators… it's no longer contagious, but if uploaded onto the main computer of say… a Bug fighter, then the telemetry of the fighter will be secretly rerouted via Z-space transponder, to a destination of my choosing… virtually undetectable…))
For a second, what she was saying eluded me. Then it dawned, and the enormity of her proposal hit us, "Oh my God… the Yeerks wouldn't be able to tie their shoes without telling us all about it…" Jacob breathed, excited
((Or we could send it to the Homeworld)) Torfan interrupted, excited.
((Why wouldn't they assume it to be a trap? It will be transmitted by a Yeerk carrier wave, after all)) I said, unable to talk through Jacob's excitement.
Jacob relayed what I said, and the Andalites hesitated.
((That is a possibility)) Sonili sighed.
"Let's face it, your people are suspicious of their own shadows," Jacob chuckled.
((We have every right to be)) Dr. Helaine said hotly.
Jacob shrugged, unmoved.
((The question of what the Andalite Fleet will do with the data is irrelevant. Right now, what is important is that we have a narrow window of opportunity to introduce this program before the plant's production is finalized)) the doctor growled.
"How narrow?" I asked, suspicious.
((Less than four days)) Sonili supplied.
"Four days?" It would take at least a day to fly to Great Britain, another day to set up and recon the layout, plan out an infiltration, and— I stopped listening to Jacob's thoughts, focusing on his perceptions of the Andalites.
((We don't have time to properly plan this operation. We must proceed from the point of knowing we will be detected)) Torfan grunted.
"If they know enemy agents infiltrated a facility, and left without causing damage, the Yeerks will get suspicious," I said flatly.
((I have a plan)) Dr. Helaine said smugly ((But it will require assistance from our… recruits))
Jacob groaned, and thumped our head against the bulkhead.
"They're not ready," I protested while Jacob continued hitting our head.
"If we take them in as is, a lot of them are going to get hurt," Jacob snarled, stopping his banging to glare at the doctor.
Torfan shifted on his hooves uncomfortably, ((It cannot be helped)) he said, almost gently.
((Yes, just like he feels almost guilty about sacrificing your people)) I retorted angrily.
((Agreed)) Jacob said quietly.
"How many would your plan need?" Jacob asked coldly.
((Nine, at least))
"Make it work with seven," I said, crossing my arms. George and Kevin weren't ready for field work yet.
((For my plan, the more recruits there are, the better their chances for survival)) Dr. Helaine said.
"Fine. We take them all, and on the flight over, you tell me your plan, and I'll decide if more bodies is better… if I don't agree, the extras stay with the plane… oh, and Jett comes too," Jacob said firmly.
Dr. Helaine looked at me, then flicked one of her stalk eyes in a gesture I hadn't seen before, ((Very well, human. Agreed))
Jacob clapped our hands, startling the aliens by accident, "Fine, what do we need to get done?"
Jacob Nyles:
"No, no, no!" Tinman bellowed, to be heard over the commotion in the cargo bay. I waved the hat in my hand frantically, "Load the ammunition in the truck, and the weapons in the van!"
Ruefully, Kat and Sonili shifted direction with their crate, now headed towards the van.
Jett walked by them, balancing two crates under her arms, almost in contempt of their weight. She loaded the ammo crates into the truck's flatbed.
People ran back and fourth, some partially in "uniform" others scrambling to find their vest, or weapon belt, or a host of other things that had suddenly become lost in the shuffle.
((You demanded to be in charge of your people)) Esplin reminded me.
((Yeah, yeah. She only said yes because she realized this was going to be such a headache)) I growled in frustration.
((You're doing fine)) Esplin reassured me, ((Just try to look more confident, and less bitchy)) she advised.
I sighed. Esplin was cursing again… which usually preceded bad things befalling me.
"Oh for shit's sake man! Those are blank training rounds! See the blue tape?!"
I roared at George. I shouldn't have been shouting at him, but I couldn't help it. Familiar faces kept looking up at me, scared, pale… and I wondered how many I would be burying five days from now.
((()))
The trip to the airfield took nearly six hours. Sonili had already rented a private cargo plane from… questionable sources. The pilot didn't seem too impressed by nine people in black combat fatigues loading weapon and ammo crates into the hold, as well as a tenth member who walked into the hold, wrapped in a tarp. He just took our money, and waited in the cockpit, to be told to fly.
((Your race's capacity for denial is exceptional)) Torfan commented.
"If we're found, we're stowaways, and he gets off clean, so his fee is less," I guessed, unconcerned.
((Do we know if he's a controller?)) Torfan trailed off.
"We'll find out soon enough, he's not going anywhere for three days," Esplin said grimly.
"Besides, we're clearly only terrorists, not anti-Yeerk resistance fighters," I chipped in. I climbed up into the cockpit, to keep an eye on the pilot… just in case. Esplin approved such paranoia.
((It's not paranoia if people are trying to kill us…)) Esplin retorted blandly.
"Jacob, the last of the crates are aboard, and the vehicles are in storage," George said, breathlessly into his headset.
"Got it. We ready to fly?" I asked.
"Everyone's in, and ramp is up," Karl confirmed.
I leaned over, and tapped the pilot's shoulder, giving him a thumbs up sign. The man rolled his eyes behind those stupid aviator sunglasses, and started throwing levers and switches. I left the cockpit, and tromped down into the cargo bay, closing the hatch behind me.
One of Sonili's toys was set up and active, because the deafening sound of the engines disappeared.
"Nice," I said.
"Yes," Torfan agreed, "The sonic dampener will also prevent remote listening, and other forms of surveillance."
"Okay, Doc. We're in the air, on our way. You have twenty-four hours to sell me on this plan of yours… and fix it, if necessary," I growled.
"Your confidence is inspiring," Dr. Helaine replied coldly.
Helaine-Mtalenon-Ashul:
The human did not like my plan.
"That's it? You're relying on Sonili's holographic doo-dad to keep them alive?!" Jacob roared, overreacting.
"Yes. They will be in a much wider arena than a hallway, so having nearly forty holographic replicas firing and shooting and moving will heavily disrupt the Yeerk's ability to target and kill the real recruits hidden amongst them… who will be firing back, of course,"
"Nothing else? Just holograms?" Jacob growled.
"That is why you are coming on so… sensitive… a mission," I admitted.
"Really, I'm flattered, but I'm not that good," Jacob hissed.
"No," I agreed, "but you have an amazing propensity for spreading confusion and chaos amongst your enemies. Whomever they may be at the time."
"So who's in charge of the recruits?" Jacob asked suspiciously.
"Karl and Jett," I replied easily, "But there is one other thing… you must be seen, and recognized."
Jacob looked at me flatly, "Why would I do that?"
"Because, the Yeerks must believe that their only foes are liberated hosts, led by a dangerous human," I said slowly.
"Why hide Andalite involvement?" Jacob asked, curious.
"Because, they will anticipate our skills in manipulating their computers and technology. However they would never expect it from freed Hork-bajir and humans. As long as we keep our manipulations discrete and low key, we hold an excellent advantage against them," I explained.
Jacob's eyes defocused, conversing with the parasite in his head. After nearly a minute, he looked back at me, "Esplin agrees with your reasoning… but there is a problem. They might still anticipate manipulation, because of her status as a traitor."
"Then the Yeerks must believe her dead. Perhaps the kandrona implant failed… or some other unforeseen complication. It must be believable," I warned.
"She'll think of something," Jacob promised. He stared back at the rudimentary schematics my daughter had obtained for us.
"Very well. You remember your part in this plan?" I asked.
"Yes, yes. Jury rig something to explode, but use a faulty detonator, so it looks like we had every intention of blowing this place to hell… and failed; confuse the hell out of them, and get myself seen," Jacob interrupted.
"That is a gross over simplification… but, essentially correct," I conceded.
Jacob looked back at the crude schematic, tracing his fingers through the holograms.
"Alright… here's what we're going to do…" Jacob said softly. I adjusted the sonic dampener, so that the two meter bubble expanded to six meters, allowing the others to hear us once more.
The humans crowded around us nervously, peering at Jacob, and myself.
"Alpha team will be in charge of infiltrating the command access, and introducing our little… surprise… to the Yeerks," Jacob lied.
"What kind of surprise?" Kevin asked, curious.
"The kind that explodes violently," Jacob answered, "Alpha team will consist of the Doc and Torfan, since none of you has been cleared for demolitions yet,"
"What about you?" Bill asked, curious.
"I'll get to that in a minute," Jacob replied.
"Now, Bravo team," Jacob pointed to all of the recruits, as well as Jett, under her tarp, "will have the tough part of the mission."
"That doesn't sound very encouraging," George mumbled.
"Sonili rigged up a portable holographic projector, and it will copy your movements four times so that it will look like there are five of you scattered among the group, and make it very hard to actually pick out which moving, shooting, dodging target is real. In addition, for the first thirty seconds, they probably won't even realize that some are holograms…" Jacob paused for a moment heavily, "The generator only has enough juice for sixteen minutes of operation… and even with that, there's a very good chance that some of you might die… but we need to do this. If we had more time, we could have come up with something better."
"What Jacob is trying to say, is that you must remember your training, fight intelligently, and let there be no heroics," I said sternly.
"Who will operate the holograms?" George asked.
"Jett will be carrying the unit on her back, but someone else will have to turn it on," Jacob answered.
"What will you be doing?" Karl asked Jacob, her eyes narrow.
Jacob smiled darkly, "I'll be inside, with Alpha, but not with the bombs… remember the course on urban warfare?" he asked. The recruits groaned, remembering their humiliation.
"I'll be doing that, but with a real gun," Jacob chuckled.
"So why are we coming, then?" Buddy asked, scratching at his sweating head.
"Someone has to keep the bastards in one place, so I can shred them from the sides," Jacob answered.
There were additional questions, but they were merely petty details, of which we either could, or could not answer.
Esplin 1894:
((You've been really quiet lately)) Jacob told me.
((I've been… distracted)) I admitted.
((Care to share?))
((It's not important right now, we can discuss it later)) I replied briskly. Jacob could have probed, and seen what I was keeping private, but he didn't. If I said it could wait, he believed me.
So instead, he started cleaning his sidearm. While he worked, two of the recruits approached, George and Kevin.
"What's up, guys?" he asked quietly. They shared a glance, then looked back at us.
"Jacob… I know you have to be confident for us, but… we want to know… are we going to get killed?" Kevin asked hesitantly.
Jacob stared at the barrel assembly in his hand for a few seconds, "Look… I'm going to be disrupting them any and everyway I can… I will do my damndest to keep the heat off of you, but you're still going to have to stand on your own feet for this. You've already lived through hell, now it's your turn to inflict some pain."
The little talk didn't reassure the pair… but that was not Jacob's intent. Instead, it hardened their resolve, just a little. Unlike Bill and Buddy, the brothers had only been infested by Yeerks for three days, before they were rescued… and they hadn't experienced Kandrona starvation. They lacked the slight edge Bill and Buddy held, from the handful of latent memories they retained from their former masters…
