March 19, 1999 11:17 AM
I see it, but my eyes don't seem to want to focus on it. I said.
Don't be fooled. Follow me. Tobias said.
Aximili, Tobias, and I were flying toward the mountains. There was something there that they wanted to show me, but they didn't tell me what. The three of us flew into a valley in the mountains and there I saw one of the most amazing things I had ever seen.
Holy shit! Aren't those . . . ?
Yes. Aximili answered. But these are not enemies. These are friends.
I couldn't believe it. I was seeing a community of . . . . Hork-Bajir!
We helped the first two escape. Tobias said. Jara Hamee and his wife Ket Halpek, and brought them to this valley which is protected by the Ellimist.
Adam and Eve and the garden of Eden. They're free. All of them.
Yes.
Who is this Ellimist guy? This is the same guy who gave you back your powers, right? After you got stuck as a hawk?
Yeah. He even sent me back to the day before I met Elfangor and had me acquire myself.
He sent you back in time?? How'd he do that?
Who knows? He's like omnipotent. He's the chessmaster, and we're his pawns.
Pawns? Hmph! Knights, maybe. But, pawns? I don't think so.
There. There's Jara.
We landed by one of the Hork-Bajir. The one Tobias called Jara.
Jara was happy to see us. "Friend Tobias. And other Animorphs?"
Yes. Aximili the Andalite is here as well as a new friend. Tobias said as Aximili and I demorphed. Jara, meet David Hunting. He's smart and ambitious. He'll be a valuable member to our team. Assuming he learns to control his temper.
Despite the odd denouement, I was rather flattered by Tobias's introduction of me. "Pleasure to meet you, Jara Hamee, Leader of the Free Hork-Bajir."
"My pleasure, too. Welcome Friend David." Jara said to me. "Hork-Bajir gain new friend too. Big and powerful. He Blue Band." Jara said as he rushed off, assumably to get this new powerful friend.
"Blue Band?" I asked.
I have never heard of such a group. Aximili admitted.
Jara returned with a Hork-Bajir. A rather burly, buff, Arnold-Shwartzanegger-type Hork-Bajir. "This is Ursa Wulvef. When he not have his own head, was Blue Band."
"Hello." Said Ursa Wulvef. He was large. Seriously large.
"You know, your name means 'Bear' in an earth language called Latin."
"Latin?" Ursa wondered. "Soy Ursa. Soy Libre. ¡Libre o Muerto!"
"No. That's Spanish, but close enough." I said amused. I turned to my cohorts. "How does he know Spanish?"
Aximili shrugged and Tobias offered no answer.Do you know what he said? Tobias asked me.
"He said. 'I'm Ursa. I'm Free. Free or Dead!'"
Tobias chuckled slightly at that. It was good to see you again, Jara. And happy to meet you, Ursa Wulvef.
"Yes." I agreed. "Well met." I said as I extended my hand. Ursa understood this and shook my hand. He shook it rather roughly at first, but soon started shaking it much more lightly.
But that was probably because I was acquiring him.
Aximili started his morph to Harrier. I was about to start my morph when I noticed my hand. My fingers were longer. It was weird. Normally, I have stubby fingers and stubby toes, but now my fingers were long. I looked at my palm. It was a brownish-green color. The same color as Ursa's skin. With a shake, my hand was a lighter shade of pink with five stubby fingers again. Still it was weird.
David, is something the matter? Aximili asked me.
"No." I reassured him looking into his morphing main eyes. Then turning back to my palm. "I'm fine."
The three of us flew away. We flew to Tobias's meadow, where Tobias said another important ally was waiting to met me. Aximili and I demorphed.
Erek? Come out. Come out. Wherever you are.
I turned around and there was a boy. Lanky with light brown hair.
"Who are you?" I yelled.
"I am Erek King. And there is no need to shout."
"Are you an Animorph, too?"
"Heh-heh. Not exactly." And with that, Erek's skin shimmered, and I was face to face with a . . . . robot. Sorry. That's what he was. A robot. Steel and . . . . ivory.
"Holy Shit."
"Quite a mouth on this one."
Erek is a Chee. An android. They've been here since before the plagues. Their fun-loving creators, the Pemalites, were wiped out by the Howlers.
"Yes. But my masters' spirits live on. We fused them with wolves and created dogs. Do you like dogs?"
"I'm a cat person, myself. But I did have two dogs, once. My father's beagle named Sam. After he died in the San Francisco Earthquake, Dad bought me a German Shephard-Labrador mix. I named him Lycanthrope, but he was run-over by a car when I was twelve. But then I got my cobra Spawn."
"I see you have had limited luck with pets." Erek said to me.
You named your dog Lycanthrope? Tobias asked me.
"So what's your thing?" I asked.
Erek and the rest of the Chee are programmed against violence. Aximili explained. They are pacifists, but they are exceptional spies.
"We spy on the Yeerks. We can give good information from time to time."
Erek told us about the Yeerks' plan to take all of the world leaders. Tobias said.
"I see." I said. "Do you know what a Blue Band is?"
"Hmmm. The Blue Band Hork-Bajir is a special elite task force. Each member of the Council of Thriteen has a unit at his/her/its disposal as does whomever is Visser One. Why do you ask?"
"Jara Hamee has a made a new buddy. An ex-Blue Band named Ursa Wulvef. Strange thing is: he spoke Spanish. About as well as he spoke English, but still."
"Most of the Hork-Bajir that come to earth learn some English because of its worldly use, and because most Human-controllers are English-speakers. The only logical reason for Ursa to know Spanish is the he must have been a part of the unit that is assigned to Visser One."
"So?"
"Visser One's host body's native language is Spanish."
"Wait a minute. Visser One is a human-controller?"
"A female originating from Puerto Rico, precisely."
"That's interesting."
Even more precisely, she's Eva Bola AKA Eva McCabe. Tobias clarified. Marco's mother.
"That's even more interesting."
"Needless to say, it's a sour spot with him." Erek said. "Of course, I don't know for how long she'll be Visser One. First her screw-up on Royan Island, now the fact that Visser Three might succeed in this plan. The Visser has beefed up security at the Hotel. I hope you guys come up with a brand new and more potent plan because I can tell you: The same thing will not work twice."
It didn't work the first time. Tobias grumbled.
We'll come up with something, Erek. Aximili said bravely.
"Let's hope so. Remember: The banquet is tonight!" Erek said.
He left us. I decided I better improve my repertoire of morphs. I told Tobias and Aximili I was going for a flight. They said okay.
They didn't trail me at all.
I flew to the Gardens, but they didn't have what I wanted. I had a very specific idea about what I wanted. See, I knew I would have to go into the water sometime. And the best thing for the water is Killer whale!
I found one in the Ocean World near Poughkeepsie.
As a seagull, I loitered around the tank in which a killer whale named Giuseppe was swimming. The trainer left Giuseppe alone and I demorphed. Giuseppe swam to the side to inspect me. I petted his head and acquired him without incident. I noticed touching him made my hand kind of slippery. Had I gave closer inspection, I probably would have noticed that my palm was white.
I flew back, demorphing every two hours. When I finally got back to California, it was near 2:00. I found Tobias sitting near a stream. The water was still and the sun was bright. As I demorphed, my specially-trained-see-thru-water eyes changed to normal human eyes, and suddenly a school of fish changed into my and Tobias's reflection. It was like when it's night and you can see clearly out your window, but then you turn on the light and all you see is your reflection.
Where've you been! Tobias yelled at me. New York City??
No. New York state. I said as I demorphed.
What?
"Don't worry about it." I said.
Fine. But . . . uh . . . maybe you should worry about him.
"Who?"
That rattlesnake behind you.
I turned my head to see. A rattler was reared up and ready to strike.
"Maybe I should acquire him."
David. Tobias said cautiously.
"Relax, I have a way with animals." I said as I crouched down and extended my hand toward the snake.
The snake sank its fangs into my forearm.
"ARRRRGH!" I yelled as I started thrashing about. I started acquiring him through my forearm, but I was still thrashing about. Quite suddenly, my mind stopped panicking and I saw things quite clearly. I vaguely noticed the change in my vision. I grabbed the snake with my other hand and calmly removed his fangs from my arm. I threw him into the stream and soon my scales closed around the wound.
Scales? What?
I looked at my arm and it was covered in scales. Mostly around where the snake bit me but it stretched to the back of my hand to my elbow.
Um . . . David. Look in the stream.
I did and what I saw surprised me. The skin around my eyes and my upper lip were all covered in scales. My nose wasn't even there anymore, just two airholes. My eyes were yellow and my iris was vertical. I looked at my teeth. My canines and the incisor in front of each one fused and elongated into a fang. I lifted my lip. My gums had grown puffier. Poison sacs. As soon as I fully acquired that rattlesnake, my body automatically morphed enough of it to get me through. I reversed the morph.
"As this ever happened to any of you?" I asked.
I would have laughed at the image of the hawk shaking his head very comically and human-like if the cognitive significance hadn't frightened me so.
"What the fuck is wrong with me??!!"
I can't answer that. I don't think there is anything wrong with you.
Guys?
"Cassie?"
For once, I got it right. Jake has called a meeting.
Erek told us they beefed up security. Tobias reported.
"I figured as much." Jake said. There we were, the seven Animorphs. We were at the Fortress of Attitude discussing how to stop Visser Three's plan.
"We tried for a Checkmate. Now we are losing this Chess game." Marco said glumly.
"Could you stop with the metaphors!" Rachel complained. "We need a plan!"
"Well, what do you do, Rachel, when you are losing at Chess?" Marco riddled.
"I throw the chessboard into the wall."
"That's the plan."
"Where's David?" Jake asked.
"He's over here." Cassie said. Jake, Marco, Rachel, and Aximili came to see what it was Cassie was looking at. Tobias had a clear view from the rafters.
"Is he the snake?" Marco wondered
"What the hell are you doing, David?" Jake asked.
Would you people shut up? You'll scare him away. I berated.
"Why are you stalking a rat?" Rachel asked.
Because I can. I said.
"You're supposed to be paying attention to the plan." Jake berated back.
Yes, yes, I know. Operation Throw the Chessboard Against the Wall. I got it.
Does this serve some purpose, David? Aximili asked.
Just trying out a morph. So, you know, I'm prepared before I have to use it in battle.
Sounds prudent.
The rat made his move. I struck. I didn't bite. I coiled. I didn't want to kill him. I trapped him. Gotcha!
"Are you done now?" Jake asked impatiently.
Yes. Just, Tobias will you grab the rat and not eat it please? I'm demorphing.
"Why are you saving the rat?"
Because I'm taking it to prom. I'M GONNA ACQUIRE IT, MORON!
Within a minute I was human. I took the rat and started acquiring it.
"You don't have to call me moron." Marco pouted.
"We're going to swim up the coast in dolphin morph." Jake explained. "Once we beach ourselves on shore, we morph something that does damage. Elephant or Rhino."
"Jake, I don't have any pachyderm morph." I admitted while scratching my hand. I also didn't have a dolphin morph, but I figured my killer whale morph would do just fine. Damn, my hand itched.
"You and most of us here. We're going to stop off at the Gardens. Don't worry."
"We reach the bungalows. Basically the plan from then on is go forth and reek havoc." Marco so eloquently stated.
"Shit! We're going to break up that banquet like a high school kegger!" I yelled, loosely quoting the great Jay Phat Buds from Mallrats.
"I like this plan." Rachel said.
"Big surprise." Marco and I said simultaneously. My hand still itched. I looked at it. It had black hair.
Rat hair. Shit.
I had no idea what the problem was. Since this morning, everytime I acquire a creature, whatever part of me acquired it, automatically morphs it. In some cases, like the rattlesnake, more will change. It was weird.
Again, my morph to eagle was faster than the others. Even Cassie. As we flew to the Gardens, I thought about my strange morphing.
It started when I was nearly trapped in flea morph. I demorphed in the exact pose of my karate meditation stance. Then, there was the mind-merging in lion morph. And the lightspeed demorph from eagle to human. That was all yesterday. Today, all my acquisitions have been weird. I debated telling my comrades. I decided against it. Still, Tobias was there at the worst of the incidents, the acquisition of the snake morph. And yet, Jake, Cassie, nor anyone else confronted me about it. This whole team player thing is complicated.
I acquired a rhinoceros. Again the hand I used to acquire became like the rhinoceros, gray and wrinkly. Then it changed back. I morphed to Eagle and flew with my compatriots. Maybe I was reading too much into this.
We were seagulls now flying along the coast at night. It would have been a nice flight had there not been a fucking hurricane blowing. Powerful winds, thunder, lightning, tsunami waves, the whole works.
Yaahh! Marco yelped at a lightning bolt. That's nice. That's just perfect!
Jake, we're not going to make any more distance against this wind. Tobias warned. Especially not with wet feathers.
Yeah, you're right. Jake agreed. We'll swim the rest of the way along the coast.
No problem. Rachel said. All we have to do is land in the water.
Oh. Is that all? I asked sarcastically.
Seagulls land in water all the time. Cassie pointed out. Although maybe not in the middle of a hurricane . . .
All right, lets go. Jake said.
I wonder if I can do the front crawl with wings. I wondered aloud.
Dive!
I landed in the water, bodysurfing. I was too buoyant to sink. Now, we had to demorph and remorph as our aquatic animals. I wondered what animals the others had.
This is going to be rough. Jake cautioned. Everyone be careful.
Jake, why don't we do this one at a time? Cassie suggested. I'll go first. Then I can help others.
Okay. Jake said. Cassie morphs first. She's fastest.
Actually, David's fastest. Tobias admitted.
But David's never morphed dolphin before.
Oh no! We forgot to get David a dolphin morph!! Marco yelled.
I have a water morph. Don't worry. I said. I got it today.
Oh good. Jake sighed. For a minute there I thought we left you high and dry.
Ha. Believe I've never been lower or wetter. I said as a wave douses me. Literally!
Cassie! Cassie! Rachel yelled. Jake, she's drowning!
Shit! The wave doused her too. And she's human now! I started to demorph.
Don't do anything stupid, Rachel. She'll pull it out. Jake commanded.
Funny. He didn't order me not too.
That goes for you too, David!
Shit. Too late. I was almost fully human. Now that I was, I needed air. Fortunately, a lightning bolt guided my way. I put my head up and sucked air. I was an experienced swimmer, so I could navigate the waves a lot easier than Cassie probably could. She was outdoorsy, but no athlete. Then I started my morph. Killer Whale. AKA Orca.
My mouth jutted out and a tail erupted from my spine. My arms flattened and became flippers. My legs shriveled into nothing. A dorsal fin grew from my back. Blubber upon blubber upon blubber. I was a killer whale. The morph took all of thirty seconds.
Threats? No threats? I was the king of the ocean. Me and my brothers and sisters. We were the rulers. The great ones were vast. The little ones were fast. I was a mighty one!
I saw one of my sisters flailing. She wasn't a mighty one. She was a human. Rachel.
Your mind is merging again, David. I thought to myself. I lifted up beneath her, lifting her above the water level.
PING! PING! I heard. Someone was echolocating me.
Oh my God! It's a mighty one! Cassie yelled.
A what?? Marco yelled.
A killer whale. Cassie clarified. And it's got Rachel!
Relax! It's just me. I said.
You could have told us your morph was a killer whale. Jake said.
What difference does it make?
Just be careful.
Ten minutes later we were all dolphins. Save me, of course.
I feel quite relaxed. Happy, even Aximili said.
Dolphin Brain. Marco said.
I knew nothing of this. My whale instincts thought my friends looked yummy. I ignored them. We swam to shore, attempting to intentionally beach ourselves.
Are we close enough? Marco wondered.
We need to get as close as we can. Cassie said. A little more.
I'm stuck. I said.
That's because you're bigger than the rest of us. Marco berated.
Oh, gee, thank you. I didn't realize that! I said sarcastically.
Our morphs should be able to power out of this depth. Cassie said.
I demorphed and instantly became really tired. Morphing. It zaps your energy. I almost didn't want to morph again. Again we morph into battle. This time I was going rhino.
I can't do this. It's too hard. Why do I need to go rushing into something that could kill me?
A lightning bolt illumintated the night some. I saw two shaping elephants and one rhinoceros.
Cassie is one of those elephants. You can do it.
I gave a bellow that was drowned out in the surf and thunder, but it made me feel better nonetheless. My shoulders expanded my arms and legs got thicker. My nose and jaw jutted forward. I grew a horn. Within thirty seconds, I was a rhinoceros.
I am rhino. Don't mess with me. I'm supposed to be taking a nap.
The rhinoceros mind was kinda quite. A herbivore, of course. But a dangerous one. I grabbed a hold of the instincts and hoped I wasn't mind-melding again.
Ready? Jake asked.
Ready. Marco answered.
This animal's nose moves quite delicately. Aximili shared.
Yeah, my nose not so delicately. I shared.
Let's go. Jake commanded.
Rachel announced herself with a distinct elephant trumpet blast, then she plowed the Secret Service agent in front of her.
Remember, we have to assume these are all innocent humans. Jake reminded. Everyone ready? Charge!!
'Charge?' Marco laughed. I bet he's always wanted to say that.
We charged. Aximili was with me.
David. I've been told that your morph has some trouble seeing. I will assist you.
I don't know Aximili, I kinda like looking at my enormous shnoze 24/7. I quipped.
Um, anyway. Our target is in front of us.
Okay. I'm charging. I said as I ran for the blurred target in front of me. Ax, how close am I t-- Ow!
You've substantially damaged the wall. Aximili reported.
Next time. We do a door. How do I finish this off? My body can't break it.
Let me try mine. Aximili said as he lifted his front two legs and bashed in the rest of the wall. Instantly we met gunfire.
Ow! What's the deal?
"Damn Andalites!" A shooter said with a British accent.
This is Tony Blair's bungalow. I said. And it's full of controllers.
His people are shooting at us. Someone in a suit is commanding them.
Is it Tony Blair? Is Blair the one that's a controller?
I don't know. I am trying to render the shooters unconscious, but my nose has been shot many times.
Let me try mine. I said as I bash through some of the shooters, who were probably controllers.
"Stop shooting, you're just getting them angry!" Said a voice. I recognized it. Tony Blair.
Aximili, did the commander order the shooters to stop.
No, he said "Ignore the damn human. Shoot."
Take out the commander.
I heard a bone crunching thud. Done.
Let's jet.
Jet?
Let's go!
Jake, they're bringing in reinforcement! Rachel yelled.
Time to bail. Jake yelled.
Aximili and I were both bleeding way too much. We ran into the surf.
How will they ever, ever explain that? Tobias wondered.
I don't know, Rachel admitted, but that's one summit meeting no one will forget.
We ran into the surf like some psycho-version of Baywatch. We demorphed, half-drowned, then remorphed to dolphin or orca as the case was.
We swam. We were a relieved pod of marine mammals. I felt glad that we succeeded. We stopped Visser Three! We defeated him. This was a great battle.
But the war was far from over.
Did any one see Visser Three? I asked.
I did. Rachel said. Needless to say, he was not happy.
Damn. I guess I'll have to wait till next time to destroy it. Oh well, I'm so tired. It's time for me to hit the hay. And in my case that's quite literal.
PING!
PING!
Whose echolocating me? I asked.
No one. Marco said. That's radar!
Not radar. A Yeerk location system used to find aquatic Andalite ships. Almost humanly primitive. We need to swim faster.
Can they see us, Ax? Jake asked.
Not exactly. Their systems will not pick up something a dolphin's size.
PING! That brought some confusion to us. If they can't pick up something our size, why are we fleeing?
PING! Wait a minute. What about an orca? I ask.
PING! Aximili was silent.
Fuck! Damnit! I yelled. I was becoming cowardly hysterical. We're going to get captured because you assholes neglected to tell me I needed a dolphin morph?? I'm not even supposed to be here! I should be back in Georgia. I don't belong here.
PING!
Shut up! Rachel yelled. We wouldn't be getting captured if you had told us you didn't have a dolphin morph. You knew we were morphing dolphins, you should have said you didn't have one! The only one you have to blame is you, you fucking coward!
PING! The tactless, insane, warrior bitch had nailed it right on the nose. I never understood that metaphor, but you know what I mean.
PING!You're right.
PING!I'm right?
PING!You're so fucking right. I am a coward.
PING!
PING!
PING!Well, no more! I turned tail and ran. Not out of cowardice. Out of bravery. Or foolishness. The same thing when you think about it. I swam and the PINGs followed me. I allowed them to find me. I submerged. It didn't do a damn thing . It stayed above me like a marker, forever telling them where I was.
"I will not yield,
To kiss the ground before the Visser's feet,
And to be baited with the rabble's curse.
Though the Yeerkish fleet be come to Terra Firma,
And thou opposed, being of no human born,
Yet I will try the last. Before my body
I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Visser,
And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'"
With my altered quote from MacBeth, I rose and surfaced. I flew in the air like an insane version of Free Willy. I saw vaguely the small fighter ship (something my friends called a Bug Fighter) that had tracked me.
I landed on top.
The Bug Fighter cracked, sending its crew into the water. A single Hork-Bajir. He was out of place in these hurricane waves. He soon disappeared from my echolocation. I was cut up and bloody, but the Bug Fighter had been destroyed. I was fine.
ARRRG! Something was bitting me! I swam toward a rock. There was some kind of big worm on top of me. Let me go!
I intentionally crashed into the rock, expecting to bruise the creature that was eating chunks of my flesh off. Instead I simply burst it open. Blood billowed. Blood with an alien taste.
Yeerk!
The creature did fly off all of the sudden. I echolocated. It was big. The thickness of a tree. It had way to many centipede legs and lobster arms. Globular eyes that were probably compound. Circular mouth with small protrusions that were probably teeth. Something within the mouth was circling. A tongue probably. It was circling itself as if trying to eat itself. Then it saw me.
You want to eat me! I bet I could eat you first!
We raced toward each other in some psychotic version of chicken. I opened my mouth and it opened its. Mine was apparently much bigger. I eat him in one chomp. Disgusting creature. Didn't taste all that great either. Only then did I consider that maybe that the creature was Visser Three.
Yeah right I said. Wouldn't that be my luck? The Visser would never morph something that weak. And it would have reproached me verbally if it was the Visser. I wonder where that coward is.
Closer than you think, Andalite! Suddenly, I was grabbed by something cold and metal. I was lifted out of the water into the air. I was being lifted into the belly of a ship. I couldn't see the ship, but I didn't need to. The feeling of extreme dread was all the hint I needed.
The Blade ship of Visser Three.