April 3, 1999 3:39 PM
"*Two arms. Two legs. Head. Body.*" Klika said. "*Not much to this creature is there?*"
"*It doesn't seem to be operational.*" I said, pretending to be fascinated as apposed to scared shitless.
"*It's smashed. It won't work. Look.*" Orbin concluded and pointed to the Chee's head. "*As a cleric, my diagnosis is massive head trauma.*"
"*Orbin, this thing isn't alive.*" Klika teased.
"*No argument there, Klika. My question is to weather to classify this as non-living or dead.*" Orbin said as he removed a steel plate, handing it to Klika, and an ivory plate, handing it to me.
Klika picked hers up with her bottom arms, which handed it to her tentacles which handed it to her main arms. She looked at it closely.
"*This is organic metal!*" Klika observed.
"*This plate looks like ivory.*" I said.
"*Ivory that was once alive.*" Orbin argued.
"*So, in essence, this was a living machine.*" Klika summarized. "*Fascinating!*"
This is way I try not to hang around with scientists.
"*Look at the circuitry inside.*" I said. "*You can see the CPU at the base of the skull plates with a bundle of wires that appear to made of some preserved vegetive material. The wire bundle leads down the spine to where I'm sure most of the motor and communication functions are processed and carried out. It is almost as if this machine was based on an actual living creature. It's engineered the same why. It's amazing.*"
"*Look at this structure.*" Klika said. "*It looks like it was designed for a gravity of 40 nepegs. It must be incredible strong.*"
"*What's its power source?*" I asked.
"*I think its. . . .*" Orbin said dubiously. "*Yes! It is. Geothermic energy! That's why it couldn't repair itself. It was away from a planet.*"
"*A machine that feeds off of geothermic energy. Maybe it's Leeran.*" Klika theorized.
"*The creature in the video file said this machine belonged to the Pemalites. Is that right, Dovineer?*"
"*Yes.*" I said. "*But the creature referred to the Pemalites as mythical beasts. Maybe they actually never existed, and these machines were created by something else.*" I said, despite the fact I knew for a fact that the Pemalites did at one point exist.
"*This is one amazing android. This thing is the most advanced piece of technology I have ever seen. I mean, never have I see anything like it! Never!*" Orbin said, getting hysterical. "*I mean, this is like nothing I've ever seen.*"
"*You've said that.*" I said.
"*You don't understand, Davi . . . Dovineer. I mean, this thing is totally different. Organic spirit in an organic machine. It is absolutely amazing. This is way past anything the Yeerks or the Andalites have. This is going to make the Andalites look like Hork-Bajir! This is something we would have never thou--*"
"*Hey.*" I said to the hysterical scientist. "*Maybe we should take a break.*"
"*I think the Sexy Greenie is right.*" Klika agreed, giving me a rather demeaning nickname in the process. "*You're starting to get fanatical again. You should eat before you go on one of your research binges.*"
"*Yeah. Maybe you're right.*" Orbin said as he stepped reluctantly away from the damaged Chee. "*I'll just put it in the analyzer and we'll go eat.*"
"*Analyzer?*" I asked.
"*The C.L.I.T grad never used an analyzer?*" Klika said as her simple eyes narrowed and her compound eye got brighter in the middle, but darker everywhere else. (It was fascinating to watch. Weird as fuck.) She was suspicious.
"*Of course he's used a Chathu Perring Schematical Analyzer before. He's probably just never heard our short-hand term for it.*" Orbin explained, saving my ass once again.
"*Yeah, how is it that you use all the slang terms for stuff, yet I'm the bumpkin?*" I quipped at her.
That may have been too far because Klika turned her head around and then one of her tentacles slapped me on the underside of my bottom half.
Ok, that had to be sexual harassment! I thought-yelled at Orbin.
Orbin and Klika led me to the dining hall. Meanwhile, I tried to remember everything I knew about the Chee.
They were created by the Pemalites who were destroyed by the Howlers. They landed on Terra Firma around the plagues, but perished anyway. The Chee bonded their essence with cannis lycanis (or wolves), creating cannis domesticas (or dogs). The Chee have great strength because the Pemalite home world has a gravity four times stronger than Terra Firma's. They also had holographic powers that would shame Mysterio. These were powerful robots. But they were programed against violence. A Chee can never take a life. But this chee's memory banks are probably erased. If we get the chee functional again, we would have to reprogram it. If we don't put in the violence prohibition . . . . .
"*We are here*" Klika said.
The weirdest thing about the dining hall was that it wasn't weird at all. All the dayangs got into a line and got what they wanted. Kind of like a school cafeteria.
"*What are we serving, Rozix?*" Orbin asked one of the dayangs who was serving. In morph, I could easily tell Rozix was an elderly, unattractive female. Her brown hair was faded. Lunchladies are the same the universe over, apparently.
"*We're serving Dibulob Tendril*" Rozix said in her rather raspy voice. Believe me. 'Val-ar skeegok dibulob jeekon' is not music to any ear. "*Baked or fried?*"
"*Baked*" Orbin told Rozix. Then to me, "Get the baked. Fried is bad for you."
"*Baked, please.*" I requested.
"*Me, too.*" Klika said.
"*Fried for me.*" said a dayang I didn't know.
"*You know, Taban, I can hear your arteries clogging. Before your fifth decade, your tentacles are going to go limp and stiff, your fur will fall out and you'll have arthritis and b'piransitis.*"
"*When you're old and transparent, Klika, I'll still be fit as a firgeen.*" Taban teased as he followed us to our table and sat down. Dayang sitting involved resting the bottom half on a pillow. Almost as if our bottom halves were lying down. It was very relaxing. "*Whose the kid?*" Taban finally said.
"*That's Dovineer.* Klika said. "*He's from Lamdald, but he's a C.L.I.T graduate.*"
"*Went to C.L.I.T, eh? Not bad for a farm boy.*"
"*What are these?*" I asked of a food that I had that looked like the wings of a butterfly.
"*Lirachurn wings*" Orbin answered. Oh.
"*And these?*" I asked of something that was green, but looked like a little too much like Spawn.
"*What? The farm boy doesn't know jirems when he sees them. They're waved. That's why their green. It's our new-fangled way of cooking food.*" Taban teased. "*I'm sure in Lamdald they have some sophisticated art of spit roasting, but here we just wave it.*"
"*You mean microwave?*" I wondered aloud.
"*You're right, Klika. This guy's C.L.I.T material all right.*" Taban said as his tentacles started moving in wave patterns. He was laughing.
"*Just drink your Churka juice, Dovineer.*" Orbin said.
I drank it. It tasted very familiar. This is like a drink on Terra Firma called coffee. I said privately to Orbin.
Orbin answered me by lightly tapping the pillow with his bottom hands. Approval. I hate coffee. I informed him. I got up and got some water, but then I saw this blue stuff that all the people were going to. So I got some and started drinking. It was good. A little thick, but it tasted like some exotic fruit drink. I sat down and my lunchmates all stared at me.
"*What?*"
"*Farm boy, you do realize you're drinking mirgin sauce, right?*" Taban said. I looked at the other plates and found that most of the people were pouring the blue sauce over their dibulob tendrils. Others were also dipping the Lirachurn wings in them.
Now I know how Aximili feels. I saw him once eat whole packets of tabasco sauce from Taco Bell. Tobias told me it wasn't the first time he's done that. "*I like mirgin sauce.*" I finally said.
The rest of lunch went without incident. Orbin kept trying to talk about the Chee. Klika and I wanted him to shut up. Taban wasn't even slightly interested. In fact, he spent most of them poking Klika with his tentacles. Flirting.
As we left, Klika got us some dessert. Something she called a goflit. She asked me if I wanted buzzen or dramnay fruit spread. I arbitrarily chose buzzen. The goflit appeared to be made of spherical bread covered completely on one hemispere with some kind of fruit spread. In my case, I chose the buzzen fruit. Whatever the hell a buzzen was. When I tried it, I was again taken by a familiar taste sensation. This time, it was the good kind.
This is a donut. I told Orbin, who I hoped was smart enough to realize that a donut was a snack on my planet. A good donut too. You have coffee. Why not donuts?
"*Hey, Orbin.*" Klika said as we got back to the lab. "*The analyzer is already finished. Look, we have detailed schematics of the machine. The analyzer usually takes hours. This is a new record.*"
Yeah, thanks, Ellimist. I said sarcastically to no one.
"*Amazing. Absolutely amazing.*" Orbin said. "*We can make our own machine and really see what it can do.*"
"*We can even mass produce these things.*" Klika suggested. "*With this super-strong structure, any army in the universe would love to get their hands on a weapon such as this.*"
That shook Orbin out of his funk. Shook me too. "*Wait a minute, weapon?*"
"*Of course, Orbin. We can sell this technology to any army and be set for life.*"
"*Hey, let's discuss this!*" I argued. I was not in favor of just selling off the Chee technology to just anyone. God knows who would get their hands on it.
"*Sweet tentacles, spare me your Lamdaldan rhetoric.*" Klika said. "*If Orbin's right, this is the score of a lifetime.*"
"*You really are merchants.*" I realized. They were a species of traders. Salesman. "*'My poverty but not my will consents.'*" I said quoting Romeo and Juliet.
"*This neural net can access organic nets*" Klika theorized while looking at the schematics. "*You know who these machines would be perfect for?*"
"*Yeah, I do.*" Orbin reluctantly admitted, giving me a look. His red compound eye got darker and his green simple eyes narrowed. He was hiding something.
"*Who?*" I asked.
"*One of our more frequent clients.*" Klika said. "*Let's give him a call!*" she said with all the restraint of a cheerleader at a slumber party.
Who are we calling, Orbin??!!
"*I don't think this is such a good idea. We haven't even built a prototype. We should dissect or dismantle the first one.*" Orbin contested.
But it was too late. Klika started a transmission. We got a Hork-Bajir face on the monitor.
"*Hork-Bajir?*" I pondered aloud.
"*You know your aliens.*" Klika said amazed. "*But at what species are we really talking to?*"
Oh. Hell no.
"*Dayang Traders? What do you want?*" The Hork-Bajir said in a language I now know as Galard.
"*We got a proposition for your leader. May we speak with him?*" Klika asked in Galard very politely and bubbly.
With the Ellimist holding the pen, I should have known how this story was to end.
The Hork-Bajir complied and then his leader appeared. He appeared.
Ah, HELL no!
What do you want Traders? the cruel thought-speech voice asked.
"*My name is Klika Rowach-468. This is Orbin Vaker-132 and Dovineer Huuntii-045. We have discovered information that will enable you and your empire to construct war machines that can be controlled by something organic. It will enable your Yeerks to control them just as you would a living creature. They are extremely powerful and open to possibilities.*"
Hell No! This was all my fault. If I never came on this ship, opened up the alien ship with my thought-speech, all this would never have happened. Damn you, Ellimist. Is this why you brought me here. To stumble upon the destruction of my planet. You've made your point I'm not supposed to be here!!!
He didn't answer. Maybe it wasn't too late.
"*Visser?*" I said quickly. "*We believe their to be a few bugs in the system. We're working on it, but no system is perfect.*"
What did you say, worm?! You had better repeat that. In Galard, this time! The Visser roared accusingly at me. Fuck. I can't speak Galard.
"*I apologize, Visser.*" Orbin said. "*My assistant is from the underdeveloped parts of my planet and doesn't know Galard. He merely said that you can come by and pick up a prototype and view a demonstration in three hours.*"
"*That's not what I said!*" I shouted, uselessly. The Visser may not be able to understand Draque, but I know it can understand English. I started to remove my speech synthesizer. "*Fucking speech box!*"
I'll be there in three hours. If your claims are true Klika, then you and your entire crew will be handsomely rewarded.
"*Thank you, Visser.*" Klika said. The transmission ended just as I ripped the device out.
"Damnit!" I said.
"*Lamdald or not! A C.L.I.T graduate should know Galard!*" Klika shouted accusingly. Her top half has slid all the way forward and her tentacles were going wild. Her red eye also brightened a great deal. "*Who are you? Why are trying to sabotage this, Farm Boy?*"
"I do not deal with murderers!" I shouted.
"*What language are you speaking? What murderers? He's a Yeerk Visser! So what? He'll pay us greatly for this technology.*"
"He'll use it to enslave other species!"
"*Is it me? I don't see a problem. Orbin, explain!*"
"*Heh-heh. You know how Lamdaldans are.*" Orbin offered weakly.
"*Lamdaldan, my tentacles!*" Klika said. "*Who is he?*"
I started to demorph. "I am David Hunting! A Homo Sapien and enemy to the Yeerks. Especially the Yeerk named Visser Three!" I said as I became fully human.
"*A homo sapien? Who can morph?*" Klika said as her top half slid all the way back.
"*David.*" Orbin said. "*This is what we do. We discover things and then we sell them to the highest bidder. The Yeerk Empire has always been generous to us, and with a technology like this, we'll get our own tropical moon, for sure. Maybe even a few Mak-controllers as servants. We'll never have to travel or work again.*"
"You guys are definitely more merchant than warrior." I spat bitterly.
"*Listen, the truth is, we would have never done this without you.*" Klika said. "*You can be with us. After we get paid, it won't matter if you're a Dayang or a Homo sapien. You can live peacefully with us. Never having to fight a Yeerk again. If there is any one you want to save on Terra Firma, we can add them to our price?*"
That got me. "What?"
"*Have the Yeerks taken anyone you care about?*" Klika asked.
I could have lied. "My parents."
"Then we will say we want your parents plus a sanctuary as our price. It is as simple as that. It shouldn't be hard. Your species is the only known Class Five. Six billion people. I think the Empire can spare two. Two parents, right?*"
"Yeah, two."
"*Then it is settled.*" Klika said.
"*You should rest, David. Klika and I will build the prototype.*"
In the alien ship was a web of vines that swung like a hammock. I rested there. This is the decision, the choice, that Ellimist had planed for me. Somehow this will prove my worth.
I can save my parents, but Terra Firma will be taken, without a doubt. With an army of Chee, nothing will stop Visser Three. Six billion people will be slaves to the Yeerks.
But what do I care about them? I only care about people who care about me.
But that list is longer than two people. Stephanie. Cassie. Jason. Aximili. Tobias. But Stephanie has her own list of people she would want saved. And Cassie, she would want to save Rachel, Marco, her parents, . . .
Jake.
All the Animorphs have people they want saved. Marco's mother is Visser One. They'll never agree to that!
And Cassie would never forgive me for taking her from the fight. Or from tearing her from her family. Stephanie too.
And I can't live without them. Maybe. I mean, what if I stay a Dayang forever. I saw how Klika looked at me. She didn't look half-bad to a Dayang.
The hell was I saying?! I am a human. Homo sapien. I fight for Earth. Terra Firma. I can't just take this easy way out.
But what choice did I have? Klika and Orbin are preparing the Prototype. If I putsch the whole deal, then the Visser will surely destroy the Rogin Gavic and everyone aboard.
I didn't ask to come here. I didn't ask to stumble upon the chee.
But I can't just sacrifice a whole shipful of people just because I want to save my planet and future ones from an army of unstoppable androids.
I had to stop the Visser, but without putting the Rogin Gavic in danger.
How far will the Ellimist take this? How much of this story do I have to write? If I putch the deal and sacrifice my easy way out, will that be it?
No. When you chose an action. You chose the consequences of that action. Every action has consequences. I must live out the consequences, and hopefully more actions will mean less consequences to the Rogin Gavic.
I stewed inside the ship, I stewed for hours. Finally, I settled on a plan. A dangerous, risky, David-you-do-realize-you're-not-Batman type plan. But it could work.
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I joined Klika and Orbin as a human. "I have made my decision." I announced like an over-dramatic TV character. "I shall aid you in the production and distribution of these androids. I will be paid the same as you: the sanctuary."
"*And who shall we save?*" Klika asked.
"No one." I said. "I will go alone. In fact, the Visser nor any other yeerk must know that I am human." Oh, but he will, when I am through with him. I privately thought
"*Very well, David.*" Orbin complied. "*I have informed First Mate Hollin of the situation. He is pleased at us, but rather displeased with you. He doesn't trust you.*"
"*He thinks you're going to ruin it and kill us all.*" Klika blurted.
"*And of course since First Mate Hollin knows, Captain Gwarver Passay-039 knows.*" Orbin warned. "*Gwarver is even more mercenary than Hollin. We should be careful.*"
"The captain? What's he like?" I asked.
That's when a blue light started to go off in our hanger/lab.
"*Sounds like you'll met him soon enough.*" said Orbin.
"*Visser Three. He's here!*" Klika said excitedly.
How can anyone be excited to meet Visser Three?!
The three of us took the Prototype to the bay where we were receiving the Visser. Captain Hollin was there along with a black haired(but with clear streaks, a sign of age) Dayang. The captain. Several other Dayangs stood at attention. I couldn't see Erko, but Picum was easy to point out. He was the only one with blue hair. He waved his tentacles at us like an idiot and then stood back at attention. I was in Dayang morph, of course. I had a Galard speech synthesizer in my throat too. The Visser walked confidently toward us.
Suddenly the anger of seeing him again rushed in me. I had to fight back against the anger, ignoring it. Emotion made my compound eye glow, thus blowing my cover.
The Visser had many Hork-Bajir wearing red and black uniforms. A few humans as well. One of whom I recognized.
Thomas Berenson. Jake's brother.
Another figure was with the Visser. It was cloaked so I could not see much. I could see that it had claws shaped like crab pincers, but covered in scales, and a scaly tail. The figure was flanked with many super burly Hork-Bajir wearing blue bands.
Blue bands? Visser Three doesn't control a unit of Blue Bands. But then I remembered who did. Visser One and each member of the Council of Thirteen. I knew Visser One was a human-controller. So that meant that this shrouded figure was a . . .
"*Greetings, Visser Three of the Yeerk Empire!*" Captain Gwarver said in Galard. "*May we have Excellent and Peaceful Business!*"
We always do, Gwarver. the Visser said.
I'll fucking kill you, Visser! I thought to myself. But not today.
I, too, am entertaining a guest. Captain Gwarver of the Dayang Ship Rogin Gavic, meet Council Member Four.
A Coucil Member! I knew it!
"*What a fortuitous event this is!*" said Gwarver.
Jesus Christ, what a kiss-ass!
"*What do you think of my crew's work?*" Gwarver asked.
"*I think, like all of our transactions, will be of great use to the Yeerks.*" The council member said. "*Assuming it is used properly*" That last comment was directed at the visser, for some reason.
Being limited to writing in English, I really can't convey the harshness of Council Member Four's words. He was speaking Galard, but they way we talked left him hissing at every 's'. Hence, is scathing comment to Visser Three actually sounded like this. "Corgus-s-s-s-s bor prys-s-s-sil Fvokas-s-s-s-satis-s-s-s-s-s-s!" It was like he was deliberately choosing words that had the scathing 's' sounds.
The Visser looked both angry and frightened at the same time. It was pretty fucking weird, but I guess the Visser decided to get down to business. Doctor Orbin! Show us the prototype.
We displayed the android to the Visser and the Council Member.
"*How shall we test it?*" asked the council member.
"*One of you must try it out.*" said Klika.
Temrash two-zero-one! Come here my pool-mate.
Tom Berenson stepped forward.
"*Pool-mate?*" asked the council member. "*Are we showing nepotism, Visser? Moreover, why is your temrash using the body of a human youth.*"
Council Member Four, this body has been used by both my current Temrash and his predecessor, Argal Seven-zero-zero, who was killed in an attack by the Andalite Bandits.
I saw Hollin and Gwarver twitch their tentacles in a wave pattern. A contained chuckle. Hollin's was better contained than Gwarver's I noticed too.
"*Ah yes, but if I remember correctly, Argal was supposed to take the body of a prominent human leader.*" continued the council member.
"*His failure is just as well.*" Tom/Temrash two-zero-one spoke up for the first time, in perfect Galard. "*That particular official failed to become re-elected last year.*"
Let us try out this prototype! said the Visser out of frustration. He did not like being constantly grilled for his failures.
"*Just put your ear up to the machine's 'ear'. You will soon reach the neural network. Take control as if it were a brain.*" Orbin tutored.
Two of the Visser's Hork-Bajir held Temrash in place. Temrash put his ear to the droid. After a while, I guess he lost contact with Tom, because he started thrashing around like Bellevue's newest tenant.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Tom yelled. He realized his impotence and turned his anger on me and the other dayangs. "You fucking, greedy pigs! Don't you realize you've made a deal with the devil?"
Good. The old boy still has some fight left. He's just as stubborn as his goddamn brother and cousin.
All at once, the droid came alive.
"Hearing and vision is excellent. Movement, incredible." Said the Temrash as he controlled the machine and hopped about. He then started playing with the holograms. He became Tom, a Hork-Bajir, a Taxxon, the President, and Andalite warrior, Visser Three, a Horse, A control panel, Jake, Mr. Berenson, Mrs. Berenson, a Gedd, a Volkswagon, a Jaguar (the cat), a Jaguar (the car), a creature I didn't recognize (but matched the height and had claws and a tail like the Council Member), and finally a Dayang.
"Better than Morphing." Is all he said.
Excellent. the Visser said.
"*If your Temrash would leave the Thanatost, I would like to show you its automation mode.*" Klika said.
Thanatost? I asked Orbin privately.
"*It's Draque. 'Than' meaning war and 'Atost' meaning machine.*" Orbin whispered to me.
Language can be funny sometimes. Like between 'kuichi' and "cootchey". The former is Japanese for mouth; the latter is English slang for pussy. Sort of similar, but not quite.
'Thanatost' is Draque for War Machine. Thanatos is a Greek word meaning death.
Six animals were brought out. One snake like creature with two tendrils. The other five were these green things with triceratops-looking heads without the horns. They each had four legs and a bulb out their rear, which reminded me of a thorax. They each had a large tendril coming out of their backs. I recognized the tendril. It's what I had for lunch. These were dibulobs.
"*Thanatost-0, destroy all dibulobs.*" Klika said.
In a blur too fast to see, Thanatost-0 circled around the six animals quickly and fired five dracon beams. When it came to a rest. Only one creature was left alive.
"*As you can see, the five dibulobs have been vaporized. The blacle snake, however, is unharmed.*" Klika said, finishing her presentation.
The Hork-Bajir and humans clapped. The Dayangs pounded the knuckles of their bottom hands to the floor. The Council Member's claws started to rock forward and back. Three other appendages did identical movements from under his cloak. The Visser just stood there and smiled deviously with his eyes.
Excellent. was all he said. This guy made Montgomery Burns look like a brain-dead cheerleader. I have seen enough. I shall take the prototype. I want twenty thousand of these Thanatosts in twenty-seven hours. We have already picked out a sanctuary for you. A nice piece of real estate on the fourth moon of Pentasera, the home world of the S-s-s-stram. I'm sure Council Member Four will agree that it is a nice place.
The council member seemed to radiate heat. My translator interpreted that as a gesture of extreme annoyance. The Council Member's Blue Bands looked equally as uneasy. I guess the Visser said something he really shouldn't.
Of course. This member's form is supposed to be secret. The Visser just gave it away.
dick.
What was that? the Visser roared.
Suspicious looks shot everywhere. I guess I thought-spoke too loud. Well if it was supposed to be a secret it sure isn't being kept too well. Hell, his hands and tail are showing for Christ's sake!
The Visser, the council member, and their entourages left with the prototype. The Captain congratulated us on a job well done. The Visser walked off with a machine that was more powerful than any war machine ever created. The next time I saw the Visser I would be delivering twenty thousand of said androids of death.
All goes according to plan.
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To my Adoring fans,
Hey sorry, this took so long to post. It happens when you LOSE THE F**KING DISK--TWICE!!
Now that we are past that unnecessary anger, I just want to wish you all a Merry Christmas, and chapter 18 should be up before the new year.
I promise.
Till next we meet,
Augustine Quill