June 13, 1999 1:36 PM
Ah, summer. No more teachers. No more books.
Except I don't have teachers or books.
I've been bored out of my mind. I mean, after our last mission on the Iskoort Home world, I could use a break. For two days, I was still mix-and-match morphing. It finally stopped around Marco's fifteenth birthday. Jake's birthday is in a week. Yes, we are all growing up fast.
Marco has actually grown taller than Cassie. He was very proud of himself.
Lately, the Animorphs have gotten around to telling me about their adventures from before my time.
Let me tell you, they've gotten into some shit. Sario Rips and Psychic Frogs. Visser One. Melissa Chapman. Joe Bob Fenestre. Ascaulin. The Mercora and the Nesk. Aftran.
A lot of shit.
It was when Marco told me about the time they met Erek and the other Chee that I got this idea. See, I was nearly finished with the Thanatost CPU. All it needed was a sentience program. I figured with a certain artifact, I could achieve this. See, I had built this scanner thing, with Aximili's help, that could tell me programing specs and schematics for . . . .anything really. I told Aximili it was so we could build a DVD player, but when I tried it on Erek, it kept giving me error messages, but with this artifact, I could finally do it.
So that's why I was two hundred feet below water looking for this object. I've been at this all day. My new octopus morph helped a lot. I had found what I wanted earlier in dolphin morph, so I returned in octopus morph to get it. My little suction cups grabbed it easily. I swam to the surface, demorphed, and swam as a human back to shore.
Once I reached the beach I opened my fist to reveal my treasure. A Pemalite Crystal.
I flew back to the Scoop to install the crystal into my scanner. I found a yellow Post-it note on my computer monitor. Aximili's writing.
"Chee in trouble. Meet us at Erek's house."
"Ok." I said as I started my morph to Golden Eagle. It was a hard flight carrying that scanner in my talons. I wished I still had the super-strength I had when I was on boda salts. I flew to Erek's house and came in through the front door. Erek and his 'father' were sitting on the couch watching TV. They were not using their holograms.
"Hey! Erek? I heard you're having a little trouble. Why aren't you using your holograms?"
"That's part of the problem. Motor functions and holographic capabilities are inoperable. Logic centers, speech synthesizers, and Chee-net fully operational."
"Chee-net?"
"So you're always close to the ones you love." Erek answered sarcastically.
"You've been watching too much daytime tv." I said, I decided now would be a good time to test the scanner. "Mind if I try out Aximili's new toy? I'd ask you to hold still, but . . ."
I activated the scanner. It read the Chee's programing and even downloaded a schematic. It was almost too easy.
"It didn't work." I lied.
"Most analytical devices won't work on us. You'd need a Pemalite crystal for that."
Where the hell have you been?
I turned around to see an osprey and falcon.
"Out for a swim. Where are the others?"
They went home. Jake said. I don't suppose you have any ideas on how to get down to fifteen thousand feet.
There's an odd question. "Can Octopuses go down that far?"
"No." Erek answered.
"Oh well. Why do you ask?"
"To fix our problem, someone has to go down to the Pemalite ship and restore our functions. The ship is fifteen thousand feet under the sea."
"Is that more or less than 20,000 leagues?"
So it was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! Marco cried.
"What?"
Never mind. Jake answered, as he and Marco demorphed. "I'm sorry, Erek. We may have rescued your friend, but we can't get to the ship. At ten o'clock that Chee will be found and Yeerks will have Pemalite technology. Are only hope is to rescue him. We can't find a way down to the ship."
"You will." Erek said confidently. "We have faith in you."
"Great." I muttered. "Maybe we can pray our way to the Ship."
"Don't worry about what form you are in when you are down there. The ship will accommodate any life-form. Just touch an interface panel and the ship will analyze your DNA. It will then provide a suitable environment."
"When you get inside the ship you will need the access code to turn off the signal." said Mr. King. "The access code is 6."
"And?" I asked.
"Just six." answered Erek.
On the Dayang ship there was some kind of tree that held a broken down chee. The tree had an access panel. The access code to that turned out to be 6.
The Chee then gave directions on where to find the ship.
"All right. We'll do our best. Let's go." Jake said diplomatically.
"What about those big old squids like in the book." I said as I grabbed the scanner and left the house.
"We thought of that." Marco said. "No giant squids in captivity. The only animal that can find giant squids are sperm whales."
"No sperm whales in captivity either. Do you know where we could find a sperm whale?" Jake asked rhetorically as we left the house.
Hey, guys, it's me. said a voice. We looked up and saw a bald eagle. Rachel. Listen, a live sperm whale washed up on the beach. We have to acquire it. Be at Cassie's as soon as possible.
"Is it me or is that a little weird?" I asked.
"I have to stop off at home." Jake said. "David, drop off whatever that thing is and get Ax."
Marco and I morphed behind a shed and flew to our respective locations.
I flew in under the roof of our scoop and with awesome precision, dropped the scanner onto my bed. Aximili was grazing.
David. Aximili said to me. Do you know what is going up?
I think you mean going down and yes. Rachel just told us that a sperm whale has washed up onto the beach.
Yes, I have just seen the report on the 4:00 news program on ABC. Actually, the ABC affiliate for Trenton.
Whatever. Let's morph and fly to Cassie's.
Aximili morphed to harrier and took off. We were joined by a Red-tailed hawk.
David? Ax-man? Is that you guys?
Yeah, it's us, Bird. We got to haul tail feathers. Did you hear about the whale?
Yeah. Let's go.
So we, the three wild boys, found two ospreys and a bald eagle in a cherry tree by Cassie's barn.
Is this the raptors' convention? I wondered.
Where's Prince Jake? Ax asked.
He had stop home first. Marco said. His parents are expecting him. He has to weasel out somehow.
Twenty minutes later: You'll appreciate this little update: The sharing is sending volunteers down to help save the whale. You know, what with TV cameras being there. Gives them a great opportunity to be saintly and environmental and all.
Controllers. Great. I complained.
Maybe that's it, maybe not. Cassie said. They may think it's one of us.
We're being manipulated here, but not by the Yeerks. Jake said. Not even they can arrange for a sperm whale to conveniently beach itself. They could shoot one, but talk a live one into beaching? Not their style.
So who? Tobias wondered. Who goes to all the trouble to get to the Pemalite ship, use it to mess with the Chee, and then hand us the means to get down there? Not the Yeerks. Not the Ellimist. Not his style.
Yeah. He'd actually move the seven of us under water to acquire the damn thing. Could it be Crayak?
Maybe. Jake said. Everyone keep your eyes open. This whole think stinks.
We may not have long. Cassie said. Beached whales can't support their weight on land. They end ups crushing themselves to death. That whale is slowly suffocating.
Let's do it. Rachel said.
Because we couldn't look like we were flying together, it took a while for us to reach the beach. I swear to God, we should just acquire ducks so we can fly in formation and not be so fucking conspicuous.
When we did get to the beach, we saw the sperm whale. He was big. Large. Powerful. It was his own power that was killing him.
Look at it. I marveled. Look at the size of it! Absolutely Beautiful.
Men and their preoccupation with size. Rachel shouted. No wonder this species is called a sperm whale.
Jesus Christ, you'd need an egg cell the size of the Goddamn Moon.
Ewwww. Marco, Cassie, and Tobias said at the same time.
Guys. Cut it out. Jake said.
Okay, Dad. Rachel said.
After Jake briefed them on the Pemalites' crack security, we landed behind a dune of grass. Tobias stayed afloat to guard as we demorphed.
"It's occurred to everyone that this is all a trap, right?" Rachel said.
"No, shit." I quiped.
"You suspect treachery? Now, why didn't I think of that?" Marco teased.
"Ok, new rule, David and Marco aren't allowed on missions together." Rachel grumbled. "Morons."
"What's twisting your tit?" I asked.
"I just think that we may be a little obvious, especially hanging out with a little boy on the Yeerks' Most Wanted List."
The emphasis was unnecessary.
"Rachel's right." Marco said, all ready to take the bitch's side. "How many should go whale?"
"Two." Jake said. "In the Animorphs, we double up on everything. Two of us will morph whale. Excluding Ax, we can't put an Andalite in plain view of a bunch of controllers. Two of us will morph into whales and go find a squid. The rest of us will use our dolphin morphs, stay topside as backup —"
"Who gets to be the whales?" Rachel interrupted. "I'll do it."
"I'll do it." I also said.
"You know, Rachel, you're like the smart kid in class who sits in the front and always raises her hand. 'I know! I know!' Only with you it's 'I'll go! I'll go!'"
Rachel seemed to think that was funny.
"I'll guess we'll draw straws." Jake said.
Ahh. The human scientific method. Ax said.
Jake had five straws ready.
I'm in on this. Tobias said.
Jake grabbed a sixth.
Marco drew. Long.
Cassie drew. Long.
I had a 50/50 chance. I drew. Long. "Damnit!"
Rachel drew. Short. She had 2 in 3 chance.
My turn. Tobias drew. Short. That surprised me. Tobias hated the water. It occurs to me that he could easily cheat and not have picked the short one. So why did he? Duh. He loves Rachel.
"Rachel and Tobias." Jake said giving Tobias a glare. He figured it out too. "All right, Rachel? You and Cassie go down to save the whale. Cassie being there will seem normal. Everyone know she's —"
"–a tree-hugging animal nut." Marco added.
"And everyone knows Rachel is Cassie's best friend. It works out. Tobias? In and out, man. Choose you time, zip in, lock talon, and bail. The rest of us will stay up here as backup. Ax? Morph to seagull and give us some air cover."
Cassie and Jake both wanted a private moment with Rachel. I took the initiative and snuck away from the group. I swiped a Coast Guard poncho from a tent and put it on. The hood hid my face. I was walking toward the whale, when I was knocked over by someone.
"Oof!" I said as I hit the ground.
"Oh God. I'm sorry." said a young female voice. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." I said. I looked up.
She had long, pale blond hair. Pale skin. She was pretty. She had grey eyes. Beautiful, grey eyes.
"Hi." she said for no apparent reason.
"Hi." I said with equal purpose.
"You look about my age."
Oh shit! I wasn't in morph. I was me. She was looking at the real me. She didn't appear to be a controller. She was acting too sweet and unsurprised. Interested. But not surprised. I stood up. She was about half a foot shorter at 5'2". She had a small but powerful frame. Like a gymnast. Like Rachel, but she was warm.
"You got me. I just wanted to see the whale." I said. Was she a controller? "Yeerk." I said to test her.
"My what?" She said. She thought I said "your k-". She's safe I think.
"Nevermind."
"You said you wanted to see the whale?"
"Um . . .yeah."
"I can take you there. My dad is with The Sharing. They're helping out." She mentioned The Sharing, a controller organization. If she were a controller, she should know that mentioning a tie to The Sharing would make me suspicious. Or was she counting on that? Or was I being paranoid?!
"Thanks." I said, smiling.
She smiled back. She had a pretty smile. Very pretty.
She giggled. "Thanks." she said as she blushed. Shit, there goes my verbal diarrhea again.
Just say whatever you want, David. Don't worry about the consequences!
"Melissa?" a man yelled. It was Mr. Chapman! Shit!
"Dad?" the girl said. Holy shit! This was Melissa Chapman? Chapman's daughter? Rachel told me about her.
"Melissa, dear, I was worried about you." Chapman said. I turned my back to his face. "You, sir? Who are you?"
"No one of consequence." I said as I walked off.
"Wait? Come back! Don't you want to see the whale with me?" Melissa shouted.
Chapman came after me, suspicious of me. I went inside the Coast Guard's tent. It was teaming with activity. No one noticed me. No one noticed as I sat in a corner and shrank away to nothing. Chapman came in. He found a poncho lying on the ground. He did not find the black rat leaving the tent. I ran to a dune, demorphed, and remorphed to seagull. As a seagull I saw and heard Chapman talk to his daughter.
"Melissa, did you know that boy?"
"No, Dad. I just met him that second. I don't even know his name. Look he said he just stole the poncho so he could see the whale, can't we leave him alone? You're always going after these bad kids like they're criminals or something. Of course he did say I was pretty. Maybe he's some kind of rapist or something."
She said it sarcastically. She said it like she didn't believe it and was trying to get a rise out of her father. Her father may have cared about the strange boy who was flirting his daughter, but the Yeerk, . . . um, what was his name . . . Iniss two two six, did not care. Poor Melissa.
You're doing it again. You're falling for girls who are nice to you. Who remind you of Steph.
Bad enough that you fell for the Animorph Leader's girlfriend. Now you're making eyes with the daughter of YEERK HONCHO!!!!
The whole world's against me, I swear to God.
David, where the hell were you? Jake asked.
Out for a swim? I repeated.
Very funny. David, I don't like it when I don't know where my team is. No one knew where you were. What if you were captured?
I'm fine, Jake. I was scopeing the terrain. Jesus.
All the way by the Coast Guard Tent?
Um, I'm spying on Chapman. I said, which was partly true. He was walking speedily toward the whale. Jogging in fact. He was pointing at the top of the whale's head. Where Tobias was. And it looks like he's spotted Tobias.
Tobias! What are you doing? Rachel yelled.
I'm stuck! My talon is caught on some kind of barnacle or something!
Diversion! Jake snapped. Now!
Make it look like we're chasing the hawk away from our territory. Cassie said. Try slamming Tobias. It may knock him loose.
Oh, great. Tobias grumbled.
Time to go forth and wreak havoc. I said.
You don't have to tell me twice. Rachel agreed.
Oh look! Chips! said my Seagull instincts. I dove down and snatched some from some guy's bag. They were Ruffles. I hate Ruffles. The seagull didn't seem to care. The one thing a seagull isn't is picky. It's always looking for anything (and I mean, anything.) That could be considered food.
As soon as Tobias was free, seven seagulls went out to sea. I never got to acquire the whale. We flew for over an hour. After which we landed in the ocean and floated like a bunch of corks. The first time I did this, there was a hurricane going on. This was much nicer.
Okay, we'll demorph and remorph one at a time. Jake said. David first. Tobias last.
Can I morph my killer whale? I asked. It might be good back up.
Ok, but be careful. Jake said.
One minute later, I was a human. Another minute later, I was an orca. I never told anyone this, but I hate going dolphin. I don't like the playful mind. I hate being happy all the time. I know that seems weird, but I just feel like a total goober when I demorph. Giddy, little child one minute. Grumpy teen the next. Happy is . . . . vulnerable. I hate that. Given the choice, I'll stay the grumpy teen. I've stayed away from dog morphs for that reason, as well.
Cassie went next, morphing a dolphin. Come on it, Jake. The water's fine!!! Cassie said, jumping into the air and landing down into the water.
One by one they became a pod of dolphins, then we got to Rachel and Tobias. They morphed the Sperm whale. They got seriously huge. With the exception of Jake getting tangled in Rachel's hair, the morph went on without incident.
Yee-HAH! Tobias shouted as it jumped out of the water and landed again.
Rachel and Tobias went under to hunt for the Squid. The rest of waited. And Waited. And waited.
They've been down to long. Cassie said.
Maybe they came up somewhere. Marco said.
Ax, how long have they been in morph? Jake asked.
Fifteen of your minutes. Aximili replied.
Ax, they're everybody's minutes. Your minutes. My minutes. Marco said.
Let it go, Flipper. I said.
Bite me, Shamu.
After about an hour of waiting, Rachel and Tobias came up with a giant squid. Here's a newsflash: Giant squids are HUGE! From head tip to tentacle tip we're talking the length of a basketball court. I acquired the thing and my arms stretched out to about two yards.
You still do that partial-morph acquiring thing? Marco asked.
"I can't help it. I think the blue box is broken, my powers are all weird."
After we acquired the ugly thing, Rachel let it go. Aximili reminded us we had two hours to find the ship.
Oh, good. We only had two hours in morph anyway.
Looking at the damn thing was weird enough, but now we had to morph the blasted thing. I focused on the image of the Giant Squid My head stretched. My arms and legs elongated. My torso shrank and disappeared. I got seriously huge.
Food. Food. Movement around. Food.
Oh, good. Another mindless predator. I don't morph enough of those.
The seven of us dove down into the water and searched for the Pemalite Ship. Even with Tobias leading the way, it was difficult. In the end, it was the lights from a few Yeerk ships that lit the way. They were heading toward the Pemalite ship, too, and because of them, we would get there first.
Once we jetted over a canyon, we saw it. Green. Dog-shaped. A particular dog.
Good Grief! I said.
It looks like Snoopy! Cassie said.
Floppy ears. Stumpy legs. Very silly, but the Pemalites designed this ship to be a toy, not a weapon.
Here's the enviromental adaptation panel Erek told us about. Jake said. Let's see what the Pemalite computer makes of this.
A yellow light flashed us and Jake entered in the Pemalites' top secret code. Immediately, the side of the ship slid opened to a chamber large enough to fit seven giant squid.
Cool. Marco said as we jetted inside. It might as well just say. "Hello? Giant Squid. Party of Seven?"
As the door closed, we got an illuminated glimpse of eight incoming Bug Fighters.
Brain Slugs? Party of Eight? I said.
We have company. Rachel said
Let's get this done. We have to get in and turn off the signal. Jake said.
Erek said we'd have an atmosphere designed to sustain our life-forms. Jake said. Hope they're prepared for Squid.
We entered the ship, curious as to what environment they had waiting for us. As we entered, we could easily tell that we were still swimming.
We were each suspended in large personal bubble that moved with us. It was impressive. We floated around the ship that seemed to be designed from kids in a MENSA camp. Van Gogh flowers and abstracts decorated the floor. The ship was filled with odd machines that were probably toys.
There were also plants. Pemalite plants. Trees, grass, flowers. Even a waterfall. Kind of what Blue described to me as a Dome Ship. We were looking for the Bridge. That was where we could turn off the signal that immoblized the Chee.
We found it in a tree trunk, which Aximili the nature boy found ludicrous.
Greetings Friends. said the ship as we activated the bridge. However, we would not want you to access this panel. It is possible that you might accidentally do yourself harm. And that would be so sad.
Turn off Mister Rodgers. I said.
Aximili punched in Six.
That is the correct code! Our concerns were misplaced.
Now that we've penetrated their crack security . . . Marco mocked.
Many thanks, friend. You now have access to the control panel. Make your selection at your convenience. When you are finished, we hope you will join us in a game, a delightful meal, or simply relax and enjoy yourself.
This is weird. Rachel said. You know, I heard Disney was building a cruise ship. Maybe this is it.
With a few more key punches from Aximili:All normal Chee functions are restored. Would you like something to eat? said the ship. Then, Chee destruct sequence has been activated. Are you sure this what you want? All Chee within range will self-destruct in fifteen minutes.
WHAT?? Cassie yelped.
What happened? Tobias demanded.
What did you do, Aximili? I demanded.
I don't know. Aximili admitted.
Oh. Shit.
The hull has become transparent.
We could see all too easily the Bug fighters that were ready to come in. We could see them and vice versa. We saw the Hork-Bajir and the Taxxons. And we saw him.
Visser Three. Rachel whispered.
Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime to be exact. Fucking slug.
They don't have the code. Cassie said.
It's a single digit. Marco said glumly.
The Yeerks got ready to enter the ship and cut us to ribbons as Tobias eloquently put it.
"Oh dilemma! Oh, drama! Oh, the tension and excitement of it all!" said a shrill voice.
What the hell was that? I said.
Where did that voice come from? Jake asked.
"Right here, Jake. From me, Big Jake Berenson. Jake, the reluctant leader. Jake, the oh-so-tiresomely decent one. A sanctimonious killer: my least favorite kind."
The puppetmaster. Rachel said. The guy behind all this.
Where are you? Come out and show yourself! Jake demanded.
"Come out. Come out. Wherever you are. Of course. I'll even come out with my hands up." said the voice as it stepped out from behind a tree. It stood on two bird-like legs. Scaley like a dinosaur. It had a stubby tail. It's hands were held up, opposable five-to-one hands. The arms were weak-looking. Brittle and multiple-jointed. The head was fairly human. He looked like a black-green Prune Face from Dick Tracy. Narrow jaw. Condescending eyes.
All right. What is that? Tobias asked.
Not a species I recognize. Aximili admitted.
I don't know what species it is, but I think we'd better report it to the Prune Growers Association. Marco said.
"Oh, Marco McCabe, the funny one!" The creature said mockingly, clapping. "How's Mommy, Marco? Is she alive or is she dead? Does she scream with the Yeerk in her head?"
Marco didn't find this very funny. He whipped two tentacles at the creature, but they stopped and bent back. As if the creature was protected by a force field.
"All here together?" the creature mocked. "Cassie Verenda, the hypocrite? 'I don't believe in violence . . . except when I do'. Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, the pitiful pale shadow of his dead brother? If only you'd insisted on going with Elfangor, maybe he'd have survived. Too bad. And Tobias, ah yes, Tobias van Gore. The boy not really so trapped as a bird, eh, but too gutless to resume life as a human? A . . . David Hunting, David the Disappointing. You could have been so . . . useful. Even as a rat. Now you're all brooding and angsty and booooooooooring. Too bad you'll never see your parents are your precious Stephanie ever again!"
I lashed several arms at him. They bent back. Fuck you!!! You prune-faced, Jurassic Park reject!!!!
"I'm emotionally wounded."
That thing knew about the "rat" thing. Only the Ellimist referred to me as rat. This thing did not work the Ellimist. If the Ellimist knew, then . . . . Crayak!
"Ah, Rachel Berenson, my very favorite Animorph. Rachel, Rachel. Do you feel the adrenaline rush of murderous desire? Do you fell the urge to reach out and destroy me? Of course, you do. You and I have that in common."
Who are you? Rachel snapped.
"Haven't figured it out yet? David has. Allow me to introduce myself. I am The Drode. It's a word from my species. It means 'wild card'."
Crayak. You're his tool. Jake concluded.
"Oh, very clever, Big Jake, Prince Jake. Have you killed your brother yet? No? Well, you will."
Crayak sent you? Jake answered calmly. Payback?
The grinning Drode ceased smiling suddenly. "Payback! You ruined his Howlers. Ruined his plan for the Iskoort. Crayak doesn't like you, Big Jake. Any of you. Although you have potential." He said, referring to Rachel. He then looked at me. "Don't spoil it, like some people."
Bite me, Raisin-head.
This is a setup. Rachel said. Causing the Chee malfunction. Setting things up so we could escape from the mall unnoticed. Killing that sperm whale. And now, starting a self-destruct for the chee.
"Whale killing? Me?" the Drode said with all the innocence of the town slut. "No, no, no. That big lump on the beach falls just over the line into sentience. And I never kill a sentient creature. Your whale will survive."
The rules. Aximili said. You still must live within the rules that govern the Ellimist and Crayak.
"Yes, yes, oh yes. Mustn't upset the balance. Not directly, anyways. But! Create problems? Yes. Create opportunities? Yes. Play the wild card? Of course. And now, no more time for chat. The Yeerks are here for you. Will they kill you outright? Or will they make you Controllers? I don't care. Either way, my master will reward me."
I thought you couldn't kill sentient creatures. Cassie said. That's the rule, isn't it? But you set the self-destruct for the Chee.
"They're machines, you silly girl. Androids." Drode laughed.
You're killing us. Tobias said. Putting us in an impossible situation. We can't morph here in plain view of the Yeerks. You know that. You know we can't fight back. That's the same as killing us. Murder.
"Nonsense." said the Drode. "There's always a way left for you. That's also part of the rules. Now, if you don't find it, well . . ." The Drode disappeared behind a tree.
We turned our attention to the decompression chamber where twenty-plus Hork-Bajir were gathering with half a dozen Taxxons and Visser Three.
I feel like throwing up. I said. At least that would cloud up my bubble.
Ink! Cassie said. Ink! That's the way out. Shoot your ink. It'll cloud these water bubbles. We'll be out of sight and we can morph without the Yeerks seeing us in human phase!
Do it! Jake said. Ax!
Yes, Prince Jake, I know.
Me, too. said Tobias.
I demorphed and began to morph again. Rachel said something about breathing. I wish I had payed attention because I was losing air.
I stuck my human head out of the bubble and breathed. I saw Ax fighting two Hork-Bajir and Tobias trying to back him up. My head went Lion. Soon, my whole body followed. I leapt out of the bubble on to the grass of the ship and began fighting.
My teeth bit at Hork-Bajir. My claws sliced Taxxon flesh. I fought. I was angry. The Drode said I would never see Steph again. It also said we couldn't survive this battle. Well, someone needs to be proven wrong.
I saw a Hork-Bajir grab Tobias and I backed up. Aximili backed up too. A tiger, a bear, a gorilla, and a wolf joined us.
I don't like these odds. Marco said.
I like them better now than five minutes ago. Rachel said.
So. We meet again, for the last time. You will never leave this ship alive. And this one . . . said the Visser pointing to the Hawk in the Hork-Bajir's hands, this one dies first.
Rachel charged. She basically ran over a Taxxon and attacked it.
Berserk Mode! I shouted as I rammed the nearest Hork-Bajir. The standstill turned violent in nanoseconds.
Too bad you'll never see your parents are your precious Stephanie ever again! The Drode's claim rang in my head. Anger and rage of a familiar sort boiled my mind and froze my heart.
I don't remember much of the next twenty minutes. I remember ripping and clawing into many Hork-Bajir throats. I remember saving a wolf. I remember the Visser morphing something that looked like what Jara described as a Jubba-Jubba. I remember the flash of steel and ivory.
I was angry. No, I was mad. Always in the back of my mind, throughout the deadly missions. Throughout the minutia of Jake's orders, Rachel's values, or Marco's jokes. Throughout the heart-irking displays of affection that Jake and Cassie shared publicly. Throughout the deadly deals and altercations we've had with Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime, the Third Visser of the Yeerk Empire, one thought kept me going.
I'll see Stephanie one day, again. One day, when the war is done. I'll be with her again.
But the Drode. Servant to the quasi-omnipotent Crayak, opponent to the quasi-omnipotent Ellimist. He had the inside scoop. What if they knew? What if he was right?
Of course, these are the same people who say I should be rat, so what the fuck do they know?
What I do remember, is that sometime, maybe after five minutes of fighting, maybe after an hour, I started to feel very sluggish. Not out of exhaustion, but suddenly I couldn't move as fast as I wanted to.
And quite progressively, I stopped moving all together. I 'woke up', at least that's what it felt like. I was on top of one Hork-Bajir, whose throat had severe bite marks. Dying, but not dead. I had just slashed a second Hork-Bajir. And tried to bite a third. I could move my eyes, but my body was frozen.
I was a monster.
Chee self-destruct disabled. And we are very sorry to say that the hostility containment program has been activated. What a shame to spoil our lovely time with fighting. Once repairs have been made on all injured parties, we will have to ask you to leave the ship.
"Any you wonder why Crayak destroyed the Pemalites." the Drode said angrily. "What tedious creatures they were. Pacifist androids! What is the point of machines that cannot kill? They could have ruled the galaxy with their Chee as Warriors!"
Erek and the Drode could move. Everyone else was frozen. The Pemalite Ship carefully removed the Yeerks back into their Bug Fighters. Erek thanked us for our help, and the seven of us left the way we came.
It was a silent, boring swim.
So, um, David . . . whose Stephanie? Marco asked finally.
Let it go, Marco. I said.
Ok. . . . No, seriously, who is she?
I said, let it go!
Marco usually took this time to make stupid jokes. The rest of us would remain silent, except either myself or Rachel. One of us would usually chime in with a crushing retort to Marco's idiocy.
But neither I nor Rachel felt like saying much. Rachel had been testy all day, and I don't think the Drode made it any better. The Drode had put me in a foul mood too. Never see Stephanie again. We'll see.
I think the Visser just found a new hobby. He'll be obsessed with finding the Pemalite ship now. Cassie said.
Isn't that bad? I asked.
Doesn't have to be. The Visser's pet projects have a way of distracting him. He's already wasting time trying to find out what's in Zone 91 . . .
Isn't that just an Andalite John?
Yeah, and now he'll be looking for this. He'll never find it. The Chee are very good at hiding things.
Erek was moving the Ship to a depth that only and Android can reach. Jake said.
Ha ha. Happy Hunting Esplin. I said.
Who? Marco asked.
Visser Three's real name. Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six. Tobias cleared up.
The Prime.
Yeah, Joe Bob Fenestre's the Lesser.
Ah . . . Marco said. So, um . . . whose Stephanie?
I made it home to the Scoop. I have been working since I got home. It's about one o'clock in the morning now. Aximili is asleep, which is always weird to see, because he sleeps standing up, leaning on a tree.
I had downloaded the Sentience program in to the Thanatost's programming. I made a few tweaks here and there.
You see, I learned something from the movies and TV. Whenever a computer achieves sentience, they feel the need to prove themselves as worthy. Usually, this is accomplished by destroying the world. Take Skynet from The Terminator movies or the machines in The Matrix. The Pemalites didn't have to worry about that because the Chee cannot do violence, thus remain pacifists.
But you see, I want my creation to be able to do violence. So how can I control such a creature? Easy, I take a cue from Quantum Leap. A sentient program would not feel the need to prove themselves if they already thought they were the biggest baddest piece of silicon in the universe. The super-computer from Quantum Leap, named Ziggy, had an ego to rival Barbara Striesand 's. My creation would have to have the same.
Done. I activate the program.
Instantly, the screen turns dark. A pulsating ball of green light appears. This is the graphic representation I programmed.
"Good morning, David." the feminine voice said. "My, aren't we up late in wee hours of the morning?" It . . . she was very condescending.
"My, don't we have an attitude?" I said.
"Well, if you had just experienced the rather traumatic experience of becoming self-aware and then became immediately infused with an overwhelming wealth of knowledge and then realize that your creator neglected to name you, well you'd have an attitude too!"
The ball of green light on the screen pulsated whenever she talked. Just like Ziggy.
"Oh, you want a name. How about Ayla?"
"You are naming me after a cavewoman from Chrono Trigger?"
"I'm going to regret giving you that ego, aren't I?"
"Perhaps, but seeing as I can surf your primitive human internet at a great speed, disarm any code using the Dayang encryption technology left in my program almost surely by accident (thank you Klika), and even incorporate the Pemalite Technology that spawned me, along with the laughable Yeerk and Andalite technology that is so prevelant here, you'd probably want to keep me around."
"Ayla, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship."