July 9, 2000 7:00 AM
The deer could not sense me. She was calmly drinking water from the creek, not suspecting a wolf lay in wait. She rose her head to listen, but heard only the wind.
I focused my eyes on her. I would wait for the right moment. She dipped her snout back into the water. NOW!
I ran. My untiring wolf legs sprinted to my prey. She had barely lifted her head before I pounced on her, knocking her over sideways into the creek. I clamped my jaws on her neck and ended her life. I gorged on her, tasting deer flesh, watered down by the flowing creek.
This poor animal had born the brunt of my rage, and still I was unsatisfied. I howled and snarled at no one in particular. I heard birds scatter. Except one. A large bird swooped in close to me and landed on a branch.
What the hell, David?
Leave me alone, Tobias.
Was that really necessary?
You're one to talk.
This seems vaguely familiar. You've gone from crow to doe.
I let the water flow around my paws and teeth.'A little water clears me of this deed.' I said, loosely quoting MacBeth. Another thing I haven't done in a long time.
Something on your mind, David? You seemed awful cocky after you rescued Cassie from the Yeerk Pool a few weeks ago. I was expecting 'Arrogant Jerk'-David. I got to tell you, 'Tortured-David' wasn't what I was expecting.
Have you been following me, Feathers?" I thought-spoke/said as I made the transition from wolf to human.
The Sea Blade may be able to hide itself from Radar and Yeerk Sensors, but not from the eyes of a hawk. Tobias said, matter-of-factly. Nor can a Dolphin be fooled by a whale-shaped force field. Still, its rather ingenious David. Those that care, can't tell the difference, and those that can tell the difference, don't care.
"Except for you six." I countered.
Tobias flew down and morphed to human. "And a masked signal may confuse a Yeerk or an Andalite, but not a Chee. And not to the Chee's allies."
I said nothing as I stared at Tobias. When I first met him, I found him sub-human, less a man than me. Now, I regard him as a close friend, arguably more human than myself, and admittedly more a man than me. More a man than any of us as far as I was concerned. Jake was fast on his way to old man mode, but when it comes to Cassie or his family, he reverts back to a mad and angry fifteen-year-old. Tobias has no family except Aximili, and he doesn't seem to lose his cool when it comes to Rachel. I admire that about him. Not that I'd ever tell him.
"Stephanie sent that message." Tobias deduced.
"Aftran sent that message. Sub-visser five-hundred-nine." I corrected.
"Can you really discern the two?"
"Yeah, its easy. I never met the real Stephanie. I'm not an Animorph anymore, Tobias. You needn't worry about me."
"Stop feeding me lines of shit, David. I'm your friend, but if you don't want things to get personal fine. Let's call it evening the score. You saved us. I'll save you."
"What the Fuck?! 'Saving'. Do I have a fucking sign on my back that says 'save me'?! What the fuck do I need saving from?"
"Yourself."
"Fuck you!" I shouted, having once again no real statement to refute that. "I can handle Stephanie. I have to do it now and I have to do it alone!"
"Yeah, that's what Jake and Marco thought, remember?" Tobias rationalized. "Marco tried to handle his mother. Jake tried to handle his father. Both of them royally fucked up, but there's a few, big differences between them and you."
"What? That Stephanie knows who I am? Edriss knows about Marco. That isn't the case."
"Visser One is a lot less scrupulous than Sub-visser five-hundred-nine," Tobias retorted, "but that's not one of the main differences."
"What is?" I had to ask.
"One)A boy and his girl is a way different can of worms than a boy and his parent. Two)Jake and Marco kept us close enough so that we could back them up. You keep us at such a distance, we wouldn't know how to save you."
"Why the fuck do you think I do that, Feathers? Hmm? Could it be because the last person I let get really close to me, scattered my heart, and used the shards to lacerate my mind?!!! HUH?!"
"Look, I get it. She fucked with your head. All the more reason not to deal with this girl alone. You can't handle it!"
"Don't cast the first stone, Tobias! You stand there all high and mighty and judgmental; let's see how well you handle it when Taylor Jane Perkins rears her half-metal head back into your life!"
Tobias stood there slightly shaken, but stone-faced. "Well, I can only hope my friends will be there to help me. Because I don't feel in control when I'm around her. If . . . . when she comes back, I doubt I'll have very much control on my emotions or myself."
"Well, that's where we're different, Tobias. I have control over myself."
"You think so?" Tobias said as if I said something ironic. "Look at your arms."
My arms were covered in gray fur. My forearms were longer and my fingers were way longer than they should be.
"Now look into the stream." Tobias commanded.
I looked. Red and blue lines went across my nose and cheeks. Baboon. I had half-morphed baboon.
"David," Tobias said to me gently, "this is what happens to you when Stephanie's involved. You lose control of your emotions. You lose control of your morphs. You lose control of yourself."
"Maybe," I said as I shed all simian features, "but I don't have any other option. If I don't take care of it now, it . . . . I need to take care of it now!"
I morphed to Golden Eagle and prepared to take off.
"It'll never happen, David!" Tobias shouted up at me. "No matter what you say, what you do, or what you try, it'll never happen!"
What won't?
"You will never be alone."
Well, I can't expect everything to go my way, can I? Something will go wrong. I said as I took off. It always does.
I flew to my ship and made my way to the bridge.
"Ayla, do you think you can, . . . ." I started.
"Melissa has been trying to IM you for the past hour." Ayla interrupted.
"Ug! Enough with the IM'ing. It's too early in the morning." I complained, but I sat down at the terminal I reserved for IM convos anyway.
Fluffer126: David? David, are you there?
JadedLion: Yes, darling, what is it?
Fluffer126: Are you coming by, later? My parents will be out.
JadedLion: I'm not overly fond of sneaking around like a bunch of High Schoolers.
Fluffer126: What do you mean? We are High Schoolers.
JadedLion: #glare#
Fluffer126: Well, you know what I mean.
Fluffer126: Why are you glaring at me? What's been with you? You've been acting weird for a while now.
Fluffer126: And before you make some smart-ass crack, I mean weirder than usual!
JadedLion: I just have some things to take care of.
Fluffer126: What things?
JadedLion: Just things! Ok?
Fluffer126: Just tell me.
JadedLion: Why?
Fluffer126: Just tell me.
JadedLion: No
Fluffer126: Keeping secrets again? Really?
JadedLion: You don't want to know, trust me.
Fluffer126: I do want to know.
Fluffer126: David, what's going on? You're starting to scare me.
"An Andalite ship is entering the atmosphere." Ayla announced.
"What??" I shouted incredulously.
"Varying reports. Some files list the ships name as the Crusader. Some as the Ralek River. Either way, it is a MSTL-37."
"37?!"
"A Mobile Science and Technology Lab ship. According to the ship's records, it has been re-formatted to serve the Unit's mission, but the second tier lab level is still operational."
Fluffer126: David?
Fluffer126: David?
Fluffer126: David? Where are you?!!
JadedLion: I need to go now, Melissa. I'll talk to you later.
I signed off and addressed Ayla.
"How many Andalites?" I asked.
"Four. Commander Gonrod-Isfall-Sonili. Intelligence Advisor Arbat-Elivat- Estoni. Warrior Aloth-Attamil-Gahar. Aristh Estrid-Corill-Darrath. They are Unit O."
"What is their mission?"
"Assassinate Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime, Third Visser of the Yeerk Empire."
"You've got to be kidding me!" I said cynically. "Good luck with that."
"I predict a less than twelve percent rate of success." Ayla said. "The odds suck."
"They do suck. Suck so bad the Andalites shouldn't even consider this suicide mission. Look deeper. More in-depth profiles on all four andalites."
"Commander Gonrod-Isfall-Sonili. Age: 93 andalite years---"
"Translate to human increments."
"Age: 62 years. Has the distinction of winning the Torlay Ifla, the award for piloting excellence, for fifteen straight years, the most any one pilot has earned that honor in the history of the Andalite military. Was until recently, serving a thirty-year sentence at the Gargan Military Correctional Institute for cowardice under fire. Was granted a conditional pardon of wir'vijon."
"Define Wir'vijon."
"Wir'vijon: andalite concept of serving the people valiantly and in the approved manner for reasons of redemption."
How odd that Wir'vijon sounds like Wyrdvigon, a Korla-Mak word meaning "quest of final judgment." Wyrphat'd. Wyrdvigon. Wir'vijon. Language is a funny thing.
"Commander Gonrod was killed in action aboard the Ralek River on Rakkam Garoo, fifth planet of the star Nine-sifter."
"That's the Garatron home world. When did he allegedly die?"
"Three days ago."
"What? Could he have even been on that rock three days ago? Compute practicality."
"I have concluded that it is impossible for Commander Gonrod to have been aboard the Ralek River on Rakkam Garoo, been mistaken for dead, and travel here to Terra Firma in three days."
"So either the ship's roster is wrong, or . . ."
"Something smells fishy."
"You've been using that expression a lot lately."
"What do you expect? I spend most of my time pretending to be a whale."
"The others."
"Arbat-Elivat-Estoni. Age: 41 Terran Years. Uh-oh."
"What 'Uh-oh'?"
"Arbat is Alloran-Semitur-Corass's little brother."
"Holy shit."
"Apex Level Intelligence Advisor. He knows everything. Was until recently, serving as an adjunct at the University of Advanced Scientific Theory. Apex AI Arbat was killed in action aboard the Ralek River on Rakkam Garoo, fifth planet of the star Nine-sifter."
"That so?" I wondered incredulously. "Next."
"Warrior Aloth-Attamil-Gahar. Age: 32 Terran Years. Served in the Secret Forces sect of Andalite Military as a sharpshooter and assassin. Was until recently, serving a life sentence at the Gargan Military Correctional Institute for illegal trade: wetware."
"Wetware?"
"He was convicted of selling organs off the battlefield."
"Ew."
"Was granted a conditional pardon of wir'vijon. Warrior Aloth was killed in action aboard the Ralek River on Rakkam Garoo, fifth planet of the star Nine-sifter."
"Quite a coincidence." I said. "The last one?"
"Aristh Estrid-Corill-Darrath. Hmmmm, that's odd."
"What?"
"No other record of her existence."
"That can't be right. Can you access computers on the Andalite Home World."
"Yes, I'm doing that now. Here we go: Estrid-Corill-Darrath. Age: 14 Terran years. Second year graduate student at the University of Advanced Scientific Theory."
"A fourteen-year-old grad student? Is that normal on the Andalite Home World?"
"No. The girl must be a prodigy."
"But not a cadet. Something is definitely wrong. Let's stop in on these Andalites."
Proteus made its way toward the Andalites' ship.
"Ayla," I commanded, "put a bulletin on the chee-net that Andalites have landed."
"Not necessary. The four andalites have just arrived at the printing mill for The Chronicle a newspaper owned by controllers. The Animorphs are there rescuing Lorne King."
"Erek King's 'father'." I realized. "So they all ready know."
I found the ship. There was a security system, but Ayla bypassed that easily. I morphed Baboon and found a rack of Shredder Weapons. Three large Shredder rifles and many, many small sidearm shredders. I took a small shredder and waited inside the ship.
Four Andalites walked in. I fired stun level beams at the four of them. They each slumped across the floor.
Three adult men and one young, nubile girl. It's like a pedophiles' website.
Is it the visser? The female said, afraid.
No, its the other one. said a strong authoritative voice.
I stepped out of the shadows and demorphed. "David Hunting's the name. Fucking things up is the game."
What's your game, renegade? said the same authoritative voice.
"I'm the Wrench in the Works. The Fly in the Ointment. The Dildo up your Ass." I said as I walked slowly to the young female. Estrid. "So you're the prodigy. Smarter than any creature currently on Terra Firma . . . . including me. I think I'll enjoy a piece of your DNA." I said as I placed my hand on her cheek and concentrated on her brain, remembering all I learned about Frolis Maneuvers.
I looked at the three males trying to distinguish who was who. One had dull hooves. "Dull hooves. You must be the old fart, Gonrod." I said to the andalite with dull hooves. He was unconscious.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha said an Andalite voice I hadn't heard yet. His tone-of-'voice' reminded me of Marco's smugness. My guess it was Aloth. He's the youngest of the males, and a sharpshooter would be cocky.
"Still, even an old, decrepit, cowardly criminal such as yourself would need exceptional eyesight to be such a good pilot." I said as I placed a finger between his eyes and acquired a piece of his DNA.
I walked over the youngest male, who was also the biggest male. He was the biggest andalite I've ever seen. He was larger than Alloran by a small margin, but still, bigger is bigger.
"You're a big guy." I said to the large Andalite. "And with two shredders on your bandoleer, you must be the sharpshooter."
Clever. said the Authoritative Voice.
Yeah, a real Niedhin here.said the cocky voice sarcastically.
I acquired most of Aloth's DNA. I wanted the big size.
To the last andalite, "You must be Arbat. Alloran's little brother." I taunted.
You would do wise not to speak my brother's name with such contempt, human. the Authoritative Voice said, thought-speaking 'human' as if it were synonymous with 'trash'.
"You know, Arbat, I've known you all of four minutes, I can tell you're just a big dick, aren't you? Your brother was a dick. A genocidal dick. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from . . . . the other apple. Did your Daddy tail-whip you when you guys were kids or something?"
Such insolent, disgusting, . . . Arbat began.
"Yeahyeahyeah. Blah-blah-blah. Humans sucks. That's fascinating. Shut up." I said quickly and dryly as I shot a stun level shredder at Arbat again, knocking him out. I then acquired a piece of his DNA.
Leave him alone you . . . . monster! Estrid screamed.
"Shut up, geek girl."
What do you want with our DNA?
"Your brains, Aloth's brawn, Gonrod's eyes. Arbat's . . . . leftovers." I said. "Put 'em all together and whadda ya get?" I replied singsong as I morphed my composite Andalite form for the first time. Very nice.
PAIN! My head throbbed. I realized the pain was psychosomatic. A psychological shock to becoming exponentially smarter almost instantly. I looked around with four eyes, and I saw the world . . . . completely. I saw the metal of the walls and I deduced the movement paths of the electrons within the atoms . . . I looked outside a window and saw the wind blow away a leaf. In that simple picture, I saw a thousand different biological and physical postulates, principles, and theorems. The sudden shock was becoming too much and I demorphed quickly.
"Whoa! What a mind job! That's one powerful noggin you got there, girly." I taunted Estrid. I took a shredder rifle off the wall and slung it over my shoulder, all while keeping the small shredder in my right hand. "I'm taking these, okay? Toodles!" I said quickly as I left and I boarded the Proteus.
"How were the blue deer? Friendly, I assume." Ayla asked me sarcastically as I came onto the ship.
As I flew away something occurred to me. "Why did I do that?"
"Do what?" Ayla asked me.
"I just attacked four andalite warriors. What for?"
"You questioned their motives for being here. Your suspicions were not unfounded."
"But did I get any information to confirm my suspicions? No. I just went in their and brutalized them."
"The Animorphs can and will handle the Andalites of the Ralek River. It is what you depend on them for."
"I'd rather not have to depend on anyone for anything right now."
"You depend on me." Ayla said matter-of-factly.
"You're different . . . you're . . . . . ."
"Not alive?"
"I didn't say that."
"My programing was copied from Erek and Lorne King. They are in essence two of my 'fathers'. I am basically a Chee, in a yeerk-made body."
"With Pemalite and Dayang upgrades."
"Are they not alive?"
"What happened to your ego? The I-don't-need-to-prove-anything-I-know-I'm-kick-ass ego I programmed?"
"Everyone gets a bruised ego from time to time. You should know that."
"Ok, I see your point. You think therefore you are. You are alive, Ayla, and I guess I do depend on you, but I created you."
"Still, I'm a person, you depend on?" Ayla pressed.
"Yes, you are a person I depend on." I admitted.
"I was right." Ayla said in a very I-told-you-so tone of voice.
"Oh, there's that ego I was talking about." I joked. "You drive me crazy."
"What are daughters for?" Ayla said like a spoiled six-year-old girl. "And as for your recent aggression, it may have something to do with your current feelings of frustration."
"Frustration?" I asked.
"You know, . . . her."
"Here we go." I muttered in exasperation.
"It makes sense. You've been taking your frustrations out on a lot of people lately. Melissa, Tobias, that deer."
"You were watching me this morning?"
"And listening. I heard what went on between you and Tobias."
"Unbelievable!"
"Tobias neglected to mention one other difference between your situation and Jake and Marco's."
"Out of sheer masochistic curiosity, I'll ask 'what?'"
"Stephanie poses no immediate threat to you."
I was shocked by what Ayla just said. She was right. Stephanie couldn't do a damn thing. Her claim to kill Stephanie was a bluff. Aftran wasn't suicidal, just stupid.
"She has no power. No troops. Nothing more than watch-and-wait mission assignment. She has underlings, but no access to weapons." Ayla listed. "Let it go."
Mr. and Mrs. Chapman were gone as per usual, and Melissa had just returned from the gym. I flew down onto a branch outside her window. As I landed, all the small birds flew away, fleeing the predator. As Melissa got into her bedroom, I pecked on her window. She looked startled, probably because she was about to undress. She went to her window and opened it.
"Yes, David?" she asked me with some worried anticipation in her voice.
Can we talk? I asked her.
She smiled and she let me hop in. I noticed a small cockatiel fly away from the tree as I hopped into her room.
If I had not been so caught up in Melissa's smile, I'd have realized who that cockatiel was.