July 10, 2000 9:52 PM
Tobias
David held the sword in a stabbing position above where Visser Three stood. Visser Three made no attempt to evade.
David raised the blade.
TSSSSSSSEEEEWWW! Dracon Flash.
"AAAAAH!" David screamed. Metal clanged to the ground. He was hit!
>David!> Cassie shouted.
I looked through the energy fence and I could see that David wasn't moving. Wait! Yes, he was; he was slowly morphing.
But David can morph in seconds, if he was morphing slowly, something must have been wrong.
I looked to where the Dracon flash originated from. A massive Hork-Bajir wearing a blue band stood there.
David had warned us there should have been six Blue Bands in Councilor Four's group, not five. Looks like he was right.
"Nodnarb fevrej bio dyna! Sssssss-snaja daps-sssss-sen orchua!" Councilor Four shouted.
The Blue Band Hork-Bajir shot all the hovering droids so all the Controllers were released. Some of the Proteus's shredder cannons turned on, but the Hork-Bajir shot those too. He was like a sharpshooter.
The Blue Band carried with him a case. He gave it to one of Visser Two's bodyguards and he took out something that looks like a dart and stabbed one of the sleeping Blue Bands. He awoke.
As they moved to revive the other Blue Bands, Councilor Four motioned to Visser Two to get Visser Three. I snarled at him, but he ignored me. As he begrudgingly went to pick him up, a red energy field appeared and separated the two vissers. The energy fence had a ceiling. It wasn't there before; someone must have turned it on. I turned my head to see who it was. It was a baboon.
David in morph.
David snarled menacingly at the others.
>Ayla!> David commanded. >Activate Auto-shredders.>
"I already did. Nodnarb broke them all." Ayla answered.
Nodnarb must have been the name of the yeerk in the Blue Band Hork-Bajir.
>Then release the Hork-Bajir!> David commanded.
Toby and her six warriors were released from their tendrils.
"Yes!" cried Garik. "Garik beat some Yeerks now!"
"Those aren't Andalites. Those are free Hork-Bajir!" Stephanie cried.
"Hurt Yeerks. Make sleep. No Kill." Toby commanded, keeping her commands short as to not reveal herself as a seer.
Toby and the others attacked. Nodnarb raised his Dracon Beam, but David in Baboon morph leaped up and bit his arm, causing him to drop the weapon.
The human-controllers all backed up into the wall of the bridge. David and Nodnarb were locked in a struggle. I don't think Nodnarb ever expected this much trouble from something that is so much smaller than him.
But baboons are mean and vicious animals. They're like humans that way.
My attention was turned to Toby and her men. They had rendered Visser Two and his two bodyguards unconscious minutes ago. Now the six of them fought the five Blue Bands. I had never seen Blue Band Hork-Bajir until today though I do remember Erek telling me about them once. They seemed to be an elite group of warriors. I'm so grateful Visser Three doesn't have Blue Bands. Toby's group outnumbered the Blue Bands (not counting Nodnarb who was wrestling with David), though I would hardly call that an advantage. If anything they were disadvantaged because they were trying NOT to kill the Blue Bands.
But they held their own. Garik was a mighty fighter, viciously pounding on one of the Blue Bands, rendering it unconscious. Then he tackled another Blue Band that was attacking Toby. Toby revealed to us that Garik and she were in a relationship. Biran and Yenke were also especially skilled, they had positioned themselves well with their opponents such that at the right time, both Kelk brothers ducked and their opponents hit each other! Toma, Jara's brother, and Enga were double-teaming the last Blue Band, but she was withstanding. Toby joined in and they knocked the massive female Hork-Bajir-controller unconscious.
The Councilor saw that the free Hork-Bajir were winning and that the human-controllers were of no help whatsoever, so I guess he decided to join in. He headbutted Garik in the back with his ram-like horns, knocking him over. Garik was quick however, and he swept his legs into the Blue Band's legs also knocking the controller down.
>I can't believe I'm missing all this action!> Rachel of course.
And that's when the ship lurched violently. WHAM! WHAM!
Everyone on the bridge struggled to maintain their balance, except for David, who was particularly nimble in his morph, myself, who was even more nimble, and Councilor Four, whose host body just quivered with the ship.
"Z-space transponders damaged. Transmission offline. The David Hunting Show has been unexpectedly cancelled, David!" Ayla announced.
Councilor Four and Nodnarb decided that it was time to leave and they quickly escaped out of the bridge door.
>No! Don't leave me here!> cried Visser Three
The Human-controllers tried to follow, but David cut them off, holding the Dracon Beam that Nodnarb dropped earlier.
>Don't. Even. Think about it.> David warned.
"David," started Stephanie in her talking-to-homicidal-maniacs voice. "I'm sorry."
>Shut up.>
"This is Aftran the yeerk talking." Stephanie clarified. "I'm very sorry for all the trouble I've caused you."
>Listen to her, David. I think she means it.> Cassie said.
"I am so very sorry," Stephanie repeated, "and I'm ready to tell you the truth."
>I can't handle the truth.> David responded.
I couldn't tell if he was quoting A Few Good Men and trying to be funny, or if he really meant what he said.
Knowing David, probably both.
WHAM! WHAM!
>AYLA! What's attacking my ship!>
"Umm, it's a humpback whale."
>A whale? You mean we're underwater?> I asked idiotically.
>Jake?> Rachel wondered.
>Jake doesn't have a humpback whale morph.> Cassie reminded us.
>It's not him. It's her.> David figured out.
What? "Her"?
That's when we heard, >Yeerks! Leave my ocean immediately. I am . . .um . . . . the great guardian monster of the sea!>
>Aftran?> Cassie identified, shocked as all hell. Talk about the last person we would expect to see.
>Cassie? What are doing on the Blade Ship? And what is the Blade Ship doing underwater? Have you been captured?> Aftran asked.
Aftran is the yeerk we saved after she started the yeerk rebellion. She is now a nothlit of a humpback whale. Not to be confused with the Aftran that has infested Stephanie.
>Ayla! Get some more Capture Droids in here!> David commanded. Then, in more public thought-speech, >Aftran! Stop attacking my ship! This ship is under human control!>
>Aftran? The rebel?> Visser Three repeated. >So, that's what you did with her!>
>Human control? How do I know you aren't infested?> Aftran asked.
>He isn't, but he is holding us hostage!> Rachel shouted.
>What?> Aftran asked, both confused and a little furious.
>No, wait, Aftran, it's not that simple!> Cassie said. >Don't attack the ship. Let me get through to David.>
"My external auto-guns work. Do you want me to fire upon the nothlit?" Ayla asked.
>NO! Don't do that!> David quickly belayed.
He didn't want to hurt Aftran the Whale. Would I ever understand this guy? I looked to the Hork-Bajir and noticed that they were still fighting. Toma and Enga were lying on the ground, but even with the hum of the energy fence, I could still tell they were breathing. Three of the Blue Bands were also lying around unconscious.
>If anyone can, you can, Cassie. I trust you.> Aftran the Whale finally said.
Hovering Droids entered the bridge and effectively ceased the fighting between the Hork-Bajir-Controllers and the free Hork-Bajir. They were once again tied up in robotic tendrils. The droids also re-captured the human-controllers.
The ceiling of the energy fence turned off and a hovering droid captured me too, and lifted me up out of the little coliseum David had built for me and Visser Three.
David demorphed from Baboon as he made his way to the control deck of the bridge.
CRUNCH! Pain in my tail!
WARRRRRRLLL! I roared. I looked down to see a djabala holding my tail with its teeth. I instinctively twisted my body to shake off the offending creature. I flung the djabala toward the door out of the bridge and the djabala skittered off.
"NO!" David yelled as he fired upon the djabala, missing.
It was then that I realized I just let Visser Three escape.
"Damnit!" David said, throwing the dracon beam away in frustration. "Where is the Councilor and Nodnarb?"
"They have returned to the Councilor's Carrier Ship." Ayla reported. "They are attempting to activate the hatch, but of course, they cannot disable my codes. I do however predict with 98 percent probability that they will attempt to blast—"
BOOM! The Proteus rocked again.
"Too late. Nevermind." Ayla added.
Water began rushing into the bridge from the hall. The initial wave soaked up to David's ankles and the water level slowly rose.
"Ah, Fuckbeans!" David exclaimed. "Where's the Carrier Ship now?"
"Slowly blasting through the water. I think you can swim faster they're going, David, but they are still getting farther than I can monitor now that Aftran has damaged the Proteus"
"Where's Megadeth?"
"The Conservatory."
"Second Deck. The water hasn't reached there yet." David realized. He morphed into 'Terry Stevens', the composite human morph he uses when he goes out in public. >Aftran, this is David. A Yeerk Carrier Ship is leaving my ship. It's struggling in the water, do you think you can mess it up a bit?>
>I don't want to kill my fellow yeerks, David.> Aftran said plainly.
>Fine! Will you at least watch it for us? Tell us if it does something interesting? You kind of damaged my ship's monitoring capabilities.>
Aftran didn't answer.
>It's okay, Aftran.> Cassie said.
>Fine, I'll keep watch. I don't want them in my ocean any more than you, David.>
>Thank you.> David said. He demorphed and began shouting orders like a Navy Captain. "Seal up the Yeerk Pool Room! Get the Hork-Bajir, the humans, and the Gedds into the Conservatory and seal that up. Patch up the hurt. Put the Animorphs in the upper lock."
>Did he just say 'Yeerk Pool Room'?> Marco wondered aloud.
"Animorphs?" Stephanie curiously repeated.
David speedily morphed into an eel and began swimming around in the rising water. >When the Animorphs are in the lock, liquidate the active protimus-bots.> He commanded and swum away.
The Hovering droids began to move us all. All of us, humans, andalites, hork-bajir, and yeeks, were taken up a vertical tube.
>This is a lift.> Aximili explained. >Like a human elevator.>
>The Carrier ship has breached the water surface and is now floating on the surface.> Aftran reported.
We passed a room and all the Controllers plus Toby and her warriors were taken inside.
>Toby!> I shouted, alarmed by our separation. If Toby and her warriors drowned in this ship, it would be my fault.
I could only a glimpse at what was inside, but I'm pretty sure I saw trees.
Our hovering droids stopped and an opening appeared in the ceiling. They floated up into the hole. We were inside a badly lit room. On the ceiling of this room was a hatch. An Air-lock. A connecting port to the outside.
Wait, outside? There was water outside.
The droids unceremoniously dropped us onto the floor, and then floated down through the hole, closing it behind them.
>Well, this is just great. Next time we decided to drop in on David, call the men in the white coats, because we need to be committed.> Marco muttered.
>Tobias, I just want to say,> Rachel started, her big grizzly eyes looking into my cat eyes, >I understand why you didn't kill Visser Three, and I'm glad you didn't. You were right. That's not the way.>
>Thank you, Rachel.> I said.
Water started to rush through the hatch.
>Oh great.> Marco said.
"The upper hatch will fully open in eight minutes." Ayla announced.
>Thanks for the warning.> Marco said sarcastically
"No prob, Bob." Ayla returned sincerely.
>This ship has weird sense of humor.>
>David said the protimus-bots would be disabled when we were in the lock.> Cassie reminded us. >We can morph now!>
Cassie had already started to shed her wolf form. We all began to demorph.
>I'm demorphing. Of my own accord! Oh, thank Je—!> Marco started to laud as he made his transition into human.
I demorphed as well, but unfortunately for me, this meant getting smaller, and the water level was rising. Thankfully, Cassie was human first, and she lifted up my shifting form out of the water.
>It is good to be out of that djabala body.> Ax praised. >While I liked being an animal from the Home World, it is disconcerting for a warrior to be such a lethargic animal.>
Lethargic? That must be why Visser Three was so unresponsive in that morph.
>Don't get too comfortable; we need to have fins or flippers in about five minutes!> I reminded them.
>AAAAH! Hey! They're firing at me!> Aftran announced.
"Aftran's in trouble!" Cassie said.
>Water-battle morphs now!> I commanded.
Cassie and Marco began to morph orcas. Ax morphed his Tiger Shark. Rachel morphed into a Hammerhead.
I morphed a Nartec.
>A Nartec? Why that morph?> Rachel asked me.
>You guys go on ahead. I'm staying. I need to make sure Toby is all right.>
And I wanted to speak to David.
The Hatch opened and the five us swum out. The others swam toward the surface looking for Aftran. I stayed close to the slowly, sinking ship. I found the hole near the belly hatch the Councilor must have made he blasted his way out. I swam inside and made my way to the bridge. I knew that's where David would be.
I was angry. No, I was mad. David was my friend. I cared about what happened to him. And yet, for him to do this to us. To turn us into his puppets!
>Tobias, the Councilor has entered the water!> Rachel yelled. >He's making his way to you!>
When I made my way to the bridge. I saw something I didn't expect.
David in orca morph was wrestling with some yellow snake. I recognized the yellow snake. It was Visser Three. He used that morph when we were at Royan Island.
Visser Three had David in his coils and he was squeezing the life out of David.
Unfortunately for the Visser, David had Visser Three's snake head clamped in his mighty orca jaws. They bounced around the waterclogged machinery of the Bridge like some crazy bouncy ball. That's when I remembered the rack of weapons. It had fallen over in the water, but I was able to swim to it. I grabbed the spear and I looked at the wrestling ball that was David and Visser Three.
I don't know what possessed me to do it. I could argue that David's darkness is contagious. Maybe I attempted to bring him out of it by going there myself. It sounds a lot nicer than what someone else might think of what I did.
David and Visser Three made their way to me. When they got close enough, I plunged the spear into flesh.
I had skewered the Visser through and through, and in doing so, the spear was also deep inside David.
Twin thought-speech screams accompanied the stab.
>AAAAH!> >AAAAAH!>
I withdrew the spear. The Visser flopped down like sack of bricks, seemingly slain. David was floating toward me, purely by momentum. I moved out of the way and he crashed head-first into the rack of weapons, lodging a mace into his forehead.
David began to swim up, bleeding profusely from both the spear wound and the mace.
>That . . . . wasn't . . . . very nice, . . . . Feathers.> David said as he swum away, leaving the bridge.
I looked down at the visser and saw that he was still moving. I lifted the spear up and was about to skewer him in his head.
>I supposed this is a better way, Visser?> I asked him.
>Yes. Better.> Visser Three replied weakly.
WHAM! I was hit broadside by something hard.
The Councilor! The S-s-stram Controller rammed his bony horned head into me. He was wearing a mouthpiece and what I assumed to be an oxygen tank was carried by two of his five arms. He wrapped his snake-like lower body around the Visser and carried him out of the bridge.
>No, you don't!> I shouted as I followed him into the halls of the Proteus. I don't know why I was so intent on following Visser Three. I came back here to face David.
WHAM! Oh, speak of the Devil.
I was hit in my back by something hard and sharp. I floated down onto the floor of the Proteus. I rolled to my back and saw Naca the Nartec with a mace in his hand floating above me.
David in morph.
>That wasn't very nice, Tobias!> David shouted as he swung the mace down upon me. This time, I blocked the blow with my spear. >I know we've had our differences, but I thought you were my friend! Now, you're trying to kill me?>
David swung the mace down and again I blocked.
>I'm sorry, that was a moment of weakness,> I admitted as I blocked another blow from his mace, >but I still don't think you understand the damage you've done!>
I pushed at him with my spear and kicked my way vertical, not that it mattered in the water, but still, I'd like to fight somewhat on my feet.
I then realized I made a mistake in getting into a fight with David. David is a much better fighter than me. Too late now.
>What damage?> David asked me as he swung the mace again.
I evaded the attack and swung my spear, connect the shaft with his head, sending him floating into the wall, dropping his mace. >You've shown the Yeerks how dangerous you are. They'll send whatever they can throw at us now. They might even start open war! You've endangered everyone on Earth because you can't handle your ex-girlfriend!>
I thrusted the head of my spear at David's arm, but he caught the spear instead. He stuck his feet to the wall, anchoring him. He leaned into and swung the spear, causing me to go floating into the opposite wall, letting go of the spear.
David then held the spear correctly and swam to me. I was still floating a bit, so David put his foot on my chest, pushing me down to the floor. He put the spear tip close to my face.
David's mostly human Nartec face was flush with rage, and then it softened into a look of sadness.
>You're right, Tobias. You're totally right." David said tossing the spear. >I've really fucked up this time.>
The water level rapidly dropped and I found myself almost instantly in waist deep water.
>The water? It's being drained?> I asked.
"Of course it is." David said in Naca's voice. David than demorphed. "Did you really think I'd be unprepared for a flood?"
I just stood there, dumbfounded.
"Go ahead and demorph and . . . you might as well morph human. It won't matter now." David said to me.
>But the others. . . . they . . .>
". . . will be fine. Come on. You deserve to know what I'm doing here." David said.
I demorphed and remorphed to human. I followed David "upstairs" to the Consveratory.
What I thought was just a few trees, was actually a little mini jungle. Everything was dry. David mentioned sealing up the place. I guess no water got in here. As soon as we walked in Megadeth came running to his master.
David picked up Megadeth and held him. "Hey buddy. Were you watching our friends?"
David led me down a path through the trees and we saw everyone still tied up by the capture droids.
A boa constrictor was eyeing one of the older human-controllers.
"You don't need to be afraid of Hellboy, Mr. Gimble, or whatever the hell your Yeerk name is." David said referring to the snake. "His mouth isn't even big enough to eat Megadeth, let alone you."
"Are you going to kill us?" said an asian teenage girl.
"No, Jennie, or Aftran, right? You're another one of the whale's pool sisters, right? Heh-heh, the Aftran brood is a nasty type." David teased. He then got back on the subject. "No, yeerk, I won't kill you. My cowardice will prevent me from dealing with you Human-controllers in the same way."
"Cowardice?" I repeated.
"You were right, Tobias. I'm not ready to deal with Stephanie right now. I can't."
I put a hand on David's shoulder. "Then let us help you. You don't have to deal with her alone."
"You're wrong, Tobias. I do have to deal with her. Alone. But I don't have to do it now."
"David . . . please . . . . I should tell you—" Stephanie started.
"Gag her." David commanded.
"I should tell you—" Stephanie started before the Capture droid put a gag on her mouth.
"You can't just keep them tied up like that forever." I said.
"No, I have another way." David said mysteriously. "But you Hork-Bajir, I don't have any other use for. Toby Hamee on the other hand could use a few more good Hork-Bajir."
David looked up at Toby Hamee, still bound by the robotic tendrils. "You know I kinda expected the Animorphs to show up. I never expected you guys. Slick move, Tobias." David said. "Ayla, you can release the free Hork-Bajir."
Six Hork-Bajir landed on their feet. Immediately, Garik decided to rush David.
"Garik hurt David!" He screamed.
"Garik, don't!" Toby warned.
David gave Megadeth to me and flash-morphed to his massive Hork-Bajir morph and stopped Garik.
"Don't do that, Garik." David said calmly in his Hork-Bajir voice. "We are friends!"
"David is not friend. David tied up Toby. Tied us all up. Treated us like slaves." Garik maintained.
"You are right." David admitted. "I am sorry."
This seemed to confuse poor Garik. David and Garik released their hold on one another. "Sorry?"
David demorphed. "Yes. Please accept as my apology, eight new brothers-in-arms."
Megadeth didn't seem to like me, and he got so fidgety in my arms, I had to drop him. As soon as I did, he raced like a rocket into the bushes.
"Gedds kwala tey nuchi-sol, David Hunting." Visser Two said. "Vaga sheetay noopuey en-nusta Totalo."
"Freedom is the privilege of every sentient life-form, Visser Two." David said. "Every one of you yeerks, will have to make a choice. Think hard."
David snapped his fingers and he started walking. I and the free Hork-Bajir walked behind him. The capture droids hovered and followed David as well.
>Tobi—, hel—, Coun—> I heard Ax's faint thought-speech.
We entered another room, I immediately recognized where we were. Or rather, where we were at.
"You have a yeerk pool?" I asked.
"Uh-huh, and a Kandrona. It'll last me two years. More time than I need." David replied.
The Yeerk Pool Room had the yeerk pool in the middle of the room, like some sort of Jacuzzi room. There was a door to an adjacent room with a window that looked into this room. The adjacent room was dark; the lights were not on, so I couldn't see what else was in there. The only other thing in the room was a cabinet on the wall near the door to the adjacent room. I looked into the pool and I saw three yeerks all ready in there. I drew the connection to the three yeerks in the pool, and the three Gedds who are missing.
"Where are the other Gedds?" Toby asked, always the clear thinking one. "The ones who were infested by these yeerks?"
"They've all ready been . . . . processed." David answered.
"Visto ca la'ro Hork-Bajir. Ten?" Visser Two.
"Yes, she is. Didn't you realize?" David asked. Visser Two must have figured out she was a seer.
"Is this the plan? You're going to force them to leave their host bodies?"
"I'm not gonna force anyone." David said. "Hork-Bajir-Controllers! Listen up: This is the turning point in your life. You have two choices: Surrender or Death.
"If you surrender, you will leave your host body and live here in this Yeerk Pool. You will be safe and well fed. Your memories will be scanned and documented. I will know everything about you, as if you were my host. Should I find your surrender is connected to possible mutiny, you will be harshly dealt with. Surrendering will also mean I have your permission for me or any of my allies to acquire and morph you.
"Surrendering to me will mean full and complete defection from the Yeerk Empire."
"Toso wa ta? Okin aba vu hett Yeerk sulp?" asked one Hork-Bajir.
"That is one option: you may elect to simply stay this way, living forever within the confines of the Yeerk Pool, but surrendering to me will also afford you this possibility: My ally is working on a project that will effectively end the need for yeerks to infest others in order to truly live. You will be given new bodies without taking a host."
"Osot aba rot-tinii?" asked a different Hork-Bajir.
"You'll just have to trust me, but one thing is for certain: none of you will ever infest a host body again."
"Offesh ty'in ni nago-tro?" asked Visser Two.
"Refuse?" David repeated and walked toward the Gedds. "These four Gedd-controllers refused my offer once while three of their wiser brothers took it. You fellers get the luxury of a second chance. Any takers?"
But the Gedd-controllers were adamant. "PUK!" cried one of them, which I guess means "no".
"Very well." David said as he snapped his fingers again. The adjacent room lit up and we looked into it through the large window. The capture droids carried the Gedds into the room, which locked behind them, dropped them on the floor, and left through the ceiling.
"I could wait three days for you guys to die of Kandrona starvation, but three days can be such a long time, and there's always the possibility of escape. It's all very tiresome." David explained as everyone had their eyes transfixed on the four Gedd-controllers. "A few months ago I had the good fortune to come across an animal from a distant planet. It emitted a gas which I suppose is supposed act as an irritant. It doesn't particularly work well on aliens, but it has a rather odd effect on yeerks. You see the organic chemical that comprises the gas sucks up Kandrona rays remarkably well, even going so far as to drain it from other organisms."
Visser Two gasped as an orangey-brown gas began to fill up the room with the Gedd-controllers.
"Emitting the gas takes a great deal of effort from the animal, but thankfully I've found a way to synthesize it." David explained.
The Gedds started gasping and collapsing to their knees. In a matter of minutes, out of each Gedd's ear slithered a discolored yeerk which almost immediately disintegrated.
"I call it Kandraina. Clever, no?" David said as he chuckled to himself.
I thought I was done being horrified with David. He had actually succeeded where the Andalites had failed so many times. He created a substance deadly to yeerks.
"There is your choice, Hork-Bajir-Controllers. There," David said pointing to the Yeerk Pool, "or there." David pointed to the room that was now being ventilated. The four newly freed Gedds got up and looked blankly at each other. The door to the Gas Room opened and they timidly went through it and then walking to stand beside the free Hork-Bajir.
Two Shredder cannons descended from the ceiling and aimed at the Hork-Bajir-controllers. Auto-guns. The capture droids dropped all eight of the Hork-Bajir-controllers right there in the main Yeerk Pool Room. David had given them the choice. Now it was time for them to choose.
Visser Two began to yell something angrily in Galard, but stopped when he noticed that one of his bodyguards and two of the Blue Bands walked to the other side of the yeerk pool, signifying their acceptance of David's ultimatum. Visser Two began to protest but another Blue Band walked to the other side of the pool. Then the Visser's last bodyguard then another Blue Band. Only Visser Two and the fifth Blue Band refused David's offer.
"Time's up." David said.
Visser Two shouted angrily and charged David.
Tsssssssssewwwww! The Auto-guns activated and shot Visser Two in the chest. He fell backwards onto the ground.
"Change is coming, Visser. Believe me when I say it is better this way." David said. "Garik. Toma. If you don't mind . . ." David pointed to the sprawled Visser and to the Gas Room.
Garik and Toma understood David's meaning and picked up the Visser each by the arm. Visser Two began shrieking something horrible, but could not stop the two Hork-Bajir from dragging him into the Gas Room. David motioned for Biran and Yenke to do the same to the resisting Blue Band.
The Blue Band held up his hand in a 'stop' gesture. He then walked of his volition to the Gas Room.
"Wait." David said as he went to the cabinet on the far wall. He took out a cube from one of the drawers. Up close, it looked like bread. "Eat it. It'll help."
The Blue Band looked at David fiercely. He took the cube and ate it.
Garik and Toma threw the screaming Visser Two into the Gas room and quickly exited, shutting the door behind them. Visser Two made an attempt to leave the room, but failed.
Visser Two became hysterical as the Kandraina began to seep into the room. The Blue Band on the other hand just stood there, silent and defying. Visser Two began to gasp and cough and get weaker. The Blue Band, however, became drowsy and started to rest in the Hork-Bajir sleeping position: a tripod-like stance of his two legs and tail. Visser Two's hysterical pleas grew fainter as he completely collapsed onto the floor. The Blue Band continued to look as if peacefully sleeping. I barely noticed it when the browned yeerk left the Hork-Bajir's ear and disintegrated. Finally, from Visser Two's ear, the yeerk's dead form left and dissolved like dust in the wind. The two newly freed Hork-Bajir got up and calmly left the room to stand by Toby and her warriors.
"Why didn't you offer those cubes to everyone?" I asked him.
"The others were only rejecting life. Only that Blue Band accepted death."
What the hell does that mean?
"Controllers, if you please . . ." David said motioning to the pool.
The six hork-bajir-controllers knelt down and left their hosts, falling into the yeerk pool. The six hork-bajir stood up as free people. Nine yeerks swam as voluntary prisoners.
"Toby, your new citizens." David said proudly.
"I'm taking the Gedds too." Toby insisted.
"Why?" David asked bemusedly.
"Because the less sentient beings I leave in your care the better." Toby said.
"What about them?" I asked meaning the human-controllers.
David looked at them. "Ayla, the Cold Pods." The capture droids floated out of the Yeerk Pool room and headed . . . . who knows where.
"David, what are th—" I started to ask.
"They won't die." David said interrupting me.
I let it go. Stephanie was the entire reason I crashed his party in the first place, and I didn't want to leave without knowing what he did with her, but I didn't want to press the issue and get him riled up.
And I guess I still trust him not to hurt us. I'm still a little unsure about weather or not he'd hurt himself, but one thing I've learned from this little adventure is that David will do as he pleases and damned be him that tries to stop him.
We went to the lower deck, apparently headed toward the Bug Fighter Bay or Sea Bug Bay to leave.
"You'll take two Sea Bugs. Toby, do you remember how to fly one?" David asked.
"Yes." She replied.
"Good. I'll set the other one to just follow Toby until you can pick up Aximili and the others. Ayla? Have you found the other Animorphs yet?"
"Yes. The Councilor's Carrier Ship is still shooting at them."
"What!" David and I both yelled at the same time.
"Why the fuck didn't you tell me?" David added. "Shit! We gotta leave now!" He began running toward the Sea Bug Bay. The Hork-Bajir picked up the slow moving Gedds and kept up with us.
We reached the Bay and David went into Navy Captain mode again.
"Ayla! Surface and raise the ship. Toby, take seven Hork-Bajir and two Gedds into your Sea Bug. Everyone else, with me."
David took the rest of us to another Sea Bug. As everyone squeezed into the limited space of the modified Bug Fighter, David flash-morphed into the slightly slimmer 'Terry Stevens' to give Ayla thought-speech commands. I also demorphed to give more space. I perched myself on Biran Kelk's shoulder.
>Ayla, can you see the Carrier Ship?>
>Yes.>
>Open Fire.>
>Shredder and Dracon Cannons offline. Out of range of Auto-guns.>
>Then get closer!>
>I could, but we've taken too much damage to repel an attack. Plus I'm expending a lot of power getting the humans into Cold Pods.>
David sighed. "All right. Hard way it is." >Open Bay doors.>
The emergency bay doors opened (since the regular ones were blasted away and patched up) and two Sea Bugs bolted out of the crippled Proteus.
Immediately I could see the Councilor's Carrier Ship brightly illuminated by the full moon and the flash of Dracon Beams. It was firing into the water. I could see two orcas and a humpback whale with many burn marks.
Marco. Cassie. And Aftran.
I remembered from an incident that happened with David that Yeerks could track creatures as large as orcas and whales, but not dolphins or sharks, Rachel and Ax's current morph.
Still, Ax and Rachel weren't going to leave the others, especially not Aftran who couldn't morph and who risked her life to rescue them. And none of them could demorph so they were stuck.
That must have been what Ax was trying to tell me: they were pinned. Again, I blamed myself. I should have told them all to morph sharks or dolphins. Play it safe!
But that wouldn't have saved Aftran the Whale.
The Carrier Ship fired into the water.
>Aaaaaah!> the thought-speech scream was faint, but I definitely heard it. I couldn't tell who it was, though.
David, who had demorphed, commanded us, "Someone take weapons."
>Um, what?> I asked.
David looked around at six confused Hork-Bajir, two oblivious Gedds, and one perplexed hawk.
"Shit." David muttered. "Ok, I'm putting it on auto-pilot. Do not touch anything. Nobody leaves the ship!"
David opened the Sea Bug's door and jumped out into the sky. He then morphed an alien creature. It was red with wings and four talons. It was the same morph he used right before he left us. He flew out toward the Carrier ship.
The Sea Bug seemed to be gliding down toward the surface of the water. David had left the Sea Bug's door open, so it was causing a lot wind noise inside the ship. It was also leading us closer to where the Yeerks were firing upon my friends. I was worried that this would make us a target when I noticed something.
A hammerhead shark was floating on the water surface. Its tail fin had been burnt off. It was slowly demorphing. Then I remembered who the hammerhead was.
>Rachel!> I realized.
And then I saw the Carrier Ship fly toward her.
>NOOO!> I shouted as I flew out of the open door nearly snapping my wings in the process, but I didn't care. I had to get to her. I saw two orcas race to get to Rachel's shifting form, but neither would make it in time.
Neither would I.
Tsssewwww! The Carrier Ship fired. >NOOOOO!> I screamed. If Rachel had died, it would have been my fault! How could I have lived with myself after that? I watched my life slowly be destroyed; it was as if time itself had slowed down. The Beam was about to hit Rachel when a red alien creature flew into its path.
I watched in horror as half an alien fell, burning into the sea.
>DAVID! You IDIOT!> I shouted.
Tssewwww! Tsssewwww! Two more Dracon Beams fired, but not from the Carrier Ship. Toby's Sea Bug fired them upon the Carrier Ship! Both beams hit and the Carrier Ship instantly retreated.
I circled around where David had fallen. I could barely tell in the darkness of night even with the full moon that Rachel was mostly human. Good, that means it's unlikely the yeerks noticed too.
The Sea Bug on auto-pilot landed near us and floated on the surface.
Where was David? Then I saw the ocean floor rise.
Aftran in her humpback whale body surfaced underneath a half-drowned Rachel and a mass of red, burnt, but shifting alien flesh. Cassie, riding atop an orca (Marco) swam next to Aftran. She stepped off of Marco and onto Aftran like she was going from a jet ski to a boat. I landed on Aftran. Toby's Sea Bug had landed and floated near us, its door open, witnessing David's struggle. Ax had demorphed and climbed into the other Sea Bug.
With Cassie's coaching, David slowly emerged in his full human form. David sat up and looked at all of us.
"Do you realize that it was twice in one hour that I was nearly killed by a Dracon Beam? Maybe I'm not as smart as I think I am."
Marco and I started to laugh in thought-speech. Rachel actually did start laughing. David was laughing too.
Only Cassie didn't laugh. In the moonlight, I could see her eyes well up with tears.
SMACK! Cassie had slapped David across his cheek.
"DON'T EVER do that again!" Cassie yelled, half-crying. For a second I thought she meant almost dying, but then I realized she was talking about the torture he gave Visser Three.
David looked like he might cry. He morphed into the red, flying alien creature before the tears started.
>I um, I just want to say . . . how sorry I am. For everything.> David started. >And um, thank you. All of you. Especially you, Aftran. For saving my life, I'll forgive you a hundred times for nearly destroying my home.>
>I think I've changed my mind about killing my 'fellow' yeerks.> Aftran replied.
>Everyone, that's uh . . . that's it, I guess.> David said. >I'm sorry, and thank you.>
David flew off into the night, leaving us with two Sea Bugs, presumably to get us home.
I think David finally realized what his fear and pain had turned him into, and I finally understood David's position too. In that brief horrible moment when I thought I had lost Rachel, I saw my entire world crash down. That must have been what it was like for David when he learned the truth about Stephanie.
Or was it the truth? She seemed ready to confess something before David had her silenced and then taken to the Cold Pods, whatever those were.
David was now in a delicate position, psychologically. He could either leave behind his dark side or get lost in it.
I was frightened with the prospect that David would fully embrace his dark side until Marco said something that scared me even worse.
>So, we've been gone for a full day. Who wants to explain things to Jake?>