Marco was at once eager and apprehensive about getting closer to that particular Yeerk facility. One the one hand, his mother was there. On the other, his mother was the host of Visser One, the most powerful of the Animorphs' enemies. He didn't know just what he would do – or what he would feel – when he confronted again, and he wasn't even sure if he wanted to go any farther.
What he wanted to do would have to take a backseat to what he had to do, of course, since he didn't want to let any of the others know exactly what was going on. He didn't want to be pitied by any of them, and the surest way to avoid that was to keep them from finding out about his mom's… situation. That was why he wasn't going to hesitate: the others would start to wonder why he was so apprehensive, and one of them was likely to put two and two together.
As she studied the ocean floor in front of her, relying on her echolocation more than her eyes to see, Shara wondered just what it was that the Yeerks could be doing down here. There could be no doubt; the Radam wouldn't bother with a place where they wouldn't be able to catch humans to transform, and human technology hadn't advanced to the point where they could shield something from sight like this.
(Erek's trick,) Marco said, once they had come to a point where their echolocation told them that they were right on top of the structure, but their eyes only saw a normal seabed. (They're using the same holographic camouflage the Chee use. A hologram of a normal seabed. That way it'll be invisible to any divers that might come down here, and to planes flying over on sunny days.)
(And to anyone in dolphin morph who's trying to find it?) Shara suggested with gentle good humor.
(Yes, that too,) Marco said with a chuckle.
(But is it just a hologram, or is it a forcefield like Erek uses?) Jake wondered.
(It would take a great deal of energy to sustain a hologram this large,) Ax pointed out. (To maintain a forcefield in water would take the energy level of a Dome ship. Especially one large enough to protect a facility this size.)
(Well, there's really only one way to find out,) Rachel said with her usual practicality. (Let's head in.)
The seven dolphins kicked their tails and swam, closing in on what their eyes told them was nothing more than an ordinary patch of ocean floor. Fifty feet from their original position, they were suddenly able to see through the illusion of normality that the Yeerk facility was hiding behind. They were able to see exactly what it was that they were closing in on.
The structure was indeed very large and, strangely enough to Shara's sensibilities, various shades of pink. She had never really thought of pink as being a dangerous color, but with the Yeerks building this kind of a facility, that might change. And I used to like pink, she mused, caught somewhere between regret and mordant good-humor.
All in all, the place looked like what she would have imagined a submarine base to look: the huge loading bays, two closed and one open, the blister-windows – designed to withstand the crushing pressure of the water all around them – and the people working at computer terminals inside the facility. It all looked so normal.
Aside from the aliens standing guard over the people working at the terminals, of course.
(Okay, so we know this is the place,) Rachel said, and Shara silently agreed with her. (Now all we have to do is figure out what they're doing in there. We need to get inside.)
(Easier said than done, that,) Shara pointed out.
(I need air,) Marco said, turning and heading for the surface.
That lead to the others, save for Ax, realizing that their own lungs were in need of fresh oxygen as well. The six other dolphins made for the surface not half a minute after Marco had left the group. Kicking their tails, they tore through the water and made for the bright barrier between the water and the air their bodies craved so much.
Bursting through in an almost perfectly-synchronized series of jumps, the seven dolphins blew out the stale air they'd been holding in their lungs and refilled them with fresh air once more. They mutually decided to stay up on the surface for about half a minute, getting reacquainted with the air and sun up above.
(That was definitely a Yeerk facility,) Jake said. (I saw Hork-Bajir.)
(So that's what a Hork-Bajir looks like,) Shara said, speaking to no one in particular. (Cassie told me that they worked for the Yeerks, but she never told me quite what they looked like.)
(I wish I had my real eyes,) Tobias said. (I'd be able to see what was on those computer monitors in there.)
(Well, maybe we could just swim around the place a few times,) Cassie suggested, trying to be practical. (See if they do anything. I mean, those three big openings have to be used for something. So there's obviously some major activity going on inside.)
(Excuse me,) Ax broke in.
(Yeah, Ax? What is it?) Jake asked.
(There are some fish that appear to be heading towards you.)
(I'm sure it's nothing to worry about,) Marco said. But then some gut instinct warned him against dismissing the Andalite's warning out of hand. (Large fish, Ax-man?)
(Yes. As large as my current morph. And they are rather strange in shape.)
(Strange how?) Marco asked, the feeling of foreboding that had led him to ask for more detail making him feel all the more unsettled.
(Their heads: they have heads that are flat on the front but extend out on each side. They have eyes at the end of each side extension. Also, they have fins like mine.)
Marco paused for a moment, mentally reviewing the information that the Andalite had relayed to him. Then, he felt his innards all but turn to ice as he realized just what Ax had been describing. (Hammerheads! Oh god, Hammerheads!)
The seven dolphins dove back into the deep water, wanting to see just how many sharks they were going to be faced with. As far as Marco was concerned, even one was far too many. He'd had enough bad experiences with sharks to last him more than a lifetime.