Animorphs 36 The First
Author James the Lesser
I do not own the characters, Applegate and her many Ghost Writers do! But I do hope any who read this will enjoy, even if I change things up!
Sorry for the long delay between updates!
1
Do I start with Dear Journal? Or maybe my name? Jake told me he would write all the things going on in his head and stuff. It helped him keep the nightmares away. I wonder where he kept it. I'd love to read it and see what he hadn't told me.
Now he never could tell me could he? He was dead and buried. I have nightmares about it. Maybe this would help me with my nightmares. Some of them. Too many for me to count.
I was stuck living at the Hork Bajir Colony. I was finally free but I couldn't go home. Every one thinks I'm dead. Every one thinks my brother is alive. The exact opposite was true. It didn't matter though. I was still stuck here.
There were other humans here. Former Controllers like me. I avoided them as much as possible. They didn't know every thing I knew. They knew a few humans had joined the Andalite Bandits but they didn't know there were no Andalite Bandits.
The only one I'd talk to was one of the Chee that helped me stay in communication with the others. I couldn't use a cell phone since that could be traced. He also could show movies on the side of the house I was staying in. Maybe it knows how to start a new journal? Or should I call him he?
I could ask Cassie. I've been talking with her since she is the closest to the Hork Bajir Colony. I can usually work in her barn helping with the animals while her parents were at work.
They call me Tom. This isn't Moby Dick. Heh, I would have had to read that except my English teacher was a Controller. My name is Tom and I'm an Animorph. Too AA. My parents named me Tom when I was born. Now they think I am dead.
When I was a Controller I wanted to be dead. Hoped one time the Andalite Bandits would rip my head off or shoot me with a Dracon Beam. Now I'm free and I'm dead.
I heard a knock at the door and answered it. "Hey Bob." The Chee looked like an old, overweight, balding white guy.
"They are having a meeting around five."
"Thanks." I looked behind him and saw two Hork Bajir bringing down branches from a tree. Others look out and see squirrels I look out and see nine foot tall aliens. "Uh, you want to come in? The TV you set up in here has over a hundred channels."
Bob taps the side of his head. "So does this." He smiles and walks away.
As I flew out to Cassie's barn I couldn't help but think of school. I liked it when I was free. I played basketball and I was good at it. I might have gotten a scholarship deal out of it. Instead? I get infested and quit. My grades were ok not all A's but no D's either. After I got infested? I got all A's with out doing any homework or taking any tests.
The Chee playing my brother went to school. He took the exams. The brother who was dead was in school and I wasn't. Well, they were on summer vacation now but still. Next year he would go in place of my brother while I staid in the Hork Bajir Colony.
Marco was waiting with Cassie, Tobias, and Aximilli. Marco was my little brother's best friend. Now? He had some how taken over this little group. Shouldn't I have taken over? I was the oldest and I had been on the inside. "Hey Marco." I pulled at my shirt. It was a size too small but we could only morph tight fitting clothing.
"Hey Tom." Was he smiling or smirking? Because he knew I should be leader and he took it from me? What was I thinking? I need to spend more time with him and the others so I can get to know them better.
"So what's going on?"
"I have a few ideas."
"Ideas?"
"Stuff Jake wouldn't do but I think needs to be done."
I saw Cassie look away from Marco as she acted like she was sorting various animal meds. "You want to kill people."
"You'd rather be dead than a Controller again right Tom?"
"Yes. Yes I'd put a Dracon Beam in my mouth and blow my head off before letting a slug in my head." I tried a few times when I was infested. A few times I had one in my hands I would try and turn it on myself but I never could get enough control.
"But they didn't make that decision."
"We have some one who knows all the Controllers in our town and then some. He knows all of the Pool entrances."
"I have a name."
"Tom might know them but he doesn't have to help you kill any one." At least Cassie knew my name.
"I think we should attack the Pool entrances. We attack them and shut them down. Do you think every one in this town in a Controller? We tear down a building and they hire a construction company to put it back up. We blow up another one and they hire another. We destroy ten entrances and they need to hire ten companies. Maybe they have one or two and maybe even three under their control but there is no way they have a dozen."
(It would only annoy them.)
"We have to do some thing until the energy detector is on Earth, Ax. I can't think of what else we can do."
(If we destroyed every Pool entrance it might make it harder for them to infest new people. They would have to struggle to keep the current Controllers fed.)
"This all falls on me. If we attack places like a McDonalds or the movie theater entrance we could end up killing Controllers."
"And?"
Marco didn't understand what I was getting at. "Killing human beings. Do you understand what that means? I had to order the deaths of others. I killed a few myself."
"They are hosts. I'm sorry but we kill all the Taxxon and Hork Bajir Controllers we can. If we kill a few human hosts? Hell it might make the Yeerks slow down."
"At the expense of human lives? Marco we can't do that. Jake would never do that!" Cassie smacks Marco.
"Jake is dead. We are losing the war. If you think killing a few humans is wrong then I hope you feel good when every human is a Controller."
(Marco calm down.) Tobias's feathers were ruffled.
"No. I am sick and tired of playing with kids gloves." Marco went to the door of the barn. "Where is Rachel? She should have been here by now."
(She said her mom asked her to make a snack for her little sisters.)
"Great."
"Marco I think you should calm down." Maybe I should take over. Marco seemed to be fueled by anger. Visser Three was fueled by that and his ego.
"You'll help won't you? You know where the entrances are."
"There are nineteen in the city. I can show you them on a map."
Cassie came over to me. "Don't do this Tom!"
"He was one of them. He knows what it is like. He wouldn't want that for any one."
"It doesn't mean he has to help you!" I grabbed Cassie by the arm when she went to smack me.
"Don't hit me." She struggles but can't break my grip. "I'll help Marco attack the entrances but we'll do it in a way that doesn't get any one killed." She relaxes so I let her arm go.
By the time my cousin Rachel made it I had already marked the Pool entrances on a map. "There are only six of us. Even if we split each one up individually that would still leave one left after we took out three each."
(What are you guys talking about?)
"About time Rachel." Marco points at a couple places on the map. "These are entrances to the Yeerk Pool."
(So? We can't go down in there.)
"Of course not that is suicide." Marco waves her down and she hops down from the rafters. "We're attacking the entrances."
(Cool. When do we go?)
"Not yet." How do I explain this to Marco? "You want to attack these public places. Places where yes some of the people are Controllers but not all of them. There will be an innocent customer at the counter or a bunch of teens sitting at the theater. If we do this I will only help if no one is killed."
(You already marked down the entrances right?)
"Yes Rachel but you need as much help as possible. Nineteen entrances that must be attacked as close to each other as possible. If we destroy five or six and not the rest the Yeerks will only increase security." This plan was actually a good idea. If we could pull it off.
"We don't, I don't, want a bunch of dead people either but a Controller is a Controller. Taxxon, Human, Hork Bajir, it doesn't matter."
"Then we should attack at night when the majority of the places are closed." I checked the time. "I'm going back I don't have an owl morph so I don't do well at night."
I loved flying. One doesn't know how freeing it can be to move not just forward or backwards but also up and down. You can move in any direction when you're in the air. I could see if I couldn't go back to my life I would just morph in to a bird and fly away.
The next day I left the Hork Bajir Colony. I had to do some thing. I hated staying there more and more. Every day it was a reminder of what had happened to me.
I could only see my parents when I was flying over the city. The top of my mom's head looked like every one else. Her hair was thinning. Was it always thinning? Or was the stress of losing a son causing it to fall out?
My father was in the backyard mowing the lawn. I did that. That was my chore. Now he was doing it. Why didn't he make Jake do it?
The Chee was at the school as my brother. He would check the entrance there and make sure there are no cameras or other security at the entrance. If it were really my brother I would be worried about him trespassing on school grounds during the summer. But it was a Chee he could use holograms to cover himself.
I was checking a few places from the air. As far as I knew all of the security was on the inside. I doubt they'd change it since I was freed.
I couldn't walk in as myself. I was dead and if the Yeerks saw me they'd know some thing was wrong. But a dog? I could run in and bark at a couple people and maybe even grab a burger. I am tired of using the microwave. Maybe I could ask the Chee for some fast food when I get back?
I miss fast food. The smell made my mouth water once I was human again. A dog could steal a burger and not go to jail. The place might even replace it for the customer. I should really focus on what I was doing and stop thinking about fast food. The stuff was bad for your health. But it tastes so good.
Once I could focus again I morphed in to a poodle. I got it from Bob when I asked for a dog morph. No idea where he got it from. My brother mentioned the Chee have some dog park but I don't know where it is. Probably some thing I should find out.
I ran through the doors as soon as some one opened it. The smell! I had morphed wolf before but I was in the woods not the city.
Fried food, burnt food, fresh food, and more. Sweat? I think that was sweat. And the bathrooms were cleaned with lemony freshness but I could still smell them. I could smell it all! It was brain overload for me.
I ran to the back where the entrance was. Nothing. No robots or Dracon Beams. There was no security.
I ran to the front of the store barking at an imaginary animal. Some one opened the door for me and I ran outside chasing after the same imaginary animal.
I demorphed in an alley behind a dumpster. "I'll never smell a burger like that again." The dog mind loved the smell. I would remember that smell forever. I wonder what it would have tasted like as a dog? Stop thinking about food you have plenty at...
Home? Was it home now? The place I sleep and eat? Well, try to sleep. The nightmares. Being captured that first time. Being a slave in my own mind. Or even worse the nightmare of what would happen if I was recaptured.
The resistance would be wiped out. I would force my cousin's head in to the Yeerk Pool. She was screaming obscenities at me as I did it. We had stunned her so we could capture her.
I would lead Hork Bajir out to Cassie's home and kill her and her family. Why was she killed but my cousin was taken? She didn't even fight she just screamed at us to leave her family alone. They had nothing to do with this just leave them alone. I personally vaporized her mother.
Marco fought to the death. I could hear his screaming in my head. We wanted him alive on orders from Visser Three. He would use the son of Visser One's host to torture the host.
Tobias escaped. He flew off some where and never returned. Lucky bastard. He'd never be a host. He'd never be a slave. He'd just be a bird with out any friends slowly watching his planet become infested by the Yeerk Empire. Maybe he wasn't so lucky.
Ax killed himself. Used his tail and sliced his head off when he realized he couldn't escape. (I'd never let one of you in my head.) And then he cut it off to make sure we couldn't take him.
The sky in that dream was wrong. There was a giant red eye where the Sun should be. I could tell it was following my every movement in the dream. It was like the eye I saw when the Yeerk finally starved in my brain.
I flew over my home again on the way back. My father was done mowing and must have been inside. My mom's car wasn't in the driveway.
As a bird you can't cry. Your bird brain can't feel that kind of emotion. I wanted to stay a bird forever as I flew back to the Hork Bajir Colony. A bird wouldn't have nightmares would it? Or did Tobias have them even though he was a, uh, crap I can't remember which kind of hawk he is. Cassie would know I'm sure but she was at home. Think about food at least that won't give you nightmares.
2
I went to Marco's and flew in through his window. (I checked a few entrances and saw nothing out of the ordinary.)
"Cool. Now we just need to find out a way to attack all of them at once."
(With as few deaths as possible.)
"Yeah, that too."
(Marco even if they volunteered to be infested it doesn't make them evil. The Sharing was created to find those who were weak and manipulate them.)
"I get it. You were one of them."
(I was never one of them. A host isn't a Yeerk. They don't join them.)
"Ok sorry for using the wrong word." He threw his book bag on the bed. Where had he gone that he needed that? "My dad's not home so you can demorph."
(Ok.) I demorphed quickly.
I paced back and forth. I was in a real bedroom, in a real house, in a real neighborhood. "Marco I get you're all gung ho about this but you can't start killing people."
"Why not? We kill every one else."
"A mom disappears and her husband starts asking questions. A dozen moms disappear and the local media has a field day. A hundred disappear? The FBI and national news sweep in and tear the city and surrounding area apart. How long until an FBI helicopter flies over Ax's place? Or two agents come across the Bug Fighter entrance?"
Marco didn't respond. He looked out his window as if an answer was out there waiting to come in. When he finally did turn towards me his answer surprised me. "Maybe we need that."
"What?"
"How far up does this go? What if the President finds out? We can nuke the Pool Ship out of the sky."
"Shields protect the whole thing."
"Shields can come down."
"If we launched enough nukes at it maybe. My Yeerk wasn't an expert on shielding."
"What was he an expert on?"
"He wasn't. Most aren't. He was just an average Yeerk who moved up the ranks. Pretty soon it would have been a Sub Visser."
"What ever. If the President knows he can launch nukes and take it down. He can warn the world. We go and tell people? No one would believe us. The President says Hey every one aliens are real and they're invading the people will listen." Marco pounds his right hand in to his left hand. "More can join the fight."
"Before or after Visser Three unleashes hellfire from outer space? Sure he might kill a billion hosts but there will be another five billion left."
"Why hasn't he done it then? Why do they sneak around invading slowly?"
"Your mom is the reason why. She started the idea of the Sharing and the slow invasion. She knew that if the Yeerks used force to invade they'd lose tens of thousands of Yeerks and hundreds of millions of hosts if not billions. The amount of ships needed to attack was more than the Yeerk Empire was willing to commit."
"More than what they already have?"
"It would probably take four Pool Ships at least to have enough Yeerks for an open invasion. To have enough Yeerks to infest as many humans as possible while blasting any resistance from space."
"The Yeerks could do that couldn't they?"
"Yes."
"Why haven't they then?"
"The Andalites would notice. They'd be forced to respond and if they did, well, a Quantum Virus would be the only response the Andalite Fleet could use."
"Great. And if they think we're too far gone they'll use a Quantum Virus. But if we aren't losing then they'll keep ignoring us. We can't win can we?"
"Sure we can."
"How Tom?"
"No idea." I didn't want to talk about this any more. "Look Marco we will attack the entrances but I want as few if any deaths possible or you won't get my help."
"Or Cassie's. And I need every one on this." Marco was finally seeing reason. "So what do we do? More explosives with remote detonators?"
"Or a countdown timer."
"The only problem is placing enough explosives in some of the places. The majority of the entrances are in public places."
"Do you think the Chee could help?"
"They can't place explosives."
"No but they can throw up holograms to cover up the explosives after we place them. Can't they?" I still didn't know that much about the Chee.
"Maybe. I'll contact them later."
"I can ask Bob when I get back to the Hork Bajir Colony."
"Even better. I have a date with Melissa to get ready for."
"You're worried about a date? We're fighting an alien invasion and you are going on a date? Marco what do you think you're doing?"
"Having a life."
Having a life? Some thing I could never have. I was dead. "Have fun." I morphed in to a hawk and left his room.
3
What else could I do? I went around the city a few times over the next couple of days checking on the entrances. Bob kept me up to date with what the others were doing.
My cousin and Cassie were at the city pool. Pretty funny since there was an entrance to the Yeerk Pool in the girl's locker room. Why they were there. They had just planted some explosives.
I flew over another house and saw one of the Chee. What were they doing there? There were a couple of other people in the backyard. Were they Chee?
I landed on the roof of the house. (Erik?) I see him look around. (On the roof.) He sees me and nods. (Uh, is this your house?)
"You must be Tom then if you don't know."
(Yeah, uh, yeah.)
"Welcome to our home."
(So you guys just sit around in a normal house?)
"Yes. We are normal."
(Compared with some of the other things going on? I guess you guys are normal.)
Well that was interesting. But now what? I'm stuck going back to the Hork Bajir Colony. Alone. Jake used to visit but now he was gone.
I was in the house watching television when there was a knock at the door. "Tom, it is me." Mr. Chapman?
I opened the door and saw he was alone. "What do you want?"
"I want to know what is going on." He walks in even though I didn't say he could.
"With what?"
"With you and the others. You wall yourself up in here except when you go and help the Andalite's and your cousin."
"I don't want to talk about it right now."
"About what? I haven't seen Jake visit you for a couple of weeks. Did some thing happen?"
"No." He didn't need to know what happened. No one did. As far as the world knows my brother is still alive and well. Even though I'm the one who is alive.
"Then why hasn't he visited?"
"Because I go to him. I don't need him disappearing from home all the time."
"Good thinking." Mr. Chapman walked over to the couch in the living room and sat down. "Why don't you talk with the rest of us? We all experienced the same thing Tom."
"We all experienced it differently." He volunteered. So did his wife. Yes it was to keep Melissa safe but still they volunteered. "I don't want to talk about it or any thing else with you." I go to the door and leave him behind.
I morphed and flew north. I don't know why I went north I just did.
I had to land and demorph but as soon as I could I remorphed and started flying north again.
I saw the site of the Yeerk Pool we attacked. The Yeerks were still excavating it. They could have blasted away but that would get noticed. Instead they were doing it by hand and shovel. They couldn't even use human heavy machinery. They weren't supposed to be up here. This was protected lands. Why they chose it. They knew no one would bother them.
My brother's body was down there wasn't it? What if they found it and knew he wasn't supposed to be there? Or worse realized Jake had never missed school and was still running around town? We had to do some thing didn't we? We couldn't let the Yeerks find my brother's body.
I flew home as fast as I could. Again I had to stop about half way and demorph but I remorphed and took off as soon as I could.
Marco was in his room playing a video game. (Marco!)
"What!?" He jumped and dropped his controller. "You made me lose!"
(Sorry but this is more important!) I landed on the window sill.
"What is?"
(What happens when they find my brother's body?)
"Who?"
(Duh, the Yeerks! When they find his body in the rubble how lucky would we be that no one realized he wasn't supposed to be there? Or that he was seen alive and well after the cave in.)
"I thought about that."
(And?)
"He was crushed. My best friend was crushed by tons of rocks. What are the chances all of them missed his skull? His head would have been crushed making it impossible to see who it was."
How could Marco be so calm? (And if they did a DNA test?)
"Why would they?"
(They know exactly how many died I can tell you that. When they find an extra body they will test the DNA.)
"They don't have any of his."
Huh, maybe Marco was right to be so calm. (But, then, what if, he might have donated blood.)
"Not since we've started that much I know. Did he ever donate before?"
(He couldn't have. He was always afraid of needles too. So even if they checked for DNA they wouldn't have any.) Marco was right not to be worried. He was two steps ahead of me. (You're right. I panicked for nothing.)
"Don't worry about it Tom. I thought about going back for Jake but it would be pointless." Marco tried covering up his sadness with a smile. "You ever wanna talk I'm here. Well, when I'm not with Melissa."
(Or out on a suicide mission.)
"Planting explosives across the city is probably the least dangerous thing I've done this year."
(And that scares me.) I'd barely done any thing since I'd been freed. What little Jake had told me before he... To think him and his friends had slowed the Yeerk invasion.
4
I was flying to clear my head when I saw Cassie out in the woods. I flew down and landed in a tree. (Hey Cassie.) I see her look around. (Above you in the tree.)
"Hey Tom."
(What are you doing out here?)
"Taking a walk."
(Just a walk?)
"It's like flying just done on the ground."
Ha. Marco seemed to be the one who usually told jokes. (Oh. Want me to leave you alone?)
"No. I could use the company. Jake used to fly with me."
(You could fly with me.)
"How long have you been in morph?"
(Uh, I can demorph and remorph.)
"Better safe than sorry."
I flew down and demorphed. "Why did you decide to walk instead of fly?"
"I can only fly for two hours. I have to keep an eye on the time and it is distracting." She looks around. "If I walk I can just walk and walk as much as I like."
"If I had shoes I'd walk with you." One of the few downsides to morphing is you couldn't morph shoes.
"It's ok I'll fly now that I have some one to talk with." We both morphed in to birds and took off.
We were over the town when I remembered the other day. (So you planted the bombs right?)
(Yes. I hope no one finds them. They're dangerous and could hurt some one.)
(Even if they are a Controller?)
(You were a Controller before. What if we had killed you? Then you wouldn't be free now.)
(True.) We continued flying and talking. We had to demorph and remorph a couple of times but we kept flying and talking.
I spent a couple more days scouting. We planted more and more explosives. Well, they did. I couldn't be seen in public. But as a bird I could help.
Soon the explosives would be detonated. Marco and Rachel wanted to detonate as soon as possible. Thankfully Cassie and I convinced them to wait until night.
I flew over the mall where there were two entrances. (I haven't seen any one go in or out for at least ten minutes. I think it is safe.)
I landed on the roof where the detonator was. (Every one has checked in. Are you ready Tom?)
(Yes Tobias.) I waited for Tobias to give me the order.
I wasn't going to demorph. I would use my beak to hit the button. I knew this was dangerous. The mall was closed so no one should be hurt but other places were open even late at night.
I found out birds couldn't sweat. If I was human I would have been. But my heart was beating wildly. Could birds have heart attacks? (Marco says in five.)
(Minutes?)
(Four. Three. Two. One.)
I hit the button with my beak and feel the roof shake. I wonder what regular people would think. Who would attack the mall, school, fast food restaurants, ware houses, and other place all in one night? The Yeerks would scramble to repair them but what would others think?
I waited a few minutes before taking off for home. Well the Hork Bajir Colony. Maybe one day I could go home. Once this war was over we could reveal what happened couldn't we? I hoped so.
I hadn't made it back when an owl joined me. (We really need to get you an owl morph.)
(I know Cassie. It is hard having to flap all the time.)
(I used to have a couple owls before David burnt the barn down. Their wings wouldn't heal properly and my father has a soft spot for owls so couldn't put them down.)
(David is why I wasn't allowed to get a lion morph isn't it? I remember a lion attacking a few times and then disappeared.)
(Did Jake ever tell you about David?)
(Just that it didn't end well. Why you voted against letting me in at first.)
(I'm sorry about that. We just freed you from the Yeerks and then we ask you to come back in to the fight.)
(And you're worried about how I might react. I know Jake was nervous I might try and take over.)
(After he, disappeared, I thought you might.)
(Marco took over and I really don't want to deal with it. I was a high ranking Yeerk and gave orders. I'm tired of giving orders that result in people getting killed. What if I gave the order that got my cousin killed? Or you? I don't know how Jake could do it.)
(I think that's why Marco did the bombing tonight. He doesn't want to send us on a mission where he might give the wrong order.)
(Jake gave those orders all of the time. He put his best friend and you and our cousin in danger. I just have to hope when Marco does send us in to trouble he doesn't get one of you killed.)
(One of us killed? What about you?)
(I'm already dead. I'm like a vampire or a zombie. I walk and talk but I'm dead.)
(But we know you're alive.) She flew closer to me. Any bird watchers might think we were fighting over territory. Any Yeerk would probably start shooting.
(And I want to stay that way for a long time. But if it came down to it and it was me or you or any one else? I'd make sure you guys got out even if it meant I didn't.)
(Thank you Tom.) She started slowing down as we neared the colony. (If you want I can come visit you after I do my chores.)
(I don't care. I don't do much at the colony. What time would you be coming out?)
(I've been getting help from Bobby so I'm usually done before noon.)
(I might be awake by then. Being at the Hork Bajir Colony I usually watch the late shows. And the infomercials.)
(Can't sleep?)
(Some times. I keep thinking this is all a dream and when I sleep the real world comes to me and I'm still a Controller. I'm still trapped in my own mind. When I'm awake I know I'm free.) The nightmares just wouldn't go away.
(The Chee have psychologists. I know Rachel has been talking to one. Maybe you could talk to one too.)
(Sorry but I don't think so. I've never been much for opening up and sharing.)
(You opened up and shared with me.)
(I, well, I'm sure you have to get home and get some sleep.) I broke off from her and flew through the trees in to the Hork Bajir Colony.
I watched the usual late night shows. The infomercials were the same as the night before. I could make my own inventions. I knew enough from the Yeerks I could probably put Bill what's-his-face in the poor house.
But I'm dead. I can't do any thing outside of the colony. I never will be until we beat the Yeerks. If we do. Our best case scenario is the Andalite Fleet shows up and doesn't use the Quantum Virus. Our worse is we lose, the Yeerks win, and the Andalite's wipe us all out. I should stop thinking about it. Writing it down only seems to make it worse.
I must have fallen asleep in the chair. I was woken up by the news reporting over a dozen bombings. No one was sure who was behind it. So far no deaths or injuries were reported. Good.
I knew Cassie said she'd come out to see me but I needed to get out.
I morphed and took off in to the air.
I saw Cassie with her Chee. I couldn't remember the name. (Hey Cassie you two need any help?)
The Chee replied as I landed. "Sure! Another hand is always good. Cassie needs help resetting the leg of an animal and I can't do it."
I demorphed and helped the two out trying to forget the dreams, the nightmares, and the thought that I wasn't really free.
5
Marco called for a meeting so I flew out to the Barn. I was the first one there. "Hey Cassie any idea what this is about?"
"Not really. Have you seen the news?" I simply noded. "They said it must have been some anarchists who attacked the city."
"Except the Yeerks know better."
"Yeah. I'm worried they might wonder how we got the bombs in to some of those places."
"We morphed humans and walked right in."
"Yeah but," I had to cut her off.
"I used to be one. I know how they think. Why do you think they aren't looking for humans with morphing abilities? Any one who suggests it to Visser Three is killed so they just stopped. He knows Seerow's Law makes it impossible for a human to have morphing powers."
"But those with human hosts think like humans?"
"Pretty much. They know how we are. They know we fight even after we've already lost. They know we'll break laws if we have to."
"But we'd need an Andalite to break one really big law."
"A dying Andalite? Might just become desperate enough. They may have laws but when it comes to the Yeerks they'll break them. Human hosts understand that but a Yeerk who has never understood the mind of a human? I doubt he even understands the mind of an Andalite. He's too arrogant to look inside of Alloran's mind."
Cassie and I set the animal's leg while waiting for the others. I hadn't even noticed the Chee disappeared. "Where did your Chee go?"
"Bobby?" Cassie looks around for a few seconds. "If you're playing a joke please don't I think this one needs to keep calm."
The Chee, Bobby, should I call it that? Her that? Was it disrespectful to call Bobby just Chee or it? It isn't like she'll ever read this but I should probably stop calling her Chee or it. Any ways she came from behind one of the cages.
"I was actually leaving you two alone."
"Oh, well, until the others get here could you help me muck out the far stall?"
"I'll do it myself you two keep talking."
We talked for a few minutes until we heard wings. I looked up and saw a, uh, what ever Tobias's morph was. Red Tail Hawk? "Hey Tobias is Ax coming?"
(I was checking to make sure no one would see him.) Sure enough I heard hooves and the blue centaur looking alien the others called Ax appeared.
We waited a few more minutes before Marco and Rachel made it in their bird morphs. (How am I the last one here? I called this meeting.) Marco flew down to the ground and demorphed.
Once he was human again Marco started his meeting. "Well any one who watched the news knows we got all nineteen entrances."
"Yeah, and?"
"And, Xena, I got my next idea." Marco and my cousin glared at each other. If I didn't know any better I'd say there was some thing more between them. "Yeerks hate exposure. Like the Sharing President taking off with all of that money."
I saw where he was going. "We can't expose them."
"Not the Yeerks themselves but the hosts we can. What if one won the lottery? And then another? And another?"
"So we annoy the Yeerks by giving them millions of dollars. Great plan fearless leader."
"It is once some one who is good with computers lets some one know of the hacking. Those who win will be in a lot of trouble."
"So again we annoy the Yeerks."
"We annoy them when they already have problems. We also target ones who are high ranking." He looked at me. "Tom you know who the big wigs are. Who would get screwed the most by an investigation in to lottery rigging?"
"Uh, any one? If you want we could target the Sharing and have their members win and pin all of it on them. The more we hurt the Sharing the fewer new followers they'll get."
"So your big plan is to rig the lottery and then let the state people find out it was rigged? You really needed to call a meeting for this?"
"If you have any better ideas that don't involve the Yeerk Pool let me know."
My cousin went to Marco and got in his face. "Why not blow the Sharing up? We could always steal more bombs."
Cassie pushes the two apart. "The Sharing has staff there at all times. Even at night they have janitors and cleaning crew."
"So? They're probably Controllers."
"Like I was?" I should have kept my mouth shut. My cousin wasn't in a good mood and talking back to her didn't put her in any better of one.
"Better dead than a Controller! We have it set up now right? Some mad anarchists running around and blowing stuff up. We simply blow the Sharing building up."
(They might be expecting that. Rachel we would have to get inside with enough explosives to destroy the building. It would never happen.)
"Shut up Tobias I wasn't asking you."
"Whoa calm down Xena."
"Stop calling me that!" I was as surprised as every one else when she punched Marco.
"Stop!" Bobby was a blur as she got between Marco and Rachel. "I've wanted to be in on a meeting and now that I'm here you are fighting? Do you always fight like this?"
"No." Cassie grabs Rachel and pulls her away. "What is wrong Rachel?"
"Them, him, all of you!" She pushes Cassie away. "The Chee won't commit violence or allow others to look for the Pemalite Crystal. Marco has us annoying the Yeerks instead of attacking them. You are such a wimp you don't even want us stepping on the foot of a Hork Bajir let alone kill them." She pushes Cassie away again when Cassie tries to stop her from leaving.
"Please, wait!" Bobby stands in Rachel's way. "We have been looking for the Pemalite Crystal."
"What?!" Cassie goes over to Bobby. "When?"
"Why I am partnered with you. We know you were the last one to have it."
"No I wasn't."
"Yes you were. Jake found it and gave it to you to hide. I've been watching you hoping to find out where you put it."
"You've been spying on me? I thought you were my friend!"
"I am but I want to do more. I told you I was stuck on the Pool Ship until I faked my death. I was bored, frustrated, that I couldn't do more. When Erek asked us if any one would help you I volunteered."
"Why tell us now?"
"Because I want to do more! I can't make her tell me where it is but one of you can. Rachel if you can make her tell us where it is I can help you! I can keep this planet safe from the Yeerks. I can save our Creators."
I saw tears on her face. The hologram of her face. The Chee, Bobby, was crying. I can't keep underestimating them. They may have the bodies of machines but they are more than that.
"I won't let them die again! If they had only reprogrammed us to fight off the Howler attack they would still be with us! Instead we had to watch them be exterminated. We can't delete those memories with out a Pemalite Crystal. I have to know exactly how my Creator died. Do you know what that is like? It isn't a memory where you think you know the details. I can tell you every slice placed on her body. I can tell you exactly how she screamed when one of the attackers howled. I can tell you how my great Creator threw herself in front of me trying to protect me. I was a machine! I wanted to protect her but I couldn't. She created me and loved me and wanted me to be safe. She died making sure I got on the ship and all I could do was watch and remember." Bobby sat down on the ground continuing to cry.
I was uncomfortable. Here was a being older than the pyramids sobbing because she missed her Creator. Some one who loved her and she loved back. Now she was watching what remained of her Creator be threatened by the Yeerks and there was little she could do.
Cassie knelt down next to Bobby and put an arm around her shoulders. "It's ok Bobby. I'm sorry but I can't let you know where it is. I want to help you but not in that way."
"Then I'll help her." I saw Rachel start to morph. The brown fur growing from her skin as she got larger and larger.
"Ax!" Ax's tail was at Rachel's neck. "Rachel demorph." She tried to answer but couldn't talk because she was in mid morph. There was silence. I think she was trying to use thought speak but hadn't evolved enough to use it. "Now Rachel."
She seemed stuck in mid morph before finally going back to herself. "Or what Marco? You'll have Ax cut my head off? Would wittle Cassie approve of that?" She said the last part in baby talk.
"No just nick you enough to make you demorph."
"You want this war over and the Chee can end it. We can take the Pool Ship, Blade Ship, and the Yeerk Pool here in a matter of days."
This time I had to speak up. "How did that end last time Rachel? Didn't you tell Jake you had to kill him to fix things? How would you fix it this time? My brother is already dead."
"The war was over."
"I get these Chee are really strong and capable of hacking the Pool Ship but then what? Wait three days for every host to starve? What about the hundreds of thousands, no, millions of Yeerks already on Earth? Do you think they would just roll over? They would fight back and kill millions more."
"It would be better than billions if the Andalite Fleet shows up and decides we're too far gone and unleash the what ever virus on us."
"What if we do this? What if we use the Chee and we capture the ship? Who gets the ship? America? The UN? What if China or Russia wants it and threatens with nukes?"
(And my people could consider you a threat and use the Quantum Virus to keep you from leaving your solar system.) I saw Ax's tail twitch. Any farther and my cousin would lose her head.
"So if we do win the Andalite's kill us. If we lose they kill us. Why are we fighting then if no matter what the Andalite's will just show up and kill us? Why not end the war and use the Pool Ship to fight back!"
(I would hope they would listen to me. I am the brother of a Prince. I would tell them you are not a threat to us or peace and could become the great allies we once thought the Yeerks would be when Seerow first pitied them.)
"I won't tell you or any one where it is." I forgot Cassie and Bobby were still there. I couldn't take my eyes off of the blade just one muscle twitch away from killing my cousin. "Jake told me to hide it and I did."
"So you take her choice away? Bobby and other Chee want to help us so let them! Sure some don't but they don't have to change only the ones who want to." I saw Rachel lean forward almost daring Ax to cut her.
"They don't know what it is like to kill. Erek does and he changed himself back." Cassie kept her arm around Bobby's shoulders as Bobby continued to cry. "I won't corrupt the Chee. I won't let Cryak hurt them or the Pemalites like that."
"So you'll let the Yeerks kill them instead. Or the Andalite's. Fine." Rachel spit at Cassie. "I know we can win and none of you want to help me? I know Cassie. She was my friend for years. I bet I could find it."
"You won't."
"I will. Even if you won't tell me."
"I couldn't tell you. I had to make sure it was lost in a way that even if I became infested the Yeerk's couldn't get their hands on it."
"So you threw it in to the ocean. I could find it if I had help."
"I did better than that. I flew out in to the ocean and waited to find a whale. When it came up to the surface I dropped the Pemalie Crystal in to its mouth. It took me a few flights to do it but now I know the crystal is safe."
"You lost our only chance of winning the war!"
"No it isn't. I think Marco has the right idea Rachel. If we ruin the Sharing it slows the Yeerks down a lot. We set them up by hacking the lottery and making sure it gets noticed. I can give you a couple names to target first that would hurt them the most."
"So we annoy them but don't hurt any one? We make sure we put pillows on our paws so we don't kill any Taxxon."
"We'll kill plenty when the Energy Detector is here but until then I want to hurt the Yeerks with out getting any of us killed."
"Can't do it can you? Jake could order us into the Yeerk Pool or on to the Pool Ship. You won't even order us to look at a Controller too hard."
"You're right. I can't order his brother, cousin, girlfriend, to die. I won't put Ax or Tobias in the firing line of a Dracon Beam. Not until we destroy the Energy Detector. After that? I have a lot of plans. But we have to keep the Blue Box and the Chee safe from the Yeerks."
"Like what?"
"One thing I want to do is steal a Bug Fighter and fly it in to the Yeerk Pool and blast the pool itself. I've asked Erek and he says if we were quick enough we could blast it and fly out dumping the Bug Fighter in the woods."
"So now you want us to go in to the Yeerk Pool? Isn't that suicide Marco? At least that's your excuse for never doing that."
"If we do it in a Bug Fighter we're in and out before they know what is going on. We blast the pool and even if it doesn't kill any of them we cause chaos when they have no entrances to get through but that one."
"So why can't we do it now? If it is so easy to do."
"Because it is suicide to go in to the Yeerk Pool." I couldn't believe these two. If some one didn't stop them they would continue this forever.
Wait, why couldn't I stop them? I may be new but I'm the oldest and have dealt with the Yeerks longer. "Shut up both of you! We aren't getting the Pemalite Crystal and we aren't stealing a Bug Fighter. We will wait until the Energy Detector is here and destroy it."
"Says who?"
"Me! Rachel I side with Marco as does Cassie. We know we can't get the Pemalite Crystal so we have to do some thing else like focus on the Sharing. If I had been freed earlier I would have focused on it before. We destroy that we destroy their main recruiting base."
"Through bad publicity? Really Tom?"
"Yes Rachel. They may be operated by Yeerks but they operate in a human world. Bad publicity or good publicity is every thing. We do the lottery and other things."
"Like blow them up!"
"That would just make people feel bad for them Xena."
"Stop calling me that!" Rachel looked like she was ready to attack Marco but Ax's tail blade staid at her throat.
"Fine I'll just call you a psychopathic idiot!"
(Hey! She is not! Ax let her go and see how big Marco is when he doesn't have you holding her back.)
"Go ahead Ax. If she thinks I'm afraid of her pull your tail back."
Ax does and Rachel immediately lunges for Marco.
I watched them fight wanting to stop it but I wasn't getting in the middle of this. I'd let the two beat each other up.
After a couple of minutes my cousin was on top of Marco choking him. "You're a coward! Jake dies and you try to take over but you're too scared to do any thing!"
"You're killing him!" Cassie tackles Rachel off of Marco.
"Get off of me! You're even worse!" Cassie fell backwards after Rachel got her right in the face.
"What is going on out here?!"
(Sorry I wasn't keeping watch!)
I tried to hide but Cassie's mother already saw me. "Tom? Or are you Jake in one of those morphs?"
"No, I'm Tom." They told me she knew but she was handling this a little too well. "In case you couldn't tell..." She finished it for me.
"You're not really dead. I heard you were a Controller."
"I was but they rescued me and faked my death." I watched her reach for some thing near the work bench. "I swear I'm not a Controller any more."
"He's telling the truth mom." Cassie ignored her bleeding nose and went to her mom. "We freed him but we lost Jake."
"What? When? Wasn't he here just the other day?"
Bobby stood up and changed her hologram to my brother. "Hello. One of my kind is pretending to be him." She changed back.
"But, no. Jake can't be dead. I knew this was dangerous but you said you were being careful! And you're bleeding now!" Cassie's mom grabbed her and hugged her hard. "Why are you bleeding?"
"That's my fault." I swear my cousin looked smaller.
"She tripped and accidentally hit me when I tried to catch her."
"But when? How?"
"Before school ended. Killed in a rock slide."
"But that means he's been dead for almost three weeks. How could you keep this from his parents? Why not tell them Tom is alive?"
"In case they get captured. The fewer people who know the better. Mom you can't let any one know about this."
"And why is Marco covered in straw?"
"I fell too." Marco knocks some of the straw off. "You understand you can't tell any one about Tom or Jake."
"Isn't there any thing I can do to help? I know you said we can't call the police but they can't all be Controllers."
"There are too many and even if we did tell one who wasn't a Controller what could they do? Mom they control the police even the ones who aren't Controllers."
"Then the President!"
"And how would we do that? If we could get close enough to tell him with out the Secret Service shooting us there isn't much he could do."
"We have nuclear weapons we can shoot the big ship you said they have."
"They have weapons that would shoot any missile out of the sky before it got close. The Yeerks would then vaporize hundreds of millions from outer space. If we take this war public then they have no reason for a slow secret invasion." I saw the look in her eyes. I'd seen that look in my own eyes. "But we can slow them down and hurt them. Like we did with the bombings."
'That was you kids who did that? Why?"
"The Yeerk Pool is below the city. We destroyed the entrances to the Yeerk Pool. Of course they have the one they use for Bug Fighters but it slows them down."
"Tom, I, I'm happy to see you're alive but I'm sorry about your brother."
"He died fighting the Yeerks. If I'm lucky I'll die that way too."
"Don't say that. Maybe, maybe when this is over and those blue ones like your friend here show up you can come back."
"I'm dead to the world. If I came back it probably wouldn't be as me." I hoped it wouldn't happen but I had to be ready for it. "I hope I can see my parent's again but it might not happen."
"Where have you been living?"
"I, well,"
"Around." Was Marco trying to take control again? I let him before but not this time.
"With some other freed Controllers. I am taking over the group since I'm the oldest and most experienced with the Yeerks. We're planning some things but nothing that would get any one else hurt."
"Really?"
"After Jake we need to take a break from the suicide missions and just do the things we know will work with out putting us in danger."
"That's good. Thank you Tom."
"It is more for us than any thing. We have some thing coming and we can't risk losing any one else."
"Some thing dangerous?"
"Not to us but our allies. I don't know how we'll handle it yet but we're working on a plan. That's what tonight's meeting was about."
"Oh. I heard screaming and came out thinking maybe Cassie had been bit by one of the animals."
"I yelled because Rachel punched me in the face when she fell. Sorry mom."
"So I, I should go." She turned and left us.
"Cassie make sure she doesn't freak out about this."
"I'll do it." Bobby got off the ground and followed Cassie's mother.
It was silent for a few minutes. I saw Marco start to say some thing but no words came out. I finally broke the silence. "Rachel, Marco, don't talk to each other until the next time we meet. I will talk with Bob back at the colony and see if he can't hack the lottery. I'll give him the list of names to make winners. The rest of you wait for me to call a meeting."
(I could do any hacking work needed.)
"I'm sure you could Ax but the Chee know the lottery better than you do and understand PR. They'll know what I'm going for."
(Very well.) Ax was the first to leave.
Soon Rachel left and Tobias followed after her. This left me with Marco and Cassie. "Marco you have good ideas and I agree with them but you suck at giving orders."
"I never wanted to be leader." He said nothing else as he left.
Now it was just Cassie and I. "Need any ice for your nose?"
"It only throbs when I breath." Her laughter made me feel better.
"I can't believe that just happened. I thought Jake said she was seeing some one from the Chee."
"I did too. I've looked on the internet and saw stuff like post traumatic stress disorder and multiple personality disorders. The more stress she feels the more, aggressive, she gets which fits the second one."
"You're like the shrink for the group aren't you?"
"Those who want to talk to me do I guess. Jakes, you, even Tobias."
"I'm sure he has plenty of issues."
She shrugged her shoulders. "Not as many as you'd think. He knows he probably let himself be trapped to escape his home life. He didn't think about doing it but maybe his subconscious made him do it. He's actually happier as a hawk who can morph than a human who can morph. I was scared for him but he seems comfortable with what he is now."
I looked closer at her nose. It didn't look broken but was swollen. "I'm sorry about Rachel. The few weeks I've been free I haven't really talked with her. Jake visited me but she never has."
"She doesn't talk to me either. I wish she did but she won't. You heard her. She thinks I'm weak because I don't want to kill."
"You're not weak." She sneezed and let out a cry of pain. "You need ice. Is there any out here?"
"We have freeze paks in the freezer." She points and since I was closer I opened it and got one out.
I put it on her nose and saw her wince in pain. "Sorry. Your nose will probably be bigger for a few days."
"Just what I need. I'm already plain looking now I'll have a big nose."
"You're not plain looking."
"Compared with Rachel I definitely am. Well, she's your cousin so you've probably never noticed."
I didn't realize it at first but there was a wave of emotion in the barn. "I, I think I should go."
"I need to go inside and check on Bobby."
"Are you mad at her?"
"No, kind of, no. She misses the Pemalite that created her and sees the Yeerks coming to kill what little remains of the Pemalites. She's desperate to save that."
"Good thing you hid the Pemalite Crystal like you did."
"Yeah. Not even I could find it now."
When she took the freeze pak from my hand I felt... No, stop it Tom. You're just lonely. Stuck at the Hork Bajir Colony with former Controllers all much older than you isn't good for you. Me, how should I write that down? "Good night Cassie. I'll let you know about the lottery thing."
"You can come and help me at the barn. Now that my mom knows about you we won't have to worry as much."
"I guess. Not tomorrow though I'll be busy." I walked out of the barn and morphed in to a hawk and took off.
6
Bob had no problem with hacking the lottery for us. He could probably hack every computer in the country at once.
Every three days a top member of the Sharing would win the lottery. At first no one would be suspicious. But when the same number came up in less than a month? The investigation would start.
I was flying over the Sharing HQ when I saw her. The girl I originally joined the Sharing for. She was a Controller. She had been a Controller the entire time I knew her. Was she really as nice and sweet as she came off or was that the Yeerk inside her mind?
I had one in me. They didn't know sweet. They didn't know kindness. It had to be her. It knew it because she was it. She was trapped inside of her own mind just like I was. It didn't have to be like that did it? They kidnapped others why couldn't we save her?
When I got back to the colony I told Bob about my idea. "I'm sure there are a few Chee who will volunteer."
"How many?"
"There are dozens of us just in the area. Some of us want nothing to do with the war but there are enough who know if you fail every thing is doomed."
"I'll need the others approval for this."
"I can have them contacted and a meeting set any time you wish."
"Thank you Bob." I told him to set up the meeting for early the next morning.
Cassie was always up early so this early meeting wasn't a problem for her. The others? Not so happy about being up early during summer vacation.
Marco was the first to complain in between yawns. "They just had the second lottery that isn't enough to harm the Sharing."
"No this is about some thing else. You guys kidnapped Controllers and replaced them with Chee. I have a new target."
I didn't want to lie. I would feel bad for doing it but if I told them my real reason for wanting her freed they'd probably say no. "She is near sub visser rank. She is a top recruiter for the Sharing. If we eliminate her they lose a key hunter."
"Hunter?"
"What they call people they use to recruit others."
"So lets do this." Rachel yawned. "Later."
That's it? I said lets do a mission and they just followed? Was it that easy for Jake? I used to give orders but I wasn't giving them I just asked for help and they agreed to. "Uh, well, I wasn't expecting it to be this easy."
"Why wouldn't it? She's some top Yeerk and we take her we hurt them and the Sharing."
"I guess I'm just not used to this. I had to give orders and death threats before."
(We aren't egotistical jerks.)
"Thanks Tobias."
(I need breakfast. I hate flying this early since the thermals aren't really set yet.)
"I can get you a mouse Tobias."
(No Cassie I need to hunt.) Tobias left through the rafters.
(I ate on the way here but there are interesting These Messages on I am missing.)
"Then uh, go, I guess." Giving orders to an Andalite? If the Yeerk was still in my head it would have died from the irony.
"I'm out. Taking a nap before breakfast."
I saw Rachel glare at Marco. "By then it will be lunch."
"People say you'll regret it in the morning. If you sleep past noon then you can't regret it." Marco yawned again as he started to leave. "Xena."
"Don't call me that!" Rachel looked for some thing to throw at him but Marco was out of the barn before she found any thing.
"Calm down Rachel. You never got mad about it before."
"It isn't the name it is him!" Rachel storms out of the barn leaving me alone with Cassie.
"Well that went better than I thought it would."
"Did you really think we'd say no?"
"Well, I, I've never made a mission before. I can't believe my little brother has been doing this for months."
"He's needed a lot of help but he has it." She put a hand on mine. "You have it too. Even if some of us aren't as willing to help as others."
"I don't think Ax likes me." She smiled and laughed a little.
"He misses Jake. Prince Jake." I saw tears in her eyes. "He tries to hide it but he'd resent any one who tries and takes over. Not that Jake took over in the first place. We just looked to him and he some how knew what to do.
"My little brother was even more awesome than I knew. I was free for only a few weeks before he died. I liked it when he visited me. We'd play video games or chess and stuff. It was almost normal. If you ignored the aliens."
"He fought to free you. He originally wasn't going to but when he learned you were a Controller he knew he had to fight. He looked up to you and knowing you weren't the brother he loved he would have moved mountains to free you."
"He did." She started crying and I couldn't hold my own tears back.
I had to leave. I had a mission. I had to free her. I had to save her. Karen, no, Ashley. Yeah, Ashley. I would save Ashley.
I followed her for a couple of days learning her routine. I also knew when she last fed. No, the Yeerk in her head last fed. I would wait until the day before it was set to go to the Yeerk Pool again before saving her. No we would. The others would help.
She had a public image to uphold. She was a sweet girl who did volunteer work and helped the helpless. If she saw a dog limping on the side of the road she would stop and help it. She had to if she wanted to keep her cover.
It was a little more difficult than I thought since it turned out only my brother had a dog morph.
Marco knew of a neighbor dog he could get close to. So he was the one on the side of the road limping as Ashley drove her car home.
She pulled over to the side of the road and got out of her car. "Oh you poor thing! Do you have a collar?"
Any one on the outside would never know what happened. Cassie had animal tranqualizers in a syringe and got Ashley in the neck while hiding in a hologram.
Ashley stumbled, tried to cry out, and fell on the road.
The Chee who was replacing her picked Marco up. "I'll take you to the vet. See if you have a chip." She walked back to the car and put Marco in the back seat.
A second Chee picked Ashley up easily and put her over its shoulder. His shoulder. They're machines but they're more. I wonder if they'd be offended being called it in a journal.
By the time I flew back to the colony Ashley was already bound and gagged in a chair. She was still sleeping due to the drugs. "Make sure she wins last."
"She's underage she can't play the lottery."
"Exactly. She takes off after having the winning numbers as the first Sharing winner. The Sharing then has to explain why so many members won the lottery and deny the hacking."
"Being done from Sharing HQ computers. I've covered my tracks well no one would be able to follow it outside of there."
"Good." I check the time. "She was to feed tonight. In a few more hours she'll be free." My mission went off with out a hitch. I did it! My first mission and we were in and out before any thing could happen.
About twenty minutes later Ashley woke up. I took the gag out of her mouth. "Where am I? What happened?" Her eyes were dilated and struggled to focus. "Tom? No, he's dead."
"I am. But I saved you. Soon the slug in your head will die from starvation."
"No, I, I'm not, let me go!" She started struggling against the ropes.
"You'll starve and die just like the Yeerk in my head did."
"No!"
"It is ok Ashley soon you'll be free."
"Her name is Karen!" Oops.
"Uh, yeah, that's what I said." I had my own chair and sat in it as I watched Karen struggle against the ropes.
The Sun was starting to set. The Yeerk in Karen was getting more desperate. "Let me go! If you let me go I won't tell any one you're alive!"
"Yes you will. I was once a Controller I know how you think." I knew she'd feel pain. I did when the Yeerk died in my head. "But if you left her now I could put you in the river and you might have a chance to get away."
"Never! I would never let myself die while blind."
"Seeing is an amazing gift. The first time you open a new host's eyes and see? How do you explain colors? How do explain the brightness of the Sun? You can't. You can only see." I knew that all too well. I wasn't his first host but I was his first human. We see differently than Taxxon do. He stared at the Sun a little too long. Thought I would need glasses after the first couple of days but the Yeerks fixed my eyes.
Karen fought against the ropes so much she started to bleed. Bob held her arms so she couldn't hurt herself any farther.
I looked her in the eyes. I could see pain, fear, and hope. The Yeerk was losing control of her. She knew soon she would be free. "She volunteered! She wanted me inside of her! She won't stay here! She'll go back and then you're dead!"
"I'm already dead remember? And I know she didn't volunteer. I've seen her in a cage while you fed in the Yeerk Pool."
"No! She'll betray you! You'll die for this! Garbglhem!" He was losing control of her speech center. "Imdh hfm!"
"The first thing to go was speech when mine died. Soon you will blink for the first time under your own control. You'll take a deep breath and smell the air around you for the first time in years. You may have had the Yeerk out of your head every three days but you were never really free. You might have a hard time walking and talking at first but soon you'll be like it never happened."
"Narh!"
"Is that a no?" Karen simply shook as the Yeerk lost more control of her body.
It was horrific watching the Yeerk crawl out of her ear. When it fell on the ground it withered and soon stopped moving.
I leaned down so I could look Karen in the eyes. "Well?" She blinked a couple of time.
"I'm free." Tears flowed down her cheeks. "I'm finally free."
Bob untied her quickly and I held on to her as she stood up. "I can do it. I walked in the cage." I let her go and she stumbled a little. "I can do it." She was shaky as she took a few steps but soon she looked normal.
"It is weird knowing that all of your steps will be under your own control."
"How?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you escape? Why did you free me? Where are we?"
"There is a resistance. The Andalite Bandits, the free Hork Bajir, and a few select humans like him," I pointed at Bob. "Who are involved."
"They're freeing humans? Why? Why would the Andalite's care?"
"They free high ranking targets like me or Mr. Chapman."
"He's not free."
"He is. He has been even before I was."
"That's impossible. I've seen him!"
"A lot of people have. But it isn't him."
"This is amazing." She looks around some more. "Is this where the Hork Bajir live?"
"And the Controllers who are freed."
"So I'll live here? What about my parents?"
"They won't know you're missing. Just like no one knows Mr. Chapman is missing."
"But, I, I'm free and I can't see them?"
"They're Controllers too. We couldn't risk it."
"Is that why you faked your death? I don't remember seeing your parents in the Pool."
"They aren't but I had to fake my death for other reasons. I can't tell you now but I will." She was free. She was really free.
"Why me? I'm not high ranking."
"You're a great recruiter for the Sharing." I smiled and saw one try and appear on her face. "You got me to join."
"And countless others."
We talked, and talked, and finally both of us were getting tired. "They built you a house you can stay in."
"A house? I can sleep? Sleep with out a Yeerk in my head? I might dream and then I'll wake up and be free. I haven't slept or woken up as a free person in years."
"It is rough getting used to it but you will." I walked with her to her small house.
At her door I wasn't sure what to do. "I, well, I'll see you in the morning and show you around."
"I'd like that." She hugged me and after a few seconds I hugged her back. "Good night."
"Good night."
I wanted to sleep but couldn't so I got up and went to my living room. Late night host interviewing an actor. Just like every night.
I was close to falling asleep when I heard shouting. It was Karen's.
I rushed out the door and saw her struggling with a Hork Bajir. "Let me go you filthy animal! I'll have your head as a trophy once I turn this colony in!"
It couldn't be. She did not just say that.
"Or keep you as a pet once they make me a Sub Visser! This colony exists right under Visser Three's nose and he couldn't find it! Not only that I can turn Tom and who ever else is here in and we might find out where those damn Andalite Bandits are hiding!"
"No!" I ran and tackled her to the ground. "You're not going back!"
"Get off of me! I'll have all your heads!"
"No! No!" I lost control and started hitting her. "I saw you in a cage!"
"Stop Tom before you kill her!" I was lifted in the air by Bob.
"She didn't volunteer! She didn't! I know she didn't!" I struggled against him but he was too strong.
"You don't know any thing Tom." She sat up slowly. Blood dripping from her nose. Her right eye already starting to swell shut. "There is no point in fighting. If you do things right though you can move up in the ranks. Make the right ones happy you might even get your own fleet."
"You wouldn't have given up."
"How do you know? The entire time you knew me I had one in my head. I stopped fighting. Those few minutes of freedom every three days was great. But I wanted more. If I could get high enough in ranking then I could leave this planet. Let the Andalite's show up and destroy it or let the humans find out and launch nukes. It wouldn't matter. I'd be some where else away from this war."
"You'd be in another one."
"One where my friends and family aren't in the cross fire! The Andalite Bandits killed my best friend! He was on the Pool Ship when the trial was happening. The Andalite's either hired another alien or acquired a morph not even Visser Three has seen and killed every one." She started to cry. "My parents were taken after I was. I had to watch them be taken. If I wasn't here? I never would have known. I wouldn't know my cousins, my aunts and uncles, are going to be taken as hosts or killed if I wasn't on this planet."
"You can't go back. We won't allow you." I had hurt her with my fists. I might have broken her nose or worse. "I'm sorry I hit you but I can't let you leave."
"Then kill me. Kill me so I won't know what happens next. I don't want to know any more." She curled up hugging her legs and rocked back and forth as she cried.
"Bob, take her back to her house and check on her. Make sure there aren't any knives in the kitchen."
"I'll have one of our own who is a doctor check on her once he gets here."
"Ok, thank you, and please don't tell the others about this."
"I'll make sure she gets the help she needs."
There was nothing else I could do but go back to my house and wash her blood off my fists.
7
I kept a close eye on Karen and made sure the others knew not to mention any thing around her. If she did some how escape the less she knew the better.
Her eye and nose healed pretty well. I wanted to talk to her but I was scared of how she would react. I just had to hope she would be ok.
When I was freed it was the greatest moment of my life. But my family wasn't one of them. Karen's parents were already taken and who knew who else would be next. Jake would protect my... No, his friends would protect our family. I would protect them.
Three more lottery's were won. Six in total. I wasn't sure what I should do. Should I just have the Chee expose the hacking or should I ask the others first? I'm the leader I give orders I shouldn't have to ask others. That's how the Yeerks do it. We're not Yeerks.
I had Bob call a meeting at Cassie's barn. I made sure it was past noon so none of them could complain about the time. "We've had six lottery wins all by the Sharing. I want to expose them now. But before I asked Bob to do it I thought I'd let you guys know first."
"Yeah, sure, my idea being executed by you."
"Your idea was just hack the lottery. My idea was to hack the lottery in a way that hurts the Sharing. You do have good ideas Marco. I just took it to the next step."
"What ever. So expose the Yeerks and hurt the Sharing."
"In a way no one gets hurt." I saw Rachel roll her eyes.
"We can't do any thing dangerous until the Energy Detector gets here. When that happens we take it out and then we can start doing the dangerous stuff again."
"What about your next great plan then? While we wait? Slash some tires or toilet paper the principal's house?"
"Next is insurance fraud. I was part of the group that helped with the paperwork. We burn the place down and wait for them to file for the insurance money. Then we have the Chee change any documents we need to to show it wasn't an accident."
"You have fun with that." Rachel left and soon Tobias followed.
Ax walked over to me. I've been in the presence of Visser Three numerous times. He is much older and larger than Ax. He also gives off an aura of evil and wrath and insanity. "What is it Ax?" I also knew while an Andalite didn't really show emotions in their face you could read them if you knew them well enough. He seemed, angry?
(Insurance?)
"Oh, uh, insurance is what you pay a company to protect your things."
"Like the family paid for the barn."
(But your barn burned down.)
"But the insurance company pays for us to build a new one."
(You paid them money to pay you money? Why not just keep the money?)
"We pay a little so they will pay a lot if some thing bad happens."
(I still do not understand.)
"Uh, you have a hundred copies of a book. I, well, no that wouldn't work either."
Thankfully Marco had a good idea but I knew how to use it. "You get a book. Only a few exist so it costs a lot of money. Uh, you do know what money is right?"
(What you use to buy cinnabuns.)
"Yes. This book costs a lot of cinnabuns. Now you pay an insurance company enough to buy one cinnabun. You pay them every month the cost of one cinnabun. Say after seven payments some thing happens to the book. The Insurance company spends a lot of cinnabuns to replace the book. More cinnabuns than you could afford alone."
(I understand.)
"Now I want cinnabuns."
(As do I.)
"Wanna go Ax Man?"
(Yes.)
"Uh, yeah, you two can go to the mall." I couldn't. It sucks being dead to the world.
I was alone with Cassie again. How did this keep happening? "So uh, need any help?"
"Sure. Bobby took a break from me."
"That sounds like a good idea."
"I told her I wasn't mad and I understood but she felt bad for betraying my trust."
Chee were amazing. "I keep trying to make myself think of them as real not machines. I still get surprised when they act so human."
"They're better than most humans."
"If all humans were as passive as they are the Yeerks would have won already."
"If the Yeerks hadn't shown up they could have kept ignoring the outside world and continued living their lives. They wouldn't be arguing and taking sides over if they should use the Pemalite Crystal or not."
"They can't really fight over that now can they? You lost it in a way no one else could."
"Now they're arguing about using the Energy Scanner."
"They asked us to, wait, why can't they just destroy it? It is a machine."
"They want to make it look like an accident. One that makes it explode. But the explosion could kill people so they can't do it themselves."
"Oh. Well, I'm going to," There was a rush of air.
"Cassie! You have to, oh, Tom, you too!"
"What?" Both of us were confused.
"Come with me!" It took me a second to realize it was Bobby who was picking both of us up.
"What's going on?!"
"Our friend, your friend, they're alive!"
"Jake!" Cassie's scream took a second to sink in.
Jake, my little brother, was alive? How? Even if he survived the cave in he would have been trapped for over a month. "Bobby how do you know?"
"The rocks at the mountain have a certain metal that blocked our CheeNet. But the Yeerks finally got through enough. They were stuck using shovels and hands since they were in a restricted area."
"How is any one alive?"
"One of the reasons they chose the area was because of a natural underground river. It provided fresh water so they wouldn't need to run pipes out to it."
"That's great for water but what about food?"
"I don't know but I don't care. We thought he had been destroyed but he is ok! So is your friend Jake."
"You have to tell the others."
"We already have and have grabbed them."
"What are we going to do? Why are you taking us there?"
"We need a distraction. Our friend couldn't risk digging his way out in case he caused a cave in but enough rock has been cleared he can do it if he isn't seen."
"Hologram?"
"He can't see outside. He doesn't know how or where to put one."
I started crying. My brother was alive. My brother was still alive! We would get him out and he... Would take over again. Maybe I could work with him. This isn't like the Yeerks. They worked together and helped each other. I didn't need death threats I just asked and they helped. I'm sure my brother would listen to my ideas.
Bobby dropped us off less than a mile from where the rock slide happened. Soon we were joined by the others.
Ax was still in human morph and had crumbs all over his face and shirt. He started to demorph.
Marco had a few crumbs but wasn't as messy. "Well that was a fun ride."
Rachel was silent.
Tobias' feathers were ruffled but he seemed fine to me. (So what's the plan?)
"We attack so the Chee inside can dig out with Jake."
(Prince Jake can't be alive. I am not an expert but I know the human body needs food and water as much as an Andalite body does.)
"There was an underwater river. Right Bobby?"
"Yes. That is why they chose the site."
"Stop." I had to take control. "Jake is alive. We'll save him and the Chee and any one else. Remember the people in there have been there for well over three days. They no longer have Yeerks in their head. We can save them."
"Do you have room for them?"
"We can always make more houses. Condos if we have too many for individual houses."
"Stop! We will save Jake and any one else down there. After that we can worry about it."
We got closer to the rock slide. My brother was so close. Soon he would be back at home. Back in my old room. "We attack until the Chee tell us to leave and then we get out."
"About time." I saw Rachel start to morph.
I hadn't really fought before. I was a Hork Bajir a couple of times but never as what I was morphing now.
An extinct animal. Dead for thousands of years. I wonder what the Human Controllers would think. It didn't matter. We had to attack.
I was quick, agile, and strong. I could feel the muscles ripple underneath my skin. I had fangs longer than any other modern day cat. I would rip the throats out of any Hork Bajir. I would spill the insides of any Taxxon.
I tried to roar. Huh, Sabertooth Tigers didn't sound really scary.
I leapt on top of a Taxxon and slashed it with my claws. Two other Taxxon attacked it and started to eat.
I left them alone and went after the nearest Hork Bajir. It slashed at me but I was too agile. I swung my paw and hit it on the knee. It buckled and was at just the right height for my fangs.
I saw a wolf, Cassie, attack a Human Controller. She bit the arm hard but then let go. He was hurt and wouldn't be a threat.
The Grizzly Bear that barreled through two other Human Controllers came in like a wrecking ball. A Hork Bajir turned to fire at her with a Dracon Beam. He never got the chance as a hawk clawed at its eyes. Those two made a good combo.
I saw two more Hork Bajir coming up with more Dracon Beams. I ran for them but one of them saw me. I wouldn't make it.
I was ready to jump to either side when a large rock flew over me. It hit the Hork Bajir that saw me in the chest knocking it backwards. The second Hork Bajir finally saw me but was too late to stop me.
(That's how it is done.) Marco, as a gorilla, had thrown the rock.
(Thanks for the assist.)
I heard a loud cracking noise. I turned and saw some rocks explode outward. It must be the Chee with my brother. (Get ready to retreat.)
I heard screaming and saw Rachel attack a Human Controller. He giant paw crushed his chest. (He's down Rachel move on!)
(It still breathes.)
"HE does but he can't hurt us now! Move to another target!)
I felt a rush of air again. It had to be a Chee. It had to be the one with my brother. (Fall back! We got it!)
It was easy going back the way we came. The few remaining Yeerks were recovering from wounds or helping others.
As soon as we were far enough away we demorphed. "That was incredible." I already missed being able to feel every individual muscle move as I leapt and ran and slashed.
"You did it." We all turned and saw several Chee walking towards us. Each carried a former host in each hand except for one. He carried my brother in his arms.
"Jake!" I ran as fast as I could but I guess brotherly love wasn't as fast as romantic love as Cassie beat me to him.
"Is he?" She touched his face.
"He's alive. They're all weak. We had to ration our food."
"What food?"
"Supplies for the workers. Thankfully we had enough."
"Cassie?"
"Jake!" She hugged him hard.
"Ouch." Even in pain he hugged Cassie back.
My brother was alive. I got every one in and out alive. I did a good job. Now all we had to do was go home. A farm near the woods, apartment in town, nice two level home, or a colony with aliens. It didn't matter we all got to go home.
8
I flew back instead of letting a Chee carry me. It was relaxing and freeing.
I landed near my house in the colony when Bob ran over to me. "Tom, I'm so sorry."
"Sorry? What? We don't have enough room?"
"No, Karen, she, I was distracted. She said she needed to use the restroom and they needed help with construction. When I came back it was quiet so I knocked on the door. She didn't answer so I opened it and she, she,"
"She what?"
"She hung herself with the shower curtain."
"No!" I ran for her house.
I ran through the door and down the hall. The bathroom was empty. She was alive.
I went to her bedroom and saw her. She was sleeping on the bed. "Karen you won't believe what happened." I shook her and she didn't move. "Karen, wake up." I shook her again. Her head tilted to the side and I could see the bruising on her neck. "No!" I pounded on her chest. "CPR, I, I've never done it before but it can't be that hard."
I had been trying it for nearly five minutes when Bob finally stopped me. "I'm sorry. I should have realized what she might do."
"It isn't your fault." It was mine. She may have been a Controller before but she was alive. Now she was neither.
My brother visited me two days later. He was still lean but gaining weight. "What did mom and dad think?"
"I haven't been home yet. The Chee are fattening me up before they send me home."
"Oh, that's good." He noticed some thing was wrong. I could lie but he was my brother. "Did the others tell you about Karen?"
"You kidnapped her and freed her."
"Yes."
"What's wrong?"
"She couldn't handle it. She, I had the Chee take the knives and stuff away but she still found a way." I didn't have to tell him any thing else.
I told Bob to expose the hacking. The Sharing would be in crises mode. Karen would disappear. The Chee playing her would stop and Karen would never be seen again.
I don't get why Jake writes this down. Who would want to remember? I wonder if... No, I won't do that. They need me to fight and I can't use drugs or alcohol to make it go away. I should remember. I should remember Karen. Her parents couldn't. They were slaves inside of their own minds. Some one had to remember her.
A/N I wanted Tom to be different. This is his first journal entry and he isn't sure what to do. He's never done one but heard Jake had so was trying to do the same. Also he isn't all there after years of being trapped. His thoughts are some times disjointed or he gets distracted. Or wonders how he should word some thing. But for an episode where Jake was gone it gave me the chance to write as Tom and we can see how he is trying to adjust to being free.
Well, I hope any one who read this likes it and if they have the time review it!