Aftran knew that she had to exercise caution, not simply with how she freed Karen, but how she went about selecting, organizing, and ultimately, fighting, with Yeerks to work against the empire. She hadn't been lying when she told Cassie that there were Yeerks who objected to taking unwilling hosts. But she didn't know whether they acted on this objection as far as refusing to take a host body on these grounds, whether they tried to convince their host to become willing, or whether they simply volunteered for a Taxxon host because they were universally voluntary.
Or, if it was something else entirely. If there was anything universal about their actions.
She did realize that she could hardly go abo asking any Yeerk she came across. Nor could she entirely trust her family or the Yeerks she once considered her friends. Aftran decided to lay low for the first two months, as this would give Karen and her family plenty of time to escape without drawing attention to her own actions. Right before Aftran had freed Karen, her mother had listed their house, and her father was in the process of transferring ownership of his company to his brother, who had been a lesser partner. He claimed that he wanted to take time away and repair his marriage. Neither of which were true, as far as anyone was concerned, but these were excuses humans could understand. So, there was that. After Aftran freed Karen, her parents would keep her in seclusion for three days. Just to be certain. After their house sold, they would leave.
Aftran imagined that they would have at least two months before anyone noticed the disappearance of Karen and Aftran from the Pool or The Sharing. Two months should be plenty of time for them to get out of the state. And that, Aftran reasoned, was only if she was caught, reported, and executed immediately. In all likelihood, even if the first Yeerk she spoke to reported her to a Visser or sub-Visser and her trial and execution were rapid, she would be able to give Karen and her family another month to escape.
That was a worst case scenario. Aftran was not planning to act recklessly.
Now, having accepted her fate at being hostless for the remainder of her life, Aftran found that she had a seemingly infinite amount of time at her disposal. Yeerks slept, of course, but they didn't require nearly as much rest as humans. At most, five hours per every twenty-four. Moreover, while in the Yeerk Pool, consuming Kandrona rays was an entirely passive activity, requiring no focus on the part of the Yeerk. Unlike the other intelligent species she'd either infested or been aware of. She'd found that while humans could hold a conversation while sharing a meal, their ability to "multi-task" in this manner was nothing compared to Yeerk feeding. Far, far less efficient. Gedds and Hork-Bajir never spoke while they ate, and, even though Aftran had never infested a Taxxon, she was certain that this was also the case with them. Aftran, like all of her other brother Yeerks, could absorb Kandrona rays as easily through holding a conversation with other Yeerks as she could on her own. In this manner, Yeerks were the more developed species.
With such a large amount of free time at her disposal, Aftran knew that she might have fallen into despair if she did not force herself to focus on her mission. Recruitment. This required observation. Intense observation. Fortunately, as she knew, time was one thing she had plenty of.
In the early weeks, she simply spent her free time swimming throughout the pool, listening to conversations between her brother Yeerks. Not actual brothers, but most lower level Yeerks considered all Yeerks to be family-not unlike how humans considered themselves to be part of a "human family". Neither were entirely accurate as far as how they treated others, but Yeerks, at least, were communicative towards other Yeerks regardless of rank. At least, those who weren't Vissers or sub-Vissers.
The main conversation topics revolved around the "Andalite bandits", some gossip about other Yeerks, and their hosts. At least, the Yeerks who had hosts spoke about them. Since nearly all Hork-Bajir were involuntary and more than half of humans were involuntary, many Yeerks complained to each other about having to endure their cries. Some Yeerks seemed more affected by it than others, who would speak openly about disciplining their hosts in order to silence them.
Aftran would listen to these conversations, and make note of the names of the Yeerks who voiced-if not distress, at least discomfort-at listening to the cries and pleas from their hosts. If a Yeerk who currently infested a Hork-Bajir complained to a Yeerk with a human, especially one with a voluntary human, they would as likely as not be informed that once they advanced to being able to infest a human, they were far more likely to get a voluntary human. They could even place a request for a willing human.
Depending on the Yeerk's reaction, Aftran could make an assessment about whether or not this Yeerk would be helpful to her. Or at least, not report her for host sympathy. A Yeerk who made some comment about needing to torture his host more to get him or her to behave before they could receive a voluntary human would not be someone she spoke with later. But, a Yeerk who seemed eager for a voluntary human and made no comments about discipline was someone she would make a concerted effort to speak with.
After five months of conversations and gathering information, she had a group of nearly fifty Yeerks who flat out opposed involuntary infestation. All fifty declared that they would free their host if they were involuntary, or reject an assignment that would result in an involuntary host. None of them had Taxxon hosts, and none of them wanted Taxxons. Even if it meant not having a host, the stories about Taxxon hunger were so nightmarish that they preferred to wait for a voluntary human over infesting one of those.
And, by the time Aftran had been reported as having freed her host and assisting them on escaping the Yeerk empire, the numbers had nearly doubled.
She was pleased with the results so far. It was not enough to launch a full scale attack on the empire, of course, but her cautious outlook, given the police state she lived in, had made her believe that she would be fortunate to receive as many as ten members in the first year. Looking back, perhaps her enthusiasm and jubilation had made her reckless. She had, after all, been captured. But, it might have happened regardless.
Aftran thanked the Kandrona that she'd had the sense to keep the information about Cassie and the other Animorphs a secret. That information was still in her hands-metaphorically speaking-alone.
In any event, she was captured suddenly, placed in a wire cage before she could swim away quickly enough. The cage, in and of itself, had not prevented her from communicating with other Yeerks.
There were a handful who Aftran trusted enough to relay a message to Cassie. But only one who could communicate with her quickly. Illim Nine-Three-Four, whose host was a teacher at her school.
Illim had joined one month previously. He had infested Cassie's history teacher-against his will-for three months prior to learning about Aftran's newly formed movement against the taking of involuntary hosts. At first, he seemed conflicted. While he was opposed to taking hosts against their will, he did not believe that he was brave enough to free Cassie's teacher and risk execution.
As it turned out, the teacher had asked Illim to remain in him, once he learned that his Yeerk had experienced a change of heart. Mr. Tidwell, as the host was named, believed that a Yeerk with a voluntary host could do more for the movement than a Yeerk imprisoned in the Yeerk Pool. Illim responded to this by giving Tidwell control whenever possible, and whatever privacy could be managed when two creatures inhabited the same shared mental space. Just before the time of Aftran's capture, Illim reported that the two had progressed from merely being on good terms to becoming friends.
It gave Aftran hope for the movement-and for the fact that he could get a message out to Cassie about her capture.
Aftran knew that she would die shortly after Cassie freed her from the Yeerk Pool. But, the others would live, and perhaps, it would persuade other reluctant Yeerks to join. It would surely be another thorn in Visser Three's side to learn that she had escaped.
She sent out messages via the Yeerk language every few minutes.
*Illim Nine-Three-Four. It's Aftran Nine-Four-Two.*
Perhaps other Yeerks heard, and told him that she was looking for him.
Yeerks of the Peace Movement, of course.
Because he "appeared", as it were, by her cage a day later.
*Aftran Nine-Four-Two,* he greeted, and she could feel his concern for her. *It's Illim Nine-Three-Four. Are you all right? No, of course, you aren't. Is there anything I can do to help you? Do you have any other contacts?*
Aftran did not answer his questions immediately. Instead, she merely asked him a few questions about him and his host, all consisting of information he had previously relayed to the Movement, before trusting him enough to give him her message.
*You are to inform Cassie that I have been captured.* She hesitated, then added, *If you cannot find her before your next feeding, speak with Jake, Rachel, or Marco.*
Illim paused before speaking. *Do you mean Cassie Bra-*
Aftran cut him off abruptly. *Yes, but do not give her full last name here!*
Illim made a few clicks that, in the Yeerk language, translated to the human expression of a nod. *I do not understand, Aftran. How can Cassie or any of her friends assist you?*
Aftran let out a few clicks to indicate a sigh. *You might say that Cassie's the reason I've been captured.*
(Hey!) Cassie said, once she had heard this, laughing.
(Oh, please, Cassie. You know it's true,) Aftran grinned. (Besides, how else was I supposed to convince him to speak to you?)
Cassie mentally rolled her eyes and opened up Aftran's memories again.
*I don't follow* Illim told her. *What role does this human have in your being captured?*
Aftran spoke so quietly and so quickly that she wasn't sure Illim would be able to make out the words. *The Andalite bandits are all human, except for one Andalite. His name is Aximili, but the humans call him "Ax". The other humans I told you about are all morph capable. Elfangor gave them the morphing power just before Visser Three killed him. There's another human, as well. Tobias. He...it's a long story, but he is now a red tailed hawk who can morph. However, you're unlikely to be able to communicate directly with him. Just go to Cassie, and tell her that I've been captured. That it will be Visser Three who oversees it. That she must rescue me, and then...kill me.*
(Illim left the last part out,) Cassie commented.
(Typical,) Aftran noted. (But he got the rest of the message to you, as I saw from your memories back then.)
(I wondered, afterwards, how many members of the Peace Movement knew the truth about us,) Cassie mused. (If you'd told everyone about us.)
Aftran gave a mental shake of the head. (No. Granted, I can't speak for what Illim told them after I became a whale nothlit, but he was the only person who I, personally, told. I wouldn't have told anyone, had it not been imperative to deliver the message to you, or one of your friends. Even though there were many Yeerks who believed you were human, it was far too risky to entrust your direct identities with anyone who did not need to know. I believe that Illim understood this implicitly.)
(Well, if he told anyone else afterwards, they didn't rat us out,) Cassie reassured Aftran. (When the Yeerks found out who we were, it was through other methods...but that's another story.)
(Not torture, I hope?) Aftran asked, her voice taking on a anxious note.
(Not torture,) Cassie promised, soothingly. (It was more...DNA related. Like I said, you'll see it all when you're in my head.)
(You still want me in your head, Cassie?) Aftran mused. (After all I did?)
Cassie laughed. (Unless you've committed mass murder since becoming a humpback whale, I think I've seen the worst of what you've done already,) Cassie replied. (And I don't think killing thousands of pounds of small fish in order to survive counts as a crime. Well, maybe according to PETA, but I won't tell them if you don't,) she added, teasingly.
Aftran snickered at this. (I'd still like you to see the rest of my memories,) she told Cassie. (Although, I'm afraid that you may find them to be rather boring, after I became a whale.)
Cassie agreed, and continued to see Aftran's memory of the events of her life surrounding her capture.
Aftran waited for days. Illim came back twice. The first time, to report that he had given Cassie the message, but that the mission may not consist of the entire force.
*The Andalite you spoke of is currently ill, and his condition may be contagious. He nearly demorphed completely during a school dance. But I delivered the message to your contact, and she will make every attempt to rescue you before your trial.*
Then, on the day of her trial, literally minutes before Visser Three arrived, Illim was back at her cage, with only two words.
*She's here.*
Before Aftran could process the words, she felt herself being hurled out of the water. Felt the Andalite host's hands around her body, and heard his thought speech.
Realized that Cassie hadn't made it in time.
Then, suddenly, another pair of hands was grabbing hers. She was back in the pool. Aftran became aware of movement, kept trying to grab onto the human form that she believed to be Cassie...and then the body disappeared from her grasp.
Suddenly, another body grabbed her...except, it was changing.
Aftran knew it was Cassie.
She heard a message telling her to get between her talons...and then, she was out of the pool.
Either Aftran didn't know that Yeerks couldn't remain out of the water for extended periods of time, or Cassie had no water or receptacle for the water with her. She began to worry that she would start to dry up, until she became aware of an ear.
In spite of her promise never to take another host, she assumed that this one had been provided by Cassie and was voluntary. It was not human-Aftran knew that much. Nor was it Hork-Bajir or Gedd. A Chee, perhaps? She didn't care, simply pushed her way in before she started to dry up.
A quick search of the memory indicated that she was in an Andalite body. Not Visser Three, certainly. Perhaps Aximili? But why?
(Cassie?) she asked, borrowing the Andalite's thought speech. Worrying why the mind seemed to be-unconscious?
Cassie explained the situation with Aximili's gland. Aftran moved around in his mind, speaking to Cassie as she did so, helping her operate. It occurred to her that if the gland exploded with her inside and she died, it had to be far less painful than torture or Kandrona starvation. But, she didn't want Aximili to die, so she focused on helping Cassie get the swollen gland removed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Aftran had told Cassie that as soon as Aximili came to, he began to scream. She'd been downplaying his horror.
She felt the Andalite begin to awaken. Before he could say anything to him, she spoke, as gently as possible.
(Aximili, it's Aftran. Cassie's friend. Your surgery went well, and you're going to be fine.)
His response at hearing her voice was panic. He fought for control-harder than any of her other hosts. He might have succeeded, too, had he not been so ill.
(YEERK!) he screamed. (FILTHY YEERK! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!)
(Aximili, I'll be out in a minute,) Aftran promised. (Cassie has to finish stitching your head up. As soon as she's done, I'll leave your head. I promise!)
(NO!) he yelled, trying again to get control. (NO! SHE SHOULD HAVE LET ME DIE!)
He imagined himself killing himself with his own tail blade.
Aftran repeated the message to Cassie, trying to tune out Aximili's screams. Trying to hold onto control, at least long enough for Cassie to finish her stitches. Couldn't she hurry?
"He doesn't understand," Cassie insisted.
(Yes, he does. I'm coming out,) Aftran replied, definitively.
She'd never been in such a hurry to leave a host. She could only hope that Aximili wouldn't kill her while she was still attached to his ear. Not for her own sake, but for Cassie's.
After all, she was going to die anyway, so as long as it was relatively painless, she shouldn't care how it was done.
Still, Aftran felt that Cassie shouldn't have to see Aximili lose his life trying to kill her. She didn't know much about Andalite biology, but it was very likely that the stress of clawing at his ear and killing Aftran could result in an Andalite heart attack.
Which was the last thing Cassie needed to see.
Death didn't come for her-she managed to leave Aximili's ear in one piece. Literally. Moments later, she felt her body being placed in water. After that, another ear. She hesitated, but after determining through echolocation that this was definitely a human ear, she concluded that the ear belonged to Cassie.
Once inside, Aftran felt all of the emotions of her host, of course. She was able to connect fully to the mind without grabbing control from Cassie, but Cassie was already running a mixture of what humans called an adrenaline high and a letdown at the same time, that Aftran thought she barely noticed that she was still in control of her body.
Not that Aftran regretted not seizing control.
(I knew you would come for me, Cassie,) she told Cassie, simply.
She was about to say more, but Cassie promptly began to thank her for saving Aximili's life. This led to a brief reminiscence about their first meeting, which Aftran had to cut off before it became too difficult.
(Cassie, there's something I have to ask you to do for me.)
Cassie agreed immediately...until Aftran told her what it was.
In the end, at least that day, Cassie asked Aftran if they could wait until just before the hunger from Kandrona starvation began.
(That would be at sixty hours,) Aftran told Cassie. (It's been about an hour so far.)
(Okay. Then, we have at least two days to figure something out. In the meantime, you're staying in my head.)
(I couldn't!) Aftran protested.
(Hey, I'm not taking no for an answer,) Cassie told her. (If you even try to get out of my ear, I'll just plug my ears as soon as I have control and force you to stay in. Or, if you manage to keep hold of my hands, I'll put you back in after you're out.)
(Well, all right,) Aftran grumbled. (But I'm certainly not going to take control of your body. Or go searching through your memory.)
Cassie shrugged. (I can't argue with you about controlling my body. I'm definitely okay with that. But, I've been a Yeerk. I know that...you can't help what you see in your host's head.)
Aftran gave a little haughty snort. (Oh, excuse me. You were a Yeerk for all of an hour, weren't you? I can assure you, Cassie, that once you've had practice, you can control what you see and don't see in a host's memory.)
(Uh huh. So, the things I saw in Tidwell's mind?)
Aftran gave Cassie a gentle smile. (Had it been me, I would have been able to control what I saw.)
(You're saying that I need practice?) Cassie teased.
Aftran considered Cassie' question. (I wouldn't recommend it, unless you plan to morph Yeerk for another mission.)
Cassie tried to hide a mental shudder. (Hope not. We all want to spend as little time at the Yeerk Pool as possible.)
(I can't exactly blame you there, Cassie,) Aftran admitted. (Anyway, for when I'm in your head... I won't delve into any of your memories without your full consent.)
(Thank you,) Cassie told her, relief evident in her tone.
That evening, though, Cassie allowed Aftran to take control of her body. Not the control that Aftran was used to, in which the host could not do anything on their own. Rather, on these occasions, Aftran utilized Cassie's body while allowing her host to intervene without any mental strain on her end. She was not a prisoner in her mind, at the mercy of her Yeerk.
Aftran could feel Cassie's wonder at this experience of shared control even after they had been operating in this manner for over an hour.
(Aftran?) she asked.
(Yes, Cassie?)
Aftran knew, of course, what Cassie was going to ask. She had kept her promise about not searching Cassie's memories, but her thoughts were hardly something she could avoid seeing.
(When Mr. Tidwell, and Illim, spoke to me the second time, my teacher said that he was speaking for himself. After Illim said that he was repeating his thoughts for him. Do you think that they were sharing control of his body, like we are?)
Aftran took a minute to think about this. She glanced up from Cassie's math textbook, which they had been studying for an upcoming test, to better focus on the question at hand.
(It's possible,) she said. (I didn't have very much interaction with Illim before I was captured. I only knew that he had taken an involuntary host, but after hearing about the Peace Movement, he slowly changed his mind. His host, upon being offered freedom, opted to have Illim remain in his head. From what you've told me, they have gone from slave and master to friends?)
Cassie nodded, mentally. (He told me that, while Illim was in his head. A couple days later, when I morphed Illim to save you...Mr. Tidwell seemed really uneasy about Illim not being there. He said that he felt empty when Illim left.)
It was Aftran's turn to nod. (Many voluntary hosts feel that way. My Gedd did.) She was silent for a minute. (I suppose that, at your second meeting with him, they could have been sharing his body. The motor skills, that is, since they were already sharing one. It's also possible that Illim had been in control, and released it to your teacher. Your guess is as good as mine in that. You could ask them, if you wanted to know.)
(I probably shouldn't,) Cassie told her. (It feels too...personal.)
Aftran didn't disagree.
The following day had been the meeting, and Aftran had remained in Cassie's head for the duration of it, but not allowing herself access to using Cassie's body. The Animorphs had all agreed that she should live, and Jake had been the one to suggest allowing her the morphing power until the condition she become a nothlit.
Even though everyone agreed that this was the safest course of action, Aftran later wished that they could have found a way for her to remain a Yeerk. No one had mentioned the Chee, who had the ability to use their bodies as a Kandrona. Looking back, Aftran could have either lived inside of one, or resided in Cassie and gone to the Chee every three days for nourishment.
Five years after living as a whale, another idea had occurred to her-to "kidnap" Tom and, after waiting long enough for him to seek refuge inside of a Chee, use her as Tom's Yeerk for the duration of the war. They would have needed to secure Tom's permission for this, but she would have treated him better than his other Yeerk. It would have been freedom for him-as much as would be possible for any involuntary host during the war.
Aftran reminded herself that these were children, not military experts. They had done their best to think of a way to keep her alive, and they had succeeded. She tried to be happy, to be grateful, with the end result.
Cassie saw all of these thoughts and memories, of course. At the mention of Tom, she did a mental double take.
(That would have been better than what we came up with,) she told Aftran.
(Did he-?)
(Jake sent Rachel to kill him,) Cassie told her. (And another Controller killed her right afterwards.)
Aftran felt sick. Heartbroken, even. How awful for Jake. How...preventable.
(The rest of us survived. Physically, anyway. Tobias lived in the wild as a hawk. Marco got rich doing interviews and writing books. Ax returned to his planet and was promoted, of course. I worked with the Hork-Bajir for awhile. The Peace Movement. Then, advocating for voluntary hosts for the Yeerks who couldn't morph.)
(And Jake?)
(Never totally recovered.) Cassie was quiet for awhile. (And then, they all just sort of disappeared when they went on another mission.)
(Disappeared?) Aftran echoed.
Cassie gave a mental shrug. (About five years after the war ended. Ax had been taken, and they were going to rescue him. I offered to come, but Jake said no, that I should be here. So, I stayed behind, but Marco and Tobias joined Jake. And...they never came back. I imagine that they died in battle. I-I hoped that they'd return. For ten years, I kept thinking that I'd get a call from our government or from Jake, letting me know they were back. Jake and I weren't together after the war...Ronnie and I had gotten married by then. I guess it was around ten years that I accepted that they were gone. Even if they weren't dead, they weren't going to come back.)
Aftran could tell that Cassie, while still frustrated at not knowing what had happened, had more or less made peace with the events.
(At the beginning, a few months after they disappeared and Marco stopped appearing on TV, some people began asking what had happened to the Animorphs. As the only remaining Animorph on the planet, the reporters began to harass me. I just said that they were all taking a break and we all wanted to be left in peace. They knew not to bug me for more information,) she added, grinning a little. (And, after a year or so, everyone just figured that they had probably decided to move to a remote island or something. Escape everything. No one knew about Ax's disappearance, and since there were never any bodies that returned home...Anyway, by now, the war is ancient history. The focus is on integrating Yeerks into our society.)
(What about our home planet?) Aftran pushed.
(It's still there,) Cassie reassured her. (It was heavily surveilled by the Andalites at the beginning. Some Yeerks opted to go back instead of living here, even though all of the Gedds had been...)
(Relocated to Earth?) Aftran suggested.
(Pretty much. Mostly to prevent the Yeerks living there from using them as hosts. Although, I guess most Gedds were more or less voluntary?)
(Some were. Few really fought us. Our history says that we evolved with them, and we did improve their life span, and their physical health. It wasn't always true symbiosis,) Aftran admitted, (but they never used cages on the home world. There wasn't clear assignment of Gedds to a particular Yeerk, either, back then.)
(Until Seerow.)
(Yes. Until he came.)
Cassie was quiet for a minute. (Anyway, I figure that once all of the nothlits have been given their true bodies back, the next step will be officially returning the home world to the Yeerks, while ensuring that the empire and forced infestation remain a thing of the past. Still, I figure that's at least a few years off.)
(I imagine so,) Aftran mused. (I've never been to my home planet. I'd like to go, someday. Not to stay there, but to see what it's like...)
(We could go together,) Cassie told her. (Um...it's okay for humans, right?)
(The air's breathable, yes,) Aftran confirmed. (Humans should probably bring their own provisions, unless they prefer a diet based solely on fruit and small fish. From what I've heard, anyway.)
(No cinnabons, huh? I guess that might be the next step. Did you know that the Andalites actually traded us some of their technology for two on their home planet? And that was back when the Animorphs were still living on Earth.)
(I've seen your memories, Cassie,) Aftran giggled. (You don't want to get between Ax and a cinnamon bun. And I doubt that the other Andalites are much different.)
(They're not,) Cassie confirmed. (It's a good thing that what you eat isn't stored in your morph's DNA, because we would have an obesity crisis on our hands just from the human morphs from Andalites.)
(Oh, they'd just acquire others, instead,) Aftran pointed out, laughing. (Each Andalite would have at least 100 different human morphs.)
(Well, that's a creative way to avoid dieting,) Cassie joked. She glanced at the clock. (We have less than ten minutes left. Is there anything else I haven't seen?)
Aftran shrugged. Mentally, of course. Funny, but she had almost become used to Cassie having complete control over here. Then again, they weren't really doing much, just sitting in a chair, while her Yeerk/future host was going through her entire history. It had been as unpleasant as she'd expected-maybe more-but, at the same time, bearing her soul to Cassie had felt freeing. It hadn't consisted of nearly two hours of mental torture. Far from it.
Well, at least most of the time. And the part that had been difficult-she couldn't blame Cassie for having to relive her own mistakes.
(Just the part where I hear your message about nothlits,) Aftran told her.
(Okay. Guess we have to replay that, just to make it official...)
She did, and less than a minute later, Aftran could honestly say that Cassie had seen everything there had been to see in her mind.
(Once you leave my head...?)
(I'll demorph, and let them know you're coming home with me, as my Yeerk,) Cassie confirmed. (I'll put you in water in case it takes more than a few minutes. Paperwork, and all that.)
(Cassie, I...)
(I know, Aftran.) She felt Cassie hug her. (See you soon.)
A/N: I figure there's one more chapter to go. If you've read this far, and enjoyed it, please take a few minutes to leave feedback! Thanks!