Chapter 12

The infiltration team had regrouped after a deserved rest. The assembly room was once again our meeting point, and we had been separated deliberately into numbered factions. We Animorphs remained together, but with us – in an unannounced but obvious supervisory role – were Arkv, the water-breathing Hrri and Fruyt, the mud-burrowing Uurgangannignan. Task leader and first aider, respectively. As I perched silently on Menderash's shoulder, Fruyt paid closer attention from the seat on our left. Arkv, as leader, was explaining the mission to the room, poised hauntingly between the two flickering holograms of relevant sectors and ships. He used his typical angry, water-muffled tone to detail the plans step-by-step. He would thrust his rubbery, three-fingered arms at each group as if chastising us for some hideous crime. Everybody around us was entirely unfazed. It was the norm.

We were Group Two, otherwise known as the Holding Party.

"Enter through the storage room anterior of the main hangar," he growled. "Kelbrids are highly unlikely to be positioned there. Survey Party will do preliminary checks using the II Het for hostile lifeforms within twenty ecs, and Holding Party will defend the entry point to storage."

The innards of the support station we would be invading were displayed in great detail on the holograms around him. The storage room was an oval-shaped bulge, like the cornea of the hangar eye. Arkv's nailless finger traced to the door of the storage room. That would be our first objective.

"All other parties wait with the ship during Phase 1," Arkv continued. "Phase 1 is completed upon securing storage. Phase 2 will commence on my command."

The tapping of buttons signaled that recording devices were ready to memorize the next stage of the plan. Santorelli had been given the task and pressed a chunky finger on the small red button on the circular disc placed in front of him. It was much easier than scribbling things down with pen and paper.

"Phase 2!" Arkv boomed to grasp any trailing interests. "Infiltration of the hangar and adjacent corridor. Sweep Party will enter the hangar and circle the walls to eliminate all threats. The alarm will sound, and all Kelbrid soldiers will be alerted. They will arrive from compartments b, c, and d." He indicated each of the compartments in the enhanced images of the station's interior. They were equally spaced throughout the place, only a short distance from the tiny hangar. There was, however, just one entranceway: A long corridor meandering through the whole ship. "Sweep party will take this corridor and place Stun Turret 8. The Kelbrid security are likely to back-off to compartment e, which contains an emergency entrance to the hangar on the starboard side." Again, he indicated the hidden door. "Holding party will work to seal this entrance as soon as Sweep Party have secured the main corridor to the hangar. While this is happening, the Engineers will cut through the steel walls at the posterior of the storage space and head to the main control rooms via the station's air shell."

The hologram image swiveled to display a side-on view of the station's interior. All along the curved underside was one encompassing chamber, all the way from the storage at the bow to the control rooms at the stern.

"This shell is used as a protective buffer around the vessel and is very rarely inhabited. It is a clear run for the engineers to the control rooms while the Sweep Party retains the attention of the Kelbrid security," Arkv illustrated. "Holding Party will remain in the Hangar and surrounding compartments as a safe point. Phase 3: Engineers will enter Control Room a, seal doorways, and proceed to implant the virus that will fatally corrupt the station's systems. Sweep Party will advance through the ship towards the control room in order to protect. Holding Party will keep the corridor clear, maintaining the free pathway to the safe point."

Arkv went on to describe each Phase in fine detail. By the end of his talk, it had been drilled so thoroughly into our heads that it was more familiar than breathing.

"You will succeed," he insisted, more as a demand than a line purely for inspiration. "And you will do so with a professional attitude. Lives are at stake."

He left center stage and the holograms disappeared, switched by the room's main lighting. The brief was over, and subtle muttering replaced his growls and barks. Fruyt, not seeing the final battle order as satisfactory for us beginners, turned his shovel-like head and spoke clearly. "You will remember these orders. I will be testing you regularly. Don't let us down again." He got up and left, dragging his spatula feet noisily on the ground.

"The freak's giving us exams now?" Marco grumbled. "Makes me wish I was back in school."

"This shit is worse than biology class," Santorelli added dryly. "At least I knew the frog was gettin' dissected."

I appreciated the trivial comments to some degree. Still, it was only a matter of time, when the room was steadily emptying of its inhabitants, before Menderash would whisper his objections into Jake's ear. I stared past his long, curly hair to witness Jake's reaction. "This is madness, Jake," Menderash suggested. "How long before one of these missions gets us killed?"

"We're doing it," Jake responded bluntly.

"We are getting nowhere," Menderash continued with more force. "They are using us as additional manpower! We are expendable to them!"

Jake turned in his seat aggressively. Menderash jumped back a little, which required me to flap my wings to keep balance. "We are doing this, Mendy! We are positioned in the hangar with the medic and the team leader. We have the least dangerous role to play. If you want to go home to spend the rest of your life back on Earth hiding in that shack, if you don't want to find your Prince, then be my guest."

I couldn't see Menderash's face. He was unresponsive, but from Jake, I could decipher an unpleasant, glaring exchange between them. Marco and Santorelli, sitting in the seats behind, looked away innocently.

The room had almost emptied, and yet we remained seated, unwilling to find anything else to do to waste time before we traveled to the Kelbrid Support Station. We all watched when Arkv seemed to head in our direction, rising the steps and zig-zagging through the rows of black-fabric seats. He strode with thick, stumpy legs down our aisle, emotionless but purposeful.

When he came within normal speaking distance, he addressed us. "Animorphs, it's good to see you back again."

"Not according to Shovelhead," Marco retorted. Arkv knew it was a reference to Fruyt. "That guy's about as friendly as a chainsaw wound."

Arkv had no interest in the useless comment. "What happened before is in the past. Surote and I deemed you capable of performing this role. You will stay with Fruyt and me at all times, and you will do exactly as instructed. When this is over, you will dine with me. I have arranged Seeriffso berries. They are a delicacy of the Hrri."

"So I'm guessing they grow underwater?" Jake assumed.

"Of course."

"I always loved seafood," Marco commented without conviction but with enough false politeness to appear outwardly convincing.

"Will Fruyt be joining?" Jake asked.

Arkv flexed his fingers on his right hand twice. That was a Hrri way of saying no. "Fruyt has essential duties to take care of upon his return. He is one of the main Yeerk supervisors. Surote has shown you?"

"We've seen them," Menderash said with subtle disdain.

"Excellent," he said. "Go get ready for tonight. I'm sure it will go much differently than the last time."