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May 20, 2024 14:40
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- Epicurius
- Apr 10, 2010
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College Slice
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The Capture-Chapter 9
quote:I saw the lane open up between Juan and Terry. A clear lane to the basket.
Thonk. Thonk. Thonk. My right hand dribbled the ball. I stuck my left arm out, ready to ward off
Juan if he came after me. I powered ahead.
Sneakers squeaked on the polished wood floor of the gym. One of the guys on my team yelled, "Go, Jake!"
Juan saw my move and came after me. But I was just a little too fast. Thonk! Thonk! Thonk!
Stop. Pivot my back to Juan. Lock on to the basket, focus, focus . . .
I jumped and arced the ball toward the hoop.
It hit the backboard. It hit the rim. It bounced away. No score.
I fell back against Juan and Terry - the three of us ended up in a tangle on the gym floor, arms and legs everywhere. The ball rolled out of bounds.
"No wonder you never made the team," Terry said, laughing as he helped pull me to my feet. I had tried out for the team, but I didn't make the cut. At the time it had bothered me. Mostly because Tom had been the big basketball hero when he was at our school. I wanted to live up to that.
Now, I realized I didn't have time for after- school sports anyway. And playing during gym class was enough basketball.
There's that parallel to Yeerk Tom there, isn't there? He doesn't have time for basketball because of the Sharing, Jake doesn't because he's an Animorph.
quote:"Yeah? Well, I beat Juan with some of my excellent moves, and he is on the team," I said. I reached back to help pull Juan up. "Although I can't figure out why they would want some guy who looks like he's made out of straws."
"I'm just saving my best stuff for the finals," Juan said. "I don't want to waste my secret, killer moves on you, Jake. And now you practically crushed my legs, you big ox. Man, you ought to be playing football."
"Good idea." I grinned at Juan. He's about five-eleven and weighs like ten pounds. "Let me practice my tackling on you."
Just then the coach whistled, which was the signal to hit the showers.
"Saved by the whistle, Juan," I said.
"You should have inherited some of Tom's moves," Terry said. "That brother of yours has a jump shot."
"Man, Tom could have been in college ball easy. At a good school, too. If he would have stuck with it," Juan chimed in. "That boy has the gift."
They were right. Tom did have the gift. But he had dropped out of basketball. The Yeerk who controlled him had other plans, I guess.
In [redacted] born and raised
On the playground was where I spent most of my days
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool
And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school
When a couple of Yerks who were up to no good
Started making trouble in my neighborhood
Sorry....
quote:I showered and got dressed for my next class. Marco was waiting out in the hallway. He had gym next period.
"B-ball today?" he asked. "Cool. I thought it was going to be more wrestling. I hate wrestling. Getting up close and personal with sweaty guys? Not my idea of a good time."
"The ancient Greeks used to wrestle with no clothes," I pointed out. "Just be glad this isn't Greece."
"And no deodorant," Marco agreed. "It's going to be next Tuesday."
"What's going to be next Tuesday?"
Marco looked over my shoulder and then, very casually, around the hallway to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. "The governor. That's when he's going in the hospital. I'll bet you a hundred bucks it's for hemorrhoids." He grinned. "That's why it's kind of secret. No one is supposed to know."
"So, how do you know?"
"Well, we know from the meeting the other night that he's going, right? So all I had to do is find out what his schedule is going to be. Turns out it's no problem. I told them I was a reporter and they faxed me a copy."
Marco is clever
quote:Marco pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and opened it for me to see.
"See? Saturday he gives a speech. Sunday he goes on a TV interview show. Monday he gives another speech. Tuesday . . . oops! Suddenly on Tuesday he begins a five-day vacation, and they don't say where he's going."
"Why would he keep it a secret, I wonder?"
"Oh, puh-leeze. If it is hemorrhoids? A politician getting his hemorrhoids operated on? The jokes are just too easy. Letterman would be talking about it in his monologue."
I smiled. "Yeah, okay. Good work."
"Tomorrow's Saturday," Marco said. "Should we do it then?"
I guess the expression on my face showed how I felt. Marco cocked his head and looked sideways at me. "You okay, man? You had a close call last night. I've been there, so I know it isn't easy to just get past it."
"No, I'm cool," I said. I gave him a push. "Besides, since when are you all psyched to go?"
Marco had always been the most reluctant member of the group.
"You know since when," he said softly.
I nodded.
Marco was no longer reluctant to fight the Yeerks. It had become a very personal battle for him.
"Yeah, sorry," I said.
"As far as the others are concerned, I'm still the same old Marco," he said. "I don't want them thinking anything is different. I don't want them feeling sorry for me."
"Now, Marco, how is anyone ever going to feel sorry for you? You're so totally obnoxious."
"And I plan to stay that way."
The bell rang, signaling the next class.
"Okay," I said. "Tomorrow. We'll need to think of some way to get inside that hospital, though. They'll really be on the lookout."
"Actually, Cassie already suggested some thing to me," Marco said.
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, man. You know, I like Cassie. But this is the girl who suggested we try an ant morph."
Marco started to head into the gym. I headed toward class.
"Not ants," he said over his shoulder.
"I don't even want to know."
"Think dog poop."
"What?" I demanded. But by then he was through the door and gone.
So, it's happening.
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Jul 22, 2020 01:11
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- nine-gear crow
- Aug 10, 2013
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Yeah, a LOT of Marco's words and actions related to gender and attraction really read as "I doth protest too much". Jake has Cassie, and Marco has... an infinite pool of frustration that Jake has Cassie 
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Jul 22, 2020 03:13
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- Epicurius
- Apr 10, 2010
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College Slice
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We haven't really talked much about Animorphs the TV show, and it's pretty bad, and Applegate hated it, but the last scene of the last episode takes place at the school dance. So, Jake and Cassie are slowdancing with each other, and Rachel and Tobias (who's a person...the show had pretty much no special effects budget, so after he got turned permanently into a hawk, they find a way to turn him back human pretty much right away) are slowdancing, and Marco and Ax are just sitting there watching everybody, and then they figure "The hell with it", and start dancing with each other,
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Jul 22, 2020 03:38
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- Daikloktos
- Jan 1, 2020
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by Cyrano4747
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Yeah, as a teen I remember being VOCALLY repulsed by how gross it was that we had to SHOWER with other GUYS in gym class who wants to see that UGH will the trials of high school never end!
I was extremely closeted
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Jul 22, 2020 03:48
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- QuickbreathFinisher
- Sep 28, 2008
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by reading this post you have agreed to form a gay socialist micronation.
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Yeah, a LOT of Marco's words and actions related to gender and attraction really read as "I doth protest too much". Jake has Cassie, and Marco has... an infinite pool of frustration that Jake has Cassie
REALLY dismissive of his obvious, from the jump crush on the sixth Animorph, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, especially in human morph. (Just being funny with some kind of of non-spoilers and it's not fully canonical, but i believe we've already seen some interactions to suggest it)
It's interesting that as the general non-romantic hijinks pairings go throughout the series, Marco + Cassie is probably the one I probably remember the least of the main characters except for maybe Ax + Rachel or Cassie + Tobias. I feel I still really remember the dynamic that a lot of the Animorphs have when they're one on one but, before this re-read, in my mind's eye it didn't seem like Marco and Cassie got much facetime, and about the only thing I remembered them sharing was a flight morph.
It's been nice to see that that isn't totally the case, as Marco and Cassie iirc have already had a really tender, cute moment of her "getting it" empathically and him being disarmed and trying to act funny about it. I'm going to try to pay attention to unique microgroups of Animorphs and their interactions going forward because I think that's fun and I love these teens a lot 
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Jul 22, 2020 04:34
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- Epicurius
- Apr 10, 2010
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College Slice
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Of the Animorph pairings, I think it's probably Marco and Tobias who have the worst relationship, because Tobias is very emo, and Marco doesn't really have a lot of time for emo, and also because Marco connects with people through humor and good natured teasing, and Tobias, because he's been bullied and abused so much, is really sensitive to teasing.. Their relationship does improve as time goes on, though.
Epicurius fucked around with this message at 04:44 on Jul 22, 2020
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Jul 22, 2020 04:39
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- disaster pastor
- May 1, 2007
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Of the Animorph pairings, I think it's probably Marco and Tobias who have the worst relationship, because Tobias is very emo, and Marco doesn't really have a lot of time for emo, and also because Marco connects with people through humor and good natured teasing, and Tobias, because he's been bullied and abused so much, is really sensitive to teasing.. Their relationship does improve as time goes on, though.
Yes, and this is actually one of my favorite relationships because they prove to work really well together while they snipe back and forth at each other.
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Jul 22, 2020 13:10
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- freebooter
- Jul 7, 2009
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It's interesting that as the general non-romantic hijinks pairings go throughout the series, Marco + Cassie is probably the one I probably remember the least of the main characters except for maybe Ax + Rachel or Cassie + Tobias. I feel I still really remember the dynamic that a lot of the Animorphs have when they're one on one but, before this re-read, in my mind's eye it didn't seem like Marco and Cassie got much facetime, and about the only thing I remembered them sharing was a flight morph.
IIRC Cassie in particular has a few books where she gets split off from the rest of the group and is alone for most of it, which doesn't help
Yes, and this is actually one of my favorite relationships because they prove to work really well together while they snipe back and forth at each other.
I rather like the Marco-Tobias-Ax friendship trio that seems to crop up a lot towards the back half of the series.
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Jul 22, 2020 13:41
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- Epicurius
- Apr 10, 2010
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College Slice
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The Capture-Chapter 10
quote:Something nice, but for fifteen bucks or less," I said. "My dad's birthday is in two months, so I have to spread my money pretty thin."
It was after school. We had headed to the mall. Me and Cassie and Rachel. My mom's birthday was coming up. I had about fifteen dollars to buy her something, and the last time I'd bought her a present it hadn't turned out all that well.
Who would ever guess that she wouldn't appreciate a classic Spiderman #3 in almost mint condition?
If were Amazing Spider Man #3 from 1963, $15 would be a great deal.
See, for instance this page:
https://comics.gocollect.com/guide/view/124233
that shows one in almost mint condition being worth about $220k today.
Given the year, though, and this was a 12 year old Jake, he probably got the 1990 Spiderman #3, which isn't even worth $15 today.
quote:Okay, so I was a year younger then. Plus, I had asked Marco to help me find something.
This time I asked Cassie if she would help me shop. Which was almost as dumb, since Cassie isn't really into clothing and cute little stuff.
So Cassie had asked Rachel to help.
"How about that store?" I asked, pointing at one that had women's clothing.
"Yeah, right. Good choice, as long as you have at least a hundred dollars to spend," Rachel said.
"Okay. How about ..." Cassie began.
"Uh-uh. Cassie, think about it," Rachel said, looking slightly perturbed by our stupidity. "Look at the name of the store. It might as well scream 'fat, middle-aged ladies.' Jake? Do you want to tell your mom you think she's fat?"
"No." I shook my head vigorously. But then I thought it might be a trick question. "I mean, I don't, do I?"
Rachel rolled her eyes. "No, you don't. Duh. Have you two ever shopped for anything? I feel like I'm dealing with Ax here. I mean, are you two from this planet? We're looking for something on sale. Something that says 'Mom, I still think of you as being young and cool.' Something classic, understated. Most likely, we're talking a department store." She pointed. "That department store. Second floor. Toward the front, on the right. That's where we want to be. Look for sale signs. They'll be red with black letters."
I'm thinking she's talking about Macy's here, but I don't know.
quote:Cassie grinned at me. "See? Rachel owns this mall."
"Shopping and kicking butt. Rachel's specialties," I said affectionately.
We cruised the department store and in about ten minutes, Rachel had found a silk blouse.
"It was thirty-three dollars originally," Rachel crowed. "Thirty-three, marked down to twenty-five. Then, a thirty percent discount for this one- day sale. We got it for seventeen fifty! Do you realize that's almost half off the original price? Seventeen and a half bucks! For that blouse! Yes! She shops, she scores!"
"Yeah, but I was only going to spend fifteen," I said meekly.
"You didn't spend too much. Don't you know anything? You saved fifteen dollars and fifty cents.
You came out ahead by more than fifteen bucks!"
"Wait a minute. How did I save, if I spent?"
Cassie put her hand on my arm. "No. Don't ask. Rachel uses a whole twisted math involved in shopping. Don't even try and understand it."
Rachel ignored Cassie's teasing. "Hey. While you pay, I have to go check something in Juniors. Meet you at the food court."
Ah, the early 90s, where there were malls, and food courts, and people actually could leave their houses....
quote:Rachel peeled off, leaving me and Cassie alone in the racks of clothing.
"So when are you going to tell me your idea?" I asked.
"I thought Marco already told you."
I shook my head. "Nope. He just said 'think dog poop.' I did. I got a very bad feeling as a result."
Cassie looked a little pouty. "Look, it was the only animal I could think of that could get in and out of a hospital without getting stepped on or poisoned. We wouldn't even be seen, probably. I mean, they go everywhere. Who even notices them?"
"Cassie, so far I have done three insects. Flea, that was okay. Ant, that was definitely not okay. And roach. I'm starting to feel jealous of Tobias. I mean, he's stuck as a hawk, but at least he doesn't have to go around turning into bugs."
"Do you have a better idea, Jake? Because I respect your feelings. I was just trying to help. It's just a suggestion."
I drew a deep breath. "No, I don't have any great suggestions. I'm just ... I mean . . . it's just, whatever happened to the good old days when we would be tigers or wolves or something fun? I don't want to be a fly. I saw that movie. The Fly. Both versions. The old one, and the new one with Jeff Goldblum. I mean, a fly? A fly?"
"The movie. I forgot that movie," Cassie said.
She made a face. "The one where the guy has a tiny little human head stuck on a fly body and he's trapped in a spiderweb and he's going 'h-e-e-e-l-p m-e-e-e' in this little tiny voice? And that guy is so grossed out he just crushes him?"
We both just stood there, looking kind of sick.
"Moths?" Cassie suggested.
"Too slow," I said. "And too big. They would spot us."
"Okay ... um ... bees?"
"No way. No social insects ever again. Bees could be as bad as ants that way. No social insects. No hives. No colonies." I shuddered at the memory of the ant morph. It had been like dying. The ant had no individual self. It was just a part of a bigger machine.
"Flies aren't social," Cassie said.
"Can I help you?" a saleswoman asked.
"No," Cassie said. "Thanks, anyway."
We started walking, heading to the food court to hook up with Rachel.
"It would just be to get into the hospital," I said, thinking out loud. "If they are using the hospital to transfer Yeerks into hosts, it will mean they have some kind of a Yeerk pool in there. That's what we are after. Find that Yeerk pool, wipe it out."
"So we would just be in fly morph for a brief time," Cassie said. "I mean, if we decided to do it. We'd have to demorph to do any damage."
"And then, if we create enough confusion, we can escape in some other way. We wouldn't have to do flies again."
"True," Cassie agreed. "We'd probably only be in the fly morph for a few minutes."
"Yep."
"So it's flies," Cassie said.
"Yep."
Then, both of us, at the same time, said "H-e-e-e-l-p m-e-e-e! H-e-e-e-l-p m-e-e-e!"
That's kind of sweet, in a gross way.
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Jul 22, 2020 23:54
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- Ytlaya
- Nov 13, 2005
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I see that Rachel suffers from the same broken sales logic as my dad, where they seem to think that buying things on sale is the same as getting free money.
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Jul 23, 2020 09:53
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- Tree Bucket
- Apr 1, 2016
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R.I.P.idura leucophrys
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Huh! I've had "How did I save, if I spent?" in my head for a number of decades...
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Jul 23, 2020 13:35
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- Epicurius
- Apr 10, 2010
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College Slice
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The Capture-Chapter 11
quote:Here's the thing about flies.
Being a fly is fun. It really is.
Turning into a fly ... that is a whole different story.
I guess it's no big secret that I kind of like Cassie. I think she's really pretty. But when I saw these two huge, glittering, bulging, compound eyes come popping out of her eye sockets, I screamed.
I mean, I screamed like a baby.
"Yaaaaahhh!"
"Great, Jake. That's going to make her feel good," Marco said,
"Marco, you have your eyes closed," I pointed out.
"And they're staying closed, too."
"Excuse me," Rachel said. She raced for the door of the barn and ran outside. A few seconds later we heard the sound of barfing.
You have to understand. Cassie was mostly still human at the point where the fly eyes showed up. She was about two feet tall and shrinking fast, and the extra legs had already popped out of her chest, and the gauzy wings were growing from her back, but her face was still a human face.
Until the eyes popped out.
Oh, man. You think you've seen scary stuff? Maybe in movies or on TV? You haven't seen anything scary till you've seen fly eyes pop out of someone's head like a pair of balloons.
She was pretty small by the time her fly mouth appeared. I was grateful for that. Because later, when I became a fly, I saw what a fly mouth looks like.
The eyes were bad. But if I'd seen that long, tubular, sucking, tonguelike thing come rolling out... that thing that spits on the food, then sucks the spit mixture back in ...
Rachel came back inside. "Sorry," she said shakily. "Anyone have some gum? A Tic Tac?"
Ax was puzzled. <Does the morphing process disturb you?>
"Sometimes," I said, still fighting the urge to look away as Cassie shriveled down to a few inches. "Some animals give me the willies."
<The willies? What are the willies?>
"Well, it's just this feeling of being grossed out. Sickened. Nauseated. Creeped. Like your skin is crawling. Willies."
<Is she done?> Tobias asked. <I'm not coming in there until she's done.>
"Tell Tobias it's okay, will you, Ax?"
<Tobias. Prince Jake says it's cool.>
I smiled at Marco, who was now peeking through his fingers. Ax was learning to sound seminormal. At least in thought-speak. When he was in human morph and spoke out loud, he still played with every sound and drove everyone crazy.
Ax is using the term "cool" now. That's something.
quote:Tobias flew in through the open hayloft above.
"Can you hear me, Cassie?" Rachel asked.
"Tobias. Do you see her?" Cassie was a true fly now.
<Got her.>
"Keep a sharp focus on her," I said. "Don't lose sight."
<Relax. It's broad daylight, she's ten feet away. At this distance I can see the hairs on her little fly legs. Unfortunately. Ooooh. Oh, man. Oh, that's just not even slightly attractive.>
"Cassie?" Rachel asked again.
"Tobias? Try her with thought-speak."
<Cassie? Cassie, can you hear me? There she goes! She's flying!>
"Don't lose her, Tobias. Don't lose her."
"She won't go far," Marco said. "All the horse manure in this barn? Where would she go that's any better for a fly?"
Suddenly, in my head I heard <Yeeeeee haaaaahhhh!>
"Cassie?"
<Cassie?>
<Whooooo hoooooo!>
"Cassie! Answer us!"
<Cassie? You okay?>
<Oh, man! Man! Can this thing fly! You guys have got to try this. This thing flies like a rocket. Yaaaah haaaahhh!>
<Are you able to control the fly brain?>
<Yes, yes. Don't worry, you guys. I'm fine. Sorry. But it's just such a complete, insane rush! Come on, let's go, time's a-wasting.>
So, yea, being a fly is fun. Who knew?
quote:I sucked in a deep breath. I had been hoping everything would be fine. That Cassie would not have any problems. But at the same time, I was utterly disgusted at the idea of becoming a fly.
And now she was saying it was okay.
You'd think it would get easier, slipping in and out of strange shapes. But you'd be wrong. Gross is gross, and always remains gross.
"Okay, guys. It looks like we're doing this," I said, trying desperately to sound cheerful and optimistic.
"Oh, goody," Marco said.
<Yes! Goody!> Ax said, totally unaware that Marco was being sarcastic.
"Sounds like Cassie's having fun," Rachel said.
"Uh-huh," I said. "Let's just do it."
We did it.
Morphing was as gross as we'd expected.
But Cassie was also right. Once you were in the morph; once you got used to the fact that your vision was like a thousand tiny TV screens, each showing a slightly different picture; once you got done freaking about the way your nasty fly tongue stuck out; once you got past the bizarre combination of hooks and bristles and hairs that made up your fly leg; once you got past the fact that nothing looks right or familiar when you're only about an eighth of an inch long; and mostly, once you stopped thinking about that stupid fly movie . . .Well, then, it was cool!
I have flown before. As a peregrine falcon and as a seagull.
Both are cool. I mean, the falcon can go like 175 miles an hour in a dive.
Faster than a stock car. Faster than small planes.
But flying as a fly is totally, completely insane.
A housefly beats its wings 200 times per second.
Say "hello, there" out loud. In the time it took you to say that, a fly's wings beat 200 times.
A fly moves at about four miles per hour. Which doesn't sound very fast, compared to a falcon hitting almost 200 miles per hour. But trust me, when you're only an eighth of an inch long, four miles an hour is like warp factor nine.
And what's really cool is you can do that going down, going left, right, or straight up. And you can change directions in no time. One minute you're shooting straight ahead like a bullet, the next tenth of a second you're going straight up.
Cassie was right. It was gross, but it was fun.
<Yeeeee haaaaahhh!> Ax yelled.
<Whoooaaaa hooaaahhh!> I cried as I blasted straight up at what felt like the speed of light.
<We are ugly as sin, but we are so cool!> Rachel exulted.
<Let's go find some dog poop!> Marco said. <Kidding,> he added a second later. <Just kidding.>
<Okay, okay, we have important stuff to do,> I said after we had all spent a couple of minutes getting used to the fly's simple instincts and pretty decent senses. <Time to get on the bus.>
Tobias was the bus. The hospital was a couple of miles away. Flies are fast in relative terms, but in actual speed, Tobias was a lot quicker. It would have taken us hours. Tobias could carry us there in a few minutes.
<Hop on the big feathery guy,> Cassie said. <Aim for the back of his neck. We don't want his wings or tail knocking us off.>
<It's just a good thing I know you guys,> Tobias said. <My own little necklace of houseflies. It's enough to gag a maggot.>
<Gag a maggot?> Marco echoed, <Gag a maggot? Hey pal, don't be dissing our kids that way.>
<Yuck,> Tobias commented. And then we were off.
And off they go on Falcon Air. You think Ax is bothered by the transformation? I'm thinking he didn't mind morphing so much, and it was the Animorph's revulsion towards flies that made it seem so gross to them.
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Jul 24, 2020 01:55
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- Mazerunner
- Apr 22, 2010
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Good Hunter, what... what is this post?
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please tell me they're gonna find a place to de- and re-morph to reset their timers...
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Jul 24, 2020 03:36
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- Daikloktos
- Jan 1, 2020
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by Cyrano4747
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I see that Rachel suffers from the same broken sales logic as my dad, where they seem to think that buying things on sale is the same as getting free money.
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Jul 24, 2020 04:09
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- Ednamamame
- Dec 12, 2019
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"Marco, you have your eyes closed," I pointed out.
"And they're staying closed, too."
Marco once again demonstrating he's the brains of the outfit.
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Jul 24, 2020 06:53
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- chitoryu12
- Apr 24, 2014
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I’m too drunk to safely imagine the details of this morph.
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Jul 24, 2020 07:06
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- wizzardstaff
- Apr 6, 2018
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Zorch! Splat! Pow!
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Between the cockroaches and the flies I'm glad they're getting to morph some fun animals for once. Seems like both would be good for Andalite adrenaline junkies who want to visit earth to sample the morphs.
I'm picturing an enclosed obstacle course the size of a small car, just full of hoops and bars and tight passages for fly-sized athletes to zoom around and race in.
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Jul 24, 2020 07:20
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- QuickbreathFinisher
- Sep 28, 2008
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by reading this post you have agreed to form a gay socialist micronation.
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Between the cockroaches and the flies I'm glad they're getting to morph some fun animals for once. Seems like both would be good for Andalite adrenaline junkies who want to visit earth to sample the morphs.
I'm picturing an enclosed obstacle course the size of a small car, just full of hoops and bars and tight passages for fly-sized athletes to zoom around and race in.
Ok now I'm picturing an Andalite-ready post-yeerk Earth where there is a separate natural "theme park" for each "type" of animal, complete with prey stocks for the predators. And separate areas for prey morphs to vibe.
Bugs get a huge garden complete with carrion and live mammals for the bloodsuckers, netted in to avoid birds or rodents. Coral reef as a nurse shark or a dolphin. Avian areas regionally to allow bird morphs to hunt. A pelagic area for the mako/giant squid/sperm whale thrill seeker. Huge swaths of grass, grains, plants, etc with no predators for herbivore morphs. A swamp for the gators, herons, etc. Hunting baby seals and fish as a polar bear or an orca or a leopard seal. Arming through rainforest trees as a monkey or flying through as a parrot or hopping through as a frog or crawling through as a rodent. Climbing goat mountain. City morphs like rat and pigeon feeding off of human excess. Skipping through the desert as a skink or a scorpion. The options are loving endless.
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Jul 24, 2020 11:03
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- Skypie
- Sep 28, 2008
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Something kinda interesting here that I didn't put together as a kid. There's a plan to infiltrate politics and use it as a vector to recruit more controllers. That's not a bad plan.
But what ultimately fucks it up is politics within the yeerks. Visser One just wants to see Three's plans go to poo poo so she frees the Animorphs so they'll go off and bust up his plan and he looks stupid.
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Jul 24, 2020 14:45
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- Daikloktos
- Jan 1, 2020
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by Cyrano4747
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These are surprisingly tightly crafted books. I honestly didn't think this was a series that quite needed a Let's Read versus a regular remembrance thread but gently caress was I wrong
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Jul 24, 2020 19:25
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- Epicurius
- Apr 10, 2010
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College Slice
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The Capture-Chapter 12
quote:I clung to Tobias's feathers. It was easy enough to do. Fly legs can grab onto glass, or hang upside down on a ceiling.
I could feel the wind whipping around me. It rattled my wings and actually whistled through the chinks and joints of my tiny exoskeleton.
An incredible array of aromas assaulted my sensitive antennae. Unfortunately, the main things my fly brain seemed interested in were anything sweet, anything rotting, or anything decayed and putrid.
<This is a little like that shrew morph I did early on,> Rachel pointed out. <The same interest in dead meat.>
Suddenly, a monster! It loomed huge in my compound eyes. Smaller than me, but still way, way too big.
<What the . . . !> I yelped.
<What? What is it?> Cassie asked.
<Oh, man. I think it's a flea. It looks about the size of a poodle. But not even slightly cute.>
<Wait a minute!> Tobias cried. <Are you telling me I have fleas?>
<Just one that I've seen,> I answered. <Now he's gone. He probably jumped off.>
Actually, I was lying. The flea was working his way along Tobias skin, beneath the feathers, looking for a good place to sink his penetrating, bloodthirsty tongue.
But somehow I didn't think Tobias would want to hear that.
Probably not.
quote:<Okay, we're at the hospital,> Tobias said. <I'll take a low pass, then tell you guys when to jump off. Kind of like an old war movie. You guys are the paratroopers.>
<Good example,> Marco said. <Ever notice how in those old movies the paratroopers mostly get shot?>
<Jake?> Cassie whispered to me in thought-speak so that no one else could hear.
<Yeah?>
<You could still drop out of this mission,> she said. <Everyone would understand.>
<Thanks. But no. Tom or no Tom, the Yeerks have to be stopped.> That's what I told myself, anyway. I guess it was true.
<Okay, everything looks fine to me,> Tobias said. <I see an open window on the third floor. No screen.>
<You're sure?> Marco asked.
<Marco, in light this bright I could tell you if there was a single strand of spiderweb across that window, let alone a screen.>
<He said spiderweb,> Rachel moaned.
<H-e-e-e-l-p m-e-e-e!> Marco mimicked.
By absolutely terrible luck, the old version of The Fly had been on TV the night before. Like fools, we'd all watched it.
<I don't understand what this means,> Ax grumbled.
<Get ready,> Tobias said. <Three . . . two . . . one . . . bail!>
I leapt from his back. I opened my wings. The slipstream was so fast it sent me tumbling, end over end through the air. But as my speed dropped I quickly gained control.
<Everyone okay?>
<Yee hah!> Rachel said.
<I see the window opening,> Ax said.
I saw him fly past me like a buzzing, wobbling, careening jet fighter. At least I think it was him.
I fell in behind, following his wake.
It turned out Ax was wrong. What he'd thought was a window was actually a small sign on the side of the building. With fly eyes you had to get pretty close to see anything. So we blazed along the face of the building for a while, trying to spot it.
<Keep going,> Tobias called to us. <You're almost there.>
Suddenly, I could feel a rush of cooler air, billowing out at us.
<Here we go,> I said.
I turned into the current of air and seconds later was in the relative darkness inside the building.
<Okay. We're looking for anything that might be a miniature Yeerk pool,> I reminded everyone.
<Everyone except Ax has been near a Yeerk pool, so try to remember that smell, and see if your antennae pick up anything similar.>
<I'll tell you one thing. I'll bet I know where the maternity ward is. I smell large numbers of dirty diapers,> Rachel said.
<Okay, let's split up, like we planned. Ax and Cassie, you're with me. Rachel and Marco, be careful.>
Rachel and Marco peeled off and soon disappeared from sight.
The three of us flew out into what we figured was a hallway, since it seemed very long and had bright lights all along it.
<I smell poop. I smell a banana. At least, I think it's a banana. And, I smell more poop,> Cassie said. <Say one thing for flies. If you ever need to find poop, hire a fly.>
Below us, barely visible, we occasionally caught sight of big, moving oval shapes - the tops of people's heads. But with our limited sight, they seemed like floating islands of hair moving on a blurry sea.
<How's our time, Ax?> I asked.
<We have used twenty percent of our time,> Ax reported.
<Good. That's right on plan,> I said, trying to reassure myself as much as the two of them.
<Yaaaahhh!>
<What is it?>
<That human tried to reach up and hit me!> Ax said. <But he was very slow.>
<Hey,> Cassie said. <Hey. Do you guys smell that?>
<More poop?>
<No. Similar to poop, but different. A strange smell. My fly brain doesn't know what it is. I'm trying to remember . . .>
<I too am smelling something,> Ax reported. <But not very strong.>
<I'm thinking we turn right,> Cassie suggested.
<Right turn,> I agreed. Now I was getting the scent, too. A dark, deep, rich aroma. Sweet and oily.
<Marco, Rachel,> I called to them in thought-speak. <You guys have anything?>
<Barely hear - : - must --- away. Nothing --- >
<We are at the limits of the thought-speak range,> Ax said.
Now the scent was more powerful than be fore.
<In there,> I said. <I think that's a door.>
We landed. My six legs, each armed with sharp talons and sticky pads, gripped the smooth surface of the door.
<Here's a question,> Cassie said. <How do you open a door when you're like an eighth of an inch long?>
<Down to the floor. We can walk or fly under the crack.>
Seconds later, we were on the linoleum, marching jerkily forward. We passed beneath the door, then instantly took flight again.
<Oh, man, there is definitely something in here,> Cassie said. <Over there. Do you see a big, shiny-looking superdome kind of thing?>
<Yeah. I agree. I think that may be it. Does anyone see anyone in the room? Any humans?>
No one did.
<Okay, Ax. You demorph first. If someone barges in, your Andalite body will be more useful than the two of us as humans.>
<Yes, Prince Jake.>
<Ax? You really, really don't have to call me that.>
<Yes, Prince Jake. I am beginning the change.>
I have to be honest with you all. This will become a recurring gag. You will get sick of it.
quote:<Cool. Cassie and I will hang out on the ceiling.>
A few moments later I saw a vast eyeball, stuck on the end of a long stalk, come shooting up toward us where we hung upside down. One of Ax's extra, stalk-mounted eyes. The eye turned to look at us.
Then, a violent vibration in the air. The eye disappeared from sight.
And a second vibration, like something heavy falling.
<Ax? Are you okay?>
<Yes. There was a human here. But he is unconscious now.>
That's the way to do it!
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Jul 24, 2020 23:07
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- Daikloktos
- Jan 1, 2020
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by Cyrano4747
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I have to be honest with you all. This will become a recurring gag. You will get sick of it.
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Jul 25, 2020 00:38
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- HIJK
- Nov 25, 2012
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in the room where you sleep
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The Prince Jake thing does become old but even as a young person I respected how the series committed to the bit, so my exasperation slowly became admiration.
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Jul 25, 2020 01:55
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- Daikloktos
- Jan 1, 2020
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by Cyrano4747
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There's a couple payoffs, here's the one I'm thinking of
31 - The Conspiracy posted:We had to make him think he would be tortured. Moments earlier I would have killed him. Even now, I felt no pity for him. But that didn't change the fact that we were trying to terrify another living, sentient creature.
If you're the kind of person who gets off on that, you need help. I was asking a lot of Ax. Too much. But he was determined to play the role.
<If you want to live - and I need not remind you that is in my power to end your life right now -you will answer my questions,> Ax said with exaggerated Andalite arrogance. <What is the extent of the Yeerk penetration of Earth?>
Chapman shuddered but stayed silent.
<Do not defy me, Yeerk filth!> Ax roared. <Name all the Yeerks in positions of power!!>
No answer.
<I will keep you here, you know,> Ax said, changing tactics and using a silken, deadly thoughtspeak voice. <Kandrona starvation, Yeerk. It is a terrible way to die. How long since you visited the Yeerk pool? How many days, how many hours do you have before the terrible need begins to -
I’d seen and heard enough. I jerked my head toward the door. Rachel and Marco followed me. Marco demorphed as he went
.
Ax’s words had conjured up a dark, miserable picture in my mind. The death he had falsely promised Chapman was the one my brother Tom was going to suffer, because the Yeerk in his head would be cut off from Kandrona rays.
#31 - The Conspiracy posted:I was tempted to continue holding Chapman and starve his Yeerk to death. Let the Yeerk Empire know that they were vulnerable, too. That we could be cruel enough to kill, when pushed far enough. The sick, dark anger inside of me wanted to. And had nearly tried, last night in rhino morph.
I landed in a tree near the window. Ax was still inside.
<Everything going okay, Ax?> I asked from outside the house.
<Yes, Prince Jake,> Ax replied. <I was careful to walk directly over the glass from the broken window, making it crunch very loudly. I believe this Controller will use the glass to sever his bonds once I have left.>
<Good,> I said.
<No, Prince Jake, nothing about this is good,> Ax snapped. <This is not behavior suitable to a warrior. I will not do this again.>
<Understood, Ax,> I said.
<The human daughter of this Controller has walked through the neighborhood crying for her father. I have heard her. As I have heard the terror of this Controller. I will gladly fight this Controller and even, in fair battle, kill him, but I am not a torturer.>
I’d never heard Ax this mad. Never even close.
<It’s my fault, Ax. My responsibility. You only did what I asked you to do, as your prince. This is on me.>
<No. My actions are my actions and are my responsibility.> he said, but his anger had softened a little. <I am sorry to have expressed anger.>
<Ax-man, you are entitled,> I said wearily.
He didn’t say anything for a while, and I sat, miserable and ashamed, in the tree.
<I must play out the charade,> Ax said wearily.
<Yeah.>
I sat there, fluffing my feathers against the morning chill, watching as the first early commuters headed for their cars, slung their briefcases and laptops in the backseat, and headed off for work.
Normal. A normal day in a normal American suburb.
Except that across the street a girl cried for a father she’d long ago lost without knowing it, and here, a creature part man and part Yeerk was threatened with painful death.
<Kandrona starvation, Yeerk. That is what awaits you. The slow weakening … the growing
madness … the terror as you begin to realize that nothing, nothing can save you. Is that what you want? Help me, Yeerk. Help me help you.> Ax could have used private thought-speak, thought-speak only Chapman would hear. But he wanted me to hear.
<Your last chance. I will leave you here, bound, helpless, the thirst and hunger of your human host body adding to your own desperate need.>
If Chapman answered I didn’t hear him. I guess he did answer, though, because Ax said, <Your choice, Yeerk.>
Moments later Ax was morphed to osprey and soaring away from the house. Chapman would escape. We had left the broken glass there deliberately. Chapman believed we
were all Andalites. He would think we were too unfamiliar with the human world to know that glass can cut.
#31 - The Conspiracy posted:<And he will return to his people a hero,> Ax said. <This will become an oft-repeated and much celebrated chapter in Yeerk history. My name will become legend, synonymous with ineptitude. A brutal fool of an Andalite.>
<Ax, I wouldn’t have asked you to do it if it wasn’t so important.>
Ax looked at me, fierce hawk eyes glittering. <Important to you, Jake, or to the war effort?>
I didn’t answer him. I wanted to believe it was important to both, but my weary brain couldn’t even form the words to convince myself, much less him.
Ax flew back to his woods, muttering something about cleansing rituals.
I flew home and relieved Tobias.
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Jul 25, 2020 05:08
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- Ytlaya
- Nov 13, 2005
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Jeez, that except is pretty intense. It resembles real life use of drug dependence as torture (get someone dependent and then deny them the drug until they give in). I say drug dependence instead of regular starvation because it results in more acute suffering within a short and well-defined time-frame ("how many days, how many hours").
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Jul 25, 2020 23:45
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