Let's Read Animorphs! The Whole Series! Ch-ch-ch-chaaanges

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freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

I'm wondering whether Crayak yanked the Howlers out of there (the same way the Ellimist seems to have done to the Animorphs a second later) or whether he just... deleted them, the moment Jake infected them with the true knowledge of What They'd Done, because they'd no longer be useful to him.

And if they have a truly collective memory, one unhampered by space and time... it's more than those six that just got unpersoned.

# ? Aug 9, 2021 10:10

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# ? May 25, 2024 02:13

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

The Animorphs defeated an entire species by stealing their innocence from them.

There's a metaphor in there, I think.

# ? Aug 9, 2021 13:28

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

freebooter posted:

I'm wondering whether Crayak yanked the Howlers out of there (the same way the Ellimist seems to have done to the Animorphs a second later) or whether he just... deleted them, the moment Jake infected them with the true knowledge of What They'd Done, because they'd no longer be useful to him.

And if they have a truly collective memory, one unhampered by space and time... it's more than those six that just got unpersoned.

Patience, grasshopper. But I'm not adding the Howlers to my list of genocides as of now, at least.

# ? Aug 9, 2021 15:19

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 26

quote:

He was huge.

No arms. Arms were irrelevant to him.

He sat on what might have been a throne, or might have been a part of him, I couldn�t tell.

Machine? Creature? Both?

Or something that was neither.

He turned his single, huge, bloodred eye and looked down at me.

I was on my knees. Human again. Hard steel beneath me. Darkness all around. But I felt a hand touching mine.

The others were with me, too. With me, cowering beneath the seething evil creature called Crayak.

I met his gaze. I closed my eyes, but I could still see him looking at me. As he had watched me, mocking, in my dreams.

�We meet at last, face-to-face,� Crayak said, in a low voice that vibrated up through the floor, through the air, a voice so low that it seemed it would shake my very atoms apart.

I kept my eyes turned away, though it did no good. I wanted to stand, but I couldn�t. I was shaking. My teeth were chattering.

�What? Not so brave now, little Jake?� he mocked. �Look at you, all of you, cowering! Are you frightened?�

I nodded. �Yeah, I am,� I admitted in a weak voice. �But we won.�

And then there was a laugh. A laugh that was as powerful as the awesome dread that flowed from Crayak.

The big red eye snapped up, away from me. I breathed again.

The laughter continued, gathering force, louder and louder and more and more delighted.

I turned and saw the Ellimist. He was in human guise, looking like a wise old man. No more his true face than Erek�s face was true.

�Humans,� the Ellimist said, as if he were introducing us. �Five humans, an Andalite, a Chee.�

�It was a mistake allowing the Chee to escape from the doom of their Pemalite masters,� Crayak said.

�The Iskoort will live,� the Ellimist said.

The eye showed no expression. �The Iskoort will live.�

Then he looked at me. �Sleep well, human,� he sneered. �I�ll still be there in your dreams. And someday, when the time is right, you will suffer for this.�

I climbed to my feet, still holding Cassie�s hand. I focused my mind on the Howler. And I began to morph.

No one said anything till I was done. And when I was done, I opened my Howler mind to the collective memory that linked them all.
I searched for the memories we had played for the Howler. I looked in the great memory pool for some memory of what had occurred on the Iskoort planet. Nothing. Some memory of us, of five humans and an Andalite and a Chee and Guide. But there was nothing.

Crayak had destroyed the six remaining Howlers before those memories could poison the minds of all Howlers. He�d done what I knew - what I had hoped - he�d do.

The Howlers had never been defeated. So they believed, but I knew that wasn�t possible.

Somewhere, somehow, someone had to have beaten them, at least once. Perfection was impossible.

So if the collective memory had no trace of defeat, it could only mean that Crayak had destroyed his defeated Howlers before the memory of failure could infect them all.

He might have done that many times over the millennia. Always keeping the Howlers� collective memory from any taint that might weaken their innocent evil.

He had no choice. A collective memory was very useful for spreading battle tactics and experience. But it was a weakness, too. Crayak could not allow his murderous children to learn one simple fact: that their victims were not part of a game, but real people, with dreams and hopes and loves. Crayak had acted quickly. The memories of humans and Andalites, Chee, and Iskoort had not been allowed to infect the Howler memory. Nothing had gotten through �

No. Not nothing!

Sifting through the collective memory, through the unbroken chain of horror, I caught a single fugitive image, like a few seconds of film.

Just the picture of Cassie running to me, and our arms and lips and �

I demorphed back to human. And when I had my own mouth again, I said, �You were too late, Crayak. Something got through to the Howlers� collective memory.�

�What?� he demanded.

�Love.�

So, yep, those Howlers were destroyed, too late for Crayak.

Chapter 27

quote:

We were no longer with Crayak. We were back in that weird, n-dimensional space where inside was outside and nothing made any sense at all.

Still, it was good to be away from Crayak.

Good to be alive.

�You did well,� the Ellimist said.

�Did well? Did well?� Marco echoed. �We kicked butt on the meanest gang in the galaxy, whupped Crayak the Big Nasty, saved the Iskoort, which I�m still not sure was a good thing, and planted a little sensitivity time bomb in the Howlers, and that�s it? �Job well done,� and �Oh, by the way, here�s your insides to look at again as we zip through inside-out world�?�

�What would you like?� the Ellimist asked reasonably.

�I don�t know. How about a reward or something?�

�How about telling us what we accomplished, if anything?� I said.

�Yeah,� Rachel agreed. �How about that?�

Suddenly, without any warning, we were back in Cassie�s barn. Right where we�d been the instant before the Ellimist had whisked us off to the Iskoort planet.

�What did you accomplish? No one knows the future. Not for certain. But it is now more likely than it was before that three hundred years from now the Yeerks will encounter the Iskoort. They will realize that they are related. And the Yeerks will see that there is a better way.�

<That�s it?> Tobias asked. <Three centuries from now? How does that help us?>

�It doesn�t,� the Ellimist said. �But within six months Crayak will send a Howler force to annihilate a race called the Sharf Den. Instead of slaughtering the Sharf Den, the Howlers will try something different.� The Ellimist winked. �They will attempt to kiss them. Crayak will have lost his shock troops. And the Sharf Den will � well, no one knows the future for certain. Oh, however, you may be sure that Guide is now a very, very rich Iskoort.�

With a laugh of pure pleasure, the Ellimist was gone.

<I really hate when he does that,> Tobias said.

�Okay, that does it, we�re never inviting him over again,� Marco said.

It was good winning one. A big one.

And that night, when I fell asleep, the eye of Crayak was no longer in my dreams.

Instead I dreamed about Cassie. But in my dreams I also saw that Howler, falling and falling beside me. Falling still, as I spread my wings and split my fate from his.

Marco�s always saying you choose how to see the world. That you can look at what�s funny and cool, or you can focus on all the things that aren�t.

So I tried to follow Marco�s advice. I tried to turn my dreams to Cassie.

But even looking into her eyes, I still saw that doomed Howler falling.

So now I'm going to add the Howlers to my list of genocide. They're useless to Crayak now, and I don't think Crayak keeps things that are useless to them. And this is again the Ellimist's games within games. Even if the Yeerks take over humanity....even if they beat the Andalites, eventually they'll run into the Iskoort, and maybe the Iskoort will give them a chance to change their destiny and turn back from the path they've chosen into a healthier one. Also, things turned out well for Guide, and I liked Guide. He put up with a lot.

Jake, meanwhile, remembers he killed a child.

Ok, so that wraps up The Attack? Did you like it? I know I did. It dealt with some pretty heavy stuff, and it introduced Crayak, who you can be sure we'll meet again.

So, tomorrow we start Book 27, The Exposed. It's a Rachel book, but by now, I'm pretty sure everyone knows the order of the narrators, and it was ghostwritten by Laura Battyanyi-Wiess, who I do have info about, so we'll talk about her tomorrow. It's pretty good.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 04:01

HisMajestyBOB: Oct 21, 2010; College Slice

This was the last book I read as a kid and, for me, it was a good one. As I posted before, I'd outgrown Animorphs by this point and it no longer made sense to buy books that I'd finish in an hour. Maybe if I had ended on one of the weaker ghostwritten books, my opinion of the series would be lower, but ending here ended it on a high note.

It's a good book. Awesome alien worlds, good action sequences, moral philosophizing, high stakes, and true love. What more could you want?

# ? Aug 10, 2021 04:18

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

It's a classic. KA is always fun when she gets to let her Star Trek/space opera creativity loose.

27 is also a classic. In fact I think 27, 29 and 30 are all really good, which is a nice way to begin the ghostwriting era. (I don't think 28 is bad but I barely remember it at all, and I loved Ax when I was a kid, so I'm assuming it's meh at best.)

# ? Aug 10, 2021 04:25

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

Epicurius posted:

Jake, meanwhile, remembers he killed a child.

I mean, just a few books ago they permanently imprisoned a child as a tiny short-lived mammal, and is that much of a difference?

I guess they tell themselves that it is.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 04:39

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Fuschia tude posted:

I mean, just a few books ago they permanently imprisoned a child as a tiny short-lived mammal, and is that much of a difference?

I guess they tell themselves that it is.

They tell themselves it is. Also, Jake morphed the Howler, and experienced first hand its mental state and collective memories. That's got to have an effect.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 04:51

Edna Mode: Sep 24, 2005; Bullshit, that's last year's Fall collection!

I didn't think about this before, but why doesn't Jake's memories get added to the collective pool when he morphs the Howler? I guess the consciousness is only one way when you morph?

# ? Aug 10, 2021 04:56

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

Edna Mode posted:

I didn't think about this before, but why doesn't Jake's memories get added to the collective pool when he morphs the Howler? I guess the consciousness is only one way when you morph?

Maybe it's not retroactive, it just sends off information about current events as they happen?

# ? Aug 10, 2021 05:21

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

Shame they're still sticking to their not morphing a sentient species unless they really have to rule, since a Howler would be an insanely effective battle morph.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 05:28

Gwaihir: Dec 8, 2009; Hair Elf

Epicurius posted:

Chapter 26

So, yep, those Howlers were destroyed, too late for Crayak.

Chapter 27

So now I'm going to add the Howlers to my list of genocide. They're useless to Crayak now, and I don't think Crayak keeps things that are useless to them. And this is again the Ellimist's games within games. Even if the Yeerks take over humanity....even if they beat the Andalites, eventually they'll run into the Iskoort, and maybe the Iskoort will give them a chance to change their destiny and turn back from the path they've chosen into a healthier one. Also, things turned out well for Guide, and I liked Guide. He put up with a lot.

Jake, meanwhile, remembers he killed a child.

Ok, so that wraps up The Attack? Did you like it? I know I did. It dealt with some pretty heavy stuff, and it introduced Crayak, who you can be sure we'll meet again.

So, tomorrow we start Book 27, The Exposed. It's a Rachel book, but by now, I'm pretty sure everyone knows the order of the narrators, and it was ghostwritten by Laura Battyanyi-Wiess, who I do have info about, so we'll talk about her tomorrow. It's pretty good.

I had been following pretty much just as fast as the thread went because I've been really digging the commentary, but this book was one that got me to dig up the ebooks and speed through it myself. Really really enjoyed this one. I read a few more after this one and I feel like this is also the beginning of the really really hard tip over the edge and in to full on spiraling of both the mental state of the kids and the stuff they get forced to deal with and do.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 05:35

ANOTHER SCORCHER: Aug 12, 2018

It may or may not be deliberate but the Howlers being literal child soldiers makes them directly comparable with the Animorphs, who are the same. The difference is the Animorphs understand the magnitude of what they�re doing, which is infinitely more traumatizing.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 05:39

Remalle: Feb 12, 2020

Edna Mode posted:

I didn't think about this before, but why doesn't Jake's memories get added to the collective pool when he morphs the Howler? I guess the consciousness is only one way when you morph?

Yeah I'd guess since memories are stored in the brain, not DNA, and the information stored in your own brain presumably gets shoved off into Z-space when you morph, all the Howler collective memory has to take from a morphed Howler is a blank slate.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 06:49

Pwnstar: Dec 9, 2007; Who wants some waffles?

Theres a lot of heavy stuff in this one but the Iskoort are so funny and I love Guide and the fact that he probably owns the planet now so overall its a feel-good experience.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 06:52

GodFish: Oct 10, 2012; We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.

Do we know how long a yeerk lives? Its pretty funny to imagine V3 showing up at the Iskoort planet owned by the decedent's of the guide and seeing the memories of the animorphs.

Great book overall though.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 09:08

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

ANOTHER SCORCHER posted:

It may or may not be deliberate but the Howlers being literal child soldiers makes them directly comparable with the Animorphs, who are the same. The difference is the Animorphs understand the magnitude of what they�re doing, which is infinitely more traumatizing.

This is my take. The Howlers were a direct parallel to the Animorphs, all that power and that terrible mission, with no understanding of what they're doing or the consequences.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 13:15

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Cythereal posted:

This is my take. The Howlers were a direct parallel to the Animorphs, all that power and that terrible mission, with no understanding of what they're doing or the consequences.

I think that's true, which is why both of them are the "pawns" in the game, to an extent. The Animorphs, though, do recognize the moral weight of their fight. They know it's not a game and that they're hurting real people/Hork-Bajir when they get into fights. I think a lot of what the book is about is realizing that the Howlers are moral innocents. They don't have the emotional maturity to understand what they're doing is wrong, but they're still the enemy, and have to be fought to save the Iskoort and themselves.

Then you have Eric, who knows the Howlers are moral innocents and just doesn't care. For him, it's a lot simpler. The Howlers attacked his peaceful homeland and killed his masters and now they have to die. He's just physically incapable of doing it himself. But this has been the most emotional book for him. Sure, the Chee don't like the Yeerks. They're morally concerned about the Yeerks. They're concerned about the long term future of dogs (and humans too, they guess) if the Yeerks come to power. but they don't hate the Yeerks the way they hate the Howlers.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 20:02

Bobulus: Jan 28, 2007

It's interesting that we didn't get a reaction from Erek at the end there. I mean, as far as everyone knows, this small group has been wiped out and the larger group will probably also be destroyed. Erek got his revenge.

I suppose we could attribute it to this being Jake's POV, and he had other concerns at the time.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 20:48

McTimmy: Feb 29, 2008

Last book I remember from as a kid too.

# ? Aug 10, 2021 23:27

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

Pretty interesting that 25/26 seems to be where a lot of people dropped out. I'd assume that maybe if they were doing a book a month, that's two years into the series, and a lot of people were aging out of it by then? Maybe I started reading them younger because I dropped out twice the time later, at 44, though I think that was also because the quality was beginning to dip and the premise of 44 (one of the most egregious examples of "build a plot around a new animal to put on the cover") was the last straw.

# ? Aug 11, 2021 00:22

McTimmy: Feb 29, 2008

I just couldn't keep track of what books I'd read by this point. I didn't read a single David book yet read this one. I think there's even a book that repeats the name of an earlier one too.

Just making a list seems obvious in hindsight but like hell I'd ever be able to find that.

# ? Aug 11, 2021 00:36

e X: Feb 23, 2013; cool but crude

I have to admit, I genuinely forget when we actually get the next major change to the status quo after this. I mean something like, finding Ax, discovering the Chee, having contact with he Andalits, Tobias getting his morphing powers back, freeing the Hork Bajir, finding the blue box, i.e. stuff that actually has relevance to the overarching plot and has an impact on more than one book. I think we get more on the peace movement, but other than that, I can't really think of anything in the next 20+ books, until we hit the final phase.

e X fucked around with this message at 01:14 on Aug 11, 2021

# ? Aug 11, 2021 01:07

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

e X posted:

I have to admit, I genuinely forget when we actually get the next major change to the status quo after this. I mean something like, finding Ax, discovering the Chee, having contact with he Andalits, Tobias getting his morphing powers back, freeing the Hork Bajir, finding the blue box, i.e. stuff that actually has relevance to the overarching plot and has an impact on more than one book. I think we get more on the peace movement, but other than that, I can't really think of anything in the next 20+ books, until we hit the final phase.

I'd say the next and last big shakeup starts around book 45 and continues up to the end. But who knows. I could be wrong. Guess we'll have to keep reading to find out.

# ? Aug 11, 2021 01:46

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

Epicurius posted:

I'd say the next and last big shakeup starts around book 45 and continues up to the end. But who knows. I could be wrong. Guess we'll have to keep reading to find out.

You said you came to this series late. Have you read them all through yourself?

# ? Aug 11, 2021 02:00

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Book 27-The Exposed

As I mentioned before, this book was ghostwritten by Laura Battyanyi-Wiess, who was responsible for three Animorph books in total. She's a published author under her own name, writing as Laura Wiess, and she's 5 young adult fiction books written for Simon and Schuster. I haven't read the books, but just reading the descriptions, they seem to be about pretty heavy topics. So, her first book, "Such a Pretty Girl" is about this 15 year old girl who's dad went to prison for physically and sexually abusing her. Now he's back out and moved back in with her and her mother. Another book of hers is about someone with a seemingly perfect life, and then it all goes to hell, when her father, a police officer, commits suicide after being responsible for the death of a young man, and the rest of the family is torn apart. Like I said, I haven't read them, but they seem to get good reviews.

Chapter 1

quote:

My name is Rachel.

I�m tall. I�m blond. And I�m standing on a balance beam, trying to get up the nerve to do a forward roll.

Trying to be normal.

Although when you think about it, what�s normal about a human somersaulting along on a slippery, narrow, wooden tightrope?

Nothing, that�s what. Forget the forward roll.

Hey, reckless in battle keeps me alive. Reckless in the gym just breaks bones.

And to keep fighting, I need to stay in one piece. Survival always comes first. So you know I won�t tell you my last name or where I live. That information would get me and my friends killed.

Not that we�d go down without a fight, of course, but still �

We�re five kids and an Andalite who, as I see it, have to hold on to the three major things we�ve got going for us.

The ability to morph by acquiring animal DNA.

Anonymity. Nobody knows who we are.

The home team advantage.

So far, it�s been enough to keep us alive and to seriously aggravate the Yeerks, a parasitic species here to enslave Earth.

If the Yeerks had a �Most Wanted� list, we would top it. They want us bad. Maybe they�d kill us. Maybe they�d do what they�ve done to so many humans: crawl into our heads and take over our brains. Make us Controllers.

A Controller is someone enslaved by a Yeerk, and they�re everywhere. They�re people you know. People you trust.

Our vice principal, Mr. Chapman.

My cousin, Tom.

Teachers, TV anchorwomen, cops, FedEx drivers, waiters, students, construction workers. All walking around like they�re perfectly normal. Persuading their friends and families to join The Sharing, the Yeerks� cover organization.

And once you�re in, there�s usually only one way out.

You become a Controller.

You walk and talk the same. You have the same memories. You still chew gum in class and toss brussels sprouts back into the serving bowl when you think your mother isn�t looking.

Only it isn�t you doing any of it. The real you is caged up inside your head, helpless, screaming silently at the Yeerk slug holding you hostage.

Become a Controller, and you have no will of your own.

I will never surrender my free will.

This is why we fight. And to be honest, I like a good fight. The adrenaline spike of battle. The rush. The challenge.

And now that I�ve admitted that, I�ll admit something else: Lately, it�s been scaring me that I like it. That I look forward to it so much.

My father thinks I�m as tough as any boy. My cousin Jake says my specialty is kicking butt.

Marco calls me Xena, Warrior Princess, and jokes that I�m always the first to want to fight. He�s right. I�m front and center. Head of the line. �Let�s do it,� I�ve said, more times than I can count. And I�m afraid that if I keep giving in to the urge, sooner or later I�ll forget how to do anything else. Forget how to do the things I used to like to do.

I used to love gymnastics. Not the balance beam, exactly. I�m talking about the powerful feeling I got working the parallel bars. And vaulting was as close as I�d ever come to flying.

Not anymore, of course. Not since I became an Animorph. The thrill of vaulting doesn�t even come close to the thrill of soaring as a bald eagle. Or zipping around as a fly. And human muscles are pathetic after experiencing a cat�s liquid grace. Or becoming a grizzly bear. Now we�re talking

power.

I can�t help myself. It�s like I�m addicted or something. Addicted to danger. Addicted to defeating the Yeerk invaders.

And addicted in my dreams, at least, to smearing Visser Three across the pavement like the overgrown slug that he is.
See? I told you I was starting to scare me.

Visser Three is evil. Merciless. Ruthless. Cruel. He�s the only Yeerk with the power to morph, the only Andalite-Controller. He�s in charge of the invasion of Earth and he takes his job very seriously.

So do I.

�Hey, Rachel!�

My head jerked up, shattering my concentration. The gymnastics studio zapped back into focus.

Kids talking. Laughing. Doing back bends and walkovers. Working out on the parallel bars and rings.

A guy named T. T. was smiling and coming toward me across the mats. Not an ugly guy. Not at all.

I didn�t smile back. Until he�d yelled, I�d been doing fine. But now my body was swaying and my balance was broken. My arms began to windmill and my bare feet, one placed before the other on the narrow beam, were wobbling.

I was going to fall.

�Don�t worry,� he said, jogging up. �I�ll catch you.�

Oh, great. Just what I didn�t need. I swiveled, trying to push off and jump.

Bad move.

The motion sent me reeling. I pitched sideways.

I knocked T. T.�s outstretched arms aside and hit the mat.

Whumpf!

Ouch.

My palms stung. So did my hip.

�You okay?� he asked, putting out his hand.

�Yeah.� I ignored it. Got up.

My face was hot. I don�t like to look stupid. And now I did, and it was all his fault.

I looked at him, annoyed. Ready to tell him off.

And stopped.

He was definitely not uncute.

He was taller than me. Blue eyes, like me. Dimples, not like me.

�So, I guess this means you�re falling for me, huh?� he asked, grinning. �Want to go to a movie or something?�

We get the standard 'here's the premise of the series' thing, but I liked this one, all things considered.

Chapter 2

quote:

�Say what?� I snapped.

He leaned against the balance beam, cocky and relaxed. �I wondered if you wanted to go to the movies or something.�

I looked at him. That wasn�t all he�d said. And the rest of it, the part about me falling for him, made me uneasy.

He was cute.

Better still, he was human.

See, if T. T. and I went to a ninety-minute movie, we could go for pizza afterward. Or to McDonald�s. Or whatever.

He wouldn�t have to demorph back into a red-tailed hawk before the two-hour deadline.

Going out with T. T. would be normal. Maybe even fun. No tension. No fear.

�Well?� he said.

�In your dreams,� I said abruptly, wheeling and heading across the mats to the locker room. He didn�t try to stop me.

I shoved open the door.

BOOM!

It bounced off the cement wall.

The locker room was empty. Echoey.

Good. I wasn�t in the mood to deal with people right now. I didn�t like the way I was feeling. I didn�t like that I had reacted. I didn�t like the moment of hesitation, the moment when I considered the fact that I was the only girl in school whose � I guess �boyfriend� was � how should I put it � a bird.

I felt anger bubbling up inside me. Mad at T. T., mad at Tobias. Mad at myself. Why had I hesitated?

�Gee, I don�t know, Rachel,� I muttered under my breath. �Maybe because T. T. doesn�t have a beak. Maybe that�s it.�

I yanked on jeans and zipped my jacket up over my bodysuit. Jammed my feet into socks and running shoes.

Why hadn�t I said yes?

That was easy. Because I�m all kinds of things, some of them not too great, but I�m not disloyal. I don�t betray people. Especially not Tobias.

And yet the images in my mind would not go away. Especially images of eyes that would look into mine and not glare with the furious intensity of a predator.

I was going � if you can even use that word � with a guy who spent most of his time riding the thermals, talking in thought-speak, and eating small mammals.

A guy with feathers. Talons. A fierce, curved beak.

And sometimes, for almost two hours at a shot, unruly dirty-blond hair and hurt, tender, hopeful eyes.

He�s my friend. My fellow warrior.

We fly together. Fight Yeerks together.

We are not normal kids.

I laughed suddenly and some girl stared at me. Yeah, not normal would be the understatement of all time.

I headed outside and looked up at the sky, the way I always do. Looking for the familiar silhouette against a blue sky. Looking for the faint tinge of red in tail feathers.

But Tobias wasn�t there, and I was disappointed. Oh well, he was probably off eating a baby rabbit or something. Normal red-tailed hawk behavior.

Maybe there was more than one kind of normal.

And maybe I�d just better find a way to live with it. Find a way to really enjoy something besides fighting.

Gymnastics hadn�t done it for me. Not today. But shopping might.

I headed for the mall.

There are few emotional problems that can�t be made better by shopping Old Navy and Express.

I jogged most of the way and felt the familiar flood of relief mixed with anticipation as I slipped into the air-conditioning.

Ahhh.

Colored lights. Music. People talking. Laughing. All united in a common goal.

Shopping.

I targeted The Limited. Went straight into the store and checked their sale racks. Nothing good, but no problem. Next. I swung out of The Limited and nearly rammed into Cassie. �Cassie! What�re you doing here?� I said. �Why didn�t you tell me you were going shopping?�

�Which question do you want me to answer first?� Cassie asked, laughing and tucking her bag under her arm.

�Either. Both,� I said, pouncing on the bag and tugging it free.�Ooh, The Body Shop. Cool. What�d you get?�

�Bath oil for my mother�s birthday,� she said. �Uh, Rachel?�

�What?� I said. Her eyes were wide. I followed the direction of her gaze.

Erek the Chee was standing in front of The Gap.

�So Erek�s shopping,� I said, shrugging. �So what? Question is, what�s he think he�s gonna find at Nine West? A nice pair of sandals?�

�Look,� she whispered. �It�s happening again!�

Erek flickered. His human-hologram blurred. Faded.

Revealing, for an instant, the real Erek the Chee.

The android.

Just to get out of the way, I like the line "We're not normal kids". But it's Erek the Chee again! And he's malfunctioning. In a mall. A public mall, surrounded by people.

# ? Aug 11, 2021 03:48

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Fuschia tude posted:

You said you came to this series late. Have you read them all through yourself?

I have, almost, although there were one or two near the end that I missed, or at least, didn't read until I was rereading the series in preparation for the Lets Read.

# ? Aug 11, 2021 03:50

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

quote:

�Whoa! That can�t be good,� I said.

�What�re we gonna do?� Cassie said, as Erek�s hologram shimmered again. �We can�t let -�

�Ears all around us,� I warned. She fell silent.

Erek is an android. Part of an android species created to be a nonviolent companion to the Pemalites, a peaceful race that was wiped out by the Howlers.

Erek is an anti-Yeerk spy. Also a friend.

�Rachel, we have to do something,� Cassie whispered.

�Yeah. Let�s move.�

Erek�s hologram - the illusion of a normal boy - dimmed, exposing his interlocking steel and ivory plates.

�We have to look cool. Natural,� Cassie cautioned.

Right.

We wove through the crowd and moved close to block Erek from view.

�Hi, Erek,� I said. �What�s up? Aside from the fact that you look like TV during a lightning storm.�

He looked at me.

And he looked scared.

�Erek, you have to get out of here. Something�s wrong with your hologram.�

�I know,� he muttered, hunching his shoulders like he was trying to disappear down into them. �I kind of noticed. Can�t seem to fix it. I have tried running every -�

�Yeah, tell me all about it later. Come on, we have to get you out of here,� I interrupted, seizing his arm. His human hologram had just gone sheer, like a movie projected onto a screen. The force field was gone altogether. My fingers closed on steel, not projected human flesh.

�Where are we going?� Cassie demanded.

�How can you hide me?� He was dragging, barely able to keep his legs moving. Like some big, overgrown baby working on his first steps.

�In here,� I said, steamrolling into the only store around where an android wouldn�t seem out of place if his hologram totally croaked.

Spencer�s Gifts.

Home of the wacky, wild, weird, and wonderful. Masks. X-Files memorabilia. Aliens in snow globes. Aliens everywhere.

Erek shimmered. Shivered.

�Quick, into the corner,� I said, nodding toward the back of the store, far away from the teenage guy running the register. �By the strobe lights. If anyone sees him, they�ll just think his hologram�s an optical illusion or something.�

�Good idea,� Cassie said, tugging at Erek�s arm. �I wouldn�t have thought of Spencer�s.�

�Mall knowledge,� I said. �It�s going to be my major in college.�

Erek had stopped walking. He didn�t move. Frowned. Steel and ivory plates flashed.

�Sorry,� he apologized.

It was bizarre. Watching him was like wearing X-ray glasses and being able to see his bones right through his skin.

�Come on,� I ground out.

He moved his leg. Sloooowly.

�Erek, please,� Cassie whispered. �You have to hurry!�

�Oh, really?� he said, taking another slow-motion step. �You know, the seriousness of the situation had totally escaped me.�

�You can�t walk, but you can be sarcastic?� Cassie demanded.

Then Erek froze stiff.

Cassie and I looked at each other. She took one arm. I took the other.

Somehow we hauled him down the aisle to the back of the store without anybody noticing us, but it was not easy. Erek was a hundred pounds or more of concrete. We propped him up in the corner between a stack of Star Wars posters and a life-sized replica of the alien from the movie Alien. We stepped back.

The strobe light flashed.

Erek.

Android.

Erek.

Android.

Android.

Android.

�Oh, man,� I muttered, glancing at Cassie.

�Now what?� she said.

I had no idea.

�Whoa, cool.� It was some kid wearing a Hanson shirt. He slouched up and gazed at Erek�s android form. �I wonder how much it is?� He moved in closer, searching for a price tag.

�Uhhh �� Cassie said helpfully.

�I�ll find out,� I said. �I mean, we want to know, too. Androids. They�re cool.� I backed away, motioning for Cassie to stay and keep an eye on poor Erek.

I had to do something to ward off shoppers, and fast. Fortunately, I knew how. I plucked the sales tag off a windup cockroach and slipped back into the aisle with the rubber-earthworm pens.

The cockroach had been five dollars. I crossed out the price, flipped the tag over, and scribbled �$5,000.00.�

Hanson shirt said, �Five grand for a lousy hunk of metal that doesn�t even walk or talk! What arethey, nuts?� He took off. But someone else was sure to come along. And eventually the clerk, a nerdy college-age kid talking on the phone, was sure to notice.

When the kid was gone, Erek said, �Actually, my approximate value in current U.S. dollars would be well into the billions.�

�Listen, stay here and guard him, okay?� I whispered to Cassie. �I�ll be right back. And Erek? Don�t worry, my friend, we�ll get you out of here.�

�Guard him?� Cassie said. �What do you mean, guard him? Wait!� She grabbed my arm. �You�re gonna call Jake, right?�

�Think I should?� I said, a little giddy from having pulled it off so far. �I was thinking of calling for a pizza, but I guess I could call Jake instead.�

Cassie gave me a sour look. �Thanks. Very funny. Here�s a comic question for you: What do I do if some Controller sees Erek and realizes what he is?�

That wiped away some of my giddiness.

�Protect yourself,� I said. I met Erek�s frozen gaze. �You�re number one, Cassie. Push comes to shove, give up Erek.�

Do you remember Spencer's Gifts? Are they still around? They were always the store in the mall that had no good reason to be there but was anyway. Also, Erek is undervaluing himself there. He'd be priceless.

ETA: Apparently, Spencer's does still exist for some reason.

Chapter 4

quote:

I found a pay phone that wasn�t being used. I punched in Jake�s number and waited while it rang. Be home, I thought, chewing on my bottom lip.

Four. Five. Six.

�Hello?�

�Jake?� I blurted, clutching the receiver.

�No, this is Tom.�

I froze.

Tom, Jake�s older brother. My cousin.

A Controller.

And the last person I wanted to talk to. I had to be careful. Very careful.

�Hi, Tom,� I said casually. �It�s Rachel. Is Jake around?�

�Yeah. Hold on.� The receiver clunked down.

Hurry, I thought, glancing back at Spencer�s. A group of three girls was heading in.

�Hello?�

�Jake!� I shouted into the phone. �Where the � where are you?�

�Huh?� he said, sounding confused.

Okay, Rachel, careful now. Just in case anyone is listening.

�I can�t believe you forgot,� I said, lowering my voice but trying to sound annoyed. �You were supposed to meet me and Cassie at the mall a half hour ago. We�ve been waiting in front of Spencer�s for you.�

A heartbeat of silence.

�Oh, man, sorry,� Jake said, like he knew what I was talking about. �I was shooting hoops with Marco -�

�Good,� I interrupted. �Bring him along. We ran into Erek, but we still need help carrying our packages home. They�re very heavy. Very, very heavy.�

�Yeah, okay,� he said easily. �We�re on our way.�

�See ya!� I chirped cheerfully. I hung up. I forced a grin at some woman who was standing behind me waiting for the phone. I said, �Guys. Totally unreliable.�

I took a couple of deep breaths. Now for the rest of it.

My first stop, The Gap.

There was only one way we were gonna be able to get Erek out of the mall, and that was the way he�d come in.

Through the door, as a human.

I put my credit cards through some serious exercise and went rushing back to Spencer�s. I�d been gone for twenty minutes. I got back to find Cassie standing before a small group of kids and adults, including the Spencer�s clerk.

Cassie was lecturing them. She was also sweating and breathing hard. Cassie is not a �look-at-me� kind of person.

�Yes, it�s the latest thing from K-Tel. It�s the all-new Kitchen Droid. It slices. It dices. It can make Julie Ann�s fries.�

�You mean julienne fries?� a woman asked skeptically.

�Anyone�s fries,� Cassie said, her voice tinged with desperation. �This Kitchen Droid will even ask, �Do you want fries with that?��

�So why isn�t it doing all that stuff?� some kid asked.

�Yeah, turn it on,� another said.

I saw Cassie�s knees do a little wobble. She�s definitely not a public speaker.

�This is just a mock-up, right?� I said loudly.

�Yes!� Cassie cried, as if I�d just told her the secret to winning the lottery. �Yes! This is just a mock-up! This isn�t the actual Kitchen Droid! The actual thing won�t be available till � oh, around, like, um ��

�In six months,� I said.

The crowd dispersed. Cassie grabbed my arm and dug in her fingernails. �Where have you been? I�ve been sweating blood!�

�Shopping,� I said. And before Cassie could strangle me, I added, �For Erek. He needs clothes and a disguise.�

I started yanking a shirt and pants and underwear from the bags.

�Underwear?� Cassie shrilled. She held up a pair. �Tommy Hilfiger underwear? He�s an -� She looked around to make sure no one could hear. �He�s an android. He doesn�t need designer underwear.�

�Sorry. They don�t have a Wal-Mart at the mall,� I hissed.

�Uh, Rachel? He�s an android? Excuse me? He doesn�t even need pants, except as a disguise.�

�Oh. Point taken.� I looked at the briefs. �Maybe I�ll give them to Jake.�

�Excuse me?� Erek said. �Can we not discuss what -� He shut up suddenly.

�I just called my manager.�

The voice made me jump. I spun around. The clerk.

�I just called my manager,� he repeated. �He said there�s no such thing as a Kitchen Droid. He wants me to find out who you are and call mall security and -�

�Grrrooooahhh!!�

The clerk jumped approximately six inches straight up.

�Oh, look! It�s a guy in a gorilla suit,� I said, almost laughing as I spotted Jake and a huge, hairy gorilla - an actual gorilla, of course - swaggering into the store.

The gorilla - Marco in morph - was wearing a sandwich board sign. It was crudely done in Magic Marker. It was an advertisement for a movie: King Kong vs. Gudzilla.

Yes, Gudzilla.

�That�s a really realistic gorilla suit,� the clerk said suspiciously.

�Look out!� I yelled at the clerk. �That Lava lamp is about to fall on your head and knock you out!�

�Huh?� He looked up and Marco totally missed his cue.

�I said, it�s about to knock you out!� I repeated, glaring pointedly at Marco.

<Oh. Sorry,> Marco said in thought-speak. He reached out one canned-ham fist and gently tapped the clerk on the head. The clerk went down like a sack of wet cement.

�What�s going on?� Jake demanded, once we were sure the clerk was still breathing.

�It�s Erek. He�s frozen up,� I said. �I have clothes for him. Let�s dress him, fast! And get him outta here.�

�It�s like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz,� Cassie said, adjusting the poor clerk�s position so he�d be comfortable in his unconsciousness. �You know, all frozen up.�

�Let�s get clothes on him,� Jake snapped, taking charge.

It made me a little resentful. Also relieved.

�Marco, pick him up,� Jake said.

Marco grabbed Erek around the waist and, using his tremendous gorilla strength, shoved arms into sleeves.

<Underwear?> Marco said. <You bought him designer underwear? Excuse me, he�s an android!>

�We�ve gone through that, okay?� Erek said.

�How about his face? A mask?�

Jake ran to snatch up some full-head masks.

�I have Clinton, Gingrich, and a Teletubby. Dipsy, I think.�

�That�s not Dipsy,� Cassie corrected. �That�s Tinky Winky. Dipsy�s green and has the straight up thing. Tinky Winky�s the one with the triangle.�

<Who�s the little red one?> Marco wondered.

�Po,� Cassie said.

<Oh, yeah.>

�No offense,� Erek said, �but how on Earth have you people managed to avoid getting caught for this long?�

Meanwhile, as this slightly idiotic conversation was going on, I was dressing my first android. I had guessed right on every size.

�I am the goddess of shopping,� I said, feeling satisfied.

The clerk groaned.

�We need to hurry,� Jake said. �Pick a face: Gingrich or Clinton?�

A minute later a gorilla wearing a sandwich board sign for a misspelled movie carried a very trendily dressed Bill Clinton over his shoulder out of the mall.

Fortunately, there was a big sale on at the department store, so not that many people noticed. At least, that was my explanation then.

"How have you people managed to avoid getting caught for this long" is a really good question. And Erek's total sense of offended dignity is just pretty funny.

# ? Aug 12, 2021 04:55

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

I'm dying at the designer underwear

# ? Aug 12, 2021 05:08

OctaviusBeaver: Apr 30, 2009; Say what now?

The Howler one was the lost one I read as a kid too. I went back and read them all as an adult, but I have absolutely no memory of this one so maybe I missed it. I like it so far though.

# ? Aug 12, 2021 05:28

HIJK: Nov 25, 2012; in the room where you sleep

Ahh I remember this one being very entertaining.

# ? Aug 12, 2021 06:58

Bobulus: Jan 28, 2007

quote:

“Look,” she whispered. “It’s happening again!”

Erek flickered. His human-hologram blurred. Faded

I don't remember this happening before. Am I blanking on a detail from an earlier book, or is this a fill-the-reader-in-later situation?

# ? Aug 12, 2021 13:13

OctaviusBeaver: Apr 30, 2009; Say what now?

I think Marco saw his hologram flicker when he got hit by a bus in the book where he was introduced.

# ? Aug 12, 2021 14:12

Bibliotechno Music: Dec 30, 2008

I remember at some point his hologram malfunctioned in the mall when all 6 of them were there � they had to stand in a circle around him and prevent Ax from going through the trash for cigarette butts and Cinnabuns. I don�t know for sure what book though, that scene just stands out in my mind.

Loads of great 90s references in here! Teletubbies, Hanson, Clinton�and Spencer�s Gifts itself, where every teen (including Rachel with the price tag!) learns to shoplift or otherwise commit retail fraud.

# ? Aug 12, 2021 14:31

TheGreatEvilKing: Mar 28, 2016

"Sorry" he apologized is just such a clunker.

# ? Aug 12, 2021 20:53

freebooter: Jul 7, 2009

Epicurius posted:

Fortunately, there was a big sale on at the department store, so not that many people noticed. At least, that was my explanation then.

Oh yeah, I forgot there's a bit of Ellimist deus ex machina-ing again in this one. The sea was angry that day, my friends...

# ? Aug 13, 2021 00:01

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

New chapters coming tomorrow. Sorry, everyone.

# ? Aug 13, 2021 04:55

Terror Sweat: Mar 15, 2009

freebooter posted:

Oh yeah, I forgot there's a bit of Ellimist deus ex machina-ing again in this one. The sea was angry that day, my friends...

I thought that was the drode

# ? Aug 13, 2021 05:25

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Chapter 5

quote:

We caught a bus to Erek�s neighborhood and climbed down, feeling lucky.

Feeling way too lucky.

�Good thing there was nobody on that bus but us,� Jake said to me.

Marco was further ahead, loping down the sidewalk with Erek over his shoulder.

�Yeah.� I looked around the quiet, deserted street. �Good thing. What�re the odds of a gorilla carrying Bill Clinton going unnoticed? We walk out of the mall and no rent-a-cop tries to stop us? We take a bus and the driver barely notices? And we�re the only passengers? I mean, come on. How likely is that?�

�Not likely,� Cassie admitted.

�So Erek�s exposed for an android but now that he�s out of the mall, nobody�s around to notice,�

I said. �Weird.�

�Maybe it�s not,� Cassie said. �Maybe everybody�s just busy and we�re all just getting a little too paranoid, you know?�

Maybe, but I didn�t think so. My gut instincts were telling me that there was something else going on here.

See, I�ve learned not to trust coincidences.

�You know what?� Jake said grimly. �When Marco and I got to the mall, there were electricians� trucks all over the place. I heard one of the workers say something about all the surveillance cameras going dead. I didn�t worry about it then ��

What? No video record of anything that had happened, when the mall was probably crawling with Controllers? When a dressing room in The Gap was one of the main entrances to the Yeerk pool? Not a chance.

�Yeerks?� Jake wondered with a frown.

�Why expose Erek and then make sure there�s no proof?� I said.

�Are we being protected or set up?� Cassie asked.

�So is this some kind of, I don�t know, like some weird safe passage, or what?� Jake mused.

��Or what,�� I muttered.

<Would you mind speeding it up a little?> Marco called. <I�ve got about fifteen minutes left before I�m eating bananas and dragging my knuckles forever.>

�So basically no change from your usual self?� I called, then wished I hadn�t.

See, morphing is an incredible weapon. But it�s also a double-edged sword, because if you stay in a morph longer than two hours, you�re trapped there forever.

Like Tobias.

Thinking of Tobias brought back all the morning�s confusion.

Me, trying to be normal. Falling off the balance beam.

T. T., asking me out.

I was coming down off the adrenaline high. Normal emotions were resurfacing. Normal emotions like guilt. Guilt for even considering T. T.�s offer.

And as if he�d read my mind, Tobias swooped down and landed in a tree a few houses down on Erek�s front lawn.

<What�s going on?> he asked. <I just spotted you guys getting off the bus. Some reason why Marco�s giving Erek a piggyback ride?>

Jake moved within speaking range of Tobias. �Has anyone been following us?�

<No. You�re clean. Want to tell me what is going on here?>

<Erek seems to have missed his scheduled maintenance,> Marco explained. <He�s frozen up. I think it�s the transmission.>

�What if this is all a setup to find the Chee?� Cassie asked.

<Nobody�s been following you,> Tobias repeated. <Besides, why bother? If the Yeerks catch any one of us, they�ll get all the answers they need very quickly.>

He was right. If the Yeerks ever made a Controller of one of us, all our secrets would be out there.

�I don�t know,� Cassie said, shaking her head. �I think you were right, Rachel. There�s something weird about all this.�

And the minute Jake opened Erek�s front door and we stepped inside, I knew it was gonna get even weirder.

So there is kind of the "How do I balance my ordinary life with being an Animorph" here that you saw in the earlier books.

Chapter 6

quote:

Mr. King, Erek�s �father,� was sitting on the couch. He had a TV remote in one hand and a pretzel rod in the other.

He looked like any other father on any other lazy day.

Except that his human hologram was gone, so he was sitting there like some weird android parody of normalcy. And, of course, he was no more Erek�s father than I was. He was just another nearly eternal android playing a role.

�So it�s not just Erek,� I said.

�No,� Mr. King said, without moving. �All the Chee have been immobilized. Holographic emitters down. Motor centers down. Logic centers, speech synthesizers, and Chee-net all functioning normally.�

<Chee-net?> Marco asked.

�Inter-Chee communication,� Erek said. �We�ve had our own Internet since the days when your ancestors were still drawing pictograms on pyramid walls.�

<Yeah? Cool. AOL. Androids On-Line.>

�But why is this happening?� Jake said. �How?�

�We don�t know,� Mr. King said.

Marco placed Erek on the sofa and started to demorph. Within minutes, the gorilla had shrunk and its coarse, black hair had been sucked back into Marco�s human skin.

�You must have some idea what could do this. I thought you guys were indestructible,� Jake said.

He sounded a little annoyed. Which was okay. I was annoyed, too. We were used to the Chee being so in control, so capable. Plus, it just had not been a good morning so far.

�The ship,� Erek said.

�The ship?�

�The Pemalite ship.�

�The Pemalite ship?� Marco echoed. �What Pemalite ship?�

�The one we hid in a deep, ocean canyon thousands of years ago when we arrived on Earth,� Erek explained. �It should have been safe from intruders. The atmospheric pressure down there will crush a human to the size of a guinea pig.�

�Uh, how deep is that?� I said.

�Fifteen thousand feet,� Mr. King said.

Marco whistled. �Almost three miles down.�

We all looked at him, surprised.

�Hey,� he said, �I told you before, I don�t sleep through all my classes.�

�Our Chee-net connects through the ship�s onboard computer,� Mr. King said. �That would be the only way to disable our systems.�

<So, what? Somebody found the ship and activated the controls?> Tobias mused, perched on top of the TV and preening his right wing feathers. <That still doesn�t tell us who or why.>

�Or what they hope to get out of it,� I added.

�Or how to reverse it,� Jake said. �Is it even reversible?�

�Yes, that part would be simple. But reaching the computer would be a very dangerous undertaking,� Mr. King said.

�Being a paralyzed android isn�t exactly safe,� I pointed out. �Especially since someone obviously knows you�re here and vulnerable.�

�What about other Chee?� Cassie asked.

�All the same,� Erek said. �All have lost holograms and lost the capacity to move. Most are safe, out of sight. But two are presently at high risk. The first works as a janitor in a nuclear research facility. When his hologram failed, he locked himself in the safe the facility uses to store radioactive material.�

�At least that sounds secure,� Jake suggested.

�Only until the shift changes,� Mr. King said. �At ten o�clock each night, all areas of the facility are inspected before the night crew takes over. Whoever opens that safe is going to expose a highly advanced � and nonhuman � technology.�

�If the Yeerks get hold of our technology -� Erek began.

�Don�t even think it,� Marco muttered.

�Are we supposed to get into the nuclear plant?� I asked.

�No,� Mr. King said. �It�s maximum security. You wouldn�t be able to get the Chee out undetected.�

�What about the other Chee you said was in a bad situation?� Jake asked calmly. Jake always sounds calmest when he�s most worried.

�She�s in more immediate danger,� Mr. King said. �Her human name is Lourdes.�

�She�s been living the low-life,� Erek said. �She�s a homeless street person.�

�A what? Why?� Cassie demanded.

�We need access to all levels of society to track Yeerk activity,� Erek said. �And don�t feel too bad. You have to remember that we Chee live many lives. In her previous human guise, Lourdes was a movie actress. Very successful.�

�She�s been sleeping in an abandoned building. Abandoned except that half the building is being used to store stolen goods. It�s sort of run by a fence named Strake,� Mr. King continued. �We suspect he�s a Controller.�

�A Controller who fences stolen goods?� I asked, half-laughing.

�Yes,� Erek said. �It puts him in touch with a broad range of the criminal element.�

�Wow,� I said. �Not all glamour being an android, is it?�

�Tell me about it,� Erek said. �I�m passing as a junior high school kid.�

�Point taken. Where is this Lourdes person now?� I asked.

�She made it to a closet under the front stairs,� Mr. King said. �There�s a complication: We have information that the police are going to raid the place. The raid will occur in about twenty minutes and we�re certain there�s at least one human-Controller assigned to the SWAT team.�

�Twenty minutes!� I nearly shrieked.

�Time is short,� Mr. King said apologetically. �But you understand that we cannot ask you to help rescue this Chee. There is a high likelihood of your being hurt.�

�There�s a high likelihood of us getting hurt every minute of the day,� Marco said, exasperated.

�Where?� Jake demanded.

Erek gave us the address.

�Landmarks,� I said impatiently. �We�ll be flying in.�

�Tobias, get Ax and follow us,� Jake rapped. �Now!�

I snatched open the door and Tobias bolted.

�The abandoned house backs the railroad tracks. It�s brick, surrounded by condemned buildings and close to a junkyard,� Mr. King said. �Be careful. It�s a bad neighborhood.�

�Yeah, we�re real worried about being mugged,� I said with a laugh.

�So let me get this straight,� Marco said. �We have to rescue a paralyzed Chee from a stolen goods warehouse before the Controllers get her. Then we have to dive down to the bottom of the ocean, find the Pemalite ship, somehow get inside it and turn off the signal before ten o�clock tonight so the Yeerks don�t get the Chee in the safe at the nuclear waste facility. Is that pretty much it? Or do we have to discover the Fountain of Youth and come up with a low-fat cookie that tastes as good as Mrs. Fields�s, too?�

�Ticktock,� I said with a grin. �Ticktock.�

�You are mentally ill,� Marco said.

�There�s one more thing,� Erek said. �The Pemalite ship�s signal will have been picked up by orbiting Yeerk spacecraft. They may already be down there waiting for you.�

A few notes here. First, apparently Chee can eat, as we see that Mr. King got frozen when he was about to eat a pretzel stick. Second, �I�m passing as a junior high school kid.� is just funny. I'm feeling like Erek is getting a lot of really good lines here. Third, the Chee are so committed to pacifism, they can't even ask the Animorphs to rescue a fellow Chee because they MIGHT get hurt.

# ? Aug 14, 2021 03:53

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# ? May 25, 2024 02:13

Pwnstar: Dec 9, 2007; Who wants some waffles?

At this stage I have to imagine that the Chee just enjoy doing various human things for the fun of it, Lourdes was a movie star and unless she was trying to discover subversive communist sympathisers in Hollywood she was just having a good time and not undercover like the Chee are now. So I'm choosing to believe the android pretending to be Erek's dad just really loves mowing the lawn, grilling and other Hank Hill type dad activities.

# ? Aug 14, 2021 07:28

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > Let's Read Animorphs! The Whole Series! Ch-ch-ch-chaaanges

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