Summary:
Fanfiction ofanimorphwritten in 202You are a professional translator. Directly translate this text into English, without adding anything :3
This is the first draft of "My name is Thevenin".
Basically, it's a draft I wrote in two weeks after reading some fics by animorph girl that I found amazing, to the point of absolutely wanting to make my version.
After writing this draft, I reread the original books and modified this draft for 3-4 months until it became a completely different story which became "My name is Thevenin".
I am publishing it because over the course of rewrites, the first draft and the final product have nothing in common.
The first chapters of the two fanfics are similar, but very quickly the plot has nothing to do with each other. "My name is Thevenin" is a generally serious fanfic that mimics the tone of the books, whereas "The most human plankton"n of the universe" has a humorous tone that is very similar to that of my Harry Potter fanfic.
LYou are a professional translator. Directly translate this text into English, without adding anything.The first chapter of 'The Most Human Plankton in the Universe' contains a near-translation of a passage fromand thisstory of animorphgirlThe-Swap while "My name is Thevenin" is 100% original.
OC characters like Timmy or Jera456 are completely absent from "the most human plankton in the universe".
In short, they are completely different. To the point that I thought it would be a good idea to publish both.
Shattered. That was the word that best described the state of my new host.
When I was told that I was going to leave my Hork-Bajir host for a human, I was all excited. I was finally going to be able to see something other than this cave and hear something other than the screams of humans locked in cages mixed with those of my own host.
I hadn't admitted it to anyone, but I couldn't stand hearing my host's cries of pain all day long. Then seeing his nightmares during the night. Even at night, a Yeerk cannot disconnect from its host and stop seeing its thoughts. And the risk of being accused of sympathy and executed without trial by Visser-3 was too great for me to ease my conscience with other Yeerks. Worse, to justify why my host's resistance hadn't been broken, I had found nothing better than to say that I enjoyed hearing him scream. As a result, I now had a reputation as a sadistic Yeerk. Yet it was quite the opposite. I tried to be as kind as possible with my Hork-Bajir. But no matter what I said or did, he continued to scream for his freedom. I had concluded that the Hork-Bajir were a species too stupid for it to beImpossible to negotiate with them. My host was simply unable to understand the situation and accept my presence. The only thing that had worked was torturing him, but I felt so guilty that I was almost relieved to hear him scream again, and I never did it again.
There must have been something abnormal about me. Normally, disciplining one's host was something natural and there was no reason to feel guilty about it. Some of my former teachers even said that a discipline session once a week was beneficial for the host and that one should not hesitate to apply it even if they had been obedient. But I couldn't do it.
With this new host, I hoped that everything would change. With my reputation, they would surely assign me an unwilling host (and even very unwilling). But I had been told that humans were much more intelligent than the Hork-Bajir. If that was true, then there might be a chance to reason with him and convince him to cooperate. I was ready to do anything for that. I had decided to do everything to please my future host and gain his cooperation. Even if it put me at risk of being accused of sympathy (but not too much, though).
It was therefore with enthusiasm that once the big day arrived, I entered through Tom's ear and connected to his brain in order to take control of his body and start viewing all of his memories. I specify 'start' because I had to stop quickly.
Already, because my host had regained his senses and was beginning to protest (I did not yet understand the concept of privacy at that time and found this request strange). But mostly because the memories were horrible. A memory was not only made up of images and sound, but of all the sensations that its owner had experienced at that moment, including their feelings. I could then feel the pain that Tom had felt since his infestation. Yet, Temrash114's behavior was not particularly sadistic. As one might expect from a Yeerk of such high rank, he had treated his host by complying as much as possible with the empire's recommendations. Was it this human who was particularly sensitive, or did all hosts feel that way? And in any case, how had Temrash114 managed to endure his human's suffering? Once again, I told myself that I must not be normal and felt a sense of shame. But I had tried long enough to know that I would not be able to change. All I could do was hide my flaw from the other Yeerks and try to find a place where, despite everything, I could live happily and serve the empire.
For the first time (of a long series), I broke the rules of the empire and stopped my exploration of Tom's memory (much to his surprise). I signaled to the guards that I had control and then got out of the pool. I was then astounded by the beauty of the surface. For a while, all my worries vanished, and I spent at least an hour looking at, touching, and smelling everything I found. This planet was truly magnificent, and human senses so, so, (..) there were no words to describe how incredible they were. But I had to interrupt my reverie when I heard a human asking if I was feeling unwell. Apparently staring for 5 minutes at a crushed cigarette butt on the ground was considered abnormal by humans. I didn't know what this object was for, but the colors were so beautiful (it should be noted that I was simultaneously discovering the concept of color).
I assured him no and pulled myself together. I had to follow my host's routine and pass myself off as him. But I then realized that, having failed to view all of his memories (especially the most recent ones), I didn't know what I was supposed to do. And also that my host had remained strangely silent since we left the Yeerk pool.
Tom, what should I do?
"Leave my body and go die in hell you degenerate slug," replied Tom's voice almost sobbing.
To my great surprise, I felt relief upon hearing this string of insults. I was afraid that my host had been completely broken by Temrash114. I don't know why that scared me. After all, a broken host would have been ideal. It would have guaranteed me some peace. So absorbed by my discovery of this fabulous world, I hadn't paid attention to my host's feelings and thoughts, but now, as I returned to myself, they overwhelmed me: fear, shame, pain, disgust, hatred, and above all, not the slightest ounce of hope. My own hopes of convincing him to become willing melted away like snow in the sun.
oOoOoOoOo
I had to stop losing myself in my past and dwelling on my disappointed hopes. In the end, a month had passed and things hadn't gone so badly. Even if he would probably never become a volunteer, my new host satisfied me. Well, that was until last weekend. A few days earlier, a fire caused by the Andalite bandits had led to the death of Tom's former Yeerk. We had just returned from feeding where I learned the news while talking with other Yeerks.
When I announced the news to Tom, I had the pleasure of feeling joy from my host for the first time. But I barely had time to savor this moment before it was quickly replaced by panic and pleas from him. I then took my gentlest approach to say to him mentally:
It will be okay, Tom, I'm not angry. I understand that you are relieved after everything he did to you. And I promised you never to torture you. To further calm him, I gave him a mental hug (a secretion of endorphins, various other hormones, and brain signals that we could secrete to induce a feeling of comfort in our host). He pushed me away every time, but being in his mind, he couldn't hide from me that he appreciated them.
(Yes, I know)
(But you still don't believe me). It wasn't a question, but a statement.
Like every evening after each of my feedings, I took a ball and quietly left his house to head to the nearest basketball court. Once I made sure it was completely deserted, I passed the ball to Tom.
Ouch! That hurts. Exclaimed Tom while still displaying a huge smile as he regained control of his body.
(It’s your fault, if you didn’t resist so much the Hork-Bajir guards wouldn’t harm you)
Well yes, it's my fault if they hit us to make us go faster. He said with annoyance as he began trying to shoot baskets and dribble against an imaginary enemy.
(speak in your head, someone might hear you) I said panicked. (If another human-controller passes by and discovers that I am giving you control, I would be lucky if I suffer a quick death)
Sorry
(It’s not serious, you know if you stopped fighting the infestation, I could make them believe that you became voluntary and you would be treated better.)
I know and I'm really trying. But every time he takes me in front of the pool, I, I...
(That's fine, I understand. It's not a problem, we'll go at your pace) I replied, giving them a mental hug and assessing their performance.
A few days after his infestation, I was looking for a way to cheer him up (and incidentally to convince him to trust me at least a little). I resolved to search his memories during his sleep (without his permission). The advantage of doing it while he was sleeping was that he wouldn't be able to notice. I then stumbled upon the memory of the day Temrash had decided that Tom should leave his basketball team so he could devote more time to our discreet invasion of Earth. Apparently, before his infestation, basketball was his whole life and he was expected to play in the NBA. That gave me an idea.
The following evening, without telling him anything, I took him to the nearest field and surprised him by giving him control. For the first time, I knew what it felt like to receive gratitude from one's host. But as soon as he tried to dribble, the ball slipped from his hands and he fell to the ground trying to catch it. I tried to reassure him by saying that it was temporary. That it had been so long since he had control of his body that it was normal for him to need some time to adapt. But an hour later, he missed a basket he would have previously made with his eyes closed and collapsed to the ground in tears.
In just 3 weeks, he had made a lot of progress, but he probably could never be part of a professional team again. Nevertheless, now that he had accepted it, he was looking forward to the next time he could play. Once he was exhausted, I convinced him to let me take control again and sang him a Yeerk lullaby to put him to sleep. I returned home with my host asleep (retreating into his mind) convinced that that night, he wouldn't inflict his nightmares on me and I could think in peace. But after a few hours, Tom was awakened by screams coming from his little brother Jack's room.
Without even thinking, he got up and immediately went to see what was happening. I didn't like letting him move around inside the house without my control, but for once, I let him do it.
Every time I interacted on his behalf with his family members, he resented me greatly, and to be honest, I didn't enjoy the exercise much. It's not that I didn't like them. On the contrary, by spending time with them and viewing Tom's memories, I began to grow attached to them, but it was so unpleasant to talk to a human whose thoughts you couldn't read.
However, I could not let him interact as much as he wanted with his family. He had become so different from who he was before his infestation.that we would have been quickly noticed. His relatives would have immediately realized that something was wrong, talked about it with others, and a Human controller would have quickly been informed.
Once in the room, he stared at his little brother who was thrashing around in his sleep, screaming:
No! Get out of my body!
Tom approached him and grabbed him by the shoulder to try to wake him up. Immediately, he jumped out of his bed and his face turned towards Tom. As soon as he saw him, his face filled with fear. Faced with this look, Tom instinctively stepped back and raised his hands.
Calm down, dwarf. It's just me, Tom. You are safe.
What are you doing in my room? Jack vociferated with a look full of hatred towards him.
I could feel that it upset Tom. I saw in his memories that before his infestation, Tom and he were very close. But after Jack firmly refused to join the sharing (much to Tom's relief), Temrash had decided to neglect him and only do the bare minimum so he wouldn't suspect anything. Thus, they had drifted apart significantly. At the time, Tom was so lost in the personal hell his life had become that he barely noticed it. But when I allowed him to interact with his brother and he was pushed away, he was depressed for the rest of the day. I then had to take full control again (despite his protests) to avoid taking any risks. But Jack had never looked at him with hatred. It seemed like Jack hated him from the depths of his being.
Uh, you were having a nightmare so I wanted to help you. Is everything okay?
Everything is fine now, so get out of my room.
(Go back to bed Tom, the Grouchy Smurf will be calmer tomorrow morning). I asked him, but he ignored me.
You know, I'm here if you want to talk to me. You can tell me anything. You screamed 'get out of my body.' What did you dream about?
All of a sudden, I was interested myself. I was so focused on what Tom was doing and on being ready to take back control at any moment that I hadn't really thought about what Jack was saying. I shivered at what it could mean and the implications it would have. But I made no comment and simply observed Jack through Tom's eyes. On Jack's face, hatred had been briefly replaced by deep fear.
To nothing. You must have misheard. I was dreaming that I was drowning. I must have shouted get out of the port. Now, get out.
Ok, I'm leaving. Calm down. Good night, dwarf. I'm here if you need me. Even if I'm asleep, you can wake me up.
Tom decided to lie back down on his bed, but he did not fall asleep. He was furious.
Thévenin, can you explain to me, what is this mess? Why is my brother dreaming that he's infested by a Yeerk?
I have no idea. And for all we know, he told us the truth. He might have just dreamed of ...
He interrupted me:
(Replay the memory now)
Are you sure? It might not be a good idea.
(Do it!)
I should probably have been outraged that he dared to give me orders, but I complied without a word. We replayed the memory and it was clear that Jack had lied to us. The more I reviewed the memory, the clearer it was to me that my worst-case scenario had come true.
What did you do to him? You took advantage of my sleep to hurt him, bastard. To think I was starting to trust you.
(What? Tom, I swear I didn't do anything to him. You have to believe me. What interest would I have in doing that?)
(I don't know another of your sadistic pleasures. And then you never liked my brother)
I don't hate him. And even if that were the case, I know how much you care about him. I would never do anything to harm him. And then you heard like me, he dreamed that something entered his body, how could I have done that without leaving your head?
(Do you think another Yeerk has infested him?) he said, feeling dread.
(No, I would know if that were the case. Not to mention that if he had a Yeerk in his head, it would have stopped him from screaming. He is free and aware of the invasion. Aware of us).
NO! He screamed as he understood the implications.
I regained full control so that he wouldn't wake his parents or his brother.
Calm down, Tom. It's not that terrible. If I take care of his infestation, I can make sure he gets a decent Yeerk. One of those who stay at the bottom of the ladder because they are too gentle with their hosts.
(No, maybe we misunderstood. He might have just secretly watched Alien and was dreaming that a xenomorph was laying eggs in his mouth.)
Tom, you know the rules as well as I do. Even if there is still a doubt, I must organize its infestation to ensure that the invasion remains secret. If it is discovered that I have...
I beg you, don't do that. I will do whatever you want, but please not that.
It was pointless to reason with him any further. I decided to forcibly put him to sleep (this was something we were only supposed to do very rarely to avoid damaging our host) and to remain alone to think. But very quickly, I was besieged by nightmares where, because of him, his family was infested then tortured before becoming one of those empty shells we increasingly encountered in the line at the pool. This irritated me greatly. So he couldn't leave me alone, even for a moment. Since I couldn't think about it calmly anyway, I might as well postpone the decision. And he was right. Maybe we were worrying for nothing.
But during the rest of the week, Jack began to make discreet hints that seemed intended to give Tom hope of being freed. Moreover, while observing him, I noticed that he was extremely stressed. Far too much for a human teenager. To the point where I wondered how it was possible that he didn't fall ill.
I could no longer ignore the problem. The more time passed, the more likely it became that Jack would try something stupid to free his brother or warn the other humans. If that happened, the whole family would be forcibly infested (and there was little chance it would be by gentle Yeerks). And at best, I would be reassigned to a Hork-Bajir for incompetence (I dread to imagine what would happen if the case was deemed serious enough for Visser-3 to personally handle choosing my punishment). As unpleasant as it was going to be, I had made my decision. I just had to decide how I was going to go about it.
During the rest of the week, I planned my move as much as possible to leave nothing to chance. When I learned that Jack's parents would be away all Saturday afternoon, I decided that would be the time to act and adjusted my meal days so I could go to the pool on Saturday morning. That way, if something went wrong, I would have time to find a solution before having to return to feed at the Yeerk pool. Tom fought harder than ever before against the guards. Both to try to escape (to warn his brother) and to make me suffer from his injuries when I would regain possession of his body. And even now, even though he knew it was hopeless, he fought with all his strength to regain control.
This is how I found myself full of apprehension entering the kitchen, trying to ignore Tom's screams and the numerous injuries the Hork-Bajir guards had inflicted on him that morning. Jack was there doing his homework. Alone and completely vulnerable. I would have no trouble controlling him with Tom's body (even if he hadn't practiced in a long time, it was still the body of an exceptionally large athlete).
I say in a voice hoarse from the cries that Tom had made for two hours in the cage:
Hi Jack.
Hi Tom, he replied, looking at me as if I were a particularly disgusting stain on his shoes.
Can you come to my room, please?
Why? He said suspiciously.
I have to show you something.
I am busy, I have to do my homework.
Go on, dwarf. You're not going to tell me that you're going to spend your Saturday doing your homework. That's not like you. What are you hiding from me? I said as I approached him, but he stepped back.
Okay, I'm following you. He finally said with visible regret.
I headed towards Tom's room, but despite his words, Jack remained seated.
Come on, are you coming?
Yes, it's fine, I'm coming. Replied the Grouchy Smurf in a drawling voice.
Finally, he got up and followed me. Very slowly, but he followed me. Tom's screams intensified, I told him as gently as possible.
(Courage. Soon, it will all be over) I paid no attention to her response, suspecting that it contained nothing pleasant towards me.
Once he finally entered Tom's room (the path was short, but it felt like it took him hours to get there) I took a breath before starting and then took a few seconds to observe him. He looked around anxiously as if he expected a monster to jump out at any moment. Poor kid. I looked once more at the memories Tom had of Jack. How at 6 years old, he came to ask his big brother to check under his bed for monsters after secretly watching a horror movie without his parents knowing. An afternoon they spent playing video games together. They looked so happy back then. They loved each other so much. More than any Yeerk had ever loved me. The silence dragged on.
Well, what did you want to tell me? he asked after a moment.
I'm playing. Listen, don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you. Don't run away, okay. You see, I sit down and put my hands on my head. Even if I wanted to hurt you, you would have plenty of time to run away.I said, full of apprehension, telling myself that I was making the biggest mistake of my life.
He remained silent and for once, I had trouble reading his emotions on his face. I continued.
I know that you are aware.
Aware of what?
I had a doubt.
Do you know what a Yeerk is?
His expression at that moment taught me that I was not mistaken.
What is a new rock band?Well listen, I'm fed up with your riddles. I'm leaving.
Stay here! If I had wanted to, your head would have been plunged into the pool a long time ago.
"liar," Tom told me, half laughing. Powerful waves of relief emanated from him.
But I can still change my mind. I say this for both Tom and Jack.
You want to talk? Free my brother, bastard, and then maybe I'll take the time to listen to you before crushing you.
"(That's a lion your brother) I commented, then I let Tom take control."
It took him a few seconds to realize he was in control, then he rushed towards his brother to try to hug him, but he dodged and started running towards the stairs.
(Course, what are you waiting for. We need to catch him. Imagine if he tries to talk about it to the police. It's full of inspectors. But what was I thinking to do that)
Wait, it's me, Tom.
He stopped short in front of the house door.
You think I'm going to believe you, you filthy slug.
What can I do to make you believe me?
Get out of my brother.
But it's me your bro(...).
I didn't let Tom finish his sentence and took back control. I thought Tom would know what to say to make him obedient (and incidentally, I hoped he would be grateful enough to forgive me for considering handing over his brother) but obviously, that wasn't the case. It was absolutely necessary to convince him to stay at home.
It's me Thévenin 7-8-9. Your brother's Yeerk. I agree to leave his head.
He stopped.
Really?
(Really?)
Stop talking at the same time, both of you.
Aren't you a little crazy? I mean, even by Yeerk standards. The runt dared, but I couldn't disagree with him. You had to be crazy to even consider for 5 seconds getting out of the head of your unwilling host.
(If you do it, I promise to return it to you after an hour. Two maximum)
(Tom, I know you will never voluntarily let me back into your mind) I replied
I swear to you that I mean it, I am sincere. Anyway, if I don't do it, the other Yeerks will realize in 3 days and my whole family will be infested.
(Yes, you are sincere, I conceded. But without wanting to offend you, I don't think you'll be able to do that. It's much too soon.)
Hey! Thévenin. How are you?
I am talking to your brother. And incidentally, I am thinking. Let's go back up.
Without waiting for a response, I returned to Tom's room. I saw Jack follow me with even more reluctance than the first time. He must have been convinced it was a trap, but he had to be ready to try anything to free his brother. Outwardly, I displayed an Olympian calm. But inwardly, I was in a complete panic. I had managed to prevent him from escaping, but at what cost. How to convince him to cooperate? Maybe I should just go back to my initial plan? After all, the infestation was probably not as horrible as Tom said for the hosts. In any case, that's what all the empire's courses said. Tom must have just been an exception. Like me, he was probably far too sensitive and weak. I tried to buy some time.
How did you find out?
I don't see why I would answer you. You said you would release him and I won't forget it.
Bravo bro. You have no chance Thévenin. When he has an idea in mind, it's impossible to make him change his mind.
If you want me to do it, I'm going to need to trust you at least a little. I would like a bit more guarantee than: "If you free my brother, maybe I won't crush you."
I will PROBABLY not crush you.
It's better, but I'm still not convinced. I continued in a more serious tone: you know today's Tom is very different from the one you knew. You probably don't know, but I only acquired Tom very recently. Before, he belonged to another Yeerk.
It’s not an object, it’s a person. It doesn’t belong to you. And it would be much better if you left it alone.
Yes, okay, if you want. I said, not very convinced. But even if I wanted to, I couldn't free him. I'm willing to consider getting out of his head for a few hours in private, but after that, you'll have to put me back in.
He said nothing, but I had no trouble guessing that he didn't consider for a moment allowing me to reinfect, Tom. I continued.
What exactly do you know? Do you know that there are other Yeerks and what they will do to us if they realize what you know? Or if I freed Tom? How do you plan to hide it from them once I'm no longer here?
I saw him hesitate.
I had thought about making people believe that Tom was dead. To stage a car accident and ask others (..). He immediately stopped.
The others, what others? I exclaimed.
If he had already talked about it to other people... Unless it was they who had taught him about the existence of the Yeerk. Maybe there was a whole group of human resistance forming in the shadows to fight the invasion. They had to be made to understand immediately that it was completely futile before they got captured. And I had to report them. Letting a human be free was one thing, but indirectly participating in a rebellion against the empire was another. I was not a traitor.
We are thousands and we are going to kick your ass. He said aggressively.
Whew. So they are only a handful. No doubt other children like him. That reassures me. They are harmless.
Listen, I understand that you told your friends, but it was really a very bad idea. This is not a game. They must not repeat it to anyone. I assume you only told Marco and Rachelle. Are they still your closest friends? They need to be very careful. There are controllers everywhere. For example, the deputy principal of your school is a controller. I revealed it in the hope of gaining his trust.
No, they are not aware at all. He said, panicked. Far too much for me to believe him. I ignored him and continued.
And your plan has no chance of working. At the slightest doubt, the procedure is to forcibly infest the entire family. And then, they will immediately see in your memories where Tom is hiding. And you will never manage to convince your parents that the invasion is real and that they need to flee. And anyway, Tom would have nowhere to hide. We are everywhere. He would inevitably end up meeting another Yeerk and getting recaptured. No host has ever managed to escape the empire.
That's what you say.
Listen, if there were an alternative that didn't put me in too much danger, I promise you I would release Tom (what was I thinking saying that). But for now, there is no other choice. And I promise you that I treat Tom well. You can ask him yourself.
I opened the nightstand drawer. Pushed the handcuffs and the GHB into a corner hoping he wouldn't notice them and took a water bottle. Although on second thought. I took them and threw them in Jack's direction.
Here, you might need it.
What?
As I told you, Tom has changed a lot. He was greatly damaged by his first Yeerk. The first time I gave control to Tom he (...)
(DON'T TELL HIM!)
(Why? If you attempt suicide again, he needs to be able to stop you.)
Things have changed. I no longer have any desire to do that. Look into my mind.
(You didn't want it either before I gave you control. It hit you suddenly when you saw an opportunity.)
Do you think I would do that in front of my little brother?
The argument was convincing, but I wasn't completely convinced.
(Please)
Okay
In short, GHB will help him/her cope with the re-infestation.
He was wringing his hands hesitantly, but finally said while I was trying to muster the courage to take the plunge.
How come you have that in your room?
Ask Tom, I don't understand anything about human sexual preferences.
He dropped the handcuffs in disgust and I left Tom's brain amid his insults, laughing (yes, Yeerks can laugh).
I fell into the gourd that I had pressed against Tom's ear. There, it was done. All I had to do was wait and hope that Tom would keep his promise and that his brother would be reasonable.
oOoOoOoOo
After two hours, I began to worry. After three hours, I was in total panic. And by the fourth hour, I was resigned to dying of hunger.in this gourd. But finally, I felt the gourd move and I saw that it was now stuck against an ear. I rushed over and found that it was indeed Tom.
Finally, what took you so long? I was panicked.
(Sorry)
"Is that all you have to say?" I replied aggressively.
What else do you want me to say? And at least this way, you know what it's like to be at someone else's mercy.
(Me, I am a Yeerk)
(And then)
I gave up trying to make him understand that the Yeerk were a superior race and that it was not natural to reverse the roles like that.
I tried to move Tom's body, but I couldn't. I then noticed that he was handcuffed to the heating pipe and that Jack was holding the canteen pressed against my ear.
It's okay, I have control. You can release me.
He looked at me with disgust.
I'm not sure I want to.
But he nevertheless untied me. Once I was on my feet, I began to search Tom's memory to find out what had happened during my absence.
(Please, don't look. It's private.)
(I need to know what happened. How could I know if he won't get us into trouble otherwise)
(If it won't get you into trouble, you mean?)
He was much more aggressive towards me than before. Was it because I had planned to deliver his brother or because of what Jack had told him during my absence? I was even more determined to view his memories, but I replied to him:
I am not your enemy, Tom. Okay, I won't look at them.
(And don't look either while I'm sleeping)
(How do you know? I mean, you can't realize it anyway. What you don't know can't hurt you?)
So Jack was right. How many times have you lied to me to manipulate me and make me your obedient little dog?
(It was necessary, Tom. I knew you would suffer if you knew, but I needed his information. I didn't want to hurt you.)
(It is not enough to have good intentions for it to be right. How do you expect me to trust you after that?)
(Sorry. I promise that from now on if I have to see one of your memories, I will do it when you are conscious. Or if it's painful, I will ask for your permission to do it at night.)
Why should I believe you?
I had nothing to say to that.
I heard their parents come home. They had undoubtedly handed me over only because they were about to return. Considering how Tom welcomed me, I should probably consider myself lucky that he didn't throw me in the toilet. I went downstairs and, to Tom's great dismay, I played his own role in front of his parents better than he could now. I felt his burning desire to take control. Apparently, his few hours of autonomy, far from satisfying him, had only intensified his desire for freedom (and his resentment towards me). To think that before this story, he had started to appreciate me and trust me.
During the meal, we had gotten into the habit of exchanging a few words, and I often repeated what he wanted to say, but now he flatly refused to speak to me. And he flatly rejected my attempts to give him a mental hug. Good God, what ingratitude. After all I had done for him. But despite all the bitterness his attitude inspired in me, I missed him. I wanted us to put this horrible week aside and regain our closeness. He is the only person who truly appreciated me.
Tom, now that your brother is aware, there's no need to hide your nightmares from him anymore. I could sleep outside your head, and in the morning, he will put me back inside you. That way, you'll be sure I'm not reading your memories without your consent.
And I don't say it, so as not to upset him, but sleeping separately would also be a real delight for me. He responded with enthusiasm.
(Really? Thank you very much. Jack will no doubt say that I shouldn't thank you for giving me the right to use my own body, but I suspect it must not be easy for you)
Don't thank me. It's just a way to get back at Grouchy Smurf. Now, he's the one who will be woken up several times a week.
Jack sneezed.
Hello sir, you don't seem to be doing very well. Can I help you?
Not unless you are able to resurrect the dead. He replied aggressively.
Unfortunately, I can't do that, but if you have lost a loved one, you should become a member of the sharing group. Many people say it has helped them a lot to heal.
I don't think one can recover from that. Sorry for being so abrupt. He replied more gently.
It's not serious. May I know exactly who you lost?
He began to sob.
My wife and my daughter. They died last week in a car accident. Because of me. Since then, I feel like I am dead too. I don't even know what I am doing here at this meeting.
I give him a big smile:
Well, you are lucky. At the sharing, we will help you move on. Besides, I saw that you have already started to forget. It's good that you are trying to date someone else so soon after. Well, I say that, but I have never killed anyone, so I don't know when it is reasonable to date again. But given your age, it's better that you avoid wasting time.
To my utmost bewilderment, he punched me and then left the room at a run. All conversations stopped, and as soon as the rumor of what had happened reached them, the guests gave me intense looks of disdain. I noted that the most disapproving looks were from the controllers. What had I said wrong?
Thevenin, I agree with you that we must do everything to dissuade people from becoming members. But if you don't show more discretion, we're going to get killed.
How dare he mock me? Besides, it's his fault that I have such a hard time addressing other humans. If he let me access all his memories at any time, I would be as good as any Yeerk. What does he think, that we mess with their brains to make our host suffer? Well, okay, some Yeerks do it to make their hosts suffer. Well, actually, a lot of Yeerks. But normally, it's just to know how a human behaves. My anger must have been so strong that he had to feel it, because he added with fear:
No, but I wasn't saying that to criticize you. You're doing very well. It was just advice.
Wait, but he wasn't making fun of me at all. He was completely serious. But at that moment, I needed to vent on someone.
(Tom, for the last time, I'm not going to hurt you. What do I have to do to earn a little of your trust? I said, raising my voice against him for the first time. Immediately, I regretted it.)
(It's easy for you to say. I am completely at your mercy. He said defiantly.)
I resumed more gently
Every night, I am completely at your mercy.
(It’s not the same. If I do anything to you, I can be sure that my family will be completely infested and I’m sure to be assigned to the cruelest Yeerk in the pool. And then you, you can read my mind. You know in advance if I plan to betray you.)
(It is not entirely pleasant to entrust your life to someone who dreams of killing you)
(I don't wish to kill you)
I doubt that your dreams have evolved much since we started sleeping in separate rooms.
(But that doesn't mean anything. It's not what you think. Yes, I wish I didn't have you in my head anymore, but I really appreciate you.)
(Tom, in view of your infestation, I have had advanced courses on your species. Among you, it is not uncommon for the male to kill the female he loves. The fact that you love me is not particularly reassuring)
(Not in that way. I meant that I consider you a friend.)
(A traitor is always a friend)
In the face of his stunned silence, I explained:
(This is the moral of a very famous children's story Yeerk)
A few months later at the headquarters of the human resistance against the Yeerk invasion (Well actually, it's just Cassie's barn, but it sounds less cool that way)
Illim, do you know a Yeerk named Thévenin 7-8-9? Jack asked.
By reputation only. He obtained the lowest scores in history on all his aptitude tests. Despite this, Visser-3 decided to grant him a host because he is a fanatic who never questions the principles of the empire. I remember it because many higher-ranked Yeerks complained about this decision. But above all, he is probably the most sadistic Yeerk present on Earth. Moreover, now that I think about it, maybe that's why Visser-3I pity the poor human who was assigned to him. He must be suffering terribly.
He is not that sadistic.
Not so sadistic. He loves making humans suffer so much that he took the risk that my host would never be infected just for the pleasure of mocking the death of his wife and daughter. And then how could you know?
It's my brother's Yeerk. I would like you to recruit him.
Jack had spoken calmly, but something in the tone made him understand that it was an order and that he should not argue. As usual, Jack never formally ordered, but everyone had to comply with his decisions.
oOoOoOoOo
A few days later, as Thévenin had just finished feeding and regained control of Tom.
(So?) asked Tom
(So what?)
(Did nothing happen in the Yeerk pool?)
(Since when are you interested in what I do in the pool?) I asked, surprised.
(This is undoubtedly more interesting than what is happening in the cages). He said bitterly.
(I am sorry. I tried to complain so that you would have better treatment, but they just laughed in my face). I consoled him by giving him a slight mental hug.
I know. I don't blame you, so nothing unusual happened?
Non
(Are you sure?)
Now that you mention it, I didn't pay attention at the time, but a Yeerk I didn't know tried to talk to me. What was his name again? Ah yes, Illite.
(And what did he tell you) Tom asked with an excitement I didn't understand.
Nothing special. He just asked me if I didn't think it would be good for all the hosts to be volunteers.
(And what did you reply?)
(Just what we are taught at school)
(That is to say?)
I hesitated before answering, knowing that Tom was not going to appreciate it. But after all, he was the one who insisted.
(If the hosts are not willing, it is because they are too stupid to understand the opportunity they have. Our duty as Yeerk is to train them by any means necessary to bring the benefits of Yeerk civilization to their primitive species.)
Recalling this moment gave me an idea that I submitted to Tom:
Do you think it was a test from my superiors to check my loyalty? If that's the case, I might have to report him for sympathy. What do you think?
A long silence followed. A mental silence. It's 10 times more awkward than a normal silence.
Thevenin, I like you. But sometimes, I just want to slap you.
oOoOoOo
No means no, Tom.
(However, you said that if you had the choice, you would give me back my freedom. Even at the risk of your life)
(Yes, and I still think so). It would have been more accurate to say 'now, I think so.' But Tom didn't need to know that.
(But what?)
But there is a difference between freeing a hostage and joining a terrorist group. I am not a traitor Tom.
They are not terrorists. How the hell do you expect a group called 'movement for peace' to be made up of terrorists?
(That's what Visser-3 claims) I told him, thinking that this conclusive argument would definitively close the debate.
I don't give a damn about Visser-3. Can't you see that guy is a psychopath? How many times has he threatened to kill you?
He was just in a bad mood that day. It happens to everyone. And he has a lot of responsibilities. In the end, despite my flaws, he has always supported me. It's thanks to him that I was able to have a host. And besides, a Visser cannot be a psychopath. If he was appointed to this position, it must be because he is far superior to me. I am not intelligent enough to understand the reasons for his decisions. And a fortiori, it applies to you.
(What does that mean?) he asked angrily.
I noted with satisfaction that he now trusted me enough to be unpleasant with me without fearing a punishment session (Before, every time he did it, his fear was palpable).
Don't get angry, Tom. It's just that you belong to a primitive species. You don't even master space travel and you let your own die of hunger and cold in the street while you have monstrous stocks of food right next door and tons of completely empty heated buildings. I admit that the Yeerk are not perfect, but we are superior to you in every way.
All that nonsense you're saying, is it just to keep up appearances in front of the other Yeerks? Do you really believe it? Do you really think you're a superior being? Superior to me?
Me, it's not the same, I'm a backward Yeerk. I'm already lucky that the empire hasn't eliminated me to purify the species.
Thévenin. You're not an idiot. Damn, I'm sure you're better than 99% of the Yeerk. Just, couldn't you think for yourself from time to time?
Thank you, but I know I'm a fool. And thinking is already betraying.
In front of his astonishment, I added:
"To think is already to betray" is the title of the book that the sergeants in charge of educating my litter read to us to put us to sleep when I was little. It sounds austere, but it's a great book filled with good life precepts. Your species should take inspiration from it. If you want, I can try to quote some passages from memory.
"It's okay, it's fine. I believe you," he said quickly, but I could see that he didn't mean a word of it. In fact, I didn't understand the cause of the emotions he was feeling at that moment. Was it pity? I didn't dare probe further for fear that he would accuse me again of violating his privacy. Was it my fault if I heard all his thoughts and felt all his emotions?
Listen Tom, I promise not to report IIlim. But don't ask me for more.
It had been a long time since Tom had been that horrible to me. But I didn't need his comments to feel bad. A few days earlier, Visser-3 had joyfully announced to us that there was no longer any need for the invasion to be secret. That from now on, there were enough of us and we were well infiltrated among the ruling human elites to be able to act openly.
Following this speech, I was assigned to monitor the entrances of the station where the other Yeerks forced entire families into trains that would take them to a giant infestation platform that had been created in the heart of the city. People had been woken up in the dead of night and dragged forcefully to the cars. My role was as simple as it was boring. Stay positioned at the entrance and be ready to shoot if this Andalite commando, which had been sabotaging our operations for over two years, tried to attack us.
Overnight, my life had returned to what it was before Tom became my property. My days were henceforth punctuated by the cries and sobs of humans who did not understand what was happening to them, except that if they boarded those trains, they would probably never return home. Needless to say, Tom was not thrilled to see that I was cooperating. To his utmost horror, I was forced to permanently deprive him of all control over his body, and he had to passively watch the events from the depths of his mind.
In any case, we were now permanently surrounded by other Yeerks, so even if he had been more cooperative, I wouldn't have been able to give him control or leave his body as we had gotten used to doing. Since it was no longer necessary to maintain our cover, I could no longer go back to sleep at his place. I now had to devote all my time to serving the empire. The next (and last) time I would dream of Tom's parents or the Grouchy Smurf, it would be on that train platform when their turn comes to be harvested. And we had no way to warn them discreetly so they could escape. Anyway, where would they run to? Soon, the entire planet will be under our control, and every human will have a Yeerk in their head.
But I was pulled out of my thoughts when a loud noise sounded behind me. I turned around and saw that a group of humans had managed to topple a statue, which decorated the entrance of the station, onto their escort. Already, everyone was taking advantage of the chaos to scatter in all directions. But it was a lost cause. We were prepared for this kind of incident, and they were all quickly subdued. All except for one woman who, despite the threat of dracon rays, rushed at the guards. The guard was surprised, but his training quickly took over and he fired. She was immediately vaporized, but she had managed to distract them long enough for what I assumed was her daughter to break through the encirclement.
The little girl, who must have been approximately 8 years old, was running and crying in the hallway located under my line of fire, while human-controllers were chasing her. Under Tom's helpless cries of horror, I shouldered my dracon beam and aimed. The other Yeerks didn't know it, but I was an excellent marksman. If I miserably failed all my shooting tests at the time ofMy exams were only because at the time, I was too inexperienced to know how to properly control my former host. During training on holographic targets, I had excellent results, but for more realism during the exam, the targets were hosts too old or damaged to serve, which were allowed to escape. I couldn't stop my hand from trembling.
Anyway, from where I was, that little girl was far too easy a target to miss even by a poor shooter. After a few seconds of hesitation, I fired and heard a cry of pain followed by a spray of blood that splattered the entire corridor. I had hit the leg of one of the controllers who was chasing her. It immediately disintegrated. He was now agonizing on the tiles and would have died if the others hadn't abandoned the chase to help him. I saw her one last time as she disappeared behind a row of bushes surrounding the station. She was definitely out of reach.
The supervisor in charge of overseeing the operation then stormed out of his office furiously, shouting.
Who is the traitor responsible for this shot? Find them and neutralize them.
I immediately dropped my weapon and assumed a contrite pose.
Under-screw, it's Thévenin 7-8-9, the person in charge. Said one of the controllers busy using a Yeerk technology device to regenerate his comrade's leg.
Her face lit up with understanding.
Who is the congenital idiot who assigned the only Yeerk capable of missing an elephant in a hallway to this position?
It's Visser-3 sir.
He turned pale and went back to his office after ordering his teams to return to their posts and never speak of this incident again. None of them bothered to even blame me for my mistake. The other Yeerks had long considered me a lost cause not worth the time to reprimand. Moreover, I had the favor of the Visser.
Don't think that's enough for me to forgive you, you filthy slug.
He hadn't called me a slug for months. Yes, everything had gone back to the way it was before. And I was going to have to learn to be satisfied with it.
oOoOoOoOo
2 hours after the little girl's escape, I was contemplating the immense crater that had replaced the city. Above, the Yeerk mothership was slowly landing. Even after so much time, I never tired of the senses humans possessed. With their incredibly developed sight, even such a terrible landscape held a certain beauty. But I was distracted from my contemplation by a question from Tom.
Do you think she had time to escape?
I didn't understand why he was so fixated on this girl when hundreds of thousands of people had probably perished as a result of the bombing. But it was the first time in 3 days that he addressed me with something other than insults, so I replied to him.
Probably not. We fled by ship and barely had time to get away from the impact zone before the mothership started firing, so on foot she didn't stand a chance. Even with an hour's head start on us.
(Maybe someone gave him a ride?)
Most of the cars ended up stuck in traffic and couldn't get out of the city in time. And anyway, humans are too selfish to help those around them.
A heavy silence followed.
To cheer him up, I added:
Don't you think it's magnificent? From now on, that's where we're going to live.
(That you are going to live, you mean. And you honestly think I give a damn about the scenery?)
Can I ask you a question?
(What do you want to know what color I want the bars of my next cage?)
(No, but if you have a preference, don't hesitate) I replied with the utmost seriousness, not realizing he was being sarcastic. After a pause that I took as agreement, I continued: Why aren't you more sad for your family? Normally, they were also in the city when the Andalites attacked our base.
(Of course I'm sad. Mind your own business.)
You are lying. You are not sad at all. On the contrary, you are terrified that I might discover something. I asserted in a calm voice. How frustrating it was not to search his mind at that moment. Maybe I should do it. After all, now that he refused any cooperation with me, I had no reason to keep my promise not to invade his privacy. But instead, I asked him:
Tom, I promised not to search your mind without your consent and I will keep my promise. I just want to know. Are they still alive?
(Yes, normally, they are fine.)
(If you die during mating, then why do you do it? Especially back when you weren't forced to do it to produce soldiers en masse.) Asked Tom.
I really don't remember how we went from a discussion where Tom was trying for the umpteenth time to convince me to join the peace movement to a discussion about the sexuality of the Yeerk.
(For the same reason as you.)
(The orgasm? It must be really huge for you to agree to die for it)
(Not love. Our species is not as bestial as yours. By the way, on that note, I don't know what you did on the nights I let you sleep alone, but it pleasantly lowered your level of sexual excitement. Could you also do it when you are in your cage? If you need a partner, I could arrange for you to be put in a collective cage during my next feeding?)
I obtain silence for the first time in 4 days. This concept of privacy was hard to understand, but once you mastered it, it was very useful for getting what you wanted from humans.
I was terrified. Our superiors had just announced that an Andalite fleet had been detected nearby. And the flagship I was on was going to try to intercept them in what would undoubtedly be the final battle. If it continued straight, it would reach Earth in a few days. Tom, on the other hand, felt immense joy mixed with hope. For the first time, I got angry with him:
Could you at least pretend to care about me? After everything I've done for you.
(It is true that you didn't make me relive my worst memory over and over, or make me believe that my loved ones were dead for how you used to say: 'train me'. I should crawl to your feet in gratitude.)
You could at least not openly wish for my death.
What are you talking about?
(In case you forgot, I am in your head Tom. You hope for the Andalite victory)
(And not you? Why did you try to save that girl otherwise?)
(For the same reason I do not torture to suppress your insolence: I am a degenerate Yeerk. That does not mean I wish for the disappearance of my species)
You are not a degenerate Yeerk. You are (..) and as strange as it may seem, you are human.
(That's what I say)
Tom mentally rolled his eyes.
(In what way is it a problem not to want to make others suffer?)
(Because if all the Yeerks were like me, we would have already disappeared)
(Why? Because you wouldn't have enslaved enough species?)
I sighed and calmly resumed.
Tom, have you ever wondered why we are trying to invade Earth? Why do we want at all costs to seize a world where the oceans are too acidic and salty for us to survive? A world whose sun does not provide us with the radiation we need to feed ourselves? A world where, to survive, we need to feed exclusively on artificial kandrona by cramming into pools so overcrowded that we can barely move once we are inside?
He did not reply, but I very clearly perceived what he was thinking. For him, we were invading his planet, because we were evil and sadistic parasites who want to dominate the galaxy.
(Because we have no choice. The Andalites have decided that we represent a threat and therefore to exterminate us all to the last. Since they drove us from our home world, we have been from planet to planet, but the Andalites always find us. But your species, in addition to being close enough to the Ged for infestation to be easy, is extremely numerous and reproduces at a crazy speed. If we had taken control of all humans, we could have built a fleet large enough and had enough troops to repel the Andalites and even launch an assault on their home world. We could have won the war and finally lived in peace)
If all the Yeerks were like you, perhaps the Andalites would not consider you a threat and would never have attacked you.
I had never thought about it. In any case, we will never know and it doesn't matter much. The important thing is that today the Andalites want to exterminate us and besides, they will exterminate you too.
What are you talking about?
If you were in their place, how would you destroy the Yeerks that are on Earth?
I don't know. I've never thought about it. I suppose that once the enemy ships are destroyed, I would use a Yeerk detector to find them, then forcibly separate them from their hosts.
(Tom, there is a difference between technology and magic. How do you expect to detect a parasite that emits no signal? And even if it were possible, they couldn't be sure that we haven't found a way to jam the signal and hide ourselves. Not to mention the logistics required for our extraction by force without harming the hosts.)
(It could just detect and destroy the sources of artificial kandrona and then wait for you all to starve to death.)
(This is already a more realistic method, but it is precisely to avoid this kind of problem that we bury them deeply and build several of them. He could never be sure not to miss one. The only effective method is to annihilate all life on the surface of the infested planet. Or at least all potential hosts.)
I felt him hesitating, but he answered nevertheless.
(That's what you were taught, but it might be false)
The empire is never wrong.
(You eventually admitted that for humans the infestation was horrible)
(Yes, well, it's an understandable mistake. You look so much like the Ged physically)
(What is a GED?) Tom asked me.
(They are a kind of small monkey with which we lived in symbiosis on our home world. They had the advantage of actively seeking out our infestation. Before the Andalite attack, they were our only hosts. But the species is unsuited for war and space travel. And during the early years of our exodus, we did not have the resources to preserve a useless species.)
But briefly, if they were wrong about that, they might also be wrong about the Andalites? Otherwise, explain to me why the peace movement was cooperating with the Andalite soldiers?
I exclaimed in surprise:
They are cooperating with the Andalites? Tom, I'm sorry, but the survival of my species is at stake here. If there are traitors among us, I need to know and inform my superiors before the final battle. If you don't tell me everything, I will have to search your mind.
oOoOoOoOo
One hour and a few explanations later:
What you're trying to make me believe is that the Andalite commando defying the empire for over two years is just a group of Human and Andalite children led by your brother?
(That's it) he said with obvious pride for his brother.
His pride in what was a terrible humiliation for my race irritated me and prompted me to add:
It was Grouchy Smurf who destroyed the hospital where the Yeerks were treating humans for free and boiled hundreds of Yeerks alive? That it was he who led the attack on our base which in response led to the bombing of the city and the death of all the inhabitants? That he managed to convince amember of a race as proud as the Andalites, even if they were a lost child on Earth, to obey a primitive like him?
If you call giving up your body for the rest of your life to a Yeerk free, yes, it's that hospital he blew up. And if you don't want to be killed, you shouldn't have tried to invade our planet. We're just defending ourselves.
Defend against what? They're not killing you, it seems to me.
(Against being treated like cattle by a band of psychopathic slugs?)
Stop calling me a slug. In fact, the terrestrial animal we are closest to is plankton. And you are wrong. We would never treat you like cattle. You should know that by now. We would never subject our guests to even a tenth of the suffering you inflict on your cattle. If that were indeed the case, you would be justified in defending yourselves.
(But what are you talking about?) Tom asked me.
(It is true that you have never visited one of your farms.) I replied. I continued:
In short, that's not the point and it doesn't answer my question. Why does the peace movement think that the Andalites are not going to exterminate us? And when I say us, I include humans.
(Because the Andalite child promised us)
But this is madness. Even if he is sincere, how could he convince his people?
(No, what I mean is that according to him the Andalites do not want to exterminate us. Well, not exterminate humans. The Yeerk, I don't know. And then he belongs to a high-ranking family who will no doubt be relieved to find him alive and grateful to those who helped him survive)
(Is that all?)
(It is better than resigning oneself to a life of slavery and suffering. And then his version of the war is very different from yours. I think that everything you've been told about your species' past and the purpose of the war is a lie.)
I thought for a while. I felt he was anxiously waiting for my answer. But I couldn't concentrate with his thoughts and emotions overwhelming me. I started to think that it was because of them that I had given up on implementing Jack at the last moment, so long ago now. If I had made the right decision that day, we might have already won the war.
(Well, it's almost time for me to go feed myself. I'll decide what to do at that moment. This time, try not to provoke the guard when he escorts you to your cage. Whatever I decide, I'll need your body to be in perfect condition.)
oOoOoOoOo
I had finally made my decision. The crazies in the peace movement might be ready to bet the survival of our two species on the promise of an Andalite. No worse, a child Andalite. But not me.
I was going to tell Visser-3 everything, and he would take the necessary measures to prevent them from sabotaging our operation. Without the traitors, our surprise attack against the Andalite fleet had every chance of being a success. And without Jack and his little band of resistors, we would have taken control of Earth before he had time to send another fleet.
Once the war is over, there will always be time to peacefully advocate for better treatment of humans and Hork-Bajir. For once in my life, I was going to do what was logical. For once, I was going to behave as a Yeerk should. I headed towards the control screen at the back of the pool to request an interview with the Visser, but I could no longer move forward. I swam with all my might, yet I felt like I was moving backward. Then all of a sudden, I was tossed in all directions by a massive current. I kept bumping into other Yeerks in an eerie silence. Just like me, my fellow Yeerks must have been screaming with all their might, but the current prevented any exchange of pheromones.
Then all of a sudden everything stopped. I was relieved at first. Whatever had happened, it was finally over, and a peace such as I had never known now reigned in the Yeerk pool. If only it were less cold. It was so cold.
Just before falling asleep, my muddled mind had a thought: Jack had finally decided to throw me in the toilet and flush. I was in space. And the silent void of its infinite spaces would be my tomb.
Tom! You're alive.
Before I could turn around, my brother threw himself into my arms and held me with all his strength. The terrible, no, the ruthless Yeerk killer (as the Yeerk survivors called him) was holding back tears and apologizing profusely. He looked so small and fragile at that moment. I had a hard time believing he could have done all that at only 15 years old.
The controllers who had locked me and other hosts in the ship's hold had, of course, not bothered to explain to us what was happening, but enough snippets of information had reached our cages for me to understand what had happened. Jack and his friends had infiltrated the Yeerk flagship, blown it up, and then broadcast an ultimatum from an Andalite world ship that had arrived, somehow, in the solar system without the Yeerks detecting it. All the Yeerks in the system had to surrender immediately or be exterminated.
Despite the loss of their flagship, I would have expected all the Yeerks to regroup for a final assault. After all, even though the flagship was a considerable loss, there was only one Andalite world ship. They had a good chance of winning.
And it is indeed the order that the Yeerks in command of my shuttle received from their superior. But it was at this moment that the peace movement chose to emerge from the shadows. Quickly, all Yeerk decision-making bodies were decapitated, and each ship captain found themselves having to decide alone on the course of action without being able to coordinate with others. Some chose to go and commit suicide alone on the enemy ship's cannons in a final act of defiance, but most surrendered. And even among ships like mine where the hierarchy had decided to continue the fight, the Yeerk crew revolted against this decision. Barely a few hours after the first tremor shook the flagship, the war was over. All the Yeerks had surrendered and were now being escorted to Earth by Andalite fighters where they would have to free their hosts and wait anxiously.In pools now monitored by Andalite guards, the winners decide their fate.
From now on, it would be enough to press a button to annihilate their species. Or to do nothing. The remaining pools were not designed to accommodate so many Yeerks at the same time. And certainly not for permanent stays. If they took too long to decide or to build additional pools, a large part of them would die from disease or fighting for a bit of living space. But to be honest, I didn't really care about their fate. As far as I was concerned, apart from Thévenin, they could all die for all I cared. But I knew he wouldn't agree.
In any case, given the role the peace movement had played in the outcome of the war, I had no doubt that an agreement in their favor would be found. Not to mention that if the Earth had not yet been destroyed, it probably meant that the Andalites had chosen to take the risk of a peaceful coexistence with the Yeerks.
Upon our landing, the Andalite soldiers entered the ship, aimed at the controllers, and freed us. Immediately, I rushed out of that narrow cage where we were crammed with ten other individuals to the outside. I felt the wind on my skin and had to close my eyes to avoid being dazzled by the sun.
I was finally free. I had never been so happy in my entire life.
I turned around and saw the Andalite guards approaching me and grabbing me. They gave me a quick examination that I assumed was to check that I wasn't hosting any Yeerk, then signaled me to leave. I didn't try to argue with them. Their appearance was quite frightening and I doubted they understood English. Besides, where on earth were their mouths? I saw behind me that the other humans weren't so lucky. Most were staggering and having difficulty walking. Others still remained in their cage, waiting for an order that would no longer come, their minds completely broken by several years of infestation by Yeerks much less friendly than Thevenin.
I walked straight ahead and passed the security corridor set up by the Andalite soldiers, where curious and worried humans were gathered. Immediately, I was bombarded with questions and television cameras rushed towards me. I was the first human to come out of the ship, so their curiosity was legitimate. But I couldn't answer them. They were speaking Spanish. Where on earth was I and how was I going to get back to California?
I tried to make myself understood without success, but an hour later, I was saved by the arrival of another Andalite ship from which Jack descended.
I returned his embrace, relieved myself to know he was alive.
And the dwarf, why are you apologizing? Thanks to you, I am free. No, we are all free. You saved the damn planet Earth.
I didn't know you were on board the flagship, Tom. If I had known...
You would have been better off blowing it up anyway. And if you apologize again, I'll kick your ass into orbit. I replied while ruffling his hair.
He smiled and let go of me. Dark circles far too large for a child his age adorned his eyes and he looked exhausted. But he seemed happier than he had been in two years.
Come on, Tom. We're going home. Mom can't wait to see you again. She was worried sick about the both of us. And Marco is planning to throw a huge party.
I followed him silently, but after a while, I asked:
By the way, it might seem strange that I'm asking this, but: do you know what happened to Thévenin?
He froze and squirmed visibly, uncomfortable.
I thought you knew.
Let me guess. That fool remained loyal to the end to a people who despised him and died stupidly.
At this thought, I felt a pang in my heart.
Not exactly. To create a diversion and gain access to the flagship's reactors, we had to drain the main pool.
I didn't need him to explain the rest to me. I patted him on the back and reassured him.
At least he didn't suffer.
He nodded and I followed him a little less joyful than a few seconds earlier. But once I saw my parents again, my sorrow for Thévenin took a back seat. I was back home.
If I could resume my life without too much trauma. If I hadn't become a vegetable like so many others, it's thanks to the risk he took to protect me. If my brother could save the Earth, it's because he covered them. If the animorphs (as they called themselves) were able to maintain their anonymity until the end of the war, it was thanks to the information I provided them by violating Thévenin's trust. I was going to fully enjoy this second life that was offered to me thanks to him.
Marco nodded and I quickly forgot my worries by dancing to the rhythm of the music, pushing my body to its limits to release my pain and appreciate having control like never before.
Come Tom, the water is nice. Typhanie shouted to me while diving into the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean.
I didn't really feel like going for a swim, but in the six months I'd known her, I had never been able to resist her smile. So I left my book on the fine sand. Anyway, it was a lost cause. Despite my teachers' leniency, I would never be able to catch up on my schoolwork and go to university. When Thévenin was still around, he had forced me to take an interest in the courses again and thanks to his abilities, I had begun to catch up. But now that I was alone in my head again, it was much harder.
And there were other areas of life where I was much more motivated to make up for lost time. It's a shame, because before my infestation, even if I wasn't excelling, I had good academic results.
I moved forward in the water, being careful not to wet my head. Never again in my life would I put my head underwater. Typhanie approached me from behind and wrapped her arms around my torso before giving me a hickey.in the loop. Good God, how I loved her. I was about to turn around and return the favor when I saw a green spot on the surface of the ocean.
What is that thing?
That is nothing. It's probably plankton. It's harmless.
Before she could finish her sentence, I ran to the shore. Never again will I approach a slug or plankton without a good flamethrower.
Ha! You are Tom. Everyone is waiting for you to celebrate the first anniversary of the end of the war. Typhanie called out to me.
Sorry, I'm coming right away.
You look sad. What's wrong? It's a holiday today. She asked, taking me by the hand.
I am fine. Let's join the others.
Understanding no doubt that she would get nothing from me like that, she changed the subject.
What were you doing?
Nothing at all
But before I could stop her, Typhanie rushed to the spot where I was and read the plaque I had installed at that location in my parents' new garden (the old one was nothing but a crater):
Thévenin. ???- 1998. In memory of the most human plankton in the universe, who is Thévenin?
I let out a deep sigh. Anyway, if things got serious between us, I would probably have to tell her one day about what happened to me during the war. One day, she would inevitably have to face the gaze of those whom Thévenin or Temrash had forcibly led to the pool using my body. Of course, they knew I was not to blame. And the fact that I had secretly provided information to my brother (behind Thévenin's back) for much of the war made me unassailable. But that didn't stop them from feeling hatred or fear when they saw my face. I didn't blame them. I myself don't know how I would react if I came across the girl who seduced me to follow her to the pool again.
It was myOld Yeerk. Today is the anniversary of his death. You will no doubt think that I have Stockholm syndrome, but I miss him. Well, not really. I am more than happy not to have him in my head anymore. It's just that sometimes, I wish I could talk to him again.
She took me in her arms and just stayed there by my side without saying anything. I felt a little better. Sometimes, a compassionate presence was all you needed. I was really very lucky to have met her.
Recently, Hugo Lisoir released a very good video on the scientific discovery that inspired part of this story:Incroyable, JAMES WEBB renforce l'hypothèse de la vie sur K2-18B !
In summary, in September 2023 scientists believe they have found evidence that the atmosphere of this ocean planet is teeming with dimethyl sulfide. However, the only known natural source of dimethyl sulfide is plankton. This would mean that the oceans of this planet are teeming with life. And yes, it has been two years that we might havediscovered evidence of extraterrestrial life. However, this discovery remains to be confirmed, because for the moment, its measurements can also be explained if this planet is covered with molten lava and therefore completely devoid of life.
But, as you will have understood, in my mind, K2-18B is the home planet of the Yeerk.