Animorphs Fandub Audiobook Project (The Hork-Bajir Chronicles: Chapter 1)

My name is Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan. I am an Andalite. A female.

That was all there was to say about me back then. But later I became much more. My name became a cruel joke among my people. And later still, a curse.

But when this story began, I was just a young female. Just Aldrea. Not yet the Aldrea.

I understood very little back then, listening with my mind to the thought-speak shouts and curses around me. I only knew that something terrible had happened.

“You’re morphing a Hork-Bajir!”

“Yes,” I said, using the Hork-Bajir mouth. “I acquired Delf.”

I clutched the canister tightly. I reached for the treetop and gripped it with my Hork-Bajir claw. “We’re in this together, Dak. If the Quantum virus is released, now I will die, too.”

“I don’t want that!”

“I do, Dak. I’ll live or die with you.”

Then Dak pressed his forehead horns to mine, and I felt the tingle of a sensation I had not guessed Hork-Bajir could feel. It was a Hork-Bajir kiss, I suppose. What we Andalites do when we stroke another’s face with our palms.

We hung there from the crown of a thousand-foot-tall tree and for a moment, at least, forgot about the battle raging, and the war lost, and the canister that contained so much destruction.

At last, we swung down the tree, down to the ground.

I had lost.

We fell, fell toward certain death, plunged tail first into the Yeerk pool, and still, all I could think was that I had lost.

Lost to a human child. I’d assumed the only question was one of self-restraint. I’d believed I could seize this body if ever I chose. But the little human female had held me at bay even as she performed an act of morphing that would have made her a hero among the Andalites.

No time to think about that. No time to think about how she could have ... no, there was a battle to fight.

We plunged deep in the Yeerk pool and now Cassie was growing with a shocking speed, growing so huge, so fast that the body was creating little whirlpools.

<Now I need you,> Cassie said.

I almost laughed. It was outrageous. Now she needed me?

<I am here,> I said. What else could I say?

(Shock and disbelief, he’s just been betrayed by a group of his friends) But it can’t be,... They promised me. They gave me their word. They…

(Trying to reason with himself that his morals are correct for trusting parasites) They have no history of harming intelligent life-forms. The Gedds are barely conscious in their natural state, It’s not as if they were stealing the bodies of truly sentient creatures. They and the Gedds are symbiotic. They have -

(Asking his daughter a question) How are you getting along with your young friend?

I notice that you are not making regular data entries. You did for the first three months. Then you stopped.

Well, I understand that Dak is almost a friend to you, Aldrea, but we have a mission here. We are supposed to be learning about the Hork-Bajir.

(Comparing two species) The Hork-Bajir I’ve encountered barely function at the level of a small child, The Yeerks were so fascinating. Highly intelligent, yet so limited physically. It’s as if the Hork-Bajir are the exact opposite: physically impressive. Mentally... well, simple.

(a command) Hold fast, Yeerks. You are not allowed closer to the ships.

(Ordering, loudly) I said hold fast!

(Snobbish) Orders or not, these filthy slugs are not touching my ship.

(Sneering) Orders are to avoid incidents, Don’t you know these parasites are our brothers?

Prince Seerow, Remote orbital sensors show that the two transport ships did not immediately jump to Zero-space. They landed on the far side of the planet.

No sir. Sensors show they stayed on the ground for only an hour. Then they returned to orbit and jumped to Z-space.

Prince Seerow, they landed beside major Yeerk pools. They apparently loaded a large number of Yeerks before escaping.

The computer estimate is that with advance planning and careful coordination, they may have embarked as many as a quarter million Yeerks.

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