The Blue Box
It was strange. The way we all knew he was telling the truth. Harry had stopped… whatever in the world he was doing, and just stared into space. He lifted his hands, and placed them in his lap, and I gasped.
The Aliens wound. It was…
Almost completely healed.
But no one said ‘no way’, or ‘you’re making it up’. We all just… knew. The alien had been dying, and trying to warn us of something.
“Child, it won’t help me.” said the Alien. He had turned his eye stalks to Harry, who had looked at him, eyes wide. “I shall likely die either way, but… I appreciate the extended time.” the alien said, turning and placing a hand on his shoulder. I could see tears pooling into his emerald eyes.
Then, he turned to us. “they are called Yeerks.” said the alien. “different from us. from you, and from me.”
“Are you telling us they’re already on earth?” Rachel demanded.
“Many are here. Hundreds. Possibly more.”
“Why hasn’t anyone noticed them?” Marco said reasonably. “I think someone would have mentioned it at school.”
…
“you do not understand. Yeerks are… different. Unlike you, or me, they haven’t a body. They live in those of other species. They are…” apparently the alien couldn’t think of an appropriate word, so he closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate.
Seconds later, images flashed in my mind. Photos, of sorts, of grey-green, slug-like creatures flashed through my mind.
“I’m guessing THAT was a Yeerk.” Marco grumbled, sounding somewhat sick. “Either that, or a very large wad of chewed up chewing gum.”
“They are almost powerless without hosts. They- they enter the brain of other creatures, and become what is known as a controller in these forms. They are absorbed into the brain, taking over the hosts thoughts and feelings. They try to get the host to accept them voluntarily. Otherwise, it’s easier for a host to resist, if just a little.”
“Are you saying they take over human beings?” Rachel asked.
“People?” asked Harry, from beside the alien. “they take over their bodies?”
“Look, this is s-serious stuff.” I said, “You shouldn’t be telling us this. We’re just kids, you know. This is like- something the government should know about.”
“We hoped to stop them” the alien continued. “swarms of their bug fighters were waiting when our dome ship came out of Z-Space. We knew of their mother ship and were ready for the bug fighters, but the Yeerks surprised us- they had hidden a powerful blade ship in a crater of your moon. We fought, but… we lost. They have tracked me here. They will be here soon to eliminate all traces of me and my ship.”
“How can they do that?” I heard cassie wonder. The alien seemed to smile with his eyes, like earlier. “their Dracon beams will leave nothing behind but a few molecules of this ship, and… this body. I sent a message to my home world. We Andalites fight the Yeerks wherever they go throughout the universe. My people will send help, but it may take a year, maybe more, and by then the Yeerks will have complete control of your planet. After that, there is no hope. You must tell others. You MUST warn your people!”
We looked at each other, before Harry spoke up. “No one will believe us, we’re just children!” Harry said.
Marco nodded. “Yeah, no offense dude, but my dad wouldn’t believe me if I said I didn’t get into a fight last Thursday. What makes you think we can convince billions of people that Aliens are real? No way.”
He was right. If these Yeerks were to wipe out the Andalites ship, how on Earth would we ever convince people? They’d think we were either nuts, or on drugs.
“I don’t care if he thinks he’s going to die, we have to try to help him.” Rachel said. “We can get him to a hospital? Or hide him away from these… Yeerks…”
“there is no time. No time.” The Andalite said. then his eyes brightened. “Perhaps…”
“What?”
“go into my ship, Hadrian, Jake. You will see a small blue box, very plain. Bring it to me. Quickly! I have very little time, and the Yeerks will find me soon.”
Me and Harry looked at each other. “Go ahead.” Tobias said. “I want to stay with him.” He knelt beside his cousin and the Andalite, placing a hand on his narrow shoulder. Harry stood up, and walked toward the ship. After a second, I followed him.
It was surprisingly simple. It looked… cozy, almost. Everything was a creamy color with rounded edges ad shapes that tended to be oval. That was one of the tings that helped me to spot the box so easily. It was sky blue, and square, maybe four or five inches on each side. It seemed kind of heavy for being so small.
I guess that’s why he had two of us go in there.
I stepped up into the ship, watching as Harry simply looked around. There was no chair, just an empty spot where I guess the Andalite stood on his four hooves while he worked the few controls. There weren’t a lot of buttons or anything. I wondered if the Andalite controlled the ship with his thoughts.
I reached for the box right as Harry did, and our hands brushed slightly. I felt my face heat up a bit and looked away, lifting the box with a little struggle. Harry tried to help, but I shook my head. “I got it.” I spoke. silence came between us as we looked around, heading out of the ship. But then something seemed to catch Harry’s eye, and he tapped me on the shoulder. “Look.” He said, pointing.
It was a small, three-dimensional picture. Four Andalites, standing together, looking like a strange gathering of deer with solemn faces. Two of them were very small- children. I realized this was a photo of the Andalites family.
It filled me with sadness to think that here he was, a million miles away from his family, sure he was going to die. Die because he was protecting a different species, the people of earth. I felt a small flame of anger against the Yeerks, controllers, or whatever they were, for causing this.
Together, we went back to the circle of our friends.
“Here’s the box.” I said to the Andalite.
“Thank you”
Harry paused. “I… Um… was that your family? The picture.”
“Yes”
“I… I am so sorry, sir…” Harry said. I looked over to see tears in his eyes. I felt bad for the Andalite, but I didn’t know what to say. What would I say? Instead, I tentatively reached over, and patted Harry on the shoulder. He looked at me with a small watery smile, and nodded.
“There is something I may be able to do for you to help you fight the Yeerks.”
“What?” demanded Rachel.
“I know that you are young. That you have nothing to resist the controllers. But I may be able to give you small powers that can help. But first…” the Andalite turned to Harry. “you, Hadrian. In my ship is something, you will feel drawn to it when you see it. Don’t hesitate to take it okay? That and the tome beside it. It may help you.” he said. Harry walked back to the ship in a daze before he came out less than a minute later. His hair was braided once more, and his hoodie was slung over his shoulder, clearly holding something. I decided not to question him.
We all looked at the Andalite, and then each other, other than Tobias. He hadn’t allowed his eyes to leave the Andalite.
“If you wish, I will give you abilities, powers, that no human has ever possessed.”
“Powers?” asked Harry.
“what’s that supposed to mean?” demanded Rachel.
“It is a piece of Andalite technology that the Yeerks do not have,” the Andalite explained. “A technology that enables us to pass unnoticed in many parts of the universe- the power to MORPH. We have never shared this power, but your need is great.”
“Morph? Morph how?” Rachel asked, her eyes narrowed.
“To change your bodies. Become any species, any animal”
Marco laughed derisively. “Become animals?” Marco isn’t the most accepting person in the world.
“you will only need to touch a creature, to acquire it’s DNA pattern, and you will be able to become that creature. It requires concentration and determination, but if you were strong enough, you can do it. There are some limitations. Problems. Dangers, even. But there is no time to explain it to you all… no time. You will have to learn by yourselves. But first, do you wish to receive this power?”
“He’s kidding, right?” Marco asked me.
“No.” Tobias and Harry said at the same time.
“This is… Nuts.” Marco said. “The whole thing. These yeerks, and spaceships and slugs taking over peoples brains and Andalite and the power to change into animals? Give me a break.” Marco scoffed.
“Yeah, it is beyond weird.” I said.
“we’re off the map of weirdness by this point.” Rachel commented. “But unless we’re all just dreaming, I think we’d better deal with this.
“… I’ll do it!” Harry said. Tobias’s head whipped to where his slightly younger cousin sat. Cassie stepped forward. “Me too.”
Now that really surprised me. Cassie wasn’t the kind that was so quick to decided. But I guess, like the other two, she felt the truth in the Andalite’s words.
“I think we should decide together.” I said, “One way or the other.”
“what is that?” Rachel asked. she was looking up towards the stars. Far, far overhead, two pinpoints of bright red light were shooting, across the sky.
“Yeerks” the Andalite said, and we could feel his hatred through our minds.