Here's another chapter. You guys happy now?
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Chapter 15 (Shaliph 443)
When we arrived on the Hork-Bajir planet, we touched down in the former territory of the Arn, below the blue fog of what the Hork-Bajir called 'the Deep.' I wasn't sure why we would be going down there, until we were brought into one of the Arn dwellings.
We walked through a hologram, and there, ambling all around the cavern, there were Arn! But how? They were supposed to be extinct, weren't they?
"Nobody told us there would be Arn here. What's going on?" Korash asked the nearest Hork-Bajir sentry.
Yenlin, who was following close to Korash and me, was immediately given a suspicious glare by the sentry. <Do you have a problem?> Yenlin asked, twitching his tail. The Hork-Bajir shook his head, apparently deciding that Yenlin was wasn't worth antagonizing.
"It seems they had a plan to re-create their race shortly before their extinction," he answered Korash. "Which worked out well for us. They're easy to intimidate, and they've proved invaluable to our Project. There are a few things they're good at. It turns out designing mind control technology is one of those things. Smart as we are, I don't think our scientists could have ever designed the Nets on their own. So we've got these guys working on that," the Hork-Bajir bragged.
"And if they slack off, or look like they're doing anything they shouldn't be, just use your Dracon on 'em, remind 'em who's boss." Then he added, as an afterthought, "Use a low setting, though. They die easy."
A couple of Arn were listening in on our conversation. I narrowed my eyes at them, and they got back to work.
"Cool," Korash said. "So when are we going to try testing the Nets?"
"I think we'll be briefed on how to use them tomorrow. I hear it takes some practice," the Hork-Bajir said.
I grinned and said, "I can't wait!"
"Yeah, well, be a little patient," the Hork-Bajir said. "For now, our job is just watching these Arn." He pointed at a bright yellow-orange one that had just arrived. "Keep an extra close eye on that orange one," he said. "He's young, and a trouble-maker. He keeps wandering off."
I looked at the orange Arn. He was currently listening in on a conversation between a sandy-tan colored Arn and a bright blue one. The orange Arn suddenly looked shocked by something the other two had said, and said something to the tan one. Pretty soon, the orange one and the tan one left the room.
"Shouldn't we go after them?" I asked the Hork-Bajir. The orange Arn glanced nervously at our group as he left, and Yenlin met him with a hostile glare from all four eyes.
"Nah, waste of time. The tan one will keep the trouble-maker in check," the Hork-Bajir said. "Trust me, it's just as effective to punish him after he gets back, and it's so much easier that way."
A few more minutes passed, and a faint whistle blew. "Well, my shift is over," the Hork-Bajir said. "Good luck, you three."
He left. It was pretty boring, after that. The Arn didn't really step out of line much, so there was hardly anything to do. Yenlin taunted them at first, but that got old pretty quick. Hard to taunt someone who won't defend themselves.
After a few hours, the orange Arn came back, but the tan one wasn't with him.
<I'll handle him,> Yenlin said happily. Korash had already started to move towards the Arn, but stepped back again, conceeding to Yenlin the honor of punishing the creature.
<Explain yourself,> Yenlin demanded. <Where have you been?>
"I- I was just gathering supplies," the orange one said.
<Nonsense,> Yenlin said. <We've provided everything you need. Answer truthfully this time.> He adjusted his Dracon beam to the lowest setting and shot the Arn.
"Aahhh!" he screamed, doubling over in pain. "What do you want from me?!"
<The truth. We've given you everything you could possibly need to work. What were you really doing outside the hologram, Arn?>
"I was . . . I was exploring. I thought if I could find something in one of the abandoned cities, we could work faster," he said, almost questioningly, as if afraid that might be the wrong answer.
<I admire your guts, kid. You're brave, if you think you can get away with lying to a Yeerk twice.> Yenlin shot the Arn again. <Now, one last time. What. Were. You. Doing?>
"Nothing!" the Arn yelled, getting defensive now. "Please, just leave me alone!"
<The moment you tell me the truth, I will leave you alone,> Yenlin promised. Then he shot him right in the chest.
The Arn started to back up, looking like he was getting ready to run. Big mistake. Faster than he could blink, there was a tail blade at his throat.
<This is interesting,> Yenlin commented. <You're hiding something. What do you have to hide, Arn?>
"Alright," the Arn said finally. "Look. The reason I lied is because I didn't think you'd believe the truth, anyway. Not sure I believe it. Maybe I'm crazy." The Arn shook his head anxiously, seeming embarrassed by what he had to say. "The truth is, I'm not really sure what I was doing outside the hologram, either. It's . . . well, it was really strange. I was just walking along, and suddenly there I was, miles away, with no idea how I got there. I guess . . . maybe I was sleepwalking, or something. And I got lost." The Arn sighed, and finished. "Anyway, that's why I've been gone for such a long time. I'm sorry. Please, believe me."
Yenlin seemed to smile with his eyes. <Sleepwalking. Heh, is that all? Fine, you can go,> he said dismissively. But then he looked like something the Arn had said suddenly bothered him, as though he hadn't been paying attention until a few seconds after he said it. <You've been gone a long time, have you? So you weren't in here just a couple hours ago?>
The Arn looked bewildered.
"No. Why?"
