ALIEN
<They have come to destroy you.>
The teens all exchange worried glances.
ALIEN
<They are called Yeerks. They are different from us. Different from you, as well. Many are here. Hundreds. Maybe more.>
The alien winces in pain and Tobias shifts so he can hold him up a bit better.
MARCO
Why hasn't anybody noticed them? I think someone would have mentioned it on the news.
ALIEN
<You do not understand. Yeerks are different. They have no body like yours or mine. They live in the bodies of other species. They are...>
Suddenly we see a flash shot of a large gray-green slimy slug the size of a rat as it appears in the minds of the teens. We flash back to the regular scene a second later.
MARCO
I'm guessing that was either a Yeerk or a very big wad of gross chewing gum.
ALIEN
<They are almost powerless without hosts. They...>
Suddenly the alien screams in pain once again. After calming down for a few seconds, he continues.
ALIEN
<The Yeerks must have a host to live in. They enter the brain and are absorbed into it, taking over the host's thoughts and feelings. They try to get the host to accept them voluntarily. It is easier that way. Otherwise the host may be able to resist, at least a little.>
JAKE
This is serious stuff. You shouldn't be telling us. We're just kids, you know. This is like something the Government should know about.
ALIEN
<We had hoped to stop them. Swarms of their Bug Fighters were waiting when our Dome ship came out of Z-Space. We knew of their mothership 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 no doubt tracked me here. They will be here soon to eliminate all traces of me and my ship.>
CASSIE
How can they do that?
ALIEN
<Their Dracon beams will leave nothing behind but a few molecules of this ship... and this body. I sent a message to my homeworld. We Andalites fight the Yeerks wherever they go throughout the universe. My people will send help, but it may take a couple years, even more, and by then the Yeerks will have control of this planet. After that, there is no hope. You must tell people. You must warn your people!
>
Marco looks at Jake and shakes his head.
MARCO
No one is ever going to believe us. They'll think we're on drugs.
Another spasm of pain rips through the alien – the Andalite.
RACHEL
Ok, I don't care if he thinks he's going to die, we have to try and help him.
ANDALITE
<There is no time.>
Eyes brighten.
<Perhaps...>
JAKE
What?
ANDALITE
<Go into my ship. You will see a small blue box. Bring it to me. Quickly! I have very little time, and the Yeerks will find me soon.>
The teens all look at each other. Who is going to be the one to go inside the ship? Marco slaps Jake on the back.
MARCO
Have fun with that, buddy.
JAKE
But...
Rachel
Go on, Jake.
TOBIAS
Go ahead. I want to stay with him.
Tobias places a comforting hand on the alien's shoulder. Jake looks at the doorway into the spacecraft, and then glances at Cassie, who smiles back at him.
CASSIE
Go ahead. You're not scared.
JAKE
(under his breath)
Yeah. Sure.
He slowly walks over to the door of the ship and peers inside.
INT. ANDALITE SHIPEverything is a creamy color with rounded edges and shapes that tend to be oval. There is no chair, just an open space where the Andalite stands on his four hooves while he works the few controls.
Jake steps up into the ship and spots the box easily - it is sky-blue and square, four inches on each side. As he moves to grab it, something catches his eyes - a small, three-dimensional picture of four Andalites, standing all together. Two of them look like very small kids.
Jake grabs the box and heads back outside.
EXT. ABANDONED CONSTRUCTION SITE – NIGHTJake approaches the Andalite.
JAKE
Here's the box.
The Andalite takes the box into his hands.
JAKE
I, um...was that your family? That picture?
ANDALITE
<Yes.>
Jake looks down sadly.
JAKE
I'm real sorry.
ANDALITE
<I know that you are young. I know that you have no power with which to resist the Yeerks. But I can give you some small powers that may help.>
Everyone looks at each other yet again, except for Tobias, who never takes his gaze off the Andalite.
ANDALITE
<It is a piece of Andalite technology that the Yeerks do not have. 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.>
RACHEL
Morph? Morph how?
ANDALITE
<To change your bodies. To become any other species. Any animal.>
Marco laughs nervously.
MARCO
Become animals? He's kidding, right?
TOBIAS
No. He's not kidding.
ANDALITE
<You will only need to touch a creature, to acquire its DNA pattern, and you will be able to become that creature. It requires concentration and determination, but, if you are strong, you can do it. There are however...limitatio ns. Dangers. But there is no time to explain it all...no time. You will have to learn for yourselves, if you wish to receive this power.>
MARCO
This is nuts! This whole thing is nuts! Aliens and spaceships, and slugs taking over people's brains, and deer things with the power to change into animals? Give me a break.
RACHEL
We're off the map of weirdness by this point. But unless we're all just dreaming, I think we'd better deal with this.
TOBIAS
Guys, he's dying. We need to decide now.
CASSIE
I'll do it.
JAKE
I think we should all decide together. One way or the other.
Rachel hears a very low noise and looks up in the sky. Far above, two pinpoints of bright red light start shooting across the sky.
RACHEL
What's that?
The Andalite weakly lifts his head to see.
ANDALITE
<Yeerks. They are coming.>
The twin red lights slow. They turn in a circle and head back toward them.
ANDALITE
<You are out of time! You must decide!>
TOBIAS
We have to do this. How else can we fight these Yeerks?
MARCO
This is so insane! We're just teenagers!
RACHEL
I'd like more time, but we don't have that choice. I'm for it.
CASSIE
What do you say, Jake?
Jake looks up at the Yeerk ships – the Bug Fighters – and sees them circling closer. He looks back down at the dying alien.
TOBIAS
We have to, Jake...
Jake slowly nods.
JAKE
Yes. We have no other choice.
ANDALITE
<Then each of you, press your hand against one of the sides of the square.>
They do so and then the Andalite places his hand on a side as well. The teens all shiver as a kind of shock runs through them. The Andalite quickly removes his hand from the square.
ANDALITE
<Go now. Only remember this - never remain in animal form for more than two of your Earth hours. That is the greatest danger of the morphing. If you stay longer than two hours, you will be trapped and unable to return to human form.>
JAKE
(nodding)
Two hours.
Suddenly the Andalite swerves all his eyes up at the sky, growing large with fear.
ANDALITE
<Visser Three! He comes!>
JAKE
What's a Visser? Who's Visser?
ANDALITE
<Go now! Run! Visser Three is here! He is the most deadly of your enemies! Of all Yeerks, he alone has the power to morph – the same power you now have. Run!>
TOBIAS
No, we'll stay with you. Maybe we can help.
ANDALITE
<No. You must save your planet.>
The two red lights begin sinking toward them. But then the lights are joined by a third ship, far larger. It is black and barley visible in the night sky.
JAKE
He's right. Run!
Everyone except Tobias takes off running. Tobias stays knelt beside the Andalite and takes his hand. The Andalite presses his other hand against Tobias's head. Tobias rocks back, like he's been shocked. Then he, too, is up and running, stumbling over the loose junk and potholes of the construction site.
A beam of bright red light snaps on - a spotlight from one of the Bug fighters. The beam lights up the fallen Andalite and his ship. A spotlight from the second Bug fighter joins the first.
Jake trips and falls, his leg within the circle of that spotlight. He quickly yanks it out and crawls fast, scraping his elbows and knees on the ground. The five teens crouch behind a low crumbled wall, and turn back to witness what will happen to the Andalite.
Slowly the Bug Fighters descend. They are slightly larger than the Andalite Fighter and shaped like legless ****roaches. There are small windows like eyes on the front and on either side there are two very long, very sharp, spears.
The Yeerk Bug fighters touch down, one on either side of the Andalite ship.
MARCO
(whispering)
Okay, you can wake me up now. I've had enough of this dream.
The larger ship now begins to descend. It is built like a battle-axe from medieval ages. There is the main part which is like the handle of an ax, with a big triangular point on the front. At the rear are two huge, scimitar wings. It is ten times the size of the Bug Fighters.
The ship settles toward the ground. It looks like it is going to land directly on a big rusted earthmover parked there, but as the ship descends, the earthmover just sizzles and disappears. Once the Blade Ship lands, a door opens. Cassie starts to scream at what they see, but Jake quickly clamps his hand over her mouth.
Creatures walk off the ship. They stand on two bent-back legs and have two very long arms. On each arm there are curved horn-blades growing out of the wrist and elbow. There are other blades at their bent-back knees, and two more blades at the end of their tails. They have feet like a Tyrannosaurus Rex. As for the head, there is a neck like a snake, a mouth that is almost a falcon's beak, and, from the forehead, three daggerlike horns rake forward.
ANDALITE
<Hork-Bajir-Controllers.>
The teens jump at hearing the Andalite's words in their minds again. They are fainter than before though. Strained, like someone talking from far away.
ANDALITE
<I can direct my thought-speak directly at you five, or open for all to hear. Right now it is only you that can hear me. The Hork-Bajir were a good people, despite their fearsome looks. But their entire race has been enslaved by the Yeerks.>
Another new form exits the ship, creeping, slithering, and shimmying out. They are like massive centipedes, twice as long as a grown man. They have dozens of legs that support the lower two thirds of their bodies. The top third is held upright, and there the rows of legs become smaller, with little lobster-claw hands. Around the top of their tubular bodies are four eyes, each like a wiggling globule of red Jell-O. And at the very end, pointing straight up in the air, is a round mouth, ringed by hundreds of tiny teeth.
ANDALITE
<Taxxon-Controllers. The Taxxons are pure evil.>
MARCO
(whispering)
Yeah, I think I would have guessed that...
Hork-Bajir and Taxxons pour from the Blade Ship, spreading out around the area like well-trained Marines. They are holding small, pistol-sized weapons. They form a ring around the Andalite and his ship. Suddenly, one of the Hork-Bajir walks straight toward the teens. They duck down and hug the dirt tightly, trying to stay out of view.
The Hork-Bajir points his gun around at the darkness. His snake head swerves left and right, trying to penetrate the gloom.
ANDALITE
<Stay silent! Hork-Bajir do not see well in darkness, but their hearing is very good.>
The Hork-Bajir moves closer still. It is just a few away now, with just the low wall between it and the teens. Their hearts pound, knees quivering, and teeth slightly chattering in fear.
ANDALITE
<Courage, my friends.>
After a few more seconds, the Hork-Bajir moves away as something new starts coming from the Blade ship. Shaking and chattering, the teens poke their heads up to look over the low wall and see every Hork-Bajir and every Taxxon turn toward the ship. Then
he appears; Another Andalite. A very strong-looking, threatening Andalite with a very large blade on his tail.
ANDALITE
<There is only one Andalite-Controller. That one is Visser Three.>
Visser Three walks confidently toward the wounded Andalite.
VISSER THREE
<Well, well. What have we here? A meddling Andalite?>
Visser Three looks more closely at the Andalite's ship.
VISSER THREE
<Ah, but no ordinary Andalite warrior! Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, if I am not mistaken! An honor to meet you once again. You've become a legend since we last met. How many of my fighters have you shredded?>
The Andalite – Elfangor – doesn't answer. He just stares at Visser Three with hatred.
VISSER THREE
<The very last Andalite in this sector of space. Yes, I'm afraid your Dome Ship has been completely destroyed. I watched it burn as it fell into the atmosphere of this little world.>
ELFANGOR
<There will be others.>
The Visser takes a step closer to the Andalite.
VISSER THREE
<Yes, and by the time they come, it will be too late. This world will be mine. My own contribution to the Yeerk Empire, Our greatest conquest. And then I'll be Visser One.>
ELFANGOR
<What do you want with these Humans? You have your Taxxon allies. You have your Hork-Bajir slaves. And other slaves from other worlds. Why these people?>
Visser Three sneers with his eyes.
VISSER THREE
<Because they are a Class Five species! They are so many, and they are so weak! Billions of bodies! And they have no idea what's happening. With this many hosts we can spread throughout the universe, unstoppable! Billions of us! We'll have to build a thousand new Yeerk pools just to raise Yeerks for half this number of bodies! Face it, you have fought well and bravely. But you have lost.>
Visser Three steps right up to Elfangor. Struggling greatly, Elfangor climbs to his feet to challenge Visser Three head-on.
VISSER THREE
<I promise you one thing, Prince Elfangor - when we have this planet, with its rich harvest of bodies, we will finally move against the Andalite homeworld. I will personally hunt down your family. And I will personally oversee the placement of my most faithful lieutenants in their heads. I hope that they will resist, so I can hear their minds scream.>
Elfangor strikes. His tail whips up and over, so fast that we can hardly even see it. The Visser twists his head aside and Elfangor's tail blade misses the Visser's head by a bare half-inch, however it slices into his shoulder. Blue blood sprays from the wound and Visser Three howls in pain. At the same time, a blinding beam of blue light shoots from the tail of the Andalite ship and it slices into the nearest Bug Fighter and the Bug Fighter sizzles and disappears. Hork-Bajir and Taxxons scatter.
VISSER THREE
<Burn his ship!>
The night explodes in blinding light. Red beams fire from the Blade ship and the remaining Bug Fighter. The Andalite ship glows, and with a strange slowness, disintegrates. In the flash and glow of the beams, a small group of humans are visible in the shadows behind the Visser.
JAKE
(whispering)
Look! There are people over there.
MARCO
(whispering)
Maybe they're prisoners.
VISSER THREE
<Take the Andalite! Hold him for me.>
Three Hork-Bajir grab Elfangor and hold him down, keeping their wrist blades by his throat. Then Visser Three begins to morph. His Andalite head grows much larger. The four horse-like legs merge into two and then expanded, each leg becoming as big around as a redwood tree. The delicate Andalite arms sprout and become tentacles.
From behind their wall, Cassie shakes her head.
CASSIE
(whispering)
This isn't real...This isn't real...
In the hideously bloated head, a mouth appears, filled with teeth as long as an arm. The mouth grows wider and wider, becoming a monstrous, terrifying grin. There is nothing left of the Andalite body - a monster has taken its place. The monster lets out a long, loud, ground-shaking roar, and the teens have to cover their ears. Visser Three reaches out with one thick tentacle and grabs the Andalite by the neck.
CASSIE
(whispering)
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Rachel puts an arm around Cassie's shoulder and holds her tightly, turning her head away.
RACHEL
(whispering)
Don't look. baby.
Rachel looks around and sees tears streaming down Tobias' face. Without saying a word, she gently takes his hand in hers and squeezes it tightly as Visser Three lifts Elfangor straight up in the air, tearing him from the grasp of the Hork-Bajir.
Elfangor strikes again and again with his tail, but each strike is like a pinprick against such a creature. Visser Three holds the Andalite high in the air, and then he opens his mouth wide.
Jake jumps to his feet and snatches up a rusted pipe from the ground. He starts to climb over that wall.
JAKE
You filthy...
ELFANGOR
<No, young one!>
The Andalite's silent cry makes Jake hesitate. Marco grabs Jake's shirt and pulls him back quickly, and with Tobias' help, they hold him down. Rachel lets go of Cassie so she can put her hand over Jake's mouth just as he starts trying to scream and shout.
RACHEL
(whispering)
Shut up, you idiot! You're just going to get us all killed!
Cassie puts a gentle hand on Jake's cheek.
CASSIE
Jake, don't. He doesn't want you to die for him. Don't you realize? He's dying for us.
Jake gets an arm free and shoves Marco and Tobias away angrily, but then he calms down on his own. He peeks over the wall again, quickly joined by the others. Elfangor is helpless in the grasp of Visser Three. He's held high in the air and Visser Three opens his monstrous, gaping jaws.
Elfangor is then dropped into that open mouth and the mouth closes. The teeth rip the Andalite apart. The Hork-Bajir-Controllers begin making a
whuh-whuh-whuh sound, as if laughing. The Taxxon-Controllers rush forward and crowd around Visser Three, stretching up toward him. A piece of the Elfangor's body falls from the Visser's jaws and the nearest Taxxon greedily gobbles it up.
Tobias turns away and covers his face with his hands. Cassie and Jake now also have tears streaming from their eyes. Then the humans with the aliens begin laughing, showing that they are not prisoners but Human-Controllers. Visser Three morphs out of his monstrous form and slowly regains his Andalite body.
VISSER THREE
<Ahhh, nothing like a good Antarean Bogg morph for taking a bite out of your enemies.>
Again the Human-Controllers laugh and the Hork-Bajir-Controllers huff. Marco turns away and starts throwing up. The sound he makes doing so, catches the attention of the nearest Hork-Bajir. The snake head turns and Marco instantly freezes. The Hork-Bajir turns toward the teens and the nearsighted eyes aim directly at their hiding place. Without even thinking, all the teens jump up and are running away. A cry goes up from the Hork-Bajir.
JAKE
Split up! They can't follow all of us!
Marco and Tobias and Cassie take off in three different directions. Rachel keeps pace with Jake. The Hork-Bajir hesitates, unsure of who to chase.
JAKE
Rachel, we have to get them to follow us!
RACHEL
What!?
JAKE
We're the fastest. Tobias is totally out of shape, and Marco and Cassie are too short to be really fast. You're in gymnastics and I play sports.
Rachel nods and slows down just a little, and begins yelling and waving her arms as she turns back around.
RACHEL
Come on! Come on, you bastards!
The two nearest Hork-Bajir snap around and take off after Jake and Rachel.
HORK-BAJIR #1
Ghafrash! Here! Ghafrash fit! Enemy! Get!
HORK-BAJIR #2
Ghafrash fit nahar! I get! I kill!
Jake suddenly trips over some loose rocks and falls to the ground hard, with the wind knocked out of him. Rachel continues on, not even realizing her cousin fell. A spear of red light strikes a concrete pipe just beside Jake and the concrete vaporizes. The two Hork-Bajir running after them bound like devil kangaroos. Within seconds, Jake takes a huge breath of air and is up and running again. By this point, Rachel had seen what happened to Jake and turns, running back for him.
JAKE
Don't be an idiot! Run!
Rachel hesitates just a second, before she turns back around and runs away again. Jake spots a nearby entrance to one of the buildings that had almost been completed, but not quite; just bare concrete walls and scattered junk. There are hallways and little side rooms as well, like a small maze.
Jake rushes through the entrance and scurries across the first big room. He slows down and gropes in the dark until he finds a wall. The sound of claw-like feet - huge, tearing, rending claw feet - scraping over the bare concrete can be heard. A bottle goes skittering across the floor.
Jake finds a doorway in the darkness and goes through it, entering a hallway just as a tall, heavyset man in his mid-40's entered the room behind and turned on a bright flashlight. One of the two Hork-Bajir turns its head to look at the human.
HORK-BAJIR #1
Efnud to tell fallay nyot fit? Whatever order.
HUMAN
No. No need to capture them. Whoever you find, kill.
Jake stays hidden in the shadows of the hallway, but he tries to look back to see if he could see a face on the human.
HUMAN
Just save the head. Bring that to me and we can identify it.
Jake, giving up on trying to get a look at the human, turns and makes his way quickly down the hallway, sliding along the wall with the light from the flashlight just a few steps behind him. Jake slips into another room just off of the corridor as the flashlight beam sweeps over the area he had just been. As he backs up, his feet kick something soft.
VOICE
Hey!
Jake whips around and sees a homeless man laying on the floor under a dirty blanket.
HOMELESS MAN
Get outta here! This is my place, and I ain't got nothin' for you to steal.
JAKE
Shh, be qui...
Before Jake could finish, the flashlight beam shoots right by him, missing him by a mere centimeter, and lands directly on the homeless man. A Hork-Bajir steps into the dark room as Jake quickly sneaks out of a hole in the unfinished wall. Once back outside, Jake runs away as fast as he can, the blood-curdling scream of the homeless man echoing through the air.
*************
Commercial Break
*************
