Would you give up your DNA?

[Dameg]

I don't think the morphs age... Look at the fly morphs, for example. How long live a fly? One year? I don't really know, but not 3 years... and they took the fly DNA near the beginning and still use it later... 3 years later...
And even if the morphs age only when you're morphing them, David couldn't stay 24 hours a day in his morph. How many times by day he could morph before being tired, exhausted!? 4, maybe 5 times. Let's say 6. So he'd be in Jake's cousin's body during 12 hours a day, the half of time... and the morphs would grow up only half what a true body would. Then after 6 or 8 years, he'd grow only 3 or 4 years... long long years when you should morph everytime.

So yeah, David made a mistake ^^

[Liz]

I don't think the world would benefit very much from there being two of me, so the last option.

Haha, same.

And about the morphs aging, someone told me today that every time DNA replicates it loses some bits off the end.  When we are born we have some extra bits that don't code anything, but eventually our DNA degrades and we start to age.

Ah, I'm so bad at explaining this kind of thing, but I think it proves that the DNA you've acquired should age as well, but at a slower rate because you're only replicating it each time you morph.

[DinosaurNothlit]

I don't think the world would benefit very much from there being two of me, so the last option.

Haha, same.

And about the morphs aging, someone told me today that every time DNA replicates it loses some bits off the end.  When we are born we have some extra bits that don't code anything, but eventually our DNA degrades and we start to age.

Ah, I'm so bad at explaining this kind of thing, but I think it proves that the DNA you've acquired should age as well, but at a slower rate because you're only replicating it each time you morph.

That would explain why the fly morphs haven't died, then.  Even though they've had those morphs for three years, I bet if you added up all the time they've been in fly morph, it wouldn't add up to more than a couple days, maybe a week.  I'm sure flies live at least a week.

That brings up another question though.  Which is, what happens if you try to morph something that is past its 'expiration date'?

[agentAK]

I'm not sure. From a logical stand point, it should still work as DNA wouldn't change. But using that theory, the Animorphs could potentially acquire dinosaurs. They have clarified that they can't, so I'm just going to assume you can't acquire DNA from a creature that's dead.

As far as giving up my DNA, I'd have no problem with it. The only reason I would be hesitant at first is because if the yeerk that morphed you committed a crime, my DNA would be at the scene. Then I started thinking that if there could be people with identical DNA out there, police forensics would have to change. People I've talked to about this get worked up about someone out there having your face, and you being mistaken for the yeerk. All I can say to them is: I dated a twin. You get used to mistaking people who look alike and it becomes a non-issue.

[Dameg]

Mirienne, your explanation is good ^^ It works with the second theory I said: they don't age as quickly as true bodies. So David's idea wasn't good.

AgentAK, you also thought about that ^^ I thought about it but in a different way: when you have a twin nobody know, you can be in 2 places in the same time (useful for many things, even for crimes ).

[agentAK]

You see, I considered that as well. I don't think that just being seen or having your DNA somewhere would be a solid defense anymore, as anyone with morphing ability could have acquired you.

Also, I think that the government would want to regulate who's DNA is being used, so they know who they have doubles of.

[JFalcon]

I never thought David's was a good idea for exactly that reason, but I wondered why no one pointed it out, if he realized it wouldn't work he might have been less smug, more willing to be reasoned with.
But morphs aging at all, even slowly, that would mean that Tobias' human morph was also aging, but slowly . . . so it would have been less creepy for a 16 year old Rachel to be dating a 13 year old (human) Tobias . . . kind of takes the amusement out of the picture because I also wondered why nobody (outside their group) ever commented on it, I mean they were going to school dances together and everything 

You know I was thinking . . . I don't think Visser 3 would have been the only yeerk hoping for an Andalite body, but I doubt many (read as any) Andalites would give up their DNA, I mean Ax was kind of irate about a Yeerk touching him just to save his life, I don't see him letting any acquire him. What do you think happened to yeerks who didn't want to be human or hork-bajir, but instead wanted to be Andalites, or some other race that would have refused?

[DinosaurNothlit]

You know I was thinking . . . I don't think Visser 3 would have been the only yeerk hoping for an Andalite body, but I doubt many (read as any) Andalites would give up their DNA, I mean Ax was kind of irate about a Yeerk touching him just to save his life, I don't see him letting any acquire him. What do you think happened to yeerks who didn't want to be human or hork-bajir, but instead wanted to be Andalites, or some other race that would have refused?

Funny you should mention that.  I have a Yeerk character in one of my fanfics who did exactly that.  My story was that there are, in fact, unscrupulous Andalites (remember Samilin?) who might be convinced to let Yeerks acquire them.  But only for an extremely steep price, of course.  Hey, if you're going to be giving up your DNA, might as well get a little something in return, right?  And for a high enough price, you can convince just about anybody to do just about anything.

The ironic thing being, of course, that Yenlin (my character) hates Andalites with a burning passion, and only got himself stuck as one precisely because he knew it would piss off any Andalite that met him.

[JFalcon]

(remember Samilin?)

Ooh, I had not. Unscrupulous Andalites . . . I guess that should have occurred to me, well spotted 

[wildweathel]

Oh!  I remember something!  Maybe.   Doesn't Cassie or Rachel change tooth size when morphing? *starts searching*

Anyway, my experience may not directly correlate, since I'm a) using a different revision of the technology and b) also a lycanthrope. 

(Ha, ha, ha.  Skilfully retconned, no?)

[yunyun]

Of course I would! But except if the guy is a true friend I wanna keep as twin (and wanna be my twin ^^), he'd have to use the DNA-mixing.

Agreed. But also if I know the yeerk won't use my body to commit crimes, I'll be fine without the mixing thingy

[QIfry]

Now for me, I would think that my DNA would not be ideal because of my Crohn's condition. I mean, I don't know if auto-immune diseases would pass along from acquirree to acquirer because on BOTH sides of my family there are signs of IBS/IBD there. So I would think the morph would also carry it.

I mean, I doubt the Yeerk-humans would be given the same medical care like I get and whatnot. Unless that Yeerk REALLY wanted to live the rest of his/her life in my shoes...

[Blazing Angel]

As I looked over the smoking crater that used to be my house, gamestop, and a mcdonalds I'd say no. These things have personally wronged me. Unless their was a very specific scenario I would not give up my DNA.

[Noelle]

They would have to be on my side 100%.  Like Illim in Mr. Tidwell.  (Though this may sound crazy, I just couldn't for Aftran...I don't know why, its not logical, Aftran just rubs me the wrong way.)


And it would have to be a frolis maneuver.


Other than that...GO BACK TO THE TAXXON HOMEWORLD.  At least they wanted you there...gosh...


I mean...these people have to live in society with us...we better only pick the ones we KNOW are going to work out.   

[bsrb13]

i'd want the frolis maneuver to be done if i gave up my dna because of so many issues of shared dna. mistaken identity, crimes, blah blah. and i don't want to be put on a government watch list if they wanted to keep track of doubles. to hell with that...it's my dna to share if i please, it doesn't have to spread around or made known to everyone. plus that would make it too easy to be discriminated against. 'you're a yeerk? no you don't get this loan for a house!' or 'you helped the enemy? no we will not give you this job'

i can understand why no one would want to do it, the yeerks being our ultimate enemy and all, but i think it would be a wonderful thing because who knows how many yeerks are really peaceful, how many wanted the war to end, or to never start? how many might have been fighting because of a draft, or under the pains of torture and death and all that? i recall humans being punished for not fighting in wars, i can imagine that the yeerks might be the same way.

i think it would also go a long way to making a treaty and solving problems. we give them dna, they help us with spacey crap, help us colonize mars, the moon, get resources, blah blah.

also, it might help with organ/tissue/blood shortages...like maybe the yeerks can stay in morph after surrendering a lung or kidney or maybe a heart and remorphing to repair the damage. that sounds horribly morbid now that i've typed it out...i don't know how you'd go about remorphing after having your heart taken out...maybe if the yeerk is suicidal and willing to be a sacrifice?

boy i need sleep...

Noelle, you say we should pick the ones we know are going to work out...how do you know it will? you can't exactly pick out people to keep alive. we let all kinds of crazy people loose in the world, why would the yeerks in human morph be any worse?