Group Re-Read: #40 The Other

[Terenia]

Summary
Ax and the Animorphs have always believed he was the only non-infested Andalite on Earth. That he alone survived the terrible battle between his people and the Yeerks. Until Now. There were other survivors. Other Andalites. And they're here on Earth. Trying to keep a low profile. Trying to find a way to defeat Visser Three. Trying -- like Ax and the Animorphs -- to stay alive until help finally comes.


Questions
1) In this book we discover that Ax was not the only survivor of the battle that started everything. What do you think of the fact that it took 40 books (and presumably about two years) for the Ani's to discover Mertil and Gafinilan?

2) Why do you think that Marco took it upon himself to 'go it alone' so much in this book?

3) Gafinilan has a genetic disease that means he will die, and painfully. The only way out is to become a nothlit, but as of the time when this book takes place Mertil has chosen to endure the disease. Do you think this is honorable? Stupid?

4) Ax shows a powerful distaste for vecols, Andalites with disabilities. This seems to be an opinion that is not exclusive to Ax, but shared by most Andalites. What does this say about Andalites and Andalite culture in general?

5) What do you think happened to Mertil and Gafinilan?

Next book: Megamorphs #4 Back to Before

[Chad32]

It's Gafinilan that has the disease.

Andalites are all about honor, and becoming a nothlit to escape the disease could be considered simply running away from a problem.

As far as racism and discrimination goes, I think it's pretty recent for people to treat others equally instead of judging them by looks or whatever. Andalites may be too focused on the war to have their period of enlightenment.

Gafinilan probably died quietly, and Mertil hopefully moved in with Marco. But since they aren't mentioned again, I can only hope Mertil found a content life after his shorm died.

I don't know why it took so long for the Anis to find them, or why Marco went in alone so often.

[Terenia]

Whoops, sorry. I always mix them up for some reason... >_> Fixed.

[AniDragon]

You know, first time I read this book, I didn't really care for it much, but now it really strikes me for some reason. Maybe after having lost a loved one to cancer, I can identify more with Mertil. (Since the illness Gafinilan had seemed very similar to cancer, since it was genetic)

And you do actually see a lot of cancer patients refuse treatment, so the fact that Gafinilan refused to become a nothlit to save his own life is actually quite understandable. He's accepted his eventual death, and just wants to be left alone with his shrom/best friend/soulmate/whatever for his last few days.

[anijen21]

1) In this book we discover that Ax was not the only survivor of the battle that started everything. What do you think of the fact that it took 40 books (and presumably about two years) for the Ani's to discover Mertil and Gafinilan?

ONE REASON:

Anifan: Could there be more Andalites on Earth that could help the Animorphs?
K.A.A.: Actually, that's an interesting idea. Maybe someone besides Ax survived the destruction of the Dome Ship. Hmmm.

I could think of an in-story reason, but you know what? This is too perfect/cynical for me to pass up. I kind of want to go through all the old "Ask KA"s from back in the day now and see what other fan questions inspired plots.

2) Why do you think that Marco took it upon himself to 'go it alone' so much in this book?

Because...he was narrating? Actually, I thought that aspect of it was kind of random. It would have made sense if Marco had dealt with someone in his life who had had a disability, if there was any level of it being personal to him at all, but for the most part it just seemed to be Marco because Marco was the window through which we were viewing this book, you know? It could have been any of them. If I had to pick who it should have been...I think it might have been interesting to see this whole story told from Tobias' perspectives. I would say Cassie, but she would have just been indignant/unapproachable and then done something really radical and potentially deadly that would have worked out fine.

3) Gafinilan has a genetic disease that means he will die, and painfully. The only way out is to become a nothlit, but as of the time when this book takes place Mertil has chosen to endure the disease. Do you think this is honorable? Stupid?

If any thing, I think it's Andalite. A symptom of being a social animal, sometimes you're restricted by taboos like honor or dignity. Same weird reason we're not allowed to buy organs from people, it has to be "donated," you know? Something about that strikes people as inappropriate, so people die rather than get the treatment they could potentially afford. I think it was in-character, if anything. Andalites do a lot of stupid stuff. Then again, so do humans.

4) Ax shows a powerful distaste for vecols, Andalites with disabilities. This seems to be an opinion that is not exclusive to Ax, but shared by most Andalites. What does this say about Andalites and Andalite culture in general?

I'm pretty much just repeating what other, smarter people have said before me, but based on their culture and evolution it actually seems like a really appropriate reaction. Back in the day, Andalites were herd animals, and herd animals stick together because they have to move together. One old, injured, or crippled member of the herd is going to slow them down. So back before morals and consciences and judgment and technology, that member would be left behind with nary a second glance, but now, with accountability and society, there has to be a more appropriate consequence to slowing down the herd. That is social pariahism. The incentive to not doing something in social settings is that others will think it's disgusting or unacceptable. Of course it's abominably unfair and bigoted, but then again...so are humans.

5) What do you think happened to Mertil and Gafinilan?

I think it's pretty clear Gafinilan died, though whether or not it was before the end of the series is up to debate. These are just two of the secondary characters I'm upset we never heard from again. There was a whole cast of these that could have offered assistance in various things, the kinds of one-shot characters that become recurring when you get a long series like this. Like Q in Star Trek, who was probably just meant to be featured in the pilot and never heard from again, or Badger in Firefly. I would have loved to see them developed a little more, if only to fuel my obsession with this ship. They were really sweet...until their sweetness turned into a deus ex machina at the end to help the team find Mertil. That was just disgustingly convenient.

[Chad32]

You know, I'm not sure why this was a Marco book, instead of a Tobias or Ax book. Seems like it should have been one of them thta narrated. But I guess sometimes these story ideas come up, and get put in the hands of whoever is coming up next instead of waiting for someone better. It was Marco's turn next when that idea came up, so he narrated.

[dolphin4077]

1.  I agree with Anijen that it was probably a fan motivated thing.  I have to give Applegate & Scholastic credit for listening and putting in fan requests.  The only problem was that whenever a fan request was granted, it never turned out the way I wanted.

2. I agree with everyone who said it would've been interesting to have Ax or Tobias narrate.  I definitely would've loved to have known Tobias' thoughts on the whole you can't go nothlit to save your life.  However, a very interesting aspect of Marco came out during this book.  Cynical, ruthless Marco cares.  Too often the books highlight the Animorphs' negative changes.  This was one of those times we see a positive personality trait the war hasn't tainted or possibly made even better.  So I think Marco "going at it alone" a lot was his way of protecting the others, especially Jake.  And this was an appropriate time to bring that up in because a major theme in this book was how far would you go to protect your best friend.

3.  I remember reading in a Chuck Palahniuk book that an involuntary sex change operation would be the worse form of mutilation.  I think there's a huge difference between a Taxxon who becomes a nothlit to stop being a Taxxon and an Andalite who goes nothlit because of a life threatening disease.  I think it comes down to a choice of what you value more, your life or your identity. 

4.  Pretty much what everyone else said.  But this does make me wonder about Andalite prosthetic technology.  I wonder if this is the one area of science that humans might be more advanced in because it seems like a taboo area for Anadalites. 

5.  I wished there more definite answers because I liked them.  Gafinilan more than likely died.  If Mertil survived, I hoped Marco kept his promise.

[RYTX]

Short answer: 1)Ridiculous but acceptable
2) No idea
3) Totally understandable imo, do what you have to to stay alive, that's what I aim for in life
4)See below
5) Agree with dolphin, but so sad. Poor everyone involved
And now....Other)
Lumping a bunch of answers into this; somehow it's this book that makes me think of the overall degregation of the Andalite race.
Think about it; we start out with Elfangor: he comes in, dies for us, is all loving and good and we adore him, we find out later he's not really all perfect but still he's the overarcing good guy....Then we get Ax and he's got a few character flaws, but still a good guy, good solider, but he starts showing that, obviously Andalites have some dark history, espcieally in some individuals like Alloran.
Then you enter in the traditor in 18 and the fact that even though they need and accept human help, Andalites still keep talking about people as inferior and failing to return the help, and andalites on the whole are getting harder and harder to like.
Now here we throw in btw Andalites hate cripples and I start saying really, wtf? Couple this with the quarentine at the end and it's I have to ask, why do the Andalites suck so much
I mean I'm sure a part of it is making it more complex, no ones all good, reflection on historical human ideals blah blah blah
But by this point the Andalites have gone from being deities to being the antithesis to everything seasame st. told you was good. For me all this just makes it easier to dislike the Andalites a lot more than Yeerks in several ways

[AniDragon]

I think that that's half the point, though. At the start, the books were all about "Waiting for the Andalites to save us", and by the end, it really had to become "You know what? Screw you, Andalites, we're going to save OURSELVES." And that might have been harder to transition to if the Andalites really had been as good and wonderful as everyone would assume from meeting Elfangor.

[Serraph105]

I think that that's half the point, though. At the start, the books were all about "Waiting for the Andalites to save us", and by the end, it really had to become "You know what? Screw you, Andalites, we're going to save OURSELVES." And that might have been harder to transition to if the Andalites really had been as good and wonderful as everyone would assume from meeting Elfangor.

good point, actually great point. The Animorphs really did come full circle as they grew up they realised that there was not this entire species of idealized angelic morals (ok maybe the Chee but they died before anyone met them). Instead they had randomly met a single part of the species who had been through enough hell to realise that you can't always follow orders and law all the time. Instead Elfangor understood you have to make your own decisions so that what is good and honerable might be achieved.

At first The Animorphs when they were much younger thought there were no shades of gray in the Andalites, but as they grew up and experienced more of them they realised that every shade of gray existed in that species just as much as it did in humans. Strangely enough it was Ax (a member of the Andalights) that was the last of the Animorphs to come to terms with  the fact that the Andalights were not always perfect and wonderful.

[Gafrash]

1) In this book we discover that Ax was not the only survivor of the battle that started everything. What do you think of the fact that it took 40 books (and presumably about two years) for the Ani's to discover Mertil and Gafinilan?

Yeah, it's kind of a retarded effect, since many wondered if Ax was the only one. Even Elfangor had made it to the Troposphere. I guess, this is the kind of story we had all thought of, but KA opted to keep it on the back of her head until the series progressed. It would have been a bit overshadowing to have Ax show up in #4 and then #14 have some more Andalites strolling around with the protagonists.
For the Anis to have taken that long to discover the two, we can only assume that Gafinilan and Mertil were both fully-trained Andalite warriors that were resourceful in keeping their status occult.
I am failing to remember exactly how the Yeerks got to Mertil, though...

2) Why do you think that Marco took it upon himself to 'go it alone' so much in this book?

I am not sure about the question here.
I think Marco cared, more than he would admit, about the situation of the two Andalites. But no more than the others, I presume. I recall the final scene with Marco jumping through the carriages to save Mertil. But all the Anis were also there.

3) Gafinilan has a genetic disease that means he will die, and painfully. The only way out is to become a nothlit, but as of the time when this book takes place Mertil has chosen to endure the disease. Do you think this is honorable? Stupid?

Given that Gafinilan isn't a human (like say, Tobias), but a fully-trained Andalite warrior, adding this to his rock-solid tough personality, I think honor had a lot to do with it. I think this 'alien' factor adds an unknown element in the subject of conduct.

4) Ax shows a powerful distaste for vecols, Andalites with disabilities. This seems to be an opinion that is not exclusive to Ax, but shared by most Andalites. What does this say about Andalites and Andalite culture in general?

I saw this as a breaking-glass point in the Andalite culture. Shameful and contradictory for the species that calls themselves decent and advanced. Comparable to the Yeerks, how they don't even bother with bodies that have incurable diseases or disabilities.
And it is certainly not unlike humans, as many noted here. But this makes them more realistic, I think, it highlights the flaws that EVERY culture has, and it shows that even highly advanced species aren't culturally tainted.

5) What do you think happened to Mertil and Gafinilan?

I like to think that, though Gafinilan wouldn't have made it till the end of the war to return to his homeworld and get treatment for his genetic disease, Mertil would have given his shorm the proper care until the time of his death. And post-war, Mertil would have returned to his homeworld and become somewhat a hermit.
I actually connected really well with the two characters, but found it too coincidental to have THE ONLY TWO other Andalite survivors have some condition that incapacitated their help in the war.

I think that that's half the point, though. At the start, the books were all about "Waiting for the Andalites to save us", and by the end, it really had to become "You know what? Screw you, Andalites, we're going to save OURSELVES." And that might have been harder to transition to if the Andalites really had been as good and wonderful as everyone would assume from meeting Elfangor.

I really like this point, too.
The Anis definitely turned more pro-active once this dawned in them. Employing more guerrilla-like tactics in their missions, they filled up their respective group roles more and more as the series carried on. Even as the Yeerks turned up the heat, the Anis were kinda always meeting the match, if not for the previous experiences earlier in the series.

[throwaway_gull]

I'm just going to chime in on the Anadalites' distake for vecols. Caring for those unable to care for themselves is in fact one of the basics of defining a human civilization.  The long war with the Yeerks could have made the Anadalite's so utlitility driven that they have lost parts of themselves.

My real question is why did one of the Animorphs not acquire Mertil? That way is they had to morph an Andalite around Ax it wouldn't have been obvious. Of course, if Mertil was allegric to the morphing technology, would that allergy be in his DNA?

[Kitulean]

Probably that whole aversion to morphing sentient creatures. Which I thought personally was BS and they should have gotten over it by the end of the series. Morphing into someone's shape is NOT the same as taking them over the way a yeerk does, no matter how much Cassie tried to act like it was.

[Chad32]

The allergy may have been in his DNA, and the Anis may have just not thought about it. There are multiple times in the series where the anis could do something useful, but just didn't think about it. Like morphing distance fliers early in the series, or use the Chee to pose as them while they're off on missions starting in book 11 instead of book 25. It just doesn't cross their minds until later. If ever.

[Kitulean]

Them not morphing distance flyers for so long when they constantly complained about not having distance flyers was so ridiculous.