Book #33

[esplin]

Just Tobias' luck to be tortured to the edge of death by some crazy yeerk right?

But the visions he saw of Elfangor's life were accurate, atleast the ones that we saw before this event, the part with the taxxon battle from the ACs was mentioned.

But Utzum is described by Ax as being memories passed down by DNA, so unless small amounts of DNA are left behind when one becomes a nothlit how did Tobias, in his hawk morph, have any DNA left over from Elfangor?

Unless of course things happended that we didnt really see when the Ellimist let him accuire himself.

[Chad32]

He aquired his own DNA, so any memories that might pass through DNA might also be taken when someone gets aquired.

[esplin]

but some of these memories from elfangor were after he left earth, so how could he have gotten those?

[Chad32]

but some of these memories from elfangor were after he left earth, so how could he have gotten those?

Maybe it happened when he touched Tobias in the first book. It's a mystery, and could possibly be a plot hole. That's all I can say.

[esplin]

thats good though, he did send tobias that information, maybe being his father some cosmic stuff happended and he got a little more then just plain information

[wolfev]

No I think I figured it out. See Tobias acquired Ax. Elfangor then did this whole mystical beyond the grave thing were since Tobias had Ax's DNA and therefore part of Elfangor's DNA Elfangor could send his memories to him.

What I'm more concerned about was that this book really started to get into SM kinda stuff with Tobias feeling both pain and pleasure.

[esplin]

yeah KA really made the torture thing extreme, in a childrens book after all.
im sure people will say ITS REALISTIC IN WAR DOOD lol
but yeah thats another good point when he accuired ax he could have gotten alot of DNA memories

[CounterInstinct]

Utzum is not "scientific" itself, according to Ax. It's just Andalite superstition. I guess it's just like in old war movies where before people die, they get a flashback of things... LOL. Maybe its just supernatural the way Rachel never gets dirty even when treading a swamp.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Must be Andalite myth, because memory has nothing to do with DNA. Memory, I think, is based on an individuals own preceptions and thief results.

     I may look like my mother, but I didn't inherit the memory of her first birthday. It doesn't work like that.

     Maybe the Ellimist did it. Sort of his way of saying, "sorry for f***king with you for fifteen years; here's a few memories of your father's past"

[roguebluejay]

I am not totally sure what we're talking about (haven't read 33 in AGES).

This is a long shot, but could these in fact be residual memories from the memory dump Tobias got in book 1? I like to think there was far, far more information there than tobias ever realised, and he never tells Ax that he got it, nor is it ever mentioned again.

[MoppingBear]

     Must be Andalite myth, because memory has nothing to do with DNA.

Clearly how it works in the real word, not necessarily how it works in the Animorphs world.  Or perhaps something more then DNA is passed on?  Or the morphing process doesn't change 100% of DNA.

[NateSean]

This is a long shot, but could these in fact be residual memories from the memory dump Tobias got in book 1?

Good call. Although Applegate didn't have the whole universe figured out at that time, (In book six, she refers to Sub Vissers as "Under" Vissers) so this is pretty much just us filling in the blanks. Elfangor was able to "show" Tobias what a Yeerk Pool and a Kandrona were. So it's reasonable to think he sho/wed him other things as well.

[yunyun]

i had to read the book like 5 times before i got it and a random theory
you know like in the end elfangor speaks to Tobias in the andalite world
maybe that's like the world after death and elfangor welcomes him their with some of his memories and talks to him
that's my theory but then how would Ax know about the tail blade on the forehead thing?So if that was Elfangor's memories then how would Ax know about the blade on the forehead thing?also maybe when the andalite pressed the tail blade on Tobias's forehead that gave the memories

[NateSean]

If I recall correctly, Tobias explained that bit before Ax got so stunned he dropped the kite.

So if that was Elfangor's memories then how would Ax know about the blade on the forehead thing?

I believe the tail blade bit was a part of Andalite mythology. But because Tobias still didn't know all about his heritage, it surprised Ax that Tobias would describe that aspect of the myth.

[songofsuzanna]

i had to read the book like 5 times before i got it and a random theory
you know like in the end elfangor speaks to Tobias in the andalite world
maybe that's like the world after death and elfangor welcomes him their with some of his memories and talks to him
that's my theory but then how would Ax know about the tail blade on the forehead thing?So if that was Elfangor's memories then how would Ax know about the blade on the forehead thing?also maybe when the andalite pressed the tail blade on Tobias's forehead that gave the memories

I saw it as a near-death experience, as well, and the fact that Tobias was able to talk about that part of a myth he wasn't supposed to know anything about could have been the beginning of Ax having a sort of "crisis of faith" as far as science goes.  A kind of him wondering if there is "more to Heaven and Earth" than what can be quantified.  But I don't think Applegate went anywhere with that?  In fact, did Ax's character change or develop at all?