Our Summer Vacation...

[radgeek]

"A long vacation away from the pool would be deadly.  So everyone on the ship is fine.  Good to know that the enemy isn't there and we have some time to prepare before heading to the battlefield.

[Josh (J)]

"So, all we gotta do is watch them?" Chad said. But then he realized that that was much easier said than done. "You know, Tarry, our case is almost hopeless. The Yeerks are everywhere, we don't know who'll be against us, and all we have is the ability to become an animal! Doesn't sound like a lot to me." He ran a hand through his hair.

[radgeek]

"But its more than we had before.  I mean we might not be able to do much damage but a lest we can protect our families."

[Josh (J)]

"Wait. Are we going to tell our family?" Chad fiddled with his pockets. "I don't know if that'd be a good idea. Well, except for my dad, the others could be...you know, on the bad side."

[warren_bearclaw]

Yeah, like your mother, Sean thought jokingly. He didn't hate his Ex, but still.... Out loud, he said, "You're right. We can't trust anybody unless we know, without a doubt, that they aren't Controllers... That is what you called them, right?" This was a lot of new stuff for Sean to take in all at once... he wasn't as young as he once was.

Brian looked suddenly distraught. He hadn't considered that yet. "We can't even tell the police, or the National Guard, or anyone, period. How in the world are we ever going to stop them, or even slow them down? We come from a big town Tarry; how are we supposed to know if the Yeerks are even there?" He thought about his own mother, and his little brother. What if....

<If it truly is a big town, as you say, then it would be the perfect place for the Yeerks to take. So many people, so close together...> Tarry let that hang in the air.

"That wasn't what I wanted to hear..." Brian said with a low voice and a slump in his shoulders.

[radgeek]

Josefina had a terrible thought of Miriam, her father new wife, as a controller luring him to Texas just to infest him.  The very idea made her sick.  Thankfully she remembered that they had a long honeymoon.  "Ok, I'll make it look nothing has happened to me or changed me.  But if my father is safer going back to Lunenberg..."  She didn't want to cry because it might make her seem week in Tarry's eyes.  But her eyes noticeably clouded as she brought the sail up all the way.

[Josh (J)]

Chad gave a little sigh. He didn't want to say it out loud, but he was scared. His stomach ached, but he didn't want to say it. He looked at Jo and gave a small frown. She obviously didn't look well. Who would?

[warren_bearclaw]

The group came within sight of the main island and the boat dock. Brian was confused... He knew that they had to do something about this, but what? You don't get to be the first humans to make contact with an alien (well, without being made a puppet) and just forget about it. It seemed hopeless! Houston was huge. How would they ever find the Yeerks, assuming that they were even there? Tarry seemed to think so.... And even assuming that they did ever find them, what would they do? How do you stop an alien invasion? They never covered that in Emergency Preparedness*. Brian looked at the blue cube that had changed him. He looked at Tarry, the red-blue-and-yellow bird who came from outer space, who'd brought it and a warning with him.

"...You're coming with us, aren't you?" He suddenly realized. It was too far for the macaw to fly back now. Obviously, he knew that.

<Of course. It is my mission.>

"That might be more difficult than you hoped, though. It's illegal in our country to bring foreign animals back from other countries. I mean, you'd be able to hide on the boat till we get back to shore, I guess, but it'll be difficult once we get there."


(((*Emergency Prep is a common merit badge in Scouts)))

[radgeek]

Josefina look at the others "He can fly past customs.  That cube can't.  Would any controllers be customs agents and would they be looking for this box?"

[Unknown User]

It had been one standard human week since the human govenor was taken, now things could begin in ernest. Ultor was in his office doing paperwork; not surprisingly, being in charge of an invasion required filling out reports. Lots of reports. Ultor tossed his pen on the desk and got to his feet. <The mighty yeerk conquror bored by the invasion?>
     Ultor laughed sarcastically, <Not bored human, not bored at all.> In fact the invasion of the state had been picking up steam; instead of infesting 10 or twenty people a month they were now doing that in three weeks time. More and more resources were being allocated to his sector as well. The sub-visser left his office entered the larger complex, whistling for the new pair of Hork-bajir gaurds he had set aside for his own protection. "We must go to the surface, you will go with me as far as the parking area.
     The tree set off towards the underground parking garage, it was about a miles walk and the new transport system had not yet been extended to that part of the complex. After a half mile journey the tunnel became narrower and rougher and the drip, drip, drip, of water could be heard.
    The attack began with a scream; the first hork-bajir threw himself from a well disguised side passage and with a grunt nailed the larger of the sub-Vissers two bodygaurds in the stomach with his clawed foot. Three more attackers poured from passages sourounding the victims. The confusion grew intense as the battle began. Ultor heard snarls of rage as Hork-bajir battled haork-bajir. The sub-visser watched as his wounded gaurd slashed the throat of an attacker while holding his stomach together. His other bodygaurd when down in a heap when head blades were rammed into his chest. Suddenly, sub-visser twelve remembered his dracon.
    He missed his first shot, the beam narrowly grazing the shoulder of an attacker and charring it. His second shot hit an attacker in the chest and disinigrated most of his upper torso. Apparently nobody else brought a weapon because in what seemed like seconds he was alone. Surounded by two dead bodygaurds and three dead foes.
   Ultor could feel his host give a mental sigh of relief, it was over. <That was close w->
   Ultor slammed the mental walls up, cutting the man off as he ran the rest of the way to the parking garage. The car was waiting for him and he could hear the blaring of horns above him as he got in. "Take me to Futuristics headquaters, Make it quick." The car pulled out of the garage and onto the street with a squeal of it's tires. The sub-visser pulled out his cell phone and dialed Regalis; his second in command. "Don't let me forget to demolish the northeastern tunnel when I return, we have a traitor in our midst." 

[radgeek]

The last wave of people from the ship had been checked.  Now their was that wait between ships.
"I'll have lunch on the peer," she said as she left the room.
She did not talk to anyone much these days, so eating away from others was normal now.  As she eat a Coast Guard helicopter buzzed over head.  If only that was me up there.

[Josh (J)]

OOC: So, right now we're waiting to board the cruise ship to go back home, right?

[radgeek]

Jo got dresses in a lime short sleeved, collared shirt, and a mid-calf skirt with lime and sky blue flowers with white sandals and went to the mess hall for breakfast.  Just a dream, she tolled herself.  Yesterday was just a dream.  She looked around for the others.
Olivia was eating cereal.

[warren_bearclaw]

The group hadn't talked much after reaching the boat rental place. It had been a relatively short walk through the late evening to the cruise ship, and the four mostly went their own ways on board.

Brian woke up groggily in the morning. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and walked (or stumbled rather) from his room to the bathroom. After washing his face, something caught his eye in the mirror. He rubbed his eyes again as his heart began to race. Brian found himself staring at a small, hard beak. In reaction, he reached up to wipe it away, sure that it was an image on his head. To his dismay, he raised red pincers to his cheeks. A loud noise was adding to his panic; it was his own screaming voice....

"AAAUuuuuugh!" Brian shot straight up in his bunk, and hit his head on the bunk above. He whimpered at the pain as his breathing slowed. He was still in his cabin on-ship. He fell back on the bed....

After a fitful night, it was hard for Sean to will himself to get ready for the day. He really just wanted to stay inside the cabin (or better yet, lock himself in the bathroom). As he entered the mess hall, he spotted Brian, bent over his tray at a table in the far corner. Josefina was just entering from the other side of the room. She looked very jittery... big surprise there. Sean couldn't see Chad anywhere. Maybe he actually had locked himself in the bathroom. After loosing your entire skeletal system, growing four new limbs, and becoming a crab, breakfast probably wouldn't be too interesting.

[radgeek]

Jo saw Mr. Black but got her food first.  Apples, bananas, eggs, cold CRAB LEGS!  "No thanks I'm a vegetarian."  She followed it with a quite, "now."