Our Summer Vacation...

[KitsuneMarie]

Surprisingly, it was easy enough for Kristin to acquire the pelican. Withholding three fish from the elephant seals' meal, she waited for the crowd that watched them eat to disperse before sneaking into the hidden back door of their habitat. Keeping behind the faux rocks to remain out of sight, she emerged in the back corner of the habitat, where two pelicans who shared the space were standing, staring vacantly towards the water.

When they caught sight of Kristin, they moved towards her immediately; they knew what this meant: meal time. She tossed a fish towards each of them and then held out the third, waiting for one of the birds to come close enough to touch it. The arrangement seemed to work out well: the pelican got a fish in exchange for DNA. Kristin was back in the employee hallways behind the exhibit only a minute or two after she had gone in.

[radgeek]

(((I have other plans for Jo.  Olivia is tagging along with y'all.)))

As people left, Jaza feared how Ultor would display his wrath.
<<You should have said you know where she isn't,>> Merlin said.
<<I don't think that would have dome any good,>> Jazar answered his host.

Apparently the twitchy squirrel mind can be scared still.  Olivia crawled under the van and wrapped herself around a hot pipe.  I'm going to die!

Wait, you can't go.  Jo knew that Sam wouldn't hop into a car that had no family in it.  She started to look for Olivia.  <<Olivia, Olivia.>>

[warren_bearclaw]

Shawn and Brian's group spread out, and began walking in a pattern. Soon, it started to sprinkle, but only lightly. Brian chided himself for not having any rain gear with him. But he didn't need it too much so far....

"Hey! There's a little building over here!" Someone to his right shouted. "Let's check it out!"

"Come on," Brian said to Shawn as he jogged over. He knew it wouldn't have Jo inside, but still. It was kinda... exciting?
As Sean walked through the aisles, pushing his squeaky cart full of canned foods, frozen dinners, and produce, he tried to not worry too much about what was happening. He really should be there with the others.... But he couldn't go, it wouldn't be safe, or smart. So he decided to distract himself. Sean tuned in to the radio that played over the supermarket's speakers. It was a song he liked, so he sang along.

If you leave me, I won't miss you,
And I won't ever take you back.
Girl, your mem’ry won't ever haunt me
'Cause I don't love you, and now if you'll buy that.

I got some ocean front property in Arizona.
From my front porch you can see the sea.
I got some ocean front property in Arizona.
If you'll buy that, I'll throw the golden gate in free.

[radgeek]

<Brian,> Olivia said.  <Don't look up but I'm in the brach above your head.  Where is Jo?>  She would have faceplamed herself if her arms were long enough.  <Don't answer that.  I mean, if you can answer but...>  This was not as easy as she thought it would be.
Jo went back to the car to find Olivia's clothes in the back seat.  If she morphed then where is she?  She sniffed the ground.  Squirrel.  She could be anywhere hiding.  Maybe I should spy on the Yeerks.  But it was nothing more than an excuse to spend time with her family again.

[Unknown User]

"This is pointless," Ultor snarled when he had Jazars attention again. "I made you head of this operation, perhaps you don't fully understand the gravity of this operation. "There are morph capable humans running around. So far, they have not done any serious damage, but if the andalite bandits that just raided the main complex in califronia  are any indication, these humans have the potential to destroy the entire operation. Our glorious Visser put me in charge of taking this area for the empire, and I don't fail." This last part was spoken through clenched teeth. "This means, by extension, that YOU don't fail, Merlin. All I See is Failure. Stop wasting time with pointless searches and FIND THIS GIRL. I don't care if the humans get suspicious. I don't care if you blow your cover to some family friend. These morph capable humans are more important than all that."
   Ultor took several steps away from Merlin/Jazar to clear his head, he took several deep breaths and then returned to Jazar. "If you don't have somthing to show for your effort by the end of the week, I'm going to be looking for someone else to lead this operation. When that happens, you won't have to worry about anything anymore, because you and all the yeerks that inhabit the humans that make up this little family will be dead. I will personally handle the execution of every single one of you. Do you understand?"

[radgeek]

"...I will personally handle the execution of every single one of you. Do you understand?"
No, not dad.  Jo was outside the barn door when she heard the man's threat.  She trotted over to an area outside the barn where she didn't expect to be found.  <Don't touch my dad,> she said.
<<Believe me now Lauence?>> Wnitium said.

[Josh (J)]

Laurence literally sat up--if that was possible--inside himself. His mind whirled. Where is Jo? What was she doing? <<Jo?>> he half-said, half-screamed. <<Jo! Where are you?!>> To Wintium, he snarled, <<Let me go now!>> Knowing that the slug wouldn't, he struggled, fighting for control over the body that had once been his. The mental battle lasted only a few seconds, and there was just a taste of victory, as he was able to open his mouth by himself! "J--" was the only thing he was barely able to form, before suddenly it was as though the door was shut and he was thrown away. He had lost the momentary control that he had. <<Jo! Jo!!>> he kept saying over and over and over and over...

[Unknown User]

"I heard that" crowed Ultor, he no longer cared about his cover, there were only a few people left in the barn anyway, the rest had gone out to search. "Gun. Now." Ultor snapped at The Man holding his hand out to the bodygaurd who protected him. The Man pulled a human 9mm pistol out of his coat (the weapon he always carried when he and the sub-visser where in public) and handed it to Ultor. In two quick strides Ultor had the gun to Laurences head. "Come out NOW! I will execute your father here in this barn I swear it. I will kill him and take everyone else." Ultor ****ed the gun. Several people in the barn were panicing now, making there way for the exit. "Jazar, Sandresh, stop the humans from leaving, no one gets out."

[radgeek]

Jazar and Merlin let out a collective sigh.  As long as the gun was pointed at Wintium he was safe.  Merlin had never been so happy to hear his step-sisters "voice."
Jo hadn't anticipated this.  She bit her changing lip.  Her Sam morph was too important for the Yeerks to discover.  With her last thought-speak she said, <If you kill him I will run some place that you won't fine me.  We could take this opportunity to negotiate.>
Sandresh didn't want Laurence to die.  He made her life as a Miriam's Yeerk bearable.
<<You've grown to like him,>> Miriam said sounding a little confused.
As she followed Ultor's orders she said something she never thought she would say.  <<I won't let him die.>>
A controller took Brian gently by the arm.  "We have infested everyone here 'sept Shaun.  We need you to do that since he trusts your host."  He had seen Kildor take Brian to the back of the barn and made the assumption that he was now a Yeerk.  He handed Brian a Yeerk in a zip lock bag.

[warren_bearclaw]

Brian tensed when his arm was grabbed. He forced himself to remain calm though that was nearly impossible when he learned what was expected from him. They... they thought he was infested? That must have been what was supposed to happen, before that guy had pulled him aside with his 'dinner invitation'. That guy had saved his life. But now, here he was being handed a sandwich bag with a small, gray-green slug about two inches long or so. It ... was so tiny. It didn't seem much different than a snail without a snail, something that you might accidentally squish between your toes. Yet it made him afraid. Stone-faced, he looked up and replied, "Don't worry. I'll handle him." Brain made a show of carefully putting the plastic-wrapped yeerk under his shirt - he shuddered when it touched his skin - and went over to Shawn. They weren't quite to the shed yet, which was good. What if all of the other Controllers there decided to 'help' him? While the others clustered in and in front of the shack, he spoke to Shawn. "Hey man, I've got something to show you. C'mon over this way..." he hoped that Shawn wasn't too interested in the shack after all....

[Unknown User]

OoC: See! Kildor has your back bear. 

BiC: "If you run, I will kill him. I believe you humans call this a stand-off." Ultor said, completely tossing his cover as Edward aside. "What did you have in mind? I am only open for negotiation for the next fifteen seconds, after that I will destroy your father."
   <This will never work, she isn't going to give herself up. We did this at her house already remember?> Ultor snarled inwardly at his host and motioned to Kildor.
  "Get any available men and have them begin looking for the girl. Now." Ultor watched as kildor 'hustled off to do his bidding.'
 ------
Kildor went outside and motioned to two men standing by the Sub-vissers car, "Your with me, one of the morphers are here." Kildor led the others in the opposite direction of where he thought the girl must be.

[radgeek]

Jo didn't have thought-speak back yet so she couldn't answer without giving away her position.  But her antlers were growing at a fast pace and her legs and arms were becoming long and thin.
Olivia heard the exchange between Brian and the controller.  <You're not a controller are you?> she asked tentatively.  <Not that I'll trust any answer you give me right now.>  She spoke to Tarry privately.  <Tarry, I can't find Jo and I think Brian has been made into a controller.>

[Unknown User]

"Oh Josefina," Ultor shouted, "If your not going to talk with me, I tthink I'll take it out on daddy." Moving the gun from Laurence's temple, he pointed it down at the man's foot and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot was like a cannon in the enclosed space of the barn. A neat red hole appeared in Laurences foot and the bullet riddled appendage started bleeding profusely. The Man, Ultor's Second bodygaurd, caught Laurence/wintium as he fell. Laurences screams filled the barn.
  "I have decided that I'm going to shoot your dad in every appendage he posses before killing him. I rather enjoy a bit of torture every now and again." A mad glee filled the sub-visser's eyes and he was breathing heavily. "You have five seconds to answer before I put the next bullet in his knee and work my way up."

[radgeek]

She would have cried out at the sound of the gun shot if she was still human.  Instead a low groan was let out giving a small clue to what she was becoming.  <Hold your fire.  I'm coming in.>  By the time she could be seen by those in the barn she was fully moose.
Sandresh ran to Laurence.  She let out a tear of her own for his pain.

[Unknown User]

For a moment Ultor was about to call Sandresh foul names for her love of humans but then he noticed the moose. Ultor started clapping sarcastically. "Ah, what an animal! My men said you had been to the zoo. Do a little shopping did you? Pick up a few things?" Ultor pointed the gun at the moose's massive head. "I am no expert on hunting earth animals, but I assume this will harm your moose at least a little."
  Ultor and The Man shared a look and understanding seemed to pass between them; the loyal bodygaurd pulled Laurence to his feet and pulled a switchblade from an interior pocket. The Man put the knife to Laurences throat.
  "I got this one boss," The man said with a smirk.
  "Jazar," Ultor snapped without taking his eyes off of Jo, "Do you have a dracon with you?"