The Sharing: Rebellion From Within

[Terenia]

Proliss allowed Afari to respond, relinquishing control. The change between the two persona's was vast. Where Proliss gave off a bubbly over-eager enthusiasm, Afari seemed to radiate a maternal calm. Her eyes grew softer and her expression concerned. She hesitated before speaking. She didn't know Yeerkish herself, and she doubted anyone here spoke her particular Arabic dialect. She would have to rely on broken English, hastily learned.

"Yes." Afari said in her gently lilted tongue. "I know this is home. But I worry. Proliss love..." she hesitated, trying to find the word, "challenge." She settled on.

Proliss took control back and the easy smile and bright eyes returned, "As I said, Afari worries too much. She thinks I'm a reckless fool. Which, I suppose I am to an extent. After all, joining the peace movement isn't exactly a safe move."

<Especially when your intentions are not as pure as those around you.> Afari accused.

<My intentions don't matter. I am still fighting for the same cause.> Proliss argued. She gave the doctor a wan smile.

"I don't suppose the new girl will be looking for a companion?" She asked, eying Aurora, "I don't want to sound rude. It may help her....adjust....to her new surroundings, though. Especially if she was not a host previously. It may take some of the edge of the shock off."

[Myitt]

"It may help her adjust," Myitt said flatly.  "Or it might traumatize her.  You know, some more."  She smiled.  "And come on, Proliss, aren't we all a little crazy to be running this operation?"

"Why's everyone yelling," Mike mumbled, looking pained as he stirred uneasily in his sleep.

The Hork-Bajir in the room had already dozed off, its big beaked head bowed as he sat on one of the cots across from them.

Myitt glanced at her brother and frowned. 

"Here, Afari," said Shizuo, walking over to the cabinets and retrieving what was clearly a stolen bottle of prescription pills.  The label said CVS Pharmacy and someone's name had been scribbled out, but it was arthritis medicine.  The good kind.  "This will at least lessen some of the pain."  He brought the pills over with a glass of water from the small sink and handed them to the older woman.  The doctor looked tired, and it occurred to Myitt that it had been another very long day, and she was pretty tired, too. 

Where the hell was Reven, and what was that tentacle thing?  What had he called it...the sooner they could figure that out, the sooner this maddening itching in her raw hands might be able to stop...

[Terenia]

Proliss sighed dejectedly and took the pills. "Alright, alright. Thank you, doc. I'll stay out of your hair."

She turned to go, shooting one last furtive glance at the pale girl on the cot. A sheen of sweat made her pale-skin shine with a sickly glow in the fluorescent lighting. "If she needs any...personal...he lp adjusting, I'd be happy to offer my assistance."

<You are far too pushy.> Afari scolded.
<It was my pushiness that allowed me to become a Sub-Visser.> Proliss pointed out.
<Yes, and that certainly went well.>
<Would you prefer I had remained under the command of that evil beast of a Yeerk?> Proliss spat.
<Of course not. I do not want to be anywhere near Visser Three ever again. I am just saying that the direct nature that got you so far in the Empire may not serve you as well in the Movement.>
<Hmph.> Proliss did not have a response to this and instead gave the group a beaming smile.

"Have a great afternoon! Com me if you need anything!" She darted out of the room quickly.

[traycon3]

Tia and Norpo hadn't stopped sort of hovering over Aurora during the whole conversation. When they left, Tia said, "I hope Proliss realizes that if she tries to do anything to Aurora, I will kill her." Her voice was flat, a change from her usual demenier.

[Myitt]

"Yeah, I don't like him either.  Something's not adding up, Afari's arthritis isn't that bad.  And besides, it's not like we usually have hosts to spare for this sort of thing, typically the etiquette is to remain allied with the host you've got around here," said Myitt, rubbing the back of her neck and gazing over at Aurora.  "If Aurora wants to accept of us, it's her decision, certainly not ours to be made when the poor kid is unconscious."

"I don't think Proliss will be going anywhere near her anytime soon," said Gerlan mildly.  "At least not while I'm here."  He smiled wearily.  "And I'm always here."

"Is it time to eat yet?" came Mike's voice from behind them all.  He sat on the bed, wincing as he gingerly felt his bandaged left shoulder.  "I can't sleep anymore with all this noise."

"Hope you like tomato soup," Myitt smirked, crossing the room to get him a cup. 

[Terenia]

Aurora sighed in her unconsciousness. She seemed to be breathing normally, but her skin was extremely cold to the touch and her lips were so pale that they blended in with her skin tone. She was so washed out that she looked oddly ghostlike, especially against the dark color of her sweatshirt. At least she was sleeping, though. It seemed as though her bang on the head had descended into true rest and she would be out for quite some time.

Meanwhile, Proliss was wandering through the halls of the complex aimlessly, preoccupied. Her sense of direction was lost to the internal conversation she was having.

<Why are you so preoccupied with the girl?> Afari was asking, sounding truly perplexed.

<It isn't the girl herself.> Proliss said, <The girl is nothing special, from what I could tell. A bit on the weak side, actually. But Afari....you know how rare it is that new voluntary hosts come to the Movement. If I do not seize this opportunity I could be waiting years for a host. Decades!>

<But she is not a voluntary host, Proliss.> Afari argued patiently, <She is a free human, and a child, at that.>

<I have a feeling she will take a Yeerk.> Proliss said. <Did you see her? She was in shock. She is suffering. Do you know what happens to people who deal with stress in that way?>

<Yes, of course.> Afari said, but Proliss continued on regardless.

<They stop eating. They stop sleeping. They lose functionality. Did you see how protective they were of her? They won't let her die. Even if it means infesting her to keep her alive.>

<And who's to say that you'll be the Yeerk who saves her?>

<Yes....> Proliss said thoughtfully, <Who is to say?>

[Myitt]

"Well, we're a sorry lot," Corliss said, opening the cup of preheated soup and grimacing. 

"Hey, it could be worse," said Myitt, applying a squeeze tube of Cortisone to her blistered hands.  "It could be raining."  She glanced over at Aurora, rubbing her hands.  "How is she?"

"Still sleeping," said Shizuo lightly, checking Aurora's wrist and looking at the black metal band around his wrist.  "She'll be alright.  I think she needed to get some rest, although she could've done without the bump on the head."

"Right, well," Myitt sighed.  "I think we're all pretty wiped."

At that moment, Reven stepped into the room, looking breathless.  He looked from Tia to Shizuo to Myitt, running a hand through his reddish brown hair.  "I...um.  Yes," he began, swallowing.  "Yes, well, you should know that there was another tracking device on your ship."  He leaned heavily against the wall, holding out the crushed remains of a transponder.

"What?" Myitt demanded.

Reven looked down at the broken device, scowling.  "Someone's coming for us.  What else is new?  We can only hope it's not the entire Imperial fleet." 

"What, how?" Myitt repeated, incredulous.  "We destroyed a device!  What the hell kind of technology are they using?"  She cursed, looking utterly lost.  "Will we have to evacuate?"

"Depends on whether they were still in z-space up until a few minutes ago," said Reven grimly.  "They can only track us in real space.  Unless they really do have advanced technology."

[Terenia]

(( *poke* Hey morfowt? traycon? Are you guys coming after us, or what?))

[morfowt]

((yeah. waiting for either charlie or yrkd8 to answer my question though. and what do you mean traycon? she's with you guys))

[Terenia]

((whoops, I meant yrkd8. My bad. >.> ))

[Qwerty the Charliecorn]

((Okay... I am now completely 100% caught up. I understand what's going on--sort of... Are Illrid and Reshnar still on Earth or in space?))

<We are going to die,> Kaitlyn thought, more to herself than to Illrid as they boarded the ship.

<What makes you say that?>

<I just know we are. You're going to do something stupid, and it's going to get us killed. And you know what's funny? I don't even care.>

<Five seconds ago, you did,> Illrid argued. This time, it was Kaitlyn who had nothing to say.

When they entered the ship, they spotted a young male host sitting at the ship's console, seemingly busy. Kaitlyn began to drift off, lost in her own quiet thoughts. She did not start paying attention until she suddenly felt that she had been addressed.

"My name is Illrid 665. And I am here because the Visser is too stupid to realize that I'm perfectly capable of tracking down a few traitors myself. You must be Estril. Pleasure to meet you," she spat bitterly.

[morfowt]

"right..." Estril said. "Let me ask you something, do you know where they are right now? Cuz if you don't, shut up and listen to the person who does."

[Qwerty the Charliecorn]

"Oh, so you've found them already," Illrid said dryly. "Would you be so kind as to point out their location? After all, we have only three days."

[morfowt]

"And you think I haven't come prepared for that? there are portable kandronas back there" Estril said pointing towards the back. "As well as one of those primitive human pools that can be deflated and folded smaller."

"Now look over here" Estril said pointing towards the radar screen. "The tracking device went off about half an hour ago. My guess is they found the tracking device. I did manage to stick a marker on where it last was." He enlarged the area. "I believe this is their base: One of the moons of the 6th planet of this system, approximately 3.5 light years from Earth."

[traycon3]

"Let me see that," Norpo said, holding out Tia's hand. "I might be able to tell you. Assuming it's not in too many pieces, of course."