trans_9 | Mix-and-Mingle

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Mix-and-Mingle

After the most recent pod-pop had been completed, Stacy began encouraging the crew towards the Obs Deck. They would be most effective if they were familiar with each other, and as the Jaime Reyes Incident had proved, leaving them to meet whenever they happened to cross paths was not effective.

Anyone who stepped into the Hub would be transported to the Obs Deck, no matter where they had intended to go. Those who had been exploring the City were verbally herded towards the Hub, although the energy tentacles did not make an appearance.

||Please report to the Obs Deck for Crew Introductions.||

The Obs Deck hadn't changed very much since they'd last been there. The creepy sculpture was still present, as were the fleshy couches. However, the couches were arranged in a more obvious circle this time.

Come and meet the new -- and in some cases, weirder -- members of your crew.

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Pat shrugged. "I don't know-stretchy, I guess? I don't need to worry about the clothing thing-Tox is my clothing."

To demonstrate, some of Pat's clothing went from looking normal to looking decidedly more goopy and alive, then changed back.

Ax took a step back when Pat's "clothing" went all goopy. Apparently, Pat's parasite was a great deal larger than he looked.

Definitely not a Yeerk, however.

"I see." Ax frowned a little, warring with his curiosity. "Is it...actually a symbiotic relationship? Chuly. Ack. Chuly."

If Ax thought that was bad...well, it would likely be a good thing if Ax never saw Toxin in suit form and angry.

Toxin snorted at the question, managing to look offended at the question, despite his limited expression.

"I...guess so? He needs a host to live in and I get super powers out it. Not that I ever asked for them, but I guess it's something. Of course, that means I get to raise him, too..."

Just because there was no gnawing didn't make it a non-parasitic relationship. Toxin could be controlling Pat's body while Pat screamed helplessly inside his own head.

"So you are really all right with sharing your body?" Ax asked, still looking skeptical. "It does not...bother you at all?"

The fact that Pat and Toxin were often bickering could probably cast some doubt on that theory.

Pat sighed. "Honestly? I'm still not real happy about it. But he's too young to go to another host-and don't even start-" he said to Toxin, who just made a grumbling noise and flopped back down. "And I'm trying to teach him manners and how to get along."

The symbiote huffed a bit.

"That doesn't mean you don't need brushing up on how to act around other people, kid."

Toxin could have been dosed with instant maple-and-ginger oatmeal. That made parasites go insane -- really insane, not the insane that Marco claimed Ax acted in human morph, or that Rachel was, or that every single one of their plans were. Raving, screaming, losing-control-of-their-hosts insane.

"But...how are you going to find someone who wants to share their body?" Ax asked, still looking askance at the two of them.

Pat shrugged, frowning. "I never really thought about looking into it. Been too busy just trying to get everything sorted out. I've just kind of assumed he'll grow out of threatening to run off and settle down eventually."

That just earned an eyeroll, but he admitted, "He's doing better than he was, as far as manners go, but..."

Toxin flipped his tendrils in annoyed manner.

Pat glanced to the symbiote. "I'd feel better if I didn't have to worry about you being so eager to maul things."

Pat pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"I see," Ax lied. He didn't see. He couldn't even comprehend being that blase about sharing one's body with a parasite. Or even a symbiote, if that wasn't just what Pat was telling himself to make him feel better.

At least Pat and Toxin weren't as creepily Yeerk-like as the Iskoort were.

Pat shrugged again. "Lately I've just been more worried about the here and now, not the future." He was more concerned about Toxin gnawing off somebody's arm now, not where he'd be in several years.

"Getting abducted by aliens does alter priorities somewhat," Ax agreed. "Pruh. Priorities. Tees."

Pat and Toxin definitely bore some watching, although at least there probably wasn't enough room on one human for two parasites. Especially since he didn't know of any aliens from his own universe who bore any resemblance to Toxin. Pat probably wasn't a Controller. Not that Ax would trust him, but he probably wasn't a Controller.

"I mean before that, even. Back in New York." Frowning, he looked around. "But now that you mention it...I wonder what else we'll run into. Assuming we ever slow down and stop."

"Aliens, probably," Ax said. It might have been a joke.

"I think that's kind of a given, if we find anything...I'd be more concerned about if they're friendly or not."

"Considering the general consensus is that we are probably to form some kind of army, I doubt any aliens that Stacy would bring us into contact with will be friendly," Ax said. He scowled, clenching his hands into fists. "I do not intend to be part of an invasion force, if that is what it comes down to."

"I don't think anybody wants to be part of one. Which makes me wonder what would happen if everybody mutinied...probably nothing good, if we tried it while on the ship."

"We would need to know far more about the ship before we could stage an effective take-over, yes," Ax agreed. "And about the powers of everyone in the crew, and perhaps in the Pod Caverns. Verns, Cavern-zuh."

"I think trying to keep track of that place might be enough to drive somebody insane," Pat said, shaking his head. "It's huge."

"It likely contains both allies and enemies," Ax said. There was certainly enough space for both. "We should attempt to identify as many as possible. Tif, tify. So that everyone is aware of what the pods may release."

"I think everybody's got the idea that they can release some pretty damn strange stuff, at least." He looked thoughtful. "I'm just wondering what would happen if somebody says one of the pods has an ally and somebody else says it's an enemy."

"Ha. Ha."

Ax blinked, not having heard Toxin's comment.

"I suppose that it depends on how trust-worthy each person has proved themselves," he said. "However, if one person's enemy is another person's ally, then they are likely already enemies themselves. Selve-zuh."

"That's a point," he said nodding. "At least the only fight I've heard about was based on a misunderstanding, so I'm guessing we don't have to worry about enemies meeting up yet."

"I guess," Ax repeated. He could demorph and see who attacked him, but the Yeerks could play the waiting game too. That was not a good plan at all.

"I doubt anyone would be allowed to kill anyone in one of the Pods anyway," he added. "Pah-duh. Zuh."

"I'd rather not do it anyway, if I could help it," he said shaking his head. "There's got to be a better way to keep people from causing trouble, even if they're somebody's enemies."

"Considering the ship, those in the Pods may even be an alternate version of the identified person," Ax noted. He wasn't entirely certain if there was anything that could make Visser One even remotely decent, but it had certainly been possible to alter human history enough to make the Animorphs very different people.

"I hope not." To Ax, he added, "In that case, things might get really confusing."

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