trans_9 | Face-to-face [Closed]

Iniss was fairly relaxed for this meeting. For once he had little to prove and as far as he was concerned nothing to fear. The security agent had been direct, asking good questions, and Iniss was nothing if not appreciative to direct and pragmatic nature.

"Officer Zouichi? You wanted a meeting?"

Tom's backpack had gone with the human, but he'd managed to get a simple bag of his own, allowing him more mobility without the risk of leaving anything important behind in his quarters. He had no reason, after all, to trust the good nature of his crew-mates. The bruises, broken bones and swelling from the assault hadn't faded, leaving his voice somewhat nasal and muffled.

Well, that was prompt.

"Just Zouichi, if you please." Number of people who had called him 'officer', ever: 0.

Zouichi started to extend a hand to Iniss in greeting; handshakes weren't really his thing, but so many people on the ship seemed to default to them. Then he paused, looking over the bruises, the swelling. Someone had taken serious exception to Iniss's face. "...Are you all right?"

"Zouichi then, it's good to meet you face to face." He didn't comment on the half extended hand. If the other wanted the handshake, he'd take it, but if he was going to gawk, he didn't share the human obsession with physical contact. "Quite fine. Amateur plastic surgeons on the planet thought I would look prettier like this. There is nothing that won't heal." His tone was dry, dismissive of the concern. That wasn't what they were here for.

Zouichi took Iniss's failure to return the gesture as a sign that he wasn't crazy about the whole handshake thing, either. Fine with him.

He wasn't willing to let the rearranged face go just quite yet, though. "Amateur plastic surgeons. Those wouldn't be crew members, would they?"

He wasn't exactly a fan of physical contact, no. Nor did he have an interest in keeping up an illusion that he was now that he no longer had to. Dani and Rhiow were one thing, handshakes just seemed to be a human dominance ritual gone awry.

"Hmm, now that you mention it, they might have been affiliated with the crew in some way. Why do you ask?"

"Because on-ship or not, you're crew. Which means they shouldn't be taking advantage of being out of reach of the ship's tentacles to rearrange the major components of your face."

The calm with which Iniss seemed to regard the assault was curious. Was his species simply nonchalant about physical harm sustained to themselves? Or was he simply inured to the rough treatment?

"Funny how some of them don't see it that way." His lips twitched into a humorless and somewhat malformed smile. "I allowed them their free shot. It's only fair, beyond that they are subject to the rules of the ship. It's really not a problem, I've been damaged worse while on board."

It was really more that he was used to the treatment by Tom's friends by now than anything else. He had made up his mind to not be bothered by it.

"...So they do this regularly? You'll have to excuse me, I'm attempting to understand how that would be considered fair conduct."

And why no one had apparently gotten involved in stopping it, especially if Iniss was a regular target for attack.

"It depends on your deconstruction of the meaning of the term, Officer. Really, it's not a problem. I'll be fine. Truly, there are much more grave things to be concerned over than this, are there not?"

Really, he wasn't sure why the officer seemed so concerned. Most of the other humans seemed convinced he had gotten what was coming to him.

Zouichi really, really hoped Iniss wasn't going to persist with the 'Officer' thing.

"...perhaps. For the moment, however, Marco and Rachel are confined to Quarantine. Unless you have someone else gunning for you." Which, considering Iniss's face, was a distinct possibility.

"But just in case they escape, perhaps you can tell me a little more about them. It would certainly help to understand their thought processes if they were to escape again. For example, who they'd be more likely to target first -- you, or Eva?"

Rank was a tricky thing in a species that used it in place of proper names. It was often his default to address higher ranked individuals by the rank they held. Military upbringing had left him with several very well ingrained impulses.

The look he offered was carefully controlled, not giving a hint as to whether Zouichi had hit a mark or not. "Mhm, yes. There is that. It is certainly safer now, with the two of them locked away."

He tipped his head, thoughtful and automatic after so long with human expressions. "Probably Eva, me they just want dead, her they want to save. Humans will almost always pick the protective path first. They're both insane, capable of murder if it suits their purposes, and terrorists. They are used to operating in an undercover and covert style and are very clever at avoiding notice. Well, Marco is. Rachel seems to be about a subtle as a sack of bricks to the head. Marco is the more dangerous one, but Rachel is highly unpredictable. What she lacks in foresight, she makes up for in brute, uncaring strength."

Zouichi blinked once. So Iniss had picked up some human mannerisms. Interesting. But for someone who was trying so hard not to give away the game, he'd pretty much flashed his hand during his rant about Marco and Rachel.

Why was that? Did he not understand that even among fellow humans, accusing a group of teenagers of being insane, murderous terrorists would inspire skepticism, doubt? Yet he'd lived with humans for years. Was Iniss a slow learner, or was it simply impossible for him to understand what motivated those around him?

...Or did it not matter to him?

"If they are insane, shouldn't they be confined to Medical? And can you elaborate on what you mean by 'terrorists'? I assume you're referring to their role in the conflict back when they were still on Earth?"

"If they were Yeerks or non-humans, they would be. But this is a ship of heroes, that defines itself by mundane heroics."

He crouched, balanced on the balls of his feet, smoothing a hand over the grass, absently enjoying the tactile sensation as he gathered his thoughts into a coherent platform.

"The interesting thing about conflict is that the sides are only truly defined after the conflict ends. To the victor goes the bragging rights, hero and villain during the conflict are harder to define. Both think they're entirely correct and without fault." He blew out a breath, tugging a few strands of the grass between his fingers. "My people was invading, peacefully. No shots fired, no humans killed, or at least so few and only when it was unavoidable that the populace didn't even notice. We were quiet and we were subtle. It didn't suit us to bomb the planet from orbit and make it ours by force, we were better served coaxing and tricking the humans into our grasp. They and their compatriots considered themselves freedom fighters, they blew up the Kandrona - which we require to survive, dooming thousands to lingering deaths of starvation - and killed countless alien hosts. Never humans, they were very sentimental about their own race, looking back we should have spotted it. But we didn't. We saw morphs and thought Andalites, because they have always been our enemy since we joined them in the stars. They were, to my people, terrorists. Capable of striking without warning and leave only the dying behind."

He glanced up. "I am learning, you see. These strange creatures are almost addictive, and I have been far from home for a very long time, the amount of time I have spent among them has started to erode my senses and ability to judge, or perhaps I am simply slipping and becoming what they would prefer. It matters little, at this juncture. Do I think we were right to invade now? No. We were desperate, but that did not make Earth ours to take. But we were also not theirs to kill by the pool-full, and I have trouble forgiving or thinking logically of those that have killed so many of my brother and sister Yeerks and have tried on multiple occasions to kill me. Fair?"

Zouichi listened to Iniss without comment, curious.

"So from the Yeerk point of view, you were doing what you had to do to survive. This included invading Earth and depriving humans of their free will, their bodies. You saw a bloodless invasion as a more humane one."

"From the human point of view, the thought of losing their autonomy, of becoming prisoners in their own bodies, was worse than death. A silent invasion, then, was not only cowardly, but worse than one in which people were actively killed in conflict, since the former gave humanity no chance to resist."

Very interesting. "What do you feel would have been an acceptable battle plan for the human side, considering that the majority of them were unaware of the existence of the Yeerk invasion?"

"Yes. In our natural state we are helpless, little more than an Earth slug. To be able to do anything, we require hosts. And the Andalites would gladly blast us out of the skies given a moment to aim. A bloodless invasion was always more preferred, we saw them like cattle. Apes, monkeys, innocents. Nothing worth fussing over. They could easily be overthrown and taken and provide us with hosts for the entire empire." His lips twisted, not a smile really. Though it was hard to tell if the lack was the fault of the still bruised face or lack of humor.

"They're significantly more complicated than we suspected at first. Some came willingly, some didn't. They were far less innocent than we had thought. I enjoyed studying humanity and their wars and all the trouble they've caused for themselves. But, from the position of an outsider, it's all just words. It didn't register, those fragmented accounts of humanity rising against impossible odds to create something new." He sighed.

"What battle plan would you suggest cattle assume, as they are being herded towards the slaughter house? The empire would prefer none at all, or at least one that could easily be squashed with a minimum of effort. They're very lazy, the council. We are trained from birth that conquest is really the only way."

"Why is it that the Andalites are feuding with you? Because you have targeted them in the past? Wars are costly; I assume they didn't just do it to fill the time."

He paused. "And you studied humanity? Was that your function, or something you did in your free time? That sounds like a lot of time to devote to something you don't understand. Or have you found it's something you are unable to understand?"

"In other words, you believe the only acceptable action for humanity to take would have been to quietly acquiesce to the invasion force? Like 'cattle'?" Why was Iniss defaulting to what his council would have wanted? Didn't he have an opinion of his own?

"Because a long time ago, we were not content to be their humanitarian pets." He sneered. "They considered us savvage and primitive and pitiable and we wanted to see the stars ourselves, once we became conscious of the universe being a bigger place. They refer to it as Seerow's kindness. And they've been hunting us and destroying things ever since. They tell a different story, but in the end, we're both hopeless mired in our positions."

He nodded, plucking several strands of grass and rolling them between his fingers. "It was my function, and something of a hobby in addition to. I found their wars and heroes fascinating, my first human host was a history professor named Jeffry, and he took great delight in educating me. I can understand much, but I doubt that I have the comprehension to fully grasp the emotional nuances involved in some of the material."

He inclined his head in accordance. "That was the council's position. Visser One arranged the invasion in such a way that it could be accomplished without a shot fired. Visser Three bungled through that plan until the interesting diversion of the Bandits appeared."

"They refer to 'it' as Seerow's Kindness? What, exactly, is 'it'?" Constructing bodies for the Yeerks to use? Allowing the Yeerks to use their own bodies?

"And do you feel the way the Andalites view the Yeerks, as a savage and primitive race, to be different from the Yeerks' opinion of the humans?"

Zouichi wondered if this Professor Jeffry was a willing host, as Iniss seemed to be suggesting he was -- or if he'd simply taken what enjoyment he could while prisoner in his own body. "Is that inability to grasp emotional nuance a personal trait, or is it common to all Yeerks?"

"Ah. Visser One. Eva's Yeerk, correct? But what is your personal view? I assume you have opinions of your own that may not always be in keeping with all other members of your species."

"The gift of technology. The ability to get off the planet we'd started on." He smiled faintly. "I wasn't there, and neither were most of the creatures currently involved. I was born after leaving the planet."

He shrugged. "Likely it is, or was, tenses are confusing at times, some came to abhor it, taking unwilling hosts. But we were - are - a military society. To refuse orders is to risk death. I like living very much." He paused, tangling his fingers in the grass. "Emotions, at least the way humans feel them, are far more complicated. We are capable of basics; affection, loss, longing, greed, pride. But the deeper shades such as love and grief are lost to us. I've been scolded many times for not recognizing them, but it's very difficult to adapt. Empathy is still difficult, even after years spent studying humans."

He glanced up. "Yes, the leader of the invasion. I have many opinions, Zouichi, and when I discover where I stand, I will be happy to explain it to you. For the moment, I can only say that I now posses the burgeoning understanding that it wasn't right, without being able to specifically nail down why. And that is the most honest and least effacing answer I can offer."

"Ah, so you weren't a spacefaring species before the Andalites arrived." Hadn't anyone heard of the Prime Directive?

"Your position is... unfortunate," said Zouichi, for lack of a better word. "A great deal of human interaction is based on emotion. Have you considered consulting a ship psychologist about the issue? A professional may have more useful insight for you, at least in terms of grasping the basics of empathy."

Iniss's answer implied there was a more honest and effacing answer he could offer, but he'd been more than informative so far, so there was no point in pushing the issue. "I can't say I fully understand everything you've told me. But I do wish you success in your attempt to adapt. It can be... difficult, to adjust to a role you were never prepared for."

"No, we had no idea it was possible. We could barely see the stars with the hosts we had, much less dream of traveling them."

He nodded. "I'm aware, of course. Humans are an emotional species, I miss the required nuances to respond in a positive way. Though I am still making the attempt to conform." And occasionally finding himself dragged under. Dani had...been something. Something he wasn't sure of. Something new and different and missed. "I doubt very much a human psychologist would be able to help. After all, I've spent the better part of a decade living inside of humanity and have still managed to absorb very little."

He snorted, an entirely human gesture. "Yes. Very. Exaggerated Sympathy for the host species was considered both uncouth and dangerous. There have been Yeerks executed for doing just that, for loving humanity. For trying to save the humans." His smile pulled strangely at the barely healed flesh. "And yet I still make the attempt. It is the best I can do."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Zouichi said, and he did mean it. "Sounds like the universe dealt your species an exceptionally bad hand."

"And you could be right. But there are humans who have difficulty understanding emotion, picking up on unspoken cues. If any of them has experience working with patients with similar difficulties, they may be able to adapt their approach. Offer a way of studying emotions systematically, rather than attempting to understand everything at once via full immersion." He shrugged a little. "Just a suggestion."

Zouichi nodded. "I think I understand your position a little better for speaking with you. But I suppose I should stop taking up your time. Thank you, Iniss."

Ax had been grazing when he had received Kanoe Zouichi's communication, so the fact that the other crew member was already present in Hydroponics made finding him much more pleasant. He continued to graze as he moved to the location Zouichi had provided, moving at a comfortable canter across the grass. He slowed to a trot as he approached, and then to a stop when he reached the location, inclining his head in greeting.

 he says in thought-speech. < As I said over the omnicoms, my name is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. Just 'Aximili' or 'Ax' are also acceptable. >

Hydroponics was a place Zouichi spent a good chunk of his time, at least before finding a home in the City... but it was a big place. Plenty of room to miss someone, even someone who visited often. He raised a hand in a return greeting as he spotted Ax.

"Kanoe Zouichi. But just Zouichi is fine. And no, I don't think we ever have. I take a lot of night shifts, so I don't necessarily meet a lot of the officers. Pleased to meet you."

So Ax was an Andalite. The creators of the morphing technology, or so he'd been told. "I understand you're familiar with Marco and Rachel."

< Zouichi. I will remember that, > Ax answered. < It is a pleasure to meet you as well. >

Ax shifted his weight, scanning the area with his stalk-eyes for anyone who might be approaching. < Yes, I am. They were two of my allies while I was on Earth, before I was extracted from reality. >

Zouichi bowed slightly in response.

"Your allies?" That was a strange way of putting it. "You don't think of them as your friends?"

< There were six of us, alone, fighting against an invasion that could and did wear the faces of family and friends, > Ax said. He was a little startled at the question, he'd assumed that talking to Zouichi would be similar to talking to someone in the Andalite military. It seemed like he might need to phrase his arguments differently. < We were allies first, but under those circumstances, becoming friends as well was the only reasonable course of action. >

He nodded. "I've heard a little about the Yeerk invasion from the others." And strictly speaking, Zouichi didn't come from a military background, though he'd met plenty of soldiers.

"The only reasonable course of action? I see." Maybe Andalites thought of friends as necessities rather than a natural progression. Or it could be a peculiarity of Ax's. Hmm.

< Who do you mean by 'the others'? > Ax asked. He can only hope that Zouichi is referring to someone other than Iniss.

"Marco and Eva, mostly. I thought it would be a good idea to get the story from multiple sides." He paused. "But you are the only Andalite I've had the opportunity to meet. If you don't mind, I'd like to know about the original conflict between the Andalites and the Yeerks. Iniss referred to it as "Seerow's Kindness", but his recitation of events didn't strike true to me.

I'm also curious about your perspective on the human-Yeerk conflict. Why did it only consist of six people? How many Yeerks comprised the invasion of Earth? What was your role?"

Ax's tail twitched a little. Of course Iniss would bring up "Seerow's Kindness".

< Approximately forty Earth years prior to when Stacy pulled me out of the time stream, my species arrived on the Yeerk homeworld, > he said. < An Andalite by the name of Seerow was in charge of the first Andalite expedition to that planet. The only host species that the Yeerks had access to were a primitive species called the Gedd, who were barely more than animals. Seerow felt sorry for the Yeerks, that they couldn't even see the stars, much less travel them. So he gave them the technology to do so. >

Ax's hands curled into fists of their own volition, his bladed tail arching high over his back. < Then the Yeerks slaughtered the Andalites under Seerow's command and stole more technology, and went out among the stars to conquer and enslave other species. It wasn't just humans -- they enslaved the Nahara, the Taxxons, and the Hork-Bajir; they slaughtered Hawjabrans for the sin of not having a centrally-located brain that they could take control of! >

He forced himself to stop speaking, trying to regain control of his rage. He focused on his breathing until he was calm again. < My species has fought the Yeerks ever since. The Yeerks didn't concentrate all of their attention on Earth, they scattered all over the galaxy like a disease. When I was old enough, I joined the military to help fight them, as my older brother had. Elfangor was -- is -- a great war hero, so I was permitted to join him on an expedition to see how far the Yeerks had gotten on Earth. The Yeerks attacked our Dome ship, I was the only true Andalite survivor of that battle. The Animorphs found me -- human children who had been given the morphing power so that they could slow down the Yeerk invasion until more Andalites could come to help fight them off. >

Ax's current demeanor was vastly different from the collected, polite way in which he'd first made his appearance. Zouichi glanced at Ax's tail as it twitched, gaze automatically drawn to the source of movement -- from the way it was held aloft, it was obvious that it was a weapon. Zouichi noted its reach, then devoted his attention more closely to the Andalite's story.

He held up a hand. "One moment, please. So Seerow found the Yeerks, then gave them the technology they required to achieve space travel. They stole enough weapons technology from the Andalites to allow them to conquer multiple worlds. And the Andalites likewise spread out across the galaxy to combat them. However, the Andalite expedition to Earth was a small one, and thus overwhelmed by the Yeerk presence already established there."

Something wasn't quite adding up here. "You said you accompanied your brother to Earth. But also that you were the 'only true Andalite survivor'. What did you mean by that?"

Ax breathed deeply, forcing his tail back down to a more neutral position. He and the Animorphs were clearly in the right when the whole story was told rather than the Yeerk propaganda. He didn't need to get upset about it.

 he said. Gafinilan-Estrif-Valad and Mertil-Iscar-Elmand were no longer capable of acting against the Yeerks, so effectively he was the only survivor. < There is one and only one Andalite-Controller in existence, he was the one who attacked and destroyed our Dome Ship. >

Not to mention literally eating Elfangor alive. Though still lowered, his tail twitched a little.

"An Andalite-Controller? You mean an Andalite that has been infested by a Yeerk?" Zouichi had assumed there would be more than a single Andalite under Yeerk control -- after all, things happened during war. For an entire species to have minimized their exposure to infestation to a single person... what were the odds of that?

"So, as you were the sole survivor of the battle, you were the one to give the other five their morphing ability?"

Why had Ax referred to his brother in the present tense? Perhaps Elfangor was taken from a different point in the timeline.

< My apologies, > Ax said. < Yes, we refer to people who have been made to host Yeerks "Controllers". >

He hesitated a moment before answering Zouichi's question. < My brother gave them the morphing ability before he was murdered. Or rather, before he would have been murdered had Stacy not plucked him from the time stream. >

There wasn't any point in keeping it secret, considering that the plaque memorial statue of Elfangor in the Statuary said as much. Apparently, the military had decided not to have Ax take responsibility for it in the end. Of course, since apparently the Animorphs had won, it wasn't really a matter of it becoming Aximili's Kindness. Especially not now, if their reality had been destroyed.

"So in other words, the Andalites feel guilty for unleashing the Yeerks upon other species." But Ax, it seemed, had a more personal stake in this still; his brother had been murdered by a Yeerk. And though he had no experience dealing with Andalites in general, Ax seemed young somehow. Zouichi himself would no doubt be considered young, but Ax seemed to wear his emotions much closer to the surface. At least on this matter.

"Was it protocol, giving another species access to your technology like that? I'd imagine the Andalites would have been significantly less eager to share that ability after what happened with the Yeerks."

Also, Marco and Rachel would have been children at the time. Fairly young children, actually.

< We would not see the peoples of the galaxy enslaved for our mistake, > Ax answered flatly. < And no, it was very much against our laws for him to do so. My brother had his reasons, but I cannot go into them without revealing things that are not mine to reveal. > Like the fact that Elfangor had previously spent some time on Earth and fathered a son who had eventually become one of those five kids walking through an abandoned construction site and into an interstellar war.

"I understand." Ax's brother was obviously very important to him. And truth be told, why Elfangor had chosen to break with Andalite law and give five children was somewhat immaterial. No doubt his situation had been desperate.

"And I appreciate the time you've taken to answer my questions. Unless you have any for me...?" It was only polite to ask, after all.

< All that I need to know is that you understand what the Yeerks do to the peoples they enslave, > Ax said. He shifted his weight. < There was an attack by Yeerks who were not members of the crew some time after this crew first began to wake up. Many of the victims have since been repodded, but I can put you in contact with those who weren't if you want more first-hand information. >

Hmm. A bit of a loaded question. Did Ax want him to understand what the Yeerks did to the people they controlled from an objective standpoint? Or did he mean he wanted Zouichi to understand it from Ax's perspective, the Andalite's perspective, the Animorphs' perspective?

In understanding the Yeerks, Iniss and Eva had been the most helpful thus far. Eva had put her life as a Controller in terms that he could at least identify with, if not fully understand. She had insight into the minds of the Yeerks, having spent years of her life infested by one. And she had confirmed the impression that Zouichi had obtained while speaking to Iniss: that many Yeerks simply did not understand what they had done to the species they had conquered. That for them, humans and other species were little more than potential property.

It was not at all an outlook unique to the Yeerks. The major difference was that rather than beating, savaging, and eroding the wills of those they'd conquered, their biology allowed them to take a significantly more hands-on approach. One that deprived their hosts of the ability to resist.

From his behavior earlier, Ax was close to this issue. But how close, exactly?

Instead of answering Ax's question, he presented one of his own. "You are a member of Security," Zouichi said. "Yet your duties may also require that you protect the lives of Yeerks such as Iniss. Perhaps even against the friends that took you in after your brother had been murdered by a Yeerk himself. How do you reconcile this conflict?"

Ax said. < When Schmuz was on trial, some of the crew attempted to have him killed. While I certainly sympathized with them, I also felt that the crew as a whole was perfectly capable of visiting an appropriate level of justice on him through the channels set up by the crew. >

Schmuz was different than Iniss, though. Schmuz had submitted himself to the crew for a ruling, Iniss had not.

Not quite what he'd been interested in learning -- Eva had granted Schmuz a level of grudging respect in their conversation that she hadn't been willing to extend to Iniss.

"So you would defend Iniss in a similar fashion?"

< If Iniss were willing to submit himself to a trial, yes, > Ax answered. < But he doesn't seem to think enslaving people is wrong, so I doubt he will. >

"I'm not sure whether he does or not, actually. He certainly seems to recognize that other people feel infesting hosts is wrong." Zouichi paused.

"...But then, he also seems convinced that his actions will be met with aggression and distrust no matter what he does. Under those circumstances, I doubt he'd be eager to stand trial."

< Schmuz was involved in an attempt to detonate an explosive in part of Stacy's mind and survived his trial, > Ax countered. < To borrow a human expression, Iniss doesn't have a leg to stand on there. >

"I'm not sure it's about having a leg to stand on, actually. It's very difficult to overcome feelings of paranoia, which I believe Iniss is suffering from. And unreasonable fears, by their definition, are unreasonable."

Not that Zouichi thinks Iniss's fears are entirely unfounded; after all, someone rearranged his face.

< Never the less, he kept Tom enslaved on board this ship, > Ax said. < Whether Iniss is paranoid or unreasonable or both is not my concern. >

"Perhaps I don't understand the nature of your advocacy of Schmuz. If you accepted Schmuz turning himself in willingly and of his right mind as a valid factor in whether or not you chose to defend him, why is whether Iniss is of sound mind not a factor? I assume they, as Yeerks, are both guilty of infesting another."

Ax said. < His mental state was not of my concern either. Schmuz has submitted to a trial, Iniss hasn't. That is where the difference lies for me. >

Face-to-face [Closed]

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