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When Marco stumbled across the media library, he concluded that this had to be the best day so far on this freaky meatship.

Music. Massive screens. A giant, alien entertainment centre. And, most importantly - video games.

Marco was immediately drawn to the tall white box with the strange looking controllers. He snorted when he saw the name "Wii" (who though that was a good idea? The puns where almost too easy) but hey, this was clearly gaming of the future. Or gaming of a strange and bizarre alien race - it was hard to tell. Either way, it was cool, and Marco was so going to try it out.

He fished around for a vaguely interesting looking game, bypassing all the ones that looked boring (Wii Fit? Cricket? Imagine: Fashion Idol?! pfft), eventually settling on Escape from Bug Island.

Marco had been a bug before. Waaaaay too many times. Now he could squish them in safe video game fun.

But as Marco began to play, his good mood rapidly diminished. Who thought up this whole "swinging around the controller" thing? What the hell was going on with that animation?

"What the hell is with this?!" He yelled, as he tried to get the control to do what he wanted dammit. "This is nuts! GAMING OF THE FUTURE IS CRAP!"

[[ooc: For reference, this is the extraodinarily bad game Marco is playing.]]

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"So, the Yeerks were here for all that time, then? And you knew?" Marco said, sending Ax a sidelong look.

"Feedback. Meant to make it seem more 'real'," Marco said, rolling his eyes and making quotation marks with his fingers on the word "real".

< Possibly before that, > Ax said. < They weren't being kept in the Pod Caverns, there was a pool and Kandrona hidden in the City. I didn't know if they were here or not, but I wasn't about to reveal myself before I was sure. >

He continued to inspect the rod with a stalk eye. < They don't seem to have done a particularly good job of it. >

"So there could be more," Marco said flatly. "If they were in the pods, then anyone new who pops out could be a Yeerk."

"Yeah. I noticed that," Marco said, sounding a little bitter. "Some advanced future technology, huh?"

< They weren't in the pods, > Ax repeated. < However, Stacy did temporarily put a Controller back into the pods and then release him again, Yeerk intact. That is what happened to the Yeerk we are currently holding in stasis. The other ex-Controllers remembered him as being one when he was released, fortunately. > He scuffed a hoof against the floor. < A more sobering thought is that there might be other kinds of Controllers in the pods. Things like Yeerks that are not Yeerks, with different weaknesses. Anything that has appeared in a story may be in the Pod Caverns somewhere. >

He replaced the Wii in its holder. < It isn't Andalite technology, I can tell you that much. We wouldn't bother with that sort of thing. >

"How'd they get on the ship, then?" Marco asked. "Because if our universe is supposed to have been destroyed, and they weren't in the pods, where did they come from? We need to be careful, not just about Stacy and those guys. We need to be careful around the people who came out of the pods too."

"I think it might be human, actually. It's sorta like a Nintendo or PlayStation."

Ax said. He wasn't happy about the idea. < They do seem to have a history of doing that sort of thing. You're correct about the people still in the pods, however. Depending on the Yeerk, they may attempt to take over someone in Engineering so as to build a Kandrona -- if they know how -- or simply attempt to destroy as much as possible. >

< There are a great deal of humans on board, so it being human technology does make sense, > he agreed.

"And they thought they could make the Yeerks actually obey them how?" Marco said. "And I don't mean just because the others could be infested. Everyone here's going to have their own agenda. We can't assume that those agendas will be in our interests."

"Just my luck I get the sucky human tech," he grumbled. "Hey, Ax-man. You wouldn't happened to have found any awesome Andalite gizmos around here, have you?"

< They apparently thought that they could get something that warps reality around it to obey them, > Ax answered. < That would suggest that they were either very stupid or arrogant. > He paused and considered, flashing back to his introduction to the Lex Luthor on board the ship. < You're right, of course. Were you aware that Elfangor is on the Command Staff? > That might soothe some of Marco's fears. Not all of them, but Ax wouldn't want that anyway.

< I've modified all of the Dracon beams that the Yeerks had on board so that they're more like Shredders, > he said. < But I haven't found that much Andalite technology. Stacy's tech tends to be more advanced. >

"Dude, if they could do that? They wouldn't need to bother with Yeerks. Or anything else."

Marco's not afraid, Ax. Just very, very paranoid. "Nah, I didn't know that. Who else is on the command staff, anyway? I mean, I heard about Picard," - Marco grinned for a moment when he mentioned Picard. Why yes, Marco is definitely a nerd - "which is definitely awesome, but who else is in charge?"

Marco's expression changed into one of carefully constructed innocence. "Really? Technology more advanced than Andalites? You know Ax, since I obviously need to know more about this ship and all, how about you explain to me all the ways in which Stacy's tech is superior to Andalites?"

< They couldn't, > Ax said. < That's why you shouldn't go near 'Escherville' in the City. It's blocked off, like the remains of the Yeerk Pool, so people don't wander into it. There's a team on it. >

He pulled out his omnicom and pulled up the crew roster, which he then presented to Marco. < Captain James Kirk, Master Chief, and Nathan Petrelli round out the Command Staff, > he said. < If I recognize that first name, you most certainly should. >

Ax scuffed a hoof against the floor and gave Marco a somewhat irritated look. < Stacy can travel through time and dimensions, > he said.

"Got. No wondering around the places where the old nutso crew played around with warping reality."

"Hell yes! Picard and Kirk? Man, if Jake were here..." Marco trailed off. Meeting all these characters from Star Trek and comics and video games was fun. But it would have been even more fun if Jake were here.

Marco smirked. "So, would you say she's extremely more advanced that Andalites, ridiculously more advanced, or so advanced that she just leaves you guys a few millennia behind in the dust?"

Why yes, Marco was enjoying this. And milking it for all it was worth.

< I'm sure that Prince Jake is here, > Ax said firmly. < He just isn't awake yet. > If he, Marco, Tobias, and Elfangor and Loren were here, surely Prince Jake was as well. Absolutely.

Ax snagged the Wii again and tossed it in Marco's direction. < Allow me to remind you that it is apparently humans who decided to construct technology that twitches when you use it. >

Marco rolled his eyes. He'd already figured out that if they were all here, Jake and Cassie (and maybe Rachel because if Elfangor could be not dead then why not but he wouldn't beleive that until he saw it) had to be here as well. "But he's not here here, Ax. He cannot witness the awesomeness of Picard and Kirk in person. Hey, I wonder if Kirk talks like Shatner?"

Marco grabbed the controller and scowled. "It's called feedback, Ax. Feedback. It twitches for a reason, you know."

Good. If both of them were sure of it, then it was more likely to be true.

< Then we'll just have to hope he wakes up soon, > Ax said. < And Captain Kirk seems approachable. You could go up and introduce yourself. Tell him you want to join the Tactical Staff; you'll get to work with Batman. >

Ax shrugged in response, pleased that they were at least off the topic of Stacy's technology and Andalite technology. < Weren't you just complaining about it? "Gaming of the future is crap"? >

Marco grinned. "Tactical Staff, huh? You are a cruel Andalite, Ax. Luring me with Batman, that is a low blow."

"Dude, this isn't the only console to use feedback. And besides, it's not the feedback that makes it crap. It's the crappy controls. And the waving around. I mean, come on! This is just stupid."

Ax said. < Batman is just the...icing on the cake, as humans say. >

< Perhaps the waving it around is intended for aerobic benefit? > he said. < But you're right, there are multiple things wrong with the technology. The feedback is merely unsettling. >

"How does the whole...command system work, anyway?" Marco asked, wanting a little more info. "I mean, I'm guessing the Tactical Staff advise the Command Staff, right?" Marco only knew the barest of details about the command system, but already it sounded much more complicated and involved than anything they'd have with their little band of Animorphs.

"Dude, why the hell would they want that? If I wanted to exercise, I'd go get on a freaking bike," Marco grumbled.

< That's how it ought to work, > Ax said. < But there is some trouble getting the population of the ship at large to follow the Command Staff, unless there's some immediate outside threat like pirates or zombies or giant acid-spitting cockroaches. And then as soon as that threat is gone, they fall to infighting again. >

< You're asking me to tell you why humans do things? I didn't realize that there would be a pop quiz. >

"Makes sense," Marco said. "Let's face it: none of us know that much about anyone else here. Everyone's going to have their own agenda. Not everyone's going to even like the idea of the Command Stuff boss them around, let alone think they're competent."

Marco sent Ax a sidelong glance. "Speaking of competence...are they competent? I mean, I know Elfangor and Kirk and Picard have gotta be. But I haven't got a clue about who else is in charge. And if I'm going to trust them enough to lead, I wanna know that they know what they're doing."

"Ax-man, didn't you know? You're meant to be am expert on humans by now, and when you get back home, you'll have to pass a test," Marco grinned.

< True, > Ax agreed. < That doesn't make it less frustrating, however. I don't recall the Animorphs fighting each other as much as people do here. > Congratulations Marco, humanity is now being judged on a scale of 1 to Animorph. < The Command Staff seems to be competent. Mistakes have been made of course, but there is an option to remove people from the Command Staff if they're unable to perform but refuse to step down. I have no complaints. >

He scuffed his hoof against the floor again and gave Marco an Andalite smile. < Ahh, but who's grading the test if I'm the expert? > He was pretty sure that he'd never told Marco that he used to worry about his people asking him about humans when he returned. That had been before he got a television and had Marco move in with him, though. Long before.

"There were only six of us. That's a lot less people to organise," Marco pointed out. "And good. If they know what they're doing, we at least have some chance." Though Marco was still going to watch what the Command Staff do, when he can.

"You're not allowed to know that," Marco said, with mock-haughtiness. "Can't have you bribing the examiner, can we?"

< We were also younger, in general, and still learning to be warriors, > Ax said. < And I would hardly obey or encourage you to work with an incompetent staff. I like breathing. >

Ax straightened up and stared at Marco. < You impinge my honor, sirrah! If I had a glove, I would smack you with it. >

He wasn't quite sure the purpose of the glove, but the television had demonstrated that the glove as an important part of the process. It was usually followed shortly by humans fighting each other. Also, he had never actually heard any humans besides the ones on the television use the word "sirrah". He wasn't sure if it was a made-up word or an old one that had fallen out of favor.

"So are many of these people, by the looks of it. And yes, breathing is good. I highly approve of breathing."

Marco stared at Ax as if he'd grown a few extra stalk eyes. "...Dude. Ax-man. What the hell have you been watching, the Bold and the Medieval?"

Ax said.

Marco rolled his eyes. "I do not want to know."

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