Playing Around (Animorphs)

[Jamilan]

It would seem strange, but the otherwise mature Andalite was...playing. He stood on a mound, a serious look on his face, his hand under his chin.

<We are the Borg,> he said. <Lower your shields and surrender your ship. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.>
<Shields functioning at 60 percent!>
<Fire five photon torpedoes - there!> He pointed.
<Aye-aye, captain!>

He knew it was crazy, but he had plenty of time alone like this. It was a lot to take in, that he was part of Earth's last hope against the Yeerk invasion. Everything was all so...overwhelming. Yet, something ingrained in his nature - well, biological nature - made him feel confident. They could save Visser Three's host. They could take away what edge he had over them. They could defeat the Yeerks.

His human side spoke: Maybe.

He noticed there was someone else here as well. He relaxed when he saw it was one of his friends. <Things would be so much cooler if we had a holo-deck,> he said, then shrugged. <I'm a Trekkie.>

[Cassie]

I saw Jamilan and just laughed at him. "You're as bad as Ax, you know that?" I said.
"I never thought I'd see two couch potatoes in our group."
"I think there's only one problem with our plan. We don't even know where Visser Three feeds." I pointed out. "How are we going to find that out?"

[Jamilan]

Jamie sighed; Cassie had interrupted his play for this? It wasn't that he didn't mind talking business, it was just that...well, he wasn't exactly knowledgeable. <Why are you asking me? I only know what you guys told me earlier. Leona would be better suited for that,> he grumbled. <And Ax likes Star Trek? Awesome! Maybe he'll play with me sometime!> That put him in a better mood.

[Cassie]

I laughed. "Well, I guess we can afford a little downtime. So, tell me, what's it like on your planet? What kind of animals are there? Are there any like on our world?"
I hoped Leona would be able to tell us something. I'm not like Jamilan. I can't just shut my mind off to the world.

[Jamilan]

The hell? Jamie thought, blinking. <My planet is Earth,> he said. <Or did you forget? I'm not really an Andalite, I just appeared in the body of one. I'm actually a human. And please don't ask me about my past. Let's just say...it's much better now.>

[Cassie]

"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting that you were once human." I said. "And I won't ask about your past. I know when to back off."