Jack at the pool

During the rest of the week, I planned my move as much as possible to leave nothing to chance. When I learned that Jack's parents would be absent all Saturday afternoon, I decided to act at that time.

I then shifted my meal days so I could go to the pool on Saturday mornings. That way, if something went wrong, I would have time to find a solution before having to eat again. Tom had fought like never before against the guards. Both to try to escape (to warn his brother) and to make me suffer from his injuries when I would regain possession of his body. And even now, even though he knew it was hopeless, he was fighting with all his strength to regain control.

That's how I found myself full of apprehension entering the kitchen, trying to ignore Tom's screams and the numerous injuries the Hork-Bajir guards had inflicted on him that morning. Jack was there doing his homework. Alone and totally vulnerable.

I would have no trouble mastering him with Tom's body (even if he hadn't practiced for a long time, it was still the body of an exceptionally tall athlete). I took a moment to observe him. When I was sure that 15 minutes had passed since he finished drinking his glass of orange juice, I said in a voice hoarse from the screams Tom had let out for two hours:

Hi Jack.

Hi Tom, he replied, looking at me as if I were a particularly disgusting stain on his shoes.

Can you come to my room, please?

Why? He said suspiciously.

I have to show you something.

I am busy, I am doing my homework. He replied without trying to hide his annoyance.

Go on, dwarf. You're not going to tell me you're spending your Saturday doing homework? That doesn't sound like you. What are you hiding from me? I said as I approached him, but he backed away.

Okay, I'm following you. He said hastily.

I headed towards Tom's room, but despite his words, Jack remained seated.

Come on, are you coming?

Yes, it's fine, I'm coming. Replied the Grouchy Smurf in a drawling voice.

Finally, he got up and followed me. Very slowly, but he followed me. Tom's screams intensified, I told him as gently as possible.

Courage. Soon, everything will be over.

I paid no attention to her response, suspecting that it contained nothing pleasant regarding me.

In the middle of the staircase, he turned around and said:

I have to call Marco.

He wanted to go down towards the phone, but he staggered and almost fell. I caught him at the last moment before he broke his neck on the stairs. I swore. The dealer at the school exit had assured me that the GHB would take 30 minutes to take effect. But at the same time, I hadn't told him it was for a 13-year-old child.

Tom, let go of me or the tiger will attack you. He said, pushing me away.

Marco is in my room, he's waiting for you. I pretended.

What did you do to him, you dirty slug? Marco, I'm coming to help you.

He ran towards Tom's room. Or rather, he tried to run and ended up reaching it by crawling half the time. I might not have put so much in his orange juice. When I saw him collapse half-unconscious on the carpet, I anxiously recalled the dealer's warning that too strong a dose would cause a coma. But he was still mumbling incomprehensible words about Homer (that's the name of his dog), so I figured it was okay. And then, thanks to my mistake, I now had the certainty that he was aware of the yeerk. So I had no more reason to doubt or have qualms. So why did I feel so bad?

I took the handcuffs out of the bedside table drawer (which I had bought the day before in a sex shop). Then, with great effort, I carried him on my back to the trunk of Tom's mother's car, trying to ignore the incoherent words he occasionally murmured. I could have saved myself some effort by telling him to go directly to the garage, but I hadn't wanted to risk sending him to a place where it was just as easy to escape (and be noticed by passersby).

After making sure he could breathe effortlessly, I closed the trunk of the car and got into the front. I then let out a sigh of relief I hadn't realized I was holding. Everything had gone as planned. All I had to do was turn the ignition key and drive to one of the secret entrances of the yeerk pool. But I hesitated and decided to look at the few memories I had gathered about Jack. How at 6 years old, he had comeAsk his big brother to look under his bed to see if there was a monster after he had secretly watched a horror movie without his parents knowing. An afternoon they had spent playing basketball together (or rather where Tom pretended to play basketball while Jack gave it his all because the skill level difference between the two brothers was so significant). They looked so happy together at that time. I particularly lingered on the look of admiration and love that Jack gave me through Tom's memories. For young Jack, his big brother was invincible and would always protect him. He loved me so much. More than any Yeerk had ever loved me. This moment lingered. Then I thought back to the promise I made to myself before infesting Tom.

I got out of the vehicle, opened the trunk, and gently took it in my arms. Then I carried it back up to the room, much more delicately than on the way there.

What the hell was wrong with me? Contrary to what Tom thought, the infestation wasn't so horrible for the hosts. At least, that's what all the empire's courses said. Tom must have just been an exception. Like me, he was probably far too sensitive and weak. Jack struggled weakly, and I decided to refocus on my burden.

I noticed that as heavy as he had seemed to me earlier, he was quite thin for a human of his age. How long had he been living with this secret? Tom, meanwhile, was silent in surprise. He was wondering with a mix of hope and anxiety what I was doing. Like that, there were two of us.

Once back in my room, I handcuffed Jack to the radiator pipes. Now there was nothing left to do but wait for the drug's effect to wear off. I suddenly gave Tom control of his body for the first time since that fateful night. He staggered in surprise.

What is ... going to do? Tom pronounced with difficulty.

During the long periods when he had no control, the neural patterns that allowed him to coordinate his muscles to speak or move would fade, and he needed training even for the simplest actions. It was like coming out of a coma after a long time. But being in his head, I nevertheless understood his question.

(What am I going to do to him? If only I knew myself. Take care of him while I think about it. All I'm asking is that you don't touch the keys to his handcuffs. I'm warning you, Tom. At the slightest attempt to disobey me, I'll take control back and take him straight to the pool.)

(Thank you) he said, feeling an intense relief.

(Yes, alright. I can still change my mind) I said, embarrassed.

(Liar) he replied timidly.

Why did I have to have such an insolent guest? But afterward, realizing what he had just said, he began to beg me tremblingly. I then realized that in a few days all the progress I had managed to achieve in recent weeks had been erased.

During the two hours that followed, Tom wiped his brother's forehead and responded to his murmurs by asking for forgiveness.

Tom, it's not your fault he's in this state. I'm the one who decided to drug him.

But he did not answer me. In any case, he didn't need to since I could read his thoughts. For him, it was his fault for following that girl and getting infected. It was his fault that I realized Jack knew aboutThe Yeerk invasion. It was his fault he couldn't resist my control. And he was blaming himself for a dozen other things, each more stupid than the last. He was definitely very different from the confident and self-assured Tom I saw in his memories.

But after a while, Jack fell silent. Tom (and I through him) watched him closely, fear in our stomachs. Was he overdosing? And what to do if that was the case? We couldn't just take him to the hospital. But then I noticed that he was opening his eyes from time to time and moving his arms very slightly. The little rascal. He was pretending to still be out of it while trying to find a way out. He must have been terrified. I took control again.

Jack. I am Thévenin789, your brother's Yeerk. I know you're awake. No need to pretend. I don't want to harm you. I just want to talk to you.

You want to talk? Free my brother, bastard, and maybe then I'll take the time to listen to you before crushing you. Jack shouted as he stood up.

(Your brother is a lion) I commented in my thoughts.

Then, in a desire for appeasement, I acceded to his request and released his brother from my control. Tom took a few seconds to understand that he had control, then he rushed to his brother to try to hug him, but to Tom's great horror, the latter began to scream and tried to push him away.

It's me, Tom, don't be afraid. He said, trying to hold him closer.

You can see you're terrifying him, let him go immediately before he alerts the whole neighborhood. I ordered him.

Reluctantly, he stepped back, sat down on the ground facing him, and declared:

It's me, Tom. Thévenin left me in control.

And you think I'm going to believe you, you filthy monster. He replied, shouting.

Then he started to vomit. He tried to lean his head forward, but because of the handcuffs, he couldn't bend as he wanted, and a large part landed on his jeans.

What did you do to me, bastard? Why do I feel so bad? He said with concern.

It's nothing, dwarf. It's the drug that Thévenin put in your orange juice that is still taking effect. In an hour or two, you won't feel anything anymore.

Is that supposed to reassure me?

Tom said nothing and went to get a basin and something to clean up the mess Jack had made in the bathroom adjoining their two rooms. Once the vomit was cleaned up, he handed him MY box of cookies, saying:

Here, eat, you must be hungry.

He began to take one, then put it back down, his gaze filled with suspicion.

And if you told me instead what you are going to do with me? Jack asked.

I regained control to answer him.

It's me again, Thévenin. It will depend on whether you cooperate or not.

I would never cooperate with the Yeerks. I'd rather die.

If that is your desire, that is indeed what is likely to happen. I warned him.

After this last retort, he remained silent, giving me a look of pure hatred.

(No need to threaten him) Tom reproached me.

(And how do I convince him not to tell anyone without scaring him? Do I need to remind you what would happen if Visser-3 found out what is happening here?)

Just tell him the truth. He is intelligent, he will understand. After all, he has managed to keep the secret until now.

(That's what you say.)

(Anyway, at some point you will have to release him. You can't hold him captive for life.)

I began to think about this possibility.

(Are you really not going to do that?) Tom worried.

(No! Of course not, I'm not going to do that. But you're right)

Listen, forget what I just told you. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to talk to you. I declared to Jack.

I don't know why I find it hard to believe you. Ah! I know. It's because you chained me, drugged me, and threatened to kill me.

Marco has a bad influence on you. Listen, if you promise to listen to me and not run away, I will untie you. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for the drugs and the threats. I should never have done that.

He watched me with a mix of astonishment and mistrust. Once untied, he stood up, rubbed his wrists, and looked at the door with a little too much insistence. Reflexively, I moved a little too hastily between him and the exit. This triggered another awkward silence between the two of us. Once again, I took the initiative.

Well, I don't know what you know, nor how you learned it, but I suppose you have a lot of questions?

You still haven't told me what you're going to do with me.

Nothing. As long as you don't tell anyone and you don't try anything stupid against me or another Yeerk.

And otherwise?

Otherwise, the other Yeerks will learn that you are aware of the invasion, forcibly infect you, search your memory to find out who else knows, and infect them in turn. Then they will see that I did not take you to the pool myself, even though I was aware, and I would probably be killed. And since this last possibility seems to delight you, know that it will result in Tom being transferred to a Yeerk probably less accommodating than me.

Why would you do that? Tom resists you so much that you are willing to risk your life for him to cooperate?

My motivations are none of your business. I replied curtly, starting to blush.

I noticed that at Jack's last tirade, Tom had started to get depressed. I really didn't need Tom to fall back into his dark thoughts on top of everything else. So I explained to him:

Tom, there's nothing wrong with cooperating. It's quite the opposite. And if it can lift your spirits, you resisted Temrash114 much longer than a human is supposed to according to my lessons.

(Yes, there is really no harm in letting you use my body to condemn strangers to hell, in exchange for a little comfort. I am so inadequate.)

(The infestation is not so horrible. It's even an opportunity for your species.) Faced with the outburst of diatribe he sent me in response, I cut off:

We've already had this debate thousands of times and this is not the time. Anyway, how many people have I managed to recruit so far?

(Zero) he replied grudgingly

(And how many people do you think I will manage to recruit?)

He smiled inwardly at the thought of my poor performances. I always found the hilarity that my recruitment attempts caused him very unpleasant, but if that was what it took to cheer him up, so be it. But he replied nonetheless:

(Okay, I admit that you are not really trying to do recruitments.)

On the contrary, I tried with all my might, I thought bitterly. However, I was no better at establishing relationships with humans than with other Yeerks. Usually, I was rather proud of that. The empire has enough smooth talkers who spend so much time polishing their superior's boots that they forget how to handle a Dracon beam. But for this mission, my military skills proved quite useless. I consoled myself by thinking that as soon as the invasion of Earth was over, I could be done with all this nonsense. But while I was thinking, Tom continued his response:

But it would only take one. And even if you're not the one doing the recruiting, you didn't hesitate to help another Yeerk force that child's head into the pool. She was only 7 years old, damn it. I can still hear her screaming every night.

Thank you, I am aware. I can't sleep either when you have nightmares. Listen, I couldn't refuse to help Aftran942 and Estril731.to infect them. Already, because I served several years with Estril731 and I owed him that, but especially because theThe father of the girlowns UniBank. It's too significant a target for the Yeerks to ignore any longer. They would have been infected sooner or later, and it's better for the girl to inherit a Yeerk like Aftran942 who just wants to avoid getting caught in the middle of the fighting. And then what did you want me to do? What difference would it have made to the outcome if I had protested?

Can I leave? Asked Jack.

Are you asking for my permission? That's good, you would make a good host. I remarked to congratulate him. But he immediately scowled and stormed off, pushing me towards the exit with his shoulder. Indeed, it was complicated to interact with humans whose thoughts could not be read.

Wait! I shouted at the last moment.

What now?

I. You're not going to tell anyone? I asked him hesitantly.

Who would you like me to talk to about it? The chances of running into an inspector are too high. And who would believe me? But Tom, I swear I will never give up. One day, I will find a way to free you. Whatever he makes you endure, keep hope.

Then he left without waiting for a response from me. I heard him running down the stairs to get out of the house as quickly as possible. I sighed and thought about what had just happened. I suppose it could hardly have gone better. But the result was only half satisfactory. At least he seemed to understand that he shouldn't talk about it to anyone. However, my limited understanding of humans made me doubt even that. They react so strangely sometimes. I decided to ask Tom for his opinion.

Do you think he will betray us?

"Avoid saying we. It's you he's after, not me," replied Tom.

(If he talks, you'll be in as much trouble as I am)

He won't do anything stupid. He understood the situation well. On the other hand, if I were you, I'd watch out for my big drooling butt.

I don't have a buttock.

(It’s an expression, I meant … Wait, does that mean you don’t... You know?)

(We do not produce excrement. Otherwise, we would quickly damage the brains of our hosts. And before you ask, we do not produce urine either)

Don't put such an idea in your head.

(But it's you who are asking. Anyway, it doesn't matter. We need to find a way for him to give up trying to free you. If I have to be constantly on guard in his presence, it's going to quickly become unbearable.)

Good luck. I know him, he is as stubborn as a mule. As long as you are in my head, he won't believe anything that comes out of my mouth.