This, again, highlights a main problem that the Animorphs suffer: they have no one outside their little group to turn to. They can't go to their parents or authority figures for help, as those people might be Controllers.
It seems this situation is a little too much for Rachel as she just bursts out laughing and says nothing is wrong. Her mother then points out that the thing with her father is probably causing her problems. Problems that her mother can't know about like her using her Grizzly bear morph the previous night.
As Rachel takes a shower, everything that happened the previous night comes back to her. Rachel thinks about it for so long that she starts to run out of hot water.
She realizes that her stress level is really high and so decides to skip school for the first time in her life.
Rachel watches tv and finds it comforting to watch people with fucked up lives. However, quickly the images she saw the previous night take hold. She can't seem to find peace for very long.
When her father comes on the noon news she mutes the tv and yells at her father asking him what she is supposed to do. My poor, broken, baby!
I like how she describes the animals hurting themselves as that seems to be a callback to when they met the Ellimist. Remember how Cassie talked about the Ellimist being an environmentalist and them all being like animals?
Conversation quickly drifts to Rachel's morphing addiction. How she morphed to fly around all day and how she used a morph for the first time the night before. I'm glad she's getting called out on the bear morph.
Rachel finally admits to the others that the thing that is really bothering her is the fact that her dad is moving away. She admits that it sounds stupid because there are bigger things to worry about. Cassie reassures her that it isn't stupid or wrong to be so taken aback by something that appears little.
Then Rachel lets loose with a rant. Marco tries to console her by saying she's Xena Warrior Princess. But she won't have any of it and finally lets loose with how she has to hide how scared she really is because she has to act a certain way.
Marco says he's changing his vote to 'Yes' because he is losing it and Rachel, a member who is supposed to be strong, is losing it.
As Marco continues to say that they should say yes to the Ellimist, Jake tells his best friend that they need to fight. Marco brings up the point that all they ever do is lose. Jake tells his best friend that it doesn't matter.
Cassie, again, makes the comparison of themselves being animals compared to the Ellimist.
Chapter 14
They spend a few moments wondering where they are. It's Tobias who realizes that the broken down buildings are the school. Marco, of course, makes a joke about the school being destroyed and how it'd be great news any other day.
Then they try and figure out when the school was destroyed. This time it's Cassie's turn to point out something: the color of the sky and that the air smells funny. She figures that this is the future.
Jake decides that since they're here that they should explore. While exploring they find the skeleton in a history classroom. That is ironic. The Ellimist is showing them about history and they just HAPPEN to run across the skeleton of in a history classroom. Coincidence? I think not!
This makes Rachel angry and she says that they can't tell if this is really the future or not. They then decide to head over and see what the mall is like in this future.
As they walk towards the mall, Marco makes a joke about finding an old Almanac and getting rich out of the information they'd find. Wouldn't it be funny if the Ellimist allowed this to happen but changed facts because he's a big, blue dick?
A lot of people seem to think that Ax doesn't have a sense of humor because it's so dry. He proves it now by a remark made to something Marco said. Oh, you two lovers!
There are now tubes that are the system of transportation in this future. It is why the Animorphs hadn't found anyone on the highway. Rachel asks who built it and...you're like your cousin, Xena. Who the hell do you think built it!
Once they reach the mall they find out that now it's a Taxxon hive. Oh no! The place to get cinnamon bunz has fallen!
Marco harshly points out that Andalites could have been fully infested by this point in time. Ax, of course, says that would never happen.
When Rachel says that they should board the train, Marco is shocked. But she points out that the Ellimist didn't bring them here to die. Ax then laments the fact that there are no more cinnamon bunz in existence.
When the platform comes down, Rachel remarks that there are many more human Controllers judging by the majority of the seats being human sized. Rachel remarks that the tube is a very fast means of transportation.
When the Animorphs arrive at their destination, Rachel looks around at the strange scenery. She is especially drawn towards the EGS Tower whose top two floors have been taken off and a glass dome put in their place.
As they turn a corner in a very empty city, they are shocked at what they see.
Chapter 15
Rachel also notices a difference about how the non-voluntary hosts now react. They don't fight because they know that help is never coming for them. They will always be slaves trapped inside their own body. They may cry out, but they are much more tame than they were before.
Rachel accidentally replies like she would to an ordinary human when a human Controller bumps into her. Tobias comes in to save her ass and pretends that Ax is Visser Three. Rachel is confused but Ax catches on quickly and starts to demorph.
It turns out that Visser Three has finally achieved the rank of Visser One in this future. He is also still not one people like to piss off.
Rachel makes a recovery and states that she still calls him Visser Three because she knew him back before he was Visser One. Good save, Xena, good save.
They start to wonder how long before the Ellimist takes them back to their proper time. Tobias thinks that the supreme being will take them back once the Animorphs thinks he's right while Cassie thinks there's something else going on.
Rachel starts to wonder about the Yeerk pool's location while Marco wonders how far into the future they are. She then sees a Bug fighter and she feels drawn to it. This seems reminiscent of how all of the Animorphs were drawn to Elfangor the night he crashed.
Rachel starts walking towards it and Marco reassures the others that it's okay since they're with Visser One. Once they are all in front of the Bug fighter, Rachel feels like something horrible is about to happen. She doesn't know what, but she knows something bad is about to happen.
Visser Three and a woman step out of the fighter. Rachel says that you can tell the real Visser Three by the evil that comes from the creature. He remarks that they arrived on schedule like 'you' (Rachel?) said they would be.
Rachel finally realizes that the woman next to Visser Three is her adult self. It's the only time any of the Animorphs will be seeing her as an adult.
Chapter 16
Rachel sees a flaw about the group being taken to the future as it would affect them to choose the Ellimist's offer. But then she thinks that maybe something that happens in this future makes her decide to stay and fight.
Visser Three makes fun of Rachel's confusion.
Cassie says she wants to leave because this is way too creepy. Future Rachel tries to argue that she's still the Rachel that Cassie knows. Cassie, however, replies that Future Rachel is a Controller. I like that there is not any hesitation in how Cassie reacts to Future Rachel. She isn't mourning her best friend in a way that would get her killed.
Cassie trips and nearly knocks over Rachel, but Future Rachel is there to make sure that Rachel doesn't fall over. Ax thinks that Future Rachel is attacking Rachel so puts his tail-blade to Future Rachel's throat.
Rachel finally figures out that Ax wasn't part of the original plan. That the future has changed. I'm now wondering who the sixth human could be? Was it just a throwaway thing or maybe referencing David? Maybe in this future David succeeded in betraying the Animorphs and that's why the Yeerks won?
Ax tries to tell her that the Visser can't harm them now due to him not understanding how that would affect this future. Jake says that they can harm the Yeerk, though.
Rachel goes after him.
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Animorphs Re-Read
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