the experiment

[instar]

When Andi has gotten one of Charlie's friends to give her a ride to the grocery store and the unauthorized residents of the house can come out of hiding, Bella goes looking for Trouble, so to speak, and finds him in the kitchen.

"Hey," she says, "I have some more questions that I'd be asking Aspret if she was here. Charlie didn't have answers; Esclan wasn't the talkative type or the experimental type."

Comments

[instar]

"A physical thing like...?"

[aeskhyne]

"Like, if the host is really, really motivated, they can interfere with the Yeerk's control of their body, maybe even take it back for a second. Or parts of it. But distracting them, like I did, keeping them away from something you don't want them to know - nobody's ever done that before."

[instar]

"Interesting." (Write, write.) "I wonder if there's any other good strategies for fucking with them. Anything sufficiently generalized could just be thoughtspoken to a large crowd of hosts and create chaos, that could be useful."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah, like what? And you'd better test whatever you come up with before you go yelling it to a bunch of people."

[instar]

"Yes, the testing part would be the problem."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah?"

[instar]

"What are you getting at? Have you and Ethan and Robin been having Yeerk-related entertainments and not sharing your scientific results?"

[aeskhyne]

He snorts. "No. But I would. I bet you'd have a harder time convincing Ethan or Robin to do it for science."

[instar]

"What would be their issue with doing science simultaneously?"

[aeskhyne]

Trouble shrugs. "It's not like they've done it. I just think they'd have other things on their minds if they did. Me, I wouldn't care."

[instar]

"Indifferently scientific Yeerking. Huh."

[aeskhyne]

"Mm?"

[instar]

"If Robin and Ethan won't do science and you will, that leaves a gap in the necessary participants that has to be filled with me, Andi, Charlie, or Ax - and realistically that means me. Trying to decide if I even have a sufficiently well-defined test to run."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah," he says, "'cause I'd definitely rather it be you."

[instar]

"Well, that and I don't think Andi or Charlie would be keen or motivated by science, and Ax has no Yeerk form and probably couldn't be induced to acquire, let alone use, one if his life depended on it, but yes. That."

[aeskhyne]

"...You know I'm not motivated by science, right?"

[instar]

"Had an inkling. What are you motivated by?"

[aeskhyne]

Trouble considers this question.

"...Y'know, I thought it'd be simple to explain that, but it's actually not at all."

[instar]

"This isn't an especially urgent experiment, if you want a while to put your thoughts in order."

[aeskhyne]

"I'm not sure time will help," he says, smiling crookedly. "I mean, if you want the short answer, it's 'I'd like it'. Or even, 'I'd really like it.' But then it gets... complicated. And very me. I'm not sure I'd know how to explain even if I took a week to think about it."

[instar]

Bella is silent for a moment, then says, "Under the circumstances, putting it into words might not be strictly necessary, although I would like to know as much as possible beforehand."

[aeskhyne]

He drums his fingertips thoughtfully on the countertop.

"I'd let Ethan, knowing he'd probably make me regret it," he says at last. "You wouldn't make me regret it. At least not the same way."

[instar]

"I'd certainly try not to, anyway - why would you let him if you'd expect him to make you regret it?"

[aeskhyne]

"'Cause I'd still want to. 'Cause I love him."

[instar]

"Would that survive the regrettable process?"