~JAKE walking
down street~
JAKE VO: My name is Jake. Half an hour ago, I was just a regular kid, not anymore. It's amazing how quickly your whole life can change.
~cut to Cyberia. JAKE and MARCO are playing a computer game~
COMPUTER: Congratulations Galactic Warrior, you are now in the Overlord Atmosphere with 230,000 points. Please enter your name.
~box comes up on screen saying "My Name Is" JAKE types in "Jake"~
COMPUTER: Scanning enemy overlords. Scourge, Titanium...
MARCO: ~Looks up from petting HOMER. Talks over computer~ C'mon, gimme the controls. I'll get us to Magi!!!
JAKE: ~shoves him away~ Are you dreaming? Forget it, Marco.
MARCO: C'mon, ya' dare me?
JAKE: ~looks at HOMER~ What do you think, Homer?
HOMER: ~barks~
MARCO: See?
JAKE: ~steps away from controls~ Alright, you're on. Go.
~cut to TOBIAS playing same game. Two kids are watching him~
COMPUTER: Congratulations, Wolf. You are now in the Magi Atmosphere with 3 million, six hundred sixty thousand points.
~back to JAKE and MARCO~
JAKE:~reaches over MARCO and pushes one of the controls~
MARCO: ~looks back at him~
~Back to TOBIAS~
COMPUTER: Alert. Alert. Please enter more coins. One minute playing time left to go.
TOBIAS: ~reaches into pocket to grab coins, doesn't have any. Clicks a few keys and quits game~
COMPUTER: Mission Failed.
KID: Don't you wanna see what's next?
TOBIAS: Later. ~gets up to leave, bumps into RACHEL and CASSIE just walking in~
RACHEL: Oh, hi. ~walks over to JAKE and MARCO~ Hey, guys!
JAKE: Where've you been?
MARCO: One word, Sale. ~he and JAKE laugh~
RACHEL: Excuse me, but I am captain of the gymnastics team. We had a meet. ~looks at computer screen~ So, what have you been doing, Galactic Warrior?
MARCO: Shh! Shh!
COMPUTER: ~starts saying unintelligable gibberish~
HOMER: ~starts barking~
RACHEL: ~laughs~
MARCO: Hey! What's going on? Not fair!
JAKE: ~laughing~ You just got blown away!
HOMER: ~turns and leaves~
JAKE: Homer! No! ~runs after him, calling his name~
MARCO:Jake! We already paid for another twenty minutes! ~RACHEL and CASSIE follow JAKE. MARCO starts to go back to computer game, but then follows everyone else.~
~outside, HOMER is running down darkening street~
JAKE: C'mon Homer! Let's go!
MARCO: Looks like those obedience classes are paying off!
CASSIE: What's up with him, anyways?
JAKE: I don't know! We gotta get him back.
~Cut to TOBIAS walking alone near an abandoned plant. ~
~Back to the chase scene~
JAKE: Homer! Where're you goin'?
CASSIE: Homer!
~back to TOBIAS, walking near an abandoned plant~
~Back to the chase scene.~
JAKE: Homer, come here! Homer! Homer, stop! This isn't funny!
HOMER: ~reaches the chain link fence around the abandoned plant, starts to bark~
~cut to TOBIAS pushing through a hole in the fence~
~HOMER digs under the fence and runs into the plant ~
RACHEL: What's he want in there? Homer? ~EVERYONE reaches fence just as HOMER digs all the way under and runs off~
MARCO: ~EVERYONE is running along the fence, trying to find a way through~ This place is freaking me out.
CASSIE: Hey, guys, it's getting late. ~JAKE reaches a chained gate. He can open it just enough that if they bend over, they can get in~
~later, EVERYONE'S in the fence, looking for HOMER~
CASSIE: We've looked everywhere, he's not here!
JAKE: We've got to find him. C'mon, Homer. C'mere.
RACHEL: Homer!
CASSIE: Homer!
JAKE: Over here, Homer. D'you see 'im?
MARCO: No, Man. Homer! Yo, Homer!
CASSIE: Hey! He's over here! ~EVERYONE runs over to her~
TOBIAS: ~looking up at sky, HOMER is next to him~
CASSIE: He seems okay now.
JAKE: ~to TOBIAS~ Hey, thanks.
TOBIAS: ~doesn't look away from sky~ Sure.
JAKE: Come here, Homer. ~HOMER comes~ Good boy, good boy.
RACHEL: ~walks over to TOBIAS~ You're new around here, right?
TOBIAS: ~points up to sky~ Look!
RACHEL: ~turns around to look, as does everybody else. What looks like car headlights is coming straight for them. As it comes closer, it's a space ship~ Whoa...
JAKE: Look at that!
RACHEL: Weird...
JAKE: C'mon ~starts jogging away to where the ship is going to land, everyone follows.~
JAKE: ~when the ship is just about to crash, he starts to walk closer~ C'mon, let's go.
MARCO: ~grabs him~ Whoa, I don't think so, dude.
CASSIE: What if it's hurt?
RACHEL: She's right. I'm in. ~brushes past MARCO~
MARCO: Huh? ~JAKE, CASSIE, TOBIAS and HOMER follow her~ You're insane. ~runs after them~ Man, wait up!
~they run untill they come to an open area where the ship has crashed. As they watch, a door opens on the ship, and we see an Andalite's silhouette against the bright light from inside the ship. He walks down a ramp towards them~
JAKE: There's somethin' comin' out.
MARCO: Uh-huh, this is the part where we hide, amigo! ~Turns to run behind some barrels, EVERYONE follows~
RACHEL: What is it?
MARCO: I--I don't know. But it's definetly not from my hood.
ELFANGOR: ~falls~
CASSIE: ~stands up to help him, TOBIAS and JAKE grab her and bring her back down~ It looks like it's hurt!
MARCO: Yeah? So?
RACHEL: So, we have to help it!
MARCO: What if it's, like, radioactive, or something?
RACHEL: Oh please. ~she and CASSIE stand up and walk over to ELFANGOR. TOBIAS and JAKE follow~
JAKE: ~looks at HOMER~ Stay.
MARCO: Oh, sure. The dog gets to stay. ~gets up and joins everyone else~
RACHEL: Maybe we should try talking to it.
MARCO: Yeah, just let me get out my Alien/English dictionary.
ELFANGOR: < Do not be afraid. > ~RACHEL, JAKE, TOBIAS, CASSIE and MARCO look around to see who's talking~ < I mean you no harm. >
JAKE: Who said that?
MARCO: I heard it...but I didn't.
TOBIAS: I heard it, in my head.
ELFANGOR: < I'm speaking to you in thoughts. >
CASSIE: ~steps forward, followed by everyone~ You're hurt. We can help you.
ELFANGOR: < I am Elfangor of the Andalite world. > ~RACHEL and CASSIE kneel down next to ELFANGOR~ < I come... > ~moans in pain~
CASSIE: Jake, give me your shirt. He's wounded.
ELFANGOR: < There's nothing you can do to help me. >
RACHEL: It's okay, Cassie knows alot about animals.
MARCO: Way to insult the guy, Rach.
ELFANGOR: < The wound is fatal. I will die. But there will be others. >
JAKE: Others?
ELFANGOR: < Unlike me. They have come to destroy you. There is no time for fear. You must help you world, but you must protect yourselves from the yeerks. >
MARCO: The whats?
ELFANGOR: ~raises hand, reaching out to them~ < The Yeerks. > ~we see a really bad computerized image of a human head with a two centimeter slug crawling into the ear~ < They are...Yeerks are parasites. They must have a host to live in. On Earth, their hosts are humans. They enter your brain > ~yeerk makes it into ear, and we see it just sorta sitting in the middle of what is supposed to be a brain~ < and take over your thoughts and feelings. These hosts are called controllers. They can be anyone. Your family, your friends... > ~back to outside of human head~ < Earth is their next target. > ~back to reality~
MARCO: Wait a second. You're telling me some slimy alien slug can crawl into our brains and take over our minds?
RACHEL: And control us?
ELFANGOR: < Yes, there is no time for questions. I must do what I can for you. I have no choice. I can give you a way to fight the Yeerks. > ~holds up a blue cube~< Each one of you must touch one side of the cube. >
MARCO: I'm not touchin' that.
ELFANGOR: If you don't, then everything you know will be destroyed. Your brothers, your sisters, your parents. >
RACHEL: ~looks ready to touch the cube~
JAKE: Rachel, I don't know.
RACHEL: You heard him, we have no choice.
MARCO: Man, this is insane!
JAKE: ~leans forward and puts hand on top of the cube. It suddenly turns red. RACHEL'S next, followed by CASSIE, and, reluctantly, MARCO. The cube glows brighter when CASSIE touches it, so it's almost white.~
ELFANGOR: < This gift is for you too, Tobias. >
TOBIAS: How do you know my name?
ELFANGOR: < Hurry! > ~TOBIAS leans down and puts his hand on a side of the cube. The cube glows bright white.~
MARCO: ~turns back when HOMER starts barking like crazy~ Now what?
JAKE: Something's wrong. ~all suddenly pull back from the cube, as if they've been shocked~
ELFANGOR: < It is done. > ~everyone is looking at their hands~ < The power of change is in your flesh. >
JAKE: Change? What kind of change?
ELFANGOR: < You need only to touch a creature to acquire it's DNA pattern, and change your form. >
RACHEL: Change our form?
CASSIE: You mean we can change into animals?
ELFANGOR: < Exactly. You can become any animal you touch and acquire. But remember, when you change, you must return to your human form within two Earth hours. >
TOBIAS: What happens after two hours?
ELFANGOR: < You will be trapped within that animal form forever. >
~ground suddenly starts shaking, and lound noises are heard, EVERYONE looks around to see where it's coming from. Not too far away, the blade ship lands~
TOBIAS: What's going on?
RACHEL: What's happening?
ELFANGOR: < Visser Three is here. >
MARCO: What's a Visser Three?
ELFANGOR: < You must go. Go! > ~RACHEL and CASSIE try to help him up~ < Your lives are more important than mine, now go, GO! > ~holds out a disk to TOBIAS~ < Tobias! > ~TOBIAS and RACHEL turn back~ < Guard this, Tobias, with your heart and your soul > ~tosses it towards TOBIAS, he tries to catch it, but misses~
RACHEL: ~grabs TOBIAS~ Tobias, come on! Let's go!
TOBIAS: ~trying to get away from RACHEL~ I have to get it!
~RACHEL and TOBIAS join the others in hiding while the Blade Ship opens and VISSER THREE walks down a ramp towards ELFANGOR~
JAKE: It's another one.
CASSIE: ~shaking head~ No...I think this one's different.
MARCO: I'm guessin' that's Visser Three.
VISSER THREE: < Prince Elfangor! What an honor it is to be in the presence of a legend. > ~laughs~ You've managed to shred quite a few of our fighters. >
ELFANGOR: < Visser Three. >
VISSER THREE: < Yes, I have taken one of your Andalite bodies as my host. Your Andalite morphing technology has been so very useful to me. > ~laughs again~
ELFANGOR: < No matter how many bodies you steal, you will not win this war. We will fight you- >
VISSER THREE: < You and your Andalite army are fighting on too many fronts. Your forces are spread too thin. This world will soon be ours. >
ELFANGOR: < Why Earth? Why these people? >
VISSER THREE: < Because there are so many, and they are so weak. Our army will be a billion strong. And then I promise you one thing, Elfangor, I will return to your world, and personally see over the infestation of your entire family. > ~starts morphing~ < I hope that they resist so that I can hear their minds scream. > ~lifts ELFANGOR when the morph is complete~
ELFANGOR: < You can take me--but there will be others! >
VISSER THREE: ~eats ELFANGOR~
RACHEL: ~others look away~ No!
~CONTROLLERS hear her, flashlights shine on them~
JAKE: C'mon, we need to get out of here ~he stands, others follow~
CONTROLLER1man: ~shines flashlight where animorphs were a moment ago, shoves another controller forward~ There. ~another controller comes up to him~ Tell Visser Three we have a problem. ~yet another controller comes~ Release the Hork-Bajir
JAKE: ~leading the others away, turns around~ Come on, Homer. Come on!
CASSIE: ~falls, leg is tangled in wires. She screams. TOBIAS and RACHEL come back to help her~
MARCO: ~standing next to JAKE, pointing~ What is that?
JAKE: Wanna hang around and find out?
MARCO: ~he and JAKE are backing up, getting ready to run again~ No, thanks!
TOBIAS: Cassie's stuck! ~MARCO comes and tries to help~
JAKE: ~trying to lead Hork-Bajir away~ Hey! Hey, over here!
RACHEL: ~gets up~
JAKE: Hey, stupid! Over here!
RACHEL: Jake! No!
JAKE: ~starts running in opposite direction of others~ C'mon! Let's go! ~hork-bajir follows~
CASSIE: ~is freed, she and the others, except JAKE, run~
~CONTROLLERS split up in all directions looking for them~
JAKE: ~is hit in the back by Hork-Bajir~ Ah! ~runs into a metal tube, blocked on one end, no way out.~ Oh, great! ~Hork-Bajir is roaring, looking for JAKE. Homer then runs into the tube~ Homer! Homer, Come on, in here, Homer! Come here boy, come on! It's you, boy, come on, come here.
CHAPMAN: One of them is still here! Find him, or answer to Visser Three! Incompetence... ~scratches leg with this steel toe cowboy boots~
JAKE: I need your help, Homer. ~lays hand on head, closes eyes, acquires Homer. Concentrates, starts to morph. While JAKE is morphing, Homer lays down and whines. When he's finished, both JAKE and Homer run out of the pipe~
VISSER THREE: ~in Andalite body~ Did you find them?
CHAPMAN: No, sir. Just a couple of dogs!
VISSER THREE: Get those dogs, you fool! They might be Andalites!
~CASSIE, MARCO, and RACHEL sitting at a lunch table at school the next day~
CASSIE: Last night when I got home, I called Jake. He didn't answer.
RACHEL: He's smart. He'll show up.
TOBIAS: ~walks into cafeteria~
RACHEL: ~stands up, waves hand to get TOBIAS'S attention~ Hey, Tobias!
TOBIAS: ~comes over, takes a seat next to MARCO~
MARCO: You know, something funny happened to me last night. Some blue dude, with four legs, put me and a couple of other idiots in charge of saving the world.
RACHEL: Quiet, you want someone to hear you?
CASSIE: What if that...thing...got him?
JAKE: ~slams a lunch tray on the table in front of the seat across from CASSIE, she looks up, startled~ It didn't. ~sits down, motions for everyone to lean in~ I did it. I mean, it works. I became Homer last night, that's how I got away.
MARCO: No way. ~JAKE looks at him~ You're serious?
JAKE: So bizarre. I was trapped. I had no other choice. Then I remembered what the alien said, so I put my hand on Homer, and just started concentrating. All of a sudden, I started mutating. You know, I could hear my bones crunching and twisting.
MARCO: Ew, man!
JAKE: I watched my arms become paws. I became my dog.
RACHEL: ~amazed~ You were Homer?
JAKE: Actually, a copy. I mean, Homer was there, too.
MARCO: Did it hurt?
JAKE: No, not really. I mean, it's hard to explain. At first I didn't know what I was. And I could hear everything. And the smells...! You don't believe me, do you?
MARCO: Oh, we do! ~looks to CASSIE~ Don't we? ~she nods~ It's just...It's just too weird. You know, beyond too weird.
RACHEL: Way beyond.
JAKE: I swear, it's true. You know, I keep on thinking I'm gonna wake up and this is all gonna be a dream, but it's not. What we saw last night was real. It happened, right? ~everyone nods~ It happened.
MARCO: ~after a pause~ So, now what? ~JAKE looks at him~ Save the world? Can we eat first? ~everyone laughs~
RACHEL: No kidding. What do we do? Where do we start?
MARCO: How about that blue dude? You know, the nice one.
TOBIAS: Elfangor.
JAKE: Yeah, he tried to give you something.
RACHEL: What was it?
TOBIAS: It looked like some kind of a disk, or something. It's gotta be important, he said to guard it with my heart and my soul.
RACHEL: He knew your name. How come?
TOBIAS: ~with a laugh~ Like I know, he's probably telepathic or something.
CASSIE: But that disk, it's gotta be able to help us somehow.
JAKE: We have to get it back.
MARCO: ~raising voice slightly~ Are you kidding me?!
JAKE: Shh!
MARCO: ~lower voice~ They've practically got us on the FBI's ten most wanted list. Didn't you hear the news?
JAKE: Yeah, they're looking for some kids who set off fireworks.
RACHEL: Fireworks? Now that's a laugh.
CASSIE: They're lying. Maybe they yeerks in their heads.
MARCO: That means the yeerks could be anywhere.
JAKE: ~two kids slam into the table right in front of him~
RACHEL: If they saw our faces, they would have caught us by now.
JAKE: We can't talk here.But anyone could be one of them.
CASSIE: A controller.
MARCO: ~looks at a kid drinking juice~
CASSIE: ~looks at a girl doing her makeup~
JAKE: ~looks at a girl laughing~
CHAPMAN: ~walks
by a teacher reading a book~ Is anyone going to rein in this chaos,
or do I have to do it myself?
TEACHER: I'm sorry,
Mr. Chapman. ~gets up and leaves~
CHAPMAN: Incompetance.
JAKE: ~turns around in chair, watches CHAPMAN as he scratches his leg with his cowboy boots. Slowly turns back to table, flashes back to the night before when he saw Chapman do the same thing, not knowing it was CHAPMAN~ Guys, come here. Come here! ~everyone leans in~ From now on, we just talk to eachother. Trust no one. ~let's that sink in~ Principal Chapman is a controller. ~everyone looks shocked and/or confused~
JAKE VO: Five of
us against an army of alien slugs. And anyone could be one of them.