#the escape

[robylovi]

Just your typical children’s book stuff from Animorphs #15: The Escape

#23

[pyrochord]

your mother drowned. you're going to die just like she did.

[kwistowee]

There he goes...

The Escape

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

What do you reckon would have happened if Marco didn't tell Rachel Visser One's host was her mom, and she killed her at the underwater facility?

Interesting. There's been speculation about Visser One taking over the Earth invasion if Visser Three died, but I haven't seen a ton about what'd happen to Visser Three if Visser One died early.

If V3 is in favor with the Council of 13 when V1 is killed, I could see him getting promoted off-planet and someone else put in charge of the Earth invasion. I'd guess that by #15 the Council is aware the Earth invasion isn't progressing as fast as it should be, and that it's being severely hampered by andalite bandits. But I don't think V3 is yet as in trouble as we see in #35 when he gets charged with criminal negligence.

So if V1 dies, and V3 suddenly has a) the absence of his greatest hindrance and b) a power vacuum, I could see him parlaying this into a position that better suits his needs. If Leeran or Anati requires a shock-and-awe approach instead of all the subterfuge of Earth, he might win a transfer there. If he gets left on Earth but given free rein, then he might run with his plan from #46 and wipe out 90% of the human species to make the remaining 10% easy to enslave.

However. If Marco figures out a way to pin V1's death on V3, which I could see being within his skill (but also our boy is having a very stressful week), then potentially there's a massive shakeup in the Yeerk Empire power structure. V3 could end up fired for treasonous incompetence the same week V1 dies, and I could see the Animorphs successfully giving the whole Jenga Tower a big ol' push in the aftermath.

So: either humanity gets wiped out, or gets saved within the month. Or neither. It's a mixed bag.

[unstablecryptid]

Patrick Dempsey

The Escape (1998)

[arinewman7]

The Escape

Huang Zhe

Oil on linen, 2025

[bluefox4]

Which annoyed Cassie. It annoyed her so badly she had come to me and asked, "Marco, what can I do to save those poor birds? They aren't allowed any dignity!" And I had said, "Hmmm. Parrots, right? They talk, right?" "Yeah. Why? Do you have an idea?" "Oh, yes. I have a definite idea." p. 5

I don't know why. But as I was reading this exchange something felt off. I kept re-reading it because Cassie didn't sound right. Just the first part of her dialog, really. Yes, Cassie would be upset. But something feels off to her word choice? The vibes are off.

Was Marco paraphrasing what Cassie said here? Or this whole exchange?