The Experiment by K. A. Applegate

Author:K. A. Applegate [Applegate, K. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0590762613
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Published: 1999-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Once again, while the others were in school learning history, mouth sounds, the simpler forms of mathematics, and largely incorrect science, Tobias and I flew in the skies above the meatpacking plant.

It was a rainy day, which made for difficult, unpleasant flying. And what we were required to observe was even more unpleasant.

We met the others in Cassie's barn after they returned from school. Cassie was already at work, tending to the various sick and injured animals. Prince Jake helped her to move several cages.

Rachel flipped through a catalog. A brief book that shows humans what types of artificial skin to acquire.

Marco was working on "homework." He looked up at Prince Jake. "Hey! Is it Molotov and von Ribbentrop or von Molotov and Ribbentrop? Or are they both von?"

"Neither," Rachel said seriously. "It's von Damme and von Halen."

"That's very funny, Rachel. Hah. Hah. And also . . . Hah. But what I have here is a makeup paper cubed. It's a makeup paper for the makeup paper I was supposed to do for my first makeup paper."

"Okay, what did you guys find?" Prince Jake asked Tobias and me.

Tobias was in the rafters, his usual place. <There's no "u" in "Soviet,"> he said to Marco.

Marco crossed out the word and wrote it again.

To everyone, Tobias said, <Well, we found your basic meatpacking plant. Cows go in one end, hamburger comes out the other end.>

<I believe they are called steer,> I interrupted. <Male cows are bulls unless they have been neutered, in which case they are steer. Steer are more docile. Although this herd comprises both steer and cows.>

Everyone except Tobias stared at me.

"Say what?"

<I saw it on the Animal Planet channel,> I explained. <But what is neutering?>

"Oooh! I don't get that channel," Cassie said. "Ax, do you think . . ."

"Moving right along . . ." Marco said, and crossed his legs.

<One big problem,> Tobias said. <There's no force field over the meatpacking plant ->

<It is too large an area,> I explained. <As you know, energy expenditure for a force field increases exponentially. To put it in simple terms, if a field containing ten thousand of your cubic feet uses energy denoted as x, a field containing twenty thousand of your cubic feet will not use 2x, but rather x cubed.>

"Hey!" Cassie said in alarm. "I actually understood that. I never understand his technical explanations. What's happening to me?"

I was pleased by my success at reducing a much more complex reality to terms simple enough for my human friends to grasp.

"No force field, that's good. So what's the problem?" Prince Jake asked Tobias.

I answered. <Gleet BioFilters at all entrances to the meatpacking plant. As you recall, the Yeerks now use Gleet BioFilters at the entrance to Yeerk pools. They are programmed to destroy any DNA pattern other than those programmed in. At the meatpacking plant those filters eliminate all but steer and humans.>

<We saw a lot of flies get fried,> Tobias said.

"So if we go in, we go in as cows?" Marco said.

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