This unnamed observatory was a building in California used by astronomers to observe celestial events. Peter worked with the astronomers at the observatory to develop high-tech software to allow them to aim their radio telescope, which Ax temporarily transformed into a Z-space communicator in order to contact the Andalite homeworld.

History

Radio Telescope

Around 1997, an observatory was built with dish arrays and optical telescopes. Astronomers at the observatory worked with a software engineering firm to develop a program to aim their radio telescope, and worked with an employee named Peter. One of the employees at the observatory was a man named Gary Kozlar, who had been infested by the Yeerk Eslin 359.^[2]

Z-Space Communication

While visiting Marco's house, Ax noticed Peter's program on his home computer as Peter was working from home. Believing that it was a children's game and that the goal was to fix the code, Ax proceeded to do so, which allowed the updated software to use the radio telescope to breach Z-Space. Peter, shocked at the new advanced software on his computer, showed it to the astronomers and transferred the code to the computers at the observatory. Eslin 359 noticed the new code and immediately realized that the code was beyond what humans were currently capable of, and therefore correctly deduced that it had been the work of an Andalite. Upon being notified that his code was being used for a radio telescope, Ax realized he could use the observatory computers to call the Andalite homeworld and enlisted Tobias' help in finding the observatory.

One morning, Ax and Tobias flew to the observatory as birds-of-prey, and Ax laughed when he saw that the observatory had dish arrays and an optical telescope, which he referred to as primitive and incapable of allowing people to actually see what was in space. Noticing an opening in the dome, Ax flew down and located a computer workstation, and he demorphed in order to use it. Ax successfully spent ten minutes calibrating the telescope with his changes and successfully placed a call with the Andalite homeworld's Planetary Communications division, which allowed him to inform members of the Andalite military of Elfangor's death and that there were morph-capable humans on Earth. Eslin noticed the radio telescope being used and rushed to the workstation, and Tobias attempted to warn Ax that someone was headed his way. Ax was then able to briefly speak with his father before Eslin entered the room and cut off the transmission. As Eslin held a Dracon beam at Ax, Tobias flew into the observatory and managed to rake the forearm of Eslin's host, Gary Kozlar, before landing on the telescope.

Eslin told them that he actually wished to talk to them and revealed that the only Yeerk he ever had feelings for, Derane 344, had been killed by Visser Three following the rationing of Kandrona rays after the ground-based Kandrona had been destroyed. Wanting revenge, Eslin informed them where Visser Three would be going to feed his Andalite host body and asked Ax to kill Visser Three, reminding Ax that he needed to kill the Visser in order to avenge Elfangor. Ax and Tobias then left the observatory, with Ax having accepted Eslin's deal. However, Ax failed to assassinated Visser Three or kill his Andalite host. Days later, Ax returned to the observatory to meet with Eslin, who seethed at Ax for having failed. Ax then told Eslin to boot up the computer so that he could make one final call to the Andalite homeworld.^[2]

Project Completed

After the call, Ax used a virus^[2] to erase the software changes he had made from the observatory computers, as well as Peter's computer. Peter then returned to using his original code and finished up the observatory project,^[3] allowing astronomers at the observatory to successfully aim the radio telescope in order to pick up radio waves and other radiation from space.^[2]

Appearances

• The Alien
• The Android (mentioned)

References