Urko stood before the High Council. "My troops have told me just this
morning of an uprising," he began. "Not an uprising of the human vermin,
mind you," he said, pacing heavily back and forth in front of the seated
orangutans. "Apparently some chimpanzees have it in their heads that the
traitor Galen is to be commended! They say he's admirable," he sneered,
"For resisting the closed-minded musings of an out-dated council
hierarchy!" A gasp arose throughout the room. Urko stopped in front of
Zaius and leaned down. "When my officers told the heretics to disband, they
spat in the dirt at his feet!" he continued, eyes fixed on Zaius, voice
rising. "I won't allow my officers to be treated contemptuously! This
type of incident is becoming almost common place….but it will stop. One
way or another, it will stop." Urko's voice became ominously low as he
straightened, glaring at each council member in turn. "I will see to it."
He turned and, without waiting for a response, left the council in
chambers.
An hour later, Zaius sat in silence, staring off into space. It seemed that imprisonment and/or banishment were no longer effective deterrents to those traitors who supported Galen, and questioned the wisdom of the High Council. Zaius knew that the threat was serious and if allowed to spread, ultimately fatal to ape civilization. Finally, he stirred himself to give instructions to an assistant chimpanzee, and less than 30 minutes later, Urko again strode into the now empty room. "You wanted to see me, Zaius?" he said impatiently.
"What we have long feared is at last upon us, Urko," Zaius said, softly.
"I don't have time for your riddles, Zaius. Speak in plain terms," snorted Urko irritably.
"Very well…plainly, then. The astronauts and Galen must be found. Now. The infection has started. The disease will only grow amongst the apes in this city until it can no longer be contained. Urko, you must help me stop this - before it's too late. If it isn't already," Zaius replied, locking eyes with Urko.
"Do you think I want this, Zaius? You think I want those filthy humans and their renegade ape alive and out of my control?" Urko asked slowly, staring back.
"Of course not." Zaius answered impatiently.
"I will find them, Zaius. Of that you can rest assured." Urko said, glaring. "And I will kill them."
"You will not kill them. You will bring them here, Urko," said Zaius with a hard stare. With a roar, Urko brought his fist down, smashing it onto the desk in front of Zaius. Then he turned and walked swiftly out the room.
-----------------------------
At daybreak the next morning, Urko set out to investigate the where-abouts of the fugitives. His only lead was a tentative sighting of two human strangers at the village of Antros, offered up at the height of an unpleasant (for the human, anyway) question-and-answer session conducted by one of Urko's soldiers. The human said that the two strangers spoke in a manner not native to these parts. There was, however, no information "volunteered" regarding a chimpanzee companion. The lead was doubtful at best, and one which had failed to yield results when investigated by the local soldiers a mere three days before. Nevertheless, it was all he had.
Urko commanded a unit of his soldiers to reconnoiter every village within a fifty mile range of Antros, expanding the area which had previously been searched. For the next three days thereafter he stayed at the abode of Prefect Arnak in Antros, organizing efficient, often brutal searches with ruthless drive.
Urko recognized that Zaius's directive carried a great deal of pressure, and he was almost insane with the idea that the three renegades would yet again humiliate him in the eyes of those who occupied the seats of power in Central City - yet his humiliation was postponed on the morning of the fourth day when he received a promising lead from a tired and dusty gorilla soldier riding in from the far reaches of the search area. A village barely inside the 50 mile limit had apparently been host to a chimpanzee, but there were no reports of accompanying humans. A chimpanzee traveling alone was in itself not worthy of notice; however, the fact that a chimpanzee would shelter at a human village almost certainly pointed to the refugees. As far as Urko was concerned, it was enough. The humans were probably with Galen - if the observer who reported the chimpanzee was himself an ape, he wouldn't know if the humans in the village were strangers or residents. All humans looked alike, everyone knew that. Only Zaius, Urko and some of Urko's best soldiers could identify the astronauts on sight.
Urko summoned Barda, his second-in-command for this operation, to ready 20 of his best men with orders to ride immediately to the human village of Chandar.
An hour later, Zaius sat in silence, staring off into space. It seemed that imprisonment and/or banishment were no longer effective deterrents to those traitors who supported Galen, and questioned the wisdom of the High Council. Zaius knew that the threat was serious and if allowed to spread, ultimately fatal to ape civilization. Finally, he stirred himself to give instructions to an assistant chimpanzee, and less than 30 minutes later, Urko again strode into the now empty room. "You wanted to see me, Zaius?" he said impatiently.
"What we have long feared is at last upon us, Urko," Zaius said, softly.
"I don't have time for your riddles, Zaius. Speak in plain terms," snorted Urko irritably.
"Very well…plainly, then. The astronauts and Galen must be found. Now. The infection has started. The disease will only grow amongst the apes in this city until it can no longer be contained. Urko, you must help me stop this - before it's too late. If it isn't already," Zaius replied, locking eyes with Urko.
"Do you think I want this, Zaius? You think I want those filthy humans and their renegade ape alive and out of my control?" Urko asked slowly, staring back.
"Of course not." Zaius answered impatiently.
"I will find them, Zaius. Of that you can rest assured." Urko said, glaring. "And I will kill them."
"You will not kill them. You will bring them here, Urko," said Zaius with a hard stare. With a roar, Urko brought his fist down, smashing it onto the desk in front of Zaius. Then he turned and walked swiftly out the room.
-----------------------------
At daybreak the next morning, Urko set out to investigate the where-abouts of the fugitives. His only lead was a tentative sighting of two human strangers at the village of Antros, offered up at the height of an unpleasant (for the human, anyway) question-and-answer session conducted by one of Urko's soldiers. The human said that the two strangers spoke in a manner not native to these parts. There was, however, no information "volunteered" regarding a chimpanzee companion. The lead was doubtful at best, and one which had failed to yield results when investigated by the local soldiers a mere three days before. Nevertheless, it was all he had.
Urko commanded a unit of his soldiers to reconnoiter every village within a fifty mile range of Antros, expanding the area which had previously been searched. For the next three days thereafter he stayed at the abode of Prefect Arnak in Antros, organizing efficient, often brutal searches with ruthless drive.
Urko recognized that Zaius's directive carried a great deal of pressure, and he was almost insane with the idea that the three renegades would yet again humiliate him in the eyes of those who occupied the seats of power in Central City - yet his humiliation was postponed on the morning of the fourth day when he received a promising lead from a tired and dusty gorilla soldier riding in from the far reaches of the search area. A village barely inside the 50 mile limit had apparently been host to a chimpanzee, but there were no reports of accompanying humans. A chimpanzee traveling alone was in itself not worthy of notice; however, the fact that a chimpanzee would shelter at a human village almost certainly pointed to the refugees. As far as Urko was concerned, it was enough. The humans were probably with Galen - if the observer who reported the chimpanzee was himself an ape, he wouldn't know if the humans in the village were strangers or residents. All humans looked alike, everyone knew that. Only Zaius, Urko and some of Urko's best soldiers could identify the astronauts on sight.
Urko summoned Barda, his second-in-command for this operation, to ready 20 of his best men with orders to ride immediately to the human village of Chandar.