Prelude: This is a sequel toReturn to Planet of the Apes; Alternate Worlds. It takes place twenty five years after the end of the original story. It picks up (in more detail) with the last portion of the Epilogue, in chapter 49 of that story… Enjoy!

Place: The United Territorial Republic; - Arum City – Ocala Military Command - Ocala District. (Old world Ontario, Canada)

Time: 0800

Jon Hayes hadn't slept in over thirty hours. He popped a couple of stimulants and downed it with some coffee on a mid-sized bench to his right. He'd spent most of the night mulling over a data spike he'd received eighteen hours earlier. He nodded at a few of the soldiers who were configuring and testing all of the audio-video equipment for the briefing that was about to commence. They respectfully bobbed back at him and instinctively picked up the pace. A young chimpanzee Corporal directing the group, comfortably from a chair, quickly jumped up. He suddenly took a more active role as he noticed the star on man's uniform. Within minutes they finished up and the ape Corporal hurried the small group out the room.

Shortly after, Governor Grazot and a few others entered the area and took their seats at the large conference table. Among them was the aged Doctor Brewster, who'd defected from the Imperiam Monarch during the last war, two and half decades earlier. He was now seventy four, but barely looked sixty. Most of his hair was still dark brown but it had receded quite a bit over the years. He was also a very fit and slim man for his age. That too added to the quasi-youthful illusion.

General Hayes welcomed the attendees, offered them some refreshments, and motioned towards Grazot to make his opening statement. Once the gorilla concluded, the real discussion took place.

"Gentlemen" Hayes declared. "This is amazing and I can see the urgency. All of you know Hank Brewster and should be quite familiar with his work. Anyone who isn't was probably in a coma for the last twenty years. His knowledge far exceeds anyone I've ever worked with. I asked him to look over the data, as well. I didn't fully trust my preliminary findings. However, Hank's verified and confirmed their authenticity. Evidently some kind of spacial rift has formed on the edge of our solar system."

"Ok," the man continued after sipping at his cup, "Initial scans show it to be very similar to the aperture Tom & I came though, years ago. I've looked over the data, as you asked. Does someone want to fill me in on what it all means?"

One of the Council Senators rose to his feet and spoke first. "Europe is a third world wasteland. It's a miracle that anyone or anything even survives there. We all know what happened when we first began to scout beyond our borders and into the rest of the planet. It was disastrous. Our people were hit with chemical weapons and instantly killed. As a result we are now very isolationist. But I want you to look at what our spy satellites picked up. Computer, cascade surveillance footage to time index; June 3rd, 0200 hours plus thirty."

The images appeared in a 3D block in the center of the table. "Open Alpha three, grid two-seven-six, eight-eight-three and magnify." The ape ordered.

In an instant it all became clear to General Hayes. All the local news feeds were reporting that a satellite had fallen. But according to this footage it was now evident that it was a ship; A ship that shouldn't even exist. The Union Jack was clearly visible on the tail and it had distinct British markings on her wings. It looked much more militaristic, than exploratory. And the design was incredibly advanced.

"HMS Vanguard…" Hayes mumbled in amazement as he read the inscription on the side. The vessel was massive; at least three times the size of the ship he'd crash landed in only twenty seven years earlier.

He turned his head and looked over at Grazot with an inquisitive expression on his face. The gorilla nodded and said "There's more, Jon." Looking at the screen he added "Computer play full index, June 3rd, 0200 hours, UTR time."

It was like looking at an old science fiction film. The ship was on a decent course but appeared as if it had manually stabilized, instead of crashing. But that wasn't what amazed the General. At least two dozen simians advanced towards the ship on horseback and in old rusted out tracked vehicles. The ship began to glow slightly and then fired a high energy pulse. It cut down over half of the advance before they ever realized what hit them. Next, the pilot he assumed, a human male, exited the craft. Several of the remaining ape forces, leapt towards the man. Without effort he cut a chimp in two with something that looked like a sword. Rolling forward, he threw a second blade at a charging gorilla and split his skull in half. He quickly stood and reached for a pistol at his side. But just at that moment he was mobbed by the remaining ape forces. Then suddenly, the image faded.

"That's all we got" The Senator concluded. "The satellite moved out of range. But the point is, General Hayes, he sent out an SOS. That ship is in tact and armed to the teeth …and we believe it may have nuclear weapons."

"Can we back up a second, Senator?" Hayes asked. "That ship is from England. A country long gone. Further, I copied that VID to my e-pad. I've enhanced some of the footage. Whoever that man was, the patch he's wearing says; UKSF – SAS. That's United Kingdom, Special Air Service. Those are England's elite Special Forces. They don't exist in this time"

"Yes, we cross-referenced the makings with old relics in the historical archives. That's why we're here, General. From what we can tell that ship is basically from your time period…sixty years beyond the date you claim to be from. His SOS stated he departed on April 7th, 2045. That specifically correlates to your old calendar dating system. As does a ship from a country called, Great Brittan"

"But how?" Hayes asked. "The Event I traveled through collapsed after Tom and I tried to escape back home. There's no wormhole up there. The Imperiam Science Section confirmed it years ago. The whole thing just collapsed in on itself".

"Evidently, there is now. This rupture in space showed up about a month ago; like a pin pricking its way through a piece of fabric and eventually ripping a hole in the material." The ape claimed "Now I've already read the report that Colonel March submitted years ago. I know the data shows that the tunnel or whatever you came through collapsed, but it looks like another may have opened. Let me get right to the point. You're the closest thing that man has to friends or family. We want to you to take a team and commandeer that ship. If you can't, you're to destroy it. Plain and simple"

"Plain and simple?" Hayes echoed back with a small, sarcastic laugh. "Why not just use the orbital missile network. We armed the ODN five years ago and have never fired a single bullet. I don't understand why you need people physically onsite to…"

Hayes stopped in mid sentence and then continued in an accusatory tone. Even at this age he was still just as direct as he'd been in his twenties. The man had become a little more polished, but his tact was just as lacking. "You want the ship, don't you? All that Imperiam technology that fell into our laps and it isn't enough. I saw those beams that thing fired. Even the Imperiam lacked that level of tactical sophistication. This isn't about anything other than a quick grab for power."

"It's not like that Jonny. Two days ago the Separatists hijacked three of our long range air craft. It was during an air show, when security was lax." Grazot explained. "They were older models and considered outdated. Besides, after the shellacking we gave them the last time they pulled something, the defense department thought it will be years before they tried anything else. But they had numerous spies who saw this Intel. And our spies report that they're already in Europe. We took out one of the crafts, but the others went stealth. We need to get to that ship before they do. As much as I hate to ask, Jon, are you up for one last mission?"

Hayes shook his head almost cynically. "One last mission?" he echoed rubbing his temples. "I'm going to ask this again. Why don't we just use the ODN? You can saturate the whole area and be done with it. Unless of course you really are just after that advanced technology."

Hayes exhaled and paused, adding one last comment. His impatience was surfacing as well as his frustration. Despite the STIMs he'd taken, he was still fatigued. "What's the problem here and why am I the only one who seems to get it?"

"You honestly don't have a bit of curiosity about that vessel, Jonny"? Brewster asked. "It's far superior to anything I've ever seen."

Deep inside his head, the thought of possessing that ship did intrigue him. It would certainly put a big hurt on the Separatists. War with them was inevitable. He'd argued for years that the Republic should strike first and simply eliminate the bastards once and for all. But the politicians, on the Senate Council in New Washington, didn't see them as a legitimate danger. They hadn't so much as sneezed their way, in the last fifteen years.

During their last major altercation, the Republic had merely, rapped them on the nose and sent the survivors packing home with their tails between their legs. No counter strike ever came. No captured terrorist was ever shot. In fact, they were granted amnesty and set free. Times had been a little different then. The Republic was in its early years and people had seen enough war. But politics never seemed to change. It was the old, proven wrong philosophy of winning their hearts and minds. Now the Separatists were simply biding their time while they slowly grew stronger.

Hayes looked at Brewster and answered "Of course I'm curious, but I'm a realist too."

The vessel had another advantage. It would be a huge lift to the space effort. But obtaining it wasn't worth a trip around the world and a confrontation with those savages in old Europe. What good was having that craft, if he was dead? Hayes was too old for field duty. There were plenty of younger soldiers who could handle this. In his mind; he'd done his time and paid his dues. He turned his attention back to the Governor and again asked; "And why me exactly? So he's from my era, or he claims to be anyway, big deal. Why does it make me so unique?"

"Two reasons, Jon" Grazot declared. "The first one being that the news reports aren't exactly wrong. We did lose a satellite. In fact we lost the whole network. That ship created a spacial wake. A small number of our communication orbital probes and two old defensive satellites vanished. They're simply gone. The ones that were unaffected are not responding to our authentication protocols. We're blind and helpless, at the moment. The New Washington Science Division believes the satellites themselves are damaged. They're assuming we'll need to launch another mission to make any repairs. We barely survived the last attempt"

Hayes filled in the gaps mentally. The initial ODN refit had taken a long time and huge effort to build, test, and execute. They'd exhausted every bit of fuel and special equipment they'd salvaged. People had died too, just as the Governor stated. At the time it was worth the exertion. The Separatists were now held at bay with absolute destruction dangling over their heads, despite all of the apathy New Washington displayed. The Republic was prepping for further space flights, but it wasn't a priority and they were trying to do it right this time. What was worse was the fact that they were years away from any practical mission.

The man scratched at the stubble on his cheek. He realized he hadn't shaved in two days. He brushed the thought aside and said. "Ok, I see the urgency. What's the second reason, then? ...And again, why me? I'm old, married, and due to retire in a few years?"

Grazot didn't answer. He spoke a few words to the computer interface and the SOS answered for him. "This was encrypted and on a distinct frequency but we cracked it anyway. Listen up Jon. The message is for you."

It was slightly gargled but clear enough to comprehend: SSSSsss … This sssss issss Nich –sss- olas Alastair; Colonel, ... sssss … British Royal ssssArmy. I'm in command of the HMS Vang-ssss... We left port on April 7th, 2045. This is an automated SOS for Major Tom March and Captain Jon Hayes. The NATO Alliance received your CIS burst regarding: Stage Delta. I'm here on a search and rescue mission. We are to retrieve you and use whatever force is necessary to neutralize the ape threat; including a nuclear option. We've been propelled into the planet's gravitational draw. Sensors and navigation are off line… SSSS ….but the AI auto-piloting software is sssss …engaged. I've set the sssss sub sssspace beacon to transmit on 09917 by 3467 ssss ….

Governor Grazot stopped the SOS loop and looked over at the very man the message was intended for. As their eye's met he tilted his head, shrugged, and held up his open paws.

The entire expression and attitude of General Hayes changed as the cobwebs began to clear. "The CIS" he said soberly. "My gosh, is it even possible? The CIS interface was the Dreadnaught's Combat Intelligence System. I had it send an automated message burst when we escaped Arum. It was right after we'd crashed and Colonel Johnson was killed …Just before we scuttled her in the Great Fish Pond. Stage Delta was a mission mile-stone. We were to send the burst after we'd landed and assessed the ape's current strength and capabilities. That was almost thirty years ago. The communication attempt was last-ditch. I never even thought it would break out of the atmosphere. …Let alone reach the barrier and actually make it back home. It must have taken years, but they got it. They actually got it"

"After what I've witnessed and read over the past two decades, nothing shocks me anymore. We're lucky" The Senator interjected getting back to the immediate situation. "We're blind, but more like in one eye. About 15% of our com-links still operate. The bad news is none of those birds are part of the ODN. And we're limited by range and atmospheric conditions on the ones that are still responding."

"General, your reputation precedes you." The Senator went on to say. "You're one of the Republics initial founders. You're modest praise of Dr. Brewster does not do you justice. You're quite brilliant yourself and a key player in this planets destiny. However, if you're still in doubt, let me show you the last piece of the puzzle"

The ape held out a packet and continued. "These pictures are not 3-D, but they'll fill in more of the cracks. Yes, there are younger, men and apes, just as capable of handling this. But it really is personal for you. And I stress personal. We captured these at the same time we were assessing the regional conditions and tracking the stolen ships"

Hayes stood, still half in shock over the SOS he'd just listened to. He approached the simian and took the square package from his paw. He quickly opened the large envelope. Being technical by nature, he recognized the equations accompanying the photograph of the elderly man. The phrase: Facial recognition algorithms, shot through his head. His eyes widened and he dropped the other papers while staring directly at the picture. He studied it and looked over to Grazot.

What he noted was almost as astonishing as a signal from thirty years ago reaching through time to over six hundred years in the past. He recognized the face after careful study. One final word came out of his mouth in the form of a question. "Tom"?

Grazot looked back and nodded his head, "Yes Jonny, from what we can tell he's alive."

Separatist Capital – Ape City

The Separatists were a mix of apes from the former Settled Territories, in old Canada and the southern Ape Territorial Nation within the long extinct United States. They'd resisted unification after the Imperiam war and utterly hated Homo Sapiens. To them, history hadn't lied and man had proven to be nothing more than a cancer. A tumor that needs to be cut out and destroyed. That idea was inclusive of the apes that also practiced blasphemy. Any simian who consorted with Satan's pawns were sacrilegious accomplices.

Oddly enough, none of the surviving Imperiam apes had joined their ranks. Though they were brutally vicious, the now dead Imperiam Monarch, had been a fully co-mingled society. Human / ape interaction was as natural for them as eating or breathing.

The group had migrated northeast and settled in the desolate lands of the once eastern USA. They'd cultivated, irrigated, and drive out the few mutated savages who occupied the local ruins. They'd worked hard and manufactured an impressive modern settlement. Their structures were powered, they'd built pluming, raised factories, homes, and even established a moderate supply trade with the Republic.

Fifteen years earlier over half of the faction invaded the UTR. They'd discovered an old weapons cash of preserved relics, from an era long ago. That had not gone well. The Republic stopped them dead in their tracks and slaughtered the invaders decisively. Hundreds had died. However, among the survivors was a young male orangutan, barely sixteen years old. He'd fought valiantly and came out a hero. That had cemented his reputation and destiny from that point on.

The now, thirty-something orangutan statesmen, lived in the east quarter of the city. He'd just departed a tall building and stepped onto the frozen walkway as he headed home. It was very cold for this time of the year. "Snow! In June of all things" he mumbled. The sudden flurry of snowfall and ice had almost brought the town to a halt.

He was still head-strong and full of ambition. His family had migrated with the other Separatists after the reconstruction following the Imperiam war. He'd been just an infant at that time, but like his now deceased father, he was a purist zealot, believing in total simian segregation and superiority. It wasn't a new idea but he held fast to it anyway: Humans were a blight on creation. If this so called, United Territorial Republic were allowed to grow and expand, it would only take a generation or two before the whole planet was a wasteland once again.

He'd only gotten a few paces before he heard someone calling out his name. "Zaius … Zaius" the young chimp panted as he caught up to the head of both the Ape National Assembly and the Ministry of Science. He nearly fell flat on his back as he trudged over the ice and snow and abruptly stopped in front of the ape.

"What in blazes is with you Galen"? Zaius shot back as he helped steady his friend. "Are you a hurry to break your neck or something?"

The chimp laughed slightly as he caught his breath. "No, I'm in no hurry to meet my maker anytime soon."

Galen blew some warm air into his paws and went on. "We just received an encrypted Data-Vid, from General Urko, Zaius. It's a bloody miracle, but our plan actually worked. He and one of the other crafts made it to the continent across the great sea. The vessel mentioned in the stolen Republic Intel is fully in tact. Urko's established an alliance with one of the local warlords. In exchange for technology that will tip power in his favor, the warlord is supplying enough support to give Urko an advantage. The General has promised to eliminate every rival in the area, if he can have the vessel, pilot & its human crew. He'll leave the UTR vessels and all of the smuggled weaponry with the warlord when he leaves."

Zaius had been waiting for news from afar. He looked at his pocket-watch and said "Walk with me, my friend. Things seem to be going as planned with Urko. But we have our part to play too. We can't risk letting the UTR shoot that thing out of the sky. New Washington is too powerful for a frontal assault. But history has a way of filling in the gaps. I know exactly how to keep them occupied"