Ceasera – Human occupation day 12

The ape military presence was almost nonexistent and the newly installed martial law hadn't affected things all that significantly. Their former ape taskmasters were just as demanding as their current human counterparts. But the human occupation was not without problems. The real dilemma evolved around the subjects of food, shelter, and mutual cooperation. More than forty percent of Ceasera was in ruin. Water was scarce, as was food. And the dead, who were everywhere, were still being buried or burned. Supplies were coming in but St. James could see that they were robbing Peter to pay Paul. He was a combatant. Occupation was a totally new experience, to not only him, but also to his subordinates.

Human engineers were working with ape civilians rebuilding the city, but that too sprouted the seeds of contempt. The two species loathed each other. A smart-mouthed young enlisted man provoked an ape construction worker; refereeing to his latrine-likearoma. A brawl started and almost ended in a city-wide riot. The man was currently in a medical tent paying for the mistake. Soldier or not, the apes were vastly superior in all physical aspects. Human firepower and military proficiency were the only factors that squelched it before things spun out of control. Two apes were killed and six were wounded. One human soldier died and two were severely wounded. That only added to the already existing hatred. St James didn't give a rip about the ape body count, but stability was on his high agenda. He'd severely disciplined the men in public. It helped, but only marginally.

In a similar situation, an ape shopkeeper refused to barter over supplies. As he was confronted, he shot the human officer in the stomach. The Chimp possessed a pistol he hadn't turned over. Normally the simian would have been hung but he was very old and St James was afraid of the message it would send. So instead, the merchant was taken to detention cell and put to death quietly. His food was poisoned. Later that night he was dumped in the pit and burned.

There were other problems, issues, and anxieties. They seemed to grow like a hydra. You'd chop the head off of one and two more would appear in its place. Black-market opportunists had risen, suspected ape collaborators unexpectedly died, and some of the human soldiers were caught taking bribes. There were even reports of apes killing their own over blame for the occupation. It was a sorted mess but one thing was certain; the men were there to stay. The city was too strategically vital.

000

General St James and his staff sat around the large table as each officer gave their daily briefings. It was usually a boring routine they all put up with, but earlier this morning the diplomatic detachment had returned from Devoir. The meeting was moved up two and half hours and apprehensions were running high.

"From what we've gathered, they're in a bit of a rabble." Lynch said. "Seems to be a vacuum in the leadership department and a few opportunistic apes are trying to fill it. A small number are crying for war, but most are in a state of confusion or simply in disagreement on how to proceed. Their military is stretched, but their numbers still exceed ours. Our scouts report no troop movement or massing of elements. Thing is, Sir, they're spread thin, just like we are and without their military leadership, they lack direction and organization."

"And what about ODN story we agreed on? How was that taken?" St James asked.

"A picture is worth a thousand words." Lynch answered. "Our envoy was received but the deployment of the second RPM seems to have them fooled for the moment. Looks like your plan bought us some time, Sir" He paused and turned to the officer who'd led the diplomatic mission to the neighboring ape city. "Major Webb, can you please fill us in on the specifics?"

"Of course Colonel" The man said with a slight tilt of the head. "As instructed, we met with the apes in Devoir. And as you claimed they were skeptical. But we did have the ape allies with us, for show. They confirmed the occupation. The monkeys in Devoir didn't know the gorillas from Adam and they couldn't exactly deny we were there either. Anyway, the display we put on clinched it. Sergeant Walsh hid himself about five or six klicks back. We told them Washington was now under human control and the ODN was on line and fully at our disposal. They scoffed … again as you predicted … and I used the mock hand-held mechanical device to act as if I was accessing the Net. Once Walsh got the signal he fired the missile into a food silo. That definitely grabbed their attention …For all they knew, it was the ODN. I made it clear that the next demonstration would be in the center of their town and with ten missiles."

"Good and what of our terms?" St James asked.

"They've agreed to honor our newly established borders and the demilitarized buffer zone. We didn't really leave them with a choice. The cities meager military leadership is asking that we release any of the surviving senior staff …as an act of good faith. But they're just scared and unsure how to take all of this." Webb answered.

The General took a swig of hot coffee and shook his head, "…Act of faith, bah. Those pricks have been slaughtering us for years. It's a miracle any of us are still alive. I have all of their top brass sitting in detention cells. For now, that's where they'll sit. We're staying under martial law until this blasted capital is secure. … Captain White, what's the progress on the ODN?"

"We've powered the computers in the command bunker. They're running but they're off the network. The cells we were provided helped us take a few shortcuts, so we're ahead there. Two satellite sensors are repaired but the remaining two are uncertain." She answered.

"Give me specifics, Karen; how long?" The man asked bluntly.

"Two weeks, maybe as much as four" She answered plainly.

"Four weeks? We'll be lucky if we can keep them fooled for one. What about that eccentric crack-pot of a Captain. The one who thinks he's from the future or something? He may be nuts but he seems to know his way around these ancient machines" St James asked, "Get him on it."

"He claims to be from the past, Sir, but it isn't important." She replied correcting the man. "And he is on it. We all are. Besides, it isn't a matter of throwing bodies at the problem. We can't get nine women together and make a baby in one month. The lines need to be run, power needs to be established and moderated and the Mainframe is in the last stages of the controlled reboot. Norman has to hack the security authentication. It's in progress but it's a tough nut to crack. He's been working on it for two weeks and only has thirty-eight percent of the protocols in a ready state. One he gets to fifty-five or sixty, I'll ping the satellite sensor relays and try to access some of the interfaces. "

"Thad" St James said to Lynch. It was as if he hadn't listened to a word she'd spoken. "I want every available man we can spare down there. We've sitting here with a pair of twos and bluffing like we have a royal flush. If they call our hand, we'll be hanging out there with our butts in the wind."

The General finished his coffee and dismissed the soldiers. He held Lynch back and once the room was empty he said "You're going back with Karen, Thad. That city is too darn important and we're up against a wall. Form a team of the best we've got and issue as many of those ancient rifles as we have. We're going to end this."

Old Washington

Ten days earlier, Captain Kelly Hass presented her idea. Given the intelligence from the recording they'd taken, the plan had been accepted. Colonel Neal and his element would sweep wide in an attempt to hit the apes on their western flank. They'd strike hard and hit in full force. The mission was to route the simian army east. Once there, they'd fall prey to friendly fire from their own artillery support.

But there had been one catch. Ulysses' radar picked up remnants of the human movement a half hour after their initial push. He'd even sent a scout to confirm it. The ape officer then readjusted the radar settings. Once the humans reached the far tip of DC, he'd brought down a rainstorm of steel and wiped out most of the hostile human forces. Inevitably, Neal had fallen victim to the same fate Philonus had. The human Colonel was carrying the M-16 they'd taken from Hayes. Its transponder sent a signal to Ulysses once it was in range. Ironically, the process was designed to eliminate friendly fire accidents. In this case it merely sealed the man's fate.

Polk and the rest of the ape soldiers were later captured but Ulysses had managed to escape. Besides, the damage was done. A massive ape force was now in Washington. The apes were fanning out wide and digging in tight.

000

Jonathan Hayes controlled his breathing and adjusted his sight. He peered through the rifle scope for a better look at his prey. He counted the figures on the digital display and turned to March. He held up two fingers and pointed in the opposite direction. March nodded and held up three, pointing out towards the apes he'd spotted.

"This is insane" Hayes muttered under his breath.

Random ape patrols were becoming all too regular. The simians covered about one third of the southern portion of DC. The only advantage the humans had were the A1X rifles. They carried enough firepower to give the impression that a significant number of men occupied the north.

St James was supposed to send reinforcements but his main concern was getting the ODN operational. Power cells from Ceasera were taken, necessary supplies arrived, and key technicians were working with White. It was suicide as far as Hayes was concerned. Several of the techs and their infantry support had already been killed or wounded. His mission was to clear the area so they could run the power conduits and access the ODN Mainframe. They'd already covered several miles and still had quite a few to go. There was also key equipment that required fixing, powering, or both.

Out of habit Hayes held his breath and pulled the trigger naturally. He'd learned it in basic training and it was now second nature. The standard round wisped from the barrel and took out the first soldier. Before the second one could react he dropped dead next to his peer. The man crawled over to where March was and took a position next to him. The two men repeated the process, taking out the other three apes.

The method was grueling, idiotic, and cumbersome, they both concluded. The men felt like death was just waiting for the chance to jump out and pounce. They'd managed to stay a step ahead of the apes but that was because they were too busy fortifying their positions. Once the monkeys felt secure, they'd become more bold. What was even worse was the thought of them stumbling across some kind of ancient technology.

The next morning, Captain White returned from the briefing with about fifty soldiers. Colonel Lynch was in full combat gear and several of the men were carrying the new M-16s. A Lieutenant was briefing a few soldiers as they huddled around a display he'd made in the dirt.

"What's all this?" March said as he leaned over to Hayes.

"Don't you recognize him Tom? He's the Colonel I locked horns with back at that human settlement. And it's obvious what he's doing. He's going to after the apes." Hayes replied.

Their second meeting was a little better than the first. The contention started when Lynch ordered Hayes to surrender his firearm. The Colonel's mission was a classic, search and destroy. But it was also designed for two other purposes; the first was to put a buffer between the apes and ODN Engineers. The second was designed to extinguish the ape's munitions. They were stuck with no way to resupply.

Lynch wanted Jonny's weapon because the man was to stay behind and work with White on the uplink. Hayes argued that any idiot could run wire but eventually gave in. Both he and March had stashed a couple A1X rifles in the bunker. "Ok then, take it" he finally agreed.

Even March expressed his concerns with the Colonel's logic. The humans had roughly ten to twelve weapons but the ape numbers were in the thousands. If the men were captured and if their equipment was taken, it could tip the balance of power significantly. March also expressed his concerns regarding the idea of expending their ammunition. From where he stood, the only option he saw was to become a target. And that wasn't an endearing thought.

"We have enough gadgets on these rifles to keep them guessing." Lynch stated. He also ordered March to command a detachment of soldiers.

"I need every available body, Major. You've had experience with the weapon, you have combat familiarity and from what you've briefed, you have a solid grasp of tactics …Might just save the lives of one these boys." Lynch stated. "You have no idea how important the ODN is to our survival."

March couldn't arguer with that. Peace through strength had been woven into his thinking since he was boy. Put a knife to their throats and they'll be much more receptive to your terms. It had always been the American way.

The Colonel briefed the personnel of the mission he'd devised. They inspected their gear, broke up into small units and went on their way. The soldiers were divided into five squads of ten men. Two of the ten carried the special weapons. The others carried the standard repeating rifles.

Ceasera

Sullen, Ogden, Kutos, and Grazot walked into the newly established command post. They were escorted by armed guard. It gave the impression they were nobody special. For both of their interests they were being kept at arms length.

"Come in gentlemen. Please have a seat." St James said without even realizing the word he'd chosen. "I want to thank you for accompanying our delegation to Devoir. Your presence gave our story a lot of needed credibility."

Sullen's view of humans had evolved slightly, but old impressions were hard to wash away. His reply was not what St James was expecting. The ape's distrust and perceptions began to surface. "Were those my rifles you sent off with your soldiers, General? We gallivant off to who knows where, we sit in these cantinas and gather intelligence for you and you thank us by stealing our supplies? You speak of an armistice but then slap us in the face."

"I can understand your concern, Prefect." St James replied. "Yes, those were your relics, but no, we did not steal them." The man paused as he sought the right words. "You have to understand how important the network is. Without it we'll be at war until there are no apes or men left on this planet."

"And how understanding would you be if I had control of this Net and confiscated your prize armaments?" Sullen said sticking to his guns. "I've provided intelligence about their capital and military leadership. I've allowed your scientists access to my relics, as you refer to them… I see a lot of give and a lot of take. I'm giving and what I don't, you simply take."

"Fair enough, Sir" The man replied. He excused himself, called for a guard, and whispered instructions into the man's ear. The soldier gave nod and quickly went off to do the officer's bidding. He returned with several soldiers who were dragging a rucksack. They heaved and huffed until it was finally at Sullen's feet.

"This belongs to your people." The General said. "Let me return it as sign of good faith. It's also a good lead into something that's been on my mind."

Sullen opened the sack of gold and silver that Ogden had been carrying. He inquisitively glanced at Grazot and made a comment about being bribed with his own gold. Troop Sergeant Ogden gave a quick explanation. But before the subject got side tracked St James went on.

"Prefect," the man said as respectfully as he could, "our necks are just shy of the noose. Voss is dead. His leadership is dead. Anyone who could salvage their situation is also dead or in prison. With one exception; the troops occupying south Washington."

He paused and pulled down a map. With a long stick he pointed at Devoir, Tepoc, Makowen, and the remaining ape cities. "Washington is being dealt with but the disarray in the remaining Territorial provinces gives us …and yes I mean us… a tactical advantage. But the window is closing. Sooner or later a leader will poke his head up… sooner or later they'll discover that the ODN is not operational… and the wound of occupation will callus over. When that happens it will be business as usual. We've been at war for centuries. If things don't change this will be a lifeless planet in a generation or two. Centuries ago, north of here, that very thing almost happened. A bomb of massive proportions went off and vaporized a large area."

Sullen knew that story all too well. Ironically he wouldn't be sitting where he was if that bomb had not exploded.

"And what's your solution?" Grazot asked. "A world where humans control this defensive network; a world where apes obey or suffer extinction?"

St James kept a cool head. He had no plans of stabbing his new allies in the back but from where he was sitting, he'd earned the right to be particular. Human blood was cleansing Washington, not theirs. His people had died, over the years, gathering equipment that would make his nation safe.

He quickly gained his composure and began again by using Sullen's full title. It offered both respect and gave his statement that needed thrust "Lord Prefect, you came to us asking for an alliance. An alliance that would benefit you militarily but would offer us food and resources we severely lack. So what I suggest is this. We first secure Washington. Even with ODN down, there are enough salvageable relics there to strengthen our foothold. …and again, I mean ourfoothold. To make that point stick, I'd like to commission General Grazot as the new senior officer of the Territorial Ape Union. He'd..."

"The new what?" Grazot spoke up. The ape laughed and added, "I wouldn't last the night. They hate us here. I've been called everything from human lover to traitor of my species."

"If we lighten their yoke; improve their quality of life; provide basic necessities like food and water…and a lasting peace, you'd be surprised how much a person …or ape… will change." St James suggested.

Grazot grunted and cynically stated; "This sounds very familiar to a conversation I had with our late Magistrate back in Arum."

St James laid the pointer down on the large oak desk. He walked around and sat on the opposite edge. He then took in some air through his nostrils and exhaled with a long sigh. He pulled out a cigar, lit it, and continued, "You're a military man, General Grazot …"

"A military ape, General" Grazot corrected.

St James offered a quick apologized and went right back to his argument. "Listen, when you commission a junior soldier. One who's been in the unit for a long period of time; what do you do with him?"

"Once a Footape or a Conscript is given a commission or significant promotion, he's transferred to a sister section, within his Contingent; somewhere where they're not known. It's perception. The new soldiers see a Lieutenant, not a Lieutenant who was once their companion and peer. They don't have a history with the ape, so he's in a different light. It strengthens the chain of command" Grazot explained.

"Exactly" The human General stated with a grin. "We do that too and that's what we'll do with you. Since Ceasera in ruin, I have the perfect cover story. It will play in nicely. We'll move all Territorial military operations from here to Devoir. In essence, you'll be their Prefect, so to speak. You'll be seen as a savior. I'll ensure that food and supplies get to that city, ASAP"

"A savior, huh. More like a bloody collaborator." He whispered to Ogden.

"What do you think?" St James asked.

Old Washington

The flying debris cut through the wobbly stone just above their heads. The NCO leading the squad didn't wait for the men below it to react. He simply bulldozed the three until they were clear of the falling rumble. Dust sprayed upward as the weathered concrete shattered into tiny pieces. One of the young men coughed out the grim he'd inhaled during the fall.

"Get on your feet." The Sergeant barked.

"That wasn't rifle fire or munitions, Sarge. What was it?" A young Private asked.

"Maybe it was fairy dust. Shut up and lay down some suppression fire. I've already lost two ..." It was the last thing he shouted. The Sergeant's death didn't come at the hand of a bullet, the concussion of a grenade, or even fairy dust. He'd been crushed by a steel girder tossed the enemy.

The seasoned ape veterans were advancing. They'd spotted the human detachment coming their way long before the men arrived. They'd waited until the enemy was in the right spot and reached out wide, like an octopus. The officer leading the assault was directing the apes with meticulousness accuracy. He'd identified the human leadership and eliminated it first. Rather than waste their ammo, the apes were using the rubble and their incredible physical power to their benefit. Most of the human assault force was already dead and the remaining soldiers were losing their morale.

Like a pack of trained wolves, the apes crouched low and sprung forward with all of their animalistic elegance. The beasts used every bit of the wreckage to their advantage. Bounding from rock, to mound, getting closer by the second. The simians knew the men were taught to take out a knee. But it was much more difficult to hit a target who was low to the ground.

"Cripes almighty" The Private cried out. "They cut the Serge in two."

He raised his weapon and fired indiscriminately. A few of the stray rounds hit their target but the ape numbers were too high. The other soldiers were looking to a Corporal, whose ankle was broken, for guidance. "Shoot the bastards" was the only advice he was giving.

Two full platoons of apes swarmed the area. They overwhelmed and brutally killed every man in sight. Fortunately for Private Lester Cobb, he was not in sight. The man pulled his skinny frame along the ground and under the stone slab. He was eyeing the old metallic husk of what had once been an armored personnel carrier. If he could reach it he'd be obstructed from their view. If he was patient he'd make it. Unfortunately, the man was not. In an effort to increase his pace Cobb's boot crunched at the ground. An orangutan caught a glimpse and darted towards the man.

Cobb rose to his feet and sprinted forward as rapidly as possible. A few rounds glanced off the steel framework. He felt a sting in his shoulder and noted the blood. He pulled the pin on a grenade and tossed it behind him without looking back. He hurtled the side of old vehicle and made his way towards a half standing building.

Boom – the grenade went off, but there was no wailing that followed. He cussed under his breath.

The man dashed inside. He huffed trying to rejuvenate his aching body. "Come on Cobb, think" he wheezed and simultaneously looked around. The stairwell was blocked but there was a door on the far side of the room. He concluded that speed was of the essence. His pursuer was gaining. The man crossed through the door with little time to spare.

The orangutan sprayed the interior with half a clip of bullets. He poked his head inside and spotted the open door …or what was left of it. He also noticed the blood. "I hit the little whelp" He chuckled.

The ape covered the room in one bound. Automatic weapon fire peppered the door, shattering what was left of it.

Click-clack – Cobb cussed. He was out of ammunition. He slapped at this chest and side searching for a second clip. …Nothing. In desperation he pulled the bayonet from its sheath. The scared soldier crawled towards a pile of debris and crouched low, for cover. The ape finally caught up with him and was laughing.

"You're out of bullets, boy" he taunted "You think that little dagger's gonna stop me? You can't hide, I can see your shadow. It's just you and me now." He added, pulling out a knife of his own. "You know what that means, don't you?"

"Six more weeks of winter?" March sarcastically answered as he fired the disruptor at the simian. The man was a ways off but still within range of his target.

The beam reached out in a spit second. The signals to the orangutan's brain went haywire. His body shuddered and his legs went limp. The ape involuntarily pulled the trigger of his weapon, as his shoulder, arm, and paw went into a violent muscle spasm. A barrage of hot slugs punched into the dirt and gravel. Shortly after, the ape, hit the deck just as hard.

Several feet away the ape officer pulled the trigger of his newly acquired A1X. The HE round struck the old building Cobb had just vacated. What was left of the aged structure blew apart in an enormous inferno. Lester Cobb and the orangutan were swallowed by the outburst. March was thrown several feet backwards by the shockwave. He landed awkwardly and with a firm thud.

"Tom!" Hayes cried out as he reached down and helped his friend up.

The dazed Air Force Major rubbed his fingers through his hair, shaking out the dust. "Jon?" he coughed out. "Where did you come from?"

Hayes quickly explained that he'd retrieved the second rifle from the bunker. It was a bit of an understatement. The man had one in hand and another slung over his shoulder. He also had a pistol and about five grenades strapped to his web-gear. He looked like Rambo. He'd synced the transponder code and tracked March as soon as he'd left. "I'm not staying back while you take on a superior force, Sir. That Colonel can kiss my…"

Hayes never finished adding the colorful metaphor to the end of his comment. A thunderous trumpet blew followed by a loud cry of; "Fallback, we're being overrun." Several other HE rounds exploded throwing human bodies everywhere. Machineguns rattled, spewing their scorching ordinance in every direction. Only a handful of the men were left.

Hayes looked down at the display. The small red dots were growing in number. He mildly tackled March as shots bounced off the concrete. They were too exposed. The men were prostrate on the ground but two rounds managed to hit their target. One of the slugs ripped through the Major's thigh while a second grazed his forearm.

Hayes mentality summed up the situation. "We're not going to make it, Tom." He concluded. "There are too many. They baited us, pulled us in and now they're flanking on both sides and choking us off. They'll be on top of us any second."

March didn't have time to explain. He fought the stabbing pain in his leg and motioned for a rifle. "Don't talk Jon, just listen. And pray that it works." The man leaned towards the rifle and said, "Multiple targets identified". The A1X's ITD flashed and the words; Auto TargetingnowProcessing appeared followed by ObjectiveConfirmed. The weapon hummed softly andRoundslockedflickered in dull green. A final message of, Readyexhibited itself on the bottom of the display, just as it had the last time.

March began to pull the trigger and abruptly stopped. What he hadn't realized, until now, was that he'd also targeted some the remaining human soldiers. The tactical display only identified recognizable transponder codes as friendly.

"What's going on?" Hayes asked in truly nervous voice.

March didn't answer directly, he simply said. "Don't fire until I give the order."

Rounds were still coming in but now he could see the ape horde with his eyes. The man waited as long as he could. The apes were advancing and the surviving men were retreating. He waited more; And a little more. Another round hit the dirt and whizzed past his head. His canteen saved his life, as it diverted a second round heading towards his hip.

He silently asked God to forgive him and pulled the trigger. It sounded like the soft roar of a mountain lion. The rounds wisped out the rifle in rapid succession. They took to the air and annihilated every target in a three hundred and sixty degree radius.

"Go Jonny, leave me here." He ordered. "You have a small window and I can't walk, let alone run. …go, that's an order."

Hayes wouldn't have obeyed even if he'd been given a chance to respond. A second thing March failed to realize was the ape officer in possession of the A1X. According to the transponder signal he was considered, friendly. He'd survived the auto-targeting.

Hayes raised his rifle and hit the charging ape, center mass, with the disrupter. Ulysses dropped in his tracks. The astronaut popped the last smoke canister he had. He picked up his wounded comrade, flung him over his shoulder and darted through the hole, March's barrage had created.

His mind went through a list of choices. Going back to where Karen White and the others were was not an option. From the looks of things, they were probably going to be overtaken. The apes were pressing in that direction and it was only a matter of time. No, he had another plan in mind.

It took Ulysses close to five minutes before his senses fully returned. The combination of the disruptor and the smoke had him coughing and rubbing the nonstop moisture from his tear filled eyes. He quickly scaled the tallest structure available …There he was, approximately one kilometer away. He was moving slow and carrying his wounded friend.

"Captain" He said to the ape who'd just found him. "You continue the attack. Push north and take no prisoners. Their numbers are almost nothing. I'll be there shortly."

Major Ulysses darted off after the two men.

000

Karen White smiled and kissed the small computer device she'd named after her late father. "Norman, I love you!", she added with a press of her lips.

"What is it ma'am?" the young technician asked in excitement. "Do we have an interface with the ODN?"

"No, Mark" She answered "But something just a good."

Commotion and shouting outside the bunker caught their attention. Seconds later one of the security soldiers came in with a half bloody private. He was ranting about ambushes and claiming Lynch was dead. Moments after that more soldiers arrived. One of the few surviving NCOs finally showed up and stated that everyone was to get a rife. They were going to defend to the last man. …and woman.

He argued that point, for a moment or two with White. She finally trumped the conversation with, "Look Sergeant, I'm still a Captain. Do as I say. Get your men into this bunker right now."

The last few humans were cut in two as the approaching ape army was now only paces away. White ordered the bunker sealed. Bullets and pounding ensued. The old reinforced doors still had enough strength to hold the simians at bay.

She turned to the NCO and asked, "You're sure that's everyone?". He acknowledged with a shrug. The woman picked up Norman and spoke the authentication code. Once it was accepted she pulled up the 3-D interface and powered down reactor. Washington's fail-safe protocols reinitialized. Wireless signals spread over the city like a blanket. DC reached out like a spider stinging its prey. Fsst – Fsst – FsstApes and the few humans left outside the bunker incinerated instantly. One by one the massive horde of apes disappeared. The screams and cries finally stopped as and eerie silence took their place.

White turned to the dozen survivors and said "Make yourselves comfortable. We're gonna be here for awhile. It will take at least fifteen hours before the fail-safe powers down."

000

Hayes could feel the ape gaining. It was like being in a dream where you wanted to run but couldn't move. He was a young man but anyone would be tired from carrying a two hundred pound man over a mile and a half. And that wasn't accounting for the sixty pounds of equipment he was lugging, as well.

A shot hit the brick structure just to his left. Justalittlefurther, he thought. March was unconscious. He'd lost a lot of blood. Hayes stopped and laid the man down. He tried to auto target the ape but the display kept stated that no enemy targets were in range.

He flipped the switch to HE and demolished a half collapsed one story building. "That should buy us some time" He said to his unconscious colleague.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he reached it. "Thank God it's still here" the man heaved out, heavily. His lungs were on fire. He pulled the latch and plopped March down on the seat. He was barely inside when the shots glanced off the unknown metallic material of the Oberon3 space pod.

"Let's see how that relic holds up against this" Ulysses said. But before he could squeeze the trigger, he was vaporized in a red mist. Hayes watched as the ape vanished and his melted rifle fell to the ground. For a few seconds he simply stared out into the ruins. March groaned slightly catching his attention. The man was pale and drenched in blood.

"Hold on buddy, just a little longer" he said looking at Tom. "We're going home."

He punched up the preset protocols he'd input earlier. He was grateful he'd moved the pod or it would have been overrun with White and her crew. He thought of White, Grazot and the others for a brief moment, wondering what fate had planned for them. Next he pressed a couple of buttons and bucked in.

The craft shot into the air and went into mach speed almost instantly. The young Air Force Captain punched a few more buttons and noted the lack of G-force. The pod was light-years in technology beyond the Dreadnaught.Within seconds it broke through the clouds and left the planet behind looking like one speck among many.

It locked in the course and reached the barrier within minutes. Hayes felt some pressure, then heat and finally nothing.