Chapter Three:

Dr. Nova Temple mentally sighed, she had read the reports on coming in. The full story of how the earth had ended up this way. It was of course classified, what the world knew was that apes became smart and were equal to humans. Perhaps it was the great God who had set all this up and the like. Her counterpart in that dismal future was mute and a beast through no fault of her own. Nova watched as this man Taylor got on the large jet plane to take them north to North America and New Washington in the middle of what had been the United States of America. She was having flashes of a life not hers, of being that dumb brute, she was not of course, she was Nova Temple of the renowned temple family after all.

Taylor in the meantime was looking out the window at the Amazon rain forest and home to two million apes. There were two billion people on the planet, one and a half human, the rest ape. As they crossed into what had been American air space he saw little difference at first. Then as they flew over Houston he saw it was gone as he knew it with a smaller city of tall apartment blocks with farmland around. They flew on and finally, at the end of the day came on New Washington on the banks of the Mississippi river where St. Louis had been. It too was a city of towers with farmland around and surrounded by ancient trees. He wondered what else was different in this world.

"Welcome to New Washington." Nova said once the plan landed, not on a runway but like a rocket of sorts, "we have a place for you now."

"This looks nice enough." Taylor said.

"Not all cities were destroyed by the bombs, there are parts of Asia that were not touched much and here. But what you called New York city is in the forbidden zone and that covers much of what you would have called New England."

"We think that those who settled there, that would have caused the mutations in humans to make us mute in your timeline." Adam said, "but now that should not happen."

"Why is that?" Landon asked.

"Drs. Zira and Cornelius are heading back this week." Nova said sadly, "they know what is in store, what has to happen for the future to be right."

"So why are we here now and why do we remember a future that will not come?" Taylor asked.

"To show us how things could have been." Nova said, "now look, we rescued her."

Taylor looked and saw on the banks of the old river the statue of liberty, thousands of years and she looked as beautiful as ever. The future was different, scary but seemed better somehow. He was led to a waiting car and got in and was surprised when it rose up into the air. They flew over a well planned city, full of parks, farms and there were children playing laughing, living. Mothers with babies in cradle boards, toddlers gently leashed to keep them safe. Older children playing hopscotch and jump rope. Boys playing football while girls played baseball or with dolls. The world seemed more normal than he expected.

"This is all real?" Taylor asked, "really real?"

"Yes, and no the mutants cannot get out of the forbidden zone, they would die." Adam said, "we tried to help them but they died, and so they now stay there, one small group in the middle of what was New York city, they will die out."

"They have a bomb." Taylor warned.

"They do, but not active, not anymore." Nova said, "come we will show you your rooms."

This as the car stopped and parked in a garage. They were led up into what was a military building and to a suite of rooms. Each had their own bedroom with attached bathroom and a common area for all with a living, dining kitchen area. Taylor was still recovering from his near drowning as he had nearly died before being rescued. He went to bed and fell asleep at once and did not dream at all. The next day he was allowed to explore and found the complex far more advanced than he would have thought. He found the pool and smiled, he loved to swim and after getting a pair of swim trunks spend time each day swimming.

It was during a time he was swimming that Dr. Zauis came and found him. Now apes do learn to swim, even Chi who tended to hate water. It was a smart thing but no ape would willingly swim as a human would. Dr. Zauis mentally shook his head and sniffed and found the pool was salt water, that was good. Taylor saw him and got out of the pool. He was clean shaven now and really did not look his age, nor did Landon, the joke was that both were only 31 years old and on their official documents that is what they were listed as.

"How are you?" Dr. Zauis asked.

"Well enough, how is your family?" Taylor asked.

"Oh my daughter had a new baby, she is a grand one, and will grow up to be a fine doctor as I am." Dr. Zauis said, "how are you really?"

"Confused." Taylor said, "you are nice, very nice but well I was put on trial treated like an animal, humiliated, I remember that, your counterpart ordered that, but you have been nothing but kind."

"I think I understand." Dr. Zauis said, "I don't think I would like my counterpart any more than you do. The great God above he sounds like well, like an animal!"

Taylor grinned and found this Dr. Zauis much more likeable than the other. Open-minded, fair and willing to work with him. If this was a better future he wanted to stay here and perhaps humanity had finally done something right. He wondered if Nova, Dr. Temple would be interested in dinner tonight? They had so much they could talk about and he wanted to see how much better this world really was. Dr. Zauis was looking out over the city below deep in thought.

"Why is it that you, Landon and Dr. Temple to a degree remember?" Dr. Zauis asked, "or why did your minds cross if that is what happened?"

"Does that not go against your beliefs?" Taylor asked.

"Well the great God is above us far above in mind and thought, one would have to be to create the universe after all." Dr. Zauis said, "Zira and Cornelius, they know now too, which was why we sent them back."

"Everything is the same for now." Taylor said, "so it worked whatever they did."

"That it did, now I wonder why I don't remember, perhaps I don't need to? Anyway there are mysteries of the universe that cannot be learned in this life." Dr. Zauis replied.

"You really believe that, science and God go hand and hand." Taylor said, "so tell me, why allow suffering if he loves us?"

"Free will of course, a blessing and a curse at times." Dr. Zauis replied, "and it can lead to suffering when one does not use free will right."

"You almost have me converted there Doctor." Taylor replied.

"Conversion is a lifelong process." Dr. Zauis replied.

Taylor liked Dr. Zauis, this Dr. Zauis very much. He was the most level headed person he had ever met and kind. So very kind and caring, the humans he had met were kind as well and this world seemed better somehow. Perhaps humans could become better, and had. He saw it around him, there was no poverty, very little crime and the people were hard working and less violent than he remembered. He even found much he liked about this world that had been rediscovered as it were, foods, styles and even music.

It was when he was offered a job of pilot that he found joy in life. He always loved to fly but the war side had never made him happy. Now though, he flew passengers around the world and saw that will much had changed it was better. The world had healed and he was content. He sat in his apartment one cool fall day with a record player with the strains of Louis Armstrong coming over the speakers. Nova was seated next to him and by their feet quietly playing were their twin children, a boy and girl, Zira and Cornelius, fitting names for the now five year old children. What a wonderful world indeed.