The Orangutan muttered something unintelligible and shuffled over to Leo's cage. Behind him came Thade who hurried over to Attar's side and whispered quietly in his ear. Whatever he said caused Attar to shoot Thade a disbelieving look and hurry over to kneel by where Leo was huddled once again. Shrinking back from the weird look Attar was giving him he almost missed the orangutan opening his cage door and yanking on his chain. Just in time Leo grabbed the chain so he wouldn't be strangled at the sharp tug. When he didn't move the orangutan gave another, stronger pull that half dragged Leo to the open cage door. Deciding that surprise was the key Leo gathered his legs under him and launched himself right at the orangutan. He managed to bowl him over and yank his chain out of his hands. Next he jumped to his feet and had to scramble to avoid the marines who were trying to surround him.

Their wariness of the spluttering orangutan gave Leo the chance he needed to make for the door. He was almost there when Thade jumped in front of him, crouched low, arms spread wide. Leo hesitated, remembering how strong and violent Thade had been in their last fight. That hesitation cost him his freedom. One marine grabbed him in a giant bear hug that threatened to break his back. Unable to help himself he gave a yelp of pain as the ape tightened his arms. Abruptly he was released and dropped to the floor in a heap, taking deep breaths to stem the tide of pain crawling up and down his back. Attar kneeled in front of him and carefully gathered him in his arms. Still dazed he was brought unresisting back to his cage and bundled inside, the chain attached firmly to a bar and the door securely locked. With a quiet moan he curled up into a ball and pulled some blankets over him. Obviously he needed some other form of attack if he was going to get out of the lab. Maybe next time he'd try it when there wasn't a ton of apes standing around watching him. Yeah, that sounded like a better plan.

Eventually Leo uncurled enough to notice what was going on around him. Thade seemed to be yelling at the marine who had almost broken his back while Attar looked to be trying to soothe the angry orangutan he had bowled over. "Please sir! He's been badly handled and very nervous around apes! He still is hurting, tired and has had very little sleep. If you come back in a week or two I will have been able to train him some more and give you a thorough brief on him." The orangutan glared up at Attar before giving a sharp nod and turning on his heel, left. The whole room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Except Attar. Now that the orangutan had left he felt free to vent his anger. "The nerve! Coming in here and trying to man handle my human. He's pompous, devoid of originality and critical sense, blind and deaf to all innovation! Just because he heads the department on human studies and is my boss, thinks he owns the creatures! He wouldn't know what to do with a real live human if it hit him over the head!"

"Which it kind of did Attar." Grinning Thade walked up to his friend and layed a hand on his arm. "Just relax. That human showed that he won't let just anybody touch him. His obvious preference for you ensures that you'll get to stay on the project. An unwilling and scared human is not the easiest subject to study. You saw how he was with you last night. Cuddled right up to ya, after fighting like a wild man with the rest of us for hours."

"Your right Thade." Rubbing a weary hand over his eyes Attar sighed. "It just irritates me how Dr. Boulle thinks that everything should bow to him." Giving a smile of satisfaction Attar crouched down next to my cage. "Well, this fella certainty nixed that assumption. By the way Thade, did you really mean what you said earlier? That this humans ship came from out of the solar system?"

"Yup. Techies traced it as far as Pluto and then lost the trail." Leo was confused. His ship had appeared right beside Earth. He didn't come in by way of Pluto. Well, maybe he had and the wormhole had just gone by to fast for him to have seen it. "Seems our little wild man here is from outer space."

"So his ship wasn't launched by another country?" Attar asked.

"Well, we haven't ruled that option out." Thade shrugged, "Seems to me that the technology is too sophisticated for Russia or China, even Japan. We are still gonna look into that possibility though. Seems more likely than this ragged human built the ship himself." Leo felt something inside him crumble. These apes possessed the same superior attitude they had had on the last planet. Leo didn't think he had it in him to lead another revolution. Besides, humans seemed to be some sort of endangered species here, not even enough people to fight in a revolution. Leo sighed once more and turned to lie back down, groaning as the pain in his back flared to life.

"Jeez Attar. Maybe you should look at his back. Krell squeezed him pretty tight." Attar nodded agreement and moved around to the front of the cage and began to unlock his cage. Leo had had enough of apes for the day however and moved back into the farthest corner of his cage. He was not going to budge. Not. However, the crestfallen look on Attars face made him reconsider. Thade had said that Attars bond with him was the only guarantee that he would stay on the project. Resigned he slowly crawled across to the Attar, hissing at the painful twinges this action caused in his back. Swiftly Attar swung him up in his arms, and gently deposited him on the examining table he remembered from the night before.

"Boss, you gotta let me take this one! I know I can get a good story but you gotta give me the chance!" Sighing in frustration Pericles listened to his boss shoot down his dreams of winning a Pulitzer Prize. He knew he could get the scoop on the human who fell from space. He just knew it! So why wasn't his boss giving him the chance! "I'm gonna get this story boss. Even if I have to go freelance!" Not giving his boss a chance to reply Pericles slammed the payphone down and stalked out into the cool night air. He would go freelance if need be and then his boss would be begging him to run the story in his paper. Pericles would hate to give up the resources journalists had at the office, but he would do whatever was necessary to get the story! Not to mention his interest had been piqued. Admittedly he hadn't seen a whole lot of humans or studied their behavior but something about that human was different and he was going to find out what.

After making sure the human had suffered little more than a few bruises Attar deposited him in his cage after feeding him and dosing him with a slight tranquilizer. Confident the human would get some much needed rest he headed out of the lab to get some lunch. "Attar! Attar wait up!" Attar tuned to watch Ari and Zira run to catch up with him. "So Attar, how goes it?" He couldn't help but laugh.

"I wondered when you two would show up!" Ari and Zira were both scientists like himself and while neither specialized in humans, were interested and spent many hours with him discussing them. "He is fine. A little beaten and bruised but otherwise unharmed. Though, Boulle showed up today and gave him quite a scare." Attar grimaced as he remembered the bruises mottling the humans back and the shadows lurking in his eyed whenever an ape came near him.

"Well, why don't you tell us all about him," Ari linked arms with him as she said this and Zira grabbed his other arm "Yes, tell us everything, over lunch of course!" Zira giggled and shot Attar a sly smile "But your buying!" Attar smiled down at his two friends knowing he was well and truly caught. "By the way, what have you decided to call him?" Attar wrinkled his brow in thought. "I know the perfect name!" He smiled at the two faces turned up to his, eagerly awaiting his reply, "Ulysses."

"What a wonderful name!" Ari exclaimed, echoed by Zira. "Now lets go eat and hear all about our exciting new guest on the base!"