A small island on the Great Fish Pond

Tdddd and whoosh were all two astronauts heard before a huge net engulfed them. March involuntarily pulled the trigger of his weapon, firing a stray round into the air. Fortunately he didn't hit his collogue. The net twisted as each of the men tried to gain leverage. It was old and weathered but was still strong enough to support their weight. They both heard rustling below but couldn't make out who or what it was.

"Ambushed! Damn it! And I walked us right into it! Hayes muttered. "We must be 30 feet high. Can you pop smoke, Tom? I think I can get my knife and maybe..." he never finished his sentence. There was a mild sting and then he drifted off into nothingness.

When he awoke he had a terrible headache. He was also having trouble focusing and using basic motor skills. The fact that he was tied up didn't make things easier. He was trying to stay as comfortable as he could when he felt nausea creeping in.

March was still out cold and curled up several feet away. Their weapons and gear were gone. Hayes couldn't hold it back any longer and vomited in a messy spasm. Despite the mess he actually felt some relief as the poison was ejected from his system.

"One of them is waking up, Amie." A female voice said.

"Give him some water and move him out of that mess, but be careful." An older voice said. It was English but slightly accented… The word, French popped into his head.

Hayes had a hard time focusing on the person approaching him. …No, not a person; A bloody chimpanzee. The primate picked him up off the floor as easily as mother scooping up a baby. "Easy now." The chimp said as she wiped spittle off his face. "You'll feel fine in an hour or so. Here, drink this."

Hayes took a couple of gulps remaining silent. He mechanically scanned the surrounding area making mental notes, though he was still very groggy. He was outside an old cabin. It looked pretty big though. They were deep in the forest too. There were trees all over. His vision was clearing a bit and he could vaguely make out the old man sitting in a chair. He was cooking something that smelled like beef on a makeshift grill. Old 'man'. He thought. A human being.

"Hungry?" the older voice said. "No. Probably not right now anyway. That's strong stuff we hit you with. But like Madera said, you'll feel better shortly."

When Hayes finally spoke up, his voice was raspy and he felt the urge to cough. He was relieved to simply get the words out without the queasiness rising in his gut.

"Wh-Who are you…people?" he said as Madera turned to him with a cross face.

"My name is Amie Charlot and I will ask the questions here, young man! And please do not mistake our hospitality for weakness. Because I can assure you that if you show the slightest bit of hostility, I'll feed you to Madera here for dinner. So I'll ask you; who are you and just what the hell are you doing here? What was that contraption you dropped from? And don't tell me you're here for Holiday because your demeanor and equipment state quite the opposite!" Amie said.

'Here for Holiday…?' He's certainly of French decent. That name, Ah-mey Shar-leh, as he pronounced it: A Quebecer probably. And he pronounced it with all the finesse and pomposity of any Frenchmen I've ever met. Hayes pondered.

"Jon Hayes; Captain; United States Air Force; Serial Number: Three oh five one seven two…" Hayes paused in mid sentence as he noticed the look on the old man's face.

"United…? What is an air force? Look son, you'd better wise up fast. I've lived my whole life on this island. I was born here. I buried my parents, my wife, and even my daughter, God rest her tiny soul. …All right here." Amie said as pointing sharply towards the ground. "Other than Madera I have nothing much else I care for. So I will ask you one last time and if you feed me any more riddles …" Amie grabbed a crude old crossbow and aimed it at the head of Hayes.

Hayes had been taken prisoner once before by the Syrians. It hadn't lasted long but compared to that situation this might as well be a vacation at the Hilton. This old nut is…nuts, he thought to himself. Looking at the crossbow bold just inches away, he almost wished it would strike and end his nightmare. He was still unsteady from the drug but was not at all afraid to die. Suddenly something dawned on him. It was Tom. Tom would need his help if they were ever going to sort out this mess, and God willing, make it home again. Tom had two sons and a daughter and had just become a grandfather last year. So Hayes blurted out the first thing that came into his head. "Ok Amie, take it easy…My name is Jon… Jon Hayes. I um, come from, uh, south of here…" which wasn't exactly a lie since he'd grown up in Michigan "…Listen, could I, uh, have so more of that water?" Hayes added, hoping to buy some time.

Amie stared at Hayes for about 30 seconds studying the astronaut's face. The man looked sincere enough but was hiding something. Amie was old and 'not long for this world'. Although he had no idea of it, he was a little over 82. His heart was weak and the recent excitement hadn't helped it any. Despite all of that, he had no desire to depart this world any sooner than God wanted him to. Though his body was slowing with age, his mind was still as sharp as it had ever been. He wasn't about to be outwitted by this or any man. Amie was not a murderer but he had no objections to killing in self-defense. His instincts were saying: Just pull the trigger and be done with them. But he paused when Hayes added this; "…I buried my wife too." The way the words came out touched something deep within Amie's soul. There was a genuine sadness in their nature.

Amie lowered the crossbow and signaled for Madera to give the man more water. The chimp propped up Jon's head and gave him another few gulps. "Thank you…uh, Madera." He said clearing his throat.

"That thing you saw in the sky was our …um, ship..." Hayes explained the basic points of their adventure so far. He didn't get into the AU theory or time travel believing that would surely get the old man worked up. Hell, he was even having difficulties with it and he had evidence on his side. Hayes just talked of home, escaping the apes, getting lost and finally ending up here.

"…And those weapons are for defense. We ended up here because we thought it would be a safe place to regroup." Hayes stated in conclusion. "…We don't want anything except to, I don't know, get home again."

They spent the night bound from head to foot. Amie was 'kind' enough to untie them both, shortly, so they could use the facilities. He untied them one at a time, keeping a crossbow to the others head. He claimed he'd shoot if either tried to make a run for it. They were also provided a meal, if you could call it that. Madera spoon fed them both since Amie was not about to leave them untied. Neither had much of an appetite anyway. That drug they'd been hit with still made their stomachs cramp.

Tom March was questioned separately. Their stories matched but that didn't necessarily convince Amie that they weren't still lying. They could have cohobated these colorful tales before they'd invaded his home. Their equipment was like nothing he'd seen. He'd decide what was to be done with them later. For now he was just too tired. And with that thought Amie drifted off into a deep sleep.

Their 'cell' looked like an ancient shed. Some of the wooden boards looked refurbished while others looked older than Methuselah. You gotta be kidding me? He thought. My Grandmother could bust out of here.

"Tom?" Hayes whispered. "Can you stand?"

"I don't think so Jonny. I'm still a bit light headed" March replied plainly.

March was almost twice Hayes's age. The drug they'd been shot with had taken a much worse toll on his body than that of young Mister Hayes. His head was no longer pounding thanks to the food he'd gotten…which had been preceded an hour earlier with vomiting. However, March's vision and motor skills were still only at about 80%. A special mix of snake and spider venom was what Amie claimed it was. In its strongest form it could even take out Madera here and would probably kill you or me. He'd declared.

"Keep your voice down. I have an idea. Lay down with your back to mine and extend your arms as far back as they'll go." Hayes instructed.

The two men crouched down back to back. It took about 15 minutes but Hayes was able to untie March's ropes just enough for him to get his hands free. March twisted his wrists as they cracked and let the blood flow through his hands. He loosened the ropes on his feet and untied Hayes. March's body was cramped and stiff. He wanted nothing more than to take a hot bath and sleep for 12 hours. Of course, that wasn't likely.

It was dark inside the shed but rays of moonlight were shining slightly between two beams on the opposite end of the shed. They could hear Amie snoring away in his chair but both of them wondered where Madera was. March cleared his head as best as he could and looked around their prison.

"This place doesn't look like it could keep a girl scout locked up for long. They're baiting us, Jonny" March whispered.

"I don't know, Tom, look around." He answered. "Everything we've seen looks run down. Even those ropes look aged. I'm betting that this was all they had available. They're not exactly running San Francisco Federal Prison. I say we get out and look for our weapons. If we can secure them then we'll be in a position to ask the questions."

"Ok, I hear Tarzan buzzing away but we need to make sure Chita isn't waiting out there. Even at our best we'd be in no position to tackle her head on." March whispered back.

Making as little sound as possible the two men loosened a couple of the rotting boards and slipped through. They hesitated for a few seconds letting their eyes adjust to the darkness. The moon was only in the first quarter. It provided a small amount of light but the trees in the area made it seem darker than it actually was.

They instinctively rubbed dirt on their pale faces to diminish any distinct features. It wasn't a perfect camouflage but served its purpose. March used a series of hand and arm signals and the two men slipped out into the darkness.

As they approached the cabin they could see Amie fast asleep in his chair. The crossbow was sitting on an old table in front of him. If they could get to it without waking him they'd be one step closer to getting their equipment back. March gave Jon a soft tap and pointed to large tree above the cabin. There sat Madera, about 50 feet high, munching away on some leaves. Great! Hayes thought to himself.

The two men had trained for three long years for this mission. They both had genuine combat experience, as well. So when it came to military tactics in the field things were second nature. They employed what was dubbed; 50% Security. One man would rest while the other stayed awake. They were going to wait it out. As soon as the chip was asleep they'd move in and get the crossbow. It didn't matter if it took half the night either. Both men had learned that patience, in these situations, was the key to success…and survival. "I just hope she doesn't decide to check up on us" March whispered quietly.

"If she does we'll lay low. Once they move away from the cabin we'll hide inside. Our gear has to be in there somewhere." March continued on.

About an hour and a half later Madera finally nuzzled herself to sleep in the tree. Hayes waited an additional twenty minutes, just to be sure she was down, before he woke up March. He covered the March's mouth and gave him a gentle nudge. March jerked awake and involuntarily muffled a four letter word. As his senses came back he heard Hayes jokingly whisper "Cover me" as he handed him a rock. Very funny, March thought to himself.

Hayes crawled slowly towards the table constantly glancing towards the tree and Amie. Just a little closer, he said to himself when he abruptly stopped. It couldn't be, he thought focusing a little harder. There it was. A 9mm pistol parked right next to the crossbow. Amie's curiosity must have gotten the better of him… Hayes concluded in his head.

He crept closer to the table as his adrenal glands began to kick in. He could feel his heart pounding faster and faster. No matter how many times he took these kinds of chances, he was never able to shake the angst that always accompanied it.

More of the moon light was shining down as he approached the cabin. The closer he got the fewer trees he had for cover. A rushing breeze crossed his path as rustled leaves flapped rapidly in the air. He took another look up. From his current viewpoint he could no longer see Madera. He was now less than 10 feet away. Drops of sweat began to build on his forehead, despite the rushing wind. Amie was fast asleep. Ok, here goes he thought.

Hayes was off the ground now but still crouched low when he heard something whipping through the trees, off to his right. A soft thud, thud ended the brisk noise. He caught a glimpse of Madera making her way towards the sound as she leapt to a nearby tree.

Unknown to Hayes, March had tossed a few rocks away from the direction of the cabin. The rustling wind had woken Madera.

I gotta move right now Hayes concluded. He darted towards the table, crackling twigs and leaves as he ran. Madera turned her head and noticed the man running towards Amie. "They're loose." She said in confusion. Madera was fast and exceptionally agile, in the trees, but there was no way she could make it down to Hayes in time. Instinctively she shouted, "Amie!", but it was too late.

Amie was simply too old to match Hayes's stream. Hayes grabbed the pistol and pushed the crossbow to the floor. It was so aged that it broke into several pieces. Before Amie could even regain his sense Hayes shouted; "Get down here, Madera …NOW or so help me I'll splatter his head from one end of this table to the other."

Madera had no idea how he could splatter Amie's head but she did remember the stories her parents told her, about human magic, when she was a child. She loved Amie like he was her father. Madera was no soldier. She was shocked and unsure of how to act in response. She'd worked the Great Fish Pond as a youth. Almost 28 years ago, during a huge storm her vessel capsized. Every ape but her had drown. She hated …and feared the water but it paid her enough to support her parents. Most Apes could not swim and sank instantly to the bottom. Somehow she'd managed to attach herself to part of the floating debris. She'd floated for who knows how long before Amie and his wife rescued her. …The shouts of Hayes jolted out of her dazed recollections.

"I said NOW, Madera! Don't screw with me or so help me…" Hayes shouted even louder.

"Ok, Ok. I'm coming. Please don't hurt him." She said as tears began to build. With the finesse of a dove, Madera used all four of her hands and worked her way to the ground.

"Come on out Tom…" he said as Amie started to flinch and complain about the grip Hayes had on his shoulder. "…And you stay put old man and shut that non-stop trap of yours" Hayes added firmly, as he grabbed Amie's arm and sat the man back down.

The three humans and the chimp were now together on the ground. March had ordered Hayes to move their two prisoners to an "L" shaped wall of the cabin, for better security. "Give me the 9mm, Jonny and go inside and see if you can find the rest of our gear. I'm going to have a heart to heart with our …Hosts." March said. He turned his attention to the Chimp who he could tell was mulling over the thought of jumping right on top of him. "…Take it easy, Madera. I know what you're capable of. This little peashooter here might not stop you, but it will blow Mr. Char-lots head clean off his shoulders and at this range it will bring a load of hurt to you as well".

"Now believe it or not Amie, you and your little island paradise mean nothing to us. What we said earlier was true; we were simply trying to escape those apes and ended up here. I haven't bathed, slept or eaten a decent meal in what seems like forever but I can tell you this I don't aim to spend my days sitting here tied up while Madera spoon feeds me that rat stew you cook and you decide if we can be trusted or not."

A few minutes later Hayes appeared carrying two rucksacks and some equipment. He laid it down on the table and handed March an M-103. March took the weapon and holstered the 9mm. "It's all here Tom. What do we do about them?" Hayes asked.

"Good question. We could let them go and move out but if they came after us, I think another shot of that jungle juice would kill me. Maybe we ought to find some of it and return the favor." March said. But he was only bluffing.

"Please just go. We won't bother you. The excitement isn't good for Amie…" Madera said softly rubbing Amie's head gently. March noticed she was positioned slightly between his weapon and Amie, like a bear protecting a cub. These two were no threat. An old man and a female chimpanzee… He falls asleep with a loaded weapon and she runs off to eat…

"Tom, look at Amie." Hayes said.

March suddenly realized, that for a man who would not shut up, Amie hadn't said much of anything since the two of them had made their stand. He was sitting on the ground shivering and holding his chest. And he did not look well at all.

"I think he's experiencing some sort of angina or worse, having a heart attack." Hayes continued stepping towards without even realizing it. Madera tensed up and stood between the two men. "Don't touch him, human!" she growled. Hayes raised the M-103 at her.

Human? Now there was a side of her neither had witnessed. There was genuine concern and desperation in the tone. The ape loved the old man enough to put her life on the line for his.

Enough was enough as far as March was concerned. He wasn't about to shoot a sickly old man and his … talking pet. Just as he'd concluded earlier, these two were no threat. A waste of ammunition…limited ammunition. "Lower your rifle, Jon", he ordered.

"Listen Madera, I can help him." He said as he laid the weapon on the table and opened both his arms, palms up.

"I said, don't touch him… just leave him be. It will pass shortly." She snapped back, this time in a more protective tone.

"Madera, I can help! Let me try. I'm no doctor but I can ease his pain. …You don't want to see him die there, do you?" March said as convincingly as he could.

Madera looked down at Amie who nodded, with difficulty. "Ok…" muttered quietly and slowly stepped aside.

"Madera, help him get in that chair and try and make him comfortable." Hayes said.

"Jon, grab a med kit and see if there's any aspirin. See if we have a flashlight as well. I can't see a damn thing out here. Madera we'll need some water too."

Madera left and quickly returned with a mug of water. She laid it down next to March. She didn't seem to be the slightest bit curious about the object Hayes had that was dispensing light on Amie's pale features. That surprised Hayes slightly.

March popped two aspirin into Amie's mouth and gave him a little water to drink. Hayes wrapped Amie in a wool blanket he unrolled from a rucksack. He poured the rest of the water into a bowl and dipped a rag in it. Next he blotted the cool, wet cloth on his forehead. In a few minutes color came back to Amie's face and he motioned for more to drink.

"Try this," March said handing him a piece of dehydrated beef from an MRE. (*Meal Ready to Eat) . "You'll need something in your stomach."

Madera had gone to the table and picked up one of the M-103s. She pointed it towards the astronauts, not realizing how pointless it was if your finger wasn't on the trigger. March glanced at Hayes and chuckled. Before anyone could react Amie broke in and said; "No Madera, put it down and help me to bed please. Let them go if they wish. If they'd wanted us dead, we would be. And the way I feel, come morning, I just might be."