Detention Cell E-11
"We need to hurry, gentleapes. …Just get 'em on. I didn't have time to consult a tailor." Troop Sergeant Ogden barked out as the gunfire got louder. "Here, you'll need these too." he continued, laying a few rifles against the wall.
"What's goin on Ogden? Where did you get that?" Grazot asked as he slowly slid an arm into the battle fatigues. The General was still in bad shape and not quite certain he was seeing what he was seeing. One of the firearms looked like an M-103. He looked again…It was.
"It will all be explained soon enough, Sir. Let's just say I've been making some plans of my own. You officers need all the help you can get" The Troop Sergeant answered with a grin. "Now if we could all please just cut the chatter and get our butts in gear we might make it out alive."
Gun fire blazed loudly almost drowning out Ogden's last sentence. Distant screams followed as the shots died down. Seconds later the sound of approaching footsteps echoed, coming closer and closer. Grazot heard a familiar voice cry out, "We need to get going. Reinforcements are coming. They're seconds behind us."
"That's Hayes" the gorilla claimed in surprise. The General started to move towards the door but stumbled as his strength wavered. Colonel Arris caught him before he completely toppled over. "Easy does it, Sir. They beat you up pretty bad" he said.
"I'm fine" Grazot lied. "… just a little light headed"
"Colonel, you help General Grazot," Narr ordered "Sergeant Ogden, grab a weapon and take the lead. You obviously have a plan and I'm tired of being a prisoner. Come on, let's go".
Narr grabbed a rife as Ogden handed Arris a pistol. The group stumbled out of the room and moved down the corridor. Ogden seemed to know where he was heading. Hayes was providing cover fire, accompanied by two armed men. They flinched uncomfortably as the gorillas emerged. The men were thin and scrawny, Grazot noted. Actually, all humans were thin and scrawny to the General but these two looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks.
Gun shots ripped from an armed chimp rounding the corner to their rear. The primate flopped like a marionette as the three humans turned his body into Swiss cheese. A second ape used the wall for leverage, bounding back and forth at an incredible pace. He pounced on one of the malnourished humans and drove a knife into his chest. The other two men caught the orangutan in a cross fire of shells.
"Just a little further…" Ogden shouted. No sooner had the ape finish the sentence when foot steps and shouts in the opposite direction approached. They were a ways off but closing quickly.
"We're going to get pinned in" The Coalition soldier thought aloud.
"…and I'm empty" Hayes added.
"The area was supposed to be clear." Ogden mumbled adding a few colorful metaphors to the sentence.
A familiar metal clank rang through Hayes's head as the oval shaped object bounced down the hallway. "My gosh, that's a grenade! …AROUND THAT CORNER!" Hayes shouted as he pressed against General Narr. If they hadn't been at a cross section the grenade would have cut them to pieces.
The explosion shook the structure with a deafening Ka-Boom! Pieces of the wall and ceiling fell as the searing shrapnel shot in every direction. It ripped into the granite, peppering the opposite wall. There was little time to react as Ogden opened fire to his front ignoring the order to surrender and come forward. It was a futile gesture as the corridor was long and twisted. But it managed to slow their pursuers just long enough for him to reach his destination.
Hayes answered the group to the back with a grenade of his own. He cussed as he'd heard the order to fall back being given. The second explosion collapsed the structure further but no one cried out in pain. That was fine with Hayes. It would, at a minimum, buy them some time.
"Ok, this is it." Ogden shouted as he pulled out a key and opened the cell door. "Get in, move it, get in…" he ordered. Once they were all inside he shut the door tight.
On a cot in the corner, lay a bloody and bruised Tom March. The man didn't even flinch as the group poured into the room. He'd been bandaged, if you could call it that. His captors obviously wanted him alive and well enough for further questioning. A dead prisoner wasn't good for anything but a, nearly dead, prisoner was a wealth of information.
"Tom!" Hayes exclaimed in surprise.
"It's not as bad as it looks, Jonny" March groaned out.
"Help him." Ogden stated pointing at Hayes and the other human. "Ok, let's see if that gold paid off." The gorilla mumbled as he reached under the cot. Ogden pulled out a steel pipe from the corner. He sighed in relief. The ape grunted as he bent the rod and wedged it into a small opening inside the door handle. Outside the apes were banging away at the steel entrance. They were shouting threats, along with convincing lies, that if they surrendered immediately, they'd be treated justly.
"Just what are we suppose to do now?" Narr stated impatiently as he looked around the cramped cell. The four apes and three humans barely fit in the small space.
"We do this," Ogden said as he lifted the cot and drove it into the wall. After a few shoves the structure gave way revealing the evening sky. "Keep your traps shut, move your paws like you have a purpose in life" The gorilla Troop Sergeant barked out in typical military fashion.
"We've got company…" the thin human shouted. Ogden smacked the rifle aside just as the man fired.
"They're with us, boy. Just follow my lead." Ogden snarled in irritation.
Next, the sergeant tossed a small leather bag of gold and silver coins to the apes the man had just tried to kill. A few were all on horses others were on foot. "Ok, do your stuff. You'll have the remainder in a day or two" Ogden said as he lobbed the bag to one of the chimps on horseback. Ogden also tossed up various pieces of their old uniforms. The soldiers rode off quickly.
"Well get it done!" A gorilla bluntly stated to Ogden. "And make it look legit" he added.
Ogden raised a rifle and drove it into the apes face with brutal force. The primate's head twisted sending him off balance and to the ground. The Sergeant followed up by kicking the chimp in the chest and breaking a rib. A second soldier wailed as a dagger was thrust into his thigh. He muttered a threat and told Ogden that he should have demanded more in compensation.
"You'll have enough to buy a new body when this is done" Ogden stated as he turned and struck a third soldier, without advanced warning.
The fourth soldier pulled out a container of animal blood and scattered it around the ground and on their uniforms, "It will throw the wolves off the trail." He said noting the look of confusion on Narr's face.
"Get going" the orangutan ordered as he fired several shots into the air "Reinforcements will be here shortly."
The group gathered themselves together and headed off into the darkness.
Below the ruins of Buffalo, New York - Sothern Conduit; Section Y
Prefect Sullen bit into the skinned rat as if it were Christmas turkey. In the last day and a half the only thing he'd eaten were a few small bugs and an occasional mouse. He thanked the great ape that there was water, as well as, food in this desolate waste of space. Rats were everywhere.
He wasn't completely sure but figured that he was going in the right direction. It hadn't been easy but he was confident he'd picked up General Grazot's trail. There were enough facts to confirm that this place had been recently visited. The garbage, a few shell casings, the boot prints, and even a human hand print gave evidence to support his suspicions. The three pods in the adjacent room was evidence enough but it was obvious regardless.
Sullen slept a bit, ate, and slowly built up his strength. He cautiously cared for his wounded arm that was getting worse each day. He worked his way down the medium sized passageway and up the stairwell. He cringed a little at the skeletal remains. The Lord Prefect followed the same route the others had taken and eventually reached the surface. If he'd been human he would have never been able to climb the shaft with a broken arm, but since he was an ape, he scurried up, using the three good paws.
He'd finally reached the surface and was grateful to be alive. Sullen shivered in the cold desert night. I'm as good as dead, he thought looking at all the sand and rocks. His luck had taken a slight turn for the worse. He had no way of tracking the General now. There were no prints, trails, or evidence of any kind. Sullen gazed up at the star strewn sky and thought of his children. He double checked the make-shift supplies he'd gathered and headed out.
Somewhere within the ape city
"Where are we" Narr asked.
"A safe house of sorts, Sir. The previous owner no longer has need of it." Ogden replied. "I used a lot of our gold and silver to get you out of there. We can lay low for a day or two and then slip out of the city once things settle. I paid those chimps to make tracks that lead to a breach in their perimeter. I also paid handsomely for, the breach. If we're lucky they'll think it was us. There's a little food, wine, water, and some blankets in there" He concluded pointing at the adjacent room.
Ogden filled them in on his entire plan. He'd been forced to adjust his preparations, slightly; All of it due to the surprising appearance of General Grazot and the two men. He'd picked up on the rumors in the local cantina about where they were housed and what was being considered.
Ogden was the top ranking Contingent Troop Sergeant. His grade was equivalent to that of, Sergeant Major of the Army in the human military of old. With the position came power and responsibility. He'd been entrusted with the logistical coordination of their pilgrimage southeast and also with troop morale. That included playing quartermaster. He'd held the soldier's compensation and had argued against Narr's leanings towards leaving the riches in Kawaka. Now that the soldiers were dead he'd decided to use the funds to save the lives of his leadership. He'd been tight lipped about it too. These savages would have cut his throat for 1/10th of what he carried. Ogden paid to have March put in the cell to the rear of the compound. He'd influenced the soldier interrogating Hayes to flaunt the captured weapons about, in victory. He also used some of that gold to pay a gorilla to persuade the garrison commander that maintenance was required on the rear wall of the compound. The gorilla had softened the structure just enough for Ogden to bust through the wall.
They were housed in a rather large home. The chimp that formerly lived there had been a, well-off, fat, drunk. Yes, a drunk, but a functional one and a fairly successful business-ape. It was convenient in many ways. The ape had no wife, no offspring, and no real friends. He was also too cheap to hire servants. The dwelling was in a moderately populated area of town. It was not the typical place where one would choose to hide if they wanted to escape. Ogden used that to his advantage. No one would come looking for them here.
The Troop Sergeant had cozied up to the drunk by buying him wine and then by providing food for him to choke down. Once he'd won his trust, he flashed some of the gold about and mentioned a business arrangement he was working on. The ape took the bait and later, a knife in the back.
"Sergeant, just how do you know you can trust these apes? They may be spilling their guts as I speak." Grazot asked.
"I don't Sir, but I've been planning to get General Narr and the Colonel out for over a month. I was cautious enough to only confide in a few and they haven't been fully paid. Others, I simply killed. This is a big city and has its spots of corruption. Gold is an impressive motivator and dead apes tell no tales." Ogden explained.
"Yeah, until someone comes along and offers more money or starts wondering where all the dead bodies are coming from" Hayes interjected.
"No, the plan isn't perfect, but it was well thought out. Your furless hide is sitting here safe and sound, isn't it? Timing is the key. We're not going to be here long. We have some assets and I'm not going to let our liabilities fester long enough to take root." Ogden stated.
"And just why are you helping me, Gorilla? I suppose I'm one of the assets you'll just kill off once you're done with it?" the scrawny Coalition soldier asked in complete distrust. His whole life had been spent battling apes. The idea of working with them was completely foreign. There had been some very lucid cease fires and the occasional trade for needed food or supplies but neither species trusted the other beyond that.
"And who are you two? I don't recognize you …or him" The soldier continued pointing at March who was out cold. "…or those rags of a uniform you're wearing"
"My name is Captain Hayes, Jon Hayes; US Air Force. We're not exactly from, uh, the neighborhood." Hayes said extending a hand. Even after several hundred years a hand shake was still recognizable among men. The young soldier awkwardly took the hand and shook it. He didn't look much older than twenty four or twenty five years old. But his features were like stone. Something told Hayes that he'd probably skipped everything past 'toddler' and had been thrust directly into manhood.
"U ESSSS", the man sounded out with emphasis that was accompanied by a sarcastic chuckle, "…as in; United States. And I suppose you've been asleep for three hundred years? Look around; there is no US anymore. Cripes, there are only a few thousand humans left and that number drops every week. And it's Air Force huh? Not Army or Marine. You fly then? This is a ruse, isn't it? You want me to lead you back to our settlement, don't you?"
"That's exactly what I want." Ogden stated, startling the Coalition soldier, with his blunt honesty. "Yes we want to find your settlement, but not to invade or expose it. We want…we must ally with your people; possibly even barter for weapons. These simians are as much a threat to our nation as they are to you. Once you're no longer a threat, they're going to turn their attention to us."
Ogden explained as much as he could to the man. He told them of his home, their journey, and even included the fact that their original mission was to eradicate his people. When he was done, the man stood there as skeptical as when he started. Some of what Ogden stated had been verified by their scouts but that could have been intentional: part of their plan.
"Nice one, Troop Sergeant is it? ...A thriving ape nation just across the desert, huh? First you wanted to kill us and now you want to be allies, eh?" the man said shaking his head. "Do I look like fool to you? Nothing lies beyond that desert and nothing can survive in it; let alone a journey through it. And let's just say you're not lying and that we agree to help you. And let's even say we succeed in crushing every ape under Voss's command, what then? It'll be just like you said; once they're no longer a threat, you'll turn your attention to us."
"Don't be a fool, Boy. Why would we go through all this trouble when they could have simply tortured the information out of you? Do you think we'd butcher our own kind to simply catch a few weak little men?" Ogden sternly shot back almost getting in the man's face. It was hard for him to separate the soldier from the ape. Thirty years of barking, leading and demanding were etched into his personality.
And that was exactly what the man expected from a gorilla, or any ape for that matter. He shot up and clutched his weapon. "Get out of my face you furry little son of…" The soldier began to reply.
"Sit down!" Hayes blurted out with all the military bearing of a seasoned drill sergeant. "You don't believe them, ok, I totally understand but just what do think my part in all this is? Do think they're going to use you and then let me go Scott-free? All I'm asking is that you hear me out, soldier. If you're not satisfied, you can go your way." Hayes tilted his head slightly and held up a hand, signaling for Ogden keep quiet. The ape protested at first but finally gave way. He'd planned too long to simply let the soldier walk off. But maybe the human could reach a part of the man he never would.
"Let's start with a name." Hayes said.
"Robbins" The man replied curtly "Staff Sergeant Zachary Robbins, Second platoon, One-Seventy-Fifth, Coalition Infantry"
"Take a look at these weapons, Staff Sergeant" he said pointing at the bag Ogden had secured. "Have you ever seen a rifle like that? Look at the making on the dagger; U.S. Army. Does it look three hundred years old to you? He's telling the truth. Our ship crashed in their city. We can help you, if you'll help us"
"…Your…ship… So you do fly? Of course you do. You're the United States Air Force?" the man repeated with utter sarcasm. He couldn't help but laugh. His mind just wouldn't accept it. Apes had killed his parents, his siblings. They were savage animals as far as Robbins was concerned. And this man was just a lunatic who they'd brainwashed with tales from long ago.
Robbins had to admit that the weapons were unique. But even his people had stumbled across the occasional relic. The man continued to argue and then abruptly stopped when Hayes laid the pack down and the shiny objects in the box labeled Nuclear Cell rolled out.
Robbins stopped in mid sentence …"Where did you get these!" he exclaimed looking past the weapons. He paused again in mid thought as he pulled out the small container and read Nuclear Cell aloud.
Staff Sergeant Robbins opened the box and almost dropped it as he gazed inside. Neither the apes nor Hayes understood what he was getting at as he babbled on. "I – I don't believe my eyes. Where did you get this? Do you realize what this means? They're finished. …after all these years we can finally get in …we've won"
Western Territorial Military Headquarters – A few days later
Captain Lant stood erect as he delivered the bad news to Major Polk. "…Most of them are gone Sir. But our engineers were given a couple of the rifles for study. There is some good in this, if you can call it that. The computing devices are still locked in the vault. The bad news is that those rifles appear to be new. If the humans have found a way to manufacture weapons like this, we're in trouble. Maybe they've discovered a way into the ancient capital. They're incredible, Major. If we can figure out how to duplicate and mass produce them, we'll have a distinct military advantage. We ran some tests yesterday and I've arranged for a demonstration later today. "
Polk took a drink, leaned back in his chair, and nodded. "We need more than speculation. We need hard facts. For all we know they may have used these weapons on General Voss. I want to know what they were doing so far into our territory with them. We can discuss that in the staff meeting tomorrow. Now, to my next thought; what's going on with the soldier who allowed the prisoners to escape?" he asked.
"Oh, he finally died" Lant replied as casually as if he were talking about an ant he'd crushed. "The damage done by the human was too extensive. He never did regain consciousness."
"And have we rounded up any more traitors? That Ogden sure had me fooled" Polk said gritting his teeth slightly. "I was a complete idiot. He came to me with their coins and I walked right into his hands. I allowed him to exchange his currency …minus a small tax …and he used the money to bribe our soldiers."
"We were all fooled, Sir," Lant continued. "TID (*Territorial Intelligence Division), is conducting an investigation. They've already recovered a body at the Armory. I'm sure that's how he acquired some of the weapons. We followed tracks leading to the woods. They may be long gone. Unfortunately, that's about all I have, Sir"
"I want Major Sidon to be prepared to speak to that in tomorrow's meeting. Between now and then if TID discovers anything, I want to know about it immediately. Has the reconnaissance unit we sent into the outer areas reported back yet? We must determine a direction… anything that might give us a lead as to where they are." Polk ordered.
"None have reported yet but you know how dangerous it is. There are traps everywhere", Lant replied. "There is another matter we need to discuss"
"And what's that, Captain?" Polk replied as he rubbed the fatigue out of his eyes and stretched his arms.
"You were correct Sir. More of the visitors were out there. Our scouts found another ape in the desert. He was half dead and he was carrying of the weapons." Lant answered
"What?" the Major exclaimed as his adrenalin pushed his exhaustion away. "Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?"
"The team just reported in. I was only told of it myself, a moment ago." Lant explained.
"Was he alone? This is insane. Have they set up a resort out there or something?" Polk asked rhetorically.
"He was alone and unconscious. He's in a cell. I've assigned a doctor to him. There's more. He's an orangutan" Captain Lant stated.
"Impossible, all of the visitors are gorillas." Polk replied
"Sir," Lant continued, "He's no gorilla and he appears to be someone of prominence. His clothes were tattered but the style, color patterns, and symbols seem to fit their culture"
"Wonderful" Polk laughed, "Did we find another General?"
"He had these on him too." Lant said tossing the items on the desk in front of Polk.
"Holy Scrolls," Polk laughed as he picked up the small parchment. "I've heard talk of their great-ape…They certainly are a bunch of backward primitives, aren't they? No books, no weapons, clothes made of leather and animal skins. Hell, they don't even have a grasp on modern artillery. Their top General acted like I'd conjured up a dragon when we demonstrated it… It's a wonder they survive at all"
"Unlike us Sir, they don't have a human problem and their lands are rich with food and water. They span an area as larger than our land and the desert combined. Their crops get plenty of rain and they have an abundance of fish and game. Even a nest of field mice could flourish under those conditions." Lant said.
"Yes and soon we'll be in possession of all of it." Polk stated.