Twenty miles west of Arum
The rounds punched into the trunk of the thick oak tree and scattered bark in every direction as they dotted across its wooden husk. Corporal Mesick of the Northern Territorial Contingent grabbed the young footape, to his front, and pulled him down with a forceful jolt. The gorilla was barely seventeen and had lied about his age to join the Contingent. Though he was young, he'd pretty much failed at everything he'd tried and the militia was his last chance at success. But as with everything else, the ape made a horrible soldier. The Corporal had been responsible for the pup since he'd joined. A task he wished would go away.
"Get your head down before you lose it, you idiot." The gorilla grunted firmly. "Those aren't muskets, they're repeaters."
"Why aren't they surrendering?" Private Asur asked. "Seems like they'd rather die than do what's practical."
Corporal Mesick shook his head, fired his musket, and said "I don't have the slightest clue, but hopefully the LT knows what he's doing, because our butts are hanging out here and all we are is one big target to them. …here reload this…"
"That was the plan, wasn't it Corporal?" the ape said peering out slightly.
"Damn it, boy …" Mesick barked, in frustration, jerking the Private back to safety, once again.
Another cascade of weapon's fire sprayed into the foliage muffling out the last few cuss words that Mesick decided to add, after the fact. This round of gunfire was followed by a small circular object rolling into their area.
"Hey what's that?" Asur asked as he dropped the flintlock rife and foolishly reached out for the object.
"ASUR!" the Corporal shouted. "Are you insane? We don't even…"
ka-boom The grenade detonated.
Private Asur took the brunt of the blast but part of the shrapnel ripped into Mesick. Small pieces of his shoulder neck and face were torn asunder and though it hurt like the dickens, he'd live. The ape looked down at what was left of Asur and concluded that it was only inevitable. The Private had been a walking death trap from the time he'd met him. His foolhardy demise came as no surprise and, sadly, he would not be missed.
Several musket shots went off in chorus followed by a shout of; All clear. Asur's luck had run out a bit early. If the Ape Lieutenant and the rest of his squad had been ten seconds quicker, he'd be alive. They'd managed to flank the two Imperiam soldiers while Asur and Mesick kept them busy. Not the best of plans, the Corporal thought, but it worked. …well for him anyway.
The area was just outside the ODN bombardment, but barely. The now dead Imperiam soldiers had scattered, once the missiles were picked up on their equipment. They'd taken shelter in a cave and waited it all out. However, the ape survivors from Sullen's nation were now sweeping out to take back their infested lands.
"Ok everyone, grab their food, weapons, and anything else of value and let's get these bodies disposed of." The ape, in command, ordered.
The Island
It had been over twelve hours since the ODN fired virtually every missile in its arsenal. Arrangements were being made to load soldiers onto boats and back towards the mainland. Several of them had already departed and by noon the remaining vessels would be on their way. Once they reached the shores of the Great Fish Pond, it was still a good twenty four hour, plus, ride south to Arum. But it had to be done. They were sitting here blind and the General needed tangible information. For all anyone knew, no one had survived …and, for that matter maybe everyone had. The latter was unlikely, but there was no way of knowing unless eyes were on site.
General Grazot, along with a few selected soldiers would remain behind, in hope, of gathering some of the broader answers. Ones that, with any luck, could be addressed, much quicker, by these ghost images from the communication gadgets they'd salvaged. The equipment had been piecemealed together by Brewster and Hayes but only a few areas could be mapped. However, as soon as he had his answers he too was leaving. The thought of going back in that cold murky water disturbed the gorilla but this was war and sitting on an island safe and cozy just didn't seem right.
General Grazot bit into the hunk of beef he'd grabbed from the cook on his way to the communications post. It wasn't quite enough to fill him up but then again nothing seemed to ever fill that humongous belly of his. He gnawed at the remaining scraps of meat on the bones and then tossed them aside as he walked into the tent.
"Sit down …as you were" he said to a couple of solders who jumped up as soon as he entered. He waved them aside with a paw and picked up the e-status pad …or at least that was what the good Colonel called it. Grazot gazed in confusion at the information and fumbled with the interfaces. It looked like Greek to the ape. He finally decided he'd get his facts the easy way; by asking.
"Who's responded so far?" The General inquired.
"New Washington and according to the map you provided, Kuo, Rizinia, and three cities that are part of your Isca-Coria settlement." the human manning the radar station answered. "The reports are still coming in. However, all other locations are silent"
"Kuo" the ape mumbled, as he used his tongue to free a tiny piece of meat lodged in a tooth. "That settlement is so remote they probably didn't even know a war was waging. When did Sullen send communications equipment out there, I wonder?"
Grazot dismissed the thought, as quickly as it came, and asked, "What about Imperiam traffic?"
"Yes Sir. We're picking up some enemy broadcasts as well." The man answered. "They're varied and sound more like they're probing for information…asking for updates, signaling may-days, requesting new orders and things like that. My guess is we hit them pretty hard and they're still stinging from the blow. Before the strike I couldn't keep the traffic straight, now we're only getting sporadic messages."
"Send updates to anyone near those Imperiam broadcasts." Grazot ordered. "I want those units mopped up."
Colonel Brewster walked in holding a hot beverage in one hand and one of his fancy gadgets in the other. He'd only heard the last portion of the Radio/Transmitter's sentence, but threw his two cents into the fray anyway.
"They're finished, General", the man stated in confidence. "I've linked the com equipment with some old satellites still in orbit. As primitive as it is; the field-pad that Captain Hayes possesses contains certain authorization codes. They allowed me to get a real-time VID almost immediately. From what I've seen over the past couple of hours, I'd estimate that over ninety eight percent of their militia and equipment were destroyed."
Brewster tossed the pad to Grazot as he gulped down some of the stale coffee. Half mumbling as he drank, he added. "I've adapted it to the current geography. All you have to do is speak a city name and the VID will appear on screen."
General Grazot snarled mildly in annoyance, as he barely caught the device. "Last couple of hours? That would have been nice to know at the time …Before I sent half our militia back to the mainland in a total frenzy. I'm starting to think you and Captain Hayes have more in common than your intellect."
The RTO smirked. He'd witnessed Hayes push the General's buttons more than once.
"My sincere apologies", Brewster casually fibbed, "I was too focused on the adaptation to even realize what was going on. As I've said before, I'm more of a scientist than a tactician."
An excuse he'd used again and again and again. In reality, the Colonel didn't give a rip about anything except his agenda and that was simply revenge on a nation he'd given his life to support. A country that had then thanked him by; Shooting him, stripping him of his nobility, seizing his lands, and murdering his heirs. He rarely spoke of it but his heart often ached for the children the Empire had mercilessly plucked from his life.
He'd brilliantly rerouted the guidance systems of the nuclear missiles back towards the Imperiam cities and when he'd been given permission by Sullen to access the ODN, it was almost like Christmas day to the man. That had been the final victory for him. And now that it was verified and re-verified, as far as Brewster was concerned, this war was over. Let these Neanderthals mop up the mess, he thought. His only concern now was a cushy spot in whatever government would pay him the most.
Grazot looked over the modified e-pad Brewster had given him. He was becoming more desensitized with technology. It didn't quite have the allure it once carried, although the ape did feel a bit ridiculous talking to a flat shiny object.
As he fumbled with the device another interruption spilled into the communication's tent. However, this news left the ape astonished.
"Sir … sir…", the gorilla huffed, unable to get all of the words to come out. He looked as if he'd sprinted all the way from wherever he'd come. And he had too. He bent over and put his paws on his knees and took in a few rapid breaths.
Grazot mechanically drew his sidearm and clutched it firmly at his side. His instincts had him thinking that the island must be under attack, but in this case, those instincts were wrong. The Troop Sergeant, who'd finally recovered a bit, summed things up in six words. "The Lord Prefect is dead, General"
"What?" Grazot replied still filtering his thoughts through a screen of invasion, "How? Was he murdered? Are we under attack?"
Troop Sergeant Vold shook his head as he simultaneously took in a big swig of water from a flask at his side. "No … It's nothing like that Sir. Here, look at this …"
He then handed the ape a piece of parchment and claimed; "It should explain things more clearly, Sir"
Grazot gazed at it for a moment as he realized what was really going on. He read the first few lines and said, "Suicide?", in an inquisitive way.
"Yes Sir" the ape Sergeant replied. "He hung himself from a tree. As they were preparing the body for formal burning, they found this note in his pocket."
Grazot looked down and reread the last words of his departed leader;
My fellow Simians. I spent my life trying to build our society into a utopia. That was mostly done by suppressing the truth and strictly controlling the flow of information. I was wrong, blind, and foolish. Because of my pride and arrogance, I set a series of events into place that have resulted in just the opposite. I blamed humans for all our woes, humans for all that's evil, and concluded that man was the harbinger of death. However, in one decision, I willingly murdered countless souls; Friends, colleagues, and even my own grandchildren. In the end, the only angel of death on this planet was me. And that is a curse I cannot live with.
In my final act as leader of The Council and Lord Prefect of the Settled Territories, I hereby grant General Grazot a full pardon for any and all crimes brought against him. Further, in the absence of a formal governing body, I now promote him to the rank of Supreme General and I'm invoking pro tempore leadership to the ape. He is to use this authority to rebuild a society based on truth, freedom, and equality. This world has seen enough destruction and heard enough lies. It's time to bury the past and lead our people into the future.
At the bottom was Sullen's official seal. No one who saw this would be able to dispute its authenticity. After almost eighteen months of plotting, General Grazot had finally achieved his ultimate goal. He was now the sole authority among his people. "A hollow victory…A very hollow victory, indeed", the ape concluded.
The Lord Prefect had blamed it all on himself. After he'd given Brewster the ok to unleash the ODN, he left the area, made peace with his creator, and took his life.
"Troop Sergeant" Grazot stated quietly. "Have everyone assemble within the hour at the open field just east of that old dwelling. We're burning the Prefect's body and then leaving this land mass for home."
New Washington
Nate Childs limped through the ruins and was astonished at what he saw. He'd been battling apes most of his life. He'd seen buildings fall, simians cut to pieces by bombs or automatic fire, and he'd even personally observed the aftermath of artillery, both up close and personal. But nothing he'd ever witnessed resembled destruction of this magnitude. One third of the city was completely leveled. The husks of half vaporized equipment, structures, and vehicles went on as far as he could see.
The charred remains of an Imperiam soldier crunched under his feed as he strode forward. Childs was injured from the attack on his command center and his wounded leg buckled as it twisted sideways. The unsteady terrain didn't help matters either.
"Please Sir, be careful" a staff officer said as he assisted the man.
"I'm fine, Major …and thank you" He replied. "Ok, we've been at this for over an hour. Have someone signal Colonel Eli. Tell him to gather any ape survivors and then get a message to the other recon elements. We're to rally at the ODN TOC in thirty minutes."
"Sir, no disrespect, but is that what we really want to do? I mean the ODN is…" the man began to ask.
"Listen Jeff." His commander interrupted casually. "You saw the bombardment. It lasted for twenty minutes and it hit everywhere and then some. There isn't an ape or human settlement left …oh a few of our remote cities and a few of theirs are in tact, but we still may have a mutual enemy on the loose. Besides, St James was a wise leader. He planned for an ODN strike on DC long, long ago. We have a load of tech and equipment underground that survived the assault. If war is inevitable, with the Territorial Nation, our side will be more than ready for it. But let's face it. This changes everything. What good is a missile platform without any missiles?"
The conversation was shortened by a shout several feet away. "Here's another one." The man bellowed. "He's unconscious and bleeding, but still alive"
"Have a medic get him out of there and put him with the rest of the POWs", the human Major replied.
The man turned to his commander and added. "Cripes Nate, that makes seven. How even one could have survived is beyond me."
"Well at least he's human" Childs replied. "The last two we found were gorillas. It took half a platoon to get them out and onto the flatbeds. Damn beasts are as heavy as that slop we called breakfast, this morning"
** Later
"Rockwell" Childs stated. "It's remote and our only major settlement to survive"
"That and this ancient capital of yours, you mean" Colonel Eli shot back quite defensively. "Your prize settlement survives, as does Rockwell and we lose everything. Do you think we didn't know of Rockwell or of the newly constructed factories at Fort Jefferson?"
Actually Childs didn't and it showed on his face.
A second ape, who was part of Eli's staff, slammed a balled up fist into the metallic table at his side. The force of the strike bucked the steel face and the room got very quiet. "How do we know this wasn't your plan, all along? St James was always hanging the ODN over our heads" he grunted. "He even admitted …more than once… that he was in Ceasera as a conqueror, not a liberator. And now we're all but extinct. How convenient for your Human Coalition"
Rifles on both sides began to rise amidst the growing tensions. Childs was starting to think he should have listened to the officer who suggested against the meeting. He calmly spoke to his men as he limped forward.
"Stand down …all of you" he ordered, eventually stepping between the two groups.
Childs got uncomfortably close to the ape that had crushed the table. He pointed a finger in his face and went on; "First off this wasn't planned. And if you'd think it through, you'd see how stupid that crack sounds. I lost family in the New Holland settlement to the west of here. All six hundred inhabitants are dead…Including my mother. Do you think we'd kill six hundred of our own to take you all down? Besides, it wasn't much but we grew food there, as well. It accounted for 25% of our supply in this location."
He stepped back a little and exhaled. "Look I get it. We have a long history of hate and distrust but if you pull that trigger all of us really will become extinct because this has to end one way or the other. Besides, your people out number the human race by far. You heard the broadcast from your cousins to the North. They lost all of their border cities, as well as, their capital and two remote settlements …but over a half dozen other towns survived. Their territory is massive. It doubles both of ours …combined. They estimate the survivors to be in the thousands. Now we have a choice. We can keep fighting, like we've done for centuries or we can end it, now …and rebuild. Moreover, there could still be Imperiam elements out there and we won't get this kind of an offer from them".
The air in the room remained relatively thick, but the apes lowered their weapons as Eli gestured for them to do so. Childs looked each ape square in eyes and stopped at Eli. He then made a symbolic gesture that was common in both cultures. It symbolized peace, even if it had normally only meant a temporary one. The man pulled out a canteen, took a drink, and handed it to the ape Colonel.
"The choice is yours" he said bluntly. "You're going need food, shelter, medicine... Most of New Washington is standing and though many parts are still in ruin, many parts are not. We can and will make enough room for as many refugees as necessary. …No, make that; Allies. …Friends"
It took another fifteen minutes but both sides finally came to an understanding. Riders containing both human and ape soldiers were sent in every direction with a message of sanctuary. It was important that people's basic needs be addressed otherwise a whole new set of problems could arise.
In the weeks that followed, a shaky, yet effective, alliance slowly evolved into a multispecies community. Boarders became blended and societies slowly comingled. Both groups had seen enough fighting and were becoming more focused on the immediate issues at hand.
The few surviving Imperiam soldiers were offered amnesty, as long as they formally surrendered and promised to contribute to the rebuilding effort. Oddly enough, many of them assimilated into the new society well. Their culture was militaristic, but very 'all or nothing'. They'd lost, thus the enemy 'owned' them, so to speak. They were also highly intelligent and very used to working and interacting with the opposite species.
General Grazot and the nation to the north played a key role in things, as well. They'd experienced destruction, but the region was fertile and had bounded back quickly. Thus, they'd become a major source of food and water. However, getting those supplies several hundred miles south, had become a fulltime task. Oddly, but not surprisingly, many had requested to migrate north and permanently settle there. …Including humans.
It took months but times were changing and the lines of bias and hatred were being replaced by hard work, self reliance, and an instinct for survival. An initiative took place to build a permanent route between the Northern and Southern provinces. Settlements were even planted in the once Banned Territories.
As trade cultivated, migration grew, and prosperity returned; talk of forming a single nation was proposed. Delegates met in New Washington and over the next few years a solution was finally agreed upon and brought to a vote before the general public. Progress and the winds of freedom were reemerging and nothing was going to stop it this time.
Epilogue
The United Territorial Republic - Arum City – Twenty five years later
As Jonathan Hayes walked the streets, he stared out at the very place his adventures began. The city had expanded and looked vastly different than the prehistoric village he'd crash-landed in all those years back. Powered lights illuminated the smoothly paved avenue. Random street vehicles passed here and there and a relatively modern architecture now donned almost every structure in sight. In many ways it resembled a typical city, from his era.
The cold morning air chafed at his face. He'd grown up in the state of Michigan so ice and snow were no strangers to the displaced American. But the older he got, the less he cared for it. He was in his early twenties when they'd originally arrived but was now approaching fifty. Well, in a few years anyway but it was still close enough, he thought. He felt his muscles stiffen as the blustery wind swept over him like a large frosty blanket. His body couldn't shrug things off like it used to.
He could have commuted but he actually enjoyed the long walk. Truth was; he wanted the exercise. Keeping his gut from looking like Santa was also a thing he'd discovered he had to deal with. The man exercised regularly but was learning that it didn't necessarily mean he could eat half a cow and not pay a price for it. Another joy of aging, he supposed.
It was quite soothing to hike, so early in the morning. Most of the city was asleep. It gave him time to think and prepared him for the busy schedule ahead. He was being dragged into some top secret, hush – hush discussion. Washington always played things out with drama.
"Carp, its cold" he complained, shaking his body to generate some heat.
He'd never moved south as planned and he only had himself to blame. Having a family and career could do that to a person. After all, he'd met his wife here and this was the place his three daughters and son had been born. It had taken awhile, but as odd as it seemed, this was now; home. His 'fingerprints' were all over this metropolis. He'd helped rebuild it, all those years ago, and that somehow made it more personal to the man.
He listened to the click of his heels echo off the hard frozen cement. The foggy lane reminded Hayes of the old black and white movies he watched as a boy. Sherlock Holmes came to mind as did the old cobblestone streets of London covered in a cloudy mist. He wondered if Jack the Ripper was going to pop out from the building in front of him. Instead, a more familiar comrade appeared.
"Good morning, Jonny" the soldier said as he formally saluted the man. Next he handed the officer a warm mug of coffee. "Compliments of Sierra, of course."
General Hayes returned the military greeting with a quick salute of his own. "Good morning, my friend, and thanks. I take back all those things I said about you." He added with a smile as he opened the canister and took a sip.
"Don't tell anyone, Sir. I do have a reputation to keep up, after all" The ape joked back.
"Hmm, that hits the spot! That wife of yours has a magic touch when it comes to food. Even this coffee tastes like something exotic. So how is the family, these days?" Hayes asked as he sipped more of the hot brew.
"Third one will be here any day. The physicians say she's right on schedule" Sergeant Major Kutos replied. "And you know how the twins are, Colonel …sorry… I mean General…still getting used to that. …Anyway, now that they're climbing, I can't seem to keep up with them. Mica made it to the rafters last night and it was a fiasco getting her down and into bed. She was practically on the roof before I finally caught up with her. I tell you, Jonny. I only have two and can't fathom how you handle four"
"Kids! It's like having a second job, isn't it?" Hayes added with a chuckle. "I can't believe that Sarah is fifteen and that Benjamin will be twelve in less than a week …Seems just like yesterday, he was waddling around in diapers. And Chloe's talking about marrying Mickey. …My baby girl; a grown woman already."
Hayes paused in midsentence and mumbled "…Where does time go? It's ironic how life works. A few years ago I would have given my right arm to go back to what I'd left. Now …I don't think I'd change a thing …even if I had the power. I can't imagine life without my family."
The two soldiers walked to the front of the compound and presented their credentials to the young guard, on duty. It was only his second day on the post and he was completely out of his element. The man nervously logged them in and gave an over exaggerated salute to Hayes as he added "Uh ga - good morning General, You're good to go …um Sir". He pushed a button and the large metal gate retracted.
"Take it easy, Corporal. It's too cold for you to have a heart attack" Kutos whispered.
Hayes and his senior advisor chatted about family, life, the weather, and military business for the next several minutes as they made their way to the briefing area. Once inside, the Sergeant Major went in one direction and Hayes headed in the other. Showing courtesy and following military protocol, everyone within the room rose to their feet. A numbing silence filled the air as the man paced to the front.
"At ease" the officer said taking a seat at the head of the table. "Good morning everyone. I know you've all been briefed. I want to thank you for all the congratulations regarding my recent promotion. It isn't official but Lieutenant Colonel Gregory will taking command next week in an official ceremony. He'll also be getting a promotion: to full Colonel. Congratulations Phil. But we all know why we're here and with that I'm going to turn it over to the Colonel."
Lieutenant Colonel Gregory rose to his feet and began his report. "Thank you General. As you know, approximately a decade ago, well after our society had stabilized and we fully modernized, we made attempts to search out to other regions of the world. After all, If the America's had survived, surely Europe, Asia and like had too."
The man paused and took a quick drink of his coffee. He used the natural gap to bring up an old two dimensional image taken from one of the ancient satellites. It displayed a bloody scene on the shores of what was once Spain.
"We all know how that ended." He continued. "The first landing parties were massacred shortly after hitting the shore. The region is overrun by radical religious warlords and militaristic despots. A rescue attempt was made via a second initiative but it was costly. Only a few survived. Shortly after, the New Washington Council scrapped the project. We've been pretty isolationist ever since."
The briefing lasted about forty five minutes. After that was a routine readiness inspection of the 222nd maintenance Co, some preliminary turn-over with Gregory, and then back to his office for e-paperwork. Six hundred years later and there were still bureaucrats who insisted on having all the "Is" doted and all the "Ts" crossed.
Knock – Knock
"Computer, pause statement, record dictation, and save for future update and editing" Hayes said looking up at the door and stating for the knocker to enter.
"Well, well Jonny" the old gorilla said. "I thought they'd have drummed an old slouch like you out of the service long ago."
The human General laughed as he looked at the grey furry beast entering his office. "Grazot!" he replied trying to think of a witty comeback. When nothing came to mind he simply continued with "It's great to see you, my friend. Please, have a seat"
The government official was over sixty five years old and he was already well on the way to plopping his tired old husk in the nearest chair he could find.
"Let me have one of those cigars, will ya, please?" the ape said pointing at the case on Hayes's desk.
The man did as he was asked and then Grazot got to the point. "I know it must have been hard listening to that briefing. …Lots of ghosts associated with that mission"
"Somewhat" Hayes answered. "I made peace with Tom's death long ago."
"Yes, but have you made peace with the circumstances too?" The General stated somewhat directly. "For a long time you blamed yourself."
"That's quite ironic, Sir" Hayes replied, being just as blunt. "After all, you went on the mission with him …and you survived. I should be asking you the same question."
Before the ape could reply, Hayes backed off and apologized. "There's nothing loaded in that. I know you did what was right. If you hadn't retreated when you did, everyone would have been killed. And if Susan hadn't been pregnant, it would have been me instead of him. That was hard to live with at first. Just dumb luck, I guess. Once he found out we were expecting Ben, he talked me out of going. He used his rank and influence and ended up commanding the mission in my place."
Hayes poured himself a shot of scotch and swigged it down; you have a family, Jon and you know what it's like to be widowed, he said, don't put that burden on Sue. I have no one. It makes sense for me to go. "…Makes sense…Little did I know he wasn't returning. We all thought it was going to be cakewalk, didn't we? We never expected that those lunatics had old chemical weapons …and that they knew how to use them."
Grazot puffed on his cigar. In his old age he'd lost some of his patience and tact. He was too tired to be sympatric or coy, so he simply spoke his mind. "There's a reason I'm here, Jon. There's more to the briefing than what Gregory shared. It isn't just a satellite that fell. We're going back. …we have to."
Hayes cocked his head and simply replied with "Why? They're a bunch of savages. Half of them would hang the other half, at sunrise, for the glory of their false gods if they could get away with it. I say we let 'em be. What's one old satellite, anyway? Let them kill each other off. All we need to do is be ready for anything they can throw at us, but from what I've seen that's a good century or two off. By then we'll be …"
"It might be closer than you think" Grazot said firmly cutting the man off. He reached in his pocket, pulled out a data spike and tossed it to the man. "Look this over and be ready to discuss options at 0800 tomorrow. I need to get going. I have a meeting with General Harrison in ten minutes. Let's have dinner tonight. I've been dying to see that daughter of yours. Remember how she used lead me around like I was her pet?"
General Hayes grinned as he thought back and pictured the image in his head. "She's almost twenty two and has been leading me around by the nose since the day she was conceived. Women are good at doing that."
** The next morning 0800
The General hadn't slept most of the night. He popped a couple of stimulants and downed it with some of the coffee in the briefing room. Within minutes Grazot and a few others entered the area. One of them was the aged Doctor Brewster. He was nearly seventy five but barely looked sixty.
Hayes welcomed everyone and then let Grazot make an opening statement. Once that was conclude the real discussion took place.
"Gentlemen" Jonny stated "This is amazing and I can see the urgency. All of you know Hank Brewster and should be quite familiar with his work. Anyone who isn't would have had to have been in a coma for the last two decades. His knowledge far exceeds anyone I've ever worked with. I asked him to look over the data, as well. I didn't fully trust my preliminary findings. However, Hank's verified their authenticity. Evidently some kind of spacial anomaly has formed on the edge of our solar system"
"Ok," Hayes continued, "I've looked over the data, as requested. Does someone want to fill me in on what it all means?"
One of the Council Senators rose to his feet and spoke first. "General Hayes, first let me offer my congratulations on your recent promotion. Like Doctor Brewster, your reputation precedes you, as well. It was a long time coming and well deserved."
Hayes nodded in thanks. The ape certainly was a politician. The man wondered if the speech might have been different if the Senator weren't up for reelection. Although, over the years Hayes had made significant contributions of his own and also built up quite a name for himself. He was considered one of the founding fathers of the nation.
When the Republic's Constitution had been fully ratified, an amalgamated defense force was formed. Leadership was sparse and promotions were made at every level to fill gaps. Captain Hayes had refused to take part in it. He'd insisted that he progress through the ranks as any normal soldier would. Thus he'd waited almost an additional two years before being promoted to Major. He'd done his time and paid his dues.
The Senator rambled on for another thirty seconds and then finally got to the point. "Europe is third world waste land. It's amazing that anyone or anything even survives there, but I want you to look at what our spy satellites found. Computer, cascade surveillance footage …time index …June 3rd, 0200 hours plus thirty."
The images appeared in a 3D block. "Open Alpha three, grid two-seven-six, eight-eight-three and magnify." The ape ordered.
In an instant it all became clear. It was a ship, not a satellite. The Union Jack was clearly visible on the tail and it had distinct British markings on the wings.
"HMS Vanguard…" Hayes mumbled in amazement as he read the inscription on the side. The vessel was massive; at least three times the size as the Dreadnaught.
He turned his head and looked back at Grazot with an inquisitive expression on his face. The gorilla nodded and said "There's more." Looking at the screen he added "Computer play full index, June 3rd, 0200 hours."
It was like looking at an old science fiction film. The ship was on a decent course but looked as if it had manually stabilized, instead of crashing. But that wasn't what amazed the General. At least two dozen simians advanced towards the ship on horseback and in old rusted out tracked vehicles. The ship fired a high energy pulse that took out over half of them before they ever reached his position. Next, the pilot he assumed, a human male, exited the ship. Several of the remaining apes, leapt towards the man. Without effort he cut a chimp in two with something that looked like a sword. He threw a second blade at the charging gorilla and it split his skull in two. He reached for a pistol but was mobbed by the remaining apes. Suddenly the image faded.
"That's all we got" The Senator said. "The satellite moved out of range. But the point is, General Hayes, he sent out an SOS. That ship is in tact and armed to the teeth …and it has nuclear weapons."
"Can we back up a second, Senator?" Hayes asked. "That ship is from England. A country long gone. Further, I copied that VID to my pad. I've enhanced some of the footage. Whoever that man was, the patch he's wearing says; UKSF – SAS. That's United Kingdom, Special Air Service. That's England's elite Special Forces. They don't exist in this time"
"That's why we're here, General. From what we can tell that ship is basically from your time period…sixty years past the date you claimed to be from. His SOS stated he departed on April 7th, 2045"
"But how?" Hayes asked. "The Event collapsed after I tried to escape. There's no wormhole up there. Brewster confirmed that years ago"
"Evidently, there is now. That rupture in space, just formed a week ago; like a pin pricking its way through a piece of fabric." The ape claimed "Now I've ready read the report that Colonel March submitted years ago. I know the data shows that the tunnel or whatever you came through collapsed, but it looks like another may have opened. Let me get right to the point. You're the closest thing that man has to friends or family. We want to you to take a team and commandeer that ship. If you can't, you're to destroy it."
"Why not just use the orbital network. We armed it five years ago. I don't understand why you need people physically on site to…" Hayes stopped in mid sentence. "You want the ship, don't you? All that Imperiam technology that fell into our laps and it isn't enough. I saw those …beams, that thing fired."
"It's not like that Jonny. Two days ago the Separatists hijacked three of our long range air craft. It was during an air show when security was lax." Grazot explained. "After the shellacking we gave them the last time they tried something, the defense department thought it will be years before that tried anything else. But they had a spy who saw this Intel. They're already in Europe. We took out one of the crafts, but the others went stealth. We need get to that ship before they do. As much as I hate to ask, Jon, are you up for one last mission?"
…The end.
I wanted to thank everyone who provided feedback. Your remarks were productive and very motivating. I probably would have scrapped this long ago, if no one had bothered to read it.
I've intentionally left some open "holes" in this chapter, in the chance that I decide to write a follow up in the future. – Thanks again everyone!