Here's the next chapter!
Enjoy :)
It ended up being a rather restless night for everyone.
It didn't help either when Chief Asshole had everyone up by the crack of dawn. Kristin was quite groggy upon waking. But knew she had to get up.
At least she wasn't startled awake, and Galen was nice enough to gently shake her shoulder to wake her. Pete and Alan weren't as lucky. Seeing as the gorilla's version of waking them was a swift kick to their sides. The pair of men woke up with a start and pained grunts.
Kristin stood up with the blanket in hand. Then she shifted her gaze to Galen who was packing a couple of his things. She took a couple steps forward and held out her bound hands that held the blanket.
Galen turned around and saw the young woman offering back his blanket.
"Thanks again for letting me use it." She told him.
The young chimp nodded, "You're welcome."
They didn't have much longer to say anything else. Before one of the guards came over and told them they were moving out.
Galen walked Kristin over to his horse and helped her up. It was a little easier getting up with her hands tied in front of her rather than behind her.
He then got on behind her and grasped the reins. She held on to the handle in front of her on the saddle but still leaned back a little, not wanting to chance possibly falling forward again.
Then they were all off.
It took them a few hours. But they finally made it back to Central City.
Galen helped her down from the horse when they got there. But then afterwards, a couple guards came and ushered her away, leaving the young chimp behind.
One of them had a firm grip on her bicep as he hauled her off. Then he nudged her forward and she found herself standing with Pete and Alan.
"Kristin you, ok?" Pete asked in concern.
She nodded, "Yeah, how about you two?"
"We're fine." Alan answered for them.
The three of them became surrounded by the gorilla guards and their Chief of Security, Urko.
Galen watched as they hastily ushered the three humans off. Afterwards he proceeded to the council building down the way, since he was required to be there during the trial.
The two astronauts and young woman figured they were going to a cell.
They went in and sure enough, they were put into some sort of holding cell for the time being. Then the Chief and the guards left.
Upon leaving, Urko said he had to run a small errand and grab something really quick before they take them to the main council chambers. Then he walked off in the opposite direction.
He was only gone for about ten minutes before returning.
Then he along with some of his men hauled out the three humans from the small holding cell and started to lead them down the road to the council building.
Kristin could hardly see much of what was going on around them, because she was sandwich in between Pete and Alan. Who were surrounded on all sides by the guards.
Though they weren't walking for very long before they entered a rather large building.
Then they were led into a large open room. Afterwards, the guards moved away and they saw a long table in front of them. Sitting at the long table were a bunch of apes. A few orangutans and some chimpanzees.
Kristin's eyes than caught sight of Galen, who was standing off to the side of an orangutan sitting in one of the chairs near the center.
He was looking around before his eyes landed on the three humans that came in. They went from Alan and Pete to Kristin, where he locked eyes with her for a few moments.
Then they started talking. Asking questions among themselves. Urko was also involved in this conversation as well. It was not even five minutes in before he turned his attention back to the three bound humans and started walking over to them.
"Enemies of the state shall be put to death as I remind the council that this is our laws. And the laws must be obeyed." He declared loudly as he walked from the humans to the table where the council members sat.
"What makes us enemies?! We haven't done anything." Alan protested.
"Your ambitions are enemies; your thoughts are enemies." Urko accused.
"What's your name pal? Hitler? Stalin? Mussolini?" Pete quipped.
Kristin snorted, "I doubt these guys were half has smart as they were."
"Silence." Zaius said.
"Do you believe that humans and apes are equal?" One of the other councilmen inquired.
"In this world or ours?" Alan quipped.
"In any world." He snapped impatiently.
"I don't know about any world. But I believe that all intelligent creatures should learn to work together as equals." Alan declared firmly.
Not long after those words left his mouth, there was a sudden uproar among the council members. It only lasted for several seconds before one of them called everything back to order.
Urko then spoke up through the cacophony of voices.
"They have convicted themselves Zaius! Do want this sacrilege and heresy to infect the other humans!?" He shouted.
"Certainly not, Urko. And by questioning them we will learn to avoid it." Zaius replied.
"Will you be able to avoid destruction?" Urko snapped.
"What destruction? We don't intend any destruction." Alan argued back.
"You're human, aren't you? Would an ape have created such an instrument?" Urko asks as he fiddles with a small object in his hands.
"Urko! You had no right to take that!" Zaius snapped in clear surprise.
Everyone became startled and ducked when they saw a bright flash and heard a loud explosion. Then everyone looked on in astonishment as the door was blown to pieces on the other side of the chambers.
"There it is! There's the real threat! That is the danger!" He announced.
Zaius casually applauded Urko while everyone else continued looking around quite baffled.
"Very good, Urko. The object you stole from my office has provided a dramatic display. Proving the importance of keeping these three humans alive Until we learn how they create such destruction. So, we can prevent it in the future." He stated.
"Yes, I agree. Question them more." Another orangutan added.
"I'm sure even the great Urko cannot quarrel with this decision." Zaius haughtily stated.
Urko scowled, then slowly made his way back over to the three humans standing before them all.
"I'll quarrel with anything, that keeps these three humans alive." He snarls, as his beady eyes look them all over.
Kristin couldn't help but tense up and clench her jaw as his cold eyes swept over them with malice.
Afterwards, they were ushered back out of the council chambers. Urko and his men took them out of the building and hauled them off. They bypassed the building they were first temporarily held in on the way.
They all walked for several minutes until it became a little less populated and looked a little more like a wooded area.
Then they came upon one lone stone building. Urko opened the door and allowed them all in. Each guard took ahold of one of the humans. Alan and Pete were shoved forward repeatedly from behind by the ones escorting them.
Then one of the many doors was flung open, and both men were roughly shoved inside.
The guard that had Kristin was about to do the same. When Urko put his hand up halting the guard.
"No, keep the female separate from the males. I don't want them all together." He ordered.
Kristin bristled, not liking this one bit.
"Forget it, I'm not going anywhere else. Put me in with my friends" She demanded.
"Silence!" He snapped.
Then his cold eyes went to the two guards on either side of her.
"Put her in the cell over there." He ordered, while pointing to a cell on the opposite side of the hall a couple doors down.
Afterwards, Urko abruptly turned around and started back down the hall then stopped to say something to his Lieutenant.
"You know what I expect you to do, after dark." He instructed.
His Lieutenant nodded. Then Urko left the jail cells.
"Let's go then." One of them said to her, while pulling her by her arm.
At first, the young woman refused to budge.
This greatly annoyed the two gorilla guards.
"I said, move it, female!" The one that had her arm snapped.
Then he roughly jerked her forward. While the other gave her a small shove from behind.
With her hands still tied, there wasn't much she could do in this position. So, she had no choice but to follow as they pulled her about ten feet further down the hall.
Then the one behind her stepped around and produced a set of keys.
He put it in the lock, twisted it and opened the door. Then the one holding her arm pulled her in. He went to undo her bindings but paused before getting to them.
The guard grasped her chin and tilted her head up not so gently.
Kristin pursed her lips and glared at him as he squeezed her jaw a little. Then he lightly turned her face a little to the left than the right. Afterwards he looked her up and down.
Something that made her uncomfortable and angry.
"You suppose they will consider selling this one? I know plenty who would pay a good price for her." The guard inquired to his friend.
His friend just shrugs. But he too believes it would be a shame to waste her. Most would consider her rather attractive and cute with her soft and delicate features.
And they knew the pretty human females would sometimes go to buyers with specific interests.
"Perhaps. Though she is quite on the small side as far as her height goes. From a distance, she probably would be mistaken for a kid." He stated.
The one who previously had a firm grip on her jaw had let go a few moments prior, snorted at his friend's remark.
"I doubt they would when they see these." He said.
As he finished that statement, to her shock and displeasure, he reached out and grabbed one of her breasts.
That did it for her, and she lost her nerve.
"Why you son of a bitch!" She spat while picking up her right leg and aggressively snapping it forward into his gut with a harsh front kick.
A pained grunt left him as he doubled over clutching his stomach. Then she quickly came around and delivered a crescent kick to the side of his ugly mug, sending him sprawling to the hey covered floor.
"Hey!" The other guard shouted.
Kristin momentarily forgot about the guard behind her as she kicked out at the one in front of her, sending him to the ground.
He grabbed her by her shoulders, then shoved her into the wall. She hit it with a pained hiss, before slightly bouncing off. Then wobbled on her feet trying to gain her balance back.
Then she turned slightly once she got gained her footing.
Only to hear a sharp smacking sound as pain blossomed in the side of her left check and lower jaw. The bastard actually backhanded her. It was strong and hard enough to send her off balance again, even more so with her still bound hands.
Then she ended up crashing to the floor on her side.
The guard helped his friend to his feet. He was clearly pissed by the bold moves she did.
"You little bitch." He growled.
He went to kick her where she lay but was stopped by a voice by the door.
"Hey, you two, you're both needed. Stop wasting your time in here and c'mon." Another guard snapped impatiently.
The guard pulled his friend back and gestured towards the open door.
He begrudgingly started to follow the other guard out. He then paused by the open doorway and looked back at her with eyes full of hate. Before he grasped the handle and roughly pulled the door closed with a resounding slam.
They made sure the door was locked, before they headed down the hall. The guard still occasionally rubbing his now tender midsection and the side of his face still stung a little from the second kick to his face.
The petite woman was surprisingly quite strong.
Back inside the cell, Kristin slowly sat up. She brushed some of the hey off of her before shuffling back to lean against the wall. Her check and lower jaw still stung, and she felt a hint of wetness down by the left corner of her lip.
She reached up and lightly pressed a finger to the spot, grimacing from the slight sting. When she pulled her finger back, there was some blood on it.
Kristin leans her head back against the wall with a sigh. She still can't believe the mess she and the others were now in. Hell, she still can't believe any of this is actually happening.
It's almost like a nightmare she cannot wake up from.
She squeezed her eyes shut, as a couple hot tears escaped from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
Meanwhile in Zaius's Office...
Zaius stood by his cabinet. He had another one of those bombs in his hands and was looking it over deep in thought.
But his train of thought was broken when he heard Galen's voice over by his chair.
"Zaius?" Galen says.
"Yes?" The old orangutan replies.
"Was there a time when...humans controlled the world and...apes were kept in cages?" Galen hesitantly asks.
"I said, you had a great deal to learn. But that did not include heresy." Zaius stated, as he put the small bomb back inside the cabinet and turned his attention to the young chimp.
"Maybe...they were right Zaius. Maybe the world would be better if no creature controlled another if we all worked together instead." Galen pondered.
Zaius narrowed his eyes.
"I could have you imprisoned for that." The councilman threatened.
Galen furrowed his eye ridges.
"Zaius, you haven't answered my question." The young chimp pointed out.
"I never heard the question!" Zaius snapped angrily.
Then he stepped around Galen and trudged away.
Sensing he was not going to get any answers, Galen lightly shook his head then headed out of the office.
He walked through the living area and passed a male human servant that was wiping down the table. And when the servant saw him he dropped what he was doing and quickly rushed to open the front door to let the young chimp out.
Galen walked toward the open door. But before leaving, he paused and turned his attention to the servant.
"Human"? He asks.
"Yes, sir?" The servant asks.
"What's it like...being a human?" Galen inquires.
The servant gave him a slightly confused look.
"What's it...like, Sir?" He asked, clearly confused by the random question.
Galen eyed him a little longer, then let out a slight chuckle, "Never mind."
"Yes, sir." The servant replied.
Then Galen left the premises, leaving the baffled servant behind to ponder his thoughts.
Until Next Time ;)