The next chapter is up! Enjoy :)
The four have been traveling for the last several days now.
They have yet to stumble upon civilization. But somehow have been managing. Galen has been a big help in showing us what is good and not good to eat in the woods.
The weather has been quite warm, so they have been having to stop periodically to get water from nearby streams.
In Urko's Office...
"This is where they must be. Between here and here. They're headed toward the sea. Alien humans. Astronauts they call themselves. And that renegade ape, Galen." Urko said.
"Are you sure Urko?" Jason asks.
"I am sure of nothing except they think differently. They're a threat and they MUST be caught. There are several settlements in this district." Urko said.
"The human settlements?" He inquires.
"Yes. Each one has an ape garrison and a prefect. I want you to go there and alert every prefect in the district. Give him their descriptions. Every stranger is to be arrested on sight. And this office notified." Urko instructed.
"We'll find them, Sir." Jason assured.
"Get troops from the nearest garrison and bring them back here to me, alive. Unless they try to escape." Urko added.
"Yes, Sir." He replied.
"Jason?" Urko says.
The younger ape stops and turns back to the chief.
"I expect them to try. Understood?" Urko stated.
"Understood, Sir." Jason replied.
Meanwhile back in the woods...
While the three humans sat around near a pond resting, Galen came walking out of the woods with a bunch of things in his arms.
He then went to each of them and handed them an object. Afterwards they all thanked him for it. While he went and sat down on a rock with his own.
Kristin eyed the strange looking thing that was brightly colored. Then her gaze shifted back to Galen.
"What is it?" She asks.
"It's an oper. Peal it, it's good." He told her.
"An oper? Ok, I'm willing." Pete says and begins to peal it.
Kristin does the same with hers. Finding it rather easy to peal.
Her and Pete than take a bite. It was quite juicy and not so bad. Tasted like a citrus fruit, like an orange.
"It's pretty good." She says.
"Told you." Galen replied.
"It looks like a bomb, peals like a banana, and tastes like an orange." Pete states.
Galen just furrows his eye ridges and gives him a funny look.
"I don't know about a bomb. Though I'm sure if you throw these hard enough at someone, it will hurt." Kristin jokes.
"I'll be sure to duck and cover than, if you get mad." Galen teases.
The young woman rolls her eyes.
"Please, if anyone is going to get one of these flung at them, it'll probably be Pete. If he doesn't knock it off with the flirting." She says, as she shifts her gaze to the dark-haired man.
Pete just throws his hands up.
"Hey, it's not flirting. That's just how I start up my conversations." He playfully protested.
Kristin snorted, "Yeah, and my conversations always end with the one fingered salute." She sarcastically replies.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they did." Pete said, with a smirk.
"What is a one fingered salute?" Galen asks.
The young woman lightly chuckles, as she brings her hand to her mouth to muffle it. After a few seconds, she turns her attention to the young, naive chimp.
"I think the question you should be asking is, 'Do you really want to know?'" She replied.
Galen arched an eye ridge. With her, you just never know. But at the same time, he was curious.
"Yes, actually. I would like to know." He insisted.
Sometimes he was too curious for his own good. He knew it and he knew at times he would pay for it.
Kristin wiped a small bead of juice from the corner of her lip and smirked at him.
"When you hold up your middle finger like this." She says, showing him.
"It's a very rude gesture. It means, 'fuck you' or 'fuck off'." She told him.
His dark brown eyes widened in surprise and his mouth dropped open slightly.
"Oh." Was all he said.
Then both Kristin and Pete started to laugh a little at the look on his face and his reply.
Galen closed his mouth, rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"I swear, I never heard anyone curse as much as you do. You practically throw it around like water at times. Especially, when you're angry." The young chimp stated.
"Your point?" She teases.
He levels her with a look.
"You really are the very definition of sassiness, aren't you?" Galen points out.
"Yep." She says, then takes another bite out of her oper.
He snorts but can't stop the small smirk from gracing his face. She really was both amusing and interesting to talk to. That's for sure.
"Still going back to this fruit, I can't say anyone has ever seen anything like it from our time? Right Pete?" She inquires.
"Probably a mutation. It's obviously tropical. But if the sun and compass aren't loused up we should be somewhere north of San Francisco. We should be eating apples and pears. Right Alan?" Pete stated.
"I'm sorry, what?" Alan asked, clearly not paying attention.
"I say anyone who thinks a magnetic disc is going to get us home; is strictly off his rocker." Pete told him.
"Hey try an oper. They're good." He added, then lightly tossed the fruit to him.
"This is our only chance, Pete. And you know it." Alan pushed.
"If you say so." Pete said, still disbelieving it.
"Look, the detail of our flight is right here. It can tell us when and where and how we hit that time warp. If you can run that through a computer it..."
"What computer, Alan, where? Behind that tree?" Pete retorts while pointing to the tree behind him.
"No not behind that tree or that one or that hill maybe. But somewhere on this crazy planet maybe...just maybe...there is the same civilization that has the same technology we have. Maybe more. And Pete, you can't tell me it doesn't exist." Alan insisted.
Then he shifted his gaze to the young chimp.
"Galen, do you know this area?" He asks.
"Not very well." Galen says, shaking his head.
"Are there any settlements here?" Alan inquired.
"Well, not that I know of. And certainly not one with uhh...uhh...a computer? Whatever that is." He ended with a chuckle.
"We have to keep on searching until we..." Alan paused when they all heard loud grunts coming from nearby.
They all looked at each other and quickly got up. Heading in the direction the sounds were coming from.
What they saw was rather surprising. Two men, going at it in a fight right there out in the open. The moves they were throwing were harsh. The light-haired one clearly giving the dark haired one a rather thorough beating.
After a couple more brutal hits were dished out to the dark-haired young man, they've decided they had enough with watching.
Pete darted out from their hiding spot and charged the older light-haired man and jumped him knocking him to the ground. Then as he went over to help the younger man something surprising happened.
The younger one punched him in the gut and attacked him. Then he was shoved to the older one that proceeded to put him in a half nelson. Giving the younger guy to have a crack at him.
Seeing he was in danger, Kristin darted out to help.
"Kristin, no!" Alan shouted.
Then he quickly ran out after her. Galen wanted to go too but ended up staying behind when Alan rushed out after her.
When she got there, she quickly lifted her left leg and threw a roundhouse kick to the back of the man's knees. He grunted in pain and his legs buckled enough to make him loosen his grip on Pete, letting him slip loose.
Pete quickly rounded on the man, who was trying to get back up. But Kristin kicked out again and sent a right roundhouse into his upper torso. The move sent him sprawling to his back.
While Alan was busy taking care of the dark-haired young man.
By the time the light-haired one started to struggle to his feet again, they heard Galen shouted out.
"Pete, Alan, Kristin, a horse!" He yelled.
The three humans quickly booked it out of there and just in time. Because a single rider came riding up. It was an older chimp and he dismounted from his horse and began to talk to the two men.
Galen, Kristin, Pete, and Alan barely made it several yards from where they were before they made an abrupt stop at the sound of Alan's voice.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute, hold it!" He blurted out.
"I got to go back, I must've dropped the disc." He added hastily.
Then he quickly turned around and started rushing back the same way they came.
"Alan no! We can't risk that!" Pete shouted after him.
"We'll be caught!" Kristin also yelled.
"Aww, c'mon!" Pete said while gesturing for the others to follow him.
"Dammit!" Kristin muttered as she and Galen took off after Pete.
The four of them ran back and hid in the same spot they were before. They crouched down and listened as the older chimp talked to the two human men.
Then the older chimp noticed something shiny on the dirt covered ground. He walked over, knelt down, and picked it up. Then he started inspecting the small, strange object in his hand.
It made Alan bristle and he had to stop himself from rushing out there to grab it.
"Huh, strange." The old chimp said, as he pocketed it.
Then he turned back to his horse, as the older man grabbed the reins and held them in place while the ape mounted the horse.
Afterwards, they all started to leave. The men trailed after the older ape on horseback as they headed back home. When it was clear, the four of them came out of hiding, watching them run off.
"You're not serious." Pete stated, in disbelief as he saw Alan eying them.
"I'm getting it back, Pete. I don't know how but I'm not leaving without it." He said, with a hint of finality in his voice.
"Well, what difference does it make?" Pete asks.
"Even if we did find a civilization, they would have to interpret it, build us a spaceship, and reverse the process and even then, there is no assurance we'll end up back in the twentieth century." Pete stated, trying to reason with him.
"And I hate to say it, but by the looks of things here, finding a civilization with advance tech like that is possibly slim to none. Sadly, more so on the none side." Kristin added.
She hated being pessimistic like that and dashing Alan's hopes. But they had to be realistic and rational about it too.
"I'm aware of all that, guys." Alan replied.
"Then why take the risk? Forget it." Galen quipped.
"I can't...it's home...it's hope...I can't forget it." Alan said, still desperately hanging on to that last shred of hope.
Several miles outside of town...
The gorilla guard known as dangerous was asking directions to the nearest settlement. A human man driving an ox pulled cart gave him the directions he needed and told him he'd be there by tomorrow.
In town...
The four of them crept quietly through the small village, trailing the older ape.
They ducked and hid behind a cart. Not long after, Galen pointed to a lodging several meters ahead.
"That's it." He whispered.
"You sure?" Alan asks.
"He was wearing a prefect insignia and that is a prefect's house. Now, you wait here." He told them.
Galen went to leave, but Alan grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.
"No, Galen, wait. Why you? I mean, that disc means nothing to you." Alan told him.
"But the disc means something to you. And you're my friend." Galen stated.
"I know Galen, but you don't have to..."
"No, no, he is my species, Alan. I have a better chance alone. Really." He assured him.
Alan turned to Pete and Kristin.
"He's right, but I don't thinks it's worth the risk." Pete said.
"Well, you three would do the same for me wouldn't you?" Galen inquired with a small smirk.
He turned his attention back to Alan.
"I'll get your disc." He whispered.
Then the young chimp hurried off.
They watched as he quietly made his way across the large dirt road to the house in front of them. He looked around one last time before turning his attention to the door.
He knocked on it, then no more than a few seconds later, the door opened, and the old chimp stood there.
"Yes?" He asks.
"Hello, my name is Galen. May I come in?" He asks politely.
The older ape nodded, "Yes, please do."
He then stepped aside and let the younger chimp in. He then closed the door behind him and the three humans could see nor hear anymore.
"Keep your fingers crossed this works." Pete said.
"May as well pray while you're at it." Kristin added.
They then heard the faint neigh of horses nearby to their right.
The three of them turned their attention that way and saw a large corral holding several horses.
"Horses, if Galen gets into trouble, we will all need to get out of here fast." Alan elaborates.
The three of them headed over to the corral, keeping to the shadows as night slowly continued to descend upon them. They also ducked behind trees and bushes on the way so not to be seen.
Inside the prefect's house...
"Thrown by a horse?" The prefect inquires.
"Yes." Galen says, with a light chuckle.
"Where?" The prefect asks.
"Out there somewhere, I have been walking for miles. You can't imagine how delighted I was to see your village." Galen stated.
"What were you doing on your horse, out there?" The prefect continued with his questions.
Galen walked up to him.
"Science Expedition. I was searching for artifacts from past civilizations." He told him.
"Humph, don't we have enough problems coping with our own?" The prefect stated sarcastically.
"I wasn't exactly sure we had one." Galen smartly retorted.
The older ape started to laugh at his quip.
"I think I'm going to like you, young chimp. Yes, I'm going to like you very much indeed. Will you like something to drink?" He asks, after his laughter died down.
"Why yes, thank you. Thank you very..." He trails off when his eyes landed upon the disc sitting a few feet away on the prefect's desk.
"Thank you very much." He finished.
Galen looked back and forth while inching closer to the desk where the disc sat. Then the prefect started talking again as he poured their drinks.
"It can get rather lonely out here. These gorillas, have no respect for beauty or culture. I have been a prefect here for twenty-five years. Can you believe that?" He asks.
Galen gives him a look, "But you don't look old enough."
"Come, come. Here you are." The prefect says, handing him his drink.
"Thank you." Galen says and takes the offered drink.
"Are you traveling alone?" He asks.
"Oh, yes." Galen replied.
"It's been twenty-five years, since I was your age." The old prefect stated.
"To companionship." He saluted his drink.
Galen followed suit and they clinked the cups together before taking sips.
Afterwards, Galen went back to secretly eyeing the small, magnetic disc.
Meanwhile outside...
Alan, Pete, and Kristin continued sneaking about.
To their dismay, the large corral was being guarded by gorillas.
"You ready, Alan?" Pete asks.
Alan studies the view in front of him.
"Wait, hold this." He says.
He gives him the water skin then grabs a thin piece of rock off of the table.
Let's move he told the other two. Kristin and Pete quietly followed the older man as they headed for the nearest guard.
Back in the prefect's house, the prefect who said his name was Barlow started talking about some artwork that the humans made. One of his favorite pieces was a self-portrait they made of him.
Then he went on stating he found some artifacts of his own. Then he pulled out what he thought was a club for fighting. Though in truth, it really was a golf club.
It was then Galen saw the opportunity to inquire about the magnetic disc. Stating it looked like it had the same properties of the club. Though prefect Barlow didn't seem to believe so.
He believed the disc looked too new rather than carbon dated.
Back outside...
The three humans were able to successfully knock out a couple of the guards that were guarding the corral.
"Should we tie him?" Pete asks.
"No, he won't be moving for a long time." Alan assured him.
Then he gestured for them to get moving. But paused, as his gaze went over to Kristin.
"Kristin, you mind hanging back? We'll go in for the horses. Stay here, alert us if you see anyone coming." Alan instructed.
While she was reluctant to do so, she nodded.
"Fine, just be quick." She said.
They went in with some rope and started grabbing a few horses.
Back with Galen and Prefect Barlow...
"This isn't Central City you know. Our accommodations are simple. There is so much I would like to discuss with you I..." He trailed off when he heard a couple horses neighing in distress.
"What?" Galen asks.
"Shhh!" Prefect Barlow said.
Then he stood there and listened more closely.
Pete and Alan figured they were in the clear. They had the horses and were now exiting the corral. Then all of a sudden, several gorilla guards came bursting out of the bushes and surrounded them.
It happened so quickly, that Kristin didn't even see them. It was too late to warn the two men. The apes were already upon them with their rifles drawn and pointed at them.
At the same time, Galen and the Prefect came rushing over to see the commotion.
Galen was surprised to see his friends caught stealing the horses.
"Out here, both of you!" Barlow commanded.
The two men looked at each other, then exited the corral completely. That is when the gorilla guards surrounded them and started to bind their wrists.
"They are not from my village. I've never had this sort of trouble." Barlow stated.
Then it was like a light bulb went off in his mind.
"Of course, the two outlaws Tolar saw. Put them in the cage." He ordered the guards.
Galen eyed them with a worried expression as they walked by him.
Then a thought hit him.
'Where's Kristin!?' He thought and started to look around for signs of the young woman.
He didn't see she was still well hidden behind some dense foliage, watching the whole thing. She too was worried and now wondering what the hell they were going to do.
"Oh yes, there is a comfortable hut I'm sure will be suited for you." Barlow said, breaking Galen from his train of thought.
Barlow began to lead him down the road to one of the huts.
Kristin decided to follow from a safe distance to see where he was being taken. On the way, she passed another cart that had several various items on them. A lot of them were various types of cloth.
She quickly weeded through them and found a decent size one.
The young woman took the large olive-green colored cloth and draped it over her head and shoulders like a cloak. Then she held it shut in front of her and ducked her head down a little and proceeded to follow them that way.
Thankfully, she wasn't following them for very long. After about three minutes, they came to a stop at a nice size hut a little further down from the other homes on the left.
She watched as the prefect opened the door and led him inside.
A few more words were exchanged, and he gestured around the area while talking to Galen. This only lasted for about another minute. Before Prefect Parlow bid him goodnight and left.
Kristin waited until Barlow was out of sight. Then she crossed the dirt road, still keeping her identity hidden beneath the cloak, and found herself in front of the door.
Until Next Time ;)