Hi, everyone.
I am so, so sorry this chapter took me so long to publish. In truth, I've been stressed beyond belief and writing became almost impossible. A lot of bad things have happened lately. I'm concerned for the future. Mentally, I was on edge for a good two months.
But I have not abandoned this story and have no plans to leave it unresolved. For those who still care enough to read, I thank you and I hope you enjoy.
"Living together is an art."-
William Pickens
Act 1 Chapter 10- The Work Continues
Loss was a part of living. As a traveler of multiple lifetimes, Caesar was a firsthand witness to tragedy. The unexpected sweep of fortune that had the power to take away with a snap of its cruel fingers.
He'd witnessed the times when that same fortune swung in the other direction. What had occurred at the Eagle Clan village was nothing short of a miracle. Noa's tiny settlement had transformed from a ransacked, pillaged hovel to a thriving community in the span of less than a moon cycle.
Of course, that didn't mean problems hadn't arisen as a result. And those problems usually fell on his shoulders to solve.
"Caesar?"
He heard Dar's voice as he stood atop the rebuilt tower. The sun was shining its yellow embrace over the land, tickling the tops of the trees in a majestic afternoon light. Ape younglings played and wrestled each other while the older children paid rapt attention to Raka, who pointed a stick at a series of letters and numbers written in chalk on a large rock, a loyal Trevethan by his side assisting. It reminded the chimpanzee of happier times. Of course, the mind required the body to stay focused on the present.
"It is time for the Council meeting."
Yes, it was. There was much to do and no time to waste. Caesar took in a breath of fresh air filled with the hint of summer and followed Dar to their mutual destination. A series of extended ladders led to the top of the watchtower where a draped animal skin provided a thin barrier between the wise and their constituents.
When Caesar brushed aside the flap, the rest of the elders stood up and bowed in deference. He wanted to wave such trivial rituals aside, but recognized the need for it. Apes, if nothing else, were a superstitious bunch.
"Lord Caesar-"
"Just Caesar, please. And nothing more."
He accepted that apes gravitated towards the strongest branch. He accepted his position of power. He would not accept anything beyond that.
"Yes, Caesar." The nearest chimp, a male by the name of Naz, obeyed without question. He gestured towards the empty seat closest to the makeshift fire pit, which was taken.
"This meeting of the Council of Elders has now begun," Naz announced.
The meeting itself went smoothly. Nothing out of the ordinary to report or note. Caesar presided over the conversations which tended to cover a standard number of topics: the gathering of food, personal disputes, education of the young, marriages, and so on and so forth. Having lived in the village for a grand total of a month, he preferred to let those with expertise do most of the talking. If someone desired his blessing, it was most often given. Except in one key area.
"We have increased patrols near the forbidden valley," an elderly male ape named Ezra said, pointing a stick beyond the treeline to the south. "There have been…no reported enemies."
"It has been…some time now. We can assume there is…no threat to the village from the followers of Proximus," said Malacai, the youngest male member.
"But what about the echoes?" another piped up. "What if Proximus is right? There could be more…like Mae carrying those terrible…weapons." The last word was in sign language.
"There is nothing to fear from the echoes. That female was nothing more than an odd branch hanging from a tree," said a middle aged male. "We must look…to our own."
"Our village…has increased by three fold since we returned home. Things are…crowded. Perhaps-"
Caesar rose to voice his own counsel. An immediate hush fell over the other members in acknowledgment of supreme authority.
"Patrolling the borders is not enough. We must push beyond and explore new land."
This declaration brought a mix of apprehension, curiosity, and fear amongst the council. By the conflict clashing in their eyes, some held contrary opinions but wished to hide them to avoid conflicting with their leader. Others were not as inhibited and dared to ask questions.
"The forbidden valley has been…off limits for many years," said an elderly male named Ezra. "There is no need to go into an unknown area if there is no danger."
"There will always be danger," Caesar countered. "To ignore it would be a mistake."
None of the apes present were aware of the personal hardships suffered in a prior life. They'd experienced a mere taste of human capability, not the full power of it.
"But what if-"
"'If' is not a reason to do nothing," Caesar said ever more passionately. "Eagle Clan was almost destroyed by Proximus. We must be…prepared for anything."
"Do you mean apes…or humans?"
The question came from Andrew. An ape of about forty years, (young by Elder standards) around the same age as Caesar, the question seemed innocuous, but Caesar knew better than to mistake that kind of query as wisdom.
"An enemy can be an ape or a human. That is why we must look beyond our borders." Caesar mirrored Talia's gesture of pointing south. "Expand."
"Expand?"
"Yes. Explore more territory. Find other apes. Make alliances." He emphasized the last point as a matter of self preservation and possibility. Humans may have fallen by their own hand. If this planet truly belonged to apes, they could not make the same mistake. "Allow former slaves of Proximus…to build a new life."
"Such a goal will take…time. Lots of time," said Ezra.
"It is necessary," Caesar said, becoming a bit more authoritative. "And this will allow our younger clan members a chance to prove themselves."
"I agree." Dar spoke for the first time. The opinion came from a respected member and one of three females on a twelve member council dominated by squabbling males. Her support was welcome.
"We have seen what happens…when we are left defenseless. That must not happen again."
He gave a nod of approval and the dissenting members, no matter how small their qualms might be, refrained from any further comment.
Three hundred years later, Caesar's word was still law.
"Do you have anyone in mind to lead the scouting missions?" Malacai asked.
"I do. Noa would be an excellent choice."
There were no murmurs or nervous glances this time. The Elders thought highly of the young age, as did Caesar.
"Agreed," Naz said, raising a hand. "All in favor?"
Every member raised their hand, even Ezra and Andrew. Unanimity was almost a guaranteed outcome when Caesar pushed hard enough, but the consensus satisfied his conscience all the same.
"Council has ended."
As the other ten Elders flipped past the flap, Caesar stayed behind. From the vantage point of this part of the tower, he could see Noa down below, tending to the eagles with Anaya and Soona. Having just been made Master of Birds, he'd thrown himself into the job with gusto.
"Thank you."
Dar too, had stayed behind and was one of the few who treated him as an ape instead of a god. When she talked, he listened.
"For what?"
"For your trust and…faith in my son. He has been through…so much in a short time."
Caesar's mouth ticked upwards just a little. Genuine smiles were much harder to muster than in his prior life.
"Noa has earned this gift."
"It is more," Dar insisted with the passion and temerity of a mother. "The loss of his father…and his innocence…has changed him. He looks to you."
The older female had a way of using words that few others could match. Cornelia shared the same trait. But language spoken aloud penetrated the heart the way sign language did not.
"He is a promising young ape," Caesar said. "So much skill…and so much heart. Someday, he will be the leader of this clan."
"Indeed. For now, that responsibility falls…on your shoulders." Sympathy glistened in Dar's eyes. "Noa is lucky to have a wise leader. As we…all are."
She did not know that he'd lost a son in a prior life and that the interest taken in hers was in due part to the uncanny resemblance to Blue Eyes. She did not need to know. As far as anyone was concerned, this Caesar was a different one from Raka's. They just shared a name.
Stretching his neck out atop the mount overlooking the village, he caught another glimpse of Noa. This time, the two apes briefly locked eyes.
He would do right by this clan. He would make the most of a second chance.
"Important…mission," Anaya hooted as he strapped supplies to the saddle of his horse. "I like this new village already."
Noa rolled his eyes at his friend's swell of newfound purpose, but couldn't resist a smile at the playful jostling.
"Cheer up. You are…Master of Birds now. Big leader in the clan."
Soona, the more sensitive of the three, soothed the ego of her future partner, stroking his fur and placing a hand on his cheek.
"Noa knows how to keep…his ego in check. Unlike someone…"
"Anaya knows how to take a joke…unlike someone."
Noa had to laugh. His best friends were just too much sometimes. But their dynamic, however chaotic and unpredictable it could be, was a treasure he would never trade.
"Are you ready?" Soona asked him as he hooked a sachet of water next to his bag.
To do his duty? Always. For what was to come? Hardly. A week spent among the denizens and depths of Proximus' Kingdom proved to be a harsh teacher. But a necessary one.
"I will do whatever Caesar asks me to do. For the good of the clan."
"Yes, but…how do you feel?"
Soona often asked this potent question whenever she knew he was internally conflicted. She had that knack for reading him where others could not (except, perhaps, for his own mother).
"So much has changed. I am not sure…what comes next."
"Sometimes….change is good."
A soft hand settled against his cheek. She looked into his eyes with great affection, blooming into something delicate and beautiful. He found such delight in that gaze more often since arriving home.
"Change can be…unpredictable."
Soona moved to plant a kiss on his cheek when a flying piece of fruit sailed past them.
"Anaya!"
Laughter hooted from a mix of children and Anaya, who's immaturity fit right in with the rapscallions half his age.
"What? It was them!" He pointed a finger at the children in accusation, who blew their tongues in response.
"Was not!"
"Liar!"
"It was his idea!"
Noa shook his head while Soona giggled. There was never a dull moment.
"Shouldn't you be in lessons…with Raka?"
"Raka said we were done for the day!"
"Yeah!" a female youngling said. "There are so many of us, Raka has to do four lessons a day!"
"I'm sure he has something else for you to do."
The message was unmistakable and though the children scattered in all directions, Noa tossed them a stray apple with a wink and a laugh.
"Thanks Noa!"
There were so many children in the village now. More than any one of them could count. And the village consisted of more than just chimps, but various bonobos, gorillas, and even a handful of orangutans, the most notable of which was Raka. But the sheer amount of upheaval Eagle Clan had witnessed since their return from captivity occurred on a scale too large to grasp all at once.
"Anaya," Soona admonished once the last of the younglings cleared off.
"What? You were taking…too long."
"Are you finished?"
Noa's question contained a hint teasing, but also a sense of urgency that their mission was the primary concern. A delay would be irresponsible.
"Noa."
"What?"
Anaya pointed upwards and when Noa saw his remark was not a trick. Dressed in fresh garments, the kind that humans wore to keep warm from cold weather, Mae stood on top of a sloping, grassy hill at the edge of the bordering forest. Unlike their first meeting, she had a horse this time and far from looking vulnerable, carried herself upright with a sense of purpose.
"Should we…tell her to leave?"
Soona and Anaya looked to Noa for a final ruling. Their feelings towards Mae were a river of ambivalence. The same person who'd helped them had also deceived them. Humans, previously considered a mere nuisance, had become a potential threat.
Noa internalized these feelings, having wrestled them ever since she left. Instincts told him that she wasn't welcome. His heart wanted to speak to her, though what Mae wanted was anyone's guess.
"Wait for me…I will handle this."
Forgoing any sort of greeting, he gestured for them to talk in private behind a large stone. Turning around the bend, a bit of Mae's impervious wall cracked and so did his own coolness towards her.
"I came to say goodbye and to…apologize."
There was a great deal of effort forced behind that last word. So much so that Noa wondered if that effort stemmed from sincerity or lack of it. He chose to play dumb.
"What for?"
"For lying." Mae swallowed before continuing. "About my intentions. And putting you in danger. But-"
But. That one word had the power to change an entire conversation. For if one used the word 'but' in the middle of an apology, chances are that person did not feel sorry at all.
"But you have to understand, everything I did was for my people. Just as you would do for yours."
Noa studied her for a moment. Traces of cuts and a small bruise served as brutal reminders of what she had endured. Her chin was raised in an effort to look bigger. One hand dangled against her left hip…the other was partially obscured by her light blue shawl.
"Is that what you truly believe?"
Mae's sky blue eyes never broke contact from his green ones.
"It's about survival."
"Do not lie…again. You want more than just to survive. You want humans…to dominate."
"I don't-" Mae stopped and pressed her lips into a line. Whether this stoppage of speech was confirmation or denial, Noa failed to discern. Both possibilities made his stomach feel queasy.
Letting out a breath through her nose, she resumed.
"I want humans to thrive the way we did before."
"Does that mean we go back into cages? Back to silence?" He didn't give her a chance to reply. The indignation ran far too hot. "We will rebuild. Better. Stronger than before. From what we have learned."
Noa began to regret entertaining this audience. Mae's avoidance of answers, or lack of them, just added to the belief that she only cared about human interests. Her eyes retreated to the ground before becoming wet and pleading.
"Noa I'm- I don't see you like that. You're not like the others…you're-"
"What?"
The sharpness of the question induced the slightest flinch in Mae before she responded.
"-different," she finished. A soft hand found his own and took it in a gentle grasp. Noa's eyes widened. "I care about you. You're…important."
Noa closed his eyes. He wanted to lean in and embrace the touch. Just like that one cold night amidst the dreadful company of Proximus' soldiers. No hatred, no thinking, no thought to their differences. Just two beings who could just…be.
His hand slipped out of hers.
"You see me as important. Not apes."
Hurt stung those soft, baby blues, which in a rare instance of vulnerability, hardened into ice cold daggers of betrayal. She took one step back and then another.
"Proximus was right about one thing." Mae's voice sounded as sharp as a blade knife. "Humans are capable. Capable of so much more than you could ever dream of."
A gust of wind fluttered against the shawl, revealing the hidden right hand…and the gun inside of it.
"We're going to rebuild too. And then you'll see just how powerful we really are."
For all the emotion stewing inside of Mae, Noa saw something beyond the maelstrom of hate. Inside the implicit threat, was a being lost in the struggle for their own purpose. Someone who'd lost too much. Instead of replying with anger, Noa asked her a simple question.
"If that is so…where does that leave apes?"
Tears welled inside of her eyes. One trickled down her left cheek.
"I don't know," she whispered.
It was the first wholly honest answer she'd given. So he asked a second question.
"Who is right? Caesar or Proximus?"
This time, Mae responded with silence. Not to hide the truth, but because she did not know what that was.
"I'm sorry," was all she said. And this time, he really felt the pain and intent behind the apology.
"I'm sorry, too."
The weight of their final departure crashed down in a shower of unresolved feelings and sparkling tears. Noa wished he hadn't let go of her hand. He wished she wasn't human. He wished he could feel anything other than the pain of witnessing Mae cry.
"I should go," she said, wiping her eyes.
"Wait."
He snapped off the necklace Raka forged for him upon return to the village, the symbol of Caesar. He offered the trinket to her.
Mae hesitated and Noa wondered whether or not she would accept the gift. Perhaps out of hope for reconciliation between species, the belief in Caesar's message, or pure sentimentality, she decided to open her palm and take it. He couldn't be sure of the true reason. But she did.
Mae clutched the medallion close to her chest before turning heel and rejoining her horse. Noa watched her ride away until the shadows of neighboring forest swallowed them both.
From on high, Caesar saw her.
Noa was wise to hide Mae from the rest of the village. The attitude of the widely expanded Eagle Clan ranged from trepidation to underlying hostility towards humans. Every ape in that blasted kingdom saw her kill Proximus with one shot of a pistol. Right or wrong, none of them would ever forget that bloody sight.
A human freed them from a tyrant. And they fear her.
Irony never passed up a chance to laugh at humans or apes. Yet Caesar felt a greater sense of urgency as he saw her ride off into the thicket of the forest. He could not hate humans; neither could he trust them. Proximus, for all his evil, had been right on a couple of things. Intelligent humans were still out there and if Mae's beliefs and vague proclamations were anything to go by, they pointed to a greater conflict in the future.
Was peace a lie? Was the dream of good relations between humans and apes just a naive fantasy that belonged to the realm of children?
"Caesar."
The warm voice of Raka soothed the anxiety pulsing through his chest. He let out a tense breath and embraced his friend in a bear hug.
"Raka. How are the lessons?"
"Wonderful," the orangutan beamed. "Though there are…many to teach, I find it all the more rewarding."
"I wish the responsibility did not fully fall on you."
"Trevathan helps." Raka uttered a booming laugh. "He is…more knowledgeable than I. Without him, I could not hope to manage such a brood."
"And the rest of the villagers…do not seek to harm him?"
Raka waved a massive paw in assurance.
"No one sees Trevathan as a threat. He follows…all rules. He is friendly to the young ones. Many see him as one of the family."
Caesar chuckled, though he was also relieved.
"I have been worried about that. There are many apes who hated Proximus. Some who still believe his words. It is…difficult to handle."
As usual, legitimate concerns were met with blind faith by the monk. No matter how impartial or wise he might be, Raka believed in every decision he made.
"You've handled such matters…well. Uniting this village with the followers of Proximus is no small task."
"It goes beyond uniting apes, Raka," Caesar said. "It is something far more…important."
Raka, one of the few people to understand the true nature of the ape in front of him. He nodded in empathy.
"You speak of…your past?"
"It seems no matter where I go, I am the reason why apes and humans fight."
He allowed himself a brief echo in time to stop being leader and just be Caesar. The little chimpanzee raised by Will Rodman. The husband of Cornelia. The father of Blue Eyes and Cornelius. Peace. Love. Happiness. Such wonderful things just out of reach.
"That is a terrible burden," Raka acknowledged in solemn support. "One I…cannot comprehend."
"I tried to make peace once and failed." Caesar gave another long look into the beautiful distance, where the tip of the sun tickled the tops of the trees. Where beyond the borders of tranquility lay the storm of the unknown. "Fate has given me another chance at hope. But I don't know if I can do it again."
Raka walked forward until the two were level with each other taking in the same scenic view.
"If there is to be…peace between human and ape, much will depend on Noa and Mae. Those two have a link…a bond-" he signed the word as he said it. "They are the bridge to understanding."
Caesar dared not allow himself a sliver of that hope that had been crushed so long ago. Was the idea of harmony between the two species worth reviving? Or just a fool's errand?
"Perhaps…perhaps not."
Raka clamped a giant paw on his back (Caesar winced from his still bruised ribs), and smiled like the sun.
"Have faith, my friend. Faith in a better future…our work continues."
Hope could be foolish, but smiles were priceless. Caesar did allow himself that much. He breathed in the clean air and exhaled.
"Can you tell me the story of Cornelius…my friend?"
Through the wild winds and rolling, yellow hills of what was once New Mexico, a woman on horseback trekked the dusty plain. Not a creature stirred for miles. She was a lone star in a vast sea of empty space.
She'd been traveling for the better part of three days. The horse, a male named Copper for the tint of his coat, trotted along the grasslands without complaint, being the impressive stallion. The road had been difficult, particularly in the parched deserts of Arizona where food and water had been scarce. Still she pushed forward knowing the final destination of her journey, the fruit of her labor, was about to be rewarded.
Over the final hill and past a random assortment of large rocks sat an otherwise unremarkable concrete bunker. To the average eye, such a place might have been another abandoned government building or outpost. A rusty scar smack dab in the middle of no man's land. To Mae, it was the heart of human civilization. The last chance they had at returning to lost glory.
"Whoa…easy, boy."
She slowed Copper and stroked his fur, rewarding him with the last apple inside of her pack. There was no need to ride him any further. He'd done enough.
Mae walked the rest of the way up to the bunker, knowing that someone would be there to greet her in a matter of minutes. The fact it still existed at all stemmed from human ingenuity and sheer force of will. Of course, she wouldn't be able to enter now. Being around apes for as long as she had, the risk of spreading the virus was too high. Even with natural immunity.
But I can save my people all the same.
The door to the bunker swung open with a creak, not unlike that of a ship, the echoes of its age were evident to hear. A testament to just how long they'd been living underground. Generations upon generations suffered and died for this intel.
They're about to be rewarded.
A slender woman with a moon shaped face and dark eyes stepped out. She wore a dark green hazmat suit from head to toe. Not a single millimeter of skin was exposed.
"Mae."
"Korina."
The short, no-nonsense greeting failed to mask the flicker of excitement interlaced between the two names. For Mae's very breath provided proof that the mission- so long in its odds- succeeded.
Mae reached into her satchel, rummaging through a jumble of items collected during her adventure and found the one that mattered above all else: the satellite key. She handed it over to Korina's outstretched hand.
"You're the only one left."
She forced back down a massive lump in her throat. Korina's comment was not designed to be cruel or a question. It drove a knife into her heart all the same.
"Against all odds, I succeeded."
"And because you did, we have a chance. The best chance we've had in centuries."
Mae refocused her sorrow on that one singular triumph. They could contact others like them. The broken satellites had a limited range, but if human settlements still existed across the former United States, this would be the first step in reaching them…and building a coalition to take back what had been stolen.
"There's something else."
Korina shifted a brow upwards, eager to ingest the intel.
"What is it?"
"There's this ape I encountered on my travels. I think he could be a problem."
Korina nodded. "Proximus will be taken care of."
"It's not Proximus. This one's far smarter. And dangerous."
Korina tilted her head, concern piqued.
"Who?"
"His name is Caesar."
And Act 1 is complete! Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed so far.
Now comes the more disappointing news: I'm still in the planning stages of Act 2. I do not think I'll be able to update this story until spring of next year. Possibly summer. BUT, it is not going anywhere. I want to make sure I write something compelling that doesn't solely rely on suspension of disbelief.
I am also open to certain suggestions if anyone would like to DM me on my instagram 'thewaspwrites', here on this site, or a comment on A03. Please be respectful, however.
That's all for now, and be on the lookout for Act 2 in March or April! Rock on!
-TheWasp