Planet of the Apes
Feb. 6th, 2008 03:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
veiledndarknessTitle: In Thade We Trust – Chapter 6
Author: veiledndarkness
Warning: The usual disclaimer, not my property, just playing with the characters. Takes place shortly after the end of Planet of the Apes (2001).
Summary: In the darkest parts of the human mind lies the ability to be needlessly cruel and inhuman, a baser nature that separates us from the animals.
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 1
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 2
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 3
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 4
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 5
Leo trailed his fingers along the bars of his cage, humming under his breath as he did so. He yawned softly and tugged his blanket up a bit higher. Dr. Naira read through one of the many folders on his desk, a small frown on his face, his red marker in hand.
"Absolute nonsense," he muttered. He scribbled on the page before him, angry slashes of red decorating the bottom half of the sheet.
"Paperwork no matter who's runnin' the planet," Leo snorted, glancing at Dr. Naira.
"Thade, what I wouldn't give to shred the bulk of what I have to sign and read each day," Dr. Naira said, rolling his eyes. "I feel as though I spend the better part of my days shuffling paper."
"Guess you missed that part of the job description, huh?" Leo drawled.
Dr. Naira sniffed and put his marker down. "So it would seem," he said. "On that note, you're being transferred to my rooms today."
Leo blinked, his fingers stilling on one bar. "No cage, right?" he asked, needing to hear the assurances again.
"Mhm," Dr. Naira nodded. "Provided that you don't try and leave the rooms, then no, I won't have to cage you."
Leo sat up slowly, pulling his sore legs up to his chest. "You really expect me to just go along with this?" he asked wearily. "That I’ll accept the fact that I'm some lab rat now?"
Dr. Naira rested his head on the palm of one hand. "Is that your outburst for the day?" he asked.
"Fuck you," Leo spat without any heat behind his words.
"That's a very interesting choice of words," Dr. Naira mused, a calculating look in his eyes.
Leo stared at him in disbelief. "What? You guys don't swear around here?" he asked.
Dr. Naira clicked the top of his pen and scribbled something down on a piece of paper. "Tell me, what does that word mean anyway?"
"Are you kidding me?" Leo said, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "I...I heard that gorilla guard say 'damn' but you don't know what 'fuck' means?"
"Language like that is rarely heard," Dr. Naira said. "Though, I did hear my college roommate say 'shit' on occasion."
"Try lookin' in the poorer areas of your cities," Leo said, a small smile curving his lips. "Where I'm from, fuck isn't a word, it's a comma."
"So, you use this word to express anger or irritation?" Dr. Naira guessed.
Leo chuckled and nodded. "You could say that, yeah. When you're little, the adults call it a 'bad word', so I guess you could say that," he said.
Dr. Naira wrote fast, nodding. "This...This is what fascinates me," he said offhandedly. "You're so much more advanced than the workers."
Leo leaned his head against the bars. "Lucky me," he said dryly.
A knock on the door sounded then. "Enter," Dr. Naira said. Marcis pushed the door open and stood by Dr. Naira's desk, his eyes firmly fixed on the doctor.
"Marcis, we'll be moving the human to my quarters this morning," Dr. Naira said, standing then. He handed Marcis a piece of paper from one folder. "Take this list to the supply department. I've arranged for these items to be prepared for me. Have the items delivered to the main room, but do not unpack them. I want the small room set up, the restraints on the wall corners only. Understood?"
Marcis nodded promptly. "Yes Sir," he said.
"You are dismissed," Dr. Naira said. Marcis left the room, the list in his long fingers.
Dr. Naira adjusted his white lab coat and glanced at Leo. "The restraints are merely for show," he said, reading the look on Leo's face correctly.
Leo swallowed carefully over the lump in his throat. "I won't fight you," he whispered. "Just...don't lock me up?"
"I promised you that I wouldn't, Leo," Dr. Naira said. "That is, unless you give me a reason to."
Leo sighed and fiddled with his blanket. "Can I ask you something?"
Dr. Naira busied himself with taking certain files from the large gray cabinet near his desk. "Certainly," he said. "Though I can't promise you that you'll like the answer, I'm afraid."
Leo's lips quirked in an almost smile. "Yeah, you're probably right," he said. "What...What would happen if I did try and y'know...break out?"
Dr. Naira turned around hurriedly, staring at him. "Do not joke about that," he said sternly.
"I'm not planning on running outta here," Leo said, his stomach knotting up. "Would it be bad though?"
"Immediate death would be kind, but that's not what would happen," Dr. Naira said softly. "You'd be taken from my custody and from there...to put it bluntly, you'd find yourself wishing for death long before they let you die."
Leo clenched his teeth and nodded. "You really can't help me, can you?"
"No, and seeing as I have no wish to die a prolonged death, I won't attempt it either," Dr. Naira said.
"Right..." Leo mumbled into his blanket. Dr. Naira pulled a few more files out and closed the drawer, preparing what he would need for the transfer.
*
Marcis returned a short while later, two large gorillas at his sides. "Dr. Naira, Sir," he said when he entered the room. "Everything has been delivered."
"Good," Dr. Naira grunted. He looked over at Leo and nodded. "Stand," he said flatly.
Leo blinked, confused for a moment. He pushed himself up, hissing from the pain in his arms and legs. Marcis stepped over to the side, his eyes straight ahead. The two gorillas approached the cage, watching Leo warily.
"Restrain his wrists in front of him, no force is necessary," Dr. Naira said.
The first gorilla thumbed the latch open on the cage and pulled the doorway open, the metal screeching slightly as he lifted it. Leo winced, the blankets still around him protectively.
"Drop it," Dr. Naira said, regarding Leo with a blank face.
Leo clutched at the blanket, his eyes wide. Dr. Naira waited patiently for him to drop the blankets, an unspoken apology in his eyes. Leo stared at the floor and let the blanket fall, his cheeks burning with humiliation at having to stand naked in front of the others.
The second guard stepped closer and tugged Leo's arms in front of his stomach, holding them there while the other slapped the metal bracelet restraints on him. Leo growled when he felt the metal collar snap around his neck, a look of unease crossing the eyes of the guards.
"He's harmless, I assure you," Dr. Naira said, much boredom in his voice. "Shall we?"
The guards nudged Leo forward, making him stumble. He grunted and caught his footing, following Dr. Naira as they left the room. Leo spared his cage one last look, an odd urge to crawl back in coming over him. He sighed and continued to walk carefully, the tiled floor cold under his bare feet.
Leo lost count of the amount of times that they turned around corners, down different corridors and past large open rooms. He kept his eyes on the floor, willing his embarrassment away. 'You've been through shit much worse than this,' he thought bitterly.
Finally, they stopped at one large door; the plain door just like all the doors in the hallways had no locks. Dr. Naira swiped his pass card along the security box. The box beeped and he pushed the door open, Marcis and the guards following behind him, one guard dragging Leo inside as well.
Dr. Naira turned to the guards. "Leave, now," he said.
"But we need to secure it before we..." one protested.
Dr. Naira eyed the guard. "I don't care," he said coldly. "Leave us now."
"Yes Sir," they grunted and left in unison, the door closing with a muted thud.
Dr. Naira looked over at Marcis. "Escort him to the small room. Do not touch him, leave him be in there," he said. "Is this in any way unclear?"
Marcis shook his head. "No Sir," he said. He took a step towards Leo, a look of caution on his face. Leo bared his teeth at Marcis, pure loathing for him and the situation. He could feel it, the weight of awareness on him, nudging him every so often.
He could close his eyes and pretend this wasn't real, that he was delusional, anything but facing the fact that he was standing in the middle of the doctor's rooms, naked and surrounded by apes on a planet where humans meant nothing.
"S-Sir..." Marcis stuttered, completely unnerved by the malice in Leo's eyes.
Dr. Naira sighed crossly and walked over to Leo, undoing the metal restraints around his wrists. "Leave the collar on for now," he said. "Go with him," he added, nodding to Leo.
Leo bit back the urge to roll his eyes and bark. Marcis walked quickly to the hallway, leading him to a small room off to the side. Leo stood in the room, his eyes watching Marcis leave just as quickly.
Once he was gone, Leo let his gaze wander, taking the room in. It seemed more like a cell to him than anything else. A plain wooden bed stood in one corner, a small chest of drawers beside the night stand, along with a wicker container in the far corner. He sat down on the edge of the bed, resigned to the fact that the room had no windows. He thought longingly of the last time he'd been outside, when he'd crash-landed on the Thade Memorial. With a small shudder, he noticed the hooks in each corner of the room, his restraints if needed.
Dr. Naira came into the room a few minutes later. "There's some clothing in the drawers for you," he said.
"Thanks," Leo muttered. Dr. Naira walked over to him and knelt down, unclipping the metal collar, his long, coarse fingers rubbing over the red marks on Leo's neck.
Leo edged away from him, his chest hitching. "D-Don't," he breathed out.
"Easy, Boy," Dr. Naira chided him. "I have some creams for the marks; I'll bring it to you in a few minutes."
Leo nodded and looked away from him. Dr. Naira stood and pointed to the drawers. "Get dressed, Leo," he said firmly. "I'll be back soon, and we can discuss what'll be happening from now on."
Leo waited until Dr. Naira left the room before pulling the drawers open. He looked down at the dark blue sweatshirt and sweatpants in the drawer, grateful for the clothes. He dressed as quickly as his sore body would permit and then curled up on the bed, exhausted already by the day's events.
Dr. Naira returned after a few minutes, a ceramic container in one hand. He sat down on the bed. "Tilt your head," he murmured, unscrewing the lid carefully.
Leo did so, his eyes on the low ceiling. He bit back a grimace when he felt Naira's fingers smoothing the cream into his neck, uncomfortable with the feeling.
"Why do you make that face every time I touch you?" Dr. Naira asked. "If you're afraid that I have intentions of..."
"No!" Leo said, glaring at him. "It's not that, it's well...before I landed here, all the apes were rough with me, alright?"
Dr. Naira nodded slowly. "I apologize," he said. He offered him the container. "Here, finish your neck then."
Leo took it and did so, hissing under his breath. "So what are my rules then? Am I on display for the senator or Ari?" he asked.
"I only have a few outlines so far," Dr. Naira said. "Firstly, I think the obvious is that you are to not leave these rooms without myself at your side. However, if I send Marcis to get you, you will need to leave with him."
Leo snorted softly. "Uh huh," he said. "That chimp won't even look me in the eyes."
"Your little display when you first arrived ensured that the others won't stray too close to you," Dr. Naira said, somewhat amused by the memory.
"They were askin' for it," Leo protested. "And wouldn't you freak out if it was the other way around?"
"I imagine I would, yes," Dr. Naira said. Leo smiled thinly. "There you go," he said.
Dr. Naira shook his head. "Secondly," he continued. "No speaking in front of anyone, I cannot stress the importance of that enough."
Leo sighed and handed him the container. "Right," he said.
"Third, you're free to wander through the rooms if you'd like, but I want you to stay out of my filing cabinets, is that understood?" Dr. Naira asked, frowning.
"Sure," Leo said slowly, eyeing him. Dr. Naira screwed the lid back on the container. "That's all really," he said. "I'm not an evil scientist, Leo, although I expect my rules to be obeyed. Please don't force my hand with discipline."
Leo looked away from him. "I'm not some little kid, y'know," he said, deeply irritated. "It might mean nothing to you and all the rest of your kind out there, but I won't be treated like I'm some stupid fuckin' kid who doesn't know any better."
"Easy now, don't get overexcited," Dr. Naira said, taking a mental note of the way Leo had reacted to his own frustration. "I'll order the food for tonight. Rest for now."
Leo grunted and nodded, lying down on the bed. Dr. Naira stood and pulled the last drawer open from the dresser. He took a blanket from the drawer and unfolded it, draping it over Leo. "There," he murmured.
Leo tugged the blanket closer to his body, thoroughly warm for the first time in awhile.
*
Author: veiledndarkness
Warning: The usual disclaimer, not my property, just playing with the characters. Takes place shortly after the end of Planet of the Apes (2001).
Summary: In the darkest parts of the human mind lies the ability to be needlessly cruel and inhuman, a baser nature that separates us from the animals.
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 1
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 2
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 3
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 4
In Thade We Trust-Chapter 5
Leo trailed his fingers along the bars of his cage, humming under his breath as he did so. He yawned softly and tugged his blanket up a bit higher. Dr. Naira read through one of the many folders on his desk, a small frown on his face, his red marker in hand.
"Absolute nonsense," he muttered. He scribbled on the page before him, angry slashes of red decorating the bottom half of the sheet.
"Paperwork no matter who's runnin' the planet," Leo snorted, glancing at Dr. Naira.
"Thade, what I wouldn't give to shred the bulk of what I have to sign and read each day," Dr. Naira said, rolling his eyes. "I feel as though I spend the better part of my days shuffling paper."
"Guess you missed that part of the job description, huh?" Leo drawled.
Dr. Naira sniffed and put his marker down. "So it would seem," he said. "On that note, you're being transferred to my rooms today."
Leo blinked, his fingers stilling on one bar. "No cage, right?" he asked, needing to hear the assurances again.
"Mhm," Dr. Naira nodded. "Provided that you don't try and leave the rooms, then no, I won't have to cage you."
Leo sat up slowly, pulling his sore legs up to his chest. "You really expect me to just go along with this?" he asked wearily. "That I’ll accept the fact that I'm some lab rat now?"
Dr. Naira rested his head on the palm of one hand. "Is that your outburst for the day?" he asked.
"Fuck you," Leo spat without any heat behind his words.
"That's a very interesting choice of words," Dr. Naira mused, a calculating look in his eyes.
Leo stared at him in disbelief. "What? You guys don't swear around here?" he asked.
Dr. Naira clicked the top of his pen and scribbled something down on a piece of paper. "Tell me, what does that word mean anyway?"
"Are you kidding me?" Leo said, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "I...I heard that gorilla guard say 'damn' but you don't know what 'fuck' means?"
"Language like that is rarely heard," Dr. Naira said. "Though, I did hear my college roommate say 'shit' on occasion."
"Try lookin' in the poorer areas of your cities," Leo said, a small smile curving his lips. "Where I'm from, fuck isn't a word, it's a comma."
"So, you use this word to express anger or irritation?" Dr. Naira guessed.
Leo chuckled and nodded. "You could say that, yeah. When you're little, the adults call it a 'bad word', so I guess you could say that," he said.
Dr. Naira wrote fast, nodding. "This...This is what fascinates me," he said offhandedly. "You're so much more advanced than the workers."
Leo leaned his head against the bars. "Lucky me," he said dryly.
A knock on the door sounded then. "Enter," Dr. Naira said. Marcis pushed the door open and stood by Dr. Naira's desk, his eyes firmly fixed on the doctor.
"Marcis, we'll be moving the human to my quarters this morning," Dr. Naira said, standing then. He handed Marcis a piece of paper from one folder. "Take this list to the supply department. I've arranged for these items to be prepared for me. Have the items delivered to the main room, but do not unpack them. I want the small room set up, the restraints on the wall corners only. Understood?"
Marcis nodded promptly. "Yes Sir," he said.
"You are dismissed," Dr. Naira said. Marcis left the room, the list in his long fingers.
Dr. Naira adjusted his white lab coat and glanced at Leo. "The restraints are merely for show," he said, reading the look on Leo's face correctly.
Leo swallowed carefully over the lump in his throat. "I won't fight you," he whispered. "Just...don't lock me up?"
"I promised you that I wouldn't, Leo," Dr. Naira said. "That is, unless you give me a reason to."
Leo sighed and fiddled with his blanket. "Can I ask you something?"
Dr. Naira busied himself with taking certain files from the large gray cabinet near his desk. "Certainly," he said. "Though I can't promise you that you'll like the answer, I'm afraid."
Leo's lips quirked in an almost smile. "Yeah, you're probably right," he said. "What...What would happen if I did try and y'know...break out?"
Dr. Naira turned around hurriedly, staring at him. "Do not joke about that," he said sternly.
"I'm not planning on running outta here," Leo said, his stomach knotting up. "Would it be bad though?"
"Immediate death would be kind, but that's not what would happen," Dr. Naira said softly. "You'd be taken from my custody and from there...to put it bluntly, you'd find yourself wishing for death long before they let you die."
Leo clenched his teeth and nodded. "You really can't help me, can you?"
"No, and seeing as I have no wish to die a prolonged death, I won't attempt it either," Dr. Naira said.
"Right..." Leo mumbled into his blanket. Dr. Naira pulled a few more files out and closed the drawer, preparing what he would need for the transfer.
*
Marcis returned a short while later, two large gorillas at his sides. "Dr. Naira, Sir," he said when he entered the room. "Everything has been delivered."
"Good," Dr. Naira grunted. He looked over at Leo and nodded. "Stand," he said flatly.
Leo blinked, confused for a moment. He pushed himself up, hissing from the pain in his arms and legs. Marcis stepped over to the side, his eyes straight ahead. The two gorillas approached the cage, watching Leo warily.
"Restrain his wrists in front of him, no force is necessary," Dr. Naira said.
The first gorilla thumbed the latch open on the cage and pulled the doorway open, the metal screeching slightly as he lifted it. Leo winced, the blankets still around him protectively.
"Drop it," Dr. Naira said, regarding Leo with a blank face.
Leo clutched at the blanket, his eyes wide. Dr. Naira waited patiently for him to drop the blankets, an unspoken apology in his eyes. Leo stared at the floor and let the blanket fall, his cheeks burning with humiliation at having to stand naked in front of the others.
The second guard stepped closer and tugged Leo's arms in front of his stomach, holding them there while the other slapped the metal bracelet restraints on him. Leo growled when he felt the metal collar snap around his neck, a look of unease crossing the eyes of the guards.
"He's harmless, I assure you," Dr. Naira said, much boredom in his voice. "Shall we?"
The guards nudged Leo forward, making him stumble. He grunted and caught his footing, following Dr. Naira as they left the room. Leo spared his cage one last look, an odd urge to crawl back in coming over him. He sighed and continued to walk carefully, the tiled floor cold under his bare feet.
Leo lost count of the amount of times that they turned around corners, down different corridors and past large open rooms. He kept his eyes on the floor, willing his embarrassment away. 'You've been through shit much worse than this,' he thought bitterly.
Finally, they stopped at one large door; the plain door just like all the doors in the hallways had no locks. Dr. Naira swiped his pass card along the security box. The box beeped and he pushed the door open, Marcis and the guards following behind him, one guard dragging Leo inside as well.
Dr. Naira turned to the guards. "Leave, now," he said.
"But we need to secure it before we..." one protested.
Dr. Naira eyed the guard. "I don't care," he said coldly. "Leave us now."
"Yes Sir," they grunted and left in unison, the door closing with a muted thud.
Dr. Naira looked over at Marcis. "Escort him to the small room. Do not touch him, leave him be in there," he said. "Is this in any way unclear?"
Marcis shook his head. "No Sir," he said. He took a step towards Leo, a look of caution on his face. Leo bared his teeth at Marcis, pure loathing for him and the situation. He could feel it, the weight of awareness on him, nudging him every so often.
He could close his eyes and pretend this wasn't real, that he was delusional, anything but facing the fact that he was standing in the middle of the doctor's rooms, naked and surrounded by apes on a planet where humans meant nothing.
"S-Sir..." Marcis stuttered, completely unnerved by the malice in Leo's eyes.
Dr. Naira sighed crossly and walked over to Leo, undoing the metal restraints around his wrists. "Leave the collar on for now," he said. "Go with him," he added, nodding to Leo.
Leo bit back the urge to roll his eyes and bark. Marcis walked quickly to the hallway, leading him to a small room off to the side. Leo stood in the room, his eyes watching Marcis leave just as quickly.
Once he was gone, Leo let his gaze wander, taking the room in. It seemed more like a cell to him than anything else. A plain wooden bed stood in one corner, a small chest of drawers beside the night stand, along with a wicker container in the far corner. He sat down on the edge of the bed, resigned to the fact that the room had no windows. He thought longingly of the last time he'd been outside, when he'd crash-landed on the Thade Memorial. With a small shudder, he noticed the hooks in each corner of the room, his restraints if needed.
Dr. Naira came into the room a few minutes later. "There's some clothing in the drawers for you," he said.
"Thanks," Leo muttered. Dr. Naira walked over to him and knelt down, unclipping the metal collar, his long, coarse fingers rubbing over the red marks on Leo's neck.
Leo edged away from him, his chest hitching. "D-Don't," he breathed out.
"Easy, Boy," Dr. Naira chided him. "I have some creams for the marks; I'll bring it to you in a few minutes."
Leo nodded and looked away from him. Dr. Naira stood and pointed to the drawers. "Get dressed, Leo," he said firmly. "I'll be back soon, and we can discuss what'll be happening from now on."
Leo waited until Dr. Naira left the room before pulling the drawers open. He looked down at the dark blue sweatshirt and sweatpants in the drawer, grateful for the clothes. He dressed as quickly as his sore body would permit and then curled up on the bed, exhausted already by the day's events.
Dr. Naira returned after a few minutes, a ceramic container in one hand. He sat down on the bed. "Tilt your head," he murmured, unscrewing the lid carefully.
Leo did so, his eyes on the low ceiling. He bit back a grimace when he felt Naira's fingers smoothing the cream into his neck, uncomfortable with the feeling.
"Why do you make that face every time I touch you?" Dr. Naira asked. "If you're afraid that I have intentions of..."
"No!" Leo said, glaring at him. "It's not that, it's well...before I landed here, all the apes were rough with me, alright?"
Dr. Naira nodded slowly. "I apologize," he said. He offered him the container. "Here, finish your neck then."
Leo took it and did so, hissing under his breath. "So what are my rules then? Am I on display for the senator or Ari?" he asked.
"I only have a few outlines so far," Dr. Naira said. "Firstly, I think the obvious is that you are to not leave these rooms without myself at your side. However, if I send Marcis to get you, you will need to leave with him."
Leo snorted softly. "Uh huh," he said. "That chimp won't even look me in the eyes."
"Your little display when you first arrived ensured that the others won't stray too close to you," Dr. Naira said, somewhat amused by the memory.
"They were askin' for it," Leo protested. "And wouldn't you freak out if it was the other way around?"
"I imagine I would, yes," Dr. Naira said. Leo smiled thinly. "There you go," he said.
Dr. Naira shook his head. "Secondly," he continued. "No speaking in front of anyone, I cannot stress the importance of that enough."
Leo sighed and handed him the container. "Right," he said.
"Third, you're free to wander through the rooms if you'd like, but I want you to stay out of my filing cabinets, is that understood?" Dr. Naira asked, frowning.
"Sure," Leo said slowly, eyeing him. Dr. Naira screwed the lid back on the container. "That's all really," he said. "I'm not an evil scientist, Leo, although I expect my rules to be obeyed. Please don't force my hand with discipline."
Leo looked away from him. "I'm not some little kid, y'know," he said, deeply irritated. "It might mean nothing to you and all the rest of your kind out there, but I won't be treated like I'm some stupid fuckin' kid who doesn't know any better."
"Easy now, don't get overexcited," Dr. Naira said, taking a mental note of the way Leo had reacted to his own frustration. "I'll order the food for tonight. Rest for now."
Leo grunted and nodded, lying down on the bed. Dr. Naira stood and pulled the last drawer open from the dresser. He took a blanket from the drawer and unfolded it, draping it over Leo. "There," he murmured.
Leo tugged the blanket closer to his body, thoroughly warm for the first time in awhile.
*
