In Thade We Trust
Jul. 5th, 2010 08:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
veiledndarknessTitle: In Thade We Trust 17/?
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.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
XX
Calder pushed past the chimps crowding the hall, shoving at any who dared to pause near him. “Keep your paws off me!” he snarled, moving away from the security apes. “So help you all!”
“Senator said to escort you, that’s what we’ll do, Sir.”
Calder sneered at him and stomped ahead of the pair. “The day where that ridiculous fool has gone too far is here at last.” He swiped his card at his residence door, ignoring the footsteps behind him.
With hardly a glance, he stalked over to his desk and grabbed at the neatly stacked papers and folders, his shaking hands betraying him. He took in an unsteady breath, nearly dizzy with the force of his fury. That Sandar should dare to do this to him…to side with his disgusting daughter and…and the likes of that human…He wouldn’t abide by it.
He swallowed over the sour lump in his throat. It was unacceptable. He swallowed again, taking another shallow breath. “Unacceptable,” he whispered aloud. He wiped a hand over his mouth and smiled. He snuck a glance at the two guards, one finger curving under the edge of his desk.
The drawer to his left popped open, a metal shape coming into view as the drawer opened. Calder lifted the illumination stick, palming it, absorbing the weight and feel of it in his fingers. He smiled wider, hefting it up over his head and bringing it down over the head of the nearest guard, the element of surprise on his side.
"I will not allow you to outsmart me," he murmured, smiling as he pocketed the illumination stick. "No, that won't be allowed...Leo."
X
“There, right there,” Naira nodded to the metal fence that they were fast approaching.
The metal was a faded, dull gray, the tight mesh links woven from one side of the tunnel to the other. Rust crept along the bottom of the fence. It creaked, groaning in the faint wind that drifted through the tunnel.
Leo looked over his shoulder. “Those footsteps, they’re gettin’ closer, Doc.”
“I’m aware,” Naira stepped up to the fence. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, eyeing the sides of the fence. “This is not protected, there’s no alarm, no sensory even on it. That’s peculiar.”
“Is it possible no one was ever expected to make it this far?” Ari grasped the strap of her bag, fidgeting with the material. Their escape was taking far too long, she fretted, biting at her bottom lip.
Leo pushed at the fence with his shoulder, listening to it creak and groan under the weight. “Yeah, I’d sure say it wasn’t likely for any humans to get into a tunnel like this and live long enough to pass by. It’s not even locked. Jesus…”
Ari looked at him blankly and then at the fence. “If the three of us push hard enough…”
“Yeah, that oughta do it,” Leo shoved at the fence with both hands, rattling it.
“Damn it, open up,” he growled.
Naira rubbed his palms together briskly and shoved as well. The fence bowed more under the pressure and as Ari added her weight to it, the three of them pushing as hard as they could, the rusted hinges began to give. With a shout, Leo thrust his body into the fence, the hinges on one side snapping and popping out of joint. The fence fell forward with a short shriek, sagging to one side.
"That'll do it," Leo panted, grinning.
"There's something to be said for doing things the old fashioned way," Naira mused, flexing his sore fingers. "Though I shudder to think of the bacteria that's probably covering this entire fence."
"Worse things to worry about," Leo wiped his own grimy hands on the legs on his sweat pants. He nodded to Ari and grinned crookedly at her. "You're sure about your source?"
Ari nodded, smoothing her hands over the knees of her pants. “I have no fear that he will let us down, Leo. I’ve worked with him along with the others for many years.”
“And proven himself to be dangerously risky in his attempts to rescue humans,” Naira said under his breath. “He’s a menace.”
Ari sniffed and turned her head, dismissing his words. “Your capacity for jealousy after all this time is rather pathetic, Naira.”
“His intentions were less than honourable,” Naira hissed, glaring at her. “You encouraged him!”
“How dare you!” Ari reeled back, shooting him a nasty glare as well.
“Look, unless he’s that prick Calder or…or…fucking Thade himself, I don’t care who he did or didn’t do, understood?” Leo pushed between them. “Where’s the door leading out of here?”
Ari swallowed, her eyes gleaming with angry tears for a brief moment. “It’s up around the next bend. He’ll be outside with our vehicle. Come,” she moved away from both, striding fast down the tunnel.
Leo rubbed a hand over his hair. “I recommend you don’t piss her off again.”
Naira pursed his lips, shaking his head. “She’s far too strong willed and determined to not see this through. Go on, we must hurry.
“Y’ know, sometimes it’s better to think before you speak, eh, Doc?”
“Oh be quiet, Leo.”
X
They might kill him, but then again, perhaps they’d let him live long enough to beg for mercy. Oh Thade, please…Riva felt his knees knock as he was marched down the hallway of the facility, accompanied by two absolutely enormous gorilla guards. He shuddered, each footstep bringing him closer to the last place he wanted to be.
He cringed. Well, truly the last place he’d want to be was before Calder, facing the wrath of the chimp that could have him murdered or worse with little effort. He took a shallow breath, fighting back his fear, Senator Sandar’s office before him.
The door swooshed open and Riva felt the ball of tension in his stomach tighten. The Senator sat at the large desk deep inside the room, his fingers tapping a steady beat on the fine wood. He nodded to the gorillas, dismissing them silently.
Riva stood in front of the desk, his fingers curling and twisting over each other at his sides. “Sir, I…”
“You needn’t fear me, I am not Dr. Calder, nor will I ever be,” Sandar smiled benignly at him.
“I…I…” Riva took a deep breath, the words caught in his throat. “Sir, I uncuffed Leo! Uh…the uh…human, that is.”
Sandar nodded slowly. “That I am aware of, Riva. I assure you, I will not have you punished for your actions. In fact, I believe that if my daughter was here, you would be thanked.”
Riva quirked his head, the knot of tension in his stomach unravelling a little, “…Thank you..?” he said cautiously.
“Ari has left the premises. Dr. Naira is with her. I have every reason to believe that they are with Leo right now. Riva, I need to know if you have any idea where they might be.”
Riva stared at him, his mouth agape. “I…I have no idea…”
Sandar drummed his fingers more, seemingly calm still. “Riva, this is most serious. Ari’s life is in danger, as is Naira’s and Leo’s.”
“They are?” Riva whispered. “I, Sir, I understand that the human is dangerous,
b-but…he isn’t armed, I doubt he poses a risk to our kind.”
“He is in danger, immediate danger. There are far too many who fear Leo for what he is, for simply being a human that cannot be tamed as the ones we keep in this building.” Sandar sat back in his chair and sighed, long and heavy. “I was one of those, a chimp with such power, such control, and yet…and yet my daughter is on the run with a human and her…well, with Dr. Naira. I fear that I will lose her.”
Riva wet his lips nervously. “Sir, I believe that…if Ari was to flee, she wouldn’t go out the doors.”
Sandar smiled. “That is my belief as well. Ari is my child; my only and I will not see her fall at the hands of those like Calder. Riva, would you be so kind as to show me where she would have gone?”
X
Weak sunshine met the trio as they emerged from the tunnel, the last of the day's sunshine fading behind the trees in the distance. Leo looked back once at the tunnel door, watching it shut. He hunched his shoulders, fighting a shudder. He half expected to feel the arms of the guards, dragging him back into his own personal hell.
Ari took a few cautious steps forward and looked about. She nodded to Leo, eyes wide and wary. "No matter what happens, stay at my side, Leo. Koza will protect us."
Naira rolled his eyes behind Ari. "And get himself shot in the process."
"Koza stands for what I believe in. It's a pity you can't say the same, Naira!"
Naira merely took his glasses off and polished them with the corner of his long coat. "A pity or a spot of brilliance, it's a fine line, really."
"Well, well, Naira, it's been so very long since we last spoke. My, you have aged, haven't you? Too much time in the labs and not enough outdoors I think," Koza leaned against the nearest tree, smirking at them and shaking his head, his messy hair hanging in disarray around his shoulders. He was dressed in shabby clothes, looking every bit a human hippie, Leo noted, snickering silently.
"Not all of us can make our livings by blowing things up and inspiring anarchy," Naira spoke in clipped tones, replacing his glasses with a great air of dignity. "Let's dispense with the personal digs and focus on getting Leo to safety, shall we?"
Koza made a deep bow and nodded. "Of course...Doctor, Ari, I have our vehicle waiting. And you...ah, the human, Leo, was it?"
Leo eyed him. He knew a smartass when he saw one, chimp or human. "Yeah..."
"Pleased to meet the human that's caused such a stir. Now, let's get moving. We're bound to have some company in little more than a few minutes." Koza put his arm around Ari's shoulders, leaning his head in close to whisper to her as they walked, oblivious to the matching glares behind him.
X
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.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
XX
Calder pushed past the chimps crowding the hall, shoving at any who dared to pause near him. “Keep your paws off me!” he snarled, moving away from the security apes. “So help you all!”
“Senator said to escort you, that’s what we’ll do, Sir.”
Calder sneered at him and stomped ahead of the pair. “The day where that ridiculous fool has gone too far is here at last.” He swiped his card at his residence door, ignoring the footsteps behind him.
With hardly a glance, he stalked over to his desk and grabbed at the neatly stacked papers and folders, his shaking hands betraying him. He took in an unsteady breath, nearly dizzy with the force of his fury. That Sandar should dare to do this to him…to side with his disgusting daughter and…and the likes of that human…He wouldn’t abide by it.
He swallowed over the sour lump in his throat. It was unacceptable. He swallowed again, taking another shallow breath. “Unacceptable,” he whispered aloud. He wiped a hand over his mouth and smiled. He snuck a glance at the two guards, one finger curving under the edge of his desk.
The drawer to his left popped open, a metal shape coming into view as the drawer opened. Calder lifted the illumination stick, palming it, absorbing the weight and feel of it in his fingers. He smiled wider, hefting it up over his head and bringing it down over the head of the nearest guard, the element of surprise on his side.
"I will not allow you to outsmart me," he murmured, smiling as he pocketed the illumination stick. "No, that won't be allowed...Leo."
X
“There, right there,” Naira nodded to the metal fence that they were fast approaching.
The metal was a faded, dull gray, the tight mesh links woven from one side of the tunnel to the other. Rust crept along the bottom of the fence. It creaked, groaning in the faint wind that drifted through the tunnel.
Leo looked over his shoulder. “Those footsteps, they’re gettin’ closer, Doc.”
“I’m aware,” Naira stepped up to the fence. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, eyeing the sides of the fence. “This is not protected, there’s no alarm, no sensory even on it. That’s peculiar.”
“Is it possible no one was ever expected to make it this far?” Ari grasped the strap of her bag, fidgeting with the material. Their escape was taking far too long, she fretted, biting at her bottom lip.
Leo pushed at the fence with his shoulder, listening to it creak and groan under the weight. “Yeah, I’d sure say it wasn’t likely for any humans to get into a tunnel like this and live long enough to pass by. It’s not even locked. Jesus…”
Ari looked at him blankly and then at the fence. “If the three of us push hard enough…”
“Yeah, that oughta do it,” Leo shoved at the fence with both hands, rattling it.
“Damn it, open up,” he growled.
Naira rubbed his palms together briskly and shoved as well. The fence bowed more under the pressure and as Ari added her weight to it, the three of them pushing as hard as they could, the rusted hinges began to give. With a shout, Leo thrust his body into the fence, the hinges on one side snapping and popping out of joint. The fence fell forward with a short shriek, sagging to one side.
"That'll do it," Leo panted, grinning.
"There's something to be said for doing things the old fashioned way," Naira mused, flexing his sore fingers. "Though I shudder to think of the bacteria that's probably covering this entire fence."
"Worse things to worry about," Leo wiped his own grimy hands on the legs on his sweat pants. He nodded to Ari and grinned crookedly at her. "You're sure about your source?"
Ari nodded, smoothing her hands over the knees of her pants. “I have no fear that he will let us down, Leo. I’ve worked with him along with the others for many years.”
“And proven himself to be dangerously risky in his attempts to rescue humans,” Naira said under his breath. “He’s a menace.”
Ari sniffed and turned her head, dismissing his words. “Your capacity for jealousy after all this time is rather pathetic, Naira.”
“His intentions were less than honourable,” Naira hissed, glaring at her. “You encouraged him!”
“How dare you!” Ari reeled back, shooting him a nasty glare as well.
“Look, unless he’s that prick Calder or…or…fucking Thade himself, I don’t care who he did or didn’t do, understood?” Leo pushed between them. “Where’s the door leading out of here?”
Ari swallowed, her eyes gleaming with angry tears for a brief moment. “It’s up around the next bend. He’ll be outside with our vehicle. Come,” she moved away from both, striding fast down the tunnel.
Leo rubbed a hand over his hair. “I recommend you don’t piss her off again.”
Naira pursed his lips, shaking his head. “She’s far too strong willed and determined to not see this through. Go on, we must hurry.
“Y’ know, sometimes it’s better to think before you speak, eh, Doc?”
“Oh be quiet, Leo.”
X
They might kill him, but then again, perhaps they’d let him live long enough to beg for mercy. Oh Thade, please…Riva felt his knees knock as he was marched down the hallway of the facility, accompanied by two absolutely enormous gorilla guards. He shuddered, each footstep bringing him closer to the last place he wanted to be.
He cringed. Well, truly the last place he’d want to be was before Calder, facing the wrath of the chimp that could have him murdered or worse with little effort. He took a shallow breath, fighting back his fear, Senator Sandar’s office before him.
The door swooshed open and Riva felt the ball of tension in his stomach tighten. The Senator sat at the large desk deep inside the room, his fingers tapping a steady beat on the fine wood. He nodded to the gorillas, dismissing them silently.
Riva stood in front of the desk, his fingers curling and twisting over each other at his sides. “Sir, I…”
“You needn’t fear me, I am not Dr. Calder, nor will I ever be,” Sandar smiled benignly at him.
“I…I…” Riva took a deep breath, the words caught in his throat. “Sir, I uncuffed Leo! Uh…the uh…human, that is.”
Sandar nodded slowly. “That I am aware of, Riva. I assure you, I will not have you punished for your actions. In fact, I believe that if my daughter was here, you would be thanked.”
Riva quirked his head, the knot of tension in his stomach unravelling a little, “…Thank you..?” he said cautiously.
“Ari has left the premises. Dr. Naira is with her. I have every reason to believe that they are with Leo right now. Riva, I need to know if you have any idea where they might be.”
Riva stared at him, his mouth agape. “I…I have no idea…”
Sandar drummed his fingers more, seemingly calm still. “Riva, this is most serious. Ari’s life is in danger, as is Naira’s and Leo’s.”
“They are?” Riva whispered. “I, Sir, I understand that the human is dangerous,
b-but…he isn’t armed, I doubt he poses a risk to our kind.”
“He is in danger, immediate danger. There are far too many who fear Leo for what he is, for simply being a human that cannot be tamed as the ones we keep in this building.” Sandar sat back in his chair and sighed, long and heavy. “I was one of those, a chimp with such power, such control, and yet…and yet my daughter is on the run with a human and her…well, with Dr. Naira. I fear that I will lose her.”
Riva wet his lips nervously. “Sir, I believe that…if Ari was to flee, she wouldn’t go out the doors.”
Sandar smiled. “That is my belief as well. Ari is my child; my only and I will not see her fall at the hands of those like Calder. Riva, would you be so kind as to show me where she would have gone?”
X
Weak sunshine met the trio as they emerged from the tunnel, the last of the day's sunshine fading behind the trees in the distance. Leo looked back once at the tunnel door, watching it shut. He hunched his shoulders, fighting a shudder. He half expected to feel the arms of the guards, dragging him back into his own personal hell.
Ari took a few cautious steps forward and looked about. She nodded to Leo, eyes wide and wary. "No matter what happens, stay at my side, Leo. Koza will protect us."
Naira rolled his eyes behind Ari. "And get himself shot in the process."
"Koza stands for what I believe in. It's a pity you can't say the same, Naira!"
Naira merely took his glasses off and polished them with the corner of his long coat. "A pity or a spot of brilliance, it's a fine line, really."
"Well, well, Naira, it's been so very long since we last spoke. My, you have aged, haven't you? Too much time in the labs and not enough outdoors I think," Koza leaned against the nearest tree, smirking at them and shaking his head, his messy hair hanging in disarray around his shoulders. He was dressed in shabby clothes, looking every bit a human hippie, Leo noted, snickering silently.
"Not all of us can make our livings by blowing things up and inspiring anarchy," Naira spoke in clipped tones, replacing his glasses with a great air of dignity. "Let's dispense with the personal digs and focus on getting Leo to safety, shall we?"
Koza made a deep bow and nodded. "Of course...Doctor, Ari, I have our vehicle waiting. And you...ah, the human, Leo, was it?"
Leo eyed him. He knew a smartass when he saw one, chimp or human. "Yeah..."
"Pleased to meet the human that's caused such a stir. Now, let's get moving. We're bound to have some company in little more than a few minutes." Koza put his arm around Ari's shoulders, leaning his head in close to whisper to her as they walked, oblivious to the matching glares behind him.
X
