Planet of the Apes
Title: In Thade We Trust - Chapter 10
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.
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xx
Leo awoke in a foul mood the next morning, his limbs slow and sluggish to respond as he dragged himself from the bed. He rested his head to his knees, picking at the blue fabric of his sweatpants. The door opened and Naira stepped inside, a mug carefully cradled in his hands.
"Good morning," he said. "I'm willing to bet that you're in need of this." He set the mug down on the bedside table, unnecessarily straightening the edges of the table for something to do.
Leo turned his head to the side. "Get out," he said flatly.
"Leo, really now, I know you're upset with me," Naira started to say, his mouth pursed in disapproval.
"Upset?" Leo spat. "Upset? Fuckin' upset?!"
"Language, please, there's no need to be so caustic this early in the morning."
Leo laughed bitterly and buried his face in his arms. "No...No need at all. Get out, Naira; I can't handle you right now."
Dr. Naira sighed and rubbed his wrinkled forehead. "I'm trying to apologize, Leo," he said. "I know it was wrong of me to restrain you, but I felt you were over the line in your reaction."
"You don't have any idea what this is like, you cold bastard," Leo muttered. "Just...leave me alone, damn it!"
"Leo, if you insist on acting like a child, then I'll have to punish you accordingly," Naira said. "Now drink this, it will help with the pain in your arms."
Leo hunched his shoulders. He didn't want anything. He wanted to scream, to rip the room apart, to break and sob like a frightened child and beg for something, anything but this life. "No..."
"I know you're feeling the aftereffects of the sedation," Naira said. He lifted the mug and pushed it closer to Leo. "Please...I'm worried about you."
Leo grabbed the mug, the liquid sloshing over the edge and splashing on his hand. "No need to fret, I'll perform for you," he snarled.
He gulped the warm mixture down, the taste of honey making his eyes water for a mere second. His grandmother, she'd always added a dash of honey to his medicine. Leo dropped the mug on the table and curled up, blinking fast.
Naira sighed. "Thank you," he said. "Would you like something to read? If you want, you can join me in the living quarters."
"No," Leo stared at the opposite wall. "Just leave me alone. Come get me when you need me for your 'tests'."
Naira lifted the mug and left the room silently. Leo closed his eyes as the lethargic feeling left his body, his mild headache clearing. He tugged at his thin blanket, willing his eyes to stop stinging.
xx
Naira’s pen scratched along his notebook, the blue ink smudging along his paw as he jotted down a series of numbers and codes. His eyes darted from the computer printouts to the notebook before him.
“Traversable wormholes….traveling the mouth…light years to the future,” he mumbled, his forehead wrinkled in deep concentration.
He scowled when his door opened. “This had better be important,” he huffed.
Ari slid into his rooms, her short hair hanging in disarray about her face. She held a faded, dusty folder to her chest, her arms clutching it protectively. “Naira…I got it.”
“I see that,” he said. He stepped away from his desk. “You were supposed to call first. And why then do you look like the devil is after you?”
Ari shrugged and sighed, a guilty look to her face. “I might’ve tripped an alarm or two,” she said. She held the folder out for him, her fingers shaking.
“Ari! You mean to tell me that…”
She nodded. “It seems my father was aware of the importance of those files,” she said. “No, he doesn’t realize that the folder is gone, I was able to bluff my way out of being caught this time.”
Naira took the folder, grimacing at the dust that coated his fingertips. “Thade, Ari, these must’ve been locked up for some time,” he wiped his fingers fussily with his hanker chief and set the folder down on his desk.
Ari sat on the chair by his desk, smoothing her hair back neatly. “It seems that he was more concerned by my sudden interest in the general files. I believe that he’s afraid of what I might find in them.”
Naira nodded and opened the folder, the dust particles making his nose twitch. He ran his thumb over the top page, the original ink old and somewhat illegible. “So this pertains to ‘Calima’?”
Ari winced and pointed to the top sheet. “Yes,” she murmured. “I found these files some time ago. I skimmed through them. It…Naira, please, you mustn’t ever mention this to anyone else. Calima…”
Naira read through the papers quickly, his eyes widening as he did so. “Sacred grounds?!”
Ari’s long fingers played with one of the pens on the desk. “Yes…”
Naira continued to read, his heart pounding harder. “Ari…This is…this is phenomenal! This…”
“Is what I was afraid of,” Ari said in a small voice.
“Afraid? Ari, this is what we needed!” Naira stood up, a new light in his eyes. “Calima, scared grounds, forbidden grounds and Leo knows of them!”
Ari peered up at him. “How could he know about this?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “But this could help us to explain so much, explain how the worlds could be so alike.”
“But…what does it mean?” she pressed, rubbing her finger over the pen. “And how could Leo possibly know the meaning of it.”
Naira opened his mouth to speak, both of them started by Leo when he appeared in the doorway. Leo folded his arms over his chest. “I know more than you think,” he said.
Naira set the folder down on the desk. “Leo, I didn’t see you there. Are you feeling up to eating?” he asked.
Leo ignored him and walked over to the desk. He picked up a pen and wrote out three words. He underlined each one and pointed to the paper. “Calima,” he said blankly.
Caution Live Animals, the paper read.
Naira stared at the paper and then at Leo. “It’s…this is what it means?”
Leo nodded silently. Ari leaned forward, her breath caught in her throat. “Leo…Leo, where did you see this?”
Leo sighed and rubbed his hand along his head. “It wasn’t here; it was wherever I landed when my ship came down.”
“Landed?” Ari touched his lower arm, causing Leo to flinch back. “Oh…I’m sorry, please, Leo, I won’t hurt you.”
Leo nodded and sat down on Naira’s chair. “I’m guessin’ he told you everything already. I landed on that damned world. The sacred grounds were called Calima. It was the Oberon station when it crashed. It went through the wormhole and somehow got there way before me. The sign on it faded and that’s what they read, what was left of the writing,” he glanced at Naira and then away.
Ari tapped her fingers thoughtfully. “Naira…This may sound odd, but I think…I think Leo’s right.”
Naira turned and stared at her. “Ari, do you realize what you’re saying?!”
“Just consider this,” she said. “Leo is certain that this is his earth, his world, right?”
Leo nodded warily. “Yeah…that’s right,” he said.
“And he knows of something that our kind is never to have known about, yes?”
Naira pursed his lips and nodded. “Yes,” he agreed. “But to imply…that our world…”
“If those sacred grounds were here, then Leo would be correct,” Ari said.
Leo touched the file folder. “Is the site listed?” he asked.
Naira nodded. “I need to read further into this first to be sure.”
“So…if we could find the lands, find proof of Leo’s ship, then the world he landed on is ours…his…one in the same,” Ari sat back in her chair.
“Ari, it’s not so simple, it can’t possibly be that simple,” Naira said.
“I landed on the Lincoln Memorial,” Leo spoke slowly, his voice uneven. He caught Ari’s confused look and added, “Thade Memorial. I saw everything that was my world until the cops came at me, only they weren’t humans. This…I don’t know, I don’t understand how it happened.”
“Another dimension,” Naira cut in. “One that mimics his world, one that exists in the same time as his own. This could be our world and his, just different versions.”
“Or, you could just believe me for one fucking moment that wormholes exist and that Thade got here before me!” Leo snapped. “The site wouldn’t be here cause that wasn’t Earth! This is! This is Earth! Calima, the info on the site, the information that told Thade how to do all this, that damned chimp brought the info with him, ok?!”
“Leo!” Naira pointed at him. “I will not tolerate this behavior!”
Leo growled softly, his eyes narrowed in fury. “Just fuckin’ shoot me up again, Doc,” he stood, pushing the chair back hard. “Go on, drug me, fucking lock me up!”
Ari stepped between them, frightened despite her braveness. “Leo…Naira, please, this isn’t helping anything!” she said sternly. She touched Leo’s arm carefully, getting his attention. “You must calm down, Leo. We want to help you, I swear this. Your life, the life of every human, it means the world to me. We will help you.”
“Bullshit,” Leo muttered. He turned away and leaned against the wall, sliding down until he reached the ground. He rested his head to his knees, watching the two of them.
Naira sighed wearily. “I’m afraid now is not really a good time, Ari. I need to escort Leo to my testing rooms.”
A look of fury flashed in Leo’s eyes before fading away, a carefully crafted blank look on his face in place of it. Ari frowned and glanced at Leo. “Are you sure that’s wise, Naira?” she asked quietly. “Leo does not seem to be in the right mood.”
Naira stepped away from her. “His disposition doesn’t matter during the testing,” he said.
“Naira!” Ari’s mouth hung open. “How can you say that?”
Leo stood up, his eyes on the floor. “Get it over with already,” he said, holding his arms out.
Naira slipped the restraining cuffs on him, his mouth drawn in a tight frown. “I have no choice as of now. He needs to go down for a few hours. You may visit him then,” he said.
Ari turned away, unable to watch Naira place the collar around Leo’s neck. She covered her mouth with her fingers, sickened by the thought of it. “Take that off of him!”
“I can’t,” Naira shot back. “Don’t ask that of me, you know better.”
“Naira…Please, this is beyond cruel,” Ari turned and faced him, a glossy sheen to her eyes. “He has the cuff restraints, he doesn’t need a collar.”
Leo dragged his gaze over to her. He smiled faintly at her. “Hey…don’t cry, Ari,” he said. “I’m fine, honest. It hardly hurts, it’s just tight, and that’s all.”
Naira clipped the bolt in the collar. He rested his hand on Leo’s head for a moment before stepping away from him. He gathered the file folder and tucked it into his filing cabinet. He locked it securely and placed the key into his pocket.
“Come Leo,” he gestured to him. “Ari, I’ll speak to you tonight.”
She breathed out, calming herself. “Naira, this is not over, we have much to discuss.”
Naira pressed the button on the panel beside the door. “I understand. Leo, now please, we’re running late as it is.”
Leo followed behind him, the look on Ari’s face worrying him as he walked.
xx
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
xx
Leo awoke in a foul mood the next morning, his limbs slow and sluggish to respond as he dragged himself from the bed. He rested his head to his knees, picking at the blue fabric of his sweatpants. The door opened and Naira stepped inside, a mug carefully cradled in his hands.
"Good morning," he said. "I'm willing to bet that you're in need of this." He set the mug down on the bedside table, unnecessarily straightening the edges of the table for something to do.
Leo turned his head to the side. "Get out," he said flatly.
"Leo, really now, I know you're upset with me," Naira started to say, his mouth pursed in disapproval.
"Upset?" Leo spat. "Upset? Fuckin' upset?!"
"Language, please, there's no need to be so caustic this early in the morning."
Leo laughed bitterly and buried his face in his arms. "No...No need at all. Get out, Naira; I can't handle you right now."
Dr. Naira sighed and rubbed his wrinkled forehead. "I'm trying to apologize, Leo," he said. "I know it was wrong of me to restrain you, but I felt you were over the line in your reaction."
"You don't have any idea what this is like, you cold bastard," Leo muttered. "Just...leave me alone, damn it!"
"Leo, if you insist on acting like a child, then I'll have to punish you accordingly," Naira said. "Now drink this, it will help with the pain in your arms."
Leo hunched his shoulders. He didn't want anything. He wanted to scream, to rip the room apart, to break and sob like a frightened child and beg for something, anything but this life. "No..."
"I know you're feeling the aftereffects of the sedation," Naira said. He lifted the mug and pushed it closer to Leo. "Please...I'm worried about you."
Leo grabbed the mug, the liquid sloshing over the edge and splashing on his hand. "No need to fret, I'll perform for you," he snarled.
He gulped the warm mixture down, the taste of honey making his eyes water for a mere second. His grandmother, she'd always added a dash of honey to his medicine. Leo dropped the mug on the table and curled up, blinking fast.
Naira sighed. "Thank you," he said. "Would you like something to read? If you want, you can join me in the living quarters."
"No," Leo stared at the opposite wall. "Just leave me alone. Come get me when you need me for your 'tests'."
Naira lifted the mug and left the room silently. Leo closed his eyes as the lethargic feeling left his body, his mild headache clearing. He tugged at his thin blanket, willing his eyes to stop stinging.
xx
Naira’s pen scratched along his notebook, the blue ink smudging along his paw as he jotted down a series of numbers and codes. His eyes darted from the computer printouts to the notebook before him.
“Traversable wormholes….traveling the mouth…light years to the future,” he mumbled, his forehead wrinkled in deep concentration.
He scowled when his door opened. “This had better be important,” he huffed.
Ari slid into his rooms, her short hair hanging in disarray about her face. She held a faded, dusty folder to her chest, her arms clutching it protectively. “Naira…I got it.”
“I see that,” he said. He stepped away from his desk. “You were supposed to call first. And why then do you look like the devil is after you?”
Ari shrugged and sighed, a guilty look to her face. “I might’ve tripped an alarm or two,” she said. She held the folder out for him, her fingers shaking.
“Ari! You mean to tell me that…”
She nodded. “It seems my father was aware of the importance of those files,” she said. “No, he doesn’t realize that the folder is gone, I was able to bluff my way out of being caught this time.”
Naira took the folder, grimacing at the dust that coated his fingertips. “Thade, Ari, these must’ve been locked up for some time,” he wiped his fingers fussily with his hanker chief and set the folder down on his desk.
Ari sat on the chair by his desk, smoothing her hair back neatly. “It seems that he was more concerned by my sudden interest in the general files. I believe that he’s afraid of what I might find in them.”
Naira nodded and opened the folder, the dust particles making his nose twitch. He ran his thumb over the top page, the original ink old and somewhat illegible. “So this pertains to ‘Calima’?”
Ari winced and pointed to the top sheet. “Yes,” she murmured. “I found these files some time ago. I skimmed through them. It…Naira, please, you mustn’t ever mention this to anyone else. Calima…”
Naira read through the papers quickly, his eyes widening as he did so. “Sacred grounds?!”
Ari’s long fingers played with one of the pens on the desk. “Yes…”
Naira continued to read, his heart pounding harder. “Ari…This is…this is phenomenal! This…”
“Is what I was afraid of,” Ari said in a small voice.
“Afraid? Ari, this is what we needed!” Naira stood up, a new light in his eyes. “Calima, scared grounds, forbidden grounds and Leo knows of them!”
Ari peered up at him. “How could he know about this?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “But this could help us to explain so much, explain how the worlds could be so alike.”
“But…what does it mean?” she pressed, rubbing her finger over the pen. “And how could Leo possibly know the meaning of it.”
Naira opened his mouth to speak, both of them started by Leo when he appeared in the doorway. Leo folded his arms over his chest. “I know more than you think,” he said.
Naira set the folder down on the desk. “Leo, I didn’t see you there. Are you feeling up to eating?” he asked.
Leo ignored him and walked over to the desk. He picked up a pen and wrote out three words. He underlined each one and pointed to the paper. “Calima,” he said blankly.
Caution Live Animals, the paper read.
Naira stared at the paper and then at Leo. “It’s…this is what it means?”
Leo nodded silently. Ari leaned forward, her breath caught in her throat. “Leo…Leo, where did you see this?”
Leo sighed and rubbed his hand along his head. “It wasn’t here; it was wherever I landed when my ship came down.”
“Landed?” Ari touched his lower arm, causing Leo to flinch back. “Oh…I’m sorry, please, Leo, I won’t hurt you.”
Leo nodded and sat down on Naira’s chair. “I’m guessin’ he told you everything already. I landed on that damned world. The sacred grounds were called Calima. It was the Oberon station when it crashed. It went through the wormhole and somehow got there way before me. The sign on it faded and that’s what they read, what was left of the writing,” he glanced at Naira and then away.
Ari tapped her fingers thoughtfully. “Naira…This may sound odd, but I think…I think Leo’s right.”
Naira turned and stared at her. “Ari, do you realize what you’re saying?!”
“Just consider this,” she said. “Leo is certain that this is his earth, his world, right?”
Leo nodded warily. “Yeah…that’s right,” he said.
“And he knows of something that our kind is never to have known about, yes?”
Naira pursed his lips and nodded. “Yes,” he agreed. “But to imply…that our world…”
“If those sacred grounds were here, then Leo would be correct,” Ari said.
Leo touched the file folder. “Is the site listed?” he asked.
Naira nodded. “I need to read further into this first to be sure.”
“So…if we could find the lands, find proof of Leo’s ship, then the world he landed on is ours…his…one in the same,” Ari sat back in her chair.
“Ari, it’s not so simple, it can’t possibly be that simple,” Naira said.
“I landed on the Lincoln Memorial,” Leo spoke slowly, his voice uneven. He caught Ari’s confused look and added, “Thade Memorial. I saw everything that was my world until the cops came at me, only they weren’t humans. This…I don’t know, I don’t understand how it happened.”
“Another dimension,” Naira cut in. “One that mimics his world, one that exists in the same time as his own. This could be our world and his, just different versions.”
“Or, you could just believe me for one fucking moment that wormholes exist and that Thade got here before me!” Leo snapped. “The site wouldn’t be here cause that wasn’t Earth! This is! This is Earth! Calima, the info on the site, the information that told Thade how to do all this, that damned chimp brought the info with him, ok?!”
“Leo!” Naira pointed at him. “I will not tolerate this behavior!”
Leo growled softly, his eyes narrowed in fury. “Just fuckin’ shoot me up again, Doc,” he stood, pushing the chair back hard. “Go on, drug me, fucking lock me up!”
Ari stepped between them, frightened despite her braveness. “Leo…Naira, please, this isn’t helping anything!” she said sternly. She touched Leo’s arm carefully, getting his attention. “You must calm down, Leo. We want to help you, I swear this. Your life, the life of every human, it means the world to me. We will help you.”
“Bullshit,” Leo muttered. He turned away and leaned against the wall, sliding down until he reached the ground. He rested his head to his knees, watching the two of them.
Naira sighed wearily. “I’m afraid now is not really a good time, Ari. I need to escort Leo to my testing rooms.”
A look of fury flashed in Leo’s eyes before fading away, a carefully crafted blank look on his face in place of it. Ari frowned and glanced at Leo. “Are you sure that’s wise, Naira?” she asked quietly. “Leo does not seem to be in the right mood.”
Naira stepped away from her. “His disposition doesn’t matter during the testing,” he said.
“Naira!” Ari’s mouth hung open. “How can you say that?”
Leo stood up, his eyes on the floor. “Get it over with already,” he said, holding his arms out.
Naira slipped the restraining cuffs on him, his mouth drawn in a tight frown. “I have no choice as of now. He needs to go down for a few hours. You may visit him then,” he said.
Ari turned away, unable to watch Naira place the collar around Leo’s neck. She covered her mouth with her fingers, sickened by the thought of it. “Take that off of him!”
“I can’t,” Naira shot back. “Don’t ask that of me, you know better.”
“Naira…Please, this is beyond cruel,” Ari turned and faced him, a glossy sheen to her eyes. “He has the cuff restraints, he doesn’t need a collar.”
Leo dragged his gaze over to her. He smiled faintly at her. “Hey…don’t cry, Ari,” he said. “I’m fine, honest. It hardly hurts, it’s just tight, and that’s all.”
Naira clipped the bolt in the collar. He rested his hand on Leo’s head for a moment before stepping away from him. He gathered the file folder and tucked it into his filing cabinet. He locked it securely and placed the key into his pocket.
“Come Leo,” he gestured to him. “Ari, I’ll speak to you tonight.”
She breathed out, calming herself. “Naira, this is not over, we have much to discuss.”
Naira pressed the button on the panel beside the door. “I understand. Leo, now please, we’re running late as it is.”
Leo followed behind him, the look on Ari’s face worrying him as he walked.
xx