Apes Chapter 30

 

30.

 Lances stood behind a tall figure to listen in on the Colonel who had just arrived at the hall. He was accompanied by the team of Enforcers. Other enforcers were deployed in the gathered and to the sides. Doctor Lanceston was standing up there displaying him for the first time. Even in the City, he was never brought to the public on his presence. He felt uncomfortable then.

Lances shuddered when he saw the Doctor. He could not do anything then for he was alone. The others have separated to avoid detection.

“Damn!” Bernice saw the Doctor then and muttered a curse. She looked for Lances but he was not seen. Juanico was a distance nearby but she did not move there to avoid attention. She looked to the front and saw the Colonel was to begin his speech.

“For years, we have lived in the City and now forced to seek refuge here. I know many of you are unhappy with the move but we are forced to be here. We have the reason pinned on the servants. These servants served us well but they revolted recently. We do not know why but we will soon be.”

“I have with me the man who created the treatment to tame and control the servants.” The Colonel motioned to the Doctor. It drew gasps of surprise and then some heckled at the Doctor.

“Bastard!” One shouted out. The Enforcers among the gathered

“Stand down, please.” The Colonel took over the attention. “Doctor Lanceston here had given us services rendered beyond our needs. The servants served us well but of late, they have revolted.”

“Why? I asked Doctor Lanceston that question.” The Colonel looked at the Doctor.

“They were…” Doctor Lanceston was held back by the Enforcer while the Colonel spoke on.

“He did it.” The accusation was then echoed by others stifling the Colonel’s voice to be heard. The Colonel held up his arms to stop the heckling. He also motioned to the Enforcers to remove the Doctor to be sent back to the Lab. He then got the gathered to quiet down before he was to speak.

“They were re-programmed? Or did they revert to their natural behavior?” The Colonel looked at the gathered. “We won’t know until Doctor Lanceston solved the mystery.”

“Why do you believe in him He may be the one creating the mayhem.” Another voice of protest sounded out. It was working to the Colonel’s favor.

“We won’t know but we are doing our best to restore the servants’ programming. Who else but the Doctor will know but he won’t be alone? He will be assisted by others who will watch his works.”

The gathered roared into cheers.

“But we cannot wait for that alone. The City needs us. I am calling for us to return to the City. As we stand here now others are defending it.” The Colonel made his speech known. “You have questions on the move. I will reply to them now. If we don’t go back now, we may stand to lose everything. The Dark Ones are poised to destroy the City. That we know from our intel that they will detonate the explosives to avoid the City being overrun.”

That was a lie but the Colonel wanted to see the reaction from the gathered. A voice sounded out the denial.

“I don’t believe you, Colonel.” It was one of the inhabitants.

“And you do not for you are a member of the Dark Ones. Seize him.” The Colonel called out the command. The Enforcers grabbed the one who did the denial. He also denied being a Dark One's member.

“I am not. I am a part of the City.”

“Silence him.” The man was dragged out from the Hall. The Colonel then looked at the others. There was silence among them. He sensed the uneasiness with his action, but he was protected then by the Enforcers. He was to continued when his officer leaned over to whisper into this ear. He nodded and then looked at the gathered.

“I was not wrong when I said the Dark Ones are here with us. I have all of you under surveillance in the Dome. I got vids on all of you.” Lances heard that remark and knew he had to leave.

“I know how many of you are here. I know who you meet and where you go.” Bernice stepped to her right and found her way blocked by an Enforcer.

“No one is not known to me. You are free to move but never unseen by me.” Juanico felt the presence of someone behind her. It was an instinct brought in from experience.

“What I don’t see is why must you hide from me? I can see all of you.” The Colonel smiled. “Step forth, Officer Lances, Officer Bernice, and Officer. And one other.”

The three were singled out and it was then the Colonel claimed them.

“Officer Lances and Bernice are related to Doctor Lanceston. Perhaps they are here to rescue the man.” That last remark drew some of the gathered to convene on them. Fists and kicks were rained on the two officers.

“Stop….” The Colonel called out meekly but he did not stop the mob. The enforcers stood by and left them to be beaten. Lances held up his defense but he was outnumbered. He was kicked and punched before the Colonel finally called out the stop. It was then the Enforcers stepped in. By then, both Lance and Bernice were bruised but no fatal injuries were incurred.

“Enforcers, bring them forth.” The Colonel gave the command. The three captives were brought to the Colonel. “Dismiss that one. She is not needed here.”

Juanico was removed and the Colonel then addressed the two Lanceston kin.

“Nice of you to show up.” The Colonel looked at them. “You will be remanded here while we proceed to recover the City. Try nothing silly for the guards are under orders to terminate if necessary.”

“Terminate them!” They gathered there roared.

“And take back our City.” Colonel add-in. For a moment there was silence and then the gathered echoed those words.

Lances found himself remanded in the cell with Bernice and Juanico. He was bruised but have no broken bones. He checked on Bernice who had none too.

“The bastard planned it all. He knew we were there.” Bernice cursed. “I will kill him next.”

“We will but now we got to get out.” Lances looked at the cell. It was a small one and reinforced with a metal doorway. He saw the vid over them on the corner. They were watched by the guards.

“Colonel, you are only assigning two guards to stay back? Would that be …” Anderson looked at the Colonel.

“I can’t spare any more. I need every available Enforcer on the battle to retake the City.” The Colonel looked at the aide. “Assign one on the Doctor. He is to continue his works. The other monitored the Dome. For the prisoners, let them rot there.”

“I want the gathered fully armed. Or at least with a weapon. We are going to fight.”

“We don’t have that many weapons.” The aide told him there were four hundred sixty-three of them. “Not all of them are …. fighting fit.”

“Isolate the infirm and old. Take them outside and shoot them or leave them to the servants. I cannot have them be a burden.” The Colonel gave the command.

“The remaining Senate?”

“Placed them in their hall and leave them be. They can’t do much.”

“I can’t do that, Colonel. She is my mother.” Anderson protested.

“Fine, then stay back here with them. Now leave me.” The Colonel dismissed the aide. Anderson went from there to the hall where the last two Empresses were held. He met his mother there and reported to her.

“The Colonel is re-taking the City. He is mad.” Anderson told his mother. “He is taking the weapons to arm the people. They are not trained for this task. He may be sending them to their deaths.”

“He may be but he knew that if the City falls, he cannot bear with it.” Lady Cleop replied. “He was not hasty when he came here. He needed a new army and this place held the only available armory. I may know why he wants to go back. He intends to detonate the explosives himself if need be. It will be his victory if he cannot take the City.”

“Explosives? The Colonel was right. He was not…”

“No, son The Colonel is Dark One's leader.” Lady Cleop then looked to her son.

“He had been plotting with the Senate on matching chaos to control the City. He knew where the detonator. He may not do so first. He will signal the Dark Ones to the Senate Tower. It will be their last stand.”

“And you won’t need to know more.” The Colonel shot Lady Cleop to silence her. He leveled the sidearm at Anderson. “You will stay here with your mother’s corpse until I return. Or if I do.”

“Why, Colonel? Why…her too?”

“Survival of the fittest. If I cannot, then all will perish.” The Colonel smiled. “The Dark Ones will battle to the last but it will not let victory be taken away.”

“You are mad.” Anderson called out in anger.

“No more than all of us who are here. If you ever know about the City, you would had wished you died like your mother.” The Colonel glared at Anderson and then towards Lady Octavia. “Lady Octavia, you may tell his bedtime tales after I leave.”

The Colonel then left the hall after he locked the doorways. It was leaving the Dome. It came to get the weapons and then it was getting back into the war. Astrid also made it out of the Dome. It found the doorway that it was to open earlier. It stepped out. It looked to the horizon

I don’t belong here. I am to with my own. I am Astrid the Leader. I will re-join my pack. I will be a leader once more. No more servant.