Apes Chapter 35 Finale

 

35.

The battle was swift between the Enforcers and the chimpanzees. Within a few minutes, half the chimpanzees were dead or wounded but Napoleon grazed on the shoulder still leads. The Enforcers were down to Lances, Anderson, Bernice, and Juanico. The Colonel was on his back with a fatal wound at the chest while the doctor was hiding behind the consoles. They have taken to behind covers and held their shots.

“I am down to two shots,” Bernice called out.

“Me too,” Juanico called out. “I am saving the last shot for myself.”

Lances and Anderson were down to the last shot too. Lances looked to the Doctor who was frantically trying to open the console from below.

“If only I can reach in and connect by the external port, I can work from there to the console.”

“Do it, Doctor. We will cover you.”

Gah! They are cowering in fright. Prepare to charge them again.

We are down to half our strength, Napoleon.

Don’t you ever address me by my name? I am the Leader.

It was the entrance to the level was kicked open and in came three gorillas bloodied on the limbs stepped in.

“How bad can it get from here?” Lances looked to the gorillas. He then saw the arrival of the chimpanzees. It was led by Astrid.

I come for you, Napoleon. The Pack demands your defeat.

By whom? By you?

Yes, by me. I challenge you to a fight.

“Astrid! It's me, Doctor.” Doctor Lanceston called out to his servant. “You …”

The servant ignored its master and approached Napoleon.

Fight me here.

 Napoleon dropped the rifle and charged at Astrid. They collided and then went into a series of grappling on the floor. The others have stopped and looked at the two chimpanzees who fought for leadership. Astrid had its lower limbs raised and then heaved the other over its head. Napoleon landed on the back but sprang up onto its limbs snarling at the other. It did not stop Astrid leaping onto the other and lashed out with its upper limbs. It grabbed Napoleon by the upper right limb and pulled hard at it. The chimpanzee screeched in pain and lashed out with its left upper limb at Astrid’s face. The strong fingers on the left limb grabbed at Astrid on the side of the face to push it down onto the floor. It then got up and leaped onto the fallen Astrid. Napoleon stomped the left lower limb of Astrid with its body.

Astrid rolled to the right to avoid any more injuries, and then sprang up to attack Napoleon. It slammed its body onto the chimpanzee and used its upper limbs to gouge the eyes. Napoleon fought off the attack but it was hurt at the eyes. Droplets of blood were flooding its vision but Astrid did not stop then. It went into a charge that sent Napoleon into the wall.

Yeah, I am defeated.

No, Napoleon. You are not to be defeated. You are to die.

 With that Astrid rushed towards Napoleon and grabbed it by the left upper limb. It swung the chimpanzee across the floor. It charged at the fallen foe and stomped on the left upper limb until it hung off the chest with blood on the furs.

I say defeat.

Not for today.

Astrid grabbed the defeated chimpanzee by its right upper limb and swung it towards the wall once more. It went to the fallen chimpanzee and screeched its call of victory. The accompanying chimpanzees and gorillas roared in unison to the victory.

Die

Astrid grabbed the left upper limb of Napoleon and swung the chimpanzee up and over the window towards outside. The screech of the falling chimpanzee was heard then. Astrid then hobbled over to the center of the level and looked to its Master once more.

“My God, what did you do?” Doctor Lanceston looked at the servant of his. “You were ….”

“Docile? I think not.” Juanico shot at Astrid. The shot impacted the chimpanzee’s chest. It triggered the other chimpanzees to attacked Juanico. She went down with three chimpanzees grabbing and lashing at her. Juanico screamed out in pain. Bernice wanted to help but Lances held her back.

“You can’t do anything but get yourself killed too.” Lances cautioned the other. They looked away but the screams of the Enforcer could be heard in her throes of dying.

“Do something, Doctor,” Anderson called out. “Or we will all die.”

Doctor Lanceston stepped to the console to key in the code to terminate the routines. Anderson saw the gorilla approaching the console and he shot the ape in the head. The gorilla did not go down even though it was in pain. It was enraged with the pain and faced Anderson.

“Mother of God…” Anderson tried to fire his sidearm but it was emptied of the projectile. It was then Lance and Bernice fired their shots into the wounded gorilla in the face. It went down for good then. The other two gorillas saw the wounded went down and roared its anger. It looked at Lances and Bernice.

“Done…” Doctor Lanceston called out. He saw the two gorillas approaching Lances and Bernice. He reached down for Juanico’s sidearm. He fired the last shot at the two gorillas and missed to hit them.

“Oh, my goodness…” Doctor Lanceston stepped back. It was Astride with chest wound had stood in between the gorillas and the Doctor.

Stop! The Doctor is mine.

Astrid turned to the Doctor and snarled. It then felt the pain in its neck. The pain was reaching out to all its body and then it writhed on the floor. It was painful.

Doctor...

Astrid tried to mimic the master's name. It turned and saw the two gorillas were in pain. They charged to the window and leaped out. Astrid felt the arms of the Doctor over its body and it looked to its Master one more time.

“I am sorry, Astrid. It had to be done.”

 

Epilogue

Lances leveled the rifle and fired at the chimpanzee it found scavenging for food. The shot was precise to the head. He then stepped out of the hiding spot and approached the dead chimpanzee. It may have survived the termination code for there was no switch in the neck. It was a wild one. It had been a year since the battle with the servants.

“So, you got one. That’s three today.” It was Bernice also armed with the rifle. “More meat on the table.”

“Yes.” Lances replied. “Is the meeting scheduled today confirmed?”

Bernice nodded.

Later at the meeting, there were Lances, Bernice, Leroy, and Anderson with six others from the Enforcers unit. They sat at the long table to tabulate their findings.

“We got about a hundred thousand survivors now. We were high at the millions before the war.” Leroy reported in. “I have scavenged far and wide.”

“We have to decide on our survival. Most of the inhabitants are found but most of them are either dying or hungry.”

“Our supplies are limited.” Bernice cut in. “Since the war, we have been given a pardon but we are down in supplies. The Supreme …”

“The name shall never be mentioned here.” Lances cut in. The knowledge of the Supreme Leader and the machines was kept a secret from the inhabitants. They still get supplies but it was limited. The new Enforcers recruited under Lances maintained the distribution but it was on the exchange of weapons for the food. It worked and the Enforcers were back to its strength with recruits. Those were given crude weapons while the trained Enforcers held the sidearms.

“Onto our agenda.” Lances called the meeting to order. “We are planning an expedition to seek the outside land. We will travel in convoy. Leroy will lead us. He may have seen the outer boundary.”

“Have you seen any others?” Bernice asked.

“No, but you need to see it for yourself. It’s difficult to describe here.” Leroy replied. “It remains to see to believe.”

“When do we leave?” Anderson asked.

“Tomorrow at dawn. We will find salvation or die.”

“What about Doctor Lanceston?” Bernice asked.

“Let him be. He heads the New Senate. He will be fine with the Enforcers protecting him.” Lances replied. “More to it, he has the bedridden Colonel for company.”

With the meeting adjourned, Lances caught up with Leroy.

“Thank you for not telling them. The discovery may get their hopes too high.”

“I won’t tell you. It may be the gateway to salvation or earlier death.”

“So be it.” Lances left to pack his belongings.