Far Between and Not at All

A New World

AN:

Hi lovelies, you're here so I'm assuming you've watched the POTA remakes...if you're here and you haven't - JAYSUS get off this website and go do so immediately. This fic takes place ten months after Dawn of the POTA and won't feature any of the new characters from War (not indefinitely, but highly unlikely).

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the plots or characters from the Planet of the Apes franchise, only my OCs. I'm posting this fanfic for fun and gaining nothing from it besides enjoyment!

"A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend" - Willow Rosenberg.

Enjoy!

Over the past ten years it had become increasingly difficult to pinpoint just what it was that made a human being. The philosophers will tell you that it is their curious nature defining humanity, the politicians will have you know that it's their strong opinions on morality. But if another species begins to demonstrate these traits, that which allegedly sets humanity apart, what judgement do we make of them? It would be easy to explain in scientific terms what it is to be human, but what of the mind and soul? If, of course, you don't believe consciousness to be an evolutionary accident...

Caesar once believed he had the answer to these questions. He believed that the defining feature that set both human and ape apart was loyalty. Humans constantly destroyed each other but apes were family, and then his comrade and brother in sentiment tried on his life. Next, he had considered the trait to be mercy, and then he himself had shown none not ten months ago. The first kill to test the boundaries of his morality had been Koba. The second had been the band of humans who murdered his wife, they'd begged for their lives and he snapped their necks. Caesar knew now that there were not only bad humans, but bad apes too, and he was one of them.

So, the next time humans would attack their way into his kingdom, he'd drive his spear through their backs.

"Jesus Christ are you trying to get us all killed?!"

Somewhere among the trees and, unbeknownst to them, not two miles from Caesar's colony, a soldier held his comrade at gunpoint. A small female stood between them, her hands pressed bravely against the perpetrator's shoulder.

"Blake put the gun down, please" whispered the female "we've already made too much noise. Please."

"That's right, let Ari pussy whip you some more instead of standing up for-"

BANG.

Aria's POV

It had been 72 hours since they'd left the wall and already one of their group was dead. The gun shot pounded her ear drums and Aria squeezed her eyes shut, not in shock, but exasperation. She wondered at which point a human murdering another human stopped coming as a surprise to her. Three days ago, they'd been called to the main building to be dispatched on what would be their first mission. The team had consisted of Aria, Blake, Elliott and Pleoh. All highly trained, all under the age of 21. Aria's parents hadn't had the resources to send her into politics and government. The human race might be in tatters, but they were still at the mercy of money and dictatorship. If you were a surviving family with even less money, your child would be trained as a soldier and deemed expendable. Most of the young adults of the surviving colony were soldiers. Aria and Elliott were part of the medical research core which, until three days ago, meant that they'd never ventured into the Redwood. Which is why Blake and Pleoh, the oldest members of the group and both highly trained soldiers, were sent with them.

Blake had volunteered to go with her, much to Aria's surprise. He'd been cold towards her and well, everybody, for months. He was an entirely different person when they'd started dating, kind, never acting without contrition. But war changed everybody. She wondered whether he'd contracted one of the few diseases now plaguing humanity, she sort of hoped really. She wanted an excuse for his violence and hostility. Pleoh might have been hot headed and arrogant, but he probably didn't deserve to be shot in the face.