The Lost Experiment

Chapter 6 Fix The Dam

Chapter 6 Fix the Dam

The next morning I was at the dam with most of the ape colony, but this time I was in my human form. I looked human to everyone, but I didn't consider myself one. I had DNA of other animals and had been raised by an ape. "What are you doing out here?" Malcolm asked.

"I live here and no I'm not coming back with you. My birth parents left me here when I was a child. There's nothing for me in your human society." I didn't belong there anyway. "Other humans wouldn't want me around anyway."

Just then Alex shouted as Koba pushed him to the ground. I jumped in front of Alex, landing in my tiger form. Koba took a step towards me and I growled as Maurice stood in front of me. "Caesar. Want Caesar! Caesar!" Koba shouted. Caesar came around the corner slowly looking at him. "Humans...hurt...apes. Humans...attack your...sons. You...let...them stay! Caesar...love...humans...more...than...apes...more...than...sons."

I would have loved to put Koba in his place but this was not my colony to lead, it was not my place to remind him when he was out of line. Caesar glanced at his son before taking Koba to the ground and beating the shit out of him. Caesar was strangling him and Koba was a bloody mess. I growled slightly, catching Caesar's attention. He turned back to Koba, releasing him, "Ape, not kill ape."

He got off of Koba and Koba kneeled down and offered his palm to Caesar, "Forgive me." Caesar swiped his palm and Koba was gone as soon as his palm was touched. Caesar looked at me and I went after Koba, I was someone he listened to on occasion.

"Koba, wait up," I called running after him. I followed his scent back to my camp where he was waiting. I took on my human form and pulled out my medical kit and sat beside him. "What was it you needed to tell Caesar about?" I asked gently dabbing the blood off his face.

"Humans have enough guns to kill us all," Koba spoke allowing me to clean the cuts on his face and hands.

"Weapons left over from when the army came. They're most likely getting ready to take the woods only if the dam isn't fixed. Let them be. The dam will be fixed by tonight. The humans will no longer be our concern by tomorrow morning when they leave at first light. I'll ask Malcolm tonight what the deal is with the weapons."

"Human lies," Koba responded.

"Humans believe what they are told without question. Humans do not question everything. Not all humans are bad, just uneducated. The ones like Carver are the ones that are dangerous," I replied applying a salve on his wounds.

~"Why do you defend them?"~ Koba asked.

"Not all of them are bad." I tried to think of an example he could relate too. "Let's compare humans to dogs for a minute. If one dog kills a human does that mean all dogs will kill?" I asked. "I know you've had bad experiences with humans, so have I, but that doesn't mean every single one is that way."

"Humans cause pain," he said.

"That's one thing they excel at, but if you give them the chance they try to fix their mistakes. Give them a chance, don't do anything rash Koba. They just want their lives back. As long as we stay out of it, there will be no need to fight. I'll ask Malcolm tonight and if it comes to it, I'll make some kind of deal with the humans to leave you and the others alone."

"You would give up your life for us?" Koba asked.

"It's the right thing to do; I never knew a human family. I was raised by Maurice, thrown into a cage with you for a while then left out here. My loyalty is to apes," I replied heading back to the colony as darkness was falling. I wasn't sure if Koba followed or not, I left him to think. I wasn't sure if what I had said would have an impact. I reached the colony and I could hear music in the distance coming from the old gas station I sometimes stole food from. That is the one thing I missed, music. I wished I could say I remember sitting near the fire in the family room gathered around the radio listening to music, but no.

So the dam was fixed. Power was restored, at least here. I waited for Caesar to return with the humans, I needed to speak to Malcolm. When they finally came through the gates I walked up to him, "Malcolm can I speak to you for a minute?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied and I walked away from the group. Malcolm followed as Caesar watched. "What is it?"

I spoke in a low voice, not wanting to alarm any of the apes if nothing was to come of this. "What is the human village doing preparing themselves for war?" I asked.

"Oh, that. I had three days to fix the dam or they were going to come up here and kill everyone, not my decision," he said keeping his voice just as low.

"And you didn't think to mention it! Koba is going to be a problem. He's the one that brought it to my attention. Not all the apes here have good memories of humans and either do I. Those that agree with Koba will attack the city if he does."

"Will he?" Malcolm asked worried.

"I don't know, go back to your family and be ready for trouble. Stay close to Maurice; don't lose sight of your family." He went back to Caesar and saw the lights of the city with his family. It wasn't ten minutes later that a shot rang out and Blue Eyes was handing a gun to Koba.

"Human...gun," Koba called. I saw our human guests run into the trees as smoke rose into the night sky. "Humans...shot...Caesar...Apes...must...attack...human city." I jumped in front of Koba, trying to stop the insanity. War would make corpses of us all.

"Koba, what are you doing, we have peace? Don't start a war that will end all of our lives," I said standing up to him. He pointed the gun at me.

"You have no say here," he said. I growled at him. He had at least considered what I had said before.

"What happened Koba? What's changed?" I asked. He just stared at me, "There is no attack coming but what you bring yourself." I made sure to speak loud enough for the whole colony to hear. The space started to grow warmer as flames grew closer to us and started licking the trees the apes had made their nests in. I could see Koba wasn't going to give in. "Don't listen to him, the humans didn't shoot Caesar! He did! Don't attack the humans!" Before I could say more I was hit with the butt of the gun.