The crew deep in their peaceful sleep,  slumbered, Like a peace that comes before the storm. The computer officer dreamed of his wife Connie and of happier times they had spent together. Her birthday and Christmas from days that had gone by but still seemed only like yesterday! Suddenly, a deafning explosion ripped through the downtrodden building they occupied, pulling them from the sleep into a state of complete panic and confusion!  The sound of gunshots all around the outside of the building, bullets whizzed past the entrance that was their comfort zone. "What the hell was that?" Paul screamed. Karen awake, but still groggy due to the effects of the sedative. Explosions and gunshots roared around the city, the echo making it impossible to tell exactly from where they originated? The two men acted upon their survival skills and reached down for the Doctor, pulling her up to her feet, throwing each arm over her shoulders. Scrambling for the back of the semi-lighted office building, moving with a complete abandon, leaving their belongings behind on the floor. Tom yelled over the loud din of noise. "There has to be a way out back?". A second loud explosion rocked the building, knocking the three to the floor. The vibration knocked dirt and debris from the ceiling upon the astronauts covering them with black soot. The ceiling in the back portion of the room collapsed to the floor making a squeeling sound covering where they had just laid moments before. "We have to get the hell out of here before the damn place comes down on top of us! It probably won't be able to withstand a lot of this pounding its absorbing for much longer!" 

 "Hold your Goddamn fire, theirs a scout going in" a voice from somewhere outside screamed.

 "Yes, sir, General sir!"  Suddenly, the back stairwell burst open with a silhouette of a dark menacing object, hunched over and holding some sort of a weapon! The face was impossible to see with the sunlight blaring in behind it, Tom placed his hand out trying to shield the sun to see the man that was coming in. "Securing perimeter four!" The dark menacing thing yelled out. With meticulous movement the scout did a sweeping pattern with each step it took, moving quickly from room to room. As it entered each room it would announce its presents with grunts and gunfire! The three sat on the floor paralyzed with fear. As the dark silhouette moved, it came closer to the very room were they sat? Tom watched in horror  "We have to move now!"   Picking up the medical officer they tried to move without catching the things attention. The three moved up to the closest wall and crouched down as a frightened child might hide in fear. Gunshots were fired into the very room the trio sat. The loud echo of the gun caused Karen to cover her ears. Tom's heart beat deep in his throat trying to think of a defensive move. Within seconds the thing could be seen entering behind the shots that he fired. A look of horror came over the three! There was no denying what it was they saw? This was no man, this was an ape?  A gorilla, to be precise clad in black cover alls. Walking upright like a man, carrying an automatic weapon in its huge paws! The Doctor let out a startled scream at the appearance of the beast. In turn the scream startled the gorilla as it doubled around and saw them only a few feet away. "What the hell?" The gorilla said with a startled expression on its own face now. Looking puzzled and confused at seeing them?  Paul acted upon instinct, attacking the soldier with three quick blows to the head. The ape stumbled backward, loosing its gun as the commander sprang into action! Finding its footing and with a loud grunt, the ape caught Paul's chin with an uppercut, Surprising him completely at his speed! Paul fell backwards to the floor! Tom acted quickly and struck the beast with all his might, barely harming the animal at all! The gorillas strength was incredible; a quick burst of punches thrown by the ape struck the commander and sent him reeling to the floor with his fallen comrade.

 "Humans, you will die in this room for that!" The stunned astronauts looked on in disbelief at the fact that the ape spoke! Paul recovered from the lightning quick blows that the ape dispensed and reached for the gun, moving with quickness before the gorilla could retrieve his weapon. Paul, Lunging to his feet, pointed the apes weapon at his assailant. The scout let out a wail of laughter at the sight. Giggling so hard he almost found it hard to speak. "Now just what do you think your going to do with that?" A stand off took place between the three that seemed to last for hours; as if they were sizing each other up for the first attack? The gorilla wiped the blood from his lip as he stared at the three intruders; his fists rose like a heavy weight boxer ready to defend his title! "Get the hell out of our way right now … or I will kill you!" Paul ordered the beast. The gorilla grunted, blinking his eyes in his own disbelief,  "A talking human… a talking human?"

 With a stunned look on the apes face he reached slowly to his belt and unsheathed his bayonet! The dagger glistened in the sun showing how dangerously sharp the blade was. . The gorilla could sense the fear in the three humans and scoffed at their predicament. "This is the last time I'm gonna say it, get the hell out of our way, now!"   The gorilla acted upon his hatred for humans, he lunged towards Paul in a stabbing motion, with all the strength that he could muster. Paul pulled the trigger in self-defense and panic! A loud clatter of gunshots fired, but seemed to do nothing?  The gorilla was unfazed by his actions and still lunged for him. Tom jumped in from behind, and put a bear hug on the gorilla. As the struggling ape tried to free himself of his captors' grip, "Hit him Paul, hit him!" The gorilla wrenched his body in a quick motion trying to free himself when Paul turned the gun around and swung with all his might. The but of the gun hit him squarely across the face. Like a baseball player teeing off on a fast ball down the heart of the plate. A grotesque crunching sound echoed in the walls of the room, the ape slumped to one knee then down to the floor, Outcold, down for the count! "What the hell was that?"

 "Not now," the skipper shouted.

"Lets get the hell out of here before there's more?" Reaching for the doctor made things only more difficult.  She screamed. "Its us Karen, it's OK, were gonna get out of here."  Tom picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.  Paul put the gun over his shoulder and moved toward the rear exit of the building trying to look outside for an easy escape route. An army of gorilla solders flanked the building to the left. Some were on horseback, and others were on foot. The rest of the gorillas were in a two by two formation. There was no mistaking this was an army. Each one armed. There were even artillery wagons pulled by horses. Looking out into the city the forest could be seen. "Skipper!" he cried, as the sound of artillery echoed through the city. Tom moved to the exit with Karen in tow. Carrying her like a caveman would a screaming woman. "I see a forest maybe thirty-five yards from here, it wont be easy though its covered with all kind of rubble blocking the way." Outside, the gorilla commander sitting high on his horse observed the military exercise with a proud look on his face. The leader clad fully in black, and fully armed, had many medallions pined to his bulging chest to prove his worth in the field of combat. This well-oiled killing machine was his proudest accomplishment. His for the commanding, his for the leading. He knew there was no equal to be found anywhere on the planet.  "Why hasn't scout four checked in?" He said too his aide. His aide, another gorilla, rode beside him and did nothing but shout out his commanders orders. He wasn't as big as the leader, but he had some bulk of his own. "I don't know sir, Ill send in some re-enforcement's sir?" Still in disbelief of all that was happening, the three inside knew time was running out. "We have to go now!" Paul said to his stunned skipper. "We have to go now, it looks as though they will be advancing in here any second!"  The three were still in shock from all that was happening.  Each one reached down for a deep breath trying to gather the courage to go. Still terrified, and quivering with fear Tom placed the frightened doctor on her feet.  "Listen to me I need your help. I can't carry you! Were going to run for the forest? Together, you and me!" With fearfull tears streaming down her face, the only acknowledgment he received was a nod of her head. "Hold my hand tight, what ever you do, don't let go!"

"Ready, get set, Go", they  cried, when they sprung for the door to the open daylight of the city. 

Gorillas still scouting the rest of the city froze in their tracks as a hush came over the army watching in disbelief at the sight of humans running across there path. The way a frightened deer runs across the road. The gorilla leaders mouth lay wide open in stunned surprise. "Sergeant!" He yelled. "Take four soldiers on horseback and round up those humans! I want them roped from horseback, should make for excellent additional training!" Gasping and fighting for breath, the three weary travelers ran with all their might for the safety of the forest. Twenty yards, fifteen, ten yards, it almost seemed too easy? Suddenly the sound of horses hooves could be heard trampling behind them hammering the ground with a thunderous roar.. Tom looked back and saw four gorillas gaining on the remaining members of the voyageur II. Running over large chunks of rock and metal proved to be difficult if not impossible when fleeing for escape. Large mounds of rubble from collapsed buildings now blocked their way to safety.  The crew ran in two different directions as to help their cause. Passing over the mounds he could here the sound of laughter in the distance. Karen let out a cry of pain as she was suddenly torn from her commander's hand. Tom looked on in horror; a rope was dragging her away from him down the streets of the city!  A gorilla at the other end of the rope dragged her the way a cattle rustler lassos a runaway steer.  A second gorilla was closing in on The skipper now as he ducked the lasso intended for him. The gorilla quickly jumped from his horse and continued the chase on foot as a second gave chase on horseback.   Into the forest the chase went. Running as desperately as he could to save his own life. His lungs burned with intense pain!  He desperately tried to shake his pursuers by staying as close to the tree line as possible. Tree branches and shrubs smashed him in the face leaving cuts and bruises that would have to hurt any other time. A twig of a tree branch caught him in the eye drawing blood, the adrenaline of the chase kept him from feeling the pain He would have to feel some other time. Not now, there wasn't any time now. He could hear the sound of horses' hooves again behind his own feet, closing in from behind him! Fear swept over him as his heart pounded in agony from the chase! The temptation to see how close they were over was great he kept trying not to look back until the feeling to look overpowered him! Turning his head he looked back in fear needing to now how close his persuer was. Suddenly, just as he had looked, he felt a heavy blow to his head causing his legs to give out from under him! Slamming down hard on his face, sliding into the ground and eating a mouth full of dirt and leaves and gravel. Blood ran down his face again as he looked up with blurry vision he saw a gorilla on horseback holding a nightstick or a club in his massive hand. The dirt and blood clouded his eye and made his vision worse. Then suddenly, the word seemed to spin and turn upside down! Slowly he could feel he was passing out! Everything started to feel cold and numb, and then everything just seemed to fade to black!

Paul spent the rest of the morning and better part of the afternoon on the run from the maddening chase that took place. Tired and out of breath, he came to a small stream in the middle of the woods.  "He wont get far, I saw him go this way!" A voice in the woods shouted out! His mind began to wonder what would happen if he gave just up and Surrendered? "No!" was all he would mutter to himself. "I Must keep going!" looking at the stream he decided that it may be a better idea to run up it, as if to loose his foot prints and not to be tracked. The dense thicket of the forest made for good cover against the backdrop of his matted and torn flight suit. Running as hard as he could at this point was a test of sheer will, and the desire to stay alive. Every muscle in his body screamed in utter agony to stop! His lungs burned with each breath he took! There was no telling the distance he had run, or how much further he would have to go to be safe? Up ahead in the clearing of the trees he could see a small cave against the hillside. It seemed to have been heaven sent from God above and could quite possibly be his only place for Cover! He thought to himself. A great place to hide. As he made for the cave the indistinct voices of the gorillas could be heard closing in, moving closer in his direction. Jumping from the stream to the shore he made as fast as he could for the place of refuge. Once inside the cave Paul fell to the cold hard floor. Coughing and gagging trying as hard as he could to catch his breath and not cough to tip anyone off on his whereabouts? The inside of the cave was shrouded in complete darkness. Moving just a few feet inside became almost impossible to see. Dark shadows draped the inside of the cave making it as black as night. He could hear the hooves of the horses feet just outside the mouth of the cave. Paul got up and ran deeper into the darkness hoping and praying the shadows would be able to conceal him from being seen? Feeling around the inside he came to a huge stalagmite on the floor itself, growing downward from the ceiling. Wide enough to hide his body, and not be seen? It would have to do he thought to himself? Hoping the apes would only glance inside and not do a complete search. Kneeling down, he could see the sun from the bright hot afternoon outside of the cave. His breath became heavy at the sound of the voices of the talking apes.  "Where the hell is he?" He could see the soldiers dismounting from their horses and slowly entering the cave. "I don't know, but if we come back empty handed we're in for a world of hell!"

The voices carried on as they did a quick search of the cave convinced there pray was not here. His heart pounded harder as he saw them walk into the cave and decide to have a conference. "Smoke em if you got em?" One of the gorillas said. Each one took a seat on the floor of the cave and pulled out a cigar and began to chat of the days events. "Sir, give me a light." The big burley gorilla reached into his deep jacket pockets and produced matches for the smaller ape. "Need a kick in the lungs to get it to start?" 

 "No thanks I have everything under control now,"  he dragged on the cigar coaxing it along to light. "Under control? Did you happen to hear the General, Simon?"    The third gorilla now joined the conversation with the smaller ape. "I know, if we don't bring them back I can forget about that promotion in rank and I may not leave bootcamp."

"Hell you don't sound worried?  I'm not worried, I did what was expected of me, but then again I always do what's expected of me, that why I'm the sergent." Julius said.

 "We know you caught the one male, nearly smashed him into the ground!" 

 "Lets make one thing clear private, I wasn't the idiot who got off his horse to catch him, otherwise you would have had him?".

 "I will catch him and get that promotion, you'll see!" Paul's body began stiffening up and started to have a spasm in his left leg. The pain was grueling, but he sat on the floor without a whimper. Rubbing his leg as quietly as he possibly could.

"Well, you had better find him! Memar caught the female, and that leaves only one left."  

  "Shh. pipe down you two!" The burley Julius said as he yelled out of the cave

"Over here, we're over here!"  A fourth gorilla came running up to the cave out of breath with news for the three hunters.

 "Sir I have…" he paused trying to catch his breath. The two apes that sat smoking rose to their feet to see what was such a big fuss. Julius becoming impatient grabbed the smaller scout by the arms and began shaking him in anger. "Well, what is it you fool?" Julius was a big gorilla, decked out in black and like his commander had metals pinned to the breast of his black leather sleveless jacket.

 "Sir, I have an important message from General Zohn for you!" Reaching into his pocket he produced a piece of paper and handed it to his commanding officer. Julius, never one with patience ripped the paper from the scouts hand and dismissed him to be on his way. " "What is it?" the other two apes asked their leader. Julius began to read the letter aloud for the others to hear; still not knowing that the very person they were hunting listened in the entire time. "Uh-hum," Julius cleared his throat as he began to read in a monotone voice. "Sergeant, request your immediate return in the hunt for the human, missing scout four was jumped and badly beaten by the three humans. Advise you that the human maybe armed with missing weapon!" The three stood in silence as the air of disbelief permeated the cave.  "That's impossible,  humans beat Clancy? I just don't believe it?" The shorter gorilla Simon said.  "Besides why does it matter, the weapon he stole was loaded with blanks since it was only an exercise?"  Julius looked at the shorter gorilla with contempt in his eye. "Am I to understand that this Clancy is a friend of yours?"  

 "No sir, we went to the academy together, that's all I meant. He was a fine scout, worked hard at his ranking..." 

 "What will become of him sir?" Simon asked as if he were making passing conversation. Julius became agitated again and backed Simon into the wall of the cave in a threatening manner, at the question. "You tell me?" he shouted at the frightened scout. Simon in his panic looked as if he had forgotten the answer and hesitated, which only made the D.I. angrier.  Julius picked the scout up by his chest and tipped his face into his own so they were now eye to eye.

 "Ill tell you what will happen!" He will be taken to the high court and disgraced for losing his weapon to an animal, then He will be run out of the military and probably on top of it all will die homeless on the streets!"  What article is it your gonna remember at all times, Julius asked?" The scout answered quickly "Article fifteen, sir!" His heart thumping in fear! " What does the article say?" he asked in a commanding tone. "All soldiers are responsible for their weapons at all times, Any weapons unaccounted for shall be punishable by five years in prison and disqualification from military life sir!" He said in the textbook answer voice.

"And if an animal should have that said missing weapon?" 

  "Then the soldier will be banished from Ape City by the supreme council sir, he… he will be expelled from any barging or trading, even possible imprisonment or death by hanging sir!"  Julius set the trembling soldier down on his feet gently and patted him on the shoulder like they where suddenly long lost friends. "Good, we may make a soldier out of you yet?"