Pike began to leave, but stopped. “Dr. Vesna, please stay a few feet away from the cage. You know how they like to reach out.”
She nodded and when they left, Frank swore he saw sadness on her face. He wasn’t sure. He was still thrown off by the fact that it looked like she wore lipstick.
Her eyes danced from Rufus to Frank, then back again. “I am not crazy. You two are very different from each other. Almost as if two different ends of the evolution spectrum. I’m not insane.” She lifted her eyes to Frank. “You hear me. You understand me.”
Frank smiled.
She gasped in shock. “You reacted to my words.” She lifted her hand.
Frank lifted his.
Maybe if he went along with it, she would take him from the cage. Test him, Do a blood test, just not cut into his brain. He needed that.
She waved.
Frank waved.
Dr. Vesna stepped closer to the cage. “You aren’t going to hurt me, are you?” She extended her hand.
So as not to frighten her, Frank gently reached out with his index finger and ran it over her palm.
“My God, you are a different species of Primal. Almost as if a super intelligent species.”
“I am.”
Her eyes instantly widened, then Dr. Vesna screamed at the top of her lungs, spun on her heals and ran out.
“Fuck.”
Rufus looked up at him with worry...
“It was habit. It just slipped out. I swear. She said I was super intelligent. I said, ‘I am’.” Frank shrugged. “Oh, this should get real fucking interesting now.”
Vesna wasn’t gone long, but long enough that Frank was really feeling hungry. Even that slop that looked like creamed corn and oats was starting to seem appealing. Any longer, he’d have to cave in.
When she returned, she was alone. She inched her way cautiously to Frank.
“I … I don’t know if I had a moment or it was real, If I imagined it, I will look like a fool in a few minutes,” she said, keeping her distance. “I swore I heard you speak.”
“I did.”
She gasped in shock. “You make noise. Are they words?”
Why didn’t she have a translator? Frank wondered if they weren’t common place. Frank nodded.
“You understand me?”
Frank nodded again.
She placed her hand to her chest patting it. “Dr. Vesna. Vesna. My name is Vesna.”
“My name is Frank.”
“Frank?”
“Yes.” Then he pointed down to the slop. “Food.” He rubbed his stomach. “Food.” He mimicked eating.
“Oh, you’re hungry. Go on. Eat.” She nodded at the slop Rufus was enjoying.
“You fucking nuts.” He made a face of disgust.
“Oh. I should know. Look at the way you’re dressed. If you aren’t from the stars, you’re from some civilized primal camp. Hold on.” She shuffled away and returned with a plate. “My food. Try.” She extended it to him but still kept her distance.
It didn’t look half bad. From what Frank could tell it was some sort of cooked fruit or vegetable, something that looked like a fat cracker and he could smell the fish. With a swoop of his hand to the plate, he grabbed the fish and eat ate.
“Not bad.” He nodded and grabbed the cracker thing. It was crunchy but tasty. “This really not bad at all.” He gave a thumbs up.
“You like it?”
Frank nodded.
“Eat the fruit.”
He held out his hand. “Nah, I’m good thanks. That worked.”
“I have no idea what you’re saying. But you do, don’t you.”
Frank was about to answer, when he heard the door open.
“Dr. Vesna, where are you? You called for me,” the male said.
“Back here Senator Wa.”
As soon as she said that Rufus scurried to the back.
As soon as the Senator came around the aisle, Frank saw why Rufus would be frightened. He was tall, bigger than Chaka. He wore a thick black leather coat and he had gray bushy hair, which was combed back. He was escorted by one soldier who stayed back.
“What’s all the excitement,” he said with snobbish annoyance. “You made it sound urgent.”
“This is.”
“Why is this containment area full?” he asked. “Shouldn’t some of this beasts be gone.”
“I am not here to be chastised about how quick I work or do not work.”
“Hubrata, you take that arrogant tone with me one more time and I’ll have you fined for treason. Now what is it?”
“My apologies, but this Primal…”
“Gods, he’s hideous.”
“Yes, but he is special. Docile—”
“Docile?” he cut her off. “Is this not the Primal that killed a Hubra? He should be put down.”
“He can’t be. This being is super intelligent.”
“Oh, please. There are no intelligent Primals.”
“He speaks.” She faced Frank. “Go on, speak, please. Say hello.”
Frank did. “Hello.”
He tried to act unfazed, but Frank saw it. The Senator was surprised.
“See?”
“I heard a sound yes.”
“Primals do not have the vocal ability to speak.”
“No. That’s nonsense. Some do, they just aren’t intelligent enough to form words.”
“Frank can.”
“Frank? Is that his name?” The Senator chuckled. “That’s an odd name.”
“yeah, well,” Frank said. “So is Wa, you have room to talk.”
Senator Wa lifted his eyes to Frank.
“He speaks.”
“He mimics,” Senator Wa scoffed. “When I was a boy there were circus Primals who used to pretend to speak. They made no more sense than a babbling baby in a crib.”
“Then try the translator,” she said. “Try it. It works on the disabled, our scientist said it could interpret anything, even animals. Try.”
“This is ridiculous. But I’ll humor you.” He opened his coat, pulled out a case and placed the translator in his ear, huffing out.
“Go on, Frank, tell him something.”
Frank grabbed on to the bars. “I hope that translator works so you can understand. I am getting out of here, and when I do, not only am I gonna wipe that stupid fucking smug look off your face and stick you in here, I am opening all the cages and letting the Primals wreak fucking havoc on this town. Well not Harry, he’s not getting out. He can rot for all I care.”
Senator Wa blinked.
“What did he say?” Dr. Vesna asked.
“Nothing. It was nonsense. Babbling.” He took off the translator. “He was mimicking. A trained pet.”
“You lie!” Frank told him and stared. “You heard and understood every word I said.”
“But even though I don’t understand him, it doesn’t mean Primals can’t. He is dangerous if he can communicate with them.”
“So you agree he is intelligent.”
“No. I am not going to take a chance. Sergeant …” he motioned his hand to the LEP behind him. “Take him to the death pen for public execution.”
“No!” Dr. Vesna leapt forward, stopping the soldier. “We can learn so much from him.”
“You’re right.” Senator Wa said. “Soldier, take him to Dr. Hoota, have his vocal chords removed for examination and the portion of his brain for communication. Keep him alive for execution. The town Hubra can use a positive message.”
The LEP soldier lifted what looked like a thicker card key and placed it in the door.
Frank smiled. “Not today.”
The moment the cage door opened, Frank charged forth. Shoulder first he rammed straight into the soldier. The force of his body sailed him back and slamming into the wall.
The soldier, stunned, dropped to the floor. Frank spun around, grabbed on to Senator Wa and tossed him in the cage. “Fucking heavy.” He then reached down for the soldier, he was heavier than the senator
. With a grunt and all his strength, Frank lifted him enough to get him in the cage.
“Come on Rufus.” Frank waved. “Come on.”
Rufus shook his head.
“What the hell.” Frank rushed in, grabbed the boy, carried him out and shut the cage door.
“No. please.” Vesna held up her hands.
After he set down Rufus, Frank smiled, tapped her on the cheek and grabbed the card key that still extended from the door of the cage.
He ran by each cage, placing the key inside and freeing those inside. Some ran out, some didn’t. He stopped before Harry’s cage and held up the key. “Nope. Sorry. Ha.”
“You can’t do this!” Senator Wa yelled out. “Set us free.”
Frank shook his head and ran down the aisle, until he found the door.
He could see the sun glaring through the small window. He just needed to get out, make it back to the sacred city or the beach, get his pendant and go home. He could do it.
As soon as he stepped outside, he felt confident. At least ten Primal men raced out into the street. It was a perfect diversion.
Frank, however, wasn’t ready for the LEP town. His head had been stuck so deep in his Planet of the Apes fantasy, he expected a raw civilization, clay huts and tentpole stores. He didn’t expect a technological society.
The first LEP he bumped into was so engrossed in looking down at what appeared to be a phone, that he never bothered to see Frank was a human.
There were so many LEP in the streets, some walked, some rode on scooter style hoverboards.
Instead of a foul odor, Frank smelled food. Across the road under a green awning, LEP sipped from cups as if they were at Hoi Bucks.
It didn’t take long for everyone to realize there was a breech. Alarms blared and LEP screamed as Primal men ran amuck in the street. They grabbed food from hands, shoved and attacked LEP woman and children. It caused Frank to pause.
Why were they acting like that, the Primals were violent and reminded Frank very much of the savages. A part of Frank felt responsible, what had he done. He had a clear shot to run, but he didn’t. The citizens of the village didn’t do anything wrong. They were going about their day, playing with their phones, drinking coffee. Releasing the Primals was just like releasing the savages on Beginnings.
“Fuck.”
He couldn’t, with a clear conscious just leave. Instead, he attempted to clean up his mess.
The first Primal he grabbed was repeatedly hitting a smaller LEP with a chair. As the Primal raised it back to lunge again, Frank grabbed it from his hand, and smashed it over his head. The Primal fell and Frank moved on to another attacking Primal. He grabbed and spun him around, delivered three fast blows to his face, and rendered him unconscious.
As he dropped Primal to the street, Frank saw the arrival of some sort of LEP military group. They pursued the Primals that ran rampant. Frank knew he had to get out of there before they lumped him in with the others.
He wasn’t like them. He may have had the same genetic make-up … sort of, but was not like them.
Turning to leave, he heard the terrified screams. He looked in the direction and saw a Primal on top of an LEP female. He viciously pulled at her clothing as he grabbed on to her in the attack. It was obvious what he was trying to attempt, and Frank rushed over.
He lifted the Primal who fiercely fought back. Frank was enraged at his actions, that after one punch, without hesitation, he locked on to the Primal’s head, and with one jolting action, snapped his neck and dropped him.
“I’m sorry,” he said to the crying female LEP. “I’m sorry.”
She screamed and scurried back.
She was scared, in fact most of the LEP were. And that was when Frank realized they weren’t LEP or Laboratory enhanced Predators anymore, they were Hubra. Evolution had turned them docile and intelligent and in a twisted irony, man became the hostile predator, At least from what Frank saw.
No wonder man was hunted and caged, they were the evolved Savages.
He had to go.
Being too concerned with those committing violent acts, they were focused on Frank. It was his chance. He would run straight down the street at full speed, and intended to do so, until he spotted Chaka.
He could spot him a mile away wearing those bright purple camouflage pants made by Ben from Fabrics.
Chaka was handcuffed and being escorted, his head hung low.
“Chaka!”
He lifted his head and saw Frank.
“Come on!”
With a shift of his body, Chaka plowed into the one guard, knocking him over. He kicked out at the other one and took off running toward Frank.
Frank waited until Chaka caught up.
“Do you know how to get out?” Frank asked.
“We run straight ahead,” Chaka replied. “Once we get to the end. We’ll be free and clear and can cut through the forest.”
“I’ll get you out of those things, once we find my pack.”
Chaka agreed and they raced down the road.
They didn’t make it far.
Within seconds a wall of Hubra on horseback blocked the end of the street and before they could turn or change direction, they were surrounded.
Frank looked at Chaka. “I think we can take them.”
“I do, too.”
No sooner had they said that, in unison, they all lifted a bow and drew back an arrow aiming at them.
“Maybe not,” Frank said.
Then Senator Wa slowly walked before them with another group of Hubra soldiers. He held his hand up, halting them from firing and was wearing the translator. That was when Frank noticed, it was different and larger and not easily concealed like his.
“Guards arrest the bounty and the mutant Primal. Take them to maximum holding.”
“Sir,” the one guard said. “The Primal, as well? Maximum holding is for Hubra only.”
“He is as strong and as fast as any Hubra I know,” Senator Wa said, walking close to Frank and Chaka. “In fact, call Doctors Hoota and Vesna. I want his life fluid tested. If he resists, cut off his legs.”
“They’ll grow back,” Frank said.
Senator Wa leaned in to him. “Somehow, I don’t doubt that.” He stepped back. “Take them away.”
It wasn’t one or two guards, it seemed like an entire brigade that grabbed on to Frank, securing him and dragging him away. He so badly wanted to scream out, ‘Get your stinking paws off me you damn dirt LEP.’ it would have been good, perfect, but somehow it seemed too cliché and Frank refrained. He didn’t struggle because he knew, he’d find a way out. He was confident.
TWENTY-FIVE – BEGINNINGS
As much as Dean didn’t want to, he gave in to Henry who spoke like the moral authority on behalf of Hank.
He relented and opted to try to infect Hank’s blood and not Hank.
Henry’s words were, “He’s a person, Dean, whether you see him as that or not. He is.”
Henry was right, as much as Dean hated to admit it, Dean didn’t see Hank as a person. He doubted he ever would. Hank was a successful experiment. In fact, as cold as it sounded, for reasons known only to Dean, he would never nor could he ever see Hank as a human being.
He was knee deep in his enthusiasm over Hank’s ability to fight infection when he got the call from Joe that Robbie and Hal were back, they were both injured and he’d meet Dean at the clinic as soon as they finished the breakfast Andrea insisted they eat.
Dean figured their injuries couldn’t be that bad, then he saw them.
Hal was covered head to toe with dirt and brush burns. Robbie had abrasions as well. However, protruding from his leg was thickest arrow Dean had ever seen.
Because they wanted to keep it under wraps, Roy worked on cleaning Hal, while Dean and Jason removed the arrow.
It took both of them to pull it out. The impalement has sealed the wound until the arrow was removed. It was so bad, Dean had to act fast or Robbie Slagel was facing another amputatio
n. Luckily, he remembered the healing agent Chaka had brought. They tested just a drop on Hector and it worked, it was souped up version of his own. After dousing the wound with the Dean healing agent, he sutured the back of his leg, then proceeded to use Chaka’s. Tiny drops into the open wound. Before he a dozen drops in the leg, it stopped bleeding. Within five minutes, Robbie only needed a band aid.
It was amazing and Dean would have to use it sparingly until he and Roy replicated it. They already had the building blocks to it.
He wrapped Robbie’s leg anyhow, and planned after the wound was fully healed, to set it in a temporary cast.
The fast moving surgery had worn Dean down, he was glad Ellen wasn’t around. He didn’t feel like fielding questions until he had answers.
Robbie was awake, Hal was in the room with Joe when Dean walked in with an IV bag.
“I already have one, Dean.” Robbie held up his arm.
“That’s saline. This is infection fighter.”
“I feel great.”
“I know you do, but you were really dirty and that arrow was dirty as well. Humor me, this is a precaution.” Dean set up the bag, then looked at Hal. ‘I have pills for you as well.”
Joe asked. “Will Robbie be okay?”
“Yeah, he’s fine. The leg is fine. I don’t want him on it for a couple days. He’s going to be on this course of anti-infection for that long anyhow. Take a rest Robbie.”
“My leg really feels great,” Robbie said. ‘How long before whatever you used wears off and I start feeling the pain.”
“Depends.” Dean shrugged, finished the IV and pulled up a chair. “Okay. So what happened?”
“Well, you left,” Hal said. “And we headed to the sacred city. We made some discoveries. But in fairness, I think we should wait until Frank returns. He has pictures.”
“Pictures?” Joe asked in shock.
Hall rolled his eyes and shook his head. “My brother brought his phone. Took pictures left and right as if he were on vacation.”
Robbie laughed. “I can’t wait to see them. How about those selfies he took with the Primals. I mean … humans. We ran into humans. They don’t speak. They communicate with pictures and sign language. It was weird. Like the human race went backwards.”
Escape the Planet of the LEPS: Beginnings Series Book 28 Page 12