Night see. Walk with Paula. Trees grass roots. I wanted let go. She took off leash. I ran went tree-walking swung free, never fell. Time to go home she said. Where where I ask. Paula angry. She hides her face on my questions. Come down she said. She is angry. She speaks and signs at once. When I come down she is happy.
John, I think this shows evidence of more abstraction than your last report indicated. Kao is asking a very basic question here.
***
Memo to Paula: Please remember to refer to the test subject as Subject 4578. Your tendency to humanize is leading you astray scientifically.
***
Entry 287: Observer John Prichert, September 3, 2013. This follows an experiment in socialization for subject 4578. In an effort to develop other facets of subject 4578’s psychology, we arranged a visit to the University’s main Primate Center. Subject was reluctant and only began to write once observer left. This and other sessions were followed by a remote monitor hooked into the keyboard.
Walk with Paula and John. Big house big outdoor barred house. Apes in trees on swings on bars. All no-sign apes. I jumped into their tree. They showed teeth. All sad. All frightened. Big house bad smell. Go home I signed. Play said John. No play go home I signed. What will happen to the no-sign apes? Why are they sad? Why can’t they sign? What they tell Kao? Paula asked want see them again? I signed no. But when we walk I look in their cage.
This seems an unusually complex and sophisticated production. It is clear that the genetic enhancement experiment has succeeded in producing a specimen with normal health and chimpanzee physique but with a somewhat greater mental endowment than usual. My personal view is that these genetic changes extend only to communication skills…I have questioned Subject 4578 closely about his feelings, but he is unable to put emotional material into words.
***
John is always boss boss boss. I not like him in his bone color snow color tooth color. I screamed in the tree and fell to earth into his hands. I cannot tell past pain. Enough in present, Paula is different. She speaks she signs she makes happy. Without her Kao crazy sit in corner beat on bars.
***
The no-sign apes die. I smell death at Big House. Paula says no. Paula lies is sad. John lies. Kao lies about computer.
***
Entry 302: November 28, 2013. John Prichert report on genetically enhanced subject 4578. Subject is making covert computer entries as well as the official entries for the observers. The regular entries deal strictly with events, answers to questions. The secret entries, some of which we have not been able to recover, express emotional reactions, opinions, what seem to be memories. Subject refuses to discuss any of these which have come to light.
Recommendation to Committee: A structurally heavy keyboard of any PC-compatible type be installed in the subject’s quarters. It could be easily hooked to the television monitor already standard recreational equipment for the housing of this group of experimental subjects. Could it be arranged so we get an automatic printout whether material is commanded to be saved or not?
***
Committee response: Request of November 28, 2013, approved. Proceed, Prichert.
***
John asks questions. Paula is sad. She lies about no-sign apes. They suffer. The trees outside green swinging with wind. The trees inside are dead. Green hands cut off feet lost. No-sign apes are inside trees. Is Kao?
***
Something is wrong. Paula and John are jump around. He said I could be kaldup you know. Kaldup is new word. I have no sign for it.
***
Entry 320: December 14, 2013, Observer Paula. Report of conversation with Kao, #4578.
Dr. Gleiss: How are you today, Kao?
Kao: Jump around.
Dr. Gleiss: Jump around?
Kao:Yes.
Dr. Gleiss: Nervous? Upset?
Kao: Yes. And Paula how are you?
Dr. Gleiss: All right.
Kao: Paula lie.
Dr. Gleiss: Yes. I’m nervous.
Kao: Is it kaldup?
Dr. Gleiss: I don’t understand.
Kao: John may be kaldup. Will you?
Dr. Gleiss: John may have to go away. He may be called up to the army.
Kao:He will fall from his tree.
Dr. Gleiss: Yes.
Kao: And Paula?
Dr. Gleiss: Not yet.
Kao: What’s wrong? What is called up? Where is John going.
Dr. Gleiss: There is trouble. A fight.
Kao: John does not like to fight. I show my teeth and he is afraid. I know he is afraid.
Dr. Gleiss: We are all afraid.
Kao: Dont cry Paula. Kao write something nice for you. Something new. Something secret. Dont cry.
Observer unable to continue session. The present situation makes scientific work almost impossible.
***
Request, Gleiss to Committee—In present emergency has any provision been made for preservation of the subjects of the genetic enhancement experiment? Might I submit that the most valuable of these be treated as essential personnel?
***
I got a Life Tag today. Paula brought it and showed me hers. Don’t lose it she said. I tasted. Bitter and cold like bars on cage. Don’t she said. If you know the work to get that for you she said. She put it around my neck and took me outside. We went past the no-sign apes house. No Life Tags.
The Life Tag opens door to big hole in ground. Paula made me try. The door opened. Remember, she said. When the Time Comes, use the tag and hide in here she said. God I hope they let you in. Paula says more than she signs. I listen. God I hope you understand she says.
What is Time Comes. You will know says Paula. You will know when Time Comes.
How will I get there?
Paula is upset. I will leave your door open she says. I promise she says.
You leave it open now I sign.
It may never happen she says.
What? I sign.
Time comes.
***
Food late. No cleaners. Outside rumble manshout. Dogs bark. I jump around. Paula came with food. What’s wrong? I sign. Where cleaner foodman Peter?
He has been called up, she says.
I want to go out I sign. Out.
No, she says.
Out. I jump up and down and show my teeth. Paula closes the door.
***
No food today. Manshout in halls. I jump up and down and scream. No answer. Is this Time Comes? Now it is dark. Only screen is light. Nothing in halls. Nothing outside. Kao is frightened. Where is Paula?
***
Morning. Manshout, rumble. No food. Where is Paula? Where is Peter? Dogs cry. Afternoon., Rumble rumble outside. Kao is alone. Where is Paula? Big light heat thunder. Building shakes. Roof crumbs fall. Bang. Silence. Dust. Dark. This is Time Comes. And where is Paula. PAULA!!!!
***
End of the first print out.
***
The no-sign apes mark by pissing on their trees. I mark on this friend machine. Long gone now back. I left it in dark with Paula name on screen. Her light came down corridor all dogs barking. She called Kao Kao. I screamed. Jumped and rattled bars. In dark questions without answer. A shadow through bars, scratch-rattle of keys. Hand wet. Smell of fear.
Come, quick she says. I follow light down corridor. Outside hot dark with smoke red with fire. I smell Time Comes. It smells of fire, of fear. I hear Time Comes. It roars and bangs. Hurry says Paula. I start to hole in ground. No. no. She is crying. You must help she says. I jump cry roll on ground. How well I know that happened-past. And if I forget I look out the window and see what is left after Time Comes.
What we did is this marking my last. We ran over roads sharp with glass. Feel bleed. Buildings burn and howl. Death smell. Fire smell. Bitter smell. At Big House, no-sign apes dead. Trees black. I stopped. Hurry hurry said Paula. Why why I signed. The blast. All killed she said. People? People dead too. She pointed. On road on grass. All dead she said. But some c
alled to her made manshout.
John? I signed.
He is gone she said. She pulled me to building with big door. Kao get in she said. Open door from inside.
Kao frightened.
Stupid ape. We must get away. We will die here. She shook her fist and showed her teeth.
I climbed up tree at side. She found me stone and smash down window sharp glass.
Go in go in she said. Inside high up dark.
The door the door Paula said.
Light dim no shape. Outside fire roar. I jumped into dark. Hard floor. Glass like ice. Paula bang bang on the door. I touched smooth rocks in dark. Found door. Opened.
Good good said Paula. Red light came in. Showed rocks cars trucks. She tried for rumble.
Get in she said. Kao frightened. Car started to move.
Get in. I jumped. Door she said. Bang. Rumble rumble we swung on ground fast faster than tree walk faster than run fast faster than Time Comes ahead of fire ahead of death smell.
We stopped once. Paula ran into building came out with bag came out with sticks came out with boxes. I carried boxes too. What’s this? I signed.
Food medicine she said.
What kind of medicine?
Medicine to protect us she said. We got in car and away in night.
***
Long night long dark like dark near friend machine I tell. No sun. Black ground clouds hot and dusty. This is from the blasts Paula said. In dark car eyes truck eyes. We will get to the highway and see said Paula. There was manshout. Screams. We cant stop said Paula. We will get help.
On highway cars and trucks lay dead. Manshout smoke and bad smell. Its jammed said Paula. Our car jumped on grass between cars. We left highway. Its no good said Paula. Its no-use. She stopped car and put her face on inside wheel and cried. I opened boxes. No fruit. No lettuce. I jumped around and showed teeth. Then I bit each box. One had hard bread. I ate. There was no-use to ask Paula. Not with Time Comes.
Sun came back small. Everything gray dark. Paula sleep. I climb trees by stream. Leaves dusty. I dropped them in water and ate them. They were not good like lettuce.
Paula woke up and rumble car. We’ll just go as far as we can. Maybe we’ll find a station open she said.
What is that? I signed.
For gas. Where car eats, Paula said.
We eat, I signed.
We need the car Paula said. We can get away in the car.
Where? I signed.
Somewhere she said.
We found child on third day. This is the third day Paula said. We passed houses but Paula did not stop. Food I signed. Fruit. Lettuce.
No sick said Paula.
Why Why?
Sickness came first Paula said. From our enemies.
Will we be sick I signed.
We have medicine said Paula.
What about Time Comes I signed.
Time Comes because of sickness. The war. The fight. Paula stopped car. Theres a child she said.
It was alone smaller than Kao and crying.
Can you pick it up Paula said.
I got out and child stopped crying. Monkey it said. I put it in the car.
Poor thing said Paula are you hungry?
It ate bread and told happened-past. It was Suzi and lived outside town. Her mother and father were at work and white flash came. They did not come back. She hid in cellar.
That was right Paula said.
We found food for car that day and on day five we saw black place. Dust fire death smell. We must go South said Paula. We cant go into the city. Everyone is dead said Paula. But some men were on the road. There was blood on their faces. They stood in front of the car and shouted. Help us. Get out of the car. Give us food.
We have none Paula said.
Manshout and pound the car. Show teeth and jump around red fear. They shook car like tree swing.
Kill the money we’ll eat it instead,
Paula took stick and showed it to them. Bang flash blood. Rumble. Fast faster than tree walk fast like Time Comes. Manshout behind us. They would have killed us Paula said. They would have killed us for the car and the medicine. They would have eaten Kao said Suzi. At night Suzi cried for mother and father.
***
Friend machine spills words like sick. Like Kao. Like Suzi. Suzi spitting yellow and red sick. Paula gave her medicine but Suzi had no Life Tag. The day we had no more bread Suzi died. We put branches over her. Paula said I am not strong enough to dig a hole. But a hole in ground is only good before time Comes. So no-use for Suzi.
We traveled long time until car died of no food. But there was food for us South. There was food grass in the fields. I found roots and things to eat. We night walked and day slept in food grass fields. We walked south all time. Still dark. Always bitter smell smoke smell death smell. The leaves on trees brown and food grass turned black.
We must find people who have food said Paula. She was thin. Grass and leaves I ate make her sick with pains. We have medicine she said. We can trade it for some food.
We reached first fence one morning. Gray sky not black. Mansmell. A man on fence had a stick.
No refugees he said. We haven’t enough for what weve got already.
We have some medicine said Paula.
Not enough to do no one good he said. He showed teeth. We bury more in a day than you and that monkey could tote drugs for in a week. Unless its coke now or smack always a market for those he said. He showed his teeth. I showed my teeth jumped up and down swung arms.
Hey he said and raised his stick.
Quiet down said Paula. Is there no other settlement? Everywhere can’t be fenced.
Naw. Elsewhere they just shoot you. This on the main route is civilized. He showed his teeth. Ha Ha. Listen he said they are sneaking into Haiti by boat. Boats to Haiti. Ha ha. And Cuba. Every sail from Pensacola to the Keys is at sea and the island people are shooting em out of the water. Ha Ha.
After some more talk and Ha Ha he gave us oranges. Paula gave him medicine.
Try to the west if I was you. Some big camps along the line. That monkey do tricks? Ha Ha. Takes all kinds. His stick went off bang bang over our heads. Dirty no-sign.
Hes crazy said Paula. But now people lived in cages like no-sign apes. Outside people showed teeth. Paulas stick went bad and they stole from us. We ate fruit and Paula got thinner.
In spring we found people with food. They lived in big house. We dont want any more man said.
We need food said Paula. Were not sick. We can work.
Thats a laugh man said. Your a skeleton and thats a monkey. Get out of here.
Paula was tired. She sat down on ground. I jumped up and down and rolled over and over to cheer her up.
Ha Ha said the man. The kids would like that said a woman. Let them come in for a while. It wont hurt cause weve got potatoes left. So tricks and Ha Ha and potatoes. We found a keyboard with no screen and I wrote. Always Ha Ha but food.
Well have a party they said. Before we die. Ha Ha. They burned sticks for light and box made music and board speak with strings. They banged ground with their feet and manshout. Taste this they said. Corn mash. White in head like lightning. Like tree swing. Lets see the monkey dance. Dance swing. Is this a monkey? What does genetically enhanced mean?
It means hes special said Paula. Leave Kao alone.
I think hes more man than monkey know what I mean? Ha Ha. What would you bring him all this way for? Give your friend a kiss fellow. Ha Ha.
Paula jump around. Stop it. Leave Kao alone.
Maybe it would be incest said woman. Eyes white like corn mash. Arm around my neck. Hes not so bad considering.
Leave him alone said Paula. Chimps are very strong. They bite when they’re excited.
Havent seen anything male excited since they dropped the bombs. Ha Ha. You tell em. Play that goddamn music. Give Kao a drink. Hey.
Music whirl white light white hands white legs on fur. Ha Ha. Scream. Paula cry. White hands new smell spring smell
life smell teeth sharp blood. Manshout. Ha Ha.
Dont hurt him said Paula. It wasnt his fault.
Goddamn ape bit me said woman. Ha Ha.
Run said Paula. Run run for godsake. They have a gun.
***
In morning head bang like Time Comes eyes white like corn mash. A swamp. Paula killed bugs slap slap no eat. I bit my Life Tag. Groomed her hair. Rolled on the ground. She cried. It was a terrible thing she said. But it should have been all right. You would have been a cleverer chimpanzee she said. You would have been boss of the colony.
What does this mean?
We lived by the swamp. I found roots. Frogs. Snakes. Fish. Paula ate little. She had Life Tag but she was sick. I made bed of leaves for her. Go for people I signed. No she said. They would kill you. She got weak. Too weak to sign too weak to talk. The last night she said stay here. This place. Its warm safe. Theres plenty of food. Promise.
I jumped around rolled on ground. She smiled she laughed. She stopped. Warm sleep? Cold later.
Scream jump tear ground break branches stamp pain. Heart dead with death smell. I covered Paula with branches. I ate roots of lilies and put blossoms on her face.
I was lonely in safe swamp. Lonely for Paula. Was Paula lonely for animals? Was John? I left swamp for north sky dark. No food grass. In cold I found this friend machine. Pale dying little light weak friend machine. I sit at it like Paula like John. Manlook hair thin.
We are left friend machine and Kao. The ones who asked all dead. I tell anyway to friend machine. I saw No No No. But then I make my name Kao Kao Kao. I make my mark. I am not dead.
Unnatural Selection
Mike Barretta
Editor: What is a good enough motive for murder on a colossal scale? What about a single murder? Do the morals differ?
Major William "Bill" Whitaker slid his sleeping niche's curtain open and stepped out onto the dirty gray carpet. He felt Martian grit through his thin socks. He blinked his eyes to focus in the dim LED light. He faced the mirror and ran a dirty finger along the inside of his mouth tasting bitter oils and rust. His gums bled and his teeth wobbled in their sockets like tombstones planted in mud. Dark shadows surrounded his sunken eyes and his utility uniform hung from his body like a bedsheet. A dull, throbbing ache wrapped his skull. He jerked open the corrugated fabric curtain that defined his room.
Enter the Apocalypse Page 23