Alex Irvine - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Blue Eyes saw it too, but he did not stop.

Humans tried to kill Ash , he signed. They—

“Enough!” Caesar growled. Again silence fell. For a long moment Blue Eyes held his father’s gaze, stubborn and angry. Then he lowered his head and stopped signing. Koba, amazed at this show of rebellion, took a new view of the young one. He had a strength Koba had not seen before, together with anger toward his father. Koba would not rebel openly, but Blue Eyes had. It would not be the last time, Koba thought… and within him a small flame began to burn.

If Caesar could not control his own son, perhaps he was not fit to control the apes.

Just as quickly as he had the thought, Koba banished it. Apes together strong . He believed those words. Now, of all times, there could be no arguing. The human problem had to be solved first… and to do that, apes had to act together. Koba would not be the ape who broke them apart.

Caesar turned to look at the faces of his council, gathered around him. He signed carefully, slowly, making sure every ape in the village understood.

If we go to war, we could lose everything we’ve built. Our homes, our families… Our future .

He stood, looked from face to face, and Koba saw fear among the apes. They needed Caesar to lead them, and they would follow where he led. Still, they also needed a decision they could believe in.

I will let you know my decision , Caesar signed, and with that he walked away. Koba watched him go, and watched the other apes watching Caesar. They would not be able to wait for long. But they would have to wait at least a little time. Big decisions could not be made in a hurry. Koba understood this.

He also understood that Caesar did not yet know how great the human threat might be. He, Grey, and Stone had not yet had a chance to tell him. Now was the time, when the report would have the most effect on Caesar’s decision. Koba believed in Caesar… but he also believed in himself. Caesar had not suffered at human hands the way Koba had. He needed Koba with him constantly, to remind him that for every generous human, there were ten cruel ones. Or a hundred. A thousand.

He gave Caesar a moment to get clear of the gathering. Then he followed, slowly, thinking of what to say and the best way to say it.

Caesar had too much in his head. It was hard enough to think of humans, spreading from the city again, crossing paths with apes and bringing their guns and their science.

He walked alone up the path to the great tree where he and Cornelia made their home. He climbed into the lower branches, then swung himself higher, as if he would think more clearly the closer he got to the stars.

From below he heard his name. He looked down and saw Koba, who bowed and held his head low, peering up from below his brow. Caesar gestured for Koba to join him. He asked for no obeisance, but Koba’s approach was humble, anyway. It was difficult, being leader of apes like Koba. Caesar knew he hated humans, and knew that he would resist any effort to live with them—or even near them. He had good reasons. Humans had taken his eye, and crushed out of him any belief in kindness.

But Koba’s experience was not the only experience. Apes could not be driven by hate and fear. Whatever else the humans had done, they had also given apes the gift of intelligence. They might be enemies, they might be friends, and they might choose to live separately from apes. The world was large.

But those decisions could not yet be made, and while they were being considered, Caesar had to lead. He could not be seen as weak.

Koba settled next to him, high in the tree. They both looked in the direction of the city, now vanished with the fall of night.

Blue Eyes is struggling , Koba signed. It is hard on him to be in your shadow.

It is natural , Caesar signed. He likes you, Koba, because you want to act. He is young and angry, so he also wants to act.

Maybe he is right , Koba signed. Caesar gave him a hard glance, and he added, I do not challenge you, Caesar. But let me tell you what we saw today.

Caesar nodded for him to go on.

We followed the trucks to the city , Koba signed. Other humans met them there. We followed them to see where they would go, and see how many of them there are. He hesitated, and then continued. There was war in the city. Parts of it burned. Many buildings have fallen from the… He did not know the word for what he wanted to say, so he held out both hands and shook them.

Earthquake , Caesar signed.

Koba nodded. Earthquake. But they fought each other. The humans who still live built a wall around their village. Grey and Stone and I watched them, tried to count them.

How many? Caesar asked.

Hundreds.

Caesar considered this. More than us? he signed.

Maybe.

Do they have many guns?

We saw humans with guns, but not that many. They have more trucks. They go through the city looking for things to use. They are… again Koba paused. They are like us. They survive, and they are growing. There were children.

The forest is large and the city is far away , Caesar signed.

Not that far. They found us. They will find us again .

We must discover what they were doing here , Caesar signed.

How? Should we go and ask them, so they can shoot us? Koba started to become angry. Caesar knew what he was thinking—to Koba, thinking often seemed weak. Caesar knew he had to be careful. He and Koba were brothers. They had fought together, they had built this ape village together, they had saved each other’s lives… but Caesar led the apes. He did not want to provoke a challenge, but he also could not tolerate Koba—or, for that matter, Blue Eyes—turning other apes against Caesar’s leadership.

Koba gathered himself and signed again.

For years I was their prisoner. They cut me. Tortured me… Koba looked Caesar in the eye. You freed me. I would do anything you ask.

Caesar nodded. He grasped his friend’s shoulder.

We would not have survived without you, Koba .

But we cannot forget what they are , Koba added. We must show strength.

Caesar considered this. How did they show strength without starting a war they might not survive? The ape village was healthy and growing. In ten years, they had learned where to find food, how to prepare for the winters, how to keep themselves safe from the animals that hunted them, mountain lions and wolves and bears… but they lived on a thin edge. Winters were still times of hunger, especially hard on the orangutans, who needed fruit that did not grow in the winter and had to be dried. They were still learning to grow food themselves, and keeping the orangutans alive meant long trips on horseback down into the warmer valleys, where fruit trees grew wild.

Then he stopped himself. He was becoming distracted. The problem before him—right now—was what to do about the humans. And Koba was partly right. They needed to show the humans strength, but they needed to do it without provoking the humans into a fight.

We will, my friend , Caesar signed. We will show the humans our strength. Here is how.

Finney was dreaming. In his dream he was at the movies, watching spaceships dart through a field of asteroids, shooting lasers at each other. Then he was on one of the ships, shouting commands and wisecracks at his crew. Then he was riding his motorcycle up in Napa, a woman’s arms around his waist and big plans for later that night.