Apes Will Rise

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Abtik couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so high up. He dreamed of falling at least once, and spent the rest of his sleep wondering why he couldn't satisfy his hunger even after seemingly stuffing himself - it was a miserable experience fueled by anxiety and the gnawing hunger pangs in his stomach. He adjusted himself slightly and cast a wary eye to the forest floor to regain his bearings. There was a thin coating of dew that cooled his heated skin, but he shook it away. As nice as it felt, the morning air was cold and he'd rather not risk getting sick.

His senses gradually expanded to the surrounding area, ears sensitive now to the soft breathing and rustling of his fellow apes, his one eye scanning the trees to get an idea of where each one was at. All were accounted for it seemed, and Abtik relaxed again into a meditative state before Joao approached.

A possibly dead ape? Abtik couldn't say he was surprised. They had no supplies to treat serious wounds, at least not now, and food would be scarce until they escaped the human sphere of influence. It could feed a single ape, but an entire troupe was out of the question. Abtik nodded his acknowledgement of Joao and followed the gesture to the slumped chimp. Not necessarily dead, but unnaturally still. Abtik looked thoughtful, grumbling something incoherent and signing "understood" to Joao. His throat was sore after all the talking.

He took a breath of fresh air to wake himself up and swung through the branches to the motionless ape, nudging with his knuckles just to be sure. A quiet exhale was all he got in return. This ape was still alive, but not for long.

They would bury the body far away when the chimp passed, and be on their way.
 
Joao

The bonobo watched his leader as he approached the sickly ape, if for no other reason, to confirm that it was either dead or nearly there. Joao thought he saw it breathe, but he couldn't be sure. It didn't much matter whether it was alive or not. They couldn't do much for it if it was alive. Rather than worry about it, Joao busied himself with sipping the few drops of dew from the leaves nearest him, and sampling one tentatively. He was thirsty, and his hunger had never truly left him. If they traveled for any length of time, they would all be hungrier, burning up what energy they had. The steady supply of food and water was the only conceivable positive side to having been at the laboratory. That, and bandages, he thought, as he remembered his shoulder and brushed his fingers over the dampened gauze that had been crudely wrapped around his wound by ape hands.

Either way, Joao decided to follow Abtik after a few moments. He wanted to speak with him, or rather, sign. Joao wanted to know what plans Abtik had now, just as he had told Joao of them in the laboratory. He didn't necessarily wish to be so close to an ape that could be sick rather than injured, but he did what he had to do. Coming to a stop a branch or two from Abtik and the dying chimp, Joao offered only a brief glance to the other before catching Abtik's attention with a grunt. "When we leave? How long ape live?" He indicated the chimpanzee, despite the fact that there was none other he could have been referring to.

Cozy

Cozy hadn't noticed the chimp until Abtik and Joao had approached it. He furrowed his brows and stilled his fingers from his self grooming, swallowing thickly as he watched the lack of response from the ill or injured ape. Others seemed to be noticing now too as they woke and instinctively scanned the trees for Abtik. There was a knot in Cozy's stomach and it was almost as uncomfortable as the hunger. He didn't seem to be the only one who was nervous; he could hear others around him hooting quietly, and some were signing to one another. Friendships already seemed to be forming. Some had slept together in the same branches. But the dying chimp had been alone, and if nothing else, Cozy was glad that now at least they had Joao and Abtik at their side. They wouldn't die alone inside of a cage. None of them would anymore. They were free, and they were together.
 
Abtik took on a thoughtful expression. He didn't know the dying ape, but he felt sorrow nonetheless. Humans had a name for the specific feeling, but he couldn't recall the sound of it right now. "Hour, less" he signed. Even if the ape survived longer, it wasn't as if they could take him along. Heavily injured apes were dead weight if they couldn't walk on their own, as much as Abtik hated to admit it. "When sun touches tree-top, we leave."

He gestured to the tree they were currently perched on, to the very highest part of the canopy where the sun hadn't quite reached. They'd need to wake the heavy sleepers, bury the deceased ape, and he needed to figure out what their next move was. Abtik wanted to save as many as he could, but in the wild there were no promises, and doing so would require food and water - squirrels and rabbits and the dew collected on leaves wouldn't cut it. The part him that recognized the responsibility of leadership was weighing heavily now on his shoulders, and surely the stress of such a position would get to him at some point.

But by then they'd be safe, so perhaps not. He was overthinking things.
 
Joao

The bonobo studied Abtik's expressions as he looked over the ape and seemed to think before he answered. Abtik seemed upset that this chimp wouldn't survive. Maybe that was the more appropriate reaction to be having... And perhaps Joao would begin to feel the same way once he knew each ape as an individual. Then again, perhaps not. Joao had thought of himself first for his entire life and that was unlikely to change now. He should at least fake it for the sake of the others, though. Maybe if he pretended for long enough, the empathy would become genuine. Time would tell. Either way, Joao looked to the treetop when Abtik indicated it and gave a nod. This chimpanzee would soon be dead and the living would be on their way deeper into the forest. As far as Joao was concerned, they couldn't leave soon enough. Humans would look for them eventually.

Overnight, Joao had heard a loud choppy sound overhead that could only have been human work. But it was high up, far away, and nothing had come of it. But he knew that it wasn't the last that they would hear or see of humans. He remembered, vaguely, the day that he was taken from the jungle. Humans had surrounded his family with guns, chased them through the forest a bit, and then shot the mothers to take their young. They shot any males that charged them as well, from what Joao recalled. It had been a deafening barrage of banging from every direction, with dying screams of other bonobos mixed in. His mother had fallen, and hands had snatched him from her to toss him inside of something that was dark and inescapable. A cage, but made out of the same material as the clothing the humans wore. Joao knew how the humans operated when it came to capturing apes.

"Joao heard humans above." He signed after shaking himself from the memories, "Humans look for apes. Joao remember being taken. Humans will try again, make circle around apes, have..." Struggling to remember the sign, if he knew it at all, he formed his fingers into the shape of a gun as best he could. "...And cages made of clothes.What apes do when humans find us? More apes die when humans find us. Can not hide all apes from them."
 
Abtik had witnessed plenty of death. When he was young, he'd rarely grieved or mourned, and the idea of truly being saddened death seemed entirely alien to him. It had always been survival of the fittest, the strongest banding together to increase their odds tenfold. Tying oneself down with fear of the inevitable was naive, and Abtik was far from naive. He patted the ape's shoulder and found that its chest was no longer rising. All he felt was regret for the ape's passing, and weariness. With a huff, he lifted his gaze skyward, shielding his eyes with one hand to block out the incoming sunlight.

There was a brief pause where Abtik tore his gaze from the sky and scowled, replying, "Round up others. I lead them toward sunrise." If memory served him right, that was away from the human complex. They'd travel swiftly by tree as fast as they could to put distance between them and their human pursuers, and by late afternoon they ought to be free and clear long enough to rest.

Humans. So determined, but not as much as apes. Apes were more determined, and therein lied their strength. He was certain that most apes here would fight for their freedom without a second thought, in contrast to the cowardice and tendency to flee in humans. Abtik found a sliver of pride in that, then headed for the neighboring tree branches.
 
Joao

Joao watched his leader's signing hands and gave a nod, signing "Understand." before he turned away to begin climbing through the branches, prodding each ape that was still asleep, and signing to all that they would be moving soon and that the humans were looking for them, so they couldn't be leisurely. For those who hadn't been given the drug and didn't understand sign language, he grunted until they noticed the others beginning to move towards the tree Abtik was sitting in. That got the message across effectively enough and all that were able were surrounding Abtik and waiting for instruction. The few that were still injured moved more slowly, but they got there, although Joao was unimpressed by the speed at which they moved. He understood that they were wounded, but if Abtik slowed the pace of the rest of the troop to match their's, the humans would catch up to them for sure.

The bonobo approached Abtik after he had alerted the other apes, and turned his back to them so that only Abtik could see his signs. "Some are still slow. Humans will find apes if we slow for them." It was not Joao's decision to make and he was very aware of that, but Abtik would need to weigh the pros and cons. The apes would need numbers, but numbers would be meaningless if they landed themselves in cages again, or worse, shot dead in the forest. Joao wasn't sure what the humans would be aiming for at this point, but they had been shooting to kill during the escape, so it wasn't a stretch to assume that they could continue that pattern in the forest.

Cozy

The chimpanzee gathered with the others when Joao indicated for him to, and he noticed that the slumping chimp didn't seem to be breathing anymore. Just like that, that quickly... He was gone. That could have been any of them. Cozy dropped his head a little, tearing his eyes from the sight and wishing that he could forget having seen it. He had seen too many dead apes in his life and he hoped it would end now. As long as they could avoid the humans and find food, they would survive, and Cozy wouldn't need to come face to face with death on a regular basis. It was enough initiative for him to dedicate as much effort as possible to finding food when they settled into a new area of the forest. He might not have been an expert yet, but he could manage, and he would do everything he could to ensure the survival of the troop. They were all he had.
 
And then what would they be left with? Not enough. He understood and became conflicted with both sides of the issue - on one hand, leaving any of them behind would further lessen their numbers. On the other, the slower apes would only drag them down and increase their chances of being caught again. An inner ring privy to their plans would need to be created from the faster, more intelligent of the apes. A temporary thing devised to make sure that should the worse come to pass, the apes would know exactly what to do without having to slow the rest of them down to ask him for further directions.

Abtik scratched idly at his shoulder and focused his attention on recalling the fastest of his escape group as well as his hunting party. It would be seen as exclusive, suspicious to the intelligent apes, and not necessarily something he was willing to risk.

He contemplated this for a long while, as the apes were gathering. He signed to Joao as the bonobo approached. "Slow apes must be left if humans get closer." Abtik had made up his mind, however wrong it felt to leave behind a fellow ape. He hoped it would not come to that, that they could escape the human sphere of influence before being discovered. That meant leaving immediately. "They must try."

Turning to the rest of the apes gathered in the trees around him, Abtik greeted them with a simple gesture of the hand. Once he had their attention, he directed their gazes to the sunrise.

"Apes head toward sunrise, away from humans," he began, following his words with their appropriate signs to those who couldn't understand human language. "You follow me, close as able. You do not fall behind."

His voice was scratchy and demanding, a vague threat lurking behind every word. Now was time to prove themselves capable, not only to him, but to themselves as well. He was just giving them the chance.
 
Joao

Joao anxiously awaited Abtik's decision. He knew what he would choose, were he leader. He was sure that Abtik had an inkling as to what Joao had in mind as well. It wasn't worth the lives of the entire troop to slow enough for the injured to keep up with them. There was nothing that could be done about it; they couldn't make the weak heal any more quickly than they already were. Few would just have to be sacrificed to save many if it came down to a too close for comfort chase with humans pursuing them. As much as Joao hated to think such thoughts, if the apes did find themselves in such a situation, he would go off on his own before he would die with the group. He had to save himself if he could even if he was unable to save any of the others. Those were not the thoughts of a united group, but Joao couldn't help it.

The bonobo was relieved at Abtik's final word. The strong would survive, at the very least. He fully intended to be one of them. With a glance over his injured shoulder at the other apes, some looking nervous, some determined, some both, Joao huffed tensed his muscles. This would be it. They had made their initial escape, and now they had to more or less fight to keep the freedom they had taken for themselves. Joao was up for a fight... He wished he still had the gun he had taken back at the laboratory, but it was gone. A spear was all he had, and he would use it as viciously as he could manage if he had to. Even if he was smaller and weaker than the chimpanzees, he wasn't willing to die without fighting to live with every fiber of his being. Let the humans come for them...

Injured shoulder or not, Joao was one of the first apes behind Abtik when they did set off.

Cozy

Abtik's words created a knot in Cozy's stomach. He didn't like the sound of what was implied, if the apes didn't keep up with their leader. Cozy knew better than to challenge this, though, and so he kept his head down and obeyed. Cozy would have to try to think only of himself and his own safety, making sure that he kept pace without stopping to help anybody who slowed due to injury or fatigue. It would be difficult, but he would just have to manage. What other choice did he have? He had come this far, he couldn't jeopardize his new life now. When the apes began moving off, he did his best to stay in the middle, at least. It would be the apes in the back that would be the first targets, he was pretty sure of that, and he definitely did not want to be in the back in that case.
 
Numbers would only get them so far, but strong apes with the will to survive would keep them free. It would be a hard lesson and a warning - apes who would not, could not try were not welcome. It was the only way Abtik could express how much he truly cared about their future. He was honest and refused to coddle the weak, and if they asked, he would gladly answer and explain in full that what he did was for a reason, and what he wanted for them and the rest of the apes. If harshness was necessary for survival, if this was the only way he could weed out the weak, then so be it.

The phantom ache in his blind eye returned, and Abtik found himself idly rubbing the old scarring. With scars came either fear or deference, and the awareness that the one carrying those scars had experience. Challenges, social dealings, humans-- Abtik had experienced the worst of it, but it had made him a better leader, given him the skills required to do what he did. It all paid off in the end, even if part of him wished he hadn't had to go through it at all.

If only the humans would leave them alone, and experiment on their own species.

"We leave now," Abtik said, his voice rough but strong. He said no more and turned to the sunrise, then set off into the branches as fast as he could manage.
 
Joao

As the bonobo followed behind Abtik, he listened to the sounds around them. A forest was remarkably quiet compared to a laboratory, but the apes were not exactly silent as they moved. The brush of hands and feet on branches, smaller twigs snapping off as a black body collided with them, and an occasional hoot or grunt signaled their presence to any that could hear. Humans would be able to hear them, if they were close enough. But the apes would know they were there, if they were that near to them. There was no sign of humans this morning and Joao knew that they were slow moving on foot. The apes could outrun them, easily. It was those sky machines that worried him the most. He had already heard some that night. There would be more. Humans wouldn't give up that easily. But with the cover of the forest canopy, they just might evade detection.

Unless the humans tracked them. They left behind clear evidence of their presence with the disturbed leaves, broken and bent branches, and on some less alive trees, the removal of bark as their hands rubbed against it. Some had made nests in the trees they had slept in, also. They would have to find some way to leave less behind, if that were possible. The next time they stopped, Joao would bring this up with Abtik. For now, though, he focused on where they were going. As it turned out, they were headed for the river... Something of a natural barrier, if the branches of the trees on either side weren't close enough together for them to jump. The weaker might not manage the hurdle.

Cozy

The river, Cozy was familiar with. When their group came to a halt, he swung himself until he was near Abtik and wasted no time in sharing his knowledge, hoping it would prove useful. "There is a place down river, water not as deep, apes can walk across. Berries on other side." He watched Abtik closely for a reaction, his expression hopeful in the way only a young one hoping to prove himself could be. He was one of the youngest in the group, but he knew things about the river that they didn't, and also about the land on the other side. Things they might like to know, things he would be more than happy to tell them. "Water is scary, but not deep. Safe."
 
It was sudden, how the forest came to life when the apes began to move. Chaos would have been an appropriate term for what was happening, and it filled him with a rush of exhilaration he hadn’t felt since he was young. It was good to move, and he was absolutely certain that the others felt the same judging by how hard they pushed to keep up.

Abtik drew himself up onto a higher branch to peer across the river. A light overhang that would no doubt provide the support they'd need for a landing, if the apes could manage to propel themselves that far. His lack of depth perception made judging the distance more difficult, but he could tell where the leap would be a challenge and which branches would require the least effort.

What Cozy suggested seemed… too easy, but perhaps the berries would make up for it. There was a pause when Abtik considered this, running comparisons through his head. Jumping across, or walking through downriver? One was safe, the other faster, but if he could keep his apes alive, the time it would take would be a necessary sacrifice.

He decided on the safer option, and made his descent toward the forest floor.

The stream did appear to become more shallow farther down, if the abundance of slick rock and visible sand was anything to go by. This was where their tracks would end, and where the humans would lose their trail.
 
Joao

Walk across the river? Joao didn't like the idea, and not only because it had been suggested by an ape that he had a grudge against. Water was for drinking, not stepping into. He distinctly remembered his wild family teaching him to avoid it, although come to think of it, he wasn't sure exactly why. He had always taken their word for it. If they acted as though it was dangerous, it had to be. On the other hand, if Cozy had already crossed it far enough to know that there were berries on the other side, that suggested that it was safe. He was none the worse for wear. The question then was whether or not the other apes would be willing to get wet. It stood to reason that a fear of water was rooted into their minds as well, even if most of them were chimpanzees, not bonobos, as he was. They were similar, even if they were different.

Joao followed Abtik in the direction which Cozy had indicated, peering out over the gurgling stream to catch a glimpse of the sandy bottom. He could make out sand and rocks, close enough to the surface of the water to be visible. He wasn't quite sure how to mentally measure its depth in relation to his height. Joao was shorter and smaller than the adult chimpanzees were, so he ha more to worry about. What was immediately clear, though, was that this would be a two legged endeavor, and he wasn't exactly thrilled with that idea. Two legged walking was a human thing... But not drowning was better than keeping his pride and dying.

Cozy

Cozy, too, followed Abtik, pointing out the exact area that he had used to cross the previous day, complete with the faint outlines of his footsteps still visible in the damp earth where the water touched the land. "Walk on feet like humans, water not cover head." Cozy knew that at seven years, he was quite a bit younger than many of the others, and therefore smaller. If he could manage, the others wouldn't have any problems, if logic came into play here. The stream couldn't be deeper today than it had been yesterday. He would go first if he had to, even, to make the others less nervous. It wasn't a thought he would have expected himself to have, but he was proud of it either way.
 
The last thing they wanted to be doing was wading through water, but it was vital to their escape. He could already feel their imploring stares, and the subsequent resignation that would come with his pushing. They'd be unhappy and uncomfortable, but they'd be safer than they were this morning. Abtik led the group towards the shallow end of the river.

The muddy bottom would make it difficult to walk upright, but they could find support among the rocks if they held tight enough. Only in such a case where they would become severely unbalanced, but the water was low enough that the odds were in their favor. Abtik cast Cozy an appreciative look before signing and instructing the apes to follow close behind. Then he stepped out, testing the water and hissing lightly when he found that it was cold.

Straight, upright walking was wrong, and stiff. His back just simply did not want to straighten to such a degree, and resisting the urge to bend at the knee was difficult. The water at his feet was, however shallow, freezing. He should have expected as much considering the time of day, but it was bearable and he pushed onward, peering back occasionally to check for the others.
 
Joao

The bonobo watched with raised brows as Abtik entered the water, noting that the water came up over his waist, perhaps to the bottom of his ribcage. It wouldn't be over Joao's head, but it would certainly come up higher to his body than some of the others. Not enough risk for Joao to go off on his own in search of a tree crossing, at any rate. It was the upright walking now that he had to worry about. He wasn't good at it, even for a bonobo, which were normally more at home on their feet than other apes. Joao was out of practice, and admittedly had no desire to relearn, but it was now obvious that he had to put some things behind him if he were to survive in the wilderness.

Letting several chimps go before him, Joao sucked in a breath and rose from his knuckles, walking in a clumsy fashion into the water, his arms held awkwardly above his head to avoid getting them wet. The water was cold, wet, and all kindsof unpleasant, and he wanted out of it as soon as possible. That seemed to be the general consensus, as the chimpanzees didn't spend any longer wading through it than they absolutely needed to. Joao was grateful when he finally climbed onto the bank on the other side, immediately working to squeeze and pinch the water droplets from what fur he did have. The others took the example and either groomed themselves or each other, some shivering from the coldness of the water that soaked them.

Cozy

Cozy waited until each ape had crossed, offering reassurance in the form of patting the backs of those who grimaced in fear before they entered the water. The young chimp rocked from foot to foot, a physical manifestation of his anxious excitement, until the last ape hauled itself out of the water. Only then did he enter himself, the grainy sand beneath his feet a fresh memory from the previous day. As soon as he made landfall on the other side, Cozy chirped and pointed out the berry bushes to the others, hopeful. Their gratitude was apparent on their faces, causing his chest to well with pride as they began plucking the tiny fruits.

After visually locating Abtik, Cozy approached him with his distinctive wobbling walk, his hands free to sign. "All make it." He smiled cautiously as he formed the gestures, knowing quite well that Abtik was fully aware, but his pride demanded that he reiterate. He had done well, solved a problem, and provided a snack for the troop. The best part was that tracks could not be left in the water, and the humans might not know which way they went, when they came looking for them. Waiting for a response or further instruction, the young ape brushed some of the water from his arms, wondering if he should offer to groom Abtik as the others were doing, or if they should keep moving.
 
He grumbled softly as the chill as it set in. Abtik was swiftly reminded of why he had such a strong dislike for water, despite his tolerance of it. He waded through because it was necessary, not because he enjoyed frozen baths in the river. When he made it to the other end, he shook off until the cold came from the air and not the faint dampness clinging to his lower body. He grimaced and retreated to the drier rocks, where the sand and dirt were at least drier than himself.

Abtik gave Cozy a nod, thankful and somewhat impressed. The berries were sure to keep the apes satisfied and happy for a while longer, and by their look they must taste good, too. Perhaps he'd taste some for himself. Abtik signed to Cozy, "Good. Collect berries. Then we move." He pointed again towards the sun, because that was where he wanted them to go. His concern and paranoia was making patience difficult, but he managed with a trip to a berry bush, to keep his mind at east. They would be fine, he just needed to get them a little farther.
 
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