Birth of the Planet of the Apes

Riley Wilson

Yet another long and stressful walk took Malcolm the few blocks to the ruin of the once grand Hotel Drisco. It, along with the surrounding blocks, had been turned into homes when Fremont and his men arrived, the concrete and steel structures holding strong throughout their years of neglect.

Hotels like this one had been well used during Dreyfus and his running of the colony but they had been wary to use the Drisco for its location near Presidio Park and the Golden Gate Bridge, the reasons being quite obvious. Fremont, on the other hand, preferred the open land in front of him and the building-high fences behind him.

The building served as the main living quarters for 'higher-ups' now, guards stationed at its doors so proper headcounts could be taken during the day of everyone's coming and goings. Due to requirements, Malcolm stated his name and reason for being there to the guards, entered the lobby, and made his way across the dirt and trash-ridden floor to what was left of the leather lobby couches. Riley was sitting on the closest couch facing toward the back of the building. Her mousey brown hair pulled up tight behind her head.

Once he got closer, he gave a quick clear of his throat to announce his presence to which the girl shot out of her seat and looked back at him, standing as straight as a rail. Civilian my ass, he thought. With heavy travel clothes and tall hiking boots over her pants, she looked every bit a soldier. He was tempted to turn around and rip Fremont and new one when she eased some of his stress away.

"Sorry," she said with a big sigh of relief, "I thought you were Colonel Fremont. I always feel like you have to be all soldier-y when you're around him."

Malcolm couldn't hide the relieved smile that took him over. "I surely understand you there," He said with an offered hand, "My name is Malcolm."

Her returned smile was large and toothy. "Riley," she said, taking his hand with a grip, Malcolm noticed, that should have belonged to a man twice his size rather than a girl who barely reached his shoulders. It must've been her climbing training.

Ignoring the way his fingers had cracked together, Malcolm smiled wider then took a seat on the opposite couch. He initially hoped that his mood would stay light; the girl didn't seem to put off any bad vides, but the thoughts of the file and his conversation with Fremont came back quickly, dashing his hopes for keeping his positive first impressions of Riley intact. He sighed at his drop in mood then went straight to the chase.

"So, Greg's told me you'll be leaving tomorrow?"

The girl sagged her shoulders but didn't lose any of her confidence, "Yes, sir he did. I was told to seek out any evidence of the apes, try to make contact with them, and hopefully find out if there's any possible threat from them."

"And do you think there's a threat, Riley?"

Her eyes fell for a few seconds, "I..." she looked up, confidence back, "No. I don't think they're a threat now. The ape that started the attack a year ago was killed, and all the others stopped fighting when Caesar showed up so...no."

"How old are you, Riley?"

"I turned twenty a few months ago," she said, a slight hint of annoyance came through her eyes but her voice stayed even.

Malcolm noticed her quick flinch in attitude. "And why do you think Fremont chose you for this? What made him decide on someone so young to be our representative to the apes?"

The second reference to her age made her mood falter and she quickly went on the defensive. "If you want to know, Fremont said he joined the Army straight out of high school and I would've graduated a few years ago. I may be just out of my teens, but I haven't been a child since the outbreak started, my dad made sure of that."

"And how did your dad die, Riley?" Malcolm hated doing this, but he had learned that buttons needed to be pushed to get to peoples' true intentions and if he was going to find out what, if anything, was really going on, it needed to be done.

The question struck the cord he was looking for. Riley's small, brown eyes turned down, the pain coming to her face in short waves.

"He...he was killed," she clenched the cloth of her pants between her fingers, "By...the apes."

Malcolm leaned back with a sigh and rubbed his eyes. He knew she was going to be biased. Fremont was a fool to...

"I don't blame them..."

Her words caught his attention. He looked up from his slump and met her eyes. They were red with held back tears but the confidence she had had when they met was out in force.

"I don't blame the apes for what they did," she sniffed, "The leader had them all at gunpoint. He shot my parents and my brother to make an example to the others. Seven people he killed then...and two apes. They had refused to do it themselves so he killed them to. He...he's dead now...so I have nothing to have a grudge on anymore." She looked back down and wiped her face of the few tears that managed to spill over, "The other apes saved us later. When the one with the scars rescued the apes that were in the bus, we managed to escape to. I know most people might ignore it and think it was just them saving each other, but...I think it went both ways. I mean an orangutan picked me up when the crowd knocked me over! I could've been crushed! Yeah...I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I'm too young, that I don't have enough experience, tha..."

"Maurice,"

She jumped, eyes shooting up to him, "Wh...what?"

He smiled at her, "The orangutan. I would bet you three days rations that that was who picked you up. It sounds like something he'd do."

Her eyes brightened. "D...do you think I'll meet him?" she said with hopeful enthusiasm.

"Most likely, I doubt there's anyone alive who's met Caesar and hasn't met Maurice," he gave himself a welcome laugh at the memory, "The two of them are probably greater friends than any of us here."

"So..." she looked positive, "Do you agree with Fremont? Do you think I'll do a good job?"

Though there was still a hint of hesitation on his mind, Malcolm smiled, "I think you'll do just fine...but..." he could see her heart sinking, "I don't think you should go by yourself. It doesn't matter how much training you have or how naturally skilled you are, having you alone out there is one of the worst ideas Greg's ever had."

She laughed and fell back on the couch, arms in the air, "Finally! Someone agrees with me!" she shouted.

He joined her in laughter for a good while before they started the conversation back up.

Malcolm tried to give Riley as much information on the apes as he could remember, and by the end of the afternoon he decided he liked Riley and that he was sure as hell going to make sure she got her mission done, even if it meant going under Fremont's nose.