Planet Denver 981 A.S
In the quieter suburbs of planet Denver a wizened old man parked in the drive way of his now familiar home and made for the front door at a leisurely pace. Of course when he was halfway up the steps the familiar cry of the kids next door drew his attention. "Mr James, Mr James your home." Turning to greet the ever persistent youngsters he offered them a cordial and a sweet cake which they accepted with much enthusiasm.
"So where have you been Mr James?"
"Yeah you haven't been home for weeks."
"I've been away on business again."
Replied James he managed to continue doing odd jobs for his old Intelligence Agency well past his retirement age. Nothing as exciting as what he got up to in his youth but still enough to fool him into thinking he was young again for a few weeks. At least when the kids remembered to call him "Mr James" instead of "Mr Waricson".
"So" said the youngest impatiently "are you going to tell us a story of not?"
"Well that was fast. when will you kids learn some..."
"TACT" chorused the children.
"... no. Patience"
The room was silent for a few seconds be fore the youngest decides to pipe up again.
"So will you tell us a story now?"
Admitting defeat James settles in and prepares for another rendition of his adventure.
"Ok have I ever told you about the time I was sent to look for the secret Gallic..."
"Yes"
"The search for the rouge gunboat captain?"
"Yes"
"The time I spent 3 days in a lifeboat to avoid being detected over hamburg?"
"Yes"
"Ah how about the story of the Librarian?"
"...No."
"Ah well then sit back and enjoy wile i do my best to do this epic series of event honor through retelling. You all ready for a story?"
"Just start already Mr James."
"Ok here goes."
Primus was discovered by a privately financed deep space recon expedition in 490 A.S. First explorers were amazed by weird wildlife species inhabiting the planet and lack of any large plants. Air was fine for breathing, and soon several thousands of colonists settled the planet. In 40 years time, many of them died of unknown causes. The colonists conducted further research that revealed strong radiation sources inside the planet that were harmful to human beings planetside. Transports were sent to Primus in hope to evacuate the planet's population before it's too late. However the transports were destroyed by unknown alien ships. Afterwards, aliens (that were later called "Nomads") took the system under their control, and Primus became unreachable for humans. Communications with planet were lost, and after the only jump hole into Omicron Theta collapsed, inhabitants of Primus - if any of them survived - were completely isolated from Sirius sector... for a time.
For a time the survivors of the calamity continued their existence while their bodies regressed (or developed if you ask the colonists themselves) to that of a monkey. In the some 400 years between settlement and now they remained untouched and undisturbed. Technology made few advancements as any attempt at space flight ended in a grizzly end at the hands of the nomads. Any attempt to design an orbital craft was always at the behest of some starry eyed dreamer intoxicated on tale of infinite space and prosperity that had fallen into the realm of myth and legend. Dr Horace Worblehat was one such dreamer and this is his story.
It had not been a good day for Horace, troubles at the university as normal. It had been nothing but stagnation since he signed up with research. For all the ad campaigns, promises of advancement and news of the exciting time that all of the monkeys on primus heard daily, everyone at the university knew that the monkey society was in a rut, and it wasn't about to change. 400 years of being at the space age but an able to fly had all but crippled their academic drive. Atrophy was the main thing killing the monkeys. While the rest at the university grew accustomed to the fact and pumped out their propaganda, growing fat on generous salaries from a society desperate for change, Horace had a dream, 'The librarian'.
A state of the art research vessel built with the purpose of breaking the nomad blockade and determining the fate of the rest of the human race. He had built it himself using whatever spare money he had in the vain hope that somehow, some miracle would fall from the heavens and open a path through the aliens that filled their sky.
No one understood what drove him to build it and truth be told Horace didn't know at the time either.
'This obsession of yours is becoming unhealthy.' Chimed his friend for the hundredth time not one hour ago.
'What obsession? I've only spent my spare time on it how is it unhealthy?' Came the stock standard rebuke.
But then on that very day the response changed from 'You're wasting time you could be spending doing other things.' To 'You're getting your hopes up for nothing you are never going to get off primus not in that or any other contraption we dream up.'
The cold logic in his best friend's voice brought a foul mood that persisted for ages. Even as Horace sat there stirring his coffee outside his favourite café while the lover strolled and the musician played the same ballads that had persisted for the past 150 years he felt worn down. He sat there utterly absorbed by his own predicament. However his concentration was scattered in a flash of blue and pink. The next few minutes passed in a blur for him when clarity returned he was being treated for mild concussion while right in front of his eyes two of the local police were wrestling with a figure.
He knew it wasn't a concussion even though it had to be. That slender figure, the hairless skin, the enlarged cranium. In that moment he knew that that figure was his miracle, and that figure, was me.
'Get your goddamn paws off me! I'm allowed to park here!' at this point I treated the monkey policeman to a face full of elbow and made another run for freedom.
'Sir you are in direct violation of planet primus laws and regulations continue to act in this manor and you will be charged with resisting arrest.'
'Oh isn't that quaint a monkey pretending its people. Well I've had it with this planet and its backwards rules. You and your baboon friends can all rot for all I care. Get away from me you stupid ape.'
Of course I wasn't thinking too well at that point, the shock of an actual planet full of apes you see. So my evasion ability wasn't at its best otherwise I would never have been caught. After a few scuffles and some dialogue you children will not be privy to I found myself in a jail cell with the knowledge that I was in fact illegally parked and no way to pay bail. Things look bleak but that's when Horace stepped in.
'Hey human!' Said the guard attracting my attention 'Visitor to see you.'
This was honestly a surprise I never thought in my wildest dreams I would have any attention paid to me at all, maybe the experimental kind but the young chimp's eyes said wanderlust not, as I had expected, discuss.
'Hello' he said
'Hi' came my reply.
'You're human.'
'And you're a bloody monkey.' However seeing the hurt in those eyes made me change my tact. 'Sorry I don't believe I've introduced myself my names James Waricson.'
'Horace, Horace Worblehat.'
'What brings you here Horace?'
'You're from space. A real homosapien. One of the ancestors.'
'And what is that suppose to mean?'
'It means you are what I am looking for, what we are all looking for. You are a link to the past and the future. Our society has gone hundreds of years with no change no new tech no struggles, no triumphs, we are all looking for something new something different and you can give it to us. Tell me what has happened since Primus was cut off.'
'Oh yeah? What the information worth?'
'One shot of anti radiation serum. We developed it to survive on this planet but by then we were already monkeys. Without it you won't last weeks.'
'Weeks?! You got to get me off this planet that serum won't go far.'
'I'm sorry no way off this planet not with those aliens up there. The history of Sirius for the serum, take it or leave it.'
I don't know what made me say the next bit maybe it was the look in his eyes when he said it or that he already sounded like he was compromising but I could just tell.
'You don't believe there isn't a way off do you. You think it's possible don't you'
The slight bob of the head let me know I was in business.
'You have a ship don't you, you built one. I have rescue coming in a few days but my ship is out of fuel and you use a different type. You promise me passage off this rock and I'll see you live up to it. Deal? '
'Deal!' said Horace as we shook hands through the bars.
'Get your goddamn paws off me! I'm allowed to park here!' at this point I treated the monkey policeman to a face full of elbow and made another run for freedom.
'Sir you are in direct violation of planet primus laws and regulations continue to act in this manor and you will be charged with resisting arrest.'
'Oh isn't that quaint a monkey pretending its people. Well I've had it with this planet and its backwards rules. You and your baboon friends can all rot for all I care. Get away from me you stupid ape.'
Of course I wasn't thinking too well at that point, the shock of an actual planet full of apes you see. So my evasion ability wasn't at its best otherwise I would never have been caught. After a few scuffles and some dialogue you children will not be privy to I found myself in a jail cell with the knowledge that I was in fact illegally parked and no way to pay bail. Things look bleak but that's when Horace stepped in.
'Hey human!' Said the guard attracting my attention 'Visitor to see you.'
This was honestly a surprise I never thought in my wildest dreams I would have any attention paid to me at all, maybe the experimental kind but the young chimp's eyes said wanderlust not, as I had expected, discuss.
'Hello' he said
'Hi' came my reply.
'You're human.'
'And you're a bloody monkey.' However seeing the hurt in those eyes made me change my tact. 'Sorry I don't believe I've introduced myself my names James Waricson.'
'Horace, Horace Worblehat.'
'What brings you here Horace?'
'You're from space. A real homosapien. One of the ancestors.'
'And what is that suppose to mean?'
'It means you are what I am looking for, what we are all looking for. You are a link to the past and the future. Our society has gone hundreds of years with no change no new tech no struggles, no triumphs, we are all looking for something new something different and you can give it to us. Tell me what has happened since Primus was cut off.'
'Oh yeah? What the information worth?'
'One shot of anti radiation serum. We developed it to survive on this planet but by then we were already monkeys. Without it you won't last weeks.'
'Weeks?! You got to get me off this planet that serum won't go far.'
'I'm sorry no way off this planet not with those aliens up there. The history of Sirius for the serum, take it or leave it.'
I don't know what made me say the next bit maybe it was the look in his eyes when he said it or that he already sounded like he was compromising but I could just tell.
'You don't believe there isn't a way off do you. You think it's possible don't you'
The slight bob of the head let me know I was in business.
'You have a ship don't you, you built one. I have rescue coming in a few days but my ship is out of fuel and you use a different type. You promise me passage off this rock and I'll see you live up to it. Deal? '
'Deal!' said Horace as we shook hands through the bars.