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While Buck Rogers effortlessly navigated the futuristic Inner City, his good fortune led him to a high-tech haven where finding a home was as simple as a few clicks; Astronaut Taylor, on the other hand, faced an unfortunate twist of fate as he relentlessly searched for shelter in the desolate and treacherous Forbidden Zone, where every step seemed to push him further away from finding solace.
Home was not to be found in the limitless mass of wasteland that stretched out before them. With each plodding step, the horse dutifully carried their combined weight, its hooves sinking into the dry, cracked earth. The relentless sun beat down upon them, a remote circle of fire far above the leaden skies, intensifying the desolation that surrounded them.
Taylor, with determination etched on his face, guided the horse up a long slope that seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. As they ascended, the slope closed off any view of the horizon and what might lay before them. Nova clung to him tightly, her grip more akin to that of a frightened child than an expectant mother.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of arduous riding, they had triumphantly cleared the crest of the steep slope.
Taylor halted in stupefaction, his heart pounding as he violently tugged on the reins to bring the horse to a sudden stop. Before him stretched a sight so unimaginable, so grotesque, that it seemed like a glimpse into the very depths of Hell itself.
A monstrous burial mound of jagged, twisted rock and rubble loomed ominously, stretching as far as the eye could fathom. It resembled an unfathomable graveyard, where the remnants of a once thriving civilization lay scattered like forgotten tombstones, both small and large. Each jutting artifact served as a haunting reminder of a world long since obliterated and irrevocably extinguished. The ravaged and unmistakable summits of Manhattan's towering skyscrapers stood defiantly amidst the desolation; their once gleaming facades today marred by destruction. These skeletal structures rose like grotesque specters from the depths of chaos, casting eerie shadows that danced with malevolence in the harsh glare of an unforgiving sun.
The glimmering, glasslike façade of the MetLife Building stood before Taylor, but something was off. As he stared at it, a sense of unease washed over him. The once sleek and modern structure now appeared twisted and distorted, its windows reflecting a sinister darkness that seemed to devour the surrounding light. His heart quickened as he noticed the building's spires stretching upward like gnarled fingers, reaching for the heavens with an eerie determination. The pointed tips seemed to pierce through the night sky, casting long shadows that danced ominously on the streets below.
The powerful snub of the Empire State Building, which had always exuded a sense of grandeur and strength, now emanated an unsettling aura. Its once majestic silhouette was marred by jagged cracks that ran along its surface like deep scars. The very essence of its towering presence seemed to be crumbling away, leaving behind a haunting reminder of its former glory.
Then there was the symmetrical squared roof of the RCA Building and the glimmering, glasslike façade that once exuded an air of modernity and elegance, now seemed to Taylor like a sinister fortress from another realm. As he stared at the towering structure, a chill ran down his spine, for its windows appeared as cold and lifeless eyes peering into his very soul.
The vision did not dissolve or shimmer or go away. It remained steadfast, etched into his mind with an indelible mark. Bitterly, his heart dying within him, he knew he was staring at the remnants of a long-since-buried New York—a city that once thrived with life and vibrancy but now lay in ruins.
Nova murmured uneasily behind him in a voice that was barely audible above the haunting silence. It was an animal sound—a mixture of fear and curiosity that mirrored his own emotions.
A low, hissing wind stole over the devastated landscape, carrying with it a haunting sense of desolation. Taylor’s voice was barely audible as he spoke softly to himself, more than to Nova. "Well," he murmured, his words blending with the melancholic breeze. "Home sweet home! Just look at this graveyard, Nova. It's the grand climax of five centuries of human culture—yes." His eyes scanned the ruins before him, taking in the crumbling skyscrapers and decaying remnants of what was once a bustling metropolis.
Taylor's mind wandered as he pondered who might still inhabit this desolate place. "I wonder who lives here now," he mused aloud, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and morbid fascination. "Besides radioactive worms." He chuckled dryly at his own dark humor. But no one answered Taylor’s question.
Like all dead things, ruined New York was inscrutable.
"Let's find out," Taylor said to the girl, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. He urged their mount down the slope, navigating carefully through the debris that littered their path. The air was heavy with silence, broken only by the distant echoes of nature reclaiming its dominion.
Nova's heart raced as she desperately tugged at Taylor's arm, her eyes wide with fear. She beckoned frantically, urging Taylor to look down below. As Taylor turned their gaze towards the scene, their mouth fell open in astonishment.
Unbelievably, a tremendous and ominous change had engulfed the once-serene panorama. A colossal wall of fire, seemingly born out of nowhere, now stood menacingly in their path. It had erupted from the shrubbery, cutting a path across the barren rock and sand with an inexplicable force. The flames danced and flickered with an intensity that seemed to defy reason, transforming the tranquil landscape into a raging inferno of scorching heat and blinding brightness. The horse beneath them sensed the imminent danger and reacted instinctively. With a thunderous neigh of terror, it reared up on its hind legs, its eyes wide with panic.
The high barrier of flame, crackling and sending out great waves of scorching heat, completely concealed buried New York from view. It had seemed to vanish in the twinkling of an eye. The once bustling city now lay hidden beneath a fiery shroud, its towering skyscrapers reduced to mere silhouettes against the inferno.
"What... what the hell's feeding it?" Taylor bellowed hoarsely, his voice barely audible over the roaring flames. He scanned the surroundings desperately, searching for any signs of fuel or combustible materials that could sustain this monstrous firestorm. But there was nothing –not even so much as a tumbleweed.
The horse had U-turned violently, almost flinging the two of them off. Taylor's heart pounded in their chest as they cursed under their breath, desperately clinging to the reins. The crackling flames roared behind them, their fiery tongues licking ever nearer, closing in on them with an insatiable hunger. Its hooves, pounding against the earth, took to the gallop with an unparalleled fervor. Its powerful muscles flexed and strained as it propelled itself forward, racing away from the unknown that lurked behind. The wind whipped through its mane, carrying with it a sense of urgency and determination.
As the horse thundered on, its rhythmic strides echoed through the air, creating a symphony of strength and freedom. With each stride, it seemed to leave behind the chaos and uncertainty that had plagued New York City. The towering skyscrapers faded into mere specks on the horizon as the horse carried its riders further away.
"We'll reach it another way," Taylor said grimly, his determination unwavering as he urged the horse forward in a flanking movement. The city loomed ahead, its towering structures engulfed in an eerie glow from the mysterious blaze that had consumed it. But Taylor was undeterred; he knew there had to be another way in.
With each stride of the horse's powerful legs, they circled the city, venturing into uncharted territory. The landscape shifted around them, from rugged cliffs to dense forests, as they sought a path that would lead them to their destination undetected. Taylor's mind raced with possibilities, analyzing every angle and strategizing their approach.
As they passed the oasis once more, Taylor couldn't help but steal a glance at its tranquil beauty amidst the chaos surrounding them. It served as a reminder of what they were fighting for - a chance to uncover the truth behind the enigmatic blaze and put an end to its destructive power.
"Okay, here we go again," he muttered under his breath, the words escaping his lips like a desperate plea. He had to talk, had to say something. Whether the girl understood him or not, it didn't matter. Hearing his voice was a desperate attempt to grasp some semblance of reality in a universe that seemed to have gone completely mad.
With determination etched on his face, he tightened his grip on the reins and turned the horse around, preparing for a second approach.
But the unrealities seemed to multiply. Shadows danced eerily across the landscape, distorting familiar shapes into grotesque forms. The once vibrant colors of nature now appeared muted and distorted, as if someone had painted over them with a haphazard brush.
The air itself felt heavy and suffocating, carrying whispers of forgotten dreams and shattered hopes. The eerie silence that hung in the air seemed to echo with the weight of lost memories and unspoken secrets.
Scarcely had they started on their journey, the sun still shining brightly overhead, when a colossal clap of thunder reverberated through the air. It was as if the heavens themselves were shaken by an unseen force, and in that very instant, something inexplicable occurred. The once serene sky transformed into a swirling mass of black clouds, obscuring the once radiant sunlight. Within seconds, darkness descended upon them like a heavy curtain, casting an eerie gloom over the landscape. The world around them seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of what was to come.
And then it happened – from below the far horizon, rods of forked lightning shot forth with a ferocity that sent shivers down their spines. The horse, sensing danger in its primal instincts, reared up in bewilderment and terror. Its eyes widened with fear as it struggled to comprehend the sudden shift in nature's temperament. Each bolt of lightning struck down to the earth like glittering stakes in an electrified fence. What was worse, they seemed to advance toward Taylor, the girl, and the horse, with an unwavering determination. Their steps were steady and purposeful as if driven by an unseen force. The sound of their approach was drowned out by the deafening thunderclaps that echoed through the air, each one more vicious than the last.
As if to intensify their presence, rain began to pour down from the heavens above. It wasn't just any rain; it was a fierce downpour that fell in torrents, hitting the ground with a hissing sound that seemed to mock Taylor's struggle. The droplets merged into blinding sheets of water, obscuring her vision and making it nearly impossible to see beyond a few feet.
The sky, which had been clear and serene only moments ago, transformed into a sea of dark fury. Angry clouds swirled overhead, their ominous presence casting an eerie shadow over the landscape. The relentless downpour pounded against Nova's skin, drenching her clothes and sending shivers down her spine as if nature's fury was determined to wash away all traces of her existence.
The majestic horse, its eyes wide with fear, continued to rear up on its hind legs, its powerful muscles rippling beneath its sleek coat. With each thunderous crash of lightning and deafening clap of thunder, the horse's whinnies echoed through the stormy night, a desperate plea for safety. Taylor, their grip firm on the reins, fought against the beast's instinctual urge to flee from nature's relentless onslaught.
"Nature seems determined," Taylor gasped, "to erase our error. Wait!" He lashed out at the horse, gripping its head tightly as Nova sought shelter behind him. Their soaked bodies merged in a feeble, fluid embrace. Swiftly, they fled from the roaring deluge. The horse raced until the storm passed, and Taylor halted it. Then, he turned it around once more, determined to return to the buried New York. He couldn't explain why it mattered, but he knew he had to go back.
But the world was truly mad. The once harmonious balance of nature had been shattered, and chaos reigned supreme. The elements, once obedient and predictable, had now run amok, unleashing their fury upon the unsuspecting inhabitants of the earth.
Nature itself seemed to be rebelling against humanity's reckless disregard for its delicate equilibrium.
Rising directly in his path, like an unexpected sentinel, stood a towering wall of ice. It stretched out before them, a formidable barrier that seemed to defy all logic and reason. The ice wall was a marvel to behold, its surface smooth and glistening under the relentless rays of the sun. It appeared impenetrable ---as if nature itself had conspired to create an unyielding fortress. Its sheer height reached towards the heavens, casting an imposing shadow over the surrounding landscape.
Taylor's mind stopped. He stood frozen in his tracks, his heart pounding in his chest. The sight before him was beyond anything he had ever imagined - a colossal mass of ice, reaching towards the heavens, its sheer size and magnificence dwarfing all of his logic and strength.
As he stared up at the towering icy structure, a wave of fear washed over him. It was not just any fear; it was a primal, bone-chilling terror that gripped every fiber of his being. The weight of its presence pressed down on him, suffocating him with an overwhelming sense of insignificance.
The ice seemed to pulsate with an otherworldly energy, casting an ethereal glow that illuminated the surrounding landscape. Its sharp edges glistened like diamonds under the sunlight, reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors that danced across Taylor's wide-eyed face.
He couldn't tear his gaze away from this mesmerizing spectacle. It defied all rational explanations, defying the very laws of nature.
"That wasn't here," he murmured, his voice barely audible amidst the eerie silence that enveloped them. The sight before him was both mesmerizing and terrifying, a grotesque manifestation of something otherworldly. "A minute ago, that wasn't here!" Taylor's heart pounded in his chest as he turned to Nova, desperately seeking some reassurance in her eyes. Instead, he found her cowering behind him, her small frame trembling with fear, her eyes tightly shut to shield herself from the terrible apparition that now haunted their path.
Taylor's mind raced with confusion and disbelief. How could this be happening? It felt like a nightmare brought to life, a twisted reality that defied all logic. He had always been a skeptic when it came to supernatural occurrences, dismissing them as mere figments of imagination or elaborate hoaxes. But now, faced with this inexplicable phenomenon right before his eyes, he couldn't deny the undeniable truth any longer.
"And it isn't just me who's seeing things," Taylor breathed scratchily. He steadied the horse's restive head. "Can two people have the same nightmare?"
Shocked, he pulled the girl away from the icy precipice. She clung to him tightly, her nails piercing his tired body. Taylor snapped out of his daze. Suddenly, a deafening rumble shook the ground behind him. The girl screamed. Taylor reacted swiftly, steering the horse away from the massive fissure that had opened up in the ground. Thank God the exhausted beast was controllable. If it had bolted suddenly...
Taylor dismounted from the horse, his movements deliberate and focused. With a purposeful grip, he unslung the rifle from the bolster on the saddle, feeling its weight in his hands. The icy wind howled around him as he stood on the narrow ledge, a mere ten yards separating him from the treacherous crevice and the sheer precipice of ice.
Taking a moment to steady himself, Taylor shook off the numbing cold that seemed to seep into his very bones. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins. This was no ordinary expedition; it was a test of both physical endurance and mental fortitude.
As he glanced down at the unforgiving abyss below, Taylor's mind raced with thoughts of what lay ahead. The crevice beckoned him with its mysterious allure, promising untold secrets and hidden treasures. But it also held danger beyond imagination - an unpredictable maze of icy caverns and bottomless chasms.
Taylor's heart pounded in his chest as he weighed the exhilarating prospect of exploration against the daunting risks that awaited him.
"Impossible! But it's there---I'm not dreaming. Or else I----or maybe the whole universe---has gone mad!" The words echoed in his mind as he stood before the towering ice face, his heart pounding with a mix of disbelief and determination.
He took a step closer. The icy surface seemed to shimmer, reflecting an otherworldly glow that sent shivers down his spine. It was a sight that defied all logic and reason, yet it stood before him, undeniable and real.
His mind raced, trying to make sense of what lay before him. How could this be? A colossal wall of ice rising from the barren landscape, stretching as far as the eye could see? It was as if nature itself had sculpted this magnificent structure with meticulous precision.
He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of determination coursing through his veins. There was something about this enigmatic ice face that called to his adventurous spirit. The sheer magnitude of the ice wall both intimidated and excited him. He couldn't resist the urge to conquer this frozen behemoth and uncover the secrets it held within. With every step closer, his heart pounded with anticipation, ready to face the challenges that lay ahead.
Nova, perched atop the horse, observed him with wide eyes, fear etching itself onto her face like a permanent mask. She couldn't tear her gaze away as Taylor wielded the rifle with a determined grip, desperately trying to carve out a foothold in their dire situation. The gun sliced through the air with a swift and powerful motion, leaving behind an invisible trail of anticipation.
Taylor's movements were deliberate and forceful, his every muscle tensed with determination. He followed through with unwavering resolve, pouring every ounce of strength into his actions. But little did they know that what they had witnessed so far was merely the beginning of an extraordinary sequence of events - a cascade of phenomena that would leave them astounded and questioning their native reality.
As Taylor's efforts continued, the world around them seemed to shift and warp in inexplicable ways. The very fabric of their surroundings appeared to ripple and distort as if reality itself was being manipulated by some unseen force.
The rifle struck. With a flick of sound, the sharp crack echoed through the air.
And passed clean through the wall of ice, vanishing into a realm unknown. Taylor, caught off guard by the sudden absence of resistance, found himself propelled forward by the sheer force of their momentum, unable to resist the pull of the vicious swath carved by the rifle.
And then he disappeared.
It was as if he had stepped through a bead curtain, disappearing into an enigmatic realm beyond our comprehension. The ice face of the precipice stood there, cold and unyielding, devoid of any trace or clue that could shed light on his whereabouts. It was as if he had been swallowed by the very essence of the unknown.
And then, as if by some mysterious force, the wall of ice that had stood tall and imposing just moments before vanished into thin air. Its once-formidable presence was now reduced to nothingness, leaving behind only a void where it once stood. The icy fortress was nowhere to be seen, as if it had never existed at all.
There wasn't anything anywhere for miles around but the flat, ordinary, cruel wasteland that stretched as far as the eye could see. The desolate landscape seemed to mock any signs of life, leaving no trace of hope or solace in its barren embrace. It was a place where dreams went to die, swallowed by the vast emptiness that consumed every inch of the forsaken terrain.
The girl Nova screamed, her voice piercing through the tranquil air like a bolt of lightning. Startled by the sudden outburst, the majestic horse beneath her hooves reared up, its eyes wide with fear. The sound of its powerful hooves striking the ground echoed through the surrounding meadow as it broke into a wild gallop.
With each stride, the horse's muscles rippled beneath its sleek coat, carrying Nova away from everything she had ever known. The wind whipped through her hair, tugging at her clothes and filling her lungs with exhilaration. She clung tightly to the reins, desperately trying to regain control over the untamed beast beneath her.
As they raced westward, Nova's heart pounded in sync with the thundering rhythm of the horse's hooves. Carrying Nova, her unborn child nestled protectively within her, they embarked on an eerie ride into the vast expanse of the unknown. 615Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1V0UR85vj9
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The anger and bitterness inside Zira had quickly been replaced by puzzlement as she and Cornelius followed Dr. Zaius out of the Tribunal Room to the Chief Scientist's office, located at the other end of the building. Wondering what it was that the elderly orangutan had meant by promising to reveal something that no other ape had seen before.
When they entered the medium-sized room, Dr. Zaius quickly turned to Cornelius and gave the archaeologist a firm command, "Close the door. No one must hear us."
Cornelius went over and pushed the 6-inch thick wooden door shut.
"The barrier too," Dr. Zaius said with the same firmness, "I don't want sudden interruptions either."
The chimpanzee's frown deepened as he slid the heavy wooden bolt across the main frame of the door and pushed it into place. The three of them were now totally locked in.
"What I am about to do constitutes a violation of the oath I took when I became Chief Defender of the Faith, thirty years ago." Zaius went over to the far corner of the room, near his desk, where a medium-sized bulge in the building's rock foundation protruded. But to the shock of the two chimpanzees, the Chief Scientist knelt and pushed it aside revealing it to be a medium-sized boulder that hid a recessed area in the wall. Zaius then pulled out a key from his tunic and inserted it inside.
A vault of some kind, Cornelius realized. "But to hide what?
As soon as they heard the clicks of the locks coming undone, the Chief Scientist pulled out more than a dozen scrolls and parchments which he then deposited on his desk.
"Behold," he said as he sat down in his chair, "The Unknown Scrolls. Testimonies of the Lawgiver that were never meant to be seen by any ape other than the Chief Defenders of the Fatih. On the day that a new Defender ascends, he reads the once and then returns them to their sealed place."
Zira's eyes bulged in amazement, as did those of her husband.
"What do they say?" the psychologist asked.
The elderly orangutan smiled wryly, "Much. A good deal in fact, about Man and what he truly is."
Cornelius's hairy brow furrowed. "They tell everything about the civilization in the Forbidden Zone?"
"Indeed they do, Cornelius," Dr. Zaius nodded. "They tell of how that civilization rose, and how it fell. How Man's barbarism made what had been a paradise into a wasteland. And so, God in His anger, turned His back on Man and gave dominion over this planet to us, the Apes. All of this the Lawgive knew and wrote about."
"But why hide these Scrolls from our people?" Cornelius protested. "Surely it is a knowledge that we can prosper from. This a reminder of how we must never repeat the same mistakes the Humans made.
"We are not ready for that, Cornelius," the Chief Scientist looked him in the eye. "Not unless you desire to see our society plunged into foolish, costly wars of conquest."
"What do you mean?" all of Zira's anger was gone now. Bewilderment raged through her mind at how Dr. Zaius had dropped the facade he had put on throughout Taylor's captivity.
Zaius folded his hands together and let out a grim chuckle. "If there is surely one thing that chimpanzees and orangutans can agree on, it is that our brothers, the gorillas, are vastly inferior to us in terms of intelligence, and are driven chiefly by their brute instincts for sport and violence."
"How true," Zira nodded her head vigorously. "The things that gorillas do to humans. Shooting them, whipping them, and abusing them as experiments in military training exercises. All so they can be given the vanities of military ranks and medals. It's disgusting!"
"But it keeps them productive," Dr. Zaius said. "And being prepared for war is the only productive function a gorilla has. Try to pacify them by taking their guns away and you only ask for trouble." He then leaned forward, "But if war became likely, who would suddenly be in a position to usurp control of our society? The gorillas. The stratified order would be turned completely upside-down and they would dictate control over what the energies of Ape Civilization should be devoted towards. And it would soon overtake us all. Surely you do not desire to see such a fate befall us."
"Certainly not!" Zira said, feeling glad that Zaius was allowing her to express some anger over a subject they could both agree on.
"Then maybe now you will understand why I and my predecessors have kept the Unknown Scrolls hidden. And maybe now you will understand why I acted as I did about Taylor."
Cornelius was frowning. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Dr. Zaius."
"You don't?" the Chief Scientist was slightly amazed. "You disappoint me, Cornelius. I have given you and your wife information that makes it abundantly clear that I am not as corrupt as you've thought me."
"Forgive us both if we are not impressed!" for the first time, the anger with Dr. Zaius had returned to Zira's voice.
Dr. Zaius calmly gathered the scrolls on his desk and returned them to the recessed vault in the wall. Once they were in place, he locked it and pushed the boulder back into place.
"If a great human civilization existed before the time of the Lawgiver, then the existence of Taylor means that there are others like him as well, today," the Chief Scientist drew himself up to an erect bearing. "And if I were forced to tell our people the truth about Man and that Taylor is not some scientific freak but a descendant of that destroyed civilization, then what do you suppose the gorillas would then have us do?"
A slow dawning of understanding came over the male chimpanzee's face.
"Yes," Cornelius slowly nodded. "Yes, I'm beginning to understand what you mean, Dr. Zaius. I don't agree with your reasoning, but I understand it."
Zira gave her husband a bewildered glance. "You understand? Cornelius..."
"Silence!" The archaeologist held up a hand, not wanting to hear her protests any longer. "Very well, Dr. Zaius, you have explained things openly to us, and I suppose that's more than we could have expected. I'm willing to consider this matter closed."
"I'm glad of that," the orangutan smiled. "Zira, you'd be well-advised to listen to your husband's counsel as often as you can."
Zira wrinkled her muzzle at him in disgust but managed to hold her tongue.
When the two chimpanzees had finally departed, the Chief Scientist leaned back in his chair and let out a thoroughly satisfied grunt.
For now, he was convinced that he had safely avoided a potential catastrophe for Ape Civilization and that all things could resume the state of normalcy that had existed before the emergence of Taylor.
And, God willing, he'd never see Taylor's kind again!
