The four left, leaving the ape village and rode along the quiet empty streets. No one was around, aside from the wildlife a few squirrels skittering by the power lines. A doe and her fawn bolted in front of the group, running into the overgrown trees and vines between the buildings. Lily looked around, admiring the quiet. Rocket was tense and on guard as he eyes glance over so often the scenery. Ash was curious, along with Blue Eyes as they continued riding the streets. Blue Eyes turned to Lily and signed.
"What was it like before?" He told her.
"The streets and buildings were filled with people at one time. A city. Filled with many humans more than what you've seen at least thousands or a million." she told him. They continued to ride the sun starting to rise high in the sky. Blue Eyes noticed Rocket acting very strangely taking odd turns and stopping for long periods of time. In the ape's eyes they looked troubled, more nervous as they continued to wander around. It was strange seeing Rocket like this. He was usually more down to earth, not easily distracted by anything. Lily noticed as well as Ash by how the dark grey colored ape was reacting.
"Are you alright?" Lily signed to Rocket. Rocket turned to her and gave her a slight nod but didn't say anything. They came to a slightly more open wooded area in the hills. Rocket made his horse came to a full stopping front of a fence made of barbed wire. The shapes looked like honeycombs to Blue Eyes and Ash.
"Why are we stopping?" Blue Eyes tried to sign to Rocket but followed the apes gaze looking straight ahead in front of him. There was a building with a large dome on top that still had panes of white glass here and there. Blue Eyes saw the images of apes on the side of the building, chimpanzees: a male, a female, and a baby in the tree.
He dismounted from his horse and so did Ash as they stepped over to the fence. Lily hopped down and grabbed her crutch, walking over to the apes, joining them. Rocket staid far behind, still on his horse.
"San Bruno Primate Shelter." Lily read. Blue Eyes and Ash saw the letters standing on the edge of the roof. "Is this place familiar to you?" She signed to Rocket. The three saw Rocket give a small nod, not taking his eyes off of the building.
"Yes." Rocket spoke, his voice caught in his throat. "Rocket here. Caesar here. Maurice here. Cornelia." He made an odd sad sound. "Buck." Blue Eyes walked back over to Rocket, stunned and in disbelief and in shock.
"This is the place? Where father began the fight?" He signed.
"Yes. It's been so long. I almost forgot. Things are slowly coming back to me." Rocket said. He scratched his shoulder. "It was so long ago." Blue Eyes walked back over to the fence to Ash and Lily and pushed it open. This place was like the stories that Maurice had told him and Ash, now he was finally able to see it for himself with his own eyes. Where it all started. Rocket was the Alpha here when Caesar first arrived. He bullied his father until Caesar had conquered him first then the other apes and the humans that held them captive.
"Can we go in?" Blue Eyes asked.
"You can, if you want. I'm not." Rocket spoke and signed. "I'll will never go back in there." Blue Eyes was hesitant but he stepped inside, and Lily followed behind him heading towards the building. Ash turned to his father.
"Father, I'm going with Blue Eyes. Ash wants to see for himself."
"I won't stop you. You need to see the truth." Rocket told him. "Don't take too long. I will keep watch."
Ash ran into the building meeting up Blue Eye and Lily as they walked looking around. There were so much stories about this place. Every ape didn't have very fond memories about it. Blue Eyes remembered his mother calling it the under place or the maggot hole, he was surprised to see that it was above ground. He always imagined it as a cave. They finally reached the room with the dome from outside as the ceiling. Blue Eyes and Ash and Lily saw the artificial tree that Caesar had spoke of along with the other apes. Walls painted to resemble the outside. It was smaller than what Blue Eyes imagined. Lily frowned as she looked at the small room. "This place is like a prison. I don't like it. Small spaces."
