GEMP Chapter Eight
GEMP
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Steve, Kelly, and Oscar were still in the lunch room when Grenier approached their table.
Kelly gestured for him to join.
Oscar jumped from his seat.
Grenier caught him and gave Oscar a head bump.
The chimp grinned teeth and cooed.
Grenier sat down placing Oscar next to him. “I got good news and bad news.”
Steve nodded, “We heard the announcement over the PA.”
Grenier smiled, “That’s part of the good news.”
Kelly asked, “What’s the bad news?” She had her hand on Steve’s arm.
His smile faded, “Because of our friend the Colonel, the project is being shut down.”
“That’s terrible news!” Steve said.
Kelly asked, “What’s going to happen to the Gemps?”
Grenier’s smile returned. “We’re moving to phase 2 of the project. We are . . .”
Steve said, “Wait. Phase 2?”
Grenier nodded. “You didn’t think Uncle Sam would use the Gemps for religious studies their entire lives?”
Steve slowly shook his head.
“At some point we’d have to deal with superstitious Gemps. Now is probably better than later.”
Steve took a deep breath, “Okay, what is phase 2?”
Grenier stood up. “Follow me to my office and we can talk.”
Pierce and a dozen soldiers stood in the Colonel’s room.
Codper had put the bottle down and now faced them. He shaved and had his ACU on. The bible was in his left hand. “Those creatures out there are a threat to the natural order of things. In our arrogance we created life in His image, but life as an abomination. An un-pure monstrosity that mocks our very existence. This mockery ends today.”
The men around him nodded.
Pierce stepped out. “Colonel, of course, we’re with you. They have to go. Everything has to go.”
Codper asked, “I take it you’ve worked out details?”
Pierce rapidly sucked in air between his front teeth. The smack sound was loud. “Of course, sir. And with your approval.”
Codper studied the young man. Was he one to trust? Probably not, but how was he supposed to save his kind. “Let’s hear it.”
“First, we gather everyone into one room. Then we capture some wild Gemps and toss them in the room with the others. We shoot a few folks and Gemps and toss in some grenades. Then we release the other Gemps and hunt them down under the pretense they are dangerous. Once that’s done, we call in for help. Blame everything on the Gemps and a few soldiers not with us. While we were out getting the village Gemps, the “other” soldiers got too sloppy. We can guess the wild Gemps either got the grenades by accident and not knowing what to do killed themselves and everyone in the room or some fool soldier held on too long. We stick to our story that we tried to round up the village Gemps and the deed is done.”
Codper nodded. He liked the plan. Factor in the fog of war and Pierce had a pretty good plan. “And we are the survivors.”
Pierce nodded. “We give each man in this room a story to tell. Not the same story of course, different enough. Someone was by the door. Another person was down the hall. Someone saw some Gemps in the building. Some did not but heard Gemp screams.”
Codper nodded.
“We’ll also have to beat ourselves up a bit to make it convincing we fought for our lives. But we can pull this off.”
Codper slowly smiled. “We could pull this off. I like it.”
“Thank you, sir.” He turned to face one of those is the room. “Donalds. Turn off the video and audio feeds. Internal and external.
McKinney, you, Rich, and Smithie release the wild Gemps. Capture a few and cuff’em. Ford, Luke, Rogers, Threatt, secure the control room. The rest is with me and the Colonel. We’ll round up Launse, Grenier and the others. I got more of us guarding the exits just waiting for the word.”
Codper thought a moment, then quickly nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Grenier walked in first and sat behind his desk. Steve and Kelly took a seat with Oscar jumping into Steve’s lap.
“Would anyone care for coffee?” Grenier asked.
Oscar signed, “Coffee, please.”
Grenier smiled. “Certainly, Oscar. The usual amount of sugar and cream?”
Oscar signed, “Yes, please. Sugar, yum.”
Grenier got up and walked over to a small kitchenette at the corner of his office. “First, phase 2 is about teaching the Gemps basic common core lessons.” He put in two scoops of instant coffee grounds into a coffee mug. Oscar’s name was stenciled across the side. “The government wants the Gemps taught at a college level and . . .”
Steve interrupted, “. . . taught! As in attending school?”
Grenier scooped in two heaping piles of sugar using a small spoon. He poured about two seconds worth of cream. He stirred the spoon as he poured hot water into the cup. After a moment of stirring he walked over to Oscar and handed the cup of coffee to him.
Oscar took the cup and sipped. Just the way he liked it.
Steve cleared his throat, “As in attending school?”
Grenier nodded slowly, “Something like that.”
Kelly leaned forward, “Ken, what are you not telling us?”
No need to withhold any information now, Grenier thought. “Space is a pretty dangerous place . . .” He continued before Steve or Kelly interrupted, “. . . so is underwater exploration. So is sub-terrain discovery expeditions. Sending Soldiers behind enemy lines is also dangerous work.” He paused for several seconds. “You see where I’m going with this?”
Steve horrified, answered, “I do and I don’t know how I’m feeling about that.”
Grenier turned to Kelly. “What are your thoughts?”
Kelly looked at Steve and Oscar, then back at him. “It’ll initially save their lives?”
Grenier thought she had been the quicker of the two. Steve was much too nostalgic and emotional. Kelly he liked a bit more than he often admitted. She was more pragmatic.
“What about their rights?” Kelly asked.
“As of now, they have none. They are all property of the United States Government, but to put your mind at ease, they will not be overlooked per se.”
Steve interjected, “Per se?”
“The Gemps are highly intelligent creatures. They have emotions. They think and more importantly, they can learn, of which is what makes them valuable.”
“They shouldn’t be thought of as property.” Steve said.
Grenier shrugged and held it for a few seconds. He pursed his lips and raised but eyebrows. “I don’t have an answer for that. Not a good one. But I can tell you, that one day the Gemps will be granted full US Citizen status. But not today. Maybe not in a few years.”
Steve asked, “How come?”
“We had a hard time dealing with a debt ceiling. We have ultra conservatives in our government who’ll toss out the baby with the bathwater. We’ve been working quietly to get this far. The Gemps are under a provision that guarantees humane treatment and plans for their free retirement.”
Steve shook his head. “So much I’m not quite getting.”
Oscar kissed him on the cheek.
Grenier continued, “The Gemps will be allowed certain privileges . . .”
Kelly asked, “. . . like?”
“Clothes, foods, certain types of property, some things we have to educate the population first before they can walk freely. We’re working out the details of pay . . .”
Steve frowned. “Pay?”
“Yeah. Even if the Gemps aren’t citizens they will still work. We can’t call them beast of burden. They aren’t farm animals. The one advantage they have, unlike the dolphins or Oscar, is that they can articulate emotions, desires, wants, and needs. Can you imagine the lawsuits from ever Lib-organization on Earth if we didn’t treat them like people?”
Steve’s frown deepened.
“Steve, this nation still can’t quite get it right with minorities. How do you think the neo-conservative is going to react to genetically-engineered super-intelligent teenage-like chimps walking freely? We’ll have another sort of problems with the active left as well.”
Steve started, “But . . .”
Grenier said, “. . . no buts. Warm and fuzzy this can’t be yet.”
Steve took a deep breath. “Okay, what is our role?”
Grenier relaxed a bit. “Mentor and instructor. I’ll be getting involved in this phase.”
“As what?” Steve asked.
Oscar finished his coffee and stretched out on Steve’s lap. Coffee made him feel good but sleepy sometimes. Or it could have been that he was only able to understand and follow a small part of what Grenier talked about. Humans talked too much sometimes. They made him sleepy.
“Depends on the task.”
Kelly added, “Mission?”
Grenier nodded. “Yeah, the mission. I just don’t push paper.”
Suddenly the alarm went off.
Grenier punched in the speed dial code to the Main Command center. It rang a dozen times before he got a disconnect tone. “Fuck! This is not good.” He walked over to the door and opened it. Just as he suspected. “Greetings Colonel, Captain Pierce, I was just . . .”
Codper punched him in the face a second time today.
Grenier stepped back a few feet and rubbed his jaw. “That hurt.”
Codper drew his pistol and pointed it directly at his face. “You pompous ass. Give me a reason not to shoot you in the face now.” He stepped up close to Grenier. Pierce and the rest had M16-A2s pointed at him.
Grenier grabbed the gun and pressed it hard against Codper’s thigh dislocating the trigger finger at the knuckle.
Codper bit down a yell.
Grenier pulled the gun away and pointed it at Codper’s face. “You pompous arrogant ass back. Any other time I would have shot you in the face and not given you a second thought. I know how this is going to play out.” He pressed the magazine release and caught it with his left hand. Bullets flipped toward Codper’s face as he emptied the magazine. He tossed the magazine across the room and dismantled the Beretta M9. He chucked the barrel behind his desk and spun the handle at Codper.
Codper was nursing his dislocated finger when the handle clipped him across the forehead. It left a nasty gash. The Colonel took a deep breath and popped his finger back in place. He walked over and gave Grenier a slap with the other hand. “You . . . you . . .”
Grenier walked out into the hallway. Other soldiers stood attentive with pointed M16s.
Oscar signed, “Me bite Colonel?”
Steve signed back, “No bite Colonel. Bite will make you sick.”
Codper faced Steve and Kelly. “Launse, Ma’am, please follow Grenier.”
Oscar growled.
Steve grabbed Oscar’s face, “No growl. Be good.” He and Kelly walked into the hall way and followed Grenier and the other soldiers.
Codper said, “Nasty beast. If I had my gun I’d shoot the thing.”
Pierce watched everything. He liked Oscar. Pretty much everyone did. Strike three for the Colonel.
Grenier heard several explosives. His first impulse was to run toward the sound. The M16s at his back squelched it. A second impulse wanted him to take Steve and the others in the opposite direction. The smell of death was in the air and he saw no happy ending to this day.
Codper moved ahead and hurried down the stairs. The doors to one of the rooms had been blown out. Scorched body parts and debris littered the entrance. “What the fuck happened?”
A nearby soldier said, “Someone tried to be a hero, sir. Boom.”
Codper turned to face Pierce.
Pierce shrugged. “There’s more than one room. You want to shoot them in the back?”
Codper answered, “I wanted this to be clean and quick. Now it’s . . .”
Grenier never let him finish. He grabbed the nearest M16, switched the selector to single shoot and squeezed the trigger once at the soldier’s face. Blood splattered in all direction. He squeezed off several more shots – all hitting dead center. “Run!” He yelled.
Steve and Kelly ducked behind a station desk. Bullets sprayed the area in fits and blurps across the room.
Grenier squeezed off several single shots in seemingly random directions – all finding a target.
Then, the shooting stopped.
Grenier looked up and saw several Grenades tossed his way. Five second fuses he thought as he jumped over the desk and caught two mid-flight. He twisted and threw both at the emergency door across the room. He landed near Steve, Kelly, and Oscar. One second to go he thought as he dragged the desk just enough to shelter everyone from the blasts.
Oscar screamed as the first grenade blew. He squeezed Steve’s neck tightly. The blast pushed them and the desk several feet. Two more explosions went off further away.
Grenier’s ears rang. He shook his head to clear the fog.
Steve, Kelly, and Oscar seemed alright. Steve looked as if he were about to pass out. Oscar had a death grip, with long chimp arms, around his neck.
Grenier grabbed everyone and made them run to the new hole in the wall. The emergency doors gone.
Codper waited several seconds after the grenades went off. He stepped in the room and expected to see body parts and blood splatter everywhere. “What the fuck!” Only desk and computer debris scattered the room. He looked around and saw the emergency doors missing. Things got complicated.
Tutu sat against a large rock near the remains of an old fire. Burnt logs buried in ashes jetted out. Tonight they would start another fire and roast corn from the mystery box. He finished one apple and started eating a second one when he smelled dirty fur. He wrinkled his nose and turned to the forest edge. Immediately, the hair at the back of his neck stiffened. Intruder.
“Food,” the figure said.
Tutu strained to see the figure just inside the tree line. It hugged close to the ground.
“Food. Food want.”
Tutu took several steps back adding some distance between him and the strange creature. “Show self. Then food get.”
The figure retreated further into the forest.
Tutu took a step forward, stopped, thought a moment, took several more steps back. “Want food. Show self.”
The figure moved. It was quick.
Tutu tried to track it visually as it faded further into the forest. Moments later the figure was gone and he heard a scream. He turned and ran. It was from one of the female village Gemps.
Strange looking Gemps had invaded his village. Within seconds the village was overrun by filthy intruders. A wild Gemp jumped him. He twisted underneath it and swung his arm backward. He felt his fist contact teeth and something gave way. The wild Gemp lay motionless on the ground. A wild Gemp was on Mos trying to bite his neck. Tutu clenched his hands together and gave it a powerful downward blow to the head. The wild Gemp’s skull caved in and the creature went limp.
Mos looked up and gave Tutu a “thank you” sign.
Both Gemps looked on and attacked as many wild Gemps as possible. Two jumped on Mos. Three on Tutu.
Oscar ran ahead of the others. He heard the commotion and feared the worst. Hela and Feme in trouble. Hurry he thought. Hurry. Hela Feme in trouble. Must help. Run faster. On some subsurface level Oscar knew things had suddenly changed. The Colonel, Pierce, most of the men on the base. They were different. The explosions. The pieces of people and the shooting. All scary. All terrifying.
Lulos was on the ground. She struggled as a wild Gemp tried to mount her. She screamed, kicked, and screamed more.
The wild Gemp became rock solid. This he was going to enjoy. He grabbed Lulos’ neck and started to squeeze. Just as he was about to enter Oscar jumped him. Powerful chimp arms pounded hard about his head and shoulders. The wild Gemp tried to get away, but Oscar’s attack was relentless. Moments later the wild Gemp stopped fighting back.
Steve, Kelly, and Grenier arrived to see Oscar step off the dead Gemp. They heard several screams toward the center of the village.
Oscar moved first. These were his Gemps. No creature he thought would harm them. Ever. The wild Gemps were attacking the others. Grenier ran over to two wild Gemps attacking Mos. Both were biting at and hitting him. Grenier grabbed one Gemp and placed a choke hold on it. It screamed and clawed at his face. Seconds later it went limp. A second later Grenier broke its neck. He hated to, Uncle Sam’s money or not, this was survival now.
Mos swung upward and hit the other Gemp in the jaw. It broke but the thing continued attacking. Mos swung again as hard as he could. His arms ached. He swung again and again. He hit the face. He hit the head. He hit the head again. And again. And again. He stood over a dead Gemp.
Steve stood motionless watching pandemonium. He saw Grenier and Oscar in action, helping as they could. Even Kelly tried to help. She kicked at a wild Gemp trying to rape a female. She pulled its hair and punched its face. Soon, both females were beating the poor creature into unconsciousness. Then a wild Gemp jumped on Kelly. It bite her in the shoulder and she screamed. He acted. He screamed like Oscar and struck at the animal. His anger was primal and fierce. His attack was ruthless. The wild Gemp cringed as Steve pounded with all his might. Kelly was his love and no man or creature would harm her. He continued pounding at its chest and skull until it lay still. He breathed hard, his heart pounding. Murder is what he just committed. With his hands. He turned on the other wild Gemps. A dozen left. Attacking. He leapt into action alongside Oscar and fought. Both of them crazed creatures raining powerful blows down on the invaders.
Mos looked on in awe. God and the Elder defending the village. The screams the two made. High pitched and terrifying. Mos looked at both his hands and made fists. He joined the fray, not quite getting the yell right. But after a moment he too was caught up in the frenzy. Arms high, power down, scream loud. Make the wild ones fear their wrath. The wrath of God, Elder . . . and the Messenger.
Then . . . silence.
The village littered with dead and wounded wild Gemps.
Steve was bruised badly across the cheek and arm. His clothing torn.
Kelly’s face was covered with dirt, her makeup smudged.
Oscar’s robe colored with dirt and blood.
Grenier looked perfect. His suit wrinkle free and his hair neatly combed.
Mos walked up to Steve, “God, you saved us.”
Tutu walked up to Steve. He looked at Grenier and Kelly, then turned his gaze back to Steve. “Something not right. There is more than one of you. And these other Gemps?”
Grenier and Kelly walked up next to Steve. He faced Tutu. “You are right.” He looked at Mos. “We have to talk. Things are about to change. And I have to be honest with you.”
Mos said, “Honest? With me?”
Steve nodded. He looked at Tutu. “Others like us may be coming. The others are bad. They are the reason these other Gemps are here.”
Tutu growled. “Hate other Gemps. Crazy.” He then looked at Steve, Kelly, and Grenier. Clothing strange, faces strange, all things strange. “What does God mean?”
Steve answered, “You have to send the village Gemps in the forest. To hide. I fear the worst.”
Tutu repeated, “What does God mean?”
Grenier leaned close to Steve. “I think he wants to know the meaning of God. Not what you are saying as God.”
Steve looked at Grenier for a moment, then he looked at Tutu. Those eyes Steve thought. Tutu is the one, not Mos. “Tutu, I am not God.”
Mos, distressed, said, “God must not say such things. Mos see great scary things from God.”
Steve knelt down. “I wish we had time to explain, but we really must hide. Everyone.”
Grenier said, “I called in a support team earlier. Don’t know how long they will take so, in the meantime, keeping out of sight is best.”
Tutu said, “We will stay. No run.”
Steve frowned. “Tutu, we are not running. We are hiding. We . . .”
“. . . no, I am not God. We . . .”
“. . . must hide.” Steve stressed.
Tutu shook his head slowly. “No.”
Steve looked to Grenier.
Grenier said, “We’re probably priority one. The Gemps are secondary. “
Oscar suddenly looked alert. He pried into the forest toward the main building. He growled.
Grenier said, “Yeah, I don’t like them either. We should leave now. Staying in the village is definitely not in the Gemps best interest.”
Oscar yelped and jumped into Steve’s arm.
Grenier lead the way. He and the others disappeared in the forest.
Moments later Tutu heard a rumbling sound.
Mos stepped up next to him. He strained his eyes. “I hear sound too. Things are different now.”
Tutu nodded.
The rest of the village Gemps started to assemble near Tutu and Mos.
Kiri stood next to Mos.
Hela and Feme were near.
The sound got louder and the ground vibrated.
Tutu caught a whiff of exhaust. He wrinkled his noise and growled.
A moment later a Humvee crashed through the tree line, followed by several more. Most of the Gemps scattered. Mos thought they looked like wide hollowed out tree trunks. Men like ‘I am not God’ came through wearing strange colored clothing. They had thick sticks and strange tree branches in their arms. One of the strangers held a small “L” shaped stick. He pointed it at one of the Gemps. Thunder and smoked ripped from a hole at one end.
Mos watched as blood spattered from the Gemp’s head. It crumpled to the ground. Fear gripped Mos. God had been right. “Run!” He yelled out, “Run!” Tutu ran with him as rapid thunder erupted from the thick sticks and branches the evil creatures held. “Run!” Kiri, Hela and Feme were near and followed as Mos crashed through the jungle. The last time he ran he met God. This time it was because of God again.
Codper saw the vile creatures scatter into the jungle. He put a bullet in one of them and it felt satisfying. “Kill them all!” He shouted. “Kill them all!”