Metamorphosis from the Stars - 13

I got to the Primate Institute just as they were unloading Emily. She was severely agitated, thrashing and shrieking as they extricated her from the container.

I shook my head, feeling terrible. I knew she didn’t want anyone risking their lives over her and was furious that no one was listening.

They got her into one of the enclosures, then I saw Elaine interacting with Koko, who entered the enclosure shortly after.

“He’ll get her to calm down,” Elaine said, as we watched the two chimps through the thick glass.

Koko charged her, tackling her to the ground, and hitting her on the side of the head.

“Hey!” I banged on the window. “That’s not appropriate!”

“John, this is how things are sorted in the Primate world. It’s time Kiki knew her place.”

“But he’ll hurt her!”

Emily turned her head, baring her fangs at Koko, but he was stronger and larger. She tried to bite, him struggling to get up, but Koko had her pinned pretty forcefully.

Koko screeched at Emily, who finally calmed down, and sagged underneath him, her head falling back down into the dust.

Koko rather unceremoniously began copulating with Emily, who screeched at first then began bucking back against him.

“Wait!” I said, running up to the window. “No!” I pounded. “He’s raping her!”

“I was wondering when that would happen. She’s been in estrous for awhile.”

I pounded harder on the window, trying to get the two to stop, but if anything it just encouraged them.

“Come, John.” Elaine grabbed my arm. “Let’s give them some privacy.”

I ground my teeth, but allowed Elaine to lead me to her office. I sagged down into a chair, my feelings a swirl of negative emotions.

“You have to come to the conclusion that your wife as you knew her has ceased to exist,” she said, simply. “The creature out there has some of your wife’s memories and emotions, but you no longer share a common species with her.”

I felt tears bite my eyes. “But we’ve got a solution!” I stood up, starting to pace. “Maybe if we can get her back out there, we can expose her to whatever radiation pattern and she can become human again!”

“Sit down, John.”

I sat, frustrated.

“Even if you could return her to humanity, she’s gone through such a profound loss of intellect, instinct, and human function, she would have to relearn everything again. She would return to something just past an infant state, do you really want to put her through that again?”

“I think that decision would be up to her.”

She nodded.

The pair came back after a time and Emily was notably subdued. She walked slowly on all fours, pausing behind Koko when he paused.

“Can I take her home now?” I say d staring into the enclosure.

Elaine opened the door and Koko came to her. She handed the chimp his tablet.

“Is Kiki ready to behave?” Elaine asked him.

“Yes,” Koko responded.

“Kiki, are you ready to go home?”

Kiki nodded and took her own tablet.

“Kiki sorry.” The tablet said said and she hooted softly.

“It’s okay, baby.” I couldn’t look her in the eyes.

She glanced at Koko who made a kissing motion at me then screeched at her.

She walked over to me and took my hand tentatively but her eyes never left Koko.

Koko turned around and went into the enclosure without looking back.

We walked out of the enclosure and down the hallway.

“John, at some point I feel it pertinent that Kiki remain here. What if next time she bites someone hard? Chimps have exceedingly strong jaws and—

“I’m taking my wife home,” I said.

“She’s no longer your wife and you know it.”

We continued to walk out of the institute.

I opened the sliding door to our minivan and Kiki climbed into the car seat. Buckling her in she hooted at me and attempted to kiss my cheek.

I turned away and she gave me a slap, taking my face in both of her small leathery hands. She poked at me, ’ook ook ook.’

“I know honey.” I said, staring into her muddy brown eyes. Oh how I wished for her cornflower blue human eyes again, the eyes I had fallen in love with.

She pursed her lips and I pressed my own to them softly. The wiry fur surrounding her leathery lips rasped against my chin.

The drive home was silent. I knew she felt guilty about what had happened, both at the institute and losing her temper. I knew the instincts must be kicking in, must be making her head a soup of human and chimp instincts. Her human side couldn't reconcile the chimp instincts so it reacted violently.

We got home after dark. She was asleep in her toddler seat in the back. I got out and picked her up.

She clung to me much as our child did all those years ago. I wondered if she still thought about him, still thought about the human child she'd carried and birthed.

I set her down carefully on our bed. She rolled over, and almost immediately went to sleep. I wanted her to sleep, to let the subconscious realm sort things out as they would.

I lay beside her. I kept hearing Elaine's voice in my head. She's not your wife, John and the sooner you come to accept it the better. I heard Hank Thompson at Mission control: If we can return her to any semblance of humanity, wouldn't we do it?

I glanced at the chimp sleeping next to me. Mostly, I heard her screeching and shaking her head, frustrated that no one was listening to her, and the primal instincts of the chimp taking over.

I couldn't bear for her to be like this, couldn't bear the thought of her never dancing with me again, smiling up at me again, wearing the slinky black dress I loved so much. It wasn't fair. Our lives had changed the day our son died, then changed again when Emily came back from her trip on the Stellaris. Whatever happened out there had rewritten her, had stolen our lives, had stripped us down to the bare metal.

I didn't care that she might be in an infant state when it all got corrected. I didn't care that she'd have to learn how to talk again, walk again, use pen and paper again. Emily was bright, smarter than me, if anyone could do it, she could. The longer she stayed like this, the more permanent the situation became and I simply would NOT allow it. She had to be returned to humanity.

There was no other choice.