Marvin Perry sucked in a sharp breath when the two wild-eyed chimpanzees burst in the laboratory door of PB Experimental Research. “Leroy,” he called to his partner. “Quick, Leroy. Get your head out of that microscope!”

“Huh?” Leroy Berthune looked up. “Did you say something, Marv—” The sentence died on his tongue as he spotted the two apes, as the smaller one whisked the microscope out from under his nose.

“Hoo hee!” The larger chimp embraced the other. “Good job, Claudia!”

The smaller chimp gave an answering squeal and waved the microscope above her head.

Leroy made a gurgling sound and backed away, staring at the larger chimp. “My God. You spoke. You called the other ape Claudia. You —”

“Quiet, Leroy,” Marvin snapped.

“But it spoke, Marvin. Just like Ernie used to. And if the other one’s Claudia —”

“She is,” the larger ape said. “And, yeah, I’m Ernie. Didn’t expect to see us again, did you? Thought your sick experiments killed us. Bagged us up for incineration and figured we’d be history. But we weren’t dead. We got out of those bags.”

Several long seconds ticked off the wall clock. What to say? Marvin thought. He felt Leroy looking at him and he gave his partner a warning look. Ernie was a big chimp and looked damn angry. And the way Claudia was shaking that microscope.... Marvin cleared his throat, and forced a smile. “Well, Ernie, we’re glad. Glad both you and Claudia are alive, I mean.”

“Glad?” Ernie’s eyes burned an ugly yellow. “You’re scared, that’s what you are.” He pounded a hairy fist on Leroy’s lab table. “I want my health back. Claudia wants hers back.”

“Of course you do, Ernie. And of course Claudia does.” 

“Shut up and listen!” 

“Okay, Ernie. Sure. Anything you say.”

“Yes,” Leroy echoed. “Anything.” 

“My eyes,” said Ernie. “And Claudia’s eyes. They hurt. And their color...” He widened his left eye, then his right. “See. Yellow. Claudia’s look the same. Show them, Claudia.”

Claudia, microscope still gripped in her hand like a club, widened each of her eyes.

“We’re dropping hairs like fleas, too,” Ernie went on. “And our bones are full of pain.”

“None of that was in the plan,” Leroy said. “Isn’t that so, Marvin.”

Marvin nodded. “Exactly so. However, sometimes even the best scientific research goes awry.”

“Research?” Ernie cried. “Is that what you call those sick things you did?”

Claudia waved the microscope.

“Everything was to scientific standards,” Marvin said hurriedly. Oh God, this wasn’t going well. Somehow he had to calm the creatures. They were only animals, after all. Fairly intelligent, yes, but still only animals. Perhaps if he offered each a favorite food. Food with something in it. A sedative. He smiled. “You must look at the positive side, Ernie. You’re now talking better than ever. You’re the first speaking chimpanzee in history.”

“Won’t do me any good if I’m dead.”

“But you aren’t dead. Just a bit ill. We can fix that. Doctor Berthune and I will examine each of you.”

“No, you’ll keep your filthy hands off us. And you’ll release the others.”

“Others?” Marvin blinked. “There aren’t any other chimpanzees.”

“There’s them.” Ernie swung his long arms, pointing at the various cages lining the room’s walls. “The poor defenseless animals you’ve imprisoned in this torture chamber.”

“Now that’s not what it is at all,” Leroy said. “We have an approved laboratory and —”

“I said you will release them!” Ernie raised up to his full height. Claudia screeched out agreement, the microscope in her hand more menacing than ever.

Leroy looked helplessly at Marvin.

“We’ll consider it,” Marvin said. “But first you both require nourishment. Food...water —” 

“No,” Ernie cut in. “Claudia, Berthune’s got the keys to the cages on his belt loop. Get them. Crack him in the skull with that microscope if he resists.”

Leroy ran for the door, but Claudia moved quicker, leaping at the last moment, the microscope a blurring arc as she swung it.

Leroy slumped to the floor, blood pouring from his head.

“The keys, Claudia,” Ernie said. “Toss them to me!”

The keys clinked against one another as she threw them, as Ernie caught them and approached the first cage.

“Stop!” Marvin screamed. He ducked behind a table as Claudia made a movement toward him.

Ernie grabbed the first lock, stuck a key in and popped it open. He proceeded on to the next. Mice, rats, rabbits, and goats scampered, hopped and charged out toward Marvin, surrounding him, nipping, butting -- forcing him backwards.

“Get away from me, you damn dirty little —” Marvin fell backwards into a large open cage. Before he could get out Ernie shoved the door shut and snapped the padlock.

Marvin pounded at the metal sides, shook the locked door. “Let me out of here!”

Ernie glared at him. “You hooked us up to electrodes. You injected us with toxins. You cut into us with scalpels.”

“It was in the name of science,” Marvin wailed. “It was for the betterment of mankind.”

“Well now it’s time to do something for the betterment of animal kind.” Ernie strode across the room and jerked open several cabinet doors, taking out beakers, test tubes and other lab paraphernalia.

“What are you doing?” Marvin yelled. “Leave those things alone!”

Ernie balanced a syringe in one hand and a scalpel in the other. “You’re no longer in position to give orders,” he snapped. He paced the floor, his knuckles scraping the floor. “Claudia and I continue to grow sicker. I need to run tests while I’m still able. I need to do a little science of my own. Good thing we have a lab rat like you to try things out on.”