The trio heads across the wilderness and come to a ruined city. They enter it and a dog runs up to them, barking. A local human sees them from a store front, but he quickly runs back inside. The fugitives hear horses coming toward them and hide. Once the gorillas pass, the trio enters a nearby building looking for a place to hide. A sign says that the building is the Oakland Scientific Institute, and they go inside. There's a vault door buried beneath a pile of rubble, and they soon remove the debris.
When Alan opens the door, they discover that it's vacuum sealed. Inside is an electronic machine that the astronauts don't recognize. They manage to activate it and a hologram of a scientist appears to greet them. The scientist says that the destruction of their world is imminent, but their great advances must not vanish. He explains that they have planted their scientific knowledge in a number of vaults, before the scientist can give the location of the vault in the city, the power runs down. The astronauts find the battery and Alan suggests that they get some copper wire and acid to recharge it.
The trio scavenges the ruins to find insulation to burn for acid, and copper wiring. The gorillas approach and spot the fugitives, and the trio separates and runs for the institute. The patrol gives choice and Alan runs down an alleyway but trips damaging his leg. A young boy Kraik, watches from the shadows as Alan ducks under a fire escape. A woman, Ann, is there and she begs him to go but Alan says that he can't. He collapses and Kraik offers to tell the gorilla captain something important in return for one days' food. The captain agrees but before the boy can speak, other gorillas capture Alan and Ann. They take them away and the captain tosses the food down for Kraik.
Pete and Galen return to the institute, and Galen wants to go after Galen. His friend reminds him that Ann told them to wait.
The gorillas heliograph Central City, and Urko and Zaius soon arrive in Oakland. Urko demands to know where Pete and Galen are, and kicks Alan's leg out when Alan refuses to talk.
Pete and Galen search Oakland for Alan.
As Urko eats, Zaius says that Urko was becoming a strong influence in the Council. The orangutan warns that they can't let Alan's dangerous ideas infect other humans, and they can capture the other two fugitives if they keep Alan alive. Zaius admits that he has an idea to get information from Alan.
The gorillas find Kraik and tell him that he can earn more food than he's ever seen, if he asks the right questions and tells them the answers. Kraik agrees and they take him away.
The captain brings Ann to Urko and Zaius, and explains that she was the wife of a rebel, Tomar. Zaius says that she will serve a better purpose alive and the captain takes her away. They throw her in a room of a mock castle with Alan and Kraik, and Alan confirms that Ann is unharmed.
Pete jumps a patrolman and demands to know where Alan is. He says that Alan was taken away that morning and doesn't know where.
Alan confirms that the building is empty, and Kraik claims that he was caught stealing food. The astronaut wonders why Urko didn't kill him, and says that the building was built in his time. Alan goes to an upstairs window and works at the bars, and a patrolman fires a warning shot at him. He realizes that the gorilla deliberately kept him alive and figures that Urko is using him for a trap to capture Pete and Galen. Alan tells the others that they'll wait 24 hours and then find a way out.
Back at the institute, Galen paces nervously as Pete works on the battery.
Zaius looks at a photo that he took from Alan. It shows Alan and his family, and tells Urko that it will be the key to their problem. He has determined that humans are vulnerable in family situations, and believes that Alan will lower his defenses with Ann and Kraik and tell him things that all of Urko's torture could never obtain.
Alan makes a fire and introduces himself to Kraik. He offers his hand and suggests that the custom started when two men met to reveal that they didn't have weapons. Alan wonders why they put Kraik in there, and Kraik says that he's glad they put him in there.
Pete tells Galen that they'll get the projector working, find the knowledge, hide it, and then get Alan.
Ann finds a bag of food and Kraik immediately grabs it. Alan stops him and says that they should conserve the food. He has Ann divide up the food and Kraik agrees.
Urko sends his soldiers out to find Pete and Galen, telling Zaius that he'll do it his way while Zaius does it his way.
Ann makes a meal and Alan compliments her. He hesitates and tells her that he was thinking about his friend. Kraik asks where they are, and Alan says that the gorillas would tear him apart if they thought he knew. Ann says that Alan is protecting them, and a disappointed Kraik walks off. Once they're alone, Ann says that Alan is a good man like Tomar was, and Alan says that she's a good woman.
Pete finally says that he's turning in, but Galen figures that he's delaying.
Kraik finds Alan carving a model airplane. Alan explains that it's a flying machine, and that he might give it to Kraik. The astronaut talks about how people used to fly everywhere but not everyone had enough to eat, and Kraik describes how he steals food. Alan tells him that if they find what's buried in the city, no one will have to scratch for food. He puts the model away and sits down with Ann, who says that Kraik respects him. Alan tells her that his son would be the same age.
The next day, Urko continues his search.
Pete sets up the battery, and Galen warns that the gorillas are heading in their direction.
Alan makes up a pouch for Kraik to carry his things, and talks about what his son had. Kraik asks if Alan will go back to his own time, and says that he'd like to see it. Ann asks Alan if what he said about the world was true, and Alan says that it's a hope. He talks about the institute, describing where it is, and the projector inside. Kraik doesn't believe in a machine that talks, and Alan tells him to do his job first. Ann asks for more stories about Alan's world, and says that Tomar used to live on a farm with his brother. It's easier for her to do nothing then try and go back to a reminder of when she wasn't alone. Alan says that she could meet another man, and Ann admits that now she's open to the possibility.
Kraik has taken the model, and Alan notices. He goes over and the boy tries to hide it behind his back. Alan tells him that they don't lie to each other or take things without permission. Kraik refuses to hand the model over, and smashes it on the ground, then runs off yelling that he hates Alan. He goes outside and a soldier takes him to the captain, who demands to know where Pete and Galen are.
Later, Kraik returns to Alan and Ann. He looks at the restored model, and Ann tells him that Alan was upset because he made it for Kraik. Kraik admits that he told the gorilla about the institute and breaks into tears.
Urko and his soldiers surround the institute and go inside. Pete and Galen covered over the vault door with debris.
After Ann tells Alan what Kraik said, Alan figures that his friends have long since left the institute. He realizes that the apes might find the message, and Kraik says that there's a way out. However, he didn't want to go because of all of the food that they gave him. Kraik then goes out and tells the captain that Alan had a gun and he threw it out the window. The captain goes with him around to the side, and Alan jumps down on the captain. He knocks the gorilla out and has Ann climb down, and they head for the institute.
Urko tells Zaius that there was nothing at the institute. Zaius figures that they would leave something behind to tell Alan where to go if he escaped, and tells Urko to take him there.
Kraik leads Alan and Ann through the sewers to the institute. Alan removes the debris and activates the projector. Before the scientist reveals the vault location, Zaius and the others arrive. The humans hide and Urko sees the exposed chamber and Zaius manages to turn on the projector. The scientist continues with his message, giving the Oakland vault's location at the midway railway station. The apes go there and Kraik says that he knows a quicker way there.
Pete and Galen find the station vault and Pete turns on the machines. Alan, Ann, and Kraik get there before the apes and Alan says that they have to leave before Zaius and Urko get there. The group gets out and hides down the street, just as the apes ride up. Zaius says that the knowledge represents the destruction of the humans, and tells Urko to burn the place to the ground. Urko says that the knowledge would be safe with them, but Zaius warns that the knowledge would spread out of control and one of his officers might get the power to destroy Urko and the world. After a moment, Urko gives the burn order to his men. He says that he'll go back and kill Alan.
The group gets out of Oakland and goes to the farm of Tomar's brother, Derbin. Ann says that she feels all right about coming back there now that Kraik is with her and she's not alone. Kraik asks Alan to stay with them, but Ann says that he can't. Alan tells Kraik that he'll get plenty to eat, and shakes the boy's hand in goodbye.
Written by Gadfly on Jan 16, 2017