Chapter Text
[Open on the interior of a tan jeep. Chris Kratt is quiet at the wheel as rural scenery shifts into suburban. The roof cover is long since missing and dirt coats the undercarriage like a second skin. Aviva, Martin, and a mild-mannered German Shepard occupy the backseat.]
Martin: This has been quite a day.
Aviva: I’m so sorry for the trouble guys.
Martin: It’ll turn into a funny story with some time.
Chris: Actually, I have a few objections to the attacked by a starving mountain lion thing.
Martin: There haven’t been confirmed mountain lions in Maine since 1938.
Aviva: You sure you don’t want me to find a different hotel for the night? I feel bad to ask to crash with you guys.
Chris: It’s honestly no trouble.
Aviva: Okay.
[The trio fall into an awkward silence, the wind whistling past.]
Aviva: I expected my technology to be harder to explain.
Chris: Give it a few hours and then I’ll process that your dog has octopus blood.
Martin: Why exactly does your dog have octopus blood?
Aviva: She was allergic to the iron in her blood, so I thought, why not just use copper?
Chris: “Why not just use copper?” You, Aviva Corcovado are trouble.
[Aviva looks at the rear-view mirror to try to catch a glimpse of Chris’s facial expression, hidden by her seat in the car relative to him. She can’t see his smile. The thing about the Kratt brothers, is they like trouble.]
Martin: Well at least your dog is okay.
[Fritz gently licks Martin’s hand in gratitude. Her tail is bandaged, a mechanical pencil wrapped longways within it as some sort of splint. A few bones in her tail were definitely broken. A normal dog’s tail would definitely have permanent damage. Luckily Fritz wasn’t a normal dog. Martin had bandaged her tail in the woods. He was no vet, but a zoology degree could be useful at times. Taking Fritz to a vet wasn’t a great option considering her blood was blue.]
Aviva: I can’t thank you enough.
Martin: Can I ask more questions?
[Aviva nods, glad for the distraction and excuse to talk about her work.]
Aviva: Go ahead, please.
Martin: How long did it take? To change Fritz’s blood and all.
Aviva: A little over two weeks. About six percent of a dog’s blood is replaced each day.
Martin: Any side effects?
Aviva: Not that she demonstrated, I don’t know if she was hurting. She didn’t act like it though.
Martin: Did you have to change her diet?
Aviva: Not really. All the foods that have high iron also have high copper. Though I did switch her to a seafood-based dogfood to be safe.
Martin: How did you know what genes did what?
Aviva: For three years I’ve been the head of Project Finity. It’s another genome mapping project. Because it’s publicly funded, and the grant was super vague I pretty much had free rein to map whatever genes I wanted to. I made a mathematical model from it that can predict where in a genome a particular protein is encoded with 93 percent accuracy.
Martin: Why didn’t this ever hit the major news? That’s amazing!
Aviva: [She shrugs mildly] William Labs doesn’t do genetic stuff. I’m the only one on the payroll for it and have been for two years, so no journalists come knocking.
[Chris has been listening to the conversation with interest. He decides to ask his own question.]
Chris: What’s the meaning of life?
Aviva: That seems like a loaded question.
Chris: In your opinion, what’s the meaning of life?
Aviva: To make the world a better place. Let me ask you a question, if I told you all of what I’ve been doing is illegal and if anyone finds out you’ll get in trouble for helping me… would you still be driving me to your house?
Chris: Well, considering the only thing that counts as a house that I owned was sold two years ago, I would not drive you to my house. Unless you’ve invented time travel which you seem capable of so let’s lay all the cards on the table. [Chris glances at Aviva in the mirror with a smile in his eyes.]
Martin: To be honest the law is overrated. To me it sounds like all you’ve done is save your dog’s life, which is very sweet and would make a good Buzzfeed article.
Aviva: The law is overrated? You guys seem incapable of being criminals to be honest.
[Chris and Martin don’t reply for just long enough for Aviva to doubt herself.]
Aviva: Right?
Martin: Right.
Chris: Of course.
[The awkwardness of the conversation final brings some laughter to the trio. Aviva runs an anxious hand through her hair. Marin bumps her shoulder with his hand in a vaguely comforting manner, but he’s not very good at it. Aviva smiles at him gratefully.]
Aviva: I’ll be asking you two about your apparent disregard for the law in the future.
Martin: Let’s just say there were more adventures in high school than got posted on our YouTube channel.
[Chris groans at the mere mention of the accursed channel.]
Chris: Please don’t remind me of it.
[Aviva begins humming a theme song familiar to all three. She continues to hum it ever when Chris and Martin please with her to stop.]
Martin: Aviva no, that’s a part of our lives we must leave behind in search of the greater good!
Chris: I will turn this car around and we can go meet back up with starving woods kitty again, Aviva.
[Aviva hums the last few notes of her abridged version of the tune.]
Martin: Believe it or not I wrote that tune on a bugle.
Aviva: A bugle? Why a bugle?
Martin: That’s a good question, and I plead the fifth.
Aviva: Aren’t you Canadian?
Chris: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Section 7 and Section 11c!
[Aviva laughs incredulously.]
Aviva: You just have that memorized?
Martin: Chris was in mock trial for three years or something.
Chris: Seven semesters.
Aviva: That’s impressive. I spent all my time in K-12 doing science and engineering. VEX Robotics and the like. I was pretty good at it too, got a bunch of scholarships.
Martin: They don’t give out bugle scholarships. A shame, really.
[The roads now are truly urban. The road had widened into two lanes, and streetlights made the jeep’s dim headlights less necessary. Chris is a good driver, he’s not enough of a stickler for the rules to go exactly the speed limit, but he stays within a reasonable amount. Orono isn’t extremely urban, it’s relatively small actually. There are no skyscrapers or subway lines. It’s a nice town though, and the university has some neat research projects. Chris and Martin were in temporary positions with M.O.O.S.E. Labs. They had been upgraded to being on the pay scale since their initial expedition collecting GPS collars in Baxter State Park. They were renting an apartment from a friend in the city. Chris pulls into the parking lot, only half full. The jeep’s engine sounds almost relieved to stop running as Chris pulls out the key. Aviva briefly wonders if the vehicle is safe to be on the road but decides it’s best not to question it.]
[Chris steps out of the vehicle, grabbing his backpack and pocketing the keys.]
Chris: Where are you headed after the conference?
Aviva: Back to DC. You?
Chris: [Glances towards Martin, who shrugs.] We don’t really know. Dr. Randon, who runs M.O.O.S.E. lab offered to take us on another project.
Martin: We’re like freelance researchers, really.
[Aviva grabs her backpack and clips a leash to Fritz’s collar.]
Aviva: Seems unpredictable.
Martin: That’s accurate.
[Aviva chuckles.]
Chris: Do you have other bags still at the hotel?
Aviva: No, I actually carry a portable vacuum sealer to pack my clothes really tight, so all my stuff is in this bag. [Aviva holds up a mid-sized hiking pack. Martin and Chris at first wait for a punchline but realize she’s entirely serious about how she packs. Chris nods, entertained.]
Martin: That would be so useful! I could carry extra clothes with me for all the times I decide to go swimming in my normal clothes!
Chris: Oh brother, Martin please, the public fountains have had enough of you for a lifetime.
Martin: No one ever gets enough of me. [He grins a stupidly giddy smile. Aviva laughs as Chris shakes his head with exasperation.]
[Martin leads the way up to their apartment. The stairs are on the outside of the building. He cheerfully takes the steps two at a time. Chris and Aviva follow, Fritz sticking by Aviva’s side. Martin leads the way to door 241. He sticks a hand in his pocket, then another pocket, then frowns.]
Martin: Chris, you have a set of keys, right?
Chris: You gave me yours earlier, remember? Because you were worried about pick pockets.
Martin: Good, good.
[Chris hands Martin a keyring with a blue paw print insignia and at least twenty keys. Martin grabs a key off of it, tries it, grabs another key, tries it, and finally on the third try swings the door open. He holds it open.]
Martin: Welcome welcome!
[The interior of the apartment is sparse like all new residences are. The front room is split, kitchen on one side, living room to the other. A small hallway leads back to where a few more small rooms are presumably located.]
[Aviva looks a bit guilty to be crashing with the brothers, but grateful for the kindness. Fritz immediately begins to sniff every surface she can find.]
Aviva: Thank you again.
Chris: Honestly Aviva, it’s no problem. This evening added some much-needed excitement after the conference all day.
Martin: Oh, we have to go back to that tomorrow.
Chris: It’s a weeklong conference.
[Chris’s reminder seems to suck the will out of the room.]
Chris: Sorry.
Aviva: I’m getting paid attendance are you guys?
Martin: Yeah, yeah silver linings. It’s still boring. [He relinquishes to the inevitable though.] I’m gonna turn in for the night.
Chris: Yeah. [Chris looks apologetically to Aviva.] We have to get there early to help set up one of Dr. Randon’s grad students for a talk.
Aviva: I’m a good early riser.
Martin: Show off.
[Chris rolls his eyes, very brotherly of him.]
Aviva: Th-
Martin: If you say thanks one more time, I’m going to make you do chores.
[Aviva stops herself from finishing the sentence.]
Chris: Well, blankets are in the ottoman, I really need some sleep after today.
Aviva: I would say thank you, but I think Martin doesn’t want me to.
Martin: Very true. Night Aviva! Night Fritz!
Fritz: [Pants happily in reply.]
Aviva: Goodnight.
[Martin heads down the hallway and enters the first door on the left.]
Chris: Do you need anything?
Aviva: I don’t think so. And not to be a broken record but really thank you. You probably saved me earlier grabbing my arm like that.
Chris: Your dog saved us by pointing out the lion in the first place. [He smiles at her kindly. Aviva realizes it’s been a long time since anyone was genuinely kind to her.] Get some sleep, it’s going to be a long day.
Aviva: I will. Goodnight Chris.
Chris: Goodnight. [After flipping the main light switch to off he retreats into the room across the hall from Martin, giving Aviva one last wave before the door closes.]
[Aviva sits down on the couch, beige and generic like it was just moved out of an IKEA storeroom. She looks up at the ceiling, not quite sure what to feel, if she’s feeling anything at all. She just about died today, but that wasn’t it. No one had known the full extent of her research except herself and her dog, if Fritz counted towards that. She probably did, given she was smart enough. Either way, no other person had known until today. Aviva didn’t realize the weight of carrying that secret alone until she was no longer alone. Her eyes wandered over the popcorn ceiling, mindlessly counting each dot as a helpless distraction, watching as passing cars flooded the room with light filtered through cheap curtains. Fritz lay a head on her leg, looking up at Aviva with familiar doggy eyes. Aviva smiled and ruffled the fur on her head.]
Aviva: You’re a scientific marvel perrita.
[Fritz continues to look up at Aviva, her eyes twinkling. Aviva hadn’t realized she’s been crying until a tear on her face rolled down her chin.]
Aviva: None of this feels real. It’s all been a lie for so long, a passion project that wouldn’t become anything. Now it’s all of a sudden being talked about. I wonder if I made a mistake telling the brothers. I don’t actually know them. But they did save my life… and your tail.
[She lays down on her side, not bothering to get up and get a blanket. Sleep is tugging at her without needed that comfort.]
Aviva: Tomorrow Fritz… I know it’s possible. I’m going to start on it.
[Fritz replies with a comforting whine that stretches into a yawn.]
Aviva: You’re right. Goodnight Fritz.
[Cars continue to drive past, intertwined with the buzzing of insects. The sounds dull as sleep filters in, replacing racing memories of snarling wild animals with the night’s dreams soon to be forgotten. Fritz nuzzles next to Aviva and then the night is calm.]