My first attempt at a Fanfiction. I just had this idea bouncing around in my head after watching the Film & had to get out before it drove me crazy (though I suspect it might be too late).
Disclaimer: I own no part of the Brilliant Animated Feature Film Rio. Darn it.
Chapter 1
"That was beautiful." Linda sighed as she removed her helmet.
"Absolutely." Tulio agreed as he removed his own equipment.
They had just finished a leisurely hang-glider flight over the jungle & the city, with Blu. Jewel, their kids & their friends tagging along for part of the way. Linda & Tulio loved the brief time they could spend in the air with the birds. Even though Blu & his family would visit the Conservation Centre offices often, their home was in the jungle now & Linda knew that he needed to stay there, wild & free.
As they continued to neatly pack up their equipment ready for the next time, Tulio retrieved his phone & took a quick look at his messages. Linda paused as she saw a slight frown gather on his brow.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" Tulio was usually such an easy-going guy, anything that ruffled his feathers, (so to speak) was usually important.
Tulio smiled as he put the phone down & said "Oh, it's nothing, really. You remember my telling you about Jules, a researcher at the Centre?"
Linda cast her mind back, & recalled Tulio telling her about a promising young researcher with some pretty radical theories about the structure of avian language & communication. She had never met him personally, but Tulio had told her that that wasn't unusual, as he was something of recluse, totally wrapped up in his research.
"...Oh, yeah. What about him?"
"Well, he's been bugging me the last few weeks about a major breakthrough he's made in his research. He claims to have found a way around the language barrier that separates the Human & Avian species! Pretty wild huh?"
"…around the barrier?..." Linda said, trying to process the information. Despite her close relationship with Blu & the empathy she had developed with him where they so easily understood each other, there were still times when she wished she could understand what Blu & Jewel were saying. The 3 weeks when Jewel's wing was in splints as it healed for instance, would have been near impossible it wasn't for Blu (apparently) reassuring her & making sure she didn't interfere with the treatments Tulio applied.
"Yes. He claims that Birds have a language every bit as developed & complex as our own, & that it's just a failure of comprehension on our part. On that, I agree with him & it's why I've devoted so much of my time to learning how to communicate with them."
Linda hid a smile at that. She didn't like to point out how every time he tried to communicate with a Bird outside of his own centre like Blu or the other Bird friends he had acquired, they invariably just seemed befuddled or looked at Tulio like he was crazy.
"Where we differ substantially however, is that he believes its possible to directly stimulate the language centre of the human brain using a special treatment he's devised, thus enabling comprehension of the Avian language without the need for training. It's pretty out there."
"Sure sounds like it. So what's the problem?" she said as they walked back to the Jeep with their equipment.
"As I said, he's been bugging me recently because he claims he cracked it, & he wants to know how soon it can move from theoretical models to practical testing. As I'm sure you know however, it's not that simple when we're talking about something that can only be tested on a Human."
"Of course." Linda was well-read enough to know of the kind of hoops that had to be jumped through when any kind of new, untested treatment was being considered for use on Humans.
"He's convinced he's made it safe, & keeps telling me that all of his computer models & simulations come up 100% safe as well & can I make sure the review board knows it, but these things take time. The initial review of his work won't occur for another 2 months at least."
"Must be frustrating for him." Linda commented as they stowed the gear, climbed into the vehicle & started it up.
"Ohhhh, Yeah. & it's the reason why my inbox has been getting such a workout lately." Tulio said as he guided the Jeep through the light traffic on their way back to the Centre. "He's impatient to move forward. I'm going to have to sit down & have a serious talk with him if this keeps up."
Linda nodded at that. But as they continued on through the streets Tulio could see that she had something on her mind.
"Do you…. think he's on to something?" Linda asked eventually as they were waiting at a light. "I mean, assuming he's right, could it be as easy as a pill or a shot or even an inhaler & you'd be able to understand the language of birds, just like that?"
Tulio shrugged. "I honestly don't know. From as much as his reports as I can understand his work is brilliant, complex & incorporates multiple branches of science. It's all somewhat over my head, but I'm sure the review board will be able to see if there's anything in it."
Linda nodded again & as they drove through the gates, Tulio continued: "And I must admit it's a compelling idea. Just think of what great leaps of understanding the Human & Avian races could take towards each other if the communication barrier was removed. It might even convince people to turn their back on smuggling, if they knew that these poor birds had thoughts & feelings not to dissimilar to our own."
"Amen to that." Linda smiled as Tulio parked the Jeep & they got out of the car. "Though you know, that might put you out of business too."
Linda & Tulio both laughed as a squawk was heard & Blu flew down to perch on the Jeep crossbar. He often welcomed them back after their little aerial jaunts. Linda & Tulio both greeted him, but as he hopped onto Linda's wrist he gave her a look that clearly said "what were you two laughing about?"
"C'mon Blu." Linda said, affectionately stroking his head. "I'll tell you all about it on the way to meet Fernando for dinner."
Jules stared at the monitor.
He had been staring at one monitor or another for the last few hours. Running another in the countless series of simulated tests he was performing on his creation, his formula.
Jules was in his mid-twenties, lean, his black hair cut short in a no-nonsense & low-maintenance style & he wore plain black-rimmed glasses. He had applied for the research position at the Conservation Centre shortly after graduating from University with top Honours in Natural, Chemical & Radiological Science. With qualifications like that, he could have walked into any research position with any company he wished, but he had applied for this comparatively lowly position at the Centre with its minimal salary as he was looking for a place where he could pursue his rather wild theories without interference. Jules had seemed like a godsend to Tulio as he had recently received a grant of computer & laboratory equipment but had no-one qualified to use it & here was a fully qualified researcher willing to work for a pittance, as long as he was allowed to steer his research in whatever direction he wished. Tulio didn't mind. As long as Jules was filling the position, the grant requirements were satisfied, & Jules relished a quiet working environment with no-one interfering or looking over his shoulder.
Jules finally transferred his attention from the monitor & rising from his chair, walked over to a whiteboard which was covered with formulas & calculations, much erased & re-written in the past but not so much now. He picked up the marker & eraser & stared at the board, twirling the marker in his fingers as if daring any other mistakes to make themselves known & face his wrath.
He hadn't had many friends growing up. He had been a rather shy & as such spent a lot of his time reading in the library at both home & school. While the other kids shouted, played, practiced for Carnaval, etc. Jules could be found absorbed in works of both fiction & fact, learning & expanding his horizons.
Later, during his studies Jules found his attention drawn to the world of science. He saw what he found to be a puzzling disparity between the natural world & the technical/scientific one. Many tended to view them as polar opposites, but he found himself increasingly convinced that scientific breakthroughs could be used to aid the natural world just as it aided the Human one. This had led him to the study of conservation of endangered species & put him in touch with Tulio's Centre, but as sympathetic as he had found Tulio to his general outlook that science could serve nature, Tulio favoured tried-and-tested methods rather than new approaches.
He sighed, & removing his glasses pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit of his when frustrated or recognizing that he was getting a little too obsessed with his work. He knew he had been bugging Tulio a little too much recently about his project. Tulio had other responsibilities at the Centre & Jules knew that there were rules to follow for something as radical as the approach he was suggesting. And he knew why those rules had to be there. Despite his confidence in the work, there were still questions about its safety. His project crossed boundaries of Chemistry & Radiation that hadn't been crossed before, & it was quite possible that there were issues beyond his understanding that a review of his work would reveal.
But he had poured so much of himself into it. He sometimes had the odd feeling that the ideas he had had & the directions he took ever since he had started work all those months ago weren't entirely his, & he was merely putting the outer clothing on something that wanted to exist all by itself. Not that he was overly superstitious. He had the good scientist's talent for putting himself outside a situation & analysing it, including his own work. But even with that layer of detachment, everything seemed to be rosy. All the simulations came back positive; all the theoretical models said that the treatment would be safe & effective no matter how many times he went back over them, looking for anything he might have missed, any flaw in his reasoning.
He replaced his glasses & glanced up at the clock on the wall. As understanding as Tulio was about his research time, that wasn't his only function at the Centre. He had other duties, & it was time to perform them.
He put the marker & eraser back under the board & crossing back to the computers he shut off the monitors, leaving the machines themselves running. They could complete their sequences in peace while he went off on his rounds. He didn't resent the more practical part of his duties at the institute. On the contrary, he would get just as absorbed in the care of the birds in the here & now as he would about the potential future he was trying to bring about.
Closing the lab door he made his way to the duty station, nodding & exchanging pleasantries with the other researchers he met in the corridors or sitting at tables tending to their charges. He didn't know any of them well, & neither did they know him or the specifics of his research, but he was on friendly terms with all of them.
Reaching the duty station, Gloria, the researcher in charge of the work assignments smiled at him & reaching behind her for the duty roster said: "Hey Jules. How the work going?"
"Slowly." Jules admitted. "Everything on my side is done, but now Tulio said I need to be patient for the review process."
"That can be a pain right enough, but a necessary one." She glanced over the roster. "Dr Miles needs assistance with a Macaw with a sprained leg, & after that Dr Simmons needs your help examining some Parakeet chicks. That seems to be all for now."
"Oh, Ok." Jules took the notes but then hesitated.
"Something wrong Jules? Gloria looked at him & he caught the sparkle in her eye & the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. She knew exactly what he wanted to ask, but was going to make him work for it.
"Oh, no, nothing…. So this is all?" he said holding up the notes. "I'll just… be going then." He said backing up at a pace a snail would have been impatient with. "No-one else needs my help?... that's…. that's fine." "No-one in the East or… or… the West Treatment wing needs a hand then…."
He finally turned at the door & as he was about to step through, Gloria, in a voice dripping with nonchalance, said "Actually…"
He turned, playing his part in her game. "…Yes?"
"There is…one patient I'm sure Dr Miles wouldn't mind you check in on once you're done. Only if you happen to be passing, mind." She grinned at him, & very deliberately proffered the one note she had deliberately held back.
"Sure thing." He said putting as much a note of sarcasm into his voice as dared, which wasn't much.
He took the third note & as he tucked it behind the others Gloria chuckled. "I don't know why we have to go through this rigmarole every time." She's your patient. Dr Miles said so."
"Yeah, but he also said that it's not done for a researcher to get too attached to a certain bird. She's almost ready for release."
"And you'll be sad to see her go, I know. But I've also only seen the kind of trust you two share a couple of times. You've got a knack."
"I wouldn't say that. She's only the second injured bird I've personally taken care of. She may just be very even-tempered."
"I doubt it. She thrashed around like crazy when she first came in. Dr Miles saw how you were the only one she seemed to trust."
"I don't know why." Jules admitted. "I just saw a poor bird in pain with a fractured wing, & just wanted to do everything in my power to help her. I'm sure the other researchers all felt the same way."
"Of course, but the fact remains she saw something in you she didn't see in the others. That's why she let you take care of her."
Jules shrugged. As he turned to go & begin his rounds Gloria said: "One other thing, Jules." He turned back with a questioning expression. Their little game didn't usually go on this far.
"Tulio has asked me to find out if you want to come along this year." Gloria asked the question as if she knew the answer & Tulio should have too.
It certainly puzzled Jules. "Come along to what?"
"Carnaval, of Course! It's the biggest party & parade so far this year, & we're holding a pre-Carnaval party tonight. Are you really not getting involved? Everyone else at the Centre is."
Jules hadn't given Carnaval a second thought. He never usually did. "…Oh, no…no, far too much to do. My research takes up all my free time."
"But you just said you'd gone as far as you can for now. Haven't you earned a break?"
"There's always more to do. Besides, I'm not really one for parties & celebrations. Never have been, really."
"Pity." Gloria said, shaking her head. "Especially in Rio, the party capital of the world."
"That has been pointed out to me before." Jules said rather dryly. "Sylvio said the Birds probably party more than I do."
"I agree with him." Gloria said, "Still there's still time, & you're always welcome, remember that. If you should have a change of heart, come along to the festivities." She handed him a flyer for a party. "We'll all be there & they'll be a place for you, whether you come or not. Don't worry about dressing up, but I would advise you to leave the lab coat."
"I'll think about it." Jules smiled as he accepted the flyer & tucked it in front of his notes. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, both for the flyer & the party, don't forget that."
"Sure…. well, Dr Miles will be expecting me."
Gloria watched him as he walked off down the hall towards the East Treatment wing. A nut to crack, this one Rio, she thought. Can you bring him out of his shell & get him to experience the joy of Carnaval as you have to so many others?
Carrying a Watermelon in his claws, Blu swooped down through the jungle canopy, heading for the hollow tree where he, Jewel & their chicks had set up home.
As he propped the Watermelon between 2 branches & alighted on the branch, he called out & his 2 sons & daughter erupted out of the hole with cries of "Daddy!" & bearing down him he scarcely had time to react before he was tackled playfully by his kids.
"Yes, Yes, Daddy's happy to see you too. Gia, would you mind terribly letting go of my leg? Ahh! Paulo, would you mind not hanging off my Crest like that? It takes me ages to comb it just right, Andre, Andre, would you mind… not bouncing on my tail…please? Oh, uh, right."
A laugh came from above, & wearing his kids like Jewellery, Blu looked up to see Jewel watching the scene with an amused twinkle in her eye.
"What can I say Blu? They missed you." She said. "You did, didn't you darlings?"
As they chorused "Yes!" & continued to play with their father Jewel fluttered down & helped Blu prise their kids loose.
"So, how were Linda & Tulio?" she inquired as she tickled her daughter with a wing feather.
"Oh, great, great. They really enjoyed the flight & they filled me in on something…. really interesting going on back at the Centre."
Jewel raised an eye ridge at that, but said. "Tell me all about it over dinner then. C'mon Gia, Andre, Paulo! Dinnertime!"
The kids cheered at that & they all turned their attention to the Watermelon on the upper branch. Blu & Jewel carved up the fruit & shared it out & they all proceeded to tuck in. As they ate, Blu related what Linda had told him about Jules' research.
"Crackpot." She summed up succinctly.
Blu was shocked. "You shouldn't say that! He could really be onto something. It could change the way Humans & Birds interact with each other!"
"Look, Blu, I know you have a soft spot for humans & I admit there are some really good ones out there like Linda & Tulio, but the majority of humans don't care about us. I can't see them being able to understand us changing that."
"But that's just it Jewel, it's so much easier to dehumanize someone when you think they don't have thoughts & feelings like yours."
"We're not human, Blu."
"Figure of speech, Jewel. We have thoughts & feelings don't we? If you cut us, do we not bleed?"
"I'd rather not test that Blu."
"Look, the point is that if it works, it could make the job of conservation so much easier. We could get along with humans so much better rather than just avoiding them all the time."
Jewel was silent at that & continued eating. She & Blu still had a difference of opinion when it came to humans in general. Jewel preferred to avoid them (with the exception of Linda & Tulio) whereas Blu was more open (naïve, in Jewel's opinion).
"Anyway." Blu sighed. "It's a moot point for now. They won't let him test his theories until they'd reviewed his work & made sure its safe, & it'll be months for that to happen."
Bet they wouldn't be so hesitant if it were Birds they were testing it on, Jewel thought darkly. But didn't say it out loud & felt slightly ashamed of the thought. It was an echo of her old human-hating side, which had much diminished ever since the wonderful care she had received at Tulio's hands healed her wing, good as new & she had been released with Blu into the jungle.
She decided to shift the conversation to less contentious ground. "Rafael dropped by earlier."
"Oh? How is he?"
"Still being run ragged by those kids of his. He said that he, Nico & Pedro are planning something special for Carnaval this year."
"Really? Didn't Eva make it clear to him that he's got to stop trying to sneak off?"
"That's just it. No more sneaking, as he said they were planning a more low key, family-oriented chick-friendly party right here in the jungle this year."
"That's one way for him to get to attend." Blu observed shrewdly. "But I like that idea. The Kids can be introduced to the joy of Carnaval without having to go into the city, as I agree, though they have hearts of gold, Nico & Pedro's backstreet Samba club can be a little wild."
"No kidding." She smiled at him. "So next time I see him I can say we'll all be coming then?"
"Absolutely." Blu said happily, but a cloud passed swiftly across his face.
Jewel noticed it. "What? What is it?"
"Oh, no… it's nothing really…" Blu said, feebly trying to wave it off.
Jewel wasn't fooled. "C'mon Blu, you can tell me. You can tell me anything."
Blu sighed. "It's just that… I really wish… Linda could come."
Seeing the look on Jewel's face he hastened to explain. "I know it's impossible, I know our worlds our separate now, a human couldn't possibly go… but she's still family to me, coming right after you & the kids."
Jewel sighed. As happy as Blu was with his life in the jungle with her & their kids, the bond he had forged with Linda ever since she had found him as a tiny, cold & frightened chick was unshakeable, & was the reason why she didn't object to his frequent visits back to her at the Centre & her new Bookshop she was running with Fernando. It would probably be easier for Blu to chew his own leg off than to never see Linda again. Not that she disliked Linda of course. During her convalescence from her broken wing, she saw first-hand what a caring human she was & the strength of Blu's bond with her, & then her ultimate expression of love, letting him go to be with her.
She also knew that Blu had become comfortable with human culture, & being totally cut off from it wasn't in his character. Although he agreed with her that the chicks needed to be raised in the jungle, he would still tell them bedtime stories taken (Jewel assumed) from all the books he had read & had also brought some books & paper back to their tree not (as Jewel had first thought) as nesting material, but to start teaching them to read & write, which he was adamant were vital skills to have & had got her to join in too.
"I'm sorry she can't too Blu, but I'm sure that she, Tulio & Fernando will be celebrating Carnaval in their own way, just as we'll be celebrating it in ours." She smiled at him. "You won't want them to be having fun & you're not will you?" She teased.
As she had hoped, the playful taunt perked Blu right up. "Of course not! Why, you know I'm one of the best Samba dancers in the jungle! I'd like to see any human dance better than me once I start to shake my tail feathers!"
"That's the spirit!" She laughed as their kids, their meal finished, hopped over to them. "All done my darlings? Good. Oh, let me just clean you up a bit…" She rubbed some stray bits of Watermelon off their faces with her wing. "There we go. C'mon Gia, Paulo & Andre! You haven't forgotten about you r play date with the Toucans have you?"
The kids cheered again, & opening their wings they took to the air followed closely by their parents, heading for Rafael's & Eva's tree.
Back at the Centre, Jules was completing his examination of the left wing of a Scarlet Macaw standing on the examination table in front of him.
"Looking good Ana." He said, holding her wing gently & flexing it slowly. "It's completely healed. You'll be ready to go home tomorrow. Bet you're looking forward to that huh?"
Ana squawked her approval, & releasing her wing Jules stroked her head. "It's just a shame that…" He stopped, & Ana looked up at him quizzically.
"I really wish… I could have tried out my formula. I could have found out what you really think about how well you've been treated here."
Ana put her head on one side & squawked again. Jules interpreted that as "no complaints". But he would have loved to know for sure.
"I know you didn't object to my taking one of your feathers, but did you really understand what I wanted it for? If I had been allowed to go ahead, we could have asked you."
Ana didn't reply to that, & Jules stroked her head a few more times. He seemed to be wrestling with something internally.
He suddenly stopped stroking & glanced around. None of the other researchers were within earshot.
"Listen." He said lowering his voice conspiratorially. It was such an unusual tone for him to take that Ana looked up at him curiously. "I'll let you in on something, but no telling, ok?"
Ana merely ruffled her wings, but continued to gaze up at him.
"I'm going to go ahead with the synthesis tonight. No-one will be here because of the pre-Carnaval party, so they won't be any the wiser. And once I have an actual vial of the formula in its complete made-up form, I'll be able to go much further with tests on its long-term stability & safety."
"Oh, not that I'll be testing it on anyone or anything living of course." He added quickly, as if already addressing a stern ethics committee conjured up by his own conscience. "Far too early for that even though I'm certain it's safe. But it's the only way I can get sound final data." He finished firmly.
Ana looked up at him, & with that same sense with which he found he could interpret most of her moods, Jules was sure he saw note of concern.
"Don't worry." He reassured her. "I'll take every precaution. You just concentrate on resting tonight. You'll be going home tomorrow, & I'll hopefully be embarking on new phase of tests with my formula."
He held out his wrist & Ana hopped up onto it. Rising, he crossed over to one of the Bird enclosures for treated birds ready for release & gently guided her into it.
"Sweet dreams, &…wish me luck." He said giving her head one last stroke before closing the door, & returning to the table to gather his papers, he walked out the examination area.
Ana watched him go, then taking wing up to one of the higher perches, she settled there, with a faint frown on her face.
"Finished with the Doc?" said a large Red, Blue & Green Parrot called Carlos who settled on the perch next to her.
"Oh, yeah…" She said a little absently.
"Something wrong? Your wing has healed up nicely & you should be ready to go. Surely even a human like him could see that."
"Of course he saw it." She responded a little more sharply than she intended. She took a calming breath & continued "And it's because of that human that it's healed up so well. He's very good at his work."
"He's not as patronizing as most of them, I'll give him that." Carlos admitted grudgingly. "The way he talks to you, it's almost as if he expects an answer."
"Yeah…" Ana said. Carlos could see she was still following a train of thought of her own.
"Anything you want to talk about?"
She hesitated. "Well…" Surely Jules hadn't been serious about her keeping it a secret. It wasn't like telling him could do any harm to his plans anyway. "It's that project he's been telling me about. The one about being able to understand our language?"
"Oh, that. Sounds loopy to me."
"He believes in it, & he's sure he can make it work. So sure in fact, that he just told me he's going to try & proceed with the trickiest part tonight, without permission."
Carlos didn't seem moved by the 'without permission' part. He wasn't as up of such human things as Authorisation & Clearance as Ana was. "Good for him. Humans have too many rules, in my opinion. Stops them from having fun."
"If he gets found out, he could get in a lot of trouble."
"Then he'd better not get found out then, had he?" Said Carlos mischievously. "If he can get away with it, then he deserves to in my opinion.".
"That your approach to life Carlos?"
"You know it. I'm glad some of our free spirit is finally rubbing off on some of these guys other than Tulio. You could do with a little lightening up yourself."
"I don't know what you mean." She said haughtily.
"C'mon Ana. You take everything so seriously. I'm surprised they haven't given you one of those drab white coats they wear & offered you a job."
"You're talking nonsense," she sniffed & took wing to a different part of the enclosure, a clear indicator that the discussion was over.
As she perched there she was irritated by the thought that Carlos was right. She had always been of much more serious turn of mind than the other birds. Back in the jungle, while they were busy singing & dancing, she would be making careful plans to avoid predators, maintain food stocks, & most importantly, avoid poachers. As a Scarlet Macaw, she was a pretty rare species, so she knew she had to be careful. She wasn't as rare as a Blue one, like the pair that had recently settled into the Jungle, but not far behind. She wouldn't have dared revealing herself to humans if wasn't for that accidental collision she had with a Hang glider that had broken her wing. Her neighbouring birds had rallied to make sure she was found by the Centre & she had only just managed to supress her urges to bite & scratch while they brought her in.
And they had done a great job. Or more specifically, Jules had done a great job. The moment she had laid eyes on him she felt a bond of trust she couldn't explain, & it hadn't steered her wrong. He had helped numb the pain & heal the injury, something the other birds had told her anyone in the Centre could do, but the fact remained that it was him who had helped her, & both he & the other birds had let her know that she would be allowed to go home when she was fully recovered, which she now was.
Now that the time to leave was almost here, she realized that she would miss Jules. She would miss the (admittedly one-sided) talks they would have where he would tell her all about what was going on in the Centre & his research. And she agreed with him, it would have been nice if she could have still been around when his project was tested, so she could have let him know how grateful she was.
Still, if he was right & his project was a success, then it could have wide-ranging implications for both Birds & Humans. She would have to see if she could cultivate some contacts back to the Centre when she got back home to the Jungle so she could find out how he & his work were doing.
She glanced up at the windows & the yellowing light. Evening was coming, & Jules would be getting ready for his clandestine experiment.
Good Luck Jules, she thought.