A flashback

On Saturday, Arya's father was working in his lab.

Leo : subject 92...acid and mercury...let's test it.

He added his combination to an empty metal can, he poured a dark green liquid on it, it did not work, it caused the can to melt and sent a strong smell of acid.

He let out a sigh while saying and writing in his notebook.

Leo : subject 92...failed...miserably...in fact this smell is even stronger than acid alone.

He was losing hope.

Leo : maybe I should just forget about this project...it really seems like it has no solution...or at least a solution that I know of.

He heard a knock on the door.

Leo : come in.

Arya opened the door and saw him looking frustrated, his hands rubbing his face.

Arya : hey dad...how is your work going ?

Leo : hey...it's going...ok.

Arya : is it ?

Leo : yeah...

Arya : come on...tell me...maybe I can help.

Leo : *sigh* it's a project I have been working on for two months so far...I'm trying to find something that can burn our garbage but without releasing any smell.

Arya : I think I can help with that...what are the ingredients that you used?

Leo : acid...fire...CO2...oxygen...pretty much anything that has a smell or has the potential to stop one.

Arya : maybe it's not a problem for science this time.

He left his face and looked at her in curiosity and confusion.

Leo : what do you mean ?

Arya : I mean that you can solve this problem by using things that are solid instead of liquid.

His eyes widened in realization.

Leo : like glass !...why the hell have I never thought of that !

Arya : yes !...glass can contain that garbage...the fire and the smell of the smoke !

Leo : wait...how are we going to remove the garbage out of the burrow ?

Arya : uh...this is the part where I didn't reach yet.

Leo : this is a great idea Arya.

Arya : hey...I'm technically a scientist too...I think.

Leo : well...yeah you are...technically...but it also still depends...

Arya : huh ?

Arya : do you want to be a scientist ?

Arya : of course I want to be a scientist...but not like you...I want to be an outfield scientist.

Leo : interesting...I suppose you mean a scientist that roams around the world ?...it's called an explorer scientist.

Arya : exactly...the world may be full of dangers and mutants and all...but at the same time there are so many beautiful things just waiting to be discovered.

He was impressed by the way a 14-year-old girl can think, he has been on the surface before, and he knows that what she said is true.

Suddenly, Leo had a flashback of the first time he encountered danger on the surface.

12 years ago, Leo was walking outside, carrying baby Arya in his arms, it was a sunny day on the surface, Leo was doing his usual researches, after being uninhabited by humans for 200 years, his mind was filled with curiosity and made him drift away, he wandered into places no human should be in, he entered the wolves territory, he was with caution, he did not know what he was stepping into, the wolves were smart creatures, rather smart enough that they evolved to be scientists, but after all, once a predator, is always a predator.

He found a building with an observatory in it.

He walked in to find no one inside, as the wolves had sensed Leo's presence a while ago, they hid from him, in case the unknown presence to them was not alone.

After almost five minutes of silence, the wolves have made sure that the intruder is certainly alone, the wolves have jumped in front of him, startled, he turned around and looked behind him rapidly, the wolves have shown themselves for Leo at last, He felt the danger, he saw by the sunlight coming through the cracks a pack of wolves, they were wolves that were standing on two legs and wearing lab coats, just like a human scientist.

His eyes widened in fascination, but also fear.

Wolf : hello...human.

Leo : uh...hi.

Wolf : I see you took the wrong directions...and it led you here.

He kept looking around in fear and caution as he continued to talk.

Leo : you can say that...so how about I just leave...and no one will be harmed...and by no one I mean me.

The wolf stepped closer as he talked, showing himself clearly to Leo.

Wolf : oh don't worry...no one will be harmed here...in fact we would love it if you could join us for dinner...we have something special for dinner today.

The wolves could hear his stomach gargeling, he was looking for food for Arya too, but he did not stumble across any fruit on a tree, or a fish in a nearby lake, he could not refuse such an offer.

Leo : I suppose I can join you.

Wolf : wonderful news...glad you can join us...and perhaps share some of your knowledge with our group ?....we are scientists as you may have noticed.

Leo : I did...but we haven't got to introduce each other...I'm Leo...and this is my daughter Arya.

Wolf : Liam as I have named myself...and this is my pack...I'm the alpha.

Leo : Nice to meet you Liam.

They shook hands as they smiled at each other.

*fade in transition then pop up*

After the wolves had agreed for Leo to stay, He started looking around the observatory building, he found many books he had never seen before, multiple gadgets he never knew the purpose of, but he was fascinated by them.

He was walking and with Liam wandering around the building, as he looked around he found a small thin rectangular device that has broken glass on one side and a plastic cover with three very small circles on a corner, on the other side.

Leo : hey do you know what this thing is ?

Liam : hmm...not certain but I believe this is a device humans used before the war...it's called a phone...judging from the fact that it has multiple fingerprints...I can say they have used this device many times...too many times if I may be precise.

Leo : you can see fingerprints ?

Liam : of course...a wolf eye can see In pitch black and details...I know...interesting.

Leo : yeah...it is.

Liam looked at Arya.

Liam : I see you have a younger version of a human here...correct ?

Leo : *chuckle* yes...her name is Arya...she is 1 year old...cute isn't she?

Liam : yes...indeed...it is such a fascinating thing to see a human grow from such a small size...to this size...don't you think ?

As he pointed at Leo.

Leo : Wow...you are really interested in humans.

Liam : of course...meeting such a rare species is something that brings curiosity to any mind that is ready to discover it.

Leo : so I wanted to ask you...is everyone here a scientist ?...or somewhat interested in knowledge ?

Liam : yes...but we have some of us who...well let's just say that they have not evolved yet.

Leo : what do you do with them ?

Liam : we release them into the wilderness...their natural habitat...hoping that one day they will evolve and come back to the pack and join us.

Leo : does it work before ?

Liam : yes...but the percentage of wolves that did come back is significantly lower than those who didn't...we suspect that they are still out there...just not ready yet...or they have met their end...either way we are not able to do anything else for them...we let their destiny lead them.

Leo : It's the right thing to do...I honestly can't see a better choice than this.

Liam smiled through his frustration as he looked at Leo and his attempt to cheer him up.

Liam and Leo talked all day, they were having multiple conversations that they did not feel the time passing by.

The time had come for having dinner, everyone sat at a big table and was ready for dinner Leo and Liam sat next to each other.

Liam : you know...for a wolf and a human...we have a lot in common...I liked spending time with you Leo.

Leo : well we are both scientists...that's probably the main reason.

Liam rested his head on his hand leaning his arm on the table, smirking and looking at Leo.

Liam : it's a shame.

Leo : hm ?

Liam : tell me Leo...have you figured out what is on the dinner menu today ?

Leo's eyes widened in fear as the smile on his face disappeared, he immediately realized what is the dinner.

Liam : tell you what Leo...I really liked you and because of that...I will give you a headstart.

Leo : f...for what ?

Liam looked at Leo like a predator looking at its prey, he stood on four legs, his voice changed and he started to growl, the night has set as the moon light shined on the place, Leo noticed the wolves's eyes have glowed red.

Liam : *growl* run.

Leo rushed out the door and started running for his life in the woods.

And as he was running, hearing the multiple howls behind him.

Arya : dad ?....dad...DAD!

His widened eyes looking at the ground slowly started blinking, getting him back to reality.

Leo : huh !...what...what's going on ?

Arya : are you ok ?...you disconnected there for a second.

Leo : I'm...I'm fine...just had a flashback...it's fine though.

Arya : ok...so...the project ?

Leo : oh yeah right...the garbage project.

Arya laughed in silence and looked away trying to hide it.

Leo : what's so funny ?

Arya : a garbage project.

Leo laughed and relieved all the stress he had from that flashback, it all disappeared when he saw her laughing.

Leo : alright...where were we ?

Arya : we agreed that glass is a good solution to stop the smell from spreading...but we stopped on how to remove it from the burrow.

Leo : and I think I know how.

Arya : really ?...how ?

He smiled as he stood up and started drawing in his notebook without saying a word to Arya.

Leo : this is going to take a lot of work...but I know that it will work perfectly.

He drew a big tunnel with multiple layers making it like a maze.

Leo : so what do you think ?

Arya : this...is...AMAZING!!...this is the perfect way to do this...even if they find the tunnel they will have to go through a maze !

He smiled as he looked at her.

Leo : see all of this ?...this is your idea...you are a genius Arya.

Arya : I mean you did this tunnel idea too.

Leo : I would never have thought of such a thing if you didn't show up...this is a brilliant plan !...but now we have to do the hard part...we have to tell the idea to the burrow leader.

Arya : and why is that the hard part ?

Leo : *chuckle* oh you will see.

(transition)

They headed to the burrow's main building, which is a tall building in the middle, Leo grabbed the speaker.

Leo : attention everyone...please head to the main building...I have great news for all of us...you'll need to hear this.

Arya and Leo waited as the whole burrow citizens were waiting for others to come.

Leo : hello everyone...thank you for coming...I have a solution for a problem we had for so long...so we all know the garbage problem right ?...when it becomes full we don't know where to go with the rest of the trash...so I made this plan.

He made a bigger version of his drawing so everyone can see it, then showed it to the people until they heard a loud voice from down between the crowd

The burrow leader : what's going on here ?

Leo : oh..hi stew...great timing...can you please come up here ?

Stew : now why would I do that?

Leo : just please come here.

it took him a while to get up there and take the stairs, everyone waited in awkward silence.

Leo : we have this plan to get rid of all the garbage in the burrow...without any chance of exposing ourselves to mutants.

Stew : hmm...continue ?

Leo: so the plan is to dig a long tunnel that leads somewhere where we can dump all our garbage...and we have to make sure that no mutant will find us...we will make it as a maze...and fill it with traps...no one will know the right way but us...we will be safe and we will transfer all our garbage with a glass bubble to contain all the smell...and then it will be burnt to ashes...so we can have room for more garbage to put there every time.

Stew : absolutely not...we will not do much work for almost no reason and put everyone's fate in the hands of a booby trapped maze.

Leo : do you...our great leader...have any better solution?

The crowd started shouting, agreeing to Leo's plan.

Woman : we need to get rid of all of this trash !

Man : it's a good plan !

Man : yeah !...let's do it !

Stew looked at the crowd and saw the crowd looking back at him with upset.

Stew : ugh...fine.

The whole crowd cheered Leo for this plan.

Arya hugged him from the side.

Arya : you did it dad !...the plan will be actually executed !

Leo let out a big sigh of relief as he closed his eyes.

Leo : no...we did it.

The crowd then left, everyone came back to do what they were doing, waiting for tomorrow to come to proceed with this plan.