Work Text:
Rocky, question. You haven’t been home long time.
I am watching Grace sleep.
Rocky…
Grace sleeps longer now, you know. Age makes humans need more than 29,000 human seconds each night.
Rocky, it has been two human days.
Grace slept longer on space travel. Slept many human years.
But you know Grace-friend is not in space travel, question.
I know.
And you know how old Grace-friend is in human years, question.
Yes. 89. But humans can live to be more than 100.
Rocky, what do you hear, question.
Adrian-love. Armando. Waves.
Do you hear Grace-friend heart, question.
[beat]
It could be very quiet! Grace is very tired many days. Softer heartbeat now.
[beat]
Rocky…
Grace has to wake up.
[beat]
Grace has to wake up.
Rocky-love…
I want Grace to wake up!
[beat]
I do not want Grace to be gone. 89 years is not enough. Grace needs to wake up.
Grace-friend loved Rocky very much.
If Grace loved Rocky, Grace would wake up! Grace would not leave without saying goodbye.
Grace-friend told us goodbyes to prepare.
If Grace loved Rocky, Grace would not make Rocky watch Grace stop sleeping. Rocky watched crew stop—Grace will wake up.
Grace-friend told Rocky that Rocky did not have to watch.
But then Grace would be alone.
Rocky-love very kind to stay with Grace-friend, then.
But now Rocky is — would be — alone.
Not true.
Sorry.
Grace-friend is special. Adrian understand.
Yes. Now Rocky is alone.
[beat]
Would be alone.
When was last Rocky sleep, question.
λℓ hours.
Too long.
Rocky has to watch Grace sleep.
Adrian can watch Grace-friend…
[beat]
…sleep. Rocky rest also.
No. Rocky wants to be here when Grace wakes up.
Adrian can watch you both sleep. Wake Rocky if Grace-friend wakes.
If, question.
Rocky…
Grace will wake up. Grace has to wake up. Grace won’t leave Rocky alone.
Grace can’t be gone forever.
Maybe. Maybe not. Grace-friend said humans do not know what happens when they die.
Grace could be gone forever.
Grace-friend said some humans believe in reincarnation. Maybe Grace-friend made it back home in new life.
This is Grace’s home.
Maybe Grace-friend reincarnated here. Maybe Grace-friend is Eridian next!
Or, Grace is gone forever.
Maybe Grace-friend’s soul is somewhere nice.
Without Adrian, question. Without Rocky, question. Where is nice alone, question.
Grace-friend could be in the stars. Watching over Erid.
Still alone.
For now. Grace-friend would wait for Rocky-love to become stars, like Rocky waited for Grace-friend.
Grace would wait long time.
Maybe it won’t feel like long time for Grace-friend.
[beat]
When Grace wakes up, Rocky will ask him to wait.
[beat]
[beat]
If Grace wakes up, Rocky will—
[beat]
[beat]
[beat]
Grace won’t wake up.
Why won’t Grace wake up, question.
Does Rocky want a scientific answer, question.
No. I know Grace’s heart stopped pumping. I know Grace’s chest stopped rising. I know Grace’s blood stopped flowing. But I don’t understand.
[beat]
I am smart. I do know what this means. I know Grace—Grace’s heart stopped λ hours ago. But I still don’t understand. Grace still looks like sleep. I don’t know what to do except wait for Grace to wake up.
[a sharp, keening sob]
When crew died, Grace came. Grace fixed. But Grace can’t fix now. Why won’t Grace fix now, question.
Adrian can fix.
No.
Adrian can help.
[beat]
How, question.
Can help with Grace-friend’s body.
No! Not Grace body. Just Grace.
But what if part of Grace-friend is somewhere else, question.
Just…Grace. Please?
Okay, Rocky-love.
How do you want to take care of Grace-friend, question.
Grace did not tell us.
I know. Grace-friend said Rocky could choose. What do you want, question.
I don’t know.
Send Grace-friend home to Earth, question.
No! Erid is Grace’s home.
Rocky could donate Grace-friend to science? Let Eridians further their research.
No.
Why, question.
I am…it is…selfish.
[beat]
I do not want anyone else to touch Grace.
I know Grace would like to become science. But I don’t want Grace to…
To what, question?
To leave again.
Oh.
We could bury Grace-friend here. Make place for everyone to visit Grace-friend.
But then Grace’s beach will always be sad.
Maybe. Maybe not. Rocky-love has many happy memories of Grace-friend here.
[beat]
I think I understand why humans do not always remember now.
Grace-friend would not agree. Grace-friend hated losing memories.
Human design is stupid! Losing memories! Losing years Grace could have stayed with Rocky and Adrian!
Also leaky.
Also leaky!
[burbling laughter]
[laughter cuts abruptly]
Rocky can’t—Rocky shouldn’t—
Grace-friend would think that was funny.
Grace doesn’t count, Grace tells bad jokes.
…told bad jokes.
[beat]
Rocky doesn’t want to not hear Grace’s bad jokes.
Adrian knows.
I want Grace to wake up.
I know.
[beat]
Adrian-love, question.
Yes.
What if we made Grace a stone, question.
[beat]
Like what Rocky carries of Adrian.
[beat]
It’s too much — I don’t have to —
Grace-friend did always wonder what it was like to be Eridian.
You would not be offended, question.
Grace-friend saved Erid. Grace-friend saved Rocky-love.
[beat]
If we made Grace-friend a stone…
Could I…
[beat]
Could I also carry Grace-friend, question?
I know Grace-friend is more special to you, but Grace-friend is like a…like a…need human word…
[soft, sad whalesong laugh]
Grace did not have word for it either.
I think Grace would be honored that Adrian-love wants to carry Grace.
[beat]
Adrian will start preparations. Leave you to…say goodbye.
[beat]
[beat]
[beat]
Grace is stupid for leaving. I didn’t want you to leave so soon. I know what you’d say. You’d tell me I don’t think there’s ever enough time. And I don’t! How could I think 1,390,525,991 seconds would be enough time with you?
[beat]
Grace, I promise you won’t have to be alone again. Adrian-love and Rocky will carry you here on Erid always. And if some part of you is back in space, don’t be scared.
You came back for me.
One day, I will come back for you, too.