Chapter Text
The next few weeks go by and everything is 'mostly normal',
Well three majors things are occurring.
The first thing (and probably my favorite thing) is that Rocky and Adrian visit me a lot more often.
Meeting me after class and after meetings, they make sure that I eat and sleep.
Well that happens anyway but this time it feels different, Adrian holds me a whole lot more now and Rocky always seems to want to be on my lap. That closeness, the warmth from their carapaces... I think it was always there, I just never let myself see it...
Oh yeah and I told Adrian ALL about my little encounter with Watney in great detail... I think I like being honest with my mates especially when in gets someone like that rude mother fluffer in trouble...
A little petty of me but I think that's fine.
The second thing is about The Song of Erid... And it's going surprisingly well!
My little wirey friend who had once been close to the brink of withering is now growing at an extreme rate... Maybe like a Morning Glory... I think I know too many plants.
Over the last few weeks the vines have grown much long and while they still keep their curly, wirey form they are much larger and most of them have now doubled in length!
In addition, some of the innermost vines are much thicker now too and majority of the vines now sport between three to eight healthy looking leaves.
Rocky, Adrian and I were all fascinated at the development... We would watch and record and sketch all of our findings together... We also discovered the strangest thing...
The wires... are exploring their environment I think? Again I think back to an English Ivy.
I woke up one morning to find they had traversed over the windowsill and started climbing up my bedroom wall... then I came back in the evening to find that all the vines were back inside their pot.
As strange as that sound it doesn't beat the one morning when I woke to Rocky's nervous clicking and saw them crawling along my bed frame and headboard!
That one scared me more then I care to admit.
...
The last strange thing that has been happening... Is that dream, No... it didn't just happen once... it's happened a total of six times so far and the dream is mostly the same every time... The only difference I can tell is I can hear the voice more and more each time.
So far I've got the words-
(Wait, join, hear, soon, star and saviour...)
I have a theory...
The plant and dream are connected in some way, I theorize this because any time I touch the leaves or the the vines, (intentionally or not) I get a rush of exhaustion and fall asleep... sometimes I dream of nothing... sometimes I feel and hear the voice...
I'm at heart a scientist and when a scientists gets a theory... We have an uncontrollable urge to test and experiment.
So this evening Rocky, Adrian I built a nest in my room and alongside the nest we had some equipment to track and monitor my brainwaves... Tonight we will get some new data and learn more.
I'm so excited... Nervous as all heck, but excited.
I lay down on the pillows and blankets as Rocky's tilts down towards me, it looks like he's holding something between his claws.
♪♫ Grace comfortable, question? Grace ready question? ♪♫ he says in a lower then normal tone... a clear sign that he's uncomfortable...
"Yes and yes... Don't worry, I'm just going to sleep." I tried to comfort him but it is clear that he is unsure of this experiment...
After the second dream I experienced I told my two mates about it... and they were NOT happy with me that I kept that quiet... Who could blame them, a project that they were happy to share with me is giving me nightmares and potential in messing with my leaky brain...
Adrian sits next to me in the nest and they rest a claw gently onto my chest, ♩♪♬ I will watch Grace's heart, if I hear anything strange or bad I will wake Grace up. ♩♪♬
"Nice," I laugh a little. "Solid plan, if my old ticker starts misbehaving you can shake me awake."
♪♫ Don't like this... Rocky want to fix brain but this... no like, Human mind strange. ♪♫ I placed my hand on his xenonite covered carapace and he trills at the touch.
♪♫ Scared statement... what if Grace not wake up... Like- ♪♫
"Rocky!" I interrupt before his ramblings take him down a darker path... "Rocky, I'm not going anywhere."
♪♫ ...Make Earth promise. Grace promise Grace will be okay ♪♫ I nodded. "I Promise.
♪♫ Grace promise to wake up.♪♫ I nod again. "Promise."
♪♫ Grace... Promise to live long time. ♪♫ ...
Oh god... I don't- I don't think I can promise that...
"Rocky... We- we talked about this... You two know how long humans live for..." They go still as I continue, "I... I can't promise something I can't control."
Rocky is silent for a while... Adrian places a different claw on top of my hand which rests upon his carapace...
♩♪♬ Rocky Adrian have known for a long time... It hurts to think that little Grace will... Bad Bad Bad. ♩♪♬ they sigh out low and slow.
Gosh the atmosphere is so heavy now... How can I fix...
"Guys listen... I know, I'm going to die soon but... It's not happening right now." I look up at my cluster mates.
"I... don't want to die... but I will..." I stopped my own rambling before it's too late...
"Let's enjoy the time we have now... Instead of thinking about my mortality... Please."
After another long moment they both not their carapaces. They still have so many years to live... I don't want my final years with them to be one filled with tears. "Let's enjoy the time we have... one day at a time."
...
Rocky places the thing he was holding on my hand... Some kind of headband that connects to the machine to the left of the nest. Maybe an alien version of a MRI machine? Either way as soon as the band is placed on my head the machine comes to life.
...
♪♫ ...Rocky Adrian watch Grace sleep... Protect Grace, always. ♪♫
I nod and smile, "Make Earth promise?"
♪♫ Promise, Statement. ♪♫
♩♪♬ Promise, Statement. ♩♪♬
Adrian places the Song of Erid on my stomach. I sigh and reach out with both hands and gently touch the warm leaves on the thicker vines.
The warmth envelops my body as my energy slips away.
My hands fall to my chest as the vines follow and through the curtains of my fluttering eyelids I see the vines slowly curl around each of my fingers joints, around my wrists... and even a little up my forearms...
As all my thoughts slowly float away as my eyes fully close...
I hear something...
Are Rocky... And Adrian.
Singing me to sleep.
...
It's nice...