Chapter Text
9 MAY 22011 (415.74 DAYS LATER)
RICK: Here’s the oh – one pitch. It’s in the dirt, one ball one strike is the count. That was the splitter, at 88 miles an hour.
ANGIE: That pitch is very deceptive. It looks like a fastball out of the hand then the bottom just drops out from under it. He doesn’t throw that pitch very often, just 5.8% of the time, great take there by Jones.
RICK: Now the stretch, and the pitch – swung on and driven into the left-center gap! It gets down for a base hit! Jones is rounding first looking for two! Hernandez has got it – the throw to second will be – not in time! Marcy Jones with a hustle double, and the M’s have one on and one away here in the bottom of the 6th.
HUBBLE: nice!
*click*
HUBBLE: Hi Juice, where ever you are...
ANGIE: You can see this pitch is up and in but Marcy pulls her hands back and gets just enough of it to lace it into the alley for extra bases. Really nice bit of hitting as Jones continues her hot streak.
RICK: She’s had at least one extra base hit in the past five games and she’s just extended her streak to six. Well done Marcy! Now here comes Johnny and the chance to chase Satoria, who is at 89 pitches now.
ANGIE: It’s looking like Johnny Vasquez will be his last batter one way or the other.
*click*
HUBBLE: ...let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars...
TEN: Hi Hubble.
HUBBLE: AH!
NINE: oh gosh, we didn't mean to startle you.
TEN: Sorry Hubble! Juice is on a business call, commissioner work, you know how it is. Mind if we hang?
HUBBLE: Hi. I don’t mind. I’m just listening to the game and taking some pics.
TEN: Sweet. What’s the score?
HUBBLE: tie game at 2-2. bottom of the 6th. Jones on second, one out.
RICK: -and the stretch, and the pitch. Outside, and the count goes to one and oh. I was talking to Johnny the other day, Ange, about what he does to prepare for the game everyday. And he says to me, Rick, I’ve played this game for the past 4,000 years, and before every single game I play I eat a Cara Cara orange.
ANGIE: A Cara Cara orange? Can’t be a satsuma or a mandarin?
RICK: Has to be a Cara Cara, he says. And so I asked him – the stretch, and the pitch – that’s a strike, the count goes to one and one – I asked him, Johnny, why an orange? And he tells me, Well, I could tell you that way back when I went 4-4 with a double the first game I ate a Cara Cara orange, but I’d be lying. I don’t remember why I started eating them, I just like ‘em.
ANGIE: Good a reason as any.
RICK: The pitch is on the way, and he fouls it off down the left field line. The count goes to one ball two strikes. That’s what I thought too.
NINE: I don’t know if I’ve ever tuned into a Baseball game before.
*click*
HUBBLE: What do you think?
NINE: I don’t know yet.
RICK: -he fouls it off again, the count stays at one and two.
ANGIE: He’s gotta be hunting the fastball.
NINE: What do you find so compelling about it?
HUBBLE: What do I find compelling about Baseball...
A lot of things, I guess.
*click*
I enjoy the suspense that can be built up with each plate appearance a batter makes. Will they get a hit? Strike out? Will the pitcher loose control and plunk them? Anything can happen.
I like the art of pitching. The trickery, the delivery, making the ball bend in the air. I like the art of hitting. Hitting it up the middle, pulling the ball, going the opposite way. I like it when runners steal bases and I like it when outfielders make magnificent diving catches.
ANGIE: Vasquez has been putting together very patient at-bats recently. He’s fouling off what he needs to and not biting at anything else.
RICK: Satoria delivers and Johnny checks his swing – did he go? – No he did not, the ball was low, the count goes to two balls and two strikes.
HUBBLE: I find it interesting that Baseball is still Baseball.
TEN: How do you mean?
HUBBLE: Well, the game of Football has changed a lot from when it was invented. It used to be limited to just 11 players on the field and one ball, and now Football can be anything, y’know. Don’t get me wrong, I love that about it. I like that it changes, and that it will keep changing forever and still be Football.
*click*
Baseball is opposite. It strives to be the same game that they were playing 20,000 years ago. In a world after history, Baseball still honors it. I find that fascinating.
RICK: Here’s the stretch, and the two-two pitch. It’s in the dirt. The count goes full.
NINE: Huh. And people still play and watch it, even though surely everything that can happen has happened? They don’t get tired of it?
HUBBLE: When Baseball held its greatest share of the American collective consciousness, it was crowned “America’s Pastime”. I think Baseball has long ruled the routine, the familiar. So sure, people get tired of Baseball. I’ve gotten tired of it, before.
But I’ve held onto it, too, when I needed something constant. Something to fill my days, and brighten my nights.
*click*
RICK: Satoria looks in. He deals – and it’ll be a line drive, a base hit! The ball scoots past the diving shortstop’s glove and Vasquez gets on board! Jones’ll be held at third, and now the M’s have runners on the corners and one away here in the bottom of the 6th.
TEN: How about that?
HUBBLE: Oh, sweet!
ANGIE: Vasquez was sitting on that heater and didn’t miss it – that was 103 off the bat, he got some barrel on it and was able to shoot it through the infield. Really nice job. And here comes manager Mark Anderson, who’s coming to get his pitcher. Yes, they’re going to the bullpen.
RICK: 2-2 the score, two on and one away here in the bottom of the 6th, we’ll be right back after this.
HUBBLE: Besides, it’s not true that everything in baseball has already happened.
NINE: It isn’t?
HUBBLE: Mariners still haven’t been to the world series.
TEN: Really? Never?
HUBBLE: Nope.
NINE: You're not yanking our chains, are you? They've really never been?
HUBBLE: They've never been. Not a single pennant to their name
TEN: Wow.
HUBBLE: yeah.
NINE: You think they'll make it this year?
*click*
HUBBLE: Hope springs eternal. Ask me again in August.
JUICE: IM FREE
HUBBLE: oh hey
NINE: Hi!
TEN: Welcome back. How was your meeting?
JUICE: its hard work being the commissioner ill tell you what
the paperwork
is
killer.
TEN: I'll be sure to play a tune for you on my itty bitty violin
JUICE: you will? for me????????? aw thank you lady
whatchyall watchin
HUBBLE: Baseball. It's about to come back on.
NINE: You
TEN: Nine?
JUICE: hello?
TEN: Where'd they go?
JUICE: Buddy?
HUBBLE: Nine? You okay?
NINE: holy shit
sorry I didn't mean to cut out
but uh
holy shit
TEN: What happened?? Are you alright? Is your battery malfunctioning?
NINE: no, no, I'm okay
I uh
I got a reply back
TEN: From who?
NINE: You remember when I sent a message to that light out by 40-Eridani?
TEN: Oh my god? What did they say????
NINE: It was someone claiming to be Dr. Ryland Grace. They said they were traveling with Eridanians?
JUICE: HOLY SHIT
TEN: Oh my god? And you're sure this signal wasn't from earth?
NINE: Positive. Completely the wrong direction. Could it really be him?
TEN: Holy shit. It really could be
JUICE: NO WAY
DUDE WAS HANGING OUT WITH ALIENS THIS WHOLE TIME????????????
HUBBLE: Is that how he survived?
TEN: It's the only plausible explanation. Did he say anything else? Anything about who these Eridanians are?
NINE: No, nothing. He asked what agency I was with but didn't say much else. Limits of radio.
TEN: Hm. Not a lot to go off of. We need to establish a faster mode of communication.
JUICE: how fast can we get quantum comms set up? D'you think they already have that orrrrrrr
TEN: I have no idea.
NINE: At the very least, we can't leave him hanging. We can figure out the quantum communication.
TEN: It's a straightforward reconfiguration. All we really need is an instrument that can measure magnetic flux. If we have that, we can get it set up.
JUICE: i cant believe this. now ive seen everything. aliens are real and the hail mary crew was hanging out with them
HUBBLE: Wonder why they're coming back now.
JUICE: hey did he say anything about the rest of the hail mary crew
NINE: He did not. It was a really short message, though.
JUICE: right, right
NINE: speaking of which
What do I even say back?
TEN: How does 'Welcome' sound to start?
NINE: I like that.
9 MAY 22011 19:32:22
PIONEER NINE: Welcome Home! Welcome to Earth! We need you to do something. Please align your magnetometer with earth. This is very important. We look forward to speaking with you soon.