Archive of Our Own

Ryland Grace knows his time is coming.

He can feel it in those strange aches in his bones and the tightness of his chest whenever he runs after Rocky. Ryland also develops a tremor in his hands whenever he grabs things, and there’s also a constant shooting pain in his legs. His brain fog lingers more often than not, and his hair seems to get grayer with each passing day.

(At least this goes unnoticed by the Eridians, who can’t even see color like he can.)

Worst of all, Ryland thinks Rocky knows it, too.

Even though he’s been sleeping alone since the Eridians built him his home, Ryland wakes up some nights to find Rocky sitting near his bed. He never disturbs Ryland, ever the believer that Ryland needs more sleep, and sometimes, Rocky will sing him a gentle tune—an Eridian lullaby that never fails to guide him back to dreams.

Rocky’s visits seem to get longer and longer, and there are days when he needs to coax Ryland out of the house. Sometimes, when they’re sitting along the coast, Ryland will look over at Rocky, only to see his friend already turned his way.

I am dying, Ryland thinks when he stumbles during one of their morning walks, suddenly dizzy. Rocky directs a questioning sound at him, and Ryland waves him off, blinking spots out of his vision.

I am dying, Ryland tells himself when he slowly picks his way through the rest of his meal under Rocky’s careful observation. It’s a recent habit the Eridian has developed despite his disgust over Ryland’s eating, which only serves to prove Ryland’s theory further.

“I am dying,” he finally says out loud, watching the gentle waves wash over his wrinkled feet. Ryland releases a sigh before turning toward his very best friend. “I’m dying, Rocky.”

“Yes,” Rocky says with a mournful note. His carapace shudders, the way it does whenever he’s overcome with emotions. 

It happened when Ryland returned to Rocky’s ship after discovering the Taumoeba leak, when Rocky reunited with Adrian and introduced them to Ryland, when the stars of Erid returned to full luminosity, and when Ryland decided to stay on Erid.

Now, though, Ryland knows he’s trembling for a different reason. His eyes burn with the threat of tears because beneath all of his physical pain, Ryland’s heart hurts more at the thought of the grief his friend must already be feeling. A trail of heat slides down his cheek, and for once, Rocky doesn’t poke fun at his crying.

“I’m sorry, Rocky,” he whispers.

“I no want to lose you.”

Ryland shuts his eyes. Quietly, he admits, “I don’t want to go.”

They lean against each other—two different beings who met under the same stars, sharing a similar grief.

★★

The topic of his mortality doesn’t come up again.

To avoid thinking about it so much, Ryland busies himself with his classes. It soon gets to a point where he has to sit down when he feels too fatigued, or when another one of his dizzy spells hits. His students must notice something’s up because they linger after their lessons to talk to him until Rocky arrives, which is when they scamper off with their friends. 

They also keep leaving him gifts, so Ryland has Rocky build him a shelf for all of their colorful trinkets. Looking at them fills him with a melancholy he can’t quite shake off, maybe because it’s evidence that he’ll be leaving more than just Rocky behind.

A part of him almost wishes he had died in space, if only to spare these Eridians pain.

★★

One morning, Ryland awakens to the sound of frantic knocking on his door.

“Hold on!” he calls out, quickly getting through his morning routine. Ryland forgoes coffee from Armando, not wanting to deal with heartburn, and opens the door. “I feel like you’re getting more impatient with every visit, Rock.”

“Be faster,” Rocky replies, tapping his feet against the ground.

“I’ll try it out tomorrow,” Ryland says, eyeing Rocky when the Eridian’s carapace starts trembling. “What’s up with you?”

“We figuring something out,” Rocky announces, sounding excited. 

“Oh, yeah?” Ryland replies, snagging his cane before the front door shuts. His knees feel stiff today, and any time he bends them too much, Ryland feels a shooting pain travel from his hip to his calf. He hobbles a little as he walks the familiar path with Rocky, but thankfully, Rocky doesn’t comment on it. “What do you mean, Rocky?”

“Hold,” Rocky says, holding up a claw. Ryland nods, smiling when Rocky rushes ahead to throw himself into the water. He decides to take a seat on the damp sand to watch his best friend tumble through the waves. 

It’s foggy again, and there’s a nice sea breeze blowing in from somewhere. It doesn’t compare to San Francisco, but after many years of living here, Ryland thinks this version might be much better.

“What did you mean before?” Ryland asks when Rocky eventually returns to him. His carapace trembles, more from excitement than anything, Ryland thinks. “What’d you guys figure out?”

“Scientists and doctors learn to make artificial body parts. Help other Eridians,” Rocky tells him, shaking water off each covered limb. He even edges closer to Ryland to do this, and Ryland swats him away, grinning when Rocky laughs. “They work well, like original.”

“That’s pretty cool, Rocky,” Ryland tells him, tapping the bottom of his cane against the sand. “Humans did the same, remember? I told you all about prosthetics.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Rocky says, bobbing his body. “But now they test an artificial body… For you.”

Ryland stares at him. “A what?” he says incredulously.

★★

“So,” Ryland says, hands clasped on his table. His mug of ‘coffee’ from earlier sits in front of him, untouched and cold, while Rocky is seated across from him on the other chair. How he hasn’t already broken it, Ryland will never know. “An artificial body, huh?”

“Yes.” Rocky sounds concerned. “We went over this, Grace.”

“I know! I’m just—” He sucks air in through his remaining teeth, drumming his fingers along the table. The action makes Rocky perk up—he always loves the simple, noisy, human actions Ryland sometimes makes. “I hear what you’re saying, I do, but it just doesn’t seem physically possible, Rock.”

“Not seem physically possible to stand on ship when enter Adrian’s atmosphere,” Rocky replies, singing a semi-flat tune. “But you did it.”

Ryland feels his face grow warm, and he’s glad (not for the first time) that Rocky can’t see his obvious signs of embarrassment. “Well,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “When you put it like that…”

The table shifts when Rocky climbs off the chair. He moves to stand by Ryland, releasing a sound not unlike a contemplative hum—something he picked up from Ryland somewhere along the way. 

“Grace is scared,” he announces, nudging Ryland’s cane.

It clatters to the floor, but Ryland makes no move to pick it up. Instead, he stares at his friend in surprise. Eventually, Ryland huffs out a laugh, gently prodding one of Rocky’s legs with a foot.

(Rocky always reads him so well, even though the Eridian can’t really ‘see’ him at all.)

“A little,” he admits, watching the Eridian rock backwards.

“I scared, too,” Rocky replies.

“Yeah?”

“Yes.” Rocky steps even closer, tapping his protected claws against the floor. “But it okay, Grace. You here with me, and that make it…” He releases the equivalent of a frustrated sigh. Ryland is very familiar with the sound. “Need better word.”

“Easier?” Ryland offers, but when Rocky tips from side to side (his version of so-so, which he also got from Ryland), he hums and gives it more thought. “How about tolerable?”

“Toll-ble,” Rocky tries. “No. Tolerable.”

“It means that it’s somewhat okay,” Ryland says. “Or able to be endured.”

“Yes,” Rocky says, now pressed against his side. Ryland drops a hand on top of his suit and pretends he can feel warmth through it. “You still being here make it tolerable, Grace.”

“Back at you, pal,” Ryland quietly says.

“What Grace think?”

At this moment, Ryland doesn’t really know what to think. Although Rocky explained some of the science behind it, he knows he’ll have to speak to the actual Eridians working on this project to get a better understanding of it. Even so…

“Can I think about it?” Ryland asks, even though he knows, deep in his bones, that he’s running on borrowed time.

Rocky makes a sad sound. “Yes,” he says. “Think about it long time.”

★★

(“What do you do when an Eridian dies?” Ryland asks one night, holding out his hands to bask in the warmth of the bonfire.

“What mean?” Rocky replies, prodding the pile of wood beside them.

“Well,” Ryland says, resting his elbows on his knees. “When a human dies, loved ones will host a ceremony to remember them. It can be a happy or sad event, depending on the culture, and it usually ends with the deceased being buried or cremated, which is where we have the body burned until it becomes ash. A lot of people keep the ashes, but others might spread them somewhere important.”

“We sing if we can,” Rocky tells him after a beat. “We sing name, sing what they did, and sing how they die.”

“Will you sing for me?” Ryland wonders, seeing Rocky shudder.

“Yes,” Rocky answers, subdued. “I will sing loud.” A pause. “Want to be burned? Can put Grace ashes in the stars.”

“No,” Ryland says, gathering a handful of sand. He lets it trickle out, hearing a few pebbles clack together as they fall. “You can bury me here so I’m always close to you, Rocky.” He looks over at his friend with a smile, despite the pain in his heart. “We can still look at the same stars together.”

“I like that,” Rocky says. “But I like more if Grace agree.”

Ryland stares at him for a bit longer before turning to watch the flames flicker. The crackle of the wood sounds so much louder to his sensitive ears, but it’s nice—comforting, which is further proof of the Eridians’ kindness.

Still…

“They don’t have to go through so much trouble,” Ryland says, lowering his head. “Not for me.”

“Grace help save stars,” Rocky says. “Everyone go through all the trouble for you.”

The sentiment makes his eyes burn. For a man who had little to no connections before being forced onto the Hail Mary, it throws him to know that he’s so loved and revered here—so much so that they’re willing to do all that they can to make sure he keeps living, somehow.

“Okay,” he finally says. “I’ll do it.”

“Good, good, good,” Rocky says, carapace shaking. He even bounces in place a few times. The Eridian settles after a while, pressed against his side while the fire continues to burn. “I glad you no leave me.”

“Me too, pal,” Ryland says, resting an arm on Rocky’s covered head. He shuts his eyes, feeling like his heart might burst from hope and affection. “Me too.”)

★★

After agreeing to the crazy idea, Eridian scientists swarm his home with all sorts of equipment.

They take the time to explain the theory in detail, and even bring a rough example of an artificial Eridian body to show him the inner workings of it. The science behind it all seems a little crazy, but when Ryland listens to them discuss how they’ll scan his brain into a digital connectome and, essentially, upload it to the artificial body, it almost sounds doable.

“What think?” Rocky asks when there’s a lull, nudging him.

Ryland peers down at the notes he scribbled on his paper, tapping a pen against the clipboard. “It’s a good starting point,” he says eventually, noting how nearly all the scientists relax. “Have you guys factored in the possibility of mind rejection?”

“Yes!” one says, quite enthusiastically. “We make body eat, sleep, and…” They tap their feet against the ground before pointing at Ryland’s chest. “What you do there. We make body do.”

It takes Ryland a bit to understand what they’re trying to say, but eventually, it clicks.

“Right, of course!” he says as he leans toward them, excited. “Programming these habits, or humanisms, in my case, will prevent my mind from believing that my body is dead, causing a shutdown! Good catch!”

The scientists seem to preen with pride. “Thank,” a couple of them say, before scuttling over to one of the bigger machines they brought. A couple of doctors stand beside it, waiting. “Scan brain now?”

“Sure,” Ryland says, pushing himself up (with some help from Rocky) and slowly walking over to it. He leans his cane against the wall and climbs inside, following instructions to lie down and keep his head straight. It feels similar to the MRI machine on his planet, but Ryland decides to mention this afterward, lest he distract the Eridians from their work.

It ends up taking most of the day, and it also extends into the ones that follow. He can’t do much while he lies there, but they do allow Rocky to keep him company when the Eridian isn’t busy working with other engineers and doctors on his artificial body, which is nice.

They spend a lot of time chatting about what they can do in the upcoming years—what Ryland can do with Rocky on Erid, now that he’ll have a body that can withstand the temperature and gravity. Each conversation seems to increase Rocky’s excitement and also fills Ryland with additional hope that it’ll work.

“Brain so weird,” Rocky comments when the Eridian doctors manage to get an actual image off one of his scans. Ryland massages his lower back with both hands, staring at it curiously. The wrinkles of his brain appear to be raised, probably to make it easier for the Eridians to ‘see.’ “Why so…” He stops, tipping toward him.

“Wrinkly?” Ryland offers.

“Wrinkly,” Rocky tests out, sounding unsure. “Strange.”

“A lot of reasons,” Ryland says, and very hastily adds, “But we don’t have to get into it right now.” He watches the scientists and doctors chat amongst themselves before glancing at his friend. “Now, what?” he asks.

“Now, we make you body,” Rocky says.

★★

And so, the Eridians get to work.

At Ryland’s request, the engineers fashion a workshop and attach it to his dome. It’s paired with an observation window that allows him to watch the process, which becomes much more fascinating when Rocky takes charge and directs others on where to go or what to do. Occasionally, they ask for his input, which bemuses Ryland more than anything.

While the inside will contain artificially made organs that can withstand mercury, the body itself will be composed mostly of Xenonite and combined with a synthetic material similar to Eridian bodies. Ryland mentally compares it to anthropic rock.

He knows the colorful spots on some Eridians are more cosmetic than anything, much like jewelry or piercings. However, during his time here, Ryland has learned that it can have a deeper meaning. There are Eridians, such as Rocky and Adrian, who have pieces of their mates embedded in them, or family units that give them to their litters after they’re born.

Ryland decides to give himself a couple of patches of yellow to represent the sun he saved. Otherwise, he tries not to have too much control over the creation of his Eridian body, not wanting to do too much or too little.

“How come you no say anything?” Rocky asks when he goes over to Ryland’s side for a visit.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Ryland replies, mulling it over. “And it’s a little intimidating, Rocky. It’s not like a hairstyle—I can’t change my mind afterward.” He kicks up sand when he stumbles, waving Rocky off when the Eridian rushes to his side with a concerned sound. “Why don’t you do it?”

“Me?” Rocky says.

“Yes, you,” Ryland answers, amused. He stops walking and waits for his friend to do the same, staring down at him. “You know me well, Rocky—probably better than anyone I knew on my planet. I know you’ll make the best body for me.”

Rocky’s whole body shakes. “Yes,” he says after a while, and Ryland continues their walk with his best friend beside him. “I’ll make it perfect for Grace.”

★★

Even though Ryland gives Rocky free rein on crafting his artificial body, Rocky still asks for his input here and there—although, most questions are on whether he’d prefer one thing or another, which is fine for Ryland.

Lately, Ryland has been feeling too fatigued to leave his bed, so Rocky sets up a workspace in his home. He does sometimes find the strength to drag himself out of bed to at least sit near his friend, and while Rocky does initially fret over him, frequent assurance from Ryland seems to keep him relaxed.

“What about markings?” Ryland asks one day, curious. “Is that something I can add to my body?”

“Yes,” Rocky says, setting down what he’s making to grab the clipboard he brought. Ryland passes him a piece of paper—which is thicker than what Ryland used on Earth, probably to withstand the thicker ink—and starts jotting something down with his pen. “What want?”

“I think I’d like the Petrova Line,” Ryland says, slowly reaching out and tapping two fingers against Rocky’s covered arm—right above where the exact thing is carved into him. “Like yours.”

There’s a pause, and although Eridians don’t quite have a concept of facing a direction, Ryland gets the sense that Rocky is staring right at him.

“Why?” Rocky eventually asks.

“It’s where we met,” Ryland quietly explains, pulling back. He stares down at the burn mark on his wrinkled arm—already healed and white, but still there. “And where we made the plan to work together to save our stars. I think that’s pretty significant enough to have on me.”

Rocky shakes and doesn’t say anything for some time.

Ryland lets him have his moment. He brushes a hand over his arm and wonders if he can speak to the other engineers about additional markings, if he can carry the permanent scars over with his Eridian body, and keep the proof of how Rocky saved him and how he saved Rocky.

“Grace is good friend,” Rocky eventually says, continuing his work.

“Rocky is good friend,” Ryland counters, lips twitching after Rocky sings an amused tune.

He watches Rocky’s claws with interest, furrowing his brows when he starts to recognize what the Eridian is making. It’s much more obvious when Rocky sets the freshly-made orb beside the finished half-sphere, and when Rocky places the latter atop the other, Ryland can’t help but ask, “Am I crazy, or are you making a ball and socket joint right now?”

“Crazy, yes,” Rocky replies, laughing after Ryland huffs. “Wrong, no.” He holds both Xenonite-made items up. “Connect limbs to body. Help you move.” A pause. “Humans have similar?”

“Yeah, we do!”

“Where?”

Ryland slowly pushes himself up. He steadies himself on the nearby table and raises an arm, placing a hand over his shoulder. “Here,” he says, sliding his palm down to his hip. “And here. It also helps me move.”

“Wow,” Rocky says, setting the objects aside. He returns to his work, likely creating another. “Humans love to be same like us.”

“That’s not fair,” Ryland complains. “You only know one human!”

Rocky chortles, and after a beat, Ryland gives up on his facade of indignance and laughs with him.

★★

While they continue working on his body, Ryland decides to read over his updated notes about Erid.

Even though his artificial body should already be adapted to Erid, its atmosphere, and the gravity, Ryland wants to prepare his human mind for what’s to come. He knows, no matter what he does, that it’ll be disconcerting, regardless of how much he prepares, but reading through everything eases some of his anxiety.

He pesters Rocky with questions about life on Erid—some of which he already knows, but others provide additional insight to Eridian culture. Sometimes, Ryland feels a little dumb about what he’s asking, but Rocky always answers and never makes fun of him.

“Is it weird walking on five legs?” Ryland asks.

“Is it weird walking on two?” Rocky counters.

Ryland opens his mouth, stops, and thinks about it. “Okay,” he says begrudgingly. “You make a good point.”

“Grace worry too much,” Rocky says, pausing his work to scuttle over and pat Ryland’s foot. It makes Ryland feel a little better. “You be okay.”

“… You really think so?”

“Yes.” Rocky returns to his workspace. Ryland instinctively checks his watch, remembers it no longer works, and instead glances at the door, wondering when his secret weapon will arrive. “I help you learn, if you want.”

“I’d love that,” Ryland says, genuinely grateful. “Thanks, Rocky.”

“But Grace smart,” Rocky adds. “You will pick it up fast, like how you learn our language.”

“Well, you made it easy for me,” Ryland says with a smile. He reaches out to nudge Rocky with a foot, hearing something disperse the sand outside. “I don’t know where I’d be without you, Rock.” The door opens, and that’s when he takes a big step aside. “Which is why I hope you aren’t too angry with me for calling your mate.”

“What?” Rocky’s tools clatter to the ground. “Adrian? Why here? How here??”

“Grace call to take you home,” Adrian answers. The tone of their voice makes Ryland believe that there should be a ‘duh’ attached to the end of that statement, even though he knows Eridians don’t really understand it. “Come, Rocky.”

“Almost done,” Rocky says, gesturing to the workspace. “Need to finish!”

“Can finish later,” Adrian replies. They rush over at an impressive speed, considering the protective suit around them, and somehow manage to grab Rocky to start pulling him toward the exit. It’s impressive work, and when Ryland gives them a thumbs down of approval, they laugh. “Go home now, Rocky.”

“Grace is traitor,” Rocky says with a sullen note, all while Adrian continues to drag him away. “Grace hate Rocky.”

“I don’t hate you,” Ryland tells him, trying not to laugh. “This is for your own good, Rocky. And I’m sure Adrian agrees, too.”

“Yes,” Adrian says, a tune of amusement following. “Work too hard. Need rest.”

Rocky releases a sound similar to a scoff. “Both traitor,” he says. “Both hate me. Find new Grace and Adrian.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Ryland says, following Adrian and Rocky to the door. Rocky tries to cling to the steps when Adrian pulls him out, and he scoffs again after Ryland nudges his feet off. “Go get your rest, pal. I’ll still be here when you come back tomorrow.”

“Promise?” Rocky asks with a note of urgency.

(The concept is something Ryland taught him on their trip to Erid while Ryland rewatched sitcoms to ignore the ever-present sensation of starvation. Eridians have a similar meaning, but Rocky told Ryland that he prefers the human term more.)

Ryland holds up a hand, moving down the steps when Adrian stops. He slowly crouches beside his best friend and ignores the pulsing ache in his back. Ryland then reaches out to rest a hand on Rocky’s head, smiling at him.

“Yes,” he says. “I promise.”

★★

They do more scans as the project nears its end.

Although it’s annoying (and painful) to stay in one place, Ryland never complains. He lets them do however many they need and even sits through a few other tests. Ryland also gets a glimpse at his body before completion, and he’s thrown by how pretty it looks.

“Grace like?” Rocky inquires with a nervous musical note.

“Yes,” Ryland whispers, brushing his fingers over the carapace. “It’s beautiful, Rocky.”

The whole body is a muted, earthy green, with hints of brown and blue in the crevices. He can see the Petrova Line on one arm, and a replica of his burn scar on the other, as well as yellow spots scattered across it. Oddly enough, Ryland also spies a couple of turquoise and brown ones as well.

“Are these from you and Adrian?” Ryland asks, pointing to them.

Rocky shuffles in place. “Yes,” he answers eventually. “You important to me. You important to Adrian. We share us with you.”

“Rocky,” Ryland chokes out, pushing his glasses up when he presses his palms against his eyes. He exhales shakily, overwhelmed by the sentiment his best friend is displaying, and eventually whispers, “I don’t know what to say.”

“You can thank,” Rocky replies, dragging a laugh out of Ryland.

“Okay,” Ryland says, wiping his tears and smiling down at his friend. “Thank you, Rocky. And be sure to tell Adrian thanks from me, too.”

“Tell them yourself,” Rocky replies. He moves over to the empty body, tapping his feet against the floor. “Almost time,” Rocky says next, carapace shaking with excitement. “How you feel?”

“Nervous,” Ryland answers honestly, tapping his cane against the table that holds his future body. “It’ll be difficult, but I’m sure I’ll adjust.”

“Grace can still go home,” Rocky says, but there’s reluctance in his musical notes and body language. “And live like a human.”

“I’d probably die on the journey,” Ryland replies. He slowly lowers himself onto the nearby chair, rubbing a hand over his chest. “And if this wasn’t possible, I meant what I said before—I’d rather die and be buried here so I can still be with you.”

“Okay,” Rocky says. He sounds relieved. “Good, good, good.”

“I’m not going to change my mind, Rocky,” Ryland says firmly. “I’ll stay here, and in your life, for as long as you let me.”

“Forever?”

Ryland chuckles. “Alright,” he says. “We can start with forever.”

“Long time,” Rocky says, shuffling over to press against his side. He’s been doing it more lately, but Ryland’s not going to complain. He loves these little bits of affection from his friend. “Yes?”

“It’s not enough,” Ryland tells him. When Rocky releases a pleased tune, Ryland smiles.

They stay like that for the rest of the visit.

★★

(“Okay,” Rocky says. “It’s time go.”

Ryland laughs at the phrase. By now, Rocky definitely knows the correct phrasing, but he knows Rocky only says it that way to make him laugh. “Right,” he says, rubbing his hands over his pants. “It’s time go.”

“Do it now?”

He gives it some thought. “Can I have one last human day, first?”

“Yes,” Rocky answers. “We wait until you done.”)

★★

Ryland teaches.

He spends his last day as a human in front of the students he has come to love, on the planet that saved him from certain death. Ryland tells them about nuclear fusion in the birth of stars, the temperatures they reach when they emerge into the universe, and what happens after they exhaust their nuclear fuel. 

The discussion fills him with so much energy that he stays on his feet longer than usual, especially when he goes on to discuss the Big Bang. It holds his students’ interest for the entirety of the lesson, and when Ryland eventually draws the subject to a close, he’s amused to hear them groan in despair.

“Teacher Grace?” one young Eridian says, trembling on the other side of the wall.

“Yes?” Ryland says, crouching in front of them. For once, his knees don’t ache, and Ryland relishes the lack of pain. “What’s wrong?”

“Will you still be teacher?” they ask. “When you Eridian like us?”

Ryland smiles, reaching out to tap his finger against the dome. They shudder again before lifting an arm to do the same. Soon, all of his remaining students do the same, creating a cacophony of knocks. 

“Yes,” he promises, pushing himself up. “I’ll still be your teacher.”

★★

“This is it, huh?” Ryland says, glancing around his room.

After much discussion, the Eridian scientists eventually agreed that it’d be best to start the initial transition in his home. They all shuffled in at the start of the day and set everything up while a couple of the doctors checked him over. They discussed the procedure for the hundredth time, assured him of the artificial body’s health, and eventually, they left.

Now, Ryland sits on his bed with only Rocky for company, awaiting the next step.

“Yes.” Rocky shuffles in place—a nervous tick of his that Ryland finds ridiculously endearing. “Grace?”

“Yeah?”

“What if it doesn’t work?”

“It will,” Ryland assures, placing a hand atop Rocky’s suit. His friend pushes himself up into the touch, body shaking. “It’ll work, Rocky. I know it.”

“How do you know?”

“Well, I helped with the science,” Ryland says with a smile, which only grows wider when Rocky makes an exasperated sound. “And I have faith in everyone here.”

“Faith,” Rocky repeats, tone lilting at the end.

“I trust you and your work,” Ryland clarifies, patting him a few times before pulling back. He shifts around, trying to get comfortable on his human bed one last time. “I believe in us.”

“Us,” Rocky says, now sounding pleased. “There will be a lot of us after.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yes. Grace will live with Adrian and Rocky.”

“Who decided that?”

Rocky seems to puff up with pride. “Me,” he declares.

“Well, alright,” Ryland says with a chuckle. “I guess that’s not too bad.” He stares at his friend for a very long time, wanting to memorize him and his features with his human eyes one last time. Eventually, he quietly says, “Rocky?”

“Yes, Grace?”

Ryland holds out an arm, feeling it tremble. Rocky makes a curious sound, one that turns to excitement when Ryland turns the limb over and slowly drags his knuckles across his skin; up and down, up and down, up and down, until Rocky starts doing the same.

“Bye, Rock,” Ryland says as he slowly lowers his head onto his lumpy pillow. The aches in his body seem to twinge a little less—maybe accepting what’s to come. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

Armando moves closer, affixing a mask onto his face.

“See you later, Grace.”

There’s no panic, fear, or devastation when Ryland goes under. Instead, he feels hope for what’s to come, and the promise of a long life in the place that has become his home with his very best friend coaxes him to close his eyes.

Ryland Grace takes his last human breath and drifts into darkness.

★

★

★

★

“Grace.”

“What?”

“Grace!”

“What?”

“You are doing it wrong,” Rocky says, singing an amused tune afterward.

“Stop telling me that! I’m new to this!” Ryland snaps. Well, it’s more like the note comes out sharper, but it doesn’t seem to serve its purpose because Rocky laughs at him. “Don’t laugh!”

“But it’s funny, Grace!” Rocky says, shuffling closer. He leans over Ryland, and although there’s only a slight difference in his tone, Ryland thinks he sounds amused. “You are like Eridian young now!”

“Are you calling me a baby?” Ryland says petulantly, trying to burrow into the dirt. His clumsy claws don’t quite cooperate—not having five fingers is weird. “I’m not a baby!”

“You are a baby compared to me.”

“Whatever,” Ryland grumbles, only because he knows it’s true. Even with all the years he has lived on Erid, it’s nothing compared to Rocky’s lifetime here and in the stars. “I can’t believe my best friend is the meanest Eridian in the whole universe.”

“Yes. So mean.” Rocky nudges him. “Fall over again.”

Ryland peeks at him, and although it’s still disconcerting to ‘see’ Rocky through his Eridian vision, especially after looking at him through his human eyes, Ryland thinks he may be getting used to it. “And then what?” he asks, slowly pushing himself up. His five limbs wobble when he stands, but Ryland plants himself down more firmly, determined not to collapse. “What comes after, Rocky?”

“We go home,” Rocky says with certainty, ending it off with a happy note. He tilts toward the exit and extends a limb, holding out his claw. “Ready, Grace?”

The dirt and gravel shift beneath him when Ryland takes a step. His body teeters, but he quickly reorients himself, ignoring Rocky’s laughter. Ryland ‘breathes’ deeply, feeling the warm air enter his vents and exiting all the others when he ‘exhales.’ It’s almost strange how some things stay the same between species.

“Yes,” Ryland says, taking Rocky’s claw with his. “I’m ready.”

“Good,” Rocky says. He sounds happy. “Good, good.”

Together, they step out of the room and walk toward the forever they promised each other.