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The sand under its hands gave way with every hurried step, spraying outward or against its xenonite suit. Once or twice, Rocky stumbled, but it was unmoved; the only thing it worried about was if its ‘tablet’ remained intact, and it was. Rocky was always careful with things it and Grace made together.
Finally, Rocky approached its friend’s home. It barreled inside in a flurry of movement, limbs racing on the floor as if in a competition in which its hands fought over each other to reach its destination first.
“Grace! Grace!” trilled Rocky, nearly knocking over Armando in its hurry. “Fantastic news! Great great great discovery!”
Rocky waved its tablet in the air, along with two arms in celebration. “Life! Life in new planet! Amaze amaze amaze!”
It extended its arm outward, the ‘tablet’ showing a display with colors Rocky knew Grace would be able to see. “Eridian probe detected dimethyl sulfide and methane in planet orbiting HD 3167. Fourth planet, HD 3167e. Look! Is blue!”
Rocky waved and wiggled in excitement. “Is ocean planet on readings! Mostly water. Whole planet water, maybe? More data to come, need to send more probes, both to deliver Taumoeba to save HD 3167 and initiate contact with species in HD 3167e, but it is great discovery!”
Once the rush subsided somewhat, Rocky brought the ‘tablet’ down to the floor, the blurry display of HD 3167e still visible.
“Since I built probe, and my probe discovered planet, I was given honor to name planet,” it continued. “Named it after you. Grace planet.” Rocky opened and closed its hand, then knocked it against the floor so it could perceive better. Clearer, even if it knew what laid beneath the stone that now occupied where Grace’s bed used to be.
“Is blue,” Rocky chimed. “Like Earth. Like Grace’s home.” It ran one hand over the smooth, strange texture on its other limb, right next to where a piece of Adrian belonged. Rocky can’t see the color, but Grace once said all bones are a shade of white, so this piece of Grace must be a shade of white, too.
“Planet reminds me of you,” said Rocky. “Planet is mostly water so must have waves all the time. Waves that you love. Ocean that you love. Maybe even fog. Will know once more probes sent.”
Rocky approached the stone etched in Eridian and English. Ryland Grace. Hero of Worlds. Beloved. Grace once said not to give his ‘tombstone’ many words so Rocky obliged. It’s wonderful English has a concise word for Grace. Beloved. Rocky wanted to write more lovely words but it respected Grace’s wishes.
With one hand, it reached for the soft, Earth beanbag its friend once had given to it to remember him by. It was their first goodbye, in a way. Rocky squeezed it gently, the material yielding under its xenonite suit. “Grace planet beautiful, even if can’t see with color. Wish you could see it. Wish could visit planet with you and greet new species, even if species not sentient yet.”
Rocky put the beanbag back on the tomb, next to the folded glasses its friend used to wear. It huddled against the stone, folding its limbs as much as the xenonite suit allowed, and rested, humming a low tune.
If it concentrated enough, Rocky could remember Grace’s voice. It could recall with perfect clarity, as if no time had passed at all, the rhythm of his strange bipedal gait and the sound of his heartbeat. It could feel the softness of him, the affection in his limbs when he would pull Rocky into a hug, even if he was clumsy and creaky sometimes because of Erid’s gravity.
It could recall that fragile, beautiful, selfish and selfless humanity that saved billions. Saved planets. Saved Rocky.
“Miss, miss, miss you,” hummed Rocky. It touched the piece of its beloved in its arm again. “Think of you always. Was away after long time because monitoring of probe was needed, but am here now. Watch you sleep.”