Chapter Text
RECORDING VℓVλI
GRACE: Is this thing even on? I sure hope it is— it’s gonna be really embarrassing if it isn’t because it means I would’ve been talking to nothing the whole time and I’d have to redo the entire thing.
GRACE: Or go with one of the embarrassing backups. If there even are any left.
GRACE: [SIGH]
GRACE: This is Doctor Captain Ryland Grace reporting from the Hail Mary.
GRACE: [STATIC]
GRACE: Hah, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve said that. Erghhh, I have mixed feelings about it.
GRACE: [CHUCKLES]
GRACE: [UNINTELLIGIBLE MUMBLING]
GRACE: [COUGHING]
GRACE: I hope the caption function works; this laptop — or well, the remains of it — have been through a lot. [TAPPING]
GRACE: So, can’t really blame me for being a little— y’know. I mean, I could always go back and add captions and subtitles. But I’d really prefer not to… Anyways, I digress.
GRACE: [CLEARS THROAT]
GRACE: You guys, yes, you, might be wondering how I managed to get to Erid alive considering I didn’t have enough food, yada yada yada. Well all that will be answered in due time.
GRACE: And by “answered in due time” I mean like the how, what, when, where, why will be in one of the numerous data files delivered to Earth. So like, when you guys see this message you probably will have your answer— like, real soon.
GRACE: You guys, might also be wondering why my good ol’ buddy pal Rock isn't here with me. Trust me, I wanted him here as much as you guys did. But he (and many others) all said that it was probably a better idea for me to record this message alone.
GRACE: To be fair though, I’m not actually alone. Y’know, being old and all has sort of made me stupid and frail. They don’t want their one and only squishy space blob to die from some stupid reason like falling over and cracking my head open — which did almost happen once. So yeah, Rocky is my bodyguard instead.
GRACE: [TURNS AROUND] Rocky, say hi.
ROCKY: Hi Earth. Is Rocky. Rocky let Grace talk to Earth because it is personal. Rocky outside in case Grace get hurt and needs help. Rocky protects Grace. [TAPPING COMING FROM AIRLOCK]
GRACE: [TURNS BACK AND WHISPERS: yeah, he can hear me by the way. But don’t worry he shouldn’t say anything]
ROCKY: Yes. I won’t.
GRACE: Rocky!
ROCKY: Sorry.
GRACE: [WHISPERS: guess I better cut to the chase]
GRACE: So, I’m dying. [FAINT HUM] I don’t know if you could tell from my obviously raspy voice, heavy breathing, the gray hair, and like— basically everything. But. Yeah. That’s happening. It’s gonna be kind of soon as well. My Eridian nannies (a decently large team of doctors and scientists dedicated to keeping me alive) estimate that I only have roughly 2 years left. So. Yeah!
GRACE: Unfortunately, living on Erid is really doing a number on me. Not that I mind that much. I guess I’ve already made peace with the fact that I’m dying? [FAINT HUM] I mean, I’ve come pretty close to it like, quite a few times so. Screw you Death, haha.
GRACE: Now that, well, the news of impending doom is established, you guys can probably tell what this is for.
GRACE: [SHUFFLING]
GRACE: This is my will. I guess. Or well— whatever’s adjacent. I don’t— didn’t have a lot to my name back on Earth. So this is kind of just, a message from me.
GRACE: [LAUGHS NERVOUSLY]
GRACE: I definitely should’ve prepared for this better. I was in the middle of writing a script but… [TRAILS OFF]
GRACE: Anyways, there should be two labelled recordings. This one is gonna be titled “watch first” and the other one will be titled “for Colt”. Earthlings for the “watch first” and my brother takes the other one okay? Alone. Well if he wants to share I don’t mind but it’s mostly me to him.
GRACE: Because it’s y’know, personal.
GRACE: That doesn’t mean there aren’t other like recordings. But they should be in other files with the other stuff.
GRACE: And by other, I mean my new research! After living on Erid for quite a while, I have — naturally — been able to make quite a few new discoveries on the planet itself and its inhabitants.
GRACE: [PULLS UP A WHITEBOARD]
GRACE: Look. I’m not an artist. Okay? But these are my— uhm— best attempts at recreating what a few of the Erid organisms look like. I’ll get the Eridians to carve out a better copy later. Whatever.
GRACE: But all things considered though, this is seriously pretty cool. Right? Like— this one looks kind of like a tiger… Oh and this one is sort of like a jellyfish!..
GRACE: Anyways I’ve tried my best to organize my findings but eventually I kind of just stopped bothering. But, I’ve been trying to organize them again though, as of recently.
GRACE: Oh yeah, we’re gonna be sending over lots of souvenirs too. Don’t worry.
GRACE: Heh. On that note, the Eridians kind of do whatever I want since you know, me and Rocky saved their planet and all. [TRILL] I try my best not to abuse it. [CHIRPING]
GRACE: Anyways, be warned that my stuff might not be that professional but I’ve tried my best. My thesis paper days are behind me.
GRACE: I’ll do a final sweep of my research for organization and stuff before this thingy gets sent. Rocky will help, just in case. My old man brain might not be as good as it was back in my prime… [TAPS TEMPLE AND LAUGHS BEFORE BREAKING OFF INTO COUGHS]
GRACE: Oh gosh— [COUGH] I gotta stop laughing. [COUGHS]
GRACE: [CLEARS THROAT AGAIN] Okay. Back to— [GESTURES WITH HANDS]
GRACE: This.
GRACE: [CLAPS HANDS]
GRACE: Well— I mean, this mission did turn out pretty well you know, considering…
GRACE: But it’s— Whatever. I got to meet alien life and stuff so, you know— not that bad after all.
GRACE: I uh— I hope my kids— students are doing well... I know that all of them had a lot of potential. And… [SNIFFS] I know it’s unrealistic to believe, but I hope that every single one of them made it. I— I miss you all so much. [SOBS]
GRACE: And uh— I’m not too sure that my memory of Yao and Ilyukhina are that good.. Since I’m old and all… [SNIFFS] But I’m pretty sure they would’ve loved this whole thing just as much— just as much as I have and.. [SNIFFS AND SOBS] I—I’m sure they also would’ve done a much better job than me.
GRACE: [SNIFFS]
GRACE: I remember a time when I would think about what I would say— if— I could send one last message to Earth.
GRACE: There was a lot that I wanted to say. And ask. [SNIFFS]
GRACE: And there’s a lot I did say. And asked. To be completely honest, I’ve actually recorded this many many times. You may have noticed the kind of big recording number… yeah.
GRACE: I was never satisfied, so, I’d simply delete the recording. I always thought it would be okay. [SNIFFS] I thought— “I can always try again…”
GRACE: Every couple of weeks, or months — depending on how busy I was, I’d record a “final message” for Earth.
GRACE: Every time, the recording was a bit different. Sometimes it wouldn’t record at all. Either way, I was never actually satisfied with it. And so, here’s probably my last shot at it so… I figure I should just— do whatever my heart tells me to. [SNIFFS]
GRACE: [PAUSES AND STARES INTO THE DISTANCE]
GRACE: Though, I probably should’ve actually looked back at the footage instead of simply deleting it out of embarrassment. Er. Well— that's on past-me.
GRACE: [JOLTS SUDDENLY]
GRACE: Darn it. This is going to be broadcasted to the world isn’t it.
GRACE: [CHUCKLES] Oh well. It’s whatever…
GRACE: I always wanted to be… mysterious. But I talk too much. It’s my problem. Like right now.
GRACE: [PAUSES]
GRACE: Sorry Earth, didn’t really mean to get upsetti-spaghetti, depresso-expresso. It’s kind of easy to fall into that little mood, especially when you’re all alone.
GRACE: Not to mention, I am sort of talking about my future death and all… [FAINT HUM]
GRACE: [PAUSES AGAIN, THINKING]
GRACE: I mean, like I said. Even though I was scared and suffering and alone and, and… I had fun. I’m satisfied. [SNIFFS] And y’know… I’m really glad that [SNIFFS] Yao and Ilyukhina didn’t……
GRACE: Die. For nothing. [SOBS]
GRACE: [SNIFFS] Ah— I really didn’t mean to cry so much. Being so old has gotten me kind of sentimental. [CHUCKLES]
GRACE: So, uh, I guess this is it for me. For real this time.
GRACE: Well,
GRACE: This is Doctor Captain Ryland Grace reporting from the Hail Mary. As the Eridians say,
GRACE: [PLAYS KEYBOARD: ♪♫♪♬]
END OF TRANSCRIPT