Work Text:
"He agreed?" Ilyukhina asked. She looked like she was holding her breath.
"Yes." Stratt replied in her cold tone. Her eyes seemed darker but there was no emotion on her face
"Well where is he?" Ilyukhina asked as a smile spread across her face as if a huge weight got lifted off her chest.
"We decided it would be best to induce his coma early." Stratt replied.
"Makes sense. Grace always the worrier that one such chicken!" Ilyukhina said with a loud laugh.
Yao looked at Stratt
"I suppose that's for the best... Less stress on him." Yao said in his ever professional tone.
Stratt looked at the two astronauts. She knew they would fuss if they found out Dr. Grace was forced to board the hail Mary. She could not risk any further delays.
"I'm glad you guys see it was the best fit." strat says with her hands held behind her back.
"Launch is tomorrow. I expect you both are ready." Stratt asks as she looks between them.
"Of course Mrs. Stratt" Ilyukhina said with a smile on her face.
"I'm prepared, Mrs. Stratt." Yao said with a small bow of his head.
With that Stratt left the two to enjoy their last night on earth.
----
Every channel across the world was showing the launch of the hail Mary.
There were sign language interpreters for each language in the corner of the screen and subtitles for people who spoke a different language.
Everyone had to understand and witness the launch of the Hail Mary. The savior to life itself on earth.
Eva Stratt stood on a podium where microphones surrounded her at all angles and flashes of lights never ending for the press.
"Today three brave astronauts are sacrificing their lives for every person on planet earth. Command Yao Li-Jie, Olesya Ilyukhina the engineer, and scientist Ryland Grace."
Stratt spoke about the mission and how big their sacrifice is. She introduced the crew and spoke a bit about who they were as people before the mission.
Yao and Ilyukhina walked out onto the concert path that was lined with mental fences for an easy shot to the entrance to the ship.
Ilyukhina excitedly waved at the large crowd while Yao did a polite head nod and stayed focused.
Doctors were already in the coma stations. A few were checking on grace and his vitals.
Ilyukhina and Yao saw them inject another syringe into Grace's neck very slowly and carefully.
The two didn’t have time to ask questions about how grace was or what the syringe was before they were tasked by the many Doctors to lay on their beds. Yao and Ilyukhina didn't see anything about another shot once they were induced into a coma in the manuals they were given.
As Yao and Ilyukhina laid down on their respective beds and the doctors crowded around them the faint sounds of a guitar could be heard strumming through the ship's speakers.
Then a soothing voice unmistakably recognized as the David Bowie. The music started to surround Yao and Ilyukhina as their eyelids grew heavy.
Ground control to major Tom
The doctors did a final check on Yao, Ilyukhina, and Grace.
Ground control to major Tom
Eva stood outside as people cheered when the doctors exited the ship.
The equipment check had all already been triple checked yesterday for a smooth launch today.
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Project hail Mary was in effect and was about to save the world.
Stratt knows she made the right decision.
10
Ground control to major Tom
9
8
Stratt looked at the ship as its doors sealed shut and prepared for launch.
"I hope you understand what I had to do." Stratt whispered to herself... But she knew it was meant for Ryland Grace.
7
6
commencing countdown engines on
5
4
Stratt looked at the ship as the revving of the engines got louder.
The crowd and cameras seemed loud and in her face but she tuned them out.
The project will not fail.
3
2
check ignition and may gods love be with you
"may gods love be with you"
Stratt said lastly as she straightened herself.
Lift off
She could already see the cops waiting to take her into custody.
They had the cuffs ready.
The music played loud through Mary's speakers as she left the ground and boomed towards the sky. To hope. To a saving grace.
This is ground control to major tom
Stratt's eyes followed the ship as it tore through the air and made its escape from a dying world.
She felt the cold cuffs clasp around her wrists.
you've really made the great
Stratt was dragged from the podium but the flashing of the lights never stopped. The microphones surrounding her face never stopped. The loud sounds of the crowd. Never. Stopped.
She didn't resist. She deserved this. She knew this was coming.
and the papers want to know whose shirt you wear
Yao Li-Jie the Chinese commander.
Olesya Ilyukhina the Russian engineer.
Ryland Grace the American scientist.
The names played across every screen across the world. Their pictures shown proudly. Yao and Ilyukhina had professional photos. Photos taken before the launch. And Grace's photo was his middle school teacher id photo.
this is major Tom to ground control
stepping through the door
The ship rattled as it finally broke through the atmospheres and blasted through space. Earth grew smaller. Their home further and further away.
and I'm floating in the most peculiar way
The shine of Sol dims. Because of distance and because of astrophage.
and the stars look very different today
The stars shift perspectives. The ship carries the three far and fast. The stars look at them and the ship looks back.
for here am I sitting in a tin can
far above the world
Earth and Luna seem so distant yet so close.
Everyone on earth was watching. The had watched with held breaths when the ship took of and let out a sigh of relief when it made it out of the atmosphere.
People cheered, people mourned, and people were outraged.
planet earth is blue and there's nothing I can do
Earth is so small compared to the universe. Earth is nothing compared to the dimming stars around Sol. Absolutely nothing.
though I'm past 100 thousand miles I'm feeling very still
The life support failed. Yao and Ilyukhina were dead. They were light years away from earth.
The soul survivor of this mission is a man who never wanted to come in the first place.
and i think my space ship knows which way to go
The nannybot tried to review them but when it gained futile it spent all of its time looking after grace.
tell my wife I love her very much (she knows)
Yao and Ilyukhina said goodbye to their families. They were given good luck and lost of love.
Their families cherish every memory of them.
ground control to major Tom
The ship stayed on route. It still had grace. Earth still had grace.
your circuits dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
People on earth spoke so highly of their heroes.
can you-
Stratt sat in her prison cell looking out at the night sky through her cell window every night.
There was still hope.
Here am I floating around my tin can
The flashing lights are what woke grace up
"Ugh.."
He gurgled
"Eye movement detected." a robotic sounding voice was heard from above him
far above the moon
Grace scrambled. Where was he. Who was he. Whats going on.
He knew he was smart because he could name everything in the labs.
Gravity was all wrong. Was he sick? Was he in confinement? WHAT IS GOING ON.
calculation after calculation none of it made sense. Where was he...
planet earth is blue
That's not his sun.
"That's not our sun..."
He wasn't in Sol's solar system. He was at tau cetie.
Why was he at tau cetie.
Who even is he.. Why was he selected for this mission?! What even is the mission!
and there's nothing I can do