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Grace spots it instantly as his ship passes by.
He has been dozing off, huddled in his blankets and passing the time while flying back to Erid. He has already contacted a distant Eridian space station to signal his arrival back into Erid's system, ready to land in a few hours, and had received a cheery affirmative. Rocky is probably excited to see him back, and he has to guiltily admit he stretched his journey around the Eridian galaxy to its limit, probably worrying his friend when he didn’t return within the promised time limit.
He hadn't really meant to, but he hadn't felt too ready to go back inside his biodome yet. He tried so hard, had insisted that he was fine, and in a way, he is. He is content back in Erid, and he is happy to be by Rocky's side! But sometimes, the dome is still a bit too much. Not too often, he hasn't been one to move too much, even back on Earth and has always been content with an easy routine: wake up, breakfast, work, teach classes, work, dinner and sleep.
It is not really different from before, yet everything is at the same time.
He has everything he needs in Erid, and even if he dares to ask for a bit more, the Eridian scientists would probably be more than happy to provide for his needs.
Still, he can't help but feel like he needs to flee sometimes. Somewhere far away from his own life.
The Eridians, once again, found a solution very quickly and built him a very small ship. Smaller than the Hail Mary but more comfortable. There is no lab, he has one back on Erid, but he has a small room in which to lounge. The Eridians even thought of incorporating Mary and Armando inside the command room, there is a music player, some movies to watch, books to read, and he has more blankets than he really needs.
And sometimes, whenever he feels like his heart is going to explode with a feeling he cannot even name, but makes him jittery and look longingly at the grey sky above him, he abruptly stands up and puts a notice of leave from his classes for a few days.
Then he knocks on the barrier at the edge of the biodome and calls out to the Eridians that he wishes to take a small tour around.
The Eridians prepare everything and Rocky and Adrian are always here to say 'see you soon' as he embarks on his small ship. Sometimes, Rocky even goes with him, and they fly across stars he never heard about while Rocky regales him with stories and information that astrophysicists back on Earth would die to get their hands on (ah, he would never tire of this bitter joke).
He had tried to explain it to Rocky once, when the Eridian had said: "Eridians scientists ready to prepare ship back to Earth."
Grace had looked at the bay stretching in front of him and said he would think about it.
Later, Rocky would ask: "Not back on Earth but want travel stars, question?"
Grace had grimaced, not truly knowing how to explain his feelings. His relationship with space was one of hate and companionship. It had become almost a reluctant partner from all those years confined inside it, inside the Hail Mary. Perhaps he had grown a toxic fondness for it, or it is the least poisonous thing between remaining here wallowing in his longing, or running away from it.
"I don't specifically like space travelling. And don't get me wrong, what you've done for me so far? It's perfect, but..."
"Grace unhappy, statement."
"No! What did I just say? It's not that," he had vehemently argued, shaking his head.
"Rocky alone for eternity in Tau Ceti. Wanted to run and walk, never stop moving. I understand," Rocky had said afterwards, as if it was the simplest thing in the whole world.
And perhaps it was.
And so Rocky had created a small ship for him. He had even said he could bring bigger fuel tanks, but Grace had said he just needed a small break, not a goodbye. Rocky's stance had perked up and seemed less tense afterwards.
And so he started to visit a bit everywhere. Not too long, not too far.
He still looks anxiously at the blackness around him every once in a while and has a mild panic attack. Why would he do that? Why inflict himself all that again?
But then, as he looks around and lets the upgraded Mary guide him through the stars, pulling out a map of things to visit in Rocky's galaxy, he lets himself be amazed by every little bit of thing. It fills something inside him that makes him shed a small tear, which he shamefully wipes with the end of his sleeve.
He is happy in Erid, he doesn't like space, but he still feels much better after each trip.
He would land back on Erid, get hushed back to his biodome, and his smile would stay for days, even weeks and months, before it starts to fade again.
He supposes he will never get it completely back.
It's fine, he's still happy nonetheless.
.
His head is leaning against the huge window bay the Eridians had created just so he could stargaze a bit, and with the possibility to change it back to an opaque wall at his convenience, when the void beyond feels a bit too close to him.
He freezes on his couch when he spots it.
It is a small red planet, almost negligible in size: barely bigger than his current ship. Perfectly round if not for the huge yellow tree that sprouts out of the small reddish soil. It floats inside the galaxy, it doesn't even feel like it belongs to the Eridian system.
Curious, Grace kicks off his blankets and goes to the control panel, ordering Mary to pull out the map Rocky had provided him. There he is, the small blinking dot that slowly moves back towards Erid. There are so many other dots around, so many things to look at and to discover. He can make out a few planets Rocky had personally guided Grace to. But none of them looks like the one he's seeing right now.
He can't even miss it. He's flying only a few meters away from it, and he can see how the round-shaped planet is almost overtaken by roots that plunge into the red soil. There seems to be a few chunks missing, as if there is some kind of gravity at play, and the bottom of the planet, opposite to where the heavy trunk grows into branches, is falling into pieces and falls into the galaxy below. If the ground is of a crimson red, then the tree is of a beautiful golden glow, dwarfing the piece of land the roots latch onto.
It reaches for an invisible sky like the most beautiful oak tree back on Earth.
However, what makes him almost double over in shock, pressing his nose and hands straight against the window, glasses clinking against the surface, is the small shape at the base of the trunk.
"Mary, stop!" he screams as loud as he can, even though he knows he could whisper and Mary could still pick up his mumbled words.
The ship trembles, rumbles and freezes to a stop.
He launches himself onto the commander's seat and takes the lever with both hands, trying to manoeuver the ship backwards as slowly and seamlessly as he can without appearing like a comet about to hurl itself against an asteroid.
As he slowly approaches, he knows he isn't hallucinating. Still, he pinches himself.
There is a human being sitting at the base of the tree. Well, he had been sitting cross-legged. Now he has stood up, probably after seeing Grace's ship screech to a halt while passing by, and then slowly backpedal closer to the immense tree.
Still, Grace can't help himself, and he snorts in disbelief, eyes wide.
There's a human. Standing there. At the base of his huge tree. In space. In the Eridian galaxy. He doubts there is breathable air on this small chunk of red rock.
Impossible, he thinks. His eyes must play some dirty trick on him. He wipes his glasses with trembling hands, but nothing changes after he puts them back on. He leans back on his seat, baffled.
His ship resembles a round car, if it had the capacity to hold a small room in the 'trunk' and two massive fuel tanks instead of tyres. This also means he is currently facing the small planet.
He pushes the lever so that his ship advances a little bit, and he sees the silhouette shift.
He keeps his ship still for a few seconds, but he can't help but advance a little bit more. Just a little push.
The ship jerks forward, and the silhouette moves again.
Grace can now make out that the person is wearing... clothes? Civilian clothes? It looks like it, they're a dark green but streaked with red. He frowns but doesn't think more of it, excitement and anticipation loudly clamouring inside his head and pressing him to push the level a little bit more, ignoring everything else.
The ship lurches once again. The silhouette turns and begins to grasp one of the thick, low branches of the tree.
Grace can now see that this is a man. At least given his build. He has shoulder-length hair. He only has one arm, the left sleeve fluttering with each of his movements as he begins to expertly launch himself upwards with one arm, legs powerfully propelling him to another branch. He rapidly climbs towards the middle of the tree and turns his face towards Grace's ship.
They stay still for a little bit, both of them too shocked and wary of the other to do anything.
He wonders if the man can see him through the thick window of the commanding room. He knows he looks dumb. His mouth is half open, his eyes bulging out of his eyesockets, his white cardigan draped on his shoulders like a cape, sleeves held in a knot around his neck. He hasn't even had the time to properly sit himself before he was frantically calling to Mary to stop the ship, half lying, half propped up across the commander's seat.
Still, he allows one of his hands to detach itself from the lever and waves at the man.
The man clearly sees him, because after an awkward beat, he waves back. He is straddling a branch and fiercely scowls, but his wave is hesitant, as if he doesn't truly know what he is doing.
Grace doesn't know either.
"What are you doing here?" he shouts.
The ship is made to withstand Erid's harsh atmosphere when he crash-lands back onto the planet.
He feels like a fool, suddenly flailing around and mouth silently opening and closing like a fish.
He must look like a madman.
But Grace also thinks the other is a crazy alien.
How the hell is he alive? Is the tree somehow providing him with some sort of oxygen barrier around its branches? He eyes the leaves around. There aren't a lot left, most of the branches are bare, stretching upwards like clawed arms in agony. The tree is dying.
The man gesticulates back. He waves his hand aggressively to the side. It takes a moment for Grace to understand it's a dismissive gesture. The man wants him to bugger off.
He scowls back and firmly shakes his hand.
"What is that, what are you doing in the middle of nowhere?!" he yells again, tapping against the window bay, waving the whole tree with his hands.
The man freezes, frowns and squints. Then his gestures become more erratic, and he begins pointing at the side, mouthing two words Grace can practically hear: "Get. Out."
Grace stares straight into the other man's eyes, and even meters away and with a thick window glass separating them, he knows he's got the man's attention.
They share a glare, then Grace opens his mouth: "NOPE," he yells back.
The man gives him the middle finger.
Grace answers him back accordingly.
Then he bursts out laughing.
He hasn't felt that light in years!
.
.
.
Simon doesn't like the nutcase hovering near his Tree.
He's long accepted his slow death. As long as he's still near his Tree and nourishes it, everything will be fine. But then the ship with that lunatic inside keeps coming back and endlessly pesters him.
After a while, he even goes as far as to get out of his ship in a strange orange clothe. They talk, reluctantly. They bicker and he tries to kick him out with all the gusto he can muster. The other is persistent. Until his Tree dies.
It's not a good day and he's ready to die, but why that ship has to conveniently arrive at the same time as the red soil holding the Tree together begins to crumble beneath his feet..?
.
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