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2 days.
It had been 2 days since Ryland Grace had died.
Alone.
His only companion was a rock-like alien. An alien that didn’t understand the decomposition of human flesh. After all, why should he? Eridians had a very different death process, they didn’t require burial to conceal their decay. Eridian rock never rotted. Unlike human flesh.
Rocky knew Ryland was dead. He remembered the moment very clearly. The stillness of his body on that foggy morning. The coldness of his hand as the artificial waves crashed against the sand. The lack of response when the rock nudged his bed with eagerness to pursue their daily walk. The absence of a heart beat that used to pulsate with life since the moment Rocky met the human. His human. He remembered Grace talking about the concept of human death 20846567 seconds ago, and about how it was imminent. The little Erid didn’t fully understand the signs. Ryland’s voice had got more raspy and he walked slower than he did before. Not to mention the hunched outline the rock saw every morning on their walks, and the way Ryland would wince whenever he had to get up. Rocky never realised it would happen so soon.
“Why do humans not live long time, question?”
“I don’t know bud, but be prepared. It’ll be soon. Just make sure I’m always on the beach.”
“Okay. Rocky will make sure friend Grace is happy.”
“Thanks bud.”
Rocky followed through with Ryland’s wish. With the help of Armondo (the robot who has been with them since the start, installed by humans), they carefully carried the limp body to the sand. The soft but grainy sand that sank very slightly as the carcass was placed onto its surface, like it was welcoming the biologist with open arms. Comfort after death, Rocky thought. He had made sure to place his human far enough away from shore, so he wouldn’t be swept away in its aggressive current. So Ryland could enjoy looking out at shore forever. Like he wanted.
Rocky chirped happily when he saw his accomplishment. The fulfilment of his friend’s wish. Without fully understanding the gravity of the situation. The reality of it. Reality stated that Ryland was never coming back, but this hadn’t hit Rocky yet. After all, Eridians only experience grief after a few months when they’re sure the dead won’t miraculously awaken from their death bed.
“Are you happy now, friend Grace?” The Eridian whistled as he stood next to the shell of his former companion.
No response.
Rocky waited. Clung onto a tiny bit of hope that it was just a joke. One of the jokes Ryland used to love playing on him, like the time he had told him his first ‘knock knock’ pun, thinking it was the funniest thing. That was until Rocky overused it all the time around the ship, using the same prompts every single time. Without fail.
“Knock knock!” Rocky remembered Grace saying when they were in the lab; analysing a sample of taumeba.
“What?” The legs of the alien tapped on his glass tunnel as he focused completely on the young scientist.
“No, dude, you’re meant to say ‘whose there,’ then after I say who, you say; ‘oh, blah blah, who’” the man elaborated with his hands.
Ryland often communicated with his hands to emphasise what he was saying.
“But no one is there, it’s just Rocky and friend Grace.”
A laugh. A bright laugh followed by the shake of Ryland’s head.
“No, Rock, it’s a joke, not literal.”
“Oh,” The Eridian started before watching his human run around the lab, trying to do multiple things at once, “well, who is there friend Grace?”
“The interrupting cow.”
“The interrupting cow wh-”
“Moo!”
The human erupted into a gentle laugh, covering his mouth as he smiled. Rocky didn’t understand the source of the laughter.
“You interrupted me, why, question.”
“That’s the joke,” Ryland beamed as he slowly stopped his obnoxious laughter.
Rocky chirped in thought then slammed his legs against the tube.
“Rocky has a knock knock joke.”
That emitted an eyebrow lift from his friend, as he prompted the alien.
“Knock knock, friend Grace.”
“Whose there?”
“Rocky and Grace saving stars!”
There was a pause.
“No bud, that’s not it.”
“But you are here, friend Grace.”
The obvious comment caused the human to let out a playful huff.
“Yeah I am, always.”
But that was in the past. This wasn’t a joke. Ryland was no longer there.
The alien let out a quiet whistle that sounded like a cry before he rubbed his legs together. The farewell ritual. An Eridian sending off. A custom Rocky hadn’t had to do often, but he did now. For his friend. His human companion who he saved the stars with. The biologist who didn’t treat him with violence but with sarcasm and jokes.
Rocky slowly turned and left the dome. Left Ryland prone to rotting - without realising. Left to allow his friend to rest alone, as if he were resting on earth where nobody liked him. Yes, Ryland had told Rocky about his sad life when he was alive.
The beach was now foretold to be quieter as soon as Rocky left it for the final time. Only source of sound came from the motors that initiated the waves but the dome was no longer full of life or warmth. Just cold. Cold like the water that Ryland complained about to Rocky, but never with any distaste - just playful banter. The classroom was also silent. Pebbles no longer showed up for their classes. No longer taught the importance of physics by Dr Ryland Grace. The little children didn’t know why, they were too pure. Too fragile to crush with the news. News that all the rocks knew. The truth of the dome being shut down and forever to be untouched. To allow the contents within to be at peace.
2 weeks.
It had been 2 weeks since Ryland Grace died.
Decay had started, but not just naturally. Mechanically. Bugs that the scientist begged his friend to add, so he felt more at home. But now, instead of him finding home in the insects, they found him as a home.
Small mites ate into rotting flesh relentlessly - like they had been waiting for the weak human to finally drop. Their legs crawled up and down unmoving arms and took in the endless opportunity. The offering.
Flies flew around the unbreathing figure; drawing attention to it for entire colonies to hear and have a bite before it was all gone. They occasionally landed on the cold face of the buffet and tasted the chapped skin that was slowly peeling.
Blowflies arrived first to feast shortly after the small mites. They chewed into the soft tissue of Ryland’s lips. The lips that he used to talk for hours to his friend about literally anything he could think of. They chewed on his ear. The ears he used to listen to the melodic voice of his alien companion and his people. They chewed on his hands. The hands he used to express his thoughts and use to experiment despite being 11.9 light years away from his birth home but 0 light years away from his found home. The home that’s ripping him apart.
Burying beetles were attracted later on and feasted upon the remains. Whatever was left of the shell. Whatever would help their survival against other organisms. Not caring for the bright soul they’re wiggling into and devouring. The man who requested for them to be created. For them to thrive. He’s just paying the price as his empty, beady eyes stared at the bugs that crawled into the sockets without care.
Despite the graphic situation, nature was thriving and the food chains were satisfied. Rove beetles made sure there wasn’t a total swarm on the helpless, defenseless body. They didn’t feed on the body but cleared up some of the thousands of maggots that wrapped around the decaying figure - prolonging the period. Mercy. Only a small amount of mercy that they weren’t even aware that they were granting. Ryland would’ve been happy because despite the complications to himself, the biological aspects of life could still move on. As he said, life is ephemeral and nature will always come on top.
The horrific site initiated quite a gentle and pure memory.
“What are these creatures you asked for, friend Grace?” A chirp came from the little alien that was standing next to his human friend looking at the few bugs that now inhabited the dome.
“Insects,” the biologist beams, “it helps improve biodiversity. They help me live. I help them.”
A confused hum game from Rocky.
“But, you are different type of organisms? Eridians only need Eridians to survive.”
“Humans are different, bud. They pollinate so I can always have pretty flowers to breathe oxygen in from.”
“Oh,” the alien lets out an understanding chirp.
“Also, eventually they’ll provide fruits for me, if the seeds form. Hopefully”
“Like peaches,” Rocky nudged the content human; he had remembered Ryland talking for exactly 890 seconds about how much he misses peaches.
“Exactly, dude.”
“Rocky and Grace be able to enjoy fruits forever, right?” The small rock turned to his friend with his legs lightly stomping on the sand.
Ryland hesitated before responding with a nervous chuckle, “Yeah, forever.”
“Yay!”
It wasn’t forever. The fruits did appear but only a few weeks before the biologist met his end. Ryland wasn’t mad though - he used to appreciate bugs, and now they were tearing into his skin like he was a ripe peach ready to be squashed. His mind is at peace. His body suffered the consequence.
2 years.
It had been 2 years since Ryland Grace died.
Left to rot due to the cluelessness of the natives. They were unaware of his state now; unaware that he had been chewed to the bone by malicious bugs who fed off flesh.
Unaware until today. Adrian had told their mate to visit the dome to heal their grief. Even if it was only slightly.
“Friend Grace?” The alien chirped as he approached the skeleton of his friend, whose clothes still hung loosely onto his non-existent frame. Unsure why his outline looked incomplete and unfamiliar.
Rocky tucked up close to the remains of his friend and looked at the ocean - gentle waves hitting the shore. The motors were still alive, that was the only thing. Armondo had shut down about a year ago in the old home Ryland Grace used to inhabit. Its task complete.
Stay with the crew until they die, then deconstruct.
The alien chirped again and nudged his friend. Still holding on to the hope that Ryland was still in there somewhere. Ready to jump out and hug his rocky friend. Even though it’d never happen, especially not now. He no longer had flesh. He no longer had hair. He no longer had organs. His body was slowly eaten as food becoming a vital part of a food chain he was defenseless against.
“Are you enjoying the waves?”
Silence. But deep down, Rocky knew. Rocky knew that wherever humanity went after death, Ryland was enjoying the gentle clash of water against the grainy surface. He always enjoyed it. Told Rocky it never gets old, so the small alien was content in knowing that his companion through thick and thin was happy.
Happy for eternity.