Chapter Text
“Eye movement detected.”
I had paused reading my book on the console and glanced up, slightly puzzled. “I’m sorry?” I chuckled slightly. Was Mary reading my own eye movement?
“Eye movement detected in the Dormitories.”
I immediately shot up and flung myself out of the lab chair as I realized what was happening. I let my book drop to the floor, my hands shaky.
“What’s two plus two?” I heard Mary’s voice in the dormitories. Oh my god, oh my god.
I quickly stomped into the dormitories to see Jason (well apparently we called him Rocky), still laying down but his eyes half-lidded, and naked. Whew, that’s a sight I didn’t need to see. He normally had that big ol’ bag covering him.
“Fff… nngh…” Rocky barely managed to grumble, saliva dribbled his lips. Probably from when the Nannybots took out his mouth throat tube thingy. I didn’t know what they were called, I’m a scientist damnit not a medical doctor.
“What’s two plus two?” Mary’s voice hummed again, same tone and everything.
“Four.” I say. Mary didn’t ask again, obviously she didn’t have voice recognition.
“Correct. What is the cube root of eight?”
“Two.” I answered again, my eyes still locked on the man that lay in the dormitory bed. Well, his face. I’d get the Nannybots to cover up his dick later.
“Correct.” Mary hums, and doesn’t speak again.
“Wwwhhhuhh…” Rocky manages to say.
“Shh.” I take a small step forward. An actual living, breathing human.
“Where am I?…” His voice strained out, a bit slurred.
“I said shush.” I say a bit more urgently. “You’re gonna tire yourself out.”
Rocky shuts himself up and his eyes close again. I so badly just wanted to tell him “Hey! Sleepyhead! Wake up, I haven’t talked to a human in forever!” But I knew he was lost, confused, and probably wanted to just sleep for a bit longer.
I knew the feeling.
“Go back to sleep.” I hummed quietly, leaning against the metal doorframe, it was cold against my bicep.
Rocky made a humming noise in return, his heartbeat vitals slowing slightly.
“Mary, cover him up please.” I brush my jaw with my fingers as the Nannybots worked to remove his wires and tubes. If only I hadn’t struggled and fought against those robot arms, it would’ve been a lot more comfortable for me. After he only had an iv in, the Nannybots pulled the bag-like cover over Rocky’s lower half, up to his naval.
——
“Eye movement detected.” Mary’s voice repeated after about an hour. I hadn’t left the dormitory since I knew Rocky was awake.
“I know, I know.” I say to the air, pulling myself up and turning to face Rocky, and to my surprise- he was SAT UP.
“Woah!” I blinked. How was he up already? It took me forever after I first woke up!
“Mmph…” He grumbled, rubbing an eye with a tattooed arm. He was muscled, similarly to how I was when I woke up. He had nice tan skin and long curly hair. He didn’t grow a beard during the coma unlike me, maybe he just didn’t grow facial hair. But that hair for sure needed a trim. It was dark, long, and brushed past his sharp shoulder blades.
“Don’t freak, you’re alright.” I say, stepping closer with a held up palm. Why was I treating him like an abused animal?
“Where am I?” Rocky says, turning to face me with long, tiredly blinking lashes.
“I’ll explain after you’re better rested.” I take my glasses off the bridge of my nose, trying to avoid getting teary-eyed.
“No…” He grumbled, his heart-rate spiking. “Where am I?” He repeated, his tone getting more irritated. That was the last thing I needed right now, another agitated dude.
“Go back to sleep.” I say firmly.
Despite my worries, he complied and dropped his head, exhaling slowly before lowering himself against the bed again.
I watch as his chest slowly rises and falls again. Until I know he’s asleep, I’m staying far away. My memories of him are… vague. I know he was a last minute choice. He also was a dual engineer alongside Ilyukhina.
His heart rate slows slightly.
“Is he asleep, Mary?” I mumbled to the wall as I continued to stare.
“Yes. Patient is in a state of REM.”
I snort. Already? It’s barely been a couple minutes.
“Be ready to hold him down if I accidentally wake him up.” I slowly push myself up the wall and take careful, quiet steps towards him.
Mary doesn’t respond to my comment. Am I surprised? Nah.
I stand over the sleeping man, my eyes tracing over his tattoos, his biceps, his flat stomach. I swallow hard.
“How do I explain this to someone I barely know?” My glasses hang loosely on my ear, brushing my jawline.
I take a step away, studying the medical equipment surrounding him. Lucky bastard, didn’t wake up afraid and alone with a ripped out catheter.
I continue to step back until my foot taps the hatch to the storage compartment. The only thing in there now is Rocky’s duffel bag of stuff. It was the only thing I left alone, it didn’t feel fair to rummage through his crap when he was still alive.
My fingers grasp onto the hatch handle and I yank open, pulling the moss-green bag out and setting it on the floor, closing the hatch behind me. The tag was yellow with black writing and was written in messy handwriting— “Rockwell”.
I open the zipper and stare at the clothes, photos, jewelry, and small trinkets inside with a sigh. This guy had a life. So much more than me. I carefully pick up one of the polaroids.
He was tinkering with something, his grin focused on the camera, his curls pulled back into a ponytail. I can’t lie, he’s an attractive dude. I continue digging.
I pull out a small piece of paper that is labeled “J.R.” His initials in the same messy handwriting. I unfold it carefully. It was a letter from… him?
It read- “Hey Jason. It’s Jason. Weird, I know. I’m writing this a couple hours before launch, they’re loading my bag into the ship’s compartment— So I wanted to write this. Just to tell you who you are in case you wake up like Stratt says you will.” I stopped reading there. Even though I was REALLY curious, it was his business. If he wanted to tell me, he could.
I carefully tuck the paper next to the polaroid in the side of the bag and pull out a black shirt and jorts, my fingers brush something metal and I pause, setting down the clothing and picking up a silver ring, which was connected to a thin silver necklace with a small silver charm attached to it. He really liked silver.
I slowly sat up as I set the jewelry down. I didn’t want to dig anymore. I walked towards Rocky’s body, my eyes softening.
“Eye movement detected.”
“Mary. I know.” I rubbed my forehead. I hope she wasn’t gonna do that every time he woke up.
“Nrrgg…” Rocky mumbled. He hasn’t been very distinguished, has he?
“I won’t force you to sleep any longer, bud.” I tried to keep my voice friendly. I really REALLY didn’t want to fight anyone.
“Wh… Oh my god I’m naked.” Rocky suddenly shot up and palmed his pelvis, his cheeks turning crimson.
“Yeah that’s uhm— That’s normal… just—“ I snickered and tossed the clothes at him. “You got it?”
He stared at the clothes as if they personally offended him. “What?”
“… Put on the clothes.”
He turned towards me with an equally confused expression.
“I’ll be back— Mary, help him out.” I waved my hand with a nod and turned around, walking out of the dormitory as the Nannybots helped him get his clothes on.
I waited outside the door patiently, tilting my head up. “Mary, how’s his vitals? Any issues?”
“Dr. Rockwell is in good condition. Would you like the patient to be placed back into hyper sleep for medical-“
“NO!” I screamed, lunging towards the door and opening it right as he swung his clothed legs over the side of the bed. He looked surprised, his iv was gone and a white bandaid had been placed over his vein.
“No?” He murmured back.
I cleared my throat. God, that was embarrassing. “It’s fine, Mary— don’t do that,” I sighed. “Can you stand?”
“Who are you? Where am I?” Rocky huffed, his brow furrowing.
I paused. “You’re… in space. You were chosen for the Hail Mary mission. Not a lot to really… explain.”
He still looked very lost. I didn’t want to tell him how long he’s been asleep.
“Okay, uh— come look through your bag. Might have some stuff that can trigger some memories.”
“Who are you?” He repeated.
“Grace. Ryland Grace.” I nodded politely. “Just… just call me Grace, Ryland isn’t preferred.”
Rocky nodded slowly, gingerly stepping a toe onto the metal floor with a grimace.
I can’t watch this. I push myself off the wall and shuffle over to wrap an arm around him, his skin was warm and soft. I felt him lean a bit of his weight against my shoulder. He was slightly taller than me, I’d have to glance up to talk to him.
As I lead him to the spot with his bag, I carefully lowered him to the floor. He gratefully collapsed and exhaled slowly, leaning against me without realizing it.
“… ‘Scuse me.” I snickered. Poor guy was practically sitting in my lap. Not awkward at all, definitely.
“Sorry.” He grumbled, his ears pinking as he shuffled off and sat cross-legged.
“All of this is your stuff.” I motioned to the bag.
“… Rockwell?” He mumbled, touching a finger to the tag.
“Your name,” I reach into the bag and pull out his Hail Mary employment card. “Jason Rockwell.” I handed it to him.
He scrunched his nose. “Huh.”
“We called you Rocky.” I smile, the name sounds silly when I say it now.
Rocky smiles slightly, still staring at his photo id. “I like that a whole lot better than Jason.”
I snicker before I see him reach into the bag and pull out the piece of paper and polaroid.
He stares at the photo for a second before tears start to fill his eyes.
I’m not a therapist. I’m not good with people crying. Well, whenever my students would cry I’d do everything I could to comfort them. But they were kids. This is a grown ass man. But his reason for crying is valid.
“Hey…” I murmur, shifting closer. “You alright?”
He sniffles and sets down the photo. “I look happy. Real happy.” He rubbed his tired eyes with his index knuckles.
I nod slowly. “Yeah. You all were.”
He glances up, the whites of his eyes pinking around the corners. “You all? Is there more people here somewhere?”
I hesitate. “There was.” I exhale slowly, don’t cry Ryland.
He raised a brow, leaning back slightly to listen.
“There was four of us. Me, you, Ilyukhina, and Li-Jie,” I take my glasses off and set them in my blonde hair. “Ilyukhina was the other engineer, like you. Li-Jie was our commander and pilot.”
Rocky’s eyes dimmed slightly, as if he knew what I was gonna say next.
“They died in their coma. I have no idea how long they were both dead before I woke up, but it was awhile.”
“How long have you been awake?” Rocky whispered, his tone a lot quieter.
“About a week. We’re almost to Tau Ceti.”
“WHAT?!” He exploded. “Isn’t that like… 15 light years away?!”
I flinched back. “11.9.”
He covered his mouth with a large hand. “We’ve been asleep for…”
“Don’t forget time dilation," I muttered. “We’ve only been asleep for four, technically. But for the folks back on Earth… could be closer to 15, yeah.”
Rocky ran a hand over his face, a small groan emitting from his mouth. “God.”
“I thought you volunteered to be on the ship?”
“I think I did. I don’t remember. But either way… that’s a lot of years to just… be asleep.” Rocky glanced at me with a solemn expression.
I hesitated before reaching into his bag and handing him the folded up paper. “This should help.”
He took it carefully, his brow furrowed as he opened it. “Who wrote this?”
“You.”