Chapter Text
The words rung through his blood soaked vessel ike a song, resonating and shifting his chest into something similar to what Simon remembered as hope.
As he scrolled through the videos he found a man who was looking for a way to save his stars… stars. Real, alive, stars. But that's not even the part that Simon focused on. No, it was how the scientist on Simons screen seemed so optimistic. Despite the situation he was in, he laughed. He had so much faith in his future.
The man in the video spoke like the videos were directed to somebody, a home. Simon didn't think he was part of the same group that brought him down here. His clothes were too different, ship was too new. Not their style… he must have been far. Even then Simon found comfort in all the light that Grace-which he learned from the alien on the ship with said Grace- radiated, and bottled it up inside of himself. He needed it…He was at the bottom of a blood ocean for crying out loud. He could let a pretty man bring him some light. Even if it was through videos of him communicating with an alien…
Simon sat in awe as he watched the man on his screen show him his world… He probably should have been more focused on his task at hand. But how could he be? He knew where he was. He knew those people on the surface didn't care about him. He was going to die down here… At least he could die knowing everything about Grace.
His vocal inflections. The way he moved his hands when he talked… the stupid way he hung his glasses on his face.
Simon wanted to forget everything and just stay on that screen. But when the ship started to shake, he finally pulled his eyes from the screen to see just what was happening. He hadn't noticed it before, but red liquid was seeping down the sides of his submarine, leaving him panicking as he grabbed his head band to try and stop the leak.
"Hello?!" He yelled towards the speaker, Grace's voice still playing in the background.
"Convict. Whats the issue?"
He sputtered out in relief when she answered. "The um- there's a leak! Theres red… it's coming through the submarine, just… just can you fix it?? Get me out of here, please??"
Ava was silent for way longer then Simon would have liked. Until finally she answered.
"Okay. We'll bring you up to do some repairs."
He actually physically relaxed… being out of the ocean sounded better then anything right now. He dropped his head band from the leak at the confirmation that he was being brought up before squeezing out the blood so he could put it back on his head to keep his hair out of his eyes.
He went back to the computer, the video now on Grace and Rocky sitting in a lit up room… with an ocean. But a clear ocean. Simon ached at the sight, because he knew that neither of them were probably ever seeing something like that again.
Simon waited…A long time. And nothing seemed to happen. The blood was still leaking steadily down the walls and at first Simon wasn't worried about it, since they were gonna repair it. But seeing as it's felt like it's been hours… he started to worry about it.
"Ava??"
No answer. His stomach churned with an uneasy feeling… he went back to the videos. Grace was injured… Simon barely knew the man but God that broke his heart. He was crying…Talking about how he might have lost Rocky. That he saved him after they got a sample of some species that could save their stars. Simon didn't completely understand all the sciency stuff but he knew enough to know that Rocky and Grace were two saviors. That they did it… now all they needed was for Rocky to wake up.
It had been days that Simon had been waiting. He tried to talk to Ava again and there was no response.
He kept the videos on repeat. Grace's voice filled the air… he never turned it off. He started talking back to him.
"And, you know…Since Rocky woke up, it's been a lot better. We've made a lot of progress with the life we found outside of Adrian. And I uh… yeah. I'm happy… it's all coming together. Rocky gets to go home… I get to save earth."
Simon was limp against the wall, fidgeting with the necklace on his wrist. "What about you… do you get to go home, Grace? … will you make it home?"
Simon knew the answer. Grace was never going home.
Neither was Simon.
But home didn't have a meaning to him anymore.
A few more hours passed and the video had made it to the part where Rocky and Grace parted ways. There was talk of them sharing resources so Grace could actually go home… Simon smiled when he found out.
The blood was up to his waist, but he was happy Grace was going home.
But then there was a leak.
Thats what broke Simon out of his stupor. Grace had the camera propped up nearby as he panicked about how Rocky's ship was going to get ruined. So Grace turned around… he was almost home. No. No no no.
"Fucking- hell! Go home! Fucking go home!" Simon stood out of the puddle of the blood, trying to grab Grace through the screen and leaving bloody handprints.
"Go home, Grace! Dont fucking save him, idiot! You selfless idiot you're gonna die out there!" Simon moved to the front of the submarine, grabbing the handle and full throttling it forward. "Idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot!!"
Grace had sent the videos and the resources back to earth. The video shut off. It was silent again. Simon didn't stop.
Until he was stopped.
His submarine was lifted out of the water. He fell back, gasping in fear at the horrifying creaking sound. Until there was cutting sounds, matched with chirping sounds… A chirping he recognized.
A hole was formed at the top of the submarine.
And a familiar rock peaked inside.