Chapter Text
The corridors inside the ship they currently lived on for the project were nearly empty at this hour. Most of the boats occupants had gone to their bunks to rest or down to the break room to relax after their long day.
Eva Stratt had not.
Grace wasn't surprised. He found her exactly where he'd expected: alone in the mission conference room, surrounded by stacks of reports, three empty coffee cups, and enough paperwork to make a government accountant cry. She didn't look up as he entered.
"You are avoiding your sleep schedule." Grace leaned against the doorframe.
"So are you."
"I did not claim otherwise."
He wandered over to the coffee machine. It had been brewing the same pot for hours. He poured himself a cup anyway and took one sip.
"...I think this qualifies as a war crime."
"It is coffee."
"It was coffee."
Stratt finally looked up. "If you dislike it, make more."
"I'm trying to solve astrophage problems. Not perform miracles on a pot of coffee."
She returned to her paperwork.
"You are very dramatic."
Grace settled into the chair across from her.
For several minutes, the only sounds were turning pages and the occasional scratch of Grace's pen as he wrote down some theoretical ideas for testing on astrophage.
Eventually, Stratt spoke without looking up.
"You have made the same spelling error four times."
Grace frowned.
"No, I haven't."
"You have."
He looked down.
"...Dang it."
"I told you yesterday to sleep."
"I remember."
"You ignored me."
"I also remember that."
She slid another folder toward herself.
"Your judgment declines when exhausted."
"My judgment wasn't spectacular to begin with."
"No."
Grace laughed.
"Thanks."
"I value accuracy."
"I've noticed."
Another few quiet minutes passed. Grace found he didn't mind the silence. Most people felt compelled to fill quiet moments with conversation.
Stratt never did.
She simply... existed. Eventually she spoke again.
"You received another phone call today."
Grace's shoulders stiffened almost immediately.
"I told my assistant to decline it."
"You did?"
She flipped another page.
"It came from Australia."
Grace looked into his coffee, tapping his fingers along the side of the mug.
"...Yeah."
"You have received six calls this month."
"I know."
"You never answer."
"I know."
Stratt set her pen down.
"I assume this is intentional."
Grace smiled faintly.
"Very."
She watched him for a moment.
"You are distracted."
"I'm fine."
"I did not ask if you were fine."
Grace sighed.
"You've got a real talent for making people answer questions they weren't asked."
"It is useful."
He couldn't argue with that.
She folded her hands while studying his face.
"The calls...."
Grace stared into his mug.
"They're from my brother."
"I know. I heard the voicemails that were left."
"...Not on purpose." She added.
Grace looked up at Stratt, still fiddling with his fingers.
"Why did he call this time" He asked nervously.
"It wasn't actually your brother who called."
That intrigued Grace instantly.
"It was from someone named Jody.."
Stratt paused.
"Your brother's been in an accident."
She looked directly into Grace's eyes while saying it. Grace instantly stiffened. "An.. accident..? What kind of accident?.."
"She did not say. All she said was that she was sorry."
Grace felt uneasy, why would Jody be sorry? What happened to Colt for Jody to call him?
"Can you.. find out what happened?" Grace asked.
Stratt paused for a moment just looking at Grace with a slight bit of pity showing.
"I know what happened. I just didn't learn it from Jody. I saw it on the news.."
"The news? The accident.. made the news?"
Stratt looked conflicted about what to tell him.
"Maybe it's best if you just see it for yourself."
Stratt turned to the side to the computer and started typing. The projector then turned on and Ryland turned to see what was being displayed.
"The dead body discovered this morning at the Pendleton Hotel has been identified as Henry Hennera, an American stuntman known for doubling superstar Tom Ryder.--"
"How does this relate to Colt?" Grace asked interrupting the news broadcast being replayed on the screen.
"-- Authorities are investigating his death as a murder. The prime suspect is another stuntman, Colt Seavers who was last seen in the hotel room where Herrena's body was discovered."
Ryland looked at the screen stunned, looking at the security camera picture of his twin brother up in the top corner. He couldn't believe it.. how and why would Colt murder this Henry guy? What motive could he possibly have? Colt would never murder someone, that's not like him.
"Police have released this security footage of Seavers leaving the scene of the crime. If you have any information, please do us a favour; reach out to Crime Stoppers by the number on your screen."
......
Grace sat there in silence staring at the now ended video of the news broadcast.
"Theres more" Stratt said gently.
She moved to play the next recording on file.
The screen switched to showing another newscast.
"Police are investigating an explosion on Sydney Harbour, just outside the Opera House, where it appears a boat has collided with a floating fuel dock..... the occupant of the motorboat has been determined to American stuntman Colt Seavers. It seems to be suicide responsible for recent murder of Henry Herrena. Another American stuntman who was found dead in a bathtub in a hotel bathroom not too long ago.--"
He was stunned.
Tears started falling down Grace's face upon realizing his brother was now gone. He had no one left in his close personal circle.
Stratt walked behind him during the playing of the newscast and she put her hands on Grace's shoulders.
"Im sorry you had to find out this way, but I thought it was best you knew..."
Grace didn't process anything that she said.
.........
.........
.........
"Earth to Grace? Are you there?"
Grace looked at Stratt who was now kneeling infront of his chair looking slightly concerned.
"Go back to your bunk, I'll have your schedule cleared for a couple days so you can take it easy."
"... Thanks.."
"Carl will you assist him to his dormitory? Make sure he doesn't pass out in the hallway."
Grace was then assisted up out of his chair by Carl and Stratt, and guided down the various narrow hallways pass a couple colleagues to his room.
"Have a good sleep." Carl said to Grace as he shut the door behind him leaving Grace all alone in his shoebox of a room.
Grace slumped onto his bed, still feeling absolutely devastated about his new findings regarding his brother, and the exhaustion of overworking himself on his experiments.
He flopped down onto his narrow bunk, pulling his covers over himself, not caring enough to strip off his clothes and shoes and passed out.