Chapter Text
The loud, earth shattering boom broke the pleasant conversation Eva Stratt and Ryland Grace had been engaged in. She ran first, towards the flaming building while debris rained around them.
It was unfortunate; a miscommunication about the quantity of astrophage given to Dubois and Shapiro, which resulted in an explosion that tore the building they were in apart. It left a deep crater in the crust of the Earth. Worse still, the other members of the crew had been inside the building to watch them test. There was nothing left of any of them, not even a scrap of clothing they could put in a box and bury.
Grace was inconsolable. What would they do now? The launch was in a few days and they needed a whole new crew, educate them on the mission, get them comfortable with working on the Hail Mary- there was so much. He felt overwhelmed, so wrapped up in his feelings that he didn't notice Stratt at first.
"I know who I'm going to send, Grace." Her voice was flat, as usual.
"Oh, thank God, you do? Of course you do, you always have backup plans." His hands were trembling as he fidgeted with his sleeves.
"Oh fudge, this sucks so bad, Stratt, so so bad. I hope the people you have in mind are- God, this is awful."
"The crew will be exceptional."
"Will we be able to train them in time? The launch is in a few days and there's so much-"
"They are already educated on it all, Dr. Grace."
That response gave him pause. He finally looked at her, his hands gripping his sleeves.
"What do you mean?"
"Dr. Grace, you are the leading scientist on astrophage. I believe you are the man for the job." Grace felt his heart sink.
"What? Stratt- no. No, I can't. I'm not an astronaut."
"I don't need an astronaut, I need a scientist. You have been present for every meeting, it will take too long to find an exceptional mind as yours." It didn't feel like she was hearing him, he wasn't an astronaut! He didn't- he didn't want to die.
"Stratt, please, can we think about this?" He felt himself backing up, away from her.
"It's already been decided, Dr. Grace."
"I don't- no! No, I get a say in this! I am not going!"
"Grace, please. Don't make this more difficult than it already is." Part of him didn't believe her. If it truly was difficult, why did she seem so sure? He was acutely aware of the door, exiting her office. He knew which directions he would need to take.
"Dr. Grace."
It was all a blur, what happened after. Grace remembered running, out of her office, out of the building. He'd never run that fast before, then again he'd never been so scared. People chased him, people in suits that were gaining on him. He felt the tears stinging his eyes as the fence came into view. He'd never be able to climb it. It wouldn't have mattered, it took only a moment before there were people on top of him, holding him down, shoving his face into the dirt as he sobbed.
"Please! Please, I want to live! You're murdering me!" He wailed. These people, he worked with them for months! How could they do this to him? He didn't want to go. God, please, please don't do this to me. His voice was going hoarse as a needle was stuck into his neck. He thought of when he was younger. He thought of his brother. Faintly, he prayed maybe Colt would come save him. Maybe this was all a bad dream and he'd wake up, back in his shitty apartment, with a thriving sun, and a classroom of kids waiting for him to teach them about rocks.
Unfortunately, when he woke up, it wasn't in the sheets of his bed or even the bunks of Stratt's Vatt. He was on a medical bed, a robotic arm fixed above him, and a simple command being asked of him.
What's two plus two?