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I usually always found Stratt by the airlock. Maybe she was contemplating walking out.
I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about doing that to her. Rocky would help me, I know it.
Maybe that's why I don't. Because it would be too easy. This Stratt hasn't sentenced me to my death yet.
I also would be lying if I said I hadn't missed her.
Dubois is still alive, so maybe I can change things. But if I don't go into space, then I never meet Rocky. Who knows what Dubois would've done in my place.
“Are you just going to stand there?" Stratt said, giving me a deadpan look over her shoulder.
“Well, I just noticed that you're over here, a lot." I said, tucking my hands into my pockets. “There's nicer spots to see the water, if you want."
Stratt scowled at me, not something I missed from Earth. She turned around, stomping towards me with her hands in her pockets.
"Explain, Grace. This is not Earth.” Her director facade fell for a second, as her shoulders slumped. “Did the Hail Mary fail?"
“Oh, no, no, no. It succeeded, I sent the beetles myself." Grace said, trying to parse what to tell her. Adrian was sure they would be able to sent all of them back, and presumably they do or I wouldn't be here.
Ugh, time travel. It totally broke the rules of physics, but Earth physics were different then Eridian physics, I guess.
“Why were you on the ship? We had the backup team.” Stratt asked, tracking my movements like a hunter.
"There was a, a lot was happening," I ramble, thinking back to my last day on Earth. Oh, bad idea. “Just, some stuff goes boom." I said, making the hand motion.
Her eyes widen, realization dawning on her face. She covers her mouth with one hand, only for a second. She understands what she has to do, and what has been done.
The time travel is breaking my brain.
I can't stand the look of steel in her eyes, so I turn away. I saw Ilyukhina and Rocky in the water earlier, I'm not sure if there still there.
Simon was getting along with Yáo and Dubois, which was fine. I couldn't get out of my head that these people were dead and couldn't help me.
"Grace.” Stratt called, her beige colored xenonite clothing billowing in the artificial breeze. I turned around to her, tears on both our faces.
“I'm sorry. I hope you understand." Stratt said, taking a deep breath and stomping past me towards the greenhouse.
Simon had relinquished some hold to let the new arrivals feel better with dirt under their nails. I told him he didn't need to.
“I want to. Maybe it'll help them adjust." Simon had said, casting a gaze to the four humans.
I let her leave me behind again, my feet stuck to the ground by the airlock. I heard it groan open, revealing Adrian in their suit.
“New humans adjusting, question?" They asked, adding some extra clicks to hear better. “Grace crying, question?"
“I'll be okay." I said, wiping the tears off my cheeks, "I think they will be too.”