Chapter Text
Grace
"That's the last star for now," Grace signed, patting the top of Rocky's xenonite suit.
"Now Grace and Rocky go home!"🎵 Rocky chittered. Grace had gotten used to understanding Eridian a long time ago, though he could never speak it himself. Human vocal cords and all that.
"Yeah bud, we go home. I bet Adrian will be happy to hear about how well it went this time," he yawned. "Think I'm gonna take a nap. Mary, set course for Erid."
"Course set for Erid. Estimated arrival in two months and three days."
"Thank you, Mary."
"You're welcome, Dr. Grace."
"Thank you Mary!"🎵
"You're welcome, Rocky"
"Watch me sleep?" Grace looked down at Rocky.
"Always," 🎵 Rocky sang, not for the first time.
Grace stretched his arms above his head, sighing at the instant relief. He laid down in the small corner next to the xenonite tunnel and pulled his quilt over himself. Rocky began working on a new gift for Adrian, Grace fell asleep to the soft clanking of the xenonite hitting the floor.
"Blip d detected."
Yeah, that surely was a great thing to wake up to.
"Grace! Grace! Life!"🎵 Rocky was banging on the xenonite barrier, right next to his head.
"Rock! Rocky, I'm awake," Grace inhaled slowly.
"Blip d detected."
"Yes, thank you Mary. I heard you the first time."
"You're welcome, Dr. Grace"
"Grace, be faster!"🎵
Grace stood up, probably a little too quickly, and rushed to the cockpit. He looked out the petrovascope and saw.. nothing.
"There's nothing out there," Grace mumbled quietly to himself even though he knew Rocky could hear him.
"What does Grace mean, question"🎵 Rocky tapped his foot.
"I mean, there's nothing but us and stars out there, Rock."
"No, wrong, statement. Look again."🎵
Grace sighed, taking another look around, "I'm telling you, I don't see—" something floated into Grace's vision that wasn't there before. It looked like a ship of sorts, but he couldn't get a good look. "Nevermind, there's something."
"Yes, yes! Grace, life!"🎵
"We don't know that for sure, Rock."
"No. Rocky hear heartbeat inside. Human heartbeat."🎵
Grace stared at Rocky, "What."
"Human inside. Very leaky. Grace go help."🎵
Grace was already rushing to grab the EVA suit and put it on. A human. Out here. In the middle of space. Nothing about it made sense, yet Grace was already clipping a tether to himself and waiting to go on another spacewalk.
As he got closer, he could see the letters SM written on the side, though they were faded. And it did not look at all like a spaceship. It looked more like a submarine. But.. that had to be wrong. There is no reason a submarine is out in space, let alone so far from Earth. This thing had no entrance, at least not that Grace could see. Only a small opening that looked like it had been clumsily welded shut.
"Rocky, you got anything that can cut metal?" Grace asked, turning on his radio.
"Yes yes yes! Rocky make now!"🎵
Grace quickly retrieved a small, laser cutter looking device from Rocky. Even after the few years he's spent on Erid, Rocky's ability to create things so quickly still amazed him.
Grace cut slowly at first, giving warning to whoever was inside, if they could hear him, before cutting the opening fully.
The sight that greeted him made him gag. He forced himself to breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth. The sub was filled with a red liquid he really hoped wasn't what he thought it was. He slowly lowered himself inside, there was hardly any light.
"Rock, I don't see anyone in here," Grace started.
"Forward!"🎵
Grace shuffled forward, the motion reminded him of when he used to swim along the coast, until his foot hit something. Grace squeezed his eyes shut and reached down. A wrist. It was a wrist.
He pulled up, trying to find the other hand for better leverage. He ended up dragging the guy onto his shoulder. The person was covered head to toe in blood the liquid.
"Rocky, get Armando ready," Grace gritted his teeth, this guy was heavier than he looked.