Chapter Text
Ryland Grace will admit that he shed a tear as he wished off his class. He'd been teaching here for nearly four earth years, and the Pebbles were truly wonderful.
It had started as just a way to fill his time away from Earth and Barbieland after the Taumobea returned years ahead of plan. Stratt was dealing with everything else, and Ryland was going stir crazy. With the opening of the route to Erid, making the nearly six year route, at Hail Mary speeds, into a two week trip through Barbieland and Eridian space, it had just made sense to go to visit, but he wound up going frequently over the years.
He'd gone back with Rocky when the route first opened. Unlike Earth, they had a unified government that functioned with the greatest good in mind. While there had been some concern from Ryland and the others of Earth over how Ryland would be treated, the Eridians had scoffed and told them, under no uncertain terms, that Ryland would be welcome with open arms.
Colt was also there, mostly because Ryland had let him come, and Ryland didn't want to do the two week return trip by himself. Him and Rocky had worked on not being so co-dependent, especially as Rocky was going to get super busy the moment they docked to the Space Elevator.
And, well, the Eridians had been welcoming beyond measure, so excited to meet the aliens, their saviors, and receive him. Rocky, as Ryland has been warned and also knew from knowing the guy, immediately demanded to know what had happened with Adrian and had been shaking with some fear that their beloved had moved on and forgotten them (nevermind that Eridians didn't forget because of Eiditic Memory). When Adrian had arrived and embraced Rocky, well, he then still completely forgot the plan in lieu of adoring his mate and introducing Ryland and Colt (but mostly Ryland).
Ryland eventually passed off the recording that they'd made from the Eridian Captain, who did explain their weird events in consice and understandable terms.
There were a lot more questions after. A lot of things to discuss. Rocky had been pissed that he couldn't just go home with Ryland and Adrian (he offered to leave Colt, which the stuntman took great offense to). Then there were tests and checks to make sure that Rocky was ok, that the humans didn't carry any foreign pathogens, and more. Thankfully, once they'd reached Eridani space, they launched a new set of Beetles to Threeworld with their payloads of Taumobea, and the probes had taken care of seeding the planet. Ryland planned to check on it in a few days to ensure that the predator worked as well there as it did on Earth, where the Sun dimming had already slowed to a snails pace since Ryland and Rocky arrived at Erid.
Current projections had everything going back to normal luminescence within three years for Sol at the time that they'd left the human planet. The world was no longer in a panic phase, and there were even plenty of bodies of people learning from this experience, pulling together to salvage their home planet and keep it healthy.
Rocky, Adrian, Colt, and Ryland ended up moving the Hail Mary into a stable orbit as the Council of Elders dealt with most everything, communicating via the radio transmission system. It was a whole thing.
Ryland, Colt, and really any human now, had a place on Erid. The building they were in had been constructed with Rocky at the helm, set up with a multitude of greenhouses, work rooms, living spaces, and open play spaces. Ryland compared it to the Vat, but, of course, with more attention to human needs and culture rather than Astrophage and far more airlocks and tunnels for Eridians to move through if not transversing in an EVA suit. There was talk of building a whole Biodome, but Ryland reassured everyone that they were plenty fine with the building for now.
Ryland had, much to Colt's laughter and pride, started running classes, mostly for kids about science. He had a multitude of classrooms in the main building and the attached Eridian-specific building, of which he was using the Eridian room now. He'd wanted to send all of his kids off with a token for their hard work, and so the last day was usually craft days where he wore his EVA suit and clumsily helped them make the Eridian version of Macaroni Art.
"Teacher Grace! Teacher Grace!" Ryland turned his attention to a small Pebble who was scampering up. They had a vivid opal sheen to their carapace, though the undercolors matched more of an earthy tone. They had on a loose drape-like piece of clothing as well as an arm band with their family crest (carvings were only allowed in adulthood) and a bag that hung from one side.
"What's up, Jackie?"
"Are you going to be going back to Earth?" The little Eridian pipped. Ryland had learned to become fluent in Eridian, though he still used a modified translator when he taught as speaking the language fluently was an impossibility for him. He could communicate some simple words and phrases with humming and whistles, but it was, as Rocky loved to tease, "baby talk" at best.
"I am. I've got a little vacation time, and then I'll be teaching my human students in about... IVVI days." He explained.
The pebble shifted before reaching into a their little saddle pack. They withdrew a container and held it up to Ryland. "Are you going to see my Mama? Can you bring this to them? Meemaw says I can't visit again for another ∀IλV days because of my age, but I forgot to bring this when we went."
To avoid the Belief system crashing and only able to really introduce Barbie with the introduction of Earth Culture, the current generally accepted reality for Erid was that the rest of the crew had sustain injuries on the mission. Ryland and Earth had helped them, but the others besides Rocky were unable to make the trip home because of this.
The families were given the full stories, though many of the Pebbles had kid-friendly versions. Still, the Barbie Adventure of the Crew helped strengthen the tunnel between Barbieland and Erid, bringing the gate closer to the planet from where it started. Rocky had hooked up his whole visualization system to a DVD player and computer adaptor, and Ryland would give his sub a selection of movies to play for the kids when he was unwell or otherwise pulled away due to his whole role as "savior of the galaxy and ultimate knowledge on Taumobea." The Barbie Movie that allowed for all of this was a class favorite, even though they understood it as mostly fiction.
The space program was growing, especially with the radiation shielding that came with every ship now, but space travel was still ill-advised for many. The exceptions for families to visit their loved ones in Barbieland were made, but there were still many hoops to jump through, especially with kids, to ensure that they stayed healthy.
Ryland smiled. He knelt down, being careful with his aging knees (always made worse in Erid's gravity) and accepted the item.
"I'll make sure Snowball gets it." He reassured, knowing exactly which of the crew was Jackie's parent. He always tried to keep an eye out for any of the crew kids. "And, of course, you can always use the messaging system. I'm sure your parent would love to hear from you as well."
Ryland could have mentioned that they could simply mail it, but he always took the extra steps with his students. His first mission back in Barbieland would be to bring Snowball this gift from their child.
"Thank thank thank! Will add message! Will see you again, Teacher Grace!" They cheered before they skittered off.
Ryland shook his head. He had a few Eridians as aids in class to help get kids back to their parents after what he dubbed his "summer school program." With his return to Earth story now official, though, he'd been offered hundreds of positions across the Earth to teach. Harvard, Oxford, Yale, and beyond. Everyone wanted a piece of the man who saved the planet and was the unquestioned subject matter expert on all things Xenobiology.
But Ryland has asked if Grover Cleveland needed a science teacher, and that was where he was heading come Fall.
'I'll be back, though.' He thought to himself already as he looked around the modified Eridian classroom. Really, the most he'd done was add 3D textured planets and stars to the walls as well as asking for overhead lights, all of which was easy, according to Rocky. He re-set the board, which was more clay-like in texture and required him to write in divots, before he thanked his aids for another wonderful program.
He followed them out into the hallway, making sure to grab his shoulder bag with his end-of-term gifts from his students. It was made of the Eridian Textiles and stood up fine to their environment. He chatted with another Eridian, Prism, before he crossed the playground area to where the human-sized airlock was to re-enter what had been dubbed the Earth Embassy. He looked around outside again, just appreciating the strange and wonderful world that they'd come to, before he entered.
The Hail Mary was Ryland's original ride to and from Erid, though, with the rapid change - to Ryland at least - of how many people were going back and forth, well, it only made sense that the program needed to expand and change.
While the Eridian People didn't see the reason beyond an alpha-numeric number to differentiate ships, the Human Tradition with Naming Things persisted.
Ryland was at the Space Elevator, now expanded to include several ships. Blip-A was somewhat of a forever fixture now in Barbieland, but Cosmos Skimmer was the latest and greatest for the journey between Erid and Barbieland. The ship, like every other ship the Eridians made, ran primarily on Astrophage, though they'd all learned to include double lining with the fuel tanks and multiple backflow stops of non-Xenon-compounded materials to prevent any Taumobea issues. It was beautifully geometric with both human and Eridian piloting capabilities in the cockpit, small rooms for travel occupants, and a variety of storage and spaces for the two week journey.
Ryland had his suitcase and personal bags with him, but he also had a crate of books, the student gifts, and more that he wanted to bring back with him to share with the scientists on Earth. Eva was now the overseer of the research into Erid, Xenonite, Astrophage, and beyond, so she'd set up a whole cover for where Ryland and his designated crews went when unavailable on Erid. Various research facilities, government and private, committed to keeping up the charade that Ryland was there.
Granted, there was research going on, but there were also some of his crews just. On Erid. Working here for a few months at a time. Gravity on Erid was intense, so no human really stayed here for longer than a few weeks to a few months every year.
(Ryland thinks his family would hunt him for sport if he didn't come back every few weeks and call regularly. Disappearing into space once had been enough for all of them, including Ryland.)
"Oh, hi Simon!" Ryland greeted as he approached the general drop-off area for larger items to be brought to and from Earth. The crate would be in long term storage as his room, while comfortable and private, would not be big enough for everything.
Simon Fisher, a biologist and the now foremost knowledge on plant growth in space, had been brought on to the Rescue at the behest of his cousin, but now he served as their plant specialist. Maintaining a fresh food source on Erid for humans, supplementing the mostly carnivorous diet for the Eridians on Earth, and experimentation to see how the plants stood up to the different environments and conditions, were all part of his wheelhouse.
The man waved. "Hey, Ryland. I'm doing a seed check before we head back. Finally going on vacation?"
"Yeah! Going to spend some time with the family, but I also got a job back at Grover Cleveland. I'm so excited to teach my Earth Kids again!" He grinned as he came over. He spotted an Eridian exit the storage area wearing the uniform of the crew. "Are you going home, too?"
"Yep. Hate this trip, but, you know, what you do for what you love." Simon smiled at Ryland. "I'll be happy to be out of this damn EVA suit sooner rather than later, though."
Ryland chuckled. "I don't know. I think I'm so used to it now, but I know how it can be. While we have the two weeks back, want to hang out a little? It's been so busy with everything, but I hear there are some great movies that came out that I want to catch up on."
Simon blinked before his smile returned once more. "Sure, Ryland. I'd love to. I have to make sure the cuttings on the ship survive, though, so I won't be totally on vacation."
Ryland waved a hand. "I have papers to write and reports to make. I'm mostly caught up, but I'm sure that there will be people with issues."
Simon chuckled at that. "Don't die under those papers, man." Simon held aloft a closed fist. Ryland smiled as he bumped back.
"Oh, and Rocky and Adrian are probably going to be around a bunch, too! They're taking a holiday. Think they could also join us?" Ryland added.
Simon's smile seemed to freeze. "Uh, yeah! I'd love to talk to Adrian about plant life!"
Ryland lifted an eyebrow. "And Rocky?"
Simon's eyebrow twitched. Ryland tried not to laugh. Simon got along with Adrian like a house fire - really, everyone loved Adrian - but Rocky was Special. Special in that he could be a Little Shit to everyone, including Ryland.
Simon, for some reason, was a favorite target of Rocky's fuckery. Perhaps because he was related to a Mark, even though, again, Ryland had explained that Engineer Mark wasn't Linda's Mark.
Actually, if Ryland thought about it, it probably wasn't Mark. Rocky loved Engineer Mark.
"Look, if he's asking for it, I'm going for the knee caps or whatever the fuck they have." Simon returned. "You know what that shithead did last week? Decided it would be so funny to swap all my shit in Greenhouse Three with Greenhouse Six. Was laughing his ass off as I kept having to go back and forth between the two." Simon crossed his arms and pouted.
Ryland lost the battle to laughing. "Ok, ok, that's pretty petty. How are you going to get him back?"
Simon hummed. "You know? I had an idea, but I wasn't sure if I could do it until now. With you, though, I can probably make it happen."
"Oh?" Ryland returned. Simon and Rocky sometimes needed their little prank wars broken up, but it still seemed relatively harmless about now. Ryland shouldn't encourage it, but, also, Rocky had woken him up three nights prior at two in the morning because he'd been binge watching Doctor Who and needed to scream at Ryland about River Song.
Simon nodded solemnly. "I requested it specifically from the Eridian Fabrication Thrum." He leaned in closer, lowering his tone. "Googly eyes. Big ones."
Ryland processed the words.
He imagined what was going to happen.
His laugh was loud, making some nearby Eridians jump at the sudden sound.
He was unable to wipe his tears in his EVA suit, but it was fine.
These two weeks would be fantastic.