Chapter Text
7:30am earth time
I lie awake in bed, propped up on pillows as Rocky talks on and on about the movie we’d just watched. We’d been doing a movie night, since Rocky insisted humans spend far too much time asleep, and I’d relented because he’d given me puppy dog eyes.
I blink, relaxing into the pillows and huffing through my nose, finding myself staring at the ceiling, at a crack running through it. Was it always that big? Was it there when they made the house for him? Rocky and Adrian were so kind to insist he gets a whole biodome to himself…
“GRACE, are you paying attention, question?”
Rocky tilts his head, looking annoyed, and I just give him a weary thumbs down.
When we first met it had been in zero gravity, he’d been upside down and didn’t understand that the thumbs up went up. It had become our inside joke.
“Yeah Rock, I’m listening.”
He looks content at my mumble, going back to discussing just how improbable it was that vacuum sealed grocery store potato’s were able to sprout on mars, and my mind wanders to the only other botanist i know. Adrian.
I wonder if they’re somewhere in the biodome, planting eridian plants. It makes me smile. Even though our livable pressures were the same, the Eridian people had evolved to breath ammonia, meaning both Adrian and Rocky had to wear oxygen masks- or, well, ammonia masks?
My mind was wandering again and Rocky caught me, looking annoyed.
“Grace is being stupid, not listening to Rocky. Stupid human must need to eat.”
I just grunt affirmative, standing from my bed and realizing I probably can’t pull all nighters like I did in college anymore, shuffling to the kitchen to make myself a bowl of cheesy beef- or well, cheesy MEEF.
After explaining cheese to the Eridians they were able to induce lactation for a little while, and voila, now I have milk, cheese, and more.
The one time I’m happy to have been born with a chest. And it’s to make cheese of all things.
My brains really wandering today, i don’t notice that the meef in the pan is burning until the smoke is in my eyes. I cough and take the pan to the sink, grumbling as I hear Rocky coming up behind me in the kitchen. He’s taller than me by about 6 inches so he peers over me at the mess Ive made of the meef.
“Grace very stupid today. Is okay, Rocky fix.”
He guides me to sit down at the kitchen table and I can’t help but sigh, letting my cheek squish against the table.
“Sorry Rock, just kinda tired today, you know?”
“Understand, human need much more food than Eridian, inefficient.”
I feel a pierce of annoyance but it fades as I see him grab a fresh me-burger from the fridge with a hand, two of his others washing the pan as the forth pulls his goggles down over his eyes. He’d gotten hit with oil once while cooking and now never had them off when he cooked.
I don’t argue back at him, busy staring out the window at the artificial sea. I see several eridians outside checking the sand, i watch them work.
“-ace! Is time to eat! Ughh, Grace is so rude today, not listening to Rocky when speak.”
I jerk up, seeing the slightly concerned and irritated Eridian standing before me with a bowl of cheesy meef.
“Thanks buddy. Last night was fun.”
He seems satisfied and takes his goggles off, and I start to eat as he sits down on the other side of the table.
“So, grace. Was thinking, eridian sport game happening later in day, would you like to come see? Grace Rocky honoured guest invitation.”
I hum, part of me wants to stay home and nap, the scientist in me wants to go see what qualifies as a sports game on Erid.
“Sounds fun pal, what time?”
“We arrive at 10:15pm earth time!”
I nearly choke on my food.
“That’s late at night for a game.”
“Silly grace, Erid doesnt earth time, happens from start of new day to end of new day.”
I facepalm and Rocky huffs a laugh.
“Yeah, I knew that. Ok, I’ll go.”