Chapter Text
The day Ryland Grace took his last breath was a day like any other. The artificial sunlight was bright, the artificial waves lapped at the artificial shore, the artificial breeze blew softly through the artificial trees. The biodome that the alien had lived his last 40 years in, diligently kept alive by the most experienced doctors and alien biologists on Erid, was in its most pleasant, pristine condition, perfect for the last days of an old man who wished to relax as he felt his body slowing down, getting ever closer to stopping. It was a balm to the people who loved him, that he had been happy in his last moments, looking out at the sea, his toes buried in the sand. And then, he was gone.
The death of Ryland Grace- alien, scientist, saviour of two worlds and global celebrity- resulted in the second largest funeral thrum that Erid had ever partaken in. The largest had been the funeral for the 22 lost crewmembers of the 'Blip-A'- a name given to Erid's first interstellar spacecraft by Saviour Grace himself and now lovingly used by all- and it had lasted many months before the last echoes of the thrum had faded into the sky. But Saviour Grace's funeral thrum did threaten to rival it in its intensity. It was begun, as was appropriate, by his mates, Saviour 'Rocky' and Saviour Mate 'Adrian', also named by Saviour Grace. The weeping, mournful song began on the beach of the biodome, beside the alien's body, the two Eridians singing in perfect harmony a song of love and longing and loss. The song had been taken up by the alien's care-team, and as more and more Eridians heard it, more and more joined in.
The city shook as the thrum spread and the planet began to mourn.
Saviour Grace's death, woefully early though it seemed, had been expected around this time. The alien had a much smaller lifespan than Eridians did, and he had been aging rapidly. He had told them that if he was to make it to 80 earth years alive, he would be very lucky, even on his home planet. On Erid, under double the gravity of Earth and away from the naturally occuring elements that were important for human life, he would be even luckier. Well, he had been lucky indeed. Even with his body under immense physical stress, Saviour Grace had lived to 84 earth years of age.
He had contributed much in this short time- scientific discoveries that would benefit the planet, educating their pebbles, finding love in two Eridians and becoming 'uncle' to their pebbles, and not to mention saving their world from extinction after a long, perilous journey through the void. Erid had much to be thankful for, and so they mourned and gave thanks in one rolling voice across the world.
Saviour Grace, knowing that his death was coming, had left what he called a 'Will', or instructions for how he wished to be remembered, and how he wished his body to be disposed of. Burial traditions among the Eridians differed somewhat depending on region, but mostly stuck to the same basic ritual- buried under the ground, with a lifelike monument at the gravesite. Saviour Grace would not be buried, but he would be receiving a monument anyway, not by his own wishes, but by the wishes of his mates. The alien had allowed for artists to observe him before he died so they could gather the correct measurements. Meanwhile, he had asked for his body to be given to the scientific community for further study. A generous lover of knowledge to the end. When his body was no longer useful or necessary, he had asked that his remains be cremated and sent on a probe back to earth, along with several videos to explain his life and death to his fellow humans, who would likely have expected him to be dead long before that.
Erid had been more than willing to fulfill their saviour's wishes. As the mourning thrum drifted into the sky, shared and sung by Eridians all over the planet, those in charge worked on their last projects for the alien they had cared for these short decades. The biodome where he had spent his life was eventually voided of the harmful oxygen inside and turned into a museum, with the human-shaped monument settled in the sand, staring out at the ocean, just as its living counterpart had loved to do. His home was just how he left it, with his collection of clothing, technology and decorations on display. Entertainers would put on puppet shows to tell the story of Saviour Grace and Saviour Rocky to visiting pebbles, and recorded messages from their departed saviour would echo through the house.
Saviour Grace had featured in many recorded messages over the years. He had given interviews for the radio, and recorded his lessons for future pebbles to learn when he grew too weak to teach. Some in English, which would have to be translated, although many Eridians learned the strange language simply so that they could understand him. Some in the simple clicks and whistles and hums that he managed to produce in their language, the best he could do, practically baby talk but still understandable. Some phrases had even circulated, humorously repeated- when Saviour Grace had heard about this, he had laughed and taught them the word 'meme'. He seemed very happy to have become a 'meme' to them. Saviour Grace laughed a lot, and liked to tell silly, nonsensical jokes. These too were repeated, by pebbles especially.
In the years following the human's death, these same phrases and jokes were repeated in wistful tones, and never around Saviour Rocky or Saviour Mate Adrian. They were struggling with their loss- Rocky especially. The two had forged an unbreakable, somewhat unhealthy bond during their isolation in the void, and though Grace had charmed Adrian soon after he arrived, it was Rocky who was his closest friend, family, lover.
Saviour Rocky visited Saviour Grace's monument once a week, every week. Sometimes with Adrian, sometimes with their pebbles, but most often alone. He would sit in the sand, pressed up against the statue, or sometimes even in its lap, and he would talk to it as if Saviour Grace was still listening. Sometimes he would bring a recording of the human's voice to keep him company. He did not seem to care that others visiting the museum could hear him, and those others kept a respectful distance and tried not to listen.
Years passed, but the infallible memory of Erid kept Saviour Grace in the forefront of their minds. Pebbles grew up telling stories of the alien who briefly taught in a walled off classroom. The offspring of Saviour Rocky and Saviour Mate Adrian would tell tales of the alien who loved them like a third parent in the limited time they had with him. A holiday was created to celebrate his life, and after a few decades, Saviour Rocky started attending the celebration thrums and sharing his memories of his alien mate with those gathered. The grief never left, but neither did the joy. All of Erid shared the joy of knowing him, or knowing of him.
Ryland Grace would never be forgotten.