I looooove the coltland twins au for Project Hail Mary. The idea that Ryland had a brother back on earth makes it so much angstier and UGH. But you know what's even better imo? The AU from Stratt's pov
Can you imagine? Being Eva Stratt, you're so lonely, so fucking lonely...but you Have to be, for the good of humanity. Then one day you meet this scientist, he's....kinda bumb and a huge coward but also incredibly intelligent and kind and brave when he needs to be. You are quickly charmed by him, you make leaders and politicians clap for him every time he enters a room, you take him everywhere with you, he quickly becomes not only the world's leading astrophage expert, but also an unofficial second in command for the mission, if anything were to happen to you people would look at him for guidance. Had you been anyone else you would consider him your best friend....but you are Eva Stratt, and you have to be lonely for humanity.
You are Eva Startt, and now you're close to the finish line, almost done with the project. Maybe once you're done you can actually spend some time being a friend to Ryland. And just when you're starting to dare to dream....an accident happens. Both your science experts are dead now and because you're Eva Stratt, the world's unofficial dictator and the loneliest woman ever, you planned for this. You don't want it to be true, you check your lists again and again, but quickly you have to stop pretending and you are forced to send your best friend on the mission (there's no use pretending he isn't anymore), you're sending your best and only friend to die in space for all of humanity.
You are Eva Stratt, and the Hail Mary just launched, carrying humanity's last hope and your best friend. You sit down and start preparing. There is no use to settling, you no longer have a best friend, you're once again the loneliest woman ever, but this time you don't have power. You knew that last part, you were expecting it, you are at peace with the knowledge that everyone will want to get retribution for all the laws you did and didn't break, everyone will want a scapegoat. You knew this and you were ok with this when you accepted your role as the director of Project Hail Mary...what you weren't expecting was to be haunted by the physical ghost of your best friend. He had a brother, a twin brother, they're identical, you didn't know about him. And now he is telling the whole world that you killed his brother and he's right. Now you have to move around in life not only knowing you killed your best friend, but being actively reminded and yelled at by an angrier, louder version of him. And you will take it, you know you deserve it. You may have killed your best friend (who you didn't even get to express that he was your brest friend), but you also killed his twin baby brother.
You are Eva Stratt, and for the rest of your life, whether it be in prison or free, you will live in hell, for the good of humanity.
theartofmadeline
tangentwithtanner
yousharknotpass
origamiaround
gamechangershow
