Been thinking about this headcanon and wanted to take a crack at it
3 hours. 3 hours to decide the course of not only his life, but all of humanity's as well. Ryland Grace sat in an empty conference room as the weight of his oncoming decision loomed over him. 2 hours and 25 minutes now. His mind was racing, and he had no idea where to begin, so he did what he always did when he felt lost. He called his brother.
"Hey there, you've reached Colt Seavers, unfortunately I can't come to the phone as I'm probably being dropped off the side of a building right now. Leave a message after the beep." Any other time the message would have pulled a dry chuckle out of him, but today all it did was make the pit in his stomach sink deeper. A short beep filled the silence of the room and he drew in a shaky breath before beginning to speak.
"Hey Colt, it's me, Ryland. Listen - something went wrong with the project, and now they're asking me to step up in a big way..." his voice trailed off as the reality of the situation hit him all over again. When he went to speak, his voice shook.
"I don't think I can do it Colt. I mean, I've never been brave. Not like - not like you, I'm the cowardly twin, and I've made my peace with that. But now, there's just so much at stake, I just don't - I want to help, but what they're asking me to do - what they're asking me to give up? It's too much." The dam seemed to break inside of him as he choked on a sob, quickly hanging up and dropping his head into his hands.
What was he supposed to do? Get on the ship? Give up his life for the cost of every person on the planet? He wasn't qualified for this though! He was just a middle school science teacher, not some epic hero. As he sat there crying into his hands he was suddenly overcome with the urge to move. He needed to get out of the building and clear his head.
He wiped his face as best he could, pulled on his yellow rain coat and beanie and began to make his way to the roof.
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He sat and stared into the vast empty grassland ahead of him as he thought about what he was willing to give up for this mission. All he could think about was how horribly underqualified he was for the mission. He didn't belong there! He wasn't some kind of hero who could push aside the fear of death to save the world. He was just a small cog in a vast machine.
He found himself dialing Colt's number again and still being greeted with his brother's voicemail message. He must be in the middle of a shoot somewhere right now. The beep of his phone snapped him back to the present as he brought his phone closer to his chest. For a moment he simply closed his eyes and breathed while thinking of what to say.
"I could really use your advice right now. You've always been the best at getting me out of my head, and getting me to realize what I want. I could use that right now. Everything is just so jumbled right now that I don't know where to begin," he trailed off as his eyes once again drifted to the horizon.
"You would probably tell me something entirely too vague, like 'Just trust your gut Ry Ry, you know what you want!' I wish it was that simple to just pick what I want right now. I don't know what I'm going to do Colt," he felt his voice grow thick as tears threatened to spill over. He sniffled before clearing his throat "Time is running out, and the world is resting on my shoulders. I miss you, and I'm so scared. Please call me when you get a chance, bye."
He hung up and put his head back into his hands as his mind began spinning once more. 1 hour and 30 minutes left.
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45 minutes was all that remained as he called his brother for the last time, his mind made up. "I'm saying no. I don't know what she might do, but I have decided I am not getting on that ship. I just can't do it. I'll probably get fired and blacklisted again, so maybe we can finally do good on that offer to crash with you when things get rough, yeah? I love you Colt, hopefully we talk soon, if I don't get arrested or disappeared," he chuckled dryly at that, even with his nerves simmering away under the surface.
His decision was final, and there was nothing anybody could do or say to get him to change his mind. He would not be getting on that ship.
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Heart pounding in his ears, Ryland began to dial his brother's number out of sheer instinct as he ran. He needed Colt - to hear his voice, to tell him what was going on. Colt would save him, he always did. Ever since they were just two little kids running around without a care in the world they had always been there for each other during their times of need.
The call went through and Ryland felt a surge of blistering relief shoot through him, only to be met with the cold shock of dread when Colt's voicemail message began to play. By now he was out of the office building with two men he didn't recognize hot on his trail. His heart went from pounding to feeling like it was jackrabbiting out of his chest.
He redirected his attention back to his phone where he foolishly clung to the hope that he could still get a message out to Colt, that he would be able to save Ryland before he was doomed to a one way trip to the stars. "Colt! Colt please - I need you, I need - I need help," it was all he could do to force the words out while still weaving around obstacles, desperately trying to lose his would be executioners.
Rounding a corner, he drew in another breath and continued his pathetic plea "They're making me - making me go, Colt. I can- can't do this! I can't! Colt please, I'm so scared. I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" He felt his stamina slowly waning when the front gates came into view, just a few more feet and he would be free. A few more feet and he could go to his brother
Freedom was so close, when he felt the breath get knocked from his lungs as he was tackled to the floor. Icy tendrils of fear wrapped themselves around his throat as he begged for them to stop, begged for them to let him go. He tried telling them he couldn't do it, that he wasn't cut out for it, but they all ignored him as he was restrained further into the ground by hard grips and blank stares.
Carl came into his field of vision and he quickly redirected his pleas of mercy to what he once thought was his friend. He further dissolved into a mess of screaming and begging, ripping at the grass beneath him. When he saw Carl stand by as someone brought out a needle, he knew that needle would ensure his end.
He felt the metal pierce the skin of his neck and shatter his heart all in one fell swoop. Pure, animalistic fear ripped its way through him as he redoubled his desperation to get away, even as he felt his limbs weakening. His last calls were for his brother before everything went dark. Ryland Grace was no more.
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A man in a bright yellow raincoat lay limp on the grass, a rainbow overhead. The two stood out as the only color in the otherwise bleak scenery. Many men in black crowded around the prone figure, while one stooped down to pick up a small phone, and hung up the call. He slipped the device in his pocket and watched as the man was carried away, as if to a funeral, never to be seen again.
