@laikalike continued from here
Ever since Dr. Ryland Grace came back of his own volition to work with the Astrophage, Eva Stratt seized the opportunity. While she needed him in case things went wrong with the examination of the Petrova line samples initially, he managed to puzzle out answers to her most pressing questions, even without help from additional scientists.
But more than that, the fact that he came back voluntarily was not something she took lightly. If there's one thing that Eva Stratt knew from working with people in governments, it's that they were full of sycophants. People who wanted nothing more than to use the efforts of others and their reputations to cause their own star to rise. She's seen how power and ego can corrupt even the most innocent of intentions and efforts. She's seen it in how the nations of the world treat her when she's making decisions regarding resource allocation and supplies.
Reading his paper: An Analysis of Water Based Assumptions and Re-calibrations of Expectations for Evolutionary Models and talking to other people in the field, it was clear that Ryland Grace was an outsider in more ways than one. His background showed as much as well. No one in the academic community wanted anything to do with him. No immediate family. No pets.
He was an independent voice - someone who wasn't working on behalf of another government. But he was also dedicated to the project to make sure humanity survived. Once he showed his dedication, giving him Top Secret Clearance was next on the list. This way too, she wouldn't have to play telephone. He could hear for himself the status of the project and where it was - both in terms of the science and engineering aspects. For six weeks, she took him with her - had him distill down the complicated science jargon, get his view on what was said, and discuss next steps.
As she sipped her coffees and scrolled through her tablet, Eva Stratt felt eyes on her. She addressed him directly, thinking he had something to say, but instead he turned away and apologized.
At Dr. Grace's question, she looked up from her tablet. 'Hanging out' was certainly a choice to describe what they were doing, though she didn't quite agree with that particular word choice. But if that's what he thought, then far be it from her to correct him about it, especially since he was still going along with her and wasn't giving her any trouble about it.
"Yes, Dr. Grace. I eat. I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
Eva delivers her response with a flat affect. It's quick. it's casual. And also very awkward. She's not any good at jokes, after all. But Grace's question was odd. Something she'd mentally note for later.
Honestly, she couldn't remember the last time she sat down for a meal and could just focus on the meal. Ever since she was given her title as Head of the Petrova Task Force, and then Chair of Project Hail Mary, and then the powers vested in her by the governments of the world, there was always something to be done. Something to be thought about. Contingency plans to be made.
It didn't help as well that ever since she was given this newfound authority, Governments tried to wine and dine for her favor. Something she didn't see a point in doing - her job was solving the issue of the dying Sun and the Petrova Line, and allowing humanity and Earth to survive. Nothing they did could change that. Plus, when she worked for the government, doing things like that would be cause for termination - ethics and all. So she often declined those types of invitations, preferring her meetings with officials to be short and to the point, if possible.
She'd eat later, usually something small, as she read through the stacks of reports on her tablet or the requisition reports on her desk.
Eva Stratt took a few more sips of her coffee. She looked at the tablet in her hands, and then back up to Dr. Grace.
"What are your thoughts on the ideas proposed for the centrifuge mechanism on the Hail Mary?"
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