I think the most unbelievable thing about PHM is that Ryland Grace does not have an affinity for music at any point in the book/movie. Like... sure beatles reference. But you're telling me that man spent 100+ days conscious in space and DIDN'T blast the entirety of Electric Light Orchestra's discography? He didn't make a single playlist? He had access to the entire human internet as it existed and NO mentions of him listening to music? I don't know how else he'd stay sane.
There is a very vivid image in my mind of Grace showing Simon music in the context of bloodymary, but like... It's fanon. Crazy.
(a whole lot of yap below, if you're interested in an in-depth explanation...)
Hi so I've been thinking about this au for a WHILE. like a while while. It's been eating away at me. So I had to yap about it. A bit of a preface though, this is just fun au stuff, I hardly did any research and it's not the most intricate thing in the world. Just turn your brain off and read for this one <3
I had the thought of Grace and Simon both being children of Eden and everything sort of spiraled from there. In my personal take on the swap au, both Simon and Grace also exist in their opposite universe. Just. Keep that in mind.
This art focuses on Grace's pov specifically, so let's start with that.
***
Grace is one of the rare Earthlings that made their way onto Eden. His parents died at a young age, and he just so happened to be cycled through the stations when the Quiet Rapture occurred. Leaving him stranded among Martians on Eden.
He didn't believe a lick of what the Father was preaching, and he was loud about his opinions. Everyone on Eden had given up on the concept of hope, opting to let themselves die out, all except for Grace... and Simon.
Simon was smarter than Grace in a way, he was quiet, his thoughts were loud but they never made it out of his mouth at that young of an age. Seeing Grace so openly deny the death of the stars was like a spark to him, a weird, blonde haired sign that he wasn't necessarily wrong for thinking against the Father's teachings.
Grace and Simon quickly became friends, or at least something very close to friends. Simon backed Grace up and vice versa. And throughout the years, while the rest of Eden's folk had slowly, completely given up, Simon and Grace tried to keep their heads high, even after they learned that the death of the stars were never a hoax, and after the tree had died, and after that death caused the citizens of Eden to start making moves on raiding other space stations.
There had to be hope somewhere. And they were going to cling onto it like it was their last breath.
Grace's big mouth had gotten him into not so great situations before. Ones which he had barely avoided or had Simon (now properly nicknamed "Butcher") help him out of (by spilling a little blood). But surviving those encounters had just made him a bigger target.
No one on Eden viewed him as one of their own, hell, they barely tolerated Simon as their brother. Grace was an important asset, a smart, quickly learning scientific asset. But Grace wasn't like them, Grace was an Earthling for God's sake, obviously that was a sign. They had to either make him one of them, or throw him out for the betterment of everyone. They had to make sure his ideals can't corrupt anyone else.
The children presented this ultimatum to Grace, threat and all. Gave him a time limit and a dagger to think about his next move, and followed him around as he slunk through Eden's metal hallways anxiously.
The only one who would let him get close and be none the wiser was... Well. It was an obvious choice from his perspective. Grace didn't want to die.
After Simon was gone, Grace was properly welcomed into Eden. Given Simon's seed pendant, let in on all of their operations, et cetera.
And Grace took everything that was handed to him with a blank expression, a record in his head convincing himself that it was going to end in death either way. Eden's teachings can be really convincing if you've been hearing them for so long.
He did what was asked, was sent out on raids and missions, and was part of the reason Filament Station fell down so harshly. He was taken in as a Convict by the COI, and was forced into undergoing conviction realization.
The COI quickly realized that they had a bright mind on their hands, and sped up his realization. He was properly welcomed into the COI only a few months before the first blood moon was discovered.
After they discovered the first few moons, they knew that they needed to send a crew of scientists down into one of the anomalous oceans to study it properly. But they didn't have a crew of scientists—not ones they were willing to lose if things went awry.
The one from Eden though... The Convict. Grace. He could be sent down there. He didn't have any connections in the COI, hell, half of the time he didn't even look like he was aware of anything. He acted like a nutcase, at times a brilliant and perfectly stable case, and at other times... Not at all, really.
The Captain, Eva, trusted that he could give them all useful information though, and so, she requested that Grace be sent down into AT-5, piloting the SM-8. He went down kicking and screaming.
***
I have so many ideas for the actual like, Iron Lunging (or ig SM-8ing) in this au but! I'll save that for a later post... 👀
Andddd I do have a swap!Simon au idea here too! If you're hungry for that... :)
***
Simon got recruited straight from prison, due to his interesting reputation and experience with piloting vastly different rigs (while gaining his sparkling reputation, mind you)
He was involved with Project Hail Mary by mostly delivering the scientists and other personnel on fighter jets directly to the boat, and maybe taking a dab or two at the future ship's controls. He was a person who was more deeply involved than the other jet pilots—or any pilots for that matter—but he hadn't been at a single meeting, and only got to see Ava through rare glimpses on the boat.
He started becoming more of an important asset as time went on. Word of him "being able to pilot literally anything with his eyes closed" was spreading around, but he was nothing more than a gossip topic people poked at. Sometimes people said that his experience was something to be proud of, but he felt rather bitter about those observations. He never listened to what was being said around the ship anyway, it didn't concern him.
He and Grace met through the gossip, and even though their roles were vastly different (Grace being literal second-in-command and Simon just being the guy who flew him over), they garnered a friendly relationship.
Grace could make a friend out of anyone, really, more than half of the sorta-unofficial group had known him on first name basis already, and still, Simon felt a little special when Grace paused to listen to a story he was telling.
Grace commented on many of Simon's characteristics— it was surprisingly nice to get compliments. Simon could be a good leader when he wanted to be, sure, and yeah maybe he really did pick up stuff quickly, but he wouldn't want to hear it out of any mouth other than Grace's.
It all comes to a sudden head when, during the last stretch of the project, an explosion errupts on the main quarters. Killing off the head of the project, and the Captains who were supposed to be aboard the Hail Mary.
Ava's death meant that someone had to take her place at the top, and who else would it be other than her second-in-command?
Sure, Grace didn't know that he was second-in-command. But everyone else knew, and everyone else needed someone to keep the project together and running, Grace was a very convenient (and lucky) solution.
They needed someone to replace the Captain though, and fast. Someone who was quick to learn, and was already familiar with the project and its craft.
Grace's eyes landed on Simon. He probably wasn't the best option to send out there, Grace just didn't know anyone else who had undergone anything close to training, and he didn't exactly have all of the needed information to hand pick someone who he should've known could be better (he wasn't Ava, after all). He couldn't sacrifice Simon like that, he knew, but when they asked Simon about what he thinks of going on the mission, Simon (reluctantly) agreed. Grace tried to fight Simon on it, tried to get him to refuse, but the decision was made for him, and Simon was whisked away into his coma.
It's just. Simon didn't know what he was getting himself into. He didn't know that he was going to wake up alone, on his way to a star so far from home, and have to pick up where his dead crewmates left off. He didn't know that a return route wasn't planned.
He didn't know it was a one-way trip.
But there was no reason to mope about it now (no matter how much he wanted to), he was humanity's last hope. It was just a shame that humanity's last hope ended up being such a royal fuck-up.
***
oh my fingers hurt. ow. yeah that's that, now both of these guys are out of my head thank god (I'm a liar) and I can move on with my life (no I can't)
I like this au a normal amount, I've thought about this au a normal amount. What? That thing above me? Text? What are you talking about there's nothing there haha
Anyways! I have at least 2 more posts planned for this au but we'll see what kind of lemons life gives me...
The idea of Grace meeting Simon and going “markiplier?!” Is funny but what’s also funny is if the video logs have Simon in and they post the videos for everyone to see the hero that is dr ryland Grace only to see markiplier there and markiplier having to make a video saying “that is not me up in space. This is not green screen. You would know if I was the one in space because I have famously said I would love to be in space!”
And his fans (I would do this) would say “yeah that’s what a man who’s been secretly sent to space would want us to think.”
stormborns
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turnnoffyourmind
discoholicmusic
yousharknotpass
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pixelskylines
