Thinking about as Grace progressively got older on Erid he slowed down and they adapted for his needs (the stick, adding railings in so he could lean just in case) Grace had the conversation years ago with Rocky about when humans go, that he will no longer be here.
One day grace will stop moving his heart will stop and rocky will immediately know, he never goes far from graces bio dome since his heart started to get quieter in the last few years he stayed close.
And when Rocky gets into his house, Grace had been sleeping when he passed he looked comfortable for a bit Rocky forgot about the conversation they had years ago and he was confused why his human wasn’t waking up till he Rember the conversation.
That day before he went to bed he knew he wasn’t going to be getting up so he got everything in order and made a video for Rocky, thanking him for his kindness for accepting him as his own and the biodome.
When Ryland Grace dies, the bugs will tatse. Regret, sorrow, fear and cowardice but there will be an aftertaste of his love he endured for his life on Erid.
I need someone to make a gif of Rocky slamming himself against the xenonite ball. That way when people start pissing me off, I can just send them that with no context :)
I Commend You to the Stars (Ryland Grace x GN! Reader) Pt. 1
So let me start this out with a few things. 1. it has been a hot minute since I have written anything for the public eye. 2. I am not a stem major. Unfortunately, multiple things such as the weird ability to ace chem and physics classes, but somehow nearly fail every math class (weird I know) I have ever taken took away my dream of being a stem major. I am flying off my self taught knowledge of astronomy and my endless love for anything science fiction related with this one. If anyone has suggestions for editing Reader's backstory to be more accurate feel free to message me.
Summary/Notes:
Reader and Ryland are married in this. Reader is referred to as Dr./ Mx. Grace in some flashbacks. Also dialogue for Rocky was a little hard for me to write. Please forgive me. I'm also starting this off with the flashback of reader getting sent to space. Reader doesn't start out with this knowledge, but it feels like the right place to put it. kinda made Stratt a bitch in this one on accident, but I guess it resides more closely with her book counterpart (Justice for Stratt. She's not a bad person just doing what she had to do.)
Word count: 3.4K
Warnings: swearing, needles, and anxiety. Reader is called passively suicidal. Mentions of death and being murdered. Not really fluffy, but not super angsty either. No beta we die like my sanity.
(Also Have a Grace pov that's set before the start of this one already cooked up, but that shit is sad so be prepared.)
“I know you want to tell me why I’m sitting here?... No? Well, I have things to do and places to be before I get launched into space… So, I’m just gonna go…” I go to stand as the guard’s eyes linger on me. There’s no move being made to stop me, so I assume it’s safe for me to leave.
About an hour ago, this very guard sought me out and dragged me to one of the many offices on base: no explanation, no answer to any of my questions. Between preparing for launch and figuring out how to tell Ryland with the limited amount of time left, you could say I had more important things to be doing. Being forced to wait for God knows how long wasn’t in the time I had budgeted.
“Dr. Grace, I suggest you sit back down.” The thick accent of Stratt reverberates throughout the quiet room. Like a child about to be scorned, I plop right back down into the chair I was just in. “You could say there’s been some changes to the plan. With the unfortunate event that occurred just days ago, we needed to quickly find a replacement.”
My throat constricts, and something tells me I wasn’t going to like the next words that would fall from her lips.
“Ryland Grace has been selected as the replacement. Though he seems rather adamant that it has to be someone else. Within the time, I’ve spent with him today, it’s occurred to me that you haven’t told him of your predicament, no?”
I shake my head. I most certainly feel like a child being scorned now.
“Such a big thing to not tell your husband with the launch being only three days away. There’s no time to dwell on that. Ryland Grace will be sedated and given an amnesia-inducing drug to ensure that he does not sabotage the mission.” Something like remorse lingers in Stratt’s gaze.
“So, that’s the plan? To non-consensually launch him into space and give him drugs because you’re scared of the backlash from your actions? Do you know how awful that sounds?” I size Stratt up with a hard gaze and stand to be perfectly eye level with her. Hoping to properly convey the heavy disappointment I feel towards her and towards the new plan she has concocted.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s what has to be done. Ryland Grace is the only one I trust to ensure this mission goes smoothly. However, you also become a flight risk with this knowledge.” Stratt waves someone in and before I know it, I’m being shoved down back into the chair. The struggle isn’t even worth it. I’m not strong enough to shake military-trained guards off of me. “You will be given the same drug as well to cover our bases. You’ll be hailed a hero, Dr. Grace.”
This isn’t how I wanted to go. Something cold is quickly plunged into my neck, and the world around me becomes fuzzy. Every part of my body suddenly feels heavy. My brain starts to fog up, and every conscious thought starts to become one big, muddled mess. I refuse to go under without any final words. So, I try my best to slur together what I can of the last thoughts on my mind. One final sentence that I know will cause Stratt’s skin to crawl.
“I hope you think of the people whom you have condemned to death when you look at the stars.”
~~~
“Eye movement detected.”
“What is two plus two?”
“Mhmmm”
“Incorrect, what is two plus two?”
I try to peek my eyes open, but the light above me is blinding. My mind begs for me to keep them closed, and who am I to deny my eyes that reprieve? The air can only be described as smelling recycled and stale. There’s simply no other way to put it. In a strange sense, it also feels heavy. My lungs feel like they are overexerting themselves to make up for that fact.
“Answer timed out. What is two plus two?”
My throat feels like I’ve been in the Sahara desert for months with no access to water. Trying to muster up the strength to answer feels like hell, but I continue on if only to get this damned robotic voice to quit pestering me.
“Fuur.” Not completely coherent, but it does the job.
“Correct. Welcome to the Hail Mary. Dr.(L/n).”
Footsteps can be heard coming from somewhere above the room I’m in along with the clattering of something that sounded metallic. I struggle to ease myself up, eyes still closed as the movement disorients me. Hands slide around my forearm and lower back, helping to ease me up.
“Easy! The first few minutes awake don’t feel too great. Take this.” The person on my left hands me a metal flask, presumably filled with water. “Once you get oriented and dressed in something other than those gosh-awful jumpsuits. I’ll meet you up the ladder and down the hall. There’s a case on the bed opposite of you currently. I think it’s your clothes, but it also has my name on it, so I’m just making a guess.” The figure gives me a firm pat on the shoulder before departing from my side. I watch as the figure disappears up the ladder through my still blurry vision.
I attempt to stand, which seems to be a major mistake as my legs fail me, and I slump to the floor. My mind races as I sit haphazardly against the bed supports behind me, searching for answers to where I might be. There’s not much going on in this brain of mine. No memory of a name other than the one the computer called me. No memory of family or even the guy who was just in the room with me. Nothing. The rooms bright lights and sterile white colors suggest a hospital, but the hatch and ladder suggest something else. What kind of hospital has rooms with hatches and not regular doors?
When feeling finally comes back to my legs again, I stand, but something feels wrong. Every movement feels sluggish. Not quite like I’m walking through mud or water. More like something is weighing down my feet. Something's not normal, and something, a memory most likely, claws at my brain but it makes no further effort to bring itself forward.
I reach the other bed. Sure enough, there’s a case with both the name (L/n) and Grace. Maybe a name I had before marriage? Am I married? I think so. It brings up fond feelings, but no memories. The name Grace doesn’t really ring a bell though. Maybe they just messed up when packing these and just slapped my name on it? That feels like the closest thing to being right.
In the bag is a different jumpsuit. It has (L/n), confirming the name on the outside is likely just an accident. Other items lay in the case, such as graphic tees referencing either movies or things about the stars. Something else lies wrapped in a cloth as well as an envelope, but I leave them in favor of getting dressed and making my way up to the ladder.
The climb up the ladder is difficult, and I lay myself out on the floor looking down the hall once I make it through the hatch. The cylindrical halls bring about no memory not even an itch of a feeling that I might know this place. Further proving that this whole experience is just gonna be a pain in the ass. I turn my head to gaze at the other end, but I’m met with a window that peers out into the vastness of space. That jolts me up right and gets me moving towards the window. Panic sets in as I try to recall how I got here or why I’m even here.
“Grace friend awake!” I hear an echo behind me.
More footsteps that slow as they approach me. An unsure hand falls on my shoulder.
“You don’t remember anything either, do you?” The question rolls off more like a statement.
A shake of my head leads to an exhale that sounds utterly exhausted to come from the man behind me. “I figured. A small bit of hope that you’d remember something, but I doubted that.” He lets a pathetic chuckle slip out.
I turn around and meet a pair of blue eyes that feel familiar, yet I don’t know how, but the feeling is there. Something akin to calm and serenity wash over me.
“I’m (L-."
“(Y/n) (L/n). I know. I’ve been awake for a few weeks now. Memories have slowly started to come back to me. You’re in a few of them.” He gives me a soft smile that holds a feeling I can’t quite understand just yet. “I’m Ryland Grace. Ryland or Grace is fine whatever floats your boat.”
The name hits a nerve, and I think a memory will surface but nothing. I slam my fist into my head a few times before Grace’s hand stops mine. “Hey! Don’t do that. The memory thing sucks, but it’s not your fault. No need to beat yourself up.”
“Grace friend okay?” The metallic clattering is heard from behind Grace when I catch sight of what’s heading this way. I screech and back up against the window. Noticing the panic that’s on set, Grace quickly steps in. When calling the creature Rocky and telling him to slow down doesn’t work, he places himself fully between the creature and me.
“Rocky, my hand is up. Remember this.” The creature that seems to go by Rocky slows to a stop a few feet in front of us.
“They are scared, Rocky. Give them space.” Grace holds up a hand gesture to emphasize space, to which Rocky copies.
Now that he isn’t barreling towards us. I get a good glimpse at the creature. They are most likely harmless due to the interaction I’m seeing right now. Grace is listing rules and boundaries while Rocky copies his hand movements.
Rocky, addressing me, snaps me from my thoughts.
“Rocky not mean to scare. Apology.” He rolls back to create space.
I let a laugh slip through as Grace turns back to me. “There’s a lot of explaining to do and things to get you caught up on. Follow me this way.”
What feels like hours later. Grace and I find ourselves in a room he has coined the “don’t go insane” room. The spherical room is lined with LED screens as well as speakers hidden under the metal bridge we sit on. Its purpose was probably that of a theater for the crew once awake to keep us entertained.
Grace fills me in on what he can. About the dilemma the earth was facing, and how we were expected to find a solution. Astrophage was slowly eating away at the sun and would eventually lead to a mass extinction event if we didn’t do something about it. It was discovered that Tau Ceti seems to be resistant to astrophage. We need to know why Tau Ceti seems to be immune. There’s hope that this will provide a solution to this whole ordeal. Something nags at me. My brain tells me there’s more to this for me, but provides no logical answer. I make a note to search around later for a clue.
The screens around us display a serene scene. A beach where waves softly hit the shore as the morning fog lingers over the coastline. It almost feels like the morning after the first rain of the season. Though, I can only imagine the type of peace that would wash over me if I was physically in this scene. The screens aren’t a great substitute. But what else can be done? It’s almost enough to make me homesick. The key word here would be ‘almost’.
There’s not enough time to be homesick. Instead, the fate of the Earth rests perfectly balanced on our shoulders. I almost feel like Atlas. Well, that is if he had been condemned to save the earth instead of being condemned to hold up the sky for all eternity as punishment, but I guess it’s same difference or whatever they say. It kinda feels like I’m being punished. While it has its drawbacks, there’s something oddly poetic about the whole thing.
Grace lifts his left hand to run it down his face. I watch as the light from the LEDs bounce off of something he’s wearing, causing it to glimmer. I reach for his hand to pull it away from his face to get a better look at the object. There is a delicate golden band situated on his left ring finger.
“You’re married?” I let the question roll from my tongue before I can even think to stop it.
Grace seems to freeze up as the question processes in his head, and when he goes to answer, he hesitates before finally bringing himself to muster up some kind of response.
“Yeah, or well, I think so. I can’t really remember much.”
“Do you remember them?” Again, my question is met with hesitation.
“Yes, and no?” Grace states the answer like a question almost as if he is unsure of his answer himself. The answer seems purposely vague, but I don’t press on as I recognize the sensitive state the question leaves Grace in.
“It must have been a big choice to leave them.” I slap my hand over my mouth as I unintentionally let my thoughts slip through into the open air between us. But for a moment, it seems that the statement loosens him up. Allowing honestly to slip through.
“I don’t know what choices led me here, but I don’t think I would have left them willingly.” For a moment, Grace’s response pulls empathy from me. The idea of that we are sent up to space to save the earth but aren’t even given the privilege of keeping our memories is pretty sad. Maybe it’s a side effect of the coma? As I mull over his response. The last part pulls something from my memory, but before it can fully form the clacking noise of rolling metal meets my ears. A perfect distraction from the somber state I find us in.
“So, you gonna tell me what’s up with him?” I point to the creature behind Grace who comes to a stop at the beginning of the bridge. When Grace turns to look, Rocky throws his claw up in a waving motion.
“Hi Grace! Hi Friend.” The giggle that falls from my lips has Grace whipping his head around quickly to cast a gentle smile my way.
“That would be Rocky, and how he got here is a bit of a story.”
~~~
After I am formally introduced to Rocky, I quickly learn that he is here for the same reason as Grace and I. Rocky’s planet is going to suffer the same fate as Earth will suffer. It’s also revealed that Rocky’s crew died from radiation sickness, something that we were prepared to face during our journey from Earth. The ironic thing though is Rocky’s crew had each other to watch out for. Our other two crewmates died on the journey here because there was no one to watch out for us. It feels like we crossed paths at the wrong time. The thought is slightly unnerving.
I leave Grace and Rocky in the screen room to walk around the ship in hopes to find something that’ll jostle a memory or two. I hear Rocky’s automated voice reverberate through the halls as I make my way farther from them. Though, it’s not coherent, I let a laugh slip at the idea of what the creature could possibly be worked up about.
As I pass instruments along the way to the control room, my mind subconsciously names them, clueing in to what I already know, and that’s the fact that I am indeed smart. Otherwise, I don’t believe I would be here. It doesn’t tell me why I know them or how how I am useful to this mission. It isn’t until I reach the control room that my eyes meet a star chart and the word ‘willingly’ rings through my head that I finally knock a memory loose.
~~~
The cool wind of the ship whips around me. The upper deck is desolate, but I decide it’s better than being in the crowded bar area of the lower parts of the ship. The moon is just barely peeking over the storm clouds that the ship’s course had just sailed through. The combination of the soft illumination of the upper deck and the cool wind that blows the smell of rain dancing through it brings a kind of serenity. A kind of peace I haven’t felt in a while.
“How would you feel about going to space?” The thick Dutch accent of Eva Stratt rings out behind me. Startling me from my thoughts. I let a soft chuckle fall from my lips.
“I don’t think I’m the one you want. I’m just a middle school science teacher with a PhD in astronomy. All your scientists are currently singing to God knows what on the lower deck.”
“You’re precisely what I need. The only one on this ship qualified at that.” Stratt straightens her posture as I turn to meet her eyes. Skepticism falls over my facial features.
“And why the sudden “We need an astronomer, and you’re the only one that can go. Don’t you have scientists going up there already?”
“The governments have decided that an astronomer up there can help improve our knowledge of our galaxy and its solar systems. As well as getting proper star charts for the area. Yes, we have scientists already going, but their specialty has nothing to do with Astronomy. We’ve chosen you for several reasons. A.) You’ve worked with astrophage. That’s a bonus. B.) You’ve used your free time on this ship to study the very stars that we are looking to learn more about.” Stratt states her reasonings.
“I have people who care for me. You can’t just send me to die.”
“You have Dr. Grace. That’s it. Far less than what the others have that are going. We don’t have time to walk another astronomer through everything you know.”
“That doesn’t make this situation justifiable!” I throw my hands up as I raise my voice slightly.
Stratt’s stance does not change. The only reaction I receive is the shrug of her shoulders as she continues to meet my eyes with a blank expression.
“So, I just get no choice. You’re just gonna murder me with no remorse.”
“Last our medical examiners checked. Your medical logs listed you as passively suicidal. Shouldn’t this be what you want? However, you get to go a hero?” Stratt pinches the bridge of her nose as she turns away from me. “That’s enough for today, I have things to do.”
“That’s it!? What are you going to tell Ryland? What am I going to tell him?!” I yell as I feel anger bubble up within me.
“You’ll figure it out. You’re smart.” The deck door slams shut, and silence suffocates the air around me. The atmosphere outside that was once perfect feels like the calm before a storm now.
I feel like my autonomy has just been stripped from me. Yanked right out of my hands by Stratt and dangled like a piece of meat over a pack of wolves who haven’t eaten in days.
~~~
Rocky stomps his claws angrily as (L/n) can be heard making their way farther from the screen room. His irritation rolls off of him in waves as he finds the right words to launch at Grace.
“Why Grace not tell (L/n) you mates, Question? Help (L/n) remember.” Rocky tilts his carapace to emphasize his frustration.
“It’s not a good idea to dump information on an amnesiac especially when they haven’t been awake for long, bud. This is something they need to remember on their own.” Grace pats the top of Rocky’s sphere, which only seems to irritate the Eridian more.
“Rocky hate human engineering. Human Structure faulty.” Rocky continues to fume as he rolls his way out of the screen room presumably towards the lab as Grace follows him fondly shaking his head.
Anyone interested in either a long one shot, or a series of two maybe 3 chapters about Ryland and reader?
Essentially, they’re married, and reader gets forced onto the Hail Mary before it’s decided Ryland will go. (Reader’s a teacher, but will most likely have a phd in astronomy. I haven’t decided the full logistics as my area of study is not a stem major, and I do not want to offend anyone by getting things wrong.)
Anyways, Ryland wakes up before reader thus gets his memories back quicker and is forced to wait for reader to get their’s back in order to not overwhelm them.
You've been dropped at the very beginning of the Clone Wars. You can tell ONE PERSON that Palpatine is the Sith Lord. That person will be able to ACT on the information but will not be able to PASS ON this information. WHO DO YOU TELL?
Anakin Skywalker
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Padmé Amidala
Commander Fox
R2-D2
Satine Kryze
Captain Rex
Ahsoka Tano
Yoda
Someone else.
Voting ended onFeb 20, 2023
Please explain your reasoning in the tags and may the Force be with you.
Michael Afton has my favorite character development of any character ever. And I ain’t talking about the “bullying his little brother to death” to eventually freeing the original four children’s souls thing.
I’m talking about how he gets from this:
But something is wrong with me. I should be dead. But I'm not. I've been living in shadows. There is only one thing left for me to do now. I'm going to come find you... I'm going to come find you.
-this Batman villain type monologue about how he’s going to hunt down his father for everything he did. To this absolute goofster
