phm chap.6 ramblings
WE HAVE CONTACT. AN ALIEN SHIP HAS LANDED ON THE HAIL MARY
gosh, where do i even start.
turns out Grace and the crew was supposed to be in a coma in the first place. and it was the better choice too. either have them murder each other or themselves or just make them go eepy for four years.
Grace has a fear of heights. same. I can't imagine the sensation of falling for multiple minutes, much less an HOUR.
there's also this thing called the Petrovascope. It allows you to see a Petrova line. And now that the ship has stopped accelerating, Tau Centi is confirmed to have a Petrova line :D
but before he could see which planet has the perfect carbon dioxide wavelength, something latches onto the ship. uh oh.
plot stuff: - more stuff for the Hail Mary ship, we have a Petrovascope to see a Petrova line but you can only use it when the ship stops moving... in a few days. a numbered one. - Grace finds out he's been in a coma for potentially months, even years. 4 digits for days. 3 years minimum. - The chapter's only flashback reveals that it was either keeping the crew awake the entire 4 years and risk them murdering each other or themselves, OR put them in a coma and hope for the best. - Only a few select people can be put into a coma and Not Die(tm). We can assume that Grace is one of those people and ended up in the Hail Mary and his two other crewmates probably had complications hence their deaths. - Days later, the ship stops and Grace experiences the sensation of falling. Very relatable events. - He uses the Petrovascope and, finally, TAU CENTI HAS A THIN RED LINE!! - But he also finds something else. Something unrelated to his mission. It's latched onto the ship. Oh no.
this chapter felt more like a transitory chapter than a full one (?) and it's not necessarily bad. it's actually well-made! there is enough stuff in the chapter to push the plot through but maybe i just feel like that because i took a break,,