(AKA, what if this universe had the ability to fully connect human brains to technology, and the Hail Mary was created to carry the crew's brains to control the ship. Warning for kind of canon typical suicide)
The technology for brain connection has been around for a while, but it's absolutely not legalized almost anywhere, especially not for human use. Stratt obviously doesn't care about legality, and this has enough pros over inducing comas for her to use. No one knows this is the plan beyond anyone absolutely necessary to that section of the project. Grace didn't know, but the crew did, and at times they'd insinuate at it through jokes to each other. Grace overhears, jokingly asks if they're talking about what he thinks they're talking about, and feels his stomach drop when they confirm with more jokes and smiles. Him and Stratt have a Very long conversation the next day regarding the morals of this choice. He doesn't know and she would never admit it, but his knowing of this just added to her future list of reasons to put him on the crew.
Yao and Ilyukhina's brains make it alive to Tau Ceti. They wake up one at a time so Mary can help process their waking efficiently for them. Since Yao and Ilyukhina knew what they were signing up for and were given training, their awakening was programmed to give them full memory and control after a few quick checkups from Mary. It's due to this that they both almost immediately become overloaded with overstimulation and stress, as there's simply no amount of training that can simulate the experience, and both set off the suicide command. I'm unsure if either did so intentionally, or if they just felt so deeply and thoroughly horrified at the thought of living as they were, and Mary recognized that as the command. Either way, Grace still wakes up alone.
Seeing as Grace was entirely resistant to going, he was given a memory blocker program and limited controls until he could prove in Mary's checks that he wouldn't jeopardize the mission. Without the human senses to correlate to memory, it comes back to him much more slowly, and he finds himself far more confused with his situation. Sure he can see and hear and- with one particular sensor to analyze gaseous chemicals- 'smell', but it doesn't always reach the same neural pathways that humans use for storing sensory memory.
He can control the many instruments of Mary, but Mary still acts as the autopilot and 'watchguard' of their ship (and keeps check on the brains but he doesn't know that for a while), so Grace doesn't have to sacrifice brainpower to keeping tabs on everything. Many robotic limbs and movement tracks take up a lot of the inside space, while a drone is attached to the outside that can maneuver freely, and docks in the airlock. Grace takes advantage of this, feeling a bit less mentally claustrophobic while flying around. There's also a small drone on the inside in case they ever needed to fix something out of reach of the wall. If Yao and Ilyukhina lived, they would all technically be sharing the same body, but Mary is programmed to allow only one mind in a device at a time, to prevent dual input.
Rocky would have such a weird time at first. They make the tunnel expecting company, but it's just the drone that they heard picking up the canister. No big deal, maybe this alien is just really cautious, that's fair. But as they figure things out together, Rocky gets a little impatient and asks, and feels disappointed that it's 'just' a 'robot' on the ship. I can't decide if eridians would have their own version of AI (actual AI.) or if Rocky has absolutely no idea and thinks they're just talking to some alien metal doodad. I'm thinking Grace has already come to the conclusion he must've been human at some point, but still isn't sure, so his insistence that this is just an extension of his biological self is kind of weak. Rocky still appreciates the drone promising to watch them sleep; it's slightly better than the decades of isolation they've had.
Since they both need far less break time than a human body would need, they break through the language barrier faster than canon. Grace also has slightly improved present memory, thanks to Mary keeping backups that he can instinctually access.
When Rocky finally gets impatient and rolls into the Mary, their disappointment turns a little bitter toward Grace. They've been walking through the ship and commenting, but their excitement turns quiet as Grace's voice keeps coming from the ship speakers. Where's that biological self, huh? Talking to a bunch of scrap metal all this time... At this point I think Grace regains a flash of how he was 'uploaded' and has a very chaotic emotional breakdown at the suggestions that memory gives him. Even Rocky gets a little worried despite them thinking Grace is a robot, and tries to talk Grace down, who in turn mentally shuts down. Rocky is left in a very quiet Hail Mary for a little while.
By the time Grace resurfaces hours later, Rocky is a mess on the floor of their ball, quietly wailing 'sorry's and 'come back's, realizing they might've just killed the only comfort they had after 50 years. Grace comforts them back, and they have a (vague) talk about what the hell just happened. At this point they both know that Rocky felt alone for a long time but not why, and that Grace is definitely biological but isn't here. They end up turning to jokes in a 'laugh or cry' situation. Grace takes a power nap (to rest his brain, unknowingly) and wakes to Rocky loading stuff on the Hail Mary. More chaos and arguing ensues, this time in good spirits.
I'm imagining an angsty but emotional scene for Grace in my ryborg au set after a years of sitting far above Erid with Mary. Rocky, Adrian, and the thrum of professional Eridians assembled to build him a body finally bring said body up to the Hail Mary- the mechanical side is certainly a prototype, but the software and such mimicking the human tech was as thoroughly tested as possible. They also bring a temporary but incredibly durable transport container to attach Grace's jar to, so they can move him to a proper housing facility on Erid's surface.
This was all talked about extensively with Grace in the years leading up to this moment, but he's still just as scared as when they first proposed the idea- he remembers the feeling of disconnection, far more clearly than he'd like in his mechanical body (thank you, Mary.) He trusts his friends and the thrum, though. Rocky and Adrian offer reassurances as the team sets up for his 'migration' to his new body. He makes a weak joke about being the first human individual to exist in more than two bodies. Another human record under the belt for Dr. Ryland Grace!
His mind is kind of freaking out, and he's come to deal with that by multitasking- sending out his consciousness to multiple cameras and tools. He watches through multiple POVs as the eridians approach his brain's container. (He's started to actually get used to the overwhelm of visual sensory input. Maybe it's like when you lose one sense, your other senses heighten?) They would surely give him warning before beginning anything, but his panic rises as they approach, and on some newfound instinct, he swings a robotic appendage out to block their approach. The Eridians stagger back in surprise- those things may be composed of weak metals, but they can still pack some punch.
Rocky queries Grace, who in turn profusely apologizes and stammers uncertainties, with a weird (and, frankly, horrifying to a human) garbled noise overlaying his voice from the speakers. But no matter how much Rocky reassures him that Grace will only be 'asleep' for less than a minute, Grace still fears experiencing the horrifying feeling before and after disconnection he had previously. They go back and forth over his concerns, Rocky growing frustrated if only for the upset the situation is causing their friend. If anyone there understood Grace's fear of what they were there to do (on purpose this time), it would be them.
Surprisingly Adrian was the one to speak up and suggest, what if Grace completes the disconnect himself?
A couple of the Eridians start to buzz in disagreement, while Rocky staggers to a low crouch in their OWN upset at the thought, high pitched worried arguments already coming together. But, Grace actually loosens the raised limbs a little at this. He wouldn't admit it, but he realized during all this that he was growing worried he might actually hurt one of them out of base instinct if they tried disconnecting him. He's quiet as the Eridians start talking over each other, thinking through the process. The ship arms can easily reach the jar and plugs, and he can tell Mary to complete the movement so the arm doesn't get stuck once he's out of the system. Maybe...no, yeah, Adrian had a point.
"I think-" the Eridians stumble their blended conversation, "I think I could do that, actually." Now Rocky is the one (metaphorically) sweating, demanding Grace be sure of this. Grace counters with what he plans to do, how Mary can remove the limb from interrupting them physically transferring him. There's just one issue.
"The latches, they keep my container in place. Mary can't remove them, not even I'm allowed...somehow. Trust me, I've checked everywhere in her code." Rocky recalls the awful, grim week after they realized Grace's human companions were, technically, still on the ship. It was only with Rocky's assistance that they could remove the containers and relinquish their rotting remains to the cosmos.
Adrian steps forward, bringing Rocky back to the present, and kindly suggests Grace lets them do that before he pulls the plugs. The arms in the room do a bit of a deciding dance of tapping 'fingers' together. After a few seconds of hesitation Grace hums approvingly, but warning them to approach slowly. He still isn't sure of how much he might react and doesn't want to test it on one of his best friends. Adrian complies, taking small steps and rambling more reassurances to Grace. They can hear the cameras all locked on their movement.
They're finally in front of Grace. Well- the source of him, at least. "Friend Grace is okay, question? Adrian remove locks, question?"
Grace forcibly ejects himself from the arm controls for good measure as they ask for the go-ahead. Even if it's Adrian, someone he's grown to love just as much as Rocky, his human fear is warring with his innate trust in the eridian. "Yeah- yeah, thank you, Adrian. You can remove them."
As Adrian does just that, the other eridians jump at all the arms around the room jerking for half a second at the first sound of unlatching, before going back to stillness. Adrian doesn't outwardly react, refusing to make any sudden movements so close to their terrified friend. The other latches are undone without incident, and everyone sags a little in relief. First step, complete.
Something akin to a small sigh through a walkie talkie garbles from the speakers. "Sorry- thank you, Adrian."
Adrian backs up, a little more casually now that the ordeal is over. "No sorry; happy to help friend Grace. Still...still want to complete process alone, question?"
The other eridians cautiously finalize prep, inching a few tools ever closer to the container shelf. Grace is considerably more relaxed now, with the decision firmly in his hands. "Yeah. I'm still sorry for scaring everyone with that. Let's get this over with. Are, uh- is the team ready to go?" Rocky exchanges notes with the team; not everyone in the room speaks human.
"When Grace ready," Rocky confirms. They step towards Grace confidently- much to the exasperation of the team- and gently lean their carapace against the wall he resides. "Erid catch Grace. Promise promise promise."
The arms closest to Rocky and the container comes to life, one patting Rocky on their topside. Grace voice is a bit crackly in response. "I know it, bud."
Rocky backs up as the hands hover towards the container. Grace doesn't really need the cameras to determine their position relative to the space, but watching helps him. It's like a doctor letting you choose to watch them stitch you up. Except from this angle in this context, it feels more like watching someone prepare to pull you organs out. Literally.
"..." The arms hesitate. The eridians are all stock still. He knows the motions. He just needs to take the plunge. The cameras turn, focusing on Rocky and Adrian.
Goodbye, Mary.
With alarming efficiency the limbs pull the plugs from the top of his container, Mary assisting him one final time with moving the arms up and out of the way. She barely completes the movement as multiple eridians rush to handle the completely disconnected jar.
With practiced teamwork, Grace is moved into the transport system. It's almost like watching a pit stop in a race, every team member going through their rehearsed motion in perfect sync. The reboot already begun by the 47th second. Every eridian is leaned towards the xenonite body, tense as they wait for any sign of life.
Rocky feels their limbs tremble as the silence grows. What if the team was wrong? What if their technology really was incompatible? What if they wait too long to undo the disconnection? What if-
KKssssshhhhtTk- Everyone jolts. The speakers crackle for the first time.
"Rrr-r -ooock. . Rooock-y. ..?" The voice finds its bearings. An automatic translator is built in, overlaying the different languages automatically.
"Rrooockyy," it sounds out slowly, still sat on the floor.
Rocky hears feet tamp on the floor in joy before they register it's coming from their own limbs. They run and stumble to sit next to Grace's new body, worry and excitement almost making them stumble into him.
"Grace Grace Grace! How you feel? Can hear you good good good! You are okay?"
Grace stumbles through the brainfog, terrified of the lapse in existence, trying to escape the feeling of being rewired once again. The relief of hearing Rocky's voice is immediately like a wave of calm over his mind. Right. New body. I'm okay.
The realization he can understand Rocky in a far clearer way doesn't escape his still resurfacing conscious. Nor does the fact that he can't...he can't sense anything. The familiar dread of claustrophobia looms over him, but he tries to swallow it as long as possible, relishing in the audio input.
"Rocky, I'm- III'm here, I can't- I can't move. I ne-e-ed- ugh. Neeed. Sensors. I can only hear. Please, I need to see, feel- something." The audio output is still a little weird on his brain...new body, new control scheme, he guesses through the stress. He feels like a child crying about the darkness to a parent, but who could blame him, dangit!
"You are okay! We didn't want to overwhelm you, remember plan? Sorry Grace. Team will bring light sensor online for you. We are right here, friend Grace. Give a moment."
Grace hummed in strained approval, listening to the shuffling of eridian steps and clacking of hi-tech eridian keys. He momentarily distracted himself with how convenient this vastly updated built in translation software would be for interacting beyond his very small circle of fluent friends. It even made it easier to make out the different accents and tones"AAHCK-"
Information flooded his brain as he suddenly found himself back in the same room, albeit at a much different, lower angle. It was less like opening your eyes, and more like being instantly teleported from a sensory deprivation tank into the middle of New York Times Square. Safe to say, everyone panicked at his noise and sudden frantic camera movement as he adjusted to the new view.
"Grace what happen?? Grace okay?? Did sensor malfunction??" Adrian, Rocky, and the eridian that hit the on switch overlapped their concerns at him. He was quick to identify them in the room, habitually shaking the sensor in a negative to the last question.
"I'm fine I'm fine, sorry! I just wasn't expecting it so suddenly." The eridian at the controls lowered ever so slightly in apology, but everyone relaxed.
Grace looked around the room, quiet in thought. The camera paused briefly on his containment transport, reassuring himself. It swivelled to Adrian, then finally landed on Rocky. His best friend kept his promise, staying by his side through the whole ordeal, even now. The camera focused on all the little details Grace could find, now so close to their carapce. Even without movement enabled, Rocky would swear they could feel the relieved yet giddy excitement start to roll off Grace.
He was free, it occurred to him. Only now does he really, truly, feel like his mission is complete. Warbled laughter bubbled from the speaker through Grace's words.
Hm. Bloodymary in my cyborg grace au would be fucking miserable for a good while. If they met after he got a body on erid i dont think it would even work super romantically unless simon got cool about a lot of things really quickly. But if they met on the hail mary.....it'd still be the most nuclear meet-ugly uphill battle of a dynamic, but far more achieveable. Maybe even with simons influence that timeline of ryborg might have a humanoid chassis.....
This entire thing would have to assume simon doesnt need to eat anymore bc uhh. Nothing on that ship is intended for standard human digestion lol
