Okay consider, once the Eridians have solved the astrophage problem, they're gonna want to make sure that they don't get caught off guard again. Probes are sent up to orbit Threeworld and monitor it for any changes in the biosphere just in case they need to send up more Taumoeba or something.
A few years after Grace arrives on Erid, something goes wrong with one of these probes.
They know itâs still up there, but they've lost contact with it and, more importantly, with the hull robots that they'd normally use to fix the issue.
Obviously they could just send another probe, but they're nervous about doing that when they don't know what the problem is. They don't have infinite probes to throw at this problem, after all. They'd ideally first need to send up a different probe with a means to examine the first probe, detect the problem and then ideally fix it if it can be fixed.
None of their probes so far have been manned (Eridianed?), partly because everyone's still a bit freaked out by the whole 'nearly everyone we ever sent into space died horribly from invisible death rays' thing, and partly because Eridians just⌠aren't great in space.
Like they can't sense anything without sound, which famously doesn't travel in space, and they don't have spatial awareness so they can't even remember where things are. There's nothing they can do up there that they can't do better with hull robots and sensors.
However, one enterprising member of the aerospace thrum points out, there is one person on Erid who can do EVAs. A person who also happens to have a sophisticated way of sensing objects in the void, a lot of astronaut experience and a proven track record of solving problems and saving planets.
Grace gets a message asking him to come visit Eridian NASA to speak to some of the engineers. He assumes that he's gonna be asked to translate something they read on the Thinking Machine, or maybe asked some questions about Taumoeba. Rocky tags along because separation anxiety because of his engineering expertise.
Grace shows up in his xenonite suit. Settles down in the only human chair in the room. The rest of the team is already assembled.
The head of the team, who Grace has a passing familiarity with, explains. There's an unknown problem in space. Somebody needs to go up there and solve it or there could be a risk to Erid. They hate to ask this of Grace, but he happens to be the only person on the planet who can do the job. Will he agree to go up there?
And that's about as far as they get before Grace fucking books it.
Operating on sheer animal instinct, stumbling in the heavier gravity and the clunky suit. It's really only the element of surprise that allows him to get as far as he does without anyone stopping him. Rocky finds him stuffed into the Eridian equivalent of a broom closet, in the depths of the worst panic attack he's had in years.
Rocky calms him down. It's not like last time. He has a choice (Rocky will fucking kill them himself before he lets them take Grace), and also the stakes are nowhere near as high.
The Eridian aerospace thrum, who are horrified at the effect their request has had on their Saviour (even if they don't quite understand why) stress that no, no, no, obviously we're not going to force Saviour Grace to do this! We can build another unmanned probe! It'll take some time but there is no urgency here, nobody's in immediate danger.
Apology, apology, apology. Grace can go back to the biodome, he's 100% done enough for Erid and is absolutely free to just enjoy his retirement if he wants. We can sort this.
Only problem? Grace doesn't want. Once the initial panic has worn off, the guilt complex starts to come back. He freaked out. He ran away again. He's still the guy he was on Earth, he's still a fucking coward.
He has like the most severe PTSD and has also already redeemed himself for his previous act of cowardice by saving two planets and nobody expects him to do this again
Grace now very definitely wants to go on the mission. Grace is very insistent that he go on the mission.
Rocky doesn't want Grace to go on the mission. The aerospace thrum, although they admit that it is the best solution to their problem, donât really want Grace to go on the mission after they saw how much the very idea freaked him out. Grace's medical team, his mental health team and basically every Eridian responsible for keeping him happy and healthy don't want him to go on the mission.
Grace ends up having to play the Eva Stratt role, persuading everyone that really he has to do this for the Greater Good, while also trying (unsuccessfully) to mask how much of his mental health is riding on this.
