Chapter Text
I sit on the artificial beach in my dome. It’s been about five years here on Erid- technically five and a half if you count the time I spent in Erid’s orbit while Rocky and a team of many, many Eridians figured out how to get me down to Erid without promising me a slow and painful death.
I had offered to live on the ship for the rest of my natural life. Rocky deserved to reunite with Adrian and live free of the needy parasite he’d tracked into his planet on the bottom of his claw.
Rocky swiftly rejected that idea, and several Eridians started work on replicating the entirety of humanity’s medical discoveries.
I cried.. like a lot over those few months. As grateful as I was, I was terrified. Scurvy, Anemia, and Rickets had mostly claimed the use of my body. I didn’t want to eat, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to live. Even after getting me on Erid and in the lowest gravity they could manufacture (1.2x earth gravity). My weak bones ached, the ship was out of most if not all medications- I had managed to save samples of the essentials like amoxicillin and fever reducer. But there was no telling if the medication was still in-date after all of the time dilution.
Rocky was very protective of me, he didn’t want to let anyone else into my medical enclosure. He wouldn’t leave my side. I told him to spend time with Adrian- I told him I was going to be okay. And then I realized he needed this more than I did.
It had taken years to recover the state my body was in, and even longer for the fight or flight I had been feeling every single day on the entire mission to fade away.
I had met other Eridians a handful or two times, Rocky was anxious about introducing me slowly. I had thought it was stupid, and then I met Adrian.
It was.. odd at first.
Eridians regarded me as the savior of their kind, which was uncomfortably flattering enough. But what was worse was meeting Adrian.
I had some understanding of what I meant to Adrian, Rocky talked about them all the time. Adrian was intelligent, and logical. They were very happy to see their mate alive, but they were adamant about not being interested in me. And that is fine- they had been away from their mate for longer than I had been alive.
Adrian had only talked to me three times within the first four years, once to introduce themself after a year of silence- not that long to their species, I have to force myself to remember. They came without telling Rocky the first time.
I knew it was Adrian because Rocky had been adamant that the only Eridians allowed to go inside the enclosure without warning me beforehand were those two. Also, they had the same mating marks as Rocky does, and a specialized suit.
They were.. bigger than Rocky. Makes sense- they were older to begin with, and after all that time dilation– they were much older than him now. Their carapace was an oxidized copper color and their vents larger. I could not make out most words from them back then, despite the fact I could understand Rocky. Rocky had been simplifying his speech, speaking slowly and like he was talking to a child.
Adrian spoke normally for his species, deep and complex chords that were all sung on top of each other. I stared at him stupidly, hoping that Rocky had rubbed off a few earth habits on Adrian through the small time I had managed to push them together.
I held up a finger and went to collect my laptop, Adrian started to sound just like Rocky as I tried to crudely communicate my limited intellect.
Adrian had thanked me, they had asked if I was comfortable here. If I was in any discomfort from the climate.
I had reassured them I was very grateful for all the help, and I was very happy here.
They had apologized for waiting so long to meet me, they admitted to being scared.
I had apologized for keeping Rocky from them so long. Both of us thought the other’s apology unnecessary.
Adrian had left and come back later that week, asking me about myself and my life on earth. They wanted to know how old I was- not believing the scientist's estimation, how long humans lived, if I had a mate or offspring.
I had learned that the times they had come to visit, Rocky had been eating.
Rocky and Adrian had come together the next time, an unspoken agreement between me and the larger Eridian had formed. I didn’t mention that we had already met.
I had already ran my classes for the day, let Armando do basic vitals and eaten the minimum amount of nutrients to not be bothered about it, the artificial sun was setting in half an hour. Rocky had already come to visit this morning and beat me at chess.
I’m not sure how old I am, the gravity is eroding my joints over time so it’s hard to tell- I had grey streaks in my hair even before my teaching days.
On earth, more than twenty years have passed. Four years of coma, plus four years of travel to Erid and the five years I've spent here.. I’m 45? Birthdays aren’t a big deal on Erid, because you get around 800 of them. But human birthdays- or at least mine was a very big deal for them.
I lean back into the white sand, feeling the heat of the planet warm me to the bone, I stare up at the fabricated projection of a setting california sunset and close my eyes. The nice thing about being on an alien planet, there are no sandfleas to bother you. Or.. at least ones that can survive in my freezing, flammable environment.
“Grace.” I hear the familiar notes from the depressurization chamber a few hundred feet behind me. I hum back a ‘Hello’. I can’t make the real sounds required to speak Eridian on account of my squishy human windpipe, but a greeting is a simple few notes. Also, it’s just Rocky- he’ll understand me.
I don’t sit up, I’m comfortable. Rocky, in his xenonite suit, curls up to my side. I run my palm over his vents. He’s warm, like always.
Rocky doesn’t start a conversation, I can feel him try to settle his legs under his carapace and rest his arms.
“What’s up?” I ask, calm against the shore.
“...Topic is.. social taboo on Earth and Erid.” Rocky shifts side to side.
I sit up, settling on the sand with my legs folded, Rocky sits on my lap. He’s heavy but he’s never actually put more than twenty pounds of weight on me. Something about the suit displacing more of the weight on his arms that are still on the sand.
“Well, we’re not on earth, are we? And I’d say it isn’t really Erid in here either.” I ask, rubbing my hand over his carapace again. Eridians aren’t tactile creatures, but humans need touch to not go crazy. Besides, Humans don’t need to watch each other sleep- but I’ll watch him any day.
What I mean is that it’s mutually beneficial.
“Adrian wants to lay eggs together. Biologically ready..”
Oh.
I have to think about how to respond, Rocky is my best friend- but he’s very shy. Especially about these types of things. I guess it’s fair, I’m equally cagey. From what I remember, reproduction on Erid isn’t really similar to courting rituals on earth.
Partners and Mates are different things here- Eridian adults typically only have one mate. Eridians only have offspring with that one mate. But if both mates agree, it is fine for them to see other partners. But the first mate remains special. Adrian would have never moved on if Rocky had died.
Eridians used to lay and bury eggs in the hot sand, and then let the earth incubate them. But it’s considered an unnecessary risk nowadays, and they’re incubated artificially. The eggs from each parent fuse together to create new genes and a clutch (I call it a gravel, because it’s very funny) of offspring (called Pebbles- adorable, I’m not changing it) hatches after 18 months, around 1-8 kids, an average of about two per cluster. Eridians start laying usually at the 350 years mark and have a few clusters several decades apart.
I guess it is kind of similar. I was barely interested in one partner on earth, let alone multiple.
“Why are you upset? I thought you wanted Pebbles.” I rest my hand on him.
Rocky settles down next to me, tapping his claws together and shifting his carapace while he thinks.
“Means I will be away for most days until hatching. Other Eridians would be in Grace's enclosure. Spend less time with Grace…Grace is partner. Grace should have say too.”
“Oh, buddy..” I sigh, wrapping my arms around his body and folding myself over my lap. “You deserve to have kids, you deserve to live your life. Adrian has been missing you for longer than I've been alive. You don’t need to worry about me.”
I rub the tears out of my eyes, sniffling as I sit up fully.
“I’ll be fine. Really. You don’t need my permission, but you do have it.”
“..Grace sure?” He shifts anxiously.
“Yeah Rocky. Just- promise you’ll let me meet them after they hatch, yeah?”
“Rocky promise. Adrian will be very excited.”
—
I lie in bed that night replaying the day’s events. I can’t say I haven’t thought about the possibility of Rocky having kids before, he was on his home planet and with his mate after all. He would eventually become a.. father.. mother? Parent?
In retrospect, it is strange of me to think of Rocky as a guy and Adrian as androgynous when they are both hermaphrodites. There is no concrete reason, just- Rocky is a guy in the same way that some french words are a guy.
Partner.
The word hits me like a truck, comically so- like, my eyes shoot open as I remember it.
I had been so excited about the idea of little Pebbles running around the place I had completely disregarded the indication that I was that important to Rocky.
I don’t think I've ever been that important. To anyone. (Excluding the people who sent me to my death, but that’s different.)
I don’t mind the title. Rocky understands I’m not the type of human to enjoy courting rituals- human or not.
Adrian and I have gotten closer since Rocky forced us to hang out more. I’ve watched them sleep and they’re responsible for the fact I don’t have to eat just Tauamoeba sludge (Adrian invented a Tauamoeba milkshake one time, I cried in gratitude).
I don’t remember falling asleep, but I wake up incredibly excited.
–
A month later, I’ve seen Rocky and Adrian a handful of times each- never at the same time though. They’re busy preparing to.. do whatever they do. I didn’t ask.
The depressurization room where Rocky enters my enclosure is being expanded by a few Eridians- moreso a second room next to it that I’ll be able to see into to talk to other scientists.
From what I know about Eridian eggs- there’s some form of hormonal bond to them once they fuse with a mate’s. One mate is always with the eggs, but usually both of them are there, so I really won’t see them together until the eggs hatch.
In all honesty, I had given my permission because.. well I’d be a terrible freaking person if i didn’t.
But I’m not sure if I'm actually ready to be away from Rocky for that long. A year and a half- technically some eggs do hatch at the 8 month mark if they absorb their siblings, but it’s rare and usually results in a genetic defect of some kind.
“Alright,” I clap, wrapping up my class. “Make sure to listen to the paragraph on germ theory before our next class and remember any questions you want to ask.”
The adolescents file out, although- most of them are technically older than me. I try to not think about it.
I pick up my cane and start my way back to my house. Eridian gravity has taken its toll, and I’ve always had a bad back. The rubber tip has some trouble with the sand, I forgot to change out the end for something better suited for the outside terrain when I left this morning.
I brush the sand off my joggers and tug off my shoes before I enter the cabin- leaving them on the porch. I don’t have to really worry about rain or bugs- or anyone stealing for that matter. I’m literally in a climate controlled dome on a socialist alien planet. Sometimes I’ll be sitting outside and wave at a bug before I realize there are none.
My socked feet press into the enonite tiles of the kitchen as I rinse out a cup of its residual slurry from this morning. Erid doesn’t have tea, but hot water and fruit-flavored vitamin sweetener are basically the same thing.
I’ve literally just decided on a book and sat down in my armchair when there's a knock at my door.
“Yeah!” I shout, groaning as I pull myself up on a grab bar and place my cane back into my palm. I don’t need to shout, Rocky would hear even if I whispered- but human habits die hard.
When I open the door, it is not Rocky. It is not Adrian either. I’ve mostly only met scientists who had managed to listen through the entirety of a translated Wikipedia page on whatever squishy human medical issue I had at the time, or ‘political’ figures thanking me for saving their planet.
“Er.. 𝄞.” The notes are strangled and human, and the Eridian in front of me is doing a terrible job at suppressing its chittering (Eridian laugher) in response to my attempt at a greeting. The being is a mottled brown with rubyish mating marks, small in stature- younger than Rocky then. Eridians are kinda like turtles in that sense, they grow exponentially over time, never really stopping- but slowing down after the 543 year mark.
Why then? I don’t know, I just live here.
It waves its claws around excitedly- toppling off my front steps and into the sand and indicating for me to follow.
“Alright, I get it- hold on,” I smile, sitting down on my porch chair and tugging my shoes on with a Xenonite shoehorn. I grab the right cane for sand and follow the overexcited scientist.
It is a very long walk, but I don’t mind the fresh air. Although- everywhere is fresh air. The atmosphere is clean oxygen for my ‘dumb sensitive squishy human air cavities’ as Rocky so eloquently put to the engineers.
We walk up to the depressurisation chamber, and then to the rectangle room that has been constructed next to it, it’s clear Xenonite- solely so I can look in. And suddenly, nothing else matters.
I’m less interested in the room’s construction, and more what’s inside it.
Rocky and Adrian are sort of curled up together next to their clutch. I don’t find myself mournful of the fact I missed out on seeing however Eridians lay eggs. I press my hand against the Xenonite panel, tears dripping down my face.
The little Eridian chirps and retreats back into the depressurisation chamber in its ball.
The pair are awake- evident by their little twitches, but exhausted- sort of a low power mode I guess. The enclosure is mostly Eridian objects I don’t understand or recognize, but it’s similar to a nest. The floor seems similar to sand, and it’s very warm there if the panel I'm touching is anything to go off of.
The eggs themselves are not visible, they do emit a sort of light through the sand. It’s beautiful. Coppery hues and deep ocean blues shine through their buried state. I swallow thickly.
“Oh.. Rocky..” I sit down next to the barrier.
Rocky gives an exhausted chirp, he looks like he’s watching Adrian sleep.
“It’s alright, I’ll watch you both sleep.” I smile, wiping the weepy tears from my face and sniffling. “I’m so proud.”
Rocky doesn’t respond, he just conks out. I don’t blame him- creating life on earth is a historically painful and exhausting thing to grossly understate, why would it be any different here?
Besides, I can wait.