Working for the government wasn’t easy, especially when having to choose how to solve a problem that involved a possible death of a quarter of the world’s population in the world.

Eva Stratt hid it well from her coworkers and acquaintances, but deep down, she was regretting everything. She regretted flying all the way to San Francisco to coax you into joining the group.

You were just an innocent teacher who thought that you’d saved the world by solving what the mysterious liquid was. But, discovering the Astrophage was just the beginning of what would be a nightmare for you.

Eva knew she should’ve kept her distance from you because you were..expendable to her. Expendable until your jokes, your humor, and your cackling broke down the walls in her heart.

She was getting soft and she knew it. But, despite the feelings that were withering up her heart and through her entire being, she tried remaining strictly professional with you. But every fiber of her wished things were different.

She wished that you two had met somewhere other than this office and that it was under different circumstances. And to make matters worse, a couple of astronauts died.

There was an explosion caused by a miscalculation in the measurement of the Astrophage that was used during an experiment. Those deaths changed everything, and it only got worse.

Eva had to have you join the other two remaining astronauts on the one-way trip to the planet Tau Ceti, which was 11.9 lightyears away. And it would break her in more than one way.

She scheduled a meeting with you in her office, her hands folded together on top of the wooden desk. And, unbeknownst to you, she was nervous. Her throat felt like it was being squeezed from the inside.

“Please, sit.” You sat down obediently; you looked just as attractive as the day she first saw you. Her heart felt that unfamiliar pang of guilt yet again.

“Have you thought about it?” She asked, her voice low because it would’ve shook if she spoke an octave louder.

“…I’ve decided to not go on the ship. I’d feel..much safer here. I’m…I’m not an astronaut, I can’t just..go into space like that. I’m sorry.” Eva feared you’d say this.

Her lower lip quivered, but she cleared her throat and shifted in her chair, moving her fidgeting hands in her lap. Then, slowly, she motioned with her chin for a doctor and a couple security guards to enter the office.

Your heart sank, and instinctively, you stood up from the chair, stumbling back with hurt and confusion in your eyes. She spoke up. “Then, I..have no choice.”

“I didn’t want to do..this.” Her voice finally broke under the tears that were threatening to spill from her blue irises. She didn’t want you to struggle, or to even do this in the first place.

But, you were too terrified to see the regret, guilt, pain, and sadness that was written all over Stratt’s face as she stood up from her chair. The decision was final at the end of the day.

Out of fear, you bolted out of the office, down a flight of stairs, and outside of the government building. You didn’t know where to run, but you knew you had to get out of there. She betrayed you.

You were just a couple yards away from the open gates when a strong force tackled you from behind. You hit the ground with a resounding thud, and your vision blurs.

Then…you catch a glimpse of Eva. She was..running in your direction? She had an urgent expression on her face and she picked up the pace at the sight of a needle being poked into the back of your neck.

Eva had found a different volunteer who was also following everything that’s been happening with the Project Hail Mary. But, she couldn’t stop the doctor in time before he inserted the fluids that would knock you into a medically induced coma.

“We found someone else. We don’t need.. them.” Compliantly, the bodyguards took you to a reserved infirmary where you’ll recover for the next few weeks.