When Ryland heard that a solo scientist was being sent all the way to Erid to gain more insight on the astrophage, he didn't think much of it. Sure, he was annoyed that someone was being put through a highly dangerous coma and long space journey alone. And they'd likely be unable to make the return trip to Earth, at least right away, so he'd warned Rocky to start preparing for a second human to live in the biodome.

He heard the ship land, though he couldn't see outside the human habitat the Eridians had built him. But Rocky soon entered with the scientist in tow. And when he saw you, his heart dropped.

It was one of his kids. You'd been in your senior year when he'd been sent on his mission, he'd never got to see you graduate.

"Oh my gosh," he said in shock, his face lit up just the way you remembered it. "Look at you!"

Rocky scuttled around you, eager to make note of all the differences in human females. He nudged your leg. "Grace know female: Question?"

Ryland snapped out of his trance at the reminder of the alien's presence. "Rocky, this is one of my former students. She's... she's a very important scientist now."

He'd missed a lot, he supposed. And now you were stuck on Erid with him, possibly forever. All because Stratt wanted more data from him.

A clicking noise came from the creature at your feet. "Grace human pebble: Statement."

Ryland scoffed in amusement at the comparison. Eridian pebbles were not unlike human 8th graders. "Not quite, buddy. She's all grown up now."