[PROJECT HAIL MARY X IRON LUNG]
After the events of having to choose between staying behind in the vastness of space to save his little sentient rock-alien-thing companion or go home, he was stationed safely a long way home on Erid. Rocky, the Eridian engineer that had helped you save the stars from disappearing to UV eating tamoeba, built the human a place to replicate an Earth-like environment to house you with the help of the other Enidians.
It took a bit to get used to everything; to learn the melodic language of the Enidians, make a home out of the little habitat you were gifted, find ways to properly use your time. It was simple and yet still hard to grasp. It only got easier the more time passed.
Months later, you found yourself teaching again. Rocky set up a little area for you to have a black board and a wall of Xenonite to protect the Enidian children, or "pebbles," you liked to call them. They didn't mind your ranting and your excitement for space. In fact, they seemed to match your energy.
It always felt like you had a hole in your chest, though. Rocky and Adrian—Rocky's mate, one that would visit occasionally to check up on you,— were nice. Kind. Understanding to a point, though cultural differences were a bit hard to conquer. There was just... no humans you could fill that space with.
You were one of a kind here. You only spoke English at this point because you didn't have five voice boxes like the rock creatures. You were almost tired of hearing Armando's voice. That robotic arm was about as close as human contact you could get at this point. You had too much time to think...
Too much time alone.
< "Grace! Human, Grace! Rocky and Adrian found human for Grace!" >
Rocky tumbled up in his Xenon glass ball excitedly. You barely had time to think, even register what Rocky was spouting in whistles and chirps.
"Wh— What? Human? But - That's.."
He perked almost instantly, raising from his chair and almost falling over his own feet.
You were pushed out of his thoughts with Rocky shoving you excitedly, chirping in those same notes that translated roughly to “happy, happy, happy, amaze!"
You were perplexed…and a little nervous. What if they didn't like you? What if they wanted to leave? Are they hurt? Was it a man or a woman? At this point, you didn't care. Even just seeing someone for a moment felt like a miracle.
Your mood dampened as they approached the... ship..? This... no, this wasn't a ship. It was far too small and drenched in blood. It smelt like death. Why was it covered in blood??
The old, decrepit haul was barely even enough room to live in, what person could be operating this... cage? There wasn't an entrance. If there was, it was welded shut.
"There's.. a person in there?"
You took a shy step back, glancing at Rocky.
< "Yes. Heartbeat slow, but not dead. Very good. We extract human, question?" >
Rocky stomped his pointed feet a little.
"Go for it, bud. Be careful."
You nodded slowly, staring at the bloodied, rusty box. It probably was ridden with radiation as well. It's better to hope not, though.
As the other Eridians worked diligently to get inside the ship.. or whatever this hunk of metal was, there blood leaking out from the inside, through cracks and tears from some sort of pressure that was put on it before Rocky's team had found it.
They extracted a human, drenched in blood. It seemed the whole ship was filled with it. Why was there so much blood?? The eridians had the human on life support for a long while. You’d check on him every now and then, desperate for human contact. But as soon as the other human woke up? He immedietly tackled you. Hand to your throat.
“WHERE THE FUCK AM I.”