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Ever since their star stared dying, their planet cooling, and their mate leaving with 22 other Eridians to find a solution, Adrian had been waiting. Waiting for the ship to dock at the space elevator, waiting for their star to be saved, waiting for their mate to return. They waited a very very very long time.
They were incredibly glad they did.
A ship was detected approaching Erid. It was small, much too small to be the ship they sent up all those years ago. The Thrums were alive with nervous energy, wondering what this strange ship was doing so close to their planet. The science Eridians were fascinated by the concept of other intelligent life out there capable of space travel. Then they heard it.
A voice, an Eridian voice. One of the crew sent up in that ship all those years ago. They had returned. They had found a solution. And… an alien.
Adrian heard a knock outside their den and they huffed. If this was another Eridian trying to court them again, they swore they would beat them senseless. They reached the entrance to their den, opening the door, only to hear a science Eridian standing there. They only had to say two words before Adrian was sprinting to the space elevator. “They’re back.”
The scientist told them that their mate was the lone survivor of the crew they sent up. Apparently the crew had died from something called “radiation” a threat they had never heard of. They only knew about it because their mate had met an alien. Of course they had. That alien apparently possessed a sense Eridian’s didn’t have. It could perceive light. It was fascinating to a biologist like Adrian. But there were other things on their mind.
Adrian heard them, their mate, for the first time in far too long. Rocky seemed hesitant. Adrian was not. They barreled towards their mate before crashing into them, wobbling songs escaping them as their limbs gave out. Their mate was quick to press their smaller carapace against theirs, limbs intertwining. They both let out calming hums, directed at each other.
It was perfect. It was beyond perfect. After so so so long, Adrian had their mate back. Adrian could stay like this forever, with their mate tucked in their limbs, safe and protected and real.
Adrian learned of the alien their mate had met and brought back slowly. Mainly because their mate chose to spend a large amount of time at the alien’s bedside. Adrian was fascinated by the alien, by everything Rocky told them about it. How it had no visible thick carapace like theirs, how it was squishy and walked on two limbs. How its name, Grace, meant beauty, kindness, and elegance, while it was incredibly clumsy and at times stupid. How humans were sentimental creatures, how it decided to name a planet after them. Sure it was the name the human gave to them, but they still chose to name the planet that saved both their worlds after them. They wanted to meet this alien, even more so after their mate told them the alien saved them.
Every time they asked to meet the alien, their mate rejected. At first they understood. After all, their mate had been alone in space with this alien for years, they were bound to be protective of it. But the longer it went on, the more annoyed Adrian became. The science thrums had been allowed to see Grace, a whole separate thrum being formed for its care and wellbeing, why couldn’t they?
They finally confronted their mate about it one day before they went up to see Grace. “Why do you say I cannot see them?” They asked their mate, resonant voice carrying their question, tapping their limb twice.
Their mate sagged, steam escaping the vents on the top of their carapace. “Grace want make good impression. On you specifically.” Rocky said, voice clipped in that strange way that had developed over their time apart.
“They already brought you home to me. They’ve already made the best impression anyone could wish to make.” Adrian said, taking their mate’s claw in theirs. They held it before tracing their matching carvings with another limb. They lowered their front limbs, pressing their tall carapace against their mate, humming gently.
“Just afraid Adrian won’t like. Not exactly pleasant to look at. Worse now, sick.” Rocky said, quiet, almost ashamed. Adrian understood their mate’s apprehension. They did their best to sooth that anxiety.
“I’m sure I will love them, just as you do. I want to thank them for saving you, for bringing you home to me. Please. I want to meet them.” Adrian pleaded, holding their mate close. Rocky was silent for a moment, contemplating. Rocky then tilted their carapace up and down, something they picked up from the human, before agreeing.
Rocky had warned them, but even then they still didn’t know what to expect.
Its body was thin, fleshy carapace pulled tight over its internal structure. Its organs were slow. It looked sick, just as their mate said it was. There was a bag of strange liquid attached to a tube running into Grace’s nose and down into its digestive organ, bypassing its main eating orifice.
“Scientists synthesize more coma slurry for Grace.” Their mate said, lifting their limb and pointing at the bag of fluid. “Is temporary fix. Till more nutrient rich food synthesized.”
The two were sitting behind a wall of xenonite. It was thinner, their mate explaining that Grace was able to see through it, while it couldn’t see through thicker xenonite. That made Adrian even more curious about the alien’s optical organs, but all that would have to wait. Right now Grace needed to recover. And Adrian would watch them sleep with Rocky, together they would make sure Grace was ok.
Within an earth week the science thrums had successfully synthesized more of the coma slurry for Grace. Rocky was ecstatic. Grace finally had a source of food on Erid. Slowly they began increasing the amount of slurry Grace was receiving, letting its body get used to ingesting food once more. Grace’s organs began to grow louder, which Rocky was excited about. Apparently the human body was quite loud.
Every few hours more of the slurry would be sent down the feeding tube into Grace’s digestive organs. They didn’t want to reintroduce food too quickly, that could make it sick. Slowly but surely the aliens body was healing, slightly more padding forming around its hard internal structure. Adrian understood now why their mate had called Grace squishy.
Grace woke up. The human was clearly disoriented, the robot limb above it clearly not helping that fact. “What is two plus two?” A robot voice that Adrian couldn’t understand asked.
Grace began to leak. Its optical organs were leaking. The science Eridians panicked. Rocky didn’t. Before anyone got a chance to ask anything, Rocky was across the room, tapping a button on a strange device Adrian couldn’t name, before donning a xenonite suit and speeding to Grace’s bedside.
The scientists were panicking. The air sacks in Grace’s carapace weren’t expanding properly. It was leaking and shifting around, like it was in pain. “Grace. Grace ok. Grace safe.” Rocky repeated as they approached the human.
They climbed up onto the bed next to the human, continuing to speak calmly. Rocky settled the weight of their carapace down next to Grace before draping two limbs over them, forming a protective barrier around its weaker body. Another limb came up towards Grace’s upper limb, next to their claws, not touching it yet. The human stiffened. It turned its “head” towards Rocky, optical sensing organs opening. Adrian heard a faint change in its optical organs. They heard it speak, broken and raspy. “ROCKY!”
Its upper limbs wrapped around Rocky’s carapace to the best of their ability, body shaking as it continued to leak. Adrian realized their mate wasn’t panicking about the leaking. That’s when they realized the human was crying. Rocky had told them about how leaky Grace was, how when its emotions got too much its optical organs would leak. Grace was crying.
Rocky was letting out soothing rumbling hums, letting the human cling to them. Their mate even began to work a claw through the fine lines atop Grace’s carapace. Grace let out a shuddering breath, pressing themself against Rocky.
“Is ok Grace. Rocky here. Rocky real.” The Eridian said, gently pulling the human closer. It was similar to how Eridian’s would calm young pebbles. Grace’s heart rate and breathing began to slow down, returning to normal.
“Where..?” The human spoke, voice still scratchy but now thick with something else.
“Still on Hail Mary.” Rocky replied.
Adrian heard as more liquid gathered at Grace’s optical organs, the human’s face scrunching up. Their mate let out a soothing croon, running their claws through the thin lines atop Grace’s carapace once more. “But Hail Mary on Erid.”
The human froze. Adrian heard its heart rate pick up. “We… we made it?”
“Yes. We made it. Erid star saved. We did it.”
Adrian realized then why their mate had called Grace leaky. It seemed that for ANY emotion the human had, it would leak. The human began to leak again. Rocky let out a soft chuckle, a puff of air escaping their vents, as they let Grace cry. Adrian watched as their mate soothed Grace, holding the human, comforting it.
Their hearts ached. Rocky was so gentle with the creature, with Grace. It was a type of care usually reserved for hatch-mates, mates, pebbles, and the closest of friends, yet here Rocky was, giving that same care to this alien. The alien that saved their life. Not just once, but twice. The alien that helped save all of their lives. Adrian realized in that moment that Grace was the closest friend their mate has ever had. They let out a content puff of steam, settling down to watch their mate and their human friend.
Grace’s crying had calmed down, a few sniffles being all that was left. The robot limb above it handed it a strange pouch of fluid. The alien took it gratefully, Rocky helping them sit upright. Grace put its head orifice on a tube from the pouch, and began to suck up the liquid inside. Water, they realized. The human was drinking a thing of water. The science Eridians had been giving the human fluids through an iv, sending them through the strange thin pipes in its fleshy carapace so its cells didn’t dehydrate and shut down. But that did nothing for the rest of its system connected to its face orifice’s. Rocky chuckled as the human gulped down the liquid, clearly very thirsty. After it finished the pouch, the robot limb took it away.
The alien looked around, taking in all the changes that had been made to the Hail Mary to allow the scientists to work to keep it alive. More xenonite panels had been added, practically on all sides of the bed. They were hooked up to machines, monitoring their vitals, even though the Eridian’s could hear Grace’s organs without the help of the machines. Its optical organs landed on Adrian.
Adrian didn’t like the human’s gaze all that much. It felt far too exposed despite the fact the human couldn’t see their insides like they could to it. The human raised one of its upper limbs, opening its claws and moving the limb back and forth. Their mate laughed, turning their carapace towards them slightly before saying, “Waving. Saying hello.”
Adrian lifted their own limb, mimicking the human’s movement. Grace’s face orifice opened, showing the hard internal structure. Adrian didn’t like that at all. They tensed up, shifting away slightly. Their mate laughed even more! How rude! The human looked at Rocky, seeming confused.
“Is ok. Is human thing. Show teeth as sign of happy. Grace happy.” Rocky said, still using that stunted speaking pattern. The human tilted its “head” up and down, the same motion Rocky had made when they finally agreed to let Adrian see the human. That’s where they got it from.
Their mate then motioned for them to enter the alien’s atmosphere, to come meet the alien up close. There were spare xenonite suits for the care staff, one of every possible size. While Adrian was excited to meet the alien up close, to get a better understanding of the human, they were also nervous. Their mate had told them how dangerous Grace’s atmosphere was to them, how cold it was. They could see the damage on their mates carapace.
Their mate sensed their apprehension. Rocky had always been able to read them easily. That was one of the reasons they fell in love. “Is ok. Suit is safe. Won’t get hurt. Promise.” Their mate said.
“Ok… yes. I will come meet Grace. I must thank them.” Adrian said, steeling their nerves as they walked towards the xenonite suits.
They heard Grace ask their mate, “Who is that?”
“Is Adrian.” Rocky responded.
“WHAT?!” Grace let out a distressed noise. It pressed its upper limbs against its optical organs, bending over itself, forming a little ball. “I wanted to make a better impression than this…”
Adrian was in the airlock now, xenonite suit covering their carapace. They heard it begin cycling through the safe Eridian atmosphere, switching to the toxic atmosphere the alien breathed. Rocky was rubbing the human’s carapace, limb moving over where a long connected series of internal structures ran from its head down to its lower limbs.
“Already made good impression on Adrian.” Their mate told it.
“Really?” It looked at their mate.
“Yes, really.” Adrian responded before their mate could. They stepped into the alien’s atmosphere, a faint chill coming through the xenonite. The alien’s optical organs were wide, looking at them.
“You’re Adrian…” It spoke.
“Yes.”
“You’re beautiful.” Adrian felt flattered. Rocky preened, happily tapping their feet as they shifted back and forth. They were clearly proud that Grace thought their mate was beautiful. Adrian approached the bedside, slowly, carefully, not wanting to spook the human. Grace watched them, optical organs following their movements.
Adrian lowered two limbs, pressing part of their carapace to the floor. They were bowing. They heard the alien’s optical organs widen.
“Thank you for bringing my mate back to me.” Adrian said, voice trembling with emotion. “I owe you everything. Anything you need, let me know. I can do my best to make it happen for you. We all owe you our lives.”
“Woah woah woah! Calm down!” The human began frantically waving its limbs around. Rocky huffed, taking the human’s limbs in their own, stoping their frantic waving.
“Grace say Grace not hero. Grace say Grace not brave. Grace wrong. Grace hero. Grace save Earth, save Erid, save Rocky. Grace hero.” Their mate says, holding Grace’s limbs. Their mate presses their carapace against Grace’s thin fleshy carapace, humming gently.
“Yes. Grace is a hero.” Adrian added, sitting down next to the bed. Adrian gently lifted one of their limbs, claws open. Their mate pressed one of Grace’s upper limbs into their open claw. Adrian held the limb in theirs.
“You brought my mate home to me. You saved all of us. You’ve made the best impression anyone ever could.” They said, holding the human’s limb gently, nervous about accidentally hurting them. The human seemed so fragile already, but after learning they were sick, they seemed even more delicate. Grace’s optical organs welled with liquid again, more tears. Rocky gently rubbed them away, wrapping a limb around Grace.
“Thank you..” Grace sobbed, curling in on itself.
“Of course Grace. Welcome to Erid.”