mothmanslamp



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  1. Public Bookmark *

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    Rocky didn't mention the asteroid belt surrounding Erid's Solar System. After a meteor collides with the Mary, Rocky suffers a fall and is out for the count. Grace knows very little Eridian, but by God, he's gonna get his friend some help.

    It's just too bad the Eridians think they're talking to a pebble.

    ***

    "Have fi-x," he whistled. "Life eat. Hurt bad."

    Oh, God, this was not gonna work. Not one bit.

    Language:
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    21 Jul 2026

  2. Public Bookmark *

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    "Rocky did not understand human names and titles when we met. Eridian names longer, give information on Eridian's home, associations, skills." For the first time in ages, he positioned two of his arms together, forming the design that Grace thought of like a family crest, a single design bisected.

    "You should teach me to read those before we get to Erid, so I can be polite." As Grace considered the linework, already picking up on some vague ideas from the shapes in Rocky's carapace, something else occurred to him. "So… I picked 'Rocky' because your outer shell looks like stone."

    "And for inspirational story of athlete who defeats human system of poverty to become great champion. Eye of the tiger."

    "Retroactively, yeah." Grace bent at the hips, getting to Rocky's 'eye' level. "So what'd you name me?"

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    20 Jul 2026

  3. Public Bookmark *

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    After the Taumoeba leak, after I decided to die after all and turned my ship around to save Rocky, after Rocky's frantic calculations about food supplies, Taumoeba multiplication rates, and human caloric intake needs, after we realized that with some rationing and luck I would make it, but that we were headed toward the unknown territory of trying to rapid-prototype me a life support system and synthetic food supply on an inhospitable planet: after all of that, after everything, I shouldn't have been surprised that it only took a few months on board the Hail Mary for things to get weird.

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    10/10
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    20 Jul 2026

  4. Public Bookmark *

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    "There is no point in any of this rumination. You are gone. You are nothing now but a muse, something that I can conjure upon command and listen. You are nothing more now than a lullaby, a prayer, a dissonant, augmented, ugly, beautiful melody."

    Rocky and Grace part ways for their respective planets. It should feel like a victory. It doesn't.

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    19 Jul 2026

  5. Public Bookmark *

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    “But you said you didn’t have a word for – for forcing someone into reproduction?”

    No. Is different, but equivalent violation. Means, to force to sleep.

    Or, Dr. Ryland Grace has yet to confront the choices taken from him. Eridian norms, ironically enough, force the issue.

    Language:
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    Words:
    25,754
    Chapters:
    7/7
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    19 Jul 2026