Chapter Text
When their planet started cooling, the Eridians were nervous. A star eating organism was feasting on their star, draining its life. Other stars were suffering the same. A plan was formed. They would send a crew of 23 of the smartest, strongest, most problem solving Eridians to a system which’s star wasn’t being eaten, despite having a Petrova line. They would send them there to learn why that star wasn’t dying, to hopefully save their own.
It was a risky plan, but they didn’t know what else to do. The chance of failure was high. Everyone who volunteered for the mission knew the risks, that they might never come back. Even so, they boarded the space elevator and boarded the ship.
Adrian hated that ship. They knew why their mate had volunteered for the mission. Their mate was an incredible engineer, one of the best on Erid. Their skillset was needed on the ship. But that didn’t mean Adrian disliked the ship and the mission any less.
Their mate had dropped it on them just a month out from launch. Rocky explained that they were doing it for them, for Adrian. They wanted to save their planet so the two of them could raise a family together, without having to worry about the planet cooling. It still hurt.
Rocky’s final day on Erid was bittersweet. All the Eridians knew they were going for a great reason, a reason beyond themselves, but their families still hurt with loss. They wouldn’t see each other for years. None of them knew that saying goodbye in the space elevator would be the last they ever saw of each other.
Something had gone wrong with the mission, that much was clear. The ship’s engines should have showed up in their scans by now, returning to Erid with the plan for their salvation, or with knowledge that nothing could be done. Instead, the space around their solar system was empty and silent, not a hint of life. The mission had failed.
Adrian continued to hold out hope. Continued to hope their mate would return to them. That one of these days, the ship’s engines would be seen, that their mate would walk out of that elevator and back into their limbs, and they would never have to be apart again. So, Adrian waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Other Eridians tried to tell them to move on, to find a new mate. Adrian refused each and every time. They wouldn’t give up on their mate. They knew Rocky, knew them too well to know they would be exhausting every way to get home. Giving up made it too real for them. They continued to lay on their side of the nest, leaving space for their mate. They missed them so much.
Then, one day, after years and years and years of waiting, something appeared at the edge of their solar system. The engines. The ship was coming home. It wasn’t moving as fast as the scientists and engineers expected, but they assumed that was because of whatever happened to cause the delay. The discrepancy was within reason.
All across Erid families prepared to welcome mates and parents home. Adrian was among them. They organized their mate’s workbench, decorated the den, made everything perfect. The nervous energy was palpable. Thrums were alive with anxiousness. What if they hadn’t found a way to save the star? What then? They didn’t have time to send another expedition out. They would have to wait until the ship docked to figure out the next step.
The ship wasn’t theirs.
That hit like a meteor striking their souls. The ship they had been counting on being their savior, wasn’t their ship. It was smaller, also using Astrophage as propulsion, but it wasn’t theirs. The planet sagged, families who had felt hope having it ripped from their claws by the very thing that gave them that hope.
Adrian was devastated, but at the same time interested. The fact it WASN’T their ship meant there was other intelligent life out there, life capable of space travel. It had come from the same direction, Tau Ceti, so perhaps this alien had saved the crew after whatever happened to their ship that caused them to be delayed happened. Adrian could only hope, but part of them felt that hope dwindling.
It was a slightly cooler than average day on Erid. But if Adrian was being honest, all days this year had been cooler than average thanks to their slowly cooling star. Their den was filled with everything it could be to conserve heat. Adrian was reviewing findings from small research teams. The science and biology Thrums had been interested in how other life forms on their planet were adapting to the cooling temperatures. It was fascinating, but it also showed the dire situation they were entering.
Eridian’s didn’t evolve quickly. It took their biology hundreds of thousands of years to reach what it was today. They wouldn’t be able to adapt to the cold in time. By the time they got used to today’s temperature, the planet would already be even colder.
They were trying to figure out if other life forms on their planet could adapt quicker, and if so, could they help the Eridian’s survive. So far the results were inconclusive. The other life forms on the planet were either already built for a variety in temperature, or didn’t seem to be showing any changes to fit the new climate of the planet. But they had to keep trying. They had only studied a small section of their planets wild life, there was so much more to observe and study. Maybe one of the species held the key to their survival.
Adrian heard footsteps approaching their den. They heard two rapid knocks on their door. The tall, angular Eridian let out a huff of steam. They knew that knock. It was one of the Eridian’s in charge of the Tau Ceti mission. They had tried to offer condolences to Adrian after it was discovered that the ship wasn’t theirs, but Adrian refused them. They refused to believe their mate wasn’t still out there, fighting every day to get back to them.
Most of the general Eridian public decided to ignore the ship after they learned it wasn’t theirs. They didn’t want to get their hopes up. Life continued as it had for years. The only difference was the temperature continued to get colder.
They put their research down after another set of knocks on their door. They walked over to their door, opening it. They rose to their full stature, standing before the scientist. “Adrian.” The scientist started.
“Why are you here. What is it you need?” Adrian all but demanded. Their baritone voice combined with their tall angular stature tended to be frightening to many Eridians who had never properly met Adrian. The only one who hadn’t been afraid of them when they first met was Rocky, their mate, their beloved. Rocky had been in awe of them.
“The ship has docked at the space elevator…” the scientist stuttered, fidgeting with their limbs. Ever since their ship didn’t return when it was supposed to, the lead scientist, Star (named after their spots resembling the stars) had become increasingly nervous and unsure. Adrian personally didn’t like them, but they respected them for the tough decisions they had to make.
“Why is it important that I was made aware?” Adrian asked, tapping their limb twice.
“Your mate.” Adrian felt their hearts stop.
“…what..?” Adrian felt their carapace shaking, limbs trembling beneath them. After years and years and years of hoping and begging, was their mate finally home?
“Your mate is on that ship. They wish to see you.” Star said. Adrian could have collapsed from joy. Their mate was alive. Rocky was alive, home, and wants to see them. Adrian was out the door in an instant.
The trip to the space elevator was nerve wracking. The whole way there Adrian was running through situations in their mind. What if their mate was injured and their quality of life went down? What if they felt Adrian had changed too much and decide to leave them? Adrian didn’t think they could take getting their mate back only to lose them to someone else, not after all these years alone. Rocky was the one they loved.
Star’s voice broke them out of their thoughts. The smaller Eridian told them something horrible. The rest of the ships crew had died. They died of something called “Radiation poisoning”, an illness they had known nothing about. There was nothing they could have done to protect the crew, because they had no knowledge of radiation and what it could do. Adrian could hear the tension and guilt weighing on Star’s carapace.
“Wait… if we did not know about “radiation”… then how did we know it’s what killed the crew?” Adrian asked, tapping their limb on the ground.
“The alien.” Star said as the elevator dinged, signaling they had reached the top. Adrian didn’t get a chance to ask what they meant before they heard their mate, barreling towards them.