3 Frogs In A Trench Coat Reading AO3

Simon has been streaming for just over two-and-a-half hours at this point, jumping around the Minecraft world he has been playing on for the past few streams, when his phone vibrates aggressively on his desk. He doesn't answer the first time. He usually doesn’t when he is streaming, but when it begins to vibrate again seconds later, he knows something is up. He gives a quick glance at chat, before picking his phone up from his desk. Ryland’s contact name stares up at him from the screen and Simon can’t help the small pit that forms in his stomach.

As soon as the call connects, Ryland’s voice is pleading and begging in his ear for help. Simon’s face pales, blood draining from his face at his husband’s tone. Simon has heard the other man angry, sad, exhausted, grieving even, but he has never heard him like this. “Angel? What’s going on, darling? Talk to me.”

“They’re trying to kill me, Simon- They want to send me to space on this suicide mission to another solar system! You have to come get me! I don’t want to die.. I don’t want to go, Simon! They can’t- can’t make me go!”

Simon almost drops his phone at the revelation that someone is apparently trying to kill his husband, the device slipping from his grip and in his attempt to catch the device, puts it on speaker. “Ryland what do you mean they are trying to send you to space?! Who is they? You need to take a deep breath my love. Talk to me!”

“Stratt- and- and the government! I don’t know! They want me on this Project Hail Mary mission to Tau Ceti that I told you about, but since the explosion killed their scientist, they want to send me instead! I’m not an astronaut- I- I don’t know what to do.”

Simon sits speechless for a few moments, staring blankly at his computer screen. They want to send Ryland— his Ryland— to space on a suicide mission. He doesn’t know what to say, doesn't know how to respond. He looks at chat briefly; they’re all collectively screaming at him to go to Ryland. He doesn’t even think after that. He’s out of his chair without even ending the stream. He can’t afford to waste a single minute when Ryland is in danger.

“Ryland, angel, you need to tell me where you are. Where do I need to go to find you?”

“The biology research and testing laboratory in Sacramento. They want to bring me to Mirny, Russia for launch in 3 days.”

“Fuck.. I’m on my way, alright? I’m coming to get you.”

What should have been a thirty-minute drive takes Simon sixteen. He doesn’t remember much after he gets in the car, only that he blows through more than one red light to get to Ryland. He hardly parks before getting out of the car and rushing through the front doors of the laboratory— straight past the two military guards standing at the entrance. He walks right past the front desk, ignoring the calls from the receptionist. Bursting through a set of double doors, he calls Ryland’s name desperately. He has no clue how to navigate this place, or where Ryland is, but he’s running on pure adrenaline. Worst-case scenarios run through his head: What if they already took Ryland away? What if he resisted and they hurt him— or worse?

There is a set of doors that lead to an outside facility, a sign reading ‘medbay’ and ‘holding’. Simon doesn’t even have a chance to fully process the words on the sign before the doors are flying open under the sheer force he is throwing himself into them with. 

Once he’s outside, security has been alerted of his presence in the building, and are chasing after him. The guards try to corner him against the fence of what he assumes to be the building with all the holding cells. He tries to ignore the implications of his husband being held in this lab like a prisoner; the thoughts only motivating him further. His husband is being held against his will to be sent on a suicide mission, and they’re holding him like he’s the dangerous one! Ryland would never hurt a soul! He catches and releases any and all bugs outside instead of killing them! 

Simon scales the tall fence surrounding the holding building, jumping over it into a small courtyard type patch of grass and concrete. He turns, and is suddenly face-to-face with a blond, middle-aged woman in a black cardigan.

“Mr. Grace. I figured it wouldn’t have been long until you showed up. My name is Eva Stratt. I’m the lead coordinator of Project Hail Mary. I think it’s about time we sit and have a chat.”

“Where is Ryland?” Simon presses before Stratt can even finish her introduction, desperate to find him and bring him home.

“I understand your concern Mr. Grace, but Dr. Grace is a crucial piece of this very complicated puzzle we have found ourselves having to piece together in order to save the world. I’m sure you understand.”

“No, I don’t, actually! I don’t understand why it had to be Ryland! He’s not an astronaut! He-He didn’t sign up for this!” Simon is yelling now, face flushed from running and climbing. “You need to release him! Now!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Mr. Grace. The fate of the world depends on this mission launching on schedule. Dr. Grace is the only viable candidate.” 

“That’s bullshit!”

“I apologize, Mr. Grace. My hands are tied.”

“So that’s it? You send my husband— my best friend— into space to die and I’m just supposed to accept it?!” Simon is almost at a loss for words— almost. “You have to have someone else capable of doing the job! Ryland cannot be the only one qualified enough for this!”

“Please do not make this any harder than it already is. I do not want to have  my men drag you out.”

Simon scoffs to hide the dread that is quickly spreading through his gut, “Can I at least say goodbye?”

“You may, but it must be quick.”

Stratt leads him into the holding building, down a dark hallway where Ryland is being kept. His footsteps echo, the noise ringing in his ears. When they reach Ryland’s cell, he is already lying in a medical bed, wires and tubes hooked up to him. He’s unconscious, presumably in a coma. 

Simon’s rage boils over. “What the fuck did you do to him?! This— This isn’t fair! You’re killing him! This is murder! He doesn’t want this!”

“I’m doing what I need to do, Mr. Grace. I understand that this is difficult for you, but it’s for the greater good of humanity.”

“I don’t want to live in a world—this humanity— without Ryland! I don’t think you understand! I don’t think you’ve ever felt anything in your entire life! That’s the only reason I can think of why you are okay with tearing him away from me like this!”

Stratt stiffens only slightly, but enough for Simon to catch it. He’s hit a nerve. A large one at that, because Stratt turns to the guards standing behind him, and gestures for them to take him away. Simon kicks, and swings at them, but they grab hold of his arms.

He’s thrown out into the parking lot, standing defeated. He attempts to get back past them, but they point large automatic weapons at him. He’s left no choice but to relent and go back to his car. The drive home is silent, Simon’s thoughts and emotions too loud and too much for him to properly voice in that moment. 

Walking through the threshold, Simon is made abruptly aware of the silence. Their house was never quiet. Ever. From his streaming, or Ryland’s audiobooks or podcasts, there was always some noise. In that moment, Simon is made abruptly aware of the fact that he never shut off his stream. It is still running in his office. It has been for… four hours now. 

Fuck.