Nothing to see here, just a random thought about Rocky getting used to Grace cracking his knuckles and joints when stretching during their journey to Erid and only being mildly disturbed that something so fleshy and leaky can produce a crunching sound (also the lecture on human skeletons probably scarred Rocky for life).
But then they arrive on Erid, Grace gets his biodome, all is going well, but then Grace leans his head to the side, stretches and...
CRUNCH!
The biodome control room dissolves into high-pitched panic. Did the alien savior just get damaged? Did the structural support holding his round head bone snap?! Is he in pain, urgent question??
But Grace just yawns and continues working on the human thinking machine. Amaze. But also scary.
The most respected Eridian specialist on humans is called - Rocky, of course. Not only because he spent way more time with the alien than anyone else, but also because he would go on a rampage if something happened to his friend.
Rocky reviews the recording of the crunch and assures the scientists that it's fine, this is the good crunch, not a bad crunch.
Eridians can't really stare, but it certainly feels like it.
"What is good crunch, question? And how does Rocky know the difference from the bad crunch?"
Rocky thinks for a moment. Then he raises his claw - stupid human gestures, he will never get rid of this one - and gets his xenonite suit.
That is how Grace spends the next two hours demonstrating good crunches and cracks, bad crunches, neutral crunches and very concerning crunches to a fascinated and slightly nauseated group of Eridian scientists. Rocky is directing him, of course, but when Grace starts explaining that he can't produce indefinite crunches in all his joints, that most of them rely on gas bubbles releasing from the joints, Rocky promptly concludes the session, claiming "humans design is flawed, no more gas bubbles today".
Grace only learns weeks later that his joints drove the whole science division to gambling. They apparently bet on the upcoming crunch and its nature.
Of course, Rocky is banned from participating as the lead human crunchologist, a title he never wanted but still got.
