i know we’re not exactly taking andy weir’s word as gospel or anything, but. thinking about that interview where he basically implies rocky wasn’t all that special on the blip-a. he’s a brilliant engineer, but he wasn’t first engineer. first engineer probably wouldn’t stay holed up in their workshop anyway — they’d be moving about the ship monitoring and fixing things. consulting with leadership and such. eridians are social and communal problem-solvers, so the engineering department is itself a small thrum, contributing their own sub-specialties, being extra hands when needed.
rocky’s like, third engineer. he’s quick and creative but he’s also bossy, impatient, and blunt; not really leader material! he thinks of himself as a cog in the machine and appreciates the freedom it gives him. plus he’s a bit neurotic, and flinches at the thought of having authority because that means everyone else will answer for his fuckups. noooo thank you. he’s content to be in the background and good at his job.
and then people start dying.