When The Sunlight Dies- Project Hail Mary Coltland Gentry AU oneshot
The memorial has long developed a layer of permafrost. It used to be busier, an altar of sorts, to pray that the crew would suceed, yet as the eternal winter set in, the prospect of hope withered.
Still in front of the statute of the crew, two remained.
One in a black beanie. One in a dark jacket. Both greying blonds with a sense of regret.
The man surveilled the statute on the left, paying little attention to the others. The features were disorted with a thin layer of ice, twisting the eyes of someone he once knew. Once was twenty years ago, and twenty years ago he could never imagine Ryland– his baby brother, willing go from the earth he loved, away from beaches, from the fog, from his brothers. Now he still can't reconcile the Ryland that got sick on elevators and slept with his brothers at night with the Ryland that will, god willing, save the sun.
The woman stared at the statute. Her eyes didn't move much, didn't betray her inner turmoil, no, they were fixed on the glasses upon the statute's face. An inaccuracy, she noted; his glasses were dangling off one ear more often than not. She missed him. He was a friend. She couldn't imagine that the mission would suceed without him, even if he was not on the crew, for his kindness had touched everyone in the team, from a security officer to herself. There is no doubt in anyone in the Taskforce that Ry– Grace would suceed but Ryland himself. She had to do it, and she hates herself for it, she hates him for forcing her hand.
The wind was harsh and biting, and so the woman began to leave, as she turned, she saw a ghost.
"No." The man replied coldly, turning sightly to see the woman, "Were you the director of the Petrova Taskforce?"
"What about it? Why do you look exactly like Dr Grace?"
"I have questions." The man opted to ignore Director Stratt, who despite no longer having any power, was still stubborn. "Ι will answer your questions when you tell me your relations to Dr Grace."
"The relation is nothing."
"Sierra Six." The man froze. "How do you know that name."
"I have all the authority. After his other brother barged into my office demading answers we decided to look into the family he had."
"Do not use the past tense."
"Grace and the crew are dead by now. Their food was calculated to run out 2 years ago, and if not, they would've killed themselves one way or another."
"Ry wouldn't." The man said adamently.
Stratt stopped. He was right. Ryland wanted to live for the sake of being alive. The Ryland she knew was resourceful, from the moment she set eyes on him in the decorated classroom that must've been made on a teacher's salary and love for his kids. He was stubborn from the defence of his thesis. The man also knew, from the way he'd find places to hide with Colt from his father to tutoring to earn extra money to get extra food or band-aids.
"He volunteered because he was the only viable choice." The lie she had spoken for 15 years, not to hide from prosecution, but the people needed hope. The shame was punishment enough.
"Bullshit." Well yes, Six was right. She was bullshitting. But saying that you had to kidnap and drug the science officer in order to save the sun would be morale crushing, and the risk of war was too great."
"It was that or let more people die. I couldn't trade what, millions of casulties, just because your brother was a coward."
It was so quiet you could hear the shound of the bitter wind howling, echoing Ryland's screams as he was drugged in Stratt's mind.
Six was absolutely furious.
"Ryland is not a coward. You have no fucking idea how brave he was. The only reason Colt and him survived long enough for Ry to be forced onto your motherfucking suicide mission was because he was brave enough to stand up for himself and others." Six said these words quietly, but with venom in each syllable. "You forced a man with a reason to live a passion, and a family on a suicide mission."
"We weren't aware of the latter. Colton was presumed dead, and I made the right choice. One man does not matter more than the human race."
Eva Stratt refused to crack and show her emotions, a skill honed from facing questioning politicans and trials throughout the project and after. Partially because the last person she remotely let her guard down was Ryland, and look how that turned out.
"In any case, I will be leaving. Your crimes have also been absolved as Sierra Six or Courtland Gentry. You are a free man. I couldn't have told you sooner as it was hard to contact and I went to prison shortly after. I wish you well."
She was already gone by the time Court processed the words. Freedom, but at what cost, his brother? A major reason he wanted freedom in the first place? Sinking to his knees, he cried but the tears almost turned to ice on his face. He wanted to introduce Claire to Ry and Colt, and sure, he could introduce her to Colt, but it'd never be the same without Ryland. Claire would've loved him. Court loved him.
Court wants his baby brother back.
Stratt wanted her friend back.
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