โWhy they made you all sleep, question?โ
โAw, you know, they expected weโd kill each other. Itโs a long way to Tau Ceti.โ
โLong way to Erid now. No kill me, please! - Is joke. Am too strong for you.โ
โHeh. Yeah you are. Donโt wanna kill you, anyway. Iโm - really glad youโre here.โ
โGlad too. Mm. Need word.โ
โGives good feeling.โ
โOh. Oh, I like you too, Rock.โ
โ'm ok, bud. Wanna do a couple more calculations now weโre past the asteroid belt, make sure Mary has our new trajectory nailed down.โ
โShip puts nails in flight path, question?โ
โGrace is yawning. All teeth, open throat, look scary. Many times now. Math will be wrong.โ
โYeah, fine, maybe I am tired. What about a movie before bed? You, me, laptop?โ
โWatch Atlantis with explorer Thatch.โ
โThird time! You really like that one.โ
โIs good movie...Grace say โlikeโ for self and for movie. Is too soft word. Need stronger one.โ
โFeeling stronger for person. Grace is important.โ
โR-respect? Person you take seriously.โ
โRocky feel respect for Grace. Come rest, give respect to brain.โ
โHa. Well. I respect you too, um, a lot, really.โ
โIs very good. Show Milo Thatch go on adventure, find friend, get brave.โ
โExosuit will be finished soon. Then I can help you like Earth crew would. Help you get better.โ
โYou help me plenty. I'm just mopey. Um. Homesick, not actually sick. Not your fault.โ
โIs actually sick. Thinking machine says humans social animals, need pack, get sick like this when they are not touched. You need hugs and cuddles. Exosuit will make me better crewmate.โ
โYouโve always been the best crewmate. You know, I respected my crew, and I guess they respected me, but I never felt I belonged with them. I remember that now. I liked them, but I was lonely with them. Not like with you. โ
โRespect does not mean belonging, question?โ
โNo โ um, no, not really. Means you give weight to what they say, who they are.โ
โYou donโt have weight. You are light like hatchling.โ
โNo, thatโs โ Hey.โ
โYeah, got that. Iโm a hatchling?โ
โI could lift you, one hand, easy. You are baby. Need new word.โ
โPerson you feel strongly for. More than respect. Belong together. Good to travel a long time together. Still know they are kind when they tease. Feel better with them near.โ
โThatโs โ thatโs trust. Thatโs โ yeah.โ
โYes, Rocky trust Grace.โ
โFinish this exosuit, pick you up in one hand, okay. Show you are baby.โ
โFine. Fine, I trust you too. You finish that thing and you can throw me around all you want.โ
โSo. You like your house?โ
โOh, my God, Rocky. This โ this is incredible.โ
โI really like the door, bud.โ
โThe bed is too soft?โ
โNo, itโs great. I know itโs not how you guys sleep, not firm enough to perch properly on, but soft is heaven for sleepy humans.โ
โGood, good. Come in here. Surprise! Sprouts from the ship growing in the โsunroom.โ Shaped like the donโt go crazy room, huh? But the plants are real this time, see?โ
โGod, theyโre real. This is real. This is โ tell Adrian, tell everyone, top-notch human habitat. Incredible choices. You even brought Armando.โ
โGood good good. We worried โ you might not feel at home here.โ
โYou really were worried, huh? Cโmere, fist bump. Of course I feel at home. Nobody ever worked this hard to set up a habitat for me. Man, and I used to wish Earth hadnโt trusted me so much. Never ever thought Iโd make it like this. If five-year-old Grace could see me now! I live in space in a space house and my best friends are space aliens!โ
โYou are our best alien friend. But you say trust. Earth โtrustedโ you?โ
โBut they sent you away. They can โtrustโ and still force you to go?โ
โYeah. Yeah, if the job needs doing.โ
โMm. Hate that. Need a word.โ
โSomething more than trust. Would not send you away. Would keep you close as long as you are happy. Would feel what you feel โ would feel everything together.โ
โLove. Thatโs โ love.โ
โLove, love, love Grace. Grace โ you are crying? You are okay?โ
โIโm good, Rock. Iโm so good.โ
โLove you. Always love. Could hug if you would sit down. Too soft to hug standing โ will knock you over. No stronger than a hatchling. Yes, good, thank you. Hugs make you cry more?โ
โMake me this happy, pal, thatโs just how it goes. Iโm going to sit here and cry on your shiny little exosuit, and thereโs nothing you can do about it.โ
โCould pick you up with one hand.โ
โBut you wonโt. Youโll let me cry all over you. Because you love me.โ
โLove you. Love you, Rock. Love you too.โ