🪐 Got A New Look! 🌌

obviously this means their characters are both going to become very different. Travis didnt grow up around or with Dante as a friend, so instead of being a big perverted weirdo for half of his lifetime, he stays a weird nerdboy!! a weird nerdboy who just so happens to discover he has a passion for science and teaching!! his father Terry would also likely have pursued science, though he wouldnt be in the same field as Travis. whom of which obviously has to get into microbiology.

since Travis grew up without a Dante in his life, he also became much more honest and openly himself. hes a lot more playful, considerate, and quite a bit more mature than his other counterparts. he has a lot of respect for everyone he meets, and yet he would still retain some of that fun Travis charm. (a la "everybody's dummy thick when youre block shaped") dont worry. this stunning nerdboy is still an utter manfailure 🩶🩶

however he was still a not alone buddy with Aphmau!! im not gonna bring up highschool stuff in the full AU, but youre safe to assume that anyone i do not mention here did not happen in this universe! i will also clarify what schools + times + places some different people went and were in together. for instance, Aphmau and Travis went to the same middle and highschools together! the Ro'meaves were in Aph's primary school, and stayed in her middle school until mid grade 8, wherein they moved away to another country. Laurance and Garroth went to the same highschool, meanwhile Zane and Vylad went elsewhere.

before i get into that, lets get to our second main character. the man of the hour that of which is replacing Rocky... DANTE!!

movie!Rocky is already a confident, smart-silly kind of character. hes super awesome, cheerful, definitely bossy, and more than a little demanding. i would say Dante is a perfect fit to slot into Rockys position here.

hes spunky, hes witty, hes utterly loyal, and he oozes confidence. Dante also crumbles a little under pressure, but strives forward anyway. not for his sake, but for the sake of everyone he cares about. he would absolutely befriend Travis instantly, and the two would also do literally anything for eachother. methinks theyre a perfect fit in this AU. Perchance.

the emotional journey is the most impactful part of Project Hail Mary. and all of it is explored through two best friends who meet under dire circumstances. so what better way to reimagine this in an AU than with two best friends, who are strongly and deeply reliant on one another. Dante is the type of character who is so strongly attached to Travis that he struggles to act on his own, meanwhile Travis can and does function fairly well without him, but does care about his friend just as strongly. they both deal with separation and closeness in ways that i think would be super fun to explore in a universe where they meet much, much later on in their lives, and where they have both lived a life without eachother. only after meeting do they realise how deeply connected they are, and just how much the other gets to mean to them. someone who is used to working alone versus someone who has never been alone before. hahaha oh i love character dynamics..

another thing to mention is definitely the other characters. im sure you must be wondering who in the aphverse i would put in the position of Eva Stratt.. and that answer is not as obvious as it might be appearing to those reading this.

its Lucinda i have picked Lucinda. Why? well because nothing can convince me that she wouldnt orchestrate or be able to achieve everything Stratt did and has done in the entirety of PHM. she is capable, she is dependable, she is powerful, and cares about the safety of others and the world in a very unique manner. she wasnt afraid to face Terry/Michael in MYST s6--she stood up with Kim and Emmalyn, and the three of them did what they believed was right. in doing so, while Lucinda may have cost many, many people their lives, her decision did ultimately end up leading the rest of the season in the direction it did. if Michael had still been in Terry, theres no telling what else couldve happened, or if he wouldve actually kept possessing Terry for the rest of the runtime. heck, Lucinda was a crucial character, a RELIC no less--sacrificing herself and the pieces she would lose to become an object of power--all to save her best friends, and the world. a world that objectively doesnt mean the same to her as the people she cares about. but she pushed through anyway.

im also genuinely curious to have Travis and Lucinda interract more in literally any setting. their dynamic and relationship just doesnt get fully explored in most capacities, and i think they make a brilliant contrast. Travis the cowardly until it comes down to whats needed, and Lucinda the strong and sacrificial who does whats needed when its needed. i need to think about them a lot more often. i want to examine them and watch as everything goes down in the setting of PHM.

there is also Aphmau!! she is the engineer/mechanic on the crew for the Hail Mary. i want short yet stocky and very nerdy Aph, and if i have to i WILL make her these three specific things in one awesome package myself. shes the buff womanwonder to Travis' nerdboy. she is also utterly willing to sacrifice her life to save all of her loved ones.

i would say Aphmau stays pretty similar to how she normally was portrayed in Diaries. shes honest, kind, efficient, and the type to gladly find a task to do. she also often tends to be occupied and available all at once. and yet, despite her dedication towards her work, she still accidentally finds herself so strayed from her task that she us focusing on an entirely separate, different, and not very optimally sound task. in short she often accidentally detours.. and yet, this ends up leading her to discover many efficient solutions she may have missed if she never got distracted for three days straight with something that didnt seem like a big deal at the time. shes very interesting in that way methinks..

when asked the usual questions like "well why would you do that?" all i would imagine she would have to say is; "i dunno. it just feels right. like this is what im meant to do." especially when it comes to Project Hail Mary.

Aph is always intrinsically connected to destiny in some way. i figure her seeking a destiny out among the expanse of space, where she can do something right to save the lives of her adopted sons, and many many more children back on earth. would be gut wrenching.. and just so totally Aphmau. she oftentimes throws her life away at every chance if it means the people she cares for get to live a day longer. her Leaving Levin and Malachi behind would also be roughh and horrendously wonderful to think about. i really want to explore that in some way. i want to see her grapple with the fact that she will never see her family again, and that she has to be okay with that. shes going to space to save them, but she has no idea if they will be alive by the time her mission ends.

Aphmau and Travis are obviously close. though their lives lead them down different paths--and they didnt see eachother for a long time after school--they rediscovered eachother during the Hail Mary project. a big, beautiful; " ohmygosh youre my best friend from highschool?!?! what do you MEAN we both got some of the awesomest jobs ever??!" and they cross paths gleefully from then on.

however, because Travis is taking the place of Grace, neither he nor Aph expected him to be sent on the Mary. no one couldve planned for the accident to happen. and so simply imagine.. the whole time they were bonding, they knew they were going to separate and never see eachother again. they had both come to terms with it. and then, all of a sudden, the only option left is Travis. and Aphmau is selfishly happy that he IS going with her on this mission. after all this deliberation. he is actually going to be one of the people she spends her last years with, as the three of them save the Earth together.

hahaha did i say Three?

anyway Vylad was the Pilot. Why? pain. Why else? because i thought it would actually be really neat!! who doesnt love a little Vylad content in any capacity?

he has a penchance for travelling and experiencing as much of the world as possible. what better opportunity to showcase more of that side of him than by making him an astronaut!! and a space pilot at that! although a small portion of his career is based off his parents wants, Vylad would genuinely find excitement at being one of the first humans to leave our solar system. in fact, he would likely find a strong sense of purpose as one of the astronauts chosen for Project Hail Mary.

Vylad has always appeared the type to poorly value his own life, at least from what ive experienced of his character in MCD. hes not suicidal, not at all, but he also doesnt care what happens to him. so long as the people he cares for survive. so long as his absence assures their safety. Vylad would gladly take on the duty of risking his life on the Mary.

however, he was completely unprepared for Travis to become his future space-partner. why might that be? well, anyone who understands a little of the plot in PHM generally understands the idea that.. hey.. maybe Grace wasnt Stratt's first choice.

and well, theres a reason he became the only choice. something really bad had to happen to the original options for the science crew on the Mary.

and to make matters more wonderful in this AU, Zane was supposed to be the third crew member on the spacecraft.

hes got attitude, hes got spunk, AND hes got the brains to end up an experienced scientist entering a space program, just like his little brother. this means that the original crew for the Hail Mary were Vylad and Zane Ro'Meave, and Aphmau Shalashaska.

the reason Vylad and Zane went to a different school compared to their brother Garroth, is because they both started researching and training in their respective feilds. again, although this was spurred on by their parents and not entirely of their own volition, both brothers ended up in places far greater than intended. and Zane, well, he personally loves his job. especially when he gets picked as a member of the Hail Mary crew, and suddenly gains a shitload of clearance, authority, and a ton of gadgetry and equipment, ALONGSIDE plenty of Astrophage to study and examine. he basically got everything he ever needed in one fell swoop, all thanks to his DNA.

although Zane is still rather prideful, he is admittedly uncertain about his position in the Project. Zane is a strong-willed and brave man, but he has a significantly stronger value on his life in comparison to the rest of the crew. the idea of dying is horrifying to him. but to console his own worries, at least he gets to die in space with his childhood best friend, and his younger brother. he wont be alone in the end. history is sure to remember him. Zane Ro'Meave, one of the three people who sacrificed their lives on a one-way trip twelve light years away to save the earths dying sun from. well. dying.

that is, if he doesnt die in an accident that couldve been avoided, if not for a simple measuring mistake. haha.

to round out the Ro'Meave brothers--and because i freaking loved movie-Carl-who-was-once-Steve-in-the-book--Garroth is permitted to take on the role of Carl in this AU. he plays a significant role in Travis' discovery of Astrophage's breeding process. they bond and become buddies quickly, almost effortlessly. Travis and Garroth's dynamics in the aphverse are just so neat to build upon in the scenario of this AU.

Garroth is goofy and free-spirited at heart, but even he clearly understands the weight of the Project. and he wouldnt be working for the government for nothing either. just like his brothers, Garroth was subsequently sucked into his father's schemes and ended up in a very important position in the world. and Garroth being Garroth would likely not enjoy it one bit.

at least not until Travis becomes the lead scientist in literally everything and anything related to Project Hail Mary. Garroth, while still fulfilling his job, builds solid comraderie with Travis. though they would likely grow distant over the years the Hail Mary took to scheme out and launch, methinks they would relax with eachother during their downtime. theyre just two nerdguys who got sucked into solving the worlds up and coming apocalypse together, despite one being severely less qualified in. literally any science ever. but still, i think they deserve to have a solid and impeccable friendship.

Garroth would also. not. handle both of his brothers being qualified, let alone selected as part of the crew for the Hail Mary. he would doubly flip when his childhood-crush-slash-best-friend-since-forever, Aphmau, was also selected as part of their team. his family, his friends, the most important people to him in the world, destined to be sent off to their deaths. all so he and many other humans get to live even a little longer.

knowing him, he would probably bottle it up. and bottle it up. and bottle it up. and bottle it up. until the final launch for the Mary. until the people that truly mattered most to him were gone for good, and he would know he couldnt hold it back anymore. although signs of his eventual breakdown would surface, Garroth would steel himself. if not for his sake, then for the sake of the astronauts, and for the sake of the rest of humanity, and everyone who dares to rely on the Hail Mary to bring earth the answers they seek, so everyone can look to a future. a lifetime. a hope.

he broke down twice in three days. because he lost more than just his family. he lost more than just his brothers. he lost two of the closest friends he ever had.

he didnt lose Laurance though!!

why is Laurance here? well i liked book Carl/Steve enough, and decided "hey, wouldn't it be awesome if there were two?" Laurance is a fair bit more closed off than Garroth, as he doesnt carry the same emotional weight and stakes that his friend does. hes a little more jokey, a little more sassy, but very dedicated to his job. hes a bit of a straight man in this dynamic, sort of. the Steve to Garroth's Carl if you will.. he still has some of that MYST Laurance whimsy and weirdness, but he keeps that shit contained. Garroth does prod and prod and prod until Laurance caves and joins in on the joke, but he's very reluctant towards simply being himself in his workplace. especially since the entirety of the human race's survival is dependent on EVERYTHING going smoothly.

he and Garroth met during highschool, and both connected so well that they went into the same careers. why work with people you dont know when you and your best friend can become government agents together!! although he was not the man who helped Travis discover Astrophage's breeding process, he still would have joined Travis and Garroth in their large-scale collection of Stuff from the hardware store. however, he does get to help out with the idea of putting the Astrophage box into another box. im going to treat Laurance and Garroth as a package deal. where one gets to partake in one side of the plot, the other is allowed to add to the next. they both have on and off time, where one persons input will be more important in a subsection of the plot, and the other can be utilised at a later scene.

unlike Garroth, Laurance withholds his reactions to the Hail Mary team setting off. he knew Vylad decently enough, he was never close with Zane as the two had conflict, and he was always nervous around Aphmau (how do you even dare to explain to your best friend you may or may not have a crush on his best friend, who is also his crush. haha) so he never ended up getting super close with her. but he still knew all of them. they were all people he cared for. they were people his best friend in the whole world cared for more than anyone else on earth.

and when the accident happened, he had to be there for Garroth. even worse, when Garroth had to step away to grieve, Laurance had to be there for every other meeting. everything to do with the mission. watching Travis like a hawk. it was obvious to him what would have to come next.

i want to focus on Garr and Laur's portrayal in this AU a lot closer and better than i will be able to deliver across here. but you get the general idea. heh. but, since both PHM the book and the film doesnt personally cover anyone's POV aside from Grace's, i still find it important to bring up and.. lightly suggest my intentions for each of the characters.

if you thought i was finished though you are SORELY incorrect. i knoooww i knoooww this post is already long as hell. it gets longer dont you worry <3

you may be wondering about the Hail Mary backup crew. and atm i dont particularly have them plotted out. i have a few general ideas, but i still need to think about them. the most important member is the scientist out of all of them, since they. you know. heh. but also because in the book the two scientists on the team had a LOT. and i mean a LOT of implied intercourse happening off-the-page. and i dont know if in this particular AU, scientist Zane Ro'Meave would be all too keen on. that. i had a couple ideas on who though.. but i must deliberate that it wont be Nana. I KNOOOW I KNOOOW.. Zana is the beautifuls ever.. but she is. not the sciencey type. nor do i believe she would have the strength to basically sacrifice herself to save everyone else. someone who WOULD like to get the credit, the symbols, and who doesnt care much for her own life would either be Michi or Sasha. and it cant exactly be Sasha for a.. few small reasons. and im not certain how i feel about the idea of Zanchi, or if i want a Zane and Michi workplace rivalry where they just really hate eachother. obviously, if ANYONE. i mean ANYONE has some ideas they might want to throw at me over this, do feel free to. its fun to deliberate on AUs with others hehe.

now, why am i still going with talking about the characters? well. theres one i havent mentioned just yet. it would be my second main deviation from both the book and the movie in regards to splitting two characters into two different people with two similar roles.

i have decided there are two Eridians that survived on the Blip-A. and the second Eridian is Dante's older brother, Gene.

Gene is the actual engineer/mechanic of the Blip-A's crew. hes got the skills, hes got the experience, and hes got the wider knowledge on how the ship operates and functions. hes a smartass expert with the certificates to prove it.

out of the two Eridians, Gene is the more mature and serious one. he is still quite a fair bit strange, as hes been alone in space with his brother for 46 whole entire years. but, fortunately, he is qualified and understands a lot more about science compared to Dante. Gene was actually supposed to be the only one of the two who was sent on the Blip-A to Tau-Ceti. his brother managed to convince the Eridians making the crew selection to get him on the team too. he would be a second engineer of sorts--despite having significantly less training in the field--with the promise that Gene would help train him on their journey. Dantes main selling point for going was the fact that he was an author, and excellent at documenting detailed reports, logs, and personal biographies. while Dante wasnt working at the engines with his brother, he would do routine checks on the ship, the crew, and their distant haul through space. however, he did have another ulterior motive.. Dante wanted to be the first Eridian to write literature about space and science fiction. and the best way to do that in a society that legitimately only JUST invented interstellar travel would require him to do it himself.

Gene obviously thought it was stupid of his brother to do that. although they would be able to safely get from space back to Erid--considering that they have an enormous amount of fuel--the role of a far better prepared, experienced, and actually trained Eridian deserved Dante's place on the ship. Dante is completely underqualified and selfish. he doesnt fully grasp the risk the rest of the Eridians are taking sending an entire ship out into the emptiness beyond their planets atmosphere. Dante took the place of someone far more deserving, hardworking, and prepared for the journey ahead.

but Gene would have to admit. he was glad his brother did end up going. after several months of frustration. and after they were the only two Eridians left on the ship, the two brothers had to work together. the two sole survivors who absolutely, utterly, entirely had to save their species. or Erid was well and truly doomed.

now, something that i need to briefly state is that. i have not thought of just one version of this AU. there are multiple versions of it that have been rolling around in this brain box of mine.

the most obvious one is the one where Travis and Dante are alone in space. where they are the only survivors from both of their spaceships. two unlikely aliens who band together!!

a minor adjustment to it would be simply adding Gene as well. two complete Eridians who would interact with Travis in two completely different ways. Dante, obviously spunky, chill, and excitable, with Gene, who is grumpy, anxious, and a little too easy to aggravate. i imagine Travis would be super nervous the entire time he interacts with both of them, purely because both of the brothers energy would predictably be a tad overwhelming.

but the MAIN version that ive been thinking over is the one where Gene and Dante survive on the Blip-A, whilst Travis and Aphmau survive on the Hail Mary. im a sucker for the not-alone-buddies, what can i say.. but i also think it would be incredibly cool to showcase and experience a scenario where there is an engineer on the Mary. not the pilot sadly, that feels a tad like a shortcut in the story for me. what made PHM stand out was Graces inability to do a lot of things outside of the science. he was incredibly smart and brave, but he could not fly that spaceship for the life of him. and, despite Aphmau being alive in this version of the AU, and despite her capabilities and training, she was definitely not trained to be a proper pilot either. i also think it would be super fun to explore the dynamics between all four of them. Gene being the oldest and most experienced, Dante being a little young but well practiced, Travis the scientist who knows so damn much its impressive, and Aphmau who would get progressively more confused but accepting of her new situation. all four of them are super determined in their own unique ways too! Travis, who slowly learns over the course of his journey that no, he didnt come here willingly, he had barely any training in anything outside of Astrophage, and he came here kicking and screaming. but by everything that is holy, he is going to save earth, and hes going to do it with every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears in his leaky little body. no matter how much of a coward he may be. Aphmau, who always felt a calling beyond her own understanding, who ends up with an amount of memory loss that takes a while to get back. she powers through, she learns, she practices, and she pushes against all the odds that stack against her and the rest of her friends. nothing can break her nor stop her from finishing the mission and saving her home. all the while she grieves and mourns the time she never got to spend with her sons. Dante, the selfish, selfish jerk who never considered the possibilities of everything going wrong. who never considered his brothers point of view until the entirety of the Blip-A's crew all died. who stepped up and buried his pain in order to finally do things right. who made first contact with an alien species because maybe, just maybe, they were there for the same reason too. because maybe they had the answers he and his brother had been searching for, and maybe they could help eachother. Gene, someone who had given up all hope long after everyone else in his crew died. who listened over at his brother with contempt, with pain, and with regret. contempt for the fact that his brother, his stupid and naive brother, just had to take the place of a better suited Eridian. pain at the truth, that he and his brother would die alone together in space. they would never see Erid again. they would never see their loved ones again. all the while knowing that he had hurt his brother in his anger. and regret, because he could never own up to Dante. he could never admit his fears nor his feelings. he had to stay strong, because if he broke, and his brother broke, everything theyve researched and spent time working towards would be for naught.

theres an honestly long and large amount of different versions anyone can possibly think of with everything ive laid out here. and these are just the BASE PLANS. FOR ALL OF IT. all of this silly amazing AU shit is subject to any potential change and or changes in the future. and to note ive only thought about this for like less than a week. do you understand how insane ive gone over this silly sci-fi media. im in DEEP.

it has been EATING AT MEEE I NEED TO MAKE SOMETHING LITERALLY ANYTHING I AM MAKING THINGS OF THEM ALL OF THEM EACH AND EVERY ONE!!!!! ive been slowly cooking up Eridian designs for Dante and Gene, ive been sketching different design ideas for the Hail Mary crew, im intensely thinking about the potential fic material i am likely going to make. my motivation is RETURNING i can FEEL MY BRAIN WORKING AND CLEARING.. JUST EVER SO SLIGHTLY..