doctor heart stealer

I got really inspired to try and make a Project Hail Mary music video!

I doubt that the scientific papers, books, etc. (which would've had to be included regardless) would have a lot that would be helpful on the topic of "how does a person with a human lifespan (and the associated perspective/expectations) live among & integrate into a society of other people who have lifespans several times longer".

Rocky, eyes big and really really watery: 👎 yeag

So-

I wanted to make an actual mini comic of this (with slight alterations) bc the idea is AMAZING but it's now almost 5am and I lost steam to do more than the mural art that was originally JUST FOR THE BACKGROUND so-

*kisses brick*

*passes out*

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- Hatch maternity shoot with the beetles (for whatever reason they managed to get a fake pregnancy belly on the Vat and he is wearing it), one image has Komorov holding him like if he's the father

- a zoomed in video taken outside of the chapel room, inside is Eva and Hatch having what at first sounds like a normal discussion, but if you listen closely he's actually telling her about the Popemobile in the Car's Cinematic Universe and the implications of it, she is wearing a contemplative but deeply confused look

- a picture of Annie and Olesya asleep after a long meeting with the science team, their heads leaning on each other with their hair braided together

- video of Carl, Ryland, and Komorov making a domino chain out of old lab material, they knock it down but at the end of the chain is Eva giving them a disapproving look

- The astronauts lined up, backs to the camera, wearing matching sweatpants with the words Eva's angels printed across their asses (Ilyukhina and Shapiro's idea)

- a video taken by Komorov showing a tarantula that somehow made its way in the lab, then panning over to Lokken and Grace huddled together on a table screaming, when he finally kills it, they push at each other pretending they weren't just holding the other

- video of Ilyukhina and Shapiro giving a presentation titled Why You Should Give Us Hysterectomies, Lamai and Eva sat listening. Halfway through, Annie is standing in front of a slide depicting a baby with a red x across it, Martin now stood by her side, nodding

- picture of LeClerc lying on the Vat's deck post-Antarctica, rain falling hard, Eva standing over his head with an umbrella, two beer bottles in her free hand (instead of her usual coffee)

- you know that prank where you move a sleeping person and they wake up confused? There's a video taken by the astronauts zooming in to a lifeboat tethered to the Vat, Yáo in the centre still wearing his pajamas, faint sounds of Mandarin cursing under Ilyukhina's snickers

- series of images of Lamai, Lokken, and Eva at another EU meeting, getting more visibly frustrated at the men around them, ending with Lokken's hands on the table yelling at whatever world leaders were pissing them off, Lamai standing to join her, Eva leaned back in her seat but now wearing a smile

- video of LeClerc and Hatch discussing something in French, except it's LeClerc being unable to fully follow Hatch's Quebecois accent, his face visibly showing his confusion

- picture of the lead scientists and Eva in a late night/early morning (who knows anymore, time is an illusion on the Vat) emergency meeting still in their pajamas (three years into ship life, it was too damn early/late for them to care, and they gave up on pretensions months before)

- said pajamas were: Hatch wearing a shirt printed with his wife's face across his chest (it's been over a year since he went home, poor guy); classic plaids for Komorov, matching cotton set for Lamai, striped button down for LeClerc, Ryland in his ancient college t-shirt and sweats; the only two who look like they can pass for a meeting are Lokken and Eva who both basically live in sweaters

- video taken of Lamai giving the astronauts ear piercings (Ilyukhina begged, eventually they all acquiesced, even Yáo agreed (after endless begging)) (Ilyukhina was probably going to have Annie pierce her second lobes anyways, Lamai found out and insisted on doing it sterilely)

- series of images of a 'wedding ceremony' for Martin and Annie in the mess hall. Martin is wearing a white curtain fashioned around him like a wedding dress, Annie wearing a black jacket, white shirt, black sweats, and a way too long tie. Olesya is at the podium (stolen from one of the meeting rooms) officiating the makeshift ceremony, Yáo is made flower girl (Olesya insisted on having him wear a flower crown), while Ryland is the ring bearer (paper rings that Olesya origamied minutes prior)

and they're just absolutely horrified because now they know why the Blip-A never returned, they sent them all to die, now to save their sun they have to redo the entire program all over again and Adrian is devastated -

Grace commissions a shirt for Rocky with this meme on it in written format.

Grace: Oh, I thought he became a nudist in space . . . he was always like that?

Turns out there's a childhood disease to the tune of measles that erodes the carapace, and the first symptom shows up about a week before any actual damage is caused.

Grace comments to Rocky that one of his students seems to be turning oxidisation-green. About a week later that student has to be hospitalised for this illness.

Eridian scientists realise pretty quick that Grace can detect the illness long before any of their equipment can, and when caught that early it is much, much easier and safer to treat.

In the future, Eridian children would get regularly checked out with that device to confirm that their carapace reflects only the expected amount of "middle-rough" light frequency. Passing those checks is a prerequisite for the child to go to classes, etc.

Now, we all obviously love old man grace but would you perhaps consider drawing younger him with a wheelchair as well 👉👈 for us disabled girlies

Eridian scientists: Here!! These items we synthesized in the lab are guaranteed Grace-safe! Go ahead! Consume Away! (while we are not present, please)

Grace: …

And then there's a bit right at the end of the story as the wife and the husband are walking out of court:

Jill turned abruptly. "What is your name? Your real name."

The man's gray eyes flickered. He smiled a little, kind, gentle smile. "I'm afraid you would not be able to pronounce it. The sounds cannot be formed..."

Jill was silent as they walked along, deep in thought. The city lights were coming on all around them. Bright yellow spots in the gloom. "What are you thinking?" the man asked.

"I was thinking perhaps I will still call you Lester," Jill said. "If you don't mind."

"I don't mind," the man said. He put his arm around her, drawing her close to him. He gazed down tenderly as they walked through the thickening darkness, between the yellow candles of light that marked the way. "Anything you wish. Whatever will make you happy."

And I. God. There's something there. A soupcon of monsterfuckery. To tell your partner in a moment of intimacy that yes, you're something so inhuman that the lips you're stealing can't speak your actual name. You're a parasite that not only had the ability to burrow under this man's skin and take over his life, but you were so desperate to escape a dead, dry, blasted planet that you did.

Just A Little Down I name the creature ‘Peace’, although ‘Surrender’ is more on-the-nose. It slumbers tucked beneath my bed, and wakes to eat my scattered woes. And then it exhales mist-malaise, a bitter cloud that grows and grows: The stupid fog descends, infects, absorbs – and poisons scribbled prose.

My guest presents a calling-card, with ‘Pain’ embossed in scrolling script; I strive to answer its demands, responses cold and crisp and clipped. It laughs at me as I play host; it mocks its teacup, worn and chipped, But still, it drinks me down so dry, as ash, as bone-dust in its crypt.

O worst beloved, awful gift, my wretched dearest and my doom, I treasure thee, though I should not, I know, O keeper of my tomb. One day I’ll slay you (so I hope), and bring my garden back to bloom, Until that triumph, I suppose I’ll just keep sitting in my room.