TheHost, Project Hail Mary,JamesNorrington, Stucky

Mark Watney would've been banging on Stratt's door demanding he be tested for the Hail Mary mission, resume in hand before she had time to finish her first speech on the matter

"i didn't need no imaginary friends i had Screaming Joe right here !"

"I love this website I love it when people tell us what's wrong with them"

CHARACTER ADDED!

I love it when people tell

us what’s wrong with them”

The appendectomy is a necessary evil: the coma system isn't specialized enough to treat appendicitis, were it to happen. With the concept of the mastectomy, however, we also get a fantastic blend of cruelty and kindness from Stratt. She is sending Grace to space and violating his autonomy in every way. At the same time, she orders a surgery that, though not medically necessary for the mission, is something that he wanted for himself. It's still not a good act. It's one more choice that he is denied. But it's still a twisted sort of apology.

Anyway, I think we're sleeping on a very fun alternative/additional option:

Astronauts are required to have 20/20 vision OR to have LASIK.

Grace finds a pair of glasses while exploring the ship after waking up. They're in with his things, and he doesn't understand why. He... doesn't need glasses. Why do they fit him so well?

His memories start coming back, and he assumes the vision improvement was another part of him volunteering for the mission. He was sent with the glasses because he used to wear them all the time, and they're a link to home and to his past and really fun to fidget with besides. He's almost surprised at his past self's willingness to give up part of his identity for the mission, but hey, his past self was clearly a brave and selfless person. He did a lot of things that Grace doesn't feel capable of. What was one more?

He puts the glasses back in the storage cube and goes back to the mission.

Much later, he will remember being shoved face-first into the dirt, wire frames digging into the side of his cheek, and he'll know it was never a choice at all.

Eva Stratt, meanwhile, is a stain. Graffiti tucked away in alleys and under bridges, forever painted over by the powers that be. A name meant to be forgotten. Stratt has always known this was part of the deal: after all, humanity needs a villain just as much as it needs its heroes. The best she can hope for is to be erased entirely on Earth.

and better