#contamination.tag

Listen. Simon was raised in Martian culture, which is canonically patriotic and rather insular, even before he joined Eden and their cult situation. I imagine that patriotism is also tied to human-centric standards.

We also see Simon have some dismissive feelings towards "alien shit", and Ava is also pretty nonchalant about there being (aggressive!) alien life in the blood ocean. It kind of implies humanity is well-aware they aren't alone in the universe, enough to roll their eyes about the prospect of more alien encounters.

40 Eridani is also one of our closer star neighbours at about 16 light-years from Sol, and depending on how far you stretch IronLungverse's space scifi capabilities, it would not be that wild to assume humanity had recently had First Contact with Eridians (astrophage crisis or not!). It could be they were either at the start of interspecies interactions, or past those initial handshakes and into the weeds of diplomatic talks.

But it would be really funny if humans and eridians in IronLungverse have this weird non-hostility but non-friendly attitude towards each other, and Martians are just particularly turn-their-noises about collaboration with aliens in general.

Grace very much enjoys his personal space, and throughout the movie, we hear how he likes to keep some distance in his relationships. He wants to make friends and be around people but not Too Much. aroace reading aside, he's never fully in on a relationship. his arc is to accept that to be brave, he has to put all of himself in, no take backs, no foot out the door. I could go more into his but maybe in another post and not on this blog lol

We don't really know how physically affectionate Simon is with people. No scene with another person allowed us to see him interact directly with another, in fact I don't think he ever touches someone else in the entire movie - unless you count the blood in his hands. I'm sure there's a whole point to be made that his only touch is through violence.

NOW. I doubt Grace and Simon will both be climbing each other, and certainly not so soon in their acquaintance. Grace is respectful and careful, maybe a bit anxious, and Simon is uh. Simon. Be it post or pre SM-13 horrors, he's gone through some shit and physical touch would come with all sorts of hang ups and traumas and complex crossed wires in his head. THAT SAID, we do see Simon being able and even innately gentle in his touch. He's not rough handling stuff around the sub, and when he lashes out, he apologizes. The whisper soft touches he affords to the Tree pendant is genuinely heartbreaking.

Grace has done his arc and he'd be more welcoming to share his space, be it his home or physical, and be willing to let people in emotionally more. Rocky (bless him) has done the hard part of cracking that shell of his already. However I doubt he'd be taking much initiative. He's tolerant and that's it, he's keeping it to himself on most aspects.

Simon who pats the SM-13 like its a good dog and talks to it, Simon who has a respect for it and regrets when he lashes out at it. Simon who was raised in a space station, where the only thing between him and certain painful death in the void of space is a slowly decaying machine, and thus knows to keep machines well tended and maintained. Simon who has no virtual assistants to talk to anymore, because they had to gut the ships for other uses, but knows it has a soul anyway. Simon who may not understand the systems but does not underestimate them or meddle with them carelessly.

Grace who calls the ship "Mary", and talks to it like a fellow person because for weeks, she was his only companion. Grace who pats the beetles goodbye and high-fives his xenonite miniature before sending them home. Grace who, like anyone with lab experience, has his own rituals because he knows what it's like to have a temperamental centrifuge in the college lab, or a server that must not crash until the simulations are done so you leave a bag of candy over it as an offering. Grace who has small supersticions and is still a deeply scientific person, and that is not a contradiction.

if PHM is a literal Hail Mary, then Simon and the SM-13 are Old Mary by the Dead Weathers