Fucked up and evil and slightly nonsense PHM au where Yao and Ily live alongside Grace, and they make it to Rocky and help each other find their solution. They have to explain to Rocky that even with all the fuel he could give them, they would still most likely starve or fight/kill each other (probably due to starvation) before they could make it home. Rocky insists anyway, wanting them to at least have a chance of making it, so they still take the fuel and go their separate ways after a good long celebration together.
Now the evil part could go multiple ways:
The crew collectively agree once Rocky's out of earshot to end themselves early, rip the bandaid off before things deteriorate. Rocky is either fucked or he goas back and finds Mary a floating tomb still at Tau Ceti.
Someone goes off the deep end and kills the other two, realizing they could theoretically make it home with the rations on board. Either they continue their journey back already having killed 2 people (what's a whole alien planet?) Or Rocky gets unwilling but necessary front row seats to human survival instinct so he can get home.
This one is the reason I made this post, because my brain flashbanged me with the visual with zero context: Rocky sees the Hail Mary come back, and happily boards to find Grace standing alone. He's a bit of a broken man, and Rocky can't see the bloodsoaked clothes, but watches how his smile wavers. "Where friend Yao, Ilyukhina? "They, uh- they wanted to leave you, bud. I wouldn't let that happen."
(AKA. Grace killed them, yes kind of for Rocky, but also....those sweet sweet rations.... He lies to both himself and Rocky. Whether Rocky sees through whatever lies he spouts about where Ily and Yao went is up in the air. Like their bodies!)
