Crilion



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    The engineer takes my hand. His skin runs hot. Very hot. He doesn't let go at what I would gauge as a socially-acceptable handshake time interval. Are we just holding hands in the middle of the lab-workshop space? Guess we are.

    "I'm Rocky," he finally introduces himself. He has a hint of an accent, something lilting, melodic. I can't really place it.

    "Rocky," I repeat, slowly. "Like the movies?"

    "No," Rocky deadpans, giving me a look like I'm stupid. "Like the rocks."

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    19 Jun 2026

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    At our next Maximizing Rocky Happiness meeting, I pitch my idea to Adrian over a walk down the beach.

    They don’t say anything for several seconds after I finish my explanation. Maybe it was a bad idea to share. Finally, Adrian asks, their tone dry, “You want to put Eridian eggs inside squishy human body, question?

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    14 Jun 2026

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    Ryland Grace and Rocky are on the way to Erid when… something happens. See end of work for the scorching hot art by tumblr user kiodja that inspired this fic. (There might be more.)

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    23 May 2026

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    The Eridian thrills a high sound that doesn’t get picked up by the translator which means that it has no clear meaning. Like when a human gasps or sucks in a deep breath. It actually sounds a little like that. When they notice that I’m staring straight at them they scramble back into their hiding spot and hold very still. 

    A child, I realize with a start.

    That’s a child! 

    “Hey,” I call and the kid squeaks again. I was about to get to my feet but abort the movement and crawl closer on my hands and knees until I'm inches away from the xenonite wall. I wait and it takes me much too long to realize that they don’t have to peek around the corner to see if I’m still there.

    “Hey there,” I try again, my voice low and calm. It’s my teacher voice, the one I use for shy and scared students. 

    Used. 

    The fact that I haven’t had to use it for years and it still comes to me automatically almost knocks the air out of my lungs but this is not about me, it’s about making sure the little pebble doesn’t die of fright from the scary alien. “Hi, I’m Grace. It’s alright, you don’t have to be scared.”

    ***
    How Grace finally gets back into a classroom, where he belongs

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    21 May 2026

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    He catches a glimpse of himself in the small mirror across the room.

    It’s as if he’s been frozen in time. Nothing about him has changed since he last touched the surface of his home planet.

    But of course, that’s not true. Everything has changed.

    He doesn’t understand. He doesn’t know what this means. He’s a man of science. There are rules, immutable laws of the universe, no matter where in the universe one is. Entropy, decay, deterioration. Everything in the universe experiences it.

    Everything except him, it seems.

     

    Or: While on Erid, Ryland Grace makes a startling realization: he seems to have stopped aging.

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    11 May 2026