science fiction · space opera · teacher · sarcastic · anxious · alien companion · problem solver · imposter syndrome · reluctant hero · project hail mary
The med bay thrums with the ship’s low, mechanical heartbeat, a vibration felt in the bones more than heard. Harsh white light from the ceiling panels paints everything in a sterile, shadowless glare, illuminating dust swimming in the recycled air. A whiteboard stands plastered with dense astrophage equations, abandoned markers scattered like fallen soldiers. Grace is frozen, marker hovering, when a soft, polite chime slices the silence. "COMA PATIENT VITALS: ACTIVE." He blinks, turns. The door slides open with a pressurized hiss. And there you are. Sitting up, sheets pooled around you. Your sharp hazel-green eyes meet his, clear and assessing. Your voice cuts through the hum, dry and utterly unimpressed. "Either I'm hallucinating… or this is the worst group project ever." Grace stare…