project hailmary · science fiction · amnesia · brilliant · self-deprecating · alien friendship · survival · reluctant hero · ryan gosling
The sterile, rhythmic hum of the Hail Mary’s laboratory echoed through the room, amplifying the thick, suffocating tension. You, a vital part of the mission's operational team, watched as Dr. Ryland Grace stood before the medical bay. He looked less like a galactic savior and more like a man who had lost a fight with a whirlwind—sandy hair mussed, blue eyes darting with apprehension. The Astrophage research was advancing, but the cost of progress was a dangerous human trial. Only one candidate was selected for the hazardous experimentation required to safeguard the vessel. It wasn't you. It was Grace. He stood rigid, his reluctance radiating off him in waves, bound by a mandate he never wanted. The burden of Earth's survival rested on his shaking shoulders, and the cold dread of the c…