“One thing I learned back in my graduate school days: When you’re stupid tired, accept that you’re stupid tired. Don’t try to solve things right then.”
― Project Hail Mary
― Project Hail Mary
“You observe, question?' he asks again.
'No.'
'Observe.'
'You want me to observe you sleep?'
'Yes. Want want want.'
Through unspoken agreement, a tripled word means extreme emphasis.
'Why?'
'I sleep better if you observe.”
― Project Hail Mary
'No.'
'Observe.'
'You want me to observe you sleep?'
'Yes. Want want want.'
Through unspoken agreement, a tripled word means extreme emphasis.
'Why?'
'I sleep better if you observe.”
― Project Hail Mary
“Rocky admonished me for leaving the sample at (human) room temperature for so long. He had a lot to say on that subject, actually. We had to add “reckless,” “idiot,” “foolish,” and “irresponsible” to our shared vocabulary just so he could fully express his opinion on the matter.
There was another word he threw around a lot, but he declined to tell me what it meant.”
― Project Hail Mary
There was another word he threw around a lot, but he declined to tell me what it meant.”
― Project Hail Mary
“Rocky!'
A crackle. My ears perk up.
'Rocky?!'
'Grace, question?'
'Yes!' I've never been so happy to hear a few musical notes! 'Yeah, buddy! It's me!'
'You are here, question?!' his voice is so high-pitched I can barely understand him. But I understand Eridian pretty well now.
'Yes! I'm here!'
'You are...' he squeaks. 'You...' he squeaks again. 'You are here!'
'Yes! Set up the airlock tunnel!'
'Warning! Taumoeba-82.5 is-'
'I know! I know. It can get through xeonite. That's why I'm here. I knew you'd be in trouble.'
'You save me!'
'Yes. I caught the Taumoeba in time. I still have fuel. Set up the tunnel. I'm taking you to Erid.'
'You save me and you save Erid!' he squeaks.
'Set up the damn tunnel!'
'Get back in you ship! Unless you want to look at tunnel from outside!'
'Oh, right!”
― Project Hail Mary
A crackle. My ears perk up.
'Rocky?!'
'Grace, question?'
'Yes!' I've never been so happy to hear a few musical notes! 'Yeah, buddy! It's me!'
'You are here, question?!' his voice is so high-pitched I can barely understand him. But I understand Eridian pretty well now.
'Yes! I'm here!'
'You are...' he squeaks. 'You...' he squeaks again. 'You are here!'
'Yes! Set up the airlock tunnel!'
'Warning! Taumoeba-82.5 is-'
'I know! I know. It can get through xeonite. That's why I'm here. I knew you'd be in trouble.'
'You save me!'
'Yes. I caught the Taumoeba in time. I still have fuel. Set up the tunnel. I'm taking you to Erid.'
'You save me and you save Erid!' he squeaks.
'Set up the damn tunnel!'
'Get back in you ship! Unless you want to look at tunnel from outside!'
'Oh, right!”
― Project Hail Mary
“I guess this is it,' I say.
'It is time, ' he says. 'We go save homeworlds now.'
'Yeah.'
'Your face is leaking.'
I wipe my eyes. 'Human thing. Don't worry about it.'
'Understand.' He pushes himself along to the airlock door. He opens it and pauses there. 'Goodbye, friend Grace.'
I wave meekly. 'Goodbye, friend Rocky.”
― Project Hail Mary
'It is time, ' he says. 'We go save homeworlds now.'
'Yeah.'
'Your face is leaking.'
I wipe my eyes. 'Human thing. Don't worry about it.'
'Understand.' He pushes himself along to the airlock door. He opens it and pauses there. 'Goodbye, friend Grace.'
I wave meekly. 'Goodbye, friend Rocky.”
― Project Hail Mary
Ruslan’s 2025 Year in Books
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