Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

Wow. I’m sitting here in a spaceship in the Tau Ceti system waiting for the intelligent aliens I just met to continue our conversation…and I’m bored. Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.

I fall back into my seat. I pant. I almost hyperventilate. My eyes well up. “Oh my God…” “No understand.” I wipe away tears. “You are okay, question?” “Yes!” I sob. “Yes, I’m okay. Thank you! Thank you thank you!” “I am happy. You no die. Let’s save planets!” I break down, crying tears of joy. I’m going to live!

He bounces back and forth some more. “Erid will live! Earth will live! Everyone live!” He curls the claws of one hand into a ball and presses it against the xenonite. “Fist me!” I push my knuckles against the xenonite. “It’s ‘fist-bump,’ but yeah.”

“You will miss me, question? I will miss you. You are friend.” “Yeah. I’m going to miss you.” I take another swig of vodka. “You’re my friend. Heck, you’re my best friend. And pretty soon we’re going to say goodbye forever.” He tapped two gloved claws together. They made a muffled sound instead of the usual click that comes along with the dismissive gesture. “Not forever. We save planets. Then we have Astrophage technology. Visit each other.”