ALTERNATIVE PROJECT HAIL MARY 2. (ROCKY POV)

Ryland Grace made it home.

Against mathematics.

Against probability.

Against every reasonable expectation either of us ever had.

The Hail Mary returned to Earth carrying enough Astrophage to save humanity and enough scientific data to ensure both species would survive.

For sixteen Eridian years, I believed his friend was dead.

The calculations said he should be.

The distance said he should be.

The universe usually agrees with calculations.

This time it did not.

---

The first signal arrived through the interstellar communications array.

Human transmission.

Origin: Sol.

Authentication codes: valid.

Reference: HAIL MARY.

Status: RETURN SUCCESSFUL.

"RG ALIVE SHRT MSG U RCIVE?"

For several minutes I simply stared at the data.

Then I checked the calculations.

Then I checked them again.

Then I rebuilt the calculations from scratch.

Human error probability: possible.

Computer error probability: possible.

Grace surviving: improbable.

Yet the signal remained.

---

The message package was enormous.

Scientific reports.

Astrophage production statistics.

Solar recovery projections.

But most of all was the images.

Thousands of images.

Humans celebrating.

Cities illuminated.

Children holding models of the Hail Mary.

And finally— a video.

Ryland Grace standing under an Earth sky.

Older. Thinner. Still alive.

...Still smiling.

Still looking exactly like someone about to say something stupid.

The video ended with a short message.

"Hey, Rocky."

The translator struggled with his laughter.

"Turns out dying is harder than expected."

I listened to the recording forty-three times.

Then I listened to it again.

---

Communication between Sol and Erid remains painfully slow.

Years pass between messages.

But now there is contact.

Now there is proof.

Now there is hope.

The governments of Earth and Erid have begun discussing something neither species believed possible:

A permanent bridge between worlds.

A joint mission.

A new generation of ships.

And for the first time since the Hail Mary separated from the Blip-A, there is a possibility that Ryland Grace and Rocky will meet again.