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I tap my cane gently on the ground. “Oh where, oh where, could a pesky pebble possibly be…”
The telltale musical giggling of a small Eridian child fills the air, somewhere in …the kitchen, maybe.
I think among the translation choices I had to make for Eridian words, “pebble” for Eridian children is among my favorites. Earth languages have plenty of special names for babies of a species: English has kittens, pups, cubs, duck- and gos- lings, foals, kids for both humans and goats, etc, etc. I mean, come on, they’re little rocks.
I dramatically swing my head around to look down the galley, between the island and the sink and cabinets on the wall.
Nary a pebble in sight.
Hm.
I wander over to the living room. The only sounds echoing in the space are my own footsteps and my cane, plus the occasional gentle ring of the pieces of jewelry I wear.
The cane’s been part of my life for a year or so now. “Finally,” Rocky joked, after presenting me with it, “You are a proper Eridian now! Your fifth limb!” I smacked him with it.
Terra and their hatch mates absolutely love playing hide and seek with me when they come over. Hide and seek is not a game that Eridians play - can’t hide super well when you can echolocate - so it’s a special game only I can play with them. They still get the joy of hiding like Earth kids do.
It ends up a bit like a game of hot or cold. I’ve not let them in on my secret yet, but I’ve noticed when they can hear me getting closer, they’ll fall silent.
I tap my foot. Half exaggerated impatience, half so that they can hear me better.
Silence.
However, there is a small, shin height bump in between the fabric curtain and the clear door that leads out to a balcony.
I make a point of looking around places they can’t possibly fit. I open a drawer of a side table. I pluck a cushion off the couch, looking under the cushion as I have it in my hands. A quiet giggle escapes from the curtain.
I meander over. I scan my head to and fro, away from the curtain. Then, at the last second, I quickly pull the curtain back to reveal a tiny Eridian. They jump in surprise, quickly moving to scuttle in rings around my feet.
“Papa Grace, you found me!” Terra giggles.
A literal translation of what the pebbles call me would be more like “Parent Grace” or “Grace-Parent”. It’s an honorific added onto the name of a person that takes a substantial part in raising you. Rocky and Adrian get the same. “Parent” because, of course, Eridians are genderless, but translated it felt a little formal for my own title. I took a little gendered approach, but in all honesty you could translate it as “Mama” too. Personal preference.
“Still don’t know how Papa Grace finds me so easy!”
“My magic light sensing powers,” I chuckle. I wiggle my fingers on my free hand.
Terra stops running in circles and starts poking at my worn converse. “Papa Grace is being silly!”
I grin. “Mmmaybe.”
Terra didn’t want to take the little field trip their parents and hatch mates took today. Rocky and Adrian both were invited to a discussion on innovations in metallurgy and other materials, and since the pebbles have been so well behaved of late, their parents invited them to tag along. Jasper is a geologist in the making, and Mary, like their parents, is interested in fabrication and sculpting, so of course the two wanted to go.
Terra preferred staying behind with me. They’re not so interested in what’s happening down here. Terra’s mind is in the stars. I think Rocky and I have both told them the whole (age appropriate parts of our) story about our time at Tau Ceti a million times over. Gosh, Rocky and Adrian told me about the time they took Terra up the space elevator, and then basically had to bribe them to come back down. It was all Terra could talk about for months. Human length months!
Rocky and Adrian wanted the children to have names that easily carried meaning over to English. I cried when they told me, obviously. We discussed names beforehand, but you don’t really actually name your children until they’re all hatched. It’s a cultural superstition. They told me that, typically, a litter of eggs usually ends up with five pebbles - laying ten eggs that merge together -, but less isn’t super uncommon. Their set ended up with three.
Terra was easy to name. They’re mostly blue, like Adrian, but a bit of a proper blue rather than Adrian’s more teal blue. They also have green spots, like Rocky, but also inherited his brown with similar spots around their body. An excellent mix of the two. Their tiny carapace reminded me of Earth. Blue and green and brown. Full of life.
We discussed naming one of the pebbles Mary before there were even eggs. Mary’s carapace is mostly a darkish gray - a few bits of brown and teal in there - but they’ve got light gray all along on their arms that sparkle. Made me think of the views from the ship’s windows. Mary’s the life of the party anywhere they’re at. A certified all around disco ball. They can’t see that, of course, but they love the idea of it.
Jasper is the spitting image of Rocky to me. Well, there’s a bit more variation in the brown rock; they’ve got more orangey-reddish parts, a few speckles of white lines around a few limbs. The shape of their carapace is a bit Adrian, but mostly Rocky. I threw out that in many Earth cultures, people will sometimes name their children after a parent, but that’s an unheard of thing on Erid. Self centered idea, Rocky said. Yeah, even on Earth, it sort of is, I replied. Seems like a logistical nightmare to differentiate between the two when speaking, Adrian said. Jasper was a good homage; named after a rock, still a human name! Fitting, too, given their geology interest. (Eridians do have a bit of the idea of nominative determinism, but it’s about the same level that my own culture did back on Earth; It’s a fun coincidence.)
Their Eridian names - well, translations are loose at best between English, but the sentiment is there. There’s a lot of complicated things with chords and notes and Eridian etymology for all the kids. I've written about Eridian naming extensively. I’d even say I’m the planet’s foremost human expert on it. The pebbles’ two names are more closely related than any other Eridian that’s been given a human name, I’ll say that much. Their full names basically translate to something along the lines of [Given name], of family RockyAdrianGrace, of city ♬♫♯♬♪. They’ll add parts of their own life stories to it later. Occupations, their own mates, their life achievements.
Terra tells me they want to be one of the first Eridians to travel to Earth.
We haven’t seen any change from Sol, yet. Not like we would have; Earth is 16 light years away, the beetles only could’ve made it back there around the time Rocky and I made it back to Erid. Since we can’t see anything faster than how light communicates things, like the luminosity of sun for example, even if they immediately got started with the Taumoeba we wouldn’t know for at least another year or so.
I don’t tell Terra this, of course. There’s either no civilization to go to, or there is. Schrodinger’s inhabited solar system. I just tell them they can do anything they set their mind to. Which is not a lie, of course. Smart as a whip, that one is.
“Papa Grace?”
“Hm?” I hum. “What’s up, kiddo?”
They click two of their claws together. “Can we play one more game?”
I lower myself down, partially kneeling to get more on level with Terra. “I thought this was the last game?”
“This is last last game!”
I squint my eyes at them. “I feel like we’ve done last, last, last games before. One more game, then we settle down, alright?”
Terra nods their carapace. “Last last game! I promise! No lies, Papa Grace!”
I can’t say no to that. “Alright. Last last game. Do you want to hide and seek again, or a different game?”
They tap their little limbs on the ground. “Hmmmm…..”
“Hm?,” I hum back, using my cane to stand back up. Ooof.
Terra perks up. “Can we play hand game? Please!”
I smile and wordlessly walk over to the couch and take a seat. Terra does a little skip and follows, standing to the corner of the coffee table in front of me. I lean over, bracing the table with my left hand, and place my right hand in a claw pose, the pad of each of my digits meeting the table top. Terra lowers themself and spreads their limbs out.
The “hand game,” the pebbles call it, is kind of a “Simon Says.” Monkey see monkey do? Eridian hear Eridian do, I suppose. The five digits of my hand are perfect to imitate the pentagonal Eridian body, at least close enough for the kids.
I tap my fingers in a roll on the counter, pinky to thumb. Terra copies me, their five limbs matching my five digits, taking their relatively left most arm and tapping it first, initiating a wave all of their own. They’re absolutely giddy and jump for joy. I’m glad Rocky finally upgraded Terra to a more uniquely-fitted style suit.
“Special treatment for special pebbles. You said once there was a term for special treatment like this.” Rocky had said.
“Nepotism,” I replied, “We’ve got a bunch of nepo babies out and about.”
“Hm. Lucky they are that their parent,” Rocky said, gesturing to himself, “Is the top xenonite pressure suit maker on the planet.”
I chuckled. “Not lucky their parent did anything else? Saving the planet or anything?”
“Of course not. You know how children are.”
Eridian kids grow like weeds, I swear. They take a few (Earth) years to get up and going, their systems adjusting to being and learning how to string chords together while in their infancy, but once they get going they really get going. I attribute it to their good memory. Their body is basically catching up to what they already know what to do. (Human kids aren’t too dissimilar, children understand language much earlier than they can actually speak it. Young pebbles babble in similar ways.) Terra and their hatchmates are just shy of 11 Earth years old. I’m no child development or pediatrics expert, but my best estimate for a human child comparison is that they're at the equivalent of about 4 years old? Though, it’s hard to compare with how their development happens. Either way, it’s a quick development, given they’re only a small fraction into their lives!
I think about that a lot. Maybe it’s a parent thing. Not to say I haven’t thought about my death a lot - on the Hail Mary, the way to Erid, on Erid, etc, etc - but it’s different with the pebbles. They’ll live for centuries. I’ll only be here for, what? Another 15, 20 years if I’m lucky?
If I’m lucky. Living at twice Earth’s gravity is really unprecedented ground to tread. (Lucky for Earth scientists, I keep a really good record of basically everything I do, and I plan to send all my information I’ve recorded since the beetles back that way after I pass.) I’m barely in my 50s, as long as my clocks kept right during the time dilation, and, gosh, I feel older. I need a cane. Nothing wrong with needing a cane, of course, but just given my condition before years of 1.5 Gs and microgravity then a steady 2 Gs, I don’t think I would’ve needed one for a few decades still if I were on Earth. Though, maybe if I were still on Earth, I wouldn’t have made it to be this age.
Terra and I shuffle around a bit more before I decide to call it quits. I can tell they’re ready to settle down for a little while, at least.
“So,” I say, leaning back into the couch and grabbing a remote from the coffee table, “we can either listen to a new Eridian show, or we can watch an old Earth one.” The Eridians have some interesting radio programs. I’m a fan of a few.
“Earth! Earth!” There was only an illusion of choice, I knew which one they’d pick.
“Alright, any ideas, or do we leave it up to random chance?”
“𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅗𝅥! Danger game show!”
I chuckle. That’s the best synonym I’ve got for the word. There’s no good Eridian equivalent for danger, but really more specifically in a sense of legal matters, so we just call Jeopardy the danger game show. Their siblings have other shows they like - Mary is particular to Mythbusters, a pebble after my own heart, and Jasper likes sitcoms. That kid loves pranks, for better or for worse.
A comforting melody plays from the screen - half salvaged from the Hail Mary, half repaired or new LEDs. I thank my lucky stars that the simple theme of Jeopardy didn’t accidentally translate horribly to Eridian - most things didn’t, most came out as incomprehensible gibberish at worst. Terra hums along to the tune softly as they settle on the couch beside me. They’re getting to be a heavy little bugger, but find a comfortable spot half at my side and half on my legs.
It’s always Jeopardy that gets me nostalgic. I can just close my eyes and - I’m a bit younger than Terra is now, and I’m sitting beside my grandmother as we, too, settle down for the evening while Johnny introduces the contestants for the night and Alex Trebek. I get excited when the science categories pop up - I’m not particularly good at answering most of the questions yet, but those I’m eager to write down. I tell my grandmother that next time I’m at the library, I’m going to find books or use the computers to look up more about the things I didn’t know. She chuckles and wraps an arm around me, gently patting my shoulder.
I open my eyes back up - and I’m in her shoes now. I smile fondly. (I cried the first time that memory came back to me, gosh, it was still on the Hail Mary, Rocky was so confused! Sorry, bud, I’m crying over a quiz game show, you have to know what you signed up for at this point.) Eridians’ relationships with touch is a bit different than humans’ is - we’re a bit more squishy and perspective of even the smallest amount of touch, - but my family appreciates it all the same. Terra leans into my rubs on their carapace ever so slightly.
My and Terra’s episode is about a third the way through Ken Jenning’s infamous winning streak, though I keep that a secret from them for now. I do make a point to remind them of the year of this specific program (no, sweetheart, they’re not wrong on purpose, they just were only right for what they knew at the time.) We play along with the show - I’m reading the clues, they’re listening, we see who gets answers right first. Terra’s memory is catching up with their lack of experience; they’re getting some honest wins in! Probably not today though, it was less math and science and more early aughts Earth culture, a thing they’re much less versed in than I.
We’re past the regular Jeopardy round when I shuffle a bit and give Terra a small nudge. “Scoot. I gotta head to the bathroom for a sec.”
Terra gives me a few pokes. “Gross gross gross!” She’s teasing.
“Yeah, yeah, gross gross gross.” I give them a small kiss on the top of their carapace. “Everyone does gross things, sometimes. Such is life from both Earth and Erid.”
“Papa Grace says this before.”
“Ah, so you do listen to me!” I stand up. “I’ll be right back.”
I do as I told them. I do my business and wash my hands. I look up and meet my eyes in the mirror.
I don’t make a habit of… studying my own appearance very often. I’m no Naricissus. It’s just… Hm.
There was a period of time where I imagine I wasn’t a great site to behold. Or listen to, in Rocky’s case. Scurvy and malnutrition and having just about every vitamin deficiency disease does that to a guy. Old habits die hard.
I’m not old. Well, I guess it depends on your perspective. 50 is old for some people. For Eridians, my whole life span is basically in their adolescence. I use the pads of my fingers to pull around at my face. I’ve got wrinkles - sides of my mouth, smile lines, under my eyes, crows feet. I think it’s a little more than someone typically would have at 50? Maybe? I'm older than my own parents ever were, so no good genetic comparison there, but I do think of my grandmother again. I’ve got a spattering of grey hairs - mostly at my temples, lots in my beard, but more and more have started popping up at the scalp lately. I run my fingers through my hair - it’s longer than I ever let it get on Earth, but it’s not super long. I don’t know, I’m having fun with it, though I’ll probably cut it soon. My glasses live more on my face than off nowadays. I had to get a few Eridians familiar with optometry, or at least enough make me glasses with a new prescription. Not sure if it's the “getting older”’ fault or the “double gravity” fault.
I smile at my reflection. What a gift it has been, to grow older.
Bang, bang! I jump. There’s knocks at the bathroom door. The soundproofing on the bathroom wall is a smidge higher than the rest of my rooms, so I’ve got to open the door to hear the other side.
Terra’s lowering a claw. “Did you fall in, question?” I don’t know what show they watched to pick up on that. I’m blaming Jasper for that one.
I laugh, a good belly laugh. “No, no, sweetheart, I didn’t fall in. I said I’d be a minute.”
Terra bounces up and down. “Papa Grace said they’d be a second! Has been few minutes, show is starting again!” They shake a tiny little fist at me, playfully reprimanding me. How very Rocky of them.
I grab my cane and follow behind Terra, who has started skittering back to the couch. I tap the cane twice on the floor. “Did I miss anything important?”
Terra jumps on the couch. “No, but Papa Grace will miss rest of the show if slow, slow, slow!”
I roll my eyes. They can hear me do that.
I’m placing my cane down when Terra asks, “…Papa Grace?”
“Hm?” I hum, sitting next to them. “What’s up, kiddo?”
“… One more game?”
I tilt my head and exhale. “Terra, I know you didn’t forget we said that was the last game.”
They tap two of their claws together. Another Rocky-ism - definitely their parent’s kid. “Monster game, question? Pretty please?”
Aw, jeez. Who can say no to that.
“Hm. I dunno…” I say, tapping my chin. “I’m not sure if you’re prepared for…” before I lunge forward at them.
I wrap my arms around their carapace and bring my legs up, wrapping around them the best I can.
Terra’s just giggling the whole time. “No!!!” They could push me off of them at this point. Gosh, I was so scared to even attempt anything close to roughhousing for the longest time. Adrian had to remind me they’re tough little buggers.
“Rah!” I roar, “I’m a scary, Eridian eating space monster!”
“𝅗𝅥♫!!! ♫♫!!” Terra is alternating between laughs and gibberish.
I take my fingers and tap all around their carapace. As I’ve said, Eridians’ sense of touch doesn’t exactly translate to a human's sense, but this is sort of equivalent to tickling? No hysterical laughter impulse, but there’s a playful sensory input. Adrian told me once that there was a study once that doing this with pebbles showed an improvement with the introduction to thrumming later in life? They get used to excessive sounds from all around earlier than being thrown into a thrum. It’s fun for me, because I get to tickle them. Win, win.
I relax, laying my head on the arm of the couch. “Another win for the space monster.”
Terra pokes my stomach with their nearest arm. “Eugh-” I say, ever so eloquently.
“Hehe,” Terra giggles.
I look over at the TV - the credits are rolling on the episode, the next about to start.
“Did ya catch the rest of the episode?” I ask.
Terra tucks their legs in and lays down in the space my body’s making, my legs still kind of curled up. Kind of like a warm little rock loaf. “Yes, yes, won again, other contestants could not catch up! Smart.”
Again, ever reliable, a familiar melody plays while two new faces are introduced. I decide for this episode, I’ll play Eridian style. I rest my eyes, and let my ears do the work.
….
My senses come back to me, slowly. There’s different voices singing out chords and notes, but my ears take a second to connect to my brain.
“Papa Grace has sleeped for…. One danger show episode! I did a good job watching Papa Grace sleep!” Terra says, excitedly.
“I’m sure you did. You know it’s about time for you to sleep soon.”
At hearing Rocky’s voice, I stretch out a bit, a few whimpers from my throat in addition to a few pops and cracks from my bones.
“Morning!!” Terra pokes at me.
I chuckle - that kind of sleepy laugh you only really get right after waking up - and open my eyes. “Sorry for falling asleep on you, kiddo.”
“Terra was telling me they were excited to be trusted to watch you sleep, all by themself.” Rocky says.
I push myself up from my napping spot. “They did a great job. I was well protected from any potential attackers. Nary a scratch on me.”
Rocky gives Terra a small poke. “Terra, how about you go get into the airlock? Adrian is there with your hatchmates, and can help you get out of your suit while I talk to Grace.”
Terra goes to jump off the couch before they turn and gives me a tiny little hug. Gosh, I love this pebble. I hold back all the leaky space blob tendencies I have.
“Had fun, Papa Grace! Love you!”
Of course, I get them my biggest possible hug back. “Love you too, sweetheart. Sleep tight.”
They jump down, and head downstairs where the airlock room is. I can’t see them anymore, but I rest assured that Rocky can hear them.
“Are you going back to sleep, or will you sleep later like planned?” Rocky asks.
I wave a hand. “Nah, I’ll sleep later. I’ve still got some stuff to grade for class tomorrow.”
“Good, good. I will be back to watch you sleep, like planned.”
Rocky does a quick run over of his claw over the next nearest arm - the Eridian goodbye - before following behind his pebble.
I mimic the goodbye. “See ya later.”