Page 114 of Project Hail Mary

“Good. You understand.”

“How long will your xenonite construction take?”

“Four days. Could be five days. Why you ask, question?”

“I want to work fast.”

“Why so fast, question? Slower is safer. Less mistakes.”

I shift in my chair. “Earth is in a bad state. It’s getting worse all the time. I have to hurry.”

“Not understand,”says Rocky.“Why Earth so bad so fast, question? Erid go bad slower. Have at least seventy-two years before big problems.”

Seventy-two years? Man, IwishEarth had that kind of time. But seventy-two years from now Earth will be a frozen wasteland and 99percent of the human population will be dead.

Why isn’t Erid as badly affected? I furrow my brow. I only have to think for a moment before I have my answer: It’s all about thermal energy storage.

“Erid is much hotter than Earth,” I say. “And Erid is much larger with a much thicker atmosphere. So Erid has a whole lot more heat stored in its air. Earth is getting cold fast. Very fast. In fourteen more years, most humans will be dead.”

His voice becomes monotone. It’s a very serious intonation.“Understand. Stress. Concern.”

“Yes.”

He clicks two claws together.“Then we work. We work now! Learn how to kill Astrophage. You return to Earth. You explain. Save Earth!”

I sigh. I’m going to have to explain this eventually. May as well be now. “I’m not going back. I’m going to die here.”

His carapace shudders.“Why, question?”

“My ship only had enough fuel for the trip here. I don’t have enough to go home. I have tiny little probes that will return to Earth with my findings. But I will stay here.”

“Why is mission like this, question?”

“This was all the fuel my planet could make in time.”

“You knew this when you left Earth, question?”

“Yes.”

“You are good human.”

“Thanks.” I try not to think about my impending doom. “So, let’s collect Astrophage. I have ideas for how we can get some samples. My equipment is very good at detecting trace amounts—”

“Wait.”He holds up a claw.“How much Astrophage you ship need for return to Earth, question?”

“Uh…just over two million kilograms,” I say.

“I can give,”he says.

I sit up in my chair. “What?!”

“I can give. I have extra. Can give that much and still have plenty for my return to Erid. You can have.”

My heart skips a beat. “Seriously?! It’s a lot of fuel! Let me repeat it: two million kilograms. Two times ten to the sixth power!”

“Yes. I have much Astrophage. My ship was more efficient than planned on trip here. You can have two million kilograms.”

I fall back into my seat. I pant. I almost hyperventilate. My eyes well up. “Oh my God…”