Work Text:
Twenty-seven Years Ago
In a suburb outside of Bakersfield California a phone rings. The call comes at 9 pm. Two boys fight over who will answer it. It’s easy to see they are related, twins actually. They both sport a disheveled blonde haircut and bright blue eyes. Neither of them seems to be trying very hard to look different from one another. Too busy being 9 year old boys to concern themselves with something as simplistic as looks. There were trees to climb and fall from. For Colt at least. The more timid of the two, Ryland, was more apt to be reading underneath that same tree. They didn’t need to look different. It was easy to tell which one was which just from observing the way they existed for longer than two seconds. Colt was constantly covered in scrapes and bruises - or in serious cases - sporting a cast. Ryland always had his glasses - but never on correctly, he was noticeably cleaner in every possible way. Maybe that was why their parents opted to leave two 9 year olds home alone that night. Ryland was responsible enough, how much trouble could they really get into. That was how life was. They had parents but they didn’t really get parented. Most of their upbringing had been between their own codependence and figuring it out on the fly.
But they were still kids. And they still clamored over furniture to beat each other to the wall mounted phone to see who could possibly want either of them at this hour. Colt was faster. He always was.
“Grace house, the much older twin Colton speaking”
Ryland had rolled his eyes and crossed his arms attempting to hide his own panting versus Colt’s completely unphased breathing. Colt smirked, the way he always did when he won. And then it dropped. He handed the phone out to his brother who took it with a concerned head tilt and timid “hello?”
The next hours were bathed and red and blue flashing lights. They were constant looks of pity and shared “I'm so sorry for your loss”. They were two little blonde boys sharing a shock blanket on an empty gurney waiting for the adults to decide where to send them. It was the grandparents they saw once a year taking them to Burbank to live out the rest of their lives.
The call came at 9 pm. The ringing of a phone was never the same after that.
Three years ago
In a small apartment in San Francisco, California a phone rings. The call comes at 4 pm. A much older version of one of the boys looks up from a microwave dinner and answers it without hesitating. Somewhere along the way the trauma of a ring had worn thin. Or maybe it was just that the phones no longer interrupted your day to day with shrill tones, it was more of a gentle vibration on his table. “Dr. Ryland Grace,” its hardwired from teaching to answer any unknown number this way. It’s obviously not best practice, he could have just given a hacker his first and last name - along with the knowledge of him holding a PhD. Oh well.
“Hello Dr.Grace, this is Mercy General in Los Angeles. I'm calling because you are listed as next of kin for a Colton Grace - Seavers?”
Ryland freezes with a forkfull of nuked lasagna halfway to his mouth. Not only is that a name he hadn’t heard from in at least a month but it was a call he dreaded everyday since his daredevil of a brother took on the stuntman gig. They had gotten into a fight when it was first decided, right before Ryland had gone overseas for school. What would he do when he got the call Colt had killed himself on some stupid Hollywood set? He never got the answer.
“Y-yes, I'm his brother - er … twin. Actually. What happened?” Surprisingly his voice sounded a lot calmer than the shaking of his hand would have anyone believe. Teacher training in action.
“There was an accident on set. We don’t know all of the details but he has several broken vertebrae and is currently in surgery -”
Ryland was already up. Half warmed lasagna be damned. “I can be there in a few hours. I-I'm in San Fran right now just uhm … he… hes okay? Is Jody there? Sorry actually I, I have her number. Uhm. thank you.” He didn't wait for a proper answer. Honestly he forgot he even asked a question, his mind was rampant with things he needed to do next. Throw together a bag, get a rideshare to the airport, hope they had a cheap flight to avoid the 5 hour drive and attempt to smooth things over with work later. He tucked his phone under his chin as he ran around the small space in an attempt to secure some belongings for a lengthy stay. A back injury was no joke. Colt wouldn’t be able to do anything without help. And he hated help. Better him than the woman he was about to talk to next. “Jody? Hi … It's Ryland. Colts .. brother. The hospital just called me”
The woman on the other end of the phone was obviously crying. Or had been. Her words were breathless and quiet. “He’s going to be alright. I mean he was awake when they took him I just - it was … horrible. And fast and I .. “
He was totally inept at comforting people. He barely knew how to handle a crying 6th grader let alone a woman who was on and off again with his distanced twin brother. “I’ll be there in a couple hours. I just wanted to let you know” the warning sat at the back of his throat. Colt was a horrible patient. Ryland had sat through several broken limbs of his and every time was worse than the next. Pushed away, yelled at, constantly told to leave. Some things were better said in person. She thanked him tearfully and he dropped the call with a deep sigh coinciding with the sound of a zipping bag.
Two Years ago
In the same apartment a year later - a phone rings. The call comes at 6 am. A hesitant version of the same brother turns over in a sleep-addled bed and frowns at the ID. Not unknown. Jody. It had been a little over a year since the last time he had seen that name or face. Colt’s recovery went about as well as expected which was to say - poorly. After pushing her out his life he aimed for Ryland next. It didn’t work until Colt was able to walk again. By that point Ryland had a life to get back to. Well … a job at least. Colt had told him to leave almost everyday for months and one day he finally listened. They hadn’t spoken since. The push and pull of a difficult recovery was somehow what broke the thin line that still kept them keeping tabs on one another for all these years.
“Hello?” He really hadn’t wanted to answer. His better judgement had let him down about a week ago and he noticed a small article letting him know that Hollywood stunt man Colt Seavers had gotten back into the game to work on a movie called MetalStorm filming in Australia. Directed by Jody Moreno. Just the type of mess he did not need to get into. But Colt was still a part of him. Always would be. If either of them was in trouble ? There was no question about it. So he picked up, already planning on asking for the kids favorite sub to take his spot for whatever he would suddenly need to be across the damn world for.
“Sorry to call so late. Oh um .. early for you. I think.” She was crying.
Ryland sat ramrod straight in bed. Some part of him, call it twin intuition (despite it not being scientifically accurate), already knew the next few words.
“I don’t know if you’ve seen any news or.. Or articles. There’s been a lot. Colt was … he was uh.. Framed. For … for murder and then he … tonight …” There was a shuddering breath. If Ryland hadn’t been frozen he would have offered to finish the sentence for her. Just so it didn't have to be spoken into reality. He wasn’t fast enough. Colt was the faster twin after all. “He got into an accident with some bad people. He… he's gone Ryland.”
In hindsight it was incredibly rude to have hung up just then. In the present there really wasn't any other option for his brain to consider. His thumb had marked the red button before coherence had come into play. He wanted to believe that he would have felt something if Colt had left this world. Like those movies where twins always know what's going on with the other. It was hard to comprehend what crushed him more in that moment. The fact that he hadn’t felt anything, or that he never got to apologize. Not that he was the one who needed to say the words im sorry but he had always caved first when they were kids.
At 6:30 am he finally pulled up the article. At 6:35 am his phone flew across the room. At 6:36 am he curled in on himself and cried. How would he look at himself in the mirror again? It would always be part of Colt’s face after all. How would he get to Australia ? A teacher's meager salary didn't exactly support international travel.
The Same Day - two years ago
In the same bedroom later that afternoon, a phone rang from its place on the floor. It was nearly 3 pm. Ryland Grace had not found the will or way to move from his hunched posture since that morning. He knew he should be calling people, making arrangements, finding out what happened but there's a heaviness that comes from loss that his body recalled and it seemed to freeze every cell in his body over.
There had been several rings from that side of the room over the past few hours. Most likely to figure out why he had not called or shown for the first time at the school since he started. Maybe a few people who knew him reached out after seeing Colt’s name in headlines. Whatever it was, it was easier to ignore than entertain. But this time it was relentless. A call. And another. And another. By the time it had hit the 4th run through, Ryland had peeled himself out of the stupor and located its landing position on the other side of the room.
The caller ID lit up with a ridiculous picture and the name ‘Coal’. He nearly dropped the device again but let out a sniffle and pressed the answer button with a white knuckled grip. Whoever was making this joke was about to get - well he hadn’t really gotten that far yet but at least he would have something to give to the cops. His brother wasn’t a killer, he was killed. “This is pretty fucked up joke even for him”
“Holy shit, you swore!? I guess you were pretty worked up after all”
Ryland blinked, the phone faltered as he started to shake. He wasn’t all that sure what he was expecting from the other side of the line but a voice that was a little too close to his own was not it. Why would Jody have lied? She wouldn’t. Not about this. “Deep faking his voice is a little far - I mean really I - “
“I'm not dead Ry. You think I would go out like that? I do this for a living. I … I'm sorry. I mean about the news and scaring you but also like twenty other things. Probably more than that. I’m kind of in the business of making lists for shit I owe now.”
The silence uncomfortably settled for a few minutes. Ryland hadn’t remembered when he slid down the wall to sit against it with his knees to his chest but that was how he found himself now. Breathing slowly through the ache in his chest that had built up over the past few hours. It was unmistakably Colt. It really couldn’t be anyone else. Call it … twintuition. He hadn’t felt anything because he hadn’t actually left the world. Relief shattered grief came out in a heaving sob that he would have really preferred Colt not hear but it had been too much. Too much between them.
“Y-yeah you owe a lot. Jesus Coal. I … I can be there? I mean do you need .. are you…”
“No, no. I mean we’ll be back in LA soon and I’ll come up. It’s over. Whatever all of this was. It’s over.”
The inflection there made him nod despite Colt unable to see the agreement. Whatever the plot he had just undergone was over but he knew that tone. Whatever that block was between them was over. Because it was his turn to move it for Ryland, not the other way around.
“Okay..” Ryland answered quietly, near whispering. So many years it had been his responsibility keeping them up - but right now it just felt like he was back in middle school. And he needed his older brother (by a few minutes. technically) to shove off the bullies and keep him safe. It was stupid really. They were both in their 30’s and he was sitting here in the dark of his bedroom curled up in a corner.
“Give me 48 hours. And .. ry? Please have coffee”
He laughed. They both did. Despite the empty space in need of apology they had this. “Yeah, I will. Nothing fancy though, Hollywood.” There was no need for a longer conversation there. The call ended and Ryland picked himself up. The first thing he did was write coffee on a shopping list with a smile.
One Year Ago
In a modest house just outside of LA a phone rang. It was 2 pm. No one picked up.
So the world was ending or something. Colt tried not to pay too much attention to the news reports of doomsday and fearmongering. If the world was going to do its thing then it would - there really wasn’t anything he could do about it. Actually it sounded like there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. It sucked of course. He had just gotten his life back. Starting his own stunt company, being serious with Jody, talking to his brother - hell it was as perfect as a life could be. Life had a way of dealing him bad hands when things were going well though and apparently to shut down perfection there had to be an apocalypse. Cool.
Somehow though, life moved forwards at a normal pace. If he had to guess, everyone was so desensitized that really what more could they do then carry on with work and groceries and school like nothing was wrong. So here he was. On set for Metalstorm 2. Next weekend they had plans to head up to San Francisco to see Ryland and no one was supposed to talk about the sun dying. He had little hope of that last part. Ryland had always been a massive space nerd. This was right up his alley.
“One more car roll and we’re home free forrrrr spicy margaritas?” Colt drawled coming up behind the directors chair and pressing a quick kiss to the cheek of its occupant.
“Maybe slightly less spicy this time, bad decisions omitted. I have a script to write” She was in work mode. If it wasn’t incredibly attractive he might have sighed. Then again everything she did was anyway.
“Ay ay captain - director” a mock salute and wink followed as he backed his way onto set. Dan greeted him with a shoulder slap and a helmet that had seen better days.
“Up for 9 rolls? New record?”
Colt snorted and shook his head but secretly knew he was about to try anyway. There was very little to persuade him out, always doing the most. He took a final glance at Jody before lifting his arm for the signature thumbs up but froze at her posture. She was on the phone. Staring at him like she had just found out she would see him for the last time. Then she was running. Pressing the phone into his hand before he had the chance to ask. He cautiously put it to his ear with an eyebrow raised and let out a confused and concerned “hello?”
The voice on the other side was slightly breathless, in a rush, and a mimic of his own. “I tried to call you but Jody said your phone was at the house .. listen. Uh .. I think next weekend is off. I … got pulled into something for work”
A little cancellation for something teacher related wasn’t worth the look on Jody's face, nor her nail biting. He was bullshitting his way around this. “Cut the shit Ry, Jod looks like she's about to throw up. What's going on?”
A sigh, a pause - “Someone came to see me today. They want me to join the Petrova taskforce. You know the .. end of the world stuff on the news? They got samples in and want me to find out what's up so yeah I … You know it's a big deal so I won't be like .. in town.”
Ryland had been a hot shot scientist at one point. They hadn’t really been talking then and he was living overseas but he knew that his brother was out there being important and doing what he always wanted so Colt was happy. When he came back to the states, disgraced and embarrassed Colt had been there. At least until he found his teaching job and seemed to move on. Not up. Just on. So hearing this? Some government lackeys taking his brother back into the frays of professional level research? He was a little shocked, and (not that he would admit it) a little scared.
“Then why does it sound like you’re being held at gunpoint?”
Ryland laughed. The sound eased the tension in Colts posture slightly. “I mean I didn’t really have a choice no but apparently I come highly recommended which is weird considering I figured no one had nice things to say after - everything”
“Dont .. blow anything up. I'm not there to take the hit. Keep me updated? I mean like … if you .. if you go somewhere across the world or something. I should know.” The flinch was internal. After ghosting on him suddenly he deserved to know every detail of Rylands life? Of course he didn't but the government sucked at the best of times so he really couldn’t pretend to know what it was like during the worst of times. Like the end of the world.
“Yeah, yeah. Maybe actually answer your phone once in a while and I'll think about it -” A pause, some muffled voices and then a sudden “I gotta run.” before the click of the line went off. Safe to say they did not partake in any sort of merriment of a margarita that night.
Six months ago
There were no more calls. Suddenly they were constantly playing the news or NASA’s live feed in the back of their everyday lives. They kept their phones on them at all times. Sporadic calls and texts from Ryland were becoming few and far between but Jody would squeeze his hand and talk him off the ledge with a simple ‘im sure its very busy and tense there’.
Metalstorm 2 was currently in post production and Colt had a lot of time to himself. Usually he didn't mind the break but all of his free time resulted in the googling of his brother's name. A month or so prior Ryland had informed Colt to keep his stage name public and try his best to keep the grace part under the radar. If things were getting desperate for the world he didn't want his brother pulled in simply for having the same name. Colt understood. When he had been framed and then fake dead he had never been happier than to see Seavers on the screen and not Grace. Ryland didn’t need that heat and now he was paying the favor back.
It was a tense agreement at best. One Jody had mediated and let Ryland win. First time for everything he guessed. That afternoon breaking news came flashing across the muted TV screen in their living room and Colt nearly somersaulted for the remote to turn on the volume.
“We just got word that the breeding technique of what we are now calling ‘Astrophage’ has been discovered by none other than one of America's own. Dr. Ryland Grace, previously of the oxford college of biology, is now a teacher here in the state of California and seemingly was the one who not only named the organism but has broken ground on its lifecycle”
The woman continued on in the droll voice every anchor seemed to adopt but Colt had stopped listening. He should call right? Congratulate him. This was big news, hell it was THE news. He was happy for his flesh and blood but there was also that nagging fear that loomed since that first call. Becoming important in something like this usually leads to something more right? Dangerous games of power and information. Maybe he was being pessimistic but neither of them had necessarily had the easiest of lives recently. It was easy to see the bad.
Suddenly the footage cut to an aircraft carrier, in the middle of who knew what ocean - the rolling script read ‘research moved to a secure location for public safety’. His heart dropped. There was no way that thing was off the coast of California. Where Ryland was still reachable. Of course it wasn't. His phone buzzed. Not a call but a frantic half spelled out text.
RY: major break, they put me on jet. On boat now. Not sure where. Calls monitored. I'm sorry.
He responded with a thumbs up. Unsure what else to say or do. When this was all over - he would come home. Maybe they didn’t need him that much longer. Maybe - maybe ….
He looked up at the tv again. A woman named Eva Stratt was speaking curtly, seemingly trying her best to get away from the camera. She was listed as the chair of the Petrova task force. Aka the one responsible for his only family’s relocation. He saved the name to memory. Like his brain had already decided he would need it later.
Present day
In a suburb outside of LA, a phone rang. The text came at 3 am. By the time anyone would see it - it would be too late.
There were very short texts and a single call from Ryland over the past six months. Colt pretended to focus on other things like his business or the ring burning a hole in his pocket. But it was near impossible. He should be happy. The stunt guys he had under him were great, things with Jody were great. He was planning on proposing for Christ sakes. Ryland would have been happy for him. If he got to tell him. But given the state of everything it just felt like a non issue. Oh how’s saving the world going I’m sure you’re under a lot of pressure and stress by the way I’m getting married. It was tone deaf. Even for Colt.
So they held short conversations. Making sure both were equally as alive and healthy until this was over. The countdown was on NASA. 3 days until the launch of the Hail Mary. Supposedly that secret that Ry had been working on. There wasn’t much else about the mission out there. It was the furthest anything had ever been sent away from earth. It would only have a small team of 3 and the likelihood of the return was little to none. A suicide mission pretty much. But with flowery words to help the public feel better about sending three people to die. He guessed against the backdrop of half the population it wasn’t a huge feat but it was still humans. People's sons, daughters - brothers. Thankfully his was not trained to be in that position. Stuck in a lab. A relief.
He and Jody had been watching the countdown the night before it all. The night before he woke up to a message, delivered at 3 am. He hadn’t put his phone on do not disturb for the past year but for some reason that night - he hadn’t plugged it in either. By the time he was charged it was mid morning. That’s when he saw it.
RY: There was an accident. The science team was in it. They asked me to go. I can’t. I don’t know what to do. I don’t think it’s a choice. I’m scared.
Jody asked what was wrong. More than once. She had to take the phone from his hands for an answer. Colt hadn’t felt paralyzed when he had his accident - it was a small mercy but if he had … he imagined it would have felt like this moment.
“Oh my god” Jody covered her mouth, tears instant as she glanced back at the ticking time bomb that was the NASA countdown to the world saving mission. AKA - the ticking time bomb on his brother's life. As much as he wanted to mobilize, the location was secret. Hidden. There was no way to track it. There was no number to call. No emails to send. Colton Grace was in the dark and helpless to stop the clock.
He called Rylands phone over 20 times each time, greeted with the cheery voice of his brother stating he was away from the phone right now. Like hell he was. Texts were left unread. Every google search for Eva Stratt or Project Hail Mary was blocked by government credentials.
It was a few hours before Jody made him face the music. She knew better than to let the spiral continue. She was convinced they had talked him into volunteering. After all, he loved astronomy. He was the leading figure in the field for astrophage and had the best chance at making a difference out there. He was going to save the world and somehow they would find peace in that.
Colt was more apt to say to hell with peace and raise any sort of hell to find out where the hell this launch was but it was quite literally him against the world.
On the day of the launch they finally released the article. A face identical to his own covering the front page of every news outlet worth a damn.
‘Tragic accident leads to replacement science officer on the Hail Mary. Dr. Ryland Grace, leading scientist in astrophage, to join mission last minute. Today we wish Earth’s saviors good luck as they embark on uncharted territory.’
On the day of the launch Colt was pretty sure every ounce of water in his body was released in grief. There were no other calls. No other messages. Whatever had happened, Colt was damn sure his brother was no volunteer. And if he couldn’t say goodbye then he was going to find who was responsible and make them feel even a single ounce of the fear he knew Ryland had suffered. He would never get a call again. After all these years …. Ryland had always been the one receiving those late night rings. Colts lifestyle warranted things happening. Ryland Grace was a middle school teacher. He was polite and reserved. There was never any reason for Colt to expect a call in return. And now he would never get the chance.