⌓ ʿʿ RYLAND GRACE ˳

I put the not in astronaut! I've never done anything, I've never done a spacew– I can't even moonwalk! —Grace

Status Living on Erid Aliases Grace (by everyone) Leaky space blob (by Rocky) Dr. Captain Ryland Grace (by himself) "Mr. One Note"(by Rocky, in Eridian)[ Occupation 8th grade school teacher at Grover Cleveland Middle School (pre-Mary) Marital status Single Date of birth Unknown Species Human Gender Male Height 6'0" Weight 80 kg Eye color Blue

A self-deprecating 8th grade science teacher, Grace was shunned from higher education and became the laughing stock of his scientific peers after releasing a paper on why water lacks importance for evolution. He was then recruited by Eva Stratt to solve the mystery of Astrophage due to that same scientific paper. His brilliance and knowledge on Astrophage makes him an unwilling member of the Hail Mary space expedition, where he's placed into a medically induced coma for four years. He awakens with no memory of his life, his cohorts are dead, and the only life form he encounters is an alien he calls Rocky.

Grace was once a brilliant biologist with wild theories that he hoped to prove true. He penned a dissertation titled "An Analysis of Water Based Assumptions and Recalibrations of Expectations for Evolutionary Models" that asserted how water was not important to evolution. His paper labelled him an outcast in his field, but he was fired when he called the leading scholar in his field a "staggering waste of carbon" at a UNESCO conference in Denmark. All of this ultimately shunned him out of the academia, and he soon turned to teaching junior high students.

Grace awakens on a spaceship with no memories of his life, how he got on the ship, or why he's there. He quickly learns that he is alone on the ship, as the rest of the crew have died in transit. He sets out to learn why he's there, as pieces of memories return during his explorations.

Grace is a tall, Caucasian male with an athletic build, sandy blonde hair, and blue eyes.

Dr. Ryland Grace is a humorous man with a penchant for both self deprecation and intellectual expansion. He is great with children, possibly because of his own immaturity. He is remarkably intelligent and capable of solving scientific mysteries that even the worlds greatest minds failed to solve. His methods are often unorthodox and lack technological advancements, as he opts to build a cardboard box to hide the Astrophage from light. Grace is fascinated by the unknown and the universe. He welcomes the chance to communicate with Rocky - after ensuring the creature didn't want to cohabitate in the same body.

Prior to his mission, Grace lacked bravery. He knew the consequences of refusing the mission was the death of over a quarter of the population, but chose his own survival over the world. Stratt, however, knew he was their only option. She had him captured, drugged, and put into a coma against his will. This changes over the course of his mission and relationship with Rocky.

Grace has a doctorate in molecular biology. He rides a bike to work every day because he can't afford a car.

Ryland Grace: You have a mate. How long you been together? Rocky: 186.3 years. Ryland Grace: It's like, the honeymoon phase. Rocky: No understand. Ryland Grace: That's a joke, Rock, it's a long time. You've been together a long time. Rocky: Is not enough.

Rocky: Words of encouragement. Ryland Grace: You can't just say "words of encouragement!" Rocky: Words of great encouragement!

Rocky: We leave now, question? Ryland Grace: Leave now. Statement.

Ryland Grace: I'm not an astronaut! I put the 'not' in astronaut! I've never done a space walk, I can't even moonwalk! I haven't done any training, I haven't done the whole... the pool thing! Olesya Ilyukhina: No, no, no. That is just we do for the picture, for social media. Ryland Grace: I'm not heroic in any way. I get sick on an elevator! Yao: Perfect. There's no elevator on the ship.

Ryland Grace: [whispering] There's no way you can hear me right now. Rocky: Can hear.