“I’m old. Give me a break. It takes me a while to get ready in the morning.”

“Oh, you had to eat, right?” Rocky says, a tinge of disgust in his voice.

“You told me not to talk about that in polite company.”

“I’m not polite company, my friend!”

I snicker. “So what’s up?”

He wiggles and jiggles. I’ve almost never seen him this excited. “I just heard from the Astronomy hive. They have news!”

I hold my breath. “Sol? Is it about Sol?!”

“Yes!” he squeals. “Your star has returned to full luminance!”

I gasp. “Are you sure? Like, Iℓℓ percent certainty?”

“Yes. The data was analyzed by a thrum of λV astronomers. It checks out.”

I can’t move. I can barely breathe. I start to tremble.

It’s over.

We won.

Simple as that.

Sol—Earth’s sun—has returned to its pre-Astrophage brightness. There’s only one possible way that happens: Astrophage is gone. Or at least reduced in population so much that it doesn’t matter.

We won.

We did it!

Rocky cocks his carapace. “Hey, your face is leaking! I haven’t seen that in a long-ass time! Remind me—does that mean you’re happy or sad? ’Cause it can mean either one, right?”

“I’m happy, of course!” I sob.

“Yeah, I thought so. Just checking.” He holds a balled claw against the xenonite. “Is this a fist-bump situation?”

I press my knuckles to the xenonite as well. “This is a monumentally epic fist-bump situation.”

“I guess your scientists got right on it,” he says. “If you account for the time it took your beetles to get there and the travel time for light to get from Sol to Erid… I think it took less than one of your years to get it done.”

I nod. It’s still sinking in.

“So will you go home now? Or will you stay?”

The… entities… that make major decisions for Erid long ago offered to refuel the Hail Mary. It’s still sitting in a nice, stable orbit around Erid, where it’s been since Rocky and I first arrived all those years ago.

The Eridians could stock it up with food and supplies, help me make sure everything is working right, and send me on my way. But so far I haven’t taken them up on it. It’s a long, lonely journey, and until a minute ago I didn’t even know if Earth was still habitable. Erid may not be where I’m from, but at least I have friends here.

“I… I don’t know. I’m getting old and the trip is long.”

“Speaking from a selfish perspective, I hope you stay. But that’s just me.”

“Rocky… that news about Sol… it… it makes my whole life have meaning. You know? I still can’t… I can’t…” I start sobbing again.

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

I check my watch. (Yes, the Eridians made me a wristwatch. They make anything I ask for. I try not to abuse it.) “I have to go. I’m late. But… Rocky…”