My Little Pony: My Little Pony The Martian

AMICITAS Mission Three – Mission Day 260

ARES 3 solar day 257

Dear Dr. Shields,

This morning I finished dismantling all the valuable equipment in the No. 1 rover. All that remains now is the on-board computer, radio system, oxygen and nitrogen tanks, and a fan. I took away the rest of the life support system, because at least part of it will be used later when connecting to the Sirius tandem rover life support system. Tomorrow Starlight will help me depressurize the rover cabin and then remove the cabin from the chassis.

Fortunately, I only needed Starlight's help, because neither Spitfire nor Fireball wanted to talk to me. Berry was still willing to talk for the time being, but she was preoccupied with how she could lead the team again, and she couldn't listen to a word no matter who said it.

what about me? Well, it goes without saying that I'm frustrated, but I'm also a little sad. I still feel like I didn’t do anything wrong to cause public outrage. I was avoiding it all the time, even as we drove to the cave I was afraid to speak. The most meaningful conversation for me in the past two days was chatting with a dragonfly through a cocoon.

Working on the rover today was the first time in days, or even weeks, that I felt truly happy. I didn't think this was a good sign, because I was basically the only one in Rover 1 the whole time.

As for the suggestion in your last email, I think "family time" is a really bad idea. The problem now is not that we don't understand what causes our dissatisfaction with each other, but that something exposes all the problems. I don’t think family time discussions will have any practical effect. Instead, they are more likely to arouse this anger and prompt us to say more hurtful words in response to violence.

Not that I have a better idea, but this definitely won't work. I hope you haven't mentioned this to a few others yet.

I can't eat anything today. I find it difficult to do anything no matter who I am near. No appetite. Part of the problem, ironically enough, is that I've been worrying about how they were eating, but in this climate I didn't dare ask.

I have to find a way to relieve my boredom. Any suggestions?

mark

Dear Dr. Shields,

What you said is good, but incomplete. I have value at home. I have value in space. But I'm useless on Mars. I only have stupid ideas. I can't eat other people's food. Now I still get angry for no reason when I talk to Mark or other ponies.

I think it's partly because I'm a dragon. Dragons are not good at dealing with. Even dragons don't get along with each other. We are not friendly.

But it's never been this bad before. I do not know why. I do not understand.

You're right, I should apologize. But I dare not apologize. I was afraid I would screw up, get mad at myself and make everyone else mad. I think they were very angry with me to begin with, and they should be. I started this thing. I shouldn't have gotten mad at Mark. I still don't understand why I did that.

Now I hope the dragonfly can create a second cocoon. I can only talk to her now.

fireball.

Dear Dr. Shields,

I think you're right about the team needing time to rest. But I think the team also needs time together. If a team doesn't get through it together, it won't be a team after that.

I think you're right that I owe something to Mark. I still feel like he talks down to us, but now he doesn't talk at all. He is afraid of us. This is not what I want. And now I feel like he can’t hear me saying I’m sorry. Sorry is no longer useful.

Sometimes I think too much of myself and not enough of others, and I don’t know what to say in English. This is the worst part of being a leader for me. This gives me a lot of trouble. I guess now this gets us all in trouble. My helping broke the team. If I had shut up, Fireball would have apologized and this would have been over. No one is talking now.

Fortunately, I am not in charge now. Berry at least tried to be a team player. I don't know where to start.

Fortunately we drank water. Now, it feels like I have eaten a lot of salt.

Tell Tingting to come out today. We need her.

Flying fire

Dear Dr. Shields,

I understand that my team members are ordinary people like me. The problem lies here! I am actively facing my fears and anxieties. Nor did I get so cranky that I wanted to bite their heads off every time I spoke more than two syllables. Why can't they do it? I kept reminding myself that it was wrong to rely on magic to make them obey the rules, because I couldn't stand it when I saw this!

At least Berry hasn't given up yet - I still agree with this. But mostly she just begged. Everyone was so ashamed that they didn't even want to answer her (including me) why we couldn't get along. What she's doing now isn't working, and everyone can see that. As for the others, Mark has given up on healing, Fireball and Spitfire just want to keep fuming, and the only one who wants to listen to me is when I'm reading that Hobbit book!

I really miss Dragonfly now. She does have her blind spots, and is just as selfish as most changelings are known to be, but she knows how to make ponies do what she wants - and she doesn't use magic. (At least my assumption is that she's not using magic. I never saw her horns light up when she was alone with us chatting. But maybe it's a changeling trick they can do without a spell... that's the point I'll have to ask Twilight Sparkle to confirm.)

Is there anything you can do to get these guys to put their face down and get back to work? I'm getting tired of being the only useful pony here!

starry

Dear Dr. Shields,

I'm out of ideas. I couldn't get any of them to answer my questions. They all obey my orders, except for one: they just don't get along.

This is not the life I want. I long for flying. I never wanted to be in space forever, or live on another planet. I want to fly airships, airplanes, balloons, helicopters, rockets. Not "commanding" them, but driving them yourself. Instead of cutting them up and transforming them into vehicles, you're flying them. And I never, ever, ever, ever wanted to give orders to other ponies. I can't do it.

Now we are divided into two teams. Mark and Starlight still communicate, albeit only a little. Fireballs and flying fire also work, just a little bit. Both teams will listen to me a little bit, but it's not enough. I can't get everyone together at the same time.

The only one willing to listen was Ting Ting. She won't turn a blind eye. I miss her so much. I miss laughing at that idiot. I miss being proud of that adventure bug. I miss someone who always listened, always supported, always listened.

Please tell me what to do to get back to the past.

Cherry Raspberry

PhD notes:

Mark was exhibiting perspective-taking and avoidance behaviors consistent with his known tendency to avoid conflict. At the same time, he had not yet given up on the idea that the aliens were for some reason in his custody, which may have subconsciously affected the way he treated them and worsened their symptoms of emotional exhaustion.

Fireball speaks very much like a teenager. His self-esteem issues were at the forefront of recent emails. Plans need to be made to find ways to enhance his perceived value within the team.

Feihuo is still too obsessed with her self-explanatory psychological theories to listen to the advice of professionals. That being said, her ability to admit some of her mistakes is a positive first step. The next step might be to try to guide her to develop a real understanding of how to maintain a healthy team ecosystem.

Starlight Glimmer went deeper and deeper in the wrong direction. At the same time, she was on guard. Now I need another way to persuade her. I must think carefully tonight.

CherryBerry refuses to take coercive measures to revive morale. Let Lewis come and there will be no such problem. If you have a chance after this thing is over, be sure to ask Xiao Ma if they have a submarine fleet. Now the first step is to find a way to recommend confidence-building training to her.

The latest round of email interactions had two common themes: strong self-blame for the current situation in their neighborhood, to the point where it became an obstacle to rehabilitation; and a deep awareness of the important role of missing group members in their lives.

Plan 1: Transfer the counseling method from individuals to groups, and implement training to eliminate individual guilt and shame.

Option Two: Administrators need to contact the leadership of the extraterrestrial space program again for input. The first task now is undoubtedly to convince the dragonfly to leave the cocoon as soon as possible. Even aside from her other responsibilities, her presence is clearly integral to maintaining team morale. The longer this drags on, the greater the delays in other schedules.

Plan No. 2 requires a brief chat with Capol. Plan No. 1 depends on a certain doctor to implement it, and it looks like he will have to stay up all night...