My Little Pony: My Little Pony The Martian

AMICITAS Mission Three – Mission Day 63

ARES 3 solar day 65

Berry smiled proudly, watching Mark spend half the time in the cave staring at and inspecting the alfalfa seedlings that were densely packed like fur from the nutrient soil. She was certainly not a natural at farm work; but she apparently did it well enough to leave a plant scientist like Mark speechless.

She quite likes the feeling of staying in the cave. The space inside is still a little chilly, but the temperature is not much different from the morning temperatures in early spring or late autumn. And thanks to the exquisite spell that Starlight had set before, multiple crystals illuminated the interior of the cave as brightly as the desolate world outside. In addition, only when surrounded by alfalfa crops that are just sprouting and ready to sprout, Berry can feel a little more... vitality... at least much better than the feeling in the habitation cabin. Not to mention the area around Amicitas that she often passed by.

Amicitas, woe is the sorrow. Most of the beautiful outer skin was completely stripped away during the previous salvage process. The big hole in the mechanical compartment has no tendency to continue to expand for the time being, but this is mainly because the load on the fuselage is much lighter after the cargo compartment airlock is removed. Two of the three main engines were completely destroyed. But... but...

Berry would still spend some time every day sitting on the seat that originally belonged to the commander, leaning against the chair that collapsed due to the impact in the crash, thinking and expecting. Where to go? If only there was some way...

"If something bad happens to the Quarters," she recalled what Mark had told her, "don't even think about fixing it. Just come here. Bring all the food. I'll fix the Quarters when I get back."

"Okay," Berry replied. She thought for a moment and said a new phrase she had just learned, "I understand."

"Dingting asked me to leave the TV...that is, those TV series...to her." Mark continued, "I will set aside a computer to play it. Don't forget to continue studying the language class!"

"Electronic partner. And 'Ah, ah, ah, hand, an, apple'." Berry hummed, imitating the way she did in class.

"That's right." Mark couldn't help laughing when he saw her actions, "What else... By the way, watch the dragonfly and don't let her get close to those untouchable places. Remember to trim those potatoes regularly, don't Let them overlap." He was afraid that Berry wouldn't understand, so he made a gesture to explain, "Be careful not to handle potato plants with your mouth. They are poisonous."

"I know about potatoes," Berry said quickly, "There are also potatoes in our world."

"Make sure there is water supply in both tents at all times. And... uh..." Mark thought for a while and waved his hand, "No, I think that's pretty much what I need to explain."

"No problem, I understand." Berry nodded.

"I won't be back for at least twenty solar days," Mark said, "but I should be back twenty-four solar days at the latest."

"Got it." Berry patted the neck of her spacesuit; her helmet was now neatly placed near the airlock with several others. "I'll talk to Starlight anytime. Be nice to her."

"Don't worry, I will." Mark looked a little surprised when he heard what Berry said. "Your call range... uh... how far apart can your spacesuits be to contact you?"

Berry shrugged. "With just a space suit, it can be up to three thousand meters away. But we can use a spaceship. With a spaceship, it can go anywhere...well...at least that's the case where we are." She said, "Not here now. That’s clear. We don’t…well…usually we stay in the same place here.”

"It's 'never separated'." Mark said and made a gesture, raising his two hands, palms parallel to each other, and then slowly moved away from each other.

"What do you mean by separation... Oh, I understand. It's 'separation'." Berry nodded to express her understanding, "All our sunsets are connected by spaceship."

"It's 'Every Sunset.'"

"Every sunset." Berry repeated, "The message should be short to save energy."

"Okay. I understand." At this time, Mark knelt down and stroked the short stems of several alfalfa plants with one hand. "It's normal to grow like this on the earth." He said, "And it's also It has to be a little warmer and brighter than it is here now. How did you do that?"

Berry giggled. "This is magic!"

Mark started mumbling something unintelligible that sounded like, "Ask a silly question, get a silly answer."

"I'm sorry I didn't hear clearly. What did you say just now?" Berry asked.

"Nothing," Mark replied.

"You are crazy." Fireball said.

"No, listen to me first." Tingting hurriedly explained, "This job is just to keep busy until Mark comes back. After that, we have the radio system on the old detector to repair. This matter is natural. It won’t matter anymore.”

"I don't want to lie to her." Feihuo said resolutely, "After all, she is our commander, not just any intern I can call out to you."

"Please, this is not a lie." Dragonfly defended, "At least check Mark's lander and fuel generator to see if there are any parts that can be recycled without causing serious consequences. Of course we already know about the landing. The control assembly of the propeller was damaged when it rolled over in that storm, but we can still salvage the propeller section, right? And, hey, we can salvage a lot of bolts and rivets!”

"Anything we try to build, even if it can really fly off the ground, will shatter itself into pieces before entering orbit." Fireball retorted bluntly, "Just to remind you, none of us here are minotaurs. Or the Alicorn Princess.”

"But Mark looks a bit like a lean albino minotaur." Feihuo thought about it carefully and said.

"Everyone," said the dragonfly, "what if we give it a try? It will always make Berry happy. Besides, what else do we have to do during these days? Just go back and forth to the residential area in two hours every day. Water the plants between you and the cave? That way, we'll have something to do. We all need something to do, especially Berry. I thought Starlight had lost her mind when she suggested this at first. , but then the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right. We can at least give it a try."

The dragon and Pegasus stared at the dragonfly in front of them for a long time, then turned to stare at Berry who was standing at the other end of the cave farm talking to Mark.

"Okay." Fireball finally compromised, "We can check the seats in the lander first. The ones we have are not in good condition at the moment, and Mark must have a chair that suits him no matter what."

"What kind of fuel did that lander use?" Spitfire asked, "Is there any left?"

"Maybe you have to ask." Dragonfly said, "I... uh... maybe I played the role of 'cute and crazy alien' at his place too many times."

Fireball and Flying Fire looked at each other, and then looked at Dragonfly together. The dragon said: "Sorry, Bugs, I just know how to break this matter with you."

"Whether you're cute or not depends on your subjective opinion," Feihuo also joined in, "but being crazy is an objective fact."

"Faust carved it on the stone tablet herself." Fireball agreed.

Tingting's ears drooped and she muttered: "The love you guys have is really special."

Transcript – Hydraulic Telegraph Switch – ESA Maltimore Center ＜-＞ ESA spacecraft AMICITAS

AMICITAS: Amicitas calls Maltimore, uses the starlight space suit to reply, completed.

ESA: Maltimore calls Amicitas, who is it? complete.

AMICITAS: Starlight - The on-site crystal array has been upgraded and is ready to retry the communication experiment plan a. ……complete.

ESA: Confirmed to conduct communication experimenta? The signal is not very clear, over.

AMICITAS: Confirmation of conducting communication experimentsa. Currently still familiar with the code, over.

ESA: Standby. It is recommended to postpone the experiment until tomorrow, complete.

AMICITAS: Starlight—not here tomorrow, over.

ESA: OK. The experiment was postponed until twenty hours after the task time and completed.

AMICITAS: Starlight—not feasible. Starlight won't be here tomorrow. complete.

ESA: Cocoon—your telegraph skills are terrible. Also, Princess Nerd isn't here today. Probably to resolve friendship issues or princess affairs. complete.

AMICITAS: Starlight - tell her I'm going to go out with the alien next to find a radio. Estimated duration is 23 to 24 mission days, completed.

ESA: Cocoon - Please verify the number of passengers and the means of transportation used when traveling with aliens, completed.

AMICITAS: Starlight - Confirmed trip, passengers Alien and Starlight, using Alien Automobile, completed.

ESA: Cocoon – won’t the dragonfly go away? complete.

AMICITAS: Starlight-Dingting stayed at the base because her love reserves were low. Immediately conduct communication experiment a while Starlight is still here to enhance the magic power today, completed.

ESA: Cocoon - please stand by, over.

AMICITAS: Starlight - on standby, over.

AMICITAS: Starlight - on standby, over.

AMICITAS: Starlight - on standby, over.

ESA: Cocoon - Moon Dancer is here and she will be in charge of testing this end. Please stand by, over.

AMICITAS: Starlight - on standby, over.

ESA: Moon Dance - After completing the preparations, start the communication experiment a, completed.

AMICITAS: Communication experiment a is in progress. There is currently no connection. Using backup battery to strengthen signal, completed.

ESA: Acknowledgment that no signal was received. Signal enhancement did not take effect, completed.

AMICITAS: Signal enhancement terminated, complete.

ESA: Communication experiment a terminated. According to our situation assessment, it is meaningless to conduct the Plan A experiment again in the future. The dimensional interface layer absorbs or blocks the connection of the presence spell. complete.

AMICITAS: Got it.

ESA: Cocoon Cocoon - Tell Tingting that she has to work harder to think of a solution, over.

AMICITAS: Could you please repeat that? complete.

ESA: Cocoon Cocoon said Tingting should work harder to think of strategies, over.

AMICITAS: Starlight——Dingting has tried her best to think of strategies, over.

ESA: Cocoon – trying hard is not enough. Communication ends.

AMICITAS: Starlight—Contact again in twenty-four days, communication ended.