Sol 429
AMICITAS FLIGHT THREE – MISSION DAY 437
ARES III SOL 429
“Cherry, look at this!”
Cherry Berry paused in her work on the cherry tree next down the row. That work consisted of little more than walking around the trunk as much as possible and thinking happy thoughts at the trunk and roots, but that was just how earth pony magic worked- or, at least, it was all she knew. “What is it, Mark?”
Mark had grasped one of the lower branches of the cherry tree at the top of the row and pulled it down for easier view. “Look at these buds!” he said.
“Yes, I know, Mark,” Cherry said. “The fresh leaves should sprout in about three weeks, I think.” She’d actually had to work a little to make the trees take as much of a nap as they had. Insofar as trees could feel, they felt happy and full of pep. They were impatient to wake up again and resume growing. Rest time was over, and the sheer number of buds suggested there would be a bumper crop of fresh-grown, low-toxin sweet leaves for tea-making just as they were ready to depart.
“No, no!” Mark said. “Look at these buds! See anything different?” He pointed his finger to the clusters of buds out towards the very whip-end of the branch.
Cherry Berry looked. At the moment they just appeared to be buds and- no, wait. These were larger than the leaf buds. A lot larger, although any bud on a cherry tree was going to be tiny. “Are those flower buds?” she asked.
“Can’t be anything else!” Mark grinned. “I actually did a project as part of one of my undergraduate botany courses, going out to Jackson Park every day and monitoring the cherry trees from dormancy to first bud to full bloom. This is exactly what I remember cherry flower buds looking like!”
“That’s wonderful!”
“That’s impossible!” Mark said, still grinning. “These trees are too young, there hasn’t been enough cold weather inside the cave, it’s the wrong time entirely- there’s every reason in the world why this shouldn’t be happening, but it’s happening!”
“Well, of course it’s happening because-“ Cherry’s elation vanished, replaced by a sinking feeling in her tummy. “It’s because the trees know we’re leaving,” she said. “I think they want to say goodbye.”
Mark raised an eyebrow. “Do trees actually think, where you come from?” he asked.
“Hard to say,” Cherry Berry said. “They don’t think like ponies, that’s for sure. But they do have feelings, and they know a little what’s going on around them. And I think they might hear me a bit, the same way I hear them. The same way most earth ponies hear plants, if they learn to listen.”
“So earth ponies aren’t hobbits,” Mark chuckled. “They’re ents.”
“Ha, ha,” Cherry Berry said, sarcastic. “Look, I can believe the trees are thankful for the care we give them, can’t I?”
“Sure, sure,” Mark said in a placating tone. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make fun of you.”
“Good.” Cherry stroked a hoof down the tree trunk. “I really wish we could take them with us,” she said. “All the way home, I mean. I never grew a tree from seed to adulthood before.”
“Look at it this way,” Mark said. “We brought life to a lifeless world and gave it a fighting chance. That’s more than most people get where I come from- animal or plant.”
“I know,” Cherry sighed. “But the first trees I saw all the way through. I’d like to have even just one so I could show-“
Not far above Cherry’s head, something went fwoomp. A few seconds later, it also went crack.
A branch about five hoofwidths long settled almost silently to the ground between Cherry and Mark, covered with fresh green leaves.
Mark looked at Cherry. “Did you just do that?” he asked.
“No,” Cherry answered, shaken. “At least not... I didn't mean to. I don’t know how…”
They stared at the fallen, leaf-covered branch for a long moment.
“The mister!” Cherry shouted. “Take off the cap, it’ll hold water for it to soak in until the roots grow out!”
“Need to find some wire!” Mark shouted back. “If the leaves get into the water, the plant might drown! Cherry trees don’t do well with too much water!”
“I’ll find the wire! You have thumbs, you take care of the mister bottle!”
“Right!”
They rushed off to different parts of the cave, looking for the things they needed, while the stick spread its newborn leaves to catch the magic crystal sunlight.
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I shall name him... Groot.
She gets to take the tree home, if only a small part of it that will grow anew.
9113362
Ah that is a intresting point of logic, Well good luck
I just got home, after midnight here after a very long, trying day. This short, sweet chapter was just perfect for me tonight.
... Magic saplings
Can't wait to see JPL's reaction to this new development!
Can you make tea from cherry blossoms? I think you can. Will make the ride to the MAV less dull with something else to drink.
Now imagining CB dancing and singing about cherries and flying... so adorable.
9115558 I've heard the Japanese sometimes candy cherry blossom petals and eat them.
You know, depending on when it is when they get back to earth (and how long it takes for them to work out how to get back to Equstria), Cherry is probably going to be invited to the cherry blossom festival in Japan. Heck she's probably already gotten an invitation just that NASA isn't going to bother to much about it until they are safe on Earth.
Hope springs eternal.
But Mars is a dick. Now they have an extra package to take with them on the way out. So that's a thing.
And of course, that brings us around to 'How the fuck is the magic effecting the rest of this angry red ball of a planet, anyway?'
Hell yeah, more giving Mars the bird!
Hoo boy. Wow. Awesome! I bet Mark has about a hundred questions right now about the sentient cherry tree.
Also, SUCK IT MARS!
9115572
I'm sure we'll find out during the global dust storm on the way to Schiaparelli.
I think the ultimate F-you to mars would be if their cave garden somehow spread, and eventually life overtook Mars and life began to flourish on it. Even if they were not there to see it, Further if the magic crystals some how spread, and mars suddenly sometime after Mark and friends left had a magic field of its own
9115567
I love and support this idea.
I had a slightly giddy giggle through this chapter.
AWWWWWWWWWW!
They need to tell Dragonfly, let her know she's not crazy.
bedtime, huh? Well, Good morning from Norway :)
By the way, you're late. Almost had to delay my breakfast.
9115634
That can happen if Mars develops a magnetosphere and the requisite ionosphere to provide shelter from solar radiation and it develops an atmosphere of sufficient density and nitrogen-oxygen mixture.
Need to contact Slartibartfast.
9115708
Does Mars have any Fjords?
It will.
Apollo 14 took 500 seeds into lunar orbit and brought them back to grow...
Cherry Berry and Mark grew alien cherry trees on a dead planet...
Mark: "In your face Stuart Roosa."
CB: "Who?"
Mark:
9115708
Ah, I just can't leave this well enough alone. Magnetospheres are nice, but not strictly speaking necessary for radiation protection; an atmosphere alone is actually quite capable of this. Just look at cosmic radiation doses at the ISS (about 1/3rd of the dose rate in interplanetary space) versus at Earth's surface (less than 1% of ISS levels) or at Venus, which has no magnetosphere to speak of but also has essentially zero radiation at its surface thanks to its very thick atmosphere. On (a terraformed) Mars, this difference would be even more pronounced because of its low gravity, which requires a more massive and therefore more protective atmosphere to produce a given pressure level at the surface.
Sorry (not sorry), this is a very common misconception that I can't help but correct whenever it comes up. The magnetosphere is a minor contributor to radiation protection, not a dominant component.
"they know a little what’s going on around them"
"they know a little of what’s going on around them"?
Very nice. :)
Good luck with the prep!
9115567
I now want to read this.
I love how you could practically hear the toggle in Mark's head clack from "Did that tree just unequivocally exhibit sentience?" to "Oh my gosh, save the little tree!"
This chapter was wonderful. And a perfect thing to end my day on.
No, Groot is copyrighted. It's name is Grewt.
9115720
So you’re pinin’ for the fjords, then? Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!
9115855
I somehow think I need to post this now. 😂
pre00.deviantart.net/c1e5/th/pre/f/2018/124/d/c/rocket_ride_by_digoraccoon-dcalvtl.png
9115770
The magnetosphere is important for protection against the solar wind itself. It catches charged particles and funnels them towards the poles, as well as helps divert the solar wind so it's not directly stripping our atmosphere. For holding on to an atmosphere long term, it's as essential as a decent gravitational field.
I would love to sit down and run the numbers but don't have time now.... But I think there is a theory that you could replace the natural magnetic field with a fleet of baseball sized micro sats. Each made carrying a charged up superconductor magnet. You fly them in a sun facing polar orbit.
Have to see how bad inverse square hurts this idea but it might be that only a few thousand of these micro sats could sufficiently protect a Mars sized planet.
Now, they have the Inanimate Carbon Rod on their side.
9115989
Goddess Bless John Aka Q and discord
9115855
I am Grewt!
9115917
You need proper gravity too,else the atmosphere would still slowly disperse,even with mars gravity,with or without the magnetic field.
Cherry Berry's special talent is loving cherries. She never realized that the feeling was mutual until now.
Also, Mark is best human earth pony.
9115539
And even if you didn't, Mark certainly will.
9116019
I have coworker that looks like de Lancie Q.And speaks a bit same.
Think of O'Brian mixed with Q.
His favorite phrase is (in relation of his superiors): They want grab my ass, but mine is well greased and conical. Sounds better in russian.
Well, does this mean the ride home just got a new passenger?
9116054
... Did you read my ENTIRE post there?
9115917
On the other hand, see Venus: very thick atmosphere, no magnetic field. In fact, there's research showing that in some cases magnetic fields can increase loss rates. The main problem Mars has is that it's too low-mass and so the threshold for escaping is much lower than for Venus or Earth, which is a completely different problem than not having a magnetosphere (though related, in this case).
Anyway, I didn't talk about this in my post because atmospheric stripping is a long-term process, therefore not very relevant to whether or not a magnetosphere would offer much radiation protection to the plants unless you're considering million-year timescales.
9116475
shaddup i am tired
9116332
Snerk..... omg that is awesome also is that the whiskey queen that flys on alicorns with a beerbottle crown?
Life found a way. To go to Earth and colonize. That is a Equestrian Cherry tree after all.
Right now i am feeling sad for Cherry Berry she has pored so much love in to the cherry trees and having to leave them behind has go to be killing her.
Cherry stick of poking get!
9116783
yup, the tree felt their sadness and gave them that branch to remember them by: an Equestrian Cherry Tree is going to Earth!
9116054
Well, over a VERY long period of time. Assuming you don't keep adding to it to replace losses.
9116988 And then the Martian Psychic Locust Ghosts will come in and kill everything. Because evil.
Yay! Semi-sentient/sapient trees for extra emotional and sentimental value!
This was an oddly uplifting chapter, seeing the trees respond to Cherry like this.