BONUS: 5 years later ...
“Starlight! Starlight! Wake up!”
“Mmmmm …” Starlight Glimmer mumbled as she could feel the harsh overhead light turning on automatically in response to the intercom even through her closed eyelids. “Five more minutes …”
“Important discovery, Starlight! Opportunity need to show you right now,” a familiar robotic voice informed her. Her colleagues often had difficulty telling what the rover was feeling at any given time, but Starlight could tell the incredible excitement he was conveying. (Scientists and wizards from two worlds had tried to come up with a better speech synthesizer for the rover, some of which sounded much more human-like in their inflections, but none had ever come close to matching the preciseness of the simple system Trixie had pioneered, and so both Oppy and Starlight preferred it.) “Meet you at Airlock Two in five!”
Starlight rolled out of bed with a groan and landed on all fours. When she looked into the mirror, that made for a slightly comical sight. “Oh, right. Forgot.” She stood up and began slipping on her light EVA suit. Her human body had its definite advantages, but she was still looking forward to the day when she could stand on all four hooves again.
She had invented a way for the mirror portals to retain the original species of whoever went through one herself, but that feature had been disabled when she and the ESP crew signed on for this mission. What had taken politicians and agencies on both sides months to figure out, most scientists and engineers who had drawn up the mission plan had known very early on. It just made sense for the purpose of equipment standardization to have everyone be from the same species. Since the astronaut candidates from Equestria had included griffons, changelings and dragons as well as ponies from all three tribes, it made sense for them to go human. Plus, Sunset Shimmer had provided a literal thesis on how to aid the transition and was living proof that there were no lingering side effects.
Running her fingers through her hair, Starlight exited her quarters and stopped by the control room on her way to the airlock.
“Morning, Director,” a chipper woman with blonde hair in a blue flight suit greeted her. “You’re up early.”
“Not by choice, Cherry Berry,” Starlight replied and typed a few commands into the nearby communications console. “Good morning, Christie. Starlight here,” she said into the microphone. With the delay, they’d long since abandoned the strict communications protocol unless there was an emergency. Unless it was important, most communications were fairly informal. “It looks like Oppy might have found something interesting on his morning patrol, so I’m heading out into Biodome 1. Full report to follow when I get back.”
“You want me to send that on to Equestria as well?” Cherry asked.
“No need, Houston will pass it on for us if they deem it necessary, since their turnaround is shorter,” Starlight replied and snatched the plastic coffee cup from her friend’s console to steal a sip. It was cold, and Starlight made a face as a result. “Tell Miranda to get the morning briefing started without me if I’m not back by shift change. I’ll be on Channel 4 in case of emergency.” She took a headset from the charger and put it on.
“Roger that.” Cherry and Starlight had grown quite close over several months of astronaut training, enough for the blonde to wait just until Starlight had stepped out the door to call after her in a sing-song voice: “Have fun on your date!”
“That joke gets funnier every time you tell it!” Starlight called back without even turning around. She made her way to the airlock with a smile on her face nonetheless and waited for it to cycle with her helmet loosely held under her arm.
The air in Biodome 1 had been perfectly save to breathe for quite some time now, but protocol still demanded that any astronaut be suited up with a helmet at the ready before going out. It was a sensible precaution. If a breach happened while you were on the outer edge of the four square kilometer dome, a suit would be necessary to make it back to the safety of the hab. And thankfully, the current generation of suits (a joint project between Rarity and a private company from Earth) was very easy to move around in. Sometimes, one could even forget that they were wearing a fully space-rated EVA suit.
The wind whooshing against her face felt good as she stepped out into the dawn, finding her companion of many years waiting there.
“Good morning, Starlight,” Opportunity greeted with his characteristic chipperness.
“Good morning, Oppy,” she said and playfully quirked an eyebrow, “now, what was so important that you had to get the biggest morning grouch on base out of bed before she’s had her coffee?”
In response, a flap on Opportunity’s metallic body opened, and he reached in with his customized instrument arm to bring out a thermos, offering it to Starlight. “Opportunity drive by mess hall before coming here.”
Starlight put on a pout, but she couldn’t even pretend to be angry for long before snatching up the coffee and taking a sip. “Alright, you are forgiven. Now, out with it. What is it?”
“Show, no tell,” Oppy replied in what appeared to be almost contained glee. “Follow.” He turned around in place with his six-wheel-drive and began to drive.
Starlight simply shrugged and followed. She had her coffee, and she was out on a morning stroll with one of her dearest loved ones, so she was content. She could definitely think of worse ways to start a sol. She had no trouble keeping up with Opportunity’s pace, and the rover’s apparent insistence on keeping whatever it was a surprise meant they spent the journey in a companionable silence.
She let her eyes and mind wander, allowing herself to take pride in what their mission had accomplished thus far. On a morning like this, when there was little dust in the atmosphere and the angle of the twilight sun turned the Martian sky blue for a brief time, one could almost fool oneself into thinking that one was simply taking a walk on a planet like Earth or Equus. Only the faint edges of the transparent aluminum hexagons that formed the outer shell of Biodome 1 gave away the illusion if one knew what to look for, knowing that beyond Mars was still as uninhabitable as it had been for millennia and likely would be for many more. It’s not much yet, she thought to herself as her boots left footprints in the barren red sand, but dammit, it’s a start, and someone has to go first. Might as well be us.
“Here!” Opportunity’s announcement pulled her out of her reverie, and she looked around, unable to spot what he was getting at.
There was not much to look at, much of Biodome 1 looked the same. Utopia Planitia had been deliberately chosen as the site because it was so flat and featureless.
Noticing her confusion, Opportunity helpfully clicked on the flashlight installed in his instrument arm. “There, look!”
Starlight gasped, dropping her helmet in the sand and letting it bounce away without a second thought. Pony instincts taking over, she dropped on all fours to get a closer look, bringing her face close and reaching out with a trembling hand towards the small, green sprout amid the sea of red sand. Three dark green leaves, no more than a centimeter long each, nonetheless stood proudly out from the small bud, shivering as Starlight’s gloved fingers ever so lightly touched them to assure herself they were really there and not imagined.
She looked up and smiled at Oppy. Then, she began frantically looking around, mentally calculating the distance and direction they had walked from the hab. “Where are we? What plot is this?”
“42!” Opportunity informed her immediately, clearly having anticipated the question. “This one important to Starlight, yes?”
The grin on Starlight’s face grew positively goofy. “Yes! Yes, it is, Oppy. This is the seed we brought from the Tree of Harmony.” She tapped the button on her headset to activate it. “Starlight Glimmer to Utopia Hab. Come in, over!”
“Yes,” Cherry Berry’s amused drawl could be heard over the static, “would you like to order some room service for the honeymoon suite?”
Normally, Starlight would have rolled her eyes at Cherry Berry’s favorite running gag. Celestia knew where or when she had come up with it. But right now, Starlight couldn’t have cared less. “Message to Houston and Canterlot direct immediately!” She took a deep breath to steel herself and make sure her voice didn’t crack at what she was about to announce. “Message reads: It’s Martian Arbor Day.”
There was a profound silence at the other end of the line.
“Utopia Hab, did you copy that?” Starlight asked after a few seconds.
“Holy shit,” Cherry replied with one of her favorite human phrases she’d picked up during training at JSC, “I mean, yes, yeah, by which I mean: Copy that. Connecting to EDSN and relaying now. Over and out.”
Starlight turned back towards Opportunity with tears in her eyes. The rover was rocking back and forth on his wheels in excitement, and she simply threw herself forward, hugging him around his camera mast. “Thank you, Oppy. There’s nobody in all the universes I would be happier to share this moment with.”
Oppy returned the hug by gently wrapping his instrument arm around her. “New discovery never get old,” he said sagely. After all, he had made more discoveries than most explorers could dream of, but never in his initial fifteen years of exploration did he have the chance to share one so immediately and so intimately. Servo motors whirred, and his instrument arm extended as far as it could go while a camera on it rotated. “Must document discovery, for science.”
“For science,” Starlight laughed, wiping her tears away even though it was an effort made in vain. She was just too happy to hold them in. “And for posterity.”
Starlight looked over towards the hab. The whole duty roster for the sol was out the window now. Soon, this tiny patch of now fertile Martian soil would be swarming with mission specialists taking all sorts of readings and checking if any of the other samples had sprouted, and as Project Utopia’s co-director on site, it would be Starlight’s job to coordinate the whole effort.
But for right now, all she wanted to do was to bask in the warmth of this moment with her friend for a while longer. “Oppy,” she said, “why don’t we take the scenic route back to the hab? How’s your battery?”
“My battery is full,” Opportunity replied, “and the sun is rising.”
It has come to my attention that it has been just over five years since I posted the first chapters of this, my most successful story here on FimFiction.
So between the anniversary and my newfound hobby of drawing, I thought this would be a good opportunity (pun intended) to check in with our plucky rover and intrepid magic heroine.
Hope you enjoy. 
Link to the picture on derpibooru: https://derpibooru.org/images/3322708
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Woo! Literally five years later, and there's a new chapter!
With how the Voyager Probe is very much near the end of its lifespan, how feasible is a fanfic featuring it?
Damn five years later and still loving this story
An unexpected but most welcome epilogue. Thank you for it, and for the story as a whole.
(Also, excellent use of the steely-eyed missile mare.)
11851154
From me unlikely, if that was the question. I currently have my hands full with another ongoing story.
But there's plenty of other good sci-fi writers on the site who might take it.
Congrats, you have learned how to tell a story :-)
Ok, why am I having trouble seeing clearly, why are my optical sensors leaking their cleaning fluid, and why do I feel like a full re-read now?
Well this was not on my bingo card for today but I'm certainly not complaining.
I got teary eyes from this, not gonna lie.
Dont forget to pick up your new Fan, Oppy.
What a lovely addition. Happy five year anniversary to the bravest little robot
Absolutely wonderful. Great job.
Lovely that this lined up with a big successful Starship flight test yesterday, feels like we're actually getting closer.
11851293
It's not a complete coincidence. Watching that flight yesterday is actually what made me think about doing the drawing, and then the chapter when I also realized it's been just over five years since I started this story.
WELP. GUESS I HAVE TO RECORD THIS TOO. XD
I was down in Florida at Cape Canaveral a few weeks ago looking at various things. The section full of Martian Rovers was definitely a very interesting part of the area. And yes, I wore my 'My battery is low and it's getting dark' T-Shirt.
```My battery is full, Oppertunity replied, "and the sun is rising."```
|Way to make this gal cry, goddammit😭😭😭😭😭|
If I ever finish 'Luna's Return Trajectory', I may go into a post story set of crossovers, detailing the experiments to locate my Luna's original dimension, rather than trusting to luck and harmony that the energy signature of the end of her banishment will be detectable and usable to send her back.
They would be sending out ships to explore alternate dimensions where a strong Equestrian resonance signature can be found.
I would love this setting to be one they visit, along with Project Sunflower, Changeling Space Program/The Maretian, and Arrow 18 (Lone Ranger).
Apart from anything, it would also introduce the universes to each other. I wouls loe to see CSP Cherry Berry and Starlight meeting this version.
What a wonderful and unexpected addition.
5 years
Heh Shame how oppy irl is gonna be that way for a bit
But hey maybe one day
Heres to five years!
11851461
Welp
GO FOR IT!
11851265
Thanks rob!
Un-liked, just to Like it again. Completely unexpected, but adorable as hell. I'm going to re-read this soon now that I've been reminded of it!
😂
A very welcome surprise this has been
I never thought this story would get a bonus chapter more. Surprisingly one this late
11851637
Yep
Yay!
Great addition to a great story!
I enjoyed reading it.
5 years! Jesus F-ing Christ! I feel old (even though I shouldn’t).
Man, I remember when I read this fic back when I was starting university, hopefully I can get my degree this year after covid made me lose so much progress… also I just realised that this means it has being more than 5 years since I started my first fic and I’m yet to finish it
Anyway, this was a lovely addition. It was such a pleasant surprise to see this show up in the “updated” part of the main page! It doesn’t really reflect in my library because I’m yet to finish fixing my rocky mistake of using the “favourite” page as a “read it later”. But this is one of my favourite fics on the site, I think I might read it again after this.
Also, I should probably check your new work (also do something for my unfinished fic?)
Just idly checking my alerts for favorited stories, and nearly had a heart attack when I saw the cover image of a story I'd favorited years ago. This update was just lovely in so many ways (pony/robot best ship lol), and the drawing at the end neatly wrapped everything up. Thank you for this wonderful gem, and the story in general.
11851154
Uh, I dunno. Last time we had a probe come back, it was calling itself V'ger and forcibly dematerializing everything that came near it...
Damn, now I kinda hope there's something more
God, that final line just hit me like a truck. Brilliant, and a brilliant epilogue. God, five years?
Are they on Mirror Earth's Dune? That's dope : )
11855078
No, they're on our universe's Mars.
11855087
Hm, why ponies are humans then? Humans stayed humans for their visit.
Still, amazing story, decided to reread after the update : )
This story is very good and well made.
The opportunity rover is making me sad then happy. I have to ask if being in equestria made the rovers sentient or were they sentient before.
11855098
It's explained in the chapter that Starlight deliberately disabled that feature in the mirror when the pony crew went over, because it would be better for this joint mission to have everyone be human so they could share the same equipment.
11855114
That's one of the questions I want every reader to answer for themselves in the end.
But if you want my personal take, and I've alluded to it in the story, it's this: Their personality was bestowed on them by human imagination, because we inherently attribute human feelings and qualities to objects. That famous line the story is titled for is proof of that. So that was already there and came from Oppy's creators. Same goes for Mars. Interacting with Equestrian magic made that manifest and gave them free will. So the answer to your question is: Both, in a way.
Serendipity is a special case. She gained her free will when Oppy's memories were downloaded into her briefly before she ever went to Equestria herself.
Any thoughts about the Little Helicopter Who Could and its parent rover?
11858566
Thoughts, plenty. I remember voting on the name Perseverance because Perseverance Valley was Oppy's last position, and Ingenuity pretty much was a story like Oppy and Spirit, going for much longer than anyone had dared to hope.
But if you're asking in terms of this story, then I'm afraid Percy and Ingenuity don't exist in this continuity since events started diverging from our reality with humanity's first contact with Equestria in late 2019 when the project was still called Mars 2020. And as a result, that rover was named Merci and equipped with repair tools for Spirit rather than a helicopter as seen in the epilogue.
Lol. 42 is always the answer.