//------------------------------//
// Sol 322 
// Story: The Maretian 
// by Kris Overstreet 
//------------------------------//


AMICITAS FLIGHT THREE – MISSION DAY 327
ARES III SOL 322


TRANSCRIPT – WATER TELEGRAPH EXCHANGE, ESA BALTIMARE and ESA SHIP AMICITAS

AMICITAS: Amicitas calling Baltimare, use suit SG for response, over.

ESA: Baltimare calling Amicitas, over.

AMICITAS: Mark wishes to speak to Twilight Sparkle and/or Chrysalis, over.

ESA: QC – lucky you, I just splashed down four days ago. Princess Egghead is busy designing new system for Angel Twelve. Put him on.

AMICITAS: Greetings and salutations from Earth, oh glorious Queen Chrysalis. I am Master Mark Watney, astronaut and explorer. I salute you on behalf of my people, over.

ESA: QC – What did he really say, over?

AMICITAS: No, that was all Mark, over.

ESA: You’re putting me on, over.

AMICITAS: DF – He said it, my queen. He says, “Never spoke to a queen before, and I wanted to do it right.” Over.

ESA: Hello, Mark. How is my subject? How is my pilot? Tell me what the ponies won’t. And leave out the diplomatic talk, I only get that on letters from Canterlot complaining about dumb things like bills, subpoenas, drones running up hotel bills, like that, over.

AMICITAS: “Dragonfly’s slowly getting better physically. She still creeps us out sometimes. And Cherry Berry can’t make a Streetwise roll to save her neck.” Over.

ESA: Don’t infect me with your nerdiness, Mark. As for Dragonfly, good to hear she keeps you guessing. Over.

AMICITAS: “How can you be an astronaut and not be a nerd?” Over.

ESA: It’s a burden being the one with common sense, but I bear it well. Over.

AMICITAS: “No, seriously. Even Martinez (human crewmate) has a degree in systems engineering. You have to learn tons of stuff to fly. Nerd is how you get to be an astronaut.” Over.

ESA: Or you can be the one writing the nerds’ paychecks, over.

AMICITAS: “That works too. But if that’s the case, why do you fly? It can’t be for the science or the adventure.” Over.

ESA: You don’t have to be a nerd to enjoy being in space. I get to look down on all the little people. What got you out into space, then? Over.

AMICITAS: “Astronauts were always my heroes. And when the Mars missions began, I figured if people were going to Mars they needed to learn how to grow crops there. I was more right than I thought.” Over.

ESA: What does that have to do with you?

AMICITAS: “I’m a (scientist of farming). Growing things is my career. Well, was. Now my career is Not Being Killed By Mars.” Over.

ESA: Not much chance of promotion there, over.

AMICITAS: “It has more of a future than the alternative. I get to turn forty-two in a few days, so that’s something.” Over.

ESA: You’re having a birthday?? (note: remainder of transmission was too rapid-fire for anyone to decipher, but it went on for quite some time)

AMICITAS: Amicitas calling Baltimare, comms check and get Pinkie Pie away from the life support, over.

ESA: TS -  Taken care of. Pinkie asks me to tell you all your backlog of birthday parties will be made up once you arrive safe at home, Mark included, over.

AMICITAS: Amicitas copies birthday parties for all, over.

ESA: TS – Sorry, but we have to go now. Chrysalis says Mark gave her something to think about. That worries me, over.

AMICITAS: DF- That's my queen! What progress on rescue, over?

ESA: TS - No progress without another big spell on your end. Experiments on booster idea show promise, over.

AMICITAS: SG - Will let you know if we have plans for another big spell. Until then we’re trying to moderate use of magic to save up battery charge, over.

ESA: Understood. Keep us informed. Out.