Editing 1504: Opportunity
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Needs citations.}} | |
− | + | This comic is talking about the robotic science platform {{w|Opportunity (rover)|''Opportunity''}}. On January 25, 2004, the ''Opportunity'' rover landed on the surface of {{w|Mars}} for the purpose of gathering data about the surface of Mars. | |
− | + | Also sent to Mars on the same date was another Martian rover, {{w|Spirit (rover)|''Spirit''}}. Unfortunately, this became stuck and a sand storm covered its solar panels. On March 22, 2010, it was thought that ''Spirit'''s batteries finally ran out, marking the end of its mission. This was memorably covered in [[695: Spirit]], in which the ''Spirit'' rover is portrayed with an anthropomorphic personality. | |
− | + | As of the release date of this comic in 2015, the Opportunity rover {{w|Opportunity mission timeline|is still alive and moving}}. The comic depicts the scientists at ground control being amazed at this. | |
− | + | However, in 2023, Opportunity has apparently become so powerful that it has become dangerous, presumably cannibalizing or destroying the {{w|Mars 2020|rover sent in 2020}}. Cueball and Megan note it even continues to operate without its original battery, suggesting it has developed a new power source. This evolution is similar to the stories of {{w|HAL 9000}} (from {{w|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|''2001: A Space Odyssey''}}) and {{w|List of Star Trek characters (T–Z)#V'Ger|V'Ger}} (from ''{{w|Star Trek: The Motion Picture}}''), both of which became dangerous to human beings. | |
− | + | By 2450, humans have colonised and terraformed Mars. “Everything the light touches” is a reference to what {{w|List of The Lion King characters#Mufasa|Mufasa}} says in ''{{w|The Lion King}}''. (Mufasa's son Simba then asks "What about that shadowy place?" and Mufasa tells him “That is beyond our borders. You must never go there”.) What this all implies is the ''Opportunity'' has dominated half of the planet — and clearly has devised a new power source for itself, given that its power originally came from solar panels, which obviously do not function in the darkness. | |
− | The title text | + | Mars rotates just as Earth does (the day length is only about {{w|Timekeeping on Mars|40 minutes longer}}). This means the light and dark zones constantly move, just as they do on Earth. But perhaps the time of this explanation is chosen to correspond to the agreed zones. |
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+ | The title text refers to the first words of the first astronauts on the surface of Mars. At first, the astronaut copies the first words of Neil Armstrong on the Moon ("That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind") but it is interrupted by the ''Opportunity'' rover. Onboard the rover uses a drill for sampling rocks, but here it is heavily suggested that it uses the drill to attack the astronaut. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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:2010: | :2010: | ||
+ | :[Ponytail and Hair Bun sitting at a computer, facing left.] | ||
:Ponytail: After six years, ''Spirit'' is down, but ''Opportunity'' is still going strong. | :Ponytail: After six years, ''Spirit'' is down, but ''Opportunity'' is still going strong. | ||
− | : | + | :Hair Bun: Tough little rover! |
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:2015: | :2015: | ||
− | : | + | :[Opportunity traveling on Mars.] |
− | : | + | :Offscreen: Eleven years, wow. |
− | : | + | :Offscreen 2: Wasn't the original mission 90 days? |
+ | :Offscreen: This is starting to get weird. | ||
+ | :2023: | ||
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at a computer, facing right.] | :[Cueball and Megan sitting at a computer, facing right.] | ||
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:Cueball: The battery is totally disconnected. How can it still be moving?? | :Cueball: The battery is totally disconnected. How can it still be moving?? | ||
:Megan: Given what it did to the Mars 2020 rover, we may never know. | :Megan: Given what it did to the Mars 2020 rover, we may never know. | ||
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:2450, terraformed Mars, Martian imperial capital: | :2450, terraformed Mars, Martian imperial capital: | ||
− | :Martian | + | :[Some martian inhabits looking like Cueball and Megan pointing towards a dark, mountainous region] |
− | :Martian | + | :Cueball-Martian: Everything the light touches is our kingdom. |
− | :Martian | + | :Megan-Martian: What's that dark area? |
+ | :Cueball-Martian: That is ''Opportunity's'' half of the planet. We must never go there. | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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