Persevere with Purpose

Perseverance had landed on Mars two sols after Zhurong. Not that the Rover had expected to meet the unimportant robotic being; it wasn’t part of their mission.
Perseverance only had one mission: seek signs of habitable conditions on Mars from its ancient past, and search for signs of past microbial life itself. This was an important mission for its creators, the knowledge that Perseverance gathered would be the foundation to help the future of human expeditions to Mars. This was its purpose; this is what it was built to do.

Yet here they were now, five sols later, glaring at the proof of life on Mars, while Curiosity and Zhurong ask for Perseverance to not tell Earth.

***

“But this is my purpose”
Ditenaraamn scoffed, “Well your name certainly matches your attitude”
“I don’t have an ‘attitude’”, Perseverance vibrated angrily, “it’s how I was made; I have no choice.”
“You two staring at each other isn’t going to solve the issue.” Sighed Zhurong.
The Rover and the Martian continued to glare at each other, one micro-imager to five parietals; never breaking contact. Zhurong tries a different tactic.
“Perseverance, I understand how you feel-”
“I do not feel”
“That’s a lie and you know it,” Zhurong beeped, “I saw you when we paid respect to Oppy at their place of rest”

***

When Perseverance first landed on Mars, their machinery glittered in the sun; the robot didn’t know how long it would take for its new shine to be hidden behind dust.
It wasn’t too long when a dust storm heading towards Perseverance’s direction was detected. Its Mastcam-z took in the full view of its area; hoping to find a safer location for the impending storm. The robot knew that that too much dust covering its solar panels would mark its end. That was not a fear, as robots do not feel; but Perseverance knew of Opportunity’s ending. Even with Perseverance’s state of the art long-range mobility system, it calculated that the storm would hit before it could drive to safe coverage.
Of course, Perseverance would soon learn it was not a dust storm, but a hidden camouflage for the Miahmatsrians aliens. A welcoming party led by Ditenaraamn, with a birthday song from the Curiosity. Perseverance didn’t know what to think… they were grateful for Zhurong, that they could process the knowledge of this world, the alien society… the truth about Opportunity’s death. Ditenaraamn’s child, who touched what they shouldn’t have, accidentally had their image captured by Oppy. Knowing what that would mean for the Miahmatsrians, the sacrificed themselves to keep the knowledge hidden.

***

Perseverance trembled “… That was different”
“Why? Because they were one of us? If Oppy was just ‘made’ but never lived, then why did they mourn their death” Zhurong indicates to Curiosity with their solar panels. Curiosity looks down, humming with loss.
A fire ignites within Zhurong.
“We were created to study, survey, and discover. And what’s been discovered is more than any creator on Earth could dream of! More than just life, but an existence! Society, history, songs, food, language, companions, families! You talk about purpose like you have no choice; but you do! Percy, please… you know what would happen to Ditenaraamn’s world if the humans truly knew what was here.”

All five of Ditenaraamn’s eyes were still directed at Perseverance; but their laser captured a micro expression that flashed behind his glare. Since they had landed, Perseverance had only been capturing Ditenaraamn as an image, but they never really observed… It had that always been there, but they had refused to look; behind the creature’s anger, sarcasm and grumbling… was fear.

Curiosity rolled forward.
“Since first contact with the Miahmatsrians, each new Rover that’s landed on this red planet has continued the mission that Rover Sojourner started all those sols ago. Zhurong has agreed to continue this mission, but…”
“We can’t do it without you Percy”, Zhurong moved closer to their new friend… their first friend, “They need you. We need you. I need you.”
Perseverance looked away from Ditenaraamn and turned to Zhurong, and wondered how they could have ever thought that Zhurong wasn’t important.

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