Tom spoke emphatically, “Robotic rovers have their place in the scheme of exploration, working as scouts and general laborers, but nothing can ever beat the human drive to succeed, our passion to explore the unknown and our will to survive against all odds. You can’t program any of that into a machine. That which makes us human is what makes us strong; that which does not kill us makes us stronger. No robotic explorer will ever be able to truly realize what it means to be human. A robot can not fall in love, or suffer pain and loss, or thrill to the sight of another sunrise.” Tom found himself once again gazing at Sally and beginning to acknowledge his true emotions and awakening yearnings for this amazing woman.
Turning back to face the camera squarely, Tom concluded his discourse with, “Plus, no damn Chinese robot can match good, old fashioned Yankee ingenuity. It all comes down to one simple conclusion: If you’re gonna explore Mars, any other planets, or whole star systems, for that matter, ya gotta send humans. From Claire Base on Mars, this has been Commander Thomas Castle reporting, over to you in Houston.”