Noa and Rio see Koyuki’s actions from the telescope to mars

Rio

Another quiet night monitoring the Mars mission...

Rio

I wonder how Koyuki's handling her "Martian casino research" mission.

Rio

(Poor girl actually believed Yuuka was sending her to build the first Martian casino.)

Noa

Rio! I'm picking up unusual activity from Koyuki's landing site!

Noa

The movement patterns are... strange. Not typical research protocol.

Rio

You're right! These coordinates show she's all over the place, not following the grid search pattern.

Rio

Remember when she accidentally sent Yuuka to the moon? That wasn't pretty...

Noa

Let me recalibrate the high-resolution telescope. We should be able to see what she's doing.

Noa

(The new quantum imaging system should cut through the Martian dust storms.)

Rio

There she is! In the Acidalia Planitia region.

Rio

Zoom in more, I want to see what she's doing with all that equipment.

Noa

She looks absolutely furious even through the helmet! Look at her stomping around.

Noa

Wait... is she writing something in the dust?

Rio

Oh my goodness! It says "YUUKA YOU LIAR!!!" in giant letters!

Rio

At least she's using more restraint than Yuuka did on the moon. Remember all those expletives written in moon dust?

Noa

What is she doing now? She's arranging the sampling equipment in a circle...

Noa

And those colored rocks in patterns... wait, is that a roulette wheel made from the soil testing kit?

Rio

She's actually setting up a casino! She's still convinced that was her mission!

Rio

But wait, what are those tiny glowing dots moving around her setup?

Noa

Running spectrum analysis now! These readings are off the charts!

Noa

They're... they're simple microbial lifeforms! Bioluminescent! They're attracted to her casino setup!

Rio

Are you saying Koyuki just discovered life on Mars by setting up an illegal underground casino?

Rio

(This is either the greatest scientific accident or the most on-brand Koyuki thing ever.)

Noa

The microbes are particularly attracted to the red and gold colored markers she's using as chips!

Noa

They're showing preferences! This is incredible data on xenobiology!

Rio

And Koyuki has no idea, does she? She's just annoyed and setting up games out of boredom.

Rio

She accidentally made first contact with aliens through gambling. This is historically significant!

Rio

Let's send her a message. I'll make it look like it's from Yuuka.

Rio

"Congratulations on your unexpected scientific breakthrough. Those 'lights' around your casino are actually Martian microbes. Document everything for fame and glory."

Noa

The Acidalia Planitia region is showing massive atmospheric disturbance!

Noa

Class-5 dust storm approaching Koyuki's position in approximately three minutes!

Rio

Koyuki! Do you copy? There's a major dust storm heading your way!

Rio

The signal's breaking up... all I'm getting is something about "winning streak" and "house always wins."

Noa

I'm losing visual! The dust is too thick for even our quantum imaging to penetrate!

Noa

Wait, let me save these last readings... the microbe activity spiked just before we lost visual!

Rio

These patterns... they're not random. The microbes moved like they were anticipating the storm.

Rio

They clustered around Koyuki's casino setup as if seeking shelter. That's rudimentary intelligence!

Noa

Remember when Yuuka got stranded on the moon? She was so dignified through the whole ordeal.

Noa

(Unlike Koyuki who's turning scientific equipment into poker chips...)

Noa

Rio! Come quick! The storm is clearing and I'm getting visuals again!

Noa

What in the world did she DO while we couldn't see?!

Rio

Is that... "YUUKA BAKA" spelled out with research equipment and rocks?!

Rio

It's enormous! You could see this from orbit without a telescope!

Noa

She's taking a SELFIE with it! Look at that pose!

Noa

She reprogrammed the rover to help her move the bigger rocks... that's actually impressive engineering.

Rio

I can't breathe! This is the pettiest thing I've ever seen in the history of space exploration!

Rio

Yuuka wrote complex mathematical equations on the moon to pass time. Koyuki writes "BAKA" visible from space!

Noa

Rio, look! The microbes! They're swarming along the edges of her text formation!

Noa

They're creating bioluminescent patterns that follow her design... it's like they're using her insult as a road map!

Rio

She has no idea she's surrounded by the discovery of the century. Look at her victory dance!

Rio

(Only Koyuki could discover alien life while throwing a cosmic tantrum.)

Noa

These organisms are displaying primitive swarm intelligence! They're attracted to the specific patterns in her insult!

Noa

The "BA" formation has twice the microbial density as the "KA" - they seem to prefer angular shapes!

Rio

I'm sending her the data now: "Congratulations, Koyuki. Your casino markers and giant message have attracted bioluminescent Martian microorganisms."

Rio

"You've just become the first human to discover extraterrestrial life. Your 'Koyuki Grid Method' will revolutionize astrobiology."

Noa

Look at her body language change! Confusion... disbelief... checking her surroundings...

Noa

And now... pure smugness. She just struck a superhero pose!