Ever read R.U.R.? I use the word in its original sense.
In R.U.R. robots are hunks of synthetic protoplasm to perform labor. Much discussion ensues about unfairly exploiting them. Eventually, such hunks achieve self-awareness and rise up against their human overlords.
That stellaser looks like a gift that may well keep on giving. Great as a Beamer for fast outgoing trips, great as a brake for incoming trips, great for communications at extreme distances, and great for power distribution to the more power-starved regions of our system - like out at the grav solar focus. An all-round champion, and its power supply is free.
Well, the extraordinary hypothesis is alien life, and the ordinary one is mineralogy. I'm inclined to the latter for no better reason than we don't yet have any other indicators of Martian life.