Hot air slid over the outer layer of his propulsion suit as Chen Hao stood at the entrance to the escape pod, his feet feeling like they were on a freshly baked iron plate. He wiggled his toes, feeling a stifling heat emanating from the soles of his shoes, as if they would steam oil out of them at any moment.

"This suit... it's like wearing an oven!" he muttered, his hands still stuck in the shoulder straps, the waist-tightening device of the suit making a slight "beep" sound, as if protesting something.

Nana stood half a step behind him, and a blue light swept across the data interface on the back of the suit. "System prompt: Wearing incomplete, body fat percentage exceeds standard by 30%, joint adaptation program cannot be started."

"Huh?" Chen Hao was taken aback and turned to look at her. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

“State the facts,” she said. “In the propulsion suit’s standard body size database, your body parameters exceed the safety threshold. If not adjusted, the power system will refuse to activate.”

"So I have to lose weight for this lousy outfit?" He tried to tuck his arms completely into the sleeves, but his shoulders got stuck, and he felt like he was wrapped in a metal coffin. "I've never felt this uncomfortable even during an exam."

Nana didn't speak, but simply raised her hand and tapped a few times in the air to bring up the internal adjustment panel of the propulsion suit. She ran her fingertips over a few parameters and whispered, "Waist circumference increased by 15%, knee range of motion reduced to 78 degrees, back support pressure increased by one level."

"Wait, you're directly changing the data?" Chen Hao's eyes widened. "Is that legal?"

“It’s not illegal,” she said. “It’s a reasonable adjustment in an emergency survival situation.”

As a series of electronic beeps sounded, the constriction inside the propulsion suit loosened slightly. Chen Hao finally slipped his hands into the gloves, spread his fingers, and found that his fingertips were somewhat sluggish.

"And now?" he asked.

"Trial operation mode has been activated, power set at 30%." She took a step back. "You can try standing and walking."

He took a deep breath, heels together, knees slightly bent, as if preparing for an absurd space bodybuilding competition. Then, he lifted his leg—

He lunged forward.

"Hey! Hey hey!" He waved his arms wildly, like a duck thrown into the water, tripping over his own feet, and fell directly onto the red soil, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Nana walked over, looked down at him lying on the ground, and scanned the sensor readings with blue light. "Preliminary analysis: When you walk, you shift your center of gravity too far forward, and the force of your legs is concentrated on your toes, resulting in an imbalance of propulsion."

"Can I get up and talk to you later?" He tried to crawl by pushing himself up on the ground, but the knee joint of the suit made a "click" and got stuck again.

"I advise against using your arms for support," she said. "The outer coating of the propulsion suit has anti-friction properties, but your palms coming into contact with hot ground can cause the inner lining to overheat."

"Then how am I supposed to get up?" he gasped. "Just lie there and wait for the sun to dry me out?"

She thought for a moment, then reached out and grabbed the pull tab on his back, giving it a gentle tug. Chen Hao was lifted up like a sack full of rice.

"Don't be so rough next time." He patted the red clay off his body, his hat tilted to his ear. "I almost thought you were going to treat me like trash."

“This feature module is not available,” she said. “Now start over. Remember, small steps, slow pace, let the propulsion suit assist system adapt to your movement habits first.”

He steadied himself, feet shoulder-width apart, as if imitating some ancient stance training. Then, he tentatively took a step forward.

I didn't fall this time.

The second step involved a slight sway, but he managed to steady himself by swinging his arms.

Third, the miniature thrusters on the propulsion suit vibrated slightly, as if helping him lift his legs.

"Hey?" His eyes lit up. "This time I'm starting to get the hang of it."

“The output power has been automatically fine-tuned to 28.6%,” she said. “The balance module is learning your movement patterns.”

He continued walking forward, his steps becoming more and more steady, although his posture was still strange—arms outstretched, buttocks slightly sticking out, looking just like a penguin in armor.

"If I go back to Earth and participate in the Paralympic Games, can I sign up for the 'Alien Trek' event?" he said as he walked. "The gold medal will definitely be mine, since everyone else is wearing sports shoes, but I'm wearing propulsion devices."

“There is currently no record of such a competition,” she said. “And you have not yet completed the test of walking 10 meters independently.”

"Ten meters? I've already walked fifteen meters." He glanced back and realized he had only walked seven or eight meters, so he quickly retracted his words, "Okay, maybe nine meters."

He continued to move forward, each step careful, the joints of his suit making a slight creaking sound, as if it might fall apart at any moment.

When he reached the tenth meter, he suddenly felt his right leg sink.

"What's going on?" He looked down and found that the right knee of the propulsion suit had suddenly locked, and the whole leg was stiff and motionless.

"Abnormal stress detected." Nana quickly stepped forward. "It's possible that sand particles have entered the joint guide groove."

"Then hurry up and help me get it open!" He stood on one leg, like a nailed puppet, about to fall over with a gust of wind.

She crouched down, slipped her fingers into the gap between her knees, and gently stirred. A few grains of reddish-brown sand were extracted.

“Cleanup complete,” she said. “Now try bending it.”

He tried to move his knee, and with a "click," he finally regained his mobility.

"Even the sand here is against me," he said, rubbing his knee, his voice full of grievance. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"It is advisable to keep the route away from soft sand," she said. "There is a stable rock base three meters ahead, which can reduce wear and tear on equipment."

He limped over and stepped onto the rocky platform, finally feeling a bit more at ease.

"Am I officially on duty now?" he asked, panting. "As an alien explorer, Chen Hao, are you certified and provided with room and board?"

“There is no salary system,” she said. “We have to obtain our own resources for survival.”

“I knew it would be like this.” He straightened up, leaning against the rock. “You AIs never mention benefits or treatment.”

He continued walking, his steps becoming increasingly fluid. The cooling system of the propulsion suit hummed, and the lining was already soaked through, sticking stickily to his back.

He didn't fall when he reached 25 meters.

At the 30-meter mark, he even dared to increase his speed a little.

Thirty-five meters ahead, a depression appears, flanked by low rock walls, resembling a naturally formed sheltered corner.

"Have we arrived?" he asked.

“A temporary observation point,” she said. “Suitable for short stays and environmental scanning.”

He leaned against the rock, took off his hat to fan himself, and sweat streamed down his forehead and into his eyes, stinging them so much that he kept blinking.

“These clothes are inhuman,” he complained. “They’re even more torturous than my high school military training.”

"You have just broken your personal record for the distance you have covered," she said. "You did not fall at all, and only needed external assistance twice to cushion the impact."

"You still remember my grades?" He gave a wry smile. "Should I get an award certificate for this?"

“No need,” she said. “But the system has recorded the data from this operation, which can be used for subsequent training and optimization.”

He leaned against the rock for a while, catching his breath, then looked up into the distance. The wasteland remained desolate, the stones standing crookedly, whistling low as the wind blew through them.

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes.

"Is there...something reflecting light over there?"