The hatch closed behind him with a dull "click." Chen Hao slid down against the wall, his buttocks hitting the metal floor without even a groan. His left arm was still draped over the armrest, like a disobedient sausage—difficult to lift and sore to put down.

Nana stood in front of the control panel, her mechanical fingers moving rapidly across the surface, blue light flashing in and out of her eyes, as if she were sending a telegram to someone.

“The system restart is 37 percent complete,” she said. “The main sensor array is recovering, and the backup power supply is stable.”

"Can't you speak like a human being?" Chen Hao gasped for breath. "Like 'It's okay, take a break' or something like that."

“Now is not the time to rest.” Without looking up, she said, “The storm has caused three external monitoring nodes to malfunction and two sets of terrain scan data to be lost. If we don’t replenish them in time, we may not be able to react in time to the next wave of weather changes.”

"I just finished fixing my arm, and you want me to fix the world?" He rolled his eyes. "Can't we talk about saving the planet after I get my heart rate down to below 100 beats per minute?"

“Your heart rate is currently 102, and your blood pressure is a bit high. I suggest you take deep breaths.” She paused. “But the map must be built now. You can just talk to me; you don’t need to lift a finger.”

"That's more like it." He pulled himself up a bit, gripping the edge of the chair. "So, how do we cooperate? Do you want me to chant some incantation to activate some ancient device again?"

“No incantation is needed.” She brought up a semi-transparent interface. “You just need to confirm a few coordinate discrepancies. For example—you said last time that the salt lake was ‘behind the big rock on the right side of the downhill slope,’ but actual detection data shows it’s twelve degrees east of due north.”

“That was my personal emotional expression,” Chen Hao muttered. “I was thirsty and tired at the time, and everything seemed to be working against me.”

“Emotions don’t affect geographical coordinates.” She zoomed in on the image. “This is a preliminary regional model, with the life pod as the origin, covering a radius of eight kilometers. The red markers are confirmed water sources, the yellow is the energy collection area, and the black dotted lines are the raptor activity tracks.”

The screen lit up, and a gray-brown landscape slowly rotated, revealing ravines, rock strata, and dried-up riverbeds. In the distance, a fault line appeared as if cleaved by a giant axe, its edges jagged. Closer in, a low-lying area flashed red dots—the very spot where they had drawn water.

Chen Hao stared at it for five seconds, then suddenly grinned: "Hey... this thing actually looks pretty decent."

“This is basic modeling,” she said. “Using planetary mapping algorithms combined with pre-crossing star map extrapolation, we filled in some blind spots. However, due to signal limitations, the data for the southeastern highlands and glacier zone is blurry and cannot be accurately reconstructed.”

"So, we only saw the face, but the rest of the body is still covered by a sweater?"

"The metaphor is inaccurate," she corrected. "It's more like only wiping one corner of a mirror clean."

"Anyway, most of it is still dark." He reached out and poked the screen. "Then what's this blue line? An emergency exit?"

“It’s a relatively safe path calculated based on the terrain’s undulations, load-bearing capacity, and past travel records.” She pointed to a winding, thin line. “This rock ridge leading to the northwest has a gentle slope and many sheltered spots, making it suitable for the next step of the move.”

"Next step?" He raised an eyebrow. "You really intend to make me take the long way around?"

“Resources are limited,” she said. “The salt content of the lake is too high, and long-term consumption can lead to electrolyte imbalances. We need to find new water sources to replenish our reserves.”

"So you're drawing this map just to tell me where I can get water again?" He chuckled. "I thought you were going to show me the way home."

“Going home is not on the current task list,” she said calmly. “Priority order: Survival assurance > Environmental adaptation > Return possibility assessment.”

"Couldn't you just lie to me for once?" He leaned back in his chair. "Just say, 'Don't worry, the navigation has already planned it out, we'll be on Earth in ten minutes.'"

“That will only make you more anxious,” she said, looking at him. “Because you know I’m lying.”

He paused for a moment, then laughed: "You know me quite well."

“Seventy-two hours together is enough to build a behavioral model.” She continued, “Map generation is expected to take another eighteen minutes. You can close your eyes and adjust your state during this time, but I suggest you stay awake in case of an emergency alarm.”

“You’re right.” He rubbed his temples. “If I fall asleep, I’ll definitely dream that I’m blown away by a strong wind and fall into a canyon full of exam papers.”

“The content of dreams is not within the scope of our monitoring,” she said calmly. “However, if you dream of any useful terrain information, you can tell me when you wake up.”

"Then you have to teach me to dream with GPS first."

Time passed slowly. On the screen, the map gradually became complete. The previously broken lines were connected by the algorithm, the bumpy surface was smoothed out, and some blurry areas were marked with "to be verified" in light gray. Finally, the 3D projection settled, covering approximately 28% of the planet's surface.

"The map is initially complete," she said. "It's saved as map-01 and can be accessed at any time."

Chen Hao sat up straighter and leaned closer to the screen. He pointed to the familiar area in the center: "So we've been going around in circles all this time?"

"Yes."

“That feeling… it’s like I finally figured out where I was stuck.” His tone lightened. “At least I wasn’t just blindly stumbling around.”

"Improved cognition helps with decision-making efficiency."

He smiled and nodded, his gaze sweeping over the distinctly colored markings, his eyes brightening slightly. But when his eyes moved to the large expanse of unexplored blank space at the edge, his smile slowly faded.

"Wait a minute," he asked, "how much does this map actually cover?"

"Twenty-eight percent."

"So that means more than 70%... is still unknown?"

"The exact figure is 72 percent of the undetected area."

He was silent for a few seconds, looked down at his still sore left arm, and then looked up at the gray, blank area.

“…Never mind,” he murmured. “I thought I could finally catch my breath.”

The cabin fell silent for a moment. Only the faint hum of the operating system and his heavy breathing mingled.

Nana neither urged nor comforted her. She simply stood there, the blue light flashing steadily, like a tireless clock.

After a moment, Chen Hao took a deep breath and sat up straight again.

"At least now we know where we can go and where we can't," he said. "The next step, shouldn't we find more water?"

“Yes.” She responded immediately. “Based on the available data, the area most likely to contain liquid water is located to the southeast, about twelve kilometers away. However, the signal is weak and the terrain is complex in that area, so the risks need to be carefully assessed.”

"Twelve kilometers..." He stroked his chin. "Wouldn't that take half a day to walk?"

"Based on your current physical condition, it is estimated that it will take more than six hours."

“I need to eat something first.” He struggled to stand up. “Otherwise, I’ll have to lie down and call for my mom before I even get halfway there.”

"Food reserves are sufficient," she cautioned, "but it is recommended to choose high-calorie, low-moisture foods to avoid increasing the metabolic burden."

"Got it." He stood up, his steps still a little unsteady, and said, "No instant noodles, so I'll just have to make do with some compressed biscuits. Although eating too much of that stuff might make my intestines feel knotted."

"The digestive system's tolerance is within the normal range."

“Why do you always sound like you’re trying to comfort me?” He moved toward the locker. “I’d rather you just say ‘You look like you’re about to die.’”

“You are indeed close to your physical limits right now,” she said, taking a half-step behind him, “but you haven’t reached the point where you need to go into forced hibernation.”

"Thank you for your accurate strike." He opened the cabinet door, pulled out a square piece of grayish-green dry food, took a bite, and his cheeks immediately puffed up like a hamster's.

Nana returned to the console, set the map to the permanent interface, and started low-frequency scanning to monitor fluctuations in the surrounding environment.

Chen Hao chewed on his dry rations, glancing at the screen as he mumbled, "Can this map be upgraded in the future? Explore more areas and mark them more clearly."

“Sure,” she said. “I’ll bring back new data every time I go out, and we’ll gradually improve it.”

"Then let's treat it like a game, grinding through levels." He swallowed and took a sip of water. "Every step I take will light up a piece of land. If I accumulate enough achievements, maybe I can unlock a hidden ending."

There is currently no achievement system.

“Then you need to add one.” He pointed to the gray area at the edge of the map. “For example, what’s the reward for ‘first time entering an unknown area’? A hot meal? Or is it that you have to tell fewer truths?”

"Rewards depend on the acquisition of real-world resources."

"I really can't count on your humor." He sighed. "I'm already feeling down enough, and you're just adding fuel to the fire."

He finished the last bite of his dry food, stuffed the packaging into the recycling bin, and clapped his hands.

"Alright." He walked to the control panel and stared at the newly completed map. "Now that we have the map and the roads are marked, let's get ready to set off."

Nana turned around, and a faint blue light flashed.

Are you sure you want to discuss the next steps now?

"What else?" he shrugged. "Lie down and wait for the universe to send me an offer?"

She paused for a moment, as if calculating something.

"Based on your vital signs and propulsion suit status, short-distance exploration is theoretically possible," she said. "However, you must carry an emergency kit, maintain communication, and strictly follow the safety protocols."

"Sounds like a tourist information sheet." He smiled. "Miss tour guide, does today's tour fee include oxygen?"

"Not included".

"I knew it."

He glanced at the map on the screen one last time, and his fingers tapped the armrest unconsciously.

Then I raised my left arm and stretched my shoulder.

The joints made a slight clicking sound; they weren't very smooth, but they could move.

He gestured with his chin towards Nana.

"Let's go."

Nana entered the final command, the map was locked, and the route was saved.

The cabin lights dimmed slightly before returning to normal.

Her voice rang out calmly:

"Before you set off, there's one thing I need you to confirm."