"CP 1766, January 7. 162 days have passed since landing. Local time: AD 2017, January 26."

  "Just as I suspected two days ago, the heavy rain indeed made me contract some kind of illness. Judging by the symptoms individually, I seem to have caught at least four different illnesses simultaneously: adding mild headaches, diarrhoea, and fur loss. It's unclear exactly which types of microorganisms caused them, but the symptoms are so typical that I doubt they're even caused by bacteria from Earth. This could become a significant reference for future settlers here…"

  "Illness is one thing, and for me, it’s no excuse to slack off on tasks. Besides, the symptoms are mild, I even feel somewhat better now as I write this.”

  "Min spent ages meticulously checking every molecule listed in the ingredient table. In the end, we found that only three relatively low-molecular-weight compounds were core ingredients. The rest were just excipients and such. As for that protein — it was specifically tailored for tuefue. He doesn't need to bother with it at all. I almost feel guilty towards him, but well, at least it's good news."

  "The weather: A completely unremarkable sunny day... I might stop describing the weather here unless something extreme happens. I really don't understand why everyone feels the need to include the weather in their diary."

  ***

  "Xi P, look here — metallic hydrogen!" Min's eyes lock onto the scrolling caption beneath the news broadcast: Harvard researchers successfully transformed hydrogen into a metallic state after applying 495 GPa of pressure.

  "Got it. Congratulations?" Xi P responds. As far as he can remember, Lierus synthesised metallic hydrogen ages ago, and never really saw any practical applications. Even setting that aside, Min's reaction seems excessive, especially for a biologist. Why would he care about this…? "How's the medical spray coming along?"

  "I'm emailing local chemistry labs and university chemistry departments." Min pauses before continuing, "This will definitely take time. But they surely have more specialised knowledge than we do."

  "Makes sense. Have you considered reaching out to PSDM?"

  "I do recall a few members there who seem to work in this field, but I don't really know them. At least I trust these university teaching assistants more."

  "Scientists' ethics aren't usually that bad. The ones on Earth shouldn't be an exception, right?" Xi P replies, silently adding: 'Except for technocrats.'

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  Min first shakes his head, then turns back with a puzzled look: "Are you feeling a bit homesick?"

  "Yes…" Xi P's ears droop, looking genuinely sad. Then he suddenly swats Min's hand away and glares fiercely at him.

  "With your looks and that expression, I couldn't help myself." Min shrugs, "Anyway, I'll go and see if there are any new replies. You really don't know anything about its synthesis?"

  "I do recall one thing — it requires high temperatures and acidic solvents."

  "That's about as helpful as saying nothing."

  "Exactly."

  Watching Min head off to work again, Xi P redirects his gaze to the television before him. The moment his eyes meet the screen, they widen in shock.

  "Fox... News? That name... This isn't just a matter of aesthetics anymore, is it?"

  Of course, Xi P didn't leave Min to handle the development of the medical spray alone. To ensure the medical spray is actually safe on Earth's organisms, Xi P had also taken charge of preparing some test samples over the past few days. He has plenty stashed in the cargo hold, and wasting a few isn't a big deal. Using centrifuges, distillation tools, and other equipment brought along or purchased locally, isolating specific components is child's play for him. He easily isolated the core components from the mixture and loaded them into a spray bottle.

  The next step is to find a wound to test it on. Xi P barely resisted the urge to suggest using the silver fox as a test subject. Min simply bought a white lab rat, made an incision, sprayed the wound and waited. Perhaps due to their high physiological similarity, or perhaps because Xi P's sprays are "vanilla" in nature, after two days, the mouse's wound had healed completely, and the rodent was still lively and energetic. An absolute triumph.

  ***

  Xi P is standing there, seemingly staring at something, when Min casually passes by the tool shed. Upon seeing Min glance in his direction, Xi P swiftly conceals the object he is holding with his back. But after a brief moment of reflection, he retrieves it once more.

  "What is that?"

  Xi P holds what looks like a pill; Min can't think of another way to describe it. Xi P's attempt to conceal it only fuels Min's curiosity.

  "Do you know what the next few months mean for us?" Xi P retorts, and Min thinks he detects a hint of self-deprecating humour in Xi P's voice.

  "What?"

  Xi P picks up his Earth phone, fiddles with it for a moment, then points to a word on the screen and reads aloud: "Mating season."

  Min immediately jumps back, though he doesn't even know why. He stares at Xi P for several seconds, and feels the urge to say something, but he's not sure what. On this point, at least, he probably shares no common ground with Xi P — humans don't have such a thing as a mating season... Pushing the weird thoughts aside, Min asks again: "So, that medicine..."

  "It suppresses the mating season." Xi P replies firmly, then quickly adds, "There wasn't many of these medicine on the science vessel. I brought all of it down. If you don't consider the... shelf life, it can last four years. Synthesis is simple, no need to worry."

  For a split second, Min desperately wants to tell Xi P not to worry, because that silver fox is female. Thankfully, he manages to keep his mouth shut. If he had really said those things, it wouldn't just have caused Xi P a great deal of psychological pressure; it might also have caused Min himself physical pressure — the kind exerted by the narrow edge of a kitchen knife or the low surface area of fingernails. In short, it absolutely would not have been a good idea.

  "When is your mating season?" Xi P suddenly asks, cutting through Min's thoughts.