I live in the Martian wilderness!

The data stream disappeared from Gu Yu's sight, and the inventory was over.

The sixty-six-day countdown to survival hung silently over his head like a sword of Damocles.

Waiting is tantamount to death.

In absolute solitude, any hesitation or despair is a more terrifying enemy than the thin atmosphere and deadly radiation.

"Xuan," Gu Yu's voice rang out in the command cabin, as calm as if he were reading a technical manual, "Retrieve the radiation shielding design parameters for the Zhulong-1 landing module."

Xuanjian responded in a clear, girlish voice.

"Parameters have been retrieved. This landing module uses a temporary radiation shielding layer, the main component of which is boron-containing polyethylene."

Design goal: To provide basic protection for core equipment and astronauts during the first phase of the 60-day Spark program.

It is projected that after 70 Martian days, the shielding effectiveness will decay below a dangerous threshold due to bombardment by high-energy particles.

Gu Yu succinctly summarized, "I understand. The landing module will soon become an oven that can't block radiation, so we must move it out before it fails."

"Your judgment is correct, Captain. Constructing a permanent shelter is the highest priority for survival at present."

"The original 3D printing plan is scrapped," Gu Yu's gaze sharpened. "We must change our approach and utilize Mars' natural terrain; that's the faster way out."

"Xuan, begin implementing the nesting plan. Within a ten-kilometer radius, sift through all orbital satellite survey images and mark all potential shelter locations that meet the criteria."

"Please set the exploration radius, Captain. The Sky Surveyer's theoretical maximum range is 4000 kilometers."

"Xuan, that's travel data under ideal conditions. We're not travelers now, but survivors on a deserted island."

"We have no backup, and every expedition is a high-stakes gamble with no chance of a second chance. The further we go, the greater the unknown risks become."

"Once a vehicle suffers an irreparable malfunction, it's tantamount to a death sentence. More importantly, we can't stray too far from the Candle Dragon One."

"The Tissot machine, that big guy, is the one with the short legs; its high-intensity operation range is only eight hours."

His voice, coming through the communicator as he pulled down his mask, carried a hint of decisiveness: "Set a radius of ten kilometers, sift through all orbital satellite survey images, and mark all potential shelters within this range that meet the criteria."

"Command confirmed. Radius 10 kilometers... Filtering..." Xuanjian's computing core was operating at high speed.

"Screening complete. Three potential shelters have been marked for you. Based on terrain analysis, the most efficient exploration route has been planned for you, with an estimated total distance of 18.7 kilometers."

"Very good." Gu Yu's voice was devoid of any emotion. "Check the status of the Sky Patrol vehicle."

The Mars rover, named "Tianxun", is a space-based rover.

[Value]: 80 billion RMB

[Description]: A six-wheeled, fully independent, suspended, fully enclosed pressurized cabin Mars rover, designed specifically for single-person, long-distance, long-duration planetary surface exploration missions.

The vehicle body uses a "honeycomb" titanium alloy frame and a polymer shell, which balances lightweight and structural strength. The cabin is equipped with multi-layer electrochromic portholes that can switch between transparent and opaque states in 1 second to resist strong solar radiation.

[Power Core]:

The six-wheel hub motors are independently driven, with a continuous power of 42 kW per wheel and a peak power of 138 kW (30 s).

Peak torque per wheel: 18,400 N·m

The total peak power of the six wheels is 828 kW, and the total peak torque is 110400 N·m.

The motor has an efficiency of 98.7% and uses carbon nanotube windings with a superconducting coating.

Cooling method: Liquid sodium-potassium alloy internal circulation + phase change heat pipe array, capable of operating without derating from -120℃ to +80℃.

Redundancy design: Even if any two wheels fail, 70% maneuverability is still maintained.

The weight of a single wheel assembly is 187 kg (including the reducer, brake, and suspension actuator).

[Energy Core]: Xinghai High-Density Graphene Battery Pack

Battery capacity: 450 kWh, using military-grade solid graphene technology, with an energy density several times that of civilian lithium batteries, and capable of adapting to the extreme low-temperature environment of Mars.

(PS: The Xuntian (巡天) satellite prioritizes maximum endurance. Compared to the Tianchi (天池) supercapacitor battery, which focuses on instantaneous power output, the Xinghai (星海) high-density battery boasts higher energy density and is lighter, converting every gram of weight into greater endurance—the fundamental difference between a marathon runner and a weightlifting champion.)

Range: On a single full charge, it can travel up to 4000 kilometers on flat terrain. In complex terrain (such as climbing mountain craters), the range will be reduced accordingly.

Charging method: It can be charged via a military-standard high-power interface, connecting to the "Candlelight" RPS of the Tissot engineering vehicle. A full charge from zero takes approximately 53 hours.

[Wheel Drive System]: Six-wheel independent drive system

Each wheel is directly driven by an independent hub motor, without a drive shaft. The structure is simple and reliable, and it can achieve high-difficulty maneuvers such as turning on the spot and lateral "crab walk".

The wheels feature a "memory alloy porous structure" design that eliminates the need for inflation, providing the strength of a metal wheel while absorbing impacts like a rubber tire, adapting to the rugged Martian surface.

【Functions and Equipped Devices】:

①Miniature Ecological Circulation Chamber: An independent closed-loop life support system that can support a single person's survival for 30 days, ensuring safety during long-term exploration even if completely disconnected from the base.

② Beidou Mars Dedicated Navigation System: It has a built-in small navigation AI that can perform high-precision terrain matching and path planning, and can autonomously avoid dangerous terrain, enabling L5 level autonomous driving.

③ Roof mast: integrates a high-definition panoramic camera, a laser radar terrain scanner, and an atmospheric composition analyzer.

④ Head: Equipped with two seven-DOF "Lingxi" sampling robotic arms, the heads of which can be fitted with rock abrasion tools, sampling drill bits and spectral analysis probes.

⑤ Under the vehicle: Equipped with a high-power ground-penetrating radar that can penetrate 15-30 meters below the surface of the weathered layer, it is a core tool for finding underground lava tubes, water ice and mineral deposits.

⑥ A small airlock is located at the rear of the vehicle, allowing passengers to exit the vehicle without affecting the air pressure in the main cabin.

⑦ The vehicle is equipped with a foldable emergency solar charging panel on the roof. In extreme cases where the battery is depleted, it can replenish about 10-15 kWh of electricity per day, which is enough to maintain the minimum power consumption of the life support system.

[All data from the Mars rover is normal. Please proceed to the decompression tunnel.]

Inside the command center, Gu Yu donned his familiar Xuanjia combat suit and, after confirming that all life support system parameters were normal, walked toward the docking airlock to the side of the Sky Patrol.

[Initiating decompression of the channel.]

"laugh--"

Within just thirty seconds, the gas inside the channel was recovered, and the pressure plummeted to a vacuum.

Once the internal and external pressures were balanced, the rear hatch of the Skyscout slowly slid open. Gu Yu stepped out and entered the rear cabin of his own vehicle from the corridor of the command center.