I live in the Martian wilderness!

As night fell, the "environmental control and life support system" inside the shelter emitted a slight humming sound.

Gu Yu walked towards the bathroom unit in the corner of the room, which was full of industrial design aesthetics.

This is a black device operating silently – the "Environmental Control and Life Support System".

Its technological prototype originates from the "vapor compression distillation (VCD)" technology, which has been operating stably in orbit on the Chinese space station since 2025.

After more than 20 years of technological iteration, this fourth-generation military miniature version has far surpassed its predecessor.

Looking at the components spinning at high speed inside the transparent observation window, Gu Yu couldn't help but marvel at the workflow of this system.

It collects 100% of Gu Yu's urine, condensate from breathing, and all domestic wastewater.

First, the material passes through a multi-media pretreatment module and a novel nano-reverse osmosis membrane to remove all solid particles and most organic matter.

Then it enters the core low-pressure rotary distillation bed, where the heat energy generated by the compressor is used in a vacuum environment to completely separate the pure water vapor from the salt and urea.

Finally, after ultraviolet disinfection and mineral refilling, trace elements such as calcium and magnesium were replenished.

"Xuan, report on the water circulation efficiency."

"Reporting to the Captain, the current overall system recycling rate remains at 99.98%, and the quality of the produced water meets the 'Hygienic Standards for Drinking Water for Astronauts'."

This is a near-perfect closed loop. As long as the energy supply is continuous, theoretically it will never lack water.

More importantly, the pre-filtration unit of this system also integrates a "multi-source water pretreatment module".

It can not only treat human wastewater, but also efficiently filter and purify Martian brine that may be collected in the future, which contains a large amount of mineral impurities such as perchlorate.

His excrement is handled by the "Solid Waste Management Subsystem".

The design concept of this system is completely derived from the "Lunar Palace 1" experiment in the 1920s.

In that era, turning astronauts' excrement into plant fertilizer was still just a great attempt on the ground.

In Mars, a completely closed world, it has become essential for survival.

His excrement is vacuum freeze-dried, ground into an inorganic powder rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and then stored in a special container.

They will serve as the most basic and original organic fertilizer for future hydroponic planting systems.

On this barren planet, life must learn to devour its past in order to give birth to the future.

Gu Yu filled a glass with crystal-clear warm water from the water dispenser.

He knew that the water might have been his excrement just hours before, but that didn't bother him at all.

Because on Mars, this is the purest nectar.

The third Martian day, early morning.

When Gu Yu awoke from a short but deep sleep, a brand new countdown had already appeared on his schedule.

"Xuan," he said, while replenishing his nutritional paste for the day, and brought up the 3D structural diagram of "Candle Dragon One," "reporting on the status of cargo hold number two."

"Reporting, Captain," Xuanjian responded immediately. "The independent insulation battery in cargo hold number two has 78% charge remaining. It is estimated that it can maintain the minimum insulation function for another 51 hours."

"After 48 hours, the temperature inside the cabin will drop rapidly to below minus 80 degrees Celsius outside."

Gu Yu's gaze turned serious; that cargo hold held all his hopes for surviving longer on this planet.

The remaining sixty days' worth of rations, the Hope Seed Bank, and repair tools.

Especially for seeds, once exposed to extreme low temperatures, their internal cellular structure may be pierced by ice crystals, causing them to completely lose their activity.

"We must get it back before the power goes out," Gu Yu ordered. "Develop a reasonable plan to rescue the grain depot."

"The plan has been generated." Xuanjian responded immediately. "The best plan is to tow the second cargo hold to the side of Oasis No. 1 Shelter and use it as an external storage module."

Xuanjian explained, "Because as a purely unpressurized cargo compartment, its design concept is vacuum compatible."

"The internal air was evacuated before launch to save structural weight and avoid pressure problems. You can open it directly from the outside without causing an explosive decompression."

"All the materials stored here, such as your nutrient paste and seed bank, are individually vacuum-sealed to ensure that they can be preserved for a long time in a vacuum and low-temperature environment."

"The outer shell of cargo hold number two is a sandwich structure, with the inner and outer layers being titanium alloy, and in the middle, there is a layer of high-density polyethylene that is ten centimeters thick and rich in moisture."

"This structure is specifically designed to shield against high-energy cosmic rays and solar particles. It is this water interlayer that protects all the precious seeds inside from radiation damage."

Xuanjian concluded, "Cargo hold number two is itself a qualified small-scale radiation shelter. Using it as an external storage module is currently the safest and most efficient solution."

"Xuan, how long can the radiation shielding in this cargo hold last?"

"Captain, its design life is three years. After three years, its internal polyethylene shielding layer will lose most of its protective capabilities due to continuous radiation damage."

Gu Yu nodded.

Three years is enough for him.

He donned his black armor combat suit, walked towards the airlock of the shelter, and boarded the Sky Shuttle engineering vehicle. Today, he was going to move his granary back home.

"Xuan, set the target as the wreckage of Candle Dragon One, and the estimated arrival time?"

"The route has been planned." Xuanjian's clear voice rang in his mind. "The entire route is 7.2 kilometers long, with flat terrain. At an economical speed, we expect to arrive in 45 minutes."

Gu Yu pushed the control lever, and the huge Sky Shuttle engineering vehicle, driven by powerful electric energy, headed east with a stability that was inconsistent with its massive size.

Fifteen minutes later, the battered, silver-gray wreckage of the Candle Dragon One reappeared in Gu Yu's sight.

It stood silently on the wasteland like a stranded whale. The huge hole that Gu Yu had personally dug out was like an unhealable wound, telling of its pain.

Gu Yu parked the Tissot next to the hatch of cargo hold number two.

He didn't start work immediately, but instead stepped down from the valve compartment of the Tissot engineering vehicle. He wanted to personally enter cargo hold number two for a final inspection.

This cargo compartment is designed as an unpressurized module, with a vacuum-compatible design. Entry doesn't require a complicated airlock; simply opening the hatch is sufficient.

[Unlocking cargo hold number two... hatch is open.]

As a heavy hatch slid open to the side, an interior space filled with various supply crates was revealed to Gu Yu.

The thermometer on the helmet visor displays a precisely controlled temperature—4°C.

This is the result of that small backup radioisotope thermoelectric cell, which has been working tirelessly to combat the frigid Martian night over the past few days.

This temperature is optimal. It is low enough to maximally suppress the metabolism of all seeds and embryos, putting them into a near-time-stopping dormant state.

And being located just above freezing, it avoids any physical damage to cell structures caused by deadly ice crystals, making it a perfect biological cold storage facility.

Gu Yu cautiously walked in and began to check the supplies that he already knew by heart.