I live in the Martian wilderness!

"The inventory list has been generated, Captain. It has been automatically matched with the inventory in Cargo Hold Two."

A clear list popped up on the holographic screen:

[Microalgae Cultivation System - Core Component List]

1. Culture container: Photobioreactor (PBR).

Inventory Match: BZ-03 Emergency Plant Cultivation Kit, located in DR-09 spare parts box. This kit includes six 1.5-meter-long quartz glass tubes that can be spliced ​​together and matching brackets.

2. Light source: Full-spectrum LED plant growth light.

Inventory matching: GZ-05 general-purpose lighting module, located in DR-11 spare parts box.

3. Circulation system: gas injection pump & liquid circulation pump.

Inventory matching: Spare pump set for the water treatment subsystem, located in the ECLSS spare parts box. Standard interface, fully compatible.

4. Harvesting Unit: Filtration and Drying Equipment.

Inventory matching: SY-02 scientific research grade freeze dryer, located in the life science laboratory chamber.

Looking at the list perfectly matched by AI, Gu Yu was not surprised that all the core components could be found in the inventory. He knew this was no coincidence.

According to the "Regulations on Survival Support for Manned Deep Space Missions", all extraterrestrial landing missions must carry "emergency biological life support kits" and "seed banks of hope".

As Gu Yu pondered this rule, his thoughts drifted back to twenty-two years ago.

2025 11 Month 5 Day.

That was a day that will be forever remembered in the history of China's manned spaceflight.

The Shenzhou-20 crew (Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie) are preparing to return to Earth after completing their rotation mission on the space station.

However, during the final flight check before returning, a curve representing the air pressure inside the return capsule appeared in the data stream of the BJ command center.

Suddenly, an extremely weak but continuous downward slope appeared.

The relaxed atmosphere in the command center instantly froze.

A few seconds later, when the images transmitted by the spacecraft's onboard inspection cameras were magnified to their limit, everyone gasped.

In the very center of one of the porthole windows, a triangular, star-shaped crack, resembling one struck by a high-speed bullet, was clearly displayed on the large screen.

The mission command acted decisively, issuing the order in the sternest tone to the crew 400 kilometers away: "Shenzhou-20, immediately abort the return procedure!"

Over the next 9 days and 14 hours, the entire Chinese aerospace system entered the highest level of emergency response.

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center urgently activated the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, which was used as a backup, to carry out an unprecedented space rescue.

Finally, the three astronauts returned safely on November 14.

Although that incident went down in history, the enormous risks it exposed also spurred the creation of new regulations.

Since then, these survival tools, which occupy precious payloads and cost astronomical sums of money, have appeared in space with every space mission.

But in the past two decades, it has never been used, and has simply been lying quietly deep in the cargo hold of each spacecraft.

until today.

until now.

Looking at the list, Gu Yu felt a complex mix of emotions: "...I never thought I'd actually need it today."

A moment later, the emotion in his eyes was replaced by an iron will: "Xuan, today we will assemble humanity's first food production line on this red planet!"

Without further ado, Gu Yu strode towards cargo hold number two.

Four soft blue lasers lit up inside the cargo hold, and Xuanjian had automatically locked onto four inconspicuous metal boxes.

【DR-09: Emergency Plant Cultivation Kit】

【DR-11: Universal Illumination Module】

【ECLSS-B-02: Water Treatment Backup Pump Set】

【LS-01: Life Science Experiment Box】

Gu Yu took them out one by one and carried them to a pre-cleared open space in the center of the command cabin.

"Xuan, project the assembly process of the 'BZ-03 Photobioreactor' into my view in three dimensions."

"Command confirmed."

A complex pipe model composed of countless blue lines instantly floated in front of Gu Yu's eyes.

The installation sequence of each part and the torque of each screw are clearly marked.

"start."

Gu Yu opened the DR-09 spare parts box. The lid opened and a slight pressure release sound was heard.

Inside, there were no complicated electronic devices, only quartz glass tubes that shimmered with a cool luster, perfectly wrapped in shock-absorbing foam.

Silver alloy brackets, and packages of sealed connectors engraved with precision threads.

The next hour was dedicated to a "LEGO building" session filled with industrial aesthetics.

Gu Yu knelt on the ground and first built a support frame, then assembled the alloy rods one by one, and a stable base with geometric beauty was quickly formed.

Next came the crucial pipe connection. He carefully lifted each 1.5-meter-long quartz glass tube and aligned it with the connector.

He would carefully fit a flexible polymer sealing ring onto each connection point.

Then, using a special torque wrench, tighten the lock nut to the specified torque—not a single Newton more, not a single cent less.

Faced with the potential vacuum and high pressure, any tiny flaw could be fatal.

The six glass pipes were eventually pieced together to form a complex, serpentine structure that meandered across the ground.

This maximizes the circulation path and light exposure area of ​​the culture liquid within a limited space.

The pipeline assembly is complete, and the airtightness self-test has passed.

Without stopping, Gu Yu took out the plate-shaped "GZ-05 Universal Lighting Module" and installed it directly above the pipe.

Finally, they took out the palm-sized but powerful liquid circulation pump and gas injection pump from the ECLSS spare parts box and connected them to the reserved interfaces on the pipeline.

When the last data cable was connected to the main control system of the Xuanjian, a futuristic cradle of life, made of glass and metal, was finally born in his hands.

Like a postmodern artwork, it stands quietly in the corner of the command center, waiting to be given a soul.

"Hardware assembly complete." Gu Yu stood up. "Now it's time for the software."

Gu Yu is in the warm, safe, standard atmospheric pressure environment of the shelter.

He walked straight to the water treatment subsystem and took several liters of purified water from underground through the "source water sampling valve".

Then, an output port of the solid waste treatment subsystem was opened, and a small sample box was taken out.

What it contained was not the filthy substance one might imagine, but a dry, high-concentration inorganic nutrient powder resembling gray cement powder.

This is the final product transformed from his own excrement after high-temperature aerobic digestion.

As the lid was opened, a smell that wasn't exactly unpleasant, but certainly not pleasant, wafted out.

That wasn't the smell of a toilet, but a chemical smell mixed with ammonia and mineral odor.

Gu Yu's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Physiologically, the brain remained wary of the odor originating from excrement.

But rationally, he knew that this pungent smell represented nitrogen, which was essential for life.

Following the precise proportions given by Xuanjian, he put on protective gloves and a mask, and used an electronic scale to accurately weigh out several tens of grams of powder.

Then, it was slowly dissolved in warm, purified water, creating a perfect pot of "nutritious broth"...