Eight

Jessyn ventures into the alien wilderness to conduct research, establishing a solitary camp away from the Carryx ships where she can maintain her mental stability through daily medication. She encounters Garral Pär, another researcher, and they meet to share food and conversation, developing an unexpected romantic tension while discussing their observations of the alien world and their uncertain futures under Carryx control.

Jessyn reflects on her past choice to pursue laboratory work rather than fieldwork due to her mental health concerns, and how that choice paradoxically landed her on an alien planet conducting research for the Carryx. She establishes a camp south of the Carryx base within the safety perimeter, spending her days collecting biological samples and uploading notes to a shared notebook system used by the research team. She observes the alien fauna and flora, noting similarities to Earth-based life forms. Garral Pär, another researcher, contacts her through the notebook system and invites her to meet at his camp near the ruins of an alien city. At their meeting, Garral has prepared simple food using a salvaged grill and an elegant evaporative cooling system. They discuss their archaeological and biological findings, with Garral explaining the ruins belonged to beings of varying sizes that used simple tools and written language. Their conversation becomes more personal; Jessyn learns that Garral has a wife and two sons back on Anjiin and a friend on the Carryx world, while Jessyn reveals she had an unrequited attachment to her deceased friend Irinna. As darkness falls, Jessyn returns to her camp, her mind occupied with thoughts of Garral. Before sleep, she plans the next day's research, deliberately choosing to study an orchard location near Garral's camp despite it being farther from the base.