Her boots squelch on the alien soil. The air smells of things her nose can't quite understand. It's safe, the science team insisted. She's the volunteer who'll prove them right. She walks to the hut crate and deploys it, then drags the smaller crate with the furniture and supplies inside.

She'll be alone here for thirty cycles, safe in her sturdy hut. Her first night is uneventful. At sunrise, a timid knock on the door wakes her. He isn't supposed to be intelligent. She's not supposed to interact. But at the first sight of her visitor's violet eyes, it's love.