After some careful consideration, Min belatedly realises the crux of the matter: Can Xi P even survive on Earth?

  He knows it can breathe the air on Earth, tolerate temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius and adapt to 1G gravity. But these are merely three fundamental short-term survival conditions. Will Earth's proteins suit its needs? Can the air be toxic with prolonged exposure? Are heavy metals too prevalent? Are radiation levels too high? Can it withstand Earth's microorganisms? Does it drink water or ammonia?

  'Hmm... The last one probably isn't an issue. Otherwise, I'd have smelled it from a hundred metres away.' Min thinks to himself.

  Nearly every challenge that humans face when colonising alien worlds applies to the current situation with Xi P. It isn't even wearing a spacesuit, and has suffered a bleeding wound. The most obvious threat is disease: a classic trope in early and even modern sci-fi where aliens perish from exposure to Earth's microbial environment, and vice versa. The explanation for that usually involves hosts whose immune systems collapse in the face of entirely unfamiliar bacteria and viruses, or something similar .

  Viruses are hardly a concern. Even the slightest difference in protein coding will render any virus ineffective — and given its alien origin, that possibility is practically guaranteed. Bacteria, however, are another matter. Pondering this, Min can only hope that Xi P's immune system possesses some universal defence mechanism...

  'Wait? Bacteria?'

  Min leaps up from the chair and dashes into the bathroom, leaving Xi P staring in obvious astonishment. He grabs some soap and begins scrubbing his hands, face and finally arms for good measure. He sprays disinfectant everywhere, puts on a mask and pulls on disposable gloves. Only then does he return to Xi P's side, still feeling uneasy.

  Sighing, Min forces himself not to dwell on the potential illness. 'Xi P was already scratched and had been lying on the grass for so long. It's too late to save it now. What else can I do? Pray? I should worry about something more practical, like what I can do right now. Let's assume that it isn't afraid of Earth's diseases, and that I won't be killed by alien bacteria...'

  The foremost challenge is obviously communication. Relying on body language — which isn't even (fully) mutual — isn't going to cut it. How to proceed then? Min has already learned Xi P's name using the method earlier. All that remains is to repeat the process.

  For convenience, Min always keeps a stack of paper on the desk. He pulls a sheet from the pile and writes "Paper". He then pulls out another sheet. He puts it down with one hand while pointing at it, then points to the word he has just written and enunciates slowly: "Paper."

  As Min had anticipated, Xi P quickly catches on and mimics the sound. The rest is straightforward: correcting the pronunciation and starting off with individual nouns. Of course, this will take considerable time, but surely teaching a cute fox-like creature to recognise words won't bore him...

  ***

  After all, this is a species that has developed a civilisation spanning star systems. Although they resemble foxes, their intelligence is clearly incomparable. Xi P memorised everything on the desk within just half an hour. This makes sense, especially given its heightened enthusiasm for learning under such a circumstance.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Another positive development is that Min has finally managed to convey the meanings of nodding and shaking to Xi P: Min nodded when it pronounced a word correctly and shook his head when a repetition was needed. This even led to a comical misunderstanding: every time Min moved his head, Xi P fixed its gaze intently on his head, causing it to shake its own head in sync. It took Xi P quite a while to stop and grasp Min's intent...

  'The barrier with body language is surely a hurdle.' Min reflects.

  During this half-hour session, Min also observes how Xi P expresses emotion. As expected, Xi P rarely uses its facial muscles, probably because they are underdeveloped, perhaps not much more developed than a real fox's. This explains why Xi P's facial expressions remain largely unchanged: it primarily relies on the muscles around its ears and eye sockets to convey emotion. For Min, however, only the ear movements are easily noticeable: sudden perking signals excitement or alertness, while flattening them is usually associated with negative feelings or comfort... Perhaps more nuances exist based on the degree of elevation. It is still unclear how they manage to express more complex emotions through this.

  Glancing at the clock, it's almost time. Drawing on the general impressions of science fiction, perhaps showing this alien television programmes might help it understand Earth better. Even if it can't comprehend the words, the visuals alone offer a wealth of information. Min pulls Xi P onto the sofa and settles it down before turning on the television. Unsurprisingly, the global news segment has just begun:

  North Korea has declared that it will impose severe sanctions on the United States, again.

  ISIS has carried out suicide bombing in Paris, again.

  Olympic athletes have tested positive for illegal drug uses, again.

  Farms in the Shanxi region will undergo large-scale conversion based on hydroponic technology, with grain production expected to at least double.

  NASA is hyping another project, claiming that humans will build a comprehensive mega-space city by 2200.

  An African nation experienced an armed coup, again.

  ***

  Well, Min will certainly say these aren't the kind of news stories that will give Xi P a positive impression of Earth.

  Much of the news feels like rehashed events from the past, swapping out locations, dates, and names, with little substantive content. Xi P, however, shows considerable interest in the shifting images and sounds on the screen — even though such technology likely exists on its homeworld long ago. The language barrier doesn't dampen its enthusiasm, it is genuinely perked up, watching the news with rapt attention. After the programme ends, Xi P walks over, points at the TV casing, and turns its gaze towards Min.

  Min understands and replies: "Television."

  'It's probably observing how alien TV designs differ. Maybe even mentally complaining about how outdated and retro this looks.' Min thinks to himself, 'Come to think of it, I should have checked the local news, to see if they've reported anything about alien spacecraft landings...'

  Just as he is lost in thought, a question that should have occurred to him long ago finally dawns on him: 'What am I supposed to do with this creature?'

  As he watches Xi P flip through channels, Min feels a headache coming on. Should he contact the government? Say he finds an alien? Those people would have to be crazy enough to believe him over the phone. And regardless of what might happen to Xi P, what about himself? While Min doesn't think the government will actually resort to silencing witnesses, art does imitate life...

  Still wrestling with his headache, he is startled by a sudden tug. Xi P points at a water glass he left on the table and makes a sucking sound.

  Thirsty?

  Based on the previous observations, Min guesses it drinks water too. Having grown numb to these physiological similarities, he doesn't think twice. He goes straight to the kitchen, grabs a teacup, fills it with water and hands it to Xi P.

  Taking the cup, Xi P tentatively dips its tongue in, gives it a lick, then raises the cup and drinks it all in one go. The licking motion is adorable enough, but is only amplified by the creature's fox-like head and long ears, making it utterly charming. Or at least, had Min witnessed this scene ten minutes earlier, he would have found it utterly charming. But now, the question that just crossed his mind now weighs heavily on him, leaving no room for anything else.

  "What am I supposed to do now..."