Small step for man...

The landing was far from smooth and the inside of the pod was in a disarray with cracked screens and broken interior strewn all. Thankfully it landed with the hatch directed upwards so when Ace unbuckled himself he didn't have to fall down on the floor when he already felt pretty bruised and beaten.

Getting up from the seat was a lot harder than he imagined it would be though. Due to the gravity it felt like stones were tied to each and every part of his body, he could even feel the pull on his skin. Giving up on rising to his feet for the moment Ace let out a deep sigh. With how strong the gravity was and how weak he currently was , even if he could get up he would most likely fall to his knees at once and shatter them like glass.

With extreme difficulty Ace managed to raise his hand and activate the gravity field generator. It greatly alleviated the pressure on his body but it was still greater than the gravity he was used to. With enough nutrients, his breathing- and training exercises he could probably adapt to the gravity to a certain degree, what he couldn't adapt to was a poisonous atmosphere.

Fortunately the AC survived the crash so Ace could open the hatch and let in some of the air for testing. Since the scanners onboard were smashed during the crash Ace had to rely on the chip, and for the chip to properly analyze the air he had to take it inside his mouth.

"Dishwasher, prepare to analyze the air in my mouth," Ace said as he went over and grabbed the handle.

[Affirmative]

Opening the hatch and taking a shallow breath, Ace held the air in his mouth without allowing it to enter his lungs as he waited for the chip to finish.

[Analyzation complete]

[Rudimentary analysis determines that there are no identifiable harmful components in the inhaled air]

[Unknown energy identified]

[Resembling energy readings of the planet from space]

[Energy determined to hold no immediate dangers to host]

[Detailed consequences of energy requires further data]

[Further analysis possible as host continues to interact with energy]

"Continue analysing," Ace responded to the chip's last statement.

Since the chip also said the air was breathable Ace opened the hatch to let some more fresh air in and to get a feel for the climate outside the pod.

With that problem out of the way Ace decided to get started with his rehabilitation and the training needed in order to withstand the immense gravity he would experience as soon as he stepped outside the pod or when the fuel reserves ran out. Fortunately sustaining a gravitational field inside the pod to counteract the one from the planet wasn't as draining as propelling the pod through space.

Since the food would probably run out first Ace had to get as much out of it as possible. With his experience in training and eating he could create the most efficient course of action.

The food would last four days and getting his body close to it's original standard would take two or three days. That left him one almost two days he could get used to the gravity. Going for long without food when his body was constantly under pressure would definitely be bad so he had to head outside as soon as he could.

And so his rehab began. Since the gravity was still greater than what his body was used to Ace had to be especially careful in the beginning.

He began with some stretches that would carefully awaken his sleeping muscles and tendons as well as prepare them for the increased blood flow that would soon come. Ace gradually increased the variety of stretches to regain mobility he had lost. After a few minutes he decided to rest and eat a little. After consuming a third of a pack of liquid nutrients he sat down to regulate his breathing. In order to make the entire process more effective he used his breathing to increase the circulation of blood and his rate of digestion.

Ace continued with this routine as he gradually advanced to more strenuous exercises and by the time twelve hours had passed he could hardly move as he lay down in the seat. Using yet another breathing exercise that would speed up his muscles recovery as he slept Ace felt a lot better than he had these past few days and weeks when he had to suppress his body.

Waking up, Ace felt incredibly refreshed, almost like never before. He had expected muscle aches, soreness and that he wouldn't be able to move for a few minutes. Instead he was fully energized and ready to begin training as soon as he woke up.

With some doubts in his mind he asked the chip,

"Dishwasher, is there something wrong with my body?"

[Quick scan complete]

[Slight residual fatigue from prolonged malnutrition and inactivity of the body]

[Unknown energy detected circulating inside host's body]

[Data concerning the effects of unknown energy gathered]

With the results from the chip's scan the only reason Ace would be feeling energized was the unknown energy flowing around in his body.

With the unpredicted benefits provided by the energy Ace's rehab finished even sooner than he could ever have expected. Even adjusting to the gravity went well.

He could hardly notice any difficulties after three days of training and one day of rehab. However that was still with the field generated by the pod. The real deal would undoubtedly be more challenging.

Preparing a backpack with supplies he might need such as a knife, rope, a set of clothes and a tarp with automatically adjusting camouflage Ace was ready to head outside. He wasn't going to do that just yet though. Sitting down before deactivating the gravity generator Ace braced himself as the gravity hit him. It was definitely not as bad as it was when he first landed but he still had to struggle a bit to stand up.

Using a few minutes to get used to moving under the heavy gravity Ace was prepared to head outside. Fully opening the hatch, throwing out the backpack and climbing after it he took his first step on the planet.