Today's trip had a small hitch, but otherwise went well. We set out in the morning in two Jeeps. Xi and I took one, Sergei the other. We were collecting data for Sergei's mapping project. He led us to an area where, he claimed, the mal was very strong. I think he was right, as his Jeep broke down. I stopped our Jeep farther back and Sergei walked over to us. He said that he would stay here and collect samples, and that we should drive around so that Xi could get used to being out. If he didn't manage to start his Jeep and get back, I would come and get him. I was reluctant, but I did as he said and drove off.

Xi and I toured the area near the station. She pointed out some interesting places to me; often, a patch of dirt or a dying plant would remind her of a story from some ancient people. I'm going to start looking into the mythology more deeply, as I think it could provide insight into The Sick Land. After two hours, I dropped her back. Sergei was still out, so I drove off to find him.

His Jeep was still there, but I couldn't see Sergei. I left the engine running and got out. Sergei was in his Jeep, covered in oil. Somehow, he'd managed to bandage his left hand, despite having limited use of his right hand. He'd been under the Jeep trying to fix it, and gashed his hand with a wrench. For someone so smart, he's accident prone. I tied the tow rope to his Jeep and took it back to the station.