An Alien Little Fox's Journey to Earth

A spaceship crash-landing on an alien planet isn't actually so bad. The air is breathable, gravity is normal, the microorganisms don't seem able to kill you, and the local intelligent natives seem friendly enough so far. Short-term survival isn't a problem. There's just one small issue: these four-legged creatures called foxes... don't they look a little too much like me?!

Whatever. Panicking won't help. Learn their language, understand their social system, and take part in their scientific research. Maybe one day, with my help, they'll develop faster-than-light engines and take me home? As long as everything goes according to plan...

(A revised edition of On the Mutual Influence of Natives and Faster-than-Light Civilizations, a highly realistic work of near-future hard sci-fi.)