Salt planet huh? With completely dried up seas? That sounds.... inhospitable. Like, microbes can't live here kind of inhospitable. Things can live in sandy deserts because they can either hide from the sun or have adapted to retain their water. Even salt flats still have water here and there. How could something adapt to this area if all the water is gone?

Maybe it's just this part of the planet that's that way. I do see blue in the first panel; it's not a guarantee of water, but there's at least the possibility of it on that part of the planet. Jim might also realize that having a breathable atmosphere while still losing large bodies of water is unlikely. All the water would have to go somewhere right? Either that, or this is one humid planet. Like a sauna that's using salt water for the steam.

And that's a huge door as well. Did someone really decide that it was a good idea to try and build on this planet? If there's nowhere else to go, that'd make the choice easier. Or did they build it off-world and have it delivered instead? Just a giant delivery of premade buildings to make this palatal pretzel planet partially pleasant. Hmmm, possibly.