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Captain Elara Vance stared at the flickering holographic display of the Aether Voyager . In the vast, silent void of deep space, a single string of characters pulsated on her console: . It wasn't a standard distress beacon, nor was it the rhythmic humming of a pulsar. It was precise, intentional, and unmistakably artificial.

As the Aether Voyager dropped out of warp, the bridge crew fell silent. Before them lay a massive, derelict shipyard, its skeletal remains illuminated by the pale blue light of a dying star. At the center of the wreckage sat a single, pristine sphere. It hummed with a soft, amber light, perfectly out of place amidst the twisted metal. "Is that... a vault?" Kael whispered. Captain Elara Vance stared at the flickering holographic

"Commander Kael," Elara called out, her voice echoing in the bridge. "We have a hit. It’s coming from the dead zone in the Perseus Arm." It was precise, intentional, and unmistakably artificial