U_m_p_a_4x17 [DIRECT]

The terminal flickered, the green phosphor glowing against the darkness of the subterranean lab. For three decades, the array had heard nothing but the rhythmic hum of cosmic background radiation—the static of a lonely universe. Then, at 04:17 AM, the silence broke. It wasn't a signal from a distant star or a pulsar's heartbeat. It was a string of characters that shouldn’t have existed: .

: Phase Alignment. The synchronization needed to bridge two points in a multi-dimensional lattice. U_M_P_A_4x17

: Universal Marker. A beacon typically used in theoretical warp-gate navigation. The terminal flickered, the green phosphor glowing against

He pulled up a digital rendering of the local star cluster. When he plugged the "4x17" into the spatial axis, the map didn't just shift—it folded. The screen displayed a pocket of space-time that existed between the ticks of a clock, a place where the laws of physics were mere suggestions. It wasn't a signal from a distant star

It was a life raft thrown across the ocean of time. The message was clear: We found a way out. Here is how you follow us.

to see if Halloway responds to the transmission.