Min — 1661381569nyus002:42:38

The hum of the Habitation Deck was the only thing keeping Elias sane. He stared at the flickering amber terminal, watching the endless stream of telemetry data from the NYUS-02 probe. It had been drifting in the "Blind Spot" behind Jupiter for three months, silent and cold. Then, at precisely 02:42:38, the screen bled white.

"Minimum threshold reached," Elias whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs. 1661381569nyus002:42:38 Min

A single line of high-priority encryption flashed across the console: 1661381569nyus002:42:38 Min The hum of the Habitation Deck was the

Elias triggered the playback. The 42-minute mark of the log was nothing but static, but as the clock ticked toward 42:38, the audio cleared. It wasn't the sound of wind or tectonic shifts. It was a rhythmic, metallic pulsing—like a heartbeat echoing through a hollow cathedral. Then, at precisely 02:42:38, the screen bled white