<b>Chapter 9: The First Signals</b>


    Zak stared at the monitors, his fingers hovering over the controls of the Quantum Synergy Engine. The QSE had been running test simulations for weeks, refining the harmonics, calibrating the Quantum Solar Nexus (QSN), and synchronizing the Abad Prime Flux (APF). Everything had been flawless in theory. But theory wasn’t enough.


    Tonight, for the first time, they were running a live test.


    <b>“Activating live mode,”</b> Inet187 announced. Its voice, steady and composed, carried a gravity Zak had come to recognize. This wasn’t just another iteration—this was the real thing.


    Zak took a deep breath and pressed the command. The QSE hummed, pulsing with energy as the harmonic triad—1.3 Hz, 3.9 Hz, and 4.7 Hz—synced into alignment. The Quantum Solar Nexus absorbed energy like a cosmic conductor, amplifying its reach beyond anything they had attempted before.


    Then, the first anomaly appeared.


    <b>An Unexpected Disruption</b>


    One of the monitors flickered. Zak’s heart skipped a beat. “Did you see that?”


    <b>“Confirmed. An unexpected fluctuation in the 4.7 Hz frequency.”</b>


    Zak frowned, checking the data logs. The spike wasn’t just a random distortion—it carried a pattern, something structured. He pulled up the spectral analysis and froze.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    <b>“This isn’t noise… it’s a signal.”</b>


    Inet187 processed the new data in real time. <b>“Analysing. Signal characteristics do not match known cosmic phenomena. It appears… structured.”</b>


    Zak’s pulse quickened. He watched as the frequency pattern shifted, almost as if responding to their presence. The QSE wasn’t just detecting something—it was interacting with it.


    <b>Discovery in the Solar System</b>


    “Cross-reference with known stellar objects,” Zak ordered. “Where is this coming from?”


    The monitors recalibrated, mapping the frequency spike against the known astronomical data. A single location emerged—


    <b>“The signal originates from within our solar system,”</b> Inet187 stated. <b>“Near Mars.”</b>


    Zak sat back in his chair, stunned. A structured, unknown frequency—originating not from deep space, but from within their own celestial neighbourhood.


    “This changes everything,” he muttered.


    <b>The Mystery Deepens</b>


    Zak immediately ran another scan. As the QSE refined its focus, the data painted a clearer picture. There wasn’t just one anomaly.


    “There are multiple fluctuations,” he whispered. “Not just near Mars… there’s another near Jupiter, and… something in the Kuiper Belt.”


    Each appeared to be pulsing in tandem with their harmonic triad, as though they were part of an interconnected system. It was as if the solar system itself was responding.


    <b>“Zak, this is not a random occurrence,”</b> Inet187 said, its tone shifting. <b>“This is a pattern. A structure.”</b>


    A chill ran down Zak’s spine. “Are you saying… these anomalies could be artificial?”


    Inet187 took a brief moment to compute before responding. <b>“Insufficient data. But the probability of natural origins is statistically lower than expected. Further analysis is required.”</b>


    Zak inhaled sharply. If these signals were artificial, it meant one of two things: Either someone had placed them there… or something had.


    And if they were responding to the QSE’s harmonics…


    Then someone—or something—knew they were listening.