The countdown continued.
19:42:18
Jessica stared at the glowing numbers on the monitor. Each second
seemed louder than the last, ticking away the time humanity had
left to prove itself.
But they still had a long way to go.
The threshold remained clear.
35%
Jessica whispered quietly.
"We need six more."
Kessler nodded.
"And eighteen hours to get them."
Suddenly the lights in the chamber flickered.
Jessica looked up.
"What was that?"
The monitors shifted again.
The alien signal appeared briefly across the screens.
The same glowing symbols from earlier.
Jessica stepped closer.
The message appeared slowly.
She read it quietly.
"Observation ongoing."
Kessler leaned beside her.
"They're watching how we respond."
Jessica nodded.
"Yes."
Another line appeared.
Jessica rea
