Long Chapter
—
Ethan scanned the analysis again and confirmed that Shatterstar had not provided any notes or solutions.
"Really no way?" he asked, his tone probing.
[Correct. My database contains no solution. The First Universe's demise occurred precisely because of this. Otherwise, I would never have been created.]
Shatterstar's answer was absolute, delivered without hesitation or ambiguity.
Ethan slowly nodded as he absorbed that. It made sense when he thought about it. Shatterstar itself existed because the First Universe had failed to solve the problem. If they had found a solution, they would never have needed to pour all their remaining resources into building a desperate distress beacon like Shatterstar in the first place.
Which meant one thing.
He was stuck. This was not a problem he could fix alone.
