Chapter 1 — Page 5 Do you require assistance?

## PAGE 5 — "Network" **Panel 1** — ACTION: A stylized **NETWORK** wordmark (the "N" a small geometric node-glyph) sits over a soft blue-green ship-cabin gradient; the Network AI's cheerful chat prompts stack below, each with the circular "N" avatar. - NETWORK: Good news! You are [6] hours from civilization! - NETWORK: Uh-oh: Unknown life form detected on your ship! - NETWORK: Do you require assistance? [Yes] [No] **Panel 2** — ACTION: Letterbox. A uniformed figure (blue jacket) sits at a glowing ship console, back to us, one hand raised toward the screen; a faint radar/grid display glows at left. The chat prompt is overlaid on the glass. - CAP: Do you require assistance? [Yes] [No] - CAP: …se requested. *(text partly cut by the figure's hand; "Response requested.")* [?] **Panel 3** — ACTION: Same framing, dimmer; a thin black tentacle creeps up into the lower-left of the frame toward the seated figure. - CAP: Do you require assistance? [Yes] [No] - CAP: Response requested. **Panel 4 (foot)** — ACTION: A "WELCOME TO NETWORK" window floats over a starfield of pale console panels while a thick black S-coiling tentacle snakes up the right side of the page; the plea swells into three giant stacked banners. - CAP (window): WELCOME TO **NETWORK** *(+ small repeat: "Good news! You are [6] hours from civilization! Uh-oh: Unknown life form detected on your ship! Do you require assistance? [Yes] [No] Response requested. Response requested.")* - CAP (large, ×3): Response requested. / Response requested. / Response reque[sted].