## Chapter 64: Echoes in the Void
Weeks bled into months. The bridge thrummed with a renewed energy as news of the Verdant mission reverberated through the assembled delegates. Alex, no longer a wide-eyed scholar, stood beside Anya, a newfound confidence radiating from him. He had become a symbol of the bridge's expanding purpose, a testament to the transformative power of exploration and collaboration.
Today, the Zips returned. Their arrival, usually marked by a flurry of frantic activity, was surprisingly subdued. They landed on the bridge platform, their forms emitting a dim, flickering luminescence.
Anya knelt beside them, her hand outstretched in a gesture of comfort. "What is it, Zips?" she projected telepathically, her voice laced with concern.
The Zips' collective voice, usually a vibrant symphony of squeaks, was now a mournful chorus. "World… silent. No response. Only… echoes."
