Chapter 3 Who are Zoey's parents and what did they know

Zoey Jones's Parents & The Hidden Space Science Program

1. Parents' Identities

Name: Dr. Malachi Jones

Role: Aerospace engineer, signal cryptologist

Specialty: Deep Space Relay Systems & Unknown Frequency Analysis

Name: Dr. Ayana Sinclair-Jones

Role: Atmospheric physicist, astroclimatologist

Specialty: Upper-atmosphere climate patterns & gravitational anomaly detection

Both were founding members of a classified research initiative known only by insiders as Project LUMEN.

Project LUMEN: Jamaica's Forgotten Leap into Space Science

Overview:

In the early 2020s, after a series of unexplained electromagnetic surges over the Caribbean Basin and reports of "sky anomalies" from Blue Mountain Peak to Montego Bay, the Jamaican government quietly greenlit a top-secret space science and signal intelligence initiative: Project LUMEN (Light Understanding Mechanism for Extraterrestrial Navigation).

With funding covertly channeled through partnerships with Caribbean universities and "green tech" organizations, the project aimed to study:Non-standard EM frequencies

Alien signal structures

Atmospheric patterns that didn't match Earth-based weather models

While the public believed the Deep Space Relay Station in St. Elizabeth Parish (called DSR-13) was built for solar observation and weather tracking, it was actually a high-altitude antenna array designed to intercept off-world signals.

What Zoey's Parents Knew

The Signal:

Around 2028, Malachi and Ayana intercepted a pulse-pattern-a rotating stream of encrypted bursts across frequencies that didn't align with any known natural or man-made sources. It originated from above Earth's upper thermosphere but exhibited quantum phase drift-suggesting it wasn't bound by time in a linear way.

They named it The Firefly Stream.

The Truth:

After decoding fragments, they discovered the signal wasn't just data-it was living code. A form of consciousness embedded in light, capable of replication and responsive evolution.

Ayana theorized that the signals were attempting to integrate into Earth's electromagnetic ecosystem gradually, using storms, auroras, and radio towers as footholds. Malachi believed it was a warning.

Their Disappearance:

In 2031, during a rare total blackout of the station, both Malachi and Ayana vanished during a midnight test involving a frequency modulation device built to "talk back" to the Firefly Stream. Only a charred notebook, a glowing crystal fragment, and encrypted blueprints of their interface were found.

The government shut down Project LUMEN, claiming it had been an experimental weather lab gone wrong.

Only a handful of their original colleagues survived the purge-and they scattered across the Caribbean and abroad, going dark.

Legacy Passed to Zoey

Zoey found the notebook hidden in the false floor of her grandmother's pantry at age 13. It contained:Signal maps.

A coded journal from her mother.

Instructions to build the first version of Candlebug.

A final line from her father:

"The lights are alive. When they return, listen with more than your ears."

Unbeknownst to her, Candlebug carries fragments of the original interface her parents built-the only known piece that can sync with the Firefly Stream.

And the lights in the sky?

They're not just returning.

They're searching for her.

Would you like a map of the key locations tied to Project LUMEN, or a timeline of Zoey's parents' last days?