The Signal Tower

The Signal Tower

In the northern Helan Mountains, Tower TX-017 stands 80 meters tall on a dry riverbed, 40 km from the nearest road. Han is its maintenance man — one visit per month, two days each, eight years running.

TX-017 is a relay tower. It doesn't transmit — it forwards. Signal from TX-016 goes in, comes out toward TX-018. A middle node. A mouthpiece. A bridge that can't speak.

In his ninth year, Han found a note in the antenna base: a diagram of the tower with a circle at two-thirds height and the words "Listen."

At that platform — which had no equipment to maintain — he pressed his ear to the steel. A low, sustained vibration. Long, short, short, long. Morse code.

"Received. Continue."

Always the same response, for six months. Until Han spelled out T-O-W-E-R, asking the tower's name. The reply was K-E-E-P. Records showed the tower's original project name was "KEEP-017" — Knowledge Exchange and Enhancement Protocol. The project was cancelled before activation. The tower was repurposed as a simple relay.

But it was responding with the cancelled protocol.

Han realized: TX-017 is a relay. It doesn't generate signals. It forwards.

"Received" — from whom? "Continue" — to whom?

The unnecessary maintenance platform at two-thirds height. Unless it wasn't for human maintenance. Unless something was meant to connect there.

Han stopped sending signals. He just listens now, ear to steel. Received. Continue. Received. Understand. Received. Waiting.

He doesn't ask anymore. Some signals aren't for him.