A Toothache on Zenob

A young signal technician, troubled by a persistent toothache, and a colleague intercept a deliberate sequence of mathematical and chemical data from a distant star region. After recognizing simple arithmetic and periodic-table information, the transmissions shift into a repetitive but enigmatic pattern that resists decoding. They enlist a ritual healer who cannot bring electronics into sacred spaces, exposing cultural limits on scientific work, and mobilize linguists and mathematicians to build a basic vocabulary for alien communication. The narrative balances cooperative problem-solving and institutional friction with the personal detail of bodily discomfort during an unfolding first-contact puzzle.