Mayak — is a 2D adventure with visual novel scenes about first contact, which may turn out to be a countdown. Signals from the star Beta Vulpeculae arrive in the form of prime numbers, each one smaller than the last. 3559. Then 3557. There can be no mistake: the source is intelligent. The only question is what exactly the sequence means and how much time remains until zero. Science as a language of hope The story revolves around attempts to decipher the message and understand the nature of the sender. Real scientific concepts are discussed: signal encoding methods, interstellar distances, and the principles of transmitting information across the void of space. This is hard science fiction, where hypotheses don't serve as backdrop but become part of the dramaturgy. A warm human story unfolds against a backdrop of cosmic anxiety. The dialogue is sincere, and relationships are forged under the pressure of the unknown. The visual style combines impressionism and film noir with hand-drawn digital painting, while the atmospheric music, featuring live instruments and soft synths, heightens the sense of an impending, one-and-only ending. Features of the game Linear narrative without variable forks. Hand-crafted artistic rendering of each scene. Musical accompaniment created over the years. The author is a working scientist working at a research institute.