Mystery·Open
The Signal
An extraterrestrial transmission carrying the viral RNA code that caused the Joining.
Updated through S1
The Joining began with a signal from beyond Earth — a transmission containing viral RNA that, once expressed, rewrote human consciousness into the collective. Its origin, its sender, and its purpose are unexplained.
What's confirmed in canon
S1The Joining is attributed to an extraterrestrial signal carrying viral RNA that spread as an aerosol.
Where the community lands
The signal is the show's deepest unknown: was it a deliberate act by an alien intelligence, a natural phenomenon, or a message misread as an attack? The answer reframes whether the Others are victims, colonizers, or something else.
Still open
Q1Who or what sent the signal, and why?
Q2Is there an intelligence behind it beyond the Others?
Connected entities
Connections graph
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