Talking about holes
The numbering isn't just for bookmarks — it's how you call out your position over comms. Because every hole has the same number for everyone, "I'm on the two" means the same thing to the whole fleet.
The two ends of a hole
A wormhole has two ends, and the number names the hole from the parent side — the side closer to home. The far end, inside the system you jump into, is the return hole.
That gives you two things to say:
- "on the [number]" — you're at that hole on the parent side, about to jump into the numbered system.
- "on the [number] return" — you're on the far side of that same hole: inside the numbered system, at the hole that jumps back.
So adding "return" simply flips you to the other end of the hole you named.
Worked example
Say home has a hole 2 leading to a system we call "the two", and inside the two there's a hole 28 leading onward to "the twenty-eight":
| You say | Where you are | At which hole |
|---|---|---|
| "I'm on the 2" | in home | the hole that jumps to the 2 |
| "I'm on the 2 return" | in the 2 | the hole that jumps back to home |
| "I'm on the 28" | in the 2 | the hole that jumps to the 28 |
| "I'm on the 28 return" | in the 28 | the hole that jumps back into the 2 |
Because the number is also the route, "I'm on the 28" even tells everyone how to get to you: jump the 2, then the 28.
Why it's unambiguous
The number is the hole's bookmark name, so saying it out loud points everyone at the exact same hole on the map and in their client. "Return" tells them which side you're sitting on — which, in a fight or a collapse, is the difference between "ready to follow you in" and "about to come back out". The * on a return bookmark is the visual version of the same idea: it marks the hole back the way you came.