Each of the puzzles on the same side of the Borg Cube as the Blue Sun Trace Compression Block has between 1 and 4 small boxes on their blast door:

These boxes provide an order for the four answers that comprise this meta. In this order, they are:

• INITIAL THREAT
• AUSTERE TYPEFACE
• PAIRWISE EXPANSION
• SMALL NOVEL

Each answer contains a word which is a synonym (hinted by the parentheticals in the flavor text) for a character in the television show Firefly (“they have character”). The shading of the boxes (left or right) indicates which word is the synonym (first or second).

The other word is the same length as the last name of the actor who played that role (“act up”). The last name of each actor contains exactly one double letter (“twin powerplants”). Collect the letters from the answer word in the same position as the double letter in the actor’s name:

Finally, pull a Crazy Ivan—read down and then up—to get the answer, REAL LIFE.