diff --git a/data/embed.go b/data/embed.go
index 545bd79..cbceedd 100644
--- a/data/embed.go
+++ b/data/embed.go
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ import "embed"
 
 // Files holds default game content shipped in the binary.
 //
-//go:embed buildings.json events.json scenarios.json
+//go:embed buildings.json events.json scenarios.json quiet_beats.json
 var Files embed.FS
diff --git a/data/quiet_beats.json b/data/quiet_beats.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f731864
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/quiet_beats.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+[
+  "Systems nominal. Colonists on shift.",
+  "Dust readings normal. Beacon array holding steady.",
+  "Night cycle quiet. Power draw within range.",
+  "No anomalies logged. Supply stores unchanged.",
+  "Routine maintenance completed. No issues reported.",
+  "Temperature variance within tolerance. All clear.",
+  "Comms silence — nothing inbound. Colony pressing on.",
+  "Shift change. The next team knows what to do.",
+  "Diagnostics green across the board.",
+  "Morale steady. Rations distributed.",
+  "Water reclaim cycle completed. Reserves stable.",
+  "Solar output within forecast. Charging nominal."
+]
diff --git a/docs/context.md b/docs/context.md
index ff6e11e..203fbf7 100644
--- a/docs/context.md
+++ b/docs/context.md
@@ -76,3 +76,15 @@ Examples:
 - achievements
 - save files
 - Steam-like terminal polish eventually, but keep scope small now
+
+## Colony log as primary narrative layer
+
+**Design goal:** the colony log is the game's voice. Every `next_day` should give the player at least one readable beat — an event, a milestone, a warning escalation, or a quiet telemetry line when nothing dramatic happened. Players should be able to answer "what happened yesterday?" from the log alone.
+
+### Quiet beats
+
+When no random event fires on a given day, a short neutral telemetry line is emitted (prefixed `·`, `LogSystem`). These are data-driven — drawn randomly from `data/quiet_beats.json`. They signal calm without being silent, and make the log feel alive even during uneventful stretches.
+
+### Layout principle
+
+The event log viewport should be at least as prominent as the resource stat panel in the TUI layout. Stats are scoreboard; the log is story.
diff --git a/internal/game/baseline.go b/internal/game/baseline.go
index e847ef2..009a181 100644
--- a/internal/game/baseline.go
+++ b/internal/game/baseline.go
@@ -129,11 +129,11 @@ func beaconRushBaseline() BaselineStrategy {
 		MinBeaconParts: 2,
 		Expected: map[int64]BaselineOutcome{
 			1:                   {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 3},
-			7:                   {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 3},
-			42:                  {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 3},
-			99:                  {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 3},
+			7:                   {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 4},
+			42:                  {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 4},
+			99:                  {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 4},
 			100:                 {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 3},
-			101:                 {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 4},
+			101:                 {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 3},
 			1779403310247544000: {Day: 6, GameOver: false, Won: false, BeaconParts: 3},
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/internal/game/colony_log.go b/internal/game/colony_log.go
index c7dc5ac..f3f085e 100644
--- a/internal/game/colony_log.go
+++ b/internal/game/colony_log.go
@@ -117,6 +117,17 @@ func (s State) SessionSummary() []string {
 	return lines
 }
 
+// emitQuietBeat logs a telemetry line on days when no random event fires.
+func (s *State) emitQuietBeat() {
+	beats := s.Content.QuietBeats
+	if len(beats) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	s.ensureRNG()
+	beat := beats[s.rngIntn(len(beats))]
+	s.AddLogKind(LogSystem, beat)
+}
+
 func collapseCause(s State) string {
 	switch {
 	case s.Power <= 0:
diff --git a/internal/game/colony_log_test.go b/internal/game/colony_log_test.go
index b3bfc23..5569f87 100644
--- a/internal/game/colony_log_test.go
+++ b/internal/game/colony_log_test.go
@@ -89,3 +89,31 @@ func logContainsAll(s string, parts ...string) bool {
 func joinStrings(parts []string) string {
 	return strings.Join(parts, "\n")
 }
+
+func TestNextDay_QuietBeat_AppearsWhenNoEvent(t *testing.T) {
+	content, err := LoadEmbeddedContent()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadEmbeddedContent: %v", err)
+	}
+	s := NewState(content)
+	// Set gate so event roll never fires (-1 = never, overrides fallback)
+	s.EventGateSkipAbove = -1
+	logBefore := len(s.Log)
+	s.NextDay()
+	newCount := len(s.Log) - logBefore
+	if newCount <= 0 {
+		t.Fatal("no log lines added on quiet day")
+	}
+	// Newest lines are prepended; grab the new ones
+	added := s.Log[:newCount]
+	found := false
+	for _, line := range added {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(line, string(LogSystem)+" ") {
+			found = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if !found {
+		t.Fatalf("no quiet beat (· prefix) in quiet-day log: %v", added)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/game/content.go b/internal/game/content.go
index 5d947ca..567cb57 100644
--- a/internal/game/content.go
+++ b/internal/game/content.go
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ func LoadContentFS(fsys fs.FS) (Content, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return Content{}, err
 	}
-	return Content{Buildings: buildings, Events: events}, nil
+	quietBeats, _ := loadJSONFS[[]string](fsys, "quiet_beats.json")
+	return Content{Buildings: buildings, Events: events, QuietBeats: quietBeats}, nil
 }
 
 func LoadContent(dir string) (Content, error) {
@@ -38,8 +39,8 @@ func LoadContent(dir string) (Content, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return Content{}, err
 	}
-
-	return Content{Buildings: buildings, Events: events}, nil
+	quietBeats, _ := loadJSON[[]string](filepath.Join(dir, "quiet_beats.json"))
+	return Content{Buildings: buildings, Events: events, QuietBeats: quietBeats}, nil
 }
 
 func loadJSON[T any](path string) (T, error) {
diff --git a/internal/game/day_balance.go b/internal/game/day_balance.go
index b197108..d817765 100644
--- a/internal/game/day_balance.go
+++ b/internal/game/day_balance.go
@@ -47,7 +47,10 @@ func RandomEventRollOccurs(roll int) bool {
 
 func (s State) randomEventRollOccurs(roll int) bool {
 	limit := s.EventGateSkipAbove
-	if limit <= 0 {
+	if limit < 0 {
+		return false // explicitly disabled
+	}
+	if limit == 0 {
 		limit = RandomEventRollSkipAbove
 	}
 	return roll <= limit
diff --git a/internal/game/tick.go b/internal/game/tick.go
index 340db4f..51eab41 100644
--- a/internal/game/tick.go
+++ b/internal/game/tick.go
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ func (s *State) nextDayWithDetail(replayDetail map[string]any) nextDayOutcome {
 	if eventID == "" {
 		eventID = s.TriggerRandomEvent()
 	}
+	if eventID == "" {
+		s.emitQuietBeat()
+	}
 	s.Clamp()
 
 	return nextDayOutcome{
diff --git a/internal/game/types.go b/internal/game/types.go
index 4e5a86a..5d2c003 100644
--- a/internal/game/types.go
+++ b/internal/game/types.go
@@ -35,8 +35,9 @@ type EventDef struct {
 }
 
 type Content struct {
-	Buildings []BuildingDef
-	Events    []EventDef
+	Buildings   []BuildingDef
+	Events      []EventDef
+	QuietBeats  []string
 }
 
 func (c Content) FindBuilding(id string) (BuildingDef, bool) {