Theorycrafting below:
My assumption is that the Maeron is the Star that was once the Eye. When it was condensed into the Maeron, it formed a blackhole which pulled in the nearby stars and created a new nebula, pulsar.
And while I believe Tyr is worried about exposure to the Maeron causing schizophrenia, what if that is because a carain mind was not meant for it? What if the Maeron was made by humans that eventually evolved into or dogs we sent into space eventually evolved into? The Maeron might be trying to speak to the only one capable of understanding it and is trying to draw him to it. I mean, what is a mind but electric signals. And we know the Maeron gives off electrical magnetic (given it fries electronics) AND has a neural attached to it, so it was the impulses and a "brain".
Being in the future would explain the weird static with Tucker's phone as a by product of moving forward. And what about the difference in planet numbers? I mean we can exclude Pluto, so 8 planets. If something happened to Neptune or it was no longer considered a planet, boom 7 planets in the solar system. Living on the second planet would be a terraformed Venus which might be why it was a longer day cycle. The third planet being a desert planet would mean humans accelerated desertification, most likely due to climate change.
And I agree there is no way back, because it's a lot easier to pull something forward in time than backwards (moving faster than light, time outside the bubble accelerates while those in the bubble age slower). Ultimately I agree with you on how Tucker got to where he is. I just believe it's the future and not a separate universe or part of our universe.