diff --git a/client/tests/test_atlas_overlays.gd b/client/tests/test_atlas_overlays.gd
index 6151f469a..5333c649c 100644
--- a/client/tests/test_atlas_overlays.gd
+++ b/client/tests/test_atlas_overlays.gd
@@ -23,3 +23,11 @@ func test_generation_data_round_trips() -> void:
 	}
 	v.set_generation_layer1(mock)
 	assert_that(v.get_generation_layer1()).is_equal(mock)
+
+
+func test_implant_pending_start_stop() -> void:
+	var p: ImplantPending = auto_free(ImplantPending.new())
+	p.start("GENERATING LAYER 1")
+	assert_bool(p.visible).is_true()
+	p.stop()
+	assert_bool(p.visible).is_false()
diff --git a/client/ui/implant/apps/atlas/atlas_viewer.gd b/client/ui/implant/apps/atlas/atlas_viewer.gd
index c879945ae..115b334d8 100644
--- a/client/ui/implant/apps/atlas/atlas_viewer.gd
+++ b/client/ui/implant/apps/atlas/atlas_viewer.gd
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ var _city_panel = null  # ImplantPanel sidebar (city data)
 var _empty_notice = null  # ImplantPanel shown when heightmap missing
 var _overlay_bar = null  # #836 overlay toggle bar (no class_name, review #8)
 var _screen_header: ImplantHeader = null  # top-left title/hint (D-169 composition)
+var _gen_pending_indicator: ImplantPending = null  # #960 Layer-1 "generating" overlay
 
 
 func _ready() -> void:
@@ -218,6 +219,14 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 	# #960: receive proxied Layer-1 generation output (D-225).
 	SimBridge.atlas_layers_received.connect(_on_atlas_layers_received)
 
+	# #960: diegetic "generating" indicator, shown only while the proxy is Pending.
+	_gen_pending_indicator = ImplantPending.new()
+	_gen_pending_indicator.name = "GenPending"
+	add_child(_gen_pending_indicator)
+	_gen_pending_indicator.apply_implant_theme(_implant_theme)
+	resized.connect(_position_pending_indicator)
+	_position_pending_indicator()
+
 
 func _exit_tree() -> void:
 	if SimBridge.atlas_layers_received.is_connected(_on_atlas_layers_received):
@@ -239,6 +248,8 @@ func show_body(body: Dictionary, system: Dictionary) -> void:
 	_generation_layer1 = null
 	_gen_pending = false
 	_gen_retries = 0
+	if _gen_pending_indicator:
+		_gen_pending_indicator.stop()
 	_request_generation_layers()
 	grab_focus()
 	queue_redraw()
@@ -306,15 +317,19 @@ func _on_atlas_layers_received(response: Dictionary) -> void:
 		"Ready":
 			_gen_pending = false
 			_gen_retries = 0
+			_set_gen_indicator(false)
 			set_generation_layer1(response.get("layer1"))
 		"Pending":
 			if _gen_retries < GEN_MAX_RETRIES:
 				_gen_retries += 1
+				_set_gen_indicator(true)
 				_schedule_gen_retry(body_id)
 			else:
 				_gen_pending = false  # gave up — overlays stay empty
+				_set_gen_indicator(false)
 		_:
 			_gen_pending = false  # NotFound / Error — nothing to draw
+			_set_gen_indicator(false)
 
 
 func _schedule_gen_retry(body_id: String) -> void:
@@ -327,6 +342,27 @@ func _schedule_gen_retry(body_id: String) -> void:
 	)
 
 
+## Show/hide the diegetic pending indicator. Starting only when not already
+## visible avoids resetting the sweep on every re-poll.
+func _set_gen_indicator(on: bool) -> void:
+	if _gen_pending_indicator == null:
+		return
+	if on:
+		if not _gen_pending_indicator.visible:
+			_position_pending_indicator()
+			_gen_pending_indicator.start("GENERATING LAYER 1")
+	else:
+		_gen_pending_indicator.stop()
+
+
+func _position_pending_indicator() -> void:
+	if _gen_pending_indicator == null:
+		return
+	_gen_pending_indicator.position = Vector2(
+		(size.x - ImplantPending.DEFAULT_WIDTH) * 0.5, size.y * 0.45
+	)
+
+
 func get_hovered_city() -> Dictionary:
 	return _hovered_city
 
diff --git a/client/ui/implant/implant_pending.gd b/client/ui/implant/implant_pending.gd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3b72440ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/ui/implant/implant_pending.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+class_name ImplantPending
+extends Control
+## Diegetic "pending / working" indicator for the implant overlay (D-169).
+##
+## An animated bracket sweep — `[ >>>>········ ]` — with a caption above it.
+## Linear left-to-right fill that loops; reads as a bounded machine process,
+## not an OS spinner (Araminta's spec, #960).
+##
+## LAYER SEPARATION: this belongs to the IMPLANT (diegetic, in-fiction) UI layer
+## only. It styles exclusively from ImplantTheme. The global / non-diegetic UI
+## layer must NOT reuse these visuals — if that layer needs a busy indicator it
+## gets its own component with its own look. Sharing the sweep *logic* is fine;
+## resting on the same theme or glyphs is not.
+##
+## API: start(label) shows + animates; stop() hides + resets. Starts hidden, so
+## at rest the player sees nothing.
+
+const SWEEP_PERIOD: float = 1.2  # seconds per left-to-right pass (linear, looping)
+const INTERIOR_WIDTH: float = 160.0  # px between the brackets
+const SWEEP_WIDTH: float = 28.0  # px width of the moving fill
+const DEFAULT_WIDTH: float = 220.0
+
+var _label_text: String = "WORKING"
+var _sweep_t: float = 0.0  # normalized 0..1 sweep position
+var _theme: ImplantTheme = null
+var _font: Font = null
+
+
+func _ready() -> void:
+	_font = ThemeDB.fallback_font
+	custom_minimum_size = Vector2(DEFAULT_WIDTH, 40.0)
+	mouse_filter = Control.MOUSE_FILTER_IGNORE
+	visible = false
+	set_process(false)
+
+
+## Show the indicator and begin animating. `label` is uppercased for display.
+func start(label: String = "WORKING") -> void:
+	_label_text = label.to_upper()
+	_sweep_t = 0.0
+	visible = true
+	set_process(true)
+	queue_redraw()
+
+
+## Hide the indicator and stop animating.
+func stop() -> void:
+	visible = false
+	set_process(false)
+	_sweep_t = 0.0
+
+
+func apply_implant_theme(t: ImplantTheme) -> void:
+	_theme = t
+	queue_redraw()
+
+
+func _process(delta: float) -> void:
+	_sweep_t = fmod(_sweep_t + delta / SWEEP_PERIOD, 1.0)
+	queue_redraw()
+
+
+func _draw() -> void:
+	if _font == null:
+		return
+	var dim: Color = _theme.text_dim if _theme else Color("#667788")
+	var accent: Color = _theme.accent_active if _theme else Color("#f0d060")
+	accent.a = 0.6
+	var fs: int = _theme.font_body if _theme else 11
+	var line_h: float = float(_theme.line_height if _theme else 18)
+	var w: float = size.x if size.x > 0.0 else DEFAULT_WIDTH
+
+	# Caption — centered, dim.
+	var cap_w: float = _font.get_string_size(_label_text, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, fs).x
+	draw_string(
+		_font,
+		Vector2((w - cap_w) * 0.5, float(fs)),
+		_label_text,
+		HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT,
+		-1,
+		fs,
+		dim
+	)
+
+	# Bracket row — centered group: [ <interior> ]
+	var glyph_w: float = _font.get_string_size("[", HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, fs).x
+	var group_w: float = glyph_w * 2.0 + INTERIOR_WIDTH
+	var gx: float = (w - group_w) * 0.5
+	var baseline_y: float = line_h + float(fs)
+	draw_string(_font, Vector2(gx, baseline_y), "[", HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, fs, dim)
+	draw_string(
+		_font,
+		Vector2(gx + glyph_w + INTERIOR_WIDTH, baseline_y),
+		"]",
+		HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT,
+		-1,
+		fs,
+		dim
+	)
+
+	# Sweep fill — a thin bar travelling across the bracket interior.
+	var interior_x: float = gx + glyph_w
+	var travel: float = INTERIOR_WIDTH - SWEEP_WIDTH
+	var sweep_x: float = interior_x + _sweep_t * travel
+	var sweep_y: float = baseline_y - float(fs) * 0.35
+	draw_rect(Rect2(sweep_x, sweep_y, SWEEP_WIDTH, 1.0), accent)