diff --git a/client/project.godot b/client/project.godot
index cb5202bbf..8997d2f61 100644
--- a/client/project.godot
+++ b/client/project.godot
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ FogState="*res://scripts/autoloads/fog_state.gd"
 AudioManager="*res://scripts/autoloads/audio_manager.gd"
 SessionManager="*res://scripts/autoloads/session_manager.gd"
 HudGroups="*res://scripts/autoloads/hud_groups.gd"
+MetaStack="*res://ui/meta/meta_stack.gd"
 ImplantRegistry="*res://ui/implant/implant_registry.gd"
 HardwareDetector="*res://ui/hardware_detector.gd"
 
diff --git a/client/scripts/character_profile.gd b/client/scripts/character_profile.gd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7473e5a75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/scripts/character_profile.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+class_name CharacterProfile
+extends Resource
+## Collects all character creation choices into a single transferable object (#618).
+## Passed as the argument to character_creation's creation_confirmed signal.
+
+@export var descriptor: CharacterVisualDescriptor
+@export var bookmark_id: String = ""
+@export var start_location_id: String = ""
diff --git a/client/ui/meta/meta_screen.gd b/client/ui/meta/meta_screen.gd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d47e17ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/ui/meta/meta_screen.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+class_name MetaScreen
+extends Control
+## Base class for all meta-UI screens (#618, #680).
+## Scene-root screens (main_menu, character_creation) extend this for the
+## lifecycle contract. Overlay screens (settings, debug_console, bug_report,
+## loading_screen) extend this AND push onto MetaStack.
+
+signal closed
+signal escape_pressed
+
+enum Phase { HIDDEN, OPENING, OPEN, CLOSING }
+
+@export var pauses_sim: bool = false
+@export var closable_by_escape: bool = true
+@export var captures_input: bool = true
+
+var _phase: Phase = Phase.HIDDEN
+
+
+func open() -> void:
+	if _phase != Phase.HIDDEN:
+		return
+	_phase = Phase.OPENING
+	visible = true
+	if captures_input:
+		mouse_filter = Control.MOUSE_FILTER_STOP
+	on_open()
+	_phase = Phase.OPEN
+
+
+func close() -> void:
+	if _phase != Phase.OPEN:
+		return
+	_phase = Phase.CLOSING
+	on_close()
+	visible = false
+	_phase = Phase.HIDDEN
+	closed.emit()
+
+
+func is_open() -> bool:
+	return _phase == Phase.OPEN
+
+
+## Called by MetaStack when ESC is pressed with this screen on top.
+## Return true to consume the event (prevent stack pop); false to allow pop.
+func on_escape() -> bool:
+	escape_pressed.emit()
+	return false
+
+
+# --- Lifecycle hooks — subclasses override ---
+
+
+func on_open() -> void:
+	pass
+
+
+func on_close() -> void:
+	pass
diff --git a/client/ui/meta/meta_stack.gd b/client/ui/meta/meta_stack.gd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1462502b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/ui/meta/meta_stack.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+extends Node
+## Autoload coordinator for overlay MetaScreens (#618, #680).
+## Scene-root screens (main_menu, character_creation) do NOT push onto this stack.
+## Only overlay screens (settings, debug_console, bug_report, loading_screen) push.
+##
+## Autoload parse-order: MetaScreen is a class_name type — referenced here only
+## inside method bodies called at runtime, never at the top level or in _ready().
+
+signal meta_active_changed(active: bool)
+
+var _stack: Array = []  # Array[MetaScreen] — untyped per parse-order rule
+
+
+func push(screen) -> void:  # screen: MetaScreen
+	if screen in _stack:
+		return
+	_stack.append(screen)
+	screen.closed.connect(_on_screen_closed.bind(screen), CONNECT_ONE_SHOT)
+	if _stack.size() == 1:
+		meta_active_changed.emit(true)
+	if screen.pauses_sim:
+		_request_pause(true)
+
+
+func pop() -> void:
+	if _stack.is_empty():
+		return
+	_stack[-1].close()
+
+
+func top():  # returns MetaScreen or null
+	return _stack[-1] if not _stack.is_empty() else null
+
+
+func is_active() -> bool:
+	return not _stack.is_empty()
+
+
+## Handle ESC key. Call from main.gd before HudGroups ESC handling.
+## Returns true if the event was consumed (callers must return after).
+func handle_escape() -> bool:
+	var t = top()
+	if t == null:
+		return false
+	if not t.closable_by_escape:
+		return t.on_escape()
+	if t.on_escape():
+		return true
+	t.close()
+	return true
+
+
+func _on_screen_closed(screen) -> void:  # screen: MetaScreen
+	_stack.erase(screen)
+	if screen.pauses_sim and not _any_pausing():
+		_request_pause(false)
+	if _stack.is_empty():
+		meta_active_changed.emit(false)
+
+
+func _any_pausing() -> bool:
+	for s in _stack:
+		if s.pauses_sim:
+			return true
+	return false
+
+
+func _request_pause(pause: bool) -> void:
+	if SimBridge.state != SimBridge.ConnectionState.CONNECTED:
+		return
+	var action = InputMapper.Action.PAUSE if pause else InputMapper.Action.UNPAUSE
+	SimBridge.send_input({"action": action, "timestamp_msec": Time.get_ticks_msec()})