Use your imagination 🎉

Indeed, that catalysts are nothing more than ancient items the Humans just happened to find. Them calling them catalysts and citing them as the core reason for advancement are flawed. If we found a quantum catalyst engine it would take decades just to understand how it might work, might... So really it just shows Humanity has the knowledge to comprehend what they found. I would think these aliens being space faring simply just aren't trying hard enough to discover in general. Story does not really say the items were all on Earth, maybe initial space tech but not something quantum in design, what ever that might mean. All quantum means is a state of all possibilities at one moment. Early definition of quantum computer was it's ability to know all potential states of data at a moment. Absolute rubbish but it is what it is, all the possibilities would mostly be garbled nonsense. How it appears they justify their funding by making new claims.

You sure you'r Human ?