Yep, that is indeed the entryway to the dlc. I feel it leads very directly to endgame so I'd go talk to Panam first before jumping in, but I kinda love that that's how you unlock it.
it feels completely earned to get contacted right after wiping the VDBs off the face of the fucking planet. Who wouldn't sit up and take notice?azuarc posted... I mean, I'm over 50 hours in at this point, and I've done every gig I could find in 3 districts, as well as tons of general sidequests. I'm just not good at understanding and recognizing themes. I'm able to think of occasional moments that relate to what you've described, but it's not something I would have ever concluded for myself, nor do I see enough of it to feel like it reaches the level of "thematic."
Did you find the zen master? That's maybe the most obvious hint, I feel.