Brunak and his team worked for hours to install a containment grid in Biolab 2, the Mente was never meant as a science vessel and seeing what this object did to the relay meant there were taking no chances.

The containment field came online, the blue of the field bathing the Biolab in its light. Brunak clicked his combadge

“Biolab to Korren, we’re up and running and ready for transfer” he grunted.

In Cargo bay 3 Korren had been keeping a close eye on the object, she was glad to get it into something purpose built, “engaging transporter” she replied.

A moment later the object materialised within the containment field in Biolab 2. Brunak was sure he saw it switch but it hung motionless now. Lab Two was never meant to house something alive, or half alive, or whatever the strange unfamiliar shape now held here could be described as. But it would have to do for now.

It wasn’t large, the damage that has been sustained on the relay didn’t match this things size. It barely the size of a shuttle’s engine core, though the whole room felt crowded now it was in there. Metallic struts jutted from its side, they looked more like bones than manufactured beams. The other half looked organic, like it was alive, or grown.

Saell stood at the primary console in the lab with her tricorder linked into the lab’s scanning grid. “Readings confirm it’s unknown,” she murmured, more to no one in particular. “Alloys are not consistent with anything in the database. The biological tissue is unclassified, it looks more like some sort of stasis than life.”

Dr. Paldor leaned closer to the display, studying to see if she recognised anything. “Stasis certainly doesn’t mean harmless. I’d like hazard teams on rotation in here, we can’t take the change.”

“The containment is holding,” Korren countered walking into the room. She stood and stared at the object, her arms folded. The Cardassian’s tone was calm but her eyes were locked on the probe.

The lab doors hissed open again, Counsellor Venn slowly entered the room. She paused as the doors shut behind her. “It feels… wrong.” She said quietly.

Korren’s gaze drifted from the object “Wrong?”

“It’s like an echo you can’t shut out,” Sora continued, squinting as though the light hurt her eyes, “not thoughts, it’s just there, a presence. It feels…. heavy.”

Brunak gave a low growl. “You’re saying the thing is sulking?”

Sora didn’t respond and instead stepped closer to the field. The object pulsed as though it was responding to her approaching. “It knows we’re here.”

The room went still.

On the bridge, T’Lenar sat in the first officers chair, keeping an eye on the status of the objects transfer. She looked toward her captain who was reading from a PADD the ships yeoman handed him. “The specimen is contained, captain. Initial scans are showing no immediate risk to the ship. But it is not inert.”

“Not inert,” Traven repeated while handing the PADD back to the yeoman in front of him. “Options?”

T’Lenar inclined her head looking back to the readout on her armrest. “Standard protocol suggests return to Deep Space 17 for analysis. However, that will delay restoration of the remaining relays.”

“Then let someone else analyse that thing. Our duty is to keep the explorers in contact. We are far from a science vessel.” Sh’rol grunted from Tactical

“That thing chewed on the relay like it was breakfast,” Kree exclaimed from the helm. “If there are more of those things out there, I’d rather we know one finds us again.”

Traven exhaled slowly, “So either we deliver a mystery to someone else, or we keep working with it here aboard. Neither choice feels clean.”

He looked back toward T’Lenar, “Are there any other vessels nearby?”

“the USS ibn Al-Haytham is the closest, 2 days at warp 6” she replied.

He nodded, “Get Captain Vako on the horn, my ready room”

Back in Biolab Two, Zoral lingered at the back of the room his tricorder in hand but unused. He hadn’t spoken to anyone since they’d got back on board.

Dr. Paldor noticed, she always picked up on these things but with everything happening so quickly she hadn’t had chance to approach him. She walked over and stepped to his side. “You handled yourself well out there, Ensign. You steadied yourself when you needed to.”

“I froze,” Zoral replied, “If Korren hadn’t been there, I…” he couldn’t continue.

“You lived, learn from it, don’t carry it like a weight.” She finished for him placing a hand briefly on his arm.

Before Zoral could reply, the probe pulsed sharply, brighter than before. Every console around the room flashed.

“Energy spike!” Saell shouted, working at the primary console. “It’s discharging energy against the containment field!”

“Adjusting harmonics.” Korren snapped while she slammed commands into the console beside her.

The objects pulses slowed until it was stationary again. Every officer in the room exchanged a look, they all knew it wasn’t dormant

Traven arrived a few moments later, T’Lenar following him into the room. He stood in silence, just for a moment.

“This, was supposed to be a simple shakedown, maintain the relays, get us back in touch with those out there.” His tone was quiet.

“Captain,” Saell spoke, “we don’t know its full capacity, but one thing is clear. This thing alone could not have inflicted the Relay’s damage.”

“So, someone else put it there,” Traven finished.

T’Lenar folded her hands behind her back, raising an eyebrow in the same manner as countless Vulcans before her, “whether a sentry or a probe. It was left.”

Traven turned to Sora “Do you read anything from it.”

“Not thought, as such” she replied. “more of a sensation. It’s like being in a room where someone you know someone is listening, but you can’t see them.”

Traven looked at the object quietly for a moment. “The USS ibn Al-Haytham is on route, we’re going to rendezvous at Relay Delta is 42 hours”.

Saell checked the time before arrival on the panel, “3 hours before we arrive at Delta.” She said out loud. The probe floated in silence, its glow faint but steady. There had been nothing of note happen during their journey and while another Science team were going to take this on, Saell recorded her logs with clinical precision. She didn’t want ot hand over a complete unknown.

Most the senior staff had left, but Korren remained constantly double checking the field harmonics while Dr Paldor monitored biohazard protocols.

Zoral sat at the far console, pretending to review telemetry but he was the first to notice the change.

“Lieutenant, look, the object!”

The probe’s organic mass had shifted. What had once been smooth now had grooves, they looked like deliberate patterns. Just for a moment they glowed, then faded quickly, leaving only the pulsing shell.

Korren’s eyes narrowed toward the object. “Well that wasn’t random.”

“No,” Saell agreed. “It looked like it was trying to communicate.”

The room went quiet.

Deep in the San Clemente’s systems, unnoticed by any console, a new signal started, hiding itself within the ship’s communications. A signal which was meant to be heard.