"Like the output from the Relic?"

Sanjana looks over the preliminary readings.

"Similar. But much bigger."

That sure is a spatial anomaly. It's also really anomalous for the spectrometers to be picking up a diffuse cloud of nitrogen, oxygen, CO₂, and water, like somebody's vessel cracked open and spread its atmosphere around the area two hours ago.

The anomalous readings ripple, and strengthen, and abruptly turn strong and localized rather than diffuse — and fade out, space seeming to have returned to its normal approximately-flat condition. There's a solid object near the middle of the former anomaly, about ten tonnes, and a much smaller cloud of atmospheric gas diffusing away around it.

"Contact high command, inform them that we may need units deployed on short notice. Wake up everybody with Class Zero clearance. And contact Edith, tell her... well, don't bother with any codewords, it's not like something that size is going to stay under wraps."

The object begins emitting light and radio waves on several bands. The modulation scheme is unfamiliar but part of it seems to be a simple, archaic amplitude-modulated voice signal. The voice is urgent and in no known language.

Great. Another language puzzle.

Here's hoping this one doesn't drag out as long as the last one did.

"Send a response. All the languages we have access to."

"What should I say?"

If Leon were here, he'd have some witty rejoinder to offer here.

It is perhaps fortunate, Sanjana thinks, that he is currently off on some distant flight of fancy.

"Say 'Hello'."

The voice stops its repeating message, pronounces three of the words it received, and adds a fourth, followed by a longer sentence in the unknown language, still with a tone of urgency.

Then the voice is replaced by a series of beeps, prime numbers in unary. Another radio channel copies the sequence directly without the audio tones.

"Okay. Good. Plenty to work with there."

She draws back from the interface.

"Respond in binary. Follow its lead with the prime numbers."

"Yes ma'am."

It responds in kind and introduces the concept of packets, then starts giving examples of what seems to be a protocol for requesting and communicating structured information with cross-references, illustrated by giving identifiers to the prime number sequence and other mathematical facts. Some of the other messages of a particular form are accompanied by spoken words on the audio channel. Those preliminaries established, it transmits a request that, if it were in words, would be "give me your language".

Meanwhile, it also starts moving directly (as far as orbital mechanics goes) towards them, with a surprisingly abrupt velocity change. There is a hint of exhaust behind it but it is unusually cold for a rocket with that much thrust — or anything bigger than a maneuvering jet, really.

Could it be using flash plates? The instruments don't show the corresponding radiation burst that would usually accompany such a maneuvering aid.

Interesting.

"Give it the abridged dictionary."

The station transmits a series of data packets containing every word in the colony's common language, plus a selection of definitions.

After a pause surprisingly fast for a human and slow for a computer, it responds in text, expressed in characters and also as a sequence of references to the definitions:

I am not a spacecraft and require life support equipment or assistance.

I was transported here unexpectedly by an unknown event.

Sanjana responds with a set of schematics/specification for an obsolete model of life support system that could be manufactured on particularly short notice by one of their macro-fab hubs.

She sends a typed message along with the schematics: would this device be adequate?

The voice says, badly pronounced, “Yes. Thank you,” and written, Yes. Thank you.

Should I change course?

She transmits a very loose map of the star system, showing the borders of the debris disk relative to her position and the visitor's position.

You should come as close as feasible without crossing into the debris disk. We can send help out to you from there. Entering the debris disk may be dangerous for a vessel of your size.

She responds with a planned trajectory and I am sure there is much more to talk about, but that can hopefully wait.

The next “burn”, being perpendicular, is easier to observe. It seems almost like a mass driver, throwing momentary bursts of vaporized iron.

As the anomalous object approaches the designated coordinates, a short-notice strategic meeting takes place between the a handful of individuals privy to the United Colonies' most closely guarded secrets.

This thing, whatever it is, represents an unprecedented potential threat. But also an unprecedented opportunity.

"I want a StratCom with Class Zero clearance overseeing the perimeter, and a Class Zero TacCom overseeing delivery of the device." The plan, in summary, is to comply with the object's request while establishing a defensive line between it and the nearest colonies. Edith Trunhardt quickly takes charge of personnel allocation. "In addition to the mechanical team, we'll need a diplomat to handle incidental negotiations with the entity as the mission progresses."

A data scientist asks her if she has a diplomat in mind.

She considers for a few seconds, and then says: "I'll go myself."

"We have no way, at this time, to confirm that the entity isn't hostile."

"I'm old, Sanjana. I have to start thinking less about my life and more about my legacy."

Sanjana sighs, shakes her head and doesn't argue.

After far too many hours for the comfort of the occupant, ‘the object’ is approaching the designated location and beginning its deceleration.

From close-range telescopes, it can be seen to be a sphere of metal the size of several rooms, with features tentatively identifiable as antennas, windows, and telescope lenses. There do not seem to be any hatches, and only the one engine, aligned center of mass and firing bursts of iron vapor.

What awaits it?