Mir Kasparian, a junior science officer aboard the Union vessel Vela, wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the telemetry readout when it first appeared. The numbers were odd. Exotic, even. Oscillating well beyond the usual range and laced with an abstract complexity that felt almost deliberate. Curious and uneasy in equal measure, he flagged the anomaly to the command deck without delay. But to his growing bewilderment, the acting commander’s response was lukewarm, measured to the point of indifference. Vela was a science ship, purpose-built to detect the unexplainable across octants. That its core directive was being treated with such clinical detachment struck Mir as negligent at best, evasive at worst. Later that night, still simmering with suspicion, he contacted Carter, friend and current bridge officer who usually worked the graveyard shift on Vela. Mir had hoped for clarity. What he got was a murky half-response and a hasty sign-off. Evasive. Ambiguous. Maybe even complicit. P...