Mineral Cluster

According to a report from the crew of the …, their mission was a failure. Science Officer … allegedly took manual control of the probe sent to retrieve a sample from the cluster, resulting in a collision between drone and mineral cluster that, while mild, resulted in the mineral cluster breaking apart completely.

The crew is careful to note that the experience has left Science Officer … somewhat shaken, and the mineral shards should still be of some value.

The mineral construct is, for lack of a better term, a room.

Made out of the same type of minerals in common use in the …, the construct is a hollow icosidodecahedron. Resonance scans indicate that it is mostly hollow, and was likely inhabited at some point in time. Unlike its pristine exterior, the interior is in complete disarray, possibly the result of an intentional act of sabotage.

Science Officer … reports that this makes it difficult to learn anything of value from the construct's insides, but stresses that the engineering techniques involved in creating the outer shell, eminently capable of withstanding the stresses of deep space, must have been tremendously advanced.

The mineral cluster is a holographic record, multi-sided, many-edged, and translucent. It remains secure in the …'s tractor beam, but our experts will need some time to decode its contents.

A Special Project has been issued to expedite this process.

In gentle orbit around the massive … floats a portable databank. Scooped up by the …, it is found to contain text in some alien language. The vocabulary is not wholly unfamiliar, but the syntax is disconcertingly complex.

Science Officer … recommends a more thorough study to decipher the text's contents and origins.