As Kellin Rayco stepped through the holosuite archway, the illusion of interstellar space stretched over the cramped compartment’s true dimensions. Because he was wearing a standard duty uniform in black and crimson –rather than an environmental suit– the simulation of zero-gravity space wasn’t entirely realistic. There was still air to breathe and moving through the vast openness was more like swimming through thick water than even the most basic EV training taught every Starfleet cadet.

“Computer, magnify unidentified starship,” Kellin requested, now that he had figuratively stepped inside the long-range sensor logs gathered by Starbase 88. The small object was framed by red LCARS bars. At its great distance, the space ship looked like little more than a baseball. The shift in perspective revealed a structure that appeared more like a massive glass orb; however, the hologram was fuzzy and indistinct.

Polite and staccato, the computer’s verbal interface said, “Unable to comply. Insufficient sensor resolution to produce an accurate composite image.”

A hiss of air from Hey’xet’s ubiquitous EV suit propelled them towards Kellin. Despite the encumbrance of the suit, they seemed more at home in the weightless environment than they ever did roaming the gravity-plated halls of the ship.

Hey’xet tilted their faceplate as they contemplated the hologram. “Computer, generate fine details using latent variables inferred from all spacecraft in your database.”

The computer responded with a discordant chime. “One thousand, six-hundred fifty-two possible permutations generated.”

Hey’xet twitched. “How many permutations with a statistical likelihood greater than five percent?”

Another chime. The fuzzy hologram divided and resolved into a trio of spherical ships. “Three permutations with a statistical likelihood greater than five percent.”

The golden faceplate inclined towards Kellin. “We have ample time to explore multiple simulations, correct?” Even through the mechanical tones of the voice synthesizer, their excitement was audible. “Because I would very much like to start with the Bernal sphere.”

Kellin couldn’t contain his excitement. Alight with a dopey smile, he nodded like a kata marsupial. His cascade of blond curls even bounced eagerly. Having nodded with so much effort, Kellin swung his arms out to regain equilibrium without spinning away from Hey’xet.

Ripples of blue pigment washed over Hey’xet’s arms, an automatic response that another Xelatian would have understood as ‘Be careful!’

“There’s hours and hours until we get there. Heaps of time,” Kellin enthused. “Truly couldn’t stand the suspense anymore. I’m dying to know your first impressions of the ghost ship.”

“Ghost ship.” Hey’xet repeated the phrase slowly, as one might delicately handle and inspect a precious gem.

They swiped one of their tentacles through the hologram representing the Bernal sphere, and suddenly Kellin and Hey’xet were floating above the vast outer hull of the craft that curved away in a gleaming metallic horizon. Hey’xet grasped a protrusion on the hull with one arm, and Kellin’s wrist with their other arm. “Computer,” said Hey’xet, “Identify potential entrances and highlight the nearest one.”

A bright green arrow appeared over the sphere about thirty meters away from the pair. Hey’xet pulled Kellin down to within arm’s reach of the hull. “Shall we proceed?”

“No, I’m not ready,” Kellin protested. He patted the back of the tentacle-arm wrapped around his wrist. The energy in his voice rose with every word, like a shuttle approaching escape velocity.

“We’re not scientists. They’re not going to name anything after us. We get to be practical.” Emphatically, Kellin asked, “Before we look at the computer’s guesses, what do you hope you’re going to find?”

“Hope?” A stippling of black and white dots rolled across Hey’xet’s skin as they froze in confusion. With Kellin, they floated down to the surface of the craft under the force of a scant few grams of weight. “Usually, I think only about what I hope not to find.”