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Allison Scagliotti replied, “Aye, sir.”
    “Sir,” Šmrhová said, “we’ve collected enough data to put together a preliminary tactical view.”
    “On-screen.”
    In response to Picard’s order, the viewscreen changed to a computer-generated representation of the unidentified vessel, now depicted as a wire-frame model, which began a horizontal clockwise rotation. Once the technical diagram had completed a full circle, it lifted so that Picard now saw what he presumed to be a dorsal view of the craft, looking as though down at the top of its hull. The model then rotated from this new angle for a complete circle, before the presentation reset and began again, providing the captain with a complete view of the entire ship—at least as translated by the main computer from telemetry received by the Enterprise ’s sensor array.
    “No sign of active weapons or other defenses?” Picard asked.
    “Nothing I can detect, sir,” answered the security chief. As though anticipating his next question, she added, “The battle damage, if that’s what it is, looks to be approximately one hundred twenty years old. Most of it appears to have been inflicted by some kind of particle beam weaponry, but it’s not matching anything we’ve seen before. There also are penetration points along the hull suggesting something like an energy torpedo, but not as advanced as ours.”
    “We’re approaching the ship now, Captain,” reported Scagliotti.
    “Bring us out of warp, Ensign,” Worf ordered. “Shields up.” When Picard cast a wry look in his direction, the Klingon did not flinch. “One can never be too careful, sir.”
    Picard nodded. “Agreed.” To Elfiki, he said, “Give us back normal view.”
    The image on the main viewscreen shifted again, this time to show red-blue streaks of light receding to distant pinpoints peppering the total blackness of interstellar space as the object of their curiosity careened into view. As before, it was a foreboding vessel, spinning in rather lazy fashion on its long axis, dark and angular like a fighting blade. No , Picard decided. To him, the ship resembled the sharpened head of a massive spear.
    “It reminds me of a Tholian ship,” Worf said.
    “We’re well away from their territory,” Picard replied, “even if we took into account how fluid their borders tend to be.” That said, the first officer’s observation was not entirely without merit, for the gargantuan ship did indeed possess a strong resemblance to the far smaller yet still wedge-shaped vessels favored by the Tholian Assembly. “Lieutenant Šmrhová? Any similarities with Tholian technology?”
    The security chief said, “No obvious ones, sir. I mean, besides the general shape. Its internal power systems are completely different from anything we’d expect to find aboard a Tholian vessel.”
    Behind him, Picard heard the sound of doors parting at the rear of the bridge, which was immediately followed by the voice of his chief engineer.
    “Wow,” was Commander Geordi La Forge’s initial comment, but it was enough to make Picard turn from the viewscreen in time to see the awestruck expression on the other man’s face as he emerged from the turbolift. “Would you look at that?”
    “We have,” Picard said, unable to suppress a mild grin. “Welcome to the party, Mister La Forge.”
    “Thanks for inviting me, sir,” the commander replied, stepping to the engineering station at the rear of the bridge. Arriving with him was T’Ryssa Chen, who moved from the turbolift to stand next to Šmrhová.
    “Reporting as ordered, Captain,” she said.
    Picard nodded. “I thought you should have a look at this too, as it might well be the first representative technology from a species indigenous to this region.” Looking to Elfiki, he said, “Lieutenant, what more can you tell us?”
    Elfiki replied, “It measures in excess of twenty-seven hundred meters in length, and nearly eight hundred meters at its widest point.