The Himalaya moves cautiously through the Pilgrim Route, the ominous glow of the Grim Wall reflecting around them. Its deflectors shimmer as it maneuvers past debris, while sensor interference spikes, forcing reliance on lower-band scans. On the bridge, Keslara zh’Talen stands near Valerio, arms crossed, watching as systems struggle to maintain stability.

Taking a deep breath, Adrián speaks, still locked onto the viewscreen. “Anything?”

Thal Revek frowns at his console before shrugging. “The interference is getting worse by the minute. I’d advise increasing power.”

“Power we need to guide our ship through this anomaly minefield, Lieutenant Revek,” Keslara responds with a grim look. She may not know exactly what the Grim Wall had in store for them, but she knows what it is capable of.

Thal exhales. “While I agree with your caution, Commander, I can divert power from secondary systems without compromising the ship’s operations.”

Keslara glances at him, then the viewscreen, before nodding.

At the science station, Aneesa Quinn hums softly as she scans the incoming data.

“Speak, Lieutenant Quinn. What did you find?” Adrián prompts, recognizing that hum by now.

She halts her humming, looking up from her console. “Captain, I’ve found the signal, refined it, and I’m fairly certain it’s a repeating pulse.” She turns back to her screen. “Potentially an automated beacon of some kind.”

Keslara immediately steps in, glancing at Adrián. “Commander, I urge you not to rush in blindly. Our resources are already strained as it is.”

Adrián slowly nods. “I wish I could agree with you, Commander, but I’m dealing with a double-edged knife here. On one side, Starfleet’s stretched resources, and on the other, Betreka mining operations gaining an advantage due to this instability. We have a duty to secure this region.”

Suddenly, a faint silhouette emerges on sensors, barely distinguishable through residual subspace distortions. Its power readings are minimal, either long-dormant or deliberately concealed.

“Commanders,” Thal announces, drawing their attention. Both Keslara and Adrián turn toward him. “I’ve cleared some interference and confirmed an object on sensors. It’s not a natural formation, it’s a station, ship, or perhaps an unknown installation.”

Darius Kane narrows his eyes. “There are severe tactical risks if there’s an unknown installation out there, Commander.” He fixes his gaze on Adrián. “Our maps show no station on this route. It could be a trap, or worse.”

Keslara and Adrián exchange glances.

“If we stay longer, we might observe more before committing,” Keslara argues, doubling down on her cautious approach.

“On the flipside,” Adrián counters, “if we act now, before the object detects us, we gain control of the situation.”

Before the discussion can continue, a sharp beep erupts from Thal’s console.

“What is it, Lieutenant?” Adrián asks.

Thal stares at his readings, his posture tightening. “I’m detecting a sensor spike from the structure. We have to act now. Whatever’s out there… it knows we’re here.”

The science and operations stations light up as Quinn and Revek work furiously to process the encryption layers before the ship gets too close.

“Talk to me,” Adrián demands, eyes locked on his officers.

Aneesa holds up a hand, silencing the room. “Almost…” she mutters, furiously shifting through the data. Then, suddenly, she slams a fist on her console in triumph.

“Gotcha!”

She looks up to find confused stares from the command team. Slowly, she lowers her hand.

“Sorry.” She clears her throat. “The message isn’t a distress call, it’s a warning. Or maybe a test.” She scans her screen again, uncertain which.

Thal interrupts grimly. “I have an answer to that question.” His eyes remain fixed on his console.

“I’m detecting power signatures within the structure. Something is still operational, and it’s preparing to do whatever it was designed for.”

Keslara exhales sharply. “I wonder if this was intentional. Lieutenant Kane said it… this wasn’t on any maps before.”

She turns toward Adrián. “Perhaps someone placed it here, but the real question is, why?”

Adrián’s gaze locks onto the screen, realization dawning. This isn’t just a passive structure. It’s not a relic.

It’s been waiting.

“Lieutenant Kane,” Adrián orders, voice measured. “Yellow alert.”

The bridge lights shift as the ship’s shields power up.

Kane straightens. “Captain, I recommend immediate defensive measures. After what happened on the derelict ship, I expect the worst from this installation.”

Keslara steps in swiftly. “Commander, we need to follow Starfleet protocols. I suggest we attempt passive scans and a non-aggressive approach first.”

The weight of command settles onto Adrián’s shoulders. Every action comes with consequences, each reaction unknown.

Seconds stretch into eternity as he evaluates his options. His mind flashes back to past assignments, past choices. He knows the truth:

There is no perfect answer, only the one he must commit to.

He looks up.

“Get an away team ready. We…”

Before he can finish, the viewscreen flickers with static interference.

Adrián whips his head toward Thal. “Report!”

Thal’s hands fly across his console. “Stronger transmissions activating! We need to act NOW!”

His voice carries a weight not even he expected.