Entry for Aim to Engage Day #15 -
Encounter by Ambassadors x ScienceFiction
(Prompt: https://www.wattpad.com/553392085-aim-to-engage-day-15-encounter; 489 words)

"And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and what creatures He has dispersed throughout them. And He, for gathering them when He wills, is competent."
The Holy Qur'an 42:29

"Kurwa!" said Captain Małgorzata 'Gosia' Kowalski. "What just happened?"

"Seems like there was a rapid shift in load weight coming from the starboard bow of the cargo hold," said DeShawn Allen, the Quetzalcohuātl 's pilot and de facto First Officer.   

"Oh for Hubble's sake! I'll bet those damn autoporters didn't pack the crates the right way. Again," said Gosia. "I swear to Kepler, the service quality on Carthage-9 gets worse every year."

"Should I go have a look?"

"Negative. Just adjust the yaw angle to compensate for the difference," said Gosia. "We're too close to Olympus Mons. If there's anything serious, we can deal with it at base."

* 

"Welcome to Tereshkova Station, Director. Sorry to rush you out here on such short notice, but there's no secure way to put this," said Commander Ximena Ghasif-Diallo, "We've activated the Fermi Protocol."

"You realize there's no turning back from this," said Llewellyn Chua, head of the Planetary Transit Authority. "Are we sure?"

"Absolutely," said Ximena with grim tone. She lead her superior down the base's main corridor. "The subject has been verified as exobiotic and intelligent."

"How's the crew doing?"

"Not well. Initial debriefing was just not possible in their condition. Kowalski is practically catatonic. Allen's in shock. He just keeps repeating verses from the Qur'an."  

"And the passengers?"

"They seem to be unaffected but we've got them all in quarantine."

"Well then... I believe we have an appointment with destiny."

*

As soon as the Quetzalcohuātl crew reported the subject, the base staff locked down the cargo ship. A barrage of self-replicating nanobots were released into the docking bay. They formed a clear, impenetrable dome around the craft, sealing the creature inside.

"I see it but I still don't believe it," said Llewellyn, observing the amorphous being from outside the dome.

In the last few minutes alone, it had shifted form multiple times, as far Director Chua could tell. One moment it was a tall, gray-skinned humanoid with distended limbs; the next it became scaly and reptilian in appearance. At one point, Llewellyn swore it became a squat, brown creature with large, round eyes, replicating the title creature of a 20th century science fiction movie; it touched the dome with a single glowing finger extended. It even took on the appearance of Ziggy Stardust, glam rocker David Bowie's alien persona, right down to the crimson hair and lightning-shaped make-up on its not-quite-human face. Whatever it was, it understood exactly how earthlings might perceive it.

"I want status quo until the crisis team gets here," ordered Llewllyn. 

"You heard the Director," said Ximena to her team. "Workflow 43A. Full containment. Do not attempt to interact with the subject unless a Comms specialist is present. Are we clear?"

"It needs to understand that we come in peace," added Director Chua. "Our species depends on it."