A bass thump from the Object resounded through the room. Benjamin felt more than heard it. He even thought he saw his loose shirt ripple with the impact.

Claire withdrew and looked at her hand but saw nothing changed. "OK, that was different."

"Different?" General Mack said, "Now that's a whole world of understatement. What the Hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I'd probably never get to see this thing that I found again and I didn't want to waste my last opportunity with it."

Benjamin inched closer to her to get her attention. He noticed behind her the other scientists were standing huddled together beside their desks, unsure of what to do. "But you warned anyone against touching it, ever since you surfaced with it in the submersible's cargo. You must have suspected something would happen."

"No, not really," Claire said, "I... I just always wanted to be the first. I don't know why."

"Because you're an explorer. You wanted to be the one to take the risk." It is what I would do, if I was able.

"Well now you may have put us all at risk," Mack said. "Just what the Hell was that sound? I felt it down through to my jimmies."

"I don't know," Claire admitted, "A sensor? An echo? I don't... oh, my."

Claire pointed at the Object and took a step back. Benjamin looked but was too stunned to move. The Object slowly dissolved, puddling on top of the table. The cloth it was resting on, however, did not absorb it. Once it completely dissolved, the puddle rippled then moved like an amoeba to the edge of the table then flowed in a cohesive stream to the floor. Benjamin finally moved but only to put himself in front of Claire who continued to back up a few more feet.

General Mack backed up also, his mouth gaped open. The scientists moved as one, fleeing from the room by the nearest exit. "Get back here you lab coat wearing cowards!" the General shouted, but the door was already closing behind them. "Next time I see them, those coats are going to be yellow." He rushed to the nearest computer terminal and slammed his palm down on a big red button. The doors to the lab locked with an audible click and a hiss of hydraulic air. Red ceiling lights began flashing. "I hope you kids used the facilities before you got here. We're officially on lockdown." He grabbed a phone from his hip and began yelling orders into it.

"What do you think happened?" Benjamin asked, keeping himself between the living liquid and Claire.

"I have no idea. I probably should have listened to my own advice, huh?"

"Maybe that's what it was waiting for. Some sort of organic interaction. At least we established one thing: it's definitely not from Earth."

The liquid shimmered like mercury, reflecting its surroundings. Benjamin thought he could smell ozone but did not know if it was from the Object or from the doors sealing them in. The puddle on the floor shifted first one way then the other. Suddenly, it stretched itself into the air, twisting and wavering as if having trouble supporting itself. It took less than a minute for the liquid to morph into a distinctly human shape, though it continued to shift and contort as if searching for the correct dimensions.

Benjamin swallowed hard, "At least, I don't think it's from Earth."

Claire rested her hands on Benjamin's shoulders as she stood watching from behind him. "It's probably assuming a shape we won't take as hostile."

General Mack stepped in front of them both, his hand on the pistol at his side. "I think you two assume too much. The most hostile things I've ever known have been human."

Benjamin ran his wheelchair into the back of Mack's leg, causing the general to yelp and limp to the side. "And aren't you being the perfect example of that, General? Our first possible meeting with another intelligence and you want to point a gun at it."

"It's a precaution," Mack said, rubbing at his heel. "We don't know anything about this thing."

"Then we already have common ground," a voice said. It was deep and slightly garbled but understandable. It came from the Object. "I know nothing about you, either."

Silence.

The Object was now a darkly reflective humanoid, like a living mannequin. The only difference was this one had a red sphere within its chest that pulsed like a heart, "Perhaps I misspoke. I apologize."

Benjamin snapped out of his stunned trance first. "No, we understood you perfectly. We were just taken by surprise. My name is Benjamin. This is General Mack and the woman behind me is Claire Whelon. Who are you?"

"What are you?" General Mack asked, his hand still on his gun.

"My name is Raen Symura. I am a messenger and a guide. My purpose is to extend an invitation to one of your kind to join our Universal Collective."

"What is the Universal Collective?" Benjamin asked.

"It is a gathering of intelligent races who seek to protect and expand our knowledge of the universe. We must make preparations for you to leave, Claire?"

"Whoa. Hold on there, mister," Mack said, "None of us are going anywhere. You haven't told us diddly-squat. Like, where will we be going? How will we get back? For how long? And a thousand other questions."

Raen's face remained passive. "All will be revealed."

Claire stepped around Benjamin's wheelchair, "You actually want me to accompany you to another part of the universe?"

"I am merely a conduit. I will remain here until you reach the Collective, then I will expire."

"This is incredible, Claire," Benjamin said. "If I thought I was jealous of you before, it goes a hundred fold now."

"I said," General Mack interjected, "No one is going anywhere. This is not a decision for us to make right at this moment. This is something that involves the whole world. A search must be done to find the most appropriate representative..."

"That will not be necessary," Raen said, "There can be no delay. The choice has been made. She is the one."