Captain's log, Stardate 42193.6. While exploring a strange void in space without any form of matter or energy, we have apparently moved past its outer boundary and entered it. We have encountered illusions and nonsensical geometry, but any method of escape eludes us.
"Trelane Protocol, Captain," Soriana related. "A powerful mind, observing us and manipulating this space."
"Q?" Yar asked.
"No, it doesn't feel the same. This mind is fundamentally driven by curiosity, and its thoughts fit the idea that it's never encountered creatures like us before."
The face manifested on the viewscreen like something out of a Victorian nightmare. "Why does my appearance distress you," it spoke, "when this form looks as you do?"
"Sensors do not detect the entity," Data reported.
The captain stepped forward. "I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise. representing a Federation of planets in this part of the galaxy. Can you identify whoever or whatever you are?"
"Nagilum," it said. "There is no galaxy here, Picard. Not unless I will it."
"What do you want?" the captain asked plainly.
"To understand what you are," it replied. "Data, your construction differs. You are made of different materials, but your design matches that of Haskell, Picard, Worf, and La Forge. Turhal and Yar have a different design."
"We are male," Data explained, "while they are female."
"It is how our species reproduce themselves," Picard explained.
"Demonstrate this," Nagilum ordered.
Picard was at a loss. Soriana spoke up, "To engage in sexual intercourse while being watched by others causes great distress."
"Your distress is very interesting," the creature said. "Demonstrate sex. Be distressed."
"That is not how we behave," Soriana retorted. "We select actions that do not cause distress." She nodded to Picard. "With the captain's permission, I will solicit volunteers to demonstrate sex. If you are amenable to watching without showing your face, I believe I can find a willing couple."
"That won't be necessary, Mister Turhal," Picard said. "Nagilum, we would be very happy to share information about ourselves, and learn more about you. But we do not consent to remain in this space and under your control. Please return us to normal space."
Nagilum refused. "Your ship will be released, once I have learned your limitations. Your cessation of activities, what you call 'death.'"
Soriana could not suppress her fear. "You will kill us, to study how we react?"
"Between a third and a half of you dying will be sufficient," Nagilum said.
"You don't need to kill any of us," Soriana stated. "The Federation has been compiling detailed information on death for centuries. Our medical knowledge."
"You do not have the detailed knowledge I require," said the entity. "Your thoughts include much about death that contradicts, with little being clear."
Picard seized on this. "You are looking into our minds, our memories? Seeing what we imagine death to be? How we think of it?"
"Yes. Many experiments are required to separate truth from untruth."
"But our thoughts aren't what Soriana means," Yar clarified. "She means the computer database. Medical knowledge of hundreds of species in great detail."
"I estimate," Data offered, "that the ship's records contain biological information related to the demise of approximately seven million, eight hundred thousand individuals, as well as nonspecific detail of over forty-eight thousand causes of death."
"You interact with your ship to gain information," Nagilum said. Soriana sensed its realization, followed by something like frustration. "Memory from a nonentity. I cannot sense the ship's thoughts."
"Look here." Soriana moved up to the science station, ran a search, and called up a result. A video of a male lion mounting a female played on the display. "You can make a hand for yourself as easily as you did a face and voice, yes? We can give you a portable version of this interface with billions of details about our form of life."
Nagilum paused a moment before speaking. "That would provide me with everything that I need."
Captain's log, supplemental. Nagilum has returned the Enterprise to our own space. We are placing a beacon at the opening of its domain, which it has agreed to leave stationary relative to our galaxy. It has expressed great interest in acquiring more data about our realm, indicating it has no need or desire to harm beings who come to study it, provided they bring information to trade. Researchers will no doubt have much to learn from the entity about the boundaries of space and time… should they decide to brace the obvious dangers of coming near Nagilum.