Grace evaluates the strange nearby vessel and rules out an Earth origin. Using radar, he notes it has precisely matched his velocity, sits just 217 meters away, measures roughly 139 meters long, and has a flat-faceted, multi-component shape. He infers it is Astrophage-powered from its Petrova-frequency glow and concludes it came deliberately to his ship.

Switching his spin drive to manual, Grace sends brief Petrova-frequency engine bursts. The other ship immediately reproduces his pattern, proving an intelligent crew rather than a remote probe. The alien craft then maneuvers alongside the Hail Mary and holds a steady formation at 217 meters.

Through the telescope, Grace observes a hull-mounted robot traveling along tracks and releasing a small, coffee-can-sized cylinder toward the Hail Mary at 8.6 cm/s—the same speed his test thrust induced earlier. He interprets this as a considerate, deliberate delivery.

Accepting the risks for the sake of information that could help save Earth, Grace suits up in the Orlan-MKS2 and performs an EVA. Tethered and methodical despite emotional memories of his crewmates, he positions himself mid-hull and cleanly captures the gently tumbling cylinder, then returns to the airlock.

Inside, the cylinder fills the cabin with a strong ammonia smell, and its surface is unexpectedly hot. Grace avoids burns, secures the container in the airlock to cool, and decides to let it off-gas in the ship’s larger volume. He then heads to the lab—curiously arranged for use under gravity—and prepares to analyze the alien artifact.