An Outside Context Problem was the sort of thing most civilisations encountered just once, and which they tended to encounter rather in the same way a sentence encounted a full stop.
That's what the VFP-A Halcyon Hale and Hearty, just like your mother, was looking at. It was a small thing, really, only about a kilometer in diameter, it resisted any and all attempts at scanning the combat vessel could bring to bear on it. It's AI Construct, Eris, hummed to itself as its avatar paced across the bridge, back and forth in a ghostly echo of the lanky elf who was doing much the same, in mirrored lock-step.
"Eris, have you signaled any other ship? Are there any that can get here soon?" asked the elf, finally slumping down into her command chair with a sigh.
<I have signalled all nearby ships... the MEV The Warmth and Sanctuary of A Home Now Lost, reports she is about a week out. The GCV Gravitas Sink is a month out, and the GCV Frank Exchange of Opinion and its escorts are two weeks out at best speed. The ACF Grand Stander took some engine damage from a Klon'gan raider, that's slowing the whole troupe down.> replied the avatar, suddenly shifting to standing in front of the elf, then shifting between blinks to standing beside the captain's chair. It's willowy, almost phantom-like avatar staring into nothing, as the AI focussed on the ship's sensors.
Below, on the surface of the planet, the blackbody dome, sat impassive... a hole into which Leyline energy fell... and nothing emerged.
Trapoint: 0.1123.4451.321.567.
From: VFP-A Halcyon Hale and Hearty, Just Like Your Mother.
To: MEV The Warmth and Sanctuary of A Home Now Lost, GCV Gravitas Sink, GCV Frank Exchange of Opinion
You three and attendents are the closest to this thing... we've found something really funky in <LOCATION GLYPH ATTACHED>, My sensors are all geared to locking onto and then removing the need to be locked onto, things... all I can tell you is <DATA PACKAGE BURST> this thing, is sucking up Leyline power like a black hole... but it's less than a GCV general bay in size, and reflects all my attempts at contact or scan penetration beyond its perimeter.
From: MEV Sanctuary,
To, VFP-A Hale, GCV Gravitas, GCV Opinion.
I've spoken to Justina. We're diverting to you now. Pushing engine manifolds we'll be with you in four days.
From GCV Gravitas Sink
I can't divert from my current mission, even if the Captain wants to... we can deploy a pair of RFP-A* to lend some heavy hitting power. They're enroute now. The Hammerting and Hard Pass.
From: GCV Frank Exchange of Opinion,
Making best possible speed, but we had to deal with a Klon'gan raiding force. the ACF Grand Stander got too close to a core detonation, and its Radial Drive took a Warp backlash. Bend three of its fins. We're having to do an in-space repair, all my bays are currently constructing new ship-frames for this decade's refit schedule.
Eris nodded to herself, sending a final ping out to the other AIs. >We'll keep an eye on this thing... just don't leave us hanging.< before it resumed controlling the avatar, and turned to the elf. <We have help incoming... Minerva says they'll be here in four days... the Gravitas Sink can't make it, but has deployed a pair of RFPs to us. The Frank Exchange of Opinion is in the middle of the refit cycle for this decade, so we can't count on them arriving before this blows up... figuratively, I hope.>
"Understood, keep me posted, and keep all your eyes on that thing... I don't like this." replied the Captain, staring at the viewscreen representation of this... thing.