[b]LEO, Antarctican Shuttle [i]Columbia[/i][/b]
Light glinted off the hull of the [i]Columbia[/i], her SABRE engines now deactivated. An object lay in the distance ahead of it, a half painted over display of flags visible. The SABRE engine flared up, moving the vessel just slightly faster towards the object. The reaction control system slowed it to docking speed, and three crewmembers exited the shuttle and connected it to the object's power systems. One of them entered the object, reactivating the computer and life support systems. The external lights of the shuttle activated, illuminating the object.

It was about half the size of an American football field, with a single solar panel truss attached to it. The thing was obviously a modular station, nothing of that side could possible have been launched. Multiple different flags adorned the modules, a few of them were lightly painted over. Interestingly, there was no orbital booster fuel left in the system. Considering the fact that it was supposed to have been deorbited decades ago, that was an anomaly. It also seemed like it had been taken apart hurriedly, as some hatches were open right out into space.

Once the preparations were complete, the shuttle fully docked with the station and the crewmembers took off their spacesuits inside. A bag was floating in what seemed to be the kitchen, full of books and decayed apples (interestingly not of the freeze dried variety). Random objects floated about the modules, as if it was a house in the middle of preparing for a vacation. Despite how much it looked like an unfinished job, there was nothing at all recognizable as a humanoid body, just a few grotesquely bloated and roasted rat corpses that were quickly disposed of.

The computers all displayed some kind of encoded message, repeating over and over again. "The infant has left the cradle" it stated. Of particular interest was the complete lack of biological experiments, all that remained of them were empty equipment racks. The crew activated the communications equipment and bounced a message off of hundreds of satellites in orbit, eventually reaching New Orleans.

"You appear to have forgotten something. I guess we'll have to take this off your hands then."