Science Officer Bakshep and Mage Major Igac stood upon the deck of the "Rain of Steel" staring at a smudged screen set into an old fashioned remote control station. In the background a fighter was landing to swap out its crew before continueing its patrol.

"Cant imagine where you pulled this heep of junk from," Igac muttered as he watched the grainy footage from a camera that had been taped to a pole on the front of the balloon drone.

"It's the military," Bakshep sighed. "We hoard lots of old outdated junk we think will be useful one day. Like today. The higher ups dont want to risk the more expensive drones just yet, so I'm going to get some proper footage of that thing feeding to prove I wasnt just seeing things."

Igac snorted. Ironically, as an officer, who had some good officer as friends, he actually despised officers. Especially the ones so far up the chain they saw soldiers as bits of paper.

"As if this entire operation hasn't cost us enough," he said. "What are they saving up for?"

Bakshep frowned. "Medals, to pin themselves with no doubt."

The drone eased closer to the object. Its payload casualty slinking about the cage bolted to the end of the pole.

A large snail they had snagged from the kitchens. It slowly explored its enclosure, unaffected by the world at the moment.

"Easy does it," Bakshep said slowly. "No need to ram the thing. Though I'm curious how it will react."

The cage eased ever closer to the fleshy exterior. The prop on the back ever so gently turning. A microphone taped up near the cage recorded a rumbling squirming noise just before the object reacted.

As with the reeg, tentacles shot forth surrounding and pressing themselves within the cage. Fumes rose up as metal became discolored then disolved right before the officers' eyes.

In a panic, Bakshep tried to reverse the drone. But a longer tentacle shot forth and gripped its body, holding it firmly.

"I suppose thats it," the scientist, sighed, though he was smiling. "That's going to be some great footage to prove my case."

Igac however was still staring at the screen, his face neutral. "Its still going."

"Hmmm?" Bakshep turned back to the screen and noticed that the camera was still recording, even as tentacles seemed to prod and stroke its lens. "But it disvolved that cage in seconds! What is it...?"

"Can it not devour glass or plastic?" Igac suggested.

As if in response, the lens suddenly deformed slightly. This gave the bards pause.

Bakshep again took the controls and tried to reverse the drone. It slipped free of the flesh and the tentacles retracted peacefully. At the tip of the melted pole was the snail, oozing along as if nothing had happened.

"Call a quarantine crew, we are taking the entire thing to the lab immediately," Bakshep said in a voice barely above a whisper as the shock subsided.

---

What just happened? What is the UFOs reasoning? If any.

Keep reading along with the story and find out. Enjoy!