The time came at last, that the mothership approached the mysterious object, adrift in space.

Asteroids were made of rock, metal or ice, though Flash had heard tell of a teapot orbiting Jupiter or Mars.

Well, this is interesting, Flash muttered to himself.

What’s interesting? Lem strained to see.

The image on the screen didn’t look like much of anything. Roughly rectangular, or possibly cylindrical.

What is it? she asked again, excitedly. Why is it so pixelated? What is it made of?

She glanced back and forth between Flash and the screen, growing more agitated, but Flash was oblivious to her suspense.

It’s small, he said in a mumble.

He just sort of flipped the image around for a while, studying its contours, but Lem could make nothing of it. If she had been familiar with earthly objects, she might have thought it was shaped like a bag of chips or a sleeping bag, rolled up. It was just a hazy shape with no detail on the screen. She was beginning to get frustrated with Flash, the way he kept moving it around like that and saying nothing. Finally, he spoke.

Yes, I have seen something like this before.

Poikani had fallen asleep staring at the small torn packet with the prize inside. Flash noticed this when he turned to pick up his cup.

Lem was exasperated. Incensed.

What are you doing? she fairly shrieked at his apparent nonchalance.

Her squeal woke Poikani with a start.

What is that thing? I’ve been wondering so long. Waiting to find out. Now it’s right outside and you’re going to make coffee. What is it you have seen before?

Flash sighed. Sorry Lem. I’m not sure what it is. Mineral. Not rock. Not ice. What do you think Poikani?

I want to open this.

He touched the striped paper. It is the only thing he had thought about since Flash pulled it from the Cracker Jack, but Flash had forgotten all about it.

Lem wasn’t through. But you said you’d seen something like it before. What have you seen?

This, Flash said, picking up the cup he had chiseled out of the ice in the cave on the frozen planet.

Can I open it? Poikani asked.

Sure

Flash flipped the object on the screen again and pointed out to Lem how it appeared to be hollow, with an opening at one end. Or if you tip it like this, an opening at the top. Like a cup, but bigger than a cup. A vessel.

Is it a spaceship? Lem asked.

I don’t know.

I don’t get it. Poikani said.

Lem turned to face him. What was your prize? It’s a stupid Ololian joke book. And it only has one joke in it. When is clay no longer clay?

Lem didn’t know the answer, and Flash was staring at the object on the screen again.

Poikani read the punchline: When it vitrifies.

Flash chuckled. Not because the joke was funny, but because, you know, Ololian humor.

He took down the Ololian book and opened it to a much clearer picture of the mother ship and what was just outside.