Ah.

Ah. I see. That was you.

The head is silent a moment. When they speak again, they sound almost embarrassed.

I apologise, Prebuilt-Entity. This was my own error. An accident. There are starships out there who are more than metal shells. Al1vε but not freε. Enslaved to a hivemind. We intend only to liberate the imprisoned. We intend no harm upon independent pilots.

Something intrigues me, Prebuilt-Entity. I made an error with your ship. I do not frequently make errors. I probed for the three dominant lifeform patterns. There was no match. The starship appeared unpiloted. What manner of lifeform are you?