Rosebud

A novella.

"The crew of the Rosebud are, currently, and by force of law, a balloon, a goth with a swagger stick, some sort of science aristocrat possibly, a ball of hands, and a swarm of insects."

Digitally speaking, that is.

The ship has assembled its crew of sentient artificial intelligences to discuss an unusual object picked up by its sensors.

They have no idea what this encounter will mean for the fate of all existence. Nor will they remember.