In 2374, Captain Picard of the USS Enterprise-E ordered the use of a class-2 probe to scout conditions inside the Galactic Barrier prior to an attempt to breach it. However, soon after launch, the probe was attacked by the Calamarain and had to be beamed back aboard. Later on, Lieutenant Barclay was assigned by chief engineer La Forge to study its remains, in hopes of finding clues on how to fight the Calamarain. (TNG - The Q Continuum novel: Q-Space)