Wow this thread got reincarnation, I thought it will be long gone when I get back to ED 
A bit of theory now. I guess I pointed out some stuff that was said previously, but I cant help myself. All stuff below points to it imo...
UA decays fast in space, so it doesnt point to possibility it is a spacecraft like Voyager, but lets make some fantasy now (this fantasy kinda supports theory UA might be a weapon):
1) There is mention of Star Trek movie on Voyager 2 wikipedia, where alien race rebuilt fictional Voyager and send it back to Earth to anihilate humanity (ok, this is only funny )
2) UAs have similarities to Voyager missions. Whale singing, some signals, beeping, some unclear blahbling, chittering etc (how OUR spoken word can sound to different species? I imagine it's horrible, because english spoken by scotsman sounds horrible for czech guy... Try to imagine...)
3) it sends back name of closest stellar body. With possibility of carrying weapon of mass destruction, this can be understood as kinda showcase of doctrine of using robotics in mass destruction scenario. We know roughly where enemy is, we send out probes with weapon to spread out and send back names of those places, so we know what places are supposed to be kinda clear. We can send conventional military forces to seize the rest of area, that is believed to be in enemy control.
4) UAs found only because of convoys, right? So they decay in space. Therefore they had to be found somewhere on planets surface. "Hey, dude! Thats cool, lets take it inside and sell it!" Poor little scavangers, now knowing they just took mass destruction weapon on board, carrying it into inhabited world... Like ants taking poisoned dust into hive. If these points are nearing somewhere to true, this can finally kill option UA is probe. I don't think you can anihilate planet from orbit...
5) plague spreading all across inhabited bubble.
TL;DR
I dont think UA is decoy or beacon. It's more like mass destruction weapon built to have similarities to our Voyager probes to make it more interesting for humankind to bring it in. ("dude, cool stuff" effect)
Also it can be really probe, only infested with virus that cant hurt builders species, because they are used to it. Remember wiping out half of america continents civilizations because of silly flu? But it would be then able to travel large distances alone...
Conclusion:
if UA is origin of plague, has anyone tried to sell it to any advanced medical facility? For example some world with both hi-tech and medical? Also I believe there was some galnet new few months earlier that some minor faction was buying out? Can someone clarify this? If yes, what faction was that? Wasnt able to find it...
What can happen if someone can try to sell it there? Maybe cure will show up. Selling to infested colony doesnt help much. It's like giving antidote in injection to Vinnettou. He wouldnt know what to do with it, most likely breaking needle in his vein and bleedin out afterwards...
EDIT:
also I know what im suggesting is basically destructive research. I just wonder if this can be it...
A bit of theory now. I guess I pointed out some stuff that was said previously, but I cant help myself. All stuff below points to it imo...
UA decays fast in space, so it doesnt point to possibility it is a spacecraft like Voyager, but lets make some fantasy now (this fantasy kinda supports theory UA might be a weapon):
1) There is mention of Star Trek movie on Voyager 2 wikipedia, where alien race rebuilt fictional Voyager and send it back to Earth to anihilate humanity (ok, this is only funny
)2) UAs have similarities to Voyager missions. Whale singing, some signals, beeping, some unclear blahbling, chittering etc (how OUR spoken word can sound to different species? I imagine it's horrible, because english spoken by scotsman sounds horrible for czech guy... Try to imagine...)
3) it sends back name of closest stellar body. With possibility of carrying weapon of mass destruction, this can be understood as kinda showcase of doctrine of using robotics in mass destruction scenario. We know roughly where enemy is, we send out probes with weapon to spread out and send back names of those places, so we know what places are supposed to be kinda clear. We can send conventional military forces to seize the rest of area, that is believed to be in enemy control.
4) UAs found only because of convoys, right? So they decay in space. Therefore they had to be found somewhere on planets surface. "Hey, dude! Thats cool, lets take it inside and sell it!" Poor little scavangers, now knowing they just took mass destruction weapon on board, carrying it into inhabited world... Like ants taking poisoned dust into hive. If these points are nearing somewhere to true, this can finally kill option UA is probe. I don't think you can anihilate planet from orbit...
5) plague spreading all across inhabited bubble.
TL;DR
I dont think UA is decoy or beacon. It's more like mass destruction weapon built to have similarities to our Voyager probes to make it more interesting for humankind to bring it in. ("dude, cool stuff" effect)
Also it can be really probe, only infested with virus that cant hurt builders species, because they are used to it. Remember wiping out half of america continents civilizations because of silly flu? But it would be then able to travel large distances alone...
Conclusion:
if UA is origin of plague, has anyone tried to sell it to any advanced medical facility? For example some world with both hi-tech and medical? Also I believe there was some galnet new few months earlier that some minor faction was buying out? Can someone clarify this? If yes, what faction was that? Wasnt able to find it...
What can happen if someone can try to sell it there? Maybe cure will show up. Selling to infested colony doesnt help much. It's like giving antidote in injection to Vinnettou. He wouldnt know what to do with it, most likely breaking needle in his vein and bleedin out afterwards...
EDIT:
also I know what im suggesting is basically destructive research. I just wonder if this can be it...
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