6.Launch

Bill authorizes the launch of two massive planetary movers—reconstructed versions of Epsilon Eridani 1 and an ex-moon, each equipped with hundreds of mover plates—under the command of his newly cloned instances Daedalus and Icarus. The system has been tested and validated, and Bill gives final clearance for what he acknowledges is a high-risk mission.

Bill (Garfield) reviews video feed showing Epsilon Eridani 1 in its new orbit surrounded by eight hundred mover plates, with a similar array trailing on a larger ex-moon a million kilometers behind. The infrastructure required four years to build and control; forty supervisor AMIs manage the field arrays for each planet alongside individual plate AMIs. Bill's two newest clones, Daedalus and Icarus, have been designated to oversee each planetary mover respectively. Garfield reports that short-range testing is complete and the system is capable of producing hundreds of Gs of acceleration. Bill acknowledges the mission's high-risk nature—a "Hail Mary"—and confirms with Dae and Ick that they understand the stakes. Both clones accept their assignment stoically; Icarus notes he welcomes the opportunity for astrophysics research. Bill experiences internal conflict about having cloned them for what may be a suicide mission, but accepts their apparent lack of resentment. With all systems ready, Bill gives final authorization for the clones to dock their ships and launch.