11.Remains

Bill receives troubling news from Mario about the Others' ongoing devastation in the GL 877 region. Mario reports the discovery of five additional depopulated life-bearing planets, including a late industrial civilization equivalent to mid-twentieth century Earth. Bill and Mario discuss the grim necessity of eliminating the Others and explore possible military options.

Bill is working on modifications to Bullwinkle when Mario contacts him with urgent news. After materializing his VR, Bill meets with Mario, who reports on continued scouting missions around GL 877. The Others have been even more active than expected in that region, and Mario's team has discovered five more life-bearing planets that have been completely depopulated by the Others. One of these planets hosted a civilization at a late industrial, early atomic era level—approximately equivalent to Earth in the mid-twentieth century. Mario emphasizes the grim toll and points out that he sees no viable future that includes the Others' survival. Bill acknowledges this reality has been discussed among the Bobs. Mario suggests that Daedalus and Icarus might serve as weapons against the Others, though Bill dismisses this as a long shot. When Bill asks what Mario and his clones might accomplish, Mario notes the cruel irony that no metal resources are available anywhere in the GL 877 region, rendering them unable to act. Bill mentions that Claude and a large contingent of Bobs from the Delta Pavonis defense are heading toward Gamma Pavonis, suggesting Mario might coordinate with them. Bill reluctantly acknowledges he will need to pitch the Others as a threat to Claude, though he expresses concern that Claude took their previous defeat heavily and may not be entirely rational in his focus on defending Gamma Pavonis. Mario notes they have a few years before Claude's group arrives at their destination, giving Bill time to develop a convincing argument.