42.Results Negative

Bill discusses Mack's troubling scan results from 82 Eridani with no trace of Medeiros or his forces in the system, despite clear evidence they recently attacked. They consider various possibilities including multiple trips, local manufacturing, or a cloaked autofactory, leaving the threat unresolved.

Bill enters Mack's VR environment to review a report on the search for Medeiros at 82 Eridani. Mack reports that comprehensive scans of the entire system, including the Oort cloud and redundant staggered scans, have found no sign of Medeiros's forces—the busters, missiles, and roamers that attacked the system have vanished. Mack consulted with Calvin, who confirms there's no logical way Medeiros could have transported all those weapons from Alpha Centauri in a single trip or from a nearby system. The possibilities discussed are that Medeiros either made multiple trips, received assistance from another party, or is manufacturing weapons locally. Mack raises the alarming possibility that Medeiros might have cloaked an entire autofactory, which would require focused pulse scanning to detect and would necessitate system-wide defensive mobilization. Bill acknowledges the uncertainty and recommends that once Mack's new cohort is operational, he should build surveillance drones with both long-range and focused scanning capabilities to improve detection odds. The chapter ends with Bill departing and reflecting on the mounting threats from both the Others and Medeiros.