14.      Sabotage

Bob learns from Marvin that something large and efficient hunted the Deltans nearly to extinction at their original location—something far more dangerous than the gorilloids they've encountered. Bob decides to launch a comprehensive drone survey of Delta Eridani 4 to identify this unknown apex predator, delaying other construction projects to print additional exploration drones.

Bob is reviewing the autofactory schedule with Guppy when Marvin arrives visibly distressed with troubling news. Marvin reports discovering disarticulated Deltan remains scattered across multiple locations, bearing evidence of predation by something much larger and more thorough than gorilloids. The chew marks and damage patterns indicate an apex predator capable of killing full-grown Deltans. Bob realizes his initial exploration of Delta Eridani 4 was incomplete and focused only on the Deltans themselves. He reviews his catalogued fauna by projecting them across a library wall, but none of the animals he's documented—leopard analogues or gorilloids—match the description of what killed the Deltans. Seeking inspiration, Bob switches to his detailed VR recording of a Deltan village, surprising Marvin in the process. Unable to determine the predator's identity from available data, Bob decides to launch a comprehensive kilometer-by-kilometer drone survey and authorizes Guppy to print four additional exploration drone squads, accepting a delay to the armaments project. Marvin agrees to map search strategies while Bob returns to his library.