23.      VEHEMENT

Riker attends to the aftermath of a terrorist attack in Brazil that killed 63 people, then participates in a UN meeting where Minister Gerrold continues his antagonistic behavior toward replicants until Minister Sharma shuts him down. The session turns to discussing climate deterioration and emigration priorities.

Riker surveys a bombed apartment building in a poor Rio de Janeiro neighborhood, the third terrorist attack on Brazil that month with no political demands or identified perpetrators. He coordinates with emergency responders using mining and surveillance drones, though he clarifies to Minister Benedito that he is a consultant on emigration, not in charge of security investigations. At a UN meeting, Minister Gerrold launches into another tirade against replicants and Riker's shortcomings, but Minister Sharma of the Maldives interrupts him, pointing out he is repeating previous complaints without offering new information or solutions. She forces him to sit down. The meeting then addresses climate deterioration in higher latitudes, with discussion of whether to reorder emigration for troubled enclaves or relocate them to territories vacated by island nations being sent to Poseidon. Riker notices Homer is absent from the meeting—unusual, as Homer typically attends to mock the proceedings—and hands off the video window to a sandbox Bob copy to escape the tedium.