31.      Taking Care of Business

Riker confronts Ambassador Gerrold about VEHEMENT's continued attacks and baits the hostile faction into reacting. During discussions about emigration to Poseidon and other colony ships, Guppy detects an anomalous tight-beam signal from New Zealand to Homer in space—a discovery that suggests Homer may be compromised or acting under duress rather than of his own accord.

Riker attends a meeting where Ambassador Gerrold criticizes his inability to stop VEHEMENT's strikes. Riker fires back at Gerrold, noting the lack of progress on their side before announcing plans to replace the damaged donut and regrow the farm, with short rations expected but no starvation. He deliberately insults VEHEMENT publicly as a tactic to provoke a reaction, then turns off his audio and instructs Guppy to monitor all communications for responses. The discussion shifts to emigration efforts, with the Maldives and Micronesia claiming Poseidon but struggling to recruit six hundred additional colonists from other enclaves. Other groups compete for the semi-completed ships to emigrate to Vulcan or Romulus, creating contentious debate. During this time, Guppy reports detecting one anomalous tight-beam signal sourced from remote New Zealand and directed at Homer in space—a signal only discoverable by chance alignment with a cleanup drone. This revelation disturbs Riker, as it contradicts Homer's recent personality change and withdrawal from the group. Riker theorizes Homer may not actually be Homer but rather someone or something else, or that Homer is being coerced. He contacts Charles to arrange a physical meeting.