62.      Departure

Bill conducts a moot meeting of the Bobs at Epsilon Eridani, introducing a new distance record holder and presenting critical intelligence about the Others gathered from their operations at GL 54. The Bobs analyze the Others' biology, capabilities, and strategic implications, including detailed scans and images of the alien species themselves.

Bill opens the moot by congratulating Bruce for setting a new long-range record at thirty-seven light years from Earth. He then addresses the assembly about communications with the Others, confirming they captured the Chinese probe and learned Earth's location through Bill's encrypted broadcasts to star systems. Bill assures the Bobs that the SCUT plans remain secure due to encryption incompatible with the probe's data formats. He notes the Others' arrogance suggests they pose no immediate threat. Bill thanks Hal for successfully testing the new Heaven design against death asteroids. Garfield presents findings on the Others' technological capabilities, revealing they use SUDDAR power beaming to charge death asteroids and run their infrastructure, a system apparently dictated by their hive-organism biology requiring large communal living spaces. Bill theorizes their instinctual need for group density may be exploitable. Bill then displays composite 3D images of the Others themselves—roughly four feet tall, with gorilla-like posture, meaty front limbs with suckers for gripping prey, dexterous feeding fingers, and a grinding maw. The creatures possess 360-degree vision via multiple small eyes and a centralized brain. They live in extreme density with no private quarters. After dismissing the meeting, Mario discusses the harvest at GL 54, explaining the Others use exponential ant production to strip ore from the system, estimating completion within a year. Mario dismisses concerns about Earth being next, noting many closer systems exist, but Bill insists they assume limited time given the Others' potential unpredictability.