11. Breaking In

Bob and the Bobs execute an infiltration operation into a massive Snark megastructure (topopolis) near Eta Leporis. Using cloaked drones disguised within Boojum cargo vessels, they navigate through the outer shell, bypass the spin transfer system connecting the non-rotating outer layer to the rotating inner habitat, and successfully breach the interior to deploy surveillance drones. The operation relies on exploiting the megastructure's lack of sophisticated security and the automated nature of its systems.

The operation begins with cloaked drones attaching themselves to Boojums entering the space dock of the megastructure's outer shell. After the Boojums dock for maintenance, the drones detach and navigate through the bay toward an access panel. A maintenance bot performing bulkhead repairs is encountered but poses no threat due to sensor limitations. The drones enter a Jeffries tube-like passage and work toward the spin transfer system—the mechanism that accelerates containers from the stationary outer shell to match velocity with the rotating inner shell. Unable to use the rail system itself, the drones navigate through the empty ring and dock on the inner shell's receiving station. There they encounter an airlock system with sensor-based security that could trigger alarms. Gandalf and the Gamer operators spend nearly half a day disabling these sensors at their source by drilling through bulkheads and bypassing alert mechanisms. The drones proceed through the airlock into a corridor containing elevators and emergency stairs. Taking the stairs to avoid potential alarm triggers, they reach the transit station foyer, which has cameras and external sensors protecting the main entrance. Unable to use the front door, the Gamers decide to cut through the ceramic carbon-fiber walls using plasma cutters and tunnel up to ground level outside the station. During this breach, a deer-like creature is startled but flees harmlessly. Once outside the station structure, the drones deploy smaller surveillance drones—sparrow-sized units equipped with camouflage technology derived from previous spying operations. These spy drones begin their reconnaissance mission.