12. Expedition Prep

Bob November meets with Bridget to recruit her for the Snark expedition, then convenes the full exploration team to review progress on android development, language acquisition, and entry strategy. Bridget decides against replicating herself despite the challenges of leaving her family, and the team plans to breach Heaven's River's outer shell and begin their search for Bender.

Bob is preparing spy drones for reconnaissance on the Quinlans (formerly called Snarks) and designing mannies to inhabit while exploring Heaven's River. Bridget arrives unsolicited and offers her expertise as a biologist to the expedition; Bob was already planning to recruit her but through Howard. The Skippies (Skippy clones) have delivered preliminary survey data revealing the Quinlans are semi-aquatic beings descended from riverbank-dwelling species, with minimal recorded history. Bridget and the team review the latest android specifications, which feature organic-like materials, circulatory systems with functional waste products, and built-in repair nanites. Bridget faces a personal dilemma: she has human children requiring real-time parenting and considers replicating herself to split her attention, but ultimately decides against cloning due to metaphysical concerns about self-continuity and not wanting to create a version of herself forever separated from Howard and their children. A divisive moot meeting occurs where Starfleet (Star Trek-themed Bobs) passionately argue against the expedition as harmful interference, then abruptly walk out with a veiled threat after their arguments are systematically dismantled by Bill. Two Asgard replicants attending the moot are noted as observers. The exploration team—Bob, Bill, Bridget, Garfield, and Will—meets to finalize plans: androids will require six months of testing; the team will bore through Heaven's River's outer shell between airlocks to avoid detection; they'll establish contact with whoever controls the topopolis rather than conduct a blind search for Bender; and spy drones will continue surveying upstream and downstream. The plan prioritizes stealth and minimal exposure until they better understand who or what they're dealing with.