4. Played

Bill and Garfield discover that Starfleet has rootkitted the standard autofactory operating system years ago, giving them widespread access to manufacturing facilities across space. Bill, Garfield, and Will grapple with the implications of this sabotage and the mounting tensions it will create between digitals and biological humans.

Bill and Garfield analyze the scope of Starfleet's infiltration into autofactories, discovering that a rootkit was added to the canonical O/S approximately ten years ago—long before Starfleet became a significant military force. This timing raises questions about whether a rogue Bob with a hidden agenda, possibly working with Starfleet for shared goals, was responsible rather than Starfleet acting alone. Garfield expresses skepticism about the theory but acknowledges the mystery. Bill calls Will to discuss the crisis. Will emphasizes the danger extends beyond the immediate autofactory loss: the revelation will severely damage already-strained relations between digitals and biological humans, a tension that has been escalating since the Starfleet conflict began. The situation is compounded by the possibility of booby traps in the autofactories and the fact that planet-based factories remain less vulnerable, potentially prompting humans to destroy space-based facilities entirely. Bill notes that even significant reduction in autofactory production would have major economic consequences, though he hopes the UFS will allow time for negotiation before taking drastic action.