26. Winding Down

Bill examines the aftermath of the human-replicant conflict, finding that most communications stations have been destroyed and autofactories recovered by humans with their own software. Will informs him of the UFS council's plan to claim and garrison systems near New Pav, prompting Bill and Oliver to devise a blocking strategy by having nearby Bobs establish military presences in those systems before human expeditions arrive.

Bill reviews a star map showing the status of stations and autofactories across known space. Most comms stations have been destroyed or self-destructed, and while autofactories were recovered, humans have installed their own software on all human-controlled facilities, effectively ending shared infrastructure between humans and replicants. The divorce between the two civilizations is nearly complete, with replicants no longer controlling any comms stations and very few autofactories in human space. Bill recalls an unsettling private conversation with Lenny that he hasn't discussed with others, and notes he's been investigating a possible explanation for it. Will arrives and announces that the UFS council has approved a plan, suggested by Cranston, for humans to claim and garrison all systems near New Pav. Though most of these systems have been visited by Bobs, humans are claiming them as abandoned since all BobNet comms stations have been isolated. Will explains that he and Oliver have devised a strategy to have nearby Bobs reach most of these systems before human expeditions arrive and establish large military presences as a blocking tactic. Bill recognizes this as a way to potentially sell the systems to the Pav later while preventing escalating tensions. Will departs, and Bill reflects on the significant long-term damage to human-replicant relations and the extensive rebuilding ahead, noting that humans likely won't invite replicant assistance.