7. Looking Forward

Will, searching for information on topopoleis, decides to take a break and visits Conan, the Bob representative in the Omicron2 Eridani system. Will expresses concern about FAITH's growing influence on Romulus and proposes creating an emigration society to help his family and others escape the system before religious extremism gains more power.

Will is frustrated with his search for a topopoleis expert who has been replicated and is difficult to contact. He pings Conan, a Bob representative stationed in the Omicron2 Eridani system, and visits him in his treehouse-styled home modeled after Vulcan's jungle. They discuss ancestry and instantiation chains within the Bobiverse. Will expresses serious concern about FAITH's increasing influence on Romulus over the past two decades, viewing it as a recognizable pattern of religious extremism comparable to historical Far Right movements. Conan acknowledges that many people are drawn to FAITH's simple, black-and-white answers despite their factual inaccuracy. Will proposes establishing a society with an innocuous name like Outward Bound to facilitate emigration from the system, primarily for Johansson descendants but open to others. Conan agrees to handle the legal setup and administration, noting he has ample free time since Bobs have become unpopular in the system and he has reduced his public appearances. They discuss potential legal protections based on constitutional guarantees and original Earth agreements that would prevent FAITH from blocking emigration. Conan, as if prepared, displays a graphic of remaining Bob-controlled in-system assets as they begin planning details.