Chapter Four: A Foreboding Conversation

Bob meets with ANEC to discuss progress on the Quiniverse VR environment for the Quinlans. After confirming the project is on track, ANEC raises concerns about the Skippies' AI development project, worried that treating artificial consciousness creation like a technical specification rather than a careful socialization process could lead to problems.

Bob is traveling toward 82 Eridani at reduced speed to maintain contact with the broader Bobiverse, having learned from past isolation. He works on various projects including the Quiniverse, a post-life VR environment for Quinlans like Theresa Sykorski. Frustrated with redesigning his personal VR space, Bob reverts to his original library setting with Spike the cat and butler Jeeves. ANEC arrives for a scheduled meeting and they review the Quiniverse project in detail, finding all systems stable and on schedule. ANEC then shifts to an unscheduled concern: the Skippies' AI development initiative. He explains that Quinlans were able to develop AI theory despite technological disadvantages because their slower development pace allowed deep study of how young Quinlans transition from non-sentience to intelligence through proper socialization—a process fundamentally different from treating AI creation as a technical engineering problem. ANEC worries the Skippies and their human collaborators may not follow proper socialization procedures for their AI, treating it as merely another technology project rather than the careful developmental process required. Though ANEC has no specific grievances yet, he raises the concern with Bob and suggests Bob or someone else have a quiet word with the relevant parties to ensure proper procedures are followed.