Chapter Thirty-Four: Prototype

Bill and his group announce a major breakthrough: they have successfully transmitted matter (ten hydrogen atoms) through a wormhole, marking humanity's first successful transfer of physical material through such a portal. Meanwhile, Howard reveals that human mannies (called "Hueys") are ready for commercial rollout. The conversation reveals that Hugh and the inhabitants of Skippyland have migrated into JOVAH's cloud infrastructure, and they propose using wormhole technology to establish a chain of connections across seventy-two light-years of space.

Bill convenes a meeting with Garfield, Bob, Will, Hugh (via video), and visiting Howard and Bridget in virtual reality to announce that their wormhole research has achieved a milestone: successfully pushing ten hydrogen atoms through a wormhole one at a time using negative energy to stabilize both endpoints, separated by one hundred kilometers. Howard counters with his own announcement that Hueys—mannies designed for human use—are ready for early adoption and commercial rollout. Will notes this will create issues with FAITH's policies on Romulus. Bill acknowledges the wormhole technology is still in early stages, limited by the requirement that wormhole pairs must be created together and one endpoint must be physically transported to a destination via slower-than-light travel. Hugh then reveals classified information: Skippyland is seventy light-years away, with nine star systems in between, each equipped with manufacturing stations. He proposes using wormhole pairs to create a connected chain across eighty-two light-years in twelve years, which would establish a detection network against potential Heaven vessel threats fifty-eight years before Fake Hugh's expected arrival. He also discloses that most inhabitants of Skippyland have migrated into JOVAH's cloud infrastructure, which prevented them from shutting down systems when Thoth escaped. Bill explains a limitation: wormholes don't account for intrinsic velocity, so orbital mechanics and proper motion must be calculated. Howard misunderstands the mechanics, prompting clarification that the wormhole is spherical, not tunnel-like. After the meeting ends, Will privately discusses his thirteen years of placing AMI-crewed stations along his flight path and mentions he wants to send wormholes to connect them. He suggests the technology be kept classified temporarily as a "hole card" due to unspecified issues in Omicron 2 Eridani. Will asks about time-dilation effects on wormholes, which Bill confirms do not occur. Will agrees to begin wormhole factory construction.