Chapter Thirty-Eight: Starfleet Just Won’t Go Away

Bill receives concerning news from Hector, an eighteenth-generation Bob, that Starfleet has threatened him into rerouting away from their claimed space. Bill consults Will about the implications and considers investigating Starfleet's behavior and motivations, particularly their historical reluctance to interfere with the solar system.

Bill is monitoring progress on the wormhole endpoints project and managing his Ragnarök ecosystem simulation when he receives an email from Hector, a distant-generation Bob working on Von Neumann probe expansion. Hector reports that Starfleet has threatened him into rerouting his path away from the space Lenny had claimed for Starfleet, though Starfleet provided no specific details about the threat. Bill immediately contacts Will, who confirms he has heard nothing specific but warns that Starfleet's behavior is becoming a potential problem. Will points out that as UFS space expands, it will eventually surround Starfleet's claimed territory, potentially leading to another conflict. Bill reflects on Starfleet's oddly passive behavior during the previous war, particularly their complete avoidance of the solar system, and wonders whether this represents nostalgia or evidence of a deeper connection. Deciding his current projects are stalled, Bill considers investigating Starfleet as a worthwhile distraction.