23. Milo – February 2153 – Omicron2 Eridani

Bob arrives at Epsilon Eridani and conducts a systematic survey of the first four planets, finding them scientifically interesting but disappointing for colonization prospects. After wrestling with existential concerns about cloning himself, he finally commits to the mission directive and begins manufacturing the equipment needed to create duplicate copies of himself.

Bob enters orbit around Epsilon Eridani One, a tidally locked, airless planet with extreme temperatures and magma flows—scientifically notable but uninhabitable. He moves on to EE-2, a marginally livable world with isolated seas and a thin oxygen atmosphere suggesting photosynthetic life may exist, though he has no way to investigate. Frustrated by the mission's lack of provision for surface exploration probes, he orders Guppy to note the need for custom exploration scouts. EE-3 proves to be a large gas giant with numerous moons, none suitable for habitation. EE-4, the outermost surveyed planet, is meteorologically dull. Bob returns to his former construction site and confronts a growing sense of disappointment and purposelessness. He reflects on his resistance to cloning himself, recognizing it stems from humanist concerns about individuality and soul, as well as fear of discovering he is unlikeable. After acknowledging the futility of further delay, Bob overcomes his hesitation and authorizes Guppy to deploy manufacturing systems to begin constructing clone facilities.