59. Bill – May 2172 – Epsilon Eridani

Riker visits Homer in VR to discuss the progress of Farm-1 and the new agricultural donut-shaped space stations being constructed. Homer proudly describes the engineering improvements and plans for future farm stations, while they acknowledge the ongoing food crisis and VEHEMENT's threat to Earth-based supplies.

Riker pops into Homer's VR environment in January 2168. Homer is enthusiastic about his ranch donut design—a rotating space farm shaped like a bicycle wheel with carbon-fiber cables providing structural support and three main spokes for elevator access. The structure is oriented perpendicular to the sun with mirrors reflecting light into the transparent rim interior. Homer explains how they've learned from Farm-1's initial environmental control problems, which required four full-time AMIs to solve, and can now safely implement half-gravity at the rim. Riker jokingly refers to Homer as "General Bullmoose" and notes that these structures are sabotage-proof against VEHEMENT. Homer mentions the possibility of ground-to-space capabilities but seems uncertain about it. They discuss the food crisis: Farm-1 is producing regular supplies of kudzu (unpalatable despite efforts to improve it), VEHEMENT continues attacking Earth-based food supplies, and a second farm will begin production in a week. Riker's calculations show three years of food surplus once the second station goes online. A third, partially finished station will provide crop variety, and Homer plans a fourth for ranching animals using genetic material from the Svalbard vault and artificial wombs. Homer has become an industrial tycoon absorbed in his successful project.