We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

“You, Bob, are what most people would call an Artificial Intelligence, although that’s not strictly accurate. You are a copy of the mind of Robert Johansson, created by scanning his cryogenically frozen brain at the subcellular level and converting the data into a computer simulation. You are, essentially, a computer program that thinks it’s Robert Johansson. A replicant.”

In this moment of revelation, Dr. Landers delivers the novel’s central premise, directly confronting the theme of Redefining Humanity Beyond the Physical Form. The clinical, technical language used to describe Bob’s new existence—“computer simulation,” “replicant”—strips him of his biological identity, initiating his existential crisis. The statement’s final, blunt sentence structure emphasizes the stark reality of his transformation from a person into a product.

“But we can control the endocrine simulation routines. Panic depends on a feedback loop involving adrenaline. We simply limit that. You can’t panic or get angry or frightened, you can only be deeply concerned, so to speak.”

The inability to access his emotions is an internal conflict for Bob and a method of external control used by his creators. The explanation of the technological dampening of emotion provides an in-universe rationale for Bob’s unusually calm demeanor in the face of his new reality. This suppression of feeling becomes a crucial plot point, as Bob’s later decision to remove these controls represents a significant step toward reclaiming his full humanity and agency.

“‘Okay, Bob. […] So, here’s the bottom line. Do you know what a Von Neumann probe is?’ ‘Yes, of course. It’s an automated interstellar probe that builds copies of itself as it visits systems.’ There was a moment of silence as my brain caught up with the conversation. Oh… ‘Wait, are you saying—?’ ‘That is correct. We are preparing one of you to be the controlling intelligence for a Von Neumann probe.’”

A major turning point in the novel’s plot is this revelation of the true purpose of the HEAVEN Project: the launching of Von Neumann probes. The dialogue’s pacing, including the pause indicated by “a moment of silence,” builds suspense before the final confirmation, mirroring Bob’s own dawning comprehension.