We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

Bill receives a message from Milo, who was exploring the 82 Eridani system before being killed. The message contains survey data and a final recording of Milo’s vessel being destroyed by missiles. The message also contains an incomplete backup of Milo’s consciousness, which is not viable for restoration. Bill archives the damaged backup.

Believing the attack was orchestrated by the escaped probe of Medeiros, a hostile Brazilian replicant, Bill resolves to retaliate. He orders his autofactory to produce four new version-3 Bobs and equips them with extra busters, determined to send them to 82 Eridani to exact payment for Milo.

In virtual reality, Riker and Homer discuss the progress of Homer’s space farm project. Homer explains the improvements he has made since the first unstable station. His plan involves a series of specialized orbital farms, nicknamed “donuts” for their toroidal shape. Farm-1 is already delivering kudzu genetically modified to be consumable to Earth, Farm-2 is nearly complete, and a third farm will grow more varied crops.

Homer also reveals plans for a fourth “ranch donut” for livestock. He notes that while the stations are secure from sabotage by the anti-technology group VEHEMENT, he has identified a theoretical ground-to-space vulnerability. Riker jokes that Homer has become an industrial tycoon whose work is crucial for sustaining Earth’s food supply, showing a slight softening of his rigid demeanor.

Just as the Deltans are about to resume their migration, they are attacked by large, leopard-like predators. A hunter is wounded but saved. Bob reflects on his long-term plan to help the current generation and then withdraw, becoming a legend to prevent their dependency on him. Marvin informs Bob he plans to depart once the project is self-sustaining. After new busters are delivered, the Deltan elders agree to continue their trek.

The tribe proceeds south through difficult jungle terrain. Bob observes that Archimedes is developing a bond with a Deltan the Bobs have named Diana, most likely after the Roman goddess of the hunt. He discusses medicine with Archimedes, who agrees to introduce him to the tribe’s medicine woman, but Diana remains fearful of Bob’s influence. The tribe endures three more minor gorilloid attacks with minimal losses.

Bobs Homer, Charles, and Ralph are in Earth orbit overseeing the final assembly of the first two human colony ships, Exodus-1 and Exodus-2. A construction AMI confirms the ships’ completion to UN delegates. Riker then calls his descendant Julia, explaining that the ships will soon begin their shakedown cruises, or test flights.

Julia expresses her optimism and confirms that her family will be on the third colony ship, Exodus-3. She introduces Riker to her young son, Justin. Witnessing the completion of the ships, Riker feels a profound sense of satisfaction, seeing them as a symbol of humanity’s survival.

The Deltan tribe arrives at an abandoned flint quarry that offers a defensible position and access to resources. However, Bob now discovers why the place was abandoned originally: A drone survey reveals a high population of gorilloids nearby. Bob discovers the gorilloids’ primary food source is a seedpod that lacks complete proteins, which is why they hunt Deltans. When two gorilloids approach, Bob’s busters neutralize them, causing the others to flee. Arnold directs the Deltans into a defensive formation, while Archimedes and Moses begin manufacturing new tools.

Marvin raises concerns about conducting a mass culling of the gorilloids, so Bob agrees to pursue a targeted deterrence strategy instead. Later, Marvin shows Bob footage of several Deltans constructing a small altar from discarded buster parts and worshipping a figure they call “the bawbe.” They’ve begun understanding Bob as a divinity.

Bill orbits the planet Ragnarök, managing his terraforming project. He oversees the delivery of a massive ice asteroid moved from the Kuiper Belt, while Garfield monitors from the outer system. The iceberg is off course, giving Bill a 650-second window to retrieve the expensive asteroid-moving drive before it enters and burns up in the atmosphere.

The drone retrieval is only partially successful; two drive segments and all anchors are lost. Bill is nevertheless able to detonate charges to fracture the iceberg, ensuring it falls to the planet as rain. Afterward, Bill briefly reviews his android project, noting technical challenges with the prototype, specifically related to sensory feedback and communication latency.

Mario arrives in the Beta Hydri system and discovers that every planet in it has been stripped of all accessible metals. On the fourth planet, he finds a crashed cargo ship containing refined metal. It is clearly alien technology. Mario’s investigation reveals that the planet’s ecosystem was sterilized by a radiation burst decades earlier and that its biomass was subsequently harvested.

While exploring, one of Mario’s ROAMers is attacked by a swarm of mechanical nanites. He realizes that his own scans of these heretofore dormant robots are powering the “ants.” Mario destroys the compromised ROAMers and captures several nanite specimens. Concluding that a hostile, resource-harvesting alien intelligence is responsible, Mario prepares to leave the system to warn the Bobiverse.

Riker and Homer oversee the launch of the first two colony ships, Exodus-1 and Exodus-2. The ships are loaded with colonists in stasis and genetic material from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. A departure ceremony is held, featuring boring speeches from human leaders.

After the ceremony, the ships depart on their 18-year journey, escorted by Howard, a new Bob clone named for the comic book character Howard the Duck and secretly equipped with advanced technology. The third colony ship is scheduled to launch in four months. Riker watches emotionally as the ships pass Mars, recognizing the moment as a major milestone for human survival.

Inside a large-scale VR matrix, Bill hosts the first Bob-moot, a virtual meeting for all existing Bobs. Bobs from the Sol system, Alpha Centauri, and other distant star systems attend. During the meeting, Bill introduces the term “Bobiverse” to describe their growing collective.

Bill states that the purpose of the meeting is to coordinate their projects and keep everyone updated, as some Bobs will soon be traveling outside of communication range. After the formal meeting, the group adjourns to a pub-themed VR to socialize.

A squadron of nine Bobs led by Khan, named for a brilliant rogue general character in Star Trek, arrives in the 82 Eridani system to avenge Milo’s death. During their approach, one Bob, Hannibal, named for the famed general from ancient Carthage, is destroyed by a cloaked nuclear missile. The team deploys plasma spike weapons to intercept more nukes, which confirm that their enemy, Medeiros, has advanced technology. In the ensuing battle, Medeiros’s forces adapt quickly, and three more Bobs are destroyed.

Khan triangulates Medeiros’s position, and the remaining Bobs launch their busters while using SUDDAR jamming. In the final exchange, three more Bobs are lost. The eighth squadron member, Elmer, sacrifices himself, using his jammer to create an opening for a damaged Khan to escape. Khan reports to Bill that several of the destroyed Bobs’ backups are incomplete and vows to return to finish the job.

Howard arrives in the Omicron2 Eridani system ahead of the human colony ships and confirms the accuracy of Milo’s original survey data. He discovers that the automated systems Milo left behind have stockpiled resources and begun constructing a farming donut in orbit. Soon after, the colony ships arrive. Howard meets with their AMIs in VR to coordinate.

Colonel Butterworth, the colony leader, is awakened from stasis. After reviewing the updated planetary data, he selects the planet Vulcan as the site for the new settlement. Automated construction crews are then shuttled to the surface to begin printing modular housing for the first colonists.