Book 4: Chapter 2: A Second Visit
Will
July 2334
Virt, Vulcan Post-Life Arcology
I knocked on Professor Gilligan’s door and it opened immediately. Steven stood there, beaming at me. “Will, come on in. Good to see you.”
I returned the smile as I entered. My eye was immediately caught by the window. Instead of the Bishop Ring that had been there last time, the view now showed a topopolis. As with most such graphics, the scale was all wrong. In any view wide enough to take in the entire topopolis, it would be invisibly thin.
I nodded to the image. “New project?”
“In a manner of speaking. I’m spending more time dissecting data from the expedition than doing much in the way of design, but I’m learning a lot. Future lectures will have to be modified.” Steven waved to the couch and then sat in the easy chair as I made myself comfortable.
“That’s partly why I’m here,” I replied. “Although there’s more urgency about things, now that Bob is on his own.”
Steven nodded slowly. “No doubt. The Bobiverse War is the biggest single news item in the UFS right now, even eclipsing the Pav threat. The level of emotion is, frankly, spilling over onto non-Bob replicant society. I’ve had to suspend my lectures for the nonce.”