Timeline

CHAPTER 1

1. Bob Version 1.0

Newly wealthy Bob signs up with CryoEterna to have his head preserved after death, then spends a day at a Las Vegas science-fiction convention trying to enjoy his newfound freedom while coping with his recent breakup. His conversations with friends and family reveal his humor, close-knit relationships, and stubborn hope that future revival is better than nothing; the lively, comic day ends abruptly when a car strikes him as he crosses the street.

CHAPTER 2

2. Bob Version 2.0

Bob awakens in a featureless room in 2133, unable to move and speaking through a malfunctioning interface, and learns from Dr. Landers that he is a computer simulation made from his cryogenically preserved brain. The destructive scan killed the original Bob, and the new Bob is corporate property in a theocratic future, expected to compete with four other replicants for a secret job—while most candidates eventually go insane or are discarded. Bob’s analytical composure, blunted by deliberately suppressed panic, shifts from bewilderment and grief toward wary determination as he resolves to gather information and survive.

CHAPTER 3

3. Bob – June 25, 2133

Newly conscious as software, Bob discovers that his mind is clear and his grief is muted, and begins exploring his abilities with Dr. Landers. Moved from a desk-mounted camera into a sealed training room, he quickly learns to control a remote manipulator and multiple ROAMer robots, impressing the doctor while wondering why the room is so tightly secured. The chapter’s playful, curious tone carries an undercurrent of unease as Bob adjusts to his strange new existence.

CHAPTER 4

4. Bob – July 15, 2133

Bob awakens from standby and learns that one of his replicant competitors has been lost to a mental loop, leaving four. Seeking study and a chance to find living relatives, he discovers that the controlled society of 2133 restricts both internet access and genealogy records; cut off from his family and denied the ability to grieve fully, he resolves to stay compliant, remain sane, and win the competition.

CHAPTER 5

5. Bob – July 18, 2133

Bob, a newly created replicant, carefully navigates an unexpected evaluation by Senior Minister Travis, then learns from Dr. Landers that FAITH is divided by religious factions whose power can threaten both of them. After the tense encounter, Landers begins Bob’s first simulation: a realistic space station where Bob takes charge of power, traffic, and environmental systems. The chapter shifts from wary political unease to curious anticipation as Bob explores the station and prepares for its challenges.