"_" "Those cops were going to kill them both." " Oh, God..." " I'm sorry." "Get off my ship." "You're the only person that knows the truth about Errinwright, the only person anyone might actually believe." "And that puts you in a precarious position." "I am Gunnery Sergeant Roberta Draper," "Martian Marine Corps." "I am requesting political asylum on Earth." "You were right about that thing on Ganymede." "It was a weapons test." "The weapon's up for sale and Mars wants it." "If you truly have the best interest of Earth at heart, we meet in person, on a ship of my choosing." "Don't refuse this offer." "It won't be repeated." "That's the protomolecule." "Don't touch it" "What are you doing?" "What do you think?" "You can't do that." "That's someone's child." "I came here to destroy the protomolecule and that's what I'm going to do." "I'm not going with you" "I'm going back to make sure the Somnambulist is up and running." "I'm going to help get as many people off this station before it dies." "I think something broke out of this." "What was it?" "We made the protomolecule in our own image." "And there's a lot more..." "Where she came from..." "That thing ain't got a vac suit on." "Suit up." "We're going on a hunt." "Everything I did, I did out of love." "For Earth." "For our people." "I know you did." "Well then, help me." "These hearings..." "They'll have my head on a stick." "Tell them everything." "There's no way to answer for it." "Trust in mercy." "Atone for your sins." "Real or imaginary monsters?" "Huh?" "Real or imaginary monsters?" "I mean, I heard you screaming in your sleep last night." "Ah." "A bit of both, I guess." "Is that why you're walking me to school, like I'm seven?" "Sometimes it takes a few monsters to get back on track." "I don't have nightmares." "Sit down a minute." "Come on." "We've got time." "All right." "We never really get a chance in the morning to just talk, you know?" "Just hang out." "You okay, Dad?" "I never really did tell you that..." "I was sorry that I had to leave your mother." "You know, you're at an age now when time is just gonna..." "You're just going to put your head down and..." ""Whoosh."" "And all the old farts like me, we're all going to be telling you this is how you do it and this is the path you take." "We're all going to be experts on how you should grow up." "But there's only one thing that I need to tell you." "And it's the simplest thing." "But it's the hardest thing to remember." "Listen to your heart." "No matter what." "It'll always be the right call." "Come on." "You're kinda freaking me out, Dad." "Come on." "I'm sorry, man." "I don't mean to..." "I don't mean to freak you out." "Everything's going to be okay." "Okay." "It went over that rise, dead center." "I'm on it." "I want every sensor we got looking for that thing." "I can give you scopes and thermals with full motion detect, but I can't give you any active Radar or Ladar, not without making our presence known to the patrols upstairs." "When I first saw that thing outside, for a split second I thought I was hallucinating." "But after hearing what went down in that lab, now I wish I kinda had been." "When the European tall-ships first arrived on the American continent, the natives couldn't see them." "The sight was so completely outside of their experience, they just couldn't compute." "So they didn't see." "Those natives all got wiped out in the end, didn't they?" "If that thing out there really is some sort of human-protocrap hybrid, then we're yesterday's model." "Obsolete." "We'll see about that." "There it is!" "In the Ag Dome." "Ready PDCs." "Fire control to me." "Why kill it?" "It's such a base human instinct, to destroy things we don't understand." "Don't talk down to me, plant-guy." "If you were on Eros, you'd understand plenty." "You saw it." "What you keep referring to as a "thing,"" " could have been my child." " You don't know that." "Alex, give me the scopes!" "A child with a soul, Holden." "Terrified and tortured, unable to comprehend what happened to her." "Shit." "What's happening?" "Why are we stopping?" "There's a patrol flying overhead." "Do not break off." "If we keep moving and they see us, they're gonna send us a high-explosive welcome package and then this hunt is going to be over permanently." "Right now, we need to look like part of the scenery." "They'll be outta range in a couple of seconds." "Get us to the Ag Dome now." "Aye-aye, Captain." "The Eros Incident Hearings will commence in the General Assembly in five minutes." "Jefferson and Jodie..." "They don't deserve this." "You'll be strong for them." "You keep this." "You give it to Jefferson if I can't." "And you tell him that this medal was given to the father he knows, no matter what he hears about me." "You were instrumental in bringing Sergeant Draper to our side." "She's given us critical information on the Martian weapons test on Ganymede." "All of that will go in your favor." "History's written by the winners, Chrisjen." "Isn't it?" "I promised fire from the gods and I delivered smoke." "Jules-Pierre Mao lied to you." "And now I'm trying to decide if he is lying to me." "I have received back-channel communication from Monsieur Mao." "What does he want?" "An end to my public witch hunt against his family." "He's demanded a face-to-face meeting, at a location of his choosing." "We have to hear him out." "If he's in bed with the Martians..." "He holds all the cards here." "Make him a peace offering." "I'll grovel, even if it's from a prison cell." "He won't speak to you, Sadavir." "Chrisjen, this may be our only chance to stay in the game." "They're already making weapons." " They're testing them..." " You honestly believe that Mars would use this protomolecule to destroy Earth?" "Yes, I do." "And I couldn't persuade Jules of that." "But I know that you can." "Attention." "Hey, we don't..." "We don't have much scrip." "Save your scrip." "All are welcome, long as you enjoy a hard floor." "I heard they're shutting off the air handlers one level at a time." "Then what everyone gonna do?" "Line up over there, keep out of the way." "Soon as we clear the cargo hold," "I'll allow you aboard." "I can take you as far as Europa." "I can help you unload." "That's not necessary." "We wanna work for our passage." "Please be advised that water systems in Sector Three are no longer in service." "Once again, water systems in Sector Three are no longer in service." "You're not welcome on my ship." "We don't want a ride." "I want to fix your ship." "Your panel was shot to shit." "Thanks to you." "It's being taken care of." "Hey, big fella." "How about corralin' these folks for me?" "What's in it for me?" "Guaranteed first class seat." "Maybe two." "How about that?" "Back it up!" "Back it up!" "Who's working on the ship?" "A friend who owed my dead husband a favor." "He'll get it done." "It's covered." "Your ship is a rust-bucket, cobbled together with spare parts." "That's my specialty." "If you want to get out of here, and help these people, you need me." "You people are shit-magnets..." "Goddamn piece of shit." "What the hell are you doing?" " That doesn't go there." " Who the hell are you?" "Please put those down, and step away from the panel, right now." "The hell I will..." "Station power's failing." "There's no time for this shit." "Move!" "Move!" "So where's the old lady?" "I was told..." "It's Madam Undersecretary to you." "Or just Madam." "Is there a problem?" "You're with us because you betrayed your oath." "Is that a habit for you?" "Now, I'll be polite, but I'm short on time." "I have never crossed anyone first." "But burn me and mine and I'll go through you like a door." "All right, then." "Let's go." "We have confirmed rendezvous coordinates for Mr. Mao's ship." "We will be departing momentarily." "Nice of you to join us." "Just making sure they didn't lose our luggage." "When was the last time you left Earth?" "None of your goddamn business." "Thought so." "When you mysteriously vanish, no one will ever find your body." "We used to use that for target practice." "Ah, this must be weird for you." "If it's any consolation," "I don't want to be here either." "Why am I here?" "Because the Martian delegation is still on Earth and as long as they are here, you're a bargaining chip." "So now I've taken you off the board..." "I see, I'm your property..." "Let her win." "Trust me." "I'm not a fragile flower." "Which is also why you're here." "Any shit hits the fan out here," "I expect you two to get me out of it." "All hands prepare for lift-off." "Archangel One clear and on course for Hotel Echo Oscar insertion." "Say something to distract me." "I don't like this whole set-up." "Why is Mao suddenly so eager to come in from the cold?" "It reeks." "Actually, be quiet." "A child can leave Earth without looking back, but not an old man." "Jules-Pierre may be a titan of the system, but his life, his memories are anchored to that rock." "That is Earth's real gravity." "It's in there." "Damn it." "I'm going to back us up and ease us out." "No, you're not." "Keep going." "Right, you wanna talk about this for a second?" "Not really." "Okay." "Look, those things you saw on Eros..." "I mean, I can't even..." "You were in the belly of the beast, so..." "I get why this might be kinda personal for you..." "Good." "So let's not over-think it." "How far are we gonna take this, Jim?" "Got it!" "No, please..." "That is not your kid!" "Not anymore!" "All this death?" "It's not the protomolecule." "It's Protogen." "And men like you." "Damn it, we lost it." "Alex, give me a full 360!" " We cannot maneuver here." " Do it!" "You ever think that maybe it's luring us in here?" "Are you refusing to fly?" "No, sir." "All right, listen up." "Why can't we wait on board?" "Air out here is gettin' like poison..." "'Cause she said so, asshole." "People!" "We're doin' this my way or you can find yourself another ship out of here!" "The connectors between the docks are collapsed." "How we gonna find another ship?" "We're getting on..." "We're shutting the doors until this crowd calms down!" "Big guy!" "These doors are going to stay closed until you get them under control." " What's going on out there?" " People are getting scared." "Which means they'll start getting ugly." "Hey." "You doin' all right?" "Yep." "Another hot day at Pimlico." "Take it easy." "I got this." "I'm gonna need a little nip, take the edge off." "Call the refill station and..." "Refills shut down an hour ago." "This can't be right." "Take a look for yourself." "Not much longer." "Just the new wiring harness." "What is it?" "We've got a problem." "The air refill station's been shut down." "We can't fill our ship's air tanks." "How much air do we have?" "Not counting us five, enough for about 52 people." "There's over 100 out there." "And they'll be coming faster now." "That's not good." "We open that door and announce we're taking 50 on a ship that fits 300, they'll tear each other apart and us." "I'll call the Roci." "Get Holden to come back." "You can't." "The Martian ships have jammed all our comms." "So we load up everyone and when our ship comes back, we transfer the overflow to the Rocinante." "And when your ship doesn't come back, you want to suffocate slow with a couple hundred people?" "I trusted you to repair my ship, don't ask me to trust James Holden." "Are you telling me we have to leave all those people behind?" "You wanna walk down that line, look at every face, and decide who gets to live?" "You think they're going to let you do that?" "We are not fucking leaving those people here!" "You did your homework." "You knew this was my favorite opera." " Mmm-hmm." " Don't quote me, but Earth still makes the most beautiful music." "Well, there's no short-cuts to culture." "Right?" "Please." "It's unfortunate we had to grin through those photo-ops tonight." "Pretending we'd signed a peace agreement." "But that's off the table until we have our wayward Marine back." "Well, then, let's talk solutions." "How many times have we worn our masks with each other?" "It becomes the habit." "What do you say we break that habit?" "For half an hour?" "Great." "Just had a new liver installed." "I need to break it in." "Well, sir, you're in luck." "Scottish gold." "It's 107 years old." "Found in a shipwreck off Scapa Flow." "Oh." "107 years old..." "I love that about Earth." "Well, you know what, you take that bottle." "It's a gift." "But as for the protomolecule," "Sergeant Draper was witness to a game-changing technology, and there can't be peace if one of us has it and not the other." "I understand you, Pyotr, because..." "Well, because you're me." "You've chosen to work outside the limits of your government, because you knew no one would see the big picture." "But our hour on the stage is short." "You gambled everything on the project, Sadavir." "And now you have debts you cannot pay." "I'm truly sorry one of us has to lose." "Aw, don't worry about me." "Or you, for that matter." "God damn it, think about our people." "About to blow each other up over Ganymede." "And it won't end there." "Let's not let the next war become our last war." "Attention." "This is an MCRN priority alert." "MCRN Karakum is on route to Ganymede Station and under no circumstances is the ship to be interfered..." "MCRN is securing a landing corridor for an inbound burner." "Those scientists were packin' up the lab to leave with that thing." "I'm guessin' that was their ride." "They're not gonna be too happy when they find out their lab rat is loose." "Even more reason to kill it now." "I guess you got your wish." "Mars is in the protomolecule business now, just like everyone else." "You know we don't know that for sure." "Yeah." "We do." "And Ganymede is their fake war to cover it up." "That lady, she's makin' a fool of you." "She's usin' you to keep us off her ship." "No money in saving' refugees." "You lying to me, coyos?" "When you gonna open this door?" " You finished?" " Yeah." "She'll fly." "Hey." "You know she's right." "We can't open that door again." "Why is all new technology first viewed as a weapon?" "To Mars, this could be the grail that shaves a century off our terra-forming efforts." "You're in that much of a rush?" "I think you'll empathize." "The young people on Mars don't give a shit." "They grew up under domes." "They don't embrace old men's dreams of turning Mars into another Earth." "The thing is, of course, that any power corrupts." "Even old men's dreams." "There's no evolving past that?" "No, Pyotr." "It was 186 minutes ago." "We spent billions developing this simple enzyme, to debilitate soldiers taking drugs for gravity sickness." "Your soldiers." "This enzyme can be genetically tailored for one recipient." "Absorbed instantly through the skin, without a trace." "Cardiac arrest." "An act of God." "I mean, this stuff was staggeringly effective." "But then, they banned it under the Brussels Act." "And yet, here we are, using it." "You give a monkey a stick, inevitably he'll beat another monkey to death with it." "You were right." "One of us has to lose." "Help!" "I need help!" "Get a medic!" "Get a medic!" "Security scans are complete." "We are clear to dock." "Madam Avasarala, we'll meet you at the airlock." "Aw." "Adorable." "That's how you never see me comin', sister." "I'm running ops here." " Understood?" " Not my first rodeo." "Oh, "cowgirl," consider yourself a diplomatic observer on this rodeo." "You served." "SIGINT, back in the day." "Ah." "Military intelligence." "Filing reports and hiding behind a desk, huh?" "Forward observer." "I spent plenty of time in the dirt." "My IQ tested too high to be a marine." "And your morals tested low enough to be a spy." "That's good training for politics." "No wonder you ended up in her world." "Actually, I got her son killed." "Madam, I am Captain Malik." "Welcome aboard the Guanshiyin." "Thank you, Captain." "My aides." "It's a beautiful ship." "Earth has been very good to Mr. Mao." "Do you like cucumbers?" "I was going to ask you where you got those lovely couches, but I don't want to run out of sparkling conversation before your boss joins us." "I don't think that will be a problem." "Hmm." "Madam Undersecretary," "I appreciate you coming here..." "Just get to the fu... ing point." "Karakum, respond." " What the heck?" " Karakum, respond." "Holden." "Patrol comms are going nuts." "The Karakum, it..." "It's gone." "You mean it veered off?" "Or went stealth?" "Nah, I mean it..." "It went dead." "There's still a heat signature where it used to be, but it's all scattered and dissipating." "I think someone blew it up." "You gonna behave like a pack of animals?" "That's how I treat you!" "Hey, hey, hey, hey!" "You push him again," "I send you out the nearest airlock, sa sa ke?" "What was that?" "Something fell out of orbit." "Something big." "Stop!" "Stop!" "Get back!" "Naomi, get ready to push off." "There's nothing we can do." "You even arrested my cousin." "He's a monk." "When you exonerate my family, unconditionally, unfreeze my assets, we'll talk about how I can help keep" "Earth and Mars from blowing up this whole goddamn system." "And I'll remind you," "I chose to work with Earth first." "And selling yourself to Mars was the remedy for a lovers' quarrel?" "In time, Earth may be granted access to the protomolecule, same as Mars." "You'll partner with my companies in funding and research." "Mars and Earth will maintain peace through balance, which you prefer to call mutually assured destruction." "And you'll remain in the middle, benefitting from both, somehow loyal to both?" "It's that simple." "A lovely thought." "But when parents fight, the child has a crisis of loyalty." "You've got that backwards, madame." "Earth and Mars are the children here, screaming for their trinkets." "Blind to a miracle..." "What is it?" "Sir, an urgent tight-beam from Secretary Errinwright." " Excuse me?" " It's for you, sir." "And the Undersecretary." "Put it up." "Time is short, and I'll be brief." "Martian Defense Minister Korshunov suffered a fatal heart attack earlier this evening." "Simultaneously, the MCRN Karakum, dispatched by Korshunov to take delivery of your protomolecule technology was destroyed over Ganymede." "And I gave the order." "And I can give the same order to end your life where you breathe at the same coordinates I'm sending this message." "You led him right to me..." "Don't be an idiot." "Monsieur Mao..." "There were two men in the entire universe who could protect your protomolecule project, and now Korshunov is dead." "I can assure you" "I'm the only friend you have left and do not test my resolve on this." "Chrisjen, if you're listening, you taught me, you drilled it into my head, that Earth must come first." "And now you've thrown me to the wolves for fulfilling my sacred oath while you grovel at the foot of Mars and Jules-Pierre Mao." "And that is the real betrayal here." "So, Jules, you will clean up the mess you made for me." "You will return to Earth alone." "You will await my instructions." "And you will get the fuck Back to work." "Easy now..." "Our sistems are online and we are commencing pre-flight checks." "We should be ready to depart the station in a few minutes." "Where the hell are you going?" "Naomi!" "What are you doing?" "We need to be strapped in, now." "I'm going to try talking to those people." "I can't let you do that." "People are scared." "A lot of them are going to die." "And I know you can't understand why that should matter but that's not my problem." "Those people will kill you." "Let go of me!" "Let go!" "Don't do it." "Naomi!" "Listen to me, please!" "You!" "You beltalowda!" "Letting your own die out here!" "Listen to me!" "The ship has air for 52." "Only 52." "I came out here to see what you and I could do about that." "Trying to trick me, huh?" "Like that sebakawala who flies this ship?" "Calm these people down and line them up." "Children first, best you can." "Do it and I'll trade places with you." "Why would you do that?" "I was on the last ship off Eros" "I didn't do enough." "I had a brother on Eros." "We all did." "The ship is locked from the inside!" "Get her to open the door!" "If they open that door right now, all of us are dead." "Give her to me I'll make her talk." "Fifty two people." "Help me save that many." "Get back!" "Everybody back!" "Get back!" "Go!" "Where is your pride, beltalowdas?" "We are tougher than anyone in the system." "Every single one of you knew, you were certain, on the day you were born, our life is hard." "Now, there is air for only 52 aboard." "Only 52 of us can go." "There will be children, young women and young men getting on." "If we have to stay back, we have to stay back." "So let's be tough and do what needs to be done." "Children, go." "That's ten." "Go!" "I'll have my turn." "Stay together." " No, he'll lose his place..." " Go!" "Next group, go!" "Move, move, that's right." " Go." " That's good." "Keep moving." "Keep moving." " Next group, go." " Thirty five." "I'm sorry sister." "And next group, go!" "Come on." "That's it." "No more." "Go." "You've earned it." "Thank you." "You're not finished yet." "Somnambulist, this is the harbormaster." "You do not have clearance to leave dock." "Return to your berth immediately." "You are violating MCRN flight restrictions." "Please acknowledge." "I got it!" "Alex get me a clear shot!" "Let me go out there and see if I can make contact." "Whatever happens, it's not on you..." "How are you gonna make contact?" "You saw what it did to those people in the lab." "They had it in a prison." "I need to know." "I can't let you do it." "This is a harbormaster alert." "The Somnambulist was not clear to depart and is violating MCRN rules." "All ships..." "Holden!" "The Somnambulist is pushing off, they're underway!" "Things must've gotten a lot worse on the ground." "Screw this, we're outta here." "We're not going anywhere till that thing is dead." "Are you insane?" "We are in a Martian no fly zone and their Black Ops ship just got blown to hell!" "The second the Somnambulist sticks its head outta the station it's gonna get lit up!" "Naomi was right." "And you know it." "This ain't gonna end anything." "And our family needs our help right now." "Somnambulist." "This is the MCRN Valkyrie." "Return to port or you will be fired upon." "Unable to comply." "The station is in collapse." "We are a relief ship, carrying refugees." "Standing orders are that no ship leaves the station." "Return now." "This is your final warning." "We cannot comply!" "We surrender." "Board us." "Take us into custody." "Just do not fire!" "Torpedo launch..." "Ha-ha!" "I got it." "I got it." "Somnambulist, what's your status?" "Status?" "You're a son-of-a-bitch!" " That's my status." " It's good to hear you, too." "Hold on, kids." "It ain't over." "We're being target locked." "Well target-lock them back!" "Every ship up there!" "Every PDC and torpedo we've got." "All right." "She's bristling." "Give me an open channel." "Oh, man." "Here we go again." "Okay, you're live." "This is the warship Rocinante." "You're aware of our capabilities more than anyone." "We're escorting a vessel of refugees away from your AO." "Any ship that opens fire on us, will feel the sum total of our state-of-the-art" "Martian arsenal, rammed up its ass." "We'll all die together." "This is our only and final warning, stay clear." "You know someone's gonna try and test us, right?" "Nah." "Not today." "They're saving their bullets for each other." "I'll be damned." "When'd you get so wise, Cap?" "I'll take it." "All right, we are good to go." "Sending rendezvous coordinates with the Somnambulist." "Looks like we're clear." "You did good today."