"_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "_" "Target in position." "All hands back to stations." "Prepare to fire." "Please!" "Get me out of here!" "_" "Ceres was once covered in ice." "Enough water for 1,000 generations." "Until Earth and Mars stripped it away for themselves." "This station became the most vital port in the Belt." "But, the immense wealth and resources that flow through our gates were never meant for us." "Belters work the docks, loading and unloading precious cargo." "We fix the pipes and filters that keep this rock living and breathing." "We Belters toil and suffer, without hope and without end." "And for what?" "One day, Mars will use its might to wrest control of Ceres from Earth, and Earth will go to war to take it back." "It's all the same to us." "No matter who controls Ceres, our home, to them, we will always be slaves." "That's all we are to the Earthers and Dusters." "They built their solar system on our backs, spilled the blood of a million of our brothers." "But in their eyes, we're not even human anymore." "So, the next time you look in the mirror, say the word." "Slave." "Every time we demand to be heard, they hold back our water, owkwa beltalowda, ration our air, ereluf beltalowda, until we crawl back into our holes, imbobo beltalowda, and do as we are told." "Watch your eyes." "People get killed over a wrong look around here." "We could run him in for inciting." " Time and a place." " Hey, you, Badge." "Day's coming soon, keya?" "And when the blood is on the wall, sasa ke which side you're on?" "Yeah, I'll know." "See you then, welwala." "What is welwala?" ""Traitor to my people."" "Come on, we have work to do." "Just tell me what happened." "Take your time." " Forgotten arm, keya?" " Forgotten arm, yeah." "Hmm." "If any of these guys come round again, shoah." "All right, let in the coroner." "Let him clean it up." "What did she mean, "forgotten arm"?" "The thing you never see coming." "Don't start." "You are never gonna pass for a Belter." "Every time they look at you, they're always gonna see Earth." "Coming from a guy dressed like an Earther." "What's the deal with the hat?" "Keeps the rain off my head." "Okay." "What am I looking for?" "All right." "See that piss-poor rock hopper down there?" "He's trying to cover it up with that baggy flight suit." "See the way the skin hangs off his bones?" "You get the red eyes and the shakes when your body rejects the growth hormones." "You also get that from a little too much whiskey." "Nah, tremors, man." "That's from growing up in low-G." "Your muscles don't develop right." "I guess that's from generations in low-G, huh?" "Someday, I'd say every Belter's gonna look just like that." "What about you?" "What about me?" "What's your tell?" "Let me help you with that, inyaloda." "This one, he has spurs at the top of his spine where the bones didn't fuse right." "He got the cheap bone density juice when he was a child." "Probably a ward of the station." "So, even if he disguises himself, he's just like me." "I am nothing like you, longbone." "Take your OPA bullshit back to the Medina, and wait for the revolution with all the rest of the victims." "Please, why don't you go outside..." "Lunch break's over." "Hey, voyu..." "Detective," "I've been looking all over for you." "Hmm." "I trust you changed those air filters, right?" "Full compliance, mi sa-sa." "Good, good." "Now arriving." " Mid-town level..." " No need to pay a visit, then." " Exit for Star Helix Police" " Excuse me." "and Emergency Services." "Come on." "Okay, I'm gonna ask you one more time." "Stop grinning like an idiot and give me your real name." "I promise you things will not go well for you if you do not..." " Jesus, Miller!" " Do you hear her?" "Miller!" "Hey!" " Get the cuffs off." " If I want his ass kicked," "I'll do it myself." "I know who you are!" "I'll find you!" "I'll find you!" "I'll find you!" "Any laws against beating up suspects?" "No laws in Ceres." "Just cops." "I have something for you." "New contract." "Just you." "Not Havelock." "He's too new." "You sidelining me, Captain?" "No, this is off-book." "On your own time." "A favor someone down on Earth is doing for a shareholder." "Oh, we're groveling to the shareholders now?" "I need someone discreet." "Ah." "Say no more." "I've linked you into the files." "A little lost daughter case." "Ariadne and Jules-Pierre Mao." "Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile?" "They're Luna-based." "They do a lot of shipping through here." "And they misplaced a daughter?" "Black sheep." "Went to college, got involved with a group called the "Far Horizons Foundation."" "Students." "With big ideas and big mouths." "Why do the parents want her found all of a sudden?" "Probably got tired of her embarrassing the old man." "It's all in the files." "Okay." "So..." "So, what's my contract exactly?" "Find Julie Mao, if she's still here on Ceres, detain her, and ship her home." "Kidnap job." "My pleasure." "_" "So, what you gonna do with your bonus check when we get this ice to Ceres?" "Well, I'm not gonna make the same mistake as last time." "Casino before brothel." "You got cleaned out." "Yeah." "And let me tell you, brothels on Ceres don't like extending credit." "Bet I can load twice the ice that you do in half the time." "Am I smelling a wager, ke?" "Not yet." "But I will drag my..." "Watch out!" "You're entirely too good at this." "I told you, I've got no power to get you promoted on this ship." "Well, then I take it back." "Standby for thrust correction." "Warning." "Gravity has..." "Holden, report to the flight deck." "We never saw it." "Sorry, cowboy, but we did." "We got a code 22, Cameron Paj." "Can't find the XO." "All right, all right, I'll hunt him down." "Don't get dressed." "Hey, Paj, how's the arm?" "Looking good." "Still got a few nerves, though." "Shed's been telling me how the prosthetic's gonna hook up." "Well, you know that naturally, the company'll try to screw you out of a good one, right?" "I've been signed on long enough to get one with force feedback, pressure and temp sensors, the whole package." "I know." "What you should have is that new bio-gel they developed on the inner planets." "Then you wouldn't need a prosthetic." "It regrows the limb perfectly." "Screw the Inners and their magic Jell-O." "No offense, Holden." "No, I'd rather a Belter-built fake any day." "That's 'cause you're stubborn as hell." "No worries, Paj." "Hey, I need some Z-PRO." "Been cleaned out for two weeks." "You're gonna have to count sheep, sorry." "Oh, I do have something a little stronger, though, if you've got the, uh, scrip." "Nah." " No?" " No." "Hey, seriously, Holden." "you won't let them screw me out of an arm, will you?" "I don't wanna used one." "I'm just a clock-puncher like you, Paj." "Hey!" "Hey, you seen the XO?" "No, sa-sa." "Just follow the reek of whiskey." " That's not nice." " It's the truth." "You didn't sign the PRP." "I didn't sign the what?" "It's the retrofit..." "It's the retrofit proposal to overhaul this bucket before it breaks apart." " Ah." " If Naomi says it'll happen, you can take it to the bank." "Listen, kids, I've been here longer than you." "It's way cheaper for the company to settle up with a few widows than to overhaul this old barge." "The truth." "Besides, the Cant is a legend for her scars." "Badges of endurance." "Hey, do you have a pry bar?" "Make sure I get it back." "Sure." "You must tell me the amazing story of how you managed to become a second officer." " My biggest failure in life." " Look out below!" "Welcome to the rodeo." "Ladies and gentlemen, please sit back, relax and enjoy the ride." "Ceres Station, here we come." "Please adjust your tray tables and seat backs into their upright and locked positions..." "Shut up and fly, would ya?" "You, too, Boo Boo." "Okay, reverse thrust." "B5..." "How are we looking, kids?" "It's easy as pickling' eggs, Hoss." "Paj needs approval for a new arm." "I gotta get XO on it." "Have you seen him?" "If I said I had, I'd be lyin'." "Hey, XO!" "Hey!" "All right, I'm coming in, and I don't wanna see anything hairy." "♪ Daffodil" "♪ A daffodil ♪" "Rosa..." "Priscitha..." "Roses." "Daisies." "♪ Daisy" "Ah, Jimmy boy." "You know what I just can't figure out?" "We make it all this way, so far out into the darkness." "Why couldn't we have brought more light?" "I hear ya..." "Okay, come on, now, X." "Whoa!" "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" "Oh, my God." "Just lay back, real slow, okay?" "What's that?" "Okay, everything's gonna be fine, all right?" "Daisy, bluebell..." "Pull that tight." "He started talking to his plants about six months ago." "I figured he would've pulled himself out of it." "So it goes." "It's been a long time comin'." "Are you kidding?" "No." "I thought I was getting my walking papers." "What for?" "Well, fraternizing with our navigator, for starters." "What?" "Look, people like you." "You get things done, and you're gonna make a good XO." "You got me pegged wrong, Captain." "Captain's never wrong." "First lesson, free." "You've been on the Cant five years now." "Turned down two transfers." "Face it, this is your home." "It's your family." "Is this where we hug?" "So, why haven't you moved on, then?" "Because no one tried to push an XO badge on me." "I like things the way they are." "Evolve or die." "Then at least I'll die grinning." "Don't be stupid." "One of these days," "Earth and Mars are gonna bury the hatchet and hammer out a treaty." "Yeah, and now you're dreamin', Cap." "I'm a man of great vision." "You'll see." "Means we'll finally get out of the ice-hauling business and into the Earth-Mars business." "Less risk, way better reward." "Maybe a chance to see Earth again." "What makes you think I wanna see Earth again?" "You a "wanted man" back in Montana?" "Maybe I am." "Someday you'll tell me that story." "Right after you tell me the story about those." "Well, those are, uh, mine." "It's just..." "There's..." "I don't care about your past." "Everybody on the Cant is hiding from something." "Yeah, I appreciate the offer, Cap." "Hey, boss, we need you out here." "You gotta see this." "Hang on to this for a couple of days." "It might feel good in the pocket." "Picked up a Mayday." "Looks like a light freighter." "Calls itself the Scopuli." "Anyone else in the vicinity?" "No siree, Bob, we are the only ship in three million clicks." " Of course we are." " Got it." "Next to a charted, non-Belt asteroid." "What the hell were they doing way out there?" "We're obligated to check it out." "I'm well aware of the statute, Ms. Nygaard." "It's pirate bait." "That far outside the shipping lanes?" "It's not far out of our way, Captain." "Two days at most." "A delay means we lose our berth at Ceres." "Kiss our on-time bonus goodbye." "I say we move on and let the good god Darwin sort it out." "What goes around comes around." "One of these days, it's gonna be us stranded out there." "Captain gave an order, people." "Purge the logs." "We never received that signal." "Set the watch and proceed." "See, you're a natural." "That was some real XO shit in there." "No." "That was me wanting to get to Ceres worse than you." "_" "_" "Thanks for backing me up on that distress call." "McDowell's got a nose for trouble." "He's been doing this a while longer than we have." "I guess you really are sucking up for that XO badge." "Turned him down flat." "You kidding me?" "You'd be on the short path to Captain." "Exactly." "Besides, if I took it, we'd have to stop seeing each other." "Well." "You know." "There's that saying about all good things." "I told you." "A couple more rotations and I'd be moving on." "A couple is..." "You know, two at least." "I assumed." "Hey." "There's right now and there's later." "Why worry about later, right?" "Right." "Come on, Jim." "Lie down." "I promise I won't lay a finger on you." "I can't sleep." "I'll take over." "I'll buy you a bottle on Ceres." "I'll settle for a good cup of coffee." "_" "_" "_" "_" "Please help me." "Is anybody there?" "Please." "Please help me." "_" "Hey!" "How many times have I told you?" "This calls for tickling!" "No!" "No, please, no!" "He'll wet himself if you're not careful." "That's the advantage of being a grandparent." "I get to hand him off to his mother." "Amma, do you have to go?" "Yes, I do." "I'm sorry." "There's someone I need to talk to." "Are people fighting again?" "Not yet." "That's why we need to talk, and tell the truth." "When people don't tell the truth, it always ends badly." "_" "You've been linked to a radical faction of the OPA." "Were you just a courier?" " _" " How long has he been out of the tank?" "Ten hours." "I'm sorry the gravity of a real planet hurts." "But it's appropriate." "You wish to hurt Earth." "The Earth that is now crushing your weak Belter lungs, and your fragile Belter bones." "All you have to do to make it stop is talk." "You're an OPA terrorist." "You were carrying contraband stealth technology." "What was it for?" "A whisper will do, if that's all you can manage." "Hey." "Give him another 10 hours." "If he survives, call me." "Now arriving, Medina Exchange District." "Everybody calm down, all right!" "Back away." "Back up, people!" "Hey!" "Back up, buddy," "I'm talking to you!" "What's up, doll?" "Cheap-ass air filters crapped out." "Second time this month." "I guess this guy pays well to be taken care of, huh?" "Yeah, he pays our bosses pretty well, too, pal." "Look, don't try to save the whole station on your first day." "Pace yourself." "Any rain yet?" "That distress call we never received, it was logged with HQ." "By some anonymous, piece-o'-shit do-gooder aboard this ship." "Well, at least somebody has a soul." "I swear, I find the rat..." "Quit lookin' at me, Byers, or I'll put your lights out." "Any ol' time, girl." "Now, we're forced to divert, or the firm's legally on the hook." "Holden." "You'll head up this rescue, or salvage, whatever we're calling it." "Put a shuttle team together." "Is there a problem, XO?" "Acting XO, sir." "I ain't goin'." "No way, no how." "Well, you ain't invited." "Alex, ping the beacon that we're on our way and let Ceres know that we're gonna be late." "Ms. Nygaard?" "If we flip right now and burn like hell," "I can get us within 50,000 clicks." "Oh, great." "Then we'll all be puking in our crash-couches while the cargo busts loose and scuttles the ship." "Make sure that ice stays put." "Naomi." "How's the Knight looking?" "She's one leaky lifeboat." "She should be able to manage 50,000 clicks of vacuum." "All right, then you're on board." "This is Holden." "We've logged a distress call near CA-2216862." "We're obliged to change our course and respond." "Make sure your acceleration drug dispensers are full." "This will be a high-G maneuver." "Prepare for flip and burn." "Here comes the juice." "I can't figure out why Cap would put you in charge of this little excursion." "Well, he still thinks he's grooming me for bigger things." "Then he's wasting his time." "That's what I keep telling him." "If your girlfriend logged that distress call, she's gonna be living it down for a long time." "I did it." "I just couldn't shake it." "I'd keep that to myself if I were you." "What's the good word, y'all?" "All right." "How's my sweet old rust bucket today?" "Well, I guess we'll find out, won't we?" "I guess so." "Okay." "So just for the record, guys," "I don't wanna be here right now." "Me neither." "But here we are." "One big, happy unit." "Knight, your flight plan is set." "It'll be a two-hour trip to the tango, flying tea-kettle." "Thank you, Canterbury." "Welcome, Knight." "Godspeed." "If you see anything that seems off, you pack up the toys and come on home." "No heroes, Captain." "Clear to leave the barn." "Good luck." "Really?" "She's off the clock." "Then she can tell me that." "I'd keep an eye on that guy." "I hear he collects moon rocks in his spare time." "You wanna know what else he's into?" "Hey, hey, now." "I'm just lookin' out for you." "I need a woman's intuition." "Who is she?" "Oh, she's just a missing persons case" "I'm not "permitted to discuss," you know." "Juliette Andromeda Mao." "She's the richest bachelorette in the system." "Now what would a rich girl do to really piss Daddy off on Ceres?" "Are you asking what I did?" "Bang every space bucker I could find." "That's not helpful." "Oh, I'm sorry, Miller." "Did you come here for my help?" "Come on." "Admit it." "You miss me." "You miss these little chats." "Good night, Miller." "Eat something, for God's sake." "You look like hell." "_" "Config matches the registry information." "It's definitely the Scopuli." "No IR or electro-mag other than the distress beacon." "Looks like the reactor's shut down, but no radiation leakage." "What about that thing that looks like a big hole in the side?" "Uh, LADAR says it's a big hole in the side." "Well, the big array on the Cant's reading no one within a million clicks." "Looks like we're the only game in town." "Well, we came, we looked, we, uh, left." "No one's gonna know if we set foot on that thing." "_" "Take us in." "And, Alex, if something nasty's hiding in that ship, we bolt like hell and melt anything behind us into slag." "Good plan, Hoss." "All right, I'll go in and poke around." "I'll go with him." "Good times." "How do you think that happened?" "It wasn't a torpedo." "A breaching charge did that." "Amos." "Keep that gun out." "Engineering first." "I wanna know why that reactor's offline." "Reactor wasn't killed by the blast." "Someone went through the shutdown procedures." "So, if everyone's dead, who turned it off?" "Well, it wasn't pirates." "They wouldn't have left all that behind." "And they left all the pressure doors open." "So no one could hide." "Six o'clock!" "Naomi, Shed, we need more eyes in here." "All right." "Meet us on the bridge." "Hey, guys?" "Where are all the bodies at?" "Amos, cut out the data core." "We'll take it with us." "Roger that." "These panels are all dead." "How are they sending a distress beacon with dead comms?" "Does that look like a..." "Well, maybe not..." "If it was a bomb, we'd be toast." "It's a transmitter." "This must be the beacon that called us." "Somebody planted it." "Pirate bait." "McDowell was right." "Hoss, forwarding you an A-1 tight-beam from the Canterbury." "Holden, a ship just appeared near your location." "How is that possible?" "You cleared us out to a million clicks." "It didn't show up on any of our scopes." "We're setting you a rendezvous point." "Get the hell back here." "Alex!" "Disengage!" "My pleasure." "Disengaging!" "Where did that thing come from?" "Damned if I know!" "Just suddenly, it was there." "Stealth tech." "Has to be." "Who the hell has stealth like that?" "Mars." "_" "That's more thinner to the mix, all right?" "All right." "Hey, hey, you see that other one?" " What was that?" " You got that other one with you?" "That's a cute kid." "How old?" "Two and a half." "Hi." "How about you?" "Any kids?" "Yeah, no." "I missed that boat." "There you go, pal." "My turn." "My turn." "Me turn, me turn!" "We had an understanding, Detective!" "An arrangement!" "You can't just..." "It was a mistake!" "You made your point." "I'm a changed man!" "Thank you for opening my eyes!" "Twice the money!" "I'll pay you double!" "Air is good, don't you think?" "Air is nice." "Keep those filters clean, asshole." "Knight, we have your rendezvous." "Negative." "Unable." "Advise." "Bogey is 12,000 clicks and closing." "Holden, advise!" "Torpedo launch!" "We're gonna take 'em for a ride." "Alex, go around the asteroid." "Run 'em!" "Now!" "Lead the torpedoes into the rock." "What is your situation?" "Please advise!" "Six thousand clicks." "Five..." "Four..." "Three..." "Those weren't meant for us." "Canterbury, burn like hell, you've got incoming!" "Right 30, G-burn." "Do it!" "Now!" " Range?" " Two-four." "Closing." "Standby cargo door." "Captain, eject the ice as a shield." "We're on it!" "Stay off this channel." "Ade?" "Ade, did Mac eject the ice?" "Did he eject the ice?" "You take a hit, you stay calm." "They just want the cargo." "We'll SOS, start negotiations for prisoner release, okay?" " Just..." " Jim." "There's something you should know..." "She's gone." "They nuked her." "She's gone."