Flashbacks from 137 years prior show Solomon Epstein, a Martian, envisioning a future where Mars has broken free from Earth's control based on his invention. In the present, Avasarala demands that Errinwright brings Mao out of hiding by threatening Mao's family and business empire. On Tycho, Fred Johnson's idea to use the thirty missing nukes as a bargaining chip against Earth and Mars angers Holden. The crew on the Rocinante commiserate over Miller's death and agree to launch the protomolecule sample into the sun, as it is too dangerous to keep. But Naomi fakes the launch, leading everyone but her to believe there is now no sample left. On Ganymede, Bobbie Draper and her crew are sent to patrol the agricultural farms, and they see UN marines running towards them, firing. Meanwhile, the Scirocco is engaged in battle and Sutton is killed. After the battle, Bobbie regains consciousness and finds an inhuman figure standing over her.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Adaptation Expansion: Barring the Epstein flashbacks and the Ganymede incident towards the end, pretty much every scene in this episode is original to the show.
- Chekhov's Gun: Bobbie and the other marines notice an unlicensed drone monitoring them on Ganymede.
- Everyone Knew Already: Holden confesses to Alex and Amos about his and Naomi's relationship. With a completely straight face, Amos asks how long it's been going on, and Holden tells him... only for Amos and Alex to burst out laughing. It turns out they've known for a while and had a bet between them about when it started.
- Gone Horribly Right: Solomon Epstein's drive test. It works so well that he's under too much G-force to turn it off, and he eventually strokes out and dies.
- Like Brother and Sister: Amos confirms to Holden that he sees Naomi like a sister. Though, he also makes things hilariously awkward when he admits he'd definitely still have sex with Naomi anyway if she was interested, completely
squicking out Holden. - Posthumous Narration: Epstein narrates, in the past tense, the events leading up to his death, concluding (as he dies from a G-force-induced stroke with his ship still flying off past Jupiter) that he knows that his wife will at least be financially secure with the designs for his revolutionary new ship drive.
