Chapter Thirty-Eight: Bull

In the sweltering medical bay, Bull endures worsening illness and spinal damage while refusing extended treatment, determined to keep the Behemoth orderly until Holden’s plan can be tested. He plans for long-term survival—food, soil, heat—while relying on stimulants to stay functional.

Corin alerts Bull that Jojo and Gutmansdottir have drawn weapons and seized the security office, and Bull discovers he’s locked out of command systems. Fearing a broader coup centered on freeing Ashford, he warns Captain Pa and urges caution around the broadcast center to avoid triggering panicked rescue attempts.

Sam answers from engineering and confirms the worst: Ashford, escorted by armed men, has taken engineering and ordered her to overclock the comm laser to destroy the Ring, claiming it will save humanity. With no safe haven, Bull flees the medical area, narrowly avoiding hostile searchers, and hides en route to a vacant storage section.

As Bull descends via maintenance passages, he contacts Serge, who reports Ashford controls the drum transitions to command and engineering, the armory, and has roaming squads sowing chaos. Serge has a backdoor into comms and begins assembling loyalist teams to retake the drum, while both men acknowledge they may need to kill Ashford if necessary.

With Pa going to ground and lines of trust uncertain, Bull cedes tactical action to Serge and remains hidden, preserving leadership as Ashford accelerates toward firing the comm laser at the Ring.