Chrisjen Avasarala attends a high-level United Nations military meeting about the Ganymede crisis. The generals argue over whether to delay talks with Mars, posture militarily, or move forces in ways that could pressure both Ganymede and Mars. Reports suggest the initial attacker may be related to the Eros protomolecule but differs from the Eros outbreak, raising the possibility that someone has refined or weaponized it.

Avasarala cuts through the debate by saying Earth should meet with Mars, effectively making that the decision. After leaving the generals to work out security, Avasarala instructs her assistant Soren Cottwald to cancel lesser business, get a clear summary on Venus, and quietly monitor Admiral Nguyen, whose hawkish behavior she distrusts.

In Avasarala's office, the sight of Venus prompts reflection on how radically the system has changed since the discovery of Phoebe and the protomolecule. When Sadavir Errinwright calls, Avasarala reports that the Martian summit will proceed and argues that the public story should stay focused on Earth-Mars tension rather than Venus or Eros.

Avasarala reveals her real fear: Venus showed increased activity at the same time as the Ganymede fighting, and if the Ganymede creature made itself rather than being built by Mars or another human actor, Earth has no meaningful plan. She intends to use the summit to determine whether Mars created the attacker, whether another faction did, or whether the protomolecule is acting independently. Errinwright agrees to help keep the secretary-general's message controlled, and Avasarala warns that any leak of attack footage must be treated severely.

After sending Soren to gather testimony from the Eros hearings for neuro-psychological review, Avasarala briefly calls her husband Arjun to say she will be late. Comforted by the exchange but unable to leave, she returns to intelligence files, battle analysis, and summit planning while Venus shines outside her window.