The Expanse, #2
Caliban’s War
by James S. A. Corey
Contents
Chapter Thirteen: Holden
Overview
Holden, Prax, and Amos obtain the missing security footage and confirm that Dr. Strickland personally carried Mei into an abandoned section of Ganymede just before the battle began. The discovery that all children with Mei’s rare immune disorder are missing transforms the search from a personal rescue into evidence of a coordinated operation.
Amos’s brutal reaction to the hacker’s extortion reveals a volatile protectiveness around abducted children, while Holden and Naomi infer that the Ganymede war may have been engineered as a cover-up. The crew prepares to enter the hidden area expecting either Mei, clues, or armed opposition.
Summary
After the food riot, Amos returns from unspecified reconnaissance with beer, then accompanies Holden and Prax to find the hacker who can provide more security footage. Before leaving, Holden notices Prax’s extreme physical and emotional exhaustion: Prax is driven almost entirely by the need to recover Mei. Prax’s desperation makes Holden reflect on his own connection to Naomi, prompting Holden to briefly embrace Naomi before the search continues.
Prax leads Holden and Amos through Ganymede’s damaged, confusing corridors while Naomi tracks them remotely from the Somnambulist. They reach the hacker’s room and offer canned food as payment. When the teenage hacker tries to demand more because Prax is desperate, Amos violently beats the hacker with a can, forcing Holden to intervene before Amos seriously injures or kills him.
The frightened hacker accesses the footage. Holden, Prax, and Naomi follow the trail of Mei’s abduction: Dr. Strickland carried Mei away with an unidentified woman whose credentials had been inserted into the school system as Mei’s mother. Prax explains that Mei has a rare immune disorder requiring regular treatment, and that sixteen other children with the same condition are also missing. The footage shows Strickland taking Mei through an old pressure hatch into a disused utility-storage area where the cameras end.
As Holden and Naomi analyze the discovery, they conclude that Strickland likely took the other children as well and that the timing is too precise to be coincidence. Because the abduction happened just before Earth and Mars began fighting over Ganymede, Holden suspects the war may have been triggered to cover the kidnappings, echoing tactics associated with Protogen. Back aboard the Somnambulist, the crew reviews the footage and considers three possibilities behind the hatch: armed enemies, abandoned clues, or Mei herself.
Holden assigns preparations accordingly. Naomi will ready a terminal and radio link to penetrate any network they find, Prax will prepare for Mei’s medical needs and how to gain her trust, and Holden and Amos will prepare for violence. Amos, still carrying the intensity of his earlier outburst, welcomes the chance to arm up.
Who Appears
- James HoldenLeads the search for Mei, restrains Amos, and connects the abduction to the wider conspiracy.
- Praxidike MengExhausted father driven to find Mei; identifies Strickland and explains the missing children’s illness.
- Amos BurtonProtective crew mechanic who violently punishes the hacker for exploiting Prax’s desperation.
- Naomi NagataTracks the team remotely, follows the hacker’s data trail, and prepares network tools for the investigation.
- Teenage hackerGanymede scavenger who trades security footage for food and is beaten after attempting extortion.
- Mei MengMissing child seen on footage being carried by Strickland into an abandoned station area.
- Dr. StricklandMei’s trusted doctor; recorded abducting her and suspected of taking other sick children.
- Unidentified womanAccompanies Strickland; her false authorization was inserted into school records as Mei’s mother.