Holden prepares to board the irradiated Agatha King to retrieve the remote transponder codes needed to stop the launched protomolecule weapons. Naomi quietly begs Holden not to go, but Holden argues that Avasarala, Amos, Prax, Bobbie, and Naomi all have reasons they cannot take the mission. Holden chooses a bulky radiation-resistant hazard suit instead of armor, accepts Amos’s help, and asks Amos to protect Prax and Mei during the Io assault.

Naomi and Holden confront the emotional cost of the mission. Naomi insists on staying with Holden over the radio and demands that Holden solve problems with her instead of playing the hero. Holden agrees, kisses Naomi, and takes the Razorback through the battle debris toward the crippled Agatha King.

Using Souther’s admiralty-level override code, Holden enters the Agatha King through an external airlock. The radiation is dangerously high, but the suit holds. A frightened UN sailor named Larson attacks Holden with a wrench, mistaking Holden for a monster, then explains that Larson had been trapped in the airlock storage area since the protomolecule creature boarded. Holden orders Larson into an environment suit and offers Larson evacuation if Larson guides Holden quickly to the command information center.

As Larson leads Holden through apparently intact but eerily deserted corridors, Holden worries about the missing crew and the pools of brown goo. Larson reveals that ship location checks kept placing crew members in the forward galley. When they pass near it, Holden sees blue firefly-like protomolecule lights and hundreds of improved vomit-zombie infected crew members with glowing blue eyes and disturbing awareness. Holden shoots several and protects Larson as both men barely escape into the elevator shaft and reach the CIC.

Inside the CIC, Holden finds Admiral Nguyen alive, armed, and holding the remote codes. Nguyen tries to bargain the codes for rescue, but Holden refuses to save the man responsible for the crisis and shoots Nguyen in the throat. Holden takes the codes and opens the ship’s self-destruct control, realizing there is no timer and that someone must stay behind to trigger it.

Larson notices that the elevator doors tore Larson’s suit and that protomolecule goo has contaminated the tear. Knowing Larson cannot safely leave the ship and may become infected, Larson volunteers to press the self-destruct button. Holden promises that Larson’s sacrifice will be known, then escapes through another airlock, discarding the contaminated hazard suit and stealing a clean UN vac suit. Back on the Razorback, Holden sends the codes to Souther’s ship and returns toward the Rocinante as the Agatha King explodes in white fire.