The Expanse, #2
Caliban’s War
by James S. A. Corey
Contents
Chapter Twenty-Five: Bobbie
Overview
Bobbie struggles with guilt over working for the UN, but Avasarala reframes Bobbie’s isolation from Mars as valuable counterintelligence rather than failure. The chapter then pivots from Bobbie’s insecurity to action when Bobbie follows Soren and catches him passing Avasarala’s memory stick to a member of Nguyen’s staff. This discovery exposes a leak inside Avasarala’s office and gives Bobbie a concrete chance to prove her loyalty to her new team.
Summary
Bobbie wakes before dawn in her UN-provided apartment, still clinging to Martian routines and repeatedly telling herself she is not a traitor. Her sparse room and packed duffel show that Bobbie expects Mars to call her home and fears that staying with Avasarala has cut her off from her former identity.
At Avasarala’s office, Soren tells Bobbie to obtain an early draft of the Martian statement on Ganymede so Avasarala can read diplomatic intent from changes between draft and release. Bobbie recognizes that leaked drafts can be manipulated, but Soren explains that even manipulated leaks reveal what Mars wants Earth to believe. Bobbie begins calling contacts, but no one from Mars will speak to her.
When Avasarala demands the draft, Bobbie admits that everyone back home is refusing her. Avasarala treats this failure as useful intelligence: if Mars were prepared to manipulate Bobbie, someone would already be feeding her false data. Because no one is contacting Bobbie, Avasarala concludes Mars is still uncertain about why Avasarala kept Bobbie close. Avasarala orders Bobbie to call everyone again and record the exact refusals.
Later, Bobbie’s irritation with Soren’s constant cookie-eating draws Bobbie’s attention to a tense call in which Soren mentions Foster. Soren retrieves the memory stick Avasarala had given him for data services, but instead of heading to that department, Soren goes to the elevators and leaves the building. Bobbie suspects something is wrong, thinks tactically, pages Soren back to the lobby to locate him, then follows Soren through the streets to a bar.
Inside the bar’s pool room, Bobbie finds Soren meeting a large, military-looking man whom Bobbie recognizes as one of Nguyen’s staff from the night Ganymede collapsed. The man pockets the black memory stick, confirming that Soren has passed Avasarala’s data to Nguyen’s side rather than data services. Bobbie challenges both men; the staffer backs away and leaves, while Soren tries to retreat. Bobbie grabs Soren and says she is not going to beat him up, but will report him to Avasarala.
Who Appears
- Bobbie DraperFormer Martian marine and liaison; wrestles with guilt, follows Soren, and exposes his leak.
- Chrisjen AvasaralaBobbie’s UN boss; turns Bobbie’s failed calls into useful counterintelligence.
- Soren CottwaldAvasarala aide; condescending colleague who secretly passes a memory stick to Nguyen’s staff.
- Nguyen’s stafferMilitary-looking lieutenant who receives Soren’s memory stick and withdraws when Bobbie confronts him.