Bull makes his last stand. Then Holden attempts a series of last stands, each last-er than the last, but he keeps surviving. Clarissa decides that Anna's pacifism makes more sense then Cortez's planetary suicide plan, and saves the day. The gate defenses are lifted, and humanity is now free to explore what lies beyond.

We are Alice Sullivan, Micah Sparkman, and Jeff Lake.

Find us at armadillo.club!

Music: second stand by Alexandr Zhelanov licensed under CC-BY 3.0.

Holden, Anna, and Bull team up to launch a counter counter coup. Anna uses a message of peace and cooperation, while Holden and Bull use a message of bullets and explosives. Their plan works well until Ashford deploys his invincible power armor, and then things start to look pretty dire for the good guys.

We are Alice Sullivan, Micah Sparkman, and Jeff Lake.

Find us at armadillo.club!

Music: second stand by Alexandr Zhelanov licensed under CC-BY 3.0.

Holden is reunited with his crew on the Behemoth. They're finally safe as long as there isn't a coup. There is a coup (technically a counter-coup), led by Ashford and Cortez. Holden's crew realizes it's up to them to fix everything. Anna is unconvinced by Cortez's doomer theology, so she realizes it's up to her to fix everything. Bull survives the coup and realizes that Ashford must be stopped and it's up to him to fix everything.

We are Alice Sullivan, Micah Sparkman, and Jeff Lake.

Find us at armadillo.club!

Music: second stand by Alexandr Zhelanov licensed under CC-BY 3.0.

Bull adjusts to his new situation. It involves a mech. Holden is extracted from his mind-bending cosmic experience and returned an experience he's quite comfortable with: Martian military custody. Anna, having kicked Melba's ass, is determined to save Clarissa's soul.

We are Alice Sullivan, Micah Sparkman, and Jeff Lake.

Find us at armadillo.club!

Music: second stand by Alexandr Zhelanov licensed under CC-BY 3.0.

Holden has the cosmos downloaded into his brain. Then a Martian tries to blow him up, with dire consequences for everybody in the Slow Zone. Anna is injured in the calamity, and the injury leads her to experience combat drugs and then actual combat.

We are Alice Sullivan, Micah Sparkman, and Jeff Lake.

Find us at armadillo.club!

Music: second stand by Alexandr Zhelanov licensed under CC-BY 3.0.

The remaining ships hasten to follow Holden into the Ring. Because if that doofus can go in, anybody can. Holden has already gone to the next level though, heading inside the mysterious object at the center of the mysterious space on the other side of the mysterious Ring.

We are Alice Sullivan, Micah Sparkman, and Jeff Lake.

Find us at armadillo.club!

Music: second stand by Alexandr Zhelanov licensed under CC-BY 3.0.

Melba begins to enact her evil anti-Holden plot. It involves killing a lot of people who aren't Holden. The aftermath leaves Holden a wanted man in the entire solar system. Luckily, his ship is right next to a convenient exit from the solar system: The Ring.

We are Alice Sullivan, Micah Sparkman, and Jeff Lake.

Find us at armadillo.club!

Music: second stand by Alexandr Zhelanov licensed under CC-BY 3.0.

Holden tries to get his crew as far from the Ring as possible, and do it without attracting attention. He is not good at avoiding danger or publicity, so he ends up heading directly toward the Ring with a documentary crew aboard. Melba, Anna, and Bull also head toward the ring for reasons respectively evil, philosophical, and loyal.
We are Alice Sullivan, Micah Sparkman, and Jeff Lake.

Find us at armadillo.club!

Music: second stand by Alexandr Zhelanov licensed under CC-BY 3.0.