Delta-V

At the UN, Avasarala is giving a speech declaring that Esteban has stepped down and the 'traitor' Errinwright was arrested. She proposes rather than seeking vengeance, it should instead be a new era. The protomolecule that left Venus is transforming itself, turning ultimately into a giant Ring outside of the orbit Uranus.

The show shifts to the introduction of Manéo Jung-Espinoza a Belter known for slingshotting, pilot of the Y Que. Manéo is shown maneuvering the Y Que through a slingshot route past Jupiter then, exits Jupiter's orbit on his way to Saturn. While performing these maneuvers, Manéo receives bad news from his girlfriend, Evita, who has begun dating Manéo's brother. His frustration is exacerbated by the news covering the protomolecule which has transformed into a ring now stationary in space and pre-empted the coverage of his own daring slingshot flight. Avasarala has set up a commission of artists, intellectuals and religious and philosophical leaders to investigate the Ring.

Several months later, it is 187 days since the protomolecule has left Venus. Manéo survives a daring flight past Saturn, blacking out from the high-g. When he comes to, Manéo catches the latest news revelation, James Holden is on his way out to the gate. Once again, the reporting of his own record-breaking slingshot feat is being overshadowed. This gives him an idea to alter his course for something even more history-making in a bid to reclaim Evita's affection.

On the Rocinante, the crew, minus Naomi, is being interviewed by a documentary team, Monica Stuart and her camera guy. Holden and Monica have conversation and it is revealed the Rocinante's expenses in the crew's legal defense over theft charges brought against them by the MCRN are being paid by Monica in exchange for continuing access to the crew. While Alex is chatty, Holden and especially Amos are more reticent or passively hostile to the journalists. Monica, who has done some background research on Amos, pries into his past, revealing Amos left Baltimore at the age of 15 under the guise of a lottery program. Yet there was also an 'Amos Burton' who was a Baltimore crime boss. Upset by the line of questioning, Amos destroys the camera drone hovering in front of him. Monica and the cameraman each offer to sleep with Amos. He declines them both, saying he doesn't shit where he eats. After taking some footage of Holden, the cameraman is shown surreptitiously examining the control panels of the Rocinante operations deck.

Anna approaches a science officer named Kolvoord on the observation deck of the UNN Thomas Prince and inquires about his opinion on the nature of the protomolecule-based ring. He is concerned that they have been unable to detect anything emanating through the ring in the last six months he's been watching closely. He is astonished with Anna's line of questions especially in light of her religious background. He is weary that the technology the ring represents is from an extremely intelligent life-form and hopes it is inert.

On the Behemoth, Chief Engineer Nagata and Captain Drummer greet Klaes Ashford, who has arrived to become First Officer. Ashford represents the side of the new OPA state associated with Anderson Dawes while Drummer is associated with Fred. On her way to the meeting, Naomi ran into a drug deal involving two techs. There is some obvious contention between Drummer and Ashford who is not granting Drummer the respect a captain is due. They are interrupted when they find the tech, who was involved in the drug deal, has died in a work accident. Naomi confesses that she was aware of the drug deal to Drummer who later takes action by almost spacing the supplier of the drugs. In a public demonstration, Drummer has her team drag both the dealer and his supplier to an airlock and tosses the supplier in. Ashford interrupts the execution in a public display that clearly undermines Drummer's authority. He implores Drummer reconsider citing the professed desire to behave with the restraint of citizens in a new civil Belter state lead by the OPA. Naomi approaches Drummer to express quietly agreement with Ashford's recommendation. Drummer relents releasing the supplier and starts to make a declaration of consequences for anyone who does not take advantage of amnesty for contraband placed into that same airlock within the next 24 hours. Ashford interjects and further undermines her authority by stating the consequences would be suspension and imprisonment despite what seemed Drummer's apparent punishment would've been.

A team of engineers working for the UN's flotilla out to the Ring, comprising of Melba, Ren Hazuki and another engineer, Stannislaw Kulp, get orders to perform maintenance on the Seung Un. A nervous Melba, is shown placing explosives in a hatch. Later, Ren picks up a tool near the hatch where Melba placed the explosives. Ren, initially implores to her that there is an alternative where she needn't proceed with you planned terrorism. After Melba expresses her regret that he found the bomb, he tries to downplay the situation, saying they can cover it up, pretend it never happened, and he doesn't want to get into a fight with her. Melba, who can't go back, activates her combat enhancement glands. In a rush of strength, Melba makes a flying leap at Ren. Next, she is able to pick him up and fling him against the deck across the corridor. Finally, she drives his head into a nearby panel like a battering ram before dropping him. Immediately, Melba passes out on the deck alongside Ren.

Aboard the Y Que, his objective becomes apparent, Manéo is getting within sensor range of the MCRN Hammurabi close to the gate. In a stalling tactic, Manéo claims he's having issues and will turn on his drive soon. When the Y Que passes through the plane of the Ring, a barrier appears and the Y Que makes a rapid unscheduled deceleration. Inside the Y Que, Manéo is dead. Subjected to incredibly high g-forces, Manéo's face and body liquefied in the instant the ship decelerated, splattering against the cabin interior.

In the last scene, Holden is in the head, when he hears incoherent muttering in the room next to him. When Holden enters the room next to him, he finds a confused Miller sitting and muttering, "There are no laws on Ceres. Just cops." In disbelief, Holden blinks and Miller vanishes.