Against the tense backdrop of the Solar System's three-way power struggle, Commander Johnson of Tycho Station uncovered a pivotal piece of intelligence that could reshape the balance of power—a mysterious stealth ship. He immediately relayed this information to Undersecretary-General Avasarala of the United Nations, revealing that the warship, equipped with cutting-edge stealth technology, did not belong to any known official faction. Instead, it was intricately linked to Jules-Pierre Mao, the father of the missing heiress Julie and a preeminent tycoon in the Solar System. Behind it lay Protogen Corporation, a secret subsidiary under Mao's control. This discovery was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, planting new seeds of peril in the already convoluted interstellar conflicts.
Meanwhile, Detective Miller from Ceres, who had once investigated Julie's disappearance, was deeply troubled by the catastrophe wrought by the protomolecule virus. Eros, the epicenter of the virus's spread, was undergoing unknown mutations. Should the virus break free from the station's containment, the entire Solar System would face imminent destruction. After careful deliberation, Miller devised a desperate plan: to use the immense size of the Mormon colonization ship Nauvoo to ram and destroy Eros, thereby cutting off the virus's spread at its source. He traveled to Tycho Station to seek cooperation, personally explaining to Captain Holden of the Rocinante the urgency and necessity of the plan. Holden, well aware of the virus's horrors and Eros's threat to Solar System security, ultimately agreed to lead his crew in the mission, sharing the burden of saving civilization alongside Miller.
As preparations for the operation unfolded at a frantic pace, Avasarala took decisive action—she ordered the wreckage of the stealth ship to be moved into the patrol route of the UN Fleet, exposing the secret to the public. Following the revelation, Jules-Pierre Mao, due to Protogen's direct connection to the stealth ship, immediately became the primary target of a UN investigation. Faced with questioning, Mao attempted to deflect responsibility by claiming ignorance of Protogen's secret projects, but he failed to provide compelling evidence to prove his innocence. His corporate empire was thus plunged into an unprecedented crisis of trust.
To ensure the success of the destruction plan, Miller and his allies orchestrated a clever ruse. Tycho Station issued a false report of a radiation leak on the Nauvoo, successfully evacuating all Mormon believers on board. Seizing the opportunity, Miller and his team took control of the massive colonization ship, quickly departing the port and heading full speed toward Eros. Upon arriving in the target airspace, the operation team immediately began their deployment, installing high-yield bombs around Eros's docks. The plan was to detonate the bombs simultaneously with the Nauvoo's collision, ensuring the complete destruction of the station's surface facilities and preventing any subsequent access by other factions.
Just as everything proceeded according to plan, an unidentified ship suddenly appeared near Eros's orbit. Alex, the Rocinante's pilot, dispatched a drone for reconnaissance, confirming it was a medical vessel leased from Ganymede Station. Its captain, Marrasmus, claimed to be on a peaceful humanitarian mission to rescue tens of thousands of people on Eros. However, Holden's team soon uncovered a flaw—Diego discovered the body of a protomolecule-infected individual inside Eros's airlock, confirming that the medical ship's crew had illegally breached the station and become infected. Holden repeatedly warned Marrasmus to evacuate immediately to prevent the virus's spread, but the latter insisted on exposing the "truth" about Eros and refused to alter course. Torn between his moral duty and the safety of the entire Solar System, Holden was forced to make a heart-wrenching decision and ordered the launch of missiles to destroy the medical ship.
The explosion of the medical ship, however, had unforeseen consequences. Flying debris not only injured Miller while he was planting the bombs but also severely damaged the safety mechanism of one of the devices. The timer had activated automatically, and only constant pressure on the switch could prevent an premature detonation. Miller knew full well that if the bomb exploded at that moment, it would completely disrupt the Nauvoo's collision trajectory, dooming the entire destruction plan. Watching the Nauvoo approaching in the distance and thinking of the billions of lives at stake in the Solar System, the cynical yet justice-driven detective made his final choice. He ordered his companions to evacuate immediately, while he remained alone at Eros's docks, pressing his body firmly against the bomb switch. Sacrificing his life to buy time for the Nauvoo's collision and the ultimate victory, he immortalized himself in the battle to defend civilization.