In the cold void of space, the Rocinante drifts silently, her crew focused on investigating unusual Protomolecule activity near the Ring gate. They find the derelict ship Escher contaminated by the Protomolecule. Captain James Holden and his crew-Naomi Nagata, Amos Burton, Alex Kamal, Bobbie Draper, and Camina Drummer-board the Escher, encountering ghostly remnants and hallucinations caused by the Protomolecule's malevolent influence. They face eerie visions linked to their pasts, blurring reality and hallucination.