The M-7 nations meet in Leningrad to discuss the asteroid capture and how to harness its mineral wealth.
Tropes:
- Bait-and-Switch: Margo arrived in Aleida's hotel room to find the door ajar and all of her papers strewn about as though someone abruptly left. For a moment, it looks like Aleida might have been taken by the KGB. As it turns out, she was taking a shower in the communal bathroom.
- The Dog Bites Back: In return for getting cut out of the smuggling operation, Miles and the North Koreans strong arm Ilya out of his bar.
- Dramatic Irony: The Helios workers buy into Petros's explanation that he hurt himself on a loadlifter, while the audience is aware he was beaten up by the North Koreans.
- I Lied: Miles admits to Colonel Lee that Ilya had no intention of ever bringing his wife to Mars and was stringing him along for the North Koreans' business.
- Internal Reveal: Margo reveals to Aleida, and eventually the world, that she's not dead and has defected to the Soviet Union.
- Moving the Goalposts: The Helios workers quickly realize that they're getting the short end of the stick while being asked to help capture the asteroid.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Aleida delivers a savage one to Margo on how Margo fled NASA before the bombing, the people who died on duty and Aleida herself spending years mourning Margo only to find she ran off to the Soviets.
- Read the Fine Print: Ed informs the Helios workers that the company is drastically changing the points and bonus system, meaning they'd need to work far harder for far less profit. Many of them respond that they signed contracts, but one points out that Helios is able to change the contracts at their discretion. It was in the fine print of those contracts that they signed.
- Something Only They Would Say: Aleida becomes suspicious when Irina says they need to "work the problem," which Margo said all the time.
