Short Fiction · Character

Captain O'Leary

A blunt, furious security captain in a prison run on rigid specialization, O'Leary sees the coming riot clearly while the warden around him refuses to act.

supporting

Also known as O'Leary, V Captain O'Leary

First appearance: asteroid of the damned

As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Captain O'Leary is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Involved in the prison riot and smells trouble.

In the storyConspiracy on CallistoOpen this moment free

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O'Leary drags a terrified convict before the warden to prove the prison underground has sabotaged the tangler circuit, only to be met with platitudes and inaction. He understands that only the greaser-class electricians can repair the field, which means the inmates hold the real leverage, and he begs for permission to move on Block O before it is too late. His frustration with the warden's paralysis makes him the story's clearest voice of looming catastrophe.

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See Captain O'Leary in asteroid of the damned

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because Roget Germyn’s psychological certainty—that his wife is a rational…

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In the story

Captain O'Leary appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Conspiracy on Callisto
Involved in the prison riot and smells trouble.
V
Reveals himself as an undercover League agent; Andrias is locked up.
III
A guard captain who senses trouble brewing in the prison and tries to warn the warden.
IV
O'Leary warns the warden that he smelled trouble, reinforcing the escalating crisis.
V
Drags in a prisoner who sabotaged the tangler circuit; argues with the warden and pleads to lead a squad into Block O, but is denied.
VI
Leads guards through the yard, smells trouble, and is knocked unconscious during a fight with Lafon's group.
VII
Wakes groggily in a cell after being knocked out, assesses the riot, and intervenes to stop Lafon and Sauer from harming the governor.

Chapter companion notes

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See Captain O'Leary in asteroid of the damned

See Captain O'Leary in Conspiracy on Callisto