Artificial Condition

Abstract

Artificial Condition is the second novella in the Murderbot Series. It is narrated in the first person by the protagonist called Murderbot, a SecUnit (Security Unit) whose job is to provide security to humans and augmented humans through contracts. All SecUnits are equipped with governor modules that monitor their behavior during missions, a form of control by the companies that create SecUnits. Murderbot, however, has secretly overridden his module and is free, but must continue doing contracts to maintain its subterfuge. In Artificial Condition Murderbot explores its past and investigates the time when it went rogue and caused the death of 57 humans. Aboard a transport ship, Murderbot meets the ship’s bot, which it names ART (Asshole Research Transport). On the way to RaviHyral, ART helps Murderbot disguise itself as an augmented human by reconfiguring its body with implants and disconnects the data port on its neck. When Murderbot takes a contract with three scientists, Tapan, Maro, and Rami, to access RaviHyral, it must confront Tlacey, leader of Tlacey Excavations, who is trying to kill Murderbot’s contractors. Tlacey is accompanied by a nameless ComfortUnit (sexbot) who recognizes Murderbot as a SecUnit. The ComfortUnit is tasked with following Murderbot and confides in it its desire for freedom and offers to help Murderbot against Tlacey. After Tlacey kidnaps Tapan, Murderbot tries to rescue her but must face one of Tlacey’s SecUnits, who tries to put a new module into Murderbot’s data port. The attempt is unsuccessful because the data port had been disabled by ART. After rescuing Tapan and killing Tlacey, Murderbot frees the ComfortUnit and disables its governor module. About its past, Murderbot eventually discovers that a malware attack by a rival mining company in RaviHyral had caused the SecUnits to go rogue and kill the humans.