Network Effect

The human identified as Karime is still conscious and uses the shuttle’s comm to say, “Peri, don’t scan us! We think that’s how they infect each other!”

“Scanning?” Arada says, clearly startled. “Medical scanning, sensor scanning?”

Ratthi and Amena are still talking to me. I have never been around humans who behave this way with a SecUnit and it is disconcerting. Amena: “Arada, this SecUnit helped them escape. We have to help it.”

What?

Ratthi, speaking to me: “We’ll hide you. We’ll tell Barish-Estranza that you died.”

Things are moving very fast. And I have been confused, and have delayed delivering the important message. Reply: “I’m sorry, I will comply as soon as possible, but I have an important communication for someone onboard called ART.”

The humans stop talking. Transport, public channel: Tell me.

Reply: “The message is from Murderbot 2.0 and begins: ART, I’m going to download to the surface. Me version 1.0 is there with Overse and Thiago. They’ve found Iris, Matteo, Seth, Tarik, and Kaede—” I have to stop because the other humans become loud, then shush each other. I finish, “but 1.0 has been captured by hostiles, repeat, 1.0 is captured by hostiles.”

The humans and the transport Perihelion become very agitated. There is a lot of human communication and no protocol and it is very confusing.

While Ratthi and Amena and the transport’s drones arrange medical treatment and quarantine protocols for the injured clients, it is determined that Perihelion should return to the space dock to establish secure communication with the clients on the surface.

Ratthi: “Perihelion, did you understand what your crew person meant when she said that scanning might transmit the alien contamination?”

Perihelion: “Yes.”

Ratthi: “I’m going to need a little more information than that.”

Amena, speaking to me: “Do you have a name? You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to, but what should we call you?”

This is the strangest question I have ever been asked by a human. But I have to answer. “You could call me Three.”

Then I remember the governor module is gone and I don’t have to answer.

Amena: “Three. Okay, thank you, Three.”

It becomes worse as we reach the space dock and comm contact is established with the humans on the surface.

Arada: “What the hell is going on down there, babe?”

New human contact-Overse: “We’ve got Perihelion’s crew but we lost SecUnit. We think the Targets have it—”

Arada: “We know. Perihelion sent the killware to the explorer and it—It’s a long story but it knew that SecUnit had been captured.”

Perihelion: “Inform the others that Karime, Turi, and Martyn are safely aboard. You must all return here immediately.”

:incoherent audio: several humans shouting at once:

Iris: “Peri, this is Iris! We need—”

Perihelion: “Iris, use the maintenance capsule to return to the space dock immediately so I can retrieve you.”

Iris: “Tarik and Kaede and Dad need to get to medical so we’ll send them up, but Peri, your friend—”

Perihelion: “Iris, I have the situation under control. Return here immediately.”

Iris: “Peri, you can’t do this alone.”

Overse: “She’s right. Look, we’ll send up your crew, but Thiago and I will stay here and try to find SecUnit.”

Iris: “I’ll stay as well, and Matteo.”:incoherent agitated humans: Iris again: “Dad, you can barely stand up.”

Perihelion: “You cannot remain on the surface. I intend to hold the colony hostage until SecUnit is released.”

Pause.

New human contact-Seth: “Peri, your weapons don’t have the range, unless you’re talking about destroying the space dock—”

Perihelion: “I know that, Seth. I’ve armed my pathfinders.”

Seth: “You what?”

Arada: “You what?”

Iris: “Peri!”

Ratthi: “Oh. Oh, that explains what the drones were doing in the cargo module dock.”

Amena to Ratthi, quietly: “So ART has missiles? A lot of missiles?”

Ratthi to Amena, quietly: “The inventory I saw listed 32 pathfinders. If it’s managed to arm all of them—”

Perihelion: “Seth, return here with the others immediately. If any of you are taken hostage, my plan will fail.”

Iris: “Peri, you can’t bomb the colony.”

Perihelion: “You are incorrect, Iris, I can bomb the colony.”

Apparently the transport and the humans are arguing about how best to retrieve an endangered SecUnit. It is like retrieving an endangered client, only the client is a SecUnit and the humans are planning the retrieval. And the transport is angry because it wants to plan the retrieval.

This is … a lot to process.

Murderbot 2.0 asked me what I wanted.

I want to help with this retrieval.