Network Effect

Chapter 17

Designation: SecUnit 003 Barish-Estranza Explorer Task Group-Colony Reclamation Project 520972

Status: Retrieval in progress. Baseship Explorer is destroyed. Piloting shuttle to unidentified transport.

Contact requested: transport designated Perihelion, registered Pansystem University of—

Response, Transport: Who the fuck are you?

This is nonstandard communication. The contact is a transport bot pilot, but transport bot pilots can’t/don’t communicate this way. But since Explorer Task Group arrived in this system, nothing has been standard.

Non-standard may put the clients at risk. I have the hatch closed on the rear compartment of the shuttle as is protocol when a SecUnit is piloting, but I am monitoring via the shuttle’s SecSystem. All clients appear in need of medical attention, most are semi-conscious again.

And I promised Murderbot 2.0 I would deliver its clients here.

Also, I don’t know where the rest of the task force is.

Reply: I am a SecUnit aboard the shuttle designated—

Response: I know you’re on the shuttle. Why are you approaching?

Reply: I have retrieved five of my clients, and three unknown humans who were identified to me as your clients. There is no protocol for this. I don’t know what to tell it. Murderbot 2.0 sent me. Please advise.

The helm locks me out. Something else has seized control. The display shows the shuttle is now being pulled toward the transport’s module dock. That’s where I was trying to go so I guess this is good.

The shuttle is pulled into dock and I get up from the pilot seat and face the hatch. I keep the hatch closed on the rear compartment until I can make sure this transport is non-hostile.

I don’t know what to do if it is hostile.

The docking process completes, sensor shows atmosphere on transport vessel is good. The hatch opens and two unknown humans stand there. Human 1: Feedname Ratthi, gender male, other information under temp lock. Human 2: Feedname Amena, gender female, note: juvenile, other information under temp lock.

These humans are not unknown. Amena and Ratthi were in HelpMe.file. This is a relief and an indication that I am in the right place. There is a protocol for meeting humans who are not clients but who are associated with clients, and that protocol will apply here.

Before I can speak, Ratthi waves and says, “Hello, hello. Perihelion says you’ve disabled your governor module. I’m Ratthi, and this is Amena. Please don’t be afraid, we won’t hurt you.”

There is not a protocol for this.

Transport, on private channel: If you even think about harming them, I will disassemble you and peel away your organic parts piece by piece before destroying your consciousness. Do we understand each other?

I have no idea what this transport is and it is terrifying. I don’t know how to tell it I don’t want to hurt its clients. They are unarmed, and exhibit no threatening behavior toward my clients, the other unknown humans, or each other. Reply: I understand. I will comply.

I tell the humans, “The clients need medical attention. They have been given implants by the hostiles who seized control of the Barish-Estranza Explorer Task Group. Quarantine procedures are recommended until the extent of the influence is determined.”

Amena claps her hands and jumps up and down. “Perihelion, is this your crew?”

Transport, public channel: Three of them are mine. Where are the others?

I say, “All other clients aboard the explorer were dead, but there is reason to believe at least five of your clients were removed from the explorer earlier.”

Another human enters the dock area, followed by a Medical drone in gurney configuration. Feedname Arada, gender female/fem, designated role temporary captain, other information under temporary lock. “Who are they? Perihelion, are they your crew?”

A maintenance drone with multiple limbs has climbed into the shuttle and has accessed the camera into the rear compartment.

Transport, public channel: Turi. Martyn and Karime.

It sounds … relieved. But more than that. It sounds like the situation has profoundly changed. I’ve only heard humans sound like that.

Maybe it won’t kill me.

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.

I make a secure connection to the transport and send, A hostage situation is to be avoided at all costs. They will threaten to destroy the SecUnit and you will be forced to destroy the colony. This is a failure scenario.

Perihelion: I know that.

I know I am taking a risk. The transport is very angry. I tell it, But I know how to proceed, this is my function. The solution is a targeted, stealth retrieval, possibly incorporating a show of force as a distraction.

Perihelion: Your point is?

This is the risky part. If you return my clients to the remaining Barish-Estranza task force, I will help you.

Pause.

Perihelion: I was going to do that anyway.

Oh. I will still help you.

Perihelion: Why?

How can I explain to it when I can’t explain to myself. I say, Stories in the HelpMe.file. I know that answer is inadequate. I had read things that had made me consider other possibilities, it is impossible to explain. Murderbot 2.0 asked me what I want. I want to help.

Pause.

Perihelion: Good.

The humans have stopped arguing and the one called Iris retains control of the comm. She says, “Peri, listen to me. There are factions here among the colonists. One of them actually died up on the explorer trying to help us escape. You can’t just bomb everybody. It won’t get your friend back.”

New human contact-Thiago: “She’s right, Perihelion. Let us help you. Even if they refuse to return SecUnit, a negotiation could stall them, distract them while we think of a way to rescue it.”

Perihelion: Please calm yourselves and stop talking. Plan A01: Rain Destruction has been superseded by Plan B01: Distract and Extract.