TargetControlSystem hit me with everything it had. It told me I would never take the ship.

I told it, Okay, you keep the ship. I’ll take the planet. Then I transferred myself to TargetContact’s connection and fell down away from the explorer, following TargetContact’s comm signal.

I heard TargetContact order, Fire on the shuttle, don’t let it get away!

(Yeah, it doesn’t sound like an alien. I think it’s a human. And hah, I hadn’t planned for this last bit to happen but it sure worked out well.)

TargetControlSystem reported a confirmed targeting lock.

My last code bundle, the trap I’d left in the weapons system, went active. The static as it triggered the explosion and the explorer’s hull split echoed after me as I fell all the way to the bottom.

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.