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.”