Short Fiction Friday: Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

After finding out the truth about its past, Murderbot has set a new initiative for itself.

Murderbot has decided it's time to help its new owner. Dr. Mensah purchased the SecUnit, basically setting it free. For all intents and purposes, that is. While Dr. Mensah never implicitly said that the SecUnit can go out on its own, the scientist's actions do allow for autonomous existence on the part of Murderbot.

And Murderbot is still a little burned up about what happened when it was working for Dr. Mensah in the first place. Now, it's decided it's time to find out more about the plot that put Mensah and the rest of the team in danger. And that means traveling to Milu, an abandoned planet that was once being terraformed by GreyCris. The SecUnit's hope is that it can finally get evidence Dr. Mensah can use against GreyCris. Evidence that will prove once and for all that the corporation is up to no good.

Unfortunately, Murderbot didn't plan for yet another group of unprepared and uninformed humans being involved. It appears someone is out to scavenge Milu and Murderbot can either attempt to avoid contact and notice or, once again, lend a hand where needed.

I really do love Murderbot. It's quite probably my absolute favorite character in fiction right now!

Above all, Murderbot has to protect itself from being caught as a free SecUnit. And people are looking for it, which makes it that much harder. Alterations in the previous installment have allowed it to mask itself a bit, but it can't avoid detection forever, especially when other bots are involved.

It would be easier if it didn't repeatedly find itself having to choose between saving people or leaving them to their own devices! Ah, the plight of a conscientious security android. Time and again, Murderbot proves that it's more than just a series of codes and programming!

If you haven't treated yourself to Martha Wells's Murderbot Diaries novellas yet, do it now! I think there's probably no better science fiction out there right at this moment than this series!