Chapter Five

Murderbot recovers from extensive medical repairs in ART's medical bay, then ventures into the transit ring to secure employment as a security consultant. Murderbot meets with a group of technologists who need protection for a dangerous negotiation on RaviHyral involving stolen research, and agrees to take the job—which provides the employment voucher needed to reach the moon where the mysterious incident from Murderbot's past occurred.

Murderbot awakens at 26 percent capacity with severe pain in joints and organic tissue regrowth. Unable to access media, it endures the repair process while ART conducts data analysis on the RaviHyral incident. ART discovers the site was likely Ganaka Pit, a small mining installation with fifty-seven fatalities officially listed as equipment failure. After reaching 75 percent capacity, Murderbot learns the information confirms the incident occurred but provides no additional details about what happened.

Once healed, Murderbot tests its weapons and observes its altered appearance in the mirror—more human than before, with new hair and thicker eyebrows. This physical change troubles Murderbot, as it makes pretending not to be a person harder. Upon reaching the transit ring near RaviHyral, Murderbot discovers Ganaka Pit has been removed from all maps, suggesting intentional concealment. ART proposes Murderbot pose as a security consultant for hire, allowing it to obtain an employment voucher to reach RaviHyral. Though anxious about sustained human interaction, Murderbot agrees.

Murderbot hacks into the transit ring's social feeds to establish a false identity, then meets three technologists—Rami, Tapan, and Maro—at a food service establishment. They represent a collective of seven technologists who had been working for Tlacey Excavations on RaviHyral developing a detection system for alien synthetics. Tlacey terminated their contract without notice and stole their research data. Now Tlacey has offered to return their files in exchange for their signing bonus, but the three suspect foul play. They hire Murderbot as protection for the in-person exchange with Tlacey, believing she may have overestimated their research progress and may want to force them into further work—or worse. Murderbot disables the security camera to discuss the arrangement unrecorded and accepts the job for one cycle's pay (200 CRs), claiming to need an employment contract for independent research on RaviHyral. The group plans to depart during the next cycle.