Chapter Six

Murderbot escorts its three clients down to RaviHyral moon, where a killware attack destroys the shuttle's bot pilot mid-flight. After ART takes control and lands the shuttle safely, Murderbot discovers the attack was orchestrated by their client Tlacey to kill them. A tense meeting at a port food station ends without resolution, and when armed operatives attempt to ambush the clients in a tunnel, Murderbot violently subdues them while keeping its inhuman strength mostly concealed.

Murderbot boards a public shuttle with clients Rami, Maro, and Tapan, carrying a comm interface from ART hidden under its ribs. Twenty-four minutes into the flight to RaviHyral, killware floods and destroys the bot pilot. Unable to pilot the shuttle itself, Murderbot grants ART full access to its mind and body, allowing ART to seize control of the shuttle systems and execute a flawless emergency landing at the port's emergency dock instead of the scheduled public dock. Once disembarked, Murderbot informs its clients that Tlacey attempted to kill them via the infected shuttle. Despite the danger and Murderbot's advice to flee immediately on the next shuttle, the clients insist on staying to secure their deleted work files. Murderbot agrees to help them, noting its inability to abandon chosen clients even as a freed agent. The clients arrange a meeting with Tlacey at a crowded port food service area. While monitoring the negotiation, Murderbot detects pings searching for SecUnits and spots a ComfortUnit—another artificial being—observing the area before departing. Tlacey refuses to hand over the files immediately, claiming she will do so tomorrow, which Murderbot recognizes as a deception. As the clients leave, Murderbot identifies armed operatives preparing to ambush them in a nearby pedestrian tunnel. Murderbot intercepts the three attackers, brutally breaking bones and disabling them without killing, then deletes camera footage of the confrontation. The clients reach the hotel lobby safely, shaken by witnessing Murderbot's combat capabilities firsthand. Rami, Maro, and Tapan accept that Tlacey intends to murder them and agree to let Murderbot extract them from RaviHyral.