Chapter One

Murderbot returns to HaveRatton Station to find an armed security team waiting to apprehend it. Using disguise, hacking, and social engineering, Murderbot escapes detection by leaving Ship before it docks, then discovers that Dr. Mensah has been accused of corporate espionage by GrayCris and may have been forced to travel to TranRollinHyfa station.

Murderbot detects a suspicious navigation alert diverting Ship to a dock adjacent to HaveRatton's security response deployment point. Realizing a search team likely awaits, Murderbot dons an evac suit and exits Ship during docking, using the station's external magnetic cargo system to access another transport. It hacks the security scanners to conceal its weapons and enters the station proper. From a vantage point overlooking the docks, Murderbot observes twenty-three armed humans in power suits and numerous security drones—contractors from a company called Palisade—boarding Ship. Intercepted comm traffic confirms they are searching for a rogue SecUnit. Murderbot proceeds to a travelers' supply shop and purchases new clothing to obscure the damage from combat and cover its disabled data port. While downloading news feeds, Murderbot discovers that Dr. Mensah has been accused by GrayCris of corporate espionage and has disappeared from Port FreeCommerce. Official records state she traveled to TranRollinHyfa station, but Murderbot's analysis suggests she was forced or tricked into going, suspecting GrayCris has taken her as leverage against Murderbot's intervention on Milu.