Chapter Three

Murderbot infiltrates a station hotel where the Preservation team is being held under surveillance by GrayCris operatives. After hacking the hotel's security system and locating Ratthi, Gurathin, and Pin-Lee, Murderbot makes contact with Pin-Lee in a transit bubble and learns that Mensah was abducted from Port FreeCommerce and is being held in the station's torus behind a security barrier. GrayCris is demanding a ransom and has forced Preservation to drop their lawsuit.

Murderbot arrives at a hotel on the station mall and checks in using one of Gerth's currency cards. To avoid detection, Murderbot uses new code to mimic human subvocalization patterns and breathing, and successfully passes through security despite four augmented-human hostiles in the lobby. From the hotel room, Murderbot accesses the security system's surveillance archives and locates footage of Ratthi, Gurathin, and Pin-Lee, discovering they are being followed by two GrayCris operatives whenever they leave their rooms. Murderbot notes that this situation could be a trap designed either to compromise Murderbot's credibility as a witness or to lure Murderbot into a false exchange. When the three leave the hotel, Murderbot manipulates the security feed to disable the operatives' orders and follows them through a complex route involving multiple security jurisdictions to a garden seating area. Murderbot observes them from a distance, uncertain about whether to trust or be trusted by them. In a mercantile area, Murderbot finds Pin-Lee about to access a local security company kiosk and makes contact by revealing their identity from Port FreeCommerce. They board a transit bubble for privacy. Pin-Lee explains that Mensah was abducted after a meeting at Port FreeCommerce during an emotional gathering of victims' families. GrayCris is demanding a ransom and forced Preservation to drop their lawsuit in exchange. Mensah is held in the station's torus behind the main security barrier, which is blocking her fail-safe implant signal. Murderbot attempts to access the implant using a key Pin-Lee provides but finds it also blocked by the barrier. Pin-Lee reveals they have limited time to raise funds and were planning to hire a local security company, though worried about GrayCris having paid them off. Murderbot confirms a ninety-five percent probability the company is playing both sides.