Chapter Seven

Murderbot and the team reach the Pre-CR installation entrance hidden beneath a plateau. After sending the human team members back to the shuttle, Murderbot descends alone into the dark facility and makes contact with AdaCol2, a Pre-CR central system. The system reveals it is protecting a group of Adamantine colonists—but they are being held by armed Barish-Estranza operatives and another SecUnit.

The chapter opens with Murderbot's drones discovering the entrance to a Pre-CR installation accessed through a hangar with a damaged hatch. Murderbot directs Iris, Tarik, and Ratthi to return to the shuttle while it proceeds alone with ART-drone. After crossing the dark hangar, Murderbot enters the installation and descends a multi-level ramp, finding dormant technology and restrooms suggesting past habitation. ART-drone detects a nonstandard transmission from an automated system called AdaCol2—a Pre-CR central system attempting to establish connection. Murderbot experiences a brief episode similar to a traumatic memory glitch that occurred earlier (involving a false memory of events under the Pre-CR habitat), offline for only 0.06 seconds. After reporting to Iris, who authorizes Murderbot to proceed at its discretion, Murderbot and ART-drone implement containment protocol and cut communications with the shuttle. Murderbot initiates contact with AdaCol2 using LanguageBasic, identifying itself as a survey unit from PSUMNT. Through careful communication, Murderbot learns that AdaCol1 (the other Pre-CR system encountered earlier) is offline due to contamination incident. AdaCol2 reveals it is protecting colonists and requests assistance against Barish-Estranza, a threat. When AdaCol2 shares a camera feed showing its protected space, it reveals at least twenty-two Adamantine colonists—including children—are being held by five armed Barish-Estranza operatives and another SecUnit. Murderbot and ART-drone immediately inform the shuttle team that they have arrived too late; the colonists are already captured.