Martha Wells has done it again. I picked up this audiobook a few days ago and got through it in record time (for me). It is fast-paced, as usual, but more importantly, it brings back ART into the story. ART is a very powerful sentient transport bot introduced in Book 2. It aided Murderbot in uncovering evidence against GrayCris and added extra levity to that adventure.
This time around, ART has been compromised, its crew kidnapped, and it's up to Murderbot to assist with a rescue.
The plot did seem like a welcome deviation from the GrayCris-themed stories. This full-length book also had ample time to develop new characters while progressing the world-building.
Here are some of my thoughts on the various themes in this book
"Inter-Species Transmission"
As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that the attackers were human settlers who unknowingly became infected by alien remnants. The alien remnants had treated the Human DNA as a programable construct. It was able to take over the settlers just as a computer virus does.
The "cross-species" jump in infection was a very intriguing plot element. It is later revealed that ART (and Murderbot) get infected by the same virus (aka Target Control Systems) when they medically scan the humans. Presumably, the scanning caused the virus to jump from human to bot.
Murderbot 2.0
During the plot, it becomes evident that ART and Murderbot would have to attack the problem on two fronts. They, therefore, create a kill-ware to take on Target Control System. Murderbot's consciousness is copied and used as this kill-ware's variable/sentient component.
The introduction of Murderbot 2.0 felt necessary to the plot because it helped set off a chain of events that helped rescue the hostages from the ship and Murderbot 1.0 from the planet. These events come full circle, beginning with Murderbot 2.0 freeing a SecUnit and that same SecUnit saving Murderbot 1.0.
Commercialization Of Colonization
The exploitation of humans by corporations in the distant future is a common theme in many sci-fi novels, movies, and tv-shows. This book does explore how humans can be exploited in space colonization.
In the Murderbot universe, corporations have commercialized planet colonization. This process involves making a claim on a planet, partially terraforming it, and then dumping indentured colonists on it. Periodic supply ships ensure that the colonists work towards making the planet financially viable - for the corporation.
This strategy often involved risks -
- Abandonment - The risk is that the corporation would be subject to a hostile takeover or bankruptcy, thereby abandoning the colonists.
- Rebellion - The risk was that the colonists would rebel and escape. This was often mitigated by not giving the colonists any ships and only using a space elevator for resupply missions.