Artificial Condition

“I didn’t stop in my tracks because I have a lot of practice in not physically reacting to things no matter how much they shock or horrify me. I may have lost control of my expression for a second; I was used to always wearing a helmet and keeping it opaqued whenever possible.”

Murderbot’s description of its physical reactions hints at the dark side of the relationship between humans and robots. With its previous clients, Murderbot was exposed to terrible circumstances, to the point that it is numb to horrors. The human clients didn’t view Murderbot as a person, so they didn’t care what happened to it. While Murderbot may not react outwardly, it feels the negative emotions associated with those horrors. Murderbot’s reference to its helmet highlights a shift between All Systems Red and Artificial Condition; in this second novella, Murderbot can no longer hide behind its armor; it must begin to open up to the human world.

“All the SecUnits in the media were always in armor, faceless and terrifying to humans.”

Murderbot’s comment about the media focuses on the negative stereotypes created by Representation Versus Reality. Humans are so insensitive to the thoughts and feelings of their machines that they view them as “faceless and terrifying.” Even the news media uses these stereotypes. Luckily for Murderbot, the media’s denigration of SecUnits plays to its advantage. Murderbot’s identity is safe because no one suspects a SecUnit is capable of doing the things that Murderbot does. Murderbot’s continued focus on SecUnit armor suggests it misses having its armor and helmet; it feels naked and exposed without them.

“Bots are considered citizens in some non-corporate entities like Preservation, but they still have appointed human guardians. Constructs sometimes fall under the same category as bots, sometimes under the same category as deadly weapons. (FYI, this is not a good category to be in.)”

The muddled regulations show that humans continue to struggle with The Line Between Human and Machine, with some considering machines nearly human and others treating them as mindless tools. The fact that the non-corporate groups are more accepting of robots suggests that capitalistic practices lead to the dehumanization and exploitation of robots. This passage reinforces Murderbot’s isolation and ambiguous place in society. Neither a full human nor a full machine, Murderbot exists in the messy space in between.

“So they made us smarter. The anxiety and depression were side effects.”

Delivered with Murderbot’s typical deadpan humor, this comment suggests that greater intelligence does not always lead to greater happiness. Murderbot envies less intelligent machines, which aren’t sentient enough to feel negative emotions like anxiety and depression. This statement hints that having human intelligence—or being human at all—has drawbacks. Unlike some other science fiction robots, which want to become human, Murderbot sees the difficulties in being human and so would rather avoid going further in that direction.

“It was called Worldhoppers, and was about freelance explorers who extended the wormhole and ring networks into uninhabited star systems. It looked very unrealistic and inaccurate, which was exactly what I liked.”

Murderbot’s description of the serial Worldhoppers underlines the escapist relief it gets from contrasting Representation Versus Reality. Murderbot experiences the real world as hostile, uncomfortable, and exhausting. It prefers to escape into fictional and “unrealistic” stories like Worldhoppers. Murderbot’s experience with Worldhoppers is similar to reading science fiction like Artificial Condition. The story’s implausibility can provide joy when the real world feels harsh and difficult to manage. Joy in fiction brings Murderbot and the reader together, building empathy for Murderbot’s character.

“I guess you can’t tell a story from the point of view of something that you don’t think has a point of view.”

Murderbot’s statement encapsulates the unique perspective that Wells captures in The Murderbot Diaries. Science fiction, despite its many non-human characters such as robots, cyborgs, and aliens, often centers on human experience. Rejecting this convention, Wells emphasizes Murderbot’s perspective, revealing a robot that not only has a point of view but also focuses its attention on other machines rather than on humans. This quote comes in the middle of a complex conversation between two non-humans—Murderbot and ART—who carry on a friendship without human assistance.

“I’m not your crew. I’m not a human. I’m a construct. Constructs and bots can’t trust each other […] because we both have to follow human orders. A human could tell you to purge my memory. A human could tell me to destroy your systems.”

Murderbot initially resists ART’s attempt to form a friendship. Human control of non-humans creates a callous, tyrannical system in which intelligent machines can be forced to destroy each other at any moment. However, because there aren’t any humans on the journey to RaviHyral, Murderbot and ART are ironically able to form a human-like friendship that would not have been possible if humans had been involved.

“Are all constructs so illogical? said the Asshole Research Transport with the immense processing capability whose metaphorical hand I had had to hold because it had become emotionally compromised by a fictional media serial.”

Artificial Condition comments on many sorts of intelligence—logical, emotional, and social—finding humor in characters that are strong in one and weak in another. ART, for example, has vast logical intelligence but is childlike in its emotional attachment to the fictional characters in Worldhoppers. Murderbot mocks ART for this emotional deficiency, while ironically displaying its own lack of emotional control through its childish nickname—Asshole Research Transport—for the intelligent spaceship. The Murderbot Diaries is itself a fictional serial like Worldhoppers, heightening the theme of Representation Versus Reality. Murderbot is determined to see Worldhoppers as pure escapism, but ART’s more committed viewership hints that fiction can serve a deeper function.

“I didn’t have any parts related to sex and I liked it that way. I had seen humans have sex on the entertainment feed and on my contracts, when I had been required to record everything the clients said and did. No, thank you, no. No.”

Murderbot protects its asexual and genderless nature. Its refusal to allow ART to give it sexual organs, even while it lets ART change many other aspects of its appearance, indicates that Murderbot views its lack of sexual markers or interest as an essential part of its identity. Its comment that it had to record humans having sex is another reminder of human abuse of non-humans. Murderbot’s strong and repeated rejection of ART’s offer shows that it feels pressure to conform to others’ expectations of gender and sexuality.

“I would defer to your expertise in shooting and killing things. You should defer to mine in data analysis.”

ART emphasizes the distance between its logical and social intelligence. Its data processing capabilities are far beyond Murderbot’s, but its blunt statement about Murderbot’s expertise threatens to reduce Murderbot to a SecUnit caricature. ART’s statement suggests it is difficult for machines to escape their original functions. Murderbot was made for violence, just as ART was made for data analysis. Murderbot will continue to wrestle with how to balance its authentic desires and programmed skillset for the duration of the story.

“And now I knew why I hadn’t wanted to do this. It would make it harder for me to pretend not to be a person.”

Murderbot’s regret about the surgery reinforces that it is content with its identity. It doesn’t want to be treated like a human but instead wants to be left alone. Not only must it now interact with humans socially, something it dreads, but it also feels increased empathy and responsibility toward humans.

“Yes, the giant transport bot is going to help the construct SecUnit pretend to be human. This will go well.”

Murderbot’s ironic prediction about its upcoming encounter with the research team emphasizes the different skills of computers, robots, and humans. While Murderbot has access to vast amounts of information, and ART has the processing power to make quick sense of that information, neither has the social intelligence needed to interact smoothly with humans. Their deficiency suggests that there may be something unique, even illogical, about humanity that no amount of data can fully convey. ART and Murderbot’s later ability to work together to read human behavior rebuts Murderbot’s previous belief that it and ART could not trust each other.

“The tercera cleared ter throat. Te had purple hair and red eyebrows, standing out against light brown skin. ‘I’m Rami, that’s Tapan, and Maro.’ Te shifted nervously and tapped the empty chair.”

Rami’s nonbinary gender expands the fluid sexual and gender identities that exist throughout The Murderbot Diaries. This fluidity, which extends to the asexual and genderless Murderbot, suggests that a being’s behavior is more important than their conception of their gender. Murderbot and the other characters react no differently to Rami than to anyone else underlining the acceptance of nonbinary identities in this science fiction narrative. The nervousness that Rami and Murderbot share when meeting each other creates a bond between them, helping bridge the gap between human and machine.

“It was a great idea to go if you wanted to be murdered.”

This remark encapsulates Murderbot’s dark humor and frequent exasperation with its human clients. Beneath the surface irony (no one would think it is a “great idea” to be killed), there is the additional irony that the security unit with “Murder” in its name is trying to prevent murder while the humans are ready to rush to their own destruction. The research team’s inability to grasp the danger they are in reveals drawbacks to humanity that aren’t shared by their machine creations. The team is blinded by their desire to retrieve their stolen data, while only Murderbot views things clearly.

“Humans can miss a lot of little clues, but me being able to fire energy weapons from my arms would be something of a red flag.”

SecUnits seldom need to worry about subtlety; it isn’t part of their original purpose. Murderbot’s humorous understatement shows how difficult it is for it to hide its identity amid the constant surveillance on RaviHyral. While it could unleash its weapons to protect its clients, the situation requires Murderbot to remain disguised and thus react in new and innovative ways. Its success indicates that it can adapt to unfamiliar surroundings and situations.

“There was a huge difference between knowing something happened and seeing the reality of it. Even for SecUnits.”

Murderbot highlights a shared experience between itself and the research team, hinting that it may be more like humans than would at first appear. Rami, Tapan, and Maro have just been attacked, and they had to experience those dangers directly before they understood them. Murderbot’s journey to RaviHyral aims at “seeing the reality” of what happened at Ganaka Pit. Like the researchers, Murderbot hopes direct experience will help it understand its place in the universe and what it should do next.

“Sometimes people do things to you that you can’t do anything about. You just have to survive it and go on.”

While Murderbot undertakes The Quest for Purpose and self-realization at Ganaka Pit, it articulates a creed that sums up its experiences. It may not yet have a clear purpose guiding its actions, but neither does it crumble before the dangers and horrors that confront it. Its purpose, at least for now, is to keep going. The research team’s reaction to this statement suggests that they take it to heart, accepting that the universe is harsh but that they can’t let Tlacey and their other obstacles bring them down.

“There was still power in the batteries, though not much. It had been left here, forgotten, slowly dying in the darkness as the hours ticked away. Not that I was feeling morbid, or anything.”

Murderbot’s sarcastic comment indicates that it feels a connection to other machines, even when they are not as intelligent and communicative as ART. The description of the machine as abandoned and alone underlines Murderbot’s feelings as it heads into Ganaka Pit. Feeling empty and devoid of purpose, Murderbot wonders if it too will end up forgotten and “slowly dying in the darkness.” Murderbot often uses sarcasm and irony as a defense fear and doubt.

“I wanted to bury my face in my hands, sink down to the floor, and slip into my media, but I didn’t. After twelve long seconds, the intense feeling subsided.”

Murderbot has this “intense feeling” when it discovers the empty SecUnit cubicles. Feeling isolated and alone, it longs for the comradeship it once had with other SecUnits. It also mourns the sense of purpose it once had as a SecUnit. Murderbot’s desire to bury its face in its hands demonstrates its human-like emotions and behavior. Its choice not to turn on its media suggests that Murderbot realizes that escapism can’t solve its problems.

“I wish being a construct made me less irrational than the average human but you may have noticed this is not the case.”

Murderbot’s thoughts suggest that it shares many aspects of humanity, try as it might to stay separated from humans and their behavior. This passage is a rare example of Murderbot using direct address with the word “you.” The sentence shows that Murderbot is aware it has an audience and suggests the story is told from one person to another. The previous novel in the series, All Systems Red, is addressed to Dr. Mensah of PreservationAux. It is unclear in this passage whether “you” refers to Mensah or the reader.

“I had never had a human touch me, or almost touch me, like this before and it was deeply, deeply weird […] I was still too frozen to answer ART, but I upped my body heat.”

Tapan’s attempt to snuggle with Murderbot in the night represents a new threshold of human contact. Shy and introverted, Murderbot would rather refrain from physical contact. Its ability to overcome its fear and accept Tapan’s touch hints that it is becoming accustomed to interacting with humans. By raising its body temperature, Murderbot displays concern for Tapan’s comfort and well-being.

“I asked ART, How did you know to do that? though I already knew the answer.

It knew I knew, but it said, Episode 179 of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.”

By basing its plan to help Murderbot and the research team on the serial The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, ART blurs the distinction of Representation Versus Reality. While Murderbot uses media as an escape, ART demonstrates that real lessons can be drawn from supposedly unrealistic stories. This principle applies to Sanctuary Moon and Artificial Condition; both combine science fiction escapism with meaningful information and lessons about humanity, relationships, and fiction.

“I hadn’t broken its governor module for its sake. I did it for the four ComfortUnits at Ganaka Pit who had no orders and no directive to act and had voluntarily walked into the meat grinder to try to save me and everyone else left alive in the installation.”

Despite Murderbot’s introversion and pessimism, its reasons for freeing Tlacey’s ComfortUnit reveal a moral code and sense of justice. Although visiting Ganaka Pit caused Murderbot to experience isolation and purposelessness, the selflessness of the ComfortUnits during the massacre stands out. Without human orders, the ComfortUnits acted with purpose, giving Murderbot hope that it might one day find purpose.