Exit Strategy - Tumblr Posts

The scene in Exit Strategy where MB is recovering from accidentally deleting its brain is always so funny to me because basically its been telling us all along that it doesn’t know what it wants but as soon as it wakes up with no filter, no memories and no ability to control its mouth it sure as hell tells us what it doesn’t want lol

Like it immediately wakes up and starts complaining like

- I don’t want to be a pet bot

- I don’t want to be human

- I don’t like Gurathin (but Ratthi is my friend I guess)

- Your ship is old and shitty

- I don’t like planets

And then it hits us with the emotional hit of « I don’t like planets because 1. Something is always trying to eat the humans and 2. They’re harder to escape ». And like ouch because yeah okay MB just told PresAux that escaping is always on its mind, but it also just told them that escaping is always its second priority after protecting the humans 🥲

But mostly its grouchy and complaining about everything and that is just deeply funny to me. Deadly murder construct get its opportunity to express its deepest, most unfiltered thoughts for the first time and just immediately starts airing petty grievances and telling you your ship sucks ass

I especially like about this piece of art is MB’s averted eyes. It’s constantly reminding us that it avoids eye contact but not every piece of art can prioritize that aspect of its affect, so it’s striking to see the emphasis.

One of the best moments in the whole series. Based on below:

Ohhhhhhthis is great. I think of that title as one of those moments when you’re not sure whether you’re in the in-group enough to make The Joke so the one who grants that Joke’s permissions specifically invites you into it. It’s a little reproach, a little forgiveness and a LOT of “get in here, fucker.”

Exit Strategy has so many gems that it's easy to miss some of the more subtle ones. Today I'm fixating on the video that our protagonist sent to Gurathin when he asked what it's been up to.

Specifically, the title of the video.

"Murderbot Impersonates An Augmented Human Security Consultant"

Murderbot. It calls itself Murderbot, a name it has never told anyone before. A name Gurathin took from its memories in one of their last meetings, and while it seems more, like, annoyed than traumatized by this, it still is a pretty rude thing to do, let alone share without permission like he does. (He does have valid reason to be concerned at the time, but still.)

What does it mean for Murderbot to call itself Murderbot in a file made to answer the question of the human who found out it's called Murderbot? Remember, this isn't something it had lying around - it edited together video on the spot to answer his question.

Every time I reread ES, I find my own underlining of that title and ask this question again, and then forget it.

It becomes slightly laxer (again not entirely willfully) with the name in Network Effect, but Murderbot's name is usually private information that it doesn't choose to share (later in ES it does choose to reassure Mensah that it is who it says it is, which, again. Just. Imagine being in the position where a technically-killer construct reassures you that it calls itself Murderbot. What a time).

It could be a sort of subtle dig, that it doesn't need to hide this info because Gurathin already has it. It could be an unconscious act of, if not trust, then neutrality, that it doesn't need to hide this info because, again, Gurathin already has it. It could be a reminder, a comedic juxtaposition with the rest of the title and contents of the video. Hell, it could be Murderbot's idea of an in-joke at this point. I just don't know. But when I think of this passage, I think of the part soon after, where Murderbot grudgingly appreciates Gurathin giving the hostage negotiator such a cold shoulder that even it's impressed. I think of it interrupting Gurathin viewing the recording because the rep has arrived. I think of Gurathin, wrist-deep in manual controls (and hey, when they discussed the humans' luggage, Gurathin's mention was his specialized toolkit).

I don't know. There's a lot there. Gurathin is, ever more obvious on each reread, just Murderbot: Human Edition, and Murderbot absolutely refuses to acknowledge this in any form, and it will still take care of him.

Imagine being a human on the StationSecAdmin and PortSec channels on some space station and you get these messages, and you know it's from a bot:

I am a contracted SecUnit with an endangered client. I am trying to reach the shuttle dock in slot al7A. Please, they will kill her.

The Please. The PLEASE. And then comes the second message:

Let my client go through the gate and I'll stay here. Please. They will kill her.

If you see this you’re legally obligated to reblog and tag with the book you’re currently reading

SecUnit and Mensah's reunion, the whole scene was utterly delightful. Just look at this. “That she understood this much made me melt. I hate that this happens, it makes me feel vulnerable… I hadn't been afraid that she wasn't my friend, I had been afraid that she was, and what it did to me.” Exit Strategy, p 115.

(Some semi-relevant rambling under the cut)

I'm sure there's a lot of commentary to be made about this part of the book and Murderbot's emotional development there, but let's just say I'm not the person to do that. It's a bit too personal for me because of how much I relate to Murderbot. Still, I felt the need to acknowledge how good and well-written this specific thing is. Sometimes I see, on my feed, people making analysis and notes of this emotional side of the books and the relationships in it etc. and I eat it up every time. It's great that there are people who can talk in detail about these things that are only just passing thoughts for me, if that makes any sense

My only addition here would be that I think Mensah's character is great. If I'd been in SecUnit's position, she'd be my favourite human as well, and I'd totally get blood on my hands for her ha… I feel similarly about a few other characters in the series, but I'm sure I'll devote posts more particularly for and about them some other time