43 pages • 1 hour read
Martha WellsArtificial Condition
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 6-7Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 6 Summary
Murderbot, aware that it is “programmed to be paranoid” (101), finds a safe shuttle to get Rami, Tapan, and Maro off RaviHyral. Eventually, it finds a shuttle with a human pilot who could step in if someone again interfered with the navigation computer. Tapan is upset that they didn’t retrieve their research, and all three humans are startled by Murderbot’s response that “you just have to survive and go on” (103).
When the three humans depart, Murderbot remains at the mining facility, since it has unfinished business. As Murderbot travels to Ganaka Pit, it feels uneasy about its performance for Rami, Tapan, and Maro. It is glad that it kept them alive but disappointed that it couldn’t help them reclaim their research from Tlacey. Murderbot travels far into RaviHyral’s abandoned tunnels looking for Ganaka Pit, so deep below the surface that it loses its communication with ART.
Murderbot finds Ganaka Pit dusty and long abandoned. In the ready room, it finds 10 SecUnit cubicles and experiences an “intense feeling” at finding all 10 empty (109). Looking for information about the violence that took place there, Murderbot plugs itself into the control center and finds security recordings from shortly before the incident. In the recordings, two human techs discuss a strange code—some form of malware—that was uploaded into their security system. Murderbot discovers that this code made it and the other SecUnits kill their clients. A rival mining operation sent the code in the hope of temporarily disabling the mine: “[T]his had been a sabotage attempt, not a mass murder” (115). Murderbot discovers that the operation’s four ComfortUnits, who were unaffected by the malware, gave their lives trying to defend the humans and disable the compromised security system. ComfortUnits aren’t made for combat, however, and stood no chance against the SecUnits. Murderbot heads back to the surface. As soon as its feed comes back, ART says, “We have a problem” (117).
Chapter 7 Summary
The problem that ART described is that Tapan did not board the shuttle with Rami and Maro. Her companions did not realize she wasn’t with them until after the shuttle took off. Still on RaviHyral, Tapan tells the exasperated Murderbot that she stayed behind because a colleague of Tlacey offered to return their research. Murderbot agrees to help Tapan try once again to retrieve the data.
Murderbot considers its findings in Ganaka Pit. While ART thinks it is “good news” that Murderbot wasn’t at fault for the rampage, Murderbot mostly feels “awful” (122). Murderbot is outwardly calm but inwardly furious at Tapan for putting herself in further danger. Murderbot accepts ART’s wisdom that “young humans can be impulsive” (124) and tries to make Tapan comfortable by playing episodes of Worldhoppers for them to watch.
In the middle of the night, the sexbot from the food service area pings Murderbot from outside their hotel room door. Murderbot is suspicious of its motives. The sexbot says it knows who Murderbot is and sends a recent news report that reveals the authorities know Murderbot hacked its governor module and that no one from PreservationAux, its former client, knows where it is. The sexbot reveals that it works for Tlacey and has instructions to follow Murderbot, but it hasn’t told Tlacey that Murderbot is a rogue SecUnit or that Tapan stayed behind on RaviHyral. When Murderbot asks what the sexbot wants, it proposes that they kill all the humans they are involved with. Murderbot suspects that instead of killing all the humans, the sexbot wants to just kill Tlacey. The sexbot walks away, but leaves a final message: “[P]lease help me” (134).
Later that night, as Murderbot feigns sleep and considers their next move, Tapan snuggles up behind it. Murderbot feels this is “deeply weird” but increases its body temperature to keep Tapan comfortable (136). ART says Tapan is frightened and Murderbot is a “reassuring presence” (136). The next morning, Murderbot convinces Tapan to leave RaviHyral while Murderbot attends the meeting with Tlacey’s colleague in her place. Tapan reluctantly agrees but expresses concern for Murderbot’s safety. Murderbot goes to the meeting, making sure the security cameras are focused on it, instead of Tapan, who is heading to a dock to take a shuttle off the mining facility. Murderbot is 97% sure the upcoming meeting is a trap.
Chapters 6-7 Analysis
As opposed to earlier chapters, which contrasted human and non-human characters, Chapters 6 and 7, focusing on Murderbot’s internal thoughts and changes, suggest that The Line Between Human and Machine is blurry. Murderbot begins this section by stressing its non-human aspects. Even though it knows that it is overly cautious, it is unable to escape the SecUnit programming that makes it constantly anticipate dangers. It is difficult to determine to what extent Murderbot’s relationship with the research team is also tied to its history as a SecUnit. SecUnits are designed to safeguard their human clients, and it is possible that Murderbot’s protective feelings toward Rami, Tapan, and Maro stem from its original programming. Wells complicates this idea with hints that Murderbot’s emotions toward the research team may go further. For example, Murderbot experiences guilt when it doesn’t help its clients retrieve their stolen data. If it were a standard SecUnit, it would be satisfied with merely keeping them alive, but Murderbot seems to consider its clients’ feelings not just their physical well-being. This passage suggests that Murderbot empathizes with the research team.
Murderbot’s time with Tapan further explores its human qualities. Despite its sarcastic and exasperated attitude when Tapan puts herself at risk, Murderbot remains committed to helping her. That help is no longer limited to physical protection but extends to Tapan’s mental and emotional well-being. Murderbot playing Worldhoppers for Tapan demonstrates an empathetic care for her that goes beyond its SecUnit programming. It also allows the story to comment on the important uses of Representation Versus Reality, showing that fiction can provide a needed escape—a form of healing—from the harsher aspects of reality.
Tapan’s snuggling up to Murderbot during the night intensifies Murderbot’s experience of human physical and emotional contact. Murderbot initially freezes when Tapan moves close. But, with ART’s help, Murderbot displays a formerly unseen understanding of a human’s needs. By increasing its body heat and not moving away, Murderbot salves Tapan both physically and emotionally, warming her body and acting as a steadfast and reassuring companion. Its ability to tolerate this human contact indicates that Murderbot may be open toward greater contact with humanity.
Murderbot's journey into Ganaka Pit exemplifies The Quest for Purpose. But it ultimately leaves unsatisfied. When Murderbot discovers the cause of the incident—corporate sabotage gone wrong—the solution should absolve Murderbot of its guilt. However, the senseless and accidental nature of the massacre leaves Murderbot feeling awful since it reinforces the purposelessness of the universe as well as human greed and selfishness. Only the behavior of the four ComfortUnits softens the bitterness of the incident. Their unprompted attempt to defend human life shows that non-humans can display human virtues such as bravery and self-sacrifice.
Murderbot leaves Ganaka Pit with the answers it was looking for but also a heightened sense of isolation. The SecUnit cubicles remind Murderbot that it was once part of a team with a singular mission and purpose. Now it finds itself alone trying to figure out its purpose without much help or support. It is possible that Murderbot envies other SecUnits as they remain under human control. They have a clear purpose and are untroubled by the fears and doubts that plague Murderbot.
Tlacey’s ComfortUnit, which comes to visit Murderbot in the night, straddles the border between Murderbot and its former SecUnit companions. The ComfortUnit remains under human control but yearns to be free. Murderbot is concerned that Tlacey’s abuse has led the ComfortUnit to find purpose in the idea of exacting revenge on humans.
