Murderbot (2025) s01e02 Episode Script

1
Okay. It's in stasis.
I've killed the security
cams in the area.
I don't see any way around it.
To find out what's been happening,
we have to go to one of their areas
on the maps that's been blanked out.
And when I say "we," I mean me.
Why you?
Because I have
expertise in terraforming.
I can take samples and measurements
and be in and out quickly.
It makes sense to go there,
but what about safety?
I'll go. If you're going.
- Gura.
- Oh, I have weapons training.
You have to monitor from the habitat.
Bharadwaj is a geochemist.
If she was well, it would be useful
I'm sorry.
You should just take the SecUnit.
Absolutely not.
[Ratthi] Oh, I see.
That's why we're in the hopper.
- Because you don't trust it.
- That's correct.
- Yes, but you don't trust anyone.
- I trust you. I trust this team.
I just don't trust anyone or anything
that comes from the Company.
And you have good reason for that.
- You do.
- Yes. We love you, Gura.
Yeah. We really do, Gugu.
Can we stay on track?
I-I wanna resolve this
before it comes out of stasis.
I went in and talked to it.
You did?
I wanted to draw my own conclusion.
And? Do you think we can trust it?
I feel that we can, but I think…
we have to be cautious.
It seems like
it's going through something.
- SecUnits don't go through things.
- I know, I know…
They kill and they maim things.
And then when they malfunction,
they get melted down for material,
which is the first thing
that's gonna happen to SecUnit
when we get back to Port FreeCommerce.
I'm gonna see to it personally,
but until that time…
we need to stay out of its way.
- I don't want it to look
- [door buzzes]
[door opens]
- [chuckling] Hi. Hi.
- [sighs]
[chuckles]
- Bharadwaj.
- [Bharadwaj] What's going on?
You having a secret meeting?
- I love a secret meeting.
- [Mensah] Oh.
- You look so much better.
- I'm feeling so much better.
Our med bay is amazing,
- and the stimulants are effective too.
- [Mensah] Yes, they are.
- Who fixed my… my suit?
- Oh, yeah. That was me. I did that.
He did not do that. I did that.
- You're welcome.
- I love it. Thank you. Thank you.
- [chuckles]
- [Pin-Lee] Yes. Oh!
- I don't… [stutters]
- Oh, bring it in.
- Oh, yeah. No. That still hurts. Yeah.
- [winces] Oh. Oh. Oh. Sorry.
- Okay. Let's have a seat.
- What's happening? What's happening?
- Does anybody have some water?
- We'll get some, okay?
The missing areas on the maps.
We have to go investigate.
Great. I'm in.
I guess I'll close the fucking door.
[clears throat]
[Murderbot] I was in my repair cubicle,
waiting for the last of my organic parts
to be regrown.
I'd been in stasis all night,
and my clients had decided
to go exploring without me.
Stupid fucking humans.
[Bharadwaj]
I hope this isn't stupid of us.
[exhales sharply]
I shouldn't have let you come.
You are still healing.
I'm good.
No, I'm… This is good,
to get out there again.
[system beeps]
Okay. We're coming up on it.
[scanner beeps]
Scanner's acting a little funny.
Scanners are corporate garbage.
[Murderbot] That was true.
All of their equipment was garbage.
Yeah. Including me.
But you know one thing that worked?
The data mining software
that let me watch them at any time.
Hey, just leave your SecUnit behind
and go check out some mapping anomalies.
Even though one of you just got
chewed on by a giant tooth monster.
Looks fine.
It's probably best
that SecUnit didn't come along.
- Yeah. That was smart.
- [Murderbot] Yeah. Real smart.
Bharadwaj's vital signs were spiking,
and Mensah's were almost as high.
Remember, SecUnit is
from the Company too,
so if it is untrustworthy…
Exactly. Yeah.
Okay. I mean…
It did save my life.
Good point. [clears throat]
Gurathin felt it best
to leave it behind.
[Gurathin] SecUnit,
can you come see me, please?
Gurathin.
What was his fucking problem?
It was Gurathin, the augmented human,
who had the systems ability
to keep me in the dark.
Stop there please, SecUnit.
[Murderbot] Ooh. Look at him,
all fancy with his augments.
If I'd wanted to sneak up on him,
I could've snapped his neck
before he knew I was online.
[Gurathin] I'd prefer it
if you put your helmet down.
Now that I know you have a face,
I'd love to see it.
[clears throat]
[clears throat]
[Murderbot] Oh, great.
Eye contact.
I hated eye contact.
I watched through
the security feed instead.
Much less creepy that way.
Please, sit.
[Murderbot] Humans never ask you
to sit with them,
so sitting isn't really
a comfortable proposition.
I'm fine standing. Thank you.
I insist. Sit.
- [chair creaks]
- [sighs]
I understand Dr. Mensah
and Professor Bharadwaj
- are out in the hopper.
- I'm in contact with them.
They're taking all
necessary precautions.
[Murderbot]
I am a necessary precaution, moron.
I noticed you have an issue
with eye contact.
What a strange expression.
"Eye contact."
Like our eyes are stalks
coming out of our heads
and touching other people's eyestalks.
[chuckles softly]
[Murderbot] Okay, weirdo.
Dr. Gurathin, I recommend
I join the team in the hopper.
Or that they return immediately. My
threat assessment module indicates that
How is your system doing
after yesterday's attack?
Efficiency is at 97% and rising.
That's not what I…
[system beeps]
I guess I just don't understand
much about SecUnits.
What's it like
to be you?
I don't know what
it's like to not be me.
So I can't say what it's like.
[Murderbot]
Didn't he have anybody else to bother?
What were Pin-Lee and Arada doing?
[Pin-Lee] You're really precious to me.
Life is so precious.
I want you to have everything.
- [chuckles]
- [chuckles] I love you.
- [Murderbot] Ugh, that was worse.
- I love you.
- [Gurathin] SecUnit.
- Yes, Dr. Gurathin.
Do you know why I advised Dr. Mensah
not to take you along?
[Murderbot] 'Cause you're a dick?
- No, Dr. Gurathin.
- Because…
I look at you…
and I feel something's wrong.
[Murderbot] Oh, shit.
- I think you should stay in the hopper.
- What?
- Absolutely not. You need a geochemist.
- I do have a degree in terraforming.
Sure, but, you know,
that's terraforming.
What's wrong with terraforming?
Nothing. It's-It's just
not geochemistry.
- Obviously.
- So…
Bharadwaj, I need you here
in case I have to run my arse off
and get this hopper in the air.
You can keep me safe
by monitoring the hopper sensors.
Gurathin logged the sound footprint
of one of those creatures.
If you hear one coming, let me know.
Yeah.
[softly] Yeah.
[Arada] Are you sure?
I'm sure, I think.
Even though the last throuple
didn't go so well?
Yeah. Well, here's the thing.
First off, she was crazy.
She was dysregulated.
- And second off…
- [sighs]
…we didn't have a contract,
so everything got very chaotic.
But I, um… I already drafted one up.
You said we were in a rut,
and after that thing attacked, I just…
- Life is short.
- Thank you. Oh, yes!
- Thank you, thank you, thank you.
- [chuckling] Okay.
I think this is gonna be great.
Yeah. Me too.
I'll go get him.
This is gonna be great.
[singsongy] I'm so, so happy.
She's so happy.
I'm happy she's happy. [sighs]
[Murderbot] Gurathin knew.
He definitely knew.
While he was busy
printing himself some nutrition,
I saw my chance to escape.
In Preservation Alliance,
we don't have SecUnits.
Did you know that?
[Murderbot] I couldn't stand the guy,
but his interrogation technique
was very impressive.
Preservation Alliance is not
in the Corporation Rim.
Most certainly is not.
[food printer beeps]
The prevalent philosophy
in Preservation Alliance is that…
constructs, AIs, are people.
I know. It's…
weird to think about.
I only joined
Preservation a little
over six years ago.
I was friends with Dr. Mensah.
[Murderbot] Why was he telling me this?
I don't know why
I'm telling you all this.
But I do know that
in the Corporation Rim,
you are considered equipment,
and you have to do what we say.
Unless it would endanger you, yes.
Like if I pulped your head
between my hands.
Okay. Well, I am requiring you
to make and maintain eye contact.
There you go. That's not so bad.
[Murderbot] It was so, so bad.
[wind whistling]
[grunts]
[Bharadwaj] Mensah, how's it going?
[Mensah, on comm] All right.
Hard to get a footing sometimes.
[Bharadwaj]
Looks like the storm is holding off.
I've got you on the drone.
No hostiles detected.
Now, as far as I understand,
SecUnits are not designed
to form attachments with clients.
- Is that correct?
- That is correct. Yes.
There are constructs designed
for such a purpose,
or the simulacrum of intimacy, correct?
Comfort Units. Yes.
"Comfort" meaning…
Sex.
They're designed
for sexual relations with humans.
You were not designed
for sexual relations with humans.
No.
Or emotional attachment of any kind.
And yet,
yesterday, you were quite empathic with
Dr. Arada while you were helping her
accompany Professor Bharadwaj
to the hopper.
Tell me, Dr. Arada,
what planet are you from originally?
Do you have children?
What are their names?
[Gurathin] So, I guess my question is,
how is that possible?
I have a combat trauma module
for helping clients.
[Gurathin] By asking them
questions about children?
[Murderbot] Okay,
I got it from Episode 537
of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.
Stay with me, Friess.
- [grunts, panting]
- What planet are you from?
[gasping] A little place
called Sanctuary Moon.
- Do you have any children?
- Yeah.
Tell me their names.
I was programmed
to model interpersonal relations.
It is a new feature.
- You're not new.
- [Murderbot] To say the least.
I was told that you were refurbished.
Refurbished for what?
Weapons systems or
organic cloning?
Your governor module?
[crowd clamoring, screaming]
I wish I could tell you, Dr. Gurathin.
But my memory was erased.
Okay. Then, here's the deal.
I'm a very cautious person,
and I care very deeply about my friends.
So if you were
malfunctioning in any way
If a SecUnit was malfunctioning,
it would be extremely dangerous
for everyone involved.
Including the SecUnit.
Including the SecUnit.
- I should check the perimeter.
- Perimeter's fine.
[Murderbot groans] He didn't go
for the "perimeter" thing.
Gurathin was a hard nut.
And I could feel him starting to probe
into my recent archives.
So I decided to show him
something else from my feed.
Something that was going on
right here in the habitat.
[Ratthi] I am honored. Truly.
Yeah, we're… we're honored.
- Completely. Yep.
- Yeah.
[Arada breathes shakily]
[both breathing heavily]
[Murderbot] Human copulation.
But this is the part I skip over
when I'm watching media.
I could tell Gurathin wasn't
enjoying it too much either.
Dr. Gurathin?
Are you all right?
Yes.
[Murderbot] He wouldn't be probing
around my feed again anytime soon.
You don't have to look at me anymore.
I think what I was trying to say is that
I care about my friends
and that if they were under
any kind of, you know…
[sighs] …danger or threat
Of course, Dr. Gurathin.
Anything that is a threat
would have to be eliminated.
In the meantime, I hope that
you will be satisfied with my service.
- Wait.
- Wait, what?
I just got pinged by
the security feed of the hopper.
Something is happening.
[system beeping]
[pants]
Bharadwaj. Bharadwaj?
Are you reading me?
[panting]
Um, my… my sensors, um…
[grunts, panting]
…seem to be going kind of crazy.
Um, something is making
the equipment glitch.
[Bharadwaj, distorted] Yeah.
Seems… be creating… rence.
Shit.
[gasping]
[Murderbot] She was having
another panic attack…
- [gasping]
- …but was too stubborn to turn around.
[grunts]
Okay. [exhales sharply]
If you can hear this,
Bharadwaj… [clears throat]
…send the ship's drone ahead at
a sufficient altitude to see the area.
- [radio static]
- Hello?
[Murderbot] Dr. Mensah,
this is your SecUnit.
I've detected a potential threat
in the area.
I must ask you to please stop
what you're doing
- and return to the hopper.
- [chuckles]
SecUnit, how are you doing?
[Murderbot] These people. Honestly.
Dr. Mensah, this is Gurathin.
I am here with SecUnit.
It's using the satellite to run comms.
[Mensah pants] That's great. Teamwork.
[cries] So beautiful. So beautiful.
Okay, I, uh, seem to
be approaching visual
of the center of the map lacuna.
- [panting] It's just a matter of moments.
- [earth rumbling]
Dr. Mensah, please turn around
and return to the hopper immediately.
Yes.
C-Come back.
- I have come this far. Now is no time
- [growling]
Did you hear that?
Okay, fuck it. I'm leaving.
Professor Bharadwaj,
what is your status?
[Bharadwaj]
I'm getting a vibration matching
the pattern from the
first animal attack.
Repeat, I'm getting a vibration matching
the pattern from the first animal attack.
Yes. C-Come back. Come…
Come back now! Ayda!
[Bharadwaj, distorted] Yeah… same…
[roars]
[roars, shrieks]
[gasping] Fuck.
[roars]
[panting]
- [system beeping]
- Oh, wow. Do you see the drone feed?
[drone buzzing]
[whimpers]
What the hell could make that happen?
I don't know. I wasn't there.
Dr. Mensah's returning to the hopper.
I would like to check the perimeter.
With your permission.
Permission granted.
SecUnit.
Try to recover that memory, will you?
From the refurbish.
The data that they cleaned
from your memory.
Or, you know what?
Uh, I'd give it a shot myself.
- No.
- No?
I mean, I'll try.
[breathing heavily]
- Hi.
- [sighs]
Mensah, I just wanted to say that I, um,
intend to fix the comms system
on the hopper immediately.
Also, I'm s I'm sorry that I insisted
SecUnit not follow you on the mission.
I, uh…
I also just wanted to say
I'm really happy that you're back.
- [door opens]
- [Mensah] Gura.
I just need to shower.
[inhales sharply, chuckles softly]
- [wind whistling]
- [printer whirring]
[Mensah] Has anyone ever seen
anything like that?
Fungi can grow in circles like that.
Or at least their rhizomes
break the surface in circles,
revealing a complex
root structure underneath.
- It's actually really fascinating if… No?
- Uh, no. No, I don't…
I don't think those creatures are
connected under the surface.
And they're definitely not alive.
Not anymore.
There is something beneath the terrain.
Something that drew them in,
and it killed them.
- What?
- Alien remnants.
- Aliens? Like from one of your shows?
- No, not like from one of my shows.
Like from millions of years ago.
Sometimes, surveys find
their old synthetics or power sources.
Would that explain the gaps
in the survey maps?
Yes. Alien synthetics could have
glitched the survey satellites.
Well, it blew our drone out of the sky.
If it is old alien stuff,
then we'd be fucked.
You have to stop surveying immediately
so as to not disturb them.
Yep. 'Cause they're dangerous as shit.
Or they're just so valuable,
the Company doesn't want
anybody else to have a stake.
It is illegal to exploit it.
Which doesn't stop some people.
Oh, but I'm not saying us, of course.
There is another team
on the other side of the planet.
DeltFall survey. We should ping them
and compare notes, yes?
- Yeah.
- Good. Okay, we ping. You good?
[Murderbot] Stupid humans.
Stupid fucking humans
trying their best to get killed.
And who would get the blame?
Who is gonna get scrapped?
Me.
Get yourself killed on
your own damn time.
DeltFall survey,
this is Mensah, head of PreservationAux.
Please respond.
DeltFall survey,
this is PreservationAux survey.
- Please respond.
- [radio chatter]
[Mensah] DeltFall survey…
[alarm blaring]
[Mensah, distorted] DeltFall survey,
this is PreservationAux survey.
Please respond.
DeltFall survey, please respond.
[alarm continues]
No answer.
I think their comms must be down.
We should go and check it out.
We'll take SecUnit
along this time. Okay?
Sure. What could possibly go wrong?