Murderbot (2025) s01e03 Episode Script

1
[wind whistling]
[chime jangling]
- [Ratthi] What is that?
- It's a gift.
Do you think it's wise…
[stammers] …crossing an ocean
just because someone didn't answer?
What if one of those animals
attacked them? More than one?
They have a SecUnit.
They could probably
afford more than one.
Better than ours.
[Murderbot] Harsh but fair.
I would want them to come and help us
if we needed it.
And they might even know more
about those mapping anomalies.
[Gurathin stammers]
Then they need tech support.
Listen, we could send up a beacon
and all be out of here right now.
The Company would love it if we quit.
Oh, it would just prove their theory that
free planets can't handle themselves.
No, thank you.
- Can't argue with that.
- Right.
We're just going to go to DeltFall,
check it out,
and we'll be back before you know it.
[Murderbot] Personally, I
was against this whole trip.
Last thing I wanted was to be stuck
with these people
and their pheromones in a small craft.
After you.
Oh, no, no. After you. I insist.
Oh, I'll go first. As per usual.
[Murderbot] I don't have a stomach,
so I can't throw up.
But if I did, I would.
[Mensah] SecUnit, uh.
I-I think it would be a really good idea
if you would keep your helmet down
so that the others remember
that you are part of the team.
Thank you.
Much appreciated.
[Murderbot] Who the hell ever said
I was part of the team?
[clicks, buzzes]
Does it hurt?
It's not too bad.
I hope your pain
sensors are dialed down.
I can't dial them down.
They disabled that function.
[Murderbot] Oh, good old
Strife in the Galaxy.
[chuckles] So unrealistic.
Not premium quality like Sanctuary Moon,
but still fun.
I-I mean, it's a good thing
their emergency beacon didn't launch.
- Right, Dr. M?
- Sorry?
I mean, it's a… it's a good thing
their emergency beacon didn't launch.
I think so.
What do you think?
They can imprison us.
But they can never stop us
from being ourselves.
[Mensah] What do you think?
Security Unit?
[Murderbot] Oh, she was asking me.
They have three contracted SecUnits.
But the communications equipment
could've been damaged
if their habitat was hit by a hostile.
Aren't the emergency beacons
designed to trigger
even if the rest of the comms equipment
gets destroyed?
They're supposed to.
Equipment failures aren't unknown.
Great.
Yeah, but we have
you. And you won't fail.
[Murderbot] Hopefully not.
- [Ratthi] Hello, you.
- [Murderbot] Ugh, come on.
Just wanted to say,
thanks for all the great work.
Yeah. So we heard, or rather
we were given to understand that, um,
Imitative Bot Units
are partially constructed
- from vat-grown human tissue.
- [Murderbot] Great conversation starter.
- That is correct.
- [Ratthi] Wow.
Does that mean you have,
like, human feelings too?
'Cause it really seems like you do.
[Murderbot] It does? Shit.
Ratthi, what are you doing?
Okay, look. I know
we agreed to back off,
but it feels really weird
not to treat it as a person.
[Murderbot] Why would I want that?
- You're upsetting it.
- Yeah, Ratthi. Don't annoy it.
I'm just saying,
this practice is disgusting.
It's horrible. It's actually slavery.
This is no more a machine
than Gurathin is.
[Murderbot] Oh, hold
on. I definitely am.
[Arada] You don't think it knows that?
Ratthi.
Fine. I'll apologize.
- No, no, no.
- No, Ratthi.
- Just come back here.
- [Ratthi] Sorry…
[Murderbot] While they exchanged
pointless human sentiments,
I decided to check in on
PreservationAux habitat via satellite.
Bharadwaj seemed to be healing well…
[crying]
Physically.
- [cries]
- [Gurathin] Are you all right?
[gasps] Oh.
I didn't s… see you. [breathes shakily]
S-Sorry, it's an old habit. Being quiet.
I just keep… [gasps] …seeing that
creature bursting out of the ground.
And the smell. [breathes heavily]
I feel like I can still smell it on me.
I-I have some, um,
behavioral therapy modules
if you'd like to try them?
- Oh, you mean for the… for the…
- They're nonspecific.
I think I'm okay.
[breathes shakily]
[Murderbot] Gurathin. So creepy.
He's like the Stellar Inquisitor
on Strife in the Galaxy.
Half man, half lizard.
Wait.
Why was he going into Mensah's room?
And why don't these people lock
their fucking doors?
What was he doing in there?
Was he spying on Mensah?
I knew he was up to no good.
Was he working for the Company?
Or for another corporate entity?
Planting an explosive device
so they could kill the crew,
take the proprietary data,
sell it on the black market and buy
expensive luxury goods for himself.
Just like Bookkeeper Wittenmark did
in episode 418 of Sanctuary Moon.
[sniffs]
[exhales deeply]
[Murderbot] Oh.
He's smelling her pheromones.
This is truly depressing.
[comms crackle, buzz]
[Mensah] What's this?
The satellite signal just went down.
I'm pinging it, but there's no response.
[sighs] I just felt a chill.
Did anyone else feel a chill?
That damn satellite's been
having outages since we got here.
Yeah, I've been tracking it lately
to see if there's a pattern.
You have not.
They have.
[Murderbot] Oh, idiot.
How did you know that?
Answer please, SecUnit.
The Company makes SecUnits check
client activity logs periodically.
That is an invasion of privacy.
[whispers] It is so fucked up
that it is reading our logs.
It kind of is. We're paying the
bond company, and they're spying on us?
What if… What if that's why the
satellites went out. What… What if it's…
- Come on, you sound like Gurathin now.
- Well, maybe he has a point.
[Murderbot] Ah, thanks.
Should've let that thing eat your wife.
Gurathin was wrong.
You don't mean us any harm, do you?
[Murderbot] Not consciously.
Can't speak to the dark recesses
of my programming.
My job is to protect you from harm.
You just paused for quite a while
before you said that.
Yes.
Does anyone want to go back?
If the DeltFall team does need our help,
and we don't go, how would we feel?
- [Murderbot] Alive.
- We should remember our history.
Captain Makeba,
the rescue and all of that.
- Okay, so then let's do it.
- Yeah.
Yep. We are not selfish
Corporation Rim dirtbags.
We are Preservation Alliance.
Oh, wait. Um…
Get in here. [chuckles]
[Murderbot] Not a chance.
- [clears throat]
- Okay. Can't blame me for trying.
[Sanctuary Moon character, on comms] This
is what happens when man and machine meet.
[dramatic music plays]
A hellish, harmful, hateful brew
compounded of tears, oil and blood.
- [whispers] SecUnit, are you awake?
- [dramatic music continues]
Yes, Dr. Mensah.
Would you come sit with me
at the controls?
Just for a moment? Thank you.
[Murderbot] Perhaps I could override
the lock mechanism
and jump out of the hopper.
Please sit.
[Murderbot] What was it with humans
and sitting?
It was like a fetish to them.
They didn't mean it.
They're just nervous.
I mean, what if we find DeltFall
and their whole team has been…
devoured?
[Murderbot] Yeah, that's pretty likely.
- Would you like to get some rest?
- [Mensah clears throat]
We are two hours away.
No, I-I… I can't sleep. [chuckles]
- Thank you, though.
- [Murderbot] You're welcome.
- Can I go back to my show now?
- [Mensah] I feel responsible.
We haven't found anything valuable yet.
Resources, information, nothing.
But we, uh… We need to try.
We need to stay
economically independent.
[Murderbot] Was I supposed
to respond to that?
Some of my colleagues
in Preservation Alliance
actually want to join
the Corporation Rim.
I'm trying to maintain a, um, balance.
[grunts]
But then, when people get badly hurt…
My family didn't want me
to go on this trip. [chuckles]
- [Murderbot] Please stop.
- Two of my spouses sat me down
and told me that they thought
that I was doing it to get some…
[muffled] …time away
from my responsibilities at home.
I need to check the munitions.
Okay, yeah. Um.
Of course. Thank you.
Now that's a habitat.
[Mensah] This is PreservationAux.
Can you read me?
[static on comms]
Nothing.
And we're definitely
within local comms range.
Where are they?
- Are there any missing transports?
- Mmm, no.
Doesn't look like it.
Hoppers are all there.
Oh, well, that's good.
Dr. Mensah, I recommend you land
outside the perimeter.
Why?
[Murderbot] In case everybody's
been eaten for lunch.
Security protocol.
Are you picking up anything
from their SecUnits?
Nothing.
Not even pings.
So then they just vanished?
Well, we can't be
certain without looking.
All right. We are landing
outside the perimeter.
[console beeps, buzzes]
[ship's engines rumbling]
Has everyone had weapons training?
Of course.
Mostly from games.
They're amazing
on KillJoyBloodLustTechRiot.
- Thanks, Ratthi.
- I didn't know you played that.
- I don't.
- [gun clicks]
- Thank you.
- I'll take one of those bad boys.
- You haven't had any weapons training.
- [Ratthi sighs]
You were fast asleep when we
had to do it at Port FreeCommerce.
Yeah, but I didn't think I'd need it.
Plus, you know,
KillJoyBloodLustTechRiot level 4,677.
- You totally autogrind.
- No, I don't.
Why don't you stay in the hopper,
- Ratthi…
- [stammers]
- …and monitor things?
- [sighs] But…
Ratthi.
Fine. Okay. Yeah.
But I should still have a gun.
Hey, who gets that sucker?
[gun charging up]
Please stay behind me at all times.
[Ratthi] Watch out
for those crustaceans. Over.
I-I don't like the looks of them. Over.
[Ratthi] Be careful.
Do you read me? Over.
Do you… Do you read me? Over.
[Mensah] Yes, we can read you.
Let's keep the communication
to the essential.
[chimes jangling]
- [Murderbot] It rained yesterday.
- [scanner beeps]
Mud has hardened.
No activity since then.
- Dr. Mensah.
- Mmm?
It would be better if
I went ahead alone.
Please.
Yes. All right, um.
[stammers] We shall
wait here. Yeah. Mmm.
[Murderbot] Still no pings
from DeltFall's SecUnits or HubSystem.
The place was dead quiet.
This is PresAux Security Unit
hailing DeltFall.
Anyone in range of this transmission,
please respond.
DeltFall, please respond.
Nothing from inside.
I'm going to blow the door.
[door pneumatics hiss]
[Murderbot] Or not.
I have gained access.
- Be careful, SecUnit!
- [comms screech]
Ratthi, lower your volume.
[Ratthi] Sorry. Sorry, sorry.
[stammers] I'm going on mute.
[sighs] Loser.
Idiot. Why did you miss
the weapons training?
You know why you didn't
get weapons training?
'Cause you were too fucking
hungover again. You twat!
Ratthi, bud, we can still hear you.
- [Ratthi] Oh, shit, can you?
- Opening up private channel, SecUnit.
[Murderbot] Good idea.
- What's going on?
- [Murderbot] I'm in the habitat.
- [alarm blaring]
- No movement here.
[Murderbot] Shit.
I've got a visual on one
of their Security Units.
[Mensah] How is it?
It's on standby.
[Murderbot] I should've gone back.
Just bailed out and saved my skin.
But, no. I had to get curious.
Please fall back
to the hopper immediately.
What's going on?
Nothing.
[Mensah] Do they need help?
No.
[Murderbot] It was better
to keep them in the dark.
Humans, when threatened,
do irrational things.
[Mensah] What if you need help?
If I need help, you should leave
as fast as possible.
SecUnit, I want you to leave there now.
[Murderbot] I'd like
to examine the area.
- No, I want you out of…
- [comms crackle]
I'm… [stammers] …I'm
getting interference.
[Murderbot, distorted]
Having a hard time reading…
- Please go back to the hopper.
- SecUnit?
If you don't hear from me
within ten minutes,
lift off and go back to PresAux habitat.
- SecUnit.
- [comms crackle]
Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?
[Murderbot] You guessed it.
That was me causing the static.
Just like Flight Officer Kogi
does in Sanctuary Moon episode 807
when he's disobeying orders.
And I wasn't ready to leave quite yet.
All right. Back to the hopper.
[electricity hums]
[Murderbot] It looked like one
of their SecUnits had gone rogue.
And the others had tried to stop it.
In spite of all the mess,
this scenario was too clean.
One SecUnit died trying to
protect the communications hub.
And these other two SecUnits
must have killed each other
at the exact same moment.
It reminded me of the season one finale
of Strife in the Galaxy.
Now the thing is,
Strife in the Galaxy is an inferior show
filled with implausible plotlines.
[Murderbot] It was a superior model,
but it had taken a lot of damage.
And I knew exactly what sequence
of moves it was gonna make.
[gun charging]
[Murderbot] Somebody had taken control
of this SecUnit.
Question was: who?
Question answered.
[gun fires]