Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory (The Murderbot Diaries, #4.5)

by Martha Wells

It’s a good thing she understands SecUnit’s sense of humor.

“Can you separate that person from the purpose they were created for?”

Ayda had known what constructs were, but the full reality of it hadn’t hit until she had listened to SecUnit coax Volescu out of the pit as the jerky video had played in their team feed.

But it had taken a sentient being who understood fear and pain to talk its way through Volescu’s blind terror.

the survey needs to finish its reports so the council can decide if they want to pursue their claim on the planet.

The others arrive in a noisy mob, questions, worry, Ratthi exclaiming, “SecUnit jumped over my head!”

SecUnit is looking down at her. “You can hug me if you need to.” “No. No, that’s all right. I know you don’t care for it.” She wipes her face. There are tears in her eyes, because she’s an idiot. “It’s not terrible.” She can hear the irony under its even tone. “Nevertheless.” She can’t do this. She can’t lean on a being that doesn’t want to be leaned on.