The Preservation scientists confirm that their HubSystem has been hacked, and flee their habitat before the mystery expedition they have dubbed 'EvilSurvey' comes to kill them. Remembering small incidents that now appear to be attempted sabotage, Murderbot and the group determine that there must be a third expedition, whose members are trying to eliminate DeltFall and Preservation for some reason. The Preservation scientists mostly agree that, based on its protective behavior thus far, the SecUnit can be trusted. The team discovers that Murderbot is autonomous, and once malfunctioned and murdered 57 people. The Preservation scientists are able to remove it before it completes the data upload that would put Murderbot under the control of whoever has command over the other SecUnits. Murderbot is seriously injured, and realizes that one of the rogue SecUnits has installed a combat override module into its neck. Murderbot disables the remaining two as they attack it, but is surprised when two others appear it destroys one, and Mensah takes the other. At the DeltFall habitat, Murderbot discovers that everyone there has been brutally murdered, and one of their three SecUnits destroyed. When they lose contact with the other known expedition, the DeltFall Group, Mensah leads a team to the opposite side of the planet to investigate. Mensah, navigate their mixed feelings about the part machine, part human nature of their SecUnit. Meanwhile the PreservationAux survey team, led by Dr. Further investigation reveals that some sections of their maps are missing as well. Murderbot soon discovers that information regarding hazardous fauna has been deleted from their survey packet of the planet. Though it has hacked the governor module that allows it to be controlled by humans, and would much rather be watching soap operas, the SecUnit has a vested interest in keeping its human clients safe and alive, since it has an especially grisly past expedition on its record. She is saved by the expedition's SecUnit, a cyborg security agent which has secretly named itself 'Murderbot'. A scientific expedition on an alien planet goes awry when one of its members is attacked by a giant native creature.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells