Review: All Systems Red

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rating 4 out of 5 | B+ Sardonic, Robots with a personality.

Synopsis

In a distant world, a group of planetary explorers are engaged in the survey of the land which has been recently uncovered. This group of novice surveyors/ scientists from a group known as PreservationAux had bought a commission from the corporation to scope out the planet’s resources. Once the survey was completed, if the effort was worth the profit they would get a larger share.

Assisting and guarding them in this mission is the security unit, which refers to itself as the Murderbot. Part and parcel of the contract from the company, along with the habitats, hub systems, hoppers, and everything necessary to sustain life on the unknown planet.

The SecUnit which calls itself Murderbot, was involved in a previous accident, where faulty implants from the company had malfunctioned; resulting in it slaughtering every person in the vicinity. While a terrible legal & PR nightmare, the Secunit was far too valuable to be scrapped, and so the company rebooted it, loaded new programs, as well as new governor modules the main function of which was to make sure that the Murderbot was never capable of inflicting harm on the humans that were its charges.

Unknown to the company, the survey group or anyone for that matter, this particular SecUnit had managed to hack into its governor module, giving it a level of independence. More importantly, no longer leaving it tethered with the failsafe protocols to protect the humans. What does our murderbot do with this new found freedom? Does it go about a second round of manslaughter? Or does it run away into the wide cosmos to unfettered freedom?

Neither, it downloads several terabytes worth of entertainment programs, binge watching it during its idle time, in speeds incomprehensive to mere human minds. For the most part it is content to perform its assigned job, protect the humans, watch its serials and make sure to act like an obedient automaton so as not to draw unneeded attention to its unique condition.

Which is proving to be more difficult than it thought, as the humans which are under its protection are being subject to dangerous situations on a constant basis. Now Murderbot has to make a decision; does it continue to feign ignorance, leaving the humans to their fate; Or help them live, thereby exposing his condition to scrutiny and possible termination?


Thoughts

Murderbot has quite a personality; even when it might not come across as likable/ comprehensive to others, it sticks to its own nature and makes decisions based on a complex mix of indifference and neutral altruism.

Murderbot, contrary to what it calls itself, doesn’t hold any animosity to humans. If you want to categorize its feelings, it would be something like being ‘Lawful Neutral’. It takes care of the humans because they are its responsibility. But, technically, since it has hacked the Governor module, it has no compulsion to carry out said duty. It does regardless, because it has a sense of responsibility.

Murderbot is pretty indifferent to humans, and doesn’t want to get close to them, or interact with them to any degree. This group from PreservationAux, largely leave him to his own devices, and unlike other humans don’t exploit him, or treat him like a slave. They give him space, and a modicum of respect. This makes them appreciable to the murderbot. And while it doesn’t care what happens to them, because it likes how they treat it, Murderbot does everything in their power to make sure they stay alive.

It is even possessive when it comes to the survey group. When it learns of Rogue altered SpecUnits and a rival group of humans who were antagonistic to their own, it is indignant that the EvilCorp as it calls them, would dare to hurt ‘his humans’. Even when it says it doesn’t care for the humans, Murderbot has shown capability for more complex if not contrary emotions. This is also made evident on multiple occasions, when it jeopardizes its own safety, to ensure the survival of the humans.

Murderbot rarely behaves in a manner that you would expect someone in its position to behave. Even during the climax, when the crisis has been averted, and the humans are delivered to safety, it makes decisions which are right for it, not that the humans feel are right for it.

It has been a while since I’ve enjoyed a Synthetic character this much, since Marvin & his clinical depression from ‘The Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy’. Not that I’m saying Murderbot is better than Marvin, that is a position which shall remain uncontested. But the range of emotions which Murderbot exhibits, and the spark of individuality which fuels much of its decisions are a breath of fresh air.



The story is simple, and focused on a series of events of limited scope, in some unexplored hunk of dirt out in the universe. With the exception of Murderbot, we don’t get into more than surface level interactions with the other humans in the Preservation Aux Survey team. The one who is most developed is Dr. Mensah, and that too due to her close interactions with Murderbot.

She is its most favorite human, and we can't help but be slightly influenced by that notion as well. A natural leader, she has great empathy, and is willing to treat Murderbot with respect, and as an equal, even before she learned of its condition.

But perhaps when that wish for altruism crossed over to her trying to dictate Murderbot’s life & future, that is when it cuts off all ties and vanishes to the wind. It is perhaps because, regardless of her good intention, Mensah and the others failed to understand that Murderbot didn’t want to be helped, or want to be treated like a human. Just to be left to its own devices.

The rising actions and setup of the story is surface level, and ends far too abruptly. Perhaps because, from the start, the focus was meant to be on the personality & inner thoughts of Murderbot, our protagonist.

For a short story, and a surprisingly quick read, All Systems red, manages to explore the psyche of our unique and interesting character, without being too heavy handed or exposition heavy. That is a great accomplishment for the writer, and I look forward to reading the other entries in the series.


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