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Language:
English
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Published:
2021-04-18
Updated:
2021-04-18
Words:
1,011
Chapters:
3/?
Comments:
17
Kudos:
92
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Summary:

SecUnits don't have nightmares.

Chapter 1: Murderbot Wakes Up

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

I come out of my recharge cycle with my memories jumbled, my inorganic systems working furiously to regulate the panic rushing through my organics’ sympathetic nerves. I’m only confident of two things: one, the last thing I remember there were multiple targets trying to dismantle me and two, this location is not secure. There’s no SecSystem to send an update to my feed, and no cameras in the area besides the ones on my drones.

(I should have taken a moment to assess the situation before constructing a strategy. Maybe if I had, I would have realized how little sense it made for me to be recharging in a hostile environment, or how unlikely it was that my drones would all be intact and stored away during combat.

But I didn’t. So when the drone cameras pinged me that there was a target coming within range, I was only prepared for a fight.)

The target, an un-augmented human, comes within melee range quickly. They say something, ordering me to stand down I think. Benefits of having a cracked governor, I don’t have to listen to humans anymore. I flip my gunports open and spit out a warning, I honestly don’t know exactly what but giving them a chance to surrender is what my humans would want. Keeping my back to the wall in case they have a weapon I haven’t detected, I rapidly move for the exit.

The human is talking constantly, but their words mean nothing to me. “SecUnit, stop- it’s okay, it’s me, I think you were-” They move closer, hands raised and open. Going in for a grapple. Fat lot of good that’ll do against a murderbot, but humans can be stupid sometimes.

I close my left gunport and slam my hand against their collarbone, pinning them to the wall while scanning the area for other threats.

“SecUnit, SecUnit, please-” Their voice cuts off into a hiss of pain as their collarbone fractures. Their next word is breathy and quiet. “Murderbot…”

I let go and they slide to the floor. It’s Mensah, it’s Dr. Mensah, shit. What have I done? She’s – right, she’s a hostage, isn’t she? I’m supposed to be getting us out of here, taking out the real threats so we can escape. But she’s injured now. It’ll be harder to secure an exit route.

Well, not if I take out everybody else in here. I kneel down, checking that Mensah is stable. Then I stand up and sprint out the door, locking it behind me. I can make up for this. I have to.

Notes:

(Sinnamon): I wrote this first chapter as a response to the next one, which broken_risk_assessment_module wrote in the angst channel of the Murderbot discord. Now everyone is in emotional pain. Fanfic success.

Chapter 2: Ratthi, My Human Friend

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

I glance up, startled, as SecUnit rounds the corner. Its eyes are wide and its movements are jerky - it glances up at me and seems to look straight through me.

“SecUnit?” I say, confused. “I thought you-”

Its face contorts in an expression I can’t decipher. At the same time, its arm rises and its gunport opens, pointing straight at me. I only have time to yelp in terror as my stomach drops.

The sound of the energy blast is deafening.

But there’s no pain. I open my eyes and look up at SecUnit, terror still like a cold vice around my throat.

“You shot at me,” I choke out, and even saying it I don’t believe it. SecUnit wouldn’t shoot me. It wouldn’t. And it looks just as confused and scared as I am, maybe more so. Then a realisation triggers in my mind and I look over my shoulder. There’s an ugly black mark singed into the wall. I turn back to SecUnit, my eyes wide in confusion.

“...And you missed?”

SecUnit doesn’t shoot at me. It also doesn’t miss. My heart is racing and my brain isn’t cooperating, but I try to put that aside because it was staring at me, abject horror written all over its face, and I know it needs me to be the calm one right now.

I swallow and take a step towards it, my hands in front of me with the palms out, trying to be comforting.

“SecUnit… are you alright?” I say softly. Its eyes widen and flick over my shoulder to the mark on the wall, then back to me. It shrinks away from me, then turns and bolts back the way it came.

I sigh, defeated, and let my hands drop. Then I look back at the singed spot, black and ugly and smoking slightly. Something in my gut twists and I forget how to breathe. I screw my eyes shut and hug myself, trying to stay calm, and ping Mensah.

There’s something wrong with SecUnit.

Her response is immediate, and I can feel her distress over the feed.

I know.

Notes:

some Ratthi angst for you. as a treat.

- broken_risk_assessment_module

Chapter 3: Tag

Summary:

:) <3

- broken_risk_assessment_module

Chapter Text

I’m running through the halls of - wherever the I am, I don’t know - and they all look the same, or maybe they don’t, I’m not really paying attention. I’m busy trying to work out what the hell is wrong with me.

I replay my last encounter with the target - no, Ratthi, his name is Ratthi. I had tried to shoot him. I had wanted to shoot him. But something had jerked my arm to the side and made me miss. Wait, no, not something - me. I had moved my arm. Why would I do that?

He had looked terrified. Do I care? Yes, yes I fucking do. I had run away because I didn’t want to hurt him. But why. Do I know him?

Ratthi.

I run a search on him in my archives, and get a hit immediately. His folder has the tag My human friend.

Oh, shit. In my mind, I see Dr Mensah again, sliding down the wall after I broke her collarbone. Something tightens in my chest, and all I want is to find a very small space and hide there until I don’t exist anymore.

I close out of the replay of the encounter with Ratthi, but it doesn’t help. His terrified face is burned into my mind, like the hole I made in the wall.

I set my jaw and keep running.