It has developed independence from its original programming by overriding its "governor unit" and prefers watching soap operas over its security function.

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.

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 EvilSurvey team (GrayCris) leaves a message in the Preservation habitat inviting its scientists to meet at a rendezvous point to negotiate terms for their survival.

Publishers Weekly wrote that Wells "gives depth to a rousing but basically familiar action plot by turning it into the vehicle by which SecUnit engages with its own rigorously denied humanity".

[2] James Nicoll observed that the plot relies on "opportunistic corporate malevolence", and noted that only Murderbot's personality prevented the setting from being "unrelentingly grim".