February 11, 2025
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
The basics
Title: Artificial Condition
Author: Martha Wells
Series: The Murderbot Diaries #2
- All Systems Red (2017) - Artificial Condition (2018) - Rogue Protocol (2018) - Exit Strategy (2018) - Network Effect (2020) - Fugitive Telemetry (2021) - System Collapse (2023)
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Goodreads Summary:
It has a dark past--one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot." But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more. Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue. What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks.
Read a full summary of Artificial Condition by Martha Wells below. If you can’t remember what happened in Artificial Condition and you need a refresher, then you’re in the right place.
What happened in Artificial Condition?
- Murderbot wants to go to RaviHyral, a mining facility, where it thinks it can learn more about the time when it malfunctioned. This incident led to dozens of people being killed, and Murderbot’s memory being wiped.
- Murderbot boards a vessel to take it to RaviHyral. As there aren’t meant to be any humans on board, Murderbot thinks it can just stow away for the journey. However, the computer that controls the ship is super curious and keeps chatting to Murderbot. Murderbot nicknames it ART.
- ART takes an interest in Murderbot’s soap operas.
- ART helps Murderbot change its appearance so that it isn’t so recognisable.
- Murderbot takes a job as a security consultant for some researchers who are heading to RaviHyral. They were employees there at Tlacey Excavations, and they want to get the data that their employer stole from them.
- Tlacey tries to disable the computer and sabotage the team’s transport. Murderbot and ART save the day, of course.
- They land on RaviHyral safely. Murderbot warns the researchers that it’s unlikely Tlacey will return the data that they’re after.
- Sure enough, Tlacey sends assassins to murder Rami, Maro, and Tapan. They don’t succeed as Murderbot is able to save the humans.
- Murderbot sends Rami, Maro, and Tapan off so it can do some research into its past without worrying about them.
- Murderbot discovers that the incident happened at Ganaka Pit, and learns that the incident was not its fault. Apparently a corporation sabotaged it. Murderbot discovers that four ComfortUnits sacrificed themselves to save others.
- Murderbot discovers that Tapan stayed on RaviHyral to get to the data.
- One of Tlacey’s ComfortUnits contacts Murderbot asking for help to be freed from Tlacey.
- Murderbot retrieves the data.
- Tlacey captures Tapan. Murderbot goes to save her, of course.
- Tlacey tries to override Murderbot’s combat data but fails spectacularly because of ART’s surgery. Tlacey can’t access the data port. Murderbot kills Tlacey and her guards.
- Murderbot takes Tapan back to ART, which performs surgery to save her.
- Murderbot frees Tlacey’s ComfortUnit and warns it not to harm any humans.
- The humans say goodbye to Murderbot and it’s all very sweet. Murderbot decides to keep the communication device in case it comes across ART again. Murderbot prepares to travel through space to an unknown destination.
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