The Murderbot Diaries, #7
System Collapse
by Martha Wells
Contents
Chapter Nine
Overview
The meeting with Leonide turns into a Barish-Estranza mutiny when her own people shoot her, deploy SecUnits, and reveal their willingness to seize the colonists by force. SecUnit protects Iris and Leonide, disables attackers, and, with ART-drone and AdaCol2, temporarily neutralizes two hostile SecUnits and one Barish-Estranza shuttle.
The chapter shifts the conflict from persuasion and propaganda to open combat and escape. AdaCol2’s reluctant assistance becomes crucial, but the arrival of a second shuttle and more armed personnel leaves SecUnit’s group trapped inside the installation and searching for a new way out.
Summary
Iris and SecUnit meet Supervisor Leonide and three Barish-Estranza employees in a smaller gathering room with no built-in cameras. SecUnit places drones to record and quietly broadcasts the meeting to the colonists. Leonide appears calm and hints that Barish-Estranza will leave these colonists and move on to the original settlement, but SecUnit’s threat assessment detects abnormal tension in Leonide’s companions.
When Adelsen begins to draw his weapon, SecUnit lunges to protect Iris, then realizes Adelsen is aiming at Leonide. SecUnit knocks Leonide partly out of the shot’s path, so Adelsen wounds her instead of killing her. The attack reveals that Leonide’s own subordinates have mutinied and intend to remove witnesses, seize the colonists, and continue Barish-Estranza’s coercive plan.
A Barish-Estranza SecUnit rushes in and ignores Leonide’s command code because the mutineers have revoked her authority. SecUnit disables Adelsen, Beatrix, and Huang without killing them, but the hostile SecUnit shoots SecUnit through its projectile weapon, destroying it. Iris turns Adelsen’s weapon on him and forces him to order the hostile SecUnit into shutdown; Leonide, now cut off from her own comms, demands to come with Iris and SecUnit.
As the group flees toward the shuttle, ART-drone coordinates Ratthi in the hovering shuttle and Tarik inside the installation. A second hostile SecUnit approaches, an armed Barish-Estranza shuttle arrives, and an explosion partially blocks the hangar exit. SecUnit gets Iris and Leonide into a storage room, injures the pursuing SecUnit’s fingers through the door, and buys time while ART-drone flies Ratthi’s shuttle through the installation toward another hangar.
AdaCol2, after recovering from a failed Barish-Estranza breach attempt, finally grants SecUnit camera access and a network bridge. SecUnit uses that access to infiltrate the original Barish-Estranza shuttle’s security system, with ART-drone distracting its crew by nearly ramming them. SecUnit orders the second hostile SecUnit to stand down, sends the first SecUnit to help wounded humans, plants governor-module hack files in both SecUnits’ archives, and disables the shuttle’s comm, feed, and bot pilot.
ART-drone escapes the blocked hangar with Ratthi, while SecUnit, Iris, Leonide, and Tarik remain inside the installation. AdaCol2’s cameras reveal multiple armed Barish-Estranza groups and colonists hiding in lockdown, but AdaCol2 refuses to expose itself to the second shuttle’s system. SecUnit concludes they are not yet safe and chooses a possible escape route through the unused hangar and terraforming access tunnel.
Who Appears
- SecUnitProtects Iris, counters Barish-Estranza’s mutiny, hacks systems, and searches for an escape route.
- IrisAttends the meeting, forces Adelsen to stop a SecUnit, and helps manage the escape.
- ART-droneCoordinates team feeds, pilots the shuttle under fire, and helps distract Barish-Estranza systems.
- Supervisor LeonideBarish-Estranza supervisor wounded by her mutinous subordinates and forced to flee with Iris.
- AdaCol2Installation system that survives a breach and grants SecUnit cameras and network access.
- AdelsenMutinous Barish-Estranza employee who shoots Leonide and commands the first hostile SecUnit.
- RatthiWaits anxiously in the shuttle while ART-drone flies him through dangerous escape paths.
- TarikRuns through the installation, warns colonists, and fights Barish-Estranza personnel alone.
- BeatrixBarish-Estranza mutineer disabled by SecUnit during the failed attack on Leonide and Iris.
- HuangBarish-Estranza mutineer wounded and disarmed after participating in the armed betrayal.
- Hostile SecUnit 1Barish-Estranza SecUnit deployed by mutineers, shut down through Adelsen’s forced command.
- Hostile SecUnit 2Second Barish-Estranza SecUnit pursues the group until SecUnit hacks its orders to stand down.