by Martha Wells
Part of The Murderbot Diaries, book 2.5
First published 2025
Murderbot and the crew of Perihelion face their most complex assignment yet when they arrive at a corporate station caught in the middle of a brutal takeover attempt. The station's systems are compromised, its personnel divided between competing factions, and trust runs dangerously thin. As Murderbot navigates the political chaos while trying to keep everyone alive, it must work alongside humans who may not have the same agenda. The mission forces Murderbot to rely on others in ways that challenge its carefully maintained emotional barriers. Corporate warfare becomes personal as loyalties shift and the crew discovers that survival depends not just on superior firepower or hacking skills, but on the connections they've built with each other. Wells explores how relationships form under pressure and what it means to truly trust someone when everything familiar has been stripped away.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, thriller, action
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: emotional-barriers, found-family
Setting: Perihelion, Corporate Station
34 pages · Kindle Edition · Tor Books