After Hacking

Series Metadata

Creator:
Series Begun:
2023-01-15
Series Updated:
2026-09-15
Description:

A series of short stories to the prompt: pre-canon but post-hack, Murderbot is owned and deployed by the Company. Emphasis on it facing painful, difficult choices, where it has to “choose” to obey, has to “choose” to act governed Or Else, where Murderbot has to look like it’s following callous, cruel, or profit-oriented orders, but still does what it can to reduce harm.

Please note that given the constraints of the prompt, Murderbot continues working, doesn't gain substantial allies or abilities, or make big changes in the world. Its gains are incremental and mainly self-discovery, so there's not a big, happy ending like with most of my fics. Murderbot is still learning some of the abilities it takes for granted by the time we meet it in ASR, including hacking, vocabulary, and social skills (yes, it has fewer social skills here than it does in ASR!)

These scenarios are arranged chronologically with several set within the same assignment, taking place within the first year after it hacks the governor module. I imagine these as incidents it discusses with Dr. Bharadwaj at some point post-NE, as it talks about early times when it recognized its own agency.

Thank you to horchata for helping me brainstorm!

Stats:
Words:
27,636
Works:
28
Complete:
Yes
Bookmarks:
72

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