Rogue Protocol

Rogue Protocol sees our lovable Murderbot heading to a derelict GrayCris terraforming installation to do some investigation, where it gets wrapped up in another round of intrigue and action. The massive station was in danger of crashing into the planet when it was picked up for salvage by another corporation. But it seems that terraforming was just a front for yet another illegal bout of alien archeology, and now GrayCris will kill to cover it up.

Murderbot deals with a friendly “pet” robot Miki, and some rather terrifying combat bots and idiotic humans. The tone and voice are great, though I keep feeling an odd formlessness to the universe, a kind of generic scifi building blocks rather than place. So much of the series takes place in what’s essentially an airport departure lounge. And the state of information security is insanely awful, meaning that there are few problems Murderbot can’t hack or shoot its way out of.