#presaux

[sevrin-descaray]

Thinking about how even the most progressive planetary systems and political entities, like preservation aux, goodnight lander independent, ect in the mbd require constructs and bots to have guardians

[rjalker]

Once again I am asking the bare minimum:

If you disagree with me that The Murderbot Diaries is doing slavery apologism, show me the passages where we are expected to fear and hate slave owners, and cheer on the slaves who hurt or kill them in their fight for freedom.

If I'm so wrong about this series and how this author is framing slavery and slave owners, then just show me the quotes.

If I'm wrong, it should be literally effortless on your part.

[murderbotpolls]

poll submission: favorite member of the original presaux team from book 1?

Favorite PresAux team member?

Mensah

Ratthi

Gurathin

Arada

Overse

Volescu

Bharadwaj

Pin-Lee

Voting ended onJun 27

[murderbotpolls]

Is the PresAux team slave owners?

No

Yes

Voting ended onJun 26

[jotctumb]

How did PresAux See that Surgery Scene?

It's fun trying to imagine how that surgery scene looked to everyone in PresAux. It's also really not easy! That scene is so defined by SecUnit's voiceover that it's hard to see it another way.

But from PresAux POV, first Gurathin makes the mystifying decision to hardwire with SecUnit. You know, SecUnit who he wants melted down because it's dangerous. It's extra weird because SecUnit and Gurathin have this brief moment of almost telepathic communication. Also, note that SecUnit lies about having done this before. (But it told the truth about not having seen it on Sanctuary Moon!)

SecUnit chooses the moment of hardwiring to bring up a recent grudge and then threaten Gurathin with brain damage. A joke? Sure, but one with genuine anger behind it. If you rewatch, note Mensah's reaction--she heard that.

Murderbot then proceeds to shut of Gurathin's vision. No warning. Gurathin reacts with anxiety and alarm.

It's interesting to ask why no one interceded at that point. Mensah in particular is the one who always stepped up to try to defuse these conversations.

My belief is no one (especially Mensah) wanted to make things worse. These two were already hardwired. SecUnit had already joked about brain damage and shut of Gurathin's vision. She can treat it as a tacky joke and let everyone try to get through this, or she could speak up, and who knows what might come of that.

Moreover, PresAux just couldn't conceive of doing this surgery without painkillers. So I think Mensah (and everyone else too) just wanted to get through this.

So anyway. After having joked about brain damage and following up with blinding Gurathin, SecUnit then mournfully asks, "Why can't you love me back?"

The show really lingers on this, especially in context to the short episode length. SecUnit says it three times, with multiple individual reaction shots and finally a group shot. (Bharadwaj stopped surgery to react, but is back at it in short order.)

It's interesting to ask if PresAux figured out the connection to Gura's feelings for Mensah. It's so obvious to us, the viewers, that it's tempting to say yes. But how would they? Even if I assume that everyone knows he has feelings for her, they don't know that SecUnit has taken a trip through Gurathin's head. All they know is that it's suddenly acting very strange.

Gurathin asks if someone said something, SecUnit lies again, and the surgery proceeds.

And then just when it seems like things are over, Gurathin says "one moment," followed by "murder," in a seriously distressed tone.

Again, remember that PresAux can't instantly know that he's reacting to Murderbot's memories. They might be wondering if he's delirious, having some kind of panic attack, flashback, who knows.

Gurathin quickly clarifies. At that point even Arada has questions!

And then follows one of the most painful scenes in the show. I don't want to get derailed by my own feelings about SecUnit's situation though, I'm trying to stay focused on how PresAux sees things.

That bombshell is a lot to absorb. A person might want some kind of calm, coherent explanation.

And SecUnit comes back first with "That is not true!"

Mensah hopefully echoes back, "It's not true that you murdered all those miners?"

"No. It's not true that that's why I call myself Murderbot."

Points for honesty! It lied repeatedly up until now but I guess it couldn't lie about this. And I'm getting distracted again, thinking about SecUnit and not PresAux's POV.

And then. SecUnit suggests it could be: an implanted memory, someone forced me to do it, combat override module, before admitting that it doesn't know.

Sorry, I had to include what was for me the most painful moment of the show!

And then it leaves.

I have to say, that's a lot to absorb! I think what's remarkable isn't that the others were so stunned, it's that Ratthi actually stepped up to try to go after it. Mensah shut him down, but good going Ratthi!

And then, just a short while later, everyone accepted it back. We didn't see that conversation. The show cut from SecUnit at the door to executing the plan.

There's no final conclusion here because I didn't have a specific point I wanted to argue. It was just a fun exercise in trying to see how the other characters might have viewed this incident.

And I'm still torn on if everyone (or anyone) figured out that "Why can't you love me back" was from Gurathin's thoughts.

[orangechickenpillow]

Murderbot explaining the PresAux crew dynamic like they're a part of a serial is so funny, like "Everyone is into everyone and some of them are dating except they *actually* like each other and they all have a big fat crush on Mensah and they're all incredibly happy and get along and it's gross yet somehow im enjoying this job"

[dandeliondelivery]

Preservation being referred to as planet granola is now etched in my brain. #My best friend Ratthi from Planet Granola

[indri-on-ao3]

This is PresAux.