Exit Strategy

The motif of entertainment media, particularly the serial The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, is Murderbot’s primary tool for processing its existence and a buffer against the anxieties of interpersonal connection. Having spent over 35,000 hours consuming media, Murderbot uses fictional narratives as a substitute for and a guide to lived experience, providing it with the context to interpret and mimic human behavior. Murderbot’s internal voice often considers its experiences in the context of fictional serials, both to highlight the fantastical nature of the fictive worlds it loves and to demonstrate its capacity for nuanced reading of its real environment.

Murderbot’s frequent retreat into entertainment media reveals the conflict between its desire for connection and its instinct for self-imposed alienation. The shows are a safe space where it can observe relationships without the risk of being controlled or misunderstood. By filtering its reality through these serials, Murderbot builds an identity separate from its function as a corporate tool, demonstrating that personhood can be constructed from chosen influences rather than just programming. The stories offer a framework for understanding its traumatic past, much of which was purged by the company.