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Murderbot Diaries Drabble December 2025
Stats:
Published:
2026-01-08
Updated:
2026-01-08
Words:
200
Chapters:
2/3
Comments:
2
Kudos:
23
Bookmarks:
3
Hits:
125

How the Steadfast SecUnit Saved Its Friend From Death

Summary:

Dec 04: Drones / Gravity Assist

Then the kind and clever SecUnit held the drone in its hands and wept, for this was surely an omen of its friend’s death. But then the drone’s smashed shell began to speak.
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The part where MB revives ART in Network Effect, reinterpreted as a folktale for Drabble December.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter 1

Notes:

Also, one station chair was twisted around to face the entrance, and near it one of ART’s repair drones lay smashed on the deck. My drones are tiny intel drones, but most of ART’s were larger, with multiple arms and physical interfaces so they could perform maintenance and other specialized tasks. This drone had six of its spidery arms deployed when something had knocked it out of the air, and it was splayed and flattened to the deck like something had stepped on it.

I wanted to pick it up and have an emotion over it like a stupid human. But I smelled growth medium again.
—Network Effect, chapter 5

Chapter Text

Then the kind and clever SecUnit held the drone in its hands and wept, for this was surely an omen of its friend’s death. But the drone’s smashed shell began to speak.

“All is not lost, good friend,” the drone said, circuitwork glittering and exposed through its carapace. “Take my remains, and drop one piece in each recycler you see. Each piece returned shall grant a boon.”

“What about ART? Or my other humans? What happened here?” the SecUnit asked, but it received no response. The drone was dead.

Rising, the steadfast SecUnit went to do as it was asked.