All Systems Red Quotes by Martha Wells (2024)

“I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don't know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“I liked the imaginary people on the entertainment feed way more than I liked real ones, but you can’t have one without the other.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“Yes, talk to Murderbot about its feelings. The idea was so painful I dropped to 97 percent efficiency. I’d rather climb back into Hostile One’s mouth.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“You may have noticed that when I do manage to care, I’m a pessimist.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“And in their corner all they had was Murderbot, who just wanted everyone to shut up and leave it alone so it could watch the entertainment feed all day.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“The sense of urgency just wasn’t there. Also, you may have noticed, I don’t care.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“They were all so nice and it was just excruciating. I was never taking off the helmet again. I can't do even the half-assed version of this stupid job if I have to talk to humans.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“I remember every word ever said to me." That was a lie. Who would want that? Most of it I delete from permanent memory.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“I hate having emotions about reality; I’d much rather have them about Sanctuary Moon.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“Mostly something called Sanctuary Moon.” He shook his head, dismissing it. “It’s probably using it to encode data for the company. It can’t be watching it, not in that volume; we’d notice.” I snorted. He underestimated me. Ratthi said, “The one where the colony’s solicitor killed the terraforming supervisor who was the secondary donor for her implanted baby?” Again, I couldn’t help it. I said, “She didn’t kill him, that’s a fucking lie.” Ratthi turned to Mensah. “It’s watching it.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“I don’t know why, because it’s one of those things I’m not contractually obligated to care about.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“I love you, armor, and I’m never leaving you again.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“It’s wrong to think of a construct as half bot, half human. It makes it sound like the halves are discrete, like the bot half should want to obey orders and do its job and the human half should want to protect itself and get the hell out of here. As opposed to the reality, which was that I was one whole confused entity, with no idea what I wanted to do. What I should do. What I needed to do.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“It calls itself ‘Murderbot,’” Gurathin said. I opened my eyes and looked at him; I couldn’t stop myself. From their expressions I knew everything I felt was showing on my face, and I hate that. I grated out, “That was private.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“recharge my ability to cope with humans at close quarters without losing my mind.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“So, I’m awkward with actual humans. It’s not paranoia about my hacked governor module, and it’s not them; it’s me. I know I’m a horrifying murderbot, and they know it, and it makes both of us nervous, which makes me even more nervous. Also, if I’m not in the armor then it’s because I’m wounded and one of my organic parts may fall off and plop on the floor at any moment and no one wants to see that.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“I don't know what I want. I said that at some point, I think. But it isn't that, it's that I don't want anyone to tell me what I want, or to make decisions for me.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“murderbot + actual human = awkwardness.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“This is why I didn’t want to come. I’ve got four perfectly good humans here and I didn’t want them to get killed by whatever took out DeltFall. It’s not like I cared about them personally, but it would look bad on my record, and my record was already pretty terrible.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“It was a low-stress group, they didn’t argue much or antagonize each other for fun, and were fairly restful to be around, as long as they didn’t try to talk or interact with me in any way.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“The HubSystem that controlled their habitat, that they were dependent on for food, shelter, filtered air, and water, was trying to kill them. And in their corner all they had was Murderbot, who just wanted everyone to shut up and leave it alone so it could watch the entertainment feed all day.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“This is how we fight: throw ourselves at each other and see whose parts give out first.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“But the company would access all those recordings and data mine them for anything they could sell. No, they don’t tell people that. Yes, everyone does know it.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“The whole group had been remarkably drama-free so far, which I appreciated. The last few contracts had been like being an involuntary bystander in one of the entertainment feed’s multi-partner relationship serials except I’d hated the whole cast.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“I yelled, “No!” which I’m not supposed to do; I’m always supposed to speak respectfully to the clients, even when they’re about to accidentally commit suicide.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“I don’t know what I want. I said that at some point, I think. But it isn’t that, it’s that I don’t want anyone to tell me what I want, or to make decisions for me. That’s why I left you, Dr. Mensah, my favorite human. By the time you get this I’ll be leaving Corporation Rim. Out of inventory and out of sight. Murderbot end message.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“My clients are the best clients.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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“We’re cheaply produced and we suck.”
― Martha Wells, All Systems Red

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