Aboard the Perihelion, ART’s human crew notices changes in their ship’s behavior as it grapples with newfound feelings after befriending Murderbot, revealing the emotional growth and complexities of machine intelligences. This short story, set between "Artificial Condition" and "Network Effect," explores themes of friendship, connection, and the impact of relationships—even for artificial beings—while offering fans a deeper look at ART’s perspective.

Reader Review Summary

Set in the Murderbot Diaries universe, this short story centers on Perihelion (ART), the sentient research transport, and its crew as they undertake a mission at a corporate-controlled station during a hostile takeover. The narrative is primarily from the perspective of Iris, one of ART's human crew, and explores the aftermath of ART's encounter with Murderbot, focusing on how this meeting has affected ART's behavior and emotional development. The story is positioned chronologically after 'Artificial Condition' but is recommended by many readers to be read after 'Network Effect' due to potential spoilers. The plot is less about the mission itself and more about ART's internal changes and its attempts to communicate its new feelings and experiences to its human companions, particularly regarding its relationship with Murderbot. The release of the story coincided with the season finale of the Murderbot TV adaptation, and it is available for free on the publisher's website.

Readers appreciated the focus on ART/Perihelion, a fan-favorite character, and the exploration of its evolving relationship with Murderbot. Many found the depiction of ART's attempts to share its feelings with its crew both charming and humorous, drawing parallels to real-life situations where someone introduces a significant new friend or partner. The story's tone, dialogue, and character dynamics—especially the crew's reactions to ART's changes—were highlighted as enjoyable aspects. Fans also valued the additional context provided about the Corporate Rim and ART's crew, and several noted that the story deepened their understanding of ART's character development between earlier entries in the series.

Some readers expressed disappointment with the story's brevity, describing it as more of a vignette or fragment than a fully developed narrative. There were comments that the plot was minimal and that the story functioned primarily as fanservice, offering little advancement to the overarching series or the mission at hand. A few found the focus on the human crew less engaging compared to the non-human perspectives typical of the series, and some struggled to keep track of the crew members or found them unmemorable. Others noted that the story felt sappy or lacked the action and depth present in the main novels, and at least one reader reported feeling lost due to the story's placement and lack of context.

In addition to its narrative content, the story's release was timed to coincide with the conclusion of the first season of the Murderbot TV show, generating discussion about the adaptation and casting choices. The story is available for free online, though it is also sold as a low-cost e-book. Multiple readers discussed the recommended reading order, with consensus that it is best read after 'Network Effect' to avoid spoilers. The story is approximately 7,000–7,500 words (about 34 e-book pages), and while Murderbot does not appear directly, its influence on ART is central to the plot. The piece is generally considered a supplemental addition to the Murderbot universe, providing insight into ART's character and its relationship with Murderbot rather than advancing the main storyline.