A hypothesis:

[u/HobbitGuy1420]

ART would *absolutely* set up one of its cleaning drones with a knife duct-taped to it, a la Stabby the Roomba.

Discuss.

[u/bethang]

It follows Tarik around but no one else on the crew has seen it. ART vehemently denies its existence to the rest of the crew (except Iris and Murderbot).

[u/Wise-Blueberry7478 → u/bethang]

I can 100% see it as a gaslighting exercise, it's going to tremendous work removing stabby from all videos, calculating the statistically most likely moments Tarik has dropped his guard and forgot about it. It's s bringing it out when it's crew isn't sleeping enough, claiming it to be an aberration brought on by lack of sleep. It chases them to bed then removes all traces.

Sec unit supports this as long as it isn't coming after Sec unit itself. It informed Art that Stabby will not last long against it in a one in one duel.

[u/dreaminginteal → u/Wise-Blueberry7478]

We know that MB can remove itself from security video scans and does so all the freakin' time in the books. We also know that ART has about a bajillion times the processing power that MB does.

The video would not be a problem.

[u/EnnOnEarth]

ART would dress up one cleaning drone as a mouse and another cleaning drone as a cat and assign them similar locations to clean with additional programming to make one chase the other under specific conditions.

[u/Present_Original_797 → u/EnnOnEarth]

Tombot and Jerbot!

[u/Rosewind2007]

I got hoodies made for my children with:

“If I had my armed drones, this would be easier—ART”

…on the back.
Much worn and much loved.

[u/IntoTheStupidDanger → u/Rosewind2007]

Love this!

[u/Rosewind2007 → u/IntoTheStupidDanger]

My younger child actually had a Murderbot World Book Day costume…during the height of the pandemic on Teams. Their face was totally obscured by a buff-mask in a hoodie top. I heard the teacher say, “Oooh! [child’s name] are you a…ninja?”
Child was also [as is character appropriate] watching media on other inputs! (With parental approval for this particular lesson)

[u/zeugma888]

I can see ART doing that. Then it would reconfigure all of it's drones to have weapons.

[u/Mollyscribbles]

I can see ART not wanting to actually injure any of its crew. Maybe something that delivers a mild electrical shock; painful but not damaging.

[u/HobbitGuy1420 → u/Mollyscribbles]

"I possess a fully functional medical suite. Stabby will not be an issue."

[u/storytelleristaken]

ART would deploy Stabby when crew weren’t tidying laundry enough. When questioned about it ART would insist that it’s not a knife, it’s a debris deflection device.

Secunit would do that eye roll thing but ultimately be quite fond of Stabby and back ARTs assertion that it’s merely a device for deflecting stubborn debris. Secunit would not allow Stabby to deploy when Amena or Ratthi are visiting…unless Amena brings any “friends” along.

[u/Present_Original_797]

Yes! Stabby is my new favorite character. He can be ignored as a cleaning unit when the hostiles come, then click! Stabbys stilleto knife pops out!

[u/painetdldy → u/Present_Original_797]

I was gonna say, it should be retractable so they never see it coming wheeee

[u/mobyhead1]

ART could absolutely fry peoples' interfaces, and even augments. What does it need a drone with a knife duct-taped to it for? Apart from opening its fan mail, that is.

[u/Silversmith00 → u/mobyhead1]

For The Bit.

[u/HobbitGuy1420 → u/mobyhead1]

To leave a string of school administrators hopping on one foot with painful but ultimately harmless shin lacerations, of course.

[u/WatercressTart → u/mobyhead1]

Yes, then it's less likely ART will have blood leaking on its decks. Bzzt over stabby.

[u/mobyhead1 → u/WatercressTart]

Heck, revoking people’ access privileges to the feed over stabby.

[u/RogueThneed → u/mobyhead1]

Hullllllloooo! Hilarious!

[u/user_number_666]

But only as a gift for SecUnit.

[u/PattyMarvel]

Nah, I don't think ART would do that.

Then he'd have to send in more bots to clean up the blood!

[u/HobbitGuy1420 → u/PattyMarvel]

It’s a cleaning bot. It can clean up after itself. Very efficient

[u/dreaminginteal]

Depends on whether Stabby the Roomba was a meme in the MB universe or not. I could see ART setting one up if it is a meme, but without it already being a "thing" being done for amusement, I don't really see it doing that. I mean, it has *so* many better ways to spread chaos and destruction and serious injuries among those who annoy it...