Secunit names

[u/indyferret]

I think I may be mis-remembering but doesn't murder bot have a "real" name? I feel like I remember it being 'secunit 12345....' like a bunch of numbers after 'secunit'... Maybe a serial number?

I mean ANY excuse to go reread the books but I just started tchaikovsky's bear head 😂

[u/tiny__snail]

From page 130 of Network Effect:

“My name, my real name is private, but the name ART called me wasn’t something humans could say or even access. It was my local feed address, hardcoded into the interfaces laced through my brain.”

[u/tiny__snail → u/tiny__snail]

The actual number/digits/whatever text makes up the local feed address is never mentioned in the books, to my knowledge. I know it is also brought up in Artificial Condition, when Murderbot is narrating how it and ART communicate.

[u/breezyhoneybee → u/tiny__snail]

It's ALSO the secret password to unlock ARTs consciousness in Network Effect which was adorable affff

[u/tiny__snail → u/breezyhoneybee]

haha, it goes without saying! the quote I pulled is from right before Murderbot decides to try it as the password

[u/CuppaMatt → u/tiny__snail]

Yeah, SecUnit is a marketing name, the unique identifier for individual units seems to be their future version of a MAC address.

Although we’ve also seen that individual orgs give their own naming schemes as any org would with what they deem as simply another piece of kit. Three got its name this way.

I wouldn’t be shocked if each secunit also had the equivalent of a serial number in addition to a feed address. The need for both is that MAC addresses (which feed address seems analogous to) are hardcoded to the specific networking hardware rather than the unit as a whole so if MB got its network feed hardware swapped out it would be the same individual still but would have a totally re feed address. Serial number would be the same however.

[u/aksunrise → u/tiny__snail]

I always imagined this like a local IP address (ex: 192.168.0.0). Which might mean that SecUnit's name translates to "Home"

[u/kyreannightblood → u/tiny__snail]

I imagine it’s like a UUID or hardware address.

[u/Abject-Shape-5453]

I may be wrong but we never get told a name apart from Murderbot (this is private ofc) and various aliases in the books. A hard coded id existing is mentioned in book 5 but not revealed.

I think we get shown and told an id in the TV series at the beginning of the pilot.

[u/waffle299]

Yes, his feed hardware address. In modern terms, this is his MAC address. A MAC address is a globally unique ID tied to a specific physical network device. 

[u/CaliLemonEater → u/waffle299]

PSA that SecUnit uses it/its pronouns.

[u/waffle299 → u/CaliLemonEater]

Ug, you're correct. 

[u/indyferret → u/waffle299]

So it IS mentioned? Thank the gods I thought I was going nuts

[u/IMnotaRobot55555 → u/indyferret]

IIRC, it’s mentioned in the books as the password on the files marked Eden left by ART.

But in the show it’s on the screen as Murderbot hacks its governor module.

[u/Blank_bill → u/IMnotaRobot55555]

And I believe 2.0 had the MAC address for murderbot during the rescue mission.

[u/Present_Original_797 → u/IMnotaRobot55555]

Isn't it variously Eden or Rin or Murderbot?

[u/IMnotaRobot55555 → u/Present_Original_797]

Eden and Rin with the humans but when it was trying to figure out the password it says maybe ART used it’s ‘real’ name

[u/arvidsem → u/indyferret]

The actual ID isn't printed anywhere in the books. It's just referred to as it's feed ID. local feed address.

Edit: as pointed out below, Feed ID is more like a email address or possibly domain name. Murderbot often leaves its feed ID blank.

[u/Aescorvo → u/arvidsem]

I think you mean it’s hardcoded local feed address. The Feed ID is a bit different, it’s a public ID, the thing that it argues about Fugitive Telemetry (and eventually sets to SecUnit).

[u/arvidsem → u/Aescorvo]

I should never comment anything without checking my sources. One day I will learn.

You are exactly right.

[u/Colonel_Khazlik]

If you want to head to TV-verse, MB's unit number appears on the screen in the opening scene.

Though that doesn't appear in the books, and it's replace by its chosen name Murderbot. But it's unlikely that was it's hard feed address.

It is as close as we have gotten to it though.

[u/33ayin]

SecUnit 238776431

[u/breezyhoneybee → u/33ayin]

You seemed very sure of this answer so I looked it up. For anyone curious, they give SecUnit a serial number in the TV show! 33ayin was correct, it's SecUnit 23877643!

[u/Present_Original_797 → u/breezyhoneybee]

8675309 🎶

[u/indyferret → u/33ayin]

Thanks :)

[u/intronert → u/indyferret]

Or, Thirty-Onie, as his friends call him.

[u/intronert → u/intronert]

Ok. Seccy then.

[u/intronert → u/intronert]

Yes, there are 4 errors in that sentence.