Murderbot watches NewContact with the drones, gathering more data than voice alone. Even though NewContact didn't start alone, like Murderbot, even if NewContact is an alien, Murderbot knows being alone. It has more than enough data, both of its loneliness and observing human dynamics (in more detail than it cared to). Of course, who else would find it in this deserted dead end but someone as alone as it is?

"Unless you live on in otherwise uninhabited space, their opinions are going to matter," Murderbot answers, "at least some." Whether that it still being treated like property even in the nicer non-corporate system of Preservation, whether that's being treated as a threat or suspect when someone turns up dead (incompetently too, it would never leave a body lying around if it's trying to get away with murder), when there's people, they have opinions. It affects access to resources and freedom of movement. Noooooo, don't access the poorly protected systems, Murderbot, like threats are going to do he same.

It gets it though. "Like now, I'd still be standing there," Murderbot points out. Trench, clearly, has threats it hasn't been able to identify yet. Experimentally it clenches its hand into a fist. Its body temperature has risen.