#because ART knows that if the Targets are able to deliver a ransom command

[puzzleaddictyomz]

I feel like this also leaves out a huge factor in why ART goes to MurderBot, which is - the initial problem ART needs solved is:

1. My humans are ??? and I don’t know if they’re safe

2. I am compromised

If you know you’re compromised and under control of a hostile force, do you go straight home where other ships and people with the same vulnerabilities as you live? Or do you go to someone you trust who is also an unknown to the hostile force and has different skills and capabilities as well as vulnerabilities?

ART doesn’t go to Murderbot just to get its humans safe; ART goes to Murderbot to get itself back to a state where it can help recover its humans. Murderbot realizes as well that ART isn’t acting purely on reasoned logic and from an established plan at the start. ART is hurt and confused and goes to the closest help it knows can handle this type of situation, is unlikely to be vulnerable to the same things that might have compromised its own systems, and who is capable of getting ART out from under hostile control as a first step towards a plan.

They can figure out the rest later.

ART and Murderbot have the most insane interpersonal progression. From "Don't you dare lay a hand on my systems" to "Can I perform surgery on you" to "Let's be work buddies" to "Hey sorry I kidnapped you I kinda needed you lol" to "Let's make a bot child that's a self-detonating code bomb" to "Ah shit, our child died. Do you wanna move in together?"