The Murderbot Diaries - Rogue Protocol1. Abene said, “Were you hit?” She stepped toward

The Murderbot Diaries - Rogue Protocol

1.

Abene said, “Were you hit?” She stepped toward me, reaching to push my jacket aside. I jerked back a step. She stopped, startled. Miki turned, its visual sensors focusing in on me. I checked its camera and got a view of my face. I thought I had gotten good at controlling my expression, but apparently only when I wasn’t feeling actual emotions. In our feed connection, Miki said, Abene won’t hurt you, SecUnit. 

[ID: a drawing in dark teal and blue hues. In the front, Hirune is passed out on a chair, barely visible. Behind her is Don Abene, a woman with light braided hair over her shoulder, reaching a hand out toward Murderbot. Murderbot is bleeding from a wound in its stomach and on its right thigh, and backing away from her, looking horrified/scared. There is blood on the floor underneath it. Murderbot wears thick heavy boots, dark pocketed pants with various thigh holsters, a hoodie and a jacket over the hoodie. On the right is Miki, visible from behind, also lifting a hand towards Murderbot. Miki is a humanform robot with heart-shaped ear attachments, light silver coating and a helmet-like head. /end ID]

2.

Miki was crumpled in front of the bot, and something looked wrong. I was climbing to my feet, trying to see how Miki was damaged, when I froze. Something looked wrong because Miki’s chest was crushed, its processor, memory, everything that made it Miki squeezed to nothing in one flex of the combat bot’s hand. 

[ID: a drawing in cold hues of light blue and light purple. In the foreground and almost blurry, a deactivated CombatBot’s arm lies palm up on the ground. Behind that is Miki, sprawled on its back, torso bent and squished,,an ear bit torn off, head turned to the viewer, its faceplate showing “…”. Murderbot, injured more and wearing the same outfit from the first drawing, is coming up from behind it, looking at Miki. It has a small, mournful expression on its face. /end ID]