Rogue Protocol

Miki is a humanoid construct that belongs to Don Abene and her crew. Miki is naïve and childlike in its innocence. Murderbot wonders if this personality, which makes Miki perpetually cheerful and agreeable, is a function of its programming (and thus intentionally put into place by its human owners) or whether it is a less pre-planned response to the way its human companions treat it. Miki takes things literally, which forces Murderbot to speak to Miki very carefully. This makes Miki not entirely trustworthy, even though it is one of Murderbot’s allies. When Miki works against Murderbot, it does so from a position of innocence rather than malice.

Miki knows that Murderbot is lying about being Consultant Rin but agrees not to reveal Murderbot’s identity to its human companions as long as Murderbot promises to protect Miki’s human “friends.” Miki eventually tells Don Abene about Murderbot’s identity anyway, thus illustrating that its loyalty is more to its human friends than it is to keeping its word.

Miki ultimately twice puts Don Abene’s interests ahead of its own. The first occurs when Wilken attacks Abene, thus revealing that she and Gerth have been secretly working for GrayCris. Miki protects Abene from Wilken’s attack, which leads to it losing its hand. It later decides to help Murderbot fight the combat bot that attacks the departing shuttle even though Don Abene orders Miki to act in its own best interests rather than to protect its human companions. Miki’s choice to reject the order shows that it has greater agency than Murderbot previously estimated it to have. This decision opens questions about how constructs can have autonomy even without hacking its governor’s module. Miki dies, its processor (which holds its personality, sentience, and any concept of self) crushed before any answers can be gained about this sudden ability to reject its owners’ commands. Abene and her crew seem to be genuinely stricken with grief when Miki is destroyed, though Murderbot leaves before it can speak to them about this loss.

Don Abene is the primary human character in Rogue Protocol. Murderbot admits to having difficulty telling human ages but believes that Abene is middle-aged. Abene is in charge of the assessment crew deployed by GoodNightLander Independent, the (smaller) corporation that purchased the ostensible terraforming facility from GrayCris. Abene is brave and proves willing to risk herself for her crew members; after Hirune is abducted by the combat bots, Abene insists on going to search for her, even though Wilken and Gerth (whom Abene then assumes to be true security assistance) argue that it would be safer to return to the shuttle.

Abene admits to never having encountered a SecUnit before and treats Murderbot respectfully, though she still seeks to give the SecUnit orders. Abene is kind and loving toward Miki, her humanoid construct; though Abene’s affection seems genuine, Murderbot is still suspicious of this relationship, as Abene is able to fully control Miki’s personality and actions via the construct’s programming. Abene does not appear to find any tension in the power differential of this relationship, instead aiming to treat Miki as a genuine friend. When Miki dies, Abene weeps with sorrow at the loss.

Despite falling into Murderbot’s category of “good human,” Don Abene is susceptible to the lure of capitalist values. Though she had made herself an enemy of GrayCris, Abene still works for another corporation. Moreover, when the last remaining combat bot threatens to destroy the terraforming facility, Abene agrees to try to divert the bot—at considerable risk to herself and her crew—to protect GI’s investment in purchasing the facility. This decision ultimately leads to Miki’s death.