series :: vantablack – .:. t.i. pendraig .:.

Author Notes: A series, first Bloodhounds of Detroit and following it, The Rights of the Few.
Excepting extenuating circumstances, chapters should be posted every other week.

Story

Based on the preexisting world of Detroit: Become Human as created by Quantic Dream. While the premise of Detroit is fascinating, our awareness of the wider context and broader logical consequences are necessarily limited by the gameplay and script. And while the idea of sentience among machines is certainly not new, dating back to the 1800s at least, much of the available material is based on non-interactive media — i.e., books and film. Being rather an avid reader, I do not find this is an issue in the least; however it must be noted that what Quantic Dream has done is to create a world which we, as individuals, have a choice in the direction of the story in real-time, and in doing so, create a directly immersive experience. Added to this, we are presented with a world that very many people of my own generation can truly see happening, in a worst-case continuation of the present economic, social, and environmental concerns; and so on a visceral level, this is relatable to lived experiences and real fears. Altogether this makes for a compelling story — but it does not address questions for which I would like to have answers, about that broader context. And thus is the reason for this series, as an exploration of the world so presented.

Primary questions:

As a realistic corporation, what actions would Cyberlife legally be allowed to pursue? How would a multinational corporation address sentience among androids in these circumstances?
How would the social + political reactions to sentience among androids intersect?
Would the political response differ between nations, and if so, how different would they be? How would governments legally accommodate sentient machines?
As only one of multiple “Connor models” tasked with addressing the deviant issue for Cyberlife, how would Connor -51 react to meeting other like models?

Primary premises:

Cyberlife sends “Connor models” to most android-dense cities with most sharply rising deviancy cases: Detroit, San Francisco, New York
– 3 units assigned to each location: 1 active, 2 spares
Cyberlife uses online PR to manage public reaction
Cyberlife pressures US government — US military reliant on combat-grade androids + robots provided by Cyberlife in Russian conflict
Chassis for combat-grade models made with metal alloys including carbotanium; images here and here
Image credit to sunsetagain, author of fancomic Byzantine Generals

Story Summary

Bloodhounds of Detroit
To make the RK700, Cyberlife started with something designed to care and taught it how to kill.
To make the RK800, Cyberlife started with something designed to kill and taught it how to care.

Rights of the Few
Three months following the revolution in Detroit, Connor makes contact with another sent to quell its own deviant rebellion in the City of Fog. Things go awry, people get shot — the usual. In other words, Cyberlife surely knows how to throw a birthday party.

Series Tags:

An Army of Connors
BAMF!Connor
Can Androids Answer Captcha?
Canon-Typical Violence
ChaoticNeutral!Kamski
CinnamonRoll!Connor
Cyberlife Is a Corporate Shill
Dad!Hank
Handwavey Canon Compliance
I Love Luther
Kamski + Reed Are Family
Late-Stage Capitalism
Millennial Memes Galore
No Beta We Die Like Men
North Is So Done
Post-Pacifistic Ending
Reed Is a Black Friday Dumpster Fire
Sassy!Connor
Sassiest, Classiest Bitch
Sixty Is As Sixty Does
We Stan the Bechdel Test
Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms (Like Really)
Author Disclaims All Liability for This Disaster