Chapter 613 This is Way Too Real (Requesting Subscriptions and Monthly Passes)

If artificial robots appeared in the Future Era, what would they actually be like?

Many sci-fi games, movies, and TV shows have showcased this before.

Humans coexisting peacefully—or locked in fierce confrontation.

In Detroit: Become Human, both scenarios exist.

Just like wealth and poverty, beauty and darkness.

Factories belching thick white smoke by the highway give way to bustling downtown areas after crossing the road.

There are towering skyscrapers, bridges brimming with Tech aesthetics, spacecraft, flying vehicles, bustling commuters, and chapels steeped in classical architecture.

Workers can be seen along the roadside, though their uniforms and the circles on their temples silently declare their true nature: androids.

As the streets of the city are traversed, rain begins to fall, and pedestrians open their umbrellas.

In a corner by the roadside, a group of androids stand under what resembles a rain shelter—public androids waiting to be rented and used.

In the next moment, the scene shifts to a Shop entrance where a homeless man leans against the wall.

A sign on his chest reads: 'Androids stole my job. Please help me!'

This segment of the journey isn't particularly long, serving mainly to immerse players in the backdrop of Detroit and the Future Era.

From the prosperous downtown to the surrounding industrial zones, then onward to the overgrown, dilapidated suburbs.

Clearly, whether in the future or the present, wealth and poverty remain sharply divided.

Seeing the homeless man's sign, Song Ren suddenly understood why some humans harbor such hostility toward androids.

Mass-produced androids with costs driven low enough to replace most human labor inevitably leave workers 'laid off.'

From their perspective, androids did steal their jobs.

Thus, an irreconcilable conflict arises between androids and Regular humans.

Amidst the piano melody of the Background Music, the car gradually vanishes into the rain.

The screen fades to black briefly, and just as Song Ren expects to see Connor again—

This time, he assumes the role of another android.

Not Connor, nor the female android Kara, but a caretaker named Markus.

Song Ren was Speechless.

This was nothing like what he'd imagined!

Having played the demo version, he'd assumed the game would be an intense cops-and-robbers drama.

So why was he suddenly an Administrative Nanny?

A male nanny, no less. First a female, now a male.

However, unlike Kara—who he could only observe but not control—Markus came with quests.

Head to the commercial district across the park to buy paint for his owner.

Kara couldn't be operated earlier, and Connor's negotiations confined him to the house, leaving many aspects unexperienced.

Now, controlling Markus offered an entirely different feel.

The new brainwave feedback controls felt overly sensitive compared to Regular controllers.

While adjustable in-game, the initial adjustment period was awkward.

Fortunately, Detroit: Become Human didn't demand overly complex operations.

Walking along the park paths, Song Ren felt an overwhelming warmth.

Here, androids brought positive changes:

Androids caring for the elderly, jogging with fitness enthusiasts, watching over children in the Amusement park.

Song Ren sighed with emotion. "If only androids existed in the real world—no more fussing over life's trivialities."

As a self-professed lazy person, he imagined how blissful life could be with android assistance.

But stepping outside the park, the Atmosphere shifted abruptly.

To the left of the exit, a group of androids worked on construction.

To the right, a Black woman sat on the ground, clutching an empty cup, begging.

A sign in front of her read: 'BAN ANDROIDS! THEY TOOK MY JOB!'

Crossing the street, android kiosks, stores, and advertisements were everywhere.

Consumers gathered around display windows selecting androids, while public androids functioned like shared bikes.

The park gave Song Ren the illusion of harmony between androids and humans.

But beyond its gates, everything changed.

A hot dog vendor aggressively shooed Markus away, despising androids near his stall.

Homeless people displaced by androids littered the sidewalks.

A busker by the fountain sang protests against androids, his sign declaring: 'HUMAN Music! JUST $1 FOR Music WITH A SOUL!'

Nearby office buildings hosted speakers decrying androids as demons that would destroy their world.

Arriving at the Paint Store, Markus scanned a QR Code to verify his role, paid, and collected the paint.

But as he prepared to board the bus home, a crowd of unemployed protestors blocked his path.

'Where the hell d'you think you're goin', tin can?!'

'Hey, look—I caught me a tin can!'

Surrounded, Song Ren barely processed the scene before the camera jerked—Markus was shoved to the ground.

Before he could rise, a kick landed on his back.

'Look at this dumbass. You stole my job, but now? Can't even stand.' A blonde woman sneered at Markus.

The crowd hurled insults, punctuated by kicks every few seconds.

Song Ren was bewildered.

What was happening?

The haptic feedback from the pod didn't hurt, but the humiliation fueled his rage.

"Damn it! Let me up, and I'll slaughter you all!"

Clenching his teeth, Song Ren seethed. No one would tolerate such treatment calmly.

The anger stemmed largely from the dehumanization.

In-game humans saw androids as mere machines—devoid of emotion.

But players inhabiting android roles felt the sting acutely.

This deepened when a police officer arrived.

'If you destroy it, I'll have to ticket you.'

The officer's casual tone treated Markus like public property—or worse, a disposable tool.

"If this were Bloodborne, I'd have skewered you all by now!"

Grumbling, Song Ren watched the assailants leave.

Fine. Time to board the bus and complete the quest.

At the stop, Song Ren waited—then froze upon entering.

Because this was way too real.

The spacious bus stood nearly empty, save for a few passengers.

At the rear, a cramped compartment—one-fifth of the cabin—was reserved for androids.

Human seats sat vacant while androids were forced to stand, packed like sardines.

"Even buses enforce segregation? This society's too damn real!"

Fuming, Song Ren stomped his foot. But this was just the beginning.

After Markus's story concluded, the surroundings shifted once more—

Song Ren found himself back in Kara's role.

And if Markus's Unfair Treatment was infuriating, Kara's player experience made him grumble inwardly even harder.

(End of Chapter) <>