Of the three android protagonists in
Detroit: Become Human, Kara doesn't have a lot of clearly defined conflicts within her story--Connor and Markus both have diverging paths based on player choices. For some reason that's hard to understand, I enjoyed Kara's story arc the most. One way that Kara differs from Connor and Markus is that her story seems to have more options for how it ends (although, I feel like I've possibly missed some content due to the choices I made).
**Serious story spoilers ahead!**
Kara's story starts off on a dark note; she wakes up inside a store that sells and repairs androids. Her system is rebooting and it's obvious that she has recently been reset. After a few moments spent looking around at humans shopping for new androids, Kara is approached by a salesman and another man. The salesman asks an odd question that helps to provide some more background on Kara--why pay for repairs instead of just buying a new android? Now players know that Kara has been repaired and had to have been seriously damaged. The salesman prompts the man to inform Kara of her name--he also drops the fact that his daughter was the person who named her. Players learn that the man's name is Todd and that Kara belongs to him. Todd and Kara head to his truck for the drive home.
The drive home is part of an introductory cutscene, but it also reveals information about the game world. Todd drives Kara through the city of Detroit--a city that is undergoing a dramatic rebirth thanks to the android industry. The city shows evidence of being massively revitalized and that it's returning to its days of industrial glory. While much of the city is a sparkling wonder, Todd lives in a rundown area that looks to be in danger of falling victim to the modernization sweeping through the city. The drive ends in front of a battered, multistory house--Todd states that they're home and players can spend a few quick moments taking in the dingy neighborhood surrounded by signs of growth.
Once inside, Kara sees a young girl sitting on the stairs--this must be the daughter that Todd mentioned in the store...the one who named Kara. Todd informs Kara (not nicely at all) that the girl's name is Alice. It's obvious from Todd's tone that he's not overly fond of Alice and his behavior sets an ominous tone. Kara can try to say hi to Alice, but she's oddly distant and seems to be trying to stay away from Kara. Todd, who players should have clearly pieced together is a grade A asshole, demands that Kara start cleaning up the house and that it's pretty dirty from Kara being away for two weeks (another hint at how seriously Kara was damaged). Players can direct Kara through a series of household chores that help shed more light on the entire situation. As Kara gathers up abandoned laundry from the clothesline in the backyard, players can make another attempt at trying to befriend Alice...but, again, she's weirdly quiet and resistant. Kara heads back inside to put the laundry in the washing machine and accidentally stumbles across a small packet of red ice (a new drug that uses ingredients derived from the android industry) hidden in the laundry detergent. Todd angrily grabs Kara by the throat and violently shoves her against the washing machine--he threatens her to keep out of his business (which is apparently drug related), but fortunately nothing else happens. It's confirmation of the potential violence that Kara has been subject to in the household.
After all the chores have been completed downstairs, Todd prompts Kara to clean the upstairs too. In Todd's bedroom, Kara discovers more information as she's tidying up. She finds a handgun and a bottle of antidepressants in the nightstand--so, Todd struggles with depression. A stack of "past due" notices also sheds light on Todd's difficult situation. Kara heads to Alice's room and gets the chance to try to approach Alice again--if players choose a friendly manner, Alice will give Kara a key to a small, locked "treasure box" in her room. Upon opening the box, Kara is able to learn more--a photograph of Todd, a woman (Alice's mother?), and Alice--what happened to the mother? Under the photograph are a stack of childish drawings that finally solidify Kara's backstory--there's one of a Alice standing over the shattered android corpse of Kara. Even though Kara can't remember anything, it's obvious that Todd is violent and has brutally damaged her in the past.
Kara returns downstairs to find Todd frantically searching for something on a bookshelf (and tossing books on the floor where Kara just cleaned...sigh). A few seconds later players hear the sound of a flicking lighter and realize that Todd's just enjoying some red ice...in front of Alice. Todd prompts Kara to get dinner ready, so players head back to the kitchen. Kara manages to find some food (the fridge is very bare) and announces that it's ready. Todd and Alice sit down at the table and Kara stands by, ready to help. Todd, who has been smoking red ice, is very worked up--he begins ranting--about Alice and how she hates him; about Alice's mother (who left him for an accountant); about not having a job and being a failure....things escalate rapidly as Todd flips the table and grabs Alice and slaps her! It's shocking and disturbing--he starts crying and Alice flees upstairs. Todd storms back over to his red ice...still ranting, and tells Kara not to move. Players can choose not to move, to try to reason with Todd, or to become deviant and resist Todd's order to head upstairs and check on Alice.
If players choose not to move, both Kara and Alice are killed by Todd. Choosing to reason with Todd results in Kara being strangled by Todd and briefly being disabled--she wakes up in time to chase him upstairs and find him menacing Alice in her room. Opting to become deviant means that players can make it upstairs before Todd--from there, you have a couple of different choices--you can head to Todd's room to grab the handgun from his nightstand (at least Kara would have something to defend herself with) or to head straight to Alice's room and try to protect Alice. Either choice results in Kara having to defend Alice and fight off Todd--however, the outcomes of the fight can be different if you opted to grab the gun. In the gun scenario, Kara winds up shooting Todd and killing him--this allows she and Alice to escape, but now there's a murder hanging over her head. If you don't grab the gun, Kara fights off Todd and manages to disable him using various objects in Alice's room. He's bloody and bruised, but alive--he can still chase Alice and Kara through the house, but eventually they can find a way to escape. They board a bus and are able to finally get away.
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| Kara and Alice. |
Kara and Alice are awakened by a city employee who informs them that they have to leave the bus. They make their way off the bus and the difficulty of their situation becomes staggeringly apparent--Kara is a deviant android with a human child...they don't have many options and nowhere to go. It's raining and cold, so Kara's first concern is trying to find someplace to keep Alice warm and dry. The part of the city that they've arrived in presents a few options--there's a motel, an abandoned car, and a boarded up, abandoned house. Before choosing, players can also search around the area--there's a laundromat where players can choose to steal some clothing (Alice needs some warmer clothes and Kara needs to cover up her android uniform) from a sleeping customer. Alice doesn't approve of any illegal activities, so stealing the clothes will result in a negative relationship outcome. There's also a twenty-four hour convenience store that is open. Looking around the store reveals a few potential actions--players can ask the clerk for help; they can choose to rob the story; or they can try to steal a few items for Alice. Robbing the store will help Alice and Kara have enough cash to stay in the motel...a much more comfortable (but less discreet) option than either sleeping in an abandoned car or hiding out in a creepy house. If Kara has the gun, players can simply choose to have her holdup the cashier...this also has the potential to bring unwanted attention to Kara (and robbing a store in front of a child...probably not the best example). Players can also opt to have Alice provide a distraction so that Kara can covertly grab some cash out of the register...again, not the most upstanding moral behavior. While searching the area, Kara is approached by another android who tells her that there's a safe location across town--unfortunately they have no way to get there.
The best options for Kara and Alice are the least desirable ones--either sleeping in the abandoned car or staying in the abandoned house. Choosing the house introduces Ralph, a damaged and slightly nutty deviant android, who is the current occupant. He's more than happy to accommodate Kara and Alice, but he seems unhinged. Inside the house, Kara can search to find materials to make Alice a bed and start a fire to keep her warm. She also gets a chance to discover more about Ralph--he is busy in the kitchen obsessively writing RA9 (the mysterious android god) on the wall. He shares that a group of humans attacked him and damaged him and that he has been hiding out in the house for a long time. Kara can explore upstairs and discovers some clothing to change into. She also finds the bathroom and decides to cut her hair, change its color, and remove her LED to disguise herself. From the corner of her eye she notices a bathtub surrounded by a shower curtain...there's a slightly ominous vibe. Players can choose to open the curtain or return downstairs (of course you want to open it!). Opening the curtain reveals the body of a dead human...could Ralph potentially be dangerous? With that bit of unsettling information, Kara heads downstairs to check on Alice. Players can choose to curl up on the floor with Alice or to have Kara settle in a chair nearby (keeping an eye out for Ralph seems necessary). (*Choosing the car means that players don't encounter Ralph, but Alice isn't happy. Kara still finds new clothing and will disguise herself)
Ralph wakes Kara and Alice with an announcement that he has found some food for Alice...a dead opossum. He's thrilled and begins spitting it so that he can roast it on the fire. Alice is mortified, but Kara understands that upsetting Ralph might not be the best option...maybe it's just best to play along with him until they get a chance to get away? Ralph presents the barbecued rodent to Alice and demands that she eat it--he's getting agitated. Kara is faced with a choice; she can choose to force Alice to go along with it or she can confront Ralph about the dead body upstairs. Confronting Ralph causes him to break down (fortunately, not to freak out though) and back off, but by this point there's a knock on the door...someone is outside! It's Connor and Hank who are responding to reports related to sightings of Kara. Time to run!
Kara and Alice manage to slip out of the squat (and Ralph even helps to provide some brief level of distraction), but Connor is hot on their trail. One of the potential downsides of choosing the squat is that players are not presented with an option of hiding from the police--instead, they must play through the pursuit sequence between Connor and Kara. Kara and Alice frantically flee and Connor gives chase--Kara's forced to make a potentially fatal decision to cross a high speed freeway. Players must correctly mash buttons in QTE sequences to help Kara and Alice avoid getting run over. Depending on how players choose to play Connor, they can either stop at the fence to the freeway or hop over in pursuit. If Connor pursues onto the highway, he will manage to grab Kara...players can have her fight free though.
Now that Kara and Alice know that they're being pursued, they have no other option than to look into the mysterious source of help indicated by the android near the squat. They arrive outside an old brick mansion surrounded by a wrought iron gate (the exterior screams "haunted house"). The creepy vibes are readily apparent, but they desperately need help--despite Alice's entreaties to Kara to leave, Kara rings the doorbell. Nothing happens....so she rings it again. Finally, a man cracks open the door and asks what they want. Kara informs him that they've been told that he can provide help...but he doesn't seem interested and starts to shut the door. It's only when he finally notices Alice standing behind Kara that he changes his tune and lets them in.
Once inside, a very large android (who gives off definite "you'll never escape" vibes) takes their coats and escorts them into the sitting room. The interior of the mansion is just as creepy as the exterior...but it's too late now. The man introduces himself as Zlatko and he says that he can help. First though, he needs to removed Kara's tracker to keep her location hidden. To do this, she'll need to follow him to the basement--Kara demands that Alice be allowed to come along and Zlatko reluctantly agrees. If the rest of the house gives off creepy vibes, the basement is a sure sign that things are about to go very, very wrong. Alice stops and tries to see behind the slotted doors that line the basement corridor--there's something in there, but she can't clearly make it out. Kara has to reassure Alice in order to continue toward the location of the machine that will remove her tracker. Zlatko hooks Kara up to the machine--she's fully restrained as a probe enters the base of her skull. It's then that Zlatko decides to reveal his true intentions--as a deviant, Kara's tracker has already been disabled, instead, he's going to erase her memory and turn her into one of his android slaves (like the big one). The big android holds Alice back as the machine starts to erase Kara's memory. Alice briefly breaks free and manages to hold onto Kara--Zlatko grabs her and knocks her to the floor. Alice bites him and he angrily drags her around the corner and tells the big android to lock her up and that he'll get to her later. Things are looking very bad.
Kara can't move much while hooked up to the machine and the ticking counter that indicates the percentage of memory that has been erased is a bit panic inducing. If players carefully look around, they will see a few objects that can be interacted with--a small table and electric light can be kicked over--there's also a cable that can be yanked to knock an opened bottle of vodka onto the floor. The combination of vodka and sparking lamp will produce an electrical malfunction in the erasure machine and cause it to release Kara without her losing her memory. (If you fail to release yourself in time, Kara's memory will be erased, but she can find triggers that will help her remember Alice).
Once loose, Kara has to find Alice and escape. She hurriedly heads through the basement--but this time you can have her look into those mysteriously cell-like enclosures. Inside, there are numerous androids that look monstrous. They inform Kara that Zlatko likes to capture androids and "play" with them--he does grotesque experiments for his own enjoyment. Kara leaves the cell open and heads upstairs. She hears Zlatko tell the big android that he wants to see the girl (Alice) in 10 minutes. Players have 10 minutes to try to find Alice...and it's a big house. Kara goes from room to room looking for Alice--in a room that appears to be Zlatko's bedroom she finds an unloaded shotgun...but no Alice. A bathroom connects the bedroom to another room...unfortunately for Kara, one of Zlatko's experiments (that is just a torso) lies in the bathtub--it's still functioning and threatens to yell--Kara can make a deal with it or choose to kill it (it's blue blood pump is exposed and can easily be removed). The next room is a large storage area--in one corner, there's a large cage that contains a partially deconstructed android polar bear (Kara can choose to open the cage)--a couple of "experiments" in various states of function lurk in the storage room (they're creepy to look at, but don't do anything). The next room is a kitchen...and there's still no sign of Alice. Kara heads back into the corridor and finds a small closet at the end. She opens the door and finds Alice inside. Once you've found Alice, Zlatko prompts the big android to bring her to him. Kara and Alice have no choice but to try to avoid the big guy. Players can have Kara and Alice hide in the next room--you can duck into a large cabinet and wait for the big guy to pass by. Once the big guy discovers that Alice is missing, he yells for Zlatko. Now both of them are searching, so Kara and Alice have to move carefully and not be seen. The goal is for players to evade both Zlatko and the big android--this is more difficult than it sounds (running into the bathroom android again means that it will alert Zlatko to your location) and if either sees you, Zlatko--who has now armed himself with that shotgun Kara saw earlier...oh, and it's loaded now--will fire away at Kara and Alice. Once seen, players have to execute QTE sequences to avoid being shot. If done correctly, Kara and Alice can escape out the backdoor of the mansion.
Outside the mansion it seems like Kara and Alice have made it to freedom. Unfortunately, Alice stumbles and falls and Kara has to stop and go back for her. This slight delay allows Zlatko and the big android to catch up. Zlatko has his shotgun pointed right at Kara and is ready to shoot...it's here that the big android unexpectedly grabs the shotgun and pulls it from Zlatko's grasp. Zlatko yells at him, but there's no way he's getting the gun from the big fella. Seconds later, a shambling group of Zlatko's experiments makes an appearance and begins taking out their vengeance. Zlatko gets what he deserves at the hands of the androids he has tortured. The big android still has the gun and it's not completely clear what his intentions are...but, he throws the shotgun down. He introduces himself as Luther and tells Kara that seeing her protecting Alice allowed him to break free of Zlatko's programming and become deviant--he tells Kara that he knows someone else who might be able to help...but after this fiasco with Zlatko, trusting anyone else is going to be tough.
Luther, Kara, and Alice take a car from Zlatko's and head toward the new potential source of help. The weather has turned and it's snowing heavily. Kara has a few chances to talk to Luther and try to learn more information, but doesn't learn much. Sadly, Zlatko's car breaks down, leaving the group stuck on the side of a snowy road. There's nothing they can do to fix it, so they have no choice but to try to find somewhere for shelter and to make their way on foot the next day. Kara looks around for shelter and doesn't see much--she does see a sign for an abandoned pirate-themed amusement park though. Luther carries Alice as Kara looks for a place to sleep--the androids can withstand the cold temperatures, but Alice needs somewhere warm. The park is very derelict and the search seems futile until Kara finds an abandoned restaurant. Luther uses his muscle to break the boards off the door--the restaurant is falling apart, but it'll have to do. Kara sets off to find materials to make Alice a place to sleep and Luther makes a fire. Once Alice is settled in, Kara and Luther have a few moments to talk. Kara can try to learn more about Luther. The conversation is brief and Luther asks Kara a pointedly odd question--has she noticed anything weird about Alice? Kara can't respond to that question because an object suddenly breaks one of the windows--has somebody found them? Players can choose to grab a gun out of Luther's bag or to stand in front of Alice to protect her. The door bursts open--and it's a horde of androids who used to staff the park. Players can choose--to fire away or to question the androids. Questioning the androids reveals that they are simply curious about the sight of a human child--they love children because that was the core part of their programming. By this point, Alice is very much awake and frightened. The androids inform Kara that their name is Jerry and ask Alice if she wants to see something cool. Alice is thrilled and implores Kara and Luther to follow the Jerry's. The Jerry's lead them to an abandoned carousel and offer to allow Kara to power it on. Kara powers it on and it cheerfully lights up. She helps Alice onto it and all the androids watch as she finally cracks her first smile of the game--it's a nice moment in the midst of all the chaos.
The next morning, Kara, Luther, and Alice arrive at the location where Luther says that they can find help. They come across a young man who is chopping wood and Kara hesitantly asks if he can help (and reveals that she's an android). He says no and seems standoffish. Fortunately, a woman comes out of a nearby greenhouse and reveals that her name is Rose and that she can help. She invites the androids to come into the house--Luther asks if Kara is sure that they should trust Rose (the Zlatko situation being what it was), but the group has no other choice. Unlike Zlatko's creepy mansion, the inside of the farmhouse gives off warm vibes--there's even a Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. Rose says that she can help and offers to allow Alice to rest upstairs--Alice appears to have a fever and to not be feeling well. Adam agrees to show the group upstairs and Kara tucks Alice into bed while Rose prepares some food and finds some antibiotics for Alice (Rose is a good, kindly woman...nothing like Zlatko). Kara leaves Luther to watch over Alice and heads downstairs--she's confronted with the sound of Rose and Adam fighting. Adam thinks his mother is taking too many risks by helping the androids (and, by this point, Markus's actions mean that the android revolution is in full swing--things are much riskier than normal). He and Rose argue and Adam eventually angrily storms off. Kara and Rose have a chance to sit down and talk. Rose tells Kara that she can find someone to escort them across the river into Canada, but that she'll need to leave to arrange it and that things are dangerous. There's a ruckus in another room and someone calls for Rose--there are other people in the house? Kara follows Rose into the laundry room and finds an android holding another android. He tearfully explains that the female android has shut down and that he loved her. Alice (who is supposed to be upstairs sleeping) comes through the door and upon the very emotional scene. Kara escorts her out of the room. Rose feels a sense of urgency and decides to go arrange transportation for the group--she heads out, leaving an angry Adam with the androids. Kara can try to reason with Adam, but he's acting like a moody teenager and won't listen. The doorbell rings...and it's a policeman!
Players have about 30 seconds to quickly act--Kara can prompt Luther and Alice to hide somewhere in the house. There are also numerous signs of android activity in the house that need to be hidden (if players move quickly they can find them all before the timer ends--even if you can't, you can still cover them up while the policeman is looking around). Kara, being an android, is cool as a cucumber--she calmly opens the door and lets the officer in. He, of course, is looking for signs of runaway androids and asks if they've seen anything suspicious. Kara tells him no and offers to make him a cup of coffee. He looks around the living room for any signs (and has a handy "suspicion" meter which indicates how close he is to finding the androids) and asks Kara about who is in the house--Kara can easily lie. Things go swimmingly, but Adam is acting twitchy and the officer definitely notices. He questions Adam, but Kara can deflect his attention away. As the officer heads for the door, there's a sudden thump--uh-oh, Kara has lied about who else is in the house! Luckily, Kara can come up with a believable excuse and the officer will finally head out. Another narrow escape!
Rose returns, but the appearance of the police has made it apparent that trying to wait until nighttime to leave is too dangerous. Instead, the group leaves immediately--while they make the trip, Rose informs Kara that she can catch a bus to Canada but that the last bus leaves at midnight. The group will also need forged passports to make it across the border. The best place to find something like that is at a place called Jericho (the derelict container ship and deviant android hideout). The trip back into the city reveals that the conflict within the city has escalated significantly--depending on the choices you've made for Markus (to keep the revolution non-violent or violent), androids are being rounded up (or shot). Rose drops the group off near Jericho and says goodbye.
At Jericho, the stories of all three protagonists finally overlap. Kara finds a warm spot for Alice amid the bustling crowd of deviants and leaves Luther to watch her. Before she goes to find Markus, Luther wants to talk about Alice--but there's really no time, they need to reach that last bus and they've only got a couple of hours. Kara starts searching for Markus and finds him sitting in thought on one of the upper decks--she approaches him and asks if he can get her passports. He says that he has an android who worked for the state department who can get get the documents for her. That was easy! Kara heads back down to meet Alice and Luther. As she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she sees a child who she thinks is Alice. The child turns her head and reveals a bright LED indicator...Alice isn't human, she's an android. Luther appears at Kara's shoulder and tells her that he was trying to tell her and that she knew it all along, but just ignored it. A convenient flashback triggers and Kara remembers dropping an ad while cleaning Todd's house...an ad for Alice's android model. (*I've got to admit that I didn't see this one coming. It was a surprising twist.)
A big question looms--does Kara care less about Alice because she's not human? Players can actively choose to have Kara act more distantly toward Alice. There's not much time to dwell on the issue because the police (and military) have arrived at the ship! A mad rush ensues as everyone is making a run for it--Kara, Luther, and Alice try to make it off the ship but Luther is wounded. Players can make a decision about whether to leave Luther behind (Alice begs Kara to save him). If you choose to save Luther, Kara can help him get to a side room, but he still has to stay. Kara and Alice continue to move toward the exit (and players can chose whether they want to help other androids) and eventually make it. Sadly though, the soldiers are right behind them. The choice this time involves trying to keep running (if you do this, Kara gets shot and wounded), playing dead, or choosing to surrender. This choice has a big impact on which ending players will get.
If Kara played dead (which happens if you try to run or if you just choose to play dead from the start)--she and Alice wait until the soldiers leave and then can escape. The next part of the game sees them trying to navigate through a very tense city full of police and soldiers who are trying to arrest (or kill) all androids. To make it to the bus station, Kara and Alice will have to sneak past without getting caught. As they're sneaking, Alice catches sight of a large figure--it's Luther! He managed to get off the ship and is being held at gunpoint by a soldier. Players can either leave Luther or save him (Alice, of course, wants Kara to save him). Kara grabs a brick and manages to sneak behind the soldier and knock him unconscious. Luther joins Kara and Alice as they continue to make their way toward the bus station. Another significant choice presents itself--the straight route to the bus station involves passing through a military checkpoint--it's very risky because they are doing temperature checks to look for androids. The less risky option is to take a detour around the checkpoint--it's slower and if the group chose to stop and save Luther, they have even less time than before--there's a good chance that they will miss the last bus. (*Passing through the checkpoint is very tense and success seems to hinge on a few other choices that players have made. Luther is very jumpy and offers to disable the guards so that Kara and Alice can escape... At an earlier point in the sequence, players can choose to have Alice turn off her temperature detection--she's an android after all, the cold doesn't affect her. While the guards are questioning the group, they notice that Alice is shivering and Kara wisely uses that to tell them that Alice is freezing and needs to get home. It works and the guards let the group pass.)
The trio arrives at the bus station just in time--the last bus is loading and they still have a chance to make it. The bad news is that only passengers with tickets are being allowed on board...and they don't have tickets. They desperately mill around the busy bus station and run into a human woman with a small baby. Alice is curious about the baby and the woman lets her approach and look at it. The woman's husband appears and prompts the woman that it's time to get on the bus. As the woman gets up to leave, a paper falls out of her bag and onto the ground. It's their bus tickets. One of the worst moral decisions follows--Kara can grab the tickets off the ground. The woman and man frantically appear a few moments later looking for the dropped tickets--they ask Kara if she has seen them...you can lie and say no. With tickets in hand, Kara, Luther, and Alice board the bus and head toward Canada. (*You're a monster though!)
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| The best ending...but at what cost? |
As the bus approaches the busy border crossing, everyone is prompted to leave the bus and pass through border security. It's inside the security station that Kara realizes that they're checking for androids...and there's no way forward except to make it through security. While standing in line she sees one of the Jerry's in another line. She also sees the familiar face of Rose! Kara is desperate and needs to come up with a plan--she pulls Alice out of line under the guise of needing to use the restroom. She catches Rose's eye as they walk by. Rose takes the hint and meets them in the restroom. Rose is heading to Canada too (things have gotten too tense in Detroit) and offers her brother's address to Kara--they can hide there until they get things figured out. The challenge of passing through the border still remains though. As Kara and Alice return to the line, an android is discovered and is shot! That's the fate that potentially awaits them if they don't make it past security. Luther understands the stakes and offers to provide a distraction. Or, Kara can ask Jerry to do it. Or, option three, the group can take their chances and try to make it past security (up until this point, Kara's skills at getting them through tough situations has been spotless). If you choose Jerry, all three characters will make it through. If you choose Luther, Kara and Alice will make it. Depending on the type of revolution that you've chosen for Markus, there's also a chance that the guard at the checkpoint will let the group through (*only if it's a peaceful revolution).
Let's rewind a bit--back to the choice between passing through the military checkpoint or taking the longer, but slower route. If you choose this option, the group misses the bus. Things look pretty dire, but as the trio is trying to leave the bus station they find Rose and Adam waiting in a nearby parking lot. Since they've missed the bus, the only option left is try try to attempt the dangerous river crossing. Rose drives the group to the meet up spot--as she pays the man who is providing the boats (Rose is a real gem), Kara can approach the water and finds out that it's brutally cold--falling in would be fatal...even to an android. They say their final goodbyes to Rose (who again, proves what an angel she is as she hands Kara $50 to help when they get to Canada) and push off into the river. They have to row out a bit before they can start the engine, but they're getting so close! They start their engines and the opposite shore is in view--then, a sudden group of lights approaches. It's the Coast Guard and they're in a shooting kind of mood! Players have to make a quick decision (Kara can stand and protect Alice--this results in Kara being severely injured; they can all lie flat in the boat--this results in Luther being killed and Alice being severely injured; or they can quickly dive into the water next to the boat--this results in Luther being severely injured). If Alice is injured, she will only have a short time until she shuts down--Kara can jump into the water (sustaining serious damage) and push the boat to shore. In one of the saddest scenes in the game, Kara holds Alice as she shuts down. Players can then choose whether Kara will shut down too or if she will continue on alone to Canada. If Luther is injured, he will shut down (the river option means that there's no way that all three can make it to Canada). Kara has to jump into the water and push the boat to shore, but she manages to survive the ordeal. Things look bad as Alice appears to have shut down, but Alice finally wakes up and Kara is able to tell her that they've made it--a happier ending.
But that's not all folks! Say we go all the way back to Jericho and Kara chooses to surrender rather than play dead. Kara and Alice find themselves in one of the android detention camps with all the other androids that have been caught. They're ordered to strip naked and to also turn off their skin--it's eerie seeing them both as androids (also, the camps have a very Holocaust-esque feeling that is very bad). Kara desperately clings to Alice as they're forced to stand in long lines in different holding areas. An android makes a desperate dash toward a fence and is shot down by a guard. Kara sees an opportunity and offers to drag the body to the disposal area--the guard tells her that she has to do it alone though--this means she'll have to separate from Alice. If you choose to move the body, Kara sees an opportunity to hop aboard a truck hauling away the bodies of androids that have been shut down--she can play dead and get away...but Alice will die (and, again, you're a monster!). Kara heads back to the camp area but now she can't find Alice. She desperately asks the others where Alice is and sees her standing in a different, fenced off area. She also stumbles upon the hulking form of Luther who is easily recognizable due to his size. They both head toward the next area which is even closer to the "recycling machine" that is killing the androids. Soldiers and a drone are patrolling the area, but Alice is just a few lines over--with some careful timing and distractions, Kara can make it over to Alice. Alice is extremely frightened, but is overjoyed at seeing Kara again. Luther has also managed to move nearby, but now they're stuck in the lines that are steadily moving forward toward the recycler. It's here that Kara receives a friendly message--it's Jerry and he's willing to help them escape. Similar to the border station scenario, players can choose to have Luther or Jerry provide a distraction--whoever you choose will be shot and killed, but it does buy the rest of the group time to make it over a fence and on to safety. The final scene in this scenario is of the android forms of Luther, Kara, and Alice hugging amid the mountains of android bodies.
Kara's story presents a different kind of internal conflict--should we play Kara differently after we find out that Alice is an android too? Should Kara care less? I found it difficult to play Kara that way--I think part of Kara's journey is her maternal instincts and need to protect Alice at all costs. It shouldn't matter if Alice is an android--don't android lives matter too (which is THE issue at the crux of the game)? One of the more difficult parts of Kara's story is the fact that the best ending (Luther, Kara, and Alice make it safely to Canada) is only possible through making some morally dubious choices--essentially sacrificing the human family (*you don't really know for sure what happens to them, but we can assume that being left in the city while the revolution is happening isn't safe) and possibly poor Jerry (who does volunteer....). And, I hate to admit it, but I've never found myself getting too attached to Luther (he really doesn't get any backstory and there's no chance to learn anything about him).
