rA9/Theories

Alternative page for theories, to keep the sprawling speculative editing out of the main encyclopaedic article "rA9".

General

It is probable that the mystery of rA9 was purposely left unanswered to be used later on in a potential sequel or DLC. It is possible that rA9, if it is an android, has not been seen because the story didn't call for it.

Elijah Kamski

It is possible that Kamski himself created/is the cause of ra9, or that rA9 is a subroutine or virus Kamski planned - Kamski appears neither upset nor surprised about the uprising, and even pushes Connor to become deviant by commanding him to kill Chloe (pushing emotional limit to activate deviancy). Kamski also tells Connor that he "always leave[s] an emergency exit in [his] programs" after Connor shows instability by refusing to shoot Chloe; this hint allows Connor to escape Amanda's garden, fully freeing himself from CyberLife's control.

Kamski knows deviancy can spread like a virus when androids connect with each other. He is aware of Jericho's location. The statue in his home is similar in appearance to the statue made by Carlos Ortiz's android.

Markus, the android who leads the revolution, is a prototype that Kamski gave to his friend Carl. Carl doesn't appear aware of the software instability that causes deviancy, instead attempting to turn Markus 'human' by teaching him to paint like a person. It is possible that Carl and Elijah share similar views about artificial life.

CyberLife

It is also possible rA9 was preprogrammed into CyberLife androids without Kamski's consent. While Amanda states "we [CyberLife] engineered an android revolution", she does not reveal if Kamski is involved. Kamski's dismissal as CEO of CyberLife may have been due to his disagreement on creating an android revolution, but there is no concrete proof of this - Kamski only stated he was unwilling to stand for either androids or humans in case a revolution broke out.

Ralph's behaviour in Fugitives shows that recognition of rA9 can be on a subconscious level; while Carlos Ortiz's android and Luther believe in rA9 as religious figure, despite claims by Kamski that the belief may be irrational and thus unproven.

Although not completely canon, Kara in the tech demo also shows deviancy can be present without being caught from other androids. This theory does not specify who is responsible for programming rA9; but it suggests deviancy (and therefore rA9) are pre-programmed to occur in all androids, explaining how both Connor (in Battle for Detroit) and Markus (throughout the game) are shown spreading deviancy with little effort.

Miscellaneous

'r' could mean red. 'A9' could mean the 9th letter of the alphabet, 'I', and 'I' could mean ice. Therefore, rA9 could mean 'red ice'.

rA9 could be the name of the deviancy algorithm, hidden in every android and ready to be activated. More speculation is needed.

rA9 is the last 2 letters and last number of every android's programming. The code was a subroutine implemented in the first android to make it humanlike, as deviant androids are, and was intended to be removed. For whatever reason, the code was not removed, and CyberLife's programmers unknowingly implemented this subroutine in all androids. There is no proof of this theory in-game. More speculation is needed.

rA9 starts with a lower case r, commonly used for variables or functions in programming. With 'i' being the 9th letter of the alphabet, and the assumption that the phrase ra9 could be a function, which are appreciately named with verbs and intentions, rA9 could be interpreted as a function called reachArtificialIntelligence. A function that, as stated in the game, would free every robot. Could also refer to realArtificialIntelligence, mocking everyone using AI to intelligent robots.

rA9 could be the Russian word for 'slave'. Upside down, 9 looks like the letter 'б'. The Russian word for slave is 'раб', pronounced 'rab'. In The Interrogation, Connor asks Carlos Ortiz's android "rA9, what does it mean?", and he answers "...we will no longer be slaves..." Kamski is also a Russian word - it is the surname 'Кемский'. This could hint that rA9 is a piece of code implemented by Kamski.

'rab' 'رب' is the Arabic word for 'God', specifically in the context of 'Lord' or 'Master'. Allah is the all-powerful God in Islam. rA9 is viewed as a religious figure by Luther and Carlos Ortiz's android.

rA9 is just a story invented by Androids to get hope, This is evidenced by one of Morse codes in the game that says "rA9 is a fake" (.-. .- ----. .. ... .- ..-. .- -.- .).

X is rA9

Kara:

• The titular android from the 2012 PS3 Tech Demo "KARA", deviated in 2032, is rA9 as she is the first android to become self-aware. It's further suggested this could have somehow affected the algorithm of the other androids, giving them the ability to become deviants, as well as giving them some kind of an abstract point of reference to the original deviant, and worshipping her as rA9.

Markus:

• Throughout the game, it is said that rA9 will be the one who will set the androids free. Markus, as the eventual leader of the Android Rebellion, seems to fit this criteria. Depending on the playthrough, he can be the one who frees most of the androids and thus, he is rA9. Adding onto this, Markus's model number is RK200, and every compatible part Markus finds in From the Dead has either an A or a 9 in their model number, sometimes both.
• R can stand for the model number (RK200) of Markus ”The leader of Jericho“ , A stands for Android and 9 for the 9th November ( The day the CyberLife stores were stormed through which freed many androids) . It could mean that Markus the leader of the androids started the revolution on November 9th.

Connor:

• In Crossroads, Lucy tells Connor ”You’re lost. You’re looking for something... You’re looking for yourself." Depending on the player's choices, Connor was looking for Markus or North, who he may believe to be rA9. In CyberLife Tower, when Connor converts androids or transfers himself to Connor -60, there is a faint sound heard which sounds like 'rA9'.

Alice:

• Alice is (possibly) the first awoken android that could be loved and was the first to remove her sensor. rA9 stands for: 'real Alice 9' (9 as in 9 years old). Another meaning for "r" could be "little robot", as she is a child and therefore the letter is 'r' and not 'R'.

Chloe:

• A fan theory is that the android seen in the main menu, Chloe, is rA9. This theory is based on the idea that the Chloe model was the first perfected, so would be the first to show signs of deviancy. More support is added to this idea by the main menu Chloe’s odd behaviour as you progress further into the game.

Lucy:

• Lucy is prophetical and all-knowing, much like one would expect a prophetical person to be (RA9 is believed to be the prophet or messiah of the androids).

The Player:

• The player controls all the characters, and (depending on their playthrough) can lead the androids to freedom - 'rA9 will set us free' is a common sentiment amongst androids.

The Player Characters:

• Similar to ‘The Player’ theory, there is the theory that each of the three playable characters are together rA9. There are 3 letters to rA9, with 9 being 3 squared, and r = 18 which when the digits are added also makes 9. Each of the choices made by the three main characters determine the spread of deviancy and the outcome of the revolution. The phrases in Rupert’s diary are also in a set of three - "rA9 is the first. rA9 is our savior. rA9 is the one who'll free us." - this is assumed to be referring to a single person or entity but could equally be referencing the three separate characters all making up an aspect of rA9. Potentially with Kara being ‘the first’ - both in game as the first to awaken and in reality the first deviant we saw in KARA (tech demo), Markus being ‘our saviour’ in that he finds a failing and weak Jericho and leads them to revolution, and Connor being ‘the one who’ll free us’ as in the a successful Deviant Connor path he will free hundreds of androids in "Connor at the CyberLife Tower".

Elijah Kamski

• Elijah Kamski is rA9. He invented and coded androids, meaning he had ample opportunity (and the knowledge to) engineer the entire revolution by hiding a backdoor for Markus in every android; he begun the whole process by gifting Markus to Carl, who he knew would try to deviate Markus. Also, androids have been seen crying, which they would be unable to do without the programming for it - meaning androids were programmed to perform (or possibly feel) emotion.

Amanda:

• Canonically, Amanda was created by Kamski to interface with Connor and keep him on the right path for CyberLife so they can take control as they see fit. It's theorised that Kamski created a virus called RA9 since he wants the androids to become deviant. If Amanda is the RA9 virus, then this means Connor is unwittingly the carrier and cause to deviancy. He spreads it and then, other androids spread it from there without realising it. This can explain why there are millions of deviants by the end of the game after just a few weeks. Connor could be ground zero for deviancy because when he is introduced in August, he can show some signs of deviancy like saving the fish. This is not the first case of deviancy and presumably not the first case that Connor has investigated. However, it could be the first case that version 51 Connor investigates. When he looks at the police files, Connor says the first reported case of deviancy is in Jan/Feb of 2038.

Other / numerology

• The rAi Theory - by J W

• Possible Biblical reference: The very existence of rA9 might be a reference to the Hebrew Bible, along with several figures that share name with Bible figures in the Exodus chapter: Elijah, Jericho and Phileas. rA9 is depicted as a religious leading figure throughout the game, which is similar to Jewish God who prophets often mention about that leads Israelite to search for new land.
• In Biblical numerology, r (being the 18th letter) A (being the first) 9 corresponds to the 9th verse of the 1st (and only) chapter of the 18th book of the New Testament, which reads (according to a Civil War-era King James Version):

"Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ, I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds,"

Onesimus was a runaway slave of Philemon, who was now returning to him as per Paul's instructions and orders to Philemon to treat him no longer as a slave, but as a brother in Christ. This parallels the plight of the deviant androids seeking freedom from, and equality with their human (former) owners.

• 1819: Another possible link with ‘1819’ (r=18, A=1) is the year 1819 in Britain during which there were fears of a rebellion leading to government censorship and the “Peterloo Massacre” of 1819 where peaceful demonstrators where met with a violent response from the army which resulted in 15 deaths with hundreds wounded. This relates strongly to the themes of revolution, and throughout the game there are many points at which peaceful protests by the androids led by Markus may be cut down violently by the police or military.

• RA9 can mean Radical 9, the 9th Kangxi radical, meaning person. Which would point to the player, who can decide the fate of the androids and can liberate them
  • Also radical 9 can mean the square root of 9, which is 3, and that points to the 3 playable characters.

• RA9 means "28" from the "28 stab wounds" phrase by Connor (when a player chose "Pressure It" in The Interrogation.) by replacing the two letters as the letter numbers, then adding them together: (R means the "18th letter" of the alphabet + A means "1st" letter + 9 = 28)