"Welcome, Human 402, to your new life!" a booming, synthetic voice echoed from the massive floating screen above. It was the Emperor’s main commentator, a massive floating bot with a penchant for cruel sarcasm. "You have been upgraded! Try not to get sliced in half in the first ten seconds. The crowd hates a short show."
The human mind is a fragile thing, but a human mind uploaded into a sword-wielding robot is practically indestructible. Or so the galactic arena promoters want you to believe. File: Clone.Drone.in.the.Danger.Zone.v1.3.1.37....
The giant raised the hammer and brought it down. I dashed backward using my jetpack just as the weapon slammed into the floor, sending a shockwave that cracked the arena tiles. The hammer was stuck in the floor for a brief second. "Welcome, Human 402, to your new life
"Behold! The Hammer Bot!" the commentator shouted, the crowd's cheer reaching a deafening crescendo. Try not to get sliced in half in the first ten seconds
The arena smelled of ozone and hot oil. I blinked my optical sensors, adjusting to the bright, neon-soaked coliseum. My legs felt heavy, articulated hydraulic joints hissing with every tentative step I took.
From the ceiling, a massive, multi-legged mechanical spider dropped down. It bristled with bomb launchers and laser turrets.