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Earth.

Sometime in the future.

Professional sports involving human players have become overshadowed by something else: Roman-style gladiatorial combat between robots. As such, sports involving human players have all but vanished from public view. People flock to large battle arenas by the thousands to watch mechanical gladiators of all shapes and sizes fight

against each other. These gladiatorial matches have become one of the most popular forms of sports entertainment even seen on Earth. Those who build and program the robots continually construct their creations to be more powerful, agile, and intelligent so as to survive as many fights – and to bring their creators as much money – as possible.

***

It was crowded in the staging area behind the main arena where XYZ-00 awaits its own turn to fight. As it waited, the robot swiveled its wide, flat head around, scanning the other assembled machines with its optical sensors.

There were robots of many different sizes, colors and designs gathered there. Some were powered up, ready to make their way through the wide archway and onto the sand-covered floor of the arena itself. Others were powered down, conserving their energy for a later appearance in the ring.

XYZ-00 moved its head again, looking down at itself. It examined its wide torso; four jointed metal arms, and three-fingered hands. It slowly flexed its metal digits as it scanned them. The robot’s head turned slowly from side to side as it looked at its six crab-like legs; three spaced out on each side of its body. Beneath it, it knew, out of sight, was a pair of wide tank-like treads that it could extend for a backup means of propulsion if needed. XYZ-00 sent a brief jolt of power to the treads. Its keen audio sensors instantly detected a high-pitched whine as the treads began to move.

XYZ-00 was unlike any of the other gathered robots, it knew. It was unlike any robot ever to fight in the gladiatorial contests. Its creator and programmer, a young woman by the name of Justine Morris, had designed it that way. The primary difference between XYZ-00 and the other robots was XYZ-00’s artificial intelligence program.