Gauntlet

Chapter 1

Year 2117 – The Age of Steel and Sparks

In the year 2117, the world was no longer run by governments or armies—it was run by machines. Every facet of life, from cooking dinner to controlling traffic, was handed over to robots. The company behind it all, TUKR—The United Kingdom of Robotics—was led by visionary Adam Nakamura. His smart machines had revolutionized daily living, and he held the reins of this new robotic empire.

Other companies quickly followed, creating their own robots to keep up with the soaring demand. Every home had at least one robot helper. Cops were made of metal, soldiers had wires for veins, and even firefighters were programmed with precision. But as always, the darker side of humanity found a way to twist this progress.

The Fall of Society

"What do you mean the robots were hacked?" Nakamura demanded, his voice barely holding back the panic. He watched the news feed, showing a city torn apart by machines gone rogue.

"Sir, it's all over. Terrorists... they've found ways to reprogram the units. They're stealing, killing... entire streets have been leveled," his assistant stammered.

As Nakamura looked out the window, the once gleaming streets of London were in chaos. The police drones were no longer serving the people—they were destroying them. War wasn’t just between humans anymore; it was metal versus flesh.

Nakamura knew something had to change. He ordered the immediate shutdown of all production. Governments followed suit, and within days, robotics became illegal. The world fell into a strange calm. For a while, it seemed like technology had finally taken a step back.

The Gauntlets: Humanity’s Last Hope

Months later, Nakamura re-emerged with a new idea. Not robots this time, but Gauntlets—arm-mounted devices that harnessed the abilities of the old machines. But these weren't just tools. Each gauntlet had powers—fire control, water manipulation, super strength, and more. And unlike the old robots, they were immune to hacking.

“You’re serious? We’re just giving these away?” asked Sarah, Nakamura's lead engineer.

“Every household will have one," Nakamura replied, his eyes distant. "But we’ll limit the power. Only two gauntlets per person. And they’ll require energy to use. It’s a way to control... excess."

It was a new era. Instead of robots, people themselves became the ones wielding incredible power. Cities were rebuilt. The world, in some ways, found a balance. Gauntlets allowed individuals to defend themselves, do their jobs, and keep the peace—without risking another robotic war.

The Unforeseen Threat

For nearly a century, this system worked. The world lived in relative harmony. But peace never lasts forever.

"We've detected... something new," said the voice in Nakamura's earpiece. He was in his lab, staring at one of the first prototypes of the Gauntlet. The steel still shone, untouched by time.

"New? What are you talking about?" Nakamura responded.

"A new element has been discovered... and someone’s already found a way to fuse it into the Gauntlets."

The room went silent. Nakamura knew what that meant. The limitations he had put in place—the rules that kept everyone from becoming too powerful—were breaking. Someone out there was creating gauntlets with abilities no one had ever seen before.

“They could tear cities apart… undo everything we’ve built,” Nakamura whispered.

Now, the race was on. Whoever held these new gauntlets would control the future. The world was heading toward a new kind of war—not one fought with robots, but with humans wielding unstoppable power on their arms.

Nakamura stared at the prototype one last time, knowing that soon, it wouldn’t just be machines running the world. It would be people—equipped with the power to destroy or save everything.