Everyone had placed high expectations on this test, especially Major General Hager of the Army.
He knew very well that if the SAR-1 combat robots could truly deliver what was promised, they had the potential to change the entire landscape of future warfare.
Currently, modern armies still relied on the traditional combined-arms model soldiers advancing in coordination with tanks. This method was powerful in large-scale conflicts but had serious limitations in small-scale skirmishes. Tanks, though formidable, lacked flexibility in tight or urban terrain.
The SAR-1 combat robots, however, were different. They were compact, fast, agile, and far cheaper than heavy military hardware. Most importantly, they promised to reduce human casualties.
The military valued every soldier not only for their skill but for the cost of keeping them alive. Outfitting an average infantryman cost roughly twenty thousand dollars in gear. Yet if that soldier died, the government paid out hundreds of thousands in compensation to their family without even factoring in the years of training and resources invested to shape them into a capable fighter.
When compared against those figures, the SAR-1's price of eight hundred thousand dollars per unit suddenly seemed reasonable.
Inside the testing field, the arena was designed to showcase the robots' strengths. Rather than open plains, the test area was constructed to resemble a dense urban battlefield, filled with narrow alleys, corners, and barricades. Here, mobility and quick decision-making mattered most.
The trial was simple: one elite infantry squad against ten SAR-1 combat robots.
The soldiers entered with absolute confidence. Each man had been personally selected by Major General Hager himself. They weren't ordinary grunts these were his finest troops, men who had fought and trained with the best. Their real goal wasn't just to defeat machines like SAR-1, but to prepare themselves for tougher enemies, perhaps even the rumored T-800 units.
They had more than rifles in their arsenal. Heavy weapons, including RPGs, were at their disposal. Against robots, they believed, their overwhelming firepower would guarantee victory.
The rules, however, limited the SAR-1s to blank ammunition.
General Hager glanced at the training ground with a small smile tugging at his lips. "Tell me," he asked his fellow officers, "how long do you think these SAR-1 units will last?"
The other generals chuckled.
"With this setup? I'd say not even ten minutes before they're all destroyed."
Another added, "If the SAR-1s perform as Mr. Locke claims, maybe maybe they'll inflict thirty percent casualties on the squad."
It was clear no one placed much faith in the robots.
One of the admirals turned toward the young man seated quietly beside them. "And what do you think, Mr. Nolan Locke?"
Nolan smiled faintly. "I think the battle will be over within ten minutes as well. But with one difference your soldiers won't be the winners. They won't be able to handle the SAR-1s."
Laughter rippled through the stands. To them, Nolan was still a sheltered young heir, a tech enthusiast with no battlefield experience. The idea that autonomous robots could defeat living, breathing soldiers was laughable.
Nolan didn't argue further. He simply leaned back, eyes glinting with quiet confidence. These people didn't yet understand just how devastating his machines could be in small-scale urban combat.
The signal was given. The battle began.
The infantry squad advanced in a fan-shaped formation, weapons raised, eyes sharp with vigilance. Confidence didn't mean carelessness. They were professionals, and professionals respected any opponent.
Then it happened.
Without warning, a wall of gunfire erupted. A dense, weaving web of bullets cut across the street, faster and more precise than any human trigger finger could manage.
Two soldiers went down instantly, their sensors marking them as "killed."
The rest dove for cover, hearts racing.
"Counterattack! Where's that RPG?" the squad leader roared. His face burned with humiliation. Losing men in the opening seconds was unacceptable.
In the observation stand, Nolan's lips curved into a satisfied smile. General Hager, however, scowled.
"These idiots," he muttered. "How could they let themselves get ambushed by machines?"
Still, despite his irritation, even Hager had to admit the ambush had been impressive. If SAR-1 could catch trained soldiers off guard, then perhaps its combat programming truly had merit.
On the field, the squad rallied. A soldier shouldered his RPG and fired.
With a thunderous explosion, one of the robots was blown apart, its metallic frame scattering in pieces. Another toppled over, its systems fried.
"Two down," the squad leader growled, forcing calm into his voice.
It was a two-for-two exchange two soldiers lost for two robots destroyed. But instead of triumph, the squad leader felt only shame. This was supposed to be flawless. Their original goal had been to crush the robots without a single casualty.
"Everyone stay sharp! From this moment on, we suffer no more losses!"
But the SAR-1s had no intention of making things easy.
The next few minutes became a brutal lesson in machine precision. The robots moved with eerie synchronization, flanking, suppressing, and laying traps with calculated efficiency. Each maneuver forced the soldiers into disadvantageous positions.
The score shifted rapidly. From two-to-two, the count escalated to thirteen soldiers "killed" against five robots destroyed.
Faces turned grim. The squad only had twenty-three men to begin with. At this rate, annihilation was inevitable.
On the viewing platform, General Hager's frown deepened. What he saw went beyond expectations. The SAR-1s weren't just adequate they were outperforming their design specs.
"Perhaps," he thought quietly, "these machines could be worth investing in."
Seven minutes later, the battle was over.
The entire infantry squad lay "dead." The robots had taken losses eleven units destroyed but one remained crippled yet functional, while another stood completely intact.
Silence fell across the stands. Then General Hager's voice rang out.
"Mr. Locke," he declared, "I've seen enough. I'll authorize the purchase of five hundred and fifty units."
Nolan's eyes lit up. That meant sales worth 4.4 billion dollars, with more than 2.5 billion in profit.
A massive victory.
Other representatives weren't as generous, of course. Private security companies expressed interest but could only afford a handful each. Still, it was clear SAR-1 had made an impression.
General Hager leaned forward again. "The SAR-1 has proven itself. Now, I want to see whether the T-800 is truly worth its price."
Nolan gave a confident nod. "Then let's give you a proper show."
"Will you use soldiers again?" one officer asked.
"No," Hager answered before Nolan could speak. His voice was firm, brimming with anticipation. "This time, I want to see SAR-1 face the T-800. Machine against machine. The Army will cover all costs."
Nolan smiled. "Very well. I promise, the T-800 will not disappoint."
He summoned a researcher, instructing them to begin preparations. Yet as he watched the man scurry away, a wry thought crossed his mind.
The old Rock Technologies had already suffered from a lack of top-tier talent. After restructuring into a new company, that shortage had only grown worse.
Perhaps it was time to recruit true geniuses. Maybe someone like Dr. Bruce Banner… was it impossible to lure him into working here? Nolan wasn't so sure.
Minutes later, the T-800 was wheeled into the testing field, standing tall at the center. Across from it, thirteen SAR-1 units assembled, their sensors glowing in anticipation.
This was no longer a skirmish.
This would be a spectacle of steel and fire.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Nolan's voice carried across the arena, calm yet charged with energy, "let us begin. Please enjoy the show."
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