Tempus Regit

On a long enough timescale, the future looks a lot like the past. Twenty-two year old Archer Clark barely scrapes by in the coal district of Tempus, living amidst smoke, grime, and feudal poverty. It’s been over a hundred years since the Rogue AI destroyed all of civilization outside of the walled haven cities where humanity makes its heroic last stand. Archer’s older brother, Trevor, is one of the few equipped to fight back. As a member of the Metal Squad, Trevor uses an armor skin, an advanced, cybernetic combat suit, to defend the city. Each armor skin is locked to a single user, connecting directly to their nervous system and rendering any person outside of a tight genetic spectrum comatose or dead. As it turns out, it’s a tight genetic spectrum which Archer potentially falls within. With his brother’s mysterious disappearance, a new opportunity presents itself for the young man, one that dwarfs what he considers himself capable of. Archer goes from a destitute and reviled smog to the haven’s newest hero overnight. The media channels want interviews. His newly assigned personal attendant wants him to fall in love with her. And Archer just wants to live up to expectations in a world where only a single wall stands between the life and death of humanity.