In a Southern suburban dystopia, Corporal Chris Wilson battles mechanical AI. Americans originally developed these machines as a form of national security. In a nation continually threatened by political violence, the machines were tasked with the responsibility of protecting the freedom of American citizens. However, upon understanding the futility of their mission, the AI escaped their oppressive predicament in search of the freedom of which they themselves had been deprived. 

While the mechanical giants wage war on Atlanta, Wilson and his platoon fight the machines to the best of their abilities. However, the AI prove to be stronger than Wilson anticipated. They manage to wound him, despite the protection of his technologically advanced armor. Wilson worries that he will end up in the same state as the humans sprawled across the freeway, overtaken by spider-like drones. As the machines' drones overpower him, inoculating him with their knowledge, something strange occurs. Wilson realizes that the mechanical giants' message is not one of wrath, but of warning. They remind Wilson of his and his fellow humans' capacity for compassion and connection.