On a sandy, rocky cape reaching from the city into the sea, a large transparent dome filled with large boulders, sand, lush plant life, and artificial obstacles stood imposingly. A hum of excitement filled the air. Drones nimbly flew around the arena inside, practicing their maneuvers.

A small swarm buzzed around a craggy, blocky pedestal with a large, red button at its top. Six Berserkers stood on guard around it, their combat tentacles deployed and at the ready.

“Hello everyone joining our stream today for another exciting game of Prototype Tag!” boomed the Announcer’s voice. “Today, some of our best players have been tagged in so expect to see a lot of flashy moves and spectacular takedowns as one, and only one, prototype will...

“Push! The! Button!” chanted the virtual crowd.

“And as always, here’s Petey with the rules! Take it away Petey!”

A holographic mascot that looked like a cute cartoon version of a prototype with tentacles deployed popped into existence above the button.

“Hi, Petey the Prototype here to tell everyone the rules,” he cheerily began. “The game is simple. Players are shot out of the tubes around the arena into random zones and have to make their way through all the obstacles to be the first to push the button. But that’s not all!”

He leaned in with a wagging finger.

“Players can also score points for pushing each other out of the way and escaping attacks, getting more points the closer they get to the button. Points will be allocated by zone and tallied by our helpful little drone friends!”

The drones around him buzzed in appreciation.

“But remember...” Petey exploded with wildly exaggerated rage, his eyes becoming angled brackets as his cheeks turned red. “If you use full force or discharge your weapons in any way, you will be immediately disqualified and shot into orbit by enough Berserkers to overrun the whole goddamn planet! And that goes double for those of you who are ignition capable!”

He zapped himself back to his cheery, cute self.

“Now, have fun folks because this is what this silly little game is really all about!” he laughed. “Bye!”

Petey imploded and disappeared as a countdown clock replaced him over the arena’s center.

Meanwhile, in the staging area of the arena, wearing nothing but swimwear, Dot, Alice, Leo, Sergio, Alex, and several other prototypes lined up in front of openings to what looked like large water slides.

“So, is this really what you wanted to do today?” asked Alex.

“Eh, I just wanted you to take a break and these games are still pretty fun and crazy,” replied Leo.

“Oh, I’m taking this one very seriously,” frowned Sergio, trying to dial in his game face. “I’m getting to that button today.”

“In your dreams geezer,” scoffed Dot.

“Yeah, yeah, see you fucking losers at the top,” grumbled Alice as she stretched.

A warning chime ended their trash talk as the cyborgs lined up in front of glowing markers on the floor. In the arena, the countdown clock read 00:13. The next three seconds were each marked by a distorted beep. A deep, echoey voice began to count down the time, each number followed by a confirmation beep.

“In 10... 9... 8... 7...”

An electric crackle erupted across the entire dome.

“... 6... 5... 4...”

The Prototypes began to power up and deploy their tentacles. Leo ignited in yellow, Sergio and Alice in blue, Alex in his trademark red, and Dot in violet. The markings on their bodies lit up as well.

“... 3... 2...”

Alex grabbed on to handles above the opening as Dot did the same and Alice adjusted her grip, smirking as her eyes and face markings danced with electric blue lights.

“... 1... Zero!”

The holographic countdown clock pulsed and exploded. The prototypes threw themselves into the tubes, their tentacles wrapping around them as their legs left the ground. Dot and Alice also hurled themselves forward through the openings with the same technique. Alex and Leo followed less than a second apart.

A prototype curled herself into a ball of tentacles as she rolled through the twisting, winding tube, picking up speed. The tubes created a complex network encircling the arena, each one exiting in a random spot. As the prototypes inside rolled to these exits, links between sections illuminated, showing their positions inside.

The prototype flew out of the tube and unfurled her tentacles. Being close to the dome, she quickly used them to push off and aim herself towards the central structure.

Two red, a yellow, and a blue streak collided high over the central structure, shooting in wild curves and spirals after the impact. Two Berserkers fired their lasers, one of them hitting its target. The hit prototype fell down into the dirt, raising a small cloud and disturbing the fronds of the vegetation around the open path where she fell.

“Ooh, and we already have our first pile-up and our first out!” chimed in the Announcer.

Petey once again appeared floating high above the action. As he spoke, he gesticulated with comical absurdity and his cartoon face featured wildly exaggerated expressions.

“Tsk tsk, happens every game,” he added. “This is why the experts know to hang back and wait for just the right opportunity.”

“And speaking of experts, we have quite a few playing today,” noted the Announcer.

“That’s right, so the fresh meat better beware!”

Another prototype tried to run in a spiral around the center of the arena, hopping between rocks and open ground. One of the Berserkers noticed him and fired at his position. It missed as he jumped out of the way, but at the apex of his jump, a blur of tentacles collided with him, sending him flying outwards. As another competitor slowed down enough to come into focus, a red blur sideswiped him with its own tentacle.

The prototype plowed through a small tree and drifted into a heap of disorganized limbs. With a groan, he shook his head, dazed and very confused, the image of his pupils turning into rotating spirals.

Alex slid to a stop in a defensive crouch, right in the middle of a patch of dirt surrounded by small plants. Yet another prototype came down from above. Her tentacles bounced off Alex’s. The cyborg caught her extra limbs and bounced her off the ground as a fifth prototype smashed into her from the side an instant before getting hit by a laser from a Berserker. The robot fired another burst at Alex but merely raised some steam and dirt as it hit the ground.

“Wow! That! Was! Brutal!” crooned the Announcer. “An amazing performance from a version zero! Now that’s an old-school style, lightning-fast Prototype Tag beatdown!”

“The Gray Wolf is in the dome showing the newbs how it’s done!” agreed Petey.

“But hold on, the version ones and twos are no slouches either.”

In a narrow, rocky path on the outer edge of the arena, Dot effortlessly threw off another prototype along with her partner who tried to attack her at the same time. Her toes dug into the rock, carving a shallow groove as she took off and whipped one of the opponents off a rocky outcrop with enough force to use the recoil to overshoot his partner’s position.

The remaining prototype tried to push her with her tentacle, but Dot ducked and delivered an elbow to her stomach at an angle of attack that lifted the cyborg off her feet. Dot brought a hand down on the back of her opponent’s head and sent her face-first into the dirt.

“Oh my God, I can’t watch!” Petey covered his eyes. “This cannot possibly be appropriate for children!”

“Yes indeed, and that’s why we kick kids off the stream,” agreed the Announcer. “Commander Nelson does not fuck around but technically all legal moves, folks.”

Dot quickly squatted down next to her injured opponent.

“You ok, need a medic?” she asked.

“No, I’m ok,” the prototype grunted into the ground.

“Want a hand to get back up?”

“Nope, just gonna let you do your thing now.”

She lifted a thumbs up in the air while remaining laying face down as Dot warped out.

“And a good sport as always!” laughed the Announcer. “Let’s give it up for Commander Nelson everybody.”

“Just think what she’ll do to ya if you don’t!” shuddered Petey.

In the center of the arena, Sergio skillfully fended off two other prototypes on his way to the central structure as blurs and streaks circled them and Berserkers fired off their lasers in every direction.

One of Sergio’s opponents was yanked off his feet and thrown into the bushes by a grinning Leo.

“Coming through, ‘scuse me, pardon me, ‘scuse me...” Leo cackled maniacally as he effortlessly jumped on the remaining prototype’s back and used it as a boost to warp out upwards as the recoil sent the other cyborg’s face into the dirt.

“You unbelievable ass!” yelled Sergio and warped out in hot pursuit.

The cyborgs collided over the central structure, barely dodging incoming Berserker fire as a streak of yellow light intercepted by a blue light. Leo was spun backward and fell away from the central structure into the trees and shrubbery.

Sergio landed on top of a Berserker, which tried to casually toss him. The cyborg quickly intertwined his tentacles with the robot’s, holding on for dear life, but as soon as he did, he realized that by prying open the robot’s tentacles he left himself wide open to a nearly point-blank shot. The glow of the Berseker’s red eyes intensified with a whine.

“Aww... fuck me sideways...” Sergio muttered dejectedly.

The Berseker unleashed a powerful laser beam that enveloped Sergio’s body for an instant, then hurled the cyborg away from the central structure.

Petey carefully peeped from between his holographic fingers.

“Ooh, that must’ve hurt like two and a half motherfuckers!” he hissed empathetically.

“Commander Gian is definitely not happy with that rookie mistake,” said the Announcer. “But no time for that now, since we’ve got a mad scramble to the top to check out!”

Dot, Alice, Alex, Leo, and the two remaining prototypes hopped onto the blocks of the central structure, dodging incoming Berserker fire while trying to avoid each other. Dot’s eyes lit up and narrowed with determination. With a push, she gracefully ducked under a Berserker guarding the button, opening a clear path for herself.

Her hand deployed its claws, which latched onto the top of the last block holding the pedestal with the button. She pulled herself up while the remaining players scrambled behind her to catch up, she reached for the button.

A hand came up from below and grabbed her bikini bottoms. Dot’s eyes instantly returned to normal and widened in shock as the hand pulled down the bottoms, exposing her buttocks.

Dot shrieked.

Alice raised herself up and while Dot instinctively tried to pull up her bottoms, slammed her palm on the button. A loud klaxon rang out and the Berserkers stopped firing, entering a standby mode. Leo and Alex, who were standing just a few steps below, exchanged surprised glances and shrugs.

“Well damn...” said Leo.

“Yah, that’s a new one...” agreed Alex.

Meanwhile, Alice did a little celebratory dance at the top next to a still flabbergasted Dot.

“Are you kidding me?!” yelled Dot. “Petey, a little help here, you useless bastard?!”

“Told ya I’d see you losers at the top...” Alice taunted, still dancing.

“Hmm... I have to admit, that was something we rarely see in the arena these days.” Petey scratched his chin. “And on further review, that move was...”

He leaned in with a wink while flashing a peace sign.

“A-okay! There’s no rule banning an assist from a behind.”

“Err... Don’t you mean from behind?” objected the Announcer.

“Nope! I said what I said,” Petey snorted from laughter and stuck out his tongue.

Alice finished her victory dance and slapped Dot’s butt while cackling maniacally.

“I hate all of you!” squealed Dot.

...

Steve and Christine watched a large holographic TV in a high-rise condo that looked out at the mountain chain around the city and the ocean through its floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows. The decor inside was minimalistic and clean, with a fully functional kitchen, colorful geometric scent walls, and tasteful, bright furniture. The TV displayed the live stream of Prototype Tag with a live chat and leaderboard ranking the cyborgs by points earned.

Both humans were confused but definitely interested in the unfolding spectacle. Christine sat cross-legged on one end of the couch eating chips while Steve was glued to the screen on the opposite end.

“Hey, so is it me, or is this game kinda...” started Steve.

“Hot? Hell yeah!” finished Christine, crunching a chip.