Miaobot Zero

Generations ago, the Surface became nearly uninhabitable, and most of the planet's surviving population resettled in either the Underground Sector's subterranean empire or the Sky Sector's floating cities powered by newly discovered alien technology.

Now, in this prequel to After the End with Miaobot, the two superstates are locked in a bitter war over resources and the future of life on the Surface, but the Sky Sector has the edge in technology and production capacity.

The Underground Sector's best hope is Miaobot Zero, a giant catlike mecha piloted by a highly advanced AI, which was commissioned by Her Majesty the Empress herself. Almost nobody knows why Her Majesty, who keeps her personal life under wraps, has taken such an interest in this specific machine, but there are rumors that someone involved in the project might have a history with her...