In 2043, a humanoid AI terrorist named Harlan sparks a devastating war between machines and humanity, claiming the lives of three million people. The newly formed International Coalition of Nations (ICN) eventually gains the upper hand, securing key victories that force Harlan to retreat into outer space.

Nearly three decades later, Atlas Shepherd, an analyst with a deep-seated mistrust of artificial intelligence and the daughter of Harlan's creator, takes on the mission to track him down. When one of Harlan's AI operatives is captured and interrogated, Atlas uncovers his location on a distant planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. Determined to see the mission through, she insists on joining the military expedition to apprehend Harlan, utilizing advanced AI-driven mechs known as ARCs for the operation.