"It is sadder to find the past again and find it inadequate to the present than it is to have it elude you and remain forever a harmonious conception of memory."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

The “Gladiator” project had its beginnings in the early most part of the war.

Under the guidance of General Solomon Palton, "The Gladiator Project" was funded as a cybernetic research operation. The project's objective was to implant cybernetic parts into willing members of the Amontian Armed Forces in order to make them more efficient. Many of the experiments had involved implanted communication devices, sleeper nodes, and some prosthetic body work. Very few of the projects came to fruition in the early days, and many soldiers lost their lives. In the 50 years following the projects beginning, some important advancements had been made in so far as the replacement of vital organs and body parts of soldiers who had suffered devastating injuries. In the year 2035 a subject arrived at Blinner Bay Research Base who had been under the special care of General Leary and Doctor James Palmer. Palmer was well known at the time for his research into robotic limbs and his creation of the innovative memory chips--such memory chips are still used to log data in recon missions. In other words, the memory chips act as a black box for the brain. If the physical memory of the brain is damaged, many times the information on the chip survives, thus lending vital information to commanders and their units in tough situations. The memory chips developed by Doctor Palmer have caused controversy among the family members of Amontian soldiers, as well as activist movements who are opposed to such invasive use of technology. However, under Amontian Military Law, one who has signed a contract agreement with the Military is the property of the Amontian Government. Chips are disabled and wiped clean of their data after soldiers have retired, or are discharged, and reused if they are undamaged in the process of extraction.

A similar memory chip was implanted into the brain of the specimen brought in by General Leary, though this one differed slightly. This chip was a prototype that acted as both an A.I. and a memory storage unit. Palmer had developed technology that would allow for extra limbs to be equipped onto the body of the user to augment their performance in the field. The specimen deemed 4.2.0 was to undergo several more surgeries to implant devices into his neural cortex in order to copy and redistribute signals necessary for motor functions. The A.I. Chip implant was to act as a second 'brain' which controlled limbs attached to the body. Doctor James Palmer and his assistant, Alicia Kines, had kept notes on the subject 2.4.0 and the experiments involving the soldier, but many of these were lost in the fire that was set by intruders on the eve of October seventeenth, 2037. All that is known of the intruders is that their commander had intimate knowledge of the Gladiator Project. 4.2.0 played a significant role in suppression of enemy intruders on the night of the attack.

A media story was constructed that portrayed the events of 10/17/2037 as a chemical fire. The story prompted doubt in the general public regarding the situation, and conspiracy theorists still hotly debate the subject. Project 2.4.0 was put into rehabilitation and underwent memory augmentation to delete and edit memories pertaining to the Blinner Bay incident. 4.2.0 was given the birthname Fredrick Pirelli and his DNA donors became known to him as his brother and sister, respectively. Pirelli continues to live out his life unaware of the circumstances of his creation, believing that he was born to a family in Manhattan and joined the military after several years of college. He believes that he volunteered for project Gladiator, and carries his implants with dignity. Pirelli has achieved high rank in the Amontian Marine Corp., and was asked to join A.T.A. Spec.Op. Unit #01 by General Tenacious Leary, as his understanding of machinery, tactical combat and recon would make him an important member of this specialized unit.