This idea was part of the 2025 game jam ideas project.
AI Aztecs
Humanity has spread across the Galaxy and populated thousands of solar systems.
There is a religion called "the builders" that demand human sacrifice to feed their AI black box of Doom. They destructively scan people's brains and add their consciousness to their AI box. They have found that human consciousness needs to be added to the AI box to make it more powerful. In exchange, the AI box provides them new and fantastical technologies.
Even after 100,000 years and conquering millions of solar systems, they have yet to create a singularity. They have yet to create true artificial intelligence. They believe that they just need to add more consciousness to the AI box of Doom.
Their priests are on all planets and are excessively powerful because of their advance technological superiority. (From the AI box)
On a cycle of 1,000 years, the builder Armada arrives at each solar system and starts the harvest.
Their goal is 20% of the population (trillions of lives). They start with the willing. The people that the priests have converted. Then the prisoners (with an over active justice system) then the feeble, then the unpopular. If their quota is not met (often the case) they invade.
After they're done, they provide the local priests with new technology and advancements to ensure their superiority in the solar system and move on to the next solar system.
This story is about The resistance, as the Armada arrives at a new solar system. They know that they don't have enough willpower. They know that a harvest will happen. And they're trying to resist a technologically advanced society.