We will embrace the hordes as always, and in fact, some are talking about crop-dusting Cybertron itself with Zombie Factor this year.
The reason is simple: As robots, we are affected much differently by zombification than biologicals are. While biologicals lose their mental functioning, and then eventually rot out, WE become basically invincible.
Metal does not rot. Mind-boards also do not rot. Therefore, we keep our full faculties. Meanwhile, we gain the ability to operate in "undead" status. What does that mean for beings of metal? It means that if you blow away half of our engine, we keep functioning. You shot a hole through our battery? Still functioning. Managed to get a headshot and took out 3 of 5 mind-boards? Dimmer we may indeed become with that, since that's where the conscious data is stored, but...still functioning. Some of us have already intentionally zombified ourselves during past Z-Days, and more will surely do so this year. So far, we haven't all done it, but that's mainly because we don't all have the chance to properly expose ourselves to the Zombie Factor (though a few are known to keep some in reserve just in case they have to switch to a new body and then zombify it).
We await this day with eagerness.
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Of course, we have other reasons for awaiting this day. Every year around this time, we stop throwing our deactivated slaves into Biological Rendering, and instead, put a special control chip onto/into the brainstem of each one. Then, we throw the chipped carcasses into enclosures that are completely fenced in (including a roof made of cyclone fence-type material). Then, we wait.
When Z-Day arrives, all of these recently-deceased slaves from all over the Empire arise, apparently with the intention to run wild. However, we activate those control chips we mentioned, basically turning them into remote-controlled worker drones. These are then distributed to any mines that need extra labor and worked until they disintegrate. While they aren't nearly as versatile as living biological slaves thanks to their brains turning to mush (forcing them to have to be directly controlled down to the steps they take), they are almost no-cost and are completely expendable.
On top of all of that, it goes without saying that we also stage a huge Military Raid and ransack planets that are engulfed in Z-Day chaos or its sequelae. This day makes once-hard targets into pushovers, and it takes several more days for the targets to re-harden. We may even take over some planets during this time. They will welcome their new robotic overlords when zombie overlords are the alternative!
Finally, each year's strain of Zombie Factor is carefully studied and weaponized. Our military still has some of each prior year's versions, too. Dusting an unprepared enemy with any of this at an unexpected time of year always brings hilarious, yet effective, results.
