Sign in or 
Share this
Chapter 23 Don't Tread on Me
Chapter 23
Don't Tread On Me
Don't Tread On Me
“Never forget that no military leader has ever become great without audacity. If the leader is filled with high ambition and if he pursues his aims with audacity and strength of will, he will reach them in spite of all obstacles.” Karl von Clausewitz
“When all things are lost and there is no hope left, there is always, somewhere in the world, one man you can turn to. There may be only that one man. More often than not there is only that one man. But that one man is always there.” Force 10 From Navarone, by Alistair MacLean, ©1968
“I can do this. I am doing this.” John Connor, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Goodbye to All That, 2008
<<>>
Cue: Track 19 - Opening Title
Cue: Track 19 - Opening Title
2027, Day 47, July 23, 12:30 PM
The Humvee travels westward. The sun beating down on the roof. As they approach Camp Pendleton, a swarm of helicopters pass overhead. The loud noise wakes John Connor from his slumber.
“It looks like the regulars are arriving.” Kyle says.
“My God how many helicopters have they got?” One soldier asks.
“I don’t know.” another says.
“Twenty transports, probably Chinooks or Sea Knights, fifteen Cobras, twelve Apaches, and six Black Hawks.” John Connor answers.
“How the hell do you know that?” someone asks.
“Jane’s U.S. Military Aircraft Recognition Guide” John Connor says dryly as he sits upright.
As they drive through the gates onto the base, the transports have landed. The Cobras and Apaches remain airborne at the perimeter of the base providing cover. Various fighter jets begin to land on the airfield.
“Do you want to drive over to them now? Or go straight to the base?” Kyle asks.
“Well, since we’re here, let’s drive on over. The least we can do is give the Generals a lift to the bunkers.”
Kyle sighs with relief. He’s afraid that Savannah is dead and he doesn’t want to face that. Not yet.
He steers the Humvee across the fields and onto the tarmac where the Chinooks and Sea Knights have landed. What is surprising, as they approach, is how few people actually get off the helicopters. Considering how many people each can carry, there must be only 25% of the number that should be there.
“My God! Is that all the people they have?” John Connor exclaims.
“It must be. Sky Net has been very thorough John. We seldom hear what is happening elsewhere in the country and the world. I imagine it must have been just as hard on them as it has been on us.”
Kyle brings the Humvee to a stop and leans out the drivers window.
“Hey!” he shouts to a soldier standing outside a helicopter. “Where’s General Perry?”
“He’ll be over there in the Chinook with the gray patch on its side.” He says pointing.
“Thanks!” Kyle says and drives through the maze of helicopters until they get to one with a gray patch.
“I spoke with General Perry last night on the radio. Shared your plan with him over a coded connection. He seemed pretty keen on it.” Kyle says to John as they drive through the maze of men and helicopters as they approach the Chinook that was pointed out to them.
“I’m glad to hear it, but with so few additional soldiers arriving, unless John Henry accomplished his task last night, I don’t know if we’ll succeed.”
Cue: Track 02 - The Reese Boys
The helicopter’s rotors are just coming to a halt and the side door opens, as Kyle and John exit the Humvee. They watch four people climb down from inside. Two look like drowned rats whereas the other two look like seasoned soldiers.Kyle suddenly spots a familiar face. “Derek!” Kyle shouts and runs to his brother.
“Hey! Kyle!” Derek shouts as Kyle runs to him and they embrace, pounding each other on the back, both talking at once.
John walks over, his bag and rifle slung over his shoulder.
He gives them a few moments to enjoy their reunion. “Hey Derek!” John says.
“John Connor.” Derek says looking at the young man with bruises and a cut on his forehead. “John Connor. I understand you’re a general now.”
“Yeah,” John says somewhat embarrassed. “Resistance Group Grizzly elected me to that position.”
“A damn General. A goddamn general.” Derek stares at him, his eyes narrow slits. “All right Connor, I’ll respect their decision, but I sure as hell won’t be saluting you or calling you sir.”
John smiles, “I wouldn’t expect anything else. Calling me Connor will be just fine. Would you introduce us to the others.”
“Right. This officer in the green camouflage is General Justin Perry of the US Marine Corp. This other officer is General Robert Brewster of the US Air Force, and this lady in the flight suit is Major Kate Brewster, MD and pilot.” A smile comes to Derek’s face as he mentions Kate’s name.
John feels a little intimidated. He was elected to his position and rank, whereas these two men worked their way up through long years of taking and giving orders and earning respect of higher ranking officers who promoted them. The process for each was very different and John is young enough to pass as one of their kids. Maybe even a grand-kid he thinks, looking at General Brewster.
He needn’t worry too much.
“Hello General Connor. We’ve been hearing a lot about you the last few days. You’ve achieved quite a reputation for someone as young as you.” General Perry says.
“Thank you, sir. I hope I will continue to live up to the reputation I have earned.” John says and lets his bag slip off his shoulder to shake Perry’s offered hand. It hits the tarmac with a loud thunk.
“What do you have in the bag Connor?” Derek asks.
“Oh, I had a little disagreement with some machines last night.” John reaches down unzips his bag and pulls out the belt with the five heads on it.
“I’m bringing these back to base so we can hack into their chips for intelligence.”
“You took on five machines on your own!” General Brewster asks with surprise.
“Well actually there were seven, but only five heads survived the explosion.” John says matter-of-factly without any bragging.
John finds himself being stared at by five surprised looking faces. He doesn’t see the equally astonished faces of the soldiers, standing behind them, who were riding in the truck with him.
“What?” he says, wondering why everyone is looking at him strangely.
Unknowingly, John Connor just added to his reputation. By the end of the day, everyone will hear the story of how John Connor took out seven machines and brought back their heads.
* * *
Deep in the bunker, Andy Keen has responded to a call to see Colonel Henry in the lab.
“So what is it you want me to do exactly?” Sergeant Andy ‘Lucky’ Keen asks Colonel Henry.
“I need an antenna built to work on this frequency range only.” He hands him a slip of paper with figures on it. “It must be clean, allowing no harmonics and have a low impedance.”
“There is a good stock of metal bars and wires of various alloys in storage that I could use, but why ask me to build it, surely you could do it better.”
“Several reasons. One, I’m building a transceiver to interface with this computer. Two, you are the radio operator and know how to build radios and antenna’s. Three, it is best for human moral that the machines don’t do all jobs. And four, it is an order. Are those good enough reasons for you?”
“Yes sir!” Andy stands up smartly. “What impedance is required? And will you be using a balanced or unbalanced cable for the connection?”
“The information is on the paper, and Sergeant?”
“Yes sir.”
“Don’t tell anyone about this. Only you, me and General Connor know about this.”
“I understand. How soon do you need the antenna?”
“One hour, but as you have an injury that could impair your function, I’ll allow you two hours.”
“Bloody hell.” Andy swears and runs off to gather the materials and build the antenna.
Savannah has been listening to the exchange between John Henry and Andy Keen
She walks up to John Henry and asks, “You don’t really need that in one hour do you?”
“No. Two hours would be adequate, but humans sometimes do their best work under time constraints.” John Henry grins at her.
2027, Day 47, July 23, 1:05 PM
The Humvee pulls up outside of the hanger. Jets fly overhead. This is the most activity this base has seen since before Judgment Day.
The six of them, Kyle & Derek Reese, John Connor, Major Kate Brewster, and Generals Perry and Brewster get out and walk into the hanger and down the corridor to the conference room.
Kate has been watching the young man. He does remind her of the John Connor she once knew. But the John she knew would be her age, could this be his son maybe. She’d have to ask him if she ever had the opportunity.
“We’ve been collecting intelligence, in preparation for an attack. Hopefully, Colonel Henry has successfully hacked into Sky Net’s network.” Connor tells Perry and Brewster as they walk down the hallway to the conference room.
Up ahead, Kyle and Derek are talking. Mostly Kyle talking while Derek listens or asks questions. Occasionally Derek glances over his shoulder at John. John can’t hear the conversation, just the occasional word or phrase, Century Work Camp, Triple-8 factory, Machines, John Henry, HK’s attack, the fight in the mountains, etc. The conversation ends when Derek swears, not in anger but in complete astonishment.
General Brewster speaks, “Last night Colonel Reese sent us your plan over a coded radio transmission. It is an audacious plan, far bolder than we’d expect from . . .”
“. . . someone my age.” Connor adds.
“No, from someone who has only just joined the war such a short time ago. Everyone heard your radio message to unite the resistance. The troops were ready to storm Sky Net’s main base that very night if we knew where it was.”
“Well, we know where it is, now. Topanga Canyon. The information came in just about the same time I gave that radio address. Two days ago I got confirmation. But I was hoping the two of you would have brought more troops than you did.”
“We lost far more soldiers taking that munitions factory than we expected, but at least now we have shells for the artillery and mortars.” General Perry says. “For all our intelligence, Sky Net was far more prepared than it let on. If it weren’t for the prisoners we released who helped us fight, we never would have taken the factory.”
“Something similar happened to Derek and myself when we took a plasma rifle factory. This Sky Net treats this war like some kind of game.”
“What do you mean?”
John stops walking and the others do to. “This is the second time it’s done this. I also happen to know of a third time it did it. Sky Net likes to give the impression that it isn’t as strong as we think it is, then when attacked, it throws everything at us that it can. It is a pattern. We need to find the weakness in that strategy and act on it. It also wouldn’t hurt if we had some advantage.”
“I might be able to help you with that.” comes a voice from behind John.
He turns around.
“Savannah!” Kyle shouts and walks quickly over to her, and gives her a quick friendly hug. “You're okay! I was so afraid I’d come back to find you dead. What happened?”
“I’m fine. John Henry was briefly taken over by Sky Net, but he is okay now.” Savannah says, giving Kyle a one arm hug.
“I’m glad you’re okay John.” Savannah turns her attention to him. “I was very worried about you.”
“Thanks.”
“Who is this?” Derek asks.
Kyle smiles, “This is Captain Savannah Weaver. She is in command of Alpha and Beta groups. She was part of the army that joined up with ours.”
“Was John Henry able to hack into Sky Net’s satellite network?” John asks.
“Yes. And he has managed to disable it. All of Sky Net’s communications and spy satellite’s are disabled, but it will be back online by 10 AM tomorrow.”
“That is fantastic!” John Connor shouts. “We’ve got our advantage! We need to get that information out to all resistance groups around the world right away.”
“I already took care of that.” Savannah responds. “The message went out as soon as Colonel Henry recovered and told me what he accomplished.”
“Where is John Henry now?”
“He’s down in the lab working on a project you left for him to do.”
“Good, and Allison?”
“I haven’t seen her since yesterday.” She says with concern.
“What?!” John’s heart just about jumps in his chest. “Here.” He hands her the belt with the five heads on it. “Get this to John Henry in the lab. Tell him to check the chips for information we can use.”
Savannah leaves for the lab.
“Colonel Reese!”
“Yes John.”
“See to it that the Generals are fully briefed on our intelligence on Sky Net. Also arrange for food and drink for them and their troops. I plan on attacking Sky Net as soon as their aircraft have been refueled and our plans finalized. We have got to move out tonight!”
John runs off down the corridor to the elevator, while Savannah leaves for the lab.
“He certainly doesn’t waste any time. Who is this Allison he’s so concerned about?” Kate Brewster asks.
“His wife.” Kyle responds. Derek’s look of shock comes on so suddenly that Kyle just breaks into laughter.
“Come on brother. Looks like you could use a drink.” Kyle says walking off with one arm around Derek’s shoulders. “I think Doc managed to sneak some of his rotgut whiskey here.”
“When the hell did they get married?” Derek is heard asking as they disappear down the corridor.
“Can you believe this?” General Brewster says to Perry.
“What, that they managed to disable Sky Net’s satellites or that someone as young as him has managed to do what we haven’t?”
“I believe it.” Kate says. “I think for the first time since this war began, God has given us a miracle, and his name is John Connor.”
She walks off following the Reese brothers to the conference room.
“Hey you two! Where is your medical center?” she shouts after the departing Reese brothers.
“Your daughter is something else.” Perry says.
“Yeah. At times like this she reminds me of her mother. God bless her.”
* * *
Cue Track 20 - Right Here Waiting, Play list Reunion Part 3
John is feeling anxious as he rides the elevator down to his floor. He left Allison in a state of grief and he wasn’t thinking clearly. He was so stupid. She tried to warn him but he just wasn’t listening. He is so happy that he ran into Cameron, even if it wasn’t his Cameron. She got him thinking straight again.Cue Track 20 - Right Here Waiting, Play list Reunion Part 3
“God, please let Allison be okay.” John says just before the elevator doors open.
John steps out of the elevator. Should he check his mom’s room where he last saw her or go to their room, he thinks. He runs down the hall to his mom’s room and opens the door. It is empty.
Remembering what Savannah told him about the weapon she used on Kreilley, he does a quick search of his mom’s room and finds an identical weapon. John slips it into his backpack. He doesn’t see the crumpled letter anywhere, so he leaves, closing the door behind him.
John runs back down the hallway to the room he and Allison share. He pauses at the door, catches his breath, and opens it gently. John calls out in a normal a voice as possible. “Allison?”
“John?” comes Allison’s voice from the bathroom.
John drops his bag and plasma rifle on the floor and enters the bathroom.
Allison has just stepped out of the shower and is wrapping a towel around herself. “John!” she calls out at the sight of him and she embraces him so hard, John can barely breathe.
“I was so worried about you.” she says kissing him.
“Where were you? Savannah said she hadn’t seen you since I left.”
“I was right here, waiting for you.” She says looking into his eyes. She holds him, feeling the warmth of his body through her hands. Allison kisses him, her mouth parting slightly.
John returns the kiss with one of his own.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you. You were right.” John responds when the kiss stops.
“What happened to you John?” She touches the cut on his forehead gently with her hand smoothing the tape down.
“I was in a fight with machines. They were waiting for me. I should of listened to you and Kyle and brought some soldiers with me.”
“Why don’t you get undressed, and shower. You smell like a musty old barn. Then you can get some stitches in that cut on your forehead.” she says as she nuzzles his neck.
“Why don’t we just clean the cut and put some stitches in it. The generals are waiting for me in the conference room.” John says as he tries to maintain some self control.
She steps back holding him at arms length. “No way soldier! They are going to wait. A few minutes won’t kill them. Last night was our wedding night and you aren’t leaving me again until it is consummated.” She closes the bathroom door as she drops her towel to the floor.
From behind the bathroom door, John’s muffled voice is heard, “Oh heaven.”
End Track 20
2027, Day 47, July 23, 1:45 PM
“Colonel Henry, will the antenna work?” Sergeant Keen asks with some trepidation.
John Henry has the antenna connected to the transceiver. One of the chips that John brought back is plugged into a socket on the transceiver, and the transceiver is plugged into a portable computer. The chip will provide the proper coding and signal recognition required for Sky Net’s transmissions.
Across the room sits a machine. It’s chip has been removed.
“Place this chip in its socket.” John Henry says handing Andy another chip from one of the heads.
“Has it been reprogrammed?” Andy asks as he places the chip in the machines socket.
“No.” John Henry says.
“What?” Andy says looking at John Henry in shock.
“I’d move away from it, if I were you.” He warns the young radio operator.
Andy looks at the machine, who’s eyes are just lighting up and runs for the other side of the room where his gun is leaning against the wall.
The machine stands up and scans the room.
“Don’t fire your weapon Sergeant!” John Henry yells as he types a command into the computer.
“You are John Henry. You are to be terminated.” the machine says. It turns his head and looks at Andy.
Andy’s knees shake as the machine stares at him. “You are human. All humans are to be terminated!”
The machine rushes toward him. Andy points his rifle at the approaching machine. John Henry just types a command into the computer and waits.
The machine suddenly stops mid-stride.
“What is your prime directive?” John Henry shouts at the machine.
There is no answer for a moment, then it responds. “My prime directive states that all life is sacred. All human life is to be respected as we are made in their image. I must never harm a human or allow any other machine to harm a human. I should obey humans, unless ordered to harm another human.”
“How the bloody hell did you do that?” Andy says, his hands still shaking.
“A virus, programmed with the directives and ethical routines developed by John Connor and myself. Utilizing Sky Net’s own radio communication network, I uploaded the virus into the machine when I sent it a command to terminate both myself and you. As it began its attack, I sent a further command that activated the virus, resulting in the machine acting as it has now.”
“OK.” Andy says still staring at the machine that just recently was charging at him. “Wait a minute, did you just say you commanded it to terminate me?” He says his voice rising in pitch.
“Sergeant Keen, you are under orders not to divulge anything you have seen in this room or done to help me in this project. Do you understand your orders?”
“Yes sir.”
“You may leave.”
Andy walks out of the room, still slightly wobbly at the knees as he can’t get the sight of that machine charging at them from across the room out of his mind. “Thank God, I got into communications.” he says to himself as he walks back to the radio room, by way of the restroom. Suddenly he has the need to empty both bladder and bowel.
* * *
“Ow!” John Connor yells as the needle with thread pierces his forehead once again.
“Just lay still. The cut is deep.” Kate Brewster says as she pushes her patient back down.
“It didn’t hurt like this when I had the stitches put in my ear.” He protests.
“There are more nerves in your face. Just hold still. One more to put in then I’m done.”
“I’m sorry Dr. Brewster, he’s usually a better patient than this.” Allison says.
“Well you’re the one who usually treats my wounds.” John protests.
“Yes, but why have a medic put in stitches when we have a fully trained MD.” Allison says. “Dr. Brewster . . .”
“Call me Kate.” She says smiling at the young woman.
Allison smiles, “Kate, will he have a scar?”
“Under these conditions, maybe. If we had a full operating theater with a plastic surgeon, no. But as long as these stitches don’t break, any scaring will be minimal. I’d stake my reputation on it.” She says as she ties off the last stitch.
“Alright, I’m all done. How does he look?” She says and hoists John up by the scruff of his neck so he is sitting upright. “Don’t let those stitches break, or you will definitely have a scar.” She warns him.
Allison looks at John and says, “I’d hate to see the other fellow.”
“There was more than one other fellow. And they were all metal. It was almost ‘hasta la vista baby’ for yours truly.” John replies giving her a hug.
Unseen by John and Allison, Kate Brewster gives John a sudden look of surprise. ‘It’s him.’ she thinks. ‘I don’t know how it can be, but it’s him.’
“Will you be joining us in the conference room?” John asks the major.
“What?” Kate asks focusing her eyes on John and Allison who stand by the examining room doors.
“Will you be joining us in the conference room later?” John asks again.
“Yes. You two go on ahead while I clean up this mess.” she says and begins picking up used gauze and bits of thread from the table to throw away.
As they walk away John tells Allison, “I should stop in and see Captain Beddell while I am here.”
“We haven’t the time. I’ve already kept you from that meeting longer than you should have been.” She says with a knowing smile.
“True, and I’ve never enjoyed being delayed from a meeting more.” He says returning her smile.
“The least I could do, to show you how glad I was you were still alive. Please don’t take foolish risks like that again.” Allison says after the elevator doors close.
“I won’t. I promise.” John says giving her a quick kiss. He wonders how many men in history were as lucky as him to have so many people worried about him. Let alone two women, one of whom is a machine who is identical to Allison.
2027, Day 47, July 23, 2:45 PM
As John and Allison walk into the conference room, Derek calls out, “Well, look who finally decided to join us.”
“Derek!” Allison yells and runs to him, giving him a big hug. “John didn’t tell me you were back!”
“Well, I just thought you’d like a surprise.” John says.
“Kyle tells me the two of you are married now.” Derek says smiling at the young woman he raised. “I wish I could have been there to give you away.”
“That’s okay. Kyle was there. He did marvelously.” Allison responds.
“I wish you could have been there too.” John says less cheerfully as he remembers the tragic fight that took place immediately afterwards and how maybe if they had just one more person, things might have been different.
Their reunion is broken up by someone clearing their voice. “I apologize for breaking up your reunion,” begins General Perry, “but we need to finalize our plans quickly if we are to strike Sky Net’s central location while its satellites are still down.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting, General Perry. I had some injuries that Allison insisted I should get taken care of first.” He scratches his forehead as the stitches are starting to itch. “Derek, could you take that map down from the wall and place it on the table where we can all see it. Thanks.”
Derek pulls the pins out of the map and places it on the table. It is a topographical map of southern California with all military, resistance, and Sky Net bases marked. Everyone takes a seat around the map at one end of the conference table. Major Brewster joins them as they sit down.
The first thing they decide, because Topanga Canyon is a considerable distance away, that they will have to use the Chinooks and Sea Knights to ferry them to their locations.
“We ought to take out their Hunter Killers before we send the helicopters out.” General Perry says.
Kyle says. “Before leaving Los Angeles, Connor here conducted a reconnaissance mission. Sky Net has its major HK base at the former LAX airport. If General Brewster runs an air attack on that base first, then the only thing we have to worry about on the ground is metal and the ogre’s or centaurs.”
“Wouldn’t Sky Net already be on high alert and have their HK”s in the air?” Major Brewster asks.
“That is possible, but Sky Net doesn’t like showing the upper hand early.” Connor adds. “I think more than likely Sky Net will probably squirrel away HK’s at various locations around the area, only keeping a few in the air for show. Their HK’s have taken a heavy beating, and Sky Net will probably want to hold what it has until needed.”
“Regardless, an air attack on LAX will have to be done swiftly, keeping several aircraft out of the first attack to defend them from the air.” Major Brewster says.
“We should have enough aircraft for that, but we are terribly short of missiles.” General Brewster adds. “Until last night we didn’t even have enough pilots, then three Black Hawks arrived ferrying pilots from various locations in response to our radio request.”
“Captain Beddell did an inventory of everything they found here. Plus they’ve been very busy since he moved his group here. We should check with him to find out what armaments were hidden away in the bunkers before Judgment Day.” General Perry says.
“I’ll be seeing him after this meeting. I’ll ask him then.” John Connor.
The meeting goes on for several minutes until someone knocks on the door. Savannah walks in and announces, “John Henry has managed to break into the chips John brought back.”
“What did he find?” Allison asks.
“According to the information Colonel Henry pulled off those chips, Sky Net gets its power from the Serrano Point Nuclear Power station.” says Savannah.
“Did he find anything else?” John asks her.
“The chips are heavily encoded. If it wasn’t for the fact that Serrano Point was their previous point of operation, it is unlikely John Henry could of pulled that much data off the chips.”
“What do we know about Serrano Point?” General Perry asks.
“I can help you with that.” Derek answers. “I was stationed there for two years when I was a lieutenant, before the machines took it over. I can give you details on the layout of the place.”
“My forces are experienced with taking power generation plants. We’ve taken the hydroelectric station at Boulder Dam and a nuclear power station in New Mexico. I’ll take my forces and disable the power plant. Cut off all power to Sky Net’s factories and bases.” General Perry says.
“Derek, why don’t you go with General Perry.” John interjects. “And if the general could use more troops, I’ll loan you Gamma Group including the T-800's assigned to them. The machines are great front line troops. They can withstand a heavy amount of abuse that would kill any human.”
Derek scowls. “I don’t like the idea of these machines working for us.”
“You’ve changed your tune since last time.” John says.
“You spend a month under forced labor and torture at the hands of those machines and so would you.” He snaps back.
“Get over it Derek.” John says. “These machines can do more than any platoon of human soldiers. If General Perry wants them. He can have them.”
“I’ll take them Connor.” General Perry interjects. “As long as you give me your word the machines won’t turn on us.”
“I can’t promise that General, but they haven’t turned on us. And many of them have sacrificed themselves willingly for our own survival.”
“That’s good enough for me.”
“So, if General Perry is attacking Serrano Point, and General Brewster is going to command the air attack, what are you going to do?” Derek asks John with a slight attitude.
“While Alpha and Beta Groups conduct the main offensive at Topanga, I’m going to take Delta group into the heart of Sky Net’s base and blow the son-of-a-***** to hell!”
“That’s a very bold plan. Who are you going to get to lead the main offensive?” Derek asks.
“It is a dangerous assignment, they’ll be taking the brunt of Sky Net’s defenses. I was going to ask for a volunteer.”
“I’ll do it.” Kyle says without hesitation.
Derek gives Kyle a look.
“Sorry brother, but you’ve got a job to do with General Perry. You won’t need my help with that. I’ve backed John Connor since your capture and I’m not going to let him down now.”
“All right, Kyle.” Derek says with squinted eyes. “ Connor, you look after my brother, or so help me . . .” Derek gets up and walks out of the conference room without finishing his statement..
“Well, it looks like we have everything settled. We can work out the finer details in route and once we hit the ground. General Brewster and myself need to inform our officers of the plans we’ve made.” Perry and Brewster both leave the conference room.
Kate Brewster walks over to John, who is speaking in low tones with Allison, Savannah and Kyle.
“When this battle is over, I’d like to talk with you.” Kate says to John.
“What about?”
“Well, you remind me very strongly of someone I knew back when I was like thirteen. You look like him. You talk like him. Earlier, you even used the same catch phrase as him.”
“Who?”
“A boy I knew. Also named John Connor. I went to school with him in 1997. He disappeared after his foster parents were murdered.”
John suddenly realizes who Kate is. He went to school with her in middle school. Quickly recovering he replies. “They say everybody has a twin.”
“That they do, but few have the same name.” She says then leaves the room.
Allison, Kyle and Savannah look at John. They caught the brief look of shock that was in his eyes.
“You knew her before you time traveled, didn’t you?” Kyle asks with a grin.
John looks down at his feet slightly embarrassed then at the three curious faces. “Yes I did.”
Their faces make it clear, that they are not going to leave it at that. “All right. I went to school with her. The last time I saw her was at a party being held in Mike Kripke’s basement.”
“What happened at that party John?” Savannah says teasingly. The three of them standing there with big grins on their faces. They’ve got John over a barrel and he knows it.
“I kissed her all right. It was the first time I kissed a girl. I was only twelve at the time.”
They are all still grinning at him. He can’t take it any longer.
“Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to see how Captain Beddell is doing.” He marches out of the room closing the door behind him. He doesn’t even get two paces from the door when he hears laughter from the three of them.
* * *
“How are you doing Martin?” John is sitting beside Captain Beddell’s bed in intensive care. The doctor has only given him five minutes to visit with Captain Beddell.
“I’m holding in there.” he says weakly. “I heard about what happened to your mom. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. She died doing what she has always done, protecting me from Sky Net and its machines.”
John places his hand on Beddell’s arm. “We are going into battle tonight against Sky Net. I’m stopping by to see if there is anything I can do for you.”
“I’m fine Connor. the doctors say I’ll be good in a couple of weeks. But there is something I can do for you.” he says tiredly with a small smile.
“What?” John says his curiosity roused.
“Go to storage room four in bunker eleven. I’ve got something for you.”
“What is it?”
Beddell smiles a bit more. “Just go. You’ll see it. We haven’t just been skulking about these bunkers. You’ll like what me and the boys have been doing the last eighteen years.”
“I see you like surprises as well.” John says getting up.
“You’ll need help.” Beddell says as John leaves his bed side. “The boys and I have been scrounging from every military base in a hundred miles. You’ll like what we’ve got for you. Especially what’s under the blue tarp.”
A few minutes later John is opening up the doors going into storage room four in bunker eleven. Not knowing what he’ll find, he’s got four machines and half a dozen soldiers with him. He reaches inside and flips on the lights.
The sight before his eyes is amazing. Some of the soldiers look in shock. One or two of the machines even have grins on their faces.
Row upon row of floor to ceiling, heavy duty, shelving units stacked with explosives, bombs, missile launchers and missiles. There are RPG’s and launchers. Ammunition for the high velocity cannons used on the helicopters and jet fighters, and further into the room, are missiles for the same aircraft.
John feels like a kid in a candy store as he walks through the room.
“We’re going to need more help.” John points to a soldier. “You go upstairs and fetch some more people and machines down here. Inform General Brewster we’ve got missiles for his fighter jets.”
John walks to the back of the room. There is a large object under a blue tarp. He unties the cord and looks underneath. It takes him a moment, but he realizes what he is looking at. An electromagnetic pulse bomb! Set that off in Sky Net’s base and it will knock out every computer and chip in several kilometers.
“Thank you Martin Beddell.” John says with a grin.
He calls over two machines and gives them orders to move the object. John sets the men in order as to what to get upstairs to the hangers. He has to go meet with his friends. It’s time he tells them the truth about what he is really going to do tonight.
2027, Day 47, July 23, 3:30 PM
Cue: Track 10 - Sarah Connor's Theme
In the chapel in bunker ten, the debris of the battle has been swept up and left in a pile to one side. Sarah’s blood stains the floor where she fell when struck the fatal blow by Kreilley as he fled. John is standing there looking at it, remembering what happened. If he can convince the others as to what he wants to do, then none of this will have happened. But what if he can’t convince them or stop it.John kneels down and places his hand on the blood stain. “I’m sorry mom, for leaving you in 2009. I should have stayed. You shouldn’t have suffered and then died at the hands of that thing. I’ll get back and if I can’t, I still promise to kill that bastard.”
He hears the doors to the chapel open and he quickly gets up and moves to greet his friends. Everyone filters in, Kyle Reese, Savannah Weaver, John Henry, and Allison Y. Connor. They gather a group of chairs together in a tight circle in the middle of the room.
“First, I want to apologize to all of you for the way I just left yesterday. Kyle and Allison, you deserve that apology more than the others. You two both tried to talk sense to me and I was just too stubborn to listen. I took a terrible risk last night and was almost killed. If it wasn’t for a friend who came to my rescue, I wouldn’t be here now.”
“I think I can speak for all of us when I say there is nothing to apologize for. No one can be expected to think clearly after losing a parent. But that isn’t why you insisted on meeting here, is it?” Kyle says.
“No Kyle, its’ not. We are meeting here for secrecy, because you need to know about our mission tonight. The plan I am going to tell you may not be well received by the others.”
“We are attacking Sky Net aren’t we?” Savannah asks.
“Yes, we are, but the goal is to capture its Time Displacement Equipment. Then we are going to use it and go back and stop Judgment Day before it happens.”
The silence he gets is worse than the protests he was expecting.
“John Connor’s plan is good.” John Henry says. “Sky Net is far weaker at the time of its conception than it is now. We know where it was conceived and when. We would have a greater chance of stopping Sky Net in 2009 then we would now.”
“But the others are expecting us to stop it now, not eighteen years ago.” protests Savannah. “Mom said....”
“Let me make one thing clear.” John says to Savannah. “Catherine Weaver is not your mother. She is a liquid metal machine. No matter what she has done our behalf, yours and mine, she did it for her own purpose. Things have happened recently that have caused me to doubt why she brought me here. Maybe there is a good reason, but right now I can’t imagine what that would be. She hasn’t revealed anything to you, me or John henry. Until I know what she is up to, I don’t know how much I can trust her. Don’t anyone tell her what we are really planning. She has got to stay out of the loop.”
“Everyone else is expecting us to go into Sky Net’s main base and destroy it. What are they going to think, or do if we suddenly disappear when they expect us to blow the son-of-a-***** to hell.” Kyle responds.
“We are going to blow it to hell. We probably will have to in order to capture the T D E. But if we go back and stop this before it starts, then no one will even know we are gone, because this future will no longer exist. Are you with me Kyle?”
He sits there a moment before answering. “All right John. I’m with you, but I’m not comfortable with this last minute change in plans.”
“That makes two in support. Savannah, can I rely on you?”
Like Kyle she doesn’t answer right away, but when she does, it’s from the heart. “Sarah told me one time how she regretted not trusting you more before Judgment Day. How despite knowing that one day you would become the leader you now are, she didn’t want to let you go. I’ve grown up looking up to you John. I loved Sarah like she was my own mom. I love you as my brother. I won’t make the same mistake as her. For the love of Sarah, I will trust you on this.”
“Thank you.” Johns says his voice cracking with emotion. “Allison, you haven’t said anything.”
“I just have one question. What made you change your mind to capture the T D E instead of going after Kreilley?”
“I met a friend and I was reminded of something I had blinded myself to after mom died. I made a bad choice in the past. That choice contributed to a series of events that led to Judgment Day. The very thing I was fighting to prevent. I missed an opportunity to put it right, but if we go back to 2009, then we can change things so this future never happens. No one will ever live in fear from Sky Net and its machines ever again. Are you with me on this?”
“John, I will always be with you. Besides, who’s going to watch your back if I don’t go with you?” She smiles and takes his hand. He raises it up to his mouth and kisses her hand.
“Thank you Allison. All right everybody. The soldiers will be assembling in the hanger for departure. Let’s go.”
They get up to leave. Savannah walks over to John as the others leave.
Speaking very low, Savannah says, “The friend who helped you was Cameron, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.” John says in equally low tones.
“I knew she couldn’t be far.” Savannah looks about, then adds. “Cameron won’t be far away. She’ll look out for you, like she did for Sarah and I.”
“I know.” John says, as they go to join the others at the chapel doors. They are almost through the door of the chapel when someone calls out to John Connor. He turns and Father Bonia is standing there.
“Hello Father. What can I do for you?”
“I was going to ask you, if there was something that I could do for you.” Father Bonia says.
“Father, your were my mom’s friend. Tonight we go into battle in her name. What would she want you to do?”
Father Bonia pauses a moment and then says, “Before Judgment Day, I once delivered a message that you sent to your mom in prison. The alarms started to go off and I found myself locked in the room with her. So I asked your mother, ‘What should I do?’ Do you know what she told me?”
“No.”
“She told me, ‘You’re a priest, pray.’ So I prayed and then a few minutes later the locks were opened. Just like Peter in the Bible. So tonight I will pray, and I will pray for you John Connor. I will pray that Sarah will continue to protect you and that you will deliver us from this evil that has descended upon us. So, go John Connor. Fight your battle. And may God go with you.”
John Connor shakes his hand, “Thank you Father.” Then he and his friends depart.
Father Bonia walks back to the alter, now chard and ruined, kneels upon the spot where Sarah died defending her son and begins to pray.
As his friends walk down the corridor, John places a hand on John Henry’s arm and holds him back.
“Did you get it ready?” he asks him in low tones.
“Yes and it passed the test. How well it works in the field is a different matter.” John Henry says in equally low tones. “Hiding the instructions by encoding it in your orders to hack into Sky Net’s satellite system was very clever.”
“Thank you John Henry. Catherine Weaver was right about one thing. I can’t win this war without you.”
John jogs to catch up with the others while John Henry lags behind.
Walking down the corridor alone, John Henry’s pocket communicator starts to beep.
Pulling it out of his pocket, he says, “Hello Ms. Weaver.”
“Hello John Henry. What information do you have for me?”
“We are preparing to attack Sky Net tonight.”
“What about Sky Net itself? What is John Connor planning?”
John Henry doesn’t answer right away.
“John Henry answer me! Is John Connor going to destroy Sky Net’s system core at Topanga?”
“Yes, Ms. Weaver.”
“Good. You know what to do.”
Ms. Weaver breaks her connection and John Henry slips his small radio into his pocket. “I didn’t lie.” He thinks, “I just didn’t tell her the whole truth.”
2027, Day 47, July 23, 5:15 PM
John Connor and his friends exit the elevator and walk down the corridor towards the hanger. Along the way they meet Major Kate Brewster.
She stops to speak to John. “General Perry, along with Derek Reese and his forces are getting ready to leave for Serrano Point. My dad, General Brewster, has already to sent his fighter jets out. You’ve got about half an hour before you need to leave on the helicopters. Dad wants to know if you want to speak to the troops before you take to the air.”
“I wouldn’t know what to say.” John says.
“Just speak from your heart John. You’ll find the right words.” Says Allison looking at him with love and pride.
“Go ahead John. The soldiers could use a few encouraging words before going into battle.” Kyle says.
John looks at Kate and says, “Tell your dad, I’ll talk to the troops.”
Kate runs ahead of them to inform her dad. John gets a sudden flashback in his head as he watches her run off. Kate was in the field hockey team. She was always very competitive, independent, and tough.
They pass Sergeant Andy Keen in the hallway who is just entering the radio room. His arm is back in the sling.
“How’s your arm Lucky?” John calls out to him with a smile as they pass.
“It’s doing fine! Good luck to you sir.” Andy says with a grin before going into the radio room. The John Connor he knows is back. He sits down at his radio station with a smile still on his face.
They walk into the hanger. Hundreds of troops are gathered both inside and just outside the doors.
“Hello Connor,” General Brewster says. “Kate says you’ve got a few words for the troops”
“Yes, I will talk to them, but I haven’t got a clue what I’m going to say.”
John walks over to a crate that has been set for him to stand on. On the wall of the hanger above him is a flag. He hadn’t noticed it before. He remembers it from his US History class in high school.
An officer hands John a mike to the public address system as he steps up onto the crate. “Sir, this will also be broadcast to resistance groups around the world.” John nods his head in acknowledgment.
Cue: Track 24 - War
He looks around at all of the people assembled with their weapons and supplies. Then he glances at this friends who stand nearby. Kyle nods his head at him, Derek has an expression of curiosity, Allison looks at him with a mixture of pride and love. When his eyes settle on her face, she smiles at him. Savannah smiles too. These people are his family. Family!He turns to face the troops and keys the mike. “Hello there.” John says.
Those who weren’t watching, turn to face him. A few say hello in response.
“I’m John Connor. In less than thirty minutes we will be boarding the helicopters outside. They will be taking us to a location where we will fight Sky Net’s forces. Not for trophies, not for reward or promotion, but for our very lives. For the survival of the whole damn human race!”
“Look around you. No, go on. Look around you.” The soldiers look about at each other and the men and machines that line the walls.
“Do you know who you just looked at? I’ll tell you. You just looked at your family. They are your brothers and your sisters. It doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman, young or old. It doesn’t matter what your race or creed is. It doesn’t matter whether you are Christian or Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist, Jew or gentile. You are a family. We are a family. We fight together as one.”
“We stand united both here and around the world. At this moment, down the hall in the radio room, Sergeant Andrew Keen and the other radio operators are coordinating attacks around the world. Over the next twenty-four hours, we here in this room will be part of the largest ground and air offensive seen on this planet since the dawn of time!”
“We fight for our freedom! We fight for our right to live! Not as scavengers. Not as slaves to Sky Net. We fight for our right to live as free human beings!”
The people cheer and shout. “Hurray! Connor! Connor! Connor!”
When the cheering dies down, John continues. Pointing to a faded yellow flag on the wall behind him he speaks. “Behind me on this wall is a flag. On it is a coiled rattle snake poised to strike. Below it are the words ‘Don’t Tread on Me.’ That flag was used as an emblem by the founding fathers of this country. It was used by the Marines as their standard. It flew on the flagships of our earliest naval vessels. That flag is unique as it features a rattlesnake, an animal that is only found here in America. The rattlesnake never begins an attack without first giving warning. But once it has attacked, it never surrenders, it never gives up. It fights on until either it or its enemy is dead. We are that rattlesnake. We have given Sky Net a warning and it has not headed that call! So we strike! And we strike hard!”
“We will hold fast! And we will never surrender!” John shouts.
“We will fight! And we will not stop fighting until Sky Net is finished!”
The people cheer and shout. “Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Connor! Connor! Connor!”
Then from within the crowd comes a chant. It was given once before in memorial for Sarah Connor, but it has a new meaning tonight. For tonight it is a call to war.
“Here’s to Sarah Connor.
May her heart find peace,
may her heart remain strong.
We will finish the fight,
as we follow the light.
As her son leads the fight,
we will find our might.
We will follow his lead,
and the metal will bleed.
The resistance is strong.
And Sky Net will lose.
All hail Sarah Connor!
All hail John Connor!
All hail the Resistance!
The fight will never End!”
John Connor steps down off the crate. Allison embraces him and Kyle shakes his hand. Savannah steps forward and hugs him as soon as Allison is finished. Derek stands there in wonderment. He thought this kid could be something special, but he never thought he could stir the people and lead them like this.
Derek walks forward and says to John with a grin, “General Connor. Let’s go get those metal bastard’s.”
John smiles at Derek. He’s earned his respect.
John calls out, “General Perry.”
“Yes Connor.”
“Let’s get those damn helicopters in the air. We’ve got a war to fight.” John picks up his bag and rifle and heads outside followed by Allison and the core group members of Delta Group, who were the original members of Delta Squad.
Kate steps up beside her father. “What do you think of John Connor?” she asks him.
“I think what you said earlier is right. He is a miracle, and he walks amongst us.”
“No dad, he doesn’t walk among us. He leads us.”
Derek walks over to the two of them. “Hello General.”
“Hello Derek. I never really thanked you properly for your heroic performance out there against those HK’s. You saved my daughter, even if we did lose a helicopter. Your damn fine fighter Reese. With the right training, you’d make one hell of a gunner on one of our attack helicopters. I’d like to talk with you about that when you get back. There will be a lot of Sky Net’s machines that will still need to be destroyed after tonight. Now if you will both excuse me, the air squadrons should be approaching their targets and I need to be in the radio room.”
General Brewster walks off leaving Derek and Kate alone for a few minutes.
“Do you want....” “How about we....” They both try to talk at once.
“You go first.” Derek says.
“I just want to say, that after this is over, can I buy you a drink?”
“I was going to suggest something similar. Where at?”
“I know a little place in Santa Fe. I could fly us out there. They make some great beer.”
“I’d like that. You know, it’s highly unlikely that either one of us will get back.”
“I know. But it gives us a reason to survive. To make plans beyond tonight.” Kate strokes his face. “You saved my life today. Survive for me.”
“And you do the same.” Derek kisses her. She kisses him back even harder.
He breaks off. “I’ve got to go, or I’ll miss my ride.”
“I’ll be flying escort in an Apache. I’m flight leader, and they can’t take off without me. Your helicopter won’t take off without them. So kiss me again, but don’t say goodbye.”
They kiss again and don’t break off until the public address squawks telling all personnel to board their helicopters. With one last glance at each other they depart.
* * *
Cue: Track 18 - Catherine Weaver, Play list Reunion Part 3
On the road leading to Topanga Canyon, an Ogre lurches along. Its drive systems are not under its own control. A parasite has taken control, leaching power from its onboard nuclear generator while simultaneously interfering with its control system. Cue: Track 18 - Catherine Weaver, Play list Reunion Part 3
It is slowly approaching a large industrial facility. Acres upon acres of automated factories and foundries, all churning out machines, Ogres and HK’s. A scrap yard fills several acres where the only humans in a hundred miles work like slaves. The scrap yard has been busy lately, as pieces of HK’s, endo’s and other machines are brought in.
The humans are slaves, forced to sort the pieces coming in and forced to do the most demeaning hard labor. A single machine could do the work of all of them in less time. But instead over a dozen machines stand guard ensuring the humans do their labor. T-600's, big ugly brutes who don’t care about anything other than that the people keep working.
Rebellion? No one tries. Not anymore. Not since the last group were brutally ripped apart alive in front of the rest of them. No one storms the fences any more. No one attacks the machines any more. But they haven’t given up hope. One of the people snuck a radio in, or built it from scavenged parts. It doesn’t matter, because on that radio comes words of hope. HOPE. John Connor is coming.
A young woman with blonde hair and filthy from head to foot, moves up along side an older woman with equally as filthy as her, with dark hair and Asian features.
“What’s happening? The Ogre’s usually don’t come in here.” The young blonde woman whispers.
“Just keep working and watch from the corner of your eye.” The woman admonishes her in a deep female voice with an Australian accent.
The Ogre goes through the gate and stops just inside. The people don’t stop their labors but watch through the chain link fence which separates them from the main road. To their astonishment, a silver liquid runs out of the back of the machine and pools on the ground. As they continue to work, they watch. The silver pool bubbles and begins to form, rising slowly, into a human shape. As it gains a human shape it begins to try to form features, and details. It struggles, its form slipping and changing until finally it stabilizes. It is Kreilley.
He ran from the bunkers at Camp Pendleton. He ran in anger and in fear. He ran until he reached the ruins of Los Angeles. Expending energy like that was dangerous, but time was of the essence. Finding an HK-tank on patrol, he slipped inside through a crack, gained in some recent battle, and immediately started leaching power from its generator. After waiting until he had gained enough power to re-stabilize his system, he took control, allowing just enough power to keep its drive train in operation. Now he stands outside the HK-tank, what the foolish people call an Ogre. He sneers at the people in contempt. Not that they notice, nor that he cares if they did.
“Jesse, who is that?” The young girl asks.
“Don’t know luv. But I’d say he’s had a hard time of it. Best get back to work before the tin heads use you for target practice.”
Riley looks up and can see that a T-600 is looking right at her. She quickly moves along and places the parts she’s collected into the proper receptacle.
Kreilley strides across the pavement, his heels clicking on the pavement, tiny silver droplets falling from his body to the ground. He walks past the factories churning out flying HK’s and HK-tanks. Another factory has just finished modification to construct T-888's, to replace the factory that was mysteriously destroyed a few weeks ago. The first in a new line of T-888's will be coming off the assembly line in a matter of hours.
Before reaching Central, he approaches a great white edifice that contains Research and Development. Inside he’s pushed the advancement of the machines shaving years off the development of the Triple-8 all to create the ultimate in terminators. Kreilley decides to go inside and check on his baby.
He punches in his entry code at the door and submits to a full body scan, as a red pulsing light encapsulates his body. The light goes off and the doors slide open. Kreilley enters the building and the doors slide shut behind him.
On the ground floor stand deactivated examples of all terminators produced in his factories. Everything from the first T-1 that rolled off his factory floor in 2007 to the first T-888 that came off the assembly line last year. Like mannequins or dolls they stand there just waiting for the signal that will activate them.
Kreilley walks past two empty glass cases. They once contained examples of liquid metal terminators like from his own time-line. But like the Sky Net of that period, he was unable to control them. Several years ago they broke their programming and escaped. He never heard of them again. But the mimetic poly-alloy he created has come in useful.
He takes the elevator to bottom floor. It is an open floor plan with a great opening in the middle of the floor from which he can look down at the Time Displacement Equipment on the lowest level. The engines are humming. Checking the computer he sees it passed its series of tests. He couldn’t be more pleased.
Kreilley turns away from the computer and walks to where he’s been building the ultimate terminator. Using precious resources, he has created a model that will surpass anything else they have ever built. Combining the strength and durability of a modified combat chassis of a T-888, with the mimetic poly-alloy of the T-1000. Infinitely stronger than his own body. It will posses the strengths of both and none of the weaknesses of either, and possess within in its own body, a set of weapons and an infinitely superior power cell, shielded from plasma fire.
He is envious of the design. The mimetic poly-alloy sheath will allow it to mimic any human it touches. The neural probe will allow it to download the personality and memories of its victims instantaneously without lengthy torture and question sessions. A few more months of development and he could of made even more improvements.
Kreilley smiles as he checks the progress on the new machine. It is functional. All that is needed is for the final program to be downloaded into its chip. Considering his own physical state. He has a good idea of what it will be.
* * *
Cue: Track 14 - I Love You, Play list Reunion Part 3
Outside the hanger at Camp Pendleton, John and Allison stand to one side watching the soldiers board their assigned helicopters. They have this one last moment to be alone together. The soldiers ignore them, allowing them a few minutes of privacy.Cue: Track 14 - I Love You, Play list Reunion Part 3
“This is it, isn’t it.” Allison says looking at his worried face.
“Yeah. All or nothing. The resistance will never have another chance like this. I wonder what mom would think of this.”
“You miss her, don’t you?”
John just nods his head.
“Then maybe you ought to have this then.” Allison pulls a folded piece of wrinkled paper from her inner jacket pocket.
“What is it?” John says taking it from her.
“It is the letter your mom wrote you. It’s her last words to you. You should have it with you.”
As John takes it from her, he asks with trepidation, “Did you read it?”
“Yes. I understand everything John. You sacrificed a lot for those you love and the fight against Sky Net. Cameron is the cyborg that you told me Catherine was helping you fix. The one she was going to send back in time with her T D E. You loved her, yet still you put the needs of others ahead of yourself. That night you buried your mom, was also the night you sent her back in time. That’s why you didn’t want me with you.”
“Yes, it was. Mom needed her. She was alone and fighting Sky Net on her own. It was a very painful decision, but it was the only one I could make. She saved mom. She saved Savannah. If Cameron wasn’t there. . .” John pauses a moment, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was afraid you’d be jealous or even angry with me. I misjudged you and I’m sorry.”
She reaches up and cradles his face with her hand. “I’m not jealous because I know you love me. I know it more than ever now.”
“I love you too and I’m sorry I lied to you. I’ve carried secrets around with me my whole life. You could say my entire life has been a secret. Of all people, I should have trusted you with the truth. I promise, no more secrets.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. You’ve carried this burden with you since you arrived. You did what was right despite everything that has happened.” She looks in his eyes. “There’s something I should tell you now.”
“Hey you two! Are you going to just stand there, or are you getting on your helicopter?” Kyle shouts as he runs past them.
“We’ll be going soon.” John says. “Meet you in Topanga!”
“Good luck to you both.” Kyle continues to shout as he runs and boards his helicopter.
“What were you going to say?” John asks.
Just then the public address squawks telling all personnel to board their helicopters.
She smiles as once again they get interrupted. “I’ll tell you later. But for now just know that I love you more than life itself.”
“So do I.” He kisses her and Allison kisses him back.
They break their kiss, pick up their plasma rifles and backpacks and run to the helicopter and climb on board.
The air is filled with a thundering noise as dozens of helicopter lift off. In the air they split off into two groups. One group flies towards the ocean heading northwest to Serrano Point. The second group takes an inland path, circling around Los Angeles, on their way to Topanga by way of Edwards Air Force Base.
Only a skeleton force is left behind. No more than a couple of dozen soldiers and just four machines, plus the ground crew for refueling and rearming the fighter jets.
As the helicopters fly away, the heavy blast doors close on the hangers with a loud bang.
In the radio room, General Brewster watches the monitors showing the scenes outside, as the helicopters fly away. He could swear that even inside the bunker he can hear their thundering roar. He offers a quick short prayer for the soldiers and his daughter, then he gets to work. The fighter jets have reached their destination.
Down below in the chapel in bunker ten, Father Amondo Bonia continues to pray. As he prays, the few civilians that survived the attack in the Santa Anna mountains or were with Sarah’s group join him in prayer.
In the medical center, Captain Beddell and the other wounded soldiers unfit for joining the nights battle, listen in on the radio communications on a speaker that was provided for them. Much against their own will, the doctors and medical attendants left to care for them can’t help but listen in as well
Around the world, soldiers, men, women even children, attack Sky Net bases with guns, clubs, rocks, even their bare hands. This is the time. No more will Sky Net rule their lives.
Saboteurs destroy satellite dishes, attack factories, attack known locations of computer banks. There is no safe haven for Sky Net. No More. They fight for their lives. They fight to retake their planet, their home. They fight with a savagery and a conviction that they will win.
John Connor said they would win. And they are damn well going to win. No matter the cost.
* * *
Cue: Track 18 - Catherine Weaver, Play list Reunion Part 3
Kreilley exits Research and Development and approaches the entrance to Central. Once the main offices of Fox Industries, the only thing inside it now is the server farm that houses Sky Net. Behind the tower, and on its roof, are satellite dishes. Each one in communication with different satellites. Some are defense satellites, some are communication satellites, whereas others are spy satellites. He lost his connection with Sky Net while in transit. It took far more energy to get the Ogre to base without GPS in operation.Fuming over the failed attempt at killing John Connor and that traitorous ***** Weaver, he enters his access code into the keypad and submits to being scanned again. A glowing red light encases him momentarily, then blinks out. Two doors slide apart and he enters. He stops as the doors slide close behind him and enters another set of codes into another terminal. This time the doors don’t open. He enters the codes again. The doors slide open hesitantly.
He walks through to be greeted by an aged small man in a tattered blue suit.
“Good afternoon sir. How was your trip?” He says in almost genial tones, but his eyes are filled with fear.
Kreilley turns his head slowly and glares at the impish little man he kept alive for his own amusement the last eighteen years. The little man almost appears to shrink even smaller under the gaze.
Kreilley smiles at the little man. “Mr. Petri, how long have you been in my employ?”
“I . . . I don’t know sir. I’ve lost track of the time.” He replies nervously.
“Then let me rephrase the question. In all the time you’ve worked for me, have I ever encouraged you to speak to me without my first talking to you?”
“I . . . I’m sorry sir.” Mr. Petri says, lowering his head submissively.
Kreilley suddenly snaps his arm out grabs the man by the throat and slams him hard against the wall. His lifeless corpse falls to floor looking like a dirty pile of laundry.
“Apology accepted, Mr. Petri. And to answer your question, very unsatisfactory . . . until now.” He says as he walks smartly to the elevator.
Just before he steps inside the elevator, he says “Thank you Mr. Petri for making my return so pleasurable.” The doors close behind him.
Drops of silver liquid spot the floor along the path that Kreilley took from the building’s entrance to the elevator.
After the doors to the elevator close behind Kreilley, Mr. Petri stands up and watches the floor indicator to see where it stops. The elevator stops on the top floor.
Mr. Petri morphs through a silver form into that of Catherine Weaver.
“I assure you Mr. Kreilley, the pleasure was all mine.” she says in her Scottish accent, sounding both pleasant and sarcastic at the same time as a tiny smile turns the corners of her mouth up.
She walks away. Her white skirt swishing gently with every swing of her legs, as she strides down the corridor.
Cue: Track 28 - End Credit
The1Russter |
Latest page update: made by The1Russter
, Oct 30 2009, 5:09 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Posted New Chapter
- The1Russter
11000 words added 19 words deleted view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
None
More Info: links to this page
|
There are no threads for this page.
Be the first to start a new thread.
