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ลำดับตอนที่ #21 : Part 2: Chapter 4: The Soldier's Lament
TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
REUNION
Part 2: Armageddon
Chapter 4
The Soldier's Lament
Risking all, Derek whispers back, without moving his lips. "The name is Derek Reese. Colonel Resistance Group Grizzly, California. Some of my people are here with me. So spread the word. We are getting the hell out of here." Extract from, Reunion Chapter 17 Declaration of War.
"The songs of the dead are the lamentations of the living." Christopher Paolini (Eldest)
"If it were possible to cure evils by lamentation and to raise the dead with tears, then gold would be a less valuable thing than weeping." Sophocles
# # #
While the fight for the survival of John Connor and his army in the San Juan mountains was just beginning to heat up, a new fight was about to begin several hundred miles away at a factory in Northern Arizona.
Constructed by Sky Net's machines and misguided humans in the early part of the war, the factory has been turning out armaments of all kinds for Sky Net.
As the need for metal grew, and sources of raw ore grew scarcer for processing into the pure metals and alloys used by Sky Net's factories, a method of recycling was adopted, putting to work the humans it had captured and working them to death.
The automated factory in Arizona was one of those modified to use slave labor. A new construction was added looking very reminiscent of a high security prison. Inside the walls, basic shelters were built to contain the cells used to hold the slaves. The work camps of Nazi Germany during World War Two was the model Sky Net used, only when its prisoners died, it had no need to hide the bodies by burning them. The bodies were just tossed out with the other non-recyclable refuse.
At the center of the compound, instead of an exercise yard like you'd find in most prisons, there was a network of high chain link fences, subdividing the space into smaller enclosures. These enclosures were used to publicly punish those who caused trouble, and to temporarily house new arrivals until space was made for them.
The new arrivals had it rough if they arrived in the middle of winter, or the scorching hot days of mid-summer, as there were no shelters inside those open cages. However, there was one fenced in area that had a crude shelter of sorts. The smell from that fenced yard was terrible. Worse than any farmyard or or public zoo.
It didn't take long for the new arrivals to learn what was in that shelter when the crazed humans scrambled out of their shelter and began screeching and howling like animals at them. New arrivals quickly learned what happened to the weakest and sickest prisoners to make room for them, and what those beasts fed on as well.
Since he was given the new section of the factory to run for Sky Net as his reward , Fischer has worked hard to make everyone comfortable in their new home.
2027, Day 59, Dawn
Derek Reese looks out through the vent. It's almost time. The morning sky is becoming brighter and soon the machines will come to escort them from their cells.
The dark circles under his eyes and the two-month-old beard, streaked with gray, give him a haunted, deathly look. He has the look of a man who has stared long and hard into the abyss and left behind his soul. But if one dares to look deep into his eyes, you will find a fire that burns cold and fierce with determination.
He leans against the door post, listening intently. He can hear the unmistakable sounds of machines approaching to take them from their habitation center.
Rubber skinned T-600's. They are effective in slaughtering humans, but not as quick or as smart as their modern flesh-covered brethren. The trick with dealing with T-600's, is not to give them a chance to plan and organize once you begin to attack, but to keep moving, never wavering in your mission and vary your plan to keep them guessing.
A rattle of the lock signifies the T-600's arrival at the cell Derek shares with about eight other slaves. It will escort them and the other inmates, the daytime shift, into the factory and then escort the nighttime shift back to occupy the cells that Derek and the others evacuate.
Without any protests, he and his fellow captives leave their cells. If he were running this factory, Derek would do the shift change at the cells. But Sky Net or Fischer, he isn't sure which, doesn't want any hold up in the work, so all shift changes occur in the factory, at their work stations.
Derek shouts to get the others up as the machines don't tolerate delays. A week ago, a machine killed all occupants of a cell for one person hanging back. It didn't matter he was lame. Machines don't care about things like that.
As everyone stands and moves toward the cell door, Derek mulls over his plan. He knows it is risky. Many will die today, but they're as good as dead already. It's just a matter of choice, to go out quickly fighting for what matters, or to die slowly from starvation and slave labor. Derek can't be certain, but he thinks he may have lost as much as twenty pounds since being captured. He can feel his ribs, and his hip bones are beginning to show. If he doesn't do something soon, he'll weaken and die, a withered broken shell of the man he once was.
Derek knows the machines will be on high alert during this time, but with the T-800's gone, there is no better time to launch their attack than now, with all the prisoners out of their cells. There is no better time for him to get back at Fischer and kill the inhuman son-of-a-bitch that has murdered and tortured so many in the name of Sky Net, including his lover, Jesse Flores.
As Derek enters the factory with his fellow inmates, he wipes his eyes quickly so the people won't see the tears on his face before going through the door.
He counts off the steps he makes, and when he reaches the right number, he looks up, right at one of his own people from Grizzly, standing several paces away on the other side of a row of factory equipment. She's still at her night shift workstation. As their eyes meet, she gives him a quick nod. Derek keeps walking on as if nothing happened. To acknowledge the non-verbal signal with one of his own would invite suspicion. He had made eye contact, that was enough. All that is left is for him to give the signal for the attack. He can rely on his people and his fellow inmates.
Derek reaches his workstation for the day and takes the wire basket from the night-shift worker without exchanging a word.
The outgoing shift begins to leave their workstations and move toward the departure zone. It will take but a few seconds for the T-600's to do a head count and then they will know something isn't right. The question is, will the metal complete the headcount before the shift whistle blows?
He watches carefully, the people move steadily, but are they moving slower than normal? Any moment now, and he will know with certainty, as he watches the activity. Without looking in that direction, Derek sees out of the corner of his eye a worker moving casually toward the machines. If he timed it right...
A second later the factory whistle blows. The person Derek was watching steps up beside the main valve for the hydraulic fluid, pulling a metal bar from inside his trousers. With all the force he can muster, the worker smashes the solenoid preventing the flow from being cut off.
"NOW!" Derek yells.
While with a roar, the people preparing to leave rush the machines providing the necessary distraction for the rest of Derek's plan to be set in place.
# # #
Major General Justin Perry walks into the communication tent. Really nothing more than a sheet of camouflage material tied at two corners to tall poles with the opposite two corners tied to shorter poles.
"What's the word from General Brewster?" He asks the radio operator. "Have his birds encountered any HK's from L. A. coming here?"
"Yes and no, sir." The radio operator answers. "They've encountered HK's but they were after a militia group led by a General John Connor. They were pinned down by HK's and getting slaughtered by metal. Brewster gave them orders to aid Connor in any way possible. Do you know why he'd commit nearly all our air support to do that, sir?"
Perry grins.
"Yes I do. You've heard the rumors?"
"Yes sir. Is it true, what they say?"
"According to the reports, John Connor is the one man that Sky Net fears more than any other human. Just think of it. The world's most powerful super computer, designed for war and with the Earth in it's grasp, is afraid of a single man. If legend's like that is what it takes to win this war, then I can't wait to met him."
Turning all business again he asks more sternly, "Now, what about our transports and our Cobras?"
"They're ready, sir."
"Good. Tell Colonel Scott to be ready to move out on my mark. With Sky Net busy elsewhere, I want them ready to move at a moment's notice, regardless of sunrise."
Suddenly the ground is rocked by a small tremor and the concussion of an explosion can be heard.
"What the hell?" Perry says, as the radio crackles.
"Captain Willoughby, sir." the radio man says holding the mike out to the General.
"Willoughby! What the hell is going on?" Perry shouts.
"It wasn't us, sir. Something is happening inside the factory."
"Which part? The automated section or the slave labor section?"
"The slave labor side. There was an explosion and now smoke is pouring out the ventilation hatches on the roof."
"Damn." Perry says to no one in particular.
Keying the mike, Perry says. "Begin your attack now! While the machines inside are distracted. Do it now! That's an order!"
Perry tosses the mike down.
"Of all the screwed up timing in the world. Get me the Major Scott on the radio. I want a Huey here now to take me over the factory! I need to find out what's happening over there."
While the radio operator calls up the Cobras, Perry steps out of the crude shelter and looks toward the hills which obscure the munitions factory from view. The heavy black smoke of burning petroleum rises toward the dark blue sky of the early morning.
"What the hell is happening in there?" He asks no one in particular.
# # #
Immediately after giving the cry of attack, Derek dived to the ground next to the equipment. With bullets flying overhead, he and others like him around the factory break the hydraulic fluid valves around the factory floor with a piece of scrap metal they carried for this very purpose.
Bending the hose around, Derek sprays down the T-600 nearest to him while above on the cable trays, the smallest and lightest members of his team cut wires above.
Whether the attack succeeds or not, really doesn't matter. The equipment is seizing up without hydraulic fluid to keep them operating and lubricated. Electricity is cut off on yet other machines making them freeze in mid operation. The sabotage alone will be significant, but Derek wants more than that. He wants freedom. And he wants revenge!
A T-600 is marching across the factory floor, coated in hydraulic fluid and in flames. Ignited by the sparks shooting from the ends of cut cables dangling from the ceiling.
Its rubber skin burns and smolders filling the air with a black smoke. Despite being on fire, it begins targeting and shooting at the humans. Relying solely on standard optics as its infrared vision is ruined by flames.
The humans dive for cover while at the same time fighting back.
The flames spread across the T-600 the rubber skin and fragments of clothing burning around the ammunition pouch for the mini-gun it carries.
With a loud explosion, the ammunition explodes nearly splitting the machine in half. As it falls back into a pool of hydraulic fluid, it's power cell ruptures sending metal fragments flying through the air, clipping more cables, and igniting more pools of hydraulic fluid.
The explosion rips a hole in the roof allowing more smoke to vent out, while allowing more oxygen in to feed the flames.
Rising up from behind his cover, Derek sees a large number of machines around the factory are covered in hydraulic fluid and some are beginning to burn.
Sparks from broken cables hanging from the cable trays cascade down across the floor igniting pools of fluid putting up brown clouds of smoke.
"Quick! Get their weapons before they recover!" Derek shouts.
Groups of people attack individual machines in mass, clubbing them with sections of pipe. Many are injured, many more are killed, but in the end, some get away with the machines guns.
With a yell that would have done his barbaric ancestors of the frozen ice age Europe proud, he launches himself at the machine he just blinded with hydraulic fluid, while others begin to burn.
What he doesn't see, is that machines, closer to the factory entrance, quickly leaving to address a new attack from outside.
# # #
With the order to begin the attack, the resistance ground forces advance on the factory complex.
Machines and plasma gun emplacements fire on the approaching army. Their location given away by their weapons discharging. Their location known, Cobras fly in firing on the gun placements, trying to destroy as many as possible.
General Perry rides shotgun in the Bell UH-1Y Huey.
Below him, the troops begin their attack, taking advantage of whatever chaos is taking place inside the factory walls and in the air above. In two teams, they approach the separate but conjoined sections.
He watches as the Cobras fly in formation and break apart, each one firing on the plasma gun turrets.
A fireball explodes below him as at least one of the Cobras goes down in a ball of flames.
His ground forces run forward and provide covering fire for a group laying down charges on the gate entering the facility.
Relying on the skill of the pilot, Perry leans out looking at the factory below them.
He sees a group of machines exit the factory. Older models, by the looks. They quickly take out the demolition crew. The huge doors closed firmly behind them as they begin firing upon the resistance soldiers.
Perry gives the order to the Cobras to begin attacking the automated portion of the factory. It was time to divide the machines forces, and also get their hands on arms they so desperately need.
As the Huey flies over the factory, Perry watches as heavy black smoke pours through a gaping holes in the roof and the ventilation stacks on the roof of the factory where slave labor performs most of the work.
Something bad is happening in there, but is it machines or men behind that smoke?
His thoughts are broken by the sound of bullets impacting the canopy while at the same time he is nearly jerked out of his seat as the pilot rolls the craft and pulls away.
"T-600's sir," the pilot shouts, "with mini-guns!"
"How bad are we hit?" General Perry asks.
The pilot, stoned face in light of the situation, says simply, "They struck a fuel line. If we get hit by fire, or plasma . . . I'm taking us down sir, whether you like it or not. "
"Understood."
While the pilot takes the helicopter down as quickly and as smoothly as he can. Perry watches as the explosives rip the huge gate off its hinges. Not even giving time for the smoke or dust to clear, his troops storm the habitation wing, while his Cobras continue their attack on the automated factory.
# # #
Fischer is suddenly woken by the sound of an explosion, followed by an alarm sounding in the compound.
Launching himself from his cot, he briefly wonders if the tank of flammable hydraulic fluid has finally blown. He's put in many requests for switching to a non-flammable version, but they were ignored by Sky Net, and Kreilley would't back him up on his suggestion.
Bringing up the video feed from inside the factory, Fischer sees pools of hydraulic fluid in flames, producing clouds of smoke that obscure all views. Just as he is about to think that he was right all along, he sees a rubber skinned T-600 stagger out of the smoke in flames. It falls to the floor as a group of humans appear, brandishing the machine's weapon.
Fischer's face flushes with anger as he watches them destroy the chip port by firing directly into the machine's head.
Seething with anger, a single word escapes his mouth.
"Reese!"
# # #
Coughing heavily against the heavy smoke in the air, Derek stumbles through the factory, tripping over bodies, listening to the sound of gunfire. Whether it's machine or human, he doesn't know. There's just so much of it, too much gunfire and confusion around him.
He pauses long enough to rip the shirt tail off a corpse and uses it to bind his arm to stem the flow of blood from a flesh wound.
Some bright flashes in the gloom accompanied by loud popping sounds to his right, signify something new.
Hoping against hope that the gunfire is from some of his people, Derek moves closer. It's time for everyone who hasn't gotten out, to get out.
Through the shroud of smoke he sees a figure and then another loom forth carrying guns.
With an instinct born of experience, he knows these aren't soldiers, nor the T-600's from the factory floor.
He dives to the floor, but its too late as one of the machines sees him and relays it to his brethren.
They open fire, and Derek scrambles for safety cursing the T-888's that have been released from guarding the automated side where the explosives are packed into the shell casings they manufacture.
As he runs through the factory, he sees his fellow slaves who have survived the carnage, make their way out through the doors into the courtyard or up the ladders to the cable trays, and then through the ventilation shafts.
Still choking on the smoke, he moves quickly toward the open doors.
A loud barrage of gunfire stops him in his tracks as the pursuing T-888's catch up to him.
Fischer smiles as he watches the machines pursue Reese through the factory. Since production was brought to a halt by the sabotage, he was able to release the T-888's from their tasks in the automated section to defend the factory and eliminate all humans inside the factory. He laughs as he watches as the machines out think Reese and cut him off from the exit to grounds outside.
"Damn!" Derek curses under his breath, when he sees the machines between him and the exit.
He momentarily forgot they were smarter and would figure out his escape route. He must hold their attention, for if they ever got the notion to look above, then they would see his fellow inmates scrambling for safety through the roof.
Grabbing a dropped weapon and hoping for just a few bullets, he fires at the machines behind him.
He can only pray now that they are following.
# # #
Perry's helicopter touches down.
Shutting down the engine, the pilot scrambles to the side of the helicopter, where the fuel is pouring out through bullet holes.
"Even if I got this fixed, we wouldn't have enough fuel to get you back to headquarters, sir." The pilot apologizes.
Perry pulls out his hand gun and checks the chamber.
"Then grab what guns you've got on this bird. Looks like we're joining the fight."
Opening up the rear door, the pilot pulls out two M-4's and tosses one to the general.
Sharing a quick grin, they both begin trotting quickly toward the factory.
Perry pulls out his hand-held radio.
"Willoughby, this is Perry. I'm on your six with my pilot. We're on foot. Be joining you in two shakes."
# # #
Slipping on blood or hydraulic fluid, Derek doesn't bother to check which it is, he finds himself in front of the wall holding the bins they dump the metal waste into.
Behind, him, the smoke almost cleared. Three T-888's are following.
Without a second glance behind him, as he knows he wouldn't even survive a fight with one, let alone three, Derek throws his useless gun to one side and opens the bin.
No better time to find out what happens to the metal they toss out.
As the machines open fire, he leaps inside and lets the hatch closes behind.
With a shout he falls as bullets pierce the wall above him.
# # #
The AH-1 Super Cobras, sent in to weaken the automated defenses of the factory, found themselves in far greater danger when a flock of HK-drones appeared.
Designed and built with outer walls and gates strong enough to withstand any land based attack, Sky net knew that its greatest weakness would be from the air. So, with an abundant amount of HK-drones available to it, it constructed an underground hanger below the landing pad for the Transports.
When the plasma canons were destroyed, the hatches opened up, and the drones came swarming out from their hibernation and immediately went after the helicopters.
Colonel Scott knew he had to complete his mission. Though their sudden appearance was a bit of a surprise, the intelligence that they gathered did suggest that HK-drones were being used as a secondary air defense.
"Orange and Green groups, defense now! Blue group, with me!"
As Orange and Green groups play an aerial chess match with the HK-drones, Scott leads Blue in the attack on the factory. Unfortunately, the drones arrival had caused enough of a delay for a small group of T-888's to exit and begin holding back the ground forces.
Plasma fire streaks past the helicopters. Spreading out, the Cobra pilots hope to provide a more difficult target to hit while simultaneously firing upon the T-888's.
Not waiting to see the outcome of the aerial battle, a group of volunteers run forward to place their explosives to the entrance of the automated factory, while the greater number provide covering fire.
The leader is careful about how much of the plastic explosives he molds around the perimeter of the door. Too little and the door will remain in its housing, but too much and the explosion could ignite the shells and missiles waiting on the other side of the door.
Setting the detonator, the group runs for cover. The last man barely reaches safety when the explosion rips the large door from its frame sending it crashing to the ground.
With a shout, the soldiers run for the building, their leader calling for the CH-47's and other transports to come in and collect the armaments.
Holding position out of sight behind some hills, the Chinooks fly in, slipping past the Cobras and HK-drones in the air to land amongst the troops on the Transport landing pad.
# # #
Derek finds himself hanging onto a strut of a structural support approximately five feet below the end of the chute and twenty feet above the floor below.
A conveyor belt passes below him carrying the metal waste that he and others have dropped through the shoot. Even in these times, Sky Net pursues green operations. It needs metal, and lots of it and doesn't let any scrap go to waste.
The T-888's approach the wall. Heat signatures signify something warm has recently passed through one of the bins.
Simultaneously aiming their guns, they fire on the bin and surrounding wall.
Hearing the gunfire above and seeing pinholes of light open up and feeling and seeing the hot bullets bounce down the shoot and fall past him, Derek drops to the conveyor belt. Just missing getting his arm sliced open by a sharpened scrap of metal.
# # #
The soldiers attempting to break into section holding the slave workers are taking shelter behind rock outcroppings and boulders. They fire upon the enemy while trying to avoid being hit themselves.
A group of T-600's stand on the wall above the entrance to the compound, and continue to fire indiscriminately on the resistance army trying to advance.
Captain Willoughby is giving orders on his radio when General Perry and his pilot arrive, leaping and sliding quickly down behind the boulder where Willoughby had taken refuge. Shards of stone fly into the air as the boulder is riddled with bullets.
"What's the situation Willoughby?" Perry asks, protecting his face from the flying fragments of rock.
"Cobras took out the plasma cannons and we began advancing. A few T-600's exited the compound, and eventually they were destroyed. Then T-600's began appearing on top of the wall, more heavily armed. We've tried taking them out, but we barely take out one, when it gets replaced."
"Where's your anti-tank weapons?"
"We used up what we had getting this far. I was just calling up our reserves when you arrived, sir."
"Tell them to hold their position, but be ready to advance." General Perry orders and then keys the mike on his radio. "Colonel Scott, do you read me?"
"General!" The radio hisses, "This is Captain Ramirez. Colonel Scott was shot down. Can I help?"
"Yes you can! If you can spare them, I need some of your Cobra's at Willoughby's location now! We're being held up by a large group of T-600's on the top of the wall."
"Understood! We're on our way, sir!"
# # #
As Derek rides the conveyor belt to an unknown destination, he scans the space.
He is in a large basement containing a collection system for the waste. As he rides the conveyor he comes to the conclusion that he's heading toward the automated section and away from Fischer!
"Damn!" He swears
Looking up he sees what could be a junction box or control panel. If he can cross wires, then maybe he can get this belt going in the opposite direction. It sure beats the hell out of fighting against it, or dropping to the floor with God only knows what is down there in the dark.
Leaping as high as he can he grabs onto a strut and pulls himself up onto the truss supporting the factory floor.
Using the scrap of metal he used to cut the hydraulic line, he pries open the lid and finds the unexpected. A bomb.
"Shit!" He swears as he sees enough C4 packed into the metal box to take down the entire building.
But what is worse, it has been turned on but not yet activated. All he has to do is disable the receiver and remove the detonator. He owes it to his comrades above.
As he struggles to pull the detonation device, he hears a loud crash.
Across the room, one of the machines pursuing him above has broken through.
Is it the only one? Or are the other two following it?
Derek tries to keep still while at the same time loosen the circuit board plugged into the device.
With a sudden release, one of the cable wires comes loose causing him to slip, dropping the piece of metal. It bounces off the conveyor belt and hits the concrete floor below making a loud echoing noise.
Hearing the sound, the Triple-8 turns and looks right up at Derek.
Derek swears.
Not bothering to try and hide anymore, Derek pulls with all his might until he is hanging onto the cable itself,.
The machine approaches, clearing obstacles in its line of fire, targeting information coming up on its display, as well as information on the bomb.
The Triple-8 lines up its shot as it approaches on the conveyor belt.
Putting his feet up against the truss, Derek pulls with all his strength, and just as sure as he thinks he's about to be shot, the cable let's go.
With a yell of fright he falls, plummeting down past the machine and the conveyor belt to the floor below.
There is a loud crash.
The machine leaps down to the floor.
Using its infra red vision, it scans the area.
There is nothing to be seen but some broken collapsed boxes and some footprints leading away.
Scanning the bomb once again, it sees that it has been deactivated.
It follows the footprints.
# # #
Loaded down with missiles and shells, the Chinooks lift off to fly away toward the rendezvous point. On the ground, troops fire on the remaining HK-drones as one-by-one the Cobras pull away to respond to General Perry's orders.
Charles Fischer, for the first time in his life wishes he had never left prison, but that wasn't his choice. It was Kreilley's.
He was a scared seismologist, placed in prison because of a misunderstanding. He had no alibi to prove his innocence, because he had been held and tortured by two people, who conveniently cleaned up after themselves so brilliantly, there was no evidence to back his story other than his torn fingernails.
He watches as a helicopter screams past, outside his home atop the wall. Going to the window, from which he would watch new arrivals be sorted, he sees that the helicopter was just one of many in the skies.
The factories defensive capabilities was diminished when some of his machines were taken by Kreilley. All he was left with were the T-600's and the few T-888's in the automated factory. The T-600's are and look intimidating, but no one could have foreseen the entire camp rebelling, nor the simultaneous attack by the military resistance.
Fischer can't run and he can't stay either. He has to call in for assistance, but that would admit failure. Kreilley doesn't tolerate failure. Neither does Sky Net. This is just one of many armament factories on the continent, let alone the world. If it falls to the resistance, it wouldn't even make a dent in the world wide production of arms.
Sky Net will know soon enough of his failure if he doesn't call in, but first he decides to draw on some liquid courage before making the fatal call.
Pulling a bottle from the bottom drawer of his desk, Fischer pours himself a large drink.
# # #
Bursting through the gate and spreading out quickly, the united armed forces begin their attack. Inside are some T-600's armed with mini-guns.
The machines quickly begin decimating the troops, who return fire without hesitation.
While troops provide cover, the troops held in reserve with anti-tank guns fire on the metal.
Rockets streak across the compound, impacting on the broad chests of two machines.
The explosions rip the machines in half, scattering pieces and shrapnel.
Before the marines can react, a large group of humans rushes out of the factory, some begin pulling the weapons from the hands of the machines they just shot, and begin firing into the chip ports. While as yet others with sections of pipe, beat on the others, physically attacking the machines.
Secure in the knowledge that their forces can take out the machines, Perry calls for the transports to come in and begin ferrying the human prisoners to a secure location.
# # #
Running across the floor as fast as he can in the dim light of the basement, Derek follows the overhead ducts he saw when on the conveyor belt.
His only option is to make use of the ventilation system to get out of the basement and away from that machine.
Reaching the far end, he finds the old furnaces and the heat exchanger for the air conditioner. Locating the return air duct, he opens the door for the filters.
Throwing the old ragged material to one side, he begins the long difficult climb to the top, and hopefully to freedom before the metal catches up to him.
Below him, the T-888 in pursuit looks up the ventilation shaft. A quick scan reveals it to be too narrow for its metal body. It communicates the location of the human to its comrades above, the lets loose a volley of shots.
Reaching the top of the ventilation shaft, smoke billowing around him, Derek crawls out of the shaft just before bullets puncture the metal housing.
With a sigh of relief, Derek looks for a means down from his location. He finds himself far from the factory where he was forced to work.
Looking out, he can see some of his fellow prisoners on the roof. Helicopters arrive and take them on board, ferrying them away.
Derek takes another moment to take in the soldiers below fighting the machines and the helicopter sin the air. As much as he'd like to wave and shout to get their attention, he knows there is something he must do first.
Going to the end of the roof, Derek guesses that he must be pretty close to the wall on which Fischer has his home. Unfortunately, smoke rising from the fires within the factory obscure his view. Taking one look down to be sure of his position, he launches himself out into the unknown with a loud yell.
Clearing the smoke that had obstructed his view, Derek has a momentary feeling of panic go through him, then he sees the catwalk below rushing toward him.
Stretching out as far as he can, he grabs the handrail. His hand slips, but his fall was slowed enough that he manages to grab the catwalk with his other hand.
Pulling himself upwards, a machine below begins firing up at him. The shots get closer, giving him all the adrenalin he needs to get to the other side.
He falls upon the catwalk, wincing as he lands on his right shoulder. Bullets bounce harmlessly from the underside of the catwalk.
With grit and determination, Derek jumps up and runs for the small building perched atop the wall, bullets chasing him.
Inside that building, a man once feared by all in the compound is feeling fear himself.
"This is Fischer!" Fischer yells into the microphone. "The prisoners have rebelled!"
The cursor on the computer screen blinks.
"Repeat! This is Charles Fischer! Prisoners have rebelled! Factory is under attack by the Resistance! Unless you act now all will be lost. Request immediate extraction."
\:You have failed.
"No. No! It's the prisoner's!"
\:The prisoner's are your responsibility. The factory is your responsibility.
"I need assistance. Send me aerial HK's."
\:Hunter Killer air support presently engaged in other operation.
"You must act or I will die!"
The cursor blinks repeatedly before displaying:
\: Then die.
Fischer looks on in shock as the message from Sky net expands.
\: We/I have no further need of you. You were kept at Kreilley's convenience, not mine. I have no use for humans. They are vermin and deserve death. So if you must die, then do so quickly.
The door crashes open revealing a bloody ragged wreck of a man formerly known as Derek Reese.
Fischer leaps at his desk to pull his gun out of a drawer.
Derek pulls out a sliver of metal and throws it like a knife.
Plunging itself deep into Fischer's shoulder, the gun goes off involuntarily, blowing a hole in the front of the desk.
With a roar of rage, Derek launches himself across the room, tackling Fischer.
The gun clatters across the floor as Derek begins pounding Fischer repeatedly with his fists until Fischer stops fighting back. He begins to make little mewling sounds like a kitten while Derek continues his assault. Finally Derek stops pummeling Fischer's head as he realizes the man has stopped moving and remains silent, as the blood oozes from his broken nose, ears and mouth.
Dragging himself up onto his feet, he grabs the microphone.
"This," he pants, "is Colonel Derek Reese."
\:I know. I'm watching you on video.
Derek looks behind him to see the camera mounted high up on the wall.
\:Your efforts are fruitless. The self destruct has been set.
"You mean this." Derek says, pulling a jumble of wires and a circuit board from under his shirt and holding it up in the air.
"I found it in the recycling chamber." Derek pants, tossing the jumble of electronics to one side.
\:Doesn't matter, one small victory doesn't win the war.
"True. But I'm alive and I'm coming for you. You will pay for what you've done."
\:Empty words. Empty threats. You have no army. No friends. All that is left of your militia is scattered throughout the San Juan mountains dying or licking their wounds. They are dead and soon all who fight against me will be dead.
The monitor and every piece of electronics suddenly shuts down inside the room.
Derek leans against the desk, his strength beginning to fail him.
A groan from Fischer alerts him to the fact that he isn't quite finished with this day's task.
Pocketing the gun, Derek rips some wires out of the back of the computer and binds Fischer's wrists together behind his back.
Looking more dead than alive, Derek puts Fischer over his shoulder carries him outside and down the metal stairs to the courtyard. He's got something special planned for him.
It is a hive of activity, as the soldiers in various military uniforms secure the site. Being leader of one of the largest civilian militias west of the Rockies, he knows he should make himself known to them, but not yet.
Occupied with their tasks, no one sees Derek as he goes down the stairs and approaches one of the fenced in yards. Opening the gate, Derek enters the enclosure where the women were killed to punish him.
He moves closer to the gate that separates the space from the enclosure with the snarling animals that were at one time human.
Without much further concern, Derek drops Fischer on the ground who lets out a loud groan on impact.
Fischer opens his eyes to see the crazed humans just feet away, saliva dripping from their snarling mouths, red tongues licking at dry cracked lips.
The sound of a gate slamming shut and locking forces Fischer to turn to look.
He watches as Derek Reese calmly walks along the outside of the fence to the control that will open the gate, behind which the creatures are snarling and scratching at the fence waiting for their meal.
"Reese." Fischer mumbles through broken teeth.
"Reese!" He screams.
The far side of the compound a Marine looks up to see activity where none was previously and moves to see what it is that is happening.
"Tell me where she is." Derek says.
"What?" Fischer asks in disbelief. "Your Aussie slut?"
Derek hits the open button and then hits stop as the gate reaches two inches.
The human animals are raising a raucous as they anticipate feeding.
"Tell me where Jesse Flores is or you die." Derek shouts in a voice tired, but firm.
Fischer laughs, sounding almost insane or scared.
"You put me here. You could question me on anything regarding Sky Net and all you care about is where your little whore is?"
Derek hits the open button and hits stop as the gate reaches half a foot.
"Hey!" The Marine private yells from the other side. "What's going on here?"
Derek ignores the soldier, but Fischer decides to make use of the interruption.
"I'm the commander of this base. I have important information about Sky Net and who controls it! I can tell you anything and everything you need to know. Operations, locations of its bases and resources."
The Marine pulls out his radio and makes a call. "I've got a prisoner here who says he's got information on Sky Net."
"Bring him to me." General Perry orders.
"Tell me where to find Jesse Flores or you die!" Derek screams.
"Stand Down! Stand Down!" The marine yells running toward the side opposite from Derek and pointing his rifle through the fence at him.
Instead of listening, Derek hits the button again and hits stop. Now the gate is up almost a foot and some of the creature's start to try and push themselves through the gap. If they weren't all trying to at the same time, they would already be inside.
Fischer tries to push himself away, kicking fruitlessly at the earth, but barely manages to move with his wrists bound tightly together.
"Damn!" The marine curses and calls to some of his comrades to join him as he tries to find his way through the maze of chain link fencing.
Fischer, crying in fear watches, as the military resistance try to find their way to the side where Derek is.
"Where is she? Tell me where to find her!" Derek yells again, his hand poised over the button.
The armed men run to try and stop him. The creatures have almost pushed their emaciated frames completely through the gap.
"Tell me!"
In a panic Fischer screams. "Sky Net will kill all of us. It will kill you too."
"Where is Jesse Flores?" Derek yells placing his hand on the button. One push. There wouldn't even be time to press stop before the creatures would break through the gap.
Just then a tip of a rifle is shoved under Derek's nose. The Marine private has found his way through the maze of fencing, just in time.
"Stand down!" He orders as several more rush to join him.
Derek backs away, carefully raising his hands in the air.
Fischer laughs.
"How do we close the gate?" The marine asks, gesturing with his gun.
Derek slaps the gun away and rushes the control.
"She's dead! Your Aussie slut is dead, Reese." Fischer screams.
Derek hits the control to open the gate just as he is tackled by the other soldiers.
"She's in Hell! And soon you'll be joining her! She's dead. We're all dead." Fischer yells over and over until it turns into an inhuman scream of terror as the savages rush up to him and begin ripping at his flesh.
The compound is filled with his screams as the marines drag Derek to his feet, semi-conscious and weak from malnutrition and heavy exertion. The adrenalin has done its job. Now all he can do is sleep.
"What shall we do with him, sir?" the private asks an officer that had joined the group.
"Put him with the others for evacuation to our temporary base in Yuma, Arizona."
"And what should we tell the General about that guy." The marine says pointing to the savagery behind him.
"He died of his injuries. I've got no sympathy for a fuckin' grey. As far as I'm concerned, this guy deserves a medal."
"And those . . . creatures, sir?"
"Shoot them. There's nothing left of them that is human."
As two men walk away carrying the limp form of Derek Reese, the others raise their guns and fire into beasts until their animal screams stop and the ground is bathed in their blood.
2027, Day 59, Mid-morning
A fleet of helicopters fly southwards under a sunny sky. Chinooks, a few Sea Hawks and Black Hawks mixed in, carrying troops, arms, and former prisoners of Sky Net. On some of those helicopters lie the injured and dying, some soldiers, some escapees, all grateful to be heading to safety.
Far behind them, a plume of black smoke rises up into the air, marking the location where a Sky Net factory once stood. A place where men and women of all ages were once enslaved to the machines, where victory was obtained and freedom achieved by one man and a miracle.
General Perry sits exhausted and tired behind the Pilot. She handles the controls so well, that if weren't for the reverberations of the motors and props, you'd think they were sitting on the ground, the ride was that smooth.
Presently he's talking on the radio.
"Heavy casualties I'm afraid, but we rescued a lot of prisoners."
"Are there enough of them to make up for our losses?"
Perry was grateful his fellow commander said ours and not yours, taking as much blame on himself.
"Some of Sky Net's prisoners died before we even broke in. They began a revolt not knowing we were about to attack. Unfortunately, most of them are malnourished and exhausted."
"Who amongst us isn't?"
"True. We'll give them a couple days of rest and food before moving on from Yuma."
"What were you able to obtain?"
"Shells, explosives, and some missiles. Most of it I had the pilots hide in a canyon. We're only carrying what we can, given the number of people we rescued. Once we get everyone back to our temporary base, we can send the transports under your command back for them."
"I hope the missiles will be compatible with our fighter jets. It's getting harder and harder to keep up with the enemy. Hopefully, Captain Beddell has been able to gather supplies from our abandoned bases and from our friends in Mexico."
"Beddell is a good man. He was the best choice to prepare the bunkers at Camp Pendleton for use."
"You can give me a full report once you arrive. And will I have a tale for you about our Air Force in the San Juan mountains. Between them and John Connor's army, Sky Net doesn't have a single HK left in the skies near our new base. General Brewster, over and out."
Perry leans his back against the fuselage, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes with one hand while slipping the headset from his head with other. It wouldn't hurt to catch a few minutes of sleep.
He looks around the helicopter as he settles in. It's crowded with both the healthy and the injured. The medic is making rounds, ensuring the injured and exhausted are taken care of on their trip.
Derek wakes to the sound of helicopter blades beating the air outside.
One glance around confirms he's on board a helicopter transport of some kind.
Someone kneels down beside him and starts checking his vitals.
"Hungry." Derek murmurs.
He and the others with him at that factory have been working on starvation rations. Just enough food to keep them alive, barely.
"Not yet soldier. Not until the doctor clears you for solids. But I can give you some water."
Derek nods his head and takes the drink gratefully when offered.
"Who's the doctor?" Derek asks.
The medic grins, "Right now, she's flying the helicopter," he says, pointing with his thumb to the front of the craft.
"Normally she'd be treating the more seriously wounded in flight, but we're short on pilots at the moment. She said she could save more lives by flying them to our base"
"Where are we headed?" Derek asks groggily.
"I really can't say, not until you are cleared. What's your name?"
Derek looks at the light coming through the windows and knows he's heading south. But the medic is smart not to reveal anything. No need to be unfriendly toward him, so he gives the man his name.
"Reese, Derek Reese." An officer sitting just behind the pilot looks up hearing the name.
"Colonel of Civilian Resistance group Grizzly out of Los Angeles." Derek finishes.
Before the medic can say more, the officer says, "I'll take over questioning."
He quickly moves away as a tall thin black man in an officer's uniform walks over and kneels down next to Derek.
"You may not remember me." The officer begins to say.
"Brigadier General Perry, USMC." Derek says, his eyes growing wide in recognition.
Perry points to the stars on his shoulder, "Major General now. I've come up in the ranks too since I last saw you, former First Lieutenant, Derek Reese."
"When was that, sir?"
"Ten years ago as you fought on Avilla Beach."
"Yes sir." Derek almost sneers, "I thought defending Serrano Point more important than saving my own ass, sir."
"It wasn't my own ass I was saving, soldier, but my entire command." Perry snaps.
Not moved at all by the man's restrained anger, Derek bites back. "Enlighten me, if you care too, sir. We've been fighting a very long time without the regular's support and I can tell you, it hasn't been easy, rebuilding supply lines, rebuilding intelligence networks . . ." Derek pauses to regain his breath. "I had to rebuild the whole damn resistance."
"And you've done a fine job by all accounts, with what little we've heard since pulling out."
"Why did you? We had Sky Net! We were so close to learning the location of its main base, and then . . . you're gone. We could have had it beat."
"Not without supplies. Our supply line coming up from Mexico through the Sierra's to Edwards Air Base got cut off by raiding parties and smugglers. We couldn't fight a war on two fronts. Our supplies had to be rerouted through Santa Fe."
"But there are ways and means through the Rocky's."
"We had no choice Colonel. I knew what it would mean to completely withdraw from California, when our best intelligence said Sky Net's core was located there. But you can't fight a war without weapons."
Derek nods his head. He knows that all to well.
"So how did the civilian militia's fare. How'd you keep supplied?" Perry asks.
Derek grins. "We got rescued about eight years ago. A submarine came to port. USS Jimmy Carter finally came home. She was in Perth Australia when Judgment Day came."
"They supplied you with weapons?"
"You bet your ass. They varied their schedule, but she began making regular runs. After a few years, I got to know her first officer very well."
"Lieutenant Commander Jesse Flores."
Derek looks at Perry in shock.
"How'd you know?"
"Who did you think arranged for them to supply the civilian militia's? I knew they'd be able to keep you operational but not the entire professional army."
"I'm sorry sir. I didn't know." Derek says, feeling shamed for his earlier behavior towards the man.
"No one knew but me and the leader of the Australian Resistance. How is Jesse Flores? I've heard a few good things about her."
Masking his grief and pain behind a curt tone, he says, "She's dead."
General Perry, reading more in Derek's tone and expression than Derek realized, gives him a friendly pat on the shoulder and lets him rest.
The words echo in Derek's mind as tears run from the corner of his eyes and down his temples.
Jesse Flores is dead.
# # #
Far away near the Pacific coast of California, an industrial center operates night and day. At its heart is a gleaming glass and stainless steel structure which stands incongruously in the midst of huge factories.
Lines of people are escorted through the cold rain by Terminators. The machines never take their cold red eyes off of the prisoners.
They walk along, some in mismatched shoes, some wearing shoes held together with twine or wire, whereas most walk past in their naked, calloused, bleeding feet. No one speaks. They know what is coming, a culling. Some of them will be selected and taken away. The rumor is circulating that Sky Net is still experimenting on humans.
In minutes they reach the landing pad for the HK's. A transport arrives with an escort. Its search lights lighting up the landing pad and the people all around.
As the transport lands, the HK's flick their searchlights over the small throng of people. The machines take up positions between the filthy and wet humans who watch with their typical disinterest, but for one woman.
She realizes immediately that this isn't a culling. She knows something is different. For one the machines are between them and the transport. If they were taking them away to one of the camps for disposal, then they would be behind them to shove and threaten them to board the transport. New prisoners are arriving and they've been brought here to for what? A welcoming party. The woman almost laughs at the thought.
Her suspicions are proven correct when the rear hatch, on the transport, lowers to the ground. On board the craft are humans. More slave laborers to be dehumanized and worked to death for Sky Net. Machines begin pushing the people out of the craft, some of them crying, limping, all trying to keep ahead of the machines.
The people disembark and she sees that some look like they've just been in a fight. Most sport injuries, flesh wounds and such, some have plasma burns. Any with life threatening injuries would have been left behind or shot to ensure their demise.
The people from the transport spread out slightly and the woman sees a dirty teenage girl on her own, looking frightened beyond reason. Her eyes are wide with fear, and her head snaps back and forth as she looks around. The girl looks ready to panic and run.
The woman knows all too well what would happen if the girl ran. Death for her, and for anyone else who got in the way, the machines don't discriminate.
Acting quickly the woman dashes forward and takes the girl under her arm, using her threadbare coat to shield the girl from the rain.
Escorting her into the group, she asks in a heavy Australian accent, "What's your name sweetie?"
The girl, still frightened, looks up at the dark haired woman with Asian features.
"Riley. Riley Dawson." She says and bursts into tears.
The woman supports the girl as they walk toward the habitation center, escorted by the machines.
"I'm Jesse Flores. You will stay with me."
"Where are we?" The girl asks as they walk through the maze of factories, her eyes casting upwards to the tall skyscraper in the midst.
"You are in Sky Net Central." Jesse replies, "Most of us call it hell."
"Is there a way out?"
Pulling the girl closer, she answers, "I'm sorry to tell you. The only way out is death."
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