The defense grid was smashed, the compound was breached. The Human resistance's new weapons lit up the sky, skynet's units were being mowed down like wheat. Soon the TDE was captured, and the mighty central computer left defenseless. The charges were placed and detonated, and the leader of the machines burned like a candle.
General Connor watched as his troops delivered the coupe de grace. Beside him stood his faithful ally, Cameron, her huge brown eyes gazing at him with cybernetic adoration. Units began to return, reporting minimal casualties. Skirmishers were cleaning up the few remaining units, torching all robotic units. There was an air of triumphant excitement running through the massed army.
When one of the generals asked him " Is this it? Can we have won?" an expectant hush fell over the troops. All eyes turned to Connor. He looked at them, the greatest, most advanced, skilled and loyal army ever to be assembled. He looked into each of their faces and knew they would lay down their lives for him.
" No," He told them, "Skynet has escaped. It will resurface and try to start this all over again. This is not over".
6 months later:
Cameron entered the room. There was an odor of perspiration and socks that needed laundering. Connor looked disheveled, unshaven. He wore a loafers, and a bathrobe tied at the waist. In his mouth was clamped an unlit cigar.
" John, I need to speak with you. I have been running some simulations, and I am concerned about our current tactics."
" Can this wait? I'm expecting a delivery of some training material I need to review. "
" Part of what I want to talk about is the new training regimen. Why are the men training in an open Field? They are given no weapons, and the armor they are wearing only seems to protect them from smashing into each other."
Connor did not meet her gaze. He was sorting through some boxes that had been brought back from a recaptured house where he and his mother had once lived. " I don't want the men to learn to rely on cover too much, and we don't want them to get hurt during training. The lines and numbers on the field are to help the guys to learn how to judge distances." He continued to rummage through boxes.
" But they get into little groups and discuss their strategy, then line up facing each other. It doesn't seem like an effective way to defeat skynet, and we haven't been attacked since the end of last winter anyway. And why do they battle over the ovoid leather ball? "
" Ahh, we're working on a grenade shaped like that. Listen Hon, don't you worry about that stuff, let the strategic genius of the family worry about it." there was a knock at the door. A young resistance fighter stood there holding a stack of VHS tape cartridges. " Ah, heres training tapes now." Connor took the tapes and fed one into a vcr. A CRT screen came to life. Soldiers in colorful uniforms ran around on a bright green field. Connor sat down in an overstuffed recliner.
" John, I'm also concerned with our objectives. I do not see the strategic importance of the plant we commandeered in Colorado."
" I told you that is part of the plan to purify the water throught the introduction of organic agents such as yeast and hops. Its still in the testing phase."
" Well you seem to test a lot of it. " she looked at the barrels marked 'Coors' stacked in the corner. " I'm concerned about your health too John, your abdomen seems to be swelling and softening. It used to be thin and hard like this soldier's." Her eyelids drooped just slightly as she gazed at the hard stomach of the resistance fighter still standing in the doorway.
John looked up from his training video. " Huh? oh Derek, dismissed, thanks." The soldier saluted and left, with a sidelong glance at Cameron. John Connor rubbed his rounded belly. "Don't you know what this is baby? Its a callous from the friction!" He leered at her around his cigar and a slight crease appeared in her forehead. John winked at her and filled a ceramic stein from one of the barrels, before returning to his chair.
Something caught Cameron's eye and she stepped over to the boxes John had been going through. She picked up a photograph lying on top. " Who is this boy in the photograph? "
" Oh that's a picture of me from the old days. I was probably about sixteen back then. "
" You were a good looking boy then John." She stared thoughtfully at the photo.
" Yeah, that was me, a regular stunner," He turned around in his chair and held the mug up with one hand. " hey babe, while your up can you grab me a refill? Hey where are you going? Thats the TDE room, the bee.. water experiment is out here! "
From the room that Cameron entered came a buzzing sound followed by a whooshing noise and a blue flash. Then silence
Connor waggled the mug in his hand. " Hon?...Cammy?..."
fin