The lightning from the machine surged around Harry's body, making him feel like he was being lit on fire a hundred times over. The pain, however, was nothing compared to the agony that Skynet put him through. Electricity, sparking blue and white, rippled over his skin, blisters bubbling and skin sizzling. It was nothing that wouldn't heal, of course, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't hurt like a bitch. The pain was nothing next to his elation, though. He was away. He was finally away from that monstrous AI who tortured him day and night. The feeling of freedom, so unfamiliar, still took a while to register in his cybernetic brain.
Suddenly, Harry dropped several feet onto hard concrete. The change was so abrupt that he gasped out in shock and mild pain. After the sizzling electricity, the cold air of where he had landed was a welcome change. He staggered to his feet, taking a few wobbling steps to the wall, which he leaned against. When his eyes adjusted, he was able to see that he had landed in a cupboard, full of mouldy mops and chipped brooms. He blinked once and, 'thanks' to his new eyes, could see through the walls. The cupboard ran off a garage. A beat up station wagon with a dusty windscreen and wooden paneling was parked on one side. Benches filled with all manner of tools lined the walls. Thanks to the parts that Skynet had put inside him, he was easily able to identify all of them. He closed his eyes, and if he still had tear ducts, his cheeks would be soaking.
Putting the pity behind him, Harry managed to find a tattered pair of denim jeans. He pulled them on and rolled up the ankles, so he didn't trip over the hems at a future date. At one point, the malevolent AI had tried to make him taller, a more imposing height. That particular experiment had failed catastrophically, leading to Harry being labeled as an, 'inconspicuous infiltrator unit, to easily gain trust.' All the plans of his so called 'upgrades' were left with Skynet and years ago, he would have felt guilty for leaving them there with the slight possibility that others may be subjected to his fate. Now, though, he didn't care. That's what years of torture did to you.
Cautiously, Harry opened the door, only to feel his heart drop as he was greeted with the terrifying sight of a T-800 Terminator. He scrambled back, eyes wide. He could see the ruthless machine scanning him, even though the it was covered with skin. The Terminator raised the shotgun to his head, and before he could do anything, think anything, say anything, everything went black.
Sarah Connor, still awake despite the exhaustion weighing her down, jumped at the boom of a shotgun blast. In the car, her son John bolted upright. Sarah sprinted over to where the gunshot had come from, the room where the Terminator was standing guard. The sight of it still filled her with inescapable dread, but now wasn't the time to wallow in self pity. She didn't do that anymore.
"What the fuck is going on here?" she demanded, rounding the corner. On the floor was a short man with black hair. Or, he looked like a man at first glance. Squinting her eyes, she saw mechanical parts underneath the skin. Immediately, she glared at the machine. It was just another attempt from Skynet to get to them.
"An unidentified model of terminator came out of the closet," stated the Terminator, in his monotone voice.
"The closet?" sniggered John, having appeared beside Sarah. "That's a first."
"Kill it. I don't want it around."
The machine on the ground suddenly gasped, gulping in air. The skin on its head slowly began healing. "Please, don't do that again. It bloody hurts."
The Terminator fired once more. The machine slumped over once again, half the skin on its face blown away. Sarah crept forward, trying to get a better look at it. Something about it seemed...different. And then she saw it, something that made her recoil in shock and disgust.
The machine had a brain.
And, I am back. This is a side story, so don't expect frequent updates. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this, short as it is. I'm not planning to make the story long, and I also have no idea what's going to happen next
Sincerely
Mariadoria
