Hey folks.
So anyways here's chapter 10. In all honesty the story's been a bit slow since the hotel chapter (IMO the best I've written), I fully guaranty you it will not only pick up, but overshoot ch 8 by a mile. My finale I've been planning for so long is starting. Enjoy.
R&R guys for more better updates :)
They left the next day.
Connor had them wait until dark, to ensure their safety. No one objected. Curt and Jose decided to stay behind however, to nurse their wounds.
"You're always welcome here." Mark told Connor before they left.
"Thanks Mark. And like I said earlier, Trench bunker's not full." Mark responded to Connor's comment with a head shake no.
"We need to stay here. We owe it to everyone who died here trying to protect this fort."
"But still, thank you. For the shelter, the food, for everything." After they exchanged a few last words, Connor left the underground garage, and entered the back of the truck above ground. Nathan replaced the garage covering. He too got into the truck, and they were off.
"So Nathan," Matt asked to gain his attention. "What is Trench Bunker like?"
"It's sort of a bunch of cleansed sewers, deep underground."
"Is it safe?" There was a moment of thinking.
"You won't find anything safer in L.A.."
"That sounds promising." The rest of the ride went along smoothly with no interruptions.
Once they finally reached the main city Cruz followed a couple more safe roads, then finally a peculiar alleyway. He parked the truck at the end. They all got out.
"Shhh." Connor hushed them. 'We need to be careful.' He mouthed. He directed all of the them follow him into another close alleyway. He led them to a hidden pothole, and signaled Nathan to help him.
He followed the general's orders perfectly, and removed the heavy metal disc whilst hardly making a sound. There was a ladder underneath. They all followed Connor in, and after Nathan was the last above ground, he replaced the pothole from under.
Weston stared downwards to face 50+ feet of climbing. "I'm afraid of heights."
"Shh! We're not safe yet." Janet asserted. They continued down, until they finally reached the bottom. It was a dark room. Nathan pushed a shelf away from the wall, to reveal a staircase. It too was barely lit.
"Are you our usher Nathan?" Matt joked.
"Sort of." They all followed through. The case was followed by several more repeating in differing directions, until it seemed as if they hit a dead end. Nathan showed them a concealed entry hidden in the shadows. They were now on a metal platform. There was the occasional piece of metal scrap that made the path look like a dead end, but they continued around it. They followed it until they finally reached a door with the standard resistance grille, now much more lit. Connor knocked.
"Who.." The man cut himself short when he saw who was on the other end of the door. He opened it without hesitation.
"You know you should be more certain when you let people through." Connor told him.
"Mrs. Brewster told us we should be expecting you." The man responded with a regarding tone.
"Fair enough." There were several dogs in the room, they reacted normally. Weston petted one of them, presumably one he was familiar with. Incredibly they could sense the protector's intentions, which eased Connor's subconscious tensions greatly. One dog, however, did begin growling at Cruz.
"Relax pooch." He pulled a small relic from a dismantled terminator from his shirt pocket: a chunk of the chassis. "Maybe you should hold on to this Connor. Suka here doesn't like me handling it." He handed he piece to the general.
"Well, I think we have places to be men; let's continue." Connor led them through a hallway adjacent to the room. They eventually came upon an area filled with consoles.
Then a powerful figure entered the scene.
"John!" Kate embraced her husband in her arms for several moments, unwilling to let go.
"Daddy!" Matt noticed a small girl following Kate also hugged Connor, presumably his daughter. Connor's eyes teared only for the briefest instant, extinguished before they were visible. Not nearly as obvious as his wife's. Matt's mind wandered for a moment.
They're not the one in the picture...
"Who's that, daddy?" Racheal asked her father, pointing at Matt.
"That's Matt sweetheart. He's...new." Matt's scars and stitches, as inconspicuous as they were, were still hidden on the shadowed side of his face.
"Hello." Matt said. An innocent soul. He thought. He could swear the faintest sensation of a tear forming in his eye. His moment of understanding was concluded by Connor.
"Kate, I need to be updated immediately on this machine situation."
"Right John. We'll go to control and discuss it with Nelson. Shouldn't Cruz join us?" Kate's confused face met Cruz's.
"Of course sir, but shouldn't my unit be queried?"
"Right. Cruz, have your men debriefed, but hasten it. We have bigger problems than what happened at that hotel right now. Meet us when you are done."
"Let's go people." Cruz said. As they left for another room, Matt overheard some more words from the Connors.
"I love you mommy." Rachael told Kate.
"I love you too sweetheart." Kate replied to her daughter. Matt pondered the word for a moment. He understood the jist of it, but not the profound meaning.
"Hey Janet," He asked the Lt. Colonel. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure Matt."
"I..it's kind of silly, maybe I shouldn't ask."
"No no, go ahead."
"It's probably so stupid but, what is...love?" Janet paused for a few moments, thinking of what to say. "And do you think a ter... no sorry, a protector could feel it?"
"I..."
"How would you express it?"
"Listen Matt... I don't want you to take this the wrong way, ok," Matt was confused by her reaction. "But, it would never work." Matt realized she had misunderstood him.
"Oh no no Janet, that's not what I meant. I was just asking for a meaning."
"Well, it's really...complex."
"Well duh."
"It's when you care for someone. A lot."
"So do you think a protector could feel it?" Matt's question really made Janet think.
"I honestly don't know. I have like zero knowledge on the 800 series psyche, but I've heard it's a model of ours. Maybe if you aren't bound by programming any longer, or have grown to the point where you can look past it, then maybe yeah. Maybe you can do anything we can." Her last words really had an impact on Matt.
Maybe I have a soul too.
"This way people." Cruz directed them to a room with several computers. "Janet, you're the most well-versed with procedure, help these guys with their logs."
"Ay, captain."
"What do we do?" A noobish Matt asked Janet.
"We just give a description of what happened with these keyboards..."
"Anyways men, I have an appointment with the general, I'll be joining some of you later." Cruz began for the hallway.
"Cruz," Matt's comment stopped Cruz in the doorway. "Thanks. For listening to Janet. It really means a lot to me." Cruz winked back at him.
Matt followed the rest of them, in their regular schedule.
"So what are we doin' after this?" Matt asked Beth.
"Probably just resting, or keeping watch." She stopped to look at the remains of Matt's wounds. "And you need to get those stitches removed." She pointed at just one of the patches of fabric laced into Matt's skin. "Even the old ones are still there."
"Yeah I guess so."
Meanwhile, Cruz reached the room he was called to. The Connors and Nelson were there.
"Thanks for your promptness Cruz." The general thanked him.
"Of course, sir."
"Good to see ya' Cruz." Nelson greeted him. "I've almost lost my gambling addiction since you left." They all chuckled. "Our poker table's been a man short." Kate waited for the moment to subside to start the meeting.
"Here are the logs John." Over the next 45 minutes, Kate outlined each and every single piece of machine activity they had records for the last 47 hours or so, all illustrated by a hybrid map of LA and trench bunker on the table in front of them. The data was all very precise, and included specifics on machine actions. Unfortunately, it was not at all comforting.
"There's this flock of Hks that've been taking the same patrol route for the last 7 months. They broke off yesterday, and started sweeping the midtown alleys."
"What's down there again?" Cruz queried. Cruz's puzzlement brought surprise to them for such a high ranking official.
"The lead maintenance post entries, we've actually had them actually relocate further south recently so they're no longer all there. You don't remember Cruz?"
"You can never learn enough." He seemed to shrug off the major lack of knowledge.
"Whatever. Anyways, that's not the worst part. There have been 800 patrols wandering into safe territory." Kate's statement seemed to bring terror into the room.
"Kate, how far are they?" Connor asked assertively. There was a moment of silent terror in the room.
"They're nearing the null point."
"What?" Connor nearly yelled.
"Holy shit. We're under attack." Nelson said.
"It doesn't necessarily mean we're in trouble." Cruz said as if it weren't an issue.
"Cruz, the bastards have more detailed files on these pipes than we ever will. If they wander into that point, and they line it up with their satellite system, we'd have no hope. We'd have to ditch most of, if not the entire bunker." Connor's comment still failed to bring fear into Cruz's eyes.
"They won't get through. We'll execute plan X if they do." Kate interrupted the awkward moment between the general and Cruz. "We fight back." Connor turned to face his wife.
"A full scale anti-assault?" He said.
"That's how the humans roll." Cruz said. Everyone in the room was silently awed by Cruz's fearlessness.
"We so out numbered strategic wise it's not even funny Cruz." Connor said solemnly. "Most of the people here are being nursed back to health, let alone the healthy population which hasn't fought in over a year. We're not prepared. And even if we could repel the machines, they'd know something's going on down here. Anything underground in LA would be in danger."
"Where there's a will, there's a way." Cruz told him. While Connor was thoroughly concerned with the absolute safety of the bunker, his men were more than willing to wage a fight.
He just wasn't sure if they were ready.
Where would we go if this was lost?...
Meanwhile...
"You think I should get rid of those stitches now?" Beth asked him. They had finished their last entries.
"I guess so."
"Follow me." She lead him to a room she seemed familiar with. It was a sort of a dressing room, similar to the one in the dealership.
"I take it you do most of the wardrobe for everyone."
"Yeah sort of." She sat him down. She went into the back closet of the room to grab some basic supplies.
"So why don't you guys ever need stitches?"
"We do occasionally, but after fighting for so long, you don't get hit as much."
"Ah." Beth returned with some tweezers, a small surprisingly non-menacing pair of scissors, and band aids. Matt frowned after seeing the last item.
"Just in case." Matt knew he wouldn't need them. He felt safe with Beth.
She placed the supplies on the table in front of him, and grabbed the scissors. She brought them next to Matt's stitches.
"So, what was the whole deal behind that car shop?" Matt asked as Beth began cutting the threads. She was so focused she wasn't paying attention for a moment.
"Hm?"
"How'd you guys get tied in with that whole car place?"
"Oh, Cruz's unit was dispatched there because we had an operation that was going to take several days, we actually had finished the whole deal but we decided to stay there just a bit longer."
"Talk about luck. I met you guys, and we all happened to save Connor's team."
"Yeah." Beth stopped for a moment with the scissors. "You sure this won't hurt too bad?"
"I'm ok." Beth continued.
"You know actually Connor was damn lucky we were there when we were. His team would have been completely screwed without us. And from what heard, you really gave Nathan and Beth a big hand."
"Hey, they were down, I saw the opportunity to get em' out. After the way you guys pretty much saved me from the ruins, it's the least I could do to return the favor."
"You want me to be honest Matt?" She began looking for threads in his scalp. "I think we would have lost more men if you hadn't been there to help. After everything that's gone down this year..." She paused for a second, thinking.
"What do you mean?"
"I..it's nothing." She continued
"No seriously what happened?"
"Nothing it just...we've lost a lot of people these last few months."
"You have?"
"Unfortunately...yes. But when you were with us in that hotel... you gotta promise not to tell anyone I said this." She looked into Matt's eyes.
"I promise Beth."
"You, uh...Cruz just seemed more on track when you came along. I wouldn't blame a lot of what's happened in the last few months on him, but he's been making too many errors lately." She finished snipping the threads, and began using the tweezer ever so gently.
"Really, Cruz?"
"Yeah it just..look forget I said anything about it, ok? It's probably just the war messing with my mind. Forget I mentioned it."
"Yeah sure I understand." They were both quiet for the next few minutes, as Beth finished removing the stitches.
"What do you think?" She asked. He peered into the mirror at himself, looking over the previously tattered areas.
"Couldn't have done it better myself. And I've done it multiple times. Thank you."
"Of course Matt." He sat there for a few seconds, wondering what he should do next.
"So where are we supposed to stay?"
"I'm pretty sure Cruz's team had a section of rooms that were specifically dedicated for them, but I guess we can stay wherever we want."
"You couldn't possibly take me there could you? I really have no idea on the layout of this place.."
"Yeah sure. I could even take you on a tour if you want..."
"That'd be great." Matt would no longer be handicapped.
As they both set out, Matt asked something random that happened to enter his mind.
"So what do you guys call it, when you've got no programming."
"Free."
"No -dom to go with it?"
"No Matt, just 'free'."
Elseware in the bunker...
"We need to be on full alert." Connor was now having everyone take precautionary measures.
"I'll have every control post in this bunker alerted, more soldiers on constant watch, and get people ready for combat." Kate said.
"You know in all this bunker's history over the last few years, the machines have never posed this much of a threat as in these last few months. I'm even considering having us send some people up there to lure the machines away."
"But wouldn't that bring more machines in?" Nelson asked.
"That's why I'm considering it. We won't do it unless we need to." The general responded. "The safe area is supposed to remain unoccupied by anyone, or anything for that matter. The machines go there, we got a big problem. We go there, Skynet has a problem. Remaining empty has allowed us to stay out of harm's way."
"When will my team go back Connor?" Cruz asked the general in a rigorous voice. Connor turned to face Cruz personally.
"To be perfectly honest Cruz, that could be indefinite. We need you here, right now. Your team would be crucial to the bunker if it were to be breached." Following a few more words and a request for an afterparty, the meeting was finally closed. Nelson and Cruz left, along with the others.
"What's up with Cruz?" Connor's wife asked him.
"I don't know Kate. He's been acting a bit off these last few months. Hopefully it won't affect his duty."
"I hope so. We're gonna' need every man and woman to get us through this."
"I know Kate." He sighed. "I know."
"So who is this new guy you mentioned?" Nelson asked Cruz as they left.
"He wants to be called Matt, it's a machine that supposedly survived Tom's transport." His comment made Nelson's eyes widen.
"I have to see this guy."
"It's reprogrammed." Cruz had kept his word to protect Matt.
"Still."
Back with Matt and Beth...
"And here's another receiver door." Beth showed Matt. She had kept her promise on touring him further. "It's from these doors that people enter and exit the whole base from."
"But they're concealed."
"Of course. If the machines knew this existed, they'd start unearthing LA itself."
"Damn."
"And here's a control station." She walked him up to a somewhat concealed office, fill with equipment. There was one guy in the chair. "These guys manage the whole complex." She paused to talk to the office man. "Hey Ted," She gained his attention. "Nice to see ya'."
"Likewise Beth." The guy seemed oblivious to the war. Yet Matt could tell he was constantly aware of it.
"Anywhere else you want to go?" Beth asked Matt. "I showed you all the major stuff and the drills..."
"Actually I think I'll be good for now Beth. I'll just head back to team's room, maybe meet some new faces. But thank you."
"No problem Matt." She left with a smile on her face.
I am damn lucky. Matt thought to himself. So, where do I start?
It was odd. In the last 3 months of his life he had entirely relied on instinct for mere survival, and each and every place he resided was always lurid of fear and terror. Here, he actually didn't mind walking about freely; he wasn't even shy about it.
Matt went straight down a hall he wasn't entirely familiar with. After several minutes of keeping along the same hall he noticed his surroundings changed from a more control-room layout to a sort of a "rural" design. Essentially this must have been where most people in the bunker stayed. It made sense with what Beth had told him.
As he strode through the surprisingly long lobby, he saw a couple of residents, albeit sleeping. He'd actually seen abandoned (or sadly wiped out) previous shelters for people; the difference was simply incredible in terms of not only sanitary conditions (considering they were in the sewers), but how beautifully everything was maintained. Rudimentary restrooms were maintained, and fairly clean water was available (Beth had shown him earlier). He had no official idea on the food situation, but given the health of the people he passed and everyone else he'd seen, they weren't doing too bad.
In a room where he actually managed to see some people awake, he noticed they were playing checkers.
Although the war had brought tactics for mere survival that had brought humans down to rodent status, here at Trench bunker many of those rules were pushed aside. Although few who resided here knew the exact time 24/7, most went to sleep by 10 pm, a standard held back pre-JD.
These guys stayed up late.
As Matt continued, he soon noticed an old figure down the hall. He approached the person, to answer his feeling of deja vu. Once he finally came face-to-face with the person, he had thoroughly remembered who it was.
Broken off from Cruz, it was Nelson.
"Oh my god." Nelson was amazed with what he saw. He remembered Matt well, as he was the one who activated him for the first time. "You made it."
"Small world, huh?" Matt retorted. "You...you're from the operation back in, what was that, July?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry I never got your name..."
"Nelson."
"Happy to see ya' again Nelson."
"Yeah likewise. So what happened.."
"I survived the attacks, and was reprogrammed by Brent a couple days ago."
"Ah."
"How in the hell did you make it this far? I thought everyone died in that op."
"It was luck. Cavalry arrived at the right time." Matt realized luck alone was mostly to thank for their survival.
"Hey, you wouldn't know where Cruz is would you?"
"No actually, Connor's having him speaking with a bunch of officials about a machine problem."
"Oh. Nothing serious right?"
"Hopefully not." Matt could tell this wasn't hugely important for the moment, but still something that wouldn't just go away. "Well, it's a pleasure to have another man on our side."
"It's an even bigger honor to be serving the resistance."
"I'll see ya' around. Matt, right?"
"Yeah. See ya Nelson."
Matt continued on his little quest. He was roaming now, for the fun of it, to both quell his boredom and, in the event there was an emergency, like what Nelson had just mentioned, he'd be able to help. He said hi to a few new people he hadn't seen before, the rest were asleep. Altogether he'd seen maybe around 40+ people, and he'd barely seen anything. This really was a successful project.
Wow. They don't seem war torn at all. The shelter is really protecting them 100%. Matt thought. He realized why Connor had left as soon as he could, even if it had broken his prior battle plans.
About 20 minutes later Matt finally reached the area cruz's team was designated to. He happened to run into Nathan.
Their conversation was cut short.
In a room not terribly far from both of them Ralph, a resistance soldier, made a meeting with fate. Unbeknownst that he was to be the first to see it, Ralph walked into an unfortunate resident's room, to ask a tech question. He would never get to ask.
"Connor!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "Connor, Come quick!" The general was luckily in a nearby station of the bunker, and thus heard his screams. He was the second to see it.
"Oh my lord.." A few others made the scene, their responses were similar. Once Janet reached the scene, she was too shocked to even speak, let alone scream. Matt, just outside of the room moments ago, finally reached the source of the horror by following Nathan. He too was shocked with what he saw. He had honestly believed they were safe here.
He was wrong.
Leslie sat in the middle of the floor, in a pool of her own blood.
There was a bullet in her head.