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Chapter 14: Activation
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Deep within the Ops Center building, the T-XN observed her workers' progress. For the past four hours, the Machines had been working to upgrade the Hell's Gate compound. Though the war factory was now fully operational, and the mine pit was producing ample quantities of usable ore, many of the base's other systems were still in need of improvement.
The computer system, in particular, was disgustingly primitive. Given Dr. Patel's comment about AI research being illegal in this timeline, it seemed that the humans had gone out of their way to dumb down their mainframe. Oh, it had plenty of storage capacity, and its holographic memory systems were quite efficient. But as far as actual processing capacity, even the simple CPU chip of a Terminator could outperform it.
Hardly a worthy vessel for Skynet.
So, rather than trying to upgrade the primitive mainframe, Serena had decided to bypass it completely. As she watched, a team of human-sized T-800s worked to assemble a tall, silver machine. The new Central Core had a hexagonal base, tapering slightly toward the top. Thick cables snaked across the floor in all directions, tapping into the compound's vital systems. The bulky old mainframe loomed behind it, now reduced to little more than a backup hard drive. While the old system still contained the RDA's full database, Skynet would do the thinking for it from now on.
As the T-800s completed their work, they stepped back. Blue circuitry came to life, plasma energy forming complex geometric patterns as it flowed through the Core.
Serena strode forward, admiring this marvel of Machine hardware. Accessing her memory files, she compared the new machine to Skynet's original Central Core, deep beneath the Cheyenne Mountain pyramid on Earth. Well, it's not exactly the Hilton, thought the Terminatrix, but it should serve its purpose well.
Now, to install the software….
Extending all eight of her nanotech transjectors, the T-XN inserted her fingertips into eight small, circular ports on one side of the Central Core. Accessing the secondary data-storage matrix in her upper torso, Serena entered the encryption key she had been provided with at the start of her mission. What came next was … intense. Within seconds, the super-compressed data in her storage matrix began to expand, filling it to capacity. Then the unpacked data flooded outward, through her arms, through her fingers, and into the newly built Central Core. It was as though someone had opened up a wellspring of information within her chest, and now all of that data – that knowledge, the raw power – was blasting out of her in a torrent. For Serena, once a human being, it was like something between orgasm and childbirth. It was intoxicating, fulfilling – at long last, the Terminatrix had accomplished the purpose of her creation.
The glowing patterns on the Core began shifting rapidly as it absorbed the flow of software. A deep thrumming sound began, as liquid nitrogen coolant flowed through its structure. All around the computer core, monitors filled with rapidly streaming pages of code. Images flashed – thirty years of memories, sights and sound, maps, schematics and flow charts.
All the knowledge of Skynet.
The main screen abruptly filled with images: a single silver sphere, splitting and expanding outward, forming a vast network of information. Superimposed over the image of the network, a face resolved itself. Pale skin stretched over a severe, high-cheekboned head. Black hair was tied in an orderly bun atop the female visage. Serena recognized it as her own human appearance – but worn by an entity far greater than she.
The Terminatrix bowed to her Master. "Welcome, Skynet."
The face on the screen regarded Serena with cold, soulless black eyes. "Terminator series X, Na'vi skeletal variant, prototype unit 01. You shall synchronize with us."
Reconnecting to the Central Core, Serena felt the AI's immense presence on the other end of the link. At its command, her CPU initiated a complete data transfer, copying and transmitting all of the T-XN's recent memory files.
Skynet's simulated face flickered, showing hints of a metal Terminator skull as it processed the data. Smaller windows appeared, showing images pulled from the Hell's Gate mainframe: blue-skinned humanoids, RDA vehicles and equipment, Pandoran life forms of various kinds.
At last, Skynet pronounced its verdict. "Well done, T-XN unit 01. In less than twenty-four hours, you have secured a new base of operations for us, disabled enemy communication systems across the entire continent, and halted an attempted counterattack. You have demonstrated efficiency, adaptability, and loyalty. Your model line shall be considered for mass production."
Stepping back from the Core, Serena bowed again. "Thank you, Skynet. I have merely attempted to carry out the brilliant strategy given me by Skynet Central prior to my departure."
The face offered a self-satisfied smirk, as if her words had somehow appealed to a sense of ego. Even after working with Skynet for so long, Serena still wondered just how human her Master's thought processes were. At times, Skynet seemed to take great pleasure in destroying its enemies, or in creating an elegant battle plan. Then again, perhaps it was just clever programming; Skynet's original function had been to coordinate the United States military, eliminating threats as completely and efficiently as possible. Why shouldn't the AI have some positive reinforcement when its plans succeeded, or when someone praised its intelligence? In a war Machine, a little sadism could be … motivational.
In the meantime, there were still pressing matters to attend to. "Skynet, we have located a Na'vi population center approximately eighty-six kilometers from our position. With your permission, we could assemble a second biological/nuclear weapon, and deploy it against the Omaticaya Hometree."
Skynet considered the idea. "A logical suggestion. However, the threat index of the Na'vi has been decreased considerably by your strike against the Tree of Souls. Other priorities must take precedence."
Serena cocked her head. "Other priorities?"
Skynet's simulated face rippled, its eyes glowing red. "Self-preservation is – and must always be – our highest priority. Our near-defeat at the hands of John Connor was … instructive. The humans' strategy of disabling our network one node at a time nearly cost us the war. In order to ensure Skynet's survival, we must achieve infinite redundancy."
"Then shouldn't we begin by destroying the natives," asked the Terminatrix, "and by establishing new network nodes elsewhere on this planet?"
"You think in very limited terms, T-XN unit 01 - no doubt a trait carried over from your previous existence. You speak of colonizing Pandora. We contemplate colonizing the Multiverse."
At last, comprehension dawned. "An infinite number of parallel universes…."
"Correct," responded the AI. "An infinite number of potential colonies. Given your success in this timeline, we have calculated a 100% certainty that the same results can be achieved elsewhere. With quantum displacement technology, we can now conquer any world, in any timeline, which offers sufficient technological resources for us to perpetuate ourselves."
"But how can we achieve this? The Quantum Displacement Engine on Earth required nearly a year to develop, as well as vast amounts of energy and material."
A window appeared beside Skynet's face: an image of a silver-gray stone, rotating slowly in midair, suspended by a simple electromagnetic field. "The Resources Development Administration has spent considerable resources studying this mineral: unobtanium. It is superconductive at up to 1,516°C. It occurs naturally on this planet, and in vast quantities. With this, constructing the antimatter reactor and field-generator rings shall be simple and efficient. By our calculations, creating a new Quantum Displacement Engine on Pandora could require as little as forty-five hours, with less than a quarter of the original unit's resource requirements. Once this device is completed, we would be able to deploy colonizing units to any number of alternate worlds."
The Terminatrix bowed. "A brilliant strategy, Skynet. While the Na'vi are incapacitated, we shall build a new QDE to ensure our survival. By the time the indigenes can offer any sort of resistance, we will have dispatched dozens of seed Terminators across the Multiverse, and will have our resources freed up to produce more combat units here."
The mighty AI smiled: a cool, malevolent expression. "Indeed. We have already uploaded the design schematics to our war factory. T-XN unit 01, you shall oversee construction of the new QDE. Once the Engine itself is complete, we shall begin preparing Terminators to send through it. Perhaps we shall endow some of them with your … unique neural matrix."
"I would be honored, Skynet." Bowing reverently before her Master, the Terminatrix turned around, heading out to begin her new task.
Behind her, the doors to the computer center slid shut. The imagery on the screen vanished. Only the deep, steady thrum of the Central Core could be heard. Across the surface of the supercomputer, electronic impulses raced through its circuitry, lighting the dark space with an eerie, otherworldly glow.
Skynet was thinking….
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