Terminator: Return of the Fallen
Part XXVIII
Terminator hunting is not an easy job. First, you have to actually find the Terminators. Then, you have to corner the bastards so that they can not slip away. They are usually heavily armoured and heavily armed, which would make such an operation suicidal for humans. Fortunately, not everyone in the new Connor Clan is human. Plus, we now have our first informant: Charlotte.
"Are you sure about this warehouse?"
"Trust me; this is like Terminator Central. I guarantee that we will encounter at least one Terminator here".
When we reach the warehouse, a T-888 opens the door and shoots me in the head with an M82 assault rifle. I had always wondered what it felt like to be shot with one of those; it is very unpleasant. After the T-888 as demolished most of my face, I return the favour and destroy it. As carefully as possible, I approach the entrance and stick my head through the doorway.
"Well, at least we know this is the right place".
"Are you all right, Lieutenant?"
"I'm fine, let's keep going"
Cautiously, we enter the warehouse in squad formation. Sarah and Cameron are carrying the new plasma rifles, while Reese and I use the old M82s. Catherine does not carry a weapon, mostly because she doesn't have to. Charlotte has a basic nine millimetre, but she is here as a guide rather than as an assault unit. The mission is simple, locate and eliminate all Terminators within the building.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the reflection of another T-888 in a piece of glass. Using hand signals, so as not to alert the T-888, I communicate with Reese and set up an ambush. As quietly as possible, we take up shooting positions and wait for our target to turn the corner. As soon as it does, we unload our M82s and completely obliterate its head.
Suddenly, we come under sniper fire. I use hand signals to instruct everyone else to take cover while I deal with our new enemy. Standing up, I rush towards a position that will give me a clear line of sight of the shooter. He fires at me, and I am hit repeatedly in the head, back, and neck. As soon as I have a clear shot, I take it and destroy the right side of the shooter's head. We have been in here less than ten minutes, and we have already killed three T-888s.
We make our way through the warehouse with Catherine as lead scout and Reese and I on her flanks. If we encounter enemy resistance, they will shoot Catherine first. As a T-1000 series Terminator, Catherine can absorb bullets and shrapnel, which makes her the ideal person to lead this charge. Cameron and Sarah are in the rear, covering us with their plasma rifles.
"Keep quiet, we have no idea how many Terminators are in this building".
"Roger that, Lieutenant".
"Shush! I just heard something".
There is a noise coming from a nearby closet. I creep towards it in an attempt to investigate. Just as I am about to open the closet door, someone inside fires a shotgun and blasts me directly in the chest. A T-888 breaks through the closet door and charges me. We engage in hand to hand combat, eventually rolling around the floor like bar room brawlers. Just as the bastard lands on top of me, Reese blasts him in the head. I push him off and he collapses into a lifeless pile of scrap metal.
"Thanks for the assist".
"No problem. Let's keep moving".
"Is this what it was like for you in the infantry?"
"No. Back then, we were the ones being hunted".
We continue our search of the warehouse. When we reach a pile of boxes, another T-888 leaps out at Catherine and shoots her in the head with a pistol. My red headed beauty smiles, turns her arms into blades, and impales the attacking brute. I watch in amazement as she calmly rips the power core out of the other Terminator's chest.
"You, my dear, are a force of nature". She smiles, I love to see her smile.
"Thank you. There are a lot of enemy combatants here". She turns to Charlotte. "Is there a reason for that?"
"This is kind of their unofficial headquarters. It's where they meet and coordinate attacks. You should probably destroy this building after you have cleared it of Terminators". Sarah points her rifle at Charlotte. This could get ugly.
"How do you know all of this?"
"Um, I've head things. Strippers hear a lot more than people think".
"From Terminators? In strip clubs?"
"Yes".
"Bullshit. How do you really know all of this?"
"Put your weapon down Sarah, she's on our side".
"She might be Terminator".
"I already know that she is".
"You know?"
"She told me. She has also had many opportunities to betray us, and she hasn't".
"That you know of".
"Trust me on this; she's with us. Now, point that thing at the real bad guys". Sarah finally puts down the rifle and falls back into formation. Charlotte walks up to me and whispers in my ear.
"Thank you".
"I didn't do it for you".
Sarah and Cameron keep whispering to each other. They are probably discussing ways to execute Charlotte without anyone else finding out about it. It is ironic when you think about it: a Terminator that cares about the Connor family so much that she is willing to execute her own kind. I wonder if Sarah and Cameron got along this well before I arrived. Memo to self: ask Cameron and Sarah about their relationship.
When we reach the top of a large staircase, two T-888s carrying M-16s come running at us and open fire. Catherine converts her body into a massive shield and absorbs the enemy machine gun fire. Reese and I take up positions behind her; I aim for the one on the right and he aims for the one on the left. The moment they run out of ammunition and are forced to reload, Catherine oozes into the floor and gives us a clear shot. Reese and I aim at our targets and open fire, simultaneously destroying both Terminators.
"Where do these stairs go?"
"To the back exit. Those should have been the last Terminators".
"Good, let's collect the bodies and get the hell out of here!" As we prepare to move out, John Connor mysteriously appears.
"John? What are you doing here?" I know what that is! SHIT!
"EVERYONE GET DOWN! THAT IS NOT JOHN!"
Strangely enough, he doesn't aim for me or anyone else in the Connor Clan. He points his right arm at Charlotte, and transforms it into a plasma rifle. As fast as I can, I run to her and throw her to the ground behind me. As I spin Charlotte around, the false John shoots me in the back. I'm not sure, but I think he got my heart.
The world seems to move in slow motion as I fall to the ground. I can hear the sounds of plasma rifles firing, and I see the flashes of energy weapons zoom over me. Breathing is getting harder, my vision is getting blurry. The warehouse fills with the sounds of people screaming, plasma rifles firing, and energy discharges exploding. Charlotte kneels next to my head.
"You...you saved my life. Thank you".
"I didn't do it for you. I did it because of John Connor. I owe that man too much to let his daughter's girlfriend get blown away. He is my mentor, my commanding officer, and my friend. He loves Sarah, and she loves you". There are tears in her eyes.
"Thank you. Hang in there, you can't die! You can't!"
"It wasn't your fault. You were trying to help us, and that is why they tried to kill you. Things starting to go black on me". Catherine's beautiful face comes into view. She is right beside me, holding my hand.
"Catherine, my angel. I guess this is goodbye. Have a good life, I love you".
"Hold on, Charley. We'll get you out of here. Charley? CHARLEY!" The last thing I see is her terrified face.
When I finally regain consciousness, I am lying in a hospital bed. I have no idea how I got here, or where the hell here is. What happened in the warehouse? Did I die again? Why am I in a hospital gown? Where are my pants? The door to my room opens up, and a smiling Catherine walks in.
"You're awake! That is very good. Here: you must be thirsty". I take a few sips of water.
"What happened? Where am I?"
"You're in a hospital in Los Angeles. I managed to keep you alive long enough to get here. Then, I shape shifted into a surgeon and got you a new heart. We used parts from the TX and T-888s to put you back together. You should make a full recovery. How are you feeling?"
"Like I died and came back, again".
"Charley, that is pretty much what happened. For a few moments, I thought I had lost you. But I refused to give up. A few hours of surgery later and here you are".
"Thank you Catherine. You saved me".
"Well, you've saved me so many times I thought it was time to return the favour".
"What happened in the warehouse?"
"Sarah and Cameron managed to demolish the TX's head with their plasma rifles. They destroyed its right arm, too. The rest was salvaged and used to fix you. The warehouse itself has been demolished and all of the Terminators have been disassembled. We won this time, Charley".
"I love you, Catherine Weaver".
"Get some rest. By the way, you have another visitor".
"Allison?"
"Not quite" replied young Sarah.
"Colonel, I'm glad to see you. Charlotte is well?"
"She is. You saved her, thank you. I am in your debt. Everyone else made it out all right. If my father were here, he would give you a medal for your actions".
"I'll mention it to him the next time I see him".
"Sure you will. In the mean time, you will just have to accept these". Young Sarah pulls out a pair of silver bars and places them on my pillow. "Congratulations, Captain. You've earned it". I salute and attempt to snap to attention, which makes Catherine giggle.
"Easy, Captain Macho! You'll tear your stitches".
"I outrank you now, right?"
"That is correct, Sir!"
"Then I order you to climb into this bed with me". Catherine cracks up.
"Charley, if you tried to make love now, you would fall apart like a rusted bicycle".
"I don't want to have sex, Catherine. I just want to hold you in my arms. Don't make me pull rank, Lieutenant". With a huge smile on her face, she climbs into the hospital bed and curls up beside me. "I thought I would never see you again".
"It's a good thing I am such a skilled surgeon, or you would be a pile of scrap metal. Close your eyes and get some rest".
"How long until I can rejoin the others?"
"We heal faster than humans, so you should be back on your feet within a day or two".
"I can't wait". I kiss her forehead.
"Pleasant dreams, Captain Zacks".
"Thank you Lieutenant. I will see you again, very soon". I hold her tightly in my arms, afraid to let go. I almost died today, I almost lost her forever. "Good night, my angel".
