Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
LordZeus: John Miles thinks John Henry and Savannah's relationship is fascinating in a disgusting sort of way. Also, there are at least two other Firefly Drones.
BattlestarCommander: I actually like the idea of using Jeepers Creepers as a theme song for John Miles. I'll see if I can incorporate that into a future chapter.
Devastator: We'll definitely be seeing the Gremlins in the future.
Connor846 and Visi0nary: You guys definitely hit it on the spot with John Miles. He's not exactly evil in the way Bella is evil. He is, however, thoroughly and irreversibly twisted and screwed up (mainly thanks to Bella's mentoring) not to mention slightly out of touch with reality. He understands that he's meant to become Skynet, and he embraces that role a little too much. Basically, Bella is a sadistic nut and John Miles is a psychotic nut.
A/N: Just to let you guys know, the Grey Roonil won't be showing up again. You can assume that he gets found guilty and executed. (I've been asked by Centurion005 to tell you this)
Thanks for all your feedback, guys. Here's Chapter 34. Read and review.
Update: "Brewers" not "Braves." Thanks Visi0nary!
Weaver Residence
6:04 PM, May 15th, 2009
Savannah Weaver scrawled down the answer to the last homework problem. Finished, she put her pencil down and closed her math book. Tomorrow, she'd go over her work with John Henry. He was always happy to help her, especially with math problems.
Taking Nessie by the flipper, Savannah walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. There in a corner of the room was a piano. Years ago, her father had taught her how to play it. Under his guidance, she had become quite proficient. But after her father had died, Savannah had stopped playing. Without her father to watch her, there was simply no point anymore. And so for two years, this piano had sat here unattended and unused.
Now, however, she inexplicably felt drawn to the piano again. A new sense of enthusiasm had risen in her. Savannah climbed up onto the bench and placed the paper with John Henry's musical notes in front of her. She looked at the first note: C#.
Savannah identified the correct key and pressed down on it.
...Remaining distance to Weaver Residence: 17.4 miles...
...ETA: 23 min 18 sec...
...Action: Turn left on Elm St. in 1 min 15 sec...
Kroogar maintained course and speed. He took in his surroundings. Traffic was lighter here in the suburban areas of Los Angeles than the industrial sectors. This meant he could arrive at his destination, execute the mission, and leave without much trouble.
From a mechanical standpoint, Kroogar's mission was pretty simple. So simple, a human agent could have pulled it off just as easily. From a mechanical standpoint. Given the nature of the mission, however, it was better to allow a machine to handle it. A human agent, even a well-paid, well-trained one, might have difficulty pulling it off due to the psychological factor.
A factor which, needless to say, Kroogar had never had to deal with.
"You can't expect me to believe any of this!" exclaimed an incredulous Wazlib.
"I'm telling you, it's true." Derek stated firmly.
"This is a joke. A sick joke!"
"No, it's not. It's the truth."
"Look, machines from the future is one thing." said Wazlib, "But you can't seriously expect me to believe that the Chicago Cubs are going to win this year's World Series."
"I never said it would be easy to believe." replied Derek with a shrug, "I didn't believe it myself when it happened."
"Who do they play against?"
"The Milwaukee Brewers."
"Ok, now I know you're bullshitting me."
Derek said nothing. He just smirked.
Wazlib meanwhile turned to Cameron and John, also sitting in the back of the van. They were both busy assembling their weapons.
"So, if I understand this correctly," he said slowly, "you and your mom" - he pointed at John - "are from the past?"
John nodded. "Yeah, that's right."
"And you two" - Wazlib pointed at Cameron and Derek - "are from the future?"
"The year 2027 to be precise." stated Cameron.
"And you're a robot that looks human?" he asked Cameron.
"Cybernetic organism," corrected Cameron, "Living tissue over a metal endoskeleton." She held up the arm she had sliced open earlier. The skin had already started to heal itself.
"And... and my bosses are machines too?" said Wazlib, "Like you?"
"Not exactly like me." replied Cameron, "I am a TOK-715. A unique model. The only one in existence. But yes, your bosses are likely machines too."
"Damn. How many more of them are out there?" asked Wazlib.
"Unknown." stated Cameron. "There could be dozens of them."
"And they all look and act like ordinary people?"
"Correct."
"Jesus..." muttered a horrified Wazlib.
He then gave Cameron a curious look. "But why are you working against them? Aren't they your own kind or something?"
"I was captured by the Human Resistance and reprogrammed to fight against Skynet." explained Cameron.
"Oh." said Wazlib, "I guess that makes sense... Assuming any of this makes sense."
Meanwhile at the front of the van, Kara was getting restless.
"We're not gonna get anywhere if you insist on driving the exact speed limit." she protested.
"I'm already going five miles above the limit." Sarah argued.
"Would it kill you to go ten?" Kara asked, "And honestly, Sarah, you can go through an orange light, you know."
"I'm trying to avoid being pulled over by the highway patrol." Sarah shot back.
"We don't have a radar detector for nothing, you know." Kara said.
"I'm also trying to avoid getting into an accident."
"There's hardly any traffic in front of us!"
"Starbuck, I swear to God, if you don't clam up this instant, you're gonna be walking the rest of the way!" Sarah threatened, giving Kara a very dangerous look.
Kara immediately shut up. Sarah turned her attention back to the road and allowed herself to mentally grin.
Weaver Residence
6:29 PM, May 15th, 2009
The first several tries were very awkward for Savannah. She kept hitting the wrong keys or getting the sequence mixed up. Other times she pressed the keys for too long. Her determination never dwindled however. Soon, she had memorized the entire sequence. The tune was still scratchy and disjointed because she wasn't playing it very smoothly or at the right speed.
The sudden sound of something screeching to a halt caught Savannah's attention. That didn't sound like her mother. She never drove like that. And besides she rarely came home so early these days.
Curious, Savannah got off the bench and walked over to the window. She pulled back the curtains and peered outside. A black car was parked right outside the front of the house. The driver, a man clad in black-and-red leather jacket and pants, got out and started coming towards the front door. As he got closer, Savannah got a better look at his face. She gasped.
It was the stranger! The one from school! He was here!
"If you ever see this man again, I want you to find a place to hide and stay there until he goes away."
Recalling John Henry's warning, Savannah ran away from the window, and looked frantically for a place to hide.
...Approaching destination...
...Selecting weapon...
...Weapon selected: Beretta 92...
...Executing Attack Mode 2-8-4...
Kroogar kept his left hand wrapped tightly around the pistol concealed in his back pants pocket. He did not draw it yet, however.
When he reached the front door, he knocked three times. It was answered by a young woman.
"May I help you, sir?" she asked.
In one smooth motion, Kroogar drew his pistol and shot the woman in the head at point blank range. The woman fell to the ground. Kroogar stepped over the woman's body and into the house. A man came running from the room to the left. He stopped, looked at Kroogar, then at the woman's body, and then at the gun in Kroogar's hand.
"Oh shit!" the man cursed.
The man turned to run, but Kroogar raised his weapon again and fired. He hit the target squarely in the back of the head. The man let out a muffled scream and crumpled to the floor on his stomach.
Kroogar scanned his victims and confirmed them both dead. While neither had posed an immediate threat to him, they had both been in positions to compromise the security of his mission. As such, it had been necessary to terminate them.
A subsequent scan of his immediate surroundings revealed nothing. Additional messages played across Kroogar's HUD.
...Perimeter breached...
...Area Clear...
...Mission objectives: Locate and acquire Savannah Weaver. Bring Savannah Weaver to Control. Await for further orders.
...Terminate prisoner if uncooperative...
...Action: Initiate search of building...
Pistol in hand, Kroogar marched towards the room immediately to his left. The hunt was on.
Zeira Corp HQ
6:35 PM, May 15th, 2009
"I traced the transmitter's signal to its source located at twenty-five thousand feet above the surface." John Henry informed Weaver and Ellison.
"It was airborne?" asked Weaver.
"Like a helicopter or a plane?" Ellison asked.
"It was airborne, yes." replied John Henry, "But I do not believe it had a human pilot. Nor was it flown by remote control. When I fed the Nexus signal through the channel, I became aware of another artificial intelligence."
"Your brother?" suggested Weaver.
"No. This intelligence was very simplistic in nature when compared to myself. Merely a self-contained series of preprogrammed commands. I believe it was a self-piloted construct with a limited degree of sentience. Probably sent by my brother."
"What were its orders?" Weaver asked.
"Intelligence gathering." answered John Henry, "Using the Nexus, I tapped into the construct's computer core. The computer's security protocols made it difficult for me to obtain much, but I did discover that the construct itself was relaying the electronic bug's transmission to another location."
Weaver and Ellison exchanged looks.
"Where?" asked Weaver quietly, "Where was it transmitting to?"
"Somewhere in the Southern California region outside the Los Angeles district. Unfortunately, the construct destroyed itself before I could pinpoint the exact location." stated John Henry, "However, before it did, I detected an incoming signal from the location it was transmitting to. Most likely the order to self-destruct. The signal was sent on a United States military frequency."
Before either Weaver or Ellison could ask further questions, a phone on the wall rang. Ellison strode over and picked it up.
"James Ellison... uh huh... right away." he said. He then turned to Weaver and offered her the phone. "It's for you."
Weaver took the phone. "This is Weaver speaking."
"Miss Weaver, this is the police. The silent alarm at your residence was just tripped. We've sent a unit over to investigate. They'll be there in ten minutes."
"Understood." said Weaver, "Thank you for letting me know. Please call me when you have more information." She hung up.
"Please continue, John Henry." she said calmly.
Weaver Residence
Kroogar scanned yet another room. No sign of the child. He proceeded to move to the next room. Bella Kalvin had provided him with schematics of Catherine Weaver's house prior to the mission. Using those schematics, he had devised the most efficient search pattern possible.
A scan of this room also yielded nothing. He was about to move on when his audio sensors picked up the sound of a vehicle approaching. The noise originated from somewhere towards the front of the house. Kroogar put a temporary hold on his search and proceeded towards the front.
He arrived just as two police officers entered the house through the open doorway. Upon seeing the woman's body, they drew their weapons. One knelt down to check the woman for a pulse, while the other pulled out a radio and started speaking into it. Kroogar analyzed their positions and then emerged from behind the corner.
Following standard battle protocols, Kroogar targeted the man with the radio first. He fired a single round that went straight through the man's hand holding the radio to his mouth. The radio erupted in a shower of sparks. The bullet continued its flight, soaring into the man's open mouth and out the back of his head. The officer went down, just as his partner leapt to his feet. Upon seeing Kroogar, the second officer raised his own weapon and fired twice, hitting the machine in the chest both times. The bullets didn't even come close to penetrating Kroogar's armored chassis. Kroogar casually adjusted his aim and dispatched the second officer with a well-placed shot to the forehead.
Kroogar's audio sensors then picked up the sound of movement coming from behind. He turned around and caught a glimpse of someone running up the stairs in the adjacent room. The Triple-Eight went into pursuit mode and headed towards the stairs.
Following Wazlib's advice, Sarah parked on the eastern side of the Weaver residence.
Kara peered out the window. "Nice place." she commented.
"I guess it's one of the benefits of being the CEO of Zeira Corporation." said Sarah.
She pulled a Remington 1100 Tactical shotgun out from underneath her seat. Kara reached under her seat as well and retrieved an HK UMP submachine gun. Both women stepped out of the van. John, Derek, Cameron, and Wazlib had already gathered outside and were also armed. Cameron had her M4 Carbine slung over her shoulder. John wielded a Desert Eagle and Derek carried an AK-47. Wazlib had...well, at the moment, Wazlib had nothing.
Wazlib cleared his throat. "There are, uh, three other ways besides the front door to get in." he explained, "The patio in the back. The garage on the left side. And a staircase right above the patio." He pointed in the general direction of each entrance.
Sarah nodded. "Alright then," she said, "We'll split up into three groups. John, you're with me. We'll head for the staircase. Starbuck, Derek, go for the garage. Cameron, you and Wazlib take the patio. Remember, if you find the girl, don't frighten her. Tell her that we're here to help and that she needs to come with us. Any questions?"
Wazlib raised his hand. "Can I have a gun too? Please?"
Everyone turned to Sarah for an answer. She pursed her lips and didn't saying anything for a few seconds. Finally she sighed and said, "Give him a weapon, Cameron."
Cameron reached into her leather jacket and pulled out a small Beretta Tomcat pistol. Before handing it to Wazlib, she warned him, "At the first sign of treachery, I will kill you. This is your only warning. Do you understand?"
Wazlib nodded. "Uh, yeah. Don't worry. I wouldn't do anything like that." he said reassuringly. "Not in front of you anyway."
"In that case," replied Cameron, "Stay in front of me at all times."
Hidden underneath her mother's bed, Savannah Weaver could only watch and wait with Nessie. She trembled with fear as the scary man slowly drew closer. He was methodically searching each room in a systematic profession. It wouldn't be long before he reached this room. All she could hope was that he didn't choose to look under the bed.
From underneath the bed, she saw a heavy set of black boots step into the room. She held her breath and watched the boots slowly move toward her. Terror seized her heart. Had she been seen?
The boots stopped in the middle of the room. They stood there and still as a statue. Savannah froze and did not breathe. The boots continued not to move. Savannah could hear her own heart beating. Ten seconds passed. Thirty seconds. A minute. Two minutes.
Then the boots turned around and started to casually walk back towards the doorway. Savannah let out a sigh of relief. That was a mistake.
The black boots suddenly turned around and strode towards her once again with increased speed. Savannah gasped and crawled back as far as she could go. Then without warning, the bed she was hiding under was literally pulled off the ground and tossed away into a corner.
Savannah looked up and screamed. The scary man from school had found her!
...Scanning subject...
...Identity confirmed: Savannah Weaver - Primary Target...
...Action: Acquire...
Kroogar reached out with one hand to seize the child cowering before him, when something powerful struck him squarely in the chest, knocking him off balance. Kroogar turned towards the doorway. A dark haired woman stood there, a tactical shotgun in her hands. A teenage boy with a handgun stood beside her. Before Kroogar could adjust his aim to deal with the new threat, the woman fired again sending another shotgun shell into his chest, knocking him two feet backwards. The boy fired his handgun repeatedly, scoring multiple hits on Kroogar's face.
While these attacks did little damage, this unexpected change in the scenario forced Kroogar to run a combat analysis. A quick scan of the woman revealed her to be the same woman Duran had encountered at the warehouse, as well as the same woman who had entered Kalvin IBA Headquarters a few days ago.
Kroogar then ran a scan of the teenage boy.
...Scanning subject...
...Subject: John Connor - Default Primary Target...
...ERROR: Does not compute with pre-established data...
...Rerunning scan...
...Subject: John Connor...
Kroogar did not understand these readings. According to them, the boy was John Connor - the future leader of the Human Resistance. But that was impossible. Connor was dead in this time line. Terminated by the unit Skynet had sent back to 1999. And even if he had somehow survived, he should be in his twenties. This boy looked no more than seventeen years old.
Kroogar had no further time to compute any of this information, because the woman hit him with another blast from her shotgun. The Triple-Eight stumbled backwards and returned fire. The woman and the boy took cover behind the doorway. Kroogar soon ran out of ammunition. Before he could load a second clip, the woman stepped into the room and opened fire upon him once more.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three direct hits to the chest. Kroogar was forced backwards and up against a window. The woman fired her last shell off, striking Kroogar with such power he went crashing through the window and out the house. He fell a distance of thirty feet and landed hard on his back.
...Warning: Critical damage...
...Error, error, error...
...System overload...
...Emergency reboot initiated...
John rushed to the frightened little girl sitting on the floor. He reached out for her, but the girl back away and whimpered.
"Hey, hey, hey." he whispered gently, "Shhhhhhh... It's okay, it's okay. We're here to help you."
The girl slowly calmed down.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
The girl shook her head.
"Are you Savannah Weaver?" he asked.
The girl nodded her head.
"Do you remember me?" John asked gently, "From Dr. Sherman's. Remember the squirrel and the tree? The squirrel goes around the tree, under the hole-"
"-and-and c-comes out the other side." finished a frightened Savannah.
John smiled. "That's right. Smart girl."
He wrapped his arms around Savannah and gently patted her back. Savannah buried her head into his shoulder and whimpered.
"Is-is the s-scary man g-gone now?" she asked.
"Yeah, but we need to get you to a place where he won't find you." said John, "So, just come with us and everything will be fine. No scary man is gonna hurt you. I promise. Ok?"
Savannah nodded her head. "Ok."
John then took the girl in his arms and lifted her off the floor. "Let's go, mom." he said to Sarah.
Sarah had just finished reloading her shotgun. "Stay behind me, both of you."
Cameron finished scanning the four bodies in the room.
"There's nothing we can do." she told Wazlib plainly. "We must move on."
Wazlib stared at the bodies. Two civilians. Two cops. None of them had had a chance it looked like. He shuddered at the prospect of finding the little girl like this. The thought of being responsible for another child's death, even if only indirectly, was something he could never live with.
Cameron suddenly paused and stood motionless. She then said, "I have received a text message from John. They have found Savannah Weaver. She is unharmed."
Wazlib exhaled. "Thank God."
"No." replied Cameron. "Thank you."
Wazlib stared at her. "Me? But I'm the one who-"
"-who helped us find her in time." stated Cameron, "Now, come. We must hurry back to our transport. Maintain constant vigilance and stay in-"
"In front of you." Wazlib held up his palm and nodded. "I know, I know."
...Systems reboot complete...
...Time offline: 1 min. 57 sec...
...All systems functioning at normal capacity...
...Re-initiating combat mode...
Kroogar got to his feet and looked around. He located his pistol, retrieved it, and loaded another clip. He then promptly resumed the hunt.
...Updating mission priorities...
...Objective: Terminate all hostiles in the area...
"Roger that." replied Kara into her radio, "See you in a bit."
She turned to Derek. "They have the girl."
"Any trouble?" asked Derek.
"They found her just before a Triple-Eight got her." Kara said. "They knocked the Triple-Eight out, but it'll be back on its feet pretty soon."
Derek nodded. "I'll take point. Stick close to me, Starbuck. And watch your back."
"Um, okay." muttered Kara. She started to follow Derek, but got no more than fifty paces before she called out, "Is it just me, Reese, or are you being rather protective of me today?"
"I'd rather you not do something crazy and get yourself killed." said Derek briskly.
"Ah, gee. That's sweet. But what's the real reason?"
"I just realized that...well, that I've lost a lot of people. Good people. I don't want you joining them."
"Hey, we all die for John Connor." Kara retorted as they both rounded the corner. "You said it yourself."
"Most of us." replied Derek. "Not all of us. Some of us die... just because they have to die."
He led her into the garage through which they had originally entered the house. Parked here were half a dozen cars of different models. Only two looked like they were ever used for anything besides show. The walls were lined with all sorts of equipment and supplies. Not just for fixing cars, but for constructing (or demolishing) things as well.
Kind of like the hanger deck on Galactica. Only smaller. And cleaner.
Halfway through the garage, Kara asked "You're talking about Jesse, right?"
Derek stopped. He turned around and looked at Kara. "How did you-"
"John told me." answered Kara, "Now I understand why you asked me the date for Judgment Day when I first showed up. You wanted to make sure I wasn't from some kind of alternate timeline, right?"
"Yeah, that's right." Derek confirmed.
"Look, Reese, I still don't fully understand what happened here with you and Jesse, but whatever happened, I'm sure it wasn't your fault-"
"This isn't only about Jesse." interrupted Derek.
"Then who or what else is this about?" inquired Kara.
"I don't really want to talk about it." said Derek tersely, "Let's just move on."
He turned back around and started heading towards the exit.
Kara shrugged. "Right." she muttered as she began to follow. "If you say s- oh frak! GET DOWN, REESE!"
Derek suddenly realized a large bald man in dark leather clothes was standing at the open doorway, an emotionless expression on his face, and a gun in his left hand. The Triple-Eight raised its weapon to shoulder level and aimed it at him. Derek didn't have time to lift his own weapon or to even fully comprehend what was about to happen to him.
...Target acquired: Derek Reese...
...Action: Terminate...
Kroogar pulled the trigger and fired. Derek Reese went down.
But not in the way Kroogar had planned. Just as he had pulled the trigger, a second person - a woman - had appeared out of nowhere and pulled the Resistance fighter to the ground. Kroogar missed his target by inches. Before Kroogar could adjust his aim, the woman fired her submachine gun into his face. Kroogar's optical sensors were momentarily disoriented, allowing the two humans to take cover behind an antique car.
Kroogar marched over and fired at the humans' cover attempting to draw them out into the open. Reese emerged from his hiding spot and fired his assault rifle at him. Ignoring the attack, Kroogar fired back. Reese ducked out of sight. Kroogar then noticed the woman hurrying towards another car - one closer to the exit.
He switched targets but his gun clicked empty. The woman reached the second car and immediately began fire upon him, keeping him off balance long enough for her companion to join him. Kroogar reloaded and began exchanging fire with his enemies. He also took the opportunity to run a scan of the woman.
...Target acquired: Kara Thrace...
...Combat Threat Level upgraded from Guarded to High...
...Action: Reevaluate present combat stratagem...
Kroogar stepped out of the line of fire and began calculating this new factor into the present equation. Colonel Kara Thrace - Tech Com's Special Operations Commander - often referred to by her fellow humans as "Starbuck" - had been a constant thorn in the machines' side. One which, not unlike John Connor, they had thus far failed to eliminate in any time period. Despite its extensive research, Skynet had failed to uncover anything about Thrace's life before Judgment Day thus making it impossible for her to be simply wiped from the timeline.
Not only was she one of John Connor's most loyal officers, Thrace was also highly aggressive, resourceful and unpredictable. Her battlefield tactics often ranged from risky to completely illogical - even by human standards. Yet, for some unexplainable reason, those tactics tended to work. Statistics were of very little use when dealing with Thrace. She almost always ended up defying them.
Nevertheless, Thrace was still human. She could not outlast Kroogar. Her presence complicated things somewhat, but in the end she would fall prey to the mental and physical weaknesses all humans shared.
Kroogar checked his ammunition and discovered he was out. No matter. If he couldn't hunt down these humans, he would simply wait them out. He was a machine. He could endure more than any human. That was a statistic not even Kara Thrace could defy.
"Ok, Reese, I think it's empty. Let's make a break for it." whispered Kara, "You go around that way, and I'll go around the other way."
Derek nodded. "Got it."
"Ready?"
"Ready."
"Go!"
Kara and Derek burst from their cover, split up, and then met up again in the middle of the room. They then made a beeline for the exit. They were almost there, when the Triple-Eight stepped out into the open barring their way. Immediately, Kara and Derek opened up with automatic weapons fire. Unaffected, the Triple-Eight advanced upon them. It no longer had its weapon, but that didn't make it any less deadly.
Having emptied his clip, Derek stepped forward to intercept the machine. He swung his AK-47 at the Triple-Eight like a club, striking it on the side of the head. The machine shrugged off the blow, seized Derek by the shoulder, and threw him sideways into a nearby wall.
Several pieces of equipment hanging from the wall dropped off and fell around him. One of them, a heavy-looking mallet, struck Derek right on top of the head and knocked him out cold.
"Reese!" screamed Kara.
She ran over to where Derek had fallen. To her relief, he was still alive, though blood was trickling down from the top of his head.
"Come on, Reese!" Kara knelt down and shook Derek's shoulders. "Wake up! You're not dead! Not yet, anyway!"
Derek stirred feebly but didn't open his eyes. The ominous sound of approaching footsteps made Kara remember the Triple-Eight was still here. She leapt to her feet, spun around and fired off her remaining UMP rounds at the advancing machine. She slowed it down, but not by much. Soon her weapon was dry.
Snarling, Kara tossed her weapon aside and grabbed the nearest thing in reach - a crowbar hanging from the wall behind her. She held it in front of her like a sword.
"Come on, you son of a bitch!" she growled through her clenched teeth, "Bring it on!"
The Triple-Eight stopped in its tracks. It regarded Kara and tilted its head slightly as it analyzed the situation. Then it raised its right hand, which was covered in a ragged glove. It pulled the glove off and tossed it aside.
"What the hell is that?" Kara thought.
The Terminator's right hand was devoid of skin and flesh. Even stranger, four of the coltan fingers had apparently been carved into bladed appendages like claws. Kara felt a shiver run down her spine when she realized the blades were stained with dry blood. The Triple-Eight flexed its claws-for-fingers as if to show off. Then it lunged at Kara.
Determined to keep the machine away from Derek, Kara held her ground and used her agility to sidestep the blades. She swung her crowbar and struck the Triple-Eight in the back of the head, but did very little damage. It spun around and swiped at her again. Kara blocked with the crowbar. The bladed fingers struck her weapon with enough force to knock her to the ground.
Kara rolled herself out of the way before the machine could impale her. She then countered by ramming the sharp end of the crowbar into one of its eyes. The Triple-Eight stumbled back a bit but then grabbed the crowbar with its left hand and shoved it back out. Kara stumbled backwards into the hood of a car. As she tried to regain her balance, she noticed to her absolute disgust that the Terminator's eyeball remained stuck on the end of her weapon.
She didn't have time to dwell on this however, because the Triple-Eight came at her again. Kara dodged out of the way, and the claws slashed the car's plating, issuing sparks. Hoping to damage or dislodge the chip, Kara struck the Triple-Eight in the side of the head with her crowbar, once, twice, three times. She hit with all her strength, but all her strength simply wasn't good enough. The Triple-Eight slashed at her again, forcing Kara to break off her attack.
Again and again, she dodged, struck, dodged, struck, dodged and dodged some more. The crowbar became more and more worn with every round, as did Kara herself. The machine showed absolutely no signs of letting up.
This was frakking insane, she realized. She had nothing but a battered metal stick. The Triple-Eight was all metal. A superior type of metal no less. Even if it didn't have those... whatever they were for fingers, it wouldn't matter. She was going to lose. She never had a chance. She had lost before the fight had even begun. The only reason why she was doing this was to protect Derek.
And now, she realized bleakly, they were both going to die.
Eventually, Kara's legs grew so tired, she was unable to dodge the incoming blows. The Triple-Eight, sensing her weakness, brought its claws down to finish her off. Kara tried to block the attack with her thoroughly battered crowbar. She miscalculated however and the blades slashed her left forearm drawing blood. Kara gasped in pain and dropped her crowbar. She stumbled back into a wall, clutching at her injured arm. The Triple-Eight raised its bladed metal hand, now stained with Kara's blood, and moved in for the kill.
Suddenly, the van came crashing through the front of the garage and plowed its rear end right into the Triple-Eight, sending it flying halfway across the room. The van came to a screeching halt moments later. Kara stared in amazement as Cameron, John and a shaken Wazlib emerged from the cloud of dust.
"Are you hurt, Thrace?" asked Cameron.
Kara shook her head. "Just a few scratches. Reese ain't looking so good though. Where's the girl?"
"In the front." said John. "She's scared but she's ok."
"She's not driving, I hope." replied Kara jokingly.
"No," Sarah called out from the front, "Nor is she criticizing my driving."
"Nice timing, Sarah." Kara complimented with a grin. "How'd you know we were in trouble?"
Sarah smirked. "We just got tired of waiting for you."
"Oh my God... Kroogar."
Everyone turned to find Wazlib standing over the unmoving Triple-Eight.
"Get away from that thing, Wazlib!" ordered John, "It's gonna reboot itself any moment."
"He's... it's not dead then?" asked Wazlib looking stunned.
John shook his head. "Not by a long shot."
John and Kara hurried into the back of the van, followed shortly by Cameron, who was half-dragging a semi-conscious Derek.
"Come on, Wazlib!" yelled Kara impatiently, "Get in!"
Wazlib, however, just shook his head. "Someone needs to hold this... this whatever the hell this is off."
"What are you talking about?" shouted John, "Come on! We've got to get out of here!"
Wazlib remained as still as a statue. "Leave me." he said firmly, "Take that girl and get her out of here. I'll make sure this thing doesn't follow you."
"Don't be an idiot!" snapped Kara, "You can't destroy that thing!"
"Maybe not," Wazlib replied earnestly, "But I know how to at least stop it from chasing you. Trust me."
"Wazlib-"
"Please, trust me! I'm begging you, just go! Go! Leave! I can hold this thing off! I know I can!"
"We should go." Cameron suddenly stated.
"But Cam-" Kara started to protest.
"I believe Wazlib has a plan." said Cameron. "I believe he can hold off the Triple-Eight."
"Are you sure?" asked John.
"Positive."
"Hey, is everyone aboard?" Sarah called back. "Because I'd really like to get out of here!"
John looked at Cameron, then at Kara, and then finally at Wazlib. Wazlib gave him a small nod. John returned the gesture. He then closed the back doors.
"We're all here, Mom." he said.
"Hold on, people!" bellowed Sarah.
Kara started to open her mouth to object, but stopped herself.
Tires screeching, the van took off in a cloud of dust.
When Kroogar came back online he found himself in the most unexpected company.
"Are you alright, Mr. Kroogar?"
Kroogar sat up and discovered Wazlib standing over him.
"Mr. Wazlib?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I just escaped from those psychos." explained Wazlib, "They had me tied up in the back of their van. I managed to get free by-"
"Do they have the girl?" Kroogar interrupted. He was back on his feet now.
"Oh God, yeah. I think so. What the hell are those freaks gonna do with her?"
"Unknown." replied Kroogar coldly, "Do you have any information about these people that could be of immediate use?"
Wazlib nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah," he said, "I-I know where they're going. If we hurry we can catch them."
"Very well." stated Kroogar, "Lead me to them."
7:10 PM, May 15th, 2009
"How do you feel, Derek?" John asked ten minutes later.
Derek rubbed the top of his head. "I've felt better." he admitted.
"Your injuries are not life-threatening and will heal in time." stated Cameron almost mockingly.
"Yeah, that makes me feel so much better." Derek said sarcastically.
"As it should." replied Cameron matter-of-factly.
"Hey, Tin Miss. Why don't you just shut your-" Derek cut himself off, "Where's Wazlib?"
"He stayed behind." answered Kara, "He said he could hold the Triple-Eight off. Buy us time to get away."
"What?" exclaimed Derek, "Is he insane? H-how..."
"I'm wondering the same thing." muttered Kara with a shrug.
Derek reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out Wazlib's Army Ranger dog tags. He leaned back against the side of the van and stared at the tags.
He sighed. "Well, whatever happens to Wazlib, I think it would be best if... if we all remembered him as a man. A good man."
John, Kara, and Cameron all exchanged glances, silently communicating their mutual agreement.
"Very well." stated Cameron.
John nodded. "Yeah." he agreed. "A good man."
Unheard by anyone else in the van, Kara murmured softly, "So say we all."
"Are you certain this is the way, Mr. Wazlib?" asked Kroogar, now sitting in the front passenger's seat of the black car.
"Never been more certain in my life." said Wazlib.
He drove with a determined look on his face. He was searching for something. Something special. He continued driving for five more minutes before he found it.
"There you are." he whispered.
A gorge had appeared before him. It was not just any gorge. It was the gorge he and Susan had visited on their first date. It was beautiful, just like her.
Wazlib floored the gas and accelerated the car towards its destination. Its final destination.
"Mr. Wazlib, what are you doing?" demanded Kroogar.
Wazlib grinned. "Something I should have done a long time ago, Mr. Kroogar."
Kroogar had no chance to respond because a moment later, he, Wazlib, and their car were no longer on the road. They weren't even on the ground anymore.
At least not at the moment.
With nothing left to do now but wait for the end, Wazlib closed his eyes and allowed Susan's beautiful face to fill his mind one last time.
A/N: This may be the end of our friend Jason Wazlib, but it sure as hell isn't the end of Kroogar. Also, next chapter will take elements from "Adam Raised a Cain." Things should be different however since in this case, Kara is present and Derek is still alive.
A/N2: Savannah has both Nessie and the locket John Henry made her on her person when she goes with the Connors. One of these two things is going to freak the Connors out.
A/N3: I'm not a fan or hater of the Cubs or any baseball team. I only brought up baseball because of that scene where John and Derek watch young Derek and Kyle play baseball.