Hey everyone! Sorry about the last chapter, I know it was stupidly long and likely boring in parts, it was very wordy, I hope this chapter makes up for it by being a little more fun! It's time for the Resistance to make a move on Palmdale and save those prisoners. Maybe. I'm also apologising now for the sheer length of this one. I am so sorry it's so long, I'll try and keep them shorter in the future.
Terminator
The Zeta Chronicles
Chapter 8
Palmdale Rescue
Lieutenant Miles had been with John Connor's resistance near the start, just when it was barely more than a group of people including John Connor himself, Cameron, Father Ellison, the Scottish lady and the other John and the machine. Back then Ian Miles had just been a beat cop on Barstow, a constable with two years under his belt, on Judgement Day he'd rushed home to his family, and they secured themselves in a bunker. The nuke hadn't hit Barstow directly as it wasn't a place of great importance, but the blast wave had done more than its fair share of damage. Honestly in those early days, Ian was petrified; the end of the world had come, and they'd survived, what would happen now? Gangs? Riots? Sure, those happened a couple of months after the bombs, there wasn't much radiation. Ian had protected his family and their supplies with what little he had then came the machines. The early T-70s were terrifying back then; eight-feet-tall several hundred pounds, enough firepower to turn a human to mincemeat in seconds. He almost missed those old things. He heard people getting rounded up and put into camps for what he didn't know at the time, he just knew he didn't want that to happen to them. They were running low on supplies and ammo; he had contemplated shooting their dog Skipper for food.
But then he came. John Connor! There'd been a brief standoff but one look at the T-70 put Ian off. John Connor asked for a sit rep of the area, what was going on, where was it, anything and everything Ian knew. Ian had told him if he promised to leave. Looking back, it was almost funny. John Connor told him he was going to break open Barstow camp and start fighting back. Ian had thought the guy was insane. But goddamn he'd pulled it off. A few hundred people had been saved by a handful of people. When time came to join the resistance, Ian signed up straight away. A safe place for his family, resources and weapons to fight back, and here he was now years later as a lieutenant.
He knew however what lay ahead of them, the darker years, infiltrators, cyborgs, T-800s and more. Knowing two, technically three, of these cyborgs existed already. Their commanding officer Cameron being one of them. But she'd saved his wife and his kids. He'd never be able to repay her for that as such she had his unwavering loyalty, they both did.
Here he was now in Palmdale south outpost alongside his fellow lieutenants, Captain Perry and "Bob" the T-500 listening to the radio as Connor went over the plan with them one more time. It felt like all the Resistance was here in Palmdale. This would be their biggest offensive to date. They understood saving the prisoners and taking Palmdale factory wasn't possible right now the geography wasn't on their side. Save the prisoners, regroup, attack the factory later, liberate Palmdale. There were multiple large vehicles retrofitted for this mission to carry as many people as physically possible, more old model machines than Ian had seen in a long time all gathered together awaiting orders from their commander Bob.
General Connor concluded his message, now it was "go time". Lieutenant Ian Miles inhaled deeply then exhaled, the repeated the action once more, twice more, then checked his M16 M203 combo, magazine loaded with the newer A.P. rounds, 40mm grenade loaded with M203 on safe. His old Glock 19 holstered for what good it'd do, but it gave him comfort.
"You all know your orders, good luck everyone."
The first part of the mission was infiltration, with security codes scavenged from some T-500s that came from Palmdale. A few T-500s would be sent ahead with a bag of explosives hidden among them and the security codes in case they were needed. The T-500s upon getting close would place the explosives in strategic places among the walls then to move away from the area. Once done the distraction team, also equipped with security codes would move in and start firing at Skynet defences and enemy machines hopefully Skynet would assume a major assault on the factory and send in most of its forces to attack the machines. From there the explosives would be detonated and the convoy, consisting of a large truck, several busses, multiple jeeps and cars would steamroll towards the prison, firing at any enemy machines load up the prisoners then get the hell out of there. If only things would go as smoothly as that.
"You think we can pull this off Perry?" Ian asked aloud.
"We have to, everyone is counting on us; the people of Palmdale, the resistance, everybody." Perry wiped the sweat from his brow. "We have our orders, we know our roles, group up and let's get going."
For the next few hours the Resistance moved as one like a swarm of ants, ducking in and out of buildings, avoiding Skynet patrols, for many of the soldiers it would be their first time seeing a T-600 something that left them unnerved as they gazed upon the skull-like face, others were forced to push the buses and cars by hands as running the engines would've alerted Skynet to their presence. It was arduous, long, back breaking. But it had to be done. HK Aerials patrolled the skies relentlessly some were seen flying off out of the city towards areas unknown.
Bob hand linked up with all the Resistance machines, becoming their commander, their Skynet. Receiving information and giving orders to each machine group. Bob detected Unit 986 and 711 by Bravo and Ares team, they were preparing for the Resistance's retreat, explosives traps had been gathered and were now awaiting deployment.
The distraction forces were moving slowly trailing behind the human fighters, lumbering behind in their large numbers, they were not equipped with any Resistance ammunition instead their weapons chambered in standard full metal jacket, they would likely do some damage in their multitudes, but it was not their priority. For the first part of the mission a few newly reprogrammed T-500s had been selected to carry and set the explosives, everything rested on their metallic shoulders, if they failed or were destroyed beforehand the rest of the mission would go terribly, but there was always a back-up plan just in case.
Finally a few hours after noon, the Resistance were in position at the far end of the city, Skynet presence here was massive, large defensive gun placements against aerial attack, massive amounts of Skynet unit ranging from T-500s and Spiders to the new T-600s whom acted as guards. The looming factory lay ahead with large defensive walls, and behind it to the north was the prison. Between the city's end and the factory/prison lay nothing but flatland, the ground was littered with bones in rags; a literal dead's man land, which was why the vehicles were of the upmost importance here.
Captain Perry spoke quietly into his short-range radio. "Okay last check. Defence busters check in?"
On the rooftops of the building lay Corporal Johnson, Private Stafford and their respective Palmdale squads, armed with their Kalashnikovs but more importantly rocket launchers, with explosives specifically made for taking out the first line of defence towers. Connors had left nothing to chance.
"This is defence buster one, we check." Corporal Johnson replied through his radio.
"This is defence buster two, we check." Stafford replied shortly after.
Perry nodded to himself, crossed himself with his left hand and muttered a silent prayer before focussing on the T-500 beside him. "Alright Bob, you guys are up."
"Wait for us, if anything goes wrong, the distraction forces will immediately start their attack." Bob replied as he looked to Perry.
Perry wordlessly acknowledged him. Bob marched onwards with several T-500s behind him, each carrying the standard munitions of their series, a large steel backpack of ammunition and a modified S.A.W machine gun in addition to hiding high density explosives that'd been mixed with thermite, the idea was to blow and burn a hole through the enemy defensive walls. It'd taken a few weeks to gather enough explosive material and the thermite which had been given to them by John-Henry.
Upon being detected the facility A.I requested security codes which the T-500s and Bob gave. Being a "dumb" A.I the machine accepted the codes which were accepted as the A.I allowed the machines past the tower defences.
The machines were not ordered to run or move faster than marching pace, doing so would tip off even the dumb A.I to the subterfuge.
The tension grew thicker with each passing second as the T-500s continued their march, at their current speed they had a lot of ground to cover. Perry swallowed the growing lump in his mouth thinking back to what John has said.
"We have one shot to pull this off, if it goes wrong Skynet will learn of the tactic and increase security, it'll do so even if we succeed. For now, the facility A.I should only ask for security codes and little else, if not Bob here has calculated numerous responses that should keep our machines from being wasted. The main problem will be if Skynet itself gets curious and looks to take control of the T-500s. We need to be as inconspicuous and boring as possible."
So far the T-500s passed for boring, just a few older machines marching to a prison area. Nothing to worry about, nothing to see here. Just minding their own business.
If only Perry could convince himself it would be that easy. But so far everything was going according to plan, but things rarely went that way for long.
The squad approached the wall that faced towards the Resistance's position, it needed to be destroyed for a greater chance at mission success. Discreetly Bob removed his explosive charge from its hidden position on the ammunition container on his back, placed it on the wall and armed it, then sent the order for another T-500 to do the same on the far-right side of the wall.
A soldier with binoculars watched as the first two T-500s placed a bomb on the wall facing towards them, one on the right while another was planted several metres to the left giving the explosives good coverage.
The infiltration squad continued to the Prison entrance where a pair of T-600s were guarding the entrance each equipped strangely with an FN F2000 with an extra thick and very long magazine sticking out from the modified magazine well. The gate opened automatically. So far nothing was amiss. The dumb A.I once more asked for security codes which were given.
The T-500s scanned the complex, large defensive weapons mounted on top of the walls mainly used for defending the factory. Up ahead was a large complex used to house the Prison's dumb A.I module among others thing including an armoury at least that's what they'd learned from the Palmdale CPUs. The situation was bad, the far wall had people near it. Bob thought fast, while the Skynet machines were scanning the area, Bob order two machine to place their bombs on the rightward fence that kept another gathering of humans captured. There were two more locations they needed to strategically place their bombs, two on the defensive guns and one each on the last two pens.
The only problem was to get the humans away from the walls and fences when it came time to destroy them. But Bob had another idea as well. If he could destroy the A.I he could aid in masking the events that happened here, the plan could work again, it could delay Skynet. He paused and scanned the prison again; two more bombs had been planted. The Terminator sent a message to the two of the three bomb carriers to plant their explosives on the defence towers, while the rest would follow him inside the complex.
Inside the intelligent terminator found lights, and heating to make the area suitable if not even comfortable for humans. Why? Additionally there were cameras high up on the walls. For the A.I and Skynet to watch every corner they could? Likely.
"Hey!" Suddenly came a man's voice. "Hold it."
The machines paused; Bob turned his head towards the voice. It was indeed a human, a human in a plain white shirt, dress pants and shoes. He was marching up to them with no fear staring straight at them. Upon closer inspection the man didn't appear injured, he looked well fed. Bob quickly calculated this man was likely a Grey, a traitor.
"What're you doing?" he ordered as he came to stop in front of them.
"Ammunition restore." Bob replied immediately.
"Give the empty packs to the others and send them to the armoury. I need two of you." The man ordered.
This could prove beneficial. Bob shrugged off his pack ordered the T-500 next to him to do the same and for the other two to take the packs. Their mission was to locate the armoury and await for further instructions. The T-500's wordlessly acknowledged their commander and did as instructed. Bob and one other T-500 then followed the traitor back out the way they'd just come and towards the pens. Bob noted two more of his T-500s had completed their tasks of deploying their explosives on the far defence towers he instructed them to follow the others inside.
The Grey led the machine pair to a pen gate which opened automatically.
"Well, well, well, Delilah." The man announced loudly as they marched through the pen, the human prisoners parting like the red sea before him. His eyes focussed on a woman in rags, malnourished, tired, beaten, bruised possibly in the mid-30s with long dirty blonde hair. The woman glared at him as she tried to comfort a small child. "It's time for another session." He said in a lustful tone, Bob glanced at him noting his salacious grin.
"Fuck you." Delilah growled weakly.
"Exactly. Grab her." The man instructed.
Bob stepped forward; this was working better than he could've predicted. Delilah got up and raised her hands in a defensive manner. Bob reached for her only for her to try and backhand his reaching arm out of the way, bruising her knuckles in the process then attempted to shove him back. Bob grabbed her arms and held her aloft by her arms. Around her the people stared on, scared but unwilling and unable to help. As a last form of resistance, she spat at Bob's optic.
"Fuck you." She muttered.
"How about you soften her up juuuuust a little bit for me before I have my fun?" the Grey ordered.
Bob threw her to the floor watching her crumble weakly into a pile. Bob stepped closer, kneeling down and put his hand around her throat, gently.
"Leave her alone!" the child Delilah had been caring for screamed. There were gasps from the people who attempted to stop the child but it was too late the child rushed to Bob and proceeded to strike him. Bob sat up reached around, grabbing the child by their tattered shirt and pulled them down to the ground next to Delilah.
"No! Let her go! She's a kid!" Delilah grimaced through her teeth. "Fucking robot, fine I'll go! I'll go!" she screamed.
Bob had taken the second he had from grabbing the child, a young girl to look to the grey, he was a distance from them. Perfect. Bob focussed on Delilah and the girl.
"The Resistance is coming today." He said, keeping his volume low. Delilah was about to respond before Bob covered her mouth. "The Resistance is coming today, keep away from the fences, tell the others."
Delilah's eyes betrayed her confusion as did the girl's.
Bob let go of the child and pulled Delilah to her feet.
"Let's go, we have one other thing to grab." The Grey announced before they walked out of the pen.
The girl followed their movements before the others crowded around her.
"Allison, are you okay?" a woman asked.
The girl blinked and looked to the others. "The robot said the Resistance is coming today and to keep away from the fences."
The others looked to one another curiously, talking amongst themselves, why would a robot say that? What Resistance? Soldiers? Were they about to be rescued?
As they made their way to the far pen, next to the large wall Bob received a message from the other T-500s. They'd located the armoury, awaiting further orders. Bob requested their inventory check. Skynet FN F2000s, Skynet S. , T-600 issued miniguns, automatic grenade launchers, modified M203 grenade launchers. All with plenty of munitions for each weapon. Bob instructed them to remove their current armaments and reload with the miniguns and grab the grenade launchers, in addition for extra for himself and the other T-500. They confirmed orders.
They entered the other pen.
"Alright where is he?" the grey grumbled and looked around before looking to one of the prisoners. "Where's Dolton?!" he snapped.
The prisoner pointed wearily to the far side of the pen. The grey marched towards where the prisoner pointed followed by the two T-500s and Delilah.
"The wall is rigged with explosives." Bob said quietly into Delilah's ear. "They need to move away from the wall, tell them quietly." He instructed. The woman looked at the terminator unsure of it, but this wasn't usual behaviour for the machines. "This is a rescue mission." He added his red optics turned to look at her.
The four of them came upon a man in the corner, tall, with a long unruly hair and dark brown beard.
"You fuck!" The grey suddenly shouted. "Grab him!" he ordered.
Follow his commands, be careful; Bob ordered the T-500.
The machine marched forward grabbing the man, he didn't put up a fight. The grey stepped closer and the two started to talk quietly, asking for any rumours.
"Dolton is a traitor." Bob said quietly to the woman in his grasp. "The others must be warned, break free and spread the message, quickly."
Delilah glanced to the machine who nodded. With a yell Delilah feigned breaking free and rushed off towards the crowd.
"Grab her!" The grey shouted and Bob immediately went after her.
"The Resistance is coming, keep away from the wall, Dolton is a traitor. Just keep away from the wall!" Delilah announced quickly to the others. "Keep away from the wall, it's going to explode." He said before Bob grabbed her and pulled her away.
The others looked to one another confused, then looked to the woman being carted away back to their warden.
"I told them." She whispered through grit teeth.
"Now we wait, I must give the Resistance the signal." Bob replied.
Delilah had been here for so many years, had started to believe she would die here, be the Warden's whore till he was bored of her, but this here now, was this their last chance to hope. The robots weren't this chatty, they had no reason to be, speaking only to give orders. This Resistance whoever they were, were they the real deal?
"Who do you work for?" she asked quietly as they approached the Warden who had resumed talking to Dolton.
"John Connor." Came Bob's reply.
John Connor, she'd remember that.
Minutes later and the traitor, Delilah and the two T-500s were back inside the facility. Security wasn't as tight, there were a few T-600s and T-100s in the area, but fewer than expected.
The grey led them to a room deeper inside the facility, it seemed to be where he slept, but this wasn't the only bedroom, that could only mean one thing: more traitors. If Bob were human his hands would've clenched in rage.
The grey picked up a pistol. A simple Glock 9mm and gave it to the other T-500. "Hold this in case she gets uppity, you push her to the bed."
The T-500 took the weapon and Bob forced Delilah towards his bed.
"Orders received from local A.I. Protect main computer terminal." Bob announced.
"What?" the man spat. "Well have one of the others go."
"Location not given by local A.I." Bob replied immediately.
The man rolled his eyes. "Fucking stupid fucking." He growled. "It's in section 3A."
That didn't help, if he were a Skynet machine he'd have the information. He sent information to the other T-500s for bomb holder to locate section 3A and place the bomb. Bob forced Delilah onto the bed.
"I know where it is." Delilah growled. "I've hidden there before."
"I know my sweet," The grey said with his tone dripping with venomous honey, "I found you remember?"
Bob immediately sent orders for his forces to stop. He knew what the woman was doing. The Grey moved in close, lifting the ragged shirt that covered her rear revealing her bare backside.
Delilah looked to the T-500, a look of understanding crossed between the two.
Before the Grey knew what was happening, a metallic hand slammed down heavily onto the back of his head, cracking open his skull with the force of a sledgehammer, his body went limp immediately.
"Show us." Bob ordered.
The T-500s regrouped with Delilah, Bob equipped a stolen automatic 40mm grenade launcher and slung the ammunition container on his back, while Delilah had taken the Grey's pants and shoes, the Glock pistol holstered by the small of her back, they were however a loose fit from her malnourishment and the pistol was threatening to slip down her leg ware, regardless she lead the machines through the facility being mindful of the cameras stopping when they came to a door.
"It's through here." Delilah eventually said, "But you guys won't get in the new ones are guarding the place. I can sneak in through the vents. I did before." She muttered weakly.
Bob took the bomb from the other T-500s and gave it to Delilah.
"You must get in, place the bomb on the main computer then return to us." Bob instructed her quietly. "The longer you take the more the mission could fail."
"Got it." She replied then released a long exhale. A T-500 stepped closer to a vent cover and pulled it from its frame. "Here goes everything." She muttered then crawled through.
The Resistance had been waiting quietly, patiently, but even they had their limits. Captain Perry and the others waited with bated breath, they should've been out by now, this was taking too long, something must've gone wrong!
"Damn it where are they?" Perry grumbled. The rifle in his hands was growing heavy. Everyone's nerves were just about shot. They needed action, not wanted, needed. The had to get the mission going, with all the Skynet activity in the area it was only a matter of time before they get spotted.
"Someone find a metal and get it to ask Bob what the fuck it's doing." Perry growled out his command quietly.
"You got it big guy." The newly made private Yates, the ex-corporal from Ashdown's military, saluted before moving quietly amongst the ruins of the city.
"Sir this is bullshit." Another private commented. "Using the metal is a bad idea, we should've just blown the defences and rode our way there blasting anything metal."
"Oh yeah great idea kid, and get half of our men blown to smithereens before they even got half way there, filter civilians out of the prison through the entrance while under heavy fire likely killing the rest of us." Perry snapped back glaring at the man. "Connor, myself and the lieutenants put this plan together, trust us."
"I still think this is bullshit." The private snapped back with a shake of his head.
"It's just pre battle jitters kid, once the ball starts rolling you'll feel a whole lot better." Perry joked with a smirk.
"That or dead." The private muttered in reply.
Shortly Yates returned. "Sir, message received, the machine said to give it more time, the situation has developed."
Perry cursed under his breath, "Alright, we keep waiting, stick to the plan, but he better hurry up."
Bob and the T-500s awaited near the vent, thankfully there were no cameras in the area. But time was short. Noise came from the vent the machines turning to look watching as the thin dirtied woman pulled herself free of the vent.
"Alright I placed the bomb. Now what happens?" She asked as she got back to her feet.
"Now you must return to the other humans, we will leave and I will give the signal, ensure everyone is away from the fence. The explosives are potent." Bob replied as they started to march away quickly.
Delilah could feel her heart racing. "And then we're being rescued?" she asked as her voice cracked.
"The Resistance will come with multiple armoured vehicles to pick up as many of you as they can. The terrain is against us on this mission, you will have to move fast."
The group just turned the corner when they saw a woman in a lab coat storming towards them.
"Ah! There's Andrew's little whore!" The woman snapped and glared at the Delilah. "Where the fuck is he?"
'Stuffed in his cupboard.' Delilah thought. "Back in 3A," she replied with a scowl.
Bob scanned around the area looking for any cameras. None, good. There was a high probability this was another traitor given the state of her wellbeing. She couldn't be allowed to live.
"Shirking his duties for some useless ass." The woman scoffed with a shake of her head. "Maybe I should just have these machines get rid of you, teach him a lesson."
The two women glared at one another, Delilah was taller, but the other woman was in much better health. The traitor looked to the T-500s. "Kill her."
Bob reached out and grabbed the woman by her throat, another T-500 stepped forward, free arm raised and brought it down on top of the woman's head, cracking her skull, the machine raised its hand once more and slammed it down, with the second strike the woman went limp and Bob casually threw her aside her body hitting the floor a few feet away. "We need to go before she is discovered, the A.I may take note of the traitors' absence." He warned and they quickly moved along once more.
With no further interruptions Delilah was sent back to her pen where she was greeted by the others quickly she reinstated her warning quietly and they kept away from the steel fences. The T-500s quickly marched out of the camp, Bob noted people on their right kept away from the wall. Perfect.
Back along the city line where the majority of John Connor's forces waited with bated breath, fingers twitching near triggers, a soldier with binoculars caught what would be a relieving sight. T-500s were exiting the prison and were making an immediate b-line towards them.
"Sir this could be it." The soldier announced to Perry.
"Thank god." He muttered with relief.
A few blocks away dozens upon dozens of old model terminator received message from their commanding unit. ATTACK THE FACTORY. DESTROY SKYNET FORCES.
As one the old models started to march. Pre-war T-1s and T-70s, T-100s and T-200s, T-400s and Spider units all converged towards the factory.
The dumb A.I sent a request for the scores of machines for the security code, which like with Bob and the T-500s were given. The facility's A.I asked for no more allowing the machines to further converge on the area.
The trigger holder for the explosives waited anxiously, looking towards the facility then back to Captain Perry awaiting his command.
The first reprogrammed Terminator, a pre-war model T-70 got within firing range, it's arm-weapon mounted targeting laser came online as it levelled its weapon to the nearest enemy; a T-600 and opened fire, heavy 7.62NATO rounds pounded against the strong titanium armour of the new machine which turned its focus to the attacker, sending out a distress signal to all other units before returning fire.
Within seconds the facility was on alert defensive weapons coming online and turning towards the attacking forces.
"NOW!" Perry yelled.
A trigger was pulled and what followed was nothing short of a cacophony of explosives the far steel wall of the prison exploded and super-heated thermite ate away at the steel structure like fire to paper the sound was deafening the shockwaves sent prisoners falling to the ground. The facility A.I was destroyed before it understood what had happened. Defensive gun towers collapsed falling against the factory's structure.
Immediately following that Palmdale squads rose up to one knee on the roofs of buildings, rocket launchers aimed towards the nearest defence towers and fired at the automated guns, rockets hurtling forth with specialised high explosives. Within seconds the projectiles slammed into the gun placements and exploded spectacularly destroying the guns absolutely.
The distraction forces were able to move further towards the factory, a few older T-70s and T-1s having been destroyed already but the war-models marched onwards firing at anything that wasn't them, a maelstrom of ballistic and explosive munitions soared back and forth across the battlefield between Skynet and Resistance machines.
The facility would be dead for a short time before Skynet would take control, the Resistance took use of that time. A horde of armoured vehicles tore across the gravel leaving the city's end and straight towards the prison facility.
Gunners took their position behind miniguns and 50 calibre machineguns as the vehicles rapidly approached. A 50cal gunner in a car swung his weapon around on its mount and targeted the first sighted enemy; a T-600 carrying an FN F2000, the man immediately opened fire spewing hot death at the machine. From behind the smaller vehicle came two long armoured school busses, one equipped with a large battering ram at the front which was used to effectively demolish the entry way of the prison. All Skynet units immediately targeted the hostile forces; miniguns and assault rifles unleashing a torrent of munitions. Resistance soldiers poured out the opposite side of the bus taking up positions and fired at enemy troops.
One soldier, a corporal broke from cover and rushed into the prison towards the civilians.
"COME ON! GET ON THE BUSSES! MOVE IT! MOVE IT! GO! MOVE!" He yelled continuously as the other bus pulled up beside the first. The gunners in both firing from their higher vantage point at enemy units.
Unseen by the Resistance fighters, roof panel separated and pulled away from one another allowing the large Aerial machine inside to take flight. Powerful turbines came to life creating a familiar threatening dull roar and enough thrust to push the large machine from the ground and rapidly elevated it into the air. Skynet had taken notice of the offensive and was immediate to counterattack.
"AERIAL!" Yelled multiple soldiers as they heard its turbines.
"GET THE FIFTIES ON IT!" Ian Miles shouted as he pointed at the machine as it appeared over the facility.
Several 50calibre Brownings and a single 50cal minigun, taken from a T-300, were turned towards the aerial machine and unleashed a barrage of heavy ordinance at the flying machine.
One by one the T-600s and T-100s fell to Resistance fire, soldiers moved from cover towards the prison and the swarms of prisoners rushed towards them herd the masses into the busses, into truck and large jeeps, trying to fill as much space inside the vehicles as they could. The roar of the Hunter-Killer as it ascended into the air pulled fear from ever soldier in the vicinity. They had to destroy the machine before it could derail their whole operation.
Bob watched as a T-600 dropped to the floor its chassis blown open by a burst of 40mm munitions from his weapon. The time travelled machine turned his focus to the threat of the Hunter-Killer as it rose while being blasted by multiple 50calibre weapons. He paused momentarily quickly gathering the information he could on their allied machines. All T-70s had been destroyed as had the T-1s, which was unsurprising, 70% of T-100s were destroyed with 21% damaged but stable while the rest were undamaged, 63% of T-400s had been destroyed, a further 20% were damaged but functional, the rest were undamaged, 30% of the Spider units had been lost with the rest damaged but functional and the few T-200s they had were still up and running. All machines were still engaging the heavy amount of Skynet machines in the area, though many had been destroyed, one of the gun placements had been destroyed, a barrage 40mm grenades and 50cal munitions from the T-200s had eventually caused one to be destroyed, while the other still fired. Bob sent a command to the T-200s to pull back from the main force and redirect their fire to the large airborne Hunter-Killer which the machines did immediately.
Skynet acknowledged the ruthlessness of the Resistance and their capabilities. The others had warned it of John Connor and the threat he posed, it had acknowledged his capabilities as a soldier and a leader when he had overtaken Barstow and Victorville but this was a whole other level, this cemented in its vast mind the threat of John Connor. It was excellent however that it had something prepared in case of attack.
Delilah had grabbed Allison, the young girl she'd been taking care of once all the commotion had started, she couldn't believe it, it was actually happening, they were going to be free. Seeing that bus turned bulldozer smash through entrance of the prison colliding with a new model guard sending the thing sprawling across the ground had been a thing of beauty. A soldier popped out of the roof grabbing the large gun and started firing at the remaining guards. A car pulled up, another bus, many large vehicles each with soldiers and guns. It was like some old action movie. At last someone had come for them, after so many years!
A soldier had run forward and ordered them onto the bus but he needn't have bothered, they'd all started to run for the soldiers and their convoy like the devil himself was chasing them. She and Allison boarded the bulldozer bus, thanking the soldiers inside profusely. They were all packed in tightly, uncomfortably so, all of them squashed together like sardines but it didn't matter now, a short period of dismissible discomfort with the prospect of freedom in the future. She watched through gaps in the armour plating as a few soldiers were struck down, injured or dead she didn't know, but the rest of them continued to fight till all the guards were destroyed
A soldier banged on the side of a bus by the driver. "Alright you're full up let's go!"
The driver drove on ahead and started to turn the vehicle around, up ahead she saw so many more soldiers pouring out from Palmdale firing at the robots. Part way there she recognised the squad of older robots that had started the whole rescue, she was sure it was them, soldiers ran around them without firing as they fired at other robots. That's when the far wall of the prison/factory started to open and death itself rolled out.
Lieutenant Ian Miles regrouped with his designated squad on the battlefield, the convoy was starting to pull away from the prison, those who weren't in vehicles were being led to the city on foot by soldiers, he heard yelling, screams of fear, cried of joy, gunfire still erupting from the factory, he didn't know what had become of the distraction squad, but the machines had done their work. He turned seeing what was likely Bob and his other T-500s running, in the awkward manner T-500s could, towards the city, from the corner of his eye he witnessed a single rocket fire from a roof top on the city's edge and heard it explode against the Hunter-Killer. A high-pitched whine came from the sky as the aerial machine spun out of control with right turbine smashed, the aerial machine's armour having been weakened by the relentless barrage of 50BMG, the Aerial smashed through the final gun placement before crashing down somewhere unseen, the thing hadn't had chance to fire its 20mm cannon before the weapon had been damaged or destroyed by Resistance fire. The first part of the mission was done, now they just had to blast through a Skynet filled city and get them back to Resistance territory. Suddenly a deep metallic groan caught his attention. Turning to face it he saw what they had thought was a wall separate into two parts as the large door opened revealing a familiar designed machine only several times larger.
'Oh my god.' Was all he could think, before looking to his men. "RETREAT FALL BACK TO THE CITY!" he yelled and started to run back to Palmdale.
Pushing forward on treads that alone were bigger than any pre-war tank, this colossal sized machine turned its front positioned head towards the gathering of Resistance forces. Two "arms" on either side of its large chassis each held a single 30mm autocannon which the machine unleashed upon its foes smearing the floor red with those unfortunate enough to be caught in its fire. The gargantuan death machine rolled out of the factory; its head scanning left to right with guns that followed its gaze. The whole machine turned to its right following the retreating Resistance forces and once more unleashed a relentless storm of fire. Heavy 30mm rounds pounded into the ground like meteors and those within proximity could feel the shockwave from the sheer power each round emitted. The machine rolled forward its sheer size making up for its slow speed, its 30mm cannons swivelled from left to right and back again firing in rapid continuous bursts.
One of the busses swerved, barely avoiding the barrage of gunfire from the hulking menace, two of the jeeps and three cars weren't so lucky and reduced to scrap metal within a split second, there was no hope for those who were inside.
The remaining gunners on the convoy weren't giving up without a fight, all their weapons trained of the behemoth and firing any munitions they had remaining at it, aiming specifically for its head and its cannons.
Along the city's edge Captain Perry called a retreat knowing their rifles were useless against the metal monstrosity and they had no rockets left. Hundreds of soldiers rushed deeper into the city as the first vehicle of the convoy managed to enter the city's limits, any soldier left on the long empty space between the city's edge and the prison were now on their own, they'd been informed as such and selflessly they'd agreed wholeheartedly.
"We need to try and lure the tank to the ambush point!" Perry shouted as the Resistance fell back.
As they fled back the skies once again roared with a familiar sound. Additional aerial HKs were on their way all the while the tank continued towards the city unabated, its large guns fired from left to right and back leaving a trail of death in its wake. Busses, cars and trucks continued to swerve, stop suddenly then immediately drive onwards, anything the driver could pull off to avoid being caught in the machine's fire.
One car was still on the battlefield, driving around erratically, avoiding the tank's fire while the gunner continued to fire their 50-Browning.
"We need to get out of here! We're nearly out of ammo!" The gunner shouted to the driver.
"We've got to stop that thing!" The driver shouted back steering the car around.
Gunfire broke out from within the city, Skynet forces likely having encountered the fleeing Resistance soldiers. Up above the aerial units were finally in range, many trailing the convoy and firing their 20mm cannons at the fleeing vehicles, all the while they tried to avoid the metal goliath. The whole operation was in jeopardy. Across the flat plains surviving soldiers aided civilians towards the city, a group of allied T-500s were running as fast as their servos could allow in the same direction.
The car tore back down the road and towards the city, far from the tank as the hulking machine made it to the city limits. The car's occupants prayed the buildings would give the convoy some cover from the tank while they dealt with the aerials, to their horror the tank simply drove over the smaller vehicles, crushing them under its mass.
The small armoured four-seater drove down the empty streets, swerving down different roads, the top of the tank always in view as it towered over them. Quickly enough they passed by the tank, using the buildings as cover from the machine.
Further and further away they drove from the tank, trying to reach towards the city's opposite side, they could hear the gunfire much closer now.
"How the fuck does anyone expect us to deal with that thing?!" The gunner shouted as he glanced back to the tank from over his shoulder. "It makes the T-300 look like a fucking toy!" The driver slammed on the brakes, the gunner holding on for his life. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" the gunner kicked at the driver's seat.
"You're right!" The drive shouted back. "It is an overgrown T-300." The driver started the car again swerving the vehicle around.
"Whoa! Hey! The fuck are you doing?!" The gunner kicked the driver's seat again.
"We need to take that thing out! One way or another!" The driver snapped back.
"AND HOW THE FUCK DO YOU EXPECT US TO DO THAT WITH A FIFTY?!" The gunner cried out.
"TRUST ME!" the driver shouted back.
Else where in the city most of the Resistance forces had retreated trying use building for cover but still pushing south, the tank would not stop, didn't need to stop, its weapons fired on and on, seemingly without end, another jeep had been destroyed. A human cried erupted from within, still alive if only barely, but rescue was impossible, and the tank crushed the jeep and the survivor under its treads.
Bravo squad set off one set of explosives that lay across a city street destroying a large squad of T-600s and Spider units, aiding their allies with covering fire to fall back and allowing the convoy to continued onwards, an armoured bus smashing through the destroyed Skynet force. However, one look at the tank drained the colour from Bravo's faces as the massive machine rolled towards them.
Jackson and her team ran to the west side of the building they were hunkered down in to avoid the giant machine.
"How the actual FUCK are we supposed to deal with that thing?!" Michael Zander, Bravo's youngest member, snapped in panic, sweat pouring down in face.
"No fucking idea. But there's got to be a way that thing is tearing us apart." Private Murphy, the sniper, quickly retorted.
Sergeant Jackson stood between the pair of them, glaring at them. "Alright calm down! There's got to be …" suddenly she was interrupted by their terminator.
"Allied vehicle on approach." Unit 986 announced.
Jackson looked to the T-500 then rushed out the far door seeing the car hurtling down the street. Stepping out she waved the car down, stepping back as it slowed down beside them, Bravo team at her back.
"Where the hell are you guys going?" Jackson shouted over the tank's gunfire.
"That's what I'd like to fucking know!" the gunner yelled back.
"The Tank! It's an overgrown T-300!" The driver yelled out, the tank drawing further and further away.
"We fucking noticed man!" Zander snapped back.
"T-300 tactics still count!" The driver yelled, everyone looked at him. "Just going to take a bigger boom and guns!"
The silence between them almost drowned out the tank as it drove by and the gunfire that came from its cannons.
"Alright, pipe bombs! Explosives! Everything and anything!" Jackson suddenly ordered her hands out in waiting. Bravo team removed their explosive ordinance, a mix of homemade pipe bombs and scavenged C4 explosives and gave it to Jackson who pushed it to the machine. "Hold this!" she ordered. 986 dropped its weapon and held the explosives in its hands. "Some give the metal a belt! Robot tie the explosives together, wicks too!" she snapped then turned to the car. "You got much ammo left in that 50?"
The gunner checked the steel container by his side then looked back to Jackson. "We've got enough!"
"We'll try and take out one of its treads!" She yelled. "You guys circle around it and fire away at anything that look important!"
"Yes ma'am!" the driver saluted.
"But only when we give you the signal!" Jackson snapped.
"Pretty sure we'll figure out the signal!" The gunner replied.
"Task complete." The machine announced automatically holding out various pipe bombs and C4 tied together with the tips wicks of the bombs tied together as one.
"Cammy you got any 40s left?" Jackson asked.
The young Latina grinned viciously and swung her M79 grenade launcher into her hands. "I got a good amount!"
"I need someone to light the explosives and throw the bomb under the tanks treads!" Jackson ordered.
Private Catherine Luna grabbed the explosives from the T-500. "I'm the fastest runner I'll do it."
Suddenly Zander grabbed the explosives, a sheepish fearful look on his face. "N-no, I'm the fastest, I … I'll do it." He stammered in fright. He noticed the others looking ready to argue. "N-no! There's no time to argue. I do this now or … or we're f-fucked! So just give me a lighter."
Wordlessly Jackson reached into her back pocket and gave the boy her lighter. "You sure kid?"
"Just make sure you guys are ready, okay?" he swallowed the lump in his throat as he took the lighter and pocketed it. He gave Luna his rifle, turned and rushed down the street as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Alright you heard him we need to get ready!" Jackson snapped. "Douglas you take Camilla, Murphy and the metal get to the opposite side of the street, when Zander blows that thing's tracks I want you to do the same to the other! We need that thing stopped dead!"
Douglas saluted. Camilla held her launcher at the ready, 986 picked up its weapon. The four of them moved back through the building, then manoeuvred across the street and into the far buildings.
"The rest of us stay at the back of the tank." She looked to the rest of her squad then to the car. "You two get going, we got one shot at this!"
The car drove off and the rest of Bravo rush back into the cover of the buildings.
Private Michael Zander was scared. He was usually scared. His family was gone, this had been before John Connor's forces had moved south near L.A., killed not by machines but by scavengers, they'd been beaten, his mother had been raped in front of him while his father had his throat slit and his older brother was shot, he'd run back then because he was a coward because he was scared, That had been only a few years back, he was only thirteen now and his fourteenth birthday was in a few months, a part of him wondered if he'd live to see it. He'd wanted to be strong back then, perhaps he'd have made a difference, thinking if he joined the Resistance they'd make him tougher, braver, the only person who knew his past was Sergeant Jackson, she'd spoken to him a few nights into their occupying of Palmdale, it'd slipped out, accidentally he'd spilled his past to her and she'd held him and let him cry, he wasn't braver, he wasn't strong not yet at least, he was still scared and he was still running, but now he ran to save his new family, he ran to kill a monster.
Keen running. Keep going. Faster. Faster! The young boy's legs started to ache, he could feel the burning inside his muscles, but he couldn't stop now, he knew he couldn't.
Zander could see tank much closer now. The large, slow machine still firing away its enemies unseen by him. Keeping close to the buildings he finally managed to run past the tank.
Keep going! Keep running! You can make it! Go. Go. GO!
Zander felt tears trickle from his eyes, his limbs burned so hot from exhaustion, but he was so close now! He pulled from the reserves of his strength and rushed onwards.
Light the bomb! Light the damn bomb! Went through his mind. He reached into his back pocket, almost dropping the bomb, and pulled out Jackson's lighter. Flicking open the zippo and rolled his thumb over the wheel sparking the wick. He put the bomb's conjoined wick to the flame and waited till the flame took hold, lighting the wick's tip he kept his focus up ahead till he noticed at the intersection of the streets one of the busses having been tipped over onto its side. A large portion of back of the vehicle having been blown away. Resistance fighters were pulling themselves and civilians out of the bus.
If he failed, they'd all die.
"FUCK!" Zander cried out in pain and dashed between the buildings between the tank and the bus wreckage. The wick burning lower, the conjoined section of the wick having burnt down leaving only the short individual lengths left. Zander dashed out into the open, his eyes falling upon the goliath, its small head lowering its gaze towards him as the boy pulled back his arm and threw the bomb at the tank's treads. The tank took aim just as Zander dived back behind the building. The tank rolled over the bomb. A tense few seconds passed before the bomb detonated. 14 pipe bombs strapped together with a slab of C4 explosive detonated under the tank's left track destroying several segments of steel and blowing apart the wheels, the tank lurched to a stop, its forward momentum lost, the right tread continued to move which caused the machine to start turning.
Zander felt the shockwave of the explosive and the heavy crash as parts of the tank hit the floor. The young boy forced himself to his feet and ran away further back from the tank and rushed towards the crash site.
"RUN! GO! RUN!" The boy yelled.
"Did you fucking see that?"
"Did you hear that!?"
Murmurs of soldiers and civilians hit the boys ears before one soldier pointed at him.
"He disabled the tank!"
"You got to keep going!" Zander called out before collapsing to his knees and gasping for breath.
"Come on kid, you're coming with us!" The soldier rushed to him.
"No! I can't! My squad is behind me!" he panted out quickly in response. "We're destroying that thing!"
The soldiers paused and looked to the tank, though disabled the machine turned its head and its guns in their direction.
"Get the civilians out of here, that's your job! We'll deal with the tank! That's ours!" Zander panted out.
"Good luck kid." The soldier nodded with respect before he and the rest rushed further south of Palmdale taking the civilians with them.
Unit 986 took the lead amongst its companions, the machine rushing forward in its awkward manner as it and the others caught up with the tank. They all heard the might explosion. Camilla could only laugh.
"DID YOU FUCKING HEAR THAT!" She shouted with glee as she ran. "That's fucking music to my ears!"
"Celebrate when we take that thing down!" Corporal Douglas shouted back at her, but he couldn't hide his own grin.
The T-500 smashed through a closed door and then another as the group went from building to building. The once more they heard the Tank's 30mm guns firing once more.
"Shit! Maybe it wasn't enough!" Murphy shouted.
"Negative. Large hunter-killer unit disabled. Not destroyed." The T-500 rattled off immediately as its optics focussed on the damaged machine, firing wildly at the buildings.
"Camilla launch all you fucking got at those treads you got me?!" Douglas ordered as they came out from their cover, the T-500 scanning the streets and skyline for hostiles.
The group approached the tank from the rear, keeping to the machine's right.
"Where the fuck is Mike?!" Murphy yelled out in panic.
"We'll find him! Don't worry!" Douglas shouted back. "Camilla fire at will!"
Camilla Vasquez shoulder her M79 launcher and fired a 40mm grenade at the Tank's remaining treads. Before the explosive even detonated Camilla was already reloading her weapon and preparing to fire another shot. Detecting that it was under fire, the machine put its remaining tread in reverse turning it around backwards towards the group, its head swivelled around as far as it could to locate its enemies.
"Circle it! Move around!" Douglas ordered as they ran across the street trying to keep out of the machine's gaze.
Camilla continued to fire at the machine, 40mm round detonating against the steel tracks.
The made it to the other side, using the building as cover. "We need to distract it, get it to turn back around." Murphy cursed.
Douglas frown then looked at the T-500. "Robot you and me and going to circle around it, shoot it from behind and get its attention. Camilla when it turns to us I want you to keep blasting it, got it? Murphy you keep her covered in case more Skynet shows up."
Plan set Corporal Douglas and 986 ran beside the buildings next to the tank.
"Private Michael Zander located." The terminator announced as the boy came stumbling towards them.
"Damn fucking good job with that bomb private!" Douglas said with glee and patted the boy on the shoulder, nearly toppling the exhausted kid over. "Sorry." Douglas looked back towards the tank. "You rest up, we'll finish it off!" Douglas ordered as he aided the boy to cover then ran behind the tank along side 986. "Aim for its weapons maybe we can damage them, but fire in bursts, no need to waste ammo."
"Affirmative." It replied before man and machine fired at the wounded behemoth's weaponry.
As predicted the large machine started to turn once more towards them upon detecting their presence. As its leftward gun came into sight and its head swivelling to lock onto them did the pair retreat into cover. The machine scanned the road its CPU requesting immediate assistance and repair from Skynet command when another 40mm grenade detonated against its right track system.
Douglas and 986 stepped back out once the tank started to turn towards Camilla and Murphy.
"Aerial drones incoming." The machine declared.
"CAMILLA, MURPHY BACK INSIDE! TAKE COVER!" Douglas tried to shout over the sound of the tank as the pair once more fired at the tank aiming for the machine's weapons.
The tank continued to turn towards its two rear offenders, prioritising them as the superior threat due to their explosive ordinance, its front mounted head swivelled right, attempting to lock its optics while its guns swivelled into position, the pair were already dashing towards cover when it fired. Heavy 30mm rounds pounded into the ground and through the building they used as cover tearing the brick work apart like tissue paper all the while ignoring the small calibre rounds pinging against its frame and armaments.
Fast moving aerial units were inbound to the tank's position. Skynet was already sending additional reinforcements to the tank's location. The A.I took note of the Resistance' capabilities that day, somehow destroying its prison, rescuing the cattle, and now highly damaging one of its heavy assault ground units. Connor's forces were an escalating problem.
The tank's sensors detected a rapidly approaching vehicle, a non-Skynet unit, upon detection the machine was pounded with heavier munitions. Heavy 50BMG round collided with its armoured frame. The tank's weapon swivelled into place aiming towards the car one, an explosion erupted from its right gun, shaking the weapon though causing little damage. The car turned going down an adjacent road, however the tank with its large size could still see the vehicle it's remaining tread rolled forward as it attempted to follow the much faster vehicle and fired its mighty guns.
Suddenly a warning lit up on the tank's HUD. Skynet reinforcements were under attack. Resistance force's encountered. Captured T-500s units encountered. Two units destroyed. Three …four units destroyed. Requesting reinforcements. As the messages came through something buckled along the tank's right side. Following another explosion for a 40mm grenade the tank's track unbuckled and came apart rendering the tank immovable. The car it could still see swerved to the left, the tank rotated its left gun and fired before it got out of the way, too late as the car drove past the tank's field of fire. Stunted the tank could do nothing as various gunfire erupted behind it, small munitions fire and 40mm grenades pounded against its guns.
WARNING – WEAPONRY UNDER FIRE
UNIT IMMOBILISED- REQUESTING REINFORCEMENTS
AERIAL SCOUT UNITS UNDER ATTACK – REQUESTING REINFORCEMENTS
ENEMY COMBATANTS DETECTED – UNIT UNABLE TO ATTACK – REQUESTING REINFORCEMENTS
LEFT WEAPON DAMAGED. MUNITIONS LINK DISCONNECTED.
RIGHT WEAPON UNDER FIRE. RIGHT WEAPON DAMAGED. MUNITIONS LINK DISCONNECTED.
UNIT REQUESTING REINFORCEMENTS. UNIT IMMOBILE. UNIT WEAPONS DISABLED.
AERIAL SCOUT REINFORCEMENTS LOST. REQUESTING ADDITION REINFORCEMENTS.
"That's it!" Shouted Sergeant Jackson. "Tank's disabled let get the fuck out of here!"
"FUCK YEAH!" The tank's gunner cried out with joy.
"You boys get out of here! We're returning to base." Jackson ordered as they watched the tank uselessly try to move.
"Thanks for the help! We'll let the others know the tanks down!" The driver said with a grin and thumbs up before driving off.
Bravo team themselves rushed back to cover and headed back to their outpost south of the city leaving the crippled Tank behind.
Elsewhere the convoy was still under heavy fire from the Aerial Hunter-Killers which were still hot on them, firing in repeated bursts to conserve ammunition. In retaliation the convoy's gunners continued to fire at their pursuers targeting the bright red optic on the front of the aerial units or their large thrusters. One such aerial unit had already been destroyed just outside of Palmdale just after the dreaded machine took out two jeeps, all those inside likely dead.
The bus was going as fast as it possible could, the long vehicle narrowly avoiding being shot to pieces, a few close scrapes had torn holes through the armour plating on the side, but the gunner, wielding the T-300 50cal minigun, continued to fire back at the aerial. The large machine dropped lower coming closer to its target and unleashed another barrage of fire, the bus swerved out of the way of the 20mm burst, a few rounds tearing through the back of the bus, screams erupted from within, the driver grit his teeth realigning the vehicle and drove straight on.
As the Aerial unit came in close, the gunner fired directly at the machine's red optic, his thumbs pressing on the trigger and holding as his last ditch effort to destroy the flying menace. Untold number of 50BMG round found purchase on the protected optic, destroying the bullet resistant plating and tore through the optic, blinding it. The aerial unit swerved right and left its weapon firing without end before diving down towards the bus in a suicide like tactic. The bus swerved once more narrowly avoiding the crashing Skynet machine. The gunner exhaled with a shake of his head then looked to the final remaining aerial unit, he turned his weapon and pulled the trigger once more. Nothing. His weapon was empty.
"Shit." He cursed aloud in rage before climbing down from his platform, gazing into the bus he saw a smearing of read near the back, multiple people dead. He shook his head. The guys did a bang-up job armouring the bus, but nothing could withstand the aerial's 20mm cannons. Destroying the other aerial was all up to the rest of the convoy now.
The other drivers knew they just had to get to the fallback position. It was all part of the plan. With only one aerial unit left tailing them it was now simply a race to keep out of the machine's fire, too many vehicles destroyed too many lives taken in the name of the mission.
"Convoy. Convoy, do you copy?" came a voice over the radio.
At the front of the convoy was one of the armoured busses, the radio equipment beside the driver came to life as the voice spoke. One soldier standing guard while holding on as best she could took hold of the radio as the driver turned the bus away from the Aerial's fire.
"This is convoy three, convoy one and two are down, Aerial is still on our tail!" the soldier spoke quickly in panic.
"We've got you on visual convoy, lead it to us we've got you covered." The voice replied.
Just ahead on the convoy was the industrial area that Skynet had control of not too long ago, liberated in part by Ashdown and the air force then settled in by the Resistance. On the roof of one of the larger buildings a group of soldiers watched the HK flying after their convoy.
Closer and closer the convoy got, each driver had their pedal pressed down to the metal, the convoy roared down the long dead roads. A car swerved as another burst of 20mm erupted from the machine, another car went wide trying to create more distance between the vehicles, however as before the bus and the truck were the primary targets. Another burst of fire erupted from the Aerial's rotatory cannon, another burst narrowly dodged. The smaller swifter cars on either side of the convoy continued to fire at the Aerial, aiming for the weapon or its eyes, damaging either would severely reduce their pursuer's threat.
"Keep going, you're almost within range. We got launchers and guns at the ready, just keep heading towards us." The voice over the radio spoke in a slow and calming tone.
Sweat poured down the driver's heads, down their cheeks and dripped from their chin and their jaw, the world around them started to lose focus the only thing they saw was the path ahead, the only thing that mattered was the path ahead. The roar of the aerial's thrusters, the sound of its gun, the rumble of their vehicle's engine, the voices of their fellow soldiers, the shouting of the civilians and the voice on the radio, all of it dulled to background noise then to a simple ringing in the ears. There was only the path ahead. Time became perplexing, were they moving in slow motion?
Something smacked their shoulder hard repeatedly and in an instant the world snapped back into focus.
"TURN!"
The bus driver took firm hold of wheel as spun it hard to the left. Above them a series of rockets roared passed them and exploded upon impact against the Aerial's thrusters sending the pursuer hurtling to the ground towards the bus, which finally spun out of the way shaking as they narrowly avoided being caught by the wreckage.
"This is Fallback-1 final Aerial unit is destroyed, convoy is enroute unabated, all additional checkpoints check your guns, check your surroundings." The voice on the radio spoke up.
All across the convoy, all across the Resistance there was great cheer! They'd done it! Mission accomplished! They'd exited Skynet controlled space and were now getting deep within friendly territory. But they'd lost so many men, so many civilians.
"This is Palmdale outpost 1," came a new voice from the radio, Corporal Johnson of Palmdale squad, "we got some survivors here their bus is totalled but they're okay and they got news the tank is down, I repeat the tank is down!"
No one would see it but John Connor all but collapsed back into his chair in relief, he felt the arms of his wife wrap around him from behind comfortingly. He'd been tense from the moment they'd left the weeks of planning, the weeks of preparations weren't all for nothing, the voices over Resistance radio were music to his ears, they'd done it, despite losses and setbacks they'd done it. Mission accomplished.
Hours passed by and finally the convoy reached home base; Crystal Peak. Their return through Fort Irwin was heralded with cries of success and cheers from the human guards while T-500s scanned the convoy for any threats.
The blast doors to Crystal Peak opened and the convoy drove right on in, soldiers rushed to them as they parked up.
"Thank God." One of the officers said as soldiers started to disembark their vehicles, followed by civilians.
"Connor wants food and water distributed immediately!" A soldier shouted out.
Many of the former prisoners broke down into tears, physically and mentally exhausted, many grasping at the soldiers, their saviours and muttering their thanks between their sobs. Scraps of food and water were distributed between the civilians as they were settled into large entrance of Crystal Peak given their own space to rest and eat while the returning soldiers were sent off for well-deserved meal and rest. General Connor sent medics, doctors and nurses amongst the civilians to analyse their health both physical and mental as they ate and drank. It took some time but the reports were the same; all were malnourished some worse than others all of them were suffering mentally from trauma. Connor supposed that was to be expected.
Delilah couldn't stop the tears running down her face as she the food given to her and a metal cup of water. She was free! She was free of that hell! She and Allison! Free at last. During their journey here she thought it was all for naught, that those flying robots would kill them before they got a chance to taste freedom, but once the final aerial robot was destroyed she couldn't stop that swell of relief, that feeling of hope rise in her once more. The robots stopped coming after that. They were finally home free. She didn't know where the soldiers were taking them, but it took a few hours. Not that anyone cared. And here they were now, safe after so many years they were safe!
The food wasn't great; rations at best and the water wasn't cold, but it was a taste of freedom. A woman had looked she and Allison, taken notes on paper with a pencil then moved on to the next person before walking off, along with others to a man stood at the far end of the room.
She stared at him for several minutes, more people ran up to him, saying something to him, he'd reply before things started happening. She'd noticed as they'd been resting other soldiers had refuelled the vehicles and reloaded the large weapon, now other soldiers took the convoy of vehicles and rode out of the base heading back the way they'd just came.
Suddenly the man at the end of the room stepped forward, Delilah could see him in better detail. He was a young man likely barely into his 20s if even that, with short brown hair, dressed in matching grey shirt and pants with a gun belt around his waist. He was quiet as he simply looked at them, all of them, his head turning from left to right and back again like he was searching for something or someone. Beside him was a woman a little shorter than he, about as tall as Delilah herself, she spoke to him, Delilah had no idea what she was saying but he focussed on her immediately.
Without another word the pair left the room.
"Delilah, what do we do now?" Allison asked, finishing her water and rations.
"I guess we should rest," she replied, "I'm feeling damn exhausted." Delilah lay on the ground with Allison cuddling up to her. "We're free Ally, we're finally free."
"I saw her John. I saw her." Cameron stated, barely able to contain the flow of emotions she felt, excitement, relief, joy. She and her husband were just on their way back to his office when she'd spoke up. "She was lying beside a blonde-haired woman near the middle of the group to the right."
John looked to his wife with a tender soft smile. "We found her, I knew we would. One down, two to go." He laughed briefly but he continued to smile after.
They entered his office, two T-500s standing on either side of his door.
"Any contact from Bob?" he asked as he walked towards his radio.
"Nothing yet." Cameron replied, a slight frown gracing her neutral expression.
"I'm not worried," John said, trying to convince himself more than his wife, "he'll be fine, he's a smart guy, he'll find his way back home." He lowered himself to his chair and turned on the radio, he altered the signal to his radio.
"This is John Connor to all of the Resistance." he began pausing to take a breath as he gathered his thoughts.
In the entry way a soldier turned on the radio, hushing all other communication. Delilah sat up, tired and looked towards the soldier and the radio beside him as did many other civilians.
"Today has marked a significant success for the Resistance, the liberation of the Palmdale prison facility, while the factory still stands, while Palmdale is still within Skynet's grasp it's hold is no longer so firm. Our actions, your actions today have seen to that."
Corporal Johnson bunkered down in his outpost with his personnel, other squads and some rescued civilians, the radio was on, they listened intently as an aerial unit flew overhead. Palmdale was in chaos, but John was right, Skynet's hold on the area was weaker, they had a chance.
"To those who have been liberated, know that we demand nothing in return, but know that we are not the military, we are not the government, many have called us a militia, I'll make a rendezvous point to have you picked up by them, they'll have more food, more soldiers and weapons to keep you protected, however we no … I ask that you help us. Our enemy: Skynet, will not rest till our species is extinct and only it is left to rule this world, it doesn't care about you sex, your religion, your age, anything, it only care that you're human and as such you aren't part of its future."
Lieutenant Miles and more survivors; soldiers, machines and civilians alike held up in the industrial area where the fallback squad were located, their weapons reloaded and still at the ready keeping a close eye for any more survivors. Their situation was still tense, but there was the feeling of accomplishment, victory. Their radio was on listening to Connor.
"I know you're tired, I know you've seen enough horrors to last you the rest of your lives, you never want to see another machine as long as you live, but I am asking you please help us, fight alongside us. I'm not asking you to fight for me, no. I'm asking you to fight for yourselves, to fight for your loved ones! Your children! I'm asking you to fight for those who lost their lives today. Fight in their memory, fight so their sacrifice for all humanity is not in vein, fight for your future."
Bob and several survivors stood in Palmdale Outpost 1's radio room, taking cover from Skynet. The machine watched down the road but listening to his commander.
"This is John Connor and if you're listening to this, you are the Resistance."