CH 7
After the first Judgment Day, Sky Net had battled broken militaries with it's first terminators and H/K's to great effect. Even loosing units, it had wiped human militaries clean from vast areas so it could begin building it's factories to wipe out humanity with hardly no interference. Humanity was all but stamped out by the time John Connor arrived. It's total command of all tech and communications assured it victory.
This time was different. While the human militaries did not have access to digital communications, over North America, neither did Sky Net. The satellites that provided those communications were gone. It was gaining a solid grip on Asia and Europe, but in the US, it was facing a hard fight just to beat the human military who were beginning to strike back. In a quarter of the area, the entire West Coast, Sky Net had no control whatsoever. Any unit that went there never reported back. Sky Net had only gained one more factory, and in a desperate effort to get rid of the human military, it had used the last tactical nuclear missiles to bomb the areas of heaviest resistance in the middle of the continent and in the east, followed by an immediate ground attack.
John Connor didn't arrive years after the war started this time. Even before it started, he was preparing to fight Sky Net. The loss of the Serrano nuclear plant wasn't as devastating as it would have been in the first future. Fighting hard in other parts of the continent just to win, Sky Net didn't have the resources yet to even put a significant force in the west. It would deal with that area after other area's were pacified.
That gave John Connor and his resistance even more time to build up and strengthen their forces.
John walked through the now captured Nevada storage facility that used to belong to Sky Net, briefly. The Groom Lake base, known as area 51, was a shattered mess. Buildings were blown apart, rotten corpses of men and destroyed machines, crashed planes and H/K's were everywhere. Sky Net had won this battle, but it had paid heavily to do so. Now with Derek's division of 2500 men, twenty Connorstugs, and the long line of trucks and support vehicles, with their own H/K fighters cruising the sky, John and Cameron went into the bunkers that survived and were filled with ingots of metal.
"General Connor!" a happy sounding Lt. said as he tapped his clip board. "Sir, we have more steel, copper, tin, brass and aluminum … that we know what to do with! We're talking TONS of metals in here, and this is only one bunker. There are three of these that are filled, and the fourth is a little under half full. We can make a friggin army with what's stored here!"
John cracked a grin and said, "Remind me to thank Sky Net for supplying us."
Cameron told him, "John we don't have the ability to move this much material all the way back to Weaver. We'd need thousands of trucks, and more gas than we can possibly find without a refinery and some oil wells. Even if they are converted to hydrogen, this area lacks water."
"We're using lake Tahoe as a pumping station for fuel grade water. Not enough, huh?" he asked.
"Yes, not enough. We need more electrolysis units," Cameron said.
"We always need more of something," John grumbled. "OK, not right here, but we need another factory. Underground like the others. If it's close enough we can dig tunnels back to here so we won't be seen moving material on the surface." After a pause, he said, "There should be bomb shelters here somewhere. Get a hold of Derek, have him send some men to look for them, if they aren't already. We can use those to help start building our tunnels."
Cameron nodded and motioned over the radio operator that followed them around. She had him contact Lt. General Reese.
Other than Grays they had encountered and defeated, and small units of low grade terminators, John could not believe they had yet come across a serious attempt by Sky Net to squash him. So far, they had intercepted signals from Sky Net radio towers in several locations and blew those towers up with signal following missiles. Sky Net hadn't reacted yet. It was damn peculiar. He could just see it building up for a knockout punch to them. The trouble was, he couldn't find any sign of where it might be coming from, or what it might be.
John was ready for a counter-attack. In several places he had underground bunkers that were self sufficient and housed 2000 soldiers each with the first plasma canons and 50 Connorstugs also with stronger plasma canons. Weaver was teaching her first crop of TX's, and was building another 50 made of coltan and liquid metal.
He had a weird thought. The first few months of WW2, the Germans called 'Sitzkrieg', neither side did hardly anything. Was that what they were experiencing now? Where they were, Sky Net did not have the tech advantage. Maybe that's why it was shying away from a major confrontations.
If that was the case, he had to get and keep his tech better than what Sky Net had. He had to think of things Sky Net didn't.
Cameron came back and said, "John, Derek is putting a priority on finding any bomb shelters. He also said the mountains to the west are most likely the best place to put an underground factory. I also got a message from Weaver. She's expanding her facility, and visited the San Diego naval base. It was hit with a ground burst. There are still a few ships floating, but everything there is very radioactive. Unusable to us. She wants you to approve a plan to use those ships as AI driven units to guard the coast. Once her first TX's finish their schooling, they can begin repairing and modifying those ships."
"Send back, AI ship plan approved. We need every advantage we can get," John told her.
Cameron called the radio operator over to have him pass the message back.
White flakes were falling. At first, John thought 'more fallout?' He note it was colder. Holding out his hand, he caught one of the lazily drifting flakes. It melted in his hand.
Oh great, now the had to contend with snow.
As he thought that, he realized Sky Net had to deal with it also. He pondered on how to use cold weather to his advantage.
.
"Come on Cindy, time to get up!" Claire called up to the loft bedroom Daniel had build for their new daughter. Daniel and Claire had adopted the 15 year old red head for two reasons. One, she was an orphan with no family. The other, Cameron asked them to. Cameron explained she'd been held as a sex slave and needed a family.
"Already?" Cindy whined and leaned up to look down the ladder to her room.
"Time flies when you're sleeping peacefully," Claire chided. Thankfully, Cindy was fairly healthy. Yes, she'd had some hair fall out, and she lost a tooth, but in the empty patches on her head, she had red stubble growing out. Claire wasn't sure where Cameron got the anti-radiation medicine that looked like milk she insisted Cindy drink, but Cindy was doing much better.
With a groan, Cindy hauled herself up and climbed down. "Papa here?" she asked. She called Daniel 'Papa' because she only had one 'Dad', and he was dead.
"He went to work already. We have to get going as well. Myself and Allison are ready, cereal or breakfast at the Way Point station?"
Cindy paused and said, "I'll get my card. Way Point station." Since there was no monetary system, and people just laughed at dollar bills, Sarah Connor created a card. If people volunteered and put in a full day's work, they were allowed to eat hot meals at the Way Point station and get points towards picking out things that had been salvaged and decontaminated.
One could just sit back and do nothing, they would still get their weekly rations of food, but if they needed work on their house, new clothes or anything, they had to work at something and earn points. Even the 'pickup crew' who help the caverns tidy and made sure the roads were flat and easily traveled, had a good sized crew.
That prodded almost everyone into doing jobs of some sort. Cindy helped Claire at the food distribution center. Many men decided to join the Resistance. In front of the Way point Station, the latest news of the Resistance was posted on the black board facing the road. Seeing how many families had at least one relative in the Resistance, it was a popular place.
Allison was up to toddling, and liked to walk places. Cindy held the little girl's hands and walked her to the road. A thought came to mind, Cindy asked, "I heard something, and I was wondering about it."
"What is it?" Claire asked.
Frowning a bit, she said, "Cameron is my sister now … but what is she?"
"What do you mean?" Claire asked.
"Well, I saw many people get shot after we were taken. They died right away, or were in serious pain. When Cameron came up the steps to that man's office, he shot her in the face three times. She just grabbed him and broke both his arms, like getting shot didn't even hurt. She took her mask off to talk to me, and I saw the wounds., and the shiny stuff where I think bone should have been."
To try to sum up what she knew, Claire said, "Cameron has had a very, very tough life. She's fought wars before. I don't know the details, and I don't want to, but she had herself … made into a machine. The only thing she has left of her that's human is her brain. If you want to know more, then you'll have to ask her."
"Can I have that done too?" Cindy asked.
Claire stared at her. "Why would you want that?" she asked in a gasp.
"Then no one will be able to hurt me, either. Even if they shoot me," Cindy said simply.
"No, hon, you don't want that," Claire told her firmly. "Cameron did what she did so she can save us, and everyone else. Cindy, she sacrificed herself, and even who she was, so others do not have to die or suffer what she went through. She is still suffering from what was done to her. I don't want you to go though something like that, and I know Cameron doesn't either."
Cindy nodded and watched Allison toddle along happily. "She went to that place just to save us. I want to do something for her," she said in a pout.
"I'm sure you will think of something to show her you appreciate what she did," Claire told her. "I also know that Cameron would be very disappointed if you had yourself … mutilated like she did. She did that so no one else has to."
"Cameron loves us."
Claire smirked and said, "She does. That's why she's out there, fighting Sky Net. So we'll be safe. Want to go look at the board and see what they're doing?"
"OK. Then breakfast. I'm getting hungry."
.
Fire Base Bravo started in a multi-building basement. An old factory that had buildings on both sides of a street, had tunnels between building basements. Far enough away from the bombs so it wasn't heavily radiated, the concrete buildings had their windows blown out, but didn't collapse. Steel doors remained intact. Built during the Cold War, the factory was made to withstand a nuclear blast. While the structure held, the 'modern' additions didn't. Not a single 'energy efficient' window stayed intact. The modern data cables were fried, the solar panels were blown off the roof tops, and the emergency generators tied to the PLC system tripped off line.
Martin Bedell had gathered some men and their families upon hearing John's warning. He had seen a terminator, he knew it was real. His small group had gotten underground into the basements of the old factory one of his fiends worked at. Many people had come 'just in case' he was right. J-Day came and since then, Martin had been working to gather and train people in their small network of basements interconnected with tunnels.
Another group came about three months after the bombs dropped. Captain Carter, a member of the Resistance led by John Connor, had full anti-radiation suits, decent guns and vehicles. Bedell quickly agreed to join his group with Connor's. The buildings over them were solid, so he became Commander of fire base Bravo. Air cleaners were brought in with modifications to make the complex's generators hydrogen powered and PLC controls were removed get electricity back. Two buildings had first floors that were intact.
Sarah Connor arrived to help the 346 people at fire base Bravo grow fresh, radiation free food. Since this was a factory complex, Catherine Weaver arrived to help assess what equipment was there and usable. In another two months, the residents of Bravo had clean air, food and water. While they were short on weapons, Martin was happy to hear the 'front' was in southern Oregon, mid Nevada and Arizona. The main concerns in California was rescue / repair/ and build. Martin Bedell became Major Bedell, and got a supply of large caliber riles, a few machine guns and four 'Connorstugs' to help defend his facility.
'Fire Base' Bravo became more 'manufacturing facility' Bravo. Pipe forming machines were modified to make canon barrels. The foundry made steel plate and gun breeches. Steel trucked in from Nevada was joined with coltan trucked in from southern California to produce a very resilent and heat resistant armor plate for the Connor Stugs being made in Weaver's facility.
With manufacturing now a reality in the Resistance, sub way tunnels were opened and inspected. Down here, hundreds more survivors were found, eeking out an existence. The Grays nor Sky Net were able to eliminate them, John Connor had stopped that plan.
While every base was pushed to be self sufficient, each had a specialty. As people were found, they were given food and medical assistance. They were also asked to choose the facility they were going to be sent to. Weaver's Facility was officially 'Alpha'. That and Bravo were the factories. The Caverns was becoming the big food producer, and Charlie and Delta were the military bases.
.
Six months after the bombs dropped, John Connor called for a command level meeting in the Caverns. The Resistance had grown exponentially. If Cameron was correct in her figures, which she was, their total population now was 121,473 people. The army had 14,500 soldiers, with more coming as men and women got though basic training.
They also had new challenges with snowfall. Not wanting Sky Net to find their bases by following the tracks in the snow, or plowed roadways, the Resistance was staying underground as much as possible. 650 people were now designated miners, digging tunnels to connect the bases and lookout points. Bravo base made tunneling tools, and tested them in digging south to meet an old subway line to connect them to Alpha base, which in turn connected then to the Caverns and Delta base. Another tunnel was nearly completed to connect Delta base to Charlie.
Returning to Delta, John and Cameron spend a night in their own bed and made the most of it. In the morning John talked to Major Alex Grammer, now the commander of Delta, while they were having breakfast.
"How are things here at Delta?" John asked him.
"Packed," Alex said with a smirk. "The lower tier gardens are producing well. A few bees got out when someone left a screen door to the growing areas open. That caused a some excitement, noting catastrophic. Right now, we have finished the ramp from the second level straight up to the outside, so we can get vehicles to and from the tunnels. It's camouflaged from the outside and had two lift doors, no entry from the outside. On the second level we have a mechanic's garage. Since we got snow, I brought our wheeled vehicles in. Some need work anyway, I also didn't want tracks in the snow to give us away. We have a standing population of 4700, all soldiers, many skilled in other things as well. We are still growing enough food that we haven't dug into the reserves for ourselves. We have given a few pallets out to other places who needed it. One to Charlie and two to Bravo. Overall, I'd say we are doing well."
"Agreed, keep up the good work," John said, then added, "At one time, I thought this place was too far out, kind of sticking our neck if you will. Now, it's far behind our forward posts. We're going to need to dig new bases in Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Idaho. Even that far out, except for isolated skirmishes, we've seen nothing from Sky Net. That means it is up to something we're not seeing. That's one of the things we're going to talk about at the meeting today."
"The trouble is, we've had no big trouble," Cameron said. "It feels like Sky Net is deliberately letting us think that we have better tech than it does. Almost like it is coaxing us to attack."
"Weaver should have word on those ships she sent out," John said. "The long range scouts we sent, we should have word on soon also. We'll find out when everyone gets together."
Alex asked, "John, I remember, you mentioning Cameron had gone through this war before, as have others. Is it possible by the things you've done already to stop Sky Net, that you've crippled it so badly, it cannot act very fast?"
"Possible," John admitted. "That's not something we can afford to believe, or count on. It is also possible Sky Net knows we have people that know what happened before, and it has formed a strategy to trap us, like I am hoping to trap it."
"That is many possibilities," Alex noted.
"Yes, hence we need to know before we act," John said.
"Here's to knowledge then," Alex said drained his cup.
.
From the bunker, John, Cameron, Alex and Derek rode a golf cart to the Way Point station in the caverns. The Way Point Station itself had grown. Starting out as single building, as the population grew, so did the need for services. In what looked like a shopping mall, the road split into a pair of one way streets to help keep flow going.
Entering the Way Point station, They passed the food distribution center, across the street from the Employment center, then the clothing exchange, across the street from the gardening center, then smaller buildings that were the tunnel building office, rock removal and carving office, Lake management office, then turned on a side street then went uphill, the sign reading, 'main offices' and pointed up the hill. The building up above was a real house sized building with a parking lot where a few golf carts and a Connorstug was parked.
"Who brought that in here?" Alex wondered as they got out.
John noticed the scrapes on the side and a chip out of the armor. "Might be from the front," he said.
Going inside, a guard opened the door for them. Cindy, dressed as a maid beamed Cameron a smile and said, "Welcome, Cameron, come on in, let me get you something."
"Hello Cindy, how are you doing?" Cameron replied.
"Great! I'm working with Mom at the food distribution center, and I've put my name in for recruitment for the Resistance!" Cindy beamed.
Cameron's smile vanished. "Cindy, you want to join the resistance?"
Cindy nodded vigorously. "Oh yeah! I want to help defend people too."
"Cindy, it's dangerous," Cameron said flatly.
"I know, I'll be careful," Cindy told her.
"Cindy, you have to be 17 to join," John told her.
Cindy eyed him, then returned her attention to Cameron. "I know I can do it! I want to help," she insisted.
"We'll discuss it when you're 17," Cameron told her.
"Why 17?" Cindy asked. "Why not 16? I was supposed to be 16 on November 14th, what month is it now?"
"Cindy," Cameron said firmly. "Next year in November, you can join. I appreciate the fact you want to be involved, but you will have to wait another year."
"When did you join?" Cindy asked in a challenge.
"I don't remember. We are not talking about me, but you," Cameron stated.
Cindy cast her a perfect terminator stare and said, "If you make me a machine like you are, then my age won't..."
"NO!" Cameron snapped loudly. "Don't you even THINK about that! No matter what I will not allow that to happen!" she growled loud enough to turn everyone's head in the room to them. "Cindy, you have no idea what I've suffered through! You cannot..."
Pausing to get a hold of herself, Cameron spoke in a more even tone. "Cindy, when you're 17, you can join the Resistance. You will never, ever be ... put through what I went through."
"I know what it's like to be abused, I lived through it," Cindy countered.
Cameron cast John a frustrated look and said, "I need to talk to Cindy."
"Yes, join me when you can," he quickly agreed.
Cameron turned Cindy by a shoulder and said, "Out here," and marched Cindy outside.
John went into the room to meet with the base commanders. Catherine Weaver was there with John Henry, Jesse had her head engineer, Mark Ingals, with her. Martin Bedell came with his manufacturing manager and his second, Captain Wallberg. John also noted a man in regular US Army fatigues. John went over to greet the man.
The man was saying to Martin, "I can't wait to meet this John Connor."
Something about his voice made John pause. He sounded stiff. It was not monotone, but more like a pre-memorized statement. He moved around behind the man. Martin saw him.
"Hey John! We made contact with the US army, this is Major Richer of the 11th Infantry division, Second army," Martin announced.
John saw the man turn to him. John stopped and watching the man's right arm. The man bore a neutral face as he turned.
"John Connor?" Major Richer asked.
"And you are?" John asked in reply, not answering him.
"Major Jacob Richer, 11th Infantry, Second army," he said as he extended his hand to John.
John clasped his hand, ready for anything. "Pleasure," he said flatly.
"So you are John Connor, leader of the human Resistance?" Major Richer asked.
John felt his hand tighten. In his mind, he thought 'metal'. John tightened his grip as well and dropped, pulling hard on the Major's hand. The Major felt heavy, but tipped towards him. John used his grip to yank himself up as Major Richer hit the floor. John twisted the major's arm up and back and jumped on his back. The major straighten his arm and threw John off to tumble into someone.
John scrambled up as the Major did. The Major pulled a gun, John pulled his tazer and shot. So did the Major. John recoiled, the Major shook and dropped limp.
"His Chip!' John gasped in a yell as he held the right side of his chest. "Pull his chip!"
"You mean..." Martin asked in a gasp.
"Hurry!" John cried with a wince as he tried to get up.
Catherine Weaver appeared over the fallen Major. Making a hand into a blade, she slashed his scalp, peeled it back, popped the cover and pulled the chip out. Looking at the stunned people around her she pointed to John and said, "Help him."
John tried to stand up, but many hands laid him back down.
.
Taking Cindy outside, Cameron went to the corner of the building and faced her. "Cindy," she said firmly. "What was done to be was not by choice. I was tortured, then I was killed. Even that did not stop my agony, for then I was put into this… fake body by Sky Net to go kill John. Thankfully I failed. For a long time I could not control what I did. It was the worst kind of torture to be trapped inside this body. Only recently someone who knew what happened to me, freed me. You do not want to be like me. If you truly plan to become a soldier, I will do what I can to help you survive, but please know, I've had a very horrible life that I would not wish on my worst enemy."
Cindy gapped at her, "But… you got shot in the face…"
"There are worse kinds of pain that physical. I think you should know that," Cameron stated.
"Yeah," Cindy said softly.
A shot sounded out, the screaming. Then a cry of, "Someone shot General Connor!"
Cameron rushed inside. Cindy followed.
John's shirt was ripped open and a man was over him, ready to do CPR before John could get out, "Stop!" He sucked in a breath and said, "It hurts like hell, but it didn't go deep."
A man lening over him catapulted backwards, Cameron took his place. "How bad?" she asked, eyeing him fearfully.
John looked down and said, "I don't think it went past my ribs, but it hurts like hell."
Cameron grabbed a bandage and sat him up. "Pliers," she said, looking around.
"We have forceps", a medic said, showing them to her.
"Pliers?" John asked.
"John, this is really going to hurt, bear with me," Cameron told him.
"OK," he said weakly.
Cameron put the forceps into the bullet hole and worked to grab the bullet as John turned red and tried not to scream, failing. She pulled the bullet out and clapped the bandage on.
John let out a sigh. "Thanks," he said weakly.
"You got lucky, the medic said, "That must have been a bad round."
"No, John's skeletal structure is changing," Cameron explained. "His bones are absorbing metals like iron and nickel. His denser, stronger ribs stopped the bullet."
"What?" John asked
Cameron grew a crooked grin and said, "I've been feeding you nanites. To heal and to reinforces your structure."
John stared at her. "You mean, when we …"
Cameron grew a grin and winked. "Yes, John, I don't want to loose you."
Catherine Weaver removed the chip from inside her palm and said, "His mission was to collect information on the resistance and if the opportunity presented itself, kill John Connor. His makeup is inferior, a steel/nickel/carbon alloy. He has a T-800 frame, but an inferior model"
John got up with Cameron's help. Holding a hand over the wound, he told her, "Not that I don't greatly appreciate what you did Cam, but could you tell me next time?"
"Sorry, I forgot." she offered.
John pointed to the terminator on the floor. "Who brought him here?" he asked.
"The Stug crew." Derek said.
"Get them in here," John ordered.
"Right away," Derek stated and stormed out.
John went over to the large meeting table and sat down with Cameron's help.
"Can I do anything?" Cindy asked.
Cameron looked at John. John said, "Everyone who's not in the meeting, out. Cindy, can you help with that by watching the door?"
"I can!" she said firmly.
"Shall I remove the terminator?" Catherine asked.
John shook his head and said, "Not yet, I want the Stug crew to see what they brought in here."
.
The Stug crew arrived in handcuffs, Derek and a few other soldiers guarding the confused men, guns aimed at them.
John pointed to them. "Take the cuffs off, show them the man they brought in," he stated.
Derek pushed the men over to look down on the terminator while he unhooked their cuffs. "See what you did?" he growled at the men. "You brought an assassin, a Sky Net terminator assassin, straight in here so he could shoot General Connor!"
"We… we didn't know! How could we!" one man cried.
"Jesus, we … how could we know?" another added.
"It's not easy," John told them. "Look for things like lack of facial expressions, flatness of speech. A person that is heavier than his size suggests, or much stronger than he appear to be. Metal detectors work well. So do dogs."
"And NEVER bring a stranger right into our base!" Cameron snapped.
All three men looked ready to cry, and scared.
"Now, tell me exactly how that terminator got here," John ordered.
The captain of the Stug swallowed and said, "We were out on patrol, we saw this guy walking, hugging himself. When he saw us coming, he waved his arms and walked towards us. We kept the gun on him and stopped thirty yards away. I ordered him to stop, he did. Jake got out and went over to him and relieved him of his pistol. He said he was from the eleventh infantry, and they were under a crushing attack. His jeep was hit, and he escaped before he could be taken prisoner. We took him back to base, Captain Wallace didn't want to risk transmitting with possible Sky Net forces nearby, so he sent us to HQ. The Major talked with him, then sent us back here so he could ask for help from Command … Sir."
"Get that, Derek?" John asked.
"I did, and some asses will be kicked, I assure you of that, General," Derek grated.
"At least we know Sky Net's plans now," John said in a huff. "Recon and spying until they get a better picture of where we are, and what our capabilities are. As well as do it's best to try and kill me."
John told the Stug crew, "You're dismissed to your General," and nodded to Derek.
Derek said in a growl, "Go out and wait by your machine at attention until I get there."
"Yes. Sir!" they said with a salute and left.
"All right, let's get this meeting started," John announced. "General Reese, I expect you will be attacked shortly."
"So do I," Derek agreed. He went into the radioman's room. A couple minutes later he came out. "We're getting ready for it," he said and sat down.
First, John got a status of every command, who was supplying what to who, and any urgent needs. At the moment, everyone was doing all right. No Grays or terminators found in scouting missions, only more refugees. Martin was sending material to Catherine, who was now producing coltan armored Connorstugs with plasma canons mounted on them. The Stugs and volunteers for the army would be delivered in 8 days, at the latest.
Derek's report was more involved.
"Our underground factory is nearing completion, and the tunneling operation did find a previously secret underground facility with supplies, a tunnel from that facility runs southwest, and is being explored. Our troops are strung out in a thin picket with a reserve force near Las Vegas in case it's needed. We've been searching for Sky Net radio transmissions. We found one in north east Nevada, near where that Stug found the wandering T-800 they picked up. So far, it's only been one. Seeing this one," he said, pointing at the terminator on the floor. "I am sure now they are sneaking terminators in to get a look at us. No H/K sightings, which makes me think they are occupied elsewhere."
"Mrs. Weaver, how are our H/K's coming?" John asked.
"Fifteen flying, twenty more in production. Only ten are used for patrolling. Would you like a few sent to General Reese?"
John though aloud and said, "Sky Net is looking for where we are. I don't want to tip our hand until we are sure we're ready to lay a good paddling on them. Derek, make sure your scouts have a way to detect metal. Metal detectors or dogs, whatever you can find. Airports should have a few metal detectors lying around. Keep sending out scouts. If Sky Net does come at you, move back. Fight only if you are sure you can win the engagement. Pull every chip and collect ever body you can."
"Tricks and traps," Derek said.
"Yes, make them believe we are too weak to put up a solid resistance. Do your best to keep them away from your base," John told him.
"Will do, General."
Cindy poked her head in. "There's a radio messenger here to see General Reese."
"Have him come in." John told her.
Cindy opened the door and ushered the man in. The corporal went over to the table and saluted. "Multiple messages for General Reese, sirs!"
"Let's hear them," Derek said with a 'come on' motion.
"Sir! Scout group three reported radio signals at 042. Scout group two reported those same signals at 051, giving the originating point at 72 miles away from the scout line. Another signal was picked up an hour later, this one originated only 61 miles ahead, but farter south…"
"Wait, get me a map", Derek ordered.
Sarah got up, "I'll get it." She hurried out a side door.
"Looks like we have some action," Martin noted.
"It could be bait, also," John said.
Sarah ran in with a map of Nevada and slapped it on the table and gave Derek a pencil. Everyone got up to see as Derek had the corporal read each report of radio transmissions and marked the lines on the map. He marked three points, then said, "Look at this, they are curving south If they keep this up, they will pass in front of the scout line outside of visual range."
"Is that all soldier?" Derek asked.
"Yes, sir."
Derek told him, "Then send this, I want reposts send to me ASAP."
"Yes, sir!"
A few minutes later another messenger arrived. This time there was on more report and triangulation of radio signals 100 miles due south. Of the first Sky Net transmissions, and one from in between them of an English language transmission. The signal said, "Leave the tanks that are out of gas, we have hostiles trying to circle us from the south."
It was also a frequency the US army used.
John bit his lip.
Derek looked at John and aid, either this is one elaborate baiting, or an army column is going to be hit from both sides."
"What will be the closest point of approach to the scouts from that northern force?" John asked.
"If they continue the way they are going, right here, in front of scout eleven. In about three hours." Derek figured. "That is the next to the last scout group we have out."
"What do you have in reserve?"
"1500 men, 30 Stugs, Stingers and Tow missiles," Derek stated.
John struggled briefly, then said, "Have the scouts watch them. If they're Sky Net, hit them as hard as you can, then pull back and watch their reaction."
"Will do. I'm sending the message then heading back to Las Vegas," Derek said.
"General Connor, I can send a pair of H/K's with him," Catherine stated.
"AI?" Derek asked.
"Yes, they only have 30 MM auto canon and 4 multi purpose missiles, but they should be of some assistance. The code word for command is beaver. Give it to whoever is in charge of your attack force," Catherine said, and looked at John.
Seeing her and Derek look at him, John weighted the addition to the figt against letting Sky Net know they had H/K's. If they could save soldiers, he had to chance it. 'Do it," he said with a nod.
.
Major Jacobson got the radio message that General Reese was returning on a Resistance H/K. He was to ready all troops for combat. He did as ordered and had all the men ready and waiting when an H/K set down. Derek got out, and it lifted back up.
Derek ran into the command truck and barked, "Status! Where are the sky Net forces now?"
Major Jacobson showed him on the map. "Here sir, right across from Scout eleven, or will be very shortly."
"Get me a stug Captain in here." Derek said, turning to a Lt. To Major Jacobson, he said, "We're pulling out, to scout eleven's position. Everyone. Is scout ten tailing that force?"
"Last report, they found the tracks. Plenty of foot traffic and H/K tank tracks, Sir. Sky Net is on the move."
"As we will be." Derek stated.
"Yes, Sir?" a Lt. asked as he ran in.
Derek pointed to the scout ten position and said, "Go to Scout Ten, they are to follow those H/K tracks." He looked at his watch briefly and said, "At fourteen hundred, they are to close at extreme range and shoot at whoever they see. After they get the metal's attention, back off and head for scout group nine, form up with them and come down the metal's tracks again. If there's no H/K's, hit them hard. If there are, same process, shoot and retreat. Scout eleven is to verify the current position of that metal, but do not engage. Got that?"
"Yes, Sir!"
"Then go!"
The man saluted and ran out.
"Now get this army moving," Derek ordered.
To speed up their movement, Foot soldiers rode on top of the stugs. The command truck followed, Derek watching the line ahead of him.
Scout Eleven's camp was 25 miles to the south. The stugs flattened snow on the road so the command truck was able to keep up with them. As they drove along, Derek told Major Jacobson, "Once we engage, radio free. We want control of our forces in the fight and let those to the south know we're here. We're going to hit that metal in the side and grab their attention." he then said over the radio, "Beaver!"
"Command accepted."
"Follow."
"Understood."
Six miles to go, a stug came racing back at the column. Derek waved to it as it closed. The captain got his stug beside the truck as they rolled along and came up out of his hatch.
"What do we got?" Derek yelled.
"Five H/K tanks, and a shit load of terminators. I'm guessing around 200 to 300." the man yelled back.
"How far?"
Pointing, the man yelled back, "sixteen miles, that way!"
"Lead us there! Tell the lead stug."
"Yes, sir!"
The stug picked up some speed and slowly closed on the lead stug.
Derek watched the horizon as they dove on. When he saw shapes in the distance, he looked at his watch. In another five minutes, scout ten was going to be nipping at the metal's heels. He got on the radio again. "H/K's take out the H/K tanks. To all stugs, stop and let off your foot soldiers. We are going to run into those metal bastards and shoot their asses up! Run straight at the lead terminators. When I command, turn left into the column, find targets and open fire. run right though them, run them over, then turn around and do it again util no more are standing! Try hard not to hit each other. Foot soldiers are to follow and snipe where possible. Soon as everyone's off, continue on."
In the sky overhead, missiles streaked out and raced at the H/K tanks. Multiple explosions blossomed up. Another set of missile raced by, hitting to make smaller explosions. A long line of muzzle flashes came from the terminators. Derek saw five H/K tanks burning. "All stugs, turn into them and FIRE!"
.
Billy Gentry was only a freshly promoted Major who was trying to get the last of the regiments support vehicles and remaining two tanks away from Sky Net.
Their regiment had gotten destroyed. One of three who met the machines in combat, their men fought hard and dies in explosions and relentless fire. As Machines closed in around them, he saw they had no chance of surviving if they were encircled, so he ordered a fighting retreat to save something. They did get out, but now they were in dire straights.
They had no ammunition and as they went on, the M-1's were running out of gas. As a tank ran out of gas, demolition charges were set and the crew jumped out and into a truck. Slowed by snow drifts and tanks sputtering to a halt, he was wondering if they could get away.
"Sir listen to this!' the radio operator in their humvee said and turned the speaker on.
" … To all stugs, we are going to run into those metal bastards and shoot their asses up! Run straight at the lead terminators. When I command, turn left into the column, find targets and open fire. Run right though them, run them over, then turn around and do it again until no more are standing! Try hard not to hit each other."
A couple minutes later, the man on the radio announced. "All stugs, turn into them and FIRE!"
"Where's that coming from?" Billy asked.
"I'm trying to find a direction, Sir. It's not far away…" the radio operator said.
"This is scout ten, we're behind them, do we proceed?"
"Yes, proceed and fire at will, watch out for the other Stugs."
Billy frowned. Stugs? Those were German World War Two vehicles. Where did they get those?"
"Sir, the emissions are coming from 350," Billy's radio operator said.
"God Danm it George! That was me you shot at!"
"Sorry, clear some space, and don't run over as many!"
"Squad five here, got nothing but flattened metal, heading for the ones between the first two burning tanks."
"You coming from left or right side?"
"The left."
"Ahh ha ha! EAT THIS YOU FUCKING METAL MONSTERS!"
"Keep it professional, cut the extra chatter!"
Billy took the mike. "This is Major Gentry, fifth Cavalry division, You are north of us. What is your unit?"
"This is Lt. General Reese, Eastern division of the Resistance, Head straight for us, Gentry, you got another Metal force to your south, angling towards you. Drive at … 350 true heading. As I get units freed up, some will come escort you."
"General, there is no road in that direction."
"You want to follow the road, or avoid the metal after you? Drive 350, now! Air units will be arriving shortly. H/K's, cap the human convoy at 170. Keep Sky Net away from them in a 10 mile radius.."
"Understood."
Gentry looked at his driver and said, "Turn north, and pray for the best."