Days of Sky Net

by keithallen

sequel to the 'day' series. John Junior and his crew have gone home. Now, John Connor faces the coming of sky net, and the rush to prepare for it. Knowing when J-day will arrive and having the time and knowledge to prepare for it, John is in a better position than humanity originally was. But then again so is Sky Net. Forget the 'genre', as always, I'll go all over the place.

14. Chapter 14

Ch 14

Sky Net segment south was keeping on constant contact with Sky Net east. The digital radio transmissions were slow, they took 30 seconds to get back and forth. Not having heard from the west segment for too long they concluded something was wrong. Fearing something may have happened, all their units were near vital facilities.

The south segment sent the latest information on fuel deliveries and projected output. It waited for the reply. A reply never came. First conclusion, a radio tower was malfunctioning. It sent a repair crew out by rail to get that tower up and running again, then report when it was finished.

Then a report came in that bombs were landing on the tank farm, blowing up oil storage tanks. The ordinance was coming from the east. It sent it's H/K's out to find and destroy what had to be a human attack. It then rolled out 20 H/K tanks with terminator support to ensure the humans were wiped out.

The next report was from a oil rig facility in the north, near the human city of Dallas. Humans in large numbers were attacking. Before the transmission was complete, to state the numbers involved, the transmission stopped.

The South segment determined the bombardment of the tank farm was a diversion. The attackers to the north were 80 miles away. Plenty of time to stop the humans to the east, and meet the northern attack. Just to be sure, it moved the majority of it's forces to protect the refineries outside the city.

.

The TX Gary had all three boats finished and out in the bay, motoring slowly towards the docks at Houston, not 15 mile away. In the center boat, he listened for the order to attack.
He picked up a signal.

"This is General Reese, Panzer Vor."

"Power up to full speed," Gary said on his discreet channel. He watched the horizon and raised the sensor mast. Getting data, he lowered it back down. There was a ship about to enter the port. He set his right hand boat to destroy that ship's engine room, then return to formation.

Speeding on, the port came into view, as did the ship. He listened to the report of two torpedoes fired. They passed the ship, and the back of the ship was covered by water blasting up in the air. A mile out, he ordered all weapons readied. The hatches raised up on all three boats, showing the plasma guns in front and the missile launchers in back.

Selecting the ship tied up to dock, he had the ship and the dock targeted with plasma fire. An H/K flew into sight, then another. Missiles shot out to meet them.

Taking a long turn in the harbor, the three boats raced around, setting docks on fire and sinking anything that floated. More missiles into oil tanks made them burst open and spill out burning oil. Plasma guns took out a communications tower. The return fire from a few plasma bolts ticked off the hulls. Two more torpedoes hit the back of the docked tanker, punching holes in it.

When Gary saw no more targets to hit, he led his boats back out of the harbor at high speed. Two miles out, three more H/K's chased them and ate missiles for their trouble.

.

In Texas, Sky Nets were still searching for where it figured were at least 100,000 humans had gone. John Connor had been here, and Sky Net did not want him to get away

Major Gentry sat in his Stug, the sensor mast raised all the way up to peek over the ridge he and Group A were hiding behind. To their left the pounding of the artillery sounded out. In a stream bed closer to the left, a half mile away were the line of M1 tanks, sitting with only the tops of their turrets over the stream banks. Straight ahead, beyond them was Group B. Their infantry was spread out to their east, the direction Sky Net would be coming from to ensure they didn't get caught in the side.

The bombardment was going on for an hour now. After the tank farm was covered with shells, the artillery had targeted the train depot and pounded that with the long range high explosive shells. Watch was being kept for the arrival of Sky Net forces that was sure to come.

The radio announced, "H/K tanks spotted approaching first target area. Switch to armor piercing shells and stand by."

Gentry looked out at the third targeted area, which was a mile in front of the tanks. Knowing Sky Net could track the origin of the big 160 MM shells the artillery was dropping on them, they had set up an ambush when Sky Net sent out units to stop the bombardment.

"Sky Net forces entering first target area ... commence fire!"

Again the pounding of the guns sounded out. Gentry couldn't see anything yet of Sky Net, but did see the smoke from shell hits. The pounding went on for a short while then the order to cease fire and adjust aim to second target area.

On the horizon to the east, Gentry now saw the forms of tall H/K tanks coming into view. He watched them approach. As they closed he noted there were two lines of them with terminators marching between and behind the tanks. Counting, he saw 31 H/K tanks. They rolled closer, then the order to fire was given to the artillery.

This time with the pounding, Gentry saw the eruptions of ground as shells landed, and the sparks and fires caused on H/K tanks when they were hit and rolled to a stop. As the H/K's lost numbers from the bombardment, the M1's rolled up partway out of the stream bed and began firing. The M1 shells hit and punched through the H/K armor. H/K's fire back, as did terminators. For all the rain of plasma being poured at the M1's Gentry only saw one hit, a plasma round glanced skyward from hitting the steeply angled armor. The H/K's lost numbers, the remainder kept coming on.

"Cease fire, adjust aim for third target area, load high explosive."

The M1's were rolling up, shooting, then dropping back down. Six H/K tanks were left. The H/K's drove right in front of Gentry's position.

Third target area ... Commence fire!"

An M1 was hit as it rose up to shoot. armored bits flew as plasma rained upon it. It got it's shot off, then exploded, the turret lifting up in the air. Many terminators were being blown skyward by the impacting artillery rounds. Many more kept moving forward, shooting, as did the last four H/K tanks.

Far off, Gentry noted an air battle was taking place. Plasma and missiles raced though the air as the dots shot at each other. explosions flickered in the sky, followed by dark trails falling to the ground.

Gentry got on his radio. "Standby, guys," he said.

"Artillery, cease fire! Stugs, go!"

Gentry said in his mike, "A group, B group, attack!"

Up and over the ridge they went. A group poured fire into the sides of the H/K tanks and the terminators. One H/K lost it's tracks, another was hit in the back and caught fire. Driving just behind the H/K's The Fifth Cavalry shot and ran over terminators and disabled the last H/K tanks. With the big Sky Net tanks gone, the M1's rolled up out of the stream bed and joined the melee, shooting their .50 cals to disable terminators and running them over.

In another fifteen minutes of close in battle, the last terminators were disabled. Gentry reported their success to General Reese and reformed his troops to head for the city.

.

Jesse's Stugs took out the radio towers, then she and her troops on sleds being pulled by Stugs went north on the railroad tracks. She watched for the perfect ambush spot as they went. Seeing a railroad bridge, she had the Stugs stop. Standing on the first Stug, she gave her Captains their orders.

"Hector, I want that that bridge to blow just as a train passes over it. Tracks and framing, I want a good train wreck! Steve, set the claymores on this side of the stream. Mario, start digging in, sixty yards back from the stream. Ellen, set up watches to both sides. Chester, get your Stugs 80 yards back, cover them with snow for camo. Let's GO People!"

For the first hour of the battle, Jesse's forces dug in and set explosives. She put her troops in two defensive trenches, the Stugs, now covered over in snow were behind them. Once they were set, Jesse made sure their flanks were covered.

Then, they waited.

When Gentry was reforming to move on to the city, Jesse watched a truck with terminators in it roll along the train tracks. She had the tracks torn up behind them when they destroyed the first radio tower, These terminators were going to roll over the bridge and set off the explosives. "Shit," Jesse spat as they did just that. The truck went onto the bridge, the explosion lifted it and chunks of bridge into the air, then rained back down in pieces into the frozen stream. Jesse had a team of men 'finish off' the terminators. They pulled the chips and destroyed them. Jesse could just not get behind the 'save the terminators' idea. If metal got dead in a battle, they should stay that way, just as human did.

She waited for an assault that never came.

.

Major Jacobson was making his way south, but for every mile, it was getting tougher. Another batch of T-800's and H.K tanks. He made contact, formed a line, then had the Stugs run around behind the Sky Net forces while his men faced them. After the first ten hours, they had made 15 miles when they needed to make hundreds. He reported his position to the generals, then found a camp for the night.

.

Gentry finished his day by making the outskirts of the decimated city that was once called Houston. From the broken teeth looking buildings to the blackness of the frozen ground, it looked like he was leading his men into hell. Finding fixed gun positions, He had artillery fire brought down on each gun until it was destroyed. A minor charge of around 200 terminators came out shooting. They were shot down mostly by his troops from under cover.

.

The South Segment knew Humans were here in force. The attacks kept coming from the north and humans with long range support were visible beyond the eastern parts of the city. They seemed to be destroying everything it sent after them. It was safe to assume the northern humans had cut communications to the north. The oil tank farm was ablaze, refineries were shut down due to damage. The port was destroyed, which meant the humans were intent on continuing their attacks.

Getting directional findings on each transmission and triangulating the source. The Segment concluded humans were to the west and north. This was a human attempt to destroy or take over the oil production for the region. Using the eastern radio relays, it send a status report to the East Segment, including the locations of the human forces and the estimated human strength.

This time it got a reply and instructed the Southern Segment should hold, assistance was coming. They planned they counter-attack between them.

.

So close to Sky net forces, Derek sent a message by carrier to John on how they faring at the moment, and his plans to prod Sky Net to send out more of their troops to be sent out so they could be destroyed on the open fields. Jacobson was doing well, and Jesse was holding her line. As far as he could see, this Sky Net was isolated.

The M1's got close enough to the city to assist the artillery coming down and guide it as they shot at the fixed Sky Net guns, the Stugs watched to the sides. Although there was some return plasma fire, it was from behind buildings and fortifications. Apparently, Sky Net had learned not to charge out in a head on attack. Gentry had his forces keep up the pressure until the M1's were getting low on ammunition. He had to pull back a few miles and disengage so they could re-supply. They retired to their camp for the night, posting a large guard force.

.

On his front, Jacobson was meeting smaller Sky Net units one at a time and destroying them. After another 20 miles of this, he found the next refinery abandoned. Setting charges, they blew it up after they left. Another ten miles of nothing, and they made camp for the night.

.

Catherine, who had her H/K's fight the Sky Net H/K's was down to half her forces, 11 units, but had cleared the skies of Sky Net units. That night, Catherine and her machines set up a radar station to cover the wide area between Jacobson and Jesse, and north of Jesse to warn of any incoming. At 4 Am something was detected. On the ground and moving fast. The mile long snake like image could only be one thing. Catherine send a fast messenger, to warm Jesse a train was coming. She also got her her units up and moving towards Jesse's position.

By the time Jesse got word it was coming, the train was moving at 60 MPH and was only two miles away. A long train moving that fast was going to make one hell of a mess when it hit that bridge. Calling an alert, Jesse ordered everyone to the second defense line, and right after the crash, everyone who had a flare gun was to light up the area with star flares over the wreck. Jesse had no more than given out her orders, when a long shape was spotted coming at them fast.

"Secondary defense trench, NOW!" Jesse screamed and jumped in. Her troops hurried to comply, the Stugs by the tracks backed up and to the sides.

The AI driver saw the unusual shape of the tracks ahead and only 400 yards from the stream, it did put on the brakes. Too little, way took late. It hit the emergency brakes at 310 yards. which also hardly slowed down the heavy behemoth. The lead engine dropped off the racks were the bridge use to be. It rammed the far steam bank. The engine and all the cars pushed it on, plowing up bank and pushing rains in the air as the engine compacted and distorted. The second engine was lifted up. Rails flew in the air as the lead engine tumbled upside down. The second engine flipped vertical and to the side, the next flatbeds with two H/K tanks each on them, a total of 100 H/K's folded and buckled, being force to the sides as the train collapsed upon itself.

The brake system failed when the engines broke free. With the ear screeching noises, cars heavy with H/K's and terminators smashed into each other. A flatcar with two H/K's on it was pushed over the wrecked engines to land across the first defense ditch. Mines went off adding to the chaos and caused an upside down H/K to catch fire. The ground trembling crashing and screeching lasted a few minutes, then everything went strangely quiet.

"FLARES" Jesse screamed.

The flares shot skyward over the massive wreck. With H/K tanks on their sides and tops in the stream and the mass of twisted metal in front of her, Jesse couldn't see over the mess. "Move to the sides, shoot anything over there that moves!" Jesse commanded.

It was a bad night to be a terminator. Men and Stugs moved and took aim. Aerial H/K's appeared near the back of the train, now only a quarter mile way, and shot down on the cars in the back as terminators piled out. Men with their .50 cal rifles were picking off terminators one after the other. The terminators move to attack the threat, and faced plasma fire from the more men and the Stugs. There were a mass of terminators and bunched up, not clear of the train wreck yet. Easy targets. As attacking terminators tripped over those who'd just fallen, the wise thing would have been to retreat and reform. Being terminators, and knowing they had to attack, they did. They came forward slowly, due to the mess of terminators on the ground and the constant rain f fire on they. As terminators fell in waves, an H/K hovered over the H/K tanks to shoot down on any that showed they were capable of moving, only stuck in the mess.

The Star flares were burning out, but now enough fires were burning to reflect off the slowly charging terminators. Men were hit and were killed, most all head wounds that removed part of all of their heads. Many terminators were falling before they even got a shot off. The mass did make it into the stream. Coming up the other side the first ones were blown back by the claymores exploding right in front of them. They also exposed their head and shoulders before being able to shoot back, causing them to picked off. The stream bed was filling up with disabled terminators. Many that managed to make it to the other side of the stream stepped on mines.

The last terminator shots came as the black sky began to lighten. After the last shot, all was quiet briefly, then a roar of cheering arose. Jesse was happy too, she had stopped an entire train load of Sky Net reinforcements. She immediately sent a Stug to go inform Jacobson and Reese. Their back was secure.

.

The boat crews were all TX's so Derek had sent them out that night to travel east of Houston and see what transportation routes they could destroy. Gary and his crews went fast down the coast. The highway coming from Galveston island was on tiny islands and bridges. He found a long one to cut a section out of, making that highway useless. Cruising around Galveston, the went into the bay and moved slow and quiet past Houston until he found Another highway bridge. Cutting the supports underneath, they dropped two sections into the bay, along with an H/K tank. Slipping up the bay farther, they chopped a third bridge into the water. Terminators were shooting at them now, so they shot back as the fled.

Thankfully, the ceramics held out long enough for them to get away.

.

In the morning Derek was happy Sky Net reinforcements had been stopped. However, the jig was up now. Sky Net knew the resistance was active. Up to now, they had manage to do fast, sneak attacks. It wasn't 'sneak' any more. Sky Net knew they were here. Houston was partially cut off, but he knew there were roads still going into it, and Sky Net was bringing in more units. Probably as many as it could.

Derek looked at his map, trying to figure out how they could possibly take Houston away from Sky Net. He was expecting Catherine Weaver to show up. What he wasn't expecting, was to see John and Cameron come in.

"John?" Derek said in disbelief. "You shouldn't be here, there' a shitload of Sky Net getting ready to come at us."

"How'd we do?" John asked.

Derek let out a snort and said, "Besides letting them know we're here and causing a big mess all over the place, we didn't get very far," Derek said plainly. "Yeah, we won every battle, but we didn't get into the city."

"Did we ruin Sky Net's oil supply?" John asked.

"We put a really big dent in it. The harbor's been hit, five refineries and the oil storage tanks in the area," Derek said. "Destroyed a couple hundred H/K tanks, H/K's and a couple thousand terminators."

John nodded and said, "Then we gave Sky Net a good, solid slap in the face. Yes, Sky Net knows we're here now. It also knows we have effective forces and to come after us is going to be expensive. Not knowing where we are once we all leave, it's going to guard what it has well before it tries to move out against us." He shrugged and said, "OK, no Atlantic submarines. At the moment, it's not that big of a deal. Showing Sky Net we're a force to be reckoned with, is. We had to expose ourselves some time. At least we have facilities to make our own weapons and not have to scavenge them. Though, Scavenging helps too."

"True," Derek admitted. "So, now what?"

"We vacate the area and go back to looking for survivors in Kansas. If we find a nice, juicy Sky Net target, we hit it. If not, then we just disable and collect the units we can," John said. "We've been winning because we make Sky Net come after us."

"Very true," Catherine said.

"So we call retreat?" Derek asked.

"We do. No radio comms, by messenger. We want Sky Net to think we're still here for a while. Oh, and send your boats to the Rio Grande. See if you can find a port for them were Sky Net isn't. Some place where we can put a base, if possible.

.

It took a week for Sky Net to accumulate enough forces to attack out against the humans. Every active unit it could spare, and every unit fresh from it's factories were brought together for a punishing blow. Watching for another attack, it collected an overwhelming force and attacked the humans to find nothing to fight. Only burned out H/K's and pieces of terminator. There was a common sign Sky Net units found. Sometimes it was scratched into the burnt hulls of H/K's, others it was painted on the remains of a structure. Sky Net studied these. Every one had the same drawing, a human face peeking over a wall and read : John Connor was here.

.

Upon the order to evacuate, Gary didn't want to leave the experimental submarine they were making behind. The round hull now had a conical stern with the propeller shaft sticking out, and the beginnings of a rudder and stern planes. The shaped front piece of the hull was made, but not on yet. While the rest of Derek's army was packing to leave, Gary had all their parts , tools and equipment put inside the shell of the sub, then welded the wedge shaped bow on. Sliding it into the water, it floated upright, and a look into the single hatch in the middle, it wasn't leaking anywhere they could see. It floated high in the water, but it did float. The TX's cabled onto two boats so they could tow it, and Gary let Derek know they were leaving.

Out of the harbor, Gary's boat led the other two that sailed close together, the submarine shape bobbing on the water behind them. Not knowing where Sky Net was, Gary stayed out of sight of the shore until they got close to the mouth of the Rio Grande. Finding a good route through the delta, Gary led his boats, into the river. He scanned for Sky Net transmissions and pulsed radar. So far, nothing. The snow covered banks were smooth unbroken snow on the frozen bushed and trees. No one had been here yet. Motoring along, Gary searched for possible places to use for a port. The river curved one way then the other.

Seeing a wider portion just ahead, Gary noted a piece of land stuck up a little higher. The upstream shore went straight back, looking like a natural dock, except for the brush on the bank. Seeing the water wasn't very deep, he decided to park his boats here before it got too shallow. It was wilderness, but Sky Net had no reason to come here.

All three boats and the sub-shape fit bow-on, tied up on the piece of land. The river current here was slow and the piece of land they landed at was flat. They began pulling up the ground brush to clear an area to work in. With tools from onside the sub shape, they hacked down a couple trees and stripped them down to logs to use as skids to get their sub shape out of the water. In a few days they had it up on land and were continuing work on the vital components. They also needed more materials.

There were a few places on the coast Gary had seen on their way here, and wanted a better look at to search for materials. Not knowing when they were going to made contact with General Reese again, they kept working on their latest project.

.

Visiting every town as John's army headed back for Colorado, they found quite a few towns with struggling survivors. Food for these people were frozen animal bodies or starving animals. Every person they came across had radiation sickness and disease to some extent. John noted that as time went on, the radiation was accumulating in the people they found. Even those no where near any points where bombs had gone off, people were degrading and more were being found dead, or close to.

Cameron could not hope to produce enough nanites to help the thousands suffering from radiation. She did manage to isolate her own nanite producing 'gland'. This was not a biological gland, but a tiny factory that made the microscopic machines that provided healing. This little factory inside her was only the size of a fist. If she had more of these, she could make nanites much faster.

In some small town in west Texas, Cameron sat with John at a round table in what used to be a restaurant as she puzzled about how to make more nanites.

"You look intent," John said, noting the bank, but focused look on her face.

Cameron blinked and looked at him. "Sorry, John, I was contemplating how to make more nanites, faster to protect people from radiation."

John nodded. In a solemn tone, he said, "Seems like everyone we're finding now is soaked in radiation, and it'd doing nothing but getting worse." John then noticed something. He was sitting here, in a building that had high rads, but he wasn't affected. "Cam? you're giving me nanites, that's why I haven't gotten sick, right?"

"Yes, John. The ones I give you are different, they are adjusted to your DNA," Cameron explained. "The ones I give to everyone else I can, are generic, they only work on radioactive material."

"How do you produce these naniites?" John asked.

"A cell, you would call it a gland if I was biological. It makes nanites I program it to make," Cameron explained. "In the case of the anti- radiation nanites, they feed off the radiation particles, using that for energy. The problem is, I can only make so many nanites."

"Can't you, I don't know, build another nanite producing cell... or a few?" John asked.

Cameron tipped her head slightly. "I don't know," the said thoughtfully.

"And if nanites are in someone's body, can't they use that person's DNA to adjust to that body?" John prodded.

Cameron was quiet briefly, then grew a grin. "Yes, John, that is possible. That is, if I have someone to experiment on."

Seeing Cameron grin as she eyed him, John swallowed. He knew who she had planned on experimenting on.

"I'll make it worth your while," Cameron coaxed.

"I'm sure you will. Can we get naked for these experiments?" John asked with a crooked grin.

Cameron's grin widened. "It's mandatory", she insisted.

"So, when do we start," John asked with a silly grin.

"The moment we get back to Delta base," Cameron said firmly.

"We're still in Utah," John said with a frown.

"Yes, that is a bummer," Cameron agreed.

.

Gentry's Fifth Cavalry was leading the way back to Denver. Noting their tracks in the snow from before, they were seeking out places they hadn't been to. Small towns and mountain roads that might lead to a town tucked away they had missed. Three weeks of searching, they hadn't found much. Gentry was thinking they were wasting their time when a call came over the radio.

"Major, Captain Smith here! We've got a big bunker, Chain link fences, buried guard posts it looks like and the top of a big entrance that's shut. I think it's the Cheyenne Mountain complex!"

"Smith, what's your map coordinates?" Gentry asked.

"Area nine, DA-49. The road to it starts at DA -47. There's no tracks up here. It doesn't look like anyone's been in or out since the weather changed."

Gentry announced, "Everyone in A group, Meet at area nine, DA-47. General Reese , do you copy?"

A female voice came on. "This is Laura, The General has the information ... General Reese says take a good look around before you approach."

"Understood."

In his personnel carrier, Derek said, "Driver, Get us there."

Beside the driver, Laura said, "ETA, one hour, fifteen minutes."

.

John and Cameron were set to head west back to Delta base when they got the information of Cheyenne Mountain being found. Knowing what that complex was, Cameron told John about it's importance. john wasn't as concerned about what it was used for before Judgement Day. What he saw was that If they had a large military bunker, that would greatly benefit the Resistance and be another place they could house more people in fair safety. Instead of going back to Delta to experiment and play, they turned around and headed for Denver.

.

What Derek remembered about Cheyenne Mountain was that in his previous future, it was a big Sky Net base, hence his caution in approaching the large entrance. The men approaching the entrance were covered by more men, who were covered by snipers, who were guarded on their flanks. They crept closer looking like they were about to make a major assault on the silent opening in the mountain.

Laura finally announced, "General, let me." She walked past the men kneeling down, searching for a target. Raising a hand in the air, she called, "I need two TX's to come with me!"

"Laura!" Derek cried, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going inside. Wait here," Laura replied. Clomping along in her snowshoes, she approached the entrance. Three TX's followed her. At the entrance that from father back, looked solid, Walking up to the black material, Laura found it was a tight metal mesh. She didn't even need to use a plasma shot to get through it. A punch broke a hole in it. She grabbed one side of the hole, another TX named Todd grabbed the other side. They pulled and ripped the mesh open.

The mesh had also been holding back the snow. When the mesh was ripped open it kept ripping where the show was pushing against it. The vertical wall of snow outside the mesh collapsed in. In the mini-avalanche, Laura and Todd fell in with the cascade of snow to slide down the snow and land on the concrete floor.

Laura got up and noted they were in a short piece of dark tunnel. Although there was no light, she could see fine with her infrared. The far end was indeed a large flat wall. By the seams, it was a door, but big and heavy. The curved walls of the tunnel were not smooth, but held large squares similar to the mesh they had ripped though were near the rounded ceiling.

Todd pointed to the nearest large square and said, "These are air conditioning intakes."

"They are," Laura agreed. "We should be hearing the intake fans." Looking back outside, she noted the snow wall on the other side of the mesh (where it wasn't ripped open) was about ten feet. The ceiling was only 14. Unfortunately, there were no intakes right at the entrance. She scanned the walls. There were support ribs on the curved wall-ceiling. She noted where one ran close to an intake. Laura took her snow shows off and said, "Todd, do you have any rope or a cable?"

"In the Stug," he replied and called up to the other TX who was outside, looking down the snow-ramp at them. The other TX went to get a tow cable.

Laura went over to the wall. The ribs were only an inch wide. They were steel. Bringing out her right a plasma canon, Laura turned the power low and burned a line of holes in the metal as high as she could reach. Reverting her right arm back into a forearm and hand, she hoisted herself up, using the holes she'd burned into the metal. Once the was hanging from the last one, she morphed a plasma canon out and burned a couple more holes, morphed her arm back, climbed up with the new holes. Changing back and forth from hand to plasma canon, Laura made her way up to hang below the intake.

"Laura, I have your cable," Todd called up.

Laura climbed back down, hung the middle of the tow cable around her neck, and climbed back up. A punch into the corner of the mesh and Laura made a hole, as well as shook the mesh to make dust rain down. A pull, and more dust came off as she ripped a hole large enough to get in. Reaching up in the hole, Laure felt around and found a frame piece. He pulled on it, adding more of her weight until she was hanging from it. Once she was sure it was going to hold her, she let go of the rib and pulled herself up into the duct. Looking around in the duct, she saw a catwalk above herand a door at the end. She pulled herself up onto the catwalk and used the clevis on the cable to tie the cable to the catwalk railing.

"Todd, the cable's tied off, come on up," she called.

Once Todd was on the catwalk with her she went to the narrow door at the end. Slowly, she opened the door. A few dim lights were on. She sniffed the air. It was bad. high Co2 content and low oxygen, only 12 %. This wasn't good. The room they were in was all but filled with a house-sized air conditioning unit. Seeing a control panel for the unit, she noted the power box was open. three spots inside where the fuses went was empty.

"They had no fuses?" Todd asked.

"Or, the ones they had were bad," Laura offered.

Through a doorway and they entered a long corridor. On the right, were five other doors. In the tunnel below there were six intakes. A peek into the next doorway showed another unit. The fuses in the power box in that room were gone also. The only door on the left was a maintenance room with a few machines , workbenches, parts bins and tools. There was also a box full of large fuses that looked like they went into the air handing units. In a small office here, they found a decomposed body lying beside a desk. On the desk was a note. It read, 'I maintain my hope my family is safe as Sky Net promised. It is for them I did this.'

"He disabled the air handing units," Todd surmised.

Laura went to the other end of the room. They door out was not only shut, it was welded shut. The door also bulged inward, as if someone had tried to break it down. "He also stopped anyone from restarting these units." She brought out a plasma canon and cut the door open. It fell away, and didn't quite hit the floor, but the bodies on the floor just outside that door.

Walking over the door and the bodies, Laura went down the stairs to find a control room. Again an emaciated corpse was leaned back into a chair. This one wore an officer's uniform, he'd also been shot. The air here was only 10% Oxygen. Looking over the panels, Laura also noted on the fire panel, all the CO2 cylinders were empty. They had been expended into the air. She said to Todd, "Please, go back out and inform General Reese what we found. I will restart the air units. I suspect we are going to need a burial party ... or two, depending on how many were in here. That is, once the air is good enough to let people in."

An hour after Laura got into the complex, she had the fuses back in and five of the air handlers running. Each showed the air cleaning system was working well, and the generators were operating. The massive fuel tanks were still over half full after running for nearly a year. As the air warmed up and the oxygen increased, the bodies all over the facility made themselves known by their smell. Laura opened the main doors and closed off the exhaust vents to force the bad air out of the complex. Some got recycled, but she didn't want any contaminated air to get in.

.

Once Laura had the doors open Gentry's Fifth cavalry became the 'pall bears' of hundreds of bodies that had been suffocated. soldiers, officers, men in suits that were senators and businessmen, and many women and children, everyone who'd made it into the complex before the doors were shut and expected to live through the nuclear war. Down deeper into the complex, electric carts were found and used to help get the large amount of bodies up and out.

Derek noted that down inside the complex, this was an underground city. There were even marked roads with stop signs and painted lanes. He swore this place was bigger than the caverns back near Delta base. It even had roadway sized ramps that went between levels. Another thing he noticed was a tier below the 'top' floor, lines of army trucks, Bradley fighting vehicles and M1-A tanks sat in lines. In another section were self propelled artillery, Humvee mounted .50 cal chain guns, TOW launchers and a vast room filled with ammunition for the assembled war machines.

This complex also had a shopping mall, two tiers of overgrown 'farms' complete with chambers with dirt floors and 'full spectrum' lighting overhead. Three and four room 'houses' were carved out along concrete lined tunnels that even had street names, the houses having their own numbers. Many bodies were being pulled out of these places.

The sheer scale of this place amazed Derek. No one had ever guessed that the military part of this vast complex was only the 'tip of the iceberg' Looking in a control room on the third tier, Derek found a map of the tunnel complex. Not only was this complex five square miles and six levels deep, it also had 'travel' tunnels that went to Montana and Missouri. At the moment, the travel tunnel were sealed off. One electric train sat in the large, multi-track station.

Wait till John saw this.