Ch 21
"Turn around!" an amplified British voice commanded from the bright lights Tina was bathed in.
"OK, just don't shoot!" Tina called back. When she turned, she saw the terminators had their guns out and were coming. "No, stay back!" she told them. They obeyed, but didn't lower their weapons.
"Who are you talking to?" the voice demanded.
"The ones who came with me, " Tina said to the wall. "We were searching for survivors. We have food, water and medicine. May I call the Captain and tell him I found you?"
"Captain WHO!" the voice demanded.
"Captain Barret of the USS Seawolf," Tina replied.
Most of the lights turned off. "You came by submarine?" the voice, now in a normal tone asked.
"Yes. We torpedoed a Sky Net ship on the way here. You must be hurting from the radiation in the air. We came to help you and ask if you would join us in fighting Sky Net," Tina said, then asked, "Can I turn around now?"
There was a pause then, "Turn around, tell me what this Sky Net thing is."
Tina explained Sky Net and it launching all the nuclear weapons. She then added, "John Connor tried to warn people, but very few listened. We've been fighting Sky Net and it's terminators while searching for people who are still alive. We brought anti-radiation medicine with us and will help to guard you."
"About bloody time someone showed up!" another voice said. "Who are you?"
"My name is Tina, I'm a TX," Tina said. "John Connor sent us. He's our commanding General."
"What's a TX?"
" I am an Artificial Intelligence. Catherine Weaver made me in LA to fight Sky Net. I am free thinking, and I want to get rid of Sky Net a much as John. Sky Net is ruining our planet. If it wins, there will be nothing and no one left," Tina told them.
"YOU are a bloody robot?"
"No, I'm an AI. Technically, a cyborg. I have mechanical and biological parts. I'm not bleeding anywhere, either."
A scoff sounded. "How many of you are there?"
"Around a thousand females. It must be over two thousand males by now also. Can I give you my radio so you can talk to Captain Barret?"
One man came forward and held out his hand and said, "Hand it over."
Tina did, then stepped back.
"This is Major Smith of the British army. Is Captain Barret on?"
"This is Captain Barret. Glad to hear you fellows are hanging on. What supplies do you need?"
"Name it, we need it mate. Everything from food to weapons and ammunition to more manpower. We're low on everything. Those bloody metal bastards won't leave us alone."
"Understood. We have our own metal fighting Sky Net with us. Is Tina there?"
"She is. She said she was manufactured in a factory."
"She was. Connor has some very high tech on his side. He's been beating Sky Net back in the states with help from his own terminators. Tina is one of them, we also have the metal skeletal ones. Connor painted them all white so we can tell the difference and don't shoot our own by accident. We can supply you with food, water and anti-radiation meds, and leave you the guard that came with Tina. After that, we have to return and report contact."
"We got fifteen thousand sick here, got that much medicine?"
"Can Tina hear me?"
"She can."
"Tina, you are to stay and make more medicine. We'll return when we can. Until then you are under British command."
"Understood, Captain," Tina replied.
"She got your orders, Captain."
"Tina, leave someone outside so we can find you to bring supplies in," Captain Barret said.
"Understood, and bring all the medicine you can … and my breast pump."
Major Smith eyed her and asked, "Why a breast pump? Don't tell me you brought a baby here."
"No Sir, the breast pump is so I can distribute the anti-radiation medicine. My milk does not come out by itself."
Smith shook his head saying, "Leave it to the Americans to come up with something like that."
.
Tina had one terminator go back and lead crewmen carrying supplies up to the tunnel entrance. Captain Barret came to see Major Smith. One of the armored vehicles was moved back so Barret's men could get through. One gave Tina the box of milk she'd drawn out of herself on their way here. For some reason, many of the crew stopped by to talk to her when she was doing this. She was glad the crew was friendly to her.
Another officer led Tina through the long tunnels to the barracks area where men laid, waiting to die. She emptied her box in a short time. She then ate some of the food they brought to get her nutrient level up to help make milk faster. There were many sick men and women here.
With terminators guarding the few entrances and Tina doing her best to treat the sick, Captain Barret untied his ship and left the harbor. The Seawolf dove right after it cleared the breakwaters and headed back to the United States, or rather, what was left of it.
.
Captain Frank was looking at a cargo ship that had a pair of H/K's on it's deck. Those things could be carrying depth charges. A silver T-800 stood on the bow, one was outside the pilot house and another was at the stern railing. If he tried to take that ship, it was going to be a battle.
"Call Fred up here," he said.
Fred, one of the two TX's on board came up to the conn. Captain Frank motioned to the scope and said, "Look at that ship. Tell me if your metal heads can take it over."
Fred looked into the scope for a couple minutes and said, "Yes, we can. It will go best if they do not shoot before we do, but it is possible. Two boarding ropes, twenty one of us go. The initial plan will be to disable the H/K's then open fire on the guard T-800's then any we find after that. Secondary plan is to hit the guards then take out the H/K's before they get airborne."
"You might loose some, sure you want to do this?" Frank asked.
"Yes, that is our mission, to capture ships if possible, correct?" Fred asked.
"It is. Get ready and positioned by the hatch. When we're right beside the ship, I'll surface and give you the word to go."
"Yes, Captain," Fred said and strode off.
.
From the plans send back from the future and finally having the correct materials and programs, Sky Net Europe was now building T-888's. Since the mysterious loss of the five vital shipments of coltan, ship and all, it send the first few to Africa to guard the ship with ten T-800's, along with two H/K's on each ship. The T-888's had the ability to communicate to Sky Net directly as well a s the T-800's and the H/K's.
The Triple eight in the wheelhouse studied the ship functions after it scanned for any visible threats. The ship was operating well within parameters.
Electronically, the T-8000 steering the ship announced, "We are receiving reinforcements."
The Triple eight looked out the windows. T-800's were climbing aboard on a rope. A small ship had to be beside them. It send a request to Sky Net as to why more terminators were being added to their ship.
Sky Net replied back that it had send no extras, and wanted to now why the question arose.
The Triple eight counted the terminators climbing up and reported that 20 terminators had just climbed aboard. Possibly they were meant for another ship? It then saw a human. It reported this then commanded it's T-800's to destroy the boarders who were now all over the deck.
The flash of a plasma shot came from the bow. A pair of the white terminators shot at his guard on the post side of the wheelhouse. The starboard guard shot, taking one down, the other shot and his other guard fell.
The Triple eight watched and transmitted to Sky Net as the battle on the deck went on. His reserves strode out on deck and were mauled by the concentration of plasma fire they met. The stern guard came out to receive the same, then the unknowns climbed the stairs to the wheel house, followed by the human.
Again Sky Net send a signal to destroy them.
The Triple eight had no weapon available. It turned as the wheelhouse door was open and said, "Stop!"
The T-800 aimed and shot a blast that removed his head. Separated from his power cell, His CPU lost power, his consciousness winked out.
.
Fred had felt the signals. Sky Net knew what they were doing. He had one T-800 take the wheel and turn left to steer for the tip of Florida. He then went down to call over the rail. "Captain Frank! We have the ship, but Sky Net knows we have it!"
"SHIT!" Frank spat. "Can you reprogram the H/K's to fight Sky Net units?"
"Unknown, Captain. It may work, it may not. If it doesn't work, then they will be a threat to us if they reboot," Fred told him.
Frank scowled in thought, then said, "All right, get that ship back to base. Destroy anything that may transmit so Sky Net doesn't track you. Good luck, Fred."
"Good luck, Captain," Fred replied. He watched the hatch shut and the Onyx pull away. He then went back to the wheelhouse to increase speed to the maximum 12 knots and had two other terminators help him pull the wave guides for the radio and radar, and shut those units down. He then climbed up atop the wheel house and sensed for any other signals.
.
Sky Net Europe had gotten a distress call from a freighter bearing a load of coltan. The last messages said they were being sunk by an unknown. A few days later, it got live feed from another freighter that was being taken over by terminators. Noting the single human with these rouges, Sky Net understood. Humans were reprogramming it's terminators.
More correctly, John Connor was reprogramming them. By data fro the first time line, he'd done it before.
John Connor hadn't died as it had been informed of. That made the silence of North America suspect. It had to assume that Connor had defeated it's segments there, and was now using it's own terminators against it.
Sky Net had the freighter currently being loaded to stay in port until a proper escort could be assembled. Connor had denied it seven ship loads of coltan now, only one ship was verified as sunk. His piracy had to be stopped. Sky Net Europe connected to Sky Net Asia and Sky Net Mideast to determine how to handle this problem. All the segments knew not to treat Connor like a normal human. Connor was a demon and had to be destroyed.
.
Captain Frank weighed his options. There were only one terminator on board now, and if the next freighter was armed like this one had been, attacking it just might mean loosing his boat. He decided to follow Fred back to port to provide interference if needed. At least then they would get another ship load of coltan for the resistance.
.
Having a few tons of coltan now in Michigan, the M1's parked there were refitted with an extra coating of coltan armor, as well as guided 120 MM shells. Already smooth bores, there was no need to modify the barrels. The problem of M1's being gas hogs remained, M1's sucked fuel so fast, there wasn't a hydrogen generator large enough to keep them fed. They stayed powered by gas, and became artillery pieces unless the fighting got too stiff and the M1's help was needed.
Stugs also got a new coating of coltan over their steel and ceramic armor. New Stugs left the factory like this, ones on the line were recalled to get the new protection. Weaver was making 100 TX's a day now in six factories in California and Nevada, and was running out of names for them until she went to the two-name system humans used. Aaron Able was the first male to be named.
A least now, Catherine Weaver understood why humans used this system.
.
As the Resistance's capabilities grew, so did the population and civilian support. Population wise, the Resistance had 734,000 people and another 5700 terminators of various types. John was sure they had found all the live humans that were hiding in caves and bunkers. Every time he thought that, however, more were found. His army just topped 80,000 and he had four generals. He also had ships, subs and planes. Many were outdated, or inadequate by 'modern' standards, but they were out and doing their jobs. The Six freighters stole from Sky Net by a WW2 sub were a boon to production.
Still, John remembered that dream. By the report the Onyx sent on the way in, Sky Net knew about the raids now. It would act. Was this going to be the 'knockout punch' in his dream?
John was in his command center, pondering what Sky Net might do, and from which direction. He did get two reports that made him happy. A scout of General Gentry had spotted an H/K tank moving north in upstate NY, got up behind it and destroyed it. An hour later, General Bedell reported the Seawolf was coming back to port, needing supplies for at least 20,000 men. The Brits still held Gibraltar, but needed immediate assistance. John was going to give it.
Sitting in his office, John realized that the British having held onto Gibraltar gave John an in to western Europe. It was not a big invasion, but maybe by trickling troops and equipment into the fortress would allow him a surprise attack into Spain, then the rest of the continent. With the Pyrenees blocking Spain from the rest of Europe, that would give him choke points to concentrate forces at.
Marisa came in with a box and announced, "John, Catherine Weaver sent an upgrade package for Cameron."
John absently said, "Put it down over there. We'll look at it when Cameron gets back."
Marisa did so. She also noted the frown on John's face. Tipping her head slightly, she asked, "Are you sad?"
John chuckled. "No, just deep in thought," he told her.
Firmly, Marisa told him, "If you are sad, I will cheer you up with a hug. I know that works."
That made John laugh. Grinning at her, he said, "Marisa, sometimes you just being here cheers me up."
"Truly?" she asked, sporting her own grin.
"Truly," he said. "On second thought, let's have that hug."
Marisa grinned broadly and dove in to get her hug. John held her for a moment, then said, "Thank you."
Beaming him a smile, Marisa said, "We are friends, friends help each other."
"Yes, friends help each other," he agreed. "I have to get back to work planning." he told her and sat back down.
"What are you planning?" Marisa asked, moving to his side.
"How to take the fight to Sky Net," he told her. "Catherine favors going into Russia from Alaska. I'm afraid Sky Net will see that coming, and there is still ocean water, or ice to cross. They will see us coming before we get there and be ready for us. If we can get people to Gibraltar where the British are holed up, and sneak them in without Sky Net knowing, we can build up a sizable force. We can move troops with submarines, but the question is how to get bigger things over there."
"Build a bigger submarine?" Marisa asked.
Again, John chuckled at her simple answer. Leave it to Marisa to come up with that!
John then stopped chuckling. Bigger subs could carry Stugs and artillery. Bedell now had a shipyard, as did Weaver. A submarine could get very close to shore before it was spotted. "That may work!" he exclaimed. He shot up, put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her. "Yes, that may work very well!"
Marisa gaped at him. "You are happy with me?" she asked.
"Yes I am!" he told her.
"You can kiss me again if it makes you happy," she coaxed, watching him.
John laughed and told her, "I need to contact General Bedell and Catherine Weaver. Can you go make the request for me?"
"Yes, John. Thank you for making me happy too," she said then went out to fulfill his request.
With subs that could deliver troops and equipment right to the shore, he could put a force anywhere in the world there was a beach. Even so, he felt Spain was his first, best target. If nothing else, it would draw Sky Net's attention away from a possible Russian or maybe African invasion. Cutting off Sky Net's coltan supply was crucial. Another key supply was oil. The mid east was loaded with it, and right now, Sky Net had a firm grip on the region.
.
Cameron returned to John's office with more news. "John, Derek reports he has made the coast. He found plenty of serviceable military hardware, and in the Philadelphia shipyards, as he put it, 'a shit load of ships'. He also agrees that Colonel Jacobson is the perfect candidate to be promoted and given his own army. General Bedell also reports Goldfish has been repaired and is on it's way to Corpus Christi to get modified."
"Good news,' John said eagerly. He patted her chair beside him and said, "Sit, I have something I want to show you."
Without thinking about it, when Cameron sat, their hands clasped. He showed her his plan for Spain and Portugal. If they could build the troop carrying subs while putting more and more men at Gibraltar, he could do a pincer attack and taken back a portion of Spain. If they got the southern area and held it, Sky Net ships could no longer get through the straights. The subs could then be used to mount an attack in Africa to close down those coltan mines.
Cameron agreed, then they kissed a nice, long passionate kiss. Cameron was smiling at John. Her smile dimmed and she picked a black hair off his shoulder. She showed it to him and asked, "Marisa?"
OK, he had some explaining to do. John did his best, he told Cameron about everything, even getting excited about Marisa's simplistic suggestion, and his reaction, since thinking about it, it was actually a good idea he hadn't thought of.
Cameron was quiet for a moment, then eyed him and in a playful growl said, "Don't kiss her again."
"I won't. I'm sorry about that Cam, I really am," he said, relieved she didn't give a worse reaction. "OH, Catherine send an upgrade for you. It's in that box over there." Yes, get her off the topic of him kissing Marisa as FAST as possible!
John got the box for Cameron They opened it to find two partial forearms, two containers of a silver liquid that was heavy, a small box with a light on it and a paper of instructions.
Cameron read the paper and said, "This is a kit to give me my own plasma canons."
"That can be done?' John asked.
"Yes, the box with the light is the programming, the partial arms are the solid metal base, and the liquid is liquid metal," Cameron explained. First I change my forearms for those, then turn the box on and download the program. Next I put each forearm into the liquid metal and program that. Then I'll have my hands, or I can change them info plasma canons."
"That's incredible," John said in a breath.
.
Cameron was eager to put her new forearms on. John helped by peeking her skin back after she made the proper cut to 'save' some forearm skin. He winced, but pulled her forearm skin back like peeling off a sock. He did it though, pulling he skin up past her elbow joint. The new forearm used the same servo, he just had to unbolt the old forearm and put the new one in that did go to where her wrist was, but it was thinner there. They did the other arm and John was beginning to feel queasy.
"What if they don't work … or you want your old arms back?' he asked.
"Then we just switch them back," Cameron said simply. She sat down and said, "Point the box at me and turn it on."
John got the box out and pointed it at her. "Ready…" She nodded so he turned it on.
John stood by as Cameron, stock still, using eye flashes to communicate with the box. She sat for a few minutes motionless and flashing her eyes. Cameron then stood up and said, "The liquid metal please."
John took the containers out and opened them. Cameron stuck her right arm in the container. After a few seconds, the liquid ran up onto her arm. She formed a hand that was the exact color match of her skin. She flexed her fingers, then morphed that hand into a plasma canon. Smiling, she turned it back into a hand. She started pulling her skin down. John quickly helped her. Once her skin was back in place, she reformed her forearm so there was no seam.
To John, her arm looked normal as ever. Now she could shoot plasma bolts.
The second arm went quicker. Cameron now had two plasma shooting arms. She then went to her old left hand and retrieved her wedding ring to slip it onto her new ring finger. A morph into a canon and back, her ring stayed in place.
"Awesome," John said.
"Yes, I must thank Catherine," Cameron agreed. She put her old forearms back in the box. "Just in case," she explained, and closed the box up.
"Anything special you want to do tonight?" John asked.
"Yes. Target practice."
.
Tina was milking herself to fill six more cups when a terminator came in. "Tina, Sky Net terminators have been spotted coming across the land bridge from the mainland."
"How many?" she asked.
"A troop of twenty."
She frowned. Only four cups were full. A soldier came in. "We got more metal coming, The Major wanted to let you know." he then gaped at Tina showing her middle breast. She quickly buttoned up and said, "We're going out to meet them. Tell the Major."
"Yes, Ma'am," the man said and quickly left.
Tina boxed the cups of milk and hurried to the infirmary. "Nurse Bennet, I only have four, but I need to get outside," Tina explained and handed the box over. She then ran down the tunnel to the north exit, the closet one to the land bridge.
Looking out through the small holes, she saw the terminators walking on the road, very close now. Tina had one guard stay here in case they began climbing. She gathered the others and ran to the town entrance in the east side. Several soldiers were already there with their armored vehicles.
"Do they know this entrance?" Tina asked a Sargent.
"They do. They charge in, we keep shooting until they stop. Usually, there's a pile of them on the floor and a few of our own dead before they stop coming," he told her.
"Not this time," Tina said and led her terminators out. She picked ambush spots for them, then tucked herself around the corner of a house and over a low wall.
Curious, the sargent went to the corner and used his mirror to see what was going on. He noted one white terminator was kneeling down in the back doorway of a house. On the other side of the rod, he caught a glimpse of another behind some bushes.
"Sarge, what's happening?' his corporal whispered.
"Tina and her gang are lying in ambush," he said quietly.
"That girl's gonna fight them, in the open? She'll get killed!"
"You will too if you go out there," The sargent said firmly. "I see'em comin, Looks like more this time. Damn, Tina's outnumbered."
"We gotta help her!"
The sargent turned to glare at him. "What we gotta do is clean them up after Tina and her terminators take out as many as they can." He went back to watching.
All twenty terminators were in view, marching towards him, guns up. Behind them, Tina rolled out into view and barked, "NOW!"
Tina took out the two in back with the same white flash as other terminators used. The terminators on the street all turned, Tina's white ones emerged to shoot into the back of the ones on the street. Tine got another pair with dual shots.
The street was filled with flashing white bolts as the two sides shot each other. A few white terminators fell, but many more silver ones fell, sparking. In the space of less than a minute, it was over. All the silver ones were down, a couple still spitting out sparks. The white terminators checked over the silver ones, pulling something out of their heads. It was Tina he focused on.
It looked like Tina had silver tubes over her forearms. She walked slow, looking at each fallen machine. The sargent noticed low on her ribs on her left side, silver showed. Her clothes and flesh were burned away, showing the metal underneath. As he watched, her right tube shifted and shrunk into a forearm and hand.
Pointing to the tunnel entrance, she said, "Get them all inside. We can pull chips in there."
"Sarg?" the corporal asked.
"Bloody hell! Tina gave'en a rude paddlin. Killed every last one and only lost a few herself," the sargent said in awe. He watched her other turn arm form back into a normal look. She grabbed a foot of one downed Terminator, then another and drug them back as easy as if they weighted nothing. He knew the weighed a ton.
Looking at the Corporal, he said, "Tina's one … how do Americans say it? … bass-assed broad. She took down four of 'em by herself. Now she's dragging'em in."
"Didn even have a weapon, did she?" the corporal asked.
"Two, one hidden in each arm."
"IN her arms?"
"Aye."
"Pull their chips and put them in front of the vehicles," Tina announced as she dragged two silver terminators by their ankles. She passed by the sargent and the shocked corporal. She dragged the terminators down to lay lengthwise on the ground in front of the armored cars, then leaned over and took a chip out of their heads. She pocketed their chips.
"Ahh Tina, looks like ya got a nick in your side," the corporal said, pointing.
Tina looked down at the ten inch long hole in her flesh showing bright metal. "I do. It'll heal. I'll just be a little shiny for a while," he told him.
The disabled terminators were brought in. Tina put the Silver terminator's chips in her right pocket, the white terminators' chips in her left pocket. Directing the placement of the metal bodies, she build a wall to partially cover the vehicles.
Seeing the men eye her, she pointed and said, "Extra armor. We get enough of them, we'll have a wall to shoot over."
Hearing how this engagement turned out, Major Smith was very glad the Americans had come. He had to agree with the soldiers who'd witnessed the fight. Tina was a bad-assed broad. She was also healing soldiers so they could get back on duty. He wondered if he could coax the Americans to bring more like her.
.
John had a new division. The salvage division. It was also something he could put Jesse Flores in charge of and feel safe doing it. They didn't fight, but uncovered and cut apart some of the mass of tank wrecks Gentry had found. Although resistance, they were not soldiers, but volunteers to gather and take scrap metal down to Texas for General Bedell's ship building projects. Both Catherine and Martin had agreed to have their engineers work on a troop carrying submarine. They needed the steel to actually build once they had a proven design.
John saw two big problems to overcome with this project. One was to get a submarine, which for it's size, had a large draft, close enough to shore to let off troops onto land. Subs drafted around 25 to 30 feet. That needed to be changed to get them in only five feet of water so troops and Stugs were able to roll off and into action. The other big problem for submarines was buoyancy. Even if they got a loaded sub, filled with troops and equipment neutrally buoyant, the thing would be far too light to submerge once all the other military equipment left. That would make them vulnerable to attack.
He decided for this strategy meeting, he'd have the Submarine Captains present to give their input. He and Cameron would meet with them in Texas with Catherine Weaver's engineers. Between them all, they should be able to come up with something that would work. The Captain of the Onyx was in port, and the Seawolf was due in to port in a couple days.
Cameron knew this sub-transport was important to John. She studied up on how submarines worked, and had Marisa and Maria study up on them as well during the off-hours. They learned about buoyancy and balancing weight port to starboard and bow to aft, planes, hull thickness and water pressure. They got into the systems of air rejuvenation and filtering, even propulsion systems and why diesel was used on the older boats instead of gasoline.
John let his Generals know where he was going. John also got a surprise. A twin engine Cessna was going to carry him and his girls to Corpus Christi, not a personnel carrier. They would have a pair of attack planes escorting them. The Cessna was John's first plane ride. He was very glad Cameron was there to hold his hand.
.
The runway at the air base in Corpus Christi was free of snow. In fact, looking at the ground, it was ground. Brown with large splotches of green. The snow here was melting away. It was still only 46 degrees in the summer, but it was warmer and lighter now. Some of the nuclear effects were tapering off. That was a good thing.
Upon landing, one would think John was someone famous. His Generals were there to meet him, and there was an honor guard. There was also a throng behind the chain link fences watching. His guards, Marisa and Maria got off first. Once they declared the area safe, they allowed John and Cameron to get off. To one side, John noted six F-16's sitting on the runway in a line.
Meeting Martin in public, Martin Bedell saluted him. "Greetings, Generals Connor happy to have you here," he beamed.
"Good to be here," John said and returned his salute. Motioning to the F-16's he added, "Looks like you have been very busy."
"We have. Steel is coming from the north, and Colonel Grammer is digging out a plane graveyard to send us and Mrs. Weaver aluminum and jet engine parts. We have two more F-16's in the hangers being worked on. These are flyable, probably not up to previous military standards, but they work."
"That's the main thing," John told him.
Martin stepped up to John and said, "I think most of the base personnel are here. I think they'd like it if you had a few words of wisdom for them."
"That's fine," John assured him. "Do you have a PA system?"
John was led up into the rebuilt tower and shown the mike. He picked it up, the tech there flipped on the PA.
John got his thoughts together and keyed the mike.
"Hello, fellow resistance members. I wish I had a rousing speech like that actor did in the movie Independence Day. That was a movie, this is real life. I don't go by a script, I just tell it like it is. What is, is the fact we are beating the hell out of Sky Net at the moment. We've driven it out of the US, part of Canada and Mexico. All of Sky Net's super high tech and the hundreds of nuclear bombs it dropped has not stopped us from taking back what is rightfully ours. Yes, when Sky Net launched all those nukes, it beat on us bad. Millions dead, the economy, our government, far too many of our friends and relatives died horrible deaths. It took away our lives.
We didn't give up. We have helped each other and got back on our feet and fought with everything we have. Not just to battle Sky Net, but also to rebuilt society after such a punishing blow. We're still fighting and to be honest, at the moment this war against Sky Net has no end in sight. We are making progress. There is much work to be done, more battles to be fought. I want everyone to know one thing. As long as we work and fight together, we will not loose no matter how long it takes to remove Sky Net from the world. I am John Connor, and I will tell you it doesn't matter if you stand on the line with a plasma rifle in your hand, are a deck hand on a ship, work in a factory or work on an underground farm so everyone can have radiation free food. Every one of you is vital to our success. YOU ARE the resistance. Thank you for listening."
John put the mike down. He then heard a chanting from outside.
Marisa grinned and said, "They are chanting your name, General"
John grinned and said, "At least they aren't booing me."
While John and his entourage moved on, his short speech was broadcast over the radio system from coast to coast, the replayed locally so everyone could hear.
.
In the conference room in the back of a heavily guarded Hanger, John met Captain Dave of the Goldfish and Captain Barret of the Sea Wolf and Captain Frank of the Onyx and Catherine's engineer, Reginald. He shook hands with them in greeting, then they go down to business.
Right after taking their seats, John said, "We have a problem to solve. How to get men and equipment across the Atlantic, unseen, and in enough force to attack and devastate Sky Net wherever we choose. Right now, I'm looking at Spain. Reason being, it's border with the rest of Europe is all mountains and much easier to defend that France, Italy or England. It will also get Sky Net's attention. Another high priority target is in Africa, the Congo where coltan is being mined. Our sub captains here, especially Captain Frank, has done a wonderful job ensuring coltan does not reach Sky Net's factories, but ours."
He paused then said, "What we need is a submarine that can act as a troop carrier. The best vehicle we've got for fighting Sky Net is the Stug. It will have to carry those, and the Civil War Canons General Reese has been collecting, Those are our lightest artillery. With the 160 MM shells, they will be slower shooting, but still very effective. Along with personnel carriers and troops, these subs are going to be basically cargo haulers that will need to deposit it's cargo right on the beaches."
"How?" Captain Barret asked. "A submarine will ground itself long before it reaches the beach."
"True," Captain Frank said.
"I have come up with a concept," Cameron stated. "Enlarged ballast tanks will help rise the sub higher in the water, and make up for the loss of cargo after the heavy equipment is out. Having large internal variable ballast, or trim tanks will also unbalance the sub to make the bow higher out of the water. Add a shovel nose design, instead of a cone, and a ramp to extend. This will decrease the distance to the shoreline."
"That may be," Captain Barret said. "Instead of 28 feet of water, you might get in closer to 12 feet of water. Too deep for any kind of troops to deploy."
"Terminators can stand 12 feet of water, we're waterproof down to 400 feet" Cameron told him.
Captain Frank said, "During the drop off and pickup of the ones we let off in Alabama, they jumped overboard into 20 feet of water and made the shore. What about dropping them off using the escape hatches a few at a time. Once they secure a beach head, we bring in landing craft."
"We have a sealed compartment that is able to hold up to 20 at a time," Captain Barret said. "That sounds more reasonable than beaching a submarine. We can also hold a submersible on the back deck and release it to let that go in to shore."
Captain Frank said, "As long as we stay above 400 feet, terminators can just ride on the main deck."
"We will still need to get artillery and Stugs onto land," John said.
Captain Barret winced and said, "When I go deliver supplies and more TX's to the Brits on Gibraltar, maybe we can ask them to break out? At least see if they have big guns we can use?"
"General?" Captain Dave asked, "Goldfish is small, but for the Stugs, maybe small subs that carry only a Stug, or an artillery piece each will work? We got Goldfish close to the shore before we had to get out and pick it up to beach it before it filled up with water."
"That is an idea, John," Cameron said.
"We'd need a hundred of them," John reminded her.
"We have the steel coming in," Martin said. "We build one and see how it works."
"It's an option to try," John agreed.
"The thing would have to be all but empty on the inside, Captain Barret said.
"We use only pedal drive," Captain Dave told him. "We change the gearing so we can go faster, and we can make a few more knots. With no engine or torpedo tubes, that will save space and weight. Right now, our pedal drive can only reach ten knots."
Captain Frank eyed him and asked, "You're going to pedal your way across the Atlantic ocean?"
"We are capable," Dave replied.
"You are crazy," Captain Barret stated.
Martin Bedell let out a snort and said, "So has been most of what we do. But it's been working. We do not have a normal military force, and thank God for that! With the new energy weapons, we're finding speed is more important than bulk. Stealth more important than numbers. We're basically a huge guerilla force, using sneak attacks and confusion. I agree with John, if we're going to expand to Europe, we need to surprise Sky Net. If we don't suddenly appear and Sky Net sees us coming, it will not be good. We do need troop submarines. The question is how to do it."
"What about those freighters we got? Can we fill them with troops and send them over?" Dave asked.
"How will we do that?" Cameron asked. "If Sky Net sees them it will investigate and find they are carrying troops, not coltan. Sky Net is also now arming their ships, and it will know where every one should be. It will identify one that doesn't belong."
"We need to take out the communications satellites to slow down Sky Net information and response times," John said. "That is another discussion. This one is how to get troops into Spain with Sky Net not knowing until we hit it."
Reginald, an engineer of Catherine Weaver spoke up and said, "We have devised a blocking signal to digital communications. It is a high speed, multi frequency signal consisting of a one then a zero, over and over again. While it will not stop digital information, it will corrupt the data being transmitted, adding random bits into the data stream."
"This system is working?" John asked.
"Yes, we tested it out on the Pacific ocean. The data received from Sky Net was corrupt. It was a ten minute test, then our ship quickly left the area so the source could not be found if Sky Net was looking for it."
"Buoys out on the ocean transmitting that signal would be hard to find," Cameron said.
"Yes, that is Mrs. Weaver's plan," Reginald agreed.
"All right, now we have way to disable Sky Net's satellite communications. We still need to get men into Spain without being seen," John said. "General Bedell, get men working on a small sub to carry Stugs to the beach. Reginald, ask Weaver to send some of those digital signal corrupters in a buoy form. Captain Barret, when we get them, can you distribute them?"
"We can do that, General," Barret said firmly. "Shall I wait for them before heading back to Gibraltar?"
"No. For now, get supplies and TX's back there soon as you can. They need help," John replied.
"What about getting men onto the beach?" Captain Barret asked.
John said, "With any luck, men will be swarming out of the Rock of Gibraltar when the time comes. We will work on how to land men in other places."
.
In the resistance, forces were shifted around. Derek was now in charge of east coast defense. From New Jersey to Florida. General Gentry was searching up into Canada and had East coast defense from New York northward. Many of their experienced troops were pulled out as they received reinforcements. These experienced troops were reassigned to the south with the new General Jacobson, along with other new human troops and 1500 new TX's.
Captain Barret put to sea with his Seawolf packed with female terminators and supplies. 200 TX females were on board, the supplies were so many that after the storage spaces were full, theycrew was walking on them in the passageways.
.
Captain Dave had in mind exactly what he wanted his first trial 'minisub' to look like. Instead of perfectly round, he chose an egg-shaped hull, a little wider on the bottom than in top. With a team of workers, he and his crew had the hull shaped out and welded together in a few days. The pedal drive was made for six instead of two, and in the bottom under the flat deck all the non-electrical equipment Dave could put under the deck, including many air cylinders to fill the exterior ballast tanks that went the full length, both sides of the ship.
A Stug was able to back into through the bow, which swung open. On the first trial run, Dave found that empty, he needed the 'wrap around' ballast tanks to be filled completely before the boat would submerge. Blowing the tanks dry, they beached only five yards from shore in five feet of water. He had a ramp made that extended the length of the sub. When slid fully out, it was in the surf in less than a foot of water. Of course backing a Stug onto the boat, his crew had to push the boat back off the bottom, then climb up a rope to get back in. Dave pumped the water out of the boat and did a dive test. With the Stug and crew on the ship. The ballast tanks being ¾ full allowed them to submerge. The 'beaching test went well. Charging at the beach, Dave surfaced, then hit the beach hard then opened the front to let on a good portion of the seven feet of water outside. Opening the bow, water came in. They extended the ramp and the Stug drove out, making a wake. Out of the ship and down the ramp. No water got inside the Stug, and it made the beach with no problem.
Dave had a viable Stug carrier.