Ch 22
After drawing out another 8 cups of milk and delivering them to the infirmary, Tina wanted to get a longer range look at the land beyond Gibraltar. Following a captain up to the lookout station on top of the rock, which hadn't been used since the bombs had hit. Tina insisted on going outside first.
Coming out of the security shack, she noted a couple of skeletal bodies. Soldiers who'd probably been up here when the bombs hit. Te view from here was fantastic. Below on the land side she could see the road and the airstrip running across it. Beyond that, the road went though the border security posts and into the land. Looking specifically for any terminators or Sky Net equipment, she didn't see any. Even at maximum magnification, she only saw a group of four terminators two miles away, walking down a road. There were no H/K tanks, H/K's in the air or radio towers that weren't bent over or leaning against something. The harbor was shielded from view of the land. Having the information she wanted, she went back down.
"Find what you were looking for?" the Captain asked.
"Yes, Sky Net had no substantial units in the vicinity," Tina replied and returned to the steep stairs back to the tunnels.
"So, we're not going to get attacked right away?" he asked.
"No. It is certain though that Sky Net will make another attempt. There are humans here, Sky Net will come to destroy everyone. It cannot let any humans exist," Tina explained. "It is possible that at least one of the last group to attack was communicating real time with Sky Net. Sky Net is planning how to deal with us being here. Due to the narrow streets and steep inclines, it cannot use H/K tanks, and the area is too cluttered to use the flying H/K's," Tina explained.
"Sky Net won't attack again until it feels it can come wipe us all out."
"Correct."
The captain let out a sigh and said, "Well before we're crushed under a big metal foot, I want to thank you. Bumped my elbow the other day, and it was healing before I even got to the infirmary. Those nanite things healed me up I guess."
"That is what they are suppose to do," Tina confirmed. "With only one of me, I have only gotten to a few of the many who need to be treated. I hope Captain Barret is bringing many more TX's. Men will begin dying soon if they aren't treated."
"It's about lunch time. Want to come eat with me? You do eat, don't you?" he asked.
"I do, I must replenish my nutrients to keep making nanites, plus heal the wound in my side."
The captain snapped his fingers and said, "That's right, I heard you took a graze. It's healing?"
Tina stopped to lift her shirt up to expose the smaller metal space now surrounded by healing flesh. "It is healing fine. I put most of my efforts into making milk, so it hasn't healed all the way yet."
He looked and shook his head. "Heard you got metal bones, but this is amazing! You really are an android!"
"Technically, I'm a cyborg. I have metallic and biologics in me," Tina explained. She put her shirt back down and kept going.
Tina let the Captain, who's name was Charles Ebert, lead her down to have lunch. She went through the cafeteria style line, then sat down with him at one of the long tables.
"It eats too?" a woman with short cropped hair that had a some bald spots in it said in a grumble.
"Hold your tongue, McMaster," Captain Ebert said firmly.
Tina noted the woman didn't look happy. Neither did Captain Ebert.
The woman got up and left, casting Tina a glare.
"Why is she angry at me?" Tina asked.
Captain Ebert said in a low tone, "Rumor's gotten out among some of the women that you're here as a sex toy. They're not happy about that."
"That rumor is false," Tina said flatly.
"It is, but it's still going around. Two days ago she was in bed, waiting for the end. Now, she's healthy, except for her attitude," he said. "Personally, I think those women believe you TX's are going to replace human women."
"I did not come to replace anyone, but give you all the assistance I am capable of," Tina stated. "Should I go explain that to her?"
"No, some people can't be reasoned with," he told her. "Just ignore them and keep doing what you're doing."
Before lunch was over, Tina noted another woman to cast her a dark look. Why were people like that?
.
The next day, a lookout spotted the Seawolf surfacing in the harbor. Knowing supplies were coming, Major Smith authorized two trucks to go down and get them. Tina had to get more milk out of herself, but the rest of the terminators went down to help load the trucks.
This time, Captain Barret tied up along a stretch of dock closer to the rock. A pair of terminators carried a metal brow and put it in place with the help of a couple TX females on the ship. Major Smith also met Captain Barret in person on the dock.
Watching the stream of boxes being passed one person to another, up and out of the ship and into the first truck, Major Smith said, "You are saving us. Not just with the supplies, with the nanite things as well. Tina also took her terminators and beat off an enemy attack before they even got inside. She was out numbered two to one and paddled them good. Only took three losses herself."
"I bet they weren't expecting to fight other terminators," Captain Barret said. "I have a request from General John Connor. He wants to take Spain. Besides food and TX's, we're also giving you 500 plasma rifles, all we can spare. More will come. The General is going to do a landing nearby. He wants you to help out by attacking the mainland. Each force providing one arm of the pincer move."
Major Smith frowned. "We only have 24000 here. That won't be a very large force."
"You'll have at least another hundred terminators, and anti-aircraft missiles and TOW missiles by then," Captain Barret said. "John Connor's forces were usually one quarter the size of the of Sky Net in his battles to retake the States. His tactics are insane, but they've been working. One of the pre-conditions to acting, is that all your men are healthy."
"What about those big bloody tanks that will take hit after hit and keep moving?" Smith asked.
"They are vulnerable from behind," Captain Barret told him with a grin. "Connor has what he calls Stugs. Fast little things that run around and shoot those behemoths from behind. Once we're getting close to being ready, I'm sure he'll distribute battle plans."
"Stugs? As in second world war Stugs used by the Nazi's?" Smith asked, surprised Connor was using antiquated equipment.
"Basically, although modernized. Their armor is capable of deflecting those plasma shots Sky Net's units have. Nasty little machines as far as the enemy is concerned. We get some Stugs behind Sky Net forces, and those Stugs will rip the hell out of them," Captain Barret said firmly. "I saw the battle report from when General Reese crossed the Mississippi river. A dozen Stugs of the 50 were lost in their drive to the middle of Tennessee. They destroyed 190 H/K tanks and thousands of those terminators."
"Sky Net didn't take them seriously," Smith concluded.
"It didn't. Biggest mistake it ever made. Connor's second most effective weapon is taking out Sky Net's comms," Captain Barret told him. "Without comms, Sky Net units can't coordinate. With that, and a sneak attack, I'm pretty sure we can drive pretty deep into Sky Net's territory before it even knows we're here."
Motioning to the women in the loading line, Smith asked, "Any of them like Tina?"
"Every single one. I brought two hundred of them to help get your men well and ready to move."
"We'll be able to fight back, " Smith said. "That will be a big morale boost for us all. You tell Connor we're in, just tell us what he wants us to do."
.
Derek was the next one who wanted workers and engineers to help repair and get mothballed ships ready to go back into service. In Philadelphia and New Jersey, there was an entire fleet waiting to be used. Everything from auxiliary ships to battleships. Apparently, Sky Net had taken out the ships in service, but didn't bother with older ones or museum ships.
John had more ships to recondition than he had people to do it. Several submarines set up as museums were also found intact. His best news was Captain Dave had made a useable submarine landing craft. The top speed was 16 knots, but in testing it worked on loading and offloading a Stug on a beach. He approved it for use and ordered production to begin.
He also had the plans for the craft sent to Mrs. Weaver so she could begin construction. Her priority was to find out the status of Hawaii. He didn't think anyone alive would be there, but the navy did have a big base there. If there was anything useful left, he wanted to grab it before Sky Net destroyed it or used it.
.
Cameron was getting the idea Marisa was becoming closer to John than she was comfortable with. Yes, Maria and Marisa were guards, they were new TX's, eager to learn everything they could. She also noted the Marisa's happier tone every time she talked about John. It was irritating.
One thing Cameron noted was Marisa took an interest in John's tactics. During a planning session, she paid extra attention to Marisa watching John closely. Marisa was eager to help. That gave Cameron an idea.
Sitting down with John during dinner, Cameron called to Marisa to come sit with them.
Marisa left her post by the door and sat down across from John. "Yes, Cameron?" she asked.
"You are very interested in tactics and supplying troops?" Cameron asked.
"I am," Marisa agreed. "John finds ways to minimize losses and maximize the use of forces. Sky Net sends it's forces out in a line. It's terminators just stand up and walk, making them easy targets. John teaches ours to shoot from cover, making them less likely to be hit. Coming from behind, or hiding until Sky Net forces pass by is also a very good tactic. He sends humans and terminators out to battle, but also finds ways to maximize their survival as well as saving their chips so they are not truly destroyed," she beamed.
"You are paying attention to how John does things?" Cameron asked.
"Yes, John does his best for man and machine," Marisa stated.
"John, I think Marisa should lead your landing strike in Spain," Cameron told him.
John eyed her. "Marisa?" he asked at the surprising question.
"Marisa had studied what you do. She will not charge into a battle, not knowing what is there like Colonel Flores did. She knows to study terrain and to draw Sky Net forces to her to lure them into a trap."
"What about guarding John?" Marisa asked.
Cameron held up an arm and morphed it into a plasma canon. "I now have the ability to protect," she stated. "I will not leave John's side."
"Ahh, Cam?" John asked tentatively. "Marisa has never been on the battle field."
"I believe she can do it," Cameron stated.
Quickly, Marisa said, "John, I want to do it. I want to prove I can lead your troops into battle."
John thought for a moment. Cameron was right, they needed another commander for their Spanish forces. Slowly, he said, "All right. Marisa get a map of southeast Spain, and one for all of Spain. I'll give you a good idea of what forces you'll have. I want to see what you come up with."
"Yes, John!" Marisa said eagerly, then got up and went out to go find maps.
John eyed Cameron for a moment then asked, "Want to tell me why you're asking for Marisa to lead this expedition?"
"Marisa is very interested in tactics and troop movements. She is also much tougher than a human commander. This is going to be a hard fight, John." Cameron stated.
"It feels like we're sending a daughter out to fight," he said vacantly.
"We are sending many sons and daughters out to fight, John. We need the best out there," Cameron stated.
John couldn't argue with her, Cameron's points were valid. "You're right," he said with a huff. That didn't mean had had to like it.
.
While Marisa set up a tactical map, learning all she could from previous maps and topographical information, John got a message from Bedell. The Lexington was going on sea trials, and should be finished in a week at most. A test showed the pusher prop ground attack planes could take off and land on the flight deck, even if the Lexington was sitting at the dock.
A destroyer was also done, with defensive armaments, six large plasma canons and anti-aircraft missiles along with torpedoes and 'ship simulator' torpedoes that when launched, stayed near the surface and emitted ship sounds to lure enemy torpedoes to them.
Catherine also perfected their H/K aerial units. They carried not only a plasma canon, but air to air and air to ground missiles as well to fight Sky Net H/K's. Terminators with no body accepted the task of being H/K's, meaning these were intelligent units. She had 14 made, and more were coming. The H/K's and the missiles were coltan tipped to increase survivability.
Having this news, John changed his plans. They would hit Spain, but also the port the coltan was coming from. Right after the Seawolf deployed it's buoys to screw up Sky Net communications.
John sat down with Marisa to see what she had come up with. Casting her a firm look, John told her, "You have small subs to land about 100 Stugs and artillery, and roughly 3000 terminators and men coming onto the beach. Sky Net digital comms are out. In Gibraltar, you have about 10 Stugs and 20,000 troops, mostly human, only a couple hundred TX's. What is your plan?"
Marisa pointed to a town on the southern coast of Spain. "Here, there is a fishing village, and another ten miles away. There are plenty of docks to offload men so they will not possibly drown. Going in at night serves no tactical purpose, terminators can see infrared. In between these towns is a rock beach. It is not smooth sand, but it is shallow. The stugs will land there, and make their way to the towns. In case Sky Net does have some form of communication, they land first to draw other Sky Net units away from Gibraltar. They will take the counterattack better. After they land, the Gibraltar forces head in their direction as fast as possible. On the way, they leave land mines and some forces to guard their northern flank. The landing forces do also. Once they meet, they sweep south first to get any Sky Net forces out from behind them, then set up a solid picket to the north. We leave traps and concealed Stugs ahead of our lines. When Sky Net comes, we fall back, defend, then fall back again to draw Sky Net troops in. Once we have them far enough ahead, the rear forces come from behind as we defend."
John nodded. "Not bad. What if Sky Net sees you coming onto the beaches?" he asked.
Marisa explained, "If there are a few, we fight. If there are may, we pull back and watch. I don't see that happening, Sky Net has no reason yet to watch the coasts carefully."
"It may happen," John warned her. "Never take any situation for granted. Always expect the unexpected. Your enemy will not do what you want them to."
Marisa quickly said, "Scouts! We send scouts onto land first from submerged submarines. They sneak up and find out the situation, then come back and send a pulse in the water to let our troops know they can land." she said firmly.
John asked her about other scenarios. What if the bulk of Sky Net units was behind her? What if they made a barrier to her progress? What if a cloud of H/K's attacked? How will you get supplies to the troops? Every question he asked, she had a good answer for. He got the idea she knew how to hunt down and kill Sky Net forces.
Although John was not thrilled about the idea, he did give command of the operation to Colonel Marisa, with three Majors under her.
He even accepted the long hug and happy sigh she gave him in return.
.
John found to do a raid on the African ports, he'd have to made sure a buoy was in place in the ocean nearby. Bedell now had two destroyers serviceable and another submarine would be ready in another couple months. For this operation, a destroyer dropping a buoy or two would work. Captain Dave had 60 Stug carrying submarines made and tested. They had the buoys, and enough ships to perform the operations. The Lexington could hold the H/K's and 40 ground attack planes. He was getting close to making his attack.
Although John was chomping at the bit to get his operations started, he knew he had to wait for all the operations to be complete. He did get news from Derek that a landing craft ship, a mothballed LST, was coming into service in Philadelphia. He had Derek finish that ship as fast as he could, and load it up with heavy equipment. Thankfully now, they could get M1's to Derek by train, as well as men, artillery, Stugs and ammunition. The LST ships could hold a large load.
.
When Captain Dave and his small sub force made 80 boats, John called another meeting with the generals, colonels, and the Major from Gibraltar to solidify their attack plans. He greeted Major Smith of Gibraltar. Finding out his Colonel had died, as did many officers, John made him 'acting' Colonel of his forces. Smith only accepted the promotion because he did need to led his men. Smith also named Tina as his second, because she knew how to fight Sky Net. John made her a Captain.
In the larger room with the maps on the wall, John stood up in front of the room and announced, "Here is our plan. Captain Barret will deploy digital corruption buoys on the seventh of September, here on the upper coast of Spain, and down here, closer to Colonel Marisa's landing force. On the same date, Captain Frank will deploy the data corruption buoys here, on the north east coast of Africa."
Directly after that, Rear Admiral Dave's Stug carrying boats will all approach to these towns and this beach to deploy late in the day on the seventh. General Reese will supply an LST two days later onto those beaches, unless his ship receives other orders from Colonel Marisa. As soon as Admiral Dave is capable, send half his subs back for more reinforcements. The other half stays to load up with disabled terminators to bring them back for rebuilding and reprogramming.
Also on the 8th, Admiral Stanton launches an air attack on Sky Net's coltan port. Destroy the place, Admiral. Sinking ships, blow up the harbor facilities. If your planes can find a choke point to it, say a bridge or narrow pass, make it impassable if they are able. You want to stop coltan from getting on those freighters. The Onyx will provide rescue if your planes are downed and can't get back to your carrier. Once that mission is complete, head north and provide assistance to Colonel Marisa and Smith as you are able. The Seawolf, Onyx, and the destroyers will guard the area from the sea.
Once stable on land, Smith and Marisa's forces will head for each other and clear away any Sky Net units between them. After that, it' scout, search and destroy. We want to get to the mountains and close off the approaches to Spain.
Any questions?" John asked.
Admiral Dave raised his hand and said, "We only have 84 subs. We will be lacking 16 Stugs."
"Derek will be bringing them by LST," John told him .
How about communications?" Colonel Smith asked.
"Cameron had code made for coms between commands. She will distribute the code before you leave," John told him. "The digital comms Sky Net has will be corrupted. By the time it can figure out what is happening, You should be well on your way deep into Spain."
A week later, John's forces began moving out for their destinations.
.
A small segment of Sky Net was in Barcelona. It's task, clear all humans from the area and capture as many slaves as possible. It was doing well in collecting humans. In what used to be a stadium, the place was filled with humans. They were not doing well. It did find food for them, but they kept getting sicker. Sky Net had ordered a ship facility built. More humans were there as slave labor. It constantly had to supply from the other prison camps because of humans refusing to work or just too weak to move. These humans were killed and dragged to an incinerator. The slave idea was not working out well.
As always, The Barcelona segment was collecting humans and trying to get into the tunnels in the south that it knew Humans there were fighting. If they were like the others they were finding, they would not be fighting for much longer. Right after they defeated 20 terminators, Sky Net collected a larger force with H/K tanks to blast that mountain apart and take whatever human survivors it was able to. Resistance could not be tolerated.
Sky Net Barcelona was communicating with it's H/K tanks to meet at a point near the mountain when the digital data became filled with errors. For all it's forces to have data failures at the same time was not logical. It tried communicating, and the replies were all filled with error. It took it's own system down to investigate the failure.
The equipment tested perfectly, but it could not even get us a signal to any Sky Net segment. While Sky Net Barcelona was trying to fix the problem, On the southwest shore of Spain, small submarines were popping up and charging to run up onto the pebbly beach.
.
Five miles north of that, Marisa rode SS 224, the COD as it surfaced and headed into a fishing village. She and six other TX's were the lookouts. Marisa was ready to shoot, but the sub pulled up nest to the dock unmolested. She had several TX's jump onto the dock to tie the sub up quickly and get a board over to it so her troops could deploy. She scanned for threats as they file off and ran for the small own. Once all her troops were off, she and the other guard left and untied the Cod so it could back away. It was leaving the harbor when a Small, wide sub, one of Dave's, came in to unload another 400 men and TX's.
In the town, only a single T-800 was found. Coming up behind him, a plasma shot separated his head from his body. The chip was pulled and they moved on, looking for the road to the Stug landing area. Marisa kept a close radio report of her troops, monitoring everything as they swept through town. A local roadmap was found in a gas station. Although the pumps were dead, there was gas in the underground tanks. A possible supply spot.
Small cars that worked were also found and used for advanced scouts. In a few hours, they made contact with the Stugs and with the other forces from a fishing village. In both places not a single human was found alive. Getting her force together, they headed southeast, towards Gibraltar. Climbing up a hill at a run Marisa gained the top and saw an H/K tank heading the way they were going. On report of finding it, and a Stug ran up behind it and destroyed it. It was harder to flip the thing off the road.
.
At Gibraltar, Tina took the highest post she could, climbing up a flagpole at the top. The pole wasn't very stable, but she did get up high enough to see seven H/K's and some terminators in the distance headed this way. She slid back down the pole and made her recommendations to Colonel Smith.
"Sir, we have seven H/K's coming. I highly recommend we sent out TX's to hide inside those border booths at the end of the land bridge. They stay low and let the Sky Net forces pass. When they get to the runway, open fire on them and the TX's shoot them from behind."
Colonel Smith agreed, they had more experience fighting Sky Net. He deployed the TX's and the men who bore missiles and TOW's.
The H/K's went through the gates and spread out, What looked like a couple hundred T-800's with them, forming a line in front of them. His men stayed under cover behind buildings and large rocks until the attackers got to the air strip.
Plasma guns, .50 cal machine guns and 20 MM canons opened up on the Sky Net forces.
Directly after that, Sky Net units shot back, and received a rain of plasma fire from behind. TOW missiles streaked out to come down on the tops of H/K's blasting through the thinner armor and wrecking their sensors.
The Sky Net units tried to fight in two directions at once, and fell one after another. A few TX's were down with injuries, as were a doze men. The Sky Net force had been stopped, all the H/K tanks were out of commission and all the terminators lay disabled.
The men on the line let our a rousing cheer. For once THEY had defeated Sky Net!
It was time to move forward.
.
Hector was nervous. Even after all the briefings, he still remembered the chaos of their Mexico battle. He flew out after those bigger looking H/K planes left. they hugged the water, only 30 feet up as they flew towards land. Being' experienced, as in he was only one of two pilots to survive the Mexico battle, he was the flight leader. Once again, he coached his flight. "Ok, guys, listen up. We stay low until the land is right in front of us, then we pop up to 2000 feet, and get on your target. "Bruce, Deny, you go left and hit them after we make our run. Arm everything! Make your shots, then dive for the treetops and get out of there. Jog up and down to help keep them from hitting you AFTER you release your rockets. Make your attack as fast as you can and VERMOUS!"
"Got it, Captain."
Ahead, he saw the H/Ks's shooting missiles and plasma shots. They passed over the port raining fire down on it. They flew away to the south. A couple H/K's rose up to chase them. They were heading away as Hector saw land. "Up, two thousand!" he said and pointed his nose towards the sky. He watched his altimeter and leveled out at two thousand. The port was right in front and below him. "Let's do it," he announced and dove.
Seeing what looked like a freighter, he shot for rockets into it, pulled up a bit to shoot two more into a pier, then pulled up and began jogging up and down randomly. A couple plasma streaks shot by. Looking around he saw Deny and Bruce in their dive. Denny got his shots off. Bruce caught an angled plasma bolt right on the front of his plane. The plane flew on right into the side of a freighter at dock and exploded.
"Damn," he hissed. Seeing that looked like a silver submarine, Hector banked over and sprayed it with 20 MM rounds from his chain gun. Water flew and a T800- was knocked off to splash into the water, then another one. He turned right and flew low out to sea. "Flight one, assemble on me!" he called.
"We lost Bruce," another voice said.
"We did, and get your asses out here over the water so we don't loose you too!" Hector barked.
Overhead attack flight two was coming in higher but on target.
The two H/K's that followed the ones from The Lexington, turned around to defend their port. That's what John's H/K flight was waiting for. They rose and chased the Sky Net 's aircraft back, and shot missiles to down the Sky Net craft. Flying over the port again, they hit everything not burning or sinking, including the docks. They flew away, leaving the port a burning wreck. Once the Lexington had all it's aircraft back aboard, they turned and headed for Spain.
Sky Net Africa was getting reports, but none of them were decipherable. Errors in the data stream kept it from downloading the reports.
.
The British called it a Cougar. Tina called it a 'big ugly truck'. It was big, boxy, and did have some armor to it. It also had a top hatch that bore a squared and lightly armoring ring around the top of the crew compartment in the back it so she could see. Colonel Smith was in the third one as they drove out of Gibraltar and into Spain. Tina stayed on top of that vehicle, keeping a close watch on the terrain. TX's were running along to the sides of the trucks.
Behind them. Ten more of these trucks had poured out of the Rock. Men in other vehicles followed. Some were staying to guard Gibraltar with a few TX's. The rest rode in jeeps towing a line of American Civil War canons, their jeeps packed with 160 MM shells.
Over her radio, Tina heard Colonel Smith's voice. "Tina, any more sight of Sky Net?"
"No Sir, but we to have a block ahead. A house is collapsed out into road. We should turn left at the net intersection and go around it."
"This is lead, I got it."
"Seventh platoon, set up a watch post." Colonel Smith ordered.
"Yes, Sir."
Tina watched the last truck pull off to the side. Two TX's stopped with them.
They traveled ten miles before they found anything. Tina did pick up four terminators headed this way as they topped a rise. Unfortunately, the first truck was in the terminator's sight. TX's shot as did the terminators. The TX's got them but they got the truck. The engine compartment exploded.
TX's ran out ahead of the column. Tina jumped off the top of the truck and ran over to see who was hurt. By the time she got there, The driver was killed, a dark skinned TX with long dreadlocks had pulled the LT out and had him lying beside the road. All the men in the back were unhurt.
The passenger in the front was burned. A medic and the TX bandaged him and gave him a pain shot.
"It'll take care of him," the TX said.
By Smith's ordered, the truck was pushed off the side of the road and they moved on.
The Lt. was being held across the TX's lap in her arms as he laid on the ground. Looking up and her face, he said, "You're pretty."
She beamed him a smile. "Thank you. I'm Tamara. You need extra nanites," she said firmly and unzipped her jacket.
Tina got back up in place and had another TX take position on the top of the first truck. Passing by, she saw the wounded Lt. nursing on the TX.
More than a few men were jealous that they didn't get wounded.
After a full day's travel, the lead truck did fine something else. The Stug that had been racing at it. Both hit the brakes hard and managed to not run into each other.
Colonel Smith got out and eyed the small mini-tank that wasn't much bigger than a sports car. "It almost looks like a kid's toy," he commented.
Beside him, Tina said, "They are small and fast. They hide well and deliver just as big of a plasma punch as those H/K tanks."
"How fast are they?"
"Fast as you dare, most of the time. On an open flat they will hit 120 KPH."
As the two forces collected, Marisa arrived sitting atop another Stug.
Tina waved, Marisa waved back. Coming to over them, Tina asked, "I thought you were guarding General Connor?"
"I was!" Marisa beamed. "Cameron said I would be good to lead troops. John has helped me very much. He spend time teaching me how to do it properly."
"This is Colonel Smith, leader of the Gibraltar forces," Tina introduced.
Marisa stuck her hand out and said, "I'm Colonel Marisa, leader of the landing forces."
Smith shook her hand and asked, "How old are you?" To him, she looked maybe 17.
"I'm three years old. Tina and I went to school together," Marisa explained.
Right, these were robots. "You have a plan to take Spain?" he asked.
"I do! John approved it. I already have 20 Stugs out hunting, and troops out searching for survivors," Marisa told him. "Once we verify there are no humans to rescue, we will sweep to the mountains as fast as possible and block the entrances to Spain. General Reese is also bringing troops and supplies. As soon as the Lexington gets back from Africa, we'll have air cover."
"The Lexington finished their mission?" Tina asked.
"I heard a radio burst, 'Boon, Done', which means they raided the port and destroyed it, and are headed back to us," Marisa said. "Which means we have to find an airfield."
A tall thin man asked, "Marisa, where do you want the canons?"
Marisa turned, pointed and said, "Up on hilltops, back from the summit. Don't give ourselves away first shot." Turning back the Colonel Smith, Marisa asked, "Do we have anything to out south?"
"We have not explored that area yet," Colonel Smith told her. He noted that while this Marisa was very friendly, she was also very focused on her task.
"Then we need to do sweep," Marisa stated. Turning, she yelled, "Charlie!"
A head popped up out of a Stug. "Yes, Marisa?"
"We need a sweep from the landing zone to Gibraltar. A Stug in between every four squads. Make sure they maintain radio contact and report what they find," Marisa called to him.
Colonel Smith decided his forces need to do a sweep behind them also to make sure there were no Sky Net behind them.
.
In the Pacific, Catherine Weaver had ten ships out patrolling off the west coast. The mini-sub that Captain Dave had come up with, she modifies some. In the Atlantic, they needed a sub to carry Stugs to get a foothold in Spain. What she needed was a quiet sub to get TX's onto the Hawaiian islands.
The diameter of her subs was only seven feet, and sixty feet long. She used the same pedal drive with gears to connect to the shaft. She also shrouded the prop in a pump jet configuration. Six peddlers proved her subs could easily reach 20 knots underwater. Beside a periscope to see, she also put on an ESM mast to receive and signals, and two torpedo tubes with eight reloads. With a full load of 50 TX's, each sub could land and perform recon by itself.
The three subs took off for Hawaii just before the Spanish fleet left from Texas. Heavy glass in the 'sail' part, and an exterior ultraviolet light let the subs see each other and stay together. Traveling at 25 Knots, they had the islands in sight when Marisa and Colonel Smith had completed their southern sweep, and were moving northeast deeper into Spain.
The lead TX, Alfred Bono, brought his sub up to periscope depth and surveyed the large island of Hawaii as the passed by heading north. With their signal light, they were able to pass messages, converting audio to light and back into audio.
"This is Alfred, I am not seeing any activity on the shores. No signals, no movement, no Sky Net forces. We will continue on the smaller island where the naval base is. Descending to 130 feet," he announced and dove back down.
Alfred did find dead, drifting ships, and another sunk in shallow water as they passed between islands. Coming up the western side, he did find a moving ship. It was headed out of Pearl Harbor. Again up to periscope depth, he slowed and scanned the ship. It was a long, low freighter. "Ship under power, dead ahead, no defenses. Bill, Try to take it over. If you can't, sink it. Bob, stay with me. We're going into the harbor."
Sky Net had not armed it's freighters here. Bill slide up alongside the ship, surfaced and deactivated the three terminators on board. He turned the ship around to go back into Pearl.
Pearl Harbor had received a bomb. Signs of fire and destruction were everywhere. Alfred also noted terminators at work cutting up ships and salvaging aircraft parts. A quick count showed 75 terminators working. None bore weapons. He and Bob parked their subs at different ends of the harbor and got all their TX's out to attack the salvaging terminators.
The terminators tried to fight back against what they thought were humans. The plasma bolts hitting them proved they were in error. In two hours, Alfred's forces cleaned up the terminators. The chips were removed and the chips and bodies were added to the freighter Bill had captured, and send back to San Diego.
Alfred noted a bunker underneath the hospital that bore blown out windows and fire damage inside. He walked down the stairs, pushed debris into of his way to come to a steel door that said 'fallout shelter'.
Alfred knocked. "Anyone in there?" he called loudly. He tried the door, it opened with a squeal. "Hello?" he called.
A weak voice asked, "Who are you?"
"Captain Alfred Bono, from Los Angeles. We came looking for survivors and find out what happened here." He pulled the door open a little farther and peeked in. The man he was talking to was a marine, holding a 9MM pistol. The man was pale, his grip on the pistol was shaky.
"We need everything, food, water, and you're letting the radiation in." the man said.
"We have a cure for that now," Alfred told him. "I'll be back with help." He shut the door.
Of the 430 people who had taken refuge here, 310 were still alive. Alfred had all nine of his female TX's come down with supplies and distribute food water and nanite milk. While those survivors were being taken care of, Alfred found an Admiral who'd survived, and told him about the massive nuclear bombing, and John Connor and Catherine Weaver who were fighting back against Sky Net and gathering survivors. This area now was too hot to retake control, so they were going to move the survivors to another island that wasn't as radioactive to begin a new fleet.
"What's left of the fleet?" the weak Admiral asked as he lay in a bed.
"Nothing. We have been building as we go. We have two aircraft carriers that used to be museums, five World War Two subs, eleven other ships, and submarines we've made. I have three of them here. The Aircraft are ones we've made, except for a few jets we put together. 9 F-16's and 4 F-14's," Alfred explained.
"Damn. We can't hold anything off with that little of a force," the admiral grumbled.
"John Connor has taken North America back from Sky Net with the little that we have," Alfred said. "He has also made contact with Gibraltar, and sent a force under Marisa to help the British break out of Gibraltar to take Spain away from Sky Net. The Lexington has also bombed the coltan port Sky Net was using in Africa with an air strike."
"The USS Lexington?"
"Yes, we rebuilt it and it's at sea now."
"Damn, things must be bad," the Admiral said.
"They could not be worse and still have anyone but Sky Net left," Alfred agreed.
A blond TX came over with a cup of milk. "Here Sir, drink this," she told the Admiral. She helped him sit up and drain the cup.
"Thank you. What was it?" the Admiral asked.
"Milk with nanites. They will cure your radiation sickness and restore you to health. Food will be coming," she assured him and moved on.
The admiral cast a questioning look at Alfred. "What are nanites?"
"Micro machines designed to heal anything. In two days you'll be up and giving orders. Cameron Connor made them to save people mainly from radiation poisoning," Alfred explained.
"So … this was her milk?"
"Negative, it was Cynthia's. Cameron showing all the TX females how to produce these nanites," Alfred said proudly.
"And what is a TX female?"
"For a generic term they are cyborgs. Part machine, part biological. We re all TX's who came. In our subs, we don't have air rejuvenating equipment. We found we can fit for more torpedoes onto our subs without it."
"I'll be damned," the admiral said in a breath.
"No Sir, you'll be fine now. The air here is being cleaned, so until we can move you some place safer, you will be safe here," Alfred explained.
.
In their short stay at Pearl Harbor, Alfred and his crews left with the survivors and two freighters. One had salvaged materials, the other was packed mostly with scavenged weapons and Barrels of fuel they collected.
The city of Molokai had been spared the bombing and a visit from Sky Net forces. There was still some radiation in the air, but it was not lethal. The population here was intact and appeared untouched. Pulling into Kanukakai harbor, Alfred's strange fleet met the locals who were surprised to see ships. They even had all the basic necessities. There was even a functioning air port.
Alfred and the Admiral decided that this was going to be their new base. Alfred sent Bill with the freighters back to the west coast with the good news. The only problem was that here, the focus was on tourism and culture. With no industry, there was much work that had to be done.