Chapter 08: Day Of…

Fire, debris, and bone-crushing rubble consumed John's unit in the blink of an eye.

Men and women he'd known through thick and thin; Timms, Sumner, Apale, Reynolds, Wisher, Alleyne, all were obliterated before his eyes as the south-by-southeast wall imploded. Pale yellow light poured through the cavernous hole made by the explosion as two figures emerged, their shiny endoskeletons caked with dust. With all the haste his muscles could manage, John crawled behind an empty waste bin further down the corridor, his ears ringing from the concussion.

The sentinels stepped into the narrow confines, their crimson eyes scanning for any threats, finding only the recently deceased team littering the floor. They took position with both plasma rifles trained on either direction as a third crossed the threshold. Though his instincts screamed at him to remain hidden, John poked his head around the bin and felt his blood freeze.

Two T-950s stood shoulder to shoulder with a machine he'd never seen before. It resembled the one T-X model he'd destroyed several weeks ago, only three times as deadly. Its eyes emitted an emerald gleam, unlike the standard red or blue of the other models he'd encountered. And both arms were configured into what John knew all too well to be plasma cannons.

I am so screwed, he thought as the heavy clunk clunk clunk of their metallic feet approached.

--

Even in the dark velvet cover of the night's sky John could see the pale steam rising from the nuclear tower.

It had been seven hours since leaving the desert behind and tensions were running high within the group. The T-1000, Seraph, had agreed to travel in the trunk while the others enjoyed the comfort of the seats, though this did little to ease their minds. Sarah's knuckles were a definite shade of grey as she gripped the wheel tightly, determined to reach safety before Skynet could catch them. Derek had protested to her being behind the wheel, but not even a list of the number of times she'd crashed would convince her to take shotgun.

So Derek sat with his chin on his hand, cupping his mouth as he stared at the nuclear power plant passing them on the right side.

"It looks different to how I remember", he observed, much to everyone's surprise.

"You know this plant?" Sarah asked distractedly. Derek nodded and sat up in his seat while John scrutinized the plant.

"We control it in the future, it was one of our most strategic holds and largest source of power", he explained. "Lot o' men died taking this plant. Good men. But it's pivotal to the war effort. Tipped the scales in our favour all the time I was there. Dunno if that lasted…" he finished, glancing back at a bleary-eyed Cameron. She hadn't said much since the desert, and John decided it better to leave her be.

"Seranno Point remained in the Resistance's possession following your departure", she informed him.

"And was the staging ground of the final battle of the war", Jason added. John turned to him, as did a curious Cameron and Derek. Sophie stirred in her sleep, her head resting on his shoulder as he continued. "I wasn't there, but this CPU possesses information regarding the war. According to my files, Skynet launched an assault on Seranno Point to gain access to the last surviving TDE platform there."

"Why not use one of its own?" John asked.

"All of Skynet's platforms were destroyed shortly after its core processor and defence grid were smashed in 2029. It had no other choice", Jason explained. John contemplated the wisdom behind keeping such a potentially dangerous device active, but decided his future self must've had his reasons. Looking at Cameron, John suspected she may have been a deciding factor.

"Well… I guess that's something we can remedy in the future", John suggested hopefully. Cameron simply smiled at him, and he knew she was telling him it might not be so. Jason shrugged and looked down at Sophie, gently brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face with his gloved right hand.

Sarah turned right, taking them off the main highway. Her thoughts drifted to the safe house on the coast she'd set up a while ago, wondering if it would suffice for the time being, but before a decision could be made; Sarah's consciousness was stolen from her as the entire truck shook violently and her head struck the window. The others were shaken to varying degrees as the vehicle spun off the road and into the streets below. With an almighty crunch, the truck hit the asphalt and bounced across the street like a tennis ball.

After what seemed like an eternity, it came to a stop and settled on its side; a twisted shell of what used to be a reliable old vehicle.

--

It couldn't be stopped.

Bolts of green plasma struck every position in intervals of three seconds as the Vessel's cannons recharged from each shot. Its T-950 guards lay defeated at its feet, their bodies little more than scrap metal from the coordinated volley unleashed by the Tech-Com vanguards. But not even their tweaked weaponry could pierce the impossibly tough armour of the Vessel.

Finding another target, the machine let loose a single blast, and a cry of agony carried across the chamber as three soldiers were reduced to a molten mass. Two others fled their position, hoping to God they could reach the chokepoint in time, but neither could escape the malefic intent of the machine. Their chests exploded as both cannons tore through them.

Threats neutralised - TDE Location Confirmed - Proceeding…

The Vessel stalked through the melting bodies of Connor's finest, caring not for their loss or the loss of its guards as it casually strode into the chokepoint unscathed. Its movements remained unhindered as it walked down the long narrow corridor, but for two soldiers who leapt out of side passages ahead, both wielding stun bolts.

The projectiles struck the Vessel's armour, but without any flesh to latch onto, they simply bounced off the surface and hung limply from the weapons. The soldiers only had time to drop their jaws in disbelief before both their heads exploded in green plasma. The Vessel continued its course, fearing no adversary it might encounter.

It couldn't be stopped.

--

A thin bead of blood dripped down her nose and Cameron knew without analysis to whom it belonged.

Rolling onto her side, she found John hanging upside down in his seat, held aloft by the seat belt. He wasn't moving, but a quick scan of his vitals revealed he wasn't badly injured, besides the cuts and bruises suffered in the crash. The others were no better off as Derek gave a groan of agony and unclipped his belt, allowing himself to fall to the roof with a grunt. Gingerly, he crawled over to Sarah, who'd made no movements since hitting her head.

In the back, Jason righted himself, apathetic to the others' plight as he tended to Sophie, who was fully conscious and had suffered little injury in the crash. Cameron regarded them all closely as the engine gave a sharp hiss and steam started pouring out of the vents. "We have to move. Now", she told them, unclipping John's belt and carefully lowering him to the floor. He stirred and opened his eyes a little, but was too out of it to recognise his surroundings.

Ever so carefully she dragged him out of the side window, attentive enough to keep his head from dragging against the broken glass on the tarmac outside. Once clear, Jason kicked the door off its hinges, allowing Sophie to stagger out with him following. He promptly removed Derek's door and, with his help, pulled an unconscious Sarah out of the vehicle.

Between the two of them they placed her carefully on the ground and Derek checked her pulse, finding it strong. John's vision started to clear at the sight of his mother and he crawled over to her side as quickly as his joints would allow. "Mom! Mom! C'mon, wake up. Wake up!" he cried, shaking her shoulders with both hands. She gave a small moan and her eyes flickered, bringing relief to John's face.

"We need to move out. We can't stay here", Jason declared.

"Just wait a second, we gotta make sure-", John tried to say, but Cameron suddenly gripped his jacket and threw him to the side of the road where he was met a mere second later by Sarah's limp form, landing in a heap beside him as Derek, Jason, and Sophie joined them. Before he could make sense of what was happening, a green light flashed across his vision and as soon as it appeared, it was gone and was replaced by a raging ball of flame as the truck exploded.

Cameron wrapped her arms around him, pressing his face into her chest as fire and shrapnel ricochet left right and centre. The heat from the explosion was intense, and if he didn't know better, John thought Cameron was on fire inside too as her entire body stifled. She stared down at him and he could see the sheen of sweat covering her skin, far more than was expected. Her eyes were wide and she was trembling against him, a small gasp escaping her as her lips paled noticeably.

"Cameron, what-", he tried to ask, but Derek grabbed him by the arm and wrenched him from Cameron's grip.

"Move, damn it!" he yelled above the roaring flames, practically dragging the boy along the curb until he could find his feet. Cameron struggled to her feet and stumbled after them while Jason carried Sarah on his shoulder. No thought was given to Seraph, and none saw the silver worm sliver out of the trunk and into the nearby drain.

Another green blast struck the road, barely missing the group as they bolted for safety. For all their haste, Derek barely realised where they were. Looking up, he saw the towering shape of Seranno Point; they were in the employee parking lounge. "Get inside. The plant, c'mon! Get inside!" he commanded the others. They raced for the entrance just as security came running with machine-guns ready, the night guard ordering them to keep their distance and warning them of the plant's unstable condition.

They were not willing to agree, however, and Jason drew his Glock mid-stride, putting a bullet in each of their legs. The guards dropped in agony, screaming and cursing their assailant as he gathered their weapons and threw a rifle to Derek and Sophie. John glanced behind him to see Cameron struggling to keep up, and his heart skipped a beat as he spotted a chrome figure tearing down the chain-link fence at the end of car park; a figure with burning green eyes.

"Cameron!" he cried, running forward and grabbing her by the hand. He pulled her inside and held her close as a blast of plasma struck the place they'd been standing seconds before, crushing the injured guards with chunks of molten asphalt. Cameron swayed on the spot, holding onto him for support as her legs buckled. The others, believing them to be on their heels, had already gone ahead, leaving John and Cameron alone.

"John", she gasped, her entire body shaking and twitching in his arms. "John… you have to go."

John shook his head and tried to hoist her back up, but she'd become a total deadweight and refused to cooperate.

"No, no! C'mon! C'mon! Cameron! Don't do this! Don't you dare do this!" he screamed at her, trying desperately to keep her up.

Cameron slumped to the floor and stared up at him with bleary eyes, gently pushing him away with what little energy she had left. "John, you can't save me. You… have to go John. You… have… to… go…" she panted as a warning flashed in her HUD, alerting her to the near depletion of her energy cell.

Never, John swore as he scooped her up in his arms and growled with the strain of lifting her up off the cold floor.

"I… won't… leave… you… here!" he snarled through gritted teeth as he brought her back up. Cameron could hardly believe his strength of will, and suddenly the warning flash in her vision lessened to a moderate alert as a little backup power kicked in. "C'mon, on your feet soldier!" John yelled, placing her arm around his shoulder. "On… your… FEET!"

They staggered deeper into the facility, Cameron watching John with wide-eyed wonder as he soldiered on, supporting her weight almost completely as her legs began to fail her again. Passing a corner, they came upon the others as they were doubling back to find them. Derek let out a sigh of relief at the sight of them and a now conscious Sarah rushed to John's side. Jason took Cameron from him, holding her easily in his arms as John slumped against the wall, panting with fatigue.

"It's right behind us", he told them between breaths.

"I'll hold it off as long as I can. Get the hell out of here", Jason said, carefully sitting Cameron on the floor. Sophie opened her mouth to protest, but Jason silenced her with a kiss, surprising her with his sudden affection. "I remember", he whispered in her ear before pulling away and running around the corner.

"JASON!" Sophie cried, rushing after him. Derek caught her around the waist, keeping her from following him as she sobbed with her hand outstretched. He pushed her away and picked up a rifle, handing the other to Sarah. John kneeled beside Cameron and brushed the hair out of her face, seeing the vacant expression she wore and keened.

"Mom, she's dying!" he wailed, his eyes moistening as he stared up at Sarah expectantly, as if hoping she might have some miracle solution to the dilemma. Before Sarah could think of any way to remedy the situation, a metallic crash carried across the facility, and a large shadow passed overhead. Sarah looked up in time to see Jason flying out of sight, followed by the sound of metal crunching against metal. Sophie let out a gasp and a small "no", but made no attempt to find him.

There was little time left, little opportunity for escape the longer they waited, so taking a deep breath Sarah turned to Derek. "You know this plant. You know its layout?" she asked him. Derek nodded, his mouth opening and closing like a suffocating fish as fear took him. "Then you must know a way out. Take John and do as Jason said; get the hell out. Don't wait for me, just go", she instructed. Derek continued to stare at her blankly for a moment. "I said go, Reese!" she barked.

Derek snapped out of his stupor and slung the rifle onto his shoulder before grabbing John's arm and pulling him from Cameron, but he fought back and wrenched his arm free. Sophie grabbed his other and pulled, using her extra strength to force him away from the dazed cyborg. Together, she and Derek dragged him away, despite his protests, leaving Sarah alone with Cameron.

"Let me go! Let me go! Mom! Cameron! No! Let me go!" John screamed as he fought in vain against the combined efforts of Derek and Sophie. They dragged him around the other corner, and it wasn't long before his cries were lost beneath the sound of heavy machinery all around them. Sarah cocked her rifle and gave Cameron a small kick to wake her up.

"Now would be a great time to show your machine side, Tin-Miss", she said, her voice quivering slightly.

Cameron held up her hand feebly, and for a moment Sarah believed she was asking for help to stand up, but her gesture suggested a need for her to come close. Sarah struggled with her decision for several seconds before crouching down beside her. Cameron grasped her wrist and pulled her closer, a desperate glimmer in her eyes.

"I… can't…protect him… anymore… I… He's crippled me… He…" she whispered, her entire body twitching.

Sarah bit her tongue against the pressure Cameron's steely fingers were applying to her wrist, but this did nothing to change her focus. "What do you mean? What has John done to you?" she asked through gritted teeth. Cameron's eyes locked with Sarah's as she roughly placed her hand over her stomach and let out what sounded very much like a pained gasp to Sarah's ears.

"I can't… protect him… It… won't… let me… It… Needs me… more… And I… can't… protect… both…" she stammered, her voice becoming increasingly robotic with every word, the soft whispery tone she'd projected in all the time she'd been there slowly fading away. Sarah couldn't understand what she was talking about. It? What it, she wondered. But as Cameron pressed her fingers against the flesh of her stomach pointedly, something clicked in Sarah's mind and everything suddenly fell into place.

Disbelief, followed by disgust, filled every atom of her being, but curiously a small glimmer of wonder flickered inside her heart.

She couldn't understand how or why. But her instincts told her it was no lie. That Cameron was… carrying her son's child.

A metallic clunk roused Sarah out of her reverie and she looked up, her face already set with horror, now paled to death white at the sight of the machine before her. In a heartbeat, she tucked her hands under Cameron and let out a grunt of strain as she rolled the cyborg off the catwalk, letting her drop onto the lower level with a heavy thud. She then grabbed the rifle, but Skynet was on her in a second and snapped the barrel in half like a toothpick.

It then swiped her across the face and Sarah felt some of her teeth loosen as she struck the floor hard. The Vessel watched as she tried to crawl away, and then placed its foot on her back, pinning her in place. Sarah expected her spine to snap from the pressure, but before this could become a reality, two purple-shirted guards rounded the corner and opened fire on the machine.

Skynet removed its foot from Sarah's back and charged the men. Sarah deigned not to look at them as their cries pierced her ears. Using what little time she had, Sarah hooked her leg over the railing and dropped to the second level. Upon landing, however, she fell forward and struck her head hard. And for the second time that evening, she slipped out of consciousness.

The Vessel regarded her inert form closely for a second before drawing its poly-mimetic sheath around itself and taking her form.

--

"John? John? Help?"

He could hear her calling for him, her voice distorted by pain and suffering. But as much as it hurt his heart to hear it, his gut told him it was not so. That was not his mother. She would never call for him. He'd almost fallen for it once before and look where that got him. So despite the agony of listening to her call his name, John forced himself to keep moving and follow Derek to safety.

Typically, the subject being copied is terminated.

The T-101 had told him this, but right now he prayed it wasn't true. Typically, this wasn't a typical circumstance. His mother might still be alive, and its mimicry of her voice would not necessitate the need to touch her. There was a chance, he hoped. There was a chance she might be safe. That Cameron might be safe. He hoped, he prayed.

Sophie came to an abrupt halt, her eyes locked on something the others couldn't see. Derek opened his mouth to ask what she'd seen, but she suddenly bolted down the passage and disappeared within a cloud of smoke. "Hey!" Derek called, but received no response. With a sigh, he pushed John onwards and directed him to a ladder.

Without a word, Derek signalled for him to climb the ladder up to the next level, and he obeyed. Upon reaching the top, John looked down in time to see a metal spear pass through his uncle's left shoulder. Derek let out a cry of surprise as blood splattered and spurted from the wound. John had no time to react as Derek was tossed aside, injured but still alive. John's eyes widened in horror as he stared at his own mother, but not his mother, as she coldly raised her arm and pointed the spear at John like a finger.

He ducked in time to avoid being impaled as the spear elongated, embedding itself into piping above him. John scrabbled away from the metal and hurtled along the catwalk while the Vessel followed below at a steady pace, jabbing its blades up through the grill in an attempt to catch John from beneath. Turning a corner, John jumped onto another ladder and climbed up as fast as he could, narrowly avoiding another blade as it sliced the bottom of his shoe.

John ran as fast as he could along the catwalk, trying to put as much distance between himself and it as possible. More than ever he wanted to call out to his mother, just to know that she was still out there somewhere. To know that she at least was safe. Cameron's frail form flashed in his mind relentlessly, and his heart panged at the thought of finding her smashed and broken. He needed to know for sure.

--

"Mom! Mom! Where are you? Answer me!"

Skynet froze, adjusting its receptors to locate the source of the voice. It would not have expected John to make such a foolish error, but then he was still a child. He was not yet the soldier who defeated it in the future. And he never will be, Skynet thought with a small smile of satisfaction as it stalked towards the source of the commotion.

An alarm sounded throughout the facility as a voice came over the intercom, ordering all personnel to flee the plant immediately. Typical humans, Skynet mused as it made its way through several racks of machinery. In little time at all, it followed the voice to its source and found John running around in circles, desperately looking for a way out. He stopped at the sight of Skynet and backed against the wall, his jaw quivering in terror as the Vessel approached.

Its time had finally come. John Connor was no more.

Skynet reached out and grabbed the boy by the throat and squeezed.

Crack… and the end had come.

To be continued…