Terminator: Return of Fallen

Part XXI

For the past week, John Connor and Jon Henry have been working their asses off trying to bring down SkyNet. They have tried every type of computer program and virus that they know of, including a few that they had to invent. Two of the smartest people on the planet have worked non-stop for seven days and they've come up with nothing. John Henry even said that it might be impossible to bring down SkyNet. Catherine keeps bringing in more equipment to try and help, and I keep trying to remain positive and keep moral up. Frankly, even I am starting to doubt our chances of success. But we can't give up; we can't let that murdering psychopath of a super computer win!

Today, I am going to meet Ellison to see if his FBI contacts have found a way to delete SkyNet without crashing the entire Internet. I am also meeting a liaison from a local Resistance cell. Imagine my surprise when the liaison turns out to be that jackass Jerry. Must....not...strangle....Resistance soldier.

"Hello, Jerry".

"Hello, Lieutenant. Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Just....shut up and let me do the talking. Here comes Ellison. Let's get this over with". I still hate this guy for what he did to Allison.

As Ellison walks up to us, someone pulls up alongside us and parks his car. I don't think much of it. Here's hoping Ellison has a solution to our Internet problem. Maybe we could cooperate with the FBI and derive a solution to our dilemma.

"Hey, Jamie! Please tell me you have some good news".

"Could you stop calling me that? And no, we don't have any good news. What you are asking for is impossible".

"Why does everyone keep saying that? John Henry says it is impossible, John Connor says it is impossible and now the freaking FBI says it is impossible. Well, one thing I learned from Commander John Connor is that nothing is impossible. No matter how badly the odds are stacked against you, you can always find a way to beat the machines. We just haven't figured it out yet". It amazes me just how different Commander John Connor is from young John Connor. That boy has a lot of development to go through.

"That is a nice speech, Lieutenant, but even Commander Connor says that this is impossible".

"He's only John Connor right now, Ellison. He has a long way to go before he becomes Commander Connor".

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the driver of the parked car smiling at me. At first, I think it is just my imagination. After I turn to face the driver, I realize that I am not imaging it. We have walked into a trap!

"TERMINATOR!"

I raise my M82 and prepare to blow its head off. Before I can fire, the car explodes and rips apart the flesh on my left side. Jerry is killed instantly, and Ellison is knocked flat on his ass. The Terminator climbs out of the flaming wreckage and smiles at me. At first, I prepare to blow this guy away. Then I notice how badly Ellison is bleeding, and I have to save him before I can kill this bastard. They can always rebuild their soldiers, we can't. At least, not in this era. Good God, there is blood everywhere.

"Ellison! Damn it, get up. Come on, get up!" No response.

I hear the sound of sirens in the distance, and I pick up his lifeless body and run towards the sound. Ellison is the closest thing John Henry has to a father; the poor boy would be crushed by his death. Come on, you federal bastard, just hold on until I reach the ambulance.

"Good Lord!"

"Yeah, I know! I'm not human! But he is, so pick your jaw off the ground and help him!" I lower Ellison to the ground so the ambulance technician can examine him. After a few seconds, the technician looks up at me and shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, he's gone". No! God damn it, no! How am I going to tell John Henry about this? I walk away from the ambulance and call up John Henry. The stupid recognition code comes over the phone.

"For the last time, you never gave me the damn recognition code!" John Henry's voice answers the phone.

"I am sorry, Lieutenant. When you return, I will personally inform you of the recognition code. How is Mr. Ellison? Has he made any progress?" I have to tell him, he is my friend.

"J.H., Ellison is gone!"

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

"There was a Terminator at the rendezvous point, with a car bomb. I didn't spot him until it was too late. John Henry, I am so sorry. I did everything I could to save him. Hello? Are you still there?" John Connor picks up the phone.

"John Henry is a bit upset right now. How are you?"

"Well, two more people died because I screwed up and the left side of my body is all torn up. Other than that, I'm fine. How are you, John?"

"Other than the fact that my mother is dying and I am trying to stop an invincible war machine, great".

"Touché! I'm going to try and catch that Terminator then I'm heading home. Stay with John Henry, ok? I don't want him to be alone right now. Where the hell is Catherine?"

"She's out helping us develop new programming to try and annihilate SkyNet".

"Great! We might not have the time to mourn Ellison, but I will see to it that he is avenged. See you later, future Commander".

"Good luck and God speed, Lieutenant".

I head to the spot where the car exploded, expecting the machine to stand around gloating. At first, the cops try to stop me from entering the crime scene. That is, until they see that I am made of metal. You would be surprised how quickly people get out of your way when they realize you are a machine. Everybody run! There is a scary robot on the loose! Too bad the scary robot I am looking for is not here. He could not have gone far, the hunt begins!

As I walk between the nearby buildings, someone with a sniper rifle starts to take pot-shots at me. My guess is that our unfriendly neighbourhood Terminator is either trying to screw with me, or kill me. Instinctively, I take cover and try to figure out which building is housing the sniper. I pick up a piece of reflective metal and hold it up over my head. The sniper shoots it out of my hand, and reveals his position. I look through the scope of my M82, but I can't see him. There is only one way to get this guy, and it is going to hurt.

I step out of my cover and aim at the window where the sniper is hiding. Simultaneously, we fire our weapons. He hits me in the forehead with a thirty calibre sniper round, and I hit him in the right temple with a fifty calibre incendiary round. I survive the hit, he doesn't. That was for Ellison! I climb the stairs, collect the dead Terminator, and head on home.

When I return to the Safe House, John Henry is still upset. I hand him my M82 and tell him to vent his rage at the dead Terminator. At first, he is reluctant to do so, but I tell him that he can't turn the other cheek forever. Sooner or later, everyone reaches their breaking point, even a Catholic. After he has finished blasting the Terminator with the M82, its head resembles a block of Swiss cheese. Then, we strip it of its power core and key components, before melting the rest of it. Ellison has been avenged, but he still just as dead now as he was this morning. War is hell, and I am getting sick of it.

Catherine and John Henry attend Ellison's funeral, leaving John, Cameron, and young Sarah to work on the anti-SkyNet program. Everyone else goes out to get supplies. Food, clothing, toilet paper, even tampons are needed at the Safe House. Sarah is driving, with Reese in the front seat and Allison and I in the back. After we are done shopping, we try to get back into our car. Before we get in, four men come up behind us and stick guns into each of our backs.

"Don't do anything stupid. Just place your hands on the car and stay perfectly still".

I am so not in the mood for this shit right now. I backhand the guy behind me and knock him unconscious. The man standing behind Sarah shoots me in the head twice. I connect with an uppercut and knock his head back so violently that his neck snaps. He is dead before he hits the ground. Not wanting to deal with prisoners, I walk over to the man I knocked out and step on his head, crushing it like an egg. The men behind Allison and Reese drop their weapons and attempt to flee, but I find my M82 and shoot them both in the back of the head.

"That takes care of them. Let's get out of here before more assholes try to car-jack us". Sarah and Reese climb into the car, but Allison just stands there. "Allison?" I walk over to her, and pray to God that she is not hurt. "Allison, are you all right?" She is starting to shake, this is not good. "Are you hurt?"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"Allison, it's me".

"STAY AWAY!" I grab her and hold her in my arms. She starts crying, I think her legs are about to give out. Before she completely collapses, I pick her up and carry her into the car. Reese just claps his hands.

"Well done, Lieutenant. Good thing you were here".

"Bullshit. You are a combat veteran, you would have thought of something. Sarah may not be a soldier, but she's seen enough action to hold her own. So has Allison, for that matter".

"I froze".

"What was that?"

"I froze. When he pushed that gun into my back, I just froze. I am a soldier and a veteran, and I froze".

"You were afraid, everyone is afraid at some point in their life. Like, just now. Hell, I was terrified tonight".

"You? What do you have to be afraid of?"

"I was afraid of losing my sister. Now be quiet, and get some sleep".

I kiss her forehead as she slips into unconsciousness. She sleeps the entire way back home. Once we get to the Safe House, I carry Allison to her bedroom and gently lower her onto her bed. John hands me a towel to try and wipe away the blood.

"Shouldn't you be working on a way to destroy SkyNet?"

"I can't work nonstop for twenty four hours. John Henry is a machine, I am not".

"Right. Sorry, I've just had a lot on my mind lately. Hey, John? Do you ever wonder if the human race is worth saving?"

"Why do you say that?"

"We were almost abducted at gunpoint. God only knows what they would have done to Allison, or Sarah, or even Reese. I think we spend more time fighting evil humans than evil machines".

"True, but you need to remember something".

"And that is?"

"Allison is human, and so are Sarah and Derrick. When you are dealing with humanity, you need to take the good along with the bad. When we fight to save humanity, we are not only fighting to save the bad ones. We are fighting to save Allison, and my daughter, and even little Savannah. Do you think they deserve to die?"

"No. They deserve long and happy lives. We all do".

"There's your answer Lieutenant. Humanity is worth saving. So we had better haul ass and save it".

"Kid, you are becoming more like the Commander I knew every day".