Terminator: Return of the Fallen

Part XXXVI

Right after I had finished my repairs, I went over all of the data extracted from the chip John Henry had hacked. We had discovered many chinks in SkyNet's armour. Now to put this information to use, and exploit every crack we could find.

"Good news, everyone: John Henry has discovered the location of the other five ships. He has also discovered the frequency SkyNet has been using to lock him out of various networks. With this information, we should be able to start hacking information again and launch a decisive strike against SkyNet".

"Great. How?" Replied Sarah.

"Captain Zacks has developed a plan which I think has a great probability for success. Captain, the floor is yours".

"Thanks J.H. First, John Henry has been able to get around SkyNet's jamming frequency, so he can hack military databases again. We have discovered that a B1 bomber is to leave an airbase near L.A., with two top of the line cruise missiles. These missiles will be armed with nuclear warheads for transportation to another airbase. Each warhead is capable of destroying a major city, which makes them the most powerful weapons we have ever wielded. Catherine and I will disguise ourselves as the pilot and co-pilot of the B1, while John Henry sneaks into the base disguised as a technician. John Henry will access the warheads, arm them, and hotwire the missiles to receive orders directly from my brain. We will fly to a point beyond the SkyNet air patrols, launch the missiles, and guide them to a weak point on the enemy's ship just above the water line. This plan is fool proof".

"Except that you can't shape shift, and everyone on that base will know who is supposed to be flying that plane". Catherine raises a good point, but I have already figured out a way to get around this obstacle.

"I don't need to shape shift: John Henry has obtained photographs of the pilot and co-pilot. All we have to do is alter my appearance so that I resemble the co-pilot. Should be easy, considering that Terminators alter their appearances all of the time".

"That could work, but what about the actual pilots?"

"We will have to knock them out and lock them in a closet or something. By the time anyone realizes what has happened, we will be en route to the South Pacific. Trust me, this will work". Sarah begins to laugh.

"You stole that from a James Bond movie!"

"True, but who would ever expect something like this in real life?"

"Fine. But there are still a number of things missing from this plan, Charley" adds Catherine.

"We'll work it out. We have twenty four hours before this plan goes into effect. Let's get started".

After four hours of work, I am transformed into an exact duplicate of the co-pilot. When I first went through the house in my disguise, it took Allison a few moments to recognize me. I hope this is reversible; I would rather not go through life looking like this. Catherine and spend most of the day altering the plan. There can be no loose ends, or our attempt will fail. When the time comes to enact the plan, we jump into a car and drive to the base.

We pass through security without any trouble. John Henry heads for the hangar to perform his part of our operation. Catherine and I head for the pilots barracks to locate the actually pilots who are supposed to be flying the bomber. We find them, knock them out, and lock them in a closet. Then, we put on their flight suits and head out to the plane.

As we climb into the cockpit, John Henry puts the finishing touches on the missiles. These are state of the art cruise missiles: invisible to radar and most other forms of detection. To ensure that the Hunter Killers do not detect and destroy the missiles before they can reach their targets, I will fly them as close to the water as possible, below the enemy's detection grids. John Henry has also hotwired the missiles to emit a special signal that will trick the Hunter Killers into thinking that the cruise missiles are low flying SkyNet drones. If everything goes according to plan, we should destroy the ship and everything around it before SkyNet can figure out what is happening.

"Ready, Charley?" It is hard to believe that this muscular blond man in a flight suit is really my girlfriend. Then again, I now look like a man of Mediterranean decent. I doubt my own family could recognize me now.

"Everything is set here. Have you worked out the escape plan with John Henry?"

"Of course I have. He will exit the base as soon as we have taken off. Missiles loaded, try to interface with them".

"Ok. Everything just went black. Am I blind?"

"No, you are just seeing the inside of the bomb-bay. Try to re-interface with your body". I find myself back in the co-pilots seat.

"Ok, I'm back".

"All right, Captain, let's roll".

"Could you turn back into your old self now? You are really starting to creep me out". Catherine smiles and returns to her female form as we begin to take off.

The B1 climbs into the sky, and we divert the plane towards the South Pacific. Flying at supersonic speeds, we fly to the South Pacific Ocean and the massive ship that awaits us. When we reach the appropriate launch position, I download back into the first cruise missile and prepare to guide the warhead to its target.

At first, everything is pitch black. Then the bomb bay doors open and the missile is released. Using satellite tracking systems and GPS systems, I orient the missile in the direction of the ship and fire the engine. Though I am still seated in the co-pilot's seat, I feel as though I am flying across the Pacific Ocean. I drop the missile's altitude until it is practically skimming the surface of the water. Occasionally, I would climb to avoid waves or to prevent the missile from crashing into the ocean, but I would still keep it as close to the water as possible. The lower you fly, the less likely you are going to be detected. Traveling at supersonic speeds with a full sized nuclear warhead, any miscalculation could be catastrophic.

When John Henry hacked into the T-888's chip, he discovered that the armour of a SkyNet factory ship is weakest just above the water line. All I have to do is fly the missile to that weak spot and the warhead will take care of the rest. Of course, I still have to worry about the Hunter Killers. When I approach the fist patrol, I can actually feel their sonar and radar systems bouncing off of the hull of the missile. The Hunter Killers are the ship's best line of defence, designed to destroy any attacking aircraft or submarine before it can reach firing range. If they figure out what the cruise missile really is, this plan will fail and we will need to hightail it out of here before they can reach us.

The closer I get to the ship, the more Hunter Killers appear in the skies overhead. They have more than doubled their air patrols since the destruction of the North Pacific ship. I focus as hard as I can, keeping the missile as low to the water as possible and out of the path of the Hunter Killers. As soon as the ship comes into view, I set the engine to maximum thrust and head straight for the weak spot above the water line. The signal is working; they have not discovered the missile. As the water zooms below me, I can spot the ship growing larger in the distance. I can spot T-600s on the deck carrying Stinger missiles, in case anything slipped past the Hunter Killers. One of the T-600s spots the missile, but it is unable to react in time. The missile has reached the ship, and the warhead is designed to detonate at the moment of impact. Just as it hits the hull, my connection with the missile is severed and I find myself back in the co-pilot's seat.

"What the....." An enormous mushroom cloud appears on the horizon. "Direct hit!"

"We'll have to confirm it first. Hang on to something".

Catherine swings the plane around and manoeuvres away from the blast. Any aircraft caught in the blast of a nuclear detonation will be destroyed. That should take care of the Hunter Killers. After we have calculated the blast radius and the appropriate safe distance from detonation, we head to the spot where the ship used to be. If it is still there, we will probably have to sacrifice ourselves to take it out.

"The ship should be visible out of your side of the cockpit. Can you see anything, Charley?"

"Negative. There is nothing out here. WE DID IT!" Destruction of all enemies confirmed. Mission accomplished.

"We still have one missile. Care to try for the Indian Ocean vessel?"

"We don't have enough fuel to reach release point and still make the rendezvous. Let's head for the extraction point, and hope that your ship is where it is supposed to be because I can't swim".

"That is one of the disadvantages of being a Terminator".

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh. You mean YOU can't swim. Sorry, I misunderstood".

"Terminator's can't swim?"

"No, they are too heavy. Don't worry, the ship will be there. Trust me".

We fly to the rendezvous point and prepare to abandon the plane. The ship is right where it is supposed to be. According to our exit strategy, we will point the nose towards the water and eject. The plane will crash into the Pacific and sink to the bottom of the ocean, along with its nuclear warhead. The ship will deploy a helicopter to snag our parachutes and pull us up before we reach the water.

At first, everything is going according to plan. We point the nose at the water, push up on the throttle, and activate our ejection seats. The B1 slams into the Pacific and disappears beneath the waves. Unfortunately, our parachutes were never designed to be used by Terminators. I am falling too fast; there is no way the helicopter will reach me before I hit the water. I wonder if Terminators can drown.

Suddenly, I feel something snag my parachute. I look up to see that Catherine has flattened her body out like a sail and is acting like a bridge between our two parachutes, forming a massive canopy. This simple action should slow us down long enough for the helicopter to reach us. God bless that woman. She is a marvel to behold. The helicopter snags the lines of her parachute and uses it to pull us both up. It lands on the ship and Catherine orders it back to port.

The ship docks somewhere in South America; the climate is nice but I can not understand a word that anyone is saying. From there, we hop on a private plane and fly back to Los Angeles. After we land, we climb into a limo and drive off into the city.

"This does not seem like a low key mode of transportation, Catherine".

"This is only temporary. Lieutenant Reese will meet us at my office and he will drive us the rest of the way home. Champagne?"

"We have just flown across two continents! We stole a bomber, hijacked nuclear warheads, and destroyed a floating fortress. How can you just sit there and sip champagne like we are at some swanky cocktail party?"

"I'm celebrating. I think we've earned a glass or two of the bubbly, don't you?" I must have looked tense, because she put her hand on my shoulder and said: "Relax, Charley. It's over, you did it".

"I almost sank to the bottom of the Pacific. It is hard to relax after something like that". Catherine tenderly kisses me on the mouth.

"Don't worry, Charley. I'll take care of you. I always have".

"And I always have your back, Catherine. No matter what happens, you can always depend on me".

Another victory for the Resistance. SkyNet will probably find some way to retaliate for this, it always does. Whatever happens, we will be ready for it. Three ships down, four more to go. We will find a way to hit the other four, no matter what the cost. These ships are unique: they can not be replaced and they are crucial to SkyNet's battle plan. If we can destroy them all, we just might tip the scales of war in our favour. Look out SkyNet; Connor's Crusaders are on the prowl.