CH 19 Storming a volcano
Sky Net ran through new computations on the Central American attack. Receiving data back that it's forces were being destroyed, and the vehicles being used, it concluded that John Connor had arrived. It's previous method of attack was no longer viable. It decided to pull back and draw John Connor's forces close to strike them down. It ordered all units to one location for the battle to destroy Connor's forces.
The long range nuclear attack had failed, and now the first attempt at destroying human future food supplies had also been stopped. It could still kill many humans there before the last of it's forces were destroyed, but the food supply would not be greatly affected. The attacks everywhere else were gaining ground as planned. The German led invasion onto the plains of Russia were effectively stopped, and the last human resistance on the Asian continent was gone. Japan was still holding out, but no longer attempted any attacks. Everywhere Sky Net was systematically getting rid of humans except in the area where John Connor was.
Sky Net could not destroy him by attacking him directly, and it could not starve him to death. He had foreseen the attempt. Every human had a weak point, Sky Net had to find Connor's weak spot.
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Another round of weapons and supplies were dropped off 'combat' style from the heavy transports. More mini-Stugs, a few of the new heavily armored M-2 tanks that sported rail guns and had small drone 'lookouts', as well as more ammunition and medical supplies that were sorely needed. Cameron got word the supplies arrived at her command post as the base of the peninsula.
Allison knew her role in the coming attack. Sitting on a mini-Stug, she waited on the front line, watching across the open fields to the ruined jungle ahead where Sky Net was waiting for them. Few trees were upright, most being brought down in to lie in clumps of green and brown from the merciless bombardments from drones and guns. It looked like someone had picked up the jungle, shook it and dropped it back in place. In the distance, the volcano that had made this peninsula rose into the sky.
The volcano was Allison's job, to get up there with some soldiers so they had the high ground to better direct attacks. Her mother was sure that was where most of the Sky Net forces had gone. It was the most defensible place in the area. The large crater and lake within was a prime spot to hold a mass of Sky Net machines in safety from their attacks as they waited to counterattack.
In her headphones, Cameron said, "We are ready. Begin your operations."
"Right, Mom," Allison replied and stood up. Calling back to the Stug operators and the men crouching down behind the machines, she said, "Let's go!"
The group was small enough, two Mini-Stugs and fifty men, that Allison could shield them if Sky Net fired at them. The mini-Stugs rolled ahead at a walking pace so the men behind them could keep up. She stayed alert as they slowly crossed the field, reaching out as far as possible to sense for anything in front of them.
Fully expecting to get attacked, Allison was mildly surprised she neither saw nor sensed anything all the way across the field. To both sides, mini-Stug led formations leading men and armed Humvees went on their own missions. Overhead, drones cruised the sky, searching for movement.
Coming to the tree line, or rather the tangled mass of downed trees, Allison went to work chopping and throwing the mess to the sides with her mind Hands to clear them a path. Greenery came apart and flew to the sides to make a path twenty feet wide. A ruined spider shaped machine lay in the tangle, Allison ripped it apart and flung it aside with the other debris.
Ripping the first mile of jungle to the sides as they went on, Allison didn't see any movement other than what she was making. Coming closer to the slope of the volcano, she picked up movement to their right.
"Everyone, DOWN!" Allison yelled. Right after her warning, several machine guns opened up, shredding ranches and tearing up trunks. Allison blocked the bullets coming at them. The mini-Stugs turned to face that attacks, and opened up with their own guns.
Shifting to night vision, Allison could see the heat of the gun barrels shooting at them. It wasn't a clean 'there they are' sight, but a fog of heat coming through the trees. When one was hit by a rail gun round from the mini-Stug she was on, the heat exploded into a wall, making the machines impossible to see.
The mini-Stug operators did it right. They shot directly at the incoming fire. Three lines of bullets were reduced to two, then one. The incoming fire stopped.
"Wait here," Allison said aloud, and on the radio. She jumped up and flew through the trees to find the ruined machines had come out of a cave. Four Spider machines lay ruined. Looking in the cave, she didn't see any others. She did see that this cave angled up. From her geology studies, she knew this was a lava tunnel. Lava had flowed down, the outside of the flow crusted up and the interior had poured out, leaving a tunnel behind. Most likely it went all the way up to the crater, and it was large enough for the mini-Stugs to go up single file.
Allison keyed her radio. "Mom, this is Allison. I found a lava tunnel. It looks big enough to get everyone up the side of the volcano."
"I have your coordinates. Clear the ground cover around it. I'll send another team up that tunnel. Keep going on the ground," Cameron replied.
Hearing something, Allison pulled an ear piece away and listened closely. "Hey, Mom, it sounds like a whole bunch more is coming down."
"Collapse the tunnel. If you can catch them, fine. Don't let them get past you."
Allison went to work breaking apart the ceiling ahead if her. Sky showed, and the tunnel was only part way full. She broke apart more ceiling over hey and shoved it into the block, then ripped more stone from the walls of the entrance and filled the tunnel. "OK, Mom, the tunnel is blocked," she said.
"Good, clear the area and keep going."
"Right."
It only took a few mind hand swipes to make a clearing around the tunnel entrance that was now a big ditch leading to a rock pile. Allison returned to her troops, and warned the men about the trapped machines to their right, just in case the machines somehow broke through.
Continuing on, they made it to the slope, which was not even or smooth. Centuries of jungle growth had smoothed out the craggy surfaces of the slope, but here and there, sharp inclines and jagged black rock still jutted up from the ground. One place was so steep, Allison had to go up and pull each Mini-Stug up the slope, then ran a rope down so the men could climb up.
On a more level part of the slope, Allison found a small sensor box with an antenna guarded by a Spider machine. She destroyed both, then brought her group up onto the ledge. There was a worn trail here going around the volcano. It was tempting to move along the trail, the trail would be much easier going. It would also take longer, and Allison was sure Sky Net had other posts watching the trail. She also noticed everyone looked tired.
The men posted watches as they took a rest. Up here, Allison figured they were maybe half way up. The view from here was very good, she could see back beyond the base of the peninsula. That meant without a doubt, Sky Net knew they were coming. That made her wonder why they had not been attacked yet. Other than the few machines they had found it seemed like Sky Net had retreated.
The question was, where did they go?
Cameron's voice came over the radio. "Attention all units! Tracks leading into the water have been found on the eastern shore of the peninsula. A flight of drones are watching the shore lines. The Sky Net machines can operate under water, so they may come up on the shores any place in the bay, or along the sea shore. Coastal watches, report any unusual activity immediately."
Allison thought about the possibility of a Sky Net retreat. It didn't sound right. Sky Net wanted to kill. Thinking about the lack of activity, and the obvious signs of retreat, Allison came to a conclusion. "Mom, it's a trap. Sky Net is luring us into a trap," she stated.
"I agree, keep your senses sharp and expect anything. Keep moving."
Allison jumped up to bring the mini-Stugs up the steep slope on the other side of the trail. This slope had less tree cover and was a very steep sixty seven degree angle. Even the trees looked like they were clinging to the rocks to keep from sliding down. The slope only kept going up, Allison didn't find another less steep ledge. She did find a long cut in the rock that looked like a cave formed in a long slit. Climbing up, she heard soft mechanical noises.
Allison was then faced with a spider machine that saw her and shot. She jumped up and smashed it. Another took it's place, then the entire mouth of the long cave was filled with spider machines raining bullets down on her.
"I found them!" Allison yelled in her mike as she shielded herself from the onslaught. "Mom. I found them!"
"Drones inbound. Allison, back off."
Allison leaped down the slope as trees came apart around her from the intense fire from above. Machines poured out of the cave, coming after her.
Cameron's voice came over the radio. "Crater team, move to the east two hundred meters, prepare for an attack from above."
"This is Crater team One, we are engaged with machines coming from our left!"
The quiet jungle was now filled with gunfire and explosions. Allison jumped to the side to meet and destroy a machine trying to race past her. More poured down on her. She smashed and flung machine after machine off the slope as fast as possible, filling the air with broken, falling metal. She swore every machine Sky Net had was coming down the slope, directly at her. Above, missiles slammed into the machines, causing more falling debris.
Using three mind Hands to shield herself, and two to maneuver and keep herself stable, Allison was only able to use five to smash and swat away the mass coming down at her. With a scream of defiance, she used all five in one big swinging arc to clear away everything in front of her, machines, trees and boulders. As this mass flew away downhill to her left, more machines appeared on the smooth ground above her to fill the void.
Larger machines now appeared, mini-Stugs and the skeleton like terminators, all shooting at her. Again, Allison let them come on to fill the bare slope, then did another grand swipe to send the mass of broken machines flying away to her left.
"Is there no end to these things!" Allison complained as above her a new mass of machines came down at her, shooting as they charged. She swiped again, knocking more off the slope to go tumbling through the air.
Backing up a step, Allison slipped on some loose rock. She caught herself, but wasn't able to stop from sliding down the slope. Ramming a mind hand into the rock, she anchored herself in place. She now had four mind Hands to attack with. High above, another wave of missiles crashed into the attackers. Rock and metal came tumbling down the slope in an avalanche, hitting the ones coming at her to add to the tumbling chaos.
Allison jumped up and back, leaping off the side of the volcano. She dropped just head of the bouncing mass raining down the mountainside. The avalanche hit the trees, mowing them over to join the mass rolling downward. She also noticed her team was below her, taking cover behind the mini-Stugs from falling debris that was about to get much worse.
"Oh no," Allison said to herself. Those Mini-Stugs would be swept along with the avalanche, as would the men. Falling down, she landed between the mini-Stugs, and threw up all her mind Hands in a shield to protect them.
The mass crashed down on her. Screams belted out. Some were cut short, others wailed on, mixing with the thundering roar of the mass flowing over them. Her shields were pressed down hard, Allison pushed back with all the strength she had.
Seconds turned into hours as the thundering mass that shook the ground flowed over her. Dimly, she noted that by clearing away all the cover up there down to bare rock, she herself had made it possible for this avalanche to gain such speed and momentum.
After what seemed like an eternity, the avalanche continued on past them. Allison looked up, seeing nothing but bare ground with jagged stumps poking up here and there. Bits of branch and leaves covered the ground. At first, it was silent except for the avalanche rumbling on. Then came the moans of the wounded.
"Allison! What is your status?" Cameron asked, sounding stressed.
Allison got up. The mini-Stugs were still here. In the small area she'd protected, she counted twenty two men. She spoke weakly. "Mom, I caused an avalanche. We have both Mini-Stugs, and twenty two men, seven of them with wounds. I don't see any more Sky Net forces above us. I think they all tumbled down hill."
"Take care of the wounded. How are you feeling?"
"I have a splitting headache, but I'm fine."
"Hold your position. An evacuation Osprey is coming to take the wounded. Get them ready for transport."
The shocked survivors splinted broken limbs. One man had crushed ribs, he died before the Osprey arrived. Allison tearfully apologized to each of the men for causing this disaster. When the Osprey came to hover just beyond the cliff, Allison helped get take the wounded aboard. The Osprey lifted off. Allison dropped to her knees and passed out.
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Right after Allison found the cave with a mass of Machines in it, Cameron found all her forces under attack. Sky Net machines charged into them Kamikaze style, shooting as they came. Besides the mass attack Allison had fended off, the largest attack was ten machines. Her troops suffered casualties, but held on, dealing out punishment as well as receiving it. A few Mini Stugs suffered ruined machine guns and ripped up tracks, and a quarter of the men had fallen, but every Sky Net machine facing them was destroyed.
Ospreys came to remove the wounded and a passed out Allison to return them to the airfield for treatment. By nightfall, the troops had searched the peninsula for more Sky Net machines. On the rim of the crater, an antenna was found. Cameron went to the location and found the transmitter station. There, she studied the transmitter and found the frequencies and codes Sky Net was using. Using the transmitter with their cods and frequencies, she contacted John Henry and gave him the information.
This was a major breakthrough, they had the codes and the frequencies. They could deal Sky Net a crippling blow all over the world.
Cameron used the Sky Net codes to transmit to Sky Net that they human forces in the area were exterminated, and the operation was commencing. By listening in on other transmissions, she learned the location of several other transmitters in North and South America.
One thing Cameron noticed was that Sky Net was using a buffer between itself and it's transmissions. They could not directly hack Sky Net from a transmitter station. Talking with John Henry, they agreed the next best option was to find all the transmitter stations they could, destroy the relay stations, then transmit 'Sky Net' orders to machines themselves.
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Allison awoke with a pounding headache. Moaning, she found herself on a cot, covered with a blanket. She sat up to find herself in a medic tent, her cot was one in a line of women who suffered various wounds. She dropped her legs over the edge, planted her elbows on her knees and held her aching head. "Did too much," she muttered.
"Seniorita, you must lay down," a nurse said as she came up to Allison.
"I'm fine, just a headache," Allison replied. She went to stand up, and dropped back in place. "OK, maybe a little weak too," she admitted.
"Lie back and rest," the nurse said firmly.
"Got any food? I'm hungry, but I don't have my nutrients," Allison said, then added "Thirsty too."
"General Connor gave us what you need. I'll get you something, your packets are here, beside your bed. Now lay down," the nurse instructed.
Allison flopped back down. Casting a weak smile at the nurse, she said, "Sorry to be a bother. There are people here hurt much worse than me."
Cracking a smile, the nurse said, "Even pequeno rosado la diablo needs help from time to time, yes? You relax, I will return soon."
Allison closed her eyes. Shortly, the nurse returned with pain killer and a plate of food. Once Allison ate and let the medicine do it's work, she felt a lot better. Before they would let her go, the doctor came in and checked her over, then made her do silly things like stand with her eyes closed and touch her nose, stand on one foot, and turn around with her eyes shut. Once he was happy, she got to take her packets of nutrient and leave. On the way out a female soldier got her attention and had Allison go with her. Allison wanted to head for the lake again, but did as the woman asked.
Allison was taken to a well guarded building. Passing through a checkpoint, she was shown to a room that looked similar to her Father's command center. Her mother stood by General Basturo, who was holding himself up with a crutch.
"Generals, pequeno rosado la diablo is here," the woman announced.
"Can't you guys just call me Allison?" Allison complained quietly.
Turning to her, Cameron said in her flat tone. "That name is a badge of honor now, wear it proudly. I'm happy you recovered quickly. General Basturo has something for you."
Smiling at her, General Basturo hobbled around to face her. "I do indeed!" he announced. "You and your team not only found the main Sky Net attack force, you destroyed it! Your act of bravery saved hundreds of lives."
Allison frowned at him and said, "I got half our team killed with that avalanche I caused. If it wasn't for me, they would not be dead now."
Waggling a finger at her, he said, "Muchacha, you cannot think of it like that. Yes, some men died. That is regrettable. If you had not acted, many more would have died, all of your team, as well as hundreds others if those machines would have come down and gotten behind our army."
"In war, people die, Allison. You can't prevent that," Cameron agreed.
"But we're not suppose to get our own people killed!" Allison countered with a whine.
Firmly General Basturo said, "You removed a great threat to us. I am certain if you could speak to those men who died, they would agree you did the right thing. When we go to war, we all know we could die at any time. To die so the war can be won is a great honor. IT gives the sacrifice of life meaning. If I were up on that volcano with you and I knew to stop the enemy I had to die, I would gladly do so knowing many, many others were going to live."
Allison shifted in place and hung her head. "I still feel really bad about it."
"That is because you have a good heart," General Basturo told her. He hobbled towards her and extended his hand. "I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for your efforts on our behalf."
Allison meekly took his hand. "Thank you," she said as they shook hands.
"When we are stable enough, I will hold a ceremony to honor you and General Connor for saving us. The people have named you the little pink devil. I would prefer to call you, the little pink angel," Basturo said reverently.
Allison blushed. "I'm no angel," she said shyly.
"Until then, I refuse to let you and your mother sleep in an airplane!" Basturo announced. "Sargent, please escort Miss Connor to her room."
"Yes, Sir. This way, Miss Connor," the woman who'd brought her in said.
Allison followed the woman up a flight of stairs past more guards and down a hallway to a room. On the way, Allison noted the colorful tile work and paintings on the walls. The Sargent opened a door and ushered Allison into a room that looked like a proper living room with a large couch, finely crafted wooden tables decorative glassware and colorful plants bracketing the entrance to the balcony.
Pointing out the ornate wooden doors to each side, the Sargent said, "That is your room, the other is for General Connor. This room is the bathroom. You have your own tub, so there is no need for you to wash in the lake." showing Allison a thick red braided pull rope, she said, "If you need anything, just pull on this rope. Someone will come to assist you."
Gapping at the finery around her, Allison asked, "Are you sure this is the right place?"
The Sargent laughed. "Yes, this is your room. Relax, pequeno la diablo, and enjoy our General's hospitality."
Allison blankly watched the Sargent leave. Not knowing what to do with herself, Allison wandered out to the balcony. Standing at the stone railing, she looked down on the street below, busy with traffic. Much of it was solider traffic. A few men sat at a sidewalk cafe, sharing a bottle. A couple trucks with men and broken Sky Net machine parts slowly drove past. Going the other way, a column of soldiers marched down the street. Here and there, people sold food and items off their carts. At a crumbled building,workers, a few men and many women, were clearing debris and rebuilding a broken wall. From what Allison could see, the city had suffered, but the people were recovering and rebuilding.
"Hola! Pequeno rosado la diablo!" a man yelled out and waved up to her. This got other people's attention. A group formed as traffic slowed to a stop. Pumping their fists in the air, people happily yelled.
"Pequeno rosado la diablo!"
"Pequeno rosado la diablo!"
"Pequeno rosado la diablo!"
Shocked at this display, Allison waved to them, acknowledging them. The chant got louder as more people added themselves to the crowd below. Didn't they understand she had gotten people killed?
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Basturo and Cameron went over the plans to enter Costa Rica and seize the grounded Sky Net ship, and any Sky Net equipment left there, as well as bring Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala into the new 'Central American Army'. Cameron reasoned it out that each country would still be a separate state, but they would have one army with one leader to fight off any threats, the benefit being that one large army had the ability and flexibility to shift forces where they were needed, be it to battle a foe or assist civilians in crisis.
The next thing they covered was recovering as many Sky Net machine parts as possible. Tracks off the broken Sky Net mini-Stugs would fit on their own mini-Stugs, and the ones that could be rebuilt would be an added asset to their forces. All the terminators and new Spider like machines, Cameron wanted to take back and study to make their own all terrain vehicles. Basturo insisted all their vehicles be remotely controlled by a human, no AI's. Every Sky Net AI chip that was found, was destroyed.
Basturo and Cameron also made a mutual defense and support pact. The only condition Basturo had, was he deal with the Connors and not the typical 'American back-stabbing politicians'. The American base was now manned and operated by Basturo, and many of the training crews had enough experience and skill, that guns and mini-Stugs were handed over to the Nicaraguan crews. With these weapons, Nicaragua was now the most powerful nation in Central America, and most of South America.
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The training and reorganizing took another month. Honduras and Costa Rica both quickly agreed to join the new Central American union, and send ambassadors to make the final agreements as well a men to be trained for the new army. The Sky Net aircraft carrier was a loss as a ship, but the materials salvaged from the ship and hastily built factories now being used by the Costa Ricans helped begin the new Central American Navy.
With the Honduran and Costa Rican members present, Basturo made a speech in front of throngs of people, pledging his loyalty to the well being of all Central America. He then thanked General Connor for saving their country and becoming a 'good friend' to all their people. Allison blushed many shades of red when he had her come up and praised 'Pequeno rosado la diablo' for her efforts, and kissed her on each cheek. The crowd roared their approval, and Allison once again had to endure the loud chants in her honor.
Leaving in an Osprey with well wishers lining both sides of the runway, Cameron and Allison departed with most of the American forces that had come, leaving a few techs and mechanics behind to continue working with the new army. A pair of drones from the new Central American Air Force escorted the Ospreys into Guatemala air space, where a flight of F-35's took up escort duty.
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While Cameron, and especially Allison were bathed in glory on their last day in Nicaragua, John Henry sat quietly in his lab, pinging Sky Net transmitter and relay stations. He has located every Sky Net station from Taiwan to the Mid East. Nine hundred thirty six stations over their half of the world. So far, Sky Net had not caught on, and had information the Central American campaign was succeeding. Sky Net was building it's forces up to take Africa and South America. John Henry knew the forces involved, the routes they were going to take, and when these operations were going to begin.
And so did John Connor. The biggest problem John Connor had now, was to coordinate a combined world-wide trap to attack these forces when they were most vulnerable without Sky Net finding out they were coming.