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They walk through the disused subway tunnels passing under jerry-rigged lighting, bare bulbs dangling on thin cables. A Resistance soldier flattens against the wall as they move past.
"Evening Reese."
"Evening Erikson, can’t talk right now got new orders-"
"Already…the personnel situation is really that bad?"
Reese sighs," Yes."
"Shit! I’ll be lucky to get 5 minutes of rest."
Ramirez and Reese continue to walk through the tunnels, turning first right and then left, finally they come to a large metal door. Beside it stands the Terminator who immediately opens it and motions them inside.
General Connor moves around from behind his desk, and shakes both Reese and Ramirez’s hands. He then shows them to a table where a set of blueprints is laying held open by a pair of minutes.
"Sorry to cut short your downtime but I need people I could trust on this. I hope you understand."
"Of course Sir….I’m looking at what Sir, blueprints from the Abbey?"
"That’s right. I’m going to be only sending the two of you to the location. I want a small deniable operation…however if you find yourself face to face with a South-Sider contingent team up with them."
"And if they protest, "Ramirez interjected.
"I don’t think that will happen, however if it does just remind them that both of you are doing the same thing."
"Right, a safety check before an important meeting, who wouldn’t do that."
General Connor nods, then points to a few locations on the blue prints.
"We’ve had possible Unit movement both here and over here. If worse came to worse and you had to join into a fighting unit, would you make a cohesive team?"
"When faced with death by Terminator even the most hated enemies become fueled to keep each other alive."
"Alright I ordered Nicholas to wait for you, ride with him and his team into this location," he points to a location on a map of the area around the Abbey.
"Then you’ll go in through the sewers on foot, watch for anything unusual."
"No problem Sir…we’ll radio in when the area is secure."
General Connor opens the door; Reese and Ramirez begin to leave.
"Thank you gentlemen."
Reese turns and studies the Generals scarred face, a scampering rat dashes into the darkness, Reese smiles.
"Not a problem Sir."
Segment 5
Sokol approached the Abbey; he had more blood on his uniform from another Resistance soldier he had killed. When the deed had been done he had also taken the soldiers weapon.
As he scanned over the area he noted 12 other Units were in the area, he did not worry about them firing on him. However his final location was not to be the Abbey instead he turned to his right. His red eyes took in the skyscraper, quite well built to have survived this long. There were a few gashes in its surface; old Venetian blinds blew in the wind. Sokol moved forward.
Moving into the lobby there were tattered magazines on the floor, he located their point of origin a warped safe broken open. Sokol moved across the lobby to the elevators, they of course were not working; so he turned right locating the door marked stairway. He entered and climbed.
The soldiers in Nicholas Unit knew better than to talk to the two highly trained Officers riding with them. Naturally however they couldn’t help but gaze on them with wide eyes. Ramirez was very good but Reese was a living legend, and to be in their presence was enough to make any day in hell seem nice and temperate.
"Reese-"
"Yeah Ram."
"Do you remember when you were first recruited?"
Reese smiled, he knew that Ramirez wanted to spin the shit, and he was very good at it. He nodded and then replied.
"Dark day that…I always feel bad for not doing more. There wasn’t much I could do, I know that. But seeing those metallic fuckers pulling my parents away, and then just….executing them in front of me. Well that just stoked a fire that started burning in my soul, I wanted the rip the heart out of Skynet and I wanted to do it bad-"
All those around were sitting on each word; Nicholas smiled up front having heard the remarkably true story a few dozen times before.
A quite voice enquired, "Did you know the General from the beginning?"
"Pretty much."
Reese looks over at the soldier who had spoken, she is young perhaps no older than 15.
"I’m sorry Sir-"
Reese reaches out and pats her shoulder.
"It’s alright- don’t be."
Reese sat back banged his head on the side of the transport, then he turned all the way round to face the young fighters behind him.
"I’m gonna tell you a story of the dawn of The Resistance, so just listen tight and you could learn something new-"
"Can someone tell me what year it is?"
"2030 Sir."
"It was 2015, probably the year when most of you were born…I was 15."
Reese couldn’t manage to lift the body onto the conveyor belt; a Unit began to approach but before the Unit could reach him someone helped him lift the body into position.
Reese looked up and saw a scarred face looking down at him. As they bent to pick up another body the man asked him a question.
"Are you Kyle Reese?"
They dropped the body onto the conveyor; Reese looked at the man quizzically and then nodded.
"Good…and your mother and father?"
Reese manages to lift his hand and point at the two bodies moving up towards the fire. The man nods, he can see Reese trembling night is beginning to fall.
The Unit moves towards them and the man reaches out his hand, Reese without thinking takes it.
"Get back to work."
The Unit is on top of them its red eyes unblinking.
His large hand tightens around something; Reese can’t make out what it is it moves upward in a blur.
"Fuck you!"
There is a bright flash of light and the Units’ head flies off!
"It’s a go NOW!!"
Suddenly chaos highly organized and planned chaos. Spotlights snap on flooding the scene an over washed macabre white. Shots ring out in a crescendo, and the spotlights flare out one by one.
Reese is moving now letting the man lead him, every once in a while the bang sounds nearer, the man firing his gun. The laser net fences still glow blood red in the darkness.
"Blow the fences!"
Nothing.
The man lifts his wrist to his mouth.
"Blow the fences!"
Still nothing, and then a frightening sound, like a thousand table saws all whizzing into action at once combined with the screech of a mammoth Eagle.
The man dives between two buildings pulling the frightened Reese down with him.
And it rises its lights tracking the melee below and suddenly its stinger like tail lashes outward. Sending bolts of death into the crowd of humanity below. Bright flashes strobe like lightening catching faces contorted in horror and pain, people…humans dying.
The man takes out a numerical pad and Reese watches intently; a series of numbers is punched in, the pad grows green.
"Begin pullout on the double. Look away from the fences!"
Reese buries his face in his hands the man pushed the button.
There is an overwhelming brightness and then a chain reaction of explosions. Fireballs rise into the night sky enveloping the Aerial H/K- and then silence. Not even the hydraulic movements of the Units servos.
"Sir…we’ve hit the primary grid! Your Units should be asleep."
"Excellent job prepare for pickup."
The man looks down on Reese he is crying.
"Reese are you okay…Reese?"
"We have to get moving-"
"Hey Reese….Reese we’re there."