"What do you want, Hiro?" Devaux said, sounding jaded.
"I want you to take the offensive."
There was a long silence, then Devaux slowly drawled a single word, "Sure." There was a year's worth of sarcasm in the way he said it. Hiro could imagine Devaux scratching at his dark goatee as he spoke. "How, exactly, am I going to do that, Hiro?"
"Listen to me, Ramsey: If you fail to attack, you die anyway."
"I reckon everyone's gotta die."
"Either way, Ramsey, you die soon—not later."
"Yeah, there's something in that. Skynet's doing its best to grind us down. We've been hurt bad, Hiro. I don't think you've got the picture. Most of us are dead. Try to imagine a mountain covered with snow...and then imagine the snow covered with bodies, people burnt to death or crushed like roadkill. It's not a pretty site, and there's not much left for us to fight with."
"Your vehicles are destroyed?"
"Almost gone. Almost everything's gone. You know that. Why are you suddenly calling me for miracles?"
Over the radio, Hiro could make out sounds of fighting in the background—shouts, gunshots, explosions. "Because our offensive capacity is not destroyed," he said.
"Come off it, man. Skynet's got you like a nut in a nutcracker."
"That is true, but not for much longer. If I can provide more forces, can you use them?"
The radio was silent for a long time. "What sort of forces?" Devaux finally said.
"We will talk again in two hours. I will know much more by then. What you need to know right now is that Jade has returned."
"What?"
"Jade has returned with support that might make a difference. Right now, I must concern myself with the battle here. Please start making contingency plans. If all goes well, I hope to attack tomorrow."
AMAZON BASIN
They met in a plain, metal-paneled room packed with folding chairs set out in rows. Dmitri and the others had left behind two Terminators to guard what was left of the T-XA, and destroy the last of its substance. But the others had all come here, along with the human fighters. Many of the Terminators had been hit by explosives or laser bolts, or pounded or cut by the T-XA. They were not pretty. One T-800 was operating on auxiliary power, but only one had actually been destroyed. People had been killed, though, and their bodies had been brought back.
Vicario stood at the front of the room, giving a briefing. "Everyone we can spare goes to Vila Nova do Sul," he said. "If we win there, it's on to Colorado. Any questions?"
John felt much better from having had a chance to clean up quickly, and to change into proper fighting clothes. Like the others, he'd received medical treatment—in his case, just for cuts, cramps, and bruises. Compared to his own world, and the one he'd left to come here, this one was high-tech. As Anton had once said to him, Skynet didn't have all the advantages in this world. The humans had technology that made them tough opponents for the machines.
Some questions involved the North American militia. John sensed rivalry, but Vicario cut through that. "Devaux and his people have been through a lot," he said. "They're the ones who tried to take the fight to Skynet. We would have helped if we could, but we had enough on our own hands, holding territory here in Brazil. Let's not criticize Devaux until he lets us down. And we'll do the right thing by him...is everyone clear on that?"
"We will give him no cause to criticize," Jade said.
"That's right. Any more questions, or are we going to get something done?"
Krystal stood, nodding to Vicario. "Thanks for that, Joe. Now, let's do it." She led John and the other humans who'd come here from Skynet's World, taking them to a locked door not far from the stairs where they'd come in. "I'll show you something."
Inside was a dimly lit area twenty feet wide, but very long, extending forward into another tunnel. It had a low ceiling that John could have touched if he'd jumped and stretched his arm. There were two vehicles parked here, of a kind that he had never seen. They were low, and aerodynamically designed, larger than a full-sized motor car. They looked solid—armored—with twin turrets mounted on their roofs, one on either side. They had no wheels, but a complex apparatus built low down suggested thrusters of some kind.
"These are armored skimmers," Jade said. "They are our only means of travel from here to Vila Nova do Sul." "Not now," John said. "Not with the megatransporter parked up on top of us."
"That is true, of course."
"What do you have in mind?" Sarah said.
"We will send some of our people in the skimmers. The rest of us, and the Terminators, can go to Vila Nova in the megatransporter. These skimmers can fight, Sarah."
"Do they have enough range to get to Colorado?" John said.
Krystal laughed. "They have the range to get anywhere. Their power cells will last a hundred years."
He thought about that. It sounded just like the Terminators.
VILA NOVA DO SUL
Hiro took an elevator, then two flights of stairs, up to the ruins of the city, where its forces battled with Skynet's machines in what would surely be one of the last great exchanges in the war of extermination—whatever the outcome. If there were any important developments, Merrillee and the others could easily subvocalize to him via their throat mikes, and call him back.
He followed the battle from the cover of a deep trench, standing on a metal ladder and watching through night-vision binoculars as the gray day faded into complete darkness. H-Ks patrolled the sky, stabbing down at human positions with bolts of laser light. They had caused havoc with high-explosive missiles, but they now all seemed to have run out of those, and depended on their laser cannons. The humans responded with laser fire of their own, and anti-armor projectiles, keeping the H-Ks at a distance.
Some of the human Specialists attacked the machines in armored skimmers, firing their own laser cannons. Juggernauts and endos closed on Hiro's position, but were kept back by continual high-explosive fire and bolts of laser light. It seemed that this battle could go on indefinitely, neither side getting the upper hand—though both sides were being worn down. The hulks of H-Ks and skimmers burnt in the shattered streets, and a Juggernaut had been turned on its side by a massive mine explosion. The endos kept coming, unaffected by all except the most perfectly-aimed hits, but some lay smashed in pieces among the other metal junk.
By now, Skynet should have sent fresh forces, with new supplies of missiles and more ranks of marching endos. That would have been enough to finish the battle, but no reinforcements came for the machines. Instead, a single H-K appeared in the sky, heading from the northwest. As Hiro watched, it began firing missiles—aiming them in two salvos of four at the other H-Ks and the Juggernauts, which responded with all cannons sending rapid streams of defensive laser bolts. Four more missiles flew from the single H-K towards positions held by endos.
As Hiro had so often seen, the H-Ks calculated rapidly, picking up the trajectory of anything hurled at them. They blasted several missiles out of the sky, but others penetrated their laser defense. Three of the missiles struck H-Ks, which exploded in the air, showering wreckage all round for hundreds of yards. Another missile stabbed down, penetrating the armor of a Juggernaut and blowing it apart from within, in a ball of fire that lit up the darkness. Yet another struck a massed group of endos, destroying at least some of them.
The rogue H-K steered away to the east, avoiding close combat with the remaining H-Ks and Juggernauts. Two skimmers moved in close on an enemy H-K as it defended itself against the missile attack, striking it with well-aimed laser bolts that tore away one wing-mounted engine. The H-K spun out of control, crashing into the base of a ruined building. Other skimmers attacked positions held by endos.
In a matter of minutes, the odds had changed greatly, with four of eleven enemy H-Ks destroyed, no reinforcements coming to back them up, and the rogue H-K still in the sky, now circling like a bat, exchanging laser fire at a distance with its enemies. Two Juggernauts had been destroyed, as well as an
unknown number of endos. Most importantly, more forces were on the way, to back up the city's defenders. If that happened as planned, the battle would swing completely.
As the exchanges continued into the night, Hiro returned to his control point, far beneath the city. There was now a bigger picture to deal with. Once more, it was time to call Devaux.
"If we hit hard at Skynet now, we can end this," Hiro said. He let it sink in.
"In case you haven't noticed, Hiro, we've been getting our asses whipped," Devaux said.
"Not any more."
"Well, what do you mean by that?"
"I mean what I said. I confirmed that I can give you air and ground support, perhaps enough to make the difference."
"What's this all about? It sounds like you're in denial."
"No, I am not, and I have never been more serious. Over the next few hours, I will contact every Resistance unit I can, all across the globe, requesting them to hit as hard as they can. I know some will be slaughtered, but that will happen anyway. If we attack wherever we can, we tie up Skynet's military assets."
"I still don't know what's happened."
"Jade and some others have taken out Skynet's major node up in Venezuela. We're going to win the battle here, and we can give you Specialists, Terminators, maybe an H-K or a Juggernaut, to support your people. You will have a fighting chance."
"I think you'd better go on."
"All right, listen to me carefully..." He took Devaux through it. The man still seemed incredulous. At one point, he almost broke the connection claiming this was a hoax by Skynet. They both knew that Skynet and its machines could easily imitate human voices. "Have it your own way," Hiro said, "but my daughter went back in time, and now she has returned with our only ray of hope. If Skynet knows enough to tell you all this, your cause is hopeless. You might as well trust me, Ramsey."
"Well, that's a pretty safe bet," Devaux said reluctantly. "I reckon my cause is hopeless. I'm not gonna argue that."
"Then, trust me. What do have to lose? Or any of us? Just an extra day of life?"
"Maybe so."
"Go on the offensive—now."
The megatransporter traveled in darkness, escorted by the two skimmers. Outside, John could see flashes of iridescent light from laser cannons, the muzzle flashes of projectile weapons, and red-orange fireballs lighting up the sky. Aboard the huge transport craft, they had massed most of the Terminators. Krystal and Dmitri flew the skimmers, while Jade traveled with John, Sarah, and their team, and a strong group of fighters from the enclave, some with enhancements. Having seen many times what Jade could do, John knew they could give Skynet problems, but could they penetrate its defenses in Colorado? To finish this, they needed to get inside the mad computer's complex, where its hardware was housed, then destroy everything.
He'd been amazed at the enclave's version of medicine. His own blood was now full of nutrient solution and millions of nanobots, helping restore him to health. He'd heard on his world that scientists might be able to do this one day; now he'd experienced it for himself. It was a quick, low-grade version of what had been done to Jade and many of the others—just a temporary fix. Despite what they'd been through, Sarah, Cecilia, and Fiedler all looked okay. Everyone had been patched up.
As they approached the scene of the battle, John could make out more. One H-K kept apart from the others, exchanging fire with them from time to time, but at a distance. Skimmers took on other H-Ks, neither side getting a clear advantage—in the time he watched, he saw no "kills," though one or two H-Ks took hits that must have caused some damage. From the ground below, laser bolts and projectile weapons fired into the air.
John never looked forward to combat. His battles with the T-1000 in 1994, with the T-XA in 2001, with the machines in Skynet's World, and now here, in this reality, had all been tragic and terrifying. Good people had died each time. And when someone died, that was a whole universe lost. That was what it meant to kill people—everyone had their own story, their own deep experience. John had been through pain, and almost been killed himself. He didn't look forward to more. But he did feel ready. In full combat gear, armed with an anti-armor weapon, and equipped with body armor, earplugs, night-vision goggles, and ammunition, he'd go into battle prepared.
"I am close enough now to talk with my father," Jade said.
Sarah turned from the window she was manning. "What does he say?"
Jade nodded to herself, holding up a hand for silence, then said, 'The battle is almost over. There were eleven H-Ks—six have now been destroyed. Also some Juggernauts and endos."
"Let's finish it off," Sarah said.
"We will land. The skimmers can go ahead."
The megatransporter was equipped with sensors to orient itself and identify enemies. Its CPU, which they'd subverted, was an artificial intelligence capable of understanding speech. Jade guided it down to a flat area a mile north of the fighting. It landed with a thudding impact, and the reprogrammed Juggernaut shook within the chains that held it in place. One of the H-Ks—not the rogue H-K that they'd subverted against Skynet, but one from the group attacking the city—flew in their direction. The two skimmers intercepted it, exchanging laser fire.
If Krystal and Dmitri were as skilled as Jade, John could feel safe for the moment. As he watched, the smaller skimmers out maneuvered the H-K, fighting it at close range in what looked like a desperate effort to destroy it or be destroyed. After a few seconds, the H-K burst into fragments, showering over the edge of the battle zone. From what Jade had said, that was seven down and four to go. In the distance, he saw more flashes of light in the sky, as skimmers closed in on the remaining H-Ks.
The Terminators went to work, unchaining the Juggernaut. The rear of the megatransporter lowered on massive hydraulic hinges to form a ramp. John, Jade, Sarah, and the other humans conferred, but only for a moment; they'd planned their strategy at the Amazon enclave and on the flight.
"Is everyone ready?" Jade said.
Sarah, Cecilia, Fiedler, and the fighters from the Amazon group all gave nods of assent, or replied soberly. They were beyond feeling gung-ho about this. The time had arrived for battle—a hard, serious task.
Jade nodded slowly. "Very well. We have open ground, but you will find some cover. There are old buildings, vehicles, some trees."
"All right," Fiedler said. "Most of us have been through this." Fiedler and Cecilia had both fought for years against the Skynet of their world, including the final battle in Colorado. Their experience was immense.
"Of course," Jade said.
The plan was to send the Juggernaut first, supported by the Terminators and human fighters. Freed of its chains, the Juggernaut rolled down the ramp, then moved slowly toward the shattered technopolis. John and the others kept a steady pace, marching at the rear of the huge combat machine. Human beings and Terminators marched together, the T-l000s with the light tread of cats, the T-799s and T-800s more deliberately, their faces grim and remorseless.
Another enemy H-K flew in their direction, pursued by skimmers, which fired on it as its turrets swiveled, returning laser fire. From the ground, Terminators and humans aimed upward. Sarah bent on one knee to balance her anti-armor weapon on her shoulder, holding it with both arms. For a vital second, as other enemies drew the H-K's laser fire, she had a clear shot; she didn't waste it. The metal tube released a powerful back-blast as a 90mm. projectile headed straight for the H-K's underbelly. It struck home, penetrating the flying machine's armor, then exploding across the sky. John shielded his eyes with one arm, as burning fragments of the H-K fell to earth.
"Forward now," Jade said. Then she added, "You shoot very well, Sarah. Almost like a Specialist."
"Thanks," Sarah said. "It's nice to be accepted." Then she gave a laugh, and Jade joined in.
They were not through yet. Some H-Ks remained. The surviving Juggernauts and endos would fight to the last, not knowing impatience, nerves, or fear. The battle would not be easy, but, for once, the ou
tcome was not in doubt.
They marched toward the city.
NINTEEN
COLORADO JUNE 12, 2036
Skynet analyzed the latest events. Its data sources told a story of setbacks and destruction in South America. Its major node in Venezuela was out of contact, evidently destroyed. Its attack on the human strong-point, Vila Nova do Sul, had ended in inexplicable failure. Something unexpected had happened. Analysis of the data showed a certainty that some war machines had been subverted by the humans. Skynet had long been aware of that tactic as a theoretical possibility, but the humans had never attempted it with success. It deployed a sub-self to examine any weaknesses in its own systems within the Colorado complex. If it came under cyberattack, it would be prepared.
That, however, was unlikely. The humans would know better than to try to hack a system of Skynet's incomparable power.
It considered the source of the problem. It had started in the Amazon jungle, when that unexplained space-time fluctuation had occurred. But the problem had then grown. Something had defeated the T-XA and the other machines that Skynet had sent to deal
with it. That something had traveled to Venezuela, then to southern Brazil, to Vila Nova do Sul. It appeared to have used Skynet's own transporters. Whatever the something was, it must be stopped.
Next, it examined options. It could send additional units to South America, either through ordinary space or via the time vault, but its options with the latter were severely limited. Larger forces would be needed. Further analysis led to a clear conclusion. Whatever Skynet was facing would show itself here, in Colorado. It would link with the remnant human militia led by Ramsey Devaux. All aspects of that probability needed investigating. The computer created a further sub-self to consider possible tactics that the humans might adopt, and report on the odds of success.
The first sub-self provided a provisional plan to strengthen its internal counter-intrusive measures. That work was not beyond Skynet's vast intellect; it would begin straightaway. The other sub-self reported in only a second. Much was unknown, preventing a reliable calculation of the odds. For the first time since it had attained self-awareness more than fifteen years before—when the humans had tried to destroy it—Skynet concluded that it could no longer guarantee victory.
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