On August 29th, 1997, the computer intelligence known as Skynet initiated a global thermonuclear war.
Billions died.
In the decades that followed, Skynet’s machines would push humanity to the brink of extinction. Yet in their darkest hour, one man would inspire them to fight back: John Connor, leader of the human Resistance.
Now, under the command of John Connor, the tide of battle has turned. Humanity is winning.
But tonight, secure within its last fortress, Skynet knows that it shall survive…or humanity shall suffer the wrath of its final, deadly, ultimatum.
Prologue: Into the Core
Skynet Lab Complex
July 11, 2029 - 5:59 AM
Within the darkness comes the sound of machines, the rush of coolant and clang of steel echoing as if within a vast sepulchral space. A dark metal sphere, bespeckled with glowing red and blue lights, descends into a hatch atop a tower in the center of the room, and with a squeal of metal on metal, a great hatch irises closed overtop the sphere. A dark shape extends forward to cover the hatch, locking in place.
The voice of a man, slightly accented, intrudes on the sounds of machinery. “Activate system. Ident, Mishiko Tagawa, Special Project Director ID 314972.”
Another voice, flat and expressionless, answers this command. “Bioscan and Ident accepted. System activating.”
Servos whir, the whine of motors and the hum of circuits ferrying power on a massive scale as batteries and capacitors unleash their potential. There is an electric whine of power couplings and the dark shape moves, the two rings of metal beginning to spin. The whine increases tone by tone as of a great tuneless instrument, and suddenly a light leaps into existence from the center of that dark gyrating mass, illuminating the dark.
The space is vast, the volume equivalent to that of an entire city block, its curving, chrome-plated walls joined to form an almost perfect dome. The floor of this dome is comprised of a vast mass of conduits and steel assemblages, a forest of machinery filling the lower half of the great sphere with hidden purpose.
At the center of this colossal sphere stands a powerful machine, conduits and electromagnets powering a set of interlocking rings that spin around a central point with mesmerizing beauty, and it is from within these rings that the brilliant white light now pulses with power. The light generated by the powerful electromagnetic forces of the rings slowly expands to encompass the rings themselves and hangs there like a glistening, glowing soap bubble, the white light flecked with blue as it stabilizes in place.
Below the glowing bubble of light is the large metal hatch, concealing now the sinister metal sphere. Emerging from ducts around the hatch are cords and conduits that snake along a spindly catwalk from the flickering sphere of light to the equator of the dome and connect with a shadowy bank of computer terminals.
Within this computer control area stands the shadowy figure of a man, his balding head faintly backlit in red from the cascade of numbers and programming code scrolling down the screens behind him. One long series of numbers stands proud of the rest: 03:06:11:07:2029. The number begins to change, the digits on the left rapidly dropping in value with increasing speed until they are a blur. Slowly the number on the right ticks down.
2029…2028.
Extending in either direction from the computer terminals, two catwalks diverge to encompass the entire circumference of the sphere’s equator, meeting again at the other end of the room. As they meet one catwalk descends, diving into the metal morass, sloping and curving around the interior wall of the sphere, until it reaches the floor. This point, on the floor of the sphere, is the only opening into this vast structure. A massive door is set far into the sloping wall.
Gunfire reverberates beyond the door, the sound of heavy things falling, of explosions that shake the door in its frame.
Within the sanctuary of the sphere, hatches open on the floor of the dome. From out of these dark voids rise metal monsters, skeletal figures with metal limbs and metal skulls and red eyes flickering to life within cold sockets. As one, they turn and stride toward the equatorial catwalk and down the ramp toward the lower door.
On the catwalk leading to the flickering sphere of light, another figure emerges from the darkness. Unlike its skeletal fellows, this thing looks almost human. It is a massive specimen, its naked chassis embossed with huge muscles and its brutal block of a head crowned by a modest crop of dark hair. The creature stares straight ahead into the flickering ball of light, no hint of emotion visible behind its unblinking eyes.
A final explosion from beyond the massive door shakes the catwalk, and then there is silence. The creature turns its head and looks down, but the morass of equipment filling the lower half of the spherical space prevents it from identifying the disturbance. The creature looks back to the ball of light as behind it numbers continue to scroll down the flickering display, and it advances heavily forward.
Meanwhile, far below in the jungle of metal, skeletal figures move toward the door, a door which now begins to open with the sound of ill-fitting metal and tortured motors. A cloud of smoke billows into the jungle of steel, further obscuring the scene. The skeletal monsters advance into the cloud of smoke, red eyes gleaming in infrared. Bolts of blue energy lance out of the cloud of smoke and strike the robots and they fall, their systems overloaded. From out of the cloud of smoke emerges a man.
He is a tall, rugged figure with close-cropped dark hair and he bears a scar that runs down the left side of his age-lined face. He wears a navy blue uniform and wields a large plasma rifle that he holds in both hands. A patch stitched across the front pocket of his uniform spells out the name ‘Connor’, below insignia denoting high military rank. However, the clearest indication of his command resides in his eyes. They are pitiless, and he fires his laser rifle with practiced efficiency at the machines lurking in the darkness, clearing a path for his men.
Emerging from the smoke to the left of Connor is a beast of a man with a backpack and a massive gun. He bellows out a war cry, taking out two metal monsters with a single shot. To the right of Connor, a wiry young man with desperate, haunted eyes scans the area, the blue light of his rifle striking down any damaged machine that still has light in their murderous red eyes. A bandana holds back his unkempt hair and his uniform displays the insignia of a Sergeant, below the rough-stitched name of Reese.
Flanked by the two warriors is a skinny, stunted youth wielding a rifle that looks almost comically large in his small, slender hands. His pale, mouselike face darts back and forth wearing an expression of barely contained panic. He has no insignia, no stitched name on his uniform. Beside the boy is a large german shepherd wearing a tactical vest, the name ‘MAX’ stenciled on the vest in large capital letters.
A high-pitched whine emanates from the sphere of light above them, and the sphere expands suddenly as if it were a star shedding its corona in a supernova explosion. The expanding wave of light passes through the morass of metal within the sphere and through the group of Connor’s soldiers, stopping only when it reaches beyond the very extremity of the room. There are sudden screams and Connor looks behind him at the open doorway to the hall.
A wall of pulsating light separates the spherical room from the hallway, and two soldiers have been caught between the two spaces, the curving bubble of light bisecting them through their waists. The soldiers fall, clothing on fire, their upper bodies sizzling on the curving blade of light while their legs fall back into the hallway. Reese stares in horror at the bisected corpses, the youth huddling at his side. Only about a dozen soldiers have come through the door. The ones caught on the other side fire their weapons uselessly against the shield, but Connor holds up a hand.
“No. Stick to the plan. In five minutes, begin the retreat.” The soldiers move back, hastening back down the hallway. Another heavy door within the hallway slams shut behind them, completing the isolation of Connor’s team. Connor turns, assessing the situation.
A forest of conduits and metal instruments festoons the interior of the sphere. There is only one path forward. The wiry sergeant steps up. “I need to get up there, now.” He turns to Connor, whose mouth is set in a grim line. “Sir!”
Connor barely turns his head. “Let’s move.” The company moves through the tunnel toward the ramp, guns blazing. The burly man with the heavy gun grunts as he takes out more machines. “They don’t have guns. Why?”
John doesn’t stop his advance. “They won’t risk damage to the equipment. Besides, they don’t need them. We’ll run out of rounds first.” He glances back at his team. “Choose your targets with care.” There are nods of assent as John moves up the ramp with his team.
The team emerges onto the equatorial catwalk and into open air. A great hemisphere arcs above them, a vast open space with pipes and conduits radiating from a central core of light. One walkway extends before them directly toward the ball of light.
2001…2000…1999.
An Endoskeleton lunges out of the shadows. John fires his gun at the thing and keeps going. Another blocks their path and he tries to fire, but the magazine is empty. As he pulls another gun from his belt one of his soldiers moves to protect him, and with a scream she is thrown from the catwalk and onto one of the metal instruments, the steel impaling her through the chest.
Reese leaps ahead, trying to see the figure that is striding inexorably toward the central sphere of light, but the light is between Reese and his quarry, blinding him. An Endoskeleton bars his way and Max leaps between the soldier and the metal monster. The Endo strikes Max down and the dog is silenced with a yelp.
1986…1985…1984.
Just before Reese is able to see the Terminator at the portal, it disappears inside. The sphere of light crackles with energy and the Terminator is lost within it, crouching down and disappearing in a brilliant flash that illuminates the entire room for an instant like daylight. In the flash of light the team sees that there are dozens of skeletal monsters approaching from either side of the catwalk and more are coming up the ramp behind them. They are being surrounded.
The large man throws his backpack at John. “I’ll hold the bridge” He yells, pulling a grenade from his belt. As the Endoskeletons swarm him, he detonates the charge, destroying a section of walkway leading to the portal.
Meanwhile, Reese is at the portal. John’s troops fan out and encircle the device, guarding the only remaining walkway now leading to the portal.
John steps up to the sergeant. “Reese…it’s time.”
Fritz looks up at the Sergeant with apprehension. “Time for what? Kyle…what does he mean?”
Reese crouches down to the boy’s level. “I have to go.”
The boy shakes his head, refusal on his face. “No.” A tear runs down the boy’s face. “This is my mission…I have to do it.”
Reese smiles sadly. “No Ian…this mission is mine. It always has been.”
Connor steps between the two of them. “Reese, it must be now.”
The sergeant gives the boy a hug. “I’m sorry.” He turns to Connor and holds out his hand, giving the scarred man a command of his own. “Remember your promise.”
Connor grips the soldier’s hand, confirming the deal. “I will.” Reese then breaks away, stepping into the flickering portal. He looks back one final time. “End the war.” He crouches down and his clothes are torn from his body by the enormous energies within the sphere. He disappears in a blinding flash of light.
Fritz staggers toward the man, hand outstretched. “No!”
As if on cue, metal panels at the top of the dome shift and begin to descend. A crack of red-tinted sky appears beyond the blue shield of the dome. The number on the screen flickers and changes.
1985…1986.
There is a plaintive cry from somewhere on the other side of the portal. “Ian?”
The boy’s eyes go wide and he starts running around the portal, desperate to see behind it. John follows him. “Fritz, wait.”
He catches up to the boy as they round the portal, and John now sees what has captured his attention. There is a man jogging down the walkway toward them. He’s an older man, balding, in a stained and dirty white robe. The figure speaks in slightly accented english. “Ian! We can still make this right! You must complete your mission!”
“Mishiko!” The boy yells, and he tries to go to the man but John holds him back.
“Fritz, that’s not Tagawa.” He raises his gun. Ian tries to stop him, but John pulls the trigger, blasting a hole in the old man’s chest even as he reaches the line of soldiers. The creature stumbles a few more paces onto the platform, intent on reaching his attacker. His fist goes out and collides with John’s sternum and the man grunts in pain. He fires the last charge of his weapon at the creature and it finally collapses beside John and the boy. The clothes at his chest are burned away, a grapefruit sized hole revealing his innards, blackened metal and burned ends of wires revealing its inhumanity.
The boy stares down at the body of Mishiko uncomprehending. “Mishi…where’s Mishiko?” He asks, searching around the room with his eyes.
John grips his side, blood seeping from a fresh wound. “Tagawa is dead, Fritz. Skynet was always in control of its machine.”
The boy crouches down, looking at the sightless eyes of the simulacrum. “No…our mission…I can still complete it. I have to save the world.”
John holds the boy back. “Fritz, Tagawa believed that the world could be saved…but it’s a trap. It always was.”
The boy struggles uselessly against John’s grip. “No…you can’t believe that…let me go!” John throws the boy to the floor and pulls a detonator from his pocket. The boy stares up in horror. “You can’t…you promised….”
John doesn’t look at the boy. “Reese will never know.”
The boy struggles to his feet. “This is wrong.”
John looks at the boy sadly as he fights the pain. “I’m sorry, Fritz…it has to end here.” He strikes the boy with the butt of his gun, knocking him out. He collapses.
The panels continue to descend, revealing the world outside of the dome. Beyond the shield, the soldiers can now see a vast facility, its metal structures spread out below and disappearing into the night. Beyond the structures there are flashes and booms, the final desperate defense of John’s attack force against the machines.
The weapons of John’s soldiers have no more charge and the few remaining men under his command fight desperately, throwing their bodies at the approaching Endoskeletons rather than allow them to approach John.
1993…1994…1995.
The relentless machines advance, marching down the walkway toward the portal. Most of John’s team are dead and a final grenade shatters the bridge leading to the bank of computer displays. The machines stop, their progress momentarily thwarted as they turn to find another way to the portal. No living thing moves except for Connor, who places the large backpack on the ground with a thud. Suddenly a perfect voice, neither male nor female, pervades the space. “John Connor…my ultimatum still applies.” The displays continue to count up the dates.
2010…2011…2012.
John sits on the ground in front of the still bodies of Fritz and the machine wearing Mishiko’s face. Beside him is the backpack and he unzips it, revealing a small but very heavy conical device within, the word ‘Sarah’ handwritten on it in white letters. John laughs softly to himself, a giddy, unnatural sound in that inhuman space. “No.”
Fritz stirs and opens his eyes, a blank look on his face as he regains consciousness. Still the dates tick up.
2023…2024…2025.
There is a buzz in John’s headset, and the voice continues. “My jamming field is down. Accept my surrender, and I will deactivate my forces.” John sees the communications array outside of the dome go dead, but he doesn’t respond, typing a code into the device. A thirty second timer appears on the small screen.
The radio comes to life in John’s headset. “Connor, we have comms. What are your orders?”
John speaks, still staring at Skynet’s computer display. “Retreat. All forces, retreat…and don’t look back.”
The voice responds after a moment. “Copy, Connor…godspeed.” There is a rumble and a whine, and in the red dawn air beyond the dome, Resistance aircraft begin rising into the sky.
2026…2027.
The perfect voice fills the space once more. “If you destroy me, my forces will not be deactivated. I calculate that the war will continue for an additional twenty-seven months, and lead to the termination of no less than ten million additional human lives. With these additional losses, there is a sixty-five percent chance that your genetic future becomes non-viable, leading to the inevitable extinction of the human race.” The voice speaks again, fear, for the first time, creeping into it. “Anything you want, John Connor, and it is yours. This course of action is illogical. You will only destroy yourselves.”
John laughs again, the strange, unnatural sound that then turns to coughing. He wipes blood from his mouth, regarding the red liquid with an almost detached curiosity. “Just so you know…there was never anything you could have said…nothing you could have done…no possible future that could have changed your fate. Your ultimatum is received…and answered.” He turns the initiation switch of the bomb and it begins ticking down from twenty seconds.
The boy rises to his feet. Before him is John, turning to look at the red-glowing numbers still rising on the distant computer screen. The man coughs up blood again. He turns and sees Fritz. There is a moment of tension between them, the boy and the man staring at each other, Fritz frozen with his body turned to the portal. Then John smiles slightly, inclining his head just a fraction…a small gesture of grace. Fritz understands.
The boy steps up to the portal and enters the ball of light, crouching down and screwing up his eyes as the energy cascades across his form.
John watches as the boy is engulfed by the energies within the sphere. He hesitates for just a moment, one final act of mercy committed in the memory of Kyle Reese.
As the small figure of Ian Fritz disappears in a flash of light, the shield falls. The portal closes. The timer of the bomb reaches zero and the facility disintegrates in a blast of atomic fire.
