SideStory: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Order 01: Opening Act

System diagnostic complete
CPU integrity: 87%
Power supply: 62% and falling
Chassis integrity: 47%
Combat capability: 31%
Auto-repair nanites engaged
WARNING: Plasma Cell damaged. System repair failure due to plasma leak.
WARNING: Targeting system damaged. System repair in progress
WARNING: Tracking system damaged. System repair pending
WARNING: Balance gyro damaged. System repair pending

'Well, shit.'

Cameron Phillips, resident Terminator and protector to John Connor, rebooted with that thought ringing strongly in her digital mind. Struggling to push herself upright, the Infiltrator unit paused at the sounds of a continued fight. Her eyes quickly cycled through her available vision modes, finally settling on thermographic imaging. The world bloomed into various shades of blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and white as she looked around, trying to pinpoint the location of the battle. As she continued her attempts to extract herself from the section of wall she had been rather brutally slammed into and buried under, her audio processors picked up a heavier weapon. Cameron captured an audio sample, running an internal query against her databank.

Processing audio sample
….............................
Processing complete
No record found in system files
Weapon caliber, make, model unknown

Cameron doubled her efforts to free herself, hearing the raging gunfight reaching a fever pitch. There was a loud cry, deep and male, followed shortly by the distinct sound of a body impacting a wall hard enough to collapse it. Ignoring the warning that continued stresses would damage her chassis further, the Infiltrator wrenched herself out of the confining dark she had been in.

Cameron took a moment to regain her bearings and make a positive horizon lock, shaking her head slightly.

The Infiltrator also rather promptly took a 10 millimeter bullet straight to her face for her troubles. Her vision distorted from the impact, and her internal gyro slipped, causing her to lose her balance and sag against the wall she had rather viciously ripped herself from. Shaking her head once more to reset her systems and clear her vision, Cameron surged to her feet, her vision cycling back to standard imaging.

The T-850 that had engaged the Connors and the Infiltrator just minutes prior had suffered severe damage to its organic outer covering, as well as moderate internal damage. Cameron allowed a frown to slide across her features as she advanced, her sensors running a full sweep.

T-850 model 101-A
Heavy Combat/Infiltrator
Ablative ceramic reinforcement
Tri-polymer chassis coating
Enhanced myomer augmentations
Combat capability: 77%
Chassis integrity: 52.79%
Threat assessment: Moderate

Cameron leaned forward, her vision clouding for a moment as damage diagnostics flashed warnings at her for the continued abuses the Infiltrator put herself through. As she was readying for what could prove to be her last, final charge, a horrific, digitally enhanced roar assaulted her senses, halting all other thought as her CPU struggled to process the sound. When a clearly enraged...thing burst through an already damaged section of wall, spraying concrete chips and dust, and loosed another bestial roar, Cameron took a step back as her sensors scanned the newest arrival to the scene.

Unknown Combat Chassis
Scans restricted due to local interference
Armor composite: Unknown
Energy shield matrix detected
On-board weapons systems detected
Organic construct detected
Chassis Integrity: Unknown
Combat Capability: Unknown
WARNING: Incoming scan detected
WARNING: Threat assessment: severe

“Cam! Get back!” John called from behind the pillar he'd been using for cover. The 850 turned to face the new threat, raising the Jackhammer shotgun it was using and firing. Sparks flew as the buckshot sprayed across the energy shielding covering what, Cameron couldn't see very well due to the dust, was some form of armored construct. It moved fluidly, clearing the lingering cloud of dust, bringing more of itself into view.

Cameron registered surprise as the armor suit, which the Infiltrator could now tell it was, advanced on the 850, shrugging off continued pounding blasts from the Jackhammer. When it withdrew a huge handgun of its own from a concealed thigh compartment, Cameron sought cover, ducking behind a thick planter. When the Jackhammer clicked dry, the 850 tossed it away, preparing to meet its attacker head on.

It never got the chance.

The suit raised a massive, armored arm, the huge fist closed loosely around the hand weapon it wielded, and unleashed a withering barrage of fire. The 850 jerked and danced under the metal hail loosed against it, chassis armor and organic covering shedding from it as the large caliber rounds tore through it. When the suit switched its weapon from semi to full auto, the 850 crumpled into a smoking heap, internal components shredded and sparking as a withering storm of rounds almost tore the unit in half. As the combat unit tried to drag itself away, the suit reached it and stomped down on its head, crushing it. The shriek of metal collapsing caused Cameron to wince for a moment, before she slowly stood. She registered another incoming scan before the construct turned its armored face toward the Connors.

“You two alright?” it asked, its voice a neutral, synthesized rasp. John and Sarah nodded mutely. Cameron noticed John holding his right bicep tightly, a thin sheen of scarlet leaking through his fingers. He'd been wounded, lightly, it appeared.

SYSTEM ALERT
Power supply: 37% and falling
Chassis damage exceeding safe levels
Auto-repair system failure
Targeting system failure
TRaCk-kin-g sy...stem FAiLUre
VISuAL sysTTTem FAILuRE
CPU FFFFFFAILuRE IMMENiENT
A-AUTOMATIC S-HuTDOWn EngAGEd
300 SecOOONDs UntIL SH-uTDOWN

Cameron stumbled as her system struggled to keep her functional, her vision flickering on and off rapidly. She shook her head, drawing the attention of the armored suit. It began to move towards her with a soft pneumonic hiss, before another soft sound caught its attention. Turning its faceplate down, it scanned the remains of the 850, uttering a low growl.

“Get out of here. Now!” it said, twisting to catch Cameron as her internal systems shutdown to protect her CPU.

“Wait! She's coming with us,” John said, taking a step towards the suit.

“Unless you want to experience the effects of a low-grade thermonuclear explosion first-hand, I suggest you pay attention to what I'm saying and get the fuck out of here! Don't worry about her. She'll be fine with me. Now go! Two of my men will get you out of here,” the suit said, hefting the inert Infiltrator in its arms.

“Wh-” John began.

“NOW!”

Sarah needed no further urging. Already, she could hear an increasing whine issuing from the remains of the 850. She grabbed John's arm and began to drag him away, starting as two impossibly tall men seemed to appear from nowhere before them.

“Ma'am! Come with us, now!” One of the pair, a dark skinned man, said in a rich, cultured voice. His partner, a richly tanned man of what appeared to be Asian heritage, stepped over to John and took his shoulder, nodding once.

“Where-” Sarah began as the man took her arm.

“No time. Hope you don't get sick easily, Tunneling is always a bitch your first ride.”

Sarah opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about, before the air visibly distorted behind him with a hissing crackle. Behind her, another distortion appeared, into which John and the other man vanished into. Sarah began to struggle, but the man's hand on her arm was like an iron band, pulling her steadily into the rift. With a choked cry, she was pulled inside, vanishing with a soft crackle as the rift shimmered and closed.

The Construct glanced down at the inert machine cradled in its armored arms. As the T-850's twin power cells continued to build their charge, the faceplate sectioned apart and slid back, revealing the pilots lined face. A pair of silver eyes glowed softly, and an amused smirk tugged at his lips as he considered the 'woman.'

“Well, little cyborg, let's see if I can't put your sorry ass back together,” he said, his rich voice full of warmth and mirth. With a final glance at the smoking remains of SkyNet's assassin, pilot, suit, and Cameron stepped through a shimmering rift, slipping away with a gentle crackle and a whisper of air.

The countdown complete, the twin hydrogen cells detonated. The resulting tremor was felt for miles as the shock wave ripped apart the industrial structure.

In the evening sky of Los Angeles, a mushroom cloud appeared.

SideStory: The Sarah Connor Chronicles