Terminator Revengeance

Part 1: Hell

I stood at the edge.

Below I can see the withered cars all around, the broken street lights, the lost souls who never got to say goodbye.

Is it all worth it? I wondered, as my feet stood firm. For years, there had been no meaning. For years, I had lost whatever shred of empathy I had, much like what we were fighting. Cold, bottomless rage replaced by sterile emptiness. It was almost comforting, to know there was nothing more to lose than I had already lost.

And yet, I wanted something. It was preventing me from jumping off and ending it all. But what was it?

He looked around the ruined skyscrapers and the city skylines. It was all destroyed. He never knew what it was like to live in peace, like the dead. But he knew that once there was life. Living, breathing people - they knew peace. Even in a tumultuous world.

It was never as bad as this.

He tried to jump, and yet something told him he couldn't. Not yet. You have something.

What is it?

He turned around and leaped onto the floor. Not this time, he said to himself.

Not this time.

Not yet.

---

"Sergeant Banks reporting for duty, sir." The man said with a salute towards an older gentleman in grey fatigues. He wore a worn military cap and held insignias of a superior officer. A captain by it's appearance.

"At ease, Banks. I was curious where you were. High Command has issued us a directive and I intend on seeing it through." The man said. To note, he had a mottled grey beard etched in remnants of light brown. To some he looked elderly, but to others he was simply a grizzly bear. Ready for a tousle. Always.

Captain Barnes was one tough son-of-a-bitch, Richard had figured out since the very beginning. He was a leader through and through, but a very stringent one. One that commanded authority above all else.

"I'm sorry, I was...doing something. Reminiscing." He said, though he hid his true emotion. After all, he was nearly a dead man. He felt like he was a walking one, anyways.

"Right. As I was saying, we have a task at hand. I will meet you in briefing. Don't miss it."

"Yes sir."

---

"As you can see gentlemen, our lines have shifted to the far north of Sacramento towards Dunnigan. At this rate, Skynet will push us as far as Oregon. If they decide to. And that's where we will prove them wrong." He said, pointing towards the apex of the room. There was an almost impossibly large map held by staples upon what almost seemed like a painting stand, though what it depicted was a grim map. There was a horizontal line driven towards the center, with roadways highlighted in orange marker. However, there were also red circles in various areas in the southernmost corners of the map, with bold writing accounting them as 'Skynet Forward-Operating Bases.'

"The enemy has set up and established headquarters and facilities across the edge of our perimeter. With every attack, they build more - and they grow closer. They conserve their strength where needed and push the advantage when it becomes obvious. Our task is simple on paper: Eliminate these bases at our disgression. Skynet thinks we are on the defense, so we will push towards the attack. Three thousand men and a quarter as many vehicles will attack these bases in a three-prong assault. However, I will be leading you towards what some are calling "The Big One". Simply named, it's a veritable fortress. Our two tasks are elimination and data extraction."

He would take a breath, as the Tech-Com soldiers watched in interest. Then he began to speak again:

"We will be gathering information on Skynets whereabouts and key locations across California - their weaknesses and troop strengths, and relaying that information to High Command and subsequently to John Connor himself. With that said, the attack begins in twenty-four hours, so get as much rest as you can. This won't be over quickly. You're all dismissed."

---

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Twenty-three hours later.
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"Up yet?" Someone said.

Richard stirred to his feet, curious and intent on saluting an officer, only to find it was a friend. Solomon. A private of Tech-Com. A close friend. They had served together in numerous campaigns, and they had never leaved one anothers side.

"Got as much sleep as I could, which isn't saying much. One hour until the assault, right?" He said. In truth, he didn't want to know. If the battle was another month away, he would've loved the respite. And yet...it was so close. It felt grim knowing that it might've been his last day on Earth.

"Right on. I wish it was sooner. I'm itching for a fight. Teach those tin skeletons a nice lesson in respect." He said, bawling his fists in instinct. They had all lost so much.

All around them, they could hear soldiers barking orders to one another and the distant whine of engines. As time grew on, the Resistance was preparing for it's strike. Three thousand men, tanks and armored personnel carriers against whatever Skynet had to match them. He hoped they caught them by surprise. Decimated them. The thought made his pulse quicken.

He'd lift his V25B plasma rifle up, making sure it was ready for the coming battle. He loaded a fresh magazine into it and made sure to polish it. Not that it mattered much, it was going to grow grime and dirt in a few hours.

"Right. Save that for the field, private." He said with a sly grin. The sound of artillery began to echo throughout the building. They were lucky to be below the common grounds of the apartment - tucked neatly in a excavated bunker that connected with other skyscrapers and smaller office buildings in a series of confusing tunnels that twisted and turned endlessly. It protected them from the outside world, and the endless waves of hunter-killers and terminators that prowled above.

"Yes sir." Solomon responded, though it was more of a tease.

"Soon this war will be over. And whatever is left, I don't care much, if and when we succeed. Just that me and you get a nice beer and retire." Richard said, though he sighed.

"We will win. I promise you that."