Terminator - Dying Light

Chapter Twenty

Cyberdyne Systems was eerily quiet when they pulled into the parking lot. The group climbed out of the truck, scanning the building from a distance. Sarah squinted at it, then turned to Darcy with a determined look.

"We're not going through the front door," she said firmly. "We'll sneak in underneath the structure. That way, we can hit whatever core they've got in there and take it out."

Darcy nodded in agreement, then glanced at Fiona and Tommy. "You two going to be okay in there?"

Tommy was quick to nod, trying to look confident. "We'll be fine," he said.

With that, he followed Sarah and John across the empty lot, the large duffle bag of weapons swinging at John's side. The air was tense, the silence around them making every step feel heavier. They knew this wouldn't be easy, but they had no other choice. It was time to end it.

The Cyberdyne Systems building loomed in the distance, a sleek, modern structure with a cold, industrial feel. The large glass windows reflected the dim light of the streetlamps, giving the building an almost lifeless look. Its exterior was made up of sharp, clean lines, and steel panels that seemed to absorb the darkness around them. The entire place looked sterile and uninviting, like it was built for efficiency over comfort. Tall security fences surrounded the perimeter, though there were no guards in sight at the moment. Cameras perched on the corners of the building, their red lights blinking rhythmically as they swept across the empty parking lot. The main entrance was a set of large glass doors, locked tight and imposing, while the sides of the building showed no obvious way in. Above the entrance, the large metallic logo of Cyberdyne Systems was illuminated, a constant reminder of the company's presence. The whole place felt unsettlingly quiet, too still for such a massive operation, as if it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. It was clear that whatever was inside wasn't meant to be disturbed easily, but the silence outside only added to the tension in the air.

"There's a drainage access around the back of the building," Darcy pointed out, his voice low as they crept along the edge of the parking lot.

"How do you know that?" Fiona asked, her brow furrowed with suspicion.

Darcy gave a small smile. "In the future, Skynet rebuilds Cyberdyne Systems and turns it into a weapons testing facility. John and I used this same access to get in when we needed to take it down."

Fiona nodded, absorbing the information as they continued to move silently. They hugged the side of the building, staying out of sight from the security cameras perched above. Each of them was careful with their steps, mindful not to trigger any alarms. The cameras swung back and forth, scanning the area, but Darcy had mapped the timing perfectly in his head.

Tommy stuck close to John, his heart pounding in his chest. John moved like he'd done this a hundred times before, keeping low behind parked cars and slipping through the shadows without a sound. Tommy mimicked him as best he could, but the tension in the air made his nerves spike. Every camera light or distant noise seemed amplified, making the task feel even more dangerous.

As they rounded the corner of the building, the bright lights of the front parking lot faded, leaving them in near darkness. Darcy motioned for them to stop, pointing ahead to a grated drainage access tucked against the side of the building, barely noticeable from a distance.

"There," he whispered. "We're going in through that."

Fiona glanced at the access, then back at Darcy. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

Darcy crouched down beside the grate, carefully lifting it open. "It worked before," he said, lowering his voice even further. "Let's hope we can say the same this time."