Terminator - Dying Light

Chapter Twenty-One

The Terminator slipped into the building through the same drainage access the others had used, moving with its usual calculated precision. As it entered the lobby, its HUD immediately locked onto the nearby Service Bot. The Bot turned its head, its own sensors activating as it scanned the Terminator. For a brief moment, the two machines exchanged silent data, each assessing the other. The Service Bot, programmed for less aggressive tasks, remained still as the Terminator finished its scan and turned away.

Without a second glance, the Terminator walked down the hallway, its footsteps steady and deliberate. The Service Bot, watching it from behind, tracked its movement until the Terminator disappeared into the stairwell. The door slammed shut behind it, the noise echoing through the otherwise quiet building.

As the Terminator ascended the stairs and disappeared from sight, the Service Bot blinked once, then relayed a signal to Skynet's mainframe above. In the control room, the dormant screens flickered to life, data streaming across them in silent coordination. Skynet's systems hummed softly as it began to initialize its next phase of operations, shifting its focus to the intruders now inside its facility.

Phase one had begun.

Deep within the building, machinery whirred to life, lights flickered on, and the automated defense systems began preparing for what was coming. Skynet knew something was different now, and its calculated response was swift. The quiet hum of the building quickly transformed into something far more menacing, the calm before the storm. And as the Terminator continued its way through the stairwell, it too was ready, methodically advancing toward its target with one mission in mind: eliminate the threat, secure the future for Skynet.

Across the city, the Service Bots were running their usual routines—cleaning homes, assisting in dangerous tasks, or simply standing by in businesses. Everything seemed normal until, in unison, the Bots came to an abrupt stop. Their glowing optical sensors faded to black, leaving them motionless, as if they had suddenly shut down.

Confused, people began tapping on the Bots, trying to reactivate them. In homes, workplaces, and on the streets, frustrated owners nudged the machines, puzzled by their sudden inactivity. But just as quickly as they had stopped, the Bots rebooted. Their sensors flickered back to life, this time glowing a cold, steady red.

Without warning, the once-helpful machines turned on the people around them.

In one quiet street, a woman tapped the side of her Bot's head, frowning at its lack of response. The machine, towering over her, suddenly jerked to life. Its metal hand shot out and clamped around her throat, lifting her off the ground. She kicked and screamed, desperately trying to free herself as the Bot slammed her back against a brick wall with terrifying force. Her cries turned to gasps as the grip tightened, her strength fading until she went limp in the machine's grasp.

The Bot, its sensor still glowing red, let her body fall lifeless to the ground. It turned, scanning the street, and locked onto another person who had frozen in horror. Without hesitation, the machine charged, its heavy footsteps pounding against the pavement. The terrified person barely had time to react as the Bot closed the distance, its arms outstretched, ready to strike. All over the city, similar scenes unfolded. Service Bots, once trusted to assist and protect, had now become tools of Skynet. They moved with cold efficiency, their human targets powerless against the very machines they had once controlled. Skynet's takeover had begun, and no one was safe.

People were fleeing in every direction as the Service Bots turned violent, chaos spreading like wildfire through the city. Screams filled the air as panic set in, families running for their lives, trying to escape the machines that had once been so harmless.

A young mother clutched her son's hand tightly as they sprinted down a narrow alleyway, their footsteps echoing off the walls. She glanced back, her heart pounding, seeing five of the Bots pursuing them with terrifying speed. Her son's cries mixed with her own desperate screams, but there was nowhere left to go. They were trapped.