Terminator Salvation

Central. With a fence made out of deactivated T-1s. The timer is running.”

“Negative,” Connor told him tersely. “Nobody’s ready. We are not. You are not. We need to stop the attack. The game has changed. I repeat; changed.”

Despite the imperfect connection, the astonishment in the general’s voice came through loud and clear.

“What are you talking about? All our elements are past their release points and in assault positions. Do you have any idea what’s gone into coordinating this assault? Do you realize what it’s liable to cost us to stand down now that everything’s under way? I don’t mean in old-line expense—I’m talking about wasted resources, lowered morale, sacrificed surprise. What possible reason could there be for calling off the attack now?”

Connor swallowed once before responding. He knew how difficult it was going to be to convince Ashdown, but knowing what he knew now there was nothing for it but to try.

“The strategic components of the conflict have been altered. Or to put it another way, something new has been added. Something no one could have predicted and that we can’t account for. Being unable to account for something means it needs to be studied carefully before any large-scale undertakings that involve it are initiated.”

Ashdown’s impatience filtered through the transmission.

“Connor—what the hell are you talking about?”

He tried another tack.

“Delay the attack. I have a chance to infiltrate Skynet and rescue the prisoners. Give me that opportunity, General.”

“No. Absolutely not. This is not the time for a rescue mission, Connor. What you are asking would undermine the whole operation.”

“You’re not hearing me, sir. I support the attack. But not at this price. I will not kill our own people.”

“We’re not ‘killing our own people.’” Ashdown was losing patience. “It’s called collateral damage, Connor. I said that when the time came I’d do the right thing. And I’m doing it. This shutdown signal works. It’s our key to victory. We stay the course—and that’s an order, Connor!”

“I’m telling you, General. We stay the course and we are dead. We’re all dead. Who do you think you are— General Sherman? Tamerlane?”

“Personally, I think Sherman would have approved of what we’re doing today. I know who I am, Connor. Right now it’s who you are that’s troubling me.”

Connor looked over his shoulder. Behind and around him soldiers, pilots, mechanics, tech and support personnel were putting the last touches on the impending attack. The attack that somehow he had to stop. He returned his attention to the handset.

Ashdown wasn’t through.

“We’ve got victory in our grasp and at the last minute, the last second, you and you alone suddenly decide it’s out of reach. All your prattle is bullshit, Connor. This is no time for defeatism. We’re going to win, and I’m not going to let you do anything to put a crimp in what will be the greatest military victory in the history of mankind.”

It was all so familiar, Connor thought wearily. How many times in his remarkable, anguished, astonishing, grief-ridden life had he been forced to suffer through this sort of uncomprehending obstinacy on the part of others? Why, when events came to a head, when critical moments in the confused litany of the future and past materialized, wouldn’t they listen to him? One thing was certain—Ashdown was beyond listening to him, or to anyone else. He tried yet another tack.

“Skynet has Kyle Reese. He was number one on their kill list.”

Ashdown’s reply was as cold as the waters through which Command’s sub was cruising.

“Then that’s his fate, Connor.”

“No! I have to save him. He is the key. The key to the future. The key to the past. Without him we lose everything.”

Ashdown was not listening. Or not hearing. Or both.

“We stay the course.”

“We stay the course and we are all dead.” Connor struggled to control his emotions. “We are all dead. I’m asking you one more time, General. Delay it. A few hours. Enough time for our tech people to finish some simulations I’ve got them working on, and for me to make an attempt to try and rescue Kyle Reese and the other prisoners being held in Skynet Central.”

Ashdown turned deadly calm.

“You get in the way of this assault and I’ll kill you myself. You do any thing to jeopardize the plan, I’ll wipe out your entire base. Too much has gone into this, Connor. We can’t take any chances with this attack.”

“That’s just what I’m asking you to do, General. Not take chances.”

“Negative again, Connor. We strike now.”

The communications officer looked up at his leader. So did Barnes, who had stopped by to listen.

They were running out of time.

Always running out of time, Connor thought resignedly. Only this time around, it might be for real. It might really be the last time, in every sense of the term.

“I’m going to Skynet,” he said flatly into the pickup. “With your permission or without it—sir. Those people being held prisoner deserve at least that much. Maybe they don’t want to be remembered as heroes. Maybe they’d rather be remembered as survivors.”