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Terminator 4: Bleak Future --Part6--
By Carnotaur3
The voices begin to fade as we
FADE TO:
DARKNESS.
JOHN CONNOR starts to speak, his voice sounds more mature to us than last time.
CONNOR (V.O.)
When looking back on all that I’ve done over the years, it feels exhausting. After the beginning battle, which we called ‘The First Stand’, I never questioned my fate again. I was moving forward, not asking anything; just fulfilling what was needed.
CUT TO:
EXT. SAN BERNADINO – NIGHT
Blasting plasma rays scorch upon the defenseless soldiers. They fall to the cold surface of a rocky terrain. H-Ks fly dangerously close to the survivors, but in seconds had them dead with a blast of a rocket.
CONNOR (V.O.)
I was got a rude awakening on the San Bernadino Battle in the summer of 2023. I couldn’t tell you truthfully it was a battle. I can tell you one thing: It was a massacre.
A soldier crawls on the ground with no leg and reaches for a bomb. He detonates it quickly, pieces of his body flying through the air.
CONNOR (V.O.)
To this day we still don’t know how Skynet managed to disrupt our communications. They had no access to the satellite. The codes had been kept safe. But I regret giving the order for my men to fight it without communication. I swore after San Bernadino that I would not let my Resistance to walk into another death trap again.
Screaming voices of terror fade from out ears.
CUT TO:
DARKNESS.
CONNOR (V.O.)
In late 2026, I found my father.
CUT TO:
INT. CRYSTAL PEAK – RESISTANCE MEETING ROOM – DIM
Forty-ish JOHN CONNOR stands, congratulating his soldiers. Everyone’s talking among themselves.
CONNOR (V.O.)
It was just days after our troops had come back from an intense battle in the Rockies. The second batch of soldiers under Lieutenant Joel Perry had just breezed through the door.
JOEL PERRY swings open the entrance doors to the meeting room with a smile on his face. He looks animated and enthusiastic in every way.
JOHN and PERRY embrace each other like old friends.
PERRY
Haha, Connor, you didn’t think we’d make it back?
CONNOR
Never.
PERRY chuckles under his breath.
PERRY
You cocky bastard. Come here, I want you to meet a few of my saviors.
PERRY guides him through the orgy of military and to two men, who have just now turned around to greet their team leader.
PERRY (cont’d)
General Connor, this is Sgt. Jeff Parsons. He’s the man that literally saved us all from the near team extinction. He gained some tactical information on the ground units.
JOHN puts out his hand. PARSONS shakes it.
CONNOR
Nice to meet you, Sgt. Sounds like you are doing your job in the Resistance.
PARSONS
I try, General. It’s a pleasure to meet the legendary John Connor.
PERRY moves to the second person.
PERRY
And this is one of our bravest soldiers, Kyle Reese. He’s saved many of our men’s lives, including my own. He deserves our greatest gratitude.
JOHN’S eyes did not move from KYLE REESE. He was at a stand still. REESE’S serious expression did not change even with the odd reaction JOHN had given him after his name was revealed.
CONNOR
You save lives for a living, Kyle?
REESE
I do what I can, sir.
CONNOR
Could you do something for me?
REESE
I would die for you, sir, if that means anything.
CONNOR
Mr. Reese, you being what you are, I’d die for you.
REESE smirks.
CONNOR (cont’d)
How would you like working under me as Recon/Security?
REESE
It would make my life seem more meaningful, sir.
CONNOR
Good.
JOHN begins to turn around, but stops himself.
CONNOR (cont’d)
Oh, and Kyle.
REESE looks up, surprised he’s even talking to him again.
CONNOR (cont’d)
Stop calling me sir, and call me John.
JOHN leaves his presence with a smile.
CONNOR (V.O.)
Anybody in my shoes would have thought it weird to meet their dad the way I had. Growing up, I never had him. And now that I did, I felt comforted about the meaning of my life.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROCKY MOUNTAINS – SNOWING
Groups of Resistance soldiers sneak around rocks and jagged terrain to hide fro distant TANK H-K units. The troops’ feet were crunching underneath the white, fluffy crystals.
SOLDIER #1
(Whispering to Soldier #2)
Get Connor on the CB.
SOLDIER #2 stared at the Endoskeletons down into the valley, which were dragging older, useless models to the machine dump.
SOLDIER #1
(Whispering)
Hey!
He throws a small snowball at SOLDIER #2. #2 turns around quickly.
SOLDIER #1
Talk to Connor. Tell him they don’t have much time.
SOLDIER #2 pushes down the talk piece to his mouth from the top of his helmet and switches the channel on.
SOLDIER #2
General Connor, do you read, over.
Static sizzles in the background.
SOLDIER #2 (cont’d)
I repeat. General Connor, do you receive transmission?
CUT TO:
INT. SKYNET BASE 1 – DARK
It’s a dark place with thick metal surrounding the rooms. Strange piping and weaponry hang all around. Supercomputers are unrecognizable.
JOHN stands awed and his helmet drops to the ground as he sees THE TERMINATOR step right into the TIME DISPLACEMENT SYSTEM.
As the bubble forms around the muscular figure, an explosion forms behind JOHN, sending him skidding across the metal floor.
He hears his soldiers back there. They are holding the machines back, but for how long?
His special recon team is in the room with him. One team member picks him up from the floor.
CONNOR (V.O.)
2029 we discovered a facility for Skynet. We had gathered information from the satellite and determined the location of the base. We had failed though. Skynet had done dozens of false bases to deceive us. And it was too late for us when we found out.
JOHN looks at his men, studying them.
CONNOR
We need to intercept him. Do I have any volunteers?
Few of the Soldiers thought over it.
CONNOR (V.O.)
It was only fate that I was put there at that moment. The Terminator being sent back was the first…
KYLE REESE steps forward with one step of his foot.
CONNOR (V.O.)
…And my father was the second.
SLASH TO:
REESE slowly steps into the field, which is surrounded by a globular metal surface.
CONNOR (V.O.)
I had told him to tell her exactly what my mother told me he said in the past. This was in fear of my timeline changing.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROCKY MOUNTAINS – SNOWING
SKYNET’S FALSE BASE explodes to pieces. The debris from the blast come down on the SOLDIERS outside. They don’t seem to care, they cheer on.
FADE TO:
INT. SEWER – DARK
A wrinkled eye from JOHN CONNOR stares at us. It’s telling us his warn out life, his war-driven heart, and obviously his age.
CONNOR
Of course, before 2029 was over, our team had recovered a T-800 CRS 101. We reprogrammed it, and found another false Skynet base.
Camera pans back revealing his face.
CONNOR (cont’d)
Except this time, we weren’t there to blow it up, but to send him back in time to protect me in 1995. Again, I gave him the false information about 1997 being the year of Judgment Day.
Camera finally comes to a stop at his head and chest being revealed. He’s clenching a tape recorder in his hand.
CONNOR (cont’d)
Now we come here. 2032. And every day that goes by, I am getting closer to finishing this war. I can feel it.
CUT TO:
WIDE SHOT of JOHN with a young soldier turning over from his sleeping spot and facing JOHN.
YOUNG SOLDIER
Fate sounds really complicated.
CONNOR
It is if you let it be. What are you doing up?
YOUNG SOLDIER
Couldn’t sleep. I found your story quite interesting. Did you say that the closest thing to your father was a Terminator? Don’t you think that’s pretty ironic?
CONNOR
These days it is.
(He gets up off the ground)
Save your strength for nightfall. There’s lots of training ahead.
Suddenly, JOHN steps back to add…
CONNOR (cont’d)
Keep your eyes open these next days. The most interesting things are coming your way.
JOHN exits to the next tunnel, leaving behind the YOUNG SOLDIER. Now we get a very wide view of the sewer. Around the YOUNG SOLDIER are others, sleeping on the filthy hard surface. RATS scurry around the men.
CUT TO:
INT. SEWER – DARK
JOHN walks straight forward reaching two men, LIEUTENANT JAMESON to his right and LIEUTENANT ENRIQUE SALCEDA to his left.
They walk towards a rough looking mechanical door at the end of the tunnel.
SUBTITLE
JULY 1, 2032 – SEWER HIDEOUT – SECTOR 501
COLORADO SPRINGS
JAMESON turns to him.
JAMESON
Weather tomorrow is another blizzard, go figure.
CONNOR
How about the Freedom Fighters, gotten any contact with them?
JAMESON
No, lost it 35 hours ago. We think they’ve been terminated.
ENRIQUE presses a button on the mechanical door and immediately a LCD type screen pops out from the wall. All three men press their thumbs onto the screen, leaving a thumb print.
A beep sounds and a click turns the handle of the door. It swings open.
The men head on in.
CUT TO:
INT. SATELLITE INFORMATION ROOM – DIM
As JOHN, ENRIQUE, and JAMESON walk into the room, we pan around to see about ten men looking at SONAR SCREENS.
JAMESON pulls out a map on the table.
SALCEDA
They’ve gone loco – around here.
ENRIQUE points to a location on the map.
SALCEDA (cont’d)
About 20 miles north from our current location.
JAMESON
I’m telling you, John, it’s useless. The Freedom Fighters are a different faction. Different group. Why are we so suddenly interested with them?
CONNOR
Because if we need alliances, they are the place to turn. All the other groups are against me.
SALCEDA
I’m not asking for a rescue operation. They can handle themselves.
CONNOR
We can’t handle ourselves that much in fifteen below weather either.
JOHN gives a long sigh.
CONNOR (cont’d)
What about my wife, you contacted her lately?
JAMESON
She’s fine. She’s checking out sector 543.
CONNOR
The machine dump?
JAMESON
Yes, sir.
CONNOR
Why is she doing that?
JAMESON
Seems something strange is going on over there. I’ve yet to hear anything else on the subject.
SALCEDA
Oh, Big John, they’ve got a new model out.
ENRIQUE pulls out a file of pictures and throws it on top of the map.
SALCEDA (cont’d)
Earlier this morning we got a transmission back from Crystal Peak. A sort of Infiltration-like crafts were sneaking into the base. Killed about 20 people.
JAMESON
Those pictures were taken by the reconnaissance team after the machines were destroyed.
JOHN pulls out a picture. What he saw was a domed craft with a skinny body which ended at an upward whale tail type of fins. Two similar turbines were attached to long arms that were connected to each side of the body. But we’re putting together the pieces to imagine this machine.
CONNOR
What the hell is the difference?
JAMESON
They’re faster, sleeker, lighter, and quieter. They’ve got onboard weapons such as two small plasma cannons on both sides and a rocket launcher in the middle. They’re also the size of a basketball. That’s a rough estimate though. The soldiers are calling them Hunter-Seekers.
CONNOR
New quiet turbines. Seekers.
JAMESON
Yes, sir.
JOHN flips through the pictures.
CONNOR
You don’t think these will replace the infiltrators, do you?
JAMESON
Hard to say.
SALCEDA
I would think this would be a way el Skynet could implement and deceive us. Bring in those Seekers and distract us. Let’s not go out on a limb, big John, and think of them as being replacements.
JOHN nods in agreement.
JAMESON (V.O.)
You want me to be honest with you…
CUT TO:
INT. CONNOR’S QUARTERS – DIM
A small light from a table is being cast upon JAMESON and JOHN. JOHN is now behind his desk.
JAMESON (cont’d)
… I think were underestimating how close to the end we are.
CONNOR
I’m well aware of the situation at hand, Lieutenant.
JAMESON
Ok, then, what are the updates on the area Satellite coordinates?
CONNOR
We’re still looking for the facility.
JAMESON
You need to send more people out there. It would cover twice or thrice as much ground as it is now.
CONNOR
I don’t want to discuss the coordinates right now.
JAMESON
We have too, Connor. What is this about? Is it about your kids?
JOHN’S anger is building up.
CONNOR
Not now!
JAMESON
Connor, that was three years ago.
CONNOR
My kids died for those coordinates, show a little respect.
JAMESON shakes his head.
JAMESON
Do you not remember what you said at the first battle we did?
JOHN throws a blank as he walks from behind his desk.
JAMESON (cont’d)
You said that the men that died would be remembered every time we fight. It’s time to move forward.
Throwing his hand up to the door, JOHN opens it with his other hand.
CONNOR
Just pardon me, for a sec. Will you?
JAMESON does as he wishes and the door is shut immediately. JOHN slowly looks to a SAFE near his desk.
Seconds later, he’s fully opened it, pulling out two picture of his kids, both with a plasma pistol in their hands. They were smiling, and looked like very energetic kids. The first kid is SAMUEL CONNOR, a fourteen-year-old, and his other LESLIE CONNOR, a thirteen-year-old. Their appearances were different from other kids back before the war.
A tear drop falls from JOHN’S face. He wipes it away quickly and, then, puts the pictures back. As he’s doing so, he notices a leather jacket and pants in the back of the safe. He pauses for a minute, then, places the picture on the leather, and closes the safe drawer.
CUT TO:
EXT. MACHINE DUMP – SECTOR 543 – NIGHT
The night is clear as COMMANDER JOICE, a gritty male soldier, looks through his binoculars.
COMMANDER P.O.V through the binoculars:
Two TANK H-K units are pushing broken machines parts towards a huge CARRIER AERIAL H-K.
CUT BACK TO:
JOICE slowly pulls the device down.
KATE (O.S.)
What are they doing now?
He turns around seeing KATE CONNOR.
JOICE
Same damn thing they’ve been doing since we got here.
KATE
It’s odd though, what are they going to do with those parts? They always dump the old models here.
JOICE
Your husband thinks an end to the war is coming. Skynet probably thinks that too.
KATE nods.
KATE
They’re trying to make more machines with extra parts. It’s a defensive mechanism. They’ll use every resource available.
JOICE hands her the HEADSET CB.
JOICE
You might want to contact your husband.
CUT TO:
EXT. FIELD – SNOWING - NIGHT
A large field of snowy banks and ridges extends as far as the eye can see. But in this field are small bunkers, designed to fit a normal sized man. A head peaks up out of it.
MAN #1
Pst.
He takes some snow and throws it into the other bunker beside him. A beat later, a voice comes.
MAN #2
What?
MAN #1 and #2 are ROCON/SECURITY; #1 being TED KENNEDY and #2 being ODY JOHNSON.
KENNEDY
How long do you suppose, Connor wants us here for?
ODY
How ever long it takes.
KENNEDY
I’ve been hear all night, freezing my ass off. It might get a little warm if only there was some action going on around here.
ODY tosses and turns in his bunker.
ODY
If you hear anything don’t forget to yell up.
KENNEDY
Yeah, whatever.
In his bunker, KENNEDY looks up towards the sky, watching the snow flakes touch his nose. He smiles.
KENNEDY (cont’d)
(To Himself)
I sign up for this job, and I already feel freedom close by.
Suddenly, an electrical sound is heard. He sees the reflections of the electric lightning bouncing off everything. KENNEDY is struck with fear and cannot move. Finally, the sound and light ceases, and he slowly raises his head up like a frightened prairie dog.
He sees a crater about the size of a normal bedroom embedded into the ground, around it melted snow. Inside the crater, kneeled down on one knee was THE TERMINTOR, CRS MODEL 101, T-850.
KENNEDY kept opening up his mouth, trying to blurt out anything, but nothing could come. Finally, he made one more try and out came:
KENNEDY
ODY!
ODY jumps straight up from his bunker and momentarily gazes over at KENNEDY, then looks straight up at the sky.
ODY
Where is it?
KENNEDY
Not up there.
ODY looks at him, then KENNEDY points in front of himself. ODY slowly turns his body around, facing the naked body of the muscular cyborg, still knelt.
ODY
Shit.
KENNEDY
It hasn’t moved.
Grabbing the top of his bunker, ODY leans forward to get a better look.
KENNEDY (cont’d)
Should we… investigate?
ODY
Well, we are security.
CUT TO:
SECONDS LATER:
ODY and KENNEDY are now slowly approaching the T-850. They’re overly cautious, pointing their weapons to other directions incase it was a trap.
KENNEDY gets about three feet from it and leans forward a tad bit.
KENNEDY
He looks to be… damaged some how.
ODY shakes his head.
ODY
I don’t see any wounds.
KENNEDY
Well, he ain’t moving, damn it!
ODY goes up to the living robot and pokes his skin; that’s when he notices the square flesh cut flapping in the wind on its chest.
ODY
Something happened to its fuel cell. It was taken out.
KENNEDY
So who the fuck would send it here?
ODY
I don’t know.
CUT TO:
EXT. MACHINE DUMP – SECTOR 543 – NIGHT
KATE rests her back up against a rock. JOICE turns to her.
JOICE
I’m getting freaked, when are we going?
KATE
I’m waiting for the all clear sign.
JOICE sighs.
JOICE
That means we’re stuck here a while, eh?
KATE
Just until the H-K leaves.
Suddenly, a whoosh turbine sound enters their ears and they look up to see the huge HUNTER KILLER rise from the dump and over their heads.
KATE (cont’d)
Stay back!
He scoots as far away from open space as he can.
The sound of the H-K is deafening.
CUT TO:
INT. SATELLITE INFORMATION ROOM – DIM
A sounding alarm goes off as a small dot comes up onto a RADAR screen.
RADAR WATCHER
Carrier coming from the north; down south; towards base!
CONNOR runs from his room and grabs a guy.
CONNOR
Turn off the power, now!
The guy runs off from sight. CONNOR walks over to the radar screen.
CONNOR (cont’d)
How far?
RADAR WATCHER
Half a mile.
CUT TO:
INT. SEWERS – BRIGHT
The lights automatically shut down.
INT. SEWERS – DARK
Soldiers touch the walls, waiting for a sound.
CUT TO:
INT. ENRIQUE’S QUARTERS – DARK
ENRIQUE looks up towards the ceiling just as the rumbling begins.
SALCEDA
(Whispering)
El H-K.
CUT TO:
INT. SATELLITE INFORMATION ROOM – DARK
The only remaining light is the radar screen. CONNOR looks around the room, feeling the vibrations.
CUT TO:
EXT. OUTSIDE SEWER BASE – SNOWING – NIGHT
The H-K scans the snow, trying to find traces of human life. It flies on in a steady pace.
CUT TO:
INT. SEWERS – DARK
One soldier closes his eyes and moving his mouth. It seems he’s saying a silent prayer.
CUT TO:
INT. OUTSIDE ENRIQUE’S QUARTERS – DARK
The rumbling ceases as ENRIQUE charges out the door.
CUT TO:
INT. SATELLITE INFORMATION ROOM – DARK
CONNOR motions for men.
CONNOR
Someone, I don’t care who, switch on back on the power.
Immediately, the light comes back on.
RADAR WATCHER
I wonder where they were coming from.
CONNOR puts on his headset CB. He changes frequencies.
CONNOR
Kate, are you there, over?
The background noise crackles.
CONNOR (cont’d)
Kate, are you –
Suddenly, KATE’S voice jumps in.
KATE (V.O.)
John – here – need…
CONNOR
Kate, you are breaking up, change your frequency.
KATE (V.O.)
John, can you hear me?
CONNOR
Loud and clear.
KATE
John, the dump site is being cleared. The machines are getting back bits and pieces of their old models they had discarded in the past and...
CONNOR
Kate, get your self back to base, now.
CUT TO:
EXT. FIELD – SNOWING – NIGHT
A powered crane lifts up THE TERMINATOR from its crater in the snow. It hasn’t changed its famous position one bit.
KERRY STEELER, the man in charge of loading and unloading weapons, stands by his vehicle, gazing at THE TERMINATOR.
STEELER
Pay day, folks.
ODY
All I ask is don’t go to Connor with a disturbed look on your face. We don’t need panic.
STEELER
Panic from Connor?
STEELER laughs out loud.
STEELER (cont’d)
He doesn’t do much of that anymore. But you haven’t seen him panic.
KENNEDY comes into view.
KENNEDY
What do you mean?
STEELER
I guess he’s never told you, huh?
BOTH of them shake their heads.
STEELER (cont’d)
As you might have known, John and Kate had two children, a boy and a girl. Strong fighters; even for teenagers.
Well, a couple of years back, John gets a stress call from the elite team, saying their trapped down at the rocks. H-Ks swarming all over the place. The elite team was sent to gather the coordinates of the true Skynet building. Now, they weren’t exact location points, more like area points. Long areas. This was back when we were based in sector 124. You know about that.
KENNEDY nods.
STEELER (cont’d)
Well, his kids got wind of the news. Turns out where the team was trapped was the same region that the kids knew about. Used to train there, only ones that knew the place. They took it upon themselves went out and recovered the coordinates for John. His younger daughter was the only survivor of that disaster, but she was died two days later under medical care.
ODY
That’s a fucking shame. No wonder Connor’s been so anxious around this year, he fucking believes the last battle is here.
STEELER
I’ll tell you one thing. You bring this guy into the lab and Connor sees it, it’s going to flood a lot of bad memories around.
The CRANE finally drops the fleshed CYBORG onto the back of the truck.
KENNEDY
We have to.
1/26/2004 1:23:15 AM
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