Third Chance.

A Terminator: Salvation fan fiction by xahra99

Chapter Four:

In which Marcus tries to save both his mission and the civilians, and everything goes to hell...

Marcus woke to find Naomi dangling a spider over his open mouth. "You were asleep," she said as soon as he opened his eyes. He couldn't tell if it was an excuse or an apology, but she sounded disappointed.

"Don't you get cold at all?"

"Nope."

Naomi hugged her knees. "That must be great."

"Breakfast," William shouted from inside.

Marcus skipped breakfast while he plotted out the route to the nearest of the drop zones. It wasn't far, but he doubted it would be easy. He told Leah and William, and they both nodded.

Naomi seemed to have exorcised her shyness. "Why didn't they drop you closer?"

Marcus shrugged. "There's more Skynet activity. Too dangerous."

"But they'll come to pick us up?" Leah asked.

"They'll just have to manage," Marcus said briefly. He looked at the bags and boxes of food piled neatly on the floor. "Leave all this stuff. It'll just slow you down."

"But-"

"If we're not at the 'copter in a few hours, then it won't help you. I'll go call them now."

"Where're you off to?" Naomi called as he left.

Marcus forced a smile. "I'm going to radio your flight."

"I'll come with you." Naomi said instantly. Marcus shook his head. "You've got to stay," he told her. "Help your mom pack."

"But you just said that we didn't need to..."

Leah interrupted. "Naomi, I need you here."

"But-"

"No buts. Help me, please. We've got one hour before we leave." Leah told her daughter. She nodded at Marcus. "Go call your ship."

Marcus nodded in return. Thankful for the interruption, he left the cabin and walked down the hill into the abandoned cabins. When he was satisfied that he was out of sight, he sat down on a treestump and touched the tiny button buried in the mastoid process behind his right ear.

"New York, this is Wright. Do you copy?"

He heard white noise for a few minutes, then "Copy."

"I need a pickup." Marcus said into thin air.

"Affirmative," the voice in his head said, "Site?"

"Site C."

"I hear site C. Confirm?"

"Confirm." Marcus told it. "I have the package. I have five civilians. They're going to need a ride. Probable ETA is three hours. Do you copy?"

There was a long silence; which left Marcus plenty of time to wonder just how badly the New York Resistance wanted the program. Then he heard a hiss of static followed by "Roger. New York out," and then the voice disappeared.

Marcus trudged back up the hill. To his surprise, the programmers were nearly ready. Ada sat on a black backpack outside Leah and William's cabin, watching as Leah and Naomi removed the collar from the goat. It gazed at them with a confused expression and wandered hopefully over to Ada, who scratched it between its horns.

"Why doesn't she run away?" asked Naomi.

Leah pushed back her hair. "She doesn't want to. Hasn't known anything else, I guess. She'll wander off eventually. Skynet doesn't care about animals. Just us."

Naomi glanced warily into the trees. Her lips compressed into a thin line.

At ten o'clock precisely Gabe and William walked up the path from the computer cabin and joined the party. They each carried a small pack. "Let's go," William said.

"You got the program?"

William and Gabe exchanged glances. William delved into one pocket and held up a data stick which looked like it had seen better days. "This is it."

"Right." Marcus said. He held out his palm. "Hand it over."

Nobody moved.

Marcus sighed. "Look," he said. "Just give it me. We don't have much time. We need to leave. We need to leave now."

He glanced from face to stony face.

"They think you'll take it and leave us," Ada said from behind the men, as dispassionately as if she had absolutely no stake in the matter.

"I promise I won't." Marcus said. "Look. You've listened to the broadcasts. You know I work for Connor. Do you really think a man like that would leave even one person to die if he could save them?"

It was a good argument, but Marcus didn't expect it to work. He was pleasantly surprised when William took a deep breath and handed him the stick. Marcus slipped it into his jacket and zipped up the pocket. "Right," he said. "We move out."

Everybody gathered up their kit.

"You just say you work for Connor," Ada said under her breath as she brushed past Marcus. Her voice was low enough that nobody else heard her vote of no confidence. Marcus ignored her. He led the small party up the hill. William shook his head when Marcus directed them down into the forest on the other side. "Pits that way," he said laconically. "We'll loop around."

Marcus handed William the map. He fell back slightly as William led them into the woods to the east.

"Do you have any more weapons?" Gabe asked him quietly as they ducked under low-hanging tree branches.

Marcus drew back the lapel of his coat to reveal his gun. "This. And a knife."

"Right." Gabe said. He pulled a grenade from his jacket. "Then you probably have should have this."

The grenade looked like an ancient, rusted potato. Marcus took it gingerly from Gabe. "Thanks."

"It should work," Gabe said eagerly."We found a batch in my great-uncle's cabin. Used them to take out a T-600. Most of them did fine. I mean, I hope you don't need it, but...well."

Marcus wedged the grenade in his trouser pocket. Gabe fell back to walk with Ada. Marcus was unsure whether he'd dropped back out of companionship or unwillingness to be in close proximity to unexploded munitions.

He walked on alone. The grenade thudded against his thigh. When the trail widened he mentally checked their direction (correct) and went up ahead to speak to William. There was a small river not far away, and Marcus wanted them all together when they reached the banks.

"You okay?"' he asked as he approached William.

Williams smiled wanly. "Not even close." He glanced around. Marcus pointed to the north to indicate their direction and William set off again with more confidence. "You probably do this all the time."

"Not exactly."

"It'll be worth it, to meet Connor." William said. "Even if some of us don't make it."

"Are you crazy?"

"He gave us hope." William said simply. "I'd die for him."

"Hope's not worth that much."

"You would, too. I can see it in your eyes."

Don't look too deep, Marcus thought, you might find something you wouldn't like. He grunted noncommittally in reply.

William shrugged. Neither man said anything more. Marcus scanned the path ahead, checking for movement, but the woods stayed quiet. He heard the sound of running water long before they reached the stream.

The river was narrow compared to the one Marcus had crossed earlier. There was even a fallen tree that formed a natural bridge over most of its width. The tree's bare branches petered out a metre from the bank.

Marcus gathered the programmers on the riverbank. "There's Hydrobots in the rivers," he told them. "Be careful. Cross fast."

The group nodded with varying degrees of confidence. Marcus looked at each of them, wondering who to send first. William volunteered, "I'll go."

He walked to the edge of the river and jumped onto the tree. The slim trunk bowed beneath his weight, but it held. Everybody held their breath as he walked across and jumped down into reeds that fringed the opposite shore. He shouted. "All clear! I think it's safe!"

Leah pushed Naomi forwards. She stretched out her arm and pointed at William across the water. "Go get him."

Naomi ran across the tree without a thought. A shower of dead pine needles rained down into the water beneath her agile feet. William caught her as she jumped into the reeds and kissed her on the head.

Marcus gestured at Leah. "You go next."

Leah checked the straps of her rucksack and stepped onto the log. She started out slowly but gained confidence with each step. When she reached the centre of the tree she paused and looked down into the murky water.

Marcus noticed her hesitation. "Keep going!"

Leah took a step forwards. The sleek metal body of a Hydrobot arched from the water behind her and slammed into the tree. Leah toppled into the river. The Hydrobot looped under in a graceful movement. She did not surface. A cloud of dark blood drifted to the surface and floated off downstream.

Naomi screamed. She ran to the edge of the stream, but William grabbed her arm before she even set foot on the log.

"Don't go after her!" Marcus shouted automatically. William shouted "Leah!" Naomi screamed "Mommy!" from the opposite bank, and Ada took a step back into the forest. "I'm going back," she told Marcus

Marcus snapped "Stay here." He ran out on the log, drew his gun and stared down into the depths of the stream. He saw nothing except gouges in the wood where the Hydrobot had attacked the tree. The blood in the water had already been washed away.

"Let me cross!" William shouted.

Marcus looked across to William and Naomi on the right-hand bank. William was knee-deep in the water. He hugged Naomi to his chest. On the left bank, Gabe had hold of Ada's arm. She looked mutinous, but didn't struggle. "Stay where you are! All of you!"

"She's my wife!" William screamed.

"I know!" Marcus shouted back.

"Mommyyyy!" Naomi yelled.

"Keep her quiet! The 'bots'll hear her!" Marcus shouted desperately at William. As the programmer clapped a hand over his daughter's mouth Marcus spun around and glared at Ada and Gabe. "You two! Cross! Now!"

Ada shook her head stubbornly.

Marcus aimed the gun at her. "Cross, or I'll shoot you. If that's what it takes to save the three others, I'll do it."

Ada took one look at Marcus's expression and stepped onto the log. Gabe followed her. When they reached the centre, Marcus walked forwards and splashed down into knee-deep water as soon as they neared the bank. "Carry on," he told them, and turned around to search for Leah.

The attack came from behind. The Hydrobot hit Marcus in the small of his back. The force of the blow drove him forwards onto his hands and knees. If he had been a human, it would have killed him. Instead, as it hit he twisted and fired most of the clip into the Terminator's open mouth. A bullet smashed its optical sensors. The Hydrobot writhed in simulated agony. Disabled but not decommissioned, it snarled and thrashed, beating the shallow water into foam. Marcus backed onto the bank. He kept the gun trained onto the Terminator until he was out of the water, and motioned the others back into the forest. "Let's go!"

"Shouldn't we kill it?" Gabe asked uncertainly.

"With what? I'm nearly out of bullets!"

"Where's Mommy?" Naomi asked.

Marcus turned away. "She's dead."

"It could have just injured her or something-" William said.

"Terminators don't just injure people." Marcus interrupted. "They kill. We carry on."

"I could stay and search for her."

"Then you'd both die."

Naomi clutched at her father's hand. "Don't go!"

"I told you we should go back," Ada said grimly.

Marcus looked her in the eye. "You can't go back. You'll just get killed. And then Leah died for nothing. I told you it was dangerous!"

Ada protested. "I didn't think it'd-"

"Nobody ever thinks they can die." Marcus snapped. "You can and you will if we don't get moving." He glanced at his watch. "That 'copter's our last hope. If we miss the drop, that's it. We're screwed. Now go. "

They all stared at him.

Marcus picked up the map. He checked their position and pointed into the trees. "This way."

The programmers followed. They walked reluctantly, but they walked. They were nearly at the drop zone when Ada touched Marcus on the shoulder. "How long?" she asked matter-of-factly, as if she'd forgotten her earlier resolve to return to the camp.

"Nearly there." Marcus told her.

"Will we make it?"

"Honestly?" Marcus shook his head. "I don't know." Despite Leah's death, everything had gone far more smoothly than he had expected. Almost too smoothly, in fact. And if I was a Terminator, he thought, conscious of the irony, a Skynet Terminator, anyway, I wouldn't waste time chasing us through the woods. I'd wait for the clear ground, shoot down the helicopter. Something like that.

The thought had hardly left his mind when Naomi punched him in the arm. "One's there!" she hissed. "I saw one!"

"One what?"

"A Terminator!" Naomi hissed, breathless with sheer terror. "It's there!"

Marcus didn't question how she knew. "Get down!" he hissed, trying to keep his voice as quiet as possible as he dropped to his belly. The programmers mimicked him.

They were at the head of a large valley. A clearing in the forest was visible on the valley floor a few hudnred metres ahead. From the surrounding terrain, Marcus recognized it as the drop zone. There was no 'copter in sight, but Marcus's augmented vision noted a glint of metal among the bushes. He squinted and made out a pair of silhouettes. "There's two," he whispered. "T-600s."

"What do we do?" William asked.

"Why haven't they picked us up on their sensors?" Gabe queried.

"We're too far away and we're upwind, so they can't hear us. They must've switched off infra-red. Too many animals 'round here. But don't worry, they'll find us as soon as we get near."

There was a worried silence. The wind blew dead leaves in drifts amongst the trees. Marcus touched the button behind his ear. "New York, this is Wright. Do you copy?"

This time the reply came almost immediately. "Copy."

"We're at the drop site."

"Affirmative," the voice in Marcus's head said. "ETA twenty minutes. Confirm?"

"There's a problem. There are two T-600s at the drop site. Repeat, there are two T-600s at the drop site. Copy?"

The voice sounded hesitant."We don't have much firepower."

Marcus' heart sank. "Why the hell not?" he demanded, conveying as much anger as was possible in a whisper.

"Five people. Too much weight to pack guns as well. Think you can take'em out before we land?"

"I hope so," Marcus told it. "You'll find out when you try. Over."

"Roger. New York out."

Marcus lowered his hand from his ear. The small group stared at him. "New radio," he told them with a confidence he certainly didn't feel. "New plan. We'll confuse the T-600s. I'll draw their fire while you get aboard, and I'll join you later. You're going to double round into the clearing. The 'copter should meet you there in twenty minutes."

"They'll cut us down!" Gabe hissed "How'll we all make it?"

Marcus glanced up at the waving branches of the trees that hung above their heads. "I'm going to distract them."

"But we-"

"Not you. You go. Go now. And don't come out of the trees until you're sure the 'copter's there,"

The group nodded. William's face was resolute. Ada's stubborn. Gabe looked determined, Naomi as solemn as Star.

"Good luck," Marcus said, and left them to it.

He crawled through the undergrowth in the opposite direction. When he judged that he had moved far enough he touched his lighter to the grass. Despite the breeze, it took considerably more effort than he'd anticipated, and the twenty minutes was half-over by the time Marcus had kindled enough of a blaze. The grass didn't light easily but it smouldered well, and it produced a lot of smoke. It crackled down the valley, moving as fast as a walking man.

Marcus skirted around the blaze. There was no sign of the programmers. He crouched in the brush and watched the first T-600 turn away from the drop site to investigate the fire. As the flames grew, the other Terminator followed. Marcus lay motionless in the grass while burning leaves floated over his head. The smoke thickened. When both T-600s had moved within fifty metres, he pulled the hand grenade from his pocket, removed the pin and tossed the grenade towards the Terminators.

He heard the thunk as the grenade hit the ground. It didn't blow.

Marcus erred on the side of caution and counted twenty seconds before he cautiously raised his head.

A Terminator loomed over him. Its red eyes glowed in the smoke.

He heard the thwap-thwap of a helicopter's blades.

As the Terminator's head swivelled towards the sound the fire reached the hand-grenade, which exploded.

Marcus regained consciousness ten seconds later. It had been an incredibly eventful ten seconds. Grass tickled his cheek. He smelt smoke and heard a roaring sound in his ears that coalesced into the hum of a 'copter engine. The force of the grenade's explosion had blown him into the clearing.

He dragged himself to his feet.

The first thing he saw was a truncated pair of legs. The first T-600 had caught the full force of the blast. Its torso was nowhere to be seen. Sparks showered from the stump of its spine.

Marcus looked around.

The small movement saved him. The second T-600's punch landed on his shoulder, rather than on the nape of his neck as the machine had intended. The force of the blow would have snapped even an augmented spine. He took advantage of its slow reaction time to punch it back. As a gesture of defiance, the blow did some good, but it did little damage. Marcus might as well have spat in the T-600's face.

The T-600 recovered and struck back. Marcus had just enough time to throw one arm across his chest as the blow fell. The T-600 wasn't as smart as the Terminator that had attacked him in the San Francisco lab, but it could still kill him. The powerful blow knocked him off his feet. Blood dribbled down his cheek. Marcus thought it was blood, and not oil. It tasted like blood.

He looked up and stared into the barrel of the machine's vulcan cannon.

Oh. Shit.

Marcus licked blood from his lips and closed his eyes as the T-600 fired.

As the smoke cleared, he realized that he was still alive and opened his eyes again. The Terminator stared down at its arm in robot perplexity. The gun clicked and emitted a plume of smoke.

Marcus reached for his own gun. He jammed it up the much larger barrel of the cannon and pulled the trigger. Sparks erupted from the Terminator's shoulder and its arm jerked as the mechanisms inside short-circuited. Marcus fired again. The T-66 lurched forwards and sideways. The movement jammed Marcus's pistol inside the vulcan cannon and ripped it from his grasp. As Marcus grabbed futilely for the weapon with his left hand, the Terminator clubbed Marcus across the chest with his cannon. Sparks spattered onto his face and Marcus felt something snap deep inside him.

He heard people shouting, but the noise seemed a long way off.

The T-600's fist thudded into the grass beside Marcus's face. When that blow missed, it lifted its arm up for another strike. Marcus caught its elbow but it just shook him off. He covered his heart with his hand and sought desperately for options. The machine was stronger than he was, but it was ponderous and slow. If he could just get behind it....

The T-600 hit him again.

It was a predictable strategy, but an effective one. Marcus was more agile, but the T-600 was stronger. Therefore, the Terminator wasn't going to give Marcus a chance to get up. He felt the impact of each blow as it landed but the pain faded quickly after each bone-shattering impact. There was just the hideous thud-thud-thud as the T-600 pounded down at him. So far it had not landed a lethal strike, but it was only a matter of time.

He heard somebody scream.

It took Marcus a second to realize that it was not his own voice that had cried out. The T-600 staggered forwards like a falling tree. It stumbled to its knees. Marcus used the last of his energy to throw himself to the side. He saw a small silhouette behind the T-600 and heard Gabe calling, "Marcus! How do I kill it?" The programmer cradled a shotgun in his hands

Marcus crawled to his hands and knees and rose to his feet. Black spots gathered at the edge of his vision. "Not like that!" he coughed. "There's a spot at the back of its neck! A panel! You have to-" he broke off as he choked- "You have to remove it."

Gabe unloaded both barrels of the shotgun between the T-600's shoulder blades. Instead of reloading, he dropped the shotgun on the floor and dived for the Terminator's neck. It spun, trying to evade him, but Gabe locked both of his arms around its neck and clung like a limpet.

The helicopter landed on the other side of the clearing. Marcus saw a shadow slip from the cover of the forest as he drew his knife. He hoped it was the rest of the group.

He hoped that they were safe.

He looked back at the robot just in time to see the Terminator rip Gabe from its back using the same hold as the T-600 had pulled on him the day before. The machine held Gabe at arms' length for a few seconds, as if it couldn't decide what to do with him. Marcus lunged forwards, but he was too late. The T-600 gripped Gabe's head in the crook of its right elbow. It reached out, put its left hand gently on the crown of his head and flicked its wrist. Marcus could see the stunned expression on Gabe's face as his neck snapped with a meaty crack. The body tumbled to the floor. As it hit the ground Ada raced from the trees. She saw Gabe's corpse and screamed.

The Terminator took a step in Ada's direction. Its left foot landed on Gabe's outstretched arm but it did not hesitate. Its armoured boot crushed the limb into the ground. The T-600 kept on going, chasing Ada as she turned and ran back towards the safety of the 'copter.

Marcus jumped after it.

He caught the T-600's shoulders out of sheer luck and leaned in. The Terminator tried to grab his knee again, but this time Marcus was ready for it. He wedged his foot into the crook of the T-600's elbow as it reached for him and used the momentum to hammer the blade of his knife through the control panel and into the delicate circuits beneath.

The T-600 toppled forwards and Marcus fell with it. The Terminator landed face down. Its jaw gaped open as the light drained from its eyes. The hilt of Marcus's knife jutted from the base of its skull.

Marcus climbed from the corpse. Ada reached him seconds later. "You have to come!" she gasped."They're going! Is he..?"

Marcus nodded.

Ada closed her eyes and swallowed. When she opened her eyes again they were bright with tears but her voice was steady. "Then I want to take Gabe with us. Will you help me carry him?"

Gabe had not been a large man, but he was heavy enough. Marcus was at the end of his strength. Ada and Marcus dragged him to the 'copter between them. They both avoided looking at the place where Gabe's head sagged forwards onto his chest as they hauled him into the 'copter. William and the others were already inside. William cradled his daughter's head against his chest as they laid Gabe down at the back of the 'copter and covered him with a tarpaulin. When the corpse was covered decently Marcus made his way to the front of the 'copter and sat down; his back against the pilot's seats and one hand wrapped in the webbing that covered the interior.

"Who was that?" the co-pilot asked Marcus as the copter ascended.

"His name was Gabe," Ada said with dignity. She wiped her eyes.

"We're sorry," the pilot said. "He was one brave bastard. We saw you battling that 600, but couldn't really see a way to help. Then-"

"He wanted to leave you." Naomi said from the back of the copter.

Marcus looked at the pilot's frozen face. "Thanks," he said dryly.

The pilot gulped. "You all made it, didn't you?" he said brusquely. "You should be grateful."

Marcus snorted.

Ada glared at them all, "So what happens now?" she asked. "Where are we going?"

"New York, honey," the co-pilot replied.

Marcus sighed."Home," he told them. "We're going home."

They reached New York at midnight. A group of Resistance soldiers met them at the helipad and whisked Gabe's body away. Ada followed the corpse without another word. William and Naomi followed, wrapped in blankets. Marcus trailed behind them.

Connor met him before he left the helipad. "Did you find it?"

Marcus handed him the data stick. Connor glanced at the small device and tucked it away in his combats. He turned to watch the small file of civilians as they entered the base. "You got them?" he asked. "Congratulations."

"Lost two." Marcus told him.

"It's war." Connor said. He studied Marcus intently. "And what about you? Did you find what you were looking for?"

Marcus sighed. He ran his hand over his face and touched ragged, bruised flesh. "I haven't even looked at the code, if that's what you mean."

Connor shook his head. "Not that. Ever since the transplant failed, it's like you're searching for something. Whatever it is –salvation, redemption, call it what you will-I don't think you've found it yet. Don't think you'll ever find it. But you don't have to kill yourself to prove you've got a right to live."

"Bit rich coming from you, Connor." Marcus said. "I'm not the one with a kid on the way."

Connor laughed ruefully. "Maybe you're right. But you got a last chance. Not everyone does. You should make the most of it."

Marcus gestured at the fighters. "I'm a Terminator! Will they let me?"

"We will." Connor said. "Or most of us will, anyway. The question is, will you?" He dug his hands in the pockets of his combats and watched the 'copter rise again. Its lights gleamed in the twilight.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Marcus asked irritably.

"Relax a bit." Connor said. "The machines'll be back. They'll always be back." He inclined his head at Marcus and went to greet the programmers.

Marcus watched him walk away. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and headed for the nearest tunnel; to Blair and Kyle, and the rest of the West Coast Resistance.

The End.

I need a chance, a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance,

A word, a signal, a nod, a little breath

Just to fool myself, to catch myself, to make it real, real...

'Strange Currencies' by REM.