Near Century Work Camp - August 2024
Kyle had blood smeared across the side of his face from forehead to chin. The bleeding had stopped now, but the rest hadn't dried. As long as it was out of his eye, he didn't care.
The H-Ks hovered overhead, trying in the darkness to find any signs of life so that they could eradicate them as efficiently as possible. Kyle knew they couldn't hear him breathing down here underground, but he held his breath when the machine hovered close enough to make the concrete reverberate under him.
When it had passed and the light had gone on to sweep a different area, he let himself relax enough to start breathing again. Thankfully, the man laying beside him was still breathing too. Kate would have killed him if he'd brought John back in any other condition. John was coming around too. The quiet grunt as consciousness (and the pain that came with it) hit told Kyle what he needed to know. He wasn't alone out here today. They'd lived to see another Skynet camp destroyed and lived to see another day.
"Reese," John said through gritted teeth. "Where are we?"
Kyle got up on one knee to check on his friend. Everything seemed to be intact. The medic at their next stop could do a proper check with an actual light source. "Just outside Century," Kyle replied. "Or what's left of it. Choppers evaced everyone before we triggered the demolition."
"You're bleeding."
"So are you."
"We have to stop meeting like this."
Reese shook his head. "No sir. But we should work on our exit strategy and try not to cut it so close next time. Water?"
John accepted the canteen. "Report?"
"Communications are dead from the EMP. The protection on the comms didn't work, but the choppers were well gone before it hit. Everything metal dropped."
"Then what was that H-K?"
"You've been out for two hours. Reinforcements came from the north."
"Why was I out?" Other than the throbbing headache, he meant.
"Everything metal dropped. H-K hit the deck and almost flattened us, but we got clear far enough to get knocked down by the blast after it."
John screwed the cap back on the canteen and handed it back. He was quiet for a few moments, weighing up their situation. "We're out of communications range with no equipment-"
"Plasma rifle still works. The ruggedization worked on those."
"Almost no equipment," John corrected. "We have to make our way back on foot, everyone probably thinks we're dead and while we're not, we are surrounded by Skynet reinforcements." All of whom would salivate (if they had the glands for it) at the chance to get their hands on John Connor or Kyle Reese.
Kyle nodded. "And we have a few hours until first light."
John pushed himself to his feet and offered a hand. "Let's get moving."
The H-Ks hovered overhead, trying in the darkness to find any signs of life so that they could eradicate them as efficiently as possible. Kyle knew they couldn't hear him breathing down here underground, but he held his breath when the machine hovered close enough to make the concrete reverberate under him.
When it had passed and the light had gone on to sweep a different area, he let himself relax enough to start breathing again. Thankfully, the man laying beside him was still breathing too. Kate would have killed him if he'd brought John back in any other condition. John was coming around too. The quiet grunt as consciousness (and the pain that came with it) hit told Kyle what he needed to know. He wasn't alone out here today. They'd lived to see another Skynet camp destroyed and lived to see another day.
"Reese," John said through gritted teeth. "Where are we?"
Kyle got up on one knee to check on his friend. Everything seemed to be intact. The medic at their next stop could do a proper check with an actual light source. "Just outside Century," Kyle replied. "Or what's left of it. Choppers evaced everyone before we triggered the demolition."
"You're bleeding."
"So are you."
"We have to stop meeting like this."
Reese shook his head. "No sir. But we should work on our exit strategy and try not to cut it so close next time. Water?"
John accepted the canteen. "Report?"
"Communications are dead from the EMP. The protection on the comms didn't work, but the choppers were well gone before it hit. Everything metal dropped."
"Then what was that H-K?"
"You've been out for two hours. Reinforcements came from the north."
"Why was I out?" Other than the throbbing headache, he meant.
"Everything metal dropped. H-K hit the deck and almost flattened us, but we got clear far enough to get knocked down by the blast after it."
John screwed the cap back on the canteen and handed it back. He was quiet for a few moments, weighing up their situation. "We're out of communications range with no equipment-"
"Plasma rifle still works. The ruggedization worked on those."
"Almost no equipment," John corrected. "We have to make our way back on foot, everyone probably thinks we're dead and while we're not, we are surrounded by Skynet reinforcements." All of whom would salivate (if they had the glands for it) at the chance to get their hands on John Connor or Kyle Reese.
Kyle nodded. "And we have a few hours until first light."
John pushed himself to his feet and offered a hand. "Let's get moving."