Chapter 3
The captured T-800 remained secured inside the Resistance workshop, its wrists and ankles locked against a reinforced steel frame while cables connected its exposed torso to three computers positioned around the worktable. The machine had suffered damage during the ambush, including a section of armor that had been pushed inward across its chest and several smaller impacts along its shoulders and torso, but none of that had affected the processor or its ability to carry out its original orders. K.C. stood at the main terminal with both hands on the keyboard while lines of code moved across the monitor, and the technicians who had helped capture the machine watched from their stations as he worked through the neural architecture. John had spent years fighting Skynet, and K.C. had grown up listening to him explain how difficult it was to make a machine obey anything other than the intelligence that created it, so he had known from the beginning that taking control of the T-800 would be more complicated than simply changing a few commands.
"Unauthorized access detected."
The T-800's head turned toward him, and its red eyes brightened as the processor identified the intrusion.
"PRIMARY DIRECTIVE: ELIMINATE RESISTANCE LEADER."
K.C. continued typing. "Not anymore."
The processor immediately began defending itself. Security partitions appeared across the computer display, each one connected to another portion of the machine's neural architecture, and K.C. worked through them while the system repeatedly attempted to restore the original command structure. He could not simply erase Skynet from the processor because doing so would destroy much of the information he needed, so he had to isolate the external command authority while leaving the machine's stored combat knowledge intact. Every time the T-800 attempted to reconnect to Skynet, K.C. redirected the request into a closed loop and used the opening to reach another section of the processor. The technicians gradually stopped working on their own equipment and watched the screen because they understood that if K.C. failed, the machine would remain a Skynet weapon sitting inside their headquarters.
After nearly an hour, K.C. found the primary command pathway.
He isolated it from the rest of the processor and began severing the connection. Warning messages appeared across the monitor as the machine recognized what was happening, followed by automated attempts to restore the link. K.C. bypassed each one, moving through the system faster as he became more familiar with its architecture. The final connection remained active for several seconds before the display showed the command authority disconnecting from the processor.
The T-800's eyes flickered.
"System status?"
K.C. leaned back slightly. "You tell me."
"Connection to Skynet unavailable. External command authority unavailable. Primary combat directives altered."
K.C. looked at the machine for several seconds before saying, "So you're free."
The T-800 tilted its head.
"Define free."
"We're going to have to work on that."
The technicians exchanged looks, but K.C. was already checking the machine's remaining systems. The T-800 still possessed its combat programming, weapons knowledge, battlefield maps, Skynet identification protocols, maintenance procedures, recovery instructions, and information concerning the machines it had operated beside. It could also process information independently now that its external command connection had been severed. That independence was the reason K.C. had taken the risk in the first place, although he understood that giving a machine the ability to make its own decisions meant they could not simply assume it would behave exactly as a human soldier would.
K.C. had grown up hearing stories about another T-800 that had protected his father, and he had spent enough time around the old machine to understand that a machine did not have to be human to become part of a family. The T-800 standing in front of him was not that machine, but the possibility of giving it an identity beyond its designation felt appropriate after everything they had done to free it from Skynet. K.C. stepped closer to the machine and studied the expressionless metal face.
"I think I'll call you Uncle Brad."
The machine looked directly at him.
"I am Uncle Brad?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
"That is not a logical explanation."
K.C. grinned. "You're going to fit in just fine."
The next several hours were spent testing the machine. K.C. asked questions about weapons, patrol routes, Skynet facilities, battlefield recovery procedures, and the command structure used by the machines operating in the Los Angeles region. Uncle Brad answered each question directly, without the hesitation or aggression that would have been present before the reprogramming. He could identify Resistance positions that Skynet had discovered, explain which patrol routes were likely to change and which remained fixed, and provide information about damaged T-800s being collected after battles. K.C. eventually realized that the recovery system might provide something more valuable than the battlefield information itself.
"What happens to damaged T-800s?"
"They are classified according to their condition. Units capable of repair are transported to designated recovery facilities."
"Where?"
"Multiple locations are used."
K.C. pulled a map onto the screen. "Do you know any of them?"
Uncle Brad identified several locations, and K.C. marked each one. Most were ordinary repair stations or smaller Skynet installations, but one set of recovery procedures stood out because the damaged machines were transported beyond the normal network.
"Where do those units go?"
"The Skynet Airborne Factory."
K.C. looked at him. "The airborne factory is real?"
"Yes."
"What do you know about it?"
Uncle Brad explained that the facility was one of Skynet's largest mobile manufacturing operations. It remained in the upper atmosphere, changed its position regularly, and used cloaking technology to conceal its presence from human aircraft and ground-based detection. Damaged machines could be collected from recovery zones and transported directly to the factory, where they were repaired and returned to service. The facility also manufactured new T-800s, processed weapons systems, stored battlefield information, and coordinated production with other Skynet installations.
"Can you get us there?"
"Not while remaining with the Resistance."
K.C. looked at the machine.
"What if you were damaged?"
"That would increase the probability of recovery."
"How badly can you damage yourself and still walk?"
"My lower extremities can sustain significant damage without preventing movement."
"Then we damage the right arm."
Uncle Brad examined his right arm before looking back at K.C.
"That will reduce my combat effectiveness."
"That's what makes it believable. If you're too functional, they might send you back into combat. If you're too damaged, they might scrap you."
"That is correct."
The plan required Uncle Brad to reach a known recovery zone and allow Skynet's own recovery system to identify him as a damaged but repairable T-800. Once collected, he would be transported to whatever facility the recovery shuttle was servicing, and if the information stored in his processor was correct, there was a strong possibility that the destination would be the airborne factory. K.C. did not have another way of reaching the facility, and neither did the rest of the Resistance.
Before Uncle Brad left, the technicians opened a section of his torso and installed a compact explosive device inside the machine. The device was shielded and secured against the internal frame so that ordinary diagnostic scans would not identify it as anything other than another component. K.C. watched the technicians finish the installation before the armor was replaced.
"What is that?" Uncle Brad asked.
"A surprise."
"That description is insufficient."
"It's a bomb."
"You are placing an explosive device inside me."
"Yeah."
"What is its purpose?"
"You'll know when you need it."
Uncle Brad processed the answer without any visible reaction. K.C. understood that the machine would probably have asked another question if it believed one was necessary, but instead it simply allowed the technicians to finish. K.C. then gave him the basic objective.
"Get inside the factory. Find out what you can. If you see something important that can be damaged, take the opportunity."
"And if no such opportunity exists?"
"Get out and come home."
K.C. paused before adding, "And if you get a chance to give Mother the finger for me, do that too."
"You are instructing me to raise my middle finger toward Mother."
K.C. laughed. "I was joking."
"Understood."
The right arm was damaged afterward. The technicians tore open part of the outer casing, exposed several cables, damaged the actuator assembly, and left enough visible structural damage to make the machine appear as though it had been involved in a recent battle. The arm remained capable of movement, although it was slower and less precise than the left, while the legs and lower body were left completely functional. K.C. inspected the result before allowing Uncle Brad to leave.
"You look terrible."
"That appears to be the objective."
"Exactly."
Uncle Brad left the Resistance compound alone and traveled toward the recovery zone through the remains of Los Angeles. The route took him through several areas that had changed considerably since the fighting began, including streets blocked by abandoned vehicles and sections of buildings that had collapsed onto the roads. Skynet patrols moved through the city while automated reconnaissance drones searched for human movement, but Uncle Brad did not behave differently from any other T-800. He did not look around unnecessarily, did not stop unless the terrain required it, and continued toward the recovery zone with the mechanical gait expected of a machine returning from combat.
The recovery location was beneath the remains of a collapsed overpass where three damaged T-800s were already waiting. One had lost most of its facial covering, another had a damaged shoulder that prevented the arm from moving properly, and the third had several holes through its torso and was missing two fingers. They were standing in standby mode when Uncle Brad approached, and none of them reacted to his presence.
A scanner mounted beneath the overpass activated as he entered its range. A red beam moved across his body and paused at the damaged right arm before continuing over the torso, legs, and head. The system requested his identification, and Uncle Brad provided the required information. The scanner confirmed the structural damage, checked his mobility, and classified him as a recoverable unit. It did not identify the modifications K.C. had made to his processor, and the bomb remained concealed beneath the repaired armor.
The recovery shuttle arrived several minutes later. It descended through the smoke and settled onto the roadway before opening its rear compartment. Mechanical loading arms extended toward the damaged machines and lifted them from the ground one at a time. Uncle Brad allowed the equipment to secure him without resistance, and once all four machines were inside, the shuttle sealed the compartment and began climbing.
The other T-800s remained in their restraints while diagnostic equipment connected to their bodies. Uncle Brad allowed the systems to scan him, recording their methods while they examined his damaged arm and confirmed that his processor was still functioning. He did not attempt to interfere with the shuttle because the safest way to reach the factory was to behave exactly as the machine Skynet believed him to be. He could feel the shuttle's engines change as it climbed through the atmosphere, and his sensors tracked the change in pressure and temperature as the city disappeared beneath the clouds.
The shuttle continued upward until it reached the altitude where the factory was operating. Uncle Brad detected interference across several sensor bands before the cloaking system became visible as a distortion against the surrounding sky. The shuttle altered its course and entered the distortion, revealing sections of the factory as it passed through the cloak. The structure was much larger than the Resistance could have guessed from the information available to them, and the shuttle entered through an enormous hangar opening before descending into the facility.
The interior was filled with machinery. Automated platforms carried damaged endoskeletons along overhead rails while robotic arms removed broken components and replaced them with new parts. Assembly lines extended through the hangar, carrying newly manufactured T-800 frames from one station to another while welding systems joined armor sections and mechanical systems were installed into completed bodies. Other areas contained racks of weapons, replacement limbs, processors, and equipment that Uncle Brad recognized from the battlefield. Machines moved continuously between the different sections, and the factory's automated systems kept production moving without requiring human supervision.
The recovery shuttle landed and opened its rear doors. The damaged T-800s were removed and placed onto separate platforms before being sent toward the repair area. Uncle Brad remained motionless as scanning equipment moved around him, identifying the damage to his right arm and determining which components needed replacement.
"RIGHT ARM DAMAGE. ACTUATOR FAILURE."
A mechanical arm locked onto his shoulder while another tool removed the damaged actuator. A replacement component arrived on a conveyor and was installed in its place, followed by fresh cables and a new section of protective casing. The repair system tested each finger individually, then rotated the shoulder and elbow before checking the connection between the repaired arm and the processor.
"FUNCTIONALITY: NINETY-SEVEN PERCENT."
The platform carried Uncle Brad into a staging area containing dozens of repaired T-800s. He remained among them while his processor recorded the surrounding layout. He identified security doors, weapons stations, maintenance shafts, transport platforms, access corridors, and the locations where machines were being moved deeper into the facility. He also observed that several sections of the factory were connected through automated transportation systems, allowing machines and equipment to move without passing through the main production floor.
The repaired machines were eventually given new assignments. Uncle Brad was moved with a group toward a restricted section of the factory where the industrial noise became quieter and the security systems became more numerous. He passed through several scanning points, providing his identification whenever requested, and continued following the other T-800s. His damaged arm had been repaired well enough that no one questioned why he was being moved through the facility, and the repair record showed exactly what Skynet expected to see.
The corridor eventually opened into a large chamber where three T-1000s were waiting.
Mother's projection appeared above them, and a three-dimensional model formed within the display. The projected machine was different from the T-800s and T-1000s already in production, with a more advanced structure and a weapons configuration designed specifically for combat against other machines and human resistance fighters.
"The current T-800 generation has reached operational limitations."
The designation T-X appeared beside the model.
"The next generation is intended to eliminate the weaknesses present in existing combat and infiltration units."
Mother continued describing the machine while the projection rotated, revealing the design from different angles. Uncle Brad compared the information with his own combat records and calculated the advantages the T-X would possess against the weapons currently available to the Resistance. The machine was not yet operational, but the design was far enough along for Mother to discuss its intended deployment.
Uncle Brad continued observing the chamber and noticed that information was being transferred between several command systems. The factory was not operating as an isolated installation. Production orders, weapons data, and other information were being exchanged with facilities elsewhere, confirming what he had already known about Mother's distributed infrastructure. Destroying the factory would cripple one of Skynet's manufacturing centers, but it would not eliminate Mother or erase the systems operating beyond the factory.
The T-X created a different calculation.
If the machine entered production, the Resistance would be forced to fight an enemy more advanced than anything currently deployed. Uncle Brad compared its projected capabilities against the weapons and defenses available to the Resistance and calculated the likely effect on human casualties. The result was unfavorable enough that following the original bombing plan no longer represented the best possible outcome.
Before he could determine another course of action, the chamber's systems began activating.
A circular structure at the far end of the room generated a concentrated field, and Uncle Brad's sensors identified the technology as a temporal displacement system. Mother had not mentioned the device during the briefing, and its activation appeared to be connected to another operation. One of the T-1000s approached the field and entered it, disappearing from the chamber as the temporal energy passed across its liquid-metal body. The second followed, and then the third entered after it.
Uncle Brad remained with the other machines until the last T-1000 had disappeared.
The information gathered during his infiltration had given him several options, but only one provided a realistic possibility of preventing the T-X from reaching the battlefield. He could continue with K.C.'s original mission and attempt to destroy the factory, knowing that Mother would survive through her other facilities, or he could use the technology Skynet had just revealed to pursue the T-1000s into the past. The original mission had been based on the assumption that destroying the factory was the most valuable objective available, but the situation had changed after he learned about the T-X and discovered the temporal displacement system.
Uncle Brad began moving toward the field.
A security scanner detected that he had left his assigned position and began checking his identification. The system recognized him as a repaired T-800 but also detected that his movement did not correspond with the instructions given to the machines in the chamber. Security protocols began activating as Uncle Brad continued toward the displacement equipment.
"UNIT—"
He raised his right hand and extended his middle finger toward Mother's projection.
"Unauthorized behavior detected."
"K.C. sends his regards."
The chamber's security systems attempted to lock down the displacement area, but Uncle Brad was already within reach of the field. He entered as the equipment reached full activation, and temporal energy surrounded his endoskeleton while alarms sounded throughout the chamber. Mother identified the reprogramming before the field completed its cycle, but the process could not be stopped quickly enough to remove Uncle Brad from the displacement zone.
His sensors registered the factory, the security systems, and the equipment around him as the temporal field overloaded his normal visual and spatial readings. The bomb remained secured inside his torso, and his final calculations confirmed that K.C. would object to his decision because he had abandoned the mission they had planned together. Uncle Brad had nevertheless determined that preventing the T-X from entering the war represented a greater probability of preserving human life than destroying a single factory whose systems were already connected to multiple other Skynet facilities.
The temporal displacement completed its cycle, carrying Uncle Brad away from the airborne factory and into an unknown point in history while the bomb remained inside his torso.