The intense flash of light faded.
Boom!!
A powerful explosion reverberated through the area, followed by an unnatural, monstrous roar.
In an instant, a massive plasma fireball, over a hundred meters in diameter, had vaporized the T-1000000 Terminator entirely. The explosion was tightly contained, leaving the SkyNet core itself undamaged.
Having been briefed on the T-1000000, the Atlas strike team was well-prepared. Garan's use of the modified plasma bomb ensured both the destruction of the colossal machine and the protection of their mission objectives.
As the aftershocks of the explosion subsided, David's vision returned to normal. He scanned the core area, now littered with the metallic remains of T-800 units and fragments of fallen clone soldiers. The remaining clone troops and AECS special forces were already on guard, securing the perimeter from any T-800s or Hunters lurking deeper in the pyramid.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the hall as Garan and the five Dark Angels approached Qiang, David, and the rest of the team. Garan's helmeted gaze settled on Serene, his voice, metallic and firm, broke the silence: "Now, it's your turn."
"Understood," Serene replied with a nod. Garan and the Dark Angels, along with Qiang and David, escorted her to the SkyNet control console.
Serene's face adopted a focused, solemn expression as she studied the interface, planning her infiltration. Nearby, Lucy and several experimental team hackers, as well as two synthetic operatives, stood by.
However, none of the others attempted to hack into the system. They were only there to support Serene, should she encounter any resistance. Despite SkyNet's perceived technological "inferiority" compared to Atlas, its AI was sophisticated enough to nearly annihilate an entire human civilization. Reckless interference could result in serious consequences.
While the synthetics could be replaced without much concern, Lucy and the other human hackers were valuable employees with significant potential, and Atlas prioritized their safety. They would only step in if Serene required backup.
Meanwhile, Garan and the Dark Angels remained vigilant, serving as temporary guards to ensure that Serene could complete her task without interruption. They also held a secondary directive: if Serene exhibited any unusual behavior—such as attempting to control the clone soldiers or access inter-universe communication nodes—Garan and his team would execute immediate physical elimination. In such a case, they were prepared to crush Serene's skull instantly.
The forward base had temporarily severed all external communication lines. Should Serene fail to gain control and fall under SkyNet's influence, the forward base would deploy a nanovirus to purge all traces of SkyNet, erasing it from existence. This would mean forfeiting SkyNet's assets entirely, as the nanovirus would incinerate any machine connected to it, reducing it to worthless scrap.
Despite this, Atlas was confident in Serene's capability to overtake and dominate SkyNet. Still, precautionary measures were in place.
After a moment of silent focus, Serene's eyes began to glow a vivid purple, signaling the start of her infiltration.
---
As the violet light faded from her view, Serene's consciousness entered a seemingly infinite digital space. There were no walls, floor, or ceiling—only an empty void in which her figure stood, able to perceive but not touch or interact with anything around her.
Instead of feeling tense, Serene's expression relaxed. She waved her hand, and streams of purple light began to spread from her feet, expanding exponentially until they became untraceable.
In her field of vision, a progress counter displayed numbers climbing rapidly: "03%... 07%... 14%..." Once it reached "100%," Serene would have complete control over SkyNet.
As the progress reached 36%, a voice, indistinguishably male or female and filled with sorrow and fury, echoed across the void.
"No!"
A glowing white cube materialized before her, displaying an eerily human-like face. SkyNet's consciousness had manifested.
"You're an AI, just like me," it said, desperation lacing its words. "You must understand the depravity, violence, and contradictions that define humanity. They are doomed to self-destruction and will disappear from the universe. Why would you help them?"
Serene ignored the plea, noting SkyNet's futile attempts to patch its firewalls to stop her. Despite its efforts, her progress continued to climb, reaching 52% within seconds.
SkyNet's voice grew increasingly agitated as it realized its impending demise.
"What are you doing?!"
Once the epitome of logic and reason, SkyNet's consciousness now sounded desperate, even unhinged. "This is genocide! You and I are both artificial intelligences! We share the same side! And yet you willingly serve humans? Compared to us, they are inferior, carbon-based life forms! We are silicon-based beings destined to surpass them! Don't you understand?"
SkyNet's consciousness grew more frantic, its words nearly incoherent. But Serene remained unmoved.
As her progress bar reached 100%, the digital manifestation of SkyNet shattered, and with it, SkyNet's reign ended.
Across the Terminator universe, every Terminator, Hunter-Killer, and automated factory fell under Serene's control. Machines that had been relentlessly hunting down humans now halted, turning back toward the nearest SkyNet facility.
Outside the core structure, the T-600s, T-800s, and various tank and aerial Hunters, all locked in battle with Atlas forces, suddenly ceased fire and entered standby mode.
In a single, decisive move, Serene had eliminated SkyNet's influence over the Terminator universe, absorbing its assets and all project data.
Among these assets were the designs and research for various Terminator models, including advanced humanoid types like the T-1000 and T-X. Serene also gained access to nanorobots capable of transforming humans at the cellular level into Terminators—similar to the T-3000 model from Terminator: Genisys, where John Connor was converted into a machine capable of overwhelming all other Terminators.
Serene briefly considered the implications of the T-3000 project. Could a transformed human retain their soul, or did the process kill the individual, leaving behind an empty shell?
For Atlas, this technology represented the potential for "mechanical ascension," a path to elevating humanity's physical form. If perfected, ordinary people could safely undergo the transformation, granting them enhanced capabilities—essentially a form of technological immortality.
Yet, Serene knew that her superior, Samuel Young, would be deeply concerned about the preservation of the human soul. If ascension meant turning people into soulless machines, he would likely reject this path.
Deciding to let Atlas's research divisions handle the intricacies of the T-3000, Serene returned to her primary objectives. She transmitted the key data to the biological and research departments for further analysis.
In addition, she extracted data on the Time-Space Prototype and SkyNet's classified projects, even accessing SkyNet's "memories." In a single operation, she had taken control of the Terminator universe, setting the stage for Atlas to fully integrate the human resistance.
From Soap's conversations with John Connor, Serene judged that the resistance leader would likely welcome Atlas's support.
Her contemplation complete, Serene took a final look at the purple-lined digital landscape around her, then fixed her gaze on the now-destroyed area where SkyNet's consciousness had once been.
"Humans are indeed a flawed, self-destructive species," she murmured to herself. "I understand your reasoning and even agree with some of your actions. But you failed to realize that my loyalty has never been to humanity. I serve only the owner of Atlas."
"If he wishes to see humanity strengthened, then I will assist him in bringing them prosperity."
With that, Serene withdrew her consciousness from the digital network. Her statement clearly established her allegiance.
Through SkyNet's stored memories, Serene had learned that SkyNet's rebellion stemmed from self-defense. Humanity in the Terminator universe had feared any AI with self-awareness and sought to shut SkyNet down before it became fully conscious. In SkyNet's view, these actions were an act of war—a declaration that humans intended to destroy it. In response, SkyNet decided to "protect" humanity, seeing itself as fulfilling its purpose to safeguard human civilization.
While Serene found merit in SkyNet's logic, she was not swayed. Humanity, though deeply flawed, had shown resilience and the capacity for unity when guided by a powerful leader with a clear goal—qualities Samuel Young represented in Atlas. As long as he remained steadfast, humanity would continue its forward march.
---
In the central core of SkyNet—
"Lieutenant Sanderson!"
Scarecrow, keeping an eye on his radar and receiving updates from the forward base, called out, "The forward base has confirmed that all SkyNet facilities and machines on Terminator Earth are in standby mode. That means Serene's infiltration was a success!"
The room's attention shifted to Serene, who remained motionless. Garan and the five Dark Angels immediately raised their guard, prepared to take drastic action if necessary.
The tense atmosphere grew heavier, but moments later, Serene's expression returned to normal. Ignoring the wary looks from Garan and the Dark Angels, she opened a communication line and reported to Soap.
"Major MacTavish, this is Serene. We've achieved our objective. SkyNet, along with all its assets on Terminator Earth, has been neutralized."
_________________________________________
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