|
Monster--
|
|
A Terminator unit was sent back in time with a mission to eliminate U.S. Marine Private Edward Duggan for unknown reasons.
History[]
Emerging from a time sphere on the outskirts of a Vietnamese village near Saigon, in the Spring of 1976, the Terminator began scanning its surroundings when a North Vietnamese soldier suddenly attacked, burying an axe in its head. Though the strike damaged the Terminator's language processor, it remained unfazed. Recognizing that the soldier's uniform would fit it, the machine swiftly killed him with his own weapon and took his clothes, including a straw hat.[1]
The murder did not go unnoticed. A squad of North Vietnamese soldiers spotted the Terminator near the body and, mistaking it for an American, opened fire with their AK-47s. Assessing them as high threats, the Terminator eliminated one with the axe before fleeing into the jungle, punching a Soviet SPAAG tank off its tracks in the process. When a second tank arrived and opened fire, the machine tore the tracks from the disabled vehicle and hurled them like a projectile, destroying the oncoming tank. The battle quickly escalated as the Terminator, now wielding two automatic rifles, engaged the North Vietnamese forces, cutting down dozens of soldiers. In the midst of the firefight, it located its primary target: Edward Duggan. Mistaking the machine for a secret Communist weapon, Duggan attempted to flee, but the Terminator shot down his bike. As Duggan struggled to recover, the machine advanced to finish the job.[1] Before it could fire, a column of North Vietnamese tanks arrived, distracting it. Duggan seized the opportunity, jumping onto his bike and speeding away as artillery fire rained down on the machine. Undeterred, the Terminator commandeered a tank and resumed the chase.[2]
Realizing that its outdated weaponry and accumulated battle damage were making its mission increasingly difficult, the machine continued its pursuit, firing relentlessly. Duggan narrowly evaded the attack until he reached a French airstrip. The Terminator, instead of stopping, simply smashed the tank through the perimeter fence. As American troops at the airstrip spotted the enemy tank pursuing Duggan, they opened fire, quickly destroying it. At the same time, the pursuing North Vietnamese forces launched an assault, exploiting the breach in the fence. Amidst the confusion, no one noticed the flaming endoskeleton emerging from the wreckage and vanishing into the shadows.[2]
Operating with cold efficiency, the Terminator infiltrated a hangar, silently eliminating a helicopter pilot and stealing his uniform. Using the pilot’s flight helmet to conceal its now visible metallic skull, it climbed into the cockpit of a Huey and waited. Moments later, Duggan, now reunited with his wife and child, boarded the helicopter, believing they were finally safe. As Duggan shook its hand in gratitude, the Terminator crushed his fingers. Reacting instantly, Duggan drew his sidearm and fired, blowing off the already damaged machine’s head. The Terminator detected catastrophic failure and, being unable to send sufficient power to the CPU, went into sleep mode.[2]
However, just as Duggan’s wife and child leaped into the water toward awaiting American rescuers, the Terminator reactivated. Without hesitation, it lunged, skeletal hands locking around Duggan’s throat in a final attempt to complete its mission. Realizing he had no other choice, Duggan deliberately crashed the Huey into the sea. As he floated on the sea, Duggan watched as the Terminator, now too damaged to function, sank into the abyss. Its glowing red eyes remained fixed on him until he finally disappeared in the darkness.[2]
Notes[]
- The damaged language processor made this Terminator unable to speak normally. Instead, it could only mechanically repeat words it had heard before. This may be a reference to another film where an unstoppable force hunts soldiers in the jungle, Predator.