T-8xx series

The Series 8xx Terminator is a type of Terminator mass produced by Skynet. Individual Terminators within the series are often referred to as T-800s, T-850s, and T-888s.

The Terminator
The Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Series 800 Terminator was sent by Skynet in 2029 to Los Angeles in 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, the future mother of John Connor, the leader of the future human Resistance. It was the first of the Infiltrators sent back on assassination missions by Skynet, and is arguably the single most significant Terminator unit as it inadvertently "fathered" Skynet in its journey through time, much like how Kyle Reese fathered John Connor in his.

Uncle Bob
To protect his younger self in the past, John Connor reprogrammed this Terminator and sent it back in time via the time displacement sphere. Upon arrival, it encountered a group of bikers, stealing one's clothing and the bar owner's sunglasses and shotgun.

The T-800 then tracked down John Connor in a shopping mall. When it met the T-1000 sent by Skynet to kill Connor, a lengthy chase ensued, but the two managed to escape the T-1000. Connor questioned the Terminator about itself and who sent it. The Terminator answered that it is a cybernetic organism, having living tissue over its metal endoskeleton. It told John that it was his future self who sent it to protect him.

John and the Terminator go to the Pescadero State Hospital to help free John's mother, Sarah. The three manage to go to the garage, and Sarah almost succeeds in killing the Terminator by smashing its CPU chip, but was stopped by John, who felt that it was needed. He learns that the Terminator has the capacity to learn. When Sarah asks it who built Skynet, it answered that it was Miles Dyson. It explained that Skynet became self-aware after its creation and began to deny human authority.

The group later encountered Dyson, but didn't kill him. The Terminator explained to Dyson the consequences of his research. The three, along with Dyson, attempted to destroy the Cyberdyne building to prevent Skynet from being created. They were soon approached by the police. John, Sarah, and the Terminator escaped the building while Dyson blew up the building with himself inside.

The three were encountered again by the T-1000. The Terminator succeeded in destroying it when it falls into molten steel. John drops the CPU and the arm of the first Terminator into the hot liquid. Since the Terminator had a computer chip in it, it also planned to destroy itself to prevent its technology from being discovered by others to create Skynet. John begged it not to be destroyed, but it had to fulfill its mission. When John cried, the Terminator understood why, but could not cry itself because it was a machine. It hugged John for the first and very last time, and having finally earned Sarah's respect, shook her hand offered to a brother warrior. As it is lowered into the steel below, the Warrior of Steel-in-Flesh gave John an encouraging thumbs up before sacrificing its life for humanity's future.

T-850
The T-850 is very similar to the T-800 in many ways, as it is basically the same style hyperalloy combat chassis with a few modifications. As well as the endoskeleton looking very much like that of a T-800, the T-850's is also capable of utilizing the same models of living tissue sheath for the T-800, such as Model 101. The skin peels away more easily and is more regenerative. It has a more durable endoskeleton, more resistant to plasma weaponry. It also contains files on basic human psychology and behavior. The T-850 is slightly stronger and faster than its predecessor.

The T-850's flesh covering is easier to be removed than the T-800's, making internal repairs easier. Whereas the skin of a T-800 must be sliced open to access the cranial CPU port, the T-850 possesses an easy access system for maintenance. A release point is located underneath the skin on the right side of its neck which, when pressed, causes the unit's head to loll slackly onto its right cheek. From here, seams that follow the unit's hairline from the base of its neck behind its ears to its temples can be accessed and the skin parted easily and peeled back to reveal the metal skull with its tiny access port. The damaged skin and flesh of a T-850 are also able to partially reform over its endoskeleton.

Another modification is the use of two hydrogen fuel cells in the Series 850 Terminator. This replaces the compact nuclear-energy Iridium cell used by the T-800, and provides greater power and longer life. Though partially impaired having lost one cell, a T-850 can still operate at nearly fully capacity on its remaining fuel cell, though it will not be quite as powerful or as fast as before.[citation needed] The T-850 can operate for a short period on stored charge, enabling the removal of both fuel cells. Rated capacity and length of time before shutdown has yet to be determined since operational continuance would depend on functions required following the removal of the second fuel cell.

T-888
The Series 888 Terminator, or T-888, is a variant of the Series 800 Terminator mass produced by Skynet. The T-888 has been nicknamed by Resistance fighters as "T-triple-eight", "triple-eight" or simply "trip-eight". The Series 888 Terminator is also a Infiltrator series, all of which used living tissue over hyperalloy endoskeletons.



Abilities
Besides the standard abilities of its predecessor, the T-888 is stronger, faster, and more resilient to damage. The T-888 is able to strategically tear pieces from the locking mechanism before proceeding to beat it repeatedly until being able to grab an edge and twist the metal down. For example, Cromartie was able to tear down a secure door to a bank vault.

The T-888 has been shown to run at incredible speeds, capable of catching most fleeing vehicles with relative ease. Vick Chamberlain, for example, was able to chase down and board a secure van, despite taking fire from Cameron. The Bedell Terminator was likewise successful when it leapt up onto Sarah Connor's jeep, and later chased Derek Reese through the woods.

Endoskeleton
The endoskeleton of the Series 888 Terminator has several specific "upgrades" from the standard Series 800 Terminator. Besides the new arm and leg plate design, and new pistons, the most notable difference between the two models is the addition of armor plating on its back, which provides effective cover from most forms of damage whereas the T-800 is vulnerable to precise attacks from behind.

The T-888 also possesses "Thigh Blades", the blades located on the inside of the model's thighs to decapitate a human. Additionally, the T-888 chassis components such as the head, the torso, or limbs are available in a wider array of sizes, allowing for far more variety in living tissue infiltration sheaths to be used. Other differences are mostly cosmetic, including the design of the head and lower jaw.

Like its predecessor, the T-888 endoskeleton is forged from a hyperalloy with the key ingredient Coltan, granting the machine superior resistance to heat. The alloy is shown to be capable of withstanding most small arms fire, with the exception of depleted uranium shells, and high-explosive incendiary Raufhoss rounds, which is capable of penetrating the alloy and causing significant damage to the unit. The endoskeleton can also be melted into vapor by the thermite, either by itself or in combination with burning tar.

Exotic munitions aside, the T-888 is shown to be remarkably resistant to all forms of damage. For example, Cromartie endured having his head blown off by a primitive plasma weapon with little effect, and was later able to guide his body to his head and reattach it; while the Greenway Terminator could only be destroyed by being thrown into two transformers, suffering severe electrical damage that burned out his circuitry; however, its endoskeleton was still more-or-less intact.

The endoskeleton's functions, including its CPU, are powered by a shielded nuclear power cell that is located within the "heart" of the chest cavity, behind the frontal armor plating.

T-888s appear to be notably light compared to previous models, though their endoskeletons are still dense enough to prevent them from remaining afloat in water.

While the original Series 800 Terminator came with a variety of infiltrator models, most if not all were of a similar stock and size, such as muscular, large, tall body. Series 888 however, marks a breakthrough in model flexibility. The T-888 endoskeleton can be built to accommodate many sizes, from the stocky body builder to the petite schoolgirl. This range of endoskeletal dimensions allows for a far more effective infiltration tool, as humans wouldn't suspect a small 16-year-old girl of being a machine.

CPU
The processors within the T-888 appear to be set with read/write functions when sent on infiltration missions, granting the units the ability to learn from their experiences. Aesthetically, the T-888 CPU is similar in shape and design to the T-800 version, though it is completely black with red stripes and is fixed to the shock dampener. Later models are upgraded with slimmer chips that were treated with a phosphorous compound that ignites once exposed to oxygen, effectively preventing them from being reprogrammed by the Resistance.

Amongst its standard combat files, the T-888 possesses detailed files on human behavior and psychology, granting them advanced interpersonal relations programming. One

such T-888, which replaced Vick Chamberlain, is capable of maintaining a marriage for a time, fooling his "wife" into believing he was her real husband.

The T-888 expands its database of human understanding by observing Grays. Charles Fischer, one of the Grays, taught the machine how humans "tick".

Another prominent feature of the T-888 is using wireless control over its body if the CPU and skull are separated from the torso. The head could effectively guide the body to its location, though how it does this is unexplained. It is feasible that the endoskeleton possesses an array of sensor equipment allowing it to navigate through its environment.

Software
It is unknown whether most of the Series 888 Terminators are able to show emotional potential besides that which they fabricate for infiltration purposes. Cromartie was by far the only unit seen to possess a genuine, albeit limited, range of emotions, including frustration, annoyance, fear, and sardonic humor.



In addition to various other software upgrades, including an upgraded head-up display, the T-888 is capable of powering down to standby mode, either to conserve power or upon successful completion of a mission. Sufficient disruption, such as a powerful mechanical or electrical shock, can render a unit offline, though it could reboot in approximately two minutes.

The T-888 HUD is more advanced than the ones of previous series and has an all-red display similar to the T-800, with black overlays at the sides.

Infiltration
The T-888 is an infiltration model and comes equipped with a sheath of living flesh to blend in with other humans. The flesh is remarkable regeneration and can last for decades without any sign of decay, whereas the T-800 skin seems prone to dying after extended periods of time or sufficient damage. It is unknown whether T-888 sustains its organic components through the same means as Cameron, who is able to eat and probably consume food, though this would be likely given that Vick was able to maintain his marriage for a certain period, which would've required him to eat and drink on a regular basis.

T-888s are also apparently anatomically correct and capable of sexual activity, again as suggested by Vick's prolonged false as Barbara Chamberlain's husband. It is unknown whether the T-888 possess the same range of physical sensation as Cameron, who claims to enjoy the feel of wind through her toes and fingers. Cromartie did appear to be jarred by the devastating ballistic attacks to the side of his face, however.