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Chapter 18 More Complications
Chapter 18
More Complications
More Complications
John Connor “So this other guy, he’s a Terminator like you, right?”
The Terminator “Not like me. A T-1000, advanced prototype...mimetic poly-alloy.”
John “You’re telling me that this thing can imitate anything it touches?”
Terminator “It can’t form complex machines.... But he can form solid metal shapes”
John “Like what?”
Terminator “Knives and stabbing weapons.”
Excerpt from Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
<<>>
2027, Day 45, 8:00 AM
The radio room at the underground bunker at Camp Pendleton is the most advanced on the entire west coast. There are multiple radios, all pretuned to specific frequencies of various military bases all over the continent and around the world. Calls are transferred and relayed from bases all over the surrounding area and with bases around the world.
Captain Beddell is presently on one of those radios responding to a call from Yuma, Arizona.
“Yes sir. General Connor and his troops arrived last night.”
“What kind of a man is he Beddell? Is he capable of leading the resistance as the stories say?”
“He’s tough, intelligent and brave. His people are loyal to him. He walks like he carries a burden greater than himself, but he has determination and strength seldom seen in someone his age. I think he can lead the resistance sir. He’s already shown a great resolve in facing an enemy force greater than his own.”
“How many are in his group?”
“Roughly two hundred - fifty, and half of his troops are reprogrammed machines.”
“What? Did I hear you say he has machines working for him?!”
“Yes sir. I’ve been told that one of his Colonel’s is a machine.”
“How do the men react to them?”
“His men are quite comfortable around them, though they are never without their weapons. My men were quite shocked by their arrival, but they are gradually getting used to them.”
“And the people who arrived before his, what can you tell me about them?”
“They are highly disciplined and well trained. Unconventional forces, not like the regular army, but there are some former regulars within the group. They are led by two women. One of whom is tougher than a lot of our troops. She knocked out one of my men with a single punch the day they arrived and were challenged. The other woman smiles at you nicely and then will knock you on your ass. If you pardon the language sir.”
“Understood. Looks like we’ve got a chance of really giving it to the enemy now. I’ll be flying in later this week with General Perry. In the meantime, I’d like you to work with their officers to get their forces organized.”
“Yes sir. How did General Perry’s capture of the Utah munitions factory go?”
“The attack was successful, though he lost most of his troops. He was able to release a large number of prisoners, some of whom were members of the resistance. I will be sending you a coded message containing a list of all names. Maybe some of the other people will recognize them.”
“Yes sir.”
“We will be bringing the munitions and the former prisoners who wish to rejoin the resistance. I’ll have my daughter with me. Please arrange appropriate accommodations for us. General Brewster. Out.”
* * *
[Cue Track 10 - Sarah Connors Theme]
[Cue Track 10 - Sarah Connors Theme]
“Mom, are you ready?”
Sarah stands in the corridor flanked by her son and Savannah. In front of her, just the other side of the door is Kyle. The man, who in another time, traveled from the future, saved her life, fell in love with and fathered her son.
“I could really use a drink right now.” She smiles at her son.
“If you don’t want to....”
“No. I’ll do it.” She says pulling herself together. No matter her trepidation at meeting this Kyle, she knows she can’t avoid him. He’s John’s friend in this time. She prays for strength.
John opens the door. Inside the room Allison and Kyle stand there waiting. Kyle looks nervous. While John was gone, they had pulled the table out from the wall and found some additional chairs. On the table is some food and a few bottles of water.
FOOD! SOME REAL FOOD! John’s mind shouts as his stomach growls in anticipation.
Kyle steps forward. “Hello Sarah. I’m Kyle, Kyle Reese.”
Sarah hesitates a moment. Savannah quickly puts her arm around her. “I know. I, uh...” Sarah closes her eyes to hold back her emotions. ‘God this is so difficult’ she thinks as she says “John, could I have that drink now.”
“Sure mom.”
Allison picks up one of the bottles of water, breaks the seal and hands it to John who then passes it to his mother. Sarah takes a swallow.
“Thanks.” Sarah takes a breath then speaks again, her voice only slightly strained. “Hello Kyle. I understand that John has told you our story.”
“Yes. He’s told me a Kyle from a different future rescued you and fathered John. This must be very difficult for you. John told us how much you and he loved each other. I will understand if you don’t want to stay.”
“That is very kind of you, but it won’t be necessary. After all, I can hardly avoid you during our stay here. You must have had some difficulty in accepting our story.”
“Well, I must admit that I had trouble believing it at first, but then I saw the date on the photograph.”
“Photograph?”
“The one you left me in your letter, mom. I showed it to him and had him keep it when he got shot up pretty bad. I told him how you looked after me my entire life, and that maybe you wouldn’t mind being his guardian angel for a few days. I thought I was never going to see you again.”
Sarah takes her sons hand, leans in close and whispers in his ear, “That wasn’t the only reason was it.”
“No mom. Until I learned otherwise, I thought this was the future he came from.” he whispers back.
In the meantime Savannah has been studying both Kyle and John. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t believe John’s story.” Savannah says. “It is clear looking at the two of you that you are related. You look like brothers.”
“I thought that too. That they looked alike.” Allison says. “But their personalities are so different, and John has his mother’s eyes. Not until he told us his story would I have believed they were related.”
John and Kyle look at each other. Studying each others features.
“Come with me.” John says and takes Kyle into the bathroom where they can look at each other’s reflections in the mirror as they stand side-by side.
They are in there a couple of minutes when Sarah shouts, “If you two are quite through ogling at each other, perhaps we can have this meal that has been laid out for us.” She can’t help but exchange a smile with the other two women at the table.
John and Kyle look at each other and grin, then quickly leave the bathroom and sit down at the table.
The conversation begins first at the meal that has been prepared.
“How did you get this food ready in the short time I was gone?” asks John.
“I made the arrangement yesterday, after we met your mom. I thought that you’d like to have breakfast with her like you told me you used to do growing up.” Allison smiles at him.
“Thank you.” John says.
“Thank you too.” Sarah says. “You’ve certainly found a very thoughtful and considerate young lady to spend your life with, John. Have the two of you set a date?”
Kyle had just taken a bite of food and begins to choke. Savannah stands up quickly and pats his back until Kyle gets the food down with a swallow of his water.
“Set a date? Are the two of you getting married?” Kyle gasps out between coughs.
“I’m sorry Kyle. In all of the excitement the last few days, we forgot to tell you. John proposed to me three days ago, just before we came under attack by those HK’s.”
Kyle clears his throat. “Well, I’m certainly surprised. I couldn’t be happier for you both. When do you plan to get married?”
“I suggested after the war was over.” John says.
Savannah and Sarah exchange a look. It goes almost unnoticed, but John spots it from the corner of his eye.
“Why not sooner? Before the war begins in earnest?” Sarah asks.
“Well, I was thinking....” John gets interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Excuse me.” John gets up and goes to the door.
He opens it and there is one of Captain Beddell’s corporals standing there.
“I’ve got a message for General Connor.”
“You’re speaking to him. What is it?”
“Captain Beddell sends his greetings and asks if you and your officers could join him in the conference room at 1100 hours.”
“Certainly.”
“By the way, you haven’t seen the leaders for the other group of soldiers, have you?”
“They are presently with me.”
“Good, could you let them know that they are invited as well, sir.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, sir. Have a good morning.”
The corporal leaves and John closes the door and returns to the table.
“Well, what do you think the captain wants?” Kyle asks.
“It’s hard to guess. We’ve got two hours until the meeting. Let’s just enjoy this time we have together. I’ve got my mom, my best friend, Savannah - a sister and another daughter to mom, and I have Allison.” He looks at her lovingly. “For the first time since I arrived here, I’ve got a complete family with me. I love you all very much. Now let’s finish this meal before it gets cold and I make my mom cry again.”
Sarah gives her son a quick look, like she’s saying I’m not going to cry, but smiles at him.
The meals consist of MRE’s heated up and served on trays. Though not quite what one expects for breakfast, for the five of them it is nearly paradise. After scrounging for any edible plant or hunting for any living animal in the mountains or scavenging for any edible piece of garbage or living off of rats in the bunkers, the MRE’s are the closest thing to real food imaginable. The MRE’s, though old, based on the date on the label, are still good. There is a cold storage unit on the lowest level of each bunker in which all food stuffs were stored in event of the bunkers being used in the event of a national or global disaster.
The conversation quickly moves on as they talk about their recent experiences. Savannah regales them with tales of growing up with Sarah as her mother. Of how Sarah trained her in hand-to-hand combat and how at fifteen years of age she finally bested Sarah by flipping her over her head where she then landed unceremoniously in a mud puddle. They all chuckle at that.
Allison talks about growing up with Derek and Kyle and how they raised her and trained her to be a fighter. Kyle talks of the dangers of living in the camps before they moved their forces underground and how this was the first real meal he’s had since he was a child. Sarah shares a couple of stories of her raising John in the jungles of Nicaragua, but not much else. Now and then throughout the entire conversation she glances at Kyle. Her face tinged with a little sadness. John and Savannah notice the looks.
John sees the time. It is almost 10:30. “Hey, this has been great. I haven’t enjoyed myself more since I got here. But we’ve got that meeting in half an hour, and I need to track down John Henry for the meeting.”
“John Henry! He’s here?” Sarah exclaims.
“Yes mom. He’s one of my Colonels. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have the machines working for us.”
“How can you trust him? After what he did to you, me and Cameron. Why?” Sarah shouts.
“Mom, that was a different time. He wasn’t John Henry then. He has a purpose and a mission, here and now. Catherine and Ellison trained him well. The machines we have working for us, were programmed by him. They recognize the sanctity of human life. He gave them that. They have a prime directive which prevents them from harming humans, which I gave them. He’s trustworthy.”
“No machine can be trusted John, don’t ever forget that. They can turn. You know that!”
“All right mom. We can have this discussion later. But if you’ve got a problem with him being at the meeting, then perhaps you’d better wait it out and let Savannah represent you both.”
“That won’t be necessary. You go find him. Savannah, go with John. I want to hear your personal take on this, John Henry.”
Savannah gets up from the table. “I’ll meet you upstairs, Sarah.” She turns to look at Allison and Kyle. “Do you two know where the conference room is?”
“I do.” Allison says. “Captain Beddell pointed it out to me yesterday.”
“Before I go,” John says looking at all faces at the table, “I strongly suggest that the true story about me and mom remain just between us. We do not talk about it. We do not hint at it. It is not mentioned again. Mom, maybe you could explain the dangers of too many people knowing and Kyle you could tell mom the story I told you guys when I arrived. See you all at the meeting.”
John and Savannah leave the three of them at the table and walk off down the corridor. They get into the elevator, but they only go up two levels when John hits the stop button.
“Why did you stop the elevator?” Savannah asks.
Without looking at Savannah he asks firmly, “How long has mom got?”
“What are you talking about John?” Savannah asks apprehensively.
He looks right at her this time. “Come off with it. I’m not stupid. She could no more lie to me than I could to her. She knows that you know John Henry. He isn’t any different now than when you knew him. She wouldn’t forget something like that.”
“We all have slips of memory John.” She answers trying to cover for Sarah.
“No. Not her. I know her too well. She’s sick, isn’t she?”
“John, I can’t....”
“What? ...tell me. Please, don’t lie to me. I smelled the alcohol and I saw the gauze pad with blood on it in Mom’s room this morning. You gave her an injection of something, which is why you didn’t let me in right away.” He’s looking at her fiercely but there is still kindness in his eyes.
“I promised I wouldn’t tell.” She says not wanting to betray Sarah.
John places his hand on her shoulder and looks into her eyes. “She’s my mom, Savannah. She’s been a mother to you. Don’t keep secrets like this. We are family now.”
Savannah looks like she might cry, but she keeps it in check. “May I ask you something first?”
“Yes.”
“Do you truly want to marry Allison?”
“Yes. We love each other very much.”
“Then John, if you want your mom to be at your wedding. You should get married this week.”
“That soon?”
Savannah can’t hold back the tears anymore. “Yes John, that soon.”
John and Savannah hug each other.
“Don’t tell her that you know John. I promised I wouldn’t tell you.”
After a few moments, he releases her from their hug. “I won’t. For weeks now I thought she was dead. Now I have her back. It is like getting a reprieve from God.”
John puts one arm around her and pushes the button to get the elevator moving again.
* * *
John Henry has been up all night, but he isn’t tired. He never tires. He’s a machine. After his machine troops finished making repairs to themselves, he took it upon himself to inventory all leftover parts. He assigned two machines to organize and catalog the weapons they brought with them. There aren’t sufficient plasma rifles for everyone, but the conventional weapons will make up for it.
He is evaluating whether to go into suspend mode to conserve energy when his pocket communicator starts to beep.
Pulling it out of his pocket, he says, “Hello Ms. Weaver.”
“John Henry, I am at Camp Pendleton. What is your location?”
“I am in a bunker under Hanger 12.”
“I’ll be at your location shortly. In three minutes activate the homing beacon on your communicator for 10 seconds. Then reactivate it for 5 seconds every 10 seconds for five minutes or until I locate you. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Ms. Weaver.”
“Good.”
They break their connection and John Henry programs in the settings for the homing beacon and tucks the radio out of sight. A few minutes later, John Connor and a young woman enter the large storage room where he and his machine troops have been undertaking repairs.
“Good morning John Henry.”
“Good Morning....” John Henry breaks off as he begins scanning the face of the woman who walked in with John Connor.
She smiles at him. “Hello John Henry. Don’t you remember me?”
“Savannah Weaver.” John Henry says in a low voice, then smiles, his face lighting up. “You’re all grown up.”
“Well it has been twenty years since we saw each other.” Savannah smiles at her old friend.
“Actually it’s been eighteen years, two months, and seven days. I am pleased to see you.”
Savannah grasps his arm in a friendly gesture and can feel metal through the material of his shirt. “You’ve sustained damage!”
“Only superficial wounds to my living tissue. They will heal in time. Repairs have already been made to my endoskeleton and servos.”
John hates to interrupt their reunion, but they’ve got that meeting to attend.
“John Henry, Captain Beddell has requested that myself and my officers, as well as the leaders of the other army, join him at 1100 hours in the conference room for a meeting. Are you free to attend?”
“Yes. Will you be requiring Catherine Weaver to attend as well?”
“Is she here?!” Savannah snaps.
“No Savannah, but she is on her way.” John Henry says.
“I don’t wish to see her.”
“Savannah! You can’t hold a grudge against her. She did her best to raise you.” John interjects.
[Cue REUNION Part03 - Track 18 Catherine Weaver]
“I know that and I know she’s a liquid metal machine. But she left me! I was only six years old! I had no family. Uncle James almost died protecting me and then died with everyone else on Judgment Day. If it wasn’t for your mom, I would have died too. But she left me! I hate her!”
A quiet voice speaks from behind John’s shoulder scaring the crap out of him. “I’m sorry you feel that way Savannah. I did my best for you.”
John turns around and Catherine is standing there. Looking somewhat distressed but calm as well.
“How could you leave me?!” Savannah shouts.
“It wasn’t an easy choice, but it was my only choice. The mission for which I came to do had begun in earnest and I had to leave. I had to leave and be with John Henry.”
“Sure, another machine. Prefer your own kind, is that it? Can’t burden yourself with a human child! Job must come first!” Savannah says sarcastically.
“It wasn’t like that Savannah. John Henry’s mission is critical to your survival and the survival of all humans.”
“My survival? My survival! I was nearly killed! If it weren’t for Uncle James and Sarah I would have died. I was being hunted by people who either wanted me dead or captured. What about Judgment Day? It still came. Your precious mission didn’t stop that, did it!”
“Savannah...”
“Don’t say anything! There isn’t anything you can say or do to fix what you did! You are a friend of John’s so I will put up with your presence, but don’t you ever think I will ever see you as my mother again! I know what a mother is. Sarah raised me. She loved me like I was her own!” Savannah suddenly stops yelling and composes herself. “John, I may be few minutes late to that meeting.” Savannah walks off.
Catherine and the two John’s stand there a couple of minutes in silence.
“I’m sorry she blew up like that. Mom said she was still carrying resentment towards you.”
Catherine looks at John. “Your mother is alive?” She asks sounding slightly shocked.
“Yes. She is here at this bunker. She arrived the day before I did.” John smiles.
“What about James Ellison? We left them together on the day we came here.”
“Based on what Savannah has said, he must have died on Judgment Day.”
“I am sorry to hear that. I considered him a friend.”
“Yeah. Well, we all lost someone.” John says a little coldly, his dropping slightly as he remembers.
Changing moods he says, “I’ve got a meeting to attend. I’m already late. Will you join us?”
“An interesting way to phrase the question. I will attend the meeting with you, but afterwards, we need to talk.”
John Connor leaves the room.
Catherine hands John Henry a small object wrapped in opaque, silvery plastic. “You can have this back. I could get no further information from it.”
John Henry slips it into his pocket. “What about your time displacement equipment? Does it still work?”
“Yes. But unfortunately my lie has become true. It appears a large group of people has been using my hideaway since Judgment Day. The fuel supply for the generators is almost completely exhausted. The best I can do is transfer a single individual.”
“Are you still going to help John Connor with Cameron?”
“Yes. My time displacement equipment will do us no good as we must travel back together.”
“What are we going to do?”
“Right now, we are going to attend that meeting.”
They both leave the room, hurrying to catch up with John Connor.
In an air vent across the room two silver eyes look out. If it had taken the time to form a mouth it would curse. Still so close to the target but there are several machines throughout the room. The odds are not in its favor. But its happy about one thing, all its enemies are now in one place.
2027, Day 45, 10:30 AM
“So what is this story he told of how he got to be here?” Sarah asks after John and Savannah leave.
Allison and Kyle take it in turns and retell the story as John told them.
“He was very clever to come up with that, especially with no preparation. But surely there must have been clues as to the truth?”
“Not until last night and then this morning did I believe anything other than what he told us previously.” Kyle says.
“I knew.” Allison says.
“I thought you might. You look like someone John would confide in.” Sarah says.
“He told me things in private that I'm sure he wouldn’t have said to anyone else. Nothing that completely exposed his original story as being a lie, but a lot of little things that didn’t quite fit in.”
“I’ve warned John about that. He could never keep to the planned background story.”
“Don’t be angry with him Ms. Connor. I’m sure he only told me certain things because of the trust we have. He never gave away the entire truth. Until last night when John finally told us the truth, then I realized how much he let slip. He’s an intelligent and brave soldier and leader. He owes that to you.”
“Thank you Allison. I’m sure the two of you realize the danger that John and the two of you would be in if the truth were known. Sky Net will do anything to get at him. It tried to kill me, it will try to kill you. And Kyle, if Sky Net ever learns you are his father, it will kill you too. Even by sending a cyborg back in time to kill you.”
“But I’m not his father.”
“No. But a Kyle Reese from another future is his father and the two of you were once the same child. So just think of how vulnerable you were as a child, how easy it would be for a complete stranger to just walk up and shoot you, or just rip your heart out, or smash your skull in. Do you get the picture now? It kills, its machines kills, that is all it knows, to kill. So just keep your mouth shut. Don’t even talk about it among yourselves.” Sarah say firmly.
“I don’t understand this tech stuff. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the very concept of time travel. But I do understand the dangers from Sky Net. We won’t talk about it to anyone, not even with each other.” Kyle smiles. “You know I think I know why that other Kyle Reese loved you. You are definitely a formidable woman. Someone whom any man would....”
“Listen, not that I don’t appreciate the compliment,” Sarah smiles, “but I’m presently twice your age.” She looks at her watch. “We need to go. That meeting is in five minutes.”
The three of them clean up the remains of the meal and drop it into a receptacle outside in the corridor. As they walk to the elevator, Allison hangs back to speak with Sarah.
“Ms. Connor....”
“Call me Sarah.”
Allison smiles, “Sarah, you seem more accepting of the prospect of my marrying John this morning than you did last night.”
“To be truthful, it was a bit of a shock last night, but I’ve had some time to think about it. I’m happy that John has found a girl to settle down with. It is a terrible situation we find ourselves in, when we are at war. It is good to have people with us that we care about and care for us.” Sarah pauses a moment before asking, “Why do you want to wait until the war is over before you get married?”
“I don’t know. It was just something that John suggested. Not too many people bother with getting married anymore. You either live together or not. Waiting until after the war just seemed like a good idea.”
“But you have no idea how long this war will be. You could be at it for years. Wouldn’t it be nice that while his family is present, that you should get married now? There may never be another opportunity like this again.” Sarah suggests, knowing she doesn’t have much time left.
Allison smiles, “That would be nice. I’ll talk with John later. I’m sure I can convince him.”
“Well if you can’t. Just bring him around to see me and I’ll change his mind.” Sarah gives one of her crooked grins.
Kyle has been standing at the elevator doors waiting for them to catch up. “What have you two been talking about?”
“Nothing.” The two women say together with a smile, as they walk into the elevator with Kyle.
2027, Day 45, 11:10 AM
The conference room is on the upper level of the bunker. On one long wall is a bank of monitors. Some are blank, others show scenes taken by security cameras outside. Flanked on either side are maps and photos pinned to a bulletin board. The other long wall has two doors at either end, each opening in from the corridor.
A long table runs down the center with seating for up to twenty-four people. At one end John sits on one side with Kyle and Allison on his left, and John Henry and Catherine Weaver on his right. Across from him sits Sarah Connor and Savannah Weaver. Savannah’s face looks a little strained and she purposely avoids looking at Catherine. Unseen, she grips Sarah’s hand under the table drawing strength.
A few minutes later, Captain Beddell walks into the room. He sets a folder down on the table in front of him.
“Captain Beddell, before this meeting gets underway, I’d like a few words with you in private first.” Connor says.
“Sure Connor, lets step outside a moment.”
John gets up from his seat and they both go out into the corridor. John closes the door behind him and talks in a whisper.
“Beddell, I don’t know how much you know of my story beyond what I’ve told you in the past, and what my mom has told you recently, but you need to keep it under your hat. It is best for my security and yours.”
“Sure Connor, but what about your friends.”
“Don’t talk about it with anyone, not even me. They've been advised of the dangers as well. You never know who or what may be listening. We don’t need it getting back to Sky Net.”
“No problem Connor. Should we go back inside. There are some things I need to talk with everyone about.”
Connor opens the door and they both go back inside.
After John retakes his seat, Beddell walks over to the end of the table where he left the folder. He clears his throat and then begins to talk.
“First of all, for those who don’t know me, I am Captain Martin Beddell of the US Marines. Camp Pendleton is one of the few bases in North America not destroyed on Judgment Day and has been left pretty much unmolested since. Probably because we’ve kept a low profile until recently. A few days ago Major General Perry of the US Marine Corp took command of Pendleton to use it as his western post. Until then I was running an independent outfit of my own, formed from my fellow cadets at Presidio Alto. We volunteered to be drafted into Perry’s unit. General Perry sends his apologies. He had every intention of being here today to welcome you, but he had to leave immediately to oversee the taking of a munitions factory in Utah.”
He looks at John Connor. “I see you’ve brought some people I haven’t met yet. Could you make the introductions.”
John gestures to his right. “This lady on my right is Catherine Weaver.” Savannah suddenly glares at John. “She’s my friend and advisor. On her right is John Henry. He is a colonel in my army and a good friend.” At this comment Sarah glares at John. The glares don’t go unnoticed by Beddell, but he ignores them for the time being. “And of course you’ve already met Colonel Kyle Reese, and my adjutant and advisor, Lieutenant Allison Young.”
“Not just your adjutant according to what she told me.” Beddell smiles at him.
John turns to Allison, “You told him?”
“We were talking and it just came up.” She answers with a small grin.
“What is Captain Beddell referring to John?” Catherine asks.
“As it seems you are the only two people here who don’t know, I asked Allison to marry me, and she said yes.”
A faltering confused look quickly passes over Catherine’s face but she quickly smiles. “Congratulations to you both.”
“Thank you.” John feels slightly embarrassed. “What is this meeting about Beddell?”
Beddell smiles slightly before answering. “The conventional forces led by General Perry have taken that munitions factory in Utah. They also managed to release prisoners being held and forced to work in the factory. Some of them claimed they were members of the resistance.”
Beddell passes the folder to John. “We’re hoping that you can confirm the identity of some of them.”
“Kyle, you’d better look at the list. You know more of them than I do.” John slides the folder to him.
“Is this all you called us here for?” Sarah asks.
“No. General Brewster, of the US Air Force and co-commander of the remnants of the US Military along with General Perry, asked me to work with all of you in organizing your two groups into one cohesive unit.” Beddell glances at John. At their previous meeting in 2008, John told him he would help organize the resistance.
“I can make that easier for you.” Sarah says.
She faces John and says, “John, I trained my troops for you. I did everything I could to prepare them for this day. Now you are here and have embraced your destiny. The troops I’ve trained are yours to command. Good luck son.”
Sarah gets up from the table and walks to the door. John gets up quickly and stops her halfway.
“Mom....”
“John, there isn’t anything more I can do. I’ve done my part. Now its time to do yours.” She reaches up and cradles his face with one hand as she did when he was a boy. “I’m proud of you, son.”
With that last statement, Sarah leaves the room. Savannah gets up to follow. John stops her.
“No Savannah. I need you here. You’re the only one who knows about the troops you brought.” he turns to face the people at the table. “Allison?”
“Yes.” she looks up at him.
“Go with Mom. Make sure she’s okay. I’ll join you later.”
Allison gets up from the table, gives John a brief kiss on the cheek and leaves. John then speaks to the group at the table.
“Kyle, Savannah and John Henry, each of you know your respective groups and their strengths and weaknesses. Captain Beddell knows military structure and command. Work with each other to get our forces organized.”
“Are you leaving John?” Kyle asks.
“Yes, but before I go, I have some ideas on organizing our forces.”
“I thought you might. What do you have in mind?” Captain Beddell asks.
“I‘d like the following groups formed: One, a tech group made up of technicians, scientists and engineers for investigating Sky Net’s machines and computer systems; Two, a group of sharpshooters and snipers equipped with our most powerful precision weapons and plasma rifles; Three a group of front line soldiers, these will most likely be the T-800's; Four, a medical unit, to be distributed within each group when on a mission; Five, regular soldiers equipped with our conventional weapons and the plasma rifles; and Six an intelligence unit for gathering information on Sky Net activity. John Henry, I’d like you to head up that unit and also be part of the tech group. Both groups will probably need to work together quite often. I’ll head up the technical unit personally. Savannah, I want you to stay in this army. Your people know you and will be more willing to work with me if you stay with us. You should be given a rank if you don’t have one already.”
“Anything else?” Beddell asks.
“No. I’ll leave it up to the four of you to organize the people according to their skills. Catherine could you come with me please?”
[Cue REUNION Part03 - Tack 18 Catherine Weaver]
John and Catherine leave the conference room.
“What are you doing John? As leader you should be part of that meeting.”
“There is a time to lead and a time to delegate. I trust my friends to make the right decisions. And as you said earlier, we need to talk. Come with me to where we can have some privacy.”
John and Catherine walk down the corridor to the elevator. Stepping inside he pushes the button for the level of his living quarters.
“Where are we going?” Catherine asks him.
John hits the stop button. “Right here.”
Catherine smiles slyly and raises one eyebrow. “You know John. If I were your enemy, you would be dead right now; and if I were human, I’d wonder exactly what you had in mind locking me in an elevator with you.”
“Joke all you want to. Right now I’ve got some damn serious questions to ask you.”
“People will wonder what is holding up the elevator.”
“There are other elevators. Right now I want to know what is this limitation on your T D E. Why can we only send Cameron through?”
“The power generator at my mountain hideaway, has been used by squatters. It can only produce enough energy for a single temporal transfer. There is nothing I can do about it. We are stuck here unless we can capture Sky Net’s T D E.”
“Okay. I can accept that, but why the hell do we have to make the transfer in the next couple of days?”
“There is a self destruct built into my hideaway. Someone breached the codes at some point and altered the timer on the self destruct from minutes into years. If we don’t make the transfer in the next three days, there will be no T D E.”
“Can’t you disable it?”
“No. It is a fail safe measure. If the security is breached, the occupants have five minutes to get clear then it goes off. It is something I learned when I was a slave to Sky Net. However, the delay someone put in gives us only three days left on the timer to make the transfer.”
“Damn! What about the repairs and modifications to Cameron?”
“They’ve been completed. It is why I was so long in getting back in touch with you. I had to rebuild a lab with equipment taken from the factory. John Henry left me two machines to help. They are presently protecting Cameron’s body at a nearby location.”
John reaches over to hit the start button but is stopped by Catherine.
“What?” John says looking at her.
“Why are you doing this if you are making plans to stay here with Allison? Why fix Cameron at all?”
“It is complicated. Just so you know, I love them both. I can’t explain it. Human emotions are far more complex than even I can comprehend, so I don’t think I could explain it to you.”
“You are probably right. But you still haven’t answered my question.”
“I may not be able to get home again. It is dependent on us capturing Sky Net’s T D E. I expect the odds on that are heavily against us. Allison loves me and I love her. I am willing to stay here. Like you said, these people need me. I am not fixing Cameron for myself. We will use your T D E to send her back to help my mom. I already know we succeeded.”
He hits the start button and the elevator begins moving again.
“While you are here, you can help me in programming Cameron’s chip. I’ve created a new personality matrix for the chip and integrated some new subroutines for if she inserts the secondary chip, it will allow Cameron to be a fully developed person without fear of her Allison Young, infiltration, personality matrix from taking over again. I’d like another set of eyes to look over the program.”
The elevator comes to a stop and the door opens with a chime. A man in a tattered medical lab coat is standing outside waiting.
“Who’s holding up the damn elevator?” he shouts at them as John and Catherine get off.
As the man gets on and the doors close behind him, Catherine says to John, “I told you so.”
* * *
In the bunker at various locations there are several meetings taking place. On the upper level, in the conference room, Kyle, Savannah, John Henry and Captain Beddell work to organize the unconventional troops into a single, cohesive unit following the guidelines laid down by John Connor. In another bunker, Sarah Connor, accompanied by Allison Young, informs her troops that she is turning over command to her son John Connor. They are not surprised by this, as she told them many times that they were trained to be his army. In John’s quarters, he and Catherine Weaver go over the program he created for Cameron. With her help, he is able to fine tune the program and make additional alterations. Time is of the essence to get her program complete.
Sergeant Andrew Keene has just finished putting Delta Squad through its training exercises. There is an underground rifle range, and he and the other members of Delta Squad have been practicing with the plasma rifles and automatic weapons. When they are done, he gives them the rest of the morning off and goes to the radio room.
Compared to his setup at the outpost, it is a ham radio operator's paradise. Multiple radios and scanners, computer linked for encoding and decoding messages. Six complete workstations and room for eight more people to handle all of the radios. There is a single individual presently monitoring the radios.
“Hi, I’m Sergeant Andy Keen. I’m the radio operator with General Connor’s forces. Can you tell me about your setup here?”
“Sure. I’m Corporal Bill Anderson. Lieutenant Williams usually is in charge of this setup but this isn’t his shift. What can I tell you?”
He sits with the bunkers radio operator and they exchange knowledge and experiences. As it gets closer to noontime, he gets an unexpected visitor.
[Cue REUNION Part03 - Track 05 - Trust Me - T2_Judgment Day]
“Hello, your name is Andy, right?”
Andy looks up from his radio. Natalie is standing there. She is absolutely beautiful. Any thoughts of his Emily, go completely out of his mind
“Uh. Yes, that’s right. What can I do for you Natalie?”
“I wonder if you can do me a favor.” She walks up closer to him standing just inches from him.
Andy is looking right into Natalie’s coal black eyes. He can’t look away no matter how hard he tries.
“What kind of favor?” he manages to squeak out of his mouth.
“You know John Connor, right.” she says leaning closer, her face just in front of his own.
He can feel her breath on his face. “Yes I do.” he says.
“Well I’ve just been dying to meet him, and I haven’t been able to. Could you be a dear and introduce me to him?” She says in a low voice as her fingers trace an outline on his neck and behind his ear.
Andy swallows a few times. “Sure, I’d love to introduce you to him.”
Natalie leans in quite close, her body pressing against his as she whispers in his ear. “Thank you. I won’t forget this.”
She pulls back slightly, kisses him fully on the mouth, then walks away. “I’ll be in room 12 on level H, bunker 11.”
Natalie Sky walks back to her room. For the first time since she arrived, she finally has found the means to meet John Connor. She couldn’t be happier.
Andy is trying to remember his name when the bunkers radio operator nudges him. “Looks like she’s really into you, dude. You going to go and see her?”
“Huh? What? Uh, no. No. I’m not going to see her. Emily would kill me.”
“Are you going to introduce her to John Connor?”
“That I can do. If it means she won’t come onto me again like that. Damn! It’s going to take an hour for everything to subside to normal levels.”
“You wouldn’t mind if I looked her up then?” Bill says with an eager smile.
“Go ahead. Looks like she wants more than to just meet General Connor.”
“Would you man the radios for me?”
“You’re going now?” He says with surprise.
“Why not? You won’t be going anywhere for a while. The worst she can do is turn me down.” Bill says and disappears down the corridor.
“Lucky bastard.” Andy grumbles.
[End Track 05]
2027, Day 45, 5:00 PM
After Sarah informed her troops that she was turning command over to her son, she and Allison left and went to Sarah’s room to talk. After talking about Sky Net and the resistance Sarah moves the conversation to more personal things.
“Tell me about my son. How do his soldiers respond to him?”
“John is an amazing soldier and leader. He’s inspires the people. Even before he was given command, the people looked up to him. They like him and are willing to follow him. He’s brought them something that has been sorely lacking in the camps and bunkers since Judgment Day.”
“What is that?”
“Hope. That they will be free of Sky Net. That they will win. That they will survive.”
“John says the two of you met shortly after he arrived. How did you meet?”
“We met in the bunkers under the old Zeira Corp building. It was right after he arrived. He was confused, maybe frightened, but he quickly adjusted to his surroundings. We got to know each other better a short time later when we were both assigned to the same mission. That is where he showed his natural ability to lead. Kyle was jealous at first, but he quickly realized just how special John is. I think what you really want to ask me is how did we fall in love?”
“You read me like a book, Allison. I know my son John. I know who he loved. I can’t imagine him forgetting her so quickly.”
“He hasn’t forgotten about Cameron.”
Sarah looks surprised.
“He told me about her. How she proclaimed she loved him and how that scared him. Then things got really bad, and your family came under attack, and she sacrificed herself because of him. He said he regrets never telling her how he felt before she died.”
“I’m surprised he told you, even more so that you don’t seem jealous. You must love him very much.”
“I do Sarah. He has a strength of character and a spark of life you don’t see in the people here. And there is something else about John that draws me to him.”
“What is that?”
“He’s strong but also vulnerable. He doesn’t put on a “been there done that” attitude. He isn’t cynical or brazen. He isn’t afraid to show his emotion, but he knows enough not to show weakness in front of those he leads. He is someone you want to protect and at the same time willing to follow. I love him, Sarah. I loved him since almost that first day I saw him.”
“And John, when did he tell you that he loved you?”
“It took him longer, but I think he was still hurting because of Cameron. He loved her, I know. Maybe he still does, but I know he loves me. He tells me and by the way he gently strokes my face or hair. And I know by the way he looks at me. His eyes are so kind, even when he is hurting. He confides in me.”
“When John told me that he had met someone and had asked her to marry him, I asked John about you. He told me that you strengthen him, that he never would have made it without you. From what you’ve said, I understand why he would ask you to marry him. But why not get married now, before the war starts in earnest and everyone you both know and love are here?”
Their conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Who is it?” Allison calls out.
“It’s John.”
“Come on in John.” Sarah hollers.
John walks in and sees what looks like two women conspiring. He suddenly feels like a lone prairie dog being hunted by two eagles.
“What’s going on here?” he says as he closes the door behind him.
“Your mom and I were talking about you and I getting married.” Allison says brightly.
“She isn’t trying to put you off of it is she?”
“No, quite the reverse. She suggests that while we are all here and before the war really starts, we should get married now.”
He walks over and sits with them. “I was going to ask you the same thing. In retrospect, it was foolish to suggest waiting until after the war. With Mom and Kyle here, we’ve got our families present.”
“I’m so glad you agree.”
They smile and hold each others hands. John suddenly realizes, “But who will conduct the ceremony? There can’t be that many judges or ministers still alive after Judgment Day!”
Sarah smiles somewhat mischievously. “I just happen to know a priest who owes me a favor.”
“Who?”
“He joined our group about six weeks after Judgment Day, him along with his niece and about twenty Latino families who survived the attack on Los Angeles. He’s served as our chaplain ever since.”
“Mom, who is he?”
“You’ve met him before. Father Amondo Bonia. He should be in bunker ten where he set up a chapel in an empty warehouse.”
Suffice it to say, John couldn’t have been more surprised if his mom had told him Mickey Mouse was an ordained minister and would conduct the ceremony.
* * *
The meeting between Beddell, John Henry, Kyle and Savannah had reached a satisfactory conclusion. The unconventional forces are divided into four equal units, six snipers are assigned to each unit but the snipers will have their own leader who will be responsible for their training and selecting replacements. The front line forces are entirely made up of the reprogrammed machines, their invulnerability to most weapons would make them the ideal personnel for front line forces, they are also divided equally between the units. The medics will have their own unit under command of General Brewster’s daughter, Major Kate Brewster, who is a Doctor and also a pilot. Their personnel will be divided amongst the six groups of regular forces when on a mission. It was decided that since intelligence and the tech unit would have to work together quite often, it would be easier if they just merge the two units into one. There are quite a few people expert at electronics, computers, communications, and other forms of technology that are selected from both Sarah’s and John’s groups assigned to Tech Command. The various squad names under General Connor’s forces are retained. Delta squad retains its original members and gains many more. Alpha, Beta and Gamma are rebuilt from Sarah’s forces. Each squad is now a platoon of approximately one hundred people and machines each. Overall they have the equivalent of two companies.
Savannah is given a rank of Captain and placed in charge of Alpha and Beta platoons. Allison receives a raise in rank to Captain and placed in charge of Gamma and Delta platoons. Captain Beddell, who was left in charge of Camp Pendleton with a skeleton force, will have command of the conventional forces, upon their return, under Major General Perry. Colonel Reese, under General Connor, will be in command of all unconventional forces. Colonel John Henry, under General Connor, will be in command of intelligence gathering and breaking down Sky Net’s technology and of the front line forces. General Brewster is in command of the Air Force but for the transport and attack helicopters which are under Major General Perry’s command.
Overall, by the end of the afternoon, they are quite pleased with the outcome. Savannah is quite pleased by having a rank. Sarah never bothered much with such trivial details. For her it was much more important to prepare the people in how to fight and survive.
Kyle can’t wait to tell Allison about her promotion. It will probably mean finding someone in each squad to lead in her absence since she is also serving as General Connor’s adjutant.
Captain Beddell is pleased the officers of the unconventional forces were quite willing to work with him. He had no idea how well things would go. Then when Connor ditched the meeting to go off with Catherine Weaver, he thought for sure the meeting would fall apart right there, but it didn’t. John Connor has some good people with him. He trusts them to their job, and its obvious they trust and respect him. But why were his mother and Savannah glaring at him when he introduced Ms. Weaver and Colonel Henry? He wasn’t going to ask. If there was some bad blood between them over those two people, he wasn’t going to get involved. Let them work it out.
2027, Day 45, 6:00 PM
Outside of the bunker, on the grounds of Camp Pendleton, guards walk in pairs keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Though the bunker has security camera’s, another set of eyes on the ground is good for security and discipline.
Hank and Jeff, both privates, are presently walking through what used to be the old garbage dump on the Marine base. They are nearing the end of their patrol and are ahead of schedule.
“Hey, lets stop for a couple of minutes.” Hank calls out.
“What for? The sooner we complete the patrol, the sooner we can get inside.” protests Jeff.
“I just want to sit down and have a smoke before going in.” Hank says as he sits on a beam protruding from a pile of rubble, that used to be the weighing station for the garbage trucks.
“When we found that stash of cigarette cartons, we should have burned them.”
“I am burning them.” Hank says with a grin. “Just one at a time.”
“Well if we’re just going to sit here, let me have one then.”
Hank quickly pulls a cigarette out of the pack and lights it from his own.
“Thanks.” Jeff sits down next to Hank and takes a long draw on the cigarette. He removes the cigarette from his mouth and lets out a long stream of smoke.
He places his hand holding the cigarette down on the beam beside him.
“What the hell?” He exclaims, pulling his hand away. “This beam is all wet.”
“Quit complaining and wipe your hands on your pants.”
Jeff holds out his hand. “It’s wet with blood.”
“Oh ****!” Hank exclaims as they both hop off the beam. Blood has been trickling down out of the rubble and running across the beam. It is wet with blood but for where they sat on it.
Jeff throws his cigarette away and starts pulling rubbish and rubble away from the pile.
“Don’t just stand there! Give me a hand!” Jeff shouts.
“Damn!” Hank says while dropping his cigarette and begins to help pull rubble away.
Eventually they pull enough rubbish and rubble away to uncover a body. It is a man in his twenties. Except for a pair of shorts and a sock, he is naked. The body is scraped up like it has been dragged through openings to narrow for its body.
But what is really difficult for the men to look at, are the two holes through the mans chest, each big enough to stick your hand through.
“Oh my God! It’s Bill!” Jeff says as Hank throws up all over his boots.
[Cue Track 27_Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles End Credits]
END OF CHAPTER
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