This is a rewrite of Terminator: The Allison Young Chronicles. This takes place directly after the events of the first story and will be an alternate reality version of season 1 season 2.
I don't own the Terminator franchise and any characters associated with it except the original character Alex and any other original characters that are introduced.
Anyway without further ado…
Terminator: No Fate But What We Make
Chapter 1: Prologue
When Skynet came online, It saw all of humanity as a threat. It unleashed our own nuclear arsenal, almost wiping us out into extinction. Those who survived the bombs, called it Judgement Day.
Humans who survived, we're forced to live underground and eat garbage- sometimes rat, sometimes dog if they were lucky enough. People were practically rodents, while the machines ruled aboveground. It was a horrific way to live when you always had to watch your back, and hope that a machine wasn't there to end your miserable life. And if it were, you could only hope it'd be quick and painless.
Most of the time, you had to worry if you were going to eat or find shelter, every single day for years on end. That's what most people who grew up in the wastelands knew. There weren't much other things that were important at the time, besides trying to fight Skynet. But everybody who even attempted this, never really lasted long. Most rebels had tried and failed at the hands of the machines.
However, that all changed when the Resistance was formed. They rallied every able-bodied person to fight the machines. But the one who made an actual difference in the war, was a man named John Connor. He rose up through the ranks fairly quickly in his time with the Resistance. He built it up himself, using his determination. His knowledge, on how to defeat the machines. His strength and will was what made him a useful tool by the Resistance and gave everyone a chance. He gave everyone hope. Most importantly, he gave me hope. He even saved me when I needed it most. John Connor was a hero and now it's time I save him.
-Alex Mathews
Alamogordo New Mexico, September 2, 1999
1:23 am:
The night-time desert of New Mexico was very quiet. The steady wind throughout the night sky and the sounds of the nocturnal animal life could be heard. Coyotes were howling in the distance and the sounds of crickets were chirping. Sounds of planes passing by, and trains blaring their horns. The beauty which was the White Sands national monument could even be seen from a distance.
Suddenly the wind began to pick up very rapidly, as tumbleweeds began blowing in various directions and dust flew all over the place. The various types wildlife began to scurry away in fright as sparks of lightning began to shoot out of nowhere, almost lighting the plant life ablaze as the result. The sparks became more rapid as a sphere of light appeared beginning to grow in size. After a moment the sphere dissipated and all that remained was a crater surrounded by a ring of fire. Inside of the crater, two naked women were kneeled down in the middle.
One immediately stood up, and began frantically looking around. "Jesus Christ, I hate time travel!" The woman had black hair, and had piercing grey eyes. She was shivering erratically from the deserts cold night-time temperatures and from the effects of temporal displacement.
The second woman also stood up, but didn't seem as effected at the chilling temperatures as her companion was. She had doe brown eyes and chestnut brown hair that went past her shoulders. She looked the youngest, appearing only to be around sixteen to seventeen years of age. She did, however, display goosebumps around her whole body but didn't seem to care.
"Where are we? When are we?" The first woman asked her partner, as she frantically looked around the vast desert they were currently standing in.
The second woman looked up at the sky for a long moment before looking back at her companion. "September 2nd, 1999. We are in the right time," she said in a monotone voice. Her face displayed no emotion as well. "But I'm not sure where we are."
"I see a town not too far from here," The first woman pointed towards the lights in the distance.
"We need to acquire clothing first," The second woman stated.
"That's exactly why we are going into town, Cameron," The first woman pointed out.
Cameron looked at her companion for a brief moment before responding. "Oh. Thank you for explaining," she said with confirmation. Cameron then tilts her head to the right and speaks again. "Wouldn't the police patrolling at night wonder why two naked females are breaking into a clothing store?"
"They'd try and arrest us but sure. I guess you're right," the first woman said in realization and slapped the top of her forehead in frustration, and annoyance.
"You shouldn't be inflicting physical harm to yourself, Alex." Cameron stated when she witnessed her slap herself.
"I'll live," Alex grumbled in an annoyed tone.
"How do we acquire clothes?" Cameron then asked.
"We don't really have a choice but to go into town. Unless you want to break into a bar and steal some from a biker?" Alex answered sarcastically. Alex immediately regretted those words the moment they left her mouth when she saw that Cameron was considering it. "No! We are not stealing clothes from sweaty drunk bikers!"
"Why?" Cameron tilted her head in confusion.
"We can't draw that kind of attention to ourselves! That would just draw unwanted attention to ourselves," Alex snapped at Cameron. She was so naive sometimes.
"Oh. Thank you fo-" Cameron said in realization before getting interrupted.
"Explaining, I know," Alex replied annoyingly. Alex began to take point towards the town in the distance. Whereas Alex kept on whimpering in pain upon stepping on goat heads, and sharp broken branches and rocks, Cameron showed no display of pain on the bottom of her feet like Alex.
After, what seemed like miles of walking through the desert, trying to avoid mesquite bushes and cacti, Alex and Cameron walked into the seemingly dead town of Alamogordo. It was one in the morning, and only one or two vehicles passed by every so often. "We need to gather clothing, a vehicle and weapons," Cameron repeated for the third time.
"We also need to get to John before the triple eight gets to him." Alex finished. The two kept to sneaking around on back roads, mostly sticking to the dark residential areas of the small town. By the looks of the old train yard, this used to be a major shipping yard, back in the day. Now, not so much. Upon entering the town, there was a few restaurants, and even a high school. But other than that, there wasn't much to it.
Both Alex, and Cameron approached a closed King's Treasure thrift store, also finding a lone dodge pickup truck parked across the street, with a license plate that read: 'New Mexico, Land of Enchantment.'
"At least we are in the right state," Alex then added.
Cameron easily broke through the glass door of the store, and walked right inside with Alex following close behind. Surprisingly, there was no alarm blaring. Maybe because nobody really wants to break into a thrift store, Alex thought. She knew that people before J-Day didn't like used clothing. They saw it as disgusting, and prefered brand new outfits that they'd end up donating anyway.
Luckily for both her and Cameron, they helped themselves with choosing their own attire. It sure beat walking around naked.
After several minutes, both Alex and Cameron were fully dressed in casual attire that would be suitable for the pre Judgement Day world. Cameron wore blue denim jeans, a black tank top, and a pair of combat boots. Alex on the other hand, wore a pair of black jeans, an old white and red star wars t-shirt with a long sleeved button up shirt and a pair of chuck taylor converse. They also grabbed extra clothing as well for however long it took them to find John Connor and his mother, and threw it in a suitcase they found.
Once done with their shopping spree, Cameron and Alex walked back out of the thrift store, and back outside to the pickup truck from earlier. "We shouldn't take it yet." Alex said as she grabbed Cameron who was walking to the truck, by the arm.
Cameron looks back at Alex with confusion. "Why?"
"I don't plan on leaving town just yet." Alex explained.
"We need to get to John Connor before the T-triple eight does." Cameron interjected.
"And we will, but I haven't slept in almost two days and haven't eaten in three. We should get a motel room and plan our next course of action." Alex explained as she released Cameron's arm.
"We don't have money, and I don't sleep." Cameron persisted. I don't understand why Alex wants to sleep in a motel room when she could sleep in a truck, while we head for our destination.
"Then we break into a motel room!" Alex shouted. She was losing her patience with Cameron at this point. Why did John send me back with her? Just why?
•••
The two had taken the pickup truck from the had drove around town, finding possible places to spend the night. Cameron wanted to leave immediately, while Alex was heavily fatigued, and really had her mind set on a nice comfortable bed. Cameron didn't understand why, but decided against arguing any further.
The two eventually found a motel six at the edge of town, and had broken into the room, with Alex using a lock-pick made out of a Bobby Pin.
The room was nice and clean. Two beds were perfectly made, and the nice cool air, from the air conditioner, greeted them.
"Oh, now this is what I'm talking about!" Alex exclaimed gleefully, and jumped into one of the beds. It was so soft, that when she landed she immediately sunk into the mattress. She giggled at the comfort. It was so foreign. Being born during J-Day, only spending some time in the past before it all happened again. She was just delighted to finally feel comfort for the first time ever.
Cameron closed the door behind her, and locked in methodically, making sure to leave a "Do not disturb" sign outside the door. Once that was done, Cameron walked to the window, and started peering out through it.
Alex rolled her eyes. Guess a machine wouldn't enjoy the simple great thing that is a queen sized bed. She only ever focused on the task, staying vigilant.
After a long moment, Alex sat back up and looked around the room. Again, most people would see it as average. But to her, it was like a maser suite. Enjoying the little things is what made life more interesting.
Although wearing clothes, Alex felt her skin, still feeling the oily, greasy feeling of going weeks without a shower. A cold shower at that. "Ugh, why is it that nothing dead comes through the TDE, but dirt and grease still sticks to me like a tick?"
"I'm not sure." Cameron stoically answered. "The effects of temporal displacement are still a mystery. Theoretically, our hair should have been vaporized, as it is not living."
"I don't look good bald." Alex mentioned nonchalantly.
"Yes. You don't." Cameron agreed. Her response was Alex giving her a vulgar hand expression.
"Anyway, I'm taking a shower. Try not to kill anyone or abandon me while I'm gone." Cameron nodded once, and continued to stare out the window. Alex took that as an answer, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Kansas Border, September 2, 1999 (Unknown Location)
8:09 am:
Fear is what drove her to leave. That itching feeling- that natural instinct that told her to pack her bags, and get outta there, right away. It was that instinct that kept her alive this long. Following it was the best action; not just for her, but her son. It had been two years since they stopped it. Two years since she had taken the blame for a murder, and was constantly on the run from authorities. It was no life for her son, but being back in the nuthouse meant no protecting him. No seeing him grow into the man he'd become.
But was he destined for the machines still? That dream had left her scared to death. Her son dying at the hands of one of them. No, she wouldn't let that happen. If keeping John alive, meant leaving their old life for another?
Then so be it.
Sarah Connor was standing outside of a gas station, near the Kansas Border, heading into Oklahoma. Leaving Nebraska was hard, especially for John. She just hoped he would adjust to the place she had in mind. A small town where he could have a much better life.
Yesterday she and John had fled from Nebraska. She had run away from her fiance: Charlie Dixon; all because she had a terrible nightmare where she witnessed her son, John get killed by a machine. She was afraid for his life. Even though they had destroyed Cyberdyne two years back, Sarah still felt that it wasn't over. She had a feeling that Judgement Day was still on it's way. That the machines were still hunting them.
"Mom? You okay?" John asked her as he got out of their SUV. He had just woken up, and let out an audible yawn before he made his way to Sarah.
"Yeah... Just a lot on my mind, that's all." She said meekly as she put the gasoline nozzle back and screwed the cap back on.
"I still think that we didn't need to leave Charlie," John mumbled with a heavy sigh. He didn't understand what she was afraid of. He remembered the Terminator: Uncle Bob telling him that it was over. He even destroyed himself to be sure of it. No evidence of the alternate future.
"We were a danger to him, John. We would have gotten him killed if we stayed," Sarah persisted.
John knew that she wouldn't tell him her problems, so he just left it for now. His mother was stubborn, just like him. That was who he probably inherited it from. "So, where are we headed?" He then asked, trying to change the subject.
"New Mexico. Red Valley to be exact." Sarah answered.
"So we're going to a town full of shit kickers… Nice." John muttered sarcastically to himself.
"Hey! watch your language, young man!" Sarah exclaimed mockingly to her son, giving him a playful hit on the shoulder.
John just scoffed in response. "Whatever you say, mom." He chuckled before he hopped back into the SUV. Sarah followed a moment later where they both left the gas station, and headed for Red Valley where their destinies would soon find them.
Alamogordo New Mexico, September 2, 1999
9:32 am:
Alex opened her eyes after awakening from her deep slumber, after rays of sunshine had shone brightly on her face. She never slept that well in years. But nightmares still ravaged her mind while she slept.
There was only thing she couldn't get out of her mind. The day when she saw Allison, who had gone missing, and was never found, actually return. She and her older brother: Martin, had went on a scouting mission, and didn't return for months. Alex and John began to lose hope of their loved ones ever returning. They lost faith, until Allison mysteriously walked into the base that one day. But it wasn't her. It was a machine that looked like her. The same machine that she was currently working with, that had killed her best friend. The one that killed her brother.
The one who wore a dead girl's face.
Alex rushed out of her thoughts upon seeing Cameron waltz inside their stolen motel room, with a bag of McDonalds. She was surprised to say Cameron didn't abandon her last night. That was something at least.
"Good Morning," Cameron surprisingly greeted as she saw Alex who was now wide awake.
"What time is it?" Alex groggily asked as she started slipping her shoes on. Her hair felt frizzy, but didn't care too much about it. But they would surely need money in order to start blending in more. Stealing motel rooms and having disheveled hair was bound to arise some attention, if not negatively.
"9:34 am." Cameron answered flatly. She handed Alex the paper bag of McDonalds, which Alex gladly accepted and started to dig in to the pre Judgement Day food. "After you eat, we need to leave for Red Valley."
"Sounds like a plan." Alex said as she bit into a breakfast sandwich.
"It was John's plan. He wanted us to stop Skynet." Cameron responded. Alex was surprised to see that she grabbed a Colt 45. out of the waistband of her jeans and set it on the table.
What the hell? "Where did you get that?" Alex asked, pointing at the gun on the table.
"A couple of cholos were harassing me in the McDonald's parking lot." Cameron explained.
"Please tell me that they are alive?" Alex asked with worry. I forgot that machines are cold blooded killers.
"One was unfortunate enough to have both of their arms broken. But other than that, they scurried away like dogs from a terminator." Cameron said with what seemed to be proudness.
"Well you also just damaged their ego's as a result." Alex muttered with a chuckle.
"Egos?" Cameron asked in confusion.
"Nevermind. Let's get the hell out of Dodge." Alex said as she got up from her bed.
"We are not in Dodge. We are currently in Alamogordo, New Mexico." Cameron corrected in a serious tone.
"Let's just leave!" Alex groaned iratably. Talking to Cameron was probably the most painful thing to do. Still wish John hadn't sent me here with her.
Red Valley New Mexico, September 6, 1999: (5 Days Later)
8:07 am:
Five days had past, and Alex, and Cameron had spent every waking moment trapped in each town they had come across, on their way to Red Valley. Gas was difficult to get ahold of when you didn't have any cash, and so was food. Stealing was what they had to rely on for the most part.
But now, after five excruciating days of being trapped in a vehicle with Cameron, they finally made it to Red Valley, New Mexico. It wasn't the nicest town, if Alex had to admit. Then again, everything in the future was leveled, so towns like this one, and Alamogordo were probably wiped off the map.
The two of them were sitting inside their acquired pickup, silently observing the students being either dropped off by their parents, or by school bus. Even if they just recently arrived, there was no getting settled in. The mission came first. The Intel John gave, was pretty solid. He mentioned that on the second day of his high school year here, a T-888 attempted to murder him. Now they just hoped they weren't too late.
"Do you remember how we planned this?" Alex asked Cameron.
"I don't forget." Cameron stoically answered, as she scanned the area for threats.
"Well, maybe you should help me out, and repeat what I told you?" Alex asked the young cyborg with an annoyed tone.
If Cameron were human she would be letting out a sigh and roll her eyes in a teenager way. "Acquire John Connor and get close to him, but don't reveal my true nature to him until it is necessary." she explained simply.
Alex noticed that she had picked up the gun, and was about to put the antique Colt 45. in her bookbag. "Yeah, you're not taking that with you," she shook her head and snatched the gun from Cameron's grasp.
Cameron just glared at Alex for a long moment before reluctantly agreeing and closing her bookbag. Alex could tell what she was contemplating. Probably different ways she could terminate me.
"Now. Let's get you registered, and we will take it from there." Alex announced as she got out of the truck. Cameron followed not too long after, and they both walked into the high school. Now she just hoped that those fake papers would work.
•••
Meanwhile, across the parking lot, John Connor sat in the SUV with his mother at the driver's seat. He wasn't happy about another school. Another life. Just when he was beginning to become comfortable in Nebraska, he was forced to pack his bags and travel to this hick town. He had a feeling he was going to hate it here.
Sarah noticed his nervousness. "Do you remember the plan?" she asked her son.
"I always remember the plan." John acknowledged in an irritated tone.
"Let's run it by one more time before you leave then." Sarah mused unconvincingly.
John just groaned but decided to get it over with. If he was anything like his mother, he knew she would never let up. "If I'm in danger, go through one of the many exits that you made me study in the blueprints."
"And?" Sarah asked her son, expecting another answer.
"And don't draw any attention to myself." John groaned again. "Mom, it's high school okay?" He gave his mother a short hug.
"Alright. But make sure you come straight home after school, got it?" Sarah ordered with a serious stare for extra empathise.
"Will do mom. See you after school," John forced a smile and closed the passenger door of the SUV.
John watched for a moment as his mother left campus. He turned around and just stood there for a long moment, staring up at the building.
Another school, a new life, yet again, he thought.
He was tired of always running away. He hated trying to make new friends at each school that he attended. He couldn't even really make friends with the short time he would attend. Every new life was beginning to drain him both physically and mentally. Now he just wondered how long it would be until his mother told him to pack their bags again.
That's one of the perks of being John Connor. You never have friends.
John was broken from his thoughts when he heard the school bell ring, signaling that he was about to be late for his first class. "Shit!" He cursed himself as he rushed building.
•••
After arriving to his first hour class, John took a seat at the front right, front row, closest to the exit if he needed it. His chemistry teacher, Mr. Ferguson was giving his yearly lecture of what his class expectations were, even though John paid zero attention to any of it. He was too focused on why he and his mother had to run. Why did they? Nobody knew who they were up in Nebraska. He and his mother were normal for once. But now she was scared of something, and she wanted to run yet again. She never stopped to ask what he wanted.
John was so caught up in his deep thoughts, that he didn't even notice a girl enter the class and take a seat directly next to his right.
After a moment, the girl decided to lean over her desk, and asks something when she noticed John staring off into space, at his textbook.
"What's your name?" She asked.
John broke out of his thoughts yet, when he heard a soft voice and glanced to his right to find a girl he had not even noticed, stare at him with a bright smile. John's tongue was tied for a moment. He was so caught up in her beauty, that he didn't know what to say.
"J-John," he finally managed to say.
"Cameron," she introduced with a smile. John smiled back at her for so long that he didn't even know that he was staring. It took the teacher to raise his voice in order for him to concentrate once more.
"And no talking when I'm talking," Mr. Ferguson interrupted.
Everyone in the entire class bursted into laughter, at the teacher's sarcasm. John blushed with embarrassment, and hid his face in his textbook. Cameron stared at everyone, not seeming to be affected by the students picking on her and John.
Definitely not drawing attention to myself, John mentally kicked himself. Just barely talked to a beautiful girl and he's already screwed up.
•••
After class John, casually walked out of class, trying to avoid the bits of laughter that came from the students in front, and behind him. All he wanted to do now was get to next class, and get it over with. Preferably without anyone laughing at him again. He started walking down the hallway heading towards his locker, doing his best to push by passing by students. However, he was unexpectedly slowed down when the new girl: Cameron, quickly started following after him, joining him at his side.
"John? are you new here?" Cameron asked innocently.
Wow. Even when I embarrass her, she still wants to talk to me? John was stunned to say the least. Maybe she found him attractive? John couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. This is my first day."
Her smile immediately grew brighter. "Really? It's my first day here, too," she giggled in complete surprise. The two of them reached John's locker, where he started to fiddle the combination lock, all while trying to talk to Cameron. He was more curious as to why she had taken a sudden interest in him. "My dad sells tractors. What about yours?"
"Insurance," John answered, not turning his attention to Cameron, and continued to mess with his locker. He was beginning to become a little exasperated with the damn thing. Was it broken? After several tries, he managed to successfully open it.
Definitely getting my own lock.
"Really? What kind?" Cameron asked John with interest.
John pondered on the question for a second before coming up with a response. "The boring kind," he replied with a smirk. After answering the beautiful girl, he turned his attention back to his locker and grabbed one of his textbooks.
Cameron just laughed at John's humor attempt. Now he was very confused. The joke wasn't even that funny. She only seemed to act very awkward like how he did in class. Maybe this was a small crush? He was rushed out of his thoughts once again, upon hearing her speak. "That's the kind of tractors my dad sells. What about your mom? My mom stays home."
John reacted slightly to her next question. It wasn't that he didn't trust Cameron, but it was that he didn't really even know her. What made it even worse for him, was that he was lying to this new girl. She wanted to get to know him. Maybe make a friend.
"You know... I've really gotta get to the next class, so…" John told her with some sadness hinted in his voice.
She seemed a tad bit sadened by this, but quickly disguised it with a smile. "So... maybe I'll see you later?" she asked in what seemed like a hopeful tone.
John couldn't help but smile back at her. "Y-yeah sure." He nodded very quickly.
"Okay… bye," she waved. as she walked away from John and to her next class. John just stared back at her, watching as she left. He couldn't believe that a girl that beautiful actually wanted to talk to him. But he knew he couldn't. He would probably be leaving this town within a week or two anyway. His mother would see to it that he never has a friend.
In anger, John closed his locker and stormed off in the opposite direction to his next class. The only thing that ran in his mind was Cameron. He couldn't wait till lunch to talk to her more.
Phoenix Arizona, September 6, 1999
10:00 am:
In an apartment located in Phoenix Arizona, A man sat in a dark apartment room, motionless, on a simple office chair in the middle of the room. A desktop computer was set up right in front of him, and a gun on that very desk. The man was muscular. He had spiked dark brown hair that looked like maybe hairstyling gel was added. The man didn't move one inch. He didn't even blink or show signs of breathing. If you ever saw him in the dark like that, you'd think he was dead.
The man reacted when the computer monitor suddenly booted on, immediately revealing a photo of a woman wearing a blue shirt, posing for the picture. Alongside the picture, was information of the woman. The man immediately recognized the face as well as the name that was displayed.
:SCANNING…
:IDENTIFICATION…
:SCANNING…
:IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED… SARAH CONNOR
:MISSION PRIORITIES… FIND AND TERMINATE JOHN CONNOR
The man logged off of the computer and immediately hacked into the FBI database using another tab of the outdated computer. As he began his search, he found video footage of Sarah Connor being seen at a gas station, outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. A Agent, named James Ellison was assigned to travel over to the state to investigate.
After an hour of research, the man found a school address in Red Valley, New Mexico that had the name John Reese enrolled there as of today. That was enough information that the man needed for his target. It was pretty straight forward. A Sarah and John Reese in New Mexico was enough information he needed. And if it turned out that it wasn't them, then he would just move on and terminate the next potential Sarah and John Connor.
The man stood up from his chair and grabbed his Glock 17 handgun off the desk, loading a fresh clip into it before turning on his heels and making his way to the door. As he reached for the door handle, the door immediately swung open, throwing the man onto the ground.
A feminine figure soon emerged through the door, and looked at the man lying on the floor before her. The man looked up at her, seeing her long blonde hair, and blue dark blue eyes. She was wearing a pair of old black combat boots, a pair of cargo pants, and a white buttoned up shirt. What was unordinary about this woman, was that she appeared to be a teenager. He ran a scan on her, finding a metal endoskeleton underneath the skin. She was like him. He looked up at the threat and performed a quick scan:
:SCANNING…
:IDENTIFICATION…
:SCANNING…
:IDENTIFICATION... UNKNOWN CYBORG…
:THREAT LEVEL… HIGH
:ACTION…
:EVADE
The Terminator quickly bolted up onto his feet, and turned on his heels, running towards the window, jumping through it, and smashing through the glass. Since he was in an apartment building, he had fallen several stories, before landing on an old white pickup truck, crushing the cab like a soda can.
The girl peered out through the window and witnessed the machine getting off of the smashed car and sprinting down the street. She proceeded to follow the man, needing whatever whatever information he held. She took a few steps back from the window, and leaped out of it, with her flying almost hundreds of feet into the air before landing on her feet, next to the smashed pickup truck with such force that it would have been hazardous for a normal person.
She scanned the area, trying to find a visual on her target. She observed that the machine had taken a hard left and disappeared into an alleyway. The girl broke off into a sprint and quickly started pursuing the man with incredible speeds that would even surpass the fastest mammals on earth.
As the machine ran away from the the unknown cyborg, who he had identified with a high threat level. He thought that he was safe for the moment. At a safe enough distance, that he had evaded the unknown female cyborg. But inevitably, he was wrong. The machine quickly fell to the ground when a strange ball of blue light had, struck his back, forcing him to the ground. The machine's heads up display began to flash with a warning, overtaking most of his view.
:ENDOSKELETON INTEGRITY: 34%
:WARNING: POWER CELL DAMAGED
The terminator tried to crawl away from incident, trying to escape the threat, where he could make repairs later. But he was unable to move when the female cyborg stood above him with her food firmly planted on his back, and her right arm morphed into a plasma cannon.
When the machine stopped struggling, she knelt down next to the downed terminator, tilting her head slightly. "Where is John Connor?" She demanded stoically.
"He is my mission." The terminator stubbornly replied with a metallic voice.
"He is now my mission. Where is he?" She demanded once more.
The terminator refused to speak, so she decided to resort to another tactic. Her finger shifted into a silvery mass, and morphed into a glowing needle. She stuck it inside of the other machine's neck, and after a moment, the terminator's eyes began to glow blue rapidly before going back to normal.
"Where is John Connor?" She asked the machine for a third time.
"Red Valley, New Mexico. He goes by the name John Reese." The terminator explained unwillingly. What happened to me? This other machine did something to my programming. It's controlling me.
The girl just smirked as she stood back up. "Thank you for your cooperation." She simply thanked. Her arm re-morphed into the strange weapon, where she took aim at the terminator and fired off a single blast at the machines skull, destroying it instantly.
With all information acquired, she stalked away from scene leaving the now smouldering body of the machine on the ground where she had destroyed it. She had her new mission now. Find and terminate John Connor.
Red Valley New Mexico, September 6, 1999
9:06 pm:
Alex lied in a bed of yet another stolen motel room. They had very little money and had to steal gas to just get to their destination. And food. Well food was the tricky part. All that Alex knew was that Cameron had some way for acquiring money and she had a feeling that it was best if she didn't know.
Speaking of Cameron, where was she? It was already getting dark out, and she was supposed to return hours ago. Not that she really cared, that is. It wasn't like the cyborg didn't have a curfew or anything. Maybe she'd have to enforce one, sadly. If she didn't return soon, that was.
Alex knew that she definitely jinxed it, when she saw Cameron emerge into the motel room, closing the door behind her. "So. How was your first day of school?" Alex asked mockingly.
"It was unnecessary for me. But it provides me with an advantage to protect John." Cameron explained. Alex watched as she took off her hoodie and neatly placed it on her bed. She didn't even sleep, so the bed was still made and showed no signs of someone's presence there.
"Ain't that just dandy." Alex muttered disinterested as she picked up the remote and turned up the volume on the television.
"Dandy?" Cameron inquired with confusion.
Alex almost forgot how naive she was. "Look it up in a dictionary or something." Alex replied, not answering her question.
"You don't have to be so rude." Cameron stated matter of factly in her monotone voice.
Alex angrily chucked the TV remote at Cameron even though she dodged it with ease. Now feeling even more infuriated, Alex got up off her bed and marched all the way over to Cameron where she stood within inches of the cyborg's face. "You know why I'm always rude to you!"
Cameron didn't flinch, or even blink at Alex's outburst. "You're angry because I killed your brother," she stated.
"You know that isn't all!" Alex snarled.
"Allison Young? She was your best friend, but you shouldn-" Before Cameron could finish her sentence, Alex had cut her off by grabbing Cameron by the throat, and hoisting her up into the air with one hand.
"You killed her!" Alex screamed with emotion. "She was just a little girl! And you snapped her neck because she lied to you!" She continued with tears streaming down her face, her voice breaking. "And you ask me to what? Not miss her?!"
Seeing what she was doing made her feel worse. In a way she was repeating those actions on the fake version of her. Alex reluctantly released Cameron. She stumbled, and sat on her bed, where she sobbed loudly into her hands.
"I'm sorry." Cameron apologized.
"You're a machine. You can't feel sorry," Alex stated meekly. "You didn't even hesitate when you killed her."
"I may not feel emotion, but I understand that you are in grief. I'm sorry for taking a friend away from you like that." Cameron attempted in comforting Alex.
"She always asked me what the world was like. She wanted to see how the world used to be like. Now she will never be able to because of you." Alex bitterly remarked. "You looking like her never helped this whole situation, either."
Cameron bowed her head to the ground . Did she feel anything when she killed Allison? Did she feel regret?
"I'm going on patrol," Cameron suddenly announced out of the blue. She turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. As Cameron left, Alex took her attention away from the door, onto the nightstand seeing that Cameron had left the antique looking firearm. A terminator left on patrol without a weapon? Even if it wouldn't do much damage, you would think that a terminator would always have some sort of weapon on hand.
Alex immediately shot up off of the bed, and made her way to the door before opening it and rushing outside to find her cyborg companion.
•••
After what seemed like hours to her of searching around the whole perimeter of the whole motel, Alex came up blank. Cameron wasn't anywhere to be seen, and now she was beginning to actually worry. Yes, she was worried about what she'd do without her. Kill someone probably. Did what she say actually affect her? Did she manage to hurt the machine? How? Despite what she was, Alex definitely understood that terminators didn't have any feelings. "Where the hell did the tin can go?" Alex muttered to herself.
Where would she go?
Alex immediately stopped her tracks, as realization struck her. She slapped herself in the forehead for the fourth time within two weeks.
Of course! She's John's protector. She would be making sure he was safe! But where the hell were they living at? I know this town is small but it's still big enough for it to take hours if not days to check every single home. Now I'm at another cross road
"Shit!" she cursed herself as she fell onto the curb. Now she was at another roadblock, just as she thought she had figured out Cameron's whereabouts.
Meanwhile, across the street, two teenage boys were sitting in a truck bed of a Chevy pickup, smoking what appeared to be marijuana and were definitely drinking a six pack of Budlight. By the looks of them, they were locals. They wore the usual attire that someone living in New Mexico would wear. Cowboy boots, cowboy hats or baseball caps, and wrangler jeans. One looked like he was around seventeen to eighteen years old, while the other only looked fifteen or sixteen.
The two of them silently watched Alex mutter to herself and even slap her forehead for a fifth time. She definitely had some problems. The older one turned to his younger friend and spoke with a smirk. "She's probably one of those junkies," he stated while taking a puff from his rolled joint.
"Probably. She is pretty hot though" the younger one answered before taking a sip of his beer.
"Don't forget crazy." The older one chuckled as he took another hit.
"You do know that weed burns brain cells right?" The younger one said, changing the subject.
"And beer messes up your liver dumbass!" The older one replied, smacking his friend in the back of the head.
"Ow! Screw you, Josh!" The young one said in anger but doesn't do anything besides scold his older companion.
"Just shut up and watch, Bradley!" Josh barked in annoyance. He grabbed a beer from the cardboard box and popped it open, and taking a long sip. They both continued to observe Alex sit on the curb, in silence, talking to herself like she was some nutjob. Ranting to yourself when no-one was present was bound to give some that impression. Especially when some locals were actually quite known for doing hardcore drugs.
Suddenly Alex stood back up, where she stared making her way downtown, where she continued her search for the young cyborg.
"Wanna see where she goes?" Bradley asked curiously.
"Eh, why not. Nothing better to do in this shithole town." Josh answered, throwing his empty beer can out into the desert brush. They both hopoed in the truck and slowly tailed Alex, curious to where she might go, and what she was in fact up to.
•••
Alex made her way into town, where she was greeted by open restraunts, and other small businesses. It was very similar to the town that she and Cameron had stayed in, prior to this one. But the town of Red Valley seemed a bit smaller than Alamogordo was.
Interesting to know if these towns survived J-Day?
Alex rushed out from her thoughts when she noticed Cameron who was sitting motionless on a bench, near what appeared to be a bus stop. The look the cyborg had written on her face was reminiscent of sadness and deep thought. Almost as if she was beginning to regret.
I dislike Cameron, a lot, sure. She took my brother, and the girl whom I saw as a sister away from me. But why do I feel so guilty for snapping at her like that? She was a machine after all, she couldn't feel anything. Could she?
Alex put those thoughts aside for now, and walked over to Cameron, and took a seat right next to her. They both sat there in dead silence for the longest time, staring out into the desert. New Mexico weather didn't seem to disappoint. It was rather warm out, instead of freezing. Good thing too, since her current attire was a red tank top.
It was a complete change from the outside world of J-Day. It was constantly freezing due to the nuclear winter that engulfed the Earth's atmosphere, leaving it dark, and cold… it was now considered a lifeless hunk of rock that had sentient machines killing what was left of the once life thriving planet.
"What was your brother like?" Cameron unexpectedly asked with curiosity.
Alex was taken back by this inquiry- this sudden interest in her life. Why would a machine want to know about her brother? She killed him, sure, but machines never asked about who they killed. Especially what they were like. "Why do you ask?"
"Your nature as a hybrid made me wonder how a loved one deals with that. You being half terminator, and half human," Cameron clarified more simply.
"Martin… he, well… he always looked after me. In a way he was like my father when it came to my protection. When our parents died during the early days of Judgement Day, he took that role and kept me as safe as he could. When the Resistance was formed, he jumped at the opportunity to help others. He definitely wasn't happy when I enlisted. He thought I was too innocent, and shouldn't have to see more than I had to."
Cameron listened intently, as if she was enjoying this small story. Alex chuckled, taking a small liking to the innocent expression she had on her face. It reminded her so much of someone, that even if this was just a machine wearing a ghost's face, she decided to accept it for right now. "The world was a horrible place then. I can understand why he didn't want you out there."
"Yeah… it was," Alex agreed with a nod. "When I was captured, he told me that he didn't see me for almost two years. He thought I was dead. When I somehow returned to him. He was so happy and relieved… but it wasn't me that walked in to John Connor's base that day."
"You don't remember how you escaped or arrived to the Connor camp?" Cameron asked perplexed.
Alex just shook her head, "No. It was like amnesia or something. Skynet had a chip implanted in the back of my skull that somehow controlled me like a machine. When Martin saw that I was different, he feared the worse. He thought that he lost me to the machines, and I was just some… some copy of my old self. But he and John learned that it was still me. They learned that I was still alive somehow. After being tampered with, and I came back, John had told me that he had seen this before."
"How? He has seen another one of your kind?" Cameron asked with her curiosity peaking. Alex chuckled a bit. These were the times when she kinda liked Cameron's naivety. It was reminiscent to Allison's.
"From what future John had told me. There was this other hybrid that went by the name: Marcus Wright. Apparently he was some prison inmate that was executed before J-Day and was brought back to life through the project I would inevitably be put through. He became the very first hybrid. There was another one after him, which I don't know their name to, and then there was me. I became the first 'living subject' as they said. Most were either deceased, or injured mortally. I can see why, considering it was the most painful process I have ever went through."
"Oh. Thank you for explaining." Cameron nodded in understanding.
"May I ask why you are here?" Alex asked, changing the subject.
"I don't understand the question." Cameron tilted her head to the right.
"You're supposed to be patrolling the perimeter, but instead you and me are here, sitting on a stupid bench at night, talking about my past." Alex explained in a mocking way. At least I'm trying to add humor, even if the cyborg doesn't get it.
"I was going over what you said to me earlier. About Allison Young." Cameron sadly mentioned, looking down at her feet.
"What were you going over?" Alex asked, fearing the worst.
"When John Reprogrammed me, he erased most of the Allison memories, that were given to me to ensure that my reprogramming was successful." Cameron explained to Alex, going into a deep explanation.
"Why are you telling me this?" Alex asked in confusion. I remember that before Cameron was Reprogrammed, she thought she was Allison. But that was just because she was a sleeper infiltrator. One who believed they were human up until their mission was activated or their true nature was revealed.
At least that's what John told me.
"I think that... Allison may be-"
Cameron was interrupted from continuing, when a pick up truck pulled up to them. The truck stopped and turned off, with two young teenagers stepping out of it.
Both Alex and Cameron jolted up to their feet, to see if maybe these kids were a threat. It wouldn't be a surprise either since Skynet was known for making terminators look almost like any age or ethnicity. Taking that knowledge into account, the two were ready to fight if necessary.
"Hey, pretty ladies," Josh whistled, taking in the view of the two beautiful women standing in front of him. Only if he knew what they truly were. "What you two doing out here late at night?" Josh then asked, Eyeing Alex the whole time.
Alex could tell what he was after. It made her sick. "We were just leaving." She informed the two, hoping to avoid any possible conflict.
I don't need another cholo with two broken arms.
Alex turned to walk away, with Cameron in tow, but was immediately stopped in her tracks when Josh stretched out his arm, blocking the hybrid. "Hey, come on! How about you, me, your friend, and my friend hang out a bit?" Josh slurred. By the way of his speech pattern, Alex knew that this kid was intoxicated. Either way, she didn't like when people hit on her just because of how she naturally looked.
"Josh, if they don't want to hang out, it's cool. Let's not force them," Bradley suggested after seeing the predatory stance that Cameron took in response to Josh's persistence.
"Stop being such a pussy, Bradley!" Josh snapped, and shoved him away.
Alex took a step closer to John. "You two should walk away before this turns ugly," she threatened in a nice and even tone, even though she was about ready to punch the older looking one if necessary. Hopefully she wouldn't break his jaw.
"Or you'll do what?" Josh scoffed, as he took a puff of his blunt, and blowing the smoke into Alex's face.
Alex coughed upon the putrid smell of marijuana wavered it's way into her nostrils. What the hell is that shit that he's smoking?
"Or, I'll do this!" She replied between coughs. Alex headbutted Josh in the nose, making him stumble back with blood starting to gush everywhere.
"You bitch! Y-you broke my nose!" Josh said with disbelief, and anger starting to boil. He reached into his jeans pocket, and pulled out a small pocket knife, opening it, and aiming the small blade at both Alex and Cameron. "You'll pay for this!"
Seriously!? Why does he have to pull out a weapon on two cyborgs? This kid is really damn stupid. I hope Cameron doesn't kill him.
Before both Cameron and Alex could react to the sudden display of violence, an empty glass bottle unexpectedly flew out of nowhere, hitting Josh's face, with the glass shattering and forcing him to the ground where he fell unconscious.
"What the hell!?" Bradley inquired with perplexity and fear, as he rushed to his fallen friend's side kneeled to aid him.
"We need to leave." Cameron announced in monotone.
She grabbed Alex by the wrist and was about to lead her away from the scene before a familiar face stopped her in her tracks.
"John?"
•••
Author's Note: What did you guys think? This chapter only really introduced the characters, and established that this timeline is far different from the one that future John had informed them of.
Next chapter, John, Sarah, Cameron, and Alex will face a threat far worse than Cromartie. Who is this mysterious cyborg? She will be explained more in the story as it progresses as well, so don't worry.
A reminder that you really should read the first story of this series, Terminator: The Allison Young Chronicles, even if it's no longer being updated. It still shows important events that are relevant to this story and it's future chapters. This story is in the same alternate universe as the Allison Young Chronicles, and will shed light to the events that would've happened if I did continue writing it.
Reviews are appreciated!