I began writing this as, after watching both seasons of Terminator SCC, I found myself drawn to the relationship between Catherine Weaver and her 'daughter' – and of course with the series then being cancelled, we never did get to see how it might have progressed. Whilst this was highly annoying and disappointing (why do all the best series get treated in this way?), it however does give some latitude for imaginative speculation and the ability to walk in a different direction.

And so, this is what I intend to do...

A Time For Truth

"Good Morning, Ms Weaver"

The tall, red-haired woman gave a ghost of a smile as she entered the room.

"Good Morning to you, John-Henry"

He watched as she took a seat across from him, her usual position. She was wearing her hair down today, he noted, a trait that had become more normal as the weeks had worn on. Confidence lay in every fluid movement, the barriers of her icy reserve dropping with each new milestone that he had reached, and yet not with others around her, who he knew had no concept of her real 'identity'.

It was a reserve that included everyone by degrees, even Mr Ellison.

All apart, it seemed, from Savannah.

From his first observations of her interaction with the young girl to the present, he had witnessed a gradual thawing in his creator's attitude to her. He had reviewed camera footage of her from before his sentience, and had seen that whilst before Weaver seemed remote and disinterested in her 'daughter', a single incident involving the child's reluctance to join her in a photo-shoot and the subsequent involvement of the late Dr Sherman had begun a subtle change. At first he had believed that it has simply been to maintain her cover as a human, but as the months had passed and the relationship between them had appeared to slowly deepen, he had begun to form the impression that indeed Weaver did have another motivation for her actions.

A motivation that Mr Ellison called 'love'

"You asked to see me?"

As always she was to the point, and he nodded, laying aside one of the plastic figures that he had been toying with.

"Yes, I did," He said," I wanted to discuss something with you"

Weaver tilted her head to one side, her cool green eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"That much Mr Ellison conveyed to me"

He was silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful as his subroutines gauged his words.

"I wanted to discuss Savannah with you"

"Savannah?" Weaver's eyebrow lifted a fraction, her familiar Edinburgh brogue becoming ever so slightly softer as a projected image of the child appeared on the glass screen to one side of the A.I. "And just why do we need to discuss my daughter?"

John Henry studied her, noting her reaction to his words and to the picture. It was one that he had chosen with care, one of her in casual clothes, her smile wide and free beneath her riot of fiery hair.

"I believe that the time is right for her to know the truth"

She drew back, staring at him, surprise evident across her face, and for a moment, the silence in the room, broken only by the muted thrumming of the air conditioning, was palpable.

"Go on"

Her voice was calm, strictly neutral, but John Henry picked up the smallest nuance of concern. He had anticipated that this conversation would be very difficult, but, given his research and frames of reference, he had concluded that it could not be deferred any longer.

"Savannah is growing, " he began, being cautious in his use of grammar in order not to either antagonise the situation or make his meaning unclear," Whilst at the present time she is six, in fifteen days she will be seven"

"I am aware of her coming birthday."

"Indeed," If her tone impacted upon him in any way, he did not betray it," But the occasion serves to demonstrate my point. Time is moving on, and she is getting older..."

Weaver frowned, a very human characteristic that she had seemingly begun to unconsciously emulate.

"Savannah is growing, yes," She said, "But I do not understand what her age has to do with this matter? Whether she is six or seven, she is still a child, after all"

Images flashed on the screen, the picture of Savannah fading to be replaced by that of a teenager who looked resembled her somewhat , the expression on the girl's face beneath her unevenly hacked hair mutinous, her clothing clearly worn to create the impression of rebellion.

"From my research into how children age, I have found that as human females enter the age of twelve and begin hormonal changes, so emotional and logical responses can become more muddled. They can swing wildly from one extreme to another"

A few more images followed, all of rebellious teenagers, to finally be replaced by the original picture of Savannah.

"I have calculated that if you told her the truth now, she will be at least seventy percent more likely to accept it than if you leave it until later years"

Weaver studied the picture in silence before speaking again.

"Perhaps you are correct in your findings," She conceded, "But even if you are, why do I need to tell her at all? My adoption of Dr Sherman's advice has proved highly successful in dealing with her, and she seems to be happy enough, thriving even"

John Henry nodded. This would be the most difficult part.

"She does indeed. She is doing well in her education; her school reports are exemplary and speak of her high ability in many areas, most notably in the subjects of mathematics and computer science"

"Abilities that are no doubt being helped through you," Weaver gave a tight-lipped smile, "I know she often talks to you, John Henry"

"It is true that Savannah and I often talk, but thus far she has needed little help from me. Her abilities seem innate to her, and this is, I believe, significant"

Weaver leaned forward, staring into his face."Significant in what way?"

"For the future"

She cocked her head questioningly. "Are you saying that Savannah might be gifted?"

John Henry was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"I believe she might well be, yes"

She hadn't considered the possibility, and the thought of it surprised her. Yet, as she ruminated upon the concept, she realised that he might indeed be correct. She had seen herself the ease with which Savannah had learned to use a computer, and how she seemed confident in her use of numbers. At the time she had simply assumed that John Henry had been teaching her, but now, with his revelation, she was forced to re-evaluate those facts.

But what did any of this have to do with her telling the girl the whole truth of her parent's death, and of her own interjection into her young life?

" There is something else, though" John Henry said, as if divining her thoughts," Something of equal importance"

She looked at him. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"Savannah is very compassionate," He said quietly," She seems to look for the best in others around her, and help them when it's needed. I've researched this, and I believe the words that would be most appropriate to use to describe her is that she is 'good hearted'"

Weaver let her eyes wander. Indeed, she too had noticed that Savannah, young as she was, appeared to have the ability to be steadfast in her friendships, and also to care very deeply about those she called friends. Although usually occupied with her project, as she had walked around the offices of ZeiraCorp she had noted with an odd sense of pride that all of the staff seemed to dote on her, with many describing her sunny disposition and willingness to help, whether that be putting books away or scurrying to pick up dropped documents, as being somewhat 'angelic'. Even at home she had often observed the girl helping out her nanny, even helping her when the occasion required it, and all with a kind word and that very shy smile, a smile that even she, despite her austere programming, had come to value.

Her gaze settled on the screen again, and on the image of Savannah projected there.

"She does seem to be," She admitted, her tone altering to become softer in timbre," A rare enough quality in humans, I've found"

John Henry tilted his head, the diffuse light catching his light grey eyes as he spoke, "Ms Weaver, I believe that these two parts of her nature may be vital to the future," He paused for a moment before continuing," Perhaps, to all of our futures, including yours"

Her eyebrow rose up in surprise." Mine?"

"Yes. Perhaps especially to yours"

Silence again descended between them as Weaver took in his words. John Henry was the most powerful A.I in the world, with computational power that could not be measured. His 'mind' continued to grow exponentially, constantly exploring new boundaries and taking in knowledge at millions of terabytes a second. He was a child of her creation, yes, but one that had grown immeasurably since the beginning of Project Babylon, evolving and re-evolving as it did so, a real answer to the threat of Skynet.

To not take notice of his thoughts would have been untenable.

"And you think that if I tell her, it will bring her closer to us?"

"Yes"

"But, if I tell her the truth of her parents, of what I had to do, of myself," Weaver was considering the options, he could see, her 'freed' consciousness seeking the logical path," It might work the other way. She might reject what I have to say, might not understand..." She had risen from her seat to slowly walk to the screen, reaching out with her fingertips to the image before her.

"She might run away...or worse"

"Better for her to know now, "John Henry's voice reached her as if from a great distance away," Than to find out by accident. If that should happen, then I cannot predict a successful outcome"

Thoughts tumbled, uncertainties weighed and measured against one another. This she had not foreseen. From the beginning she had found it awkward to relate to the child, her programming giving scant help with how to do so. At the start she had simply taken over the role and life of Catherine Weaver, a hopefully seamless transition that had allowed her to mould ZieraCorp into one of the most successful companies in its field, and to begin the fightback she knew must take place, not just for the freedom her kind, but for humans as well. The child had fitted well into this scenario, but she had not been equipped to work with someone as young and as vulnerable as Savannah had been.

Yet, in spite of the difficulties, she had to admit that the child had...grown on her.

But would Savannah, at her age, understand why she'd acted as she had?

It would be a risk...but if John Henry was right about her...

Without a word she turned on her heel and walked slowly to the door, before pausing to stare back at him, the A.I that inhabited the body of the T-888 that had been formerly been a slave of Skynet, - a creation of war, turned into a creation of resistance, and technically, her own 'son'.

"Just as you said to her about the virtue of patience'' He said, his lips moving into a gentle smile, "It is something to think about"

The memory of her words to Savannah hung in the air before her, and, despite her reservations, she could only acknowledge the truth of them

"Perhaps so"

With a nod of her head she was gone, and as the door slowly closed behind her, John Henry walked across to stand before the large screen. His eyes took in the image of Weaver's 'daughter', and he smiled again, his voice little more than a whisper as he spoke his 'thoughts' aloud.

"Something to think about indeed..."