Hi. You know I like writing drama , and setting it slightly AU.
This is a story that's been bugging me for ages. It's one hour, a slice of time , the evening of the day before Judgement Day, set in the Young's family home. It starts real slow and I'm going to try to build the tension. It asks the question how does Allison survive? How does a small child, assuming 2014 to be the date , get through and grow up to become close to Connor's command structure. I have a theory I think you might like, and it asks why didn't Skynet go after Alison Young, because at some point , even though Skynet initially creates Cameron, Cameron becomes its biggest single threat in the war after she's been reprogrammed and becomes John's right-hand metal. I'm also assuming two very special people come back to protect her from a more distant date , one after Skynet has been defeated.
Now here's the thing. This short story starts off very quiet and builds. By the end the key players will have to make some serious decisions, and they are not easy ones to make. You might have to help me make them.
I also have taken a big liberty here. The Young's are living during a new period of economic boom. They are relatively wealthy and not at all interested in the lives of the poor. They are going to have to question weather they even want to survive in a post JD world. Also maybe, Cameron being what she is, may make that decision for them in order to ensure Allison gets to safety, without them being a burden. Even her genetic "parents" are of little importance on her scale of things.
I don't own any of this at all. I write for nothing . If anyone wants to sue me, I've got a work jacket and one pocket is full of nails. You are welcome to them.
If you do/don't like it review anyway. I'm thinking it can be written as a two part- oneshot.
David Young watched out of the Armorlock security windows that had recently been fitted to his family home. The Armorlock Company were contracted to fit windows and doors on the more exclusive projects his design company were working on . He was right up there with the million dollar plus homes going up all over Leona Valley . He'd got a very good deal on them for his own home. After years of economic uncertainty the construction industry was booming again.
Out in the street it was the usual group of kids. Young's older daughter Katie and the regular "gang' of, ten year olds who parked up their bikes and sat on the grass verge beyond his fence On hot evenings ,the overhanging trees from his garden provided them with cooling shade . They left their bikes pavement recharging the solar batteries. The kids drank soda and put their empty plastic bottles and sweet wrappers in the trash. It was good, safe , clean neighbourhood with mostly well behaved children. He'd buy Katie's sister a solar bike for her next birthday. She could learn to ride it on the drive.
David glanced up and down the road. Claire's new pupil would be arriving shortly. His wife was tidying the last of the children's toys and books into the cupboard under the stairs . Claire always fussed like this when a new student was due to arrive for the first time.
David heard the chugging thunder of an open piped Harley cruising towards them from the top end of Yucca Drive. The bike's engine changed note as it slowed down outside their house and pulled onto their drive. The rider tilted the bike to one side and kicked down the stand. Behind her , a pillion, who was obviously a male. The children peered over the fence through the gaps in the bushes to get a look at black and chrome motorcycle throbbing on the driveway.
"Er, Claire." David spoke quietly.
Claire had shut the door to the children's toy cupboard and was straightening her clothes.
"Claire did she say anything about turning up on a Harley?"
"Claire?"
"No she didn't. does it matter?"
"Think she's got a boyfriend with her. Leather jacket ,boots, you know. Did she say anything about a boyfriend?"
The "boyfriend" had taken off his helmet and was nodding his head , mouthing the words to a track on his Ipod. He was about to sit down on a low wall that ran alongside the drive and light a cigarette.
The girl had begun walking almost striding towards their front door. When she took her helmet off she shook long brown hair away from her eyes. Against David's initial instincts he watched as Claire opened the front door to let .
"Cameron" , Claire Young briefly shook Cameron's hand. When the girl smiled, it was sudden and unexpected as Cameron breezed past David ,into the hall .
When Claire inquired about "the boyfriend" , the girl corrected her. "He's my husband".
At least 'Cameron' spoke with an educated voice, David thought.
Claire's insisted Cameron's 'husband' came in and waited in the house, when he'd finished the cigarette he was smoking.
Cameron went back outside to talk to her husband . She seemed to be calmly negotiating with him. He'd taken out his earpiece and was looking towards the open door.
"They've driven all the way from Edwards Air Force Base, show some hospitality." Claire whispered through a clenched smile when David held his hands up to ask "why?" "And..." Claire continued in a forced whisper "...we can't have him sitting out there . Someone driving past might call the police."
Both Young's put on their best welcoming expression. An hour later they would have their home back to themselves. Claire's music teaching paid Ali and Katie's kindergarten fees, though Claire's schedule would probably be too full for this particular student to return after this lesson. These were definitely not the "people like us " in the Young's world, and they were well off enough to pick and choose.
Claire guided Cameron through into the "music room." As all they filed through the hall David noted with some relief neither of the couple were looking around in the way he imagined those 'casing the joint' might. Cameron for some reason had momentarily seemed interested in the door frame to the music room, but that might have been his imagination. David ushered her 'husband' towards the hand -carved marble topped kitchen breakfast bar. At three thousand dollars a worktop they had been a steal.
It hadn't been until the guest sat down David had chance to really examine him. He had to force himself not to stare at the deep scars running down the left hand side of his face and what looked like burns, under the short cropped hair on his scalp. What was worse, the scars contorted the man's lips so David couldn't tell if they were curling into the start of a smile or if this was his neutral expression. David was seeing his reflection in a pair of mirror-glasses framed by a broken nose , three day stubble and scar tissue.
Still standing David found himself swallowing before he spoke .- "You know, I'm sorry . I'm David , David Young. I didn't get your name."
"John Connor" - The man's voice was gravelly, his speech slow , picking over his words with care . He held out a hand. It was rough skinned , dirty nails , like a construction worker's . David reluctantly shook it. That's when David noticed a faint odour, it was like something burnt or burning. What was it? Overheated clutch, brake pads, smoking oil, body odour, faint , garbage, sewage ? My God. David thought ,this guy doesn't even shower regularly . David sniffed.
David covered his thoughts with the professional expression reserved for colleagues and clients he disliked. This guy had to be what ? Forty ? What the hell was it with some guys that went after younger women ?
There was a burst of piano Music , muffled through the living room door. Claire was putting Cameron through the scales.
John observed David trying to make sense of of him . John pointed to his mirror shades, "These? Maybe that's what was disturbing the guy so much he reasoned. "They keep me in an office pushing paper . We call it 'The Bunker'- takes a while for me to get used to strong sunlight again ."
", I sneeze at pollen." David's voice trailed. It had come out sounding slightly hysterical and random. He tried to make his voice sound stronger, "So Connor what line you in?"
"Defence". . When John pronounced "defence" the word rumbled out of his lower throat sounding more like a cross between defiance and deference. The manner in which Connor answered closed any possibility of further discussion about his work .
On the worktop eleven hundred dollars worth of designer Italian Expresso machine began making its reassuringly in-tune steam whistle. When David Young turned to the expresso machine , John caught Young angling his body to keep John in the edge of his peripheral vision.
" Your coffee"- David placed a tiny cup of viscous caffeine on the marble worktop .
John knew Young had started fucking with him, because his drink was just out of his arms reach without him sitting up in his chair and leaning over.
Both men could hear soft, gentle piano music muted through the living room door.
"A sonata, I think . Your wife plays well ," David tugged his collar . It was getting hot .
Yeh she does, play well. It's Chopin. Nocturne No 20 One of her favourites , It's a very technical piece.- you know what David ?" David hated it when older grunts on a construction site stopped laying concrete blocks, came over all fatherly with him and then usually started telling some long story to get over a moral point - like he was interested , he wasn't paying the bastards to talk! He put his fingers to his mouth and feigned interest. Forty minutes and this guy was out of here.
"Here's our problem. John continued "The piano we have, two years ago Cameron brought it out of some bombed out abandoned house. Steinway rosewood half-grand , .- A ceiling had fallen down on it, kept it hidden , musta been there twenty five years waiting to be found." Connor shook his head and grinned. David noticed he had a broken front tooth , he ran a finger over his own polished teeth.
"Cameron got the piano, weighed half a tonne mind you, on a truck, drove it home, practically dragged it up the stairs by herself. I wasn't there at the time. After all that, the damn thing won't stay in tune. Something to do with the heat, it was exposed to a lot of heat, enough to blister off varnish . That's why she wants to play yours. Her mum had Steinway half grand. Camron came from a good family Mr. Young. "
The good family bit was lost on David Young . He was puzzling over something John had said earlier.: "Couldn't you just buy another one, another piano? "
Connor shrugged , " No. We couldn't buy another one."
"Anywhere?"
"Anywhere Mr. Young." Connor pressed the tiny white expresso cup to his lips as if he were about to tap it against his good tooth. David Young flinched, he would wash the cup himself after Connor left, in fact he might even put it in the trash.
David Young shifted position uncomfortably and glanced at the timer on the AGA Cooker. In half an hour and he'd never have to see this couple again. He wondered if he was best reporting the couple's visit to the police , just in case his home did get burgled in the next few weeks. If the "Connors" asked ,Claire's teaching schedule was definitely going to be full for the foreseeable future.
From that point on the two men sipped their coffee in a silence. Connor knew David Young was playing a "who speaks first-looses" mind-fuck. A red warning light blinked on the kitchen computer display panel and John quietly noted David attempting to ignore it. He felt completely relaxed observing, taking everything in, even if he was sitting across from an asshole who happened to be the closest thing to a father in law he'd ever have. He was enjoying listening to Cameron, for once playing an in-tune piano though.
The Kitchen door opened a fraction John glanced to his side to see a familiar set of brown eyes studying him through the gap . They were smaller and much lower to the ground than the ones he was accustomed to.
"Ali back up to your room please, now ". David's voice came out higher and more tense than he'd intended it to.
The brown eyes didn't budge an inch and the door didn't close.
"Daddy, my TV's gone funny, " . The door opened a bit wider and a five year old Allison Young
walked across the marble tiles and climbed up into the chair next to John Connor . She tilted her head to one side and stared at John with wide eyed innocence. Then she frowned.
"Does that hurt she asked?" She'd kneeled up in the chair and reached out a finger as if she was considering touching John''s face, then drew her hand back to trace the line of his scars down her own cheek instead.
John took his glasses off and placed them on the table.
"Ali" David Coughed. A pair of green eyes flashed at him. David had never seen eyes like Connors' before . He could sense invisible fire burning behind them . When Connor looked back to Allison the eyes gentled and his voice softened as he spoke affectionately to the child.
"Does it hurt me Ali ? No, not anymore." .
"Now Alison ", David, was almost shaking, he took the last deep slug of coffee. "You know what Dr. Baggley told you about asking socially inappropriate questions.
Ali Young looked like she was contemplating something of very deep significance. Then she reached over and quickly grabbed John's hand and let go . "I'm sorry." It was difficult to tell exactly which of the pair was the most transfixed by the other. As David Young faded into their background and ran his hand through his hair. Twenty five minutes, he thought, and this bum would be out of his home and away from his family . Connor definitely wasn't safe around his children.
Without taking his eyes off Ali John said "Hey its Ok." Then he began explaining with the slow almost inhuman patience he'd practised over the last quarter of a century with Cameron .
"Alison I don't mind, but some people wouldn't feel comfortable with anyone asking them about this kind of stuff. So it's best not to ask until you know its right."
"But how do you know when its right to ask?" Ali asked John with full but childish seriousness .
"Well here's the thing" ,John replied " when you know it's right to ask your friend, who looks like this" he gestured to his face , " you won't notice anymore this stuff , so you won't need to ask ." he considered her for a moment "You're very brave and I bet you don't get scared easily , do you ?"
"No-ow I don't get scared easy ."Ali shook her head, she'd been twisting on her sleeve through her fingers, never taking her eyes off his. She smiled , cryptically. Somehow she knew this strange man in her kitchen was already her friend, it was like she'd dreamt about him him sometimes .
David Young broke the spell. " What's actually wrong with your TV Ali ?"
Ali replied in a parody of a grown up voice, like her mother's "Well the pictures gone all crackly, and the programme keeps changing , sometimes there's pictures of a big bomb exploding and houses and people are burning, I don't like it " John nodded understandingly. Skynet did this when it had started gathering information its build up, together prior to fitting the fragments of itself together , pieces self assembling into consciousness. It flicked through the TV networks like it was using its own private remote. Nobody made the connection at first, Skynet just carried on spilling out into every network . This evening and tomorrow TV companies assumed what was happening was satellite malfunction
"Alison, it's not your TV." John explained with calm authority " It's every single channel and TV in Southern USA . It'll get better in an hour or so, then it'll go off again tomorrow evening. "
David shook his head , this had to be pure bullshit. He picked up the remote, switched on the TV and began flicking through the channels on the wall mounted TV in the kitchen. The footage was showing B52 bombers dropping Napalm on Vietnamese jungle. It was on every single channel.
This was getting so fucking weird. He pulled his Blackberry out of his jacket pocket and called his neighbour.
"Chas- David Young. I'm fine. My TV's not working " the line crackled and a series of pips interrupted the man's voice on the other end. …" Satellite's playing up, the Cable goes weird as well." there were more pips and the call ended itself.
John shrugged at Alison. " There's a storm coming, that's all- Say what's your favourite toy Alison ?"
She ponded for a moment, looking up to the right as if she was trying to visualise it. 'Mmmm, Mister Diggles. He's a dog."
Would you like to go and get Mr. Diggles so I can see him please Allison . John spoke like it was the most crucial thing in the world to see Mr Diggles . Without even looking at David Young , (who was still flicking tup and channels on his ultra flat wide screen kitchen TV,) Alison got down out of the seat and almost ran with great poise across the kitchen to the stairs. On the TV on every channel in 1950's monochrome a large mushroom cloud was expanding on the horizon during an early nuclear test in the pacific.
David Young seemed to shrunken physically , he folded his arms across himself when he spoke "What's going on Connor?" Is this some military screw up , terrorism, you seem to know?
John shrugged again" Like I said, it's a storm . That's all I can tell you."
It was a beautiful evening. Katie and her friends were on grass verge outside . David could hear Claire's pupil playing Chopin in the music room. They seemed to be getting on . Music was punctuated by female laughter. David could hear Alison's light feet on the the stairs. His five year old daughter was going to show as seriously scary stranger sitting in David's kitchen her favourite toy , and the background to all this , his TV on autopilot playing clips of the history of human warfare. It was showing a clip of a concentration camp when Alison came back the room he flicked it off . He never wants Ali to even suspect this kind of stuff happened in her world.