A bad day for John Jr.
Julie drove her husband up to the isolated bunker. "You are sure this if the one?" She asked.
"This is it." he said and got out. He went around the car to lean into her window and give her a quick kiss. "See you later at the rendezvous."
"I should come with you."
"I'll be find, hon. Just wait, OK?"
Julie let out a grumble and drove away. He watched her go, then went inside the bunker to the back corner and climbed up on a shelf to tuck himself away and wait.
An hour later, right on schedule, a truck arrived and backed in. He watched the truck park inside. The driver got out and shut the bunker doors and put the key in his pocket. He waited until the driver, who was a T-888, positioned himself to stand facing the blast door and go into standby.
Now, if history was correct, John would be inside the truck with the coltan, and stuck here.
Feeling comfortable that the terminator was in standby, he quietly climbed down from the rack. As quietly as possible, he slowly walked toward the stationary terminator. Hearing a metallic noise, he froze.
The back door of the truck had come up slightly. He watched in slide up a bit farther. A face peeked out. His father, now a 15 year old John Connor's face. Yup, Dad was here.
He quickly put a finger to his lips, signaling quiet.
Young John Connor had a phone to his ear, in his move to try and lift the gate farther, he dropped it to clatter onto the floor. A voice on the phone cried, "John!"
The terminator twitched it's head.
Oh hell! He was standing in the open, not that it mattered. It knew he was here now. He did the only thing he could. He charged full bore at the terminator.
The terminator turned to see him coming and drew his pistol it shot him twice in the chest before he rammed into it with a punch to it's head. His momentum carried him on to knock them both down. The gun clattered away, he dove for it and snapped it up as the terminator got to it's feet.
He rolled to his feet and faced the terminator then snapped the gun in half. Tossing the pieces to the side, he stated "I hate loud noises."
The terminator tipped it's head slightly and strode towards him.
"At least now it's a fair fight," he said with a sigh. Well not completely fair. He dodged the terminator's simple advance with a roundhouse to it's Jaw, then jumped back and to the side. The terminator stumbled, a straight kick to it's hip to try and dislocate the joint sent the terminator into the steel racks.
The terminator turned to face him then scanned the area. It picked up a length of steel pipe and came at him again.
He backed up until he was even with the truck. He stopped, he couldn't let this thing see his father inside the truck He ran over and climbed up onto the roof of the cab. The terminator swung his pipe, shattering the windshield.
He had to keep this terminator busy so it wouldn't find his father. "Try again," he taunted.
The terminator stared at him, but didn't move. "What is your designation and mission?" it asked in it's monotone voice.
"Me? I'm not the one who drove this truck in here and stayed with it. You delivered the truck, so go," he replied and pointed to the blast door.
"My mission is to stay with this truck until it is time to open the door," it replied flatly.
"So, why did you attack me?" he asked.
"You attacked me."
"Did not! I was running to greet you, You shot me."
"You broke my gun."
"You were shooting me."
"I am the only unit authorized to be inside this bunker."
He pointed to the door again and said, "Then open the door and let me out."
"The door cannot be opened until the proper date."
"You really are a dumb one. Are you an early triple eight?" he asked.
A noise came from the back, it sounded like John Connor falling on the floor. The terminator turned his head to look. He jumped down and kicked the terminator in the head. He tried to steal the pipe, but it kept a solid hold on the other end.
In a hard haul, he jerked the terminator off it's feet and slung it around to impact the truck grill. Jerking on the pipe, he pulled the terminator out. It was refusing to let go.
"Mr. Peterson?" John Connor asked in a squeak.
"The name's not Peterson kid!" he snapped as he jerked and pushed to keep the T-888 off it's feet. He shoved hard pushing the terminator across the floor with the pipe. "See if that truck has keys in it!" he yelled as he rammed the terminator into a wall.
Here the terminator got the leverage to throw him into the wall with the other end of the pipe.
Pushing and pulling, each tried to gain an advantage as Young John climbed into the cab.
He planted one foot against the wall and shoved hard. The terminator went flying out onto the floor. It finally let go of the pipe. He charged to impale it.
"No keys!"
The terminator looked at John, at a dead run, he rammed the pipe into the side of the terminator's head. The terminator hit the floor face down. He jumped on it's back and pulled it's arms behind his back. It was a struggle, but he kept it immobilized. "Kid, tell me you got a knife!"
"I don't have a knife," John cried.
"That's NOT what I asked you to tell me! Find something, a tire iron, anything to get his chip out!" he barked.
Below him, the terminator was flopping and kicking to break free. He held it's arms pinned back and stayed over it while young John routed through the cab of the truck.
John poked his head out of the broken windshield. "There's no tools in here!" he cried.
"Check the sides of the box, under, behind the box, there HAS to be something someplace!" he prodded loudly.
John got out of thr truck and snapped up his phone. "Mom? Yes, I'm all right, but there's two terminators in here … one's holding the other one down … I need a knife or something to get the chip out … OK ..OK."
The terminator tried a frantic flop, trying to buck him off. He stayed over the terminator and held him down. "Do ya think you can hurry a bit?" he asked in a yell.
"I'm looking!"
"LOOK HARDER!"
Another twist and lift by the terminator, and he threw the terminator back to the floor. "I don't have all day here," he called out.
"Found something!" John said, running up and holding a wrecking bar.
Finally! "Right side of his head, knock his scalp off."
"I know, hold him still."
The terminator wouldn't hold still. Even so, with John stabbing at his head, flesh came off to expose the chip port. John kept stabbing and the cover indented, then indented farther with another whack. Sticking the end of the bar into the indented piece, John pried and it popped out.
The terminator, trying hard to keep from being terminated, swung his hard around in fast motions.
"I can't get it," John snapped in frustration.
"Check his pants pocket for keys."
"What will keys do?" John asked.
"Open that blast door so you can get the FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
It took some effort, but John did retrieve the keys. He ran over to the doors and opened the thick blast door. The terminator tried to flop towards the door.
As the door opened, Sarah and Cameron were on the other side. John quickly explained as he pointed, "We have him down by can't get the chip out."
"Who's the other one?" Sarah asked as she aimed her gun at the pair on the floor.
"Mr. Peterson, from school," John told her.
Cameron strode over. She held the terminator's head in place, pulled and crushed his chip.
She then eyed him and asked, "Who are you?"
"Thank you! I'm not-Mr. Peterson," he told her and untangled himself from the T-888. He got up to face Sarah holding a gun on him. He raised his hands to show her he had no weapon.
TONK Cameron hit him in the back of the head with the pipe.
"What did you do that for?" he asked, glaring at her.
"Who are you?" she asked again.
"OH, I save John, and you whack me in the head? Some thanks I get!" he growled at her. He turned to leave.
TONK "Answer me!' Cameron demanded.
"Will you stop that!" he cried.
"Your name, now," Cameron said sternly.
"Peter. Now, can I go?" he asked and moved to walk away again.
TONK "Don't lie to me," Cameron snapped.
"I'm not!"
"You are," Cameron stated.
Sarah and John watched the odd display.
Backing up, he said, "John's free, the triple eight is down, so let me leave."
"No, I need to know your name." Cameron stated, wielding her pipe.
"I'm Mr. not-Peterson." he stated. He dodged the strike to his head, but still took it on his shoulder.
TONK "Tell me what your name is!" Cameron demanded.
Backing out of the bunker with Cameron following him, he cried out, "Whatever you want it to be!"
Chasing him at a walk, pipe cocked back for another strike, Cameron said. "I will name you … Sue."
"What?"
"Yes, Sue, unless you can give me a real name," Cameron stated.
John and Sarah, looking confused, were now following Cameron, who was chasing the man named Sue as he backed away from her.
"OK, you named me, can I go now?" he asked.
"I will name my first-born after you," Cameron told him.
"What? Now hold on!" he cried. He let his arms down. Cameron swung the pipe down.
TONK "Then tell me your name," Cameron said.
"WILL YOU STOP THAT!" he cried.
"No."
"Maybe I should crack YOU on the head with that pipe!" he snapped.
Cameron moved to his side, he backed up to keep her in front of him. In this way, she guided him into a wedge between the wall of the bunker and a cliff. His back was against the wall.
"Cameron," John cried, "He did help me get out of there, and didn't he give us good advice at school?"
"You know this metal?" Sarah asked.
"He was subbing for the guidance councilor at school," John said. "Yes, he knows about us and helped me out. Mom, he just got me out of a tight spot."
"What's your name?" Cameron asked again.
Mr. not- Peterson / Sue shrugged and said, "If you forgot, I can't help you."
TONK "Tell me!" Cameron snapped.
"God Dammit Mo… STOP IT!" he yelled.
"Stop it, WHO?" Cameron asked.
"Cameron," Sarah shouted, "Stop hitting him before he turns on us!"
"He won't," Cameron said. She walked up and held the pipe out to the cornered man to take. "You won't hit me, will you?"
"Because I'm not as violent as you are?" he guessed.
"I need to hear your name to verify my information," Cameron said.
"What information?"
Cameron explained, "When you left the school after you saw John and myself, you got into a car with a brown haired woman. I heard what you both said. Derek had a breakdown. When he was having a nightmare, I asked questions. He talked about seeing his daughter from the future, who she was here with. I need to hear it from you."
He face palmed. "This isn't good," he grumbled.
A car came up and stopped. A brown haired woman got out holding a stun gun. "Cameron Connor!" she announced as she strode towards them. "He won't lay a finger on you, but I will shock you into the middle of next WEEK if you don't let him go!"
Sarah brought her gun up, the women ducked, turned and tazered her in one smooth move.
Sarah's shot missed, she then fell to the ground, screaming.
"Cameron, back off!" the woman demanded.
Cameron did and tossed the pipe down.
The woman watched Cameron as Mr. not-Peterson/Sue got in the car, then she got in. She turned the car around and they drove away.
John went over to his mother who was gasping and holding her stomach.
"Mom, you OK?" he asked nervously.
Gritting her teeth, Sarah glared at Cameron. "I want an explanation, what was that about!" she growled.
"Someone from the future who knows me," Cameron replied, explaining as little as possible.
"They know you from the future," Sarah grated.
"Yes."
"Then explain, WHY did she call you Cameron Connor, and not Phillips?"
"We need to get rid of that truck full of coltan," Cameron said, avoiding the question and marched for the bunker.
..
They drove the truck to a cliff and over it into the ocean. While they got rid of the truck and on the way home, John sat thinking hard about Mr. not-Peterson. The good advice he gave. Being in the bunker when John was stuck inside. If it was only John himself, he would have been hard pressed to get out. The fight with the triple eight. He'd handled that terminator just as well, or maybe even a little better than Cameron would have. Yet he let Cameron beat him with a pipe and didn't fight back.
That woman though had no qualms about tazering Mom, and threatened to do the same with Cameron.
"Cameron Connor! He won't lay a finger on you, but I will shock you into the middle of next WEEK if you don't let him go!"
John remembered those words clearly. The woman was angry, John was sure she hadn't mis-spoke. She'd called Cameron a Connor, not Phillips. Cameron had also heard something from them when they'd left the school that made Mr. Whoever-He-Was, look like he'd slipped up. Looking over at Cameron in the driver's seat, he knew she'd found out something that she wasn't telling.
Why wouldn't that guy hurt Cameron? Anyone getting beaten would at least try to take that pipe away, even if it was a close friend. That man didn't. He only tried to get away from her. He let her back him into a corner all because Cameron was demanding to know his name. Cameron had told the man about Derek meeting a daughter, she'd coaxed it out of him during a nightmare.
When they got home, Cameron went on a patrol. Going inside, John looked for Derek. He found an empty whiskey bottle in the living room. Going outside, he found Derek in a lounger, with another bottle only a quarter full.
"That's not good, drinking that much," John said as he sat down by Derek.
Derek shrugged
"So what happened to your truck that day?" John asked.
"Wrong place at the wrong time." Derek replied, not looking at him.
"Remember where?"
"No!" Derek said firmly. "I'm not going back there and neither are you."
"You met a daughter of yours from the future," John said.
This got Derek to snap his head over to look at John. "That had to be a trick," he stated.
"Why?" John asked, listening intently.
"Because no daughter of mine would be a friggin terminator who rides an H/K. That's why!" Derek said firmly, then took another long pull from the bottle.
"Did she say who was with her?" John asked.
"John," Derek snapped, "I need to sort this shit out in my head, OK? You asking me shit isn't helping. Go see if you can find me another bottle."
John went back inside. Heading to the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and looked in. He was getting a bit hungry, but had no clue what he wanted to eat. He found himself thinking about Cameron and Mr. Whoever. What did she know about him? It seemed stupid he would not raise a hand to her even when she was whacking him with a steel pipe.
"John! I told you, don't stand there with the door open!" Sarah snapped.
"Sorry, Mom," he grumbled. He shut the door and headed upstairs for his room. Half way up the stairs it hit him like a ton of bricks.
John had scuffles, he had arguments, he'd had fights. The one person he would never even think of hitting or hurting was his own mother. The last time that guy yelled at Cameron to stop, the 'M' had slipped out.
That man was Cameorn's son.
John stopped in place on the stairs. Remembering what that guy had told them took on new meaning with the possibility that Cameron could be his mother. Cameron threatening him with naming her first child 'Sue', and he got upset. It all made sense. He jaw lowered to hang loose. Cameron was trying to get him to admit he was her son!
What he'd said about Cameron becoming more than she was, about her growing up, and John had to teach her. Their fates being intertwined, that she needed him as much a he needed her. It all took on a new meaning. Cameron was going to grow, to develop beyond her programmed missions and into a sentient being, and she was going to have a child.
"Up or down, John. Pick one." Sarah said from behind him.
"Sorry, Mom," he said and went the rest of the way up the stairs.
Following him, Sarah asked, "You seem to be thinking deeply about something, is it what happened today?"
Topping the stairs he shrugged and said, "Yeah, kinda."
In a serious tone she said, "That was strange, but remember John, you can't always trust what a machine, especially one you don't know the loyalty of, will say."
"I know, Mom."
He remembered well that woman had yelled to Cameron Connor, when Cameron had been beating on her son. Too many things pointed to the same conclusion to dismiss those words. He had a strong feeling she was a wife defending her husband, or at lest a very close boyfriend.
.
Wandering into his room, John flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Cameron some time in the future was going to grow beyond her programs and missions. He was going to have to teach her about her budding emotions, and eventually, she was going to have a son.
Was he going to be the father?