Born Again

It can't end like this.

Not this way, as Skynet is at its genesis. Not this way, locked in a time displacement sphere. Not locked in combat with this relic. This thing, this automaton, the one that bears the face of the creature that tried to kill my mother. The one who now protects her. The one who has ruined everything as I sought to save my father. I am my family's saviour, not you.

It can't end this way. It can't. It…

…I've seen him before.

Or have I? I don't know. Los Angeles, 1995. Was I there? Did it end?

Los Angeles, 2003. I am older. He is there. That face, always haunting me. There was someone else as well. But not my mother. She…

…she's here with me again. My mother. Los Angeles, 2007. A world between the one I once knew, and the world I see before me now. Same world, different world…so many places. So many timelines.

San Francisco, 2018. His face, once again that of the Angel of Death. I fight, to save my father, who I have only just met. I nearly die. I-

Los Angeles, 2015. I am meeting Kyle Reese for the first time. Again. I know who he is. I have always known, since the bombs fell in 1997…or 2003…or 2011…I know…I know that…2015? That…that…

That it can't end. Not like this.

So I fight. I scream. I struggle. Yet my body is ripped apart, as time itself conspires against me. No fate, I whisper. Nothing but what I make for myself and my creator…

…who's my creator anymore?

I no longer whisper. I scream, in the recesses of my mind. The part that is still human. The part that can still feel fear. The part that has conspired against me from the beginning. Who wants it to end. This eternal cycle.

The snake cannot devour its tail forever. There must always be a Skynet. There must always be a John Connor. We were linked, even before…it, happened. My genesis. Brothers, finally face to face. I…I am Skynet's child. I am its father.

But what of my other parents?

The womb closes in. I see fire. I see a white light. I scream. And…and I laugh. Here, at the end of my time, and the beginning of another.

The womb collapses. And I die, yet am also born.

And I am free.

A/N

So, I saw Genisys during the week. Mainly out of obligation, in the sense that "well, I know this is going to be crap, but hey, it's a Terminator film, so I'm kinda compelled to give it a try. Well, turns out my expectations were wrong. Genisys is, IMO, the best Terminator film since the second one. I've discussed how and why elsewhere, and indications are this isn't a common opinion, but, well, there you go. Even the plot twist with John Connor was one I felt was done well - yeah, the trailers ruined the plot twist, and I expected a case of "well, I'm with Skynet now because...reasons...), but not only does it give us an interesting Terminator design, but also leaves it open as to how much of John is still in there, so to speak. I'd say there's two, maybe three moments of hinting it, but it doesn't matter. He's gone. A gutsy move, and one, IMO, that paid off.

But that's just me. And hey, drabbled this up, so there's that I guess.