Episode 2: Revelations

"A wise man once said, 'Know thyself.' Easier said than done. Me and my brother had nine aliases, spoken four languages, and spent three years in an adoptive family for speaking the truth. At least when we were there we could use our real names. Through it all I've always known who I am and why I'm here. Stay alive. Get prepared for the future. But lately, it's gotten harder to control it all. Even as we try to find firm ground in this new world, the battlefield shifts beneath our feet. Maybe it's all catching up to us. Maybe if you spend your life hiding who you are, you might finally end up fooling yourself."

The Reeses were impatiently waiting for food. Well, two of the Reeses were since Cameron was standing at the oven, making pancakes. The terminator Sarah Connor was sitting at the kitchen table too, opposite to Kyle, whose son was squirming on the chair next to him. As terminator, Sarah didn't eat of course. This morning, however, Cameron had asked her to join them by courtesy. After all, it was the first one on which the girl decided to prepare breakfast for her family again after their jump forward in time.

A few minutes later, Cameron served her father and John each a plate with small towers of pancakes on them. John was already drooling as he reached for the syrup to pour half of it on his pancakes. He simply loved his sister's cooking skills. "Yay, thanks!"

"Thank you, dear." Kyle smiled at his daughter.

Cameron shrugged, winking. "No worries."

Kindhearted by nature, she made herself some pancakes only now, having provided her father and brother first. Afterward, she sat down, next to Sarah to which she turned, joking. "I guess, you don't wanna have some?"

Sarah declined with thanks, causing Kyle to sneer deprecatingly. "It cannot even eat. It's a machine, Cameron. No human."

The raven-haired's next move unsettled all three of them. Little short of defiantly, Sarah took Cameron's fork and used it to cut off a piece of a pancake on the girl's plate. Then she pierced it and shoved it into her mouth. Chewing and finally swallowing the bite, she handed the female Reese the fork back. "Thank you."

"Err...you're welcome."

Barely an hour passed before Cameron was doing the dishes, listening to another argument between John and their father in the living room. It was about her brother's impatience with all the waiting and his desire to be himself for once and not to go through the 24th extensive re-imagining. Cameron could understand him, because she wanted this herself. But other than him, his sister knew that it was necessary to survive.

Cameron became frightened when Sarah suddenly appeared next to her, grabbing a towel. "Please, don't sneak up me like this."

"I'm sorry." The terminator took charge of a wet pan.

Stuttering, Cameron asked, "Wh... What are you doing?"

"Drying the dished for you." Sarah explained and started to do so.

Cameron noticed that the raven-haired's expressions seemed somehow relaxed, even a bit happy. Although it was kinda nice to have some company, even a faked one, she didn't quite know how to handle the situation. "You're a machine. Why on earth would you help me with the dishes?"

"First of all, I'm a cybernetic organism. Of course you can say 'cyborg' though." Stating matter of factly, Sarah replied. "And secondly, because I'm built for infiltration. To help people with ordinary things like doing the housework is a very good methode to ease tension, get close with the target, and make said target trust. Moreover, people get talkative while it."

For whatever reason, Cameron found herself unable to suppress the small hint of disappointment she felt. "I see."

"Besides, it seems unfair to me that you're doing all the chore on your own." Sarah added, flashing Cameron a smile that made the teenager gasp. "Somebody should help you. And if neither your father nor your brother does so, then I will."

"Thanks." Cameron cleared her throat, reminding herself that Sarah was nothing but a machine...cybernetic organism...cyborg. No matter how genuine her smiles looked or how honest her words sounded. The terminator had just said it herself. It was all the infiltration prgramm.

All of a sudden, Kyle raised his voice. "John, you've got no idea what you're talking about!"

In the kitchen Cameron cringed before she sighed. "Do my father and my brother still fight like this in the future?"

"No." Sarah answered. "They don't."

Before Sarah could add another word Kyle stormed into the kitchen, followed by John. He turned to his children. "So here's the plan. I'll visit an old friend of mine. Enrique. You remember him? He'll get us IDs. While I'm away, I want you to stay here. You, Tin Lady, you'll protect John and Cameron. Don't let them outside."

"Tin Lady?" Sarah tilted her head, but nodded nevertheless. "Of course I will protect them. That's my mission."

"And don't you ever forget that." Kyle hissed.

Afterward, he said good bye to his kids, kissing them on their cheeks, even his sulky son. The he was gone. "I'll be back in a few hours."

Only ten minutes later, John cheered, "Awesome! C'mon, Cam. Let's go."

"What?!" His sister shook her head firmly. "No, John. Dad wants us to stay here. It's safer."

"Cameron, don't be coward." John groaned. "It'll be fun. Dad will never know."

"John, I really think that..."

Her brother interrupted the girl, pointing a finger at Sarah who was watching them in silence. "Besides, she'll protect us."

Cameron let out a releaved sigh. "John, she won't even let us out. Didn't you listen to dad?"

"I don't take orders from Kyle Reese." The terminator declared suddenly, sounding almost harshly. "The Reese siblings are the only ones I take orders from."

This statement caused John to grin mischievously. "Well, I want you to..."

"The future Reese siblings." Sarah cut in.

Now it was Cameron's time to smirk at her brother's annoyed face.

"Argh!" John glared at both of them. "Whatever, I don't care. I'll go. You can come with me, if you want to. If not..."

He didn't finish the sentence. Instead he put on his jacket while Cameron rolled her eyes. She hated to disobey her father. Yet she worried about her brother. "Fine, John. You won. Come on, Sarah.

"Where are we going?"

The three of them went to a nearby mall, where John was instantly taken with all the advanced technology. He had been into wires and files since he could remember and this was like paradise to him. Grotesquely, some...thing like Sarah Connor wasn't interesting to him.

"Okay guys, have fun." John clapped his hands, grinning from ear to ear. "See ya in about two hours. Right here, alright? Alright."

"John, wait..." Cameron wanted to shout, but he was already gone. She muttered softly, "Goddamn Idiot!"

Sarah came up to her. "This John is evidently frivolous and acts due consideration."

"So future John is smarter?" The girl asked quizzically.

"Yes and no." Sarah replied. "He deliberates more. But if a plan of him fails, he quickly gets hot-headed and does something stupid. He often feels regret and guilt. At least that's what he told me once. I believe it though."

Cameron pondered a few minutes about Sarah's words. It was true that sometimes John didn't think about his comments and actions. And now and then he hurt people with this behaviour. Yet he always apologized. Well, more often than not. "Whatever... I want to see what the fashion looks like these days."

"Oh my god!" Cameron shrieked five minutes later when they were slendering through a shop. She held up a leather-jacket. "Look at this! Isn't it cool?"

Sarah looked from the hyped teenager to the jacket and back. "It's purple."

"So what?" Cameron demanded. "I like purple."

"I know." The raven-haired responded. "Some day you told me that it's your favorite color."

Cameron was surprised by Sarah's confession. Why would she tell a terminator such personal stuff about herself? Was she... Was her future self close to Sarah? No. She nor her future self could be close to Sarah. After all, Sarah was a terminator and a terminator didn't care for anyone. It would have been poor if she was close to a terminator.

She cleared her throat and decided to change the topic. "A pity I don't have money..."

"How much does it cost?" Sarah asked, pulling out a bankroll out of the pocket of her leather-coat. "These are one thousand two hundred and fifty-three dollars."

"What the...?" Cameron gaped. "Where did you get that?"

The raven-haired tilted her head and looked at her as if her question was the dumbest one ever asked. Once more Cameron felt like a foolish, little girl in Sarah's presence, although the terminator said, "I have to provide for you. Therefore I require money. Money which is deposited in a bank."

"When did you fetch it? You were with us all the time, except for the night."

"I don't sleep."

"I see..."

Sarah smiled kindly at her and Cameron still felt like a foolish, little girl.

The following hour they spent with shopping. And despite Sarah's reservation and opinion that it wasn't necessary for her mission, Cameron persuaded her to try on several different shirts, tank tops, and jeans. The girl had to admit that Sarah looked great in as good as everything. The fabric hugged her slim body thightly and she looked damn hot this way, whereas Cameron wished not to notice. Apparently, her creators must have been rather competent with her appearance and not just with her cyborg-skills.

"I'm fat." Cameron groaned in the changing cubicle, glaring at her mirror image.

One second later, Sarah sneaked in, catching the teenager once again by surprise. "That's not true. Your weight is perfect for someone in your age. Your whole body is esthetically pleasing."

"You have to say this." Cameron shook her head, making the feeling that Sarah's flattery had caused inside her go away. "But you don't mean it."

"I do mean it. In your case it is absolutely needless to worry." Sarah's voice was strangely insistent. "I noticed that most girls respectively women have an unhealthy fixation on their weight. This can cause mental issues. So stop toturing yourself about it, please."

Cameron blinked a few times when Sarah was finally done. "That was quite a speech."

"I'm right."

"Yes, you are."

After twenty minutes, they we're sitting at a table and Sarah practically stared at Cameron who was shoving fries into her mouth. "You are confusing."

"Humans are confusing." Cameron explained, chewing. "We say something, but we do something different. We know what we should do, but we don't do it. We're confusing, irrational, open to influence, and most of all...we're emotional. We're humans."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "In the future humans often do things that are illogical to me."

"Like what?"

"Dying for someone other, for example."

Cameron licked the salt from her chapped lips. "You would die for me and my brother."

"That's because I'm programmed to protect you, even if it means my own elimination." Sarah remarked expressionless. "Moreover, I cannot die. I just can go offline."

As a reaction to Sarah's statement, Cameron folded arms and refused to look at the terminator. Sarah noted that her face was obviously a mixture of anger and hurt. "Am I right in assuming that I offended you with my words?"

"No." The girl answered, still not looking at her.

"But you seem to be offended."

"I'm not, okay?!" Cameron was aware of the fact that she irritated the terminator and that this was kinda mean of her. At the moment she didn't cared though. Further, a terminator didn't know meanness. And on top of this, Sarah had been mean at first. Cameron knew that the raven-haired was programmed to do everything for her, but she didn't need to get reminded all the time. Especially not in a moment in which she enjoyed Sarah's company.

Meanwhile, Sarah didn't know how to behave. According to her body language, Cameron Reese was upset. Yet she controverted it. "I don't understand you."

"I'm not for you to understand. You should protect me. That's it."

Sarah detected hostility. So she decided to change her tactics. "Are you still going to eat them?"

"Eh?" Cameron faced Sarah who was pointing at her fries on the table top. "Why? Don't tell me you wanna have them?"

"May I?"

"I thought you don't eat." Cameron wondered, even though she handed Sarah the fries.

Sarah picked up one frie, dipped it into the ketchup and shoved it into her mouth. "Sometimes I do for the flavor."

"The flavor?"

"Yes."

Cameron sneered, sounding a bit like her father. "Now I understand. You're using your infiltration skills in the attempt to calm me down, am I right?"

"No."

As the girl watched Sarah's attractive, peaceful face for a few moments, she relaxed indeed. She felt her own features softened. Cameron knew very well that the raven-haired lied and that she was built to lull people. But she realized that it started to work on her. Bloody jade-green eyes. She didn't even like the color. They shouldn't sparkle like that. "So you're able to taste?"

"Yes, I am."

Finally, Cameron allowed herself to fall for the terminator's lie. "Did you like my pancakes then?"

Sarah smiled, causing the teen to choke on her coke which she drank at the moment. "Yes, although the ones made by your future self taste different."

Right now Cameron's brain was simply overcharged. "I make pancakes for you in the future?"

The terminator didn't answer her. Instead Cameron could have sworn that she saw something strange flickering over Sarah's face. She looked like as if she was hunted by an old memory. Had the flicker been an emotion? Nah! That was impossible.

"We should leave." Sarah declared all of a sudden. "We have to meet John and go back home."

"Yeah...right."

They had to wait more than ten minutes for John at the entrance before he strolled in their direction. Cameron decided that they needed cell phones or even better, a dog leash for her brother who immidiately spotted the shopping bags Sarah was carrying. "You know that dad isn't blind, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Cameron hissed and nudged him. "Don't you worry about that. I've got a plan. Listen, I'll hide all the stuff until I've convinced dad that we need more and all-important, more stylish clothes. After all, we cannot look like freaks in school. Once I've got his permission to go shopping, these are the clothes I bought...along with some new ones probably."

John grunted amused as he discovered something. "Wait... Where did you get all the money for this."

"Sarah's in possession of lots of money."

Her brother glared at both the terminator and his sister who was grinning at him gloatingly. "Why didn't you give me any? I've seen so much cool stuff."

"You didn't ask for money before you separated from us." Sarah stated, educing a soft chuckle from Cameron. "We have to leave. Your father will be back home soon."

Little less than half an hour later, Sarah, Cameron and John were back at their house where a hopping mad Kyle was already waiting for them. His children screamed out when they saw him sitting on the couch in the living room. "DAD! Wh... Whatcha doing here?!"

"Well, right now I'm pondering whether I should bawl at you until my voice gets croaky or kill you right away." Kyle replied dangerously low. "I prohibited you specifically not to leave the house! Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? EH?"

As their father stood up and approached them slowly, John and Cameron swallowed hard. They were in so much trouble. Both of them wanted to say something, but then Sarah positioned herself in front of them. "Please remain calm, Kyle Reese. I was with them and had a Glock-17 hidden in the inside pocket of my leather- coat all the time. Everything was under control."

Kyle stared at her for a few minutes, his face unreadable. Then he made a sudden beeline for the terminator and slapped her. Of course it didn't do harm to Sarah, yet Kyle caused an ugly mark on her left cheek. If Sarah wouldn't have turned her head in the direction of his drive, Kyle's fingers would have been broken now because of her 'substantial' frame.

"Don't you dare to talk to me." The father of all destiny hissed. "You're here to protect my kids, you put them in danger though."

"I did not."

"No?! What if other terminators would have seen them?" Kyle's face turned redder with every passed second. "You know what they would have done?! What..."

Sarah interrupted him without any fear. "Nothing. Skynet doesn't know they're here. There's no directive to hunt the Reese siblings."

"So wait, if we were to walk right by one..." John cut in hesitantly.

"They'll walk right by you. They don't know what you look like." Sarah finished.

Cameron clicked her tongue. "That's really awesome."

"And what if they found out who they were." Kyle demanded. "Would they all know what to do then?"

Sarah nodded. "They do."

"Awesome." Kyle sneered sarcastically.

Their 'argument' went on a little longer. But most of the time Kyle was simply yelling at his offsprings. Afterwards, he calm down a bit and told them that he didn't get the IDs, because Enrique's nephew Carlos had taken over the business. Unfortunately, he wanted the money not just immediately, but the price for the faked IDs were skyrocketing. That was when Sarah revealed the bankroll in her coat and explained that in a certain bank was a lot more deposited. Again Kyle looked rather angry. However, this time he didn't slap or shout at the raven-haired.

"Fine." Kyle inhaled deeply. "First I'll get the money and then I'll pay Carlos another visit. But this time you'll come with me."

In a group of four, they drove to the bank where Kyle draw out the needed money. Afterwards, they travelled to Enrique's nephew's house in his gang's territory. Several members of said gang were standing in the front garden, watching the arrivals closely. Kyle went inside the house while Sarah, Cameron and John stayed at the pick-up. Carlos was quite surprised to see him back so soon. He was happy though when he saw the money.

Outside, a police officer showed up on the opposite side of the street. Nervously, Cameron who was standing in front of the pick-up with Sarah and John noted that he was looking in their direction. It didn't take him long to decide to come over. The girl, a quick thinker, nudged her brother inconspicuously and whispered, "Play along."

Then she turned to Sarah. "Grab our arms and look angry."

Without asking, Sarah did as she was told, causing the Reese siblings to shiver by her furious eyes. The police officer approach them and Cameron winced and whinded, "I swear we didn't hang out with this people, Mom. We'd never take drugs and stuff."

John understood. "Honestly, Mom! We were just standing here."

"C'mon!" Sarah yelled at them. She got the human's tactics. "You don't want me to believe that! All the time..."

"Ma'am, is everything alright here?" The police officer asked.

Sarah snarled. "Alright?! No, nothing is alright, because my children are the two biggest idiots on earth!"

"Is there a chance that you'll continue this conversation somewhere other." The officer said. "At home, maybe?"

"OH GOD NO!" Cameron shrieked, looking intensively at her father who had just came out of the house. "Dad, we didn't do anything wrong. No drugs. No alcohol. We only passed. Mum thinks we've..."

"We'll talk about this once we're back home." Kyle hissed when he came up to them, comprehending the situation.

The officer looked almost relieved. "That's a good idea."

"Thanks, Officer." Sarah said, ordering Cameron and John to get inside the pick-up then. "Go ahead!"

Sarah and Kyle climbed in too and drove off. After two minutes, Kyle asked them what happened and Cameron told him everything. Afterwards, her father praised her great idea. Even John patted his sister on the shoulder briefly. Meanwhile, the girl just wondered why Sarah had followed her command so easily and without any questioning. After all, the terminator had told them that she only took orders from the future Cameron and John.

It was already late at night when Cameron went into the dark kitchen to get herself a little midnight snack. As she switched on the light, she startled. Sarah was standing by the window, staring through it. "Hi..."

The terminator nodded shortly in her direction.

Cameron was about to open the frigde when she remembered something. "You didn't answer my question."

Much to her surprise and dislike, Sarah didn't turn around to face her. Yet the terminator replied, "Which one?"

"Do I make pancakes for you in the future?"

"You should go to bed. It's late."

"'Know thyself'. John once told me it's inscribed on the front of the temple of Apollo. The entire quote is, 'Know thyself and thou shall know all the mysteries of the gods and of the universe.' That's quite a mouthful. My version is this, 'Know thyself because what else is there to know?' People hide secrets, time is a lie, the material world can disappear in an instant. It has and it will again. Our identities change. Our names, the way we look, how we act and speak. We're shape-shifters. There is no control, no constant, no shelter but the love of family and the body God gave us. And we can only hope that will always be enough."