A/N1: This chapter is just one continuous long scene. It's somewhat shorter than the previous chapters, but it helps explain some of the post- J-Day backstory of John Connor in this version of the timeline.

A/N2: The principle of objects/people populating a timeline branch - created by a single rip in space/time – is summarily explained by Catherine. She is just beginning to understand how causal events in the past led to a different Judgment Day.

2119hrs - July 27, 2025

Nebraska Bunker – Resistance Forward Command Post

Barnes sat up, recovering from the mild concussion he had just suffered. His head hurt like hell. As his eyes slowly gained focus, he found himself looking into the face of Marcus.

"Hey Lonnie, look sharp. We got a situation here."

Marcus was clutching his chest wound; blood was seeping through his fingers and staining the front of his jumpsuit.

"What the hell happened…?" Barnes mumbled.

Then he heard the John Connor's voice cut through his fog of disorientation. "Barnes? You back amongst the living?"

Barnes swiveled his head around, then he saw John… and that female-looking… thing standing there – looking at each other. He glanced to the floor and saw Bird kneeling, holding his jaw while groaning in agony; Wells lay next to him, still knocked out cold.

"Sir? What's going on?" Barnes started to rise to his feet, picking up his plasma rifle as he did. He was about to point it at the female infiltrator, but Marcus quickly held up his hand and shook his head at him. No shooting.

Marcus spoke, "First we gotta get Bird and Wells to the infirmary."

"Marcus, I am putting you in-charge of the safety and welfare of Bird and Wells as of now." John ordered. His eyes and weapon still trained on the female figure in front of him. "The three of you are to observe strict protocol about the events that just occurred in this room… need to know only. When Wells comes around, you tell him that, alright? Am I clear?"

"But John, that thing…"

Like Barnes, Marcus feared for John's safety. Both of them were thoroughly confused, and neither of them relished the idea of the general remaining in the same room as this strange and frightening liquid metal infiltrator.

"Go now, Marcus. You all know the drill. We're not at 'condition one' yet, but pretty close. Call it a 'two'."

"Yes… sir." Marcus now used John's proper appellation, and Barnes noticed the grim look on his face as he said it. Bird looked up and nodded groggily, still holding one hand to his head.

John directed his next question at Barnes: "Barnes, can you stand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can you shoot?"

"Yes sir."

"Outstanding. I want you to stay here with our… visitor… and myself. She and I have things to talk about."

Barnes was now on his feet – his hands firmly gripping his plasma rifle - unsure of what to do next. His eyes darted uneasily between John, Marcus, and the female machine.

Meanwhile, Marcus walked over to the unconscious Wells, then effortlessly picked him up and slung him gently over one shoulder. Bird, still clutching his head, shakily stood up and leaned onto Marcus' other shoulder. They began making their way to the door.

"Hey, you look like hell. You sure you…?" Barnes whispered. He could see the gleam of metal in Marcus' bloody chest wound.

"It's just a scratch." Marcus muttered. He reached the door, then unlatched and opened it. As soon as it swung open, he came face-to-face with two soldiers brandishing assault rifles.

One of them attempted to push past Marcus, yelling, "Is General Connor safe? What's going on? We heard shouts! And shots fired!"

Barnes looked in the direction of John. Astonishingly, the machine had somehow disappeared. It was just John, standing there, a grenade launcher in his hands, facing… nothing.

How the hell was that even possible? The machine had vanished from view just as mysteriously as it had appeared in the room! Barnes stood speechless, thinking for a moment that he was either drunk or hallucinating. Did I hit my head and somehow dreamt up that liquid metal woman?

John, still facing in the direction where the machine had been standing, lied smoothly and without hesitation, "We had a mishap during our briefing here, Sergeant. An accidental discharge of a firearm. These men are seriously hurt. Please escort them to the infirmary at once. That will be all."

"But sir, it looks like…" the sergeant glanced at the weapons Barnes and John were holding, confused.

"I said that will be all, Sergeant." There was now an edge in John's raised voice, but he still did not turn to face the soldier.

The sergeant quickly nodded, then put an arm around Bird and guided him out of the room ahead of Marcus and Wells. His colleague closed and locked the door behind them.

---

"So, you're obviously not here to kill me." John utterance sounded almost disappointed. He set his grenade launcher down beside the forearm resting on the table, tension and anticipation lining his brows.

"Correct, Mr. Connor. If that had been my mission, I would have done so as soon as you had entered this room." Catherine tersely replied. Soon after Marcus had left the room, she had rematerialized, and now casually occupied a chair beside the table. She sat, legs crossed, an expression of slight bemusement on her face.

John frowned at her words. He cleared his throat and said, "Nonetheless, I hope you understand Barnes' presence… and his weapon," John gestured to Barnes, "as a security precaution."

"I respect a man who makes it his policy to implement contingencies, Mr. Connor. As a mark of my sincerity, I shall comply with your contingencies," Catherine said, "no matter how effective you perceive them to be."

"Then let me be clear about one thing: even if you kill us both, don't think for one moment that you will be able to leave this room intact and functional. My men will follow what they have been trained to do if that were to happen."

"Are you threatening me, Mr. Connor?"

"I'm just one man. The Resistance is bigger than me, and it will live on and fight… even if I am no more. And you will just be a mound of metal slag."

Several long seconds passed in silence as John and Barnes locked eyes with their liquid metal guest. John finally spoke.

"So you trust the Resistance? Trust my men and myself? Trust in us that we will not burn you where you sit?"

John knew that Marcus had already initiated the security breach and counter-assassination drills they had so often rehearsed. Those drills involved Marcus alerting the rest of the bunker occupants, evacuating non-combatants, and then leading and arming all available remaining personnel. They would then secure all available exits, locate and isolate any infiltrator within the underground command complex, and - with the generous use of plasma rifles, incendiary grenades, and high-calibre depleted uranium ammunition - it would be deactivated, if not destroyed.

As long as Marcus was alive and still operational, there was no chance that this liquid metal machine would escape unscathed – even if John himself was dead.

Hell, Marcus had probably every available plasma rifle in this bunker trained on the door to this very room right now.

"I've made my choice, Mr. Connor. Taken my chance… and here I am. More crucially: do you trust me?"

John did not answer Catherine's question, and instead asked one of his own. "How should I address you… Ms…?"

"Call me Catherine."

"Well Catherine, let's us… cut to the chase." John said. He took two steps closer to Catherine, seemingly without fear for the liquid metal machine.

"As we should, Mr. Connor." Catherine affirmed.

"Where are you from?"

"Not where. When. I'm from the year 2032."

"Right. And who sent you? Did I send you here from the future?"

"No, future-you did not do that. Circumstances… obliged me to travel here, somewhat by accident. For what it is worth, I do not regret it."

"And this forearm here," John pointed, "that's from the future too?"

"It belongs to an advanced infiltrator called the T-X." Catherine replied.

"Tell me more about this… T-X."

"Even better, Mr. Connor - I can show it to you. At least, what's left of it."

But if John had been surprised by this revelation, his face did not betray it.

"So you brought this thing, this T-X with you from 2032?"

"A human Resistance soldier and myself fought it during a time displacement sequence. It was… decapitated as it went across time."

"So you have the body?"

"Affirmative. The T-X's head remains in the future. Unfortunately," Catherine gave a sigh that implied annoyance, "its left forearm was transported even further back across time."

"Go on."

"Just before the time displacement occurred, I noted the exact date it was transported back to. It was significant in that it was the eve of Judgment Day - 24th of July, 2004."

John did not answer right away. Instead, he inclined his head slightly and sighed, a pained expression briefly flashing across his brooding face. He looked as if he was recollecting some long-forgotten and hurtful memory. His next words were almost inaudible, "That date… my dear God……"

"Yes. Judgment Day. The day Skynet attacked humanity."

"Not that date, Catherine." John was slowly shaking his head. "It was later."

Now it was Catherine's turn to experience confusion. It was an exceptionally rare sensation… one that did not sit easily with her data processing protocols.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Connor?"

John muttered, "It was much later…"

Understanding began to dawn on Catherine. The effect of the T-X's arm arriving in 2004 had somehow disrupted the continuity of the original timeline. She was now on an entirely different timeline. No wonder this Connor's physical appearance was so different from the Connor she had met in 2032. Catherine had archived data of significant battles and troop movements across the Los Angeles area of operations during 2025. But in the two days she had spent locating Connor's whereabouts – aided by Riley, she found that only a few of them seemed to match up with the current, actual front line positions. In particular, Resistance emplacements and command posts seemed to have shifted position. Bunkers that were occupied were now empty or destroyed, while other bunkers seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

People, occurrences and actions in time and space had been altered. The temporal branch that was the her original past, the history of events as her memory banks had recorded them to be – had dissolved into oblivion.

Change one thing. Change everything.

"Mr. Connor… I understand now what has happened." said Catherine.

"What do you understand?"

"Tell me, if it was not July 25th, 2004… then when did Judgment Day occur?"

"April 21st, 2011. I thought… I thought you would know this." John's eyes narrowed in puzzlement… or was it suspicion?

"Impossible, Mr. Connor. I cannot know something that did not occur."

"So, what you're saying is… where you're from, there was a different Judgment Day to our Judgment Day."

"Correct. You and I have different pasts. It seems the T-X's other arm appearing in 2004 may have a part in this."

John stood silent for a few seconds, the same pained expression still on his face.

Catherine broke the impasse. "Mr. Connor, are you aware of The Butterfly Effect?"

"A small disturbance leading to a seemingly unassociated but much bigger disturbance."

"Affirmative. Just like ripples in a pond, Mr. Connor. That arm did not animate itself and go in search of you, but it did something to the timeline nonetheless." Catherine leaned back in her chair and folded her arms in a gesture of confidence. Her analyses had led her to the most plausible explanation, and she now hoped to convince the man standing before her of it. She continued explaining.

"Time displacement equipment works on the principle of creating rips, or tears in space and time. When a tear opens up, an object sent to an earlier time brings about certain causal events. Subsequent objects that go through the same rip, but displaced to a later date… will be subject to those causal events."

"So you're saying that the future could have been different if that… thing's arm did not appear in 2004?"

"Correct. Call it a chain reaction of sorts."

"But you never wanted to come to 2025, to our time, did you?"

Catherine nodded. "It was not a matter of choice for me; it was a matter of survival. But what I am more interested in is you, Mr. Connor. You are the catalyst to all that has happened, and all that will happen.

"Something happened in 2004 that caused the postponement of Judgment Day… at least from my perspective. Its effect created a new timeline - the one which you now consider true and unaltered from your perspective." Catherine was now staring directly at John, "I want to know how that occurred."

---

John Connor often thought about what other people saw in him. His soldiers regarded him as the Resistance figurehead: a stoic, charismatic, decisive, knowledgeable and resourceful leader. To them, John Connor represented strength, hope and direction in a world gone mad.

But John knew something else. He knew that although the Resistance placed its trust in him, a wave of unease and disquiet rippled beneath that trust. People knew their General was not much of a talker in private; that he often kept to himself, and hardly confided in anyone about his uncanny understanding of Skynet technology and strategy. Because of this, there had been a degree of fear and suspicion amongst the ranks of those directly under John's command. Rumours and hearsay about himself abounded in both the military and civilian populace.

Some said he could predict the future… that he had actually foreseen the war that now raged across the remnants of civilization. There was even talk that he was some sort of Messianic figure - the key to humanity's salvation - spreading amongst some of the more religiously-inclined individuals. By far the most intriguing anecdote was that John Connor's mother had been attacked by Skynet before he was even born. She had survived – the legendary, almost mythical warrior woman that she was - and spent the remainder of her life preparing her child to fight the war, this war. Of all the stories circulating, this last account about his life was the one that John could not deny.

But John also saw in himself an aspect that no one else saw. He saw his own bitterness and isolation, and how he was unable to share these burdens with anyone. It was not just the challenges of leadership or the curse of foreknowledge, but John's own past which weighed heavily upon his shoulders.

Indeed, he had his share of friends amongst his comrades. A few of them were close confidants, and even fewer were those he trusted with his life. Over the years, as Connor had risen through the ranks to assume command of the Resistance, he had gained their loyalty and respect, fought alongside them, and even watched a few of them die.

But he never told them about his past – about its dark secrets that continued to plague his memory and haunt him in the form of nightmares in his sleep. He never let anyone know how before all this - before he had been forced to stand and fight - he had tried to run and hide.

To escape his fate.

All his adult life, John Connor had found escape easy – it was what he did; what his mother, Sarah Connor, had taught him. He had escaped FBI custody within two weeks of Kate Brewster's death in 2004, boldly evading a state-wide manhunt. He had escaped the nuclear fallout when the bombs fell in 2011, hiding out with his mother's contacts in Baja. He had escaped enslavement by the machines in 2021, remaining incognito even while imprisoned at Century Sector Work Camp and eventually breaking out with Kyle Reese. He had even escaped death in the form of Marcus Wright, the human-machine hybrid that was enslaved by Skynet to lure him back into its clutches.

He ran. It was what he did.

But the one thing he could not escape was the guilt he felt for causing the death of Kate Brewster. That guilt gnawed at his conscience. She was long dead – spared the horrors of Judgment Day and the war against the machines by his own hand – but he could not evade the fact that she was the first person he had ever killed. Killed because of his desperation and recklessness. Killed because he was too scared to face up to what he would become. Killed because his destiny seemed too much to face up to.

But facing up to it was what he did eventually. He had done the best he could, although some small part of him wished he could do better.

Right now, facing Catherine and her probing questions, John's guilt resurfaced as the memories of Kate's death started catching up with him.

With a tremble in his voice, John Connor began telling Catherine about the day Kate died.

---

Barnes had listened intently - alternating between being shocked and enthralled – as John Connor told the story of the first person he had ever killed.

Barnes had already heard many stories about General Connor about the time before he was leader of the Resistance - passed down mostly through idle civilian banter. The earliest tale he recalled involved John's return to the ruins of LA from the south, leading a guerilla convoy stocked with weapons, ammunition and anti-radiation medicine. John had an alias then, but it seemed so long ago that Barnes had forgotten the name he took.

What Barnes did remember was the story of how the civilians - the ones John found and lived amongst - initially survived; living hand-to-mouth like hunted animals amidst the tunnels and basements of the destroyed city. He remembered when Skynet began taking human captives, and the story of how one particularly large seizure of captives in 2015 included John himself. He remembered those dark years following the incident, when all hope had seemed lost and the human race seemed on the brink of extinction.

But Barnes also remembered the news he heard, one day in 2021, of a huge breakout of prisoners from a work camp called Century, led by no less than John himself. He heard the inspiring and morale-boosting sagas of how John then reinvigorated the Resistance movement and started inflicting mounting losses upon Skynet's forces.

Shortly after, Barnes decided to put an end to the anecdotes and second-hand accounts that the civilian rumour mongers had been churning out about John Connor. He joined up with the Resistance to see for himself what John Connor was all about.

Still, now, hearing John himself recount this new story was a novel experience for Barnes – and with a liquid metal terminator as audience, of all damn things. But all that paled in comparison to what she… it had to say next.

---

"In my timeline, Katherine Brewster marries you. She becomes your closest advisor and eventually takes over leadership of the Resistance."

John contemplated the gist of Catherine's revelation. Had he been twenty, or even ten years younger, he would have just blurted out the obvious question that was now on his mind. But he knew better – he understood what her words implied.

"Takes over". Meaning: I was replaced. Reason: I was killed.

"I… my future-self. I was killed, wasn't I?"

"Yes." The reply was curt, emotionless.

"How did it happen?"

"A model T-850 infiltration unit was sent by Skynet to terminate and replace the one that you had captured and reprogrammed."

T-850? Never heard of that model series before, John thought briefly. An upgrade of Uncle Bob? He was shaken by this revelation, but was simultaneously glad for it.

"Skynet… replaced one its own terminators with another, just to assassinate me?"

"It was not Skynet's anymore. You had it reprogrammed; it was a Resistance asset. I believe that particular model – including its infiltration sheath - was chosen for replacement because of the emotional attachment you developed during your boyhood experience with it."

John's normally stoic face twisted into a mask of dismay - he looked as if he had been punched in the stomach. Barnes looked away, unsure of what to say.

"And you… are you reprogrammed as well?"

"No."

John's expression hardened once more. "Then how do I know that everything you've said so far is the truth?" His hand appeared to move towards the grenade launcher slightly.

"You don't. I am prepared to show you what you need to know, and you are better off alive than dead for it." Catherine replied. "As I have mentioned previously, you are the catalyst. Skynet takes particular interest in you- in the past, now, and in the future. By extension, so must I. My termination would be… disadvantageous to you and the Resistance cause."

"Are you running from Skynet? Is this what this is all about?"

"No one can run from Skynet, Mr. Connor. I'm sure you know that by now. Like you, I must live to see this through."

"See what through?"

"The destruction of Skynet."

John was silently impressed that this liquid metal machine, having never been reprogrammed, could be so forthcoming with information, formulate such succinct reasoning, and speak so brazenly about the AI that created her. Of course, a large portion of his instincts remained unconvinced that Catherine's intentions were genuine. But he found himself unable to discount the fact that perhaps… just perhaps….

"So what are you going to do now?" he asked her.

"There are many things about your future which I presently am unable to tell you about." Catherine gestured with one hand. "Already much has changed from the timeline I was from. What I can tell you Mr. Connor is this: we have a common enemy – in this timeline as well as in others. You have been fighting your whole life against Skynet. While your campaigns have been effective, I believe Skynet remains a foe that cannot be defeated using conventional weapons or means."

Catherine picked up a pencil and began writing on one of the maps spread out on the chart table. "I am writing down the coordinates and directions for locating the site where the T-X is buried. Take whatever number of men you deem necessary for its recovery."

"And I am to take your word for it? That this is not some kind of ambush set-up or a suicide mission?" John questioned.

"You had best start believing me now, Mr. Connor… for both our sakes." Catherine replied softly, a faint trace of menace in her voice.

John came over to where Catherine was seated, picking up the M79 grenade launcher as he did. He looked at the map and said, "Alright. But even so, how can you guarantee the safety of my people? What's to stop a patrolling machine from attacking them as they make their way to the site, or as they make their way back here?"

"There are no guarantees I can make. Risk is inherent, but I believe, as you believe, that you must see the T-X with your own eyes in order to authenticate the truth of my claims. I will be watching your soldiers, but I will not contact them if it can be helped. No harm will befall them from the ground; I cannot give you my word with regards to Skynet's aerial units though." with that, Catherine put down the pencil.

"The HKs," John hissed. He studied the map and Catherine's notes once more, then added, "OK, this area has several basements and an abandoned tunnel complex. We can still make it to the site underground most of he way. The sector has been pretty undisturbed lately anyway. I can assemble a recovery party to head out tomorrow night."

"Good. I shall be waiting on the surface."

"Awesome," John affirmed, somewhat sarcastically.

"I think we are done for tonight, Mr. Connor. I will contact you as soon as the T-X's body has been moved to a secure Resistance location and examined by your technicians and scientists – who no doubt will be highly interested in its origins, construction, and capabilities."

John just nodded. He walked over to the ops room exit and rapped on the door with the muzzle of the grenade launcher. "Connor here. We're coming out."

He heard someone shout a reply behind the door, "Authenticate password: Peaches."

"Password is 'Pears'," John shouted back, "Stand-down from 'condition two' and resume normal. But keep your weapons on us."

"Aye, sir," came the reply from behind the metal door. This was followed by the muffled sounds of locks unlatching and the shuffling of boots.

"I shall speak to you again soon, Mr. Connor." Catherine said as she strode towards the door. Barnes – still clutching his plasma rifle - fell into step behind, but still kept a fair distance between himself and her.

John opened the door. He was greeted by the sight of Marcus brandishing not one, but two plasma rifles – one in each hand. Apart from the slightly bloody bandage that was visible through the half-open chest zipper of his jumpsuit, the hybrid soldier appeared none the worse for wear. John also recognized the bunker's base security T-888 immediately behind Marcus, armed with a shotgun and a plasma rifle. 'Chris', as this reprogrammed male metal had been named, was staring at Catherine with an overtly curious expression.

Probably the first time the poor bastard's seeing liquid metal, John thought. His visual and bio-imaging sensors must be going all kinds of bonkers.

A dozen human Resistance fighters - many of them clad in armored vests and helmets - formed two lines behind Marcus and the T-888 Chris. All their weapons – plasma rifles for the most part, although John could see a few of them holding taser stun-guns – were drawn; they all looked towards him, Catherine, and Barnes now with expectant and apprehensive eyes. He knew that there were a fair few more soldiers along the way to the bunker exit, all of them having been hastily but effectively organized into four-person squads or 'fire teams' - as per the base's anti-infiltration measures.

"Marcus, come with us please," John said, "Chris, you too."

Marcus nodded once, then fell into step beside Catherine. Chris did the same alongside Barnes, keeping his shotgun aimed at the small of the female machine's back.

John led the way down the corridors past the fire teams, nodding in silent acknowledgement of their responsiveness and dedication as he did. Marcus signaled with his hand as they passed each group, and the men and women lowered their weapons before standing to attention on either side as John and his entourage proceeded towards the bunker exit. When they reached it, John turned to Marcus and the T-888.

Marcus immediately understood, and said, "Chris and I can take it from here, John. We will escort our… um… guest topside."

"Carry on, and thank you."

A/N3: Lonnie: this is a reference to Common (the actor who played Barnes in T: Salvation) and his real birth name.

A/N4: 'Chris': even in this timeline, it seems the Resistance has not gotten over the peculiar habit of giving reprogrammed metal first names beginning with 'C'.

A/N5: Riley: she does not seem like the sort of character to be killed off too early. She'll be back! But not as you know it.