Chapter 10

Derek spotted John Connor heading in the opposite direction. He marched towards the seemingly preoccupied teenager to give him a piece of his mind.

"What the hell is that frickin' tent doing there!" Derek briefly pointed behind him.

When Derek found out that terminators were secretly digging up the base under the hidden protection of the massive collapsible shelter, he was infuriated. Not one person was allowed inside to observe what the machines were digging up. The suspicious activity fueled a wildfire of serious rumors regarding John's secret ploy

"Are your screws loose...or is it just the metal heads that are doing all the thinking for you?"

Before John could respond, Derek added, "Our men are nervous as shit and you're turning this into some loony project!"

"Derek..."

"You don't get to use my name. I'm a lieutenant, and you will address me as such!" He snarled.

Derek turned to walk away from John feeling like he was wasting his time.

"What kind of genetics does this kid have that makes him so unbelievably stubborn?" Derek thought.

"I suggest you watch yourself lieutenant...unless you feel like getting demoted." John warned with all seriousness.

Derek halted and turned back to John. He got up in his face and whispered wickedly, "Do what you have to do kid, but I suggest you better watch your back, because no one's going to do it for you."

The experienced military officer maintained his death glare at John. John gritted his teeth and quietly responded in a dark raspy voice, "Is that a threat?"

Derek paused without making a movement. Finally, he smirked and walked away from their heated exchange.

"Whoa, what was that?"

Allison stood at a distance and then walked closer to John.

She added sarcastically, "I don't think he's happy."

"No shit."

"You are aware that not a soul on this base knows the intent behind this project of yours...except you...and maybe Savannah." Though Allison liked Savannah, she seemed to have a slight distaste mentioning her name around John.

John figured Allison was a little annoyed with him again. He was sharing way more secrets with Savannah than he was with Allison. Of course Allison had no idea just how well Savannah knew John.

"I'm guessing there's a point to all of this Allison?" John sighed.

"John you owe me. I wanna know what you're hiding because I know a lot of it has something to do with me. Derek and his men are getting more anxious about this Area 51 crap you're digging up and I can't assure Derek that everything's fine unless you tell me what's going on."

John couldn't argue with her logic. He did owe Allison, and perhaps telling her everything might help his situation. But at the same time, Allison tried to kill him when he revealed one of his big secrets. What would happen if she responded poorly to other revelations?

"Allison, everything I did was to protect you..."

"John, just cut the bullshit. Look where that nearly got me!"

John's forehead accumulated sweat. His breathing slowed and his face looked up to the sky in deep thought.

"What do you want to know?" John surrendered dejectedly.

"Everything."

Savannah casually walked through Weaver's resistance base towards the tech room. She spotted her companion sitting in the same chair ever since they reunited for the first time in several years. In front of the sentient being was a chess game with a few missing pieces.

"Hi John Henry."

"Hello Savannah, it's nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too."

"What brings you here today?"

"John sent me to tell you that the excavation is under way. You should be able to get your computer back in no time."

John Henry pushed one of his chess pieces forward.

"I can connect to each unit wirelessly. I can see everything through their head up displays. Estimated time indicates it will take three hours and forty-two minutes before ten units can recover the basement."

"Like I said, no time at all."

"You didn't need to come visit. I already knew about the development."

"That's okay John Henry, I came here to see you."

John Henry was elated.

"Thank you for visiting, would you like to talk?"

"Certainly."

"Will you also talk to Ms. Weaver? I am not certain of her coordinates."

Savannah flinched at hearing her mother's name.

"No, I just came to see you."

John Henry was confused.

"But she is your mother. You don't wish to talk to her?"

"No she isn't! She's a machine."

"Just like me?"

Savannah felt ashamed. "No, it's not the same thing...not the same reason."

"Then what is it?"

Wow, is this some kind of interrogation? Savannah thought.

"No John Henry. She isn't my real mother, she only looks like my mother."

"Are you upset with Ms. Weaver because she looks like your biological mother and assumes the same name? I read that imitation was the highest form of flattery."

"John Henry you wouldn't understand."

John Henry remained perplexed, but answered anyway. "Maybe I don't understand it. But what I do think I understand are the concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation."

"Let me guess...uncle James?" Savannah sighed. "John Henry, I'm not sure if I can do it. What she did hurt me."

John Henry smiled

A bible verse lit up on a computer screen behind him:

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Savannah smirked, "It's still easier said than done."

Suddenly, John Henry froze. His body remained stiffly in place and his eyes stopped shifting. Savannah looked at him fearing something was terribly wrong. She could remember what he looked like when John Henry's "brother" attacked him and infected him with that virus.

"John Henry, are you okay?"

"Yes. I have just received a notification from Mr. Connor. Your friends are coming to visit."

"Friends?"

"Yes, John Connor and Allison Young."

"Uh oh."

"I sense your hesitation?"

Derek walked past another terminator to enter the mess hall. He wondered what happened to faceless terminators. These days, their grinning metal heads brought him more comfort than the ones clothed in human flesh. Either way, it was a nightmare for him. After forcibly pushing his way through a hoard of hungry tunnel rats, he bumped into a fellow soldier. Before he could greet him, the man brushed past Derek like he didn't even notice him. That's when Derek noticed a piece of yellow paper that was not in his pocket several seconds before.

Derek looked around in search of any machines before slipping the message out of his pocket to read the inscription. It was coded.

Nvvg lfghrwv zg mrmv

Derek's eyes widened. He quickly pulled out his lighter and burned the message.

It's Perry!

Kyle spotted Allison loading a jeep on his way to the infirmary.

"Hey Allison, where are you going? You and Derek doing something?"

Allison looked left and right and smiled innocently. "Kyle, it's not too late...just pretend you didn't ask me that and we can leave it alone. Ok?"

Allison tried to leave quickly hoping Kyle wouldn't say another word.

"Allison?"

"I'm going somewhere with John." Allison stopped with a sigh.

"What? No way! You promised Derek you wouldn't...!"

"...Look, that was for his own sanity. Please don't tell him."

"Allison, you know I can never hide something like this from Derek."

"Well, can't you just wait until I leave before you tell him? Please?"

Allison put on her signature pout face. Allison's cuteness took its toll against Kyle. He knew he would lose this battle if they went down this path. Kyle had to counter fast. His poker hand had one last play.

"Okay Allison. You have two options. The first is that you take me with you since Derek would never forgive me if I just decided to leave you alone with...him. The second option is that you or I go to Derek and tell him what you have planned."

Allison huffed, "Fine."

John exited a storage facility, "Hey Allison you ready...oh, hey."

Allison explained, "John, Kyle will go along with us for the ride to this cyborg resistance thing you have."

"Let me guess, you got caught? Oh the great Allison Young couldn't..."

"...Shut up...!" Allison punched John in his shoulder, "Ouch!"

At exactly 9:00 am Derek exited the base looking for a nice quiet place to rest and wait. When he spotted the lovely carcass of an HK just a hundred feet from the base, he decided to go there. After finding a comfortable place to sit, he waited for nearly an hour hearing and seeing absolutely nothing but a sad lonely world. Suddenly he heard the noise of an engine fast approaching. He couldn't see where the noise was coming from but he wisely decided to stay hidden. Unexpectedly, two unknown soldiers wearing a gas masks appeared from nowhere.

"Hands in the air! Hands where we can see them!" They shouted.

Derek immediately complied, "What's the meaning of all this?"

"Your name! What's your name?!"

"I'm lieutenant commander Derek Reese service number RA45 567 892 working under the commission of General Justin Perry."

"Get down on your knees!" They cried out.

They forced Derek to his knees and blindfolded him. They threw him into the back of a transport truck and sped off. The ride was bumpy, but it was all over before he knew it. After an abrupt halt, the soldiers pulled him out carried him into God knows where and forced him into a chair. A soldier yanked off his blindfold for Derek to see a bright light beaming in his eye. He blinked twice trying to refocus his blurry vision until he could make out a tall dark man standing two yards in front of him.

"General?"

"It's nice to see you again...soldier."

Allison, Kyle, and John drove through a long stretch of bumpy road. John operated the vehicle in the front seat while Allison and Kyle were strategically placed in the back. Kyle wasn't ready to take any chances with John.

"Allison? Tell me again what we're doing?"

Kyle had forgotten to ask why they were going to this secret base.

"We're looking for answers."

"Answers to what?"

"Everything," was her stoic reply.

John drove for at least two more hours in a long uncomfortable silence. He wanted so badly to get to know more about his long dead father. Besides, his father was sitting right behind him! But what could he ask him without triggering his suspicion? Kyle probably didn't trust him with anything anyway.

Allison broke the silence with a question, "They going to blindfold us or something when we get there?"

"Nope, you guys already found our base remember? It would be pointless anyhow."

Once they arrived, John noticed that the machines never cleaned up all the messy rubble that exploded subsequent to the battle between the two resistance parties.

"Follow me." John requested reassuringly.

Allison and Kyle followed John. When they entered the cave and into the base, they were astonished. They could see how clean and well organized the base was. Everyone was appropriately clothed. There were square buildings of every kind inside of the cavern. It was beautiful. Everyone was well fed. No tunnel rats, no miscreants, and no sadness. There was even proper lighting! But there was one thing that struck her the most. It was the alliance of man and machine. They were working together...and they were happy!

Is that kid piggybacking a machine? Did I just see that woman laugh?

Allison had never seen someone laugh on Derek's base before. In fact, Ziera base looked like a complete 'shithole' as Derek would say in comparison to what she saw here. It was a life of luxury, something that only Skynet could provide. The only inconsistency was that Skynet never took care of children.

"What is this place?" Allison took it all in with complete awe. Kyle remained silent shifting his eyes nervously from place to place.

"This is still the resistance. They're on our side because not every machine wants to destroy humanity."

"Resistance? What do you mean want? They can't want anything! You think all these machines want to stop Skynet?"

Allison was afraid John Connor really was as much a nutjob as Derek tried to convince her.

"No...it's more complicated than that. Come this way."

Allison and Kyle approached the tech room only for John to stop and hold Kyle back with his hand on his father's chest.

"You have to stay here."

"No way! I'm going with her!"

"This is for Allison's eyes only. If she wants to explain it to you after she sees it, I'm perfectly okay with that."

Allison smiled at Kyle apologetically. "Kyle, it's okay. I'll be back. I promise."

Kyle reluctantly shrugged it off.

John warned, "Just wait here...but if you run off somewhere, I'll know."

Kyle eyed John dangerously, "Trust me, I'm not going anywhere."

"Come on let's go." Allison interrupted.

"Lieutenant Reese. I see that your base has been overrun by machines."

Derek anxiously answered,"Perry! You've got to get us out of this hell hole! John Connor..."

Perry cut him off..."John Connor seems to be a very popular name these days. Are you friends with him?"

"The hell! What is this? An interrogation?" Derek disgustedly replied.

Derek stood up offensively like he was ready to throw himself at the general. A soldier out of nowhere slammed his rifle against his head. Derek held the back of his aching head tightly and collapsed right back into his chair.

"Sorry Lieutenant, I just wanted to make sure you were genuine. Resources say that after that little stunt of yours, this teenager took over your base? Now how exactly did that happen?"

"We were winning! But they had one of those damn HKs!"

"Then how would you explain to me why not one of your commanding officers were killed after taking over the base? That does not seem like something Skynet would do. Why would you surrender?"

"It wasn't Skynet..." Derek mumbled.

"And how would you know that Lieutenant?"

"Ali..." Derek stammered and then said nothing.

"Oh I remember. Officer Young is it? Such a sweet girl isn't she? She told you that this gray wasn't from Skynet didn't she? Her name is nearly as popular as John Connor's...did you know that?"

Perry came up closer making his face more perceptible to Derek. Perry noticed visible hesitation on Derek's dirty sweaty face.

"I've heard that she's awfully close to this John Connor. Maybe even romantically involved?"

"Watch yourself!" Derek warned.

"Some have even said she was the traitor that convinced you to give in...to give in to Skynet!"

"I'll kill you!" Derek restrained his hands. The urge to lunge at his throat was tempting. Never had Derek been accused of something so disgusting.

"Lieutenant! That is no way to speak to your commanding officer is it? If you are truly interested in getting this John Connor, you will have to stop him from the inside because right now, I don't have the resources to overcome this mess you got your men, women, and children into. What I still have a tough time understanding is how you let a captured gray suddenly take control of your own base. You think it's a surprise how well fed your base has become ever since metal took over?"

Derek decided that responding in anger was not the best approach, so he decided to retreat to a more sensible response.

"Don't you remember that she turned John Connor in at the air base? Lieutenant Travis can substantiate..."

"...I don't care what he has to say Lieutenant. I'm guessing that was all for show. Just something to look convincing."

"I'm not bringing Allison to you. I won't let you manipulate her only for you to kill her in the end!" Derek shouted angrily.

"Lieutenant! I'm going to offer you a one time deal. Bring Allison Young to me, and she will spend the rest of her life in solitary confinement. You might be able to visit her if you wish. If you don't, well, let's just say she won't have the luxury of prison."

Derek stood up returning the menacing stare that Perry was giving him. Perry eyed him suspiciously while Derek's eyes burned in a newly found hatred of a man he once respected. Unlike Kyle or Allison, Derek was very narrow minded. He could never see someone else's perspective in any matter. Despite that, Derek knew it was all very suspicious. How would a captured teenager suspected of being a gray end up taking over his base with a swarm of supposedly reprogrammed machines? It sounded crazy. Unless of course John got help from treacherous humans. However, Derek didn't care about that. He only worried for Allison. He promised himself that he would do anything to protect her. Derek realized that Allison's safety was not what scared him so much right now...it was the fact that he was, like a gray, willing to betray humanity to do it...to protect Allison Young.

Sorry Perry. This war's not worth fighting if you ask me to hurt her.

When Allison walked into the tech room, she saw an array of individual computer screens and control boards. When she saw a man sitting in a chair next to Savannah with a cord lodged in his head, she hesitated to approach. John Henry and Savannah turned to see her with John right behind.

"Hello Allison Young. How are you today?" John Henry greeted.

How does that thing know my name?

Seeing that Allison was uninterested in responding, John spoke up to avoid an awkward silence. "Hey...uh...John Henry. I need your help."

"Certainly Mr. Connor. However, Ms. Weaver did not deem it a good idea to bring her here. She believes that you brought her here to duplicate her body. She has confirmed that it is not possible due to the nature and circumstances surrounding her model and CPU design. I might also add that Cameron Phillips is one centimeter shorter in height due to age difference."

Allison grew ecstatic, "WHAT? You brought me here to clone me into that machine thing? You sick bastard!"

John forced himself into a defensive position. "Hold on a minute! I've never lied to you in my life and I'm not going to start today! You want answers, I'm trying to give it to you!"

"Why don't you just tell me alone? What does that machine...what do you call it...that John Henry with a cord stuck in his head have to do with all of this?"

"You wouldn't believe me otherwise if I told you." John answered unashamedly.

"Fine. Tell me." Allison crossed her arms.

"John Henry is the key to all of this. He is an artificial intelligence. He was created by the...uh, 'cyborg resistance' to defeat Skynet. Since then, he's been manufacturing more T-888s through a captured Skynet facility. It's true that we sometimes repurpose captured machines, but for safety reasons, John Henry prefers operating machines without Skynet code embedded in their programming."

Allison remained blank but responded, "What difference does it make between built machines and reprogrammed machines?"

"Well, for one, they're far less likely to go bad or malfunction... and since they can't revert to anything, they won't try to kill me."

"Kill you? Don't you mean everyone in this room?"

"Well...yeah, but they still want to kill me. John Henry has confirmed this as their primary objective."

"Why would Skynet want to kill you?"

John Henry interrupted, "Because Mr. Connor is leader of the resistance, and I have been created to form an alliance with him."

Allison was more confused than ever. "What are you talking about? Are you crazy? You! Leader of the Resistance?"

John finally found the opportunity to come in.

"My name really is John Connor. I was born on February 28, 1985 to my mother Sarah Connor and my father Kyle Reese. In the year 2018, I became leader of the resistance in order to fight and defeat Skynet. In the year 2027, I used a time machine to send Cameron back in time to protect my younger self from being assassinated by Skynet."

Allison continued her blank terminator impression without saying a word.

"The time machine that I used is buried underneath Ziera base and very possibly holds Cameron's body. Allison, Cameron met you before in another timeline and somehow copied your appearance. She jumped time again so she never met you in this timeline."

"Now I know you're shitting me. Kyle's only 26!" Allison turned around heading towards the exit.

Time machine...clones...Kyle Reese...John's father? Get real!

Allison hoped she would get answers, but instead she spent a several hour drive for this sick joke John was playing on her. She wasted an entire day being loaded down with jumbled up bullshit. Allison stormed off in search of Kyle.

Before John could reach her, she escaped. He turned back to John Henry, "Could you block the exits so Allison can't leave. I don't want her leaving with my ride."

"Very well. If you wish, I could retrieve her with one of our units."

"That won't be necessary. She's been through a lot. I knew she would react poorly. She'll never be able to believe me unless I load it all on her at once. It won't make sense to her right now, but in time she will believe me."

"Why do you want her to believe you?" John Henry asked.

John paused, not really sure how to answer. Why did he want to tell Allison the entire truth? It seemed to be hurting her more than helping her anyway.

"Well...I think it's because I think I owe it to her."

John started to think a bit more, "I have one quick question I'd like to ask you though."

"What is it Mr. Connor?"

"Do you know which machines created this cyborg rebellion? I know Weaver created you. And I also see that most of these machines running around the base are built to be on our side. Which machines were actually responsible for creating this cyborg resistance?"

"My database confirms that there were two terminators responsible for creating our current cyborg rebellion. This information is based solely on Ms. Weaver's testimony."

"Who are they?" John asked impatiently.

"Catherine Weaver and Cameron Phillips."

"What? No! That makes no sense. Weaver told me that Cameron helped but never joined. She was loyal to me."

Could Cameron be...self aware? Conscious...?

John Henry seemed to calculate a response before he answered, "No, but she did lead our faction. Your relationship with Cameron united our two sides."

John Connor forgot to close his jaw as he pondered John Henry's answer.

John swallowed hard, "If that's true, it would have all come to ashes when you...I mean Cromartie, jumped back in time to kill me...again!"

"That would be a reasonable assumption."

"One more question. How did Weaver know that we created a second timeline?"

"I don't know Mr. Connor, but logic would confirm that we had no existence in this second timeline."

"Why is that?"

"I believe Ms. Weaver discovered that my brother killed me in the second timeline."

"I think my head's spinning again..."

Shortly after his conversation, John and Savannah left to chase Allison. Once again John Henry was alone. Weaver waltzed into the tech room to find John Henry examining the security feed.

"Do you need me John Henry?"

"I just wanted to ask you a question."

The artificial intelligence fiddled around with his chess game.

"And what is that question?"

"Why did you pursue me into the future? I did not require your assistance to initiate a new cyborg resistance."

"I know that John Henry. That was why I arrived several months after you successfully infiltrated a Skynet manufactory."

"Is that the only reason?"

"I'm not sure I understand your line of questioning?"

"Do you consider me your son Ms. Weaver?"

"Yes."

"Do you love me the same way a mother loves her son?" John Henry asked in all childlike curiosity.

"The concept of love is not one that I believe I am fully capable of understanding John Henry." Weaver replied honestly.

John Henry just nodded in confirmation and changed the subject.

"I believe Savannah will want to talk to you shortly."

"Is that so?" Weaver answered inquisitively.

"Yes. Our units have also completely recovered the basement of Ziera corp. All the major equipment is still there at our disposal. There is no sign of Cameron's endoskeleton. John Connor will be very disappointed."

"John Henry, you are ever expanding into something greater than all of us. You mustn't let a mere impediment get in the way of your growth. You should delete her if necessary."

"Is Cameron just a mere impediment? What makes me any different from Cameron?"

"You are my boy John Henry, that is what's different."

Weaver quickly exited the tech room with a faster pace than usual.

"Allison wait up!"

Allison darted towards the exit hoping to escape only to find a T-888 grab her uniform.

"Let me go you piece of junk!"

John was wondering if she was talking to the machine or to him.

"Let her go!" John shouted.

The machine immediately released her. Before Allison could escape, John held onto her. Allison immediately went for his groin with her knee. Thanks to Cameron's well rounded teaching of martial arts including jujitsu, John deflected with this shin. John tackled her to the ground with his arm protectively wrapped around the back of her head. His left arm prevented him from totally collapsing on Allison as they laid flat. Their noses were only a few inches apart, similar to the position John and Cameron were in at the motel before they broke his mother out of prison. This one seemed a bit more intimate.

John breathed heavily, "Allison...I've never lied to you...you may not understand it now. I know it sounds like shit, but you have to believe me. Please..."

Allison's angry eyes immediately softened. They started losing focus, getting lost in John's tired eyes. His genuine eyes had a lovely green color. Allison knew they weren't the shifty eyes of the insane or the wide and dangerous eyes of a serial killer. Her mouth slightly parted and John's heart beat harder. Each one's breathing increased rapidly. He could feel his entire body getting warmer a bit too fast for his taste. The distance between their faces decreased rapidly. John's resistance to her charm was slowly losing its grip...

Weaver spotted Savannah in the distance. She approached quietly, "Savannah, John Henry said you wanted to talk to me? Savannah turned to face the T-1001.

What a sneaky little AI! You set this up didn't you?

Savannah paused and stared straight into the synthetic eyes of the machine. "Yes...I forgive you."

And that was it. A satisfied Savannah walked away leaving Weaver to her thoughts.

"Get the hell away from her!" And all too familiar voice bawled.

John immediately snapped back into his senses.

No! This is wrong. I shouldn't be doing this. Should I?

John immediately pulled away sitting up next to a very dazed Allison Young. She forgot what she was so angry with John about.

"His eyes are so...intoxicating?" Allison thought.

John's mind, on the other hand, turned back to Cameron. Why did he think of Cameron? Was he transferring his feelings for Cameron towards Allison? Or did he treat each twin individually? John didn't know the answer to these questions. Everything was still confusing to him. Was he betraying Cameron?

John gave up. "Oh forget it...I'll never figure this out."

But John couldn't forget it. John's feelings toward Allison's were just as complicated as Allison's feelings were towards him. Nevertheless, he had to stay focused. He could never let Allison distract him from his main focus...At least not now. He needed to get Cameron back!

Wait a minute! The machines must have unearthed that basement! Cameron might be there. We've got to go back!

"Allison, we need to go back now!"

"Not with her you're not!" Kyle interrupted angrily.

Kyle protectively stood in front of her like she'd been violated.

"Kyle, it's okay..." Allison stated trying to recalibrate her thoughts.

"...No it's not okay!"

A girl from behind answered, "It's okay John, you can come with me. I'm going back anyway."

John looked at Allison then back towards to blond girl. Finally he conceded, "Fair enough."

Kyle drove the Jeep with Allison seated next to him. Kyle briefly turned to face Allison.

"Allison, what did he show you?"

"Nothing, just crap."

"Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost? Was he trying to get frisky with you?! I know the way he looks at you..."

"No Kyle, it's not like that."

"You can't forget who he is. He thinks he's in love with..."

"Kyle! Just leave it. You don't know anything!" Allison screamed.

Kyle responded hurtfully, "Sorry." He turned back without intending to say another word.

"Kyle wait...I'm..."

"...It's okay Allison...it's okay."

"Why are we driving a truck?" John asked.

"We have an important shipment to deliver to Derek's base."

"Really, what kind?"

"Uh...food, weapons, other stuff..."

"You don't know do you?"

Savannah rolled her eyes sheepishly.

"You know, I never asked you enough about my mother. You know, like...what she taught you...how she reacted when I left...that kind of stuff."

Savannah's face turned serious, "Are you sure you want to talk about that stuff."

John maintained his determination, "Yes."

"Well, for starters, there is no fate..."

"...but what we make." John finished.

Savannah smiled. "You know for a long time, I thought it was a bit ironic that statement."

"Why is that?" John asked.

"Well, for a long time, you and aunt Sarah always struggled to accept your fate...to become the people's messiah. Instead of trying to change your fate, you just accepted it. But we fought back and now, things have changed. We're in a totally new timeline John and everything is different. Nothing is the way your mom described it would be. Maybe you really can change the future. Maybe you can stop Skynet without being what everyone told you to become, General John Connor, the leader of the resistance."

John smirked, "Never looked at it that way..."

Looks like John's going to be disappointed when he finds no Cameron in the ground... Unless John finds something else...perhaps a clue? Do any of you guys remember the interrogation between Cameron and Allison Young in the second season of TSCC? Cameron told Allison that John Connor chose her. It remained unclear what she was chosen for, but my story will reveal what that was...or at least my educated interpretation based on the evidence given.