Chapter 10

Cameron stepped into the room closing the door silently behind her. She watched as her daughter, who was re-dressed into jeans, a t-shirt and boots, packed a duffle bag full of various weapons.

"You are planning on starting at the research facility and then moving out from there?" The question was a statement.

"Yes."

"You are concerned for his safety. Why? He was on his own previously. You were separated when he infiltrated the Grey's. This is the same."

"No it is not. That was different. When he was not able to meet me he would contact me. He would have contacted me by now. He…needs to hear my voice." She quieted after making the last comment, "It helps him coup. John is not the only one who has terrible nightmares. He needs someone to care." Only Emily was aware unlike everyone else that Alpha needed constant attention and affirmation to keep him pacified. Not is a negative way, more of a sanity check. If not he would quickly degenerate into what most humans would consider unacceptable behavior. Waking nightmares, violent compulsive behaviors, and talking to himself.

Emily zipped the bag up lifting it easily she turned to leave. Cameron did not move out of her way.

"You should not leave. It is not safe right now. It would worry John and me if you went out alone." Cameron surprised her with the protective words, and she could tell she meant them. Cameron didn't want to lose the physical representation of her and John's love.

"If John left and you lost contact with him what would your action be?" Emily turned her head slightly trying to get through to her creator. "I need him and he needs me. John will need him."

Cameron stood emotionless for a moment. "You should not go alone. I will talk with John. Will these be enough for both of us?"

"Yes," Emily looked down. Cameron shifted to leave as Emily dropped her bag and hugged the other machine. Cameron standing still for a moment raised her arms hugging Emily back.

"Thank you mom." Cameron smiled at the words becoming more comfortable with them every time they were repeated. They seemed right.

"You're welcome." She scanned for a word that a parent may use in this situation, "sweetheart."

Sarah watched the doctor leave the room. She was glad to finally have some time with her son. He was always surrounded by people as of late, which was both a blessing and curse. Sarah smiled at her son watching him flip through reams of data which Weaver had left for John to review. The data was various feeds from the Kaliba server which they had downloaded and John was pouring over it obviously taken with all that the pages contained.

"John," Sarah tried to draw his attention away, but as she suspected he did not responded, not even acknowledging she had spoken to him.

"John," Sarah flicked her sons arm with a finger. His response was one of annoyance.

"What, I'm busy." He said not taking his eyes from the papers. John started to shake his head.

"Why don't you take a break and talk to your mom." Sara chided him lovingly.

John set down the papers, "What is it with the women in my life monopolizing all of my time."

"I see, when I am talking to you I am a burden, but if tin miss was here."

"She would understand." John raised the papers, "We are in some serious trouble."

"Which means?" Sarah already knew the answer.

John scratched his arm, "We aren't doing enough damage, this Kaliba organization is bigger than we could have imagined."

He sighed, "That we are living on borrowed time. It appears that Kaliba is not just helping Skynet come fully online, but trying to build up an over whelming advantage in hardware and technology. The advanced factories just like the ones we destroyed are a good example. They have the technology it is all right here."

John lifted up the papers. "T-100, T-400 models building parts and specs, advanced theories on plasma weapons, Hunter HK blueprints. They don't have the means, but they have the know how. They are being artificially advanced. This technology should not even exist. Bu then again we are surrounded in a facility with several super advance killers robots one of which is made of liquid metal so maybe I am wrong. Either way it will be easier for the ones helping SkyNet to build everything pre-J-day. It will be easier to obtain the supplies and make the material advances in the technology for the machines. It implies here that the U.S. government already has most of the early versions of autonomous robots in a basic form a production. T-1's and H-K Drones. They are done with the prototypes it appears and are moving into full development phase. We pushed back Kaliba's production of the more complicated machines it seems, but it is only a matter of time. I don't think they have shared any of this data with the federal government, but we can safely assume this information was backed up in another location we are not aware of. It appears the factories we destroyed were for first generation endos and Ariel drones. I assume they have not moved to production on things like T-888's because of lack of practical technology rather than materials. The chips alone will take them some time to produce and the endo bodies alone will do nothing for them."

Sarah creased her brow, "But we just took care of those, wouldn't it need to, I don't know build new ones?"

"Not really it has plenty of resources to take us on. My guess is that those were supposed to help it win. If it wanted and was able it could launch today."

Sarah became quiet wanting to cry. John saw this and tried to cut off her thinking. "We have done a lot of good mom this is not a loss. I have come to the understanding that it may still happen and soon. You need to too. I am going to need your help to win. Two Connors are better than one."

Sarah looked away. "I'm so sorry John. I wish…I tried to stop it." She felt a tear sting her cheek.

"Mom look at it this way, you don't have cancer."

She smiled with sadness. "I would gladly…"

John shook his head trying to keep her focused. "I would too, but we can't be that naive. We need to roll with the punches. And accept the wins as they come because they may be few and far between at this point."

John changed the subject not wanting to dwell of what seemed to be inevitable at this point. "Can we just talk about anything else?"

Sarah fixed herself, "Sure John, how about the fact that you have a cyborg daughter who called me a grandmother the other day." She smirked a little coming out of the dark place she just visited. She did not want to admit it but it felt good to call herself a grandmother. Something she never thought would happen in a million years.

"Ok, out of the frying pan and into the fire." John rolled his eyes seeming to get himself from one soft subject and into another. He had truthfully never thought about how this new daughter of his would fit into their lives, but it was now more evident than ever that she was seeping her way into the cracks s of the Connor family tree.

Sarah placed a hand on John's, "I will deny it to anyone if you tell them this, but she has a lot of her mother in her. To tell you the truth I don't where she gets her more of her stubbornness, from you or Cameron."

John's mouth dropped. "Yea, really have not had a chance to speak with her, but I got that feeling too. Headstrong, my guess…me." John smiled slightly thinking about a connection he felt for the cyborg child. "Went a little crazy on the programming I guess." He chuckled to himself.

"I still don't fully trust them, but you seem happy, and that is worth more to me than my hatred for them. Speaking of which how are you and Cameron doing?"

"What happened to denial?"

"I went out the window when I became a grandmother. So you love her?"

"Mommm."

"John, you know I didn't approve and still not a big fan, but my whole life has not been about me. It has been about you. So…"

John sat for a moment not wanting to say yes, but still wanted to explain his feelings in a way she may understand.

"I know what you think, the machines are and always will be lifeless, they can't be trusted. They are just killers. That is all they do. And I am aware of it. I have touched Cameron's bare metal."

Sarah cringed slightly at the visual he gave her, but the point struck home.

"I know she is not human. You both want me to know that and I do. I really do. You care about it, I don't. I don't care. Cameron…I would like to believe that she is different, like she could have a soul."

"John they don't have souls their machines." Sarah slightly pleaded not wanting to believe the words herself.

John stopped at this expecting that reaction. "Mom if Cameron does not have a soul as you have pointed out then she can share mine. Because I still do. That is what makes her living. She lives through me and by doing so has made me stronger than I could have ever been before. Please understand I need her."

Sarah nodded content to be quite and contemplate on her son's words. He saw the cue for him to start reading again and raised the papers up shifting them to resume his earlier studies.

Alpha dropped Derek to the ground.

"You know this is just idiotic, I don't have a best friend. You're just another one of my brainless hallucinations. Why I choose to see some lieutenant instead of Emily is beyond me, but then again I am insane." The words spilled out humorously intended for the man standing, not the one on the ground coughing. Alpha who was convinced at this point that this was part of some elaborate vision he was having ignored the man intent to stretch. These delusions were common at first when he was with SkyNet and often would happen after being tortured or after battles. Bodiless voices were not uncommon then too. They all seemed to go away after Emily started to take care of him. She grounded him. Perhaps being taken care of by her had its advantages.

"No she is not taking care of me she is controlling me."

"Who's controlling you?" Derek asked confused about the subject, but understanding enough about Alpha's quarks to know he was going through what happened on the oil rig, an intense psychological breakdown. It had not been pretty then and it would not be now.

Alpha regarded the mirage deciding it was fine to talk to himself, even it was a projection. Sure as hell beast talking to just a roaming voice.

"Emily, she was built to control me. She doesn't care about me, she subdues me. Marginalizes me. Makes me inferior" Alpha began to pace.

Derek slid himself upright against the wall again trying to not draw to much attention to himself.

"Why would you say that?" Derek reached for another bottle of beer. Popping the top he resumed his drinking listening to the frantic ranting of his future close friend.

"I saw evidence you know that and it makes sense, she was the one who always gave me my mission, she spent time with me when most would spit at me. They treated me like a wild dog. Why would anyone willingly be around me…I'm a bane on their existence"

"Sounds like she loves you. Not that she is controlling you." Derek smiled wanting to add, not that women won't control you anyway. But that has nothing to do with this.

"She sent me on missions that they were unwilling to send anyone or anything else on. I went alone." Alpha flexed his fists together getting angry.

"Maybe they thought you were the only one who could pull them off. That you could save lives?" The words were passed over by Alpha.

"She never asked me to stay. She never looked worried for my safety. She never looked pleased to see me return. Nothing. I was nothing, I am nothing. She sent me off each time hoping I would die."

"Come on your not nothing, you're a damn fine soldier. The best. A damn good poker player too." Derek defended Alpha from himself adamantly. Derek smiled at the story he wanted to tell his friend, "I remember she would insist on meeting you before you were debriefed when you returned from any mission she was not a part off so she could give you a welcome home kiss. This one time she missed you so she broke in on a high level meeting between Perry, John, Cameron, Barker, and myself to get her kiss. She made us sit there an d watch you two kiss for like three minutes. I had to physically pry her off of you so we could get back to what we were discussing."

"I have never kissed her." Alpha said perplexed. "I am getting worse. I am sick." He became troubled at his apparent imagining of stories that never had happened to him. He must be projecting a wish or dream.

Derek shifted trying to get back to the problem that was obviously bothering Alpha, "You always went alone?" Derek was a little puzzled at his earlier reference. Alpha went on missions, but he always had Emily with him or other members of the resistance there as support. He must be talking about before Derek knew him or another time. Derek knew with time travel both were possible.

Alpha became annoyed at having to explain himself to…well himself. "At first, about a year after my turn to the resistance Emily began to go with me, but the missions never got easier. They got harder because she was there. I never wanted her to be harmed; she was so beautiful and fragile."

Derek smiled at the soldier referring to a terminator as fragile. Alpha was only one of a select few who actually could honestly mean such a statement.

Alpha eyes began to glaze over as he thought of her remembering all the times she touched him, complimented him. It was the same thoughts that pulled him out of his rampage the night before. What kept him even now vaguely sane, as much as he was able to be. But all of that came far later, years after they had began to work together. Alpha started working with her at sixteen and even now six years later it all seemed to have gone by so fast.

Derek removed a cell phone from his pocket and held it out seeing the storm calm slightly, "You should call her. Ask her if she is controlling you. Couldn't hurt." He held his breath hoping this ploy would work. At a minimum if he called her she would know that he was having issues, maybe even get his location. I guess behind a KFC dumpster was not exactly exact coordinates, but it could narrow down the search enough.

Alpha began to laugh. This illusion was getting strange even for him. What could it hurt, he would indulge himself. He had no clue where this would go and having nothing better to do he was game. Taking the phone he began to dial the number. Why not enjoy the sadistic plunge into his mind.

Cameron drove the Black Dodge Ram crew cab down the highway with the windows open watching her daughter resting her foot out of the window. It had been Cameron's idea to help Emily relax and feel what it was like to get away from it all. She had wanted to bond more with the cyborg. They both heard Emily's phone ring. Emily raised the phone while removing her foot from the window.

"Hello," Emily answered the phone dryly not recognizing the number.

"Emily," Emily recognized Alpha's voice. "I am here with Derek Reese and we were just discussing how you are manipulating and controlling me. What do have to say about that, you're fuckin' with my head you damn siren…" He had started talking and quickly moved to frantic yelling at her.

She was stricken with fear at this point. She had not seen him degenerate in one of his delusional episodes in a very long time, but this type of reaction to her and his sense of anger and pain smacked of it. Not to mention the sighting of a future soldier in the current year. This cued her that he was most likely hallucinating badly, because Derek Reese would only be about the age of 16 at this point.

"Where are you?" She pleaded trying to hold back tears. Cameron hearing everything was scanning for background noises on the phone to help locate him.

"You would just love that wouldn't you? Just show up and send me off on another impossible mission to get me killed. You want me to die. I was so stupid to think you could love me, I loved you and you stab me in the back. You are grinding me down so the resistance can use me to do their dirty work then kill me when I go lame. Make me into some docile puppy." He screamed at her his eyes wide. Derek on the other end drank on the second to last beer trying to stay out of the completely inaccurate ramblings of the wild man in front of him.

"Why would you say that, I do, I care for you. I don't want to hurt you. I want to help. What happened? Where are you?" She could not hold back the tears.

"You want to know what happened. I saw the truth. I saw the writings, the documents, the files on how you were made to subdue and control me. I don't want to believe it, but it seems to fit and I was never one to side step the obvious." His face was red with rage.

Emily froze. He was right in a sense, but that had been when she was originally created. Within weeks of working with him, John had allowed her to discard those orders. She knew not only were they wrong, but she had created a connection with him which made the act of directly controlling him or manipulating him, vile even evil to her. When she started she was young and did not know any better. Alpha had also been far wilder at that point nowhere near as stable as he was later on after she had time to assist him. She tried then to help him, help him choose actions not set a path, but the best paths. In doing so she still recognized he was still a soldier, the best. So he got the missions no one else could perform. She felt now the way she did then when she informed John that she would accompany him on future missions. He was being used by the command like a machine not a person. With her there it would cause John to rethink the objectives. It had worked, but at a price. Alpha was not as effective with her there. He had always put her first which was both good and bad. One which her mother knew all too well being tasked with the leader of mankind's protection. If she denied it he would not believe her, and if she confirmed his conclusion it would crush him. She chose a middle of the road approach.

"I am not controlling you; let me prove it to you in person. Where are you?"

Derek coughed in the background, "K…F…C"

Alpha simultaneously said, "I am nowhere near you and your meddling. I finished my last mission and decided for myself to rest. You fucking bitch. I am going to tear you apart bolt by bolt when I find you. You will find a war you are unable to win." Stumbling Alpha had not recognized that he was getting so worked up that he became physically sick and dizzy. Derek moved his foot out of the way as Alpha vomited several volleys of bile onto the pavement. Derek considered that he might have cared, but between Alpha and the dumpster, the vomit was the thing that smelled the best of the three.

Alpha was growing tired of the imaginary call and his head began to hurt even worse than it did when he woke up. Gripping his head he growled. "God it hurts, get out of my head, get out I won't do that." The voices in his head began to call him to arms; they chanted depravities and unspeakable actions. "Leave me alone…"

The phone dropped out of Alpha's hands hitting the pavement and sending the phone in one direction, the back of it and the battery in another ending the call.

Emily heard the line go dead after the inconsistent babbling.

Emily turned as Cameron typed the desired destination in the GPS device. The voice called out, "exit 42…one mile, and then turn right."

Alpha curled into the fetal position holding his head trying to stop the voices and pain. Derek had retrieved the pieces of his phone and sat down with the last beer waiting for the cavalry to come content to watch over the grown man balling his eyes out ranting at various people who were not present.

Hearing a truck come to a skidding halt in front of the KFC, Derek stood up exiting to find the occupants. If Cameron was human she may have figured she was looking at a ghost. Standing in front of her was the machine hating Derek Reese. He looked slightly younger than he had a few weeks ago, but was still Derek.

Giving the two cyborgs a warm smile Derek waved, "You can find him in the back next to the dumpster Emily."

She ran to find Alpha, not even stopping to acknowledge him, leaving Derek and Cameron. Alone in front of the truck. Derek realizing who he was standing in front of briskly stood at attention saluting Cameron.

"General."

She returned the salute and was even more confused at the situation. Derek sensed this part would be a problem, but for reasons separate from Cameron's.

"You were promoted. You got bored of letting John call all the shots." Derek could tell she didn't get the joke. Some things never change.

The two stood awkwardly staring at each other waiting for the other to speak. The staring contest was not like the previous ones Cameron had with Derek. This one was not his shooting daggers at her through his eyes, but more of him trying to search for something to say.

"How's John, good?"

"Yes." Cameron responded quickly.

"Bet it was a shock for him to meet Emily."

"Yes."

"Did I do something," Derek became concerned as he watches Cameron stare at him intently with firm slightly off putting eyes. He only saw this look when he was in trouble and it was not a good thing to be in the Connor's dog house.

Cameron decided to let up slightly, "No, we need to get back home, it is not safe here. The police will be monitoring this area for their suspect."

"Yea you're not going to force feed this situation. Patience is the name of the game. Let's just get in the truck and wait, this could take a while. Give her time to work her magic."

Cameron tilted her head, "Magic, any art that invokes supernatural powers. Emily does not have supernatural powers."

Derek grinned from ear to ear, "Bet you fifty buck she does."

Emily slowly stepped around the dumpster seeing Alpha on the ground muttering to himself incoherently. She had not seen him in this state in so long, had she been human she may have forgotten that it was possible. He slowly approached him like a hunter closing in on its prey.

Lightly speaking with a saddened tone Emily attempted to gain his attention without frightening him.

"Alpha, are you all right?"

Alpha looked up at the sound of her voice. He looked at her wide eyed for a moment and then felt an immense wave of shame cover him. He tried to cover his face with his hands.

"I know you're not real, but please don't look at me. I…I'm."

"It's ok." She crouched down and sat next to him. "Can you sit up for me?"

He didn't respond and kept his hands up.

"Why does it matter you're not real, first it was" He tried to remember the name, "Derek now you. I have completely lost it."

"No, we are real. I would like you to sit up, can you do that for me." She patted the ground next to her.

He lifted himself up pushing off with his left arm and he reached out with his right. He touched her face and connected with her cheek. He began to quietly cry, tears streamed down his face realizing she may be real.

"Did I, did I…I am so ashamed."

She gave a big smile of reassurance," For what?"

"If anyone else spoke to you like I did I would have killed them. You should kill me. " He shuttered.

His hand remained outstretched touching her cheek.

"I know you were just confused, I wish you were serious though," She conceded, "Then when you said you loved me I would have knew it was true."

Alpha started to pant, "I meant it, I meant it, but you…you just use me." He trailed off feeling dizzy again.

"What can I do to prove that I care for you Alpha? That I don't just use you." Emily sweetly tried to keep him calm.

His breath was still swift and erratic, his head swam with thoughts, "Derek said you showed me that you cared that I was back by kissing me."

As the words fell out of Alpha he felt guilty for even saying them. His head drooped as did his hand from Emily's face breaking their contact. She slide next to him and touched his chin with her hand lifting it up so he could look into her eyes. "Like this?" She purred ignoring the dried blood and vomit on his lips kissing him lightly.

For an instant Alpha felt light. His breathing slowed and became stable. He stopped shaking. There were no voices, headaches, and his fatigue was lifted, replaced with pure elation. They returned the instant Emily's lips pulled away from his though. He opened his eyes not realizing they were closed.

"I would give you another, but I wouldn't want to spoil you." She gave him another large smile.

"I have never been kissed," Alpha touched his lips with his right hand instantly realizing how disgusting he must be. She will never want to do this again, I am revolting. I blew it. He began to panic.

She saw his change is demeanor. "I guess I could spoil you just a little." She leaned in again kissing him, but this time he kissed back passionately and touched her neck with his hand. Moments later they broke the kiss.

"Are you able to stand, we need to get you cleaned up."

He lifted up with her help supporting his shaky frame. He was exhausted even though he had slept last night. She wrapped her arm around his waist squeezing him.

Cameron watched curiously as Emily half carried half drug the large soldier from the back of the restaurant and placed him into the back of the truck.

Alpha said nothing sitting upright as Emily walked around the vehicle and entered the other side of the crew cab. Seeing Derek place his hands together in a symbol for sleep she nodded and tenderly led Alpha's head onto her lap so he could rest. He closed his eyes as she stroked his short mangled hair. Every few stroke she would pull some sinew or a chunk of dried blood out of it trying to make him more presentable.

Derek had a small smile on his face. He could tell that Alpha though exhausted, but was already feeling better. His face was calm and his eyes had been sharper. Derek leaned over slightly towards Cameron, "Shazam."

Cameron peered into the back of the truck and waited for Emily to signal her approval before she pulled the truck out of the parking spot. They were headed back home with two more in tow.

John Henry stood next to Catherine Weaver in his designated conference room the wall flashing with activity. The dominating item on the wall was a live security feed of a black Dodge Ram entering a sub level of the business complex. The two were both interested to find that the truck was carrying a fourth person which they did not anticipate on returning.

"Ms. Weaver we witnessed this human die."

"Yes, it would seem we have a replacement. Let's hope it goes better for him this time."