The Game's Afoot

I stare at Jane, barely able to hide my shock. It cannot be Cromartie. He's in two thousand and seven, hunting down John with the face of George Lazlo, a struggling actor who was killed by Cromartie, so his face could be copied, and his life used to as a disguise. I think I feel guilt. Have I ever done that? Whose face have I stolen? Did I kill them? Did I enjoy it?

"Cromartie? What manner of nonsense is this?"

"Inspector, this man is mad. Quite, quite mad. He has ended up with this delusion of men who are machines underneath their skin. And they come from the future. In that future is this master machine, with a mind of its own. A mind that is bent on destroying all mankind."

"That is preposterous, Miss Marple! It's utter nonsense!"

"I quite agree. But the Russians were experimenting... trying to create a better soldier and spy. They managed to use drugs and tonics to enhance speed and strength. But it has caused a dementia that presents itself in a most violent delusion. He believes that the way to rid the world – and himself – of these mechanical monsters is to kill a single woman. However, these delusions persist, regardless of how many women with the name of Sarah Conner."

"This is madness!" Jane nods, and smiles sadly.

"I quite agree. So would three Sarah Connors in Manchester, two in Liverpool, not to mention those American citizens who died... American ladies who had a common misfortune. The all shared the name of Sarah Connor." Inspector Bennett seems quite disturbed by this.

"Then why have we not been informed?"

"Because we have to have this kept quiet. We are in secret negotiations with the Russians, to try and forge an alliance with them. Because the German threat is huge," Jack says with this wonderful tone of voice. It shows authority and desperate urgency at the same time. I suddenly feel confident enough to assist in the deception.

"Germany has grown in power. If it has the right allies, it is quite likely that it could wage war without provocation. The Franco-Prussia War is a suitable example," I say, hoping I've not messed up. I probably have. I'm glad Derek isn't here. He'd be most disapproving of my efforts, I'm sure of it. Jane is walking back to us. She seems pleased by my performance.

"What we need is a list of all the victims of Jack the Ripper. It may well be Cromartie's work. We can't take that chance right now." Jack looks at the officers. "Let's get to action people! We have a public to save!" This gets the constables and detectives into action.

"Fenes'tol... What connection is there?" Jane whispers, staring at the floor. She looks up at me and Jack. She looks at me, her face flashing realisation.

"It means prostitute! You're right Cameron!" She passionately whispers. I look at her, feeling confused.

"I have never heard that word before, though," I inform her. She looks at me, as if I have gone mad, then looks to the right, her head tilting forwards something. She's thinking. She looks at me a gain, eyes filled with understanding.

"You're right. Because I went back. So this is the first time you've heard the word, and explains how you could know a word in a language only four people know." Jane takes a step back, looking at me in shocked horror.

"You only knew because I just told you... Paradox." Her eyes are getting tearful. She quickly takes the file from Jack, and turns from us. Jack is looking at her as I scan her vitals. I don't understand her body properly, but if it was human, I would assess it as distressed. Jack walks behind her.

"What's the matter?" he asks in a low tone. I tilt my head to look at her face, hoping to catch her in the eye. Oh. She's crying. She hastily wipes them away.

"Look, we have to act fast. No time to dwell on such boring things like fate..." she looks at us both, her eyes slightly puffy, but serious.

"We have little time. Long story short, the woman we are after is eighteen years old. In theory. She could have lied about her age. But, one thing that's just come to me is that she's a prostitute." Jack look as as confused as I am.

"How do you know?" He asks.

"How is this a paradox?" I ask, wanting my answer first. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jack show realisation on his face.

"Ah. Gotcha."

"In short, we have very little time." Jack nods.

"Yeah. There's a lot of prostitutes in this time period. Over twelve hundred. And at least sixty brothels." Jack sighs. "It's impossible. We need more resources." I look to the floor, frown in thought, then look up at them.

"We need some luck," I say, trying to think of a way to get that luck. I don't know how to. A young constable is approaching us, tall and skinny, sandy blonde hair, with small, rounded wire framed glasses, his arms laden with a large stack of papers. He looks at us nervously.

"Ma'ams, Captain... I wouldn't normally intrude on the times of people of importance, especially at times like these, but..." he glances nervously behind him, at the other officers, and Inspector Bennett. "Whilst it is something that my colleagues have told me is beneath me, I have been attempting to keep a register of the local women whose profession is that of prostitution. I recall there a name of Sarah Connor, a young lady, but I cannot remember where amongst my files the information is, and I do rather suspect that my old files have been mixed in. They feel it a rather amusing prank," he says. He has a gentle nature to him. You can tell. I like him. I cannot help but like him. The constables are sniggering. I don't understand the source of their amusement.

"Constable Hallett, I do rather think that the War Office has greater concerns than the number of... unfortunate women there are in the locality," Inspector Bennett says with a sarcastically weary tone. Jane just tilts her body, so she can peer around Constable Hallett.

"Unfortunate women? I'm an unfortunate woman. I was once a wife and a mother, and now, by cruel twist of fate, I'm neither. If it were not for the fact I am an ambassador's daughter, and have a number of skills useful in defending Her Majesty's realm, I would no doubt be on the street, forced to perform carnal transactions in order to survive from day to day." She walks up to Inspector Bennett, and starts gyrating her body into his. He is too stunned to to anything. She calmly stops, and goes to Captain Jack, and does the same, though Jack is enjoying it. I can tell by the increased heart-rate, and increase of endorphines. He is creating a good illusion of indifference, though... I stay still, not blinking, not moving at all. Because I feel that anger. I know now. I want her to spend attention on me. Not him. But I don't know what that means, though.

She then dances towards the Inspector, spinning efficiently, her whole body in perfect control. She manages to gyrate again, her co-ordination unaffected by the spinning. Inspector Bennett pushes her away.

"What are you playing at? If you wish to be a harlot, go to the streets!" he bellows. Jane just dances back to Jack, and gyrates again, moving around his body this time. I tilt my head slightly, trying to work out why she is doing all of this. I know her. She has a plan. This isn't simply seduction. With a satisfied smile, she walks away from Jack, and walks to one side, away from both men. She leans against one of the solid oak desks.

"Gentlemen, what is the time?" she asks innocently. Both get out their watches, Inspector Bennett reluctantly. Jack seems startled, but then laughs. The Inspector is red with rage.

"Well, Inspector, your taste in watches is kinda, well... cheap. Boy is this shoddy workmanship..." Jack lets out a small whistle. "I'd like my watch back. Having it swapped with this feels like daylight robbery." The Inspector slams Jack's watch into his hand, and the Captain politely returns it.

"It seems that a mere woman has eluded this station's brightest... how could a member of the weaker sex fool a man?" she chides. Inspector Bennett is clearly filled with volcanic rage. Jane just goes to the pile Constable Hallett is holding, and takes half, which she promptly gives to me.

"Agent Scully, if you could sort through this half, I shall process the remaining half." I just nod, and look for somewhere to put the papers down to look through them. Jane is doing the same. Oh. She's kneeling on the floor, putting them down, and sifting through them whilst hunched down on the floor. I do the same. I scan through as fast as I can, turning page after page in seconds. She's doing it as well. She doesn't seem as fast as me, but she is quick, nonetheless. I look at her, and I feel something in my food processors. Oh. It is a sensation that reminds me of butterflies flapping their wings. I've been getting this feeling all day when I look at Jane, but it's only now I've properly noticed it. Wait. Yes, I have a name.

"I have a Sarah Connor," I say neutrally. I hand the page to Constable Hallett. He glances at it, and shakes his head.

"It's an old record, I'm afraid." I nod, and keep on looking. Jane makes a small grunting noise.

"Here's another Connor entry," she says. She's unaware of the constables just watching her and me, discomforted by the speed of our searching. Constable Hallett has just shaken his head at that as well.

"Aren't you going to assist them?" Inspector Bennett says pointedly at Jack. I glance up at Jack, who is standing proud and confidently.

"They are the fastest readers. I'd just slow the search down." Bennett snorts derisively at that.

"So you are inferior? This is men's work," he says nastily. Jane glances up, looking worried. She squints her eyes, and is clearly feeling frustrated by something. She silently hands another paper to Constable Hallett. He looks at it, and nods at her. She quickly takes it back, and puts it in the pile again. She steps on her toes and whispers something in his ears, something that makes his eyes widen, and a shocked look of hope glimmer on his face.

"You know, I was once assigned this team, and there was this lovely Japanese lady called Toshiko. She was a genius. She could build things from scratch. She was smart and capable. And she was shot in the stomach. She bled to death whilst saving a city full of people. She never cried, never showed she was scared. What I'm saying is that I like to work with the best. Man or woman, I don't care. What I care about is getting the job done," Jack says. No-one has noticed Jane talking to Constable Hallett. She steps away, and he looks at her, and solemnly nods. She holds his hands, and looks away, picking the papers off the floor.

"Thank you Minister for you assistance."

"But I am not a Minister," he says. She just gives him a small smile.

"All in good time... Don't let that register of yours get dusty or neglected. Trust me on that," she says, as is trying to give him confidence and hope. She picks up her cane, which she had leaning against a chair, and heads for the door.

"Captain Mulder, Agent Scully, we need to go. The game is afoot!" she says with energy. She pauses at the door, and looks at Inspector Bennett.

"Word of advice, Inspector; Queen Victoria doesn't like patronising men," she says before darting out.

"What is she prattling on about?" he growls. Jack just looks at him harshly.

"The monarch of this country is doing a pretty good job... and she's a woman." Inspector Bennett is looking a little uncomfortable as we leave. We run to catch up with Jane, who has just left the station. As we get through the main doors, I see her talking with a familiar man with a cowboy hat and leather coat on.

"Yep, that's perfect. Always read the papers thoroughly. Because you never know what you'll find hidden away." she looks at me and Jack. "Great. Come on, we have a woman to save!" She jumps in the carriage, and Derek, whilst confused, gets in as well. Jack lets me go in ahead of him. I sit down next to Jane. Oh. She looks very weak and tired, slumped in the corner of the carriage.

"I'm glad we didn't have to stay there much longer... I couldn't have gotten them to keep trusting me and Cam for much longer."

"All I can say is: Fox Mulder? Is it because of my good looks, or my great personality?" he jokes. I just look at him. Derek is laughing.

"Who is Dana Scully?" I ask. Derek laughs harder. Jack just nudges him slightly.

"And she addressed herself as Agatha Marple," he says, pointing at Jane. Jane weakly smiles. Derek is creasing over now. I'm just confused.

"Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are from a television program called the X-Files. Agatha Christie wrote about a little old lady detective called Miss Marple." Jane elaborates.

"Oh. Thank you for explaining."

"Seriously, though, you seemed rather interested in that Constable who was helping us," Jack says. Jane smiles.

"That man is Andrew Hallett. Becomes a Member of Parliament, and fights for women's rights. Works at undoing the double standards around issues like prostitution. Because of him, Britain will adopt a different attitude to prostitution, legalising brothels, and making it a taxable income. That in turn opens the door for regular health checks and screening. Which helps to better protect women."

"But that never happens."

"Not in our universes Jack. But this universe is different. I think what makes a huge difference is the scale of the Ripper murders. I think it's what pushed a progressive minded constable to create a record of where the prostitutes were living, which leads to other things. And that's so brilliant. Because those women didn't die in vain." I hold her arm as she struggles to move.

"Before you lot ask, I used a lot of energy to case a Fae spell over those men, to get them to trust me and Cams. But I'm no where near full strength, and I'm still poisoned. So, I couldn't do it over so many people for too long."

"So, where are we heading?" Derek asks, looking at us all with a darting of his eyes.

"To save a Sarah Connor. It seems there is a Metal hunting for those named Sarah Connor." I look at Jane. "I do not believe it could be Cromartie. He lacks the technology to travel through time readily. And it contradicts his primary mission." Jack looks about for an explanation.

"Cromartie is the name for a particular Terminator out there to kill John. Sarah, Cameron and John Managed to damage him a fair bit, even managed to get it to lose its flesh."

"He killed a guy and took his identity and face. I managed to get him to miss John at school," I say, adding to Derek's explanation. Derek looks at me, furious.

"He was at your school? You two should have said something!"

"Not now," Jane says weakly. "We needed a reason to dig about to find other Sarah Connors. Using Cromartie and Skynet seemed a good way in. And it helps to raise awareness of Skynet. If lots of people gain knowledge of it, maybe we can avert it."

"Right. So, we get to this Sarah Connor, and then what?" I have to agree with Jack. We don't seem to have much of a plan. Derek moves in closer.

"How will we know we have the right one?" Derek asks, his eyes expressive, his brow furrowed from his raised eyebrows.

"We will," Jane says with a finality. She lifts herself up, gearing up energy. She looks at us all with certainty.

"We will get this woman to safety, and we will stop this metal assassin, and get things sorted out. Because the future depends on us. We can't fail, we won't fail." Jane's words... they are so final. I just cannot argue or doubt it. I feel the carriage slow down. Oh. Outside. It's grown dark. I get out my Sonic Screwdriver.

"How did the driver know where to take us?" Jack asks.

"I told him where to go. Memorised the address." She's gotten some money out, and is ready to get out, her other hand gripping her cane tightly, her knuckles going white. She seems scared. I look at the others. It makes me think of poems I've read about the First World War, when soldiers were waiting to go over the trenches. I feel nervous. I don't understand it. I can take on Metal. I've done it before. But this time... I don't know. It feels different somehow, like one of us won't get back to two thousand and seven.

The carriage stops, and I see Jane fling herself out, landing on both feet unsteadily. She slams the money next to the driver, and barrels towards the house. Brothel. We are entering a brothel. I grip my Sonic tighter. I don't know how it can possibly be useful, but I want it in my hand. I rush out after Jane, with Jack and Derek close behind me. Jane has opened the door, and has barged in, looking for someone to speak to. I stop at the door, poised to move to where I need to go. An older woman has appeared, a frown on her face. Jane just waves out her fake ID.

"War Office! Which room is Sarah Connor? NOW!" the woman points up the stairs.

"First floor, third door on the left," she says, shaken and frightened. I run up the stairs, not needing or waiting for orders. I hear Jane's footsteps behind me. I hear other footsteps. Jack and Derek are behind us. I can hear a door slamming shut upstairs. I get to the top of the stairs, taking a nanosecond to turn. I run down the hallway, trying not to think about what I'm about to face. I hear the door lock as soon as I get to it. There's no time to break it down. I get the Sonic Screwdriver to the lock, and use it. Jane is right behind me, and from the corner of my eye, I see she has her Kissie out. I hear shouting inside the room. Jane has this look on face, as if she's about to face death. I get the door unlocked and opened as soon as I hear gunshots. My mouth opens wide.

Oh no...

We're too late.

We failed.

We... We failed.

Jane barges past me, flinging the door wide open. I survey the scene. There is someone frightened on the bed. Oh... she looks so much like Sarah. Mom Sarah. There is a man splayed out on the bed, blood bubbling from his mouth. His eyes are wide, unseeing the realm of life, but gazing at the land beyond, at afterlife's vale. I see a woman with light brown hair and a freckled forehead has a revolver raised up at Sarah, and is about to fire.

And we won't get to her in time.

Jane activates her Kissie, the end extending out in a spring action style, a deep strong purple light bathing the gun and the whole arm. The Metal's finger pulls the trigger, just as Jack and Derek arrive.

Nothing happens.

It tries again and again, but the gun isn't working. Jane is laughing maniacally.

"Enhanced and upgraded Kissie: Now with gun jamming capabilities," she says, breathless with pleasure. I think there's a hint of madness in her voice. The Metal is staring at her, unable to work out what is happening. I charge at the assassin, my body shuddering with the impact of the dense metal form. I ignore the pain my flesh screams out as I slam the unworthy creature into the wall, the bricks shifting and grating in protest. Jane smashes the end of her cane into the machine's foul head, the object splintering apart from the force. I know what hate is. And seeing what I was... I slam it again and again into the wall. It keeps breaking my hold, and I hear Jane screaming at the men to get Sarah out.

Blow after blow, slammed wall after slammed wall. Jane is on the thing's back, making its arms strain backwards. I can hear the servos groan and creak with the strain. With a twist, I throw my back into it's torso, the force hammering all of us into a wall again. Jane cries out in pain as something cracks with a sick, wet noise. She coughs, blood spitting out. I see her weakening strength, the arms now starting to break free. I punch away at this things chest and its grinding into the wall, and I can hear Jane's body break some more. She just grunts at this, as if focussing everything on this battle. Its like she's surrendering everything for this one moment, as though it is more important than any other before it. The assassin breaks free of her grip, as she slides to the ground.

It's up to me to finish this.

With a rage I have never known, I grip hard this insult to all I hold dear, and with a scream I throw us out of the nearby window. This is for the ones I call friends. This is for the the one I call uncle. This is for the one I call brother. This is for the one I call mother. As out bodies hit the building opposite and fall so gracelessly to the floor, I realise something.

This is for myself.

I keep it pinned to the ground, ignoring the hair that's gotten loose from the herring-bone plait Jane did for my hair before we left the Cathedral. I ignore the bruising and cut flesh, the pain that comes from it. I stare at it, unblinking. I hear a thud behind me. I turn to see if it is another enemy. Oh. It's Jane. She's managed to jump down, and badly land on her feet. The assassin has managed to throw me off, and is scanning me. I think it is the same model I was. Oh. It has taken a step back. It doesn't know what I am. Jane is throwing something above her head. I don't go to look, though, because I don't want it to see. It starts to run away, when it falls to the ground. Oh. Something has wrapped itself around its legs. It is trying to free them, but Jane is moving, faster than a human, at speeds that would be difficult for a Terminator to compete with. In a blur of motion, she has managed in a single move to handcuff its wrists together, and put arm binders together. She then quickly gags it, and with a fluid motion puts a bag on the things head. She looks at me and grins lopsidedly, blood gushing out from a gaping gash above her right eye.

"Pockets that are bigger on the inside... always useful," she slurs before trying to stand up. I hear footsteps. Oh. It's Captain Jack. I hear a thudding sound. It's Jane. She's on the floor, and not moving.