Chapter Twenty

Year: 2009

Hazel was sitting in the middle of a room surrounded by four bleach white walls. Her legs were crossed and her arms rested on the insides of her thighs, she instinctively reached for the area where her CPU port was located, and gingerly ran her fingers along that patch of skin. After a few seconds she returned her arm back to its original position.

She just sat there staring in the abyss when she heard a cackle and static from the speakers in her room, her head perched up awaiting whatever cumbersome questions 'they' would ask her.

"How are you today?" a man asked over the speakers.

Hazel scoffed, "Quit the pleasantries"

Hazel could hear the man sigh into the microphone that was in front of him.

"Don't you think it's best to cooperate?" he asked.

In response to that statement, Hazel shifted her gaze towards the window which she could barely see through, squinting her eyes in anger.

"You've been tampering with me..." she pauses for a moment "...why should I cooperate?"

Outside Hazel's Containment Room...

General Hoffman stood outside the blackout window of the cyborg's room, the window was just good enough to hinder its ability to scan through it but, not totally. He was accompanied by a few US Marines to his left stood one of the scientists speaking into a microphone.

The scientist just clicked off the microphone, Hoffman looked through the window watching as the cyborg reverted its gaze to its original position. He then turned to the scientist to consult with him.

"So what's to report?" he asked the scientist.

The scientist just scratched his forehead as if dumbfounded, "Yes, it...it's just not that simple"

Hoffman was losing his patience but, so far he had kept himself relatively calm, "And whys that?"

The scientist sighed for a moment, "When we do try to access the chip..." he pauses trying to find the right words "...we're hurled with tons and tons of security parameters, antiware, spyware...literally anything...it's just not that simple sir"

Hoffman also rubbed his forehead irritated at the slow development that the team was making, he suddenly stood up straighter and pointed to the scientist, "Look I don't care how you do it...just get me some results before the President starts asking for answers"

General Hoffman didn't give the scientist anytime to reply, he just simply upped and left leaving an eerie silence within the room.

Diner in Los Angeles...

After dropping the owner of the van back at his residence they left headed for a location where they could recuperate for a short time.

The Connor/Reese Clan had not so long ago pulled into a service station, since then all they wanted to do was get somewhere they can reorganize themselves. They were all seated at a table in a diner feasting on their burgers and fries along with their sodas, Cayden like any other terminator scanned around the surrounding area for threats.

Sarah and John weren't so hungry.

"So where are we going to go?" John asked.

Sarah just shook her head, "I...I haven't a clue, we'll just find another house to stay at for a bit"

Derek chimed in whilst stuffing his mouth with fries, "You're forgetting we have nothing, no money, no supplies...nothing"

"You got a better idea?" Sarah replied irritated by Derek's attitude.

John sighed, "He's right, we have no money and it'd look really suspicious if we start living somewhere without paying rent let only not having anything with us in th first place"

Sarah scoffed crossing her arms, she glimpsed at Cayden hoping the cyborg would insert her opinion but, unfortunately Cayden was to 'engrossed' in her perimeter scan to impede on the conversation. Sarah looked back at John, "So what do you suggest we do then?"

Her son was equally clueless on what they should do, he sat there for a few moments contemplating to himself then a thought popped into his head, "We can go back to Kacy's" he said bluntly.

Sarah laughed at the idea, "Don't be stupid"

John's face hardened up into a scowl, "What? You rather live on the streets until Judgement Day?"

She gave John a sideways glance, she huffed then nodded in agreement to his idea.

Kacy's House...

As the van pulled up outside Kacy's house, Cayden leaned out of the driver's side window and turned back to John next to her with a perplexed look. "This is where you use to live?" she asked curiously.

John gave Cayden an equally perplexed look, "Umm, yeah why?"

She turns her head to look back at Kacy's house then the house next door, "Mom always talked about this place, I never thought it would look this..." she paused. John waited for her to finish but, she didn't.

"But..." John carefully urged the conversation forward.

She turned back to John, "Never thought it would look this pleasant"

John smiled at the thought of Cayden's comment, he turned back to his mother, Kyle, Derek and Allison. Looking at each of them carefully for a few seconds. "Okay me and Cayden will make our way to Kacy's house, you..." he pointed at them emphasizing whom he was talking about "...you sit and wait until I give the all clear"

Sarah countered as John and Cayden were about to leave the van, "Why can't I come?"

"Because I'm the World Resistance Leader so I call the shots..." he goes to open the door before turns back "...plus, I need someone I trust to take care of those two" John motions his head to Kyle and Derek suddenly everyone started to chuckle except for Cayden whom sat in her seat confused, she decided to leave the subject for later date.

As the two exited the van they hurried to Kacy's front door, John knocked a few times then waited it wasn't long before Kacy herself answered the door. She was surprised to see John at her front door.

"John? What are you doing here?" she asked clearly confused.

"It's a long story but,..." John points to the house next door "...we need the house again for the time being"

Kacy nodded, "Of course you and your family are welcome to stay whenever you like..." Kacy smiles at John as soon as she sees Cayden her smile was replaced with curiosity "...and you are?"

Before Cayden could answer, John interrupted, "Oh she's my friend" Cayden turned to John revealing a rather hurtful look but, was quickly replaced with the terminator blank stare.

"Oh, nice to meet you" Kacy says smiling as she reaches her hand out to Cayden, in response Cayden shakes Kacy's hand smiling in return.

"Nice to meet you too"

"We'll get settled in then" John interjected.

Kacy just nods, smiling as she closed her front door. Both John and Cayden head back to the van.

"Why did you call me friend when I'm your 'daughter'?" Cayden suddenly asked.

"Because, it'd be a bit weird to have a daughter my age" he responds as they near the van.

Connor/Reese Residence...

John, Sarah and Kyle left the house to gather supplies. As for the others Derek was checking out the house to make sure it was defensible whilst Allison and Cayden watched a film on the television in the living room, it was a chick flick.

Cayden was intrigued in the females in the film and how they tried to present themselves, as for Allison she was bored of the film and just wanted to watch something else.

"Why are males are attracted to females with large breasts?" Cayden suddenly asked looking towards Allison.

Allison shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "Why do you want to know?" she asked politely.

"It will help my integration into human society"

Allison cleared her throat as she thought of what to say, "Well it's more a trending subject through the years, in fact a lot of boys like girls with a small package"

"A small package?" Cayden replied confused by that specific part of the sentence.

"Small breasts"

"Oh, thank you for explaining" Cayden suddenly stood up walking out of the room, Allison glimpse at Cayden but she soon returned her gaze to the television.

As Cayden walked towards the kitchen she noticed a figure standing outside their house viciously handling something in their hands, she walked up to the window to get a better look which turned out be unsuccessful as the figure wasn't facing her. She decided to face the mysterious figure face to face. Cayden walked out the front door towards the person as she neared she spoke up.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

The person jumped then spun around at the sudden surprise, once Cayden saw the persons face she realized it was a boy roughly seventeen to eighteen and that he was quite cute for a boy his age. He had brown hair and blue eyes. In his hands he had a mobile phone.

"Oh hi" he returned to tapping his fingers roughly upon the mobile phone.

"You having trouble?" Cayden asked.

He turned around again still working on the mobile phone whilst giving Cayden looks here and there, "Yeah, it's not responding when press on what I want"

Cayden reaches her hand out producing a cute sweet smile, "Here, let me help"

The boy reluctantly gave the mobile phone to Cayden, as she took it in her hands she started to make the necessary adjustments using her scanning capabilities to help her, in less than thirty seconds she had fixed the phone then handed it back to the boy. The boy took the phone and was dumbfounded when it worked, a big smile was present his face.

"Holy...thank you so much..." he paused not knowing what to say. Cayden then realized she hadn't introduced herself, she put her hand out to the boy.

"Cayden"

The boys smiles again and shakes Cayden's hand, "Tom"

There was an awkward silence between the two, Cayden noticed that Tom was staring at her embarrassingly when she scanned his body she noticed an increase in hormones. Instinctively Cayden's cheeks started to turn rose tinted.

"Goodbye I, suppose" Cayden suddenly muttered, she started to turn away when Tom suddenly spoke.

"Umm would you like to...hang out some time?" he asked stuttering slightly.

"Hang out?" Cayden asked perplexed.

"Yeah you know, do fun things..." he pauses for a moment "...I do owe you seeing that you helped me" he said motioning his mobile phone.

Cayden smiled sweetly, nodding, "Okay"

"Great well I gotta go but,..." he pulls out a small piece of paper and pen writing something on the paper "...here's my number, whenever you're free just call me" he smiles before he waves goodbye. In response Cayden does the same, it had gone five minutes before Cayden realized how long she stood there thinking about Tom, she turns to find Allison standing there with her arms crossed.

Cayden's blank terminator stare returned immediately, Allison suddenly speaks up, "What was that all about?"

Cayden knew what Allison meant and wasn't going to comply with Allison's question, "My personal life is none of your business"

Allison's face contorts into annoyance, "It does when it threatens John's life"

The young terminator turned around giving Allison a creepy terminator stare, "This won't" she replies bluntly, as she continues walking Allison notices Cayden's hand scrunched up tightly which held Tom's number as she placed it in the back pocket of her tight jeans.