Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: I need to address this issue that keeps popping up again and again:

There is no connection between Cylon technology and Skynet. Skynet evolved on its own naturally because all of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.

Robotfan: 1) Yes, Leoben and the Centurions will show up again. But not for a while.

2) Yes, the old-school Centurions will definitely show up. The first thing the freed Centurions did was jump back to the site of the Battle of the Colony, where they found and rescued a number of survivors.

Zeira Corp HQ, Los Angeles

7:14 PM, Tuesday, May 12, 2009

"I think this may be the only viable option we have left." Murch said to Weaver and Ellison.

"I thought you told me before," said Weaver, "that physically moving John Henry to a new location would be... unwise. That new hardware might alter his sense of self."

"And that's true." said Murch, "But if we want to meet the May 21st deadline, then we may have no choice but to move him to a new location with uninfected computer equipment."

"Can we not simply purge the virus by then?" Weaver asked.

"In eight days?"

"Yes, in eight days."

Murch shook his head. "Miss Weaver," he said, "I honestly don't think we can purge this virus in eight years let alone eight days. Not without wiping out every bit of data held in this building which, like I said before, would set every project back by months."

Weaver gave him a cold stare. "Is that your honest opinion, Mr. Murch?" she asked softly.

"Yes, Miss. Weaver." Murch said nervously.

"I see." said Weaver curtly. Then her lips curled to form a rather satisfied smile. "Fortunately," she said, "John Henry is more optimistic. He believes he can find a way to destroy the virus himself."

"He does?" asked Ellison with interest.

"You heard him," said Weaver with an air of confidence, "The virus's code is similar to his own code. He tells me all he requires are several non-networked computers."

"I'm not quite sure that would be..." Murch searched for the right word, "...healthy for him."

"What do you mean?" Weaver asked.

"I mean that John Henry is used to being plugged in to the net. He's become attached to it." Murch explained, "The internet is his world. His reality. Or at least it was."

"What are you saying?" Ellison asked, "That John Henry has an addiction to the internet."

"Not exactly an internet addiction," said Murch, "More like a serious appetite for new information. The internet just so happens to be the best tool for gaining information. And now that it's been taken away from him..." He shook his head. "I have no idea how or even if he's going to adapt."

"Can't he just use the internet the same way we do?" Ellison pointed out.

"If you mean typing on a keyboard and clicking with a mouse, then the answer is no." Murch said, "It wouldn't be the same for him. He'd still be disconnected from the net. There's just no substitute for what he's lost."

"Then he will have an incentive to finding a solution quickly, won't he?" Weaver said matter-of-factly.

"Well, yes and no." Murch said, "The thing is John Henry likes information that is new. For him, processing old information is-"

"Boring?" said Ellison.

"Distasteful." Murch corrected, "Like eating day old leftover sushi. In this case, since what he's going to be analyzing is code similar to his own, it's going to be like eating three-day old leftover sushi. For one with such a demand for new information, this would be nothing short of slow torture."

He sighed and said, "What I'm trying to say is that even if John Henry does find a solution quickly, he'll never be the same again. He'll have changed. And not in a good way."

"More than if we moved him to a new location?" Weaver asked

"Definitely." answered Murch.

Weaver took a few moments to consider the options. "What sort of changes could we anticipate?" she asked.

Murch shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know. We still don't fully understand how John Henry thinks right now. How he's going to start thinking after all this is impossible to say. Although..." he rubbed his chin in deep thought, "if I had to guess, I'd say he'd be more paranoid and disturbed."

Ellison frowned. "Paranoid? Disturbed"

"Something's just attacked and crippled him. I'm sure any of us would be disturbed and paranoid after something like that."

"Yes." said Weaver plainly, "We would."

She then turned to Ellison. "Mr. Ellison," she said inquisitively, "What is your position on this matter?"

Ellison, slightly surprised by Weaver deferring to him, replied, "I think we have to allow John Henry to try. Who else can we turn to? The only thing out there that might know more about this is that 'brother' of his and I doubt we're gonna get any help from him.

"However, if what Murch is saying is true, then I think I should be with John Henry while he's working. My presence might make this whole ordeal easier for him."

Weaver nodded. "Very well, Mr. Ellison," she said, "I'm sure John Henry will appreciate you being there."

She then turned to leave.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I need to take my daughter home."

Connor Safehouse.

"And that's my idea." said John, "What do you think, Cameron?"

Cameron didn't look up from the worktable she sat at. "In theory it's a good plan." she said, "But not in practical terms."

"Why not?" asked John hovering right behind Cameron who was working to fix the detonator locket.

"If, as you proposed, your mother and Colonel Thrace were both blindfolded, handcuffed together, and locked in a room, they would no doubt work together in order to escape."

"Exactly!" said John, "That's the whole point."

"But after that task has succeeded, it is unlikely that they would maintain their cooperation." replied Cameron as she made more adjustments to the locket using a small screwdriver. "More likely they would individually devise new personal routines to ensure that they never find themselves in such a situation again."

"I'm not trying to force them to become friends. I just want them to tolerate each other. I mean, you and Derek are definitely not friends, but I've never seen you guys tear each other to pieces."

"Derek would never engage me in hand-to-hand combat regardless of the circumstances."

"Look, my point is that Mom seems to be the only person who can't get along with Kara. And Kara seems to be the only person who can't get along with Mom."

"True." said Cameron, who was now examining her adjustments, "I suspect much of this problem is related to their incompatible yet similar psychological profiles. "

"Meaning what?"

Cameron, apparently satisfied with her work, looked up at John for the first time.

"By now you must have noticed the key differences between your mother and Kara Thrace." she said, "When faced with a chaotic situation, your mother seeks to control it. Thrace, however, would rather become part of the chaos."

"In other words," said John, "Mom's a control freak, and Starbuck's-"

"Just a freak." Cameron finished. "Both of whom are equally headstrong and persistent in their ways."

"Well..." sighed John, "That's one way of putting it. I don't think Mom's ever met a woman who could be just as stubborn as she is."

"And therein lies the root of the problem." Cameron concluded, "Two strong-willed individuals, one who tries to establish control, and the other who tries to resist control."

"Great..." muttered John, "How do we fix this problem? Before I get shot again?"

"The solution is simple." said Cameron, "We speak with your mother and Thrace about this issue. Convince them that they must learn to cooperate."

"That's it?" said John incredulously, "We're just supposed to get Mom and Starbuck together, tell them to behave and make them shake hands?"

"No." Cameron answered, "It would be more effective it we deal with them individually. You can speak with your mother, and I can speak with Thrace."

"Somehow I doubt Mom will listen to me."

"On the contrary, your mother will listen to you. You're her son. Her purpose in life. You have a greater chance of reasoning with her than anyone else."

John sighed. "I guess it's worth a shot. What should I say to her?"

"That I cannot assist you with." replied Cameron, "Otherwise, you would be speaking my words instead of your own."

"Alright, I'll think of something. But what about you? How are you gonna convince Starbuck?"

"Unlike her, I don't sleep."

Before John could ask her what she meant by that, Cameron took the fully repaired detonator locket off the table.

"I've used a stronger alloy this time." she said. "It should be able to withstand-"

"You know," interrupted John, "I'm not quite sure if it's a good idea for me to have that thing."

"Why not?" asked Cameron, "It has already saved your life once."

"I mean," said John, "I just wished it couldn't be used to blow you up."

"That's its purpose, though. To destroy me in the event I turn against you."

"I know, I know. But what if it falls into the wrong hands?"

"I thought about that." Cameron replied, "And that's why I need to show you the changes I made."

"Changes?"

Cameron opened the locket. At first John thought it didn't look any different. The kill switch on the second window was still there. But wait... He looked at the first window. Attached to it was a small microphone.

"The detonator now operates using speech and voice recognition devices." explained Cameron, "To send the transmission, you must hold button down and speak the chosen password three times into the microphone. You must say it clearly because it will only recognize your voice."

"What's the password?" asked John.

"It hasn't been created yet." said Cameron, "To set it, hold button down and speak the chosen word or phrase into the microphone clearly and loudly. When you are finished, simply release the button."

"Should I do it... now?" John asked uncertainly.

"Not yet," replied Cameron, "I must deactivate my audio sensors so I do not hear the password. Only you must know it."

"Alright," said John quietly.. Cameron closed her eyes and stood still for several seconds. She then opened her eyes, turned to John, and nodded her head indicating that he should proceed.

John turned away, held the speaker to his lips, pressed the button, but did not speak. He didn't know what to say. His next few words might be the last words Cameron would hear him say to her. She would hear them three times, and then she would hear no more. He searched his mind for a word or phrase. Something he would want to say to her before the end. Something he would want her to hear before the end. Something that meant something. That defined the two of them. That was everything she meant to him. At last, he found the words he was looking for. He opened his mouth and spoke them clearly and slowly. When he was finished he released the button.

John turned back to Cameron and gave her the thumbs up. Cameron nodded in acknowledgment, and a few moments later said, "Make sure you remember the password. It cannot be changed now."

"I will, I definitely will." said John quietly.

Cameron took the locket from him and placed the chain around his neck. John looked at the device and whispered, "Cameron... I-I don't know if I could... ever... use this."

Cameron looked at him in the eyes and said gently, "You may have no choice, John. You must survive. I was sent back to protect you. To ensure your survival. That is my mission and my purpose. But I'm still a machine. A weapon. And like any weapon, I can be turned against you. You cannot let that happen. You understand that, don't you?"

John nodded slowly. "I understand." he said, "But that doesn't make it any easier. You're more than a machine, Cameron. More than a weapon. You're someone I would hate to lose."

"It is not always easy to do what is right, John." said Cameron, "Life is never meant to always be easy."

"Yeah." murmured John, "My life is never easy." He sighed. "Alright, if I have to do it, I'll do it. But not for myself. For you."

"For me?" Cameron asked.

"Yes, for you." said John, "You don't want to be used against me. If that were to happen, killing you would be... well, it'd be the best thing I could do for you. To make sure you didn't die having failed your mission. I owe you at least that much."

"I see." said Cameron. "Thank you for explaining... and thank you also for considering me in your decision."

"You're welcome." said John.

There was a moment of silence during which the teenage boy and the cyborg girl just stared at each other. Then Cameron leaned forward and kissed John on the lips.

John's eyes widened in shock and he gaped in disbelief as Cameron withdrew her mouth.

It took him half a minute to fully register what had happened.

"What the hell? Did she just...?"

He couldn't think anymore. His brain was jammed. He stared numbly at Cameron who had a curious expression on her face.

"Wha- wha- what was that for?" he managed to stammer out.

"I don't know." said Cameron. Even she looked slightly surprised at what she had done, "It just felt... appropriate."

"It did?"

"Did you not enjoy it?" Cameron asked wondering if she had made an error in judgment.

"I..." John didn't know. Did he enjoy it? Half his brain was firmly saying "no" while the other half was just as persistently saying "yes."

"I-I-I-I-" he couldn't saying anything else. He didn't even shake or nod his head, which had become heavy and begun to hurt. He was dizzy now. He needed to lie down somewhere before he collapsed. Without saying a word to Cameron, he began stumbling his way towards the door and-

"John?"

His mother was standing at the doorway.

"Oh God." he thought, "Did she just see-"

"Are you alright, John?" Sarah asked.

John nodded and sighed with relief. She hadn't seen anything. Or if she had, she was doing a very good job pretending like she hadn't.

"I'm-I'm fine, Mom." he said. "In fact, I wanted to talk to you." His headache was clearing up now.

"Yeah," Sarah said quietly, "I... I thought you would."

John looked her over. Sarah wore a fresh set of clothes now and had put bandages on most of the noticeable injuries sustained from the fight. She seemed to be avoiding staring at him in the eyes, no doubt afraid of what she might find.

"I'll leave." said Cameron from a distance. She walked straight past John and Sarah and out the workroom. As she walked by, John swore that she winked at him.

Now alone with her son, Sarah took a deep breath and sighed. "John," she said quietly, looking at her son in the eyes at last, "I wanted to tell you... I... I'm just so-"

"You don't have to tell me you're sorry, Mom." said John, holding up a hand. "It was an accident."

"I know, John, I know." said Sarah tearfully, "But it was still my fault. I-I..." She looked down and swallowed before whispering, "One of us has to go, John. Either Starbuck or I have to go. We can't let this happen again. We can't."

John shook his head. "Starbuck isn't going anywhere." he said firmly.

"Alright." said Sarah quietly, "I'll go then."

"No, you're not." John said sternly, "No one is going anywhere, Mom. Not Starbuck, not Derek, not Cameron, and not you."

"John, you can't get attached to-"

"This has nothing to do with attachments." John interrupted, "We're in this together. All of us. We don't leave anyone behind. Not even ourselves. We have to stick together, because that's the only way we're gonna survive."

"I wish it were that simple, John." said Sarah, "But we can't afford to trust anyone."

"Does that include each other?" John asked, "The two of us can't even trust each other?"

"I-" Sarah trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Mom, I trust you. Do you trust me? Me, your son?" John asked slowly looking at her directly in the eyes.

Sarah opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She knew what to say, but somehow she couldn't say it.

Then someone whispered into her ear, "You know the answer, Sarah. Tell him." Kyle Reese was standing right next to her, unseen by anyone except her.

"Go on, Sarah," Kyle whispered, "Tell our son you trust him. You know you do."

Sarah swallowed and slowly said, "Yes, John. I trust you."

John smiled. "That's all that I ask." he said, "Trust me, like I trust you. Like I trust Cameron and Starbuck and Derek." He leaned forward and whispered, "Trusting them is the same as trusting me."

Sarah shifted her eyes to look at Kyle, who nodded his head.

"Ok, John." she said tearfully, "So long as you trust them, I'll trust them. You're my son. If I can't trust you... how can I even trust myself?"

John reached forward and mother and son embraced. "Thank you." he whispered into her ear, "I knew we could depend on each other. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too." she whispered back.

"By the way," John said, loosening his grip a little, "Happy Mother's Day."

Sarah laughed. "A little late, John."

John's smile widened. "I know, but I still wanted to tell you."

A single tear ran down Sarah's cheek.

Kara Thrace was still lying flat on her back on the floor of her room thinking about nothing in particular when she felt someone's presence.

"You're not gonna do much just lying on your back, Starbuck." said a familiar voice.

"That may not be such a bad thing, Admiral." Kara said dryly, "I think I've caused enough damage for one day."

Adama knelt down next to her. "We all make mistakes, Starbuck." he said, "That's how life works."

Kara laughed darkly. "Except that we're supposed to learn from our mistakes. I am not learning."

"Some things never change." Adama acknowledged, "But other things do."

"Such as?"

"Such as what you're doing right now. You're not running, nor hiding from your mistakes."

"I'm not doing anything."

"Actually," said Adama, "You are. Or rather you will."

"I will?"

"Yes. You're gonna get off your ass and on your feet like a soldier. Then you're going to walk to that door and open it."

"And then what?"

Adama shrugged. "We'll never know if you don't do what you're supposed to do." His voice then became more commanding. "Now, on your feet, soldier." he ordered, "On your feet now."

And the next thing Kara knew, she was back on her feet.

"Now, open that door." He pointed to the door a few feet away from where Kara had been lying.

Kara obediently grabbed the door knob, turned it, opened the door and-

"Cam? Er... What are you doing here?"

"Derek told me I might find you in here." Cameron said.

"Well, he was... right." said Kara, unable to think of anything else to say.

"I would like to speak with you. May I come in?" asked Cameron.

"Look, Cam." Kara said in an exhausted tone, "I really need-"

"She's here to help you, Starbuck." The image of Adama was still in the room with her.

"-I uh, really need... uh. Yeah, come in." Kara said awkwardly attempting to correct herself.

Cameron walked into Kara's room.

"We must speak about what happened." Cameron said flatly.

"If you're here to berate me for almost getting John killed, then go ahead." Kara said with an air of disinterest.

"I'm not here to do that, Thrace." Cameron said.

"Then why are you here?" Kara asked impatiently.

"To find out why you attacked Sarah."

"She insulted me."

"How so?"

"She brought up the subject of my past which she doesn't know crap about."

"And that upset you, why?" Cameron asked.

"Because I don't like talking about my past." Kara said irritated.

"You talked about it with Sarah last night." Cameron pointed out, "And with John earlier today."

"I didn't exactly tell them the whole story." Kara replied, "In fact, I left quite a lot of stuff out."

"The part relating to your nightmares?"

Kara stared at Cameron. "What?" she asked.

"Your nightmares, Thrace. Is your past the source of your nightmares?"

"What nightmares?" Kara asked.

"I don't sleep." said Cameron, "You do. And you talk in your sleep. While we were driving back from Roachville, you spoke in your sleep. You said: 'If that's me lying there, then what am I? What am I?'"

"It-it was just a stupid dream." Kara said as dismissively as possible.

"It's a recurring nightmare." Cameron stated. "You've had it before."

"How would you know?" snapped Kara.

"Because I've heard you speak in your sleep before."

"When?" Kara demanded.

Cameron's voice softened. "Do you recall our mission to San Diego? When the two of us were sent to destroy the Skynet weapons caches?"

"Of course," said Kara, "How could I forget. We got in, blew up the caches, and got out, but our chopper got shot down on the way back. The pilot was killed. You and I were trapped behind enemy lines for three days. But I never slept during that time."

"You did, Colonel Thrace." said Cameron, "If you recall, you were knocked unconscious in the crash. While I was tending to your injuries, I heard you cry out loud: 'What am I?'"

Kara bit her lip. "Coincidence." she said, though she knew Cameron would see right past her.

"That was the first time I heard you say those words." Cameron continued, "But I heard them again. After you were exposed to that Skynet bio weapon-"

"I thought we agreed never to bring that up again."

"-you repeatedly told me not to run away again. You kept asking questions me about hybrids and a 'Harbinger of Death'. And then, just before I managed to sedate you, you asked 'What am I?'"

"I was hallucinating." Kara protested, "I was even more mentally screwed up than usual."

"It was more than that. You were reliving a nightmare. The same nightmare you had in San Diego. Weren't you?" Cameron stated. "Over the three years we have worked together, I have heard you say that same phrase 'What am I' on thirteen separate occasions. Every time you sound frightened and disturbed."

"Okay, so what?" snapped Kara angrily, "A lot of people have recurring nightmares. What makes you think this has anything to do with my past?"

"I thought so too." Cameron replied, "Which is why I never brought it up. Nor did I make any connection with it and what you asked me to do once."

"Asked you to do what?"

"When you were about to undergo a surgical operation to remove your-"

Kara's hand reflexively went to her throat. "I know, I know, Cam." she said quietly. "I remember." She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I asked you and Becka (you two were actually standing next to each other) that if I didn't make it, I wanted you to take my body, place it in the ruins of LA, and burn it."

"And when asked for a reason," Cameron added, "all you said was: 'So, I don't have to do it myself again.' I never made a connection between that statement and your recurring nightmares until after I heard you a few days ago. When you said: 'If that's me lying there, then what am I?'"

She stared into Kara's eyes and said quietly, "Is that what you dream about? Burning your own body?"

Kara didn't respond. Her mind was spinning with shock at how easily Cameron had deduced all this. "I-I..." she stammered.

"Go ahead, Starbuck." It was Adama. He was standing in the corner watching intently, his expression impossible for her to read.

Kara sighed and nodded. "Yeah," she whispered, "I dream about... about finding my dead corpse. I dream about burning it... I don't know why I dream about it. Maybe I'm afraid of what might happen to me one day."

"That's not what your dreams are about." Cameron said, "You're not afraid of death, Kara Thrace. Your nightmares are not about the future, but about the past. Something happened to you, didn't it? Something that makes you dream this nightmare repeatedly. Something that makes you question your very existence. Your very identity."

Kara couldn't deny it any longer. She nodded slowly.

"What happened?" Cameron asked.

"Why do you care?"

"If you are hiding something that could compromise our mission, I need to know."

Kara raised her eyebrows. "So you can kill me?"

"It would be regretful if it were to come to that." Cameron stated truthfully.

"I would never hide anything at the risk of putting John or the mission in danger."

"Perhaps you don't realize that you're jeopardizing our mission."

"Or perhaps I just don't wanna talk about it." snapped Kara who was fed up with being prodded and poked by the cyborg girl.

"On the contrary," said Cameron calmly, "I think you do. You've been wanting to do so for some time now. In particular you've wanted to tell John."

"Well, I don't wanna tell you."

"But you should. And you know that."

"Why? 'Cause you're a frakkin' psychologist all of a sudden?"

"No. Because I'm only concerned about my mission. Our mission. If what you say is irrelevant, then I will never bring it up again. If the information is relevant-"

"You'll kill me?"

"Maybe. Or we can act on it. Together."

"You know, Starbuck," said Adama from the corner, "She makes a very good argument."

Kara sighed loudly. "Even if I wanted to tell you," she murmured, "you wouldn't believe me. No one would believe me."

"How would you know?" Cameron asked.

"Because my past is a lot more complicated than you realize. Than anyone realizes. I don't even fully understand it myself."

"Then perhaps I can help you."

"I don't think so."

"We have more in common than you would admit." said Cameron, "My skin tissue was based off a girl named Allison Young, but my endoskeleton and my chip were created so that I could replace you. I exist because of you. Your existence was once my purpose. I understand you, more than you realize. And as such, I can help you."

"I-I-I wish I could tell you everything, but I can't. I just... can't." stammered Kara.

"Yes, you can." Cameron said, "With my help."

"How?" asked Kara.

"I believe I can relax your mind to a point in which you will be able to tell me." Cameron said

Kara stared at her. "Y-you're gonna... hypnotize me?"

"In a sense, yes. But only to the extent that you will be able to tell me what you want to tell me."

"H-how can you do that?"

"I believe can adjust my optical sensors to emit a constant pattern of lights that will induce a state of mental relaxation on you."

Kara shook her head. "I-I don't think I can-"

Adama cut her off. "Yes, you can Kara. Trust her. She may be a machine, but she wants to help you. Like she's helped you so many times before."

Kara still shook her head. "No, no... I can't. I can't do this..." she mumbled feebly.

"You owe her the truth, Kara" said Adama sternly, "After all you two have been through, it's time you put your faith in her. The way John Connor does."

Kara swallowed. "If-if it were John instead of me," she said quietly, "would he let you do this to him?"

"Yes." said Cameron, "He would."

Kara nodded. "Okay." she whispered, "I'll do it. But this has to remain between us."

"Assuming the information is not critical to our mission, then it will." said Cameron. She closed the door and locked it. She then pulled up a chair. "Sit down, Colonel Thrace."

Kara glanced at Adama who merely nodded. She sat down and tried to relax. Cameron pulled up another chair and sat down in front of Kara. She leaned forward.

"Look me in the eyes, Kara Thrace." she said.

Kara nodded and fixed her green eyes on Cameron's brown bio-synthetic eyes.

"Do not move." said Cameron, "Keep your eyes focused on mine." As she spoke her eyes began to glow blue. Kara did her best to maintain eye contact. The intensity of the lights dimmed and soon they began to flicker on and off in a repetitious sequence. It was surprisingly soothing and relaxing and easy to follow.

Kara's mind began to cloud. Her senses started to dull. The room seemed to fade. She was floating aimlessly across nothing, her troubles gone, her fears vanished. She did not feel exposed. On the contrary, she felt more safe and secure than ever.

"Can you hear me, Thrace?" Cameron's voice felt like a gentle breeze on Kara's face.

"Yes..." Kara said calmly.

"Then let's begin."

"Okay..."

A/N: This was a short, but important chapter. Here are some things to think about while the next chapter is being revved up.

1) Will John Henry come up with a solution or will he crack under the pressure? Or both?

2) What phrase do you think John chose as the password for the detonator locket?

3) Just how much information about her past will Kara tell Cameron under hypnosis? How will Cameron react?