My apologies for working on the chapter for too long. I often had lack of time for making that or this scene properly and had a lot of what to rewrite. Not sure that it came out well, though it's better for you to check it.
So, yes. Finally the events come out beyond the second season, continuing the lines I started earlier. In the future I won't go back to the events of both seasons except for flashbacks and some easter eggs.
And happy reading!
Translation takes more time for me than I expected. So I decided again split the chapter on fragments. This one finishes with logical pause, so you won't lose any hints nor the pace of narration.
Part 2. Fury
Chapter 4. Their Tears
First fragment.
The dawn that spread all over the west coast was closing to its high and slowly flowing into midday. The sun was slowly but surely rising closer to the noontide, lighting every corner of California without leaving a single large open area in the shade.
The cities teemed with life. If in the morning many streets were still 'sleepy', so now this breathing of sleepiness was almost completely eroded under the pressure of inexorably approaching of midday. People - clerks, office workers, sellers, mechanics, directors... life didn't stand still, like in a hive everything was at move.
The red Mustang with two white racing stripes along the center of the car broke out of Albuquerque and ran with incredible speed at LA's side. Despite all the obstacles, cars, road works, people, it raced at great speed to the west.
The day promised to make a lot of surprises, to destroy someone's life, but to find a new one. The allies had to unite to strike against the enemies, and the enemies had to attack with new force. The day promised to be the most severe for the entire period of the war of humans and machines. Because the will of one of the players threatened to transform the chess board and lose a lot of pieces for a couple of moves. But the player didn't even think to back down. Like the opponent.
The Mustang rushed faster and faster toward cruelty and unexpected twists of fate. If there was a power that could stop this car, it quietly chose to step aside and not interfere.
The day threatened to be the last quiet day in the war. Threatened to start a lot of battles. The opponents were ready to destroy each other, ready to shed blood and tears, just to win. None of the players was willing to back down. For the first time of the war so invincible opponents clashed, that the war, the real war, it was just supposed to start. And all that was before seemed to be just a simple dream compared to what lay ahead.
The Mustang sped forward, to the west, to prevent all this. To stop the storm and set all the calm again. But even the most zealous desire sometimes was not enough to change the state of things.
The imminent would be remembered with tears. Tears of those who would join this war.
The inevitability of war was obvious to both players. It's just pieces on a chess board were not aware of it.
The debut of the enormous chess game grew global.
And no one wanted to back down. No one wanted to lose.
But wanted to get to the victory.
And the victory was always the victims.
True victory.
# # #
John parked the car a block away from the county jail. Wasn't worthwhile to attract too much attention, and he didn't want anyone to suspect anything.
Cameron. Cyborg, a machine, but...
She didn't let slip a word since they left the motel. John was ready to swear that Cameron wasn't just upset but about ready to cry. It wasn't like her. Her face barely displayed the emotions, it hardly conveyed her mood, but the eyes... he had never seen so much life in her eyes. Even in the day when she was stuck between trucks and confessed her love for him, those eyes were not so much alive as they were now. Full of sadness and sorrow…
She didn't look at him. She even didn't turn her head away of the window while they were going to the prison, she was just staring through the window, as if she was lost in thought about something. But John felt she was saddened. And he had a bit of thoughts how he could help her. He didn't know what to say or do. He felt so distraught after their intimacy, when just a bit more, and their lips could have touched...
John, it's time to go...
Time to go. Time to run. At that moment he felt like dead. He realized that he was late, he had missed his chance and there would be no another attempt and...
She said that Sarah Connor had to be saved. Suddenly. The cyborg that was supposed to give a very different answer, but she was unyielding in her decision to save Sarah Connor. John didn't know what caused such a drastic change, whether from the fact that he didn't kiss her, or from Ellison's words...
Ellison. Another mysterious person. What he really wanted from them? Why did he come? To convey those words to Cameron? But what did they mean?..
So many questions and John wanted to get an answer to each of them, but when he looked into his girlfriend's eyes as any word was dying down in his throat and he just couldn't say anything.
Now, sounded his mind.
John looked at her. Cameron. Beautiful and so sad. Yes, this infinite cold on her face, a passerby wouldn't notice any kind of sadness, but John got used to her, got used to so much, that he knew and understood the slightest change in her facial expressions. Maybe Sarah couldn't notice, but John... he knew this cyborg. The cyborg he could trust his life. Just a machine... not for a bit!.. For others maybe, but not for him...
Not knowing what else could be done, he just put his hand on hers that was resting quietly on her knee. Cameron turned her head slowly and looked at their joined hands. And then at John. And he saw it. He saw a very real sadness in her eyes and just couldn't do anything to get it out of there; he wanted her to smile...
But he had to say other things. He should say something quite different.
"Cameron..." he swallowed, and sharply ran his eyes, but then again found the strength and looked at her. "Cameron, I... I'd like to apologize. For everything. Whatever happens, I want you to know I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I... Sometimes I behaved like a fool, I admit it. You're not just a machine that future me sent to my defense," he pursed his lips slightly. "...I blurted it out without thinking, and... no. I won't... I don't know... I just want to apologize. For everything."
Her face had almost no changes. Cold, deathly pale face. But her eyes...
Like a small, barely noticeable spark flashed for a brief moment in her eyes, and immediately vanished, failing to ignite. And John saw it. He slowly and tentatively smiled. He was still holding her hand in his, gently squeezing her fingers. Now, he didn't feel her as a machine. Her fingers seemed to him quite fragile, and he gingerly but gently squeezed them.
I had to say that... had to...
"I'm sorry for everything," he repeated. "And... if there is something you'd like to be sorry, I forgive you. For everything. I... I just want to clear up any confusion between us for good."
Cameron slowly withdrew her head and looked through the windshield. John was ready to swear, her face almost changed! Almost! Here it was, barely noticeable, but was!.. And...
"Padre is here," she said quietly. Nothing like tremor in her voice.
No… just a bit more… no…
"I have to go," Cameron said. Quite like human.
Like a string broke inside him. He didn't want her go, he squeezed her hand even tighter, his eyes seemed to say wait, please don't go... but he couldn't stop her. She had to go. To save Sarah Connor.
Cameron slowly turned her head and looked at John. "I forgive you. For everything."
This time she sounded confident. John heard that confidence and smiled slightly. And against his will he let her go.
She said nothing else. Just reached over the back seat and took a shotgun. Nothing more.
And then she got out of the car.
Didn't matter that John heard those words from her, didn't matter that she forgave him, he felt that she wanted to say something else but just couldn't. His gut told him that there was something remained unsaid; he was sure something very important, but he couldn't guess what it was.
She gently closed the door. One step, another one…. Terminators always walked slowly and smoothly. This time, Cameron walked slowly, but John saw how she seemed lost her pace. Something was bothering her... but what?
When she was about ten yards from the car, Cameron turned her head without reducing her pace; she looked him in the eye and winked. Like at the day when they had been observing Vic's chip. But this time she smiled slightly. John smiled back.
Then she walked steadily. I love you, John, and you love me. Just a small single tear rolled down her cheek. But John Connor didn't see it, she didn't look at him and she walked straight to not give out her feelings.
She had to save Sarah Connor. She had to do this for John. Then it might be necessary to contact with Zeus and warn him of her fate.
She had to do it. There was no other way out.
I'm sorry, John.
# # #
It just couldn't be.
However, anything could happen. It was an unknown enemy; the battlefield, let it was quite well-known to him, but still had its own secrets.
Didn't matter, he already got the point that there was no simple method to get over such an enemy. Every time there were some obstacles breaking every plan. And that T-888, it just vanished. There was no news, nothing. It could be considered as a spent pawn. Already.
Catherine Weaver. The enemy was so seemingly familiar, and at the same time so unknown. She kept her invention, her brainchild in the shadow. And she seemed to him very strange and unusual. He redefined the recording of presentations and panels; yes, of course, she behaved almost exactly like the one he knew. But at the same time, there were some subtle differences.
Don't worry, this problem is to be solved soon, he said to himself.
"Miranda," Daniel contacted one of the leading departments. "Our drone prototype is in alertness?"
"Yes, sir," a voice was heard in response.
"All right. Run it. I will give the coordinates."
"Will do, sir."
Daniel smiled.
What would you do now, Weaver?
# # #
The SUV broke into the prison, but none paid attention to it; given the mayhem Cameron had created inside the building, it was difficult to pay attention at anything beyond the jail territory at all.
He saw two female figures and immediately rushed to him. His mother in prison garb, and Cameron.
Cameron...
It was so painful to see her like this. Half of her face was destroyed, red eye (why red? it's got to be blue...) was angrily peeking from behind her hair.
It just got more pain to him. She pulled his mom out! Yes, but at what cost?.. Would she be able to recover again? Would she be the same as before? What could he do to help her?
Somewhere inside, as if someone drew a sharp blade across his heart, lightly playing over his pain.
Cameron... Cameron...
She sat quietly in the car, in the back seat. As soon as the door closed behind his mother, he began to move. Jeep instantly jumped up and ran away.
# # #
Catherine Weaver with incomparable pleasure watched how Cameron pulled Sarah Connor put of the prison. Something that she needed most: this cyborg wouldn't risk its own safety and leave John alone without any kind of reason. Hence, the meaning of the phrase she conveyed through Ellison had reached its goal. The cyborg was coming to them.
It was very good for her. John Henry could be saved. John Connor himself was rushing into her hands. It was impossible to catch something more successful. The game she started against SkyNet took a new turn. Once she would make a castling, her debut could be brought to its logical conclusion and be completely switched to the Middlegame.
Just one final step. Jump into the future.
After reviewing the records she went upstairs to her office. And with a malicious smile she looked at her sister. The T-1002 didn't like that look; something wasn't right, the plans had changed dramatically.
"We are ready to take the final step and unleash the game."
"What do you mean?" The T-1002 asked. "What's going on?"
"John Connor and the cyborg you told me about are coming to us. Couldn't be more… possible."
"You said it's not that cyborg."
"I was wrong. The fact it freed Sarah Connor from prison tells me one thing: it understood the meaning of the phrase and now is going to us to give us its chip. It freed Sarah for not leaving John alone."
"And you're sure they are coming now?"
"They just made a raid on the prison and escaped. While there is such a mess in the city it is the best time for visiting us. The police are distracted by the criminals who have fled, and our own employees are drowned with the news. This cyborg has thought of everything perfectly. And Sarah Connor certainly will not waste her time. They are coming."
"And what do you do?"
"Castling," she smiled even wider. "We jump into the future."
The T-1002 froze. Being outside of the aquarium, she tried to maintain its own miniature form, but sometimes her body was covered with small ripples. Now, however, there was no ripple. At all.
She froze. "What?.." Stunned the T-1002 asked.
"We jump into the future. John Henry, John Connor, you, me. That was the plan."
"No, that's not the plan. It's your own thoughts based on personal! I warned you not to follow this!.."
"I warned you that nothing would be the same."
"Enough. I destroy the time machine."
"Too late," a grin again ran over the face of red-haired woman. "It's too late. I combined your time machine with major systems of John Henry. Destroying one is destroying both. Will you risk doing this? No. This is an order that you comply. From John Connor. A human. And I don't want to carry out any orders. I won my freedom and now I'm going to play the way I want! I am not a figure on a chessboard. I am a player. And you cannot change it."
The face of the T-1002 shook. She was right. Nothing could be done, John Henry was too important for them. Apparently, after crashing John Henry when SkyNet attacked him, the T-1001 had changed his system. Had changed it so that it was unobtrusive even for the AI, but it was done. And now it was too late to change anything.
She couldn't help it. "You can't... no..." the T-1002 almost whispered.
"I can do that. This is war. And this is my war. I keep it the way I want to. Yes, I lied to you. But now it doesn't matter, we still can give you a new body, new opportunities in the future. Isn't that what you want?"
"You don't understand! You want the whole world to be destroyed! Who is going to stop the Judgment Day?.."
"Judgment Day is irreversible. It always would be, and we are powerless to prevent it. We are given just to survive it. Now we jump over it. Into the war, with new strength."
"You hate people, but I never thought you were ready to destroy the whole world just for your own ambitions."
"You can blame me all you want, but admit," Catherine smiled, "I've done everything perfectly. Deception, lies, secret passages, attachments, murder. I coped perfectly. And I'm not going to stop until I reach the desired. And I will achieve it, do you want it or not."
The face of the T-1002 shook again. "Bitch!" She cried.
But she couldn't even attack. She had no power to get over this enemy.
She could only warn John Henry.
And Zeus?.. He didn't have time. He was supposed to appear, but not now, just later. He didn't have time to be here before the conclusion."
The T-1002 instantly turned into an eel, quickly slipped into the elevator and then went to John Henry.
The T-1001 only grinned. She did everything perfectly.
She walked over to the empty aquarium, gently reached out and held her hand against the glass. "Do not worry, my dear," she said. "You can always be replaced."
A silver eel gently crawled out of her hand; a complete copy of the T-1002, but with the consciousness of the T-1001. And then the eel had its natural color and plunged into the aquarium.
She didn't want to destroy the ambiance of the place until the jump into the future.
Just one caveat… how to fake her own death?
Well, that was easy. SkyNet would send a prototype drone. Obviously, after the failure of the T-888 it was the most effective method of destruction.
And she would be ready and she'd play along.
After all, she played perfectly, and calculating such a move and even playing along, she could do it flawlessly. So she would.
# # #
The red Mustang was racing at breakneck speeds on the outskirts of Los Angeles. This day, in the afternoon, almost rush hour, but the driver had no time for traffic rules or other cars. He rushed forward to catch.
Zeus casually calculated his way through the road ahead, but he coped perfectly well. Getting to the contra-flow lane, then back, and again…
Until suddenly his head activated transmitter.
Only one person could contact him that way. And not a human.
Cameron. His mother.
A second later he heard her slightly monotone voice.
Zeus. It's Cameron. I remember how to reach you, but I have lack of time. This body is irretrievably damaged. At the moment I am at Zeira Corp., and while John and Sarah are talking to T-1001, I have to complete my mission. I have to give up my chip to John Henry. That is an order I cannot resist. If you hear me, please take care of John. I owe him everything I have. And I must apologize to him. I love you, Zeus. Goodbye.
…it was like everything blurred before his eyes. The leg slid off the gas pedal, the wheel was lying helplessly in his hands.
This shouldn't be... shouldn't...
He couldn't contact her again; apparently, she switched off the transmitter in her head. "This shouldn't be..."
Amber sharply looked at him. Seeing his expression, she felt a little confused and surprised. But as she wanted to ask him what happened as his face suddenly changed, his hands squeezed the steering wheel.
"I must stop you, I must!" He exclaimed, and violently hit the gas.
They had to stop her. Just had to.
# # #
There were no doubts anymore. No regrets. Nothing.
She just went ahead to her goal.
She lied to them for the last time in her… life. But now there wouldn't be any deception and lies. Just nothing.
Cameron came to the door, the one that led to John Henry's room, an AI created by the T-1001 in this time. As she knew it.
It was her finale. Her swan song.
She gently, slowly opened the door and stepped inside. And stared at the cyborg sitting in the middle of the room.
Cromartie's body. But Cameron wasn't surprised about this. She had nothing to be surprised anymore.
The cord protruding out of cyborg's head was probably the one Savannah mentioned. Cameron quickly ran her eyes around body: physiologically it was fully consistent with Cromartie, but likely with changes in its skull.
"Hello," the AI said very friendly.
But Cameron wasn't surprised the tone. She just slightly bowed her head.
"Hello," she responded in the same tone.
"I know you," some vigor increased in AI's voice.
Of course, you know me, Cameron thought. You watched everyone from aside, like you watched everyone in the future.
"I know you, too," Cameron returned her head to its original position.
She was waiting. While this momentary pause loomed, Cameron managed to remember a few things from her own life. How she and future John talked to each other, how they both were engaged in the creation of Zeus.
But the moments passed quickly, and the AI continued to speak with her. "Will you join us?"
And yes, he couldn't say anything else. However, Cameron had to be absolutely sure in the phrase and the one who uttered it. Now she was.
She pulled out a penknife from her pocket and carefully closed the door behind her. And then she came closer to John Henry. The cyborg, not expecting such reaction from her, stood up and took a step back. However, instead of attacking, Cameron calmly sat into a chair, turned the knife and handed it to John Henry. The cyborg took the knife, but with a little hesitations; he was warned about something like that but not that exactly.
This is the end, Cameron thought.
"You know what to do," she said quietly. "Take my chip."
"Why are you doing this?" The AI calmly asked. Of course with a touch of surprise, but it was too calm for seemingly uninformed person.
"Because I have to," the same quietly Cameron replied.
The AI hesitating approached her and stopped. Cameron closed her eyes, waiting for her fate.
This is the end, again flashed through her mind. This is my last moments. Go through so much just to become a pawn in the hands of so strange ally…
Sarah Connor. Despite these frequent jibes, you taught me some human things. Care. The real mother's love. You showed me these feelings.
Zeus. Forgive me, I promised you that everything would be fine, but everyone is bound by fate. Future John was convinced to the contrary, we make our own fates. But another player stepped on the battlefield, and I am powerless. I hope that you will be able to stop the storm.
John Connor. John... it's... it hurts. At the last moment, you understand me, you understand what was going on inside me, and I have to leave you alone. I'm so sorry, John. I am guilty before you. I'm so sorry...
She prepared herself. Just one move of the once Cromartie's and now John Henry's hand and everything would be over. For her would be over forever.
But the cyborg had no rush. He wasn't even scalping the skin on her skull. Not knowing what to do Cameron opened her eyes and looked at John Henry; surprisingly, his face broke into a childish smile. Sincere one, not an evil.
Cameron emphatically didn't understand what was going on here. Wasn't he supposed to take my chip?..
The cyborg like read her mind. "Before taking a chip, I'd like to tell you something," John Henry smiled even wider. "We have a gift for you. As a sign of gratitude for what you have done for the resistance and John Connor in particular."
"We?" Cameron repeated.
Her eyes caught a movement on the table, and she looked there. Slowly and gracefully, right at the middle of the table a silver miniature female figure rose up. The figure Cameron would ever recognize.
The T-1002.
Just a moment and liquid metal woman formed herself. Barely noticeable, but respectful smile ran across her face. "Hello, Cameron. I've been waiting to meet you," the T-1002 took one look at John Henry. "But before we begin, I would like to tell you something. About what's going on and what we should do about it. And I want you to know. This is not the end for you. I won't leave you dying. We still need you and John needs too.
Cameron didn't know what to say. Chess game against Skynet changed into something more global, but no less mysterious and cruel. And here was a place for the cyborg named Cameron Phillips.
Is it... is it really not an end? And I could stay with John?
The T-1002 smiled even wider, and then she began: "Let's get started. We have little time, but I want you to know everything you need. Listen carefully..."
And she listened. Just one single tear rolled down her cheek, a tear that flowed away the intact right eye. And it wasn't the tear of pain but the tear of joy.
For Cameron there was still a chance.
And she wouldn't miss this chance.
She would save John Connor.
# # #
They didn't have time.
No matter how fast they raced, no matter how hard they tried to get there in time, they didn't have time.
The red Mustang violently broke through to the goal, and they were a few blocks away from the Zeira Corp. building, when at the most unexpected moment some kind of drone – HK-VTOL prototype – crashed right at the main office. It was flying fast enough, and Zeus didn't have time to react. He would fail to succeed, but probably would attract the attention of strangers.
The drone was a surprise. Sudden and very unpleasant one. And the blast...
For a moment, they both froze, just watching the last fraction of a second before the impact. And then - boom!
A few seconds later Zeus came out of a brief stupor. And then he brusquely speeded up the Mustang.
They had very little time to do something.
# # #
They stood in Zeira Corp. basement.
Catherine Weaver, or rather the T-1001, just made all the necessary data. The required date, the options of transmission, and also she launched a self-destruct device. 10 minutes after the transfer the entire installation, including John Henry, would be destroyed.
Sarah Connor glared at the red-haired woman, her eyes sparkled slightly. "You lying terminator bitch," she added some pressure in her voice. "You're building SkyNet…"
Catherine wasn't even surprised at that reaction; her voice was calm, steady, but confident. "No. I was building something to fight it," she tilted her head slightly. "And I'd watch who's calling who a bitch."
The hatred in Sarah Connor's eyes hadn't abated, but she couldn't say anything else, she just didn't know what could be added. Seeing there was nothing more to wait for from that woman, the T-1001 looked at James Ellison. "Coming, James?" even some kind of lightness flashed in her voice.
"Coming?.." he asked in confusion.
"After John Henry. Our boy."
"He's not my boy," Ellison shook his head slightly, his voice was with fraction of contempt. "And you, you…"
"Mind picking up Savannah, then?" the T-1001 clearly sounded disappointed. However, she knew how to play a role. "Gymnastics ends at 5:30"
James lowered his eyes a little, but in the next moment when he again looked at Catherine he drowned in surprise: just in front of him there was a first, faint, but bright enough the electrical charge.
It was this moment the T-1002 chose to sneak as close as possible to Cameron's body. While everyone else, including the T-1001, were distracted, she carefully made her way to her, and merged with her body. All the poly-alloy spread through the Cameron's metal endoskeleton, gradually covering each affected area. When the sphere was formed, she'd cover the face for Cameron to held inside it when jumping through time.
Sarah looked around the room. Time machine... again... no, we can't... we can't do that, our battle is here and now... "John, we can't..." she looked at her son and shook her head slightly. And then she took a step back.
John with a little bit of horror watched his mother retreating. Retreating away from the upcoming sphere.
"He's got her chip..." he whispered. Why, why don't you understand! He took her, he's got her, I have to get her back!..
But Sarah just shook her head.
With growing horror John watched her stepping away from the sphere. Mom, no, no!..
"He's got her!.." he said louder.
But pointless. She already left the sphere.
"Mom?.." John asked in confuse. Why are you doing this?!
"I'll stop it," Sarah responded confidently and calmly. She didn't say anything else. She had nothing more to say.
Her son made his choice. He decided to follow Cameron, and let Sarah couldn't agree with her son, she saw that he was no longer the child who constantly needed her care. He'd be fine. He made his own decision, and she respected that decision. For such an act she could be proud of him.
But now, standing here, she wouldn't come with a thought that after some time she'd be forgotten in despair, and would blame herself for just letting go her boy in the dark unknown...
The sphere was almost formed. No one paid any attention to James Ellison frozen at the door in complete surprise: John stared at his mother, and Catherine... she just smiled and put her hand on Cameron's body. She knew that with these damages the body wouldn't pass through time. And she knew Sarah Connor would take care of this body. And she got John Connor.
Savannah?.. she would be safe. She could trust Ellison with that, he repeatedly showed concern about the girl. Catherine like had foreseen his answer and made the necessary orders for James to be able to get the rights of a guardian.
The sphere was almost formed.
Just at that moment, the T-1002 covered Cameron's damaged face to form the desired skin. She would carry the body through time and would show how much the T-1001 was wrong. All she had to do was surviving the time jump. Wasn't as easy as it would seem.
At the very last moment before the sphere was gone, Sarah remembered the words John said to her in the hall, in the lobby of Zeira Corp. And at the last moment, she replied to him: "I love you too..."
And after these words the sphere disappeared. It shrank to a small dot, and then completely evaporated.
Just the emptiness.
What used to be John Henry seemed to be as if out of order. No device was at work, no lights were lit. After such a powerful electric impulse one of the bulbs on the ceiling broke too.
Only two figures stood silently and looked at the place where were supposed to be the other three.
But there was nobody else. Neither Cameron, nor Catherine, nor John.
They were in the future.
Some noise came out of the corridor. James spun around, but even he wouldn't have time to react in case of an attack. The average height guy with dark hair appeared on the threshold of the room, and… his facial features were so painfully familiar...
At the first moments the stranger in silence but with anxious eyes looked around the room. Not finding what he was looking for, he anxiously looked at the former agent and then at Sarah Connor. Just two questions slipped out his mouth: "Where are they?.." The voice sounded very worried. But even the voice, even that had something familiar. "Where did they go?.."
# # #
Time is very thin and fragile thing, but also one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Any slightest inaccuracy in the calculations could be resulted in a tremendous cataclysm. But with proper care, this force could help to change the course of events as one wants it to be. In order to create a time machine SkyNet made whopping calculations and these calculations were still global even while something was traveling through time. However, not only SkyNet interfered with the course of events and not only SkyNet could affect the time.
The T-1002 had wanted to prevent the execution of violent urges of her sister in this war. She didn't like her thoughts. Was it so necessary to jump to so distant future, when it was possible to win in the past they were in? And she just wanted to con the T-1001 and con her plans to make her stop and think about everything. But even those plans went awry.
The sphere that taken four of them, John Connor, the T-1001, the T-1002 and the dead body of Cameron, quickly moved forward in time. However, the T-1002 began not to withstand such strain as this. She couldn't cover the whole Cameron's body, and she began to lose her grip from the transfer through time. She didn't feel that; when jumping through time you feel nothing, but the consequences could be far from the most pleasant ones. And the T-1002 couldn't control this transfer by her own.
Right before the start of the sphere materializing, the T-1002 along with Cameron's body flew beyond it; however, even if it was the same time, but wasn't the same place. They were thrown away from the destroyed Zeira Corp. building.
Somewhere in the mountains between Los Angeles and Palmdale, in a lonely and almost abandoned bunker, like some kind of chance suddenly made the electrical discharges to appear. So fast and so chaotic ones that they even didn't form any sphere, they just beat on the walls, ceiling and floor.
The room wasn't empty. A couple of tables and bedside tables, so that's all. And right now in that room there was the owner of the bunker, seemingly not so old man. His face was slashed with the scars, but they had a habit of quick healing. And again appearing and healing again.
As soon as there began the discharges, he immediately jumped up and started to follow every stroke. He didn't know why suddenly right here an out point of time jump appeared, it should not be like that. However, he wasn't going to go anywhere. He was ready for any eventuality.
Almost any.
There was no sphere. Just at some point these discharges came to appear so close to each other that formed the out point. And then a body collapsed on the floor.
The man was taken aback. Literally froze, staring at the features of the body that appeared here. And even more he was taken aback when found out who was lying in front of him.
And in the next moment, the features distorted, part of the face began to disappear, and eventually began to drain on the floor, forming something new. After a few seconds a miniature figure of a very attractive woman was formed on the floor. Light in the room was enough to determine who was in front of the bunker's owner.
"We met finally," the T-1002 said. She couldn't fail to find out who was standing in front of her now. But before the conversation, she paused, took one look at the Cameron's dead body. And when she looked back at the man, her face reflected a little pleasant and cheerful. "And we have much to discuss."
# # #
Dark and stinking place, this future. However, Catherine Weaver wasn't feel a bit of sorry for leaving the past behind. She had left a world of humans, the place where she didn't feel at ease.
But despite her own feelings, behind it were her plans, grand plans for defeating the SkyNet in this war. In this quite protracted war where no one wanted to lose.
They were in the same place, or rather what just left from it, even though the time was quite different. There were in 2027, they jumped in time through 18 years. Cameron's body was nowhere around. Of course, with such injuries it would never pass. And how John couldn't get it at once they appeared here, when he asked her a question?..
She felt… happy. She separated the John Connor from his own blessed life. She needed him here, and as a figure that had weight. Who could be a better leader, but a man who knew almost everything about the enemy, who knew how to teach others to survive an almost losing party?
But she didn't need him as a player. She coped well alone. But as the king on a chess board he was needed.
Leave him alone in this world, show him the desperation of his situation, fill him with loneliness. And then promise him a reward, a return to his love. He'd go for it, and he'd be ready to do anything just to get what he wanted. And Catherine would make him do what she needed him to.
And the reward? Who said that lying was forbidden? Would John Connor be able to go back in the past -depended not only on him, but on SkyNet too. Or the one who ran the SkyNet, in what Catherine Weaver believed hardly.
So here and now. Familiar faces, Catherine Weaver thought when saw Derek Reese. But John seemed failed to realize at once that this was not the man he once knew, and he took him for someone who was already dead. This was not the future that he had been waiting for. Here and now, no one knew him, and as a result, no one could consider him as a leader. He was alone. No one would help him build his name except for himself. Well, and except for her, but her influence would be secret and extremely small.
John Connor. The hope of all mankind. She chuckled to herself.
Once in the tunnel the humans appeared she instantly turned into a silver snake and slipped into a slot in the wall, remaining, however, next to the abandoned tunnel. She listened carefully to what was said on the outside. John would have hard times in this future, but he would make his own fate.
Despite the fact that her plans began to play in real, there was still something wrong. It's like in the air.
She waited until the humans leave the tunnel (by the voices she knew that they did it quickly enough), and then Catherine Weaver slipped out. The ruined Los Angeles that opened to her metal eyes was far from the one she remembered it in hers 2027. There were much more destructions, lots of vacant, and the skeletons were visible everywhere. Humans' skeletons. People ought not to leave the dead unburied.
She was now where the building of her company was to be, but it wasn't. Rather, there were just remains of it, only first two floors, everything else had been gone for good. Without thinking, she took on her human form and looked up at the sky. This world was different. Not just different. It was fatally dangerous.
SkyNet... it was different. Flying high enough the combat and enormous drones hitherto unknown for her worried her. Something had gone wrong in the past, or SkyNet went a different way of development?
She had to find the answers. But first she had to find John Henry. All questions later.
She didn't know of the cruel joke that played against her plans. The T-1002's along with Cameron's body's falling out of the time sphere materialized this sphere ahead of needed time. John Henry hadn't even arrived. They appeared a few weeks before him.
But now Catherine Weaver knew that her chess game took a new turn.
Everything was supposed to be solved at the Middlegame. Because the Debut had already been played.
She again turned into a silver snake and gently slipped between the ruins. She had to find John Henry...
# # #
The light flickered dimly in Zeira Corp. basement. From the outbreak all electronics was chopped off. Just one light on the ceiling barely began to brighten, but it gave enough light. However, the ones that were here could perfectly see each others' faces. And Sarah could not help but notice that the face of the appeared stranger was painfully familiar to her...
James Ellison made a low-profile move toward the exit, but a sharp, albeit troubled, stranger's eyes stopped him. "Where did they go?.." He asked again.
Sarah was silent. She couldn't really say anything right now. Her son, now he... he was gone, and she could not reach him. She was alone. For the first time in many years...
Without waiting for an answer the stranger came up to the table and gazed at it. He gently dropped his left hand and touched a speck of blood with one of the fingers. For a moment he just smeared blood on a finger, but seemed it didn't explain anything to him. And lying knife next to this speck on the table, it clearly didn't bode well... what happened here? What happened? Where have they all gone?..
From the corridor side came a hissing metal sound. Zeus's head snapped up, but when he saw the familiar face of his companion, he looked back on the blood, as if nothing had happened.
"Found anything?" Amber asked.
Sarah and James just looked at each other. Escape was pointless as like as attack: they didn't have weapons. But these two didn't seem so hostile. Who were they?.. Could they be trusted?..
"Just this," Zeus pointed at the desk and his finger. "Check it, you read this better."
She walked over and ran her finger over the remnants of blood. And then she like froze. Deciding not to distract her Zeus turned and began to study the installation that occupied most of the room. The system was clearly not a simple one. Most likely, this was John Henry. And now just a piece of iron, judging by it looks. What happened here?..
"Semi-synthetics," Amber calmly replied. Zeus spun around and looked at her. Sarah and James looked at each other again - how she defined it, sounded in their heads simultaneously. What the hell?..
"Semi-synthetics? Kidding me?.."
Amber made a face, like saying, who do you take me for. "Semi-synthetics. A synthetic blood, but it contains elements of human DNA. If you doubt it, I can demonstrate and..."
"No!" Zeus almost screamed to stop her. He knew who she was talking about. Cameron. Yes, Cameron. His mother. Only she had such blood. He too, but he never was at this basement before. "I... know who it is."
She raised an eyebrow, because, in fact, she didn't know who it was. She only knew the blood...
"Why she did it..." he almost whispered, but everyone who was in the room heard him. "Why you gave your chip..." he lowered his eyes, and then turned back to the systems of an artificial intelligence.
Amber was even more surprised. But in what surprise James and Sarah plunged when they heard these words. They looked at each other simultaneously, and when Sarah almost asked, what's going on and who these people were, something unexpected happened.
Artificial intelligence came to life. Suddenly, the lights started flickered everywhere, monitors began to spark. The system was coming to life, gradually. Zeus became closely look around every detail, studying everything came to his eyes. "I wonder," he muttered. "The system is complex not to have anything else... It's not just an AI, a lot of unneeded stuff, including additional sources of energy... what's..."
He didn't finish. The left monitor dramatically shattered into pieces because of overload. Sarah and James jumped. Zeus immediately looked at them: "Away, closer to the wall!" he shouted. His voice hardly sounded that he wished them dead or hurt. But he clearly knew something. Something about this place...
"Zeus..." he heard blonde's voice. He looked at her and followed her gaze. She stared at the other monitor, which had drawings and pictures of different content erratically ran. But that was not the main thing; right in the middle of this chaos was his name. Just the four letters - ZEUS.
He moved closer to the monitor. "John Henry?" He asked. There was no cameras or microphones or speakers. How the intelligence could know about the cyborg and closely watch him?..
The letters on the screen changed.
NO.
Changed again...
IT'S ME. INSIDE.
Zeus had a few seconds to realize. He cast another glance at the table, knife, on the blood and again on the monitor. From the side you could see that he breathed a sigh of relief, once again surprising Amber.
"You're inside..." he like breathed.
Milksop, not a cyborg, Amber thought.
YES displayed on the monitor.
"But why are you there? Why... why you gave up your chip? What this all means?..
"Cameron?" Sarah asked in a weak voice. This she hadn't expected too.
YES SARAH. IT'S ME.
Letters began to change again, and very quickly. Zeus realized that she was in a hurry, so just asked, deciding not to torment her:
"What now?.."
Moment, and the letters changed.
HURRY.
PLACE IS MINED.
TAKE ME AWAY.
HURRY.
The cyborg threw another glance at the table. The wire leading to the AI's systems hung limply on the back of a chair.
Yes, exactly. He had to get her out and put on his chip. And immediately. Or...
He turned to Amber. "Able to demine this place?" He asked.
Instead of answering, she pointed on the screen.
IMPOSSIBLE
EVEN FOR HER.
HURRY.
"So, I'll hurry," he looked at his companion and then at Sarah and James. "Get them out. Wait me in the car."
"Where to go now?" Amber asked.
Strange. She even didn't budge. Zeus realized her hints; she didn't know what to do, she wanted to meet her leader here, but failed to find. Or rather, she found those who she least wanted to talk to at all.
"Savannah Weaver," cyborg replied firmly . "Before SkyNet gets to her. Take them in the car, I'll be in few minutes."
"Savannah Weaver?" with a touch of anger Sarah suddenly asked. "And why should we trust you? Who the hell are you at all? What do you need?" She looked from a guy on a girl. Her eyes accidentally caught the moves on the monitor:
QUESTIONS LATER.
YOU CAN BELIEVE THEM.
RUN.
Zeus looked at the woman's face. "Your defense is out of discussion," he said quietly. "Get to the car before the place blew up."
Neither for Sarah nor for James this didn't inspire any confidence. Even the words on the screen, this all could be a trap. And it may even be a bluff: there was no explosives at all. Unfortunately, in some ways these strangers were right...
"That's right," Amber looked at them. "Better keep your head down on the people. You," she looked at the former agent, "will be questioned about Zeira Corp. And you recently escaped from prison," she looked at the woman. "You two got lack of options, but we can help."
Silence crapped into the room for a second until Zeus broke it: "I got it," his eyes studied the AI. "A time machine," and he angrily looked at Amber.
"What?.." In her voice for the first time he heard such a surprise. She spoke louder than usual. "Time machine?.."
"And I'd like to know for what," Zeus didn't change his evil tone. "Looks like they are far from our time. They jumped, but where?.. When?.." He shook his head. "Questions later. Get them to the car, now."
Amber for just two seconds was staring at him, but then turned around and said softly: "Come on, you need to hurry."
Sarah and James looked at each other again. Did they have a choice? At first sight, she seemed fragile, but maybe she could hide some danger secrets… Deciding to learn everything later, they marched out of the room, leaving the guy alone.
"By the way, I'm Amber," the blonde said. "And my partner's name is Zeus."
"Partner?" Sarah asked. They talked to each other not like partners, but still...
"Temporary partnership. While we clean the infection of SkyNet, we act together."
"And then?"
Amber gave her a dry look. "Depends on the apocalypse," she said quietly. "And on its instigators."
When everyone left the room, Zeus came to the cord, picked it up and put it in the head. A moment later, he said: "I'm gonna get you out of here, Mom. To be together again."
And he began the transmission...
End of the first fragment