Chapter Seven: Glen

Summary

John Henry and Cameron lock their target, John arrives at Outpost Glen.


With a clear mission: pull whatever they could from Skynet's war records and determine the A.I.'s military strategies. It was a quarter past nine, and Terminator's were patrolling the streets of a ruined Los Angeles. John Henry, accompanied by a digital version of Cameron were currently making their way to Skynet's archives. They soon came to a four-way intersection, and on the right side was a large factory building. It seemed to have been restored by Skynet; not completely, but enough to produce satisfactory production results if Skynet ever needed it.

"Cameron, what is that building?" he asked. His HUD briefly flashed as Cameron came online from standby. One look was all it took, she didn't even need to scan it herself.

"That building is one of Cyberdyne's manufacturing plants before the war. In the future I came from, Skynet was using it to produce more Terminator units. Seeing it in this state-it most likely serves the same purpose." Cameron explained.

John Henry looked at the building one last time before turning and walking towards the archives building. The building was large, possibly able to construct a hundred new units in just twenty-four hours. If that would be the case, how many other factories did Skynet have? "Cameron, how many factories did Skynet possess in your original future?" he asked.

"According to John. Approximately eighty-one factories were discovered located throughout the United States. By the time the war escalated, Russian Resistance reported around one-hundred and fourteen in Russia, Germany, and China. By 2019, more and more factories had been uncovered in Western Europe. Totaling around two-hundred factories in total." Cameron explained.

A grim fate indeed. Whatever it took, he and Cameron needed to find a way to stop it. After traversing the rubble-drawn buildings and the dozens of Terminator patrols, John Henry finally reached the building that housed Skynet's archives. Complete with all the war records, strategies, and maybe even the locations of Resistance bases. Even though he had a triple-eight ID tag, John Henry took care to check behind him to make sure he was not being watched. The entrance to the building was an automated door. John Henry leaned in close to the eye-scanner, felt a red flash wave over his eye, and heard a hiss as the door prepared to open.

The automatic door opened, and John Henry stepped inside the building. As soon as his foot made contact with the marble ground, his sensors were immediately flooded with data. He and Cameron alike detected automated security inside the structure. Auto turrets, triple-eight terminators, and even T-1 machines roll about the facility. The room resembled a wheel, and the rooms that aligned it resembled it's spokes.

Scanning for room that suit mission parameters...

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT... NEGATIVE.

WAR ROOM... NEGATIVE.

ARCHIVES... OBJECTIVE AREA LOCATED! PROCEED WITH SKYNET WAR HISTORY DOWNLOAD.

If John Henry were human, he probably would have smirked with satisfaction. He walked to the Archives room, and he was greeted with another automatic door. This time there was no need for an eye scan, and he walked freely into the archives room. Surprisingly, there weren't any security units inside the room. No auto turrets, no Terminators, not even any cameras. Though Cameron and John Henry found this rather strange, he pressed on anyway. The room was only occupied by a single large monitor, a very futuristic-looking one at that.

"The monitor will not feed any information into Skynet's mainframe correct?" John Henry asked Cameron for confirmation.

"Affirmative. We will be able to download any data we need as long as we are not discovered by patrolling Terminators. We should hurry." Cameron suggested.

John Henry gave the computer a disconcerting look, the ease of access was suspicious, to say the least. "Is there a reason the computers here allow for easy access by humans? Surely infiltration by human operatives would be more dangerous this way." John Henry asked.

"The Interface was specifically designed to accommodate humans. That way Greys could access any information they needed." Cameron said.

John Henry wasted no time racing his fingers to the digital keyboard. The monitor displayed the following menu options:

WAR HISTORY

RESISTANCE BASE LOCATIONS

POSSIBLE GREY ASSOCIATES

Of course, John Henry selected the War History tab. He was greeted with an ENTER PASSWORD: screen. "Cameron?"

John Henry could sense Cameron was searching her data files for any type of entry phrase. After five seconds of silence, Cameron finally responded...

"Type in Monarch." Cameron replied.

John Henry did so, and expectantly, it allowed John Henry access... ACCESS GRANTED. "Cameron... how did you-"

"I'll tell you later, we must hurry John Henry."

John Henry didn't argue, he resumed dancing his fingers over the virtual keyboard. Lines of data raced across the screen, processing every command John Henry entered. Finally, another menu presented itself in the form of dates beginning with 2011 and ending with 2027. John Henry clicked on the 2027 option. Many other options displayed, wide arrays of battles, specifying which side won the battle.

"John Henry, ask the computer to specify a search. Ask 'strategic' or 'relevant'." Cameron instructed.

"Search by the most relevant battle that displayed Skynet's strategic expertise. Search." John Henry ordered.

PROCESSING COMMAND...

KEY TERMS: RELEVANCE, STRATEGIC.

BATTLE OF CAMP HELENS

BATTLE OF SERRANO POINT

LISTING COMPLETE.

John Henry eyed over the battles listed. Naturally, he started on the Battle of Camp Helens. Information of the battle displayed on the screen; so much so that it would take a bit of scrolling and time to read the entire page. "This information would be good to pass on to John."


Wasteland

After another half-hour of driving, John finally felt the Ranger come to a stop. Everyone else immediately got out, while John sat in the back seat unmoving. The reason for this was because there was nothing around them. No buildings, no trees, not even a rock. He looked around frantically, and somewhat nervous. Kyle poked his head inside the window, "We're here, John." he said.

John looked at him confusingly; not sure what he was talking about. John cautiously opened his door and walked outside of the truck. He once again took a look at his surroundings to confirm he wasn't blind. He wasn't... there were no buildings in sight.

"Uh... is this a joke?" he asked his companions.

Nobody answered. However, he did see Derek kneel down onto the dirt. As John approached him, he took notice that Derek was gliding his hand against the smooth sand. John stood behind Allison and watched curiously. "What's he doing?" he asked her quietly.

Allison looked back and gave him that same flirty smile she'd been flashing him almost all day. "Just watch." she replied, and she returned her attention to Derek. John watched along with her, Kyle, and Howard. Suddenly, Derek stopped his hand about three feet from where he started. He pushed aside the dirt on the ground, and that was when John caught sight of a metal glint shining off the ground.

With the silence accompanying him, Derek knocked three times on the door and then said firmly: "Reese, two-five-nine-three. Code Osiris.". The object, revealed to be a metal door, slid aside and allowed entry to the group. There was a passage that clearly led underground, and Derek turned around and gave John a stern look.

John was surprised. "Oh... well I just thought-"

"That we'd have our base in plain sight in the middle of the desert?" Derek finished, eyes filled with mockery.

John's face turned red. "Well, uh..."

Howard intervened before John made an idiot of himself. "Alright, Derek. You can stop waving your dick around. We get your point." He said as he walked into the entrance of the hidden camp. The next to step in was Derek, followed by Kyle, then by Allison. Finally-John stepped in himself. He was greeted by a dark passage, were it not for the footsteps of the others, the pathway would be as silent as space itself. The air smelled blank, no odors were carried in its path. Surrounded by metal walls and only accompanied by the sounds around him, John found himself to be very nervous. The tension tied a knot in his gullet, capturing his fear exactly where it was.

"Just one foot in front of the other..." he told himself as he followed directly behind Allison. They had been walking down the tunnel for almost two exact minutes before Derek gave them the order to stop. Peering over Allison's shoulder, he noticed that there was another large metallic door in front of them. Derek knocked twice, and the door opened. What John saw when the door opened made him gulp in disbelief... somewhere beyond the darkness that filled the void, was the sound of heavy industry, boots clacking, and barking orders. The group walked inside, and John took a good look around. The Resistance base was underground... it looked like a city. With pipelines running across the walls, Resistance patrols stationed on the catwalks, several oddly-shaped buildings which John assumed to be barracks, and a large station that presumably held Resistance vehicles. It was a wide open area, looking like something that would be held as a base for top-secret experiments.

"Derek!" a voice called from the distance.

The group turned right to face whatever had called the Lieutenant's name. A skinny-figured man was running toward the group, a clear and welcoming smile on his face. He ran straight up to Derek and gave him a friendly fist-bump. "Lieutenant Meyers!" Derek greeted as he hugged the other man as if they had been friends for a long time. Meyers pat Derek on the back, and it became clear to John that Meyers and Derek were good friends.

"What brings your wrinkly ass here?" Meyers jokingly asked.

Derek shrugged, seemingly unaffected by the sarcasm. "Well, I'm here to deprive the young people of their fun." he replied.

As John watched the two men speak, he realized this was the first time he'd ever seen Derek smile. He seemed as if he was actually enjoying himself; he never thought this Derek would ever seem so happy, especially compared to the old Derek. John found himself smiling at the thought of remembering his Uncle; despite their differing views on Cameron. They were blood, Uncle and Nephew, both of them soldiers. No matter what they thought about the machines, John knew they were going to end up fighting side-by-side one day, as family.

"You here to see the boss lady?" Meyers asked.

Derek nodded. "You know it. Just need to pick up a vehicle and some rations for a supply run." he responded.

Meyers raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "Supply run? All the way out here?" he asked inquisitively.

Derek noted his confusion. "Yeah. Gotta' pick up some shit from an old abandoned bunker. Perry's orders." he added.

Meyers frowned. "Doesn't seem too hard." he analyzed.

Derek sighed deeply, somewhat unsure of how to word his retort. "Well... the problem is the bunker is located in the ass crack of Los Angeles... the sewers." Derek said.

Meyers took a step back, seemingly hit in shock at the details of the mission. He looked at the ground in contemplation, and ran a hand through his black hair, letting out a sharp scoff. "Damn... no shit, huh? Must be some high-grade stuff to make you go all the way to the big Kahuna itself." he said.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Nope, just food." he said. Meyers was about to say something else, but John didn't bother to listen anymore. He felt a single finger tap the back of his shoulder, urging him for attention. He turned around to see Kyle standing behind him and looking at him with what seemed to be curiosity. "Hey, what do you think of the base, John?" he asked.

The Question was definitely odd to John; not sure why Kyle cared about the opinion of some arrogant kid who just happened to wander into the base they found him in. Regardless, he answered anyway, "Secure. That's good." Kyle smiled in response, he turned around and scanned the base as if he were looking for stars among the night sky. "It's..." he started, unsure of what to follow-up with.

"...It's freakin' big isn't it?" Allison finished for him.

John smirked to himself, amused that he had heard those words again, they had been said by Cameron after the incident with that girl Jordan. John's thoughts finally raced back to Cameron, and the A.I. that had taken her. Who was this John Henry that took her? The more he thought, the more he remembered the message on the monitor in the basement of Zeira Corp.

I'm sorry John

I'm sorry John

I'm sorry John

John wasn't sure how to feel. He felt sad, but at the same time, it felt unjustified. How could he feel so much for a machine? Even though it was a question he already knew the answer too. A question that couldn't justify it's existence, because it was pointless.

"Well I'd best take you to the Commander." Meyers said. He faced the group behind Derek, eyeing over John, Kyle, Allison, and Howard. "I assume they're all coming too?" he asked.

Derek nodded. Meyers replied with a smirk. "Alright... well follow me, Reese. The Commander will be hella' happy to see you again." Meyers said as he started toward the command building at the opposite end of the compound.

Allison turned around and looked at Meyers walking away. "Alright guys, looks like were moving out to meet the Commander." she said as she made her way towards Derek. Kyle, John, and Howard quickly followed, and John briefly thought about Cameron once more.

"Goddammit, Cameron. Where the hell are you?"


2009

After the argument with Ellison, Sarah had fallen asleep on the couch. Her eyes began to flutter open, and she checked the hand-clock that was placed above the fireplace... twelve-thirty four in the afternoon... Sarah sighed and raised her head from it's position on the couch arm. She let out a yawn and then stretched her limbs. She didn't understand how she could have fallen asleep so fast... was it because of all the tension in the house? Or was it her worry for John? She looked around the house, but didn't see anyone. The T.V. was on and was playing the news. But she couldn't spot Ellison or Savannah anywhere.

"He must have gone out for groceries." she pondered. She raised herself from the couch and stood up. The aging Connor felt like her mind was trying to catch up to her, and she turned around and made her way toward the stairs. When she reached the first step, she swore she heard a noise coming from upstairs. Muffled, but definitely there...

It sounded like Savannah was talking to someone. But who? Sarah made her way up and to the top of the second floor. Savannah's voice was coming from the other side. She slowly opened the door and took a peek inside...

The sight inside warmed her heart... it was Savannah and Ellison playing a board game. The little girl was smiling and giggling along with Ellison as if nothing had happened.

"Your turn, Savannah." Ellison reminded.

Savannah positioned her pawn in front of Ellison's King, she turned up and gave Ellison a happy but mischievous smile. "Check!" she yelped. Ellison pretended to ponder the situation but decided to go with a surprising but effective assault on Savannah's pawn with his rook. "I don't think so, young lady." he taunted as he placed the defeated piece by his left pocket. Savannah pouted, but Ellison encouragingly pats her on the head. "Hey, don't worry sweetheart. You'll get the hang of it!" he encouraged. Savannah's smile returned at Ellison's kind words, and the two resumed the game.

Sarah watched the two interact, and smiled to herself. She couldn't believe all it took to release all the tension was a simple chess game. She gently tapped on the door, which brought both Ellison and Savannah's attention to her. She cleared her throat, hoping to make the situation less awkward. "James, can I speak with you for a minute?" she politely requested.

Ellison looked back at Savannah, her puppy-dog almost pleading him not to go just yet. "I'll be gone for only a minute, Savannah." he said.

Savannah frowned but nodded nonetheless. She played with the Chess pieces in a bored-like fashion, as if she were an alien trying to see what they were. Ellison felt a little annoyed at Sarah interrupting their board game, but stood up and walked towards the door so he could speak with her.

"What do you need, Sarah?" he snapped.

Sarah looked at the FBI veteran with pity. She felt horrible for the way she had spoken to him earlier, and she felt she needed to fix that. With a sigh, Sarah began to speak, "James. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier. I was a bitch and it was completely uncalled for. We need to work together if we're going to take care of this girl. We need each other in this if we're going to survive." Sarah said. She hoped her apology was sufficient and watched in silence as Ellison seemed to ponder her words.

Tension built between the two as Ellison thought over everything Sarah had said. Finally, he looked up and offered to shake Sarah's hand. "Sarah, I accept your apology. But I need you to accept mine too." he requested.

Sarah stared at confusion at his outstretched hand first, and then his face. It was then Ellison realized she was seeking confirmation for what he meant. "Sarah. Ever since 1999, I was hunting you because I thought you were some crazy wackjob who had seen too many movies and thought a computer program was going to take over the world. As an FBI agent, you're taught to see everything logical. I'd dealt with people like you before then, but I didn't think you were serious." he looked at the ground in regret. "...I was wrong."

Those words hit Sarah hard. It was true Ellison had made life a bit harder for them than necessary, but she supposed he couldn't help it. It was a tough world, and it isn't every day you're told machines were going to take over the world. Finally, she met his welcoming palm with her own. And the two shook hands. "I forgive you." she said.

Ellison felt like a part of him had just completed itself, as the two warriors for the future stared down in complete agreement. Comrades... willing to do anything to ensure humanity's survival.

Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard downstairs, and Ellison and Sarah quickly investigated. Upon reaching the stairwell, the two spotted a large-framed man scanning the house. Searching for either them or Savannah.

Sarah's eyes widened, and Ellison quickly tugged her back upstairs to warn Savannah. It was then that the man began to walk up the stairs, and as soon as he spotted Sarah and Ellison, he drew his gun.


Outpost Glen, 2027

John and the others were quietly waiting in the room next to the commander's office. Allison was sitting next to him, and she wasn't very subtle about it either. Her shoulder constantly brushed against his. He turned to face her and was about to say something before...

"OFFICER ON DECK!" Meyers yelled as the door to the Commander's office swung open. Everyone in the room including John stood up. He didn't know how to behave, but he turned to sneak a peek at Derek's posture. He seemed to have his hands firmly placed at his side, the heels of his boots clicking together, and his chin upward. He mimicked Derek's stance perfectly.

"At ease." the commander ordered. She was definitely female, the average height for a woman, somewhere in the five-foot-seven to the five-foot-eight range, John observed. The commander slowly edged towards him and stopped when she was in front of him.

"What's your name?" she asked him.

John simply looked at her in the eyes, something that struck him as familiar. Light.. grey, or silver of some sort. "John Connor, ma'am." he answered.

Even though he couldn't see her face, John knew she was trying to make sense of him. But why? Was it so strange that he was new? The commander turned around and spoke to Meyers, "I would have a word with this one. I need you to take everyone else to the garage and they can retrieve the equipment they need." she ordered.

Meyers saluted firmly. "Yes, ma'am!" he said. "Alright, Let's move out." he barked.

"Please follow me, Connor." The Commander ordered. She quickly made her way back toward the office, her footsteps in perfect rhythm, she walked like a battle-hardened soldier. When they entered the office, the Commander closed the door behind him. John stood firmly in place inside the office, and the Commander turned around to face him. It was here that John got a clear look at her features, those freckles... and the hair. Her hair was sort of light red, it reminded her of... Savannah.

Suddenly, John's bottom jaw dropped to the floor. He was intently staring at the commander who was now smirking at him with satisfaction.

"I see you recognize me too. So how have you been, John? Still trying to find Cameron?" she asked.

John didn't know what to say. He let the silence hang between them as he pondered his next words. What was Savannah going to do? Was she the enemy? Deep inside himself, he knew the answer. She wasn't his enemy, but that didn't mean she was his ally."


Good afternoon. This is Chapter 7 of the REDUX. The date is July 9th, 2019.

Thank you for reading.