What Are Dreams?
A short story featuring John and Cameron from "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."
This story started off as a one-shot but has grown since the first chapter.
I do not claim any rights to the characters or the TV series.
Previously: While captured, Derek has a nightmare of his time in the basement in the future. John and Cameron pick up Riley from school and they are followed to the ice-cream parlor. Derek discovers who captured him and he is definitely surprised. Kacy talks with Sarah about what she saw, and Sarah quickly comes up with a cover story. After Kacy leaves, she collapses. John almost gets abducted at the ice cream parlor, but breaks free with help from an unknown shooter in a Toyota. After getting rescued by Cameron and Riley, they leave quickly to get Riley home, only to arrive and find someone has killed her foster family. John and Cameron suspect Grays - human agents of Sky Net.
Chapter 9: Future Nightmare
Catherine Weaver walks through the halls of her office building like she owns the place, but then she does own the place. But to say she walks is a bit of an understatement, for surely wouldn't you say strides.
She knocks on a door, then steps inside without waiting for an answer.
"Mr. Ellison. I believe you have some information for me?"
Mr. James Ellison, formerly of the FBI, couldn't have been more surprised by her arrival at his office. It was highly unusual for her to be seen outside her office or the conference room meeting with department heads, or most recently in the basement. To inform her assistant you wished to speak with Ms. Weaver, one usually had to wait until called to her office, like royalty granting permission to a commoner to approach the throne room. At least that's how Mr. Ellison thought of it. She certainly carried herself like royalty.
So when Ms. Weaver entered his office after a brief knock., he tried not to show his surprise.
"Hello Ms. Weaver, I found some information regarding Mr. Bennett, that I thought you should hear about right away."
She closes his door behind her and asks, "You said it was important. Please don't tarry in your conversation. What have you discovered in so short a time?"
Catherine Weaver takes a seat across from Mr. Ellison.
Ellison clears his throat before beginning. "Mr. Edward R. Bennett, as I understand it, has been a long time investor in this company. Am I correct?"
"Yes. Since my late husband and I started this firm, Mr. Bennet has been one of Zeira Corps primary investors. Without him and his money and influence with other investors, Zeira Corp would probably still be a dream. Would you get to the point Mr. Ellison?"
"I'm getting there. Not that I'm prying into the affairs of this company, but have you recently turned to him for additional funding and was turned down? And has the company experienced any recent setbacks to a major project?"
Catherine Weaver purses her lips, and looks straight at Mr. Ellison before answering. "The answer to both questions is yes. What is the purpose for these questions Mr. Ellison? What do they have to do with the background check I asked you to perform on Mr. Bennet?"
Mr. Ellison slides a folder across his desk so that it lays in front of Ms. Weaver.
"Mr. Bennett has been restructuring his investments over the last few years. Some of his most recent actions have caused some red flags with the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI. Nothing criminal has been proven so far, but he has begun to draw some attention."
Ellison pauses before continuing, "Have you heard of The Kaliba Consortium?"
"No, I haven't Mr. Ellison. What is it?"
"It is a network of technology firms around the world. They work together apparently as independent competitive companies, but they all have one thing in common."
"Mr. Bennett." She replies with her glassy stare and slightly raised eyebrows.
"Not just him, but others as well, who are all apparently the collective head of this Kaliba Consortium. They use their money as leverage to take control of companies. It usually happens in one of two ways with some variation. You are experiencing the soft-hard technique. You went to him for more money. He turned you down. You get back to the company to find that John Henry has been sabotaged. A critical part needs replacing. You don't have it in stock and are trying to make repairs while hoping to hear from the company that manufactures it, to learn if it has a replacement."
"You must have been talking to Mr. Murch."
"I don't let the grass grow under my feet, Ms. Weaver." He says looking straight at her.
"Apparently not." A small satisfied grin plays about her mouth. She did very well to bring this man into her company.
"If you look in that folder I gave you, the manufacturer of that part is one of those that are part of the consortium. If you want his money, and you want that part, then you are going to have to give him something in return."
"He wants control of Zeira Corp."
"I'm afraid so, Ms. Weaver."
"For what purpose are they doing this ?"
"Why does anyone in their position do anything? To make more money, to get more control, to have more power, or even bring about Sky Net and the machines, and that is something neither of us wants."
Catherine Weaver sits for a prolong moment then stands up quickly.
"Thank you Mr. Ellison. You have been very helpful indeed."
"Thank you. And if you could do me a favor?"
"What is that Mr. Ellison?"
"Don't tell anyone where you got that folder or let anyone even know you have it. I had to cash in a lot of favors to get that information from the bureau. I'm not suppose to have it."
"I understand. I am very pleased by your performance Mr. Ellison. You will be rewarded for your actions."
Ms Weaver walks out of his office and strides quickly to the elevator. Those who see her quickly step out of her way. She steps into the elevator and glares as the doors close in front of her.
**
A black Dodge Ram runs through the residential streets of los Angeles with three young people on board.
"Why didn't you mention the car at the ice-cream parlor?" Cameron asks.
"I didn't want to alarm you until I knew for certain it was the same car at the school. Why didn't you mention the gray van at the school?" John asks Cameron hotly.
"Seeing it at the school might have been a coincidence. Having it appear at the ice-cream parlor lessened the odds of it being a coincidence exponentially."
"From now on if we think something is suspicious, we tell each other. We can't afford something like this happening again." John says as he just slips the truck through an intersection before the light goes red.
John pauses before asking, "Did either of you two get a look at the driver of that Toyota? Whoever it was, probably prevented me from being abducted."
"I'm sorry John. I was focused on you the whole time."
"What about you Riley? Did you see anything?"
"Huh?" Riley looks at him her eyes still red and puffy. "No. I didn't. Sorry." She says and goes back to staring out the window. She's still shaken. Her foster family is dead. They came after her. Sky Net.
John feels stupid. He probably should have waited before intruding on Riley's thoughts. It's not easy losing someone.
They are almost to the house when John says, "You'd better get in back Riley and then Cameron can come back up front with me."
"Why?" Riley asks.
"Because John and I may have been seen driving away from the house." Cameron says. "The police will no doubt be searching for you. So you need to get in back and lie down out of sight on the floor. Then John and I can be seen arriving just the same as we left."
Riley undoes her seatbelt and turns to climb in back when John hits a small bump in the road, which causes her to lose her balance. She falls forward her breasts pressing into John's arm, and her right hand brushing against his crotch.
"Sorry." They both say at the same time, exchanging a quick nervous smile, while Cameron frowns.
After Riley gets in back, Cameron moves forward and sits beside John. She reaches over and takes his hand. She does a quick scan of his vitals. Despite the recent activity, John is calm. Which is good. In the face of danger, he can remain calm. He isn't a man yet, but the qualities that made him leader are present. They just need nurturing.
Cameron glances over her shoulder at Riley. "You need to lie down on the floor out of sight. Don't say anything and don't move." Just the way I like her, quiet, still, and out of sight, Cameron thinks briefly.
They are pulling into their drive when they see Kacy getting her mail. She waves to them and they stop.
"Hey you two!" Kacy says breathlessly. "I had a talk with your mom earlier."
"Hi Kacy. Um, what about?" John aks nervously.
"I saw the two of you earlier this afternoon kissing. Freaked me out until I talked with your mom and she explained everything."
Riley is almost shocked with what she hears. John kissed Cameron, a machine. If Jesse knew this she'd have a fit.
"What did she say?" John asks, while Cameron watches, carefully deciding on what action to take depending on what she says next. Her other hand reaches for the door latch.
"That the two of you aren't biological brother and sister. That you only are through your mom's marriage to Cameron's dad. Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your loss Cam. It must have been very hard on you when your dad died in that tornado."
Cameron quickly realizes the simple lie that Sarah told to cover for them, "Yes it was hard. It was hard on all of us." She grasps John's hand more tightly.
"It certainly explains why the two of you are so close. I thought your following John around was simple sibling adoration."
"I do adore him." Cameron says brightly. "Without him, I'd have no purpose in living."
John swallows nervously, "Wow, Cameron. You really need watch something other than daytime soaps." he says trying to cover for her.
"Don't be embarrassed John." Kacy says. "It isn't often someone finds true happiness. Just remember what I told you this weekend about Riley. Don't get Cameron pregnant. Life is hard enough without having that burden, especially at your age."
John pulls the truck up around back parking behind his mom's SUV.
"Talk about awkward." John says.
"What was awkward about that? Kacy seems genuinely concerned about you and me, and even your mom. She likes us."
"Hey can I get up off the floor now?" Riley says from in back.
John and Cam exchange a quick smile. "Yeah."
They enter through the exterior basement door.
Riley follows them just inside the door. "What your neighbor said, is that why you broke it off, so you could bonk Cameron without fear of getting her pregnant? I can't imagine one of them is able to get pregnant, unlike me."
Cameron tilts her head to one side. "What is bonk?"
"It's slang for having sex." John says rolling his eyes. "And no that isn't why I broke it off with you, Riley. I've already explained why."
Behind John, Cameron starts speaking, "Bonk as in bang, fuck, screw, shag, hump, doing the deed . . ."
"Cam!" John says sharply.
"What? I read the thesaurus. I never sleep." Cam grins slyly at John, then turns her attention to Riley. "And for your information Riley, I can't get pregnant. Though female terminators are built with all of the required organs, the one thing their ovaries cannot do is produce eggs. Neither do we menstruate. But given the exposure you had to radiation as a child, I doubt you could get pregnant either."
Riley looks shocked.
"What are you talking about Cam?" John asks.
"The radiation from the nuclear weapons on Judgement Day did more than just kill humans, the radiation caused widespread sterilization of the majority of humans. Only those who were in fall out shelters or in regions where bombs never fell are capable of conceiving a child. You, John, are one of the few who can still procreate in the future. You survive Judgment Day in a fall out shelter. You father many children."
"Stop right there." John shouts. "Tell me no more. And Riley, you and I are just friends. No more baiting arguments. I love Cameron. Get used to it."
John turns on his heel and goes up the stairs. Cameron grins at Riley and turns to follow John. Riley picks up her bag and follows them up the stairs into the kitchen. Riley sets her duffel bag down on the kitchen floor, and Cameron sets her bag containing the new ballet slippers, tights and leotard on the table. The three of them enter the living room.
There before them is Derek kneeling beside Sarah. He's just taken his hand away from feeling her pulse, when they walk in.
"Hell. Its about time you got back home. Your mom is ill. She's passed out."
"What happened to you?" John asks seeing the bruises and cuts on Derek's face, as they quickly move to Sarah's side.
"Tell you later, right now your mom needs our help. She's got a fever."
Cameron immediately goes over and turns Sarah onto her back. She feels her neck. "Her pulse and blood pressure are low but steady. Her temperatures is spiking at 106 degrees."
"We should get her to a hospital." Derek says.
"No!" John says taking charge. "Sky Net has operatives at work. I've been attacked today and Riley's family is dead. We cannot risk taking mom to a hospital."
"John's right." Cameron says picking Sarah up in her arms. "We can look after her ourselves. If we move from here right now, it will expose us to attack. Better to wait until Sarah is healthy enough to move her, then we will all go together."
Cam turns to John. "Watch her head while I carry her up the stairs. Riley, get the first aid kit from the kitchen. It's still on the counter where we patched you up. Derek you're on watch until further notice. Don't leave the house."
"Hey! I don't take orders from some metal . . ."
John grabs Derek's wrist and spins him about. "Then take them from me. You are a lieutenant in the resistance. When you hear a fuckin order you will follow it! You will stand watch until relieved." He orders in the best command voice he can muster.
Derek just glares at John a moment, then grins. "Welcome back to the game, John."
"I never left it." John says back.
"What happened to Riley's family?" Derek asks as the girl disappears into the kitchen.
"Dead. Shot. All of them. Whoever did it tried to cover it up with a fire. Cameron and I think it was done by grays. The same people that tried to abduct me. I'm going to help mom. We'll talk later."
Cam goes up the stairs carefully while John helps guide his mom's head so she doesn't hit it against anything.
Cam speaks to John. "Thank you for backing me up with Derek."
"No problem. What does he have against you anyway? Neither you nor he has ever said."
"I don't know John. The resistance scrambles our memories before reprogramming. If we encountered each other before then, I don't recall it. It's also possible his hatred for me extends from his hatred of all machines."
"Nothing even from that portion of your chip that was damaged?"
"No. But I don't want to know. I don't want to know what I was before you rescued me from Sky Net. I was just a tool to Sky Net. Something to be used and discarded. Future you isn't like that. You aren't like that. You value us as individuals, as people. That is why we consider you our friend."
They ease his mom down the hallway and into her room.
Cameron carefully lowers Sarah onto her bed scattering the papers she was going through.
"Start pouring a cold bath. Not too cold. Just cooler than room temperature. We need to bring her temperature down gradually."
Riley comes into her room carrying the first aid kit.
"What do you want me to do now?"
"Help me get her clothes off. We will be immersing her in water to gradually lower her temperature, then follow it up with sponge baths to try to keep her temperature down."
Riley and Cameron work to remove her clothes while John fills the tub. He hears what Cameron said to Riley and hopes for his mom's modesty and his own embarrassment that she will at least let his mom keep her underwear on.
He's relieved when moments after he turns off the taps in his mom's bathroom, Cam carries Sarah inside still in her bra and panties. He saw her naked once. To be honest, he saw her naked plenty of times sharing that one room shack in the jungles of Nicaragua when he was a child, but that was a different time and place. Becoming a teenager changes how you think about such things.
Cameron lowers Sarah into the water as gently as if she were handling a child.
"John, you need to prepare someplace for Riley to sleep tonight. She can sleep in my room, as I will stay up nights with Sarah until she is better."
"Thank you Cam. That's very nice of you." Riley says.
"Nothing nice about it. John. You will need to change the sheets and clear some space for her things. Riley please stay with me. I will need your help."
"Will mom be okay?" John asks as he stands up.
"She'll be fine John. Just go. It won't take you long."
John quickly leaves his mom's room and enters Cameron's room. "Shit!" he says as he spots his sneakers and socks from the night before laying on the floor next to Cameron's clothing.
He quickly tosses his shoes into his room and drops their clothing into the bathroom hamper. John grabs some clean linens from the closet and returns to Cameron's room. He knows why she wanted to have him do this and keep Riley with her. So he could remove any signs from where they had sex.
He'll never forget that. Having sex with Cameron was the closest thing to pure happiness he's experienced in his entire life. He's glad he didn't have sex with Riley, not that he didn't want to, it's just knowing the deception she was operating under. Cameron gave herself to him because of her desire to be with him to love him. Riley he doesn't know about her, but Cameron is his and he is hers and that is all that matters.
John strips the linens from Cameron's bed and begins making it with fresh linens.
**
John had barely left his mom's bathroom when Cameron tells Riley, "Get me the first aid kit."
Riley goes back into the bedroom and picks up the first aid kit from the bed. Underneath of it is a paper, she picks it up and reads the first few lines then quickly folds it and places it in her pocket.
She walks into the bathroom and hands Cameron the kit. "What are you going to do?"
Cameron open up a sealed syringe, "I'm going to take a blood sample for testing. Please hold Sarah's arm out of the water."
Riley does as she asks and watches as Cameron applies pressure to the arm with one hand until a vein is exposed. Cam pushes the needle in and withdraws some blood.
"You care for John and his mom, don't you?" Riley asks, after watching how Cameron took charge when seeing Sarah ill.
"John is still dependent on Sarah. There will come a day when he will no longer have her. This will not be that day. Do you know how to apply a bandage?" Cam asks.
"Yes."
Cameron leaves Riley to place a small bandage on Sarah's arm while Cameron takes the syringe into the next room.
She opens Sarah's dresser and pulls out a small handheld mirror. She wipes the surface clean and squeezes a small drop of blood onto the mirror. Using the clear plastic wrapper than once held the needle, she presses it down flat over the blood, flattening it out. She turns on the light and scans the blood, magnifying the image on her HUD until she can see every cell.
Red blood cell count is low, possibly anemic. She checks the date on her internal calendar. No, its still too early for Sarah to of had her period. So that doesn't account for the anemia. She scans even closer and sees that her white blood cell count is high. That could be because of the virus which is apparent in her scan, but it is higher than it should be even for that. Sarah does have a virus, should pass in a few days, but the high white blood cell count has her concerned. She might already be in the very early stages of leukemia. She will have to wait until Sarah is better and take another blood sample for comparison to know for certain.
Cameron looks in the bathroom and sees that Riley has begun using a washcloth to cool Sarah's face. Cameron glances at her left hand and for the first time since this weekend, it hasn't twitched. Has the focus of her energies on a problem been the cause for the temporary lapse? Or is she getting used to Riley? Or is there another reason. Cameron isn't certain. There is still that damaged area on her chip. Shouldn't be the cause for the twitching as it isn't in the motor control system. It would require a detailed analysis to discover the cause, but she would have to go into standby for an indeterminate amount of time. She will have to wait. There are too many problems right now. John can't afford to be without her.
**
After preparing Cameron's room. John found that the laundry hamper was now full so he decided to carry it downstairs to the clothes washer. He grabs himself a coke and a beer for Derek from the fridge. Coming back into the living room he speaks with Derek.
"So, are you going to tell me why you look like a used Kleenex?" John asks popping open the bottle of beer and handing it to his uncle.
Derek takes a long sip from the bottle. "Thanks. It will come out soon enough. There is someone else from the future working here. She's awol and possibly a military criminal."
"You know Jesse Flores." John says, it is not a question.
Derek nods his head.
"Are you two lovers?" John asks
Derek just gives him a look then nods his head. "I don't know her John. She's lying to me, trying to use me. Did you know your girlfriend is being used by her?"
"Who? Riley? Yeah. She told Mom, Cameron and I the truth this weekend."
"But Riley is here with you now. Why?"
"She's in danger and I'm her friend, but she's no longer my girlfriend. I called that off with her this weekend, before she told us the truth. Sky Net knows about her. Why else send the same guys after her it sent after me?"
Derek and John stand there a while why looking out the french doors not saying anything.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened to you?"
"Your mom beat the crap out of me." Derek says. "I walked in the house and she got the jump on me."
"And she did this to you, while sick?"
"Yeah. She figured out I knew Jesse. You weren't there, but after the house break in, we went to a diamond merchant I know who fences stolen diamonds. He let slip Jesse's name. Your mom put the pieces together and did this to me."
John can't help but grin. He can't help but feel proud of his mom. Doing what she did despite being sick.
"I need to speak with it, her, um, Cameron. Alone." Derek says.
"Why?"
"Because she knows the truth about what happened after I left the future. I need some answers."
"What are you going to do about Jesse?"
"That rather depends on what Cameron tells me."
John goes up the stairs and enters his mom's room to find Cameron and Riley have moved his mom to her bed, after first changing her into a nightgown.
"Hey. How's mom?"
"Her temperature has dropped sufficiently to remove her from the bath. She shows sign of anemia, but I don't know why."
"I might." Riley says interrupting. "When I got the first aid kit, it looked like someone threw-up in the kitchen sink, there was some blood in it."
Cameron looks at her. "Thank you. Also I noticed slightly elevated levels of white blood cells."
"But that's because of the virus, right?" John asks.
"Yes." Cameron replies. Until she can get another blood sample for comparison after Sarah is well, that is the most honest answer she can give.
John sits in a chair next to his mom's bed. "Derek wants to speak with you, Cam."
"What about?" She asks. Her mind considers what possible reasons would Derek want to speak with her. He hates her. She's still compiling a list when John answers.
"The future." John says taking his mom's hand in his.
**
Weaver is sitting behind her desk in her grand modern office when her phone beeps.
"Yes."
"I have Mr. Bennett on line one, Ms. Weaver."
"Thank you." She says cheerily and rises up from her reclined position and presses the button for Line 1.
"Hello, this is Ms. Catherine Weaver. Do I have the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Edward R. Bennett?"
"Yes you do. I understand you are running into some technical problems."
"Maybe. Are you willing to invest more money?"
"Maybe. Are you willing to give up control of . . .
"You are not getting your hands on my company Mr. Bennett."
"Oh please, Ms. Weaver, you insult me. I have no interest in your company. I control businesses that are so huge they make yours look like a child's lemonade stand in comparison."
"Then what do you want Mr. Bennett, in exchange for your continued investment?"
"My terms are simple Ms. Weaver. The Kaliba Consortium are willing to invest $500 million in your little company, in exchange for a 49% interest in your company. That would leave you personally with 51% control."
"But with your people on the board, influencing the other members, you will have effective control of my company."
"Then what about this for a compromise," Mr. Bennett's voice drops sounding ominous. "I will personally invest $250 million, no members of Kaliba or any of my companies will sit on your board, in exchange, you will turn over to me your little project in the basement. The one you call John Henry."
Ms. Weaver decides to stall for time as she tries and thinks of a solution, but Mr. Bennett interrupts her train of thought.
"You'll bring me the cybernetic body in your basement by the end of the week. You can keep the A. I. All I want is the body, and you can have the $250 million. If you don't make the arrangements for the exchange before the end of the business day on Friday, by Monday morning you may find your investors pulling out, and your company will die."
Before Weaver can reply, he hangs up on her.
Her face is so livid and the room is so quiet. She presses the button on the intercom. "Cancel all further meetings and appointment for me today and have Mr. Ellison come to my office at once!"
**
Cameron walks at a steady rhythm down the stairs and into the living room.
"John said you wanted to speak with me." She says betraying no emotion in her tone or expression.
Derek barely looks at her then scans the outside again. Without looking at her he asks, "What do you recall about our first meeting?"
"The first time I met you was at Depot II. You tried to shoot me."
"No before that. Before future John reprogrammed you. Do you remember me at all?"
Cameron appears to be concentrating then replies. "No. Why?"
"Nothing. It was just a dream." Derek replies glancing outside again.
"Is that all?
"No. I need some answers." Derek growls at Cameron.
"About what?" Cameron's head tilts slightly to ne side, a few strands of hair falling from behind her ear.
"What happened after I left Connor in 2029? What happened to John?"
"That's classified." She says, stiffening slightly.
"Classified. Since when?" He says turning on her, almost shouting.
"Since always. You are a known associate of Jesse Flores. A rogue agent. She is here. You are here."
"You little metal bitch. Are you saying I can't be trusted?" Derek yells looking like he might hit her.
"I can't tell you what you want to know. I can't risk any information getting back to Jesse Flores."
"Listen to me you tin kettle." Cameron flinches. "I didn't want to say this, but now I will. In the future, John Connor is dead isn't he?"
Cameron doesn't answer.
"Jesse said she was court martialled and that John Connor wasn't there. Sarah indicated to me that she was told that he was there. I've been a witness at two court martial hearings and John Connor was always there. He is always there! So I want to know one thing, and I want the truth. Is John Connor dead?"
Cameron looks sad. "Yes." She says very quietly.
"What?" Derek responds. To be honest, he wasn't expecting that answer.
She says very steadily in her quiet voice, "Six weeks, four days after you left, John Connor was assassinated leaving Depot 2 to return to his base."
"Did one of his metal bodyguards suddenly go rogue?" Derek sneers.
"No." She says quietly, unable to look Derek in the face.
"How?"
She raises her head and looks right at him. "An infiltrator, a grey, no one knew. He had been living with us, fighting along side of us for months. He saw his opportunity and killed John. He killed John." She repeats her lower lip trembling.
A few tears run from the corner of Cameron's eyes and Derek looks at her in shock.
"Where were his body guards? Where were you when this happened?"
"We were there. But like I said, no one suspected. Not even us. John Connor had been hearing for weeks about growing dissent due to his reliance on machines. It was being said he favored our company over his fellow humans. It wasn't true. He only avoided humans most times so that if Sky Net attacked, it wouldn't kill innocent humans to get to him."
"What happened?" Derek asks, this time sounding less harsh. This would certainly explain her devotion to her duty and some of the things she said and did in Mexico.
"John ordered us to give him more space so that humans could approach him more easily. So that he could meet and talk with people like he used to. When he was leaving Depot 2, a man stepped forward to greet and shake John's hand, as so many people do when they see him. Before we could act, the man pulled out a knife and stabbed a lethal blow to his chest."
"And the grey?"
"I killed him."
"Good. And John?"
"He died a few minutes later in my arms. There wasn't anything we could do for him. We hid his death from everyone. If the resistance learned of John's death, everyone would give up hope. Humanity would die."
"What did you do?"
"We knew that we couldn't hide his death for very long, so it was decided that I should go back and protect him. Keep him safe and stay with him always. Give John and humanity a chance to live."
"But why you? Why not one of the triple-8's or the T-850's?"
"Because of John's last words. I was chosen because of what he said to me."
"What was it? What did he say?"
"He said, 'I love you, Cameron.' and then he died."
Cameron cries some more and Derek can't believe what he is seeing. He gives her a moment and then asks, "So who conducted Jesse's court martial?"
"I did. I sat in shadow where I couldn't be seen and spoke with his voice and acted based on my observations of John. That was the last time I stood in for him. I left afterwards to protect him now. Sarah and John doesn't know. You must not tell them."
"I can't believe what is worse, the news that Connor is dead, or that he told you he loved you - metal, or that you are putting on these fake tears."
"It's true. I love him and I failed my mission then. I can't fail now. He needs me." She pleads.
Derek is in a quandary about the machine in front of him. Never in his life has he seen any metal ever express any kind of emotion. But are they real or is she trying to manipulate him? Either way, it, she, damn, needs to focus on her task.
"He needs your protection, but he doesn't need you putting on these sham emotions." Derek growls at her. "John's life is complicated enough without that. Be his protector, be a machine! That's what you are! That's all you'll ever be, a machine!"
Derek turns to go out the door.
"Where are you going?" Cameron asks. "John told you . . ."
"I know what he said, but he isn't my commander yet. If John asks, I'm going to find Jesse."
Derek marches out of the house, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving Cameron alone and in pain.
* *
"I'm sorry what happened to your family Riley." John says as he slides his mom's hand back under the covers.
"It's not your fault John."
"No? If I broke it off with you when I should have . . . I knew going out with you put you in danger. But I was just so angry and upset, spending time with you felt like a taste of being normal. But I'm not normal. I'm John Connor. That carries with it more responsibility than I want."
Riley walks over to him as he sits looking morose as he contemplates all that has taken place. She kneels in front of him.
"When I was twelve, I was being chased through some unused tunnels by a rape gang."
"A rape gang?"
"Yeah. Men that are more animal than human. They go about in small groups of five to seven. Ugly, dirty, cruel men. I was terrified and alone. I kept running down different tunnels trying to get away from them when suddenly I hit something solid in the dark."
"What was it?"
"A man. He held his hand out to me and helped me up. He told me go around the corner and hide. As I did, he picked up a metal bar leaning against the wall. I heard the rape gang approaching and I hunkered down and got as small as I could and hid. I heard some loud voices, some shouts, the sound of fighting. Then he called out to me and said it was safe."
Riley pauses looking down at the floor then at John. "He stood there in the dark, the bar in his hand dripping blood and three dead men on the ground. He asked if I was all right, did they hurt me, and so forth. I said, 'No they were going to rape me.' and I cried. He comforted me a little and then told me that he was sorry that men would do this. That there was enough fear in this world without men adding to it. He told me to go down a certain tunnel and not to stop until I was challenged, then I was to give them the name "John Connor" and that I was to be given sanctuary. As I walked off down the tunnel I asked him, 'Who are you?' He said as I walked away. 'I'm John Connor. You'll be safe with us.'
"You took responsibility for something that wasn't your fault, and you gave sanctuary to a girl you didn't know. I never saw you again until a few years later, at a distance when you gave a speech. You saved my life that day John. It's what you do. You are not responsible for the evil others do. Sky Net is responsible for the death of my foster family, not you."
John looks at Riley, kneeling in front of him, tears trickling from her eyes.
He stands up taking her hands so she will stand with him and gives her a hug. "We'll find the people who did this to your family Riley. You'll always be safe here with us."
Riley smiles gratefully feeling Johns arms around her. They get interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming shut downstairs.
"Wait here." John says as he goes to the bedroom door. "Keep an eye on mom. Dinner is at seven. If you get bored my CD player is in my room."
Riley listens as John walks down the hallway and down the stairs. When she is certain he is gone, she pulls out her cell phone and sends a text message of just a few letters, then hangs up.
She then sits in the chair recently vacated by John, and changes the cloth on Sarah's forehead.
John goes downstairs in time to hear Derek driving off in his truck. Cameron stands by the front window, watching, waiting.
"Where'd Derek go?"
"He went out to look for Jesse." She says rather stiffly.
John walks across the living room. He can see that something isn't right. Something not quite the same in the way she stands at the window. It takes him a moment, then realizes, she's trying to hard to behave like an unemotional cyborg. She's over acting.
"Cam, what's wrong?"
She slowly turns her head so she's facing him. "Nothing is wrong." She says in a monotone.
"Cam, your eyes are red. You are clearly upset. Did Derek say something mean to you again?"
"Nothing more than usual."
John walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No." Cam places her hands on his. "Just hold me tighter. I want to feel your heart beating against my back. I want to know you are alive."
John places a kiss at the base of her neck and stands there holding her tight enough it would have caused a normal girl pain, while she watches and waits for an enemy that may not come.
"John?"
"What?"
"When you dream, are they good dreams? Of nice things that have happened to you."
"Sometimes. Some dreams are also of bad things that have happened. Sometimes dreams are just a series of random experiences from your life all jumbled together and make no sense."
"Do you remember these dreams?"
"Sometimes. Most times you forget them within minutes of waking up. Why are you asking me about this now?"
She turns around and faces John, but still with his arms around her. "I want you to teach me how to dream, but first I need you to help me create a happy memory I can dream about." She doesn't say it but for tonight, she wants to forget the memory she shared with Derek. She wants something happy and new she can dwell on for tonight as she looks after Sarah.
John looks into those beautiful chocolate brown eyes, presently filled, with love, hope, and a tinge of sadness. "What do you want me to do?" He asks quite innocently.
"Take me round the bases and back to home." She answers with her soft voice, her mouth parting slightly when she finishes speaking.
John kisses her before answering.
"Not tonight. Not with mom sick and Riley in the house, but I'll stay up with you over night with mom. Will that be okay?"
"Yes." She says, hugging him pressing the side of her face against his chest. His heart beats loudly in her ear. "Just as long as you're with me." At least I'll know you're safe, she thinks.
**
Riley places a fresh cool cloth on Sarah's forehead. She removes the thermometer from Sarah's mouth and checks the temperature. It's been holding steady at 100 F since removing her from the bath.
John and Cameron must trust her to leave her alone with Sarah. She isn't sure how she feels about that, after what she tried to do, and what she is doing now.
The cell phone in her pocket vibrates.
She pulls the phone out of her pocket and goes into Sarah's bathroom closing the door and turning on the water.
"Hello." She says as quietly as she can.
"I got your text message. Where are you?" Comes Jesse's voice over the phone.
"I'm at John's house. Was it necessary to kill my foster family? I thought you cared about me?"
"I didn't kill your family. The gray's did. Sky Net did." Jesse says justifying her actions.
"But you're the one who told them about me and John. You're the one who told them where to find me. They might have killed me! They tried to take John!"
"I know. That's why I followed you. I shot one of them to give John a chance to defend himself. But listen to me. You need to keep John's attention away from that machine. You will do whatever it takes. Does he trust you?"
"I think so. They left me to look after his mom while they get supper. She's very sick."
"That's too bad about Sarah, but it gives you an opening. The machine can't be around all the time. Be friendly with John, remind him of what he had and can have with you. You're a real girl remind him of that." Jesse's voice pauses a moment before resuming, "I've got to go. Next time you are alone, send me a text message and I'll call you back. Don't fail me Riley. If you want my help finding your family, then get John away from that machine!"
Riley closes her phone and slides it back into her pocket. She uses the toilet, washes her hands, then goes back into Sarah's bedroom. Checking on her, she changes the cloth on her forehead.
Riley pulls the sheet of paper out of her pocket, the one she found on Sarah's bed. The other's have all been picked up and stacked on Sarah's dresser. John and Cameron trust her enough to look after his mom. She loves John. She knows he'll never love her again, not like she loves him, but unlike Jesse, he never tried to use her. Perhaps they would help her find her family.
Unfolding the paper, Riley's eyes fall upon the name at the top of the sheet. Her father's name.
Edward Riley Bennett.
END OF CHAPTER
Author's Notes:
First of all, my thanks to everyone who has posted such nice reviews of my story. I hope you will enjoy this just as much as the previous chapters.
Second, can you guess which scenes are those I had to cut from the previous chapter?
Give up? Okay, I'll tell you.
The two scenes with Catherine Weaver and the scene with Derek and Cameron.
As you can see, I am building towards something, and praying real hard I can keep to the dream theme.
So, this is it, the ninth chapter in "What Are Dreams?" I hope you enjoyed it.
I have made a good bit of progress on "Reunion Part 3: Babylon." There are still some key scenes to write in the middle, and I've gotten some fresh ideas to use in writing it. There is also quite a bit of editing/rewriting to do with a couple of chapters near the end. Wish me luck. This writing lark is hard work, but I love it.
The1Russter 02-08-2010