Chapter 10- Mission part 1

A ticking noise was heard in the silent room from a digital alarm clock as it read 6:29am. Staring at the clock like a toy soldier, already fully dressed at this time, Cameron was waiting for a specific time to arrive. In her hand holding on the metal strap, was a small bucket of freezing cold water companied by ice cubes. This sometimes helped in situations such as this with her friend continuous nocturnal slumber. This small mission that have been appointed to her by John's mother since the young girl started school, Cameron have never failed to carry out the mission and wasn't about to fail it now from Seen's slothfulness.

As the time finally struck 6:30, her mission started to commence. Cameron saw the sleeping girl in their bed wrapped in covers, sleeping like a bear as she raised the bucket of water. Coming down like a rushing waterfall, the cold drench water splashed on Seen's face.

In a frantic state, Seen woke up looking around the room discombobulated. She moved her wet hair from her face wiping the water from her face as the top part of her body was soaked. The cold water was affecting her eyes as Seen tried to rub them to fully wake up.

"I think I'm drowning!" Seen shouted trying to catch her breath from that sudden shock.

Watching the teenager, resembling a fish out of water, Cameron stood in front of her not fazed by her chaotic disorder.

"You can't drown from a splash of water. Get dressed or we'll be late for school." Cameron said monotone.

Finally collecting herself Seen looked up at John's protector as she hated when she did this in the future. She was unsure did Cameron do this out of humor or an order.

"Why couldn't you wake me up like normal people?" She asked.

"We're not normal people." Cameron replied. She turned around and walked out of the room giving the teenager privacy to get ready for school.

"A bucket of water?" Seen mumbled shaking her head but still felt chills over her body. She immediately got dress for school. She was curious, in revenge of disobeying orders, did John's mother put her up to this task.

Examining a picture in his hand, leading to a dead end in finding one of his sub-objectives, Cromartie come back to the original source where he found the red folder. Carefully scanning the area of possible threats, the machine saw the FBI Agent in his kitchen through a window. As time was ticking in finding his primary target, Cromartie had to make a decision, keep the FBI Agent alive or end his life.

Overly work from all the craziness that has happened in his life in almost one month span, Ellison grabbed a file on his kitchen table skimming through the papers in the yellow folder. His door bell rung in the background as Ellison looked up. Glancing at a clock above his window he thought his partner was early from what she said she'll come. He noticed that Madison was very punctual with time, never late, in which he thought was strange. Other people were off by a couple of minutes to there destination but not Madison. She was never late or early, as he thought this was aberrant from Madison to come this early.

The door bell rung again as Ellison quickly grabbed his jacket, still having the yellow folder in his hand of the task Madison requested from him to investigate.

"Hold on I'm coming!" Ellison shouted and jogged over to the door.

Not even looking through the peek hole, Ellison opened the door. Stunned, in a shocked state as the files in his hand drop to the floor, as if the world just stopped for a fraction of a second, the machine that he's been hunting down was standing on his porch. Paralyzed, frighten to move, Ellison couldn't even draw his weapon from his gun holder inside his jacket, as if it would actually affect the machine.

"James Ellison," said Cromartie in a polite manner understanding the FBI terrified response. "I just have a few questions to ask you."

Forcing himself to collect his thoughts, Ellison stepped back and then focused himself on the machine. Recollection of images from his fallen comrades started to play like a movie through his mind. This machine was the reason why he continued his job, to hunt and kill the machine standing in front of him. To kill the monster that slaughtered his team like they were nothing but flies in his way. Although as a Christian man, wanting revenge sounded much sweeter everyday he become closer in some information in finding its whereabouts. It was the devil that needed to be extinguished. From his current situation, the machine had the upper hand. However, he hoped his value on the reason why the machine left him alive from before wasn't expired.

"Drop the act," said Ellison as he stared down the machine. "If you're here to kill me then I suggest you finish it."

"That will be unnecessary," said Cromartie and took out a photo. "What do you know about this girl?"

Surprised by the photo, Ellison tried with all his might to remain calm. The picture he was staring at had the same resemblance from the picture they acquired from before. It was his case picture, Seen Winter from the ITT Technology college files before the file mysteriously been deleted after the fire incident towards her apartment.

"I never saw that girl before." Ellison finally answered.

"Are you sure? I found this picture attached to a red folder in your house." Cromartie stated catching the Agent in his lie.

The picture Ellison thought he lost was in Cromartie hands. The machine was in his house and he was oblivious to that action. What else was it doing behind his back that he didn't know? How often was it watching him?

"You have seen her recently haven't you?" Cromartie asked again.

This time from Ellison's expression, he knew he was hiding important information from him. The decision was made as Cromarite reach behind him where his gun was held. About to carry out his decision Cromartie heard a car in the distance down the street.

Ellison cursed to himself as it was almost ten o'clock. It was the time Madison said she was going to pick him up. For once he wished she was late. Maybe today would be irregular for her. Wishful thinking, he thought which was stupid at this point. Another one of his partners was going to die and it was going to be his fault again. He had to do something. He had to think quickly or this was going to turn out the same situation like at the hotel incident.

Cromartie changed his decision and stared at the FBI Agent. If he wasn't going to help him then maybe his new partner would. Patience, he told himself as his partner was resourceful just like him.

Turning around, without saying a word, Cromartie walked off the porch and down the street, away from the incoming sound of the car engine.

Baffled, Ellison finally exhaled watching the monster walk away from his house. Should he follow him, he asked himself. Ellison came to conclusion that it wasn't the best option and not at this point of time. Unless he wanted another dead partner, he decided to let it slide.

A car reared up to his sidewalk, as Madison beep the horn lightly. She smiled at him as Ellison had to put on a fake smile to conceal his trembling body still. Calming himself, he got into her car as right away his partner noticed his flushed face.

"You okay?" She asked concerned.

"Ehh…yeah yeah," Ellison gave her a reassured smile. "I'm fine. Where to today?"

"L. A. loading dock in a case matching ours." She said as she began to drive down the street.

Eyes forward, Ellison had to keep today's event a secret as long as he lived. On another note, he had to warn the teenage girl in someway that her life was in danger. The machine had its crosshair on her. In responsibility of knowing this information, it was his duty to find the girl and protect her from the machine. If the girl was with John Connor then finding his mother was his best lead. Visiting her ex-fiancé, Charley, may help him with this as Sarah Connor's trail had been cold for the past months.

"Alright class, we're going to pair off today in look up different artwork of the Renaissance era where the mind can fully see the beauty of the past." Mrs. Tipton explained being more enthusiastic then the students in her art class.

"Why?" One student asked annoyed and disinterested. "This isn't history class. I took this class to get away from that junk."

"Learning is not junk my dear," said Mrs. Tipton not offended by that comment but more motivated to show the girl her passion as an Art teacher. "Learning of the past is to broaden the mind beyond the normal imagination that brings greatness like Donatello, Leonardo de Vinci, Michelangelo or my personal favorite painter that created the Birth of Venues, Botticelli in 1470's."

The student looked clueless from some of the names she mentioned, never hearing of them and not caring as well.

"Christine, there're other things in this world then Paris Hilton."

The class started to chuckle by that comment as Christine rolled her eyes still not interested by Mrs. Tipton passion about art.

"Since there is only a few of us in the class, the pairing will be easy," Mrs. Tipton continued. "Each of you will give a report on some of the people I said and then describe the paintings they have done in your own vision. We all see different views on others artwork so please a want a high school response and not a first grader answer saying it's cool, fly or hip."

The class laughed again of the teacher trying to use slang.

"Now let's begin," Mrs. Tipton walked over to her desk and grabbed her clipboard. "Okay, Christine and Morris you will be doing Michelangelo. Glenn and Davis will be doing Donatello. Michael and Billy will be doing Michelangelo as well. Jacky and Sandy will be doing Leonardo de Vinci. And Riley and Seen will be doing my favorite Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi known as Sandro Botticelli."

Riley raised her hand immediately. "Wait, wait a minute. I can't do it."

"Well why not?" The teacher asked confused.

"I'm not sure if I'm the only person that has noticed this in the class but this girl," Riley pointed to Seen sitting next to her and sleeping with her head down on the desk. "…has been asleep since she started this class. I refuse to do a project by myself while she gets credit off my work. I'm sorry I rather do it by myself."

"While Riley…maybe you can wake up Sleeping Beauty and get her to do something in class. You have plenty of energy I always say about you Riley." Mrs. Tipton smiled which was the reason why she paired them off in the beginning.

"I can kiss her for you Riley." Davis brightly smiled sitting next to the sleeping teenager, referring his comment to the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty.

The class chuckled, giving whistling noises and perked lips in the process from the immaturity of the students. Unlike the others, Riley wasn't amused as she looked at her hopeless partner.

The bell rings as the students begin to pack their belongings.

"Remember, reports are due next Tuesday! It gives you plenty of time over the weekend!" Mrs. Tipton shouted to talk over the loud commotion from her students.

Almost everybody was out of the class as Mrs. Tipton was packing up as well. Being nearly the last student out of the room, Riley looked at the clock on the wall, baffled, and then at the sleeping student that still hasn't budged from her position since class started.

Tapping her shoulder, this awakens Seen from her slumber as she looked around finding the room empty but only Riley and the teacher.

"Hey, class ended." Riley said giving her an odd look.

Without saying a word, Seen stood up and started to walk out the class. Unlike other students, Riley realized Seen never carried any books or book bag with her ever since she attended the class.

Hurrying up after her, Riley had to make the partner routine work or she wasn't going to achieve an A in one of the easiest class in school.

"Wait, wait!" said Riley finally catching up to Seen in the hallway. "Look, we have a project to do together and it needs to get done by next class."

"Okay then I'll do it for us." Seen said and kept walking ahead.

Annoyed by that comment as if deciding the project for them, Riley hurried back up to her in a speedy pace.

"How temping that sounds, but no," said Riley serious. "We have to do this together. Mrs. Tipton knows my work and hand writing so it'll be wasted effort."

Irritated about this whole school ordeal because of John's mother, Seen finally gave in.

"Fine." Seen answered.

However, upon her answer she saw a familiar face in the distant hallway looking directly at her. She saw the man give her a slight nod and walk out an exit door as if wanting her to follow him.

"Free library after school. Be there by three o'clock." Riley said.

"Sure if you insist," Seen responded not even looking in her direction but focused on the man that left her sight. "I have to go."

She left Riley behind as her partner sighed hoping the library won't put the sleeping teenager to sleep.

Sitting outside on blenchers gazing out at the school's football field, Derek, who Seen saw in the hallway previously, was waiting for her presence. What was he doing here, Seen wasn't sure. She had a feeling it had something to do with her. In Resistance Fighter's language, it meant involving running, guns and mortal danger.

Not even saying a word, Seen sat next to the quiet Lt. and gazed at the deserted football field.

"How's school?" Derek smirked how ironic it sounded to him.

"I'm being punished Lt." Seen answered annoyed but explained it in a proper tone one would talk to a superior officer.

Derek chuckled. "That bad huh?"

"Yes. The only class I had in my life that was useful towards my survival was a five second drill to stay alive. John said here's a gun and try not to die." Seen explained.

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

Derek looked at his subordinate. What he wanted to ask her two days ago have finally come, and away from suspicious ears.

"I have a job in order to infiltrate Cyberdyne main headquarters." Derek said as Seen curiously looked at him.

"If Skynet's smart, they'll have that place guarded heavily." Seen said hearing a flaw in his mission before listening to the full details.

"I know. We're going to be posing as janitors, sneaking in the back entrance. I got everything ready for the plan to be executed. I know for sure the Turk is in there." Derek explained wanting to stop the running, and deal with the problem in which Sarah have been sitting on it for a while.

"When is the mission?"

"Tonight. But I want to do this without the Connors…or the machine."

Surprised by his rogue actions, Seen glanced at the man. "But Sarah…"

"Sarah haven't seen or lived what we have, or if we don't stop Skynet they will see it. Up close and personal. I need somebody that can cover my back and pull the trigger without hesitation."

Red flags went up in Seen's mind as this was a bad idea. Just like Derek, she had her on interior motives dealing with Skynet and this plan could impede that. Keeping her motives a secret must be kept from the Connors and even Derek himself. What she knew, they weren't ready to handle the monsters that were after her which was linked to Skynet in some form or way. However, seeing the desperation on Derek's face she had to comply too his order. Maybe it was guilt knowing his pain or trying to turn this mission into a positive on her part, either way Derek out ranks Sarah in the command ladder in her book. Also the fact Resistance Fighters don't leave one another behind to die in combat. It was the number one rule taught at Tech-Com.

"What time do we engage the enemy headquarters?" Seen asked as she was serious in successfully accomplishing this mission.

"Ready in twenty-two hundred hours."

Without saying anything else, Derek stood up and went down the blenchers walking away from the teenager.

"I'm going to get yelled at for this. Yup." Sighing, Seen gazed up at the sky. It was always beautiful to watch, as it prepared her mentally in going into a suicidal mission such as this.

The day went fast as school ended quickly. At three o'clock following Riley's instructions, Seen was standing at the center of the free library looking at the opened spaced building filled with books. Quickly glancing at everything in the surrounding area, open space was not her cup of tea. She was going to have to tell Riley she wanted to sit in the back of the library to avoid anybody to recognize her. Humans have good memories at the wrong time, Seen thought.

"Looks interesting don't it. First time?" Riley smirked as Seen resembled one of those students that never seen a library before.

"No. It just looks different." Seen responded.

"Different from what…other libraries. There basically the same. Books, books and oh yea more books," Riley walked ahead of Seen and smiled. "Come on. I'll show you around. Don't worry the books don't bit."

"Can we get a table in the back?"

"Why? Don't want anybody to see you here in destroying your 'popular' reputation in school?"

"Yes." Seen said flatly.

"Sure. If it keeps you awake." Riley stated about her sleeping habits as she found a table vacant in the back.

Seen followed Riley to the table and sat down. Not wasting any time, Riley roam through her bag to get her notebook to start the project. Not needing to record everything down on paper which was a waste in her book, Seen eyes carefully surveillance the perimeter. The table where they sat was perfect. The exit was just a few meters from them and the books provided excellent covering fire.

"Jumpy much."

Seen looked at art partner. "No…What are we doing for the project?"

"On a guy named Botticelli from the Renaissance era," said Riley taking her bald point pen and started writing in her notebook. "I say we do the work on The Birth of Venus and call it a day. It's the only one I remember because it's Mrs. Tipton's favorite. Let's try to get enough information on both Botticelli and the painting to write about it for the project."

Both of the girls split up to look for useful information on their project. Riley searched the easiest way to look for somebody, on the interest and the electronically library reference, while Seen asked the librarian. The Librarian pointed her to the direction on what she wanted as Seen followed her instructions.

Walking down a long ale in the reference section of the six hundred numbers, Seen saw a few books on her topic. Some books were thicker than others as she didn't want to write a book on the person. In the college courses she took, she hated that part about attending full time. It was worthless classes that had nothing to do with her chosen major which caused her the most problems. She sighed as she was reliving it all over again.

Deciding, Seen took two books and called it a day. The books were lengthy to read so she had to speed read through it quickly. Actually Cameron could help her with that task. She only needed to trick her to make sure she didn't feel in disobeying Sarah orders in doing her homework.

At the end of the ale, she stumbled upon another one making her way back to the table. However on her way back, war books caught her interest. They were in order of the current events from WWI and WWII, as well as other books relating towards those time periods dealing with both wars. Looking around as nobody was in her ale, something inside her wanted to know what it was like in the previous wars. She wasn't sure what the sudden determination to know this information was for and thought stopping Skynet was on her mind more then she thought about making this decision.

She placed her books down on the floor and pulled a book out on WWII book.

At first glance there was a group of men in fatigues inexpressive, gritty, and stern eyes harden by the war was very familiar to her. It disturbed her sometimes when she was in full combat in the future when looking into their impassive eyes.

Wanting to read more in the book, Seen sat down on a mini stole that librarians would use to reach further on the top shelves and laid her other books on the carpet.

Diving into the book off the bat, she saw many destructive images of the battlefield during WWII. First it was Pearl Harbor that started the War for the Americans, wounded soldiers in hospitals from the aftermath, ruins in Germany, and the massive unmercifully army of Hitler parading down the streets saluting him. The strange salute was odd that Seen never seen before. She wondered if it has any significance to the particular army.

When Seen turned a few more pages it was an image she was also familiar with. She witnessed it numerous times before but one in particular came into mind. She had seen it at a safe distance, which Skynet used at a camp that they barely evacuated in time in Utah. It was somewhat different design but the chemical properties mentioned in the book, no matter what transformation it changed into, Seen knew what it was and the destruction it causes, the atomic bomb.

Image after image of what the radiation did to the area, to the innocent women, men and children, Seen couldn't understand, why did they use the weapon twice against an opponent that was already weakening. She didn't think humans would do this upon one another to this extreme.

Turning to a new chapter Seen eyes widen as this chapter shocked her the most. It was the Holocaust. Men, women, children and mostly young boys' skinny as a bone, in prison uniforms with numbers imprinted on their arm. Barb wires, gas chambers, and thousands of mounted dead bodies piled on top of one another, this image was no different than the concentration camps in the future. However, Seen wouldn't think humans would do this to their own kind. This type of action wasn't like this in the future. Humans among themselves were family no matter what the person's history was. Now she started to see the decision Skynet made for humans fate. It was a fate she had to change. It was a fate she prayed she could change.

"Seen there you are," said Riley coming down the ale having a few books in her hand.

Seen quickly placed the WWII book down and picked up her previous books she had before. She didn't want Riley to see what she was reading to spare her the million questions as teenagers loved to ask.

"I've been looking for you. You find any books?"

"I found two." Seen showed her the books and started to walk forward keeping Riley's attention towards her. Lucky it worked as they both headed back to their table to begin their project.

Eating dinner at the Connor house, it was spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight as Seen and Derek was almost done their plate while Sarah and John oddly stared at the two soldiers. Sitting at the table with no plate in front of her, Cameron was looking outside at the darken sky uninterested in Seen and Derek's eating habits like the Connors. If Cameron was human she would be like them digging into food like they never had it before. Having food in the future wasn't a delight. A person would be happy if they had meat in several months.

It was quite at the table the entire time, as it felt awkward to Sarah. It was too much quietness that she hasn't heard in the house for a while.

"So Seen," said Sarah grabbing the teenager's attention from her food and breaking the silence at the table. "What you do at the library?"

"Art," said Seen and then looked at Cameron wondering what she's been staring at for the past ten minutes. "A waste of time I say."

"You may learn something new then the regular stuff." Sarah replied drinking milk to water down the food in her throat.

"I guess." Seen said and looked at her food uninterested about the subject. It was a strange unusual behavior she didn't understand people wanting to draw other people naked. For once, she didn't want to understand.

"Or you can learn about dancing."

Silence fell into the room again as everybody curiously looked at the machine in the house.

Sitting beside her intrigued by her comment John asked, "Why do you say that?"

"I heard dancing can be art. If you don't like to read art maybe you can dance it to tell others." Cameron said not affected by the awkward atmosphere as all eyes were on her.

Out of everybody this impressed Seen the most. This was a first from Cameron and it was interesting conversation she decided to participate at the table for once.

"What types of dancing you're thinking about Cameron?" Seen asked.

"Ballet."

Derek glared at the machine. He remembered the ballet dance routine she preformed in her bedroom at the old house. Why would a machine actually want to do ballet other then their job at killing humans? Just thinking about the dance made him feel uncomfortable as he started to fidget in his chair.

"I'm very good at it," Cameron continued. "I can teach you if you want. It's something different then the regular stuff, guns, hand made bombs, razor sharp throwing knives."

"Interesting. You can't say anything that involves something destructive can you?" Derek asked looking petulant that the machine was sitting at the table with them like she was an actual human.

Cameron stared blankly at John's uncle not harmed by his words but it irritated John as she saw him out the corner of her eyes.

He couldn't just have a normal conversation at the table without ridiculing his protector. If it wasn't for her Vick would have finished the job by putting a bullet in his head to terminate him, John thought.

Hearing snickering, the whole family looked at the engineer. Puzzled, as they seem to make this a common facial expression from Seen's unusual antics, they couldn't understand why she was quietly laughing as she covered her mouth, looking at Cameron the entire time.

What made the entire group further dumbstruck; Cameron gave a slight smile looking at her friend. The others at the table gave each other odd stares wondering did Cameron say a joke, or was it a joke between the two girls.

Suspiciously glaring at the machine, Derek was on edge about the interaction between Seen and Cameron. He already lost his nephew to this monster and now Seen. Whatever hold she had over them, and whatever plan she was constructing behind closed doors, he was going to bring it to the surface.

As dinner was done it was time for Derek's mission to commence. He wanted to make sure dinner was done first to not arise Sarah's suspicion about the mission. Last thing he needed was her to intervene with the mission as he couldn't afford to redo the entire plan including her in it. It was design for Seen and him.

Filling a black bag with accessories she will need on the mission, Seen was in her bedroom prepping herself as she had a 9mm in her hand ready to be used. She placed it behind inside her pants and let her light jacket conceal it. Coming into the room, Derek handed her extra clips for his handgun and C4 with remote detonators attached on them. Quickly focusing on the C4, she looked at the man puzzled.

"Are we planning on blowing something up?" Seen asked, not wanting to collapse the entire building and endanger the lives of innocent bystanders.

"If the mission doesn't go according to plan," Derek grabbed one of the C4. "…this is our second option. The faster we destroy Skynet the better we can sleep at night."

He placed all six C4's into the bag without feeling any remorse if back up was needed. However, Seen hope that plan never comes to surface, which meant plan A had to succeed.

Derek glanced at his watch.

"The guards will be changing shifts soon, let's go." He instructed as he walked out of the room.

Walking over to the window, Seen opened it. Making sure this mission stays classified; Seen tossed the bag out the window as it ended up on the lawn near the car. If she carried the bag through the front door, Sarah or Cameron would have been suspicious of her actions, especially John's mother.

The front door was in Derek's site as he grabbed the car keys on the nightstand.

"Where are you going?"

Derek knew he couldn't avoid her the entire time and looked at Sarah wiping down the kitchen table.

"I'm going to the hardware store before they close. Need to get a few things." He lied.

"Hardware store?" Seen said coming down the steps seeming interested where Derek was going.

"Yeah, you coming?" Derek started to head out the door without hearing her answer.

"Sure." Seen said and followed him.

Sarah shrugged her shoulders and continued to clean the kitchen. As long as Seen was with Derek she had nothing to worry about the teenager getting into trouble without her presence.