Chapter 22
Allison lay on the couch, trying hard to get to sleep. Once again, she took hold of her blanket and moved it around slightly before pulling it back towards her for warmth. A sudden rush of warmth surged around her before quickly fading away to be replaced by the cold. She once again shivered and tried to ignore it as she turned over once again. The thin blanket she had was no good compared to her usually thick one, which she had given to Cameron to help her stay warm. She didn't want anything to happen to her brother or sister, and she felt it was right to help keep her mother as comfortable as possible, as the baby was due any day now.
Allison didn't even know if it was the cold that was keeping her awake, or the excitement of having the baby arrive any time now. Shaking her head, she turned herself so she was lying on her back and opened her bright blue eyes. She knew both her mother and father had trouble sleeping when they weren't together, but she had never had any problems doing it. She used to be able to fall asleep in an instant but the last few days had been hard for her, and they were beginning to take a toll on her. Her eyes explored the room, looking over to each item and remembering where she or her parents had got it from, before she remembered that her prized possession was the one around her neck. Raising her hand, she took hold of the diamond necklace and held it up and remembered when Cameron took it from her neck and hooked it around hers. Remembering it always brought a smile to her face, as it was the first real present she had ever got from anybody. She never blamed John for not getting her a present, there wasn't exactly a store down the road where he could get her something.
All she asked from John was for him to hug her and tell her he loves her, that was all she ever wanted from her dad. As she smiled, she didn't notice the sound of two people's footsteps in the corridor until they were very close. Allison quickly dropped her diamond and pulled her blanket back over her before closing her eyes, just as the door opened and she heard John and Liz talking. "We've run out of time. Skynet will have that machine built and ready in two days". "I know John, but it doesn't matter how many patrols you send out, the likelihood of finding it is slim at best. Skynet has doubled the amount of machines in Topanga canyon. Perry and Bedell can only do so much you know". "I know that, but we have to be getting close. Why would Skynet double its numbers in the area unless we we're getting close?" There was a moments silence and Allison opened her eyes slightly. She could see John sanding in the door way, but Liz was hidden from view by the door. "What do you want me to do John, wave a magic wand? Look, Cameron's due any time now, focus on her. I'll see what I can do but I'm not promising anything". Allison watched as John slowly nodded his head, before bringing his hand up to rub his eyes, he looked very tired. "That's why I'm here John, I keep things going when you can't and right now, you can't even stand up straight. I'll send some of the reprogrammed machines to Perry if I have to. I'll find that base". Allison heard the sounds of Liz's footsteps hurry away as John closed to door.
John seemed to just stare at the door for a few moments, deep in thought before he turned to look over at Allison, who closed her eyes quickly so he would think she was asleep. John walked towards her and Allison could feel him move the blanket back over her, and much to her surprise, she felt warm and comfortable in an instant. Opening her eyes, she watched as John dragged himself to his and Cameron's room, before he disappeared from view altogether as he passed through the door. John looked over to see Cameron was fast asleep in the bed. At almost nine months pregnant and two false alarms in the past week, she was absolutely exhausted and was taking every opportunity to sleep. John didn't immediately go to join her, but instead he walked to the nearby desk, where John's laptop was. John sat down in the chair and reached in to his pocket, pulling out a single terminator chip.
John held it up in his fingers, resisting the urge to crush it. John could see the faces of the seven solders in his squad earlier that a day who died when capturing the machine, a T eight hundred. Two of those who died had been with John since his first few days in century work camp, and loosing them was like loosing two old friends. It was for that reason that John wanted to destroy the chip, but he also needed to read what was on the chip and find out where it had been. There was always a possibility that the location of where the time displacement equipment was being build was hidden away in the files of the chip. Reaching for his laptop, he opened the lid and raised the screen and reached to turn it on. "What are you doing?" John nearly fell over with shock, not expecting Cameron to be awake. Catching his breath, he turned to see her chocolate brown eyes staring at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you, I was just going to reprogram this". He held the terminator chip up for her to see. As she looked at it, she tilted her head to the side and sighed loudly. "You can't seriously think about doing that now. It's late and you're exhausted. Come to bed". John didn't move, but turned his gaze back to the chip. "Come to bed John! Please don't make me get up and drag you". John's eyes darted back to Cameron's, and was convinced to do as she asked. Reaching to the laptop, he closed it and left the chip on top of it. He dragged himself his side of the bed and sat down to remove his clothes. Once he finished, he fell back in to bed and pulled the blanket over himself and Cameron, who was watching him in silence.
As John lay back, Cameron pressed herself against him and John in to a deep kiss, before they both pressed themselves against each other for warmth and comfort. "What's wrong John? Something's on your mind". John took a deep breath before answering. "I'm scared Cameron. Don't know if we can win this war. We've come so close to losing and we only ever survived by chance or sheer luck. But I think our luck has run out, it's not going to save us this time". John raised his free hand and placed it on Cameron's now very large round belly, running his hand softly across her skin. "I'm scared that our baby won't be able to open its eyes for the first time or even have a chance at life". Cameron suddenly gasped and grabbed John's hand, moving it up her belly. Beneath her skin, he could feel the baby kicking. This always brought a smile to John's face. "See, you've upset the baby. Don't talk like that John. We'll be fine, we always are. As long as we are together, you, me, Allison and the baby, nothing can stop us. I love you too much and to see you like this, so snap out of it, if not for me, then do it for our baby". John was a little taken aback from her words, but the feeling of the baby's hard kicks pushed all the thoughts of defeat and despair from his mind.
"I'm sorry; I guess I worry too much, especially for you. I lost you once, and I can't bear to lose you again". Cameron allowed John to move his hand across her skin again as the baby ceased kicking. "You don't worry too much John, you care. It's more than most others do. You could have turned Allison away in century work camp but you didn't. I bet that nearly everyone there would have just turned her away because she wasn't their child; she was just another orphan, wanting food that they needed for their own children. But you took her in, you loved her and cared for her and now look at her. She's fifteen years old, she's strong and clever and she's safe because of you. You care for us more than you think you do, and that's why I know we'll be alright". John gave a smile and looked towards the door back to where Allison was sleeping. He felt a huge surge of pride for how Allison and how she had turned out. She had come a long way from the terrified little seven year old who was too scared to ask him for food.
It was her research that had enabled Cameroon to become human and gave her the chance to have her own children. It was her research that has saved the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers from certain death. If it wasn't for her, John was sure they would have lost the war by now. And the fact that she was only fifteen years old made John feel even more proud of her. Cameron didn't need to see John's face to know what he was thinking, she just held him tighter. "You're already a great dad John, there's no question that you'll be a great one to this baby too". "And, you're a great mom, better then you thought you'd ever be". They both lay in each others arms in silence for a few minutes, both contemplating the upcoming birth of their child. As they did, a thought stuck Cameron, something she had never thought about before, what they would do once the war was over. She had known nothing but war he entire life. "Once this war's over, what are we going to do, where are we going to go?" As Cameron asked her question, John's mind began to race, for he also had never thought on it. He had only thought of beating Skynet, not what would happen afterwards. "I don't know, I guess, we'd find somewhere to live, somewhere away from here, somewhere quiet".
Cameron closed her eyes and moved her body slightly for comfort. "Keep talking". John focussed his mind on a dream home he used to think about when he was a kid. As he was shifted from one foster family to the next, he used to imagine a dream house, where he and his mother could live. "We'd find somewhere in the countryside, a farm maybe, away from the cities. Maybe near the coast so we can walk along the beach and the kids can build castles in the sand. The warm water lapping around our feet. We'll work on the farm, grow our own food, and live off the land, just live as normal people, not having to worry about the machines, not have to worry if we'll wake up the next day or worry if we'll see each other again after we leave the room. You can sometimes see the sky through the clouds in the countryside; it's not so bad out there. Allison has never seen the clear blue sky or a beautiful lush green field with trees full of leaves swaying in the breeze. Our child will never have to fear the machines; never endure what we've all endured".
As John looked down to Cameron, he could see she had fallen asleep again, John's words describing the possibility of the life they could lead had helped her drift off to sleep. Smiling to himself, he closed his eyes and also drifted to sleep, thinking about those he loved, his family. In the next room, Allison had heard every word of John and Cameron's conversation. She couldn't keep the smile of her face as she also closed her eyes. The place John had described sounded perfect, more then perfect. The thoughts of seeing the blue sky in all its glory, which was more of a legend then just a story, also helped her finally fall into a much needed deep sleep.
Three loud bangs on the door echoed through out the two rooms, waking all three of the Connor's from their sleep. Allison, being closest to the door, dragged herself off the couch and to the door. "Who is it?" "Allison, its Liz, open up, I need to speak to your dad". Allison opened the door and looked out to see Liz and four guards behind her. She tried to walk in but Allison put up her hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Liz, no offence, but it's four in the morning". "I know what time it is, but I need to speak to your dad, so can you go get him?" Allison could hear John and Cameron muttering to each other in the next room, asking each other who was at the door. Allison turned back to Liz and shook her head. "Wait here, I'll go see him". Liz looked taken aback to not be invited in to the room as she was normally, but she respected Allison's wish, and stayed where she was. Allison closed the door slightly, leaving a small gap and walked towards John and Cameron's room. As Allison went inside, John was pulling his t-shirt over his head, while Cameron was running her hands over her belly slowly. Cameron looked up and smiled at Allison, who gave a small smile back. "Who is it?" "It's Liz, she wants to see dad!".
Cameron shook her head slightly at the mention of Liz's name before looking towards John, who began walking towards the door. Allison watched from the doorway as John opened the door back outside to talk to Liz. "John, sorry to wake you". "It's not me you should be saying sorry to, it's Cameron. Anyways, what do you want?" Allison could see Liz was even further taking aback from where she was standing, surprised on how frustrated John was being with her. Allison went and lay down next to Cameron, and they both listened to what was being said. "Like I said, I'm sorry, but I got a message from Kyle. He's sure he's found the base". In an instant, Liz had John's full attention. "What do you mean? How can he be sure?". "Just come to command, I can put you through to Kyle and he'll explain what he saw". Liz stepped aside, allowing John the space to step outside. John didn't move for the door, not wanting to leave the room in just a t-shirt and underwear on. "Go to command, I'll be there as soon as I can". John could see the disappointment in Liz's face as he closed the door and walked back in to his and Cameron's room. He sat down and began pulling on his clothes. "John, are you sure this is it this time.
We've found dozens of bases in Topanga canyon". "No, I'm not sure, but Kyle's never let me down. If he says he's found it, then he's found it". He turned and saw Cameron's chocolate brown eyes watching him. He stared back with his bright green eyes and she slowly nodded, before getting out of bed herself and reaching for her clothes. "Mom! What are you doing, you can't get up, go back to bed". "I'm pregnant Allison, I'm not completely useless". John smirked as he pulled on his shoes. Allison looked towards John for support and upon seeing she wasn't going to get any, moved back to her room, muttering 'I'm going to get dressed', as she went. Cameron watched as she left and turned to John, who was now fully dressed and ready to go. John instantly moved to help her pull her trousers on. Her back being so uncomfortable and bending caused a lot of discomfort. Cameron smiled and enjoyed the feeling as John next began to put on her socks and shoes. Her swollen feet reacted to his touch, and they didn't feel as painful as they did before.
Standing up, he raised both his hands and pulled Cameron to her feet. "Thanks". "No need to thank me, I do it because I love you". Cameron pulled him in to another deep kiss before they both walked hand and hand towards to door. Allison was waiting for both of them by the door leading to the corridor outside. She looked at Cameron, who looked like she was ready to fall over any second under the weight of her belly. Allison took her place on Cameron's other side and took her arm, helping her take some of the weight of her feet. John led the way to the command room, walking slower then he normally would have to allow Cameron to keep up with him.
As they entered the command room five minutes later, John found it to be unusually full, especially so early in the morning. John could see that like himself, Cameron and Allison, most had been woken by Liz. The moment Liz saw Cameron enter the room, their eyes fixed intensely on each other and to John; it looked like it was Cameron and Riley all over again. Except this time, it wasn't Cameron who was jealous, it was Liz. John only saw them looking at each other for a brief moment, but he could sense the dislike and hate between the two, despite the fact that Liz and Cameron had only spoken to each other briefly in the past. They were never close, similar to how Cameron and Riley interacted with each other years ago. Allison also picked up on the tension quickly and as she helped Cameron to a chair, which one of the technicians gave up for her, she placed herself between Cameron and Liz, blocking their views from one another. As Cameron sat down, Liz's dog ran away from her and to Cameron, where it sat down and wagged its tail furiously. Cameron took care to stroke behind the dogs ears where it liked it. Liz looked furiously at Cameron, as if she had just stolen the dog from her. After making sure Cameron was comfortable in her chair, John turned to Liz, who didn't make eye contact with him.
"Okay Liz, we're all here, where's Kyle?" Liz slowly took her radio and held it up, and with one last glace towards Allison and Cameron, she tuned it to toe correct frequency. "Kyle! Are you there, come in Kyle, we need your report". There was a long silence as they waited for Kyle to reply. John and Cameron's eyes fixed on to each others with concern, both knowing the risks of Kyle's capture or death, and as the minutes ticked by, one after the other, John was sure something had gone wrong. "Liz, Hello? Is anyone there? Fucking useless radio, never works when I need it to. Hello!" Liz quickly held the radio up again, her face full of relief. "Kyle, we hear you, what's your location and situation?" They waited again for a reply, and as they waited again, John watched as Cameron once again ran her hand softly over her belly. "Liz, I haven't got a clue where I am, you'll have to get Connor to trace the signal. My situation is extremely hostile, there's metal everywhere". John held up his hand and Liz threw the radio across the room towards him, and John caught it with out moving an inch.
"Allison, run the trace program, just like I showed you". Allison, surprised she was actually being given an important job, immediately turned to the computer nearest to her, and she with Cameron's help, set to work. "Kyle, it's John, I'm running the trace right now, Are you sure this is the base we're looking for. I need to know everything". Kyle's voice next came back as little more then a whisper, and John knew he was hiding from the machines. "Before my recon got attacked, we saw some machines pulling an old jet engine someplace. They must have spotted us because an HK aerial and T six hundreds ambushed us. My squad's been captured Connor! Including my brother!" John froze in mid breath as the images of Derek's motionless body lying in the corridor after shooting him three times in the chest hit John like a hurricane. "Don't worry Kyle; your brother will be fine. What did you see at the base"? After a few seconds, John could hear loud rumbling sounds through the radio. It sounded as if a HK tank or Aerial was passing by. "The machines took the engine in to some sort of bunker. It's well hidden, probably, why we never saw it before. The base is underground, and Skynet has a large defence grid around the area, we're definitely not going to take the base with out a fight".
John instantly knew that this was the place they were looking for. He looked over the Allison and to the computer she was working on and saw she was close to pin pointing Kyle's exact location. John next looked towards Liz. "How long have we got until Skynet's ready to use the machine?" Liz quickly turned to the computer next to her and set to work. Another rumbling sound came through the radio, a lot louder then the first on. "Connor, I can't stay here long, I need to move, hurry up with the trace!" John looked again to Allison, who after a few seconds, turned around with a smile. "Dad, I've got it". As soon as Liz hard Allison, she began typing rapidly in to her computer. "Allison, transfer Kyle's location to this computer". Allison looked to John and as he nodded to her, she began to transfer the information. "Okay Kyle, We've got your position. We'll be there as soon as we can. Fall back to the outer defence grid and wait for us to arrive". "Yes sir". John again turned to Liz, just as she finished with what she was doing on the computer.
"John, we've got no chance. We've got just under eighteen hours until Skynet can use the machine. To get enough of our men over there to take it out, we need at least a day, maybe more". John threw back her radio and rubbed his eyes. In his mind, Liz was right. They needed at least five thousand men to break through a defence grid that large to destroy the base. But in eighteen hours, John could only muster around half that, without leaving all their bunkers undefended to protect the civilians. "Then we go with what we've got, If Skynet succeeds in its mission, then this war is over". Liz just stared at him; a terrified look slowly took hold on her face. "Liz, get the men, ready, we're moving to out to Topanga Canyon in on hour". Liz again just stared at him; the terrified look disappeared and was replaced by something even John couldn't tell. She slowly held up her radio, and with one last look of jealously towards Cameron, she turned away. "This is Elizabeth Anderson, All squad leaders report to your stations and prepare to move out".
Everyone in the room immediately began getting to work on the computers, talking loudly on the radios to the other bunkers. Lowering her radio, Liz walked over to John as though she was about to kiss him. Cameron's eyes fixed on her as she walked, and she didn't remove her eyes from Liz as she stopped a few paces short of John. "John, I don't like disagreeing with you, but this is way over our heads. I mean, time travel? I can't be real. I think Skynet's just wasting out time". Cameron couldn't have thought Liz could be in any more denial then she was now, she had saved her years ago from a machine. "Liz, wake up! Me and John saved you and your brother from that machine. It might sound crazy to someone who hasn't seen it happen, but time travel is real". Liz looked at Cameron as though she was crazy, but then her face turned in to a cruel smile.
"Excuse me, but it was John who saved me and my brother, I don't remember you being there". Both Liz and Cameron looked ready to jump at each other. John quickly stood in between them, blocking their view from one another again. Allison looked from Cameron to Liz, shocked on how close they were at fighting each other. "You'll find that she was there and that we both saved you. But if she wasn't there, you, me and your brother would be dead right now. I know you and Cameron have never seen eye to eye, but she's my wife and she's second in command, your superior officer. So show some respect and go get yourself ready. We move to Topanga canyon in one hour, go!" Liz quickly turned and walked away, a single tear falling down her cheek. Liz's dog stood up and with a single lick of thanks to Cameron's fingers, ran after Liz.
John turned to Allison, who was watching Liz leave with concern. "Allison, go make sure she's okay". Allison nodded and turning to give Cameron a kiss on the cheek before running out of the command room and after Liz. John took a seat next to Cameron, and looked around to make sure they weren't going to be overheard. "Can you remember anything from Topanga Canyon from before I sent you back"? Cameron's hand darted towards her belly and she closed her eyes for a moment, looking uncomfortable, before opening them again. "No, I fought in the battle outside. But you didn't take me inside to send Kyle back. You wanted to, but I was at the other end of the battlefield, so you went in with out me". John nodded his head but couldn't hide his disappointment. "Come on John, help me up and I'll see you off. I can't come with you this time either". She nodded her head towards her round belly and John gave her a smile before helping her up.
Almost hour later, John, with his plasma rifle in his hands, walked slowly towards the entrance of Serrano Point, where a large convoy was waiting to take him and hundreds of solders to Topanga Canyon. Cameron held on to his arm, reluctant to let him go. They stopped at the bottom of a small ramp that led up to the outside. Looking around, John could see Bedell and Lauren standing together, holding each others hands and talking quietly to each other. They noticed John and Cameron watching them, and quickly tried to look innocent, but they looked guiltier then ever. John gave a large smile, showing them he didn't care that they were in a relationship before turning to Cameron. They both opened their mouths repeatedly, trying to say something but, they both gave up and simply embraced each other passionately, running their lips softly against each others before breaking the kiss and resting their foreheads together. "Come back to me, me and the baby". John held his hand to her belly again, swearing in his mind that he would return to them both. "I'll be back, I love you". With one last kiss, John turned and walked slowly up the ramp. He waited for Bedell and Lauren to say their goodbyes before they headed up the ramp together, where Liz the solders were waiting. "So, you and Lauren. I didn't know you two even knew each other!" They both looked at each other, before both giving a long laugh. "Yeah, we've been together for a while now".
"DAD! WAIT!" John turned to see Allison run past Cameron and up the ramp towards him. Holding out his free arm, he pulled her in to a hug. "I'm not missing seeing you off this time". John took a deep breath and held it as it felt like Allison was going to suffocate him before she let him go. "Be careful dad, me and mom will run things here until you get back". John gave a smile before something caught his gaze at the bottom of the ramp. Standing up straight to get a better look, he saw Cameron and Lauren standing together. Cameron had both her hands on her belly and was breathing heavily. Then John's eyes widened in horror as Cameron collapsed, crying out in pain as she clutched her stomach. John and Allison ran back down the ramp. John beat her to the bottom a lot faster then even he thought possible. "Cameron, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Cameron couldn't respond, she was breathing so fast she couldn't get out a word". John held her hand tightly and looked to Lauren, who was checking Cameron over.
"Cameron, just keep breathing, your waters have broke, the baby's coming now". Allison gave a cry, which sounded like a mix of excitement and shock. Lauren took out her radio and held it up. "Sidney!, Cameron's in labour, get the delivery room ready and send a team to the Serrano point entrance, I don't think she can walk". John watched as Cameron managed to slow down her breathing slightly. "John, go now! You've got to go". "No, I told you I was going to be there when the baby came, no matter what". Cameron gave a loud cry, as a strong contraction gripped her. Lauren looked around and saw Allison watching, unsure on what she should be doing. "Allison, come here and hold your mom's hand, she needs you now". Allison moved and took Cameron's free hand; looking more nervous then John had ever seen her. Cameron kept telling John to go, but John refused to move.
Cameron then let go of his hand and took hold of his jacket, before pulling him towards her, so she could speak in to his ear. "Please John, just go. You have to go and send Kyle back. If you don't, you won't exist. If you don't exist, then neither will this baby. I love you but you have to go, now!" She let him go and pushed him away, just as the medical team from the aide station arrived. "John looked back up the ramp for Bedell, who was standing nervously where John had left him, unsure whether he should stay where he was or go and help Cameron. Outside, John could hear the trucks of the convoy had begun to move out. "Bedell, make sure we don't get left behind". Bedell looked relieved to be given something to do instead of just watching and he turned and ran out of the power plant.
Cameron cried out in pain again as another contraction took hold of her body. "John, go now!" John knew he had run out of time. Hating himself for breaking another promise to her, he began moving backwards up the ramp. "Allison, look after her. Cameron, I love you, I'll be back as soon as I can". With that, John turned and ran up the ramp. Once he was outside, he saw that half of the convoy was already moving away. Running for the closest truck, he took the outstretched hand of Bedell and got in, just as the truck began to move. As John sat down, Bedell took a seat next to him and held up his radio. "Liz, me and Connor are in the convoy". Liz's shaking voice came back through. "Thank god for that. I thought you two were already on, that's why I told them to start moving. Tell John I'm sorry and I'll see you two in Topanga". Bedell put his radio down and sat back.
"You hear that Connor?" John nodded his head, not paying much at attention as he looked back at the slowly disappearing power plant as the truck took him away. He didn't need this to be happening to him now. He already had to deal with sending Kyle, his father, back through time to his death. He didn't expect to have to deal with the birth of his own child at the same time, and he couldn't be there, he hated the situation he was in, as he always swore to Cameron he would be there for her when their child was born. The images of Cameron, his child, and Kyle, the man he was sending to his death flooded his mind as the convoy rapidly approached its destination.
As they neared the canyon, it was clear that General Perry had been forced to start the battle with out them. The sounds of distant explosions and plasma fire could be heard, and they became more deafening the closer they got. Looking to the men in the truck with him, he could tell that they were scared from what they could hear. John didn't blame them; he would be surprised if they weren't scared, because he was terrified of what was going to happen. "HK'S ABOVE US HIT THEM WITH THE ROCKETS!" John could barely hear the drivers voice as the sound of the engines of the aerials drowned out all other sound. John and Bedell, being at the back of the truck, were both given rocket launcher by the other men. Holding his over his shoulder, he aimed out the back of the truck and up in to the sky. John didn't know which one to fire at. He could see at least ten aerials in formation, firing down at the approaching convoy. John picked the aerial that seemed to be the closest and fired, quickly followed by Bedell. The Aerial saw John's rocket coming and moved to avoid it. Thankfully, it didn't see Bedell's and flew straight in to its path. The rocket hit its underbelly, destroying it in a large explosion. The destruction of the aerial was followed by three more as solders from the other trucks fired their own rockets, forcing the remaining aerials to break formation. Suddenly, the truck stopped moving, throwing John and Bedell off their feet and on to their backs. "What the hell? Driver, keep the truck moving!" The truck remained still however, leaving them open for attack and putting the other trucks behind them in danger, as they couldn't move forwards either.
"Bedell lets go!" John jumped out the back of the truck, quickly followed by Bedell. The driver of the truck behind them looked in surprise at seeing John jump out of a truck in the middle of a war zone, and called for John to get back in. John ignored him and ran down the side of the truck, while Bedell did the same on the other side. Opening the door, John looked inside and saw the driver was dead. The windscreen had been smashed and the driver's body was covered in glass. "Looks like he took stray plasma shot! Poor guy!" John nodded in agreement and climbed in to the truck. Bedell pulled the driver out and took his dog tag before climbing in also. "You ever drove on of these, because I haven't". John looked to the large gear stick and groaned. "I drove one years ago. I had trouble with the clutch and I ran over a machine, other than that, no". Bedell looked at him with an amused grin before leaning out of the door window and firing his plasma rifle at some drone's which had just appeared with some more aerials. John pressed his foot down, and the truck's engine stalled. Shaking his head, he turned the key in the ignition and tried again, and met with the same result. "I'd hurry up if I were you Connor, we've got serious incoming". John looked and saw an aerial flying straight for them. He thought back and remembered what Sarah had told him when he was in this same situation years before.
"Step on the clutch, Hard! If your goanna be a hero, you need to learn how to drive". Giving a smile as he heard Sarah's words in his head, he started the truck again and this time, he managed to move it, and successfully began to drive the truck. Bedell gave a triumphant cheer as they avoided the aerial flying at them. John moved the truck quickly to catch up with the rest of the convoy, which they did in a matter of minutes. For another hour, the convoy pressed forwards to the war zone, until they arrived at a small camp. The camps anti aircraft guns and plasma turrets were firing wildly at the machines nearby. As John stopped the truck and stepped out, the rumbling sounds of the tanks and aerials were enough to make him deaf. "Bedell, find out where the forward command post is!" Bedell nodded and disappeared in to the crowd of solders, running in all directions. John looked over to the remains of an old yellow school bus, and at least twelve medics trying desperately to save the lives of dozens of solders who were lying on stretchers. Not to far from them, was a large pill of body bags, and they were all full. Tearing his eyes away from the body bags, he watched as resistance solders lay on top of a small hill nearby and were firing rapidly and the advancing machines. He could see the top parts of the tanks over the hill, and knew that T six hundreds and T eight hundreds were marching with them. "JOHN! OVER HERE!"
John looked back around and saw Liz waving at him from a small tunnel entrance. Running over, Liz lead him inside and along the crowed tunnel, where there were medics working on minor wounds on solders and a large forwards command computer had been set up. The solder sitting there was using it to control the anti aircraft guns, and was busy targeting the many aerials and hundreds of drones in the sky. They came to a small room off from the tunnel. Inside, Perry and his command staff were standing over many computers which had been set up. "Connor, about time. We could use your help". John lowered his plasma rifle on to an empty table before turning back to Perry. "Ok, what's the situation?" Parry shook his head and looked up to the ceiling as it shook in the midst of a loud explosion outside. "Not good sir. The machines must have known we were coming. They've been pounding us ever since we've arrived. We haven't managed to move forwards and we're close to being surrounded. I recommended that we retreat sir, we can't win this one".
John shook his head, causing Perry to shake his in frustration. "We can't go Perry; this is a code nine situation. We have to stay and take that base". A code nine situation was known only Tech com leaders. It meant that the mission was critical to the survival of the resistance due to a time travel situation. Perry was one of the few who knew of its importance. Perry immediately moved to one of his men and got his attention. "Tell the squad captains to prepare to more forwards. They wait for Connor's order". The solder nodded and disappeared in to the tunnel. "Are you sure its code nine?" John nodded and so did Liz as Perry looked to her for reassurance. "Great! Our first code nine and we're loosing already. Things are looking great". John and Liz both gave a smile as they had never heard Perry speak sarcastically before. John turned just as Bedell and Kyle walked in to the room, and was glad to see Kyle was in one piece. John and Kyle stared at each other briefly before giving each other a nod. The room shook violently again, so much so that two people, including Liz were thrown off their feet and too the floor and one of the computers fell to the floor and smashed. John held out his hand and helped Liz back to her feet, before turning to Perry, who was again shaking his head while looking at another computer screen. "Connor. There are more machines in front of us then there was at Serrano Point.
There's even more to our right and let". He looked back up to John, and looked like he wanted to retreat again. "It's your call Connor but I'd make it quick". "I already have. We're attacking; everything depends on us taking that base. Activate all of our machines and send them to the front". Everyone in the room froze and went silent; John knew none of them liked what he wanted. "Connor, we've used the machines for recons and patrols. We've never used so many all at once on the same battlefield. If they turn on us, we're not going to be able to deal with them". John had already picked up his plasma rifle and was walking for the door. "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Get our machines on the field now. Bedell, Kyle, your with me, let's move". John left the room, closely followed by Kyle and Bedell, and walked through the tunnel. As he went, the solders all stopped what they were doing to salute him, much to his annoyance but he gave small nods in return, before reaching the opening and stepped back outside.
Taking out a pair of binoculars, he held them up to his eyes and looked over the battlefield. His solders were using the remains of old buildings as cover as they moved forwards to counter the advancing machines. Most of the machines were t eight hundreds, firing once with every step they took. Behind them were the HK tanks, their large plasma turrets firing continues bursts at the solders. John watched as two of his men were hit and killed while running for cover. HK aerials were also there, covering the tanks and attacking Resistance trucks. One aerial chased a truck with a mounted plasma turret on the back, and both the man on the turret and the machine in the air exchanged fire for a few moments, before the aerial scored a direct hit, overturning the truck and killing both the driver and gunner. Another truck appeared near the one that was destroyed and the solder on the back first a single rocket towards the aerial. The rocket hit one of the machines engines and the machine came crashing down, being engulfed in a large fireball seconds later. Lowering his binoculars, John took hold of his rifle and glanced to Bedell and Kyle, who like him, both looked eager to join the battle. John however was more eager to join the battle, he wanted to get it over and down with as soon as possible so he could get back to Serrano Point, and to Cameron. They all gave a nod before running forwards towards the frontline.
As they ran, solders that were waiting for orders from Perry to move saw John, Bedell and Kyle run forwards. John could hear them saying. 'That's Connor, John Connor'. They all seemed surprised that John would put himself in such a dangerous situation. They watched in awe as he ran forwards, and he, Bedell and Kyle, opened fire on three T eight hundreds, which had just appeared from the remains of an old house. They took down all three machines before they could fire their own rifles, before John and the others took cover next to an old brick wall. Looking over the top, they could see more solders in the middle of a heavy fire fight with a large group of advancing machine. The fight wasn't going well, as the solders were being forced back under the constant barrage of plasma fire. John, Bedell and Kyle rose up together and fired at once, taking the machines by surprise. This gave the solders a chance return fire without being fired upon, and the machines were all destroyed. As the fire fight ended, a single rocket flew past them, hitting the ground in front of an advancing HK tank.
The explosions were enough to stop the tank moving, but not to destroy it. John stood up and climbed over the wall and joined the solders that he had just saved. The captain of the group nodded his head in thanks before realising who John was, where his eyes widened in shock before he turned back to his men. John waved for Kyle and Bedell to follow, which they did, taking their places on either side of him. "Connor, calm down, you're going to get yourself killed. If you fall, we all fall!" Bedell looked furious that John was putting his life on the line, and forced John down to the ground, just as an HK tank began firing at them. They were now pinned down. John looked to see Kyle was working with one of the solders in readying a rocket launcher to fire at the tank. Suddenly, a T eight hundred appeared behind them, its red eyes focussed on Kyle. "KYLE!" The machine fired first, killing the solder holding the rocket launcher and then aimed towards Kyle, who had only just noticed it was there. John fired quickly to protect his father, hitting the machine twice in the head, leaving nothing there. The now headless machine fell to the ground with a bang and lay still. Kyle looked around to John and gave a nod of thanks before taking the rocket launcher from the dead solder.
"I'll take out the tank, cover me!" John nodded and turned to Bedell and the others. "Alright guys, cover Kyle while he moves in to position, we need this tank destroyed". Kyle looked at John, waiting for a signal to move. "Three, two, one, GO!" John, Bedell and the other solders are stood up from the hiding place and fired at the numerous nearby T eight hundreds. The T eight hundreds ruptured fire and the fire fight quickly became a stalemate. In the commotion, Kyle disappeared from sight. John and Bedell were forced to the ground again, as six of the men with them were killed by the machines. Other then John and Bedell, only three others now remained. "Sir, we can't stay here, we need to fall back". John was already in agreement, but then, behind the machines firing at them, the HK tank exploded, taking an HK aerial with it. There was a loud cheer from all around them as the largest machine in front of them was now destroyed.
Before John could move forwards again, Liz's voice came shouting through the radio. "John! Perry's activated our machines. All of them are on the field now". John and Bedell looked behind them to see thirty T eight hundreds they had captured and reprogrammed marching towards him, in a two by two formation. "I see them Liz". John lowered his radio and watched as the machines stopped only a few paces from him. He couldn't help be feel a little intimidated by them, as all of their red eyes fixed on him. The lead two machines together took a step forwards and then they spoke in union, using the same Austrian accent that the 'Uncle Bob' terminator used. "We have been programmed to follow your orders, John Connor". Despite their words, Bedell and the others didn't lower their rifle, as their hatred and fear kept them from trusting the machine. Even John refused to lessen his grip on his rifle, as he knew they could turn on him at any moment. "I need you to secure the area ahead of us. Clear Skynet's machines and give us a clear path to the base, do it as quickly as possible". "Affirmative". John and Bedell watched as the machines marched quickly passed them and got to work. John looked to Bedell, who shook his head.
"It's strange seeing them fighting for us, it's not right". John nodded, knowing what he was feeling. "I don't like it any more then you do, but it's necessary". Explosions were already being heard behind the remains of the tank, the machines were indeed, quick and effective. "John, pick up, I need to talk to you". John held up his radio. "What is it Liz?" "The base!, it's powering up. It looks like Skynet is activating the machine earlier then it planned". John looked up and saw that the reprogrammed machines were already clearing the way to the base, leaving the remains of many T six hundreds and T eight hundreds lying on the ground behind them. "Liz, send out everyone we've got, if we don't take that base, we are dead, we are all dead!" John lowered his radio and charged forwards, along with Bedell and the squad that was with them.
He didn't now what he was doing now, it was stupid. He was charging forwards blindly at hundreds, maybe thousands of machines. He tried to force all thoughts of fear and doubt out of his mind and he focussed on Cameron. Remembering her was the source of his strength, and he wasn't going to let her down. He was going to do what he needed to do and get back to her as quickly as possible. They were quickly rejoined by Kyle, who discarded his now empty rocket launcher and dozens of men from all directions joined the charge forwards. Raising his rifle, John fired at as many machines as he could see. One after the other, Skynet's machines were over whelmed by the seer amount of plasma fire from Resistance rifles. The reprogrammed machines took care of large groups, while John, Bedell and Kyle led the others in attacking the smaller groups of machines. HK aerials and drones flew in from all sides to try and push the Resistance back, but most were shot down before they could fire more then a few shots. As John ran forwards, he could tell that everyone was making an effort to keep up with him, refusing to loose sight of him. John eventually stopped and knelt at the top of a small hill, overlooking a small valley within the canyon.
"Connor! Connor, are you alright?" John took a deep breath and took out his radio. "I'm fine, I'm still here". "You've smashed Skynet's defence grid, we're through their lines. I'm directing men to secure the area, but you should have a clear run to the base now". John looked around to Kyle, who pointed to some rubble and a lot of dead trees. "That's the base, I think it leads underground". John nodded and then looked to Bedell. "Bedell, take these men and secure the area down there, move quickly". Bedell nodded and immediately set to work. "Kyle, stay here". Kyle had already started after Bedell, but he moved back and knelt next to John, who held up his radio again. "Liz, you and Perry, get yourselves here now, once the areas secure, we're going in". There was a moments silence before Liz responded. "Okay, we're moving out now; we'll be there in ten minutes". She didn't sound enthusiastic at all about leaving the safety of the forward command post. John and Kyle moved down to the base slowly, and as he stood at the locked entrance, he saw how unimpressive it looked. It seemed to be noting more then a simple research base, but he knew better. John set to work on hacking to controls and opening the door, as Kyle pointed out they would need a nuclear bomb to blow the doors open.
Ten minutes later, Liz and Perry arrived. Perry looked pleased by the sudden turn of events, while Liz looked like she was going to throw up. "Connor, the machines are surrounding us again!" "Then send ours to stop them". John was paying more attention to getting the doors open then anything else. Liz walked past him and pressed her hand held PDA to the door. "John, the power levels are through the roof, and it's still growing". John knew that if he wanted to stop the machine going back in time altogether, he had to hurry. Crossing the final wires, the doors began to slowly open. "Perry, your staying out here, keep Skynet from retaking the area". Perry nodded and quickly turned and began directing the solders to move. John then turned to the rest of the group. "Liz, Bedell, Kyle, your with me". John then took a squad of ten solders and two reprogrammed machines with him as they entered the base. The two t eight hundreds led the way, their red eyes able to see better then anyone else could. Before they could take a few steps, they all heard a strange sound coming through the base. No one but John knew what it was; it was the time displacement equipment at work. John ran forwards towards the sound, which was coming from the corridor on his left.
John ran as fast as he could, closely followed by the others. There was a single room at the end and with out thinking, John threw himself in to it and forced it open. John was instantly staring down the barrels of two T eight hundreds. Before he could do anything, he was pushed to the floor. "Get down!" One of the reprogrammed machines moved itself to shield John and took the plasma shots for him. The other machine quickly took its place and exchanged fire, destroying the other machines quickly. Liz, Bedell and Kyle entered the room and Bedell helped John to his feet. "Connor, that's the last time we let you do that. If you don't calm down, you are going to get yourself killed". John ignored him, what he needed to do was far more important then his own life. There was a single door leading off from the room, and that's where the sound was coming from. "Get the door open, quickly!"
The other reprogrammed machine did as it was told and moved to the door. The machine reached out to grab the door, but as it touched it, the machine was thrown back to the floor by a massive electric shock, the door having been rigged. The machines red eyes ceased to glow as its circuitry was destroyed by the voltage. John, frustrated by the machine's failure, resisted the urge to punch the wall. "John, hold on, I think I can open the shutter". Liz moved from computer to computer before finding what she was looking for, the shutter open and showed them a circular room. In the centre, was the machine that haunted his mother's nightmares for years. The machine that looked identical to the one which was sent to protect him when he was just a kid looked up and stared at the group watching it. The sphere of blue light had already begun to form around it and with out warning, the machine knelt down and disappeared in a flash of light, nearly blinding John and the others.
After the light disappeared, John looked in to the room, sadness and regret filling him, because he knew what was going to happen next. The only sound in the room was Liz, who was muttering to herself as she worked on the computers. "John, it's been sent back to 1984. It's being sent to kill Sarah Connor, your mother!". "I know. Without her, I can never exist. The war would never happen because I wouldn't be there to start it". There was another long silence, before John turned around to face the group; he tried not to look at Kyle, who was standing to the back of the room. "I need someone to go back". There was another long silence and most of the group looked away. "I'll do it sir, I'll go back". He knew it was Kyle before he even opened his mouth. This time he looked up to Kyle, and could see that if he wanted to talk him out if it, he would be wasting his time. "Are you sure? Do you understand that there is no way back?". "Yes sir, I'll go back, and I'll protect her. I know the risk and I also know that if you're not here to lead us, we will never have a chance of winning this war". John gave a nod and took a deep breath, before turning to the other men in the room. "You all go and secure our way back out". They left quickly, holding their rifles tightly in their grip. Once they were gone, John next turned to Liz. "You've got the computers in front of you; get the machine ready to send Kyle back". "You can't be serious….".
"I am serious Liz, just do it." John then moved towards the door, back in to the corridor, and instructed Kyle to follow, leaving Liz and Bedell alone in the room. Once in the corridor, he turned to Kyle, thinking of a hundred ways to tell him who he was, that he was his father, but everything that came to him, sounded just as crazy as the last. "When you go back, find my mother and make sure she survives. She won't believe you and will think your crazy at first, but she'll come round eventually". Kyle nodded his head, and for the first time, he looked nervous. "I need you to give her a message for me; you'll know when the time comes to tell her". Kyle again nodded, "I will sir, I promise, what's the message?" "John closed his eyes and remembered the words of the message that Kyle gave him mother and his mother told him. "Thank you, Sarah, for your courage through the dark years. I can't help you with what you must soon face, except to say that the future is not set. You must be stronger than you imagine you can be. You must survive, or I will never exist". Kyle looked taken aback, so John repeated the message. He did so three times until Kyle could remember it word for word. Liz came in to the corridor, shaking her head.
"John, it's ready, but do you have to send Kyle back, can you send someone else?" John shook his head and Liz began to cry. "I'm going to miss you". She flung her arms around Kyle, who patted her gently on the back. They separated and Kyle then turned to John. "We've come a long way since we sat on out little hill in warehouse seventeen. Just promise me this John, keep fighting and don't stop until we've won". John held out his hand and shook his father's hand. "You have my word". Letting go of each others hand, John led them both back in to the room, where Bedell was waiting for them. Bedell and Kyle shook hands and said their goodbyes as Kyle stepped in to the circular room. "Kyle! Wait, your rifle, you can't take anything with you, the machine generates a living field so nothing dead will go". Kyle didn't understand what John had just said, and neither did Bedell or Liz, who just stared at him. Kyle then handed his plasma rifle over and moved in to the middle of the room, and waited for the inevitable to happen. John moved to the controls and saw the word, 'Execute' next to a red button. He looked up to Kyle and pressed the button. John, Liz and Bedell watched as the blue sphere slowly began to form around Kyle and with a flash of light, John saw Kyle disappear from view. When the light died down, John stared at the spot where his father had been standing, and a single tear fell down his face. John turned away and moved himself out of earshot of Liz and Bedell. Closing his eyes, he muttered two words, "Goodbye dad".
Half an hour later, John walked slowly back towards the Resistance forward command post. Bedell and Liz walked slowly behind him. There were no more sounds of battle around them, as Skynet withdrew its remaining machines from the area. The solders around him all cheered and shouted his name, but unlike their victory at Serrano Point, John didn't feel like celebrating. He walked straight in to the forwards command post and found a chair. Sitting down, he rested his head in his hands, and tried to come to terms with what had just happened. Kyle Reese, his father was now gone. He had met him and gotten to know him, just like his mother told him he would do, but now, he was gone, and this time, there was no looking forwards to seeing him again, as he was dead, both in the past and in the present. Everyone in the room seemed to sense his distress and left him alone to his thoughts. John could hear Bedell telling Perry what had happened. "John!" He heard Liz calling his name, and he slowly raised his head. She was holding her radio in her hand. "I think I know something which will cheer you up!" John shook his head, and felt a surge of anger at Liz, but resisted the urge to shout at her. He wanted to be left alone, now more then ever.
"Liz, just leave me alone, believe me, there's nothing in this world that can cheer me up right now". Liz ignored him and turned her radio on and everyone in the room fell silent, as the sound of a crying baby echoed through the room. John froze and stared at the radio and felt all his anger, hate and regret of losing his father leave him in an instant. "Dad? Dad, are you there?" John raised his shaking hand and took the radio from Liz, who stepped back and stared at him. "Allison? I'm here". John waited for a reply, and every second he did wait, felt like an eternity. "Dad, it's a boy, a beautiful boy, you've got a son and he looks just like you". John fixed his eyes on the floor, avoiding the smiling faces of those around him. He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. He was hearing his son crying. After all that time of thinking they could never have children of their own, they now had their own child. Half laughing and half crying himself, he held the radio back up. "I'm coming home; I'll be back as soon as possible". "Okay, dad, hurry up though, you've got to see him". John looked up to Liz, who had a large grin on her face. "I need to get back to Serrano point". "I'm already way ahead of you; you'll be on your way in five minutes". Liz quickly left the room and John sat back in his chair. Bedell stood next to him, and gave him a firm pat on the back. "Congratulations Connor".
The journey back to Serrano Point was the longest in John's life. In his eyes, the convoy was moving so slowly, it was like they were going a quarter of a mile an hour. Though that wasn't the case, the feeling was intoxicating for John, who tried to ignore the sounds of pain from the others on the convoy, most of them being wounded. He tried to pass the time by talking to them. Most had spend a long time harbouring a desire to meet the great John Connor, and he thought it would be better for him and them, to have someone to talk too, considering he didn't expect many of them to survive their wounds. Along the way, HK aerials and drones attacked the convoy constantly, but John and the others fought them off. As Serrano point finally came in to view, John gave a sigh of relief. The convoy stopped and John jumped out of the truck. He spotted Lauren and Allison amongst dozens of medics waiting for them. "Dad!" Allison threw herself at John, nearly throwing him to the ground. "Dad, mom's in aide station six, you better go and see her".
She kissed him on the cheek before running to help the wounded with Lauren. Lauren turned to him and gave him a wide smile as before he walked quickly down the ramp in to the power plant. He avoided the gazes of civilians as he passed them, not caring that he was still wearing full battle gear and holding his plasma rifle. John quickly found aide station six and stepped inside. All the beds were full, and everyone in them was asleep. There was only one medic in the room, and as he looked closer, he saw that it was Sidney. She spotted him and with out words, she pointed to the far end of the room, before checking the man in the nearest bed, checking his wounds. John walked quickly to the end of the room, where a single bed was hidden from view by a screen. John, taking a long deep breath, moved in to view and looked to the bed. Cameron was lying up against some pillows, and in her arms, was their son. She was gently rocking him from side to side as he slept. John moved forwards and Cameron looked up, a fixed smile on her face.
Neither of them said anything as John sat on the bed next to her and wrapped his arm around her. He looked down at his son, and he knew that other than his wife, he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. Words couldn't describe what he was feeling. "What are we going to call him?" John looked up to Cameron, who gave him an even bigger smile. "I've already named him". John froze slightly and opened his mouth to argue, but Cameron stopped him by kissing him passionately, taking both their breaths away. Breaking the kiss, Cameron turned back down to their son. "His name is Kyle. After his grandfather. Kyle John Connor". John couldn't help but smile and agree with her completely. "You don't know how much I love you right now". He pulled her in to another kiss, refusing to allow her any control over it. Breaking the kiss, Cameron couldn't help but give a small laugh. "I think I do know, because I love you, just the same". They both looked down to their son, and John reached out to his hand and touched Kyle's hand softly.
The sleeping child instantly gripped his father's finger firmly giving John a large smile. The whole day had been a huge mixture of emotion for John. He had one on hand just lost his father; he had sent him back through time to his death. The whole concept of his father being younger than himself and travelling back through time to protect his mother was mind blowing and enough to drive anyone insane. But John had remained strong and had not allowed himself to reveal the true nature of his relationship to Kyle as he knew that that information could have jeopardised the whole future of the human race and his own existence.
On the other had, here was his wife with his newborn son, the most amazing thing John had ever seen, now bearing the name of his grandfather, whom he would never know. John was torn with the devastation of the loss of Kyle Reese, his friend, his father and the elation of the impossible becoming possible with his wife presenting him with his son, Kyle John Conner. As John gazed adoringly at his son, Kyle sighed and opened an eye and looked directly at his father and John couldn't help but shed a tear of joy, for Kyle's eyes were brown, chocolate brown, like his mothers. Baby Kyle oblivious to everything, closed his eye and slept once more, under the loving gaze of his parents, John and Cameron.