Derek had been dismissed after he had started shouting at the members of Command. The debriefing had started out well, but when he began discussing the losses to his company, Derek became enraged. Martin hadn't helped the situation as he too began shouting in a vain attempt to justify every action to Derek. It was Ellison who stepped in and defused the situation. Derek was told to find what was left of his unit, take a hot shower, find something hot to eat, and wait like everyone else. John's uncle didn't leave in a good mood, but he didn't press Command for any further explanation as to how the Machines had managed to cut the Resistance to shreds.
The girl in the middle had been introduced as Lauren Fields, chief medical officer. John had heard his mother mention the girl once before. Lauren had excused herself shortly after Derek had left the room. She told the room at large that she had to see to the General's health. That had been a while ago. The room had been filled with an awkward silence as John decided what he wanted to ask first. However, it wasn't John who broke the silence.
"John," Ellison leaned forward, his sue restricting ow far he could comfortably go. "We kept looking for you after you left with Mrs. Weever. When Judgment Day happened, we tried to organize and fight back. We are no John Connor, however. This body of generals have tried to do the job of a legend, and we have failed. The Machines have destroyed our forces. We are down to the last of our supplies, our munitions, our hope. We held out as long as we could. The end for us is soon."
Savannah was quick to back Ellison up. "You mother organized us as well as she could. Sadly, we lot the moral of the soldiers quickly. We had a few early successes but with the death of General Perry, and the recent defeats in the field, you are looking at the last of us."
"What are your orders, sir?" Martin asked from the corner where he was sitting.
"I don't know." John said softly. "I'm not that great leader that was prophecies about since my birth. I came here to find Cameron and bring her home. I didn't expect to find the world like this."
"I know John." Ellison stood up and walked around the table. As he did, he buttoned the top button of his suit. "I was there the day you left. I know why you left. Huh, we probably all would have done the same thing for a girl. Well, save for Savannah. I'm sure there are a few boys she would have done it for."
A slight laugh resinated from the people in the room. The smiles, however, quickly faded away.
"My point is that I know you didn't choose this life." Ellison continued. "It was forced upon you. Many of the great men of the Bible have a similar story. They were chosen by God for a greater purpose. Chosen to save his people. I believe you, like many others, were given the purpose of saving God's children. This is a task that only you can do."
"Give the Bible talk some rest, Ellison." Martin grunted. "We need something more than just empty words from a book. We need something flesh and blood. We need John Connor."
"They are both right, John." Savannah paused to pull a pager out of her pocket and look at it. "We have fought for years, many of our friends have died because of this war. We stood in your place, John. We have done the best we could, now…" She shrugged. 'Now, it is up to you. General, we would follow you into battle if you would just lead us." She turned to Ellison and said, "James, that was Lauren. She says she is ready for us now."
Ellison nodded. "Come on Martin, wouldn't want to keep those two waiting. John, we have a surprise for you."
"What is it?" John asked the trio of generals led him out of the room and deeper into the bunker.
"If we told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore." Savannah chuckled.
The deeper into the bunker they went, the less soldiers John saw and the more refugees. The hallway opened up into a massive room that was packed with men, women and children. Most just sat on the ground and tried to huddle around a small fire or stuff what little food they had into their mouths. Every single one of them was covered in mud and grim. Their skin was a pasty white from a lack of sunlight and their eyes had shrunken into their skulls. As a group of soldiers moved through them, they quickly moved out of the way and looked upon the TechCom personal with fear. Martin led Command through the refugees. When he reached the far side of the room he barked an order for a couple of soldiers to quickly open the door and let them through.
John was led into another hallway. This one had doors ever five or six feet. As they passed the rooms, John could see officers and sergeants talking inside them. Some of the conversations seemed heated.
"Our war rooms." Martin said without looking back. "Where our officers spend all day arguing about where our resources should go. This is why we are loosing, General. Our forces are so divided between themselves. We held them together as long as we could, but there is nothing uniting us. I—"
He was interrupted by a loud argument. In the room between John and Martin, two offers were shouting at each other. The younger, female shoved a man that was in his forties. He drew back his fist to attack. He never got the chance to throw the punch. Martin pulled him away from the woman and threw him into the wall.
"General Bedell, what the hell are you doing?" The man asked as he pushed himself to his feet. "Lieutenant Colonel Yeats as the start of this."
"Quiet, Colonel Bachman." Martin snapped. "I don't care who started it. The two of you are finished with this bickering."
Yeats shook her head. "I will not stand for this man's…"
Martin turned on her and pointed a finger in her face. "No! I'm finished listening to you. Every time I turn around, you are bickering about all sorts of things. The Machines have all but destroyed us and I blame the two of you more than I blame anyone else. So shut the hell up!"
Both officers began shouting at the same time. Martin started yelling as well before he drew his side arm and swung it around violently. John shook his head and looked at Savannah and Ellison. Both of them seemed unsure how to defuse the situation. Finally John stepped forward and gave a whistle. The sound echoed around the room and the three officers stopped and looked towards John.
"That is enough, from all of you!" John said loudly. "I have only been here for a few hours and already I am sick of listening to this. Why would you spend your energy screaming at each other when there are men, women, and children who are not a stone's throw away who need you. I mean, the survival of everyone is depended on you. If you can't come together, then we are all dead. I get it, you have suffered, you are scared, but if you continue to yell and scream we can all just lay down and die here and now."
The three of them stood there for a moment before they began looking from one to the other. Martin seemed ashamed, the others confused.
"General Bedell, who is this kid?" Colonel Bachman finally asked.
"His name," Martin said as he holstered his sidearm, "is General John Connor, Head of Command."
The two officers glanced at each other before stiffening to attention and saluting.
"That is better." John said. "I don't care how you do it, but work this out. We need each other. Like it or not, we are the last hope of humanity. We must put aside our differences and stand together. We are bound by honor to stand up for each other. If we neglect this duty, we are doomed. If you won't learn to work together for each other then do it for yourselves. Your best interest is to work together. Our only hope is if can do this. Please, for the all of our sakes, can you find a way to work together?"
"General Connor," Yeats licked her lips, "Colonel Bachman and I have never seen eye to eye. We both had different goals, and—"
"Do you both want to live?" John asked. "Do you both want to win this war?"
"Well, yes." Bachman said.
"Then you have the same goals. Either we stand together or we die alone. Those are our choices."
A silence filled the room. John looked at the two officer and then to Martin. Martin was smiling slightly and John nodded for him to leave the room. He and Martin left without saying another word. Ellison gave a toothy grin and gave John a pat on the back. Savannah threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug.
"Well done, John." Ellison said.
"John," Martin said as he gave Ellison a slight shove, "you truly are the answers to our prayers."
"Come on." Savannah said as she released John. "Lauren is waiting for us."
Martin nodded and then started back down the hallway. At the end of the hall, Martin pounded on a door. A second later, Lauren opened the iron door. She waved them in and then closed the door right behind them. John took a second to adjust to the slightly better lit room. Once he could see without squinting, John took in the room. It was bigger than any other room he had seen thus far. It looked like a bedroom. Against the far wall was what looked like an old hospital bed. Monitors and other medical equipment lined the walls. Laying in the bed was an old woman. She was weak and pale. Oxygen was pumped into her system through a tube that ran into her nose.
Tears ran down John's cheek as he reached forward and took his mother's hand in his own. Sarah Connor's eyes flickered and then opened. She stared at John for a bit before tears formed and flowed from them.
"John, oh, my John. I knew you would come back to me someday."
