Chapter 72

Derek

John and Cameron were out on their 'honeymoon'.

Everyone was glad they were out and alone together, well, almost alone.

Bob and Al shadowed John and Cameron, even though they didn't know it. They always stayed a few miles behind them so they wouldn't interfere with them, but they could get to John and Cameron quickly if needed.

John Henry placed trackers in both of their vehicles so he could keep them separated as he kept track of them. He knew John would be upset if he found out they were being followed. He was concerned John wouldn't see it as being 'protected', but as spied upon. He wasn't sure what Cameron's reaction would be. It most likely wouldn't be anything positive.

Events went on at the Resistance base. With Cameron's return, things seemed to pick up with everyone. There was a new positive attitude which they all felt.

John Henry sent out the word. He wanted everyone to be on the alert. It would be the 'window' soon for a scheduled TDE transfer time. It happened once a month. It was supposed to prevent any unnecessary anxiety on the part of the Resistance members when an energy bubble would occur in their TDE room. There wasn't a whole lot of time from the point an energy bubble was detected, until the transfer was completed.

Sarah, Kyle and Jim went to wait in the TDE room.

They were armed and ready for anything. Nothing happened for months in the TDE room. The task slipped into a boring ritual, it was one where nothing ever changed. Everyone slacked off a little when assigned to the duty. It was a common occurrence of those on repetitive guard duty or sentry duty.

This time it was different.

There was an arc of energy and a flash of light.

The team perked up. It was clear they were about to have incoming guests.

Sarah gripped her weapon a little tighter.

"It's going hot this time." Sarah said.

An energy bubble began to appear. The arcing and flashing was blinding.

There were three figures in the energy bubble, one was male and two were female.

Jim issued a note of caution. One of the 'females' was a Terminator.

"One female is a Terminator." Jim said. "She's active."

Jim covered her with the 'pig'.

The energy field quickly dissipated.

Kyle looked at the male and felt some shock at the recognition of who it was. It looked like it was his brother!

"Derek…." Kyle shouted.

Derek slowly stood.

Kyle handed him a robe.

Sarah handed the two females each one. She saw the Asian one was a real 'looker'. She could sense an instant 'attitude'. She knew of the trouble which seemed to follow her type. She wasn't too happy after looking at the two women, both were very sexy. She was even unhappier after one of them spoke.

"Thanks, love." The Hot Asian said.

Sarah immediately knew it was Jesse. Her hair was different from when she last saw Jesse. It would make the Jesse she encountered earlier, Future Jesse at this point. She also now spoke with an Australian accent, rather than an American one. The other female she thought was Riley at first. On a second look, she saw she was different. The new female Terminator was Hot. She knew beauty when she saw it. The new female Terminator was really 'built'. Everything was extremely well proportioned and incredibly alluring.

Derek shook off the time lag as he looked at his brother.

"Kyle!" The two brothers embraced.

It took the two humans on the TDE pad a moment to collect themselves.

Kyle wanted to introduce the woman who stood at his side. It was the woman they'd heard so much about in their future from John and Cameron.

"Derek, this is Sarah, Sarah Connor." Kyle said.

Derek did a double take. It wasn't what he expected. He saw Sarah was fit and trim. She was pretty and didn't look very old. Somehow he expected John's mother to look older, she didn't. She looked like a Resistance fighter. He knew she was a living legend. Here they were face to face.

"Sarah Connor?" Derek asked. "I thought John said she was his mother, not his sister."

Sarah blushed and Kyle smiled.

They were almost the same words Kyle used when he first met Sarah.

Kyle looked at Jesse. He wasn't too happy. He knew who she was. She always seemed to have trouble follow her. He really wondered why Derek even brought her. He hoped it was for more than the fact Jesse was 'good in bed'. It seemed to be something many men and women knew firsthand. He didn't want to be rude.

"Hello, Jesse." Kyle said evenly.

Jesse eyed Kyle as he greeted her. Her eyes lingered on him from head to toe, and back again.

"Hello, Kyle." Jesse said.

Sarah noticed Jesse looked at Kyle a little too long. It made her mood worse. She knew it was Jesse, well, Future Jesse who was responsible for Riley's death. It wasn't her only transgression either.

The beautiful blonde Terminator moved up behind Jesse and Derek.

Sarah looked at the beautiful blonde Terminator in detail. She looked like the 'perfect female'. It was the look every female wanted to have. Very few did. She wanted to remain in control.

"What's her story?" Sarah asked Derek.

The beautiful blonde Terminator addressed Sarah directly.

"I'm Unit 710." The female Terminator said.

Sarah waited for a further explanation. There was none.

"I can tell she's going to be really informative." Sarah said a little sarcastically.

Unit 710 said nothing else as she looked back at Sarah. Her face was blank.

Derek wanted to get down to business. There were some Resistance issues which needed to be dealt with.

"Kyle, I need to brief you on everything which has happened since you left." Derek said. "Where are John and John Henry at? I want them to hear everything as well."

Kyle pointed out a little snag to Derek's request.

"Everyone is here but John and Cameron, and their two Terminator chaperones." Kyle said.

Jesse heard of 'Cameron' from Derek. She knew 'Cameron' was a Terminator. It always seemed Derek was a little in awe as he spoke about her exploits. She didn't think any Terminator desired such high regard. She wondered if she would need to go out on an operation.

"Are they on a mission?" Jesse asked.

Sarah didn't like Jesse's tone or inference. She was aware Future Jesse was a 'Metal hater'. She wanted to find out where this version of Jesse stood. She decided to throw a few cards out and see how they landed.

"No. They're on their honeymoon." Sarah said as she looked coldly at Jesse.

A look of disgust flashed across Jesse's face. It took her a moment to think about what she just heard. She looked away from Sarah and glanced at Derek.

"They're on their honeymoon?" Jesse asked. "I thought you said Cameron was Metal, Derek."

Derek didn't see a problem. He knew Cameron saved him on more than one occasion. She saved Kyle as well. She was the one who took the risk and the damage to help them survive.

"She is." Derek said. "It sounds like congratulations are in order."

The look of disgust on Jesse's face turned to revulsion.

"Are you telling me John Connor has a 'Metal Whore'?" Jesse asked.

Sarah stepped forward and slapped Jesse across the face. She almost pulled her knife and held it to Jesse's throat. She wanted to do it real bad.

Jesse took the blow with barely a flinch. Beatings were nothing new to her. A slap was nothing. She'd been held in Scavenger camps before. Being held as a captive by Scavengers, slowly stripped the humanity out of her. The only thing which was left of 'her', was a raw hate filled individual.

Sarah was aware of what 'Future Jesse' did and orchestrated. The fact she killed Riley was something she couldn't get past. It seemed this version of 'Jesse' wasn't too far behind her lack of moral standards. She was really going to have to keep an eye on Jesse. The disrespect angered her more than she expected. It actually infuriated her. She wanted to set Jesse straight from the beginning. She also wanted Jesse to know she was someone who wouldn't be pushed around.

"If you talk about my son's wife like that again, you'll have a few more scars." Sarah said. "They'll be on your face this time."

Jesse touched her side through her robe when Sarah spoke. There was a massive scar there. It marred her otherwise perfect body. The mention of a new scar on her face, brought back old memories.

Derek didn't want things to turn sour in the first few minutes. It seemed to be where things were headed. He looked at Kyle and Sarah, and then turned his attention to Jesse.

"Everyone relax, we're all on the same team." Derek said. "I hope…."

Jesse wasn't one to be bullied by anyone. She rubbed her cheek and pulled open her bathrobe and exposed her firm, shapely nude figure. She didn't care for what Sarah Connor just told her. She wanted to make how she felt clear.

"Metal did this to me." Jesse said as she indicated a large scar. "I don't like Metal. I don't trust Metal. I don't like 'Metal Lovers'."

Kyle didn't want things to get out of hand. He wanted to make their position clear at the Resistance base.

"You're going to have to learn to adjust because we work hand in hand here." Kyle said. "Terminators save lives here. They do a lot to protect us as we face the threat from Skynet. We're all part of the same team."

Jesse saw it a little differently. She looked over at the female Terminator who arrived with them. She wondered who the hot blonde was for.

"Sounds more like everyone gets one to fuc…" Jesse started to say.

Jesse never got a chance to finish her sentence.

In a flash, Sarah hit Jesse square in the jaw with her fist. She knocked Jesse down.

Jesse didn't see it coming, and she'd been watching Sarah. She noted Sarah was fast and she was good. The blow she took was the same blow she would expect to receive from a man. She'd received plenty of them over the years.

Sarah thought about doing a 'follow up' on the 'corrective action'. She restrained herself for now. She really wanted to pull her knife. She stood over Jesse and looked down on her.

"I won't tell you again." Sarah cut in. "You need to watch your mouth."

Derek looked at Jesse, and then at Kyle and Sarah. He began to question himself about who he brought with him.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all." Derek said.

Derek and Kyle looked at each other. The two brothers were worried. Things looked like some 'bad blood' in the making.

Kyle wanted to move things along. It seemed the longer they stayed in the TDE room, the more tensions built. It was time to change the setting.

"Come on, Derek, Jesse, let's get you some clothes. Then you can fill us in on everything." Kyle said as he hoped to defuse the situation. "There must be a lot to catch up on."

Jesse looked up at Sarah from the floor. She was told Sarah Connor was as tough as they come. She was tough too. She was sure they would butt heads again soon. She could see Sarah wouldn't back down. She knew Sarah was well trained. She could also see Sarah was in top shape. She'd just learned Sarah didn't bluff. She needed to remember Sarah Connor was the one responsible for the creation of the Resistance. The story indicated she was fighting Terminators for years in the past with her son, John Connor. Most of it was done on her own. It was something to think about.

Sarah didn't like the fact Future Jesse killed Riley. This may be a different version of 'Jesse', but she looked like she was still the same problematic 'Bitch Whore' as the other one. She hoped Derek brought her to the past for a good reason other than to have sex with. She was sure Jesse and her were going to butt heads again soon. She would take whatever steps were necessary to protect her son and Cameron. If she needed to kill Jesse to do it, she would. She wasn't going to allow a repeat of what happened before.

John and Cameron stopped at several different places the last few days on their honeymoon. It was usually by the beach.

Cameron was very pleased to be able to spend so much time alone with John. She tried to make up for 'everything' in her absence over the last few months. She did whatever John wanted to do. It was what she wanted to do as well. She wasn't opposed to John being near the water, especially the ocean. He was able to use the ocean twice to escape from Skynet attacks, one of which involved a Terminator.

John liked to hear the wave's crash against the shore at night, and see the sunrise in the morning. It was nice to be out in the fresh air for a change. The confines of the Resistance bunker could weigh heavily upon one.

Cameron said she wanted to 'get away from it all' for a few days.

John wanted to take a scenic route for a while. Most of the roads along the coast had been supplemented with freeways of various types. There were still a few segments of the old roads.

They went up the coast. They took Route 1. They could drive for miles and not see a single building. There wasn't much traffic. Route 1 took about four times longer to traverse than Route 101, which paralleled it more inland. Long sections of Route 101 were signed as a freeway. There were sections where there was rural cross traffic.

Cameron always looked around and checked the mirrors. Even as she tried to 'get away from it all', she knew it was impossible. John needed to be protected. A threat could arise at any time, from anywhere. She spotted something behind them when they went around a curve on the coast.

"We have a tail." Cameron said as she glanced back.

John quickly glanced over at her.

Cameron's bare right foot hung out the passenger's side window.

John checked his rear view mirror.

"I see it. I bet they've been with us the whole time. It will be Bob and another Terminator." John said. "I don't know if it will be Jim or not."

Cameron looked over at John and smiled. She expected nothing less. John's safety was very important.

"We knew they would follow us." Cameron said.

Previously Cameron found the tracker but didn't disable it. She wanted help to find them if something happened to her. She wanted John protected. She didn't mention it to John at the time. She thought it would upset him.

John picked the twisty and curvy coast road for more than one reason. It wasn't just for the scenery. The scenery was spectacular. There was also another reason.

"They'll stay out of the way, but on this road, any tail is easy to spot. It's why we're on it." John said. "I can't get mad at them because I know they are looking out for me, for us."

John knew they were all worried about Cameron too. They all knew she was as important to the future as he was. They all saw what life was like without her. It affected ALL of them in the worst way.

Nobody wanted a repeat of what happened over the last few months.

Bob and Al shadowed John and Cameron. They tried to hang back and stay out of view. It seemed to work most of the time. The nature of the road they were currently on didn't allow for them to be as close as they'd gotten.

"Drop back, they are going to spot us." Al said.

Bob was sure Cameron glanced back towards them on a curve.

"Too late, Cameron already did." Bob said.

Al understood the layout of the road. It was full of twists and turns and at times it allowed one to look back, or ahead, a great distance from a higher elevation. A vehicle might be two or three miles behind the other vehicle, but because of the curves, it could be less than a mile away as the crow flies.

"I think it's why they took this road. They wanted to see who was following them." Al said.

Bob dropped back some more. He wondered what the use was at this point.

"We will stay back, unless there's any trouble." Bob replied.

He hoped the trouble wouldn't be with Cameron. She might be angry at being followed.

Derek filled the group in on the current status of what the Resistance, with the help of the Restorators, accomplished.

The others all thought it sounded very promising for the alternate future.

Derek neared the end of his report.

"It appears the last traces of Skynet have been obliterated." Derek said.

John Henry wanted to make things clear.

"Are you sure Skynet is defeated?" John Henry asked. "Is every bit of it eradicated?"

Derek looked at Jesse and nodded.

Jesse sat glaring at Sarah and Kyle. She hadn't said much.

"As best as we can tell it is." Derek said. "Every trace of it appears to gone from everywhere."

John Henry noted Derek hadn't said much about Mrs. Weaver towards the end of his report. It was time to find out why.

"What about Mrs. Weaver?" John Henry asked. "What has she been up to since Skynet's demise?"

Derek looked at Unit 710. She said nothing.

"She left months ago." Derek said.

John Henry looked very concerned. He wasn't sure he liked the direction things were headed. There was no indication she returned to the past, the present. It was possible she went into another future, her future.

"Where did she go?" John Henry asked.

Derek wasn't really sure what happened to her specifically. He only knew she'd left. She indicated she wanted to go to a different future. It was still a hard concept for him to grasp. He didn't believe she returned to the past, the present.

"She went into a divergent future, or another future." Derek said. "I don't know tech stuff."

It sounded like bad news to John Henry. He needed to know more. He was sure it was going to cause a problem with Cameron.

Unit 710 looked at the group assembled. She possessed additional information.

"I know technical details." Unit 710 spoke for the first time during the briefing.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Animal Instinct

What is the main Animal Instinct
It is to survive
To do whatever it takes
To stay alive

When it is time
They may seek a mate
They look for the strongest
The bravest is great

They search for food
Driven by the will to live
Adequate shelter is sought
No territory will they give

Driven by primitive forces within
They must coexist with others
They will sometimes however
Submit to become another's

It is how nature works
It is the call of the wild
They will do anything
To keep from being exiled

Nobody