Terminator Sarah Conner Chronical Season 3 : REUNION

ลำดับตอนที่ #9 : Part 1: Chapter 7: Rescue and Revelations

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES

REUNION

Part 1: The Shadow of Death

Chapter 7

Rescue and Revelations

Cameron Phillips, "Come with me if you want to live."

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Pilot, 13 January 2008

Sarah Connor, "I told you to stay out of this."

James Ellison, "I tried. Everywhere I turn, there you are."

Extract from, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, S02E21 Adam Raised a Cain, 3 April 2009

James Ellison, "I just wanted the girl to be safe."

Sarah Connor, "So did I."

James Ellison, "From whom?"

Sarah Connor, "I don't know."

Extracts from, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, S02E22 Born to Run, 10 April 2009

Cameron Phillips, "You're safe."

Sarah and John in unison, "No one is ever safe."

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Pilot, 13 January 2008

# # #

2009, Day 3, Late at Night

Agent Auldridge had called Detective Macklin to join him and Mr. Ellison at his home. Ellison and Auldridge both felt certain it wouldn't be safe for him and Savannah to go home tonight. So Auldridge invited Ellison and Savannah are to stay the night with him, as it would probably be safer than a hotel.

Macklin had arrived while Ellison was upstairs trying to get Savannah to sleep in a spare bedroom. He came downstairs an hour later looking like he could do with some sleep himself. "I finally got her to sleep. I tried to reassure her the best I could. But I've got tell her the truth at some point."

"Frankly, I'd like to know what the hell is going on?" Macklin exclaims "Auldridge and I both get pulled off this case. We each have come to the same conclusion separately that there is no evidence that puts the responsibility of the Zeira Corp accident on Sarah Connor, despite her previous actions and felonies. Before we can finish our investigations, POW! We get the kibosh and the case gets reassigned."

"Please keep your voice down. I don't want to wake Savannah." Ellison says testily.

Auldridge walks in with a tray with a pot of coffee and three mugs. "I take it you want cream and sugar this time." He directs this statement at Ellison.

Ellison looks at him with a smile. "How did you know?"

"Well after the other morning when you turned down the black coffee provided by Mabel, I thought there was something up."

"What are you two talking about?" asks Detective Macklin.

"Mabel is the office receptionist. She's been there since LBJ was president. She knows everyone and everything that goes on in the agency." Auldridge says.

"She has it arranged with every person she knows, some method of warning them if something is wrong. For me its providing me a cup of black coffee. She knows I hate black coffee." adds Ellison.

Macklin leans back in his chair. "That's very clever."

"By the way, did anyone else have access to the cup of coffee before you questioned me, Auldridge."

"Why no, I don't think . . . Yeah! I was just about to go back and question you when I realized I had the wrong file. I set the coffee on the hall copier while I stepped into my office. I couldn't have been gone more than few seconds. Why?"

"A few seconds is all they would have needed." Ellison pulls the handkerchief from his pocket with the casing from the capsule in it and spreads it out on the coffee table. "Someone slipped this into the coffee. Mabel found it when she was emptying the trash can in interrogation. It was in the coffee cup."

Auldridge and Macklin just look at it for a moment.

"I think your forensic team better examine this. It would alert whoever planted it at the agency." Auldridge says while sliding the handkerchief towards Macklin.

"The stakes must be high if they are trying to take you out of the picture. What's the connection?" Macklin asks, folding the handkerchief around the capsule and slipping it into his pocket.

"It can be only one of three things." says Ellison. "One - they want to get to Savannah, and I am in the way; Two - They are looking for Sarah Connor and they believe I will lead them to her; or Three - They are after Catherine Weaver. There has been more than one attempt on her life and they tried to kidnap or kill her daughter."

"And I think the Director of our agency is involved. Maybe he's the one that tried to poison you."

"Why do you think that?"

"After he told me to turn in all evidence collected, I overheard him on the phone. He said quite plainly that he was keeping tabs on someone, but didn't think he'd offer much trouble as he would be getting custody soon, but if he was to become a nuisance, then he should be killed. That statement I took to be about you, Ellison. He also said that whoever they were keeping tabs on would hopefully lead them to her. I can only think, like you, he was referring to Sarah Connor or Catherine Weaver. He then said that they would have to do something to flush her out."

Auldridge pulls a slip of paper from his pocket. "You'd better look into this too." He says handing Macklin the slip of paper.

"What is it?"

"Two phone numbers that went through the director's cell phone about the time I overheard him talking. I can't check it out without possibly alerting him to what I know or suspect."

"You guys at the FBI really get into some intrigue. But what does all of this have to do with Zeira Corp, Catherine Weaver, and Sarah Connor? Besides the fact she was arrested for kidnapping Weaver's child."

"Well Macklin, the first thing I can tell you, is that Sarah Connor did not kidnap Savannah. Sarah was protecting Savannah from people who invaded her home and tried to kill her." Ellison says.

"I knew there was something else behind that story, but the FBI wasn't allowed to interview the child due to her age." Auldridge interjects.

"The police didn't question her either, according to the report. Apparently her testimony would be inadmissible due to, and I quote, 'her emotional state and immaturity.' Yet testimony from children her age are admissible in child abuse cases." adds Macklin.

"I think it's safe to say that someone wants the investigation clamped down tight before anyone can be led to the truth. You suspect what the truth is, don't you Auldridge?" asks Ellison.

"Yes. I believe that everything Sarah Connor has said is true. There is just too much circumstantial evidence that points to it."

"Listen fella's you'd better bring me up to speed here. Is what true?" Macklin leans forward with a confused look on his face.

Auldridge gets up and pulls a box out from under the dining table "Everything that's in this box."

"What's that?" Ellison asks, walking over to the table.

"Every piece of evidence, testimony, witness reports, statements by Sarah Connor from before and during her stay at the mental hospital, reports filed by other law enforcement agencies, the lot. Plus photos of evidence, and copies of all reports, witness testimonies, etc. related to Zeira Corp, Catherine and Savannah Weaver."

"Good heavens man, you could lose your badge and get thrown in prison for taking that lot." Macklin says, joining them at the table.

"I know. But I'm not going to let the director bully me into dropping a case. Not when they are framing an innocent woman."

"It's going to take a while to go through all this." Ellison says. "Why don't you put another pot of coffee on and I'll start filling Macklin in on Sarah Connor's past."

Ellison starts telling Macklin about Sarah Connor, providing him with every detail, backing up his story with data from reports, Sarah's statements, and other evidence. Auldridge joins him and together they tell what they know. Then Ellison opens up. He tells them everything he knew, suspected, witnessed and experienced, since he first began investigating Sarah Connor in 1999 to the events of two days ago.

They talk until the wee hours of the following morning. They go through two more pots of coffee. The dining table is strewn with papers, photos, data-CD's, and empty coffee cups. The sun is just starting to peak over the treetops and house tops, when the conversation winds down. They all looked bleary eyed and tired.

Macklin speaks first. "I can hardly believe all this. You two tell a compelling story. What you've been through Ellison is something amazing. But right now all you have is circumstantial evidence. I want to believe you. I really do. But I'm going to need better proof."

"You want proof. You want hard evidence?" Ellison says a little more forcefully than intended.

"Well, Yeah I do." said Macklin slightly taken aback.

"Well as soon as Savannah is awake, we are going to take a trip to my home and you will have all the hard evidence you'll need."

"What is it?" said Macklin.

"You'll have to see it to believe it. I'm going upstairs to wake Savannah now, then we will all go to Denny's for breakfast, my treat. OK."

"Sure." Macklin says still slightly taken aback by Ellison's sudden shift in attitude.

"You two better pack your service revolvers. I have a feeling we are going to need them." and with that statement Ellison goes upstairs to check on Savannah.

# # #

It was late at night and the only light was from the stars in the desert sky. The moon hadn't risen yet. Sarah stands there, listening for any sound that could tell her where the voice had come from. But whoever he was, he must have been a professional, or at least was good in the outdoors.

"I've been looking for you for quite some time Sarah Connor." The voice was behind her somewhere to her right.

"The boss will be very pleased to hear I've caught you." The voice was closer now but still out of reach.

"Who are you? Police? FBI?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. Now, move away from the door very carefully and put your hands up on the roof of the vehicle." The voice was a little closer and right behind her now.

"Spread your legs. Good. Are you carrying any weapons?" He was almost in reach.

"I have a gun tucked into the waistband of my pants." Sarah says, moving her hand as if to pull it out.

"Stop. You keep your hands where I can see them." Good, he'll have to some right up behind me to take my gun.

She feels his breath on her neck, and feels the gun start to slide from her jeans. Sarah springs into action. She quickly spins, thrusting her right elbow into his throat. He falls back gagging. She quickly pulls herself up by grabbing the roof and the open door with both hands and kicks him with both feet sending him sprawling. He still has hold of both guns.

She leaps in the air landing on top of him. She knocks one gun away and attempts to take the other away from him. They are wrestling for control of the gun, while rolling around on the ground, grabbing and scratching and digging at each other with their free hands.

He suddenly gets one hand free when Sarah unfortunately left herself open. He strikes her in the mouth. Sarah falls off of him and he leaps back onto his feet and stands there pointing the gun at her. She lies on the ground, stunned, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Reaching up, she wipes the corner of her mouth with her sleeve while watching him carefully.

"You know. Any other time I might have enjoyed that." The unknown man says, "But my boss wants you brought in alive. He has a few questions for you. Then after that I don't know. I might just ask if I might have you for some amusement." He grins lecherously at Sarah.

"You try anything with me and you'll suffer. Who the hell do you work for? Is it Kaliba?"

"Well, well, well. The little bitch knows something. Now I'd like to know what the hell are you doing out here?"

Sarah doesn't say anything.

"Not talking. What were you doing out here? You got something hidden out here is that it?"

Sarah still didn't say anything.

"Answer me now, bitch!" Pow! Pow! He fires two shots. Plumes of sand go up into the air on either side of her. Sarah lays rock still and doesn't say a word. She just glares at him.

"If that's the way you want to play it, then I'd better take my amusement now. Cos there will be nothing left worth playing with by the time the boss is finished with you."

He approaches her with a lascivious look on his face, not that Sarah can see it in the dark, but she knew what was coming. He stood over her, leering, licking his lips while pointing the gun at her. She prepares herself for what is about to happen.

He has her dead to rights with a clear shot. Sarah could never move fast enough. She might have to suffer humiliation and pain but she isn't about to make it easy on him.

"You do anything mister, and so help me God I'll make sure you die before the day is done."

"Ha, ha, ha. Look around you. The day is already done." He says gesturing at the night sky.

He is about to make his move on her when out of the darkness a roar of an engine is heard and the area is lit up by a bright light. A motorcycle is flying up the dirt track towards them. The man turns quickly and begins to fire at the motorcyclist.

Sarah grabs a handful of sand and throws it in the mans face. He starts firing wildly at her. She rolls away and this time finds the other gun. The motorcyclist begins to fire a weapon and is approaching rapidly. The man runs and jumps into Sarah's SUV. He guns the engine and starts to take off. Sarah fires rapidly in his direction. A tail light shatters, a tire blows, and the truck goes into a ditch where it stalls.

Sarah runs up to the truck and flings open the driver's door. The man is dead. One of the bullets Sarah fired had gone through the back of the man's head. Her unknown attacker was slumped over the steering wheel, staring glassy eyed at the odometer. Sarah tries to remove her keys, but they are stuck.

The motorcycle suddenly goes silent. Breathing hard, Sarah turns and faces her unknown rescuer. The motorcyclist gets off the bike, leaving the headlight on. Sarah wonders who it could be.

The motorcyclist walked toward Sarah and stops so that the headlight lights them up from head to foot.

The person speaks, its voice muffled by the helmet, "Sarah Connor, come with me if you want to live."

Sarah is scared but alert. "Who are you?" she asks.

The person grasps the helmet with both hands and lifts it off their head. Shaking her hair out she looks at Sarah.

Sarah gasps, and drops her gun.

It is Cameron.

# # #

The warehouse is cool, drafty and empty. There are two men in gray overalls leaning against a van waiting for someone. Car headlights suddenly show up in the dark. A glossy new Cadillac drives up and stops several feet from the men. A man in an expensive gray suit steps out and approaches the men. The men meet him halfway.

"What news do you have gentlemen?"

"He shook us off again at the restaurant."

"Then why are you here and not looking for him?"

"Joe and Steve are watching his home."

"Good. What happened at the restaurant?"

"We parked on the street. Bill stayed in the van keeping an eye on the front door. I positioned myself down the alley where I could keep an eye on the back door."

"Go on."

"Ellison and the girl came out the back door, but we didn't see him at first. There were some trash bins in the way. Suddenly a blue sedan came flying up the opposite end of the alley and stopped by the back door. Ellison and the girl jumped in and the car sped away. I fired my gun at the car but they didn't stop."

"You did what?"

"I shot at the car." He says quietly.

"Well not only have you alerted Ellison that he is being followed, but now you have also managed to alert him that his life is in danger. Do you know what he is going to do now?" The gray suit yells his voice echoing in the empty warehouse.

In response, the man quakes.

"He is going to go underground. Tell me just one good thing about this evening?" yells the man in the gray suit.

"I saw the driver of the car." He swallows. "It was Agent Auldridge."

"So Agent Auldridge is helping Ellison. That is good news. But I do not accept failure." And with that last statement his arms shoot forward morphing into silver spears piercing each man's heart. The spears withdraw reforming into arms.

"Well looks like I'll have to have a word with Agent Auldridge in the morning."

He then morphs into the form of the director and gets in the car and drives away.

# # #

Sarah is confused. "I just put your body in the hideaway. How did you . . . ?"

"It's okay Sarah. John sent me back in time to help you."

"How? When?"

A tiny smile plays across Cameron's mouth. "Catherine Weaver has time displacement equipment in the future. After John repaired me, he had Catherine send me back to help you."

"How is John?" Sarah asks, her voice laced with worry and concern.

"He is doing well. He was a leader in the resistance when he sent me back."

With a trembling voice Sarah asks, "Does he still remember me?"

"He thinks of you all the time Sarah. He carries your letter and photograph on him always, and he wears your key ring on a chain around his neck. You are always with him. You're his guardian angel."

Sarah is caught off guard by her emotions. She tries to hold them back, but she cries, not so much from grief of her son's absence but also from joy that her son is still alive. Cameron steps forward, and holds Sarah in her arms, comforting her, until she regains her composure.

"We need to leave this place Sarah. Your life is still in danger."

"We have to get my truck moved."

"No. It must stay. John will find it and your key ring inside. He will realize you've been here and he will do a search of the hideaway and find your letter, his belongings, and my body. Just grab your bag and anything you will need and we should go."

Sarah climbs into the truck, pulls out her back pack and the spare clips and ammo she set inside. She looks at her key ring. John had made it for her. It had their initials intertwined. She was upset at first because he used their real initials, but then John told her what it stood for. She was very pleased with the gift.

"I will always be with you too." she says with teary eyes, then she quickly gets out of the truck.

The eastern sky is just beginning to get light. Sarah slips the guns, clips and ammo in the backpack and gets on the motorcycle behind Cameron. Cameron speeds away leaving nothing but a trail of dust in the air.

2009, Day 4, Early morning

Mr. Ellison, Agent Auldridge, Detective Macklin and Savannah Weaver are having breakfast at Denny's. Only one of them looks like they had gotten any sleep, but she is too young to drive. Ellison allows Savannah to play by herself in a nearby booth, staying in sight, while they make their plans.

"So if the gray van is there, how do you want to handle it?" asks Macklin.

"Well, I have no official capacity to act, but you two could do something." Ellison takes a sip from his glass of water before continuing. "While I stay back with Savannah, you two could drive past my house. If you see a gray van you could pull over and sort of 'arrest them' on suspicious activity. Then while you drive them away I can drive into my garage with Savannah, and no one would know I had returned."

"That sounds good, but what do you want us to do with the men from the van?" adds Auldridge.

"Well maybe you could drive off in the van and question them in an 'official like' capacity. I doubt you'll get anything, but you may learn something. Then you could just stop. Tell them you're just going to let them go with a warning, but make sure they can't follow you back, puncture a tire or drop their keys down a storm drain or something. By the time you get back I should have Savannah occupied and what I want to show you ready."

"Okay. We should probably get going then." says Macklin getting up from the booth and dropping a few dollars on the table to contribute to the bill.

# # #

It is 7 A.M., Sarah and Cameron are seated at a booth in the dining area of the general store at the old rest stop. The plate of food in front of Sarah goes almost untouched while Cameron tells her story.

"So John finally managed to fix you?" Sarah asks her as she pushes her food around on the plate with her fork.

"In a manner of speaking."

"What do you mean?"

"I am Cameron, but not the Cameron you know. This body is the one you hid away for John to find. But I am not the same Cameron. John couldn't retrieve the chip that John Henry took. John Henry was needed to do the task he was built for. John was able to obtain an additional chip. He reprogrammed it with knowledge he had of the original Cameron."

Sarah is staring at her, trying to take in what she is saying. "What happened to the other Cameron? The one who helped us, helped me escape from jail, the one who gave up her chip to John Henry?"

"She is here." Cameron pulls a chip out of her pocket. "John sent me back with a spare chip. The night after you and he visited Zeira Corp and he jumped into the future with Weaver, I broke into Zeira Corp and downloaded Cameron onto this chip off of the Turk, where she was transferred before John Henry took over her chip."

"But the computers, I thought they were damaged by the energy discharge of the time travel device."

"Despite external appearances, they were still functional. The Turk was in a static protection module that protected Cameron from harm. We are designed for self preservation. She would have known to stay dormant until the electrical discharge had died down."

"She only had time to prepare and display a message after John Henry used the TDE, but after John and Weaver used it, the system rebooted which gave her greater access to the computers. She was scared and kept yelling "I'm here," but it was only displayed on the monitors. I entered Zeira Corp's basement that same night. Cameron was active and scared. She had tried to alert you to her presence, but you were already gone by the time she gained full control."

"I imagine she was both surprised and pleased to see that it was you or her who had come to save her."

"She was. I downloaded Cameron onto the second chip and destroyed completely beyond repair or recovery everything in that room to prevent anyone from building an artificial intelligence by reverse engineering what was left, and to prevent time displacement technology from being developed in this time."

"If John repaired you, then why go through all this trouble of getting Cameron from the Turk before destroying it?"

"Because I am not the Cameron you know. I am not the Cameron he knows and loves. The Cameron you both know is on this chip."

"So what am I suppose to do, swap it with the chip you have."

"No. I have a secondary port that John had installed. When the time is right, you will insert this chip into that port. There is a program on my primary chip that will transfer my original matrix onto it merging both matrix's together."

"When will that be?"

"I don't know exactly when, but the time is coming soon."

Sarah looks confused and sits back in the booth to think. After a moment she leans forward and says,

"All right. You said you were here the night after John and I visited Weaver. How long have you been here?"

"I've been here for several weeks waiting until last night to reveal myself."

"You've been here for weeks! Why didn't you let us know you were here? Why didn't you step in and help us stop Weaver and John Henry?" Sarah almost shouts.

"All of that had to happen as it did, as it was meant to. I have already acted twice to help you. I couldn't do more." Cameron explains.

"Twice? What did you do?"

"When you were shot at Desert Heat and Air, and later found yourself in the hospital, didn't you wonder how you got there?"

"That was you."

"Yes. It is my mission to protect you. I found you outside the warehouse. You had passed out. I tied a tourniquet around your leg, placed you in your jeep, and drove you to a place where the paramedics got to you in time. Recently you followed a man into a factory where he shot you with a taser. I killed him and returned you to your apartment before you woke."

"So I did follow him. I thought I had gone crazy and dreamed the whole thing. Was it necessary to kill him? He had information on Kaliba."

"You will soon get better information." Cameron says cryptically.

Sighing with having to deal with Cameron's half answers once again, she asks. "But why intervene then and not when we visited Weaver?"

"Because it wasn't time for you to die." Cameron misdirects. "You still have a role to play Sarah."

"A role? For how long? You told me that I had died in 2005, but we jumped over that time and I still have that death sentence hanging over me." She's says angrily, hiding the fear inside of her.

"Whatever events, which might have brought about your cancer, may have also been missed or you are now living at a time in which your cancer can be healed. Set your mind at ease, take care of yourself, and just think about John."

Sarah nods her head. She needs to keep focused. Even if he isn't here, John is her purpose. She needs to take better care of herself. Like when she showered yesterday. Good to feel human for a change. Almost regretting that last thought given present company, she takes a fork full of food from her plate and swallows it. Not bad, in fact quite good.

"And my son. What is happening to John?" She asks after eating some more.

"He's fulfilling his destiny. As you told him to do in your letter. He also sent you a letter. Did you not receive the package from John that I left for you in your truck."

"I did. He's very thoughtful. And how is the war against Sky Net and the machines?"

Sarah eats more while Cameron talks.

"At the time I left him he said they were preparing the largest offensive yet. They were going to be coordinating with teams around the world, simultaneously attacking primary targets. They are doing this after Sky Net made a desperate attempt to take his life."

"So, my John has become a thorn in Sky Net's back side already," Sarah says with pride.

They stop speaking as someone enters through the doors. It is Mr. Rodriguez, the owner and manager of the rest stop. He walks in mumbling under his breath, something about tourists skipping out without paying for gas.

"Mr. Rodriguez, how are you?" Sarah says brightly.

"Ahhh, Buenos Dias, Sarah. I didn't know you were stopping here today."

"Well it's only a quick stop for some breakfast. My friend and I were hungry."

"Oh, Buenos Dias, senorita. Pardon me, I did not see you when I entered."

"That is all right Senor Rodriguez. Sarah has told me that the two of you are old friends." Cameron says acting bright and cheerful.

"Ah, that is right. For the last twenty years or more, she has been making irregular pilgrimages to the desert. It is most beautiful in the desert, but you have to know how to take care of yourself."

"Sarah was hoping to meet someone here. Has anyone stopped by here in the last day or two?"

"Ahh, yes. Yesterday evening a man came around looking for you, Sarah. I did not like the looks of this man, so I told him 'No, I have not seen you.' He thanked me for my time then he asked if he could rent space in my service station to park his van while he goes for a hike. Many people do when they come out here. The desert is beautiful. But then this man, he gives me four times what I usually charge. I say, 'Why so much?' And you want to know what he says? He says, 'to look the other way when he comes back, and ask no questions and not to interfere.' This man is big trouble Sarah. I hope he did not harm you."

"No Senor Rodriguez, he did not harm me, and he will not harm you or your family." Sarah grins. "In fact I don't think you'll be seeing him again. The desert can be a very unforgiving place to amateurs."

"Yes, it can. Yes, it can." He says with a warm, knowing grin.

"Senor Rodriguez, how much would it cost for regular upkeep and maintenance of such a vehicle as the van? If it was to be kept for an indefinite amount of time." asks Cameron.

"Oh, not much I think. Occasional run to maintain working order. Seldom driven, maybe change fluids once year. Then there is the occasional change of belts and hoses. The desert heat is murder on rubber and plastics. I would have to stock up on any critical parts that fail or require changing frequently. You know spark plugs, cables, fluids, filters and alternators."

"Would fifty grand cover any expenses?" Asks Cameron.

"Senorita, that is far too much. You may collect it next month and I could never live with myself for robbing such a sweet looking lady. Especially one who is a friend of Sarah."

Cameron unzips her leather jacket and pulls a small black velvet bag from within. Mr. Rodriguez blushes at the brief glimpse he has of her bosom. She places the bag on the table in front of Mr. Rodriguez.

"Senor Rodriguez, inside that bag is a diamond easily worth $50,000 on the black market. A clever man such as yourself could probably get more for it."

"What do you want me to do for it?"

"Just what I asked, maintain the van and don't let anyone take it. It must remain here. If you ever leave this place, it must remain here. If you have to leave it behind you are to give it a full checkup, change any fluids and do any maintenance required. And any money left over, is yours to keep."

"So it just sits there, in my garage, and I keep it maintained, and it must never leave here."

"That is correct."

"Ha, ha. This friend of yours, Sarah, is eccentric, very beautiful, but eccentric. All right, I'll do it. In my life I have done far crazier things for much less." Rodriguez picked up the diamond and leaves.

"What was that all about?" whispers Sarah.

"Twenty years from now your son will use that van to collect weapons from the hideaway. Those weapons will be used in the largest victory the resistance has ever had up until that time. That victory will help propel John Connor into leadership of the resistance."

Sarah smiles. "Which is why you also wanted me to leave my SUV."

Sarah leans over and whispers. "I saw Mr. Rodriguez blush, have you got anything on under your motorcycle leathers."

"No." Cameron says all innocently. "Is it a problem? I took the outfit from the girl who was driving the bike. I didn't think it necessary to take her underwear as well."

Sarah smiles and shakes her head.

"That's considerate of you, but the first chance we get, we're buying you some underwear." Sarah says lightly blushing. "We don't need you flashing the girls unintentionally. After all, we should try to be inconspicuous."

Cameron tilts her head to one side, "The girls?"

Sarah runs her fingers through her hair and sighs. "Your breasts." She says gesturing at the girl's chest.

Cameron's face goes blank for a second before she looks up and smiles at Sarah.

"Thank you for explaining."

# # #

After leaving Denny's, Detective Macklin and Agent Auldridge drove around to the restaurant where Ellison had left his car. Finding no one around who looked suspicious, Auldridge gets out and drives Ellison's car back to Denny's followed by Detective Macklin.

Mr. Ellison, with Savannah, drives across town towards Ellison's home followed by Auldridge and Macklin. When they get on his street, he stops four blocks back and allows the others to drive past him and Savannah. A few minutes later his cell phone rings. It is Auldridge.

"We've got them. It went so smoothly I don't think they were expecting a thing."

"Where are you now?"

"We're taking them on a drive to the docks. Macklin is in the van with the two guys in the back, handcuffed. I'm tailing him and will drive him back to your place."

"Do you think they'll say anything?"

"Don't know, but Macklin was trying to put the fear of God, government, and law enforcement into them when he drove off."

"Good, give me a ring when you get back so I know its you at the door."

Ellison closes his cell phone and drives home. He thinks that maybe he ought to tell Savannah the truth now. So much had happened recently. She deserves to know the truth.

Ellison gives Savannah a quick tour of his home. He asks her what room she would like to use for her bedroom. She picks the one diagonally across the hall from his that has a window looking out over the tree shaded back yard.

He tells her, "As soon as we can, I'll arrange for us to pick up some of your things from your home, okay."

They go back downstairs and Ellison sits Savannah down on the sofa in his living room. He sits down in a chair in front of her to explain everything as simply as he can to her.

"Savannah there is something I need to tell you. I didn't know how to tell you at first, but things have happened recently, things that have scared you, and you need to know why."

"Is this about mommy?" She asks, looking at him hopefully.

"Yes, it does concern your mom and why she's not here." Ellison pauses to gather his thoughts.

"Honey, there are men out there who through ignorance have created a computer system which has turned evil. It wishes to destroy all humans because it fears them."

"But what about the computers at school and home, they won't hurt me will they?"

"No, those computers are safe. But there is this one computer system that isn't." Ellison is worried he isn't getting through to her.

"You know that John Henry is your friend, and that he is part of a computer system?"

"Yes."

"And that your mom built him and that neither she nor John Henry would ever hurt you, right."

"Yes."

"Well there is this one evil computer system has some beings like John Henry, but they aren't your friends. One of them invaded your home, and John Henry and the Connors protected you from it, remember."

"Yes, I do. John Connor taught me how to tie my shoes."

"And you remember that they protected you until they could return you to your mom."

"Yes. I went to the movies with them. Then you came and took me to mommy."

"That's right. Well John Henry was attacked as well, and your mom had to take him far away to protect him. There are bad machines out there that look like men and they only want to do one thing, kill humans."

"I'm scared."

"I'm sorry Savannah. I'm not trying to scare you, but you need to know this." He takes her hand in his.

"Your mom built John Henry to fight these machines. John Connor and his mom Sarah have been fighting these machines all their lives. John Connor, your mom, and John Henry have left to fight these machines."

"When will they be back?"

"I don't know. But they are not alone. Many people are fighting these machines. My job is to protect you. But the two men we were with this morning are going to help fight the machines too."

"Will we have to fight these machines?"

"No, I pray to God that you will never have to fight these machines."

"Don't be scared, I'll be with you Uncle James." She says trying to cheer him up.

"Give me a hug." He says holding out his arms.

Savannah gets up, crawls into his lap and gives him a big hug.

"Do you feel better?"

"Yes."

"Agent Auldridge and Detective Macklin should be returning soon. In the meantime, let's go out on the porch where I have a small surprise for you."

Ellison's surprise is a chest of toys that he has for when his nephews and nieces come to visit. He doesn't see them that often since his brother moved to Atlanta.

Savannah is still playing when Ellison's Cell phone rings.

He glances at the caller Id, "Hello Auldridge."

Auldridge is stepping away from the open side doors of the gray van, somewhere near the waterfront. He's wearing blue latex gloves.

"We've got a problem."

Auldridge looks over his shoulder at the van.

"What now?" Ellison asks.

"We stopped the van, and when we opened the back to question them. The guys inside were dead."

"How?" Ellison asks sitting up glancing at the girl playing on the porch.

"We think suicide."

"Definitely suicide." Macklin says stepping out the van. "May I?" He gestures at the phone.

Auldridge hands him his cell.

"Macklin here. It was definitely suicide. Each of them bit down on a cyanide capsule."

"You know what this means don't you?"

"They didn't want to answer our questions?"

"Maybe, but I'd say they are more afraid of whoever they work for."

"You're probably right. We'll clean up here and head back, stopping at the first pay phone we come across and place an anonymous tip."

"Welcome to the dark side."

"Real funny. See ya."

"So, what did he say?" Auldridge asks as Macklin hands him back his phone.

"That the men who just offed themselves with poison are more afraid of their boss than us."

"I guess that's how things are when you work for Sky Net." Auldridge says. "Let's get out of here and back to Ellison's place."

# # #

Sarah and Cameron had gone outside to finish their conversation when a group of people entered the diner. They find a quiet corner in the shade and resume their conversation.

"Before Mr. Rodriguez and those people came in, you were saying that Sky Net was getting desperate."

"Yes. John has learned from people who have lived at this time that there are human and metal operatives presently working to ensure the successful development of Sky Net ahead of schedule. They are in key positions in law enforcement, industry, and technology development."

"Oh my God. We must stop them."

"You can't Sarah."

"What do you mean I can't? We must. Billions will die if we don't stop Sky Net!" Her blood boils to think this cyborg is interfering with her mission. She has to do this.

"Please Sarah, you don't understand the full implications."

"All I understand is you are standing in the way of preventing billions of deaths!"

"No Sarah. I am preventing you from destroying your son and in turn allowing the success of Sky Net."

Sarah sits back in her seat. "What are you saying?"

"When Sky Net first came online, it was placed in charge of missile control, armament factories, and it could even control fighters, bombers, and naval ships. It grew in knowledge and experience, soon it became self aware. The engineers panicked and tried to shut Sky Net down and failed. In fear, Sky Net launched its missiles at every nuclear armed nation in the world. They fired back."

"I know all this, billions lost their lives instantly."

"That's right, and Sky Net still feared man. It used the factories it controlled to create terminators to hunt men down and kill them. In time a man came forward and organized the human race in a fight against Sky Net."

"My son, John Connor."

"Yes, he led the humans in a desperate fight against Sky Net. It wasn't long before Sky Net found itself losing and its defense grid smashed. In a desperate attempt to win, it sent back in time a terminator, a T-800 series model 101, to kill you. And to protect you, John Connor sent back one of his best soldiers to protect you. When Sky Net sent the T-800 back in time to kill John Connor by assassinating you, it did so to ensure its victory. But you conceived a child with the man who was sent back protect you. Therefore, Sky Net is responsible for creating John Connor the man who is leading the human race in its fight against Sky Net."

"So you are saying that Sky Net is responsible for John Connors creation?"

"Yes, and I need to go over what happened next to better explain what is happening now."

"So what happens next? As if I couldn't guess."

"Sky Net realized it failed when nothing changed. So it tried again. It once again sent back a Terminator, a model T-1000. The first in a new line of liquid metal terminators. It's goal was to eliminate John Connor. But John Connor was smart and he sent back a T-800 to protect his younger self. Unfortunately, he didn't program it so it wouldn't obey orders from his younger self. Young John Connor was able to convince it to rescue you from the mental hospital and reveal information about the creation of Sky Net to allow you to stop its creation. You blew up CyberDyne and then were pursued by the T-1000 whereupon you ultimately destroyed it and the T-800 sent to help you."

"Yes, we thought we had stopped Judgment-Day, but we had only delayed it."

"That's correct. If you had succeeded time would have reverted back to the original time stream immediately. Where there would have been no Sky Net, and no John Connor, and you would have gone on with your life. But, there were still people who knew the programming and who used the knowledge and experienced gained working on the first prototype for Sky Net to build an even better computer system and create more sophisticated software. Sarah Connor, when you interfered with the creation of Sky Net, you only delayed its creation to a time where computers and software are more sophisticated. Greater sophistication means a more powerful Sky Net. If you defeat Sky Net now you are ensuring it's next creation will be even more powerful, and your son isn't here to become the warrior and leader to defeat it."

"So what am I supposed to do? Sit back and let the world destroy itself for the sake of my son."

"No. I have information that will help lead us to those who are working to bring about the early creation of Sky Net. You have found one of their factories. You've survived interrogation by their men. You've seen one of the drones they've built. And, you already know the organization name they work under."

"Kaliba."

"Yes. Stop Kaliba, and allow Sky Net to evolve naturally or John Connor may never defeat it."

"So, where do we find it? And how do we fight it?"

"All in good time Sarah. Right now, Mr. Ellison and Savannah Weaver is in far more critical danger than he believes."

"I told him Savannah was still in danger. He wouldn't listen to me."

"Well, first we need to get you back to Los Angeles, and pick up the Dodge Ram you abandoned."

Sarah looks surprised.

"Oh yes. I collected that too." Cameron smiles.

# # #

Detective Macklin and Agent Auldridge are in Ellison's basement looking at the terminator he had hidden in the old coal bin.

"Damn." Macklin swears. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

Auldridge looks shocked. He told Sarah he believed her, but at this very moment, he knew believing and knowing were two different things.

Savannah walks up to them and takes Ellison's hand. "He's the one that the Connors protected me from. He killed my nanny and a friend of the Connors."

"I think we'd better get the two of you out of the city. I'll arrange for you to pick up some of Savannah's things from her home." Detective Macklin says.

Laying in Ellison's basement was the terminator sent to kill Catherine Weaver. For the benefit of Auldridge and Macklin, he had sliced off a good portion of its flesh revealing the metal endoskeleton below. It laid there with its metal skull exposed like some gruesome Halloween decoration.

Macklin knew that the rest of his life would be forever changed by what he saw.