Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

C.22

As they crested Soledad Pass and started down into the desert, Kate tried the dash-mounted cell phone again to see if she could get through to her father.

She got a dial tone, but after the first three numbers, the signal strength faded and dropped to zero.

Thirty seconds later it was back. She cleared the keypad and tried again. This time after only one number the phone received a series of squeals and warbling tones as if a computer were trying to connect with them.

It was frustrating to her. And frightening not only because of what might happen to her father if the T-X got to him first, but also because of the chaos in everything else that seemed to be going on.

Last night she would not have believed any of what she had gone through this morning was possible. Nor had it been conceivable to her that the world was on the brink of all-out nuclear war. Global thermonuclear war. The ultimate sword of Damocles.

Now she wasn't so sure of anything. Least of all her own senses. This had to be a dream. Yet she knew that it was not.

She broke the connection and replaced the cell phone on its bracket. "The whole cell network's down," she said.

She sat in the Winnebago's passenger seat. Terminator drove and John was at the dinette table in back putting fuses into blocks of C-4 explosive.

They were heading north out of the mountains, Edwards Air Force Base less than thirty miles away.

Terminator glanced at her. "Skynet is assuming control of global communications, in preparation for its attack," he said.

She was still having trouble buying into the entire scenario. But she had to ask the next question, no matter how crazy it sounded in her own ears.

"So — if this is a war between people and machines, why are you on our side?"

"The resistance captured me and reprogrammed my CPU," Terminator said blandly. He could have been discussing the weather. "I was originally designed for assassination missions."

Like the T-X model, Kate thought with a shudder. "Does that bother you now?"

"Remorse is a human concept based on the illusion of free will. It has no meaning to me."

"So you don't really care if this mission succeeds or not," Kate said. She looked back at Connor who was watching them. "If we get killed, would that mean anything to you?"

Terminator seemed to give her question serious consideration. "If you were to die, then I would become useless," he answered. "There would be no reason for me to exist."

Kate had to turn away, her eyes wanted to fill. "Thank you for doing this," she said softly.

"Your gratitude is not required," Terminator told her indifferently. "I am programmed to follow your commands."

Connor was suddenly very interested. "Her commands?" he asked.

Terminator glanced at his reflection in the inside mirror. "It was Katherine Brewster who had me reactivated and sent through the time displacement field."

Kate held up a hand. "What exactly am I in this future of yours?"

Terminator turned to her. "You are John Connor's spouse and second-in-command."

Kate was shocked, though she knew that she shouldn't be. Nothing should be surprising to her ever again. She turned back to take a good look at Connor. Her future husband, if Terminator could be believed.

"Don't look at me, it's not my idea," he told her. Kate continued to stare at him. She tried to remember what it had been like in Kripke's basement, making out with him. Although she remembered his face, she was fuzzy on the details of what exactly they had done. She shook her head slowly. "No way." Connor was obviously stung. "What?" "You're a mess," Kate told him. Connor shook his head and grinned wryly. "You're not exactly my type either," he said. He turned to Terminator. "Why didn't I send you back?" he asked.

"I am not authorized to answer your question."

"Right," Connor said. "You ask him," he told Kate.

"Why didn't he send you back?" Kate asked.

"He was dead," Terminator answered.

It was another hammer blow to Kate's already bruised emotions. Terminator seemed to be indifferent to the impact of what he had told them. To him it was just another dry bit of data. But Connor had been affected. That much was obvious.

"Oh, that sucks," he said, trying to make light of it.

"Humans inevitably die," Terminator said reasonably.

"Yeah, I know," Connor said. "How does it—" He shook his head. "Maybe I don't want to know."

"How does he die?" Kate asked.

"John Connor was terminated on July fourth, 2032," Terminator said. "I was selected for the emotional attachment he felt to my model number, due to his boyhood experiences. This aided in my infiltration."

"What are you saying?" Connor asked.

Terminator did not take his eyes off the road. "I killed you," he said.

"Edwards Air Force Base, this is LAPD helicopter, Nancy-one-zero-zero-niner, inbound. Request permission to land," T-X radioed.

Staff Sergeant Gloria Sanchez raised her binoculars and studied the sky to the west The helicopter was too low for radar. She spotted the dark blue LAPD chopper low out of the sun. She keyed her mike.

"LAPD, Nancy-one-zero-zero-niner, this is Edwards Control Tower. What can we do for you this afternoon?" "I'm probably on a wild goose chase, Edwards, but we're looking for a kidnapping suspect," T-X radioed pleasantly in a man's voice. She wore the dark blue jumpsuit and LAPD badge of Sergeant Ricco, the pilot. "The suspect may be headed out this way. I was wondering if I could talk to someone from security. I have photos. And you guys are about the only people I can raise right now." "We're having problems with our comms too, zero-niner. Stand by." She telephoned the OD at Base Security, Captain McManus.

"Have him set down on the flight line, in front of 2004," the captain said. "I'll send someone over to talk to him."

"Yes, sir," Sanchez said. She got on the radio. "Zero-niner, Edwards. You have permission to land. Pressure is two-niner-point-niner-seven. Winds out of zero-eight-five at eight knots."

"Roger that," T-X radioed. "Where would you like me to set down?"

"On the flight line, just east of the tower. We'll have someone with wands to show you where." "Much obliged," T-X said. "My pleasure, zero-niner."