Future War: I Came Across Time For You

Topsy Turvy

Kate noticed the change one morning as she and John had coffee in the situation room. It was usually deathly quiet in the halls this time of day, people venturing out only after night had fallen. It was almost like Deja Vue, a prickling of familiarity. As if she was used to hearing people talking, chatting warmly. Carefree. She’d looked up at John his strong features and scars unchanged, she flushes then admonishes herself. Since when did she gaze at John like some schoolgirl ogling a picture of her crush? Never, even when they’d first met their courtship had been based on mutual attraction and a shared goal of saving the world. There had been no time for gazing, and very little time for frivolity or playfulness.

At the moment though all she wants to do is climb in his lap ride him until they both collapse in a heap on the ground. Again, not a terribly uncommon occurrence between them, but certainly never where they can be seen. “Captain?” blinking Kate returns her eyes to the morning briefing reading off casualties…none. She looks back again to make sure she’s not seeing things “No casualties overnight” John scrunches his brows together “There’s got to be a mistake” she hands the file over and he reads for himself. No casualties.

She watches as John sits back in his chair a puzzled look on his face, he scratches his day old stubble which she’d scolded him for earlier, dropping the file to the table. There’s a knock on the door and John regains his composure “Come” it’s Tyler, he salutes and hands a folded piece of paper to the General before waiting patiently behind Kate. The sender wants a reply, probably a frontline commander. Maybe they’d had casualties but hadn’t been able to radio them in.

Flipping the paper over John quickly unfolds it. Whoever the author was seems to have studied origami in their spare time. That thought alone was immediately dismissed, there weren’t enough humans old enough to remember origami, or any other leisure activity. He’d learned with his mother long ago, they’d been in hiding in Brazil and she’d wanted to help keep his mind off having left yet another town, more friends, more stability.

When he sees the handwriting he nearly passes out—it’s not possible “Who sent this?” he demands standing in front of Tyler at his full height projecting his commanding presence without effort. He eases up as the young soldier swallows in fear “Commander…Commander Connor, sir” Kate stood up walking to John’s side.

“Commander Connor? Is this a joke?” she can see the pain in John’s eyes there had only been one Commander Connor. His mother. Even when he’d made it to full fledged General she’d outranked him, though she had been too ill to be at the front. After she died, out of respect for her memory the honorific of Commander was given to him and he'd retired the title from that point forward. She was the mother of the resistance, practically a superhero.

“I’m not in the mood for bullshit today Tyler, who gave you this note?”

“Sir, I was given this message by Commander Sarah Connor…your mother” Kate and John share a look before he finally scans the letters contents:

“General, please meet me in my quarters at 0800 for strategic command. You will give your acknowledgment of this message to Tyler”

John shivered, it certainly sounded like his mother. She’d been no nonsense for most of his adult life, even refusing to answer to “Mom” when they were in public. It’d hurt him, but he’d buried the pain with a million other things that did horrible shit to his psyche. Looking back at Kate briefly, John nods “Tell her we’ll be there” Tyler looks uncomfortable for a split second before carrying on “She said just you sir” Kate raises an eyebrow. She’d never interacted much with Sarah before she’d died, but she never took her as anything other than mission focused. At the time she and John hadn’t met or fallen for each other, but she could easily see why he’d be so reverent of her authority.