Terminator: Kayden's Journey

On the Road

"Where are you taking me?" John asked as we got onto the highway.

"To a safe location." was the terminator's reply. I leaned my head back and sighed, slowly relaxing my muscles.

We continued on our way, getting out of the city limits and onto a lone, rather deserted stretch of road in the middle of nowhere with cactus and shrubbery littered the landscape and distant mountains lined the horizon. In all honesty, it brought up memories when I was traveling with mom when John was a small kid. They were good memories, one I'd rather remember all the time. It was quiet besides the engine and the tires rolling on the road.

Something hitting the back panel repeatedly ruined that and I couldn't help but sigh.

"All right, get off at the next exit." John told the terminator. "Let her out."

"Negative. Katherine Brewster must be protected."

"I thought I was the one they were after." John frowned.

"You could not be located so a T-X was sent back through time to eliminate your lieutenants."

"So, she's gonna be in the Resistance?" I couldn't believe that, not at all.

"No, no." John shook his head. "No, you shouldn't even exist. I mean, we took out Cyberdyne 9 years ago. We stopped Judgement Day."

"You only postponed it. Judgement Day is Inevitable."

"Fuck." I groaned, running a hand through my hair and than I paused. "Wait...I wasn't off the grid...why didn't she come after me?"

The terminator glanced at me before turning his eyes back onto the road. "I am not sure. You are the co-leader so it would be logical for her to go after you first, that is what I would do."

I nodded. "True."

He started to dig into his pocket. "I did went to your apartment, it would seem I came after you had left to go to Katherine Brewster."

He took out a folded piece of what looked like a photo and handed it to me. I unfolded it and, to my surprise, it was the picture that I had framed of me, John and mom on my bedside table.

"Wow, uh, thanks." I folded it back up and slipped it into my pocket. John glanced at the picture before I folded up up again and I could see his eyes sadden out of the corner of mine.

"I require a cutting tool." the machine suddenly stated and John fished into his pockets before producing a pocket knife and handed it over.

"Here, take the wheel." John did what he was told and I leaned so I could see what was going on.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I watched him pull up his shirt.

"I am powered by two hydrogen fuel cells. My primary cell was damaged by a plasma attack." The terminator started to cut into himself. "T-X is designed for extreme combat, driven by a plasma reactor and equipped with onward weapons. Its arsenal includes nanotechnological transjectors."

"Meaning?" asked John.

"It can control other machines." The machine ripped the chunk of flesh off and threw it outside. "Its body chassis is heavily armored and hardened to withstand external attack."

"You'll find a way to destroy her."

"Unlikely. I'm an obsolete design. T-X is faster, more powerful and more intelligent. It's far more effective killing machine."

"Oh, great. That's great."

"My presence in this timeline has been anticipated. T-X is designed to terminate other cybernetic organisms."

"So, she's an anti-terminator terminator?" John glanced over. "You've gotta be shitting me."

"No, I am not shitting you." the terminator threw something out of the door frame.

"Look John, he's already learning." I snickered and John gave me an exaggerated look as he let go of the wheel, letting the terminator start to steer again.

"I'm starting to wonder about you." he deadpanned.

Suddenly, there was an explosion behind us making the truck rock and I swear the back tires lifted up from the ground. Dust and dirt was in their air, floating into the truck.

"When ruptured, the fuel cells become unstable." the terminator supplied. "Relax."

"Let me out of here!" Kate shouted as she hit the back panel again.

"Relax!" our protector barked at her.

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We luckily came upon the gas station and the terminator pulled up to a pump before getting out and waking up to the entrance to the station and walked in. John and I got out next and John put a nozzle into the opening and we waited. Luckily, it seemed that Kate had quiet down and it didn't take long for our protector to walk out with a basket full of things compete with sunglasses.

He 'unlocked' the back doors to the truck and opened it. Kate came flying out and into the terminator, trying to beat his shoulders. He grabbed her while she was screaming at the top of her lungs and simply threw her back in.

"I think we better go." John advised as he jumped in the back. I quickly jumped up front with the terminator and we were out of the station and onto the road. We didn't talk that much while we drove, there was really nothing that I could think of to say. It felt like I knew him and yet I didn't, it was a rather weird feeling. I didn't know rather I should hug him or just shook his hand.

A sudden knocking sounded from the back and I opened the hatch.

"Tell her who we are." John ordered.

"John Connor and Kayden Connor are the leaders of the Worldwide Resistance and last hope of human kind." the terminator replied and I closed the hatch before settling back into my seat. I shifted and rubbed the scar on my bicep idly, my mind wondering.