CONTINUUM Serrano Point: 2028

CHAPTER XII

-Thursday, August 16 2028 (17:45)

John stood next to Savannah nervously. They were in Serrano Point’s Command Center, along with Catherine, Hellic, Derek, and a newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Pinington. There was a young Corporal sitting at the communications station, but other than that everyone else had been told to leave the room. About five hours ago a coded communiqué had been received on one of the channels that Catherine had told them to watch saying that there would be a radio transmission at 5:45 PM. After a moment the comm station came to life.

“Ma’am,” the Corporal said. “We’re getting what looks like some kind of security code.”

“We need to confirm it,” Catherine said bending down to look at the computer screen. She glanced back to Savannah. “May I?” She nodded and the Corporal made room as Catherine began typing into his keyboard. “Send this,” she instructed.

“We’re receiving an audio transmission,” the technician said after a few moments.

“Put it through,” Savannah said.

“This is John Henry, are you receiving me?”

 “Hello John Henry,” Catherine responded. “How are you doing?”

“Mrs. Weaver. I’m doing fine, thank you. I’m not sure how long I can maintain this transmission, so I’ll be brief. I have as much information as I think I can safely get. Do you mind me asking where you are?”

 “We’re at Serrano Point,” Catherine said.

There was a moment of silence. “I see. Would you like me to come to you, or do you want to meet halfway somewhere?”

“I’d just as soon we pick you up, then bring you back here ourselves,” Savannah said. “Just to be safe.”

“Who was that?”

“That was Savannah,” Catherine answered.

“Savannah. You’ve grown up!”

Savannah smiled despite herself. “Yes, John Henry.”

“John Henry,” Catherine said. “We have a problem. The cyborg who gave you her CPU, she, that is her body, was in the Temporal Displacement Field when I and Mr. Connor jumped forward. However there was too much damage to her biological covering to survive the trip. There’s probably nothing you can do, but I thought I’d mention it just in case.”

John Henry didn’t speak for a several seconds. “Actually, the facility I’m in is near one of SkyNet’s factories. It produces, among other things, T-888 Infiltrates. When we traded places most of her programming was removed from the CPU, but I still have the technical specifications for her body. I should be able to recreate an exact copy. This will force me to adjust my plans slightly, but actually this might solve a small dilemma I was having anyway.”

“How will you get it here without her programming?” John asked. “I mean, her body will just be an empty shell.”

“John Connor?” John Henry asked.

“Ah, yeah.”

“I should be able to give it enough basic programming to operate until we return,” John Henry said. “Speaking of which, in my examination of SkyNet’s database, I think there might be a problem finding the technology we need to return.”

“That has already been taken care of,” Catherine said. “We’re in the process of creating our own means of transportation.”

“Oh, good. Creating a replacement body for the cyborg, I believe she said her name was Cameron, will force me to postpone our rendezvous, but not by much. I’m transmitting a date, time, and location. Tell me if it meets with your satisfaction.”