She touched Sarah, who didn't flinch away, then gave John a smile that melted his heart.
"I'll be back," she said.
EPILOGUE
SKYNET'S WORLD
COLORADO
2029
Another freezing night—starless, moonless, like all the others. John and Juanita went one more time over the maps, set up on a table of trestles and boards in John's tent.
Tomorrow, they would cross the last line of mountains, into Skynet's territory, into the jaws of death. John expected to survive. If everything he knew was correct, they were still on target to defeat Skynet. He would live through that battle; in a sense, he had lived through it— that had been the word from the future. But what about Juanita? What about all the others? How many of them had to die?
Juanita was still a beautiful woman, with her dark hair, white teeth, strong features. He'd known her so long now: he remembered her as a child, as a long, skinny teenager, as a fierce warrior in her twenties. Had he always loved her? He could no longer remember. It felt like it had been forever.
Now she was talking about the war, the campaign, leaning over the table, pointing out routes and strategic points. "Juanita," he said.
His tone stopped her. She looked him in the eye. "John? What's wrong?"
Facing her, he put out both hands to take hers, looking for the words. He faltered. "Please. Tomorrow," The words wouldn't come. "Please, be very careful." He couldn't hold her eyes; he looked away. "Too many people have died..."
She stepped into his arms. "I know, John." She held him tightly, just for a moment, then stepped away. "I know. I'll be careful. You, too."
There was so much more he wanted to say, but that was all he could manage for now. For a long time, they simply looked at each other, neither willing to speak more.
They'd break through the defense grid, they'd penetrate Skynet's mountain. He had to send his father back in time. A terrible anticipation rolled in his stomach, tearing him. He wondered if they'd truly end it tomorrow. What other tricks did Skynet have in store? What might it know that he still didn't?
"Get some sleep, John," Juanita said finally. "There's a long day ahead of us."
"Juanita..."
"Yes...?"
He couldn't say it—not in so many words. "Just take care."
JOHN'S WORLD
COLORADO SPRINGS
AUGUST, 2001
Layton weighed it up. The outcome was hardly satisfactory The Connors had escaped. So had two of the Specialists from the future. The T-XA was gone. This was a setback. Losing the only working nanoprocessor was the least of it. Worst of all, Rosanna Monk had disappeared.
But there were consolations.
He rang Oscar Cruz on his cellphone. "I'm at the scene, Oscar," he said.
"And?" Oscar sounded excited, eager like a puppy. "What happened, Charles?"
Layton explained. Oscar was troubled, as might be ex-pected, but Layton stopped him. "It's not all bad news."
"No? Then give me the good news."
"We can act just as well without the T-XA. It might have been... inflexible."
"Yeah, I guess that might have been a problem.
"Yes." As Layton knew well, Oscar was a great believer in flexibility. "Skynet might be pleased overall, if it knew the outcome. We've lost the nanoprocessor, but we've made some gains-"
"What?"
"We have the body of a combat Specialist from the future. It will be full of useful technology. I'm sure Jack Reed will help us keep our hands on it."
"Good. What else?"
"We've found a small pool of programmable liquid metal. I want it reverse-engineered. That should keep your people busy.”
"Yes, Charles. Good." Oscar laughed quietly. "I'm sure you're right."
NORTHWEST OF CALEXICO, CALIFORNIA
In a sense, they'd lost. As Jade turned the Ford into Enrique's camp, John weighed it all up. Three of the Specialists were dead. Under pressure from the T-XA, they'd been less than thorough in the raid on Cyberdyne. Even if they'd destroyed the only working nanoprocessor, Cyberdyne must still have the design and other data. Somehow, someday, humankind seemed determined to create Skynet They'd only slowed it down, maybe not even by much.
What to do next? One thing: They had to contact Tarissa and Danny. After seeing Danny-the Danny of 2036-die, John just had to connect with them. Surely his mom would agree, not to mention Anton... and Jade.
It was daylight when they pulled up. Enrique came out to see them, Juanita tagging along. With them was someone new, a tough-looking woman with cropped white hair. She was nearly six feet tall, with a military bearing.
"Apparently this is a friend of yours," Enrique said. "You get around, don't you? All over the damned TV again."
"John Connor?" the woman said.
"Yes."
"My name is Eve. I've come from the future."
"That figures. Now what?"
"Which future?" Sarah said tiredly. "Or are they all the same?"
"I'm from 2029. A different reality from this."
"What?" John said. "2029?"
"I need to talk to you. We need your help. I warn you, however-I am a Terminator: Cyberdyne T-799 Cyborg Prototype Series."
The Eve Terminator appeared formidable, but it wasn't threatening them; not at the moment He looked at the others for support. If needed, Jade and Anton were probably its match.
"Who sent you?" John said.
The Terminator looked at him narrowly. "You did...."
The John Connor Chronicles continue in
Book 2: An Evil Hour,