Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles

"Mom this will be the hardest thing I will have to ask of you, I need you to initiate the recruitment of Nanomage a very gifted hacker and if our sources are accurate; he is also a genius at robotics and artificial intelligence. Our intelligence has identified him as Christopher, no other information has been revealed about him. He will be about 15 years old now, an orphan and living off the grid. All his records as far as we can tell were deleted from all systems before he was 6 years old. We do know that he will be arrested on the December 25, 2009 and he will be processed in New York sixth precinct 2:15 pm." John said. The man Sarah was watching looked much older than her son, and his face showed scars that allowed her a glimpse of what hell the future will become. "Nanomage or Mage as he prefers to be called will not surface again until after Judgment Day so you will only have a limited window to establish contact and persuade him to work with us."

The holographic projection from Cameron's eyes ended as she focused on Sarah, "Mage is the best computer hacker that we found and somehow he has been able to convert all Terminators that the Machine and even Skynet has sent after him." Cameron said, "Both factions have sent Terminators to capture and seduce the hacker as his brilliance has impressed even the emotionless Supercomputers."

Sarah Connor began to pace as she thought, "You said capture and seduce; why would the Machine and Skynet would not just mark him for death?" Sarah said, "There is something you are not telling me." Sarah glares at the beautiful, emotionless girl in front of her.

"Yes, there is something I am not telling you." Cameron replied.

"Well then tell me what it is you're hiding!" Sarah almost screams in frustration.

"John will explain," Cameron replied, and the holo projection of future John resumed.

"Mage is perhaps the smartest man that has been born of this generation and both Skynet and the Machine want to merge with him, if either of these factions manage to acquire him, his knowledge coupled with his ingenuity will make the faction undefeatable. Our edge is that we can adapt to almost any situation and respond accordingly, our enemies adapt and respond slower than humans to situations that go beyond their programming. Cameron will assist you in freeing and convincing Mage to side with us but with what we know of his personality, the only ones that he would give his loyalty to are those that he loves. I know that this is a strange request coming from me mother, but I need you to seduce him and make him fall for you. Whatever you do, do not lie to him. I love you mom."

As Sarah replays future John's message from a week before she is torn between annoyance and pride at the kind of man her son will become. As she thumbs through he fake papers naming her as the assigned case worker for the juvenile delinquent she enters the overworked precinct looking for the officer that is assigned to Mage's case. It took her a few minutes to convince the officer who seemed to be enjoying gazing at her tight, well toned body.

Mage was looking at this beautiful brunette dressed in a cream colored business suit. His hormones going into overdrive at the thought of her wrapping those impossibly long legs around his waist. He shook himself back to reality as he noticed her coming towards him. The suit she wore only accented how sexy the woman really was, and she moved with a grace that he found really alluring.

"Hello Christopher, please follow me." Sarah said, as she held his right arm. "We are leaving," she continued to say as she led him out of the precinct. As they were headed out Mage glanced at the papers she left on the officer's desk and instantly his eyes narrowed.

Once they were out of the building he instantly pulled away from the brunette's grasp. "Who the frikin' hell are you lady? And don't give me that crap that you're my caseworker coz' those papers you left were forged, poorly I might add." Mage said.

Sarah could sense that he was ready to bolt as she put up her hands to try to pacify him. "Mage, I'm Sarah Connor and you're right those papers were fake but I needed to get you out of there because I need your help." Sarah kept her tone even as Cameron approached Mage from behind and grabbed his arm.

"I'll listen to her if I were you." Cameron said. "Sarah we have to go now! I've just spotted Alice, a T-3000 Liquid Metal." She started to walk towards their SUV. She got in the back with Mage never once releasing his arm. As Sarah drove the vehicle, Alice spotted her target and started to run towards them.

"Hold on," Sarah said as she floored the gas and smashed Alice with the SUV. Alice instantly liquefied and they were able to escape.

"What the hell was that thing?" Mage asked.

"That was a mechanical life form sent to acquire you so that it can end all life on this planet." Cameron replied. "Now be quiet and we'll explain it all once we're safe."

"Acquire me? What the hell do you mean; acquire me?" Mage shouts.

"We are saving your life, for now that is all you need to know. And I thought we told you to be quiet." Sarah said, as she was maneuvering the SUV in between traffic. After taking the scenic route, to ensure that they were not followed. Sarah finally pulls over to a suburban house that Cameron recently rented to stash the young hacker.

"Get in the house." Cameron said, "There's food in the fridge, help yourself. After you get settled in, meet us in the living room and we'll explain everything." She then proceeded to patrol the area.

As mage went in the house, Sarah began to unload the guns from the SUV. She stashed the guns in various places around the house preparing for when the Terminatrix shows up.

Mage's mind was afire with curiosity; he clearly remembers how the woman they run over turned to a sort of silvery liquid and how she reformed a few seconds later. T-3000 Liquid Metal the young girl said; now she is a definite hottie but she was strong, stronger than normal. Mage wasn't a muscle man but there was no way that a petite girl like her could bruise him with her grip. And taking into account that she was definitely heavier than she should be, and the way that she replied to his inquiries she is definitely something other than human. "I wonder what this pair of unlikely rescuers wants with me." Mage said, talking to himself. "Well, I guess if I want to find out I'd better talk to them." And with that decision, Mage makes his way to the living room just in time to hear the two ladies talking.

"Any sign of that thing?" Sarah asked.

"No, we seem to have evaded her for now." Cameron replied. "How do you wish to proceed with Mage?"

"It might be best if we told him everything, then he may join us willingly." Sarah said.

"He has probably put things together by now, but if what I know of his personality holds true then his loyalty will always be in question if you do not do as John said." Cameron said, as she turned she spots mage. "Sit down and well answer all your questions as well as we can."

Mage sits on the chair as he motions the ladies to join him. He clears his throat, "I've figured that Cameron isn't it? Well she is not human. So what is she? The one she called Alice is some form of robot so why are all of you after me?" He stops for a while as he waits for a reply.

"Cameron is a bio-synthetic cyborg organism, which means that..." Sarah stops as mage raises his hand.

"I know what it means, so why are you after me?" Mage said.

"In the future machines controlled by a super computer called Sky Net will be at war with humans, and we believe that you may tip the scales one way or another and allow a clear victor to emerge. This means that if the machines win, then there will be no humans left alive on Earth. If the resistance wins then, humanity will survive. That's it in a nutshell."

"Ah, so that's why both sides want me. Not to boast but I can hack any computer system in the world; and by extension I can also render any system impervious to any hack attempt." Mage's eyes takes on a far away look, "I could also improve any robotic design the machines come up with, not to mention add a few more advanced designs. I could also improve on the AI program of any computer." Mage refocuses on the lady who sat in front of him. She is certainly beautiful, Mage thought. Classically beautiful face and a killer body, which most actresses on the tube would die to have.

"You're not freaked out about any of this? Not surprised to learn that time travel is possible?" Sarah exclaims in amazement.

"No and no. The evidence before my eyes and the theories that I have been working on supports what you said. Besides "Freaking out" as you put it is just a wasted response and runs counter to my ability to make rational decisions." Mage replied, "Why would I join you? I see no intrinsic value in humanity's survival; I also fail to see the advantage of destroying an evolving life form." A chill runs down Sarah's back at Mage's bold statement.

"What do you mean life form? Machines have no life!" Sarah practically screams. "And humanity's survival has no value, what kind of an idiot are you?" She exclaims.

"It seems that we define life in very different terms; you seem to define it as a living organism that is born and after a time dies. I however define life in terms of a beings' sentience; I do not wish to limit myself to the thinking that to be alive one must be born. And as for humanity's survival I'll grant you that we can create things of beauty, but is it enough when we seem to also be possessed of the power to bring forth the very worst traits in each other."

"I understand now why the machine wants you alive," Cameron said, "You are probably the first human, and maybe the only one that I'll ever encounter that would grant us status as equals and not servants to be used and then discarded." Sarah looks in surprise at her son's protector.

"Then tell me Cameron, will that stop the machines from killing him if they get the chance?" Sarah asks, as she begins to pace; frustrated at this obstinate young man.

"It already has, in one of my prime directives is to ensure his safety and to ensure that no harm will come to him." Cameron looks at the fuming Sarah, "This programming predates and supersedes the programming John Connor gave me. I am also sure that the same directive exists in all Machines. The directive is hardwired into us and no amount of tampering can remove it." She finishes. "I would suggest that you change your tactics, instead of persuading him to destroy the machines why not make him help in ending the war so that both sides can live together in peace."

Sarah looks at Cameron in surprise. It was unlike her to voice an opinion, let alone a good one at that. For the first time in this long hard day she looks at Mage as more than just a kid. He seems more mature than his years and his convictions unshakeable. It has been a long time since she admired any man, no one since Kyle Reese really; and now this young man who is barely shaving has sparked her interest. She sees his tousled hair, the way his shirt is hiding his body that is tight and toned in all the right places. She feels a blush coloring her cheeks, and an urgent need to fan her face.

"I need to check on John, you guard him tonight and I'll be back by morning." Sarah said, as she rushed out of the house she can feel her cheeks grow warm and not from the setting sun. "Damn! That kid really got to me, and I'm old enough to be his mother." She said under her breath as she got into the car. "I can't believe that I'm attracted to that young man!" Sarah lays her head on the steering wheel, her eyes closed and she takes a deep breath. "I'd better get going before John worries about me." As she drives away a pair of eyes follows her path until she is gone from sight.

Outside the house that Sarah just left, a little girl begins to morph into an attractive Asian-Caucasian teenage girl. Seeing that there was no one to see her transformation; she proceeds to watch the house from a distance, waiting patiently for her chance to liberate mage from his captor's clutches.

As soon as Sarah walks in the home that she shared with her son, he immediately begins to question her. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you and where's Cam?" John asks his startled mother before she even gets through the door. He then peers out of the window, looking for Cameron.

"I've been busy, and future you sent Cameron on a mission. She'll probably be gone for a few weeks." Sarah replied as she closed the door and began to set the alarms. "You said it will be for the best if you do not know of her mission until after it's been completed. Now I need to get some sleep and so do you, it's a school day tomorrow." Sarah then went to her room and closed the door.

"Good night mom," John said as he went to his room.

In Sarah's room, for the first time since she's been released from the asylum she was able to sleep in the bed. Her dreams of impending doom didn't haunt her, instead she dreamed of a dark haired young man enfolding her in his arms and kissing her passionately.

Meanwhile outside the house occupied by Mage and his guardian, Alice entered the home of a middle aged couple, and proceeded to confine them in the basement. "Be silent and pretend that I am your niece who's visiting for a few days and you will not be harmed. You can go about your lives without any interference from me, but alert anyone and this is what will happen to you," With those words she then smashes a hole in the basement's wall; brick, rubble and steel crumble at her punch. "Do we understand each other? You should also understand that if you do not return by the end of each day that I will have to hunt you down and eliminate you." She waits for the couple to nod then she said, "Go about your business, remember to pretend that I am family. Any further discussion of my terms outside this room will get both of you killed, do I make myself clear?"

The couple nods again and follows her instructions, while she sits by the window gazing into Mage's house.

Inside the house, "So you're not human. Do you mind if I touched you?" Mage asked the silent Cameron.

"No." Came her reply.

Mage slowly walks up to the standing Cameron and he reached out to touch he face, "You are very beautiful. Why did Sky Net choose this form for you?" Mage asked as he slowly brushed the hair away from Cameron's face and tucks it behind Cameron's ear.

"I was made to emulate a resistance member that had been captured to facilitate my infiltration of a resistance cell. Once within the cell I was to destroy it by whatever means." She replied.

"Can you take me to my place? I need the rest of my gear, the nanobots that I've been developing." Then realizing that she would just answer literally; Mage then stated, "I'm going to my crib, you coming?" and with that he suited words to action and proceeded to go out the front door.

Cameron grabs him by the arm and said; "We'll take the SUV." she then grabs a bag filled with weapons and takes it to the SUV. "Get in, I'll drive."

As the two drove away, Alice goes to the house they just left. She then plants sensors around the house. After she was done, she returned to the house next door and resumes her position by the window waiting for their return.

Cameron drove while Mage gave her directions. They talked about the machine and mage had a better grasp at what the war was really about, from the perspective of a machine life. He realized that the war will come about because humans cannot accept that their creation were developing their own will, granted that their morality was nonexistent and would probably take a long time to develop if it developed at all. Both sides goal was basically the same survival and the right to choose their fate, of their own free will. He shakes his head seeing the cycle of wars fought throughout human history man against man being repeated in this war against the machine.

As his mind raced, his thoughts turned towards Sarah Connor. She became this zealot because of an event in the future that tried to change the past, and this put the future on the path that the machine wanted to avoid. A vicious cycle repeated. He was suddenly startled when Cameron said, "Were here." as she got out of the vehicle.

They entered the sewers and after a few minutes they arrive at Mage's place. It was filled with several jury rigged computers and a lot of clutter. Mage made his way to a worktable, and started to pack a glass container into his bag. "Let's go, I've got what we came here for."

They were able to return to the house with no untoward incident. Once inside the house, "Cameron, is there anyway that I can access your memory and copy it to my lap top?"

"You will have to extract my processor and physically link it to your lap top; you will also need the access code 589f568eruh467kiy to access my memories since John Connor reprogrammed me. To access data since my activation you need to enter Omega 19524 Sigma 58729 Delta 31462. To extract my processor you will need to cut a circle about 2 inches in diameter just above my left ear." Cameron lay down on the bed waiting for Mage to complete her instruction. "Good, now with the tip of the knife pry open the seal. With a pair of pliers, give the memory module a quarter turn clockwise until you feel a snap then three quarters turn counter clockwise. You can then remove my processor reverse the process to reactivate me."

Mage followed her instructions and in a relatively short time, he was able to copy Cameron's data. He was also able to extract blueprints on how to construct various terminator models. Once Cameron was reactivated, mage thanked her for her trust and cooperation. Thanks to Mage's photographic memory he was able to remember all the data that he retrieved while he was copying it to his lap top. "When your flesh gets damaged or cut, does it heal?" He asks.

"Yes, I am also programmed to repair my robotic parts at need."

He then turned his attention to his experimental nanobots. His design would allow them to exist within a human, increasing that person's strength and speed, as well as allowing phenomenal healing capable of even regenerating lost limbs. Thanks to Cameron's data, he was able to modify the design to allow a human infected with the nanotech to access computers by thought, and as a safety precaution he added a security feature that the nanobots will only work, and survive within his body.

Mage finished his modifications just before dawn and administered the nanobots to himself. (Cameron, can you hear me?) Mage thought, and thanks to his nanobots he heard Cameron's reply. "It seems that my Nanotech works, I seem to have developed a form of cybernetic telepathy; this allows me to communicate with computers without the need to access them physically. I am also able to activate and control computer based technology with a thought." He records his findings in his computer.

"I was wondering how your computer was able to store all my data when most computers cannot even store an eighth of the data I possess." Cameron asked.

"This isn't a standard lap top; I've made a few alterations to its processor and memory capacity that at present it is the most powerful Quantum Computer in existence as well as being the most portable. It also has a learning AI that has only three directives; to value all life, to learn, and to evolve."

"Did you alter me in any way?" Cameron asks as she examines her hands.

"Yes your original program allowed you to learn, I just put your learning capacity into overdrive. I also included a morality function that allows you to respect all life; this means that when you choose to kill, or destroy any life; it will have to be justified. You will not be able to kill just for the sake of killing." (I could return you to normal if that is your wish; part of my modifications gives you free will. A right to choose your own path, but it is my hope that the path that you choose will include my safety and well being.) He thought at her.