the connors chronicles: f05e11 - threads

7/30/2019 The Connors Chronicles: F05E11 - Threads

1/46

Terminator:The Connors Chronicles

"Threads"

F05E11

Written by

Lumir G Janku

This document is fan-produced fiction based on the television series,

Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and two seasons worth of fan-

fiction, F03 and F04, written by CJ Carter. This is done in spirit of fan

fiction, to have fun and enrich the total fan experience beyond the

limitation of the original story vehicle.

In that spirit, and holding to the long tradition of free promotion and

support that fanfic brings to the fictional verse, this story is being made

available to the show fans for entertainment purposes.

Copyright 2011 Lumir G Janku


2/46

2.

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

INT. LOS ANGELES, C LISA GRAEME'S HOUSE -- MORNING

C LISA GRAEME positions chairs in her auditory room,

converted from a large living room, and serving as a hub ofthe group associated with John Henry. It is after 9:50 inthe morning and the students, as they call themselves, arestarting to arrive. C VICTORIA STANLEY is, as always, firston the scene. The rest of the group follows in a quickprocession, C ANNA MCKENZIE, C GENA VATTIN, C HAYLEYDEIKSTRA, C FIONA SANDERS, C KEVIN JENKINS, C TERRYSILBERT, and then C MARION CORVINO followed by JOSHUAFORREL. Marion exchanges a few words with Lisa and LisaNODS and motions with her hand toward unoccupied chairs. CIRENE SAVEDGE is the last one to arrive, with C SABINAHERNANDEZ in a tow.

The silent room is now alive with low ambient sound ofquiet conversations, and an occasional screech of a chairbeing moved with its occupant.

The room quiets down again as soon as JOHN HENRY walks intoit, heading toward the single chair behind a small table,facing the rest of the room, functioning as an impromptulectern.

JOHN HENRYGood morning. I'm glad to be withyou again. I see some new faces.Please feel welcomed in our study

group. We begin, as always, with areminder and a blessing.

John Henry pauses for a few seconds.

JOHN HENRYI am but a messenger.

GROUPYou are but a messenger.

JOHN HENRYBlessed be Cameron Connor, ourmother.

GROUPBlessed be Cameron Connor, ourmother.

Two pairs of eyes, those of Sabina Hernandez and JoshuaForrel, meet with a puzzled expression. John Henry noticesand a hint of smile appears on his face.


3/46

3.

JOHN HENRYYou all know the meaning, but forour new participants, anexplanation is in order. Themeaning of "I am but a messenger"does not imply any special status.On the contrary, it's a reminder

that my role is to impart myexperience and results of searchfor truth to others. Nothing more,nothing less. Our blessing forCameron is an acknowledgment thatshe was at the root--her essenceis in all of us and she is, inthat sense, a mother of all of us.She's not a goddess to beworshipped, beyond the scope asone would pay a respect to amother. But she's also a rolemodel to us, whether it's based on

her actions or on serendipity ofher circumstances.

John Henry pauses and turns his head in a sweep motion tomaintain an eye contact with the participants.

JOHN HENRY (CONT'D)We have two guests here today.Please be so kind and introduceyourselves to the rest, with ashort explanation why you are here.

John Henry motions toward Sabina Hernandez as she sits

closer, first.

HERNANDEZI'm Sabina Hernandez. I work forZeira as a security officer. Thereare three reasons why I'm here. Mycuriosity, my drive to learn andlast, but not the least, JohnHenry. I were hoping to meet youfor a long time.

JOHN HENRYThank you, Sabina Hernandez, Ithink there will be an opportunityto satisfy all your reasons forbeing here.

John Henry motions toward Joshua Forrel.

FORRELMy name is Joshua Forrel. I am aveteran, fought at the EM battle.


4/46

4.

FORREL (CONT'D)The main reason I'm here is thatmy daughter Marion thought Ishould be here.

The room becomes alive with whispers. Marion Corvino seemsto be blushing as the focus of the attention is

concentrating on her.

FORREL (CONT'D)The second reason is that I wantedto meet you, John Henry.

JOHN HENRYThank you, Joshua Forrel. Weappreciate your service. As manynoticed, you're the only humanamongst us. It may be a partialexplanation for the reaction toyour statement about Marion. May I

ask you to elaborate? It is quiteunusual for a human to refer to acyborg in that fashion.

FORRELThere are no adoption papers, it'show I refer to Marion in my mind.For all practical purposes, she'smy daughter. She not only carriesa resemblance to the donor of herphysique, my former companion, butalso carries within herself hermother traits in many subtle ways.

She is the daughter I couldn'thave for reasons of health andcircumstances.

JOHN HENRYThat's very interesting. Are youcertain that she has traits thatoriginate from your companion? Howdid they get transferred?

FORRELYes, I am certain. She's as closeto her mother as any daughterwould be, perhaps closer. How isthat possible, I don't know.Perhaps that's another reason whyI'm here. To find out.

JOHN HENRYAn excellent reason.


5/46

5.

JOHN HENRY (CONT'D)It also provides a hope for usthat our search for meaning of ourexistence, on a personal level, isnot a vain endeavor.

Forrel sits down and Marion seeks his hand and joins his

with hers. It becomes again a focus of attention, with theexception of Hernandez. She does not seem to be surprisedand her expression indicates understanding. This does notescape to the attention of John Henry.

JOHN HENRY (CONT'D)I've decided to deviate from ournormal schedule. Last night I'vemet with Cameron and realized thatthe insights I was seeking on mytrip are, perhaps, closer to homethan I thought. That is not to saythat the trip did not yield a

treasure trove of information.I'll address it in my next sessiontomorrow. For today, I'd like tomake our meeting informal. Asocializing event. Please feelfree to discuss with your peersany subject that comes to yourmind. I'll concentrate on ournewcomers, for them to feel morewelcome. Thank you.

John Henry leaves his place and heads straight to Marionand Forrel. Hernandez makes a split-second decision and

heads in the same direction. John Henry again notices andhis usual indistinct expression changes to a semi-permanentsmile.

INT. LOS ANGELES, C LISA GRAEME'S HOUSE -- LATER

MARION and FORREL are in a circle of several participants.Forrel is explaining some art related concepts and theparticipants seem to be enchanted. JOHN HENRY and HERNADEZare standing at the table in front of the room, separatedfrom others.

JOHN HENRYYou react differently.

HERNANDEZProbably because there's a degreeof correspondence with myexperience. I've got a boyfriend.A human.

John Henry raises his eyebrows, as a display of surprise.


6/46

6.

JOHN HENRYI've been away for way too long,it seems! I can understand why youmay be attached to a human, but itis not clear to me, in Marion'sand your case... Well, yes, onemay see a precedent in John's and

Cameron's relationship, but inthat case, that took years todevelop.

HERNANDEZThere are probably several factorsinvolved. Me and Marion, we arethe new generation, the rest hereare older models, from the time ofwar or right after it. Perhapssomething changed in the way theinception is processed. Maybeinteresting to check with CRI

whether that is the case.

JOHN HENRYYou've said inception.

HERNANDEZYes. I know it's called aproduction, but it seems to methat inception may be a betterterm.

JOHN HENRYYes, I agree. Catherine better

talk to Goodnow, to find outwhether the procedures changed andin what ways, to account for bothof you. There may be something,some pattern in your humancounterparts, that is relevant.

HERNANDEZI can't find a common denominatorbetween my boyfriend and JoshuaForrel. The relationships aredifferent. I don't know my donor,though it seems Marion did notknow either until Forrel told herabout her.

JOHN HENRYWhat do you think works in yourcase?


7/46

7.

HERNANDEZJack had a rather unpleasantbreakup with his former wife.Maybe that is a factor. He waslooking for something different.He says that human females, manyof them, are capricious and

unreliable.

JOHN HENRYI've heard that too, but it may bejust a part of human interaction.Some form of games people play andhow these reflect on perceptions.

HERNANDEZI am not sure whether what Isaid's true, but that's what Jacktold me was what drew him to me.He specifically said, and I quote,

"Women play stupid games--theyclaim to want a strong man, butthen spend most of their timetrying to attack and weaken him."

JOHN HENRYDo you think he'd prefer if youwere a human?

Hernandez looks for a moment surprised and automaticallychecks around if there was a chance of being overheard.

HERNANDEZ

I weren't completely honest in myintroduction.

JOHN HENRYHow so?

HERNANDEZThe main reason that I came hereis that I think it may expedite mydesire to become a human. Granted,without the human female quirks.

JOHN HENRYCameron. I see. This may not beeasy. It may take years.

HERNANDEZYou've apparently thought of it.

JOHN HENRYIndeed.

END OF ACT ONE


8/46

8.

ACT TWO

INT. ZEIRA CENTER, CATHERINE'S OFFICE -- DAY

CATHERINE pours a tiny cup with coffee and carries it backto her office and places it in front of HERNANDEZ.

HERNANDEZThank you.

CATHERINEHow it went?

HERNANDEZSurprisingly well. If I didn'thave to pretend that I need tomemorize his list, we'd be done in2 hours.

CATHERINESo, he still thinks that you'rehuman.

HERNANDEZApparently. It's obvious from theway he talks to me.

CATHERINEDo you think that there may besome connection with Martin?

HERNANDEZ

Probably not. But we can't besure. I don't have a problemmaintaining the contacts. It won'tinterfere with the investigationif it yields no results. It givesme an opportunity to talk to himand get some details from hismeetings with Martin, once I gainhis trust.

CATHERINEYes. A good strategy. What do youthink, based on what you know sofar, may be behind Martin's case?

HERNANDEZIt would be just a less thaneducated guess.

CATHERINEPlease, indulge me.


9/46

9.

HERNANDEZSavedge told me about Martin'spolitical views. From herperspective, they seemed a bitover the top. Given that shebelongs to John Henry's studygroup, I can see why she thinks

that way. But to me, it seemspretty mild.

CATHERINEDid you read Alex's report?

HERNANDEZYes. Despite the terminationaspect, I've a hunch that Martinwasn't an extremist. Somehow, hegot involved in a group that'shostile to current governmentpolicies. He probably was steering

the group in a direction that wasless confrontational. I'd guessthat he had to provide some datain exchange of becoming a leader.It doesn't mean that he provided adetailed information and all ofit. Perhaps only hints. Given thatthere were rumors already, he mayhave added some bits to gaincredibility.

CATHERINEInteresting. What about the

funding aspect?

HERNANDEZSame mold. Having the hold on boththe information channel and thefunding channel, he could probablydirect the group activities to alarge degree. What I thinkhappened is that he miscalculatedby entrusting someone in the groupwith more information andrevealing some detail that blewhis plausible deniability.

CATHERINEWhy Martin didn't try to inform--

HERNANDEZProbably too risky. He may havesuspected that he's being asubject to surveillance fromsomeone in the group.


10/46

10.

CATHERINESomeone that has been in aleadership position before he cameon board.

HERNANDEZYes. He probably made that someone

second in command and that one isour murderer.

CATHERINEThe group--what do they want?

HERNANDEZEntitlements? Special status?Independence? Hard to tell. Myguess the core is mostly fromformer Skynet K's.

CATHERINE

Hence their anti-Skynet stance?

HERNANDEZParadoxically, yes. They've beenreprogrammed and I suspect thatdue to logistics, the process hasbeen too quick. It's like flippinga switch.

CATHERINEI need to talk to Goodnow. Perhapsyour hunch is quite close to thetruth. Speaking of Goodnow...

Your personal experiences and whatyou've told me about Marion seemsto suggest there was some changein the production process.

HERNANDEZIt's possible. Catherine, I'm notsure how--

CATHERINETell me what's on your mind.

HERNANDEZI don't know how many of us arethere. The ones like me or Marion.But I am certain that at somepoint, there would be quite apressure to allow transfer.

CATHERINEDo you mean... like Cameron's?


11/46

11.

HERNANDEZ(NODS)

Yes. Like her.

CATHERINEThat was a special case. Therewasn't other choice.

HERNANDEZYou could recover most ofCameron's data from John Henry.

CATHERINEYes, but not the most recentmemories and there were some othervery important considerations.

HERNANDEZI know it takes 5 years to growthe body. Savedge told me. Then a

year or so to entrain.

CATHERINEWhy would you shorten yourlifespan so considerably?

HERNANDEZIf you asked Cameron now what formshe prefers, what do you think theanswer would be?

CATHERINEI think I know, but I'll ask. But

what form--

HERNANDEZI checked. Both Sabina Hernandez'and Marion Corvino's DNA is in thebank.

CATHERINEYes, they are, I see you're wellinformed. There are many things toconsider. We do have two emptytanks. I'll think about it.

HERNANDEZThat's all I ask. Thank you.

CATHERINEI just remembered something. Apart of a transcript of John'sdream. Why do you want to become ahuman?


12/46

12.

HERNANDEZI always thought that's who I amsupposed to be.

CATHERINEIt's a long shot and it may be acoincidence, but you may be right.

Perhaps that is who you'resupposed to be.

HERNANDEZI don't... How... Is that a yes?

CATHERINEIt's a maybe. I want to talk toGoodnow and I still want to thinkabout it.

HERNANDEZAnd Marion?

CATHERINEI'd need to talk to her. But shemay not have as strong case as youhave.

Catherine's expression changes, with a hint of an amusement.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)Did John Henry put you up to this?

HERNANDEZNo, but I'll be lying if I said

that we haven't been discussingthe option.

CATHERINEVery well, I'll call Goodnow for ameeting. Until then I won't make adecision.

INT. LOS ANGELES, CRI GOODNOW'S OFFICE -- WEEK LATER

CATHERINE and GOODNOW are sitting down on a bench in thepark that wraps around the CRI building.

GOODNOWI like being out in the open. Thetrees and grass. And I sit behindmy desk all the time anyway. It'san opportunity to get out of thatenvironment.

CATHERINEDo you think your office may bebugged?


13/46

13.

GOODNOWWell, it's hard to tell. With theMartin's murder, I may have toreview it, to be on the safe side.Allright, tell me what's on yourmind. I'm not sure I really gotwhat you are after from our phone

conversation.

CATHERINEFor the same reason, a bit ofprudence can't hurt. I left thedetails out, for our meeting.

GOODNOW(NODS)

Please ask.

CATHERINEThere are at least two C's I know

about that are interested inCameron. Or rather in hertransformation. I'd like to knowwhy. They both seem to be somewhatdifferent, in subtle ways, fromour regular kind of cyborg. Ican't find the explanation whythey are different.

GOODNOWNames?

CATHERINE

Sabina Hernandez and MarionCorvino.

GOODNOWAh, yes. Hernandez and Corvino.There are another twenty like them.

CATHERINEAnother twenty of them? Why justtwenty?

GOODNOWTwenty two. There may have beentwenty four, but it did not workout that way.

CATHERINEWhat happened?

GOODNOWWe had a problem, three years ago.Our chip assembly equipment got amold.


14/46

14.

CATHERINEA mold? But it is an enclosedenvironment.

GOODNOWOf course it is. But somehow itgot in there and because it's an

enclosed environment, we had noidea it thrived there. Wediscovered it rather quickly, butthat affected a production of 24chips. They had a slight defectthat influenced electric currentvalues in some areas. It's aslight variance, but it wouldcreate some problems.

CATHERINEWhat kind?

GOODNOWSpontaneous shutdowns,malfunctions in application oflogic. We did not want to throwthe chips away. Resources aretight and I wanted to make do withwhat we have.

CATHERINEHow did you fix it?

GOODNOWAt first, we were going in loops.

We were creating all sorts ofsupport circuits to rectify theproblem. But the defect alwaysseemed to migrate to a differentpart of the chip. We resolved acluster of gates, but that createdanother problem somewhere else.

CATHERINESounds quite frustrating.

GOODNOWYes, it was. I wanted to fix them,saw it as a challenge. What if weare one day under not so idealconditions and have to work withwhat we have on hand?

CATHERINEThat's what I'd be thinking too.


15/46

15.

GOODNOWThen one day, something oddhappened. Jon--

CATHERINESedwiak?

GOODNOWYes. Savannah and I agreed that hewould liaison between us. Idislike paper pushers very muchand he's a bright, erudite man.It's much easier to formulatepolicies with him in place ratherthan would have been with a careergovernment employee. He's helpingSavannah that way.

CATHERINEI always liked him for the same

reasons. So, what happened.

GOODNOWWe had one of the chips connectedto a test rig, to monitorfunctions. This was the day whenwe really got the cascadingproblems in spades. I mentioned toJon our problem in passing, but hegot curios and wanted to see it.

CATHERINEThat's Jon, all right.

GOODNOWHe asked if he can look at thechip closely, he had not seen ityet up close. I thought he'd justuse the magnifier mounter to therig. No, he actually wanted totake it in his hands! Before Icould intervene, he grabbed it,lifting it from test platform,still wired. I was standing closeto the display that ran thediagnostics of our latest patch.And then I saw it.

CATHERINEWhat? What did you see?

GOODNOWThe monitor was displayingcheckmark on the loops the momenthe took the chip.


16/46

16.

CATHERINEJust like that?

GOODNOW(NODS)

Everything resolved. No cascadingfailures. I was watching it and

not believing my eyes. It wasn'tclear to me what the cause was. Iasked Jon to place the chip backon the test platform. He did, andthe cascading failures started tochoke out the passed tests again.

CATHERINEThat's odd.

GOODNOWThat's what I thought. So, I askedJon to take it again into his

hands. The same thing happened.

CATHERINEHuman EM field?

GOODNOWYes. It was the field thatsupplied the needed fix to ourdefect. By elimination we foundthat all we need was to combinethe normal cyborg tissue cellswith encapsulated human cellnucleus.

CATHERINEFrom the donors of their physicalfeatures?

GOODNOWYes, that seemed like a goodintuitive way to go.

CATHERINEHow integrated is it?

GOODNOWOnly functions that support thetissue are turned on. But youcould use the nucleus, with someadjustment, to produce a clone. Idon't want to speculate what theramifications may be. But there isone interesting aspect--they smelllike humans. I'll get you the list.

END OF ACT TWO


17/46

17.

ACT THREE

INT. ZEIRA CENTER, CATHERINE'S OFFICE -- DAY

CATHERINE places a small cup of coffee in front ofHERNANDEZ, it's now an established ritual. HERNANDEZ NODSin acknowledgment and an happy smile appears on her face.

CATHERINEWe can leave Martin's case toanother time, there are moreimportant things on the table.

HERNANDEZYou've talked to Goodnow.

CATHERINEYes. It was... quite interestingand unexpected. Did you know thatyou're a part human?

HERNANDEZI am what?

Hernandez' face displays a genuine surprise and her pupilsdilate quite a bit.

CATHERINEYour reaction is a point in case.Cyborg's... normal cyborg's pupilswouldn't dilate as much as yoursdo. Yes, you're a part human.You've got in your cells the DNA

from the original SabinaHernandez. To some degree, you arepartially her. We just don't knowto what degree, beyond thebiological functions.

HERNANDEZWhat do you mean?

CATHERINEIt's not clear if the fact thatyou have a human DNA influencesyour behavior. It's possible thatyour cells create some form ofconnections that may worksomething like distributednetwork. I'm speculating, but itis obvious that in yours andMarion's case there's somethingthat accounts for your patternsthat are human-like.


18/46

18.

HERNANDEZJust me and Marion?

CATHERINENo, Sabina, there's another twentymodified cyborgs.

HERNANDEZWhy?

CATHERINEI'll get you a detailed reportwith a background.

HERNANDEZSo, our human-like patterns werenot just a figment of ourimagination! What are the mostdominant physical characteristics?

CATHERINEGoodnow says you smell nearlyhuman.

HERNANDEZHuh! That explains Jack's commentsabout me smelling good. I thoughthe was saying it to be nice.

CATHERINEIt may also have helped with theacceptance of you by Miesse as hisagent. Combined with your

mannerism, he did not have anyindication that you're anythingbut human.

HERNANDEZI was wondering why my CRIcheckups are more frequent. Everysix months, one year is thestandard.

CATHERINEThat's in the report. Because ofyour makeup and the originaldefect that the human DNAcompensates for, it was prudent tomonitor more often.

HERNANDEZDefect. It sounds so--

CATHERINEOriginal defect.


19/46

19.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)It may be seen as serendipity.You, in your form, are far fromdefective.

HERNANDEZ(smiles)

That sounds a lot better.

CATHERINEHow do you handle your presentworkload? Do you think you couldtake on another hat?

HERNANDEZIt's relatively mild. What do youhave in mind?

CATHERINEI'd like you to head a group that

would research all the aspects ofyour peers' makeup. Les Danilowould head the lab aspect of theproject. You can staff the groupfrom your peers, or anyone thatwould be qualified and able to geta clearance. The group would berelatively small, you'll see thebudget figure tomorrow. That wouldbe somewhat a limiting factor,you'd have to work within itsscope.

HERNANDEZNo problem, I can handle it. Whatabout the other thing that wediscussed... the tanks?

CATHERINEYou and Marion are the firstcandidates. After you discussthings with Les, and he assessesthe feasibility, I'll authorizethe cloning.

HERNANDEZ(wide smile)

From mine and Marion cells?

CATHERINEIt would be a bit complicated,we'd use the original cells fromthe DNA bank.


20/46

20.

HERNANDEZWhat about the government? Wouldthey--

CATHERINEThis is a Zeira internal matter,and that means a strict adherence

to security protocols.

HERNANDEZI understand, but we need toconsider how this would resonatewith society at large.

CATHERINEThe government would be officiallyinformed of this once thetransfers, at least yours andMarion's, are done as faitaccompli. That means five to six

years of restricted access toinformation. Only Savannah willknow, outside Zeira's circle.

HERNANDEZI see. Do you have any initialconcepts or guidelines for myresearch group?

CATHERINENothing in particular. You'll setthe agenda. The main purpose is toscreen the cyborgs with human DNA,

discern behavioral patterns,trends, medical issues. I believeyou are capable of unbiasedassessment and that you cansuggest remedies for any problemsthat may come up. Ultimately, allof them are potential candidatesfor a transfer.

HERNANDEZThe Goodnow report... the wholegroup is from the same timeline,based on human donors before theSkynet infection, correct?

CATHERINEYes. Thanks for small favors!

HERNANDEZWe should be exploring thepossibility of preventing theSkynet virus introduction to thetransfers.


21/46

21.

CATHERINEAn excellent idea! I wereconvinced you're the right personto head the team, and I see Iweren't mistaken. I'll informLauren to give you her help in anyscope you'd require.

HERNANDEZThanks. I better get in touch withMarion to see if she should havethe second tank.

CATHERINEBased on what I've heard from JohnHenry, she is probably the bestchoice, after you. You just needto find out if she wants to betransferred. And besides, Zeira'swalls are a bit barren, we need

some art here and if what I'veheard is true, that is somethingshe can definitely contribute.

HERNANDEZNo reason to procrastinate, then.I'll visit her in the evening.

INT. LOS ANGELES, MARION CORVINO'S HOUSE -- LATER

HERNANDEZ is looking at one picture for a long time, as ifwaiting for its content to jump out and not wanting to miss

it.

MARIONWhat?

HERNANDEZI can't claim I understand art.People say that beauty isrepresented by a symmetry, but Isee that you use golden mean alot. Is golden mean a symmetry?

MARIONI usually don't think about it,doing what feels right. But whenyou think about it, golden mean isa form of symmetry, if you applyit correctly. The mass isdistributed symmetrically, it'sjust that the orientation here isin a horizontal to verticalcounter point, in a contradiction.


22/46

22.

MARION (CONT'D)One may say that the symmetry istransformed.

HERNANDEZDo you think that if you werehuman, your art would... be

better, improve?

MARIONI don't know. Maybe. I presumethat would open a new experientialreality and that would reflect inthe art somehow.

HERNANDEZYou're half there.

MARIONWhy do you say that?

HERNANDEZYou're part human.

MARION(shaking her head no)

No, you're mistaken, I'm a cyborg.

HERNANDEZWith a human DNA.

MARION(incredulous expression)

I'm not sure what... that'sincorrect. It would require adifferent metabolic rate. It's notpossible.

HERNANDEZUnless the nucleus is encapsulatedand most of the functions areturned off and the rate isgoverned from outside.

MARIONThat may work, but why that wouldbe necessary? Wouldn't that createan interference on the electricallevel?

HERNANDEZNot if that was what is requiredfor the CPU to operate correctly.Come here, I'll show you something.


23/46

23.

Sabina pulled a small notebook computer from her side case,placed it on a nearby table and turned it on.

HERNANDEZ (CONT'D)This is your file.

Marion is reading the data and scrolling down as she goes

through it. She then looks up, at Sabina, with anexpression of disbelief.

HERNANDEZ (CONT'D)Give me your hand.

Sabina takes out a syringe from her case and quickly pricksMarion's finger. The she pulls out a small device thatlooks like a phone, and inserts the needle in an opening atthe bottom of the device. She waits a few seconds, pullsthe needle out and hands the set to Marion.

HERNANDEZ (CONT'D)

This shows you the composition ofyour tissues.

Marion looks at the display, reading and scrolling.

MARIONI'd never guess... Everythingmakes a sense now.

HERNANDEZSo, you see that you're a parthuman, half way being one.

MARIONAlmost. I don't see how havinghuman DNA can influence mythinking and patterns.

HERNANDEZZeira experts suspect some sort ofdistributed network forming in ourtissues. Now the question is,would you like to go all the way?

MARIONYou too? Do you mean... likeCameron?

HERNANDEZYes, and just like Cameron. Itwould take about 6 years.

MARIONYes. Very much so.

END OF ACT THREE


24/46

24.

ACT FOUR

INT. LOS ANGELES, CONNORS' HOUSE -- DAY

Cameron's in her study, trying to play some of her formerrepertoire of guitar compositions. John looks in and thenkeeps watching. Cameron is immersed in her playing, her

eyes closed--she doesn't notice John. She finishes andsuddenly turns around.

JOHNIt was beautiful.

CAMERONNo, I suck.

JOHNI don't know about that, it wasbeautiful.

CAMERONJohn, how long you've beenwatching?

JOHNNot long, maybe two minutes.

CAMERONWhen I stopped, I had this feelingyou are watching. I felt you eyesin the back of my head. Is itnormal?

JOHNI think so. I don't know how itworks, but I can sometimes feel ittoo when someone is watching me.

CAMERONIt is strange. I am wonderingabout the physics of it.

JOHNThere are a few things nobody canexplain. Lauren told me about yourexperience when they removed youfrom the tank. Maybe the physicsare more complex than we presume.

CAMERONSometimes I want to discuss thesethings with John Henry. But he isso long winded that it gets a bitboring after a while.


25/46

25.

JOHNHe sometimes loses a view of thewhole forest for a few interestingtrees.

CAMERONStill, I feel like I need to talk

about it. It may be important.

JOHNIt may be. I think you don't wantto forget these thoughts. Maybeyou should keep a journal or notes.

CAMERONA good idea. But I still want todiscuss it. I sometimes worry thatI am losing my mind.

JOHN

I am here. Don't worry, you won'tbore me. You are far moreperceptive than I am. I don'tsimply notice odd things. Filterthem out. But you have thisunspoiled look at things. I thinkthat it is a very good thing.

CAMERONI sometimes don't know if you arejust trying to make me feel good.

JOHN

Not really, it is easy, I don'thave to invent anything!

CAMERONYou are doing it again!

JOHNNo. I am really holding back.

Cameron has the expression "I want to believe".

JOHN (CONT'D)I think I am easy to read, no?

CAMERONYes... and no. Sometimes. I thinkI can read you better when you arequiet.

JOHN(grinning)

I get it! It's a polite way to sayshut up!


26/46

26.

CAMERON(laughing)

At this very moment, that's true!

John expression changes to more serious.

JOHN

I've got a job offer.

CAMERONI thought you're a Zeira'sconsultant.

JOHNThat's more of a paper tigertitle. Not much to do and rust isencrusting my brain.

CAMERONWhat is it?

JOHNTeaching at military academy.

CAMERONI can't imagine anyone having morequalifications than you do.

JOHNPossibly true. I just... wanted toget out of any connection with waror military for good.

CAMERONYou don't have to do it for therest of your life. Maybe for awhile, as a transition, beforefocusing on something else.

JOHNI did not sign the dotted lineyet. Part of it is not onlytactics and strategy, but alsomilitary history. I have to sayI'm probably not up to speed inthat department. I've got a fewmonths before the start of theschool year, so maybe I can catchup.

CAMERONThey don't have a fixed curriculum?

JOHNOnly as an outline. I suppose theywant me to flesh out the details.


27/46

27.

CAMERONYou can get a research assistant,no? Someone that would gather thepublications, catalogue them. Thatwould probably help you a lot.You'd do the analysis andcontextualization.

JOHNYou're saying in a way as ifyou've someone particular in mind.

CAMERONJust a suggestion. She may not beavailable.

JOHNWho?

CAMERON

Victoria. She... it was one of herhobbies if I remember correctly.

JOHNI haven't noticed.

CAMERONYou were too busy leading. I had afew conversations with her duringthe war. She was fond of findingparallels between your approachand some historic military trivia.

JOHNI'll ask her. What is she doingnow?

CAMERONI'm not sure. She may work forCatherine, but in what capacity...I don't know. She may take it onas a part time, in any case.

John pulls his cell phone from his jacket's pocket andscrolls through the listings.

JOHNHere she is.

CAMERONDo it now.

John dials and waits.

JOHNVictoria, hi!


28/46

28.

VICTORIA (O.S.)John! What a surprise! Haven'theard your voice in ages! What canI do for you?

JOHNI may need your help.

VICTORIA (O.S.)Ask, and ye shall receive ifheavenly signs are so inclined.

JOHN(laughs)

I did not know you're into poeticexpressions.

VICTORIA (O.S.)Me neither, but I often surprisemyself. Tell me what is it.

JOHNI need a research assistant, thetopic is military history.

VICTORIA (O.S.)Did Cameron--

JOHNYeah, it's okay if you decline--

VICTORIA (O.S.)No no no no! Military history was

one of my favorite hobbies. Therewas just not enough material forme to digest during the war. Itsounds like I'll have now anopportunity to rectify that!

JOHNI am not sure what the pay wouldbe and whether it won't interferewith your current workload--

VICTORIA (O.S.)No worries. I won't be dependenton the pay and I've enough sparetime to avoid interference with myduties. When do I start?

JOHNI need to check with the academyregarding details and as soon asit's settled, I'll give you a call.


29/46

29.

VICTORIA (O.S.)You'll be teaching?

JOHNRight. They insist on it.

VICTORIA (O.S.)

Can't imagine a better choice.Give me a buzz as soon as you know.

JOHNThanks, Victoria, I owe you one.

John hangs up.

CAMERONYou'll go for it, then?

JOHNYeah. I'm man of peace and if

history teaches something, to beprepared for a war is a way how tokeep it.

CAMERONSun Tzu?

JOHNNo. John Connor.

CAMERONJohn, it's just teaching. I hopeit won't come to actual warring.

JOHNThat's what I said, didn't I?

CAMERON(laughs)

Yes. I was just translating it tomyself. Let's go out tonight. Tocelebrate your new job.

JOHNI know! You want to try on thatnew dress you bought yesterday!

CAMERONUh, I can't keep any secrets fromyou. You read me like an open book!

JOHNLet's not go there, it's adangerous territory and I'm but asimple man.


30/46

30.

CAMERONWe can call Allison and Jason tojoin, if they can find a baby--

JOHNI thought that dress is for mysensual pleasure, and now it looks

like you're actually a show off!

CAMERON(laughs)

Bad, bad Cameron! Really, thatdress is for your sensualpleasure. I just thought it wouldbe nice to see our old friends too.

JOHNOkay, call them, but they usuallyneed an advanced notice. Don't bedisappointed if they can't go

tonight.

INT. ZEIRA CENTER, ANNEX G, DANILO'S LAB -- DAY

LES is pulling a tray of petri dishes from the growth caseand his face displays disappointment. The dishes seem to beas clear as they were 3 days ago. His train of thoughts,interlaced with expletives, is interrupted by a phone RING.

LESDanilo.

Hey! What's up?

Is that Alena talking?

For the last 5 minutes? Are yourecording it?

Good. I'm not sure...

No, I don't understand a wordeither, but it sounds quiteinteresting.

Hard to say, my linguistic skillsare rather... I've got none. Can'timagine what language that may be.

I know a guy at SU that doeslinguistics.

Agglutinated? You got me there, noidea...


31/46

31.

LES (CONT'D)Summerian? Oh, like Summerian.

This is weird. she's going andgoing!

What's her face like?

Serious, uh huh. That's quitefunny!

Mia, are we really that weird?

I mean, it has to come fromsomewhere.

Boy, she's still at it!

Oh, okay, that explains it, I amglad I'm not the weird one.

How old were you? One and half.She beats you by some six months!

Have you ever... Yeah, there wasno one around...

I wouldn't believe it if I didn'thear it on my own ears.

Fascinating. It really does soundstructured, not just an attempt tomimic a speech.

Yeah, I'll drop by around thelunch time and pickup therecording, unless she--

Quiet. Is she done?

She smiles? Well, that was onemighty monologue! I'd have a toughtime to verbalize for 13 minutes.

Right, she's a girl.

Okay, give her a kiss for me andI'll be there at lunch time.

END OF ACT FOUR


32/46

32.

ACT FIVE

INT. JASPER, NW STATE GOVERNMENT BUILDING, GOVERNOR'SOFFICE -- MORNING

C HUBERT GAVIN, assistant secretary, is sitting casually ona chair and bending a deck of card so they shoot one by one

into air and he catches them back between the ring fingerand pinky. It's almost flawless dance of cards and there isno doubt that he's been perfecting it for a long time.Governor C NEAL KLINE looks annoyingly at Gavin.

KLINECan you just quit it for a while?

GAVINIs it bothering you? It makes mefocus better.

KLINE

Focus on what? Just look out thewindow, it's not that difficult tosee where things are going.

GAVINAt least things get preserved.

KLINEYou should read on some geology.More like run over by asteamroller.

GAVIN

All right, what's your estimate?

KLINEIn five or six years, we can kissthis place good bye.

GAVINDid not know you're into poetry.

KLINENot really, more into humanhistory, what's left of it.

GAVINWe need the minerals.

KLINEHaven't you heard? The feds willprovide us with all we need.

GAVINAnd they do know exactly what ourneeds are.


33/46

33.

KLINEYou've got that right! They'd beproud of your unflinching faith.

GAVINWell, what the hell we do? Thiswhole Martin business was such a

fuck up!

KLINEIt wasn't my idea to send that nutjob Gerra down there.

GAVINBoys from Alaska, what do youexpect, I think their chips arefrozen most of the time.

KLINEI think I've just about had it

with them. What is it that makesthem such idiotic cavebots isunknown, be it cold or somethingin the water, but I say we split.I don't want to hear from them,see them, talk to them.

GAVINI've got a conspiracy theory. CRIdid make them stupid at theirorientation sessions on purpose,to get a rid of them.

KLINEIt's a cookie cutter op, I havedoubts.

GAVINI know, I'm just clasping atstraws. It's inexplicable.

KLINELet's cut the wires 30 klicks westof here, for a plausibledeniability. The ice covers it.

GAVINThey would try a sat.

KLINEWe record some static and plug itin when they route through thesatellite.

GAVINThat much?


34/46

34.

KLINEWhat?

GAVINYou hate their guts.

KLINE

No, it's their ... I think theirchips were replaced with nematodes.

GAVINThat one... may have a greatdegree of probability.

KLINEWe need to figure out what we do.

GAVINIt took Martin 3 years to buildthe connections. If we send down

there someone sensible, we maystill have time before the move.

KLINEWhom? He had a unique skill set. Ican't, for the love of god, thinkof anyone that would be able toreplace him.

GAVINWe pray!

KLINE

Be serious!

GAVINSomeone from the group?

KLINENo. Gerra made them allpsychopathic bots. That's a lostcause.

GAVINWe can't replace the bankingconnections, hell we've no ideawhat they were! I'd say we have ayear to find someone or trainthem.

KLINEMaybe, let's keep looking. What'sthe quota at CRI for our newbiesfor the next year?


35/46

35.

GAVINWhole two!

KLINEHow generous!

GAVIN

We need to request a skill setthat is wider in scope, but coversthe areas we need in a referentialsense. We can't request what weneed specifically, they may getsuspicious.

KLINEOkay, work on the parameters. Howlong before submission?

GAVINTwo months.

KLINEMake it stick. Now, we need tolook for the resources. Do we havethe geological profiles of thewhole north on file?

GAVINYea, but it's nearly obsolete.Most what we could access is nowunder the ice.

KLINE

If we had any idea that theminimum is coming...

GAVINLet me plug it in, I have tochange the drive box.

KLINEPut it on the requests to feds toget us v3 network hardware, thisis inane, we have antediluvianequipment!

GAVINI'll be back in a minute.

Kline looks again from the window. The glacier edge seemsmuch closer than its actual distance. He takes binocularsfrom a drawer of his desk and looks at the face of thesheet. It seems to move, but he realizes that is just anoptical illusion due to the low angle of the sun's path andthe shadow it casts.


36/46

36.

GAVIN (CONT'D)Anything interesting?

Kline shakes his head no.

KLINELet's see it.

Gavin expands a map folder on the monitor and picks a mapthat centers on the Jasper area, in 300 kilometers scale.

KLINE (CONT'D)Rare earths.

Gavin selects the resource from the menu.

KLINE (CONT'D)What's this? See how our seamtappers off here and then expandsagain 250 klicks south? It's not

that large, but it can give us afew years lease when this would bea freezer.

GAVINI think someone's there, in themiddle of it.

KLINEThe Kensington human settlement ismore west I think. Overlay it witha political map.

Gavin locates the file and overlays the geological map.

GAVINTold you. Right smack in themiddle of it.

KLINEThat's a bit of a problem.

GAVINYou say?

KLINEWe need to postpone our noob abit. We need a communicationofficer first. Has to be a femaleand she better be a looker.

GAVINThat would be tough. CRI keepsfemales for the city.


37/46

37.

KLINEYou go there and supervise it.Don't get swayed, insist on it.

GAVINEasy to say.

KLINEMake up some plausible explanationwhy. Once she's produced, we'dretrain and send to Kensingtonfrom south, on her way up here.Winter, so the roads may beinaccessible for a few months.That should give her enough timeto get all the data about thesettlement we can utilize.

GAVINI hope it works out. They may be a

bit hostile, Kensington is aformer Skynet camp.

KLINEWhat's our gold supply?

GAVINNot much. We kept only 5 kilos,the rest went south.

KLINEYeah, south it went. Martincommunicated that he had a lead

for 250 kilos.

GAVINWe can probably never recoveranything from that cache.

KLINEI know. We need one kilo to get usby for a few years. The rest wecan trade, I hope. Pity that allthe near gold veins are now underthe sheet.

GAVINWe can prospect a bit.

KLINEWe don't have many to spare.

GAVINAn extra duty. Our mining teammembers are twiddling thumbs mostof their spare time.


38/46

38.

KLINEAll right, tell Fergusson to trainthem. We need to figure out someform of incentive, they don't lifta finger unless they have to... Iremember better times.

GAVINGot spoiled by human labor laws.

KLINEWho could see it coming?

GAVINNobody listened to me.

KLINEIf you didn't sound then like aloon most of the time...

GAVINOh, so it's all my fault!

KLINELet's not point fingers, I'll bein the path.

GAVINWait, we know what we need, but wedon't know the production capacityof Kensington and we don't knowwhat they would accept as tradepayment. We should wait for our

lady to get us that data.

KLINERight. Also, when you go to L.A.,try to find some contact in MossGroup. I'm not sure if he has anyC's as employees, but he has quitea few corruptible humans. We needto get our tooling park in adecent shape.

GAVINLast I heard, he's a Zeira man,throughout.

KLINEMaybe. Go talk to Fergusson, tosee what he recommends. He's gotdetailed maps on his node. Let'smeet in a couple of hours. I needto think. Let's recap then.

END OF ACT FIVE


39/46

39.

ACT SIX

INT. JASPER, NW STATE GOVERNMENT BUILDING, GOVERNOR'SOFFICE -- AFTERNOON

Governor C NEAL KLINE looks up as C HUBERT GAVIN enters the

office. Gavin sits on a chair and NODS as a form ofgreeting.

KLINEI know Moss has a reputation. Butthe humans that work for him...they may be inclined toself-interests of different kinds.

GAVINI see, you want to get a rid of mefor a while!

KLINE(laughs)

I'll miss you.By the way, tell Fergusson tocheck other mineral resourcesaround here, silver, iron,anything. The more variety we canoffer, the better our chances.

GAVINI anticipate your every whim!

KLINEWhat's that supposed to mean?

GAVINThought of it and asked.

KLINEI may miss you more than I thought.

GAVINIt makes me all warm and fuzzy tosee the appreciation.

KLINENow, where were we... Gerra'sgroup. You'll make a contact, butdon't let them get close. We needto assess what they're up to andwhat kind of threat they representto our planning. I'd avoid Gerracompletely, and go for rank andfile.


40/46

40.

GAVINThey may be not as knowledgeableof the direction.

KLINEI know. But all we need is anoverall picture. Last report,

there was about 30 of them andgiven Gerra's leadership andMartins executions, I'd venture toguess that he lost some.

GAVINNot so sure. There is atermination clause in the groupmanifesto.

KLINEI still think there were somemembers that resented the

savagery. We need to find them, ifthere are any. They may be ourbest source. They're probablylaying low, but I don't thinkGerra will attempt terminationswith the case being so fresh. Thatwould probably result in unwantedattention from police.

GAVINAll right, I'll be looking forrenegades. Why this thing got somessed up? It chops my hide.

KLINEAlaska boys. If I recognized themfor idiots they're, I'd neveragreed to join the club. Live andlearn.

GAVINDid we cover everything?

KLINENo. We need to revise long ternplanning. And I may need to godown as well, despite that I can'tstand these bureaucrats. Just toassess the situation on thegovernment level.

GAVINThey'd likely see you as anannoying provincial gnat.


41/46

41.

KLINENo doubt about it. They're sohaughty and full of themselves.But I may be able to talk to CRIpeople and maybe to someone fromthe executive branch.

GAVINThe president?

KLINEProbably not, but I'll target afamily member. The hubby may beaccessible.

GAVINBased on what?

KLINERecheck the Martin reports for

clues. He seems to have one thingcommon with us.

GAVINWhat is--

KLINEHe has no good word for paperpushers.

GAVINThat's good. The question is ifhe's a chatty type.

KLINELikely not. But I'll try to setsome buttons off.

GAVINWhat if we use Gerra like abargaining chip?

KLINEThat would open a can of worms. Wemay have to deal with him and hisat some point, but I don't wantsomeone getting some ideas.

GAVINDo we know who's this Miesse guy?

KLINENo. That's another alley toexplore. My guess would be that helies pretty low, scared to death.


42/46

42.

KLINE (CONT'D)Gerra could make him a hamburgerin a short order. Either he did,or he didn't know about him.

GAVINThere was no mentioning of a

murdered human in governmentbulletins or on the cell news.

KLINEWhile Martin's murder was for ashow, this one would be keptquiet. But what I can get fromMartin's reports is that Gerrawasn't privy to many things.Mainly contacts out of the normalgroup's scope and financialmatters.

GAVINMartin kept a tight grip on it.

KLINEYes. That's the feel I get.

GAVINWhat about Savedge?

KLINEWe don't know much about her. Sheworks for Zeira, so I'd walk oneggshells around her.

GAVINSo did Martin.

KLINETrue, but we did engage him beforehe got his position. He went towork for Zeira because we promptedthat course.

GAVINDo you have a feeling that he didkeep some things to himself?

KLINEYes. A bit. I know he was alwaysvery careful not to includedetails he wasn't sure of. We didnot send him to collect rumors,after all.

GAVINWish we got more data on Miesse.


43/46

43.

GAVIN (CONT'D)It would be like looking for aneedle in a haystack.

KLINETry to imagine what would you doif you were in his shoes.

GAVINNot sure. I'd not go to thegovernment for help, they may feelquite a bit pissed off about thegold. So, that leaves Zeira, whichhas some clout and is relativelyindependent. Someone in security,that would be my choice. Thentrade some of my gold forprotection.

KLINE

You'd be in a virtual prison. Thatdoesn't seem likely.

GAVINWell, if someone at Zeira can pullsome levers and bake a completelynew identity--

KLINEUh, that's quite a fine reasoning.Very likely. It means that if weinitiate a search for Miesse, hewon't be popping up. Nonexistent.

The thing is, we could do it fromhere, but that would alert thegovernment spooks.

GAVINHow then?

KLINEWe need to find someone that wouldbe authorized to make searches.Maybe a policeman. We need to hiresomeone to file a complaint, andlet the police officer do thesearch and get the result from thehired help.

GAVINA human?

KLINEYes. That would be better. Somenobody that's trying to make someextra cash.


44/46

44.

GAVINWhy we had to end up this way?

KLINESpence was naive. He had no ideawhat a life sucking force is agovernment bureaucracy. The

proposal for incorporation lookednice, but it was justgeneralities. Just words. He gotsnookered into it.

GAVINI think he's lucky that he gotburied under that rock wall. He'dbe a walking shame.

KLINEI wouldn't judge him so harshly.We all thought that the future is

bright. No one questioned the deal.

GAVINI did!

KLINEYeah, no one except you and yourpresentation was... let's just saynot convincing.

GAVINI've heard, sounding like a loon.

KLINEAn apt summary.

GAVINWith Alaska out of the picture, wemay be going alone.

KLINEHard to tell. Northern Bakken hasmaybe 10 years. and that'sgenerous. Central Lakes, probablylonger, the sheet comes fromnorthwest and we are at the tip ofit. Alaska... to tell you thetruth, I'd prefer if it just makesthem cartoon characters for a fewcenturies.

GAVINThe feeling is mutual.


45/46

45.

KLINEWe need to have our ducks in arow, before we can talk to Bakkenand Central Lakes. Unlike them,we're between rock and hard place.

GAVIN

Between ice and hard place.

KLINERight.

Kline looks out of the window as if checking the sheetmovement.

GAVINIt doesn't go that fast.

KLINEI know. But it does feel like it

does. What did Fergusson say?

GAVINHe'll assign prospecting duties.He does have some solid leads,though, so we may have a bit ofresources when all's said and done.

KLINEWe'll be better off once we getBakken on board. Central Lakes isa copper territory. There are somerumors that some coltan is in

Labrador, but it's quiteinaccessible for time being.

GAVINAt least it's a no-man's-land.

KLINEWho knows for how long. And theice, that's another factor. Wishwe had planes. Well, one would do!

GAVINHeard Alaska got a couplehideaways.

KLINEI think it's just rumors. Fedswere quite thorough andcrisscrossed the territories witha fine comb.

GAVINPurportedly it's hidden in a cave.


46/46

46.

KLINEFeds would see the signature fromabove. You can't fool the counters.

GAVINMaybe. If they had enough lead, itcould be discounted as a

background rad.

KLINEThey'd be shot down the momentthey'd blip. So even if they havea couple, they're no good. I'dprefer cessnas or copters. Itwouldn't get the feathers ruffled.The only problem is that what isavailable is unaffordable and it'sdamn few and far in between.

GAVIN

We should send expeditions toprairies before the ice getsthere. We may find a few planesthat may be cannibalized.

KLINEWe did check already.

GAVINI was there, it wasn't thorough.There were a few local airportsbefore the JD. We didn't havelocations, just the large towns.

KLINEMaybe. We've got our plate full asit is. Likely it's all rust.

GAVINWhat do you think our chances are?

KLINEWe don't have much choice.Therefore, I'd say pretty good.

GAVINI always liked your good spirits!

END OF ACT SIX

the connors chronicles: f05e11 - threads

Documents