[Story takes place after the first RoboCop vs the Terminator series by Frank Miller. Published by Dark Horse Comics] ROBOCOP vs the TERMINATOR: ROUND TWO
John Conner, Savior of humanity. But now, just a 17 year old boy. But he's aged well beyond his years. He drives the Chevy Station Wagon down a wet Detroit road. Up ahead is Detroit Motor Lodge. It's time to rest. He pulls the rusted station wagon into the lot. As he cuts the engine, he looks back at his mother. Then he gets out and closes the door behind him.
He walks up the sidewalk to the office. Once inside, John sees a plump little man, his nametag reads :Bud manager. John asks for any rooms with two beds left. Bud asks how many nights. John says he's not sure. Bud gives him forms and a key. John pays. He walks out with the room key twirling in his fingers, towards the car. He gets in and starts it up. He shifts it into reverse and swings out of the parking lot, and drives towards the back. Once he has parked in fornt of the motel room, John kills the engine and gets out. He unlocks the door and then pushes it open. He throws the key on the table from the doorway. He walks back to the car and opens the back door. Sarah stills sleep soundly. John reaches in and pulls her out slowly and carefully, as not to wake her. He picks her up in his arms and walks her into the room. He has grown strong since they had had that conflict with the T-1000 those many years ago. He has prepared for Judgement Day. Even if it meant it didn't come. He must never be caught off guard. He must never be found. And he has Sarah to take care of.
He lays her down on the bed closest to the bathroom. Judgement Day's date has come and gone. That could mean that we succeeded in destroying any hope of Skynet being built. But those Damn terminators are tricky as hell. They could be playing with us. Or maybe it's finally over. God I hope so. His thoughts stop. He decided not to think about that now. He has all the time in the world to think about it. But time isn't really his most prized asset. He really doesn't have much of it.
* * *
Calamity. Sarah Conner and John Conner of the past have destroyed the creator. Quickly now. Pinpoint the time of disruption, and subtract a day's time to prepare to stop them from destroying the creator. Terminate them.
* * *
Back in the past. The battle has just begun for this soldier. The blue flash of lightning. A naked body sprawling out of a portal. It cries. It feels pain all over. But as quickly as the pain came, it had gone. It calls itself Michael Pickett. A human. Worse. A human sent back to protect Sarah and John Conner.
He had landed behind a department store. But he is in the same location, just at a different time. 48 years from now, this department store will have been blown away and replaced by another building. Bigger and capable of making and storing Terminators and Time Displacement machines. It is now just a department store and an alley way.
It's late. Or early. All a matter of time. Funny, that's not the way Michael Pickett sees it. This department store will supply him with he needs to fit in in this time. Clothes. But it will supply him with what he needs most. Weapons. But the gun won't work on the cyborg, or a terminator. If Skynet was able to track him here. Most likely, it has. A terminator drone is probably already here in this same time stream. Now, Time has become very important to him and the future.
* * *
Morning. Metro West, It's Christmas morning. The streets are naked, and covered in snow. No people, no signs of life. Metro West is silent. It stands still in time. But the inside is as still as the outside.
Down the hall to Murphy's chambers, Murphy sits in his chair. Waiting for anything to happen. Anything that would require his immediate attention. But nothing.
Then, Marie Lazurus walks through the open gateway to her office. A number 2 pencil pressed tightly between her lips, and another in her her, supporting a bun of brunette hair. Murphy's eyes watch her. He watches her for five minutes. She works on charts and graphs and scales of tests. Endless tests. Then Murphy stands up, sets his arms and arches his back, and walks toward the doorway of her office.
Marie is so involved in her work, she doesn't even notice Murphy coming.
"It's Christmas, Marie."
She looks at him, raises an eyebrow and sips her coffee. As she sets it back down, she takes the pencil out of the bun in her hair. "Yes, I know Alex. But there's work to be done."
"Do you have any family?"
Marie's mouth twitches. "Yes, but it's only Christmas."
"Then it should be cause for celebration." Murphy smiles. "In life I was a religious man, Marie. Christ was born on this day. You should be at home, where-ever that might be, and celebrate with your parents or brothers and sisters."
Marie smiles at Murphy. "I guess you're right, but what about you? You have no one, Alex. You as much a part of my family than you think."
"Thank you. Then we should celebrate. Champange for you, and baby food for me."
Marie bursts out laughing at Murphy's joke. Murphy smiles. It has been months since he has seen her smile. She's beautiful when she smiles, Murphy thinks. And it makes him happy that he can still crack a joke. Even if it is putting himself down.
* * *
Detroit Motor Lodge. The television's glare wake John. He slept in his clothes, he can't remember pulling the sheets over his body. Maybe Sarah did it. It doesn't matter really. Sarah watches the TV like a vulture waiting for a nomad to die. Media Break is about to start on channel 162.
"Hundreds die in a freak accident when an orbiting defense system misfired during routine start-up tests. Cyberdine Systems head had this to say..." The scene switches to Janice Hopper. A middle-aged woman with a hint of gray mixed in with her nicely kept blonde hair.
"--tems lost control on the satelitte when the start-up tests were first initiated. We are greatly sorry for the unnessecary deaths. But there's nothing we can do, but ensure that it will not happen again. Our technitions are working around the clock with the guidence controls and will be properly aligned before any more start-up tests will resume.--"
"Cyberdine systems have recently bought the late conglomerate-OCP- company's files on Detroit Police Department's own RoboCop-" The scene switches to a photograph of RoboCop with his gun out and walking with a prisoner to his car. "-They have said that they would be interested in using the technology in helping further develop better prosthetics---*"
Sarah turns the TV off. She looks at John and then gets up and walks to the sink. As she washes her face, John picks up the room key and his wallet from the dresser beside him. "I'm going across the street, there's a Donut and Coffee place. I'll be back in a bit."
"Hurry it up, don'y want you gone too long. And take your gun with you. In case." Sarah dries her face off with the towel from the rack beside her.
