Iron Time
By Spar_Lemon
In 2097, humans and machines no longer coexisted. Skynet, a computational monster devoid of emotion, judged humanity to be an “inefficient variable,” and so the war began. Above the ruined cities and under the burning skies, the human resistance clings to a single hope in the midst of an endless battle. John Connor. His name is now a myth, and he was the variable Skynet feared most.
But Skynet has taken time itself as its weapon. In 2025, when John Connor was still a boy, Skynet sent a human-looking assassin robot back in time. An emotionless hunter with human flesh over a cold steel skeleton. It has only one goal: eliminate Boy John.
“You must flee now.”
Kyle Reese, a resistance fighter from the future, has come to John's aid, another being from across time, the last guardian chosen by man, sent into the present to protect John's life.
John and Kyle are chased through the city, an assassin relentlessly pursuing them. They run through bullets, flames, and crumbling buildings.
"Why me?" John asked, gasping for breath.
"Because you're the one who will change the future. Nothing has started yet, but without you, it's all over."
The boy's eyes are filled with fear and responsibility at the same time. The weight of the world presses down on his young shoulders, but he doesn't run away.
Machines don't know emotion, but humans know sacrifice and love.
That difference will determine the course of the war.
And now the choice is up to John. The future is yet to be determined.
On the highway, the breathing of the fugitives cracked sharply as they ran across the torn asphalt. The night sky was filled with drones instead of stars, and the lights of the ruined city were the eyes of the enemy.
“There's no place to hide anymore.” Kyle said, pulling a small explosive device from his waistband.
“What is it?” John asked.
“It's an EMP that delays time. It could give us a few seconds to stop him.”
But those few seconds could change the world.
The T-900, the assassin tracking them, was already close. Though human in form, its eyes were as devoid of emotion as they were of cold math.
"Target identified. Execute elimination protocol."
A bullet grazed his shoulder, and Kyle collapsed in John's arms. "Run, John! You have to live!"
But John didn't stop. Something was changing in his young eyes. Fear turned to anger, and anger to determination.
At that moment, the EMP device detonated, sending an electromagnetic field through the city. The T-900 froze like a stopped clock, and for the first time, John was ahead of the machine.
He caught his breath and turned to Kyle. “This war... I'll end it.”
That night, a child became a man. The boy on the run had accepted that he was the hope of the future, and the war had become a meaningful resistance, not just survival.
The machines are still coming. Stronger, more sophisticated. But John was changing, too. Human emotions, human imperfections, were making him stronger.
And with every step he took, the future was changing a little bit.
Story Content
In 2097, humans and machines no longer coexisted.
Skynet, a computational monster devoid of emotion, judged humanity to be an “inefficient variable,” and so the war began.
Above the ruined cities and under the burning skies, the human resistance clings to a single hope in the midst of an endless battle.
John Connor.
His name is now a myth, and he was the variable Skynet feared most.
But Skynet has taken time itself as its weapon.
In 2025, when John Connor was still a boy, Skynet sent a human-looking assassin robot back in time.
An emotionless hunter with human flesh over a cold steel skeleton.
It has only one goal: eliminate Boy John.
“You must flee now.”
Kyle Reese, a resistance fighter from the future, has come to John's aid, another being from across time, the last guardian chosen by man, sent into the present to protect John's life.
John and Kyle are chased through the city, an assassin relentlessly pursuing them.
They run through bullets, flames, and crumbling buildings.
"Why me?" John asked, gasping for breath.
"Because you're the one who will change the future.
Nothing has started yet, but without you, it's all over."
The boy's eyes are filled with fear and responsibility at the same time.
The weight of the world presses down on his young shoulders, but he doesn't run away.
Machines don't know emotion, but humans know sacrifice and love.
That difference will determine the course of the war.
And now the choice is up to John.
The future is yet to be determined.
On the highway, the breathing of the fugitives cracked sharply as they ran across the torn asphalt.
The night sky was filled with drones instead of stars, and the lights of the ruined city were the eyes of the enemy.
“There's no place to hide anymore.” Kyle said, pulling a small explosive device from his waistband.
“What is it?” John asked.
“It's an EMP that delays time.
It could give us a few seconds to stop him.”
But those few seconds could change the world.
The T-900, the assassin tracking them, was already close.
Though human in form, its eyes were as devoid of emotion as they were of cold math.
"Target identified.
Execute elimination protocol."
A bullet grazed his shoulder, and Kyle collapsed in John's arms.
"Run, John!
You have to live!"
But John didn't stop.
Something was changing in his young eyes.
Fear turned to anger, and anger to determination.
At that moment, the EMP device detonated, sending an electromagnetic field through the city.
The T-900 froze like a stopped clock, and for the first time, John was ahead of the machine.
He caught his breath and turned to Kyle.
“This war...
I'll end it.”
That night, a child became a man.
The boy on the run had accepted that he was the hope of the future, and the war had become a meaningful resistance, not just survival.
The machines are still coming.
Stronger, more sophisticated.
But John was changing, too.
Human emotions, human imperfections, were making him stronger.
And with every step he took, the future was changing a little bit.
