"Then I guess we'd better make sure her food matters." John smiled slightly. If he could go back to his world and take a few people with him, he would. But, as it didn't seem likely, he supposed he'd have to settle for working with them to save this version.
Steve's insight caught him off guard and, for a moment, he hesitated. The weight on his shoulders was as heavy as ever and it would have felt good to say something to anyone, to speak his truth. But, he knew better. "Maybe when we're back on the bus," he allowed, still not promising anything. "It's not safe to talk about here."
After he'd convinced his mother to fight back and they'd jumped to 2008, John had imagined he could pull the mantle of Future Connor around his shoulders and borrow some of his future self's wisdom or bravery whenever he felt like the world was too heavy for his fifteen year old shoulders to carry. It had been silly and stupid. But, he found himself doing it now as he focused back on task. "I'll see what I can find out. Maybe talk to some of the ones nearer my age, who still work off gut feeling more than the adults around them."
The final question was not one he'd been expecting and he turned his head to look at Steve for a long moment, assessing, before answering. "In every version I know, there's only ever been one man with enough knowledge to be able to reprogram them and even then, it didn't always take. Sometimes his programming failed. Sometimes a glitch resurfaced directives that are hard-coded into their primary systems. It's possible. But, risky."