5 MILES NORTH OF ARKANSAS

--[Rebooting… 010011101010100110011010110
--[Status: ALL SYSTEMS OPERATING WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS
--[Alert: SINGLE 12.7x99mm NATO ROUND DETECTED IN DESCENDING COLON (ABDOMEN REGION)… PROMPT REMOVAL ADVISED

Jason’s eyes fluttered as consciousness returned to him, a dozen reports flooding his mind in a stream of code and sensory data. His muscles gave a slight spasm as his control started to return and Jason accessed his visual memory, calling up his last moments before his impromptu nap. He watched in slow-mo as he hurtled towards the windshield, spotting the pure shock on Sophie’s face before the memory shorted out. He’d been attacked.

--[Time elapsed: 30 SECONDS

Faster than Jason expected, though seeing as his mechanical systems were salvaged from an advanced T-999 it wasn’t too much of a surprise for him. Snapping his eyes open, Jason was greeted by the sight of a tall man holding a Barrett M107CQ sniper rifle. He was taking aim, slowly turning on the spot as if tracking a target. Jason carefully shifted up the windshield a little to get a better view and felt his electrical pulse quicken at the sight of Sophie sprinting across the pitch-black desert towards a small abandoned supply shed.

The man’s finger started to pressure the trigger and Jason acted in a heartbeat, delivering a kick to the barrel and sending the man’s aim awry. Despite his effort, however, the weapon was still fired and Sophie let out a bloodcurdling scream as she stumbled to the ground. The man spun around and aimed for Jason’s head, but he leapt up and grabbed the barrel, twisting it out of his face and slamming his foot into the assassin’s face.

Tearing the rifle from his grip, Jason rolled off of the hood and found his feet on the desert floor, twisting around to fire a single shot into the man’s face. He staggered back, but as Jason expected, did not fall. Jason didn’t need to perform a deep-scan to know what he was dealing with and fired three more times into the T-888’s chest, driving it further back. The machine was not so easily deterred, however, and snatched the barrel in an attempt to reclaim the weapon.

Jason solidified his grip, however, and the opposing forces tore the rifle in two, rendering it useless to both. He hurled the weapon to ground and lunged at the Triple-8, delivering a strafing kick to its shin and knocking it off balance. Kill it fast; kill it now; were the only thoughts that occupied Jason’s mind as he smashed his fist into the machine’s face. He had to know that Sophie was safe, even though he was sure she could survive her injury, he still needed the reassurance that only his eyes and ears could bring.

The Triple-8 drew a Magnum and fired into Jason’s chest, the bullets failing to elicit any kind of response other than tiny visual cues in his HUD, informing him of their presence in his flesh. Pain was a luxury he no longer possessed, and in times like these he was grateful for this. Swiping the gun aside, Jason drove his palm into the machine’s chest, sending it crashing against the car and smashing both headlights with its bulky arms. The hood crumpled beneath its weight and popped open as the Triple-8 staggered back to its feet.

Jason took a moment to assess his situation: he had nothing on him that could destroy the T-888; the rifle was inoperative, the Magnum useless, and his plasma weapon was good only for incapacitating machines, it couldn’t destroy them outright. Under more favourable conditions, Jason would use some sort of incendiary to increase his weapon’s volatility, but where could he find such materials in a desert? The answer was so obvious and simple that Jason almost slapped himself across the face for not getting it sooner.

The Triple-8 charged him and Jason caught hold of its jacket, spun the machine around using its own momentum, and hurled the Triple-8 head first into the truck’s engine. There he pinned it as he reached inside and tore the gas line, dousing its face with the oily liquid and digging the line under its collar before jumping back from the truck and channelling his weapon. With a single burst of red plasma, the truck exploded in a ball of fire, the raging inferno consuming the T-888 and obliterating its circuitry.

Jason narrowed his eyes at the white-hot cremation, watching with deep satisfaction as the endoskeleton melted into a shapeless mass and its CPU crackled and sparkled out of existence. A fitting end, he thought. The roaring flames drowned out all other sounds, so it was only from his enhanced audio receptors that Jason heard the agonising scream from the desert. His momentary conceit was immediately punctuated by her cries and Jason snapped back to attention, his eyes scanning the place he’d seen her fall.

“Sophie.”

The world became a blur as he bolted to the source of her cries, skidding to a halt and almost losing his balance as he reached her side and dropped to his knees. She laid face down, a ghastly entry wound oozing her life’s blood all over her back. Jason carefully rolled her over, resting her head on his lap; “Sophie? Sophie, it’s okay, everything’s okay. Let me take a look, c’mon. Let me look.” She stared up at him with bloodshot eyes and her entire body started to shiver; she opened her mouth several times to speak but no words left her.

Jason watched her struggling and suddenly felt very disturbed; her anguish was unnatural and unlike anything he’d expect from a fellow Infiltrator. Setting this aside, he tentatively placed a hand on the exit wound in her stomach and felt her shudder beneath his touch, a strangled cry escaping her. She gripped his jacket as tightly as she could, her knuckles turning paper white as she whimpered again. Jason activated his deep-scan and could see the injury in perfect detail.

--[Assessment: DEEP PENETRATION… NO SHATTERED BONE… NO ORGAN DAMAGE…
--[Attention: ERROR DETECTED… ANALYSING…

Keeping his hand over the wound to determine the error, Jason took in his surroundings, locating the old shed a yard away and deciding that inside was better than out. “Okay, okay, it’s alright. You’re gonna be fine, okay. I’m gonna get you inside, just dull the pain and I can help you”, he coaxed, shifting slightly to place his left hand to support her head. Sophie continued to cry, however, and her breathing became short as her wide eyes burned into his; “I-I can’t… Jason… It hurts so much…”

This is ridiculous, he thought; how can she let her emotions consume her like this, to the point that she can’t even see to her own health? Her irrational behaviour baffled him to no end; “Dull the pain, c’mon. Cancel it out.” She shook her head in response, fresh tears flowing freely down her cheeks; “I can’t!” she cried, her fingers digging through the sleeve of his jacket. “Sure you can, just focus”, he assured her, but she continued to writhe beneath him and her breathing became even more erratic.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t even think about it! Stay with me! C’mon!” he panicked as her legs kicked out against the pain. He cupped her face in both hands and held her steady, forcing her to look into his eyes as he spoke; “Listen to me, damn it! You brought me back. You kept me alive, and I was in far worse conditions than you. So I am NOT going to let you give up like this! Now keep your focus! Remember your training, and cancel the God-damned pain!”

“I-I’m trying… Something’s wrong. It won’t stop... It won’t stop… Jason? Why won’t it stop?” she howled, pulling at his jacket with both hands. Jason returned his right hand to the wound and reinitiated the scan, using his left to remove the NATO round lodged in his own stomach and toss it away.

--[Error detected: SENSOR NODE DAMAGE FOUND

Jason closed his eyes and let out a sigh as everything became clear; “The bullet’s caused a feedback. Your sensor responses have been fried. You can’t shut it out until the wound has healed itself”, he explained, now in full appreciation of the torment she was facing. Sophie shuddered again and started coughing, blood spilling from her petal lips. Jason couldn’t take anymore; though he knew she wouldn’t die from this injury, he couldn’t stand to see her in such agony and distress. He needed to do something to ease her pain… fast.

With as much care as he could manage, Jason slid his arms underneath her back and legs and lifted her effortlessly from the sandy ground. Setting off at a steady pace, Jason reached the shed in seconds and delivered a single kick to the lock, smashing it open in one go. The interior was pitch-black, so he switched to night-vision and was greeted by the sight of several shelving units with a variety of goods and tools, but most importantly; a medical kit.

At the very back of the shed was a small bunk and Jason wasted no time in gently placing her on the tattered mattress while he retrieved the med kit and closed the door behind him. Grabbing a pack of light sticks from a nearby shelf, Jason snapped three and scattered two of them across the small interior whilst keeping the third handy, filling the shed with an orangey illumination. He kneeled down by the bed and opened the med kit, sighing in relief at the adequate contents.

Sophie continued to squirm, her hands covering the stomach wound as her head rolled from side to side and pained gasps escaped her mouth. Jason extracted two patches and a bottle of anaesthetic along with a clean cloth. Popping the lid off the bottle, Jason placed the cloth over the brim and tipped the bottle upside down for a second, allowing the contents to seep into the material. He then carefully pried her hands away from the wound and began dabbing the area tenderly.

Every time he touched the wound Sophie cried out and trembled, but Jason continued regardless and cleaned the exit wound and fixed a patch in very little time. The entry wound on her back was far tougher, for Sophie at least, as he was forced to have her roll onto her side in order for him to get at it. Once this was taken care of, however, he allowed her to plop back onto the mattress and packed up the med kit; keeping a small syringe of morphine within reach.

“That should do it. There’s not much more that I can do with it at the moment. You’ll just have to rely on your healing. It should be fixed by tomorrow afternoon. We’ll just have to sit tight until then”, he told her, tapping the syringe with his forefinger to ensure its viability. Sophie suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm, making him pause, and he leaned closer as she struggled to speak; “Jason?” she pleaded, her blue eyes growing wider; “Hold me… please.”

Her lip quivered and she closed her eyes against the pain, a single tear rolling down her face as her fingers interlocked with his and squeezed tightly. Jason raised her hand to his lips and placed a small kiss on her slender fingers before carefully injecting the morphine into her arm. With a tenderness he thought himself incapable of showing, Jason scooped her up in his arms and sat on the bunk with his back against the wooden wall.

Sophie curled up into a foetal position on his lap and buried her head into his neck, her left hand sliding up his chest and settling on his right shoulder whilst the other remained tightly in his hand. Jason wrapped his left arm around her waist and gently leaned into her hair, letting out a shuddering breath at the intensity of the turmoil in his mind. He couldn’t believe that only through her suffering he could finally realise just how much she meant to him.

Why did it take her being shot with a NATO round to coax his feelings to the surface? Life, he concluded; is fickle and cruel, though I should already know this. Sophie trembled and her breathing returned to a steady, if ragged, pattern. She closed her eyes and willed her body to sleep, feeling perfectly secure within Jason’s arms. Slowly, despite the agony in her stomach, she drifted out of consciousness and fell into a place of peace and ignorance whilst Jason remained in the horror of the night; sitting a silent vigil over her sleeping form.

--

NEW MEXICO (RED VALLEY/THE CABIN)

--[Time check: 8:01AM

John was going to be late.

Cameron felt that one minute beyond his usual wake-up time was unacceptable, especially since she’d spent the last 3 hours patiently waiting for him to regain consciousness. Placing the box on the couch, Cameron stood up and strode over to the window and pushed the curtains aside, flooding the room with harsh sunlight. As predicted, John started to stir and Cameron hastily tip-toed back to his bed, picking up the box on the way. She had rehearsed this many times just to be sure she would get it right.

Pulling up a little stool alongside his bed, Cameron sat in the sun’s glare and held the box on her lap, silently waiting for him to open his eyes and see her. After several long moments, John’s eyes fluttered and opened, his pupils contracting against the light. Cameron shuffled over a little to block the sun completely and held the box out to him, a big smile on her face.

“Happy birthday, John.”

John blinked and stared at the box for a long moment; as if afraid it might suddenly explode. Slowly, the corners of his mouth started to rise and a warm smile crept across his face. He licked his lips and leaned on his elbow, his gaze shifting from the box to Cameron’s face, which was shadowed by the light behind her. “You remembered my birthday?” he asked with mild surprise. Cameron simply nodded and held the box a little closer for him to take.

John reached out and took it from her, leaving Cameron to place her hands on her lap and sit serenely as he slowly removed the blue ribbon and opened the box, revealing an expensive leather jacket inside. John’s mouth dropped at the sight of it and all words failed him. Cameron awaited his gratitude and when 10 whole seconds passed without any feedback, she decided to break the ice; “I observed you looking at it three days ago. I thought you would like it as a birthday present.”

Something indescribable settled on John’s features and he just stared down at the jacket without comment. Cameron assessed his behaviour and became concerned; “Was it a mistake? Don’t you like it? Because I can take it back and-”, she began in a small disappointed voice, but John looked up at her and shook his head; “No! No, I… I’m just lost for words, Cam. It’s an awesome present, really.” Cameron’s face lit up and relief flowed into her body. John held out his hand for her and she took it, letting him pull her over to the bed.

He cupped her cheek and smiled warmly up at her; “Thank you so much.” Cameron allowed the joy of success to tickle her circuits and let out a small sigh of relief at his approval for her gift. John slid his hand across her cheek and to the back of her neck where he gently applied pressure, prompting Cameron to lower herself to her knees and lean closer to the bed. John pulled her into a tender kiss; a wordless ‘thank you’ for the jacket he’d wrestled with buying for days.

The sun warmed her skin and hair, bringing smoothness to her body unlike anything he had felt before, and all thoughts of the jacket were lost to the feeling of her lips on his. This was his birthday present, her true gift to him. She was a gift… in every possible way. Cameron carefully pulled away and stared lovingly into his green eyes, stroking the side of his face affectionately. “You have to get dressed. Work starts in an hour”, she declared, rising to her feet and sitting on the side of the couch.

John groaned and dropped defiantly back onto his pillow; “I think I’m gonna call in sick today. I’d much prefer to spend my eighteenth with you than at work”, he sighed. Cameron tipped her head to one side and gave him an almost apologetic grin; “You have to go to work today. LeRoy will ‘chew your bit’ if you’re absent again. You should go”, she pressed, her voice firm and almost commanding. John narrowed his eyes at her and sat up, tapping the mattress absent-mindedly as he studied her closely.

“Why do you want me out of the house?” he asked, realising that Cameron was harbouring an agenda for today. Cameron simply smiled and strode over to the bed where she removed the box and placed it back on the couch. She then turned back to John with a sly smile and he knew what she was about to do; “Oh no, you don’t!” he exclaimed, but she was too quick for him and swiped the sheets from him in one swift move. John dived for the pillows but Cameron was on top of him in an instant and wrestled the first from his grip.

Hurling it over her shoulder, Cameron grasped the second but John was unwilling to give up so easily this time and wrapped his entire body around it, pinning the pillow to the mattress. Cameron flipped him onto his back, however, and got a good grip on the pillow, but unlike the first one she did not snatch it with all of her strength and playfully tugged at it whilst John tried to keep it safe. “No, no, no, you’re not getting this one. Nope, you’re not getting it. You’re not”, John chuckled as he struggled to release her steely fingers.

Cameron giggled and tugged the pillow from side to side in a lax effort to win it from his grasp, but John grabbed her wrists and tried to sway her left and right, which she allowed. After several minutes of childish play, Cameron allowed John to prise her fingers from the pillow and let herself drop down on top of him, the pillow buffering the impact. John was out of breath and continued to snigger up at her, his arms still locked around the pillow rebelliously.

“You’re… not… gonna… get it…” he boasted between breaths. Cameron smirked down at him and was struck by an effective tactic; she suddenly pressed her lips against his in a passionate kiss, her tongue teasing his in the same playful manner as their little fight earlier. John released one hand from the pillow to stroke her hair and Cameron acted in a nanosecond, swiping the pillow from his hold and throwing it across the room. She broke the kiss and sat up, a smug smile on her face at the incredulous look on John’s.

“Oh, you are so dead”, he teased, lunging at her with outstretched hands, but Cameron was too quick for him and rolled to her left, landing in a heap on the floor and out of his reach. She got back to her feet and smirked once more; “Get dressed. Go to work.” John glared at her in mock anger as she gathered the pillows and the sheets before dragging them into the bathroom, flashing him a wink before closing the door on him. “CHEATER!” he called to her, his smile threatening to stick on his face all day.

Happy birthday: the new understatement of the century.

--

Why, oh why did I let her talk me into coming in today?

John pulled on his new jacket and smiled, despite his aching joints and raw shoulder blades from four hours of endless work under several cars. Cameron was right; LeRoy really would’ve torn him a new one if he hadn’t showed up today. John’s absence several days ago resulted in a backlog of repairs that none of the other worker’s felt obliged to pick up on, leaving John with almost a dozen complicated repair jobs and only nine hours to complete them, each needing an hour to fix.

Can’t people look after their cars nowadays, he wondered.

Slumping down on his small chair behind his equally small desk, John opened his drawer and retrieved the brown bag within. Rummaging around inside, John pulled out his perfectly prepared PB & J sandwich, taking a moment to marvel at the attention to detail she put into making his food. Taking a bite out of the snack, John closed his eyes and let out a sigh of content as he slowly chewed the bundle of bread and jellies. So engorged was he that John failed to notice the heavy footfalls of a gruff individual.

“Eh, what cha doing?” he growled, bringing John crashing back to reality and placing him face to face with the crusty pork belly of his boss. Looking up, John was greeted with an angry glare from a thoroughly unpleasant man. John swallowed his bite and flicked his teeth with his tongue before answering in a calm and slightly sardonic voice; “What does it look like I’m doing, boss?” LeRoy crossed his grubby arms and looked around the garage, his eyes narrowing at a half-finished engine repair before locking his gaze back on John.

“Looks like a spot of slackin’. I thought I told you to get this done by today!” he roared, his spit just narrowly avoiding John’s sandwich, prompting him to put it back in the brown bag with a scowl. “Yes, you did. But in case you haven’t noticed, I have got a crap load of work to do and I have been at it nonstop for over four hours now. So how about you give me ten minutes to recover, huh?” he snapped, not really caring if he got sacked or not. Cam will understand, he thought.

LeRoy glowered at him for a long moment before suddenly bursting into laughter and clapping John on the shoulder. “Ai, you got a pair, I’ll give ya that”, he chuckled, sitting on the edge of the desk. John frowned at his recline and let out a shudder when he caught sight of the man’s hairy back-end, putting all thoughts of food out of his mind for good. “Ah, but ya still gotta get it done. Can’t have a build up like this too often, tis’ bad for business”, he grumbled, holding back what John could only guess would’ve been a hair-raising belch.

“Yeah, just gimme ten minutes, okay? That’s all I’m asking”, John sighed, rubbing his head to dissuade a growing headache. LeRoy grunted and narrowed his eyes at John’s leather jacket, eyeing it with obvious envy; “Ai, now where’d you get that from?” he asked. John wondered for a moment what he meant, but quickly picked up on his eye line and looked down at his jacket; “Oh… yeah, my girlfriend bought it for me. Birthday present… today.”

“Huh, my old lass never buy me goods like that. You must keep her well kempt. What’s your secret?” the grimy mechanic enquired, one eyebrow raised crookedly above the other. “She’s a robot. I just wind up the crank and let her go”, John half-confessed with a small smile. LeRoy let out a wheezing snigger and placed a hand in his pocket, removing a small flask from which he drank deep before offering John a swig, to which he declined. LeRoy shrugged and pocketed the flask before wiping his nose on the back of his hand.

John grimaced and had to fight back the urge to kick the disgusting man off of his desk, as he needed this job and shoving his boot up the boss’s ass was hardly the best route towards keeping it. “Ya very lucky, ya know that”, the boss grunted, jogging John from his momentary stupor; “Huh, what?” LeRoy shifted, making the desk creep and scattering a few of John’s pencils to the floor; “Ya gal. Ya lucky to av’ ‘er”, he explained. John simply nodded, his thoughts drifting back to the morning and their little game.

Nothing could describe how nourishing moments like that were to his soul; small acts that kept the glow in his heart from going out completely. A smile crept across his face as he remembered wrestling for control of the pillow, Cameron’s giddy face becoming burned into his memory indefinitely. He had never seen her so carefree and playful, he thought she was incapable of such behaviour. Maybe she was just faking it, he mused, but a part of him knew that she wasn’t. He knew there was more to her than programming.

It was such a release from the complications of reality; to be able to just enjoy a moment of pure blitheness. And yet, here I am; sitting on a dusty chair, pissing away my birthday fixing cars, he sighed to himself. LeRoy checked his watch and hopped off the desk, tapping the big hand pointedly; “Break’s up, mate; back to work.” John groaned and willed his body to lift him from the chair, removing his jacket and placing it back on its peg. “Ya never know; if ya get it done sooner ya might get back to ya lass earlier”, the boss croaked.

John couldn’t help but smile at the prospect and was suddenly filled with increased vigour as a new resolution formed within his mind. Picking up the torque wrench, John approached the unfinished engine and got to work as fast as his mind and body would allow.

Some things are worth toiling over, he mused.

--

5 HOURS OF ELBOW-GREASE LATER

Letting out a long and deep sigh, John popped the stick into park and turned the key, bringing the stagnant rumble of the engine to an end. Every muscle in his body ached, and John could just prop his head against the wheel and drop to sleep right then and there, but he would much prefer to push his body just that little bit more and be able to collapse on his comfy bed. With every ounce of will he possessed, John staggered out of the truck and slammed the door behind before stumbling to the cabin door and pushing it open.

The sight he was greeted with quickly drained all of the fatigue from his body and his brain started working at one hundred miles per hour. None of the lamps were on; instead only the fireplace was lit, casting a fiery glow across the entire cabin. A flicker to his left caught John’s attention and he stared wide-eyed at the candlelit table where two plates and matching cutlery had been placed upon a white table cover.

“You’re letting the flies in.”

John spun around and felt his jaw drop as his eyes took in the sight before him; Cameron had just emerged from the kitchen, and she looked… no words could do her justice. She had donned a silky black dress of simple design, but unarguably perfect in every way. Her hair was combed back behind her ears and held in place by three shiny-black clips, one above each ear and a larger one at the back of her head, all placed to keep her beautiful hair from hiding her beautiful face.

She wore small dark sandals on her bare feet and he couldn’t help but notice she’d painted her toenails a light peachy colour. Returning his gaze to her face, John also saw the subtle makeup she’d deigned to apply; faint silvery eyeliner just visible enough to be noticed but not distractingly so, which only served to bring out her brown eyes even more than usual. Her lips glimmered noticeably, yet another sign of her modest application of cosmetics.

John reached behind him and closed the door, not breaking his sight of her for a second as she simply stood there with a glittering smile, her eyes sparkling in the fire glow. “Do you like my dress?” she asked, her voice the softest it had ever been. John’s immediate response was a strangled mumble, making him laugh at his own astonishment; “It’s err… You look incredible, Cam.” She smiled prettily and closed the gap between them, sliding her slender hands under his jacket and carefully removing it from his tired back.

After placing it on the coat hanger, Cameron took John’s hand and led him over to the table where she plonked him down on the seat furthest from the door and closest to the large window before taking her place on the opposite chair. John felt like he had just slipped into a dream, everything was so surreal; the candlelight, the warm glow from the fireplace, the sparkling cutlery before him and the utter marvel that was Cameron.

No other eighteen year-old saviour could ever be this lucky, he thought.

Cameron reached over and removed the heat cover from John’s plate, revealing a finely cooked rack of lamb that made John almost drool a river at the sight and smell of it. She lifted the cover from her own plate, revealing a noticeably smaller portion, though John was surprised that she would bother at all. She’s making an effort for me, he realised. Placing a napkin on her lap, Cameron took up her cutlery and cut into the meat, placing a small slice into her mouth and chewing it tenderly before letting it slide down her throat.

John was so enraptured by the sight of her indulging in food that by the time he regained his senses, his stomach was practically screaming at him for immediate satisfaction. Picking up his knife and fork, John cut into the lamb and swallowed a larger piece than Cameron’s, the sweet juices and succulent texture of the meat tasting like pure heaven. Cameron smiled at his reaction and ate another small piece before tilting her head to one side; “How was your day?” she asked.

John swallowed, temporarily calming his stomach as he considered her question; “Tiring. LeRoy found A LOT of work for me to do today.” Cameron gave him a sympathetic smile and watched as he ate another piece, his jaw movements tickling her like always. “So… is this what you wanted me out of the house for?” he asked between bites, looking around the room as though expecting to see a banner and curly decorations. “It would not have been effective had you been here to see me set it up”, she explained.

“Did anything interesting happen at work?” she enquired, cutting another piece of lamb and placing it in her mouth. John finished chewing and shook his head; “No, not really…” He looked her straight in the eye and smiled; “I missed you a lot today”, he added. Cameron felt blood redirecting to her cheeks and looked down at her plate, as was the appropriate reaction, she’d observed. “I missed you too”, she whispered, looking up to meet his eyes and convey the sincerity of her admission.

They held each other’s gaze for what felt like an eternity, before John changed the topic and they talked instead of his fifth birthday and the craziness that ensued; which included chickens and the Mexican policia. It seemed like hours were passing as they spoke, even though it were only minutes. They opened up to each other in a way they’d never done before and time seemed to come to a stand-still, as even Cameron disabled her chronometer, casting them both adrift in a sea of conversation.

Eventually, both plates lay empty and John felt thoroughly stuffed; his breathing proving a little more constricted than usual. The sign of good food, he mused. Cameron wiped her mouth with the napkin and folded it into a triangle before picking up the bottle of wine and refilling John’s glass and hers. John took a sip and sighed appreciatively; “Ah… I could get used to this, you know”, he groaned, relaxing into the chair and closing his eyes a little.

Cameron put down her glass and mirrored his actions; leaning back in the chair and half-closing her eyes. She couldn’t feel the contentment that he was currently enjoying, but she understood what he was feeling and that brought her amity of her own. “I bumped into LeRoy’s son today”, John suddenly announced, breaking the peaceful silence between them. Cameron’s eyes shot open and she leaned forward attentively; “Oh?” she offered.

John stared into the dark red liquid in his glass as he spoke, apparently fascinated by its colour; “Yeah, he’s an interesting guy. Nothing like his father though. He and his girlfriend came by to help pick up the slack in the garage. They’re both mechanics. Very good one’s too.” Cameron just smiled and listened, not really caring for what he was saying, but also afraid of hurting his feelings should she ignore him. “His girl was an odd one though”, he remarked, prompting Cameron to reply with another noncommittal “Oh?”

“She kept giving me strange looks. Like she wanted to ask me something, you know”, he continued, still eyeing the wine intensely. “Is that so strange? You always tell me that I give you odd looks,” she replied, tipping her head inquisitively as she spoke. John took another sip of the wine and placed it back on the table with a shrug; “I dunno, maybe she wanted to ask me out or something”, he joked, not noticing the brief flicker of hurt on Cameron’s face. “Is that something you would want?” she asked in a quiet voice.

John heard the slight chill in her tone and froze; “Wha-… What do you mean?” he asked bewilderedly, becoming increasingly disturbed by her stony demeanour. “Would you prefer a human girlfriend? Is that what you truly want?” she pressed in that same cold voice, her brown eyes boring into his, ready to detect any flicker of deceit. John just shook his head in disbelief; “Cameron-”, he began, but his voice failed him as visible hurt started to show on her delicate features.

Cameron swallowed and looked around the cabin and then down at the remnants of the meal she had slaved over, her brow knitting together in confusion; “Because I… I did all of this for you and… and it isn’t enough, it… I wanted it to be special, I…” she babbled, her voice becoming increasingly distraught with every passing moment. John felt like everything was crashing down around him; the polystyrene world was crumbling before him and he felt powerless to stop it. “Cameron-”, he pleaded, but again the words failed him.

Cameron’s eyes started to brim with tears as raw puzzlement set in, overwhelming her logic boards and paving the way for what she could only describe as depression. “I-I’ve made an error… somewhere… and I… I don’t… know where… I…” she continued, her eyes darting across the room as if expecting the answer to just pop out at her. John was just as lost as she, and he could feel her pain, which only added to his own anguish. Yet he couldn’t find any way to put it right; his mind had gone completely numb.

Cameron picked at her dress and looked down at her hands, the peach nail polish shining in the fire light. She couldn’t understand how she could fail so suddenly like this, it made no sense; there were no prior warnings, no tell-tale irregularities that usually prelude such a complication. “I-I know that I’ll never be human… Never be a real… girl… for you…” she sobbed, tears leaking down her cheeks; “But I’m trying, I… I really am trying for you, and I want… to be perfect… for you…”

She looked up at him desperately, her eyes reddening as more tears spilled free; “I can do better…” she assured him, her eyes wide and hopeful; “I promise to do better… much better… I promise… I can do better, I… John?” she whimpered. It was in this moment that John knew what she needed, what he had to do to reassure her that there has been no error, no failure on her part. John pushed away from his chair and kneeled down by hers, cupping her face in his hands as he pulled her into a deep kiss.

He held the affection for a good five seconds before gently pulling away, wiping the tears with his thumbs and holding her eyes level with his. “I want you to hear this under no uncertain terms…” he began in a firm voice; “You don’t have to be human to be a person. You don’t have to have a pulse to care. And most importantly, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone… anyone, including me. Do you understand? I love you just as you are, and I don’t ever want that to change.”

Cameron’s eyes flicked rapidly from left to right as she processed his words, finding every nuance of meaning behind them, and seeing only his sincerity and love. Cameron let out a shuddering breath and tentatively reached out to touch his face, running her fingers up the bridge of his nose tenderly. The corners of her mouth twitched into a slow smile as everything became clear again and the chaos of everything before melted away into nothingness.

John took her hand in his and rose to his feet, lifting her up along with him. He led her away from the table and past the fireplace, past the couch and her comfy chair, stopping at his bed where he placed his right hand on her left hip and his other on her back. For a moment, Cameron suspected he was trying to initiate a dance of sorts, so she loosened her body to allow for full fluidity of movement. But John did not engage in a dance. Instead he pulled her to his left so quickly that she fell onto the bed, her head flopping back against the pillows.

He then sat close and leaned over her, his eyes bright and his breathing heavy; he was nervous, but committed. Cameron scoured her database for clues as to his intentions, but came up empty; an alarming development. “What are you doing?” she asked innocently, her brown eyes searching his for an answer. John smiled timidly and he slowly ran a finger down her left cheek, his pulse elevated far beyond normal; “Making love to you”, he replied.

Before she could fully comprehend his meaning, John cupped her cheek and placed his lips on hers, and after that it didn’t matter anymore because she knew what he meant. She knew what was to follow and how best to respond. It was no trouble removing his clothes, no hassle slipping out of hers. They joined together as if they were made solely for this mergence, created by God and Skynet for the purpose of one day becoming one body, one mind, one love.

Fire spread throughout her body, lighting every sensor she possessed, blinding her every nerve (both mechanical and organic) with pure ecstasy. He was so close to her now, she could feel the steady rhythm of his heart as if it were her own. His breath became her breath. Every cell in his body belonged to her, as every atom of hers belonged to him. She cradled his life like she would an infant child, shielding him with the near-indestructible alloy of her being.

And for the first time in her entire existence, Cameron could feel what it truly meant to be alive.

She could feel that life being created within her, a small anomaly buried amongst the code and data. It was so fragile and precious, that she feared it might be damaged at any time. But it was strong, and it could endure whatever she might one day face. It had a will of its own and survival was a part of that will; the need to continue, to endure, to grow stronger. She would ensure its safety, this life inside her. It was a gift from John, a part of him that would now and forever be a part of her; no more detachable than her energy heart.

This love inside her that could only grow stronger in time, belonged to them both, and she would die to protect it.


To be continued…


Next: Chapter 06: I Remember Me
Previous: Chapter 04: Sophie's Sorrow