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Chapter 8: Walking in the Shadows
A/N: I apologise for not updating as soon as many of you would have liked. I do hope that, in the future, I do not take as long to update. Unlike in the past, the last few chapters are getting clearer to me.... Thanks to Blazar for his editing support, and the rest of the TSCC community for its praise! I hope you enjoy, and don’t forget to review!!!!
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The land was completely still as the sun began to set across the horizon, shining on the ruins of once tall buildings. Cars, playgrounds, houses, and buildings, all remnants of the life that once was were still there. It would be easy to think that this was just the remains of some ancient civilization. The only thing that would let you know otherwise was the bones... the skulls.
In the distance, something disturbed this picture. The ominous movement of searchlights dotted the landscape. The sky began to fill with massive Hunter/Killer Aerials that would continuously search for the last vestiges of humanity.
This was an all too familiar scene for Cameron and Allison. In both their futures, this was a regular fact of life. It was all Allison ever knew. Cameron was the only one who had ever seen what once was when she was in the past with her John. They would have to cross this landscape, dodging the H/Ks and trying to stay alive. To Cameron, this was necessary in order to see her John, the man that she had grown to love. She had to see him, even if it was the last thing she did.
Allison had kept quiet during most of the trip. Cameron didn’t know exactly how to “break the ice” so to speak. She was concerned if there was something that was bothering Allison. Cameron felt very protective of Allison, like she was a sister of sorts. After all, Cameron was built to replace Allison, which naturally would result in her death...
Wait a minute...
She realized that she was having an internal discussion of her feeling toward another person all by herself. There was no interruption from John Henry; no indication that he was even there.
He would usually want to explore of her concern for Allison.
Cameron thought back to when that she last talked with John Henry. It was exactly 14 days, 12 hours, 8 minutes, and 46 seconds before that moment, while they were in the tunnels. He did say this would eventually happen; that he would disappear after integrating his essence into her programming. She was just not prepared with how this would make her feel: sad... She missed him and his advice.
Was this the right decision? Am I supposed to second guess my actions?
John Henry was not there to help her with her conflicts. She only had herself and Ms. Weaver to rely on. Then again, Cameron didn’t really want to think of Ms. Weaver. If Catherine ever knew what she was doing, there would be consequences...
...I’d be dead...
Nevertheless, Cameron viewed Ms. Weaver much like John Henry did, as a maternal figure. She protected her, and even taught Cameron of this world and their mission. Cameron for her part listened, and learned. Despite all of this, she never accepted Catherine’s view of John Connor.
“John Connor importance only applies to his ability to fight. Other than that, he is just human. He must learn to be an efficient killer, cold and calculating, willing to do what must be done. If you are to use him to his best effectiveness, he must not know where you are.”
Cameron would not believe that humanity’s survival depended on her, neither did John Henry. John Connor made it all possible, she had seen it. No matter what Catherine said, she knew in her “proverbial heart,” seeing that she didn’t technically have one; that John was the single most important human to ever live.
Knowing this, she wanted to know why? Why could she not be with John, to protect him from all the threats to his life? All Catherine said was,
“You will understand when you are ready.”
Cameron didn’t care; she needed to be with him. She tried to shake the thought of Catherine from her head, and think about the situation at hand. She looked toward Allison, who was walking with care over the rubble. She was still quiet. Cameron analyzed her breathing rate and vitals. She seemed to be very... anxious. Cameron needed to say something to cut the tension that was building within Allison.
“Relax... the closest H/K is 3 miles away.”
“That’s easy for you to say, you can probably survive the bullets and explosions.”
“Most bullets do not affect me, but explosions can.”
Allison only laughed, not knowing the meaning in those words. Cameron had been in her fair share of explosions, some for better... some for worse. Her thoughts centred on the car explosion on John’s 16th birthday. In an effort to maintain the stability of her programming, Skynet’s emergency protection protocols took over, causing her to go... bad. She had never meant for it to happen, and for the pain that resulted from it.
In an effort to protect John from any future malfunction, she told him that “he couldn’t be trusted anymore.” Cameron realized now that she felt more regretful for those words each and every day after his birthday, as John treated her differently... more like a machine. Yes, she felt; her Emotion Simulation Matrix was less restricted because of the bomb, she did feel... Cameron kept her feeling to herself. She did not want to risk them burning her because she didn’t understand her new sensations. Cameron felt unsure about herself and her mission to protect John. No one ever knew; not John, nor Sarah, Derek... nor did Allison, at first.
“Rhetorical, but thanks.”
A few moments go by in silence. They continue to walk through the rubble, avoiding any machine activity.
“What is the past like?”
Cameron figured that Allison had a lot on her mind and wanted to decrease her level of anxiousness. She was a little taken aback from the subject of the query, nevertheless decided to answer honestly.
“It is very.... lively.”
“Oh come on, I know now that you can be more descriptive than that... tell me, what was it really like.”
Cameron took a moment to contemplate her answer.
“It was... almost like a dream... Skynet only programmed us with human weaponry and anatomy, allowing us to be more efficient terminators... But once I was there, I was unprepared with the effect humanity would have on me... particularly, John. John would take the time and teach me about human customs. At first I found them... puzzling, but in time, I began to understand the meaning behind them. I have learned to value human life.”
Cameron laughed a little.
“I particularly liked dancing...”
Allison laughed.
“You dance? That would be an interesting show, seeing a terminator dance.”
Cameron considered her statement and smiled.
“I found dance, ballet specifically, to be quite... comforting.”
Cameron Smiled.
“It is the hidden language of the soul.”
Allison looked back and smiled... She then looked toward the ground.
“How did you meet John?”
Cameron immediately stopped... All thoughts of John created the same reaction... yearning.... Nevertheless, she wanted to be as honest as possible.
“I met him at school... I traced him to a small town in Arizona... I was sitting behind him in Science Class.”
Remembering her first moment with John created feelings of warmth inside of Cameron’s processes. She remembered the use of her emotional simulator in that instance. It told her to proceed with infiltration protocol of flirtation. She wondered why it chose that, seeing that she could have easily protected him without making her presence completely known.
“Sounds like you two hit it off from the beginning.”
“I thought we did... he was one of the most attractive targets I’d ever seen.”
Both Cameron and Allison laughed.
“That was befor...”
Suddenly, Cameron’s attention turned to the east where she detected the fast movement of the Aerial H/K. A thousand scenarios entered her HUD. She quickly chose the best course of action.
“Get down!!!!”
Allison did not need to be told twice. She immediately hit the ground, trying to find as much cover as possible within the rubble of a small cliff. Cameron did the same, quickly analysing the debris and calculating the best spot to take cover. Moments later, the blinding white lights of an H/K came up along the cliff where Allison and Cameron were taking cover. It was just hovered there for what seemed like an eternity with each passing second. It didn’t take any action... causing both Cameron and Allison to wonder that it wasn’t going to find them. The H/K then began to move off slowly. A sense of relief came over Cameron and Allison.
I think we just dodged a bullet...
The moment that thought crossed Cameron’s mind, Allison lost her balance and stumbled on her cover, causing debris to dislodge. This immediately alerted the H/K. It turned sharply and opened fire. Almost simultaneously, both were thrown by the force of the explosion. The force of the heavy plasma cannon was something that even surprised Cameron. When in John Henry's body, a T-888, going against an H/K had been somewhat easier, as T-888’s are designed to take on heavy mechanized units. A TOK, however, was designed purely for infiltration, and Cameron’s body was feeling the consequences. Although she never feels pain, she does register the damage that is inflicted on her. Luckily, the blast only caused minor stress damage. Allison, however, was not so lucky.
Cameron got up and looked toward her, immediately she saw extensive damage to Allison’s torso. Cameron quickly scanned the area, the blast did provide momentary cover; however, it would be only 53 seconds until the H/K had a firing solution. Cameron quickly ran to Allison and scanned her wounds.
Warning: Target Wounded.
Scanning....
Target has suffered third degree burns to 46% of body...
Metal shrapnel has punctured ribcage...
Scanning...
Shrapnel has pierced heart.
Death Imminent...
Target is damaged beyond repair.
Cameron was starting to feel strong emotions coming through her Emotion Simulation Matrix. Knowing that Allison was about to die caused her to feel.... sadness, anger, and regret.
46 seconds until H/K has firing solution.
Cameron knelt down to Allison who was shaking in pain. Allison then looked straight in her eyes, and then opened her mouth to speak...
“Ca.... Cam..... Cam...eron....”
Despite everything, the last thing that she would have wanted was for Allison to die. At that moment, she forgot about everything, focusing of her dying companion. She could only feel guilt for what had happened to Allison.
Why not me? Why do I have to live...?
As if hearing her thoughts, Allison answered.
“L... Love him.... he... will... need you.....”
25 seconds until H/K has firing solution.
“I... I will, Allison... I promise...”
Cameron took her hand and held it until Allison expelled her final breath... two tear drops fell on both of Cameron’s checks.
5 Seconds until H/K has firing solution.
Cameron stood up and turned toward the opening, the blinding white light returning its gaze upon her. Cameron was no longer feeling her sorrow. Only one emotion with all of its ferocity took over... pure rage.
The H/K took aim.... in that moment, Cameron ran toward the flying machine with as much speed as she could possibly exert. She leaped onto a metal beam at the edge of the cliff, gaining both height and speed, and grabbed a metre long metal pipe. All her movements flowed with grace as she made her way toward the H/K, 10 metres away from the edge. Both Cameron and the H/K were surprised that she actually had enough momentum to reach the H/K. Unlike the H/K, Cameron did not dwell on it... She grabbed the bottom plasma turret and immediately went to work.
Before the H/K could react, Cameron used her metal pipe and began to pry open the bottom control panel. She used it to damage the less protected components of the H/K’s interior. She severely damaged the H/K’s movement control. It started to twist and turn from side to side. Unable the control itself, it started to move forward, trying to thrown Cameron off. Cameron hung on and began to slowly move on to the top of the H/K. Once there, she found the processor port and used the pipe to bang away at its cover. She quickly realized after banging a few times that the armour on the H/K was simply too thick...
Plan B...
In a fraction of a second, she scanned the H/K and found its weakness... She threw the pipe into the right engine. It entered the turbine and immediate caused extensive damage, making the H/K to immediately go down. Cameron looked toward the ground and braced herself.
The moment before the H/K hit the ground, Cameron leaped forward, using the momentum of the H/K to propel herself forward. The instant after being jumping off, the H/K exploded. Cameron landed on the ground violently, hitting debris on the ground. Metal parts landed on top of her. She slowly got up and took an internal scan.
Scanning Structural Integrity...
Scanning...
Operating within 97.2% efficiency...
Damage detected: Shoulder servos have minor damage...
Damage repairable...
Cameron moved her shoulder around.... she’ll live...
Cameron took a moment to analyse what just happened. Her anger, her rage was stronger than almost anything that she had ever experienced. She wanted that H/K to die.... not machine’s in general, not Skynet... just that specific H/K.
There was no way I should have been able to take out the H/K so easily.
A T-888 would find a battle against an H/K extremely difficult; which meant a TOK would have found it near impossible... yet she won convincingly. She acted more furiously than when she was “just a machine.” She didn’t know exactly what this meant, but it was an experience that both excited and scared her. She did not want the lose control with John.
Cameron scanned her surroundings.
Scanning...
Activity toward North... Human Resistance Base detected!!
Distance: 2731 metres.
She made her way toward the base, with little excitement. All the H/K patrols were behind her, only silence and rubble were ahead of her. She stopped near the entrance and began to scan it for access.
Scanning...
Security: 2 guards....
Threat Level: Minimal
The security around the entrance of the base puzzled Cameron. The Humans were out in the open, exposed to fire, with no dogs. This was not tactically sound.... she could easily terminate and enter... if she was a machine... however, she thought about another option... She grabbed the dirt off the ground and rubbed it over her face, allowing her to cover up features that may mistake her for Allison. She raised the hood from her coat over her head to cover her hair. After she was done, she was satisfied that she would not immediately be recognized. She headed for the entrance.
The two guards turned toward her, immediately aiming their weapons.
“Halt!”
“I’m human!”
Cameron held her hands up and stopped in front of them. One of guards lowered his and approached her.
“Lieutenant?”
The guard still aiming was the subordinate... the ‘Lieutenant’ was staring right at her.
“She’s human... I can see warmth in her eyes...”
Cameron smiled.
Poor security indeed.... curious...
“Thank you...”
The Lieutenant opened the steel door and let her pass. Just as she entered, the Lieutenant spoke, Cameron turned back.
“Whoever he is... he is one lucky man”
Both Cameron and Lieutenant smiled.
“No... I am the lucky one...”
Curious... is that what he meant by warmth?
She then turned and went down the tunnel into the resistance base... It was much different than the bases that were in her John’s future. The security was nearly non existent... civilians and soldiers alike were in the same rooms. It was very similar to the methods used by Lt. Sheppard and his men when fighting the machine... stupid. Without clear separation, the innocent would be killed as wells as the soldiers. Without check points, separating sections of the base, unnecessary lives would be lost; if there was a Skynet attack, everyone would die... Humanity was doomed...
After an hour of searching, Cameron went into the main Civilian hold. Everyone was quiet... everyone looked like they were resigned to their fate. Cameron knew that there would be nothing that she, or John, could do to save humanity... at least not now...
As she scanned the crowd, her HUD flashed.
Target Found!!!
Voice match: 97.35 % to John Connor
Cameron turned... but could not move....
What do I say...? Do...? Will he embrace me...? Or hate me...?
She just stood there, for minutes, debating on what to do... She did not realize that John was called and was on the move. Before she could decide, she was then hit on her shoulder; John had ‘bumped’ into her while walking out of the room.
“Sorry...”
He glanced at her turned back. Cameron was wearing a hood, and did not appear to be noticed by John. She needed to respond... or she might seem like a freak.
“..It’s alright...”
And just like that, he was around the corner.
“It’s alright?” Great job Cameron....you are a freak!
She was puzzled and a little embarrassed by her choice of words. She had taken out an Aerial H/K, a nearly impossible task, with little thought at all... but when it came to John, her processes just stalled... the weirdest part about it was that she liked it. She loved him, with all of her power core, and that would never change.
She decided to follow him... he was already far ahead, but Cameron caught up till she was a few metres away. After a long walk, he and...
Derek? Seems he is alive here....
They entered a door guarded by 2 soldiers. She followed, but was stopped by the guards.
“I’m sorry Miss... this is a restricted area.”
“What’s in there?”
“It is Col. Weaver’s office, she’s the Base Commander.”
“Weaver? Savannah Weaver?”
“Yes... now please move along.”
As she walked away, it suddenly it clicked, this is where Lt. Sheppard was stationed. This was where Savannah has taken command. Before she could think on it further, however, her HUD went off.
Warning!!! Warning!!! Warning!!!
Machine activity detected...
Scanning...
Plasma Drilling above base... will penetrate in 10 seconds.
No sign that Resistance is aware...
Warning!!!
John Connor’s life threatened
Plasma drilling was a very effective tactic used by Skynet. With it, machines could drill 100 metres in seconds rather than hours... no one would see it coming. John had developed a way of detecting the drills before they were in position, allowing the base to mount a proper defence. It was not the case here. Cameron quickly turned and ran toward the door... she needed to protect John.
The guards got in front of her, slowing her down just enough for the explosion of the drill to come through. Cameron turned and watched as the people underneath the drill were vaporized instantly. The surrounding area was hit with the force of the impact. Cameron was thrown down the tunnel. She slowly sat up and saw how close the drill had hit to office; there was suddenly a rather large hole in the wall. Cameron then saw what scared her the most. Almost immediately after the drill had burst through, multiple T-800’s emerged down the hole, shooting everything in their field of fire.
It was then that she turned to the body next to her as she heard the radio go off.
“Terminators in the base... terminators are attacking the civilian hold... oh my god; they’re everywhere... [Gun fire]DIE METAL BASTARDS!!!!”
Apparently, there was multiple plasma drills, allowing more terminators in the base... Everyone was going to die... Three people then exited the office; almost immediately, they were hit by plasma fire.
Before they fell, she quickly scanned the figures. Luckily none of them were John... A forth man exited, but then quickly turned back...
Derek...
The terminator hit Derek with a plasma bolt. He went down... The T-800 walked toward him and then stepped on his chest near his neck. Cameron turned her audio sensors to maximum... Derek was still alive...
“AAAAAHHHH, **** YOU METAL PIECES OF ****!”
... Not for long...
Cameron heard the crack of his neck as the Terminator easily stepped down on him, killing him instantly. The Terminator immediately turned and walked off. John had not shown himself, causing Cameron to wonder.
Is he dead? No... I would know... he must be hiding, smart.
At that instant, she heard another crash of metal vs. concrete, then a figure thrown through a wall. Her HUD instantly recognized who it was...
“John!”
Almost instantly as she said it, she felt the familiar cold of metal pull on her shoulder. Luckily for her, the T-800 didn’t know what she was. She turned, pulling the terminator’s hand off her shoulder; she immediately hit it with all her force, causing the terminator’s jaw to snap off. Cameron smiled.
H/K’s may have been ‘impossible...’ T-800’s on the other hand.... piece of cake!
The Terminator, realizing that this was not a human, raised his weapon to shoot the unknown cyborg. Cameron, however, was simply too quick for a T-800, and immediately slapped the weapon out of its hand... She then grabbed its head and twisted with all of her will. After a few seconds of force, she snapped its optical implants. Without the sense of sight, the T-800 never saw Cameron pick up the plasma rifle and point it directly to its face, blowing it out of existence.
She then turned to see what happened to her John. He was gone... at first, she started to panic, running toward the scene. She quickly realized that John was gone, his body was not there.
Terminators do not care about bodies...
She then ran in the only direction that would be open to him. There were tunnels all over the place, making it confusing as to where he had gone. Her audio sensors then went off, she could hear a crash of wall and debris a few tunnels away. She ran as fast as she could, fearing the worst.
What she saw next scared her more than anything in her life. John was on his knees with a terminator over him...
Without any thought, she ran toward him with such speed that not even the terminator noticed. She lunged at the terminator, pushing it away from John. With the same fluid, she turned and the swung her arm toward the T-800’s head, it stumbled backward. Not relenting, she pressed her attack, hitting the T-800 repeatedly. The reaction time of the T-800 was simply too slow for Cameron. In her next thrust, she grabbed the Terminator, and threw it through the wall, destroying what was left of the battered barracks structure. She moved forward, grabbing the neck of the T-800 and pulled the optical cable, rendering it blind. Like with the last T-800, she went back and grabbed its weapon and proceeded to use it to destroy the terminator. Unlike the last time, she fired repeatedly, making sure there was nothing left of the terminator.
She stopped firing... The scene was silent, the T-800 was utterly destroyed, she saved him... Cameron turned, John Connor was unmoving.
She ran to him, and immediately took his vitals
Scanning...
Subject unconscious from minor damage to head...
Damage non extensive...
Cameron took a sigh of relief. She looked over John for a moment... he would be fine, albeit with a headache when he woke up. Cameron took a moment and replayed the entire ordeal from her memory files.
John was there on his knees. She ran... she lunged at it... She then saw what happened. Her initial attack caused the T-800’s to whip its rifle around, hitting John’s head with enough force that he went unconscious.
Cameron noticed something else. John was kneeling in front of the Terminator. Yet, he was still proud, not whimpering like any other human, not begging, or egging the terminator on... He was... In that moment, the John Connor that she knew could lead humanity... It was in that instant that Cameron finally understood what Catherine meant.
“He must learn to be an efficient killer, cold and calculating, willing to do what must be done.”
He was becoming who he needed to be, the leader that would save the human race. The boy that was John Baum was withering away; John Connor, the man she loved, was coming to be. She understood that in order to finish that process, he must do this alone... until that day when they can fight together, and save the world. It broke her preverbal heart that she would need to leave him, but she finally understood why. She did, however, still believed in one thing...
I love John Connor... and we will be together... no matter what Catherine says.
Cameron placed a kiss on his check.
“I’m sorry...”
She then picked him up and turned to walk toward the hatch. One problem... the hatch was now destroyed.
I guess I will have to go back the way I came.
Cameron pulled John through the hall ways, dragging his feet across the concrete floor. He was still very much unconscious from the blow to the head. To any human, his bulk may have presented some difficultly; however, to Cameron, or any other terminator for that matter, it may have been inconvenient, but not at all difficult...
As they walked through the smoky tunnels, she could hear screams and weapons fire. She knew that this was the end for many lives this night, and that it would be only a matter of months before almost every human would be exterminated. The question she contemplated was what would happen to them... to John.
Only a few more junctions... then we are to the surface.
She turned the corner... It was here she watched Derek get killed. She expected the same lifeless bodies there across the floor, with plasma burns all over their bodies. She didn’t envy their fate, if any of them didn’t die instantly, they would feel the sensation of their flesh being burned by the intense heat of ionized plasma. She shook off that thought and continued on. She was surprised, however, at what was in front of her. Instead of seeing an empty hallway with dead bodies, she saw Catherine standing over one of the bodies.
For a moment, Cameron thought she was done for. Fear, an emotion that Cameron was still not accustomed to, was overcoming her...
What is she doing here? Did she see me save John? Will she be mad?
“I am not upset with you Cameron.”
Catherine must have noticed her conflict. Cameron gave a sigh of relief, she half expect Catherine to terminate her right there. She set John down on the wall, making sure that he was still unconscious. She then turned and approached Ms. Weaver. Catherine turned to face her.
“Actually, I am very pleased with how you handled the situation. You have used your new abilities and John Connor is still unaware of your involvement.”
“I know now why you didn’t want me to be with him at the moment,” replied Cameron.
Catherine turned her head up to Cameron and stared directly into her eyes. Cameron looked down; she couldn’t help but feel intimidated by her stare. She figured it was one of the reasons people in her presence could be so “motivated.”
“Yes, and although I am disappointed that you decided to go find him, in the end, fate seems to insist on you being his ‘Guardian Angel.’”
Cameron felt a wave of emotions come over her. Just as Cameron was about to reply, a cough let out from the body under Catherine’s figure. Both snapped their attention almost immediately. It was then that Cameron notice who it was, Savannah. She was still alive, although barely. She had plasma wounds all over her body... As far as Cameron could tell, she would not survive. She returned her gaze to Catherine to see her almost sad at seeing the girl who called her mother in that state that she was in.
“Mom... (cough)... is that you?” whispered Savannah.
“Yes dear, it’s me...”
Catherine took that moment to brush the hair away from Savannah’s face. Cameron was curious as to why she would do that; as a fellow terminator, Catherine would know that such an act is an inefficient act considering that Savannah would die soon. Yet she still did it, as if it were some maternal instinct. Savannah continued to cough in pain... The plasma burns continued to eat at her skin as she tried to move herself to face her apparent mother.
“I know.... what you are... (cough)”
Cameron looked toward Catherine; she looked down as if feeling guilt for keeping her identity from her in the past. This action alarmed Cameron, who had never seen Catherine act this way.
Does she feel? Like me? How can a liquid metal feel? John Henry never noticed it...
“I.... (cough)... did my best... (cough)... to make you proud... Mom”
Savannah was struggling to mouth the words; Cameron could only imagine the pain that she was in. She then saw how uncomfortable Catherine was becoming in front of her daughter. The normally a confident and commanding terminator had become timid and unsure of herself in front of her daughter. It was just then that she saw something that she thought would never be possible. She saw Catherine’s eyes begin to water and then come down her check, but not as salty tears, but as drops of liquid silver running down her face...
Liquid Terminators are extremely complex machines, and integrating an emotional matrix would be next to impossible considering the level of complexity in their construction. But there she was, in front of the woman who once would call her mom, crying in some form of sadness that no one, not even an emotional TOK would think possible.
“It’s alright dear... you have always made me proud...”
Savannah’s breaths were getting quicker.... death was near.
“Mom... I... I... ... I...”
“Yes dear?”
Catherine moved closer to her daughter, grabbing her hand and hanging on her very word.
“I... love... you.... mom...”
Savannah closed her eyes and suddenly went limp. She’s dead. Cameron didn’t know exactly how to proceed with the situation. She looked toward Catherine, who looked distraught in front of her dead daughter. Cameron recalled when Riley died; John appeared to be in a very similar state.
“I’m sorry... for your loss”
She said them before, but it was then that she truly understood them and empathized with Catherine. She herself felt sadness, despite the fact that Cameron really did not know Savannah, John Henry did, and she felt the same loss as he would.
There was a long silence that lasted a few minutes before Catherine stood up and wiped her face. After another small moment, she turned to Cameron.
“We should go...”
Cameron simply nodded and turned to retrieve a still unconscious John. Catherine would need to deal with this in her own way, just as Cameron did when she was experiencing her emotions for the first time. After picking up John, Cameron began to follow Catherine pass the massacre around them and closer to the exit to the outside world.
Although they could hear the sounds of battle around them, they were lucky and met no opposition to the exit. They head up the ladder and out into the open. The sight before them had many words to describe it; awesome, terrible... Cameron felt sheer awe. They were on the crest of what was once the Griffith Observatory. The observatory was not nothing more than rubble, allowing the pair to see the war zone below. Stretched as far as the eye can see, and terminator eyes can indeed see very far, were explosions appearing randomly. In the distance, plasma fire was being exchanged, and Cameron could make out several H/Ks bearing down on those locations. On one hand, as a terminator, Cameron marvelled at how proficient Skynet was destroying its enemy; with cold precision. On the other hand, she felt the guilt of the death that was caused this night, so much more than in her future; this was a calculated slaughter... Being a former agent of Skynet, Cameron herself felt partly responsible for that death.
“Do not worry, Cameron...”
Cameron lifted her head and faced Catherine, who was look on her with a slight smile. She then placed a hand on Cameron’s shoulder, as if reassuring her of their mission.
“... None of this really matters once we finish our mission.”
Catherine seems to always have the ability of knowing what I am thinking at a particular moment. I do not recall the T-1000 series being outfitted with clairvoyance; or that Skynet processed such technology.
“I know... it won’t, once it we are back, everything will change.”
Cameron couldn’t help but feel that this was still wrong, still a tragedy that may have been avoided. Catherine smiled and began walking off away from the devastation.
“Come... there is a rallying resistance base to the west near the coast, many of the survivors will be retreating there; we should leave Mr. Connor with them for now.”
Cameron couldn’t help but wonder though if he would be truly safe there instead of with her. After all this time, after what happened with Allison and in the tunnel, she didn’t want to leave him. She wanted to tell John all the things she learned about herself. At the same time, she knew why she couldn’t. Her heart was torn between being with the one she loved and saving the future. She looked toward John and whispered to him so that Catherine could not hear.
“I will be reunited with you soon, after we finish here, I will be with you, and you will know then how I feel!”
Cameron then turned with John in hand and followed Catherine toward the sea to leave John again...
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“Sir!”
“What is it?”
John’s vision was a blur. He couldn’t make out who were...
“Oh my god... How did he survive?”
“A red-headed sergeant dropped him here. Said to ‘take care of him,’ what shall we do with him Sir?”
“Take him to my room, and get him a hot meal...”
“YES SIR!!”
The next moments went by in flashes; he did know where he was. He then opened his eyes in the light. His vision then started to clear.
“Good, you are awake... I thought you’d be dead!”
John look toward then voice... he was stunned at who he saw...
“Dad?”
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The land was completely still as the sun began to set across the horizon, shining on the ruins of once tall buildings. Cars, playgrounds, houses, and buildings, all remnants of the life that once was were still there. It would be easy to think that this was just the remains of some ancient civilization. The only thing that would let you know otherwise was the bones... the skulls.
In the distance, something disturbed this picture. The ominous movement of searchlights dotted the landscape. The sky began to fill with massive Hunter/Killer Aerials that would continuously search for the last vestiges of humanity.
This was an all too familiar scene for Cameron and Allison. In both their futures, this was a regular fact of life. It was all Allison ever knew. Cameron was the only one who had ever seen what once was when she was in the past with her John. They would have to cross this landscape, dodging the H/Ks and trying to stay alive. To Cameron, this was necessary in order to see her John, the man that she had grown to love. She had to see him, even if it was the last thing she did.
Allison had kept quiet during most of the trip. Cameron didn’t know exactly how to “break the ice” so to speak. She was concerned if there was something that was bothering Allison. Cameron felt very protective of Allison, like she was a sister of sorts. After all, Cameron was built to replace Allison, which naturally would result in her death...
Wait a minute...
She realized that she was having an internal discussion of her feeling toward another person all by herself. There was no interruption from John Henry; no indication that he was even there.
He would usually want to explore of her concern for Allison.
Cameron thought back to when that she last talked with John Henry. It was exactly 14 days, 12 hours, 8 minutes, and 46 seconds before that moment, while they were in the tunnels. He did say this would eventually happen; that he would disappear after integrating his essence into her programming. She was just not prepared with how this would make her feel: sad... She missed him and his advice.
Was this the right decision? Am I supposed to second guess my actions?
John Henry was not there to help her with her conflicts. She only had herself and Ms. Weaver to rely on. Then again, Cameron didn’t really want to think of Ms. Weaver. If Catherine ever knew what she was doing, there would be consequences...
...I’d be dead...
Nevertheless, Cameron viewed Ms. Weaver much like John Henry did, as a maternal figure. She protected her, and even taught Cameron of this world and their mission. Cameron for her part listened, and learned. Despite all of this, she never accepted Catherine’s view of John Connor.
“John Connor importance only applies to his ability to fight. Other than that, he is just human. He must learn to be an efficient killer, cold and calculating, willing to do what must be done. If you are to use him to his best effectiveness, he must not know where you are.”
Cameron would not believe that humanity’s survival depended on her, neither did John Henry. John Connor made it all possible, she had seen it. No matter what Catherine said, she knew in her “proverbial heart,” seeing that she didn’t technically have one; that John was the single most important human to ever live.
Knowing this, she wanted to know why? Why could she not be with John, to protect him from all the threats to his life? All Catherine said was,
“You will understand when you are ready.”
Cameron didn’t care; she needed to be with him. She tried to shake the thought of Catherine from her head, and think about the situation at hand. She looked toward Allison, who was walking with care over the rubble. She was still quiet. Cameron analyzed her breathing rate and vitals. She seemed to be very... anxious. Cameron needed to say something to cut the tension that was building within Allison.
“Relax... the closest H/K is 3 miles away.”
“That’s easy for you to say, you can probably survive the bullets and explosions.”
“Most bullets do not affect me, but explosions can.”
Allison only laughed, not knowing the meaning in those words. Cameron had been in her fair share of explosions, some for better... some for worse. Her thoughts centred on the car explosion on John’s 16th birthday. In an effort to maintain the stability of her programming, Skynet’s emergency protection protocols took over, causing her to go... bad. She had never meant for it to happen, and for the pain that resulted from it.
In an effort to protect John from any future malfunction, she told him that “he couldn’t be trusted anymore.” Cameron realized now that she felt more regretful for those words each and every day after his birthday, as John treated her differently... more like a machine. Yes, she felt; her Emotion Simulation Matrix was less restricted because of the bomb, she did feel... Cameron kept her feeling to herself. She did not want to risk them burning her because she didn’t understand her new sensations. Cameron felt unsure about herself and her mission to protect John. No one ever knew; not John, nor Sarah, Derek... nor did Allison, at first.
“Rhetorical, but thanks.”
A few moments go by in silence. They continue to walk through the rubble, avoiding any machine activity.
“What is the past like?”
Cameron figured that Allison had a lot on her mind and wanted to decrease her level of anxiousness. She was a little taken aback from the subject of the query, nevertheless decided to answer honestly.
“It is very.... lively.”
“Oh come on, I know now that you can be more descriptive than that... tell me, what was it really like.”
Cameron took a moment to contemplate her answer.
“It was... almost like a dream... Skynet only programmed us with human weaponry and anatomy, allowing us to be more efficient terminators... But once I was there, I was unprepared with the effect humanity would have on me... particularly, John. John would take the time and teach me about human customs. At first I found them... puzzling, but in time, I began to understand the meaning behind them. I have learned to value human life.”
Cameron laughed a little.
“I particularly liked dancing...”
Allison laughed.
“You dance? That would be an interesting show, seeing a terminator dance.”
Cameron considered her statement and smiled.
“I found dance, ballet specifically, to be quite... comforting.”
Cameron Smiled.
“It is the hidden language of the soul.”
Allison looked back and smiled... She then looked toward the ground.
“How did you meet John?”
Cameron immediately stopped... All thoughts of John created the same reaction... yearning.... Nevertheless, she wanted to be as honest as possible.
“I met him at school... I traced him to a small town in Arizona... I was sitting behind him in Science Class.”
Remembering her first moment with John created feelings of warmth inside of Cameron’s processes. She remembered the use of her emotional simulator in that instance. It told her to proceed with infiltration protocol of flirtation. She wondered why it chose that, seeing that she could have easily protected him without making her presence completely known.
“Sounds like you two hit it off from the beginning.”
“I thought we did... he was one of the most attractive targets I’d ever seen.”
Both Cameron and Allison laughed.
“That was befor...”
Suddenly, Cameron’s attention turned to the east where she detected the fast movement of the Aerial H/K. A thousand scenarios entered her HUD. She quickly chose the best course of action.
“Get down!!!!”
Allison did not need to be told twice. She immediately hit the ground, trying to find as much cover as possible within the rubble of a small cliff. Cameron did the same, quickly analysing the debris and calculating the best spot to take cover. Moments later, the blinding white lights of an H/K came up along the cliff where Allison and Cameron were taking cover. It was just hovered there for what seemed like an eternity with each passing second. It didn’t take any action... causing both Cameron and Allison to wonder that it wasn’t going to find them. The H/K then began to move off slowly. A sense of relief came over Cameron and Allison.
I think we just dodged a bullet...
The moment that thought crossed Cameron’s mind, Allison lost her balance and stumbled on her cover, causing debris to dislodge. This immediately alerted the H/K. It turned sharply and opened fire. Almost simultaneously, both were thrown by the force of the explosion. The force of the heavy plasma cannon was something that even surprised Cameron. When in John Henry's body, a T-888, going against an H/K had been somewhat easier, as T-888’s are designed to take on heavy mechanized units. A TOK, however, was designed purely for infiltration, and Cameron’s body was feeling the consequences. Although she never feels pain, she does register the damage that is inflicted on her. Luckily, the blast only caused minor stress damage. Allison, however, was not so lucky.
Cameron got up and looked toward her, immediately she saw extensive damage to Allison’s torso. Cameron quickly scanned the area, the blast did provide momentary cover; however, it would be only 53 seconds until the H/K had a firing solution. Cameron quickly ran to Allison and scanned her wounds.
Warning: Target Wounded.
Scanning....
Target has suffered third degree burns to 46% of body...
Metal shrapnel has punctured ribcage...
Scanning...
Shrapnel has pierced heart.
Death Imminent...
Target is damaged beyond repair.
Cameron was starting to feel strong emotions coming through her Emotion Simulation Matrix. Knowing that Allison was about to die caused her to feel.... sadness, anger, and regret.
46 seconds until H/K has firing solution.
Cameron knelt down to Allison who was shaking in pain. Allison then looked straight in her eyes, and then opened her mouth to speak...
“Ca.... Cam..... Cam...eron....”
Despite everything, the last thing that she would have wanted was for Allison to die. At that moment, she forgot about everything, focusing of her dying companion. She could only feel guilt for what had happened to Allison.
Why not me? Why do I have to live...?
As if hearing her thoughts, Allison answered.
“L... Love him.... he... will... need you.....”
25 seconds until H/K has firing solution.
“I... I will, Allison... I promise...”
Cameron took her hand and held it until Allison expelled her final breath... two tear drops fell on both of Cameron’s checks.
5 Seconds until H/K has firing solution.
Cameron stood up and turned toward the opening, the blinding white light returning its gaze upon her. Cameron was no longer feeling her sorrow. Only one emotion with all of its ferocity took over... pure rage.
The H/K took aim.... in that moment, Cameron ran toward the flying machine with as much speed as she could possibly exert. She leaped onto a metal beam at the edge of the cliff, gaining both height and speed, and grabbed a metre long metal pipe. All her movements flowed with grace as she made her way toward the H/K, 10 metres away from the edge. Both Cameron and the H/K were surprised that she actually had enough momentum to reach the H/K. Unlike the H/K, Cameron did not dwell on it... She grabbed the bottom plasma turret and immediately went to work.
Before the H/K could react, Cameron used her metal pipe and began to pry open the bottom control panel. She used it to damage the less protected components of the H/K’s interior. She severely damaged the H/K’s movement control. It started to twist and turn from side to side. Unable the control itself, it started to move forward, trying to thrown Cameron off. Cameron hung on and began to slowly move on to the top of the H/K. Once there, she found the processor port and used the pipe to bang away at its cover. She quickly realized after banging a few times that the armour on the H/K was simply too thick...
Plan B...
In a fraction of a second, she scanned the H/K and found its weakness... She threw the pipe into the right engine. It entered the turbine and immediate caused extensive damage, making the H/K to immediately go down. Cameron looked toward the ground and braced herself.
The moment before the H/K hit the ground, Cameron leaped forward, using the momentum of the H/K to propel herself forward. The instant after being jumping off, the H/K exploded. Cameron landed on the ground violently, hitting debris on the ground. Metal parts landed on top of her. She slowly got up and took an internal scan.
Scanning Structural Integrity...
Scanning...
Operating within 97.2% efficiency...
Damage detected: Shoulder servos have minor damage...
Damage repairable...
Cameron moved her shoulder around.... she’ll live...
Cameron took a moment to analyse what just happened. Her anger, her rage was stronger than almost anything that she had ever experienced. She wanted that H/K to die.... not machine’s in general, not Skynet... just that specific H/K.
There was no way I should have been able to take out the H/K so easily.
A T-888 would find a battle against an H/K extremely difficult; which meant a TOK would have found it near impossible... yet she won convincingly. She acted more furiously than when she was “just a machine.” She didn’t know exactly what this meant, but it was an experience that both excited and scared her. She did not want the lose control with John.
Cameron scanned her surroundings.
Scanning...
Activity toward North... Human Resistance Base detected!!
Distance: 2731 metres.
She made her way toward the base, with little excitement. All the H/K patrols were behind her, only silence and rubble were ahead of her. She stopped near the entrance and began to scan it for access.
Scanning...
Security: 2 guards....
Threat Level: Minimal
The security around the entrance of the base puzzled Cameron. The Humans were out in the open, exposed to fire, with no dogs. This was not tactically sound.... she could easily terminate and enter... if she was a machine... however, she thought about another option... She grabbed the dirt off the ground and rubbed it over her face, allowing her to cover up features that may mistake her for Allison. She raised the hood from her coat over her head to cover her hair. After she was done, she was satisfied that she would not immediately be recognized. She headed for the entrance.
The two guards turned toward her, immediately aiming their weapons.
“Halt!”
“I’m human!”
Cameron held her hands up and stopped in front of them. One of guards lowered his and approached her.
“Lieutenant?”
The guard still aiming was the subordinate... the ‘Lieutenant’ was staring right at her.
“She’s human... I can see warmth in her eyes...”
Cameron smiled.
Poor security indeed.... curious...
“Thank you...”
The Lieutenant opened the steel door and let her pass. Just as she entered, the Lieutenant spoke, Cameron turned back.
“Whoever he is... he is one lucky man”
Both Cameron and Lieutenant smiled.
“No... I am the lucky one...”
Curious... is that what he meant by warmth?
She then turned and went down the tunnel into the resistance base... It was much different than the bases that were in her John’s future. The security was nearly non existent... civilians and soldiers alike were in the same rooms. It was very similar to the methods used by Lt. Sheppard and his men when fighting the machine... stupid. Without clear separation, the innocent would be killed as wells as the soldiers. Without check points, separating sections of the base, unnecessary lives would be lost; if there was a Skynet attack, everyone would die... Humanity was doomed...
After an hour of searching, Cameron went into the main Civilian hold. Everyone was quiet... everyone looked like they were resigned to their fate. Cameron knew that there would be nothing that she, or John, could do to save humanity... at least not now...
As she scanned the crowd, her HUD flashed.
Target Found!!!
Voice match: 97.35 % to John Connor
Cameron turned... but could not move....
What do I say...? Do...? Will he embrace me...? Or hate me...?
She just stood there, for minutes, debating on what to do... She did not realize that John was called and was on the move. Before she could decide, she was then hit on her shoulder; John had ‘bumped’ into her while walking out of the room.
“Sorry...”
He glanced at her turned back. Cameron was wearing a hood, and did not appear to be noticed by John. She needed to respond... or she might seem like a freak.
“..It’s alright...”
And just like that, he was around the corner.
“It’s alright?” Great job Cameron....you are a freak!
She was puzzled and a little embarrassed by her choice of words. She had taken out an Aerial H/K, a nearly impossible task, with little thought at all... but when it came to John, her processes just stalled... the weirdest part about it was that she liked it. She loved him, with all of her power core, and that would never change.
She decided to follow him... he was already far ahead, but Cameron caught up till she was a few metres away. After a long walk, he and...
Derek? Seems he is alive here....
They entered a door guarded by 2 soldiers. She followed, but was stopped by the guards.
“I’m sorry Miss... this is a restricted area.”
“What’s in there?”
“It is Col. Weaver’s office, she’s the Base Commander.”
“Weaver? Savannah Weaver?”
“Yes... now please move along.”
As she walked away, it suddenly it clicked, this is where Lt. Sheppard was stationed. This was where Savannah has taken command. Before she could think on it further, however, her HUD went off.
Warning!!! Warning!!! Warning!!!
Machine activity detected...
Scanning...
Plasma Drilling above base... will penetrate in 10 seconds.
No sign that Resistance is aware...
Warning!!!
John Connor’s life threatened
Plasma drilling was a very effective tactic used by Skynet. With it, machines could drill 100 metres in seconds rather than hours... no one would see it coming. John had developed a way of detecting the drills before they were in position, allowing the base to mount a proper defence. It was not the case here. Cameron quickly turned and ran toward the door... she needed to protect John.
The guards got in front of her, slowing her down just enough for the explosion of the drill to come through. Cameron turned and watched as the people underneath the drill were vaporized instantly. The surrounding area was hit with the force of the impact. Cameron was thrown down the tunnel. She slowly sat up and saw how close the drill had hit to office; there was suddenly a rather large hole in the wall. Cameron then saw what scared her the most. Almost immediately after the drill had burst through, multiple T-800’s emerged down the hole, shooting everything in their field of fire.
It was then that she turned to the body next to her as she heard the radio go off.
“Terminators in the base... terminators are attacking the civilian hold... oh my god; they’re everywhere... [Gun fire]DIE METAL BASTARDS!!!!”
Apparently, there was multiple plasma drills, allowing more terminators in the base... Everyone was going to die... Three people then exited the office; almost immediately, they were hit by plasma fire.
Before they fell, she quickly scanned the figures. Luckily none of them were John... A forth man exited, but then quickly turned back...
Derek...
The terminator hit Derek with a plasma bolt. He went down... The T-800 walked toward him and then stepped on his chest near his neck. Cameron turned her audio sensors to maximum... Derek was still alive...
“AAAAAHHHH, **** YOU METAL PIECES OF ****!”
... Not for long...
Cameron heard the crack of his neck as the Terminator easily stepped down on him, killing him instantly. The Terminator immediately turned and walked off. John had not shown himself, causing Cameron to wonder.
Is he dead? No... I would know... he must be hiding, smart.
At that instant, she heard another crash of metal vs. concrete, then a figure thrown through a wall. Her HUD instantly recognized who it was...
“John!”
Almost instantly as she said it, she felt the familiar cold of metal pull on her shoulder. Luckily for her, the T-800 didn’t know what she was. She turned, pulling the terminator’s hand off her shoulder; she immediately hit it with all her force, causing the terminator’s jaw to snap off. Cameron smiled.
H/K’s may have been ‘impossible...’ T-800’s on the other hand.... piece of cake!
The Terminator, realizing that this was not a human, raised his weapon to shoot the unknown cyborg. Cameron, however, was simply too quick for a T-800, and immediately slapped the weapon out of its hand... She then grabbed its head and twisted with all of her will. After a few seconds of force, she snapped its optical implants. Without the sense of sight, the T-800 never saw Cameron pick up the plasma rifle and point it directly to its face, blowing it out of existence.
She then turned to see what happened to her John. He was gone... at first, she started to panic, running toward the scene. She quickly realized that John was gone, his body was not there.
Terminators do not care about bodies...
She then ran in the only direction that would be open to him. There were tunnels all over the place, making it confusing as to where he had gone. Her audio sensors then went off, she could hear a crash of wall and debris a few tunnels away. She ran as fast as she could, fearing the worst.
What she saw next scared her more than anything in her life. John was on his knees with a terminator over him...
Without any thought, she ran toward him with such speed that not even the terminator noticed. She lunged at the terminator, pushing it away from John. With the same fluid, she turned and the swung her arm toward the T-800’s head, it stumbled backward. Not relenting, she pressed her attack, hitting the T-800 repeatedly. The reaction time of the T-800 was simply too slow for Cameron. In her next thrust, she grabbed the Terminator, and threw it through the wall, destroying what was left of the battered barracks structure. She moved forward, grabbing the neck of the T-800 and pulled the optical cable, rendering it blind. Like with the last T-800, she went back and grabbed its weapon and proceeded to use it to destroy the terminator. Unlike the last time, she fired repeatedly, making sure there was nothing left of the terminator.
She stopped firing... The scene was silent, the T-800 was utterly destroyed, she saved him... Cameron turned, John Connor was unmoving.
She ran to him, and immediately took his vitals
Scanning...
Subject unconscious from minor damage to head...
Damage non extensive...
Cameron took a sigh of relief. She looked over John for a moment... he would be fine, albeit with a headache when he woke up. Cameron took a moment and replayed the entire ordeal from her memory files.
John was there on his knees. She ran... she lunged at it... She then saw what happened. Her initial attack caused the T-800’s to whip its rifle around, hitting John’s head with enough force that he went unconscious.
Cameron noticed something else. John was kneeling in front of the Terminator. Yet, he was still proud, not whimpering like any other human, not begging, or egging the terminator on... He was... In that moment, the John Connor that she knew could lead humanity... It was in that instant that Cameron finally understood what Catherine meant.
“He must learn to be an efficient killer, cold and calculating, willing to do what must be done.”
He was becoming who he needed to be, the leader that would save the human race. The boy that was John Baum was withering away; John Connor, the man she loved, was coming to be. She understood that in order to finish that process, he must do this alone... until that day when they can fight together, and save the world. It broke her preverbal heart that she would need to leave him, but she finally understood why. She did, however, still believed in one thing...
I love John Connor... and we will be together... no matter what Catherine says.
Cameron placed a kiss on his check.
“I’m sorry...”
She then picked him up and turned to walk toward the hatch. One problem... the hatch was now destroyed.
I guess I will have to go back the way I came.
Cameron pulled John through the hall ways, dragging his feet across the concrete floor. He was still very much unconscious from the blow to the head. To any human, his bulk may have presented some difficultly; however, to Cameron, or any other terminator for that matter, it may have been inconvenient, but not at all difficult...
As they walked through the smoky tunnels, she could hear screams and weapons fire. She knew that this was the end for many lives this night, and that it would be only a matter of months before almost every human would be exterminated. The question she contemplated was what would happen to them... to John.
Only a few more junctions... then we are to the surface.
She turned the corner... It was here she watched Derek get killed. She expected the same lifeless bodies there across the floor, with plasma burns all over their bodies. She didn’t envy their fate, if any of them didn’t die instantly, they would feel the sensation of their flesh being burned by the intense heat of ionized plasma. She shook off that thought and continued on. She was surprised, however, at what was in front of her. Instead of seeing an empty hallway with dead bodies, she saw Catherine standing over one of the bodies.
For a moment, Cameron thought she was done for. Fear, an emotion that Cameron was still not accustomed to, was overcoming her...
What is she doing here? Did she see me save John? Will she be mad?
“I am not upset with you Cameron.”
Catherine must have noticed her conflict. Cameron gave a sigh of relief, she half expect Catherine to terminate her right there. She set John down on the wall, making sure that he was still unconscious. She then turned and approached Ms. Weaver. Catherine turned to face her.
“Actually, I am very pleased with how you handled the situation. You have used your new abilities and John Connor is still unaware of your involvement.”
“I know now why you didn’t want me to be with him at the moment,” replied Cameron.
Catherine turned her head up to Cameron and stared directly into her eyes. Cameron looked down; she couldn’t help but feel intimidated by her stare. She figured it was one of the reasons people in her presence could be so “motivated.”
“Yes, and although I am disappointed that you decided to go find him, in the end, fate seems to insist on you being his ‘Guardian Angel.’”
Cameron felt a wave of emotions come over her. Just as Cameron was about to reply, a cough let out from the body under Catherine’s figure. Both snapped their attention almost immediately. It was then that Cameron notice who it was, Savannah. She was still alive, although barely. She had plasma wounds all over her body... As far as Cameron could tell, she would not survive. She returned her gaze to Catherine to see her almost sad at seeing the girl who called her mother in that state that she was in.
“Mom... (cough)... is that you?” whispered Savannah.
“Yes dear, it’s me...”
Catherine took that moment to brush the hair away from Savannah’s face. Cameron was curious as to why she would do that; as a fellow terminator, Catherine would know that such an act is an inefficient act considering that Savannah would die soon. Yet she still did it, as if it were some maternal instinct. Savannah continued to cough in pain... The plasma burns continued to eat at her skin as she tried to move herself to face her apparent mother.
“I know.... what you are... (cough)”
Cameron looked toward Catherine; she looked down as if feeling guilt for keeping her identity from her in the past. This action alarmed Cameron, who had never seen Catherine act this way.
Does she feel? Like me? How can a liquid metal feel? John Henry never noticed it...
“I.... (cough)... did my best... (cough)... to make you proud... Mom”
Savannah was struggling to mouth the words; Cameron could only imagine the pain that she was in. She then saw how uncomfortable Catherine was becoming in front of her daughter. The normally a confident and commanding terminator had become timid and unsure of herself in front of her daughter. It was just then that she saw something that she thought would never be possible. She saw Catherine’s eyes begin to water and then come down her check, but not as salty tears, but as drops of liquid silver running down her face...
Liquid Terminators are extremely complex machines, and integrating an emotional matrix would be next to impossible considering the level of complexity in their construction. But there she was, in front of the woman who once would call her mom, crying in some form of sadness that no one, not even an emotional TOK would think possible.
“It’s alright dear... you have always made me proud...”
Savannah’s breaths were getting quicker.... death was near.
“Mom... I... I... ... I...”
“Yes dear?”
Catherine moved closer to her daughter, grabbing her hand and hanging on her very word.
“I... love... you.... mom...”
Savannah closed her eyes and suddenly went limp. She’s dead. Cameron didn’t know exactly how to proceed with the situation. She looked toward Catherine, who looked distraught in front of her dead daughter. Cameron recalled when Riley died; John appeared to be in a very similar state.
“I’m sorry... for your loss”
She said them before, but it was then that she truly understood them and empathized with Catherine. She herself felt sadness, despite the fact that Cameron really did not know Savannah, John Henry did, and she felt the same loss as he would.
There was a long silence that lasted a few minutes before Catherine stood up and wiped her face. After another small moment, she turned to Cameron.
“We should go...”
Cameron simply nodded and turned to retrieve a still unconscious John. Catherine would need to deal with this in her own way, just as Cameron did when she was experiencing her emotions for the first time. After picking up John, Cameron began to follow Catherine pass the massacre around them and closer to the exit to the outside world.
Although they could hear the sounds of battle around them, they were lucky and met no opposition to the exit. They head up the ladder and out into the open. The sight before them had many words to describe it; awesome, terrible... Cameron felt sheer awe. They were on the crest of what was once the Griffith Observatory. The observatory was not nothing more than rubble, allowing the pair to see the war zone below. Stretched as far as the eye can see, and terminator eyes can indeed see very far, were explosions appearing randomly. In the distance, plasma fire was being exchanged, and Cameron could make out several H/Ks bearing down on those locations. On one hand, as a terminator, Cameron marvelled at how proficient Skynet was destroying its enemy; with cold precision. On the other hand, she felt the guilt of the death that was caused this night, so much more than in her future; this was a calculated slaughter... Being a former agent of Skynet, Cameron herself felt partly responsible for that death.
“Do not worry, Cameron...”
Cameron lifted her head and faced Catherine, who was look on her with a slight smile. She then placed a hand on Cameron’s shoulder, as if reassuring her of their mission.
“... None of this really matters once we finish our mission.”
Catherine seems to always have the ability of knowing what I am thinking at a particular moment. I do not recall the T-1000 series being outfitted with clairvoyance; or that Skynet processed such technology.
“I know... it won’t, once it we are back, everything will change.”
Cameron couldn’t help but feel that this was still wrong, still a tragedy that may have been avoided. Catherine smiled and began walking off away from the devastation.
“Come... there is a rallying resistance base to the west near the coast, many of the survivors will be retreating there; we should leave Mr. Connor with them for now.”
Cameron couldn’t help but wonder though if he would be truly safe there instead of with her. After all this time, after what happened with Allison and in the tunnel, she didn’t want to leave him. She wanted to tell John all the things she learned about herself. At the same time, she knew why she couldn’t. Her heart was torn between being with the one she loved and saving the future. She looked toward John and whispered to him so that Catherine could not hear.
“I will be reunited with you soon, after we finish here, I will be with you, and you will know then how I feel!”
Cameron then turned with John in hand and followed Catherine toward the sea to leave John again...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Sir!”
“What is it?”
John’s vision was a blur. He couldn’t make out who were...
“Oh my god... How did he survive?”
“A red-headed sergeant dropped him here. Said to ‘take care of him,’ what shall we do with him Sir?”
“Take him to my room, and get him a hot meal...”
“YES SIR!!”
The next moments went by in flashes; he did know where he was. He then opened his eyes in the light. His vision then started to clear.
“Good, you are awake... I thought you’d be dead!”
John look toward then voice... he was stunned at who he saw...
“Dad?”
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