Because people have been asking for it. Here's the next part in a continuing story.
Chapter 2
By LongRider
Cameron woke up.
And found herself in a mess of power cables.
Untangling herself as she rose to her feet, Cameron immediately recalled her memory files while giving the surrounding area a once-over.
Superimposed on her HUD were the last 5 minutes before she was shut down.
xxXxx
Cameron had been walking beside John on their way back from school. John had turned suddenly and asked.
"Can you jump?"
"Yes." Had been her reply.
"Can you skip?"
"Skip?" John demonstrated with a quick change to his strides. Cameron recorded the action, then imitated.
"Yes I can." She said once she had resumed her normal walking stride.
"Can you whistle?" She had turned to John then, seeing his open expression of curiosity.
"I don't know." Her reply seemed to trouble him so she clarified.
"If I can, I don't remember." This seemed to trouble John further. Cameron continued her explanation.
"My memory was wiped after I was captured by the resistance . . "
"To help your reprogramming take." John finished for her. Cameron noticed Johns troubled look.
"Is something wrong?" At her enquiring head tilt John quickly smiled and said.
"You need to know how to whistle." Cameron decided to allow John to continue.
"Like this." John pursed his lips and emitted a high pitched sound. Cameron studied his face, noted the muscles that were required for this action and imitated.
"That's good, now take a deep breath, uh, you do breathe right?" John tried, and failed to hide his look of apprehension.
"I have a respiratory system similar to yours." At Johns stillness she continued.
"Yes. I breathe." John relaxed at this and continued his lesson.
"So, take a deep breath and try to whistle for a little longer." Again he demonstrated for her, so she knew exactly how to proceed.
Cameron did so, John seemed pleased at this and they continued walking until he asked his next question.
"How fast can you run?" Cameron recalled her specifications.
"My top speed is approximately thirty-five point six miles per hour." John looked thoughtful for a moment.
"You aren't as fast as some of the others?" Cameron again noticed something similar to countermeasures crowding her processes.
"They have longer legs." She noticed John smile at this information. Before she could ask why he was smiling. The unmistakable sound of squealing tyres drew her attention.
Cameron barely had enough time to push John clear before the car impacted, sending her sprawling through the metal panel fence behind her.
xxXxx
Cameron looked to the fence, forming a gap in the panelling was the car that had hit her, she noted it was sunk in the ditch on this side of the fence. Either unable or unwilling to move it the driver had abandoned the vehicle in favour of proceeding on foot.
Her subroutines had finished cycling, Cameron noted a warning for minimal damage to her flesh camouflage, indicating her ability to pass for human had been compromised. Before this could be addressed Camerons top priority was to find John.
Scanning her surroundings, Cameron quickly found traces of Johns presence in the loose sand and dirt mixture that made up the ground of this area. The spacing and depth of the footprints indicated he had ran to her from the gap made by the car, stopped just before the first power cable, then ran in the direction of the heaps of scrapped vehicles piled in stacks to the west of Camerons Location.
Cameron also noted a second set of footprints had followed Johns, Slow moving, exact spacing, heavier than normal for their size. The data was unmistakable.
Terminator.
She followed the two sets of footprints, her HUD highlighting each distinct set.
The trail was not difficult to follow. John had not attempted to hide his tracks Cameron increased her pace as she searched for John and the threat.
Passing the first pile of scrapped vehicles Cameron found a pile of unidentified parts, a heavy chain and the broken remains of an AR-15 Rifle and a bent beyond repair Glock 17 pistol. Looking up she saw the hook that the parts and chain had been attached to.
John had removed the Terminators long range capability.
Cameron approved the action. She moved deeper within the maze of scrap.
xxXxx
John was beginning to tire, his lungs burned with the rush adrenaline had brought, but the high had left him. If he didn't get his breath back he'd drop.
If the Terminator caught up with him he'd drop. Permanently.
Think Johnny boy, think! Use that head while it's still attached.
It was frightening how fast the mind could put together possibilities. It was terrifying how many of them were not helpful.
I am so screwed.
John paused at the next corner. Desperately looking for something, ANYTHING, that could help.
He knew for every breath he took the Terminator would close the gap between them.
Left a trail a blind man could follow.
Think!
Gonna die in a scrap yard.
Think dammit!
They're gonna find me in one of these crushed cars.
Crushed . . .
Oh for the love of . . .
John could have smacked himself. How many times had his mother told him about the time she crushed a Terminator in a hydraulic press.
Now all he had to do was find one.
xxXxx
Cameron rounded another stack of demolished vehicles.
There was John stood on top of the large machine responsible for the stacks of crushed metal.
She ran as fast as she could when she saw the threat to John climbing up to terminate him.
xxXxx
John knew he was dead if this didn't work.
The Terminator was a typical example of its programming.
Track. Acquire. Pursue. Kill.
It never considered the possibility of a trap.
Especially with the target as bait.
Probably not expecting too much from a winded human with a metal pipe.
John carefully side-stepped away from the approaching Terminator, all too aware that a wrong step would result in him falling into the car-crusher.
He didn't recognise the face of his pursuer. Until today John knew he'd never seen him before.
Wait. Wait for it. Time it wrong and you've blown it.
When the Terminator began to stand John swung the four foot pipe with every ounce of strength he could muster.
The shock of the impact nearly made him drop the pipe.
The Terminators head snapped over at an angle that would have been lethal for a human.
It righted itself. John swung again with everything he had left. Cursing the unfairness of it all.
Should have worked. You should have fallen in the car-crusher.
The Terminator took the hit again with the exact same effect.
John swung the pipe again in desperation.
Fall ! Dammit Fall!!
Only to have his pursuer catch the pipe and yank it out of his hand. John stumbled back. The Terminator took another sure step towards him.
"Come on then! You want me, come and get me!"
The Terminator dropped the pipe and grabbed for him with a speed that was so fast he barely saw the move.
John could feel the bones in his forearm grinding together under the force of the grip.
John tried to think of a way out. Tried to look for an escape. But all he could see was the Terminator watching him with the same lack of expression it had had the whole time.
His would-be killer was suddenly tackled by a brown haired blur.
xxXxx
Cameron had taken the only option available to her. The only way to save John was to put the Terminator itself in danger.
The force of the impact made the Terminator release its grip on John.
Cameron immediately pulled the threat away, grabbed John and threw him up onto the edge of the crusher.
John had one moment of precarious balance before he fell down the outside of the machine.
xxXxx
John could hear the obvious sounds of a battle being fought inside the car-crusher. The metal sides shaking from the force of the blows. Then he remembered.
"Cameron." She's stuck in there with the other one.
Racing up the metal steps, John climbed up to the ledge for a second time to peer into the crusher. Seeing Cameron and the other one exchanging blows that would have decimated the strongest of human bodies. Under that was a whirring noise.
The crusher was active.
"Cam get out of there." John reached over the edge, knowing even a cyborg couldn't clear a ten foot jump.
But Cameron didn't acknowledge him. John reached as far as he could and grabbed the edge to brace himself.
"Cam!" he knew she heard him that time. She was ignoring him.
"Dammit Cam get clear, NOW!" Knocking her opponent into the corner, she turned and jumped at Johns outreached hand.
John heard the sickening sound of his shoulder dislocating before he felt the dizzying rush of nausea claim him. Darkness started crawling in from the edges of his vision.
Cameron was too heavy.
John knew he wouldn't be able to hang on for long, but a single thought screamed through his head. Do not let go, DO NOT LET GO!
Cameron could sense Johns distress from the contact she had with him, could see the beads of sweat on his paling face.
This directly countermanded her primary mission.
This was not protecting John Connor.
She released her grip on his wrist.
"I'm hurting you John." Cameron stated as though she were talking about the weather.
Resolved green eyes locked onto brown. John tightened his grip on her wrist.
"Shut up and climb." For once Cameron obeyed a direct order. And with Johns help pulled herself out of the car-crusher and tumbled to the ground. Narrowly avoiding the reach of the Terminator.
As soon as she was clear they heard the sound of the crusher completing its function.
Cameron was about to help John to his feet when he grabbed her and pulled her back down to kneeling height. Offering no resistance she was about to ask why when John yelled at her.
"What the hell was that Cam?" He looked angry.
"I don't understand." John realised she saw nothing wrong with her behaviour.
"You were going to let yourself be crushed." C'mon Cam, lie to me, say you had a plan.
"Yes." There was no hint of a lie from her.
"Dammit! Why?" But John knew what the answer would be.
"You have to be protected at all costs." John pulled her into a one-armed hug.
"You scared the crap out of me Cam." Again Cameron offered no resistance, she even hugged him back.
"I'm a scary robot . . ."
"Stop that, I know you better than that." John leaned her head down onto his good shoulder and concentrated on his breathing. Trying to calm down. She's safe, you're safe, everything's okay.
Cameron had become entranced by the input from the contact she had with John's skin.
Circulation, respiration, perspiration, temperature and a host of others, she could sense them all, but most important she could sense his heart beat.
John noticed Camerons stillness, noticed she had matched his breathing rhythm, but liking things just fine at the moment, decided to stay put.
"John?" Cameron asked, still leaning her head on him.
"Yeah Cam." John let himself just be. This was the calmest he'd been in a long time.
"We need to fix your shoulder." Cameron lifted herself away and prepared his arm. John winced even with her delicate touch.
"This is going to hurt." John just gave her an odd look before replying.
"Worth it."