It had been several hours of nonstop driving and Derek had taken over. After a short sleep, Jack sat next to Cameron, listening to her tell him about the M18-A2 LAPPPG.

"…And they were in use between July 15, 2027 to August 4, 2032."

"Well, that's why I never heard of it," he laughed. "So, what kind of alloy is it?"

"Enduralloy components mated to carbon fiber and moly fiber carrier, miscellaneous plastics and metals with superconducting filaments. It has gyrostabilized mounting for full accuracy of fire during movement."

"So, how does it fire?"

"Level III magnetic field containment of refined hydrogen fuel excited with thermal rapid pulse chemical high energy laser ignition system. Caseless fuel power integration powers the firing system."

Jack gave a confused look.

"What does this signify?" Cameron asked, mimicking Jack's expression.

"Confusion, it means 'I don't know what you just said'."

"It is a plasma based weapon used to take down personnel."

"Oh. So what is its bore size?"

"3 millimeter to 6 millimeter magnetically stabilized smoothbore. It uses a loaded power cell with enough fuel and battery power for 100 plasma pulses. M37B Integrated Fuel Power (IFP) type stacked array containing enough refined hydrogen core fuel and battery power to initiate and produce 250 plasma pulses.

"Later capacity increased to 500 shots with introduction of M40A high capacity power clip. 250-pulse capable refined hydrogen fuel cell combined with coaxial high density Type V crystal storage array. 500-pulse capable fuel cell combination feeds later models."

"What's its rate of fire?"

"Sixty pulses per minute, it can fire three pulse bursts for semi-auto at 300 pulses per minute. On a full-auto it can fire 500 pulses per minute. It stops firing if the core temperature reaches above 4500 degrees Fahrenheit. Linear velocity coils magnetically accelerate the bolt to a velocity of 9000 meters per second."

"What's an effective range for it?"

"300 meters is the most effective, though a maximum range is 900. At that point the bolt's plasmatic integrity dissolves."

"Well, that's good to know. So, these are the only things that can stop terminators that we have?"

"Yes, as this point these are the only weapons from the future that we have."

"So, how did he bring it back?"

"Most likely; he put it inside of him or a skin sack. Similar to your plasma heater."

"So, you know about it?"

"I sent you back. I know what you took and why."

"You knew about the car-bomb?"

"Yes."

"So, why?"

"My mission."

"oh," Jack said quietly. Several minutes of absolute silence passed. Jack looked at Cameron. When her eyes met his he looked away. Cameron looked down again, examining the gun. She made sure it was loaded, checked the fuel cell, and made sure it was off. Jack wondered why he was so intrigued by her. How, even though he knew she was a machine, there was a deep attraction to her. He knew why.

She looked up; her hair had fallen in her face. Jack gently brushed it out of the way. She smiled and put her hand on the hand he was brushing with, moving it onto the crate the gun was on. They stared at each other for a while, before Jack began to lean in. but he remembered: she's a machine. She's not human, no matter her past. But deep within, he knew he loved her. But those feelings would never be mutual, right?

Cameron removed her hand and turned away. Jack slowly turned, painfully removing her from sight. He looked out the window and was soon asleep like Sarah and John. Derek pulled off to the side of the road for a rest.

A storm was coming in, Cameron looked outside, remembering Jack's words. Sorceress developed artificial synapses through the Goliath…surge of electricity…evolved bacteria…beyond parameters.

"I want to be more human," she said as she stepped out of the truck's open door. Want. A word a machine wouldn't know the experience of.

She climbed onto the top of the truck, raised her hand to the sky. She looked up, she saw the flash of lightning a fraction of a second before she felt it. Felt. Something a machine can't experience.

The lightning sparked the evolution of her silicon bacteria like the brain of Sorceress. She went offline. She dropped down onto the hood with a thud. Moments later she rebooted. A message flashed on her screen. Query: What is it to have a soul? Action: Investigate. Her new mind expanded beyond programming. She was more.