Chapter 8 - Caught In The Act
A few weeks had gone by. Sarah managed to find a four bedroom house to rent. Now they each had a room to themselves, much to the relief of Derek who had got slightly fed up of having to slumber on sofas. This one was slightly more modern than the last one they had and was partly furnished so it didn't take them long to settle in. John had a brand new computer to replace the one that was stolen, which from now on he has sworn he will take everywhere with him. It was now just a case of getting back into a normal life. Well normal as in searching for Skynet and continuing their mission to save the world.
John and Cameron had began yet another school. This one was better than the last. John didn't feel so alienated, and actually had made a couple of friends. There was also less chance of Cameron having to terminate any school bullies.
After breakfast one morning John and Cameron made their way to school. They had a lot further to travel to this one from their new home.
"Just a few more blocks then we'll be there" John said.
"It still would have been easier to steal that car" replied Cameron.
"We can't risk being pulled over by cops though Cam, besides..." John took hold of Cameron's hand and held it firmly. "We get to spend more time alone together".
They continued to walk to school together, hand in hand.
John liked these moments when he could be alone with Cameron. No mother nagging him. No Derek ranting how much he hates machines. No one or nothing chasing him, trying to kill him. Just the two of them together.
School dragged on as usual. An awkward biology lesson in which they covered reproduction. John just hoped that Cameron wasn't going to get any ideas from it. So he was glad to finally begin making his way home with Cameron.
"What exactly can you 'feel' Cameron? John asked. "Can you feel pain like if you got shot or hurt?".
"I can feel just about everything. I can feel when I get shot or damaged. I feel senses that human's would call pain but it doesn't hurt like it would hurt you" replied Cameron.
"So can you feel touch?" asked John.
"Yes, my nervous system is not like yours but I have nerve endings in my skin which allow me to feel touch, it helps to alert me of danger which is useful in combat" replied Cameron.
This wasn't quite the reply John wanted from her. He wanted to know if she felt anything, like from being kissed or caressed.
He then brought himself to ask the embarrassing question "So do you feel anything when you kiss?". His cheeks turned a darker shade of pink.
"Yes" she replied "It is pleasurable".
John had the answer he wanted and thought it best to end the conversation there. It could get complicated.
They arrived at their house. Derek was there alone, Sarah was out.
"Your mom will be back around six, okay kid" said Derek. "She's got herself a job at a cafe, said we need the extra money".
"Yeah, okay" John replied as he threw his bag down onto the table to begin his homework. Cameron did the same.
"Your keen aren't you" commented Derek.
"Yeah well mom likes me to do my homework as soon as I get it, so might as well make a start" replied John.
"It is important to complete all homework" Cameron said.
Derek snapped at her "Did I ask you?".
Cameron glared at him.
"Derek, leave it out" John snapped back at him.
Derek gave John a look that could kill. He picked up his beer and headed for his bedroom. "I'm not sitting in a room with that thing" he muttered.
John turned to Cameron "Don't worry about him Cam".
"I'm not worried about him" she replied.
John smiled at her and she smiled back. John placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her on the lips, unaware that Derek was watching from the hallway.
Derek stared at them in disbelief before returning to his room.
They began their homework.
Sarah arrived home to find John and Cameron sitting rather closely on the sofa. She looked at them curiously but just put it down to them being close companions, as John could never have any mates over like normal kids could. Cameron was his only real mate even if she was a machine. Sarah never would have thought that anything else was going on.
Derek on the other hand had been suspicious from the beginning. He knew that in the future Cameron spent rather a lot of time alone with John. And now he had seen why.
"Aren't you worried about him?" Derek asked Sarah.
"What do you mean?" she replied.
"John and the machine. The thing is manipulating him. It's just not normal" Derek warned.
"Look, we've been through this time and time again. Cameron is not a threat to John or to us. She is protecting him" replied Sarah.
"But haven't you noticed... the way they are around each other. He'll start screwing it soon. It's sick!" said Derek.
"What the hell are you saying?" Sarah snapped. "Don't speak about my son like that!".
"I'm warning you. He's spending too much time with the machine. The thing is controlling him, twisting his mind. It's the machine's plan I'm telling you, it will kill him eventually" warned Derek.
"Just go to hell!" Sarah yelled. "I don't want to hear any more of this. I trust John and I trust him with Cameron. It's you that's sick, twisted!" Sarah stormed into her room slamming the door.
Meanwhile in the sitting room John could hear the yelling and just about could make out his and Cameron's names. He couldn't take much more of this. He knew that Derek was trying everything to turn his mom against Cameron, to try and get her out of their lives. He also knew that his mom would always defend him and Cameron. He knew that his mom understood how much he needed her. He was going to have to talk to Derek. As much as he wanted his uncle around, he felt as if he was trying to destroy him.
Derek went outside to the back yard.
John followed him.
Cameron also got up but John stopped her "Cam, just stay here. I'll take care of this" he said.
John approached Derek outside. "So what exactly is your problem? John asked.
"What's my problem?" replied Derek. "I'm not the one screwing a robot!".
"How dare you say that. How can you say that?" John was completely shocked.
"I've seen you two, the way you are together. I know what's going on. I saw what you did!". Derek went on "It's a machine John, a killing machine. It will turn on you and kill you". Derek pushed John "Why can't you understand that?".
John went red in the face. Surely Derek hadn't seen them together.
John pushed him back and shouted "Did what? I don't know what your talking about".
Derek caught hold of John's t-shirt around his neck and pinned him against the wall "Kissing a bloody cyborg, how sick can you get John?".
"I'm not going to listen to you...and don't tell me what I need to understand" John replied angrily.
Just then Cameron had her hand around Derek's throat, he was turning blue in the face. He immediately let go of John as Cameron lifted him off the ground.
"Cameron, let him go" John screamed. "No Cam...Put him down".
Sarah then stormed outside hearing John's screams. "Cameron!" Sarah yelled. "Put him down...Now!". She held out a gun and pointed it at Cameron.
"Mom...No!" John yelled.
Cameron looked at Sarah expressionless, then looked at the gun and let Derek drop to the floor. He was gasping for breath.
"What the hell is going on out here?" Sarah questioned, clearly not happy. "John go inside now" she ordered.
John went reluctantly but stayed by the doorway to see what was happening.
"What are you doing Cameron? Why the hell did you do that?" Sarah demanded an answer.
"Carrying out my mission" she replied expressionless.
"Your mission? You could have killed him then" Sarah leaned down to Derek to help him up off the ground. She then turned back to Cameron but she had gone inside the house.
"See what I mean? That bitch is crazy!" Said Derek. "I told you this would happen. I told you...the metal bitch has gone bad!".
Sarah looked at Derek "We'll talk about this later". She turned and went inside.
John had ushered Cameron into her room.
"You'd better stay here for a while. Mom will be up here any minute. She is gonna freak!".
They could hear footsteps coming up the stairs and they were heavy ones, Sarah was not in a good mood at all.
Sarah soon approached them. "Right, I want an explanation and I am not leaving till I get one" she demanded.
John didn't know where to begin.
"Mom. It's all my fault, not hers" he tried to think of excuses to use. "I just, I mean..." John couldn't get his words out.
"My mission is to protect John" Cameron then spoke.
Sarah turned to Cameron "Oh yeah. Protect him from What?" she asked.
John interupted "Look mom. Derek and I were just...sort of having an argument. Cameron just misunderstood. She just thought he was going to hurt me that's all" John quickly thought of an excuse.
"So she had him by the throat and tried to choke him to death?" Sarah looked at John. "Don't give me that! I want the truth John".
"But I'm telling you the truth" he replied.
"What did he do to you? Why did Cameron have to do that" Sarah demanded an answer.
"Derek tried to harm John. I had no choice but to protect him" Cameron then said.
John sighed at her. Now his mom would want to know the exact details, like what they were arguing about.
Sarah turned to John "Is this true? What did he do?".
Cameron then spoke again "He had him by the throat. He could have choked him to death. My mission..."
"Cameron! Shut up!" John shouted at her. He decided enough was enough. He stormed out of the room and went off to his own room.
Sarah decided to leave him. She turned to Cameron "So are you going to tell me what they were arguing about?".
"I do not understand what they were arguing about" Cameron replied.
"Really, and you honestly expect me to believe that?" Sarah said. "You stay right here and you don't go anywhere near Derek this evening. Understand?".
"Yes. I understand" Cameron replied.
"Good" Sarah turned and walked out of Cameron's room.
Sarah entered John's room. He was sitting on his bed looking away from her.
"So you going to tell me what all that was about?" Sarah asked sternly.
"No. I don't want to talk about it" replied John refusing to look at her.
Sarah approached him and held his head up so that he was facing her "Too bad, because your going to tell me".
John knew there was no getting out of this one. He knew when his mom was really mad, and she wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"He just doesn't like Cameron. He's always saying mean things and how she's bad and stuff". John went on "I just asked him what his problem was and he went psycho".
"There's more to it than that" Sarah replied knowing that her son was hiding something from her. "I want the truth John".
"But I'm telling you the truth.You know how much Derek hates Cameron" John said. "Come on mom you've heard how he speaks to her, allways putting her down".
"So you were arguing over Cameron?" Sarah questioned. "Is that the reason Derek also had you by the throat?".
"No. I mean yes, whatever" John replied. "It was just an argument okay. I could have taken care of it myself until she had to butt in".
"John, please remember...Cameron is a terminator. Not a real person" Sarah said.
"But she's real to me okay!" John snapped. "To you and Derek she's just some piece of metal covered in living tissue. But to me she's different, she is real. Why can't you understand that?". John pushed Sarah away and threw himself onto his bed head down with his hands covering his ears, refusing to listen to anything else she had to say.
Sarah was speechless. She should yell at him for his behaviour but instead she just looked at him in sympathy. She decided to leave him, for now. He was too upset to talk about anything. She walked out of his room in silence.
Later that evening Sarah went to talk to Derek, who was at the kitchen table cleaning weapons.
"So got your breath back yet?" Sarah asked.
"Yeah. Thanks for your concern" replied Derek.
Sarah threw a punch into his stomach so hard it knocked him off the chair he was sitting on.
"Well then you can lose it again!" Sarah yelled at him.
"What the hell was that for?" Derek struggled to say as he fought to get his breath back.
"You ever... ever lay a hand on my son again. I will kill you. Understand!" Sarah replied angrily.
The following morning John stormed through the kitchen and straight out the back door carrying his schoolbag. He didn't acknowledge Sarah or bother with any breakfast.
Sarah sighed. 'I'm losing him', she thought.
Cameron entered a while later "Where's John?" she asked.
"He's gone to school" Sarah replied. She looked at Cameron with bitterness for having this effect on her son.
Cameron looked back at Sarah, her eyes glowing as if she could sense what Sarah was thinking. She picked up her schoolbag and headed out the back door to follow John.
John was halfway to school by the time Cameron caught up with him.
"John!" Cameron shouted. "John please wait!".
He turned around to face her.
"Why didn't you wait for me?" she asked.
"I'm sorry Cam, I just had to get out of there" replied John.
They walked together in silence for a few minutes then Cameron asked "John. What were you and Derek arguing about last night?".
"Nothing Cam, just forget about it" he replied.
"But what did he mean when he said 'screwing a robot'? I don't understand" said Cameron.
John stopped walking "Look, it's just" he hesitated. "Derek must have seen us kissing and now he thinks we're... you know.."
"Know what?" Cameron asked.
"Like..." John felt really awkward. "Like having... sex or something". His face turned red as he finally said it.
"I see, so 'screwing' means having sex?" asked Cameron so innocently.
"Well... yes" replied John.
"Thankyou for explaining" replied Cameron. "But we have never had sex!".
"I know, but Derek just thinks it because we were kissing. Do you get what I mean?" said John.
"No. not really. Kissing is not the same thing as 'screwing'. So Derek is lying" replied Cameron.
"Yeah, right" John said. "But he's obviously seen us kissing, and now he's probably going to tell mom about it". He went on "And that means she is going to absolutely freak. She is going to hate you so much. Who knows what she might do".
"Why don't you tell her Derek is lying? He called me a liar, that time he said that I gave the safe house location to the T-888. But we proved that wasn't true" said Cameron.
"But it's not as simple as that. I know my mom. She's probably suspected whats been going on between us since day one" replied John. "The future saviour of mankind... What a mess!" he sighed and put his arm around Cameron "By the way, I'm sorry I yelled at you last night".
"Appology accepted" Cameron replied and they continued their journey to school.
