Chapter 37 – Is the End Near?

Disclaimer: Don't own TSCC

TechCom Command…

"We need more information. The coordinates are not enough. This without doubt is a Skynet stronghold and marshaling area. It will be crawling with Terminators, Greys, HKs and probably have a large concentration camp."

"John, we can get the information," Sarah said. "What we need is the strike plan."

"It's more than that. What do we do with the survivors? Can we support a huge prisoner population here? We're stretched to far with our resources as it is. What do we do with the Terminators we don't finish off? Just melt them down? And no Derek, we aren't going to just line up the Greys we capture and gun them down."

Having let the 900 lb. gorilla out of his cage, John stood and glared at his command leaders and logistical staff.

"Well? What do we do? It's not enough to win the battle and kill Skynet. Do we want the hell we live in to get worse once we've killed the demon who has haunted us all these years?"

"John, TechCom is what matters. That is all you, and the rest of us, have any control over."

"Derek, an attitude like that is no better than thinking like Skynet. Why fight if that's the case?"

"John, we can't absorb anymore population with the resources we have. We're running out of medical supplies and not just for our human population. I have five Terminators right now in forced standby because my technicians cannot debug some code problems that have cropped up due to stress, we think its stress from prolonged combat, and there are several others who have been placed on restricted physical duty due to no spare parts being available. I love a clean facility, but they are driving my human staff and me crazy cleaning the place. Antibiotics are in short supply and so are vaccines, blankets, you name it, we're about out of it."

Weaver spoke up in her Scottish accent, "We have to do something John. We need to be able to send out scavenging parties in order to find the supplies we need until TechCom can start production of its own supplies. I have detailed lists of what we need and studying the maps and available data, have ideas of where to send multiple scavenging patrols."

"The troops are ready to fight. We can't keep them on a razor's edge like this too long or they'll lose morale and combat effectiveness. If the Silver's don't kill something soon I won't take responsibility and the same can be said for my TechCom units."

Sarah sensed John was being overwhelmed despite his years of leading TechCom. "John, I'll take a patrol out. Provide a detailed list of the intel you need. Weaver, same with you. Might as well find the location of supplies while I'm on patrol."

John looked up and examined the eyes of each of his military commanders and civilian advisors. He needed their support and advice. They were all tired, stretched to the breaking point from too much despair and hopelessness. They had all seen and experienced too much suffering. The time was now. One final strike to end Skynet. One final effort to give each one of his people the hope they needed to continue living.

"We will meet again at 0600 tomorrow. I want everyone to bring detailed lists of what your department or unit needs. I will have my list prepared as well. We'll pare everything down into two master lists, one military and one civilian. Mom, I mean Sarah, you think about the personnel you want to take with you and give me a list. I'll approve or disapprove. Provide a list of what you think you'll need as well. The patrol leaves in 36 hours. Dismissed."

The Connor Family Area…

Cameron stood silently, watching John sit on the low wall of rubble carefully arranged to extend the less than adequate barrier wall surrounding the TechCom perimeter. Making certain to make enough noise for John to hear her approach, Cameron made her way to her husband. Sitting on the wall next to John, she looked at his face as he stared out into the permanent darkness and into the wastelands to the west of the foothills that had become TechCom's home.

"I can't screw this up."

"You won't."

"Too much is riding on this attack. Not just lives. This could be the end of the war or it could mean the defeat of TechCom."

"No plan is ever perfect. Once contact with the enemy is made, things happen. But you have many experienced fighters to help you, John. You are not alone and you will never be so long as my power source has energy and my chip is functioning."

John could not find the words he needed to share his emotions with Cameron, to let her know what she meant to him, so he did what his hear told him. Taking Cameron's hand in his own, John squeezed it and placed it over his heart and smiled at his metal angel. Cameron smiled back and leaned against her husband, content in the knowledge she meant so much to him. The lonely pair shared their burdens in silence as they both looked into the gloom surrounding them.

TechCom Medical….

The orderlies, a pair of T-600s, had just left with the trays the small lunch meal had been served on. Mary and Grace were settling in for yet another nap as their bodies recovered from the years of hunger and depravation they had suffered since Judgment Day.

As the pair was about to drift off to sleep, safe, warm, clean and somewhat full, the flap to their tent flew open and Ruth and Hailey stormed in with their little dog, Al on his leash, emitting a low growl, indicating his displeasure at entering the tent. Ruth shushed the little dog who obediently sat and then lay down, silent but watchful.

"We want to talk to y'all again," Hailey announced in her commanding voice.

"Why?" Mary answered in exasperation, wanting to slip into a peaceful sleep.

"Because. We have decided you should be my mom's friend again."

"Shouldn't we be the one's to decide that," an annoyed Grace muttered.

"Nope. You're just being stubborn. Prideful. Don't want to admit you're wrong," Hailey informed them.

"And you would know this because?" Grace sarcastically replied.

"Hailey often creates untenable situations due to her stubborn, arrogant and prideful attitude," Ruth said calmly.

"What she said," Hailey mumbled, cutting her eyes at Ruth to give her cousin a nasty look.

"Well, since you two seem so determined, what's in it for the two of you?"

"Miss Grace, Aunt Cameron misses the two of you. Last night she watched nearly two hours of files of the three of you dancing on her HUD. John had to spend nearly an hour comforting her so he could get Aunt Cameron to enter Terminator Sleep for maintenance."

Silence filled the tent as Grace and Mary looked at each other, feeling uncomfortable.

"Like Hailey, Aunt Cameron is stubborn and can be prideful. Terminators are not known for letting go of things easily. The years since Judgment Day have been hard on her. She has been severely wounded many times. Her entire right arm is a custom made replacement. Aunt Cameron has had to regenerate her synthetic flesh numerous times. If she was human, she would have died long ago."

Mary considered Ruth's words before speaking.

"We have suffered a great deal as well. At the hands of Terminators like Cameron."

"No, you suffered at the hands of Terminators loyal to or under the control of Skynet. You did not suffer at the hands of my mom or any of our Silvers," Hailey said with more than a trace of irritation.

"What's more, my mom spends her awake time leading TechCom, helping build our new fortress or helping people. At night, when most of the other adults are resting or having fun with their friends, mom takes care of my dad and me. Except for when I spend the night with Ruth at Grandma's mom doesn't get to kiss daddy in private," Hailey said, covering her mouth as she and Ruth giggled.

Putting a serious expression back on her face, Hailey continued, "Mom has about one or two hours of Terminator Sleep so her CPU can do maintenance and then she gets up and patrols the perimeter till its time to make breakfast."

"What does that have to do with us," Grace muttered, pulling her blankets up to her chin, wishing the pair of Connor children would leave.

"Mom never has any fun!"

"Fun is important for cyborgs too," Ruth added. "Aunt Cameron and my mom like doing things together, but they spend so much time on duty the only time they do anything together is when Aunt Cameron cooks a special meal and John and my dad have Lt. Wilhelm, Sgt. Brighton, John Henry and Mr. Ellison over to play poker. Sometimes Savannah will come and she will do her nails with my mom and Aunt Cameron."

"My mom is lonely. She takes care of everyone and nobody but my dad takes care of her."

"That's your father, John's responsibility, not ours," Mary pointed out.

"Friends do that for their friends," Hailey said with a scowl. Leaning over towards Grace, Hailey covered her mouth with her hand and cast a glance at Ruth before placing her mouth directly by Graces ear to whisper a secret.

"Like I let Ruth think she's my protector. She needs a purpose to function right."

Ruth frowned at Hailey, having heard every word.

Hailey nodded knowingly at Grace, having made her point to the older woman.

"So you think Mary and I should take care of Cameron?"

"Not take care of her, that's John's job," Ruth pronounced. "You and Mary should be friends and do something fun with Aunt Cameron. Hailey and me are worried something's going to break in her CPU if she doesn't get some relief from all of her stress. Fun helps with stress."

The two little girls looked at each other knowingly. It was obvious to both Grace and Mary the two were deciding together without speaking to share a closely held secret.

"Mom doesn't have any spare parts! She's the only TOK-715 Skynet ever built! If something happens to her chip or her CPU, I don't know what will happen!"

Ruth nodded. "Aunt Cameron is not like a T-1000. I don't need replacement parts so long as my matrix is healthy. Her body self-repairs, but some parts are critical."

"How do you know Cameron is under stress?"

Ruth tilted her head in puzzlement. "You and Miss Mary don't know?"

Ruth and Hailey looked at each other in astonishment.

"No. Cameron was always so calm until she got mad you never knew she was stressed out.

"Her glitch, you don't know about her glitch," Hailey asked.

"You know, her glitch," Ruth said, holding up her left hand and mimicking Cameron's glitching motion.

"You mean her twitch? Now that you mention it, right before Cam would launch into that bitch whore, pardon my French, Cindy or she talked about this bitch whore named Riley, sorry, her hand would twitch like that," Grace said in rapid fire.

"That's how her body handles stress," Mary asked.

"That's how her CPU tries to alleviate the tension in her processor and sub-routines," Ruth said. "You would have to ask John for exact details or John Henry, he would know. So would Doctor Johnson, he's my doctor and he knows lots about Terminators. He fusses at Aunt Cameron all the time about not overloading her components. I can hear him."

"So, are you two going to be my mom's friends again? If it weren't for mom and dad there would be no TechCom and the two of you would be dead for sure by now," Hailey added with the certainty of a child. "Besides, Grandma says loyalty is important. Good friends are like family and you always take care of family."

The Connor Family area…

Noticing Cameron was wiggling her rear a bit more than normal as she tended to the stew she was cooking, John smiled as he admired the view. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure her husband had noticed, Cameron smiled at John before turning her attention back to the fire.

"Don't get too excited John. The girls will be with us tonight."

"Then stop teasing."

"Stop looking."

"As if that is ever going to happen."

Satisfied the fire was burning properly, Cameron stood and wiped her hands before sitting next to her husband.

"What are you cooking?"

"Real beef stew. A scavenging party came in with cans of beef from a survivalist food supply store. It was till good so Weaver decided as hard as everyone has been working and the stress of everything, TechCom humans deserved a treat."

"The expiration date was coming up soon."

"Yes."

"I knew her Terminator heart hadn't warmed up that much."

"Maybe. The scavengers brought back boxes of really cheap, nasty cigars so each Terminator is being issued one with strict orders to not smoke them in the presence of a female."

John laughed, amused at the fact that despite being a T-1000, Weaver was so particular about manners and social customs.

"Don't get any ideas John. You are NOT smoking one with Wilhelm and the Old Man."

Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:

Cameron Grows Up

Cameron and John's Wedding

Who's the Boss?

The Storm Before the Calm