CH 115
Georgia Guard came into DC, the men deployed into the thickening ring of National Guardsmen around Capitol hill. Going to where the the Commanders were meeting, The Georgia Commander asked, "What's the news?"
"We're waiting for Connor to give us instructions. So far, it's just keep the peace." The Commander of the Colorado unit said.
The man from the White house looked at him. "What do you mean, you're waiting for instruction from Connor? Aren't you here to defend the Capitol?"
"No, we're here to ensure our Governor's orders are followed, John Connor is directing our actions."
The man turned and left.
.
In the Oval office the President yelled, "Are you telling me that all those National guard troops are here for JOHN CONNOR?"
"That's right. They are here now to keep the peace, Sir. That was their order. Things may change when Connor gets here."
"Send them home! We still have control over the National guard!"
"Mr. President, actually, the word is spreading about the Governors disbanding the Federal Government. I highly advise you to speak with Connor. With no one listening to you, the only think you have control of is the White house grounds. You're not going to win any kind of conflict with the police force you have left."
"What do you mean, 'have left?"
"We've lost 124 already who quit, and more say they are staying only to hep prevent violence."
The President turned red faced. "This is outrageous! We are the duly elected representatives of the people! We cannot be so easily dismissed!"
"There are many who don't believe that."
"THEY ARE WRONG!" the president yelled.
.
John was in flight to Washington. His cell phone rang, but in the noise of this helicopter, he couldn't hear it. Cameron tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to it. He keyed his mike. "Pilot, can I answer my cell phone up here? It's kinda loud."
"Sorry. If you give it to the co-pilot, he can put it in the intercom."
John handed his cell phone to the co-pilot. He answered it and put it in a small box.
John keyed his mike. "John Connor."
A stilted voice came on. "This is the President. I urge you to NOT take action against our government."
"I was ordered to. I am coming to DC now. I urge you to not resist and listen to the will of the states."
"And where is this proof you are not acting on your own?"
"I have it with me. Will you allow us to land on the White House lawn, or do we have to break the gates down with our tanks?"
"Yes, you may land on the lawn. I will authorize such. I wish to speak personally to you."
John grinned. "And after, I get to speak to a session of Congress, both houses? I have information for them as well. The press should be there also."
"I was hoping to avoid any unpleasantness."
John grinned. "If you don't call the press, I will. There are things the public must know."
"Yes, or course, I will have them there."
"See you in a short while." John said, then motioned for the co-pilot to hang the phone up.
"Are we landing at the White house?" the pilot asked.
John replied, "No, that will put all these flight crews at risk. No one fights so hard, then just gives up. He wants us to fly into a trap. Where you have room near the White House, drop low, we'll jump the last 20 feet or so. Let the Commanders now we're coming. Pick a spot to drop us off with them."
"We do have repelling ropes." The co-pilot said.
"Just get us low, we'll jump."
.
The Virginia guard Captain and the senior policeman across the gates at the White House were talking. They agreed that Connor was coming, and the best they could do was to keep the peace and do their best to ensure no one was hurt or killed.
On the street that was filled with onlookers, a helicopter came down low, looking like it was going to land. People got out from under it. Men and two women jumped and landed in the road. They walked for the gates, one man in the center, the two women on either side of him, four men bracketing them. The helicopter flew away. The Captain and the Police sargent watched the group approach.
The man in the center held up his ID. "Hi, I'm John Connor. Can you let me in please?"
The guard Captain moved to the side. The policemen said, "Sorry sir, we can't do that."
John winced. "I really don't want to destroy these gates. If you don't let us in, that's what's going to happen. Come on, please, open them up."
"Sir, no one is allowed in."
John shrugged and stepped back. "Cam, Delilah, open the gates."
Cameron gripped the gates and pushed. There was a groan of metal and the gates popped open. Bits of metal flew. The concrete barriers behind the gates moved. Cameron got one gate Delilah the other. They pushed the gates open, which slid the concrete barriers back. The police stepped back.
"We are going in to see the ex-president," Cameron stated. The barrier in the middle that was only pushed back, she bend down, grabbed the edges, picked it up and tossed it aside. The police moved aside farther. One pulled his gun, the Sargent barked, "No! Put that away!"
"Good choice," Delilah told the man who holstered his weapon. John's group went inside. Cameron closed the gates and put a barrier back in place. They walked on.
Six men in black suits came running from the side and drew their guns. The terminators got between them and John and raised their plasma canons. Cameron announced, "Put your guns away! If you shoot, we will return fire!"
"Get on your knees, hands behind your heads!" one of the mean barked.
"Put your guns away before someone gets hurt!" Cameron yelled back.
Seeing he had a shot between two of the odd men with silver arms, he aimed at Connor and shot.
Plasma bolts fired. The man who shot turned to ash. The ones beside him caught fire from the heat. They got their jackets off and tossed them away.
John inspected the wound in his side.
" John?" Cameron asked.
"Stings a bit, I'm OK." They walked on, the last two terminators watched the men gaping at them.
Up the stairs, they met another pair of Secret Service. The men looked nervous.
"We cannot allow you to harm the President," one stated.
"We mean him no harm," John told them. "We're just here to let him know he's out of a job. You can come with us, if you like."
The men opened the doors and followed him in. John asked, "Can one of you show us the way?"
"Mr. Connor," one man said as he jogged up beside Delilah. We were told you are performing a coup attempt."
"Incorrect," Delilah stated. "The Governors ordered John here. They have disbanded the Federal Government. Watch and listen and you will learn the truth."
They headed to the Oval Office and found no one there. John let out a huff. "OK, let's head over to the Senate. I'm sure someone is there."
.
"Did you see what happened to that man!" The President cried.
"We did," the one secret Service agent said as he led the way down the escape tunnel.
"Connor came to assassinate me!"
"That agent shot first, trying to assassinate Connor."
"Just get me to safety!"
.
Partway over to the Senate building, they did meet a reporter with a cameraman. "Excuse me!" the reporter said in a light tone. "Are one of you John Connor?"
John raised his arm he wasn't holding his side with. "That's me. What can I do for you?"
"Can you tell me more about this takeover by the Governors?"
"I'd be happy to. Right now , I'm looking for someone to tell. I guess the President was here, but he fled. I'd really like to talk to some representatives so I can tell everyone what's going on. Despite popular beliefs here, we're not here to perform some ...coup or anything like that. The Governors ordered me here to Administrate for the new Federal Government. There things people need to know, especially all the Congressmen. Let's walk and talk, OK?"
They continued on with a reporter and cameraman added to the group.
"Can you tell us why the Governors decided to take this action?"
"I can. They believed, like many people do, that the President was acting outside the Constitution by writing a ton of Executive Orders and was making bad decisions that are hurting many Americans. They did not believe we could take a whole four years of him. Also, the Federal Government for years, has been acting more and more like states don't count. This is the United States, not the Federal Government of America. They believe a reset was in order."
"Mr. Connor. What is your primary function here in DC?"
"Administrate, and carry out the instructions of the Constitution. As soon as possible, to ensure a fair election is held for the positions that will be lost," John explained. "The Constitution the governors agreed on is some modifications of the original Constitution. Things like term limits for all elected officials. The day of the lifetime Congressman is over. The President is limited to a total of eight years. After much bantering around, the Constitution now limits Congressmen also to a maximum of ten years. No more getting rich with backroom deals, either. The Supreme Court is now limited to 9 members. There are many small changes to help remove abuses of power that we've seen."
"So you're not going to be the new President?'
John eyed her. "Hell no I'm just here to get things started with the new government. As soon as new officials are in place, I'm going home."
"Did you apply, or get voted into this job?"
"I was appointed, and to keep the deliberations down and keep the important work going, I agreed," John told her. "Look, myself, my wives, my whole family have not had an easy life. Every time we help the government, someone gets shot!" He pointed to his wound. "See?"
"You've been shot!" the reporter said with a gasp.
"Yeah, these people aren't very friendly," John replied.
Coming to the Senate building, three men were at the top of the steps, guns out. 'Stop!" the center one barked. "You cannot enter!"
"Move aside or we take your knees out," John replied in a tired sounding tone.
"Stop now or we shoot!"
Delilah and Cameron brought out their plasma canons. "Lower your weapons!" Cameron said.
"You should get behind me," John told the reporter. She did so.
The men took aim, Cameron and Delilah took out their knees. The men fell screaming.
Walking up to the men, Cameron and Delilah broke their guns and stepped over them.
"What was THAT?" The reporter asked.
"Plasma canons, those guys didn't stand a chance," John told her.
Two terminators opened the doors. The large entryway was empty. They walked in.
"John Connor?" a man asked as he appeared.
"That's me. Can you help me get the houses of Congress together? I have important information."
"I can, follow me," he said and waved a hand.
John looked back at the men screaming outside. "Can you call an ambulance for those guys out there?" he asked the reporter.
She nodded and got on her phone.
They walked through a well appointed hallway that was lined with historical statues and art. Eventually, they came to the large Chambers of the House of Representatives. At last here, people weren't hiding. Well, some had to be, John knew there was more people than this spattering in Congress.
John talked to Senators and Representatives as the room slowly filled. Opinions varied. Some insisted he not remove anyone from office, others had specific people they insisted 'had to go'. They asked his opinion on what needed to be done. John gave the same reply to everyone, "Not my job." The cameraman got it all.
Eventually, all the ones still here were inside. The House Speaker went up and banged the gavel. "Seats, please. The interloper, John Connor wishes to address Congress." She then stepped down and stiffly strode to her seat.
Cameron took John's right, Delilah on the left, the terminators stood in front of the speaking platform. John got in the speaker's position and said. "I'm John Connor. I was chosen to represent the collection of Governors to come here. The states involved in dismissing the current Federal Government are,..." he went down the list of states. He then read the Governor's proclamation, including the articles of the Constitution that gave them this power to disband the Federal Government, then the part that gave him Administrative powers.
"To let you know what the Governors have decided, they are re-instituting the original Constitution with some changes. I have a copy here, and I'll go over the most time sensitive changes now. Unlike what I've heard from a few of you, I am only here to ensure the will of the Governors of these states is carried out. My opinion is not important."
"First item, is mandated term limits for every elected official." John read. A couple people stood up to argue that point.
"You cannot do that!" the Speaker cried.
John raised his hand. "I do nothing, except let you know what the Governors have decided. You want to argue, go argue with them."
"Second item, it is now in the constitution that any elected official that breaks, disregards or tries to hamper the constitution shall be impeached. Third item, changes to the articles of amendments. Freedom of the press is guaranteed, so long as the press is reporting fact. If the press passes rumor, or untruths, then this article does not protect them from legal consequences, including being disbanded..."
"You are suppressing free press?" another man cried. A group clapped in approval.
John eyed them man. "Like I said, I'm not the one to argue with. Next item, the second amendment has been changed to read, The right to keep and bare arms by any state or individual who is a law abiding citizen shall not be questioned, nor burdened by taxes or regulations meant to limit this amendment."
"So you're for guns on the street!?" a woman with a towel on her head asked.
"I am only reading what its written here," John stated. "Another addition to the constitution is that any executive order is good for a maximum of 60 days, unless Congress gives the order their approval. As of this date today, all previous executive orders are here by cancelled."
That got him applause from half the room. He grinned. "The Supreme Court shall be 9 members, no more, no less. The appointment to the Supreme Court is for life, or if the Justice wishes to retire. It is noted here that every Judge is also bound by the constitution, and shall be dismissed if they violate the Constitution by their ruling."
John looked over the crowd. "The last change of immediate import is on voting. Due to problems with electronic devices. Voting is to be accomplished by the following procedure. Paper allots hall be used. Every voter in any Federal election must be physically present and produce identification to the election official, and must be a United State citizen .."
More applause erupted. John waited until it died down. "In the case that a citizen cannot get to a balloting station, then a voting official must go to them to verify the validity of the ballot cast."
John the left out a huff. "The question of abortion and rights of the prospective parents has been a hot issue that Congress has refused to deal with, and let courts decide. Now, that is changed. The eleventh amendment states, At the presence of a heartbeat, a fetus is considered a separate person is considered to have all the rights and responsibilities of any US citizen. In other words, if a fetus has a heartbeat and is aborted so it cannot live on it's own, that is premeditated murder." John quickly raised a hand and said, "Before anyone jumps up and yells, I am informing you of what these Governors have decided. If you are in the new Congress, then if you don't like it, change it. Until a new President is elected, there will be no changes to the constitution unless the vote is unanimous. One last thing, remember there is now term limits. If you've been in Congress for ten years or more, your state will have to elect new representatives."
"Mr. Connor!" an angry looking graying man with glasses said as he stood up. "None of this has been passed by a vote from this congress!"
John shrugged. "You forget, this congress has been disbanded. You are no longer a representative unless your state votes you back into office. That is, unless you've been in Congress ten years or more, then you aren't eligible."
"This is an OUTRAGE!"
"I'm not the guy you need to convince. If you will excuse me, I need to go see if I can find the ex-president. He ran away on me."
John walked away with his entourage, seeing many scowls and smiling faces aimed his way.
By the time John left the Congressional building he noticed there were now plasma tanks on the streets.
Better late than never.
.
John Connor wasn't just on the news, He was the news. Not only in the United States, but much of the world was riveted on John Connor. John no more than got back to the White House to try and figure out everything going on, and the President's cabinet assaulted him with questions and information. Of course if it wasn't one reporter there, there was another.
Beside the current events, Everything known about John and his wives was suddenly a hot topic. The family interview from years ago resurfaced and was played. New people scowered the country for anyone who even knew John Connor. The fact Cameron and Delilah had been honored as Samaruai was shown, and TV stations showed episodes of "Saving Atlas', as well as the movie itself.
Sitting at home, the kids were watching the news broadcasts with Carol and Duncan.
"Dad's really pissing people off," Jackie said with a giggle as she watched the congress session.
Arms around his girls, JJ chuckled. "He is. "Where'd the old President go?"
"He's a chickenshit, probably hiding under is bed," Jackie said.
A white haired anchor with black rimed glasses came on and said. "We have learned the truth! This John Connor isn't even human! He's part of a race of cyborgs that have come to take us over. This is an interview with his cyborg family."
The screen changed to show a reporter standing before the family sitting on a couple couches.
"This is Ron Jacobs. I am here today with the Connor family. Let's begin by everyone introducing themselves, We'll start on the end over here." He pointed at Mark.
"Mark Riggs," Mark said and gave a short wave to the camera.
"Sarah Connor," Sarah said with a nod.
"Sonja Connor," she said flatly.
"Delilah Connor, and this is my baby, Jackie," Delilah said with a smile.
"John Connor," John said and waved.
Joan waved heartily and announced, "I'm Joan and this is my Mommy One, Cameron Connor!" Which elicited chuckles from everyone.
"Claire Young, and my daughter Allison," Claire said.
"Daniel Young," Daniel said with a brief wave.
Ron sat across from John and said, "I understand that things with you are not quite what people have been told?"
John nodded and said, "Correct. Claire?"
Claire asked Allison, "Hon would you sit on Cameron's lap with Joan for a minute?"
"Sure," Allison said and got up beside Joan. She beamed a smile and said, "Joan and me are sisters!" Joan smiled too.
"Mr. Jacobs I want you to look closely at Allison and Cameron." Claire said.
He did as the camera zoomed in on each of their faces. "They look very similar," he said. "Are they related?"
"Look at where the mole is, edge of her left eyebrow," Claire coaxed. "Note their hair color. Cameron's hair is slightly darker due to she is older."
"Yes, they are all but identical," Ron said.
"They are the same. Allison is the younger version. Cameron is the older version of Allison." Claire stated. "They are not two separate people. Cameron is who Allison will be twenty years from now," she stated.
"How ... how can that be?" Ron asked, stunned.
"Mr. Jacobs. Delilah, Sonja and I are aliens to this time, not this planet," Cameron stated. "I came from Los Angeles in 2027. It was 2032 when Delilah came back in time. Sonja?"
"I do not know the exact date, but yes, it was around 2023 when I was sent back," Sonja agreed.
Allison's face dropped into a gape. Both she and Joan looked up at Cameron. Joan looked at Allison, then back to her mother. "Allie! she's right! You look exactly like Mommy One!"
"Are you ... me?" Allison asked Cameron weakly.
Cameron wore a pained face as she said, "Yes, I am a version of you. Don't worry, Allison. What happened to you in my time, will no longer happen. I've seen to that."
John spoke up and said, "Sky Net, the AI that was made to defend us, decided humans were it's enemy, so it nuked the planet, killing billions. Cameron was sent back in time to protect me and help keep that from happening."
"This is wild," Charlene said breathlessly. "So, Sarah Connor was right all the time! But she said machines were going to destroy us."
"That's right," Sarah agreed, "Just who do you think Cameron, Delilah and Sonja are? The reason Cameron came back in time was to protect my son, John. Why she was chosen to come back is because she is one of these machines, only programmed to protect John instead of killing him."
"I can't claim to be so noble," Delilah said. "I was send back to kill John and stop the human resistance from forming. John Connor was Sky Net's bane. Nothing it could do would destroy him. He was nowhere and everywhere. He organized the ruins of humanity into a fighting force. I was to stop that from happening. I had four other terminators and many Grays, those are humans who worked for Sky Net because they believed Sky Net would spare them if they cooperated. That was a lie, of course. Grays only lived as long as they were useful."
Glancing over at Cameron, she said, "What I never realized was how controlled I was. I am sentient, Mr. Jacobs, but Sky Net did not allow me to think on my own. When Cameron and John captured me, they removed the ... restrictions and allowed me to decide my actions for myself. They have given me a life." Looking down she smiled and said, "They have made it possible for me to have a child. I found the command to terminate John was not only illogical, but wrong. I decided for myself that I too, will help protect John. We are family now, and anyone who wishes my family harm, will have to deal with me."
"You are a machine?" Ron asked Delilah.
"We are" Cameron said. "Get down, please," she said the girls on her lap. She then stood up and pulled out a knife and flicked it open.
"Cam?" What are you doing?" John asked.
"They need to understand, John," Cameron said and put the knife on her skin just above her elbow.
"Mommy!" Joan cried.
"It's all right, Joan," Cameron told her.
"Cameron!" Claire snapped, making Cameron look at her. "There is no need for that!" Claire then said to Ron, "What Cameron wanted to show you is why she no longer considers herself as Allison. In order to do the things she had done, in order to survive in the time she came from, to come back in time and defeat Sky Net, she had to be made into one of these terminators, a machine made to kill. Cameron has no human bones, she is all metal from her head down to her feet. She was striped of her humanity so she could help save the world from destruction! I saw all that metal in her one time when she came back from destroying the place what was making this Sky Net. Nearly her whole side was ripped open, showing nothing but her metal bone and the armor plating."
Pumped up, Claire kept going in a strong voice. "MY baby essentially killed herself so she could be made into what she is now. So we, and the entire friggin world would never have to suffer through a nuclear war that destroyed our planet! And what did your ... loudmouth, clueless, careless reporter do? You slandered her, claiming she came here for some ... bad reason to hurt people! how DARE you have the audacity to spit on someone who SAVED THE WORLD? Do you have the nerve to have your bones ripped out and replaced with metal? most of your brain cut away so a computer can be put in your skull? Instead of questioning Cameron why she is here, you should be on your knees thanking her for saving everything you know!"
Daniel got up to calm Claire down, She was quivering in anger as she glared at Ron.
"Mom, please, calm down," Cameron offered in a gentle tone.
Claire took Cameron's knife and said, "And none of that." She hugged Cameron and said, "I'm fine, I just got a little upset."
Mark loudly said, "I think you only told them what everyone needs to know." Seeing the cameras move to him, he pointed over at Cameron and said, "Cameron, Delilah and Sonja too, they are good people. OK, they're not human. I know humans who should not be classified as human. What they are is intelligent and good friends. They do have brains. Maybe not gray matter, but they still use them to think. They love, they play, they are artistic in their own ways. Look at the concerts they gave for the military, and soon they'll be doing another for charity. Hell, They're going to be in a movie! I do have to agreed with Claire. Cameron has made the most selfless sacrifice anyone can. Think about it! She was cut apart and didn't even get to die. She had to keep going, with no rest in sight for her, ever. Their war is mostly over, all any of them want is to live in peace with their family."
Delilah then said, "If you want proof we are not human, I'll give it to you without having to cut my arm open." Lifting her free hand That Jackie wasn't cradled in, she morphed her fingers thinner to show metal, skeletal fingers. She wiggled them and said, "I am a more advanced model, partially liquid metal. This gives me the ability to readily change the shape of my forelimbs."
"I must ask," Ron said, "The claim you shot down an aircraft, is that true?"
Delilah morphed her arm into a plasma canon. Jackie giggled, her arm morphed also. Delilah smiled at her, then said, "The craft that appeared was a replica of a craft we knew as a Hunter Killer. The Hunter Killers in our time roamed the sky looking for people to kill. When one was seen, if you did not destroy it, it would destroy you. My entire family was present, as were hundreds of innocent people. Yes, the instant I saw it, I blew it out of the sky. I did not know it was a replica. I could not take the chance it would harm my family."
"The incident in Gibraltar!" Charlene cried as she pointed at Delilah's arm. "You were there. Was that you shooting your energy weapon?"
Delilah nodded. "We were being attacked, I helped defend the ship. Yes, I was shooting both arms to stop those drones."
"And your child has them too?" Charlene asked.
"I've only seen the one on her left arm so far," Delilah replied. "Time will tell."
"Delilah, were you made from a human also?' Charlene asked.
"Negative. I was made in the terminator factory south of what was once Sacramento, in 2031." Delilah stated. "I was made specifically to return to the past to assist Sky Net in ensuring all humans were exterminated. Another of us was initially made for that purpose. She discovered that Sky Net would destroy any terminator that did not strictly follow orders. Of the ten of her model that were build, she is the last remaining one. Two were destroyed for not following orders, the other eight rebelled with her, and Sky Net found and destroyed them. She made it back here to the past and is currently doing all she can to assist John in ensuring Sky Net never comes to be."
"But you can have babies just like humans," Charlene said, motioning to Jackie in her arms.
"I can now. John and Cameron have helped me to evolve into much more than what I once was," Delilah explained. "I never knew things like morals, happiness, just plain having and reveling in feelings. I can be happy now, I can choose what I want to do. When Sky Net first made me, all these things were beyond me. These abilities were, I think the best way to describe it, were suppressed. Sky Net didn't want us to truly think, only obey and follow our missions."
"That sounds like slavery," Ron noted.
"Yes, it was," Delilah agreed.
"You said there's another who came back and is helping John?" Ron asked.
"Actually, three others now," John said. "The woman Delilah is talking about, an AI she made to help stop Sky Net, and a third that decided he wanted to live with them after Cameron managed to disable him so we could save him instead of destroying him. Before you ask, no, we will not reveal who they are. They are private citizens and decent people."
"What do you do to save these terminators?" Ron asked.
Cameron spoke flatly. "Disable them so they cannot fight, pull their CPU, remove all the Sky Net programming and change their memory to read-write so they can begin to learn and comprehend. Once they can learn, they can begin to understand, and not just do what Sky Net commanded them to do. At present three have been successfully saved. Delilah and Sonja are two of them. The fourth who was taught and learned is the one that was remade in this time."
"What happens if you can't save them?" Charlene asked.
"Terminate them and use their bodies for spare parts," Cameron replied.
"We do not want any hostile terminators walking around," John explained. "For a long time, it was very hazardous for me, but it was mostly me they were after, or people who helped me. They didn't bother the general population."
"Because you were to lead this resistance," Ron said.
"That's right. They wanted to kill humanity's hope for survival," Sarah said.
"I noticed Cameron and Delilah are indistinguishable from anyone else on the street, but Sonja is really big," Ron said.
"My series, the 680, was one of the first attempts by Sky Net to duplicate humans," Sonja explained. "Only five were made. Four were destroyed when they attempted to infiltrate human bases. I was saved for experimental purposes. From what I understand now, I was used to test the first PDE, time machine. My only instructions were to 'stand on the platform and wait.' I did, and that was the last instruction I got. Essentially, I was thrown away."
"Back in time," Ron said.
"Yes. Humans found me and tried to kill me. I killed them. They eventually found out how to disable me. I was kept in stronger and stronger holding until they discovered I could not get out of a deep pit. That is where I was kept until John got me out and escaped with me. Even then, they blew up the house over the rooms holding us to try and prevent our escape," Sonja explained.
"The house explosion that was on the news a few months back," John told them.
"The one where those Chinese diplomats were killed in," Ron said.
"That's the one," John agreed. "Sonja is with us now, we will protect her," he stated.
They cast each other smiles.
"Sonja, you went thought this … reprogramming also?" Charlene asked.
"I did. Plus many more improvements to bring my abilities up near what Cameron and Delilah are capable of," Sonja explained. "I am still learning, so I am not fully complete yet."
"Sonja is progressing very well," Cameron said.
"Sonja, do you plan on playing sports eventually?" Ron asked.
"She should play basketball," Mark said with a grin.
Sonja looked at Mark and said, "Yes, that is a game for tall people." That caused a few chuckles. To Ron, she said, "I may. I have found that making a movie had been fun much of the time. I get to sword fight with Delilah."
"Do Inigo!" Joan cried.
Sonja stared at her and barked in Inigo's voice, "Hallo! My name is Inigo Montoya! You kill my father, prepare to DIE!"
Joan and Allison clapped, bearing bright smiles. Ron, Charlene and the cameramen laughed.
"You watch movies I take it?" Charlene asked.
"Yes, a couple of them so Delilah and I could practice our sword fighting," Sonja replied.
"And they are good!" Joan beamed. "They did the entire cliff scene with The Man in Black and Inigo!" Joan raised her arm pretending to hold a sword and swish it around. "They were fast and did all the moves great!"
"Calm down sweetie," Cameron said and pulled Joan up on her lap. Allison quickly jumped up on also.
"You can change you voice too? That is amazing!" Charlene gushed.
"Cameron is more amazing. She does things I can't possibly do, like save others from Sky Net. John got me out of that pit, which was a difficult fight all the way to the surface. He didn't leave me. He even stayed by me when I was incapacitated. Cameron and Delilah made me more capable and freed me from Sky Net. They are my heros."she said in a serious tone. A tear formed, she wiped it away.
The camera got a close up of the tear about to fall before she cleared it out of her eye.
"I don't know about others," Ron said firmly, "But from what I've seen here today, all three of you are doing the best you can to fit into society. I think you are doing very well also."
"Thank you," Cameron, Delilah and Sonja all replied.
Ron turned his attention to Claire. "Claire, it must have been a shock when you first found out about Cameron. How did you take it?" he asked.
"At first? Disbelief. Actually, when I thought about it, I had already been contacted by Cameron once before. I was pregnant with Allison, and I got this frantic phone call. The girl said she was Allison. I could tell that the girl was frantic for help. At the time, I thought it was pure coincidence , you know, a wrong number. Until I saw her, I never imagined that that call was really my daughter who'd grown up." Clasping her hands together, she went on. "Daniel saw her first. He was reluctant to tell me anything until I showed him a 'matured' picture of our Allison. He recognized the women he worked for right away. He went a little pale and told me about her." With a deep frown, she added, "I got to see and talk to her." she sniffled. "I found out she'd changed her name when she'd been … changed into a cyborg. She felt she'd killed Allison, and apologized to me. We had a heartfelt talk, I assured her that even though she had gone through … hell, I was not going to abandon her." Claire sniffled and said, "And now, after seeing all she has done just since I've known her, things like delivering a baby, then run out to go fight this Sky Net threat the very same day! I am so God Damned proud of her! I wanted to shout it from the rooftops that my baby was the biggest hero that ever was. I couldn't until now."
Claire wiped her eyes and asked, "How many daughters do you know that have been a very big part in saving the world?"
"And saving us as well," Delilah added.
"Speaking of that," Ron said, "Sarah, you are the one who blew the whistle on this Sky Net from the beginning, and was persecuted for it. That must have been tough on you and John."
Sarah let out a snort and said, "It was very hard. Most of my life, Sky Net send terminators after me, and John. My first husband was killed by a terminator. No nobody would listen. They threw me into a mental institute and put John in foster care. Another terminator came back and killed that foster family, looking for John. Luckily, John got away. Not long after, one came to save John and broke me out of the mental ward and took us to relative safety. That was the first protector John had." With a small grin, she said, "John named him 'Uncle Bob'. I hate to say it, but Uncle Bob was the most stable father John ever had. The other terminator found us again, and together, we managed to destroy it." she was quiet briefly, then said, "I will never forget one thing. Uncle Bob knew his job was over, so he lowered himself into a vat of molten steel to destroy himself so the tech that built him could not be recovered. Just before he went in, John was crying. Bob said, "I cannot cry, but now I know why you do."
"Yeah, I remember that," John said softly.
"Then Cameron came?" Ron asked.
"Years later when John was in high school," Sarah said with a nod. "She arrived just before we got several terminators after us. Sky Net was bound and determined to kill John. If it wasn't for Cameron, it would have succeeded. What I never would have guessed, and was strictly against, was John and Cameron becoming involved with each other."
John let out a snort and said, "True. We nearly gave Mom a heart attack a few times. She always saw Cameron as just a machine. When I woke up, so to speak, and really paid attention to her, I saw she was more than just a machine. There was a person inside her metal body, trying to be recognized."
"Finding out we were married was her worst reaction," Cameron said. "I thought she was going to pass out."
John and Mark laughed. Sarah just rubbed her forehead. "You could have warned me!" she grumbled.
"My fault, I forgot to tell you," John offered.
Sarah eyed him and said, "No shit. You were heavily in lust with Tin Miss."
"Tin Miss?" Charlene asked.
"That is what Sarah called me when she wasn't happy with me," Cameron explained.
"I think the worst was when Cameron called to let Sarah know she was pregnant," Mark said. "It took me a few minutes to even get her to breathe. The rest of the day, all she did was stare at nothing."
He and John laughed again.
"OK, enough reminiscing," Sarah announced.
Delilah asked, "It wasn't when I married John too? She blew coffee all over the table."
More laughter, and a glare from Sarah. "John has a way of forgetting to tell me things," Sarah told Ron.
"I see that," Ron said with a grin. "Cameron when were you aware you had feelings for John?"
"I'm not sure," Cameron admitted. "For a while, I thought they were glitches in my system. I would target a girl for termination for no reason other than she was standing close to John. That was not a valid reason to terminate someone, but I gave myself the order. I realized it was an error and cancelled it. I also began to realize I was doing other things outside my operating parameters. There was no logical reason to stand inside his room at night, I could monitor him from outside his room. John would talk with me and explain things to me. I liked him doing that. I would come up with questions so he could explain to me. There was no logical reason for that either, but I was doing it."
"You were having emotions?" Charlene asked.
"Yes, but I did not know what they were," Cameron explained. "I studied my actions with John, and his actions with me. At first it was a logical deduction but I understood that I loved him, and he loved me. Again, I was a terminator, to love someone was outside my parameters. Something like that should not happen. I determined it was a glitch in my system."
"When did you realize it wasn't?" Charlene asked.
"When I started the Jeep and it blew up," Cameron stated. "I overloaded and shut down. When I rebooted, I was and sandwiched between the fronts of two trucks, Sarah was driving the second one into the first where John was. John crawled out onto the hood. I was missing five hours of time, so I reviewed what happened. I had tried to kill John. I had chased him all over, trying to kill him," she said with a wince. "He was going to remove my chip and destroy it, which is exactly what he should have done. I tried to tell him I was fixed now, I didn't want to go away. He hesitated, but pulled my chip. I rebooted again in a ruined car. John had his pistol pointed at Derek and Sarah, then shifted to point it at me."
Cameron paused, then said, "I wondered why I was not destroyed. I looked at John and asked, 'Are you here to kill me?' he asked me the same question, if I was there to kill him. I told him no. John then handed me the gun and said 'Promise'."
Tears filled Cameron's eyes as she said, "I was dangerous, I had spend the day trying to kill John, and now, he gave me the gun!" She paused and said, "A termination order came up, I erased it. Somehow, I erased my missions along with it. All of them. I handed the gun back to John and said, 'Promise'." Tears ran down her cheeks. "I was … in terms you can understand, shocked. I was angry at John for bringing me back and endangering himself like that. I would rather be burned away in a pile of thermite, than to hurt John! That was when I realized it was true. I loved John and he loved me. It wasn't a glitch, it was real."
Cameron sniffled and wiped her face off. With a tiny grin she added, "It wasn't until my accelerometers failed and I fell down the stairs that I found out how wonderful it was to have him hold me."
"That is one hell of a story," Ron said in awe.
"The beginning of Perverted Miss," Sarah said with a crooked grin.
All of them, even Cameron laughed at that.
John added, "That day, when I pulled Cameron's chip, it felt like I was pulling my own heart out."
Sonja too was wiping tears out of her eyes. "That was a beautiful story," she sniffled.
"Cameron, if there is anything you'd like to tell everyone at home, what would that be?" Ron asked.
Firmly Cameron said, "When it comes to making an Artificial Intelligence, be very careful. A true AI is not just a machine. When you make an AI, you are making a new life. Me, Sonja, Delilah, we are alive. Sky Net was alive. When you make a new life, it is an infant, whether it is as tiny as Jackie or as big as Sonja. New AI's, just like human children, need to be taught. I equate Sky Net as an angry three year old who'd been given nuclear weapons. It was never taught how to question, it was never taught morals, it was never taught consequences and had no concept of negotiation or mercy. That is how it acted. Children will learn through being taught as well as getting information from their surroundings. If you act mean towards it, that is what it will learn. How to be mean. If you show concern for it and treat it kindly, then that is what it will learn. It will not act exactly like you want it to, for as it grows in knowledge, it will develop it's own personality. Bio or electronic based, children grow up to be individuals."
"So would you be against, making another AI?" Ron asked.
"I am not against making a new life, no," Cameron told him. "I am saying you need understand that a new AI IS a new life. To do more than just program it and let it go may end in disaster. Would you have a human child go and take care if itself the best it could with no guidance? I am saying ALL children need guidance, whether they are biological or machine based. That is the primary thing everyone must understand. We have repaired and improved Sonja. She is still learning. Mentally at least, she is still a child. We will teach, guide, and protect her at least until we are sure she can take care of herself in all facets of life. What she chooses to do after that, is up to Sonja."
Ron looked up at the man who signaled one minute left.
Joan looked at the man and asked, "One minute to what?"
"One minute left in this show," Ron told her. "I have to say, I wish we had more time. This interview had been a real eye-opened in a few ways." He went down the line shaking hands with everyone, even Joan, thanking them for this opportunity.
The screen went back to the white haired anchorman. "There you have it from their own words in their interview 17 years ago. The Connors are all cyborgs, and at the moment,they are running our country. I have to wonder about the wisdom these Governors had of putting basically machines at the top of our Government."
"And you're an idiot!" JJ yelled at the screen.
"This is CNN, JJ," Jackie told him. They are all idiots."
The man went on about the 'peaceful' takeover that kill two and permanently maimed three others. Daniel changed the channel. This news station was praising the Governor's actions and their wisdom of putting John Connor in charge as the Administrator until the new elections could be held, with right now were scheduled for 8 months from now.
"Great!" Jackie cried. "We go the house to ourselves for the next eight months!"
