Chapter 21
Back into routine. Deeper Thoughts.
"Open up Antonio, it's Luna!"
Lieutenant Catherina Luna and the reprogrammed T-800 'Tony' found were standing outside an apartment complex in a shadier part of LA, the streets outside were full of litter, graffiti, and the homeless going about their business. Gang s ruled the streets, people would be found battered and bleeding on the ground, in alleyways, women and young girls raped.
All that was common here.
"Open up!" she yelled before muttering a curse in Mexican.
"How I know it's you señorita? Eh?" the Spanish-American said back to her.
Luna grumbled and looked to Tony who was scanning the perimeter.
"Code 0,7,6,5,2,0." she said quietly
"Machines could have gotten the information!" he said back quickly.
"Chingada Madre." She cursed then looked at the door, she should have expected this from him, Antonio was overly paranoid, good on some occasions, except for ones like this.
"I saw you and Sergeant Wilson making out, and you were only 12 years old!" she yelled back.
Tony turned his head and looked at Luna with a raised brow, Luna saw him and shrugged with a sheepish grin on her face, sudden the door slowly opened.
"Okay, okay, no need to tell the world, madra de dios!" he complained quietly before looking up.
"Ugh." He said pointing to Tony. "Who the Gringo?" he asked.
Luna turned and pointed her thumb at Tony. "Tony, T-800."
Antonio nodded slowly and moved back into the room Luna tapped Tony's arm signalling him to follow.
Once inside the Machine continued to stand while Luna and Antonio got down to business. Luna informed him on the termination of their squad, and the abandonment of the old safe house.
"La mierda." Antonio cursed quietly. "So what are we to do now eh?" he asked
"I need you to set up an ID for Tony over there." She told him.
Antonio grimaced. "Why, it's metal, why does it need ID?"
Luna narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. "Because he's a part of our team now, and HE will need ID in case we need to buy a new safe house."
"It's estúpido." Antonio commented visibly annoyed.
"It wasn't a question, it was an order. I out rank you Antonio." Luna said as her temper began to boil.
"Alright, alright. Give me a few hours." Antonio said, he'd rather not argue with her when she was angry.
"Good." She smirked, then turned to Tony. "Tony, you and me will be on weapons detail. We'll need bigger toys, Si'?"
"Affirmative." Tony replied as he turned to look at her. "Do you have a contact?"
"Yeah, we got a contact, I'll give him a call."
Luna got onto her cell phone immediately calling the weapons dealer, Tony stood stationary as usual scanning the area for threats.
"Hey Metal, I need to take your picture." Antonio called over to him.
Tony turned towards him, nodded briefly then walked over into another room. Once he returned Luna had already finished her call.
"Right everything is set up, we'll leave immediately, should take us down to Mexico, a few hours' drive there and back, should be back by tomorrow." Luna informed the Machine, she turned her head towards the door. "Antonio we'll be back tomorrow okay, we'll need those IDs done"
"Yes no problem." Came his voice. "You go, I'll lock up behind you." He announced.
"Alright!" Luna called back, "Let's go Tony." She slapped the Machine's arm before heading out with Tony following close behind.
"You mind driving?" Luna asked once they neared the car just before raising the back of her hand over her mouth as she yawned.
"Negative." Tony replied. "However I do not know the directions."
Luna shook her head, she was getting tired. "No problemo, I've got the directions written down, from our last deal," she yawned once more.
"You require sleep." Tony said as they got into the car. "I suggest using the back seat, more room." He said.
Luna paused her body half way into the passenger's side. "Alright, but wake me up when we get there okay?"
Tony paused momentarily before replying. "No problemo."
Luna paused in her movement and poked her head through the passenger's side again, she smirked.
"You're learning." She commented.
"It's what we do." Tony commented, as he put on his seat belt, Luna got in the back and laid down putting two seat belts over his legs and stomach region.
"We'll have to cut open the Trip Eight eventually, maybe dismantle it for later." She commented sleepily.
"Affirmative." Tony replied before starting the car.
A.T stood in her bathrobe, her hair still wet dripping onto the floor and smelling of peaches. She walked calmly into the living room seeing Sofia now resting peacefully with a glass of gin.
'Lies, deceit and lies. I can't tell her, I can't, not yet.' She sighed. Her life was indeed so complicated, destroying humans was easy and single minded, actually living was so complex.
'Maybe I did some humanity a favour, saved someone getting fired from his day job or saved a guy from finding out he's being cheated on.' She shrugged mentally.
Her mission in part, was complete because of her 'partner', he was looking over their investment, now she had secondary missions posted by herself, things that would make things easier if the war came about once more.
'Forget for now girl, live a little, it's all you've wanted.' She told herself, she shook her head and sat down next Sofia.
"So when is Mrs Anderson returning home?" A.T asked
"Sometime next week, tomorrow remember, lunch you're meeting my partner Dennis, he's a great guy." Sofia replied with a soft smile.
"So you've said." A.T chuckled, she paused momentarily suddenly becoming deep in thought. "He has kids you said." She suddenly said sadly.
Sofia was surprised by the sudden sadness in the Machine's voice. "Yeah, two boys, why?"
"Forget, about what could happen, forget what I am, that my kind even exist, forget all that." A.T told her looking her straight in the face. Sofia nodded. "Would you and Rebecca have children?"
Sofia nearly spit her drink out by the question.
'Kids!' she thought. She hadn't really thought about it.
"I don't know." She admitted. "Two grown lesbians raising kids, it's the kind of things you tell Catholic Priests to give them nightmares." She said jokingly, giving the cyborg a soft smile. "Maybe, someday."
A.T sat back in her chair contemplating.
'Children. Humans have children, could I? A child of my own.' In her existence she'd never thought of having an actual child, the closest she got were the experimental I-950s. 'And those were a mistake.' She thought rolling her eyes.
Her CPU ran a simulation, a possible future, no Judgement, her and a small little girl, going to the Mall, picking out dresses, the first day of school, teenage years, terminating the first boyfriend who'd dump her, or pressing a gun into the back of her groom. The possibilities of raising a child.
The joys and the sorrows. 'Could I be a Mother?' she frowned sadly. 'Probably not.'
"You thinking about your own kids?" Sofia asked suddenly.
A.T glanced over to her and sighed. "It's be illogical to deny it, yeah. I guess I am. I've never really thought about children till now, near the end of the world." She chuckled dryly. "Talk about last minute right?" she shrugged.
Sofia chuckled and patted her friends shoulder comfortingly, she found irony in that 'the super powerful robot needs comforting'.
"Maybe we'll all be lucky and the Connor boy stops you." Sofia shrugged.
"Maybe, maybe." A.T said though wasn't convinced.
"Come on, let's snuggle." Sofia said as she rubbed herself up against the side of the Machine.
"Yeah, thank you." A.T said appreciatively before kissing Sofia's head, she reached for the remote and changed the channel.
One. SPLAT!
Two. SPLAT!
Three. Miss.
Four. Nicked!
"Come on Derek, you're better than that." Sarah said to him.
Derek sighed then paused from target practice. "I know, I got a lot on my mind."
Sarah nodded slowly then looked at him. "They tell you?"
Derek grumbled to himself. Sarah picked up 'fucking metal.' And 'manipulative bitch'
"They told you." She nodded her head as he continued to shoot at watermelons.
They were both stood far from anyone, secluded shooting watermelons for target practise, the rain above them continued to pour down and drench them.
"I can't believe it, I don't like it." He commented as he missed another shot. "Connor, leader of the human resistance, is banging a Machine."
Sarah closed her eyes trying to get the image out of her head. "Please Derek, don't make me see it." She said warily.
Derek grumbled again. "She's got him wrapped around her tiny metal fingers, and he's so caught up in the act he doesn't see it." He said, firing again scoring a kill shot. "How can you stand it?"
"I can just barely stand it Derek." Sarah huffed tiredly. "I've had nightmares of the Machines ever since 1983 when your brother saved me from the T-800." She looked ahead her mind drifting back to those few days. "And now, I've got one living with me, and it, she is having a relationship with my son."
"So why tolerate it?" he asked turning to look at her.
"For John." She said then sighed. "She makes John happy, god knows it's not been the easiest life, at least I had a 'normal' childhood had 'normal' years, he's never had that. If she makes him happy, more power to her."
Derek paused, froze being a better term. He didn't move a muscle, his mind wrapping around her words and the words the Mach- what Cameron said to him before.
"I guess, but why the Machine?" he asked more himself than Sarah.
"Who knows, he became attached to the other Machine sent to protect him, a T-800." She said.
Derek looked at her curiously but said nothing, and continued to shoot at the watermelons.
"I'm not gunna say I trust her." Sarah said as Derek began to reload. "Far from it, a few altered codes and she'd be trying to kill us."
"Again." Derek added as he took aim.
"Again." Sarah said solemnly as she nodded her head slowly. She never got over Cameron's betrayal, probably never would. "But they're both adamant that she's different, I don't trust her, but I trust John." She said, though she sounded doubtful.
Sarah's mind raced back to the night following Cameron's betrayal, Cameron, deactivated laying on the wreckage of a car covered in thermite, then John reactivated her, even pointed a gun at them.
"Do you?" questioned Derek noticing her faraway look from the corner of his eye.
"In the future." He began as he lowered his weapon. "General Connor made some … questionable decisions, keeping Metal around in bases being one of them, sending Metal out to do human business …"
"Sounds like he had a fondness for Machines." Sarah commented.
Derek humphed showing his displeasure. "He spent a lot of time with Machines. Some thought they'd taken over, using Connor as a front man." He glanced towards Sarah.
"What about you?" she asked hesitantly.
"John Connor made a lot of decision, a lot of them bad, not many people liked him, but a lot trust him, I trust him. I'd die for John Connor." He said in a resolute tone. "Your turn."
Sarah sighed pulling out her 45 and aimed at the watermelons and began to fire.
"I guess." Derek said as he holstered his Beretta. "I guess John just, needs someone, something to keep him human keep him like all of us. I'll never like John and the Machine together, but, if it … if she, keeps him alive, keeps him human, makes sure he's ready if we fail then, whatever, more power to them."
Derek paused in thought over what he'd just said, he nodded slowly mentally agreeing with himself, what would he tell Jesse. 'Nothing.' He told himself. 'Nothing for now.'
"What if she goes bad again?" he asked.
"I'm not sure." She said immediately, then shook her head slowly. "No, actually I know what will happen." She corrected. "The exact same thing that happened last time. Especially since now she's his …" Sarah gulped back the bile she felt well up in her throat. "… his girlfriend." The word was like poison.
Derek visually grimaced as well, he'd put up with it, but he wouldn't like it, and it seemed neither did Sarah.
Derek watched as Sarah reloaded her 45 and began shooting the damaged watermelons the 45 rounds causing the watermelons to shatter on impact.
"Why the sudden change of view?" she asked as she reloaded yet again.
Derek paused deep in thought.
"I mean you were saying how she's got him around her fingers, and then you say more power to them." Sarah said looking at him curiously.
"I like to shoot my mouth, you know that." He said his eyes still having a faraway look. "I don't like her, but that's my opinion, I'm a little biased on the situation, but …" he knelt down and picked up a bottle of water by his feet, and took a sip to clear his throat. "…but as you said, we have to trust John, if … Cameron, can keep him together, then sure, more power to them." He coughed a little.
Sarah nodded conceded to the idea, she thought back again to the idea of Endoskeleton babies wearing diapers, learning to walk and divide by Pi, crying, gurgling and crying for mommy, daddy and grandma.
'Damn it Sarah.' She shuddered picturing herself as a stereotypical grandmother, grey hair in a bun, wearing a brown dress, a small wrinkled smile, probably sitting in a rocking chair and the like.
Finally she cracked and started laughing one more, she leaned forward putting her hands on her knees to keep her steady as the laughter just poured from her, all the while Derek looked at her as if she'd lost her mind.
"I must be losing my mind." Danny said to himself sitting in the shed and stared out into the darkness the rain tapping against the window. It was cold outside obviously but he'd found a way to make himself warm having moved some furniture around to the edges of the shed he'd made a small fire.
"Cyborgs, Super computers, Judgement Day." He shook his head slowly, it was truly an insane world, and he was now a part of it. After surviving his first mission, to which he admitted to himself was both exhilarating from the adrenaline rush but absolutely terrifying due to the near death experience.
He turned back around to look at the fire before reaching just next to him for some Chinese noodles. John and Cameron had given him some of their takeaways while they stayed inside having their indoor date.
"I need a woman." He said to himself suddenly while chewing his noodles briefly.
Between school, college, University, and then being kidnapped, he hadn't must time for a social life, no he put all his school time into studying while all his friends and roommates were getting drunk, taking low grade drugs and most likely doing the deed.
Now, with him having to lay low he'd doubt he'd have the ability to get himself a girl.
"I should have studied Dentistry." He sighed but chuckled quietly to himself, he looked down at his leg and rubbed the bandage, Sarah had done a great job patching him up, all there as now was a dull pain and an irritating itch.
He groaned and stared into the fire, his eyes already accustom to the glow.
His mind drifted back to his family, his mother, his sister, the danger they were all in, those people from Kaliba could be anywhere, and then there were the Machines, his family wouldn't stand a chance, but Sarah gave him some hope, made sure his family were prepared, Sarah even gave them her contact number.
That was all she could do, that and target practice.
He wasn't a religious man, his father was too much of a scientist to believe in God. But he did have faith. He had faith in Sarah Connor. She and John were mankind's only hope.
His mind went back further as he thought of Sarah, the first night they'd met, he driving his remote control car into his father's leg, inadvertently saving him from being shot by Sarah. But she was troubled, he could sort of understand, she saw a way out, a way to save millions of lives just by ending one.
He'd have done the same if he were in her position.
His mind focused once more on his father Miles Dyson, the life they had, the laughs they'd shared, the good times and the bad times, it was all gone.
Tear began to leak from his eyes, "I miss you dad." He sobbed quietly putting his hands over his face.
It was a few minutes until he stopped, his eyes were left bloodshot his cheeks wet from tears. After all this time, the pain still wouldn't go away, he didn't think it ever would.
He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, he thought of how Sarah talked about his father once more, describing him in his final few hours; a hero, he'd be a hero too, and he'd die if it was necessary.
He released his breath and looked back outside, his eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, the rain still came down as heavy as before.
'No lightning at least.' He thought.
In the distance he saw a crack of light. "Spoke too soon." He said, he mentally counted the seconds passing until he heard the roar of thunder, he heard it. '21. It's not too close.' He thought.
He kept his eyes focused on the skies looking at the coming storm.
Inside, empty pizza boxes and empty food cartons and tray littered the floor and coffee table of the living room, the only light coming from a lamp near the couch and the glow of the Television as it played the now ignored move.
Two figures laid upon one another were on the couch their eyes closed their arms wrapped around the other, hands just beginning to explore, mouths pressed firmly together in a heated and passionate make-out session.
"Mmmm, John." Cameron moaned breaking the kiss momentarily to voice her pleasure, a sudden gasp escaped her lips as John began to kiss her chin, her jaw line down to her neck. Her CPU was already telling her of the sensory input she was receiving from his kisses, how heated her systems were becoming. Cameron was hot, and she didn't need her CPU to tell her she wanted John, ALL of him.
John broke away from his lover's neck and kissed her cheek. "Oh baby." He whispered heatedly, he winced in a little pain as his erection pushed against his pants, begging to be freed.
Their mouths crashed together once more continuing their heated make-out.
Cameron suddenly rolled them over, having John under her she broke away from the kiss and straddled his lap, John opened his eyes and looked up to her, a loving smile on his face.
"Like that did ya?" he asked coyly
Cameron smiled back and nodded her head. "Very." She replied before reaching down and lifted his T-shirt up over his stomach and chest before pulling it off letting his bare torso touch the air.
Cameron dropped the T-shirt over the side of the couch then reached down, she paused looking at her bandaged hand, she wouldn't feel anything through the bandage.
"Take it off." John told her, "take them all off." He said encouragingly.
Cameron said nothing and unravelled the bandages before looking down at John a caring smile on her face.
John looked at her with passion and lust, he pulled himself up then wrapped his arms around her and brought her in for another kiss. Cameron in turn placed her hands on John's chest, the cool metal sending shivers through him, her hands began to stroke his chest massaging his small musculature gently as they worked their way down to his stomach, her fingers worked in circles to kneed and relax the muscles.
In response John moaned pleasurably into the kiss, his hands moved down from around her neck, over her back slowly making sure their movements were nice and slow, teasing almost, before reaching down and curling his fingers around the bottom of her T-shirt and lifted it up propping it just over her bra covered breasts.
John reached out getting a handful of each breast and massaged them eliciting a gentle moan from Cameron.
"John." She gasped as he, having released one of her breasts, reached around her and unclasped her bra strap with one hand.
John moved his head back a little so she could see the smirk on his face.
Cameron smiled at him before reaching for the cups of her bra and wiggled the strap from over her shoulders.
"Do you love me John?" she asked, she liked hearing him say it.
"You know I love you." He replied gazing into her eyes.
Without another word Cameron pulled on her bra and allowed it to fall between them.
Licking his lips in delight he placed his hands over her breasts and massaged them lovingly with his finger causing Cameron to moan with satisfaction.
Both stopped when they heard a vehicle pull up outside, both turned their eyes to the front door.
"Can you hear who it is?" John asked
Then she said the worst thing he could have possibly imagined.
"Sarah and Derek are back." She replied, the sadness in her voice plain to hear. "I suggest we redress."
"Good plan" John replied as he gave Cameron her bra back.
Derek and Sarah entered the house not a minute later.
They found Cameron and John sat on the sofa. Or rather, they saw Cameron sat on the couch watching television with John asleep with his head on her lap, multiple empty fast food containers littered the area infront of them.
Cameron turned her head slowly towards them, then raised her cybernetic hand to her puckered lips "shushing" them.
Sarah shuddered seeing Cameron's blazing her red eye, images of the first T-800 coming back to haunt her, for Derek the red eyes were all too familiar.
"Please refrain from making too much noise, John's resting." She instructed them.
Sarah got over her initial reaction of seeing the metal then looked to her son's sleeping form.
"How long has he been out?" she asked.
"He hasn't, he's been here all the time." Cameron replied tilting her head.
Sarah groaned and rubbed her forehead, "I meant, how long has he been asleep."
"Oh. Thank you for explaining." She said then paused briefly before continuing. "John entered REM sleep 18 minutes and 25 seconds ago."
Sarah nodded and walked over to them.
"How come you took your bandages off?" Derek finally asked.
Cameron paused briefly coming up with a quick yet effective lie.
"John wished to see how my regeneration had progressed, I have regenerated 2.5% of my damaged sheath."
Derek shrugged, not really caring. "Whatever." He said sleepily. "Got anything left over?" he asked as his eyes swept over the food containers.
Cameron glanced around the boxes. "There are some chicken fried noodles and hot n' spicy pizza remaining in those two boxes." She replied pointing to them
Derek immediately went for the boxes, picking them up and walked to the kitchen, Cameron watched him leave.
"Where's Danny?" Sarah asked regaining Cameron's attention.
"Daniel Dyson is in the shed, John asked him to go somewhere out of the way while John and I had a 'home date' in exchange we shared our meal." Cameron explained.
Before Sarah could say anymore Danny walked in through the back door.
"Hey, you're back." He smiled to Sarah, which she returned.
"Yeah were you alright in the shed?" she asked.
Danny waved it off like it was nothing. "Me? Yeah! I was fine, sure it was cold but, I kept myself warm, and the food was good."
"Good, how's the leg?" Sarah asked looking at the bandage still around his leg.
"The wound's a little itchy, but it'll be fine before long." He replied. "Thanks again."
"No problem." Sarah replied then stood up. "Right, I'm going to bed." She announced then looked to Cameron. "… make sure John gets to bed too." She said.
"I will." Cameron replied, then watched Sarah leave for bed, she then noticed Danny staring at her.
"Does that hurt?" he asked wagging his finger over his face.
Cameron knew what he meant. "Right now? No." she told him.
"But at the time?" he asked gently as if he were talking to a human girl.
Cameron noted his concern. "I sensed the injury, but I was more concerned with the Triple-Eight."
Danny nodded, "Right" he said in an awkward tone and scratched the back of his head. "Well night." He waved to her and walked off to bed
"Good night." She replied. She waited. Danny's door closed, she could still hear Derek eat the leftover food audibly, she looked down. "John, they're gone." She whispered.
"Good." He said opening his eyes then sat up. "I felt like I was actually gunna fall asleep." He yawned.
"It is best you get some sleep." She said and placed her hand on his leg.
"Yeah I guess." A thought struck him. "What about school tomorrow?" he asked. "You gave them the impression we're sick, if you go into school with bandages, people will wanna know what happened.
"Sarah will tell you to go to school by yourself while I regenerate." Cameron told him, inside it pained her, the thought of being away from him after how close they were now.
"I don't wanna go to school without you." He pouted without meaning too.
Cameron smiled warmly to him. "I know, neither do I, but we have little choice in the matter."
"Alright, should I try and make a plan with Riley about dealing with Jesse?" he asked.
Cameron tilted her head a little as she pondered. "Yes, then will we go over the plan?"
John nodded. "Yeah, I'll make it with Riley, bring back our ideas, and you can put your ideas with it. See what we can come up with."
Cameron nodded. "Good idea." She leaned forward and kissed his lips quickly then returned to her position.
John smiled at the action. "What was that for?" he asked in an amused tone.
"Because I love you." She replied in an innocent tone.
John smirked and took her right hand in his left and guided her to his room.
Later that night Cameron came in from the first round of her nightly patrol, she noticed one light was on in the kitchen, she distinctly remembered all lights were off when she left.
Walking into the house cautiously, as cautiously as she could, with her new Glock 18 in her left hand, inside she found Danny Dyson sat at the dining table, with a mug of hot chocolate infront of him, he jumped in surprised once he noticed she was there.
"Sorry." Cameron apologised. "I did not mean to startle you."
Danny calmed quickly enough and looked at her, noticing she'd replaced her bandages.
"It's fine, sorry I was, just thinking." He said as he seemed to drift back into his thoughts.
Cameron looked Danny over, then walked over to the table and sat opposite him.
The sudden noise and motion brought Danny back out from his thoughts, he looked at her as she looked at him.
They stared at one another, Cameron noticed it wasn't like the staring competitions she had with Derek, Danny had a confused if not thoughtful look in his eye, unlike Derek who always wanted to antagonise her.
"You really care for him, don't ya?" Danny asked breaking the silence.
"About John?" she asked, Danny nodded. "I do, I care for him a lot."
Danny looked away and nodded as he went into thought once more.
"Is it?" he began then looked back at her. "Is it just, lines of code, programming?" he asked.
"My mind, my existence, is just lines of programming, but John." Cameron paused unsure of how to phrase it. "My love for him, is beyond programming, I'm still unsure of how I have come to be able to love, but I know, that I do, I know what attracts me to him." Her lips curled slightly.
"Then how do you know it's love?" he asked curiously.
Cameron looked him dead in the eye. "John explained it to me. Unexplainable things would happen to my systems, I would feel my CPU receive positive feedback from interacting with John. John believes this was my CPU developing emotions."
She noticed Danny didn't seem to understand, she paused once more thinking of a way she could explain it, a way that would make sense to her. She scrunched her brow together as she thought of an explanation.
"What is human emotion?" she asked rhetorically. "Human emotion is code, a biological code and chemical reaction. My emotions." She paused momentarily. "My, growing emotions, are all lines of code and feedback, which feeds into my CPU which causes a reaction."
"I think I get it." Danny said slowly working it around in his head.
"Example, I find John physically appealing. My CPU reacts from the code of John's physical appearance, and tells me, he is, for lack of a better word, sexy." She explained a slight smile on her face.
"My love for John, is similar, I cannot love as a human can, with chemical reactions and such, I love John the way I can." She glanced away and licked her lips, she seemed to taste her own words, to see if they felt right.
"In short." She started up again. "I love John in a way a Machine can, the only way I can."
Danny nodded. "Cyborg love?" he chuckled, then went quiet.
"You're not built or programmed to love, to feel?" he asked
"Machines can feel to an extent, but to the degree I feel, I love, John says I'm more than a Machine in that respect." She told him.
He nodded once more, he looked at the bandage around her face.
"What does your CPU say when you scan Derek? Derek's got bigger muscles than John, bigger build too." He asked
"Asshole." Cameron replied immediately causing Danny to chuckle. "While Derek is taller than John, stronger, and has bigger muscles, I do not find Derek Reese physically appealing because he is Derek, not John."
"Alright, alright" he chuckled. "Well how about John with a body like Derek's?" he asked.
Cameron's eyes immediately glazed over, as she imprinted John's head over Derek's body, altered the skin tone to fits John's, her eye opened wider. The result? If she were human, she'd be drooling.
"What's your CPU telling you?" Danny asked.
Cameron looked at him. "Yummy." She said in an almost dreamy tone.
Danny put his hands over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
After a few minutes Danny calmed down and took a sip of his cooling hot chocolate.
"In the future, did you know, the other one?" he asked quietly.
Cameron tilted her head in confusion. "What other one'?" she asked.
"The big guy? Uncle Bob." Danny asked.
"The T-800 sent to protect John in 1997." Cameron stated. Danny nodded. "I'm not sure, what did he look like?"
"Big, tall, muscular." Danny rattled off trying to picture the man.
"All T-800s were like that, their size were generally the same, give or take a few inches, only the Triple Eight have a larger variety of size and build differences." Cameron replied.
Danny thought for a moment tapping his chin with his index finger.
"He had a deep vice, foreign accent, German or Austrian." He said.
Cameron tilted her head as her CPU listed the number of default European accents that went with the T-800 series: 12 Results.
"There are 12 results, the 101, the 107, 109 …" Cameron began before being interrupted.
"101!" Danny stated, he remember Bob identifying himself as a 101 to his father and mother, he himself hiding around a corner.
"I encountered a few 101 T-800 series." Cameron stated, her mind checked each one, some had been given names, most had not, none had been called 'Uncle Bob.' She searched for any which had been sent back in time as far as she was aware.
"There is a possibility of him being one of three." Cameron stated.
"I see." Danny took a sip of his hot chocolate. "Any of them a more likely chance of being him than the others?" he asked.
"Yes …" she said, her CPU bringing up one individual 101 series. "It was 2027 when he was captured and reprogrammed."
Cameron opened up a file of that day and told Danny the tale of 101 Infiltrator.
MAY 7th 2027
It had been just about two weeks since General Connor sent Sergeant Kyle Reese into the past and the Resistance had stolen the schematics of Skynet's Time Displacement Machine so that they could build their own.
General Connor hadn't talked to anyone but her, not even his most trusted of men, how little few of them remained.
"General Connor." Came her voice from the doorway.
General Connor looked up from his paper work and looked at her meeting her gaze, he nodded his head silently giving her permission to come in.
"What have you to report soldier?" he asked.
"Alpha team have succeeded in their mission, I have debriefed them of the information." She told him.
"Right … and?" he said patiently.
"Alpha team identified that Skynet was in the makings of building a new factory, they encountered over a dozen older units, T 400 and 500 series being used to build the structure while 600 series moved equipment from a Skynet supply ship, all were being guarded by Triple Eight endoskeletons, aerial and ground HKs."
General Connor tapped his fingers together in thought.
"Skynet must be getting paranoid, if it's actively building NEW factories, that means it'll need new power lines, a multitude of its forces will be put to building that new factory." General Connor thought out loud, his lips formed a very slight smirk. "Good. For now we have Skynet scared, we'll have to put that to our advantage."
He looked back down to his paper work, reports from other bases, written outcomes of missions he'd orchestrated, General Connor closed his eyes and rubbed them with his index finger and thumb, he stretched out his arms gaining a crack from his stiff joints then looked back to the little Cyborg.
"I'll have to plan an offensive, we could take down the construction, maybe capture a few Machines." He paused momentarily to clear his throat. "I want Lieutenant Reese to report to me 0700 tomorrow morn …"
The General was cut off by screams coming from within the base, the small Cyborg spun around to look for the threat, she saw soldiers running down corridors with M4 carbines and Skynet Plasma Rifles. From the halls they could hear the angered and alarmed cries of soldiers.
"TERMINATOR!"
"METAL!"
"SKIN JOB!"
The sound of projectile gunfire and plasma shots echoed through the bunker drowned out by the louder rapid succession of plasma fire, the walls flashed briefly with a deeper purple light.
"General stay here" the small Cyborg said as she moved towards the Infiltrator.
The General watched her leave and let out a long drawn out sigh.
The Hallways were an orgy of screaming, pain, plasma and projectile fire, dogs barking and heavy solid footsteps of the Infiltrator.
The small cyborg, armed with a M79 single shot grenade launcher cautiously moved around through the base, normally such caution wasn't needed but the enemy Terminator had advanced plasma weaponry, there was no room for carelessness.
Her focus shifted to numerous soldiers gathered against a wall, talking quickly to one another.
"Alright." One of them said, Cameron identified him as Sergeant Jones. "Take it down!"
The Sergeant rolled out from his cover hoping the Machine would target him as the others with him fired at the Machine. The soldiers moved from around their cover and fired down the hallway at … nothing.
"Where is it?" Jones asked out loud, his eyes didn't dare move from down the hallway, he saw it… he knew he did, the large imposing figures dressed in rags, a long torn cloak and hood to cover it's face and a large Plasma Machinegun, like the ones they had on the back of their jeeps.
And not it was gone. Vanished.
The soldiers kept their distance not noticing or caring that The General's Cyborg was moving around them.
"Stay here, I will locate the Infiltrator." She told them and walked down the hallway weapon still at the ready.
Now there was quiet, the odd distant calls from deeper within the base about status reports, updates, where the Terminator was, within this hallway was silence.
The soldiers and Sergeant Jones stared down the hallway their bodies like statues, their fingers touching the ridge of their weapon's trigger, they watched the small TOK series stalk the hall slowly weapon turning down each alternating room, there was no other way out for the other Machine without making any noise, it was there somewhere.
Plasma fire suddenly erupted from the wall behind her, a few stray shot slammed into her back, burning through her clothing and skin, she dived away from the rapid fire, rolling onto her back she aimed her weapon at the wall and fired, the 40mm round causing the wall to explode into debris the Infiltrator knocked onto it's back, it's weapon now damaged.
The small cyborg rose to her feet and began to reload, she was about to push another round into the weapon when a great force knocked her off her feet causing her to drop her weapon.
She shook her head and looked up to her enemy, a T-800 model 101, an old model, but still effective, the Machine prepared to continue its attack when …
"Take it down" yelled out Sergeant Jones to the others as they opened fire on the T-800.
A few quick shots of armor piercing 5.56 and Plasma crashed into its body giving the smaller Cyborg enough distraction to grab it's legs and pull them from under it making it fall onto it's back.
The TOK climbed on top of the enemy Machine and punched it repeatedly in the face, after a third strike, the T-800 caught her arm and threw her in the soldiers' direction, landing only three feet away from it, the Machine turned its attention to the TOK's fallen weapon and the single round, it rolled it's way towards the weapon narrowly avoiding the soldiers' fire and grabbed the weapon and grenade.
"Get out of here!" the small Machine yelled at them over the top of their fire.
The T-800 loaded in Grenade Launcher, waited for the pause it fire, it's enhanced audio detectors could hear the men switching out Magazines to reload, it struck, moving out of cover it aimed it's weapon and fired in their direction.
The Machine kept her head down and heard the explosion, she glanced in their direction, there wasn't much left of them, caring little about the casualties she rose to her feet and attacked the Machine once more, grabbing the weapon with both hands and threw it from away from its reach.
Before the older Machine could react the smaller cyborg sent it stumbling backwards with a fast kick to the stomach region.
General Connor kept watch over his security feed, he narrowed his eyes at the scene playing out before him, six of his men dead, and his bodyguard dealing with an old Infiltrator, and not having much luck with it either.
The older T-800s were heavier than the newer more advanced Triple Eights, which would make it harder for his Machine effectively offensive against it.
He scratched his chin before reaching into his desk drawer and pulled out a Taser, he got up from his seat and quickly made his way to the fight, hopefully he'd be there in time.
The T-800 picked up the lighter Machine and threw sent her crashing through a stone wall into another room.
The small Cyborg quickly rose to her feet and shoulder barged the 800 series making it stumble once more, it took a firm hold of her by her arms, quickly she forced the Machine's arms off of her, she took the offensive once more grabbing it and thrust it's large heavy body into another stone wall.
The enemy Machine put its hands on the wall and pushed itself and her backwards causing them to crash into the wall behind them, the 101 turned around grabbing her arm with both hands and threw her across the hallway.
The small Machine turned towards the 101 who stalked towards her, the small Machine got back up, slower this time, and prepared to continue the losing battle, just as the Machine drew nearer,
"Hey!" came a cold angered voice, the 101 spun around just as it's body surged with electricity, it's CPU forced it to shut down from the power overload.
General Connor pulled the Taser away and unsheathed his combat knife cutting into the T-800s skin.
"Hurry!" he yelled out, heavier footsteps came up behind him as a Triple Eight endoskeleton came up next to him with a tool box. Ordering the specific tools, and using the Triple Eight to secure the 800, he removed the chip.
"Excellent." He said quietly to himself looking it over.
"It was dangerous for you to come here John." Cameron said to him.
"Maybe." He chuckled as he watched the Triple Eight drag the T-800 to the base's lab. "But you could have been destroyed, and I don't want that." He said in a gentler tone, his old weathered eyes glanced at her.
She tilted her head like he knew her to do, like Allison did, he smiled sadly then glanced to the chip again.
"I still need you around, still want you, around." He said hesitantly, before placing the chip in his shirt pocket. "Come on, the T-800 changes things, let's go." He told her in a strict tone and walked towards the labs with his companion following close behind.
OCTOBER 2008
"So that could have been Uncle Bob?" Danny asked as Cameron finished her tale.
"Possibly, if the 800 was able to do combat against a Liquid Alloy Terminator and seem it's equal, it would most likely have been that 800 series." Cameron replied with a shrug.
Danny nodded, then sighed. "Thank you for telling me. He was, the first Machine I ever encountered, the first my family encountered."
"You want to know about him, why?" she asked curiously as she tilted her head.
"From what I saw, he and John seemed close, a bond if you will, like best friends, or Step-Father and son." He seemed to space out as he thought about his own words.
"That is what I detect when John has mentioned him before, a father like figure." Cameron said, she smiled internally, thinking of the bond between John and the T-800.
Danny nodded, and looked at his now empty cup of hot chocolate. "I see, thanks I guess. I was just wondering." He smiled somewhat embarrassed.
"It's no problem." She reassured him then watched him get up and walk to the stairs. "Good night Danny."
"Night little lady." He called back as he ascended the stairs.
Tuesday morning!
"Hey, hey all you wonderful folks out there is Tommy Seeta your favourite morning D.J and I gotta tell ya …" SMASH!
"I fucking hate Tuesday." A.T groaned drowsily, not even bothering to look at the shattered radio under the hammer she held.
"Why you do nothing every day?" Sofia grumbled next to her.
"Because I HATE Tommy Seeta!" 'The fucking bane of my existence, him and Marmite.' She mentally added.
Sofia sighed and adjusted herself to sit up, she winced immediately feeling something pushing her innards, blushing, she removed the problems and sat down on the bed.
"You were too rough again." She grumbled.
"You like being the bitch." A.T said as she turned away from Sofia making the woman blush.
"Shut up, Dyke-bot." Sofia grumbled before laying back down.
"Don't you have work?" A.T said sleepily.
Sofia paused for a moment before pushing the covers off herself and groaning angrily before starting her morning routine.
A.T got up a few minutes later then stretched getting her pistons and gyros ready for another day.
"Bet other Machines don't need to stretch …" she said to herself. "I'm getting old. My hair will be going grey next." She said with slight humour in her voice.
TODAY OBJECTIVES:
1) - LOCATE JOHN CONNOR … INACTIVE MISSION …
2) - TERMINATE JAMES SHEPARD NO.2
3) - TERMINATE SUSAN LAUREN JONES
4) - PICK UP STEAK FOR DINNER TONIGHT
5) - LOCATE DEREK REESE
6) - FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THE NEW TIME TRAVELLER
7) - MONTHLY CONTACT WITH 'THE SHERIFF'
8) – MEET SOFIA FOR LUNCH
… PRIORITISING OBJECTIVE 4, 6 & 8 …
A.T nodded her head absentmindedly before gathering her clothes and getting dressed.
With breakfast on the table Sally joined the Cyborg.
"So agenda for today?" Sofia asked, immediately becoming hesitant as to the answer.
A.T chuckled noticing her sudden hesitance. "Nothing too bad today." She chuckled, "Looking for someone, picking up steak, maybe gathering some info, and checking up with an … old friend." She smiled.
Sofia nodded hiding her relief. "Great well, remember." She pointed her fork at the Machine. "Today we're meeting up with my partner for lunch so don't forget." She smirked
"Wouldn't dare miss it." The Machine gave Sofia a soft smile.
Sofia chuckled dryly before toying with her food with her fork.
"Rebecca is coming back next week, I'm dreading what could happen." Sofia said softly, A.T paused from her eating and looked at Sofia curiously. "I mean, I, I don't want you to hurt her, but what if I can't stop her from doing something?"
A.T put her fork down gently and reached forward putting her hand caringly on top of Sofia's.
"Look I know what I said before, but …" she paused simply to stroke the back of Sofia's hand with her thumb. "I won't hurt her, because you love her, because of you, just try your best, okay?" A.T told her friend in a caring loving tone.
Sofia blushed not able to meet the Cyborg's eyes. "You'd do that for me?" she asked
A.T chuckled nodding her head slowly, "Yeah. I've got a soft spot for you in my chip, God help me." She said with humour in her voice.
The two finished off breakfast and Sofia left for work leaving the Cyborg in her apartment alone.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked herself quietly. "You barely even sound like yourself anymore." She sighed gently, she'd try and gather information on finding Derek Reese before she got the steak for Dinner.
'If I can find Reese, I'm sure Connor won't be too far behind.' She thought to herself, Reese was the key, she was sure of it, how she'd find him, she didn't know, intense searching? Bumping into him in the street? She was grasping at straws with her two main targets. Maybe she'd get lucky, humans definitely seemed to have a lot of it.
Cameron sadly watched the love and sole reason of her life walk out the door bag slung over his back, while she, bandaged and as damaged as she was had to stay home and regenerate.
Sarah Connor looked at the Machine from a distance, noting the puppy like sadness on her face, Sarah mentally chuckled at the thought.
'A puppy, sure, a soft puppy who'd tear your arm off and beat you with it.' She thought.
It was then Sarah noticed something very wrong, her eyes scanned the room, nothing out of place, nothing damaged, no sound. That was the problem …
"Where's Derek? I can't hear him snoring." Sarah asked aloud.
"Derek left the premises 10 minutes before you came down, I inquired as to where he was going, he said to gather more leads." Cameron said immediately, but she had her own theories.
"Alright." Sarah said tiredly. "Well you and I are going to grocery shopping. If anyone asks, you were in a car accident got it?" the elder Connor told the small Machine.
"I understand." She replied watching as Sarah got up from her chair and put her plate and cup in the sink. "Are we leaving now?" she asked.
"Yeah, get that out of the way." Sarah replied quickly, she paused momentarily, still as a statue then grabbed a pen and a slip of paper writing a note to the still sleeping Danny. "Okay lets go Tin Miss."
Cameron nodded and followed the elder Connor out of the door and into the car.
The drive to the store was quiet but filled with tension, Cameron noticed the look on Sarah's face, the look that she wanted to talk or yell at her for something, but for whatever reason held her tongue.
The moment they exited the car people began to stare at talk quietly amongst themselves as they saw Cameron's bandages, she could hear the brief conversations, the words of worry with her enhanced hearing, though she ignored it, if anyone was to ask she was in a car accident as Sarah had told her.
Sarah Connor grabbed a shopping cart and walked into the store Cameron following close behind with the shopping list in her hand.
"John likes the crunchy ones not the puffy ones." Cameron suddenly said.
Sarah stopped and turned to her seeing the cyborg holding up a bag of potato chips.
"Shouldn't we get him something more healthy?" she asked raising a curious brow.
"Yes, but we should still get these, he likes them." Cameron replied placing the bag into the cart.
Sarah rolled her eyes and mumbled incoherently to herself.
"Pass me the list." She said to Cameron, she looked the list up and down before turning her attention to the bandaged Machine.
"You probably have all this saved right?" she asked quietly.
"Yes." Cameron replied.
"Alright, I'll get the frozen goods, you get everything else meet up near the checkout." Without waiting for a reply Sarah walked off towards the frozen section leaving Cameron stood be herself.
Cameron let out a sigh before walking towards the store entrance for a smaller cart. 'John would have at least waited for me.' She thought begrudgingly.
Sarah watched Cameron from over her shoulder before turning down the frozen produce isle, her mind going back to what Kyle had told her when they first met.
'That Terminator is out there, it can't be reasoned with, it can't be bargained with, it doesn't feel pity! Or remorse! Or fear! And it absolutely will not stop ever … until it's in your son's bed.'
Sarah shook her head sudden, that last part, that wasn't what he said, it wasn't …
'Breathe Sarah, breathe.' She told herself and let out a long drawn out sigh. "Fuck my life." She groaned.
Suddenly she jolted to a halt as she banged into something. Sarah opened her eyes seeing her cart against another, she turned to look at the owner, a woman with dark hair with steak in her hand.
"Sorry." Sarah apologised nicely.
The woman replied with a small smile and a nod of her head before walking off, Sarah looked in and pulled out various meats.
Cameron came walking back up to Sarah with a cart full of required items.
"I have finished Sarah." She said in monotone.
Sarah looked at the cart and nodded. "Come on Tin miss."
The school day so far had gone as normal, if not a bit lonely without Cameron. He met up with Morris and Riley at first break and now was about to meet up with them for Lunch.
"Hey guys." John greeted them, he sat down with his tray then noticed a new face amongst them. "Hey dude." He greeted the new guy.
"Hey John." Replied Morris, Riley giving a "hi" too in response. Morris pointed his thumb at the boy next to him. "This is James, he's new in school." Morris gave James a friendly smile.
"Nice to meet ya." John nodded to the guy before taking a sip of his coke.
"Hey." James replied in a friendly tone of voice.
"He's gunna be in most of our classes, except Math." Morris shrugged.
John nodded doing his best to look interested, but what he wanted was to get Riley alone to talk about Jesse.
The four talked and ate their food before Morris turned to John curiously.
"Hey John?" he began getting John's attention. "Where's Cameron?"
John mentally paused for a moment before his answer came to him. "She's still sick so she's staying at home." John got back to his food.
Morris and James finished their lunches and left John and Riley leaving them with a 'goodbye', once the boys were out of hearing distance Riley turn towards John, her mouth opened to speak, only for John to interrupt.
"She got damaged by a Triple Eight, her skin is healing." He hadn't once glanced at her.
Riley nodded slowly, a small part of her was happy Cameron wasn't there, just her and John.
"Listen John, I'm really sorry about before, maybe you know, we could try and fix our relationship." Riley offered with a caring smile.
John laughed mentally. 'If only she knew.' "No Riley, I said we'd stay friends, and that's it, just friends." He told her, his voice leaving no question to it.
"Alright, alright." 'Maybe later.'
"I wanna talk about Jesse." He said quietly.
"Haven't heard from her for a while, so nothing new." She replied.
John glanced at her. "You sure?" he asked, part of him, a paranoid part of him, didn't believe her.
"Yeah, she said she'd be away for a few days and I haven't heard from her since."
"When was that?" he asked with a raised brow.
Riley paused for a moment going over the past few days in her head. "About, maybe Friday, Saturday sort of time." She said
John's mind made the immediate link to the missions he and the others had gone on separately, the time of her sudden departure was too close together, and he didn't believe in coincidences, not anymore, he'd share his thoughts with Cameron one he got home.
Jason's Notes
Hey everyone, another 2 months again, I am SO sorry, I never meant for it to be this long but, I got writer's block a lot on this chapter, you might be able to tell.
I promise to have chapter 22 up before the end of the month, but things are a little weird at home right now.
Deepest sincerest apologies anyway.
I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little bland, but I am starting to kick the story back into a higher gear, things will begin to progress quicker, you and I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg with this story (I think.)
Anyway. More twists and turns to come, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Review, PM, think a happy though, do which ever you wish.
Your dear friend.
Jason Voorhees.