Chapter 46
A Girl's Best Friend
Cameron left John and went to the lab.
Vanna was not there.
Cameron felt so alone. Everything she'd always wanted was right in front of her. It was within her grasp. All she needed to do was grab the 'brass ring'. Instead she was going to let it pass by her, by her choice.
That was just it. She didn't have a choice. The choice was made the moment she killed HER Allison - Future Allison. That is the moment that changed her fate, which changed her life. It changed her existence. It was moment that determined her destiny. It was what brought her to where she was right now.
Allison's player was on the desk next to her poems.
Cameron picked it up and selected a group with a strange name. Cameron found she liked to look at the lyrics as she listened to a song. She called them up on the computer with a quick search. It was something not in her data base, yet. To see the words as she heard them touched her more deeply. It was easier to find the song on YouTube with the lyrics in the video. It was something everyone could do. It only took a few seconds to it.
The first song played. It was:
'I Am A Rock' by 'Simon and Garfunkel'.
Cameron wished she was a rock or island too. She especially wanted it to be an island. There were more selections. Each new song deeply touched within her. It was as if they were written for her. She knew the songwriter must have felt much the same way she did.
It was just past the 'few hours' time frame that she'd given John.
Something caught her attention and brought her back to now. It was the intercom system.
"Cameron, can you come to my room, our room, please." John said.
Cameron sat there for a moment and contemplated the actions she was about to take. She neatly stacked her poems. She carefully selected a song to be played next and set down Allison's player. She thought about changing it but decided it would say everything she wanted to say.
She got up and looked around the lab one last time. This was the very place where she'd made her first friend and a second love. This was where she was reborn when Allison returned her chip to her. She looked at her old server. She went over to it and removed the hard drives. She looked at them and then crushed them. She dropped the broken pieces in the trash. She looked down at them in the basket. Her face was expressionless. She'd just terminated a version of herself. She walked out of the lab quickly. She never looked back. This was all in the past now. None of it mattered.
She knew what she wanted to do and was going to do it. She stopped and spoke with John Henry. It was time to get the ball rolling.
"Make ready Unit Two and Unit Three." Cameron said and walked away.
John Henry wanted to ask her to reconsider but he didn't. He knew what Cameron needed to do. She needed to do for her own personal peace.
"It will be so." John Henry said.
Cameron noticed Vanna and Allison return from doing some shopping. They carried several bags from a clothing store. She did not go to talk to them. Cameron thought it was best to avoid everyone. She took a turn and would go around the long way. She did not want to get 'emotional' with the finality of her upcoming task.
Mr. Ellison knocked on Sarah and Kyle's door down the hall as she neared John's room. That was unusual to see him out and around the bunker complex. They tried to remove him from the clandestine and questionable nature of what they did. He was more the public face of the parent company. They did not want him to dirty his hands with the killing associated with their work. They tried to protect him.
Cameron stopped outside the door to John's room. A flood of thoughts went through her mind. They were all over the place and most of them were not good. That was the trouble; all she could seem to think about were the 'bad' things. No matter how she tried to isolate them, they never went away.
Cameron collected herself.
'Everything changes in some manner from the moment I walk into this room, for better or worse.' Cameron thought.
Cameron turned the handle and opened the door, she walked in the room.
"Yes, John?" Cameron asked.
John already played the scenario out in his head a hundred times.
"Cameron…." John started and floundered.
He just looked at her beautiful face.
He dropped to one knee.
"I love you, Cameron, and you love me."
Cameron was surprised at the formality of the situation. She was even more surprised by the words that came out of his mouth next.
"I would like the honor and privilege to ask you for your hand in marriage. Cameron, I choose you, will you choose me?" John asked. "Cameron, will you marry me?"
Cameron did not even need to think about it.
"Yes." Cameron said.
John took her left hand.
"Yes, my sweet love." Cameron said again.
He slipped her ring on. It was made from the diamond he'd given her originally the night they'd acquired them.
He stood and they kissed.
She looked at the ring.
"I see you used the diamond you originally gave to me." Cameron said. "That is sweet."
She waited for John to explain how he'd come into possession of it.
"I was able to track it down with the aid of John Henry." John said.
Cameron wanted a little better answer than that.
"Was there anything else with it?" Cameron asked.
The tears welled up in John's eyes.
"Yes." John said somewhat shamefully. "I found something very dear to you."
That was what Cameron really wanted John to 'find'. When he found her poem book. He found her 'feelings' and her 'emotions'. He found what was inside of her mind.
John felt overwhelmed with guilt and shame.
"Cameron, can you ever forgive me?" John asked.
She stepped forward She pulled his tee shirt off. She looked directly into his eyes. It was clear what she intended and wanted to happen.
"Does this answer your question?" Cameron asked.
She was ready for the next step in her evolution.
John reached to remove her top but stopped. He paused and thought about if for a moment.
Cameron looked confused. She thought 'more' was going to happen.
A knock came at the door.
That irritated Cameron.
"Go away." Cameron said.
The knock came again.
"Cameron, it's Vanna and Allison, we need to give you some things." Allison said.
Cameron had other plans right now. She became a little upset.
"Go away. I am doing something." Cameron said.
John smiled at Cameron and opened the door.
"I will see you in a short while." John said.
He walked out of the room with his tee shirt in his hand.
Cameron tried to figure out what just happened. She thought they were going to consummate their love. Wasn't she 'married' to John now? He should want to be with his 'wife'. Cameron wondered if he was really interested in something different. Maybe she would need to swap chassis with Bob or Jim. She would do that for John. He was her 'husband'. She would provide him with what he wanted.
Vanna and Allison rushed into the room with the packages. They were the same ones she'd seen them return with earlier.
"Cameron, look what we got you." Vanna and Allison said in unison.
Cameron's anger was replaced with surprise and then joy. She quickly realized what was happening. Now she was somewhat befuddled.
"You got me a wedding dress? You bought me a white wedding dress?" Cameron asked.
It seemed Allison and Vanna were more excited than she was. Maybe her emotional development was not as advanced as she thought it was.
"Let's get you dressed." Allison said. "The wedding is in thirty minutes."
Cameron was slow to gather there was more to being 'married'. It seemed like what John already did should be enough for two people that cared about and loved each other.
"What wedding?" Cameron asked.
A worried look crossed Vanna's face.
"You did say 'yes', didn't you?" Vanna asked.
Cameron tilted her head slightly.
"Yes." Cameron replied.
Allison laid everything out on the bed.
"Then let's get crackin'." Allison said.
Cameron was surprised by all of this and the extent of everything involved with it. She'd only expected to make love to John.
This was one surprise she did not hate.
John headed to Sarah and Kyle's room. There was a suit laid out on the bed. Mr. Ellison was there too. John asked Mr. Ellison to perform the nuptials.
"I know it is not really official or legal but is anything we do anymore?" John asked.
That was something they all knew to be rooted in truth. To save the world they operated outside of the law. They operated by of the law of the future.
"I will be happy to perform a short ceremony for you two." Mr. Ellison said.
"Mom and Dad, will you both give away the bride?" John asked.
"John, I will be happy to." Kyle said.
John looked at his mother. He knew Cameron meant a lot to her for everything she'd done for her and them.
"John, I can not think of a finer woman for you to marry. I will be proud and honored to do so." Sarah said with tears in her eyes. "I really mean that too."
John was very pleased to hear those words from his mother.
"Thank you." John said. "Mom, I'll need your help with the tie. Let me put my suit on."
John Henry, Bob and Jim stood on the groom's side.
Allison and Vanna stood on the bride's side.
Savannah held the rings for each of them.
They were made from the gold chain that once held Cameron's locket. The heart shaped locket that now inside her chassis. The heart Cameron gave herself. The heart that held the photos of the ones she loved.
John thought of using Coltan for the wedding ring but was unsure if it would offend Cameron. It might serve as a painful reminder to Cameron that she was a machine. A real ring would make her feel more 'human'.
John stood nervously before Mr. Ellison.
Kyle and Sarah entered the room with Cameron between them.
Mr. Ellison looked at a piece of paper Allison handed to him earlier and said it was from Cameron and it was very important to her.
"By request of the Bride and Groom this ceremony will be as simple as possible. The Bride specifically chose the exact vows to be spoken." Mr. Ellison said.
Vanna started an abbreviated recording of here comes the bride on her player. They couldn't find Allison's player. Maybe it was in the lab.
Cameron walked down the short aisle with Kyle and Sarah. They stopped and then she stepped ahead.
Cameron stood next to John.
Mr. Ellison started. He looked at John.
"Do you choose Cameron Phillips to be your wife?" Mr. Ellison asked.
"I do." John said.
"Do you promise to love, cherish and protect her?" Mr. Ellison asked.
"I do." John said.
Mr. Ellison looked at Cameron.
"Do you choose John Connor to be your husband?" Mr. Ellison asked.
"I do." Cameron said.
"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him?" Mr. Ellison asked.
"I do." Cameron said.
They took the rings from Savannah and placed them on each other's fingers.
"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife." Mr. Ellison said.
They kissed.
Savannah gently tugged on Cameron's dress.
Cameron looked at her and smiled.
"I'm going to marry John too when I grow up." Savannah said.
Cameron bent down next to Savannah.
"Do you promise me you will, Savannah?" Cameron asked.
"I promise, Cammy." Savannah said. "I promise I will."
Savannah liked to call Cameron - Cammy.
Cameron smiled. Her 'grooming' process paid off. This is what she wanted to hear from Savannah on her own accord. There would be love and companionship for John in the future. It would be a future without her most likely.
Cameron looked directly into Savannah's eyes.
"I am counting on you, Savannah." Cameron said.
Bob retrieved a cake.
"I made this myself." Bob said.
It was a small two level wedding cake. It actually looked expertly made. It seemed the instructional videos Bob watched on 'how to make the perfect wedding cake' paid off.
"And I helped." Jim added.
After the brief 'reception' John and Cameron walked to John's room.
John opened the door
John moved to pick up Cameron. He wanted to carry her across the threshold.
Cameron wanted to warn John.
"You know I am heaver than I look." Cameron said.
"I only have a few steps." John said.
John picked her up and carried her through the doorway.
Cameron pushed the door closed as they entered. John set her down.
They stood and faced each other.
"All my programming is off, John." Cameron said. "This is just you and me now."
"Cameron, I have waited so long for this moment."
"As have I, John."
"I love you, Cameron, and you love me."
"I love you, John, and you love me."
They kissed.
Cameron removed his suit coat and shirt and pants.
John slipped Cameron out of her dress.
Each removed the other's underwear.
"I am ready, John, make me a woman."
They embraced and slowly headed for the bed….
A Girl's Best Friend
Is it really the diamond
That's a girl's best friend
Or is it the one she chooses
To spend time until the end
It is the love
That beats from the heart
That paves the path
From where it did start
Two become as one
Is the way it should be
It's no longer you and me
It is now – we
Through good times or bad
Happiness or sorrow
It is upon each other
Whose strength we may borrow
Here we are now
Our future to spend
It all starts now with
A girl's best friend
Nobody