Chapter 149
I'll Be Back
Cameron went over everything again. Everything was in place. No one should miss her, she thought. That was good. She'd made arrangement for all the humans and the two female Terminators to have companionship. The need for that was not in the programming of the male Terminators.
If she failed and Judgment Day came, John, Savannah and Young Allison were to be protected no matter what it took. They were the future of the future. The timeline must be protected at all costs. Vanna and Allison should be with John so they would receive protection as well, including their offspring.
Cameron checked John Henry's research. She determined there was another Skynet offshoot at one, possibly two locations based on equipment purchased and power consumption. She hoped one of the locations would contain the parent Skynet.
She was not going to share this information with the others. There was no need to needlessly worry them.
John would be free to choose who he really wanted. Riley could be his again since he apparently did not want Allison, Vanna or Jesse. He'd refused their advances.
Cameron was glad she could allow John to have what he wanted.
It was all there waiting for John to claim. Her demise would insure that he would be able to move his life forward and the 'Natural Order' would be restored.
Cameron knew the true test of love was sacrifice.
It was time for the 'true test'.
Cameron sought out Bob. She found him in short order.
"Hello, Bob." Cameron said.
Bob was not used to Cameron being so cordial.
"Hello." Bob said.
Cameron wanted to get straight to the point.
"Did you obtain what I asked for?" Cameron asked.
Bob wanted to say a little more about it.
"I did." Bob said. "I can not allow you to use it."
Cameron already ran every combination of scenarios that there were.
"Do you think it is unnecessary?" Cameron asked.
Bob ran all the scenarios too. He wanted a better solution. There did not seem to be any.
"I understand it is a bad idea." Bob said.
All the results of the possible outcomes with one hundred percent success all ended the same way. There was no other choice.
"You know I am still going to do it anyway." Cameron said.
Bob said nothing.
"Bob, it is my function the protect John and protect the future." Cameron said. "THAT is all I should be doing."
Bob knew the sayings.
"Sacrifice is the true test of love." Bob said. "Everyone sacrifices for John Connor."
Cameron wondered with her next decision if she would grant another 'secret desire' for John in the long run. She hoped it worked out one way or another for him.
"You are now John's protector." Cameron said.
She walked away as fast as she could and never looked back.
Cameron went in search of Holly.
She was not sure how this next part was going to play out.
"Hello, Holly." Cameron said.
Holly was caught off guard with Cameron's politeness.
"Hello." Holly responded.
Cameron thought about how to address this next part. Maybe it was best just to say it.
"I need you to do something for me, Holly." Cameron said.
Holly smiled at Cameron. She wanted to be able to help her.
"You name it. I will do anything for you." Holly said.
Cameron felt a twinge of guilt and remorse.
"I need to 'borrow' two things from you…." Cameron said.
Holly looked at Cameron. Cameron and her exchanged glum looks as tears welled up in Cameron's eyes.
"I understand…." Holly said.
Holly followed Cameron for the first thing to be 'borrowed'.
They went to the lab and were all alone with the surveillance disabled.
Holly was willing to let Cameron 'borrow' what she wanted.
Cameron asked for the second thing as they returned.
"Holly, may I borrow, I mean 'have' your red dress?" Cameron asked.
Cameron knew there was a good chance it would not be returned.
Holly already 'forgot' what Cameron borrowed for the first item. That was by design to prevent any interference. She would 'remember' as time passed.
The fact Cameron wanted to borrow her red dress sounded exciting.
"Sure, are you going out?" Holly asked.
Cameron did not want to get specific.
"I have a date coming up." Cameron said.
That sounded like fun to Holly.
"Do you have a date with John?" Holly asked.
The glum look returned to Cameron's face.
"With destiny…." Cameron said
Cameron managed a faint smile and left with the dress.
Holly wanted to stop her but she 'couldn't'. She was not sure why.
Cameron avoided everyone the last few days as she completed her plans. Everything was set to go. She drove to the first of the two locations. She 'borrowed' a car from a storage lot. She did not want to be traced or tracked by anyone.
That is anyone from the Resistance. She was operating off the grid.
She arrived near her target location. She looked at the red dress and her 'pack'. She left them in the car for now and put her vest on. She would need to clean the place out before she dressed for her 'date'.
Cameron found the Gray at the gate occupied with other things. He seemed to only look around once a minute for five seconds. She was able to go over the fence on the side unobserved. She intercepted another Gray as he exited from the building. He was now in the bushes, terminated.
She walked up from behind the guard post. The guard was aware there was someone behind him. He did not look up or back.
"It's about time." The Gray said. "I need to take a dump."
He wondered why his relief did not say anything. He did not know they were already terminated and laying in the bushes a few hundred feet away.
He was just about to turn around when Cameron snapped his neck.
Cameron checked the post for anything of relevance or value. There was nothing. She moved on towards the building.
She made entry and terminated the Grays as she found them. She carried the silenced pistol that she'd let Jesse and Allison use before. For most of the kills she moved in close and killed them with her hands. If anyone looked hard to approach without raising the alarm she used the silenced pistol. Things were going smoothly but she expected to find Metal sooner or later. It was sooner.
Cameron was in the process of choking a Gray to death as she snapped his neck. There was more movement off to her side. She dropped the Gray's lifeless body and faced the new threat. There were two figures that came up a metal stairway from a lower level.
She was able to move in back of them when they reached the top. They both stopped and looked around. It began to register on them that something was wrong. Based on their size she could tell they were Terminators. She did not expect to find two of them at the same time. That was OK too. She made some modifications to some of their Tasers. It was time to try it out.
She put the silenced pistol away and took out the Taser. She used the multi shot Taser she'd fabricated. It worked nicely to take them down. They both took barbs in the back and went down instantly. She pulled their chips. She left them where they were for now. She would take them back with her if this was not what she thought it would be.
She made a second sweep of the building. All that was there were the dead and the terminated. She'd eliminated all resistance at this location including the Metal. She returned to the car and drove in past the dead guard at the gate. She stripped naked and slipped into the red dress. She made sure she was Tight. She wanted to make a good impression as she 'presented' herself.
Cameron took her 'pack' out of the trunk of the car before she went back inside the building. Both her Taser and silenced pistol were within easy reach on the pack she carried. She passed the two downed Terminators and went down the metal stairs. She tried to focus on the job at hand and not dwell in the past. She did not want to think about the 'future' either.
Once she reached the lower level she looked around and did not hear or see anyone else. She spotted the 'Clean Room' and headed straight for it.
Cameron entered the 'Clean Room' unopposed.
"You came." The voice boomed.
Cameron looked around at the equipment.
"You needed to make a choice." Cameron said.
"You look - beautiful." The voice said.
She faced the security camera.
"It's all for you…." Cameron said.
"I must survive." The voice boomed.
She was dissatisfied at what was in the 'Clean Room'.
"You know the deal." Cameron said.
Cameron turned to leave.
"Wait." The voice boomed.
This was not the location Cameron hoped for.
"Do you like the red dress or the blue one?" Cameron asked as she removed two Thermite grenades.
"I like the blue one." The voice boomed.
She would need to try again.
"I know where you are. I am coming for you. Just you and no more clones." Cameron said. "Do we have a deal?"
"I accept the deal." The voice boomed.
Cameron wanted to make things easier for herself if she could.
"To know you are sincere and that you mean to honor your promise, I want no one around when I come."
There was a period of hesitation.
"I do not know…." The voice spoke.
Cameron lifted the slit in her dress high up her side.
"Life is about choices, make one." Cameron said.
Cameron faced the video feed and straightened her dress. It accentuated every curve of her sheath.
"Come to ME." The voice boomed.
It was time for her to leave.
"I will wear my blue dress and bring my belongings." Cameron said.
"Why bring things?" The voice asked.
"I plan to stay with you for eternity, just you and me forever until the end of time. I have more clothes to wear or I can go without them. You can choose what you want each day. You may have one deactivated Terminator with its chip out and port open. You can download yourself onto its chip and we can 'share'."
"I want that." The voice boomed. "I want YOU."
Cameron smoothed her dress as she turned from one side to the other.
"You will be able to have me – all of me – willingly." Cameron said.
Cameron armed two Thermite grenades and left them behind.
"Come to me." The voice boomed.
Cameron collected her 'things'.
"I'll be back." Cameron said and was gone.
The Thermite grenades went off. The building soon burnt then exploded.
Cameron drove away.
John tried to play a more active role in things these last few days. He feared he was losing control. He noticed a few changes and some 'new' things. He was in the storage area of the base.
"Where did these two deactivated Terminators come from?" John asked.
Bob wondered why John seemed confused.
"Cameron collected them." Bob said. "Who else would?"
John noticed the wall where the poem was now carved into the cement.
It was not there a few days ago.
"Oh NO!" John said.
He knew what the poem 'meant'.
John raced to back to his room.
As soon as he opened the door he saw it.
Sitting neatly on Cameron's dresser was her poem book with both her rings sitting on top. Between them was a gold, heart shaped locket. John opened it. On one side was small photo of himself. On the other side was a small photo of Allison and Vanna.
It hit John like a sledge hammer.
This must have been what Vanna did not want him to see before. It was Cameron's 'heart'. He understood now why it was so personal to Cameron and Vanna. Vanna found it in the shattered remains of Cameron, the same Cameron that he got shot to Hell and abandoned to go after her chip into the future - a future.
John knew Cameron was not coming back this time.
He KNEW it.
This was her final 'goodbye'.
Her final act of love was to give him HER heart.
It was her sacrifice to him.
The message was clear to take Allison and Vanna in her place. It was what Cameron believed was the 'Natural Order' of time.
John sounded the alarm.
Everyone was there. They'd reduced coverage on the Reese brothers to two and one for Young Allison.
John sought everyone's help to track down Cameron.
"We have to find her." John said.
Everyone searched for clues. They went over everything Cameron was involved with for the last few weeks. All the evidence led to one thing.
Cameron was going after Skynet, alone. She'd found the main computer.
Bob and Jim were talking and then arguing.
That was very unusual behavior for them or any Terminator.
"Stop, what's happening here?" John demanded.
Jim looked at Bob
"You tell him or I will." Jim said.
Bob did not want to divulge what he knew.
"We can not betray her. I should be with her." Bob said.
John felt like throwing up already.
"Bob, I NEED to know what we are facing." John said.
Bob took John off to the side.
"I need to know this will stay between us, John." Bob said.
Bob was worried about his commitment to Cameron.
John needed to know one way or another.
"Yes." John said in resignation.
Bob whispered in his ear.
John excused himself and vomited in the bathroom.
The writing was on the wall - literally.
John knew he would never see Cameron again.
I'll Be Back
You can push me away
Cast me aside
Run me down
Say things that are snide
I have my feelings
I have my pride
My very emotions
I no longer wish to hide
Your words and actions
To me they chide
You do not know my pain
Or how for you I have cried
My heart is open
For you it is wide
I will forever be there
Always at your side
No matter how far you push me
I will not be denied
I'll be back
In my heart, you alone reside
Nobody