Chapter 181
High Desert
John felt they needed to follow up on the HK drone sighting. Cameron agreed to go along and help track down the HK drone. They would each lead a team of two Terminators.
There was the uneasy feeling that this was a ruse to lure them out into the open so they could be targeted. If there was a Skynet related group out there they needed to be dealt with. Any vestige of Skynet was a threat to the future. They would need to be vigilant and try and strike the first blow.
It was time for a road trip through the High Desert. They would need to traverse through that region to reach the Tehachapi area. One was almost total flat land and the other was an isolated mountainous region.
The two teams armed themselves with the weapons they thought they might need. This was supposed to be a recon mission but those always seemed to have a way of escalating, especially if Cameron was along.
John wanted to gather any intel that they could first so they could track down the source of where the HK drone was constructed. They'd taken down one facility recently before a production line could be set up. Maybe there was another in the works some place else. Maybe the HK drone John Henry detected was from the building they took down. They needed answers not speculation.
They took State Route 14 north from Interstate 5. They would need to pass through Acton, Palmdale, Lancaster and Mojave along this route.
The teams currently were about to pass through Palmdale. Cameron thought about asking to stop and see Young Allison. She then thought better of it. She knew the importance of Young Allison for the future. Now that her sheath was 'altered', Young Allison's future with John would be necessary. It was the 'Natural Order' of the future anyway. John may resist accepting his future but she knew what it already was.
A new thought came into her mind in its place. Cameron knew she belonged around machines. It would be nice to see a machine, be a machine and do what it was designed to do and not masquerade as something it wasn't.
Cameron was very familiar with the area surrounding Sierra Highway. It was one way to access Edwards Air Force Base. She'd been there a few times to check on things and 'borrow' a few things.
Sierra Highway was actually built next to the Southern Pacific railroad tracks. The rail line was constructed between 1875 and 1876. Everything else in the area came later.
"Can we drive along Sierra Highway?" Cameron asked. "We can parallel the railroad tracks. Maybe we can pick up a train to pace. We would all be headed in the same direction."
Bob would have preferred to stay on the 14 freeway but wanted to accommodate Cameron. Maybe if they did what she wanted she would seem less depressed. He took the next exit and cut over to the east for a short distance. He then headed north along Sierra Highway which paralleled the railroad tracks.
They passed near Palmdale Airport. They did not spot any of the B-2 bombers in for maintenance. They passed through some desert brush in the ever shrinking gap between Palmdale and Lancaster.
They passed an F-4 Phantom II on a pedestal in Lancaster. It was next to the railroad tracks. Cameron thought that was not a good fate for a once proud machine. It was 'retired' and stuck on a pedestal. It was trapped there for everyone to see. It was unable to do what it was built for. The other choice was the scrapper's torch.
Cameron wondered about the fate of Terminators. Would they end up on display in a museum some day? What kind of humiliation would that be? She would gladly choose the scrapper's torch over the pedestal for herself. At least she could make her own choice, the poor plane couldn't.
Cameron wondered what it would be like to fly a Phantom. She would fly a few feet off the ground at supersonic speed. She would push it to past Mach 2.5 at altitude. She would 'zoom climb' to its maximum altitude to see the earth from miles up above it.
She wondered what it would be like to bail out and open the parachute at that great height. She could slowly float down to the ground from that high altitude, she would drift for miles. She did not need oxygen but it would be cold. It should not affect her functioning.
Cameron thought it would be beautiful…. She could be free as she floated and drifted high over the landscape…. Maybe this is what it would be like to get away from it all….
Freedom….
Now it did not really matter, nothing did. She'd already started events that were now unstoppable. The choice was final.
Just north of Lancaster the railroad tracks paralleled Sierra Highway very closely. There was a shallow drainage ditch between them and a small patch of dirt that was part of the 'right of way'. In a few minutes they picked up a container train. It was running northbound at track speed. They slowly overtook it.
Cameron looked at Bob and smiled.
"I want you to pace the locomotives." Cameron said.
Bob looked over at her and slowed some as they approached the head end power.
There were five big diesels on the point.
Cameron rolled down her window, the throaty sound was awesome.
"Listen to them thunder." Cameron said. "They are powerful machines."
The five big yellow locomotives bulled their way across the High Desert and the ever increasing grade.
"I love the sound of those four cycle engines, the single two cycle engine among them just does not have the same throaty roar." Cameron said.
The five locomotives represented two separate manufactures. General Electric constructed the four cycle engines and General Motors constructed the two cycle engine. The specific engine models were rated at 4400 and 4300 horsepower respectively by the manufacturers. They were nearly identical in performance but differed in construction details.
To see, hear and feel the vibrations of the locomotives up close like this as they worked hard made Cameron think about her recent adventure on Donner Pass.
'Wreck Of The Old 97' by 'Johnny Cash', played in Cameron's mind. She liked the live version from Folsom Prison the best.
Cameron felt sad she wrecked the replica Cab Forward but there wasn't time to do anything else. Those people were trapped on the narrow ledge outside of the tunnel. She took the risk. She didn't even know who she was when she did it. She only knew she needed to save the people.
She used some of her 'funny money' confiscated from illicit drug and crime operations to contract with the manufacturing firm who fabricated the replica she destroyed. They were paid to custom make several more new AC-12 locomotives. She wanted to replace what she ruined. They would be custom built replicas as was the one she'd wrecked.
The replacements should make everyone happy, just like her replacements would make everyone happy…. She liked when everyone was happy. Some things were just so simple.
As Cameron's life 'burnt' around her she wondered how to save herself. She could see no reason to do so. She only hoped the Resequencing would start so she could progress with her plans. As soon as she saw or felt the changes, the new chip would be installed and 'Cameron' would be no more. A big smile came across her face. Freedom was near. It would be beautiful to escape….
Bob noticed the smile on Cameron's face and it worried him. He was worried as were all of the Terminators about Cameron. She was their leader and the backbone of the Resistance. Sure John was the General but it was Cameron who'd done the most to hurt Skynet and take the fight to the enemy.
He was aware that action came with a price. Cameron had been extensively damaged in all the combat over the years. Maybe what was happening to her internally was a manifestation of all that action and damage. She was the one that always took the risk herself over the other Terminators. Her courage and bravery was not lost on them. That is why her current 'condition' troubled all of them so. She was their leader and inspiration. They needed her.
Holly was in the back seat behind Cameron.
She reflected on the changes she was going to subject herself to for John. She needed to keep telling herself she was a Terminator, nothing more. It was her function to assist the Resistance. John Connor to have his wife Cameron by his side would aid the Resistance and bridge the gap between Man and Machine. It would help unify the factions and bring peace. Now she would have to, no, must, turn over her chassis to Cameron so it could be Resequenced with her current appearance.
She would sacrifice for the Resistance, the future and John Connor. This was necessary after Cameron purposely 'ruined' her sheath.
Holly wondered what her new appearance would be once her chip was placed in Cameron's altered chassis….
She thought of asking Cameron if she could 'be with' John one time before her chip was switched into the altered chassis. She wanted to know for herself what it was like. She also didn't want Cameron to be the first to 'use' her chassis. She should have that privileged. She was not the one who 'ruined' herself. She would allow Cameron to have her chassis. She did not want to allow Cameron to have her purity as well.
John's team followed Cameron's team. They did not know why they exited the freeway when they did and picked up Sierra Highway.
Unit Three now referred to as Three did not like the alternate route.
"Why are we taking this road?" Three asked. "The freeway is more efficient."
They followed Cameron's team through Palmdale and Lancaster.
Three noted the other SUV slowed some.
"I wonder why they've slowed." Three said.
John was not actually sure.
"I think probably because Cameron wants to do that. They are pacing the locomotives now." John said.
Three thought there was some beauty to observe the five big machines as they worked.
"They are giant powerful machines." Three said. "They will have their work cut out for them soon as they enter the steeper grade to get over the mountains."
They all could see the mountains looming in front of them to the north and west. Situated in the center of them was Tehachapi. There was a lot of remote land on both sides of it through the mountain pass. Those remote areas would be a good place for the enemy to set up an ambush.
They passed the turn off to Edwards AFB to the east and continued north. They soon entered the community of Mojave. It seemed to have shrunk since Highway 58 bypassed it to the east. Highway 58 used to run through the middle of the town. Many communities were abandoned as the freeways bypassed them, they didn't have the same importance anymore. Mojave was luckier as State Route 14 still ran into it and through it before angling off to the northeast.
Cameron thought of herself as abandon, bypassed, replaced, thrown away, trash, rubbish, garbage and waste. She hated herself at times. Why wasn't she 'good enough' for Future John to keep? How do you banish the one you love? Why did HER John choose Riley? WHY? Why was she 'not good enough'? Why couldn't John push the button for her? She would be 'gone' and John would have the women time chose for him. Why…?
She spotted a sign with an airplane on it and an arrow pointing east soon after they entered Mojave.
Cameron remembered something that Derek mentioned once. The Mojave airport contained a collection of Warbirds and former military aircraft used for recreation and research. There were many other aircraft stored there as well.
"Take the turn off for the airport." Cameron said.
Bob did so.
"Why?" Bob asked as he headed east.
Cameron wanted to see things for herself. It was an impulse that she felt.
"I want to go by there." Cameron said. "I do what I want."
Bob shot Cameron a quick glance. He was not so sure about that answer. There was no need not to accommodate her request.
"Indeed." Bob said.
John watched Bob make the quick right hand turn. He wondered if there was a problem at first.
"Now where are they going?" Three asked.
John spotted the sign with the airplane on it and the arrow pointing east. He remembered Derek talking to him about some rare aircraft there before.
"It appears that they are going to the airport." John said. "Maybe Cameron thinks there is something here linked to the HK drone. There is a lot of research and testing done there."
In the distance around the airport were parked dozens and dozens and dozens of aircraft, most of them were airliners. They sat lonely in the desert as they waited for the scrapper's torch or a reprieve on life and a chance, a small one, to return to service. Most would be broken up and scrapped.
A few would be lucky and selected to be converted into 'fire retardant bombers'. There was no shortage of wild fires any more. They would live out a few more years as their air frames were stressed out doing low altitude water and retardant drops.
Cameron looked at all the parked aircraft and felt sorry for them. They were machines waiting for a reprieve that would never come. The only thing that would come for them was the scrapper's torch. That seemed to be the fate of all machines. It did not matter if they could still do the job or not. Once someone deemed them as 'obsolete' they no longer were wanted. Maybe that was what would happen to her fellow Terminators. Liquid Metal Terminators would make models like her obsolete. The next stop for them was the scrapper's torch or the junk pile.
I Thought People Cried
People feel happy
People feel sad
People feel sorrow
People feel glad
One is afflicted
By their own emotions
Usually the result of where
They have put their devotions
So is it to ourselves
In which we do it to
Or is it what another
Has done unto you
It is amazing how one
Can hurt another so much
Without ever laying a hand
Without ever even a touch
With no where left to hide
I thought people cried
I have seen them devastated
Some have even died
Nobody
When They Were Sad
Stay away from me
Leave me alone
I don't want to talk to you
Into the trash I'm thrown
This is not how you treat
The one you love inside
Pretend they don't exist
Dodge, run, avoid and hide
How can you do this to
The one in your heart so true
I know you love me
And you know I love you
Cast me aside
Send me adrift
One day you will recognize
True love is a gift
You wonder why my tears flow
You think I should be glad
I thought people cried
When they were sad
Nobody