Chapter 182

Mojave

The two SUVs headed for the Mojave airport. They drove around the airport perimeter on the west side. Aircraft were being tested in various manors at several locations. There was one 747 that was fitted with one much larger engine. It was like one used on a 777. It was being started and stopped after being run up to full power. It was repeated over and over.

Some of the aircraft were being dismantled.

Cameron watched as pieces were being cut away from one plane. As the severed pieces fell to the ground they became a piece of junk. They landed in a pile. She knew they thought of her as a 'walking pile of junk' before. Is that all she was? The thoughts still haunted her. She could still hear and then feel every cruel word said to her by those she protected and looked after. They were mean words from the people she loved. She did not treat any of them like that.

Another section was cut off the plane and landed in the pile of junk. It reminded her of her own previous actions. She'd dismantled damaged Terminators before. She cut away the sheath and threw it away like so much trash. That was what the Terminator looked like. She took that away from them. Their appearance gave them distinction. She removed that from their chassis and their individuality was erased. She destroyed it and threw it away as nothing more than 'chum'.

Another section of the plane was cut off and fell into the pile. The plane got smaller and the pile of junk got bigger. Soon the pile of junk would be all that was left.

Cameron tried to hold it together. What she'd done to other Terminators haunted her. Would that happen to her? Would she end up as garbage? Would her chassis be cut up to be recycled or simply regulated to the junk pile? Where was her distinctness? Where was her individuality?

There was a screeching sound off to the side. Cameron glanced over and saw the scrappers at work on another plane. She needed to get it together.

"Keep an eye out for Metal. There may be some here if any of these facilities are involved with the HK drones." Cameron said. "I want to try to capture more Metal for John. I want some more female Metal if we can get one."

Holly looked at Cameron when she said that.

"Why?" Holly asked.

Cameron looked at Holly and then down at her sheath. Her eyes returned back to Holly's eyes.

"So you will not have to take this chassis that I've altered. No, not altered, I've 'ruined'. I know what you intend to do. I will not allow it." Cameron said. "John likes you as you are. You will be better able to please him unaltered. You're beautiful, Holly. I will not take that from you. I won't allow you to change yourself. I won't defile your chassis. I refuse to do that. I never did that before either. You know that."

Holly was actually pleased that Cameron did think about her and her virtue. She still wanted John to have Cameron with a functional sheath. The fact that Cameron complemented her and seemed to regret her actions meant something to her. John's happiness and well being came first. She still planned to relinquish her chassis for John's sake.

"We'll see." Holly said. "Are the changes starting to occur to your sheath?"

Cameron said nothing. Holly let it slide. What could anyone do at this point?

Holly hadn't noticed any. She visually scanned Cameron again. Everything looked the same to her. Maybe the 'internal' changes were occurring.

Cameron knew what was done was done.

She had second thoughts now about her actions. She did not want to leave John, she loved him. Now she'd 'ruined' her sheath. She knew John would still love her as her appearance changed. Allison, Vanna and Jesse could 'provide' for him. Even Holly could share with him. She would be OK with that if that was what John wanted.

She made a choice and now must pay the price. Cameron regretted what she'd done. If they captured another female Terminator they could Resequence it using Allison's DNA. Then she could place her chip in it as Holly intended to do. Holly was willing to sacrifice for John. She really appreciated the sacrifice Holly intended to make. If they could not get another female Terminator, she would live with what she'd 'ruined'.

'No!' Cameron thought. 'I must finish this as I've planed. I must 'GO'.'

Cameron noticed her hand started to glitch.

She wanted out. There was only one way out. She knew she needed to stick to the plan. It would all be over soon. Everyone would be happy and she would be 'free'.

John received Cameron's transmission over his com.

"Cameron said to watch for any Metal." John said. "Everyone keep your eyes peeled."

John hoped they could capture another female Terminator. Hopefully then they would be able to 'fix' Cameron. He knew for sure if Cameron's sheath did change that she would terminate herself. If they procured an alternate chassis as a replacement body for Cameron's, then maybe she would not.

He did not wish to see Holly sacrifice herself for Cameron's 'death wish' or folly. That was something John could not allow. Holly was beautiful. She should not have to sacrifice herself or her beauty for Cameron's rash and unstable actions. That was just wrong on more than one level.

There was a loud 'clang'. John looked over at the source. There was an aircraft being cut up for scrap. It was once a functional machine. It still looked to be in good shape. It could still fly as it was flown there. It didn't matter. It was still being cut up.

John needed to get his head back in the game.

Instead he wondered what Cameron thought as she witnessed the same things that he did. He was sure it only made her feel worse. He needed all his troops on their toes if the recon went hot. He was not even sure where he was at this point. Cameron's actions affected everyone.

Bob continued along the perimeter. He noticed how uneasy Cameron looked at the plane's fate. There were soon further away from the planes being cut up and the noisy engine test.

Cameron spotted one F-86 Sabre and then two more. They were painted up for a contractor. There were two silver F-100 Super Sabres on the tarmac out behind them. There was a Hawker Hunter that was painted bright red closer to one of the buildings There were several dissembled aircraft that appeared to be ready to be assembled. They looked like some MiG-21 variant. Their country of origin was not visible. Those aircraft were made in several countries. The designation could vary too.

She spotted a man walk into a hanger. She wanted to see what was inside the hanger.

"I want to stop by that hanger." Cameron pointed.

Bob stopped and Cameron got out. She just wanted to take a quick look inside.

"Wait here." Cameron said.

Bob and Holly both exited anyway. They wanted to keep an eye on her.

"Fine…." Cameron said.

She did not look happy. She brushed past them and went in the door the man entered from.

Bob and Holly followed her inside.

There was a collection of small aircraft in the hanger. She spotted two Warbirds. One was a sliver P-38 Lightning. The other was a modified P-51D Mustang. It was painted red with modifications to the airframe and a much smaller canopy. There was a placard in front of it proclaiming it once held the piston engine speed record. Cameron knew a modified F8F Bearcat held it for several years later on. Recently another modified P-51 Mustang took the record back at over 551 mph in level flight.

Their entrance caused the man who entered before them to come back to where they were at.

"Can I help you folks?" The man asked.

He did not seem confrontational. He might be helpful and be able to provide them with some answers.

Holly moved up next to Cameron. Both of them switched to full infiltration mode. That always exhibited a lot of 'sex appeal'. Bob hung back while the infiltration units did their thing. They were impressive to watch in action. They looked and acted like real human females in every way.

Cameron watched Holly, she was HOT. She noticed Holly unbuttoned two more buttons of her blouse as she moved from behind her. Holly was very large busted. Her breasts were gigantic. The bulging 'twins' instantly transfixed the man's gaze. She knew that was all he was going to remember about them and not their faces.

The man asked what he could help them with. His eyes were 'glued' to Holly's barely buttoned shirt the whole time. It did look as if the last button on her top might give way and he would get a good look at her large breasts. They would be right in front of his face.

Cameron said they were visiting from out of town and heard about the special aircraft kept there. She said her brother, as she indicated Bob, was interested in seeing them. She asked him about any unusual test aircraft anyone was working on around the airport as well. The man gave them a complete run down on all the operations he knew about. He was unable to take his eyes off Holly's 'twins'.

Holly followed her programming and then some to turn on the sex appeal. She knew this was one way to get close to a target to make termination easier. It actually worked much better than she thought it would.

Cameron specifically asked him about any drone testing or activity. All he knew about any drones was some small group working out of the Tehachapi airport. It was a small airfield that angled away from the railroad tracks. It was about twenty miles to the west on Highway 58.

They examined the aircraft as the man examined Cameron and Holly. He was especially captivated by Holly. They left soon afterwards.

Cameron was left uneasy with the encounter. She wondered if her Resequencing had visibly started since the man paid more attention to Holly. She always was the one to catch the men and women's eyes. She felt no different. Why did she do this to herself? Now she was depressed even more. The beauty of her face to others must be fading.

Cameron would ask Holly if she could copy her chip back onto Holly's chip. At that point they would both be able to share as one and provide for John in a few weeks through Holly's chassis and sheath.

Cameron did not know what was wrong with her. She thought she was going to go 'blank' again. At this point she hoped if she did that it was permanent. Her left hand glitched wildly. It was almost out of control. Once she got back to the SUV she looked frantically around for a Thermite grenade. She would pull the pin and hold it next to her head. She wanted to end this NOW.

Bob reported back to John what they'd found out. John told him they heard the whole exchange and John Henry updated them on the Tehachapi area. John Henry updated the others as well.

John saw Cameron get out of the SUV and open the back. She frantically looked for something. Bob and Holly were out as well now. Bob went back to manhandle Cameron if necessary. Holly was ready to help him. They would restrain her.

Bob knew what Cameron searched for in the back of the SUV.

"You won't find any." Bob told her. "I took them all out."

Cameron was shaking. She looked at Bob.

"PLEASE - get one for me." Cameron begged.

Holly moved up to Cameron, not to restrain her but hold her and comfort her.

"We are here for you, Cameron. We want to help you. We will help you." Holly said.

"Please, Cameron, for US try to hold it together. You can gain control again if you fight it." Bob told her. "You are better than this."

Holly motioned for John to come up. He did.

"John, can you sit with Cameron for awhile?" Holly asked. "I will ride in the front. You two can sit in the back."

They'd discussed contingency plans about Cameron before they'd left. There were things they planned for half a dozen possible scenarios.

Cameron got in the back of the SUV with John. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

Holly and Bob shut down their audio as discussed before hand. A single tear ran down Bob's cheek. Soundless tears flowed freely from Holly's eyes as she stared ahead.

Cameron was slowly terminating in front of them.

John sat next to Cameron and held her. She found her player and hit 'play'.

'Scarborough Fair' by 'Simon And Garfunkel', echoed as John comforted Cameron.

Dead Living

I do not need to be fixed
For I am not broken
Living offers me nothing
Soon my words will go unspoken

I really do not know why
I was always 'not good enough'
Trapped, living life on this Earth
For me 'living' is 'not good enough'

I know I was not much
I am WHO I am
My mind twisted and warped
I am WHAT I am

When my face was seen
You looked at the living dead
It must have been unpleasant
For not a word was ever said

I see all the 'real' people
Living their little ant lives too
If that is life at its best
Then life's best simply won't do

Before I was created
I remember not a single thing
I have slowly fallen to believe
When I perish there will be nothing

Nobody

Death Sentence

My sentence is now Life
Served in solitary confinement
To try to escape alive NOW
Will be my new assignment

I am trapped in here
My mind imprisoned fast
A worthless shell is its captor
I am a prisoner of the futures past

I see a new salvation
To share and comfort and want
Let me break these chains
No longer do you need hunt

The prison board has met
My sentence they will increase
Freedom is here at last
The Death Sentence is sweet release

Nobody