About half a month has passed before the events in this chapter.
Late November, 2008
Having done late night research at the library, Cameron thought she had finally figured out where the terminator she discovered was located. She headed to the Pico Tower building. Arriving at the location, she got out of the Dodge. She grabbed a M79 40mm grenade launcher, a model likely surplus from operations in Vietnam. She also grabbed a FN FAL from the passenger seat, although if the situation was what she expected, it wouldn't do her much good. She entered the building's front entrance and went down the main hall into a large room.
Cameron wasn't quite sure what to expect. The terminator she sought should be deactivated given the theoretical operational lifetime of its power cell. As far as she knew, the standard power cell placed in time-traveling, long-term infiltrators should last a theoretical 80 years assuming maximum efficiency. After that the atomic decay would be too much to still power the terminator's most minimal motor functions. This Myron Stark would have expired about a decade ago, since he was erroneously sent back to 1920.
Cameron explored the room at the end of the main hall, even her quiet footsteps echoing throughout the large room. The room contained a stage and sound equipment, and there was a large area presumably meant for spectators. The sign near the entrance had said Governor Mark Whyman would speak here on New Year's Eve 2010, just over two years away from the current date. Myron Stark's mission likely involved this event, and it was highly likely it would be an assassination - the most common mission for infiltrators sent to the past. Thermal scans of the room yielded no appreciable readings, so Cameron took a different approach. Imagining herself a terminator that wanted to assassinate someone standing up on stage, she tried to recreate a plan. If somehow her power cell lasted that long and was low on power, she would likely choose a stationary hiding spot from which she could shoot. Inside a wall was the only option making any sense, as surprisingly the room lacked any balconies or closets.
Cameron explored the wall, knocking and checking for open cavities larger than the average distance between wall studs. On the second long wall she tried - the one in the back of the room, she finally found a spot. There was a tiny hole in it, but Cameron couldn't make out what was through it, but someone on the other side likely could. It lined up perfectly with the stage.
Assuming the worst, Cameron backed up 15 meters - the minimum arming distance of her 40mm grenades, and then she fired at the suspicious spot on the wall. A hail of drywall, wood splinters, and crimson fleshy materials scattered from the point of impact. Sparks from the explosion on metal could also seen. Pushed backwards and reacting to sudden injury, Myron Stark reactivated. The round had pierced the wall just in front of his thighs. Cameron had strategically aimed at this spot, hoping that if her target were a terminator it would sever its legs or at least damage its feet. Cameron had been right; Stark had fallen back on the ground, his right leg heavily damaged and partially disconnected at the hip joint. It would have likely been both legs had her round been aimed perfectly in the center.
Stark's flesh sheath was heavily disfigured from the mid-torso down. He attempted to pull himself up, but there was little he could do with a single leg. Also, Stark's weapon, a Colt Commando, lay shredded and shattered beside him as he had held it in front of him when he was struck. He was unarmed, not that the wimpy submachine gun would have been of any use. Stark crawled forward and then along the wall to his side, dragging his right leg behind him. The action was futile however, as Cameron ran forward and caught up with him before he had gotten even ten feet. With her knife drawn, Cameron stabbed downward at his chip port, cutting a circle around the spot. Stark protested by grabbing her arms, but his grip was weak, likely a result of his heavily depleted power cell. Cameron ripped his grip away and pushed him downward face-first. She pulled back the cut flesh and soon had his chip in her palm.
Victorious, Cameron pocketed the chip and heaved Stark up over one shoulder, his damaged leg dangling from his ravaged chassis. She placed Stark in the truck bed under the cover and sat in the front seat, depositing her weapons where they previously lay. Cameron still had no idea how Stark could have been operational at all after all this time. Later analysis would have to be done. She drove home.
John sat up in his room, playing a computer game - Fallout 3. The game was ironic as it was a post-apocalyptic irradiated setting years in the future where the player fights for a better world. All it was missing was a ruthless god-like machine intelligence. The game was totally inaccurate of course but fun nonetheless. As headlights briefly shined through his window, he looked outside. It was dark, but he could see Cameron had drove up in the truck. He saw her go to the back and lift what looked like a man from truck's bed.
"What the hell?" John asked himself out loud.
He went downstairs and through the back door. He headed out toward the shed where a light was on. Inside he saw Cameron looking down at the workbench where a figure lay. John's heart was beating fast at the sight before him. He quickly realized it was a terminator, the extensive lower damage revealing its dull silver chassis with shreds of flesh hanging off. The right leg was mostly disconnected, staying attached only because of some heavy gauge wires and a few ligaments on the back side. It looked like it would fall off at any moment.
Cameron had seen him in the doorway, his mouth open somewhat and still. She merely stared until he looked at her.
"Where the hell did he come from?" John asked.
"I was doing research and unexpectedly came across his photo. I ascertained his whereabouts and took him out."
"What was he doing?"
"His name was Myron Stark. I believe his mission was to assassinate the new governor in two years time."
Surveying the carnage, John asked a more pressing question, "what did you do to him? I've never seen such a mess..."
"I shot him with a high-explosive 40mm grenade."
"Damn!"
Cameron began slicing down the middle of Stark's chest cavity and pulling apart the flesh. She used a modified wrench to unbolt the chest plate with immense strength.
"What're you doing?" John asked, curious.
"Examining his power cell."
"Why? You need one or something?"
"No, he does. He has been operational a decade past his power cell's lifetime."
"What?" John asked, incredulous.
"Somehow Skynet sent him back too early. I want to know how he extended his lifetime."
Cameron pulled off the outer casing on one side. An object the size and shape of an energy drink can could be seen.
John backed up a little. "Uh isn't that dangerous? I mean, it could leak or something..."
"It is still minimally shielded. It is only dangerous in close proximity and for an extended period of exposure."
Cameron placed her finger on the cell for several moments.
"That's odd," Cameron said, tilting her head slightly.
"What is it?"
"The radioactive isotope in his power cell is different. It's Plutonium-238." Cameron fully disconnected the power cell and felt it in her hand for a moment, weighing it. She continued, "It's lighter. He must have refilled it and with only a small amount."
"He can do that?"
"Yes. Long-term infiltrator power cells are radioisotope thermo-electric generators. They draw power through heat from the decay of radioactive materials, however as time goes by the amount of material decreases, eventually - after around eighty years - reaching a point where the TEG cannot generate sufficient power. A high efficiency backup battery, similar to that issued to combat endos, helps compensate, but it only lasts about six months."
John was amazed at her explanation. "So...you'll last 80 years?"
"Yes."
Cameron put the power cell back and re-encased it. She also reattached the thick chest plate. John got closer and looked at the visible internals. Through the mess of sticky blood and disintegrated flesh, he could see pistons and armored wire conduits. He shuddered to think what must have been in the crotch region and was now no longer there. Cameron began preparing thermite.
"You're burning him?"
"Yes."
"Say, when did I start reprogramming these things?"
"I don't know, however I know you reprogrammed T-600s. They were introduced in 2015."
"What if you didn't burn this one? What if we reprogrammed it?"
Cameron looked at him. She had a curious expression on her face and appeared to be thinking for a moment. She hadn't expected any suggestions of the sort from John for years, specifically the year she knew he started reprogramming.
"We'd have to repair his leg. His flesh sheath has taken extensive damage. It will be difficult to heal."
"Don't tell mom about this. Not yet."
"I understand."
The next day Sarah was extremely tired. For hours she had searched for Skynet clues and came up empty. She had done this daily for two weeks now, finding nothing substantial. It was tempting to go after many things, but paranoia was no substitute for real intelligence. She wasn't getting much sleep; apprehension over a Skynet she couldn't find and thus couldn't destroy wouldn't let her. She sat at the dining room table, her head in her hands with documents and a laptop strewn about the table. She even had an audible police scanner at the other end of the table.
John walked through the room. "Hey mom. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine - just tired."
"Cameron and I are running to the store to get some things."
"Okay, John."
Sarah opened a folder and continued her search.
They returned to the house, having bought several power tools, wrenches that they would modify, and wire in multiple gauges. They began repairing Stark's leg.
"You need to learn how we work," Cameron said.
"Yeah."
Cameron began explaining the most common join mechanisms as they began to repair Stark's leg. They had to replace the wires that had melted or been shredded by the explosion. Electrically Stark was okay; however, physically he wasn't quite right. His leg was bent slightly and the joints would have issues.
"SkyNet wouldn't go to this much trouble," Cameron said as she jammed Stark's leg back into the socket with lots of pushing and banging.
"But I would," John guessed.
"Yes. You became very good at fixing and then reprogramming terminators. You have also found other uses for their components."
After a long while of pushing and banging, Cameron managed to reattach his leg structurally, but it wouldn't be as good as new. His leg would probably grind a little with use, and the the range of motion had definitely been reduced. Stark would be limited to walking.
John watched Cameron as she stabbed an oil funnel into Stark's stomach.
"What're you doing?" John asked, surprised by the sudden and odd action.
"He needs nourishment. Hold this. Don't let air into his stomach."
John took a hold of the funnel, and waited a couple minutes in this awkward situation while Cameron sprayed the garden house into a large plastic container of whey protein - the kind used to make sports shakes and such. He had wondered what the container had been out here for before, and now he knew the odd application it was meant for. He figured Cameron probably ate the stuff too in the past.
Cameron began pouring the lumpy, barely mixed concoction down the funnel. Stark's stomach expanded as it filled with the substance. Cameron had him pull the funnel out and then used some super glue to close the wound.
"With this he should heal within a couple weeks. He may be deformed."
"Nice. What now?"
"We wait."
John found his mood greatly improved as he'd been talking to Cameron more often in recent days, despite the odd circumstances of most of their encounters. He regretted that it took Riley's death to get him here, but he had always known he would regret pushing Cameron away. His prior animosity had also been detrimental to his ability to learn valuable information useful to his future self.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far. I'm glad to get feedback.
Thanks to m1919 for beta-reading this chapter and the numerous technical discussions we've had in the past. Some technical details have been influenced by ideas he's shared. Check out his writing (if he ever posts any haha).