Chapter 8
John and Cameron woke the next morning, arms wrapped around each other in a loving embrace. Getting up early to see to Sarah, they were shocked to see her in the state she was in. Unable to sleep due to the pain from her tumours, she had shaken so much through out the night, the couch had collapsed due to the violent movements of her body. Cameron, with all her strength, was struggling to hold Sarah down as John tried to get her to drink some of the pain fluid Cameron quickly prepared. Though it was doubtful it would work as well as before, it was they last chance at reliving some of the pain. Finding it futile to get Sarah to drink the fluid, John could only think of one alternative, "Cameron, knock her out". Looking backwards and forwards from Sarah to John, Cameron raised her hand in to a fist before hitting Sarah in the face, knocking her out cold. Her body was still shaking, but not as mush as before. Sitting Sarah up against the destroyed couch, the forced the fluid down her throat. Cameron scanned her though her forehead. She sighed in frustration. "The pain levels down slightly but it wont be for long". John stood up, holding his hands on his head, breathing in deeply.
"How long is she going to suffer like this?". Cameron scanned her again, her face dropping in to sadness. "A few hours, maybe till tonight, she wont last to tomorrow". John broke down, tears flooding his eyes, he was glad his mother didn't have much longer to suffer, but the prospect of loosing his mother, who has always been there for him, just wasn't something he could take in. Cameron, returning the favour from the night before, wiped away his tears with her fingers. "It will be okay John". John knew it wouldn't be okay, his mother was dying but he knew it, like Judgement day, would happen, one way or another. "Lets get her upstairs, she'll be more comfortable". Cameron nodded, bending down, she picked Sarah up, holding her over her shoulder and headed upstairs. John followed moments later, holding a glass of cold water and some painkillers. He knew they wouldn't work for her, but it was better then nothing. Cameron placed Sarah on her bed, wrapping her in her blanket. Sarah woke up with a jolt, sitting up straight. She quickly fell back down, clenching her teeth in pain. "Good punch". Both John and Cameron smiled, she still had her sense of humour. Sarah looked from John to Cameron before focusing on John.
"Did you ask her, about the future and about Allison?". Cameron looked at John, a small smile on her face. "Yeah, everything's fine, nothings changed". Sarah was able to give a small smile herself at John's words. "Good". She now looked to Cameron. "Don't bullshit me, how long have I got now?". Cameron's head dropped, not wanting to say a word. "Just today, I don't think you will make it to tomorrow". Sarah looked away from her, focusing on the ceiling. "Mom, we need to talk now, about Derek and something I found". Sarah turned her head painfully towards John. "Yesterday, Derek said that if Cameron wasn't gone by today, then he would come and kill her, him his girlfriend and Riley". Cameron looked shocked, John having not told her about this last night. Sarah, though in pain, thought on what to do. "You have three choices, you can get rid of Cameron, you two can make a run for it or you can stay and see what happens". Both Cameron and John said, "Stay", at the same time, Sarah shook her head in disapproval.
"I would have said run but I'm not going to bother trying to convince you two, anyways, what did you find?". John sat on the bed next to Sarah, Cameron stood next to John, her hand resting on his shoulder. "Zeira corporation, they have an AI, there was a power failure. The AI took all the power from the building to keep itself running. It locked Boyd Sherman in one of the rooms, he died, they say it was an accident due to the power failure but something doesn't seem right about it, it could be Skynet". Cameron, listening in instantly said, "We have to check it out". Sarah nodded her head. "Yes, you two go and have a look, be careful". John instantly rejected what she said. "Mom, your dying, I'm not leaving you alone, not like this". "Yes, you are, this is more important then me, If this is Skynet, then this is your chance to stop it".
Opening his mouth to argue, Sarah looked to Cameron for support, but not getting it. "I think we should stay, John's right, we cant leave you like this". "Now your starting to sound like him, I'm ordering both of you to go and check it out, no arguments". John stood up, finally accepting her order. "We'll be back as soon as we can okay, if you die before then, I'll kill you". He then left the room. Cameron made to go after him but Sarah grabbed her hand, stopping her. Cameron took the chance to scan her again, Sarah's chances of lasting till she and John got back were low. "Cameron, look after him, okay, promise me you will". Cameron sat down on the bed. "I promise". Sarah let go of Cameron's hand. "I love you like a daughter, have for a long time now". Cameron smiled and stood up. "Thank you". Turning away from Sarah, Cameron, left the room, not looking back once, a single tear falling down her cheek, for she knew it was highly unlikely see would see her alive again.
John and Cameron got in to the car five minutes later and headed in the direction of down town LA. John, still feeling guilty for leaving his mother home alone, was reminded by Cameron on more then one occasion to keep his eyes on the road. It took a while to get to the Zeira corporation building, their had been over a dozen car accidents on the main roads, forcing them to take detours in the wrong direction to get moving again. They eventually gave up driving there. Finding a parking lot nearby, they left the car and set off on foot. Nether said a word for a while, John worried for his mother, while Cameron was worried at Derek's impending attack on her. The last time he attacked her, she discovered she was scared of the water, of drowning, until John helped her overcome it. "Did Derek really say he was going to kill me?".
John was thankful she spoke, glad to keep his mind off his dying mother. "All three of them did, more or less, Derek, Jessie and Riley". Cameron smirked at hearing Riley's name, John noticed. "What's so funny". "Nothing, I'd just like to see Riley hold a gun the right way, let alone see her try and hurt me". John began to laugh, unable to control himself due to Cameron's prideful sense of humour towards Riley. When he was eventually able to talk again, they were outside the Zeira corporation building. "She told me she caught rats in the future". It was Cameron's turn to laugh. Once she was able to calm down enough to talk, she turned to John. "Riley the rat catcher, that has a ring to it". Smirking, they both entered the building. "Okay, we need to find a computer somewhere so I can hack in".
Looking around, all they could see were a few employees, talking to one another and some security guards sitting behind the security desk, mentoring the camera's. "We should find a way upstairs". Following her advice, John headed for the elevators. Their was a guard standing outside, watching as they approached. John heard Cameron mutter, "Stairs", John walked past the guard, avoiding his gaze, though the door at the end for the stairs. Reaching the next floor, they found themselves stuck on the stairs as the door needed a key card to open. "Can you just force it open?". "I could, but I'd set the alarms off". "Okay, we'll try about half way up then I'll try and hack one open". Cameron looked up through the gap in the middle of the stairs, it was over twenty floors to be about halfway up. She joked, "We should have knocked out the guard", before making her way up.
Reaching the twenty first floor, John was out of breath, the smile on Cameron's face told him that they should have knocked out the guard. Reaching in to his bag, he took out the old mini computer he used to use when he was younger to steal money from cash machines. Hooking it up to the card reader and set to work unlocking it. "I've seen that before, you still have it in the future". "Really?". "Yes, you gave it to Elizabeth Anderson, to use the time displacement equipment". "I used to use this to steal money to play games, how can it allow time travel?". "You haven't upgraded it yet". John smiled, his mother stole this for a birthday present for him, he was glad to know he would still have it in years time, even if it was a little outdated. He managed to get the door open eventually, surprising both of them for getting it open so quickly. Stepping through the door, they walked slowly through the corridors, checking around every corner they came to, looking for an empty office. They found one, conveniently at the furthest possible distance away from the stairs and elevators, meaning a quick escape wasn't possible. John set to work on accessing the only computer in the room, while Cameron watched the door.
John had a hell of a time getting in to the system, having to bypass three passwords. Unable to guess due to the alarms going off it one password is typed in incorrectly three times, he was forced t go completely around them, having to bypass firewalls in the process. "With this much protection on one computer, this lot have something to hide". Cameron, not seeing any movement in the corridor, moved and stood behind John, watching from over his shoulder. Eventually getting passed the passwords, John was free to access the files with out trouble. One of the files was a list of Zeira corporation's coltan stockpile locations. Reading through the file, they found out that the corporation had stored its coltan in five major US cities and in many other cities across Europe. Cameron noted that every location on the list, was a Skynet factory in the future. John removed his laptop and hooked it up to the computer and began copying files over to look at later. While John was doing this, Cameron noticed a picture on the wall. She didn't take much notice at first until she recognised the woman in the picture. Cameron had seen her once before, in her dream, the red hared woman who laughed as she cradled a dead John on the floor before revealing herself as a T1001.
She scanned to woman in the picture closely, eventually revealing to her that she indeed was a T1001. Cameron stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. She had only seen this person, the T1001 in a dream, she had never seen her anywhere else before, how did she see her in the dream?. "John, we have a problem". John stopped what he was doing and came over. "What?". "The woman in the picture, she runs Zeira corporation, she a T1001". John looked to the picture on the wall also, shock in his face, memories flooding back to him about his last encounter with a T1000. How it killed his foster parents, how it could mimic anything it touches and how hard it was to destroy. "Not again!". "You told me you fought a T1000 when you were younger, how did you destroy it?". "We threw it in to a vat of molten steel". Cameron looked at John, an amused look on her face, thinking he was joking. John noticed her amused look. "Trust me, it wasn't easy, it was a close run thing". Cameron smiled but quickly looked back at the picture.
" I don't suppose you have another vat of molten steel handy then?". "No, I'm guessing you couldn't fight it then". " No, I wouldn't want to, she would kill me". Cameron smiled briefly at herself, she had said kill me instead of destroy me, she was becoming more human and less machine. "We need to hurry, we don't really stand a chance if she finds us". John moved quickly back to the computer, copying everything he could as quickly as he could. Cameron went back to the door, the hairs on her neck sticking up. She could feel her heart beat pick up, he breaching got faster. She was nervous again, not because she was faced with the prospect of fighting a T1001, which she knew she would not win, it was that she had seen her before this, in her nightmare.
Copying the files over, he didn't take mush notice on the names of the files, until one caught his eye, John Henry. Why would one file be devoted to an employee. Opening the file, John almost had a heart attack. He was looking through a camera, somewhere in the building. Sitting in a room, surrounded by computer equipment, was agent James Ellison and Cromartie. "Cameron!". She came over and a look of equal shock appeared on her face. "Didn't I blow half his face off?". They couldn't hear what the two were saying but they seemed to be enjoying a game of chess together. Cameron pointed to one of the computer components near where Cromartie was sitting. "It's the Turk, its using Cromartie's body to interact with Ellison". They watched as Ellison was soundly beat by Cromartie, and they rearranged the board to start a new game. "What's Ellison doing there?, he helped us kill Cromartie, now he's playing chess with the Turk". They watched as the red hared woman entered the room, talking to both Ellison and Cromartie. Cameron tilted her head to the side. "John Henry must be his new name, Sarah destroyed Cromartie's chip. Cromartie's dead". Ellison left the room, leaving the woman and John Henry alone.
Not hearing what they were saying to each other, John and Cameron almost jumped in shock when both of them suddenly looked towards the camera they were watching them through. The woman stood up, staring at the camera before leaving the room quickly. "We need to go, now!". John copied the last files over to his laptop before unplugging it and putting it in to his bag. They both ran out of the door and down the corridor. Cameron led the way through the maze of corridors, John not remembering the way they came through. Even Cameron ended up running in to a few dead ends, getting curios looks from the employees as they ran. Eventually getting back to the stairs, they began to run down. "Stop". Cameron held her arm out towards John, making his stop. Listening, they could hear the sounds of footsteps from below them. Looking over the edge, they could see a hand on the railing heading upwards towards them. The footsteps stopped, the red woman, the T1001 held her head out, looking up towards the two. "There you are, now what are you two doing here?". Cameron and John ran as fast as they could back up the stairs. They could hear the sounds of the T1001s footsteps behind them, running to catch them up. As they headed straight up, the footsteps were getting louder and louder, telling them that she was catching them up. John was thinking of nothing but keep going up, to just keep going. They then hit the top, the door again needed a key card. Looking back over the edge, they could see the T1001 was only three floors below them. "Cameron, kick to door now".
Cameron, positioned herself in front of the door, kicked it as hard as she could. The door didn't budge. She kicked it again and again and again. The door began to buckle under the strain. "Cameron, hurry!". The T1001 was so close, almost at spiting distance. Cameron, panic in her face as she could hear the footsteps get even closer, put all her might in to the next kick, the door breaking in half. The T1001 reached them as they climbed through the gap in the door. Her arm turning to silver, she aimed it at Cameron, who was closer to her, and it extended towards her. John threw himself on to Cameron, sending them both to the floor, missing her by an inch. Getting up quickly, they ran through more corridors, looking for another exit. Both John and Cameron hoped they didn't hit a dead end, if they did, it was over. John led the way, taking a left turn, then a right, then another left. Cameron, right behind John, looked behind her, seeing the smiling face of the machine chasing them. Cameron hated her smiling face, it scared her. John eventually found his way to the other side of the building and a second staircase. John knew he needed a miracle, the door needed a key card, they didn't have enough time to kick it down again.
Chance was on their side, an employee walked through the door, a packet of cigarettes and a lighter in his hand. John pushed his way past the man, sending him in to a wall. Once through the door, Cameron closed the door behind her. The man John pushed against the wall had blood on his face. Other employers had heard the commotion they had made. The T1001 couldn't pursue them, as doing so would expose what she was to the employees. The machine knelt down next to the wounded man, putting on an act of concern for him as the employees crowded around him. Not waiting to see what happens next, John and Cameron ran down the stairs as fast as they could.
They drew looks from onlookers as they ran across the lobby and out of the building. The security guards, under the assumption that they were running because they stole something, tires to stop them. Cameron pushed two of the guards off their feet as she ran. They disappeared in to the crowded streets, not stopping till they reached the parking lot where they parked the car. Reaching the car, John dropped his bag on the roof of the car. His hands on the side on the car as he learnt forwards, holding himself up as he gasped for air. Cameron was in a similar state, she fell to the ground, turning herself so her back was against the car. Her eyes fixed on the parking lot entrance, expecting the T1001 to appear any second but as the seconds became minutes, Cameron knew they had lost her.
John, unable to stand, took sat on the ground next to Cameron. Her eyes still fixed on the entrance, she rested her head against his shoulder. Remembering the chase, she recalled John forcing her to the floor, the T1001 missing her. If John hadn't have done that, the T1001 would have taken her head off, more or less killing her. "You saved my life, thank you". John ahead to think on what she meant before remembering himself. "I love you too much to let anything happen to you". Smiling, Cameron turned and kissed him on the cheek. "Lets get out of here". John got himself up, followed by Cameron. Taking the bag off the roof of the car, they got in and drove in the direction of home. They made sure they went being followed as they drove, John purposely drove through alleys and in the wrong direction for a while. Convinced that they weren't being followed, John turned the car in the direction of home. Though convinced that they weren't being followed, Cameron kept an eye out on their surroundings, for any sign of anything out of the ordinary.
At the same time, she recalled their discovery, they had found the Turk, missing for so long, they had finally found it. But the T1001 was defending it, and was letting it use Cromartie's body for use. From what Cameron could tell, the Turk had grown from a simply chess program. It no longer just played chess, it had formed a sort of friendship with James Ellison. It also knew it was being watched through the camera. Cameron noted a similarity between the Turk and Skynet, they both knew when they were being watched by outside forces. Pulling up to the house over an hour after setting off back home, Cameron looked around behind them, thankful that no one was there. Getting out, they headed back to the house.
Setting his bag back on to the table, they both stopped dead, hearing sounds from upstairs. Remembering Sarah, they both ran up, Cameron in the lead. Heading in to Sarah's room, they found her shaking in pain, blood on her pillow. Sitting down either side of her, They held her down, trying to stop her shaking, she opened her eyes, seeing them both back. "Back already?, find anything?". She coughed up blood as she spoke, Cameron wiped the blood from her face with her jacket. "Sarah, we found a lot but that's not important, you need to slow you breathing down now". Sarah clenched her teeth, almost screaming out in pain. More blood came out of her mouth, covering Cameron's chest with it. Cameron scanned Sarah through her hands, looked at John, shaking her head. John held his mothers hand, her grip tightening painfully on his hand, who didn't care in the slightest.
Sarah fixed her eyes on John, who couldn't recognise them as her own, the green and while of her eyes replaced by a dark red, completely bloodshot. Cameron, using the glass of water on the bedside table, threw it over Sarah's face, wiping away the blood. Sarah opened her mouth again, trying to say something. "Mom, don't speak". Sarah's grip tightened on his hand. Through the blood and the pain, she was only able to say two words, "No fate". Her breathing gradually slowing down, Sarah's shaking became more erratic before she stopped moving altogether . Sarah's eyes dropped away from John, her breathing slowed, getting weaker with every breath, until she breathed no more, her grip on John's hand lessening till it dropped to the bed. John and Cameron, watched as Sarah became still, dying on the bed before them.
John and Cameron sat still, unable to accept what had just happened. John still held his hand in the air, where Sarah's hand had left it. They sat in silence, unable to say a word. Cameron had seen death before, in the future, she had seen hundreds of people killed in battle against the machines, but seeing someone she cared about die before her, this was different, Cameron felt like she had lost something important to her forever, unable to regain it ever again. John, stated in to Sarah eyes, which were still open. The green eyes that had been so full of life, protecting him from any threat since the day he was born, were now empty.
Using his hand, he reached out and closed Sarah's eyes. Cameron watched as John stood up and stood with his back against the wall, he gradually fell to the floor, breaking down in to tears. Her hands still on Sarah's shoulders, holding her down, she let go of her getting up herself and sitting next to John. She wrapped her arms around him and he gradually rested his head on her. Tears also fell from Cameron's eyes, but she wasn't feeling the same pain as John was, she never had a mother, but Sarah was as close a mother to her then anyone else could have been. John, tried to hold back his tears, to keep some sort of control, but every time he tries, he broke down again, worse then before. He was glad Cameron was there with him, he didn't know what he would do now with out her there holding him.
Eventually, he was able to calm down enough to be able to talk again. "She always said she wanted to be cremated, we'll give that to her". Cameron nodded in agreement, John had told her this before, in the future when they talked. Cameron stood up and held her hand out to John, who without hesitation took her hand and was pulled to his feet. Moving to look at his mother, he wiped what blood was left on her face away. He turned to Cameron, only then realising that she was also covered in Sarah's blood. "We better get cleaned up before we do anything". Cameron looked at her chest and hands, seeing the blood before nodding.
They left the room and John closed the door behind them. Heading for the bathroom, they took turns to use the sink and wash the blood away. Cameron left John to it to change her jacket and t-shirt, which had dried blood in them. Getting changed, informed John she was taking her clothes to the washing machine downstairs. John nodded and she disappeared with a small smile downstairs. John cleaned himself up, before standing in the corridor, looking at Sarah's bedroom door. Anger boiled with John, he knew who was to blame for this, it wasn't cancer that killed his mother, it was Skynet. John quickly decided that he and Cameron would go back to Zeira corporation, they would destroy the Turk and find a way to destroy the T1001. If the Turk, this new AI, was destined to become Skynet, then this was their chance to destroy it.
John then only noticed that there was a lot more movement coming from downstairs then there should be. Listening hard, he heard the front door close, somebody closing it from the inside. He could hear multiple footsteps, all trying to be quiet. John, taking his pistol from the back of his jeans, headed downstairs slowly. If this was the T1001, then he was basically walking in to a death-trap, but Cameron was down there and he wasn't going to loose her. Getting to the bottom of the stairs, he found Cameron standing with her back against the wall. Derek and Jessie were standing in front of her, aiming shotguns to her head. Riley stood behind them, holding a pistol. They all looked as John came in to view, aiming his gun towards his uncle.