Because of You
Sarah Connor had no idea what to be more afraid of. The half machine that might be her Grandson, or the Thomas Kinkade wet dream of a town she was now wondering the streets of. From a distance she saw that the town was a bit rundown, but now wondering the through it she saw that this neat, homely, and perfect little town was disturbing her calm.
It had coble stone streets that where lined with trees with autumn leaves that were sprinkled all over the side walks that Sarah now journeyed carefully over. There where perfect Victorian style houses with white picket fences and green grass, Ahead of Sarah stood a white and grey chapel with a bronze bell. The whole look of the place made Sarah's skin crawl.
As Sarah made her way down the street she noticed that there was a row of buildings much like an old historic downtown shopping area. Just then Sarah heard footsteps quickly Sarah darted for the chapel jumping behind its gate she held her breath and waited till the foot steps where almost right next to her.
"And just when you thought that Skynet couldn't get any creepier, it build this." spoke the familiar voice of Ryan Phillips. Sarah peaked through the spaces trying to get a better look at the range.
"Look, I think we got on the wrong foot, okay. You clearly have trust issues and I should have been a little more sensitive to that." Ryan stated exasperated plopping down with his back to Sarah on the other side of the fence.
"Before you ask I saw you running from like a mile away." Ryan said with a sigh. "Look I have something to tell you about us and this might be hard to hear because there really is some disturbing stuff involved with genetics and sexual prefra…. "
THUMP!!
While Ryan was trying to make up with his long lost intermediate family member, Sarah had been quietly dislodging a blank from the fence and just before his confession Sarah had brought down all her fury and mistrust on the unsuspecting Resistance officer with one foul swing.
Not waiting to see if it brought him down or not Sarah made for the historic side of the fax town in a dead sprint.
"She's gotta stop hitting me." The young man groaned as he watched Sarah disappear into the center of town before blacking out.
***
Sarah ran a mile before ducking into of all places a pumpkin patch. Sarah looked around her a moment with complete confusion. She was in between two Victorian style buildings where someone or thing had placed a pumpkin patch covered by hay.
"This place is really freaking me the hell out." Sarah thought tracing her hand gently on a large pumpkin.
From a distance Sarah could have sworn she heard music. She sat up cautiously trying hard to hear it. Sure enough she heard the strange sound of 50's style Rockin Roll from far off. Sarah sat a moment pondering if she should go toward the music or find a way out of the Thomas Kinkade "nightmare".
"Well I have no Idea where I am, or where I'm going. It couldn't hurt to see where the music is coming from. I just might get some help." Sarah thought crouching before hastily moving from the pumpkin patch across the road to a row of old style Mom and Pop stores that lined the stone street.
Sarah walked slowly sidling the covered sidewalk as the music got louder. Sarah finally found the source of the music, an old malt shop down the street seemed to be alive with neon lights and 50's music blaring from the inside.
Sarah checked several minutes before moving down the street she approached the front. It was a typical golden oldies looking malt shop. Sarah looked through the glass window to find the place filled with people all of which were passed out. Sarah slowly opened the door.
It was dark on the inside with a disco ball lighting the Black and white checker board tile of the restaurant. The seemingly unconscious people inside where dirty and dressed in rags. Some had on military like jackets with patches, several had on the same red sash that she had seen on Ryan's beloved leather jacket.
As Sarah made her way inside a hand grabbed her foot she looked to see a grizzly looking man in fatigues call out to her quietly.
"Get the hell out of here ma'am, It's a trap save your self." Sarah knelt next to the man.
"What happened here?" Sarah asked
"Me and my squad we're captured in Mexico several months ago we're taken here it's a Skynet village they set you up here it's like a prison. Then one day …." The man began but was cut off by the starting of "Earth Angel".
That's when Sarah noticed the figure of a girl dressed in a tattered sleeveless silken wedding dress in front of a jubox. She swayed to the music back and forth her long soft brown hair swayed to and fro on her bare shoulders. Sarah stood up ignoring the Soldiers pleas to stop and walked toward the figure.
"This is such a lovely song; I really hope that John can get here soon, so we can dance to it." A familiar voice said to no one in general.
"Ca… Cameron?" Sarah called out to the girl. The Girl turned around to see who was there, and to Sarah's surprise there stood a tattered but still quite breath taking Cameron looking her straight in the eye.
"Sarah? OH woaw I didn't expect you here." Cameron said with a surprisingly warm and gracious smile. "John is going to flip out when he sees you, But in a good way." Cameron said excitedly.
"But what he won't like is rude party guests!" Cameron called out sternly eyeing the people. Slowly people began to rise to there feet reminding Sarah of Zombies and began slow dance with a partner. Cameron smiled and whisked past Sarah toward the counter grabbing a glass bottled soda with a straw, sipping the contents as she watched the people dance. Sarah looked puzzled as Cameron once again began to sway to the song.
"Cameron, what the hell is going on?" Sarah asked storming over to the female cyborg.
"Oh, John and I just got married and this is the reception." Cameron said dreamily. Sarah looked around a moment watching the tortured looking people dance, some how she doubted Cameron's claims.
"Cameron, where is John!" Sarah asked trying to ignore the scene in front off her.
"He was still at the church; I think Ryan needed a change." Cameron smiled proudly. "Oh Sarah you have to see what me and John have made, he's so perfect." Cameron gushed.
"Ryan? As in Captain Ryan Phillips, Tech-Com?" Sarah asked as if missing something.
"Ryan is three months old; he's not a soldier yet Sarah. He's a few years off from "camping trips" with Nana Sarah." Cameron laughed shaking her head. Something about the way she said it made Sarah shudder.
"Cameron… what Year is it?" Sarah asked with a sinking suspicion that there was something very wrong with her.
"December 12, 2010" Cameron smiled taking another sip. Sarah stood there a moment watching her.
"That's not the date." Sarah said in monotone. "Its 2029" Sarah finished.
"What, you're just joking?" Cameron laughed patting Sarah on the shoulder. "You can't fool me."
"Cameron Connor! This isn't a joke!" Sarah raised her voice in a very paternal way. Sarah was a bit surprised at her very maternal scolding of the glitchy terminator and the use of her own last name in the same sentence.
"Sarah stop yelling, you're making a scene." Cameron said quietly.
"These people don't care, they need medical attention." Sarah stated firmly. "I want answers as well!" Sarah added berating the cyborg. Cameron stared at her like a scolded child before an angry face replaced it.
"Why are you trying to ruin are special day? What will John think when he comes in and you're yelling like this?" Cameron questioned as she made her way toward the front of the diner weaving her way through the dancing captives. Sarah pursued her quickly right on her heels.
"John's not coming, your broken there's a wire knocked loose." Sarah addressed Cameron who was now staring at the empty streets outside.
"You're just jealous because John wants to start his life with me and not you anymore!" Cameron accused with tears welling in her eyes.
"You're malfunctioning, because John would never start a life with you!" Sarah commented harshly. After years of drilling and training her boy Sarah was not ready to believe that he would ever fall in love with a machine.
KRESH!!!
Sarah Jumped back defensively as an enraged Cameron put her fist through one of the windows.
NO! John loves me, I'm perfect, and we're perfect! I love him and he loves me!" Cameron screamed angrily. Sarah was truly frightened she had never seen a Cameron put up such emotional behavior since the day with the trucks on John's birthday.
"We share a bond …A child!" Cameron continued desperately as if trying to convince herself as much Sarah.
"Alright… alright, I'm sorry." Sarah said calmly trying to defuse the situation before it got physical. Cameron had a look of pure aggression on her face. Both shared a tense and loaded stare down.
"Uhhh…. Hey can I come through here or do I have to bust my own window?" a confused Voice called from the shattered window. Sarah turned and gave an exasperated sigh when she once again saw Ryan staring at her throwing his thumb behind him. She turned back to Cameron only to find that she had walked back toward the counter with a troubled look on her face.
"Look, you really need to stop hitting me. I mean seriously it getting old and it really hurts." Ryan commented clearly missing Cameron as she walked away. Sarah gave him a warning look as he walked toward her. He immediately put his hands up keeping her at arms length. He took a look around the place and the people dancing.
"We need to get out of here" he said immediately grabbing Sarah's waist, trying to drag her out.
"No! I want answers" Sarah said not budging. Ryan gave her a weird look from over her shoulder.
"From wh…." Ryan was about to ask when he got his answer.
"John?" Cameron called from her place on the counter. She slowly walked up to the two. Sarah pealed her way out of his grip as Cameron walking stopped in front of Ryan.
"I've been waiting for you a long time." Cameron said in a shaky and emotional voice with tears washing streaks through her slightly dirty face.
However Ryan was gave her a disturbed face which was slowly being replaced with pure unadulterated Hatred. Cameron searched his eyes for something as she pulled him into a loving embrace.
"John?" Cameron repeated pulling slightly on his leather Jacket
"ALLISON… YOUNG!" Ryan said with hatred staring Cameron in the eye.
"wha…?" Cameron was about to ask before Ryan's fist connected with her face sending Cameron backwards.
"ALLISON YOUNG" Ryan yelled again sending a kick to Cameron chest. She fell over her a table and Ryan advanced bending over and picking her up the front of the dress looking her straight in the eye.
"John… Please!" Cameron continued but it fell on death ears as Ryan through Cameron through another plate glass window and into the street.
Sarah watched in horror as Ryan stalked outside in pursuit.
Cameron stood up and looked the picture of sadness and desperate.
"I love you! Please stop" Cameron begged the advancing young man.
"You're a Liar!" Ryan said hitting Cameron in the face. "You killed her! You killed her in cold blood!" with every word he hit Cameron. "Then you did this to me!" Ryan yelled showing her his left hand which chrome was now showing threw scrapped knuckles.
"No! I…" Cameron started but was thrown down. Ryan pined her to the ground and unleashed inhuman barbaric like beating.
"It's because of you that he is the way he is, because of you she's gone, and because of you I'm alone in the world!" Ryan screamed slamming Cameron into the stone ground.
"YOU RUINED ARE LIVES!" he yelled with tears in his eyes.
"I'm … I'm sorry" a twitching Cameron said as Ryan Stopped his breath was heavy as looked at her and realized what he had done he shamefully removed himself off of her and walked out of breath toward the malt shop sitting down on the side walk he looked at his hands. His left had showed skin ripped away and you could see clearly the cybernetics. His Right was scrapped and was bleeding profusely.
Meanwhile Sarah who had watched the whole episode in shock with the rest of the crowd now walked toward Cameron in the middle of the street.
Cameron had tears streaming down her eyes and was twitching. "Kill me Sarah! Please, he hates me!" Cameron glitched out through twitches. Sarah knelt next to the body and nodded slowly reaching for the side of her head and pulled her chip out.
Sarah looked over the chip, and did something that for some reason she could not control. She placed it inside of her pocket. Sarah had the overwhelming urge to destroy it but for some reason she couldn't. It was as if it was an impossible thing for her brain to comprehend.
Sarah didn't dwell on this to long as she walked toward Ryan who looked as if he was holding something inside him that needed to be let out.
Sarah sat silently next him, shoulders and thighs touching. Ryan was shaking with bottled up emotion staring at his hands. Sarah looked at him and realized just how much like John he looked, and it was at that moment she realized that he was not remotely machine where it counts.
Sarah slowly wrapped herself around Ryan in a maternal hug. She felt with her heart the emotional barriers crumble between them and Ryan broke in her arms shaking and crying while Sarah shushed him in whispers trying her best to consul him.
It was familiar; she was in her element, and for awhile as she held him tightly.
It was as if she had a purpose again.
Foot Notes
So the whole Cameron look is inspired by the Corpse Bride
Ryan has huge mommy issues that will be adressed next chapter including how Cameron can have kids.
The Whole delusional Cameron in the malt shop is a shout out to Summer Glau's awsome performance in the 4400 Episode "Daddy's Little Girl" 4x09.
Just like Trials I would pay attention to the little things in this chapter cause it all fits in to the story.