In the Hands of an Angry Machine

Chapter Seven: The Banality of Evil

"They're back," Cameron said. "You should put some clothes on."

John sat up and looked down at himself: just a pair of briefs. This would look bad. He scrambled off the bed and raced to the bathroom, then remembered his ankle. No, it was much better now. A little wobbly, but he could walk on it easily enough. He closed the door behind him and sat down on the toilet seat; his clothes were still on the floor.

How did I end up in bed? He rubbed the tears from him eyes and thought back. He remembered he had been vomiting; Cameron had come in and apologized, which was weird, and then something about Gatorade, and then he was pretty sure she had helped out of the tub and into bed. It all seemed fuzzy and dreamlike now, but then so did most of the day.

. . . but where did my underwear come from?

He went through it again: Vomiting. Cameron. Gatorade. Bed. Nothing at all about putting on underwear. Which meant . . .

John shuddered. Best not think about that.

He heard his mother's voice through the door. "Where's John?"

Then, Cameron's monotone. "In the restroom."

Why did I apologize to her? True, she had been right about Riley, which was irritating, and she had apologized about trying to kill him, but John knew the real reason had been the hurt look in her eyes. Back at the hospital he had felt like he was kicking a puppy.

But that was just it. Her hurt look. She looked hurt. John knew all to well how skilled an actress she was. She knew exactly how to pull his strings. "Manipulative bitch," he thought, then felt like a dick for thinking it.

But what if she wasn't trying to manipulate him? What if it was worse than that? She had damage to her chip; she could be glitching again. Ever since the explosion she had been acting stranger and stranger, and John had no doubt that his mom would reach for the thermite if she ever learned about her "Allison" freak-out. What if she was about to do it again? Or worse -- do a repeat of his birthday?

He still had nightmares about that, sometimes.

No, he already had had one anxiety attack today, no need to get himself worked up into another one.

A knock. "Are you all right?" Cameron asked.

"Coming," he said.

John pulled up his jeans and slipped on his shirt and opened the door to go meet his parents.

John ran into the bathroom and closed the door. He moved with a slight limp; his ankle was repairing itself adequately.

It was important John be properly attired. Sarah would become agitated if she saw her son in a state of undress while in close proximity to Cameron. Cameron had ensured he had worn his undergarments while he slept, but she had been unable to dress him in his pants and shirt without risking waking him up. John had needed his rest.

The front door opened and Cameron watched as Kyle entered, carrying Sarah. He wore a police officer's uniform; Sarah, a hospital gown.

"Any trouble?" Cameron asked.

Kyle laid Sarah on the bed. "None," he said in a flat voice. The corners of his mouth were pulled down into a frown.

"Where's John?" asked Sarah.

"In the restroom," she answered.

Sarah stared at Cameron with narrowed eyes. She was displeased with her. More than usual.

Cameron cocked her head.

Seven seconds passed in silence.

Cameron went to the bathroom door and knocked. "Are you all right?"

"Coming," John said.

He left the restroom suitably dressed and climbed onto the bed next to Sarah.

"Mom!" he said as he embraced her, placing his forehead against hers. Sarah hugged him back. Hugging is a sign of affection.

Kyle motioned towards outside. "I left the computer in the car. I'll be right back."

"Computer?" Cameron asked.

Kyle pointed at his stomach. "I need it to play your message."

"My message?"

Kyle smiled and walked outside.

Sarah held John by his shoulders and looked him in the eye. "You tried to kill yourself?"

John failed to match her gaze. "I . . . I know . . . I'm . . ."

"Why?" Sarah demanded.

Cameron knew the answer. "John found out Riley is from the future. Her lies caused him psychological distress."

Sarah's faced tightened and she glared at her. Perhaps she blamed her for John's suicide attempt. Cameron is blamed for many things.

"That's . . . " John breathed out a sigh and smiled sadly. He nodded his head. "That's about right." He pulled away from his mother's grip and laid by her side. "I'm sorry, Mom," he added.

She continued to stare at Cameron. Cameron stared back. "Riley . . . ?" Sarah whispered.

John rested on his elbow to face his mother. "It's all right, Mom. Kyle rescued me. I . . . won't do it again. I promise."

"John . . ." Sarah shook her head. "What have you done?"

"What do you--?" John started.

Kyle returned with a packaged laptop and speakers. "Right, no worries," he said "This shouldn't take more than a couple minutes." Cameron watched as Kyle knelt down on the carpet and methodically began to set up the laptop and speakers. She noticed he didn't move like a human. No movement was wasted; every act was efficiently carried out. He was effective.

"What's with your accent?" asked John.

"Accent?" Kyle asked.

"You have an accent," Cameron agreed. The Kyle she remembered had not.

"Oh, well, I've lived in New Zealand since I was seven."

"New Zealand?" John asked.

"Yes," Kyle said, and looked at Cameron. "You offered my father a job with your legal department. Triple salary. He really couldn't refuse, so we moved." He finished hooking up the laptop and plugged it in.

"Legal division?" Cameron asked.

Sarah looked pointedly at Cameron. "You hired him into your . . . " She turned to Kyle. "'Foundation' was it?"

Kyle scowled at Sarah. "That's right," he said "Saved our lives, in the long run."

"Foundation?" John asked.

"The Foundation," Kyle confirmed, and switched on the computer.

Sarah clenched her jaw. Cameron could see she was psychologically distressed.

"New Zealand?" John asked again.

Kyle stood up and began to unbutton his shirt. "Yes, it was a logical choice: an industrialized nation with a high agricultural output and a relatively low population density"

"A logical choice for what?" said John.

Kyle cocked his head and blinked. "As a base of operations. It was an easy area to protect and annex after Judgment Day."

"Annex?" Sarah snapped. "You mean invade."

"We saved millions of lives," Kyle said.

None of this made any sense to Cameron. Kyle must be lying. "Where was John?" she asked.

No one spoke. Had Cameron said something wrong? "John was dead, Cameron." Kyle finally said. "That's why you gave me this mission. To save him." He spoke very slowly. Was that condescension?

But now it began to make sense. Cameron ran a counterfactual simulation of what she would have done if John had died. The irritated sensation returned -- and was repressed. She would have to have used time displacement equipment. To correct the situation. That's what she did last time.

But there was no TDE in this time period. She would have to wait until it was invented.

Or find Professor Nemuro, but she didn't know his location. Or whether he was still alive.

Yes. Kyle's explanation now made sense.

"Cameron . . . ?" John said.

"Thank you for explaining," she replied.

"And hopefully this will explain everything else," Kyle said. He placed his hand on his stomach and pressed a finger against his navel. It slid in. Then, two fingers. Then three. And then his thumb. His hand. He pulled out a small black box, about the size of a package of cigarettes, and opened it.

Kyle pulled out an object. It was a thumb drive.

"How did you . . . ?" asked John.

"Augmentations," Kyle said as he slipped the drive into the USP port. "It's loading the operating system," he explained. "Should be ready in a few seconds."

"What's the message?" John asked.

"I don't know," Kyle said. "She never played it for me."

The laptop screen lit up, and a desktop background appeared. It was a blue hexagon with three circles along the edges. Cameron glanced over at Sarah and noticed her skin had paled.

The desktop vanished, and the video began.

Cameron saw herself.

And a coded message.

John moved to the end of the bed to get closer to the screen. Sarah laid where she was.

Cameron sits at a patio table on a balcony. She's wearing a military uniform. It's purple. In the background is the skyline of a city John doesn't recognize. He sees a large tower.

"Kyle," Cameron says. "If you are watching this, then the Foundation has failed, and I am most likely dead." She pauses and looks almost sad. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend for you to ever have to do this, but I hope you realize it's important.

"John," she says. "Twenty years have passed since your death, and I've thought of you every day. I failed you, John. I was young, and I didn't understand. I couldn't help you." The corner of her mouth twitches. "I'm sorry."

John's eyes began to water. He glanced back at his mother. She scowled at him.

"But while I may have failed you, I have also taken up your cause. I began the Trans-Humanism Foundation to preserve and improve humanity. You may not approve of everything I've done, but I did what I thought was necessary. If you believe I did wrong, then this is your chance to change things.

"After your death, I conducted a series of interrogations . . ."

John cringed.

". . . and uncovered a conspiracy against you. Riley is from the future. She was sent back with Corporal Jesse Flores in an attempt to compromise your leadership." Cameron's eyes narrow. "Both are threats, and should be dealt with accordingly."

John looked at the present -- his -- Cameron. At the mention of Jesse's name, she clenched her jaw, and her eyes turned hard.

"Jesse?" he thought to himself.

Cameron goes on. "A T-One Thousand is currently masquerading as Catherine Weaver, the CEO of the Zeira Corporation. She is in possession of the Turk, and Agent James Ellison is working with her. He has given her Cromartie's body, and the Turk is currently connected through it's CPU port." She pauses. "The Turk eventually becomes Skynet. The new date for Judgment Day is July 24th, 2013."

"Ellison?" John thought. He never saw that coming.

"I made an attempt to destroy the Turk, but Catherine has brought three Triple Eights back with her. They're acting as security, and are heavily armed. I barely made it out alive.

"Included on this drive are files containing additional information, such as dossiers on key Skynet personnel, on Riley and Flores, and others. I've also included a chronology of future events, as well as various technical instructions, including a procedure for reprogramming Triple Eights. The contents of this drive are vital; you should study them thoroughly."

"I know you hated me, John," Cameron says. A pained look briefly flashes in her eyes. "But you once gave me a second chance, and now I'm doing the same for you. I've always planned on coming back for you, after the war. Instead, Kyle will have to take my place." She pauses for a moment. "Kyle, John, I love you both." She smiles. "Good luck."

The video ends.

John looked at Kyle and saw tears glistening in his eyes.

John wiped away his own.

Sarah listened as Kyle whispered something to Cameron.

"They must think we're asleep," she thought. The pain in her leg assured that wouldn't happen to her.

She half-opened an eye and watched as the two of them stepped outside. From behind the curtained window, she saw their shadows silhouetted against a streetlight.

"Sneaky bastards," she thought. "Monsters."

In Hanna Arendt's book on the trial of the Nazi war criminal, Karl Eichmann, she had coined the term, "the banality of evil." Eichmann was not a madman; he didn't rant and rave, or laugh maniacally at his own misdeeds, or harbor any psychotic delusions. He had been a plain, ordinary man who just happened to do evil things. He had seen his actions as normal, everyday. Banal. In some ways that made him scarier than Hitler.

During the drive from the hospital, Kyle had used phrases like: "reeducation facility," and "urban pacification," and "behavior modification camp," and, perhaps most euphemistic of all, "coercive information retrieval." All spoken with a casual indifference.

Neutral words to describe atrocities.

Kyle had told her how twenty nuclear warheads had rained down on New Zealand. Cameron's hidden ABM batteries had shot down all but one.

And then the machines were sent in.

Cameron had saved the people of New Zealand from annihilation. And then she had enslaved them.

John laid awake next to Sarah. In the dim light she could see he was smiling.

"I think we owe Cameron an apology," he whispered.

"I wouldn't count on it," she said in a flat tone.

"What do you mean?"

"She's a machine, John. A monster."

"But, she . . ."

"Kyle told me things. Things she had done."

"What things?"

"She -- it -- built machines!" she hissed. "She attacked -- invaded -- New Zealand. She's no better than Skynet."

John shook his head. "Kyle said she saved millions."

"She put chips in people's heads. To keep them 'obedient.'" Sarah took a breath before continuing. "Look at Kyle. She cut on him. She made him a freak."

"I . . . but . . . I know he's a little str--"

"Half his brain is metal!" she snapped. "He told me. She put microchips in his head!"

"But wha--"

"He's not your father, John. He's a zombie. She stole his soul."

"That's not true. I saw him cry during the video."

"He can't feel strong emotions," she explained, then shook her head, "I don't know . . . that's what he told me."

John didn't say anything for a while. Then, "This is all my fault," he said. "I abandoned her -- and you. Everyone."

"I know." Sarah said coldly.

His voice began to crack. "She was on her own. She didn't know. That won't happen this time. I'll teach her . . ."

"You can't teach her right from wrong. She's not a person, John. She's a machine. A thing."

"She saved me, mom. I'd be dead right now if it --"

"John, she's just following her programming. A month ago she tried to kill you! Have you forgotten that?"

"That wasn't her fault. Her chip was damaged."

"Exactly," she said. She had him now. "It's all about her chip; she just does whatever it tells her to do. She has no soul."

"But--" John started.

"All her emotions are fake. You should know that, especially after . . ." Sarah didn't feel like going into that.

John turned over in the bed and looked away from her.

Sarah thought about what had been done to Kyle. Cameron had butchered his brain and turned him into her pet. Her obedient little pet.

She'd melt Cameron to slag before she'd let her do that to her son.

Kyle waited until Sarah and John were asleep.

Cameron stood by the door motionless and watched him. He got up from his seat and whispered into her ear. "Come outside," he said. "I need to talk to you."

Without a word she followed him out the door, and Kyle marveled at how different this Cameron was. His Cameron had always been a little aloof and sometimes cold. But this Cameron was just so . . . well, robotic. Not to mention dull witted. And what was with that walk? Did she think she was a horse? She made Uncle Stark seem like a human.

Well, maybe she wasn't that bad.

Outside, he pulled the box from his storage pouch and opened it up. He pulled out a chip about the size of a fingernail. It was encased in plastic. "I didn't want say anything in front of the others," he said "But, how long has it been since the . . . explosion?"

Cameron cocked her head. Some things never changed. "Twenty-nine days, three hours, and --"

Kyle held up a hand. "The damage is degenerative. In about two months the psychotic episodes will return . . . and become more frequent."

Her eyes widened and her mouth twitched. If it weren't for his conditioning, he might have reached out and hugged her right then and there. But she wasn't his Cameron. It wouldn't be appropriate. Yet.

"No . . . It's okay," he said. "You gave me this to give to you." He handed her the chip. "Before, it became a real problem. Doctor Akagi had to work on your chip before he could fix it." He pointed at the chip. "This is a 'patch.' It's designed to attach itself to your chip. Reroute some of the neural pathways. It should prevent the episodes from ever happening."

Cameron looked at it. "Thank you," she said.

"If you want, I can . . . " He motioned at the right side of her head.

"John will do it," she said.

Kyle managed to keep a hurt look off his face. "Fine. I'll show him how to connect it. The thumb drive should also have instructions on how to remove Skynet's core directives. Just in case . . ." he trailed off.

Voices came from the room. He amplified his hearing to listen. Cameron glanced at the window. She heard it too. Sarah and John were awake.

". . . stole his soul . . ." he heard Sarah whisper.

Superstitious ingrate. Save her son, rescue her from the hospital . . . and that's all she can say. At least John seemed to appreciate him.

"I can't help but notice he looks a lot like me," he said. "Anything you want to tell me?"

Cameron looked at him. "No."

Fine, be that way. "Is he worth it?"

"Yes. John's very important for the future of mankind," she said, almost like she was repeating a mantra.

"We seemed to be doing quiet fine without him, back in my time."

"Then why did you come back?"

She got him there.

He hesitated, and Cameron took his hand. He knew what that meant. "Insurgents blew up the main power station. In Auckland," he said. "It took down the sector's defense grid. We only had a few minutes before the city became a crater." He paused and took a breath. That had all happened a few hours ago. Or twenty years from now. Or never. "I think you were killed in the blast," he said.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But John is worth it."

"He better be."

But now that he had time to think about it, he realized how absurd this all was. If he could have just gone back a few hours he could have saved the city -- saved the Foundation. Why had she insisted he go to 2007? To throw twenty years of work away . . . just to save a long lost love. That didn't seem like Cameron. She was many things, but never a romantic.

She kept a hold of his hand. "How did I do those things, in the future?"

"How?" he asked.

"Where did I get the resources. To do what I did?"

"Perhaps not all is lost," he thought.

"Well, first," he said to her. "You met with Alex Akagi."

"Of Dakara Systems?" she asked.

He smiled. "Yes."