CH 10
Cameron was on John's laptop hacking into their latest find, RKB manufacturing. Tracing a shipment of coltan there, they discovered this plant was connected to Kaliba. Across the room, John was in bed, sleeping on his side. George was cuddled up near John's stomach.
They looked so cute together. George was growing quickly. He was the size of a full grown cat now, 14.7 pounds. At his rate of eating, Cameron guessed at least 2 pounds of that was food being digested. She'd gotten a small 'beer' refrigerator for their room, George always woke up hungry. A good feed then a walk while she went on patrol, then George would play until he was tired again.
Until George got up, Cameron hacked into the RKB database using the software John Henry shared with her. She found a wealth of information. The production line was making it's initial run of T-1's, a tracked 'drone' with a nearly humanoid upper that sported a 50 cal machine gun, 20mm gun or a rocket launcher. A T-2 that bore dual weapons was in the prototype area and plans for the first Hunter/Killer tank – fully self operating was in the last stages of the design phase.
It appeared Skynet was far from gone.
Cameron found the software files for the T-1, and noted Skynet like protocols. She cleared out these files and put in her own 'priority' files. In simple terms, Disable command inputs. Locate nearby lake. Drive into Lake until fully submerged. Open maintenance hatch.
It would be fun to watch when they were tested.
While she was reprogramming the T-1's, she thought about that limo Pate had been in. It was a poor design. The armor was not strong enough to stop heavy rounds, it presented itself as a large target, and the sides were flat on to incoming fire. In the design department, she put in a high priority request for an armored car – contract confirmed and moved it ahead of the mostly finished hunter/killer tank. She designated it 'J-1' panzerkamphwagen. John could use an armored car in case someone else was planning a drive-by shooting. The car was to have thick coltan armor all around, angled to withstand up to a 120mm shell. The bottom was to be armored against IED's and land mines. The roof was thinner armor but still at least an inch thick of coltan. All windows a double thickness of bullet proof glass with a inner layer of Plexiglass, and a spall liner inside the doors and body panels to prevent shrapnel from harming the occupants. Solid, honeycomb tires and a reinforced suspension. The engine was to be a 200 cubic inch swashplate, which was smaller than a V engine, and could put out up to 800 horsepower.
Cameron was about to close out the order, and paused. Yes, a space for a retractable double .50 cal mount in the rear. That should be enough to protect John. She gave a date of December 20th as the final prototype delivery date. On December 20th, , they would raid the plant and John would get his armored car. A perfect Christmas present for John.
After she got the order in for the armored car, she changed a few specs on the hunter/killer tank, shrinking the ammo feed system so it was slightly too small but looked right on paper. Another small change in the axle diameter of the transmission shaft ensured failure.
A growling yawn sounded out. Cameron looked over to see George stretch out his stubby legs, his paws and claws spread wide, his mouth wide open to show his big teeth. She closed out what she was doing. It was feed and walk time.
.
Detective Meyer went into the multi-agency meeting with his partner, the tall, dark haired Richard Hanson. Their Captain, the only other one who knew about Weaver first hand, led them into the room where Mr. Ellison sat with two FBI agents, and a pair of Homeland security agents.
"Morning, Gentlemen," the Captain announced as they entered. "We have some serious news we think you need to hear." The Captain then introduced Meyer and Hanson.
The FBI Agent, a shorter light haired man said,"I am agent Davis, this is Agent Daniels, and Ex Agent Ellison, who is currently employed by Catherine Weaver."
"I am Agent Pearlman,"one of the Homeland Security men said, "And this is Agent Roth."
"Let's get down to business." The Captain said. They all sat. He nodded to Meyer. Meyer passed out copies of the folder they had put together.
"To start, Detective Meyer, please go through the evidence and interview with Catherine Weaver."
Meyer did so, going line by line of each paper in the folder. There was no reaction when reading about the men Weaver shot, or her initial statement of the gun she had. Upon telling them of forensics finding Sarah Connor's fresh fingerprints on the gun, eyebrows raised. By the time Meyer told about the interview, he had their undivided gazes of disbelief.
Agent Davis turned to Mr. Ellison. "Is this true? Is Catherine Weaver a cyborg?" he asked.
James Ellison nodded. "It is. I only found out when that drone crashed into Mrs. Weaver's office. She ... spread herself out to shield me from the blast. Mrs. Weaver does come from the future. John Henry is in the terminator Cameron killed in Mexico. I brought it back to Zeita. Mrs. Weaver's team used it to give her AI, John Henry, a view into the physical world. Later on, John Connor brought a CPU chip that fit and John Henry moved out of the server and into the terminator body," he explained.
"Two questions," Agent Daniels said. "What is a terminator, and who is John Henry?"
"A terminator is a killing machine. A very deadly and nearly unstoppable killing machine that looks just like a real person. The one that was brought down in Mexico killed my entire team when we went to arrest George Laslo. We didn't know then what we were facing. In Mexico, another terminator, Cameron, brought it down with five shots from a 12 ga shotgun using armor piercing magnum slugs at extreme close range. About three feet. Four only dented it's skull, the fifth went into the right eyes socket. Even then, the Connors pulled the chip before it could reboot and keep going after them. As far as John Henry, he is the AI Mrs. Weaver made to fight Skynet. Part of my job was to teach John Henry morals, so he would not be a repeat of Skynet."
"This Cameron is one also?" Agent Davis asked.
"She is. Cameron is John Connor's body guard," Mr. Ellison told him.
"Cameron is very deceptive in her looks," Detective Meyer added. "She looks and acts like any teenage girl. By looking at her, you'd never guess what lay underneath that slip of a girl."
"You've met this cyborg?" Agent Daniels asked.
Meyer nodded and said, "I let it be known I wanted to talk to John Connor. I expected him to contact me. He sent Cameron," he said, then let out a chuckle. "She goes to school with my daughter. When they came in the house I had no idea what was walking in my front door. Cameron got her phone out, called John then told me John Connor wanted to talk to me. We talked, John told Cameron to prove to me what she was. She picked me off the floor one handed, her arm fully extended. Her eyes ... glowed red. Cindy saw it and begged Cameron not to hurt me. Come to find out, Cameron had saved Cindy's life. She killed the man who was going to rape my daughter." Shaking his head slowly, he looked right at Daniels and said, "If she hadn't showed me what she could do, there is no way I would ever guess she was anything but a teenage girl."
Agent Pearlman said, "I think we need to speak with John Connor directly, ASAP."
"That depends upon if Cameron will allow it," Mr. Ellison told him.
"I agree with that," Detective Meyer said. "Trust me, you're not getting past Cameron unless she and John are sure he's safe. This is hard for me to fathom, but they love each other."
"Say WHAT?" Agent Pearlman spat. "You just told us this Cameron is a killing machine!"
"And sentient. Cameron was only at my house an hour or so, but she did show real emotions and considers Cindy as a friend. She has a dog she named George, friends and a boyfriend. Like I said, she acts exactly like what she appears to be on the surface, an average teenage girl," Meyers said.
"Mr. Ellison, How many of these things are out there?" the Captain asked.
Mr. Ellison shrugged and said, "Ones that are on our side? Three. Ones working for Skynet to make sure it comes on line to nuke the Earth? No one knows. So far, four have been found and destroyed that I know of, probably more. You'd have to talk to John Connor. I'm sure he knows, he's the one they have been coming after."
"Detective Meyer, can you get John Connor on the phone?" the Captain asked.
"No. Cameron called him, let me talk on the phone then took it back. She used a prepaid cell phone, I am sure to keep me from finding out John's location."
"Did you follow her when she left?" Agent Pearlman asked.
Detective Meyer shook his head. "No. First of all, I want them to relax so they will talk to me. Second, call me foolish, but what do you think would happen if I angered Cameron by trying to follow her home? She already killed and buried the man who attacked my daughter. I don't want to end up in the grave next to him."
Mr. Ellison pointed a finger at Meyer and said, "That was a smart move on your part. I've seen bullets just bounce off these terminators. Your service pistol would only make her angry."
In a heavy tone, Agent Pearlman said, "We have a national security problem developing here."
"Developing?" Mr. Ellison asked. Frowning at the man, he said, "In case you haven't been listening, we've HAD a national security problem with this for many years! Sarah Connor is not crazy, there ARE machines trying to take over. If they do, they WILL kill everyone! We have the proof right here! Right now only four people are on the front line against humanity being wiped out, and TWO of them aren't even human. Don't you think they need just a little backup?"
"John Connor says he has compiled a list of places that work for Skynet. We need to talk to him and get that list," Detective Meyer said firmly. With a wave of his hand, he added, "I would also suggest protective custody, but with Cameron by his side and no one knowing his whereabouts, is probably the best protection he can get."
Agent Roth finally spoke up. "Gentlemen, until further notice, what was discussed here is top secret and not to be discussed outside of this group. I must contact my superiors. After I do that, I want to talk to Catherine Weaver and John Connor. Preferable together. If you can arrange Sarah Connor and Cameron to be there, that is best, but Mrs. Weaver and John Connor at a minimum."
.
At the end of the day, Sarah talked to Malcolm, the man at the front desk, before she left for the day.
A middle aged man and single, Malcolm was easy to talk to and liked the attention. This also gave Sarah time to scan the three row parking lot before she walked out.
People had parking habits. Gary always parked his green Ford in the second row, center. Malcolm here parked his white Chevy pickup near the end of the second row. With a few exceptions, every day the color and kind of car was found in the same spot or close by.
Today she noticed a black Lincoln in the third row, which was usually empty. Parked facing the road, it was also center of the lot facing directly away from the door.
Seeing her look out at the car, Malcolm asked, "Something wrong Sarah?"
There was, that Lincoln was screaming 'Feds' at her. Sarah offered him a smile and said, "It's probably nothing. Do you know who's black car that is in the third row?"
Malcolm frowned at it. "No, maybe someone who just bought it and doesn't want it scratched?" he guessed.
"The extra walk to save it from dings," Sarah said with a smirk. She let out a huff and said, "Damn, I forgot something," she grumbled and went back inside.
"At least you remembered it now instead of on the way home," Malcolm called.
Sarah cast him a brief smile and went down the hallway to her office, then out the back door. Going around the side of the building, she peeked out around the corner to the parking lot. Watching as the other employees left, she kept an eye on the black Lincoln. The windows were heavily tinted to reflect any light. People left for the day, the night watchman came in. The Lincoln didn't move.
An hour after everyone else went home, the Lincoln was still there. The night watchman came out and walked over to the car. He talked with someone in the car then returned to the building. It had to be Feds on a stakeout. Sarah had a good idea who they were staking out.
Sarah walked cross lots to the next street and called John for a ride home. This job was over.
.
When John picked up Sarah, he dropped Cameron off a half mile from the Zeita store. Approaching slowly from the other side of the road, Cameron zoomed in on the black Lincoln. The man inside the car watched the dashboard. She crossed the road and got down into the drainage ditch to crawl on all fours up to the front of the car. It was front wheel drive. She quickly stood up and picked the front of the car up as the man inside snapped his head up to gape at her. She walked backwards, puling the car into the ditch with her. It rose again as she backed up the other side. She dropped the front of the car and jumped over to the driver's side.
Cameron heard the door locks drop.
With the back wheels hanging in the air, she was satisfied this car wasn't going anywhere. She walked over to Sarah's car and using the spare key, she got in and drove away.
.
Inside the car, Agent Pearlman picked up his radio with shaking fingers. "Base, Pearlman here. I got made. Possible contact with Cameron."
"What do you mean possible?"
"She appeared out of nowhere and put my car in the ditch, then got in another car and drove away."
"She put your car in a ditch? What, a sideswipe?"
"NO, she picked it up with her hands and put it in the ditch!"
There was a pause, then "A tow truck will be there shortly."
.
Thankfully, right after his mother had been arrested, John had called Kacey and told her they had a family emergency and would be gone for an indeterminate amount of time. Kacey had been understanding, and promised to hold their house until they returned.
Now, they packed up everything they would need and moved back to Kacey's house the rented. George was still on one of the small trees gnawing away as Cameron carried it out to the van. George loved eating his bones in a tree.
John had paid the full year on the house in Pasadena through a ghost bank Cameron had set up. Early morning, they arrived in LA and after casing the house then the neighborhood for any threats, Cameron let John and Sarah start unloading.
.
"Oh my god, welcome back!" Kaecy cried as she hugged Sarah at Kaecy's front door. Having her baby, Kaecy no longer had a huge stomach. In fact she has slimmed down rather well. "Come in, you have to see little Jeremy," she said, pulling Sarah in by the hand. "I take it everything is good with your family now?"
"Better, yes," Sarah offered with a brief smile. "Are you doing well?"
"We are," Kaecy assured her. "I was getting worried about you! You guys have been gone a while, I was afraid something happened."
Sarah went with the story John had suggested. "It was ... complicated. You see, Cameron is not my natural child. Her true mother returned from the land of the lost to try and claim parental rights." Sarah paused to force out what she hated to admit. "John is my natural son, and he was very opposed to Cameron leaving, as was Cameron. They are ... much more involved than a brother and sister relationship."
Kaecy's jaw hung open. "You mean..."
"They are in love," Sarah forced out. "In the end all it took was a decent sized bribe to make Cameron's mother go away. And now, I'm frankly pulling my hair out at times. It's not like they are related, but still."
"That must be difficult to deal with," Kaecy agreed. "Do you think that they are serious?"
"Completely devoted to each other," Sarah said with a sigh. "And Cameron is a much better cook than I am. I do have to caution you on something. Cameron has this pet she found, and this little terror has taken to her."
"Well, animals can be a trial when they are young ..." Kaecy began.
"It's a wolverine," Sarah said flatly.
Kaecy stared at her. "Aren't they dangerous?" she asked.
Sarah cast her a pained look and said, "His name is George. He does act odd and is protective to the extreme. We had a burglar not long ago. He got in the house, but he never left alive. George tore him apart. George is fine with people he knows. The way John explained it to me, George recognizes two things. Family and food. If you're not one, you're the other."
"Oh my," Kaecy said breathlessly.
"Cameron and John watch him closely," Sarah explained. "He's never messed in the house, but if he decides to play with something, it's best just to let him do it. A soft growl means he's trying to ... connect with you. medium he wants to play, loud and teeth showing, just get away from him."
"Has he ever bitten anyone, besides the burglar I mean?" Kaecy asked.
Sarah shook her head. With a crooked smile, she added, "The only aggression he shows is if anyone besides Cameron tries to get into the refrigerator. I have no idea why, but he won't let anyone else open the door."
"That's odd."
"That's George, he acts odd," Sarah said. She then pulled out an envelope of cash and handed it over. "By the way, I do believe we owe you for the month's rent. So, where's Jeremy?"
.
Agent Roth called another meeting. The same people arrived with the addition of one other. Catherine Weaver now sat on the other side of Mr. Ellison.
Starting the meeting, Agent Roth asked, "Mrs. Weaver, can you tell me where Sarah and John Connor are?"
"I cannot," she stated heavily. "Thanks to your attempting to stalk Sarah, they have once again fled. John called me to tell me so. He restated his alliance with me but will not say where they are. I was hoping you people would understand the seriousness of what we are facing and be of assistance. Apparently, I was wrong."
Agent Roth glared at her and said, "You seem to think we are here for you, Mrs. Weaver. Let me remind you that WE are the authority here, not you or the Connors. I want to know where they are and what they are doing. Cooperation with us is not optional."
Catherine glared back at him. "Is that so, Mr. Roth? Does that mean you will find and remove Skynet and it's minions by yourself?" she asked.
Stabbing a finger on the table, Roth said, "This is a national security matter. One of my agents was assaulted and kept from doing his job. I want to know where the Connors are."
"You should consider yourself lucky no one was hurt," Catherine shot back. "You still have no clue what you are dealing with, do you?"
"Excuse me!" the Captain said loudly. "Agent Roth, I do believe in our previous meeting we concluded that trying to find John Connor's residence was a bad idea. They have been running from the law for a very long time now. I am sure they have gotten good at spotting any surveillance. Detective Meyer was beginning to make progress in getting some trust established with them. You have ruined that. If this John Connor does not trust us, we will never make any progress. Detective Meyer, have you found anything?"
Detective Meyer let out a snort and said, "I finally got Cindy to show me where they lived. No lights, no car, no furniture, no activity at the place. They are gone. I found out John and Cameron quit school, and were transferring to a school in LA. I went there, and they never showed up. They've gone dark."
"Mrs. Weaver," Agent Pearlman asked, "How did they know I was watching them?"
"I believe the Captain here has already answered that question, Agent Pearlman," she said crisply. "What you should be concerned about is what Kaliba is up to. Perhaps you should put your fine surveillance skills to work there?"
At her words, Agent Pearlman's face reddened.
"She's right," Agent Davis said. "The Connors are not the threat, this Kaliba, if they are working to subvert the government, is."
"John Connor has that information, doesn't he?" Agent Roth asked.
"He has what he discovered," Catherine stated. "That does not mean he has everything. And for the moment, I doubt he will even speak to anyone. I'm sure he suspects I am being carefully watched. I do not expect he will contact me again in the near future."
"Are we looking at the Connors going out to blow more buildings up?" Agent Roth asked.
"I doubt it," Catherine said in a musing tone. "It appears that a dynamic has changed in the Connor household since Sarah went to jail. John is more subtle in his actions. And frankly, more effective. When he does strike, it is with more pinpoint accuracy and very few, if anyone is injured. It is very possible that Cameron has evolved enough to help him make decisions."
"What do you mean, she's evolving?" Agent Roth asked.
"Simple. Cameron was made to be a killing machine, which she does very well, by the way," Catherine explained. "She has gone far beyond her original programming. In every action she takes and every encounter she has, she learns more. Going to school was not for the academics for her, but to learn how to be human. I can tell you from my own experiences that is not easy for us. It is also necessary due to the fact we're surrounded by humans every day. I am sure she also has learned much about how to effectively combat a foe, both human and machine."
"Cameron is getting smarter," Detective Meyers said.
"Not only smarter. Cameron has become sentient, and is getting wiser also. As am I," Catherine told him.
"I see," Detective Meyer said softly. "Like with the pistol. You knew we'd look for fingerprints, and what we'd find. Instead of trying to hide it, you used that opportunity to talk with us and let us in on the danger Skynet is posing."
"Correct," Catherine agreed. "As I told you at the beginning, Skynet, and the entity we know as Kaliba, needs to be stopped. The more people involved, then sooner that will happen."
"How do we know you are not working with this Kaliba?" Agent Roth asked.
"How do I know you are not a Gray?" Catherine replied.
"Why would you think I am working with Skynet?" he asked.
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "I never said anything about Greys working with Skynet. Neither has anyone else. How do you know that, Agent Roth?"
His face fell briefly, then he said, "It was in the report."
"No, it wasn't," Detective Meyers stated. "I knew noting about these Grays."
"Neither did we," Agent Davis said.
"You are trying to twist the topic," Agent Roth said angrily.
That would explain why you are so eager to find the Connors," Catherine said evenly. "Who is it you report to, Agent Roth?"
Everyone was looking at Roth now, even his partner.
Roth's face took on a deep frown. "Let me show you something," he said and pulled his briefcase up to open it. Beside him, Perlman's eyes grew wide. He dove on Roth, knocking his hands away from the interior with a yell of , "Bomb!"
The table erupted with action. The Captain helped Pearlman struggle to keep Roth away from the briefcase. Agent Davis pushed Mr. Ellison towards the door. Detective Meyer tried to push Catherine out and hit an iron wall. Catherine stood up and shot a silver arm out to drive into Roth's shoulder. He screamed and fell, allowing the men on him to drive him to the floor.
"Meyer, get the bomb squad in here!" the Captain yelled as he helped hold Roth down on the floor.
.
Once the bomb squad took the briefcase away that held 4 pounds of C-4 with a manual detonator, Roth was handcuffed on the floor, looking at his feet. Agent Pearlman was on the phone in the Captain's office with his superiors. Catherine send Mr Ellison to go check on things and stood in front of Roth.
"It will be easier for you if you tell me who you work for," Catherine stated.
In a low, angry tone, Roth said, "I work for the US government, and sorry, traitor, that is all I will say."
"You're the traitor," Agent Davis said heavily. "If you talk, things may go easier for you."
Roth barked out a sarcastic laugh.
"Since he's been caught, he is marked for termination," Weaver said. "I suggest putting him in a cell and see who comes to kill him."
"What if no one comes?" the Captain asked.
"Get his name in the news. Someone will come, he is proof Skynet has infiltrated law enforcement." Catherine assured him.
.
Roth was put in a cell close to the guard station. A camera was put on him and every conceivable approach to his cell. Two plainclothesmen were outside watching approaches from the street.
Inside the cell, Roth sat quietly. He looked up to note where the cameras were. A guard came with a tray of food. He got up and turned around to put his hands to the bars as the guard ordered. Once uncuffed, he pulled in the hard paper tray and looked at the plastic spoon he'd been given. The bowl and cup were Styrofoam. He sat down and put the handle end of the spoon in his mouth and worked it around.
"Hey! What are you doing?" the guard snapped and opened the cell door.
Roth stiffened and convulsed, then fell to the floor. He'd broken the cyanide capsule hidden in the fake molar.
The guard came in followed by a medical team. It was too late, Roth was dead.
