Chapter 32

Salvation

John was ready to pull out. They'd just blown the building up. It seemed prudent to leave the area. They didn't know what other Skynet forces were around there.

"We need to clear out." John said.

Sarah and Allison hesitated. They didn't want to leave without Cameron. They knew Cameron didn't want them to say anything about her being there. They knew she went to check on the suspected tunnel the patrol must have come out of. She was probably about to face a hostile force alone.

John was unsure why they hadn't moved. He tried a little more direct approach.

"Mom, it's time to go." John said.

Sarah tried to buy some time.

"Get everyone loaded." Sarah said. "I want to watch the tunnel entrance a little longer. The patrol came from there. There may be more."

John thought it was an even better reason to leave.

"We need to go." John said. "As soon as we're loaded, it's time to go. That's final."

John walked away to get the vehicles ready and load the captured Terminator.

Allison made sure John was out of earshot. She leaned over to Sarah.

"I can't leave Cameron there alone." Allison whispered. "I won't."

Sarah knew Cameron would never leave them and go.

"Until I know she's out, we won't go, even if I need to tell John." Sarah said. "Cameron's safety is more important to me than how it will affect John."

Allison felt like they were running out on Cameron.

"I was going to do the same. I can't leave her. I can't." Allison said. "I won't abandon her."

Allison read Cameron's poems about feeling alone and abandoned. She wasn't going to add to her mental trauma. She didn't want Cameron to think of her, as others made her think of them.

Cameron advanced into the tunnel. There was more going on there than she thought.

She encountered another guard. He seemed to be preoccupied with something else. She was almost able to walk right up to him before he even looked. His lifeless body was now stuffed behind some crates.

There was some type of machinery ahead which was running. Cameron placed a C-4 charge on the electric motor junction box. Ahead, she spotted a series of computer banks. More C-4 was placed.

She heard someone approach from deeper inside the tunnel. She looked to see if it was another guard. It wasn't.

Cameron stepped out in front of a man in a lab coat. He seemed very surprised. He cringed at the sight of her face.

"Where did you come from? How did you get in here?" The man asked. "Who are you?"

The man took a step back as he took in Cameron's face in detail. It was stitched together with several slightly different skin tones. It reminded him of a quilt. He wondered how anyone could have a face which looked like hers did. Strangely enough, her face was beautiful, even in the condition it was in.

Cameron wanted to make sure the man understood his options were limited.

"I'm death, if you don't tell me everything going on in here." Cameron said. "Don't lie to me."

The technician explained they'd received a contract to establish a super computer in the underground facility they were constructing. It was an old mine shaft. It kept excavation work to a minimum, and greatly sped up the process. It could have taken years if they'd needed to start from scratch. Most of the work was already done for them.

Cameron wanted some more specific information.

"What was with the armed men?" Cameron asked. "What was the warehouse for?"

The technician wondered about where the men were. The patched together girl shouldn't even be there. He didn't know all the details of what was going on where they were at.

"The men provide security. The warehouse was to be converted into a factory for building some type of large appliances. They never said what. I heard some talk about military contracts."

Cameron knew what those 'appliances' would most likely be. They would be Terminators or HK drones, maybe both. It might even be HK Tracks. If Skynet was able to get a production line set up in the present. They would be one up in the future when Skynet took over. They wouldn't need to take time to build even more destructive equipment to conquer mankind with. They would already have it in place. It was an effective strategy.

Cameron placed some more C-4 around the cavern. She wanted to collapse it.

The technician looked around as Cameron worked.

She kept him within her reach.

The technician noticed the foot of a dead guard behind the crates.

"Are you going to kill me?" The man asked.

He looked as if he were about to bolt.

Cameron touched his shoulder to stop him. She didn't believe he was a Gray. He was clearly a collaborator, even if it was unwittingly so. She would let him make the decision as to what he wanted to do and when.

"Do I have to kill you too?" Cameron asked. "It's your choice."

John saw no need to wait any longer. The chances of them getting caught grew every second they waited. He couldn't understand what the delay was. He looked over at Bob and Jim. They didn't offer any explanation. He decided to spell it out clearly.

"Mom, we need to go." John said. "We need to go now."

Sarah tried to buy some more time. She thought the vehicles were in a good place, not to be detected and make a clean getaway. She would use whatever delay tactics she could. It was time to lay down a big one.

"I want to go down and check out the tunnel before we leave." Sarah said. "We're already here. No emergency equipment has arrived yet. I can't hear any."

Allison was used to operating over rough terrain. Everyone needed to be in relatively good condition, with a fair amount of agility, to move around in the Wastelands. She wanted to hedge her bet a little.

"Let me go." Allison said. "Bob can come with me."

Jim stood guard over them.

"I'll stay with John and Sarah." Jim said.

Allison didn't know what they would find. She wanted to cover all the bases.

"Get the vehicles ready in case we stir up a hornet's nest." Allison said. "We can hightail it out of here."

Allison and Bob started to go down. She was glad Bob was along in case Cameron was immobilized, and Bob needed to carry her. She doubted she could carry Cameron on her own. She could drag her if needed. Bob's presence would make the dilemma easier to deal with, if it was necessary.

Bob wasn't sure exactly what was going on. He was sure there was more in play than met the eye. He figured Allison and Sarah must be on to something. Maybe it was something they didn't quite fully understand.

Cameron told the technician to walk out of the tunnel. She followed him as she placed the last of the C-4 she carried. The last charge would collapse the tunnel entrance. Cameron knew when she hit the detonator, the place would be rubble.

The technician saw the female look away to place her last charge, he tried to pick up a pistol lying on the ground from the dead guard.

Cameron drew her Glock and fired one shot. The threat was terminated.

Sarah heard the shot. She spotted Cameron walk out of the opening a few seconds later. Cameron looked up at her and gave her a 'thumbs up' and motioned for them to leave. Cameron quickly disappeared from view. She wanted Allison and Bob to return and not go any farther. She didn't think they'd spotted Cameron from their angle. She didn't want to get too explicit with any of the details.

"Allison, everything is good." Sarah said. "You and Bob can head back to the SUV."

A loud series of explosions and a rumble deep in the ground could be felt.

John ran up.

"What just happened?" John asked. "I heard a shot before the explosions."

Sarah thought of a quick answer.

"It was a secondary explosion. There was probably some underground connection between the warehouse and tunnel." Sarah said. "The fire in the remains of the building probably made its way through the tunnel and ignited other explosives or chemicals. There's no way to know. I think anything which wasn't destroyed before, is destroyed now."

John looked over at the destruction they'd created. He was satisfied they'd hurt Skynet. All of the work they put into whatever they were doing, was all for nothing. Everything was thoroughly destroyed.

"Let's roll." John said.

Cameron watched them head towards the two vehicles. She moved up the hillside and saw the small caravan depart. She started out on a steady run, at her fastest speed, as she followed them. She watched as they slowly pulled away from her. She continued her fast pace and followed them anyway. She wouldn't be able to catch them. She would be able to cut down through the terrain over the various sections of the road as it wound down the small hill. She would need to watch her footing though. She didn't want to trip. She thought her sheath was already damaged enough.

John decided to ride with Sarah and Allison. He was curious and wanted some answers. He wanted to know why they were there. Something seemed fishy to him.

"What were you two doing here?" John asked.

Sarah didn't want to be specific. She stated the obvious.

"We came to back you up." Sarah said.

Allison didn't want John to think about it too much. She didn't see any negative aspect as to what they'd actually done.

"It looks like it was a good thing too." Allison added. "You could have ended up in a jam, if not an ambush."

John didn't look happy about it.

Sarah didn't want anyone to over think anything. They came out on top in the encounter. They should take 'the win' and move on.

"John, we all need to work together more. We can't leave Cameron to fight the war on her own. You know she's trying to protect all of us." Sarah said. "You know she's taking a lot of punishment."

John didn't need to hear what he already knew. It was one of the reasons why he was where he was at right now.

"Mom, I KNOW that. I wanted to do something on my own to help. You think I don't know when Cameron avoids me, it's because she's shot up or damaged? I know it's what it is. It makes me sick. I can't push the issue, or she'll avoid me even more. She's trying to insulate me from her destruction. I try not to question her about it. I KNOW she's trying to protect me. She's going to be destroyed protecting all of us and she knows it. I can tell. She is trying to keep her distance from me because of it. I feel it is so it will hurt me less when, not if, it happens."

Allison thought it was a heavy statement. They all knew it to be true. Everyone wanted to do more to assist. There was only so much they could do.

"She's protecting all of us, John." Allison said.

John looked at Allison a few seconds before he spoke again. He'd come to a realization about some of the earlier events.

"I know, Allison." John said. "I'd like to also apologize for the 'cheap feel' earlier. I didn't know it was you at the time."

Busted! Allison swallowed hard. She knew they'd been made.

"You knew?" Allison asked.

John was a little upset it took him until a short time ago to figure it out.

"It was only when I felt your heart beating at about a hundred and fifty beats a minute. It didn't register until later on. I knew something was off, but it took a while to hit me. I know Cameron can simulate a heartbeat, but your heartbeat was racing. It was when I was waiting for the Terminator in the warehouse to pass me, when it hit me. I felt my heart pounding and my heartbeat was racing. Then I KNEW. Everything was visually convincing. It was a nice 'double play', I might add."

Allison was upset she blew it. She couldn't help it and control her heartbeat.

"Damn." Allison said.

John hated to ask, but he needed to know. He didn't think there was any easy way to do it, other than just ask.

"How bad is Cameron damaged?" John asked. "I know it has to be cosmetic or one of you would have told me the truth."

Sarah didn't want to get into the details. She wanted to respect Cameron's wishes as much as possible. Since the ruse was over, she wanted to try to keep some control.

"John, she's very concerned you don't see her." Sarah said.

John swallowed hard.

"It's that bad?" John asked.

Allison felt more than a little guilty.

"Yes." Allison added.

Allison and Sarah knew it was time to end the charade. They looked at each other and nodded.

"Stop the car." Allison and Sarah said in unison.

Bob turned his head back.

"Why?" Bob asked. "Is there a threat?"

Allison laid it out.

"It's so we can pick Cameron up." Allison said.

It was a surprise to John. It hadn't occurred to him Cameron was there with them. He should have known Cameron wouldn't have let them go on their own.

"She's here?" John asked.

Sarah pointed out the obvious.

"She's the one who created the 'secondary explosion' in the tunnel." Sarah said. "She signaled to me she was clear. It's the only reason I agreed to leave. I wouldn't have otherwise. Allison wouldn't have either."

Bob flashed his lights and pulled over. Jim caught the signal and did the same.

John thought about what he wanted to do while they waited.

"You two can ride with Jim. I'm going to have a discussion with Cameron." John said. "Let's wait here a few minutes before we start back to look for her. If she sees us stopped and sitting here, she'll come to investigate. She might try to avoid us if we go looking for her."

John didn't want to create any more tension than necessary. He figured there was already going to be enough as it was.

Three minutes later, a figure emerged out of the darkness.

"I guess the 'cats out of the bag'." Cameron said.

John felt an immense feeling of relief when he spotted her.

"Cameron!" John said.

Cameron was pleased to see John, even if she didn't want to be. She was still pleased.

"John!" Cameron said.

Cameron held her hand to her face. She tried to hide the repaired area from John.

"Please, don't look at me." Cameron said.

They embraced.

"Cameron, you know I love you no matter what you look like, or whose chassis you're in." John said as he glanced at Bob.

Even in the moonlight, John was still shocked as she kissed him when he saw her damage. He gently moved her hand and gave the damaged area a kiss.

Sarah was satisfied with the resolution of everything.

"Let's go home, everyone." Sarah said.

It seemed like a happy ending to Allison.

"Our family is reunited." Allison said.

John snickered a little, and then it turned into a laugh.

Sarah was a little upset by it.

"What's funny about any of this?" Sarah asked.

John thought there was a certain amount of irony to it. It all depended on how one actually looked at it.

"A human being replaced by an infiltration cyborg, and then the cyborg being replaced by the human it was sent to replace." John said.

Allison could see it was a little more than a 'double play' when everything was considered.

"I guess it's a 'triple play'." Allison said.

They all laughed.

Any animosity or worry was gone, at least for now. It was time for that team to head back to the Resistance base. They still needed to get there from where they were at.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Salvation

It would be a beautiful world
If it was filled with joy and elation
It seems soon enough that everything
Is strained and becomes a vexation

To be kind to each other
We should bestow adulation
Instead things soon turn into
Suspicion, scorn and accusation

It's something we can experience
With feeling and sensation
To share peace and harmony
Shouldn't need a translation

To know right from wrong
Does not require litigation
All should be able to expand and grow
To fulfill destiny's propagation

There's still much hope
With a little reciprocation
The future can be bright
It can be all of our salvation

Nobody