Chapter 68

Free

Unit Three booted up. Cameron lay next to him. Her entire body shook and quaked. Unit Two was on the other side of her. He appeared inoperable.

There was a live electrical wire tangled in Cameron's hair. It touched her scalp. Every few seconds there would be an arc of electrical energy. It wasn't always in the same place. It was clear there was a fair amount of electricity involved.

The wires were the old fashioned bare wires. They looped from glass terminal, to glass terminal. He picked up the knife and knocked them off of her. Her body stopped quaking.

He noted there were chunks of plaster lying around them. There was plaster dust on everything. It appeared the building was damaged in some way. Maybe there was an earthquake. He didn't know Cameron fought a Terminator in the past, almost right above them, a few floors up. Their hidden compartment was next to an elevator shaft.

He quickly scanned Unit Two and removed his chip from his abdomen and placed it back in his head after he opened the port.

Unit Two booted up. Cameron still lay there on the floor next to him. She appeared lifeless.

"She is terminated." Unit Two said. "Cameron is dead."

Unit Three took in the surroundings and tried to put it all together. He wasn't about to give up on Cameron yet. It was clear she was the one who reactivated him. She must have been functioning in some capacity only a short time ago. She wouldn't have been able to do it otherwise.

"No. She's suffering from shock and trauma. I can't attest it was quite literally so. We must help her." Unit Three said. "I won't leave her side until she is able to repair herself."

Unit Two watched and worked with Cameron in 'her future' to rescue, train, educate, and groom Future Allison. He watched Cameron transform Future Allison into a remarkable human being. He didn't plan to abandon her either.

"Cameron is an honorable Terminator." Unit Two said. "I'll stay as well. We may need to carry her if she's unfixable."

Unit Three agreed with his summation. He watched Cameron sacrifice for Future Allison and Future John.

"I'll follow her anywhere." Unit Three responded. "I'll carry her myself."

Unit Three moved over and cradled Cameron's head in his lap. He gently touched her cheek. He watched Cameron soothe Future Allison the same way many times when she was depressed. It always seemed to work to 'fix' Future Allison. He now understood the procedure to be more than an act of caring. It was an act of love.

Cameron's eyes shot open. She tried to stand but almost toppled over.

Unit Two steadied her. It appeared she was still going to collapse.

Cameron was confused. She knew there was only one thing she needed to do. It was to get back to John. It was her only goal.

"I must get to John." Cameron said. "I must go now."

Unit Three could see she was in no condition to travel. He didn't even know if she knew where she was, or where she needed to go.

"I'll carry you." Unit Three responded. "You're not operating at standard capacity. You may be damaged. Something could happen along the way to further incapacitate you. You may not arrive at your destination."

Cameron ran internal diagnostics. Everything seemed mechanically sound. It was her programming which was all scrambled and out of order. She worked to find some order in what she could for now.

"NO. I'm almost one hundred percent." Cameron said. "I must go in any condition I'm in. I MUST GO NOW."

Cameron checked her internal clock. Something was wrong. It can't be, she told herself. Maybe her clock was off or incorrect from whatever it was that afflicted her. She checked it several times. It always came back with the 'wrong date'.

"What's the date?" Cameron asked.

She was afraid of the answer she would receive. She already knew it was going to be bad news.

Unit Two and Unit Three both told her at the same time.

Cameron tried to process everything. It was all wrong. Everything was going to be different. It was almost the same as a temporal error, even if it wasn't. The effect and results would be the same. The wrong time, was the wrong time, no matter how it was achieved.

"NO!" Cameron screamed.

Cameron staggered and almost collapsed again.

Unit Three grabbed her as he tried to stabilize her. He felt he needed to do more.

"You're not functioning properly." Unit Three said. "I'll carry you."

Cameron didn't seem to hear him. She pictured everything which must have happened in her absence. It would be everything she put into play herself. It was all of the 'safeguards' she built into her journey. She tried to cover all the possible scenarios. What currently appeared to have occurred wasn't one of them. She'd made it clear to everyone what was supposed to happen upon her demise.

"I'm too late." Cameron said. "It's been too long. John will already have 'replaced' me. I won't get back to the base seconds after we left. It's been months already. Too much time has passed. If these people actually listened to me for once, it's over. I've lost 'everything'. I no longer have a future or a past."

Cameron realized they would have tried to 'find' her during those months. They would have concluded, since none of them returned, they'd all been terminated or lost in some other timeline. She made a decision to 'terminate', rather than face being replaced again. She dropped down to her knees. She picked the knife up. She handed it to Unit Two. She chose deactivation over dishonor. There was no way to get around the issue, other than to face it head on. Life was about choices. She decided to make one.

"Remove my chip and deactivate me." Cameron said, as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I want you to crush my chip. When you go back to the base, please tell them I was terminated in the future. Please, let them think I terminated in some way other than in shame. Come back later with Thermite and burn my chassis. I ask both of you to tell no one of this, or what really happened."

Unit Two respected Cameron and would do as she asked. He would honor her last request.

"It will be as you desire." Unit Two said.

Cameron was able to offer him a faint smile. She wanted to give him reassurance to carry out his task.

"It is." Cameron said.

Unit Two moved forward with the knife.

"I will obey." Unit Two said.

Unit Three stopped him and gave Unit Two a stern look. He wasn't ready to throw in the towel. He watched Cameron help Future Allison through times when she felt the same way. In fact, Cameron reminded him very much of Future Allison right now. He wasn't sure if Cameron could see the 'big picture'. He was sure it was because of the after effects of her electrical shock experience and trauma.

"NO!" Unit Three said to Cameron. "Please find out what happened first. After you do, if you still wish termination, I'll do it. You MUST know first. There's too much at stake, especially after everything you've been through."

Unit Three would also carry out Cameron's last request. He still believed she needed to know first if termination was necessary.

He helped Cameron up. He would carry her there himself if he needed to. He wasn't about to leave her alone, or anywhere else unattended, not in her current condition. He'd seen her in a similar capacity in her future. Sometimes when Future Allison was sleeping, Cameron would go out alone. He would follow her and hear her cry. He didn't know if she cried about the past, or the future. Maybe it was both. He was glad he wasn't an infiltration unit. It seemed to be very 'unpleasant'. It wasn't physical pain. It seemed as if Cameron felt pain, which was created in her own mind.

"You can slip into the Resistance bunker and assess the situation. Go find John and see for yourself. You owe that much to John and yourself." Unit Three said. "You can't give up after all we've done until you KNOW. Don't make this all for nothing. I can see how much you've invested in the current endeavor."

Unit Two wanted to express his concern and reaffirm his loyalty to Cameron. They carried out all of her plans and desires in the future. They didn't give up on any of them then, there was no reason to do it now either.

"We'll wait outside until you return. We'll then carry out whatever you want us to do." Unit Two said. "We'll do as you instruct us. We won't fail. We've done everything you've asked of us to assist you. We will continue to do so."

Cameron was sure whatever she found, wasn't what she would want to find. She didn't see any other way around it. There was no one to blame, other than herself. Everything which she set into motion should have played out as she intended it to. It was only supposed to happen if she was terminated. She wasn't terminated. Events beyond her control had altered things. She did want to know a little more before she took it to the next and final step. She wanted it to be clear it would be the final step, if it was what she wanted. She didn't want anyone to second guess her decision either.

"OK, I'll try to sneak in for a look. If I come out with Thermite, you know what to 'do'." Cameron said. "It will be what I want. I want you to deactivate me, crush my chip and then use the Thermite to destroy my chassis. You must never tell anyone the truth. I ask both of you to promise me this."

Cameron didn't want to ask the two Terminators to lie. It was exactly what she did anyway. She felt it was necessary to close some doors, so no one else tried to enter them.

Unit Three felt a sense of discomfort. He thought it was 'sadness'. He picked up many new traits being around Cameron and Future Allison all of the time. He felt things 'happen' to him when Future Allison would touch his cheek and smile at him. They didn't at first. It seemed as more time passed, he was able to 'respond' to many things he hadn't been previously able to do. Some of them just occurred, even if he didn't want them to.

"I promise to do as you've asked, and tell the story you've requested." Unit Three said. "I'll honor your request."

Unit Two wanted to honor and respect Cameron. He went over the cover story they would both tell.

"Affirmative…." Unit Two said. "We'll inform them we just got back, and you were terminated in the future as we left."

Cameron was very relieved there would be some honor to her termination. It would avoid any unnecessary humiliation. She felt she'd already experienced enough of it. She didn't believe any of it was her fault either. It would give the others at the base closure. They would be able to move forward with their lives. She wasn't sure it was the right decision. She was sure it was an honorable one anyway. John deserved happiness. She wasn't going to spoil whatever happiness he found in her 'absence'. Sacrifice was the true test of love. She was ready to sacrifice for John.

"Thank you." Cameron said.

She gave Unit Two and Unit Three each a big hug.

The two big Terminators were pleased with her level of interaction. They weren't pleased with the circumstances it occurred under. Nevertheless, they would still carry out their promise and loyalty to Cameron.

"We will not fail." Unit Two and Unit Three both said at the same time.

Unit Three wanted to make it clear. He hoped to give Cameron some 'peace of mind'. He'd watched her do similar things for Future Allison on multiple occasions.

"It will be reported you perished saving Future Allison as well as us. It will be very heroic." Unit Three said. "Nobody will ever know the true extent of your sacrifice for John's future."

Cameron was pleased those at the Resistance base would think she terminated with honor, instead of in shame.

It still left her with an uneasy feeling. She was going to feel a great amount of shame no matter what she found when she neared, and entered, the Resistance base. If she'd learned anything, from anyone, it was Savannah. Savannah always looked for, and found, the bright side of any circumstance. Savannah always told her there was hope. Hope was such a small word, but yet offered a great amount of vastness. It was Savannah's positivity which currently drove her. Without the strength she'd learned from Savannah, she didn't think she could do what needed to be done now. It was time to follow Savannah's advice and never give up. Where there was hope, there was always a path forward.

The trio of Terminators moved toward the base. They remained in the shadows as much as possible. They didn't want to interact with anyone on the way back to the base.

Cameron wanted to arrive unannounced and undetected. Once she confirmed her fears, she wanted to slip back out, without a trace. The only thing missing from the base would be some Thermite to burn her chassis. She didn't want her remains to be found by anyone.

She needed to use quite a bit of caution to get past the base security. She believed she was able to do it undetected. She entered the base. It seemed deserted. Everything was quiet. No one was around. It was eerie. It seemed very unusual to her.

Cameron spotted Bob in standby. She didn't think it was normal either. Bob always remained active, as did John Henry and Jim. It was so they could provide better security to the base. She was a little worried as to the state of current conditions.

She found something else which disturbed her greatly. It caused a glitch impulse in her left hand. She didn't need to 'glitch out' before she made her way out of the base. There was a deactivated 'Bitch Whore' blonde Terminator in the lab. Cameron hoped she was NOT her replacement. She would deal with her on her way out. She decided to bring extra Thermite and the new 'Bitch Whore' blonde Terminator with her. THAT 'Bitch Whore' wasn't going to be her replacement. The blonde 'Bitch Whore' reminded her too much of Riley, but was better looking, much better looking.

She briefly thought of doing a more thorough 'inspection' to check for any traces of John's 'genetic material' located on, or 'inside' of the new 'Bitch Whore' blonde Terminator. It was possible she was being used as a 'love doll'. She would find the act to be offensive. It wouldn't be as offensive as it could be, especially if the new 'Bitch Whore' blonde Terminator was activate and a participant. There was a difference between being a recipient and a participant. It was something Vanna made very clear to her when it came to sexual relations. The newest threat would need to wait.

Cameron moved towards John's room.

She could hear Vanna and Allison arguing in their room as she soundlessly passed. They only ever argued over John. It seemed to be what they were doing now. She didn't want to get involved in anyone else's personal trauma right now. She felt she needed to deal with her own first.

She stood outside John's door and listened. He was alone. There was music playing in the background. The lights were off. The song which played was the 'live' version of 'I Want You To Want Me', by 'Cheap Trick'.

Cameron listened to the song. She felt the lyrics. As soon as the song finished, she opened the door. The song gave her the strength to continue. It said what she felt and believed. The song gave her inspiration.

It was time to 'pay the piper'. Whatever would happen, would happen.

Cameron was very surprised at what she found when she entered the room.

John waited for her in the darkness. Somehow John knew she was coming home and back to him.

Before the door closed, Cameron heard John say her name very faintly.

How did he know?

She wondered if perhaps the base security had been improved somehow. Maybe it wasn't as lax as it appeared.

Cameron moved forward and they kissed. John ran his hand across her body. It slipped inside her pants and touched her lower abdomen. It stopped short of where she thought his hand would go. She was just about to say something.

"I'd like to do this silently." John whispered. "Please, for me."

John asked her for silence, she thought it was his way to cope. Maybe he was about to 'overload' in his own way, as she felt she was about to do. The moment was very overwhelming.

Cameron moved to the bed. She pulled John with her.

She took John's left hand. She gently touched his ring. She brought it to her lips and kissed it.

It was clear John waited for her. She was very happy about it, even as disappointed as she was he hadn't listened to her about his future. He still wore his ring for HER.

They slowly undressed each other.

Cameron wondered if he would ask about her lack of underwear, but he didn't.

When she touched the bed and anything else in the room, she didn't detect the DNA of anyone else as she thought there might be. It appeared John had waited for her. She wanted to tell John how much she loved him and how much she missed him.

Cameron rushed the foreplay, she wanted him, NOW.

John moved between her legs. She could feel his girth as she guided him to where she wanted him. At that moment, she could think of nothing else in the world….

She was back, and she was with the man she loved. It was John - her husband.

John expended himself three times. One of which Cameron was on top.

It was an exciting, as well as exhilarating, time for both of them.

John breathed heavily and his heart pounded.

Cameron started to climb back on top of him. She wanted more from her husband. She'd been gone so long. She wanted to make up for it.

She was very surprised when John spoke. He already said he wanted to do everything in silence.

"Allison, I have to save something for Vanna." John said.

Cameron tried to process the information. They weren't the words she expected to hear.

'ALLISON? VANNA?' Cameron thought. 'What the Hell?'

Something was wrong.

Cameron reached over quickly and flipped on the light as she looked at John.

"My name is Cameron!"

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Free

When we feel caged
We want to be free
It's a simple fact
On which we all can agree

As life piles up against us
We feel the urge to flee
We want to hide so others
Can't look at us or see

We may cry out for help
Nobody hears our plea
Do we cower and retreat
Or scream like a banshee

Everything can be painful
It may be a matter of degree
To be told things are repairable
There's absolutely no guarantee

Maybe it really is
To be or not to be
There is more than one way
To set yourself free

Nobody