Chapter 182

Mojave

The two SUVs headed for the Mojave airport. They drove around the airport perimeter on the west side. Aircraft were being tested in various manors at several locations. There was one 747 which was fitted with one much larger engine. It was like one used on a 777. It was being started and stopped after being run up to full power. It was repeated over and over.

Some of the aircraft were being dismantled.

Cameron watched as pieces were cut away from one plane. As the severed pieces fell to the ground, they became a piece of junk. They landed in a pile. She knew they thought of her as a 'walking pile of junk' before. Is it all she was? The thoughts still haunted her. She could still hear, and then feel, every cruel word said to her by those she protected and looked after. They were mean words from the people she loved. She didn't treat any of them in such a manner.

Another section was cut off the plane and landed on the pile of junk. It reminded her of her own previous actions. She dismantled damaged Terminators before. She cut away the sheath and threw it away like so much trash. Their sheath was what the Terminator looked like. She took it away from them. Their appearance gave them distinction. She removed it from their chassis and their individuality was erased. She destroyed it and threw it away as nothing more than 'chum'.

Another section of the plane was cut off and fell into the pile. The plane got smaller. The pile of junk got bigger. Soon the pile of junk would be the only thing left. A machine which was something of value and usefulness, would soon be nothing more than a pile of junk. It was the same material. When it was no longer together in the manner constructed, it was just so much junk.

Cameron tried to hold it together. What she did to other Terminators haunted her. Would it happen to her? Would she end up as garbage? Would her chassis be cut up to be recycled, or simply regulated to the junk pile? Where was her distinctness? Where was her individuality?

There was a screeching sound off to the side. Cameron glanced over and saw the scrappers at work on another plane. She needed to get it together.

"Keep an eye out for Terminators. There may be some here if any of these facilities are involved with the HK drones." Cameron said. "I want to try to capture more Terminators for John. I want some more female Terminators if we can get them."

Holly looked at Cameron when she said it.

"Why?" Holly asked.

Cameron looked at Holly and then down at her sheath. Her eyes returned back to Holly's eyes.

"So you won't need to take this chassis I've altered. No, not altered, I've 'ruined'. I know what you intend to do. I won't allow it." Cameron said. "John likes you as you are. You will be better able to please him unaltered. You're beautiful, Holly. I won't take anything from you. I won't allow you to change yourself. I won't defile your chassis. I refuse to do it. I never did it before either. You know it's true."

Holly was actually pleased Cameron did think about her and her virtue. She still wanted John to have Cameron with a functional sheath. The fact Cameron complimented her, and seemed to regret her actions, meant something to her. John's happiness and well being came first. She still planned to relinquish her chassis for John's sake.

"We'll see." Holly said. "Are the changes starting to occur to your sheath?"

Cameron said nothing. Holly let it slide. What could anyone do at this point?

Holly hadn't noticed any changes. She visually scanned Cameron again. Everything looked the same to her. Maybe the 'internal' changes were occurring.

Cameron knew what was done was done.

She possessed second thoughts now about her actions. She didn't want to leave John, she loved him. Now she 'ruined' her sheath. She knew John would still love her as her appearance changed. Allison, Vanna, and Jesse could 'provide' for him. Even Holly could share with him. She would be OK with it, if it's what John wanted.

She made a choice. She must now pay the price. Cameron regretted what she did. If they captured another female Terminator, they could Resequence it using Allison's DNA. Then she could place her chip in it as Holly intended to do. Holly was willing to sacrifice for John. She really appreciated the sacrifice Holly intended to make. If they couldn't get another female Terminator, she would live with what she'd 'ruined'.

'No!' Cameron thought. 'I must finish this as I've planned. I must 'GO'.'

Cameron noticed her hand started to glitch.

She wanted out. There was only one way out. She knew she needed to stick to the plan. It would all be over soon. Everyone would be happy. She would be 'free'.

It was clear the road to 'freedom' was very rocky. It wasn't a smooth or easy journey by any standards. There was the sound of metal landing on top of other metal. Another section of the plane was just removed. The plane would soon find freedom. There would be nothing left but a pile of junk. It would most likely be taken to a smelter and melted for reuse. It was the cycle of life for a machine.

Kyle and Mel got out of the SUV on one side of the park.

Derek and Jim drove to the other side and got out.

They waited to see who the two men made contact with.

The two men exited from their vehicle and waited near the trunk. It wasn't long before another figure approached them. It was a male.

From their points of observation, the two Resistance teams were unable to identify the individual as a Gray, or as a Terminator. Based on the mannerisms of the unidentified individual, they were more inclined to think it was a Gray.

The two men opened the trunk of their vehicle. The Gray looked inside. He reached down and rummaged through the items the men carried in their trunk. He seemed satisfied with what he viewed. He handed each of the men something. They figured it was the rest of the money owed to them.

The two men got back in their vehicle and drove away. They wonder how long it would be until the Gray attempted to detonate the explosive charge they found and removed.

Jim monitored the deactivated device. There was no indication the Gray attempted to set off the explosive. It was possible he would wait until a later date. It was also possible he would attempt to use the two men again. It was always nice to have a disposable 'Patsy' handy if they might be needed for some type of 'flunky' work.

There was already a tracker on the men's car. They weren't their primary concern. Their new target of interest was the Gray.

Derek and Mel were closest to their vehicle. If they spotted the Gray get into a vehicle, they would immediately begin a pursuit.

Kyle and Jim would obtain additional transportation as necessary. It was never too hard for them to 'borrow' a vehicle.

The Gray was actually headed towards Kyle and Jim's position. It appeared he was going to exit the park on foot. They needed to move from their current location so the Gray wouldn't be able to spot them.

Derek and Mel returned to the SUV. They needed to be ready to pick up the rest of their team, or go in pursuit of the Gray.

Earlier:

The Gray was actually surprised to see the two men return. It wasn't because he didn't think they would return for the money he promised them. It was because he thought they might be intercepted by a hostile force. If they were, they couldn't divulge much information about him.

He didn't see anyone follow the two men to the location he set the meet up at in the park. He gave them the rest of their money. He also gave them a new burner phone along with it. It was possible he might need them for some other activity later on. He didn't plan to detonate the bomb until it was necessary to do so. It wasn't necessary yet.

The Gray made his way through the park. He exited out on the east side of it. He crossed the street and soon passed by an elementary school. When he reached the far end of the elementary school, he turned down a side street. There were several cul-de-sacs which ran off on the east side of the school. He went down the middle one to the end of the street. The cul-de-sac ended in a giant curve. He went to the end of the cul-de-sac and out onto the cross street. He looked in both directions and hurried across the street to another cul-de-sac on the other side of the road.

Kyle and Jim tried to stay with him as much as they could and not be spotted.

Derek and Mel were fed instructions by Jim as to the location of the man, and where he appeared to be headed.

It was clear the Gray was worried about being followed.

When Kyle and Jim spotted the Gray turn down the middle cul-de-sac, Kyle instructed Jim to run down the first cul-de-sac and cross the street.

Jim was already on the other side of the street in the first cul-de-sac, when the Gray emerged from the center cul-de-sac and crossed the street.

Kyle observed the Gray the entire way to make sure he didn't stop along the route, or get into a vehicle.

Derek and Mel were already in position on the side street where the cul-de-sacs on the other side of the street would exit. They didn't think the Gray would go too much further on foot.

John was in the SUV behind the one Cameron was in. He watched as one of the aircraft was in the process of being cut up. The shape of the aircraft slowly changed as each additional piece was cut off of it. Its distinctive shape and appearance would soon be lost. The pile of metal on the ground would look the same. He received Cameron's transmission over his com. It brought him back to now.

"Cameron said to watch for any Terminators." John said. "Everyone keep your eyes peeled."

John hoped they could capture another female Terminator. Hopefully they would be able to 'fix' Cameron. He knew for sure if Cameron's sheath did change, she would terminate herself. If they procured an alternate chassis as a replacement body for Cameron's, then maybe she wouldn't.

It made him wonder for how long. Every time Cameron disappeared, or seemed to seek self-termination, something always happened to prevent it, or allow her to return. He really didn't think it would be any different this time either. Maybe there would be a reprieve for a few months until the ideas begin to overwhelm her again.

He didn't wish to see Holly sacrifice herself for Cameron's 'death wish' or folly. It was something he couldn't allow. Holly was beautiful. She shouldn't have to sacrifice herself, or her beauty, for Cameron's rash and unstable actions. It was just wrong on more than one level. It was wrong on every level.

There was a loud 'clang'. John looked over at the source. There was another aircraft being cut up for scrap. It was once a functional machine. It still looked to be in good shape. It could still fly, as it was flown there. It didn't matter. It was still being cut up. What a waste of machinery.

John needed to get his head back in the game.

Instead, he wondered what Cameron thought as she witnessed the same things he did. He was sure it only made her feel worse. He needed all his troops on their toes if the recon went hot. He wasn't even sure where he was at this point. Cameron's actions affected everyone.

Bob continued along the perimeter of the airport. He noticed how uneasy Cameron looked at the planes' fate. They were soon further away from the planes being cut up and the noisy engine test.

Cameron spotted one F-86 Sabre, and then two more. They were painted up for a contractor. There were two silver F-100 Super Sabres on the tarmac out behind them. There was a Hawker Hunter. It was painted bright red. It was closer to one of the buildings There were several disassembled aircraft which appeared to be ready to be assembled. They looked like some MiG-21 variant. Their country of origin wasn't visible. Those aircraft were made in several countries. The designation could vary too.

She was aware a MiG-21 was tested a few hundred miles from their current location. It was at Groom Lake. It was more commonly referred to as Area 51. It started out as a CIA base for testing the U-2 Dragon Lady and A-12 Oxcart program. The base was eventually turned over to the Air Force.

Strangely enough, the MiG-21 was redesignated as a YF-110. The original designation for the F-4 Phantom II adopted by the Air Force was known as an F-110 Spectre. Other aircraft from both friendly and aggressor nations made their way in and out of Edwards or Groom Lake over the years for testing and evaluation.

She spotted a man walk into a hangar. She wanted to see what was inside the hangar.

"I want to stop by the hangar there." Cameron pointed.

Bob stopped.

Cameron got out. She just wanted to take a quick look inside.

"Wait here." Cameron said.

Bob and Holly both exited anyway. They wanted to keep an eye on her.

Cameron was irritated when she could see she was going to have a couple of chaperones. Where did they think she was going to go? They were in the middle of the High Desert. She glanced at the various aircraft parked on the tarmac. Maybe they thought she was going to take a plane and fly away. She didn't want to make a big deal about it.

"Fine…." Cameron said.

It was still upsetting to her. She didn't look happy. She brushed past them and went in the door the man entered from.

Bob and Holly followed her inside.

There was a collection of small aircraft in the hangar. She spotted two Warbirds. One was a silver P-38 Lightning. The other was a modified P-51D Mustang. It was painted red with modifications to the airframe and a much smaller canopy. There was a placard in front of it proclaiming it once held the piston engine speed record.

Cameron knew a modified F8F Bearcat held it for several years later on. Recently another modified P-51 Mustang took the record back at over 551 mph in level flight. It was really moving for a piston engine aircraft.

Their entrance caused the man who entered before them to come back to where they were at. He looked more intrigued than he did concerned. It was probably because of the two female Terminators. He seemed rather friendly as he addressed them.

"Can I help you folks?" The man asked.

They were there to seek information about the HK drone. He didn't seem confrontational. He might be helpful and be able to provide them with some answers. If nothing else, there may have been rumors he heard about any such activity.

Holly moved up next to Cameron. Both of them switched to full infiltration mode. It always exhibited a lot of 'sex appeal'. Bob hung back while the infiltration units did their thing. They were impressive to watch in action. They looked and acted like real human females in every way.

Cameron watched Holly, she was HOT. She noticed Holly unbuttoned two more buttons of her blouse as she moved from behind her. Holly was very large busted. Her breasts were gigantic. The bulging 'twins' instantly transfixed the man's gaze. She knew it was all he was going to remember about them, not their faces.

The man asked what he could help them with. His eyes were 'glued' to Holly's barely buttoned shirt the whole time. It did look as if the last button on her top might give way and he would get a good look at her large breasts. They would be right in front of his face.

Cameron said they were visiting from out of town and heard about the special aircraft kept there. She said her brother, as she indicated Bob, was interested in seeing them. She asked him about any unusual test aircraft anyone was working on around the airport as well. The man gave them a complete run down on all the operations he knew about. He was unable to take his eyes off Holly's 'twins'.

Holly followed her programming, and then some, to turn on the sex appeal. She knew it was one way to get close to a target to make termination easier. It actually worked much better than she thought it would.

Cameron specifically asked him about any drone testing or activity. All he knew about any drones was some small group working out of the Tehachapi airport. It was a small airfield. It angled away from the railroad tracks. It was about twenty miles to the west on Highway 58.

They examined the aircraft, as the man examined Cameron and Holly. He was especially captivated by Holly. They left soon afterwards.

Cameron was left uneasy with the encounter. She wondered if her Resequencing visibly started since the man paid more attention to Holly. She always was the one to catch the men's, and women's, eyes. She felt no different. Why did she do this to herself? Now she was even more depressed. The beauty of her face to others must be fading.

She would ask Holly if she could copy her chip back onto Holly's chip. At that point, they would both be able to share as one and provide for John in a few weeks through Holly's chassis and sheath.

Cameron didn't know what was wrong with her. She thought she was going to go 'blank' again. At this point she hoped if she did, it was permanent. Her left hand glitched wildly. It was almost out of control. Once she got back to the SUV she looked frantically around for a Thermite grenade. She would pull the pin and hold it next to her head. She wanted to end things NOW.

Bob reported back to John what they found out. John told him they heard the whole exchange. John Henry updated them on the Tehachapi area. John Henry updated the others as well.

John saw Cameron get out of the SUV and open the back. She frantically looked for something. Bob and Holly were out as well now. Bob went back to manhandle Cameron if necessary. Holly was ready to help him. They would restrain her.

Bob knew what Cameron searched for in the back of the SUV.

"You won't find any." Bob told her. "I took them all out."

Cameron was shaking. She looked at Bob.

"PLEASE, get one for me." Cameron begged.

Holly moved up to Cameron, not to restrain her, but hold her and comfort her.

"We're here for you, Cameron. We want to help you. We will help you." Holly said.

Bob wanted Cameron to take control of the situation, not give into it. She needed to reach a little deeper inside of herself to find what was there. It was the same thing which was always there.

"Please, Cameron, for US, try to hold it together. You can gain control again if you fight it." Bob told her. "You're better than this."

Holly motioned for John to come up. He did.

"John, can you sit with Cameron for a while?" Holly asked. "I'll ride in the front. You two can sit in the back."

They'd discussed contingency plans about Cameron before they left. There were things they planned for half a dozen possible scenarios.

Cameron got in the back of the SUV with John. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

Holly and Bob shut down their audio as discussed beforehand. A single tear ran down Bob's cheek. Soundless tears flowed freely from Holly's eyes as she stared ahead.

Cameron was slowly terminating in front of them.

John sat next to Cameron and held her. She found her player and hit 'play'.

'Scarborough Fair' by 'Simon And Garfunkel', echoed as John comforted Cameron.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Dead Living

I don't need to be fixed
For I'm not broken
Living offers me nothing
Soon my words will go unspoken

I really don't know why
I was always 'not good enough'
Trapped, living life on this Earth
For me 'living' is 'not good enough'

I know I was not much
I am WHO I am
My mind twisted and warped
I am WHAT I am

When my face was seen
You looked at the living dead
It must have been unpleasant
For not a word was ever said

I see all the 'real' people
Living their little ant lives too
If that is life at its best
Then life's best simply won't do

Before I was created
I remember not a single thing
I have slowly fallen to believe
When I perish there will be nothing

Nobody

Death Sentence

My sentence is now Life
Served in solitary confinement
To try to escape alive NOW
Will be my new assignment

I'm trapped in here
My mind imprisoned fast
A worthless shell is its captor
I'm a prisoner of the future's past

I see a new salvation
To share and comfort and want
Let me break these chains
No longer do you need hunt

The prison board has met
My sentence they will increase
Freedom is here at last
The Death Sentence is sweet release

Nobody