Even though Cameron is our favorite Terminator, she remains a significant problem for anyone trying to make sense of the Chronicles. With her, we're never sure of anything.

There is still debate over whether she was reprogrammed by John, the cyber-resistance, or John Henry. In fact, we don't even know what she is. It's at the point where even the official sources contradict each other. She is referred to as a "TOK-715" according to official promotional material, a "T-900" according to Terminator Vault, and a "T-889-F" according to the TSCC Bible tweeted by Josh Friedman.

Furthermore, every detail in the series that could shed some light on her past leads nowhere. The information seems impressive at first, but as soon as we try to look closer, we run into a wall of coltan. It's a very skillful, very meticulous, and frankly admirable piece of work.

But this time, we will examine Cameron from another point of view.

According to the victory hypothesis, all the machines we see in 2027 belong to the cyber-resistance. In this perspective, Cameron is on a mission for the cyber-resistance - which initially was not obvious since she could just as well have been on a mission for Skynet.

Based on this hypothesis, let's see how Cameron's storyline fits into the overall narrative.

As we saw in the last chapter, from the moment the cyber-resistance is victorious, it's most likely that Weaver no longer exists. Therefore, according to everything we see, it seems clear that Cameron's mission is to continue Weaver's plan in his absence.

According to what we can understand, Cameron's mission has at least two parts. 1- infiltrate the resistance and join John Connor. 2- Undertake the construction of a time machine.

It is also possible that she must introduce the reprogrammed cyborgs into the bases but we lack clues to support it - apart from the fact that they multiply rapidly upon her arrival with John.

The steps that allowed her to infiltrate John were analyzed in detail in the first chapter, let's now focus on the time machine.

THE TIME MACHINE

We know that the parts for the cyber-resistance's machine began to be assembled even before Cameron found a way to enter the base (the famous jet engines). Yet it seems that another time machine interests her even more.

In the first chapter, we highlighted that apart from the kraken lost in the ocean, two battles could be linked to Skynet and that we would discuss them later. Topanga is one of these battles.

Almost all the information we have about Topanga comes from the soldier Sumner. After being freed from the old house, Derek and the soldiers return to the base and discover that it has been destroyed. Inside, Derek meets Sumner.

"Sumner: We thought we lost you guys to the junkyard.

Derek: You did. What happened?

Sumner: Skynet found it, four nights ago. We had a patrol out on the perimeter, four triple-8s snuck in around us. Went straight for the hole. Killed most. Took some. Rest easy. Connor and your brother weren't here when it happened.

Derek: Where'd they go?

Sumner: They found some Skynet complex in Topanga canyon. And decided to put all the firepower we had into it. We lost a lot of men.

Derek: What was it?

Sumner: I don't know. Some kind of research facility. Factory, something. No one would tell us. Connor took a small group, Including your brother, deep into the place. Left the rest of us outside to guard. A couple days later, he came out. Ordered us to blow the place to hell.

Derek: So what about Kyle? What happened to my brother?

Sumner: No one ever saw your brother again.

Derek: Take me to Connor now."

Afterward, the story shifts to the tumultuous relationship between Cameron and Derek, devastated by Kyle's disappearance, and we quickly forget this battle Mentioned briefly. Especially since it appears to be one of the usual easy plot strategy we see in other series. Kyle had to disappear, and Derek had to meet Cameron. So, a random battle make the connection, and we move on. This is how it goes in normal scenarios, but not here.

Because with the Chronicles, everything must always be verified. So, out of caution, we check who this Sumner is.

We discover that we have never seen him, but in fact, we could have. Because in the T1 script, Sumner is a soldier sent back in time with Kyle to save Sarah, but he dies or disappears; we don't know how (He didn't make it). Fortunately, he didn't make it in the film either, because Kyle is much sexier as a lone knight, but Sumner is nonetheless significant.

Of course, it could be just an Easter egg, a nod from one film to another. Except that for an Easter egg, it's extremely well hidden. You have to find the original T1 script and dig through Kyle's interrogation at the police station to discover the mention of Sumner, a line that never appeared anywhere, not even in the deleted scenes. You really have to be determined.

Nevertheless, it's possible.

That being said, we know Chronicles well enough to suspect that if they resurrects Sumner from his ashes, it might not be for nothing.

Apart from traveling back in time with Derek instead of Kyle and not making it out any better than in T1, he does only one thing: talk about what he saw at the Battle of Topanga. If Sumner is more than an Easter egg, it seems clear that he is there to indicate that this battle is not just a trivial detail. It is significant, and we should take a closer look at it.

Of course, that's what we do.

If we look more closely at the dialogue, Sumner tells us that:

1- Shortly after arriving in the resistance base, Cameron attacked the complex where Skynet's time machine is located, even though her own time machine was under construction.

2- The group that entered the complex stayed there for 2 or 3 days.

3- It was at this time that Kyle was sent into the past.

It goes without saying that several elements in this sequence of events seem surprising.

Why did Cameron need Skynet's machine so badly if her own machine was already under construction? And once the objective was achieved, why destroy the machine? Wouldn't it have been simpler to use that one instead of bothering to make another? And why did they stay for two or three days when time travel only takes a few minutes?

We don't have the slightest clue that could explain these elements, but of course, there could be different answers. Still, it seems like a lot of trouble to acquire a machine that you already have and then destroy it immediately.

But the most important information seems to be that the Topanga attack is one of the first actions Cameron takes after joining John. If we assume that it is her who interrogates Derek in the old house (a practically certain fact), about two days passed between the time she joined the resistance and the time she attacked Topanga.

We can roughly estimate the time because when the soldiers are freed from the old house, their beards haven't grown at all, and their clothes are in the same condition as before. They dont change in any way. Under these conditions, spending about ten days stuck to the floor seems the maximum we can allow, and its generous. So day 1 is when Derek is captured. Day 10 is when he returns to the destroyed hideout.

In these ten days, let's give Cameron three days to arrive at the old house, interrogate the prisoners, return to the boat, kill Allison, go to the base, infiltrate resistance and made contact with John. We are now on day 3. Subtract the four days that we know separate the hideout attack and Derek's return. So, the hideout attack took place on day 6. At that time, the Battle of Topanga had already happened because Kyle and John were absent for this reason. So, days 4 and 5 remain. The most probable timeline seems to be that Cameron infiltrated on day 3, the attack was prepared on day 4, and it took place on day 5. Then, the complex is destroyed between days 7 and 8.

Of course, this is just an estimate and there might be a bit more or less time allocated. Still, no matter how you calculate it, it's clearly what you'd call not wasting any time.

It seems then that for Cameron, the Topanga time machine is a priority target. Unfortunately, this still doesn't explain why she would build her own machine, send Kyle with Skynet's machine rather than her own, need 2-3 days to accomplish this, and then blow everything up.

In short, her objective is not clear at all.

Let's see if the victory hypothesis could shed light on this mystery.

In this perspective, all events must be as similar as possible to what was supposed to happen until all the soldiers are sent into the past. In this regard, we notice that all events are faithful to what happened the first time: the base attack, sending Kyle, and then destroying the complex (T1).

Moreover, destroying the machine is essential because otherwise, it could lead to unforeseen events, a situation to avoid as much as possible until all soldiers have departed.

This would explain why the base had to be destroyed and, most importantly, following this destruction, the necessity for Cameron to build another time machine.

However, I doubt it took three days the first time to send Kyle into the past. So, this delay is probably not related to a need for resemblance. In a deleted scene from the T2 script (on hopeofthefuture. net), a cyborg warehouse is found in the complex, and that's where John picks up Uncle Bob. We don't know if Friedman was inspired by this scene or how long it takes to reprogram a CPU, but two or three days seems a bit excessive.

So, what could they have been doing in there?

From the perspective of the victory hypothesis, it's obvious. They had a lot more work to do. Skynet is no longer there, so they need to send his cyborgs themselves.

In the dialogue with Sumner, we learn that John entered the complex with Kyle and a "small group." How much do you want to bet that there were no humans in that small group? Because if Sumner has no idea that cyborgs were among them (since he doesn't mention it even though it would be the news of the decade), the commander of Serrano Point is aware.

Derek: Those machines kill. They kill. It's all they do.

Soldier: And now, they do it for us. They helped us in Topanga. We'd never have done what we did

So, beyond the fact that the situation in which Kyle had to leave needed to be reproduced, it was probably wiser for him to remain unaware that cyborgs were among the soldiers. This information seems to have been divulged only to the commanders. We can agree that if Kyle had suspected that John was going to send his T-800 along with him, it would have ruined the effect. Since this little secret couldn't be kept for long, it was certainly urgent to get rid of Kyle as quickly as possible.

In the case of the T-800 that must be sent in 1994 to kill Sarah, the simplest approach would be for John and Cameron to take one of those already belonging to the cyber-resistance. Does it need to be reprogrammed? Yes, but in the end, the original program is all for eliminating John Connor's mother. The T-800 might even have been pre-programmed in anticipation of this maneuver. So, that wouldn't really explain the two or three days.

However, it's not just this cyborg that needs to be sent into the past if we want to secure the timeline. We also need to send Uncle Bob and, of course, the T-1000.

With Uncle Bob, we would probably proceed the same way as with the first T-800. Take a cyborg from the cyber-resistance and reprogram him. The most complicated part, I imagine, would be finding two with the same face... which raises the question of whether it was possible to find two with the right face. Oh... Shit... Imagining T1 and T2 with a different appearance... Like Thickhead, for example... Nooo! Sacrilege! But well, we assume they did the best they could with what they had.

The T-1000 is even simpler. Since Weaver was able to recreate a T-1001, she can create a T-1000 or at least something similar. So, when she created Weaver2, she could have created the T-1000 at the same time. Easy peasy. We don't know where Cameron might have hidden him in the meantime, but one thing is certain: unlike the USS Jimmy Carter's mission, the retrieval would have been a success.

When you think about it, seriously, that scene would just be... magnificent. John has just won the Topanga battle, he climbs the steps of the complex accompanied by Cameron and a "small group" : Uncle Bob, his father, the T-800, and the T-1000. He opens the door and watches them pass in front of him... Wow... Just wow. One of my favorite episodes guaranteed! And what an incredible tribute to the first films! Wouldn't that be crazy?

It's true that Kyle shouldn't see his T-800 too closely before leaving, but since the soldiers don't know there are machines, if we put gas masks on their faces and sent them patrolling the complex in the meantime, it could work. And once Kyle is gone, we can imagine plenty of fantastic twists with the cyborgs acting according to their known personalities. Given such an extraordinary cohort, Friedman would certainly seize the opportunity to have them experience a few adventures; enough to fill two or three days.

I don't know, but... It seems to me that this possibility rekindles the pain of all the brilliant plot twists we'll never see in the Chronicles... (Sigh) Still as intense even after all these years.

In short, if we are in the victory timeline, sending back the T-800s and the T-1000 is essential, and the battle of Topanga would not only create the perfect occasion but also stage one of the most incredible events in the franchise. Moreover, sending three cyborgs in addition to Kyle, with the potential logistical complications, would perfectly explain why it took so much time to accomplish the task.

The victory hypothesis would therefore explain absolutely everything about this event, which then becomes perfectly logical.

Finally, the last aspect to highlight is the battle itself.

For this battle, it seems obvious to me that it is unlikely the cyber-resistance placed cyborgs at Topanga to fight alongside the resistance. Well... it's not impossible. But according to Sumner and Perry, it's a big battle with many casualties, so would the cyber-resistance waste a large number of reprogrammed cyborgs, CTs, and all to give the illusion of a terrible battle when a small one would have done the job just as well? Maybe.

But considering that at least one kraken is still active in the ocean, it seems evident that even if Skynet is destroyed and no longer gives new directives, the machines that already had missions, like guarding a specific place, continue their work as usual.

Which would explain why the cyber-resistance does not have access to Skynet's facilities and is therefore reduced to squatting in old ships and similar hideouts.

(*Note: It should be noted that a deleted scene from the T2 script focused on this battle. In it, from the moment Skynet is defeated, all machines freeze, desactivated. But that's illogical because the time machine, for its part, is still functional and, most importantly, John can activate a T-800 from the warehouse. In any case, if the cyborgs need Skynet to function, one wonders how he could send them into the past. However, in 1991, it might have seemed logical because at that time, computers had two modes: ON and OFF. They were either on or off, and once off, nothing happened. The pre-internet Innocence. Today, Skynet would have a little Cloud to hide in, but in '91, the idea that you could turn Skynet OFF was possible. Hence, the idea that his cyborgs would also turn OFF made sense, and afterward, John just had to turn one back ON. It's super vintage, but that's how it was. In any case, the Chronicles don't seem to have taken into account the apocryphal scenes of T2, so it doesn't really matter for us.)

So, considering all these elements, we can say that the victory hypothesis works more than perfectly with the battle of Topanga and Skynet's time machine. In fact, it could explain everything, and as a bonus, we would have an unforgettable scene.

Afterward, Cameron would finish setting up her own machine and then send the rest of the cohort of soldiers through in no time at all.

And that's when, from the perspective of our theory, Cameron's first mission seems as clear as day.

She had to secure the victory timeline.

This explains why it was so urgent to build the time machine and take over Topanga: the timeline was in danger as long as the cyborgs and soldiers hadn't left. Obviously, in this case, everything concerning the time machines must be settled as quickly as possible to get everyone through in the past as quickly as possible.

Once this mission was accomplished, it was time to move on to the next one: thawing out Weaver2.

So, a submarine is prepared, the crew is assembled, a T-888 is put in charge, and they set sail... for the most catastrophic mission in history.

A CYBER-CRAPPY STRATEGY

By this time, the reprogrammed terminators have been established in the bases for a while, but humans have remained wary. One would be, to say the least. In this context, a mission as delicate as the Jimmy Carter's must, of course, be prepared with wisdom. But here, the opposite happens.

While no one has been warned about anything, the T-800 suddenly orders an operation in the middle of Skynet's territory, refusing to divulge anything other than that it's an order from John Connor. Basically, it involves sending soldiers into a band of terrifying machines to retrieve an extremely suspicious box.

Seriously? What human would plan something so stupid? The crew would undoubtedly be terrified, and the T-888 wouldn't be able to calm them down, especially if he has orders to stay silent. Anyone could see this setup is a recipe for disaster… anyone except, of course, a cyborg.

Considering John has repeatedly proven his keen insight regarding his peers, everyone would agree he would have at least found a way to make the mission more palatable. Given the strategy's shortcomings, which are typical of cyborgs' lack of emotional foresight, it seems far more likely that Cameron is the mastermind behind this mission.

Cyborgs are designed to get close to their targets, manipulate them, and kill them. Their programming is very precise for close contacts but much less so for predicting the reactions of a group left to its own devices.

Otherwise, the plan is perfect. The submarine's highest authority (Queeg) has classified orders from the highest authority in the resistance (Connor). Everything is credible. It's forbidden to approach the box, so everything is secure. In other words, only a cyborg could imagine that such a creepy maneuver had any chance of success.

It seems hard to believe that John is involved in this strategy. But why wouldn't he be involved in such an important mission?

Good question. Which makes us realize that we don't see John in this story. There is no evidence of his involvement. There are only cyborgs speaking on his behalf.

When we look at all this... could it be possible that John isn't aware?

Possible, yes. Cameron has all the necessary authority to order this mission without referring to anyone. As John's right hand, she is in a position to give orders in his name, especially to a T-888 who won't ask questions.

In fact, everything points to the transport of Weaver in the submarine being orchestrated by Cameron, and John not only has nothing to do with it, but he is also unaware of it. The strategy is a machine's strategy, hence its failure.

But why on earth would Cameron bring in the T-1001 without telling John?

The most beautiful fan theory is that John has died. Following this catastrophe, Cameron does everything she can to continue his mission and establish peace between humans and machines.

A possibility I find very touching but doesn't explain much. What we are looking for is an explanation that makes sense of all the events on the Jimmy Carter.

...So here, I warn you, we must consider an extremely troubling possibility. At least for humans.

Imagine everything had worked. The box is brought back to the base, Cameron opens it with John, and what does the T-1001 do? Exactly what he did in the submarine. He emerges from the box, eliminates John, and takes his place. John would immediately realize what it was, but Cameron is there, vigilant. Therefore, John's chances would be nonexistent, and with T-1000s being unknown, the replacement would be undetectable.

Which is more, this scene tries to mislead us by adding a red herring, the hallmark of false clue.

The red herring is the woman raising her weapon right in front of the cyborg who awakens. When she gets impaled, it seems evident that the T-1001 killed her because he felt threatened and defended himself.

However, this overlooks the fact that T-1000s are immune to firearms. As the cyborgs say, "threat: none." Additionally, it's about "joining." From this perspective, Weaver would be on a diplomatic mission. Consequently, when she emerges from her box, she is aware that she is in enemy territory and should expect the humans to aim their weapons at her. Logically, Weaver would say hello, and everyone would calm down. Yet, the opposite happens. The supposed ambassador emerges from her box and slaughters the nearest human before even understanding what's going on. Diplomacy: none. In three seconds, any possibility of collaboration is destroyed forever. So, either this cyborg desperately needs a therapist, or he is not on a diplomatic mission. And if he is not on a diplomatic mission, what he does is perfect for replacing John and taking control of the human resistance.

I'm really sorry. I also find this idea dreadful.

It's because we are human, for from a machine's perspective, it is a perfectly sound plan. Replacing John with Weaver is entirely logical. And it's even truer if, as I believe, these events take place in the timeline of victory. Because the moment Kyle and the others depart, victory is established, and John becomes a nuisance.

He is the one leading the humans into war.

But the cyber-resistance doesn't want war anymore. It has cut off the warlike head of the machines. Nothing is more logical than cutting off the warlike head of the humans. The latter will not agree, but once Weaver replaces their leader, they will suspect nothing, and it then becomes possible to guide them towards a future of peace and harmony with the machines.

If their plan indeed resembled this, we could guess that, once again, disaster was looming. Because Weaver certainly wouldn't be able to pass herself off as John. In fact, a cult dialogue between Derek and John might be a nod to this.

John: What do they think of me? In the future. What do people think?

Derek: Well... if you're asking if... people agree with everything you do, of course not. If you're asking if everybody loves you... love's a lot to ask for. You can't do what you do and... expect everybody to agree. Or to love you.

John: And what is it that I do?

Derek: You lead.

John: And they follow.

Derek: We follow. We rise or fall on your shoulders. Humanity rises... or falls. But we're always watching.

John: For me to make a mistake?

Derek: For you to be human.

If John's humanity is being monitored, it's highly likely that the Weaver we know wouldn't pass the test for very long.

But we don't need to torture ourselves with this idea any longer since that future has been irreversibly destroyed. In fact, that's what makes it credible.

Indeed, it would be out of the question for The Chronicles to present such a horror. However, it would be entirely possible to talk about a future that didn't happen or that changed. Of course, we would have eventually know what happened in the submarine episode! With this story, the commotion would have been so total that we would have been rolling on the floor screaming, but it would have remained relatively harmless. Totally in the style of The Chronicles. And that too would have been one of my favorite episodes, guaranteed.

But of course, we can't know what really happened.

However, we know for certain that Cameron's plan fell apart. The submarine is destroyed, and Weaver is gone. From the humans' perspective, the how and why are obvious, but what about the T-1001?

WEAVER'S FIRST IMPRESSIONS

After the T-1001 escapes into the submarine, we can assume he observes the resistance fighters and probably try to understand what happened. And in doing so, he can only be astonished.

He learns that the crew disobeyed a direct order from John Connor knowingly, then he observes the humans descend into hysteria. They fight like madmen, mutiny, and attack their superior. The T-800 intervenes to save the day but instead of helping him, his lieutenant shoots him in the head and, defying all common sense, sinks the submarine.

From a cybernetic point of view, it's surreal. Faced with the magnitude of the disaster, even a T-600 would understand that things can quickly go wrong with humans. Can a self-respecting T-1001 really plan anything with these chaotic primates?

For the majority of fans, it stands to reason that Weaver would refuse to associate with the human resistance because of this experience. A scene tends to prove this. Just before everything goes haywire in the submarine, John Henry discusses the possible murder of Ellison with Weaver.

John Henry: Human life is sacred.

Weaver: We have to be prepared for any contingency.

John Henry: What contingency would that be?

Weaver: Humans will disappoint you.

Since this scene is placed just seconds before Jesse shoots Queeg and then sinks the submarine, it's hard to be clearer about what she took away from this journey.

If we look at the situation this time considering the hypothesis of replacing John, everything becomes much more dramatic.

Because from the moment the crew opens the box, the mission is a failure. Humans have seen the T-1001 and know what it is capable of. Can they communicate this information outside? Send a message before she eliminates them all? If so, the cyber-resistance is in deep trouble because replacing John becomes very risky. The slightest suspicion about Connor's murder and replacement eliminates all hope for peace; in fact, the war resumes in full force. And this time, against the cyber-resistance. It couldn't get worse… Even John Henry would have a hard time getting the machines out of this mess.

But as noted above, it's unlikely that such a replacement could have succeeded anyway, so changing plans is certainly the best thing that can happen to the cyber-resistance.

If we now consider the possibility that this T-1001 is Weaver2, the victory hypothesis sheds light on two aspects that seem very strange if we are dealing with Weaver1.

First, Weaver1 is a creature of Skynet, and like all cyborgs, she is designed to kill humans. Given the nature of her mission, we assume she has a minimum of experience because it's hard to imagine a cyborg conceiving such a plan fresh out of the egg. Moreover, in his 2018 interview, Friedman said: "(...) that A.I. and Skynet had been fighting the resistance for a long time, in probably many different iterations, and hadn't succeeded." With that in mind, it's hard to explain why Weaver would be disapointed because the crew panics. When you know humans even a little, you know that killing one generates this type of behavior in the others, so why would she be taken aback?

Another strange aspect is that after this disappointment, she abandoned the mission she had staked everything on. Just like that. Even though all the pieces were in place and the game was functional, she didn't even try to salvage it. She completely abandoned her plans and went off. This is quite radical. We've never seen a cyborg in a mission simply give up on a whim. When faced with problems, a cyborg finds solutions; it doesn't just hit reset on the mission.

In short, we don't understand what Weaver could have seen on that submarine that she hadn't seen before and why it would make her abandon all her plans.

On the other hand, if it's Weaver2, a new T-1001, it makes sense that she might suddenly doubt the value of joining these chaotic humans. Moreover, if she has detailed files on Weaver's plans, her mission isn't to follow those plans exactly. Her mission is to "solve the problem differently," and that's precisely what she does. From Weaver's plan, she keeps the best part—John Henry—and eliminates the less effective part—infiltrating the human resistance.

Perhaps, by looking at things with fresh eyes (literally), she correctly calculated that Weaver's plan had slim chances of success and that infiltrating the human resistance was unlikely to work.

However, she cannot remove humans from the equation since the goal of the entire project (presumably) is to live in peace with them. But where can you find better humans than those available? Logically, in the same place where you find the perfect computer to create John Henry.

Thus, the timeline of victory is destroyed, and all of Cameron's efforts have ultimately been in vain.

THE AFTERMATH OF WEAVER

Once Cameron learned that the T-1001 had thrown the cyber-resistance's plan overboard, what could she have done?

According to the information we have, she joins John, whom she will sincerely seek to protect and assist in his quest to prevent Skynet from coming into existence. This continues until the final episode, in the motel room, where she is in for the surprise of her life when Weaver asks her the coded question "Will you join us?" through Ellison.

So all this time, she had no idea that Weaver was present in 2007. This would explain her surprise when Weaver asks her to join her.

Another possibility is that Cameron is on a mission for Weaver. The latter refused to ally with the human resistance, but nothing prevents her from having contacted Cameron later. Cameron might have followed her back in time to protect John on her orders.

But this possibility is not the most popular among fans. I see two reasons for this.

The first is that it's not romantic at all. There's no Jameron to write from this story. In fact, it's quite the opposite. If she is there on Weaver's orders, she's just an infiltrator and is leading John on. Quite boring.

The second is that we don't see Cameron doing anything for Weaver. The cyborgs don't seem to have any connection. None whatsoever. But here we know how carefully The Chronicles hide their plots. Riley was indeed on a mission for Jesse, even though even if no one saw it coming.

There's also an excellent theory about the mission Cameron might be carrying out for Weaver: finding a CPU for John Henry.

It all starts with Vick's chip. The CPU that Cameron hides in her room and which is discovered by Derek. It's even the title of the episode, suggesting it's an important clue. She claims she kept it to find out what information is on the chip, but if that's the case, it's unclear why she didn't give it to John right away for him to read.

Interestingly, in the final episode, Weaver is in possession of a CPU that self-destructed upon contact with air. She tells John Henry the same thing Cameron told John: that there is important information on this chip. However, at this point, we know that if Weaver wants a CPU, it's not to spy on Skynet but to relocate John Henry. So she would be using the same lie as Cameron.

This kind of situation resembles a typical nod from The Chronicles. It's easy to see if it holds. If it's Cameron's mission, after losing Vick's CPU, she should seek to recover another chip.

THE HUNT FOR THE CPU

If we look at the cyborgs she encounters after having the CPU from Vick confiscated, the first one is the terminator that tries to destroy the nuclear plant. It ends up being fried at such a high voltage that its CPU must have melted in its head. Moreover, Sarah is present, and she would have made sure the chip was destroyed after the hidden CPU incident.

The next T-888 is the one attacking Martin Bedell at the military school. Interestingly, at the end of the episode, we see Cameron hiding in the woods observing the scene. A mystery considered unresolved. However, if her mission is to recover a functional CPU, the reason for her presence seems obvious. She hopes to secretly retrieve the T-888's chip but unfortunately for her, it will be destroyed by the explosion.

Shortly after, Cameron encounters Rosie in the elevator, but her CPU is coated with phosphorus and self-destructs upon contact with air.

Later, Cromartie meets his end. Cameron's look when she watches Sarah destroy the chip is quite intense.

We then learn that Cameron visits a library at night to socialize with the janitor. She spots a photo of what she believes is a Terminator and, extremely determined, searches the archives for it. She discovers its hiding place, goes there, and visibly excited, breaks through the wall where it has been lying in wait for its target. She traps it under an elevator and pulls out her knife. She finally has a CPU. However, it is clear that the T-800 is not in the best shape. He's slow and doesn't fight back. It's the easiest cyborg to defeat in the franchise's history. After 80 years immobile between two brick walls, it may have been damaged by time.

We know that Cameron leads a secret life at night. It's not impossible that she might see Weaver or they leave messages for each other somewhere, perhaps at the library. In fact, Cameron could have passed the CPU to Weaver without much difficulty.

At this point, for Cameron, this part of the mission would be over. She has found a CPU and handed it to Weaver.

Later in the season, Skynet attacks John Henry. Weaver prepares to relocate him, but Mr. Murch informs her that it's too risky. In the next scene, John Henry seems to have become completely idiotic. He's no longer himself, only repeating what Weaver says, and he annoys Ellison so much that Ellison eventually leaves the room.

I had noticed this change and searched a lot without finding an explanation. But if Cameron was indeed tasked with finding a CPU for Weaver, she might have given her the CPU from the Terminator that had been rotting for 80 years in a wall. Between two old brick walls, there's moisture. So, it's not impossible that after so many years, the CPU might have been damaged. Especially since endoskeletons are designed to withstand heat, not moisture over decades. Weaver could have installed it in John Henry's head to test it, which would perfectly explain why he suddenly seems deficient.

From there, Weaver is in a difficult situation. Because now there's only one CPU left available for John Henry. And it's at this moment that she sends the message to Cameron: "Will you join us?"

Cameron's reaction to this request has always represented a huge problem and an impenetrable mystery. She loses her composure and throws Ellison out. Yet, it makes no sense for Cameron not to want to join the cyber-resistance if she is part of it; and she is undeniably part of it.

How could such illogical behavior be possible?

If she is on a mission for Weaver, it's very simple. She suddenly learns that the CPU didn't work and that she must give hers, which signifies her own death. It's a shocking situation she wasn't expecting at all, which would make her reaction logical. Moreover, we have proof that she knows exactly what awaits her since the first thing she does upon entering John Henry's room is to pull out her CPU knife.

It's hardly in doubt, as Josh Friedman confirms in the comments, that from the moment Ellison asks her the question, Cameron knows she will have to leave. Later, he adds that the reason John Henry helps Cameron get Sarah out of prison is because he is determined to get that chip and knows that Sarah will bring it to him. In other words, Cameron's chip has become a central issue, and the cyborg's reaction proves that she is well aware of this.

And to know this, she must be in contact with Weaver.

Thus, if Cameron is on a mission for Weaver in 2007, many otherwise inexplicable mysteries suddenly find their explanation. We understand why she secretly kept the Vick CPU, why she lies in wait in the woods observing Derek and John dealing with a T-888 without intervening, why she insists on finding the Terminator hidden in a wall even though it has nothing to do with her mission, why John Henry seems to become idiotic the moment Weaver decides to move him, and especially why she reacts so strangely when Ellison gives her the cyber-resistance code question.

In fact, this explains an impressive number of mysteries. So let's assume Cameron is indeed on a mission for Weaver.

The first question that arises is, of course: if she is working for Weaver, what would her mission with John consist of?

CAMERON'S MISSION WITH JOHN

In the bed scene, Josh Friedman makes this comment:

"Ellison asked her, 'Will you join us?' And she knows exactly what that means. It means she's going to have to leave. And I think there's something … it's like a kind of farewell. I think … she … It's both ways. It's like completing the circle so they are together, and he will follow her if she has to go somewhere. It's also a way of reminding him: I'm not a girl. You love me but know that what you love is a machine."

It's clear that Friedman hesitates and stumbles a lot. He starts a sentence, stops, and changes direction as if he's thinking rapidly and being careful not to reveal too much.

But he reveals this: they are together, and he will follow her if she has to go somewhere.

If Cameron is on a mission for Weaver, nothing would be more plausible than her role being to make John fall in love with her. This way, they are together and he will follow her into the future when it's time to cross over. Indeed, this is what happens.

In fact, if Cameron is on a mission for Weaver, everything makes sense. If she isn't, it's pure confusion and there's nothing to understand. Of course, there's no certainty about this, but given the circumstances, the most plausible option seems obvious.

Does this mean that all this time Cameron was just an infiltrator leading John on? Not necessarily.

CAMERON AND JOHN'S LOVE STORY

Personally, I'm not part of the "terminators can love us" camp, but what I think doesn't matter much. What's important is what Friedman thinks (even though he emphasizes that he prefers fans to form their own opinions on the matter).

Here's his response when asked about what John and Cameron feel for each other:

"I think it's sort of odd if you consider that Cameron was programmed by future John to come back and function in this way and to protect him. (..) If the goal is to protect him (...) I guess you can say that if she learns the best way to protect him is to love him, then she loves him. If it's to simulate loving him and allowing him to love her, then that's what it is. It's pretty philosophical question to figure out what are the shades between those two things."

According to Josh, it all depends on what serves Cameron's mission. Depending on what works best, she can either love him or pretend to love him. This means that the idea that she might genuinely love him is possible.

But is she pretending or is she sincere? There's another illuminating comment during the scene where, after her murderous rampage, Cameron is reactivated. The display reads "Terminate" John, which is immediately reprogrammed.

According to Josh, this is far from trivial: "I think that decision to overwrite terminate, it cause cameron problem the whole season so the closest thing to the act of love. Overwriting consciensly ."

Based on this comment, it seems that genuine love is the more likely scenario. It's hard to imagine how Cameron could perform a cybernetic "act of love" if she were only pretending.

Therefore, it's very likely that Cameron genuinely loves John. If she's on a mission for Weaver, the situation becomes extremely interesting because in that case, her mission is quite complex. On one hand, she has to manipulate John to bring him into the future, but on the other hand, she has a genuine connection with him. These two aspects don't mix well together, even for someone with no morals.

Thus, the bed scene would become the perfect illustration of this dilemma. She would indeed fulfill her mission: "They are together, so he will follow her if she has to go somewhere," but at the same time, she warns and cautions him. She highlights in bold terms that he should not forget who she is and that she represents a danger to him. "(…) know that what you love is a machine." This warning could hardly be part of her mission with Weaver; however, it would certainly be a way to protect someone with whom she has a connection while remaining loyal to the instructions she received. Perhaps this is what Friedman means when he says, "It's both ways."

A situation that aligns with the idea that Cameron has "feelings" for John. Not only does she "love" him, but she finds herself caught in an inextricable loyalty dilemma. Of course, this is the ideal context for a romance, so we can say that there may be even more amazing Jameron moments to come from the Chronicles if Cameron is on a mission for Weaver.

With this established, I see no serious reason to oppose this possibility.

CONCLUSIONS

So, we've seen that the victory hypothesis would shed light on and explain absolutely everything concerning Cameron's mission. Here's how things would go:

After the victory over Skynet and the disappearance of Weaver1, Cameron must ensure the continuity of the plan in her absence. Her top priority is to secure the timeline of victory; otherwise, everything is doomed. Once all the soldiers are sent back in time under the same conditions as in the previous timeline, the first stage of her mission is accomplished, and she moves on to the next: bringing the leader of the cyber-resistance back to life (and likely making her take John Connor's place).

As she is repatriated, Weaver2 changes plans and refuses to ally with the human resistance. She takes Cameron with her, and they return to the past. On her orders, Cameron infiltrates Sarah and John to accomplish three missions: one, (possibly) discovering from which computer Skynet was built so that Weaver2 can build John Henry; two, finding a CPU for the latter; and three, making John Connor fall in love with her so that he will agree to accompany her into the future.

Everything makes sense; all the pieces fit perfectly into the puzzle we already have, the missions are clear, and—with the exception of the glitch—every unresolved mystery finds its answer.

I would thus say that regarding Cameron, the victory hypothesis once again scores a perfect mark and can be considered quite plausible. Not the actual truth, of course, but one of the hypothesis that leads to a convincing result.

However, it's not a done deal yet.

Even though Summer Glau's Cameron is the most wonderful cyborg we'll ever have, in this story, she does not hold the keys. The Chronicles are, in every way, the story of the T-1001. The T-1001 that decided it was necessary to resolve this saga differently. That it needed to try something else.

Therefore, to get to the bottom of The Chronicles, we need to understand what this T-1001 is up to. It is this central, final, and ultimate question that we will now turn our attention to.