Chapter 1

Alone

Sarah Connor:

It was the Machines that sought to destroy mankind in the future. It was a Machine that killed my son's father. It was a Machine that killed my son's uncle. It was the Machines that tried to kill my son and myself. Among the Machines out to destroy all we know, there's one Machine that stands alone to fight them. One Machine stands alone to protect my son and myself. One Machine is unique among the rest. The fate of the world and my son rests in the hands of that one Machine. That one Machine is named – CAMERON.

Sarah stepped back.

She took in the entire scene. It was hard to comprehend everything which just happened.

Cameron was sprawled in a chair. She was lifeless. Her body was heavily damaged. Her head was cut open. Her chip was gone. She appeared terminated.

Sarah was aware Mr. Ellison stood in the doorway.

Mr. Ellison looked around the room. Mrs. Weaver and John were gone. They'd been there just before the large energy discharge. He stared at the inanimate figure of Cameron slumped in the chair. It was all very confusing to him.

"What happened?" Mr. Ellison asked. "Where did they go?"

He looked around the room again for Mrs. Weaver, John Henry and John. He was still trying to process the fact Mrs. Weaver was a Terminator. It was evident she was a different type of Terminator too.

Sarah's face was ashen. It was devoid of all emotion. She'd just lost her son to the unknown. John was now in the company of one of the deadliest types of Terminators. The previous Terminator they'd encountered of the same type tried to kill John and her. It even tortured her to try and make her call out to John.

She looked at Mr. Ellison. She felt drained. What was there to say or explain but the truth?

"The future, they all went into the future." Sarah said.

Mr. Ellison still found it hard to believe, even if he did. What he'd learned over the last few months all seem to make even more sense in the current context.

Sarah needed to act. The building was already attacked once. It was evident the location was compromised. There may be a follow-up strike or some type of ground assault.

Her first instinct was to run and regroup. There was no one left but her at this point. She thought of taking Cameron's deactivated chassis away so she could use Thermite on it. She could end its existence and deny Skynet or its affiliates the use of its technology.

A few months ago she would have done it in a heartbeat and never thought twice about it.

Things were different now. Everything was different.

Cameron was there for John to help him, protect him and guide him. She wasn't blind. She saw how her son began to act around, and towards Cameron. She knew what it all meant. No one was going to admit it, but they all knew.

She briefly reflected on Cameron's former beauty. Cameron was a machine, but she was also a beautiful machine. She knew beauty when she saw it, even if it was fabricated.

Sarah was glad to be out of jail but knew John foolishly sacrificed Cameron to do it. Cameron didn't do it for her. Cameron did it for John. Now look at her. It almost made her sick. More than one thing was sacrificed with all of this.

She'd heard and watched the exchange between John and Cameron when Cameron was trapped between the two trucks. She'd heard the words Cameron said. She didn't believe them then. They seemed to hold more meaning now with everything that happened since then. She now believed Cameron spoke the truth at that time. She believed it was more than just related to the future.

A single tear slid down her cheek. She made a choice. No, it wasn't really a choice. It was the right thing to do. It was for John's future. John would need Cameron's assistance when he returned. She needed to believe John would return to go on with her life. Her life had no purpose without John. Cameron even told her the same thing to her face. She would now make Cameron her purpose. Cameron and John were tied to each other.

Sarah looked at Cameron as she gently touched her cheek.

"It's because of you my son is gone. It's also because of you he'll be back." Sarah said softly. "He will return for you. He'll be back."

Sarah didn't know if John would come back for her. She did know he would come back for Cameron if it was at all possible.

Mr. Ellison looked around the room and at Cameron. To hear Sarah's words somewhat surprised him.

Sarah checked her surroundings again. The building was compromised. It was attacked by a Skynet drone. She needed to get away from there and bring Cameron with her. No matter where she went, Cameron was going as well. She knew John would never forgive her if she didn't take care of Cameron's 'remains'. She refused to believe they would be 'remains'. John would return with her chip.

Maybe she needed to believe in something to keep going. The events all weighed heavily upon her. It was time to take action.

Sarah turned to Mr. Ellison.

"What better security does this company have?" Sarah asked. "Is there any more secure or safer part of it?"

Mr. Ellison only recently became aware of a new location.

"We've almost finished a new facility. It's located in a more remote spot." Mr. Ellison said. "It has everything."

Sarah wondered what exactly what he'd meant.

"What is 'everything'?" Sarah asked. "I need to know more."

Mr. Ellison remembered his briefing. He'd looked over the blueprints.

"There are more powerful computer systems ready to go online. There's a complete research and test facility. There are living quarters and an armory. It's really a fortified bunker complex." Mr. Ellison said. "Mrs. Weaver already started construction on it before I became affiliated with her."

It was a decision Mr. Ellison now questioned. It seemed there was a lot he questioned these days. His future seemed unclear. He'd almost been 'terminated' several times himself. The latest attempt was just a short time ago.

It was clear to Sarah they needed to get started and evacuate. Even if there was no further Skynet related assault, the authorities would soon be all over the building. It made her wonder if she would end up getting 'blamed' for this latest attack on a tech company.

"We need to take Cameron there and bring The Turk." Sarah said. "We need to do it now."

Mr. Murch and two assistants entered the room.

Sarah was ready to pull out her Glock.

Mr. Ellison noticed what was about to happen and stopped her.

"They're here to assist us." Mr. Ellison said. "We need their help."

Mr. Murch eyed Cameron and instantly knew what he looked at. He could see John Henry was gone. He figured the damaged cyborg would most likely become his replacement. They'd been down the same road before.

"Mrs. Weaver told us this day may come. We're ready." Mr. Murch said. "We have everything we need."

The two assistants selected specific computer gear to remove. It was all predetermined.

Mr. Ellison and Mr. Murch loaded Cameron into a large shallow hamper one of Mr. Murch's assistants pushed in. It was more than big enough.

"This was originally for John Henry if we needed it, but it will fit just fine." Mr. Murch said as he glanced at Cameron. "It is smaller than he was."

His statement didn't sit well with Sarah, not anymore anyway. Cameron was her connection to John.

"Her name is Cameron." Sarah said sharply. "Call her Cameron, not it."

Mr. Ellison eyed Sarah for a moment. He thought her reaction was something different. It appeared there was a deeper bond there. He also knew they needed to get moving.

"Let's get all this stuff and go." Mr. Ellison said. "This place is no longer safe."

Sarah looked at all of them.

"No place is safe." Sarah said.

It was a statement Mr. Ellison could agree with at this point. What happened at Dr. Silverman's cabin, his own home and just a few minutes ago, seemed to be pretty good proof her statement was correct. He'd expected to be 'safe' at all of those locations. He wasn't.

Everything was loaded into a large delivery type van for transportation to the new location. The ride in the van wasn't too long. It was long enough for Sarah to be noticed and identified by one of the workers.

One of the assistants looked at Sarah, then to Mr. Murch, then back at Sarah and then to Mr. Ellison. The assistant previously saw a photo of Sarah on the local news. Based on the news reports and what occurred at the building they'd just left, it caused some justifiable concern and worry.

Mr. Ellison could see the way things were headed. He decided to take control of the situation. He didn't want things to get away from them. The future was already uncertain enough. They needed everyone on board. He looked at the two assistants and indicated Sarah.

"You think you know who this is. Don't believe everything you see on TV. She's a confidential informant, or CI, working under deep cover, as well as with Mrs. Weaver." Mr. Ellison said. "You know of my association with the FBI. All I can ask you is to leave it at that. Lives are at stake here. I need to get Savannah undercover ASAP as well. We don't have time to second guess things or for questions. Mrs. Weaver will be pleased with your cooperation."

The first assistant was always sure there was a little more going on behind the scenes than they knew. There was no need to create any waves.

"I understand." The first assistant said. "I don't have a problem with it."

"It works for me too." The second assistant added.

Mr. Ellison didn't know for sure but he thought it could be arranged to sweeten the deal for the workers.

"Everything is very confidential." Mr. Ellison said. "Mrs. Weaver will see to it everyone is handsomely compensated for their efforts and loyalty."

The two assistants looked at each other. It appeared things just got more interesting.

"It works even better for me." The first assistant said.

"Me too, I'm in." The second assistant said.

Sarah didn't want to encounter any Skynet forces or any authorities. She didn't plan to ever return to jail or a mental institution. The ride over was uneventful. They didn't encounter any opposition. There was no apparent tail.

On their arrival at the new facility, a dark haired female assistant was ready and waiting for them. She'd been alerted as to the nature of the 'cargo' about to arrive at the new location. The female assistant froze up a little bit at the sight of Cameron. It sent a chill down her spine and created 'goose bumps' on her skin. She regained her composure. She helped put Cameron on a gurney. She moved her into a lab room.

Sarah noted the female assistant's reaction when she'd first viewed Cameron. She wondered if it was because of the damage to her. She thought it was only part of it. She was determined to stay with Cameron. She didn't want Cameron to 'disappear' on her. The Glock tucked into her back gave her 'insurance' and reassurance. She was currently surrounded by strangers. She needed to place a lot of trust in the unknown.

The female assistant looked at Cameron in more detail once they were in the lab.

Sarah took a long look at the assistant. There was something about her…. She couldn't quite place it. It seemed she'd met her before somewhere. Her mind was still a little boggled from all the recent events. She could worry about it later. She turned her attention away from the female assistant. She was worried about everything. She refocused her attention back on Cameron. It was time to get down to business.

"Can you fix her?" Sarah asked.

The female assistant looked at the cyborg almost lovingly. She touched her damaged cheek. She needed to hold her emotions in control to hide what she felt inside as she viewed the damage. She was there to do a job. It was time to do it.

"The chassis looks sound, even with the extensive sheath damage." The female assistant said. "Allis… - it is damaged but not as bad as the last one we rebuilt. This appears to be mostly cosmetic damage. I will need to inspect the chassis further."

Sarah was irritated by the reference to Cameron as it.

"It's Cameron, not it. Her name is Cameron." Sarah said somewhat angrily. "Don't make me tell you again or anyone else."

The assistant looked at Sarah and could see there was some personal attachment. It was clear the cyborg was more than a machine to her.

"I'm sorry, Cameron it is. My name is Vanna. How should I address you?" Vanna asked.

Sarah wanted to keep it simple.

"You can call me Sarah." Sarah said.

Sarah didn't elaborate any further.

Vanna was a little distressed to learn both John Henry and Mrs. Weaver were gone. She checked with Mr. Ellison about Savannah. It caused her the most concern. She was relieved that steps had already been taken to secure Savannah.

She returned and wanted to explain a little about what they could do based on the previous work with John Henry.

"We have everything to repair any chassis damage and a way to fabricate more of the synthetic sheath covering. It will speed the regeneration process of her sheath. That's all as long as the power cell isn't damaged." Vanna said. "The unit, I mean Cameron, will be able to help with the regeneration of most of the synthetic covering in a short time. Her sheath will be as good as new in a few days."

Sarah needed to unwind a little. She stepped out of the room.

Vanna followed her.

Sarah looked around. Everything around her was unfamiliar to her. She wasn't sure who she could trust. Were any of these people the enemy? Would any of them sell her out? She could feel the comfort of her Glock behind her.

"Where's Mr. Ellison?" Sarah asked.

Vanna was pleased he would personally take control of Savannah.

"He went to retrieve Mrs. Weaver's daughter." Vanna said.

Sarah knew the child was in danger. Once she'd been targeted for termination, her life would be at risk indefinitely as long as it was believed she was alive.

"She needs better protection." Sarah said. "She's not safe. It should be reported she died in the 'accident'. She needs to go into hiding."

Vanna thought it sounded a little extreme. It did sound like a good precaution though.

Sarah hoped nothing happened to the young girl, Savannah. They'd lost Derek saving her once. She thought about how it still stung. Both of the Reese brothers were dead. She was there when both of them died. It bothered her greatly. It made her feel responsible for their deaths.

Vanna excused herself. There were other matters which needed her immediate attention. She left to join the others as they hooked up the computer gear in another room. She quietly contacted Mr. Ellison. She informed him Savannah was in grave danger and what needed to be done to protect her.

All the confusion and hustle made Sarah feel uneasy. She returned to the solitude of Cameron's room. It gave her the opportunity to carefully look at the damage to Cameron. She wondered how John could have done this to her. It almost made her physically ill. He could have waited a few days until she was transported to a Federal location. They could have broken her out like they did Derek from the transport van. She wanted to examine Cameron further. She didn't want to take any more dignity away from Cameron at this point.

All the emotions and feelings caught up to Sarah as she sat alone with Cameron. She sat down and buried her face in her hands and cried. She didn't cry much anymore. It was all a shock to her. It seemed the future was closer than she'd anticipated. At this point it was all a - Future Shock.

Everyone was gone. Kyle was dead. Derek was dead. Charlie was dead. Riley was dead. Cameron was heavily damaged and inoperable. She was 'dead' for all practical purposes. John was gone and maybe dead. The future was more uncertain than ever.

Sarah was all alone. She slumped over in the chair and drifted off to an uneasy restless sleep. It seemed her troubles followed her there too. They always did.

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Author's Note:

Please feel free to PM (Private Message) me with any questions about the story or anything you would like more thoroughly explained. All questions will be answered.

The story is rated 'M'.

If parts of the story are too 'intense' for someone, they can skip those sections. There's always the next chapter.

Thank You for your time.

Thank You for reading the story.

Nobody

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