Terminator Sarah Conner Chronical Season 3 : REUNION

ลำดับตอนที่ #23 : Part 2: Chapter 6: Against All Odds

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES

REUNION

Part 2: Armageddon

Chapter 6

Against All Odds

2009, One Week after Judgment Day

A pretty little red haired girl walks through the empty corridors of Crystal Peak imagining great things, simple things, of all that might have been or could be in this mountain fortress. She was brought here by two women as the bombs began to fall.

As scared as she was then, riding in the back seat of the truck with a woman who lay bleeding and crying for most of the journey, she doesn't feel as frightened now. The woman did not cry for herself, or the injuries that were inflicted upon her, but she cried for her son and the world.

Up front a younger woman, who strangely reminded the girl of her friend who lived in Mommy's basement, drove through the night, but for one stop to steal supplies. When she returned, she said nothing and resumed driving, never stopping until they reached this bunker.

When Cameron picked up Sarah to carry her inside, Sarah asked her, "How did you know this was here?"

"I've been here before." Was all that she said.

Since that day, they were busy, looking after Sarah, manning the radios as civil defense units began looking for directions, and taking inventory of the supplies they had. Through it all, the girl had felt fear and grief and anxiety, but Sarah radiated a strength, despite her weakened state, that quelled her fears; and Cameron's quiet approach to all that was around her brought a calm to her troubled mind.

Becoming bored with her surroundings, little Savannah makes her way down the stairs to the main hall.

She finds Sarah where she left her, resting on the built-in sofas. Savannah wonders if she should disturb Sarah. Cameron said she needed her rest so her body could heal and make-up for the blood lost.

The last of the blood supplies they stole were used up yesterday, but Sarah is still weak.

She looks at the woman and feels worried that she's not getting better. Unknowingly she lets out a long sigh which gets Sarah's attention.

Opening her heavy eyes, Sarah looks over and smiles weakly at the little girl. How she wishes that she had a little girl of her own. Not that she didn't love John, but just the idea of having a girl and being able to do all the mother daughter stuff like she did with her own mom. It might have taken the pressure off of raising John alone all those years.

"Hi Savannah." Sarah says. "How are you doing dear?"

Savannah steps forward taking the woman's hand in her own like she's seen Cameron do so many times.

"I'm bored. There's nothing to do here." She says, and then remembering her manners, quickly adds, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired, sweetheart. I promise that once I feel better we'll make this place a home, okay?"

Savannah looks down at her feet. She is wearing the sneakers Cameron bought her before the bombs fell. Mentioning of home brings back memories of those that were left behind.

"What's wrong Savannah?"

"I miss my mommy, Uncle James and John Henry." She whimpers. "Do you think they are still alive?"

Sarah gently runs her hand along Savannah's arm. "I don't know, child. We can only pray and hope."

The words are little comfort to the troubled young girl, so Sarah holds her arms out and Savannah quickly accepts the hug and gives her one back.

"Uncle James said your son went with my mommy and John Henry. Do you know where they've gone?"

Sarah wonders how much this child could understand, but she'll have to grow up fast so best not to mince words. Sarah knows that she will have to tell the girl the truth about her mother, and isn't sure when she should tell her that. But there are things she can tell her now, things she'll need to know.

"Your mom, along with my son followed John Henry when he traveled to the future."

Savannah puts her hands on her hips and gives her a look like she's saying, you've got to be kidding.

With a crooked grin, Sarah continues explaining. "It's true. The three of them traveled to the future using a time-machine, in your mom's basement."

"To fight Sky Net like Uncle James said."

"Well, yes." Sarah answers. Best to keep the story simple for now.

"Okay. Will we have to fight the evil machines?"

"I hope not, but I don't think we have much choice."

"Do you know how . . . how to fight the machines?" She asks feeling a little scared.

"Yes, and it will be easier with Cameron's help. She has knowledge about the machines we'll be facing."

"You'll need an army." Savannah says firmly. "Three girls aren't enough to fight it."

Sarah is perplexed by this little girl. Appearing to be more knowledgeable and wise than most kids her age yet still having all the innocence.

"I don't know where we'll get an army, sweetheart."

"They'll come here, like we did. Cameron's been talking to people on the radio. They'll come. I know they will."

"You're probably right."

Sarah smiles at the little girl.

"I want to rest some more. Why don't you go see if Cameron needs your help."

"Okay!" She says brightly. "I like her. She reminds me of my friend John Henry."

Savannah quickly skips across the tiled concrete floor to the other side of the main hall where Cameron is busy with the ancient cold-war computers. Leaving Sarah wondering how much Savannah knows about John Henry, and how much she should tell her about Cameron. Savannah will need to know everything in time, and it appears they have lots of time. Almost twenty years.

Twenty years! Sarah sighs and fights the anguish inside as she closes her eyes. Why did I let him go? Why?

Cameron had returned to the main floor to work on the computers an hour ago. She finished going over the power generators and is disappointed to find that the nuclear generator is non-operational. Perhaps it was disabled by the military when they left, or perhaps sabotage. Regardless of the cause, it doesn't work, unless she can obtain the right parts. Gerry rigging from available parts to compensate for the damage components might work, but she doesn't want to risk the lives of the two females. There's enough radiation outside the bunker without creating more inside. They will have to rely on the diesel generators for now and maybe always. They have sufficient fuel at the moment, but they'll have to ration the fuel and their power consumption until they can replenish their supplies. When next she speaks to people on the radio, she'll ask them specifically to bring diesel fuel when they come.

Having returned to the main floor, Cameron spent the first hour running cables to the various computers and swapping out parts with those she found in storage. Cables and wires now trail from one old computer to another as Cameron works to make the ancient computers more efficient, faster and hidden from Sky Net's network. They need to be able to log into the defense network without alerting Sky Net to their presence. Because only by knowing when the spy satellites are overhead will they be able to operate in the shadows and forever remain hidden from Sky Net.

Cameron is laying on the floor, up to her waist inside one huge server when Savannah sticks her head inside.

"Whatcha doing?" She calls out.

"Trying to make these computers work." Cameron says, momentarily removing a screwdriver from between her teeth to answer the precocious child.

"Have you tried turning them on?" Savannah asks innocently.

"Not yet. I need to improve them. They aren't as fast or as smart as a modern computer."

"Ohhh. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Cameron muses a moment, then asks, "Can you use a screwdriver?"

"Of course I can. Don't be silly."

Cameron grins at the little girl.

"Then crawl in beside me and I'll show you what I'm doing."

Without hesitation Savannah crawls in beside her. Cameron quickly points out a circuit board where some internal wires connect. She shows the girl what changes need to be made and where which wires from a new cable need to be connected.

"Now, do you think you can do that without making a mistake."

Savannah quickly recites all the steps Cameron told her to make without missing a single step.

"That's very good. Do it on that computer over there. When you are done, let me know so I can check your work. There will be more I'll have to do in each server afterwards."

Later that night, Sarah and Cameron are talking in the darkened main hall while Savannah sleeps several paces away on one of the built-in sofas. Amongst the three of them, Savannah gives all appearances of adapting far more quickly to their new surroundings.

"I think Savannah has what is commonly referred to as photographic memory." Cameron says. "I think she might have the ability to attain a higher level of learning than the average human her age. She could achieve genius levels of intelligence."

"Why do you think that?"

"I showed her what I was doing with the computers. After demonstrating what I was doing with one, I asked her to repeat the steps I took. She not only repeated all the steps I told her to follow, but she also recited them in the exact order. When I examined the work, she did on her own, it was an exact match to the work I did, too within a 3.2% margin of difference."

"That could be a coincidence."

"That was my first thought, but then it was the same for the other computers. All of them were done too within a 5.1% margin of difference and all done accurately to the instructions I had given her only once."

"Looks like we've got a budding engineer or scientist in our midst then. You should continue training and educating her in computers and electronics, and when she's older the things she needs to know about terminators. I'll see to her regular education and once I'm fit and she's old enough, you and I will see to her combat training."

"Of course. It is up to us to look after Savannah and raise her. We'll have to tell her the truth about all of this. Why the bombs fell, why we have to remain underground."

"She knows some things already. James Ellison told her about the machines and Sky Net."

Sarah sighs.

"I never thought I'd see this. I would have horrid nightmares about Judgment Day, but I never believed . . ." Sarah's voice catches "I never believed I would see it happen. No, that isn't quite true. I never wanted to believe that it could happen. I thought we could stop it . . . I thought we had, before you showed up. The first time."

Cameron reaches out and grasps Sarah's hand. At first she did this to secretly check her vitals, but she's noticed how Sarah responds to her touch. Humans use touch to convey feelings. Sarah draws comfort from her touch. Cameron decided she must remember to do that when required in communicating.

"People will be coming here, looking for shelter, food and water." Cameron tells her.

"Savannah says I'll have an army. I've never led an army before."

"You'll have to do many things you haven't done before."

Sarah nods her head as she takes a sip from her glass of water. How she wishes, she had thought to pack some tea bags. She misses sipping a cup of hot tea in the evening. There will be many things she'll have to do without and will have to find alternatives for, especially tampons. She only has few tucked away in her bag for emergencies, and whatever feminine supplies this facility has, will probably be old, or in limited supply, or worse non-existent given the military male centered philosophy, especially at the time this place was built.

Cameron herself has been sitting quietly while Sarah has been thinking. There are things on her mind too. Things she needs to talk to Sarah about.

"Sarah, I've been thinking. I've come to a decision and I think it will be for the best."

Cameron has certainly gotten Sarah's attention, as she sets her glass down to listen.

"What decision is that?"

"When people come, and they will come, don't let them know that I'm not human. In fact, I'd prefer not to have any contact with them, if possible."

Sarah is surprised by this. "Why?"

"It's complicated, but the people need a strong leader. You are strong Sarah Connor. You need to be the voice of leadership. It wouldn't do well to lead the fight against Sky Net if it is known you have one of Sky Net's machines as your companion."

"I can understand that, but your history is different. You were built in a different time and place. You aren't one of Sky Net's machines."

"No, not anymore, thanks to your son, but to the others who will arrive, I will be considered an enemy. They will be emotional and could severely damage me if I were attacked by a mob. I would not fight them and compatible spare parts will be impossible to obtain for at least seventeen years. I cannot risk damage in that time."

"Understood, but why minimal contact?"

"I'd prefer not to see anyone but you and Savannah. It might be awkward for those who know the person I was modeled on. If I were to meet people who know Allison Young, then my secret would also be revealed. I admit the chance of meeting such people will be infinitesimal but it's possible."

"I think I understand. I don't know how you will do it if we get a lot of people here, but if that is what you want, then that is what we'll do."

Cameron gives her a light grin. "Thank you Sarah. You should get some sleep. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Sarah settles down, pulling the blanket down from the back of the built-in sofa to cover herself. She could have moved to a dorm room or a private room a few days ago, but she chose to stay in the central area, close to where Cameron is working. Here she'll remain for the time being.

"May I ask you something?"Sarah asks, having no other recourse but to seek help from Cameron.

"Of course."

"You have complete files on human anatomy. Do you know enough to perform a physical exam?"

"I don't understand. Are you not feeling well Sarah?"

"Other than feeling tired, just the opposite. Until recently, I hadn't been feeling well for weeks. At first I put it down to stress, nervous stomach or something, but I was fearful that it was cancer, especially after the pain started. When I was in the county lock-up, the prison doctor said it wasn't cancer that I had some kind of stomach virus and gave me a shot, and I felt better, for a time."

"What other symptoms had you experienced?"

"My last three periods have been heavier than normal. Then I began feeling a deep pain, for which I took pain pills."

"There are some non-cancerous and non-life threatening causes in my medical database. Stress alone could explain many of your symptoms. When is your next period due?"

"The middle of next week."

"During her explorations, Savannah found a medical lab. We can collect a sample and examine it for any indicators of what might be wrong. Have there been any other symptoms?"

"Give me your hand."

Cameron holds out her hand and Sarah lies it upon her lower stomach, just below her navel.

"The pressure I've felt has been here, but these last few days, I've felt a warm tingling sensation inside."

Cameron presses lightly. "Any pain when I do this?"

"No, that's just it. Several days ago it would have hurt like hell to press there, but today nothing."

"May I?" Cameron asks, placing her hands on the waistband of Sarah's jeans.

Sarah nods her head and Cameron proceeds to undo the button and unzip Sarah's jeans. Pulling them down past her hips, Cameron presses gently on Sarah's exposed abdomen, working her way down from her navel to just above her bikini line, where a pink scar travels in a rough horizontal line.

"Any pain or discomfort while I did that?"

"No."

"Interesting. I detected no temperature anomalies on the surface of your skin."

"I told you, it's inside. I think it's in my uterus."

"I understand. We could wait for you to have your period and examine it, or I could get a temperature and tissue sample now."

"How?"

Cameron holds up her slender hand to point up toward the upper floors where the lab is, but before she can explain, Sarah begins shouting.

"No! Definitely not!" Sarah protests. "Not even for a medical test would I let a machine stick its hand up my . . . NO!" Sarah quickly pulls her jeans up and does the fasteners.

Cameron frowns. "I don't understand. It would be the quickest way to obtain . . ."

"No! End of discussion. No!"

Cameron frowns. "But its medical . . ."

"The answer is still no."

"But I was only going to suggest . . ."

"No! Find another means, or wait until I have my period."

Cameron head drops, and remains silent. She doesn't understand. She was only going to suggest they should go upstairs to the medical facility Savannah found. Was there something wrong about her hand gesture as she began to point up? She feels confused by Sarah's shouts, unless . . . .

Sarah is shaken. Was it the idea of her . . .? No. Sarah specifically mentioned a machine doing what Cameron had suggested. A terminator violating her most private areas. Did Kreilley . . . ?

Sarah is still feeling fear and anger when she looks at Cameron, but Cameron only displays stoic silence, and yet, is that a hint of sadness on her face. It is so hard to read her expressions.

With a sigh, Sarah realizes she'll have to try and curtail her fears around Cameron. They will be living together in this mountain for many years to come.

"Listen, I'm sorry I yelled at you, but if you knew me, and what I've been through with at the hands of your brethren." She sighs. "I was shocked by your suggestion." Sarah sits up and reaches out to the cyborg, taking her hand.

"You were only trying to help, but all I have ever known is pain from machines. And with every encounter, it gets worse. This last encounter, I've been humiliated and injured in places that are too painful to mention, by a machine. Then my humiliation was extended by my injuries and nakedness being exposed to a little girl who should never know that such cruelty exists."

Cameron hesitates to ask, but Sarah's anger leaves her to suspect something, "Did Kreilley rape you?"

"No. Definitely not!" Sarah shakes her head. "What he did was worse. I think he may have pierced me down there. I . . . I was out of it. Incoherent and numb from the physical pain Kreilley inflicted, then as . . . then as he leaned in and asked . . ." Her voice quakes and her eyes flash fierce anger while simultaneously welling up with tears.

"Sarah . . ."

"No, I can finish." Sarah says, gaining some self-control. "Then as Kreilley asked me one last time where John was . . ." She sobs. ". . . I felt something enter my . . . then I felt a sharp pain inside. I think he was going to impale me if I didn't answer his questions. One quick thrust and he would have stabbed me through my major organs, heart and head. All done through . . ."

Sarah cries some more, and Cameron gently rubs her shoulders. Sarah leans forward, pressing her face against Cameron's stomach, her tears wetting the cyborgs blouse.

"I was scared. So very scared." She sobs

Cameron lets Sarah cry. This is the first time she's spoken of what Kreilley did to her.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I don't understand how it is a machine would do this. We aren't designed to be cruel. He must have learned these techniques since leaving Sky Net. But you should have told me what he did to you sooner. Your womb might have been infected by Kreilley's nanites."

"His . . . his what?" Sarah asks sounding confused and still upset.

"Nanites. All liquid metal terminators are made from microscopic machines as fine as dust. My own body produces a more basic form of nanites to undertake repairs to my flesh. They only have a short life span. If any nanites were shed by Kreilley in his multiple stabbing of your body . . ."

"Then I could be infected with nanites."

"Possibly. Away from Kreilley's governing mass, they would fall back to their default program, which is similar to my own nanites, then die without an energy source."

"By your look, I'm thinking this is only a guess on your part?"

"Yes. It's only a guess. The warmth and the tingling sensation you feel is because the nanites have gathered in your uterus to reattach to each other, to possibly try to rebuild."

"Rebuild?" Sarah says fearfully. "You mean one of these metal creatures could burst forth from my stomach like in Alien?"

Cameron cocks her head, "What is this alien you mentioned? Is it something we need to defend against?"

"It's a movie." Sarah rolls her eyes, then asks as she points to her stomach. "What about these nanites? Are they rebuilding?"

"Thank you for explaining. The human body does not possess the right metals nor the proper energy for the nanites to rebuild, but they will try. It's part of our nature to repair ourselves. "

"So what is happening inside of me?"

"I won't know until I have examined you."

"You mean, doing the . . . with your hand."

"Not with my hand, with proper instruments." Cameron explains, realizing Sarah's prior misunderstanding. "We go to the medical lab and I'll perform a pelvic exam. If they do not have the proper tools to perform such an exam, then yes, I will have to use my hand to obtain temperature reading and tissue samples. If you wish to avoid any further embarrassment, we should go now while Savannah is still sleeping."

"Oh crud." Sarah groans and sits up on the sofa. "Very well. But I'm telling you right now Missy. This ain't going to be no regular thing you putting your hand up my hoo-hoo."

Cameron cocks one eyebrow. Must be slang for female genitalia, I'll add it to my data base.

Sarah groans. Did I just refer to it as my hoo-hoo? If John were here, he'd either die of embarrassment or laugh himself into hysterics. Hoo-hoo! God, I can't believe I called it that.

"Shall I help you to the lab?" Cameron asks.

"No. I'll walk, but I'll probably need your help to walk back."

Despite Sarah's insistence she could walk on her own, she still required Cameron's help when they reached the stairs. After two flights, Sarah gave in and allowed Cameron to carry her to the right level.

Reaching the medical facility, they were both pleased to not only find a room with hospital beds, but an examination room complete with sterilized medical equipment sealed and kept in storage, which made Sarah very pleased. She wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of Cameron having to use her hand.

Cameron helps Sarah up onto the examination table. There is something that Sarah said earlier that has her troubled.

"You said that the other Cameron knew you better. Will it be a problem that I don't know enough about you, personally?"

"Well. Maybe at first, but time will tell. Besides," Sarah gestures at herself and the position she's in, "I'm about to let you do something I never would have let anyone else do that didn't have a medical certificate on their wall or hadn't filled me with a quart of tequila first. Can't get more personal than that now can we?" She jokes, trying to relieve her own personal discomfort.

Twenty minutes later, and Sarah is lying down on a cot in the medical lab while Cameron prepares some slides and cultures.

"When will you have results?" Sarah asks. She could have gone in and laid in one of the hospital beds next door, but she wanted to be here while Cameron began the tests.

"The cultures will take time. I've prepared them simply to rule in or out natural viral or bacterial infections. The slides I've prepared are inconclusive thus far, but for this one."

Cameron holds up one slide. "There are inactive nanites in this tissue sample from your cervix."

"So this means what? That I'll be okay, that they haven't done any damage, or what?"

"All it means is that they have shutdown. Cut off as they were from Kreilley's mass, his nanites would die quickly without a source of energy."

"The tissue samples, do they show . . ." Her face becomes a mask of worry and grief. "Do I have cancer?"

"The small samples I gathered are not cancerous, but it can't be ruled out completely. I'll know more once you have your period. It will contain blood and tissue from within your uterus."

Sarah lies back on the cot. "Thank you Cameron. I'm sorry I freaked out on you earlier."

"It was understandable considering what you've been through."

"Maybe. But you aren't one of them, and I reacted as if you were. What I'm saying is, we're going to be living here together for a long time. I'll always be afraid of Sky Net's machines but you are my friend, I guess. John sent you to help me. He trusted you and I didn't. I won't make that mistake again."

Cameron squats down next to the cot. "You are afraid Sarah. It is natural that you should lash out at those around you."

"It still wasn't right." Sarah smiles weakly at her. "Do me a favor, whatever the results of these tests, we don't tell Savannah. She's been through so much in her short life, I don't want to burden her with this."

"Okay." Cameron says, in her quiet demeanor. "Now that we know this medical facility is here. I should do an inventory. If there is an ultrasound machine, it would help in the diagnosis."

Sarah looks around the room. Most of the equipment predates regular use of ultrasound and MRI's in checking patients health. But its possible there might be equipment in one of the storage rooms below.

"Do it later." Sarah says moving to get up from the cot. "We should go back down stairs before Savannah wakes. I wouldn't want her to wake up alone in that cavernous room."

2009, Three Weeks after Judgment Day

Savannah skips down the corridor and enters a room that Cameron has claimed for herself. It is stark and empty but for a cot, a chair, a small table with a single drawer, and her clothing folded neatly on a shelf. Cameron chose it for its proximity to the stairs and main entrance to minimize her exposure to the people who are beginning to arrive.

Savannah enters the room to find Cameron sitting in the chair holding something in her hands. Upon the desk are various small hand tools.

"Whatcha got in your hands?" Savannah pipes up.

"A decision." Cameron says cryptically as she slips her other chip in a shirt pocket.

"Where's Sarah?" Cameron asks, to redirect Savannah's attention.

"She's in the hanger talking to some new arrivals. A friend of hers, Father Amondo Bonitta, has brought several Mexican families with him."

"How did he find Sarah?"

"He didn't know she was here. He said he was at farms giving communion to migrant workers when the bombs fell. A farm owner served here when in the army and he led them all here. They brought baskets of vegetables, so we have some more food."

"Thank you for explaining."

Looking at Cameron's long face, Savannah asks, "Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing is wrong. Just something I have to do and uncertain of what the outcome will be."

Savannah nods her head.

"I've read a story recently. And in it a captain of a ship had to make a choice about this enemy ship. His orders were not to engage the ship in battle, but the captain of this other ship was determined to sink his ship. The first captain felt he only had one choice, to defend his ship and the people on it, regardless of the outcome. So he went to battle and he sunk the other ship."

"So the moral being, it is better to do the right thing by the people entrusted to your care regardless of what the consequences might be."

Savannah nods her enthusiastically.

She begins to leave, but Cameron stops her with a question.

"What happened to this Captain who disobeyed orders to protect his crew?"

"His superiors punished him, removed him from command, but the people on his ship thought him a hero and he captained a ship once again."

"Thank you Savannah. Where are you going?"

"I'm going back upstairs, to be with Sarah. She's been happier these last couple of days. Do you know why?"

"Sarah's had some good news. That's all you need to know."

"Okay!" Savannah says brightly and skips off down the corridor.

Cameron follows Savannah to the door to close and lock it behind her.

Sarah did have good news. Her menstrual flow contained many dead nanites and lots of dead tissue and blood. Examination of the tissue showed it to be potentially pre-cancerous, but when Cameron examined Sarah's womb again and took a tissue sample, no cancerous cells were found. Sarah's uterus was pink and healthy. No sign of any cancer or any damage from Kreilley's stabbing.

When Cameron told Sarah she was in perfect health, she didn't mention the dead cancer cells. It appeared that Kreilley's nanites had restored her uterus to health before they died, but all she told Sarah was that all the nanites were gone from her body and inactive and that her womb was 100% healthy.

When asked about her heavier than normal period, Cameron lied telling her she had an infection in the lining of her uterus. The antibiotic she got in prison and the subsequent antibiotics Cameron gave her for the multiple stabbings when they arrived at Crystal Peak, obviously healed her.

With the good news, Sarah smiled and gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She had been in a good humor thereafter.

Cameron was pleased to be able to help her friend, Sarah. But there is someone else she needs to help. With Savannah's words of wisdom, Cameron knows she has to do this now. She'll just face the consequences when they come.

Returning to the table, she pulls out her knife and lays it next to a pair of needle-nose pliers, and some forceps on top of the table.

She takes the chip out of her shirt pocket and lays it next to the tools.

The time has come, and thanks to Savannah, Cameron feels better about the task she must now perform.

A moment after inserting the other chip, Cameron's eyes glow blue. A few seconds later a tear runs down her face as she softly says only one word.

"John."

# # #

So the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, and in that time more people came. Cameron got the ancient computers working and with the aid of modern electronics brought by the people, was able to make them fully operational. They were now able to monitor the tracking of the military satellites to know when it was safe to venture outside.

Some who arrived died from radiation sickness, or from diseases that ran rampant because their immune systems were destroyed by radiation.

The deaths were many, and most were tragic. Children became orphans. Parents became childless.

Sarah did her best for all who came to Crystal Peak, made easier with advice from Cameron who chose to stay out of sight.

2011, 2 years after Judgment Day

Savannah is in a room turned into a library/classroom. She's a voracious reader and is once again reading one of her favorite stories when Sarah comes in, holding something behind her back.

"Hi Sarah!" Savannah says brightly, looking up from her book.

"That doesn't look like schoolwork." Sarah admonishes her lightly. "What are you reading?"

"Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It's my favorite."

Sarah looks at the cover and sees it's the children's edition.

Sarah smiles. "I would think you'd have that memorized by now. Why are you reading it again?"

"Oh Sarah! It's because this boy and this girl love each other, but their families hate each other. So they must hide their love, but their love is so strong that they marry each other. Wouldn't a wedding be beautiful? Then there is a fight and Romeo kills a relative of Juliet and he must hide. They have to live apart and they don't see each other for so long, and . . ."

"Okay I get it." Sarah laughs. "It's a tragedy."

"But wouldn't it be interesting if Romeo and Juliet could somehow live a new life, together. That they didn't have to die for their families to stop fighting. Oh it's so sad."

"You're not only smart, but you are a romantic."

"Weren't you ever in love?" She says with genuine curiosity, Sarah not having told her about the one man in her life that she did love and still loves today.

Sarah's smile disappears quickly, replaced briefly by one of deep sorrow.

"I'm sorry!" Savannah hugs her.

"It's okay dear." Sarah says, hugging her with one arm as she's holding something behind her back.

"Whatcha got behind your back?" Savannah says into her ear making Sarah laugh.

"There's no hiding things from you." Sarah pats the girl affectionately and pulls out two items wrapped in newspaper from behind her back.

"Happy Birthday!"

Savannah gasps with surprise. "You remembered!"

"The top one is from me. You can tear the paper."

Savannah rips it open to reveal a knit hat and mittens.

"It's not a great job, but I made them myself. It can get pretty cold in the mountains."

Savannah hugs her. "Thank you Sarah! What's in the other one?"

"Well, open it, silly, and find out."

The little girl rips it open to find dozens of Sudoku puzzles drawn to absolute perfection by hand on sheets of paper.

"Cameron made them for you." Sarah says, gesturing at the papers. "She said you love the game."

"Oh. I do. I do. Where is she so I can thank her?"

"She's in the science lab."

Savannah runs out the room.

Sarah yells after her, "You thank her and you get right back to your schoolwork young lady!"

"I will."

"And I don't mean reading Shakespeare either!" Sarah yells with laughter.

Two years, four months without John. It doesn't get any easier, but that little girl fills the void in my heart. Sarah's eyes well up with tears while at the same time she smiles.

Savannah runs through the mountain bunker and into the small lab.

Inside Cameron is watching an experiment. She harvested all the nanites that Kreilley left behind when he tortured Sarah. The nanites gives her an opportunity to discover more about the Liquid Metal terminators. According to the files on her second chip, the previous occupants of this body have encountered them, but knew nothing or little more than she did.

Cameron feels a small hand tug on her sleeve.

She looks down to see Savannah standing beside her and smiling.

"How can I help you Savannah?"

"Thank you for the Sudoku puzzles."

Cameron smiles. "Your welcome, and happy birthday."

Cameron returns to work making note of the recent changes in her experiment. She turns to look and Savannah is still there.

"Was there something else?"

"I wanted to ask you something," Savannah shuffles her feet, "but I don't want to hurt your feelings."

"The answer is yes. I am a machine much like your friend John Henry, but very different in many aspects."

"I know that. I'm not stupid."

"How do you know that?"

"Well duh! I watch you. I watch Sarah and the others. You are different. Your body language is off."

"How is it off?" Cameron frowns. Her infiltration protocols are exact. She can mimic human behavior to exact precision.

Savannah rolls her eyes. "You walk too stiffly. Relax more, like when you are dancing in your room. Feel the walk not just move your legs like a marionette."

"Like this!" Savannah does some walking around in the room in her natural gate.

"Not like this!" then she walks in a slight exaggeration of Cameron's own walking style.

"You see." she says putting her hand on her hips.

"Yes." Cameron nods her head. She automatically recorded Savannah's walk and with a quick modification for her own height and weight she has modified the program governing her walk.

She moves about the room in a flawless duplication of Savannah's own walk.

"See! You got it! Now can I ask my question?"

"Of course."

"Okay. I want to know, is it possible to love someone who isn't here? You know, like separated by distance or a family feud like in Romeo and Juliet."

Cameron stares straight ahead at the monitor. Her face going expressionless, almost frowning.

"Ask Sarah." she says in a monotone voice, not looking at the little girl.

"But I'm asking you." She pleads.

"Please, ask Sarah. I'm very busy."

"Okay." Savannah says drawing out each syllable.

She was only asking because Sarah has told her many stories about John when he was her age, that she found herself thinking about him all the time. She wishes he was here, as they'd probably have many fun adventures together. She knows Sarah thinks about him all the time. At least she knows Sarah dreams about him as she hears her call his name in her sleep. But lately she's been thinking about him too. If she asked, Savannah would discover she's experiencing her first crush.

Cameron didn't want to be short tempered with the girl, but what she said was too painful. She probably should have waited to put in the other chip, but Cameron had to know the truth.

"Why?" She says to the empty room. "Why didn't he follow me? Why isn't John here?"

She could find out. Catherine Weaver's TDE is only a short distance away on the top floor in a hidden chamber. She could hop inside set the coordinates for 2027 and be at John's side in mere minutes. But she can't do that. John has entrusted the welfare of his mother with her. And with Sarah she must remain until the time for John's arrival becomes imminent.

"Why?" She says softly, a tear falling and splashing on her notepad, causing the ink to blur.

2013, 4 years after Judgment Day

Savannah is sitting with Sarah on her bed. Besides the usual guns on a rack on the wall, the people who have come to entrust Sarah Connor as their leader, have slowly begun to show their appreciation. Recently, Sarah was surprised to see that her basic cot was replaced by a four-poster bed. While she was out manning a patrol, the young people organized themselves and brought it to the bunker from a nearby vacation cabin.

Sarah was overwhelmed. At first she wanted to admonish them for risking their lives for something that wasn't a necessity, but the looks of expectation on their faces when they surprised her, she couldn't find it in herself to be angry with them.

Savannah is ten years old now and today is the day, that Sarah Connor has decided to tell Savannah the truth about her mother. That she isn't human and she had more than likely killed her real mom to take her place.

"My mom is dead." Savannah says with a sniffle.

"Yes. The person you thought was your mom was a machine, liquid metal."

Shaky images flash in Savannah's mind and quickly disappear. A smoke filled helicopter. A loud crash. Her mom crying out in agony. Her blouse soaked with blood. A silvery humanoid shape kneeling, leaning over her mother. It turns its head and looks at her.

"My mom wasn't human. That's why her lap was cold." She says quietly.

"I'm sorry to tell you this. I didn't want to, believe me. But I thought it best, you should know."

"It killed mommy and took her place." She says, her eyes not focused on anything but the half remembered broken images from years previously.

"Yes." Sarah says placing her hand on the child's back.

"I remember. It was the accident that killed daddy. Why?" She asks tears running down her face.

"Why what dear?"

"Why would Sky Net kill my family, and not me?"

"I don't know."Sarah says. "I wish I did."

She holds her arms open to Savannah who embraces her and cries deeply.

"Promise me something." Savannah says through her sobs.

"Anything sweetheart." Sarah says, crying a little herself.

"That you'll help me kill that metal bitch when we meet her again."

Savannah then cries even harder holding tightly onto Sarah. Sarah hugs her to her bosom and holds on letting the child cry until she has no more tears.

# # #

For several weeks, Savannah has been training in earnest in hand-to-hand combat. She was content at first to learn computers and electronics and mechanics from Cameron, but that all changed since learning of her mother. Weapon training is next, once Sarah is certain Savannah is disciplined enough to handle a gun. Ammo isn't something to be wasted on target practice. She is growing up fast, and taller, but still slender with a sharp intelligence that even has Cameron's admiration.

Having completed another round of training outdoors, Savannah walks into the girl's showers to clean up before going to her regular classes. She runs into Cameron who is just beginning to disrobe for a shower herself.

"Hi Cameron. Why are you dirty and sweaty?"

"I was hiking outside when I crossed paths with one of our patrols. They were off their designated patrol route. The dogs pursued me. I shook them off and sneaked in through the emergency exit."

"Why don't the dogs like you?" Savannah asks, having just removed her shoes and socks.

"Because they know that I'm not human." Cameron says flatly, folding her slacks carefully and laying them on the bench.

"Dogs are smart, but they aren't that smart. A dog's greatest sense is his sense of smell. To them you look human but don't smell human. That frightens them and they bark a warning."

Cameron pauses as she unbuttons her shirt. "That's interesting. Tell me more."

"I can show you better. I learned this in health class. Smell your armpit and tell me what you find."

Cameron slips off her shirt and does as she suggests. "I detect water with a saline content."

"Now smell mine." Savannah raises her arm above her head and Cameron bends down to sniff.

"What do you find there?"

Cameron's nose wrinkles. "I also detect water with a saline content, bacteria, and excretions from your skin and bacteria that give off an odor."

"That's called body odors. You don't have any and that spooks the dogs. They can see you but don't smell you. The things you eat affect your body odor. You don't eat, so your skin doesn't secrete oils and sugars that attract bacteria, but I know you can eat."

Cameron face lights up with understanding. "Thank you for explaining. But don't tell anyone else this. If information like that got back to Sky Net. It's infiltrators would become even harder to detect."

"There's something' else. Sarah gave me 'the talk'" She says, rolling her eyes. "She said that my body will change and all that. Puberty. Based on the book she showed me, your body is post-puberty, you may want to take into account that hormones and pheromones will affect your body odor as well."

Cameron smiles at the young girl as she pulls a robe on over herself.

"You are a very intelligent girl, Savannah. I wonder what you'd be doing if it weren't for Judgment Day?"

Savannah shrugs her shoulders as she wraps a towel around herself for walking back to the showers.

"Sarah says I'm reading at a twelfth grade level already and that my understanding of math already exceeds her ability to teach me."

"I can teach you higher levels of mathematics, and chemistry and physics."

"That'd be nice. Sarah isn't any good at chemistry. She can never get covalent bonding right."

After taking their showers, the two girls sit in Cameron's room in white robes. While Cameron teaches Savannah trigonometry with calculus, Savannah brushes out Cameron's luxuriant brown hair.

Several minutes later Savannah says "It's my turn now," and stands in front of Cameron to work on some problems, while Cameron brushes her fire red hair.

When she is done brushing out Savannah's hair, Cameron hugs the girl as she's seen Sarah do so many times.

"Thank you." she says to the girl.

Savannah smiles, enjoying the embrace.

2016, 7 Years after Judgment Day, Early winter

Savannah is quickly climbing the snow covered path to find Cameron. In recent months, Savannah had noticed that Cameron had been coming up here to be alone, but Savannah can't wait for her to return to the bunker to tell her the good news.

Scrambling up the last several feet, she sees Cameron standing at the end of the ledge, looking out on the valley floor.

"Cameron! You'll never guess what happened!" She shouts.

Cameron had heard the teenage girl approaching, for some time. Her steps and breathing unmistakable as she clambered up the steep slope. She's been coming here, away from the people and the noise of the bunker, to be alone with her thoughts and her memories.

"You'll never guess what happened!" Savannah says again. "Sarah and I were practicing hand-to-hand combat and I flipped her. Right into a mud puddle!"

Cameron turns to face her. "That's good. Sarah has trained you well."

Seeing Cameron's face, Savannah's joy at her recent accomplishment is quickly forgotten.

"What's wrong Cameron? Have you been crying?"

Cameron gives her a half-hearted smile. "I just felt like crying, because I was alone."

"But you aren't alone. You got me, and Sarah. We're a family."

"Yes." Cameron says wiping away the tears that still linger on her face. "We are a family."

Savannah moves to her and hugs her. "Whatever is wrong. We can help you."

"There's nothing that you can do. It's just a question of time."

"You're talking cryptically again. I thought Sarah told to stop being so ambiguous in your answers."

"Sarah is not my boss."

"No. But she's your friend, and be honest, she's been like a mother and friend to both of us."

"I know. You go on inside and get cleaned up. I'll be in soon to help you with your physics."

"Already finished it. Last night when you were in the lab. What is it that you do in there?"

"Trying to find the secret as to how one of Sky Net's machines work."

Cameron smiles at her friend. "Let's go back inside now. There is still your chemistry schoolwork to do."

As they go down the slope, Savannah says. "Sarah got a report from retired Colonel Singer."

"How's his jaw?"

"It's healed well since Sarah broke it. Anyway, he has a lead on one of these raiding parties who have been interrupting the supply lines we protect for the regular army."

"Where are they?"

"Presently holding stationary at a location no more than twenty-five miles away. Singer let it be known that a new shipment was moving north from Mexico, and the bandits haven't moved since."

"That was careless of Singer."

"No. It's not. He lied. There is no shipment this week. Sarah wants to move out tonight."

"I see."

"She wants me to come with her to observe only. I wanted to ask if you'd come with me. We'd be out of sight so you don't have to worry about the others seeing you."

Cameron smiles at her young friend. "Okay. But you do what I tell you, when I tell you. If something were to happen to you, Sarah would have me dismantled in no time flat."

"Thank you." Savannah says giving Cameron's arm a squeeze.

2016, Three Nights Later

Cameron and Savannah walk from their observation point to a small cabin tucked in under the trees. The snow has moved down from the higher elevations and has begun covering the valley floors.

As they approach the door Cameron whispers, "Perhaps you should wait out here. We don't know what it is that Sarah wants."

"Hell no." Savannah says shivering. "It's freezing out here. I'm going in where it's warm."

"Very well, but you listen to what Sarah or I tell you."

The two girls enter the cabin to find Sarah standing over the prostrate body of a young man, a few years older that Savannah. Blood is oozing from the corner of his mouth. Sarah is breathing hard, her fists are clenched, and her long hair disheveled.

"Who is he?" Cameron asks.

Sarah drops her fists. "A member of the raiding party stealing supplies. He was left guarding their hoard while the rest of the group came after our fake supply run."

"What happened?"

"He attacked me when I told him his family is dead."

"Our people didn't kill them, did they?" Savannah asks her voice rising.

"No. Machines did. A group of T-600's and some old T-1's. We hightailed it out of the canyon at the first warning. We gave the raiders every chance to surrender and come with us. They wouldn't. So we pulled out and left them to their fate."

"Surely there must have been something you could do?" Savannah protests.

"Savannah!" Sarah snaps. "I've got almost a hundred people I'm responsible for, not to mention our other base at Groom Lake. If any of those machines got one of our people, and they talked, we'd be dead! And that would be my fault. It is better for a few raiders to die than any of our people."

Savannah nods her head. "I understand. So what do you want us for."

"Not you, just Cameron."

Cameron looks up from where she was studying the boy. "Yes."

"I need you to get information out of him. I can't help but think of how quickly that man gave up information on where that truck was going when John was captured. You can do the same to this guy."

"That wasn't me. That was the other Cameron."

Sarah shakes her head and gives her a look that says sorry.

"But I can do what you ask. Perhaps you and Savannah would like to go for a walk."

"Must I go." Savannah protests. "I think I was just beginning to feel my feet again."

"Quit complaining." Sarah says, grabbing her arm. "You really don't want to see this."

Cameron waits until the two women leave, before saying, "You can quit faking. I know you are awake."

The boy opens his eyes and glares at the girl.

"What's your name?" Cameron asks.

The boy looks at her defiantly. Cameron reaches behind her back, grasping the hilt of her knife. With a movement so quick her arm appears to a blur, she throws the knife. The point buries itself almost an inch deep in the wooden floor between the boys legs, next to his crotch.

It stands there quivering like a tuning fork. A single solitary note slowly fading in the quiet cabin.

The boy snaps his eyes from the knife to Cameron. "Richard! Richard Harman!" he shouts.

"Good." Cameron kneels down in front of Richard, her hand caressing the knife almost sensuously.

"See. That wasn't so difficult." Cameron smiles at him, but her eyes are bereft of any humor.

"Now, tell me where your base of operations are, how many people are in your organization, and who your leader is, and maybe," she pulls the knife out of the floor and holds it front of the boys face, "and maybe I won't neuter you."

She gives him her cold menacing look. The boy swallows nervously.

Twenty minutes later, Sarah and Savannah are walking back to the cabin.

"This is the heaviest snow fall since Judgment Day." Savannah says, shivering in her thin jacket. She outgrew her mittens and hat years ago, but how she wishes she had them now.

"It's good. When it melts in the spring it will refill our cisterns so we can have some fresh water."

"So much for global warming eh?" Savannah smiles at her.

The cabin just comes into view, when they can hear a loud crash and some yelling. The two women begin running and are almost to the cabin just as the young man crashes through the window in a cloud of shattered glass and splintered wood, landing flat on his back.

Cameron just as quickly runs out the cabin door, snapping it off its hinges. A knife in her hand. The girls are shocked to see a deep gash on her face, from the edge of her scalp to her jaw-line, exposing the metal underneath.

"What happened?" Sarah asks, yelling.

Cameron stops abruptly upon seeing the other women. She was so focused on the fight with Richard, she hadn't heard the women approaching.

"I let my guard down. He gave every sign of being thoroughly subdued. He had answered all my questions. I momentarily turned my back on him as I looked for something to tie him up with. That is when he attacked, with a knife he had hidden on him. He cut my face, but when he saw I wasn't human, he froze for a second. It gave me all the advantage I needed, but he fought back. He proved to be a most determined fighter and I did my best to defend myself without killing him."

"Understood." Sarah answers. "Who is he? And what did you learn concerning the shipments?"

"His name is Richard Harman. I got the information you wanted. When we get back to Crystal Peak, you'd better get on the radio to Juarez, in Mexico, and tell him to reroute all shipments through Santa Fe until further notice."

"That bad."

"Unless Sky Net gets them first, you are going to have a small war on your hands until the last of the raiders are gone or have surrendered."

In the meantime Savannah has been staring at the young man. Bloodied and bruised, he hasn't moved since he landed in the snow. She has never seen Cameron so violent before.

"He isn't dead, is he?" Savannah asks.

Richard lets out a long groan.

"Apparently not." Cameron says, re-sheathing her knife and walking away.

"Is this why you didn't want me here?" Savannah asks as she and Sarah bend down to grab the young man under his arms to drag him. "I'm no stranger to violence."

"I wish you were, but you've never seen Cameron do what she does so well. And the two of you are quite close. I didn't want to give you reason to mistrust her."

"I know what she is. She's a machine."

"Yes. That will never change. But what she is, doesn't define who she is, and just now, the part of her that you haven't seen, the part of her programmed by Sky Net. You didn't need to see that. I never want you to see that."

Savannah nods her head as they follow Cameron, dragging the man with them.

"Do you think, if we hadn't arrived when we did, that Cameron would have killed him?"

Sarah walks a few paces before answering, "I don't know. I honestly don't know."

A couple of miles later, the two women are beginning to flag from dragging the unconscious youth.

"Hey Cameron! Don't you think you could help?" Sarah shouts after the cyborg who is beginning to outdistance them.

Cameron stops and turns to face them. Her hand is on her face holding the cut together. The only means possible until she gets back to base.

"He's faking it." She shouts, after scanning the body.

"What?" Sarah looks down and the boy is smiling up at her.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Sarah yells and punches him in the face breaking his nose.

Tying his hands behind him, and blindfolding him, Sarah and Savannah make him walk in front of them all the way back to Crystal Peak.

2019, 10 Years after Judgment Day, Mid-summer

Cameron is checking the medical report once again. Everything is good. According to the test results, Sarah's in perfect health.

She walks around the curtain to find Sarah sitting on the examination table still wearing the silly backless gown she wore for her examination.

"Well?" Sarah asks.

"You are in perfect health. According to these results, you are in the early stages of menopause."

With a clear sigh of relief, Sarah smiles. "Thank God, it's only menopause. Never thought I'd be so happy to hear that word. I was afraid it might be cancer."

"Your fears were unjustified, your body is simply changing. All tests are clean with no signs of any cancer."

Sarah gets down from the examination table and begins removing the gown. She struggles to undo the ties, then just admits defeat and turns her back to Cameron and gestures at the knots.

While Cameron unties the cords, Sarah asks. "Have you given any thought as to what you might do after the war? I'd think you'd make an excellent doctor."

"No. My only concern is your welfare and that of Savannah Weaver." She answers parting the gown and exposing Sarah's naked backside.

"May I ask you a question?" Cameron asks gently as Sarah tosses the medical gown in the corner.

"Shoot." Sarah answers, as she pulls on her panties.

There was a time when Cameron would have said, "But I don't have a gun." but not this time, having added hundreds of little colloquialisms to her database in the time she's been with Sarah.

"For the last seven years you've been in perfect health and fully capable of bearing young. I'd like to know, is there a reason you haven't sought a mate amongst the many males on this base to conceive a child with? The human population is in need of rebuilding . . ."

Sarah holds up her hand to stop Cameron from saying more. Cameron can't help to notice the pink scars from where Sarah was tortured along her upper arm and across her chest. Some of the pink scars have matching scars on the opposite side of her arms or breasts, where Kreilley pierced straight through. Considering the sensitive nerves in most of those areas of the human body, the torture would have been painful, the blood loss slow but debilitating. Neither efficient nor quick. Kreilley wanted more than information. He wanted to humiliate Sarah, weaken her spirit and resolve by attacking her body - humans true weakness, their flesh. But he failed with Sarah. Cameron has seen this woman come back with a vengeance, training the survivors and leading them, and working with them.

Pulling her slacks on, Sarah sits on the edge of the table, gathering her thoughts as she untangles her bra straps.

"Is it because of the scars you still bear from your torture?" Cameron asks.

"What makes you think that?" Sarah replies, as Cameron gets close to the truth.

"Because you always wear clothing that hides the scars. Even on the hottest days, you don't wear shorts or T-shirts, but always slacks and long sleeve shirts. I'm thinking you are ashamed of your scars."

"It's not the scars I'm ashamed of, but what I did to get them."

Sarah sits on the edge of the examination table holding her bra in her hands, now free of the tangles.

"I failed my son. I failed the human race. I failed the people who now look to me for leadership. These scars are a testament to my failure." She says gesturing at the pink scars on her stomach and breasts. "I am ashamed of my failure. I taught my son to be strong, to always fight back. But when the fight came to me I failed him."

"I see the scars every time I disrobe to change my clothes or bathe. I see them. I can feel them." She runs a hand across her body, her fingertips brushing the scars. "I always know they are there. I will never be able to make up for my failure or to atone for the shame that I feel. The only thing I can do is to turn these survivors into an army for when John gets here. That is my primary task. But these scars are not the reason I haven't chosen a mate, as you put it."

Sarah pulls on her bra and reaches behind her back to do the catch.

"So there is a reason?" Cameron asks gently.

Sarah rolls her eyes. The girl just won't let it be.

"Are we alone? And what I mean is, that there is zero chance of us being overheard?"

"We are presently the only ones on this floor." Cameron says having performed a quick auditory scan.

"What I'm about to tell you, is known to only one other person. Don't tell anyone, not even Savannah, because it isn't safe."

"I understand." Cameron says reassuringly, handing Sarah her shirt.

"John's father came from the future. He was a soldier sent back to protect me from being killed by a terminator. We fell in love and had sex only once. John was conceived that night."

Cameron waits patiently while Sarah gathers her thoughts and pull her shirt on over her head.

"After Judgment Day, I was quite busy raising Savannah, training, leading, generally just working my ass off. So busy I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't realize until too late that by the time I meet him, John's father, I'd be old enough to be his mother."

"You were hoping to meet Kyle Reese again, weren't you? Maybe hoping to start a family with him? And if you began one with someone else, then that possibility would be gone."

"How did you know . . . "

". . . that Kyle Reese was John's father? I was able to deduce that from the information on my secondary chip." Sarah gasps. "No. Before you ask, I haven't activated the chip. It's in read only mode. My secondary port was the safest place for it to be."

"I'm a little shocked that you know. Also surprised you didn't let your original matrix take over."

"I am here to protect you. That is my job. She is here to protect John. Not that she couldn't do my job, she could once our matrixes merged. But until John arrives, I don't want to deny her the person she loves."

"So, Cameron does love, which means you can love too."

"Yes Sarah. I love both you and Savannah. You are my family."

Sarah hugs Cameron. "You are my friend, and very much like a daughter. You and Savannah are both like daughters. I couldn't love either of you more than I do if I had given birth to you."

Cameron accepts the hug gratefully and hugs her friend back. When they are finished, Cameron asks, "This body isn't capable of conceiving a child. Would John love his Cameron even knowing they couldn't have children?"

Sarah ponders the heavy question. "I would hope I had raised my son to love without conditions, and considering who he loves, what she/you are, do you think he'd care about having children if he loves his Cameron as much as I think he does?"

Cameron searches her files and sees John's face when he looked at her in the motel room that last day; the way he looked at her when she gave him the detonator switch; the way he looked at her when he held out his hand to help her out of the wreck when they were going to burn her; the way John looked at her when he reinserted her chip after she destroyed Artie; and the way he looked at her when she introduced herself to him in school that first day they met in Red Valley.

"No. I don't think he'd care. But what about you? John is your only child. Wouldn't you want grandchildren?"

Sarah smiles and with a shrug, says, "All I care about is that John is happy and safe. Besides, thanks to Savannah, I could have grandkids through her, someday."

"But she's not a blood relation. Does that matter?"

"Savannah may not be a child of my womb, but she is a child of my heart. As I said already, I couldn't love her any more if I had given birth to her myself. Same with you. I could never understand why my son could fall in love with a machine, but after having you as my friend these last seven years, I could understand why. You may not have a physical heart, but you've got one just the same. However, . . ."

Cameron looks at her inquisitively.

"Perhaps I shouldn't say this, and please don't take this the wrong way. For a time John had a girlfriend, a human girl named Riley. I think he went out with her mostly to get back at me as I didn't think it was safe, but a small part of me was glad that he found companionship with a real girl. It turned out the girl was lying to him, betraying him to an enemy, who later killed Riley and tried to frame Cameron for it. After Riley died, it quickly became so real to John that human life is very vulnerable and those close to him will die because of who he is. Before John settles down with his Cameron, I almost wish that he might find a girl who loves him so he will know what love is, you know? True love is hard to come by. I had my one chance with Kyle. First chances are rare, second chances even rarer. When love is real, nothing else matters. True love is looking past the differences and the pain to the person that is inside. John's had a couple of chances with Cameron and he's going for a third. If Cameron is the girl he is going to share his destiny with, even though she is a cyborg, then so be it. But . . ."

"You'd like him to be loved by someone who loves him without complications, without issues, someone who is human." She says as a variety of thoughts go through her head.

"It's a foolish dream. John loves his Cameron and he'll do anything to get back with her. He repaired you didn't he? Sent you to protect his mom and get his Cameron off that computer. Killed two birds with one stone and we only have to wait another eleven years and he'll have you back not looking a day older than when he last saw you, unlike his mom who will be an old hag in that time."

"You won't be an old hag. You are still quite an attractive woman from many angles." She says with a smile.

Sarah laughs. "Don't go there. You've just seen me naked and that's beginning to sound like a pick-up line."

"It's not my fault that I'm the only person you trust with your medical care, despite medical doctors being here."

"When I stop having phantom illnesses, that's when I'll see a real doctor, no offense intended."

"None taken. I'm curious about you saying about my compliment sounding like a pick-up line, when neither of us are bisexual or a lesbian. I'm curious, have you ever had sex with a woman?"

Sarah clears her throat with embarrassment. "Only once, I was at a college party and got very, very drunk. Know what happened that night, but I woke up naked with a hangover in a bed with another naked woman. I felt very certain we must have done something based on" - Sarah clears her throat - "the evidence. I got dressed in a hurry and got the hell out of there before anyone else woke up."

"What kind of evidence?" Cameron asks as they finally begin to leave the infirmary.

"Never you mind!" Sarah shouts. "And don't you dare repeat that story to anyone or I'll take you apart myself!"

Cameron nods her head, a tiny grin on her face.

2019, Autumn

Savannah walks into Cameron's room and flops down on her cot, letting out a long sigh.

Cameron had been sitting at her desk checking the most recent data collected from the satellites on her laptop. She now looks at the sixteen year-old now occupying her cot.

"Is there something wrong?" She asks the red-haired young woman staring up at the ceiling.

She knows today is Sunday, and that Sarah typically attends mass with Father Bonitta, bringing a reluctant Savannah with her. Cameron doesn't attend, not only because of all the people, but because of Father Bonitta. Cameron ran into him when he was visiting Sarah one day. It took Sarah a long time to calm him down. She told him what Cameron was and that she wouldn't harm him. He accepted her explanations and promised not to tell anyone, provided she never entered his chapel.

"It's Sarah." Savannah sighs. "We had a fight this morning. She's insisting that I should start dating. Get a social life."

"You are a teenager. Most humans begin developing social skills and learning about the opposite sex during these formidable years."

"Oh God, Cameron." Savannah rolls up onto her elbow. "For once could you not analyze the situation and just talk to me as your friend!"

"Sorry." Cameron turns her back on the computer and pays attention to her friend. "What's wrong?"

"Why should I date? Ignoring the fact that there are some cute guys here, why should I? You and Sarah don't see anyone?"

"It is important for normal human . . ." Cameron stops explaining as Savannah looks at her cross eyed, while sticking her tongue out. A decidedly immature reaction, Cameron thinks, as she decides say something more personal.

"Sarah just wants you to have as close to a normal life as possible. Like she had at your age. Sarah dated in her teen years. She met John's father while in college. She dated again after his father died. But now with Judgment Day having occurred, she feels it is far more important to raise you and run this base rather than date anyone."

"What about you? There is nothing that makes you physically different from me in being female, but you don't date any guys. You avoid people, when I have friends. What's your reason for not dating?"

Cameron owes her friend an explanation and some advice, but not the entire truth. No. she can't tell her that. It's too painful to speak of, even after all this time.

"I'm waiting until I meet the right guy. Because I'm a cyborg, I need to know the guy I date, and possibly live the rest of my life with will love me for not only who I am, but what I am."

"Would you marry this guy if given the chance?" Savannah asks, suddenly mesmerized by the almost dreamy way Cameron spoke, her eyes not focused on anything.

"Marry?"

"Yeah, you know, a wedding, white dress, tuxedos, and bridesmaids in tacky dresses. A public declaration of your love before friends and family and all that. If you met this hypothetical guy, would you marry him?"

"Yes." Cameron says, turning her attention back to the computer, hiding the tears threatening to well up despite her programming trying to cancel them. It seems her emotional subroutines bring out a physical reaction of her cybernetic flesh. Something she's been trying unsuccessfully for years to suppress.

"Good!" Savannah says, sitting up and not noticing Cameron's strained face, nor having seen her quick actions to wipe away the tears.

"Then that's what I'll do." Savannah stands up. "I'll tell Sarah that I'll date when I meet the right guy and not before."

She hugs her friend from behind, placing a quick kiss on Cameron's cheek.

"You know. If I were a guy, it wouldn't matter to me, that you were a cyborg. Whomever you date and marry is going to be one lucky fellow to have you."

Savannah gives her one more quick hug and quickly leaves the room.

Cameron resumes studying the satellite data. "And I thought, I was the lucky one." She murmurs.

2021, 12 Years after Judgment Day

Savannah, now eighteen years of age, walks into the control center for Crystal Peak. Sarah is sitting in a chair, reading through a file.

She can't help but notice the lines of worry around Sarah's mouth and eyes, and the gray that shoots through her rich dark hair. Sarah's had a hard life, made harder by her separation from John. But it won't be much longer now.

Savannah's own heart does a flutter as she realizes it's only six years away. Six years until she meets the young man who first showed her how to tie her shoes and then saved her life from that machine. She could almost curse her perfect memory, as John's face has always been right there fueling her fantasies since the onset of puberty. Damn the hormones, she thinks.

She chose to live without a boyfriend. Savannah has had many young men look at her and speak to her in a way that made their intentions clear, much the same way she's seen men look at Sarah. But like Sarah, who has been her surrogate mother, and like Cameron, who has been her closest friend, she has chosen an almost monastic lifestyle, despite insistence from Sarah she should date someone.

Savannah wonders how often Sarah imagines what that moment will be like, when she is reunited with her son. Knowing Sarah like she does, she probably thinks of it all the time.

"Hi Sarah. You wanted to see me." Savannah says, getting the woman's attention.

Sarah looks up from the folder she was reading. "Yes. I think I've found a project for you, perfectly fitted to your talents."

"What is it?"

Sarah gets up and walks over to the map. Pointing at a location some fifty miles away.

Sarah says, "Our people at Groom Lake caught two infiltrators here on the outskirts of the base."

"Two infiltrators! Machines? How many of our people were killed?"

"That's the funny thing. No one was killed. They surrendered and offered their services to the resistance."

"Hold on a minute. We're not exactly resistance. We just protect the supplies coming in for the regular army."

"Which we haven't been doing much of since supply lines got rerouted through Santa Fe. Since then, I've been on the radio keeping the people's hopes up, and gathering and sharing our scant intelligence with the military, especially after they moved east with their supply lines. These LM's weren't aware the Groom Lake facility wasn't part of the regular resistance."

Savannah's face goes ashen.

"LM's." She says quietly, then she shouts, "Liquid metal! Like the metal bitch that killed my mom and that beast that tortured you!" She finishes yelling her face nearly as red as her hair.

"Yes. The same kind as them." Sarah answers coldly. "I want you to take this research that Cameron has done on Kreilley's nanites and go to Groom Lake. Find a means to destroy them. So we can defend ourselves in the future. These machines are hard to destroy. And if we can find a means to kill them, then we'll have the advantage."

Sarah hands her the folder she was looking at previously. Savannah flips it open and sees handwritten notes in Cameron's meticulously perfect handwriting. There is a spot on one page where the ink is blurred and wrinkled from a drop of water or some other clear liquid.

The notes are detailed, but nowhere does it mention where she got the nanites. Probably that's on a need to know. She could ask Sarah, but she doesn't need to know how the nanites were obtained, just that they have research that she can use to possibly build a weapon and she'll have two test subjects. But there is one question she can ask Sarah.

"Why me?" Savannah asks, closing the folder. "I hate them for what they've done to us."

A memory briefly flashes through Savannah's consciousness of a silvery humanoid figure leaning over her dead mother.

"I know. More specifically, you hate the one that killed your mom. Use that hatred to drive you. Pack your bag. You are leaving with the next rotation of soldiers in half an hour."

Savannah returns to her room and quickly packs her bag. It isn't much, just another change of clothes and some trail mix and some extra clips for her sidearm.

Before leaving, she spies her old stuffed giraffe sitting on a shelf. It's faded now, and a little ragged. Seeing it, she remembers happier times. Having it close, when alone as a child, made her feel secure. She wouldn't want to leave Cameron alone.

Checking the time, she sees she'll have to hurry if she is to get it done. The patrol will be leaving soon she'll be joining for the long hike.

Savannah walks to Cameron's room a few minutes later carrying a small bundle. After tapping on the door, Cameron calls out to her to come in.

She steps inside, as something tiny begins wiggling in the bundle she's carrying.

"Hi Cameron. I've got a gift for you."

"What is it?" Cameron asks, not using her HUD to spy on what's inside the small blanket. When Savannah was little, she'd always complain that Cameron was cheating when using her abilities, especially during hide-n-seek. Eventually, she stopped scanning altogether when with her family.

Savannah places the squirming bundle in her lap.

"Open it and see."

Cameron lifts a fold in the blanket to reveal a German Shepherd puppy.

"A dog?" Cameron asks surprised.

"His mom got killed by a mountain lion. The other pups were divided amongst other nursing dogs, but there isn't enough momma dogs for all the pups. This one needs to be reared by hand."

Savannah pulls a bottle out of her jacket and hands it to Cameron.

"I can't help but notice you've looked a little sad lately, and Sarah is sending me to Groom Lake to take charge in a research project. I don't know how long I'll be gone, so . . ."

Cameron places the nipple of the bottle lower and the little mewling pup eagerly takes hold and begins sucking for all he's worth. A smile comes to Cameron's face.

"What's his name?" She asks.

"Whatever you want to call him." Savannah smiles at her friend who seems fixated on the little puppy.

"I'll call him Max." She says, stroking the soft fur with her thumb as she cradles the pup in her hand. There is a strong connection to that name, with two people she knows.

Savannah is about to say, that's a rather common name for dogs, with four other Max's at other camps, but decides not to ruin the moment. If Cameron wants to name the pup Max, then why interfere.

She begins to leave, but Cameron calls out to her, causing Savannah to stop and look back.

"Good luck, with your project, and thank you for the puppy."

"Anytime Cameron." She says with a smile, before leaving.

2025, 16 Years after Judgment Day

Cameron is studying latest reports on Sky Net's activities they've received from the military. They are having a hard time, but have rebuilt since having to retreat from the west coast. Soon the time will come for them to return. Hope is only two years away.

Savannah walks in looking pale with tears trickling down her face.

"What's wrong? What did the doctor's say?" Cameron asks in quick succession while quickly helping Savannah to a chair.

"They think its cancer." She cries.

Cameron hands her a clean cloth so she can wipe her tears away.

"Where?" Cameron asks wondering why after all these years, it should suddenly strike again.

"Based on neurological exams, they think Sarah has brain cancer. But without an MRI, they only have symptoms to go by."

"But they feel confident?"

Savannah nods her head, while wiping her eyes.

Cameron was worried. Sarah's symptoms began to be noticeable about a year after Savannah returned from Grooms Lake. Neither of them would tell her what it was Savannah went there to do. Cameron didn't want to pry, after all, she was keeping secrets from them as well.

After beginning to feel sick, Sarah took some time off, much against her nature, and was feeling healthier when she resumed her duties. That had been the case until she began forgetting things, and feeling weaker. Cameron didn't know what to do, her knowledge is vast, but her experience is limited. So Sarah eventually saw the medical doctor's on base and they did what they could.

Savannah is sobbing now, and Cameron stops her musings and holds her close.

Once Savannah's sobbing has quieted down, Cameron discretely escorts her upstairs so they can visit Sarah.

Sarah calls them in after they tap lightly on her door. Cameron barely closes it behind herself and Savannah, when Sarah says, "You know."

Savannah quickly hugs her and Cameron nods her head, tears are now streaming from her eyes. So close. She is so close to seeing John again and this has to happen now.

"How are the doctor's going to treat it?" Savannah asks. Cameron knows there aren't many options available, but humans are ingenious at finding answers to impossible problems.

"They're working on it now. They think a combination of drugs. . ." Sarah breaks off, unable to hold back the flood of tears.

"My son." she mumbles, closing her eyes.

She stands up straight, almost pushing the two women away. "I'm going to fight it!" Sarah proclaims. "I will not let it beat me," Sarah is crying, "not until I can hold John in my arms again and know that he is safe."

They both hug Sarah, who cries into the cyborgs shoulder. Cameron knows Sarah will fight it. She's the best fighter John knows.

2027, 18 Years after Judgment Day, Spring

Savannah climbs the side of the mountain peak. The path has been well traveled over the years they've been here, but as far as Savannah knows, only one person other than herself has hiked this trail.

Cameron stands on the ledge, probably just big enough for three people to sit comfortably without fearing any should fall.

It has become Cameron's favorite place at Crystal Peak. From this vantage point she can look into a valley that is still green and untouched by the bombs of Judgment Day.

Cameron is lost in thought. She's in a place she knows Cameron and John would enjoy, if they were together. John. John Connor. He'll be arriving soon, in a matter of weeks. She'll need to leave soon. She'll leave tonight, Cameron decides.

"I thought I might find you here." Savannah says from behind her.

Cameron looks over her shoulder at the young woman, now in her twenties. Intelligent, brave, with a good sense of humor. Cameron smiles at her.

"Hi."

Savannah is like a sister or close friend. It will be hard to leave her and Sarah behind, but it must be done.

"I'm leaving." Cameron says, her voice soft and still.

"If you want to be alone, I can go." Savannah says, with a look of concern.

"No. I mean I'm leaving Crystal Peak." Cameron answers.

"What? Why?" Savannah asks sounding very upset.

"You need to look after Sarah for me." Cameron replies stoically. "She's been progressively getting sicker since your return."

"She's been doing well lately. The doctors here say . . . ."

"Sarah is sicker than she lets on. She doesn't want to worry you. So it's up to you to take care of her."

"You're leaving now aren't you?" Savannah accuses her.

"I have to." Cameron's eyes look sad. "My power cell is leaking radiation. It could make everyone sick."

"How long have you known?" Savannah asks now sounding more concerned than angry.

"I ran a diagnostic this afternoon when I noticed that the radiation sensors had begun recording a spike in areas I had just been. I have to leave."

Savannah embraces Cameron. "I love you. You're my friend and you've been like a sister to me growing up."

Cameron's face is flush with emotion. "I know. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed these eighteen years. You taught me so much."

"No, it's you who taught me. You and Sarah." Savannah quickly embraces her friend again and cries into her shoulder.

"You are my best friend in the whole world. Isn't there something you can do to fix your power cell?"

Cameron compassionately pats Savannah's back, fighting hard not to show the emotion she feels more deeply now and with greater understanding.

"There's nothing I can do. It will ultimately drain away completely, leaving me powerless, or possibly explode. Either option is not good for any of you. There is only one course to take. I must leave."

"But what about a power cell from another terminator? Wouldn't one of them work?"

Cameron shakes her head. "We haven't fought anything newer than a T-800, but their power cells are too big. I would need the power cell from a T-888. It is the only kind compatible to my system."

"We haven't encountered any T-888's." Savannah cries. "I'm so sorry."

"I need to leave. I can't stay any longer."

"I understand, but you have to say goodbye to Sarah before you leave."

"I will."

Cameron begins to walk back down the trail, but stops after a few paces. Looking over her shoulder at the young red-haired woman, she says, "I love you too. Good bye Savannah."

Savannah sits down on a rock and looks out over the valley below. Tears run down her face as memories of growing up with Cameron fill her heart and mind.

A few minutes later, Cameron knocks on the door to Sarah's room. It wasn't much when they moved here, but over time, the spartan room had been turned into a proper room for Sarah, with a bed, a desk and chair, even an old sofa they scavenged from one of the mountain cabins.

"Come in." Sarah's voice is heard faintly from the other side.

Cameron enters to see Sarah sitting at her desk.

"I've brought you an update on our resources and a plan on where you can go once the resources drop to critical levels." Cameron says, closing the door behind her.

"How long until we reach critical levels?" Sarah asks.

"You could stretch out resources two maybe three months if you begin sending people to outlying camps now."

Sarah sighs. "What if we were to merge with one the other resistance groups, trade knowledge and technical expertise for resources?"

"You've only kept this place secure by keeping a low profile. You've done more with our limited resources already, even securing locations to house our people in abandoned towns. To make contact, would mean losing security. You must not do that. Not until you must. That is also on my list of guidelines I'm providing you for the coming weeks. Also, I'm recommending leaving twenty gallons of fuel in reserve to run the generators should any people have to return here temporarily."

"Okay." Sarah says questioningly as she takes the proffered thumb drive from Cameron. "I'll plug this into the computer later and ask Savannah to join me in looking at it."

"Sarah." Cameron waits until she makes eye contact. "When the time comes to leave, go south. There is a military base near San Diego. The surface was destroyed by nuclear weapons, but there are deep underground bunkers with modern facilities."

"You want me to move everyone and everything there?"

Cameron nods her head. It will be an effort on Sarah's part, but she has lots of people to help her now.

Sarah picks up a small notepad from her desk. "I put together some notes on what I'm going to say for tonight's broadcast. Would you take a look at them?"

Cameron takes the proffered notepad. A quick glance shows all is there that needs to be said.

"It looks good, Sarah." Cameron says, handing the notepad back to her.

Sarah takes the notepad back arching one eyebrow. Cameron has come a long way since that time she had to remind the cyborg of the necessity of underwear. There was something in her voice, small, but her voice caught momentarily when she mentioned her name, and there was that list of guidelines . . .

"What's wrong?" Sarah asks leaving the notepad on her desk, quickly forgotten.

"I've come to say . . ."

"To say what?" Sarah asks, suddenly worried that she may have bad news regarding her cancer.

"I'm leaving." Cameron says, her head dropping. Try as she might, even she can't ignore the loss she feels.

Sarah gets up from her chair and gives her a hug and slowly guides her to the sofa where they sit.

"Talk to me." Sarah says, holding the hands of her closest friend and confidant.

Cameron tells her what she told Savannah. Sarah patiently listens to all that she says.

"I see." Sarah sits up straight. "Is this the cause of my illness?"

"No Sarah!" Cameron says abruptly. "My power cell has only begun to leak recently. At present the radiation will cause you no harm, but it could in time. That's why I must leave, so you won't become more ill than you are now."

Sarah fights the tears, but they flow, far more than she expected to. With quiet sobs, she pulls Cameron close to her and hugs her tight.

"I'll miss you." She sobs again. "I will miss you so much."

"I'll miss you too, Sarah. You've been a good family." Cameron replies hugging the woman to her.

Automatically her sensors engage. Cameron doesn't like what little her sensors can detect.

At most, she's probably got four months to live. I hope she lives long enough to see John again. It's all she's lived for these eighteen years. But if she follows my guidelines, she just might live to see him.

Echoing Cameron's thoughts, Sarah says, "But what about John? He's going to expect you to be here when he arrives. What do I tell him?"

Placing a hand gently on the woman's arm, Cameron replies. "When you see him, tell him what I told you. That I had to leave because of my power cell is failing. It won't be much longer until he arrives and you will see your son again."

"It's so hard, this waiting. I'm sick with worry about him all the time. He's never far from my thoughts. He's our only hope to save this world. Our only hope."

Crying softly, Cameron says, "Then tell the people that in your radio addresses. Give them that hope and you will prepare the way for his arrival. They will be more receptive to accept him as their leader."

Nodding her head, her face wet with tears, Sarah hugs her friend again. "I will. I'll do that. A modern-day John the Baptist, preparing the way for the new messiah."

With more sobs, Sarah collapses in her friends arms.

"When will you be leaving?" Sarah says, feeling wounded that her closest friend and only connection she has to her son will soon be gone.

"In the morning, before everyone wakes." She says simply and softly.

"Where will you go?"

"Far from here, so that when my power cell finally goes, no one will be killed by the explosion or radiation. There are empty missile silos in the Mojave desert. I can go into one of them and seal myself in so Sky Net won't detect the fuel cell rupture with its satellites."

Sarah nods her head. If it wasn't for her policy of destroying all machines they encountered, Cameron might have a compatible power cell to use, but so far, they hadn't encountered any machines newer than a T-800 and their power cells are too large for Cameron's smaller build.

Unwilling to let her friend go Sarah asks, "Will you stay with me, until you leave?"

"I will." Cameron says, giving her a weak, but sincere smile.

With silent tears and aching hearts, the two friends sit together on the sofa. Eventually Sarah falls asleep with her head upon Cameron's shoulder, grasping her hands.

After a time, Cameron eases herself off the sofa and gently adjusts Sarah so she is lying down. She pulls a blanket that was folded and draped over the end of the bed and puts it over her.

Moving a few stray graying hairs from her forehead, Cameron places a soft kiss on Sarah's cheek.

"Good bye my friend."

A few hours later, inside Crystal Peak, Savannah enters Sarah's room to find her sitting quietly on her sofa. Going to her, she sits with her and they both cry for their friend who has done so much to help them. She has left them to die alone to save their lives. They later attend to their morning duties, but find it hard to concentrate on what they are doing.

Far away, a girl and a dog are walking through the hills, Crystal Peak many miles behind them.

Cresting a hill, Cameron looks back. The outline of Crystal Peak appears as a dark wedge showing strong against the rising sun within the many peaks of the Sierra's.

"I'll miss you." She says. "I'm sorry I lied to you."

The dog beside her whines.

Cameron kneels down and scratches him around his ears and under his chin, eliciting a strong wagging of the dog's tail. Briefly, she buries her face in the German Shepherds rough coat until the fresh tears stop.

Quickly standing up she says with confidence, "Come on, Max. We've got a job to do."

Cameron strides forward, moving quickly down the hill. Trotting along beside of her is the dog she raised since he was a pup. Named for the dog John had when he was a boy.

Two Weeks later

An aerial HK flies overhead dropping heavy plasma rounds on the ground below.

Below ground in the bunker, everything shakes. Dust and dirt falls from the ceiling as people run in different directions through the tunnels brandishing weapons.

A soldier runs up to a tall, scruffy, dark-haired officer.

"Sir. Sir!"

"What is it sergeant? Can't you that I'm busy." Derek snaps at him.

"Machines, Sir! They've broken in."

"Where?" Derek demands.

"Corridors F through J."

The sound of rattling gunfire echoes up the tunnel getting louder.

"Shit. Where's Kyle and Allison?"

"I'm sorry sir. We've lost contact with them. They were last known to be heading to the abandoned section of M to search for weapons or ammo."

The gunfire grows louder and now the indisputable whine of plasma rifle fire can be heard, even above the screams and the automatic rifle fire. They haven't got the ammo to defend from such an assault on their base.

"Damn!" Derek roars, having come to the only decision he can. "We're pulling out. Sound the alarm, we are abandoning Alpha Site. All units are to pull back to Griffith Park."

The orders are quickly spread and people begin pulling out in a hurry.

Derek's only hope is that Kyle and Allison are smart enough to leave the bunkers and either head to one of the other bases, or to move to Griffith Park. Their designated area to regroup if they should come under attack. This is the first time they've actually had to abandon Alpha Site entirely.

A lone girl and her dog are quietly making their way down a tunnel. The sounds of gunfire faintly heard in the distance and growing fainter.

Dust fills the tunnel, thick enough to choke any human. The dog has a wet bandanna tied over its nose to keep it from breathing in the dust. With no working lights in the tunnels, Cameron is relying on her infra-red and light enhancing vision to form a picture on her HUD of her surroundings.

The dog whines, nudging her leg.

"Sh." Cameron admonishes the dog, but he whines some more.

Whining repeatedly, he dashes forward and begins digging at a recently fallen wall, dirt has cascaded down, coating the broken concrete.

Cameron rushes forward and sees Max has uncovered the leg of a human. Cameron places her hand on the leg and can feel a faint pulse through the fabric.

She begins digging frantically. Tossing broken pieces of concrete like they weighed nothing. What if this is John? We aren't that far from the Zeira Corp basement and even on fixed temporal coordinates, the physical arrival point of a TDE bubble can vary anywhere from a couple of inches to a few hundred feet from its physical origin.

Cameron uncovers the legs. A large piece of concrete is resting on the person's torso. Not good. Her HUD already reports signs of internal damage and hemorrhaging of blood.

If John's time bubble appeared in the middle of this wall, it could have collapsed on top of him once the bubble disappeared. But the person is wearing clothes, so it might not be him. It doesn't matter. The person is alive, just barely and I'm the only one able to render aid.

With a mighty heave, Cameron lifts and tosses to one side the large section of concrete that was pinning the person down. Cameron feels some relief. It isn't John. The shape of the body is evident that it's a girl trapped under the concrete.

Feeling the weight lifted off her stomach, the trapped girl tries to cry out, but coughs and chokes on the dust and dirt still trickling down from above.

With a mighty heave, Cameron removes the last piece of rubble covering the woman's head, then clears dirt and small pieces of debris from the girl's face. Her hand freezes in position as the girl opens her eyes.

"Help me." She cries, and begins coughing from the dust and dirt.

For the first time in Cameron's life, she is shocked to a point of not knowing what to do or say.

"Please, help me." The girl cries once again.

Cameron picks the girl up and moves her to a more stable section of the tunnels. She examines the woman more closely and realizes her initial diagnosis was right. There is much internal damage. She doesn't have the proper medical tools or else she could do the surgery herself. She could try to get her to medical help, but they have probably left with the other escapees, and even if she did get her to them, it would still be too late. The only thing she can do is to provide her some comfort until the end comes.

If only she got here sooner!

The girl has been lying there quietly, but in pain, sensing her rescuer tend to her with as much care as if she were a mother looking after a child.

Max lies down beside the girl and nuzzles her hand with his nose, making soft whining noises.

Finding the energy to speak, she asks, "Who are you? Where are you from?"

"My name is Cameron. I come from a resistance base far away hoping to make contact with others in the Los Angeles area. Try to lay still. You'll only make things worse."

"It doesn't matter. I'm dying." She says, petting the dog's head. "I'm a medic, or hope to be." She closes her eyes against the tears, one hand running across her abdomen, feeling the swelling and the pain from internal hemorrhaging and crushed organs.

Cameron squeezes her hand gently. "I can't lie to you. Your injuries are very serious." A couple of tears run down Cameron's face. "I'm sorry. There is nothing that I nor anyone can do to help you. Your people are too far away and too scattered to get you the help you need."

"Don't cry for me. I knew this day would come, eventually. I just wish . . ." she sighs. "I just wish I had known real love before dying."

The girl looks up at Cameron, who is nothing more than a darker shadow in the blackness of the tunnel. "Do you know what it means, to know true love?"

"I don't know." Reaching for her canteen she says. "Here. I'm going to hold your head up so you can drink from my canteen."

Cameron supports her head, and gives her a sip from the canteen she's carried full of fresh mountain water.

"It tastes sweet." The girl sighs. "Not like the water around here."

"It comes from the mountains. Pure glacial water." Cameron answers, doing her best to make the girl comfortable. It won't be long and her passing will be painful, but there are things Cameron must know.

Wetting a rag, she washes some dirt from the girl's face, then says, "I need to ask you a few questions."

"Go ahead." The girl gasps. "You're too kind to be a Gray and if you were a machine, you never would have dug me out or have a dog. I'll tell you whatever you need to know for your resistance group."

"First question is easy. I'm looking for someone. Do you know or have you heard of John Connor?"

"Who? No. There is no one here by that name." The girl grimaces, holding her stomach.

Cameron feels relieved. It means he hasn't arrived yet. Her calculations must have been off by a few days, maybe a week. She could almost feel elated but for the fact that this girl is dying and there's nothing she can do for her.

The tunnels grow silent as time passes. The machines having moved on, pursuing the humans as they evacuate the tunnels. The only sound being the quiet conversation between Cameron and the young woman. As the end got closer, the girl would become slightly incoherent and delusional as she spoke with Cameron, so she let her rest. She had learned enough about her and this base.

The girl had been quiet for a long time when suddenly she cries out in a child's voice.

"Turn on the lights! I'm scared! I'm scared of the dark."

Cameron reaches inside her jacket for the small light and winds the crank building a charge. Flipping the switch, the girl stares at Cameron when the beam of light reveals her.

"Are you an angel?" The young woman suddenly asks Cameron. "I've heard tales that angels appear to us in our image when we are about to die."

"Yes. I am." Cameron replies, unsure of what else to say.

"Please, could I have some water?"

Cameron pulls out her canteen to hold it to the girl's lips, but when she reaches to hold up her head so she can drink, the girl is dead.

The young woman's death was unexpected and shouldn't have happened based on what she knows of this time. It will both complicate things and makes things easier for her.

Seeing that the girl's resistance uniform is different to that of her own clothes, Cameron strips the girl's body and removes her own clothes. She redresses herself with the girl's uniform and dresses the girl's body with her clothes. Infiltration requires one to blend in. Wearing the girl's clothes will help in her new mission, which is very much like her old one.

With as much care and compassion as she can muster, she buries the body where it will not be found. It takes time, with no tools other than her hands and the knife in her boot. Max tried to help, but like all dogs, didn't realize there was purpose and an order to this digging.

By the time Cameron pats the last handful of dirt in place, her dirty face is streaked with tears. More tears fall from her eyes and soak into the soil. Max whines and nuzzles Cameron as she kneels by the grave side.

It's up to her now. Against all odds, she has to do the impossible. She had to wait so long, and now in order to fulfill her original promise to protect John, she'll have to lie, again. John is coming back to her, but she'll need help, and she knows the perfect person to help her. And when the time is right, she'll tell John the truth and hope he will forgive her for lying to him.