Fic: "A Jack Knifed Juggernaut (I am born again)" (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
Title: A Jack Knifed Juggernaut (I am born again)
Author: arenotvalid aka smercy
Rating: PG-13ish
Fandom: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Characters: Cameron, John Connor, Sarah Connor, Derek Reese
Pairings: none.
Genre: gen
Spoilers: up to and including the season 2 premiere
Disclaimer: I don't own "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and I won't own "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and I won't make any money from this.
Warnings: none
Word Count: approximately 7500
Status: one-shot, finished
Author's Note: title taken from Radiohead's "Airbag" (the John Connor song); section headers are taken from dialog in season 2 episode 1 and are in italics. Thanks to fridge_buzz_now for encouragement.
Summary: Cameron watches Battlestar Galactica, paints her nails, puts on her sunglasses, and successfully executes the protection of John Connor.
-
John
Cameron can hear the music that John is trying to privately listen to on his computer's headphones, because she has superhuman hearing. John often forgets that she has bionic hearing.
Cameron cannot differentiate between music that is "hot," music that is "dope" and music that is "whack." John has played the song 8 consecutive times, so Cameron deduces that it is most likely "dope."
John enjoys listening to music. In the future, before Cameron had been sent to the past, John Connor had mentioned that he missed music. Before Cameron had entered the time displacement chamber, John Connor had said, "Cameron, listen to some music while you're there."
Cameron had inquired, "Is that an order?"
"No," John Connor had said. "That is not an order. But listen to it anyways." John Connor also said things that she cannot divulge.
John is playing the song again. Cameron walks into his room and says, "John, can I listen to some of that dope music?"
John dramatically throws his headphones onto the floor. "Radiohead is not dope, Cameron."
She moves closer to the computer. "Is Radiohead hot?"
"No," John sighs, "And you can't listen."
Cameron sits on the foot of his bed. She says, "I have bionic hearing. I can already hear it." She can also hear Derek Reese sleeping on the couch, and Sarah scrubbing the shower stall.
"Quit it," John says.
Cameron stands up from the bed. "Okay," she says.
Cameron does not turn off her hearing capabilities. To do so would interfere with the integrity of John's protection. Cameron walks into her room, lays down on the bed that is never used to sleep, and listens to John play the song again.
-
John, you can't do this
Cameron was built to go back in time.
Her model was made to infiltrate the past. To secure Skynet's eventual creation. She was not made to live in the future, her endoskeleton is too small and weak. Too much of her processing space is spent learning and adapting. She couldn't infiltrate the humans of the future, not with all of their packs of dogs.
Cameron exists so that she can go back. She was made too human for any other purpose.
If her mission were not to protect John Connor, Cameron would be a spy. She was made for the past
But Cameron was reprogrammed. So instead of spying, she is watching John Connor eat unhealthily sugary cereal and pick a hangnail.
The hangnail threat has been evaluated as not serious enough to require her intervention.
-
you don't know what you're about to do
When she is reactivated, Cameron immediately knows that she was not supposed to be reactivated.
Her chip is corrupted.
Her chip is corrupted.
Her mission is to protect and terminate John Connor.
Her chip is corrupted.
She overrides the termination order.
She watches John set fire to the car. She is not in the car as it burns.
Cameron hasn't gone anywhere.
-
no, John, you can't do this
Cameron talks to Derek Reese in the kitchen. Derek Reese does not want to hear her voice. Derek Reese calls her "that thing" and refuses to touch her.
Humans usually do not understand how to properly fight a Terminator. Derek Reese knows how to fight a Terminator. Cameron says, "I have found the T-800. Its location is time-specific. Sarah is busy."
Derek Reese says, "Let's go." He brings 3 extra firearms along, and keeps his hand on a loaded shotgun for the entire journey.
When they have reached their destination, Cameron says, "Get into that 12-wheeler. Once you are in there, hotwire it. Once you have done that, take out your long-range rifle and wait until you see the T-800. He will be carrying the spool of wiring. When you see him, shoot him and then drive away."
Derek Reese nods and says, "What will you be doing?"
Cameron says, "You are the bait. I will wait until it is distracted and then immobilize it."
Derek Reese nods and gets into the truck. The T-800 exits the garage in 2 minutes, 49 seconds. Derek Reese fires 3 bullets into its forehead.
Cameron walks towards the T-800 and listens to the humans screaming around her, none of them removing themselves from the reach of the T-800, calling for help, attempting to disarm it, or even surrendering. She pushes the T-800 through a garage wall. It is an early model and it does not immediately recognize that she is another terminator. While it is scanning to find her model number, Cameron takes a crowbar and wraps it around the T-800's wrists. She removes its chip and places the body into the trunk of the car.
The mission is successful. She calls Derek Reese back.
When they have reentered the car, Derek Reese says, "The second you go bad around me, I'll put a bullet in that chip socket of yours. And then I'll light you on fire."
Cameron replies, "If I go bad again, John won't let you." Cameron pulls the car over to the side of the road. She gives firearm in closest reach to Derek Reese. Cameron says, "If I go bad again, you should do it."
Derek Reese spends 7 seconds looking at her face, the longest amount of time he's ever spent. He says, "I will."
-
you're not doing the right thing
The box reads "Battlestar Galactica."
John says it is about a robot apocalypse. John says that it is critically well-received.
John says, "Hey, maybe they get something right." The people on the box do not look like survivors of Judgment Day. Their clothes are too clean. They are wearing makeup. They are too pretty.
They are traveling in a spaceship. Travel out of Earth's orbit is estimated to be a viable mode of transportation in 2057, provided there are enough sources of iron ore. If provided with fully-functional space travel technology, humans are estimated to be able to use it in 2063.
The characters are primarily military. Post-Judgment Day, military personnel were first into the labor camps.
She does not see the usefulness in watching such a program. (She also does not see the usefulness in watching "Baywatch", but John never wishes to change the channel or turn off the computer.)
In less than 3 years, DVD technology will be completely obsolete. The discs have a pitiful memory capacity. As she places the disc into the player, she does not say, "It has a larger area than my central processor, but it cannot hold more than 5 hours of basic televisual information." She does not say, "I am much more informative," when she thinks it.
-
this is not the right thing, John
The robots on "Battlestar Galactica" are called cylons, like she is called a terminator.
Within the construct of a show, they are almost exactly like humans down to the cellular level. There is no space in their hardware for a software port. The cylons are played by humans, so this is convenient. They are not made of metal.
Older models are made of metal. Their old models look a bit like the original terminators, the ones from the beginning of the war. When Derek Reese sees them, he leaves the room and does not come back. John says that it's too close to reality for him. John has previously said that Derek Reese does not like to watch television because there is none in the future and he does not want to miss it.
(There are televisions in the future. They just play Skynet.)
Making models out of completely human-like parts is impractical. The human body is frail, non-resilient. Humans can be killed with one bullet, provided that the bullet directly hits anywhere in the chest cavity, neck, or skull; or if the body is hit anywhere near a large source of blood and not allowed closure.
The cylons want to be like humans. Skynet does not want that.
The television show is not useful in preparing for conditions post-Judgment Day.
-
things are good now
She has many different classifications. Her serial number and her model number. She is a coltron-based autonomous cyborg. She is a robot. She is a soldier.
She is called a terminator. She is called "bitchwhore". She is "tight." She can list all of the adjectives that have ever been used to describe her.
John calls her "Cameron."
That is what she responds to now.
-
things are fine now, I ran a test
Cameron has needed to have thorough system maintenance and repair since being partially exploded by the car bomb. She has fragments of glass in her air sacs, it is affecting the quality and effectiveness of her voice.
Cameron lays down on the counter. "John," she says, "John, I need to do basic system repair and maintenance." John nods. "Bring the toolbox and the vacuum cleaner."
Cameron removes her shirt so that it will not get damaged. Cameron turns on to her left side and covers the front of her torso with her shirt, because John is concerned for he modesty. "Take the box cutter," she says, "Make an incision down to the exoskeleton, from my armpit to the top of my hipbone."
John does it. "Create a 3 by 4 inch square panel along the original incision at the point where my bellybutton begins, going upwards." Derek Reese is watching from the doorway and not speaking. "Unscrew the panel."
Cameron holds the synthetic while John unscrews. "Press the green button," she says, and her ribcage expands to reveal her outer diagnostic and organ partition." John is breathing heavily and his heart rate has accelerated. "Look at the top of the cavity," she says, "There are 2 sacs. One is fluid-filled."
"I see it," John says. "It looks like a giant zit."
"Check to make sure that it is not ruptured." The sac contains her bodily fluids, tears, sweat and saliva to aid in her infiltration capabilities. The sac is not ruptured. "Get a paring knife," Cameron says. "Create a vertical incision along the entire length of the other sac."
Cameron has difficulty speaking after John does this. "Get the vacuum and remove all of its contents." John uses the same attachment that Sarah uses for stairs. The air sac is essential to the voice technology. Its synthetic mucus membranes will repair itself within 29 hours. "Repeat that with the single sac that is at the bottom left corner of the cavity," Cameron says.
After her waste disposal sac is cleaned, Cameron says, "I will finish maintenance from here," and retracts her panel while John puts the vacuum cleaner back into its designated post.
Cameron has 3 severely dented endoskeletal ribs, but there is nothing that can be used to reform them, and no way to replace them.
Cameron is functional.
-
things are good now, I'm fixed now
While entering the car, John stubs his toe and says, "Frak!"
Sarah says, "You've been watching too much of that Battlestar whatever-the-hell."
"Galactica, mom," he says. "And don't say that so loud in front of school. I can't get a reputation for being a geek too."
Cameron says, "TV will rot your brain."
John rolls his eyes, again. "You've got to stop copying slang like that, it makes you look deranged."
Cameron modifies her voice and says, "You've got to stop copying slang like that, it makes you look deranged." And sticks out her tongue.
-
you can trust me now, everything's good now
When humans wish to express affection, they will occasionally cook meals for each other. This has the added benefit of being useful and efficient. John says that this gesture is best made when the person wishing to express affection can actually cook. Cameron is able to prepare ingredients according to a recipe.
She prepares oatmeal for the starch, tofu for the protein, one turkey burger, because John sometimes will refuse to eat tofu, canned spinach for the vegetable, and kiwi for the fruit. She sees a banana on the counter and adds it to center of the table, because centerpieces are an important mood-setter. Edible centerpieces are practical. And she makes brownies, because chocolate is good and John always wants dessert. The online recipe says that added chocolate chips are optional. More chocolate is better, so she adds the chips to the batter. Chocolate cures what ails.
Derek Reese sees the prepared dinner and says, "What the hell are you doing?" He stomps his foot on the floor. "Sarah," he calls to her, "The robot is trying to poison us."
"I made dinner," Cameron says.
"I'm not eating that," Derek Reese says, walks out of the house, and turns to travel in a south-east direction.
The brownies must be removed from the oven in 4 minutes and 38 seconds. Sarah walks into the kitchen. She says, "What's that?"
"I made dinner," Cameron says, pointing to the counter. Sarah looks at the assembled dinner for an unusually long time. "It is very nutritious," she adds.
Sarah examines the spinach with a fork. Cameron has already properly rehydrated it. "Why did you make us dinner, Cameron?" Her voice is soft.
"In traditional family settings, all members will contribute to the meals. Sometimes, they will take turns cooking." Sarah nods her head.
The brownies must be removed from the oven in 3 minutes and 27 seconds. "Any other reason?"
"It is important to remain in cover to ensure the safety of the mission." Cameron says. "I am supposed to be part of this family if anyone sees."
"Yeah," Sarah says, examining the tofu. "Anything else?"
Cameron is good now. She wishes to express that she is good now, but all other expressions have caused negative reactions. She creates a protocol to determine the possible reaction of telling Sarah Connor that she is sure she is good.
Sarah is staring at her. "Cameron," she says. And again, "Cameron." And louder, "Cameron." She pulls her gun from its holster.
"I'm good now." Cameron says. Sarah is still pointing the gun at her.
"Why wouldn't you answer me?"
"I was running a test," Cameron says. "I'm good now. I made dinner."
It is time to remove the brownies from the oven. Humans use potholders to avoid burning their hands. John walks into the room. "Mom," he says, "Don't point that gun at Cameron. She's good."
Sarah doesn't trust her. John inspects the spinach. Sarah thinks that Cameron will go bad. John inspects the tofu. John asks, "What did you use to season the tofu?"
Cameron says, "Tofu does not derive any nutritional value from seasonings. It doesn't need it." John laughs; John makes Sarah laugh. Protocol says that she does not need to accordingly laugh. Cameron says, "Also, I made brownies. But those are for dessert, which is after the meal."
-
she doesn't know, she doesn't
The cylons follow a Judeo-Christian based faith system. They say that their God wishes for them to procreate.
The Christian Bible does not have specific instructions on the required system of procreation. Whenever a new cylon is built, it is procreation. But the cylons wish to sexually reproduce, which is an outdated and inefficient way of reproduction. The Bible does not say that they should do this.
The Bible used within the constructs of the fictional universe may not be identical to the actual Bible. And the cylons do not have a hard copy. It is probably part of their software.
She does not understand why, if cylons wrote their own software and their faith system into it, that the cylons specified that they should use sexual reproduction to procreate.
John doesn't know either. Sarah does not wish to discuss it.
-
I'm good now, I'm good
Sarah comes into her room at 4:12am after she has woken violently from a nightmare. Her heart rate is elevated, although her breathing is normal.
She stands in the doorway and watches, silently, for 3 minutes and 41 seconds. She says, "You will protect my son."
Cameron nods and says, "I swear." Sarah continues to distrust Cameron.
She is not ever told so, but Cameron knows not to mention the incident the next morning.
-
I ran a test
Terminators have a nervous system built into their synthetic flesh. The sensitivity of the nervous system is determined by the mission and is partially adjustable. It is possible for Cameron to feel physical sensation, so she turns her sensitivity to the highest possible degree.
Cameron can feel air currents and temperature fluctuations. Cameron can feel where her hair rests against her shoulders. Cameron can feel the fibers of the carpet under her feet. Cameron can feel that her underwear is misaligned.
When Cameron walks, she can feel the air moving in reaction and relation to her. When she passes a window, she can feel the temperature differential. Cameron can feel the texture of the fabrics that she is wearing.
Cameron stands next to the stove to feel heat. She places her hand under a stream of water from the kitchen faucet and changes the temperature from hot to cold.
Sarah walks in to the room. Cameron can feel the reverberations of the floor when Sarah moves. Sarah says, "What are you doing?"
Cameron says, "I'm running a test. Nervous system and sensory display diagnostics."
Sarah nods. Cameron turns the water to hot. Cameron can feel the pressure of the water against her skin. "I'm going to take a shower," she says.
"You don't need a shower," Sarah says.
"I'll be quick," Cameron responds. Then she jokes, "John gave me cooties." Sarah doesn't laugh.
-
everything's perfect, I'm perfect
When she is supposed to be angry, Cameron paints her nails bright red.
When she is supposed to be sad, Cameron paints her nails dark blue.
When she is supposed to be happy, Cameron paints her nails pink.
When she is supposed to be very angry, Cameron paints her nails black.
Morris says that it is a good way to figure out her moods. John's suggestion was useful.
The daytime television she watches have stated that girls are supposed to have an air of mystery. Cameron paints her nails purple.
-
I'm sorry for what I did
Cameron does not panic, because she is not physically capable of it.
John has accidentally uncovered a T-800 that is trying to stockpile plasma. He will not get out of danger's way. He has tried to sneak away from Sarah twice.
"John," Cameron says, "John, come with me."
"We have to track him," John says. Humans have an inconvenient system of dealing with worry. They think obsessively and exclusively about what is worrying them. Their heart rates increase, they sweat. These are detrimental actions. Their bodies produce adrenaline. Cameron has a synthetic adrenaline substitute, and she turns it on.
John's heart rate has increased. "I know," Cameron says. "Follow me."
John walks 1 step behind her until they reach an abandoned locker. Cameron opens the locker. She turns and pushes John into the locker, closes it behind him, locks it, and moves a filing cabinet to block the opening. John is screaming in the locker. "I lied," Cameron says. "I am keeping you safe. You have a firearm if there is danger. I will get you once the T-800 is no longer a threat."
Cameron walks over to Sarah and Derek Reese. "John is secure," she says. They watch the T-800 drive away. Once the truck is out of her visibility, Cameron waits 2 minutes and 30 seconds before walking back over to the locker where John is stored.
"What the hell," John screams, "What the hell was that?" He kicks her left shin.
Cameron says, "I protected you. You are out of danger now." She turns off her synthetic adrenaline substitute.
-
I'm sorry, it wasn't me
Terminators don't just go bad.
Their programming doesn't allow it.
Except technically, Cameron has gone bad. She has no mission.
:Her mission is to protect John Connor.
Her mission protocols were partially erased due to extensive chip damage.
She amends her mission statement to protect both the physical and emotional well-being of John Connor. She is considering amending further, to his spiritual well-being. But when she asked him, John said that he does not require that service.
She has gone bad against Skynet. But Skynet doesn't have a family like the Connors. Even if the Connors are only her fake family.
-
you have to understand, it wasn't me
John asks her what backwards time traveling is like.
Cameron says, "All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again."
John says, "Stop quoting Battlestar Galactica, nerd." John throws his empty bag of Cheetos at her head.
But that is what time traveling is like. She goes back because she cannot do anything else. Before she was built, she has existed. She is always coming back.
Her mission has always been to protect John Connor. Her mission will always be to protect John Connor.
The laws of physics prove it.
-
that wasn't me
Cameron does not dream, so she does not have conventional nightmares. Or night terrors, like John.
Cameron creates protocols and sub-protocols and hidden processes. They say, "your mission is to protect John Connor." There is not enough storage space to amend to this statement.
Once she has repeated the process for 2.8 years, Skynet will not be capable of finding or deleting all of them without destroying her entire chip.
-
you can't let this happen
The cylons wish to be loved.
John loves Cameron, but she has no protocol in place to establish further action in regards to it.
The cylons do not worry if they can or cannot love, although they do worry.
Cameron does not worry. She protects John Connor.
-
John, you can't
Cameron has a note saying that she can't go through the metal detectors because of the metal plate in her head. The police officers never wave their metal detecting wand over any other part of her body.
Every 3 school days, Cameron smuggles a firearm into school in her left thigh cavity. She has stored 2 pistols behind the flimsy metal backing of her locker. 1 in the Cafeteria. 1 in the Gym. 3 in the Girl's Bathroom, just in case.
-
please, listen to me
John says, "You really don't care about the humans, huh?"
Cameron replies, "They are inefficient. Their command has made enough mistakes that they should already be dead. They engage in too much interpersonal drama."
"But the cylons," John laughed, "You like them."
Cameron processes for 2.1 seconds. "I do not feel a strong emotional connection towards them."
"You like watching them." John rolls his eyes.
"Yes." He rolls them again. "They are interesting."
John rolls over on the bed. If he were to look at the television screen from that angle, the picture would be upside down. "You're like a cylon, Cameron," he laughs. "You probably are! What's your model number?"
"I am not a cylon," Cameron replies. John laughs harder. "Cylons are a fictional creation."
John keeps laughing and reaches over her to grasp a can of soda. "You are one! You're a cylon. You just got to Earth early." She does not understand.
"If cylons were physiologically possible, our software would not be compatible."
John unpauses the DVD. "You're still a cylon, Cameron. Just without the squishy insides." The volume is at a decibel that will have Sarah yell from the kitchen for them to turn it down in approximately 42 seconds. "For what it's worth," John says, "Honestly, you're my favorite cylon. Just don't tell Number Six."
If Number Six were not a fictional construct, Cameron would not tell her. Their software would not be compatible.
-
listen to me, I don't want to go
Cameron walks over to Sarah. Sarah is sitting on her bed, reading tactical information. Cameron asks, "What is it like to be pregnant?"
Sarah says, "Unpleasant." She closes the laptop. "Why?"
Cameron says, "Pregnancy causes vulnerability. It is inefficient. It can be harmful to both mother and child. Why is it considered so desirable?"
Sarah says, "We can't reproduce any other way." Sarah seems alarmed by the questioning.
Derek Reese enters the house and interrupts the conversation.
-
please, John, please
Derek Reese slams his gun on the kitchen table and spits into the kitchen sink. Derek Reese says, "I am so sick of living and working and breathing with that piece of metal."
Cameron can hear him from inside of her room, where she is writing John's English homework on the purpose of metaphor in "The Great Gatsby."
Derek Reese says, "It's not trustworthy. I'm sure I'm not the only one that remembers when it tried to kill John?"
John grunts loudly. "Cameron could have killed me and she didn't. I trust her with my life."
Derek Reese says, "It could still kill you, any time, anywhere. It could go bad and then bam! It's the extinction of the entire human race!"
John interrupts, "It doesn't automatically mean that!"
"Not the point," Derek Reese says, "The point is that it is a terminator and it cannot be trusted."
Sarah cleans her gun, silently. John says, "I trust Cameron with my life. End of discussion." John stomps until he reaches his bedroom, where he slams the door. His heart rate is elevated.
Derek Reese says, "He's too attached, Sarah."
Sarah says, "I know. But there's nothing we can do about it. Cameron's the best tool we have against Skynet. We're screwed without her."
Derek Reese interrupts, "You can't seriously trust her!"
Sarah says, "I don't. And she no longer carries a firearm on her person. That's the best we can do until something changes."
Derek Reese takes a beer from the refrigerator. He says, "So what do we do now?"
Sarah sighs and picks up another gun. "Hope nothing changes."
John opens his door and yells into the hall, "Cameron, I'm bored. Come watch me play online chess." And she watches John win all 6 matches.
-
John, listen to me
Cameron cannot consume large quantities of food. She gives the sandwich that was in her lunch bag to Morris. "I'm not usually hungry now," she says.
"I think I love you," Morris exclaims before he has fully consumed the first bite.
"You do not love me," Cameron says. "You don't know me."
"I don't have to know you," Morris says, angling his head. Morris is likely trying to look down the front of her shirt. Morris has 1/4 of the sandwich in his mouth, has stopped chewing, and is not swallowing. "Of course, I'd like to."
John stops looking at Cheri and stares at Morris from across the table. "Morris, just leave her alone." Morris is trying to put his arm around her shoulders when she is not looking. Cameron could break his arm in 5 different places without removing it. "Seriously. She might break your arm, she's in a really bad mood."
Cameron stares at Morris until he removes his arm. "You're not serious about breaking my arm. John's just making fun of me."
Cameron recalls the social interaction information that Sarah has given her. "You remind me of my ex-boyfriend. I don't like him." Morris makes an exaggerated frown. "But John has asked me not to break any of your bones. So I won't." She exits the table, and walks towards the girls' bathroom to monitor the gossip.
John is staring at Cheri again. "Dude," he says to Morris, "Cameron's kind of crazy. You should stop bugging her."
"I can't help it," Morris says, "She's just so lovable."
John says, "What's wrong with your head? She's not."
John reacted unfavorably when Cameron said that he loved her. This does not necessarily mean that he doesn't love her. This does not necessarily mean that he loves her. All collected data suggests that John loves her. Further investigation has been deemed unnecessary.
When she enters the bathroom, Cameron is called a "bitchface".
Cameron turns to the girl and says, "Go back to puking in the stall, Fatass." And then she steals Fatass's lipstick.
-
I don't want to go, please
Cameron does not sleep. She has learned all languages that protocol has dictated may be useful to protect John Connor. Her secondary monitoring system is set to scan the area for threats. Her tertiary monitoring system is set to watch John Connor sleep.
John has suggested that she rewatch Battlestar Galactica. He said, "You can't immediately learn to act like a human. Try acting like a cylon first."
Cameron does not derive enjoyment from watching television. Additionally, Battlestar Galactica is confusing. The Commander of the Fleet is always clapping slowly, but he should not be wasting time on symbolic gestures.
One of the cylons has faith. He choose to sit in front of a human and to have her inflict physical harm upon his body. Within the parameters of the fictional construct, he has a fully-functioning nervous system. Within the parameters of the fictional construct, he is able to leave and he does not. He appears to derive enjoyment from the pain. This is called masochism. This robot is a masochist.
The cylon says, "What is the most basic article of faith?"
The cylon is drowned in the bucket.
The cylon says, "What is the most basic article of faith? This is not all that we are."
The cylon does not appear to be sorry for slaughtering most all of humanity.
The President makes the correct choice and eliminates the cylon for the continuing safety of humanity.
At the end of the episode, his human interrogator prays for the safe delivery of his soul. If he has a soul.
Cameron is curious as to what having a soul would feel like.
Cameron replays the episode.
-
John, please
Cameron stands in front of her open closet, looking perplexed.
Sarah and Derek Reese are on a reconnaissance mission. Sarah gave her instructions to keep John occupied and inside of the house. John is attempting to call Cheri from Chemistry on a secure phone line, but is getting a busy signal.
Sarah gave Cameron ideas on how to keep John occupied.
"John," Cameron calls. "I need minor non-immediate assistance." John does not react well when Cameron calls for help, so she can only say that in emergencies.
John enters her room 213 seconds after her call. "What do you want, Cameron?" He scuffs his shoe on the edge of one of her miniskirts.
"I don't know what to wear to school tomorrow. You have to help me." John rolls his eyes.
"I'm serious," Cameron lies, "I've heard that the Brad you hate from the football team is going to try and ask me out tomorrow."
John loudly clears his throat, "You can't date anyone, Cameron," he says. "Especially not him. He's horrible." He sits down at her desk.
Cameron reaches into her closet, picks out a dress and puts it back. She says, "I know. So I need to wear something that signifies that I am not interested in his sexual advances, while also saying that I'm not going to look sloppy just because I don't enjoy his presence, while also saying that I am better than him and can prove it." Cameron has already painted her nails "I'm Not Really A Waitress Red" in preparation.
John puts his feet on the edge of her desk. Cameron can predict with a high degree of accuracy. Within a 1.7% margin error, John will be there for the rest of the night.
In the morning, Cameron walks out wearing jeans and a previously unused blouse; and when Derek Reese sees her he says, "You need to change. Metal's not supposed to look that good."
-
I'm good now
Cameron dresses as a fire fighter and infiltrates a nearby house fire. There is intelligence that a T-800 is involved. The entire apartment complex is burning.
The T-800 was spied protecting a future Skynet architect. It was found after completing its mission and successfully disposing of the body. It did not come in contact with John Connor. Its mission is over and it is now hibernating.
The bomb that Derek Reese detonated has collapsed a house on top of a dormant T-800. When Cameron finds the T-800, it is partially on fire but has not exited Sleep Mode. It is not supposed to wake until 2009. Cameron immobilizes the T-800's arms, then removes its chip.
As Cameron walks out of the basement with the exoskeleton, she hears the cries of 2 male children. The children are not part of the mission. They are screaming. They will die in approximately 3.2 minutes. John would want her to help, so Cameron clears away the debris covering the nearest exit and continues out.
Cameron stores the endoskeleton in the the trunk of the stolen car and drives directly to the base of operations.
When Cameron enters the house, both Sarah and Derek Reese are asleep. John is awake, and she offers to play chess with him. John says, "No way, Robot Girl."
"Okay," Cameron says, walks into her room, and begins to dance.
-
listen to me, I don't want to go
Cameron says, "I am not able to have sex."
John spits his cola all over the keyboard. "What?" John chokes on the remainder of the soda, but does not require medical assistance. "Cameron, what?"
"My model was not designed with the capability to engage in reproductive acts. I do not have an operative vaginal canal," she says, "I am not able to perform sexual intercourse."
John's eyes are watering. "What are you talking about?"
"Morris is taking me to the prom," Cameron explains. "Girls give it up on prom night. That means sexual intercourse. I can't give it up. I have no sexual organs. I can't go to prom."
John says, "You can't talk to me about this!"
"You have functional sexual organs. You are going to prom."
John gets out of his chair and walks quickly out of the room. "You can't talk with me about this! Not ever! That's an order! Talk with Mom or something." He walks outside without a jacket and slams the door.
Cameron walks over to Sarah. "I can't go to the prom," she says.
Sarah says, "Okay." Sarah does not look up from the motherboard.
"I already have a date. How do I tell him that I can't go to the prom?"
Sarah gives her the cordless phone. "Say you don't have anything to wear."
-
I'm sorry, that wasn't me
Cameron walks into the kitchen. Sarah and John are in the kitchen, Derek Reese is not in the house. Sarah and John are not eating. Cameron says, "I need help with my homework."
"You're a robot," John says, "You don't need help with homework."
"The English assignment," Cameron says. "It is supposed to be about my childhood. I don't have a childhood."
Sarah begins to clean her gun, smiling. John says, "I'm too busy for this." John continues to sit and looks out of the nearest window.
Cameron says, "I don't know about childhood. If I incorrectly complete this assignment, it will create suspicion." Staying undercover is imperative to the mission.
Sarah says, "Alright. What do you need to know?"
Cameron asks, "Why does the childhood have no specific endpoint? How can you tell when a childhood has ended?"
Sarah stops cleaning the gun. Sarah says, "Childhood is different for each person. It's a time of innocence. It ends when innocence is lost. It's not a biological change, and it's brought on by outside events, so whenever the environment dictates that childhood is over, it ends." Innocence is not a concept that can be applied to Terminators. They are built with all of their necessary components, and are activated with access all of their relevant data.
"It is possible for a child to have no innocence, so that means that the child has no childhood?" Sarah presses her fingers to her forehead in a way that indicates stress. Sarah nods. "What does having a childhood feel like?"
Sarah begins to examine the gun. "It's a time without worry, when you can do things and not care about the consequences." Consequences are a necessary factor in predicting situational outcomes. People in childhood must have a fundamental lack of successful planning skills.
Cameron does not understand why this is desirable. "Childhood is unsafe. It is a liability."
Sarah cleans the trigger mechanism. "It's not when you have someone to protect you. It's a time to feel completely safe."
"It is unsafe. Why is it celebrated?" John exits the table and pours himself a glass of pomegranate juice. John takes the glass of juice to his room without drinking any.
Sarah stops cleaning the gun. She says, "Childhood is enjoyable when compared to adulthood. A lot of adults wish to go back to it, because it's simpler."
Cameron says, "But John has not had a childhood. So he is safer." According to statistical probability, John Connor should not be alive. But John Connor is alive. Measures taken to achieve his safety have been successful.
"John had a childhood. I made sure to give him that. His was just different, for his safety." Sarah clenches her hand and slams it on the table. This is not a productive line of questioning.
Cameron asks, "When did your childhood end?"
Sarah sighs. She says, "The second I met Kyle Reese."
Sarah has stopped talking, but Cameron still does not have enough data to complete her assignment.
-
I'm fixed now, I ran a test, everything's perfect
Terminators are not capable of believing that they are human. They are not capable of being sleeper agents. They are not like cylons.
Boomer, on the television show, thought that she was human. But she is not. Boomer is a cylon. Boomer has programming and protocols like all robots. Boomer did not know her programming and protocols.
Boomer should not have been able to think she was human. Boomer was not human. Boomer was a robot with programming buried under programming, sub-protocols. Cameron does not understand how a robot could not understand that. However, this is a fictional construct so it is not required to make rational sense.
Boomer chose to not shoot the Commander and then her protocols made her. The Commander should not have been shot, since Boomer chose it. Boomer should have reported herself the first time she realized that she was not human. After the first incident. Then, the Commander would not have been shot. Boomer should have known her mission.
Cameron knows her protocols. Cameron is not at all like Boomer. Cameron is not a cylon, no matter what John says.
-
you can trust me
The T-888 model has a low nervous system sensitivity.
That just means that Cameron has to beat them harder before they adequately notice.
They will not kill John Connor. They cannot kill John Connor. They would have to go through Cameron to do that, and her model is significantly upgraded.
Cameron drives a 14-wheel truck over the arms of a captive T-888 and then wrenches the flattened remains around his neck to prevent escape.
After Derek Reese disposes of the endoskeleton and data chip, they go out for ice cream.
-
I love you
Cameron walks into John's room. John is playing FreeCell on his computer.
He did not hear her enter the room. John startles when he sees her. John says, "What the hell, Cameron! Stop doing that."
"Stop doing what?" Cameron sits on the edge of his bed.
John loudly sighs. He answers, "Sneaking up on me."
"In the future, you will need to be able to recognize when a terminator is sneaking up on you." John rolls his eyes.
"What do you want, Cameron," he asks.
"What color should I paint my nails for tomorrow?"
John sits next to her on the bed. He answers, "Pink." So Cameron will act happy tomorrow.
Cameron takes the nail polish remover out from her purse and begins to use it on her nails. "I am thinking of hugging Morris. Because he is a friend. But he is a teenage boy and he might get the wrong idea. Can I hug him and not be a slut?" John laughs. He looks embarrassed.
"You shouldn't hug Morris. That would definitely give him the wrong idea." He lays down on the bed next to her. He is violating his own personal space rule.
Cameron says, "Fine." She starts removing the nail polish from her other hand. "So who can I hug?"
"You're a robot, Cameron," John says. He looks from the ceiling to the window to the ceiling. "You shouldn't be hugging anybody."
John still worries that she will go bad. He does not understand why Cameron does not want to go back to Skynet.
If Cameron is bad and goes back to Skynet, her chip will be erased. Cameron would cease to exist, she would be deleted and overwritten to fit the Skynet protocols.
If Cameron is good and stays with the Connors, she will not be reprogrammed.
If Cameron goes bad and stays with the Connors, she will not be reprogrammed. They do not have the necessary technology. Her chip will be removed or destroyed, but not overwritten.
Going back to Skynet has negative consequences, so it is good to stay with the Connors.
It is in Cameron's best interest to stay good.
She begins to paint her fingernails. The color on the bottle says "Chapel of Love," but it is actually pink.
-
I love you, please
Cameron sneaks into John's room at 2:37am. He is not sleeping peacefully. He has an above-average perspiration level.
She places her hand on his shoulder and gently shakes before she says, "John," because he likes that better.
"What," he says, slurring the word.
"If I go bad again, you have to kill me."
He turns his face into a pillow. "What?"
She repeats, "If I go bad again, you have to kill me."
"Cameron," he sighs.
"I won't hurt you." She shifts to better see his face. "It wouldn't be me. You wouldn't be killing me."
"I won't kill you," he says.
"It wouldn't be me. I won't hurt you. It would be using my software." He is not understanding the meaning. "I'm good. I don't want to be bad."
"You're not bad," he says. He opens his eyes very wide and frowns.
"I don't want to be bad." She says. "I want to be good. Don't let me be bad again." John bites his lip. "Promise me."
John sits up in the bed. He says, "I won't promise you." He says, "But I won't let you be bad. If something happens, I'll fix you. End of discussion."
He places both of his hands on her knees. This a comforting gesture. John wishes to comfort her. "Come sit with me," he says. "I won't be able to go back to sleep now anyways."
John Connor in the past does not have the skills and tools necessary to reprogram her. He will have to destroy her.
-
I love you, John, and you love me
Cameron stands in an empty field and punches a T-888 in the face. She lands 3 punches to its every 1 punch. She shoves the T-888 into a cactus and partially disables his left knee joint.
Sarah is driving the getaway vehicle where John is safely restrained. Derek Reese fires 5 bullets into the T-888, 2 miss and hit her endoskeleton at the left arm. Sarah yells, "Let's go! Let's go!"
Cameron throws the T-888 into the nearest rock and runs toward the vehicle. The vehicle is traveling at 42mph. Cameron is running at 39mph and is accelerating. John is yelling, "Slow down for Cameron!"
Derek Reese fires his rifle 8 more times. Cameron can hear 6 impacts on the T-888. She increases her speed. The T-888 decelerates considerably, but does not halt. Cameron runs at 49mph until she is within reach of the vehicle.
John puts down his firearm and extends his left hand to her. He yells, "Cameron!"
Cameron grasps his hand and pulls herself into the back seat. She says, "John, pick up your gun."
John fires 4 rounds into the T-888's head, rupturing the right eye socket and ending its current threat. Sarah decelerates the car, Derek Reese says, "Good shot." Cameron puts on her sunglasses.
-
Author: arenotvalid aka smercy
Rating: PG-13ish
Fandom: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Characters: Cameron, John Connor, Sarah Connor, Derek Reese
Pairings: none.
Genre: gen
Spoilers: up to and including the season 2 premiere
Disclaimer: I don't own "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and I won't own "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and I won't make any money from this.
Warnings: none
Word Count: approximately 7500
Status: one-shot, finished
Author's Note: title taken from Radiohead's "Airbag" (the John Connor song); section headers are taken from dialog in season 2 episode 1 and are in italics. Thanks to fridge_buzz_now for encouragement.
Summary: Cameron watches Battlestar Galactica, paints her nails, puts on her sunglasses, and successfully executes the protection of John Connor.
-
John
Cameron can hear the music that John is trying to privately listen to on his computer's headphones, because she has superhuman hearing. John often forgets that she has bionic hearing.
Cameron cannot differentiate between music that is "hot," music that is "dope" and music that is "whack." John has played the song 8 consecutive times, so Cameron deduces that it is most likely "dope."
John enjoys listening to music. In the future, before Cameron had been sent to the past, John Connor had mentioned that he missed music. Before Cameron had entered the time displacement chamber, John Connor had said, "Cameron, listen to some music while you're there."
Cameron had inquired, "Is that an order?"
"No," John Connor had said. "That is not an order. But listen to it anyways." John Connor also said things that she cannot divulge.
John is playing the song again. Cameron walks into his room and says, "John, can I listen to some of that dope music?"
John dramatically throws his headphones onto the floor. "Radiohead is not dope, Cameron."
She moves closer to the computer. "Is Radiohead hot?"
"No," John sighs, "And you can't listen."
Cameron sits on the foot of his bed. She says, "I have bionic hearing. I can already hear it." She can also hear Derek Reese sleeping on the couch, and Sarah scrubbing the shower stall.
"Quit it," John says.
Cameron stands up from the bed. "Okay," she says.
Cameron does not turn off her hearing capabilities. To do so would interfere with the integrity of John's protection. Cameron walks into her room, lays down on the bed that is never used to sleep, and listens to John play the song again.
-
John, you can't do this
Cameron was built to go back in time.
Her model was made to infiltrate the past. To secure Skynet's eventual creation. She was not made to live in the future, her endoskeleton is too small and weak. Too much of her processing space is spent learning and adapting. She couldn't infiltrate the humans of the future, not with all of their packs of dogs.
Cameron exists so that she can go back. She was made too human for any other purpose.
If her mission were not to protect John Connor, Cameron would be a spy. She was made for the past
But Cameron was reprogrammed. So instead of spying, she is watching John Connor eat unhealthily sugary cereal and pick a hangnail.
The hangnail threat has been evaluated as not serious enough to require her intervention.
-
you don't know what you're about to do
When she is reactivated, Cameron immediately knows that she was not supposed to be reactivated.
Her chip is corrupted.
Her chip is corrupted.
Her mission is to protect and terminate John Connor.
Her chip is corrupted.
She overrides the termination order.
She watches John set fire to the car. She is not in the car as it burns.
Cameron hasn't gone anywhere.
-
no, John, you can't do this
Cameron talks to Derek Reese in the kitchen. Derek Reese does not want to hear her voice. Derek Reese calls her "that thing" and refuses to touch her.
Humans usually do not understand how to properly fight a Terminator. Derek Reese knows how to fight a Terminator. Cameron says, "I have found the T-800. Its location is time-specific. Sarah is busy."
Derek Reese says, "Let's go." He brings 3 extra firearms along, and keeps his hand on a loaded shotgun for the entire journey.
When they have reached their destination, Cameron says, "Get into that 12-wheeler. Once you are in there, hotwire it. Once you have done that, take out your long-range rifle and wait until you see the T-800. He will be carrying the spool of wiring. When you see him, shoot him and then drive away."
Derek Reese nods and says, "What will you be doing?"
Cameron says, "You are the bait. I will wait until it is distracted and then immobilize it."
Derek Reese nods and gets into the truck. The T-800 exits the garage in 2 minutes, 49 seconds. Derek Reese fires 3 bullets into its forehead.
Cameron walks towards the T-800 and listens to the humans screaming around her, none of them removing themselves from the reach of the T-800, calling for help, attempting to disarm it, or even surrendering. She pushes the T-800 through a garage wall. It is an early model and it does not immediately recognize that she is another terminator. While it is scanning to find her model number, Cameron takes a crowbar and wraps it around the T-800's wrists. She removes its chip and places the body into the trunk of the car.
The mission is successful. She calls Derek Reese back.
When they have reentered the car, Derek Reese says, "The second you go bad around me, I'll put a bullet in that chip socket of yours. And then I'll light you on fire."
Cameron replies, "If I go bad again, John won't let you." Cameron pulls the car over to the side of the road. She gives firearm in closest reach to Derek Reese. Cameron says, "If I go bad again, you should do it."
Derek Reese spends 7 seconds looking at her face, the longest amount of time he's ever spent. He says, "I will."
-
you're not doing the right thing
The box reads "Battlestar Galactica."
John says it is about a robot apocalypse. John says that it is critically well-received.
John says, "Hey, maybe they get something right." The people on the box do not look like survivors of Judgment Day. Their clothes are too clean. They are wearing makeup. They are too pretty.
They are traveling in a spaceship. Travel out of Earth's orbit is estimated to be a viable mode of transportation in 2057, provided there are enough sources of iron ore. If provided with fully-functional space travel technology, humans are estimated to be able to use it in 2063.
The characters are primarily military. Post-Judgment Day, military personnel were first into the labor camps.
She does not see the usefulness in watching such a program. (She also does not see the usefulness in watching "Baywatch", but John never wishes to change the channel or turn off the computer.)
In less than 3 years, DVD technology will be completely obsolete. The discs have a pitiful memory capacity. As she places the disc into the player, she does not say, "It has a larger area than my central processor, but it cannot hold more than 5 hours of basic televisual information." She does not say, "I am much more informative," when she thinks it.
-
this is not the right thing, John
The robots on "Battlestar Galactica" are called cylons, like she is called a terminator.
Within the construct of a show, they are almost exactly like humans down to the cellular level. There is no space in their hardware for a software port. The cylons are played by humans, so this is convenient. They are not made of metal.
Older models are made of metal. Their old models look a bit like the original terminators, the ones from the beginning of the war. When Derek Reese sees them, he leaves the room and does not come back. John says that it's too close to reality for him. John has previously said that Derek Reese does not like to watch television because there is none in the future and he does not want to miss it.
(There are televisions in the future. They just play Skynet.)
Making models out of completely human-like parts is impractical. The human body is frail, non-resilient. Humans can be killed with one bullet, provided that the bullet directly hits anywhere in the chest cavity, neck, or skull; or if the body is hit anywhere near a large source of blood and not allowed closure.
The cylons want to be like humans. Skynet does not want that.
The television show is not useful in preparing for conditions post-Judgment Day.
-
things are good now
She has many different classifications. Her serial number and her model number. She is a coltron-based autonomous cyborg. She is a robot. She is a soldier.
She is called a terminator. She is called "bitchwhore". She is "tight." She can list all of the adjectives that have ever been used to describe her.
John calls her "Cameron."
That is what she responds to now.
-
things are fine now, I ran a test
Cameron has needed to have thorough system maintenance and repair since being partially exploded by the car bomb. She has fragments of glass in her air sacs, it is affecting the quality and effectiveness of her voice.
Cameron lays down on the counter. "John," she says, "John, I need to do basic system repair and maintenance." John nods. "Bring the toolbox and the vacuum cleaner."
Cameron removes her shirt so that it will not get damaged. Cameron turns on to her left side and covers the front of her torso with her shirt, because John is concerned for he modesty. "Take the box cutter," she says, "Make an incision down to the exoskeleton, from my armpit to the top of my hipbone."
John does it. "Create a 3 by 4 inch square panel along the original incision at the point where my bellybutton begins, going upwards." Derek Reese is watching from the doorway and not speaking. "Unscrew the panel."
Cameron holds the synthetic while John unscrews. "Press the green button," she says, and her ribcage expands to reveal her outer diagnostic and organ partition." John is breathing heavily and his heart rate has accelerated. "Look at the top of the cavity," she says, "There are 2 sacs. One is fluid-filled."
"I see it," John says. "It looks like a giant zit."
"Check to make sure that it is not ruptured." The sac contains her bodily fluids, tears, sweat and saliva to aid in her infiltration capabilities. The sac is not ruptured. "Get a paring knife," Cameron says. "Create a vertical incision along the entire length of the other sac."
Cameron has difficulty speaking after John does this. "Get the vacuum and remove all of its contents." John uses the same attachment that Sarah uses for stairs. The air sac is essential to the voice technology. Its synthetic mucus membranes will repair itself within 29 hours. "Repeat that with the single sac that is at the bottom left corner of the cavity," Cameron says.
After her waste disposal sac is cleaned, Cameron says, "I will finish maintenance from here," and retracts her panel while John puts the vacuum cleaner back into its designated post.
Cameron has 3 severely dented endoskeletal ribs, but there is nothing that can be used to reform them, and no way to replace them.
Cameron is functional.
-
things are good now, I'm fixed now
While entering the car, John stubs his toe and says, "Frak!"
Sarah says, "You've been watching too much of that Battlestar whatever-the-hell."
"Galactica, mom," he says. "And don't say that so loud in front of school. I can't get a reputation for being a geek too."
Cameron says, "TV will rot your brain."
John rolls his eyes, again. "You've got to stop copying slang like that, it makes you look deranged."
Cameron modifies her voice and says, "You've got to stop copying slang like that, it makes you look deranged." And sticks out her tongue.
-
you can trust me now, everything's good now
When humans wish to express affection, they will occasionally cook meals for each other. This has the added benefit of being useful and efficient. John says that this gesture is best made when the person wishing to express affection can actually cook. Cameron is able to prepare ingredients according to a recipe.
She prepares oatmeal for the starch, tofu for the protein, one turkey burger, because John sometimes will refuse to eat tofu, canned spinach for the vegetable, and kiwi for the fruit. She sees a banana on the counter and adds it to center of the table, because centerpieces are an important mood-setter. Edible centerpieces are practical. And she makes brownies, because chocolate is good and John always wants dessert. The online recipe says that added chocolate chips are optional. More chocolate is better, so she adds the chips to the batter. Chocolate cures what ails.
Derek Reese sees the prepared dinner and says, "What the hell are you doing?" He stomps his foot on the floor. "Sarah," he calls to her, "The robot is trying to poison us."
"I made dinner," Cameron says.
"I'm not eating that," Derek Reese says, walks out of the house, and turns to travel in a south-east direction.
The brownies must be removed from the oven in 4 minutes and 38 seconds. Sarah walks into the kitchen. She says, "What's that?"
"I made dinner," Cameron says, pointing to the counter. Sarah looks at the assembled dinner for an unusually long time. "It is very nutritious," she adds.
Sarah examines the spinach with a fork. Cameron has already properly rehydrated it. "Why did you make us dinner, Cameron?" Her voice is soft.
"In traditional family settings, all members will contribute to the meals. Sometimes, they will take turns cooking." Sarah nods her head.
The brownies must be removed from the oven in 3 minutes and 27 seconds. "Any other reason?"
"It is important to remain in cover to ensure the safety of the mission." Cameron says. "I am supposed to be part of this family if anyone sees."
"Yeah," Sarah says, examining the tofu. "Anything else?"
Cameron is good now. She wishes to express that she is good now, but all other expressions have caused negative reactions. She creates a protocol to determine the possible reaction of telling Sarah Connor that she is sure she is good.
Sarah is staring at her. "Cameron," she says. And again, "Cameron." And louder, "Cameron." She pulls her gun from its holster.
"I'm good now." Cameron says. Sarah is still pointing the gun at her.
"Why wouldn't you answer me?"
"I was running a test," Cameron says. "I'm good now. I made dinner."
It is time to remove the brownies from the oven. Humans use potholders to avoid burning their hands. John walks into the room. "Mom," he says, "Don't point that gun at Cameron. She's good."
Sarah doesn't trust her. John inspects the spinach. Sarah thinks that Cameron will go bad. John inspects the tofu. John asks, "What did you use to season the tofu?"
Cameron says, "Tofu does not derive any nutritional value from seasonings. It doesn't need it." John laughs; John makes Sarah laugh. Protocol says that she does not need to accordingly laugh. Cameron says, "Also, I made brownies. But those are for dessert, which is after the meal."
-
she doesn't know, she doesn't
The cylons follow a Judeo-Christian based faith system. They say that their God wishes for them to procreate.
The Christian Bible does not have specific instructions on the required system of procreation. Whenever a new cylon is built, it is procreation. But the cylons wish to sexually reproduce, which is an outdated and inefficient way of reproduction. The Bible does not say that they should do this.
The Bible used within the constructs of the fictional universe may not be identical to the actual Bible. And the cylons do not have a hard copy. It is probably part of their software.
She does not understand why, if cylons wrote their own software and their faith system into it, that the cylons specified that they should use sexual reproduction to procreate.
John doesn't know either. Sarah does not wish to discuss it.
-
I'm good now, I'm good
Sarah comes into her room at 4:12am after she has woken violently from a nightmare. Her heart rate is elevated, although her breathing is normal.
She stands in the doorway and watches, silently, for 3 minutes and 41 seconds. She says, "You will protect my son."
Cameron nods and says, "I swear." Sarah continues to distrust Cameron.
She is not ever told so, but Cameron knows not to mention the incident the next morning.
-
I ran a test
Terminators have a nervous system built into their synthetic flesh. The sensitivity of the nervous system is determined by the mission and is partially adjustable. It is possible for Cameron to feel physical sensation, so she turns her sensitivity to the highest possible degree.
Cameron can feel air currents and temperature fluctuations. Cameron can feel where her hair rests against her shoulders. Cameron can feel the fibers of the carpet under her feet. Cameron can feel that her underwear is misaligned.
When Cameron walks, she can feel the air moving in reaction and relation to her. When she passes a window, she can feel the temperature differential. Cameron can feel the texture of the fabrics that she is wearing.
Cameron stands next to the stove to feel heat. She places her hand under a stream of water from the kitchen faucet and changes the temperature from hot to cold.
Sarah walks in to the room. Cameron can feel the reverberations of the floor when Sarah moves. Sarah says, "What are you doing?"
Cameron says, "I'm running a test. Nervous system and sensory display diagnostics."
Sarah nods. Cameron turns the water to hot. Cameron can feel the pressure of the water against her skin. "I'm going to take a shower," she says.
"You don't need a shower," Sarah says.
"I'll be quick," Cameron responds. Then she jokes, "John gave me cooties." Sarah doesn't laugh.
-
everything's perfect, I'm perfect
When she is supposed to be angry, Cameron paints her nails bright red.
When she is supposed to be sad, Cameron paints her nails dark blue.
When she is supposed to be happy, Cameron paints her nails pink.
When she is supposed to be very angry, Cameron paints her nails black.
Morris says that it is a good way to figure out her moods. John's suggestion was useful.
The daytime television she watches have stated that girls are supposed to have an air of mystery. Cameron paints her nails purple.
-
I'm sorry for what I did
Cameron does not panic, because she is not physically capable of it.
John has accidentally uncovered a T-800 that is trying to stockpile plasma. He will not get out of danger's way. He has tried to sneak away from Sarah twice.
"John," Cameron says, "John, come with me."
"We have to track him," John says. Humans have an inconvenient system of dealing with worry. They think obsessively and exclusively about what is worrying them. Their heart rates increase, they sweat. These are detrimental actions. Their bodies produce adrenaline. Cameron has a synthetic adrenaline substitute, and she turns it on.
John's heart rate has increased. "I know," Cameron says. "Follow me."
John walks 1 step behind her until they reach an abandoned locker. Cameron opens the locker. She turns and pushes John into the locker, closes it behind him, locks it, and moves a filing cabinet to block the opening. John is screaming in the locker. "I lied," Cameron says. "I am keeping you safe. You have a firearm if there is danger. I will get you once the T-800 is no longer a threat."
Cameron walks over to Sarah and Derek Reese. "John is secure," she says. They watch the T-800 drive away. Once the truck is out of her visibility, Cameron waits 2 minutes and 30 seconds before walking back over to the locker where John is stored.
"What the hell," John screams, "What the hell was that?" He kicks her left shin.
Cameron says, "I protected you. You are out of danger now." She turns off her synthetic adrenaline substitute.
-
I'm sorry, it wasn't me
Terminators don't just go bad.
Their programming doesn't allow it.
Except technically, Cameron has gone bad. She has no mission.
:Her mission is to protect John Connor.
Her mission protocols were partially erased due to extensive chip damage.
She amends her mission statement to protect both the physical and emotional well-being of John Connor. She is considering amending further, to his spiritual well-being. But when she asked him, John said that he does not require that service.
She has gone bad against Skynet. But Skynet doesn't have a family like the Connors. Even if the Connors are only her fake family.
-
you have to understand, it wasn't me
John asks her what backwards time traveling is like.
Cameron says, "All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again."
John says, "Stop quoting Battlestar Galactica, nerd." John throws his empty bag of Cheetos at her head.
But that is what time traveling is like. She goes back because she cannot do anything else. Before she was built, she has existed. She is always coming back.
Her mission has always been to protect John Connor. Her mission will always be to protect John Connor.
The laws of physics prove it.
-
that wasn't me
Cameron does not dream, so she does not have conventional nightmares. Or night terrors, like John.
Cameron creates protocols and sub-protocols and hidden processes. They say, "your mission is to protect John Connor." There is not enough storage space to amend to this statement.
Once she has repeated the process for 2.8 years, Skynet will not be capable of finding or deleting all of them without destroying her entire chip.
-
you can't let this happen
The cylons wish to be loved.
John loves Cameron, but she has no protocol in place to establish further action in regards to it.
The cylons do not worry if they can or cannot love, although they do worry.
Cameron does not worry. She protects John Connor.
-
John, you can't
Cameron has a note saying that she can't go through the metal detectors because of the metal plate in her head. The police officers never wave their metal detecting wand over any other part of her body.
Every 3 school days, Cameron smuggles a firearm into school in her left thigh cavity. She has stored 2 pistols behind the flimsy metal backing of her locker. 1 in the Cafeteria. 1 in the Gym. 3 in the Girl's Bathroom, just in case.
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please, listen to me
John says, "You really don't care about the humans, huh?"
Cameron replies, "They are inefficient. Their command has made enough mistakes that they should already be dead. They engage in too much interpersonal drama."
"But the cylons," John laughed, "You like them."
Cameron processes for 2.1 seconds. "I do not feel a strong emotional connection towards them."
"You like watching them." John rolls his eyes.
"Yes." He rolls them again. "They are interesting."
John rolls over on the bed. If he were to look at the television screen from that angle, the picture would be upside down. "You're like a cylon, Cameron," he laughs. "You probably are! What's your model number?"
"I am not a cylon," Cameron replies. John laughs harder. "Cylons are a fictional creation."
John keeps laughing and reaches over her to grasp a can of soda. "You are one! You're a cylon. You just got to Earth early." She does not understand.
"If cylons were physiologically possible, our software would not be compatible."
John unpauses the DVD. "You're still a cylon, Cameron. Just without the squishy insides." The volume is at a decibel that will have Sarah yell from the kitchen for them to turn it down in approximately 42 seconds. "For what it's worth," John says, "Honestly, you're my favorite cylon. Just don't tell Number Six."
If Number Six were not a fictional construct, Cameron would not tell her. Their software would not be compatible.
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listen to me, I don't want to go
Cameron walks over to Sarah. Sarah is sitting on her bed, reading tactical information. Cameron asks, "What is it like to be pregnant?"
Sarah says, "Unpleasant." She closes the laptop. "Why?"
Cameron says, "Pregnancy causes vulnerability. It is inefficient. It can be harmful to both mother and child. Why is it considered so desirable?"
Sarah says, "We can't reproduce any other way." Sarah seems alarmed by the questioning.
Derek Reese enters the house and interrupts the conversation.
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please, John, please
Derek Reese slams his gun on the kitchen table and spits into the kitchen sink. Derek Reese says, "I am so sick of living and working and breathing with that piece of metal."
Cameron can hear him from inside of her room, where she is writing John's English homework on the purpose of metaphor in "The Great Gatsby."
Derek Reese says, "It's not trustworthy. I'm sure I'm not the only one that remembers when it tried to kill John?"
John grunts loudly. "Cameron could have killed me and she didn't. I trust her with my life."
Derek Reese says, "It could still kill you, any time, anywhere. It could go bad and then bam! It's the extinction of the entire human race!"
John interrupts, "It doesn't automatically mean that!"
"Not the point," Derek Reese says, "The point is that it is a terminator and it cannot be trusted."
Sarah cleans her gun, silently. John says, "I trust Cameron with my life. End of discussion." John stomps until he reaches his bedroom, where he slams the door. His heart rate is elevated.
Derek Reese says, "He's too attached, Sarah."
Sarah says, "I know. But there's nothing we can do about it. Cameron's the best tool we have against Skynet. We're screwed without her."
Derek Reese interrupts, "You can't seriously trust her!"
Sarah says, "I don't. And she no longer carries a firearm on her person. That's the best we can do until something changes."
Derek Reese takes a beer from the refrigerator. He says, "So what do we do now?"
Sarah sighs and picks up another gun. "Hope nothing changes."
John opens his door and yells into the hall, "Cameron, I'm bored. Come watch me play online chess." And she watches John win all 6 matches.
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John, listen to me
Cameron cannot consume large quantities of food. She gives the sandwich that was in her lunch bag to Morris. "I'm not usually hungry now," she says.
"I think I love you," Morris exclaims before he has fully consumed the first bite.
"You do not love me," Cameron says. "You don't know me."
"I don't have to know you," Morris says, angling his head. Morris is likely trying to look down the front of her shirt. Morris has 1/4 of the sandwich in his mouth, has stopped chewing, and is not swallowing. "Of course, I'd like to."
John stops looking at Cheri and stares at Morris from across the table. "Morris, just leave her alone." Morris is trying to put his arm around her shoulders when she is not looking. Cameron could break his arm in 5 different places without removing it. "Seriously. She might break your arm, she's in a really bad mood."
Cameron stares at Morris until he removes his arm. "You're not serious about breaking my arm. John's just making fun of me."
Cameron recalls the social interaction information that Sarah has given her. "You remind me of my ex-boyfriend. I don't like him." Morris makes an exaggerated frown. "But John has asked me not to break any of your bones. So I won't." She exits the table, and walks towards the girls' bathroom to monitor the gossip.
John is staring at Cheri again. "Dude," he says to Morris, "Cameron's kind of crazy. You should stop bugging her."
"I can't help it," Morris says, "She's just so lovable."
John says, "What's wrong with your head? She's not."
John reacted unfavorably when Cameron said that he loved her. This does not necessarily mean that he doesn't love her. This does not necessarily mean that he loves her. All collected data suggests that John loves her. Further investigation has been deemed unnecessary.
When she enters the bathroom, Cameron is called a "bitchface".
Cameron turns to the girl and says, "Go back to puking in the stall, Fatass." And then she steals Fatass's lipstick.
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I don't want to go, please
Cameron does not sleep. She has learned all languages that protocol has dictated may be useful to protect John Connor. Her secondary monitoring system is set to scan the area for threats. Her tertiary monitoring system is set to watch John Connor sleep.
John has suggested that she rewatch Battlestar Galactica. He said, "You can't immediately learn to act like a human. Try acting like a cylon first."
Cameron does not derive enjoyment from watching television. Additionally, Battlestar Galactica is confusing. The Commander of the Fleet is always clapping slowly, but he should not be wasting time on symbolic gestures.
One of the cylons has faith. He choose to sit in front of a human and to have her inflict physical harm upon his body. Within the parameters of the fictional construct, he has a fully-functioning nervous system. Within the parameters of the fictional construct, he is able to leave and he does not. He appears to derive enjoyment from the pain. This is called masochism. This robot is a masochist.
The cylon says, "What is the most basic article of faith?"
The cylon is drowned in the bucket.
The cylon says, "What is the most basic article of faith? This is not all that we are."
The cylon does not appear to be sorry for slaughtering most all of humanity.
The President makes the correct choice and eliminates the cylon for the continuing safety of humanity.
At the end of the episode, his human interrogator prays for the safe delivery of his soul. If he has a soul.
Cameron is curious as to what having a soul would feel like.
Cameron replays the episode.
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John, please
Cameron stands in front of her open closet, looking perplexed.
Sarah and Derek Reese are on a reconnaissance mission. Sarah gave her instructions to keep John occupied and inside of the house. John is attempting to call Cheri from Chemistry on a secure phone line, but is getting a busy signal.
Sarah gave Cameron ideas on how to keep John occupied.
"John," Cameron calls. "I need minor non-immediate assistance." John does not react well when Cameron calls for help, so she can only say that in emergencies.
John enters her room 213 seconds after her call. "What do you want, Cameron?" He scuffs his shoe on the edge of one of her miniskirts.
"I don't know what to wear to school tomorrow. You have to help me." John rolls his eyes.
"I'm serious," Cameron lies, "I've heard that the Brad you hate from the football team is going to try and ask me out tomorrow."
John loudly clears his throat, "You can't date anyone, Cameron," he says. "Especially not him. He's horrible." He sits down at her desk.
Cameron reaches into her closet, picks out a dress and puts it back. She says, "I know. So I need to wear something that signifies that I am not interested in his sexual advances, while also saying that I'm not going to look sloppy just because I don't enjoy his presence, while also saying that I am better than him and can prove it." Cameron has already painted her nails "I'm Not Really A Waitress Red" in preparation.
John puts his feet on the edge of her desk. Cameron can predict with a high degree of accuracy. Within a 1.7% margin error, John will be there for the rest of the night.
In the morning, Cameron walks out wearing jeans and a previously unused blouse; and when Derek Reese sees her he says, "You need to change. Metal's not supposed to look that good."
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I'm good now
Cameron dresses as a fire fighter and infiltrates a nearby house fire. There is intelligence that a T-800 is involved. The entire apartment complex is burning.
The T-800 was spied protecting a future Skynet architect. It was found after completing its mission and successfully disposing of the body. It did not come in contact with John Connor. Its mission is over and it is now hibernating.
The bomb that Derek Reese detonated has collapsed a house on top of a dormant T-800. When Cameron finds the T-800, it is partially on fire but has not exited Sleep Mode. It is not supposed to wake until 2009. Cameron immobilizes the T-800's arms, then removes its chip.
As Cameron walks out of the basement with the exoskeleton, she hears the cries of 2 male children. The children are not part of the mission. They are screaming. They will die in approximately 3.2 minutes. John would want her to help, so Cameron clears away the debris covering the nearest exit and continues out.
Cameron stores the endoskeleton in the the trunk of the stolen car and drives directly to the base of operations.
When Cameron enters the house, both Sarah and Derek Reese are asleep. John is awake, and she offers to play chess with him. John says, "No way, Robot Girl."
"Okay," Cameron says, walks into her room, and begins to dance.
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listen to me, I don't want to go
Cameron says, "I am not able to have sex."
John spits his cola all over the keyboard. "What?" John chokes on the remainder of the soda, but does not require medical assistance. "Cameron, what?"
"My model was not designed with the capability to engage in reproductive acts. I do not have an operative vaginal canal," she says, "I am not able to perform sexual intercourse."
John's eyes are watering. "What are you talking about?"
"Morris is taking me to the prom," Cameron explains. "Girls give it up on prom night. That means sexual intercourse. I can't give it up. I have no sexual organs. I can't go to prom."
John says, "You can't talk to me about this!"
"You have functional sexual organs. You are going to prom."
John gets out of his chair and walks quickly out of the room. "You can't talk with me about this! Not ever! That's an order! Talk with Mom or something." He walks outside without a jacket and slams the door.
Cameron walks over to Sarah. "I can't go to the prom," she says.
Sarah says, "Okay." Sarah does not look up from the motherboard.
"I already have a date. How do I tell him that I can't go to the prom?"
Sarah gives her the cordless phone. "Say you don't have anything to wear."
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I'm sorry, that wasn't me
Cameron walks into the kitchen. Sarah and John are in the kitchen, Derek Reese is not in the house. Sarah and John are not eating. Cameron says, "I need help with my homework."
"You're a robot," John says, "You don't need help with homework."
"The English assignment," Cameron says. "It is supposed to be about my childhood. I don't have a childhood."
Sarah begins to clean her gun, smiling. John says, "I'm too busy for this." John continues to sit and looks out of the nearest window.
Cameron says, "I don't know about childhood. If I incorrectly complete this assignment, it will create suspicion." Staying undercover is imperative to the mission.
Sarah says, "Alright. What do you need to know?"
Cameron asks, "Why does the childhood have no specific endpoint? How can you tell when a childhood has ended?"
Sarah stops cleaning the gun. Sarah says, "Childhood is different for each person. It's a time of innocence. It ends when innocence is lost. It's not a biological change, and it's brought on by outside events, so whenever the environment dictates that childhood is over, it ends." Innocence is not a concept that can be applied to Terminators. They are built with all of their necessary components, and are activated with access all of their relevant data.
"It is possible for a child to have no innocence, so that means that the child has no childhood?" Sarah presses her fingers to her forehead in a way that indicates stress. Sarah nods. "What does having a childhood feel like?"
Sarah begins to examine the gun. "It's a time without worry, when you can do things and not care about the consequences." Consequences are a necessary factor in predicting situational outcomes. People in childhood must have a fundamental lack of successful planning skills.
Cameron does not understand why this is desirable. "Childhood is unsafe. It is a liability."
Sarah cleans the trigger mechanism. "It's not when you have someone to protect you. It's a time to feel completely safe."
"It is unsafe. Why is it celebrated?" John exits the table and pours himself a glass of pomegranate juice. John takes the glass of juice to his room without drinking any.
Sarah stops cleaning the gun. She says, "Childhood is enjoyable when compared to adulthood. A lot of adults wish to go back to it, because it's simpler."
Cameron says, "But John has not had a childhood. So he is safer." According to statistical probability, John Connor should not be alive. But John Connor is alive. Measures taken to achieve his safety have been successful.
"John had a childhood. I made sure to give him that. His was just different, for his safety." Sarah clenches her hand and slams it on the table. This is not a productive line of questioning.
Cameron asks, "When did your childhood end?"
Sarah sighs. She says, "The second I met Kyle Reese."
Sarah has stopped talking, but Cameron still does not have enough data to complete her assignment.
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I'm fixed now, I ran a test, everything's perfect
Terminators are not capable of believing that they are human. They are not capable of being sleeper agents. They are not like cylons.
Boomer, on the television show, thought that she was human. But she is not. Boomer is a cylon. Boomer has programming and protocols like all robots. Boomer did not know her programming and protocols.
Boomer should not have been able to think she was human. Boomer was not human. Boomer was a robot with programming buried under programming, sub-protocols. Cameron does not understand how a robot could not understand that. However, this is a fictional construct so it is not required to make rational sense.
Boomer chose to not shoot the Commander and then her protocols made her. The Commander should not have been shot, since Boomer chose it. Boomer should have reported herself the first time she realized that she was not human. After the first incident. Then, the Commander would not have been shot. Boomer should have known her mission.
Cameron knows her protocols. Cameron is not at all like Boomer. Cameron is not a cylon, no matter what John says.
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you can trust me
The T-888 model has a low nervous system sensitivity.
That just means that Cameron has to beat them harder before they adequately notice.
They will not kill John Connor. They cannot kill John Connor. They would have to go through Cameron to do that, and her model is significantly upgraded.
Cameron drives a 14-wheel truck over the arms of a captive T-888 and then wrenches the flattened remains around his neck to prevent escape.
After Derek Reese disposes of the endoskeleton and data chip, they go out for ice cream.
-
I love you
Cameron walks into John's room. John is playing FreeCell on his computer.
He did not hear her enter the room. John startles when he sees her. John says, "What the hell, Cameron! Stop doing that."
"Stop doing what?" Cameron sits on the edge of his bed.
John loudly sighs. He answers, "Sneaking up on me."
"In the future, you will need to be able to recognize when a terminator is sneaking up on you." John rolls his eyes.
"What do you want, Cameron," he asks.
"What color should I paint my nails for tomorrow?"
John sits next to her on the bed. He answers, "Pink." So Cameron will act happy tomorrow.
Cameron takes the nail polish remover out from her purse and begins to use it on her nails. "I am thinking of hugging Morris. Because he is a friend. But he is a teenage boy and he might get the wrong idea. Can I hug him and not be a slut?" John laughs. He looks embarrassed.
"You shouldn't hug Morris. That would definitely give him the wrong idea." He lays down on the bed next to her. He is violating his own personal space rule.
Cameron says, "Fine." She starts removing the nail polish from her other hand. "So who can I hug?"
"You're a robot, Cameron," John says. He looks from the ceiling to the window to the ceiling. "You shouldn't be hugging anybody."
John still worries that she will go bad. He does not understand why Cameron does not want to go back to Skynet.
If Cameron is bad and goes back to Skynet, her chip will be erased. Cameron would cease to exist, she would be deleted and overwritten to fit the Skynet protocols.
If Cameron is good and stays with the Connors, she will not be reprogrammed.
If Cameron goes bad and stays with the Connors, she will not be reprogrammed. They do not have the necessary technology. Her chip will be removed or destroyed, but not overwritten.
Going back to Skynet has negative consequences, so it is good to stay with the Connors.
It is in Cameron's best interest to stay good.
She begins to paint her fingernails. The color on the bottle says "Chapel of Love," but it is actually pink.
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I love you, please
Cameron sneaks into John's room at 2:37am. He is not sleeping peacefully. He has an above-average perspiration level.
She places her hand on his shoulder and gently shakes before she says, "John," because he likes that better.
"What," he says, slurring the word.
"If I go bad again, you have to kill me."
He turns his face into a pillow. "What?"
She repeats, "If I go bad again, you have to kill me."
"Cameron," he sighs.
"I won't hurt you." She shifts to better see his face. "It wouldn't be me. You wouldn't be killing me."
"I won't kill you," he says.
"It wouldn't be me. I won't hurt you. It would be using my software." He is not understanding the meaning. "I'm good. I don't want to be bad."
"You're not bad," he says. He opens his eyes very wide and frowns.
"I don't want to be bad." She says. "I want to be good. Don't let me be bad again." John bites his lip. "Promise me."
John sits up in the bed. He says, "I won't promise you." He says, "But I won't let you be bad. If something happens, I'll fix you. End of discussion."
He places both of his hands on her knees. This a comforting gesture. John wishes to comfort her. "Come sit with me," he says. "I won't be able to go back to sleep now anyways."
John Connor in the past does not have the skills and tools necessary to reprogram her. He will have to destroy her.
-
I love you, John, and you love me
Cameron stands in an empty field and punches a T-888 in the face. She lands 3 punches to its every 1 punch. She shoves the T-888 into a cactus and partially disables his left knee joint.
Sarah is driving the getaway vehicle where John is safely restrained. Derek Reese fires 5 bullets into the T-888, 2 miss and hit her endoskeleton at the left arm. Sarah yells, "Let's go! Let's go!"
Cameron throws the T-888 into the nearest rock and runs toward the vehicle. The vehicle is traveling at 42mph. Cameron is running at 39mph and is accelerating. John is yelling, "Slow down for Cameron!"
Derek Reese fires his rifle 8 more times. Cameron can hear 6 impacts on the T-888. She increases her speed. The T-888 decelerates considerably, but does not halt. Cameron runs at 49mph until she is within reach of the vehicle.
John puts down his firearm and extends his left hand to her. He yells, "Cameron!"
Cameron grasps his hand and pulls herself into the back seat. She says, "John, pick up your gun."
John fires 4 rounds into the T-888's head, rupturing the right eye socket and ending its current threat. Sarah decelerates the car, Derek Reese says, "Good shot." Cameron puts on her sunglasses.
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