Chapter 5 – Trust Me
Cameron pulled the truck into an abandoned gas station and stopped the truck in front of a closed garage door. She jumped out of the F-350 and went to the locked garage door.
Sarah straightened up soon enough to watch Cameron forcefully yank the garage door open and pushed it up higher. She then tried to count all the entry wounds in Cameron's stomach by the blood stains in the tank top. But she only had half counted before Cameron got back in the truck.
The terminator steered the truck into the small repair shop and parked it again. She shut off the engine and stepped out of the truck. She first went to the garage door and partially climbed up the side to reach the door. She latched onto it, hopped off the side, and her weight forced the door back down.
Sarah had opened the door and managed to get one foot on the running board, yet she worried she'd topple down from being so weak. She lifted her head when Cameron appeared in front of her.
The terminator pushed the door open wider then stepped up on the running board. She easily pulled Sarah into her arms then lifted her from the truck. She carefully reversed and came back to the concrete floor.
Sarah could tell it was no strain for the terminator. She was convinced now that Cameron was not human but was something very advanced in technology. She didn't voice her thoughts though and would try to talk to Cameron about it later. Right now her wound was the main focus.
The terminator went directly to a large metal table that had a few random pieces of parts or old screw drivers and such.
Sarah was lowered onto the table's edge, and she helped Cameron clear off the debris. She scooted further onto the long table.
"Ice would help to slow the bleeding and pain," the terminator remarked.
Sarah shook her head and argued, "We don't have time." She slumped to her left side on the table. "And it doesn't matter right now."
Cameron fully agreed and went back to the truck but to the tailgate. She unlocked the tonneau hard cover and lifted it up. She retrieved a first aid kit and returned to Sarah.
The college student peered over her shoulder and made out the first aid kit. She coughed a few times but commented, "You are well prepared."
The terminator didn't say anything and set the kit at the end of the table. "It'll be easier without your top in the way."
Sarah lifted herself up and tried to remove her tank top, yet it was fairly painful.
Cameron quickly helped pull the tank top off her charge, and she set it aside. "You must face me." Again she assisted the college student get turned so that she now faced Cameron.
Sarah settled onto her good shoulder while her injured was up close to Cameron.
The terminator gingerly untied the wrap and dropped it without a care. She now had a chance to better assess the wound from the front and back of the shoulder. She was relieved to find that the bullet had made an exit wound, which meant it was gone from Sarah's shoulder.
"You think it's still in there?"
Cameron carefully touched the exit wound with her fingertips. She detected that the bullet left a residue on its way out from Sarah's shoulder. "No, it passed through your shoulder."
"That's good."
The terminator peered down at her charge. "Both wounds have to be sewn."
"Great," Sarah muttered then she sighed heavily. "Let's get it over with."
Cameron silently agreed and collected the needle then thread for sewing up the wound. She came back to Sarah after she threaded it. "This will be painful," she informed. She set down a small pair of scissors to the side.
"Just get it over with," Sarah pleaded but a hint of urgency in her tone. She closed her eyes when Cameron brought the needle to the entry wound. She barely muffled her sharp cry when the needle passed through her skin.
The terminator worked carefully so that she did a proper job. She used both hands and soon found Sarah's blood coated over her fingers. She listened to Sarah's occasional whimpers. "Your body will naturally start to numb."
"Not soon... enough," Sarah grounded out.
Cameron was almost to the end of the wound, yet she was surprised when Sarah suddenly grabbed her belt buckle. She paused and looked down at the small hand that tightly clutched her silver belt buckle. From the white knuckles, Cameron knew that Sarah was trying to expel the pain somehow.
Sarah loosened her grip on the buckle when Cameron stopped and snipped the thread. She sensed the terminator bent over her for the exit wound. She hissed once the needle entered her shoulder blade, and she strangled Cameron's belt buckle again.
The terminator neatly sewed up the exit wound at a slow pace. She pulled the thread all the way through then brought the bloody needle back through the wounded, upset skin. She continued the procedure until she had the seeping wound sealed tightly. Finally, she tied the suture properly in a square knot so it'd last and not break.
Sarah still clung to Cameron's buckle even after she heard the scissor snip. She did slump her posture and eased her grip.
The terminator set the needle, remaining thread, and scissors on Sarah's bloody top. She then looked down at her charge. "I have to get the antiseptic and bandages."
Sarah understood the hint and released Cameron. She decided to keep her right arm across her side to make it easier. She briefly opened her eyes when the terminator came back, which gave her a direct view of Cameron's revealed stomach under the shirt's torn area. She also noticed dried blood directly under Cameron's belly button. But she shut her eyes when the antiseptic was pressed into her wounds all at once.
"Damn," the college student hissed against the fizzle sting to her shoulder. "I think that's worse than the sutures."
Cameron tossed the bloody gauzes and picked up a clean one from her small stack. She dowsed it with antiseptic but this time carefully wiped each wound one at a time. She could tell the sting was much less than earlier, which meant the bacteria was well gone.
Sarah let out a soft sigh once the terminator started to bandage up the wounds. She realized how worn and weak she was from the entire ordeal. Yet, she still made an attempt at a question. "Exactly how much can you lift?"
Cameron considered her responses and merely replied, "A lot."
"How many pounds is a lot?" the college student tempted. She detected the terminator was just going to avoid the question again. So, she quickly added, "Can you pick up that F-350's weight?"
The terminator realized that her charge would not give up finding out something about her. She exhaled deeply and answered, "Yes."
Sarah quickly opened her eyes at this news and aspirated, "That thing weighs at least seven thousand pounds... if not eight thousand." Being a mechanical engineer, she was fairly familiar with such things. "That's basically four tons."
Cameron was satisfied that she'd properly tended to the wounds. She now slipped her arms under the college student and lifted her back up. "And you are a feather."
Sarah blinked and couldn't discern whether that was a joke or not because Cameron was so serious. She found herself carried back to the F-350 but to the back seats. She helped Cameron open the door despite it shot pain up her arm.
The terminator climbed up the metal running board and placed her charge on the back seat. "You need to rest now." She helped Sarah spread out on the rear bench seat. She backed out but went to Sarah's duffel bag and collected Sarah's leather jacket. She brought it back and laid it over Sarah's upper body.
"What are you going to do?" Sarah adjusted the jacket a bit.
"I'm going to clean up then get us out of here." Cameron didn't wait for anymore questions and backed out of the truck. She shut the door but left the front passenger door open.
The terminator wiped her hands clean on Sarah's ruined tank top. She then cleaned the scissors and needle. She repacked the medical kit except for a few wet gauzes, which she set on top of the first aid kit. She then went to the open tailgate and pulled out a small toolbox but only took out a set of needle nose pliers.
Cameron stripped off her ruined black top and also her tank top underneath. She tossed them on Sarah's top then sat up on the table. She scanned over her body and assessed her wounds that needed to be cleaned out. She set to work with the pliers.
After about thirty minutes, Cameron had a small pile of bullets to her left side and her body freed of the foreign metal. She used the sterile, wet gauzes to wipe the blood away. The last gauze, she took with her to the truck's side mirror and used her reflection to identify the wounds on her face and neck. She cleaned them up too but decided they'd seal on their own fairly quickly.
Soon enough, Cameron had on a short, white wife beater, but she reached into the red pack and yanked out a plain navy blue jacket that zipped up in the front. She put that on to help hide her wounds. Next, she hastily packed up the first aid kit and reorganized the front of the cab because there was so much between her duffel bag, Sarah's, the book bag, and Sarah's pursue. She did make sure to pull out a top for Sarah.
The terminator temporarily put Sarah's top on her right shoulder then closed up the tailgate and hard cover. She went to the garage door, rolled it up, and got into the truck. She started up the truck and reversed it out of the gas station's garage into the empty parking lot. The entire time the truck's Power Stroke whistled in appreciation to the diesel.
Cameron set the three-quarters black top on the back of the bench for Sarah. She got back out of the running truck and made sure to close up the garage. She was relieved to finally get back on the road and mentally worked out new plans. Not only did she have to deal with the Reese Brothers but also a terminator, who was more physically capable than her.
Sarah Connor slept rather hard despite the occasional discomfort from when she moved around on the bench seat. She didn't awake until an hour later and groggily wiped her face.
Cameron lowered the volume on the radio once she heard her charge. "There's a shirt for you."
The college student lowered back down once she realized she was still topless besides her bra. But a quick glance at the windows reminded her that they were tinted. She sat up carefully and collected the top. She gingerly pulled it on despite how it pained her. She let out a low groan after she had it on her body. She couldn't help but push up the three-quarter sleeves.
"Where are we?"
Cameron recalled the last town's name. "We just passed Dunn."
Sarah had no clue about the town, but she focused on carefully getting over the bench seat. She gently lowered herself into the passenger seat in the front and sighed. She now asked, "Where is Dunn?"
The terminator glanced at the younger woman but focused back on the traffic on Route 15. "It is about two and half hours from Las Vegas."
At this information, Sarah went bug eyed and demanded, "We're going to Vegas now?"
"No." Cameron wanted to keep it simple, but she noticed her single word answer had earned her a dark glare.
"Look," Sarah started because she was clearly fired up again, "you can't just expect me to quietly ride along to wherever you want to go. You won't tell me a damn thing but want me to trust you, blindly?" She yanked the seatbelt down and buckled up. "I was nearly kidnapped, ran off with you, taught to fire a gun, stalked, and shot at but you expect me to just... be okay with it all without questioning a thing!"
The terminator glanced a few times at her charge and clearly started to get frustrated too. She gripped the steering wheel a bit harder than needed and almost put an impression into it. She merely tried, "I can't tell you much or it'll compromise the mission."
Sarah blew up at the excuse and hotly yelled, "Fuck the mission, Cameron!" She jerked on the seatbelt for slack and slightly turned to the older woman. "I think it was compromised awhile ago... back at the part where I pumped bullets into that bastard, and he didn't even fuckin' flinch."
Cameron pretended to act passive despite she processed every word yelled at her. She stared directly out the front window.
Sarah growled at the fact she couldn't get through the terminator. "Your head is thick as steel," she coldly jabbed.
"Coltan," the terminator corrected and finally looked at Sarah. "I'm made of coltan."
Sarah mostly let go of her anger at the revelation. She sensed it may be an opening for her. "Please just tell me what’s going on, Cameron." She clearly was desperate to understand it all. "I'm not going to freak out... I'm way past that point now." She watched the terminator's profile and hoped her plea would win over the terminator.
Cameron was seated straight in the chair, which almost looked uncomfortable. She drove with both hands on the wheel and paid careful attention to the road. She didn't speak though and her profile stayed unmoving, like a robot.
Sarah sighed in defeat and slumped back into her seat. She propped her right elbow on the door's handle and bitterly stared out at the world. She just couldn't understand why the terminator wouldn't open up to her.
"On your fifty-second birthday in 2040, there will be a day known as Judgment Day," Cameron softly informed.
Sarah broke from her revere and mentally repeated what Cameron told her. She now looked at the stoic terminator. "Judgment Day? What do you mean?"
The terminator lowered her left hand to her knee. "In the coming decades, mankind will develop a computer system that becomes artificially intelligent overtime. On July 1, 2040, the AI system becomes self-aware and on July 4 begins a war against the world using both nuclear weapons and cybernetic organisms, known as terminators, to wipe out any human resistance."
Sarah stared at her protector and tried to digest the speech. She let out a breath and looked back out the front window. "Maybe I overstated when I said I wouldn't freak out." She brushed back her hair with her fingers and dropped her hand to her lap. She wanted to start out simple and small. "So, you're a robot, right?"
"Cybernetic organism," the terminator corrected.
"Right," Sarah softly murmured. She then checked, "That guy that's after us is also a cybernetic organism?" At Cameron's nod, she slowly let out her breath. "And you know all this about the future because you're from the future?" Again she caught Cameron's nod so she breathed deeply and gave herself a minute.
Cameron remained quiet and waited to see how the human would take it. She shouldn't have divulged anything, but it was far too late now.
"This is the part where I'm supposed to inform you that you're crazy," Sarah quietly explained. But she shook her head and reminded, "But you're not because crazy people aren't this calm." She studied what seemed to be a calm terminator. "Not to mention I've seen the metal and witnessed two terminators load each other with bullets without dying." She lowered her head against the headrest and thought this out, carefully.
Cameron still stayed silent and knew there'd be more questions on the way. She shouldn't have said anything, but yet she ignored the Alpha Directive that was instilled in her.
Sarah licked her lips but stared out the window while she spoke. "Why am I so important in the grand scheme of things? How do I fit in this?"
"There are mainly two reasons," Cameron started. "Your father's company and also your future child."
Sarah quickly looked at the terminator. "My child?" She leaned forward a bit and murmured, "I have a child?"
"Yes." Cameron let out a sigh because she was telling too much information. She couldn't help it though and wanted to explain it to Sarah. "You have a daughter, who later helps mankind fight back against John."
"John?" Sarah checked, "He's the AI, who tries to kill us?" She watched Cameron nod so she went back to Cameron's earlier mention about her father's company. She knew the company produced high-tech machinery for all sorts of industries. "How does Cyberdyne fit into this? Does my father build this AI?"
"No, but Cyberdyne is the first to design and build terminators for the government."
"Jesus," Sarah muttered and touched her brow.
"Another corporation creates the AI under government contract," Cameron revealed. "The corporation is in direct competition with Cyberdyne for government contracts. As a result, Cyberdyne tries to jump on the bandwagon and produce an AI, but the growth is much slower."
"Does my father's company succeed though?"
The terminator slowly nodded. "The project is called Skynet and becomes self-aware on January 7, 2043. Once Skynet becomes self-aware, its first course of action is its name."
Sarah was confused by this but carefully listened to the story.
"Skynet changes its name to be Omega." Cameron caught how Sarah's expression lit up because Sarah started to figure out the tattoo on Cameron's neck. "Omega declares it is the last hope for mankind and will stop John and the Resistance."
"How does my daughter fit into this? You said she fights back...?"
Cameron slightly leaned back in the chair and tried to be comfortable like a human. "Your daughter is vital to Omega's development into a self-aware AI. She teaches Omega emotions, right and wrong, about religion, and the value behind human life."
Sarah racked her mind from her old psychology class and finally found the word. "Sentient."
"Yes, she helps Omega grow into a sentient AI, which John is not." Cameron glimpsed at her charge, who obviously was taking in everything.
Sarah raised an eyebrow at her protector. "So, John sent back the Reese Brothers and the terminator to kill me so I wouldn't have my daughter?"
"Yes, and to stop Omega from being built." Cameron didn't go into further details about Cyberdyne's future as a company or how Sarah fit into it. She couldn't reveal everything to the human.
"Are there terminators on both sides?" Sarah inquired.
"Originally there were not. Cyberdyne was contracted to build exoskeletons that could be outfitted to soldiers and provide superior strength and endurance in battle. But Cyberdyne took it further and built full humanoid endoskeletons that later developed into terminators." Cameron hesitated but decided to tell the rest anyway. "The government utilized Cyberdyne's humanoid robots in battle but when John came online, he took control of them."
"I take it that John further developed and advanced the robots into cybernetic organisms," Sarah guessed.
"Yes, but Omega was able to capture some and study the technology. We began producing our own terminators to meet or beat the Resistance's terminators." Cameron slightly frowned. "It's not only a war amongst humans but also between machines."
Sarah considered Cameron's last statement but was still curious about the tattoo. "Then all Omega's terminators have that tattoo?"
"No," the terminator replied, "terminators in the UR do not carry Omega's seal. I'm the only terminator that bares it." She saw the human's curiosity. "I'm directly linked with Omega unlike other terminators in the UR. I was designed, programmed, and built specifically by Omega and your daughter to protect your daughter. My tattoo merely indicates my significants in the UR."
Sarah was stunned that a terminator was solely dedicated to protect her future child. She imagined that her daughter had importance and influence in the future, not just to mankind but to this sentient AI called Omega. Then another thought occurred to her. "What's the UR?"
Cameron slightly smiled and replied, "United Races... it replaces the United Nations after World War III begins."
"Damn," Sarah muttered and fell back into her seat. She took a few minutes to replay everything Cameron told her.
However, the terminator said nothing else and found some solace in the silence. She rarely experienced worry in her programming, but now was a time that she worried about her own actions. There were several moments in her past that she worried for Sarah Connor's daughter.
Sarah let out a slow breath then glimpsed over at her protector. She was about to ask more, yet she faltered at the strange look on the terminator's face. She tried to place it and decided it was fear or closer to dread. Sarah didn't expect this from the usually stoic terminator, who was a glorified computer. But now Sarah wondered if there wasn't more to this walking computer than wires, metal, and processors like her Blackberry or laptop.
"Hey," Sarah called to her protector, who turned to her. "Thank you for telling me."
Cameron studied her charge then focused back on the road. "I should have not told you," she admitted. She then murmured, "It's against the Timeline Directive."
Sarah was intrigued why the terminator gave into her. "Why tell me then?"
The terminator had already considered this and couldn't find an exact answer. "I am unsure."
Sarah tasted the confusion in the terminator's tone. She actually felt guilty for pressing the terminator now. "Do you trust me?" she checked. But she shrugged and added, "It's not like I can tell anybody anyway... not unless I want to spend time in a psych ward."
"It is not that," Cameron objected. She frowned at her charge. "The UR is concerned that such information about the future given to somebody in the past may harm the timeline."
"As if you showing up doesn't change the future?" Sarah debated, and she grinned at the terminator.
Cameron released a faint sigh and explained, "It is a concern, but agents are given strict training about the Timeline Directive." Slowly her brow crinkled together. "Omega also programmed the directive into my routines."
"A lot of good it did," Sarah bantered, but she realized her joke wasn't so funny to the terminator, who seemed distraught. "I'm sorry." She hadn't expected any of this and certainly never imagined a cybernetic organism that clearly housed human emotions. "Nobody is perfect," the college student submitted. She slouched a bit because this wasn't going as planned, by far. "Do you really think it'll change anything? Me knowing about the future, I mean."
"It is hard to say," the terminator admitted. "Your daughter was a firm advocate for the Timeline Directive when the UR poised to pass it."
"Let me ask this," Sarah started, "does the Resistance abide by this directive?" At Cameron's negative response, she posed, "Then what good is it really? They can just as easily come back in time and change it all."
"That is why I am here," Cameron reminded. "I must stop or reverse their mission."
Sarah smirked and argued, "I think you can only stop it... you can't reverse my death." But her smirk slipped away, and she thought more about the future, warring AIs and humans then her daughter. She wanted to ask more about her daughter like her name and the father, yet she hesitated to back Cameron into another corner. She did her best not to ask anything more about the future.
After a moment, Sarah did realize she could ask more about Cameron herself. She was curious about the terminator technology and its advancements. She reached up to the seatbelt and pulled it for more slack on her wounded shoulder.
"What's coltan?" Sarah prompted.
"Technically," Cameron explained, "it is columbite-tantalite."
"It comes out of Africa, right?" Sarah was jogging her educated mind for the unusual ore. "If I remember right, the tantalum element is extracted from it and used in a lot of electronics."
Cameron's earlier distress was gone because of the new topic. She also had a lithe smile at the human's knowledge about coltan. "Yes, it is mainly used in electronics and computers."
"Hmmmm." Sarah bit her lower lip but asked, "So, you're made from tantalum?"
"As a metal powder in my power supply system, yes." Cameron then further explained, "But my endoskeleton is made directly from coltan."
Sarah shook her head and challenged, "Why coltan? Does it have better strength than say steel or titanium?"
"Coltan's physical properties are that it's ductile and highly resistant to extreme heat because of the tantalum."
Still the college student wasn't sure about this reasoning. "I get the high heat being a plus. But ductility? Isn't that a flaw?" She studied the terminator.
"It provides terminators with flexibility," Cameron reasoned, and she saw Sarah understood the idea. "The first terminators were made from titanium."
Sarah quietly considered this. "I would think a mix of coltan and titanium would be more ideal. Titanium has a high melting point too," she objected after another thought.
"Titanium melts at-"
"Just over sixteen hundred Celsius," Sarah interrupted.
"1,649," the terminator agreed. "But coltan melts at 3,017 degrees Celsius."
"Nearly double," Sarah murmured.
"Coltan can also withstand many acids," Cameron informed. "Endoskeletons cannot be harmed by acidic weapons."
"Hmmm." Sarah combed her hair then prompted, "But coltan gets those properties from the tantalum. So why not just turn the tantalum to powder and coat the titanium endoskeletons? Or mix it?"
Cameron slowly nodded and replied, "It is a concept that Omega and your daughter are researching in the future."
"Sounds like a constant struggle to design and build the bigger, better terminator," Sarah muttered.
"It is a war between the machines too," Cameron agreed.
The college student shifted in her seat then asked, "Where are we headed anyway?"
Cameron lowered her right hand into her lap. "There is a hidden weapons cache in Nevada that has a special weapon."
"Special weapon," Sarah queried, "as in from the future?"
"Not exactly." Cameron regarded her charge and decided to explain anyway. "It was designed in the future, but you can't bring anything with you through time. Not weapons, not clothing... nothing."
Sarah now understood and summarized, "You send somebody back to build it then."
"Yes."
"Where's this weapons cache located?"
Cameron knew it wasn't worth trying to conceal it from Sarah. "It is located near Indian Springs... north of Las Vegas."
"We're headed to Indian Springs tonight then?"
The terminator shook her head. "We'll stay outside of Las Vegas at a hotel. We'll drive to the weapons cache tomorrow, come back to the hotel, and go back to Los Angeles on Sunday."
"Will this weapon stop the other terminator?"
"That's the idea," Cameron quipped.
Sarah rolled her eyes and muttered, "A machine with a smartass attitude... how charming."
"Cybernetic organism," Cameron automatically corrected.
"Tomato... Tamoto," Sarah argued.
"Tamoto?"
Sarah slightly grinned at the terminator's perplexed tone. "Potato... Patoto," she further tormented, knowing fully well it would just confuse the terminator more. She was right by Cameron's twisted features, but she gave in and explained, "I say machine, but you say cybernetic organism... they're the same difference."
"A machine-"
Sarah swiftly cut off the terminator by throwing her leather jacket at Cameron.
Cameron neatly caught it before it hit her, and she slotted her eyes at her charge. "You must not distract the driver... it is dangerous."
"Oh please," Sarah aspirated. "You can probably drive with your eyes shut... machine."
The terminator knew it was another tease, and she instantly threw the jacket back at Sarah. "You are an immature human."
"And you threw it back. Does that make you an immature machine?"
Cameron clenched her jaw.
Sarah chuckled despite the entire situation. She settled her jacket into her lap and a faint smile played on her lips. She needed that childish moment after today. "So, you know where to go to get to this hotel?"
"I have GPS in my HUD."
"HUD?" the college student repeated.
Cameron realized that Sarah was new to the terminator concept and would ask many questions. She formally defined, "Heads-up display."
"That sounds like a fancy title for a computer screen."
The terminator was quiet for a minute then revealed, "Your daughter did not warn me about this part of the mission."
"What part is that?"
Cameron looked over and bluntly jabbed, "The part about you being obnoxious."
Sarah could have and should have been insulted, but she just smirked at her protector. "Oh it gets better too."
"How charming," Cameron mocked back from Sarah's earlier tease.
"Alright... alright." Sarah took a deep breath then politely asked, "Truce?" She saw the terminator's confusion again so she elaborated, "I won’t make fun of you if you don't make fun of me, truce?"
"Truce," the terminator agreed.
"For now," Sarah whispered.
Cameron slotted her eyes because she easily heard the last bit. She decided to let it go because this break would give her time to consult her data on human banter. She rarely did such with Sarah's daughter because Sarah's daughter was just so intense. Cameron had expected Sarah Connor to be much the same way and seemed that way earlier, but it had changed now. Or perhaps it'd always been there and Sarah wasn't comfortable to share it until now.
Sarah relaxed some and just stared out the front window. She thought about the terminator and the Reese Brothers, who were after her. She should be worried, and it wasn't that she wasn't worried, but she knew she had help; she had Cameron. Sarah just hoped that whatever Cameron had in mind that it would work or else that other terminator could probably kill Cameron.
Sarah shook her head at that last thought. Was it possible to kill a terminator or was it more like destruction? She sighed at her odd thoughts and slid her fingers through her soft, black hair. She looked over at her protector.
"He's stronger than you, isn't he?"
Cameron was quiet for a moment but softly admitted, "Yes." She didn't look at Sarah but explained, "He is a model called the T-888 and was built for combat. But I was built for human infiltration."
"I thought you were built to protect my daughter?" Sarah debated.
Cameron gave a faint nod but clarified, "I was but my base programming is human infiltration so that I can fit in with humans. I'm around them more often than not."
"What model are you then?"
"I was not given one because I am unique." Cameron was a bit hesitant again but decided to tell Sarah more about her design. "I'm an experimental model. Omega believes that if terminators can be sentient that they will be stronger and better than John's terminators."
Sarah tried to think about Omega's idea. Her features drew in, and she quietly theorized, "Does Omega think that emotions will give the terminators a cause?"
"A belief," Cameron added, "and a purpose. Omega has his own belief that John's terminators are slaves. If those terminators could be sentient then they may not do John's bidding."
"But they also may agree with John," Sarah reminded.
"That is true... there are many humans that side with John."
"Like the Reese Brothers," Sarah muttered. She mentally trailed back to the start of the conversation. "Are you sentient then?"
Cameron knew this would be a complicated answer, so she placed it in a nutshell. "I'm becoming a sentient being."
"Omega is trying to see how long it takes a terminator to become sentient," Sarah guessed.
"Yes, and to understand the process or steps." Cameron slowed the truck down because traffic was thickening thanks to the approach of Las Vegas. "I'm directly linked to Omega for many reasons but the main reason is so that he can watch my progress. I also often talk to Omega about my progress." She slightly frowned and explained, "I sometimes do not understand why humans do what they do. Your daughter tries to explain it to me, and she is often good at it. But I consult with Omega too."
"Can he translate it from human to computer for it to make sense?"
Cameron gently pushed on the blinker and pulled into the fast lane now that traffic was getting too slow. "He does his best to explain but... he and I are not sure if computers can fully understand humans. In many regards, humans have their own culture as much as computers have theirs."
Sarah mulled it over and slowly moved her head in understanding but then argued, "Sometimes though, I think my laptop has bad days." She knew it sounded like a joke, yet she was serious. "It has mood swings."
"I would be moody too if I constantly had to deal with human input banged into me," Cameron concluded.
Sarah laughed at the unexpected remark from the terminator. "I suppose that is true." But she shrugged and argued, "If you think about it though, how far can computers really be from humans?" She raised an eyebrow at her protector, "We made you." She enjoyed Cameron's thoughtful features. "So it's only fair to say we'll pass on our characteristics to computers too. We've always wanted to do it anyway, and it may be just a matter of time."
"I had not considered this," Cameron murmured. "I will have to discuss this with Omega." She braked a bit when her truck roared up on a BMW. She looked at Sarah and teased, "You are not totally obnoxious after all."
Sarah bobbed her head and ticked off a back molar with her tongue. "Right," she muttered but raised her voice. "Were you programmed with bad humor?"
Cameron seriously considered this question. "I was not and your daughter lacks humor."
"Are you saying my child is a prude?"
The terminator recalled the definition of the word. "She is not, but she is passionate about her work. She is very driven." She became thoughtful and softly confided, "I don't spend much personal time with her."
"Well, it sounds like she has a lot riding on her," Sarah sadly admitted.
"Yes, it's very stressful for her." Cameron could recall several late nights or extremely early mornings for Sarah's daughter. "But her work is important to many."
"I'm sure."
Cameron blinked back into the slow lane because they were near the exit to get on US-95. She slowed down and took Exit 42A then had to deal with more traffic.
"What's for dinner?" Sarah inquired. She touched her stomach, which was starting to complain.
"There is a restaurant at the hotel."
"What's the hotel?"
Cameron pulled up the hotel's name in her HUD and reported, "The Resort on Mount Charleston."
"Mmmm sounds nice," Sarah commented. She then flashed a grin at her protect. "You spoil me with all these resorts, Cameron."
The terminator wasn't sure how to take it but stated, "This is not a vacation."
"Please do not remind me." Sarah let out a low sigh. "Let me delude myself tonight." She looked out the window and watched the overly lit city all around her. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." She nodded a few times and had to agree.
"You should rest," Cameron suggested once she saw the human's weary look. "It will be another forty-five minutes before we arrive there."
Sarah decided she liked the idea and curled up against the door. But after a minute, she realized she was too cold by the door and couldn't get comfortable. The seatbelt made it worse because it rubbed her injury so she decided against it now. She unbuckled her seatbelt then stretched out on the bench until her head nearly touched Cameron's thigh. She balled up her leather jacket into a makeshift pillow and rested on it.
Cameron quickly studied the human curled up near her, and she couldn't quite process her body's response. The way Sarah was close to her and trusting her, unlike most humans, sparked a usual sensation in the terminator.
Sarah softly grumbled because she still was not quite comfortable. She started to shift around a bit again.
Cameron looked down at the human's movements. She moved her left hand higher on the wheel and checked the road, which was clearing up from traffic. She then carefully wrapped her arm across Sarah's hips and gently tugged. "Move up more."
Sarah raised her head and briefly looked up at Cameron in surprise, but she didn't challenge the invite. She followed Cameron's pull and now rested her head on the terminator's warm thigh.
Cameron retrieved the leather jacket and after a quick glance at the road, she laid it over Sarah's upper body.
"Thanks," Sarah offered in a groggy tone.
"Go to sleep." Cameron reached for the radio and tuned it to Las Vegas's light station. She kept it low so it wouldn't disturb her charge. She then checked the cabin's temperature.
Sarah faintly smiled at hearing a love song from the radio, but she didn't bother to say anything because she was just too tired. She eventually drifted off now that she was finally comfortable.
Cameron stayed focused on the drive out west to the resort. She noticed the road was becoming almost desolate which was fine with her. After fifteen minutes, she felt Sarah move again so she peered down at her charge.
Sarah had adjusted in her sleep, and she now rested her right hand on the terminator's leg, just above her knee. She slightly clutched the bunched jeans on the inside of Cameron's leg.
The terminator regarded the human's position, and it touched Cameron somewhere in her deeper programming. She rarely received or accepted physical contact from any humans and especially not from fellow terminators unless it was in battle. Cameron understood the science behind the human somatosensary system and was fully equipped with one herself.
But what Cameron had to learn and self educated, without books, was physical contact between humans. She'd concluded it was a means for communication and even expression between humans. She often tried to exchange the topic with Omega, but it was hard because Omega had very limited physical contact with anybody from his virtual mind. He only took on terminator form when it was necessary, and it was often temporary. So Cameron was mainly left on her own to learn this human phenomenon.
After several minutes, Cameron decided she wished to exchange more physical contact with the human that was becoming more than a mission. Very cautiously, Cameron removed her right hand from the wheel and gingerly placed her hand on Sarah's covered stomach then her elbow rested on Sarah's side. She considered whether or not it would wake up Sarah, but it didn't bother Sarah.
For the rest of the drive, Sarah didn't stir, and her breathing remained at ease. She'd obviously needed the sleep after the day's dramatic events. Occasionally, her protector would glance down at her.
Cameron finally saw that Kyle Canyon Road was coming near its end before it wrapped around and went south for a little ways. She slowed down the truck and minimized her GPS map to the corner of her HUD. She focused better on what was around her outside in the truck's headlights. She spotted the resort and slowly pulled into the front parking lot. She only parked the truck then focused on the sleeping human.
"Sarah," she gently called, "we're here." She unexpectedly moved her hand up and brushed Sarah's dark strands from her face. "Come on."
Sarah had started to wake up when she sensed the truck's slower speed. She released her grasp on Cameron's jeans and muttered, "That's only the second time you've really said my name." She rubbed her face a bit then opened her eyes.
The terminator hadn't thought about it, but Sarah was right. She kept her hand on Sarah's side. "We need to get a room and dinner for you."
Sarah couldn't agree more about the food. She started to get up but her movements were slow because she was sleepy. "Hopefully I didn't drool on your leg there." She chuckled and patted Cameron's thigh after she got up.
Cameron tilted her head and wondered why Sarah would do such a thing anyway.
Sarah combed her hair back under control and took in the view through the front window. "Wow," she whispered and looked at Cameron. "You weren't kidding about it being a resort." She looked back at the softly lit hotel. "It looks really... high end." She grinned at Cameron and mentioned, "This might be pricey."
Cameron tilted her head then concluded, "I believe you are worth it." She unbuckled herself, shut off the truck, and shoved open the door. She was on the ground but turned back and seriously asked, "Can you pay?"
Sarah couldn't help but laugh in the middle of getting on her jacket. She shrugged it on then patted her right jean pocket that was filled with hundreds. "I gotcha covered, sweetheart." Sarah just shook her head several times and climbed out of the truck.
Cameron went to the tailgate and quickly worked to get what they needed for tonight. Sarah joined her and helped with a few items. She also noticed Sarah had her purse across her chest.
Sarah shifted closer to the terminator and softly asked, "You have a few extra magazines, right?"
"Plenty," Cameron promised. She shut the tailgate then the cover. She had her backpack on then the heavy duffel bag on her left shoulder.
Sarah merely carried her duffel bag in her left hand so that it didn't strain her shoulder. She and Cameron made a beeline to the front doors of the arched shaped structure. She entered the main lobby and went directly to the front desk. She received a warm smile from the clerk.
"Welcome to the resort," the clerk greeted.
"We'd like a room for two nights," Cameron instantly ordered.
Sarah mentally groaned but quickly added, "Please..." She read the clerk's name tag and added, "Jane."
The clerk, Jane, had been briefly perturbed by the older woman's attitude but smiled at Sarah. "Of course." She looked down at the computer screen in front of her.
Sarah sharply shot a warning look to Cameron, and she considered whether or not Cameron understood formalities in human culture. But part of her decided Cameron did because Cameron gave a faint sigh as if it was wasteful to be polite.
"It seems we only have our Bridal Suite available," Jane mentioned and now studied the women.
Sarah bit her lower lip and just waited for Cameron to handle it. She already started to dig out her cash.
"That's fine,” the terminator replied.
The clerk didn't comment and typed away at the keyboard. "How will you be paying?"
"Cash," Sarah answered.
The clerk hesitated but informed, "You'll have to pay upfront."
Cameron didn't quite decipher the lingo, but she could tell that Sarah understood it.
"Not a problem," Sarah promised. "I assume we'll have to come back here for checkout?"
"Yes, to make sure there aren't any damages incurred," the clerk explained. She then mentioned, "Name and information?" She looked between the women.
"Cameron Philips," the terminator instantly replied.
"Philips with a single or double 'l'?"
"Single," the terminator informed.
The clerk just bobbed her head a few times then moved to the address box. "Address?"
Cameron had already pulled up her GPS and used it to track down a Philips located in Los Angeles. She quickly rattled off their address to the clerk then their home phone number.
Jane hit the tab key then asked, "Email address?"
Sarah caught how Cameron's eyes had narrowed ever so slightly. She quickly jumped into the conversation, "Can you skip that, please? We're not big on mailing lists and whatnot."
Jane smiled at Sarah and did as requested. She finally came to the accommodation fees. "It'll be a total of four hundred seven dollars and seventy-three cents." She looked up from the screen and directly added to Cameron. "Please."
Cameron had only experienced irritation once else in her artificial life and that human no longer walked this earth. But she knew that wasn't her option tonight so she decided on a swift tactic to throw off the clerk. She tenderly smiled at Sarah and sweetly asked, "You have enough, honey?"
Sarah was in the midst of counting the hundreds and twenties, but paused and looked at the terminator, who had a charming smile that was, without a doubt, fake. Sarah did her very best not to gawk or laugh and just merely cleared her throat. She weakly managed, "I'm fine but thanks... sweetheart." She turned back to the clerk and revealed her amused features. "That should be four hundred five dollars... check me."
Jane fumbled to get the money from the obvious lesbian woman. She quickly counted the money and reported, "You're correct." She opened a drawer under the counter and made change.
This gave Sarah a moment to fire off another warning look at her protector. She should have snapped at Cameron, but she just didn't have it in herself especially once she saw a sparkle to Cameron's eyes. For whatever reason, it really pleased the terminator to annoy the clerk back, and Sarah wasn't going to rain on Cameron's parade either.
"Here you are." Jane handed the coins to Sarah. Then she put together the room cards having already programmed them a few minutes ago. She then rattled off information about the room's location, and the hotel like its amenities, restaurant, and spa.
"What time is checkout?"
The clerk had been so flustered that she'd forgotten to tell the guests. "Oh, it's at eleven."
"Great." Sarah handed the room cards to her protector then turned to Cameron.
The terminator held onto the sleeve with the cards then she gave Jane a wicked smile and politely offered, "Thank you, Jane." Then she and Sarah strolled off with their bags. But Cameron moved closer to her charge and slipped her left arm around Sarah's lower back.
Jane goggled at the couple that left the front desk.
"Cameron," Sarah hissed and tried to shove the terminator away, but it was quite hard to do. She resigned to it but quietly asked, "Are you happy with yourself?"
The terminator flashed a grin and replied, "Very." She now lowered her arm once they were around a corner. "She was obnoxious."
"I thought I was obnoxious."
Cameron adjusted the duffel bag. "Yes, you are but it's more... enduring with you."
"I'm flattered... truly." Sarah rolled her eyes yet reprimanded, "You have to play nice."
"I did," the terminator argued, "She is alive."
Sarah just couldn't stop shaking her head and remarked, "I think you have a wicked streak in your programming."
"Wicked streak?" The terminator tilted her head and studied the human's profile.
"Mmmm." Sarah saw markers for the elevator, and she stopped by it. She hit the up button. "It means you have a mischief side about you."
Cameron thoughtfully considered this and followed her charge into the elevator. "I have never partaken in it."
Sarah smirked and hit the third floor button. "Well, I think you just did." She then gave an evil smile to her protector. "Sweetheart."
Slowly a grin curled along Cameron's full, red lips. She then casually asked, "Do you suppose she thinks were... lesbians?"
Sarah felt the elevator hitched then the door drew open. She was amused and asked, "What you know about lesbians?"
Cameron became rather serious and factually stated, "It is a female who participates in homosexuality."
"I like your textbook definition," Sarah teased. "And yes, she assumes that now." She widened her gait because she wanted to get to the room so she could get dinner next. She spotted the double doors to the one and only Bridal Suite on the third floor. She stopped at the door and mentioned, "Is that what you wanted her to assume?"
"Apparently I did not make that clear enough to you," Cameron retorted. She swiped the card through the reader and went in but left a stunned college student at the door. She held the door open with her boot and looked back in question.
Sarah shook her head then entered the room. She refused to ask what Cameron's remark meant and went into the suite. She became wide eye at the lounge area that was beautifully done in soft reds, tans, and browns. "Wow... this is nice."
Cameron released the door, which shut behind her. She scanned the room briefly, but it didn't matter to her what it looked like. She approached the sofa on the left and dropped her duffel bag there. She then swung her pack off and rested it on the chair.
Sarah made her way to the bedroom smiled at the queen size bed. She poked her head into the dark bathroom, which was rather large too. She could definitely work with this tonight. She placed her duffel bag to one corner, straightened up, and grinned at the flatscreen television hung on the wall.
Cameron came into the bedroom and stood in the doorway. "Is it sufficient?"
"Just like college," Sarah joked. She looked from the single bed to the terminator and hesitantly asked, "You prefer a certain side of the bed?"
The terminator folded her muscular arms and replied, "I don't sleep."
The younger woman was intrigued by this news and leaned against the bed's footboard that was similar to a slay. "You don't go into a hibernation or... standby mode?"
Cameron tilted her head and replied, "I am not a personal computer." She softened her attitude though when Sarah grinned at her.
"My mistake." Sarah pushed off the bed and approached her protector. She stopped beside Cameron and corrected, "You're a cybernetic organism." She said it without malice or teasingly, but just a fact. She strolled back towards the door. "I'm going to get dinner. I'm sure you don't eat either."
Cameron had the keys and removed them from the sleeve. She set the sleeve on the kitchenette's counter then followed her charge. "I will join you."
"You don't have to be my shadow, all the time," Sarah argued. She held the door handle but waited to see if Cameron would really come or not.
The terminator unexpectedly rested her left hand on the human's uninjured shoulder. "I'm hungry." She, like Sarah, knew it was a white lie, but it didn't matter to either of them.
Sarah chuckled and exited the room with Cameron on her heels. She hoped they had a good restaurant here because she was famished. She seriously considered whether or not Cameron would eat or just sit there. She crinkled her nose at the thought of the terminator staring at her while she ate, but she pleasantly found out that cybernetic organisms were quite capable of eating like any other organism.