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This is the official biography page for Cameron during her time in the pre-apocalyptic past. Specifically, it covers her mission to protect a 16-year-old John Connor in that time period, from the year 2007 to 2009.

Pre-Judgment Day Objective[]

2.01[]

"I'm sorry! That wasn't me! I'm fixed now! I ran a test! Everything's perfect! You can trust me!"
- Cameron. ("Samson & Delilah")
Cameron Samson&Delilah

Cameron survives the explosion

Cameron is rendered offline by the explosion, but quickly reboots and staggers out of the burning jeep, bearing several cuts and burns. One of her legs has also suffered damage, causing Cameron to limp away while running a self-diagnostic, which reveals that her chip integrity has been "compromised". She then removes a piece of shrapnel from her head before entering the Connor residence and finding Sarkissian's henchman, whom she kills, causing a fire in the process. Cameron goes upstairs to find John and Sarah unharmed and Sarkissian dead. A brief scan of John reveals that she has reverted to her Skynet settings, which causes her to draw a gun on him. Before she can fire, however, the house explodes, knocking her off her feet and allowing the Connors to escape.

Cameron HUD compromised

Cameron's chip suffers damage

Cameron quickly recovers and visits a convenience store where she cleans up a little and staples her cheek back together. She then searches the streets, eventually finding a trail of John's blood, which she uses to track him to a church. Despite the reverend's insistence that no one is there, Cameron investigates the area, discovering some more of John's blood near the holy water basin. In the basin is a towel, which Cameron reaches for, only to find that it is a trap set by John. Cameron is incapacitated by a blast of electricity and John tries to remove her chip, but is unable to do so before she reboots.

Cameron HUD terminate

Cameron experiences a reversion

Cameron once again pursues the Connors, who have stolen a car and are attempting to lose her in a levee. Cameron ambushes them, however, and overturns their car. As John flees, Cameron tortures Sarah, demanding that she call out to him, but she refuses. Seeing this as futile, Cameron leaves Sarah alive and chases John, eventually locating him in a warehouse. As John tries to hotwire a truck, Cameron picks up a wrench and throws it at him, but it misses. Before she can do anything else, however, Sarah suddenly appears in a car and pins Cameron between the car and John's truck.

John smashes through the windshield and struggles to open Cameron's CPU port with a screwdriver. During this, Cameron tries to trick John by saying that she is fixed now, that she had run a test and is good again. John ignores her pleas and forces the port open with the screwdriver. Cameron tries a different tack, using emotional blackmail to convince him not to remove her chip. She cries and begs him not to kill her, confessing that she loves him and that he loves her. John hesitates for a moment before removing her chip, rendering her powerless.

Cameron HUD override

Cameron chooses not to kill John

John, Sarah, Derek, and Charley take Cameron to a remote location where they prepare to burn her with thermite. John cleans her chip thoroughly before reluctantly placing it with her body. Charley hands him the flare and John prepares to burn Cameron, but ultimately decides not to and reinserts her chip. He picks up a gun and points it at her as she reboots. Cameron asks him if he is going to kill her, a question he turns around on her. She says "no" and, when given the gun to prove it, Cameron overrides her Skynet programming and chooses not to kill John. Satisfied that she is safe, they take her back to the church, where she ponders on the story of the Resurrection and warns Sarah not to let John reactivate her if she goes bad again.

2.02[]

"Things have changed, John... You can't be trusted anymore."
- Cameron. ("Automatic for the People")
SCC 202 AutomaticForThePeople3

Cameron dresses for a night out

The next day, Cameron has reasserted herself as John's protector, standing guard over him in the church. When he wakes up, John asks Cameron how she's feeling and she tells him that he can't be trusted anymore. She then hints at being "upset" by the thought of John risking his life to save hers. While John goes to school, Cameron, Sarah, and Derek rent a new house from a pregnant lady called Kacy Cotton. After making sure the house is secure, Cameron shows an interest in Kacy's unborn child and places a hand on her stomach. When Kacy comments that Cameron was once inside Sarah's womb, they share an awkward glance and Sarah removes Cameron's hand from Kacy's stomach.

Not long after moving in, an injured Resistance fighter bursts into the house and warns them about a power plant and tells them to "stop Greenway" before dying of a bullet wound. Cameron and Sarah take it upon themselves to investigate the Serrano Point nuclear power plant, which Cameron reveals will one day be a key stronghold of the Resistance, and get themselves temporary jobs as workers by hacking into the company's database. During the recruitment process they are made to watch a cartoon orientation video that bores Sarah but seems to intrigue Cameron. A member of staff then arrives and accepts them into the fold, remarking that two of their employees have suddenly quit due to "emergency circumstances", prompting Cameron to smile slyly (this being the first time that Cameron has shown pride in her work).

As they are shown around the facility, Cameron scans numerous name tags, including that of Greenway, and commits them to memory. When asked why they look so beat up, Cameron and Sarah explain that they were in a car accident (this excuse is also used by John, who attests that he was trying to teach Cameron how to drive). In the evening, Cameron and Sarah visit a bar favoured by the plant's workers so that the latter can question Greenway about the reactor. Cameron, wearing an open leopard top, flirts with a group of employees and asks to join their game of pool so that she can get close enough to scan their ID cards.

Cameron S2E2 Pool

Cameron pool-sharks her targets

One of the workers boasts $50 that he can beat anyone in the bar and is left speechless when Cameron pots almost every ball in a single move. Having won that bet, Cameron smugly counts her winnings whilst Sarah and Derek discuss the threat of a possible meltdown. Cameron reveals that she'd hacked into Greenway's personal computer at work and warns them that, if the plant doesn't go online, the Resistance will lose the war. Upon returning home, they find that John has brought home a girl called Riley, whom Cameron eyes suspiciously before using a black marker to copy Greenway's ID barcode.

The next day at the plant, Cameron is mopping the floor when alarms start to sound and Sarah arrives to inform her that the reactor is going critical and that Greenway has been replaced by a T-888. Sarah orders her to find the Triple-8 and stop it, but Cameron ignores her and keeps mopping, stating that she is "thinking about what to do". At Sarah's insistence, Cameron finds the Triple-8 and tries to fix the damage it has caused but doesn't fare well in the ensuing fight. Sarah arrives and shoots the Triple-8 with an assault rifle, granting Cameron to opportunity to push it into two power nodes, frying the Triple-8's circuitry.

Cameron AutomaticForThePeople

Sarah holds Cameron at gunpoint

She then approaches Sarah in an intimidating manner as she twitches inexplicably, causing Sarah to hold her at gunpoint and ask if she is alright. Cameron doesn't attack and states that she is okay before fixing the damage caused by the Triple-8. Cameron then seals the deceased Terminator in a toxic waste bin, along with CCTV tapes of the incident. When they return home, Sarah has Cameron scan her with a radiation detector and asks Cameron if she will still get cancer. Cameron tells her that she doesn't know and turns the question around on her, asking if she will one day suddenly "explode".

Sarah doesn't have an answer for that, and Cameron goes inside where she talks to John about Riley. John asks her if she sees Riley as a threat, to which Cameron replies "girls are complicated". He then tells Cameron that he doesn't feel the need to prove anything to anyone, including her.

2.03[]

Cameron Mousetrap

Cameron spies on John and Riley

"Your mother told me to keep an eye on you."
- Cameron. ("The Mousetrap")

During one of her whimsical moments, Cameron conducts a thorough inspection of the house, informing John that the house is moving downwards by 0.93 millimetres each year and that they will need to re-paint the house next summer. She then discovers a bird stuck in the chimney and expresses an enthusiasm to catch it and kill it, but Sarah orders her to leave the bird alone and to not let John out of her sight. Cameron and John then visit the mall to buy a new computer and she casually lifts the heavy equipment into their truck, surprising an elderly couple with her display of strength.

John then receives a call on his cell phone, from whom Cameron correctly guesses to be Riley. Cameron informs John that she must keep him within her sight at all times, but he tricks her and gives her the slip. Cameron stalks John and spies on him and Riley, eventually being spotted by the latter and once again losing track of John. She later approaches Riley in a car lot and demands to know John's location. Riley apparently tells her that John is at the pier and Cameron goes there in search of him.

Whilst looking for John, Cameron comes across a "Mr. Roboto" mime and watches it with confusion for a moment before moving on. She later finds John in the sea, having narrowly escaped a now sub-merged Cromartie. John asks her for help, but she simply states that she cannot swim. With John back in her sight, Cameron delivers him to Sarah and Derek, who have just returned from a rescue mission to save Charley's wife, Michelle Dixon. Despite their efforts, however, Michelle is injured and later dies in hospital, leaving the Connors and Derek grieving, but Cameron remains as stoic as ever (if a little out of place).

2.04[]

"I was in a store and I couldn't remember anything... I'm... Allison... Allison from Palmdale."
- Cameron. ("Allison from Palmdale")
SCC 204 AllisonFromPalmdale2

Cameron loses her memory

Whilst on the way to the department store, Cameron recalls the capture of her human template; Allison Young. When John comments on her look of absence, Cameron simply states that she is fine and debunks John's joke that she might try to kill him again. He then sends her to get some groceries and promises to meet her in 30 minutes. Cameron goes to the store where she picks up an apple and catches her reflection in a birthday balloon. She suddenly suffers a glitch and becomes disorientated, resulting in her crashing the shopping cart into a stack of watermelons. The glitch wipes her memory and she ends up on the floor as a cop asks her if she is drunk or on drugs. When asked for proof of identity, Cameron shows him the wad of cash and is subsequently taken to the local police department.

Here she experiences a flashback of Allison being branded with a Skynet work camp barcode and comes to believe that she is actually the human she was based upon. Cameron befriends a girl called Jody and is later released without charge. Jody spots her money and takes Cameron to a restaurant where she explains her life story. Before they can eat their meals, however, Jody is assaulted by a man who claims that she stole his laptop computer. Cameron goes to Jody's aid and begs the man to leave them alone, giving him her money as incentive. The man leaves, and Cameron and Jody go to a halfway house where she covers Jody's bruise with make-up. As thanks, Jody gives Cameron her necklace.

Cameron AllisonFromPalmdale2

Cameron calls her "Mom"

During an interview with a social worker, Cameron recalls Allison's parents as her own, and remembers her 3rd birthday in Griffith Park. She tearfully recalls Judgment Day, wherein her entire family was killed in the nuclear holocaust and experiences another flashback of Allison being interrogated and asked similar questions. Cameron spots a tiger ornament and muses about the extinction of mankind, eventually remembering that she (Allison) is from Palmdale. She subsequently calls Allison's mother, Claire Young, and is upset when she doesn't recognize her as her daughter.

In a bid to cheer her up; Jody and Cameron play a game of miniature football, which seems to help take her mind off of things until John suddenly arrives, having scoured the streets looking for her. John tries to get Cameron to leave with him, but she does not recognize him as her "brother" and claims to be "Allison from Palmdale". John reveals to Cameron that she is a machine and that her chip is malfunctioning, which confuses and distresses her, triggering another flashback of Allison's attempted escape from the Skynet prison. Cameron angrily shoves John into a wall, and he is then escorted out of the building by security.

Cameron AllisonFromPalmdale3

Cameron punishes Jody

Cameron has another interview with the social worker and expresses her belief that she is a machine after remembering her interrogation of Allison about John Connor's whereabouts in the future. She reveals that she was programmed to infiltrate John's base and terminate him, stating that she will "hang his head on a pike for all to see." This disturbs the social worker, prompting her to call the police, but Cameron leaves with Jody before they arrive. They then break into an expensive house where Jody claims to have babysitted once. She unlocks a secure safe and shows Cameron the jewellery, which includes an earring that is identical to the one around Cameron's neck.

Now fully aware of who and what she is, Cameron forces Jody to tell her the truth, discovering that the house actually belongs to Jody's parents. Mirroring her final interrogation of Allison, Cameron grabs the girl by the throat, having realised that Jody intends to set her up for burglary. Unlike Allison, however, Cameron only chokes Jody into unconsciousness and spares her life when John arrives. He drives her home, livid at her behaviour, and asks about the necklace. Cameron fondles the necklace and repeats Jody's initial lie that she bought it at a store in Echo Park.

2.05[]

Cameron 205 01

Cameron stands guard

"Would you like a bedtime story?"
- Cameron. ("Goodbye to All That")

The Connors learn that someone called Martin Bedell is being hunted by a T-888, who is systematically killing off every name in the phonebook that matches. With one already dead and two remaining, John resolves to go with Derek and infiltrate the military academy with the goal of protecting cadet Bedell. Sarah reluctantly allows him to go and Cameron watches him leave without expression. She and Sarah then locate the other Bedell, a young boy called “Marty”.

Cameron waits in the car whilst Sarah enters the boy’s house and quickly pulls up when the T-888 attacks. With Sarah and Marty inside, Cameron speeds away with the Triple-8 in hot pursuit. It manages to get on top of the car and rips the roof off, but is sent flying when Sarah blasts it with a shotgun at close range. Marty asks what is going on and Sarah doesn’t answer, not wanting to upset him with the knowledge that he has been targeted for termination. Cameron, however, lacks such discretion and tells Marty that he is being hunted by a cyborg, which angers Sarah.

Cameron 205 02

Cameron warns Marty

At home, Cameron patrols the perimeter with a shotgun, eventually returning indoors where she later finds Marty trying to call his mom. Cameron grabs the boy and holds him aloft, warning him that the T-888 might use his mother to get to him. Sarah gives Cameron a knowing look, prompting her to change her tone and ask Marty if he’d like to hear a bedtime story. When Marty eventually falls asleep, Cameron comments that they should’ve engaged the Triple-8 instead of running from it. Sarah debunks the idea of putting a kid in the crossfire, but Cameron states that Marty doesn’t matter and that he isn’t their mission, to which Sarah replies: “He is now.”

The next day, Cameron allows Marty to watch his parents’ appeal for his return, apparently oblivious to the boy becoming upset. She then finds him and Sarah searching for a story for Marty’s book report and picks out the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, commenting that it was John’s favourite. Sarah then gives Cameron a gun and orders her to watch over Marty’s parents in case the Triple-8 shows up again. Upon reaching his parent’s house, however, Cameron discovers that they have been moved into federal protection and returns to the Connor household to inform Sarah of this development.

Cameron 205 03

Cameron watches John

She finds Sarah in the kitchen making sandwiches for Marty and is asked her “professional robot opinion” as to what the Triple-8 would do next, to which she replies that she would seek out the other Martin Bedell. Sarah tells her to locate the other Bedell, wait for the Triple-8, and blow its head off. Cameron simply replies that the Triple-8 can put its head back on and then casually reminds her that Marty likes his sandwiches without crusts.

Cameron is later assigned the task of aiding John and Derek in protecting the other Bedell from the Triple-8, and goes to the military academy where she apparently hides out in the woodlands. Cameron discovers that her assistance is not needed, however, as she watches covertly as John and Derek destroys the Terminator together.

2.06[]

"Maybe his name's on the list because he helps John."
- Cameron. ("The Tower Is Tall But the Fall Is Short")
Cameron 206

Cameron seeks councilling

Cameron, Sarah, and John take it upon themselves to follow up on a name from the list left to them by Wells, the injured Resistance fighter. She and Sarah search the residence of Dr. Boyd Sherman, a talented psychologist who might have some connection to Skynet. They are forced to cut the search short, however, as Sherman wakes up and investigates. Whilst John drives them home, he states that everyone on the list must be protected, unless they serve to bring about the creation of Skynet. Cameron reminds him that Skynet doesn't have any friends and that not everyone needs to be protected.

The next day, all three of them visit Sherman at his practice under the pretence of seeking councilling. Sherman brings up the subject of Kyle Reese and his death, asking if they have gotten over the loss, which Cameron claims to have come to terms with. When his back is turned, she plants a surveillance bug under a lamp, with the intention of monitoring his sessions. At home, Cameron listens in on Sherman and questions Derek when he returns from a six hour workout. Suddenly, a gunshot is heard from John's room and all three of them rush to see what has happened, finding John shaken but alive. Cameron is visibly concerned when he tells them that he accidently fired his weapon whilst cleaning it.

Cameron 206

Cameron defeats Rosie

At the practice the following morning, Cameron sits in the waiting room whilst John is in with Sherman. She reads a leaflet about teen suicides, and remarks that John's behavior is consistent with someone looking to kill himself. Sarah blows off her concerns, but Cameron isn't convinced, stating that "some first attempts may appear to be an accident". Later that evening, she happens upon Sarah and John in the garage, arguing about Sherman's purpose. She posits that maybe he is mean't to help John with his trauma, to which John agrees.

When John meets with Sherman again, he disables the surveillance bug, prompting a listening Cameron to immediately enter the building and seek him out. She enters a lift along with a young woman who exhibits similar mannerisms as herself. They both get off on the same floor and when they simultaneously reach for the handle of Sherman's door, they realise that the other is a fellow cyborg. Cameron immediately attacks the machine, demonstrating her superior fighting capabilities, though Rosie (as she is known) proves to be more flexible physically.

Cameron 206

Cameron reads about suicide

Regardless, Cameron kicks Rosie down the corridor, pushing her back into the elevator. Cameron pins her against the wall and twists her arms back, dislocating one of them, but Rosie breaks free and shoves her away. Before either can continue, however, the lift opens and a family enters, forcing them to halt their scuffle and appear inconspicuous until they leave. The little boy stares at them both as Rosie re-adjusts her arm and Cameron gives him a friendly smile. Once alone again, Cameron grabs Rosie by the throat and slams her to the floor. Rosie tries to kick her off, but Cameron twists her leg around, forcing her own heel into her eye. She then tangles Rosie with her own limbs before snapping her neck.

Cameron then returns home with John, showing Derek and Sarah the now disabled Rosie. She also tries to hack into her chip but is surprised when it self-destructs, a new feature for Terminators that hints at Skynet's desperation to reduce the number of reprogrammings in the future. Cameron later re-reads the suicide leaflet and considers the broken chip carefully.

2.07[]

Cameron 207

Cameron corners the dentist

"I've always made my position on security very clear... No one likes a nag."
- Cameron. ("Brothers of Nablus")

Cameron, Sarah, and John return home to discover that their house has been ransacked by thieves. Cameron checks the house for lingering threats, but the thieves have already taken everything and left. She checks her room and finds that her purple leather jacket, which she seems to have developed an attachment to, has been taken as well. Sarah is baffled as to why the security alarm failed to work and Cameron reveals that Riley snuck into John's bedroom the previous night. Agreeing to meet up with Derek, Cameron drives Sarah to the rendezvous and is asked as to why she kept silent about Riley. Cameron replies that she has made her position about security very clear and doesn't want to be a "nag".

With Derek in tow, Cameron and Sarah visit Moishe, a diamond fence, who might know who was behind the robbery. Cameron identifies several of his diamonds as belonging to their personal stash, but Moishe denies his involvement and gives them a name. They visit a dentist called Walter Ostrowski, who tries to escape in his car, but Cameron smashes his window and rips the door clean off. Under intimidation, he confesses that he owes money to Moishe and Cameron escorts him to his office to retrieve it.

Cameron 207

Cameron terminates the thieves

They then return to Moishe and Cameron assaults one of his men, prompting Moishe to give them another name and an address. Cameron and Sarah follow the lead to an elderly couple, parents of one of the thieves, who give them yet another lead. Whilst driving to a video store, Sarah frustrates on their fruitless hunt. Cameron recites a Bible passage, the passage being from the "Brothers of Nablus" (Genesis, Chapter 34); a story about rape, marriage proposal, circumcision, and mass murder. Sarah jokes that it sounds like Cameron's kind of story, to which she agrees.

A credit card scan alerts them of the thieves location, a bowling alley, and they arrive in time to catch them. Cameron holds them at gunpoint and demands the return of her jacket, as well as the other possessions. Sarah guesses that not all of the thieves are present and orders Cameron to watch them while she finds the other. Cameron decides upon more drastic action, however, and shoots them all, reasoning that they are a security risk. Sarah returns from the men's room and confirms that the remaining thief is taken care of.

At home, Cameron and Sarah confront John about Riley and the risk she poses to their security. John angrily reminds Cameron that, unlike her, Riley hasn't tried to kill him and argues with his mother about her not protecting him from having to kill Sarkissian before storming off.

2.08[]

Cameron 208 1

Cameron and John talk about Riley

"I’m a machine. I can’t be happy. But I understand more than you think... I understand that being John Connor can be lonely... You and I talk about it a lot... We do. We will."
- Cameron. ("Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today")

Late one evening, Cameron watches John seeing Riley off and is slightly irked by their closeness and studies their behaviour comprehensively. She then approaches Sarah, who is building a safe in the garage and promises to talk to John about Riley. Sarah doesn't believe that Cameron is capable of convincing John, but Cameron is confident in her persuasion. She approaches John's room and unbuttons her shirt, dropping it on the floor before entering his room and asking if he is busy.

Cameron 208 2

Cameron and Derek visit their secret stash to re-stock on weapon supplies

John enquires about her apparent change in clothing and she simply states that the heat is bothering her, which surprises John as he was under the impression that she couldn't feel such things. Cameron lies on his bed beside him and makes herself comfortable, which John suspects is a ploy to scare Riley away, should she see them in bed together. Cameron tells him that she watched Riley leave and reminds him of the constant danger he puts her in. John claims to be aware of this, but remains defiant and refuses to let Riley go.

Cameron tells him that she understands how lonely John Connor can be and confides in him about her and Future John's closeness, which makes John uncomfortable, prompting him to ask her to leave. Cameron asks about Riley one last time and John appears to have gotten the message, so she leaves and recovers her shirt. In the morning, Cameron informs Sarah of her success and tells her that she needs to stock up on weapon supplies. Sarah is uncomfortable with Cameron's influence over John, but she simply states: "You got what you wanted."

Cameron then visits the secret weapons stash and finds Derek there, who accuses her of appropriating his weaponry for her own use. Cameron claims that she needs supplies for a "small bomb" and mentions that John was supposed to ask for permission on her behalf. Derek expresses his displeasure over John's lack of focus, to which Cameron comments that maybe he should spend more time around the house. Derek receives a call from John, who is in trouble, and Cameron joins him as they head to the village of Dejalo in Mexico.

Cameron 208 3

Cameron is concerned for John

Upon arriving, Cameron and Derek find signs of a recent gunfight, which the former correctly attributes to Cromartie. Derek suggests they lie low, but Cameron ignores him and searches the local jail, asking the dying cops if they've seen John. Derek once again suggests they leave before the Triple-8 returns, but Cameron firmly states that she cannot allow anything to happen to John, surprising Derek with her concern. He then receives another call, from Sarah this time, telling him that John is safe.

Cam-870p

Cameron wields a shotgun

Cameron, Derek, Sarah, John, and James Ellison meet up and formulate a plan to ambush Cromartie. Ellison lures the T-888 to a church where he is promptly bombarded by gunfire, courtesy of Sarah and Derek. Unable to get a clean shot at either of them, Cromartie is distracted long enough to allow Cameron to sneak up behind him with a Benelli M1 Super 90 shotgun. She fires several high-explosive incendiary slugs into Cromartie's skull, severely damaging him. Cameron is visibly disturbed as he drops to the floor, a look of surprise and perhaps even fear on his face. She then allows John to perform the coup-de-grace, ending Cromartie's existence.

The End of Cromartie

Cameron, John, and Derek then bury Cromartie's remains with the intention of returning later with thermite to destroy him completely. Cameron gives Sarah the CPU, which she then violently destroys with the butt of her gun, dissolving into tears in the process. Cameron looks on silently as John comforts his mother.

2.09[]

Cameron 209

Cameron feels the wind on her toes

Cameron 209

Cameron receives a call from Derek

Cameron 209

Cameron tells John not to worry

"I have sensation. I feel. I wouldn’t be worth much if I couldn’t feel."
- Cameron. ("Complications")

Whilst they drive back from Mexico, Sarah declares the need to be sick and John pulls over, allowing his mother to vomit all over the verge. Cameron diagnoses Sarah's condition as possible morning sickness, having observed Kacy behave similarly, and wonders whether Sarah is pregnant. Obviously she isn't and John scolds her for being so naive, telling her to shut up. He then helps Sarah back into the car and Cameron watches curiously as Sarah moves an overturned tortoise out from under the car wheel. At home, Cameron makes Sarah some rehydration fluid and advises her to drink it every half hour and every time she is sick.

Sarah posits that they need to return to Mexico and dispose of Cromartie's body with thermite. John argues the point of this, stating that Cromartie is no longer a threat and that they are safe now. Cameron echoes Sarah's motto ("No one is ever safe"), prompting John to complain that she's becoming more like his mother. En route to Mexico, Cameron spontaneously sticks her foot out of the side window of the car to feel the wind blow through her toes. John expresses his belief that she cannot feel emotions or physical sensation, but Cameron counters by holding her hand out of the window and explaining her capacity for feeling.

They arrive in Mexico at nightfall and dig up Cromartie's grave, only to find the body missing. John guesses Ellison to be involved and they drive back to LA and stake out his house. Along the way, Cameron flips through the radio stations and settles on a girl band song, which she appears to enjoy. She is then called by Derek, but hangs up when he fails to give the password. He calls again and provides the password, as well as sending her a photo of Charles Fischer, asking if she recognises him. Cameron double-checks the photo before claiming her ignorance of the man's identity and hangs up again.

John asks about the call, afraid that something is wrong, but Cameron just smiles and tells him not to worry about it. Whilst waiting outside Ellison's house, Cameron expresses confusion over Sarah saving the tortoise from being crushed in Mexico. John describes it as an empathic response common in humans, but she points out that not all humans would care enough to help those in trouble. John asks her what she would've done, to which Cameron replies that the tortoise wasn't much of a threat and that Terminators aren't built to be cruel. John commends her for this, stating "that's one [point] for cyborgs", which makes her smile appreciatively.

Ellison arrives home and Cameron and John sneak in through the back of his house. She immediately grabs the former agent by the throat and smashes him against the furniture, breaking shelves and shattering tables. She then pins him to the floor whilst John questions him about Cromartie's location. Ellison pleads his innocence and begs for mercy. John regards him for a long moment before ordering Cameron to let Ellison go. Cameron turns him over onto his front, mirroring Sarah's actions with the tortoise. They then leave, being no closer to finding Cromartie.

Sarah's Dreams:
Sarah has several fevered dreams, in which Cameron is a prominent figure. In the first dream, Cameron is seen watering a trio of cacti which grow out of the ground and turn to metal, which then embrace John in a hugging manner. The second dream shows Cameron sitting in a rocking chair in a nursery set up in the Connor's old house. She is nursing a child, which then turns into a baby tortoise. Sarah holds out her hand for the tortoise, but Cameron gives it to Cromartie instead. It is apparent through these dreams that Sarah harbours a deep fear of what Cameron might do with her son's life.

2.10[]

Cameron 210

Cameron searches for Cromartie

Cameron 210

Cameron makes a toast

Cameron 210

Cameron joins a raid

"Strange Things Happen At The One Two Point; it’s a Go! proverb. It means the usual rules do not apply."
- Cameron. ("Strange Things Happen at the One Two Point")

Despite Ellison's denial of stealing Cromartie's body, Cameron searches his yard at night with a rebar, poking it into the ground for any signs of the body. Ellison wakes up and shines a flashlight in her face from his window, prompting her to tell him to go back to bed whilst she continues her search. She finds no trace of the body, however, and returns to the Connor residence in the morning to inform the others of her failure. Later that day, Cameron and Sarah follow up on a lead by visiting Dakara Systems, posing as wealthy investors. They meet with Alex Akagi and his son, Xander, learning that they are in need of an investment in order to purchase the equipment they need to run their A.I. program.

While Sarah and Alex speak in the next room, Cameron talks to Xander about chess; learning that he plays a game called Go! instead and he offers to teach her how to play. At home, Cameron sets up a Go! board and expresses her belief that Dakara's A.I. platform has no connection to The Turk. She sets up a few of the pieces and cites the rule "Strange Things Happen At The One Two Point"; which is a proverb wherein the normal rules of the game do not apply. Cameron uses this to make her point as to why Dakara will not lead to The Turk, though Sarah remains persistent.

After a meeting with Alex, Sarah gathers all of their money and diamonds and has Cameron count out $500,000. Cameron tells her that they can produce the money, but doing so would drain their entire stash. Sarah doesn't care, as they need to use the money to purchase a CPU for Dakara's A.I. They later go to dinner with Alex, Xander, and a Japanese software developer called Minamoto, as a front to purchase the CPU. Cameron surprises them all by performing a toast in perfect Japanese, and later listens with interest as Xander explains the possibility of transferring a person's consciousness into a neural net processor.

Sarah quickly loses her patience and demands they finish the exchange. Minamoto hands over the chip and takes the money, leaving Alex, Xander, Sarah, and Cameron to marvel over their new purchase. Alex and Xander test the chip, but it fails to load their A.I. Cameron examines the CPU and declares it a fake, Minamoto having scammed them. She later tracks down Minamoto and joins Sarah and Derek as they launch a raid, during which she holds Minamoto's friends at gunpoint. Minamoto reveals that he is just an actor paid by the real Minamoto, but Derek correctly guesses that Alex is actually the one behind it all.

Enraged, Sarah breaks into Alex's office and has Cameron hold Xander hostage, threatening to have her throw him out of the window unless Alex returns their money, which he does. Alex explains that he only wanted to ensure that his son would be well-looked after should they fail to meet the deadline for their A.I.'s development, which seemed like a certainty. Cameron and Sarah let them live, recovering their lost money and abandoning Dakara Systems as a potential threat.

2.11[]

"I’m interested in the past. It affects everything in the future."
- Cameron. ("Self Made Man")
Cameron 211

Cameron's secret night-life

Late one night, Cameron finds John and Sarah discussing the three dots and is promptly told by Sarah to do the laundry, seeing as she doesn't sleep. John jokes over Cameron's mundane assignment, prompting Sarah to take the basket from Cameron with a smile and handing it to John instead. John waits until Sarah goes to bed before handing the basket back to Cameron and going to bed himself, leaving her alone in the dark. With the Connors asleep, Cameron leaves the house and visits a local library, knocking on the employee's entrance and being greeted by her secret friend, Eric.

She gives him a bag of donuts and he allows her to enter the library, despite it being closed overnight. He asks her about her trip to Mexico, revealing that she has confided certain facts about her life (barring a few alterations for security reasons) and she tells him about Riley and the robbery. She expresses an interest in learning more about medieval siege weapons and whilst searching through the archives she comes across a photo of an incident in 1920. She recognises a man in the photograph as a T-888 model and is baffled by his presence in that time, so she decides to look into his past with Eric's help.

Cameron 211

Cameron helps Eric

Whilst looking through old papers Cameron comments on Eric's happy behaviour, noting that she doesn't know anybody who shares his cheery disposition. He claims to be cold, which Cameron finds odd as it is 76 degrees room temperature. She comes across a paper with the T-888 and discovers his name to be Myron Stark, taking note of his apparent attention to a construction company owner called Rupert Chandler. Cameron decides to search the California archives but Eric tells her that those records are restricted and the door locked. She enters regardless, breaking the lock in the process and angering Eric, who fears that her antics will lose him his job.

He tells her to put everything back and falls out of his wheelchair, prompting a concerned Cameron to offer him her hand, but he refuses and helps himself back into his chair. After finishing her research, Cameron finds Eric again and apologises, commenting that she doesn't have any friends of her own and refers to him as her only one. During further research into Stark's activities, Eric muses that he might've robbed banks to acquire money, which Cameron notes as an effective strategy. They listen to an old police report of a bank robbery and Cameron and Eric discover that Stark was trying to buy into construction in order to oust Chandler.

Cameron 211

Cameron uncovers Myron Stark

When Eric accidently knocks Cameron's bag to the floor he discovers her sidearm (a Glock 17) and questions her as to why she would carry one around with her. Cameron admits that she uses it to protect her "brother" and proclaims to be his protector from people who want to hurt him. Eric mentions that he has never fired a gun before, so Cameron lets him shoot a phone book, giving him the bullet as a souvenir. They then watch another eyewitness report and Cameron realises that Stark materialized in a Speakeasy bar, causing a fire that killed Chandler's son. She later visits Eric in the toilet and asks him if he ever thinks about committing suicide, hinting that she herself is considering such action (due to her chip damage which she likens to a cancer).

Cameron decides to visit the video library and when Eric explains that he cannot follow her up there (no wheelchair access), she picks him up from his chair and carries him up the stairs. He is surprised by her strength, to which she simply replies: "I work out." Whilst searching through the old films, Eric muses about photographic immortality and asks Cameron how she would feel about the idea of living forever beautiful and strong, which causes her a moment of deep reflection. After watching a video, Cameron adds up the dots and goes outside to look at the stars, using the positions of three stars to determine the date. She realises that Stark suffered a temporal anomaly during his displacement and arrived in the wrong century as a result.

Cameron 211

Cameron informs Eric of his cancer

Further research reveals that Stark bought the Pico property from Chandler and built the Pico Tower in its place. Eric informs her that the Pico Tower is currently closed for renovation and she decides to investigate the building. Upon arriving, Cameron discovers that an event is scheduled for 2010, wherein Governor Mark Wyman will give a speech. She examines a wide hall and envisions a possible assassination attempt on the Governor, speculating that he is Stark's original target. By tapping on the far wall, Cameron discovers a hollow space and smashes through the brick wall to find Stark in standby mode.

He promptly reactivates and Cameron slams him through the other side of the wall, stealing his Thompson machine gun and emptying the entire clip into his back. She then throws him down the corridor and repeatedly smashes his head into the wall, using her leg to open the elevator door before hurling him into the shaft. He quickly returns, however, and grabs her boot, but she snaps the elevator's counter-cord; bringing the elevator crashing down on top of him. Trapped and exposed, the T-888 is left helpless as Cameron flicks a pen knife from her pocket and cuts into the machine's head, removing his chip manually.

Cameron 211

Cameron discovers lipstick on John

With Stark no longer a threat, Cameron returns to the library where she covers up her injuries with makeup. She comments that Eric hasn't eaten his donuts and observes that he has lost weight and his muscles have weakened over the past week. She performs a CAT scan on him (despite telling Sarah that she lacked this ability) and informs him that he has a tumour on his right arm and may also have one in his lungs. She advises him to see his doctor as soon as possible, expressing her concern for his health. Eric is upset by her bluntness, however, and asks her to leave, which Cameron obeys with great hesitance.

She returns home and finishes the laundry as instructed, and in the morning she happens upon John as he returns from a night out with Riley. She spots the lipstick on his neck and realises what he's been up to, and though she doesn't comment on this development, she stares at John with obvious jealousy and quite possibly anger as he returns to his room. The following evening, Cameron returns to the library only to find that Eric has been replaced by a woman, learning that Eric is absent for personal reasons (possibly having taken Cameron's advice and started a new cycle of cancer therapy). Cameron is unfazed and offers the woman a bag of donuts, prompting her to grant Cameron access to the library again.

2.12[]

"He's human? My mistake."
- Cameron. ("Alpine Fields")
Cameron 212

Cameron is told to drop her shotgun

Cameron 212

Cameron is damaged by the T-888

Following another name on the basement wall ("Alpine Fields"), Cameron and Sarah visit the private secluded cabin of David Fields, Anne Fields, and their daughter Lauren Fields. They arrive to find the homesitter dead and lie in wait for the family's return, holding them at gunpoint upon their arrival. Lauren runs to her bedroom to call the police and Sarah orders Cameron to retrieve the girl, but she finds David's gun and forces Sarah to drop hers. David takes the gun from Lauren and demands Cameron to drop her shotgun. She obeys, only to snatch the gun from his hands once she was close enough.

Sarah explains the situation and informs them about Skynet and the future, telling them that she and Cameron are there to protect them from a machine. Whilst driving away from the cabin, Cameron examines David's gun and comments that it would be inneffective against a machine or even a bear. Sarah is distracted by Lauren, causing Cameron to call out to her seconds before they collide with another car. The other driver is revealed to be a T-888 and immediately tries to attack them, but Cameron holds him at bay while Sarah leads the injured family back to the safety of the cabin.

The Triple-8 shoots Cameron several times with no effect and she presses the attack, forcing the T-888 into the wilderness where they play a game of cat and mouse that lasts past nightfall. Cameron causes significant damage to the Triple-8 and likewise suffers the same, albeit more so as the T-888 succeeds in knocking Cameron offline. It then hurls her body through the cabin window and Sarah tries to wake her up, but Cameron fails to respond and remains offline.

When 120 seconds pass without a reboot, Sarah decides to take Anne and escape, as she is the one the Triple-8 is after; leaving Lauren hiding in the closet, David unconscious outside, and Anne's boyfriend (Roger) cowering in the house. Cameron finally reboots and immediately attacks Roger, inexplicably mistaking him for a T-888, and offers to help Lauren out of the closet. She, Lauren, and David then acquire a car, catching up with Sarah and Anne. Cameron runs over the Triple-8 and, once everyone is aboard, drives away before the T-888 can catch them.

  • 6 months later: at an undetermined time in the future, Cameron and Sarah finally track down and destroy the Triple-8 while Derek and Lauren help a pregnant Anne give birth to her baby daughter, Sydney Fields.

2.13[]

Cameron 213

Cameron offers to interrogate Riley

"I can get her to tell me the truth."
- Cameron. ("Earthlings Welcome Here")

With Sarah following a lead and Derek absent, Cameron remains at the house with John and Riley, keeping a close eye on both. She drops in on them while they're stripping the wallpaper from John's room and asks why Riley hasn't bought her a smoothie, commenting that peach is her favourite. John subtlely tries to get rid of her by asking Cameron to go out and buy him some more paint, but Cameron simply points out that he has enough and pointedly comments that she has her own job to perform. John tells her to do it elsewhere, and Cameron returns to her own room.

Cameron 213

Cameron finds Riley half dead

Cameron waits outside her bedroom, listening in on their conversations, and confronts Riley as she attempts to leave. She spots a bruise on the side of Riley's head and asks her about it, to which Riley claims she collided with a door. Cameron then asks to see her star tattoo and mentions that she is deciding to get one of her own when John appears. She tells him she is torn between getting a tiger or a wolf tattoo and says they need to talk in private.

On the balcony outside, Cameron asks about Riley's bruise and offers to get her to tell him about it, but John warns her to stay away from her and storms back indoors. He looks for Riley and realizes she is in the bathroom, but she doesn't respond to his calls, so he has Cameron force the door open. Inside they find Riley bleeding on the bathroom floor, having cut her own wrists. Cameron looks on as John cradles Riley in his arms, an expression of possible satisfaction on her face.

2.14[]

Cameron 214

Cameron and John visit Riley

"Future you has more important things to do..."
- Cameron. ("The Good Wound")

Following Riley's attempted suicide, John called the paramedics and they went with Riley to the local hospital. Cameron remained by John's side while Derek arrived and later joined him in visiting a conscious Riley, claiming she was concerned for her. While sitting in the hall, John asked her what his future self would do in this situation, to which Cameron answered that Future John would have more important matters to attend to.

Riley later goes missing from the hospital, prompting John to order Cameron to check the hospital for her, but Cameron refused to look for Riley and walked away without another word.

2.15[]

Cameron 215

Cameron spies on John again

Cameron 215

Cameron shares her suspicions

Cameron 215

Cameron witnesses the Drone

"She hasn't looked at her father's picture since we've been here. Not once. Neither has her mother... If you had a photo of Kyle Reese, you'd look at it, wouldn't you? Maybe there's something I don't understand."
- Cameron. ("Desert Cantos")

Cameron, Derek, Sarah, and John decide to attend the funeral of the workers who died in the warehouse explosion, hoping to learn what was happening there. Upon arriving and seeing all the photoboard monuments of the deceased, Cameron commented that the Indians believed a person's soul was trapped inside a photograph upon their death, to which Derek replied that she was "safe" from such a fate.

The group dispersed to find people to interrogate about the warehouse and Cameron came upon John talking to a girl called Zoe, prompting her to watch him in the same (possibly envious) manner as when she spied on him and Riley in "The Mousetrap". After the chapel service, Cameron and John hitched a ride with Zoe and her admirer, Charlie. Whilst driving to the cemetery, Cameron observed Charlie's frustrated behaviour towards Zoe, correctly deducing that he harboured unrequieted feelings for her and called him out on this.

Angered by her audacity, Charlie slammed on the brakes and demanded she and John get out, refusing to drive and holding up the traffic. John quickly forced him into the backseat and took over driving, avoiding the notice of a nearby police officer. Zoe then encouraged them to see a waterhole in the desert, whereupon they found the carcasses of several dead cows. Charlie suggested they were killed by hunters, but Cameron noted that they bore no gunshot wounds and debunked John's theory that it might be the water, stating that someone would've picked up on it.

They then caught up with the others and joined everyone at the cemetery for the burials, after which Cameron became suspicious of Zoe, informing John that she wasn't behaving like a grieving daughter who'd just lost a beloved father. John agreed with her assessment and at the buffet later, he posited his theory that Zoe's father was in fact still alive, which Derek found unlikely. Cameron convinced him of the possibility, however, by asking him insightfully that if he had a picture of his lost brother, would he refuse to look at it?

She, Derek, and John later joined Sarah in an underground surveillance room located beneath one of the houses. Cameron searched through the security records while the others interrogated Zoe and her mother as to the whereabouts of their father/husband. Cameron found a recording of Zoe's father and the man Sarah shot and killed, Ed Winston, rounding up a family and killing them three months beforehand. John then realised where they might find what they're looking for and led them all back to the waterhole in the desert.

Here they found the body of Walsh, an agent of Catherine Weaver who was apparently shot by an unknown assassin. Before they could make sense of this, however, the Drone that Sarah saw in "Earthlings Welcome Here" suddenly rises out of the pool and hovers overhead for a moment before flying away towards the mountains, leaving the team stunned by this development.

2.16[]

Cameron 216

Dream Cameron

"What's it like to dream?"
- Dream Cameron. ("Some Must Watch, While Some Must Sleep")

Sarah's Dreams:
While drugged and unconscious after being captured by Ed Winston, Sarah slipped into a hallucinagenic dream wherein Cameron played a particular part. In her dream, Cameron and John came to visit Sarah at a sleep clinic. While collecting food from the dining hall, Cameron picked up a plate of pancakes for John, who commented that the one's she'd made at home were better. This causes Cameron to smile slyly at him, which agitates Sarah somewhat.

Cameron 216

Dream Cameron shows her modesty

Cameron keeps watch while John and Sarah talk outside. Once they're finished with their conversation, John gets up and leaves, after which Cameron gives Sarah with a faintly mocking smile. In the next stage of the dream, Cameron and John are waiting in the visiting area. Cameron asks about John's dreams and he explains the randomness and uniqueness of people's dreams, during which a vending machine fails to deliver his purchase. Cameron firmly taps the machine, forcing it to release several bags of chips for John, to which he says thank you.

In a later stage of the dream, Sarah calls John on his cell phone and he answers whilst in his bedroom. While he's talking to Sarah, Cameron casually walks into John's room wearing provocative underwear and gives him a side-long look as she goes into her own room. It is made clear that Sarah's dreams of Cameron are yet another reflection of her fear for Cameron's hold over John and the apparent attraction between them.

2.17[]

"You tried to fix me. Twice now. It's not working... I'm not capable of self-termination... I can't kill myself. But you can."
- Cameron. ("Ourselves Alone")
Cameron 217

Cameron's glitch returns

Cameron had an encounter with the bird that resides in the Connor's chimney while it was flying around the lounge, trying to find a way out and colliding with the windows. Cameron tried to advise the bird, reminding it of its migratory nature and encouraged it to find a mate. Seeing that the bird wasn't doing itself any good, Cameron snatched it out of the air and mused as to what she should do with it. She decided to take it outside and let it go free, declaring it a fire hazard by nesting in the chimney.

As she held the pigeon in the air for it to fly away, Cameron's left hand suddenly clenched around the bird, crushing it to death. Cameron dropped it to the floor and regarded her hand with surprise and seemed a little perturbed by the bird's unfortunate demise. Later that day, Cameron happened upon Sarah in the dining room while she was searching through files and photos, looking for details on a lawyer working for the Kaliba group. Cameron informed her that Derek had taken the job of tracking the lawyer down, which annoyed Sarah as she was feeling like Derek was keeping her out of the loop.

Cameron pointed out that Sarah has been distracted of late, which Sarah chalks up to her recent kidnapping by Ed Winston. She is then asked about Riley and the day she tried to kill herself, to which Cameron explains the details of that event. She offers to visit Riley's foster parents and question them about Riley's behaviour, but Sarah decides to do this personally. Cameron then went into the garage and cut into her left wrist, peeling back the skin to expose her arm mechanics. Using a screwdriver, Cameron began testing her hand by poking specific areas to provoke a convulsion in her fingers.

Cameron 217

Cameron examines her arm

Cameron 217

John helps fix Cameron's arm

Cameron 217

Cameron corners Riley

Whilst doing this, Cameron heard the sound of footsteps on gravel outside the garage and peered outside to see who it was, spotting Riley walking away with her bike. Cameron, however, did not pursue her, though her suspicions were aroused. She returned to working on her hand and John came to visit her a while later. Cameron told him about the bird and showed him her hand, to which he guessed she'd received damage during a fight with another Terminator.

John commented that he could swap out the damaged part if they had any spare pieces at hand, prompting Cameron to show him her secret stash of machine parts she'd salvaged. This angered John, as she was under strict orders to burn every endoskeleton they captured. Cameron countered by claiming that Future John had ordered her to save certain pieces, likely for her own repair. He wasn't convinced at first, but put it aside when Cameron asked for his help in switching the parts.

With the new part in place, John had her clench her fist, resulting in them holding hands for a brief moment, during which Cameron gave John a measuring look. He then told her to straighten her fingers, after which he declared her hand fixed. When asked if she was fully repaired, however, Cameron remained uncertain. She then told him that he was starting to earn the information and trust she was placing in him, referring to her collection of the parts and her knowledge of Future John.

She later visited John in his room while he was looking up a restaurant for Derek, relating to his mission. Cameron asked him if he was hungry and offered to make him a sandwich, stating that "sometimes it's nice to have help". With this in mind, John realised that Cameron's earlier request for help in fixing her hand was unnecessary as she was perfectly adept at self-repair. Cameron simply brushed this off as her own desire to have some help from John, prompting him to leave to make his sandwich alone.

In the kitchen sometime later, John asked her if his future self ever kept secrets from her, which she believed he did. When Riley arrived to visit John, Cameron had to take her to the garage when a woman from the Department of Youth and Family Services arrived to question John and Sarah. In the garage, Cameron mused over what she should do with Riley, for she had become a very clear threat to John. Riley pleaded that she was just John's girlfriend and as Cameron advanced, her hand started to twitch inexplicably.

Cameron 217

Cameron gives her life to John

Cameron could not decide whether to kill Riley or not, and the scared girl angrily declared that Cameron will never be anything more than John's sister (hinting her knowledge of Cameron's want for closeness between her and John). Before Cameron could make a decision, however, John arrived and told Riley to wait outside while he questioned Cameron as to what she was doing. Cameron admitted to not knowing what to do but insisted Riley be killed regardless. John couldn't believe that she could have two minds on the matter and told her that either way it wasn't her decision to make.

Cameron then watched from afar while he and Riley talked, both trying to get the other to tell them the truth. In the evening, Cameron spent many hours in the garage working on a self-termination device. By somehow placing a small explosive in her CPU port and creating a remote detonator concealed within an empty pocket watch, Cameron created a means for John to eliminate her should she become a threat again (given that she is incapable of self-termination).

Cameron gave this detonator to John, putting it around his neck and instructing him on how to use it. John asked why she thought he would ever want to kill her, but Cameron simply stated that he may one day have no choice in the matter. John hid the watch beneath his shirt and left Cameron alone to muse over her drastic decision.

2.18[]

"There's only one way for him to be safe: he has to be alone."
- Cameron. ("Today Is The Day, Part 1").
Cameron 218

Cameron pleads her innocence

Cameron 218

Cameron tells John she loves him

With their security now compromised, the Connors decide to move out of their house and find a new place to stay. Whilst packing up, Cameron inventories her collected endoskeleton parts and is joined by John, who helps her hide them with the promise that they will burn the parts later. Sarah arrives later, however, and asks to speak with John alone. Cameron leaves the garage and encounters another bird.

Before she can do anything, the bird flies away, and Cameron says "goodbye" and comments that there was a 51% chance she wouldn't have killed it. Moments later, John came out of the garage, unable to speak as he stares at her for a long moment before going into the house. Sarah confronts Cameron and tries to inform her of Riley's death, but Cameron had already heard what she'd told John.

She later talked to John, who was holding her kill switch contemplatively, and offered her sympathy for his loss. John asked her again if she was responsible for Riley's murder, but Cameron remained adamant that she was innocent. John wanted to believe her but was put off by her admittance to being able to lie to him whenever she saw fit. Cameron insisted she was not lying, however.

Knowing that Riley's death would stir trouble with her foster parents, John visited the foster dad under the pretense of looking for Riley and had Cameron call the house while he was there. Imitating Riley's voice, she convinced the foster dad that she was fine and asked to talk to John. As Riley, and for no reason at all, Cameron told John that she loved him. Upon meeting outside, John confronted her on what she said, to which Cameron simply reasoned that it was an effective strategy to get a reaction out of him. John then decided to leave her alone and told her not to follow him.

Cameron returned to the Connor residence where she found Sarah burning the endoskeleton parts in thermite. Sarah mused that she had considered waiting for Cameron with Derek's Barrett rifle, planning to blast a hole in Cameron's head, but decided against it out of fear of John's reaction. Cameron told Sarah that everyone is a threat to John, and that he must stay away from people. Sarah asked what kind of life that was for her son, to which Cameron simply replied; "John's life".

2.19[]

"John needs me... The police could identify Riley's body at any time. I need to be with him if they do."
- Cameron. ("Today Is The Day, Part 2")
Cameron 219

Cameron befriends a bird

Following her conversation with Sarah in the garage, Cameron awaited John's return from the city morgue and later found him in the kitchen talking to Sarah. To Sarah's surprise, and perhaps even Cameron's, John apologized to her for ever doubting her when she said she didn't terminate Riley. Later, when John left the house to track down Jesse, Cameron took a gun and prepared to go after him in case the police should find him.

Sarah stopped her, however; reasoning that he would be safer away from the house should the police come around (causing Cameron's hand to twitch again). She then questioned Cameron's reason for being here, in this time, and why Future John would ever send her away from his side. Cameron became visibly contemplative of Sarah's suggestions, as she wondered whether Future John sent her away for reasons other than the mission.

Cameron decided not to go after John and found another bird in the garden, but unlike with the others, she simply held it carefully in her hands without killing it. When John came home after confronting Jesse, he sat between Cameron and Sarah on the couch, extremely upset by everything he'd gone through in the past few days. He turned to Cameron expectantly, but she didn't notice his attention, and so John fell onto Sarah's lap and cried while Cameron watched.

2.20[]

"You're welcome."
- Cameron. ("To the Lighthouse")
Cameron 220

Cameron and Derek face off

With the house packed up and their belongings crammed into the two trucks, Cameron, the Connors, and Derek left their house behind to move to a new location in the desert. While John and Sarah supposedly went to the new safe house directly, Cameron and Derek took a detour to the weapons cache to empty it of weapons and supplies. While there, Cameron found a jacket that belonged to Jesse, which Derek angrily snatched from her grip.

Cameron then expressed her condolences for his loss, baffling him at first until explaining that Jesse was pregnant with this child before losing it during a mission in the future. Derek pinned Cameron against some shelves and stuck his gun under her chin, but Cameron pointed out that he cannot kill her, to which he replied; "I can try". He stormed out, however, but later thanked her for telling him.

During the drive to the supposed safe house, their truck experienced a puncture, forcing them to stop to repair it. While Cameron tended to the wheel, Derek spotted a van parked up the road and was tazered by unknown assailants. Cameron drew her Glock and fired at the kidnappers, killing one of them but unable to stop the van from escaping. She scanned and recorded the number plate, and then ran back to the truck to fix the tire.

Cameron tracked the van to a warehouse where she was doused in water and electrocuted by the surviving attacker. Before he could remove her chip, however, Cameron rebooted in less than 30 seconds (as opposed to the standard 120 second reboot time) and snapped his neck before untying Derek in the other room. When asked why she rescued him, Cameron said she did it to prevent him from disclosing John's location under torture, commenting that it wouldn't be the first time.

2.21[]

"Future You knows what it means to lose people you love. It happens to him too."
- Cameron. ("Adam Raised a Cain")
Cameron 221

Cameron fights the Terminator

Cameron and Derek retrieved Sarah from the lighthouse, after having received a call from John, and later met up at Kyle Reese’s gravesite. She stood on watch while John informed Sarah and Derek of a possible Skynet target; Savannah Weaver. Together, they visited the Weaver residence and approached through the garage while Derek entered through the front door. Savannah was promptly attacked by a Terminator, but was rescued by John and distracted by Sarah before Cameron moved in to fight the machine in close combat.

The Terminator overpowered her, however, and briefly incapacitated Cameron before she rebooted and confronted the machine on the balcony overlooking the garden. Cameron threw the Terminator over the balcony, sending him tumbling down the steep hill. The group returned indoors to find Derek dead, having been shot in the head by the Terminator. Cameron appeared relatively unfazed by this, despite regarding John closely as he stared in horror at his uncle’s body.

Derek's demise

With Savannah secure, they fled the residence and hid in an old cloth warehouse where they were contacted by James Ellison, demanding they hand over Savannah. Sarah agreed to meet him downtown, but sent Cameron to meet him instead. She got into his car and reminded him that she should’ve killed him before, and ordered him to drive to a location where Sarah was waiting. After refusing to hand over the girl and requesting a meeting with her mother, Catherine Weaver, Cameron and Sarah returned to the warehouse.

John informed them of John Henry, an artificial intelligence using Cromartie’s endoskeleton as a puppet (having learned this from Savannah). Cameron expressed a desire to terminate Ellison for his lies, but Sarah demanded she stay her hand and agreed to give up the girl to Ellison over the phone. During a private moment, John apologized to Cameron for Sarah’s trickery regarding the lighthouse incident. Cameron understood her reasons, however, and commented on Derek’s demise, explaining that Future John is familiar with loss.

Cameron 221

Cameron watches Sarah's arrest

She then informed him of Sarah’s possible cancer, which he blew off at first until she mentioned her loss of weight. Before Cameron could elaborate, however, Sarah arrived and told them to wake Savannah and move out. Having chosen a movie theatre as the rendezvous point, Cameron once again questioned Ellison’s reliability concerning the meeting with Catherine Weaver. Sarah remained adamant that they would meet with Weaver either way, however.

Ellison arrived and picked up Savannah, after which Sarah led the group out of the theatre, only to be confronted by armed police. Cameron and John remained inside, safe from the authorities, and Cameron was forced to restrain John as he tried to attack Ellison for seemingly setting them up. John vowed revenge on Ellison before fleeing the scene with Cameron. They later watched the breaking news on TVs in a store window, showing them Sarah’s incarceration by the police, after which they walked away to a safe location.

2.22[]

"I'm sorry John. I'm sorry John. I'm sorry John. I'm sorry John. I'm sorry John. I'm sorry John."
- Cameron. ("Born to Run")
Cameron 222

Cameron checks her power cell

Cameron 222

Cameron breaks Sarah out of jail

Cameron 222

Cameron meets John Henry

Cameron and John seek the safety of a motel where they continue to watch the news reports of Sarah’s arrest. While Cameron keeps watch, John angrily switches off the TV and demands they rescue Sarah. Cameron refuses to risk it, however. John then demands to know if long-time exposure to Terminator energy cells can cause cancer and suspects that Sarah’s sickness is unintentionally Cameron’s fault. He demands to know if her cell is safe, to which she claims it is, though he remains untrusting of her and lists her recent glitches.

Later that evening, they are visited by Chola, who brings them fake passports courtesy of Sarah from the inside. She also delivers Sarah’s message to not come for her and to leave as soon as the coast is clear. After Chola leaves, Cameron spots Ellison parked outside the motel and brings him inside. He explains that Weaver wishes to meet with John, though he refuses to go without his mother. Ellison then gives a message to Cameron from Weaver; “Will you join us?” Cameron is visibly disturbed by these words and demands that Ellison leave immediately.

Once he’s gone, John suspects Cameron of being upset by Ellison’s message, though she insists otherwise and reminds him that she's just a machine. In the morning, Cameron watches John while he sleeps, which startles him when he awakes suddenly. Cameron informs him of what she was built for and confesses with a slightly pained facial expression that, deep down, she still wants to kill him. Before John can make sense of this, however, Cameron removes her top and brassier, then lies topless on the bed and tells a speechless John to lie on top of her.

She instructs him to cut into her chest and feel around for her power cell to determine if it is safe. He complies and cuts into her skin, which causes Cameron visible discomfort as he reaches into her endoskeleton but also possible pleasure when he locates and feels her cell. He describes the cell as being cold, to which she says “perfect”. They remain close together for some time afterwards, their faces only inches apart from one another. Later, Cameron went to the prison with a shotgun and chased away the guards without any casualties, despite suffering significant damage to her flesh sheath and endoskeleton.

With her left red eye exposed, Cameron found Sarah and led her to the van parked outside with John behind the wheel. He asked her if she was okay, concerned for the damage she’d suffered, and Cameron reported her status as less than 100%. They then drove to Zeira Corp so that John and Sarah could meet Weaver while Cameron fought her way to the basement and encountered John Henry. He greeted her with a smile and asked if she knew him, to which she said “yes”. Cameron then closed the door behind her and drew a knife.

Cameron is deactivated

For reasons unknown, Cameron instructed John Henry to remove her chip (without setting off the self-destruct device) and he accessed the TDE equipment hidden in the basement, using it to travel to the future. Before leaving, however, Cameron programmed a message into the interface screen: I’M SORRY JOHN - I’M SORRY JOHN - I’M SORRY JOHN repeating itself over and over in a loop. It is unknown if John Henry developed a chip of his own, or if he is used Cameron's chip (in his body) to free himself from the cord at the back of his head in order to activate the TDE. Her body did not travel with her to the future, and Cameron’s fate in the future remains unknown at this time, although John meets a woman identical to Cameron in appearance shortly after the jump; likely the human after which she was modeled, Allison Young.

Observations[]

  • When Cameron is operating under her original Skynet directives, she will make no attempt to warn John to stay away from her while trying to kill him, despite being his dedicated protector just minutes previously. This differs from the reaction the T-850 (character) had to its coercion by the T-X, implying that was more a factor of fighting the remote control utility than core programming.
  • When Cameron's chip is cleaned and reinserted to reactivate her, the Skynet directives remain, but by the time she given the choice of killing John, she overrides her mission in favor of protecting him.[1] This may be the first time any Terminator has gone against their programming and suggests that Cameron is no longer bound by pre-programmed directives. Her decision not to terminate John could be the result of personal desire, which is a direct contradiction to the previous statement made by another Terminator: "Desire is irrelevant. I am a machine." Alternatively, the Resistance programming may have reinstated itself.
  • Cameron's declaration of love was a ploy to trick John into sparing her life, but given Cameron's deceptive nature, anything she says is open to interpretation and speculation. Whether or not she was telling the truth remains to be seen, and John's feelings for her are also mixed at this point. So far, Cameron has shown signs of harboring a deep affection for John and suggests such a connection between them in the future, despite the fact that she is a machine and presumably cannot feel anything. In "Desert Cantos" Cameron comments on a boy's unrequited feelings for a girl, having observed their behavior and come to a conclusion. It is unknown why she felt it necessary to comment on this, or whether her words carried any introspective meaning.
  • Cameron appears to be very attached to her purple leather jacket (first seen in "The Turk"), as it is the only thing she mentions of hers that was stolen and she demands its return from both the dentist and the thieves, holding the latter at gunpoint to get it back. This is the first time Cameron has displayed any sort of material attachment. She also displays enjoyment of music, specifically girl band types.
    • Her musical preference may be an homage to cast member Shirley Manson, who is the lead singer of the band Garbage. It may also be Summer Glau's own personal preference. Either way, it's an interesting thought that a cyborg would "enjoy" anything, particularly something so human.
  • In "Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today", Cameron's growing concern over John's relationship with Riley prompts her to have a one-on-one talk with him, which shows a mildly seductive side to Cameron. She purposely removes her shirt before entering his room, obviously with the intent of making him more compliant and to elicit his full attention. This once again highlights her awareness of John's feelings for her, as she uses those feelings to get close to him and even hints at their relationship in the future, whatever that may be. Her jealousy over Riley is confirmed in "Self Made Man" when she becomes sullen and brooding after discovering lipstick on John's neck and in "Earthlings Welcome Here" when she finds Riley bleeding to death on the bathroom floor, a look of satisfaction on her face. In "Ourselves Alone" Cameron realizes that Riley must be dealt with, but finds herself unable to decide on how to proceed when she has Riley cornered, though she remains adamant that she be killed.
  • Cameron is visibly affected and/or disturbed by Cromartie's death. She has been seen to react in a similar manner to other machines in the past, most notably Vick Chamberlain, whose chip she regarded closely upon removal. It is possible that Cameron is experiencing some form of reservation towards terminating her own kind, in the same manner that humans are reluctant to kill another person.
  • In "Complications" Cameron shows her growing understanding of what it truly means to be a cyborg. Though she may appear to be becoming more human, she displays an apparent pride in her species and is exploring her full potential. As an upshot, she is pleased by John's compliment about cyborgs lacking cruelty, unlike humans.
  • It is implied throughout the series that Cameron has a secret agenda, though most of this was based upon her secrecy regarding Vick's chip. When Derek asks her to identify Charles Fischer, Cameron claims not to recognize the man, despite his presence as a "teacher" for Terminators in the future. Whether or not she was lying remains to be seen, but her dismissal of John's concerns afterward indicates that she was. That said, the timeline from which Fischer came from may not be identical to Cameron's, which means she may genuinely not know who he is.
  • "Self Made Man" reveals that Cameron has been harboring a close friendship with a paraplegic called Eric at the local library. She appears for the first time to show genuine care and concern for Eric and considers him her only friend, showing a compassionate side to Cameron that is notably absent in her interactions with others. She is upset by his rejection and is extremely hesitant to leave the library when he asks her to.
  • During a conversation with Eric regarding death and suicide, Cameron hints at the possibility that she is considering terminating herself. She compares the damage to her chip as a cancer and repeats Sarah's concern: "What am I supposed to do, just wait? Like a time bomb, am I just gonna go off someday?". She also displays her own variant of separation anxiety regarding John, another possible factor in her musings for self-termination (as she'd been very close to John in the future and Season 1, and likely feels lost without that connection to him). At the end of "Ourselves Alone" Cameron creates a self-termination device and plants it in her cranium in case she becomes a threat again. She entrusts the kill switch, hidden within an empty pocket watch, to John and leaves her life in his hands.
  • In "Alpine Fields" Cameron is damaged by a T-888 and rendered offline. Unlike her previous offline experiences, Cameron fails to reactivate within the 120 second standard reboot time. She remains inactive for several minutes, finally rebooting and returning to her mission. Curiously, immediately after her reboot, Cameron attacks a man under the illusion that he was a T-888. This is odd, as Cameron should be able to tell between a human and a machine. Though it should be noted that she behaved similarly with the warehouse guard in "Heavy Metal".
  • In "Earthlings Welcome Here" Cameron reveals her desire to get a tattoo of either a tiger or a wolf. It is unknown whether this is simply a whim of hers, or an attempt to make herself more appealing than Riley.
  • Cameron once again displays her understanding of grief and love for the deceased in "Desert Cantos" by correctly deducing that everything at the funeral is not as it seems. She asks Derek at one point that if had he a photo of Kyle to remember him by, would he not look at it? Cameron wonders if she has made a mistake in her reasoning/understanding of grief, but John agrees that she got it right.
  • In "Ourselves Alone" Cameron is shown to be suffering from a conflict in her decision-making parameters, resulting in her questioning her actions when before she would just act. This is shown most prominently during her intimidation of Riley in the garage, during which she displayed confusion as to what she should do with the girl. Her programming told her that Riley was a threat and therefore must be terminated, and while she agreed with this opinion, Cameron found herself unable to perform the deed without questioning it first. It is unknown what she would've done had John not intervened, and even Cameron herself stated she didn't know what she would do. This causes Cameron visible confusion, which appears to upset her to some degree as she cannot understand the nature of her indecision. It is possible that Cameron is bordering on self-awareness and that her indecision was the result of her mind freeing itself from the stringent rules of her pre-programmed thought process. However, due to her not realising this change (which would make her fully self-aware), Cameron sees her consideration of her decisions as a fault, which only feeds her paranoia that she will one day become a threat to John.
  • Cameron claims to have placed a small explosive inside her skull, next to her chip. It is unlikely she place the explosive inside her CPU port, as this would first require her to remove her chip, which would render her inactive and unable to place the device. It is however possible, she placed the device in one of her auxiliary CPU ports. The detonator she gives to John is built into a hollow pocket watch, referring to the Tin-man's heart in Wizard of Oz, and the device has three buttons inside (referencing the three dots). It is unclear if one of these buttons will trigger the explosive to go off, or some combination of the three.
  • Contrary to previous evidence, Cameron appears to have red eyes, whereas she used to have blue eyes. It is possible that her blue eyes were an addition from John's reprogramming in the future and that this feature was lost as a result of the Jeep explosion. Her HUD remains blueish, however, which lends to the idea that the writers simply decided to change her eye color to better fit with the original Terminator concept.

See also[]

Outfit Gallery[]

(Note: Cameron has started to adopt a single trademark outfit, which includes dark jeans, boots, and black leather jacket with a black and silver belt.)

Appearances[]

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

References[]

  1. It is unknown if this is a function of her personal discretion or simply a factor of the resistance reprogramming and modification finally loading with the reboot.
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