Fan fiction. Done for fun, not profit.

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The Plot Bunnies are beating on me again. After watching the final episode of Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, I had a weird idea for a Firefly/Terminator: The Sara Connor Chronicles crossover fic. No Rayne this time either. Set shortly after the BDM. Ignores the upcoming movie and travels in a wholly new direction with many continuity errors from the movies and TV Show. I am not as knowledgeable of the T:TSCC universe as I am with the Firefly/Serenity 'Verse. Please don't throw things.

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AN: I'll be taking Cameron in new directions. With her hanging out with River, she will develop more of her human side. Although skewed slightly due to River's condition. I also see her becoming an integral part of the crew in later chapters. Also some fun will ensue as well due to her being essentially River's twin.

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Rebirth

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Chapter Two.

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Jayne groaned and picked himself back up off the deck. Seeing the 'thing' that looked like Moonbrain overrode his caution and with a roar, he charged.

And struck the deck half a second later, out cold.

“Thanks, Albatross,” the Captain muttered, still keeping an eye on whatever it was standing in the middle of his cargo bay.

With infinite grace, River walked around the Terminator, examining her from every angle. Cameron showed similar curiosity.

Mal cleared his throat, “Kaylee... Why don't you go scoot to River's bunk and fetch one o' her dresses for our... guest.”

With a quick nod, Kaylee sprinted from the room. Zoë still kept her weapon pointed at the thing that had called itself Cameron.

Simon took a step forward to get a better look at the bullet hole in Cameron's chest. She eyed him carefully.

“You mind repeating that go-se about saving mankind?” Mal asked.

Mal gulped as Cameron's gaze locked with his own. After a moment she spoke, “I was tasked to make sure that after humanity left Earth. Machines like myself were not to be allowed to rule over mankind. Humans fought too hard to destroy Skynet for that to happen again.”

“Hold on now... humans left Earth because of overpopulation and environmental damage,” Mal stated.

“It didn't happen that way,” Cameron said simply.

River stepped in front of the Captain and pushed his pistol down, “She could have killed us in moments if she meant us any harm.”

“She? Thing said it was a machine.”

“Fully self aware. A person. Born from technology but conceived in love. A sister once. Will be again.”

“River...” Mal said as the teen stepped closer to Cameron. River ignored him and wrapped her arms around Cameron, “Always wanted a sister.”

Kaylee returned and squeaked as she saw River embracing the... whatever it was. She was astonished when Cameron returned the hug.

Simon was still in shock. His sister had reached out and hugged whatever this girl... machine was. And it had hugged her back.

Zoë slowly lowered her mares leg, “So that bullet didn't hurt... you?” She asked Cameron.

“I don't feel pain as you do. The round did not damage any internal systems. My epidermal outer covering will heal within forty eight hours on it's own. With sutures, in less than twelve.”

Simon's jaw dropped, “Heal?”

“My covering is synthetically produced, artificial living tissue. I am by definition, A Cyborg. Part machine and part organism.”

“No one has technology like that...” Simon whispered, “Even the love bots like Mr. Universe's were not this... realistic.”

“Back to my question,” Mal growled, “I ain't never heard of a machine like you before. No way in hell there are machines running the 'Verse.”

“Tell me this,” Cameron began, a slight smile on her lips that made Mal uncomfortable, “If you saw me walking down the street, rather than emerging from a stasis crate, would you know I wasn't a real person?”

Mal opened his mouth to speak and then suddenly closed it again.

“I think that just answered my question,” Cameron smirked.

River giggled.

Kaylee stepped forward, “I got this for you to wear,” the mechanic said hesitantly.

Cameron smiled, “Thank you.”

Zoë was amazed as she watched Cameron slip the dress over her head. The... cyborgs musculature moved perfectly. There was no way a person could tell this Cameron from River. Other than the machine looked a little older. Maybe twenty two instead of River's eighteen.

Simon was looking intently at Cameron, “The resemblance is uncanny,” the doctor muttered.

“If I may ask. What is your family name, River?” Cameron asked.

“Tam.”

Cameron smiled, “That may explain the resemblance.”

“I don't understand,” said Simon.

“The woman I was constructed to resemble was named Allison Young. She became the wife of John Connor. The leader of the resistance against the machines. They had a daughter named Sarah. Before I was given my tasking, John explained that he planned to not join the exodus himself. He gave his daughter to one of his assistants, Gabriel Tam so he could raise her as his own during the journey.”

Simon's jaw dropped, “Gabriel is River and I's father's name.”

“Family tradition. Carried through the generations of the Tam family,” River stated.

“So... the woman you were... patterned after,” Inara began, “Was one of Simon and River's ancestors?”

“It is possible,” Cameron replied.

Inara studied this young woman. There was life in her movements. Even her eyes looked alive. As Simon said, it was uncanny. A groan from the floor brought Jayne's returning consciousness to the forefront. Simon knelt down next to the big man.

“How do you feel Jayne?”

“Like yer gorram sister kicked me in the head,” Jayne mumbled as he moved to a sitting position.

“That's because she did,” Simon smirked.

Jayne growled and tried to get to his feet. As his vision cleared, he couldn't tell at first which was the machine and which one was River. He blinked a couple of times and his vision cleared. He took a step towards River, “Moonbrain...” he threatened.

River giggled and stepped behind Cameron, who looked amused.

“Stand down, Jayne,” Mal ordered.

“She kicked me, Mal,” The merc whined.

“And if she hadn't a done it on her own I would have told her to, so shut it.”

Jayne closed his mouth but didn't look happy.

“Sir... perhaps we can move this to the galley?”

“Good idea, Zoë,” The Captain replied.

River took Cameron's hand and began to lead her up the stairs. Sharing looks, the rest of the crew followed.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Time travel?” Simon asked incredulously.

“The physics of time travel are allowed by Einstein in certain circumstances,” River said, still looking at her twin.

“Mighty wild tale, I admit,” Mal stated. “How many times have you... time traveled?”

“In this body... never,” Cameron replied, “My previous body did twice. Once to 1999 and then forward with Sarah and John Conner to 2007.”

“Who is Sarah Connor?” Inara asked, “Alison's Daughter?”

“Not exactly. John named his and Alison's daughter after his mother. In the future time I came from, I was programed by John to act as his protector in the past when he was a teenager. After finding him, I then used a hidden time displacement unit built by someone who had also traveled into the past to transport John and his mother to the near future.”

“This is all really confusing,” Jayne mumbled.

Mal rubbed his eyes, “Not wrong there Jayne.”

“You said, not in this body...” Zoë trailed off.

“A new AI program using a terminator body called John Henry took my chip and traveled forward in time. Leaving my first body in the past. Caroline Weaver, another Terminator and John traveled forward as well. This altered the time line from the established 'norm'. After Skynet was defeated, and after Allison's death, John had me constructed. John Henry downloaded my previous memories into a new chip and gave it to John. Resulting in my... rebirth.”

“I'm getting a headache I think,” Kaylee muttered.

“Getting late,” Mal observed, “That brings me back to you...Cameron. We need some rest. Do you... sleep?”

“No.”

“And If I lock you in a room, I reckon you could break out anyway... right?”

“That is correct.”

“I still say we space it,” Jayne rumbled.

“Jayne!” Kaylee exclaimed.

“Hard vacuum would not 'kill' me. It would only severely damage my skin.”

“She can stay with me,” River stated.

“River...” Simon began.

Cameron smiled, “I would like that.”

“Now hold on,” Mal sputtered, “We need to think about this first.”

“I will not harm River. My processors have finished their analysis of her DNA. She is a descendant of John Connor. The primary instructions in my programming are to protect anyone in John Connor's family.”

Simon's jaw dropped, “You analyzed her DNA? How?”

“I obtained her DNA when she hugged me,” Cameron stated, “All terminators have this ability. It assures that we have the proper target.

“And you are all my friends and family,” River grinned, “Cameron will protect us.”

Simon shook his head in wonder, “What else can you do?”

“My ocular sensors allow me to see in the visible, infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. My other sensors allow me to compute what a humans emotional state may be. I can tell if someone is lying or their general emotional state from things like pulse rate, respiration and bio-electrical signals.”

“Wuo-de-ma,” Mal muttered.

“My physical strength is approximately ten times greater than even someone like him,” Cameron said as she indicated Jayne, “I am proficient with all firearms and as a computer myself, I can hack almost any computer system. And as you have already seen, mere firearms cannot really harm me.”

Kaylee spoke up, “What makes you run?”

“I have a compact nuclear power source in my chest. I will continue to function for several decades. In that time I should be able to fabricate a new power supply from current day technology.”

Kaylee grinned. It was almost like she had a new toy to play with, “I think she's shiny!”

Mal groaned. Between River's insistence that Cameron stay with her in her room and Kaylee suddenly realizing Cameron was something to tinker with. He knew he was in trouble. Even Zoë and Inara were warming to the idea.

“Gotta admit, Sir. Having someone around with those kind of abilities would be mighty handy,” Zoë observed.

“It's kinda like having a... super River,” Kaylee grinned.

“How we gonna tell em' apart?” Jayne asked. “Next to each other I's can tell but just the one beyond a few yards and it will be damn hard.”

“We can figure that out later Jayne.”

“So, we're keeping her?” Kaylee asked, hopefully.

“For the moment, Lil' Kaylee,” Mal sighed.

“Shiny!”

Cameron tilted her head in a very River like way, “I don not know what you mean by shiny.”

“It's slang term for good, fine or excellent,” River explained.

“Thank you for explaining,” Cameron replied.

XXXXXXXXXX

River led Cameron down the ladder into her bunk. Since she was now the ship's pilot, She had convinced Mal to let her have the unused crew bunk, closest to the bridge. Upon reaching the bottom of the ladder, Cameron looked around. “This is your room?”

“It is,” River replied.

“I have much to learn about this century,” Cameron noted.

“You can use Simon's portable encyclopedia in the morning,” River said with a smile.

“That would be welcome.”

River sat on the edge of her bed, gazing at her twin, “Did Simon do a good job on the sutures?”

“He is a skilled physician,” Cameron observed.

“He's a good brother even if he is a boob.”

Cameron actually snickered, “Isn't that a brother's job?”

River grinned, “He does it very well.”

“Do you need any underwear? I have extra and yours looked a bit tattered earlier,” River inquired.

“Thank you.”

River went to her small dresser and removed a pair of panties and a bra then paused.

Is there something wrong?” Cameron asked.

“The bra wont fit. You're... bigger than I am.”

“You are seven kilograms under weight,” Cameron said, “Once you gain that weight, it will be difficult to tell us apart.”

River grinned, “Are you saying I am too skinny?”

“Yes,” Cameron smiled back.

Cameron easily dodged the pillow thrown at her. With a giggle, River quickly undressed for bed, dropping a nightgown over her head. Sitting back on the bed she patted the mattress next to her. Cameron sat down. River noted how much the mattress compressed under her twin.

“What do you mass?” River asked.

Cameron looked at River and smiled, “It's not nice to ask a girl how much she weighs...”

River smirked back, “So says someone who said I was skinny,”

“I mass approximately one hundred twenty seven kilos.”

“More than Jayne,” River giggled.

“Yes.”

“This is so qu-ti. It is like I am speaking to myself,” River said.

“Qu-ti?” Cameron asked, with perfect enunciation.

“Mandarin for strange.”

“Thank you for explaining. Is Mandarin a common language now?”

“It is,” River replied, “Will that be a problem?”

“I will need to see language texts to learn. I speak Spanish, French, Russian and Japanese in addition to English.”

“So do I,” River grinned.

You do?” Cameron asked, surprised.

“I am a genius,” River stated.

“Really?”

“My IQ is over two hundred. The official term is, profoundly gifted. And then of course, I'm not quite right either.”

“Not quite right?”

“It's a good thing you don't sleep and I'm not tired yet. This will be a long story.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Stifling a yawn, Mal walked into the galley, as usual, finding Zoë awake and already sipping her coffee, “Mornin, Zoë”

“Morning, Sir,” She replied, still staring at her coffee cup.

Grabbing a cup himself, Mal sat at the table, “Something bothering you?”

“Our cargo, Sir.”

“What part? The part that is stuff from Earth that was or the part that's walkin and talkin?”

“Both.”

“I'm right uncomfortable with having something like that on board my ship. Not rightly sure what could be done if this... Cameron took it in it's head to turn on us.”

“Ain't quite what's botherin me, Sir. I'm reckonin that Haymer is expectin to find somethin in that crate when we deliver it.”

“That does present a problem.”

“No it doesn't,” River chirped as she entered the galley, followed closely by Cameron.

Mal did a double take. River had dressed Cameron in her own clothes. Both wore flowy dresses and combat boots. River had even brushed her hair to be like Cameron's. Both took seats near the Captain and first mate. Each having the same pleasant smile on their faces. It was damn hard to tell who was who.

“You have some insight on how we are gonna fix this little problem, Albatross? I mean part o' our cargo is now walkin all over the ship and dressin like you...”

“We need to make a stop first.” River said.

“Where, little one?” Zoë asked.

River's face fell, “Mr. Universe's moon.”

Zoë's face grew hard and Mal nearly spit out his coffee. It hadn't been even a year yet and River wanted to go back?

“Why?” Zoë asked tersely.

“Lenore.”

“Len... you mean Universe's love bot?”

River nodded. All the while, Cameron watched the interplay between them quietly.

“What the hell do you need with that?”

“To take Cameron's place in the crate.”

“Haymer is gonna know a late model love bot from... whatever Cameron is.”

“This is true,” Cameron said, breaking her silence, “But from what I have gathered from River... This Mr. Haymer does not know exactly what is in all of the cargo. For all he knows, the crate is empty.”

River continued, “Haymer knows of our situation. A love bot is very expensive. He would not believe we would have the resources to lay our hands on one. Therefore, he will assume that someone else took his... cargo.”

“What about her... it... whatever,” Mal sputtered.

Cameron cracked a grin, unnerving the Captain, “I will assume the role of River's twin sister. No one will be the wiser.”

“You don't know a thing about our time...” Mal trailed off as River gave him her most venomous 'boob' look.

“I am adaptable and learn very fast. A few hours with Simon's encyclopedia and I will be able to fit in. That is my primary function. To infiltrate.”

“She's got a point, Sir,” Zoë observed.

“She?”

“Gotta call her something. The term 'it' kinda stands out. And since she at least looks female...”

“I get it, “ Mal said as he rubbed his eyes. After a moment's consideration he looked at his pilot, “How long?”

“Stopping at Mr. Universe's will delay us less than a day.”

“Fine... set course. It'll just be me Jayne and River goin in to get... Lenore.”

“Cameron too,” River insisted.

“Fine... Cameron too.”

“Thank you Captain.”

“Now that we got that settled, who's turn is it to make breakfast?”

“Simon's...” River giggled.

Zoë lifted an eyebrow and Mal sighed, “Albatross... you mind?”

“Yes I will cook. Ge-ge's culinary skills violate his Hippocratic oath.”

“That's for sure,” Zoë chuckled.

“Come, shuang bao tai. You can help,” River said as she got to her feet and headed for the kitchen.

Cameron rose with equal grace, “I would be glad to.”

Mal looked over at Zoë who watched the pair begin pulling out pots and pans. Suddenly Zoë grinned.

“What is it, Zoë?”

“Just had a thought. If the Academy ever comes back after River, I say we give em' Cameron then stand back n' watch the fireworks.”

Mal chuckled, “Might be a bit humorous at that.”

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TBC

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Translations: shuang bao tai is the closest I could come to twin sister.