Chapter 33

Kyle

Cameron headed for the Command Center. She wanted to speak with John Henry and he wanted to speak to her. She reflected on the events related to the operation. It was clear that Skynet was a bigger threat than she'd anticipated. Skynet attempted to establish itself in a 'bunker buster' proof location by picking the mine. The fact it planned to establish an assembly line for HK equipment was another worry.

Cameron entered the Command Center.

"Hello, Cameron." John Henry said.

Cameron smiled and nodded at him.

"Hello, John Henry. Thank you for helping me with our double play." Cameron said. "It worked at first. Allison's racing heart is what gave it away in the end. We will have to consider that in any future attempts at infiltration."

John Henry felt a human could only exert a limited amount of control to an involuntary function of their body. It was the circumstances that dictated a human's natural responses.

"That is hard for her to control as things happen in her mind or in her surroundings." John Henry said. "She was unsure of what would happen. She was nervous at 'playing' you and having John touch her."

Cameron looked at John Henry. She was not really sure what to say. He seemed to disapprove of the fact John touched her. There was one other thing that still bothered her. She'd addressed it before but it always came back to trouble her.

John Henry continued to fill Cameron in. He went over all the intel from the operation John conducted. John Henry was able to redirect the purchase of the machinery that the Grays associated with the warehouse procured to start the assembly lines. They now gained control of it. John Henry was able to track some of the buyers and money sources. Bob and Jim dealt with the 'buyers' and John Henry appropriated all the remaining funds. Whenever any funding associated with Skynet was detected, John Henry always confiscated it.

Cameron said that was good news. She was a little miffed that Bob and Jim were the ones to deal with the Grays. She liked to be the one to administer the blows and justice to them. She was content to be the one to hurt Skynet. She finally brought up what it was that bothered her.

"I also want to apologize for the day you came back, again." Cameron added. "I am sorry for the way I threatened you."

John Henry accepted her apology the first time. He was not sure why this was still an issue with her. He considered the matter resolved long ago.

"You have apologized several times. I know you were not sure if it was Mrs. Weaver, someone else or me. You did not know what would happen or not happen. You were tethered and needed to protect yourself. That was a nice touch with Sarah flanking me with the M60 with the Coltan projectiles. I hadn't anticipated that. It would have been a Check Mate."

Cameron appreciated Sarah backing her up that day. She wanted the upper hand if there was a power struggle.

"Things happen." Cameron said. "I like to control all the variables."

John Henry quickly relived those events.

"Sarah flanked me. I was a 'sitting duck'." John Henry said. "I was focused on you and your weapon. I tried to figure out your choice of an acid round to confront me. That was good strategy. The fact you were topless further distracted me. It kept me off balance. It kept me looking at you and the big bore of the M79."

Cameron always liked to have another card to play.

"I play to win. I possessed a Coltan loaded M4 as well, just in case. We don't always know who we can trust. Many things can happen and happen fast." Cameron said.

John Henry knew Cameron would be a formidable 'enemy'. She was always one or two moves ahead in the 'game'.

"I've noticed." John Henry said. "You do seem to cover all the bases."

Cameron smiled.

"I try." Cameron said.

Cameron knew things slipped by her. John's 'full blown' affair with Riley was one of them. Cameron felt her hand glitch as she remembered it all. It still bothered her. It didn't matter if Riley was dead or not, that didn't change what occurred.

"Mrs. Weaver can be deceptive and very clandestine." John Henry said. "I continually calculate her motives and future actions. I have parts of your essence still in my program. I know you are an honorable individual. I will not betray you, Cameron. I will do what is right. Mr. Ellison has taught me well. You and I have connected in a special way. A level few could fathom."

Cameron didn't think anyone could understand. Their minds were connected in thousands of places at a time as information was shared.

"We have been as one. We were joined yet separate and equal. We were both tied to a common cause and goal." Cameron said.

John Henry actually missed the interaction with Cameron in his server or on her chip.

"It was a productive adventure." John Henry said.

Cameron wondered if John Henry knew how close to termination he'd been.

"I hope you understand that Sarah would have pumped you full of Coltan projectiles if things went south." Cameron said.

John Henry was aware of that. He understood why too.

"She will do whatever is necessary to protect her son or the one her son loves." John Henry said. "It is understandable."

Cameron was satisfied with what she'd wanted to say. Now it was John Henry's turn.

"What else was it you wanted to discuss?" Cameron asked.

John Henry was aware of the greeting he received when he returned from the future. It was not pleasant. There was actually a plan to prevent that level of drama.

"On the eleventh day at the eleventh hour of the month the TDE room may have activity. I scheduled a transfer schedule with Mrs. Weaver before I left so there would be no panic. That is in one hour. As you know temporal transfers are not always exact. They can be hours or days off. You may have a team ready if you want but I do not anticipate any problems."

Cameron did know about temporal errors.

"I encountered one Terminator that was decades off." Cameron said. "I was able to track him down and neutralize the threat. I did like his firearm. If it hadn't been damaged in the fight with him, I would have kept it. It showed a certain sense of style."

John Henry was aware of the incident.

"You have shared that knowledge as a report in your files. You were very thorough in important and relevant information." John Henry said. "You are a threat to Skynet in any time."

Cameron smiled to herself. It was part of her function to terminate her 'father', Skynet. Now the new worry would be about what Mrs. Weaver was up to. She still was unsure of Mrs. Weaver's end game.

"Is this something specific from Mrs. Weaver?" Cameron asked. "Is that something that you two planned out or that I should know about? I don't like surprises. John also indicated Mrs. Weaver needed to complete some specific tasks for him. He would never elaborate on them. He was worried they may not happen and that they remained an unknown. I was not sure if his statement was directed at me or someone else. Maybe you know more than I do."

John Henry did not have any specific information or any timetable.

"I don't know." John Henry said. "Many things that involve Mrs. Weaver remain a mystery to me."

Cameron wanted to play it safe. There was always the possibility of a hostile Terminator jumping into the energy bubble at the last second and hitching a ride. There was also a chance that the last second disruption might cause a temporal error or send the location off target. They could end up a thousand years ago in time or out in space. She thought it was best to cover all the bases. She decided to keep it simple.

"I will ask Allison and Sarah to join me." Cameron said.

John Henry looked at Cameron for a moment before he spoke.

"What about John?" John Henry said. "He should be a part of this."

Cameron tried to deflect the question. She did not want to get into this discussion. She was still upset about his mission that he tried to conduct without her.

"He may be busy." Cameron said.

John Henry knew the truth and pointed it out.

"You are still shielding him from all danger." John Henry said.

That accusation displeased Cameron. She was aware it was true too.

"I must protect him." Cameron said.

John Henry wanted John to fulfill his destiny.

"You must also let him grow into the man he needs to become." John Henry said. "He was a leader in the future you returned him from. You saw that yourself. He must grow beyond that now in the present. He must grow into Future John."

Cameron hoped John would never have the darkness and pain inside of him that Future John felt. Cameron was Future John's last ray of sunshine and he sent her away. There was nothing left but emptiness and loneliness for Future John. Cameron was afraid that it would not end well for him without her. She was very upset that he scrubbed many of her personal files before he sent her back. She knew he erased part of her existence but she did not know what.

Cameron lowered her eyes.

"I have seen John perform in the future." John Henry said. "John is an excellent leader and tactician. People are drawn to naturally follow him. I know you love him. I understand. You have shared knowledge of what love is to me. I have felt it through you and the Allison memories you possess. I believe I have those feelings in their own way for Mrs. Weaver, Mr. Ellison and Savannah. I also have strong feelings for you, John, Allison and especially Vanna."

Cameron saw one major omission.

"You don't have those same feelings for Sarah?" Cameron asked.

John Henry was not sure why.

"No." John Henry said. "I will have Mr. Ellison help me with that shortcoming."

Cameron knew the time of the scheduled activity was close.

"I will get the team ready." Cameron said.

Cameron thought about who she would ask and why and who would be excluded and why.

Allison was out with Vanna and John actually was busy with Mr. Ellison.

It ended up that Sarah and Cameron would be the welcoming committee.

Cameron and Sarah geared up. They armed and readied themselves in the TDE room.

Sarah wondered if this was even going to happen. If it was, they might need some additional Metal backup.

"Should we bring Bob or Jim?" Sarah asked.

Cameron already covered that possibility.

"Bob is with John and Mr. Ellison. Jim is waiting outside and armed appropriately." Cameron said. "He has the 'pig'."

At the appointed time the arcing and flashing started. The time bubble appeared on the TDE pad.

There were three forms that appeared inside the arching and flashing. One was kneeling and two were laying flat. The two that were lying down were Terminators.

That seemed very odd to Cameron. She wanted her backup in the TDE room now.

"Jim!" Cameron shouted. "You are needed."

Jim entered the room with his Coltan loaded M60 ready.

Sarah gripped the Thumper as she flipped the safety off.

Cameron stood ready with an M4. It was loaded with Coltan projectiles.

The arcing and flashing stopped.

The kneeling figure stood. His back was to Sarah.

Sarah leaned forward to view the person better. There was something familiar about the naked figure. Things began to click in Sarah's mind. They were things she thought were impossible. Part of her life was forever gone. Still it seemed to be possible. Maybe she should stick with what was more likely.

"Derek?" Sarah asked apprehensively.

The figure slowly turned around.

"My name is Kyle."

Yesterday Once More

In the way life works for everyone
Some people come and some people go
What is here today may be gone tomorrow
It can make one question all they know

Maybe it is better to never have loved
Than to have loved and then the love to be lost
It slowly attacks the heart, mind and soul
Was the reward worth what it now cost

For some there is a lasting hope
It is a hope that can never be said
Some people have a lasting love
Even for those who are dead

If one were granted a single wish
Would it be for unending wealth
Or would it be used more wisely
To restore a loved ones health

Life can take away everything
Leaving one to cry and scream
But a heart can hold true and firm
Causing reality to spring from a dream

Nobody