Chapter 45
Wait
Cameron told John she was leaving.
"John, I am going to do this." Cameron said. "No power in the Verse can stop me."
John found what he heard hard to believe.
"When?" John asked. "When are you leaving?"
Cameron's face was blank.
"Now." Cameron said as she turned to walk away.
It was very confusing to John.
"Now? Cameron, this is a bad idea." John said.
John couldn't understand what Cameron was running from. Now she wanted to embark on some 'suicide mission' and never see him again. John wondered where this all went wrong. He knew it all came back to him for actions he took in his recent past and in the future, with Future John. He wondered why what they shared now could not be 'good enough'. He always knew he should have done more and taken it a step further. He was complaisant and he may have been caught 'looking at the light'. That happened on the drag strip. It didn't matter how fast your car was if it was still sitting at the line when the other car thundered down the track.
Cameron stopped and faced John again.
"You know I am going to do it anyway." Cameron said. "It's happening."
John could hear his words in her statement. They came back to haunt him. What he did with that Riley after he blew Cameron off with those words was more of the problem.
If John was supposed to be the 'General', Cameron should listen to him.
"Cameron, I can not allow this." John said forcefully. "I will not tolerate this. I forbid this insanity."
Cameron wondered about the insanity. There were times where she did feel she was insane. That was not the issue here.
"John it is not up to you to allow or not allow. I am informing you what is going to occur. You can not stop me. I did not want you to wake up tomorrow and never see me again without a goodbye." Cameron said. "This is it - Goodbye."
Cameron turned to leave. She started to walk away from John again.
"I will not allow this." John said. "I forbid you from leaving."
Cameron turned and faced him.
Cameron wanted to tell John that he did not own her. She tried to remain calm. She wanted John to play his hand.
"John, I MUST do this." Cameron said.
John could see he did not have any control.
"NO!" John shouted.
Cameron's face remained blank.
"Goodbye, John." Cameron said. "Good luck on your future."
John was desperate at this point. He thought about getting a Taser.
"Cameron! Don't do this to me." John pleaded. "Please don't do this to us."
Cameron again turned to walk away. She said nothing further.
"I love you, Cameron, and you love me." John said.
It stabbed Cameron inside. It was because of their love she was dong this, because of their future love. She needed to replace what she destroyed for Future John. Cameron did not know how to make John understand. She provided him with 'everything' that he needs now and the near future. How could she be any more accommodating and less selfish? Allison and Vanna were his in her future. She'd already returned to John what she'd taken away from Future John. She needed to fix what she'd destroyed. She was sure that everything was her fault anyway.
Cameron looked at her left hand it was in major glitch mode.
Cameron stopped and turned.
"I love you, John, and you love me." Cameron said.
Cameron turned and walked away.
John did not have all his cards lined up. He need to roll the dice anyway.
"WAIT! Cameron, I need you to wait one day or at least a few hours, please." John begged.
Cameron did not see what would change with more time.
"What will change in a few hours?" Cameron asked. "I am still leaving."
John needed to get some things in play.
"Everything will change. I promise." John begged. "Please, I need just a few more hours. A few hours is all I ask."
Cameron's face remained blank.
"I will continue my preparations." Cameron said. "You have a few hours."
Cameron walked away. A smile slowly blossomed on her face and then quickly faded. Cameron suddenly felt like Mrs. Weaver at this point. It didn't matter anyway. She was still leaving no matter what happened. What she was doing only reinforced itself.
John ran to find John Henry. He knew he was on a short time table. Time was running out fast. Things needed to happen and they needed to happen now.
"John Henry, I need you to take Bob and Jim and go immediately to the jewelry store and get my items. I need them NOW." John said. "If you have to, can you fabricate them?"
John Henry did not see the need for such urgency.
"Yes. What is the hurry?" John Henry asked.
John gave him the bad news.
"Cameron is leaving." John said.
John Henry tilted his head slightly.
"Cameron leaves all the time." John Henry said.
John did not think John Henry fully understood what was about to happen.
"This time... This time she is not coming back." John said.
John tried to fight the tears that were about to flow.
John Henry was a little confused. Cameron hadn't told him to activate Unit Two and Unit Three yet. He did not have the two Units ready. Perhaps this was a nudge to John. It seemed to be working if it was. John seemed desperate. He could see John trying to hold on to what was already gone.
"I will be back within two hours with what you need." John Henry said.
John sure hoped so. There were a bunch of things he needed and he needed them RIGHT NOW. John went to seek help. This was going to be a team effort.
John felt so bewildered. After all they'd been through. Cameron was just going to walk away. No. She is RUNNING away. None of this made sense especially since he knew they both loved each other.
She was running from him, running from herself, running from her past and running from THEIR future. She was running back to the future, back to her future, away from him yet back to him - Future John. Maybe Future John loved her more than he did. Maybe she loved Future John more than him. Maybe Future John did not treat her with such disrespect as his family and he had done. Cameron told him Future Allison was 'gone' and Future Savannah was sent away. That left Future John with Cameron. When the anti-Metal faction grew Future John sent Cameron away. He sent her away to protect her from termination. He sent her away because he loved her. Sacrifice was the true test of love. Future John passed that test.
John went in search of Vanna and Allison. He could not find them at first; this caused him even more panic. Then he saw them. He ran to them. He needed some answers and he needed some assistance.
John explained what was about to happen. He seemed to have no control over the situation. He looked desperately to the girls for anything they could do.
"Vanna, Allison, I need to know everything about Cameron." John said.
The girls looked at each other.
"You'd better sit down." Allison said. "This is going to be a rough ride."
The girls told him everything and why. It was the why that was important to Cameron. John thought of the terrible agony he put Cameron through. It was the pain, the torment, the betrayal and the replacement. He hurt her so much that death was a better option to her at times. The way this was all falling apart, it seemed that death was a pretty good option for himself.
"So a computer version of Cameron actually started to self terminate?" John asked.
Vanna laid it out as she saw it.
"Yes. Her programming can no longer stop her. She has advanced beyond that. Her feelings and emotions now control her. John, she is as much 'human' as Allison or myself." Vanna said. "Her frequent combat is a veiled attempt at self termination as well. She seems to seek and 'honorable death' in combat. I think we can all see that."
Allison felt this was her fault with the 'Neural Interface' in the future with Cameron. It may have been Future Allison but it was still her, a version of her anyway.
"It is my fault, my memories and the 'me' in her, a future 'me' anyway. It must be driving her in some way." Allison mused. "I must be to blame. I'm sorry, John."
Vanna dropped another revelation.
"John, do you realize when she gave you the ability to push a button and destroy her what she was really asking of you?" Vanna asked.
John remembered what Cameron said to him.
"It was to protect me in case she went 'bad' again and reverted." John said. "She did not want to hurt me."
Vanna could see that John still did not have a clue.
"No, that was a secondary objective. She was asking you and begging you to push the button if you continued to choose Riley over her. She wanted you to stop the pain. Rejection and replacement was literally killing her. Do you understand that if at that time she could self terminate that she would have? If she were not a Terminator, she would be dead." Vanna stated. "Only her programming at that time prevented that. It no longer can."
John thought of her poems, her pain and her deepest sadness and sorrow.
It hit him like a sledge hammer.
"Oh my God. What have I done?" John asked.
Allison thought things could have been done a little differently.
"Not the correct things." Allison said.
John was desperate. He looked around and found a pad of paper and a pen.
"Vanna, Allison, I need you to go out and purchase these items ASAP." John wrote a quick list. "Find Mr. Ellison too and tell him what I need."
Vanna and Allison turned to go.
"Let's get crackin'." Allison said.
There was new excitement in the air as they hurried away.
"Make sure it is white. She has earned that privilege." John called loudly after them.
The two girls hurried away. They were both very thrilled about what was going to occur.
"Is this really happening?" Allison asked.
Vanna held up the list in her hand.
"It sure looks like it." Vanna said. "I'm holding the proof in my hand."
After another hour John Henry returned with the items that John wanted. He only needed to add the inscription John wanted. The rest was already done. The jeweler was amazed that he needed no magnification to do it and did it in a just a minute. The jeweler was pleased at the workmanship.
John Henry paid the jeweler double and said forget any of this ever happened.
The jeweler looked at Bob, Jim and John Henry. He was already 'forgetting' as the burly trio left the store. That did not look like anything he wanted to mess with and the pay was good.
John headed for the intercom after he thanked John Henry for his assistance and discretion. he thanked Jim and Bob too.
Everything started to fall into place. He had what he needed to get the ball rolling. Vanna and Allison needed to play their part still. John hoped he could pull this off. he was not really sure what was going to happen.
John pondered what he would say to Cameron and how best to do it. He knew it all mattered. He felt he was ready. John pushed the button on the intercom and leaned forward.
"Cameron, can you come to my room, our room, please." John asked.
Wait
Things happen very fast in life
Sometimes we sit and wait
We may not see it occur
When suddenly we are too late
One can be left looking
When the other leaves the gate
They may depart in a huff
Feeling dejected and irate
Maybe it was not noticed
As one dangled the bait
When the call goes unanswered
One's inner self begins to deflate
Love that is not returned
Withers and is soon innate
When another is involved
Love may even turn to hate
One can always refocus
They can clear the slate
Maybe confusion can be avoided
If our desires we clearly state
Nobody