Chapter 62
Heavy Metal
John went for a walk in the park to try and clear his mind. He was very unsure about what happened last night. Allison followed him and silently took his hand as he walked. They walked like that hand in hand without a word spoken for a long time. He thought about what occurred up until NOW at this moment in time.
He quickly went over everything that happened in the last few months.
They attempted to use the TDE as a beacon or lifeline to help Cameron return back to their timeline and their TDE pad. It was not designed to work like that. Sometimes when the energy bubble departed it did not reappear on their TDE pad. They were unsure what happened or where it went. All that energy went somewhere and did something. It should have always returned. It did not. At least it did not return to their specific location.
John Henry tried it for months. Nothing worked. It was time to accept the reality of the situation. There was no need to continue the attempts. He informed John that Cameron was not coming back.
Cameron should have returned the day she left if her mission was successful. All attempts to use their TDE since then failed. They hoped to 'pull' her into their timeline. The only options that remained were that Cameron was terminated, there'd been a temporal error or she was stuck in a divergent timeline and unable to get back to their timeline. Everyone, both Metal and human came to the same conclusion. Cameron was gone.
Only Savannah believed Cameron would return. She told everyone Cameron was coming back. Her faith was unshakeable. She always said Cameron was invincible and eternal. She would walk away the others very upset that no one believed her. She would go back to her room and look at Cameron's wedding dress. She knew what she promised Cameron. She intended to keep that promise. She could see John's life was stalled.
"I promise, Cammy. I promise." Savannah would say over and over.
Nobody knew what she planned.
All their lives seemed to have stagnated, slowed or just stopped moving forward.
John knew the truth. Cameron was gone.
Cameron had been gone for months. It was clear she wasn't coming back. They all needed to start living again. They all needed to move forward. Life moved forward not backwards. It was time….
John and Allison were together and alone in the park. The future called to them. They discussed what to do to move forward, it included Vanna too.
The moment John and Allison wanted to share in the future, back to the present, was about to happen. It was their long overdue expression of love.
Allison wanted this moment for so long and now it was about to happen….
John wanted this moment for so long and now it was about to happen….
Allison and John's lips were about to touch in their first mutual kiss as 'John and Allison'. They were both ready. There were no more games, it was time to share. They wanted and needed to share their loss, share for a future together, share the pain, share the hope and joy. They both wanted it. Cameron made it clear to all of them it was what she wanted upon her demise. It was going to happen….
They were booth filled with love and anticipation. Their hearts and minds called to each other as their bodies responded to each other. Nature was at play now and instinct drove both of them.
The softness of their lips were just about to make contact.
Nothing could stop them now.
Bob suddenly appeared.
"I'm sorry to intrude." Bob said. "We have trouble."
The look of pain on both John's face and Allison's face was evident. If not for the fact that Metal did not joke, they might have thought it was a cruel attempt to stop them. For Bob to intrude at this moment meant there was a real problem.
The look of disbelief was on both their faces. The reality of their lives kicked in.
"What is it?" John asked immediately.
He knew it must be something bad.
"Metal." Bob said.
That was bad news on several levels. They were close to 'home' and they were under armed for a confrontation with Metal.
"Where?" John asked.
Allison gripped her Coltan loaded Model 66. She was glad she kept it ready. A carefully placed shot from it could disable Metal. She knew if one of their legs could be damaged that you could run from them and hopefully escape. She would concentrate all her fire at one knee of the hostile Terminator if they were confronted. It would not stop them but it would slow them down.
John gripped Cameron's Glock. He carried it exclusively. 'Cameron' was always with him in battle this way. It looked like 'Cameron' would fight yet another day vicariously through her Glock. It would not be the first time and hopefully it would not the last time either. He knew any confrontation could turn deadly.
A second figure rushed forward join their group. It was Jim.
He was with them in seconds.
Allison tried to lighten the mood as they prepared for combat.
"Did you follow me?" Allison asked.
She knew one of the Terminators always did.
"Always." Jim replied. "It is my function to protect you."
Allison rolled her eyes.
"Oh, brother." Allison said.
She was glad he did follow her based on the current situation.
"We will never interfere with your 'coupling'." Jim said. "We are to facilitate it if possible."
Allison was sure his statement could have been phrased a little differently.
"How 'romantic'." Allison said sarcastically.
John and Allison exchanged quick glances.
Everyone knew what Cameron wanted.
John wanted them to focus on the current reality.
"What about the Metal?" John asked.
Bob spotted the Terminator while he hung back and waited for John and Allison to kiss. He wondered if they would do more than that behind the bushes or wait until they returned to the base.
"I picked it up following two boys." Bob said.
That sickened John. He already knew who the boys were going to be.
"Where are they?" John asked.
Bob pointed. The three figures were closer to them now.
"They are right there." Bob said. "She is a Terminator."
It was a well built blonde female.
"She is an infiltration unit." Jim added.
A new fear gripped John. His encounter last night still haunted him.
"Is she Liquid Metal?" John asked very worried.
Bob did not think so.
"No." Bob responded.
Jim spotted a second figure on an intercept course towards the Terminator and the two boys.
"That one is. It is tracking the blonde Terminator or the young boys." Jim said. "It looks female as well."
John knew this was all related to last night somehow.
It was another female Terminator. There was something familiar about her….
This was all bad news to John. He wondered if the actions they'd taken to try to get Cameron back brought this down on them. It may have made them a magnet for Skynet activity.
They did not have a clue as to what was what.
"Great, we don't know from which timeline they are from. We don't know if one is protecting and one stalking or if both are stalking or both are protecting." John said.
John looked around the area. They were headed into the rocky part of the park. There were a lot of small rocky hills there. He knew they needed to act with what they had with them. Those boys needed protection. This was not their war, not yet anyway.
"We need to be ready to go on the offensive." John said. "Those boy need our help and they need it now."
Allison thought there was more to this story than met the eye.
"Do you know who the boys are?" Allison asked.
John figured the truth was going to hit Allison hard.
"They are young versions Derek and Kyle." John said.
Allison gasped. She was ready to fight now more than ever. Derek and Kyle always protected her.
Bob pointed out they were not prepared for this fight. They'd gone for a walk in the park, not out for combat.
"If the Liquid Metal Terminator is not a friendly we are at a major disadvantage. I don't have the M79 with me." Bob said. "We don't have any acid rounds or Thermite grenades."
Jim lacked his weapon of choice.
"The pig is back at base as well." Jim added.
Bob frowned.
"This is getting better by the minute." Bob stated.
Allison wanted to try something. She looked like 'Cameron'. That might mean something to one or both of the Terminators, for better or worse.
"Let me use myself as bait to see if one breaks off to engage me. Bob can back me up." Allison said.
Allison started to go.
"NO!" John almost shouted.
John reached out and held onto Allison.
"John, we need to protect those brothers. I am going to do it. I owe them my life." Allison said. "They saved me so many times. They have always taken care of me."
Allison broke free of John.
"My turn." Allison said as she took off.
She ran between the boys and the blonde Terminator.
The blonde Terminator went after Allison or at least in Allison's direction.
Allison briefly thought she had gone from the frying pan into the fire. She looked back and kept running.
The blonde Terminator turned and saw the Liquid Metal Terminator go after Allison as well. The blonde Terminator changed directions to block the Liquid Metal Terminator.
"Jim, get those boys out of here, even if you have to pick them up and carry them." John said. "They are the most important thing here. I want them away from here."
Allison ran like she'd never run before. She glanced back over her shoulder. Now she spotted both the Terminators tracking her on a collision course. At least she'd saved young Derek and Kyle for now. Life was about choices and she'd just made one. She may have just traded her life for theirs. She reflected that Cameron made the hard choices too. The hard choice was not so hard when it was the 'right choice'. She understood so much more about Cameron in that instant. You did what you needed to do, when you needed to do it. The cards would land where they fell.
Allison was losing ground and getting tired. The time for running was over. It was time to fight.
Allison gripped her Model 66 and turned in a crouch. She took a combat stance.
This did not look like it was going to end well for her. She'd faced death before in her future. Her life never flashed in front of her eyes any of those times. Instead, she searched for a target. She intended to go down fighting.
Allison was aware of movement on her right flank.
It was Vanna!
"What the Hell?" Allison asked.
John Henry was there too with the M60 as were Al, Dan, Ed and Frank. Two of them each carried an M79.
Allison thought she might live the day out after all now. She actually thought she was about to die. She thought it was kind of strange that it hadn't bothered her as much as she thought it would.
"Heavy Metal!" Allison said. "I like it more every day."
John Henry offered a quick explanation.
"I looked further on John's request and suspicions and I found traces of some temporal incursions last night." John Henry said. "I picked up the blonde Terminator on surveillance cameras at the park as I tracked John and you. We geared up and we came 'ready'."
John and Bob previously moved to follow Allison.
John wanted Allison protected.
"Bob, go to Allison. Jim will be back." John said. "I'll be fine for right now."
Bob went down and moved in front of Allison.
"Back up, Allison, I will shield you." Bob said.
Jim rejoined John soon after Bob left.
"The boys are out of the park." Jim said.
The Heavy Metal force spread out and confined the two unknown Terminator arrivals.
The Liquid Metal Terminator moved the hair from her face.
There was a gasp among everyone.
Everyone stood in amazement.
The Liquid Metal Terminator was – Cameron - sort of….
"John, Hello. I am back for - MORE." The Liquid Metal Terminator said.
John faced her and swallowed hard.
Heavy Metal
Each day presents new issues
With events we must address
Some we try to promote
Others we try to suppress
Do we help ourselves
As upon others we transgress
Or do we help them out too
To prevent unnecessary distress
Life may be played
As if it were a game of chess
Upon further thought and reflection
Do only ourselves we outguess
Do we move forward
Or do we wander and digress
Is just being alive
The only sign of success
Heavy Metal is more than music
It is something we can possess
It can assist us as it relieves stress
Maybe even to share a loving caress
Nobody