Chapter 97

Incinerated

Allison, Vanna and Jesse passed by the commissary and were near the Command Center. They'd been alone together again. It was something that happened quite frequently. They enjoyed the company and pleasures they were able to offer each other. Their bond grew very strong the more they shared both in and out of the bedroom. Their bond to each other and their bond to Cameron was very powerful. Each of the three women loved Cameron like no other. She was everything to them. Their worlds revolved around Cameron. She was the focus of their lives. They were very attuned to what Cameron wanted from each of them or all of them together for John. There was no guesswork about where Cameron wanted them. It was in John's bed. She wanted him to have companionship and she wanted it to be human. None of them could really understand it but they were all ready to do her bidding and they tried. They wanted to please Cameron more than they did John.

They didn't talk about their deep love and caring for Cameron much amongst each other as THAT seemed to spark some jealousy. That was something they didn't need. Cameron was 'off limits' to them and they knew it. They all still hoped that one day she would share with them. They didn't have a problem sharing with each other in pairs or all three of them together. They could end up in any combination at the drop of a hat.

They all hungered for each other the closer they became. Jesse and Vanna both seemed to concentrate on Allison.

That was fine with Allison but she feared she was 'Cameron' most of the time to both Vanna and Jesse. They both were able to get her to where she wanted to go and keep her there for longer than she'd previously experienced with Vanna before in the past - the future. That was a new pleasure in itself.

As they neared the Command Center they heard the heated exchange going on between John Henry and Cameron. They were unsure what the beef was. They came to investigate and support Cameron. All three of them were shocked at what they found. It was unbelievable. Cameron needed help - fast.

All three acted as one. It just happened. Each one was willing to sacrifice for Cameron. They did not know if they could stop her by reasoning with her or not. She was holding a live and armed Thermite grenade. There was only one way to make a point and hopefully stop her. It was to sacrifice themselves.

Jesse was the first to act. It put her in mortal danger.

"Then I will burn as well." Jesse said as she walked up and stood alongside Cameron.

Vanna was right behind Jesse. She looked at Cameron's face as she joined her.

"If you chose to 'go' I chose termination with you." Vanna said as she walked up on Cameron's other side.

Allison fearlessly moved forward. She looked into Cameron's eyes as she spoke.

"We will all burn together then." Allison said as she faced Cameron and hugged her.

She pulled her body right up against Cameron's and held the hug. The armed Thermite grenade was tight between them.

Allison and Cameron's eyes were locked as they stood face to face with 'death' pressed tightly between them.

Cameron knew the girls would not back down at this point. They made that clear to her.

John Henry looked around and found the pin for the Thermite grenade. He saw it off to the side.

The girls did not know how to address the issue other than to say what they felt and believed. They all spoke the truth.

"Cameron, I love you, we all love you just the way you are." Allison said.

Vanna looked at Cameron. She'd loved Cameron since she was a program on a server.

"Cameron, you mean more to us, ALL of us, than we do to ourselves." Vanna said.

Jesse's life now had purpose with her love for Cameron.

"Without you, Cameron, we are nothing. I am NOTHING." Jesse said.

Cameron began to glitch all over.

"Step back. I MUST do this." Cameron said. "PLEASE let me 'GO'."

"NO!" The three women said in unison.

They all held Cameron tighter.

Cameron tried to make them understand how she felt.

"I am something abominable. I have failed to restore this timeline to its proper order. I have distorted the 'Natural Order'." Cameron said. "I am the cancer infecting it. I am the cancer that infects every timeline. I am the constant for destruction."

The three girls were not about to back down. It was now up to Cameron to decide all four of their fates. Whatever action she chose for herself, she chose for the girls as well. Their lives were literally in her hands. She was the one who held the armed Thermite grenade.

"Then it ends for all of us, together." Vanna said. "You are the 'decider', Cameron."

Allison held Cameron tighter.

"Do what you must." Allison said. "Your choice is our choice."

Jesse did not see a future without Cameron.

"We will 'go' with you." Jesse said.

Cameron wanted to stop but she could not. It was time to go.

John Henry saw Cameron was about to release the spoon. It was happening.

John Henry snatched up the pin for the Thermite grenade from the floor and held it out to Cameron.

"I will do as you request." John Henry blurted out. "Please put the pin back in. I will erase your chip. I will terminate you. Please don't hurt the girls. John will need them."

The three girls listened in shock….

What?

Terminate Cameron?

Erase her chip?

Cameron hesitated. Freedom was so close…. She didn't need for her chip to be erased. She could burn it now.

John Henry could see Cameron was going to do it. He tried again to reason with her for John's future.

"The GIRLS, Cameron, John will need them." John Henry said. "It is the "Natural Order'."

The girls would do whatever Cameron wanted. It seemed she chose termination for all four of them.

Earlier:

John found Sarah and Kyle. He needed to talk to them. He wanted some help or guidance.

"Mom, I don't know what to do. I am losing her." John said.

John was sure he already had.

Sarah did not feel like she was qualified to answer that other than to relate her own experiences.

"I would say in a 'conventional relationship' that things happen. People drift apart, they grow apart. They don't grow closer. Seldom do people continue together on the same path." Sarah said. "It happens…. That is how life and relationships work."

Kyle was aware of the limitations in the nature of John's relationship.

"There is nothing to bind you two together as there can be in a 'traditional relationship'." Kyle said as he touched Sarah's mid section.

Sarah placed her hand over Kyle's hand.

John noticed the interaction but said nothing.

"Why can't love, caring and sharing be enough?" John asked.

Sarah knew everyone kept growing inside.

"Sometimes someone needs 'more' than the other can provide." Sarah said.

Kyle was familiar with the confusion and uncertainty of the future.

"Sometimes one or both of the people don't know what they really want." Kyle added.

Sarah looked over at Kyle.

"Sometimes it takes twenty years to get what you want." Sarah said.

There was a harsher side too. Some things remained impossible.

"John, sometimes you never do…." Kyle said. "There is no peace or resolution."

Sarah summed up the painful reality of love.

"Sometimes if your really love someone, you need to let them 'go'." Sarah said. "Love is about sacrifice. If you really love someone you put their well being and desires before your own."

Derek looked over. Riley looked at back at him.

They'd shared wildly with each other a few times.

Riley watched Derek as he drifted off earlier. Now he was awake.

"You took a short nap." Riley said.

Derek said nothing. He now stared at the ceiling. His thoughts were a million miles away.

Riley knew he was thinking about someone else. Now that they'd been together she better find out where she stood or if she'd just been 'used'.

"What's her name?" Riley asked.

Derek still stared at the ceiling.

"Jesse." Derek said.

Riley was afraid of that. She needed to know a little more.

"Do you love her?" Riley asked.

"Yes." Derek said.

Riley could feel some hesitation.

"But….?" Riley asked.

Derek looked over at Riley.

"She's moved on and left me behind." Derek said.

Riley felt a forced change could have some merit.

"A closed door can lead to an open one." Riley said. "It happens; you are here now with me."

He looked at her again.

"Yes, I am. You are beautiful." Derek said.

Riley smiled.

"Let me help you move on." Riley said.

Derek wondered where that would lead. He was not getting any younger. Someone from the future would understand him better.

"Would you?" Derek asked. "If we do 'this', I want 'everything'."

Riley was ready for a little more out of life. Maybe this was the open door she needed.

"I have what you want." Riley said. "You have what I need…."

Derek was worried there may be more to her story.

"What about you? Is there anyone?" Derek asked.

Riley looked at Derek for a long moment. The reality of future was ugly.

"There never was by choice until NOW." Riley said. "Anything before was 'taken' from me by force. It happened a lot."

Derek nodded. He understood the fate of all females in the future. It happened to ALL of them at some point.

"I'm sorry." Derek said. "I do understand. That is how life was in the future."

Riley didn't think that made anything easier.

"It was." Riley said.

Derek wanted to make sure everything was clear.

"So it is just us then?" Derek asked.

Riley felt that was a two way street.

"It will be just us. There can't be any 'Jesse' either." Riley said. "You need to make a choice and let her go."

Derek was ready to move his life forward. He'd suffered enough heartache.

"It's a deal." Derek said. "Let's get dressed and go. I want to show you our operation. You are going to be part of the team. You are going to be part of the Resistance here."

Riley kissed him.

"I will follow you anywhere." Riley said.

Cameron gave the Thermite grenade to John Henry. He put the pin back in. One by one the girls released her.

She looked at John Henry

"You will do as you have promised." Cameron said.

The group headed for the lab.

Cameron was satisfied her existence would end soon.

The three women begged and pleaded with her not to do this.

"Where is John in all of this?" Vanna asked.

Vanna looked around.

"John is out with Sarah and Kyle. Derek is not around." John Henry stated.

Things seemed to happen fast.

Cameron climbed onto the work bench.

"You can't do this John Henry, you can't." Allison pleaded.

John Henry didn't feel there was a choice. He'd made an agreement to stop Cameron from terminating all four of them.

"Do you wish to see her burn?" John Henry asked.

"No." The three girls said.

John Henry set down the Thermite grenade he took from Cameron.

"What choice do we have then?" John Henry asked.

Jesse held onto Cameron. The tears ran down her face as she pleaded with her not to do this.

Vanna broke down. She was unable to even speak any longer. The grief overwhelmed her. Her crying physically affected her.

Allison stood her ground.

"I will not allow this." Allison said.

Cameron looked at Allison and smiled faintly as she touched her cheek.

"It is my wish." Cameron said. "I want my one wish."

Allison knew what Cameron's one wish was. It was never to have been built. It was the last two lines in her first poem before she 'humanized' it at John's suggestion. Allison memorized it. She'd read it over and over. She could see it. She could feel it.

Outsider

When I look in the mirror
I do not like what I see
When I look inside of me
I do not like what I can not be

I hate what I am
I hate what I am not
I hate everything about me
I guess that covers a lot

I feel so small
It is like I do not exist
Useless and worthless
Nothing on which to subsist

I am an outsider
Always on the outside looking in
There is so much inside me
To want to exist is not a sin

From this torment there is no escape
My CPU and power cell are filled with guilt
If I had only one wish it would be
Never to have been built

Cameron

Allison knew it was the only poem she ever signed with her name 'Cameron'. It was only in the poems she printed for Vanna. It was her first poem. It was her true wish.

Allison thought fast. She tried to buy time. An idea popped into her head.

"We can go back to the future, YOUR future. We can prevent Your Allison from being captured." Allison said. "That means you will never be built…."

YES. Cameron sat up. It was her one wish - never to have been built.

"That is what I want." Cameron said. "I will do it. I'm going back to the future."

"I will go with you."

"So will I."

"I will too."

John Henry though this may be a worse idea. It would create a new timeline.

"This is insanity." John Henry said.

Cameron often wondered if she was insane. Maybe she really was.

"No. It is what I want. I want to keep from being built. I never want to have existed. If -…." Cameron paused and then continued.

"I don't exist. Therefore I am not…."

Abominable

Behind the daily mask of life
I must be something hideous
What is meant as genuine support
Is wrongfully seen as insidious
I accept the reality of the situation
Now or past need not be fastidious
I mean not to judge, hurt or belittle
My mind open, accepting, not invidious

Each failure or shortcoming on my part
Cuts me deep to the very brittle bone
I would quickly replace myself if possible
With a fresh minded unknowing clone
Truncating the abominable nowhere journey
Darkness unending into the eternal unknown
For my transgressions I must perpetually atone
My heart, mind and soul forever always alone

Nobody