Chapter 135

Busy

John Henry and John discussed some of their successes against Skynet. They contemplated the future and what it would bring for all of them. It was said if Skynet hadn't won, they were 'winning'.

John was in the future, a future. It was a terrible place. The living conditions were hard and harsh. Life seemed to hold little meaning. Maybe if they could prevent that future it was 'winning'.

It still did not feel like 'winning' to John. It only felt like 'existing'. Skynet could still happen at any time. Skynet may even be in their past now and this was already an alternate timeline. They didn't know where Mrs. Weaver was. She could be in another future or even in the past now for better control of the future.

Then there was River. Her future did not contain Skynet. She told them of their own 'demons' that people needed to face in her time. If River's future was a continuation of this timeline, they would stay ahead of Skynet. If it was not, Skynet could still win.

"River's future did not have 'Judgment Day'. At least in one timeline we must have been successful." John said.

John Henry could see that for what it meant. It was a different future and a different timeline.

"Then River's timeline was not a continuation of Cameron's Future timeline." John Henry said. "Cameron's future timeline was directly linked to this timeline in the past."

John wondered if there was some hope for their timeline. At least hope against Skynet winning.

"Do you think River's timeline is a continuation of this one?" John asked.

John Henry felt this was where it got confusing.

"That would make sense but we have no way to know." John Henry said. "We have no idea of how many timelines there are."

John wanted to keep Skynet down to protect the future.

"Then we need to make sure Skynet never gets control, more than ever." John said.

"Yes." John Henry said.

John wanted to talk about River and Cameron. He was afraid of the answers they might come up with. None of them seemed good to him or for him. He felt the 'call' of love and the power of love was strong enough to change Cameron's future and her trajectory in life. There were other options available to her. Some of them were beyond his control. He already knew the answer already but he wanted to run it by John Henry.

"Can Cameron still use the TDE to go to River?" John asked.

John Henry couldn't see why not. It was the risk that was the problem. They did not know what the success of their temporal mission with River was. Since everything that involved her was in the future. There was no way to look back and see what happened.

"Yes, most likely." John Henry said. "It would be risky. There is no way to know if we even returned River to her 'home'."

They both knew River could have ended up anywhere other that where she was supposed to return to. She could even be dead for all they knew. There was no way to tell and they never heard from River. There were no time bubbles they were aware of. No one really wanted to talk about it.

John said nothing. He was not sure if Allison being pregnant would keep Cameron here or allow her to leave after fulfilling her obligation to 'time'. The more John thought of it, the better the idea was to combine their two family units into one. That would bind them all closer together he hoped. To give Vanna and Allison direct access to his bed along with Cameron was a plus. The girls may not be in his bed for him but they would be for Cameron. John knew he did not want to lose Cameron again.

Cameron put a lot of pressure on John and the girls. None of them liked it but because it was Cameron, no one would say 'no'. Maybe she did know more than they did if she really did live her life more than once already. If she did, she deleted all future knowledge as to events that took place. John knew Cameron could replace every part of her body and even Resequence her sheath. She seemed to have access to Terminators in every time period. She could keep replacing her power cell. How long could Cameron live this way? It could be centuries of time but always the same time period over and over.

John wondered why Cameron, if she was really doing this, always chose the same time to relive her life to be with him. He still didn't know if her 'love' was programmed into her by Future John or the love Future Allison felt for Future John. John hoped they were real feelings she'd developed on her own.

Savannah said Cameron was invincible and eternal, maybe she really was. Maybe Savannah knew something they didn't. Maybe Mrs. Weaver knew and planted that idea in Savannah's mind before she left. Maybe Mrs. Weaver returned and did it and left again without them being aware of it. There was just no way to know.

John wondered if Cameron lived her life more than once and replaced herself with herself from THIS future, if there was some vault or bunker somewhere with a few deactivated 'Camerons' in it? Did she destroy herself as she arrived and then take 'her place'? That would mean she purged her memory back to what it was the day she arrived from the future the first time. Did she erase a lifetime of memories and live them again? That was really heavy thought. Maybe every time Cameron did that she tried to 'get things right'. Maybe there was no getting 'things right'.

That would mean River and Cameron never 'went away' together. John knew River possessed all the information on the construction of the improved TDE. She knew where they were and if she gathered the resources to construct one, which he felt she was resourceful enough to do, River could show up any time, any where. Does that mean she never did?

Why didn't River come back for Cameron?

Why wouldn't River come back for Cameron?

Why couldn't River come back for Cameron?

Perhaps there was more going on than they knew.

John thought about it all. What did they know?

Because of her pregnancy, Allison like Sarah was removed from combat status.

Vanna volunteered for and took Allison place in operational rotation. That caused a problem between Allison and Vanna.

"I don't like you risking yourself, Vanna." Allison said.

Vanna wanted to do her fair share. She also wanted to make up for Allison and Sarah not being a part of the operations that took place.

"Everyone else does." Vanna said. "I want to do my part too."

Allison did not like Vanna in combat. She did not have extensive experience.

"I still don't like it" Allison said.

Vanna wanted to lighten the atmosphere some.

"Look at the bright side, if anything happens to me, Savannah is still here for your future." Vanna said.

Allison knew there was some truth to that even if some how it was totally different.

"That's not funny. I know she is you and you are her but I love you, Vanna. You are my 'Savannah'. I love YOU." Allison said.

Vanna wanted Allison and 'their' baby protected. She would do what was necessary to protect Allison like she always did in the present or the past - the future.

"I love you too, Allison." Vanna said.

The two women's eyes locked and held.

"Are you sure this is what YOU want, Vanna?" Allison asked.

Vanna felt there was an advantage for Allison and 'their' baby even if the risk was greater to her personally.

"I'm sure." Vanna said. "It is what we both have talked of. In the future we would have a slim chance of ever having a child, here 'now' in this time period we can. It can grow up healthy. We don't have to worry as much about infant death here. There's plenty of supplemental food here for a baby. I remember more than one mother unable to feed her baby. I remember the withered and dried breasts unable to produce for the baby. Everyone gave her anything they had to keep it alive. I remember how it usually 'ended'."

There was still one big worry for Allison. It was a worry that could change or destroy the planet.

"What if 'Judgment Day' still happens?" Allison asked.

Vanna was aware that was a real possibility.

"Cameron will protect you and the baby as well and John and me." Vanna said. "Everyone here and the Terminators will protect us to the very end."

Now that she was pregnant, Allison was terrified of the future and her future personally. She did not think she would be a 'good mother'. She did not really want the responsibility of a child. She wanted to 'throw' something out to Vanna.

"Vanna, would you be 'upset' if I 'gave' the baby to Cameron and John?" Allison asked.

Vanna did not say anything for awhile. She was shocked at the question.

"It's not just your child, Allison." Vanna said. "It is OUR child. We are a team so I feel it is mine too. It is OUR baby. I would rather live as one family than have you give it up. I want this baby too."

Vanna questioned if she could even have a baby on her own. With all the assaults she was subjected to when she was younger, she should have ended up pregnant. There were times when she thought she was but 'things' always returned to 'normal' in a few months.

Allison really wanted to see how 'committed' Vanna was to the whole idea.

"Thank you, Vanna. I just wanted to make sure. I want you to try again next month for yourself and ME. I want you to try again for all four of us." Allison said.

Vanna thought of the bigger picture.

"You mean all 'six' of us if I am 'successful'." Vanna said. "I will think about it."

Allison could picture three small children running around the base.

"With Sarah's child, it would be beautiful to have three babies around here only a few months apart." Allison said.

Vanna noted a few other factors.

"It would be noisy and there would be a lot of diapers." Vanna said.

Allison tried to suppress a grin.

"It looks like Cameron will be 'busy'." Allison said.

Both girls laughed.

Jesse listened from around the corner. It made her wonder about herself. She could not picture herself as a mother. She did not think she could take care of an infant. She was pregnant a few times but nothing ever seemed to 'stick' more than a month or two. Maybe that was her 'punishment' for what she'd done to others. She physically removed the ability for a few men to ever be able to reproduce. She'd hurt both men and women on purpose. She wanted to make the pain of her past go away. She only made it worse. She became what she hated. It made her hate herself.

She touched her belly.

Jesse really hoped the best for Sarah and Allison.

She wiped the tears from her cheeks and went to her room. It gave her the seclusion she wanted.

Nobody could hear her cry.

Kyle was pleased they stopped by the railway museum after they watched the mini-air show.

He took in the scene around them as they arrived. He remembered what the place looked like in the future. Everything was wrecked. Anything that was wood was burnt up. The steel streetcars and locomotives were rusted hulks. It was the handiwork of Skynet.

Now things looked old but they were in good condition.

The museum itself was originally mostly about electric street car lines. There were cars from the Pacific Electric and the Los Angeles Railway. They were commonly referred to as the 'Red Cars' and the 'Yellow Cars' respectively. There were streetcars from other systems there as well. There was even a streetcar from Japan there.

Much of the equipment was operational. There were a few 'train sheds' that were built to house this equipment which further helped preserve it.

Over the years they'd acquired several steam locomotives and a collection of diesel electric locomotives. There were a few passenger cars and several cabooses from various rail lines.

There was a section of track that ran for a couple of miles. Tickets were available to ride some of the equipment. They'd even put up an overhead wire for some of the 'traction'.

They took the rides and looked around before they left.

Kyle looked back as they drove off and hoped the next time they came here it would still look like this. It made him a little sick to think how it all looked under a Skynet future. Everything was wrecked. Everything was like that everywhere.

Better

I want to make you happy
I want to make you feel better
I share my mind and heart
When I give you a letter

As each day passes
Beauty fades away
Our bodies grow older
We can feel them decay

It is very sad but true
We can not grow younger
But for you my sweet love
I always yearn and hunger

To touch your soft flesh
Smooth gentle and slow
To make you feel the love
Everything you desire so

Maybe one day soon
You will want to feel and share
It is all within your own mind
Overcome the scare and dare

Nobody