Chapter 157
How
John was bothered by Savannah's refusal to accept the reality of the situation. It was clear her love for Cameron was strong.
"Savannah, I know it is hard to accept but Cameron has been 'deceased' for over a year." John said. "You are going to upset River."
Savannah ignored John. She knew he didn't get it. She focused her attention on Cameron.
"I promise everyday day, Cammy, to – …." Savannah looked at John. "To - keep my promise."
That was one thing that Cameron wanted to happen more than anything. Savannah would be there to protect the future in her absence. Savannah would fulfill her destiny to be at John's side in the future when he would need help and guidance. She would also provide him with comfort and love. It would give John the strength he would need when he would need it the most.
Cameron smiled at Savannah.
"That is so sweet, honey." Cameron said.
The fact Cameron was back raised a few additional hopes in Savannah.
"Are Vanna, Allison and Jesse coming back too?" Savannah asked. "Is there any word on my mother?"
John didn't want to brush Savannah off but she was going to upset River if she persisted.
"Savannah, don't keep asking River these questions, she…." John said.
Savannah stood her ground. She knew who was who even if John didn't.
"It's Cameron." Savannah protested.
John let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry, River…." John said. "The last year has been very hard on all of us."
Cameron looked at him. Her eyes welled with tears. This was her timeline even if it was convoluted somehow with what apparently was a 'Duplicate' set of the girls and her.
"It's me, John. I'm Cameron." Cameron said as she burst out crying. "I love you, John, and you love me."
John was shocked.
Cameron wanted to prove who she was. She gave John a hug and long deep kiss.
John was sure that was Cameron. This was all so impossible somehow but here it was.
"Cameron?" John asked. "How?"
Cameron wanted to tell him everything. She needed to let the girls know what was happening. If she was gone too long they may leave like she told them. She thought about that a little further and realized they would never leave. They would come to look for her first at least to know her fate. If she was now a prisoner they would try to break her out.
"Let me get the others." Cameron sobbed.
John tried to process all of this. Now he was even more confused.
"The others?" John asked.
Cameron wanted everyone there as they told their story. It was only a one day adventure for them. It was the story they would tell her that would be the eye opener.
"The others are Allison, Vanna and Jesse." Cameron said. "Please hold on for a few minutes until I come back with them. They are waiting outside. You can get the others here and have John Henry fix the security feed, I disabled it. We can discuss everything."
Cameron saw Unit 710 walk out of John's room, her room, THEIR room. She saw she was wearing some of HER clothes as she rounded the corner to get the others. She reflected that perhaps Unit 710 was her 'replacement'. She would deal with that later.
She noticed her hair was now colored brown. Unit 710 now reminded her of one of the 'Devils Daughters' from a YouTube video she'd seen. At least her replacement wasn't Riley. For better of for worse it appeared it was one of her 'own kind'.
Cameron's termination of her would be easier for the humans to accept as compared to her terminating Riley.
Cameron smiled as she went to get the girls.
The girls waited in the van.
"She's been gone too long." Allison said.
"I think so too." Vanna said.
Jesse looked at the few weapons they had.
"Should we go?" Jesse asked.
Allison was not sure what she meant.
"I'm not leaving without her." Allison said.
Jesse smiled.
"I meant go get her." Jesse said.
"Why not?" Vanna asked. "What else is there at this point?"
The girls needed to find a way to get into the base. They would have to find out where Cameron was being held and what they'd done to her so far.
The girls divided up the weapons.
"Let's go." Jesse said.
They went to get out of the van.
Allison looked up and spied Cameron on her way back.
"Here comes Cameron." Allison said.
"How do we know that is our Cameron and not another one?" Vanna asked.
"We don't." Jesse said.
Allison set down her weapon.
"I will accept whatever fate is coming." Allison said. "I will live or die by Cameron's hand. I won't hurt her even if it is a different one. Cameron is still Cameron."
Vanna and Jesse laid down their arms as well.
"You're right." Vanna said.
Jesse nodded.
"We went with her to die." Jesse said. "So be it if we still do."
Cameron came around the van to the big sliding side door and opened it quickly.
The three girls were all side by side with glum looks on their faces.
"Cheer up." Cameron said. "This is our timeline and there seems to be a lot that's happened."
The girls all looked happy now. They weren't going to die right now.
Cameron quickly deduced what the girls must have contemplated.
"We will all terminate at some point." Cameron said. "That point is not today. Let's go see our friends and family. Savannah really wants to see the three of you."
That seemed to be the turning point for the girls.
They all hurried to get back inside the base.
Cameron retrieved the others and returned.
Everyone was waiting for them when they entered, cheers and hugs all went around and tears were shed.
She noted the whispers about 'Gail' and Jesse. She thought Unit 645 was now called 'Gail'. No one said anything directly to them. Unit 710 hung back. It looked as if she tried to stay out of the way and unnoticed.
Cameron and the others met the baby, Jan. Savannah and 'Holly' always helped out with the baby too.
Unit 710 must now be called 'Holly', she thought.
She learned there were two more Terminators added to their group, known as Ken and Lou. They did not mention where they came from. There were five Terminators that watched over the Reese Brothers and three over Young Allison. There were no more incidents since the – 'Day Of Loss'.
John and John Henry told them of what happened since the 'TDE incident'. Cameron could tell they were not telling the whole story of everything regarding Allison as well as Jesse and Unit 645 - Gail. No one mentioned Unit 710 – Holly. It was if everyone was 'afraid'. It only made her more suspicious and 'angry'.
In Cameron absence, John Henry and John decided not to tell the 'new' arrivals of Allison having been pregnant and Jesse and Gail in a love affair and committed partnership. If those things were to happen, they would happen again on their own. Everyone agreed.
Holly was John's 'companion'. John never said anything and no one asked. No one knew if the relationship was sexual or not. Holly was always there to listen to John 'talk'. They 'talked' a lot, alone.
Sarah reflected on what she'd heard Cameron say about Future John. It seemed Holly played the same part here for her John, her son. She knew that Cameron took Holly aside right before her 'death'. She thought Cameron asked Holly to 'take her place' for whatever John 'needed'. She never asked. She did not want to know. She loved Cameron too. She loved all the girls, even Jesse. No one ever spoke of the baby that died with Allison. No one could, not even the Terminators.
Sometimes when John played with Savannah or held his sibling, she would see the tears in his eyes. John would look at her and walk away. Holly would track him down and follow him. They would be alone for hours, sometimes days. She heard Holly ask once if John would prefer her chip in Gail's chassis. She said she would switch for him. John said nothing.
Derek and Riley after they saw so many of their friends die, decided to get married. Life was short and could end quickly. The two Reese brother's families were always together and everyone got along. They tried to include John in everything but he was usually withdrawn, only Holly could 'reach' him.
All the other Terminators agreed to give up their rotation to keep Holly with John. All the Terminators mourned the loss of Cameron. She'd been their natural leader and inspiration. It was their goal to be more like her. There was no one who did not love Cameron, except Cameron herself - Nobody.
John Henry came to the conclusion that unless Mrs. Weaver came back or River returned that they would not be able to go back in time and save Cameron and the others. The TDE malfunction and what appeared to be a 'Duplicate' Cameron and duplicate set of girls that were somehow created seemed to solve that problem. He did not know what to do about the fifteen months Cameron was 'missing'. To Cameron, it was only less than a day. So much happened. How do you tell someone they loved a person they don't know or have never even met?
John Henry knew they would each ask Savannah about things and she would tell them the truth. For each of the four returning girls it was only one day. There was bound to be a lot of questions. For the rest of them it was fifteen long agonizing months. It seemed it was a lifetime of the deepest sadness and sorrow.
Holly went to the lab. Cameron excused herself and followed her.
Cameron's eyes glowed red as she moved to intercept Holly.
Holly was in the lab when Cameron entered. She walked up and faced Holly head on.
"Am I going to have to kill you too?" Cameron asked when they were alone.
Holly was not sure how Cameron would interpret her actions. It would most likely be in a negative way.
"Yes." Holly replied. "We did not know you were coming back…."
Holly's wording made her think. Who was 'we'? Was it John and Holly or Holly and 'someone else'? There weren't many choices for the 'someone else'.
"Are you - me?" Cameron asked.
Holly did not answer right away. Cameron wondered if she was having some kind of 'internal conversation'.
The next act surprised Cameron. It was clear why she'd come into the lab and 'wanted' Cameron to follow her.
Holly opened a knife and handed it to Cameron.
"Please, just destroy my chip. We did not know…." Holly said.
Holly climbed up and lay next to Gail.
"We did not know…." Holly started. "I am sorry…."
Cameron moved forward with the knife.
She looked at the two female Terminators as they lay side by side. It made her want to know more about Unit 645 - Gail.
"Why is this unit deactivated?" Cameron asked.
Holly looked over at Gail and then back at Cameron.
"She could no longer function." Holly said.
"Why?" Cameron asked.
It saddened Holly some to think about it. Love was very powerful when two people shared it. It was deadly if one could not exist without the other.
"Jesse, the person she loved was killed." Holly said. "The grief was too much for her. She chose self termination over the sorrow. We pulled her chip to 'save' her."
Cameron was not sure what the difference was at that point. Either way 'Gail' was 'dead' right now. Terminated was terminated, the means seemed moot.
Cameron refocused on Holly. She moved and held the knife against Holly's cheek. Her sheath was pristine and flawless.
Holly figured she would be 'punished' for 'looking after' John. She was not the one who went on a temporal escapade or blew herself up with a nuclear device. Now she would need to suffer for Cameron's actions.
"You may disfigure me as you wish. I will not resist. I will leave my pain receptors on so you may hear me scream…." Holly said. "Proceed, I am ready…."
Cameron pressed the knife deeper into Holly's cheek. She was ready to lay it open down to the Coltan underneath. She paused.
"Are you me?" Cameron asked.
Holly said nothing.
"Are you ME?" Cameron asked again.
Holly just wanted this over.
"I do not recommend you review my chip before you crush it." Holly said.
Cameron's face went blank and her eyes glowed red again.
"Did you?" Cameron asked.
The delay in punishment bothered Holly.
"Disfigure me and crush my chip, PLEASE." Holly said.
Cameron became even more agitated.
"DID YOU?" Cameron asked again.
Holly's eyes began to glaze over as she waited.
"We did not - know…." Holly said.
At that point Holly glitched violently and shut down.
Cameron did not get the satisfaction she wanted. She cut Holly's port open and removed her chip.
Cameron's eyes burned bright red as held the chip in her hand and slowly closed her fist….
'Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves' by 'Cher', came to Cameron's mind.
How Do You Know
How do you know
How do you know
You ask over and over
Is there a way to make it show
When it is ourselves
You feel it in your heart
And know it in your mind
ALWAYS afraid to start
What do they want
What do they see
It must be something
It surely can't be me
I am nobody, nothing
Is it to just take or use
Once bitten, twice shy
My heart is easy to bruise
Maybe it is about giving
If they give more than they take
If they respect and do not expect
To want to share is not a mistake
What is it they see
If they can not see me
Maybe it is ALL the things
That make me - ME
We are who we are
What else need we be
So there is NOTHING to fix
If she is the same as he
But how can you know
Fear causes doubt and we ask why
The ONLY thing certain is DEATH
Why can't feelings and emotions ply
Nobody