Chapter 167

Right Now

Jesse and Gail really hit it off. They were the talk of the base now. It was mostly because Gail was back as was Jesse. To the people at the base there was no difference between the girls here now and the ones that 'perished'. Other than the fact they were gone for over a year. They were the same people until the TDE incident. The girls back now were only gone for a day for them

Life seemed to pick up and move along as if nothing ever happened. Everyone was more than willing to go along with that and forget that terrible 'day of loss' and the sad time that followed.

John was briefed by John Henry. He wanted go after this new version Skynet. It had been over a year since they'd seen any activity. There hadn't been anything new since the 'Day Of Loss'. No one talked of that day now that everyone was back. Wait, not everyone, the baby was still dead. He knew there was a child on the way with Duplicate Allison. With the TDE encrypted to only work going forward in time there was no way to 'fix' that, yet. Well there was, in a way. It would be to do it again the same way. If Cameron pushed him on it again he would 'do it'. Being around his little sister Jan made him think about it always.

"...them?" John Henry asked. "With everything?"

John must have let his mind drift some thinking about everything.

"What…?" John asked.

John Henry could see John was a little distracted.

"How hard do you want to hit them?" John Henry asked again. "With everything?"

John wanted to wipe Skynet out. He also did not want to drop the ball again.

"I hate to reduce the guard on the children. We know what happened the last time." John said.

John reflected on how they'd been hit and Jesse paid with her life and then Gail felt such grief she wanted to self terminate. After a little time with Cameron she was 'fine' and everything worked out. That was all thanks to Cameron.

John could not understand why Cameron could not fathom his love for her. Sure he'd pursued Future Riley but he was manipulated into that. He still chose Future Riley over Cameron nonetheless at that time. It was still him who made the choice. He and Future Riley were just starting a sexual relationship until her untimely 'demise' ended that. He'd never been able to forgive himself for that.

When he read Cameron's poems, John KNEW how much he'd hurt Cameron. Tears filled his eyes just thinking about it. The pain, sadness and sorrow he'd created in her seemed to haunt him as well. It saddened him more to know she felt it all the same everyday as if it just happened. How that must hurt….

John Henry asked John a few more questions but there was no response.

"… Maybe we should discuss this later…." John Henry said.

John missed another question.

"What?" John asked. "I'm sorry. I was thinking about something else…."

John felt a little embarrassed.

John Henry knew what John was thinking about. It was the same thing he always thought about. It was the same thing EVERYONE thought about, it was Cameron. Even he did it. Anybody that was around Cameron any small amount of time loved her. She was like a 'love magnet'. She was so special to everyone. Every machine and human loved her. There was not one of them that would not follow her to their termination or their death. That'd been proven several times over. No one would hesitate to do it again.

John Henry hoped for a better setting to continue.

"Let's wait for Cameron and anyone else for their input and discuss what we all want to do." John Henry said.

John could not focus right now. He needed to get away for a few minutes.

"Maybe so." John said and left. He needed to find Cameron.

Allison was still shocked, now by the news that she didn't have sex with John after all. Here she was all wound up about having sex with John, now it never happened. This was all Duplicate Allison anyway, not actually her. It sure felt like it.

Allison knew how hard it was for Cameron to come clean and admit she lied on purpose to get her way. It showed Cameron was becoming more 'human' all the time.

It was time to find Vanna and tell her the truth.

Allison laid it all out. She felt better after she did.

Vanna was a little perplexed at the latest revelation. That was a big difference in how things were done.

"So we didn't get 'lucky'?" Vanna asked. "I mean our Duplicate selves?"

Allison wanted to keep it simple.

"Apparently not." Allison said

Vanna wondered about the earlier confusion in conception.

"Did Cameron view her files incorrectly?" Vanna asked.

Allison lied to protect Cameron.

"I think that is it. She told me of her 'error' a short time ago. I think those were files she did not want to view, or relive." Allison said. "They were from Duplicate Cameron and transferred off of Holly's chip."

We all lie, Allison thought. She did not want to make Cameron look bad in anyone's eyes.

Vanna interpreted it a different way. Maybe Cameron was being 'selfish' this time and did not want to 'share' John.

"Maybe we did and she does not want that 'again'." Vanna said somewhat disappointed.

Allison wanted this conversation to end. Vanna's speculation was only going to make things worse.

"I don't think so. I think we should drop it." Allison said.

Vanna looked at Allison. She knew Allison better than anyone. They'd all heard about River and some of her extraordinary abilities. She was told that River could 'see' what was in other people's minds. She didn't need to be River to 'read' Allison. She could see where Allison was 'at' right now.

"How 'bad' do you have it?" Vanna asked.

Allison knew what she was asking. She did not want to say.

Vanna prompted her.

"Allison?" Vanna pushed.

Allison looked at her defeated.

"Bad, I have it REAL BAD. OK. I can't help it." Allison said.

Vanna came over to comfort her. She knew how Allison felt.

"I know, Allison, I KNOW." Vanna said.

Allison could not stop the feelings inside her from expanding and growing.

"The more you try to tell yourself it isn't so, the MORE YOU LOVE HER." Allison said.

Vanna felt like this from 'Day One'. She did know. She also knew that the love kept growing.

"I know Allison, I KNOW." Vanna repeated.

Allison and Vanna were both helplessly in love with Cameron. It seemed to be love that kept expanding.

Gail and Jesse spent a lot of time in Jesse's room. They seldom went out. Gail was fine with whatever Jesse wanted to do. She would spend hours doing the same things to Jesse over and over. It seemed that Jesse never could get enough.

Cameron mentioned to Gail that they should try some other things other than having sex all the time.

"That is all Jesse wants." Gail said. "She said it makes her forget about everything."

That worried Cameron some. She thought she was able to get Jesse past her past. Maybe she didn't.

There was a lot of darkness and hurt in Jesse past.

"Then you need to help her move past the past." Cameron said.

Gail wanted to make Jesse happy. She did not want it to be a 'job'.

"Is that my new function?" Gail asked.

Cameron did not like the attitude. She wanted to help both of them.

"If you really want to help Jesse and make her happy in the long run it is." Cameron said. "Don't make the relationship just about sex."

That was all Jesse wanted from Gail most of the time.

Cameron felt there were times when that was the true nature of her relationship with John. She wanted Gail to expand and not be 'trapped' or confined. Gail only possessed a limited 'Neural Interface' program with some female from her future. She was very much a Terminator most of the time.

Both Holly and Gail were limited in their desires to learn and explore sexually. That was not something Mrs. Weaver stressed in their programming. So far Holly resisted the advances the females indicated they wanted with her. Gail was receptive to Duplicate Jesse's advances and was willing to experiment. She carried that over to Jesse when Duplicate Jesse was terminated.

Gail had always been in love with Jesse - Duplicate Jesse from the first time they were together. She felt both versions of Jesse were the same even if they were slightly different. Their sexual needs and responses were identical so that is why she liked to concentrate on those.

Cameron looked at Gail and touched her cheek. She wanted to protect her.

"Life has more to offer than sex." Cameron said. "You need to build a future for tomorrow and stop living in the 'right now'."

Gail wanted more.

"I will try and help her." Gail said.

Cameron knew it was a two way street.

"You will help yourself as you help Jesse." Cameron said.

Gail thanked Cameron for the advice.

Right now Cameron wanted to see John.

She was ready for some more of what she just told Gail she should have less of.

Life was strange.

Cameron spotted John headed towards her and felt happy.

"Cameron." John said.

She kissed him as he came up to her.

"Yes, my sweet love?" Cameron asked.

John thought maybe Cameron wanted something else. Now he felt as guilty as Hell because he'd thought of his 'adventure' with Future Riley instead of Cameron earlier.

"Let's go out." John said.

Cameron was all for that. She could see a possible opportunity here as well.

"Can I invite Allison and Vanna to come with us?" Cameron asked.

John did not want Cameron to push her agenda. He knew it was really his - Future John's agenda

"I hoped it would be just us." John said.

Cameron thought additional protection for John would be good.

"Should we take Bob or Holly as chaperones?" Cameron asked.

John figured some extra muscle would be nice. He was a little worried about Cameron and Holly.

"Are you and Holly - OK?" John asked.

Cameron knew what John was really asking. She now possessed all the files from Duplicate Cameron. There was no need for anyone to worry.

"I was there with her, John. She never acted 'inappropriately' and neither did you." Cameron said.

John was still miffed that Cameron - Duplicate Cameron did not let him know she was inside Holly on her chip. That was a lot of 'Rosie Palm' for nothing.

"If I KNEW one hundred percent you were with her, I would have acted 'differently'." John confessed.

Cameron did not want John to become attached to another Metal female.

"That is why I never told you." Cameron said. "You were supposed to mate with Allison and Vanna as my 'replacements'."

John wondered about that. Duplicate Cameron knew the girls were terminated.

"No one figured all three of your ' replacements' would end up dead." John said. "Or YOU either."

Cameron still thought Duplicate Cameron had a good plan.

"Events progressed 'unexpectedly'." Cameron said. "Everything should have worked out fine."

John wondered how far things would have gone.

"And if they'd gone as you planed?" John asked. "Then what would have happened?"

Cameron still thought it would be pleasant for John. It was what all males wanted.

"You would have two or three children by now." Cameron said. "There would be two beautiful women with you all the time and a third whenever you wanted her. All of them would be willing and available."

It was still a little hard for John to fathom.

"All this was supposed to happen while you 'watched' from inside Holly?" John asked in disbelief.

Cameron viewed it as fulfillment of her mission.

"Yes the 'Natural Order' would be restored. You could have 'meat and potatoes' every night and 'desert' whenever you wanted it." Cameron said. "I would then have gone on to protect Young Allison for you until after she grew up and Savannah too."

John thought of the multi decade plans that Cameron made.

"How romantic, my wife is lining up sexual partners for me for the next twenty five years, while she plays 'dead' and watches the whole thing. It is almost kinky." John said as he shook his head.

Cameron tilted her head as she referenced 'kinky'.

"Don't forget, I was still in Holly and she is beautiful too…." Cameron said.

John doubted Cameron would remain 'inactive'. At some point she would take some kind of action.

"Would you have gone back into your future and tried to get another body, like the one you have now with the same appearance?" John asked.

"Yes. I like the way I 'look'. Future Allison would have helped me. I would however like to upgrade to Liquid Metal. I would still look like this but I could be 'anyone' you want me to be at anytime." Cameron said.

'Except Riley'. Cameron thought.

John saw it as all much simpler than that.

"You know what, Cameron; I like you just the way you are right now." John said.

That statement made Cameron feel good about herself. It was time to give John a little comfort and share with him.

"In that case, our bed awaits us – Right NOW." Cameron said.

'I'm On Fire' by 'Bruce Springsteen', played as they undressed….

Right Now

For some things in life
We need to wait
Hopefully for the delay
Things will turn out great

That is seldom the case
Things evaporate or deflate
Leaving us to feel disappointed
Or maybe even steamed and irate

There are always some
Who we wish to relate
We don't want the events
To slow down or stagnate

For those we hold dear
We may even hope to date
If things work out and go well
We might even want to create

Always keep in mind
There is a lot on one's plate
For things we want right now
We still often need to wait

Nobody