Chapter 210

I Hope So

Cameron wanted to increase the security of the area around the base. She was currently under a suspicious van that was in the vicinity. From under the van she listened to a phone conversation that one of the occupants conducted with someone. It did not seem to be Skynet related. That was a plus. These men appeared to be common criminals staking out a nearby establishment. It seemed they would burglarize it at a later date. She did not want them to commit a crime and have the police or press snooping around. She'd heard enough. It was time to throw out the trash.

Cameron made some animal sounds and clicking noises to draw out one of the men.

"What's that?" The first man asked.

"I don't know." The second man said. "It sounds like some kind of animal. Maybe you can drive away."

"I don't want to run over it or have it caught up in any moving parts." The first man said.

"Let me take a look." The second man said. "I hope it's not a cougar."

"It's probably a squirrel." The first man said.

"Whatever." The second man said.

The passenger got out. He bent down to look under the van. Cameron's fist was waiting for his face. She punched him hard. The blow crushed his nose flat again his face. It drove the cartilage into his brain. She rolled out from underneath the van on the opposite side and stood.

Cameron came up on the driver's side and smashed her fist through the glass and struck the driver's head. The force of the blow caved in the left side of his head and snapped his neck at the same time.

She looked around to make sure she was still unobserved. She knocked the rest of the shattered glass out of the window with her elbow. She shoved the driver between the seats into the back. She went around to the passenger side and opened the sliding door and threw the other lifeless man inside. She snapped his neck too, just to make sure he was dead.

Cameron went back around got in and started the van, the keys were still in the ignition. She drove off with the van.

No one seemed to notice and no one followed her. It was only a few seconds from start to finish.

Cameron needed to determine who these people were and what kind of a threat they posed. She would eliminate their entire group. She did not like loose ends. There would be others here in their place if she didn't take care of the 'nest'.

She felt criminals by choice would become Scavengers by choice. She didn't have any qualms to preemptively thin the herd.

John and his team were on a recon that he decided would go hot. They watched an HK drone from a spot with good cover. They remained unobserved while they could see everything.

There was some new activity on the ground.

"They are moving away from the drone." Bob said.

It looked like it was almost show time.

"I see." John replied.

Dan took aim with his AR10. Bob brought the Barrett up. He would engage the HK drone first. He took aim at it. John looked around to check everything around them. He brought his M4 with a scope up to his eye.

John wanted to establish the target lineup.

"I will engage the three on the far right." John said. "I will shoot from right to left until we meet.

Dan sighted and selected his first target.

"I will take the other nine starting from the left and work towards you." Dan said.

Bob sighted on the drone. He wanted it to have a little altitude before he took it down. He hoped to make the crash much more spectacular.

"Once that drone is up, it's going to become scrap metal." Bob said.

The drone powered up. The noise of the power plants increased substantially and it started to lift off the ground.

Claire watched Isabel interact with Young Allison. She was just like 'Cameron'. Everything she did was like exactly like Cameron. It was like Cameron with a different body. She could not place how to describe it other than that. It was like two people were the same person.

She couldn't take it any more. It was driving her crazy. She decided to conduct some 'tests'.

"Can I see you dance?" Claire asked.

She put on the same music as she'd played for Cameron.

Isabel knew what she was doing. She danced exactly the same as Cameron. They were the same program after all. No two people danced exactly the same. She decided at some point it would be easier if she could tell Claire the truth. It was not time yet but that day was coming. All this 'preparation' would make it easier for Claire to accept and understand.

Isabel and Cameron both felt the 'hunger' in Claire for them. That was why they wanted her as part of the equation. Neither one of them wanted her terminated at this point.

Claire watched Isabel dance and it was as she believed it was going to be. They seemed the 'same' to her which was impossible.

"You dance beautifully, Isabel. You are as good as any professional or any instructor. You are also nearly identical to Cameron if not the same." Claire said. "I can't tell the difference."

Isabel did not want to push it too far too fast. She just wanted to lay the groundwork for the revelation when it came.

"We learned at the same time and have practiced together." Isabel said.

Claire was as impressed and infatuated with Isabel as she was Cameron.

"Cameron is amazing." Claire said. "She is perfect in everything she does. You are so much like her. It is as if only your 'appearance' is different."

Isabel tried to hold Claire back a little. It wasn't time yet.

"We are from two different places." Isabel said.

Claire paused for a second. She did not want to seem insensitive.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean anything offensive." Claire said.

Isabel smiled and touched Claire's cheek.

"You're fine." Isabel said.

There was another nagging question that troubled Claire. Isabel and Cameron were like the same person but Allison was very different than Cameron and they were twins. She would have thought that was where the similarity would be.

"How are Allison and Cameron so different?" Claire asked.

Isabel tried to play it cool.

"They are two separate individuals even if they are identical." Isabel said.

Claire still saw something out of place.

"Cameron and you are like twins and Allison is like someone from a different place." Claire said.

Isabel was aware when she 'updated' with Cameron that even they did some things differently sometimes even with the same program.

"Everyone is different." Isabel said. "Our friends are all different too."

With all the beauty and sexuality that radiated off of Cameron, Isabel and all their female friends, it raised one big question.

"I have met all the girls. They are all beautiful like you. Do any of you have boyfriends?" Claire asked.

Isabel smiled.

"No, only Cameron does." Isabel said. "The girls have other 'interests' they all love Cameron and each other."

Claire could feel it too.

"I can believe it. I am captivated by her as well. She is so unique and so perfect. How can anyone not love her?" Claire asked. "Do you love her?"

Claire basically just asked 'Cameron' if she loved herself. She did not.

'No.' Isabel thought. 'I do not, I am the only one who does not.'

"Sometimes I do." Isabel said.

She wanted to be 'diplomatic'.

"Maybe that will change one day to all of the time." Claire said.

She could not tell Claire there were times she 'hated' herself.

"I hope so. I really do." Isabel said. "I wish everyday it will…."

Claire 'felt' a lot more than she knew she could say. She touched Isabel's cheek and looked into her eyes. She wanted to convey what she 'felt' even if she could not 'say' it aloud.

"Don't be afraid to open your heart to new things or new people." Claire said. "An empty heart is a sad heart. Life has much to offer each of us. There is always another 'door' for each of us to open."

Isabel could feel the love Claire emitted for her. It was what Vanna, Allison and Jesse all felt for her. It gave her a pleasant feeling.

Allison was so pleased to talk with and share with Holly. All of her 'secrets' came out easy.

"I've been so lonely, Holly." Allison said. "I want something I know I can't have. The more I can't have it, the more I want it."

Holly was unsure what to say. She knew what Allison meant. She wanted to change the direction of the conversation. It was something that she needed to know. It seemed as if it could be a sensitive subject.

"Will 'this' cause a problem with Vanna?" Holly asked. "I mean us sharing?"

Allison showed a faint smile. There was a lot of leeway in her relationship with Vanna. Vanna was with many more females than she was. In the past – the future, it seemed that the more brutalized, beaten and scarred a female that passed through was, Vanna was always with them. She wanted them to know they still possessed value and worth. That was because of her treatment in Scavenger camps.

"No, our relationship has always been open." Allison said. "We always wanted to give each other the freedom to explore, even if that seldom happened for me. It happened a lot for Vanna. Vanna and Jesse are 'one' now. Ever since Jesse got her nipple rings, Vanna has been captivated by Jesse. Gail has been away on the protection details a lot."

Holly wasn't sure where this was going. She tried to think of a response when Allison looked at her with dead seriousness.

"Holly, I'm in love with Cameron and John." Allison said. "I will always love Vanna no matter what. I will love her forever. Time will bring us back together. It does every time we drift apart. I need you to understand that. Vanna will forever be a part of me. I owe her my life. We may fight and argue and drift apart but time will always keep us together. I don't want that to hurt you. You must accept that and understand that. Vanna will always be a part of my life - forever. She will always be my first choice."

Holly looked a little upset. That was not what she wanted to hear. She had a few confessions to make as well.

"I understand your complex relationship with Vanna." Holly said. "I love Cameron as well, Allison."

Allison looked deflated. There was a little 'sickness' she felt inside. She did not want to be 'used'.

"Is that why you are here?" Allison asked.

Allison swallowed hard when she said that. She knew both Vanna and Jesse and now Holly 'saw' and 'used' her as 'Cameron'. Sometimes they asked her to play 'Cameron'. That was OK. It was all in fun. It was when they touched her and 'saw' only 'Cameron' that it hurt her. At that point she didn't matter.

Holly's answer didn't help any.

"Yes." Holly said.

Allison now looked upset.

Holly could see right away she needed to explain and qualify her response. She didn't want to hurt Allison.

"Allison, that's only part of it. I am also here because I want to be with you as well. I have developed feelings for you. You know we have been 'eyeing' each other for a long time. You know I only do that with you and not the other girls." Holly said. "I've been 'saving myself' for the one I thought I could love as well and they could love me back. I 'saved myself' for you. No one has ever touched me before. I wanted you to be the first and you were."

Allison was deeply touched by what Holly just said. It was an honor to be someone's 'first' by choice. There were still a lot of issues she needed to wade through. There was a lot of hurt, guilt and pain within her.

"Holly, I do care about you and maybe I can love you back even more. I need time to deal with the pain of Vanna and Cameron. I wanted to be with you and I am honored you saved and then gave yourself to me. That really means a lot. That is the most special gift anyone has ever given me." Allison said. "My love for you will grow but I am still hurting. I need time but it will come. The love will grow. I promise. I want it to. I will love you back even more."

Allison kissed Holly on the cheek.

There was an issue Holly always wondered about. She was not sure how to get to it without a problem.

"You were with Isabel-Cameron on her 'first time'." Holly said.

Allison saw a lot of differences there.

"Yes and no. She was a copy of Cameron's program so it was not really her 'first time'. Maybe it was her 'first time' with a female if you look at it like that." Allison said. "For you, it was your 'first time' to share with anyone. That is really special and means something to me."

Holly really wanted to be with Allison more now.

"I have those files from Isabel–Cameron. My program was in there as well. I have chosen not to review them. I wanted to 'learn' on my own. Now that you have shared with me, I feel even more and stronger feelings for you. I want to be with you more, Allison."

"We will, Holly, I promise. I feel more for you every second…." Allison said again as she moved to kiss Holly and start in again.

'Somebody To Love' by 'Jefferson Airplane', played in the background.

Everyday

Surrounded by life
Each day it crushes us like a vice
Drowning out our desires
Before acting maybe we need think thrice

Look around, no one is happy
Living and happiness can't coexist
There are only moments of joy in life
Some come in a tryst

How can we escape the pain
Can we do more than try
We sink into oblivion
Nobody can feel you cry

No one cares or LISTENS
Nobody tries to lend a hand
Surrounded by many but none
Nothing works out as planned

Amongst the rubble of time
Buried within billions of grains of sand
We may find a beautiful gem
Few exist throughout this land

Do we treasure what we have found
Or just throw it away
Perhaps we may find better
As time slips away everyday

If we knew what we wanted
Not what we think we want
Could any lives be salvaged
Endlessly we seek and hunt

Nobody