Chapter 225

Complicated

John Henry was very disturbed by what Cameron mentioned to him about 'appropriating' the F-16 Falcon from the Air Force.

He did not want Cameron damaged needlessly. He was unsure how to tell John so he laid it out as fact. He told John about the incident.

John listened to John Henry. He was shown the military reports of the incident. Even with all that he found it hard to believe.

"Cameron did that?" John asked. "It's difficult to comprehend."

John Henry thought he was quite clear.

"It's just what it sounds like." John Henry said.

John could see deeper implications for the Resistance.

"She is going to bring unnecessary attention to us." John said. "We don't need more people looking for us."

John Henry got on top of events and tried to clean them up.

"I've already gone in a scrubbed everything since I found out." John Henry said. "I've changed the records it so that plane never existed. It is now listed that the airframe was used in 'destructive testing' when that block of aircraft was constructed. There is always testing like that."

John was good with that but there were safety considerations for Cameron.

"What if she'd miscalculated the drift of the parachute and ended up in the Pacific?" John asked. "She could have missed the jet stream or it could have not been as strong as she'd calculated.

John Henry saw that answer as easy.

"Then she would have had a wet walk home." John Henry said. "It could have taken awhile."

John was aware of the root cause of this. It was the same story they often 'fought' about.

"It's because she still feels she is in the way of me being with the girls instead of me being with her." John said.

John Henry felt the problem was deep in her Resistance programming.

"She is obsessed with her duty to protect you, John. It's in her base programming. It's what she lives for and exists for." John Henry said. "She does everything to protect you and protect the future for you."

This was a 'no win' situation for both of them. In order for Cameron to 'win' she would need to 'lose'.

"I know she loves me. I know it. I don't know how to help her. I don't." John said. "I want to help her but I CAN'T hurt her to help her. I know what she wants but I KNOW it will hurt her."

The solution seemed quite straight forward to John Henry.

"Hurt is better than terminated." John Henry said.

The same issue haunted John for years.

"Don't you think I know that?" John asked angrily.

John Henry felt the ball was in John's court. He held the key to the solution.

"Life is about choices." John Henry said. "Few of them are easy."

Cameron found enjoyment in her terminations. That seemed to be especially so if she could make them suffer some first. That was very unlike her. It was not standard Terminator proficiency. It made her want to spend more time at the Young residence instead.

Claire was due soon. Cameron was there everyday at the Young residence. Maybe that was an excuse to get away from it all. She was excited about the baby. She could not wait to see little Summer and hold her. She wondered what it was like to have a living being inside you. How special was it to have your body provide nourishment for it, to feel it grow and to have your body feed it after birth….

Gail and Sheila were put back in rotation. There were still three Terminators on the Young detail, plus Holly.

Holly asked to stay on as she enjoyed talking care of Young Allison and being alone with Allison. They spent every night together when Allison did not have 'visitors'.

Allison wanted to be with her mother until after the baby was born. Cameron brought Vanna twice a week to visit. She talked it over with Vanna and received her approval for a plan to share with Holly. She asked Holly if she wanted to be with Vanna and her together at the same time. Holly said 'no'. She only wanted to be with her.

Vanna and Allison spent the night together. When that event occurred Cameron would always sit with Holly. Usually they sat on the bed sideways with their feet on the floor often lying back as they stared at the ceiling. She would take Holly's hand sometimes and hold it in silence. She knew this is what she would feel herself when John would be with Allison and Vanna or Jesse in the future. There was nothing to say, that is how it was. Holly knew that and she knew that is what would happen to her. It was inevitable. It was fate. Life was very complicated at times.

"I will be there for you when it's your 'turn'." Holly said to Cameron.

Cameron tried to put on a brave face as she responded.

"Thank you, Holly. I will need it." Cameron said. "I know it MUST be done to protect John."

Before Vanna or Allison would come out of Allison's room in the morning, Cameron and Holly would find something to do. They would pretend they'd been busy all night and not lying in silence as someone's heart was ripped out. Even if there was no actual heart, there were still the feelings of a heart.

Holly missed Isabel who she could interface with and be able to touch the 'Cameron' inside of Isabel. The only thing more special than that would be for Cameron and her to tether themselves. Cameron never volunteered and she never could muster the nerve to ask. To touch Cameron's mind was more than 'special'.

It was time to get breakfast ready and check on Young Allison. Cameron and Holly got up and resumed their duties as if nothing happened.

Holly felt a little jealous of Cameron as she KNEW Cameron could take any one of the girls at any time if she wanted to from their partner. Everyone wanted Cameron, even her. She knew Cameron knew. Cameron gave her what she could as she did to all of the team. Cameron did all she could without compromising herself to John.

Holly did not think John appreciated what a fine woman Cameron was. She would then think that was her jealousy talking as she'd wanted to be with John herself when Cameron was 'on' her chip. John was right there in front of her THEN. He was right THERE for the taking.

Why were things that should be so easy and beneficial to everyone so difficult and hard?

'Life is so complicated.' Holly thought.

Kyle and Derek went out on OPS with Jim and a rotating Terminator. Sometimes Bob and John would join them. They were still tracking down Grays from both futures. Cameron provided them with a list of people suspected in her future and Riley brought back additional information from their future when she came.

Cameron made it a point to interact with all of them including Riley on a regular basis. She always liked to surprise them, especially Derek, with something.

They all thought Cameron was the greatest.

To hear people praise her made Cameron feel good about herself, even if it was for a very short time. She still could not see what they could possibly see in a walking pile of junk.

Cameron felt her hand glitch when she thought about it.

Savannah learned vast computer skills from John Henry and Vanna. She would work with Mr. Murch and Vanna when they repaired Terminator damage. Vanna was always there to answer any 'girl' questions Savannah might have. She was usually able to answer them before Savannah even asked. After all, they were the same person with the same body. Vanna was well acquainted with everything her body could do and everything she might want to do with it.

Vanna and Cameron shared in the roll of her 'mother' at times. Sarah, Allison, Jesse and Riley all helped out. Gail and Holly would be there in a flash if needed. Savannah still missed her mother - both of them.

Everyone wondered what ever happened to her. Where was Mrs. Weaver? All they knew was that she was 'in some future' with an army of Terminators. She'd only helped everyone so far and hadn't done anything to betray them.

It was her personality that irritated everyone, not her actions.

Cameron wondered about that. She was very aware that she continued to evolve and be 'more human'. She wondered what Mrs. Weaver's programming evolved into. She knew it would not stay the same. Would she end up better or worse in her dealings with humans?

Bob was always near John on operation or when they went out. Either Cameron or Bob were always there with John to protect him.

Bob knew he was closest to John because of the previous Terminator with the same DNA that protected John when he was younger. John picked his model to put a copy of Cameron's chip in. He'd been chosen by John. That knowledge always made him feel special.

Cameron took Bob out on a few 'fun nights'. They did have 'fun' first and then Cameron went hunting. The hunting seemed to be the 'fun' for her. He knew Cameron tested him and the other Terminators. He thought back on once incident recently.

Cameron approached Bob with a smile on her face. He was not sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign. It seemed that Cameron did not often smile anymore unless it was deliberate.

"Are you ready for some fun tonight, Bob?" Cameron asked.

Bob already knew that no one said 'no' to Cameron.

"Affirm…Yes." Bob said.

He remembered she wanted more 'normal' human speech.

"That's what I like to hear." Cameron said.

Bob was not sure if it was the 'yes' answer or the word 'yes' itself that she liked to hear.

"What fun will we have tonight?" Bob asked.

Cameron was not usually specific. He was not even sure she knew herself at times.

"I'm working on a few things." Cameron said.

That statement didn't give Bob much of a clue.

They went out and watched a movie. It was about vampires. He would personally terminate any vampires they ran across. He was sure he could rip their head off. He would do that and then crush it. He did not think he needed silver bullets or a wooden stake through the heart. He thought he could reach in and rip their heart out too. It would explode in his hand as he crushed it.

He was very unsettled as he watched the movie. What if he was attacked and 'infected' by a vampire? Could there be a Terminator vampire? He thought one of the female Terminators would be more suitable for that than a male Terminator.

He originally thought it would be more efficient to 'plug in' and download the movie. It would all happen very quick. Now he was glad he didn't do that. The files he wanted to delete would be easier to do without the download.

When they left the theater it was late. They'd attended the last show.

Bob looked around when they left.

"This theater is in a bad neighborhood." Bob said.

"Imagine that." Cameron said. "Here we are all alone on the wrong side of the tracks."

Bob wondered why they'd used the rear exit and did not return to their SUV. They were on some side street now near the theater. He realized this was part of the test. He was being tested and evaluated. The movie must have been to throw him off some. It did. He found some of the images disturbing. Death should be much more efficient than what he witnessed on the movie screen.

"This location looks like trouble." Bob said.

Cameron nodded.

"That is part of the problem." Cameron said. "Everyone knows it is but no one wants to take out the trash."

Bob figured that was what they were about to do.

"That looks like our job tonight." Bob said.

"Problem areas don't fix themselves." Cameron said. "These are Scavenger breeding grounds."

With their predator pheromones all the dogs ran off or cowered in their own urine as they walked down the street.

They soon heard some yelling and a lot of cuss words.

It was obvious that a male was beating a female.

They entered an alley and spotted three individuals. Two of them were males and one was a female. Her clothing below the waist was missing. Her top was ripped and torn.

They moved up close to the trio.

Cameron looked at Bob.

"Is that anyway to treat a lady?" Cameron asked.

"No." Bob said.

One of the men pushed the female to the ground. She let out another scream.

"Who are you?" The first punk asked.

Bob moved forward between the men and the female.

"Retribution." Bob said.

Cameron reached down and handed the female her pants.

"Take off." Cameron said.

The female ran down the alley and turned the corner.

The men issued a string of threats and cuss words.

As soon as the female made her turn and disappeared Bob acted.

He slammed the first punk up against a garage with his fist. He went down like a rock and stayed there. His heart and lungs were crushed. The second punk tried to run. Bob grabbed him and threw him to the ground. He put one foot on the punks chest and reached down with his hands and twisted his head. They could hear the neck snap.

Cameron watched the whole event.

"That was quite spectacular." Cameron said.

"I wanted to make sure they could not come back as vampires." Bob said.

Bib could see that Cameron didn't know if he was serious or joking. He was not sure himself.

"I think we are done for the night." Cameron said. "That was a little more complicated than I imagined."

Bob was ready to have some more fun. At least the movie did not bother him as much now.

Cameron always liked to target drug operations. She was able to get plenty of cash and equipment. No one knew how extensive of an operation Cameron put together on her own.

Cameron was afraid she became Skynet. Now, with her own clandestine force maybe she would one day become Skynet. She'd already laid the groundwork.

Bob pressed Cameron on it once. Cameron assured him all she wanted was an operation that would be separate from anything Mrs. Weaver was ever involved in. Cameron wanted a back up ready. Cameron wanted a back up for everything, including females for John.

He knew she was thrilled with the new baby on the way, Allison's sister. He watched the female Terminators with babies and children before. They all were very good at taking care of them. He was glad he did not have to do it.

Bob noticed how Cameron kept all the girls with each other and even the female Terminator's were 'allocated' to the girls. Cameron made sure all the females were happy and 'occupied'. All the females were being kept in 'reserve' for John. That included both human and Metal. Cameron was in control of everything, even if she did not know it herself. He was sure she was well aware of everything. He knew Cameron was ruthless in achieving her ends, regardless of the means. If Cameron ever did become Skynet, they were all screwed.

Game Over.

'Secret Agent Man' by 'Johnny Rivers', came to Bob's mind.

Nobody knew everything that Cameron did.

Complicated

It seems few things work out
As they were carefully calculated
Creating uncertainty and doubt
Leaving one to feel frustrated

To seek the one we want
Should make us feel elated
For they are the one whom
We've become infatuated

Little by little we feel them grow
Until we are slowly captivated
The weight from within is lifted
We feel exhilarated and liberated

Around them we are motivated
We feel quite stimulated
What two together have created
Seeks to be shared and consummated

Things can happen and go wrong
Leaving us deflated and devastated
It will make us feel aggravated
Our future annihilated and terminated

It must be fated even if belated
The love once anticipated
Has suddenly evaporated
Why is life so complicated

Nobody