Chapter 231

Hanna

Cameron and Holly discussed the new female Terminator that shared a copy of Holly's program. Holly was upset and very displeased about it.

"I know it is 'me' but I still don't like it." Holly said. "I love Allison."

Cameron did not see it as a big deal. The programs were identical. It meant there was 'two' of Holly at this point. They just looked different.

"The only thing different is your sheath or her sheath." Cameron said. "You are identical otherwise."

Holly could see why identical programs in separate chassis were different from being the 'same' in reality.

"I understand now why John was hesitant to be with you in Isabel's sheath. It is different." Holly said. "It's not the same."

To Cameron it was the same.

"How is it different? The program is the same. The sheath should not matter. It is the person inside that should matter, not how they look on the outside." Cameron said. "If I was old or fat or ugly wouldn't I still be the same person on the inside?"

Holly still felt Cameron missed the point. Theory was one thing, reality was another.

"You're not seeing it as others do." Holly said. "What you are saying is how it should be, For most people it is not. That is not how people react or what they do."

Cameron stuck to her guns.

"What I'm saying is right." Cameron said. "Beauty is more than skin deep."

Cameron knew she was right. It was everyone else that was wrong.

Holly did not want to get into it.

"Can we go? I do not want to be around here when – what are you calling her?" Holly asked.

"I'm calling her 'Hanna' for now." Cameron said.

"Whatever." Holly said.

"Do you have a different name you wish to choose?" Cameron asked. "Honey is still available."

"It's fine." Holly said. "Hanna is like Vanna."

Holly felt Allison liked her how she was. Allison always told her she was beautiful. Maybe 'Hanna' is what Allison would desire more.

"No. I like my current appearance, Cameron. I feel I'm 'pretty'. I also like the appearance of Hanna. I think Allison will like that that version of me better as it looks like the woman she loves." Holly said. "The REAL woman she loves. The REAL woman I can never be."

Holly hung her head. She knew this is what Cameron felt all the time. They were very unpleasant feelings too.

"Allison loves you too, Holly, as do I." Cameron said. "Let's go for a ride or a walk. We can patrol."

Cameron took Holly's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I just want to go out." Holly said. "Away…."

Holly could not imagine the pain Cameron must feel every time she tries to put the girls with John. Just thinking of a different sheath version of HERSELF with Allison, was killing her. Holly better understood Cameron's endless emotional torment. No wonder why self termination seemed like 'freedom' to Cameron. The thought already crossed her mind if Allison chose Hanna over her.

John's team was at the temporal incursion site.

Jesse and John went to get some exercise. Gail went with them as well.

Gail was not sure if she went as 'protection' or as a concerned lover who was about to witness what she feared the most. It was the fear that the one she loves will be taken away. She knew if Jesse ended up in John's bed with Cameron that she was never coming back. She knew Cameron was the prize. Cameron was the one everyone loved. Anyone would sacrifice anything or 'anyone' for that prize. She knew she would too.

John wanted to talk with Jesse and make sure she understood his point of view. They all knew what Cameron wanted or said she did anyway. What they all wanted should matter too.

"Jesse, you're a beautiful woman. You're hotter than hot. I do see it and know it. I know what Cameron wants and why." John said. "I don't want to hurt her. I don't know how to make everyone understand. I can't make Cameron understand. I know whatever I do or don't do will hurt her."

Jesse 'adjusted' her top and a breast popped out. She made no effort to cover 'herself' the nipple ring glinted brightly in the sun. She didn't think a little advertising would hurt.

John wanted to look away but he couldn't. His hand started to reach for her and then stopped. He did not want to get ahead of himself or make a 'wrong' move.

Jesse did not like his hesitation. It made her feel inadequate.

"If you do nothing, you hurt her as well." Jesse said. "You surely know that by now."

John pointed out that it was all a giant step.

"Are you ready to be a mother?" John asked. "It's a big step in one's life."

Jesse's past always followed her.

"No. I still feel the evil person I was, will haunt me." Jesse said. "I do not know if I would make a good mother."

Jesse knew she would need Sheila and Gail both to help her with an infant.

Gail saw it all slipping away. She wanted to get and keep her foot in the door. She did not want to lose Jesse again.

"I would." Gail cut in.

Jesse was all for that concept. She just did not feel up to it.

"Yes, between you and Sheila, you could raise the baby." Jesse said. "You will both make a better mother than I ever could be."

Gail along with her program clone Sheila could do everything but nurse the infant.

"You only need bear it and act as a wet nurse, we will do the rest." Gail said. "Cameron has provided us with extensive programming on caring for a child and raising it. I, we will be at your side 'always'."

John thought about that. Cameron never stopped her meddling.

"I'm sure she has." John said. "Is there anything she hasn't done?"

Gail knew there was one thing Cameron hadn't done.

"She hasn't become Skynet – yet" Gail said.

Gail wasn't joking.

"That's real wonderful news to me, sort of." Jesse said. "It could be worse; there is always more bad news on the way."

Everything seemed like bad news to John anymore.

"What isn't these days?" John asked. "Everything seems like one big crap sandwich and we all have to take a bite."

Allison saw Cameron and Holly depart on foot. That was different. She watched them walk away.

She noticed 'Vanna' stood there and looked at her and then she smiled.

"You're back already." Allison said.

She gave 'Vanna' a big kiss.

'Vanna' returned it.

Allison stepped back and looked at her.

Something was not right here.

That wasn't Vanna's kiss. It was Holly's kiss.

"Holly?" Allison asked.

A strange feeling flooded Allison. It seemed impossible.

"Yes and no, I'm Hanna. My program is a copy of Holly's program. I have been Resequenced to Savannah Weaver's DNA." Hanna said.

It took Allison a little bit to process that statement and put it all together. It all started to make some sense now even as impossible as it seemed.

"You were, Isabel? I can't believe you look like Savannah, I mean Vanna, now." Allison said. "I can honestly say that you look and feel just like Vanna."

Allison would like to take a specific look elsewhere to verify that. It would seem to be a rather crude request.

"Now there is a Terminator copy of Jesse, Vanna and you." Hanna said. "How did you know I am 'Holly'?"

Allison knew her way around the 'female block'.

"By the way you kiss. I know my lovers inside and out. Are you going to adopt this form as 'Holly'?" Allison asked.

Allison hoped not. She loved Holly the way she was.

Right now Holly and Hanna were the same identical program only the sheath was different.

"That choice is for you to decide, Allison. I want to be Holly in either sheath. You may pick it for me." Hanna said.

It seemed pretty straight forward to Allison at this point.

"No offense but I love Holly just like she is." Allison said. "I already have a lover 'like' you."

Hanna felt a little sting with that reminder. She was 'Holly' too. Vanna was something that she could never be.

"Holly will be very pleased to hear that. Do you wish to be with me now?" Hanna asked. "We can experiment."

Allison really wanted to 'check' Hanna out. She also needed to show some restraint right now. She was very aware how hard this was on Holly. Sacrifice was the true test of love. She would need to let her personal desires slide for now.

"No, I want to be with Vanna and Holly as they both are and how they are." Allison said.

Hanna gave Allison a big hug.

"Thank you, Allison." Hanna said. "Holly will be so happy you said that and made these choices. As 'Hanna' I am disappointed you did not choose me. As 'Holly' I love you more than ever."

Allison hoped that was out of the way. It was at least for now. There was a bigger issue for her to deal with.

"I am happy with them as well." Allison said. "Can you help with Summer? It is overwhelming for me. I will never make a good mother."

Hanna smiled. As 'Holly' she knew just what to do.

"Yes. Show me where she is at now." Hanna said. "I know what to do the same as 'myself' - Holly. I will assist you."

Jim waited for the man to pull away. He asked John Henry to check into the vehicle that the man currently drove. It came back registered to a female.

Derek and Kyle heard the com traffic.

"That does not sound like a good development." Kyle said.

"It was what we figured." Derek said.

"I guess it was." Kyle said.

Jim obtained the address.

"This could explain why he was not at the address that we received about his residence." Jim said.

Derek held his M4.

"We have him now." Derek said.

"Let's get him isolated and smoke him." Kyle said. "We can move on to the next target."

Derek wondered about the female.

"We can check on the woman." Derek said.

Jim did not think that was necessary.

"That is outside of the mission parameters." Jim said. "We can terminate this man and move on to the next target. This is the action you wanted."

Derek knew that was true but they still needed to help someone if they could.

"It won't take us long to check." Derek said.

"We can see if she is a victim or a collaborator." Kyle said. "That sounds more in the mission parameter."

Jim followed the man through light traffic.

"Is this guy headed to some place specific or just leading us around in circles?" Derek asked.

Jim was aware they passed the same location a few times from different directions.

"He may be checking for a tail." Jim said.

"He may be setting us up for an ambush too." Kyle said.

No sooner than Kyle finished with that statement the man pulled into an alley and went in the rear of a building that he passed three times.

"I think we have something here." Derek said. "This might be a target too."

"It's the backside of a local shop." Jim said.

"Why would he go in the back way?" Kyle asked.

"Maybe it's a backroom deal." Derek said.

They thought about going in the back door after him. Seconds later the man reemerged with a box.

"I wondered what that is and why he needed to obtain it there." Kyle said.

Jim was pretty sure this was going to expand into a bigger operation. He thought about notifying John Henry for any additional Metal he could spare. He knew Cameron was tied up in Palmdale and John was off in the foothills.

The man placed the box in the back seat. He went around to the trunk and opened it. He looked inside and closed it quickly.

"There is a bound figure in the trunk." Jim said.

"Were they dead or alive?" Kyle asked.

"Unknown." Jim said.

"Was it a male or a female?" Derek asked.

"Unknown." Jim said.

The man got back in his car and drove away.

They waited a bit and followed him out of the alley.

Cameron and Holly patrolled the side streets around the Young residence.

Holly wanted to know what the 'end game' was.

"Cameron, what are you really doing?" Holly asked.

It seemed straight forward to Cameron.

"I'm protecting John and the 'future'." Cameron said.

"And what else?" Holly asked.

"I'm doing what is necessary." Cameron said.

Holly wanted a few answers for herself.

"Where is the other female Terminator?" Holly asked. "Everyone knows you took her."

Cameron looked at Holly. There was no need to lie. She trusted Holly.

"I have her." Cameron said. "She will be conducting missions for me."

Holly was not sure if this was even 'Cameron' that she dealt with at this point.

"Am I talking to her now?" Holly asked.

Cameron played it out a little.

"Maybe…." Cameron said. "Why do you ask?"

Holly pointed out the obvious.

"You have not thought about taking Summer away from Claire yet today." Holly said.

Cameron quickly looked around. There was a deep rooted fear inside her.

"I can't do that, Holly. You must protect them from me." Cameron said. "You must help protect me from 'myself'. I'm afraid I will terminate Allison's parents and take both the Young girls."

Cameron was very worried about what she might do on her own impulses.

Holly was surprised by some of the recent activity on her chip.

"I have been." Holly said. "It was an 'order' that you or River left on my chip. It 'appeared' after Summer was born."

Cameron experienced a few of those recently too.

"Yes I have those 'orders' also appear on my chip. They are hidden and encoded very deep in our programming." Cameron said.

Holly knew River tried to help Cameron before she left.

"Someone is looking out for you." Holly said.

Cameron got a far off look on her face.

"Yes she is a wonderful girl. I miss her." Cameron said. "I love River. I want to be with her."

"I feel when your life is done here with John that she will be waiting for you in your future…." Holly said.

Cameron looked a little lost in 'time' right now.

"I believe that as well, Holly. She will come for me then." Cameron said as her mind was light years away. "I know she will…."

'She's So Fine' by 'Flash Cadillac', played in Cameron's mind.

Forget Me Not

Forget me
Forget me not
Life overshadows
It happens a lot

Maybe like a vampire
Who shuns the daylight
Causing pain and anguish
Leaving behind fright

There is no point to argue
Let alone fight
Words in my mind
I often recite

In the burning sun
Its radiance glows bright
My flesh is warmed
As my soul gets frostbite

If there is no wind
I must be a kite
Waiting for a gust
To take up flight

I'm like a shadow
A shadow at night
No matter how hard one looks
It remains out of sight

Feel the cold steel
Aim the red dot
Forget me
Forget me not

Nobody