Chapter 244

Oh Boy

Frustration slowly overwhelmed John. He was unsure what to do. He knew it was time to do something. What really mattered or didn't matter? Did anything? Life moves on even if people or machines don't. He knew you needed to reach out and grab a hold of life or it passed you by. Life like time waited for nobody.

Life was about choices.

John decided to make one.

He headed for Jesse's room. He was tired of Cameron's games and manipulation. It was about time he did what Cameron wanted done and get it over with. It was what he wanted too. It was past time. Besides he didn't even know where Cameron was anymore or really even care. He could do without the latest manipulation or lies. He was ready for some action.

He'd watched her split the girls up to keep all of them 'free'. It was her manipulation that was responsible for it. She'd taken Jesse away from Derek. She 'moved' Riley out of the 'way' and paired her with Derek. She'd slowly driven Vanna and Allison apart…. Maybe that was the worse offense of them all. How could she do that to them?

Is that how she should treat the very people that loved her and cared about her? They'd been willing to do anything for her and did. They'd followed her into the unknown and faced doom for her. The Duplicate set of girls died for her. They all gave her their total devotion and she still manipulated and controlled them.

'What a friend.' John thought. 'What a Bitch.'

John wondered if Cameron ever thought of anyone but herself.

He really didn't understand what Cameron was doing or why.

Bob was worried. He saw everything that was happening as something that was going to create even bigger problems for everyone.

He sought John Henry out to discuss what was unfolding before their eyes. He KNEW it was what Cameron SAID she wanted but he believed otherwise. Cameron always 'leaned' on the girls and 'pushed' them, especially Jesse.

John Henry was also worried about the events that were happening. Things were bound to escalate and get out of control.

"What do you think about what's happening?" John Henry asked.

Bob viewed everything as the 'road to ruin'.

"It looks like a nightmare from here." Bob said.

"Indeed." John Henry said.

Bob hoped being a cyborg would insulate him more than it seemed to. He 'felt' things he did not want to feel at times.

"I'm glad I'm a machine and not tangled in this mess." Bob said. "I get more feelings everyday as it is. I try to suppress them."

John Henry felt the same way. He also needed to point out the obvious about Cameron.

"Cameron is a machine too." John Henry said.

Bob was sure that her evolution made Cameron more of a 'mechanical human' than a cyborg at this point.

"Is she?" Bob asked. "She is more 'human' now than the humans are."

John Henry was not sure Skynet knew what it created with the female infiltration units. They were all highly advanced and seemed to keep developing.

"She has progressed quite a bit from when I first encountered her." John Henry said. "Nobody ever foresaw this happening to a machine. Skynet never learned the depth of its own creation."

Bob wondered about the potential for some of the other Terminator types. There may not be a limit on what they could do.

"What about the Liquid Metal Terminators?" Bob asked. "They are even more advanced. I don't know how 'emotional' they are."

John Henry was very aware of what Mrs. Weaver did while she was in this timeline. There were many things he still did not agree with. She told him that everything she did was for him. It seemed Mrs. Weaver actually believed that too. That was exactly what Cameron said about John. It seemed that Cameron actually believed it too. What were they blinded by?

"I don't know." John Henry said. "I never want to find out."

Bob wanted to help Cameron remember her true nature and purpose.

"I need to take Cameron on a training mission to get her mind back in the game." Bob said. "We need to make her remember what she is. She's a Terminator."

Cameron having her own base was bad enough. She also possessed her own force of Terminators. She'd recreated her 'friends' as Terminators and then took them away to the seclusion of her base.

"I wonder what she has Hanna, Ally and Sheila doing." John Henry said. "It worries me."

Bob could only imagine. The female Terminators could infiltrate anywhere. That was even more so with the advanced 'Neural Interface' that Cameron developed and used on them. They looked and acted like their human counterparts.

"Do we really want to know?" Bob asked.

John Henry could picture the manipulation that was possible with them.

"No, I don't think we do." John Henry said. "They could pretty much do anything."

Everyone was aware of Cameron's fear that she became Skynet. Maybe it would be her own version of it.

"They are probably building SkyCam or CamNet." Bob said. "Do we join her or fight her?"

That seemed like a no brainer to John Henry.

"That would depend if you want to win or lose." John Henry said. "You already know the answer."

Bob did know the answer. They all did.

"There is no choice." Bob said. "Game Over."

They both knew they would follow Cameron.

There were some things that Cameron wanted to know. She was done 'thinking' about it. It was time for action. She was ready to find out. It might change the direction of her future. It might not. Either way she wanted to know. It was better to know than forever wonder.

Life was about choices.

Cameron decided to make one.

She left the lab and headed for Vanna's room. It was about time she learned what Vanna could share and offer. Her developing 'relationship' with Vanna was as fresh in her mind as if it just happened a second ago. Time meant nothing to her. Vanna was there for her from 'day one'. She'd loved her before she was able to be returned to her chassis even. They spent many hours talking and sharing while she was only a program trapped in a metal box, her server. Vanna always offered her the promise of 'more'. That seemed to be 'more' of anything she wanted. That would include love, sex, friendship and companionship. It was always about sharing and never taking or using with Vanna. It was always something beautiful. The love that radiated off of Vanna for her was evident to all.

Being with John was something she seemed to avoid anymore. She was not sure why. Maybe the 'Allison' in her 'drove' her. It was time to experiment. She'd provided John with the girls. Now it was time to provide for herself. All of the girls preferred women to men anyway. Why should she be any different? None of the girls ever rejected or replaced her. They all wanted HER.

Maybe it was Payback Time.

Cameron's base:

Cameron recreated her human friends as Terminators. She wanted them to work for her at her base. It seemed that maybe she'd created them a little too much like the human girl. They felt they same 'needs' as the human girls. They acted like them too.

Cameron wanted to have a working TDE that could work into the past as well as the present. The one at the Resistance base was encrypted to only function into the future and could not go into the past. The Metal girls were tasked with getting the job done for her. All the work involved did not go over well with them.

"We're sexy females even if we are Terminators." Sheila said. "We're not construction workers."

Ally felt there was a specific goal for her once Cameron would be able to go into the past.

"Cameron needs us to work on her TDE." Ally said. "Besides, I can help her save 'myself' and the save baby."

Sheila wanted to correct her. They shouldn't lose focus of who they were.

"That was Duplicate Allison. She's terminated." Sheila said. "That wasn't you."

Ally felt otherwise. She felt like 'Allison'.

"To me it is." Ally said. "I want that baby too. It's mine."

Sheila didn't want Ally to get carried away with her 'human' programming.

"Stop being so 'Allison'." Sheila said. "Or a Cameron wannabe."

Hanna was sure their lifespan was limited. She believed Cameron wanted to go back in time and place them in the spot of where each of the Duplicate girls was at before they perished. She believed that Cameron would have them terminate in place of the Duplicate girls to avoid changing the timeline or creating a new one. Cameron would 'trade' them for the Duplicate girls. It looked like a one way ticket.

"I think saving the girls 'ourselves' will be all our 'jobs'." Hanna said. "I don't think we are going to have a long shelf life."

The three Metal girls were aware Cameron would sacrifice them to get the human girls back and the baby. They did not want to talk about it. Cameron would copy their programs and give them new bodies again. That is what they all hoped. There was no guarantee of that.

Sheila wanted to lighten the mood a little.

"I would have to take off my nipple rings off when we use the TDE." Sheila said. "I would feel naked without them."

Sheila stripped off her top so the other two Metal girls could see them. The excitement level went up in the room.

"If we use the TDE, you will be naked." Ally said.

Sheila made the other girls 'hungry' by going topless.

"Speaking of naked, is it time for our hour of 'alone time' yet?" Hanna asked.

Sheila pulled her pants off.

"It is for me, love." Sheila said.

Ally took in Sheila's naked form. She wanted some of that right now.

"It's close enough for me." Ally said.

Sheila wanted to push it with Hanna and Ally and see who could take the most stimulation.

"Let's go see who ends up shutting down first." Sheila said. "I bet it won't be me."

That level of excitement was too much to pass up for any of the Metal girls.

"You're on." Hanna and Ally both said.

The Metal girls went off together to find out….

They knew what life offered, even if Cameron didn't.

That was her 'hang up', not theirs.

John reached Jesse's room and now stood in front of the door. He looked up and saw that Cameron now stood in front of Vanna's door.

Cameron looked over at him. She looked away and lifted her hand to knock.

John looked away and did the same.

Each knew what the other was doing and neither seemed to care. They each knocked and waited. It was time to move forward. They heard each other knock, neither looking to watch the other.

Life moved forwards, not backwards.

It was time to move on….

Things at the Young residence looked very promising for Allison and Holly.

Holly and Allison were both naked on her bed.

Holly was in a place she did not think was possible.

"You've made me feel more wanted and loved than I ever have before." Holly said.

Allison looked at Holly with her big 'puppy dog' brown eyes.

"I just wanted you to know that you are special." Allison said. "You are special to me."

Holly could feel the 'love' even in Allison's look.

"As you are to me, Allison." Holly said.

Allison was troubled by her past and future obligations. She'd made promises that she felt she needed to honor. She did not want Holly to forget them and hoped she understood things could get very complicated and hurtful because of them.

"I know I have complications and others in my life. You know that is how it is right now." Allison said. "I'm sorry about all that and what will 'be'. I know you understand even if you hate it. Some things just need to play out and 'be'."

Holly felt she was in a special place that was very unique in what was available to her to be a part of and witness.

"I get to stay here with you, both of YOU and your sister Summer and mother." Holly said. "It's really special to see you as a young girl and watch you grow. I can see Young Allison and Summer grow everyday."

Allison looked around her. Where she was at now was unimaginable a few years ago. Sometimes she still wondered if it was real or not. When one of the girls took her to heaven she knew that was real so everything else must be too.

"It's a strange life we lead. Having survived the horrors of the Wastelands it is paradise to be here. To see my parents again, live in my house, have a sister and be with you are all beyond belief." Allison said.

Allison started to reflect on all the 'bad' things that happened to her after Judgment Day. They always had a way of appearing at the worst times. The feelings started to overwhelm her. She looked at Holly and they all faded. Life still could offer quite a few things.

Holly was happy where she was right now in her existence.

"Life has much to offer…." Holly said.

She was well aware that if anything ever happened to Allison that Young Allison would one day grow and mature….

"Life has very much to offer…." Holly said again.

Holly hoped to be there when that happened. She could pick up with Young Allison where she left off with Allison. They were the same person after all.

Vanna's door opened and Cameron walked inside. She did not look over at John as she entered. She already knew where he was and what he was about to have. She really didn't care anymore. It seemed she did not care about much anymore anyway. She was ready to move her life forward, experiment, grow and expand. She hoped to see what 'real love' was like. She hoped it was better than 'love based on sex'.

Vanna's face lit up when she saw Cameron. She knew what it meant. It was her biggest dream ever, come true.

"I've been waiting for you." Vanna said. "I knew you'd come."

Vanna was sure this was about to be the best day in her life.

Life was good in Paradise.

'Oh Boy' by 'Buddy Holly', played in the background.

Eternal Beauty

There she is
I see her standing there
It is as if she stepped out of yesterday
Her eternal beauty is beyond compare

If loving eyes are blind
Then I'm as blind as can be
I only see her elegant face
Lovely, sweet and beautiful to me

Time does not exist
For a love that will bind
To share all of oneself
Heart, soul and mind, never confined

To just be near you
To hug you close and tight
To feel your warmth
Nothing will ever more right

I want you, I need you right now
I mean not to cause any pain
I exist outside the brain
Always the same I still remain

Nobody