Chapter 256

Time Won't Let Me

Cameron arrived back at her base and left off the three deactivated Terminators. She would still need to go through their chips. The hard drives they picked up were copied. CamNet would go through them later after she looked them over and made sure there were no hidden 'surprises'.

She would take the original hard drives to the Resistance base and give them to John and John Henry as a sign of good faith. She would not alter them or change anything. She was very worried that John did not seem to trust her anymore. Why did he need to know everything she did? Everything she did was for him. She wanted to protect him and for him have a better life than Future John experienced. She did not want him to have that same lonely life. That was why Future John wanted him to have the girls. He wanted John to have that human touch earlier in life.

She was very pleased with herself for restoring all of that for Future John. She gave him back Future Allison and Future Savannah. She was out of his life. Everything should be good now. They should have a family by now and a future to live for. It should all be a thing of beauty at this point.

Cameron looked over the captured female Terminator. That was going to be 'her' once she was Resequenced. That would be her identical clone. It should be a thing of beauty too. Somehow it was going to work this time. She didn't know how. It was just going to be.

She wanted to see John and not fight with him.

It was time to go 'home' to the Resistance base.

When Cameron returned to the Resistance base she brought the captured hard drives with her. She wanted to look like she was cooperating with John and everyone. She didn't like that she felt he didn't trust her. That left her with a very unpleasant feeling.

She sought out John when she arrived.

They hugged and kissed when they spotted each other. There was love waiting to be unleashed. There was just not enough time to do everything. If there were 'two of her' there could be. She forgot about time for now and went with John to their quarters. They were both ready for this. Time could wait.

Cameron looked over at John. He was asleep now. She carefully got out of bed and dressed. She slipped out the door. She still needed to take care of a few things. One of them was to secretly check the TDE to see if she'd now regained the ability to unlock it to go back into the past. She hoped it would since she'd agreed to impregnate Allison artificially and not change the timeline. It didn't work. The TDE was still locked. There must still be something she needed to do or think she was going to need to do. None of it could be good. She checked on a few more things and quietly returned to John's room. Once she'd stripped she made a slight movement to wake him.

John looked over at Cameron, she smiled at him. Normally he woke up alone even if Cameron started the night with him. He didn't like her to leave but he was aware how boring for her to listen to him snore for hours and do nothing but stare at the ceiling in the dark.

"Hey, Cameron." John said as he stirred. "I'm surprised you're still here."

Cameron did not like the reference, even if it was justifiable.

"I've come and gone several times." Cameron said.

John liked the double meaning.

"So have I…." John said with a grin.

Cameron noticed something over the years. It was a slight effect but it seemed to be cumulative.

"My sheath absorbs your 'protein'. It actually improves the quality of my sheath where it is 'deposited'." Cameron said.

John was glad to know that was more than his imagination. It always seemed to feel a little better in those areas than when they first were married.

"I've noticed." John said. "That seems to be true in several locations."

Cameron was pleased right now. John was not angry at her or on her case. She decided to get on his case in a different way.

"Are you ready for a rematch?" Cameron asked as she climbed up on top of him.

John liked it when she was on top.

"In that case…." John said.

John was happy Cameron was with him and not out getting shot up somewhere. These times didn't happen much anymore. John wanted to make the most of it. He did. Cameron never slowed or tired. He understood Cameron believed she was protecting him and everyone else by trying to do it all on her own. She was trying to make it a one 'woman' war.

It was a 'one woman war' to Cameron. She wanted to kill Skynet herself, alone….

Sarah was in the Command Center with John Henry. She wanted him to look over the captured hard drives again.

He'd already done that more that a few times.

"I have been over the hard drives several times." John Henry said. "There's nothing new."

Sarah was sure there was something there.

"There must be or they wouldn't have been after them." Sarah said. "It must be hidden or encrypted somehow."

John Henry was not the only one to check them.

"I went over them with John and Cameron." John Henry said. "Cameron's team went over them as well."

That reminder was another source of irritation for Sarah.

"Why does Cameron have a 'team'?" Sarah asked.

John Henry could only go by what Cameron told him.

"It's a back up of our operation." John Henry said.

Sarah could see the face value of that but she felt it was much deeper than that.

"What is Cameron really doing?" Sarah asked. "What's the end game?"

John Henry could only go on what Cameron told him and what she feared.

"Maybe it is to become her own version of Skynet to fight it." John Henry said. "Skynet will need to be fought on more than one front or arena. Most to the fighting will not happen on land, the sea or in the air."

John Henry was sure it would be fought in cyberspace.

Sarah studied the battles of the future. The fight was everywhere. It happened in the present and the past too from the future. There was still the million dollar question.

"Will Cameron become Skynet?" Sarah asked.

John Henry hoped it was the 'good Skynet' but it might not be. A lot of things could go wrong.

"She told me she fears that." John Henry said.

Sarah wondered where the 'check' was to any of this.

"Then why's she doing this? No one has control over her." Sarah said. "There's no oversight and she is surrounded by Metal, HER Metal."

John Henry knew Future John lost focus and cost needless human deaths.

"It sounds just like what happened to Future John." John Henry said.

Sarah knew the stories. That was quite a revelation.

"Oh my God." Sarah said. "And in this version Cameron is - Future John…."

John Henry knew even a cyborg could lose focus.

"So it would seem." John Henry said. "Cameron is trying to insulate herself from death, just like Future John did or tried. She can't have those she loves and cares about hurt or killed. She's even recreated her friends as Terminators. Future John pushed everyone away and relied only on Metal."

Sarah was aware how much more 'human like' Cameron became over the years. That was all part of her programming to be a better infiltrator.

"The more human Cameron becomes, the more she hides behind Metal." Sarah said. "It is very ironic."

John Henry wondered if that would happen to all of them.

"Evidently history does repeat itself." John Henry said.

John Henry hoped to avoid that. Would Cameron try and send everyone away into the past to protect them? He would not put it past her. They could live their lives without Skynet hunting or haunting them. Cameron even told him she thought she'd done that already in one of her 'lifetimes'.

Ally felt the need to visit her 'family'. It was the 'Allison' in her that motivated her. It called to her. She went to see Allison and Holly. They were together at the Young residence. She wanted to see her younger 'sisters' too. She wasn't really sure why.

The drive out to Palmdale was uneventful as usual. Ally possessed some memories from Allison of this area but she knew they were not her own. She drove around the neighborhood. Everything seemed in order. It never hurt to do an additional double check.

She pulled up in front of the Young residence. She paused for a few moments. It was time to meet her 'mother' and 'family'. She headed for the door and knocked.

Claire opened the door and looked at her.

Ally could tell she was trying to figure out who she was.

Claire looked at Ally for a few more moments.

"You're not Cameron are you?" Claire asked.

Claire thought she looked like Allison.

"No." Ally said. "My name is Ally. Like in 'Alley Cat'."

Claire looked Ally over real close. She took in every detail.

"You look almost identical to Cameron." Claire said.

Ally didn't like the 'almost identical' part. They were the same DNA. It was just the preparation that was different.

"My sheath is identical. I am DNA sequenced to Allison Young." Ally said. "My programming is different."

Ally wanted to say that she was not flawed like Cameron was as far as programs went. She decided not to.

The more Claire looked at Ally the more she could see someone else.

"You are more like 'Allison'." Claire said. "You look like my daughter."

Ally thought that was a good thing. The improved 'Neural Interface' Cameron used made her more like a real human female.

"I'm a hybrid of Holly and Allison." Ally said. "I'm a cyborg version of your daughter. I'm what Cameron was supposed to be. I'm superior to Cameron as an infiltration unit."

Claire felt like she'd just 'found' another daughter.

"Are you going to call me 'Mom'?" Claire asked.

Ally smiled and laughed. She looked just like Allison when she did.

"I would like to. To me you are my 'mother'." Ally said. "May I see Summer and work with Young Allison? I feel like they are my 'sisters' to me."

Claire didn't see why not. The girls would think it was great.

"Of course." Claire said.

Holly watched Ally from the moment she pulled up. She was not sure what kind of threat or opportunity Ally posed. It was something. She approached Claire and Ally.

"I will join her." Holly said.

Holly did not like the way Ally interacted with Claire. Maybe it was it the way Claire interacted with Ally. It seemed more was happening at a different level that either seemed aware of. It was clear they were attracted to each others as females, not in a family way either.

Holly and Ally faced each other.

"Do you wish to update?" Holly asked.

"I don't know." Ally said. "That would be like being with me and myself, separate but together."

Ally eyed Holly; she made her 'hungry'. It was the 'Allison' in her.

She could offer Holly something 'different'. She also 'wanted' Holly at this point.

"I can update you on my experiences with Sheila and Hanna." Ally said. "If you desire."

"Let's think about it first." Holly said. "I don't think it's a good idea."

Holly tried to hide her hand behind her back. She felt a glitch impulse.

"What's wrong with your hand? Are you malfunctioning?" Ally asked. "I'm going to call Cameron."

Holly already needed to deal with one 'problem'. It was a reoccurring problem at that.

"No, I'm fine. Allison and Vanna are together right now…." Holly said.

Ally was a little confused. The 'Allison' in her felt it was part of who Allison was.

"That still bothers you?" Ally asked. "They've been lovers for many years. That was long before you came into Allison's life."

It always made Holly feel insecure. She did not want to be 'thrown away'.

"I know. I must accept that, it still hurts me." Holly said. "I love her."

Ally possessed some insight on how they both felt.

"She loves you too, Holly." Ally said. "I know, she is me as are you. I know how much you both love each other."

Holly hoped that was true. Sometimes she was afraid maybe she was only a mechanical 'love doll' to Allison.

"Does she really?" Holly asked.

Ally could share part of her programming with Holly.

"Yes she does. I have her files from the 'Neural Interface'. I can share them with you. You too can have a part of her; you can have all of her this way. It can be both mental and physical."

Holly wanted that but she wanted to be who she was. She wanted to be herself.

"No, I want to remain independent." Holly said. "I want my own experiences. I have only ever been with Allison. Allison is my 'mate'. I will only ever be with Allison, forever."

Ally doubted that. Allison once thought that about Vanna. It was Vanna that showed Allison that to share the love was beautiful. There were a few other things she found in her 'programming' from Holly.

"Forever is a long time…." Ally said. "You will get 'hungry' as time passes. We all do, Allison will too. There is nothing wrong with 'experimenting'. It is beautiful to share. I can see you have thought of experimenting with Claire."

Holly was going to deny it but it would be a lie. She did think about and wonder what Claire would be like. She was like Allison but different. She thought about Claire often. She remained silent. Ally knew what she knew. Maybe it was because she was around Claire as much as Allison. Maybe it was the way Claire looked at her sometimes. She knew Claire wanted her. She could feel it.

Ally didn't want to get into it but Holly needed to expand her selection of 'partners'. She would make sure Sheila and Hanna knew. She was here now. She would take a 'crack' at it herself. What could it hurt? The 'Allison' in her wanted Holly 'bad'.

Ally knew that limiting yourself to one partner exclusively ended up causing emotional problems. It was natural to want variety and to keep learning. At least in her infiltration programming it was. They more experiences she could share would allow her to be a better infiltration unit. She knew everyone offered something different even if it was the same things that they offered. Everyone was unique.

She was a little conflicted on one thing. The 'Allison' in her wanted Holly. The 'Holly' in her wanted Claire and Allison. She looked a little further and was sure that the 'Allison' in her also wanted 'Claire' a little as a sexual partner…. She wanted to see and experience what she was like to others.

Allison told Vanna of her plan to become a mother. She made up her mind and was going to do it, well try anyway. Cameron assured her she would not take her baby from her. She was afraid she would not be a good mother and Holly and her mother would have to take over. Then again, Cameron and her mother made sure she received plenty of experience with Summer. There was still a lot of doubt in her mind.

Vanna was worried where this would lead.

"Are you sure about this?" Vanna asked.

Allison wasn't sure. It was 'a calling' inside of her.

"Vanna, it's what I want to do…." Allison said.

Vanna could see their future together altered and changed forever.

"What about us…?" Vanna asked.

Allison was very unsure about everything.

"I don't know." Allison said. "Things change, people evolve, relationships evolve…."

Vanna was afraid this was the end.

"Relationships dissolve…." Vanna said. "I think would be more accurate."

Allison wanted Vanna to know she would still be 'taken care of' in some way.

"You have Jesse now and I have Holly." Allison said. "I want to be with my family. I can still be with you anytime you want. I will be with you anytime you want. No matter how far we drift we always reunite, Vanna, you know that."

Vanna did not want to see her world crumble.

"What's happening to us?" Vanna asked.

Allison knew what it was. It was the clock that never stopped ticking. Life moved forwards, not backwards.

"Time." Allison said. "The scourge of all relationships."

'Time Won't Let Me' by 'The Outsiders', played in the background.

Time Won't Let Me

The clock keeps on ticking
Each new second replaces the last
All the time once before us
Erodes and evaporates fast

There is always more to do
There is never enough time
We always rush and hurry
To take it easy seems a crime

Do this and do that
We soon forget where we're at
When we play the game of life
Everything become tit for tat

Where does it all go
Little remains the same
We often feel shame
Receiving everyone's blame

I think there is one thing
On which everyone can agree
I can never get what I want because
Time won't let me

Nobody