Chapter 262
Bad Idea
When John was out, Kyle and Derek went over targets and people to 'watch' with John Henry. He provided them with a list and Jim was assigned to assist them. They hoped Bob could go too since he usually did but he was currently tied up with John.
"You know this is a bad idea." John Henry said.
"John and Cameron are busy and we're just helping out." Kyle said.
"Jim will be with us." Derek said. "We're in good hands."
Jim smiled.
"Affirmative." Jim said.
"Let's go." Kyle said.
John Henry wanted to give them a final warning.
"Remember to use caution and these are recons." John Henry said.
"You know us." Derek said.
"That's what I was afraid of." John Henry said.
Derek, Kyle and Jim left the Command Center. They headed for the carpool.
"I'll drive." Derek said.
"I'm driving." Jim said.
"That's so we don't go where we're not supposed to." Kyle said.
"We only did that a few times." Derek said. "Besides it paid off."
"I've noticed that we never pull any female targets any more." Kyle said.
"I'm OK with that." Derek said.
"Some of the of the most brutal Grays were females." Kyle said.
"There were a few." Derek said.
"We should run some temporal missions back to our future." Kyle said.
Derek thought of that a few times himself.
"We would change too much." Derek said. "I would anyway. There are a lot of things I would change."
Jim thought that was a bad idea but remained silent. He pulled out onto the street.
"Isn't that what we are all doing now?" Jim asked.
"It is." Derek said. "We're trying to prevent some things from happening."
Jim was not sure anything was preventable even if it was delayed.
John Henry sent out a message that John was on his way back to the base.
"It looks like we got out just in time." Derek said.
Kyle was worried there might still be some flak.
"Maybe." Kyle said.
They drove in silence for a long spell.
"The first target location will be coming up in five minutes." Jim said.
Derek and Kyle checked their weapons. When they looked back up they were in a seedy looking neighborhood.
"Where are we?" Derek asked.
"It looks like a forging country." Kyle said.
There were a string of homeless camps along both sides of the street.
"What's the story here?" Derek said. "These people live like they are in the future."
"Homelessness is a chosen lifestyle for many." Jim said. "It keeps them off of the radar and makes them harder to track."
"Is the person we're looking for in this mess?" Kyle asked.
"It's a possibility." Jim said.
"Where do they all get these tents from?" Derek asked.
"The government gives them to the homeless." Jim said.
"Maybe we should call them 'tent people'." Kyle said. "The tent is now their home and indirectly sanctioned by the government."
"I bet the sanitation sucks in there." Derek said.
"I bet a lot of things suck including both males and females." Kyle said. "We know the 'currency' in places like that."
"This looks like a Scavenger breeding camp." Derek said.
That caught Jim's attention.
"I will ask John Henry for a drone strike tonight." Jim said.
"I think that's a bad Idea." Kyle said. "You'll need to run that through John first. It will cause a big investigation.'
"Cameron has declared future Scavengers as sanctioned targets." Jim said.
"Is it true she hunts them with the Metal girls?" Derek asked.
"Ally, Sheila and Hanna assist her frequently." Jim said.
"I talked to Sheila one day for ten minutes before I realized it wasn't Jesse." Kyle said.
"I think that was the point." Jim said. "They are the ultimate infiltrators."
"The same thing has happened to me too." Derek said. "We were around the real girls for years and they know things we know that no one else knows. The Metal girls know them too."
Jim was through the homeless camp.
"Remind me to take a shower when we get home." Kyle said.
They drove three more blocks before Jim pulled over.
"What's our target?" Derek asked.
"It's the third building on the right." Jim said. "It's the blue one."
Kyle and Derek put light coats on over their vests to hide them.
Kyle handed Jim one as well.
"Let's go." Derek said.
"We just got here." Jim said.
"Now its time to act." Kyle said. "You know all these targets are 'dirty'."
"Keep the car running." Derek said. "We'll be right back."
Derek and Kyle got out.
Jim put his coat on too and hurried after them.
"This is a bad idea." Jim said. "Cameron will not be pleased."
"I doubt John will be either but he was out too so 'no biggie'." Kyle said.
They passed by the first two buildings until they reached the third one. The blue one.
"I will lead." Jim said.
"You're better than a battering ram anyway." Derek said.
They went in through the front door, Terminator style.
John was back in the Command Center. He told John Henry about what Cameron found and kept.
John Henry was already aware of that. He monitored the coms. He already knew but knew John needed to 'talk about it'. Cameron could kill millions now by herself. It was a sobering thought.
John needed to vent.
"Cameron having nukes is a problem." John said. "The fact they are old seems like a worse problem and not a very good idea."
It did worry John Henry some.
"It does seem that choice was a bad idea." John Henry said. "She is unpredictable."
John felt he should be the one to make the call.
"Cameron seems to have a lot of them these days." John said. "I have no control over her."
John Henry thought this scenario already played out once in the future.
"Nobody does, John. Isn't that what Cameron's Jesse - Future Jesse indicated that happened in Cameron's future?" John Henry asked. "Cameron seemed to be the one in control."
John didn't want history to repeat itself.
"Yes, also that Future John was withdrawn." John said. "Cameron and the other Terminators were running the show and mounting Resistance fighter losses."
John Henry knew what Future John did. He sent Cameron away. He got rid of her. She was banished and many of her files were erased. It seemed the logical choice was to banish Cameron as well.
"Where are you going to send her?" John Henry asked.
That question took John by surprise but not the implication.
"What?" John asked.
The question seemed straight forward to John Henry.
"Where are you going to send Cameron?" John Henry asked.
The question made John feel guilty. He'd actually pondered that briefly in his anger. Who was he to judge?
"I can't send her anywhere." John said. "I am going to keep her here where I can watch her. John Henry, she's my wife. I love her."
John Henry was not sure if love was a strength or a weakness. It seemed more like a weakness.
"Love is a flaw that even seems to infect Metal." John Henry said.
John did think love was like an infection. Once you felt its sting, it soon consumed you.
"Are any of our Terminators even Terminators anymore?" John asked. "They've all grown, evolved and improved themselves. Cameron's even tried to slow some of them from expanding their feelings. She's told them it's painful to have emotions."
That was something John Henry was aware of on his own.
"Indeed." John Henry said.
John wondered if Cameron may have something picked out to target with the nukes.
"Do we know what Cameron wanted the warheads for?" John asked. "Are there some 'targets' I don't know about?"
John Henry wanted to move ahead with the briefing.
"That is unknown to me as well." John Henry said. "I was able to recover data from one of the Terminators that was crushed."
John sat up in his chair.
"Do we know from which future they are from?" John asked.
John hoped this was the lead they needed.
"No, but they intercepted those warheads from recovered Government documents as to their shipment schedule." John Henry said. "They appear to have all previous data erased. That seems to be the case with all captured Metal."
It seemed to John that since Skynet failed they would try again. Cameron said as much herself about that.
"Someone else will come looking for the warheads at some point." John said. "We need to know if they do."
John Henry was one step ahead of John.
"That always seems to be the case. I asked Bob and Steve to set up surveillance at the location and restore the area to how it looked on your arrival." John Henry said. "If anyone shows up they will find nothing."
John wanted to get back to the disposition of the warheads.
"Were you able to track Cameron at all?" John asked. "Do we know where anything ended up at?'
John Henry was outplayed by Cameron in that regard.
"No, she took control of the two drones I sent and made them return to the base." John Henry said.
John knew that meant Cameron knew that they tried to track her. That was going to cause another problem.
"This is getting better by the minute." John said.
John was sure that Cameron and nukes were never a good combination and a bad idea. Using one seemed logical to her if it served her purpose. It was simply another tool to her. It was a tool to get the job done no matter what the cost was.
Holly called Cameron about the recent developments with Vanna and Allison. Cameron came to see her, alone.
Like she figured, Cameron was angry. She was not surprised that Cameron was angry at her. She didn't feel she was responsible for the problem.
Cameron was very displeased with this news.
"I want you to fix 'this'." Cameron said. "Or do I need to deactivate you?"
The tears welled up in Holly's eyes. It wasn't her fault.
"How?" Holly asked. "I don't know how."
Cameron's eyes glowed red now.
"I don't want Allison upset." Cameron said. "You are going to make her change her mind."
To Holly it seemed more Cameron's fault that hers.
"Allison and Vanna have been separated for too long. The relationship had ceased to exist." Holly said. "You have kept her here to learn to be a mother with Summer. YOU are the one that kept them separated for too long."
Cameron knew Holly was right.
"Yes, I have. I wanted to help Allison learn to be a good mother. Now I have killed her relationship with her beloved instead." Cameron said. "I will assign you to work with Ally and send Hanna here to take your place."
Holly felt as if someone just stabbed her. It she had a heart, that is where she would have felt it. It seemed as if her world was about to be torn apart as well.
"Please don't." Holly said. "I love Allison. I need her."
All Cameron could see was a crimp in her long range plans.
"If she's upset, she will not reproduce. She will be hurt too much to move forward." Cameron said. "Now she will not want to be with John."
Holly thought of a way to move things forward.
"Bring me the genetic material and I will impregnate her." Holly said. "I am her mate now. Please, Cameron, give me a chance."
Cameron felt Holly missed the whole point.
"That's not how it is to be. John will need human females at his side to prevent from being assassinated. You know this." Cameron said. "This is your fault."
Holly saw only one way out. It was the hard way.
"That is a future that has not happened yet, maybe it never will, then what?" Holly asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. "If you will not allow me to be with Allison, then deactivate me – NOW."
Holly was prepared for this. It was what she wanted. It was time to sacrifice for Allison. She took out a knife and opened it as she handed it to Cameron. Holly got on her knees before Cameron to make it easier. She would not resist. Deactivation was better than dishonor.
"I submit to chip extraction." Holly said. "Please make it swift."
Holly wondered if Cameron would 'use' her chassis before she put a 'clean' chip in it. It didn't really matter at this point. She looked forward to oblivion.
Cameron looked at Holly and thought about the way she'd just behaved. It was more her fault than anyone's, not Holly's.
Cameron folded the knife and handed it back to Holly.
"I'm sorry, Holly. I was angry. I was angry at myself. I AM angry at myself." Cameron said. "I don't know what to do now."
Cameron saw how bad she'd just hurt Holly. She knew she made a scar in Holly's mind. It was a scar that would never go away or heal. It would be there forever when she thought about this.
Cameron pulled Holly in and gave her a hug.
"Go be with the one you love and soothe her, help her." Cameron said. "I apologize. I spoke to you unfairly. It's my fault. I acknowledged that."
Holly could see that Cameron was sincere.
"Thank you, Cameron." Holly said. "I love you."
Cameron pulled Holly back and looked into her eyes.
"I love you too, Holly. Please forgive me." Cameron said.
She kissed Holly on the cheek.
"I do, Cameron." Holly said. "I love you. I'm sorry."
Allison was frustrated over the 'official' breakup. It was never so 'formal' before. Vanna and her would just drift apart and then drift back like nothing ever happened. They never 'replaced' each other before.
"Mom, I don't know what to do." Allison said.
Claire wondered if Allison even knew what she wanted anymore.
"Sometimes there's nothing to do." Claire said. "What do you want?"
Allison's heart spoke for her.
"I want Vanna." Allison said.
Claire knew there were other choices now.
"Maybe you only think you do." Claire said.
Allison needed to think about the future, not the past.
"Maybe I want Holly and to have a baby." Allison said. "I don't know."
Claire knew Holly would protect her daughter at all costs, even if it meant her own destruction. Holly was excellent with the children and never was sick, tired, sleepy or got upset. Holly was the perfect 'woman'. Holly would make a perfect 'mother'.
"I will support you in whatever decision you make. I want you to be happy." Claire said.
Holly and Cameron entered the room. Holly immediately went to Allison and took her hand as they sat.
Cameron saw the look of love on both of their faces. She smiled and went to see Young Allison and Summer. She could not get enough of Summer. She felt ashamed for wanting to take Summer from Claire.
Cameron decided she needed to bring John by to see Summer more often. She also wanted him to be around Claire more often too. She watched him with Jan, his sister. She knew John would make a great father.
She looked back at Claire and Claire looked back at her. In that instant she KNEW Claire would have John's child. She did not know why or how she knew this but she did…. Maybe it was because Claire TOLD her as much in so many words. All she needed to do was 'be there' with John and Claire. She KNEW she could get Claire and Savannah to do what Allison and Vanna wouldn't.
She knew the 'age' issue was going to be a problem with Savannah. The humans were hung up on numbers. In nature when a specie was able to reproduce - it did. That's how it worked with all the rest of the insects and animals on the planet.
Cameron dwelt on the fact she was built to kill humans. That was her sole purpose. Now she'd evolved to the point she wished she could create humans. How time changes everything….
She reflected on her strained relationship with John. John said he loved her. Did he really? How do you know?
'Delta Dawn' by 'Helen Reddy', played in the background.
Bad Idea
What may start out with good intentions
May not always be fully thought out
Soon others may complain and shout
Leaving one full of uncertainty and doubt
What may be bad for one
Is actually good for another
Things may shower one with joy
While another they only smother
Anyone may do something questionable
Who are the ones who get to judge
Maybe they hold a personal grudge
As over another's dreams they trudge
Often they know it's a mistake
It's what the heart calls for
The outcome is already known
Before they walk through the door
The thoughts jam together in a mind
Clustered together like Pangaea
The heart trumps the mind every time
Even if everyone knows it's a bad idea
Nobody