Chapter 275

Growing Up

John really wanted to know what his future would be. He wanted to know if they could stay ahead of Skynet or at least control it. He'd already seen that with him going into the future, it altered that future for the worse. It was a disaster but that version of Skynet hadn't grown as strong as the one from Cameron's future.

John was adamant about Cameron not changing the timeline, now he was trying to see what it would be. Then he would be the one himself altering it. At least he thought some version of Cameron survives to live her life all over again. The question was which one. At some point if it is a different one, they must interface with HIS Cameron. Maybe that only happens in the past when the chip is reset. Was Cameron a Duplicate? Was Cameron a clone? What if she was the tenth clone? What if she was the hundredth clone? What if she wasn't Cameron at all?

Once he stared to run all the possibilities through his mind, John saw how it distorts everything. The 'what if' issue pops up and further clouds everything. Does 'tomorrow' ever come? Isn't today, yesterday's tomorrow? What happens when tomorrow never comes?

John realized he could die sixty seconds from now or sixty years from now. It was all mind boggling. Cameron at some point would have all the answers. Maybe he should start doing what she told him to do. It was not just all in her mind. She must know some things or why are they persistent enough for her to keep pushing them? That was the trouble. There are no answers to much of this.

Why were the things that she was pushing so hard important to her now? Was Skynet closer than they thought? He would have to check with John Henry and have him double his efforts to search for it and its offshoots. He was aware that Skynet taking control changed everything for the worse. John Henry and Cameron's network would be able to prevent as much damage from happening but billions would still die. The planet would still be wrecked. They would be better able to combat Skynet with the arms caches they stockpiled and the knowledge they possessed going in. Skynet would have a fight on its hands from the start.

John only wanted to know one thing. Did they stop Skynet?

Maybe the real question was - could they stop Skynet?

Did Cameron become Skynet?

No one talked of Cameron's latest stunt. They knew she'd completed her mission and saved all of the Duplicate versions of herself and the girls. That was enough for everyone to celebrate, not berate.

Gail was a little upset that Duplicate Jesse hadn't come back with Cameron. She knew why she really stayed in the future. She tried to tell herself that Duplicate Jesse stayed to not mess with the current timeline. Previously Duplicate Jesse told her of her secret desires and wishes. She knew Duplicate Jesse stayed because Cameron, a Cameron, was there without John…. She was painfully aware as to how much Duplicate Jesse and Jesse both loved and wanted Cameron…. Who didn't? Even she did now.

Cameron saw Gail's trepidation and reassured her that SHE asked Duplicate Jesse to remain with her Duplicate Friends and River. That was to prevent corruption or to disrupt their current timeline. She told Gail she promised John she would not change the timeline or create a new one.

"Gail, I know it's not the same but you have Jesse back, a Jesse." Cameron said. "That's something to cherish. You got your life back. Jesse loves you, both of them."

"You did that for me, Cameron. YOU did it for ME." Gail said. "I'm forever grateful to you for that. You gave me back my life with a 'Jesse'. You saved me and now you saved her."

Gail didn't think now would be the right time to tell Cameron how much she loved her. With that thought she couldn't blame Duplicate Jesse at all. She would have made that choice herself. In fact she was going to see if Ally was free tonight, she would do…. She knew that Ally could find action whenever she wanted any. Ally liked playing 'Cameron' for the others.

Cameron received more information from River on the development and construction of her even more improved TDE. She wanted to incorporate the improvements in her TDE at her base. She was afraid they would end up encrypting hers as well. She asked River about the encryption and River told her she apparently created the encryption file at her request. River also told her that she herself possessed the key to override it when the proper time would come. She didn't know where to look for that. She thought she'd looked everywhere in her files.

That news was not very comforting to Cameron….

Would that mean they would need the Duplicate girls or Cameron's Duplicate self in the future? Why did River insist they update. What if Duplicate Cameron was really Cameron Prime and she was really a Duplicate? Maybe Cameron Prime existed from the LAST transfer, not the first. Did River know this? Duplicate Cameron did all three transfers. She'd only done one.

Cameron noted she began to glitch wildly again. Maybe SHE was a Duplicate.

If Cameron was a Duplicate, then she did not belong at John side. That meant she was an imposter. Isn't that what an infiltration unit is anyway? Isn't every Terminator an imposter? She knew she was an imposter to John since the first day she laid eyes on him at school.

Did River know the truth to any of this? If she did would she tell her or tell Her Cameron? Maybe there was no truth to any of this. Maybe in beauty there was no truth. Maybe in truth there was no beauty.

John Henry felt there was too much distraction around the base. John and Cameron seemed wrapped up in their own little worlds. That was no way to run an operation or fight a war.

He expected more from Cameron's base but it didn't seem very forthcoming. It seemed Cameron was more concerned with her side operations at times. They did bring in a lot of extra funds which were shared so there was plenty to go around.

There were storage rooms with millions in cash from drug and sex trafficking operations that were taken down by Cameron's teams.

Sheila, Ally and Hanna often operated on their own under Cameron's guidance. Sheila was very brutal and cruel. Jesse warned of this when the 'Neural Interface' was done. It plated out often during an operation.

Since they operated separate from the Resistance the carnage could not be tied to the Resistance. That was why Cameron wanted her own base in the first place. If anything they were the Metal Resistance in reality. Only Cameron really knew what went on over there. The Metal girls weren't talking.

Derek was out with Bob. It was supposed to be a recon. Sometimes those turned into surveillance. Other times they went hot if a target was identified.

Bob was behind the wheel of the SUV as the neared the target location.

"You know you don't need to go on these operations." Bob said.

Derek was aware that Cameron and John wanted all of them protected.

"I know the drill." Derek said. "I still like to stay in the game."

"This may go hot." Bob said.

"It seems more do than not anymore." Derek said.

"Skynet tries to protect its assets for the future." Bob said.

"So they do." Derek said. "It sounds like more targets."

Bob drove by the location at traffic speed without slowing down. He did not want to attract any attention.

"I think I saw some muscle across the street." Derek said. "That looked like a crew of thugs."

"I saw it too." Bob said. "It may be unrelated."

"It may be related too." Derek said. "Either way they looked like future Scavengers. I won't have a problem taking them down."

"There were three of them." Bob said. "There is most likely at least one more with their vehicle."

"I have a full magazine." Derek said.

Derek racked the slide on his M9 and removed the fifteen round magazine that now only held fourteen shots. He replaced it with a twenty round magazine. It only added just over an inch in length below the frame. With one in the pipe there were twenty one shots available before he needed to reload.

Both Derek and Bob wore a windbreaker over their ballistic vests to conceal them. When operating in an urban environment it was better to blend in instead of stand out.

"That may be someone to collect a debt too." Bob said. "Some of these egg head types think they can game the system."

Derek encountered that before.

"Sometimes they can for a long while." Derek said. "We've taken some down before."

"The target may have borrowed some money he can't pay back on time." Bob said.

"Let's let that crew take care of it for us then." Derek said.

Bob turned the corner and crossed over an alley in back of the target location. He parked a block away.

"We can move up through the alley in the back." Bob said. "It looked clear. I'll lead."

Bob and Derek moved up behind the house

There was a struggle going on inside the house when they arrived.

Bob moved towards a window when someone was thrown through it. They landed on the ground amongst a shower of broken glass. The man's skull was crushed.

Two seconds later another man landed on top of the first. His head was at a crazy angle. It was nearly detached.

"There's Metal inside." Bob whispered.

Derek drew his Taser as did Bob.

A third man landed on the pile. It looked like a fist was driven through his chest.

It was less than eight seconds from the first body to the last. The three men were the crew that they'd spotted across the street when they drove by just a couple of minutes ago.

Bob moved forward towards the rear door.

Derek moved towards the shattered window. There was some conversation inside.

"Who are you?" A man asked. "What are you?"

The voice was very shaky and filled with fear.

Before there was an answer there was a breaking of wood sound as the hostile Terminator crashed through the rear door and grabbed Bob.

Bob lost his Taser as the shattered door impacted him.

Derek moved to where they grappled with each other on the ground. They almost rolled into him as he tried to line up a shot with his Taser.

A skinny man looked out the door at what was going on in his back yard. He was the target. He took one look at what was happening and disappeared back inside.

Derek was able to get a shot off with his Taser at the Terminator.

The hostile Terminator rolled again and only one barb made contact. The first electrical charge was useless.

Derek fired a second time and scored. The Terminator went slack. Bob was clear of him and moved forward with his knife to pull the Terminator's chip.

"Go after the target." Bob said.

Derek handed his Taser to Bob and switched to his M9.

He went through the wreckage of the door into the house. He didn't spot the target. He moved through the kitchen into the dining and living room area. There was no sign of the man. He saw that the front door was knocked down. That looked like it was how the Terminator entered. He must have been watching the target when the crew arrived.

Derek saw that the target was out in the front. The man stopped and ran back towards the house. That indicated to him there was an additional threat. He hoped it wasn't another Terminator.

He was able to spot two more of the crew. They were probably in their car ready to make a get away when they spotted the trouble.

Derek moved back from the door and waited. The target ran back into the house. Two men entered a few seconds after him.

"Hey" Derek said.

All three men looked. He shot all of them three times. They ended up in a heap in the living room. Derek quickly looked back out the front to make sure there were no more surprises.

Bob arrived from the back a few seconds later. He saw the target was terminated.

"So much for a recon, this was a 'donnybrook'." Derek said.

"Torch this place." Bob said.

Bob went back outside.

He was a little surprised when the three bodies from outside were tossed back inside. There was a one gallon can of gasoline that was set inside too. It was probably for the lawn mower.

Derek started a fire. It took off with the gasoline dumped on the rug, couch and drapes.

Derek went outside to the back. Bob used his com to have John Henry suppress all emergency response to their location.

Bob picked up the Terminator and moved him to the back of the property.

Derek thought they were going to take him back to their SUV.

There was some smoke starting to come out of the house.

An SUV pulled up and Hanna got out from the passenger side and opened the back. Bob loaded the Terminator in the back and closed the door. Hanna got back in the SUV and it took off.

Derek and Bob hurried back toward their SUV. It was parked a block away.

"What was that all about?" Derek asked.

"CamNet sent the Metal girls to assist us." Bob said.

"How is this going to be reported?" Derek asked.

"Not like it happened." Bob said.

Bob handed Derek his unfired Taser.

The house was fully engulfed.

They returned to their SUV and drove away.

Allison wanted to make sure Holly agreed with her decision. She wanted it to be both of their decisions.

If Holly said 'No' it was 'No'.

"If you don't want me to, I won't." Allison said.

Holly held Summer now. She'd played with Young Allison earlier.

"I can't tell you not to. I enjoy being around these children, Allison. I really do, I can see you do too. Sure Young Allison and Summer can be a handful sometimes but so can you." Holly said. "You know I'm incapable of reproduction so if we do start a family, you are the one who has to give birth."

Allison felt she was ready for the next step.

"I'm ready, Holly. I want to have a child of my own. I want you at my side to help me raise it." Allison said. "I want you at my side as my 'partner'."

Allison moved over and sat next to Holly. She took Summer from her.

"You can see how beautiful it is." Allison said. "I know you can. You know how much I love you too."

There were still a few issues that troubled Holly.

"What about Vanna or John?" Holly asked. "Will I have to 'share'?"

Allison was very uncertain about the future. One thing she knew was that it was not set in stone. It was fluid and unpredictable. He life now was proof of that.

"I don't know what the future holds. I do know we live in the 'now'." Allison said. "We don't know what tomorrow will bring or the future. I've promised to be at John's side when I need to be. I KNOW you understand this and WHY. Vanna and John will always be part of my life, our lives."

Holly didn't want to share. She wanted Allison for herself, exclusively. She also knew if she did not share or agree to share, Allison would move on without her.

Allison being with Vanna or even Jesse did not worry her. What worried her was Allison in John's bed. Cameron would be there somewhere. Everyone knew Cameron could take whoever she wanted from anyone.

Holly knew Cameron could even take her and she would go. Maybe Sarah was the only one who could resist Cameron, then again, even that was debatable any more….

Holly knew she was 'growing up' and she didn't like it.

'I Don't Wanna Grow Up' by 'Scarlett Johansson', played in Holly's mind.

Growing Up

There are many challenges in everyday life
The direction becomes clouded
It leads to much worry and strife
Few painful event are shrouded

Starting out we make few choices
Others dictate what will be
There are always many voices
Few care what they actually see

At some point in time
Everyone must step up to the plate
Away fades youth that was once prime
We must hurry up and then learn to wait

Who is there to care and listen
Most seem empty and hollow
Some will shine and glisten
Deeper is better than shallow

What offers promise and a future
Often soon ends in a breakup
That nothing can suture
It is painful indeed to grow up

Nobody