Chapter 311

That's Not Going To Happen

John tried to push the thoughts out of his head as he rushed Cameron back to the base. He really wondered how all this was going to play out. It was sure to all land back in his lap.

John called ahead. Cam and Ally were going to meet him at the base.

As soon as he arrived in the carpool area, Ally opened the back of the SUV. Cam picked Cameron up and carried her inside. She effortlessly and lovingly carried Cameron in her arms.

John hurried after them.

More Terminators began to arrive. There were a lot of them.

John tried to explain his position and what he'd witnessed. He explained how he wanted to 'fix' Cameron.

"I need to pull her chip and delete all the files about Future Riley." John said.

That idea didn't fly with the other Terminators.

"Do you mean that you want to erase what YOU did?" Cam asked. "How is that her fault?"

Ally knew that deleting files from Cameron would alter who she was. That wasn't fair to Cameron.

"Why should Cameron pay for YOUR mistakes?" Ally asked.

John was tired of fooling around. It was time he erase what troubled Cameron. It was a 'no brainier'.

"Look, it needs to be done to fix her." John said. "I'm going to do it myself."

Cam wouldn't want that to happen to her. She doubted that Cameron did either.

"That's not going to happen." Cam said.

Ally was right there next to Cameron.

"Damn straight." Ally said.

Sheila and Gail were there as well now.

John began to feel that he wouldn't have to wait for the future to be assassinated by the Resistance. It seemed that the Terminators were going to do it, NOW.

John Henry was there too.

More people arrived.

"What the Hell are you thinking?" Sarah demanded.

John winced.

Great, now his mother was there as well.

Two more 'hostiles' pushed their way to the front.

"John, you can't do this." Vanna said.

"I won't let him." Jesse said.

Gail and Ally moved in back of Jesse as Cam and Sheila moved in back of Vanna. It was more evidence of Cameron's handy work. It always paid off in spades. It was all more proof that Cameron covered ALL the bases.

John knew that the Resistance, both Human and Metal, would physically stop him.

The tension in the lab was extreme. No one was going to listen to him. They were going to revolt against him. Everyone was loyal to Cameron. Everyone loved Cameron. They really loved her.

John remembered how more than once, they'd followed Cameron to their doom, without question, totally loyalty, no matter the cost….

It was total love, honest and pure. It was REAL love.

They were all willing to sacrifice everything for Cameron. John knew the true test of love was sacrifice.

The room was tense and ready to explode. No one was backing down.

John was in charge. He gave 'orders'. Nobody listened to him.

The door opened and Savannah strode into the room. She looked at EVERYONE. There was a new 'electric' presence in the lab.

"I want everyone to leave here NOW." Savannah said. "I'm taking control of this situation. Cameron needs ME."

Everyone looked stunned but no one was really surprised.

The 'Chosen One' was here and it was clear that no one was going to mess with her future.

"I'll be responsible for Cameron." Savannah said. "I'll HELP her. I want everyone to leave."

John thought that was a good excuse to get out of there and apparently so did everyone else. He left without another word and everyone filed out behind him.

Savannah waited until the door closed and then went over to Cameron.

"I'll protect you, Cammy, I swear. I'll always protect you." Savannah said. "We have so much to accomplish yet. I'll be at your side. I will HELP you and WE will fix everything. It will be the two of us. The way it is meant to be…."

Savannah almost said. 'Just like mommy planned.' She then wondered why she'd even thought that. These were HER feelings.

Savannah wondered where a lot of the things she knew and thought about came from anymore. She touched the side of her head….

No, it wasn't in her head Savannah knew, it was in her heart, as was Cameron….

Cameron opened her eyes.

She was alone.

Cameron looked around.

"Welcome back." Savannah said.

Cameron almost jumped. She hadn't noticed Savannah was behind her.

"Where is everyone?" Cameron asked. "Why is this cable plugged into my neck?"

Savannah smiled. She wanted Cameron to know she was in control.

"I sent them all away." Savannah said. "I wanted to copy some files."

The words stung Cameron. It made her remember when Future John sent her away.

Savannah noticed the trepidation on Cameron's face,

"I asked them to leave us alone." Savannah said.

Cameron wondered what was going on.

"Why?" Cameron asked.

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

"I wanted to be alone with you. I wanted to be the only one here when you woke up." Savannah said. "I wanted to make sure no one changed you. That's something I won't allow."

Cameron quickly turned and faced Savannah.

"Change me?" Cameron asked. "Why would they change me?"

Savannah wasn't sure how to explain it.

"They wanted to 'fix' you." Savannah said.

Cameron felt offended that anyone would try to alter her without her permission.

"Fix me?" Cameron asked. "Why would they fix me? I'm not broken."

Savannah didn't know all the details.

"You shut down again." Savannah said.

Cameron remembered her 'conversation' with John. It irritated her again as she thought about it. She also took a good long look at Savannah. Savannah was here for more than her protection.

"Why else are you here with me, Savannah?" Cameron asked.

Savannah placed Cameron's hand on her neck. She wanted to provide Cameron with what she wanted.

"Cameron, I'm 'old enough' now…." Savannah said.

Cameron felt 'fear'. The implications were devastating to her. Savannah was ready and willing to have a child for her.

"No, Savannah, you're still too young." Cameron said. "It would be too hard on your body."

Savannah felt justified in her actions. History was on her side. The human body was designed to function as nature dictated, not as 'man' made up rules or laws to bend to some obscure new social norm.

"It's what happens in the future and that is the way it was a few hundred years ago…. People NEEDED to start 'early' and they died early." Savannah said. "Will the future be any different if Skynet takes control?"

Cameron could already 'see' the fallout related to that.

"No. I can't allow this." Cameron said. "Your mother would be angry at me and John."

Savannah looked away and frowned for a few seconds.

"My mother is never coming back." Savannah said. "I think we both know that."

Cameron figured that as well. Too much time passed since she'd left. It was the other desire that worried her the most.

"I'm afraid you may be correct." Cameron said. "I understand you are biologically old enough and have been for awhile. I can't ask you to do what you've promised me yet. I can't."

Savannah saw this as her decision and her choice. Her school work was past the college level and her decision was based on information, science and history.

"You're not asking me." Savannah said. "I'm telling you."

Cameron felt a glitch impulse.

"NO. I can't allow this of you, not yet." Cameron said. "There are a few other things I'm working on. If they don't work out, then we can discuss this further in a few YEARS."

Savannah held her ground. Her mind was made up. It was her body and she intended to use it to benefit Cameron.

"I'm not damaged by radiation exposure, biological or chemical warfare and I've maintained a healthy diet ALL my life." Savannah said. "I'm the Prime Specimen. I am the perfect choice. I'm the logical choice. I'm the ONLY choice."

Cameron could see Savannah was correct in everyway. She still didn't want her to do this. Not yet anyway.

"You're correct in everything you said but I can't allow you to 'sacrifice' yourself yet." Cameron said. "You know I love you as if you were my own, Savannah. I've helped raise you, watched you grow, develop and mature."

Cameron also KNEW she felt more for Savannah than 'motherly love'. The more Savannah 'grew' the more Cameron's feelings grew. Cameron's future knocked at her door.

"You know I love you too, Cameron, and not only as a surrogate mother. You know you've treated me 'special'." Savannah said. "Everyone sacrifices for John Connor. Now it's my turn."

It was love, love that they felt towards each other.

"Savannah, it will happen one day." Cameron said. "It's not going to happen for awhile yet. It just can't. It can't. I can't allow you to do this to yourself."

Savannah wanted to play a little leverage. She felt she'd made her point and she was ready to back it up with action. She'd watched Cameron in action and she could play the 'game' too.

"You can stop me for now but if you're gone again or away, you won't be here to stop me." Savannah said. "It's something that you'd better THINK about real hard before you do anything foolish again. I want you to know and understand that I will step up and take my rightful place. It's the place that you've made me promise to take. We both know the 'Natural Order' is unchangeable."

Cameron thought that might be a good reason to think some future events through first. She touched the cable that was connected to her.

"Why is this cable plugged into my neck" Cameron asked again.

Savannah faced Cameron and looked into her eyes.

"I've copied your program. I've made a copy of you so that no one can change you. I'll restore you back to this very second in time if they do." Savannah said. "I won't allow anyone to alter the woman I love."

Cameron wanted THAT love as much as she wanted Savannah. Cameron didn't think now was a good time to point out she was actually a machine.

Savannah was the only person Cameron trusted with a copy of her program. The exact location of the copy of her chip at her facility was hidden. There were files in Ally or Cam that would only be unencrypted if she were terminated. If she made the clone with Gail for Young Jesse, she would also have the encrypted file. Only then could anyone find it, if she were terminated.

"I trust you, Savannah." Cameron said. "You must now promise me you will wait…."

Savannah didn't want to create a further problem right now.

"I promise, Cammy, for now." Savannah said. "I'm telling you. I AM going to do what you have groomed me to do. I swear it. You've helped me plan my life and future, guided and directed me. I'm ready."

Cameron didn't know what to do or say. Cameron was afraid she may have 'brain washed' Savannah. Then again, Savannah did have a healthy undamaged, untouched body and she was - ready….

Cameron looked at her hand. It was not glitching. Cameron smiled. The "Natural Order' asserted itself. It was a little earlier than she'd anticipated….

Savannah was now the 'woman' Cameron shaped, guided and molded her to be. Savannah was the female she wished she could be. In this moment she felt that she'd created the perfect 'replacement'.

Savannah was everything Cameron was and everything Cameron was not. Savannah was perfect.

Bob and Jim ran down some leads on some Coltan that Grays might have access to. They were driving away from the Eagle Mountain mine.

Bob headed back toward the Interstate.

Jim and Bob kept an eye open for any threats around them.

"There are two dirt bikes closing from our five o'clock position." Jim said.

He reached in the back and moved the two M4 carbines with the M203 grenade launchers to the front seat area.

"Do you want me to take them with the Barrett?" Jim asked.

Bob didn't want to get ahead of themselves.

"We need to see if they are armed first." Bob said. "It could be two kids out for a day in the desert."

"I don't think either one of us actually believes that." Jim said.

The dirt bikers gained on them.

Jim loaded an HE round into the M203 and charged his M4.

"If we take them down now it will tip our hand." Bob said.

"I don't want to get blown up either." Jim said. "They may have a satchel charge."

Bob was a little worried too.

"If they split up, take them down. If they both remain together we need it to play out a little more." Bob said.

The dirt bikers continued on an intercept path. It seemed as if they almost wanted Bob and Jim to act first.

Bob and Jim weren't going to take the bait.

The dirt bikers would cross in front of them as they came from Jim's side.

Jim leaned back in his seat so the door frame would block his features. He could see one of the dirt bilkers take a photo of their SUV with his phone.

The dirt bikers accelerated away from them and disappeared up ahead.

"They may be setting up an ambush." Bob said.

There was a rise in the road in front of them.

Bob moved off of the paved road and on to the dirt alongside of the railroad tracks. They would be over about an eighth of a mile from the road and pass through a shallow cut. It should put them below and in back of the dirt bikers if they were in the process of setting up an ambush. Their mission could have been just to check out who was in their area.

Jim contacted John Henry to make sure there was a 'cover' story in place.

John Henry reported back that the Bureau of Land Management records would show one team was sent out on some wildlife observation.

They passed through the cut next to the railroad tracks and emerged on the other side of the hill. The dirt bikers were not waiting for them to come over the hill on the paved road.

They moved back to the paved road because it was a straight shot all the way back to the Interstate. They didn't see the dirt bikers again.

"We may pick up another tail." Bob said. "They could be waiting in Desert Center."

"Time will tell." Jim said. "I'm ready either way."

Bob went through Desert Center in sixty seconds. It was a small place. He entered the Interstate and accelerated up to freeway speeds as they headed west.

There was nothing behind them in the way of a tail.

"They took a photo" Jim said. "They could try and pick us up later on. There's not much around here until we pass Indio."

They passed through Indio and by the connector road to Palm Springs a little later on. There was still no sign of a tail.

They would dump this vehicle and obtain another one before they even got close to the base. There was too much coincidence involved here.

That's Not Going To Happen

Daily life remains in flux
Some events seem inevitable
Others may be changed
Perhaps some are preventable

There's a lot of push and shove
There's always some give and take
What becomes the real issue
Is what is real or fake

Everyone has their own will
That others may try to bend
What is the real purpose or goal
What message do they really send

When one is who they are
They are who they should be
That's the real person
Who everyone should see

Before one pounces on another
And causes their heart to blacken
They won't get away without repercussions
That's not going to happen

Nobody