Chapter 321

First Choice

John Henry went over the information Cameron brought back from the raid she'd conducted. It was the same raid where Cameron collected two more female Terminators and was shot up on, along with Gail and some of their other Terminators. He was glad that Gail called in for assistance rather than letting Cameron get shot up even worse. Bob and Jim were currently out to run down a few leads on some Coltan that may or may not be directly related to where the last raid took place.

"John, with this data Cameron has gathered, I think we have some new targets now identified." John Henry said. "We need to follow up on them soon."

John was irritated to be reminded of Cameron's ill advised adventure. He was certain there was more involved with it all.

"That was a risky mission Cameron conducted. It was done without thorough planning. It was reckless." John said. "I know Cameron rushed it for something else she pulled off."

John Henry didn't think John should 'push it'. It would only lead to a bigger problem.

"If Cameron wants us to know what her motives are she'll tell us. If not, it's best we use the information we have and move forward." John Henry said. "I've sent two drones out for recon. I wanted to check several sites and I am pulling up all the satellite data as well."

John was worried about more HK drone becoming active.

"If you see anything with more HK drones I want you to hit it now before they can regroup." John said. "I don't want to risk anyone on the ground yet until we know more. If any non Metal was on that raid Cameron conducted, they would be dead."

John Henry didn't think now was a good time to point out John said he wanted to be on that raid. He was very upset he wasn't along.

"Cameron knows Metal can take more 'punishment'." John Henry said. "Everyone will be fine soon enough if they aren't already.

John was angry Cameron seemed to be totally uncaring about herself and damaged some of their Metal on the raid. Gail was not even supposed to be in combat now. Cameron must have needed her for something specific. He didn't know how to make Cameron understand he cared about her and loved her. It appeared the inner demons still existed within her. He doubted she was ever going to be able to slay them on her own. She hadn't been able to do it so far.

"I will keep you advised and if I have a target, I will deal with it, unless you want to approve it first." John Henry said.

John was worried Cameron would go again or alone.

"You can notify me first, unless you need to strike immediately." John said. "I trust your judgment."

John Henry could see John was still troubled by Cameron's actions.

"John, Cameron is trying to protect you and 'our family'." John Henry said. "She's trying to protect ALL of us."

John let out a long breath. There was no way around this that was satisfactory to him. He didn't think it was all Cameron's fault.

"I know, I know." John said. "I know everything she's doing or has done is what she feels is necessary to protect me now and in the future. I also know it's killing her. It makes me sick. She's trying to do a job she was programmed to do, while trying to live a life she wasn't programmed to do. She was never programmed for 'love' let alone marriage."

John Henry didn't think Cameron's evolution was anywhere near complete yet.

"John, she's expanded beyond all her programming parameters long ago." John Henry said. "Cameron is ready to become 'Skynet' and try to control the world. Her love for you and the girls is the only thing keeping her from doing that."

John really wished there was someone who could have some 'control' over Cameron, even if it was through love.

"I hope her love for the girls is stronger than it is for me then." John said.

John Henry knew there was one of them that it was. It was at least equal to John if not stronger….

The fate of the world may one day rest in the hands of the 'Chosen One'.

Riley talked to Sarah about her 'problem'. It was very frustrating to her.

"Sarah, I don't know what to do." Riley said.

It seemed like a medical issue to Sarah.

"I know you've been to the doctor about this." Sarah said. "There should be a solution there somewhere."

Riley frowned. As soon as a medical worker started to examine her, there were a lot of questions as to her 'physical condition'.

"Yes, I have." Riley said. "Even though they're paid not to ask questions, they still want too."

Sarah wondered if maybe she should go with Riley. She was sure she could dissuade any unnecessary questions, even without needing to pull her Glock. She wouldn't hesitate to do so either.

"John Henry's made it clear to them that I was involved with classified development and testing of weapons by the 'government'. It's to try and explain my medical readings." Riley said. "He's taken me to the top doctors and Derek as well. Every time they demand better answers, John Henry doubles their fee."

Sarah wondered how deep this problem truly was.

"So both of you are 'sterile'?" Sarah asked.

Riley felt some tears rise up but she suppressed them.

"Derek may be worse off than me." Riley said. "This is why none of the girls here from my future have been able to have children before – they can't. We all should have ended up pregnant several times over, especially Jesse."

Riley was uneasy to remember all the men that left their 'seed' inside of her and the other girls.

Sarah thought maybe there was some hope.

"Allison was pregnant." Sarah said. "Duplicate Allison was anyway. Then again we don't know if she carried the child to full term. We will all be dead a few hundred years before that happens…."

Riley wanted to try a few things on her own first. She really didn't know how to ask.

"Sarah…." Riley started to ask but stopped.

Sarah was pretty sure she knew what Riley was going to ask.

"Yes?" Sarah asked as she waited.

Riley teared up and couldn't say anything right now.

Sarah knew the pain Riley was in. Sarah stepped up.

"I'll ask Kyle." Sarah said. There was a long pause. "I'll ask John too. Do you have first choice?"

Riley felt very uncertain but she was desperate. If Judgment Day happened again, she would never have children.

"No." Riley said. "Thank you."

Sarah gave Riley a long hug.

"Something will work out." Sarah said.

They both doubted that but neither said it.

"I'm sorry, Sarah." Riley said. "I don't know what else to do."

Cameron returned to the Resistance base. She needed to get away from the Gray 'crybaby'. She was fed it with everything.

Normally she wasn't around after being 'damaged'. She didn't like John to see her less than Tight. It always upset John to see her wounds. It never mattered if she explained that they were cosmetic. The body armor at least kept her from anymore major breast damage. She was sure anything traumatic like that again would be permanent. She'd been shot hundreds of times over the years. All that damage takes a toll, even on a Terminator.

Cameron knew the real wounds that did permanent damage could never be seen. They existed within her chip and within her mind. The wounds that hurt the most were the wounds that the people she loved inflicted on her.

Savannah saw Cameron and was instantly worried. She noticed Cameron's hands right away 'both' of them. Something was wrong.

"Cammy." Savannah said as she walked up to Cameron.

Cameron was pleased to see Savannah.

"Yes?" Cameron asked.

It was clear to Savannah that Cameron was a little out of it. She needed to find out what went wrong.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Savannah asked.

Cameron knew Savannah could tell she was experiencing a few problems. There was no use lying to her, nor did she want to lie to Savannah.

"Can we go to your room?" Cameron asked. "I'm not one hundred percent. I don't want to upset anyone else."

Savannah took Cameron's left hand and the glitch stopped. She led her away. She was determined to help Cameron any way she could. Cameron was under a lot of pressure and glitched a lot. She wanted to help solve that problem and the problems that caused it.

"Cameron, why is there blood on your right hand and clothing?" Savannah asked.

Cameron looked at her right hand. It was as if she noticed the blood for the first time.

"I may have done something terrible to someone." Cameron said. "I don't remember. I was angry and I wanted the noise to - stop. I didn't like what I was doing."

Cameron could see the concern, not fear, on Savannah face.

"It was a Gray. They were targeted for termination." Cameron said.

Savannah understood the sins of the future.

"Those who have, or will, turn against mankind must atone for their transgressions." Savannah said. "It is their own actions that have determined their fate. You merely carried out the sentence."

Cameron was pleased Savannah understood everything.

"Yes, I'm simply the executioner." Cameron said.

Cameron still seemed a little bit 'out of it' to Savannah.

"Let's get you cleaned up. You can use my shower while I go get your spare clothes from the lab. I know you have several sets there." Savannah said. "That way I won't bother John."

Being around Savannah soothed and pleased Cameron immensely. Why couldn't John be like this to her?

"Thank you, Savannah." Cameron said. "I know I can always count on you for everything."

Savannah understood her role and function in the future.

"The future rests in our hands." Savannah said as she left. "We will protect John together."

Savannah was already gone.

"I want that, Savannah." Cameron said. "That's what I want for you and John. "

Bob stood and moved back to the female.

"Get on the floor three seconds after we leave and stay there." Bob whispered.

"My sister…." The female whispered.

"My friend will go there first." Bob whispered. "The lights will go off at the same time."

Bob and Jim both exited the room. Jim went back down the hall and Bob went to the room marked 'No Admittance'.

The power went off.

It was Showtime.

Bob turned the handle and the door marked 'No Admittance' opened.

There were five men and one female in the room. It was the three men that the female told him about and the two that arrived with the female in the sedan. They were confused by the sudden darkness.

He grabbed the first two that held the female and slammed their heads together. The other three were unsure what was happening in the darkness. He grabbed the next two and slammed their heads together too. The last man began to realize that something was wrong. He managed to get his phone out and get the light on. He saw the girl was still tied and gagged. He also saw his four associates laid out on the ground. His world went dark one second later.

Jim moved down the hall and entered the room with the closed door. There was a man choking a female for some reason. He punched the man on the back of the head and he fell off the female and bed onto the floor. He was out cold or worse.

The female gasped for breath.

The lights came back on.

The female was startled to see Jim there and the other man on the floor.

"Come with me if you want to live." Jim said. "We're getting out of here."

"My sister…." The woman gasped.

"We have her. She's safe." Jim said. "Get dressed."

Jim turned to leave. He paused and took out his knife.

"It's up to you if you want justice." Jim said.

The woman threw on some clothes.

"This guy was going to strangle me." The woman said. "He told me he paid extra so he could. He said he was going to be a 'double veteran'."

Jim knew what that meant.

"Do what you want." Jim said.

"I want the men who abused my sister." The woman said.

Jim could hear it was quiet.

"We have them." Jim said. "Some may still be alive."

Jim collected two more scared females. They didn't speak English but they understood he was there to help them.

The female's sister joined them a short time later.

Jim saw that the knife was unused.

Bob came out of the end room with the female. The other female was with him.

The female ran to her sister.

Jim looked in the 'office'. There were four men lined up on the floor. The fifth one was dead.

"Those are the men." The female said. "Are they dead?"

"Not yet." Bob said.

"I want them punished for what they did to me." The girl said.

Bob looked at Jim.

"Bring the sister out when she's done." Bob said.

Bob took the other three females and the girl out to the sedan.

"Get in the back." Bob said to the three females.

He opened the front passenger door for the female.

"Your sister will be out in a minute." Bob said.

Two minutes later the sister came out there was some more fresh blood on her. He could see that she'd wiped most of the blood off of her hands. He opened the car door for her. She got behind the wheel of the sedan.

He handed the female a strong box that he busted open.

"Divide up the money." Bob said. "You can go to the police or a hospital. They will take the money if you do. The men here are all dead."

The female's sister looked up.

"I don't know if they were still alive when I left." The sister said.

"Trust me." Bob said. "They won't be if they are."

She nodded and looked over and her sister.

"I took care of them." The sister said. "All of them."

The female sobbed a little with relief.

"Let's go then." The female said.

The sister started the car and drove away. None of the females wanted the authorities or medical treatment. This was nothing new to any of them except the one female.

Bob went back inside.

The four men didn't move. There was a lot of blood around on the floor now. They were bleeding out. They were all gagged and there hands tied behind their backs. It looked as if their pelvis was shattered. None of them could stand.

"I'm not even going to ask what' happened." Bob said.

"The sister did that." Jim said. "I put the gags on. This is how they were."

Bob tossed a Thermite grenade in front of the men as they exited the office. They moved back up to the front.

Jim stopped and looked at the man who tried to strangle the sister before he could abused her.

"He's terminated." Jim said.

They exited back into the front of the building.

The receptionist looked at the clock.

"That was fast." The receptionist said. "You must be 'minute men'. She was pretty fresh so I can see how that would go."

Bob and Jim knew the receptionist was in on it and 'dirty' too.

"How often do you get in new females here?" Bob asked.

"I really don't know." The receptionist said. "This was my first day."

Bob and Jim looked at each other.

"It's your last day too." Jim said.

At that point smoke began to drift out of the back area.

"I suggest you take the money and go." Bob said.

The receptionist looked at the smoke.

"Is there a fire?" The receptionist asked.

"Yes." Bob said. "Everyone else went out the back."

The receptionist looked through the little window in the door. She could see the raging inferno in the back.

"I need to dial 911." The receptionist said.

"The phones don't work." Jim said.

The receptionist tried the phone on the desk and then her cell phone.

"Take the cash and go." Bob said.

They both left. If she stayed inside, it was on her. She was 'dirty'.

They made it to the SUV and got in. They waited but never saw the receptionist leave as the building burnt. There was no emergency response.

"I think this place is wrapped up." Jim said. "Who was the girl we saw in the sedan?"

"She was from the place Al and Ed took down. She was hiding in the bushes where the truck was left at. Someone spotted her when they collected the truck. They sent part of the crew from this place to find her, they did."

"That means we need to find where they took the truck." Jim said.

They drove away. They went to check on the machine shop and the other location where there were some sub assemblies being constructed.

John Henry informed them that they may be needed soon for another operation. He'd let them know.

First Choice

If there is a first
Then there is a last
The difference between them
May be small or vast

Does it all come down to
Someone else's decision
It can cause an internal collision
Ending up with a major division

It does make a difference
To the one that is in limbo
Nobody wants to be seen
As some kind of bimbo

It will be remembered as a mistake
If one is there only to take
They don't really care
Whose heart they'll break

One must speak up clearly
They need to use their voice
Time waits for nobody
If one wants first choice

Nobody