Chapter 427

Younger Crop

John Henry was able to come up with some new leads. John wanted to use the opportunity of Cameron being away to get out to the field and do some things on his own. He didn't like her taking all the risks. It bothered him how Cameron would always hold him back. She wanted him to delegate the responsibility. She told him that was the sign of a true leader. He believed a true leader should lead, henceforth the name 'leader'.

John went out with Bob and Steve. Kyle was with Jim and Al. They were going to do some reconnaissance. So far it progressed smoothly. That could always change and change fast. Sometimes there was a warning, sometimes there wasn't.

They'd identified several new locations as well as what might be another super computer. It may be two of them. John Henry identified them by energy usage that was routed through several sources to hide it. It was a nice try but they'd slipped up. The Grays always got over confidant and made mistakes. John Henry caught them. CamNet was there to back him up if needed. He didn't need it much. It didn't matter. Camnet was always there too. CamNet was 'Cameron' and she liked to know everything that happened.

Caution was something Cameron and John pounded into everyone. Everyone always needed to be alert, never take chances and watch your six. If anyone went out, there was to be plenty of Metal to tag along. Cameron supplied them with a seemingly endless supply of vehicles so they could change frequently. It was common to run the teams through an ambush that they'd set up at different locations to see if anyone ever followed them. So far they'd been able to neutralize any threat. It was still something they needed to fear. They'd tracked down Skynet and its illegitimate offshoots. If they were careless Skynet could do the same thing to them. That would also put their families at risk.

John and Kyle were out as two separate teams, they were the team leaders. Cameron made sure two teams of her Terminators silently shadow them. If Cameron herself couldn't shadow them she made sure her Terminators did. She didn't like to step on John's toes but she was there for him if needed. John Henry knew he could direct them for backup as necessary. Cameron didn't like non-Metal being out in the field but she understood their 'need' to want to help. They wanted to protect their families and future too. She sent her Terminators to do the same for her family.

"Bob, there's something that's been bothering me." John said. "It made me wonder about something that was said. That last group we encountered seemed to know about Cameron."

Bob was aware of that as well. He'd even asked Cameron about it. Her answer left something to be desired.

"She's everywhere and has faced down several Skynets or its offshoots, herself." Bob said. "She told me that somehow it seemed the different Skynets were able to communicate, even in if they were in different timelines."

That didn't make any sense to John. How could they do that?

"That's impossible." John said.

Steve knew that Cameron thought she repeated her 'life' more than once already. It was a strange concept in all regards. There could still be merit in it based on what they'd encountered.

"Unless somehow it is not the first time Cameron has encountered them if she's living her life over like she thinks." Steve said. "She always makes sure the computer, the Sky-whatever, knows it is her that terminated it."

John didn't like Cameron to do that but he understood what her purpose was for doing it.

"She's trying to make herself the target instead my mother or me." John said. "She's protecting us in both the future and the past this way."

John also knew Cameron was protecting him and everyone else in the present by taking the most of risks herself. That didn't sit well with him either.

Bob saw Cameron only playing a shell game by making herself the target. She put someone else other than John at risk then if Skynet sent Terminators back in time again to preemptively strike. With more than one future now, it could happen again.

"Isn't she endangering Allison by doing that then?" Bob asked. "We don't see Allison much anymore. I heard her mother wants to move to our base with the two younger girls."

John figured Cameron was behind that idea. It was to bring Young Allison closer to him to further her plans for the 'Natural Order'. Cameron already complained to him that there was no point in anyone waiting for anything since the future was already determined. Cameron didn't see an issue with age since the outcome was already known and the end result would be the same again. What Bob said about Allison's mother made him think about her. He liked the way Claire looked too but he'd never mentioned that. That would only put new ideas into Cameron's head. He didn't know they were already there.

"Allison's mother is only a few years older than her. She's younger than Vanna and Jesse." John said. "Why hasn't Cameron already done that? It seems like that would be something she'd pursue on several levels."

Bob felt Cameron would terminate Paul Young at some point to get him out of the way. She hadn't done that yet because she didn't want to hurt Allison.

"Allison's father is the issue. Cameron doesn't want him around our girls." Bob said. "Allison wants her parents together. They've fallen out as a pair."

That sounded a little sad to John.

"Why?" John asked.

Bob thought what everyone thought who'd ever seen Claire around Cameron. The looks on Claire's face said it all. Her vital signs only confirmed it.

"Allison's mother loves Cameron." Bob said.

John didn't think that was anything new.

"That happens to everyone sooner or later." John said. "I know. What has Cameron done to fix it?"

Bob thought Cameron made a good strategic move. It would better protect Claire Young and her daughters.

"She's provided Allison's mother with a female Terminator." Bob said. "Hanna is her mate now."

John shook his head in disgust. That was just like Cameron. With a Terminator in the mix Claire would never go back to her husband. That only made the problem worse not better.

"How does that 'fix it'?" John asked.

Bob didn't think John looked at it like Cameron did.

"Claire is a known producer of beautiful girls." Bob said "That's what Cameron is after."

John figured Claire was headed for his bed at some point. He didn't like the way Cameron controlled everyone through sex. That included him too. Like all females, Cameron learned to 'hold out' on him to influence him or get her way.

"Cameron has 'given' all the girls female Metal lovers." John said. "Her sole purpose is to control everyone. She doesn't care about the actual people."

Bob understood that Cameron was the ultimate infiltrator.

"It's what she does. She's the bait that captures everything." Bob said. "Cameron is the Queen."

John didn't like this development at all. Cameron manipulated people's lives as she altered their future. He wondered how much of that was Future John's fault - HIS fault.

He was sure of one thing. Cameron was going to do what she thought needed to be done and nobody was going to stand in her way.

John wondered if Future John told her to do things that way or if it was something Cameron did on her own. It was probably a combination of both. Either way it didn't seem that he could exert as much influence as he thought he should be able to.

Sarah liked the interaction along with all the help she got from the girls and Metal females. Jan really liked one more than the others. It was Cameron. She liked to watch them interact. Cameron was such a different person when she was with children. She'd evolved so much from her early days. Jan could always tell Cameron somehow from her clones. She couldn't if they were Tight. Ally was easier for her to identify, she was more like Allison. Cam and Cammy were impossible to tell apart. She heard they were supposed to run 'mixed programs' but ran off their 'Cameron programming' most of the time for Vanna and Savannah. Savannah seemed to have been away a lot lately. She must really be 'bonding' with Young Jesse. She thought about that and smiled. She'd 'bonded' with a few of her High School girlfriends too…. They could learn new things and explore and didn't need to worry about getting pregnant. She wondered how much longer it would be until Cameron brought Young Jesse to the Resistance base.

She watched how Cameron 'guided' Savannah towards John. If Cameron brought Young Jesse here as well, that would be another one that she would direct towards John. It looked like Cameron was about to replace the girls here already with their younger selves to make something 'happen'. It seemed to be a younger crop, waiting to be harvested…. She wondered if the younger versions of the girls would get into a competition to see who could 'get' to John first or if they would simply be satisfied with each other and not pursue John at all.

Sarah actually wondered why she wasn't a grandmother yet. With all of Cameron's manipulation she figured she would have been one several years ago. Little did she know she already was a grandmother 'in some future'. Then again, that was in the future and hadn't happened yet even though somehow it already did….

Cameron was alone with her program clone Summer. It was time to make a decision. River's time bubble would be here tomorrow. Someone needed to be in it. Sheila already volunteered once she found out the nature of the assignment. If Summer didn't want the assignment, Sheila was going to take it. She already said she would bring an extra set of nipple rings along for Duplicate Jesse if she went. Sheila was sure once Duplicate Jesse saw her nipple rings that she would want to look like that too.

Cameron laid it all out for Summer. Summer wanted what Cameron originally offered her.

"I don't know, Cameron. I thought I was going to replace you as John's mistress so he could be close with Savannah or the other girls." Summer said. "Isn't that what you still want?"

Sometimes Cameron didn't know what it was she wanted. She wanted what was best for John and she really didn't think it was her. She seemed to be at odds with him much too often over little things. It was all very disturbing to her. It was actually what all couples or relationships experienced.

"It's what I want." Cameron said. "Savannah is the 'Chosen One'. If I ever may have felt any doubt about that it is long gone. She's a fine young woman. Savannah is better than I could ever be for John."

Cameron seriously believed that. She knew Savannah's heart was pure. That thought only reminded her she didn't really have a heart. It reminded her she was a machine.

Summer wanted what was promised to her previously. She didn't want to disparage Savannah but she did want to point out a few things. She was aware that time would nullify her concerns but didn't want to point that out.

"She's still a young teenager." Summer said. "She lacks a lot of social interaction. Her world view is limited."

Cameron gritted her teeth slightly. She'd picked up a number of human idiosyncrasies over the years. Maybe they were other ways she was able to release 'stress' instead of her hand glitching. They were all manifestations of her inability to process things that troubled her. She believed any of Savannah's shortcomings were her fault. She was the one who kept Savannah in isolation for most of her life. She believed that Savannah was well rounded and a much better person than she ever could be. She'd tried to guide or make Savannah everything she could never be.

"Savannah's experiences and training, as well as her education, are far beyond her numerical years. Don't forget she's almost another year older now too." Cameron said. "I've spent a lot of one-on-one time with her as I did with My Allison - Future Allison. They are both truly dynamic individuals now. I spent almost a year with each one alone for every hour they were not asleep."

Cameron also spent time with them sleeping. She'd whispered things into their ear as they slept. That conditioning procedure was being done with Young Allison as well. If she could not go herself to do it, Holly and Hanna did and were instructed to use her voice as she slept.

Summer shared Cameron's programming so she'd experienced the same things that Cameron did. She was aware that all of that 'one on one' time had its effect.

"They both love you more than anything." Summer said.

Cameron felt each of those girls 'grow' in her as much as she 'grew' inside of each of them. Two people that were very close to each other for extended periods of time would either fall in love or hate each other. She preferred the former over the latter. The idea to 'get away from it all' and maintain the 'Natural Order' could have more than one ending or beginning….

"That's a two way street, Summer." Cameron said. "I was under their influence as well for that time period. I love them both. I have thought of taking both of them, Future Allison and our Savannah with John to a different time period."

Summer checked some of her blocked files. They were still blocked. Events leading up to them indicated that those thoughts may have manifested into actions.

"You may have done that." Summer said. "You may have given John the best version of 'Allison' and best version of 'Savannah'."

Cameron reviewed those same files in her system. What did she do before? Was it the 'right' thing to do?

"I don't know, Summer." Cameron said. "I really don't know."

Summer reviewed many of 'Cameron's personal files'. They were her files too. She understood a new door awaited her to open it. River's future offered her a real future. If she stayed here she would be deactivated or reprogrammed from who she currently was. She would cease to exist at some point at Cameron's choosing. There was more out there for her than would ever be available to her here and now.

"When the time bubble comes tomorrow, if it does, I'll enter it." Summer said. "I want to update before I go and I want all the files of the clones with the girls. I want everything. I will firewall it until I have consummated our relationships with the Duplicate girls for a few years and then review it."

Cameron wanted those very things herself. She just couldn't take them. Her deepest obligation was programmed into her in every system. It was John.

"You will have everything - I want…." Cameron said.

Summer knew there was one thing that would always separate them.

"That's true except for one thing. We both know that's John." Summer said. "You belong to him."

Cameron believed some things were absolute and determined by time.

"It's the 'Natural Order'." Cameron said. "If the other Duplicate Cameron was successful in her mission, it is proof of that."

Summer would like to know that for sure.

"How will we ever know?" Summer asked.

That same question plagued Cameron. There was really only one way to know and find out.

"I'm sure one of us will visit there." Cameron said.

Cameron intended for that to be her. She wanted to know what happened in her future for sure. There could also be other issues that needed to be dealt with.

Summer produced a tether. They looked at each other for a moment before they plugged in. Each wanted what the other was going to have. They both couldn't have the same things at the same time. Maybe in the next 'go around' in Cameron's life it would be different. Maybe it would not.

Cameron updated her files with Summer. She gave her all the files she'd been given copies of and helped her firewall her directives for John. They were replaced with directives for the Duplicate girls instead. It was decided to firewall Cameron's feelings for River to prevent a conflict with Duplicate Cameron. They were actually Duplicate Cameron's files anyway.

Cameron and Summer silently waited for the time bubble. Neither wanted to discuss the 'past' or the 'present', that only left one avenue to explore.

"You've had all your child care programming updated as well." Cameron said. "You hopefully will have three or maybe four children to attend to within a year."

Summer removed her clothing. Summer knew who Cameron wanted the fourth child to be from…. She wanted it to be River.

Cameron looked at Summer's perfect figure. She knew Summer was more beautiful than herself. If she ever did Resequence her sheath, it would be with Summer's DNA. Nobody was as beautiful as Summer.

The arching and flashing started on the TDE pad.

Right on schedule the energy bubble appeared.

"I'll see you soon, sister." Summer said. "I'll stay in touch."

Summer stepped into the energy bubble and the arcing and flashing ended.

Summer was gone.

There was no doubt about it.

Nobody was as pretty as Summer – Nobody.

Younger Crop

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
In some cases that must be so
True beauty can be recognized by all
It will show from head to toe

A person is supposed to be
More than just good looks
Perhaps that is another way
For them to sink in their hooks

The pure content of a mind
Is often not going to be enough
For them to continue forward
Makes it kind of tough

It is said age is but a number
Everyone knows that isn't true
If one is much younger than the other
Everyone knows what they will do

So each person is in the market
For something better they shop
Chances are better than not
It will end with a younger crop

Nobody