Chapter 491

Temporal Trophy

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Cameron's Future Timeline:

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The arching and flashing started.

The energy bubble appeared.

Someone was inside of it.

The arching and flashing ended.

Future Allison stood and looked around. She took something out of her mouth that was wrapped in plastic.

Duplicate Cameron stood near by as she'd waited for her to return.

"I've been waiting for you." Duplicate Cameron said.

Duplicate Cameron moved forward and hugged Future Allison. She handed Future Allison her clothes.

Future Allison was pleased to see her. She figured she would be there. She didn't want to get into a detailed explanation of what she'd left for and actually accomplished. She'd been with every female she could get her hands on in the past. Every one of them had a perfect body. There were no sores or lesions. No one was 'sick' or dying. They were all healthy. She spent a lot of time with Savannah. She checked the time. She'd only been out of the current timeline for a few hours. It was much longer in the past. Her body was all healed and the only hair on her body was on her head. Everything else was permanently removed.

"I'm sorry. It was a short trip." Future Allison said. "I needed to do a few things."

Duplicate Cameron noted the changes to Future Allison's body. She'd been in the past for a little while to look that good. There was no need to make an issue about it. She was back and that was where she belonged. She did like how Future Allison and her were the 'same' again as far as their bodies went. She would find out later on that Cameron hid a lot of supplies for them to 'find' in the future. Future Savannah would be able to join the club with the 'smooth' look. The two teenagers that helped them were also given the treatment.

Future Allison, handed Duplicate Cameron a small drive. She gave Duplicate Cameron some instructions on where there were two deactivated Terminators located at. Duplicate Cameron was to install the two chips Cameron previously prepared for them after updating them with the information on the device Cameron sent with her. It was to re-body, Bob and Rob. Once their spare chips were updated, they would exist again. The drive contained files of what they did after Cameron copied their chips until they terminated.

Cameron felt it was important that they knew how they preformed and what a good job they'd done. She also wanted them to know what Savannah did. There was a complete copy of her files up to the moment they were extracted. She wanted word of the 'Chosen One' to spread through the future. She wanted what one young teenager did and was willing to do to be known among her machine brethren. It showed there was hope for humanity and a reason to keep Skynet down if it popped back up.

Duplicate Cameron said she would. She hugged Future Allison again as she kissed her.

"I knew you'd come back." Duplicate Cameron said.

Future Allison wanted to see more of the past. Savannah warned her that the longer she stayed and the more that they did and shared; the harder it would be to go back if she chose to do so.

"I didn't want to come back. I do NOT want to. I'm here. I did come back anyway." Future Allison said. "It's my destiny."

Duplicate Cameron was aware of how Cameron operated. She played the game five moves ahead.

"It's the very destiny that Cameron created and provided you with." Duplicate Cameron said.

Duplicate Cameron brought a stroller that was made for them by one of the former anti-Metal personal that was no longer anti-Metal. Destiny was in it.

Future Allison picked up HER baby, Destiny. She understood Cameron better in that moment.

"This is the Destiny that Cameron GAVE to me to make sure I stayed and followed the destiny she created for John and me and all of US." Future Allison said. "The destiny she created for Savannah and you as well. The 'Natural Order' that Cameron created for ALL of us."

Duplicate Cameron was pleased to see Future Allison happy to be with Destiny again.

"Cameron has a way of making things happen." Duplicate Cameron said. "I'm HER, Allison."

Future Allison remembered her time spent with Cameron in the present for her now and in the past where she'd left Cameron and Savannah.

"Sure, Cameron, I know you are." Future Allison said. "You two are the same."

They both knew Duplicate Cameron wasn't and never would be even though they both knew she was 'identical'.

Now that Allison experienced a taste of the 'Past' she wanted more. Cameron 'trapped' her here where she belonged, in the future.

Future Allison loved Cameron even more.

Future Savannah was surprised later on the see Future Allison and her new look. She was pleased to know she could look the same.

"Mary and Laura will want to use it too." Future Savannah said.

Future Allison loved the two teenagers that assisted them.

"As long as they help with the babies, I'll share everything with them." Future Allison said.

Future John waited for Future Allison to finish up with Duplicate Cameron and Future Savannah. She came to him later on.

"I'm here." Future Allison said. "I don't want to hear anything else about it, ever."

Future John held her and then kissed her.

"I love you, Allison." Future John said.

"I love you too, John." Future Allison said.

It was good to be back home.

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Cameron Prime - Current Timeline:

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Cameron tried to spend more time with John. She hadn't altered the Resequencing and regeneration of her sheath. She was almost back to Allison's appearance. It wasn't a hard choice for her to make. She let the fresh DNA sample from Future Allison go into effect. It did distress her some to watch her breasts get smaller and the super pinkness darken some. It was good to be who she was again.

After seeing the affect of Future Allison on everyone and herself, Cameron was more than happy to be 'Allison' again.

Ally suggested Cameron use the improved 'Neural Interface' with Future Allison.

Cameron thought of that with Allison and Future Allison as well. She didn't want to change what or who she'd become. Besides, she already battled with enough 'voices' inside her head. She didn't want or need any more. She was who she was now. That was who she was supposed to be.

She could tell Ally was 'different', everyone could. Future Allison made her a better individual. She wasn't happy about the way it was done. She would have rather created a new Terminator with those files. She thought of some names, Fusion or Allure were two she liked. That was based on the combination of the names Future and Allison. She could use half of each name to make one name in two versions. Fusion or Allure just fit perfect.

Holly begged Cameron to let her use the 'Neural Interface' with Future Allison. She said she wouldn't stop her but she told Holly it would alter who she was. She told Holly she was the finest Metal female she knew or ever experienced. Then again Holly was a Restorator and never a Terminator. She was never 'bad' from the start.

Cameron meant it too. Her 'destruction' of Holly still haunted her. She remembered 'she'd' fixed that and actually prevented it from ever happening. She wasn't actually part of that loop other than what she needed to witness. The version of her that created that problem, also 'fixed' it.

"I love you how you are, Holly." Cameron said. "I don't want you to change but I won't stop you. I just want you to know it will change who you are now. That's why I didn't do it. I don't like that Ally did that to herself either. I liked her how she was."

Holly decided not to not to use the 'Neural Interface' after talking to Cameron. Her Allison loved her how she was, if she altered herself, then Allison may not love her anymore, she would be 'different'.

She knew anything different or any change could be bad. It could also be rewarding but why risk it? She knew if she ever lost Allison's love that she would self terminate rather than go on or exist without her.

Cameron went and looked at the deactivated Terminator that received her damaged sheath components. The sheath was 'healed' with a rumpled and disfigured sheath section that covered the plasma burns down to the metal. Nothing regenerated correctly. It was awful to look at. She knew that is how she should look right now. She knew if that was her, she would self terminate.

She touched the deactivated Terminator's cheek.

"I'll fix you before you're activated." Cameron said to her. "Thank you for your sacrifice."

Cameron covered her over and headed out the door. She stopped and turned back. She took one final look at the disfigured deactivated Terminator.

"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor." Cameron said and left.

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Resistance Base - Current Timeline:

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Cameron returned to the Resistance base. There were a few things she wanted answers to.

She plugged in with John Henry and JH, his server. He seemed a little hesitant.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" John Henry asked.

"Yes, I want you to know about Skynet and what was done." Cameron said. "My alone files with John are off limits as well as anything dealing with Holly."

John Henry began his review. He soon spotted other files on Cameron's chip. He wasn't sure about them. He wanted to know more.

"I've encountered files from Duplicate Cameron, Cam, Camille and Cammy." John Henry said. "They're not blocked."

Cameron felt a slight glitch impulse. The files were not blocked for a reason. It wasn't a good reason either. She wanted John Henry to know that as well.

"I haven't viewed them yet." Cameron said. "I wish to have them available so that if I face termination again, I can experience them as I terminate. If I'm with John and the girls before that happens, then I will view them at that point. I want to learn on my own first."

That didn't seem too promising to John Henry. He didn't really understand it but decided to tell Cameron he did and move on. There were more important issues to deal with.

"I understand." John Henry said. "I will avoid them as well and stick to Skynet related files. It will enable me to hunt Skynet better in this timeline."

Cameron was very upset by her close call and what it almost 'cost'. Skynet needed to be hunted to the ends of the earth and eradicated. It was a cancer to any timeline it existed in.

"I want to destroy every Skynet." Cameron said. "I was almost terminated this time. My sheath was severely damaged by plasma burns. There was metal showing."

John Henry was somewhat perplexed by what Cameron just said.

"I don't understand." John Henry said. "How did you time transfer?"

Cameron felt another glitch impulse. Words alone couldn't answer that question. It needed to be seen to be believed. She wanted John Henry to see for himself at what the 'price' almost was for defeating that version of Skynet.

"I want you to review the file." Cameron said. "I want you to see how special Savannah is. I want you to see how special she is to ME. I want you to know why I love her. I want you know why Savannah is the 'Chosen One'."

John Henry reviewed all the information Cameron contained on Skynet. He found it very troubling on several different levels.

Cameron watched as a tear formed in John Henry's eye and then another and then he cried. That touched her deeply. She knew he understood now.

John Henry saw Savannah prevented Cameron from termination two times and probably a third time as well on this last mission. It was Savannah's actions that insured the mission was successful. They were all events or things Savannah did on her own. None of them were things Cameron MADE Savannah do. They were beyond acts of courage. They were all acts of love.

"She loves you, Cameron." John Henry said. "She was willing to give up her life to remain with you as you perished. I understand now why you say Savannah is the 'Chosen One'."

He watched Cameron's video files and saw that Savannah never even turned around to look at her 'ticket home'. She looked at Cameron instead. It was clear she was never going to leave Cameron.

Cameron reviewed the files as John Henry accessed them. They still troubled her greatly. She thought of the 'Day of Loss'. Four people 'died' on that day. River helped her 'fix' that.

"I don't deserve love like that from anyone. That love has gotten people killed before as well." Cameron said. "I'm not worthy of anyone's life."

John Henry knew there was some resolution to that. He wondered what happened to Holly that she didn't want him to see. He stayed away from those files.

"You fixed all the deaths, Cameron." John Henry said.

Cameron didn't think she could be lucky forever. There wouldn't always be someone to bail her out. Others put their lives on the line to 'save' her. It was possible that they all could have died or 'stayed dead' if she didn't meddle and make some 'temporal corrections', maybe it was 'temporal malpractice'.

"I won't always be able to." Cameron said. "I should've been terminated many times over."

John Henry didn't see the need for this self conflict. Cameron should just take the 'win' and let it go.

"Yet you're still here fighting Skynet and winning." John Henry said. "I see you tell each of them, 'I always win'."

It bothered her that Skynet always knew who she was. There was something else in play here. She didn't know what it was.

"Somehow they've communicated with each other. I don't know how that's possible." Cameron said. "They know who I am."

John Henry was aware that Cameron believed she was Skynet. There was no evidence to substantiate that theory.

"I can see that in reviewing the files." John Henry said. "None of them, any Skynet, appeared to be YOU."

Cameron knew everything was far from over. Maybe it hadn't really even begun yet. It wouldn't end well. She didn't see how it could.

"Not yet." Cameron said. "I believe before Judgment Day that I'll need to become Skynet to stop it here in this timeline, now."

John Henry didn't see Cameron and CamNet as the same individual even if that was how they started. It seemed she'd created something to fight any Skynet in the cyber-sphere already. That should be enough to challenge Skynet and defeat it.

"I know your mainframes are more powerful than mine, with CamNet. I know they watch over me and my mainframe." John Henry said. "I know you're in the background, everywhere - waiting."

Cameron was aware her long term exposure to humans changed her in ways Skynet couldn't fathom. It allowed her to see things differently. Maybe it just allowed her to see them. She may be a machine but she was more than a machine at the same time.

"Skynet created me to terminate. It didn't know what it created with me." Cameron said. "Much like how it lost control of the Liquids; it didn't realize the extent of its own creations. We've all expanded and grown far beyond our initial programming."

John Henry reviewed many other files. Some he found personally rewarding. He was appreciative to be able to see them.

"I see you haven't encountered any other Liquids, other than Mrs. Weaver." John Henry said. "Thank you for sharing your files of Mrs. Weaver with me, she's important to me."

Cameron understood love. She was able to experience it in her own way. Love was something that existed in the mind. It was the most powerful 'force' she'd ever encountered and it was something that didn't actually exist physically.

"I know, John Henry." Cameron said. "I understand why."

John Henry knew he only existed because of Mrs. Weaver. She was his 'mother'.

"Mrs. Weaver created me." John Henry said. "She nurtured me and helped me grow."

Cameron though back to her time of creation. She was very robotic and blindly followed orders. She thought about her interrogation of Future Allison. How could she be so cruel and brutal? Now look who'd come to help rescue her. It was Future Allison, someone who she was ready to kill before. Future Allison knew that and there she was anyway.

"I've grown as well." Cameron said. "I never imagined any of the feelings I have now were possible when I was a slave to Skynet."

John Henry could see inside Cameron as they talked. There were millions of things happening inside her. He could not even follow half of them. She was very conflicted over many things but she still moved foreword.

"Let's get down to business and see how we can hurt Skynet." John Henry said.

Cameron wanted to track and destroy Skynet more than ever now since she'd reviewed everything with John Henry. It was time to act.

"I want to hunt and hurt Skynet in every timeline." Cameron said. "Payback Time…."

Trophy

Some say beauty lies
In the beholder's eyes
To 'have' that person
Becomes the prize

To achieve that goal
Some will go to great lengths
That may be seen as a weakness
Or as one of their strengths

When does reason
Slip into obsession
That may only be known
With their own confession

People are not objects
Even if some think so
They move too fast
When they should go slow

One's heart may atrophy
As they verge on catastrophe
It's no more than pornography
When they view another as a trophy.

Nobody