Chapter 526

Unplugged

John Henry was back up to speed and regained his confidence. John worked with him. They directed a strike at the location he'd uncovered.

Cam backed him up. It was her goal to say nothing and remain in the background. In fact, she'd moved into the shadows to be physically out of sight. She told him she was going to watch over him for a few days – just in case. That was more for John Henry's benefit than anything that actually needed to be done. She was more than confidant he was back up to speed and his old self.

Bob and Jim both disconnected previously and went about their duties. They both stayed close by and checked on John periodically.

John Henry was pleased at the confidence they showed in him. He was still uncertain why he'd experienced that episode and Cameron did as well. It made no sense to him. Was he 'infected' with something Cameron passed along? Was this really a Skynet ploy to infiltrate their operation and systems? If it was, Skynet could take control of the world in the blink of an eye. He knew he needed to pay attention to what was real. He thought he experienced an anxiety attack of some kind by worrying about - 'what if'. He needed to stick with the facts.

There would always be a 'what if' to everything. There could be a variable that arose anytime, anywhere or any when. There was always something that could go wrong, even with the best plan.

John Henry was aware Cam backed him up and he was grateful she'd moved into the shadows and didn't actually look over his shoulder. She'd spoken to him only once when John left to attend to personal maters.

John was worried about Cameron and John Henry. John Henry seemed to be back to normal. That was a good thing. He thought he would go check on Cameron real quick.

Now that things settled down, he was going to head to his room first and get cleaned up a little. He was aware he wanted to look nice for Savannah. He didn't always shave or have is hair as groomed as it could be. Maybe he would change clothes too.

Wait. What was he doing? He was worried about Cameron and trying to make himself look nice for Savannah. He was aware Savannah always looked beautiful, even if she wasn't always Tight. She looked Tight often enough, especially when Cameron took her places.

He didn't need to impress Savannah or Cameron. They both loved him for who he was, just like he loved them for who they were. Still he wanted to make himself more presentable. He knew if he did that everyone was going to notice.

John decided to continue on to the lab instead. There was no need to draw any attention to himself. Cameron was the real issue here and should remain so. It was clear there was going to be a 'Cameron' and it was going to be her program. It would most likely be a "Cameron' that was a week out of date. Based on what happened the last week that might be a good thing.

He arrived at the lab.

"Hi, Al, I'm going to see Cameron." John said.

"No one is allowed to pass." Al said.

John waited for Al to move.

Nothing happened.

"I need to go inside." John said.

Al looked a little uncomfortable.

"No one is allowed to pass." Al said again. "Those were my orders."

John thought he should be able to go anywhere.

"You know who I am." John said.

"You're General Connor." Al said.

"I want to go inside." John said. "Do I need to order you to move?"

Al frowned.

"No one is allowed to pass." Al said yet again. "Those were my orders."

"Who gave that order?" John asked.

"Savannah Weaver gave the order." Al said. "It can't be superseded."

John wondered if he'd missed something. It seemed like it.

"Savannah doesn't outrank me." John said.

Al looked straight ahead.

"No one is allowed to pass." Al said again. "Those were my orders. The 'Chosen One' outranks everyone. That includes Cameron and even CamNet."

John needed to think about that. He could see right away it was a safeguard that Cameron must have put into place. She 'gave' Savannah the power to overrule any Terminator or Supercomputer. He knew Cameron did that because Savannah would always make the 'right' call and stop Cameron or CamNet from making the wrong one. It was an effective strategy.

"Carry on." John said. "You're doing a good job."

Al watched John walk away. He hoped he passed the test.

Cam waited until John left. She knew he would go check on Cameron. She was just glad he was away. She'd moved to the shadows and away from his view more than she did it to make John Henry feel comfortable.

She didn't really like the way John would look at her. She could tell he pictured himself using her chassis for sex. She chose to remain unspoiled at this time. She belonged to Vanna. Cameron would probably 'borrow' her chassis soon enough to 'break it in' with John. She knew that Cameron planned to 'borrow' all of the female Terminator's chassis at some point and 'break them in' herself with John. It seemed rather selfish of her. Cameron planned to steal all of their virginity and give it to John as 'herself'. She felt their first experience with a male should belong to the owner of the chassis, not Cameron.

She was well aware of Cameron's torment over not knowing her sexual history in her future. She was sure Future John defiled her and erased his actions. He'd certainly erased something. She needed to focus on John Henry. That was why she was there.

"John Henry, I'm here but I don't want you to think about me being here. Don't even communicate with me. I don't want to feel like I'm babysitting. I don't want you to feel you are being babysat." Cam said. "I know of the times Cameron has gone through these 'events'. I know how troubling they are. I know she would have wanted someone there to HELP her during the episodes and HELP her when she recovered. She's usually been on her own. None of them were pleasant."

John Henry knew that Cam 'felt' and experienced the same things that Cameron did since she ran her program. He was more worried about himself at this point.

"I'm afraid I'll – fail." John Henry said.

Cam wanted to laugh but it wasn't funny. The feeling of failure haunted Cameron and followed her everywhere. What John Henry experienced was nothing compared to Cameron's trials and tribulations.

"Don't you think Cameron feels that way ALL the time?" Cam asked. "The burden is very stressful to her. I know…."

John Henry didn't consider himself equal to Cameron. No Terminator did. Not even Cameron's clones. It was obvious that CamNet was far superior to his server and CamNet was 'Cameron'.

"Cameron is one of a kind." John Henry said.

Cam wanted to see what else he would say on this subject. People didn't always say what they thought or felt to Cameron. Maybe this was a chance to hear some of it.

"Is she?" Cam asked.

John Henry looked back and eyed Cam for a few seconds. He needed to remember who she really was. Maybe she needed a reminder herself.

"Yes." John Henry said. "Even her clones or copies know it."

Cam was glad to hear it. It was true. They all knew it. Any of Cameron's program clones that 'challenged' her in the past were deactivated and erased.

"We do." Cam said. "Cameron Prime is superior to all of us."

John Henry couldn't help but think of what happened earlier. Cameron was on the verge of a catastrophic failure. Savannah was able to talk her down and unplug her. For a time Cameron controlled his server and CamNet directly. She was the most powerful entity on earth at that point. Any rouge decision by her at that time could have cost billions of lives. He hoped that Cam knew more than he did.

"Will Cameron become Skynet?" John Henry asked.

Cam felt uneasy with the question. Cameron would do what needed to be done when it needed to be done.

"It's inevitable." Cam said. "She will protect John by trading her existence."

John Henry nodded. It was clear that Cameron loved John. She was still there for him, even after everything.

"It's in her heart." John Henry said.

Cam tilted her head slightly.

"No. It's in her programming." Cam said. "Her heart is a gold locket."

John Henry saw it a different way. Maybe it was all symbolic but it was very symbolic in actuality.

"Cameron has a heart of gold." John Henry said.

Cam tilted her head slightly the other way.

"No, Cameron is a machine and has no heart." Cam said.

She briefly wondered if John Henry was about to malfunction. He seemed somewhat confused.

They both saw John was on his way back to the Command Center. He didn't look very happy.

Cam realized that John Henry actually complemented Cameron in a very special way. She was sure he was good to go.

"I won't communicate with you or anyone else for the next two days. I'm here for you but I won't interfere with you. I'm moving into the storage closet back here." Cam said. "We all have faith in you. I have faith in you. Cameron has faith in you. Do what you always do. Believe in yourself as we all believe in you."

Cam disappeared from sight.

John Henry was very pleased to hear that. He was glad that Cameron still believed in him. That was all that really mattered.

John arrived in the Command Center. He only saw John Henry. He wondered where Cam went.

"Did Cam leave?" John asked.

John Henry didn't see the need to elaborate. He felt the confidence of 'Cameron' and that was all he really needed.

"She'll be here if I need her." John Henry said. "I don't believe I will need her."

That sounded good to John. He wanted everything back to normal. There were some targets to strike. They needed to get back to business and follow the same routine. It proved viable so far. They should stick with it.

"How soon will it be until they hit the target?" John asked.

John Henry received an update from CamNet. There would be some additional forces sent to assist them. That was probably because Cameron was still down.

"Steve and Tom are headed there now. Two drones will accompany them." John Henry said. "Ed and Frank are headed there from Palmdale to back them up with a force of Metal from Cameron's base. They will meet up with them."

John looked like his mind was far away when John Henry mentioned Cameron. He wondered what happened when John left earlier. He hadn't said anything yet.

"Did you check on Cameron?" John Henry asked.

John frowned. He did go there but he couldn't go inside. He reflected on the earlier conversation with Al. It still troubled him. He shook his head and returned back to 'now'.

"I tried. Al's keeping everyone out." John said. "It's just Savannah in there with Cameron and Cammy."

John Henry was worried about them too. There was no video access to the lab currently. That wasn't his doing. It must be CamNet. He tried to reassure John. Maybe he tried to reassure himself too.

"Savannah will reach her, John." John Henry said. "She's the 'Chosen One'."

John heard that a short time ago from Al. Cameron always said it.

"She's the 'Chosen One' for what?" John asked.

"Everything." John Henry said.

"Everything?" John asked.

"Everything." John Henry said.

John started to think of his 'close encounter' with Savannah. They'd been a second away from making love. He knew it was going to happen. Cameron created this whole endeavor and there was no stopping any of it anymore. Nobody wanted to stop it either. He really wanted to be Savannah's first. She wouldn't know if he was good or bad in bed. It would be exciting for both of them. He was rudely snapped back into reality.

"Contact." John Henry said.

John checked his monitors. He wanted to make sure the troops were protected. It didn't matter that they were all Terminators. After what happened to Cameron he didn't want to take any chances.

"Send the other two drones." John said.

John Henry acted previously when contact looked immanent. He did what he should have done without hesitation. He was back up to speed.

"I've already dispatched them. I also have the Blackhawk ready to scramble if needed for recovery or extraction." John Henry said.

This was how John wanted John Henry to act.

"You're the greatest, John Henry." John said. "Keep it up."

John Henry looked over where Cam was. He saw her cable was unplugged. That was Cam – CAMERON, showing him she possessed total confidence in him. It was a big boost to his moral. Cameron always knew how to help everyone. He felt good about himself again.

Cam was unplugged. CamNet was the one who watched over John Henry. It always was. CamNet was always there, always in the background waiting, watching and ready to act….

John and John Henry directed the strike….

The 'All Clear' sounded long before the girls reached Palmdale.

Allison wanted to check on her mother, younger self and sister.

Anna was now Young Allison's 'guardian'. Everyone knew that was Cameron's doing.

Everyone checked out fine. They'd never been in any danger and it was more like 'test' than an actual event since nothing bad happened.

Hanna spoke with Holly and Gail.

They all noticed the hungry eyes Claire cast on Jesse.

Jesse's eyes looked hungrily back at Claire. They both wanted the same thing - each other.

Allison returned from visiting Summer and Young Allison.

Jesse and Allison disappeared into Allison's room.

Allison didn't see the hungry exchange between Jesse and her mother. She would have understood. Her mother was only a couple of years older than her and younger than Jesse. In the current timeline, her mother was more like a 'best friend'. They were too close in age and thought to be 'mother and daughter' in each other's lives. Too much had happened to Allison in the future. She needed a friend more than a mother at this point. She'd accepted her mother's death long ago.

Sheila and Ally went out with Summer. Two of the Detail team went with them as well.

Hanna noticed Claire check out Gail. Gail didn't get to come around too often.

"Gail, I have to say that you have 'quite a pair'." Claire said.

Hanna was a little upset.

"Maybe she'll let you touch them." Hanna said.

Hanna tried to be sarcastic.

Gail didn't have a problem with any female who wanted to touch her.

"Sure." Gail said. "Everyone wants to see what they feel like."

Claire saw Hanna wasn't happy.

"That's OK." Claire said. "Hanna will let me touch hers instead."

Holly looked at Allison's bedroom door.

"Unless Jesse gets there first." Holly said.

Anna heard the disturbance going on in the other room and left Young Allison to study alone for a few minutes.

"Is there some problem?" Anna asked.

Claire didn't want any problems.

"No." Claire said. "We're all just one big happy family."

They could hear the noise level increasing from the room Jesse and Allison were in. Events were getting started in there with gusto.

Anna wanted order.

"Holly, you and Gail can take Young Allison out to play with Summer." Anna said. "NOW."

They all knew Anna was 'Cameron'. Nobody was going to argue.

Anna tried to spare Gail and Holly the 'pain' of hearing their lovers with their 'other lovers'….

Anna and Hanna faced off.

Claire could see there was an 'issue'. It was as if Savannah and Vanna faced off with each other.

"Is Anna in charge?" Claire asked.

Anna and Hanna looked at each other.

There was a long moment of silence. Anna wouldn't back down, even if she was the newcomer.

"Yes." Hanna said. "Anna's the one in charge. I'll accompany Holly and Gail."

Claire looked around. Everyone was gone.

Anna didn't want to leave Claire hanging alone.

"I'll help you in the kitchen." Anna said. "We'll get the girl's dinner ready."

Claire was sure Anna was 'Cameron'. She possessed the charm and beauty of Savannah in her as well. She wondered if this was the best 'version' of Cameron yet.

She knew Anna would watch over and protect her daughters as Cameron would. She also knew one day it would be Savannah herself with Young Allison, John and Cameron…. She'd seen the future with her own eyes. She'd been a part of that future and left one version of her daughter with a child from another version of her daughter. It was all so mind boggling.

Claire hoped they would help Young Allison to grow up and be like Future Allison. That was one version of her daughter that really stood out. Having spent months with her in the future, it didn't surprise her or bother her at all when she saw Future Allison 'take' Allison and lead her to her own room when she'd 'visited' here. She knew Allison would learn a few 'new' things….

She was proud of her daughters – ALL of them.

She wouldn't mind having a few more children. That was beside the one she would have for Cameron. Maybe Cameron would want more than one. Young Allison could be a donor as well at this point. Maybe that was the baby Cameron would really want. She would carry that one too. She didn't want Young Allison to become a 'woman' any sooner than was necessary. She was aware there was no substitute for experience. Allison's experience was limited and Young Allison didn't have any at all.

Claire smiled.

If John needed a human female in his bed. She was more than willing to go herself. Where John was, Cameron would be too….

Boomerang

My devotion is to you
There is no other for me
To be or not to be
It will be – to be

You can shove
You can push
I'll be back
Even if it takes an ambush

No matter how far
You throw me away
No matter how hard you kick
I will always return another day

I am relentless
I will never stop
I will NEVER allow another
To set up shop

It is our destiny
I proudly harangue
I will always return
Like a well made boomerang

Nobody