Chapter 576

Don't Push It

Cameron looked very nervous. It was clear she was ready to glitch out. Everyone was repaired except Cammy and her. She didn't want Savannah to see her.

"Savannah, I need you and Vanna to go please, for me." Cameron said. "I'm damaged…."

Savannah and Vanna looked at each other. This was something new.

Cameron could see their concern. It was only overshadowed by their love for her. Still this was very personal to her at this point.

"Please, don't ask." Cameron said. "Cam and Cammy will make the repairs."

Cameron was adamant that no one see her true condition.

Vanna was ready to go. Savannah wasn't.

"OK, Cameron, but we won't be far." Vanna said. "I understand…."

Vanna went to leave but Savannah didn't. She wasn't about to abandon Cameron in her time of personal need. Something ate at her deeply as well.

Savannah remembered the bloody pants Cameron wore and the pair of shredded bloody pants on the floor of the 'Clean Room'. She didn't understand it at all. Cameron never 'sent her away' like this before. Something was wrong….

Savannah stopped at the door.

"Go on, Vanna, I need to stay." Savannah said. "Something else is wrong."

Vanna looked back at Savannah. She could feel that something was very wrong as well. If anyone could stay it was Savannah. It wasn't her. She didn't know how far things could go.

"Don't push it, Savannah." Vanna said. "Even you can only 'bend' her so much."

Savannah was going to push it. Things needed to be pushed.

"I guess I'll find out." Savannah said.

Vanna looked over at Cameron, Cam and Cammy. They all looked upset.

"Good luck." Vanna said and left.

Savannah didn't like the idea of being sent away. She'd seen and worked on every part of Cameron. Cammy was identical to Cameron so there was no mystery about 'anything'. This was something that really needed to bother Cameron. She tried to figure out what it was.

Cameron, Cammy and Cam were all talking. They knew Savannah hadn't left.

Cammy felt that the 'enforcement' of Cameron's order fell on her. Savannah was her lover.

"Savannah, Cameron wants you to go." Cammy said.

Savannah didn't leave.

"NO." Savannah said.

Cam stopped talking to Cameron and looked over at Savannah.

"No?" Cam asked.

Savannah made sure Vanna was gone. She defiantly faced Cam and Cammy.

"NO. N - O." Savannah said. "YOU aren't sending ME away."

Cammy started to walk over to Savannah to usher her out. She was prepared to physically carry her out if necessary.

Savannah intended to make her stand.

"Forget it, Cammy." Savannah said as she stood her ground. "You're not going to stop me. You did that once. It's never going to happen again."

Savannah reached back and touched her Taser. She didn't pull it but she'd made her point. She wasn't going to go easy.

Cameron quickly moved to prevent a confrontation between Cammy and Savannah. She could see Savannah's love would drive her to any extremes, even if it meant she would have to take down her Metal lover.

"Savannah can stay." Cameron said. "She's earned the right to be our - equal."

Savannah felt triumphant. She knew how far she would have gone if push came to shove. She glared at Cammy and Cam.

"Thank you, Cameron." Savannah said.

Savannah knew both Cammy and Cam were 'Cameron'.

She also knew this was going to be some really bad news. She believed that they needed to face things head on and not try to dance around them. If something needed to be done or fixed, it wasn't going to happen on its own.

Vanna waited outside the lab door. She listened and watched as best as she could. She knew Savannah was 'pushing it'. Then again she'd just been allowed to stay. It came close to a confrontation but Savannah was still inside. She knew Savannah would be a much better warrior and person than she ever could be. She was proud of Savannah who was 'herself' in reality. Cameron molded Savannah in her image and it showed in everything she did. She could always see that Cameron wanted to make Savannah the human female that she wished she could be.

She would question Savannah later about it. Right now she wanted to honor Cameron's wishes and she hoped that Savannah would hang tough.

John knew Cameron was 'hurt'. Cameron absolutely didn't want him to see her with major damage. He knew it bothered her greatly. He could never make Cameron understand he would love her no less because of her damage and he wanted to help repair her.

He just really didn't understand it at times. It was all very frustrating. Maybe that was all his fault for some of the choices that he'd made and some of the things he'd said over the years.

John Henry watched as Cameron sent everyone out.

"Cameron has sent everyone away." John Henry said.

John was lost in his own thoughts. He wanted to know more.

"Did she even send Savannah away?" John asked.

John Henry was surprised and then surprised again.

"Yes." John Henry said. "Savannah refused to leave. She faced down Cameron, Cammy and Cam. There was almost a physical confrontation."

John smiled faintly.

"She's amazing…." John said.

John Henry thought John referred to Savannah but didn't want to ask. He didn't want to encourage John to act the same way. He was sure the end results would play out differently. Maybe the best thing to do was refocus John and himself for that matter.

"I've started to go over the data. There are still several locations we haven't yet uncovered from this operation." John Henry said. "It may be more than two."

They were aware there were two separate groups of Grays and HK drones that came to attack them. That meant they still needed to track down two more locations and eradicate them.

Based on the fact that they arrived at two separate times indicated that their distance from the location was that one group was further away than the other. The other disturbing factor was that many of the 'Grays' involved were not Grays at all and people that worked for them for high pay. It was doubtful they knew they were actually collaborators. They seemed to run into those types more and more. Many of the people recruited were little more than future Scavengers and their behavior indicated such.

John Henry could see John wasn't paying attention. He really couldn't blame him.

Jesse was troubled that Gail went out on another operation. Maybe that was because she'd gone out on one just a few days ago herself. Gail would feel compelled to act in her place. She'd been left with Ally and Sheila and they were all lost in sex while Gail was out in the field. Sheila was called away at one point. It was only after that, that she began to want to find out what exactly was going on.

She found out soon enough and was part of the repair process. She was back in her room now with Gail. She stripped off most of Gail's clothing. She did it in a very loving manner.

Jesse looked over Gail's wounds. They bothered her very much but she knew they would heal rapidly. She gently touched each one and gave it a kiss.

Gail was pleased that Jesse paid her a lot of attention. She was also worried about her appearance.

"Thank You, Jesse." Gail said. "I'm sorry I'm 'damaged'."

Jesse didn't want Gail to think about it. She knew that Gail was 'different' since the last time she was damaged. She didn't know what really happened to Gail.

"Don't worry about it." Jesse said. "You're a fast healer."

Gail felt more than a little 'guilty' about it all. She'd gotten off easy. She saw that Cameron 'favored' her in the fight and she'd suffered less because of it.

"The others were all damaged worse than me." Gail said. "Cameron asked me to provide security on their rear to cover their six."

Jesse was aware that someone needed to watch their backs. Gail should see that for what it was. It was part of the job.

"You were still shot up." Jesse said. "Cameron tried to protect you."

Gail didn't tell Jesse that happened because she went after the two hostile Terminators that ganged up on Cameron's Terminator. She felt there was a personal score to settle. She looked at Jesse. She really loved her. Maybe that was why it made her feel worse inside. She was conflicted.

"I went to be with Savannah." Gail said.

Jesse smiled. She was pleased that Gail assisted. She would have gone herself if she'd known about it. She'd been busy with Sheila and Ally or the entire morning. That was just something she could never get enough of.

"You went to protect her and help her." Jesse said. "That was a good thing."

Gail looked at Jesse and hung her head down.

Jesse could see there was a deeper issue. Gail didn't act like this. That was until last week.

"Gail?" Jesse asked. "What is it?"

Gail looked back at Jesse. She felt she needed to be honest. She wanted to 'confess'.

"I'm in love with Savannah." Gail said.

Jesse looked at Gail. She almost wanted to make a joke about it but refrained. She didn't want to laugh but almost did. She didn't. They were all in love with each other. They were all one big happy family and any of the girls could be with any of the other girls and it was no big deal. There was plenty of love and even more sex to go around.

"Gail, we're all in love with Savannah. If you love Cameron, then you love Savannah." Jesse said. "Everyone loves BOTH of them."

Gail expected to be 'punished' and then rejected. She'd even brought along a knife so Jesse could disfigure her. She was aware what Jesse did to females she wanted to 'hurt'. She planned to leave her pain receptors on as she was punished.

"You aren't angry at me?" Gail asked.

Jesse smiled at Gail and touched her face.

"How could I be angry at you for what I feel too?" Jesse asked.

Jesse and Gail discussed this before. She understood it deeply troubled Gail for her to dwell on it. Then again, that's what Terminators did. They always dwelt on something that bothered them. She'd seen it turn in to a near fatal obsession for Cameron before. She didn't want Gail to get on that path.

Jesse moved over and kissed Gail. It showed that Gail expanded and grew as she should do. It was part of her programming to be a better infiltrator.

"You've expanding beyond your programming just like all the other female Terminators." Jesse said. "That's something you should be proud of. Everyday you become more like 'me'."

Gail tilted her head slightly. Jesse was a hard lover with a dark past.

"Is that a good thing?" Gail asked.

Jesse thought that maybe she should qualify that statement some.

"I hope so." Jesse said. "I'm a better person than I was but still not as good as I will be."

Gail tilted her head slightly.

"I feel that way too." Gail said.

Jesse noticed Gail looked worried.

"What else is wrong?" Jesse asked.

Gail remembered her earlier affliction to terminate herself when Duplicate Jesse was believed to have been killed. She was aware of Cameron's many trials and tribulations.

"Do you think I will have the same 'troubles' as Cameron?" Gail asked. "She's tormented by so many things. I'm afraid now that will happen to me."

Jesse thought Cameron's problems were much deeper rooted and there were many more of them at that.

"I think you have a long way to go before that will ever happen." Jesse said.

Gail didn't know for sure what would happen to her.

"Somehow I think that's a 'bad' thing that actually sounds like a good thing." Gail said.

Jesse stripped off Gail's underwear as she led her to the bed.

"Right now, is all about you." Jesse said. "I'm going to do everything for you. I want you to feel 'special'. Just lay back and relax. This is all that matters right now."

Jesse knew that extreme sex worked for her. It was the only time she felt 'free'.

Gail felt confused and conflicted. Jesse seemed to have a way to make her remember all the good things between them. She could feel them all right now…. The 'finish' really was the 'escape'. She possessed the ability to put a 'finish' in a loop and keep it going. She would need to make sure she didn't overload though. Right now Jesse made her feel good and she didn't care about anything else.

"…John…." John Henry said.

John looked over at John Henry. He realized he'd spoken to him. He didn't have clue as to what he'd said.

"Sorry. I was thinking about Cameron." John said. "I'm good."

John Henry reviewed the data from the attack.

"Since the HK drones came in two groups, as did the attackers, we are most likely dealing with two or more locations where HK drones have been stored."

That was worrisome to John on several levels.

"That makes sense." John said. "I don't understand how they've been able to do so much."

John Henry hoped to get a break online and come up with something specific about Skynet. He'd hoped to find a pattern.

"I can't detect any trace of Skynet or its offshoots online and neither can CamNet." John Henry said.

John knew that Skynet only need a few seconds in the defense computers of the nuclear nations around the world to start the apocalypse.

"Where's it hiding?" John asked. "What's it waiting for?"

John Henry didn't know but he'd put his money on Cameron. Cameron was the key. Skynet feared Cameron.

"It's hiding from us. It's hiding from Cameron specifically." John Henry said. "Cameron has always made sure Skynet knows who terminated it, each one."

That was always a point of confusion to John. Cameron told him the same thing before.

"If she destroys them, how can anyone find out?" John asked.

John Henry knew the threat was identified in other futures as well. That made even less sense to him. The fact still remained that they knew of Cameron. Skynet knew about the 'Metal Bitch' that stalked it and terminated it.

"I don't know." John Henry said. "Somehow some of them have passed the 'message'."

John understood Cameron's actions.

"Cameron's doing that to protect me." John said. "She's made herself the target."

John Henry knew of the downside to that. To protect John, Cameron put others at risk.

"That move by Cameron to protect you, endangers every Allison." John Henry said.

John figured that was his fault.

"I wonder if she knows that. I know she does." John said. "I wonder if she cares."

John Henry knew the base root of Cameron's reprogramming once she was captured.

"She values your life above all others, John." John Henry said. "You know this."

John thought it was something personal to Cameron as well. He felt that Cameron hated Skynet for creating her in the first place. He remembered her very first poem – Outsider.

"I do." John said. "I also think she takes satisfaction in killing it - Skynet."

That concept troubled John Henry some.

"I believe she does take satisfaction in terminating sometimes." John Henry said. "It's very un-Terminator like activity."

"My Mom once told me a long time ago that Cameron killed three men for stealing her purple leather coat." John said. "We'd been robbed and all our money and important stuff was gone. Cameron was only concerned with her purple coat. When they tracked them down, that's what Cameron demanded back. She then shot the man that was wearing it after she forced him to give it back at gunpoint."

John Henry was aware Cameron offered a different explanation.

"I've seen that file." John Henry said. "Cameron told Sarah she killed them because they knew where you lived."

John knew that Cameron faced several emotional challenges then. The biggest one was of his making.

"That's what Cameron said." John said. "It was when Cameron's 'feelings' and 'emotions' were starting to emerge. Mom always thought it was revenge and 'hate'."

John and John Henry sat in silence for awhile as they mulled over all of that information. They both knew in Cameron's poems that she expressed 'hatred'. It was usually directed at herself.

"Back to business…." John Henry said. "I have calculated several locations we need to check."

John didn't want Cameron back in combat again right away. They were still in the process of repairing her.

"Send other some of our other Terminators out on it. DON'T let Cameron know yet." John said. "Her 'recons' always turn into assaults."

John Henry understood the logic. It was about efficiency rather that strategic.

"She figures if there's a clear threat and she's there already…." John Henry said.

John saw it a little deeper.

"And she doesn't care if she's terminated." John said.

"She's a Terminator." John Henry said. "Old habits die hard."

The thought angered John some because she didn't listen.

"Let's hope she doesn't…." John said.

John Henry tilted his head slightly.

"Die hard?" John Henry asked.

John frowned with a look of sadness.

"Die." John said.

Savannah knew something was really wrong for Cameron to behave this way.

Savannah walked back to Cameron. It was time to be firm.

"May I inspect your damage now?" Savannah asked. "Only Cam and Cammy have seen some of it. I want to see all of it."

Cameron felt a glitch impulse.

"I'll need several sections of sheath material off of the deactivated female Terminator." Cameron said.

Cameron looked away from Savannah. The glitch impulse increased. She knew her future was altered.

Cam and Cammy stood there with blank faces. That was unusual for them. They must be suppressing strong feelings or emotions. That wasn't a good sign. They were trying to hold it together as Terminators, as stone cold killers.

Cameron looked at Savannah and silently removed her bloody pants.

Savannah let out a small gasp. She now knew the shredded bloody pants on the 'Clean Room' floor were Cameron's.

Savannah couldn't believe what she saw.

There was nothing to see but metal.

"It's gone." Savannah said. "Everything is – gone."

Cameron remembered what she'd done to Holly's chassis in her future. This was her payback.

"Yes. This is my karma. I did this to someone else once. I'm allowing you to see this so you will take my place at John's side. He will need female companionship to function properly." Cameron said. "I'm no longer - female."

Cameron was 'Nullo'.

Don't Push It

There are many things
Which one will bend to and submit
Even if some of them
Seem rather unfit

Some can make one do
Things that they'd rather not admit
They want to hang on
To remain in one's orbit

No one wants to be labeled
As some type of misfit
Even if the other one
Thinks they have them outwit

To keep them close
They're willing to commit
They don't want to split
They'd rather not quit

To keep everything going
Smooth and tight knit
Be careful with the wit
Think twice and don't push it

Nobody

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Outsider

When I look in the mirror
I do not like what I see
When I look inside of myself
I do not like what I can not be

I hate what I am
I hate what I am not
I hate everything about myself
I guess that covers a lot

I feel so small
It is like I do not exist
Useless and worthless
Nothing on which to subsist

I am an outsider
Always on the outside looking in
There is so much inside of me
To want to exist is not a sin

From this torment there is no escape
My CPU and power cell are filled with guilt
If I had only one wish, it would be
Never to have been built

Cameron