Chapter 929
With Great Power
John and John Henry desperately tried to figure out what was happening with the girls. This looked and sounded like what Cameron would pull. There was no way a plan like this could end well for Savannah.
"What's Savannah doing?" John asked.
John Henry could only state the obvious.
"She's sending the Metal girls 'home'." John Henry said.
John could see that Savannah used a play out of Cameron's playbook. Instead of sharing the burden and coming up with a better plan, she was going to take the brunt of the operation on her own back and carry out the mission without regard for her own safety.
"She's doing what Cameron does." John said. "She's going to do something tragic. We can't let this play out. I can't let it play out."
John wanted to say it was something 'stupid'. He knew it was anything but that. It was clear Savannah wanted to protect everyone. He felt Savannah was a victim of her own upbringing.
"It's what she's witnessed growing up." John Henry said. "She's seen Cameron make the hard choice, at her own expense. I need to nip this in the bud but I don't know if I can."
John tried to reach Savannah, first by her com. He then he called her.
Savannah didn't respond to either one. That was more bad news.
"I can't reach her." John said. "She's not responding. Can you get through to her?"
John was very concerned now. For some reason it seemed that John Henry wasn't.
"Savannah has requested 'non interference'." John Henry said. "I can't help you."
John wasn't sure that he'd heard John Henry correctly at first. He didn't think he needed to point out what was at stake but he did anyway.
"What?" John asked. "THAT is Savannah out there. We need to help her."
John Henry was deeply troubled by the events. He didn't want anything bad to happen to Savannah either. He also needed to respect her wishes. He heard what she'd told Cameron.
"We must obey Savannah's wishes." John Henry said.
John wanted action, not indifference. He wanted John Henry to take control of his actions.
"I want you to override it." John said.
John Henry wanted to help Savannah and he wanted to assist John. He could do neither. The 'Chosen One' already made her wishes clear.
"I can't." John Henry said. "You need to understand the limitations that have been imposed."
John couldn't believe that John Henry wouldn't help. He thought about contacting some other Terminators to ask them for assistance. He was pretty sure he was going to get the same response. He would need to act on his own. There seems to be only one option open to him. He decided to go there himself to stop this.
"I need to go there." John said.
John Henry didn't want John to get his hopes up. They wouldn't be going anywhere.
"We will not fly you." John Henry said. "You have to understand we can't."
John still couldn't believe it. He needed a workable option. He needed a solution. He didn't think he was going to be able to catch a flight to Las Vegas on his own. There might be something out of the Burbank Airport that was a commercial flight. He didn't think that he could get a charter out of Van Nuys.
"This is ridiculous." John said. "Can I take the manned drone?"
John Henry didn't believe the drone would respond to John and fly there on its own. He certainly wasn't going to fly it there with John in it.
"No." John Henry said.
John found it harder and harder to believe this was happening. He needed someone to help him. He didn't know how much time they had. He doubted it was much.
"Are you telling me everyone is going to sit back and do nothing?" John asked.
John Henry checked his monitors. He was bound by certain limitations. He knew there was someone who wasn't. They didn't seem to be bound by any rules.
"No." John Henry said.
John tried to keep his anger in check. He waited for a better answer. There wasn't one.
"'No' as in what?" John asked. "That answer doesn't tell me anything."
John Henry figured he needed to spell it out for John to keep him from having a meltdown and going ballistic. He could see that he was very close to losing control. There was someone else that could be just as big of a hothead as John. They'd already sprung into action.
"There's one person who can do something and is." John Henry said.
John wanted to know who was going to disobey Savannah. He did want their help.
"Who is it?" John asked.
Then it hit him. This was even worse. He couldn't let this happen either. It could only be one person.
"NO." John said. "She can't go."
John Henry hated to be the bearer of bad news. What John feared was already set into motion. It was someone who was willing to act on their own and not wait around for approval or a consensus. When they decided to act, they acted.
"She already has." John Henry said.
John at least hoped that she had some Terminator protection. He was pretty sure that she would go without it if she didn't have it. He imagined that she was on her way to the airport right now.
"Did Anna go with her?" John asked. "I bet she can steal a plane on her own and fly it there."
John learned to steal a car by that age. He was aware Young Allison learned everything at a much younger age than he'd done.
John Henry was aware that Anna didn't follow the directive. He figured there were probably several options open to her. He knew that Young Allison could be very manipulative if she wanted to be.
"Anna has gone with her." John Henry said.
John didn't know if he was more irritated or more pleased to hear that information. He was pretty sure it was both. That didn't make any sense to him. He wondered what type of control Young Allison could use to influence everyone.
"How can Anna go?" John asked. "Can Young Allison 'order' her to go? If she can change the 'order' she needs to do it for everyone."
John Henry knew that Savannah didn't issue an 'order'. She'd only asked for compliance.
"There is no 'order'." John Henry said.
John found that to be even more irritating. He wanted them to act. It made no sense for everyone to sit around and do nothing. He wanted some action.
"Then what the Hell is the problem?" John asked. "I want you to do something."
John knew this wasn't a mutiny. At least he hoped it wasn't. Depending on what he did he may turn it into that. He was pretty sure at this point if he attempted to force anyone to choose between him as the General or Savannah as the 'Chosen One', that he was going to come up short.
John Henry didn't like seeing John go down the path he was headed. He wanted him to think and use his head. He decided to spell things out for him a little further to ease his frustration
"Call her." John Henry said. "She'll answer for you, just as you would for her."
John looked at John Henry with disbelief as he took out his phone and called…. He was willing to try anything at this point.
Young Allison looked at her phone as it rang. She smiled and answered it. She liked being 'one up' on John. So far in every encounter they'd both acted in, she had been. She figured that John was about to lay into her. She wasn't worried about that. She didn't need to listen to him. She would be more worried if she got her mother and her mother laid into her. That was her worry, not John.
"Hi, John." Young Allison said.
John didn't think he needed to go over all the details or what was happening. If anything he figured that Young Allison probably knew more than he did. As much as he didn't like it, he did like that she'd used the initiative and sprung into action already. He needed to put the brakes on that and he needed to do it now.
"Hi, Allison." John said. "I need you to go back home."
Young Allison wasn't surprised that was the first thing he told her. Now it was her turn. She figured he knew what was coming.
"I won't do that." Young Allison said. "Savannah needs my help. She may not know it yet but she does. I would do the same thing for Cameron as well as you, John. You have to understand my destiny and you need to accept the 'Natural Order'.
John already knew she was going to be a 'problem' both now and in the future. Young Allison was already very independent. It would be even more so as time passed. He was pretty sure when it came to time in the bed going forward that he was going to be spending the least amount of it with her. She would be the one to tell him what would and wouldn't happen. He could already picture it. He needed to exert some control but he needed to do it in a controlled fashion. He believed anything that he threw out at her, she would throw right back at him.
"You need to listen." John said.
John hoped he could talk some sense into her. Somehow he doubted that.
Young Allison didn't want to pick a fight with John. She didn't want there to be a 'problem' at a time like this. He also needed to be able to understand her and what her position was.
"I always listen." Young Allison said. "I don't always obey, John. I'm my own person."
She was going to say that she was 'her own woman' but didn't think she qualified for that definition. At least not yet anyway. Maybe after John 'popped' her that would be the appropriate term.
It was clear to John that Young Allison wouldn't back down. He believed everything he tried to do to stop her would only antagonize her more and further her resolve to disregard him and continue on what she perceived as her own mission.
John Henry was concerned that John would push too hard and overreach. He thought John should know this already but he felt he needed to issue a warning. He knew how stubborn Cameron could be at times. He knew exactly where she got that stubbornness from.
"John, don't push her." John Henry said. "She's going to push back even harder. You can't control her. Don't try."
John decided to push her a little anyway. He didn't think it was that much of a push but it was a simple request.
"Can you tell John Henry to assist me with this situation?" John asked. "I need your help to make things happen here. I've run into a roadblock I can't get around."
Young Allison knew that there hadn't been any 'orders' issued yet. She could issue those 'orders' and get ahead of Savannah before she actually issued any. That wasn't a fight that she wanted to get into. She thought that would only divide the troops as they started to receive conflicting 'orders' from both of them. She would need to make everything perfectly clear to John to get him to back off and do what was best for Savannah. That's what the issue was currently. It was Savannah, it wasn't about him and it wasn't about her.
"Maybe I can but I won't." Young Allison said. "I have to be there to stop her. Nobody else can do it. You know it. I don't want to endanger you needlessly."
John wondered why she wasn't thinking of herself too. It reminded him of Cameron. He wondered what her mode of transportation was going to be.
"How are you getting there?" John asked.
Young Allison found John's question somewhat amusing.
"I'm flying, silly." Young Allison said. "Time is of the essence."
John doubted it would go anywhere but he would try anyway.
"I want to go with you." John said.
Young Allison figured that was coming. She figured by now that she shouldn't have to spell it out but it appeared she was going to need to do it anyway.
"John, if you do that it will only create an even bigger problem." Young Allison said. "You know this."
John was aware that was everyone else's perception of him being out of the Resistance base. That wasn't how he saw things. He did know that she was right though. Whatever help they could be directed towards Savannah would instead be directed to protect him. He would actually endanger both Savannah and Young Allison if he went there.
"I can't believe any of this is happening." John said.
John Henry tilted his head slightly as he looked at John. He wasn't sure where the confusion came from. Everything seemed pretty self evident at this point to him
"John, I can assure you that it is." John Henry said. "It's very serious and potentially fatal for everyone involved in it."
Cameron quietly contacted CamNet for an update. She was less than pleased with the information she received from CamNet. It wasn't what she wanted to hear.
Savannah wanted to get everyone out of the target area. She'd already determined what was going to happen later on. The only one that she needed to remain was Samantha.
"I want all of you to leave now." Savannah said. "Please listen to me before I'm forced to 'order' all of you to do so."
Cameron debated whether to tell Savannah the news she'd just uncovered or not. She decided to lay it out. Other people were being put in danger now. She didn't want to be confrontational with Savannah but she felt the issue demanded some type of attention.
"I've just been informed there's a person on the way here now that you can't 'order'." Cameron said.
Savannah quickly looked over at Cameron. She didn't understand what she meant at first and then it hit her. That wasn't news she wanted to hear.
"Is John coming?" Savannah asked. "That's about the last thing we need."
Savannah wondered how John was going to be protected if everyone was sent away. She thought now that maybe she should have made her request an 'order' earlier to prevent such an event from happening.
If the situation wouldn't have been so dire, Cameron would have found Savannah's response somewhat amusing. She felt John was relatively easy to control without the need for any 'orders'. She wanted Savannah to know what events she'd set into motion, even if they were inadvertently so.
"I mean The ONE person that you can't 'order'." Cameron said. "You'll be able to 'order' John around plenty once you've mated. I'm talking about the ONE person that is equal to you, she will be anyway."
It hit Savannah like a two by four. That was the last thing she wanted to hear. She felt the anger well up inside of her. She faced Cameron.
"Allison…." Savannah said. "That was wrong, how dare you bring Young Allison here."
Cameron didn't like the situation but she did like Savannah's response. It was forceful and aggressive.
"I didn't do it, none of us did." Cameron said. "Young Allison monitors everything, you know that. She's coming on her own accord. She cares about you, Savannah. She loves you. It's the 'Natural Order'."
Savannah wanted to act and get it over with before she endangered Young Allison.
"Then I need to go before she gets here." Savannah said. "Samantha, we're leaving now."
Savannah prepared to collect her things.
Cameron decided to spell it out for Savannah.
"Don't you understand? She'll follow you, even if she has to do it on her own. She will go without any Terminators to protect her. She'll do it to help you or to stop you." Cameron said. "She won't abandon you or leave you to die. She will die with you."
The sick realization of Cameron's words hit home.
"She'll do for me, what I'll do for you…." Savannah said.
Savannah knew that was true. Her actions were about to endanger both John and Young Allison.
Cameron wanted to make it perfectly clear to Savannah.
"She'll go ALL the way." Cameron said. "It's the 'Natural Order'."
The look on Cameron's face said it all.
Young Allison and Anna were on their way.
Anna wanted to remind Young Allison that the adventure they started out on wasn't the wisest choice to make. The danger level would be extremely high.
"This isn't a good idea." Anna said. "Your mother is going to be very angry at me."
Young Allison hoped to prevent her mother from finding out she'd gone on a risky mission. She was aware they were probably going to have to 'bend' some of the facts.
"CamNet can handle any phone calls if I'm out of range." Young Allison said. "I can fib a little."
Anna wanted to make it clear that it wouldn't be just a missed phone call or some 'half truths' that needed to be dealt with.
"What if anything happens to you?" Anna asked. "What's supposed to happen then?"
Young Allison wanted Anna or CamNet to use a little imagination and come up with a creative solution. There were several options that were available.
"Use the TDE and stop me or stop Savannah. I'll be on the lookout for a time bubble." Young Allison said. "I want to make this clear. I won't abandon her."
Anna heard what she said and knew that CamNet did as well.
Savannah was very upset Young Allison was on her way there. Based upon what she would do for Cameron, it was clear that Young Allison would do the same for her. Young Allison would also face the same consequences if anything went wrong. The chances of things going wrong were extremely high on this mission.
"Cameron, I need to rethink this." Savannah said. "I'm endangering Allison – Young Allison now."
Savannah considered aborting the entire mission.
"You are." Cameron said. "John will be endangered too."
Savannah wanted to verify his status.
"Is he coming too?" Savannah asked.
Cameron was aware that John ran into multiple obstacles. Savannah's earlier directive put a lot of roadblocks in front of John.
"He's trying." Cameron said. "So far he hasn't received a lot of cooperation."
Savannah could see the news kept getting worse. She needed to put an end to her current mission or she was going to draw everyone out one by one to their doom. She knew that the humans in the Resistance weren't going to listen to anyone. They would go after all of them.
"That's it." Savannah said. "The mission is off."
Savannah looked at the assembled group of female Terminators. She needed their help to protect Young Allison and John. A new plan seemed like a good idea too.
"I need all of you to help me." Savannah said. "I need a better, less risky plan."
Sheila and Ally were still trying to calm Cammy down. Cammy was close to a meltdown at having to abandon Savannah to her doom. The news of the aborted mission seemed to help calm Cammy.
It was painfully obvious to Savannah that she'd acted too soon without a workable plan. She could understand better now how Cameron could do the same thing and often did. Sometimes action needed to be taken and there was no alternative or time for anything else. She understood why Cameron tried to operate alone.
"I'm sorry, I acted too soon." Savannah said.
Savannah wanted to protect the Metal girls, not be responsible for their doom.
Gail wanted to give Savannah some positive support.
"You were trying to protect all of us." Gail said. "That's admirable."
Cameron wanted to keep John and Young Allison away from the danger area.
"Call Young Allison and stop her." Cameron said. "Then call John to stop him and reassure him. I'll get to work on a safer plan for all of us, including me."
Savannah now began to wonder what she'd been thinking earlier.
"Thank you, Cameron." Savannah said. "I apologize for my earlier actions and the trouble that I caused for everyone."
Cameron understood the girls better about their past and present actions. Savannah and Young Allison both showed their commitment to the future and more importantly, to each other.
"I understand why Duplicate Allison and Duplicate Vanna followed me to their doom. I have seen you do it and now Young Allison too." Cameron said. "It's for love, not just for duty."
Cameron didn't forget the Duplicate Jesse was there with them as well for the same reasons.
Savannah gave Cameron a long hug and then each of the Metal girls one too. She saved Cammy for last. She saw how her pending actions affected Cammy in a very negative way.
"I'm sorry, Cammy." Savannah said.
Cammy figured she'd better come clean. It was going to come out sooner or later. She'd felt compelled to call Young Allison. It was something from inside of her that told her to do it.
"No, I am." Cammy said. "I called Young Allison. I'm the one who endangered her. I wanted to protect you. I wanted her to call you and have you reconsider or abort. I didn't think she would come here. I'm sorry."
Cammy was aware the last part of her statement wasn't true. She specifically told Young Allison she needed to be there in person to stop Savannah. At this point she wasn't entirely sure that was the reason that she told her to enter the danger zone. She now began to wonder if there was another reason.
Savannah didn't want Young Allison to come to the danger zone.
"Let me call her and stop her." Savannah said.
Savannah wondered if she could stop John from trying to come there or Young Allison. She doubted Young Allison would abort. She knew what a little firecracker Young Allison could be when she wanted to be. She was pretty sure this was one of those occasions.
Anna and Young Allison were on their way to where Savannah was at.
Young Allison's phone rang.
She looked at it but didn't answer it.
"It's Savannah." Young Allison said.
Anna didn't think Young Allison should waste any time.
"Is that the way you were taught to handle a problem?" Anna asked. "Answer it. You know you're going to anyway."
Young Allison felt a little hesitant to answer it still. She didn't want to have a confrontation with Savannah. She knew Anna was right. Who is she fooling? She took the call.
"Hello, Savannah." Young Allison said.
Savannah understood the delay in Young Allison answering the phone.
"Hi, Allison." Savannah said. "You know why I'm calling."
Young Allison was very aware. She'd reacted to what Savannah initiated.
"You know why you needed to make this call." Young Allison said. "It wasn't my doing."
Savannah felt very emotional as she spoke with Young Allison. She needed to keep her composure and try to return things to normal.
"I do." Savannah said. "The plan changed. I need you to go back home, PLEASE."
Young Allison wanted to make her position clear. She was willing to go all the way. She wanted Savannah to know that.
"I'll follow you." Young Allison said. "Even on my own if I need to."
That fact seemed clear to both of them.
"I'm sorry." Savannah said. "I was worried about Cameron. Now I'm worried about you. Please return home."
Young Allison wanted a guarantee from Savannah first.
"Promise me, you won't do anything foolish." Young Allison said.
Savannah wanted to reassure Young Allison.
"I promise, Allison." Savannah said. "Please return home and stay there."
Young Alison didn't want to cause Savannah any unnecessary worry.
"OK, Savannah." Young Allison said. "I know we all need to protect John and Cameron in whatever ways we can."
Savannah was a little curious as to who all ignored her earlier directive.
"Who's there with you?" Savannah asked. "I mean besides Anna."
Young Allison tried to leave with only Savannah. Once her Detail found out the nature of the mission, they all went with her. They told her it was something that they all needed to do.
"The full Detail is here as well." Young Allison said. "They all came with me on their own."
Savannah wanted Young Allison to understand how their actions would affect every other individual or machine that surrounded them. All of their actions, no matter how insignificant they may seem, produced a ripple effect.
"Allison…." Savannah started then paused. "With great power, comes great responsibility."
Young Allison could see how all of the Terminators around her were prepared to follow her to her doom. She would have needed to 'order' them to stay behind. That was something that she was reluctant to do when she saw how much it meant to them. She knew how hard it must have been for Savannah to tell the Metal girls to stay behind and go back to the base.
"I can see that." Young Allison said. "Everything we do affects all of them."
Savannah wanted to make sure Young Allison was returned safely home. There was only one way she knew how to do that. It wasn't something she wanted to do either.
"Yes." Savannah said. "Let me speak with Anna, please."
Young Allison needed to be quick and choose her words carefully.
"I know what you are going to tell her." Young Allison said. "Please don't 'order' her. I'll do as you ask."
Young Allison's answer satisfied Savannah.
"Then I don't need to speak with her." Savannah said. "Please go home."
Young Allison was aware a lot of things could still go wrong. She wanted to remind Savannah of something and she already knew. She just needed to say the words.
"Savannah, I love you." Young Allison said.
Savannah felt Young Allison's words touch deep inside of her being. She didn't want to cry. She needed to hold it together.
"I love you too, Allison." Savannah said. "I'm sorry I worried and hurt you."
The connection ended.
John was still in the Command Center. He was still trying to figure out a way to get to where Savannah was at. So far all he'd met with was resistance.
John's phone rang.
John Henry figured it was one of two people. John already spoke with one of them so that narrowed it down to the other one.
"It's Savannah." John Henry said.
John looked at his phone.
"It is." John said. "Hi, Savannah."
Savannah was pleased to know that John was still at the base
"Hi, John." Savannah said. "You know why I'm calling."
John was a little upset that Savannah hadn't answered or returned his call.
"Because I called you earlier." John said.
Savannah didn't want a confrontation with John.
"Were you going to ask me out on a 'date'?" Savannah asked.
That wasn't the reply that John expected.
"What?" John asked.
John Henry smiled. He knew Savannah just threw the 'target' off balance. It was standard infiltration training. It helped put the 'mark' on the defensive.
Savannah wanted to maintain control of the conversation. She didn't want any trouble.
"I asked if you were going to ask me out on a 'date'." Savannah said.
John quickly collected himself. He was willing to play along. He didn't want a confrontational atmosphere either.
"If you come home I will." John said.
Savannah was pleased with his answer. She also wanted to ease his mind about the other things.
"I'll be home, don't forget." Savannah said. "We're going to try to come up with a better mission plan. The other idea is off."
John wanted to make his displeasure with the original idea known without making a big deal about it. He also wanted Savannah to stop Young Allison since he was unable to do so earlier.
"The other idea seemed terminal." John said. "You need to call and stop Young Allison."
Savannah felt she was one step ahead of John.
"I already have." Savannah said.
John was a little surprised. He'd hoped that Savannah would have called him first. It was an unnecessary reminder of his status.
"You called her before me?" John asked.
Savannah felt the situation was sufficiently under control. She wanted to give John a little reminder of what the future held.
"It's the 'Natural Order'." Savannah said. "Keep that 'date' in mind if you want to be a part of it."
John realized Savannah referred to him being a part of the 'Natural Order'. It was clear it would pass him by and continue without him.
He didn't want that to happen. He wanted to be a part of it with all four of them together.
Now that the situation seemed under control, it reminded John he really wanted something from both Savannah and Young Allison. It was their virginity. He wanted to be their 'first'.
Why Are We Having This Conversation
I've tried to tell you
Many a time
My feelings and emotions
Are very sublime
They come and go
Yet constantly remain the same
They're always for you
As I often acclaim
I am what I am
I know it's not much
You'll never really know
Until we share each others touch
I continue to knock
There's never an answer
I'm your salvation
Not life's cancer
Until you come to accept
That I'm not the aberration
You'll forever wonder
Why are we having this conversation
Nobody