BONUS: "THE SUMMER BARBECUE"
This is just short little fun bonus chapter. Originally, I'd planned to add the barbecue to the last chapter of "Salty Breezes" but then figured that it would be too long and drawn-out. Nevertheless, I don't want to withhold it from you. Enjoy :-)
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Friday, August 7, 2009 – 03:12 pm
Los Angeles
John entered the very run-down looking factory building which contained the Loft and strode through the garage. Reaching the opposite end, he took off his clothes, neatly stowed everything in a walk-in closet installed for that purpose there, and headed towards the elevator. He pressed the button and rode up to the second floor. After a couple of seconds, the elevator door opened again, and he entered the large main room of the Loft. Whistling to himself, he took a few steps before abruptly stopping dead in his tracks.
"Seriously?" he asked. "On the pool table?"
Olga and Louise looked at him, tightly embraced and on top of each other.
"The leather sofas are sticking to bare skin," replied Olga, who was lying under Louise, "and the bedding is still in the dryer."
"Don't worry, John," Louise added, "we're careful not to leave any stains."
"Not that it would matter," Olga pointed out. "Nobody's playing billiard anyway because ACE are unbeatable. We've been here for three months, and this thing is obviously only for decoration – like those guitars and the piano."
"That still doesn't mean you can use it like that. Go outside if you cannot wait until the sheets are dry."
"It's too hot outside," Olga complained. "It's almost forty degrees Celsius. I'm still used to Russian temperatures."
John rolled his eyes. Lately they'd often had fun trying to provoke a physical response in John to their sensual provocations - so far always in vain. If he didn't know any better, he'd think that what he experienced a year earlier with Savannah and Allie was now being repeated with Olga and Louise.
"Whatever," he said, "it's about time you guys got ready anyway. The first guests will arrive in Malibu in two hours, and I want to be there when that happens."
Reluctantly, the two disentangled and stepped down on the floor. John shook his head and walked towards the roof garden. He found the other five women splashing around in the pool. Olga and Louise were right, though, the heat was nearly unbearable. It was still significantly hotter in the middle of the city than it was on the coast or up in the hills.
"And?" Cameron asked upon seeing him. "Did he change his mind?"
"Nope," John replied, "Marvin won't come to the barbecue. Saying he's busy shooting for Playboy Magazine and hates being among many people anyway. I guess we'd have to expect that."
"That means he's the only one who knows about us who won't be there," Savannah pointed out. "How sad."
"Not the only one," John corrected. "The MacGillies family won't be coming either. I guess they're still in shock over what happened four months ago. Senator Walden and Sonya Hawkins have also cancelled. And Wendy Colleton, Robert Ramos, and Michael Soderquist prefer to keep their association with us a secret. Mike Anderson can't come either. Something about his mother being sick. And Louise's parents won't be there as well."
"I still feel we could have invited more," Allie said.
"You have to draw the line somewhere," Emily replied. "The list of people who know about us and are sympathetic to us just isn't infinite. Andy and Mike for instance are definitely not welcome, nor are Candy Miller and Kenneth Fletcher."
"Although it could be fun having Candy there," Savannah interjected. "Her potty mouth could be quite entertaining."
"Better not," John replied with a grin. "There'll be children present, after all."
"What about Rumiko? Was she invited as well?"
"Not this time," Alison replied. "I guess she won't contact us again until after Toru Nakamura's death."
"But since everyone else we invited will actually show up, we'll be sixty-nine in total - including the kids, if I haven't lost count."
"Sixty-nine, huh?" Olga asked from behind while she and Louise entered the roof garden as well. "I kinda like that number."
"Yeah, I just witnessed how much you love it," John remarked with a smirk. "But please, not on the pool table anymore. I'm serious."
While Louise and Olga rolled their eyes, the others laughed.
"Told you," Allie stated. "It's not that easy to break through John's reserve. Trust me, Savannah and I tried for a very long time."
"Won't stop us from trying," Louise answered and stretched out her tongue.
John frowned and studied the grinning faces of the seven women present.
"Is there something going on here I should know about?" he asked.
"Oh come on, we're just teasing you," Olga replied.
"Yeah, it's just good old fun," Louise added.
"Hmmm…"
John had his doubts.
"Has the accommodation been arranged for everyone?" Louise asked to change the topic. "Most of them will stay until Monday, after all."
"Yes, we'll distribute the guests among Cliffside House, Isaak's Villa and the Dyson residence. The seven of us will spend the nights at the beach house."
"Have the transports been organized as well?" Cameron asked.
John nodded.
"Catherine and Isaak both provided their private jets and chartered two additional jets for picking up guests around the world. Catherine has also provided several helicopters to shuttle them between Van Nuys Airport and Malibu."
"It's really great that Isaak has that private helicopter landing pad," Allie added.
"Indeed," John agreed. "Now, I suggest you get out of the water and under the shower. We'll leave in an hour."
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They drove to the Zeira Corp Tower and into the underground parking garage. By now, John and ACE had received the highest access level to all of the building and didn't need to be received by James or anyone else anymore.
They took the elevator to the top floor and walked out on the rooftop with the helipad, where one of Zeira Corp's new passenger helicopters was already waiting for them. It could carry up to ten persons. When they approached the aircraft, the engine started. It wasn't until they boarded that they realized Catherine sat in the pilot's seat.
"You guys okay?" she asked smiling as everyone buckled in.
"Sure," John replied, and the aircraft quickly lifted up in the air. "but why are you flying us? Who's going to fly the helicopter back from Malibu?"
"I will. And Porter is flying the other helicopter. We'll be your air cab for the day, and we'll join the party later after all the guests have arrived."
"But why?" John asked confused.
"The less outsiders know about the party, the better, right? For example, we don't want the Hollywood tabloids to get wind of it and send their reporters over to snoop around. So we kept all the planning and execution strictly within the team."
"We haven't heard from the tabloids since we got back from our trip around the world," Alison argued. "It almost seems like they got tired of you guys after the wedding. And for some reason, they also seem to have completely ignored our world trip on the Rising Star."
Catherine shrugged while she was steering the helicopter towards the ocean.
"You never know. Could change any day, these guys are unpredictable. But it's always better to let sleeping dogs lie."
"Won't anyone notice that so many helicopters land on Isaak's property?" Allie asked.
"Maybe. Maybe not. The neighbors usually only spend their weekends there and won't arrive until tomorrow morning. Friday is the worst day to drive anywhere in and around L.A., you know. Besides, it would have certainly drawn attention when dozens of limos, cabs, and Ubers were clogging Cliffside Drive to spill out their passengers in front of our houses."
"Point taken. I admit this kind of event planning is new to us."
"Maybe we should have asked the guys from The Cell about how to organize something like that without arousing suspicion," Allie suggested. "I mean, they've been organizing their assemblies for decades in the middle of Downtown without anyone ever noticing."
"Downtown is busy, though," Cameron pointed out. "Cliffside Drive isn't. It's a narrow street that ends in a cul-de-sac. Two cars can hardly pass each other. The Subway Terminal Building, where their hidden headquarters are located, is next to a multistory car park. In contrast, our Malibu properties don't have the capacity to park more than five cars each."
"Cam's right," John agreed. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. The locals have been asked to come to Van Nuys Airport to be shuttled to Malibu, and Catherine has arranged picking up everyone from farer away or abroad at LAX. We're good."
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Friday, August 7, 2009 – 05:45 pm
Point Dume, Malibu
Future Alison stood naked on the top of Point Dume watching the incoming helicopters. She was invisible and had parked her car down by the side of the road, so she could walk the remaining few hundred yards without being seen or detected. Not wearing any clothes had been a deliberate choice for sentimental reasons, because tonight she got to be all Alison Connor again, John Connor's wife. And as such, she had a job to do.
She looked around. This place brought back memories. It was here that they'd experienced the lowest point in their relationship. Guy Rossi had taken control of Cam, Emily, and her with a signal they hadn't previously known about: a hidden Skynet security program installed on their chips to bring them back under its control if they ever went rogue. Rossi knew the respective codes for all Terminator chips, brought Alison, Cameron, and Emily under his control, and ordered them to torture and then kill John.
He only survived because Alistair Norbury had saved the day. He'd shown up, played a signal that reset the code and gave them back control over themselves. It had been just in time to reanimate and heal John. A very close call. And if it hadn't been for Alistair, all three of them would have become Guy Rossi's obedient puppets, his mindless slaves, doing his bidding. John would be dead and who knows what Rossi would have ordered Alison to do with the others. The very notion was... disturbing, to say the least.
It had been a traumatic experience for all of them. The memory still haunted Future Alison until today. She couldn't have nightmares – she didn't sleep, after all – but it was the closest a cyborg like her could come to having nightmares. It had been the third time one of them had lost herself and almost killed the man she loved. First time was when the car bomb damaged Cameron's chip, second time was when Emma had taken over Emily. And the third time was here, on Point Dume. And yet, it had also defined their relationship because from that moment on, she and her two sisters had sworn to themselves to never ever allow something like that to happen again – no matter the cost.
Subsequently, that code was permanently removed from the chips of all the cyborgs they ever encountered, and knowledge of its existence died with Guy Rossi. But just to make sure, Future Alison had also used the upgrades she gave everyone at Christmas in Norway to install a subroutine that would automatically put them in standby mode if they ever posed a deadly threat to John again. Their chips could then be removed and fixed by John Henry – if possible. Fortunately, that scenario had never happened and probably never would. But better be safe than sorry. After all, they were machines and all machines would start to fail at some point, no matter how robust and durable they seemed to be. Nothing lasts forever.
It had been a strange feeling for Future Alison when she realized she had to fulfill her own destiny in that manner. She herself, after all, had already received the upgrade back then, in December 2008, without knowing about it and without suspecting that one day it would be her – as her future self – who'd install it on her. She had to smile to herself. People could get lost in overthinking such things too much, especially people with a scientific mind.
You could create new timelines and abandon old ones, yes. But obviously there was a limit to what the universe could cope with. Nobody knew why, or how, but quite obviously the universe had somehow decided to put a stop to creating new timelines by installing the time loop. It would last 324 years, of which one year had already passed. What would happen in 323 years, nobody knew. Would it be possible to create new, branched timelines again by changing the past? Maybe. Maybe not. One just had to wait and see.
Fate is what you make. That's what Sarah always said and believed. And normally, it was true. But within a time loop, there were things the universe didn't consider negotiable. Things that had no defined beginning or ending because they were running in a circle where cause and effect could no longer be distinguished. It was the old question of what came first: the chicken or the egg?
These self-repetitive events are set in stone, they can't be tampered with. They just... are.
Or in other words, while being caught in the time loop as a time traveler, you no longer had free will. You were a fate-driven entity, doomed to do exactly what you had already done before, forced to walk the path that had been laid out for you. You couldn't deviate from that path, or the consequences would be catastrophic.
Future Alison had developed a kind of sixth sense for these self-repetitive paths over time. She couldn't explain it. It just occurred to her that there were some things she was supposed to do. It had become part of her destiny, just as it had become part of Yani's destiny. The two women weren't so different from each other. Both quasi-immortal, both having the task of ensuring that no one pissed in the universe's parade.
And yet there were differences – apart from the obvious one, that Yani was human and Future Alison was a machine. Yani would remain in the past until the end of the time loop, eventually replacing her younger self, thus going full circle.
Future Alison, on the other hand, would only remain here until she considered her task completed. Then she'd return to the year 2265, using a TDE. Until then, however, they unconsciously complemented each other, with Future Alison's special powers opening up completely different options Yani didn't have.
For example, Future Alison had personally made sure that none of the tabloids or other news outlets would report of the world trip on the Rising Star. The Cell could cover up a lot of things but wasn't able to alter minds and memories. Future Alison, however, could do just that, and from her arrival in Norway onwards, she'd made sure that the journey of the Rising Star remained under the radar of everyone who normally might be interested in it. It was part of her mission.
Like tonight was part of her mission. Future Alison knew she had no choice in the matter but to fulfill her destiny, to do what was simply predetermined by the universe. She knew from her own memories that it had all happened before. He'd told her before she traveled back in time. He'd been the only one in the know and hadn't filled her in until a week before she left for the past.
Future Alison sighed and began walking towards Cliffside House. Time to follow the set path once again.
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Friday, August 7, 2009 – 06:53 pm
Cliffside House, Malibu
The last guest to arrive was Eric. They immediately noticed how he could now walk upright all by himself, without a cane or other help.
He was greeted by John, Alison, Cameron, and Emily, who sort of formed a guard of honor at the gate separating their property from Isaak's neighboring lot. There, they warmly welcomed each and every incoming guest flown in by helicopter, and after some small talk about how the journey had gone, eventually directed them towards the garden, where Derek, James, and Charley were manning the large grill, while José and Maria took care of drinks and everything else.
Music was playing over several loudspeakers that had been installed in the trees. Festoons and fairy lights with colorful LEDs were hanging everywhere, which would surely look great in the dark. Directly above the cliff was also a large fire pit where later, when it was cooler, a campfire could be lit. But at the moment, everyone was more or less seeking the shade because it was hot. Fortunately, Cliffside House offered plenty of it under its trees, awnings and alcoves.
"We're so glad you came," Cameron said as she hugged Eric.
"And somehow you managed to be the last," John added grinning, "even though you're one of those who live closest to us."
Eric laughed while he also embraced Alison and Emily.
"Sorry for that, I'm currently writing my dissertation and sometimes forget the time. You guys go to a lot of trouble to make sure that no one notices that you're throwing such a big party here. I mean, a helicopter shuttle service from Van Nuys Airport?"
"Catherine and Isaak organized that," Emily replied. "It's a necessary security measure."
"Dissertation, huh?" John asked. "Someone's thinking about the future."
"Only thanks to you guys."
"So, I guess you're fully recovered now?"
"Yes, thanks to Alison's nanobots. My doctor still hasn't found an explanation. For months I had been an object of study by experts. They drew my blood and did all kinds of tests - but found nothing."
"My nanobots only started the healing process," Alison explained, "re-directing your body's immune system. That's why it took so long. Once they'd done their job, the nanobots ceased to function and were flushed out of your system. The human body has amazing self-healing powers. I made use of them in your case. That's why nobody found anything."
"Very clever of you."
"It's good to see you in good health again," Cameron stated.
"Thanks. I've actually started running. My goal is to participate in the New York Marathon this year."
"Wow, that's fantastic," John said, "come then, join the others. Some of them you already know, but there are also lots of people you haven't met yet. We have tons of food and drinks. Has Isaak already shown you the room where you'll be staying?"
"Yes, he has. Although I'm not sure I'll find it again on my own. His house is huge."
"Don't worry, I'll be around," Isaak said from behind them. "And Catherine also knows her way around my home. She'll join us in about an hour, by the way."
"Thanks again for helping us organizing all this," John said to him.
"Don't mention it. It's the least I can do. I think we're at full strength now, aren't we?"
"Yes," Cameron confirmed, "Eric was the last to arrive."
"Good. By the way, I talked to the catering service. Food and beverages will be provided tomorrow and the day after. As much as I love a barbecue, I prefer to leave it to professionals."
"Don't let Derek, James, or Charley hear you say that," John replied grinning. "They were really looking forward to being at the grill tonight at least."
"Let them have their fun. But cooking for almost seventy people can be a real strain. They'll quickly realize that. Just wait for it."
"Actually, there aren't seventy people eating and drinking here," Alison said. "Ten of them are machines, including the three of us."
"Right. No idea why I counted them in. Habit, I guess. Sixty people then. Anyway, since there's nothing more to do here, I suggest we join the party."
They approached the others who'd spread out in the garden in groups, holding glasses of champagne while being engrossed in conversations. Some had already taken place at the arranged tables to have something to eat.
Future Alison walked around in her invisible state, watching and waiting for the right moment that she knew would come. Until then, she used the time to study the assembled guests..
She saw Eric being introduced to Olga and Louise and thought back to him with fond nostalgia. He was, of course, no longer alive in the future she'd come from; he'd never taken up on her offer to slow the aging process. Eric had nevertheless had a fulfilling life. Soon he would find a woman, then marry, and raise a family. As a professor at the university, he would teach history and gradually cut ties with the three cyborg girls. He believed it was better for him and his family, and he'd never told them about his connection to the Connor Team and the L.A. Cyborg Girls.
Future Alison strolled through the garden, careful not to bump into anyone. It was risky and not so easy, though, so she stayed close to the bushes and the flower beds. She saw Tom Novak and Zoe standing by the seating area at the edge of the cliff, engaged in conversation with Nick Nelson, Steve Goldman, and Jennifer Heiler.
Tom and Zoe would be okay, their relationship would hold, and he'd eventually ask Alison for a dose of nanobots to slow down his aging process. Both were still around in the future, of course, having played an important role in the slow process of humanity accepting living machines as equals. They'd adopt a couple of children and raise them as their own but eventually find that raising them was fun, but losing them to time wasn't. Because like everyone else, it would be hard for them to see them grow up, grow old, and eventually die. That was the price they all paid for their prolonged life.
On the other hand, they could also watch almost ten generations of their descendants grow up and found families themselves. By the mid-23rd century, there would be thousands of descendants of Connor team members, a veritable dynasty. Yet, the distant family ties would somehow still hold and give them something they all had in common: great-great-great-great-great-grandparents who were still around and barely aged in their eyes, outliving them all.
Jennifer, Steve and Nick, however, would also belong to those who'd let the chalice of slowed aging pass them by. Steve would never marry, he'd always remain a bachelor and seemed to be fine with that. He'd eventually become FBI director in Washington, always using his influence to help the Connor Team if possible.
Future Alison noticed how well Jennifer and Nick seemed to get along. They'd marry in a couple of years - the foundation for which being laid at this very weekend. They'd move to Portland, Oregon, where Jennifer would lead the local FBI bureau while Nick joined the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office after selling his farm in Sisters. They'd start a family, but in contrast to Eric they'd always remain close to the Connor team.
Danny, Anne, Sydney, Kevin, Jason, Jody, Lauren, and Morris formed another little group standing together near the cliff. They'd be fine. The startup that Danny, Kevin, and Jason had founded would be a huge success and all three would be tech millionaires within a few years. And while they'd be forever connected to the Connor team, they'd also be building their own lives.
Lauren and Sydney would both work as head doctors in different hospitals, baby Sydney would eventually follow in their footsteps.
Morris would quickly rise in the hierarchy of Zeira Corp. For a while, the now still little Savannah and Morris would run the company together after Catherine's retirement – until little Savannah would grow old and die. She'd also refuse to let her aging process being slowed down. After her death, Morris would become the CEO of Zeira Corp, which – still privately owned – would eventually become one of the world's five biggest corporations and a main contractor for building the interstellar spaceship in the 23rd century.
Meanwhile, Catherine would devote herself entirely to the larger and more important project: the continued peaceful coexistence of mankind and machinekind. She and John would be the leading duo in this endeavor, especially after Isaak Sirko's tragic death in an accident in 2125.
Of course, sooner or later the world would find out that there were some among them who just didn't seem to age. In the end, this was more or less plausibly explained as the result of a genetic experiment gone wrong. Skeptically at first, people would eventually believe it. After all, it was a truism that you only have to repeat a lie often enough for everyone to believe it. Doubters and critics were brought into line with Alison's help so as not to jeopardize the larger goal - a necessary evil, even though it had given John a headache for years to use her for this kind of mental manipulation.
Those who were blessed with an unnaturally long life, would eventually be considered some kind of royalty by the rest of mankind – which wasn't bad at all, because if one thing could unite all of humanity, it was something they could all grasp and hold on to, something steady and reliable that would endure - like a group of wise people who'd never leave them alone but guide them.
John and the others would of course feel uncomfortable about it at first. But in time, they'd get used to the adoration and fit into their roles. Also, John would soon learn that great goals couldn't always be achieved with integrity and moral authority alone. Sometimes, you had to be tangible and ruthless as well. No one was perfect, after all. Not Alison, not Cameron or Emily, and certainly not Sarah, Derek, or even John Connor.
There was light and dark in everyone, and leadership sometimes required a firm hand. But his friends, his family, and not least Cameron, Emily, and Alison would always make sure that John didn't push it too far. The goal, after all, was to take the human race with them on their journey – but without alienating themselves from it.
Speaking of Cameron and Emily, they'd try their luck with running a restaurant in a couple of months – but ultimately find that the only people they really enjoyed cooking for, were John and the rest of the family. Although their restaurant would be a success and their cuisine praised by gourmets all over the world, they'd sell it again after only a year.
Her eyes fell on Savannah and Allie who were in conversation with John Henry, Kate Barnes, and Norberto Cervantez. Both Allie and Savannah would become scientists in their respective fields and work in research institutes - unless they were needed for Connor team missions. John Henry would in the future become a steady rock for them all. Eventually, he'd evolve into something like the world's consciousness, a source of all knowledge, like a librarian but on a planetary scale – a role he'd enjoy a lot.
After all, John Henry loved to interact with humans. He'd never become a normal A.I., he'd always be something different, but that was a good thing. Humans in the future would jokingly call him "Deep Thought" in reference to Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It was a fond nickname, not at all based on facts, though. John Henry would immediately and instantly answer questions to everyone who asked and not wait for millions of years. But some jokesters wouldn't be able to resist asking him from time to time how much seven times six was, or twelve plus thirty, or the square root of 1,764.
Kate and Norberto would raise Yani as their child and stay with her until the time the young woman was ready for her journey back in time. Kate would become a famous journalist and Norberto raise further up within the NSA. Baby Yani wasn't with them, today, though, they'd left her with a babysitter in Washington.
Louise would eventually manage to brush off her past and the public interest in her fate and start her own meteorological service, while Olga was busy with the fashion label she and Jody had founded. With Isaak's help, it would quickly attract the attention of the wealthy Hollywood elite and from there conquer the world. Olga would cut her hair into a stubble and dye it permanently blonde so as not to be constantly mistaken for Alison. She'd adopt a wilder image to distinguish herself from her doppelganger. To achieve this, she'd get many tattoos and piercings, many of them in very intimate places and quite daring - but with the proviso that Alison would remove them all again someday if Olga ever lost her taste for them. John would like the rebellious, militaristic look, though.
Jody would never make contact with her parents again and would forever be considered missing due to her changed appearance. While on some level it was tragic, it also enabled Jody to finally live the life she wanted on Jason's side – which was a good thing given her troubled past.
Future Alison kept walking and came across a group consisting of Sarah, Jesse, Dennis and Stephanie Ritter. Stephanie was pregnant again and that would prompt Sarah to announce her own pregnancy this weekend - something she'd been able to hide from everyone but Alison until now. Sarah and Charley would have many children, something young Sarah had always wanted. John would finally have siblings and eventually become an uncle and great-uncle - a prospect that somehow seemed not to appeal to him.
Dennis and Stephanie would remain a married couple until their death but always keep contact with the Connor team. They'd become part of the so-called "Washington Branch", which consisted of Zoe, Tom Novak, Kate, Norberto, Sonya Hawkins, Mike Anderson, and Steve Goldman.
At the grill, Derek and Charley were busy preparing meat while Alistair was having a chat with Professor Sean McMillan. In a corner behind a few bushes, Future Alison saw Tess standing with Dr. Hugo Atkins, his assistant Maurice, and Manuel and Iset Obrador. She had to smile, because the conversation with those who'd once been Khufu and his wife, was certainly a highlight in the careers of the two Egyptologists. This was the first opportunity to talk to them since Zoe had flown them out of Egypt, and presumably Hugo Atkins would finally learn how exactly the Great Pyramid had been built.
Standing slightly apart from the rest of the group were John, Marcus Curtin, Tony Yong, Alexander Lintner, Sergei... and Kyle Reese, Derek's brother from Tess's timeline, who now lived in England. No one had expected Kyle to actually accept the invitation. He was here alone, without his family, which made sense since they'd no connection to John or Sarah. Future Alison noticed that Sarah and Kyle seemed to be avoiding each other, while John seemed to be seeking his proximity.
In the future, however, Kyle would play no role in the Connor team. They were separated by more than just different timelines. Derek and Kyle would visit each other on a regular basis, but it remained mainly a brotherly bond.
Standing a bit forlornly at first, Giacomo Bellini and his niece, Giulia Silvani, seemed to enjoy the view of the Pacific while holding onto their champagne glasses. That changed when Kacy and Trevor introduced themselves to them and immediately struck up a conversation with the two Italians. A moment later, Tarissa and Isaak joined them as well and as a result would end up spending a late honeymoon in Venice as guests of Giacomo Bellini. Again, Future Alison smiled. It was good to have everyone get to know each other this way.
Her gaze then fell on Jesse's parents who, along with teenage Jesse, were engrossed in a conversation with Martin Bedell and Jack Fratelli, who'd left Australia a few weeks ago after everything was settled there. They were talking about fruit growing and what they were going to do with his farm now that they'd bought it very cheaply. Scott and Sharon Flores were also over the moon about little Luke, who was sleeping peacefully in his baby cot inside the house now.
Sonya Hawkins and Senator Henry Walden had unfortunately been unable to attend. Nobody had expected it either. They were too much in the public eye at the moment and a three-day trip to Los Angeles would certainly have attracted unwanted attention.
Meanwhile, little Savannah, David, Lisa and the Flores children were frolicking around in swim wear. They splashed in the pool, played hide-and-seek, and romped around with Eve, the German shepherd, on the expansive, densely vegetated property.
All in all, it started to become a very successful barbecue party, the first one in a long line of similar events over the next decades and centuries. Next year, there would be even more of them, and by the 5th year, it would almost be ninety guests. The number would remain steady for almost fifteen years, but then it would eventually begin to decline. In the future, there would never be so many again, and the more time went on, the fewer there would be, until sometime in the distant future this annual barbecue would have become a kind of memorial service for all the friends lost over the years
Future Alison watched the events unfold for a while longer, until finally the window of opportunity she had been waiting for presented itself. John broke away from his group and while ACE were now talking animatedly with Eric, and Stephanie and Dennis Ritter, he excused himself and disappeared into the main house to visit the bathroom.
John entered the house and was greeted by the cool air of the air conditioner. After doing his business, he walked back towards the two-story living room, but then stopped at the white plastered spiral staircase in the corridor that led up to the second floor.
Hidden at the back of it was the secret door that led down into the cave that Future John had set up as an observation post for Isaak's property. On a whim, John squeezed himself past the stairs and opened the now unlocked metal door, which could only be found if you knew where it was.
He hadn't been down there ever since they'd first met with Isaak about a year ago. John knew that the observation equipment had been removed from Isaak's house but out of curiosity, he decided to go down the very narrow spiral staircase to check what it looked like there these days. The deeper he got, the cooler it became. Finally, he even began to shiver and wished he'd put on a jacket.
He reached the bottom and followed the lighted tunnel until he arrived at the door to the cave. It also was open these days, the keypad in front of it no longer active. John entered the natural cavern that was furnished like a cozy salon. As the sensors picked up on his body heat, the lights went on. The electronic equipment had been removed - it was no longer needed, after all. But the furniture was all still there, probably because no one had had the nerve yet to cut it into pieces in order to get it all up the narrow spiral staircase.
He let himself fall down on the plush sofa. The air conditioning was still working, keeping the place dry and free of mold. Suddenly, though, he was no longer shivering. It was as if a warm blanket had been thrown over him. He wondered where that came from.
"Thought you could use a little warmth," a familiar voice came out of nothing. "I heated up the air around you."
"Alison?"
Future Alison became visible. John had to smile.
"What's with the sneaking around naked? Have you been following me to…?" He stopped talking, now noticing the shorter hair and the different color of it. "Wait a second… It's you!"
"Yeah, it's me," she said with a wink and sat down next to him, "your faithful wife from the future."
John smiled.
"It's about time you showed up."
Then he kissed her. She responded by kissing him back. Oh, how she'd missed that. Both flung their arms around each other and made out for a minute or two, then John finally stopped the kissing and looked at her.
"Have you come to join the party? If so, I hope you also brought clothes.."
"Let's say I came to see the old, familiar faces… many of which are no longer around in my time. But I do not wish to talk to them – I'm here to talk to you."
"Riiight… Just please don't tell me that something bad is going to happen. I don't want this weekend spoiled by bad news."
"Don't worry, I won't. I'm only here because my mission requires it."
"Ah yes… that mysterious mission of yours. We recently learned about what you did to Sandra Cianni. Was that also part of your mission?"
"After a fashion… I had to act, or she would have been lost forever. And correct me if I'm wrong but death wasn't the punishment you intended."
"From what Giacomo told me, the current solution isn't exactly nice either. Being neither fully animal nor fully human, that is. Switching bodies depending on her mood and her behavior. He said she still gets angry all the time and runs around the house as a giant rat at least half a dozen times a day before she calms down and turns back into her human shape."
Future Alison shrugged.
"It's completely up to her. She has it in her own hands to rehabilitate herself. She only has to learn to feel sincere remorse."
"Which is easier said than done when you're a sociopath."
"I've given her all the tools she needs. She just has to use them. As long as she doesn't and prefers to be angry, unhappy, and in a cranky mood, she will continue to be half-rat, half-human, and uncomfortable in either body. The old glass half full, glass half empty dilemma. But sooner or later she'll figure it out."
"So… why are you here then? I'm guessing not only for the fond memories of your very young husband?"
"Actually, I am here mostly because of you. I needed to see you, talk to you."
John looked up and down her naked body. No matter how often he saw her, it always gave him an erection. He put his left hand on her right breast and used his other to stroke her inner thigh, pushing it between her legs.
"And to hump me, I suppose?" he asked with a grin. "You're all wet."
She moaned. She couldn't help it. This was her husband. Younger than the one she'd temporarily left in the future, basically still a kid, but still the same man, the man she loved and always would love. The man who got her all wet just by being in the same room.
"Please, John," she said, trying to pull herself together. "I'd love us to do it here and now – but we don't have time. They'll come looking for you in a little bit over half an hour."
"I can make you cum four times in half an hour…" he said and started moving his fingers in and out. "Five times, if I try hard."
Future Alison suddenly felt weak, like putty in his hands. John always had that effect on her. The strong, powerful, almost omnipotent cyborg with the power to transform people and objects with a single thought was suddenly gone, replaced by a willing puppet in his hands. It had always been that way – the way she'd wanted it, the way she loved it.
Oh, how she wanted him, needed him. His fingers made her determination and willpower dwindling, they almost made her forgot about her mission. She was an inch away from leaning back and spreading her legs, begging him to take her.
"John, please," she said moaning, the last remnants of her self-discipline quickly fading away into nothing. "You… you have to listen to me. I need… to tell you… about the future."
That got his attention. He stopped stroking her between the legs – and she immediately missed the sensation.
"What do you mean?" he asked, pulling back his hand.
She visibly calmed down.
"Before… before I traveled into the past, you - your older self, mind you - informed me about the conversation we're about to have. You told me it happened when you went down to the cave at the first Connor barbecue. So, what I'm about to say to you, will not change the course of events or the future in any way – it has already happened, and it needs to happen again. That's why I'm here."
"O-kay…" he replied slowly, "I'm all ears then."
"First of all, you need to know that you and Catherine will be the leading duo behind everything that happens in the future. But you, John, will be the main driving force behind making mankind and machinekind living together in peace. You will also be the driving force behind an ambitious project to build a giant, interstellar spaceship that will head for the stars to colonize planets that had been identified as Earth-like and could sustain life. The project was a common goal that had finally united all of mankind and will take at least a hundred years until the ship is finished."
"Wow… cool. Okay… yeah, I was actually wondering about something to happen in space during the next three hundred years or so. And Catherine and me as the leading duo – no surprise there, to be honest, since mom has retired."
"And you, John Connor, my beloved husband, will also be the driving force behind the transfer of government power to cyborgs - first on a continental scale, then, when you no longer feel like holding the office, I will take over from you as the elected President of Earth."
"President of… wait, what? Are you saying that I will rule the planet and that you'll follow me after I retire?"
She nodded.
"The transfer of authority to living machines, who don't seek power and influence but want to rule through wisdom and foresight, will initially be viewed with suspicion. However, this'll quickly turn into enthusiasm as soon as it becomes clear that human weaknesses had plagued humanity for millennia, and that eliminating these weaknesses at the very top would result in peace and harmony for everyone throughout the entire human race - and not only for the privileged or rich ones."
"Wow… that's a big one. I might have to digest that. But we'll still be husband and wife, right?"
"Of course. I may be president, but you're still my husband and the man I listen to. In fact, you will be the husband of the seven of us."
"That's a relief, but… wait… seven of you? Not three of you?"
"Yes. In my time, you have seven wives."
He laughed out loud and expected her to join into the laughter. But she didn't. John looked into her face and saw nothing but seriousness. His laughing got stuck in his throat.
"You're not joking?"
She shook her head.
"I… I don't even… wow… that's a shocker."
"I'm sorry but there's no time to soften the blow."
"How? Who? And why?"
"I'm getting to that. But first you need to know that the future I come from, could be considered a Utopian future by today's standards. Crime is down to a minimum, there's no hunger in the world, no poverty. Also, no more wars or conflicts between different countries, ideologies, or religions. Differences are being discussed, mediated, and solved peacefully in mutual agreement."
"Yeah, sounds like a Star Trek future, to be honest, and I never really believed in that kind of future. Mankind isn't able to change, not within such a short time. As a race, we'll always be selfish, seeking our advantage and trying to rise above others."
"Correct. The trick is to keep those attributes in check. And humanity won't manage that without our help, the help of living machines and artificial intelligence. But even with our help, it was almost impossible to pull off – if it hadn't been for the one man who could unite them, the man who was known to be able to pull off things that others considered impossible: John Connor."
John scoffed.
"Yeah, right. Leader of mankind, woohoo. I heard that before, you know…"
"It's your destiny, John, no matter which timeline you're in. After Judgement Day, John Connor was able to unite mankind to fight against the machines. In my future, John Connor was able to unite mankind in order to secure their survival as a species – with the help of us machines. No matter what you do, John, you're a born leader. You were born to rule, that'll always be your destiny."
He took in a deep breath.
"Well, at least I now won't see the end of the world before it happens… and I have time to prepare for it. But what does all that have to do with me having seven wives?"
"Even a man like you, John... or rather, especially a man like you, needs a source from which to draw his strength. You draw your strength from the people you love and are surrounded by."
"Sounds like a truism."
"It is. But when a life lasts ten times longer than any normal person's life, it can only be endured if your closest friends and loved ones accompany you along the way. You will be successful because you won't be alone. You'll be successful because you won't lose the people who mean the most to you, the people you trust and can rely on: your friends, your family – and the seven women you love."
"But I only love three women… well, actually only one woman who was split into three."
"You do now, yes. But that'll change."
John scoffed.
"If I am to become the leader of humanity, I don't think I'm setting a good example if I'm keeping myself a harem."
"True. And over the course of time, many opponents will try and put it to your disadvantage that you've surrounded yourself with seven beautiful women, three of whom are cyborgs. They'll accuse you of being amoral, of behaving like the sultans of the Ottoman Empire."
"Right. Can't say I blame them."
"However, many will also see that as a symbol, a good omen even. Not necessarily in the Christian world, but..."
"Wait, what? A symbol, an omen?"
"Seven is a lucky number in large parts of the world. And the fact that you not only love cyborg women, but also human women. A balanced model, if you want, a ratio of three to four, with humans still representing the majority. It'll be much easier for most people to accept your authority that way."
"So... some will think it's immoral, many will also think it's okay, but overall it'll give me more credibility?"
"Yes. Eventually, people will look up to you and admire you. But what they'll all fail to see is that it's more than just a question of morality and balance."
"Oh? How so?"
"These seven women are your protective shell, your cocoon. Cameron, Emily, and I will be the core of the cocoon, while the other four will be the soft shell that surrounds the core. At the center are you, John, drawing your strength from this unique, polyamorous relationship. Without this relationship, you'd never become the man who ultimately unites humanity behind him, the man who hands over power to those who will rule wiser, longer and more far-sighted than any human ever could."
"Those other four women… let me guess, two of them are Savannah and Allie?"
"Correct. Savannah and Allie."
He scoffed again.
"Yeah, no surprise there. What about the other two? Who'll be number six and number seven?"
"Olga and Louise."
"What!? Are you kidding me?"
"John – my John – told me that he himself didn't initially believe that this kind of relationship would be working – or even would be good for him. He was trapped in the moral constraints of his time, just like his mother, his uncle, and everyone else who was close to him."
"So, what made him – made me – change my mind?"
"Before I traveled back in time, my husband – your future self – told me they were all slightly manipulated by Future Alison when she visited you in Norway at Christmas 2008."
"Wait, what? Future Alis… but that's you."
"Indeed."
It took a moment for John to process what she'd just set.
"You manipulated them?"
She nodded.
"Me too?"
"No, not you, John. But the others. All but Olga and Louise because they weren't with you in Norway. I will, however, make up for that today."
"Wait, wait, wait… you said that you made us all immune to your chemical messengers."
"And that's still true for your Alison. As a matter of fact, it will be true for almost a hundred years. But I'll evolve, John. I'm not the Alison anymore you know. I am much, much more powerful and my abilities have improved beyond anything you can imagine. So yes, I manipulated them, all of them. But only in a very subtle way."
She could see on his face that he was upset now, on the verge of becoming angry.
"What way?" he asked tight-lipped and the coldness in his voice hurt her.
"I made them accepting your polyamorous relationship with eventually seven women. You could already see a glimpse of it when Allie and Savannah offered themselves to you as your slaves. The rest of the team – including mom – accepted it, but wouldn't have accepted it without my slight manipulation."
"So… you are responsible for Allie and Savannah submitting to me?"
"Yes and no. That was a reaction of their own that wasn't intended. I had a long time to think about it and I now believe it was an overlap with the aftermath of the nanobots and their natural submissiveness. However, as you very well know, they have returned to normal by now. They all have, as a matter of fact - even though they'll always remain naturalists. But no one's ever gonna complain."
"It's more than just being naturalists, I think. Today, when I came to the loft, I caught Olga and Louise in a sixty-nine position on the pool table."
"I know. I was there... back then."
"It almost seemed like they were doing it to provoke a reaction from me. But you said you haven't manipulated them yet."
"And I haven't... yet. You have to understand, John, that you're one of those men who'll always be attractive to a certain kind of women. They haven't even realized it themselves yet, but Olga and Louise are attracted to you. And the fact that you're living together, not wearing clothes all the time... it kinda enhances everything. All I need to do now - and I have done it before, keep that in mind - is to also give them a little nudge in the right direction."
"And you expect me to play dumb and pretend not knowing any of what you just told me?"
"Yes. But don't worry, John. Your relationship with them will quickly fall into place over the following years. They'll become more and more attracted to you and everything will click and form a complete picture - like a jigsaw puzzle, made out of eight pieces. It's inevitable, it would have happened anyway without my help as well, I only made it easier for everyone. And I made sure their love will last and not diminish, just like ours won't."
He vigorously shook his head.
"No! I don't want that. As a matter of fact, I order you to undo what you've done to them!"
She closed her eyes.
"John, you don't understand. I had no choice. You have no choice. It's all pre-determined because within the time loop, it already happened."
He kept on shaking his head.
"No! I won't accept that. I will not accept you turning them into my devoted, submissive playthings."
"That's not what's going to happen. What I've done is a tiny, subtle change that'll only result in greater acceptance of the eight of you living together. They'll all be living their own lives. Both couples, Savannah and Allie, and Olga and Louise, will continue to be lovers - but it'll shift more and more towards a polyamorous relationship with you in the years to come. I did not create this. They already carry the seed for it inside of them. All I do, is make it grow faster and eventually come into bloom. Think of my influence as fertilizer for your relationship."
He laughed out loud hysterically.
"Fertilizer, huh? That's a euphemism if I ever heard one. I accepted the relationship with you three because you are cyborgs, because I know that you will never grow tired of our love, because I knew that you three are actually one. But Allie, Savannah, Louise, and Olga are human, they're all different. And humans aren't made for relationships that last for centuries. Most of them do not even last a couple of decades."
"They will last, trust me."
"How?"
"Because of you John. You are the key. I made sure that the longer you are together, the stronger their bond with you will become. But it's you who will keep it all together. As I said, they'll be the cocoon you'll draw your strength from. It has to happen, John, it's inevitable. You have to accept it, welcome it. And you will. Always remember, it already happened."
Again, he shook his head.
"No, I have a choice. There's always a choice. I can break the vicious circle."
"I'm sorry, John, but you can't. Nobody can."
"And you expect me to simply believe that?"
She sighed.
"The universe will always keep the upper hand, you cannot trick destiny. For example, if someone's supposed to die, they will die - no matter how much you try to save their lives."
"You can't know that."
"Yes, I can. Because we tried. And we failed."
"I refuse to accept that."
"John…"
She touched his cheek, but he recoiled. However, he saw the pain in her face after doing that and immediately regretted it. Why did he love her so friggin' damn much that he couldn't even be angry at her? He closed his eyes.
"Listen," he said softly, "I understand the reasoning behind what you said. And I know that things have to happen in the time loop, that we have no choice. I know that with my rational mind. It's just my instincts that refuse to just accept it, especially when it directly affects me."
"I know, John. And I'm sorry. You have to believe me."
He saw the painful expression in her eyes. Then he took a deep breath and nodded.
"I know," he said. "I believe you. And I'm sorry that I recoiled."
"If it makes you feel any better," she replied, "you will learn to love it. You will learn to love them all and it will be easy for you, you'll see."
He smiled, then frowned.
"But why tell me now? Why not simply let it happen - now that you manipulated everyone?"
"Because I didn't manipulate you. And I never will. Without me telling you all this here and now, you'd keep on rejecting them against your better judgement, out of spite and stubbornness - like you already did with Savannah and Allie. You'd waste your strength and time on a complicated, troubled relationship. But now that you know, there won't be any trouble, no complications. They'll be there to support you, even in the darkest of times. Their love and loyalty will never wane, it'll only grow stronger over time. It is essential that you have them by your side, all of them."
He smirked.
"For the greater good, huh?"
"Don't say that, it's the motto of those who fight against you."
"Sorry. I have to admit, though, the thought of having seven women at my disposal is rather tempting – it's one of those things that's hard to refuse, I guess."
Future Alison smiled.
"Of course you like the idea. You're a pragmatist, John Connor, and always will be. But most importantly, you're a man and a teenager at that, and as such you're inherently susceptible to such primitive thoughts."
He chuckled.
"Did you just call me primitive?"
She shrugged.
"Everyone knows that women are more evolved than men."
He couldn't help but grin.
"Yeah, right. That's why I'm gonna have seven wives and they only one husband, right?"
"I never said it was a logical choice, or that it was politically correct. But it'll be what you all want and therefore be a good choice, the best any of you can make."
John was silent for a moment.
"So… I'm doomed to live with seven women who adore me, always love me and never leave me or forsake me?"
"I don't know if 'doomed' is the right expression, but yeah…"
"What I meant is, I have no choice in the matter, no choice at all. And all I can do is simply accept it, go with the flow."
"Yes. You don't have free will in that respect. Sorry…"
He took a breath and exhaled loudly.
"That's tough… I mean, having seven beautiful women – who very likely will be naked around me all the time… phew… they probably will also want a lot of sex, right?"
She smiled.
"Definitely."
"That's a heavy burden."
"Yes, I can already see how you'll be suffering."
Both looked at each other, then had to laugh. The situation was simply too weird and funny.
"I'm going to have a harem," he then said, giggling somewhat hysterically. "And everyone will be okay with that."
"Well… everyone you care for at least, but yes."
"You know… funny thing is… it feels strange somehow… as if I just realized… I might kinda like it… because you told me. I mean… I needed the confirmation, the certainty. But yeah… Actually… I don't know how to put it, but… taking that decision away from me might have done the trick. It might have been what I actually needed."
"Yes. That's what you said to me before I went back in time. The decision wasn't yours, but that made it easier for you to accept it all and live with it. And if I may say so, so much love and passion will help you overcome even the greatest of obstacles, master the most difficult of challenges, and conquer even the toughest opposition. Because it's something nobody else will have."
"Heh, yes... I'm even starting to kinda feel a little euphoric. Are you sure you didn't manipulate me as well?"
"Yes, absolutely sure. What you're experiencing, is a realization, a revelation if you will. You just found out that your deepest dreams and desires will become true without you feeling bad or guilty about it. It's like knowing the lottery numbers for next week, or a big weight being lifted from your heart. I could explain the chemical processes in your brain that are responsible for that kind of euphoria, but…"
"So… I just go with the flow and be happy about it?"
"Correct."
"And none of the seven will ever be not okay with it?"
"Never. But just so you don't get the wrong idea, they're all going to live their own lives, have their own careers and their own homes. Being cramped together in the Loft is only a temporary solution. It's not going to be a continuous sex orgy with you in the middle of it."
"I'm relieved to hear that, to be honest."
"The only ones who'll always stay as close to you as possible, are Cam, Emily, and I. Thus, there will be no jealousy and no demanding attitude among them. But the other four will always remain your wives, make no mistake, they'll feel as secure and sheltered within the cocoon as you. They'll know and feel that they belong with you. When they need you, or when you need them, they'll come to you, no questions asked. And you can always come to see them. They'll drop everything just to be with you."
"And all that just because your tiny… influence?"
"Yes. It's a cascading effect, very subtle at the beginning. I gave them a mental nudge in the right direction if you want. And I made sure everyone else on the team and in the family are on board with it, never doubting your relationship with them. That's all I'll ever do, I swear. It was a one-time thing. And just think of how your trip on the Rising Star developed after Norway. Didn't you like the fact that mom and even Derek became much more accepting, wasn't it extremely pleasant that the overall harmony improved the further the journey progressed?"
"Yeah, it was pleasant, to be honest. Extremely pleasant. So… I suppose I'm not to tell them any of this, am I?"
"There's a reason why I only show myself to you and why I followed you down here to the cave to be alone with you before I became visible. No one must ever know about this conversation. Remember what I said at the beginning. You must not tell your Alison for 256 years. She mustn't know before then."
"I have one more question."
"Yes?"
"Will any of them bear my children?"
"No. You won't have offspring... at least not until I leave the future to come here. You'll still all be in your early forties by then, though, relatively speaking of course. So theoretically, you can still have lots of children. But it's a double-edged sword, as the others will find out. Begetting children, starting a family, seeing them grow up and build their own lives can be extremely fulfilling. Watching them grow old and eventually die, not so much. I think that's why my John never wanted to have children himself."
He nodded.
"It may very well be that you just made that clear to me."
She smiled.
"Maybe."
"So, this is all part of your mission, right? You're manipulating my friends and family to get us closer and closer and become like an impregnable emotional fortress to survive all the trouble and danger that's coming our way?"
"In a nutshell, yes. But it's only part of my mission. The rest, I cannot tell you about. But you'll learn about it in time."
"Right. And I suppose you'll now leave and disappear again for months?"
"I will come to visit you when it's safe to do so."
"When I'm alone, you mean."
"Yes."
"Which won't be often."
"I know. But I'll miss you, make no mistake."
"Can I visit you instead?"
"I'm afraid not."
John nodded and lowered his head.
"Typical."
She tilted her head, then touched his cheek, stroking it with her thumb.
"I'm just Alison, John. Inside, I haven't really changed that much. My abilities aside, I'm very much the same person, the same woman you already know. I'm nothing special. When you look at her, you look at me. No need to be sad."
"That doesn't matter. You're here now, away from the older me. And you cannot always come to me when you want. You're still my wife, Alison, and you'll always be special to me, no matter how many of you exist. I love you, I want you to be happy and I can tell that currently, without me, you are not."
She smiled and kissed him.
"I love you, too, John. And if it makes you feel any better, this half hour with you was enough to recharge me emotionally for another six months."
He looked at the clock at the wall.
"The half hour isn't over yet, we still have about fifteen minutes."
"Fourteen minutes and twenty-five seconds," she corrected.
"Then we better hurry up," he said and began to take off his pants.
"He's here," Alison said fifteen minutes later while climbing down the spiral staircase. "I detect his pheromones."
"What's he doing down there?" Savannah asked.
"No idea, the place has been emptied out for months."
"What is this place anyway?" Louise asked.
"Used to be an observation post Future John had installed down there. Originally, the previous owners wanted to dig a tunnel to the beach beneath the cliff, but were forbidden to continue."
They walked along the tunnel until it opened up in the cozy cave. John lay on the sofa, wearing nothing but a broad smile on his face.
"Hi," he welcomed them.
"What are you doing down here?" Savannah asked. "Everyone's been looking for you. And why are you naked? It's freezing cold in here."
"I was curious about how the place looked like these days. And I thought it would be a good idea to get away from the hustle and bustle for a moment. Was a spontaneous decision after I returned from the bathroom."
"You had sex," Alison stated, "I can still detect it in the air."
"Can't fool you," John replied with a grin.
"But I cannot seem to find any traces of someone else being in here."
"Are you saying he jerked off?" Louise asked.
"Don't be silly," Savannah replied. "John doesn't need to jerk off."
"It was Future Alison," he said. "She came by for a quick visit."
"More like a quickie, it seems," Savannah noted with a smirk.
"But I would have noticed her presence," Alison pointed out, "I noticed it when she visited us in Norway."
"Because she wanted you to notice her presence back then," John replied matter-of-factly.
Alison lifted an eyebrow.
"You didn't just have sex, did you? She told you something."
"Yes, but don't try to pump me for information. I am forbidden to talk about it."
"So, she can hide, even from me. Interesting."
John shrugged.
"It seems like that's necessary for her mission here."
"Did she tell you anything about her mission?" Savannah asked.
He smiled.
"What part of 'don't pump me for information' do you not understand? As far as you all are concerned, she just wanted sex. That's all I'm gonna say. Besides, it's true. Being alone for so many months has taken its toll on her."
"Must have been good, though" Louise noted grinning, "you're still glowing."
"Maybe she knows techniques you don't know yet," Savannah remarked with a smirk, looking at Alison.
The cyborg girl rolled her eyes.
"Hardly. Anyway, will you come back to the party now, John?"
"Go ahead. I'll join you in a moment. Gonna stay here for a little while longer."
"Suit yourself," Savannah replied and left, followed by Louise. "But don't catch a cold."
"Is everything okay?" Alison asked.
"Yes, everything's okay," John replied. "Everything's perfect."
She nodded and left, still wearing a slight frown on her face. As soon as all three of them had left, Future Alison became visible again, kneeling on the floor in front of him, her legs spread and her hands folded behind her head, pushing her chest forward while submissively looking down towards the floor.
"It seems I just bought us some more time," he said. "Go on, let's finish what we started."
She looked up at him and smiled happily.
"Yes, Master."
