Chapter 9

Heart Of Gold

Sarah felt Vanna was confused, unsure, upset and angry when she'd left the commissary. None of those feelings were a good combination. She knew what she needed to do to fix things. She'd previously purchased a surprise for Cameron. She'd been waiting until Cameron was mobile to give it to her. Based on current events, it now seemed like the right time.

She was worried she'd muddied the water needlessly. She needed to do something about it. She hadn't intended to produce any negative reactions from anyone. She hoped her surprise would benefit everyone. It would at least make her feel better to know she'd done her part.

Sarah got up and quickly headed to her room. She needed to hurry to pull it off. There was a faint smile on her face. It helped hide the hole in her heart. The future was uncertain and looked bleak for sure to her. There should be some happiness for someone.

Vanna went into the restroom and cried for a while. When she was able to get her composure back, she returned to the commissary. Sarah was gone. It made her wonder if she'd upset or angered Sarah. She knew what she felt interfered with what Sarah wanted for her son, if he ever returned.

She didn't feel she'd overstepped or was skating on thin ice. She only felt what was in her heart. If someone else felt the same way, it should be up to them to make a decision.

Vanna felt so unsure of herself and very alone right now. She was about to leave the commissary when she remembered what Cameron asked her to bring back for her. It cheered her up some as she picked out a couple of things. Even doing something so simple, seemed very special, to be able to do it for Cameron. She knew Cameron was rapidly filling the jagged hole left in her heart by her past, the future. She seemed to have no control over her emotions or how she felt. Trying to fight the feelings, only seemed to make them more prevalent.

She composed herself as best as she could as she neared the lab. She didn't want to make Cameron worry about her or be upset at her. She stopped and waited. It was almost as if she needed to build some courage up to move forward. She thought she was able to get some composure in place. It was a toss up if her composure would hold.

Vanna entered the lab. Cameron wasn't there. At least she wasn't visible. It was odd.

"Cameron?" Vanna asked as she looked around. "Are you here?"

There was some movement off to the side.

"I'm always here." Cameron said.

Cameron stepped out from behind a storage cabinet. Vanna sucked in her breath. She was a little shocked at Cameron's appearance. Cameron was even more beautiful than normal. It was a pretty tall ticket to top. Cameron was immaculate. It was what Cameron would refer to as 'Tight'. How could she do it so seemingly effortlessly and fast? Just to be in Cameron's presence seemed to make her weak.

"Did you bring my ice cream?" Cameron asked with a smile on her face.

Vanna tried to hold her trepidations and the new excitement over Cameron's appearance in check.

"Yes, I brought you both chocolate and strawberry." Vanna said. "I wasn't sure which one you liked better."

Cameron looked directly at Vanna.

"I may like both. I'm willing to try - both." Cameron said. "Thank you."

Vanna swallowed hard. Did Cameron's statement have some type of double meaning? She collected herself as best as she could. She wanted to let Cameron know how she looked.

"Cameron, you look magnificent." Vanna said. "You look absolutely stunning."

Cameron didn't think it was a big deal. She'd just made use of what was available.

"I found a couple of minutes of free time so I tried on one of my new outfits Sarah picked up for me. In fact, she brought them here just a few minutes ago. She suggested I try it on right now. It was really nice of her." Cameron said. "She said she was saving it for a 'special occasion', and now seemed to be the time. I was unsure what she meant."

Vanna tried to process what Cameron just revealed. The implications were far reaching and bold. She needed to get everything straight.

"Do you mean Sarah brought it to you just now?" Vanna asked.

Vanna was more than a little perplexed. She didn't know what to say or do. Did Sarah indirectly just give her 'blessing'? Was Sarah trying to help her? Maybe she'd read Sarah wrong in the commissary. What she witnessed now, and just found out, isn't what she would have thought would happen at all. Maybe Sarah just wanted her to think about everything. It was what she'd done. It was why she was back where she was right now.

Cameron could see Vanna was a little off. She wondered if it had anything to do with whatever happened when Vanna left earlier. She didn't want to ask. She was aware anytime she was reminded about a past negative event. It was like she needed to relive the experience again. She wanted to forge ahead with the moment.

"Yes." Cameron said. "You seem surprised."

There was a long moment of silence.

Vanna was speechless. The implications of Sarah's actions opened the door further for her to reach out to Cameron.

Cameron was now worried by Vanna's silence. She was worried about what happened earlier again. She didn't believe Vanna was sick when she'd left earlier. It seemed emotion based, not a physical reaction to anything. She needed to find out. She was also aware she wasn't the best in social situations with others. She was still irritated with the diagnosis given to Sarah about her. They believed she was afflicted with an 'anti-social disorder'. She needed to focus on Vanna right now.

"You're not saying anything. Is something wrong?" Cameron asked. "Did I do something wrong or to hurt you, Vanna? I seem to have a way of hurting others without trying. If I did, I apologize."

Vanna could see she'd caused Cameron some grief right now. It was never her intent. It was her actions which 'threw a wrench' into everything, not Cameron's. Her mind was all over the place.

"No. I just…, I mean…, I need to sit down for a minute." Vanna said.

Cameron became worried now. Maybe it was something physical. She remembered some of the symptoms of the next door neighbor Kacy. It was at the last place where they'd lived.

"Are you ill?" Cameron asked. "Is there something else happening?"

Cameron moved over to Vanna and started to scan her. She wasn't going to take any chances. She could have Cameron Two tap into any medical database for assistance.

'Ill', Vanna thought to herself. She doesn't know the depth of my 'illness' and I can't even tell her. There was no way she could think of to tell Cameron she loved her.

Cameron felt the tension. Vanna was even more troubled now than before. Maybe this illness was both physical and emotional. She wanted to share some personal insight with Vanna.

"I'm unwell too." Cameron said. "I understand more than you think."

Vanna looked at Cameron. She seemed so vulnerable right now. There were so many thoughts happening inside of her.

Cameron was aware of things. She also had feelings and desires. Maybe it was time to address them.

"In nature, it's natural for species of the same sex to congregate together." Cameron said. "It's not natural for them to attempt to mate. It is also unnatural for a machine and a human to attempt to mate. There's no biological purpose. It's the sole function of mating in the first place."

Vanna felt sick again. It seemed like she was just punched in the gut. She knew the feeling of beatings from the future. She'd been beaten plenty. She looked around for the trash can. She didn't think her body would process too many calories today. Her lunch was about to come up. She tried to hold it together.

Cameron saw Vanna's trepidation and uneasiness. Vanna looked even more physically ill than earlier. She wasn't blind. She possessed experience on emotional matters. It was time to act.

"We can change the rules." Cameron said.

Cameron gave Vanna a big smile.

Vanna thought it seemed to say a lot, without actually saying anything. She wanted some better clarification. Everything was all very mind boggling to her. She was very confused.

"What?" Vanna asked.

Cameron wanted to reassure Vanna. She remembered John didn't always leave her with a positive feeling. She didn't want to make the same mistake.

"I said, we can change the rules." Cameron said. "We can create our own realities and pursue whatever dreams we may wish. No pain - No gain. I think everyone has experienced enough pain. I know I have. I'm running on feeling and emotion alone. I'm not using any of my programming now. I'm just 'Cameron' at this moment. I'm not a very scary robot from the future."

Vanna could see Cameron was about to open the door. It was the door to her heart. It was what she wanted more than anything. There was another important consideration she needed to think about. She needed to think about Cameron and John.

"Wait!" Vanna said.

It wasn't what Cameron expected to hear. She was a little confused.

"Wait?" Cameron asked.

Vanna felt a sense of guilt. She didn't want to rob Cameron of her innocence for her own selfish desires. There was a bigger picture there, even if it wasn't actually there. It could be. She didn't want to cause problems or trouble for anyone, including herself.

"I'm trying to take something which isn't mine to take." Vanna said. "You belong to another. I belong to another."

Cameron remembered John's past actions. He didn't seem to have those same restrictions. She felt more independent now. John wasn't the only one to be able to have feelings for another.

"I belong to no one and neither do you." Cameron said. "I'm not property and you aren't either. We're not belongings. We don't need to answer to anyone. We're individuals and have freedom of choice. Life is about choices. I'm ready to make one."

Vanna was a little confused about choices. She believed circumstance was responsible for a lot of the choices someone made. Sometimes the choice was very limited or non-existent. She was aware Cameron already made a choice. She'd found a 'lump' near Cameron's breast during her rebuilding. She cut her open to see what it was. She was astounded when she saw it was a heart. It was a gold locket. There were small photos inside of it.

She didn't know who gave Cameron a heart, her heart. She suspected it was Cameron herself. Cameron surely knew it was there if someone else placed it inside of her. Based on the photos in it, she was sure it was Cameron who'd installed it.

"I saw your heart." Vanna said.

Cameron watched her find it from the surveillance camera.

"I know." Cameron said.

Vanna understood the implications.

"I know how special it must be to you." Vanna said.

Cameron felt it was very special at the time she'd installed it.

"It is." Cameron said.

Vanna knew the implications and what it represented.

"I understand what it means to you." Vanna said.

Cameron wanted to hear more.

"Do you mean a 'Heart Of Gold'?" Cameron asked.

Vanna saw a poem about it earlier in the day when she'd looked at them again.

"Yes, I read all your references to it in your poems." Vanna said. "I do understand."

Cameron was ready to make this decision days ago when Vanna became her friend. It wasn't long afterwards when she'd realized Vanna was now more than a friend to her. She'd set things in motion and waited for the right time. Now was the time.

"Did you ever get the small photo of yourself I asked you to get several weeks ago?" Cameron asked.

Vanna was perplexed at the time Cameron asked her to get her the photo. It all started to make sense now. She didn't want to get too far ahead of herself.

"Yes. I did." Vanna said. "I didn't know why you needed it or what for."

It never crossed Vanna's mind at the time. Now it appeared Cameron was ahead of her all along.

"Then you understand what it's for now and where it's to go." Cameron said.

The revelation was astounding to Vanna. She was about to be put into Cameron's heart. It was a symbolic gesture with extreme significance.

"I do now." Vanna said. "You knew several weeks ago? It's simply amazing…."

Cameron laid a scalpel on the desk and smiled at Vanna. She went to remove her top.

Vanna watched as Cameron unbuttoned her top and took it off. She then fixed her hair quickly. Next she removed her bra. Her heart was pounding. Cameron was so beautiful. She went to her desk and quickly retrieved the small photo of herself. She hurried back and gave it to Cameron.

Cameron and Vanna stared at each other with locked eyes as they both held the tiny photo between them. What it represented both physically and emotionally linked them together.

Vanna was extremely tempted by Cameron. Cameron looked so Hot standing there topless and perfect, so Tight. Cameron was about to add her into her heart. It was the most special moment in her life. It was the moment she could see herself enter another's heart.

In reality, Vanna was already there.

Jim sat as he watched everything happening around him. He monitored the internet and every computer system he could unlock, which was all of them given the time. His current focus was directed in the lab. He experienced something he'd never experienced before. It was a strange and different 'problem'. As John Henry in his previous chassis, the 'problem' was impossible to experience. His new 'fully equipped' body now reacted in a way he wasn't sure how to process. To watch Cameron and Vanna interacting in the lab was fascinating. They were able to communicate on a level he couldn't achieve yet. So much was being 'said' without the need for it to be spoken.

Cameron Two was in the background of his system. She told him to 'take a cold shower' and leave those two alone. She reminded him Cameron Prime purposely left the monitors on for him and her to observe. What they were able to see and witness wasn't by accident or a mistake. It was Cameron asserting herself.

Who was the 'Predator' again?

All Jim knew was he would need to request bigger pants in the future as the current ones seemed to rapidly shrink on him in the groin area. He was very confused at his feelings and reactions. They were disturbingly pleasant.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Heart Of Gold

There's an endless search
For a true heart of gold
Something so very precious
Can never be bought or sold

Contained within my heart
My sweet heart of gold
Is the one I love
The one I behold

They can make my heart bleed
Even a pure heart of gold
It seems to matter not much
For they've been told

It rips me sadly apart
Tarnishing my heart of gold
The hurt, rage and anguish
My demeanor barley controlled

It can honestly be said
My lonely heart of gold
Will never beat for another
It is only for my love to hold

Nobody