Chapter 56
Challenge
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Resistance Base - Current Timeline:
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John Henry considered the possibility of trying to use two TDE units at the same time. The TDE wasn't designed to be used within those parameters. It was designed to send, not receive. Maybe if the power was on, they could 'pull' Cameron into their timeline when she attempted to come back. He didn't think it would work. He would try it once a day for a week, then once a week always at twelve noon on every Saturday.
It was one of the things he'd run by Cameron. They'd both discounted its potential results at the time. At some point, Cameron may remember it and try it, if she wasn't terminated. John Henry didn't run the information by Unit Two and Unit Three. The information was only shared with Cameron and himself. He was aware she was leery of Unit Two and Unit Three because of their association with Mrs. Weaver. He believed Cameron didn't fully trust Mrs. Weaver either.
It was the later in the day Cameron left. She hadn't returned yet, noontime approached.
John Henry told John of the untested idea. He was still disturbed by Savannah's revelation to carry out Cameron's plan, regarding John, as she got older. He was going to mention it to John and then thought otherwise. It might be something John would encourage in the absence of Cameron. He'd seen the 'demand' placed on younger females in the future he'd visited.
John was a little surprised at what he learned from John Henry. He was willing to try anything. The earlier events in his quarters still hung heavily on his mind. He was really glad Allison walked in when she did. He wasn't really sure what they were supposed to do. He really didn't think there was much they could do. He'd been made aware what they were about to attempt, probably wouldn't work. He wanted to try it anyway. Did they have anything to lose by trying?
John Henry and John headed to the TDE room in silence.
They let everyone know they were going to try to conduct a few tests. They didn't want to get everyone's hopes up unnecessarily. They powered up the TDE.
John Henry transmitted the 'destination' as their TDE pad. They ran it for two minutes. They sent an energy bubble from their TDE pad, back to their TDE pad. It left empty and returned empty.
Nothing happened, Cameron wasn't there. John Henry went to shut the equipment off.
John saw what was about to happen. He wanted to stop John Henry. He felt they should attempt to do more. Even if it wasn't going to work, they still needed to try. They needed to do something. He wanted to push things a little.
"Leave it on longer, John Henry." John said.
John Henry hesitated. If it was going to work, it would have worked already.
"No. I don't want to damage it." John Henry said. "It's operating outside its design parameters already. If Cameron was transmitting, now would be the time. There was nothing there."
John didn't want to ruin anything. They might need the TDE for something else. He didn't know what it would be. He didn't want it incapacitated.
"OK. Let's not damage it." John said. "I just want Cameron back."
John Henry was aware of the precision Terminators were capable of. He wanted to remind John what they attempted wasn't just a random test. It was all very specific.
"I told Cameron if we tried this, it would be at these specific times and coordinates." John Henry said. "It's when she would try it as well."
John Henry knew if Cameron was doing the same thing, and tried to transmit, it would be at the same specific time. It's how they functioned. It was like clockwork. He also knew Cameron could end up anywhere as well. It would most likely be some divergent timeline.
He didn't point out to John, any time Cameron could get to a TDE, she would attempt to make the transfer back to the earliest date possible, regardless of when she tried. It should have been a few minutes ago. The fact it didn't happen, was a very good indication it wasn't going to happen, ever.
John Henry left. He would try again at the next appointed time.
He expected John to follow him out, but he didn't. He still remained there. He hoped John wouldn't try to operate the TDE on his own. He hoped John only wanted to spend some time to reflect on Cameron, and some of their past interaction. He didn't know what went on inside of any human's head. It seemed to him their thought process was rather chaotic at times. Logic and fact didn't seem to have a foothold, when everything should be based around those two things.
John watched John Henry leave. He sat there awhile in the empty TDE room. It was the last place Cameron was before she left. At this point, it appeared she was terminated or 'lost in time'. The thought made him think about what he almost did in his room. He'd been less than a second away from crossing to the 'other side'.
He thought of his encounter with Allison earlier. He realized she most likely saved his life. His life, what was it worth? He didn't think it was worth very much. There were a lot of things he wondered about. Did any of them really matter? There were certainly times when it didn't seem like it.
He knew Allison, or Vanna, or both of them, would be there for him. Cameron made it quite clear to everyone. He also knew if they were there, it would be because they wanted to be as well. They weren't blindly following an 'order' from Cameron. He cared deeply for both girls, especially Allison.
John thought of Allison. He'd been falling in love with her when he was all alone in the future, and thought he was stuck there. She was so pretty. She was a real firecracker. She could be hot or cold in an instant. She was quick to bite and easy to forgive. He knew what Cameron tried to do with the three of them. He thought it would work too as the time went by. Time was the key. Cameron would fade in their hearts, as they all grew in each other's hearts. It was the way humans were 'designed' to exist and go on. It always seemed when someone got 'stuck in the past', things didn't go well for them.
He was painfully aware it wasn't how it worked for Terminators. For them, whenever they thought of a past event, it was as if the past event just occurred. It caused a lot of problems. They could never really 'get over' something, unless it was deleted or erased from their chip.
He didn't really understand what the full impact of it could mean. It was something Cameron felt happened to her before she was sent into the past. The only way for her to get over some events, would be to erase them.
John thought back to the times Allison literally threw herself at him. It happened even when there was a copy of 'Cameron' in 'Bob'. Bob-Cameron never interfered. 'Bob' would get up and leave the area. It freed John up to do as he wished. Bob-Cameron allowed him to make a choice. He knew 'Cameron' wanted him to make a choice. Bob-Cameron already told him his happiness and well being came first.
Life is about choices John thought. Every choice has a price to pay too. He found out the price might end up being paid by the one offended, not the offender. He knew his folly already got one person killed, and he'd forever hurt Cameron. It was damage done to Cameron which seemed could never be undone. Any attempt to rectify it, only seemed to make it worse. Cameron stressed she didn't want any more of her life removed or erased. Future John already had done enough of it.
He reflected back on the time Allison was in his bed in the alternate future. It was before they found John Henry. When he said something about it later on to Allison.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Allison said and walked away.
John didn't know the full story of the future encounter:
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Alternate Future Timeline:
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Past Event:
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John was out on a short patrol. It had proven uneventful as most of them did. Contact wasn't often made with the enemy. When it was, it was usually swift and violent. There were always long periods where nothing happened. It gave the mind time to reflect on past events, as well as anticipating future events.
He'd been a little bummed out because it was only a small group. Normally Allison tried to go out on patrol with them. It helped pass the time when he could talk and interact with her. He quickly understood she was a very unique individual. She was usually the first one to volunteer when a patrol was late getting back. She was deeply concerned about the rest of the Resistance.
The patrol made it back without having made contact. They even stayed out longer than normal because no targets had been acquired. They hoped one would present itself before they needed to return. It didn't.
He returned to his 'room'. It was very small and cramped. Still, it was a room and there was a 'bed' of sorts.
Allison was in his bed under the covers. It wasn't unusual. They often needed to 'hot bunk'. There weren't a lot of isolated areas. People were more than willing to share accommodations for a little extra privacy. Allison was usually in the section for females. They tried to keep the sexes separated and isolated, especially at night. Even at a Resistance base, 'things' could happen and sometimes did. It was still better than what happened to all the females in the Wastelands at some point.
He saw Allison look at him as he entered. He greeted her.
"Hey, Allison, were you taking a nap?" John asked.
She looked at him with love in her eyes.
"John, I want you."
Allison tried to get closer to him several times previous. She was never in his bed before. It was clear she was serious about wanting 'more'.
John wanted to be with Allison very much, but he wasn't ready to give up on Cameron. He felt it was necessary to remind her about his current priorities and why.
"I want you too, Allison. I told you I need to find Cameron. I love her. I need to try everything I can first to find her. If I can't, maybe…." John said. "I need some time."
She threw back the covers. She was naked.
John drew in his breath as he took in her beauty. He wanted her really, really bad right now.
She pointed at her nude body with her hand. It was clear everything was available.
"John, here I am, right now. No one knows I'm here. No one will ever know."
John looked away. It was very enticing to him.
'I'll know.' John thought.
He wanted to strip off his clothes and go to her. She was ready and waiting for him. She was right there. It was everything he wanted. He doubted he would last more than thirty seconds.
He needed to collect himself.
There was a goal more important to him right now. He'd crossed the line once before. He ended up hurting Cameron greatly with his actions. He still remembered the look on her face as he went up the stairs. Why did he have to smirk at her on top of it all?
When he looked back, he could have sworn Allison's breasts were larger. He really didn't know how bra sizes worked, but he was sure she looked a full 'cup' larger. Maybe it was the way she'd moved. Everything else was more clearly visible as well.
John moved closer to her.
He wanted to touch her. He wanted to hold her. She was so pretty. He felt so alone.
John sat on the bed next to her. He needed to try to make Allison understand. Maybe he just needed to try to make himself understand.
"Allison, I'd really like to do this with you, but I just can't, not yet. I have to try to get Cameron back." John said. "If I did this with you now, it would kill her."
She didn't look daunted in the slightest.
"John, she isn't here, she'll never know. It will be our secret."
She took John's right hand and placed it on her left breast.
John couldn't help but give it a squeeze. It was so tempting.
She then grabbed him and kissed him. She was strong.
John knew this was about to get away from him. He was losing control as his 'hunger' built up. He needed to take control back, or he was going to get lost in her loving. He quickly stood up.
"I'll KNOW." John shouted. "Please, Allison, not yet. I'm not ready for this yet. I won't lie. I do want you, but not like this. I can't betray Cameron until I know what her fate is. Please understand how I feel. Please understand how she would feel."
She laid back down on the bed.
"John, you do realize there are people who would kill for 'this'."
She indicated her perfect figure. Right now it looked even shapelier somehow.
Allison's beauty was outstanding, especially among the females of the future. The natural beauty of most of them had been eroded by events, conditions, and time. They all took their toll.
He needed her to understand there was still an important issue.
"I do." John said sadly. "I'd be one of them. It's just not the right time for me, yet."
He watched as her body moved slightly. It looked even more inviting.
"John, can you just 'walk away' from me? LOOK at me, I'm here. I'm willing and ready. I can feel my body wants you."
John could feel his body wanted her as well. He took one last look at Allison's perfect naked form. He was sure it was a mistake on his part. He covered Allison up, and took a step back. He didn't know how he could explain it to her, other than what he'd already done on multiple occasions.
"At this time in my life, I HAVE to walk away, Allison. I have to find Cameron. I have to exhaust every possibility." John said. "You don't understand what it would do to her."
John still felt ashamed for having sex with Riley. He knew it was more than sex. He loved Riley. They'd made love, they didn't just have sex. Cameron caught him the next morning when he returned. He rubbed it in her face. The look of hurt on her face seemed to be all he could remember right now. The look haunted him still. Every time he thought about it, he wondered why he needed to smirk at her when he went up the stairs. Why? Was it because his love for Riley was greater than his love for Cameron?
"John, OK, I'll ease up and wait for you a little longer. Never speak of this to anyone. I need you to understand I won't wait forever. Never ask me about this again either. None of this will be like it ever happened until you're ready. I strongly suggest you become ready soon."
John was still on the verge of going back to her. He needed to fight to keep it together. He needed to get out of the room. He needed to put some distance between them, quite literally. The natural urges and desires of his body, called to him very strongly.
"Thanks, Allison, thank you for understanding. I'll go get some food and come back later, get dressed, please." John said. "I'll pretend this never happened."
John moved away with great difficulty. He'd never wanted anything so much before in his life.
He was positive it was as big of a mistake walking away, as it would have been to have stayed. He'd needed to make a choice. He made one.
John walked out the door without turning back.
Allison stood and looked down at her body. She touched everything as she did. She believed everything was perfect. She lifted her head and looked back at the door.
"You truly are an oak, Mr. Connor. I believe you actually do love a machine." 'Allison' said as her voice switched to a Scottish accent.
'Allison's' hair turned red as she resumed the form of Mrs. Weaver.
She actually felt a little disappointment. John would have been her first.
"It would have been an interesting experience." Mrs. Weaver said. "What's a little shared sex between machines? We can try it first in Allison's, or Cameron's form, and then in 'mine'. It will be a new challenge. I'll be back."
Mrs. Weaver changed into a male Resistance fighter, and walked out of the room and away.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Challenge
What is a challenge
Isn't it really a test
It's a competition
To see who's the best
It may become obsessive
When it turns into a quest
Reality may soon be forgotten
As we move forward with the contest
It can be overwhelming
Something others may detest
We try to play it down
We may even joke and jest
The challenge can be brutal
It can turn into a real slug-fest
We become deaf to those near
As we ignore them protest
We want to be the victor
There will be no rest
Until the crown and title
Away from them we wrest
Nobody