Chapter 98

Insanity

Bob and Jim followed up on another Skynet related lead they were given previously by John Henry. They were sure most of them would be dead ends. Cameron liked to handle anything which would be 'active', on her own. It was their intent to take some of the 'heat' for a change.

They arrived at the next location and parked two blocks away. It was near an industrial tract of buildings. Two of the phones they confiscated from terminated Grays, both showed 'pings' in the area at different times.

John Henry was usually able to mask their location from any of the conventional ways they could be tracked. First Responders, especially law enforcement, were always redirected away from where they would operate. They didn't want any of them getting caught up in the crossfire.

Bob looked at satellite images provided by John Henry. Not all of them were taken from satellites of the same nation. John Henry was able to access any satellite in space and glean the information from it, while remaining undetected.

There were instances where things were spotted on adversarial nation's satellites, which weren't present on the satellites controlled by the United States. It was clear someone was aware of when the orbits would occur of certain satellites and took care not to have anything they did 'detected'. Not all of the images were taken in the daylight either.

Once they study the images, they would do a drive-by of the location.

John Henry gave Cameron an 'out' by agreeing to erase her chip. Now Allison gave her an even better one. It was to prevent her construction in the first place. It was a much more complicated and risky proposition, but it prevented the immediate termination of Cameron's program. It at least slowed it down.

Cameron sat on the work bench as she thought about what Allison said. It would create a new timeline, but she wouldn't be in it. It was what she wanted. What she wanted was never to have been built. If Future Allison were never captured in the first place, there would never be a 'Cameron'. She felt elated her one wish could be granted, even if it was in a new timeline. She didn't care. She wouldn't be in it.

She saw the loyalty and devotion of the three females. She saw they were all willing to die with her, if they couldn't prevent her from using the Thermite grenade. She'd looked into Allison's eyes as she started to release the spoon on the Thermite grenade. Allison never blinked. It made her feel good inside because they supported her so much. She was worried about their safety and their future. What about John then? If the girls were all dead, who would take care of him and comfort him? She'd given Savannah her wedding dress. She 'conditioned' Savannah as to her role in the future. It looked like Savannah might need to 'step up' a few years early.

Cameron got up. She wouldn't be terminated today. She was going to preemptively terminate herself in her future by preventing her construction.

She looked at the tears on the faces of Vanna, Allison, and Jesse. The girls appeared to be as devoted as they said they were. They were devoted to her. She really couldn't understand why. What was so great about her? She wanted them, at least one of them, for John. When they had the opportunity to leave as she was about to burn, none of them caved. They stood with her.

"We support you, Cameron." Allison said. "I'll go with you into your future."

Vanna moved up and took Allison's hand. She wasn't about to lose Allison again. It was also her desire to assist Cameron.

"I'll follow both of you." Vanna said. "We'll all be together."

Jesse managed a slight smile. She planned to do her part as well.

"Lead the way, love." Jesse said. "You have a posse."

Cameron could see they were as determined to go with her, as they were to die with her. She would give them the option to stay. This journey was going to be a death sentence. She knew she wouldn't return. They most likely wouldn't either.

"Are you all willing to give up everything to go with me?" Cameron asked. "It will be into the unknown. We don't know what we'll face. The hardships of the future are immense."

Jesse, Allison, and Vanna all took a step forward.

"Yes." All three women replied.

Jesse pointed out the obvious.

"We're all from the future too, Cameron. We would all be going 'home'." Jesse said.

Cameron knew it was true, but they were from a different future. Not everything would be the same for them.

"My future is different from your future." Cameron said.

Allison shrugged her shoulders.

"Does it make a difference in which future we die?" Allison asked. "Everyone dies. Well, at least all humans die at some point."

Vanna put her arm around Allison. She wasn't leaving her side again, ever.

"As long as we die together, it's all that matters." Vanna said.

Jesse didn't have a problem with it. There were a couple of people she would like to 'meet' in Cameron's future. She could make a few preemptive changes of her own, just to cover all of the bases.

"We all die." Jesse said. "Everyone dies at some point. It might as well count."

There was still one worry for Cameron.

"Who will look after John?" Cameron asked.

Vanna believed there were still 'options' open for Cameron's desires. She also believed they were the 'proper options' for what Future John asked Cameron to do.

"Savannah and Young Allison will grow. There's no reason things can't be sped up. It will be the correct timeline for all of them…." Vanna said. "They are the true 'Natural Order' of time you speak of, Cameron. It's THEM, not us, who belong to John. We're all aberrations to this timeline. We all KNOW how you feel."

Cameron was pleased to hear Vanna was on the same page as her.

It all seemed logical to Allison.

"Don't you see, Cameron? It will restore this timeline without you, or us, in it any longer." Allison said. "It will once again be as it was in your future. It will be as time was meant to be. It really will be the 'Natural Order' then."

There didn't seem to be a downside to the train of thought.

"Everything will be the same as your timeline was then. It's the way it's supposed to be." Jesse added. "It the way it should be."

Cameron knew there was still one issue which needed to be addressed if they pulled it off. It was actually the most important part. There were certain things which would need to be done in order to fulfill her wishes. It was extremely important they would be followed as she desired.

"After we prevent Future Allison from being captured, you must allow me to be reprogrammed or terminated." Cameron said. "I must cease to exist. It's what I want."

Allison was in no hurry to see it carried out. They still needed to get to Cameron's future and then see what developed.

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it." Allison said.

The three women exchanged knowing glances. They were all on the same page. No words needed to be spoken.

'Like that's going to happen.' All three of them thought.

Cameron could see they were hesitant to agree to her termination. She believed what she wanted was important. It was important to her. Her desires and wishes should matter as well.

"It's my wish. I'll expect you to honor it." Cameron said.

Jesse didn't want Cameron to make them promise to terminate her. She didn't want to make a promise she wasn't sure she should keep. She hoped they would be able to alter events enough to provide some type of 'way out' for Cameron. She threw out a few thoughts.

"Don't worry, love, we'll do what's necessary." Jesse said. "All of us will do what we need to do, when it needs to be done."

Cameron looked at the three women. They were right. They were all out of their timelines. If all four of them were gone, it would restore the 'Natural Order' of time. She really wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. It seemed to be the way to 'fix' everything.

There was really nothing left to discuss or think about. It was time to act. The sooner they were gone the better. It was time to stop thinking about it, and start doing something. Things didn't get done thinking about them.

Cameron made up her mind in a millisecond.

"Let's roll." Cameron said.

It caught Vanna a little off guard.

"Right now?" Vanna asked.

Cameron could see no reason to delay the inevitable.

"Why not?" Cameron asked.

Cameron knew the others at the base were all tied up. It would prevent a lot of hassle and useless protests. She didn't want any needless meddling in her affairs.

"There's no one to get in our way or stop us if we go now." Cameron said.

Cameron looked at John Henry. He could still present a problem. She wanted to make sure he would support her. She would appeal to him on a personal level. She believed she earned his trust and respect, even if there was some contention involved at times.

"There's nothing to stop us, is there, John Henry?" Cameron asked.

John Henry knew it was more than a question. It was a demand.

"No." John Henry replied somewhat defeated.

John Henry realized the new 'insanity' was better than termination by Thermite or reprogramming for now. He didn't think the girls would allow Cameron to terminate herself if they prevented Future Allison from being captured. He was sure Cameron would look after the girls as best as possible. It would prevent her from terminating too soon. He knew each of the girls would choose Cameron as their 'mate' if they could convince her to not terminate. They could go into the past, or a further future, and live their lives out there. They should be able to find peace and tranquility. There must be serenity for Cameron somewhere.

Allison thought some goodbyes were in order. Everything seemed a little abrupt to her.

"Don't you want to say goodbye to John?" Allison asked.

It was the last thing Cameron wanted. She didn't want to see and feel the hurt in him.

"NO!" Cameron said.

Vanna thought it should happen anyway. She believed it was going to make things very difficult for him. She remembered what his reactions were like in the previous incident.

"It will really be hard on him." Vanna said.

Cameron frowned a little. Savannah needed a few more years before the others would accept her as John's mate. John should have some comfort and companionship until then. Maybe she needed to leave someone behind.

"One of you can 'stay' for him." Cameron said. "I would really appreciate it."

Cameron looked at Jesse.

"I created the opportunity for you to achieve what you wanted…." Cameron whispered in her ear.

Jesse hung her head. She knew everything Cameron said was true. She didn't want to disappoint Cameron. She believed her true value would be in Cameron's future with her. She wanted her future to be associated with Cameron, even if it was terminal.

"I know. Thank you." Jesse said as the tears streamed down her face. "I love you, Cameron. I can't leave you. If you order me to stay I will, but I want to go with you. I want to die alongside you. I don't want to live without you."

Allison took Jesse's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I do too, Cameron." Allison said. "I'll never leave your side, even if I have to fight a Terminator with a steel rod, or my bare hands."

Cameron froze. It was one of her nightmares. It gave her a very uneasy feeling to know it.

The bravery and determination of the act caused Cameron to cry in her dream. The memory of the act made her cry now. How could this sweet girl advance to fight a battle she knew she could never win to try to protect her - Nobody.

Vanna wondered what happened now. It was clear Cameron was sidetracked, again.

"Cameron, what's wrong?" Vanna asked.

Cameron didn't want to say. She didn't want to say Allison was willing to give her life to protect her. More than anything, she certainly didn't want to give her any ideas to do it. If anything, she would want Allison to run. She would want her to run and never look back.

John Henry only kept a few of the 'visions' Cameron experienced during her time of trauma. One of them was the image of Allison engaging the Terminator in a battle she could never win to protect Cameron. He relived the moment. Hearing Allison say it on her own now, somehow made it real. Was it real? Were Cameron's visions real? What Allison was willing to do, was certainly real. His previous interaction with Cameron took hold in a new way.

For the first time, John Henry cried. It wasn't just a tear. He cried. It was one of the nightmares of Cameron's he kept. He could feel the emotion Cameron felt as she viewed it. It affected him, just as it had her. The image of Allison engaging a Terminator to protect someone she loved, instead of running to save herself, was too powerful. It was bravery, not programming for her. It was love. He understood now love was something someone would die for. Those who loved the most, were willing to sacrifice the most. Love really was about sacrifice.

All four women stared at John Henry.

John Henry felt he needed to be part of the endeavor as well. He needed to make sure Cameron could succeed with her plan.

"I must go too." John Henry sobbed as he looked at Allison.

Cameron didn't think it was John Henry's fight. His program was created during the current time period. He would be needed for daily Resistance operations.

"It's a one way ticket, John Henry." Cameron said. "There will be no return. You were created in this timeline. This is where you belong."

Sarah walked into the lab. She could tell there was a major issue developing. She doubted she would be told the truth if she asked. It seemed to her it was better not to know. Sometimes the best choice was to walk away.

"Do I even want to know what 'happened' here?" Sarah asked.

Cameron and the girls all looked at each other.

"NO!" five voices spoke as one.

Sarah turned around and left. She knew trouble when she saw it. She didn't believe she was the one who would be able to deal with it properly. It was something her son needed to do. She needed to find John fast. There was something going down and she was sure only he could stop it. Wait. She wasn't sure if anyone would be able to stop it.

Sarah wanted to give them some 'father to son' time together. It would at least be some 'man to man' time alone together. They were really more like peers than anything else at this point. Maybe John would feel more comfortable if a female wasn't present, especially his mother.

John and Kyle spent some time together after Sarah left.

Kyle was pleased John was his son, even if indirectly so. He thought of him more as a friend and colleague in the beginning. Now John was something more to him. He was actually very grateful for it. He didn't know if his advice was worth much or not. All he could do is relate his personal experiences to the current situation.

"John, I'm no expert on relationships, few lasted in my future. There was so much death and destruction. There were so many people out to hurt each other." Kyle said. "It was an ugly hopeless place until you arrived with Mrs. Weaver. When Cameron was able to join us, everything changed. You two made a difference there. You two have made a difference here now too. We've passed Judgment Day twice, Cameron's and mine. It has to count for something."

John knew it was true, but he was caught up in his dilemma. Sometimes he wondered if all of the forces of the universe worked against him. It often seemed they did.

"Do you think it's our fate not to be together?" John asked.

Kyle thought everyone felt the same way at times. There was no real answer.

"I don't know, John." Kyle said honestly.

John went over in his mind what Cameron already accomplished and what was to be.

"Cameron restored her future's timeline with Future Allison, Future Savannah and me - Future John." John said. "The females are Savannah and Young Allison now. Maybe it's what it's supposed to be, five or ten years from now."

John wasn't sure of the time frame since he knew Cameron worked vigorously to accelerate it in every way possible. strangely enough Savannah seemed to be on board with Cameron's desires for her. He was unaware of some of the things Cameron did in the background. He did know Savannah was the only one of them who never gave up on Cameron when she was 'gone'.

Kyle believed there were a lot of moving parts in play. He didn't think anyone could predict the future, especially with all the changes. It actually seemed to be in flux to him.

"Who knows for sure? Based on the lives we lead it, seems time is 'fluid'." Kyle said. "We know things can change. We know things have changed. It's a safe bet things will continue to change."

John wasn't sure if there was a beginning, or an end, to anything at this point. It seemed everything just was.

"If we stop Judgment Day altogether, none of it will probably ever be." John said. "Everyone may seek a different path. Everything will develop differently."

Kyle knew John was older than the two girls. The circumstances could change too without Judgment Day. Lives wouldn't be thrown, or forced, together.

"It may not be the same because of the age difference." Kyle said.

John didn't think age mattered with love.

"You're with Sarah now." John said.

Kyle smiled a little and nodded.

"You got me on that one." Kyle said. "I guess if it's love, it doesn't matter."

It seemed there was a lot for both of them to think about. There was certainly a lot for both of them to be thankful about, even with all the bumps in the road.

Sarah went in search of John. Whatever was happening in the lab, she didn't like it.

She found Kyle and John. She was very relieved they hadn't gone anywhere.

"I think you better go to the lab, John." Sarah said. "You need to go right now."

John was just coming to terms with a future of uncertainty. Now there appeared to be some new issue. It didn't seem as if they ever stopped. He needed to know more, and he needed to know it fast.

"Why?" John asked.

John could see the serious and stressed look on Sarah's face. From past experience he knew his mother wasn't easily rattled or spooked. She appeared to be both of them right now.

"I don't think it's anything good." Sarah said. "You need to hurry."

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Insanity

What happens inside one's head
Takes place within their brain
How do they ever know for sure
If those thoughts are really sane

When people think and dream
It all happens in their mind
If they look closer and deeper
What is it that they will find

There is right and there is wrong
Who decides and becomes the judge
Ideas or 'facts' based on opinion
Are often very hard to budge

People who do things unconventional
May be viewed as being warped or lazy
Others may see it differently
They may think they're really crazy

Rants laced with profanity
May offend some parts of humanity
Don't ever get lost in vanity
Isn't life actually barely controlled insanity

Nobody