Chapter 103

Almost

Jim tried a door on the side of the building. He turned the handle and the door opened. A 'warning' went off inside of his head. The door shouldn't be unlocked.

Bob was concerned as well. It was the door closest to the target building, even if there was a wall between the two properties.

Jim knew it was going to require further investigation.

"I need to take a look inside of the building first." Jim said.

Bob agreed. He hadn't been able to detect anything outside. There could be a threat inside of the building.

"It's a large building." Bob said. "We'll search it at the same time separately to cover as much of it as possible."

Jim opened the door enough for them to slip inside. He entered the building.

Bob took one look around behind him as followed Jim inside. He closed the door.

"I'll take the north end of the building with the loading docks." Bob said.

Jim nodded.

"I'll take the front and office area." Jim said.

Bob and Jim began to search the building.

Sarah was very upset about Cameron and the girls leaving. It was so sudden and unannounced. She just couldn't understand what was driving Cameron to make such rash decisions. She was very worried about John.

What seemed to be as big of a problem as Cameron leaving, was Riley being there now, especially at such a sensitive time. It would have been bad enough for Riley to show up at any time, but with Cameron 'gone' it was even worse.

She watched John replaced Cameron before with Riley. With Cameron 'gone', she wondered if he would do it again. She was a teenager once. She knew what John and Riley did. The only thing about their adventure which surprised her, was the fact they hadn't done it more often. She thought back on some of her adventures in high school. She'd tried a few guys. She soon had a girlfriend, and then girlfriends. They liked what they could do for each other. They didn't need to worry about getting pregnant. They were also able to make each other 'finish'. It was something the guys couldn't seem to do.

She shook her head to clear it. She needed to refocus.

Sarah called Derek and Kyle aside. She informed them Riley - Future Riley, was the girl Future Jesse used to try to manipulate John. She was the root of the problems John and Cameron faced in their relationship. Future Riley became the object of John's attention and affection as he pushed Cameron away. She warned them even though this was a different timeline version of 'Riley', there was most likely going to be a 'problem' with Cameron when she returned, IF Cameron returned. There was no indication on how it was going to play out. She knew with time travel, the girls could all return the moment they left, or even before. They hadn't. Based on what she saw and heard, she believed Cameron would have done so to prevent Riley and John from hooking up again. The girls were all still gone. It most likely meant they'd all been terminated, wherever they went.

Kyle felt Cameron was a little deeper at this point. He didn't think she was petty with her responses. Maybe she was. Sarah may have been around Cameron longer, but he saw who Cameron was now.

"Cameron is better than that, Sarah." Kyle said. "Cameron will know the difference and treat Riley as she's done with the other girls. Give her some time. She alleviated any problems with Jesse. They're all as one now."

Kyle briefly wondered if maybe he shouldn't have left the last part of his statement out. As much as it was a good thing, the girls were all bonded and acted as one, it was also a bad thing because all of them were gone. They only just left, so he wasn't going to become too concerned yet, even if he was.

Sarah knew it was true. Cameron was 'one' with all the girls. It was why they all gave up everything and went with her. She still found it a little hard to believe. They really needed to love someone to come from a life in Hell to Paradise, and then give it all up. Then again, she knew sacrifice was the true test of love. There was no doubt the girls loved Cameron.

Sarah wondered if Cameron would attempt to do the same thing with Riley as she did with Jesse. She could see how all the girls wanted to be with Cameron. It was actually something she thought about more than a few times herself. She knew what a female could do. It really made her wonder what a female Terminator could do.

After Derek listened to the story about Future Jesse and Future Riley, he was concerned for Riley. He knew Terminators were ruthless. He didn't want to see Riley beat to death, or have her neck snapped. If anything happened to her, it was going to be on him. He should have cleared it with John or Cameron first before he brought her to the base. He could see now it wouldn't have been any good to try to contact Cameron since she was already involved in whatever she was about to do. He was sure if he would have sent John a photo of her, John would have insisted he bring her to the base. He didn't check, so it was still on him. He wondered if some action was necessary on his part.

"Should I warn Riley?" Derek asked. "Do I need to hide her?"

Kyle could tell Derek was clearly worried. He felt he'd been around Cameron long enough to believe she was fair. He'd been in the past, the present, for longer than Derek. He'd been on operations with Cameron and seen her around the base. He believed she was very dynamic. She would know Riley and Future Riley were two different individuals, even if they were the same person.

"No." Kyle said. "Believe in Cameron."

Sarah sure hoped so. She thought if Riley stayed away from John, things would go a little smoother. She also knew if John pursued Riley in Cameron's absence, there would be a problem and most likely a termination. She always worried before that Cameron would terminate Future Riley. She believed it was for a very specific reason as well. It was the way John taunted Cameron with Future Riley and rubbed it in her face. In the end, she believed Cameron never killed Future Riley because she loved John and didn't want to 'hurt' him. It appeared sacrifice was the true test of love for a machine too.

It made her think about some of her actions as well. She hadn't treated Cameron very well at all. She showed her a vast amount of disrespect, anger, hatred and frustration. She believed her actions were justified at the time, even if they weren't.

Sarah began to wonder what if Cameron and the girls never returned. What would happen? Cameron made her 'plans' clear to everyone. She knew Savannah still needed a few more years to be able to take her 'place' at John's side as Cameron dictated. She seriously doubted John could wait that long. They were short on eligible females around the base now. Riley was the only one at this point. Well, the only human one.

She wasn't sure what would happen with Unit 645 and Unit 710. They were both very well 'built', so to speak. They were both very robotic and not as advanced as Cameron was. They were also both Restorators out of a different future. The upside to it was neither one of them were ever been programmed to terminate John as Cameron was. There was never any contact with Skynet on their chip. Cameron warned them she could go 'bad' again.

Sarah couldn't help but think back to when Cameron was trapped between the trucks. She heard what Cameron said. She didn't believe her at the time. From what she learned later on, Cameron still attempted to make her own choices, even when her programming directed her to do something else. Her mission for Future John was a good example. She was convinced at this juncture Cameron could override her Skynet directives if she chose to do so. She now believed Cameron chose to do so when she was trapped between the trucks, and told John how she really felt about him. She wondered as a 'mother', if she shouldn't have done more.

It also made her wonder if it was Future John Cameron refereed to as well by her wording.

John Henry reviewed all the temporal data he was able to access. He reviewed all known usages of the TDE and the results. He went over the specific information Mrs. Weaver sent with Unit 710. There must be something there. He hoped there was something to help them. He asked Unit Two, Unit Three, Unit 645, and Unit 710, to check all the information they possessed. He was pretty sure they could attempt a few things. It was doubtful any of them were going to work. He knew they needed to do something.

He thought it was time to stop thinking about it and get started. He decided it was time to give it a try.

John Henry would enter the information based on his calculations, and try to have the TDE pad itself return, or set to the time and date the girls left. He wanted to try to go back to the moment they left. He didn't want to start a new timeline. There was a lot of uncertainty about the procedure. He didn't want to harm the girls either while he attempted it. There was also the risk he could create some kind of temporal error.

The time for thinking was over. It was time for doing.

John Henry powered up the TDE equipment.

The energy bubble started to appear on the pad. The arcing and flashing intensified.

There was nothing in it. He moved the time back a few more seconds. He could see the four figures. The four women were trapped.

The energy bubble couldn't fully complete.

John Henry adjusted the TDE. He broadcasted the pad as the destination and the time as now.

Moments ago:

John was in his room. He looked around at the emptiness. He understood his relationship with Cameron was very nontraditional in every respect. He knew she was a machine, even if she looked like a human female. It was the whole point in what a Terminator was supposed to be. They did spend a lot of time together, but it seemed it was only for sex. He became a little lax in what he did for Cameron when they were together. He would do what he wanted, and not really think about her. He wasn't sure if it was because he thought he didn't need to, or because he didn't really care.

He heard the thunder of the TDE come online. He felt 'goose bumps' form over his entire body. He got up and rushed into the hallway. He headed for the TDE.

John ran into the room.

"Is it them?" John asked.

John Henry was sure it was them. It was something.

"I think it is, but the transfer can't complete." John Henry said.

John looked at the arcing and flashing energy bubble. He didn't want to lose them.

"Use more power." John said.

John Henry was already at the 'red line' for energy usage.

"It will overload." John Henry said. "It wasn't designed for this."

John Henry wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. It was all based on theory.

John wanted them all back. He knew everything was designed to be able to go past the 'red line'.

"We have to try something." John said. "We can't lose them no matter what. Push it further."

John Henry worried about a catastrophic failure if he pushed it. He decided he could go a little further. He did what John asked.

There was a blinding flash of light and the TDE went offline.

John was a little stunned by the energy discharged and brilliant flash of light. The energy bubble vanished in an instant. It wasn't the way it normally worked.

"What happened?" John asked.

John Henry checked the TDE controls. It was as he feared.

"We lost them." John Henry said.

It didn't tell John anything. He wanted a better answer.

"To where did we lose them?" John asked. "Where and when did they go?"

John Henry wasn't really sure. He wasn't sure about any of it.

"It was somewhere into time." John Henry said. "I don't know."

John slammed his fist down onto the TDE control panel.

"That's not good enough." John all but shouted.

He at least wanted some information on where they went, as well as the timeline. If they could narrow it down, it would give them somewhere to search.

Unknown location or time:

The energy bubble appeared. The arcing and flashing finished.

There was fighting going on around them.

Plasma rifles fired along with automatic weapons.

The four naked women hunkered down. They were in some type of crater.

Cameron could tell the direction in time they travel to. The plasma rifles gave it away.

"We're in the future." Cameron said.

Vanna knew there were several choices.

"Do we know whose future?" Vanna asked.

Cameron was more worried about the battle raging around them.

"I don't know yet." Cameron said.

There was an explosion near them. Dirt rained down on them.

"Nice." Jesse said.

Allison knew she wouldn't be leaving there. It didn't bother her one bit. Even with the fighting going on around her, she felt some peaceful tranquility. She was near her final days on earth. She planned to replace Future Allison and suffer the same fate she did. Future Allison would be saved, but she wouldn't.

"All good things come to an end." Allison said.

She'd told John Henry if Cameron destroyed herself, or forced them to terminate her, what she was going to do. From this moment on she knew her time was limited.

Cameron peeked over the top of the crater they were in. She could see there was active fighting going on. There were bodies everywhere. Some of them were relatively intact. Most of them were not.

"Let me get us some clothes. There are a lot of dead around here." Cameron said. "I should be able to get some weapons as well."

She went to move but something told her to stay where they were.

"Everyone stay here together. Don't move." Cameron said. "Everyone needs to move closer together."

Allison hadn't moved where she was. It gave her some time to reflect on what John Henry said. She would be killed and her existence would end. She was ready.

She told him she would gladly trade her life so Cameron could be built and live. She didn't tell him what she made Jesse promise her….

Since they seemed to be 'in some future', Jesse thought about what would happen.

Jesse was a little surprised at what Allison asked her to do. She knew of the sacrifice Allison planned for herself. She told Allison for her and Cameron she would do it. It was a specific and deadly task Allison asked of her.

"I'm not the same person anymore, but she is still part of me." Jesse said. "The 'old Jesse' will be there when the time is right for you, Allison, and for Cameron."

What Allison asked Jesse to do was important to her. She wanted Jesse to be as committed to her 'task' as she was to hers.

"Will you promise me?" Allison asked. "I won't be around to do it myself, or I would."

Jesse touched her scar. She could summon hate, anger, and vindictiveness when she needed to.

"I promise, Allison. I know where to draw my hate from. I'll hunt down the 'Bitch Whore'. I'll hunt down both of them myself. I swear it."

Allison wanted to make sure. She didn't want a repeat of what happened before. She wanted her sacrifice to mean something. She wanted to free Cameron and John from further grief going forward.

"Will you kill both of them?" Allison asked.

Jesse looked determined.

"I'll kill them, both of them." Jesse said. "I'll kill Future Riley and kill 'myself' - Future Jesse."

Jesse and Allison shared a moment over it.

"Don't let my sacrifice be in vain." Allison said.

Jesse was committed to the Resistance.

"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor." Jesse said.

There was another explosion nearby.

The arcing and flashing returned.

The time bubble reappeared.

The girls were enveloped again.

Moments before:

John was impatient. He was highly irritated and agitated. He was sure there was something in the energy bubble. He wanted some follow up action.

"Restart it." John said.

John Henry was trying to do so since it went off earlier. He was concerned about damaging the equipment. He was aware it could always be rebuilt. He didn't know how catastrophic it could be if things went wrong.

"I'm trying." John Henry replied. "This equipment was never intended to be used like this. It's way outside the design parameters."

John was tired of waiting.

"Do it - Now." John said.

The machine powered up.

Sarah and Kyle rushed to the TDE room.

"What the hell is going on?" Sarah asked.

They'd heard the TDE power up and came to investigate. They needed to stop what they were doing, get cleaned up a little bit, and get dressed.

John didn't know what to tell them other than the truth.

"We're trying to get the girls back." John said.

The arcing and flashing started.

The energy bubble began to reappear.

The coordinates on the TDE reset themselves to the date and location Cameron originally requested for some unknown reason. It's not what John Henry selected. It was a new problem. It was a big one.

"I think we can send them into the future if we let the cycle complete itself." John Henry said.

John didn't want them to go anywhere. He was extremely agitated at this point.

"No. I want them back, ALL of them." John shouted.

John moved over to the control panel. He tried to reset the date. He was unsure if he did it correctly.

There was a blinding flash of light and the TDE went offline.

The energy bubble vanished.

"What happened?" John asked.

John Henry looked over the control panel. He noticed John's modification to the settings.

"We lost them, again." John Henry said. "What did you do to the date and destination?"

John didn't want the transfer cycle completed into the future.

"I tried to reset it." John said. "I want them back here."

John Henry was appalled at the date and location John changed things to.

"It's space you selected, in the distant future." John Henry said. "Let me operate it. PLEASE. You're going to kill them."

Sarah was angry at John. She knew John Henry knew more about what to do than John did.

"John!" Sarah shouted. "Let him do his job."

John was just as angry. He didn't appreciate the input from his mother. He turned his attention to John Henry. He was very worried about what John Henry told him he'd done.

"We need to try again." John shouted. "I want you to push it all the way. I want you to run it past the 'red line' and use every bit of power available."

John Henry was ready to retry it one more time. He needed to warn John of the consequences. He was sure what would happen.

"It will ruin the machine." John Henry said.

If they got the girls back John didn't care.

"Do it anyway." John commanded. "If we can't get them back, we have nothing anyway. It won't matter."

John Henry started the procedure. He left it on the coordinates John selected, and then would reset the destination and time back to the TDE pad.

John was very upset and frustrated. He thought they almost had them.

"I'm not losing them again. I need Cameron and the others here with me. Our fight is now, not in the past or future. It's here - NOW." John said. "Get them back."

John still couldn't believe any of it was happening.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Almost

The frustration is greatest
When the goal is achieved – almost
Then something goes wrong
And it all turns to toast

It's wanted so much
That it soon becomes foremost
Nothing else seems to matter
As one becomes engrossed

The desired goal is elusive
It's almost like a ghost
It's almost there but it's not
The thing that was wanted most

One must work and try harder
On laurels they can't coast
To end up with nothing
Leaves the soul to roast

Daily life and events
Seem to change the goalpost
One still has nothing
When it comes up again - almost

Nobody