Chapter 114

All Of The Day And All Of The Night

There were some leads Cameron needed to follow up on. There were some other matters she wished to attend to first. She sought out Bob.

"Hello." Cameron said. "I have an assignment for you to take care of. I was going to do it myself, but I don't want to do it right now."

Bob felt Cameron was distracted. He was sure what part of the reason was.

"Are you worried River wants to go with you?" Bob asked.

Cameron felt a slight glitch impulse. It was always a 'worry' of hers.

"Skynet isn't her fight." Cameron said. "I don't want her damaged in our timeline."

Bob reviewed the reports about what happened in the abandoned building located in the desert.

"She is very formidable." Bob said. "She would make a valuable asset to the team."

Cameron started to become agitated.

"I've already heard it from everyone else." Cameron said. "I don't need to hear it from you as well. I know it's true. It's just not her fight. She has her own future to deal with. It's full of problems as well. She was responsible for uncovering a vast government conspiracy and what happened to thousands of people needlessly."

Cameron wondered if it wasn't really hundreds of thousands, or maybe even millions. If the program was allowed to go on unchecked, it was possible further damage would have been done to others. River was very valuable to her time period.

She knew when River was returned, she needed to be returned before she was 'taken' away, so there was no disruption to her timeline. She didn't want to create another alternate future. She believed River was a pivotal figure in her own timeline.

Bob could see he created a problem.

"It was only a thought." Bob said. "It never hurts to leave options open. It's better than closing a door."

Cameron tilted her head slightly. It was one of the dilemmas she currently pondered with her association with River. To try to take too much could close a door. It wasn't something she wanted to experience in a negative way.

She wanted to have the lead followed up on.

"Here's all the information I have on the Skynet situation." Cameron said. "I don't know what is what. I haven't looked into it. It could be nothing."

Bob thought it was best if he looked into it.

"I'll see if another Terminator is available." Bob said. "John doesn't like us to operate alone if it can be avoided."

Cameron felt another glitch impulse. She knew it was because John didn't like her to operate on her own. She believed she was able to get a lot done on her own. There were a few times when she received a little more damage than she would have liked. She still managed to get the job done.

"You can take whoever you want." Cameron said.

Bob wondered if he could take one of the other female Terminators.

"I would like to see how Unit 645 or Unit 710 perform in the field." Bob said.

Cameron was irritated to hear mention of them.

It made her think back on some of her past interaction with them. It involved John Henry as well.

Cameron became increasingly irritated with Unit 645 and Unit 710. She wasn't really sure why. They just bothered her. She didn't know if she was jealous of them, or felt 'threatened' by them. It wasn't a physical threat. They were 'female' infiltration units like she was. It meant they could do all the same things as her. They possessed all the same physical attributes she did. They could use them in the same ways. She personally 'inspected' them during their chip extractions. It meant they were a threat to John. No, not a threat to John, they were a threat to her. She knew they were Hot, especially Unit 710. She knew beauty when she saw it. Unit 710 was beautiful.

Since Unit 645 did not choose a new designation, Cameron chose one for her. It was Gail.

Unit 710 didn't want to be named by Cameron so she chose the name Honey. Cameron told her the name was unacceptable. Unit 710 then picked Holly since she was going to pick Helga for her.

Gail never wore a bra when she was at the base. Her tops were always two sizes too small. Cameron looked at a top one day and wondered how she put it on. It looked like it was put on with a 'spray gun'.

Cameron actually looked twice to make sure she wasn't topless. It was how tight the top clung to her. It showed every curve and detail there was. The skin tone color of the top added to the effect. It really looked like it. There was no guess work involved when looking at her. It was all right there out in the open, even if it was 'covered'.

There was a sobering thought about it. Cameron reflected on the damage done to her breasts by bullets over the years. The breasts on Gail looked like big targets to her, real big targets.

Cameron was worried after three shotgun blasts one night. They totally destroyed her right breast. She was worried her right nipple wasn't going to regenerate. The loss of sheath material was significant. At the time she was very afraid it was going to be permanent since it was the second time the same breast was totally destroyed. It finally did regenerate back to how it was. It took months. After a re-infusion of Allison's DNA, and a complete Resequencing of her sheath, everything returned to normal. She was glad for the body armor they now wore. John wouldn't like her 'lopsided'. She would like it even less.

If Gail forgot her body armor on an assault, Cameron decided she wouldn't remind her. She thought it would do Gail some good to see how bad the damage looked. Maybe then she would listen a little better about other things. They may all be equal as Terminators, but they weren't all equal in the chain of command. They certainly weren't equal in John's heart, or his bed.

Gail was always around John when she was at the base. Cameron personally reviewed Gail's chip files with John Henry three times. They couldn't find the reason for it there. She was sure Mrs. Weaver was behind it in some way. She still remembered the blonde female Terminator chassis Mrs. Weaver 'found' for her copied chip in the alternate future. It caused a whole set of issues and problems.

Cameron looked at the files on the chip in frustration. There was nothing there she could find. She'd wanted to be able to blame it on Mrs. Weaver. There was no proof of it.

"I know there's more to this." Cameron said. "Gail pays too much attention to John."

It seemed less sinister to John Henry. He thought it was organic.

"Maybe she's attracted to him." John Henry said.

Cameron didn't like his answer.

"Are you?" Cameron asked.

John Henry felt there was an answer for it as well.

"No. I'm not." John Henry said. "I'm not an infiltration unit either."

The reality of his answer didn't help Cameron feel any better.

"I don't like it." Cameron said.

John Henry didn't think John was susceptible to Gail's charms. He'd proven himself to be an 'oak' as Cameron 'pushed' the girls on him. The recent events with Riley seemed to be further proof.

"John won't be seduced by her." John Henry said. "He is a better man than you think."

All it did was make Cameron think of past events. They'd proven otherwise. Now because she'd thought of them again, it was like they just happened for the first time in her mind. It was the intensity of the situation she felt.

"I still don't like it." Cameron said. "It bothers me and makes me feel uneasy."

Cameron knew she really felt jealous.

John Henry forged on.

"Are you having any luck with the four human females?" John Henry asked.

He briefly wondered if he should have said five. He didn't want to encourage Cameron to continue to push Savannah.

Cameron's frustration level rose again.

"No. I'm not. They don't want to 'hurt' me." Cameron said. "They don't understand they hurt me as well by NOT listening to me. I know what the future is and I want John protected."

John Henry was unsure why it was a problem. It seemed like a simple request to ask someone for 'assistance'. It shouldn't be a problem.

"You ASKED them to 'assist' you." John Henry said.

Cameron did ask. It upset her more. She never asked for much from anyone. It seemed when she did ask, others should listen and try to accommodate her. She would have to up her game and use a little 'chemical warfare'. It wouldn't be the first time she resorted to what some would view as 'underhanded methods' to achieve her goals. For a Terminator, it was always about achieving the goal. The route to do so was insignificant.

"I'll have to get them intoxicated like the time Vanna, Allison and Jesse were and they thought they did things they didn't." Cameron said as she smiled.

It seemed like underhanded manipulation to John Henry. Cameron had no qualms about doing it. He did understand she wanted to help the girls bond and it worked. They bonded firmly at the sexual level before they bonded at the personal level. He felt Cameron did all it to gain 'control' of Jesse.

"They ended up doing them anyway because they thought they already did." John Henry said.

Cameron felt she'd timed everything perfectly right down to how much alcohol each girl needed to consume for the desired effect.

"Yes, it made it easier for them to 'share' the way they all wanted to later on." Cameron said. "They were already ninety five percent of the way there before."

Cameron really wanted to bring them all closer together for John's sake and the future. She wanted them to share with John, not compete with each other for him.

"It MADE them want to share." John Henry said.

She was very pleased her plan worked.

"Yes. I'm 'guilty' of manipulating them." Cameron said. "I wanted to 'help' them share."

Cameron's actions facilitated what eventually happened. It was still the choice of all three of them to complete their love and sharing. When they finally acted, they actually did on their own. It was a free choice on all of their parts.

John Henry could see manipulating people's lives didn't seem to bother Cameron.

"Do you ever feel remorse for your actions?" John Henry asked.

Cameron tilted her head slightly. She saw it as something magnificent.

"No. They enjoy each other. Each is so 'different'. It's exciting for them. Each has something different to 'offer'." Cameron said. "It's beautiful."

John Henry saw an added benefit to it for Cameron.

"And ALL three of them love you." John Henry said.

Cameron still felt unappreciated at times. There were times when she felt the love. It left her with a very special feeling inside.

"Many people do." Cameron said as she looked at John Henry. "I have much to offer to each one of them in different ways."

He felt 'guilty'. He did know the beauty of what it was like to touch Cameron's 'mind'.

"Yes." John Henry said.

It was something he wanted to do again. He needed to talk with Mr. Ellison soon. He knew he was caught up in a place he shouldn't be, even if he wanted to be there.

Cameron wanted to make her position clear.

"I love John." Cameron said.

John Henry waited for her to go on with more of her statement, but she didn't. He pointed out what else he knew to be true. It was a new twist and a possible 'game changer'.

"You also love River." John Henry said.

Cameron said nothing at first. She wasn't going to deny it. She wouldn't deny it. It was true. It was something special to her. She soon had a 'far off' look in her eyes as she spoke.

"River is like no other." Cameron said. "I can share with her in many ways I can't share with another human or a machine. It's something beautiful. I feel it is my own choice for once. It's not an obligation from the future or who MY Allison, Future Allison loved. It's not what Future John wanted or programmed into me. It's what I feel and what I want. I think this is my first choice on my own. This is my first true love I know is mine."

It seemed to John Henry everyone spoke of Cameron, how she just spoke of River.

"It's how everyone else feels about you." John Henry said.

It wasn't how Cameron perceived it. She would consider John Henry's statement.

"Thank you for explaining." Cameron said. "Now I understand their infatuations better."

She was still unsure why anyone would want 'scrap metal'. What was there to love about a 'pile of junk'?

John Henry still didn't think Cameron understood the depth of feelings everyone felt towards her.

"They are more than infatuations towards you. You have humans and machines who will die for you Cameron, for YOU." John Henry said. "They LOVE you."

Cameron reflected on her three friends leaving everything to go with her. They blindly followed her into the unknown and most likely what was to be their own termination, their own death. They gave up everything and left it all behind to go with her to help and support her. She understood the level of commitment was love.

John Henry could see how serious things were to Cameron. She was running on emotion instead of logic. It seemed to be the same flaw humans suffered from. He wondered how far Cameron was willing to go. Her answer would indicate the level of her affliction.

"Would you choose River over John?" John Henry asked.

It was the same issue Cameron pondered before with Vanna.

"I'm incapable of reproduction." Cameron said. "It matters not if my mate is male or female. A true relationship isn't based on sex of any type. It's only one aspect of it. It's only one way to express love and feeling deep within. There's so much more for two individuals to share, and ways for them to share it. A natural animal act based on an instinctive biological function doesn't define love."

It wasn't the answer for the question John Henry asked Cameron.

"Your statement sounds rather open ended." John Henry said.

Cameron looked at John Henry for a long moment and gave him a sly smile.

"It is…." Cameron said and walked away.

Bob could see Cameron was distracted. He didn't wish to enrage her further. He felt the issues he brought up were legitimate. The Resistance could use all the help it could get.

He sought out Jim. He was going to avoid Unit 645 and Unit 710. He did find them fascinating to look at. It was probably better not to be distracted by them during an operation.

Bob was near the lab when he spotted Jim.

"We have a lead." Bob said. "Cameron asked me to look into it."

Jim was ready to go with him.

"Cameron has been distracted recently." Jim said. "Let me collect my things, and we can go."

The two Terminators collected their gear and headed for the carpool. They selected an SUV and checked over it as well as the weapons compliment onboard. Everything was fully stocked.

Bob climbed behind the wheel.

Jim got in the passenger's side.

Bob and Jim pulled out of the carpool and left the Resistance base behind.

Jim went over the information as they drove.

"I can see why Cameron turned this one over to us." Jim said. "There isn't much here to go on."

Bob felt all leads needed to be checked out.

"There's never anything until there is." Bob said. "We don't want anything to slip through the cracks. It will take some of the heat off of Cameron if we assist her."

Jim was fairly certain Cameron needed a lot of the heat taken off.

"I don't think operations are Cameron's current problem." Jim said.

Bob didn't think it was a road they should go down.

"It's best if we don't worry about personal matters." Bob said.

By Bob's response, Jim could tell Bob was as worried about Cameron as he was.

"Personal matters become a problem when they spill over into the workplace." Jim said.

Bob wanted to avoid the issue.

"It's not our place to question anything." Bob said. "Infiltration units need to deal with more complex issues than we do."

Jim thought it was a little more.

"The issues are only complex if they're complexified." Jim said. "It doesn't seem to be anything a little reprogramming can't fix."

Bob wanted to stick with their current operation.

"Let's just do our job." Bob said. "We have no control over what happens with others."

Bob and Jim headed towards the location given to them by Cameron.

Cameron reflected on John impregnating River, or River and her returning to River's timeline together. She would be satisfied with either one. The thought of leaving for the unknown distant future was enticing. It really would be 'getting away from it all'. She really wondered what a fresh start would be like. It would be an escape. She could leave her troublesome past behind, along with its doomed future as well. She would seek freedom. The obligations she was forced to serve for others would no longer cause her 'problems'. She could be free. She could be herself. She could be who she really was for once. She wouldn't be able to lie to, or deceive, River.

She further reflected she wouldn't be able to manipulate River as she did with all the others. River knew what she would do, before she did it. The very thought 'excited' her.

Cameron could stop hiding and lying. She could stop manipulating and be honest. She could be herself and who she really was. The more she thought of it, the more she wanted it. She was deathly worried River wouldn't want her either. She would be devastated by it. Maybe it was better not to know. It wouldn't hurt as much. The fear of being rejected and pushed away like John did, or being sent away like Future John did to her, haunted her. What if River did it to her too?

She needed to stop daydreaming. No matter how hard she tried to not think of it, the song, 'All Of The Day And All Of The Night' by 'The Kinks', was stuck in her head.

Later the same day, Cameron heard River listen to it while she read the lyrics on YouTube.

Cameron smiled.

It always pleased Cameron when she could find a song which matched her feelings. She felt the lyrics could say so much, even if they were simple. Maybe simple is what made it have more of an impact. There was nothing to think about. The words were just right there.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

All Of The Day

From deep inside
You feel it in your heart
As the sensation expands
You might split apart

The feelings rush in
The emotions overflow
They must be returned
Before elsewhere they go

Open your closed eyes
Take a quick look around
That whisper you feel
Is more than just sound

More and more and more
You slowly become possessed
You have found true love
With the one you are obsessed

You know it exists
It is more than just say
You experience it
All of the day

Nobody

All Of The Night

Like some kind of drug
It seems to feed the hunt
The more that you get
The more that you want

Some can want more
Than they already have
They end up with less
As their love they halve

You know what is there
You need not seek any further
Be weary of what you do
Before a heart you murder

Do what is right
You know it is true
There is only but one
Who truly loves you

The search has ended
It has become finite
You have found the one to spend
All of the night

Nobody