Chapter 152

Volcano

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Note: This Chapter picks up from events which occurred in: Chapter 101 Nooooooo! It's the result of a TDE malfunction and folds into the ongoing story line.

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The four naked women appeared in a flash of blinding light and arcing within an energy bubble. They were gone for a second, and then back again.

Cameron and the girls were all huddled together.

Jesse took in Cameron's perfect figure and perfect skin, her sheath.

'Such perfection….' Jesse thought.

Cameron looked up. The sky wasn't visible. It was overcast with reddish clouds.

The girls all seemed a little queasy.

Allison felt uneasy as she looked around.

"Do we know where we are?" Allison asked.

Vanna checked around them.

"Or when?" Vanna asked.

Cameron was sure there may have been a malfunction.

"No." Cameron replied as she looked at the surroundings. "I think there was a positional error, if not a temporal error."

Cameron was worried it may be both.

The gravity of her statement hit home with the girls and all of its implications.

"Are we lost?" Allison asked.

Vanna feared it was worse than lost if there was a temporal error.

"Do you mean we're lost in time somewhere?" Vanna asked.

Jesse worried about where and when they were too.

"Our surroundings don't look like anything I've ever seen." Jesse said.

It looked like a place the girls only heard about in the past, the very distant past.

Cameron started to cry. The full implications of what she saw as they left the base and where they were now hit her.

"We can't get back to stop her." Cameron sobbed.

Allison knew who they saw, even if they didn't know her.

"We all saw her. It was that 'Bitch Whore' Riley, wasn't it?" Allison asked.

The inevitability of what would happen next with John and Riley flooded Cameron's mind.

"Yes and you're ALL here with me." Cameron said as she broke down. "There's no one to stop her. There's no one to stop them. It's all going to happen again."

The four naked women embraced to give Cameron comfort and support.

Jesse held Cameron the tightest.

There was a small earthquake.

"Nice." Vanna said.

They were in dense jungle growth. It was very hot and humid.

Cameron looked up after the earthquake and spotted something which seemed to confirm her worst fears.

"Oh no." Cameron said.

In front of them was a mountain with smoke coming from the top of it.

Jesse looked. She was sure what it was, even if she never saw one in person before.

"Is that a volcano?" Jesse asked.

There was another small tremor as the ground shook again.

"Yes." Vanna replied. "It's a volcano."

Allison looked at their surroundings again and at the vegetation and climate. She asked the question all the girls feared.

"Are we in prehistoric times?" Allison asked.

It was about the last thing Cameron wanted to hear.

"I don't know yet." Cameron sobbed. "There are volcanoes all around the world in many locations in our own time."

Cameron waited at the spot they arrived in. It was a rough transfer. Rougher than any other she'd done. It was like they'd arrived, then were gone, and then back again, all in a few milliseconds. Cameron continued to wait.

Nothing else happened.

She wasn't sure why she thought she needed to wait there.

Allison could see how worried Cameron looked. It didn't leave her with a good feeling.

"Cameron, what's wrong?" Allison asked. "I can see it on your face."

It seemed to Cameron something additional was about to happen. She was unsure what it was going to be.

"I don't know. Something doesn't feel 'right'." Cameron responded.

It still looked prehistoric to Jesse. It left her with a big fear. She'd watched several movies since her time at the Resistance base. There were quite a few different types of prehistoric creatures who were deadly, not only to each other, but to humans as well.

"We're not going to run into a dinosaur are we?" Jesse asked.

There wasn't much Cameron could scan or check. There were a few things she was able to recognize. It still wasn't conclusive in one direction or the other.

"I don't think so. The pollution levels seem too high for a prehistoric time period." Cameron said. "I don't know how things were before."

Vanna pointed out the obvious thing in front of them. It didn't prove anything one way or the other, but the implication was there.

"There's a volcano right there." Vanna said.

Cameron was worried for the girl's safety. She needed to get a better idea of what was around them and what the threats were. She was aware the girls were naked. They didn't have any coverings on their bodies or their feet. It wouldn't take much to get an injury.

"Let me get you three to a more secure location." Cameron said. "Then I can start to look around. Try not to get cut or hurt on anything."

Cameron picked up some baseball sized stones.

Jesse wondered why Cameron needed the rocks. She thought she might try to create a 'spark' or something.

"What are those for?" Jesse asked.

Cameron wanted some type of weapon to use, other than her own body to start out with.

"I can throw them VERY hard and accurately. They will have to do until I find or fabricate a better weapon." Cameron said. "I don't know what's around us, or what else I can use. I need to know more."

Vanna wondered if there was anything other than a visual clue for Cameron to go on.

"Can you hear anything which sounds man made?" Vanna asked.

Cameron frowned. She already checked multiple times.

"No." Cameron said.

Cameron was very worried. What did she do? What had she done? She just led her best friends into some kind of nightmare, and the 'Bitch Whore' Riley was there 'ALONE' with John. Not one of the three women she 'groomed' for John, as her replacement, was there for him. It was only Riley. It seemed once again Riley entered John's life at an opportune time for her to take advantage of him. It looked like it was all going to happen AGAIN. She knew John failed her before. It would be no different this time. Some things change, and some things don't. John would seek the 'comfort' of Riley in his time of loss.

She didn't believe it was Future Riley. It could be, but it seemed unlikely. She viewed Future Riley's dead body. She touched it and scanned it. She wanted to examine it completely but didn't. She wanted to know what John found more appealing about Future Riley than he did her. She believed the only thing physically superior about Future Riley's body was her larger breast size. She still believed she was better proportion. Everything on her was 'up' where it belonged. There was no sag or droop to her sheath.

Cameron was painfully aware there was another major difference. Future Riley was real. She wasn't. She was a functioning individual who masqueraded as a human female. At the end of the day she was still a machine. Future Riley was a human female. It was something she could never be. She believed a human female could better accommodate John with feelings and emotions. Hers were still developing. They were in their infancy.

She quickly thought about her choice of words. Future Riley was capable of reproducing. She would be able to give birth to an infant. She could provide John with a descendant. It was something she could never do. Her chassis might be covered with living tissue, but there were no internal organs for reproduction included in her design.

Cameron blinked her eyes. She realized she just thought about Future Riley, and multiple scenarios in a millisecond. She needed to focus on where they were now. The girls were going to depend on her to survive. Wherever, and when ever, they were, survival was going to be a struggle.

She needed to make some weapons. She found some fallen tree branches. She stripped them down into crude spears. Each one now sported a jagged point. They would do damage to soft tissue. The girls wouldn't be able to thrust as hard as her. She would be able to thrust her spear completely through a person. They would not. She gave one to each of her three friends. It was a start. It was better than nothing. They could protect themselves, and keep some distance from whatever it was which attempted to attack them. There was no way to know what dangers lurked outside their small perimeter.

Allison looked at her spear. She looked at Vanna and Jesse, each with one as well.

"We look like 'cave-women' walking around like this." Allison said.

Jesse looked at their nude figures.

"I'd say so, especially without any clothes to wear." Jesse said.

Vanna wondered about another issue.

"It should be interesting when we go through our cycle." Vanna said.

Jesse slapped at her neck, and then at her rear end.

"I keep getting bug bites." Jesse said.

Allison swatted at something which flew in front of her face.

"I've received a few myself." Allison said. "There are a lot of flying insects. Many of them have been around for millions of years. They're the true survivors. They probably existed before dinosaurs, and will exist long after Skynet destroys the world and Mankind. Skynet will rule a world of insects, and nothing more."

Cameron was troubled by Alison's statement. She was aware there was a lot of truth to it.

Jesse looked at Cameron, she seemed unaffected.

"Do you get insect bites, Cameron?" Jesse asked.

She believed her sheath offered no nutritional value to insects.

"No." Cameron said.

Jesse slapped the side of her right leg.

"It must be nice." Jesse said.

Cameron was worried. She needed to see the sky. The stars would show her where and when they were. If they'd experienced some major temporal error, they were all doomed. She didn't want to be responsible for her friend's deaths like this. To die in combat was one thing. To die trying to survive was another. To die for 'nothing', was a total waste.

Right now it looked like 'nothing'. It looked like a real dead end for all of them.

Cameron led the group forward. She tried to select a path where they would come in contact with the least amount of vegetation. She needed to look for ground suitable for the girls to walk on without shoes. They needed their bare feet protected. Her sheath could be damaged as well, but it was much more durable than human flesh. It was more difficult to puncture or cut, and faster to heal. It would do so without a scar.

She could hear a stream ahead. She understood the girls would need water more than anything to survive. If there were some type of animals, whether they were giant lizards or not, they could be killed and consumed for nourishment. She believed their intelligence, and her abilities, would allow them to defeat whatever creatures were with them. There was one more thing to consider. Some creatures consumed vegetation, some creatures consumed other creatures.

Cameron was aware the 'watering hole' was a prime ambush point for predators. It applied to human or animal predators. She approached the water with caution. She scanned and listened for any threats. She was unable to detect anything.

She really wanted to know what else was around them. She needed to know what the time period was. It would let her know how much of a struggle the girls would need to face. It would also determine their fate.

Cameron touched the water to 'taste' it. She tried to determine if there were toxins or other contaminants in it. She hoped to find a trace of something 'modern'. If they were in some isolated location, it wouldn't matter as much.

Vanna watched what Cameron did. She was aware water would be their biggest concern in staying alive. She already felt thirsty but wasn't going to say anything. She was sure it would cause Cameron even more distress. She could see Cameron was under a lot of stress right now.

"Is it drinkable?" Vanna asked.

Cameron was dissatisfied with what she'd detected. The girls would need to take some safeguards to protect themselves.

"It should be boiled first to be safe." Cameron said.

Jesse looked around them. There was nothing but plants, dirt, and rocks around them

"How do we do that?" Jesse asked.

Cameron stopped. She looked at the three women. She was ashamed they were there, where ever and when ever it was. She was ashamed she put their lives in jeopardy for 'nothing'.

Allison could see Cameron was traumatized by everything. They certainly weren't where Cameron intended them to be. She wanted to show her support to Cameron.

"Don't say it, Cameron, we all followed you. We all knew 'this' was a one way ticket." Allison said.

Vanna didn't want the glum talk to start so early. They needed to find out more.

"We've only been here ten minutes." Vanna said. "Let's all relax a little before we panic."

Cameron couldn't help but think it was ten minutes Riley was already alone with John. With such a thought, each second to her, felt like she took a bullet. Depending on the temporal error, they could all be dead centuries before they could get back to stop Riley. They could also be centuries in the future too. Maybe where they currently were, is what remained in a 'Skynet future'.

She looked at the vegetation, she was sure it wasn't the future. It could be in some other timeline. They knew there was more than one timeline. They could have created more as well. She was certain they were still north of the Equator based on the magnetic poles.

Cameron wondered where the animals were, like birds or lizards. She'd only seen insects and some of them were pretty much the same for millions of years. She would be happy to at least see some kind of mammal or some creature she recognized. Even if they did see a dinosaur, it would give them some indication as to the time frame. She wasn't convinced they were so far off on their temporal error. She still didn't have anything positive to make any calculations.

Right now she needed to find some place safe for her friends. She knew she needed to stay focused to protect her friends. The threats could be anything from the plants to the predators. The insects could carry diseases and viruses as well. She was aware the girls all survived the toxins in the environment Skynet unleashed in their future. It included everything from chemical warfare, to biological agents. They were all designed to terminate humans and eradicate them from the face of the earth. Things didn't go as Skynet planned.

Jesse looked at the ground around her as she walked.

"Are we going to run into any snakes?" Jesse asked.

Allison remembered catching some before as food to eat. Snake meat wasn't the greatest. Vipers were dangerous to be around. It was one of the staples they were forced to eat, along with rodents.

"We've all eaten them before." Allison said.

Vanna wondered how big snakes were in prehistoric times. She didn't remember seeing any fossil of snakes in the museums she went to. Then again, she only visited two.

"I'm afraid we will run into some who will try to eat us." Vanna said.

Jesse wanted to try and lighten the somber mood some.

"It doesn't look like I'll be having any 'snake' in my sexual diet." Jesse said.

Allison thought of a better solution to it.

"Who needs it anyway? We have each other." Allison said. "We all know what's better."

The girls all giggled. It helped lighten the mood a little. The atmosphere was still very tense because the extent of their situation was unknown.

Vanna wondered what Cameron would do for sexual comfort. The current situation could present an 'opportunity' as time passed for her and the other girls.

"What about you, Cameron?" Vanna asked.

Cameron thought they were all getting ahead of themselves.

"We've only been gone for sixteen minutes." Cameron said.

Allison picked up on Vanna's drift. She wanted to hear more. She was sure Cameron's reply was a dodge.

"What if we're lost in 'time', Cameron?" Allison asked.

Cameron considered the situation she'd put the girls in. It seemed most surely their doom was inevitable. She doubted there would be anything peaceful or tranquil about it when it came. It most likely was going to be violent and gruesome. She would probably need to bury them, one by one.

She wanted to give them some hope. She KNEW what each of the girls would live for. It was for her. Their desire and quest to be with her would motivate them to go on through whatever hardships they needed to face. She didn't want to be committed, but still offered a 'carrot' at the end of the stick. She chose her words carefully.

"I'm incapable of reproduction. It doesn't matter if my mate, or mates, are male or female." Cameron said as she looked each woman in the eyes one at a time. "If we're lost in time, there are many things which are 'possible'…."

With Cameron's statement, Jesse secretly hoped they were lost in time. It seemed Cameron made her point to them 'open ended'. She wanted nothing more than for Cameron to 'touch' her. What could be more beautiful than that?

Vanna and Allison both thought the same thing.

There was a point to go on now for the three girls.

Cameron just provided them hope. It was something for them to live for….

There was a noise in the distance. Only Cameron could hear it. It happened a second time and was closer.

Cameron became alarmed.

"Stay here, stay low and form a defensive perimeter, back to back." Cameron said.

The girls all felt the danger by Cameron's tone and response.

Allison held her spear up at an angle in front of her.

"What is it?" Allison asked.

Cameron listened further. The direction was different now. Maybe there was more than one predator out there. It would be bad news with their limited weapons.

"I don't know." Cameron said. "Get your spears ready."

The three girls readied their crude weapons.

Jesse hoped to spot the target first, before it made its attack.

"Tell us the exact direction as it gets closer." Jesse said.

Cameron could hear the approach of the predator. It currently moved very slowly. It was still headed in their direction. It was aware of exactly where they were. She was sure it heard them talking. It might have also detected them originally from one of its other senses. It most likely would be its sense of smell. She could only hope her predator pheromones made it think everything through more than once. The advance still continued.

"There's something out there. It's stalking us." Cameron said. "It's coming…."

It sounded as if the attack was about to happen.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Stay In One Place

One can try and move forward
Hoping to know all and be mystic
Stay in one place
And become stale and anachronistic

When one faces life
They can hope to be optimistic
Chances are much better
Things will turn pessimistic

They can attempt or seek
To try to be idealistic
Life itself will force one
To eventually be realistic

One can accept life as dealt
Becoming withdrawn and fatalistic
Soon become cruel and mean
Causing hurt and pain, even sadistic

They can seek many vices
Becoming uncivilized and hedonistic
Or think only of themselves
Being over inflated and narcissistic

One can lash out becoming
Aggressive or going ballistic
What is a meaningless statistic
What is a true characteristic

Nobody