Chapter 156

Who

Cameron was on her way back to the base in the 'borrowed' van from the airport. She was relieved the authorities hadn't become involved. She exited off of the freeway and would be near the base soon.

She looked at the dried blood on her clothes. She wore the shirt of the passenger of the truck. He was the one who ended up with the rock embedded in the side of his head. She would need something more decent looking to enter the base. The girls offered to trade shirts with her. She saw something which may be a better idea along the roadside. It was located in the side parking lot of a grocery store. She spotted a Goodwill donation bin. It was overflowing. There were boxes of clothes piled up next to it. She was about to stop and look through the items. She should be able to find something usable.

Cameron saw a running figure move between two of the vehicles parked there. It was a female. She looked back at the girls.

"I need you three to remain in the van for now." Cameron said. "I spotted what appears to be someone in need of a little assistance. It should only take a short time."

Allison looked over in the direction where Cameron looked.

"We can go with you." Allison said.

Cameron didn't think it was anything she wouldn't be able to handle on her own. The girl's safety was paramount to her since they were so close to home.

"I don't think it's a serious issue." Cameron said. "I want you to watch each other in our recently acquired spoils. I'll be back."

Cameron exited from the van. She saw Jesse climb into the driver's seat. She knew it was so they could move the van quickly if they needed to.

Jesse climbed into the driver's seat.

"Do you see anything around us?" Jesse asked.

Allison and Vanna looked around.

"I don't." Allison said.

Vanna couldn't spot anything either.

"I don't think it's Skynet related." Vanna said.

Allison was aware Cameron liked to deal with street punks who caused trouble.

"She might have seen someone dealing drugs." Allison said. "Whoever it is, is in for a surprise."

The three girls remained on alert as Cameron disappeared from view behind the donation bin.

Cameron acquired the female figure. It was clear she was running for her life. There were two men who ran after her.

She changed her direction for an intercept course. She was able to get ahead of the running female. She could hear her sobbing as she approached. She could see her clothing was still intact. She let the female pass by her. The two men were in hot pursuit. They would be to her in a moment. She could see one of them carried a knife.

Cameron moved out from behind the car where she was waiting and blocked their path.

"Nice night for a walk." Cameron said.

The two men looked at each other and slowed.

"Get out of the way." The first man said.

Cameron didn't like the implication of the intended abuse towards the female.

"No." Cameron said. "What's the hurry?"

The two men faced her.

"We're just out having a little fun." The second man said.

Cameron was sure the definition of 'fun' was different for the two men, than it was for the female.

"Turn around and go back." Cameron said. "If you leave now, you won't be hurt."

The two men looked at each other.

The first man held up the knife.

"It looks like you're going to need to take her place." The first man said.

Cameron frowned slightly. Things always seemed to play out the same way. She felt they were given fair warning. She grabbed the two men and slammed them together. The first man ended up stabbing the second man. More blood ended up on her already bloody shirt. She looked at the new stain with disgust. She kicked the first man in the side of the head. It shouldn't be enough force to terminate him. She would leave it up to the second man to determine his fate, since he was the one stabbed. She left both men lying between some cars in the parking lot of the grocery store. She headed back towards the donation bin.

She really needed to replace her clothes now. She chose something which would please John if she decided to stay. She wanted to make her 'reappearance' pleasurable and memorable. She didn't wear one very often anymore. She slipped it on, it was a simple dress.

She noted the three girls watched her and wanted her. They'd given her strength, supported her, and risked EVERYTHING for her. They were three girls who loved her just the way she was, for who she was. It was clear the three girls saw her as more than 'Nobody'. She was never a very scary robot from the future to them. She vowed she would repay them someday, somehow….

Cameron parked near their base. She didn't want to get too close, just in case…. She was unsure what timeline they were in. Even if she was terminated, she didn't want the same fate for the girls.

She was aware she may be perceived as an intruder or a 'Skynet trick'. Since she left to go to her future, she could have been captured and reprogrammed. The fact the girls weren't with her might only reinforce such a belief. It was most likely things would end badly for her in more ways than one.

Cameron looked at the girls before she departed.

"I don't know what I'll find." Cameron said. "I don't think it will be anything good. Remember, I'm not even sure if we're in the same timeline."

The girls again were there for her to offer their support and their love.

Jesse reached out and touched Cameron's arm.

"Whatever it is, love, we're here for YOU." Jesse said. "We'll support whatever decisions you make."

Allison reached out as well.

"It will work out, Cameron." Allison said. "One way or another we'll make it work for you."

Vanna wanted to reassure Cameron how far they were willing to go.

"You know we'll wait here for you." Vanna said. "We'll come for you if we have to."

Cameron felt if they needed to have a 'battle' with the Resistance, it would be a bad thing for everyone. It didn't matter if it was a different timeline version or not.

She gently squeezed each of the girl's hands and left. She thought if this was an alternate timeline, she may be terminated on sight. She was sadly aware they terminated some other possible version of her when it tried to 'attack' Allison. It wanted to absorb Allison's 'anatomy', for John. It was to mate with him physically, as it must have done 'mentally'.

She approached the base on foot. She tried to remain as clandestine as possible. She noted the increased security everywhere. It may have indicated this was a different timeline, or there'd been some assault on the base. She left the girls in the van, to keep them out of harm's way. Jesse was behind the wheel. She left the message if anything didn't look right, they were to drive away immediately and never look back. They possessed money and guns. They should be able to survive comfortably.

Cameron started toward the perimeter of the base. There was a lot of security. It was more and better security than there was when they left. It would take some effort to get in unobserved. She made it in a little further. Each new layer caused her additional concern. All the differences made her doubt if she was in the same timeline.

She made it inside after a long while and looped the security feeds so she could move around unobserved. She stopped by the lab. She noted Unit 645 was deactivated and now looked different with dark hair. She wondered what it was all about. She did note her giant breasts as she lay there. She hoped John wasn't 'tapping' her chassis. She thought maybe she should check to make sure. She would be able to detect any traces of DNA if she did. She figured she could always check it later. It wasn't the primary issue currently. John and Riley were.

Cameron approached John's room, her room, 'their' room. She didn't know what she would find.

She really expected to hear John making love to Riley. She briefly considered terminating Riley and leaving. It was what she wanted to do to Future Riley. She didn't do it then either. She reminded herself why.

'No. John has a right to choose. It was just like Future John chose to 'send me away'. He 'threw me away'….' Cameron thought.

Cameron knew it was what someone did with trash or scrap metal. It was discarded.

Now she reflected on being 'Not Good Enough'….

No one throws away anything which is still good.

Cameron wasn't paying attention. The next words caught her by surprise.

"River?" John asked.

Cameron almost jumped.

'Who?' Cameron thought.

She was ready to go on the defensive. She may need to fight her way out.

There was a look of astonishment on John's face.

"River, you came back? When did you get here?" John asked, surprised.

Cameron switched to infiltration mode. She must be in an alternate timeline for sure she thought. She wanted to get out of there before she messed up another timeline, or was terminated. She would allow her programming and experience dealing with humans to get her through the first encounter.

"Just a few minutes ago…." Cameron said.

She looked around and was ready to bolt. There could be reinforcements moving up to contain her.

John ran up and grabbed her and hugged her.

Cameron thought it seemed more of a positive than a hindrance.

The happiness on John's face quickly faded to a look of total dismay.

"River, something terrible has happened." John said.

Her next words just slipped out. Maybe it was wishful thinking on her part.

"Do you mean to Riley?" Cameron asked.

John looked a little confused with her question.

"What? No. it happened to Cameron, Allison, Vanna, and Jesse." John said.

She decided to play along. It sounded like her story. It sounded like their story.

"What happened?" Cameron asked.

Cameron thought this must be a different timeline. She didn't feel danger. She needed to find out more….

John couldn't speak for a moment. He became very emotional.

"They are all dead." John said and started to sob.

Cameron was sure this was a different timeline now. None of this added up. Why would he be so sure they were dead?

John looked at 'River' with pleading eyes.

"I need you to decrypt our TDE so I can go back in time and save them." John whimpered. "Only you can help us do it."

She needed some more information to see how things should be played. It made her wonder why the TDE was encrypted. It might have been something they did after their departure fifteen months ago. It could be something left over from Mrs. Weaver. Somehow it sounded as if 'River' was involved.

"How did they 'die'?" Cameron asked.

John needed to collect himself.

"Cameron was killed in a nuclear blast when she destroyed Skynet. Allison, Vanna, and Jesse all died while fighting Terminators." John finally got it out. "It was a day of loss. It was a day which is still unimaginable."

'What the Hell?' Cameron thought.

It all seemed pretty extreme to her. Now Cameron wondered what timeline she was in, and who the Hell was 'River'. It seemed 'River' must look like 'her'? How was it possible? Maybe it was her 'Replacement'. Maybe 'River' was a new cyborg constructed in her image. It sounded like something they would do. They would attempt to 'recreate' her, even if it wasn't her. It wasn't an idea she was comfortable with. It was one of the reasons she tried to make sure no traces of her program were left behind.

Cameron was worried now this wasn't Her John. How could the four of them all there now alive, be 'dead'? They'd only been gone a day for them, even though fifteen months passed in the timeline where she was at now, wherever it was….

"John, tell me all about it…." Cameron said.

John went over everything which happened since the girls left screaming, 'Nooooooo!'

It was quite a bit for her to take in. She wasn't a part of any of those things, including 'River'. None of this really made any sense.

John could tell River hadn't been very committal about anything. It bothered him somewhat. He remembered what Cameron sacrificed before to allow River to return home. A new fear gripped him.

"Why are you back from the future, River? Did you come to take Cameron away from me?" John asked.

Cameron remained cautious. Things could all fall apart fast. She wanted John to volunteer as much information as possible.

"Maybe…." Cameron said.

Cameron wondered what future River was from. Things were getting worse by the second. Was River another version of herself, or Allison, from some further future? Was River a machine or human? Why did 'River' need to fix the TDE herself? There were other Terminators at the base. It crossed her mind 'River' could be a different type of Terminator. It wasn't a good thought if she was. It could pose a bigger threat to the girls and her.

John looked even more dismayed and shattered. He appeared to be more than desperate.

"If you can go back in time and help me save her, I'll allow her the freedom to go with you. As long as I know she's alive, it's all I need. Can you please help me save Cameron and the others?" John begged. "I know we're not supposed to meddle with the timeline so no new ones are created. It's something we must do anyway. Please, River.

Cameron really didn't understand John's statement. Her John would never let her go. He said he loved her, maybe he didn't. She needed to know more. There seemed to be a lot of missing information. She wanted to see how far John was willing to go.

"Would you freely allow her to go with me?" Cameron asked as she wondered why.

None of this was logical or made sense to her. She loved HER John, not some girl, or Terminator, who looked like her named 'River'. What was John TALKING about?

John looked like a mess.

"Yes, as long as we can save her it's what matters the most to me. I'm fine with it if she can be alive and happy with you. I know how much she loves you, River." John said.

Cameron looked for a way out. She continued to play along.

"You would do that for me?" Cameron asked.

Cameron wondered why THIS apparently terminated Cameron loved someone else who was a female. Why were so many things were similar but dissimilar? Was there another set of them? How was there a 'Duplicate' set of them, the four girls, and her? She was aware of the troubled time transfer, the coming and going, and the feeling to stay and wait. She remembered the feeling something was 'wrong'. A lot sure seemed 'wrong' there.

John felt there was more to it. It wasn't to benefit River, but to save Cameron. He wanted to make his feelings and motivations clear.

"No, I would do it for Cameron." John said. "Everyone sacrifices for John Connor, even John Connor."

Cameron still wondered why 'she' loved some girl from the future, some future. Somehow it was a girl who apparently looked like her. It was very confusing.

"Why?" Cameron asked.

John was willing to do anything to keep Cameron from being terminated.

"I would allow it because I love her, River. I want her to be happy, even if it's not with me. You two deserve each other. You love each other." John said. "Sometimes when you love someone, you need to let them 'go'."

Cameron was sure this wasn't her timeline. There were a lot of things about it which she didn't care for. It wasn't one to stick around to find out more about. She knew she better leave. There was one thing which still 'ate' at her. What she wondered seemed to slip out without her wanting it to.

"What about you and Riley?" Cameron asked.

It was all Cameron thought about the entire day. She'd really been worried to death about the fifteen months which passed….

John wondered why she brought Riley up again. It was old news.

"Riley? She and Derek have been married for a year." John said.

Cameron wondered about the others. She needed to know more about the rest of the team.

"What about Sarah and Kyle?" Cameron asked.

John wanted to get Cameron back. Not dally with old news.

"They're fine. I have a sister now as well, Jan, Jan Connor." John said.

'That's 'different'.' Cameron thought.

There was one person she really wanted to know about. It was someone who would actually matter to John as time went on. It was someone very important to her.

"What about Savannah?" Cameron asked. "How is she?"

It saddened John to talk about it. Savannah was the only one who couldn't accept Cameron's termination. She continued to believe Cameron would return. Her love and belief in Cameron was unstoppable. She never once lost faith.

"She cries a lot and misses her 'mother'. She cries the most over Cameron, as well as Allison, Vanna, and Jesse." John said. "She can't accept their termination."

There was the sound of running footsteps approaching.

For a brief moment Cameron thought she was about to be 'captured'. She'd already stayed too long. Now she was going to be terminated. She was ready to run. She would try to evade her captors rather than fight them. The people in the current timeline she was in, seemed like nice people.

John looked past Cameron.

"Here comes Savannah now." John said.

Cameron decided to wait. She wanted to hear what Savannah would say to her.

Savannah ran towards them.

"I KNEW you would come back. I KNEW IT." Savannah said. "No one would believe me. I KNEW you would return."

John ignored Savannah. He didn't want to have the same discussion again. It was the discussion to 'nowhere'. Savannah wouldn't accept the truth. It irritated him somewhat. It wasn't because of what Savannah believed. He was sure it was because of what he didn't believe.

John looked at Cameron.

"River, will you help us try to get the others back?" John asked.

Savannah moved next to Cameron and hugged her. She looked at John with some irritation. He still hadn't listened to her. She wondered how he could be so confused and mistaken. She better understood what Cameron meant about there were different types of 'persuasion' available with males. She was sure John would need a lot of it. Right now, it was time to set the record straight.

"STOP calling her River." Savannah said. "Her name is Cameron."

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Who

Who are you
Who am I
If there's no answer
Do you know why

Is who we are
Really who we are
Is not all we show
Only an avatar

We can wonder
What life is all about
We can scream and shout
Or try to figure it out

Do we even know
Who it is we are
We can lie to ourselves
Pretend to be a movie star

Maybe some day
When we hear our own name
We will say – who?
And continue to play life's game

Nobody