Chapter 222

Future Shock

With the new threat and attack on the Young family, all the female Terminators were called to duty. It was decided to reactivate Gail's chassis. Her chip was currently in Sheila's chassis. It was unknown how big the threat was, or to what extent it would reach.

The events which already occurred could just be the start of a much larger offensive against the Resistance. Not enough was known so far. Based upon the limited information available, and the nature of what occurred, it appeared the attack was directed against Young Allison.

Because of the attack and the implications, Gail decided to have her chip put back in her original chassis and a copy of it placed in Sheila. It would create two of 'Gail', in two different chassis. She wanted to make sure she was operating at full capacity with her known chassis.

Vanna was exhausted from being with Jesse and Sheila. She returned to the lab and put Gail's chip back into her original chassis. It was done after she copied her program to a separate chip for installation into Sheila.

Sheila decided the nipple rings made up for the loss of breast size in hotness and appeal.

Jesse was all for Sheila as a copy of Gail. She would have the best of both worlds. She was literally in love with 'herself' this way. Gail was too.

As soon as they were done making the copy and everything was situated, they would fly by helicopter to Palmdale. All the female Terminators were headed there to reinforce the Young Detail. Young Allison was to be protected at all costs.

The two disabled hostile Terminators from the crash with the truck Cameron drove, were to be sent back for chip review, ASAP. They hoped to see where they came from and what their specific mission was. The more they could learn about the attack would help them prepare for an additional attack or a counter attack. It was unknown what the enemy knew about them specifically.

All indications were the attack emanated from when they went to the doctor's office and the mall. There was no indication of anything prior to those two events. A surveillance camera someplace must have spotted them when they were out. There is no indication the Young residence was a target.

The base was on the highest alert. They weren't going to take any chances or be caught flat-footed.

Savannah was ushered into the 'safe room' when the base went on lock-down. She hated to go in there. She felt she was ready to help defend the base and fight if necessary. She trained to do so since Cameron was first reactivated. She trained for years now. It was time to step up. What good was her training if she couldn't use it?

She exited the 'safe room'. She wore her vest.

John Henry noticed her walk out right away.

"Savannah, you must return to the 'safe room'." John Henry said.

Savannah went to the arms locker instead. She opened it.

"I can help too." Savannah said. "This is my life. This is what I've trained for. This is what I'm going to do."

Cameron previously told John Henry it would happen one day. It was to be allowed for Savannah make her own choice and be subtly encouraged. If she was ready to step up, she was ready to step up. It would be allowed. It was Savannah's decision on her own.

John Henry nodded.

"Arm yourself." John Henry said.

John Henry noticed she already carried a pistol. It was an M9. She removed an M4 from the arms locker and half a dozen magazines. She secured all of her equipment.

She was about to close the locker, when she paused for a moment. She took out a Thermite grenade and hooked it to her vest.

"Where's my duty station for today?" Savannah asked.

It was something Cameron predetermined if she wasn't at the base when it happened. There were always contingency plans which were to be followed. Sometimes communications would be cut off. The contingency plans were to be followed in such an event, or the absence of key personnel to make alternate decisions.

John Henry took a long look at Savannah. He felt very proud of what he looked at. Savannah was a Resistance fighter. She was to be able to act, but under close supervision.

"You will report to Sarah for your specific assignment." John Henry said. "She's by the lab."

Savannah wondered if John Henry was going to escort her there or not. It didn't look like it. She could see it was no longer time for training. It was time for action. Skynet came after her once. She was ready if it decided to come again. She briefly thought about her parents as well.

"I'll go there immediately." Savannah said. "I'm ready."

She loaded a magazine in the M4 and charged the weapon. She placed the safety on and slung the M4 in front of her.

She nodded at John Henry and left the Command Center.

John Henry looked back at the safe room. Jan was in there alone now. He went and checked on her and saw she was wearing her vest. Savannah left her some things to do and work with. She looked up at him and smiled.

He returned to his station. Everything was like Cameron said it would be. He wasn't worried about the present. His main concern was with what was going to happen going forward. Everything was completely unknown so far.

There was an attack directed against Young Allison. It was all they knew.

Claire watched Isabel remove the piece of metal from her leg without blinking or any apparent pain. There was also very little blood. She spotted what appeared to be metal under Cameron's skin. She saw the crash Cameron walked away from. She still didn't see how. Both of the vehicles were totaled by the high speed impact.

What seemed to make it worse, or more unbelievable, was Cameron was involved in the incident by choice. She didn't know where the truck Cameron was driving came from. She didn't know why Cameron would crash into the other vehicle on purpose. She didn't know who some of the people were at the scene now.

She looked at the three men who were at Cameron's side. Two of them were serious looking. The third one was young and handsome. She liked what she saw. She watched as Cameron spoke with them. The three men left to watch over her husband, Paul. They told her not to worry about him, everything was under control.

They returned to the Young residence.

Isabel stitched up Cameron's face and torso while Claire watched. Holly and Allison took charge of Young Allison. Gail and Sheila would arrive soon to reinforce them. What seemed strange about the entire event was the people involved weren't too rattled about anything. It was almost like it was something routine they dealt with. She wondered how anything she witnessed could be routine to anyone.

She was sure the occupants of the truck struck by the big truck Cameron drove must have been killed. It didn't seem to bother any of them. The one who seemed to show the most concern and worry was Allison. Allison was worried about her and 'her Allison'. There was something about the level of her concern which touched her. It seemed very personal.

Claire wanted some answers. She stood before Cameron as Isabel worked on her. There must be more to the story than what she personally witnessed. She was a little disturbed when Isabel told her they were being followed, and the events which occurred a few minutes later. There were quite a few individuals who showed up relatively quickly when things started to go down. Strangely enough, everyone left the scene as if nothing happened. It was all very mind boggling.

"Can you tell me what's happening?" Claire asked. "I know you and Isabel are 'special', Cameron, and Holly too. Your demeanor and abilities are out of this world and all of you are beyond beautiful."

Cameron felt they left enough clues for Claire to put it together, or at least be able to understand easier when they told her the truth. She was aware Claire speculated about a number of different things previously. Claire even conducted clandestine 'tests' to check on their ability. It was time to make her think. The things she could think of on her own would make it easier for her to believe.

"What do you think?" Cameron asked. "Go ahead and lay it out. Think it through."

Claire did put a lot of it together. She didn't know what to do with it. None of it made sense to her. She knew what she saw. It seemed every new revelation actually created new questions rather than conclusive answers. There were some things she was sure of.

"Other than your appearance, you and Isabel are identical, Cameron." Claire said. "I've watched you do things. You've let me watch you and let me see. I know you've wanted me to see you're both identical. It's the only reason I'm not flipping out right now. I do trust you. Why would these people be after Allison - Young Allison?"

Cameron dove straight into the truth. The best way to clear the air was to bring everything directly out into the open. It was hard for everyone to fathom when they first heard it. Claire was able to witness many things first. It was time to lay it out.

"Isabel and I share the same program. We're identical except for our chassis and sheath." Cameron said. "I needed two of 'me' to give Young Allison the protection she needed. In the future, Young Allison is the woman behind the man who saves the world from enslavement and annihilation. They've tried to terminate him as well. They want to eliminate both of them, and others, to prevent their own destruction in the future."

Claire looked totally bewildered. Most of what Cameron just said didn't make any sense. There were some elements of it which did because she already witnessed them. She put more than a few things together on her own. There was still an awful lot of clarification which was needed. Even the terminology was somewhat strange in more ways than one.

"What? The same program?" Claire asked, confused. "You said in the future. What future?"

Claire knew the future didn't happen, until it happened. They were in the present. The present was what happened now. The past was what already happened. The future hadn't happened yet.

Cameron forged ahead.

"I was sent back to protect the young man you just saw as a teenager." Cameron said. "It was more than a few years ago…. It's another story in itself. A lot has happened in the years since I arrived from the future."

Claire mulled over the words, terms, and phrases Cameron used. Some things were very clear, even as confusing as they were.

"Sent back? Programs? Chassis? Sheath? Are you telling me you're from the future?" Claire asked. "Do you mean like a time traveler?"

Cameron nodded. She was pleased Claire could put it together. One word would answer all of her questions.

"Yes." Cameron said.

Isabel finished stitching Cameron up.

Claire never saw Cameron flinch once as Isabel worked on her. She knew there hadn't been any type of anesthesia applied to Cameron. She saw the damage to Cameron and she saw what was underneath her skin. She could see it was some type of metal. All of the metal she saw in damaged spots was covered now.

There were a few things to think about. She knew the damage she saw to Cameron and Isabel would have been very severe and traumatic to any other person. It didn't seem to affect them at all. It was almost as if nothing happened to them. She knew of their strength and precision. She knew they didn't sleep much, if at all. The talk of programs, being sent back, and the future could only point to a few things. It was possible they might be aliens or robots. Both of the choices seemed rather unbelievable, despite the evidence.

"Are you human?" Claire asked.

Cameron picked her top up off of a chair.

"No." Cameron said. "I'm a machine."

Claire looked at Cameron as she prepared to put her top on. All she saw was the most beautiful female she'd ever seen, even with all the stitches. She tried to process what Cameron just said.

"You're a robot?" Claire asked. "This is so hard to believe."

Cameron put her top on but didn't button it yet.

"I'm something very similar." Cameron said. "I'm a cybernetic organism. I have living tissue over a metal endoskeleton. I'm a cyborg. My metal endoskeleton is a microprocessor controlled fully armored hyper-alloy combat chassis. I'm an infiltration unit."

Cameron allowed her eyes to glow blue and then red.

She could see Claire swallow hard, but maintain her disposition.

"Touch me." Cameron said. "I feel just like humans do. I'm designed to appear and act like a human. I'm specifically designed to emulate a human female."

Claire reached out and hesitated. It was something she wanted to do, but couldn't quite do it on her own.

Cameron smiled at her and took her hand. She touched it to her sheath above her left breast. She moved Claire's hand down over her breast. She felt Claire squeeze it a few times. She moved Claire's hand up to her face.

Claire took it all in.

"You feel just like me." Claire said. "Everything is the same."

The red and blue eyes, and metal under her sheath, was all the proof Cameron could offer. She let Claire feel she was 'real'.

Claire was somewhat shocked. She did see everything with her own eyes and touched Cameron with her own hands…. There was something else she began to question as well.

"I don't want to believe you, but I must. What you describe is impossible on several levels. I witnessed it all with my own eyes. I understand you're here to help." Claire said. "What about Allison? I know she's different."

Cameron looked over to where Allison was with Young Allison and Holly. She motioned for Allison to come over.

"Allison is the template I'm patterned after." Cameron said. "She's human. This was her home."

Claire's eyes widened some as things began to click. a lot of things started to make sense, even if they didn't. If this was Allison's home, it could only mean one thing. No wonder they both had the same name. She didn't want to believe it was possible, even if it appeared to be. Was Allison her daughter?

Allison entered the room. She walked up to Claire and faced her.

"Momma, I'm Allison, I'm your daughter." Allison said. "I'm from the future and all grown up now."

Allison moved up and gave her mother a long hug.

Claire could see it coming. It all made sense now. It was why Allison didn't act like Cameron and looked more like 'her Allison'. It's because she was. Allison was her daughter! Her daughter before her was almost the same age as she was now. She glanced over and saw Holly and Young Allison playing together. She took another look at Allison. Somehow it all made sense, even if it didn't.

"I knew something was up with it. I knew it. You and Young Allison are so much alike now." Claire said. "You're from the future too, you said?"

Allison knew things were going to become a little more confusing.

"Yes. I'm from a different future. It's an alternate future separate from Cameron's future." Allison said. "She's patterned after another version of me from the other future."

Claire found 'the future' hard to fathom. Now they told her there was more than one future. How was it all possible? She needed to try to keep things straight. It was all as confusing as it was hard to take in.

"There's more than one future?" Claire asked. "So you're not the one behind the 'savior of mankind'?"

Allison smiled.

"No, not yet. It's my alternate future self who is. There's another Allison there." Allison said. "When Judgment Day comes, I'll be at his side and be the mother of his children. I'll take my place when it's time."

Allison looked at Cameron and then her mother.

Claire noticed the exchange between Allison and Cameron. She wondered if she missed something.

"Why aren't you there now?" Claire asked. "It was him. He was the younger man with the other two wasn't he? I just saw him. He's handsome."

Claire felt a desire rise inside of her when she viewed John. She wasn't sure why. It wasn't something she felt toward the males, ever. Her natural attraction was to females.

Allison sighed. It was a complicated story. She wanted to keep it simple.

"Yes, he's married right now." Allison said. "I don't want to 'hurt' his wife."

Claire was a little confused again.

"Married?" Claire asked. "To whom?"

Cameron looked at Claire. She felt a little upset and angry at herself.

"He's my husband." Cameron said. "I'm an aberration in the timeline. My presence here is preventing Allison from taking her rightful place. I've disrupted the 'Natural Order' of time."

Claire needed to process Cameron's statement for a few seconds. She just touched Cameron in several places. She felt as human to her as if she'd touched herself. She wondered how 'real' Cameron was elsewhere. It was an interesting concept. She wondered exactly what an 'infiltration unit' was capable of, especially in the bedroom.

"Does he know you're a 'machine'?" Claire asked. "Do you two…?"

Allison giggled a little.

Cameron smiled.

"Yes and yes, we do." Cameron said. "I'm the same as any human female in every way, except I'm unable to reproduce."

Claire could see Cameron was upset now as was Isabel. Isabel stood silently there as Cameron spoke with a very blank and determined expression on her face.

Allison stepped in and took over her mother's questions….

There were a lot of them.

Claire and Allison hugged a few more times and Claire looked Allison over in detail. She wanted to see how her daughter 'turned out'. She just saw Cameron topless a few minutes ago so she knew exactly what she looked like up top. She was very pleased. She felt her daughter was more beautiful than she was. It's every mother's dream her daughter will be beautiful. She was aware a lot of people weren't by contemporary standards. She knew beauty was in the eye of the beholder. She knew everyone's true beauty was inside of them. A book should never be judged by its cover, neither should people.

The one thing which really seemed to hit her hard was to find out Savannah and Vanna were the same person. Once it was pointed out to her, it was completely obvious. Savannah looked even more like Vanna than Young Allison did to Allison. Claire found out in both futures, each Allison was with Savannah/Vanna. It meant Young Allison and Savannah were destined to be 'together'. She remembered from the first day they met they got along great. She saw a bond form between them. Everything was a real - Future Shock.

Claire thought about things a little more. Allison was from the future, a different future than Cameron was from. In theory, it meant she shouldn't be in the present where she was now. The implication was 'her Allison' was the one who was actually with Cameron's husband when she was older. She would be with Savannah and him. It seemed better not to ask about it specifically. There might be other things she didn't want to know.

Allison decided to skip the parts about Cameron 'killing her', well, Future Allison in Cameron's future. She didn't want to say anything about the Wastelands or Scavengers…. No mother should KNOW 'those things' about her daughter. To hear 'those things' would sadden any mother. To know a mother wasn't around when a daughter needed her the most would be even worse.

She didn't want her mother to feel guilty about something she couldn't prevent. Her mother couldn't prevent it in her future because she was dead. It made tears well up in her eyes to think about it. It didn't matter anymore. Her mother was standing right in front of her and she was alive. Both of her parents were still alive.

Earlier:

Gail and Sheila were headed to the chopper. They were alone. They were currently the same identical program right now. If they updated often, they would stay the same. They would be like Cameron and Isabel. If they didn't, they would become two different but similar Terminators over time. If Sheila did the 'Neural Interface' with Jesse, she would instantly become distinctively different and much more like Jesse.

Gail stopped Sheila and looked into her eyes.

"You're mine forever and you won't die on me." Gail said.

Sheila couldn't disagree because she was 'Gail'. She wanted the same thing.

"You got it, love." Sheila looked around then kissed Gail. "I am you. We'll get properly 'acquainted' later."

It would be some machine on machine activity. They really wondered what was going to happen as neither of them would become tired. They might have to set a time limit before they got carried away. They didn't want to share with each other nonstop until their power cells ran out or they were terminated. It would be the best way to go however.

The chopper was to retrieve the drone. It flew to the crash site. Everything was ready to go when they arrived. They weren't needed for the recovery part of the operation. Cameron wanted them to report to the Young residence.

One of the Young Detail left them their SUV. They headed off in the direction of the Young residence.

Sheila and Gail didn't hurry too quickly to their destination. They took a more roundabout route as they checked for any type of tail. They also kept watch on the sky for any additional HK drones. Nothing was detected or spotted. They arrived at the Young residence in a short while.

Gail went to find Holly.

Allison gave Sheila a quick rundown on what transpired up to this moment. Isabel and Cameron both informed her exactly what Sheila was. She was still surprised to see her. She was also very impressed.

Claire listened and checked out Sheila. She was captivated by her appearance. She knew it was someone different than the other girl who looked like her. They always exchanged long looks between each other. Nothing ever happened, but she could see how much the other girl wanted to share with her. It always rekindled suppressed feelings deep inside her. If they ever would have been alone together, it would have happened. The pent up feelings and desires inside of her needed an outlet.

"I met someone like you before, but you're 'different'." Claire said to Sheila.

Sheila decided to give her a brief explanation.

"I'm Sheila. Jesse is the one you met. I'm patterned after her." Sheila said. "Jesse is from the same future as Allison."

Claire noticed Sheila's top was very 'revealing'. She saw something inside it which caught her eye. It caused her to take a double take, and then a triple take. It excited her to see it.

"I noticed your 'jewelry'. It looks hot. Does Jesse have it also?" Claire asked.

Sheila thought about 'flashing' Claire but decided not to. If the 'Neural Interface' with Jesse would have already occurred, she would have done so upon meeting Claire for the first time. Cameron would most likely disapprove if she did it now.

"We are identical." Sheila said.

Claire was very intrigued to hear it.

Allison continued to talk with her mother. She was surprised to see Sheila as a 'copy' of Jesse. It was news to her. No one mentioned it to her previously. She noticed how Hot Sheila looked. Cameron informed her before her arrival what to expect. Sheila even sounded like Jesse. Now she hoped they would make a Terminator copy of Vanna….

As she spoke with her mother, it was evident both of them continued to 'check out' Sheila.

John Henry kept a communications blackout enacted around the area. They didn't want Skynet or Skyshield to communicate with their henchman, or find out what happened. They didn't want anyone investigating the drone. The helicopter would pick it up when it took the two disabled Terminators away. All anyone would find was an accident site without bodies on a remote highway. There would be questions, but no answers.

Whoever attacked them, wouldn't know what happened….

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Future Shock

At every heart's door
There are many that may knock
We need to separate what is true
From what is warped or schlock

If the feelings are sincere
A heart they can unlock
If they're filled with lust or greed
They'll soon prove to be a crock

Some may look and gawk
As part of the fledgling flock
Those with honor and respect
Will draw focus like a hawk

We avoid those who squawk
We tell them to take a walk
Nobody wants to be treated
As little more than livestock

It's best to start out with talk
So there is nothing to block
Two hearts may soon dock
Together may they forever lock

Hearts and minds in gridlock
Can never be each other's rock
Perhaps leaving one to seek hemlock
The result will be a future shock

Nobody