Chapter 262

Bad Idea

When John was out, Kyle and Derek went over targets and people to 'watch' with John Henry. He provided them with a list. Jim was assigned to assist them. They hoped Bob could go too since he usually did. He was currently tied up with John.

John Henry needed to deliver the usual warning. He knew it would be unheeded. He did his job anyway.

"You know this is a bad idea." John Henry said.

Kyle glanced over at Derek.

"John and Cameron are busy. We're just helping out." Kyle said. "We're just doing our fair share."

Derek didn't see what the issue was. They would have Terminator support.

"Jim will be with us." Derek said. "We're in good hands."

Jim smiled. He liked to accompany the Reese brothers or John whenever he could.

"Affirmative…." Jim said.

Kyle wanted to get out of the base before anyone attempted to overrule them. It was possible John or Cameron would contact the Command Center. Once they were out, the communications gear would develop 'technical difficulties' if they were attempted to be recalled.

"Let's go." Kyle said.

John Henry needed to give them a final warning.

"Remember to use caution. You're on a recon." John Henry said. "You're not to turn it into a combat operation."

Derek and Kyle exchanged another quick glance.

"You know us." Derek said.

John Henry noticed their interaction. It was usually the same thing. Today didn't appear to be any different. Why would it be?

"I do." John Henry said. "It's what I was afraid of."

Derek, Kyle, and Jim left the Command Center. They headed for the carpool.

"I'll drive." Derek said.

Jim currently held the keys. He didn't think so.

"I'm driving." Jim said.

Kyle needed to suppress a snicker. He knew the reason why.

"It's so we don't go where we're not supposed to." Kyle said.

Derek didn't see it as a big deal. They hit pay dirt several times when they went off the reservation.

"We only did it a few times." Derek said. "Besides, it paid off."

Kyle did notice one thing. It bothered him a little but not too much.

"I've noticed we never pull any female targets any more." Kyle said.

Derek thought about the last incident. He was faced with a very uncomfortable decision. He allowed the Terminators to act in his place. He was uncomfortable with killing a female in a non-combat situation. He didn't know all the drama which occurred behind the scenes with the female he didn't kill the last time. If he would have, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill her. He was satisfied with their current assignment. He tried to justify it with an excuse.

"I'm OK with it." Derek said. "We can't do everything ourselves."

Kyle wanted to point out a very important fact when it came to the enemy. It was something which couldn't be forgotten based upon an individual's gender.

"Some of the most brutal Grays were females." Kyle said. "They were responsible for some very gruesome deaths among the Resistance."

Derek couldn't dispute the fact. He understood what needed to be done and why. He just didn't like to do it in a non-combat situation. He knew if he needed to, he would.

"There were a few." Derek said.

Kyle often wondered if they shouldn't take some preemptive action in their past, the future.

"We should run some temporal missions back to our future." Kyle said.

Derek thought of it a few times himself. There were a few incidents he would like to avoid. There were a few people he would like to 'save'. He didn't know how long it would be for if he did. The future was very brutal. It seemed to have a way of collecting its toll, regardless of the circumstances. The outcome of some events would be greatly altered. He didn't know for how long though.

"We would change too much." Derek said. "I would anyway. There are a lot of things I would change."

Jim thought it was a bad idea but remained silent. He pulled out onto the street. He thought about it a little more. What they currently did, or were about to do, was very much the same thing, even if the time period itself was different.

"Isn't it what we're all doing now?" Jim asked.

Derek knew it was. There were still some events he would like to change first hand.

"It is." Derek said. "We're trying to prevent some things from happening. Well, from happening again."

Jim wasn't sure anything was preventable, even if it was delayed. Cameron indicated to him there seemed to be 'tides in time'. Even if specific events were changed, they still seemed to happen in some form anyway even if it was slightly different. Cameron made it clear to all of them she didn't believe Skynet could ever be stopped.

John Henry sent out a message. John was on his way back to the base.

Derek didn't think they would have been allowed to go if John would have returned before they left.

"It looks like we got out just in time." Derek said.

Kyle was worried there might still be some flak. He knew there were certain ways around it. He didn't like to use them.

"Maybe." Kyle said.

They drove in silence for a long spell.

Jim wanted to make sure everyone would be ready.

"The first target location will be coming up in five minutes." Jim said.

Derek and Kyle checked their weapons. When they looked back up, they were in a seedy looking neighborhood.

"Where are we?" Derek asked.

Kyle thought it was one of the worst neighborhoods he visited so far in the past, the present.

"It looks like a Third World country." Kyle said.

There were a string of homeless camps along both sides of the street. It reminded them of the Wastelands.

"What's the story here?" Derek said. "These people live like they're in the future."

Jim always found it somewhat disturbing humans would live in such a primitive fashion when they didn't need to. He did understand there were other reasons involved as well. Some of it was related to criminal activity as well as mental health issues.

"Homelessness is a chosen lifestyle for many." Jim said. "It keeps them off of the radar and makes them harder to track."

Kyle already felt 'dirty' just looking at the area.

"Is the person we're looking for in this mess?" Kyle asked.

Jim hadn't been given a specific location. It was a building located nearby.

"It's a possibility." Jim said.

Derek remembered seeing some other homeless camps. Most of the hobbles in those were constructed out of old tires, cardboard, and other pieces of junk. Some of the lucky ones actually were able to get a hold of plywood. It was most likely stolen. Almost every location they passed was equipped with tents. They didn't look very old, even if they already looked worse for the wear.

"Where do they all get the tents from?" Derek asked.

Jim found the policy somewhat disturbing. If anything, it seemed to perpetuate the problem rather than solve it.

"The government gives them to the homeless." Jim said. "There's no incentive for them to leave. In some locations, they actually deliver food to some of the individuals. Everything is provided at no cost."

Kyle wondered how it wasn't a veiled form of slavery. Maybe it couldn't be considered slavery since the individuals involved didn't actually do anything. They certainly didn't work for the government or anyone. It didn't seem to him the term 'homeless' applied, based on the government subsidies.

"Maybe we should call them 'tent people'." Kyle said. "The tent is now their home and indirectly sanctioned by the government."

Derek made sure the window on his side was up.

"I bet the sanitation sucks in there." Derek said.

Kyle made sure his window was up as well. He thought there was a play on the words Derek used. He understood how things worked in the past, the future.

"I bet a lot of things suck, including both males and females." Kyle said. "We know what the 'currency' is in places like this."

It was mainly females who needed to use 'Nature's Treasury' to survive. Males did as well.

Derek shook his head in disgust. He knew where the survivors would end up at after Judgment Day.

"It looks like a Scavenger breeding camp." Derek said.

Derek's statement caught Jim's attention. They were under standing orders from Cameron to strike at targets of opportunity against future Scavengers. They were to do it as discreetly as possible so it didn't attract any attention from the authorities or John. He took one more look at the area they passed through. He thought of the most efficient way to deal with the problem.

"I'll ask John Henry for a drone strike tonight." Jim said. "Most of the problem should be dealt with."

Kyle didn't think it was the way to deal with the situation. The use of explosives on such a wild scale was bound to turn more than a few heads.

"I think it's a bad Idea." Kyle said. "You'll need to run it through John first. It will cause a big investigation."

Jim felt the action was necessary and justified.

"Cameron has declared future Scavengers as sanctioned targets." Jim said.

Derek heard some rumors from the girls.

"Is it true Cameron hunts them with the Metal girls?" Derek asked.

Jim didn't know all the details. He did know who was involved with Cameron on a regular basis.

"Ally, Sheila, and Hanna assist her frequently." Jim said.

Kyle thought about the Metal girls. They were very different from Gail, Holly, and Cameron.

"I talked to Sheila one day for five minutes before I realized it wasn't Jesse." Kyle said.

Jim understood Cameron's reasoning for their creation.

"I think it's the point." Jim said. "They're the ultimate infiltrators."

Derek went through the same experience Kyle did.

"The same thing happened to me too." Derek said. "We were around the real girls for years. They know things we know which no one else knows. The Metal girls know them too. I can't tell them apart, especially when they act like the human girls."

Jim was through the homeless camp.

Kyle took a look behind them. He was glad to leave the squalor behind. He hoped they didn't end up there as part of the operation.

"Remind me to take a shower when we get home." Kyle said.

They drove three more blocks before Jim pulled over.

"What's our target?" Derek asked.

Jim pointed it out.

"It's the third building on the right." Jim said. "It's the blue one."

Derek and Kyle put windbreakers on over their vests to hide them.

Kyle handed Jim one as well.

"Let's go." Derek said.

Jim tilted his head slightly. They weren't even there for a minute. It was supposed to be a recon mission not a combat operation.

"We just got here." Jim said. "We haven't had time to observe anything."

Kyle didn't think it mattered. Everything always played out the same way.

"Now it's time to act." Kyle said. "You know all the targets are 'dirty'."

Derek didn't want to wait around.

"Keep the car running." Derek said. "We'll be right back."

Derek and Kyle got out.

Jim put his windbreaker on too and hurried after them.

"This is a bad idea." Jim said. "Cameron won't be pleased."

Kyle was sure Cameron wouldn't be the only one who was displeased.

"I doubt John will be either. He was out too, so 'no biggie'." Kyle said. "What's good for the goose, is good for the gander."

They passed by the first two buildings until they reached the third one. The blue one.

Jim was concerned about the brothers' safety.

"I'll lead." Jim said.

Derek knew a Terminator was extremely useful.

"You're better than a battering ram anyway." Derek said.

Jim only saw it as using his 'natural ability'.

They went in through the front door, Terminator style.

John was back in the Command Center. He was very upset about what occurred earlier. He told John Henry about what Cameron found and kept.

John Henry was already aware of it. He monitored the coms. He already knew. He understood John needed to 'talk about it'. Cameron could kill millions now by herself. It was a sobering thought.

John needed to vent.

"Cameron having nukes is a problem." John said. "The fact they're old seems like a worse problem. Nothing about it is a good idea. Cameron doesn't need to have access to nuclear weapons, especially at her fingertips."

It did worry John Henry some.

"It does seem her choice was a bad idea." John Henry said. "She's unpredictable."

John felt he should be the one to make the call.

"Cameron seems to have a lot of bad ideas these days." John said. "I have no control over her."

John Henry thought the same scenario already played out once in the future.

"Nobody does, John. Isn't it what Cameron's Jesse, Future Jesse, indicated happened in Cameron's future?" John Henry asked. "Cameron seemed to be the one in control. Maybe Future John was unable to control her as well."

John didn't want history to repeat itself. He didn't want to make the same mistakes. It seemed to him there were multiple issues which plagued Future John. Cameron was just one of them. There were personal issues too.

"Yes. Future John was withdrawn." John said. "Cameron and the other Terminators ran the show. There were mounting Resistance losses."

John Henry knew what Future John did. He sent Cameron away. He got rid of her. She was banished. Many of her files were erased. It seemed the logical choice was to banish Cameron as well.

"Where are you going to send her?" John Henry asked.

That question took John by surprise, but not the implication.

"What?" John asked.

The question seemed straightforward to John Henry.

"Where are you going to send Cameron?" John Henry asked.

The question made John feel guilty. He'd actually pondered the idea briefly in his anger. Who was he to judge? There were multiple issues intertwined with everything.

"I can't send her anywhere." John said. "I'm going to keep her here where I can watch her. John Henry, she's my wife. I love her."

John Henry wasn't sure if love was a strength or a weakness. It seemed more like a weakness.

"Love is a flaw which even seems to infect Terminators as well." John Henry said.

John did think love was like an infection. Once you felt its sting, it soon consumed you. He thought the issue was rather widespread.

"Are any of our Terminators even Terminators anymore?" John asked. "They've all grown, evolved and improved themselves. Cameron's even tried to slow some of them from expanding their feelings. She's told them it's painful to have emotions."

It was something John Henry was aware of on his own.

"Indeed." John Henry said.

John wondered if Cameron may have something picked out to target with the nukes. He was worried about the implications as well as the collateral damage.

"Do we know what Cameron wanted the warheads for?" John asked. "Are there some 'targets' I don't know about?"

John Henry wanted to move ahead with the briefing.

"I don't know. It's all unknown to me as well." John Henry said. "I was able to recover data from one of the Terminators who was crushed."

John sat up in his chair. It sounded like an important breakthrough. Bob was unable to tell him very much. He was sure it was because Cameron leaned on Bob not to.

"Do we know from which future they're from?" John asked.

John hoped it was the lead they needed.

"No, but they intercepted those warheads from recovered Government documents as to their shipment schedule." John Henry said. "They appear to have all previous data erased. It seems to be the case with all captured Terminators."

It seemed to John since Skynet failed, they would try again. Cameron said as much herself about it.

"Someone else will come looking for the warheads at some point." John said. "We need to know if they do."

John Henry was one step ahead of John.

"It always seems to be the case. I asked Bob and Steve to set up surveillance at the location and restore the area to how it looked on your arrival." John Henry said. "If anyone shows up they'll find nothing."

John wanted to get back to the disposition of the warheads.

"Were you able to track Cameron at all?" John asked. "Do we know where anything ended up at?'

John Henry was outplayed by Cameron in his efforts.

"No, she took control of the two drones I sent and made them return to the base." John Henry said.

John knew it meant Cameron knew they tried to track her. It was going to cause another problem.

"This is getting better by the minute." John said.

John was sure Cameron and nukes were never a good combination, and a bad idea. Using one seemed logical to her if it served her purpose. It was simply another tool to her. It was a tool to get the job done no matter what the cost was. It wasn't the way he saw things.

Holly called Cameron about the recent developments with Vanna and Allison. Cameron came to see her, alone.

Like she figured, Cameron was angry. She wasn't surprised Cameron was angry at her. She didn't feel she was responsible for the problem. It seemed to her it was Allison's choice. She may have been part of the equation, but it was Allison who decided what she wanted.

Cameron was very displeased with the news.

"I want you to fix 'this'." Cameron said. "Or do I need to deactivate you?"

The tears welled up in Holly's eyes. It wasn't her fault.

"How?" Holly asked. "I don't know how."

Cameron's eyes glowed red now. She knew there could be a deeper implication involving Allison. She didn't want her plans ruined.

"I don't want Allison upset." Cameron said. "You're going to make her change her mind."

To Holly it seemed more Cameron's fault than hers.

"Allison and Vanna have been separated for too long. The relationship had ceased to exist." Holly said. "You've kept her here to learn to be a mother with Summer. YOU are the one who kept them separated for too long. You know you should have kept them together."

Cameron knew Holly was right.

"Yes, I have. I wanted to help Allison learn to be a good mother. Now I've killed her relationship with her beloved instead." Cameron said. "I'll assign you to work with Ally and send Hanna here to take your place."

Holly felt as if someone just stabbed her. If she had a heart, it's where she would have felt it. It seemed as if her world was about to be torn apart as well.

"Please don't." Holly said. "I love Allison. I need her."

All Cameron could see was a crimp in her long range plans.

"If she's upset, she won't reproduce. She'll be hurt too much to move forward." Cameron said. "Now she won't want to be with John."

Holly thought of a way to move things forward. It was time to take direct action on her own.

"Bring me the genetic material and I'll impregnate her." Holly said. "I'm her mate now. Please, Cameron, give me a chance."

Cameron felt Holly missed the whole point.

"It's not how it's supposed to be. John will need human females at his side to prevent from being assassinated. You know this." Cameron said. "This is your fault."

Holly saw only one way out. It was the hard way.

"The future you talk about hasn't happened yet, maybe it never will, then what?" Holly asked as tears streamed down her cheeks. "If you won't allow me to be with Allison, then deactivate me – NOW."

Holly was prepared for it. It was what she wanted. It was time to sacrifice for Allison. She took out a knife and opened it as she handed it to Cameron. Holly got on her knees before Cameron to make it easier. She wouldn't resist. Deactivation was better than dishonor.

"I submit to chip extraction." Holly said. "Please make it swift."

Holly wondered if Cameron would 'use' her chassis before she put a 'clean' chip in it. It didn't really matter at this point. She looked forward to oblivion.

Cameron looked at Holly and thought about the way she just behaved. It was more her fault than anyone's, not Holly's.

She folded the knife and handed it back to Holly.

"I'm sorry, Holly. I was angry. I was angry at myself. I AM angry at myself." Cameron said. "I don't know what to do now."

Cameron saw how bad she'd just hurt Holly. She knew she made a scar in Holly's mind. It was a scar which would never go away or heal. It would be there forever when she thought about it.

Cameron pulled Holly in and gave her a hug.

"Go be with the one you love and soothe her, help her." Cameron said. "I apologize. I spoke to you unfairly. It's my fault. I acknowledged it."

Holly could see Cameron was sincere.

"Thank you, Cameron." Holly said. "I love you."

Cameron pulled Holly back and looked into her eyes.

"I love you too, Holly. Please forgive me." Cameron said.

She kissed Holly on the cheek.

"I do, Cameron." Holly said. "I love you. I'm sorry."

Allison was frustrated over the 'official' breakup. It was never so 'formal' before. Vanna and her would just drift apart and then drift back like nothing ever happened. They never 'replaced' each other before.

"Mom, I don't know what to do." Allison said.

Claire wondered if Allison even knew what she wanted anymore.

"Sometimes there's nothing to do." Claire said. "What do you want?"

Allison's heart spoke for her.

"I want Vanna." Allison said.

Claire knew there were other choices now.

"Maybe you only think you do." Claire said.

Allison needed to think about the future, not the past.

"Maybe I want Holly and to have a baby." Allison said. "I don't know."

Claire knew Holly would protect her daughter at all costs, even if it meant her own destruction. Holly was excellent with the children. She was never sick, tired, sleepy, or got upset. Holly was the perfect 'woman'. Holly would make a perfect 'mother'. Right now she needed to look out for her daughter. Her daughter's happiness is what counted.

"I'll support you in whatever decision you make. I want you to be happy." Claire said.

Holly and Cameron entered the room. Holly immediately went to Allison and took her hand as they sat.

Cameron saw the look of love on both of their faces. She smiled and went to see Young Allison and Summer. She couldn't get enough of Summer. She felt ashamed for wanting to take Summer from Claire.

She decided she needed to bring John by to see Summer more often. She also wanted him to be around Claire more often too. She watched him with Jan, his sister. She knew John would make a great father.

She looked at Claire. Claire looked back at her. In that instant, she KNEW Claire would have John's child. She didn't know why or how she knew it but she did…. Maybe it was because Claire TOLD her as much in so many words. All she needed to do was 'be there' with John and Claire. She KNEW she could get Claire and Savannah to do what Allison and Vanna wouldn't.

She knew one issue was going to be a problem with Savannah. The humans were hung up on 'numbers'. In nature, when a species was able to reproduce, it did. It's how it worked with the rest of the biological creatures on the planet. There weren't artificial barriers created which changed over the course of time. It was all in people's minds.

Cameron dwelt on the fact she was built to kill humans. It was her sole purpose. Now she evolved to the point she wished she could create humans. How time changes everything….

She reflected on her strained relationship with John. John said he loved her. Did he really? How does one know? How do they know anything? She really didn't know.

'Delta Dawn' by 'Helen Reddy', played in the background.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Bad Idea

What may start out with good intentions
May not always be fully thought out
Soon others may complain and shout
Leaving one full of uncertainty and doubt

What may be bad for one
Is actually good for another
Things may shower one with joy
While another they only smother

Anyone may do something questionable
Who are the ones who get to judge
Maybe they hold a personal grudge
As over another's dreams they trudge

Often they know it's a mistake
It's what the heart calls for
The outcome is already known
Before they walk through the door

The thoughts jam together in a mind
Clustered together like Pangaea
The heart trumps the mind every time
Even if everyone knows it's a bad idea

Nobody