Chapter 266

Next Week

An energy bubble from a temporal transfer occurred at the remote location they detected it at previously. They set up surveillance there specifically to watch for it to occur again. John Henry wanted to get everyone onboard and up to speed on the events happening in the hills. A drone was on its way. There was a team on the ground. The Blackhawk was headed there with additional personnel.

It was a solid hit. The transfer actually occurred.

At the site of the temporal incursion, there was someone on the ground. It was a first at the location. Previously there was only the energy bubble.

What did it mean? Who were they? Where was the person actually from? They weren't going anywhere. They waited there. The question was, for whom?

John Henry reported what he viewed.

"They're not moving from the location." John Henry reported. "It appears they are waiting for us to come to them."

Sarah made her way to the Command Center as soon as Kyle was called up to go on the Blackhawk with the rest of the team. She wanted to keep track of what was going on. She understood the seriousness of the situation as well as its implications. She looked at the surveillance image of the individual.

"Are they human or a Terminator?" Sarah asked.

The drone they sent arrived at the location. Its images supplement the other surveillance images.

John Henry kept the drone at a safe distance in case it was a Liquid Metal Terminator or some new version of a Terminator.

"They appear to be human." John Henry said. "I have the drone covering them from a few hundred feet away, they can see it and they seem to know what it is."

Riley went to the Command Center. She wanted to know more about what was happening as well.

"Can we communicate with them?" Riley asked.

John Henry didn't want to push things until they could get someone there on the ground. So far the person on the ground didn't do anything threatening or try to run.

"Not really. I'm afraid to spook them or make them feel threatened." John Henry said. "They seem to know what to do and not to do."

Sarah looked at a satellite overlay map. She could see where the helicopter was at and where a team on the ground near the location was at.

"How soon until Ed and Steve arrive?" Sarah asked.

John Henry watched all the images.

"It's still a few more minutes." John Henry said.

He wasn't sure what was going to happen next, since nothing seemed to happen now. It was all very perplexing.

Cameron was alone with John. She asked John Henry to make sure they weren't interrupted. He waited as long as he could, but there was an important new development. Cameron and John needed to know. An individual on the ground changed everything.

John Henry decided to interrupt Cameron.

Cameron was elated with the news. She wasn't pleased with the late notification. She got dressed and headed to the Command Center. She felt things should have happened differently.

"I should have been told immediately." Cameron said.

John Henry followed her previous order until there was actually someone there.

"You were busy…." John Henry said.

Cameron didn't care. There was something bigger at stake there.

"What if it's River?" Cameron asked.

She was clearly upset.

John Henry still thought his action was justified and prudent.

"It isn't her. If it was River, I would have notified you and gone with you as well." John Henry said. "I know how important she is to you."

Cameron really wanted to be on the helicopter. It was almost there. There was a way she could still get there in a hurry. Actually there were two. She could use the TDE and set her time of arrival into the future forty-five seconds from when she left. It was about how long the process would be to depart and arrive. There would be no effect on the timeline unless there was a temporal error. If River was there, it's what she would do. The other method was as unconventional.

"I want to ride on top of one of the drones to go there. I'll take the unarmed one." Cameron said. "I may get there before the helicopter does if I go now."

John Henry calculated the risk factor. It was immense.

"It's outside the design parameters of the drone." John Henry said. "Our drones aren't very large like some of the ones Skynet operated in the future. They're smaller and more suited to operate in the current time period rather than act as full fledged Hunter Killers in the Wastelands."

Cameron calculated the risks too. Without its armament, and only her on it, the drone would have superior performance. To reach River, there was no risk too great. She didn't want John to know she was going to do it. She didn't want a big scene if she 'left'.

"Without the armament it will be fine. I'll be OK." Cameron said. "Don't notify John if he wakes up."

John Henry thought it was a mistake. He understood Cameron's reasoning to an extent, but not to its fullest implications.

"I don't think John would like your idea either." John Henry said.

Cameron wanted to get going. She didn't have time for this.

"I don't care. If it is River, or from her, I need to go." Cameron said. "It's something I MUST do."

The wording worried John Henry.

"Go?" John Henry asked.

Cameron became even more irritated.

"Don't worry about it." Cameron said.

They both knew what she meant.

Cameron experienced a flood of emotions. She was just with John trying to reconnect. Now the thought of River coming for her, or at least reaching out, was overwhelming. It was what she wanted more than anything.

Then again, it could be unrelated or some new danger rearing itself. It may be a new threat to John and the future. She figured she'd better be combat ready when she got there.

Steve and Ed arrived at the location. They were both a little surprised when they received the notification to divert from their current operation. They were even more surprised when they found out what their new destination would be. The drone was off to their side and ready for action. It packed a punch to back them up if necessary.

The two big Terminators approached the figure. They were both armed. They stopped approximately fifty feet away from the unknown individual. It would allow them some response time if it was a Liquid Metal Terminator.

"Who are you? Where and when are you from?" Steve asked.

The figure altered their glance between the two Terminators and the drone.

"I need to speak with Cameron." The figure said.

It was clear the incursion was related to their group in some way. The fact they asked for a specific individual showed some type of knowledge of the present.

"How do you know the name? Where are you from?" Steve asked.

The figure seemed a little hesitant at first.

"I've been sent by River." The figure said.

Ed tossed them a coat. They still kept a distance and held their weapons. They could be dealing with a Liquid Metal Terminator for all they knew.

"Thanks." The figure said. "Do you have a name?"

Ed moved back slightly from the figure.

"Yes." Ed replied, but said nothing further.

The figure didn't seem to be in any hurry to go elsewhere. They appeared concerned, but not frightened or threatening.

"I was told your group would be 'different'." The figure said. "Look, I only have a few minutes and then I'm leaving."

Steve showed the figure some 'hardware'.

"You will remain where you are." Steve said.

There was a flash followed by some arcing.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." The figure said.

It appeared there was another energy bubble about to form. The figure looked at the two Terminators.

"Tell Cameron that River will attempt to communicate in one week from today at this same time and location." The figure said. "It will be exactly one week from today at this moment, the timing is important."

An energy bubble began to appear.

John Henry watched everything unfold from the Command Center.

Sarah could see the individual was about to leave before they received any concrete answers about anything.

"Are you going to stop them?" Sarah asked.

Because the figure spoke of Cameron and River, he made sure the two Terminators and the drone would take no hostile or offensive action.

"No." John Henry said. "They're not a threat."

The figure slipped off the coat and stepped into the forming energy bubble. The arcing and flashing ended and they were gone.

What they just witnessed was beyond Skynet's known technology.

It was based on a theory Cameron and John Henry talked about. It was to send an energy bubble, and then pull it back. They discussed it with River and sought her input. It appeared the idea was no longer a theory. River's time period was half a millennium in the future. There were scientific and technological advancements far beyond what was known to Skynet.

Sarah was very concerned about what just occurred.

"What exactly just happened?" Sarah asked. "We needed to find out more. It still may be some type of trick or trap."

John Henry wasn't so sure about it. There were as many questions as there were answers.

"Everything will need to be reanalyzed." John Henry said. "I need to leave for a few minutes."

John Henry figured he better go to Cameron personally. She wouldn't be pleased the figure left. She was about to mount a drone and leave on top of it to go there. He looked at her armed with a variety of weapons as she stood next to the drone.

Cameron frowned when she saw him. It could only be some 'bad' news.

John Henry got straight to the point.

"Cameron, stand down, they're gone." John Henry said. "They left in another energy bubble when it appeared."

Cameron was sure it was really related to River. She left the drone staging area as John Henry filled her in on the details. She was actually glad they didn't try to detain the individual once she heard the message. She knew what it meant. Nobody else would know the true meaning.

"I knew it was about River." Cameron said. "I knew she would come back for me."

John Henry felt Cameron misinterpreted a valid point. He felt he shared an insight with River about some things. He remembered his earlier thoughts on the subject.

"It wasn't you, Cameron. It was your Duplicate self." John Henry said. "It was Duplicate Cameron who River loved and who loved River."

Cameron only saw it from a machine point of view.

"I have the files." Cameron said. "I'm her. She was 'me'. It was, and is, my program. It's the same thing."

John Henry knew River was 'different'. She saw things differently than others.

"No, it's not the same thing to her." John Henry said. "If you look at all the data you will understand what I mean. It's not based on logic. It's based on feeling and interpretation."

Cameron didn't know why John Henry wanted to upset her. She knew what was what and what was best for everyone. She especially knew what was best for her.

"It is to ME. I have those files. They are MY files. It was ME." Cameron said. "I want River."

John Henry knew any further 'discussion' with Cameron on the subject would only escalate into a bigger confrontation. He was right, and Cameron was right. River was human, even if she was highly advanced on several levels. River would be the decider.

He could see how important it was to Cameron. He wanted to help her and help her find some peace. He didn't think this was the right path to do it. He would try to assist her in any way he could. It would also allow him to keep tabs on her.

"How can I help you, Cameron?" John Henry asked.

Cameron looked around. They were alone. She knew what needed to be done and how it needed to be done. Everything needed to be kept on a need to know basis. She didn't plan for anyone else to know.

"This is between us alone, John Henry." Cameron said. "This is what I want to do and what I need from you…."

Cameron made him promise to keep everything to himself. She would use his help, but she would also keep in mind he would probably notify John at some point, either directly or indirectly. She knew he needed to do 'his job' too, just like she did. Her job there was done now.

There were three human females ready for John right now. It was actually four if she included Claire. Claire indicated was willing to play ball. It would be five if she freed up Riley. She hadn't made the determination yet whether to do so or not. Then there was Savannah and Young Allison for later on. There were also five Metal girls ready right now if he still wanted a cyborg as his 'sex toy'. All he needed to do was ask any of them. She programmed them so they literally couldn't say no. They would respond to John's desires with a smile on their face. He still needed to ask them first.

It was time to move on. It was past time for her to move on.

The Blackhawk received the recall. It turned around and headed back. The team on board was disappointed.

Ed and Steve would remain at the location for the rest of the week. The drone was moved to the hillside and covered with brush. It was kept on standby. It was ready to spring into action if needed. The minigun and missiles might be necessary.

Cameron obtained the exact information she needed from John Henry. A plan formulated in her mind based upon what she observed with the temporal transfer from River. She watched the footage and went over the data. It was a long shot, but she wanted to have a backup plan.

John Henry could see how elated Cameron was. He thought she was way ahead of herself on everything. They didn't know if Skynet was involved now, from her future, or from some further future. It was a valid concern. She did make a point of letting Skynet know who terminated it numerous times. It made her the threat, not John Connor.

"I really think you need to know a little more. It could still be a Skynet trick to draw you out." John Henry said. "You need to seriously consider it."

Cameron was aware she made herself a target by personally destroying every Skynet or its offshoots herself.

"I understand the situation." Cameron said. "I have it taken care of."

John Henry wondered how. What did her statement mean?

"Do I want to know?" John Henry asked.

Cameron smiled to herself. It was more than covered. It was identical.

"No." Cameron said.

Cameron suppressed a laugh. Only she knew what she planned.

Cameron wanted to check on the Resequencing progress of her clone. She needed to update the chip for her clone, and the spare one for use in Ally's chassis if both of her 'selves' were terminated.

Now there was an additional problem. It was about something which mattered to her by someone who loved her dearly.

Cameron was still worried about Vanna being lonely. She wanted to help her more. Doing so would disrupt her plans somewhat. It was her actions which split the long time lovers up in the first place. She also knew to 'fix' the issue, she would drive Allison and Vanna further apart. She only hoped it was for a limited time, but it most likely would bring them closer again later on. It is how it was supposed to work in theory. Theories didn't always pan out.

She thought of all the scientific theories over the years and how wrong many of them proved to be later on. She found it somewhat amusing the people who promoted the theories chastised those who didn't believe in them. It turned out the people who didn't believe in them were often correct, not the other way around. Until something was proven, double checked and verified, it was just someone's guess. It didn't matter if it was an educated guess or not. It was still a guess. A guess of any type wasn't a proven fact.

Cameron decided to visit her base. She wanted to check on the progress of her TDE. She would need the latest data from River's TDE to incorporate into hers. River turned what was theory into fact with the way she was able to make her TDE function. She decided she was going to test out her theories herself. She wouldn't endanger anyone else.

She was still concerned about Vanna. Maybe she would take Vanna with her. She passed by Jesse's room and saw the door was wide open. There was no one inside. As she got closer to Vanna's room, she understood why. It was clear where Jesse was at. She was in Vanna's room and they were sharing intensely.

She made her way out to the carpool area and procured an SUV. She gave it a quick once over to verify the weapon's compliment in the rear. Everything was stocked as it should be. She didn't detect any tracers on the vehicle. She left the Resistance base.

Cameron made sure John Henry wouldn't be able to track her. She didn't want anyone to know the whereabouts of her base other than the Metal girls. They were her friends. She felt a slight glitch impulse. What was she willing to sacrifice to achieve what she wanted most? Would it be the Metal girls? No. She wasn't going to terminate anyone. Well, she wasn't going to terminate anyone she cared about.

A car came around the corner in front of her and almost hit her. If it wasn't for her Terminator abilities and reflexes, they would have experienced a collision. She was instantly upset about the poor driving skills of the other individual. She wasn't sure if it was intentional or not. The car which almost impacted with her vehicle fishtailed wildly as it began to travel in the same direction she was. She determined the individual must be on the run. Most likely they were a criminal. She was never the judge or the jury when it came to determine what punishment was necessary. It was the person's actions which judged them and dictated their punishment. She would merely carry out the sentence.

When she went over the intersection, she looked quickly to see if there was a second vehicle in pursuit of the first one. She didn't spot one. She increased her speed to move closer to the perpetrator who almost caused the accident earlier. She noticed there was no license plate on the vehicle. She was sure she was behind a criminal. They were already in violation of numerous traffic laws, as well as the vehicle code. She needed to stop them before they 'punched a red light' and killed an innocent person.

She could see there were three individuals in the car. She zoomed in when she thought she spotted a firearm. She was correct. The individual in the rear seat still wore a mask. He turned and looked in her direction. It appeared as if he was going to shoot through the rear window at her.

The light ahead of them was red. She didn't know what the individual was going to do. She knew they weren't going to stop. The driver moved over to the left side of the street and attempted to make another high speed right hand turn. She realized it reduced their chance of a collision by fifty percent. They already started the procedure and we're halfway around the corner when the light turned green. They were lucky the traffic going in the direction they were about to turn slowed and stopped for the yellow and then red light. She made the turn behind the other vehicle. It was time to bring the nonsense to an end.

She didn't like the fact the perpetrator in the rear of the vehicle brandished a firearm at her. It was only because of the vehicle's violent turn he was unable to acquire target acquisition of her.

The street in front of them was clear of vehicles. She decided was going to perform a 'PIT Maneuver'. A 'Precision Immobilization Technique', or 'PIT Maneuver', was designed to immobilize a vehicle on the move. She didn't feel she had enough time to successfully pull one off before they reached the next intersection. She pulled her Glock and transferred it to her left hand. She put it outside of the driver's window and fired three times.

The first bullet went through the rear window into the side of the perpetrator's head with the mask and the firearm. The next two rounds found their mark on the rear tires. The vehicle fishtailed widely at the high speed it was traveling. The driver attempted to correct the slide. He was inexperienced and turned the wheel the opposite direction he should have. As the slide increased, the vehicle got sideways. Centrifugal force caused the vehicle to roll. She watched as the driver and passenger were ejected from the rolling vehicle. It impacted against a power pole and stopped.

Gasoline from the ruptured tank began to run down the gutter. The driver was in its path. He attempted to move but couldn't. The gasoline soon flowed around him. She was about to fire her Glock again to create a spark and ignite the gasoline vapor. A wire dropped from the power pole and landed in the gutter with a spark. The gasoline instantly ignited.

She knew what was going to happen next. She felt she did her part to make the streets a little safer. She quickly made a right hand turn at the next small side street and continued on towards her base. She disregarded the earlier events. The perpetrators brought it upon themselves.

Cameron arrived at her base unannounced. She wanted to see what everyone was up to without knowing she was about to arrive. She looked in on the three Metal girls. They played around as they worked. They would touch each other's behind or a breast every now and then. It seemed all good natured and none of them were offended.

She wanted a backup plan for her backup plan. She wanted to see which of the Metal girls was interested.

Sheila noticed Cameron was there.

"Hi, Cameron." Sheila said.

The Metal girls all greeted Cameron warmly.

Cameron was pleased with the jubilant welcome. There was an important issue she needed to deal with. She returned the pleasantries and then got straight to the point.

"Vanna is lonely without Allison being there with her." Cameron said. "Who would like to be with Vanna?"

The Metal girls all perked up. They all wanted a human lover.

"I will." Ally, Hanna, and Sheila all said at the same time.

Hanna's answer surprised Cameron somewhat.

"You would like to be with 'yourself' Hanna?" Cameron asked.

Hanna smiled.

"Yes." Hanna said. "What could be a more beautiful experience, other than to be with you?"

Cameron tilted her head slightly.

Sheila wanted also it.

"I would too." Sheila said. "I would rather be with Jesse more than anyone except you, Cameron."

Ally often thought the same thing.

"I would have no trouble being with Allison." Ally said. "You'd still be my first choice as well."

Cameron tilted her head slightly back the other way.

She wondered about it. The Metal girls all wanted to be with 'themselves'. She would have her clone ready soon, maybe…. It was something to think about anyway. They would both know what they wanted and when they wanted it. It would be the ultimate form of 'self pleasuring'. It would really be 'herself'. Imagine all the things she would be able to do with 'herself'.

Vanna still possessed her drive with all the information on it involving Isabel-Cameron being with the three girls. Vanna was right, if she wanted the same 'experience', it should happen for real, not be downloaded. When her clone was ready she could be with 'herself'. Maybe it's what she would do. What could it hurt to try it? If it was 'herself', what would be the big deal? She touched herself plenty. It would just be a new or different way to do it. She knew she would head straight for the 'gold' first to see what it was like to perform the act, as opposed to just being on the receiving end.

"I'll speak to Vanna and see what she wants to do." Cameron said.

Sheila already knew the answer as to what Vanna would desire.

"She wants you." Sheila said. "Everyone does, love."

Cameron thought it was so ironic because everyone wanted HER, and she didn't want 'herself'.

Now River was trying to get in touch. She would have a big decision to make. She knew it was her Duplicate self who loved River, not her. She now possessed those files as her own. The thought of 'starting over' was very alluring to her.

This may be her one chance 'to get away from it all'. She could clean the slate and start over. No more lying and doing what other people wanted her to do, or programmed her to do. In reality those were things they MADE her do.

Cameron thought of her Duplicate self in the mine alone with Skynet. It took some stones….

'Big Bad John' by 'Jimmy Dean', flooded Cameron's mind.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Bloodstained Remains

Look around you
There are many nice things
Yet your sad heart has been looted
Its lonely emptiness stings

You feel no one is there for you
It's not exactly correct
There has ALWAYS been one there
To guide, shield, help and protect

When you think about it in your mind
It's like I don't really exist
I really can't understand
Why I was never missed

No matter how many times
I'm repeatedly shot down
Like a Jack In The Box
I get back up and stay around

How much can one use and take
Before another is empty and drained
When nothing is ever returned
What remains is bloodstained

Nobody