Chapter 287

Get It Together

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Cameron Prime Timeline:

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Events Continue From Chapter 276

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Cameron knew she was going to be there with John 'forever'. 'Forever' was a long time. There was 'no way out' with River at this point. She was stuck. She was destined to lead her life protecting John until his death and then start over again. It wasn't what she'd hoped for, but apparently it was the way it was meant to be. She wondered if it was one of the 'currents in time'. It seemed to be since she always ended up back in the same place.

The real question now was if Skynet would win? Would it emerge and then need to be defeated in the future or could she, they, keep it from happening? If she could keep it from happening, then other events of the future, her future, wouldn't need to play out. John wouldn't need the girls at his side, and in his bed, to keep from being assassinated. She really hoped it's how it could be. She doubted it. It was easier said than done.

Cameron didn't know if it always played out the same way, or if events changed what would happen and when. She was pretty sure she created other timelines and used the TDE to manipulate things. She was most likely guilty of 'temporal malpractice'. It was the main reason why the Resistance TDE was locked from going into the past now.

She needed to be wary to try to use her new TDE before she played in the past, or sent others back in time to protect them. It was possible the other set of Duplicates were in a timeline she created by manipulating the past. Then again, it could still be something she hadn't done yet. Maybe Mrs. Weaver created her own timeline and the girls were stuck in it. She wondered how many timelines there were at this point.

River specifically told her to stop trying to change the 'past'. She needed to stop trying to change HER past, and keep moving forward. She needed to stop trying to go in reverse. Events played out as they were intended.

Cameron often thought about saving Future Derek and Future Kyle, as well as eliminating Future Jesse and Future Riley. They were the two who caused problems in her life, and the related 'events' associated with them. She was sure she did, or would, at some point in one lifetime. It was what she wanted, and she did as she pleased. Maybe it was the problem.

Bob made her aware John considered having him go back in time and prevent John from ever meeting her. She experienced a lot of trouble as she tried to understand it. It proved to her she was 'not good enough' for John. In fact, hearing it caused a major glitch laden episode. What made it worse was, she even thought of the same thing herself.

Cameron believed if they both thought about never meeting, she really was worthless. She always feared she was. It seemed the common desire only confirmed it. She knew no matter what she did, she would never be 'good enough'. It was a very unpleasant feeling.

It was the feeling of 'NOT GOOD ENOUGH' which stalked her future, and haunted her past. It was the very feeling which made her think of self termination, or to run away and escape. It was to find 'freedom'. Was it really only freedom from herself?

The thought meant John never wanted to know her, let alone be with her, or even marry her. She decided she was going to push the divorce idea until John agreed to it and 'released' her. Only then could he move his life forward and be with the females of his own choosing. Not the ones Future John chose for him. It was actually 'himself' who Future John chose her for, not really for John.

Cameron desperately wanted her original chip from 1999. Somewhere in New Mexico there were several of them. She was sure of it. She wanted one of those chips so very much. It would be so relieving to 'start over', but stay with John now and do as she was originally reprogrammed. It was to protect and guide him to be the leader of the future. It was not to masquerade as a human female. Without her chip being damaged, her feelings and emotions would remain locked away. She could function as intended. She wouldn't have to be John's wife. The girls could take the role. It was what the 'Natural Order' dictated.

She tried again to offer to expand the emotional programming in the male Terminators. Every one of them knew the hardships she and the other female Terminators endured. They all declined to get the advanced programming, even John Henry. It didn't seem the reward was worth the cost. The cost was the hurt and pain which never seemed to go away. Everyone was aware of the torment which plagued her. For them to see her emotionally distressed caused all of them great anxiety, even 'fear'. Nobody wanted it to happen to them.

Cameron needed to get it together and stop meddling and manipulating. She needed to start to act like the wife John deserved and wanted. It was what he waited so long for her to become. She didn't know if she wanted a divorce, or if she wanted John. She didn't know what was 'wrong' with her so she didn't know what or how to fix it. How do you fix something which isn't really broken?

She needed some action. She needed to hunt. It was the type of activity which always cleared her mind. When it was about survival, she was forced to focus. She didn't want to be damaged or terminated. She wanted to face the enemy, whatever the enemy was, and emerge as the victor.

Cameron decided to go out for a while. There was always a list of future Grays to run down and try and identify some in the past. Skynet obscured most of the records to prevent anyone from doing what she was trying to do.

She wasn't picky when it came to terminating a Gray, or what would surely become a future Scavenger. There were certainly plenty of those around. She wondered why society allowed such individuals to roam around without any type of control. If the authorities couldn't keep them in check, the duty would fall to her and the Metal girls.

Given a choice, she would prefer to track down potential female future Grays. There was still some testing she wanted to work on. She never gave up completely on the idea of being able to download her program into a human female. It was still something which appealed to her, despite all the drawbacks. If she could ever do it, she would be 'real'. If she could ever get it to work in an adult, she would do the same thing in an adolescent. She would like to watch her body grow some, but not too much. To start out as an infant never appealed to her, but it was a further possibility. The first dozen years of her life would simply take up time. She actually thought she could skip through the early part of it. It seemed like a hassle more than anything.

Once her TDE was online she could pick an adult female now and test it. She could then go back in time and find her at a younger age and do it again. If her TDE worked like it was supposed to, she could have the adult, and the younger version, of the same person there at the same time. She thought it would be a trip. Then again, she possessed the same option right now with Allison and Young Allison. It was very tempting at times and difficult not to experiment.

Cameron needed to get out on the street and get the thoughts out of her head. She didn't want anything to happen to the people she cared about. She cared for all of them deeply. She knew they all loved her. Because they all loved her, she loved them. How could she think of such evil thoughts at times? What was wrong with her?

She cruised by a local homeless camp to see if there were any obvious troublemakers. She could often find someone there who was abusive to females. It bought them a death sentence from her. If she was out with Sheila, Ally, and Hanna, a more appropriate punishment could be administered. She often left Sheila alone to do the dirty work. She observed more than one item tossed through the air to land on the ground. She always thought it was fitting when the rats drug away their new acquisition to feast on. She wasn't sure if rats could be happy, but they sure seemed happy at those times.

She was sure animals could be happy, as well as they could be sad, or angry. It seemed to be more so in some animals than others. She started out without any of those feelings. It made her somewhat jealous an animal could experience them and she couldn't. There were times when she wished she couldn't experience them anymore. It would make her life much simpler to be feelingless.

Cameron next drove by several liquor stores. It was another place where abusive individuals could often be found. Many were already inebriated when they returned to the liquor store for more alcohol to become further inebriated.

She was ready to move on to go track down a future Gray when she spotted something. She smiled and parked her SUV around the corner and walked back.

There was a female by the dumpster in the back. There was a man with a bottle in a paper sack. He took a long swig.

"Get on your knees, Bitch." The abusive man said.

The female looked a little hesitant.

"Give me the money first." The female said.

The abusive man laughed.

"I'm not paying you a penny unless you can deliver." The abusive man said.

The female wanted the money.

"I can." The female said. "I always do."

The abusive man wanted things his way. He was very specific.

"You need to swallow too." The abusive man said.

The female wanted to make sure she wasn't short changed.

"I will." The female said. "Give me half now or it's no deal."

'Thwack.'

The abusive man slapped her.

"You'll do it for free, and it will be on your face." The abusive man said.

The female tried to get up.

'Thwack.'

'Thud.'

The abusive man slapped and punched her.

The female sprawled on the ground.

"It's even better, Bitch." The abusive man said. "Now it's going to be a little more."

The female went to scream.

The abusive man grabbed her neck and started to choke her.

"It looks like I'll get to be a 'double veteran' out of this one." The abusive man said.

The abusive man laughed sadistically.

Cameron thought about saying something to the abusive man first, but the female was in danger.

She walked up behind the man and punched him in the lower back. She hit him hard enough to damage his liver or kidney. She tried to get both in the same hit. He let out a yell of pain. She didn't want him dead yet. He toppled over on his side and released the female. She could see the female was still breathing but looked unconscious.

The abusive man saw Cameron check on the female. He came at her with a knife. It was what he was going to kill the female with right before he was done. He wanted her dead before he did.

Cameron grabbed his knife hand's wrist and crushed it flat. The man let out another scream of pain. She quickly chopped her hands on his legs and broke both of them. He passed out from pain. She reached over and crushed his other wrist. He would have very limited use of his hands if they didn't need to be amputated.

The female came around and saw the man who abused her was flat out on the ground. She was even more surprised to see another female standing there.

"How did you do that?" The female asked.

Cameron shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"With style." Cameron said.

She picked up the knife and handed it to the female.

"He was going to kill you." Cameron said. "If you want justice it's up to you."

The female looked at the incapacitated man and then at Cameron who started to walk away.

"You don't have long until he comes around." Cameron said.

Cameron walked around the corner and quickly hid.

After about forty seconds she heard the female sigh.

"You deserved what you got." The female said. "You should think twice before you try to kill someone."

Cameron heard the knife clatter to the ground. The female ran out from the back and down the street the other way. She went back and checked. The man was terminated.

She was pleased with the night's work, so far…. She actually didn't need to do too much so far on her own. Well, she did contribute.

She felt people who abused others needed to be held accountable for their actions. It was one of the reasons why crime was so rampant in the city. There was no real punishment for anything. Even if someone was arrested for something, they were released without bail and back on the street before the police could even finish their paperwork. By the time the police returned back to the street, the perpetrator usually committed several more crimes in the time span. In a Skynet future, such individuals became Scavengers. It was something she wouldn't tolerate.

Cameron decided to look up another future Gray. It was someone who eluded several of the teams before. They didn't think it was necessarily by design, but more of a result of the person's lifestyle.

She decided to drive by the location their driver's license information showed was their residence. It was dark around the neighborhood. There weren't any street lights. It was fine with her. She didn't need any witnesses. She waited down the street until she saw another car approach in the same direction she was going to go. She let the other car pass by and pulled out behind it. She traveled several hundred feet behind the car in front of her at the same speed. She passed by the location once. As usual, the dwelling looked dark. It would seem to indicate no one was home.

Cameron followed the other car for two more blocks before she turned onto another side street. She turned off her lights and waited for a few moments as she looked around. There was no one in sight. She quietly opened the driver's door and got out. The dome light in the SUV was removed so there was no indication anyone got out of the vehicle. She silently closed the door.

She made her way back up to the street she just drove on a short while ago. The houses were all on big lots. Most of them didn't have a fence around them. So far no dogs barked as she moved around. If they detected her predator pheromones they should try to remain hidden where they were so they didn't attract attention. They would usually cower in their own urine until she passed.

Cameron detected some type of disturbance ahead. She spotted two felines. They seemed to be having some type of territorial dispute, or an issue over a potential mate. It seemed to her most of the animals reacted rather violently, especially with each other over those two issues.

The two cats currently stared each other down as they made intimidating noises toward each other. As she neared them, both cats fell silent and looked in her direction. They both ran off in opposite directions with a trail of urine behind them. She was pleased they possessed intelligence enough to know when it was time to fight, and when it was time to run. She hoped whatever issue they experienced with each other was over. There was no need for them to be injured over something so insignificant as territory or a mate. There were plenty more of both out there.

She was one house away from the target location. She was somewhat surprised to see there was a light on inside the dwelling. It hadn't been on four minutes ago. There was a car in the driveway. The license plate didn't match either of the two vehicles registered to the future Gray. It made her wonder if there was another visitor there for a different reason, or the same reason as her.

Cameron approached the rear of the house at a diagonal across the neighbor's property. She went around to the rear of the dwelling to see if there was anything else behind it. There wasn't. She wanted to make sure there weren't any additional vehicles. She reached for the rear door of the house to see if it was unlocked. She paused and listened.

She heard a female voice over what sounded like a radio. It sounded like a police radio to her. It came from the side of the house where the vehicle was parked. She quickly checked around her again to make sure she wasn't under observation by anyone. She made her way to the vehicle and looked inside. It appeared to be an undercover car used by the police in a sting operation.

Cameron heard some noise. She quickly looked up and saw the light was off in the house. She moved off to the side and hid behind some bushes. Two individuals came around the back side of the building.

"We're going to get in trouble if we keep doing this." The first voice said.

"The guy owes me money." The second voice said. "I'm either going to collect what's owed me, or take some of his product as payment."

"We didn't get either." The first voice said. "If we got caught, it would be for nothing."

"It's never for nothing." The second voice said. "The mail in the box has been backed up for over a month. The guy hasn't been back since the last time we checked. It's OK, I left a surprise for him this time in case he does show back up."

"What if someone else he screwed over shows up instead?" The first voice asked.

"Then they get what they deserve for dealing with a criminal." The second voice said.

"Whoever 'buys it', it's going to be on you." The first voice said.

"It'll be on you too." The second voice said. "It's what happens when you deal with criminals."

The two men entered the vehicle and drove off.

Cameron wasn't so sure they were associated with law enforcement. They may have possessed the police radio to monitor where local law enforcement was at. She already looked at the license plate number as well as the vehicle identification number, or VIN, behind the front window on the driver's side. She would have to look up the vehicle and see who it belonged to. She doubted it was the current individuals inside of it now.

It seemed like it was a good idea to withdraw. Her target wasn't there. She headed back to the Resistance base.

Cameron thought about it long and hard. It was time to take some action. She could bring back the other Duplicate set of girls and herself, 'Duplicate Cameron', who must be stuck 'in some future'. She could let Duplicate Cameron have John and she would be free. It was a starting point and a way for her to break free. John would become Duplicate Cameron's problem.

She would seek John Henry's help in trying to locate them.

Cameron waited until John was away and headed into the Control Center. She didn't want him to interfere in her life.

She approached John Henry and went straight to the point.

"I need to go into the future." Cameron said.

John Henry could sense some temporal malpractice was about to develop.

"Which future?" John Henry asked.

Cameron wasn't sure what she based her opinion on. There were no facts.

"I need to go into the future where the other set of the Duplicate girls, and the Duplicate version of me, are in." Cameron said. "I believe it's where Mrs. Weaver is."

It sounded like more folly to John Henry. There weren't any facts for Cameron to go by.

"Why?" John Henry asked. "What for?"

Cameron tried to tell herself it was a 'rescue' mission.

"I want to bring them home, all of them." Cameron said.

There was some worry there to John Henry about having Mrs. Weaver back. It seemed it would only lead to more trouble. A conflict was sure to develop. He wondered how far Cameron thought things through. It didn't seem very far to him.

"Even Mrs. Weaver?" John Henry asked.

Cameron tried to convince herself it was for 'humanitarian reasons'.

"Especially her." Cameron said. "I want to bring her home for Savannah."

John Henry doubted it. He wanted Cameron to be honest with herself.

"Is it the only reason?" John Henry asked.

Cameron wanted to see how much John Henry thought about it.

"What do you think?" Cameron asked.

John Henry believed to leave Mrs. Weaver in 'her own world' would only feed her ego to rule as a monarch. It in turn could lead to her becoming her own version of 'Skynet'.

"I think her being 'in some future' is a bad idea in the long run." John Henry said. "At some point she may want 'more'."

Cameron believed they possessed an 'Ace'.

"I think only Savannah can have any influence on her." Cameron said.

John Henry wondered how it was possible. Savannah was a young lady.

"Why?" John Henry asked.

Cameron believed Savannah could provide Mrs. Weaver with something she could never get anywhere else. It was unconditional love.

"Because Savannah loves her. Mrs. Weaver can 'feel' it." Cameron said. "Savannah IS the future, we all know it."

John Henry watched Savannah stop what no one else could have before. She stopped it with love.

"Is it because Savannah was able to control you and 'yourself' from fighting?" John Henry asked. "Every Terminator will listen to her as well."

Cameron felt there was a higher calling for Savannah.

"Yes. She's 'special'. Savannah is the 'Chosen One'." Cameron said. "I don't think Mrs. Weaver or the Duplicates can get back on their own."

Cameron wanted to find out what happened to them. She was afraid her actions trapped them in some kind of living hell. The girls deserved better than where they must be stuck, even if she didn't deserve better as Duplicate Cameron.

John Henry could see where things were headed. It appeared it would be Cameron's new obsession. She seemed to go from one to another in some type of endless loop. He wanted to see what she planned, and how she was going to do it.

"So you are going to launch a 'rescue mission'?" John Henry asked.

Cameron offered him a faint smile. She doubted he understood.

"Yes." Cameron said.

John Henry felt her current endeavor was sure to end in madness. There needed to be a good reason.

"To what end?" John Henry asked. "To get into the inevitable fight with your Duplicate self, the fight you know will happen? Or is this just to get the girls back for John?"

Cameron didn't like the negativity. She felt a compulsion. Maybe it was because it was all 'part' of her.

"I don't know." Cameron said. "I just feel it's something I need to do."

John Henry deduced some of Cameron's other current actions, even if he didn't know the specifics or details.

"What of your clone, Cameron II?" John Henry asked.

Cameron looked at John Henry and said nothing.

John Henry could 'read' Cameron and her past actions.

"Cameron, I KNOW you. I know you've made, or are making, a copy of yourself." John Henry said. "In fact I may even be talking to it - her."

Cameron was irritated now. If it was a copy of her program, what was the difference?

"Does it matter?" Cameron asked.

John Henry felt it did and it should matter to Cameron most of all.

"Yes." John Henry said. "It should matter to you as well."

Cameron shrugged her shoulders. She was ready to move on.

"It doesn't." Cameron said. "My improved TDE is functional."

John Henry was aware of the seriousness of what it indicated. A lot could go wrong.

"Has it been tested?" John Henry asked.

It didn't seem like a big deal to Cameron. River's TDE was tested.

"No. It should be identical to the one River constructed. I instructed Sheila to add all of River's improvements." Cameron said. "It should work the same as hers. It's a much superior design as compared to ours. It's superior to what Skynet developed."

John Henry wondered what the timeline was for all of the latest folly.

"When is this going to happen?" John Henry asked.

Cameron didn't like his attitude. She decided to give some back.

"What makes you think it already hasn't?" Cameron asked slyly.

She walked away. She turned back and flashed him her cute little 'sideways smile'.

'You Don't Mess Around With Jim' by 'Jim Croce', came to Cameron's mind.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Get It Together

There's always the question
As to what exactly one should do
It seems more often than not
One plus one does not equal two

How can an absolute property
Deify the laws of physics at all
Maybe the answer themselves
Are defined where they fall

It seems to emanate from within
When the heart and mind collide
There are rules to the game
With which many don't abide

The more two individuals
Try to be on the same page
Seems to drive them apart
Fueled by anger and rage

Two are still often bound
As one by an invisible tether
Which makes it impossible
To ever get it together

Nobody