Chapter 294

How Many

John awoke. He wasn't surprised to see Cameron was gone. He knew it would be pointless to have her lying next to him for hours doing nothing as he snored. She didn't sleep, he did. He was always happy when she was around, even if it was for a short time. He dressed and went out.

He gave up long ago worrying about Cameron and what she did while he was asleep. It seemed Cameron went out of her way to please him extra special last night. It was like she really loved him and it meant something special to her. He actually thought Cameron thanked him…. He was unsure why.

He saw 'Cameron' walk out of Vanna's room. He was surprised but glad to see her. He hoped she would be ready for some 'more' action soon. There was no such thing as 'too much' when it came to sharing with Cameron. Even though it was infrequent, it was awesome.

"Hey, Cameron, I really enjoyed last night." John said.

He did and he meant it.

"It sounds wonderful." 'Cameron II', soon to be 'Cam' said. "I need to take care of some stuff real quick. I'll see you soon."

Actually she didn't really want to see him at all. Vanna was her top priority, not him.

"OK. I'll see you soon." John said. "I like your outfit. You look Tight."

John noted 'Cameron' looked extra Tight right now. It looked almost like she was trying to impress someone. She looked extra Hot as well. He really looked forward to another piece of chassis.

He couldn't help but think about what happened with Sheila when they were on the operation. She wanted him to 'inspect' her sheath to make sure there was no damage. It was when she pulled the shrapnel out of her vest. He didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Everyone was supposed to check everyone else over to make sure they weren't hurt or damaged. He really enjoyed looking over her rings.

Maybe he would mention it to Cameron again. She did it several times before. When she took them off, everything healed over in a relatively short amount of time. There was no scar or any indication anything was ever there previously. He would still like to see her try them in a different spot. It wouldn't hurt anything to try. She could take them out at any time. In a short time, it would be as if they were never there as well.

John looked in the direction 'Cameron' went. He really hoped to get her back into the bedroom. As he fondled her, he would bring it up. What could it hurt to ask? If nothing else he would ask to inspect Sheila again when there was more light. He needed to do everything by feel in the semi darkness earlier. He actually wondered if it was part of the procedure with the limited light, so he would need to use touch instead of vision to inspect her. He looked down at the front of his pants. He needed to stop thinking about Cameron and Sheila before he entered the Command Center. He didn't want to give John Henry one more thing to think about.

John Henry was in the process of checking the security feeds when John showed up in the Command Center. Cameron erased them earlier. He wasn't sure what 'happened'. He learned from experience it was better if he didn't know. Cameron must have been up to something.

He knew she liked to cover her tracks. When she erased the security footage, she always did something she knew was 'wrong', or at least questionable, but she still did it anyway. He was 'instructed' not to worry about them or discuss them, even with her. It seemed to him it was best not to get involved.

John Henry and John exchanged pleasantries.

John wanted to get down to business.

"Did you get a location on where the HK drone went?" John asked.

John Henry actually thought it would have gone further than it did. Maybe it was damaged more than they thought.

"Yes we did. We followed it to a location northwest of Chatsworth. There were once some old Western Movie Ranches located there. Many of the 'Westerns' were filmed in and around the area from the Thirties to the Sixties. Most of the structures and sets have burnt to the ground over the years. There are still a few secluded spots. I show someone named Manson and his 'Family', resided in the area for a while. It's not too far from LA 88. It is an old abandoned Nike Base."

John Henry regretted talking about the LA 88 Nike Base as John might bring up the four nukes Cameron took 'possession' of. He was relieved when John didn't. He still attempted to track them. Cameron told him only she knew where they were and it would stay that way. Luckily, John picked up on something else.

John thought about the name John Henry indicated. He was familiar with the 'Manson' name. He wasn't too familiar with the 'Manson Family'.

"Manson? There's a singer with the same name. She looks a lot like Mrs. Weaver." John said. "Shirley Manson, I think. I saw Jesse check her out on YouTube not too long ago. She said she liked her look and her attitude."

John Henry referenced the names to see if there was a correlation. There wasn't. The singer was from Scotland.

"I don't believe they were associated." John Henry said. "Anyway, we have Steve and Dan watching the location with one of our drones nearby in a large box truck with a retractable top. It's on standby.

John wondered who the third person was involved.

"Who's driving the box truck?" John asked.

John Henry was pleased with Ally's marksmanship last night.

"Ally is. She picked it up after her sniping mission with you last night." John Henry said.

John felt a few red flags go off in his head.

"I thought it was Cameron who manned the Barrett last night." John said. "I thought Cameron was the sniper."

John Henry wondered what really happened last night. Cameron was surely up to some folly she shouldn't have been to erase the security files.

"No, Cameron was here all night." John Henry said.

John was confused.

Cameron walked in the door of the Command Center.

John noticed right away her outfit was different. He just spoke with her a few minutes ago.

"Did you change?" John asked.

John wondered if she'd say, 'it's hot out', but she didn't.

She didn't look as Hot or Tight now either.

Cameron looked down at her clothes. She wondered if something was on backwards. It happened sometimes when she was in a hurry. Everything looked fine.

"No. I've worn these clothes since this morning when I left our room." Cameron said.

It irritated John to hear her response. He knew differently. He saw it with his own eyes. He didn't want to hear Cameron lie or get into another useless argument. It didn't do anything except keep Cameron out of his bed.

"Whatever…." John said as he threw his hands in the air.

Cameron tilted her head slightly.

"What I just told you is the truth." Cameron said

John knew Cameron was up to something again.

"Does anyone want to tell me what's going on?" John asked.

Cameron was irritated by John's negative attitude. She thought he should have been in a more pleasant mood with all the sexual activity she provided him with. She knew it pleased him a lot more than it did her when it occurred. She didn't want to get into an argument. She wanted to think of the good time she spent with John, and the joyous act which followed. It was time to move along and remain civil.

"I'm out of here." Cameron said and left.

John still wanted an answer. He looked at John Henry. He should know a lot more about what went on around the base.

"Well, John Henry?" John asked.

John Henry could only tell John what he knew. He wasn't about to take the rap for whatever Cameron did. He didn't think it was anything bad, just something she probably shouldn't have done.

"All the security feeds and my files from last night were erased by Cameron this morning." John Henry said.

John wondered how it could all fall apart so fast. He felt they reached some type of an understanding last night.

"Great, NOW WHAT is she up to?" John asked.

John was really worried about whatever Cameron was doing. It surely couldn't be anything good, at least not for him. There were a few more players who might have been involved.

"What else did Sheila and Hanna do last night?" John asked.

John Henry checked his logs. They were blank.

"I have absolutely no idea." John Henry said.

John looked at the door to the Command Center where Cameron walked out just a short time ago.

"Beautiful..." John said.

Last night:

Sheila and Hanna found some time to kill. After John was dropped off, they went to take care of some more 'business'. There was always something.

"Do we want to stay around the base and spy on Cameron and John, or deal with some wankers from the future?" Sheila asked.

Hanna was tired of spying on the couples. Everything always seemed pretty much the same. The only time it was different was when one of the females was on top. It didn't happen very often and they did seem to tire out relatively quickly. The only one who didn't was Cameron. Sarah and Riley were both cursed with the misfortune of being human instead of Terminators.

"We already know what John and Cameron and all of them do already. We know what action produces what sound. It's almost like we're there with them." Hanna said. "I like to make my own files."

Sheila wanted to make some additional files as well. She missed Ally.

"Maybe we can snag Ally." Sheila said.

Hanna smiled. She knew exactly what Sheila meant. She wanted to take another playful jab at her.

"I see the love birds don't like to be apart." Hanna said.

Sheila didn't like to admit she was 'sweet' on Ally.

"I'll give her the 'bird'." Sheila said. "I'll do it right where it's intended to be too."

Hanna didn't want to upset Sheila.

"I was just fooling about." Hanna said. "Ally pulled sentry duty."

It gave Sheila an idea. They could reinforce her in a roundabout way.

"We can go there and 'jump' her." Sheila said. "She will probably be slacking off or playing with herself to pass the time. We know she likes to get off."

Hanna thought it was more up Sheila's alley. She didn't think it would hurt to point it out either.

"Not everyone does what you do." Hanna said. "The rest of us have a little more self-control."

Sheila felt a little miffed. She didn't think she ever did anything wrong.

"If you got it, flaunt it." Sheila said.

Hanna was aware Sheila could vibrate her finger tip like a vibrator. She did it so often she perfected it. She wanted to clear the air. She knew what always refocused them.

"Let's go terminate someone." Hanna said.

Sheila smiled. She felt a rush of excitement. She liked violence.

"It's just my speed." Sheila said.

There was a list of future Grays. The trouble was, they didn't always know if it was the correct individual. It was much like when Sarah was first targeted for termination. The Terminator started with a list of names and terminated them all in order. It was why they needed to investigate all of the names before they acted.

Hanna and Sheila set out. They might as well get started.

They drove around for a while. They liked to find future Scavengers too. By their behavior and actions, they were Scavengers in this timeline for all practical purposes. What they each did determine their fate. They weren't random selections.

Hanna spotted some scantily clad females as they approached the intersection.

"There are three females on the street corner." Hanna said.

Sheila looked. She could tell right away they were 'working girls'. They would have a handler somewhere around them. She didn't care for the way most of the girls were controlled. She didn't think any of it was too much different than some veiled form of slavery.

"It means their pimp is close by." Sheila said. "He probably has them strung out on drugs."

They pulled across the street and watched.

A car stopped and two of the girls approached it. The door opened and one of the girls got in.

"Maybe there isn't a pimp." Hanna said.

Sheila felt it was trouble no matter what it was.

"They could be 'private contractors'." Sheila said. "It won't fare well for them for long."

They knew some pimp would scoop them up for his stable. If they complained or resisted, he would beat them, maybe to death. It wasn't uncommon.

A short while later, the same car returned and something was pushed out of it. It was the girl who got into it awhile ago. She lay in the street unmoving. The other two girls looked her over and ran off. They didn't try to move her onto the sidewalk. She still lay in the street.

Sheila started the vehicle and took off after the car which dumped the female. They followed it back to a building. They watched the driver and two men get out and go inside. They were laughing and having a good time as if they all shared some type of a private joke.

"Whatever happened can't go unpunished." Sheila said.

Sheila was steamed. She was repulsed by their behavior. She determined some type of punishment was in order. She took her knife and got out. She wanted some retribution and justice. She didn't think some revenge would hurt either.

Hanna didn't know the state of the female who was dumped in the street. She was ready to enact some justice as well. She wanted to be better armed.

"Let's take some more firepower." Hanna said. "It never hurts to have extra weapons."

Sheila wanted justice. She was a Terminator. She was a weapon.

"I'm good." Sheila said. "This is personal."

Sheila headed toward the building.

Hanna left her Taser behind and took Sheila's Glock and her Glock. She followed after her. Sheila was about twenty seconds in front of her.

"Slow up a little bit." Hanna said.

Sheila glanced back over her shoulder. She continued at the same speed and walked in the door.

There were three men there. They were all laughing. The laughing stopped when they saw Sheila.

The first man looked Sheila over.

"Well, what do we have here?" The first man asked.

The second man checked Sheila out as well.

"It looks like dessert after the trashy slut we used earlier." The second man said. "She was like the Grand Canyon."

The third man agreed with the second man's assessment.

"Well, boys, it looks like the night just got better." The first man said. "We're going to have some fun tonight."

Sheila was upset and angered by their attitude and whatever they did to the female. It was time for her to make a statement. She didn't plan to be quick about it either. She looked at the first man. She stepped forward and jammed her index finger and middle finger into his eyes. She felt them rupture. She bent her fingers to get a better grip. The eyes pulled loose as she withdrew her hand. She flung them off her fingers. The man screamed in pain and fell to the floor. Blood poured from his empty eye sockets.

The other two men were stunned. Sheila moved quickly and smashed her fist into the second man's lower back. She snapped his spine. He collapsed to the floor paralyzed from the waist down.

The man who drove the car started to back peddle. He reached for a weapon. Sheila was faster. She pulled it from his hand and bent it to a ninety degree angle. She shoved him against the wall. The plaster board caved in. He fell to the floor.

The first man was still screaming and holding his face.

The paralyzed man looked like he was going for a weapon. Sheila moved behind him and placed her foot on his back and grabbed his arms and twisted them back. There were a lot of 'snapping' and 'popping' sounds. He screamed as his arms were torn loose, but still attached to his body. They flopped uselessly like two fish out of water.

The man who was flung into the wall staggered to his knees. Sheila kicked him hard in the chest. Bones could be heard breaking. He collapsed back to the floor unable to breathe.

"I can't breathe." The man gasped.

Sheila didn't care. She wasn't done yet.

"I hear the same statement a lot." Sheila said. "Someone's going to need to come up with something a little more original."

Hanna was still about twenty seconds behind Sheila. She could hear screams from inside of the building. She entered the building with a Glock in each hand. She stood there and took in the carnage. It appeared all the damage was done.

"I guess you didn't need your Glock after all." Hanna said.

Sheila kicked the blinded man in the side of the head. He stopped screaming.

"What a crybaby." Sheila said. "He should grow a pair."

Hanna was fairly certain it wasn't the problem.

"Are you going to do anything else, or can we get out of here?" Hanna asked. "It appears everyone is either immobilized or paralyzed. I don't think they'll be going anywhere."

Sheila picked up a lighter on a table and set the drapes on fires and they left.

"They'll be going to the morgue." Sheila said. "At least whatever is left will."

They left the burning building. They headed back towards their SUV. They could hear screaming from inside the building as they drove away. At least one of the men was still alive as he burnt.

Sheila drove back to where the girl was in the street. She was able to make her way to the curb. She sat up now, but didn't stand yet.

An ambulance arrived and took her away. They didn't know what was done to her, but they were fairly certain she would recover. It was doubtful she would change her lifestyle since her current profession was her job. They never stopped until they were completely used up or dead. Most of them ended up dead.

Sheila didn't think their side trip took too long. It was time to get down to business.

"Now, what do we have in the way of targets for tonight?" Sheila asked.

Hanna knew it was going to be a brutal night. She knew Sheila would treat everyone they dealt with very roughly. She thought about the female body dumped in the street. She didn't care what Sheila did tonight. She might even assist her.

Cameron was still irritated at John. She sought out Cameron II.

'Cameron II' handed Cameron the thumb drive.

"This is everything from Isabel-Cameron and me with Vanna for the last two days. The file of conception is on there too. I have it loaded into the server if you'd like it. I think you would." Cameron II said. "I'm ready for our files to be merged with those of Ally. I want to keep this moment in time as a 'restore point' to your program. It's something Vanna asked me to do for personal reasons. I want to make her happy. She hasn't been happy in a long time. She's happy now."

Cameron didn't think it was a good idea. She understood what Vanna would want from time to time. She reluctantly agreed. She knew it meant Cameron II-Cam could be 'her' again, just not updated. Maybe it would need to serve some purpose later on. She hoped not.

She wanted to make sure 'Cam' was properly created. She waited as the transfer and compilation happened. It would be the 'official' creation of 'Cam' when it was complete. She would literally be a new individual.

"I want to thank you for what you did and are doing for me." Cameron said.

Cameron II was still 'Cameron'. It was what they both wanted.

"It was for us." Cameron II-Cam said as the transfer completed. "I was 'Cameron' too, last night…."

Cameron caught the play on words. She knew it was true. She wondered what it was like…. She so wanted to share her love with the girls as herself. She knew the love they would return to her was more emotional than physical. John was just the opposite.

The integration was completed.

"It's done. You can call me 'Cam' from now on." Cameron II-Cam said.

It still felt a little strange to Cameron. Cam was identical to her.

"Thank you, Cam." Cameron said. "It's going to take some getting used to, especially for everyone else. People are going to be seeing a lot of 'me'."

Cam was a little worried what her personality would be like now.

"They will need to understand we're too distinct individuals now. I have a feeling being both you and Ally, slash 'Allison', that I'm going to be a real Bitch sometimes." Cam said. "Hopefully the 'Holly' in me will tame it."

Cameron was aware there were four of 'Allison' now. There was one human and three cyborgs which all shared the 'Neural Interface' with a version of 'Allison'.

"Indeed. It should be interesting when the four of us get together for the first time." Cameron said. "It should make John's day."

The 'Holly' in Cam thought of the most important one of 'them'. It was someone she dealt with nearly every day.

"You mean the five of us if Young Allison is there." Cam said. "She looks more like us every day. She's so beautiful, Cameron."

Cameron could see how John responded around Young Allison. It always seemed to make him very nervous. Maybe he needed to cut back on watching one of his favorite movies so often. She was actually sorry she suggested it to him. It was supposed to set an example of how things could be. It wasn't supposed to be entertainment to him in various different ways.

There was a more important issue Cameron needed to deal with. It was the issue of herself and her inevitable demise.

"I still have the spare chip with my program on it for either you or Ally, if it is ever 'needed'." Cameron said. "You can always restore yourself to Cameron II, my program, prior to the point of integration as well. It probably won't hurt if you remain out of date. Who knows what other questionable behavior I will commit from now until the end."

Cam didn't want Cameron to think along those lines.

"We all know, Cameron." Cam said. "Don't talk about it. John will be protected. Look at the bright side, both Ally and I are still 'technically virgins'. We've never been with a male. Females don't count."

Cameron tilted her head slightly. It was true. She wondered if maybe she could 'borrow' their chassis and let John claim the 'first experience' for himself, and it would still be her. She could physically be a virgin two more times. She was sure she wasn't before she was with John. It made her think with disgust of Future John. Why did he need to erase her personal files? She didn't want to go there. She focused on the technical issue.

"You're correct." Cameron said. "You are virgins since no male has been involved. Let's keep it the same way."

Cam laughed. The playfulness of 'Allison' already showed.

"It will be only the best for John." Cameron said. "I guess four out of five won't be a bad thing for him."

Cam thought about it for a second. There were actually more than 'five' of them.

"Don't forget about the Duplicate girls 'in some future' and your Duplicate self" Cam said. "It's number six and Duplicate Allison is seven."

Cameron smiled. There were more still.

"Plus there are the Duplicates in River's future, and the real prize, River." Cameron said. "It makes ten of us."

Cam thought of another individual. She believed it was an important one.

"Don't forget Future Allison." Cam said. "It makes eleven of us."

Cameron could see it was going to be a problem at some point. She believed there was going to be someone more beautiful than all of them.

"Stop, it's mind boggling." Cameron said. "Summer is going to look almost exactly like Allison, but prettier as well."

Cam knew it meant Summer was going to be more beautiful than them.

"Maybe we should Resequence our DNA with Summer's DNA then…. I guess the plus side is John will always have someone who looks like us." Cam said. "It should be any male's dream."

Cameron looked a little upset at the prospect of Resequencing their sheaths with Summers DNA. It seemed to be a concept John was unable to grasp.

"It may not be a good idea." Cameron said.

Cam didn't see what the problem was.

"All he has to do is start taking advantage of the bounty of booty." Cam said.

The two girls laughed.

"Please take your place at Vanna's side and protect her and the baby, John's baby." Cameron said. "Each of the girls now has a Metal girl as their protector to love and share with, while being protected and cared for. All three of them are pregnant as well."

Cam felt it was a very important responsibility.

"I will do my duty and protect the future." Cam said. "Everyone sacrifices for John Connor."

There was a far off look in Cameron's eyes. She slowly nodded her head.

"Apparently some do more than others." Cameron said. "Some do more than others…."

Closing monologue by Cameron:

How Many

How many is too many
How many is not enough
When it all comes to a head
Who will have the right stuff

We want and we seek
We push and we shove
Is there really such a thing
As one's true love

Time seems to dictate there isn't
Does it mean that there never was
What makes it all fall apart
Or is it all just because

The answer remains elusive
Maybe it's when one no longer matters
It's sure to shred ones soul
As it leaves their heart in tatters

We play the game for more
But we really don't have any
It makes one question their worth
When they can't remember how many

Nobody