Chapter 299

Trying

Young Allison and Summer wanted Cameron to stay longer. She assured them she would be back soon and bring Savannah too. She could see Young Allison's eyes light up when she said it. It pleased her greatly. The bond was already there and getting stronger everyday.

Hanna was left to assist Holly and Allison. The person who seemed most pleased by it was Claire. Cameron liked to keep everyone happy. Maybe she could work a new angle into everything.

Cameron departed Palmdale with Cam and Ally. She obtained the genetic material she wanted from Summer and Claire. She would process it when she returned to her base. She now possessed their DNA and some decisions would need to be made about what to do with them.

She knew she wanted to try a few things in the months ahead. She wasn't sure of the order to proceed with them. She knew whatever she did, it was going to cause a problem with John. It seemed like everything did anymore. There was always so much to think about.

Cameron's thoughts were interrupted.

"Is it wise to leave Hanna with Allison?" Ally asked.

Cameron could see where the conversation was headed.

"It was Holly's choice." Cameron said. "She thought it would be the lesser of three evils."

Ally looked upset. She didn't care for the reference which obviously included her.

"I'm not evil." Ally said. "Besides, I know Allison would want to be with me…. I would take the gig in a second."

Cam wanted a piece of the action too.

"Or me." Cam said. "She would want me too."

Ally was jealous Hanna got Allison, and most likely Claire. Cam got Vanna. She felt the position should have gone to her. Not some new creation. It seemed she was always left as the 'runner up' no matter what the situation was.

"We all know she wants Cameron. We all do…." Ally said. "You have a choice assignment."

Cam didn't feel she was responsible for anything which involved the decision Cameron made.

"It's what Vanna wanted." Cam said.

Cameron didn't want any more problems. There was enough bickering among the Metal girls as it was.

"Enough." Cameron said. "I don't want to fight with you two."

Ally currently looked too Tight. She wanted to try out her skills.

"Do you want us to try an infiltration mission on John?" Ally asked. "I think I can pull it off. I'm getting better at looking Tight."

Cam looked at Ally and thought she still needed to go a long way before she looked like Cameron. Earlier, she was as Tight as Cameron when she first was introduced to Vanna.

"I think I could pull it off better." Cam said. "I'm more 'Cameron' than you."

Ally didn't like the challenge. She was in existence for a longer period of time.

"I'm more 'human' than you. I know what he wants." Ally said. "I'm a better infiltrator than you are."

Cam wasn't about to back down. She felt she was on firm ground. She ran Cameron's program, which included her original 'Neural Interface' with Future Allison, Ally's program, which was a combination of Holly's program and Allison through the 'Neural Interface'. She felt she was double everything Ally could claim. she didn't think it was a simple addition either. She believed there was a compounding factor. It was time to set Ally straight.

"I'm YOU and Cameron." Cam said. "I'm superior. I'll be the one who can seduce him."

Ally wasn't about to be usurped by a newcomer. She was ready to take things to the next level.

"You're on." Ally said. "I bet I'll have him before you do."

Cam felt she would win. She actually didn't see how she could lose.

"You're a 'Cameron' wannabe." Cam said. "I'll take your bet. He'll be mine first. We both know it. He wants Cameron. I'm Cameron."

Ally and Cam stared each other down.

"Game On." Cam and Ally shouted at each other.

The SUV lurched violently for a second.

Cameron took her left hand off the steering wheel. She was highly agitated right now. Her glitch was back. She wondered how come nothing could ever be simple. Why did everything always have to turn into some type of a nightmare?

"ENOUGH!" Cameron said angrily. "SHUT UP! I'm sitting right here."

Ally wondered what Cameron's problem was. They were discussing what they were supposed to do.

"Isn't it what you want?" Ally asked. "It's for us to replace you. You've already told us multiple times."

Cameron couldn't see how they missed the point. There was an important factor which needed to be in play first. It wasn't an exciting prospect to look forward to either.

"YES." Cameron said. "It's if I'm terminated, BUT with my spare chip. Not as 'Bitch Whores'. Not as yourselves."

Ally felt getting the mission started now would make it easier in the long run.

"I think we should practice anyway, first." Ally said. "Practice makes perfect. I want to be perfect."

Cam was still upset about the challenge.

"You want to be a 'Bitch Whore'." Cam said.

Cameron tried to keep her temper. She glared at both of them. She needed to remember they were programmed to respond to John if he asked them to be with him. He needed to ask first. She didn't think now was the time to remind the Metal girls. They might do something to try to trick John to make him ask. She wanted to shake their confidence.

"You won't fool John." Cameron said.

Cam felt she possessed the edge with 'three' programs. She didn't see how she couldn't be viewed as superior.

"I bet I can." Cam said. "I'm better than you now, Cameron. I'm superior to you."

Ally laughed.

"Yeah, right." Ally said.

Cam looked at Ally.

"AND I'm definitely superior to her." Cam said.

Ally was irritated by Cam's smugness.

"You are not." Ally said. "It's you who's a 'Bitch Whore'."

Cameron just about put up with all she could right now. She wanted to set things straight.

"STOP!" Cameron shouted. "I'll stop the SUV right now and slap both of you around. I'll dump both of you in the desert."

Ally wondered what the point of dropping them off in the desert would be.

"Why? Then we'd have to walk home. It will take all day." Ally said.

Cam figured they could commandeer a car. There was no need to walk when they could speed things up.

"It will be less time if we appropriate a vehicle." Cam said. "I'll terminate the driver."

Ally liked both ideas. She didn't like Cameron's idea at all.

"Right on, now you're talking." Ally said.

Cameron was near the 'edge'. She seriously considered some drastic action.

"Not if I tear your heads off first." Cameron said.

Ally saw it as another inconvenience and time waster. They were aware of how Cromartie was able to repair himself.

"We'll just find them and put them back on." Ally said. "Unless you crush our chips too."

Cam was aware Cameron might do it if she was pushed too far.

"Don't give her any ideas." Cam said.

Cameron was fed up. She didn't think it really made a difference. She didn't know if they could fool John or not. It might be interesting to find out. It wasn't what she wanted to do right now. She just wanted to get back to the base so she could dump both of them off.

"I give up…." Cameron said. "Do what you want. I really don't care…."

Cam and Ally looked at each other and wondered what Cameron's problem was. They both decided to remain quiet for the rest of the drive.

Cameron smiled to herself. They get it, finally….

After twenty minutes of silence, Cam wanted to change the mood. They discussed dealing with some targets on their way to Palmdale. Cameron suggested they should wait until their return.

"We're on the way back now." Cam said. "We can hit another target before we return back to the base. We have time. The targets still need to be taken down."

Ally thought maybe it would get her back on Cameron's 'good side'.

"I still have a whole list of targets." Ally said. "Some of the individuals we've sought have been somewhat elusive. We eventually find them anyway."

Cameron was still worried about the mother who was willing to 'trade' her daughters. She was willing to barter them for drugs. She really wondered what kind of a mother could do such a thing.

"I'd like to speak with the mother we saw earlier." Cameron said.

Ally thought the mother should be given another chance. If the mother was terminated, her daughters would become orphans and probably suffer abuse in 'foster care'. They tried to help if it seemed like a possibility.

"Hanna gave her a card for professional help." Ally said. "We actually carry some around. We can't help everyone ourselves. I know you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."

Cameron knew CamNet covered the cost of treatment for some of the people who sought assistance. It was paid for by the very drug money she confiscated from the drug trade. She remembered Savannah told her there should never be an unnecessary termination of someone who didn't deserve it. Savannah reminded her people make mistakes, not all of them needed to be fatal for them when it was time to atone. Savannah suggested she use some of the millions of dollars of funds stacked up around the base to help those who needed help the most.

"We help out where we can." Cameron said. "Ally is correct, we can't help everyone, but we can't help some."

She checked in with CamNet and wanted an update on the new 'ring' they uncovered, and she ordered to be taken down.

The report back from CamNet was less than complete. There were still more targets to take down.

Cameron received some target updates.

"It looks like we have a few more things to deal with before we go back." Cameron said. "Are you both up to it?"

Cameron didn't want to be responsible for any damage done to them since she wanted all females out of combat. What they were about to do wasn't really combat, even though the end results could be the same.

Ally was still upset about the earlier conversation with Cam.

"I'm in." Ally said.

Cam glanced at Ally. There were a few frustrations she would like to work out as well.

"Me too." Cam said.

Cameron didn't expect anything different. She knew the Metal girls would all step up to the plate when it was time to bat. They were Terminators.

Ally thought about the nature of the crimes committed by the group they were after. A quick termination might not be good enough for some of the individuals.

"Do you want to call Sheila?" Ally asked. "If we have time to 'work' on anyone, you know she likes to do it."

Cameron did know what Sheila liked to do. She wasn't sure if she was disturbed by what Sheila did, or the fact she seemed to enjoy it so much. Jesse warned them there was a lot of 'darkness' inside of her when they did the 'Neural Interface'. It really seemed to manifest itself in Sheila at times. She thought it was best if she didn't know when Sheila crossed over the line for some of the terminations.

"I don't want to spend a lot of time on this." Cameron said. "We'll see what we can do, and then go back to the base. I need to get Cam back to Vanna."

Cam didn't want to be a problem. She thought Vanna of all people would understand.

"I'm fine." Cam said. "Vanna will understand some things need to be taken care of. Issues related to this subject matter to her. It's better we take care of them so she doesn't want to do it herself."

Cameron didn't want any complaints to come back to her.

"If any issues come up, or any damage occurs, I want you to take care of it on your own." Cameron said. "I don't want it to come back to me. I have enough to deal with as it is."

Cam understood what Cameron needed to deal with on a personal level.

"It won't be a problem." Cam said.

Cameron drove to the target location CamNet gave her. It was a small industrial building in a dumpy part of town. They dealt with similar situations before.

"This may be a 'holding pen'." Cameron said.

Ally knew what it meant. There needed to be some justice before the termination started.

"We really should call Sheila." Ally said.

Cam just wanted to wrap things up.

"We'll manage." Cam said.

There was a van which looked identical to the one they sent over the side of the small cliff earlier. There was a new Escalade parked next to it.

"There's another 'meat wagon'." Ally said. "It appears there's someone who seems to benefit from what occurs. They wouldn't be able to afford such a fancy ride otherwise."

Cameron, Cam, and Ally left their Tasers behind for what they intended to do. Everyone there was going to die. It was a non Skynet related target. There would be no Terminators to bring down.

The three girls exited the SUV and moved up to check the Escalade and the van. Both were empty. In the back of the van they could see there were undergarments from several females. It told them all they needed to know.

Cameron wanted retribution. She reconfirmed what their mission would be.

"Everyone dies." Cameron said.

Ally really wanted to call Sheila. There needed to be some street justice where they were at.

Cameron moved up to the side of the building. There was a heavy metal door. It was locked. She continued around the back and looked. There was a ladder which led up to the roof. There was a metal cover over the first eight feet of it. There was a large loading door for the dock. It was locked.

Cam looked at her phone.

"I have a satellite image of the area." Cam said.

Cameron and Ally looked at it.

"The building has skylights. It's what the angled structures on the roof are." Cameron said. "We can take a look inside if we move around quietly on the roof."

From the ground to the top of the wall on the side of the building was about twenty two feet. There was probably a short wall, or parapet, above the roof.

Cam moved to the ladder and went to break the lock off the cover. It would be a simple twist of the wrist.

"Wait." Cameron said. "Make sure it's not wired."

Ally and Cam checked. It wasn't. Cam broke the lock off and swung the cover off to the side.

Cameron went up. Cam followed her. Ally brought up the rear. She swung the cover closed with her foot as she moved to the rung above it.

They all went over the parapet. There were four skylights. The glass was at a ninety degree angle to the roof with a sloping structure at a sixty degree angle down to the roof. The skylight itself was three feet tall.

Cameron moved to the first skylight and carefully looked in from the corner. She motioned for Cam to do the same from the other side. Ally kept a watch over the side they entered the property from.

The first skylight only revealed industrial machinery. None of it looked like it was in use. They moved to the second one. It was the same story.

The third one showed a little more.

They conversed at a low decibel level only a Terminator could hear.

"I see two men." Cameron said. "They're almost under you."

Cam glanced into the skylight next to her.

"I can't see them from my angle." Cam said.

Cameron called Ally over to watch the men as Cam and her moved to the fourth skylight. She didn't like what she saw for several reasons.

"There are a series of beds below." Cameron said. "Mine are all empty."

Cam was displeased with what she viewed. It was clear they were a little too late.

"I have two females I can see. They're getting dressed." Cam said. "They have no undergarments. They're both crying."

Cameron figured they were too late for those females. They were most likely 'broken in' and being transported to 'market'. Whatever trouble the girls thought they went through up to now, was about to be magnified significantly. She planned to make sure it didn't get worse for them.

She saw a female come into view. She was fully clothed. It was what was in her hands she found troubling. It looked like she carried a short whip and a 'cattle prod'. She was probably one of the trainers or handlers. They all disappeared from view. There was a new danger they would need to face.

"I don't think the juice from the prod can incapacitate us, but it may." Cameron said.

They were about to discuss a plan of action. It appeared they were out of time.

There was a metal 'screeching' sound on the side they entered the property from.

Ally moved back over to the side and looked over.

"There two men are out with the females." Ally said. "The female handler is out too."

Cameron thought how they could act quietly and swiftly.

"Let's take them from up here." Cameron said. "We will jump down and land on them. The impact should terminate them."

The Metal girls all moved to the parapet and selected a target. They went over the side. They landed on top of the three people. The two females were startled. The three handlers were dead.

Cam went to move the females away.

"How many more are there inside?" Cam asked them.

One female was unable to speak. The other one was a little stronger.

"There are two more men and three more girls inside." The scared female said. "They're all by the front of the building."

The female who spoke paused and kicked the female handler in the face. Her head rolled to the other side. Her eyes stared blankly.

"She's terminated." Cam said as she moved the females away.

The female who didn't speak earlier managed to get a few words out.

"She stood right there next to us and laughed as it happened." The other female said.

Cam spotted two males approaching at a run. She pulled her Glock. She wished she carried her Taser.

'We've got trouble.' Cam thought.

They looked like Terminators. They were. She quickly recognized them.

"Blue." The biggest one said.

Cam knew who they were but followed the protocol.

"Fish." Cam said.

It was two of Cameron's Terminators. She filled them in. She looked at the two females. She wanted to let them know they were the good guys.

"These men will protect you." Cam said and hurried after Cameron and Ally.

Cameron and Ally went inside. They could hear laughing. It was the two men. There were three females cowering in a corner. They were scared.

"Follow the rules and do what you're told." One man said. "You will do it with a smile on your face. If you don't, you'll end up like the Bitch we just threw in the trash can. If we no longer have any use for you, you'll be treated like the trash you now are."

The other man laughed.

"It will be twenty times a day." The other man said. "It'll probably be more because you're new. It takes about a week to catch every disease possible, two at the most."

Cameron heard enough.

"Wrong…." Cameron said.

Cameron and Ally moved up behind them and snapped their necks.

Ally got the girls dressed.

Cam joined her. She informed Cameron two of her Terminators were with the other females.

Cameron made a sweep of the building. There was what looked like a terminated female thrown in one corner. There were whip marks on her back and numerous burn marks. She saw an arm move.

She checked the female. She was still alive. She was a fighter. Nothing was broken so Cameron carried her out. The female opened her eyes and looked around.

"It's over." Cameron said. "You're free."

They found some better clothes for the female to wear.

The bodies of the thugs were all drug into the center of the building, including the ones from outside. A fire was started. CamNet would block all emergency response.

None of the females wanted to go to the hospital or the police. They formed together in two groups of three.

Cam arrived with a cash box from inside. There was a hundred and twenty thousand dollars in it. They gave each girl twenty thousand dollars.

Cameron gave them the option to go to the hospital or police again. She said the money would probably be taken from them if they did. The girls were all older teenagers. They were all runaways. They didn't want to go back home, especially now. They all declined again.

The girl who was whipped said she would take them wherever they wanted to go. Cameron gave her a set of keys. The left in the Escalade.

Cameron's Terminators would shadow them and make sure there were no problems.

Cameron, Cam, and Ally took one look back at the burning building and left.

"We should have called Sheila." Cameron said. "Let's go home."

Cameron didn't agree with Sheila's actions. She did feel sometimes they were justified. What they just witnessed seemed to be one of the cases. No one should be taken advantage of by anyone else, especially in the way events played out there.

Cameron arrived back at the base. She wanted her 'family' and friends protected. She would rather put herself in danger and fight the battles alone to keep all of them safe.

She discussed it with John and told him what she 'wanted'. She said it would be best if he were to relay the information. She knew how stubborn Sarah and Derek could be.

John was surprised at the request Cameron made for Riley and why. Cameron really must have 'grown' to be so thoughtful. She did so much for Derek and Riley. It was even after everything else which was done by the other future versions of them. She knew they were different individuals. Cameron rescued Future Derek, even after he threatened to terminate her multiple times. She never did anything to harm Future Riley either, even if she wanted to. She still didn't. Cameron was a bigger and better person than he thought she could ever be and she was still 'growing'.

He came to another realization. Cameron was way beyond him. He knew what Cameron wanted. It was what she said she wanted for him…. It now seemed to cause her to glitch even more as all the forces inside of her fought with themselves. Events and people were now competing against each other and themselves. It was the very people Cameron wanted for herself she tried to force onto him.

What Future John must have programmed into Cameron was now HER desire more so than it was to provide the girls to him. It caused a great conflict in her mind.

John figured he would worry about it later and get back to what Cameron 'discussed' with him or basically 'ordered' him to do. He decided it would be best to meet with each couple separately at first. It would produce less flak. They at least wouldn't be able to gang up on him when they disagreed.

Sarah and Kyle were out with Jan, so Derek and Riley would be first.

John explained to them Riley would no longer be involved in any combat operations as Cameron removed all females from combat except herself. He explained Derek and Kyle would be used only if an emergency arose. Cameron wanted everyone protected and safe.

Derek didn't like the new restrictions.

"John, it's our duty to fight with you." Derek said.

John wasn't sure how to say it, other than to just say it.

"Please, Derek, listen." John said. "Cameron wants you and Riley to start a family. You both need to be around for it to happen. You know what I mean."

Riley wanted the same thing too. There was a problem. She wasn't really sure what they could do about it.

"We've been trying." Riley said. "One of us may be sterile."

Derek and Riley were afraid BOTH of them were sterile. It wasn't uncommon in the future. There was a lot of sadness involved for some of the individuals.

John still needed to lay down the rules.

"Either way, Cameron wants both of you safe and out of harm's way as much as possible." John said.

Derek heard what Cameron wanted. He wanted John's 'two cents'.

"What do you want, John?" Derek asked.

John did want what Cameron wanted. He cared about his family too.

"I want my family, my mother, father, and sister safe. I want my aunt and uncle safe, as well as my future cousin." John said. "We're staying ahead of Skynet and any of its evil offspring. We all deserve a future too…. Cameron wants you to have a family as well."

Later Sarah and Kyle returned and joined them. John went over everything again with them.

After the initial protesting by them, they all seriously considered what John and Cameron asked of them. It was clear Cameron was truly concerned for their future and well being.

Sarah knew Cameron was genuinely worried about all of them. She also knew Cameron wished for them to have another child if possible. Sarah previously told Cameron they were trying, but nothing seemed to 'stick' for more than a month or two. The bad news deeply troubled Cameron. She increased her monitoring of her.

John was unsure what to tell Cameron about Derek and Riley and their 'trouble'. He debated it for a while and decided he would do the right thing and tell her the truth. He knew Cameron could monitor both of them and could gain access to medical equipment as necessary.

If anyone could help them, it would be Cameron.

Cameron told John there were millions of dollars in cash lying around and she controlled billions of dollars from appropriating funds from drug lords and organized crime, as well as manipulating the stock markets. She would hire the best doctors and get started on the 'problem'.

She knew Derek and Riley would need to beat Judgment Day if they ever hoped to have a child…. She was worried about them and now worried about the girls. They were exposed to all the same harsh conditions and toxins, especially Jesse and Vanna. She would tell Gail and Cam to increase their monitoring of them.

Cameron didn't want things to get away from her.

She knew only Savannah and Young Allison might have a chance after Judgment Day. The males and females from the future wouldn't.

She didn't need to remind anyone Savannah and Young Allison were part of the 'Natural Order'. They were both in excellent health and not affected by the horrors of the future.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Trying

Is what one does
Ever going to be good enough
If the goalposts keep changing
It will surely end in a rebuff

It seems to be the way
That everything turns out
It does no good to shout
Complain, mope or pout

We take the blow
We rebound from the hit
If we want to endure it
We always need to submit

Why are they the one
Who gets to decide
Honor and pride collide
As wider grows the divide

We go on denying
As we keep on crying
The other choice is dying
So we hang on and keep trying

Nobody