Chapter 319

I Need To See Her

Jesse felt something was up as soon as she saw Allison and Holly.

Holly went to talk to Ally.

Allison headed for Jesse.

"What's going on?" Jesse asked worriedly as she looked around.

Allison gave Jesse a long hug and small kiss.

"I'm glad to see you too." Allison said.

Jesse made it a bigger kiss. She knew Allison must have been with Vanna recently….

Allison could feel Jesse was excited. She needed to keep her calm.

She told Jesse about Vanna's 'situation' and Cameron's worry for her as well.

Jesse was exposed to harsher conditions for longer. Both girls knew it without saying it.

Now Jesse was worried.

Even though she was out of the Skynet Hell of the future, its effects haunted her in the past, the present. Skynet could still hurt her in different ways.

Ally said nothing but looked at Allison.

Allison nodded to her.

There was no easy way to do the next part.

Allison got around to Gail. She told her about the 'operation' Gail went on with Cameron. She thought it was a recon which must have gone hot. She actually didn't know any of the details herself.

Jesse was filled with worry. She went to get up.

"I need to see her." Jesse said. "How bad is she hurt?"

Allison thought as soon as Gail was done assisting Cameron she would arrive.

"She's going to be fine. They're only cosmetic damages." Allison said. "She'll be here shortly. She's helping Cameron."

Jesse still wanted to see Gail now. It seemed to her there were a lot of unanswered questions posed by whatever occurred.

"I need to help her." Jesse said. "I should be the one to help her. We need to look after each other. Gail was supposed to be off combat duty. What happened?"

Allison didn't think it was a big deal. Damage to Terminators always looked worse than it was.

"Gail was helping Cameron when the operation got a little more 'involved'." Allison said. "They're all going to be fine."

Jesse picked up there were others hurt as well. It seemed things might be worse than she first thought.

"Who else was damaged?" Jesse asked.

Allison told her what she knew. It wasn't a lot.

Jesse didn't want to wait. It sounded like more than a Recon gone bad to her.

"It sure is a lot of damaged Terminators." Jesse said. "I want to see Gail. I'm going to go there now."

Allison didn't think it was a good idea.

"They sent me here to help keep you calm, not get you worked up." Allison said. "She should be here in the next few minutes."

Jesse got up anyway. She needed to know.

"I need to see her." Jesse said again. "I'm going to."

Gail came into the room. Jesse ran to her.

"I'm fine." Gail said. "It's just some minimal cosmetic damage."

Jesse started looking over Gail's damage.

"I don't like it when anyone is hurt." Jesse said.

Ally, Holly, and Allison all slipped out.

Jesse and Gail needed to be alone.

Gail was worried about her damage. She didn't want to upset Jesse. She was worried about her appearance now. She was afraid Jesse wouldn't want her anymore.

Jesse reassured her it didn't matter. She decided to prove to her it didn't matter.

Gail knew Jesse truly loved her.

John went to confront John Henry when they were alone. He wasn't happy about what he'd just witnessed in the lab. He was furious.

"Why was I kept in the dark?" John asked.

John Henry didn't like the position Cameron put him in right now. He tried to stick with her reasoning.

"Cameron gave strict instructions. No humans are to be endangered. The 'Day Of Loss' will never be repeated." John Henry said. "It's your job to plan and lead, not risk your life unnecessarily. You planned this out already, Cameron executed it. It's a win - win."

John knew it was all true. He was sure there was more involved. It seemed with Cameron there always was. He was sure there was some 'back room' activity he didn't know about.

"I don't like it." John said. "I know Cameron pulled something off as well."

John Henry didn't want John to blow things out of proportion. It was really no different than the way Cameron normally operated. Maybe John was more upset than normal because he actually got to view the damage to Cameron this time. Normally she stayed away when she was damaged. He figured she returned to the Resistance base to help assist Gail who wasn't normally out on combat operations. He didn't doubt John for a minute there was some 'off the books' activity Cameron conducted somewhere or somehow. He was sure Gail was there for a specific purpose. He wanted John to look at the positive side of things.

"Cameron and Bob gathered a lot of intel for us to go through. It will help us determine exactly who and what is behind this." John Henry said. "Leave it alone and take the win. Don't drive Cameron farther away from ALL of us."

John sat in silence for a while.

There was another issue which kept eating at John. It was an issue for a long time now. He didn't know what Cameron's endgame was and it's what worried him. He didn't want Cameron to keep control of something she currently did.

"Do you know where she has the four nukes?" John asked. "I want to know. I want them."

John Henry kept an eye out to see if any were used yet. There was no indication they were. Every time there was a small earthquake around the area, he looked into it to see if Cameron was anywhere near where the epicenter was. So far she hadn't been near any of them. Minor tremors were a frequent occurrence in the Southland.

"No, I don't know where they are." John Henry said. "She hasn't used any or I would know. They have a much higher yield than the backpack device was able to deliver. I continuously monitor everything which could be related."

John was worried about the stability of the weapons. The older weapons were always decommissioned after a few years. At what point would one of them start to leak radiation? At what point would one decide to go off on its own. If they were stored together, would all four of them go off at the same time? They were just something he didn't want Cameron to have.

"They're also fifty or sixty years old." John said. "I know her, she will use them."

John Henry didn't think Cameron would hesitate to use one or more if she felt it accomplished her goals. She would do whatever it took to stop Skynet. It was the only way they could ever win. Skynet needed to be fought in every arena in which it was encountered.

"I don't doubt it." John Henry said.

John knew using a nuke was simply another tool to Cameron. A tool to protect him and the future. It was a tool to get the job done no matter what the cost was. He knew if Cameron needed a tool to accomplish something, she would use it. It was just that simple.

John was afraid.

Cameron sought Vanna out to make everything crystal clear to her about her plans for Savannah. Vanna was full of fight and confrontational. It was very unlike Vanna. She knew Vanna dealt with her 'loss' through anger.

Vanna was very upset with the way Cameron 'pushed' Savannah all the time. It wasn't anything she felt Savannah needed to engage in now. What was the rush? Why did it need to be done now?

"You're starting a fire you can't put out." Vanna said. "You have to know you are."

Cameron saw it as the 'Natural Order'. There were certain things she wanted done. She wanted Vanna's assistance to do it.

"It will be as it was. It will be as it is in my future." Cameron said. "I want you to prepare her for 'everything'."

Vanna felt it was something she already did. There were many things she disagreed with. She believed she allowed Savannah to go further than was necessary.

"I've been doing it." Vanna said.

Cameron didn't want any surprises for Savannah.

"I want her to know 'everything', in detail. It means all the not so pleasant things and any pain as well." Cameron said. "Make sure she knows everything you would have liked to have known ahead of time."

Vanna was a little shocked at Cameron's request. She was more than a little upset about all of it. Savannah was her. She wouldn't want to be subjected to the things Cameron planned.

"I've done it all for YOU already." Vanna said. "I don't want her hurt or used. SHE is ME you know. She is herself too. She is a person not a pawn. She's ready now to do anything and everything for YOU."

Cameron didn't like to see Vanna so upset. Maybe she was being a little too harsh on her. She wanted to keep Allison and Jesse calm. She seemed to do just the opposite with Vanna. She listened to what Vanna said. She was afraid maybe she pushed Savannah a little too much too fast.

"I do know she is you." Cameron said. "Slow her down a year or two if you can. Her body will be stronger then. Make sure she knows what everything will be like."

Vanna was a little disgusted. Savannah was going to act on her own at some point soon. She was too indoctrinated not to. She wanted to please Cameron more than anything. She also understood Savannah's needs. She needed more than just herself.

"I KNOW she already does." Vanna said. "I've seen what she reads and studies as well as what she views on the internet. She covers her tracks well. I've been honest with her about everything she asks, or even doesn't ask but wants to. I do know myself. I've told her about everything with both men and women. I've left nothing out."

Cameron was worried about what happened to Vanna in the hands of Scavengers. There was a chance Savannah could suffer similar abuse. The future was unpredictable in all aspects.

"Have you been graphic in your past 'experiences'?" Cameron asked.

Vanna feared them more than anything. She never wanted Savannah to end up like her. There were some things she was never able to tell anyone, even Allison. They were too terrible to speak of. They still bounced around in her mind all the time. How could they not? It was what was done to her by others. She wondered how far Cameron was going to take things on a personal level.

"No. If she asks me, I'll tell her the truth. I NEVER want anything like it for her." Vanna said. "Are you going to assign her a Terminator friend?"

Cameron thought it was prudent but didn't want to push it. She was aware of Savannah's excessive 'personal actions' at times. She knew Savannah needed more than herself. If she assigned Savannah a Metal girl, she was worried they would become too close without any previous experience. She would like her to have some human interaction first.

"Yes. I will." Cameron said. "I won't do it until she asks. She won't ask until she is ready. She will have her choice."

Vanna already knew the answer to what Savannah's choice would be.

"She's going to choose 'you'." Vanna said.

Cameron was aware of it. She saw it as both good and bad.

"Then it's what she will receive." Cameron said. "Just like you. I will do for her as I did for you."

Vanna didn't want Savannah to become a 'woman' yet. She saw the way Savannah looked at both Allison and Jesse. She could tell she wanted a little more from them.

"I'm not going to tell her about your plan." Vanna said. "I will try to slow her 'progress' down. I think Jesse and Allison have been 'bad influences' on her."

Cameron knew all the girls were a 'bad' influence on Savannah. She didn't see love as being 'bad'. The love was honest and true. It was real love.

"No, they've helped her see her future. I know you from my future. I know you from here. Savannah is going to be like 'both of you'." Cameron said. "It's her destiny. It's the 'Natural Order'. It will be her choice. I'll make sure she has a choice, and a choice to say no or do as she desires. She wants to 'experiment'. I want her to experiment. This will allow her to have more options and more choices."

Vanna could see Savannah was way beyond just wanting to 'experiment'. She wanted a whole lot more at this point. She wasn't going to say it specifically before, now she felt she needed to. She knew exactly what Savannah wanted. It was what she wanted as well.

"Experiment? I've seen her look at Jesse and Allison with want in her eyes." Vanna said. "I hope you know what you're doing. She wants more and she's going to find it somewhere. I hope you understand it. Her desires have reached a point where she needs a lot more than just herself or to experiment. You better consider how you factor into everything as well."

Cameron knew she would need to yield to Savannah at some point. It was necessary for John's survival.

"I know what must be. There's no choice." Cameron said. "It's just that simple. I must protect John no matter what the cost is to me."

Cameron wanted to offer Savannah more. She wasn't sure of the best way to do it. She wanted her to be with humans first. It didn't matter if they were male or female. It wasn't going to be Young Allison. It needed to be someone else. It needed to be someone who was close to Savannah.

Vanna still didn't care for the things Cameron wanted to do. She didn't like to see anyone hurt.

"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor." Vanna said.

Cameron checked on Jesse. She was very honest with her about her condition. It didn't look promising. She didn't want her hopes to get too high. The higher they were, the further she would need to fall if there was a problem.

Jesse said she would follow every guideline Gail and Cameron gave to her.

Cameron took Gail aside and thanked her for her assistance. She wanted her to know their plan would be carried out.

"I will start the Resequencing after the repairs." Cameron said. "I'll let you know when Camille is ready."

Gail tilted her head slightly. She could see Cameron already named her clone. She thought she was going to be able to pick the name. She thought about its composition.

"Camille, is it the combination of Cameron and Gail?" Gail asked.

Cameron was still bothered she didn't allow Holly to keep the name she originally picked. She offered to allow her to change it many times. She didn't want to repeat the same mistake with Gail.

"You may choose any name you wish." Cameron said. "It was just something which popped into my head right now. It is a combination of our names."

Gail was very pleased with Cameron. She wanted to remind her of her commitment.

"Thank you for this, Cameron. Thank you for helping repair me. Thank you for being my friend." Gail said. "I won't forget this ever, what you've done for Jesse and me, both Jesses. I will ensure the future as you want it is protected as you want it to be."

Cameron wanted to cover all the bases. She was worried about Jesse as much as she was about Vanna.

"Gail, if Jesse is barren…." Cameron said.

Gail would do as Cameron wanted. It was the purpose of creating the clone, Camille.

"I understand. Young Jesse will be available for the future." Gail said. "I swear it."

Cameron gave Gail a long hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." Cameron said as she smiled to herself.

Cameron would make sure John was protected in the future….

She was happy. She'd scored multiple wins today for John.

Cameron hid the glitch in her hand as she walked away.

Al and Ed tracked down some Skynet related leads on possible Coltan and its processing or use. They found one location which appeared to be a machine shop in the process of being set up. There wasn't any Coltan or metal of any kind there yet. They didn't want to act too early.

There was a scrap metal collector in an old pickup truck. They seemed to pay a lot of attention to the location they uncovered. Upon further investigation, it seemed to be more of a personal matter than an operational one.

They left all of it behind and headed for the next area they needed to check. They didn't have a specific location. There was a condensed area they needed to check for each of the places where suspicious box trucks visited.

They were apprised as to what all Cameron's operation earlier found. It was an HK drone which appeared to be in the process of being assembled or reverse engineered. It raised a lot of questions. It was possible it was being rebuilt too. There was no way for them to know yet based on the evidence. There were several Terminators involved with the operation as well.

They neared the new industrial area.

"This location is more remote." Al said.

Ed thought it was a good thing.

"Hopefully it will mean less witnesses if something goes down." Ed said.

They already viewed the satellite images of the entire area on the way there. They drove through the industrial track once. They spotted some activity in the third building of five during their drive by.

They were made aware at the facility Cameron's team took down. There may be sub assemblies of HK drones being built at different locations. It looked as if they were assembled at the site they took down. It appeared as if an assembly line was about to be set up. Things didn't progress very far.

They parked down the street and behind another building. They approached the area on foot.

John Henry told them to pick the lock on a door rather than force anything. A forced door or window might raise unnecessary questions. They already used the same caution at some of the other locations they visited. If there were no terminations, they didn't want to tip their hand.

The first building was dark. They used the 'snap gun' to open the lock and entered. There was some manufacturing there but it wasn't Skynet related. They closed up the building and moved on.

At the next building they were more careful. It was next to the building where there was activity. There were electronic components being assembled there. They gave them a lot more scrutiny. They were determined to not be Skynet related. They left the building.

They went back to the first building and crossed the street. They bypassed the third building and went to the end of the block. They crossed the street and made their way to the fifth building.

The fifth building was empty. There was a lot of trash and debris inside. Someone pulled out the machinery and left everything else. The owner of the building would have a lot of clean up to do.

They received word there would be additional Terminators. Bob and Jim were back out. They both suffered some sheath damage.

Al didn't think they would be on the operation too much longer.

"We will finish up here and turn this back over to them." Al said.

Ed didn't see the need for them to leave too quickly once they arrived. It would depend upon what they wanted to do.

"We can always assist them with a take down if they want to do it." Ed said. "If it stays a recon, they should be fine."

They locked up the fifth building and moved to go to the fourth building. As they approached the fence they heard some noises from inside the fourth building.

They both viewed their file of the satellite images. They gave them a little closer scrutiny.

"There may be an opening in the fence between the fourth and third building." Al said.

Ed reached the same conclusion. The buildings were directly associated.

"I see it too now." Ed said. "The third and fourth buildings are being used in conjunction with each other."

They could expect a guard or sentry of some type there.

"Let's take a look." Al said.

Bob and Jim wanted to pick up where they left off. They still felt it was 'personal' since someone blew up their SUV earlier. They could have been in it.

"How do I look?" Bob asked.

Jim looked him over.

"The metal is covered over, but you have a few sutures which are visible." Jim said.

Bob touched his cheek and forehead. He could tell it was more than a few. He took a quick look at Jim.

"They will mend quickly." Bob said. "You don't look too bad."

Jim wasn't really sure of the reference.

"I hope it's in regards to my battle damage." Jim said.

Bob tilted his head slightly.

"Affirmative…." Bob said.

They headed out. They wanted to check things out for themselves. They were ready to replace Al and Ed. John Henry wanted to use Al and Ed for some other things.

Al and Ed didn't spot a sentry at the fourth building. They went over the wall and moved up to the building. There were some clerestory windows high up in the wall.

"We can try and look in the windows." Ed said.

Al thought of the quickest way to do it.

"I can lift you and hold you up over my head by the bottoms of your feet." Al said.

Ed wondered if it would be easier to lower him down from the roof to take a look. There was a greater chance they would be spotted if they were at the rear of the building.

"Let's try it." Ed said.

They made a quick check around before they started. It was clear.

Al lifted Ed up over his head by his feet.

Ed was able to look in a window. He could see what looked like part of an HK drone power plant. It was all he needed to see.

Al lowered Ed down. Ed filled him in. It seemed too risky to view the third building by going past the fourth building. They went back out the way they arrived. They went across the street again and back to the first building. They crossed over the street and quickly made their way to the third building past the first and second buildings.

"There may be hostile Terminators around here." Ed said. "There were several at the location Cameron's team took down. All of the Resistance Terminators were damaged."

Al was sure the facility Cameron's team took down their main focus.

"Based on what we've spotted, it's possible." Al said. "They seemed to be more interested in the assembly phase."

They checked for a guard. None was spotted.

They went over the wall. They repeated the same procedure as they did on the fourth building. Ed looked in a clerestory window high in the wall.

He spotted more parts for HK drone power plants.

Al lowered him down.

"This place is dirty too." Ed said. "It is more of the same as it is in the fourth building."

They pulled out. They let John Henry know what they found.

John Henry told him Bob and Jim would take over and he gave them a new assignment.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Need To See

To be with the one we want
We will often pine
When we can't be near them
It will cause us to whine

When we're near the person
We like to shine
We hope that our
Hearts and minds will align

We want our feelings
To wrap around them like a vine
The fruits of this endeavor
Should be like a fine wine

With the passing of time
We always look for a sign
We hope the results
Will be more than divine

We seek to possess
But not to confine
What we need to see
Is that we will both combine

Nobody