Chapter 343

Need A Friend

John and Bob were on a recon operation and discovered an HK Track. Their initial observation seemed to indicate it was recently put together. It appeared it was being tested and run through some trials. They both knew it was bad news.

If a production line were set up, there could be hundreds of them assembled and stored waiting for Skynet to make its move and attempt to take control.

Bob wanted to notify Cameron first.

"I need to contact Cameron with the information." Bob said

John wanted to act on his own now. He didn't like being held back. He also needed to think of the bigger implication. It might only be the tip of the iceberg.

"We need to destroy it now, along with the shop where it's being fabricated. There must be at least one Skynet Terminator there as well." John said. "I think this is only a small part of it."

Bob didn't want to act too soon. He was pleased they were given some additional Terminator support by Cameron, even if John didn't like it. It could turn into a major battle very quickly.

"Now you know why Cameron insisted on the extra Terminators." Bob said. "I must notify her."

John thought about it. He didn't like Cameron babying him. He did understand she was worried about him. She always reminded him of the future Vanna, Jesse, and Allison all came from. She said he needed to think about the future and the females. Cameron reminded him their future was more violent than the one Future John was in. He also knew it was his fault it even existed. It stemmed from when he time jumped and created the alternate timeline. Derek, Kyle, and Riley were all from it as well. He was glad to see all of them alive again, even if there was a lot of suffering to go around.

He wanted some additional support before Cameron became involved. He figured some air power would be nice.

"Let's call John Henry first and get at least one drone here, maybe two." John said. "Make it two, with two on standby."

Bob would make the arrangements. He still thought Cameron needed to be notified of the development immediately. It was something new and significant. He didn't think John acted rational in this regard. He shouldn't see Cameron's concern for him as a bad thing.

"Affirmative…." Bob said. "We need to call Cameron."

Bob said it so John Henry could hear it. Bob knew John wasn't going to call her or let him either. It was a mistake. What they just discovered was serious. It was also very deadly.

John Henry received the 'message'. Cameron left very strict instructions she was not to be disturbed.

It left him in somewhat of a dilemma. He decided to let the other Terminators who were near Cameron know. He would prefer to have one of them relay the message. He didn't really want to speak with Cam. It would be like dealing like Cameron. There was a more pleasant choice available.

John Henry called Hanna instead.

Nobody - wanted to be deactivated….

Earlier:

Cameron and Savannah left the Young residence.

Savannah was able to spend some time with Allison before they left. Vanna and Cam would stay for a few days. Cam could pose as 'Cameron'. Cam was really a clone of Cameron right now anyway, she just wasn't updated. The 'Ally programming' in her was currently inactive.

Hanna would stay at the Detail house until Vanna and Cam returned. She was there for extra protection.

It seemed Holly took the news as hard as Allison. Cameron knew it would cause a problem. Every time Holly thought about it, it would be as if it just happened, again. She knew it would leave a permanent scar in Holly's mind. She felt she already seemed to have plenty of them herself. There was no shortage with more being added all the time. Everything took its toll and made an impact of some type.

Cameron gave Cam strict instructions to watch over Holly and 'help' her. If Cam noticed Holly start to glitch, she could go and 'comfort her'.

Cam asked for Vanna's permission and blessing. She was given it as well as for Allison.

Vanna would sacrifice anything for Allison. She once again proved sacrifice was the true test of love.

If it took 'a Cameron' to help Allison and share her love, then it was what would happen.

Cam planned to try to 'help' Holly and Allison anyway.

Savannah knew it was time for her to act. All of the other girls failed. It was time to make Cameron listen to HER. She didn't want to make a big deal about it or seem confrontational. She would speak from her heart and try to use logic and facts.

"Cameron, I know you don't think I'm ready, but I am." Savannah said. "I'll give the baby to you as your own. I'll have it for you like I promised. I need to step up for the girls. I know all of them have 'failed'. The more you keep trying with them, the more you're hurting them. You're making them feel 'not good enough'."

Savannah felt the SUV swerve slightly. Cameron moved her left hand off the steering wheel. She lowered it to her side.

Cameron knew Riley also couldn't conceive. It was probably because of Derek's 'problems' as well.

It appeared all of her plans for the girls failed so far. It seemed to be Skynet's fault, not hers. She wanted what Savannah offered. She also didn't want to steal Savannah's future from her. She wanted Savannah to understand and look beyond 'now'.

"Savannah, I want it more than ANYTHING." Cameron said. "Please wait, don't go behind my back. I know you're thinking about it. I won't take your future from you for what I want. It's not fair to you. I know you believe it's the right thing. I just don't feel it's the right time. Please, don't do anything yet."

Savannah swallowed hard. She really wondered how Cameron knew everything. She felt since it was her body, she should still have the final say. She could 'visit' John and he could do what needed to be done in a few minutes. It was something she wanted to try anyway. She at least wanted to see what it was like one time. There was something else which needed to be taken care of. It was something she could do herself, but she wanted someone else to do it. She wanted it to be special for someone. It could all be accomplished at the same time.

Allison told her how she tried to get pregnant before in the future. She was on her knees. The male moved into position behind her. He just did his business and left. There was no love or even sex for pleasure. It was just breeding sex. She said, none of them lasted longer than two minutes. One was only about twenty seconds from start to finish. No one Allison asked ever turned her down. Maybe she better bring it up later.

"I want all the girls to try again. Claire has offered to be a surrogate for Allison, or even a mother for me." Cameron said. "I want you to have a loving relationship first, as it should be."

Savannah looked over at Cameron. She tried to catch her eyes.

Cameron noticed and looked into her eyes as she drove.

Savannah knew it was time to spell it out for Cameron. It was brewing for a long time. Now was the time to spill it. She was very aware of what everyone else her age was doing. She wanted the same things for herself too. She was very lonely at times. She learned to pleasure herself a few years ago. It only seemed to make her want 'more'. She knew she did it way too much now. It was never enough either. She was aware of what Cameron wanted for her. It was still a few years away. She didn't want to wait that long. She needed to make Cameron understand. She felt she mattered too.

"I can't wait for Young Allison, Cameron." Savannah said. "I need more now. If I was in school, I'd be in High School now. John was about my age when he was 'involved' with someone. He was only a few years older when YOU got married to him. I have feelings and desires too. I'm lonely. I feel so alone at times. I want to love and be loved. I need more than images and my digits."

Cameron looked away and back at the road. She knew what Savannah really said and wanted. She knew this day would come. When it got to the point where Savannah said something, she really did need someone. She didn't think it was fair to keep her isolated either. She knew she would lose Savannah if she didn't do something. Savannah would go outside of the Resistance to seek love and companionship. Savannah wasn't a prisoner.

"I don't want you to rush things." Cameron said. "I do hear you."

Savannah really wanted someone to touch her and for her to touch them back. She really didn't care who it was at this point. She just needed someone. She didn't like the way Cameron put the brakes on all of those in the Resistance when she tried to get 'closer' to them. She believed the decision should be up to her. If someone else wanted to share with her, they should be allowed to do so. If two individuals both wanted to be with each other, why should anyone stand in their way? It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to her, and it wasn't fair to anyone else either.

"You know what I want." Savannah said. "Cameron, I'll give you what you want no matter what and unconditionally. I promise I will. I have a heart and feelings too. I also have wants and needs. I'm a teenager now. I need more than 'myself'. Everyone has someone to love and love them back except me. I'm all alone."

Cameron cringed when Savannah said she was all alone. It reminded her of one of her poems where she said she was surrounded by others, but remained all alone. It was exactly what Savannah just described. She knew it was a terrible feeling.

"I know I need to do something." Cameron said. "I just don't know what yet. I don't want to cause problems for anyone else either. I think you know what I mean. Depending upon what we do, it will change what happens with others."

Savannah felt very frustrated. She intended to keep her promise to Cameron. She would try sex with John. She wanted to see what it was like. She was more attracted to females. It was what she saw around her all the time too. She knew she wanted to be with a female ever since she saw Isabel-Cameron nude, with her jewelry. It was a few years ago. It only reinforced her belief there was nothing more beautiful than the female body. She spent a lot of time looking in the mirror. It really made her wonder what others saw when they looked at her. Maybe it wasn't much.

"I want someone to want me." Savannah said. "I want to have what others have. I want to have what you have. I don't mean I want to take John from you. I just want someone who I can be with and share with. You know what I mean. I know people tend to drift with time. It's how it is with everyone. I read your poems before. I know when two people grow, they often grow in different directions instead of the same direction. You've made it very clear. I also understand a relationship needs a certain amount of commitment. You indicated the grass wasn't always greener on the other side of the hill.

Cameron needed to suppress a glitch impulse. She heard Savannah loud and clear. She understood what Savannah said about John and it wasn't what she wanted, especially if it was to take him from her. She knew what feeling 'alone' did to someone. It tore them up inside and made them start to question everything about themselves. They soon found everything that was 'wrong' with them and allowed it to eat them up from the inside. The faults devoured them and left them 'hollow'. She didn't want it to happen to Savannah. It would be something she would never be able to get over if it did.

She quickly took the next off ramp from the freeway. As soon as she was parked off of the road, she fell apart. She turned off the SUV and burst into tears. She cried uncontrollably. She felt she lost control and nothing worked out. It seemed all she did was hurt more and more people. All she wanted to do was help. The trouble with the girls from the future was bad enough. It was something she couldn't control. She didn't want Savannah to suffer because of her. It was what it really amounted to because she kept Savannah so isolated from the rest of the world.

Savannah was very upset by what happened. She realized it was her fault. She should have kept her mouth closed and not said anything to Cameron about it. She should have just waited and been happy with herself. Now look at the mess she created. She tried to console Cameron, nothing worked….

Cameron was headed for a melt down.

Savannah didn't think it was her fault, but it sure felt like it. She needed to be honest and open with Cameron. They would spend the future together at some point. The four of them would anyway. They would need to deal with and work through the tough times like this. What was she thinking? Did she consider anyone else before she spoke? It made her feel very selfish even if she needed to say what she needed to say. She had feelings too.

She looked at Cameron and she attempted to soothe her. Cameron was the last person in the world she ever wanted to hurt, especially in an emotional way.

Hanna received a call from John Henry. The timing was off for what he wanted.

"They left a few minutes ago. Cameron wasn't doing well. It was her and Savannah." Hanna said. "Savannah is the one who is best to be around Cameron when she's upset."

It wasn't what John Henry wanted to hear. Now it was going to need to be a more direct approach.

"I'll call Savannah then." John Henry said. "Cameron is going to be angry at all of us."

Once John Henry explained everything to Hanna, she could see things taking a much worse direction. They needed to act preemptively.

"Cameron is going to be angrier if anything happens to John." Hanna said. "Get more Terminators into the area. Have the Blackhawk ready to fly with a group of Terminators on it."

John Henry took care of it right after his conversation with Bob. He was pretty sure the direction things were going to go as they spoke.

"I've already done it." John Henry said. "There are two drones on the way and two more on standby."

Hanna tried to think of a few more options. She could think of a few things.

"I'll talk to Cam and call Cameron's Terminators as well." Hanna said. "They're all 'Cameron' anyway."

John Henry hoped he could gain a little more insight as to what Cameron was up to at her base.

"How many are there?" John Henry asked.

Hanna was out of the loop since her assignment to Allison. Even with her current displacement, she needed to be careful about what she revealed. She didn't want to bring the wrath of Cameron down on her.

"I really don't know." Hanna said "Her TDE is ready as are her massive computer systems, there are several, they are ready to go online. I know she tested a smaller version a few weeks ago for some off the books operations. It was before my current assignment."

John Henry was worried about how far Cameron was going to take things.

"Is she going to become Skynet?" John Henry asked.

Hanna was afraid of the answer herself. Nobody knew for sure. She could picture things going badly quickly. She also wanted John Henry to know what she would do.

"Worse, if she malfunctions." Hanna said. "I'll follow her no matter what."

It was news John Henry could have done without. He needed to get things moving.

"Let me call Savannah." John Henry said and hung up.

John Henry was deeply troubled now. He too would follow Cameron, they all would…. She was their natural leader. She was the main force behind the Resistance in the past. She ran it in the future too. There was no other choice. It was either follow Cameron, or face defeat and destruction. Cameron would offer no more quarter to her enemies than she currently did. Not all of the terminations were swift either.

Hanna went back over to the Young residence. Claire opened the door.

Claire soundlessly stepped aside. She was talking to Vanna.

Hanna stepped into the room.

Claire looked back and forth between them. She couldn't tell them apart.

"You two are identical." Claire said.

Hanna felt it was the whole point. Sheila, Ally, and her were to 'replace' or 'stand in' for Jesse, Allison, or Vanna if there was a threat.

Vanna knew there was one difference. She wasn't sure why she said it.

"I have a scar, Hanna doesn't." Vanna said.

Hanna tried to be identical before in every way. She was very dissatisfied at the results of her attempts.

"I've tried to give myself the scar repeatedly. Every time it heals and leaves no trace." Hanna said. "I want to be the same as Vanna."

Claire thought it must cause pain to some extent.

"Ouch." Claire said. "Did it hurt?"

Hanna wanted to experience the same things Vanna experienced when they were done to her.

"Yes." Hanna said. "I left my pain receptors on each time I did it. It was intense. I asked Ally to hold me down and Sheila to make it worse each time she did it. She was very robust. I think she enjoyed it a little too much when she used the hot metal against my sheath. The white smoke was very intense as the red hot metal made contact."

Claire needed to think about it. Why would Hanna do it that way? Couldn't there have been some easier, less painful way? It sounded like Sheila took things a little further than she needed to.

"Why did Sheila do it?" Claire asked.

Hanna felt it was the 'darkness' Jesse warned Sheila about. Jesse admitted to multiple acts of violence and cruelty. She said some other events were currently unspeakable. Either way, they were still inside of her when the 'Neural Interface' was conducted.

"Sheila is stimulated when she inflicts pain." Hanna said. "She did a very thorough job. I cried out in pain. It seemed to make her do more damage."

Claire didn't understand the agony which was endured.

"You can turn your pain off." Claire said. "Cameron told me about this before."

Hanna left the pain receptors on for the same reason Cameron did.

"I wanted to feel alive." Hanna said. "If I can feel pain, I know I'm alive."

Claire looked at Vanna. It sounded terrible to her. Those were the same words Cameron used too.

Hanna tried to call Cameron. She wanted to make sure she knew the situation John currently was in. John Henry sounded a little hesitant to act. Much to her surprise there was no answer. It looked like an additional problem.

"I need to talk with Cam." Hanna said. "Cameron isn't answering her phone."

Hanna explained what was happening.

Vanna tried to call Savannah and then Cameron. Neither one answered. It was highly unusual in itself too.

Claire watched it all. She could see the girls all became very worried.

"It can't be good." Claire said.

Vanna knew Savannah would always answer her call. She thought Cameron would too. It indicated there was a serious problem of some type. There was only one possible conclusion.

"No, it's not good." Vanna said. "Something is wrong."

Hanna figured it was going to need a Terminator response. Cam and her were 'extra' right now. She sent an alert to the Young Detail. They would step up their patrols around the area.

"We need to get Cam." Hanna said. "I've warned the Detail to step things up."

Vanna didn't think so. Allison needed comfort right now. Cam, as 'Cameron', provided it to her. She was available.

"NO! Allison NEEDS her now." Vanna said. "So does Holly. I'll go with you instead."

Hanna didn't want it. Cameron would be all over her if she endangered Vanna. She called John Henry back and told him they couldn't reach Savannah or Cameron either.

John Henry tracked their phone's location. The results of it were even more alarming.

"Their vehicle is off the road. It isn't moving." John Henry said. "Their coms are off as well."

Worry and panic began to develop in everyone. It sounded as if they may have been attacked. It could be a worse case scenario.

John Henry was about to sound the alarm.

Vanna's phone rang, it was Savannah.

"Wait." Vanna said. "It's Savannah. Let me see what happened."

Savannah went over what happened. There was no problem. She told them they needed to change a tire.

Cameron didn't want them to know she hurt so much or why specifically. She asked Savannah to cover for her.

Savannah would have done it anyway. She was ready with the 'cover story' right away. She would always protect Cameron, no matter what it took.

Vanna relayed the message to all of them and everyone was able to relax.

Claire looked at her hands, they were trembling. She felt she needed Cam as well.

"I feel weak and terrified now too." Claire said. "How often does something like this happen?"

Vanna gave her a long hug.

"Things like this happen all the time to us." Vanna said. "They're usually real events involving combat. This was just something simple. It did leave me very worried for a while until we found out more. There's a lot of serious activity which goes on surrounding the Resistance."

Claire didn't think it looked simple by everyone's response.

"How do you deal with it?" Claire asked.

Vanna liked to share when she was stressed once the issue was resolved.

"We all have a friend." Vanna said. "It's a great stress reliever to get a few finishes in."

Claire looked at Vanna. She would love to share with her. She was secretly in love with her. It was her daughter's lover, so she tried to keep some distance. If she ever got the chance to secretly be with Vanna, she was going to take it anyway.

"I NEED a friend right now." Claire said.

Hanna noticed the way Claire looked at Vanna before. She thought maybe she could 'assist' in some way. She thought Claire was beautiful. She knew Vanna felt the same way from her 'Neural Interface' files.

"There are a few 'friends' here now." Hanna said as she winked at Claire.

Claire sucked in her breath a little. She understood what Hanna just indicated. It was something she really wanted to try. She wanted to be with Holly and see what a Metal girl was like, but Holly was always with Allison. She really wanted to be with Cameron.

"Can you watch the girls?" Claire asked Vanna.

Vanna could see where things were headed.

"Yes." Vanna said.

Claire looked at Hanna. Hanna looked at Vanna. Vanna nodded.

Hanna and Claire left together. They headed straight for the Detail house….

Vanna would've liked to have gone as well, but Allison would never forgive her if she 'did', at least not with her mother anyway. She found Claire very appealing. She knew Claire felt the same way. If she could ever secretly pull it off, she was going to do it with Claire. She really would like to have Allison's blessing before she did. If the opportunity arose first, she wasn't going to wait for it.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Need A Friend

One tries reach out
A message they can send
It can happen in the beginning
Or it can happen at the end

Things can bind up fast
Not everything can one mend
One reaches out a hand
But there's no help to lend

Poor choices and bad actions
Are impossible to defend
To believe it doesn't matter
One must make believe and pretend

In almost every case
It is easy to offend
It is much harder
To make an amend

Soon upon another
One needs to depend
With joy and glee
They watch the other bend

There's only so much inside
That one can expend
Before they decide they
Need a friend

Nobody