Chapter 362

My Job

Riley went to the lab to check on Derek and see how everyone else was doing. She was pleased to learn he wasn't hurt badly. She would need to thank Jim for it later on. She knew Jim took the damage instead of Derek. Jim always looked out for the Reese clan. They were all worried about him as well. She knew Derek owed his life to Jim in the most recent battle.

Derek wasn't injured very badly. Riley wanted to be alone with him for some personal matters. She decided to discuss another issue. She looked around to make sure they were alone. It was a very personal issue for them.

She wasn't sure where to start, so she just started.

"Derek, Cameron spoke with me…." Riley said.

Derek wondered if this was about him being out in what turned into a combat operation. He was about to try to explain himself and his actions. He felt he needed to do his part in the Resistance to keep Skynet from gaining a hold. He could see Riley's disposition was a little different than normal. It was different from how she normally looked under the current conditions with him being out in the field. He wondered if it was a different issue. He wanted to see where things were headed. He was a little apprehensive.

"And…?" Derek asked.

Riley knew there was really no good way to say what she needed to say.

"Cameron has hired some of the top medical experts to work on our 'problem'." Riley said. "If your genetic material is too badly damaged, we'll need to use genetic material from someone else…."

Derek would rather have the current discussion be about what happened out in the field. It wasn't. It was a touchy subject. He didn't like to think about things like this. He wanted to discuss them even less. He wasn't sure who the problem actually belonged to. Most likely it was both of them. He understood they would need to do something different other than what they currently attempted. It didn't work. He understood part of the issue was based on perception. It was what people believed which mattered in the end.

"Do you mean Kyle?" Derek asked. "It would still be our baby, Riley."

Riley was worried where the conversation was headed. It was more ominous than just his sibling. The damage created by Skynet was very far-reaching. So far it hadn't reached into the past, the present.

"It may take one person who wasn't in our future for things to work." Riley said.

Derek was worried about what Skynet did to everyone's bodies with all the toxins and the chemical warfare. He thought about the implications of what Riley indicated. There was an example for them to look at and compare.

"Do you mean like Kyle and Sarah being able to have a child, a second one?" Derek asked. "One of them wasn't from our future…."

Derek needed to think about it. Sarah was with two different versions of Kyle. They were both from different futures and the pregnancies were a number of years apart. Sarah was never in the future. Kyle, both versions of him, and himself, were from the future.

Riley knew one option was for Sarah to try to have a baby with Derek's genetic material…. It wasn't the best option. It would be a lot to ask for someone who was still trying on their own, with their own spouse. She wanted Derek to understand it would probably need to be done a little differently.

"Yes." Riley said. "Sarah is getting older and the combination of you, with her genetic material, may still have some trouble. I'm younger. I might have a better chance…."

Derek thought about what she was really trying to tell him.

"But if Kyle or myself are too damaged, and with your damage as well, it would mean…." Derek started and then paused. "It would take someone not from our future…."

Riley knew what it meant. She didn't look at Derek. She was somewhat embarrassed to even think about it. The sins of the future weighed heavily upon her. What happened with a different version of her wasn't her fault. It wasn't her, even if it was. It actually made something which would be quite simple into a major episode, for several different individuals.

"Yes." Riley said.

Derek could see the choices were limited. The implication was even mind blowing. It was clear Riley wanted to keep things in the 'family'. He didn't believe it was actually Riley's doing or even her suggestion. He believed it came from a higher source. Somehow it made it even more difficult to believe.

"NO. I don't believe Cameron suggested it." Derek said. "I know how much trouble she's experienced because of similar events unrelated to you."

Riley still didn't look at him. She understood everything as well. She was very embarrassed to even need to speak about it. She believed the idea was her own. Somehow it seemed as if it was 'suggested' to her. She was the one who forged ahead.

"Cameron didn't suggest it to me." Riley said. "I asked her. I told her it was for you and for me. It's for US, Derek."

Derek was familiar with 'breeding sex' from the future. He'd tried it a few dozen times. The female would be on her knees. The male would move behind her and 'take care of business'. The encounters were brief and often her mate would be nearby, but not usually watch. Everyone understood what needed to be done or there would be no children. Females who could actually get pregnant were highly sought after. He didn't think any of the encounters bore fruit. There was no way to know for sure. There were usually multiple individuals involved, it wasn't always at the same time.

Now he pictured John doing the same thing with Riley. He understood, but he wouldn't watch. As long as it was breeding sex, he didn't think it would go anywhere else. If Riley rolled over onto her back, it would change the dynamic of everything. It would become something on a whole different level. He quickly pushed the thought from his mind. He thought everyone would stay within the standard parameters of breeding sex. He thought the real issue would be Cameron.

"I think it would kill Cameron if you were pregnant with John's baby." Derek said. "I don't really think the method used would matter."

Riley didn't like being 'blamed' for what another timeline version of her did. It was always out there. She needed to wear the 'Scarlet Letter' because of it. What John did before wasn't her fault. Everyone kept their distance from her because of it. She even thought about killing herself before she was so bothered by everyone's treatment of her. She never did because Cameron was always there for her to help her and guide her. She loved Cameron dearly. She thought how strange it was when the person who should hate her the most, showed her the most compassion and understanding. She didn't understand Cameron knew how she felt, because it was how everyone made Cameron feel in the beginning.

She looked at Derek with disgust. It didn't seem there were very many options available.

"It wasn't me…." Riley said. "I didn't do those things. What other choice do we have?"

Derek could see he hit a nerve. Being ostracized was a constant worry of Riley's. He decided to side step the issue and move on. He still wanted to know what Cameron's reaction was.

"What did she say?" Derek asked.

Riley was worried about what happened after the conversation was over. It seemed she upset Cameron.

"She never said what her answer was." Riley said. "She only said she needed to go and left immediately."

Derek could only imagine how it turned out. He knew Cameron was fair. She was more understanding than anyone else. Cameron reached out to Riley and did things for her. They were big things and little things. They were all things which mattered to Riley and him.

"I'm sorry, Riley." Derek said. "Cameron will make it happen, one way or another."

Riley wasn't sure where anything was headed at this point.

"How do you know?" Riley asked.

Derek knew one thing for sure. If Cameron set out to do a job or take on a task, she did. She was relentless and pursued things until they were completed. He understood it was a behavior characteristic of all Terminators. Whatever task they needed to accomplish, they were never satisfied until it was done.

"Cameron makes anything happen for anyone who asks her for something." Derek said. "Cameron will make sure you have a child. She will make sure WE have a child."

Riley was worried she hurt Cameron inadvertently. She didn't want to do it. Maybe it was time to back off and roll with life's punches. She didn't want to be responsible for any negative feelings by Cameron.

"I don't want to hurt her." Riley said. "I can't hurt her. I'm going to tell her I can't."

Riley hated herself for what the other version of her, Future Riley did….

She wanted to blame John too since he was the one who did it. The bottom line was it was John who failed Cameron, regardless of what was orchestrated. Future Riley wasn't her. She decided it was just better to hate herself. It wasn't hard to do. She did it since the night she was drug out from her hiding spot and held down by a group of men….

Cameron was stitched up in no time. Savannah did a remarkable job. Dan only received a few bullet wounds, it was no big deal.

Jim was a little more involved. Cameron and Savannah worked on him. Vanna concentrated on Summer.

It wasn't long before Jim was good to go. They replaced his entire back section with one of an even darker sheath tone.

Savannah noted how smooth the sheath was. Cameron told her it was from a female Terminator. She couldn't help but think how smooth and soft Young Jesse was in her arms. She hoped she felt the same way to Young Jesse.

Cameron looked over at Vanna and Summer. There was still some implantation which needed to occur. She thought maybe Savannah was ready for it. After their work was finished with Jim, she wanted to keep Savannah focused on females. She didn't think it would be too hard to do. She observed Savannah continuing to look over where Vanna worked on Summer.

"Summer is extensively damaged." Cameron said. "Some of it is in a very private area."

Savannah didn't think it was a big deal. She was well versed in female anatomy in both an academic and now on a personal level.

"I'm a big girl now." Savannah said. "You know I'm active."

Cameron didn't like it any more than Sarah did. It was simply the way of life. She didn't want Savannah to feel lonely on a personal level.

"I'll let you do some of the stitching there." Cameron said.

They went over and assisted Vanna with the new leg. It was attached in short order and tested.

Savannah was a little concerned with the new sections.

"I see this is off of a female with dark pigmentation." Savannah said.

Cameron told her it was from the same Terminator they repaired Jim with.

Vanna looked at Savannah and placed something on the work bench.

"So is this section." Vanna said.

Savannah's eyes widened. It was the pelvic sheath area from the same dark sheath Terminator. She wanted a closer look at it.

"I find it to be incredibly amazing." Savannah said.

Vanna showed it to Summer.

"We can inspect the material for any damage before it is installed." Vanna said.

Savannah watched as Vanna did the inspection. It was very thorough. She couldn't get over the pigmentation contrast. It was the complete opposite of her.

"Will everything Resequence back to how it was with a different sheath tone like this?" Savannah asked.

Cameron was sure it would. She'd needed to use some of the same sheath material before herself. The back of the female's sheath was now on Jim's back.

"Yes." Cameron said. "It may take a little longer. At least everything is there."

Vanna handed Savannah a large scalpel.

"You can remove the damaged section." Vanna said.

Savannah was appalled at what she looked at. She was hesitant to cut anything around the damaged area. She couldn't help but think of some of the stories Vanna told her about what Scavengers did to females.

Cameron could see Savannah was bothered. She took over and cut away the damaged area on Summer and fitted the new pelvic area into place. She connected the internal sensory network.

Savannah started on the stitching.

Summer reached down and touched herself. Everything was different, even if it was the same.

"Everything will be fine." Summer said as she touched herself. "I wish I could keep it this way."

Cameron knew everything would change. It always did.

"Everything will Resequence." Cameron said.

Savannah still wondered about it herself.

"I can see some things are a little larger." Savannah said. "I think it will take some time to acclimate."

Vanna was sure it was a reference to something else.

Summer thought it was best not to think about it. It was what it was. She was damaged, now she wasn't. She was now fully functional again. If anyone was bothered by it, they could turn off the lights.

"It's not like I can really see a lot down there myself." Summer said.

Vanna and Savannah finished stitched everything up and Cameron inspected it. She looked around and held up a shiny tray as a mirror. Summer inspected herself again. This time it was a visual inspection.

"Everything is different." Summer said. "I'm appreciative of the new parts. I'll be able to walk again as well. I didn't like being unable to walk when I was damaged. I felt very vulnerable on the ground."

Cameron still needed to re-infuse Summer with young Summer's DNA.

"It won't be long before you're Resequenced." Cameron said. "Make the most of it while you can and don't pop any stitches while you're doing it."

The girls all laughed.

Cameron decided to deactivate Summer while she healed and regenerated all her body parts. It seemed like the best course of action to reduce the trauma to Summer going forward. She never liked to watch her damage regenerate either. It always seemed like it took forever, even though it didn't. The more she looked at it, the more it would upset her.

Vanna mentioned the DNA issue Summer inquired about earlier to Cameron.

Cameron said she would think about it.

The 'Cameron clone' in Summer asked to be reprogrammed before she was deactivated. In fact, all of her clones asked for it. If they couldn't be in her chassis, they asked to have their programs combined and cease to exist. Being 'Cameron', but not as Cameron, was torture to all of them.

Cameron knew Camille, Cam, and Cammy all shared her program. Then again, they were physically identical to her, well, Allison really. The 'Cameron' in them could be isolated to be her. It was just an outdated version of her. She didn't want any problems if they tried to only run her outdated program.

She forbade them from only running her program unless she approved it. They were to use the mixed program unless she instructed them to isolate it, her program. One of them was to replace her if she was terminated, John was not to know. Her spare chip would be placed in their chassis. It would be her then, just rebodied. She still thought John didn't understand how it worked for cyborgs. Their program was them, not the chassis or its changeable sheath covering.

If one thought about it, it was really no different than grafting a large sheath section onto a Terminator from a different Terminator, or replacing any of the limbs or other damage components. A different chassis was just all of those things at once. The end result was the same as if it was done a piece at a time. She already experienced quite a few replacement parts as well as much of her sheath, most of it was through regeneration. Sometimes she wondered how much of her original sheath was actually left. The one area she was glad was the same, was the area Summer just received a placement section.

She didn't know her clones always ran her program only when they were with their respective human lover. They replaced all the protocols for John with their specific female. It was what the girls asked them to do. We were able to be with 'Cameron' for all practical purposes, with appearance as well as program without John being in the way of their clones' affection, desire, and love.

Cameron returned to her base. The Gray they took into custody would need to tell all of what he knew before his termination. She promised Savannah there was to never be any 'Neural Interface' ever again used in such a manner. It was just as well. In fact, she was going to let Sheila handle the interrogations since she actually enjoyed it. She knew it was the 'darkness' which existed in Jesse which came out. It did bother her some the way Sheila would laugh as she inflicted the damage and pain on the detainee. She 'fixed' Jesse. Maybe she would try and fix Sheila too at some point. They needed information 'now'. She knew Sheila would get it. She didn't approve of the methods, but she wanted to keep John safe. It was all that mattered in the end.

John Henry and a crew of Terminators worked on the HK Tread. They were able to get it assembled.

John was there for most of the process. He took a moment to look at the finished product in its entirety. He couldn't get the image of Cameron running out of the building and jumping on the back of one of them earlier.

"I think it looks mean." John said. "I can't believe Cameron took one on by herself."

John Henry understood the logic of it, even if it was risky to approach it.

"She knew if she got in close, it couldn't use its weapons against her." John Henry said. "She still got knocked around quite a bit. They usually operated in pairs or groups to prevent anyone from doing what Cameron did. One of them would 'clean off' the other one if anyone tried to get on it."

John looked at the weapons which were laid out next to it. There was something he was concerned with. He remembered Future Derek told him sometimes Terminators went bad, no one knew why. He could only picture it happening with the HK Tread. There were certain safeguards which needed to be in place.

"When will you test it?" John asked. "I want it unarmed during testing."

John was still worried Skynet might have some way to control it.

John Henry understood John's apprehension.

"I take it you don't want any surprises." John Henry said. "You don't want a Trojan Horse which might show up in our midst."

John thought Cameron would be able to stop it if things went south. He wondered if they should install some type of 'kill switch' on it during testing. It would be something anyone could easily push on the outside of it as well as one in the interior compartment. There wouldn't need to be a series of commands or procedures followed, they could just simply push the button. He couldn't help but think about the device Cameron gave him to blow her head apart if she ever went bad. He would rather if she installed a 'kill switch' on her, which could have done the same thing. She could have rigged some type of electrical device which would knock her offline for one hundred and twenty seconds. It would have been much better than the explosive charge which would have terminated her permanently. He was very pleased he found out it was the first thing Vanna removed when she started to work on Cameron's chassis after his time jump into the future.

"Yes." John said. "I want Cameron here as well."

John still looked troubled to John Henry.

"I can see something else is bothering you." John Henry said.

John was aware what Cameron did with Savannah in Australia, and now with Cammy.

"It's Savannah." John said. "I don't like Cameron pushing her like she is. She doesn't need to cultivate her sexuality in such an orchestrated manner. It's just wrong."

John Henry saw it as natural evolution fueled by hormones.

"Savannah is High School age now, John. She's operating on a College Graduate level in her school work." John Henry said. "She's isolated here and lonely. Even you sought comfort in 'others' at her age in school…."

John ignored the jab. He knew John Henry was right. Loneliness and aloneness were killers in themselves. He couldn't see it at the time as to why, but Riley was the first female to pay attention to him and lead him on in a sexual manner, even if the pace started out a little slow. He realized now it was to make her more enticing to him and keep him focused on her instead of Cameron. It was an effective strategy. It worked.

"I feel because I'm not doing what Cameron wanted, she's redirected Savannah down a 'different path'." John said. "I feel it was done more to keep her on 'hold', than anything else."

John Henry saw the path as no different than Vanna's path. It was her choice.

"The path may be 'different', but the destination is the same." John Henry said. "You must embrace it. It's inevitable. It's the 'Natural Order'."

John frowned. Now he wished he hadn't said anything.

"You sound like you agree with Cameron." John said.

John Henry tilted his head slightly. He viewed it a little differently than the way Cameron did.

"No, I don't." John Henry said. "Savannah is like my sister, but I do understand what Cameron is doing and why. Savannah asked for Cameron's 'help'. It was a wise move to prevent Savannah from attempting to experiment on the outside."

John knew there were girls at school who sought to experiment the same way. There was one other thing he wondered about. He wasn't sure if he should ask about it or not. He didn't want his own selfish reasons to come to the forefront.

"Is Cameron going to bring Young Jesse here as well?" John asked. "I was informed about it by Cameron, without any details. She didn't respond to my questions."

John could only imagine how HOT Young Jesse would be….

John Henry wasn't sure Cameron was the one to ask. She believed there was someone else who was a little more directly involved who would probably have more say, one way or the other, as to what would actually happen.

"I ask you to speak personally and openly with Savannah about HER choices. Cameron only facilitated them for Savannah. Cameron didn't make them for her." John Henry said. "I've watched her grow up. I've witnessed the choices she wanted, and tried to make. Cameron only guided her in a safer and more secure direction. The only thing which could have changed the direction was you. You failed Savannah."

John wanted to pick the 'forbidden fruit' many times. He knew there were deeper issues. His past actions haunted him. He really didn't think the finger should be pointed at him.

"Great, now it's my fault." John said. "I know Savannah has been all over me at Cameron's direction. It just can't happen. It will kill Cameron. I don't think it's fair to Savannah either. It's not the way a relationship is supposed to work."

John felt a little guilty fantasizing about Young Jesse, but not too much. He hadn't watched her grow up and develop into a young woman before his own eyes as he did with Savannah. Somehow it made it different, even if it really wasn't.

John Henry contemplated the possible results of John's actions based on his inactions.

"So you will risk the future to 'save' Cameron?" John Henry asked.

John saw it a little differently than the others. He didn't believe the future was dependent on him. He believed it was dependent on someone else. It was someone much more important than him.

"Yes." John said. "I will. Cameron is the future. Without Cameron there is no future for any of us."

John Henry could agree Cameron was the future. His fear was Cameron's future would be as Skynet.

Sarah and Riley went to see Jim. He was back on duty. Jim and Bob were the two closest Terminators to them. Sarah saw Jim as part of her family. He was always there for the Reese clan. His repairs appeared to have come along nicely.

"Thank you, Jim, for saving Derek." Riley said.

She gave him a long close hug.

Jim could feel her warmth as her breasts pushed firmly up against him. It wasn't something he received very often from anyone, especially a female. He found it to be quite stimulating.

"I was just doing my job." Jim said.

Sarah felt a deep friendship and respect for Jim.

"And you were severely damaged doing it." Sarah said. "Jim, we want you to know how much we appreciate you always being there for us, all of us."

Jim felt something inside. It made him feel uncomfortable. He was 'touched', but didn't know how to respond. He was aware of more 'feelings' of the same type the longer he was activated. At first he wanted to blame it on a malfunction. He knew it wasn't. He knew it was evolution.

"I will continue to do so until my power cell runs out or I'm terminated." Jim said.

Sarah thought how much it sounded like what Cameron said about John on more than one occasion. While She didn't always like the way Cameron did things, she did understand Cameron was doing what she believed to be best for John and the future. So far she was right on the money at the end of the day.

She thought Cameron really was the greatest. She only wished she could have understood it sooner. Things could have been so much smoother and better for Cameron if she would have done so….

Sarah felt a lot of guilt and remorse about it. She was ashamed at how badly she treated Cameron, how they ALL did. She thought of Cameron's poem book, it made her sadder.

There was simply no other individual, no, person, like Cameron. Sarah knew Cameron was trying to do everything for everyone as best as she could, no matter what it cost her. It took a lot of commitment other than just someone saying it was 'My Job'.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

My Job

When does shared love
Become more like a duty
Perhaps it happens when
The love devolves into booty

Two who were once close
Can slowly drift apart
Sometimes it seems to happen
Before things even really start

As time passes each day
People continue to evolve
They don't grow closer
Things began to dissolve

One soon wants to move on
They think they can do better
They might actually say something
Or just split and leave a letter

With a new crowd they hobnob
They look for a new heartthrob
One thinks they'll miss the pleasure
But realize it was little more than 'my job'

Nobody