Chapter 437

Reluctance

John was aware of all the plans Cameron wanted to attempt. He didn't like them but he understood them. Cameron was deeply troubled by the failures of the future. He knew it was actually the fault of Skynet, not Cameron. He didn't think the responsibility to 'fix' it should fall on her back.

Cameron wanted to help Future John and the future girls get past what Skynet inflicted on them. He wondered if Future John really wanted Cameron to do all these things. Maybe it was programmed into her somewhere. Maybe her 'need' to save Future Allison was programmed into her as well. He was sure all of Cameron's 'problems' were not of her own doing. He believed that there were other factors involved.

If Future John did those 'things' to Cameron, that meant HE did them to Cameron. That really bothered him since he saw how all those things tore her apart. He got angry at her for doing them but he is the one who TOLD her to do them in the first place. Future John did anyway.

Maybe some of what Cameron planned would work. Maybe some of it would not. John knew these were more 'demons' that ate away at Cameron's mind. He loved Cameron and wanted to help her. Much of what she was doing was out of his hands and timeline. He was sure these internal conflicts, demons really, would end up terminating her at some point.

John was glad there was a Duplicate Cameron in Cameron's future. He was afraid Cameron would choose to stay with Future John over him. If Future John may have actually changed for the better because Future Allison and Future Savannah were back with him, Cameron might want the 'John' she loved first – Future John.

He was sure Future John was with Cameron 'first'. How could he not be?" Cameron was there with him all the time. She looked like a more beautiful version of Future Allison. At that time Future John would have believed Future Allison was dead. If he was Future John, which he was, he'd have 'plowed' Cameron.

He thought back to the night at the second house they stayed in when Cameron changed clothes and came to his room. She basically 'offered' herself to him. She explained to him Future John and her talked about these private things alone in a setting very much like she was in with him. That was on a bed, side by side. Was that 'pillow talk'? What did she really try to tell him?

It sickened him some now to remember how he 'blew her off' and ran off with Riley to Mexico. That was so they could do what teenagers do when they're alone and in a 'honeymoon suite'. He'd hoped to get lucky with Riley. He'd rejected Cameron again to go to Mexico and live it up with Riley. They both planned to have sex. No, not sex - make love. It was what they both wanted.

He could understand how that would have hurt Cameron to be rejected like that. Still, she came to Mexico to save him. She'd stopped Cromartie on top of it.

John also knew Cameron might order Duplicate Cameron to return in her place as 'Cameron Prime'. He knew there would be no way to tell and he'd been with one Duplicate Cameron for months anyway. It was still Cameron, not a clone or alternate future version of her. No one knew she wasn't Cameron, not even Duplicate Cameron. That revelation came later.

There was another thing that nagged at him. He knew that a Duplicate version of Cameron ASKED to return to Future John and not to him…. If a Duplicate Cameron thought that way - so did Cameron. They were identical. They were the SAME 'person'. They were the same program. It didn't seem promising any way it was looked at.

He knew the other Duplicate Cameron chose to stay with River in her future too. That was after she'd been with him. That was all possible because that was the same thing Cameron left to do herself at one point.

NONE of this looked like it would end well for him.

It seemed when 'Cameron' was offered a 'better' choice that she was more than willing to take it. Two Duplicates of Cameron chose to be with someone other than him. Maybe that was because he was hung up on her appearance more than her program. River and Future John saw Cameron for who she truly was.

Cameron wanted to keep this as simple as possible. She was going to attempt to visit each future to determine what was happening in each one of them.

She would try to visit her future first.

With the improved TDE and all the temporal data, Cameron determined she could reach each future. They'd sent one Duplicate Cameron into her future. They didn't have any idea if it worked. They'd set up a test schedule but Cameron wanted to accelerate the timeline.

Cameron was unsure how she should proceed. She didn't want to endanger Savannah or Claire needlessly. The risk of a temporal error was always there. IF she sent Savannah or Claire, she was going to be there with them. Cammy and Hanna both wanted to go with their 'special friend'. She was against that idea. She didn't want more Metal there, especially more Metal that LOOKED like her or other people there already. The anti-Metal faction was still a threat. She was really afraid they would intensify their efforts to assassinate Future John. The anti-Metal faction would only see it as him trying to 'replace' the human females with more machines that looked like humans.

Savannah reminded Cameron how a girl can get lonely. That left her with several choices. She figured the easiest choice was bring Cammy or Hanna along in a different chassis with a different sheath. She currently possessed two Metal females that were deactivated. One was Resequenced, one was not. The second choice was to ask Cammy or Hanna to switch chips with Holly or Gail. That would take a lot of people to agree to some changes.

Cameron wanted this all in place before she started. She didn't want any last second changes. Everyone needed to be on the same page from the start to the finish.

Holly often saw the hungry eyes of Claire upon her before Claire hooked up with Hanna. She also saw the hungry eyes of Allison as she looked at Hanna. That was understandable since Hanna looked like her long term lover Vanna.

Cameron talked about the chassis switch. The other choice was to trade with Cammy. Holly wanted to look like 'Cameron'. If she switched with Cammy she would. Savannah and Claire were both fine women and would not abuse her chassis. It was a lot to think about. Hanna or Cammy would need her chassis. She would let Allison decide which chassis she wanted That would give Allison the choice to pick one that looked like her longtime lover or the individual she really loved - Cameron.

Holly decided to ask Allison. She took her to her room alone and closed the door.

"Allison, we need to talk about something.' Holly said.

Allison could see Holly looked serious. She wondered if there was something wrong. Her first fear was for her baby. She touched her belly.

She could tell that Allison read the whole thing the wrong way. This wasn't how she wanted to start this conversation.

"The baby is fine." Holly said.

Allison was still worried anyway. Something wasn't.

"What's wrong?" Allison asked. "I know something is."

Holly didn't want this to get away from her.

"Cameron will need to use my chassis for her mission into the future with Savannah and your mother." Holly said.

Allison was uncomfortable with that idea. Holly wasn't the only one.

"There are others." Allison said.

Holly was up to a chassis swap for a little while.

"Maybe there will be but we need to be ready to respond if Cameron needs my assistance." Holly said. "I can swap with Cammy or Hanna. I want you to choose for us."

Allison was instantly intrigued with that prospect. She could have the Metal version of Vanna or be with 'Cameron'. She wanted both of those to happen. She also didn't like for Holly to be 'used' by others.

"I can't make that choice, Holly." Allison said. "I love you the way you are."

Holly wanted to be 'someone different'. Maybe that was something left over on her chip from when Duplicate Cameron was on it. She tried to stick to the logical explanations.

"Your mother or Savannah will need companionship. Cameron doesn't want more Metal that looks like Future Allison or Future Savannah there. It will be bad enough with her and Duplicate Cameron there." Holly said. "My program is me. I will accept whatever you choose."

As much as Allison wanted Holly to be 'different' for a little while, she also didn't want that at all. She didn't want to make the pick herself.

"Which one would you prefer?" Allison asked. "Or would you rather not switch?"

Holly could sense Allison's reluctance. She still would like to switch but she wanted Allison to be content.

"I want to make you happy." Holly said. "I know you love the people who look like either chassis."

Allison looked down. She couldn't deny the truth in that regard. Her desires ran deep and strong.

"I have many shortcomings." Allison said. "I can't help who I am."

Holly didn't mean to insult Allison. A fact was a fact. It wasn't an 'attack' on her part. Maybe she should point out the best case scenario. She doubted it would actually play out like that but it could.

"I didn't mean anything bad, Allison." Holly said. "If it works like Cameron thinks. They would leave and come back all within a few minutes in real time after being there for ten months. I guess it would come down to who you want to share my chassis with, Savannah or your mother. We would not have time to do 'anything' ourselves in the present."

Allison didn't see any advantage to her in that case. The whole idea bothered her. Other issues crept into her mind.

"I don't think I want you to switch, Holly." Allison said. "I love you like you are. I don't want anyone to 'use' your chassis. I wouldn't want anyone to use 'mine'."

Allison thought back to the times it was 'used' without her consent by force. She knew Vanna and Jesse suffered far worse. Her assaults were over very quickly. Vanna and Jesse weren't as 'lucky'. Some of theirs went on for days, weeks and even months at a time.

Holly was touched by Allison's possessiveness for her. It showed that Allison truly loved her. There was still the future to deal with.

"I love you even more for that, Allison." Holly said. "Cameron needs our help. It's our duty to help her."

Allison thought this was another act of selfishness on Cameron's part. She was the one behind it all.

"What about Cameron?" Allison asked. "Is she going to switch chassis?"

Holly thought Cameron may want to seek vengeance for what was 'done' to her. It seemed logical to her anyway. There were things she felt any Terminator would do if they were 'wronged'.

"Cameron may switch chassis with Sheila and infiltrate the anti-Metal group in her future." Holly said. "It's an option she wants to keep open."

Allison could see the logic in that. Payback was a Bitch. It seemed like Sheila was a poor choice for anyone to loan their chassis too. Sheila was pretty extreme at times.

"Do you really think Cameron would let Sheila use her chassis?" Allison asked. "Sheila would abuse it."

Holly knew that when Sheila swapped chassis with Ally and Hanna before she made some 'modifications'. Luckily the things she modified regenerated to their original appearance. She was sure Sheila would fear deactivation for any such infraction against Cameron.

"I really don't know." Holly said. "I can't imagine that. It would only be for a few minutes anyway if everything worked out."

The more Allison thought about it, the less she liked the idea. She loved Holly and she loved her appearance. Holly was one of a kind. There was a chance she might not want to switch back. There was also the possibility her chassis could be captured by Skynet or the anti-Metal group. She knew what the latter group would do with Holly's chassis. She could picture the men lining up now. Vanna told her what that was like to watch a line start to form as she was held down. She said the laughing, insults and jeers were the worst part sometimes. They made it seem like it was all her fault and idea when she was the victim. Vanna's only 'crime' was being an attractive female by birth.

"No. I don't want you to switch, Holly." Allison said. "I'll tell Cameron myself. You belong to ME."

Holly was disappointed to hear that. She didn't let her facial expression show it.

"Affirmative…." Holly said.

Cameron was aware that the girls more that Terminators might not want to switch things around. She couldn't blame them. She remembered the trouble she'd experienced with a different chassis. People found the change hard to deal with. It still angered her to think about it. Her program was her. Not a changeable sheath or replaceable chassis.

Now Cameron was angry at John for him not sharing with her as Isabel or Summer. She wanted those experiences as 'someone different'. How hard would it have been to give her that?

Cameron would need to work something out when that time came. First she needed to visit the different futures and see what was happening.

Everyone could be dead when she arrived. Skynet could have used Cobalt and created the dreaded C-Bomb and salted the earth with Cobalt radiation. Humans could be extinct. If that were the case she would need to come back and return before that happened and prevent it in the first place.

She looked down at her left hand and was disgusted. The glitch did nothing but prove she was defective. It also allowed everyone else to see she was defective. Maybe that was fair and just 'punishment' for all of her transgressions.

Cameron asked Ally and Sheila to stand by at her TDE. She was ready to go. The time for thought and supposition was over. Things didn't get done thinking about them.

Sheila really hoped Cameron would switch chips with her. She would love to be in Cameron's chassis, even if it was only for a few minutes for her. The plan was for Cameron to only be in the future for four hours. That was the amount of time that the time bubble was to be sent again in Cameron's future timeline. Sheila would send it to return, two minutes after Cameron left but it would be four hours for Cameron in her future.

That would also be the test for when it was a longer period of time for ten months. If something went wrong now. It was sure to go wrong then too. It was a real possibility. Anything could happen.

"Are you ready, love?" Sheila asked.

"Yes." Cameron said.

As Ally and Sheila watched, Cameron stripped off her clothes. Both of them took in her beauty. Ally wondered how Cameron could always look so much better than her. Their sheaths were identical. It made no sense to her.

Cameron stood naked before Ally. This could be the end for her. She tried to cover all the bases for John. She wanted him to be happy and not know her fate. Ally agreed to 'step up' and sacrifice.

"I've updated my spare chip." Cameron said. "You know what to do if I don't make it."

Ally knew that would affect her existence. She would need a new chassis at that point or cease to exist herself.

"I do." Ally said. "This chassis with your spare chip will become Cameron Prime."

Cameron didn't want Ally to feel all was lost. There were options available to her. Ally could have 'fresh start' too if she wanted it.

"You may choose any DNA for your new chassis, Ally. I appreciate your sacrifice." Cameron said. "John must never know I - perished."

'Everyone sacrifices for John Connor.' Ally thought.

"It will be as if you never left." Ally said.

Ally held up her left hand, on it were Cameron's rings.

Cameron smiled. She knew where her rings were all along. She was the one who gave them to Ally. She didn't want to tell John why. She didn't want him to know she was terminated and her chassis was not the same. It should be a seamless transition that way for John. She would just need to make Ally's chassis look tight.

Cameron moved to the center of the TDE pad.

"Do it." Cameron said.

The arcing and flashing started. The energy bubble formed. There was a flash of light and energy.

The arcing and flashing dissipated into silence.

The TDE pad was empty.

Cameron was – gone.

Reluctance

One can lead a horse to water
But they can't make it drink
The trouble with people
Is they don't seem to think

Everyone wants to play
Their own version of the game
No one is ever on the same page
The rules are never the same

Few care to actually listen
Because they don't really care
Fleeting victory often goes
To those who take a dare

When it all falls apart
It is back to square one
The sad part seems to be
Those who lost think they've won

To catch one's eye
Takes more than a glance
It may develop into a trance
Soon overshadowed by reluctance

Nobody