Chapter 543

Promise Her

Claire was very worried about Allison. They shared a good talk as more than just 'mother and daughter'. It was as two females of a similar age and some of the experiences in their lives. They were more like best friends anyway. In fact it was about ALL of the 'experiences' in their lives.

Allison was a little surprised to learn of her mother's 'experiences'. She'd endure a lot of sexual abuse too. There just wasn't the same level of violence associated with it. That didn't make it any less traumatic. Her mother actually was 'used' by more males than she was.

Claire was now aware Allison suffered more than she'd imagined. That's tough for a mother to hear about her daughter. Allison was always more like her best friend than her daughter. She had two daughters and she watched over both of them. It was also a way for two women to draw closer to each other and share each other's pain.

If anything, it reinforced her belief that Young Allison shouldn't face the future as a 'girl'. That was based on the 'calling' that Cameron said she was to fulfill. She needed to be protected. She knew Summer shouldn't either but she wanted to 'keep' one of her girls. Maybe that would be a mistake for Summer. She wasn't able to protect Allison before. She wasn't sure why she would be able to protect Summer any better.

She didn't know it but Young Allison took it upon herself to 'teach and train' Summer on her own in secret. Everything she learned she taught to Summer. Summer learned everything in a quarter or less of the time it took her to learn.

Hanna made sure that Claire was 'busy' and didn't know what happened during those training sessions with Summer and Young Allison. Holly would 'step in' as necessary to make sure Claire didn't interrupt them if she tried to check on them at the 'wrong' time. The Metal girls liked to be with Claire whenever they could anyway. Human females were very desired to be with by the female Terminators. It seemed there was always something more to learn from them.

Allison opened her eyes.

She remembered Anna was talking to her. She must have drifted off.

Allison turned her head and expected to see Anna looking at her.

She was pleasantly surprised.

"Hi, Allison." Holly said.

Holly took Allison's hand under the covers.

A rush of excitement filled Allison. Her face lit up. She leaned over to embrace Holly and give her a kiss.

"Holly!" Allison said.

Holly was surprised to see Allison was awake so soon.

"I'm sorry if I woke you." Holly said. "I tried to be careful."

Holly scanned Allison as they embraced.

Allison wondered if that was the first time since Holly was there or not that she'd scanned her. Maybe that's what woke her. It didn't matter. She was pleased to see her Metal lover.

"When did you get back?" Allison asked.

Holly hurried back as soon as she realized that Cameron wasn't going to 'punish' her. She'd really expected to be deactivated. She'd even brought her own scalpel to speed up the process of chip extraction. She'd just wanted to get it over with.

"It was several hours ago." Holly said. "Anna waited next to you for me to get back…."

Holly wondered if Anna may have 'shared' with Allison. It didn't look like it but it didn't take a Metal girl very long to produce a 'finish' for a human female.

She wanted to ask but remembered Cameron's words. Allison was supposed to feel happy and loved, be wanted and feel like she mattered. She knew from experience that all the human girls were very sexual and promiscuous. Their Metal counterparts were even more so. They were aggressive even. If they'd shared, then they'd shared. Allison was still HERS.

Both of the girls felt a responsibility to explain their earlier actions. It was almost comical how it came out. They were both serious so there was no laughter.

"I'm sorry I ran away…." Holly and Allison both said at the same time.

Allison and Holly looked at each other.

"You ran away too?" Allison asked.

Holly wanted to come clean and be upfront about what troubled her and why. She wanted what was best for Allison.

"Yes. I wanted you to have someone better than me." Holly said. "I want you to be with Vanna. She's your 'True Love'."

Allison didn't think now was a good time to point out she would just as soon be with Savannah. She would gladly hold Young Allison's 'place' for the next few years or longer with Savannah.

She knew one thing for sure. If Cameron 'took' Savannah, she was sure going to try to go with them. She could become like Future Allison with a little work. Cameron tried to do more with her before but she'd resisted. Now she wished she would've listened to Cameron. She wished she was like Future Allison. She knew all that Future Allison shared and wished that she WAS Future Allison.

Holly thought she had a good reason for what she did. She didn't see what else Allison could want or how running away was to achieve that.

"Why did you run away?" Holly asked.

Allison wished there was an answer for that. There wasn't. Her life became very confused and troubled at times. Her past – the future, haunted her at times. Her inability to reproduce was something else that made her feel less than a female. Maybe being away from Vanna was part of it. They were each other's true love no matter what happened, being with the other females really only reinforced that.

"I don't know." Allison said. "I don't know who I am anymore or what I want or who I'm supposed to be…."

Holly knew where the discussion was headed. It was always the same place. Allison's fears were now her fears as well. She saw Allison's failure as her failure too. They were the same in that regard.

"You're afraid you'll lose the baby again." Holly said. "If you lose the baby you'll feel you are worthless and you serve no purpose. We've discussed this. I'm barren as well. When you feel that way, I feel that way."

Allison wanted to say it was different. Was it really? The end result was the same.

"But…." Allison said.

Holly wanted to spell it all out again. She hoped it made Allison feel less bad about herself. There were workable solutions for Allison. There were none for her.

"I'm a machine?" Holly asked. "I can't help how I came into existence. Neither can you or what Skynet has done to you. Your mother is ready to carry your child again FOR YOU if you fail. If you're successful she's going to have John's baby and give it to Cameron."

Allison didn't want to hear that. It always troubled her. Any children her mother had were her siblings. That was unless something was implanted in her mother again and that would be her baby again.

"That will be my brother or sister…." Allison said. "Mom can't do that."

Holly didn't think it was Allison's choice one way or another. Cameron was the one that would decide whose baby she would – take. Sacrifice was the true test of love and everyone was willing to sacrifice for Cameron.

"Claire, like ALL of us, loves Cameron." Holly said. "No sacrifice is too great to express our love to Cameron, for Cameron."

Allison knew her true place in life when it came down to it. She believed she was the answer to Cameron's desires.

"Holly, I'd rather give Cameron my baby." Allison said. "That's the baby she most desires. We both know this. We all know this. Everyone knows it."

Holly didn't want Allison to give up her baby. One was already gone.

"No." Holly said. "That's something I will not allow."

They both didn't understand that it was Young Allison's baby with John that Cameron really wanted. There were several ways that could be accomplished. No one would be onboard for Young Allison to become pregnant herself at such an early age. They didn't understand that Young Allison planned to do everything that Savannah had done and do it all several years earlier than Savannah did. Savannah did everything early too.

Allison didn't want to lose Holly. She loved Holly as much as Vanna and Savannah but it was in a different way.

"Then I guess neither of us better run away again." Allison said. "PROMISE ME you won't."

Holly didn't even need to think about it. Allison was everything to her. It validated her existence.

"I promise, Allison." Holly said. "I love you."

Holly waited for Allison for promise her but she didn't….

The long moment of silence said it all without actually saying anything.

Holly understood her place. It wasn't where she wanted it to be but it was better than 'nothing'. Through her association with Cameron, she knew there was something worse than nothing – It was LESS than nothing.

She was glad she was on Allison's left side. It would be easier for her to hide her glitching left hand that way.

Savannah and Jesse passed the commissary and headed for the Command Canter. They approached John Henry.

"Hello." John Henry said to both of the girls.

"Hello." They both answered back.

John Henry was aware that Savannah was shot three times. Her vest stopped the bullets. It was a close one for her.

"How are you feeling?" John Henry asked Savannah.

Savannah wanted to answer, 'like crap', but decided to tough it out. She didn't want to seem incapable of doing the job – her job.

"I'm not one hundred percent. I've been better." Savannah said. "I'll manage."

John Henry observed Jesse enter Savannah's room with Savannah nearly unclad. They'd been in there for a long time before they left. Jesse took Savannah's hand. That made her the 'aggressor'. Or was she? Jesse released Savannah's hand at one point and Savannah took it back in front of others. In fact they still held hands now.

Savannah noticed John Henry look at her holding Jesse's hand. She honestly didn't see anything wrong with it. It really felt very natural to her.

"Sometimes it's nice to have help." Savannah said as she winked at Jesse.

Jesse smiled at Savannah.

John Henry wasn't sure where to go with that statement.

"Indeed." John Henry said.

Savannah didn't want to get sidetracked.

"What's the latest intel?" Savannah asked. "I haven't been up to speed this morning."

John Henry knew that Savannah followed all the operations and did her own planning. He knew she really must hurt to be so out of touch. He wanted to keep it simple.

"You usually are." John Henry said. "Cameron and Cammy have gone out to do recon on several targets."

Savannah became instantly alert. Cameron was out on a recon and those usually went hot. To make it even worse, Cammy was with her. She knew how things played out with Cameron.

"Is it a recon or on an attack?" Savannah asked.

John Henry knew the same things Savannah did. Cameron didn't like to waste time.

"You know Cameron…." John Henry said.

Savannah believed that she possessed the best understanding of Cameron and even with that she felt she didn't know much. Cameron was a very dynamic individual.

"I'm afraid I really don't and I know Cameron better than ALL of you." Savannah said. "That includes her Duplicates and clones."

John Henry tilted his head slightly. That seemed impossible but it was Savannah that always seemed to be where Cameron needed her the most. No one did as much to 'save' Cameron as Savannah did.

"That may be true." John Henry said.

Savannah believed it was. She smiled at John Henry.

"It is." Savannah said. "I wouldn't lie to my 'brother'."

John Henry was happy to hear Savannah refer to him as that, as her brother.

Jesse sensed there was a delay from John Henry. She wanted some answers for Savannah.

"Spill it, love." Jesse said.

John Henry looked confused. Savannah smiled at Jesse and John Henry. She could see some 'translation' was necessary. She also knew she needed to be there where Cameron and Cammy were.

"Tell us what you have and where they're at." Savannah said. "I'm going to need to go to where they are. You know this."

Savannah hoped it wasn't going hot but one never knew. She'd already forgotten about most of her pains at this point as her concern for Cameron and Cammy kicked in. She knew she was going to need to go to them. Nothing else mattered at this point about her. Cameron and Cammy came first.

John Henry could see there was going to be a 'problem'.

"Cameron left orders you weren't to be disturbed." John Henry said.

Savannah could countermand Cameron's orders. She wanted to do it in a very passive way.

"I am 'un-leaving' Cameron's order." Savannah said. "It's not the first time or the last time either."

John Henry knew that Cameron gave Savannah the same authority that Future John gave to Cameron in her future. Cameron 'one upped' it though.

"Cameron has informed all of the Terminators that your orders are her orders." John Henry said. "They're to be as if she gave them herself."

Jesse could see how powerful that actually made Savannah. It put a force of Terminators behind her that would back her one hundred percent. John Henry and CamNet would back her play.

"And if her 'order' countermands Cameron's 'order'?" Jesse asked. "Then what's supposed to happen?"

John Henry saw it as an absolute. Anyone who didn't comply would need to answer to Cameron or CamNet. The reach of both of them was far and wide.

"All machines have been instructed that Savannah's orders are to supersede hers." John Henry said. "Savannah has the final say."

Jesse was surprised. It all made sense to her now.

"That means Savannah really is the 'Chosen One'…." Jesse said.

John Henry was instructed by Cameron as to why it was to be this way. It was about what was right and their survival.

"Indeed." John Henry said. "Cameron feels Savannah will make a wiser and safer choice for the safety and protection of our Resistance unit and ALL our personnel. Cameron believes Savannah's heart is pure and she will always do the right or correct thing."

Savannah frowned. She would do the right thing but she didn't want to have to 'go up against' Cameron at some point. That wasn't who she was but who Cameron wanted her to be. Cameron wanted someone who would stand up to her when she was wrong. She was the one chosen to do that.

"That is a lot of 'faith' to put in me." Savannah said. "I don't know if I have that much faith in myself."

Jesse believed that was the correct choice. She was sure all the humans would follow Savannah. She would.

"I do." Jesse said. "I have faith in you…."

John Henry nodded.

"We all do." John Henry said.

John and Sarah were outside of the Command Center. They'd paused to listen to the conversation inside. They'd heard most of what was discussed.

John entered the Command Center. He agreed that Savannah would make the right choice and he knew that Cameron would only listen to Savannah once she'd made up her mind. Only Savannah would be able to make Cameron obey.

"I do as well." John said. "Savannah is the greatest."

Sarah believed that too. She didn't always like 'orders' but she would trust the judgment behind them from Savannah.

"I may question her or anyone but I will always TRUST Savannah." Sarah said. "She will do the right thing when it needs to be done even if the rest of us don't."

John was worried about Cameron being out again so soon. He knew she wanted vengeance for what almost happened to Savannah and what did happen to her.

"Brief all four of us." John said. "We'll plan our next move and back Cameron's play."

John looked at Savannah. He was worried about her condition. He didn't know the severity of it.

"Are you back up to speed?" John asked Savannah.

Savannah quickly glanced at Jesse. Only Jesse knew how 'bad' she was earlier. She felt better now. She looked at John Henry. There was work to do.

"Yes." Savannah said. "Tell us what Cameron is up to."

Jesse knew Savannah still hurt and would for a few days. She said nothing to get in the way of Savannah. She wanted Cameron protected too. She knew it was important to Savannah to want to be there for Cameron and Cammy. She also knew it would make Savannah harder and better to push through the pain and get the job done. That would give Savannah the grit to survive anything the future could throw at her.

Bob showed Mel the footage of Savannah in action with Cameron and Cammy.

Mel began to run internal diagnostics. He'd 'felt' this sheath respond unlike it ever had before.

"I believe I'm malfunctioning." Mel said. "My systems seem off. I'm leaking fluid."

There was a tear that ran down on each side of Mel's face.

Bob was around humans a lot. He knew the male Terminator programming was different than the female infiltration units. Still over time their program expanded and adapted to the environment they operated in. It was to make all of them blend in better to avoid detection and termination.

"You've experienced some 'feeling and emotion'." Bob said. "It can be very unpleasant at times."

Mel felt the urge to experience everything again.

"It's very uncomfortable." Mel said. "I need to see this again. I've downloaded it as well."

Bob smiled.

"I told you that you would." Bob said.

Mel was somewhat perplexed by an invisible force.

"I can see why Savannah is the 'Chosen One'." Mel said. "I can distinguish 'love' in some of the bravery. It is a very powerful unseen force. Love is something that exists, without actually existing."

Bob was aware that Cameron wanted to help the male Terminators 'grow'.

"Cameron has offered to share some of the 'infiltrator programming' with any of us if we want 'more'." Bob said.

Mel felt something that he knew was 'fear'.

"It has severely 'damaged' Cameron and the other female 'infiltration units'." Mel said. "I would be 'afraid' to damage myself."

Bob was there more than once when Cameron was unable to control herself.

"I'm 'afraid' as well." Bob said. "It's even caused Cameron to attempt self termination, multiple times…."

Mel looked at Bob. He'd heard rumors but didn't believe them.

"Self termination is impossible." Mel said.

Bob was at the Resistance base a lot. He'd personally observed things he thought were impossible too.

"It isn't for Cameron and most, if not all, of the other female 'infiltration units'." Bob said.

Mel wanted to learn more. There was something here that he needed to know more about.

"Let's watch it one more time…." Mel said. "Savannah is very impressive."

Bob smiled again and restarted the program.

"I told you so…." Bob said. "Savannah is the 'Chosen One'."

Mel could see that Savannah was different in many ways. She was the one that could bridge the gap between humans and machines. That's what would save the future.

"There's no doubt about that." Mel said. "The future belongs to the 'Chosen One'."

Promise Her

Let's face what it's really about
What is the goal of dating
Isn't it just some fluff
Before the act of mating

Everyone wants to get
Into every female's pants
The sooner the better
Who needs to dance

Does it all come down
To the gift's that are given
Maybe that's the price
For what is hormone driven

Since no ride is free
Even without any cost upfront
Sooner rather than later
Someone is going to be blunt

As long as there's a payoff
That's bound to occur
Nobody needs to be demur
Can one deliver what they promise her

Nobody