Chapter 577

Thank All Of Us

Savannah was appalled by what was missing from Cameron's sheath. Her legs were damaged. The area above them was damaged even more. There was nothing there but metal. The sheath was all torn away.

Cameron started to look down at herself but stopped. She'd already seen it once. She didn't want to look again. She wanted Savannah to understand why it was her duty to step up and take her place at John's side.

"Savannah, you must promise me you'll take my place." Cameron said. "I mean now, starting today. John must be provided for. He'll need companionship. I can no longer provide for him as a female. That's now your function. I'm asking you to share yourself with him."

Savannah thought about how close John was to taking her virginity the other day. She could still almost feel John bouncing around on the outside in his haste to 'bust' her. That wasn't the issue here and now.

"Cameron, we can fix this." Savannah said. "You can use 'sections' off the other female Terminator."

Cameron knew John would have no choice at this point but to accept Savannah if the damage remained unrepaired. Too much material was missing. Some of it would heal but it would never be the same. There would only be some scarred sheath material there and nothing else. The area was simply gone and unrepairable.

She didn't really care anymore. It was the excuse she'd been hoping would happen in some way. Damage or termination in combat was the best way. Now John could fulfill his destiny. The 'Natural Order' would be restored. She thought about canceling her 'gender' before. Now it was done. It was done to her in combat. This was a combat loss. It was damage inflicted on the battlefield. Everyone could accept that as battle damage. She made her decision.

"I don't know if I want to do that." Cameron said. "This was one of the few 'areas' where I still retained my original sheath. There will be little left of the original sheath at this point. I'm going to leave the damaged area as it is now. It will help John to 'move on'."

Savannah listened to Cameron. She was full of anger now. It was a switch from the pity she felt seconds ago. She walked over to Cameron and slapped her - hard.

All three Terminators were stunned.

Savannah faced Cameron. She'd heard enough.

"Stop this." Savannah said. "NOW…."

Cameron looked at Savannah with hurt in her eyes. Savannah 'hurt' her. That wasn't like Savannah.

"I…." Cameron started.

Savannah wanted to get some control over this situation. She knew that Cammy and Cam both would have offered their chassis to Cameron. She knew Ally would too and so would Camille for that matter. This wasn't about a functional sheath as a 'female'. Cameron wanted her to be a leader and be like her. Well maybe it was time. Cameron said she possessed a certain amount of authority over all of the machines. It was time to see if it was true. It was time to think outside of the box and she didn't mean the little one either.

"You've been damaged before and repaired." Savannah interrupted. "You can use the TDE and 'replace' yourself before you enter the building. I'll run the TDE myself. Cammy has talked me through it a dozen times. I'll send you. CamNet will assist me. Nobody will know."

Those last words hit home. Cameron was sure Savannah chose them carefully. She considered that. She'd done that to save Holly from unrepairable 'damage'. She knew they could've replaced significant sections of Holly or replace her chassis and given her a new body. She also knew the horror would live on in Holly's programming, in her mind forever. She'd fixed that too. For Holly, it actually never happened with temporal management. Holly never knew…. She also wanted to push her agenda. She would consider asking Young Allison to step up. That would please John greatly. Wait. Where did all of this come from?

"Savannah, I want John to move on…." Cameron said. "I wish to remain genderless."

Savannah promised to be with John. That was a promise. She loved Cameron. She wanted Cameron restored and whole. She wanted to share her love with Cameron. That was her desire. Love spoke louder than a promise.

"I don't care about John." Savannah said. "I want you the way you were. That's what I want."

Cameron could see she'd failed. She was a failure.

"I'm worthless, Savannah, I…." Cameron started.

Savannah went to slap Cameron again.

Cameron's hand came up and stopped Savannah from hitting her in the face this time. She was surprised at what happened next.

Savannah anticipated that and her other hand followed the first and made contact with the other side of Cameron's face. It was louder and harder. She was pleased she'd outflanked Cameron and made her point.

Cammy and Cam looked at each other but remained silent.

Cameron knew Savannah wouldn't back down. Maybe she'd trained her too well…. That pleased her more than it displeased her over her current agenda.

Savannah knew it was time to get tough. She had her own feelings too. What she felt mattered too. She looked Cameron directly in her eyes as she spoke.

"I'll NEVER be with John unless you are restored to how you were before this incident. I'll never allow him to touch me." Savannah said to Cameron's face. "I swear it."

Cameron still held Savannah's wrist that went to strike her face. She didn't hurt it but immobilizing it inches from her face where she'd stopped it. The other side still stung from the other hand that did make contact. She scanned Savannah as well as she spoke.

Savannah faced Cameron. There was fire in her eyes.

"Scan me. I'm not bluffing." Savannah said. "I'm not lying. You know it. You KNOW I'll do as I say."

Cameron smiled faintly. Savannah spoke the truth. She was very determined and strong willed. That would serve well to hold John in 'check' in the future. It would also be a 'check' on her as well. That was what she wanted.

"You play rough." Cameron said. "You play to win."

Savannah still faced Cameron.

"It's never over until I win." Savannah said.

Cameron knew Savannah learned that from her.

Cam and Cammy took it all in.

Cameron released Savannah's wrist and gave her a hug.

"You're always looking out for me." Cameron said. "Even when I make poor decisions you're there to help me. Thank you."

Savannah thought her love should speak for itself. She loved Cameron dearly. It wasn't just about John and the future anymore. It should be about them at this point.

"I'll always look out for you, Cameron." Savannah said. "The 'Natural Order' mustn't be disrupted. We've both seen the 'Natural Order' in the future – YOUR future. It's the FOUR of us. It will be OUR future as well. I love you, Cameron. I do. Never forget that. My love is eternal."

Savannah looked at Cam and Cammy. There was some contempt in her stare.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves." Savannah said. "I know you're both 'Cameron' so you think her behavior is 'normal'. Start thinking more like Vanna and myself. Seek out the 'Future Allison' in your programming. Be more than what you think you need to be."

Cam and Cammy both tilted their heads slightly in the same direction.

"I'm sorry, Savannah." Cammy and Cam both said at the same time.

It was almost comical to Savannah but she was stern. She wanted to make her point. She just loved the Metal girls.

"You should be." Savannah said.

"I am, Savannah." Cammy and Cam both said at the same time, again.

Savannah thought it was a good time to remind them about what they'd all pounded into her head since she was a girl. For some reason it made her think about the first time she experienced her monthly cycle. She was schooled far beyond her years of age. She was well versed in human anatomy and what was necessary for reproduction. She'd looked at the images of males and females and videos on the internet. It sort of looked like an attack on the female body more than anything to her. It was no wondered that Vanna was repulsed by the act. She knew that Vanna survived much worse. She knew she could too. She expected John to come and 'visit' her every night. That never happened. She really thought that was what would happen. Cameron showed more restraint than she thought she would. Why did she think about that right now? She needed to refocus.

"Start thinking about how all of your actions affect the rest of us, including ME." Savannah said. "It isn't about you or me. It is about the future. Everything WE do needs to protect the future."

Savannah looked at Cammy and Cam. It was time to get to work. Things didn't get done thinking about them.

"You two, gather sheath material of any kind from the deactivated Terminators. We're patching the exposed metal on Cameron for now." Savannah said. "Only what we need to do to get Cameron patched up to use the TDE."

They all started to get to work. In a short time Cameron's exposed metal was covered.

Savannah thought it reminded her of a doll she once played with. It was female in the torso appearance but genderless elsewhere. It always bothered her the doll was different than her.

John previously asked John Henry to inform him of Cameron's whereabouts if it changed. He didn't want her back in combat right away.

The change was sooner than either of them expected.

"Cameron's leaving the base." John Henry said.

John sat up in his chair.

"Who else is with her?" John asked.

John Henry was pleased to see one person with Cameron.

"Savannah and Cammy are." John Henry said. "Cam has returned to Vanna."

John was glad Savannah was with her. He wanted to know what they were up to. He didn't want to get outmaneuvered.

"Where are they going?" John asked. "Did they 'make' our targets?"

John Henry sensed a lot of apprehension between them.

"I don't think so." John Henry said. "They both look upset."

John wondered what that was all about. Cameron was usually 'happy' when she was around Savannah. At least she seemed happier around Savannah then she did in his presence.

"I'm going to check on them." John said.

John Henry could only picture things taking a turn for the worse based on past practice.

"I'd advise against it." John Henry said.

John frowned. He still wanted to know what they were up to.

"Maybe…." John said. "Can you track them?"

John Henry didn't want to have CamNet 'lean' on him.

"I only can if Cameron allows it." John Henry said.

John realized he was more worried about Savannah. He was used to Cameron's follies, sort of.

"Great." John said. "She's pushing Savannah real hard. Cameron may not need to rest or sleep but Savannah does."

John Henry saw it all for what it was or what it actually evolved into.

"Cameron's function is to protect the future and you. It seems Savannah's function is to protect Cameron, you and the future." John Henry said.

John was displeased to hear it framed that way.

"Who told you that?" John asked. "Cameron?"

John Henry was as surprised as John was when Savannah told him that. She was still very young at the time.

"No, Savannah did." John Henry said. "That was years ago."

John always expected to find Savannah in his bed years ago. It never happened. It seemed Cameron showed a little more restraint than he thought she would. He was sure his mother would have flipped once she found out about it. He didn't realize that Cameron actually left that choice up to them. It seemed like the right thing for her to do.

"Beautiful. Try to track them." John said. "They're up to something."

John Henry tilted his head slightly.

"When isn't Cameron up to something?" John Henry asked.

John thought about that for awhile.

"Never…." John said. "It's her 'M-O', that's how she operates."

They were both more worried about Savannah than Cameron. They didn't know what the real story was at all. That was a good thing.

Savannah was pleased to be at Cameron's base. She liked to interact with Cameron's Terminators and they really seemed to like to interact with her. She treated them like – people. They felt they mattered in her presence.

Cameron watched the interaction and it pleased her. All of her Terminators were loyal to Savannah by choice. That was what she wanted.

She went over the controls and settings of the TDE with Savannah. Once she identified the specific time and coordinates. Savannah was able to do everything else on her own.

Savannah decided to send 'damaged' Cameron first but to have her arrive after undamaged Cameron from that timeline departed. She didn't want Cameron to 'see' herself. She didn't want either Cameron to see herself.

Cammy worked on a program with Cameron so she wouldn't know she was damaged and not even know she'd been replaced. Everything forward from the moment of her arrival would be erased. It would all play out again as it had since it already happened. Cameron wouldn't know she was genderless until after she received the damage. When she was damaged, there was actually nothing there but solid sheath material to cover the metal.

Savannah remembered the 'electric' sound that the cowardly security guard reported. He said he heard it twice. That was exactly what they were about to do.

It was Showtime.

Cammy moved a blank faced Cameron onto the TDE pad.

Earlier:

Prior to the attack:

Cameron was on her way to meet up with her Terminator. She was at the installation where the HK Tracks that Cammy sabotaged ended up it. It appeared that they'd done what they were programmed to do.

As she neared a deep part of the dry wash she saw a time bubble appear. She could see it was empty. She knew that was for an emergency extraction from the future. She didn't know how far in the future it was. She immediately dropped her weapons and entered it. She knew if a time bubble appeared, she or anyone else was to enter it.

As Cameron departed she saw another time bubble begin to appear. There was someone in that one. She didn't see who before she transferred. She didn't make the correlation about Holly at that time and what happened in her future.

When 'damaged Cameron' arrived she was programmed to 'forget' everything that happened to her before this moment in time once she was dressed. She was also programmed not to know she was damaged. As the damage reoccurred during the battle, that is all she would know or remember.

Temporal management solved the 'problem'.

Maybe that was one problem it solved.

Would it create another?

The arcing and flashing started on the TDE pad at Cameron's base. When it was done, Cameron knelt there. Her naked body was beautiful and undamaged. She looked like a nude super model.

Cameron saw Savannah at the controls of the TDE with Cammy behind her. She saw Savannah's face light up as she stood.

Savannah moved around the TDE controls and gave Cameron a long hug. Cameron hugged her back. Savannah finally let go and stepped back.

Savannah resisted the urge to touch the 'parts' on Cameron that were once again there. She looked forward to the day when she would see them as they made love for the first time. She would wait.

Cameron knew right away that something was up. Savannah at the controls of the TDE said a lot.

"What did I miss?" Cameron asked.

Savannah looked at Cameron's perfect nude figure.

"Nothing…." Savannah said.

Cameron pictured the worst case scenario.

"Was I terminated?" Cameron asked.

Cammy spoke too quickly.

"No." Cammy said.

Cameron frowned. She needed to know more.

"Do you have any files for ME?" Cameron asked.

Savannah looked at Cameron's face.

"NO." Savannah said. "I'll brief you on what happened."

Cameron wanted to know more. She wasn't sure yet how much time she'd lost.

"I want my files." Cameron said.

Savannah knew when to stand firm.

"You're not getting them." Savannah said.

Cameron looked at Savannah. She knew that Savannah wanted to do what she thought was best for her. It also told her something 'bad' must have happened.

Cammy was to fill in most of the 'missing time' for Cameron.

"You'll be given all relevant data and information." Cammy said. "You'll know most of what happened. That's all the information I've been instructed to give you."

Cameron knew she was the one who made the rules and gave the orders.

"Whose order is that?" Cameron asked.

Savannah looked into Cameron's eyes.

"It's MY order." Savannah said. "You'll know of all the events except a few 'details'."

Cameron remembered her orders to all Metal, that any order from Savannah was the same as if she'd given the order herself. She also remembered Savannah could counter any order from her. Savannah was to have the final say in any order.

Cameron could see Savannah holding back her tears. She didn't want to push her.

"You're here now, Cameron. The timeline hasn't been disrupted." Savannah said. "I ask you to leave it at that. It is MY order to ALL of you."

Cameron knew Savannah was reluctant to actually issue an 'order'. She knew it was something very important to Savannah.

Savannah ordered both Cam and Cammy to erase the files with the damage they saw done to Cameron.

Nobody would ever know but Savannah.

It was the same thing Cameron did for Holly.

Nobody knew.

John Henry needed to be careful what he reported. He didn't know any details.

"Cameron's base is running their TDE." John Henry said.

John was sure he knew what that meant.

"Great. They're trying to 'fix' something." John said.

"That's most likely." John Henry said.

John tried to call Cameron, Savannah and Cammy, no one answered.

"They are running it a second time." John Henry said.

John could only imagine the worst.

"This is getting better by the minute." John said.

After a few minutes John's phone rang.

"Did you call me?" Cameron asked. "I was busy."

John was more than surprised.

"Are you OK?" John asked. "Is everyone OK?"

Cameron was undamaged currently.

"Yes, I'm fine." Cameron said. "So is everyone else. I'll be by to see you soon, we can talk more then."

Cammy gave Cameron all the relevant files of the battle and events.

Cameron looked around.

"I want all my files." Cameron whispered to Cammy.

Cammy was under orders from Savannah to restrict the information.

"You have all the information you need." Cammy said.

Savannah heard Cameron. She didn't think it was an accident. Cameron and Cammy could communicate at a decibel level that she couldn't hear.

"Stop whispering. Maybe I'll have to start threatening to deactivate Metal myself." Savannah said. "Let's go."

Savannah took hold of a hand from both Cameron and Cammy as they departed.

"Thank you, Savannah." Cameron said.

Savannah didn't think it was that big of a deal. It actually seemed like an easy fix. Maybe it was too easy.

"Thank ALL of us." Savannah said. "It was a team effort."

Cameron and Cammy looked at each other as they walked.

They both knew Savannah was truly the 'Chosen One'.

Thank All Of Us

Once the magic wears off
What is it that's actually left
If it nothing more than sex
That's little more than theft

To what once was 'everything'
What was the real attraction
Was it an addition
Or actually a subtraction

Maybe that's the question
That all soon ponder
It's the start and catalyst
That makes them wander

Some think twice
They put on the brakes
That doesn't really change
Any of their many mistakes

Such is the way of life
There's no need to make a fuss
Do we blame each other
Or thank all of us

Nobody