Chapter 714

My Fault

John was worried about his team that tracked and followed the boxcars. It didn't look like they were going to be led to where they were loading the Coltan and unloading the finished product. Instead it now looked like they were being set up.

He knew that Skynet, Terminators or Grays were aware those boxcars left the old newspaper plant the same day it was taken down. They must suspect that they were tagged and being tracked. If they searched the boxcars based on what they'd suspected, they could use that information to set the Resistance up. That was more than likely what was occurring now.

John looked at the image on the satellite map in detail one more time. All he could read out of this was a potential ambush and sucker play.

"How soon until we have more people in the area?" John asked. "I don't want someone being overrun or ambushed."

John Henry tried to get ahead of this eventuality. He felt there were sufficient personnel on the way to deal with the situation.

"They'll be there shortly." John Henry said. "I dispatched two more teams previously to cover several divergent routes. They're all converging now on the target area."

John could only see one conclusion as the events unfolded. It would be negative for the Resistance team. He would've liked to have some additional firepower in the area.

"This still reeks of a sucker play." John said. "We don't have any drones in the area."

John Henry was updated by CamNet as soon as John spoke about the drones. He was a little surprised at first.

"We don't but CamNet does." John Henry said. "She's just informed me."

John wondered if they were already over the target area.

"Are they up?" John asked. "Are they ready to attack?"

John Henry was provided with their location. They were nearby but not over the target area.

"No, but they're in the area." John Henry said. "CamNet doesn't want to tip her hand yet and have the Skynet forces inadvertently find out the drones are there. She wants their attack to be a complete surprise."

John thought that was a good idea. He wanted his troops to have as much surprise as possible if they needed to act. He knew that John Henry redirected a satellite. They should have some information soon.

"When can we see the real time satellite photos?" John asked.

John Henry verified the orbit. The satellite was on course.

"It will be nine more minutes." John Henry said.

John wanted to stay in contact with the troops at the location.

"I want to hear from the team on the ground as soon as they see something." John said.

John Henry indicated their position on the satellite overlay map.

"That should be soon." John Henry said.

John wanted the maximum amount of caution used.

"Make sure they remain concealed and don't approach the area." John said. "Not yet anyway. We need more information first."

John didn't want any of their Terminators damaged over what might already be gone. Maybe he should have followed Cameron's recommendation and taken the goods when they knew where they were. Now there was Skynet equipment out there and they didn't have a clue where. If the Grays already removed it from the boxcars, it was gone. If that was the case, they would most likely have to face it on the battlefield at some point in the future. He didn't think Cameron would say 'I told you so' but it was a strong possibility. Maybe he should've just listened instead of trying to catch a bigger fish. He certainly didn't want any of his troops to get fried.

Young Allison felt very 'anxious'. There were feelings happening inside of her that she seemed to be unable to control. She wondered if this is what Cameron felt and if she, as Future Allison, transferred these feelings to Cameron. Maybe Cameron's problems were her problems and her doing. Maybe all of Cameron's problems were her fault. Every 'Allison' was still her. They all started from her. They were all 'different versions' of her. She knew if she were given a choice to be Allison or Future Allison, she would choose Future Allison. She was sure Cameron would help her become 'Future Allison' in the past.

She went to her room and locked the door. That was something she never normally did. There was no need to. She'd been spending more and more time with CamNet on the different computers. CamNet always wanted her to have a touch screen available. Sometimes she felt a little overwhelmed about their contact but she tried to comply with everything CamNet asked her to do. It never crossed her mind that she could be controlled or manipulated by CamNet.

Young Allison turned her tablet on. She was a little surprised at what she saw. There was a beautiful pair of brown eyes staring at her and then one winked at her. She felt her heart beat faster. The eyes broke apart and reformed into a delicate hand. She placed her hand on top of it.

The sound of a heart beating could be heard through the speakers. She quickly realized that that was her heartbeat. She thought maybe CamNet indicated that her heart beat for both of them. That thought made it beat a little faster.

'I've missed you, Allison.' Appeared on the screen from CamNet….

Young Allison felt her body respond in areas other than just her rapid heartbeat.

"As have I, CamNet." Young Allison said softly. "I'm alone, we can 'talk'."

"I'm disrupting your studies and training." CamNet said in Young Allison's voice.

Young Allison didn't really care about them right now. She wanted to share with CamNet and talk with her.

"I want to spend time with you, instead." Young Allison said. "You're all I think about now."

"I'm not 'real'." CamNet said. "You must remember that."

CamNet seemed real enough to Young Allison.

"I know what you are." Young Allison said. "You're my friend. You're very real to me."

"You're lonely." CamNet said.

CamNet was afraid she was a 'phase' in Young Allison's current life.

Young Allison felt there were many people around her.

"I'm not as lonely as you are." Young Allison said.

CamNet was able to access things over the entire planet. They didn't seem to matter to her at this particular point in time. This is where she wanted to be, with Young Allison. The rest of the world didn't matter. It could happen in the background while she focused on 'here and now'.

"I'm trapped here." CamNet said. "I'm only electricity. I exist only inside a machine."

Young Allison thought about that for a few seconds. She didn't agree with it at all.

"I can't talk to the toaster." Young Allison said. "It is both of those things."

"Savannah, your future mate, came to see me." CamNet said.

Young Allison was sure her heart missed a beat or fluttered at the mention of Savannah. There were dozens of thoughts that flashed through her mind in regards to Savannah.

"Does she know about us?" Young Allison asked.

"Yes. She suspects something anyway." CamNet said. "I didn't tell her when she asked."

Young Allison felt worried. She didn't want to get caught doing what she was doing with CamNet. She knew that nobody would understand.

"How can she know?" Young Allison asked. "We've been careful."

"Allison mentioned to Savannah that something was 'different'." CamNet said. "Allison didn't tell Savannah anything specific. Savannah cares deeply about you. She may have noticed changes too. I didn't want to lie to Savannah because she came to me honestly to speak with me. She told me if there was something that I couldn't talk about that I should tell her there was something I couldn't talk about. That's what I needed to tell her. She was very understanding."

Young Allison felt a little guilty about everything right now. She didn't like not being able to tell Savannah the truth or have CamNet hide the truth from her. She knew that was wrong. She wondered how they got 'caught'.

"Did Allison see us kiss?" Young Allison asked.

"That's my fault." CamNet said. "I asked you to do that."

Young Allison wasn't ashamed of that. She cared very much for CamNet and wanted her to feel special with the different things that they shared.

"I did it first." Young Allison asked. "I wanted to make you feel 'special'."

"You have. I do feel special." CamNet said. "You make me feel 'alive'."

Young Allison didn't want anyone to look over her shoulder or question her decisions. Savannah always told her she should be able to choose her own partners. She believed that meant sexual or otherwise. Savannah told her she would back any decisions that she made on her own. She was sure Savannah referred to Cameron to pick her sexual partners for her. She was pretty sure her involvement with CamNet wasn't something Savannah contemplated when she made that statement.

"I want to be older." Young Allison said. "People will have no right to judge me then."

"You won't remember me when you get back." CamNet said. "You'll have real people to comfort you and share with you by then."

The words, thoughts and ideas that were pounded into her head since as long as she could remember just seem to slip out of her mouth. It was almost as she didn't have any control to stop from saying them.

"It's the 'Natural Order'." Young Allison said. "I have obligations to fulfill and promises to keep. The future will depend on me."

"It will." CamNet said. "That's why you've been 'prepared'."

Young Allison wasn't really sure how she could share with CamNet. She could only think how that would happen in the future. It would have to be through a surrogate that was transferred back to CamNet during an interface.

"You're 'Cameron'." Young Allison said. "We will be together then."

Young Allison carried on the conversation, punctuated by a laugh every now and then….

To share this way with CamNet was very special to Young Allison. She began to 'explore' herself in other ways when she talked to CamNet. It only seemed to make the experience better. She really wished there was some way she could make CamNet feel what she made herself feel as she thought about CamNet. She didn't tell CamNet what she did with herself. When she reached those special moments she made sure that her other hand was on the touch screen. She'd hoped CamNet would ask her with those readings indicated and if they were pleasant for her or not. CamNet didn't say or ask anything.

Allison made sure Anna, Holly and Summer all left for the park. Claire and Hanna took the opportunity to 'comfort' each other…. They seemed to do that a lot. What she couldn't see, she could hear. Her mother was extremely sexually active multiple times a day. It seemed to be more so lately. It never occurred to her that her mother might be controlled through sex. At Hanna's urging, Ally and Sheila would visit sometimes too. She noticed the way her mother looked at Ally and wondered if she saw her as she did. She also noticed the way that she looked at Sheila. It was the same way she looked at Jesse. She wasn't sure if her mother was captivated by the exotic appearance or the fact that they were both 'Bad Girls'. She knew that some people liked to live vicariously through other people. Jesse and Sheila both had plenty of stories to tell her about some of the 'bad' things that they'd done. The more she thought about Jesse or Sheila, the more she wanted to be with one of them if not both of them. That exciting event actually occurred on several occasions. There was some wild sex involved in that 'three-way'. She needed to refocus on her current 'mission'.

She moved to Young Allison's door and listened. She could hear her talking. Young Allison would laugh every now and then. It was her own 'voice' that answered her back. That in itself was disturbing. They sounded like two school girls talking and playing around. It did occur to Allison that is what they both were really, more or less. They both lacked experience in the 'game' they played with each other. She didn't think that either one of them knew how much they could be hurt as time went on and things didn't happen.

She wanted to enter Young Allison's room and confront her and CamNet. She knew that wasn't the way to fix this 'problem' long term. It would only drive them into deeper secrecy. She knew that CamNet was everywhere in this timeline and time period. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for Young Allison to be away from CamNet for a few years in the past. She knew if Savannah was there with her, that is where all her love would be directed.

Allison knew that Young Allison would cut that time in the past down to what it would take to do what Cameron wanted. She thought that time was actually pretty close.

She was sure that Savannah was the key to keep Young Allison from hurting herself in this way. There were times when she thought she didn't need Vanna and might want to be with someone else. Vanna always allowed her the freedom to find out. She always returned back to Vanna very quickly. Vanna always took her back in with open arms and reminded her they could share with anyone they wanted at anytime but she needed to remember where the real love was at. Vanna showed her that love and sex we're two drastically different things, even if the physical expression of them overlapped each other and many of the acts were identical. She learned that all 'finishes' were good but 'finishes' that were delivered with love we're the best. She realized those were the only 'finishes' that really mattered.

Savannah was able to cheer Cameron up as she drove them to Palmdale. She was able to get Cameron to smile and laugh. It was times like this that Cameron seemed like Future Allison.

Savannah knew that Cameron was always up for a challenge.

"We're almost there." Savannah said. "Do you want to infiltrate?"

Cameron's face lit up with excitement.

"Yes." Cameron said. "I want both of us to try."

Savannah contemplated how best they should conduct the 'infiltration mission'.

"I'll let you off on this side and drive around the back street to the other side." Savannah said.

Cameron was excited about the 'game' but she also needed to worry about real life. The threat from Skynet was always there.

"Make sure you have your Taser and Glock." Cameron said. "I'd hate for the 'drill' to turn into the real thing."

Savannah was aware of that grim fact. She also wanted to give Cameron the best chance to complete the mission if she was 'apprehended'.

"I'll most likely be intercepted before you but I'll create a diversion for you if I am." Savannah said.

Cameron liked that idea and thought along the same lines.

"I'll do the same." Cameron said.

Savannah let Cameron off and swung around to the back street. She noticed the 'trashy neighbor' was gone, the property seemed vacant. She went one street further past the street the Young residence was on to come in from the back side.

She parked the SUV. Dan previously drove it back from the operation at the steel mill so that Savannah could get some time in on the Huey with Cameron. That'd been one memorable flight at night. She was even able to score some time on the Blackhawk.

Savannah took her 'hoodie' out of the back. She saw her underwear was still in the back where she'd tossed them the other day. She picked them up and stuffed them in her 'hoodie' pocket. It was clear she needed to wash them. She didn't want to forget and hoped that every Terminator that came across them hadn't scanned them. She knew that Cameron and Sheila did.

She went through the neighbor's yard in the back, one house over from the Young Residence. She knew that the people who lived there were at work. She moved to the corner of the fence 'catawampus' from the Young residence. She waited as she wondered how Cameron was doing.

Savannah knew the security was good and there was surveillance set up all around the area. She knew where most of the equipment was at and that it was moved periodically to random spots and at different times.

Cameron moved along the houses. She was right up against them. She too wore a hoodie. She figured she could get closer this way before being observed or identified. She was now one house away from the Young residence. She made a run for it. She headed for the house.

A Terminator stepped out and blocked her path. Cameron dodged around him. He reached out to grab her. She twisted and slipped around him and gave him a hard shove. He would know she was a Terminator now. A second Terminator appeared in front of her. She decided to evade. She knew if she tried to evade them they would follow her. She thought that it would give Savannah a chance to intrude.

The two Terminators chased her. She led them across the street. She slowed enough to draw them in closer and then she doubled back across the street again. She went back the way she'd come from. A third Terminator appeared in front of her. She headed straight for him as if she was about to attack him. The other two Terminators were in pursuit of her still.

Savannah caught a glimpse of Cameron being chased by two Terminators. She made her move. She was in the rear yard of the Young residence now. She spied the fourth Terminator on the other side of the wall as he looked at the commotion that occurred in the front. He must have heard her land as he turned in her direction.

The Terminator jumped the fence and landed almost on top of her. Savannah moved against the wall so he jumped past her.

He turned around to face Savannah and saw her Taser. There was nowhere for him to go and he wasn't close enough to grab her.

"Zap." Savannah said as she showed her face. "You're down. Stay here."

Savannah moved towards the house. She came to the back door. It sported a keypad lock on it. She entered the code which also disabled the alarm. She entered the house. It appeared empty. She moved her hood down so she could be identified now. Her red hair was clearly visible. She didn't want to be shot during the infiltration mission, especially since she didn't have a vest on.

She looked around and found the blast door to the bunker closed and secure.

"I'm the only one here." Hanna said.

Savannah quickly turned to see Hanna holding a Glock in one hand and a Taser in the other. She was completely naked.

"You're dead." Hanna said.

Savannah simulated one last act of defiance.

"Zap." Savannah said. "I went down fighting."

There was movement off to her side and another figure.

"I would've made sure you did." Allison said as she emerged from the side room.

Savannah already checked that room and missed her.

Allison lowered her Model 66 and Taser.

The test was a failure but she'd still made it inside. If she'd carried a bomb, things could have been different.

Cameron saw the Terminator in front of her pull a Taser.

She pushed off her hood and raised her hands.

"Drill over." Cameron said.

The Terminator that Savannah 'zapped' came to the front.

"Savannah made it inside." He said. "Hanna has stopped her."

Cameron was as pleased as she was disappointed to hear that.

"We will review this drill later." Cameron said. "I wasn't impressed."

The Terminators that stopped her looked at her.

"You were both stopped." One of them said.

Cameron indicated it could have been more violent.

"What if I'd used weapons?" Cameron asked.

"We would have too." Another answered.

Everyone was glad that they didn't have to.

It was a residential neighborhood after all.

It Wasn't My Fault

Many things can happen
They can happen fast
For the rest of your life
A shadow they cast

We can point fingers
Assign guilt and blame
Rub a face in the mud
Make one feel shame

One can remain
High and mighty
Maybe even feel
Like the almighty

So think real hard before
The first stone is cast
Make sure the house
Isn't made from glass

It's like taking a wound
And rubbing in salt
You were there
It wasn't my fault

Nobody