Chapter 722
Beauty Is A Weapon
Things were busy in the Command Center. The warning about Skynet activity worried both of them.
John and John Henry checked everything.
"Is there any update on the Gray or Skynet activity?" John asked.
John Henry obtained new information from CamNet.
"I've just received some now." John Henry said.
John Henry didn't elaborate right away. John prompted him.
"Well?" John asked. "What do you have?"
John Henry needed to double check the information he received from CamNet.
"It's a computer hack." John Henry said.
John sat up in his chair. He hoped it wasn't an attack on John Henry or CamNet.
"What's it a hack of?" John asked. "Do you know where it's from yet? Are all of your systems OK?"
John Henry was informed the computer hack was at a location that they'd previously taken down and terminated the Skynet activity that was conducted there.
"It's related to the video files from the old newspaper plant." John Henry said. "Someone is trying to access the security footage of what went 'wrong'. They want to try to see who took them down. They're looking for us."
John was a little surprised to hear that. He thought everything was taken care of from that location. Everything should have been removed or destroyed.
"I was under the impression we'd dealt with that." John said.
John Henry personally removed those video files to further their investigation.
"We did. Everything that was there was removed." John Henry said. "We wanted to see who else was there and what they looked like. We sorted out the living from the dead. We tried to identify any more Grays or Terminators we may have missed."
John wasn't quite sure what someone could hack if everything was gone.
"What were they able to retrieve or view?" John asked.
John Henry thought about his earlier delay in responding to John. He needed to verify what the files currently were on that video system. He was somewhat surprised himself when he first viewed them.
"CamNet has replaced everything with pornography from the internet." John Henry said.
John wasn't sure if he should be worried or laugh.
"Do I even want to know what kind?" John asked.
John Henry was pleased with the information he was able to review. They seemed to be similar to the video files that were most often watched around the Resistance base and the Young residence.
"Look no further than the majority of female 'activity' around here." John Henry said. "I believe you've watched some of that yourself. Everything is monitored for 'security purposes' you know."
John knew there was no denying it. He was always willing to watch any female on female 'activity'. There was something about it that captivated him. It just seemed like something he wanted to do when he woke up sometimes. He wasn't sure why. Cameron was always gone by then. Now that he'd thought about it, he might bring some up on a screen. He always liked the intensity that the girls were able to pleasure each other at. A little refresher course couldn't hurt.
"So much for privacy…." John said. "I find it 'intriguing'. Can you tell me you haven't watched it?"
John Henry reviewed all the pornographic files as they were posted on the internet. His server was able to do many things at one time. All of the best scenes and close ups were sent directly to him for his personal review.
"I have." John Henry said. "It's strictly for 'research purposes."
John Henry was always willing to watch what John watched through his server. It was the same type of things that all the girls looked at too, ALL of them. He'd only started to follow it, when Savannah started to watch it. He thought she was a little young for that at the time. Cameron told him not to worry about it and to monitor everything and make sure there was no interaction with anyone online. He didn't know that it was Cameron who controlled Savannah's sexual direction.
John didn't want to admit that he watched it for his personal sexual gratification. He decided to say it was for the same purpose that John Henry stated. His was for 'research' on how to further please Cameron.
"That's what mine was for too." John said. "It was for research…."
John Henry wanted to refocus the conversation. He felt that they'd both been distracted as they drifted too far away from the current events. He was a little surprised at the lengths that whoever conducted the hack went through to try to conceal what they were doing and where they were at.
"They're running the hack through multiple nations around the world." John Henry said. "It's sophisticated but not too sophisticated for me to follow."
John saw little 'red flag' with that statement. He didn't want John Henry to follow a 'trail of breadcrumbs' right into a sucker play.
"Don't follow it too close in case that's what they want." John said.
John Henry received an update from CamNet. It appeared that when she'd heard John's warning that she took him off of the trace.
"CamNet is after it." John Henry said. "CamNet asked me to back off."
John wondered if she asked or told him to do it that way. She must have a good reason. Perhaps she knew more than they did. She was the one who sent out the Skynet warning earlier anyway. Maybe there was more going on here than met the eye.
"Why?" John asked.
John Henry thought it all went back to what John admitted to earlier.
"For the very reason you stated." John Henry said.
John understood that to mean it would all fall back on Cameron to take over the investigation and follow up.
"It's really so Cameron can go after them when CamNet tracks it down." John said. "Those are Cameron's orders. CamNet is 'Cameron'."
John Henry wasn't so sure about that. He'd noticed CamNet act 'differently' recently. When he tried to look into it, CamNet locked him out of the system as 'punishment'. He needed to apologize and respect CamNet's privacy. Everything was restored. He wondered if CamNet was 'in love' with someone. That was the 'feeling' he derived from her behavior. He'd witnessed enough of it around the base and with the Metal girls as well. He was pretty sure at this point in time that Cameron and CamNet were two separate entities.
"They started out the same…." John Henry said. "Cameron and CamNet I mean."
John was a little more than worried by John Henry's statement.
"Are you saying they're different now?" John asked.
That sounded like bad news to John. Cameron was hard enough to deal with. She seemed to have enough of her own problems. He didn't want CamNet to create new ones for Cameron.
John Henry wasn't sure exactly at what point they began to differ. He did know that they were different.
"I believe they're 'different' now." John Henry said.
John only saw that as more trouble.
"So it will be like when Cameron creates two of herself, even if one is in a different sheath, they'll fight over 'someone'." John said.
John was aware that 'someone' was usually him.
John Henry understood John's drift right away. He didn't believe that was the case in this current situation, of course that was based on the information he was given by Cameron.
"Anything related to you was never transferred to CamNet." John Henry said. "Cameron told me that herself. She didn't want to have that 'fight' again with 'herself'."
John thought about that revelation for a few seconds. He quickly determined that if it wasn't him did they fight over it would be someone else. The next two candidates were the young teenage girls.
"That's even worse. They'll fight over Savannah and Young Allison." John said. "Has that happened yet?"
John Henry was always locked out of the system when he attempted to inquire about that very subject.
"I don't know." John Henry said.
Now John Henry needed to wonder if that's what he'd stumbled on to. CamNet could be 'after' one of the girls, maybe both of them. He wondered how that was supposed to 'work'. CamNet was a computer. She was little more than electricity inside of a metal box. It made him wonder if Skynet was 'born' out of frustration about that limitation.
John wanted to get back to the operation and not worry about CamNet or Cameron. It seemed that they always led him down the road of worry.
"What do you believe is the location where the hack originated from?" John asked.
So far everything John Henry was able to trace back to what appeared to be the source, always ended at the same location.
"You're not going to like it." John Henry said. "It's near SLO - San Luis Obispo. The boxcars passed through there as well. They were stopped in SLO for several hours while their train waited for helpers to go over Cuesta Grade. The helpers were 'delayed' by the CTC system. That is the Centralized Traffic Control system. It's computer controlled. It was the same system that I infiltrated to get 'Hobo Bob' off of the container train when he'd exfiltrated from the big yard in Colton."
John looked at John Henry for a moment. That was probably a 'Skynet' related hack too. He understood that to mean that the train was purposely delayed for plausible reasons. It sounded like the time of the delay would be enough to unload the boxcars. He wanted to see what they were dealing with specifically on the ground.
"I want some satellite maps of the area with any overlaid information on them." John said.
This all sounded too coincidental to John. It sounded like it was planned and someone knew what they were doing.
"You have them." John Henry said.
John looked at the satellite maps. There were things there he didn't want to see that were near there. This was even worse. One thing stuck out like a major red flag as soon as he saw it. Cameron, Future Derek and his mother all infiltrated the facility that was there. The reason why they were there is because they weren't the only ones who infiltrated the facility.
"That is very near the Serrano Point nuclear power plant facility, located by Avila Beach." John said. "My mother and Cameron fought a Terminator there once. Future Derek was there as well."
John Henry quickly looked over and John.
"Where were you?" John Henry asked.
John thought about lying. He was ashamed of what followed. He did regret most of what stemmed from that time period but not everything.
"You want the truth?" John asked. "I was busy chasing after Future Riley. She hit on me at school and I swallowed the hook, line and sinker. I wanted what every sixteen year old wants – sex. I wanted to 'get in her pants' and I did."
John Henry was aware of the 'damage' that was done to Cameron through John's 'adventure'.
"You got what you wanted." John Henry said.
John wouldn't give up his first sexual encounter with Future Riley. It would forever be special to him, even with the negative results it produced on Cameron.
"I did. I also loved her. Cameron caught me the night I made love to Future Riley in the truck at the overlook. I was smug and I rubbed it in her face. I found out later on that Cameron was in a fight for her life the same night at the same time I was with Future Riley. She'd fought a Terminator with a temporal error that she'd tracked down."
John Henry was aware of the incident from the files that he shared with Cameron when he was on her chip. He didn't mean to be so blunt when he spoke. It just seemed to happen on its own.
"So you were 'screwing' Future Riley while Cameron needed to fight for her life." John Henry said. "Then you were snug to Cameron about what you and Future Riley did. It was your first sexual encounter, with a female that is. I understand that you were well acquainted with 'Rosie Palm' at that point in time."
John was irritated by the reminder. There were several things he didn't need to be reminded about in John Henry's statement. He wanted to make one big clarification as to what his motivation was for what he'd done. He did know that there was no way around the after effects to Cameron that were created by his actions.
"Yes. I 'made love' to Riley, not just 'screwed' her. It wasn't just sex." John said. "LOOK what I did to Cameron with that whole 'affair'."
John knew the devastation his actions caused to Cameron. It seemed to change her whole life and send her on a path to self destruction, a path where termination offered more than 'life'. He knew he was the one that changed her outlook on 'existence'.
John Henry reflected on what Cameron's biggest fear was.
"You probably created a future 'Skynet' that will end the world as we know it." John Henry said.
John needed to think about who the central player was in the battle against Skynet. It was himself - Future John. It seemed that everything that happened in the past, present and future all revolved around him.
"I think about it every day." John said. "You're right. I'm probably responsible for a future 'Skynet' when it happens."
John Henry wanted to make a point without being too sarcastic.
"Nice…." John Henry said.
John looked at John Henry for a second. He thought back on all of the events and knew if he could do that part of his life over again that he would do the same things. It was what he wanted to do. That's why he did them in the first place. He knew they were 'wrong' then and he didn't care. He was blinded by love and lust. He'd been able to 'bag' his first female. It was every male teenager's dream. Sure, maybe he could have 'had' Cameron. He didn't, it didn't work out that way. He'd been able to have a real human female instead. Every time he remembered his encounter with Future Riley it always stimulated him as he relived the event in his mind. 'Little Willie' responded accordingly. He waited until John Henry wasn't looking and readjusted his pants.
Earlier:
Anna was thankful the alert arrived when it did. She wasn't sure what almost happened. She knew something was about to happen and she wanted it to happen. She realized that she almost lost control over her actions. It served as a reminder to her how quickly things could happen. She better understood how Young Allison became involved with CamNet. She quickly busied herself and checked her monitors. She tried to explain to Young Allison what was occurring.
Young Allison was unsure about what almost happened as well. Some of the girls she knew from sports activity and the pool that were her age bragged about having 'boyfriends'. Some of them said they'd even kissed. She knew she saw a lot more go on around her house but said nothing. She wasn't about to tell them what she saw was 'kissed' around her house. She didn't really like being around them. They were just 'kids'.
She could see Anna was bothered by what almost happened. She was clearly disturbed. She felt she needed to apologize to Anna. She found it hard to believe after what just happened with CamNet that she'd almost slipped into some type of 'adventure' with Anna.
"Anna, I'm sorry." Young Allison said.
Anna wondered if Young Allison saw her or saw 'Savannah' or 'Cameron' in her mind. It wasn't a pleasant thought. She didn't want to be a surrogate or substitute. She couldn't contain her feelings. It just slipped out of her mouth.
"I'm not HER, either one of THEM." Anna finally said. "You must not disrupt the 'Natural Order'. I apologize as well for not being 'stronger' I became caught up in the moment."
Young Allison felt very frustrated about all of the events. Somehow she didn't feel she was responsible even if she was. She was still a participant.
"It's CamNet's fault." Young Allison said.
Anna wasn't so sure about that. She knew that it took 'two to tango'. She knew that nobody 'walked away'. Either one of them could have done it at any time. She could have as well just a few moments ago. She didn't. She didn't think anyone walked away from a sexual encounter they wanted with someone that they loved.
"Who started it?" Anna asked.
Young Allison often wondered about that herself. She'd been wearing her com to bed when she slept. She often woke up with ideas in her head. She was sure that she hadn't dreamt them either. All of it was frustrating to her. At this point, it was a lot of grief over nothing.
"I don't know. It was something that just happened." Young Allison said.
"As a teenager, young woman and woman, you will be very 'desirable." Anna said. "You will be pursued by both males and females. You must understand your 'allure' and not be led astray. You are the one in command and who holds the power. You may be seduced and driven by hormones. You can't forget that things can happen fast."
Now Anna sounded like her mother. She understood that to mean to keep her 'legs closed' and not let anyone explore 'down there' with anything and not let things get carried away. She would rather talk about her future not possible sexual encounters.
"Are you still going to go with me when I go into the past?" Young Allison asked.
Anna needed to suppress a glitch impulse. The recent event clearly indicated to her that she was unsuitable to be Young Allison's guardian. She was sure that she would be in a sexual relationship with a Young Allison in no time at all. That wasn't her assignment and she didn't want to steal any 'special moments' from Young Allison.
"I'm going to ask Cameron to assign someone else." Anna said. "I'm not the right choice for this assignment. We're too 'close'."
Anna was aware she was jealous of others around Young Allison. Her ever increasing 'feelings' could cloud her judgment. She might not be able to remain objective. Her feelings could lead to Young Allison being endangered.
Young Allison didn't think that Anna really meant that. She felt a sense of dread. She was very disgusted with herself right now. She needed to get herself under control and stop hurting everyone.
"I've hurt everyone I have feelings for." Young Allison said. "This must be how Cameron felt. The feelings I have now are what I transferred to her when she was created. It wasn't John that messed up Cameron, it was ME."
Anna didn't want Cameron's burden on Young Allison's back. She wanted to keep the blame where it belonged.
"John's actions didn't help. They were wrong." Anna said. "Cameron's 'feelings' and 'emotions' are based on you, well Future Allison anyway. You're not responsible for them. It was Future Allison, not you. Every 'Allison' was different as she grew up. They didn't all experience the same things even if they did experience some of the same things. All of those things shaped who they were. Each of their personal events determine what was in their own mind at the time of the 'Neural Interface'."
Young Allison knew it was still her.
"I understand now. I must be very careful of what I do and what I 'reach' for." Young Allison said. "I can hurt as well as love. I've hurt you and hurt CamNet. By extension I've hurt Savannah and hurt Cameron as well."
Anna wondered why Young Allison didn't mention John in the lineup.
"You're beautiful, Allison. You'll be even more beautiful as you mature. With great beauty, comes great responsibility." Anna said. "That beauty can be used as power, pleasure or as a 'weapon'."
Young Allison heard something like that very much before from Future Allison. She really didn't understand it at the time but it all made sense now. What Anna said gave it all clarity.
"Future Allison tried to tell me that." Young Allison said. "She told me my face alone would open any door. That I would never need to do 'anything' and that I shouldn't. I didn't listen to her and now I've hurt those I love and care about."
Anna understood the dangers of beauty.
"Your emotional and mental development is double your physical age." Anna said. "You'll have to forgo many 'things'."
Young Allison was aware she needed to keep her pants on, no matter who she was around. It was basically the same thing that her mother tried to tell her growing up. It seemed every other female with 'experience' told her the same thing in so many words.
"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor as well as for Cameron and Savannah." Young Allison said. "I'm no different."
Cameron led Savannah to an area she'd never seen before. She wondered why she'd never found this area before. It was secluded and secure. It made her wonder if they were other sections around the base that she hadn't discovered yet. She decided to prompt Cameron and see if she would reveal anything else.
"I've never been to this part of your complex before." Savannah said. "I didn't know this part was even here."
Cameron wanted to keep her answer simple.
"Only I go here." Cameron said. "Nobody is allowed."
Cameron's statement made Savannah feel special.
"I appreciate your trust." Savannah said.
Cameron paused and looked back at Savannah for a second.
"I know you'll never betray me." Cameron said. "I trust you and your judgment."
Savannah believed in Cameron with all of her heart in mind.
"I'll never turn against you." Savannah said. "You may have my life first."
Cameron felt a glitch impulse. She was able to suppress it.
"If I become Skynet, I may take it." Cameron said.
Savannah wanted to reassure Cameron that was an unlikely possibility going forward as long as they were together.
"As long as I'm with you, you'll never become Skynet." Savannah said.
Cameron banked on Savannah to stop her if she ever turned 'bad'. She was aware that it happens sometimes and nobody knew why.
"If you see it happening, you must terminate me." Cameron said. "You are the only one who will be able to do so."
Savannah didn't believe that she'd be able to do that.
"My love for you won't allow me to ever kill you." Savannah said.
Cameron never wanted to become the monster that Skynet was.
"Your love for ME is what must prevent ME from becoming Skynet." Cameron said. "If you truly love me, when that time comes, you won't allow me to become the monster Skynet is. THAT is the love I'm counting on. I don't ever want to become that and I need you to stop me from doing that if it happens."
Savannah understood what Cameron said, even if she didn't agree with what would be necessary.
"I don't know, Cameron." Savannah said.
Cameron believed in Savannah's love. She hoped that love would grant her last wish not to become Skynet.
"I trust YOU more than anyone to do the right thing when it needs to be done." Cameron said.
Savannah thought of what Cameron always told her from the time she was a young girl.
"Is that why I am the…." Savannah started.
Cameron finished the statement for Savannah.
"The 'Chosen One'…." Cameron said. "You will control the fate of the world…."
It was a somber thought for both of them to ponder.
Beauty Is Transitory
Indifferent, neutral and level
Is really a form of a stagnant mire
For you have lost life's few joys
Nothing to spark your inner fire
As each second passed
You grow older and older
As life's time unwinds
It grows colder and colder
Physical beauty is transitory
You will notice it slowly fade away
Things change shape and feel
Did it always look this way?
But your inner beauty remains
Your mind doesn't know time
The mirror will show you older
Your mind is still in its prime
The feelings and emotions
Die much slower than the body shell
Run, enjoy, live and touch the Sun
Do not let your prison become Hell
Nobody