Chapter 788
I Am Fine
Cameron looked at the four girls and smiled.
"I am fine." Cameron said as she stressed her point. "I'm fine."
Savannah looked at Cameron for a couple of seconds and then turned her attention to Sheila.
"Sheila, I want you to remain on roving patrol with Allison and Cameron in the SUV." Savannah said. "If anything happens, you're to drive away. Cammy and I will take care of ourselves. Ally you're to remain with Sheila."
It was clear that Savannah wanted Allison and Cameron protected.
Cameron wanted to go with Savannah.
"I'll go with you." Cameron said. "You might run into trouble or need some help."
Savannah wanted Cameron better protected right now and not in combat. She needed to be forceful and direct.
"Cameron, you'll remain with Sheila and Allison." Savannah said. "That's what I'm asking."
Savannah 'asking' was the same as a Savannah 'ordering'.
Cameron looked a little disappointed.
"I'm fine." Cameron said.
Sheila wanted to keep too much tension from building up. It looked like there was the potential for that. She knew Cameron didn't like to be told 'no'.
"You don't look it, love." Sheila said. "No offense but we're going to need to look after each other for a while. We need to do what Savannah has asked us to do."
Cameron looked at Sheila and smiled.
"I'm fine." Cameron said.
Sheila let Cammy and Savannah out of the SUV. She drove away and then went on a roving patrol. She wanted to follow Savannah's directives but not be too far away to help if it was necessary. She would leave Allison in Cameron's care if she needed to assist Cammy and Savannah.
Savannah didn't want them as sitting targets in case this area wasn't completely neutralized. That was why she wanted them continuously moving on a roving patrol. They would have a better opportunity to get away if anyone came after them. It was unlikely but a possibility.
Cammy waited until Sheila drove away with Cameron and Allison. She asked Savannah to cut her com. She wanted to know what the problem with Cameron was earlier and how it started.
"What happened to Cameron?" Cammy asked. "She was fine earlier."
Savannah was unsure exactly what may have set Cameron off.
"I don't know." Savannah said.
Cammy knew Ally and Sheila both upset Cameron with their comments. That didn't seem like enough to cause Cameron to drift off like that.
"It wasn't the banter." Cammy said.
Savannah remembered that Cameron set up a secure line for Allison and Holly. She was sure whatever the conversation was about was probably a big part of it.
"I think it was something related to Allison that triggered it." Savannah said.
Cammy tilted her head slightly.
"What would it have to do with her?" Cammy asked. "We all know Cameron wishes she was Allison."
Savannah didn't have the answers. She knew that they were on a time clock and needed to get moving.
"I don't know." Savannah said. "We need to be alert and get out of here before any emergency response teams show up."
Savannah didn't think it was Allison herself but Young Allison that was what bothered Cameron. She knew Cameron was aware she'd altered Young Allison's life. The harder Cameron pushed her, the more like Cameron Young Allison became. There was an up side to that and a down side as well.
She knew it was her function to keep Young Allison as 'Allison' and not let her become 'Cameron'. There would be some coldness to Young Allison if she became too much like Cameron. She saw it in Future John when she was there. Future Allison told her he was much better than he was before. That was before she'd 'left'. It was before she was captured and was 'gone' for a while. She said when Cameron returned her, everything about Future John changed for the better. He improved more with Future Savannah and Duplicate Cameron around him.
Cammy didn't think they would need to worry about any emergency response showing up for a while.
"John Henry will keep any emergency response away until we're clear." Cammy said.
Cammy and Savannah resumed normal communications.
Ally was still high overhead in the manned drone. She wanted to keep track of Cammy and Savannah.
"Savannah, There's no movement around you." Ally reported.
Savannah appreciated the oversight but not right now. She wanted Cameron's team protected. She felt that Allison's safety was in her hands now.
"Ally, I want you to stay with Cameron's team." Savannah said. "I don't want them too near her for a little while."
Savannah did not want any drone in too close either. If there was a hostile Terminator she wanted it to show itself. She didn't think it would if there was a drone in the area.
Ally felt that she followed Savannah's directive. It was only because the SUV with the girls in it was closer that she was able to check on Cammy and Savannah.
"I am." Ally said. "Sheila made a closer pass to get the van I spotted earlier. I think they're going to boost it soon."
Savannah was aware that Sheila believed the SUV was compromised. That was why she wanted a different vehicle.
"Keep us posted." Savannah said. "You're doing a great job."
Cammy and Savannah checked the damaged structure. The building was mostly collapsed. There was a lot of debris. They looked for anything Skynet related. Nothing was readily apparent.
Cammy used all of her vision spectrums to scan everything they passed through. She hadn't spotted very many things that she thought she should have spotted.
"I've only seen two bodies. I haven't spotted any Terminators. There are no HK drones or HK Tracks here." Cammy said. "Unless there is another level, there's nothing here that we're looking for."
Savannah noticed something that was partially buried with debris.
"What about that over there?" Savannah asked.
Savannah indicated what looked like a stairway down to a lower level. It was covered with rubble.
Cammy thought that might be what she'd been trying to find.
"I'll investigate." Cammy said.
Savannah hoped that it was more than a lower level. It may or may not be a bigger fish. It didn't seem like the right type of installation for a Skynet mainframe. The location wasn't secluded enough. Everything was right out in the open.
"Let's see if there's a 'Clean Room'." Savannah said. "If there is, I want you to terminate the computer, especially if it's a version of Skynet, as 'Cameron'."
Cammy knew those were standing orders for Cam, Camille and her whenever it came to a Skynet mainframe. They were all supposed to assume the role of 'Cameron'. Since they all ran her program, it wasn't hard to do.
"I planned to do that." Cammy said. "Cameron always wants me to do that."
Cammy motioned for Savannah to hold back as she moved forward and shoved a collapsed interior wall out of the way. It looked like it was what they'd suspected.
"This leads to a lower level." Cammy said. "I'll go down. I want you to stay up here."
Savannah didn't want Cammy to get shot up.
"Use caution." John said. "There may be survivors down there."
Cammy flashed Savannah her sly smile.
"They won't be survivors for long." Cammy said.
John Henry wanted to give Savannah and Cammy some additional support.
"I still have one drone in the area if you need it." John Henry said.
Savannah appreciated the assistance but that wasn't what she wanted. She purposely didn't want any drones in the area for right now.
"I wanted the drones away from here to see if anyone showed themselves." Savannah said. "Don't spoil my planning."
John didn't want John Henry to take the rap for what he wanted done. He thought that he was doing something to help Savannah and Cammy. He realized now that he should have cleared it with Savannah first.
"I ordered him to keep one handy." John said. "I didn't know it was going to cause a problem."
Savannah wanted to make her position clear to John.
"I'm on the battlefield, General." Savannah said. "My decision stands."
It sounded like a challenge to John's command but it wasn't. It was actually planning on Savannah's part.
John only now understood what she planned and why.
"You're correct." John said. "I'm sorry about that."
John knew Savannah's call was a good call. He was being overly protective of her. Now he may have messed up what she tried to do. It looked like she wanted to see if a Terminator would show itself if it thought the area was clear.
Now he needed to wonder if he'd messed that up. He hoped that he hadn't endangered Savannah and Cammy when he thought he was trying to help them.
Savannah wanted to engage any threat above ground, not below it. She knew John wanted to help but he needed to respect her tactical decision on the battlefield. She felt that she'd been in enough of these situations to know what things worked better than other things.
The mood in the Command Center was now somewhat somber.
John Henry could see that John looked a little dejected.
"That was a bold call from Savannah." John Henry said.
John knew that he'd overstepped in this situation. He'd been overprotective of Savannah when he should have listened to what she'd set up earlier.
"No, it was a good call on her part." John said. "Savannah's on the battlefield and she has local control."
John Henry saw things a little differently.
"It was a challenge to your authority." John Henry said.
John didn't see it that way at all. Cameron told him he would need to listen to Savannah and Young Allison going forward to prevent from making the same mistakes Future John made. He was sure it would also be the only way to have some control over Cameron when she was about to make a questionable decision. It was actually very good planning on Cameron's part to have that 'check' in place.
"That was a good call too." John said. "Savannah will challenge decisions made by Cameron as well as by me. That's to keep me from making the same mistakes Future John did. I want and respect that 'authority'."
John Henry knew those are all part of Cameron's directives when she was sent to the past.
"That is why you've chosen Savannah." John Henry said.
John wanted to make clear that it wasn't his decision, even if it was.
"Future John chose Savannah for me." John said. "Cameron chose her for me as well."
John Henry always had trouble understanding why John thought he was different from Future John.
"Future John is you, even if you're not him." John Henry said. "Future John reprogrammed Cameron to do what was needed to protect the future."
John really didn't want to get into the issue right now. He did understand what the bottom line was in regards to everything that needed to be done and by whom.
"I forget that sometimes." John said. "It's not about me or Cameron or our relationship. It is about protecting the future and defeating Skynet. Savannah and Allison – Young Allison, are part of the equation."
John Henry tilted his head slightly.
"Is there a solution to the equation?" John Henry asked.
John let out a long sigh. He knew that sometimes you couldn't fight City Hall.
"It's to accept what Future John planned and wanted." John said. "Isn't that what Cameron has been doing and saying all along for years?"
John Henry sometimes wondered why John was reluctant to get on board.
"It is." John Henry said. "We all know she's right. We all just have to accept what the future demands."
John let out another long sigh.
"Yes, we all do, even me." John said.
John didn't always like the way Cameron did things. He also didn't like all the things Future John did. He knew they were both trying to help protect the future and guide him. They both wanted to provide him with a more stable foundation than what Future John had to work with.
Sheila followed the directions Ally provided to her.
"Where's our new ride at?" Sheila asked.
Ally gave Sheila some additional directions to the van's location. It wasn't too far away.
Sheila went to where Ally indicated the van was at. She was pleased when she saw it. It was very new looking.
"There's the van." Sheila said.
Cameron was pleased when she saw it she opened her door to get out.
"I'll get it." Cameron said.
Allison grabbed Cameron as she went to step out.
"Cameron!" Allison said.
Sheila quickly hit the brakes. She hadn't stopped yet.
"Let me stop first, love." Sheila said.
Sheila stopped the SUV.
Cameron looked at Allison and then at Sheila.
"I'm fine." Cameron said as she got out of the now stopped SUV.
Allison didn't want Cameron to go alone. She figured she could use a little refresher while she was at it. It had been a while since she'd boosted a vehicle.
"I'll go with her." Allison said. "I haven't done this for some time. The practice will do me good."
Sheila wanted to make sure that everything was still clear around them. They were about to steal someone's vehicle. She was worried about more than just Skynet forces right now.
"Ally, how does it look around us?" Sheila asked.
Ally hadn't seen any threats where they were. She did spot one dog but it ran off as soon as Cameron exited the SUV. It probably picked up on her predator pheromones.
"Everything is good." Ally said. "There's nothing around you that's a threat."
Allison went with Cameron and boosted the van. She did most of the work herself and only needed to ask Cameron one question. She decided she wanted to drive. Cameron thought that was a good idea.
Allison followed behind Sheila until she dumped the SUV. They didn't want to leave it where they 'borrowed' the van from. They transferred over any gear that was inside the SUV.
"We're clear." Allison said.
Cameron looked over at Allison and smiled.
"I'm fine." Cameron said.
Sheila looked Cameron over when she said that.
"She looks like she's out to lunch." Sheila said.
Cameron looked at Sheila and smiled.
"I'm fine." Cameron said.
Cameron thought about earlier. She'd been spying on Savannah and Allison. She watched them undress each other and as they kissed and fondled each other. To watch Savannah touch Allison was like watching Savannah touch 'her'. They were soft, slow, loving, tender touches and kisses. It was emotional love being expressed physically.
Cameron could almost 'feel' Savannah's hands on herself as she watched her touch Allison. She replayed the sensations of files of her being touched like that. She substituted Savannah and Allison for John as she reviewed those files. It wasn't really like a dream but maybe more like a daydream. It seemed very real to her as it happened.
She couldn't stand only watching and pretending anymore. She wanted THAT. She was about to enter the room and ask to join them. She was sure they would have allowed her too. No, she KNEW they both would want her to share with them. She was aware of what everyone wanted.
It was time. Cameron reached forward to push the door all the way open and enter.
That is when Anna and CamNet informed her of the current situation.
CamNet STOPPED her from entering the room. CamNet was 'protecting' Savannah and Allison from HER.
Allison was unsure of Cameron's current condition. She really thought Savannah should be the one with her now. She was more experienced in dealing with situations like this with Cameron than she was. She could see that Cameron was a million miles away right now. It sounded as if she attempted to speak.
Allison heard Cameron saying something. She couldn't quite make it out. She wasn't even sure if they were actual words or not.
"What's she saying?" Allison asked.
Sheila listened to everything too. She tried to keep a careful watch on Cameron. Whatever Cameron said made no sense to her either.
"It's unintelligible." Sheila said.
Allison was very worried about Cameron right now. She didn't know what to do to help her.
"We need to get Savannah and Cammy and go back." Allison said.
Sheila had come to that conclusion some time ago but didn't think that was her call. She believed that call needed to be made by Savannah or even Allison.
"I think so." Sheila said.
Allison heard Cameron attempt to speak again. What she said now sounded more like words.
"What's she saying now?" Allison asked.
Sheila was able to get the gist of what Cameron said. She didn't catch it all.
"She is asking for you and Savannah." Sheila said.
Allison currently drove the van. She couldn't really hold on to Cameron or give her a hug.
"I'm right here, Cameron." Allison said.
Sheila wanted Allison to comfort Cameron. It was the best that they could do right now.
"Let me drive." Sheila said.
Allison pulled over and switched with Sheila. She moved next to Cameron.
"I'm right here, Cameron." Allison said. "Do you need anything?"
There was a very serious look to Cameron's eyes.
"I'm fine." Cameron said.
Cameron placed Allison's hands on her belt buckle.
"I've wanted this ever since we were alone in the future." Cameron said. "I want you to 'drive'…."
Allison was sure that her heart fluttered. There'd been moments like this before. Whatever Cameron said at times like this may be something that she really wanted to happen. The conditions however were all totally wrong because Cameron clearly wasn't herself right now. No one was going to take advantage of her when she was like that.
Cammy moved some debris out of the way so they could check out what looked like a lower level. It might only be a storage area. It might be Skynet. She wanted Savannah to remain on the upper level. Savannah was going to at first but then changed her mind.
Savannah and Cammy went down to the lower level.
It was dark. Savannah needed to put her night vision on.
Cammy looked all around her as she led Savannah.
"Everything down here is wrecked." Cammy said.
Savannah wanted to make sure that there was no version of Skynet down there.
"What about the computer gear?" Savannah asked.
Cammy only found a few desktop computers.
"It's nothing big but I'll fry it anyway." Cammy said. "It's not Skynet."
Cammy took out a Thermite grenade. She didn't want Savannah around the Thermite smoke.
"You go up first and I'll follow you." Cammy said.
Savannah headed up. She heard Cammy arm the Thermite grenade.
"Let's go." Cammy said as the grenade exploded behind them.
Savannah felt they were done there. It was time to go.
"Sheila, we're ready to be picked up. Come get us from the opposite side we were let off at." Savannah said. "I don't want any pattern to what we do."
Sheila heard the request to come and get Savannah and Cammy.
"I'm on my way." Sheila said as she looked back at Allison and Cameron. "Let's go get them."
Allison still tried to talk with Cameron.
"I'm fine." Cameron said.
Sheila and Allison looked at each other but neither one of them commented. They headed toward the rendezvous with Savannah and Cammy.
Savannah and Cammy exited from the lower level. They knew Sheila was on the way with new wheels. They knew the vehicle should be a van.
There was a vehicle approaching. Sheila's arrival seemed awfully quick
"I see them." Savannah said. "I thought they said they were getting a van."
Cammy zoomed in through the glare of the headlights. It looked like they had trouble.
"Get down." Cammy said.
Savannah and Cammy instantly dropped down. There was a dual cab 4X4 that slowly approached the area where they were at.
Savannah knew when it was time to call in the reinforcements.
"Ally, we have company." Savannah said. "Keep an eye on Cameron's team but be ready if we need you. Don't come too close yet. I think that's why they're here now, they thought we'd left."
John would have liked for Savannah to have some better warning. That wasn't the case.
"Savannah was right." John said. "The cockroaches have come out."
John Henry was made aware of several new developments, they were equally troubling.
"Cammy and Savannah aren't in a good place." John Henry said. "There's now emergency equipment at the other location. There's also some headed their way. Someone must have made a report directly at the fire station in person. I've blocked all the calls."
John didn't want to endanger the first responders.
"Divert them to some other place." John said.
John Henry was able to come up with a temporary fix. It wouldn't last long.
"I've sent them a priority override to report to the first location." John Henry said. "That should buy them eight more minutes."
John felt whoever arrived at the location was associated with Skynet in some fashion.
"I think this is going hot in about eight seconds." John said.
John Henry informed Cammy and Savannah of the latest developments.
Savannah decided to switch long guns with Cammy.
"Here, you take my suppressed M4." Savannah said as she took Cammy's M4. "You can hit better in the dark than me, the suppressor will keep it quieter."
Cammy didn't want Savannah to hold back if it looked like the situation warranted it.
"Don't hesitate to use mine if you think it is necessary." Cammy said.
Savannah checked the load on Cammy's M4.
"I won't." Savannah said
Cammy flipped the suppressed M4 to semi auto. She hoped to place a few well aim shots before the new arrivals figured out what was happening.
The girls in the van all heard the bad news.
"You heard them." Sheila said.
It was clear Cammy and Savannah made enemy contact.
"I did." Allison said.
Allison quickly checked her weapons.
Cameron checked her weapons too as she looked around.
"Where's the trouble?" Cameron asked.
Cameron was now instantly alert. The blank or 'far off' look was gone.
"Are you OK?" Allison asked.
Cameron tilted her head slightly. She wondered why Allison I would ask her that.
"I'm fine." Cameron said. "Why? Did something happen?"
Sheila wanted to focus on the problem at hand.
"It's about to." Sheila said.
Allison thought Cameron was back to normal but she wanted to make sure.
"Are you sure you're OK?" Allison asked.
Cameron noticed that there was some 'missing time. Other than that, everything felt normal to her.
"Of course I am" Cameron said. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure, love?" Sheila asked.
"I'm fine." Cameron said. "I am fine."
I'm Fixed Now
You think it's me
That is the one that's broke
You don't get it
That's the joke
It's your own doing
That set events in motion
By abandoning me
You've killed the devotion
So look around you now
This is what you get
There's the exit
You can pack up and quit
I've opened the door
There are those who waited
Events happen belated
As if time had slated
Cast aside as rubbish
My fate betwixt how
I've saved myself
I'm fixed now
Nobody