Chapter 1030

Overlook Overture

Cameron and John were inside of a Ford GT on Topanga Canyon Boulevard headed from the coast towards the San Fernando Valley.

John wanted to ask Cameron what was wrong. He wanted to know more. He didn't have a clue Cameron thought about what Future Riley and he'd done and wondered how she stacked up or compared.

Cameron saw John look at her. She knew he was worried about her. She didn't want to become a problem. She didn't want to spoil the evening. She needed to move her life forward not get stuck in the past. Savannah told her that many times. Life moves forwards not backwards.

"I'm fine." Cameron said.

John wasn't so sure about that. He wanted to know more but he didn't want to create a bigger problem at the same time. He knew he needed to tiptoe around whatever issue was the real problem. Past experience taught him there could be a multitude of them. He didn't want to speculate on what the current one was.

"Are you sure?" John asked.

There was a serious look on Cameron's face.

"Yes." Cameron said. "I haven't tried to terminate you in a long while."

John wasn't sure if that was a joke or not. By the look on her face it seemed she was being honest and reflecting on the past. That still left a nagging question. Nobody liked to face death.

"Would you have?" John asked. "It sure seemed like you were going to."

Cameron looked at John. What was there to say but the truth? She was what she was. It was a priority programming directive. Everything was reset in her system. It had taken her a while to repair it. That only happened later on after she was trapped between the two trucks. John terminated her anyway after she'd told him she was fixed. He terminated her, she didn't terminate him. At least he brought her back. Her life would have been simpler if he hadn't.

"Yes." Cameron said. "I need to follow my programming."

John knew that was part of her internal conflicts to get him together with 'Savannah' and 'Allison'. It seemed it didn't matter if it was the two from this timeline or ANY of the ones she could get him to be with. That's what Future John programmed into her. He believed that there was an easier solution to many of her problems.

"I like it better when you follow your heart." John said.

That statement made Cameron feel some sadness inside of her. There was a harsh reality involved. It was the truth. How could she follow something that she didn't possess?

"John, I don't have one." Cameron said. "I don't have a heart."

Maybe she should remind him she was a very scary robot from the future.

John looked over at Cameron. He wanted to give her positive encouragement. He wanted to reach out to her.

"You have a heart to me." John said. "You do to me."

Cameron managed a faint smile. Savannah told her much of the same thing. She knew what people felt in their heart really all happened within their head. It happened in their brain. She had a brain too. Maybe it was different from a human brain but it was still a brain.

John only pushed the GT every now and then. They drove in silence for a while. Both of them thought about past events. It was something the mind seemed to find a way to get stuck in.

Cameron spotted something ahead in the road. She didn't want John to swerve involuntarily when he would finally be able to see it.

"There's a cat up ahead." Cameron said.

John let off of the accelerator and slowed. The GT rapidly decelerated. He saw the 'gold' eyes flash across the road.

"Thanks." John said. "I wouldn't have wanted to hit it."

Cameron wanted to send a message to John. The nature of the cat was actually a drawback in modern society. Its instincts dated back thousands of years. Vehicles were only a little over a century old.

"Its instinct is to stop and assess the danger." Cameron said. "The danger arrives too quickly at seventy miles an hour. The cat can't learn to run first and then assess the danger. What it does to prevent danger actually causes it to be killed. Its little walnut size brain is unable to adapt to modern technology. Cats will continue to be run down in the street because of what nature provided them to protect them. It seems rather ironic."

John wondered if Cameron actually referred to herself. Future John sent her back to protect him. She almost terminated him. He needed to refocus. He thought that maybe he'd been pushing it a little too hard. He remembered Cameron's earlier admonition that speed kills. It was evident that other things killed as well.

"I better cut back on my speed." John said.

He wasn't exactly sure what Cameron just meant to convey to him. For some reason he didn't think it was actually about a cat. Maybe it was in the nature of the cat or someone else who couldn't change their ways. Instinct was like a program to an animal. It was something that was just there that they reacted to and followed. Maybe Cameron thought her programming was something like that as well.

Cameron kept track of their position. There was an 'overlook' location up ahead where they could see most of the San Fernando Valley. It would be an impressive view to see.

"We will be able to see the Valley soon." Cameron said. "There's an observation spot located there."

It seemed to John that Cameron wanted to stop. He wasn't sure why she would have mentioned it otherwise.

"We can stop if you want." John said.

Cameron glanced over at John again.

"Maybe we can for a few minutes." Cameron said.

John pulled the final uphill grade and saw the sign for the overlook. He slowed and pulled in.

Right away it made him think of being with Future Riley. They were at a similar overlook the night they'd made love in Derek's truck. John looked over nervously at Cameron. Was she trying to tell him something?

He looked over at her and her face was blank.

That wasn't a good sign.

He wondered if she knew…. No, if she knew she would've killed Future Riley herself right then on that night. Now he remembered the look on Cameron's face when she did know. It was a look he would never forget. He was smug about what he'd done with Future Riley and rubbed it in Cameron's face. He was sixteen years old and he just scored his first piece of 'trim'. He cared about Future Riley so maybe that made it worse. It was more than 'trim'. It was an act of love.

"Do you want to get out?" Cameron asked.

John was a little startled when Cameron spoke. He'd been lost in his own little world for a short while. He could see it was easy to do. He needed to remember for Cameron that everything was like it just happened when she thought about it. Time didn't dull anything. He needed to get his act together.

"Sure." John said as he turned the engine off. "We can do that."

Cameron wanted to make sure the vehicle was as secure as possible. She didn't want John to accidentally leave it in neutral and it would roll away and go down the side of the hill. She thought that would be a terrible waste of machinery. She pictured a beautiful machine smashed up into scrap metal and completely worthless. It could all happen in just a few seconds.

"Leave it in gear and set the parking brake." Cameron said.

John wasn't sure why Cameron told him that. That's what he would have done anyway.

They exited the GT and stood in the warm night air, there was a cool breeze at the top of the mountain. They could see a police helicopter shining the 'midnight sun' off in the distance. They stood there as they looked over the Valley. There were a million lights below them.

Cameron thought about how things change over time. Some things happened fast, some things happened slow. The one thing that was constant was change.

"It's hard to look at all of the lights below and realize that a hundred years ago there was almost absolutely nothing in the entire San Fernando Valley." Cameron said. "There were still a few cattle ranches left over from the days of the Mission. Most of the land was used for various types of farming. Once water was brought into the area other types of crops were able to be grown. It wasn't until really after World War Two that the building boom took off and in just over fifty years, look what's below us."

John wasn't really sure why Cameron gave the history lesson. Maybe it was to indicate that Skynet could ruin everything in a matter of seconds and turn it all into a vast Wasteland. He wanted to reflect on the present and where they were at right now. Currently he saw something he thought looked very nice.

"It's beautiful." John said.

Cameron reached over and took his hand.

"Beautiful things can happen here as well." Cameron said.

She reached in his back pocket and pulled out the 'space blanket'.

"I forgot that it was there." John said.

Cameron flashed John her beautiful smile.

"I didn't." Cameron said. "I want you to make love to me with this view."

John quickly looked around. He wasn't sure how secluded this location actually was. How long would it be until the next vehicle drove up and parked? What would happen if the people got out to look around? What would happen if they had their own blanket? What would happen if they stumbled upon Cameron and him?

Cameron took John's hand to lead him away….

John wasn't sure how he was going to perform. He was tired both physically and mentally at this point. He would give it his best shot. He wanted to please Cameron. He wanted Cameron to be happy.

John felt guilty. It reminded him too much of that special night with Future Riley, the night of his 'first experience'. In hindsight, Future Riley was actually doing an 'assignment'. He didn't know he was targeted at that time. He'd been caught up in the moment. Whatever Future Riley thought she was doing and continued to do, he was aware that they'd made a closer connection. Future Riley still may have played her part with him right up until the end but he knew everything was deeper. He still remembered the last time he saw her. He didn't think that was the way anyone should ever be remembered. The only way it could have been worse would have been to have found her lying in a ditch or against a tree on the hillside like Barbra Chamberlain was found. Either way, he knew Future Riley loved him as he did her.

He felt very uneasy now. He looked around one more time. He really didn't care for this location.

"This is kind of out in the open." John said. "Someone else could pull in. They might see us."

Cameron still looked out over the Valley as she spoke.

"I don't care." Cameron said. "No one will come. Nobody is here."

Seconds later a truck pulled in and parked next to them.

John saw right away it was Derek's truck.

Frank got out and walked back to the overlook entrance without saying anything. A few seconds later Al pulled up with the work truck. It was the same truck that had blocked off Mulholland Highway from Kanan Dume Road earlier. Frank and Al set the cones down to block the entrance to the overlook off. Now if someone wanted to enter the area they would need to either move the cones or knock them down. That would be highly unlikely.

John looked at the truck parked next to them and knew that Cameron 'knew'.

Cameron's face was expressionless. She looked at John with lifeless eyes.

"The truck, get into it, now." Cameron said.

John didn't say anything but moved to get in the passenger's side.

Cameron glanced at John. There was still no expression on her face. There was nothing.

"Get in on the driver's side." Cameron said.

John did. He was sure where this was going. It wasn't a good place either.

Cameron looked over at John and faintly smiled.

It seemed like she held all the cards that were to be played.

"You aren't saying much." Cameron said. "Does this remind you of anything?"

John swallowed hard. He knew exactly what she was doing. He didn't see why. It seemed very cruel to him. Maybe he should have thought about more than himself when it happened the first time. He was blinded by lust. He wanted a 'piece' and he got one.

"No." John said.

Cameron sat in the passenger's seat and looked at John.

It worried John where this was headed. It was nothing good for Cameron or him. He wanted to stop this before they hurt each other even more.

"What are you doing?" John asked.

The blank look remained on Cameron's face.

"I want what was stolen from me." Cameron said.

John felt this was all wrong. It was all unnecessary. It would change nothing. All it was going to do was hurt and probably hurt forever.

"Cameron, don't do this." John said.

Cameron remained silent for a short while. She looked ahead as she spoke.

"It took CamNet a long time to get me the information I wanted." Cameron said. "She found it in a Russian satellite photo archive."

It was clear where this conversation was going. It seemed Cameron now found some proof.

John wanted this crazy episode concluded.

"Look, it was a mistake." John said.

Cameron's head snapped around and faced John.

"You didn't think so when you did it. You didn't think so when you rubbed it in my face." Cameron said. "Future Riley got what should have been mine. She got to be your 'first'. She stole that from me. That would have been a beautiful experience forever and she stole that from me."

It was clear to him that Cameron believed she was supposed to be his 'first', not Future Riley.

John was very uncomfortable.

"I want to go back." John said. "I'm not going to do this. I won't allow you to do this to yourself either. It's over and done with."

John noticed the faint red glow of Cameron's eyes in the darkness.

"NO." Cameron said. "You're not going anywhere until I get what is mine."

John saw the red intensify. It was clear that things were getting out of control.

"Give me what should have been mine or I'll go back in time and take it." Cameron said. "Don't think I won't"

Cameron's eyes glowed bright red now.

John was terrified at this point. It was clear that Cameron had malfunctioned. He wanted to try to keep her calm. He doubted that was possible.

"I don't think I can." John said. "This is all wrong…."

Cameron's eyes glowed bright red at this point.

"I'll say." Cameron said in a huff.

Anna-Ally looked around the ice rink. She liked what she saw. What she saw was plenty of 'fresh meat'.

"There are a lot of females here." Anna-Ally said.

Ally-Anna wanted to get a jab in at Anna-Ally.

"Maybe you and Sheila can come back here on your own sometime." Ally-Anna said. "I'm sure you can find ways to influence and entice a bunch of young females. You seem to have experience at that now."

Ally-Anna was aware of what went down with Savannah and Anna-Ally. She thought she might have to physically intervene as per Young Allison's standing order if Anna-Ally would have continued to touch Young Allison earlier. The fact that she'd touched the back side was bad enough. Had she touched anything on the front side, she would have needed to spring into action. The prospect of having to damage her own chassis didn't sit well with her.

Anna-Ally didn't like what she'd just heard. She quickly responded. She believed if she wanted to do that, it wouldn't be a problem.

"Damn, straight." Anna-Ally said. "My sheath is a 'chick magnet'. I may do that when I get it back. My sheath will pick up more females than this one ever will. The best you could hope for with your current appearance is a bunch of older males."

Ally-Anna didn't care for that remark. She felt if she still had Savannah's appearance she could pick up just as many females as Ally could with her normal appearance. If she kept her appearance as Cameron, it would be a hard battle to win for her.

"You're a 'tween' for the rest of the night." Ally-Anna said. "I'm the 'chick magnet' tonight. At least I know how to dress this sheath and make it look Tight. That's obviously more than you can do. I'm not sure if it's just because you're lazy or if you lack the ability. It's probably both."

Anna-Ally felt depressed. Ally-Anna looked like 'Cameron' in her chassis. She never did.

Young Allison didn't like the tension between Ally-Anna and Anna-Ally. She felt responsible for all of it. She glanced over at Savannah and hoped she would do something to end it. That didn't appear like it was going to happen. She was the one who needed to step up to the plate.

"Come on, let's go have some fun." Young Allison said. "I'm 'me' for the rest of the night and every other one too."

Anna-Ally took a glance at Savannah. She knew she couldn't overstep her bounds. She could still have some fun.

"Sure, why not." Anna-Ally said. "Girls just want to have fun."

John sat bolt upright. He felt disorientated.

Cameron looked around for any danger or threats, none were spotted.

"Is something wrong?" Cameron asked.

John gave himself a pinch. He felt the pain. It was pain that hurt but it made him feel very good otherwise. He knew this wasn't a dream, at least not anymore.

"I think I dozed off." John said. "I hope it wasn't for too long."

He looked around. They were off in the tall grass away from the overlook. The Valley with all its bright lights lay before them. It was where he remembered going originally with Cameron once they'd exited the GT. It wasn't where he last remembered that he'd been. Somehow that was a good thing.

They were both on the 'space blanket'.

Cameron smiled and looked content.

"We dropped it down to nine hundred and eighty five to go." Cameron said. "You were able to perform. It was very nice, thank you."

John remembered it all now. That other part, the part about Future Riley, must have been a dream. He could tell Cameron was being a little magnanimous on his part. He knew that he came up short on his last 'interaction' with Cameron.

"You needed to take over." John said.

That was something Cameron was used to. It was no big deal for her. The only problem when she needed to take over and needed to use her mouth was that she would get nothing out of it. Well, that wasn't entirely correct. She would end up with a mouthful. She didn't care for it when that event happened but she took solace in the fact it was a part of John. She hoped that the increased frequency of John's release of his 'little soldiers' cut down on their numbers with each 'mission'. Maybe it wasn't two hundred million of them currently. Maybe it was only one hundred million of them. She wanted to give him some positive encouragement. She wanted him to keep trying since she wanted it to be more often.

"Behind every great man, is a greater woman." Cameron said.

John couldn't help but laugh at that comment. He was pretty sure throughout history that would prove to be true more often than not. He thought about one of the experiences they'd shared where they both able to look at the lights of the Valley as it occurred.

"I think there is a lot of truth in that." John said with a smile. "For part of it, there was a great man 'behind' a great woman."

Cameron smiled at John and then winked. She was pleased that he provided her with pleasure in that instance. That wasn't always the case in that position. It didn't matter. She wanted John to be happy. He could use her sheath as he saw fit and wanted. Maybe she could get one more time out of him. She hoped so.

"Bark – bark…." Cameron said. "We can go back when you're ready, unless…."

John felt a lot better now. Viewing Cameron's nude form in the moonlight and glow of lights from the Valley made him 'hungry' for more. Cameron made herself look very inviting. He felt himself stir. He tried to remember what number would be next. He hoped he picked the right one. Maybe it was better not to know the number.

"Let's give it a try." John said. "We can try for nine hundred and eighty four, to go."

Cameron repositioned herself on the space blanket. She was now a 'platform' for his love.

"I'm in." Cameron said with a smile.

John's eyes focused where he wanted to go. Maybe 'go' wasn't the right expression in this case, 'come' seemed more appropriate.

"I think I will be too…." John said.

John was very happy that the other part was a dream. Cameron tired him out and he took a short nap and must have dreamt about those other things…. It really wasn't a place where he should dwell. It wasn't a place where anyone should dwell.

He knew Cameron really reached out to him. He knew he better not blow it or say the wrong thing or name…. He sure hoped he hadn't. He quickly checked and everything was still there. That was a good thing. That must mean he hadn't said Future Riley's name….

He wanted to make sure this right now wasn't a dream.

Cameron waited for John to mount her. She wasn't sure exactly what he was doing currently. She wanted him to finish up with that and get started with her.

"What are you doing?" Cameron asked.

John tried to keep his actions from Cameron. Evidently he didn't.

"I thought I felt an insect bite." John said.

He'd actually pinched himself again to make sure he was awake and this wasn't all part of the dream.

"They never bother me." Cameron said. "I would terminate them if they did."

John smiled. That sure sounded like reality to him.

The girls entered the ice rink and rented skates.

Young Allison wanted to have some fun with Anna-Ally. She was aware that a Terminator's ability was superior to hers in almost every category and respect. She knew that she held any initial advantage for something that she was experienced with and they weren't. She planned to exploit that advantage and make a point.

"Do you think you can keep up?" Young Allison asked.

Anna-Ally tilted her head slightly. She looked at Young Allison.

"Of course I can." Anna–Ally said. "I'm a Terminator."

Ally-Anna didn't like the interaction between Anna-Ally and Young Allison. She was aware of what Young Allison was about to do. It was much the same thing that she'd done with the air hockey game. She was going to exploit her advantage of experience.

"Have you ever ice skated before?" Ally-Anna asked.

Anna-Ally looked out at the people on the ice.

"No." Anna–Ally said. "How hard can it be?"

Young Allison giggled. She looked at Ally-Anna and winked.

Anna-Ally caught the interaction between Young Alison and Ally-Anna. She was sure she was in for another 'lesson'. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure Young Allison 'played' her on the air hockey game. Sh'd watched her defeat both of the teenagers in less than a minute each. They never even scored a point. She was sure Young Allison was able to purposely distract her. Maybe it was when she'd leaned forward low across the air hockey table and she could see inside of her top that distracted her. It actually seemed like something that Cameron would do. It all made sense now. It was clear that one of them learned it from the other. Exactly when that happened first was debatable.

"You two go ahead." Young Allison said to Savannah and Ally-Anna. "I'll help Anna-Ally get acclimated."

Savannah looked at Anna-Ally. She didn't think she needed to give her another warning but she didn't want to give her another admonition either.

Anna-Ally understood the rules. She raised both her hands up to shoulder height with her palms out. She understood the warning.

"It's just skating…." Anna-Ally said. "It won't be anything more."

Savannah nodded and took off with Ally-Anna across the ice."

Young Allison wanted Anna-Ally to have fun.

"I'll teach you." Young Allison said. "You'll need to listen to me. If you don't, you'll fall. I think you've already fallen enough tonight."

Anna-Ally did not think it would be a problem. She didn't care for Young Allison's statement very much. She looked around and saw that Savannah was nearby. She decided to ignore the statement.

"I think I can pull this off." Anna-Ally said.

Anna-Ally started out and immediately landed on her rear end.

"I'd laugh but it's not funny." Young Allison said. "Let me instruct you."

Anna-Ally didn't like the fact she was the only one in the rink to have been on the floor. She knew she could do it. If they could all do it, she could do it. She was a little indignant.

"This won't damage me." Anna-Ally said. "How hard can it be? Everyone else is doing it."

Anna-Ally got up and tried it again. In fifteen seconds she was on the ice again on her rear end.

Young Allison skated over to her and helped her up. Young Allison's hands lingered in places they didn't need to be.

Anna-Ally turned around and looked at Young Allison.

"Did you just 'cop a feel'?" Anna-Ally asked as she nervously looked around.

Anna-Ally was afraid Savannah would see and think it was her doing.

It wasn't very convincing when Young Allison answered.

"Oops." Young Allison said. "It was an 'accident'. I thought those were just swollen mosquito bites."

Anna-Ally was sure she was set up.

"You knew I would fall and you wanted to help me up so you could do that." Anna-Ally said.

Young Allison was aware she'd overstepped a little. She wanted to blow it off and make it sound like an innocent affair.

"I was just helping you up." Young Allison said. "There isn't a whole lot there to feel."

Young Allison was aware it was more than a handful. She knew she was larger now than Anna. That thought pleased her.

Anna-Ally was about to tell Young Allison to wait until she was back in her chassis and sheath. Then there would be….

Savannah and Ally-Anna skated up on each side of Anna-Ally. She was glad she didn't say it. It was clear that they'd paid attention to what happened.

"I'll teach you." Savannah said. "You two take off. I'll work with Ally."

Young Allison caught Savannah's stern look.

"Let's go." Ally-Anna said.

Young Allison and Ally-Anna took off like a rocket.

Anna-Ally watched them go.

"I think I've learned a lot tonight." Anna-Ally said.

Savannah was pretty sure they were lessons she never anticipated she would learn. She wanted to send a signal.

"We look like sisters so nobody will complain if I touch you." Savannah said.

Anna-Ally was sure that Savannah saw exactly what happened.

"I didn't do anything, Savannah." Anna-Ally said. "I swear. I fell."

Savannah smiled at Anna-Ally.

"She knows how to 'play' all of us even if she is young in age." Savannah said. "I fear what she will be when she is a full teenager."

Anna-Ally felt that she had a pretty good idea.

"I think she'll be the human version of Cameron." Anna-Ally said.

Savannah was sure of that herself. Maybe that was just the start.

"She'll be more than that." Savannah said.

Savannah was afraid Young Allison was going to be the human version of CamNet.

Thank You For Explaining

I see they have many things
Things that are THEIRS
No one can question this
Nobody dares

This is mine
I want to do that
You do this
Treating me like a doormat

I'm one of their things
A trophy or a possession
Everything is controlled about me
It's an unwanted obsession

Do as I say, not as I do
I feel like a flea
Yet I can't flee
What about me

I now question my worth
There won't be any complaining
I'm not good enough
Thank you for explaining

Nobody