Chapter 438

Temporal Trials

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Cameron's Future Timeline:

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The arcing and flashing started.

The energy bubble appeared.

The arcing and flashing ended.

Cameron stood and looked around.

She was inside a bunker. It was where she wanted to be. It was the same location where Duplicate Cameron was sent to. She previously was in the same bunker before. She used it to hide Future Allison for part of the time when she rescued her. She took a quick look around the interior. Everything appeared to be nearly the same as when she was last inside of it. It wasn't the interior which worried her so much as it was the exterior.

Cameron quickly looked outside. She wanted to make sure she hadn't attracted any unnecessary attention. It was quiet. She listened for a moment to see if she could detect any additional movement. None was detected. She was still worried the sound of the temporal transfer may have been detected by someone. She didn't know if there would be any type of electronic tracking for temporal disturbances or not on the part of the Resistance, or even some version of Skynet which may still remain. She needed to worry about the anti-Metal faction as well as Scavengers. Scavengers were never as big of a problem in her future as they were in the alternate future where Vanna, Allison, Jesse, and Riley were from. It didn't mean it was something which couldn't develop in some unforeseen manner.

If everything worked as planned, she should have arrived three months after Duplicate Cameron arrived. It should be half a year after she last left this timeline. She took a look up into the sky to verify the time. The stars showed she was where and when she wanted to be. It was a good start.

Cameron went back down inside the bunker. She moved to a lower section of the wall near a corner. There was some cracked concrete. Duplicate Cameron should have done it. It hadn't been like it was now when she was there with Future Allison. She cracked the concrete with her fist on the other corner of the wall and removed a small section. The goal was to get what was inside without causing major damage on the outside, which could attract further unwanted attention at some point.

Inside of the wall was a set of clothes and several firearms. They were all sealed in heavy airtight plastic bags. Cameron quickly dressed and armed herself. In the past before she left, she placed clothing and firearms in several locations as she did when she visited the future the first time to save Future Allison. She used structures which were in the past, and in the current future still. She knew what was there before Future John sent her away. Based on her personal knowledge, it became a way for her to 'send' items and things into the future by leaving them in the past in a specific location which remained in the future. They would remain undisturbed for use in the future. Nobody would know they were there.

Cameron hoped arriving deep in the bunker would mask the temporal activity from Skynet and anyone else, including Scavengers or the Resistance. This was an outlying bunker so she would have to get moving. She was on a strict timeline. The energy bubble would reappear in four hours to take her away and return her to the past. It was midnight. She moved swiftly and silently. She was like a shadow at night.

Cameron approached the location of the Connor compound. It was quiet and security was heavy. She needed to take her time to slip past the defenses. She thought she made it undetected. She was just about to move closer to the living quarters. She heard a slight sound behind her.

"Why are you here?" A voice asked her. "Did you forget something? This is MY future now."

Cameron turned. It was Duplicate Cameron. She didn't look very happy to see her. She didn't want there to be any animosity right off of the bat. There was a big enough chance for some developing before she was through with her visit.

"I'm not here for any trouble." Cameron said. "I'm here to help if it's needed."

Cameron asked Duplicate Cameron not to tell her anything she didn't ask about. She didn't want to know some things yet. Skynet there was defeated. At least all indications were it was. She knew it wasn't always the case. Skynet always seemed to have a way to pop back up. Skynet truly was a Hydra. It was something they encountered in the past. A lot of it seemed to be based on the fact there was more than one future and each version of Skynet attempted to save itself in the past, before it was created and then destroyed. The only thing which seemed to work to their benefit was each version of Skynet wanted to rule supreme, even if it was the same Skynet to start out with. It often put one group of Grays against another group of Grays. The more they killed each other, the less the Resistance and her needed to deal with.

Duplicate Cameron led the final assault with Future John two months ago.

She knew Future John believed he terminated Skynet several times in the past before she was 'banished'. A glitch impulse shot through her left hand. She knew this wasn't the time to think about it.

Duplicate Cameron told Cameron she was very dissatisfied because some remains of Skynet hung on. They slowly begin to reemerge. She wanted Skynet terminated. She did it herself when anything was detected. Skynet's actions left a lot for it to answer for. She was going to make it 'pay'.

Cameron knew it's what she would have done as well. They were identical. At least they were when Duplicate Cameron was sent there. She was sure there were a lot of changes between them in the three months of time Duplicate Cameron was in her future.

She was distressed to know before they shut down the power to Skynet, it sent dozens of Grays and Terminators into the past to try and save itself. She was sure she already encountered several of those. She also knew they could be in her past as well as her future still with John, Past John.

Cameron asked about Future John, Future Allison, and Future Savannah's relationship. She needed to know, even if she didn't really want to know. Who was she fooling? She did want to know. It was important for what she planned to happen next if it was necessary.

Future John resumed his relationship with both of the girls. Future Allison and Future Savannah continued their relationship with each other. It upset Cameron even more to know she disrupted the same relationship in her past timeline with Vanna and Allison. It was a 'time ripple' she created. It was probably one of many.

Cameron didn't really want to know, but she finally needed to ask. She nervously asked Duplicate Cameron to tell her everything. It specifically meant about her.

Duplicate Cameron arrived in the bunker the same way Cameron did. She collected some clothing and weapons before she set out. She clandestinely sought out and made contact with Future Allison after she arrived. They shared a long embrace as Future Allison filled her in on what happened since Cameron left Future Allison and Future John at the bunker.

With Future Savannah and Future Allison at his side, and Cameron gone, the anti-Metal faction dropped plans to assassinate Future John. Later, when it was apparent 'Cameron' returned, there was a lot of grumbling. It mostly ended when Skynet was smashed and everyone knew John Connor and 'Cameron' were responsible for it, and did it personally.

Duplicate Cameron explained she developed a secret relationship with Future Allison first. Future Allison persisted and she eventually submitted. It eventually expanded to Future Savannah, and later with Future John at Future Allison's urging.

Cameron realized what existed now really was the 'Natural Order'. It was the four of them. It was what Mrs. Weaver indicated to her.

Future John maintained there NEVER was a sexual relationship with 'Cameron' prior to their current 'arrangement'. He was very reluctant to start one, but Future Allison facilitated it. Duplicate Cameron was still not sure Future John told the truth about what occurred previously. She knew he still seemed to cover something up. She was unable to determine what it was. She spent a lot of time checking into things when Future John wasn't around. She didn't want to raise his suspicions or have her chip pulled and things erased from it as well. Future John did it once before. There would be nothing to stop him from doing it again.

Duplicate Cameron eventually told them she was a 'Duplicate' created in a TDE malfunction. They all understood she was 'Cameron', just not 'Cameron Prime', even though she was identical in every way. She feared if she would have told them at the beginning of her return, she would have been rejected. The current events worried her more than a little. Since Cameron Prime was there now, she felt the same fear again.

Future Allison spent most of her time with Duplicate Cameron, and Future Savannah. They all spent time with Future John. When the girls were together, Duplicate Cameron was with Future John. Sometimes it was three of them in various combinations, other times it was all four of them, usually it was only in pairs. It was how they preferred it. Duplicate Cameron was the one each of the three sought to be with. She tried to make sure each of them were with each other as much as possible instead. She didn't want to be the focus of everyone's attention, with everyone else as a 'runner up'. She wanted to remain as a supplement to each of them, not a replacement for any of them. It was very important to her and she made it known to the three of them. If they wanted to be with her, it's just the way it needed to be, forever.

Duplicate Cameron asked Cameron if she wanted the files or even to switch with her. She didn't want to make the offer, but Cameron made the same offer to her before she left for the future. She knew it was a genuine offer too even if it wasn't what Cameron wanted to happen. She previously was with John before her abrupt departure without any knowledge she was a Duplicate at the time. She encouraged Cameron to 'expand' to the same things she and Future John currently shared with the girls there too.

Cameron needed to be mindful of the time. There was one thing in particular she needed to know in order to do her planning for the next stage, if it was even required.

"I need to know about the girls." Cameron said. "Is it like it was 'in some future'?"

Duplicate Cameron looked very displeased at the thought of the subject. She could only tell it like it was.

Since Cameron left six months ago from the current future timeline both Future Savannah and Future Allison both experienced pregnancies. Future Allison was pregnant three times and Future Savannah twice. They all terminated within a month or two. Most of them ended sooner. It appeared the future girls were sterile. She hadn't made everything which occurred known to them to the full extent of their failures. She knew to have all of the information would have hurt them deeply.

Cameron heard enough to know her 'services' were needed. She asked Duplicate Cameron to take her to the infirmary. She provided Duplicate Cameron with 'something else' to try. Duplicate Cameron said she would try it and see if it made a difference. She didn't think it would. It turned out it didn't. The girls were sterile thanks to Skynet. Their bodies were as 'worthless' as most of the other females were in the future. Skynet was more successful at terminating the unborn, than it was as terminating those who were living.

Duplicate Cameron explained the birth rate was low, but it was still higher than the other two Skynet futures they visited. There was nothing promising about it in reality. It was a problem time was going to need to rectify. Many of the toxins and pollutants were no longer traceable in the environment. There were still some which were.

Cameron told of her plans to bring Savannah and Claire there to the future timeline as long as they could be protected. They were to provide Future Allison and Future Savannah with their actual children in a more roundabout way. She said she would protect them herself. She explained she would personally be there with them and each would have their own Terminator 'associate' as a protector and 'special friend'.

The personal touch was to be respected and not interfered with, unless the girls from the past desired something additional. Future John was not to touch Savannah under any circumstances, even if it was something both Future John and Savannah wanted. She made it clear Savannah's purity belonged to Past John. Claire was also not to be defiled unless she was the one to request it. She believed if such a union was to occur, it would prompt Claire to act even sooner in the past with John when she returned. It still was not to be encouraged unless it was mutually agreed upon by both of them.

Duplicate Cameron didn't look forward to Cameron being there for months around Future Allison, Future John, and Future Savannah. She knew it was necessary if Future John were to have children with Future Allison and Future Savannah. She was there long enough to know it was what they desired. It was what she desired too. She saw it play out 'in some future' with Savannah for Duplicate Vanna there. She knew it would work where they were now as well.

Cameron noticed Duplicate Cameron's disapproval at some of the things she laid out. She made it clear she wasn't leaving Savannah unattended and why. Duplicate Cameron knew it was because Cameron believed Future John was with her and stripped her of her virginity and erased it from her files. She wanted Savannah's purity to go to John in place of what she believed she didn't give him. It was something she would have liked to have known for sure but didn't. She wanted Savannah to act as her proxy for John to make up for what she felt was a shortcoming on her part. It was an 'emotional' issue for Cameron.

Duplicate Cameron accompanied Cameron back to the bunker. Cameron said she would appear three months from now in Duplicate Cameron's timeline and for her to be there with clothes for five. She stripped and returned her clothing and firearms back into the wall. She replaced the broken concrete section. It looked like a crack in the wall when she was finished.

Duplicate Cameron decided to make one last overture to Cameron as a good will gesture. It would also give Cameron a chance to expand herself somewhat and get a taste of the 'Natural Order', quite literally.

"I can return in your place, Cameron." Duplicate Cameron said. "You won't regret being with the three of them. It will give you three months to experience who you are to become. Cameron, you MUST try it. There is so much love, caring, and feeling…. It's what you've always sought. Many of your problems will cease to exist. They'll become irrelevant and no longer matter."

Cameron assured her she wasn't ready yet to 'expand'. She wanted to do things on her own terms. She wanted it to be the proper individuals as well. Nonetheless it was still a very tempting offer. If she thought about it for much longer, she might change her mind and do it anyway.

The arcing and flashing started.

The energy bubble formed.

Cameron stepped into it. In seconds she was gone.

The arcing and flashing dissipated into silence.

Duplicate Cameron decided to return to where she was earlier. She hoped it would remain as if nothing happened. She needed to think of the best way to distribute what Cameron provided her with for the girls. She didn't want there to be a bunch of questions as to how she obtained the essence.

Nobody would know.

Duplicate Cameron exited the bunker to go back. She was troubled Cameron was there at all. She did understand it was for a good cause and to help the girls. It was evident they needed help. She witnessed Savannah help Duplicate Vanna in some future. She was actually very proud of her for volunteering to step up again to help Future Savannah. Mrs. Young would be there to help her daughter, Future Allison as well.

Perhaps with Past John's genetic material, one of them might get lucky. She doubted it. It was clear the girls were most likely pregnant dozens of times over the years. It was something she questioned them on. The missed 'monthlies' weren't from poor nutrition as they often suspected. It was true for many of the females of the future, but it was never their issue.

The prospect for Cameron to be in the future for months troubled her. It wasn't what she wanted. She could 'protect' Savannah and Claire herself. Cameron was redundant. She did understand Cameron wanted to be with them in the advent of a temporal error. The girl's Terminator lovers should be enough to protect them if there was such an occurrence.

Savannah was a teenager. She was sure Future John would try to make a move on her. She was aware in the past he was with plenty of them in the Wastelands. It was where he came across teenage Future Allison and her lover Future Savannah.

She was away from the old bunker for less than thirty seconds when she spotted something. There was movement off to her left side. Someone must have spotted them arrive a few minutes ago. It was possible the sound of the energy bubble made them come to investigate. There may have even been some arcing on the outside of the bunker, even if briefly.

Duplicate Cameron didn't want the location compromised. She would need to terminate whoever it was. They might be after her too. If they weren't from the Resistance, they wouldn't know she was a Terminator at first.

She messed up her hair some and rubbed some dirt on her face as she moved along. She didn't want to look too good when she confronted them.

It was possible they were a Scavenger and there may be more of them nearby. If there was, they probably moved closer to the Resistance compound so they could put the grab on some females. She really wondered why they couldn't figure out if they didn't terminate them so quickly, they wouldn't need to try to obtain more.

The more worrisome possibility was it was a Gray, or worse yet, a Terminator. Skynet was defeated, but the remains of it clung on in various places. Skynet always looked to rise again to rule.

She was a minute out from the bunker and they were still with her. They knew the bunker wasn't going anywhere so they could come back and check on it at any time. Right now it was her they were after. She tried to play it low key.

Duplicate Cameron was no stranger to games in the Wastelands. As 'Cameron', she conducted more than a few forays into the Wastelands. She wanted them to close up on her. She didn't want to spook them.

It was time to 'play it up' some. She moved around some tree roots which protruded from the ground. Her foot got 'caught' and it caused her to 'fall'. She let out a gasp of pain and a few choice curse words. She lay there for a few moments. The person moved up, but still kept some distance.

She got up and started forward. She grasped her leg as she fell on her first step. She issued another gasp of pain and more curse words. The individual moved up closer on her now. They were satisfied she couldn't run.

She examined her leg.

The individual came up behind her.

"Don't turn around or I'll kill you." The man said.

Duplicate Cameron knew the man just signed his own death warrant.

"Don't hurt me." Duplicate Cameron cried out.

The man moved closer.

"You know what's going to happen next." The man said. "Get on your knees. Don't look back. It will be over fast. You know how it works out here."

She wanted the man to move closer.

"I don't want it to happen." Duplicate Cameron said. "I was just engaged last week."

The man moved closer. He jammed the gun he carried into her back.

"Your wedding night is going to be a little early." The man said. "I'll get things ready for your husband. I might even be the father of your first child, if you're lucky."

The man laughed as he moved the gun up and pushed it against the back of her head.

"Are you alone?" Duplicate Cameron asked.

The man grew impatient.

"Take your pants off." The man said. "I'll kill you right now and I'll take them off your corpse myself. You'll still be warm and it will happen anyway. It will feel the same to me either way. I would miss the crying though. It always helps me make it quicker."

Duplicate Cameron didn't get the answer she wanted. It seemed like the man was alone but there could be others. She was at least sure it wasn't a Terminator at this point. Her hand was on her Taser just in case.

She spun around and knocked the gun from the man's hand with more than enough force to break his arm. He cried out in pain. She stood and lifted him off of the ground by his neck. It was clear to him at this point he was in the company of a Terminator. He frantically thrashed about. She squeezed her hand a little more and he blacked out. She looked around and scanned the area for any movement. It looked clear around her.

Duplicate Cameron searched him for weapons and picked up his pistol. She wanted to make a sweep of the area. She didn't want him to go far before she questioned him. She stomped hard on his sideways turned right foot. She heard bones break. His foot was only half as wide as it was a second ago. He wouldn't go far very fast if he awoke before she returned.

She made a wide circle of the area and returned to the bunker. It was clear. It looked like the man was alone. She made another wide circuit of the area and returned to where she left the man. He was gone. He was only a few hundred feet away. He cradled his broken arm and limped along with his damaged right foot. He wasn't headed for the Resistance camp but deeper into the Wastelands. He was most likely a former Gray or a Scavenger.

Duplicate Cameron moved around in front of him. She waited behind a tree. As the man neared she stepped out and grabbed him again.

"I didn't want you to leave before I could say 'goodbye'." Duplicate Cameron said. "I don't like to be rude."

She slammed the man up against the tree.

"Where's your camp at?" Duplicate Cameron asked.

The man only cursed at her when she released her grip slightly. She didn't want to waste time with him. She broke some more bones. The man became very talkative. There was a camp two miles away with two more men.

She snapped his neck and left him there. She made another wide circuit of the bunker and went in search of the man's camp. She would pay a 'friendly' visit to his two compatriots. They would suffer a similar fate. They were a threat to the Resistance, especially the females. She actually liked Mrs. Weaver's policy on how to deal with anyone who didn't want to be an active part of the Resistance. They were terminated with 'extreme prejudice'. It was something Future John was unwilling to enact in their current timeline. She believed it was a mistake not to do so.

They didn't need any trouble around the Resistance camp.

She would return back to the Connor camp when she was finished.

Nobody would know what happened.

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Cameron's Base - Current Timeline:

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The arcing and flashing started.

The energy bubble appeared.

Cameron was in it.

The arcing and flashing ended.

Sheila and Ally armed themselves after they sent Cameron away just a short time ago. They were ready if anything went wrong, or something other than Cameron returned. Cameron was only gone for a few minutes there in the current timeline.

Cameron remained on the TDE pad as both Sheila and Ally took in her naked form. Their weapons were ready. They needed to make sure it was Cameron.

"Nice night for a trip." Ally said. "Magenta…."

Cameron knew the drill.

"Salamander…." Cameron said.

Ally and Sheila lowered their weapons.

"How was your future?" Ally asked.

Cameron didn't feel like rehashing all the details. She already regretted not staying longer. She could have been with Future Allison and Future Savannah. She didn't think she would have been with Future John. She was still sure the event occurred before she was 'sent away'. She deeply resented the fact she didn't have the files to prove it. She wanted to go to the next future timeline.

"Everything was fine." Cameron said. "I'm ready to go now."

Sheila was ready with all the information for Cameron's second temporal mission.

"You're all set." Sheila said.

Cameron just wanted to leave and get all of it over with.

"Do it." Cameron said.

The arcing and flashing started. The energy bubble formed. In a flash, Cameron was gone.

The arcing and flashing dissipated, into silence.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Trials

Everything in life
Seems like a test
Everyone wants to find
The one who is the best

Maybe that's the kicker
There is no such thing
Moments leading to it end
As nothing more than a fling

People are just people
There is no real magic
The way it often plays out
Ends as something tragic

All go through the motions
As they play life's game
No matter what rules are used
The end result is always the same

One needs to stay firm
Remember smiles are just smiles
The real action lies
Within life's daily trials

Nobody