Chapter 441
Temporal Tribulations
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Cameron's Base Current Timeline:
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It was time to retrieve Cameron, Savannah, and Ginger-Cammy from Cameron's future. Claire and Holly-Hanna were just successfully returned. Everyone expected the next transfer to go as smoothly as the previous one did. Things worked out as scheduled. Everyone was in good condition with no problems.
Sheila started the TDE.
The arcing and flashing started.
The energy bubble formed and vanished in a flash.
The arcing and flashing ended.
A few moments passed. Sheila worked the controls again.
The arcing and flashing started.
The time bubble appeared.
It was empty.
The arcing and flashing ended.
Cameron, Savannah, and Ginger-Cammy weren't in it.
Something was wrong….
It was bad news, REAL bad.
Ally gripped her Coltan loaded M60 tightly.
"Where are they?" Ally asked.
Sheila looked at the controls. Everything was set correctly.
"I don't know." Sheila said.
Ginger's chip was in Cammy's chassis. She sensed it as danger to Cameron. She wanted to act. Her loyalty was to Cameron.
"Send it again. I'll go." Cammy-Ginger said. "Let me go look for them. Cameron needs my help."
Claire was asked to wait outside for safety reasons in case 'trouble' returned with the energy bubble. She heard the concern of the Metal girls. She entered into the TDE room. She was aware something was wrong. She didn't see how. Everything worked perfectly for her. She wanted to sort things out. It didn't seem it would be too difficult based upon where she was at just a short time ago.
"We were just there." Claire said. "Let me go back. Cameron was there with us."
Allison followed her mother back into the TDE room. She was glad her mother was back, but still upset her baby was given to Future Allison. It didn't matter right now. Things could be worse. She understood the dangers of the future. Being blasted around through time and space with the Temporal Displacement Equipment was a major risk at any point in time. The energy bubble may never reach its intended destination. It could also experience a temporal error during the procedure. She wanted her mother to think rationally rather than emotionally.
"Mom, you need to understand it could be YOU who is missing right now." Allison said. "All this is very dangerous and many things can go wrong. There could be a number of different explanations. There could be more than one problem. You don't want to end up in the future alone under any circumstances."
Claire remembered Cameron warned her of the dangers. Maybe she didn't take them seriously enough. She did now. She thought it was a more refined procedure because Cameron used it on multiple occasions. She did need to remember Cameron experienced more than one error. They weren't too significant, but they did occur. One mishap created two Duplicate sets of the girls and Cameron. She briefly wondered what it would be like to have a Duplicate created of her.
Hanna entered the TDE room behind Allison. A copy of her program was just there. It returned in Holly's chassis with Claire. It was copied back onto her chip. Since she possessed those files, it was the same now as if she was there in Cameron's future herself. She knew what Cameron wanted and didn't want. Cameron didn't want the 'Day Of Loss' repeated.
"Everyone, STOP!" Hanna said. "This isn't what Cameron wants us to do again. My program was just there. There are several options available to them. There's a Resistance controlled TDE and the one Duplicate Cameron and Future John captured at Skynet Central."
Claire didn't see what difference it made. They were missing right now. If they were going to come back some other way, why hadn't they arrived already? They would know everyone at Cameron's base would be worried about them. It seemed to her like they needed a better explanation. She didn't want anyone to lose sight of the central issue. What about Cameron and Savannah? Waiting for something to occur, which should already have occurred, didn't make any sense. Right now they were just wasting time.
"We have to go back for them." Claire said again. "We can't abandon them."
Claire still believed the individuals who were just there, should go back, since they were just there. They would know exactly how everything was, and where everything was at. They would be able to issue some type of a warning to Cameron and Savannah. She couldn't understand how it didn't make any sense not to do it immediately.
Ally knew something was wrong. There was only one sure way to track it back to the point of the problem. Someone would need to go there and check things out. It was possible the energy bubble attracted some type of unwanted attention. It may have led to some type of altercation. She didn't want to think it may have ended with some type of termination for their group.
"We won't abandon anyone." Ally said. "I'll go back myself to the time right after you came back and find out what happened."
Cammy-Ginger wasn't worried about her chassis in the future with Cammy's chip in it, she was worried about Cameron. She was worried about Savannah too. She felt a responsibility to do something.
"I'm going with her." Cammy-Ginger said.
Sheila could see there was a problem with Ally and Cammy-Ginger both going. It was based on their appearance. It was the reason Cammy wasn't in the future with her own chassis.
"Do we want two more 'Cameron look a likes' in Cameron's future?" Sheila asked. "It is sure to breed more trouble itself."
Holly knew it was her call. She pulled a 'fast one' in the hope to be with Future Allison. It was time to 'pay the piper'.
"I'll go." Holly said. "I was just there. I'm different from everyone. Cameron and Savannah need our help. I know exactly where everything is and what's happening there. People there know me now."
Allison didn't know of the deception Holly pulled off on her to get 'closer' to Future Allison. She thought it was Hanna's chip in Holly's chassis. She wanted to point out the discrepancy to Holly.
"It was Hanna chip in your chassis, not your chip." Allison said. "It would be unsafe for you to go. If anyone goes, it needs to be someone who was just there. It can't be my Mother either. I won't allow it to happen under any circumstances. I want to make it clear my Mother's not leaving here except to return to Palmdale."
Holly didn't want to get into it with Allison right now. She thought fast. It wasn't a lie either.
"I have those files." Holly said.
Allison still believed Holly and Hanna actually switched chips. Holly's statement didn't do anything to change her belief. There was a much bigger worry on her mind right now. She wanted to get involved. She didn't want her mother to return, she felt the need to go herself. It was a very distinct maternal instinct.
"What about the baby?" Allison asked. "How do we know if MY baby is all right? I want to go and look for MY baby."
Claire cringed at Allison's words. It really was HER baby. It wasn't how Allison should view it. They set some parameters before they left. Even though it was technically Allison's baby, it was destined for Future Allison. both of them were her daughter, the same daughter, in two different time periods.
Sheila called Cammy-Ginger over and showed her how to operate the TDE. There was no 'Cameron' on Ginger's chip. There was still the fear of encrypting Cameron's TDE with River's encoding it. It would limit its ability.
"I'm going to go." Sheila said. "If it's the anti-Metal blokes, I might be able to blend in. They will think I'm the 'other Jesse'."
Sheila was sure she could pass herself off as Future Jesse, even if it was for a short time. She could always become the Terminator she was if things started to go bad. They were bound to at some point.
Ally saw it as a bad idea from the start. Sheila hadn't ever been to Cameron's future. She didn't think her appearance would get her very far with the anti-Metal group. She wouldn't have the large scar Future Jesse carried on her side and back. She hoped to make Sheila understand what some of the consequences could be.
"And when they 'make' you as a Terminator, they'll have you." Ally said. "You don't know any of them. This is a different future from anything you have knowledge of. If they don't terminate you, they'll reprogram you as a 'Metal Whore'. They are going to assume you did something to Future Jesse yourself. You will be dealt with and punished as such."
Claire wanted some answers or action. So far everything they suggested seemed like a bad idea. She believed Holly's suggestion was the best.
"We have to do something." Claire said. "I think Holly offers the best solution."
Allison shot her mother a dirty look. She didn't want her cyborg lover to go back into the danger zone. She did realize sending Hanna was a bad option based upon her appearance."
Sheila wondered if maybe there was a temporal error. The other energy bubble could have gone to the wrong time period, or even the wrong location. Maybe the simplest thing to do was just reset everything and try it again. It was what she set out to do.
"Everyone stand ready." Sheila said. "I'm sending the energy bubble again. If there was a problem we may get 'unfriendly visitors' this time. I almost have it reset."
Holly wanted Claire and Allison moved to a safer location. She believed her idea was the best if the 'reset' didn't work. She wanted their best male Terminator to go with her if she went. She wanted to make Allison part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
"Hanna, will you please take Allison and Claire out of here." Holly said. "Get more of Cameron's Terminators in here. Allison, I need you to stay cool and call Bob. Tell him we need him and Cameron and Savannah need assistance. Tell him John can't know, he'll understand."
Sheila started the TDE process again.
The arcing and flashing started.
The energy bubble formed and vanished in a flash.
The arcing and flashing ended.
A minute passed.
Sheila worked the controls again. She increased the power output. The lights dimmed slightly.
The Terminators gripped their weapons.
The arcing and flashing started.
The energy bubble appeared.
It was empty.
The arcing and flashing ended.
It looked like the problem was real. There was no other explanation. Something catastrophic must have happened.
"No." Ally said. "NO!"
Sheila knew Holly was the logical choice to go. She wanted to hedge their bet and stack the deck in their favor. She knew just how to do it. It was actually something which was done before, even if it was a little different. She looked at Ally.
"You have Cameron spare chip right?" Sheila asked.
Ally not only possessed the spare chip, she also had Cameron's rings. If Cameron was terminated, her chip was to be pulled and Cameron's spare chip placed in her chassis, it would then become 'Cameron Prime'. No one was to know. She would cease to exist until she was rebodied with a different chassis. She didn't want a male chassis either, even as a joke.
"Yes, she updated it right before she left." Ally said. "You know what it's for…."
Sheila looked at Holly. The copy of Cameron's chip was their 'ace'.
"We need it." Sheila said. "We can copy it onto Holly's chip if she agrees."
Holly owed Cameron a lot. Cameron 'gave' her Allison and allowed her to visit Future Allison. She loved Cameron.
"Of course I'll do it. I've been with Cameron several times." Holly said. She was awkwardly aware everyone looked at her. "On my chip…."
Duplicate Cameron was on Holly's chip for fifteen months. They shared close contact with each other for all the time 'Cameron' was on her chip.
Allison returned. She'd contacted Bob. He said he understood everything.
"Bob is on his way." Allison said.
Sheila wanted to get started. Bob was headed there. He would arrive soon.
"When Bob gets here, Holly should be ready with Cameron's program copied onto her chip." Sheila said. "It will still leave Cameron's spare chip for Ally's chassis, if it's needed…."
Allison thought everyone missed something important. It was like Holly didn't matter to them right now. She was being offered up as a sacrificial lamb.
"What about Holly?" Allison asked. "What about her? If something has gone wrong, she's going to end up in the middle of it. If something did happen to Cameron and the others, it's probably going to happen to Holly as well."
Holly saw the big picture. Cameron mattered to the future, she didn't. They did 'other things' earlier. They copied her program before Hanna's program was added. It was done without Allison's knowledge as to exactly what occurred. The copy of her program wasn't erased from Cameron's server. It was a plus right now. She believed this was her time to stand up and do what was right. It was to assist Cameron and the others.
"Allison, we're Terminators. Cameron needs my help. You know she would come for you, for me, or for any of us." Holly said. "My program is on Cameron's server. I'll still exist as what I truly am, Allison. Don't forget what I am. I'm a machine. Now I must do what I was constructed for. CAMERON needs MY help. I'm going."
Allison didn't like any of what was happening and a whole bunch of questions were now raised in her mind. The current circumstances weren't the time to ask them. Holly might not come back. None of them might return. She didn't want them to part on an angry note. What if it was how it ended? She would never forgive herself. It was terrible even just to think about it. She also knew Holly was right about what she said regarding Cameron. Cameron would come for any of them, regardless of the risk to her.
"I understand what you're saying." Allison said. "I still don't like it."
Ally wanted to get things moving.
"Let's get you plugged in." Ally said to Holly. "I'll get Cameron's spare chip."
Cammy-Ginger approached Ally. She thought her presence there may be for a deeper purpose. She knew love was about sacrifice at times. This was one of those times.
"Ally, if Cameron and the others don't return, I'll choose deactivation and you may use this chassis in place of yours for Cameron's spare chip…." Cammy-Ginger said. "If Cammy is terminated, her chassis becomes redundant. I'm the one out of a different future right now. I don't matter to the current timeline, or to Cameron's future. Cameron matters to both of them.
The Terminators there were all aware of Ginger's earlier sacrifice to Cameron. Love was a true motivator.
"You really love Cameron too, don't you?" Ally said.
Ginger felt she was blessed to know Cameron and her clones 'in some future'. She previously offered her chassis to Duplicate Allison for Cameron II's chip to be placed in. She didn't see anything different now. There were some who mattered more than others, especially during specific time periods. Her significance was much less than it was for Cameron, her Duplicates, or any of her clones.
"Yes I do. I know several 'Camerons' and they're all special." Cammy-Ginger said. "Cameron has a husband. I've always wanted her to have a happy life with him."
Ally felt Ginger sacrificed enough. She didn't know about the offer for Cameron II 'in some future'.
"You've already sacrificed once for Cameron and John." Ally said.
Ginger spent a lot of time with Savannah when she was 'in some future'. Savannah taught her many things there. She stated what the most important one was.
"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor." Cammy-Ginger said. "It's my choice."
Ally was deeply touched. She didn't want to see Ginger deactivated and relinquish her chassis. It wasn't something she looked forward to either.
"Oh, Ginger, I love you too." Ally said. "We'll see."
Earlier:
Bob was in the Command Center with John and John Henry. He received a message in his com directly from CamNet. He knew right way there was a problem. She gave him specific instructions. He was not to let John or anyone there know what was about to happen. He would receive a call from Allison. He was to make his own decision. Either way, John was not to know.
He excused himself and hurried out to the carpool area. Allison called him. She was very upset. She made a personal appeal to him. It touched him deeply. He didn't get all the details, but enough to know the problem was serious. If Cameron needed his assistance, there was nothing which could stop him from providing it.
Bob headed out to Cameron's base from the carpool. It didn't look like anyone paid his departure much attention. It was a good start. He doubted it would stay the same way for very long. He was sure CamNet would cover for him for as long as possible. He received word he was needed at Cameron's base. He was aware there was a problem involving Cameron, Savannah and Cammy. He was told they went on a temporal mission and failed to return. He knew there was at least one TDE in Cameron's future. They should have used it if nothing else to return. They would have known the others would be worried when they missed the scheduled rendezvous. It looked like Cameron really must have a big problem. She would have sent Savannah back if it was possible. He hurried to Cameron's base.
He soon arrived and hurried to the TDE room. He quickly exchanged pleasantries with everyone and then got down to business.
"What do we know?" Bob asked.
Bob hoped they learned more as he drove over. The situation was still the same. He knew it must be some very bad trouble.
Sheila didn't think there was a whole lot to work with.
"What we know is Cameron is in her future with two TDEs. She failed to enter the energy bubble we sent, twice." Sheila said. "Nor has she returned on her own."
Hanna wanted Bob to know there was some recent activity with what they attempted now. It would better establish the current time frame within the timeline.
"Claire and I, as Holly, returned from there just a short while ago." Hanna said. "It was three months before the time which was tried right now in Cameron's timeline. It's where we're trying to retrieve Cameron and Savannah from. Cammy is there with them. Her chip is in Ginger's chassis."
Bob glanced over and looked at Cammy-Ginger. It was a fact he was unaware of. He heard about Ginger and how she assisted Cameron 'in some future' before. He nodded at her. She smiled and nodded back.
Sheila overrode the power output limit of the TDE by twenty percent. If there was anything there it should come back. It should be enough power to bring back a group of individuals, not just three.
"I'm going to send it one more time." Sheila said. "The energy bubble I mean."
Holly wanted Allison and Claire moved to a more secure location again.
"Hanna, make sure Allison and Claire are safe." Holly said. "Please stay there this time for now. We don't know what's going to happen. The equipment is going to be operated outside of its normal safety parameters."
Claire and Allison reluctantly left. Holly indicated there could be some type of explosion, or other catastrophic failure of the equipment, when it was used again.
The Terminators armed themselves in case something other than the three girls returned. They figured they would attract a lot of attention to the location at this point with all the energy being blasted around.
Sheila started the TDE process again.
The arcing and flashing started. The lights dimmed some.
The energy bubble formed and vanished in a flash.
The arcing and flashing ended.
A minute passed. Sheila worked the controls again.
The Terminators gripped their weapons.
The arcing and flashing started. The lights dimmed again.
The energy bubble appeared.
It was empty.
The arcing and flashing ended.
Cameron, Savannah, and Ginger-Cammy weren't there.
The girls were missing. Something catastrophic must have occurred.
Allison returned after the last failed attempt.
Hanna went over what they knew. She now possessed the files from Holly.
"Everything was fine when we left." Hanna said. "Skynet was defeated."
Holly knew what the score was. Everything should have been fine. It was when she left with Claire. It seemed to be where the starting point should be to find them.
"I think we should go back to a short time after we left the future. We can wait to see what happened or goes wrong." Holly said. "Hanna's given me her files so I know how everything was when we they left."
Holly actually contained the information all along. Hanna's program only was copied onto her chip.
Allison came over and took Holly's arm. If disaster befell Cameron and the others, it was sure to happen to Holly too. She was worried about Savannah, Cammy, Future Allison, and her baby. What happened to her baby?
"I don't want you to go." Allison said. "If you do, I want to go with you. I want to see MY baby."
Bob didn't want Allison to go. Holly with him should be sufficient.
"It's too dangerous, Allison. We don't know what went wrong." Bob said. "You know Holly and I will bring them back and come back ourselves."
Allison believed if anyone would come back it would be Cameron. Cameron didn't make it back. Maybe they wouldn't either.
"What if you don't?" Allison asked. "Nobody else did."
Holly saw it all as part of the larger picture. There was a battle for survival in the future.
"Allison, there's a war going on. People and machines fall in combat. It's how it is." Holly said. "I have to do this for Cameron and Savannah. I am going to do it."
Allison didn't feel good about any of it. Everything spelled additional disaster. There was one person who would help her. She wanted to let the others know how far she was willing to go on her own to attempt to fix things.
"If you don't return, I'll go visit River's future and see what she thinks." Allison said. "She'll help me."
Hanna wanted Allison to see they were all trying to do something. They needed to worry about what happened as well as not create additional timelines.
"We're all trying to help, Allison." Hanna said. "There needs to be some control to everything. We don't want to create bigger problems than there already is, or lose anyone else."
Claire didn't like to see Allison as upset as she was. She went over and took Allison away. Hanna went with them.
Ginger wanted some decisive action. They needed to bring in their 'pinch hitter'.
"Ally, I want you to remove my chip and put it in the deactivated female Terminator you have, the one with the beautiful dark skin." Cammy-Ginger said. "Put Cameron's spare chip in this chassis now. Let's get her online."
Cameron's spare chip was already copied onto Holly's chip. She was 'Cameron' currently. There didn't need to be any other chassis switches.
"I'm 'Cameron' in Holly's chassis right now." Holly-Cameron said. "Holly has let me take control. 'Ginger' has a good plan. Get another 'Cameron' up and running."
It sounded like bad news to everyone. They would most certainly seal Cammy's fate. Her chassis would become 'Cameron Prime' when the transfer was done.
Holly-Cameron was ready to act. She knew exactly where she wanted to start. Not much should have changed only a few minutes after they left.
"If we don't return, you need to contact River before you send anyone else." Holly-Cameron said. "I'm turning Holly back over to control of her chassis. Sheila will send us back to the future. It will be fifteen minutes after the time Claire and Holly-Hanna returned. The others should have cleared away from the area by then. We'll find out soon enough."
Holly gave Sheila instructions when to send the energy bubble, and be ready for any energy bubbles to appear. The 'Cameron' in Holly provided alternate locations and times to try different time bubble transfers. Hanna was to update John Henry on everything. John was not to know what was happening, or may have already happened.
Sheila started the TDE process again.
The arcing and flashing started.
The energy bubble formed around Holly-Cameron and Bob. It vanished in a flash.
The arcing and flashing ended.
They were gone.
There were plenty of glum looks to go around.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Tribulations
Is anything ever absolute
Except for one's last breath
Maybe there's is real peace
In the silent solitude of death
One must often wonder
What is the point of life
It's a never ending jumble
Filled with turmoil and strife
It's all about circumstance
Over which there is little control
It all happens in one's little world
Where 'whole' actually creates a hole
Look who is at one's side
It was the best they could do
Now take your own side gander
Who is the one standing next to you
Everyone needs to roll with the punches
As they give out false salutations
It's who they're forever stuck with
Through life's many trials and tribulations
Nobody