Chapter 449

Temporal Triumphs

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Cameron's Future Timeline:

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Cameron and Duplicate Cameron went through the chip of the Terminator she captured when he set out to repair the damaged HK drone. She needed to know where he came from. She also placed a tracker on the HK drone. The signal disappeared at one point. It left a second location to investigate.

The review process was finished for now. There wasn't much to work with, but things needed to get started.

Duplicate Cameron thought the results left a lot to be desired.

"So what do we really have?" Duplicate Cameron asked.

Cameron didn't have the answer.

"I don't know." Cameron said. "I don't like the way it looks."

The information on the chip was mostly erased and inconclusive. It may have been designed to entrap them, or even Cameron specifically.

Duplicate Cameron was most concerned about the erased data. It seemed to indicate something very specific. It could be a trap.

"The information reeks of a set up." Duplicate Cameron said.

Cameron reached the same conclusion. If it was something orchestrated, whoever orchestrated it would know it would be found to be orchestrated. It would put them on guard, which only seemed to further add to the mystery. It wasn't an outright challenge like she issued, but it seemed like one anyway.

"I'm aware of it." Cameron said. "I'll still need to check it out. I'm going to go alone."

Duplicate Cameron felt the need to point out the obvious.

"It sounds like a bad idea." Duplicate Cameron said.

Cameron frowned slightly.

"You know I'm still going to do it anyway." Cameron said.

Cameron left on her own. She made sure Duplicate Cameron stayed with Future John and the girls. She set out for the coordinates the Terminator possessed as his home base. There was no footage of the interior. There wasn't much footage of anything.

The tracker Cameron placed on the HK drone showed it returned to a different set of coordinates before the signal vanished. The area would need to be checked as well. It was possible the tracker was located and destroyed. It would only further indicate what she was about to engage in was some type of setup.

The HK drone could be underground or in the side of a mountain as well. Skynet liked to hide deep in the earth when possible. It was how it survived the bunker buster bombs and nuclear blasts in the past to continue to exist.

Cameron was aware how Duplicate Cameron handled it before. She took the nuclear weapon to the Skynet computer itself and detonated it there. It was only through temporal management how she survived to be where she was today.

She would check out where the Terminator showed it was recently at first. She wanted another female chassis for Holly. She didn't know what the resolution in the past would be for her. The knowledge of the result would need to wait until she returned. Her biggest fear was Holly would still self terminate over what happened to her, even though Bob was supposed to 'fix' it. The damage done would still be on her chip. It would always be in her mind somewhere waiting to surface and rear its ugly head.

Cameron felt a glitch impulse. She still planned to relinquish her chassis to Holly if it was what was needed to quell her trauma. She understood the version of her program on Holly's chip did what it needed to do to protect everyone at the Connor Compound.

She wanted a better solution. Maybe she was too close to all of it to see clearly and think of one. She wanted to preserve the timeline, or she would go back in time and prevent Holly from going in the first place. It still left the risk of the Connor Compound being wiped out. She could also return herself and do what Holly did, or even go warn the Connor Compound as herself. If it was what she would do, it seemed like it already would have played out as anticipated. It hadn't. The only events she knew were the ones which actually happened.

Cameron looked around where she was. Everything was still the same. There still needed to be a way to save Holly and preserve the timeline. She didn't want another deviation of her future timeline. The more timelines there were and they found out about, the harder it would be to protect John and Future John. She needed to protect the girls as well as the children.

She was sure there were other timelines already and she probably was responsible for their creation. Just the thought of even more chaos and drama revolted her. She was sure when the blame was handed out, the finger would point right back at her, like it always did. What else was new?

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Cameron's Base Current Timeline:

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Cammy was unsure about what else Cameron was going to do in the future when they left. She thought Cameron hid something from her. She figured there was actually a lot which was hidden from her. She did wonder why Cameron or Bob never talked about Holly after the battle. They kept whatever happened hidden from her as well as everyone else. So much for trust.

Since she returned, she could see how much Allison was worried about Holly. The fact nobody knew anything about it, made her wonder even more. It really seemed like there was a major cover up. Cameron was behind it and 'forced' everyone else who knew anything to go along with her version of events. It was just the way she operated. People didn't always like the way she did things.

She understood the pressure Bob must be under from Cameron to carry out her wishes. She knew how persuasive Cameron could be when she wanted to be. If the carrot didn't work, she would immediately use the stick. Either way, whatever she wanted to happen, is usually what would happen.

She saw how upset and hurt Allison felt. It was very moving to see how deeply she cared about Holly. She watched as Savannah went to comfort her.

Cammy stiffened and her left hand glitched. She instantly knew how events were about to play out…. It stabbed her 'heart'. She saw it play out in the future they just returned from. History was about to repeat itself…. She didn't know it would actually be another repeat of events which played out in some 'future'. Cameron's words about how Savannah needed human companionship echoed in her mind.

"I need to go check on some things." Cammy managed to say.

She told herself she must accept destiny and the future….

Cammy knew Allison was hurt and she believed Savannah was probably still angry at her. She felt she needed to sacrifice to provide Savannah what she wanted and deserved. Savannah too would need protection from assassination in the future. If she was only seen with Terminators around her, she would become a target. It would all be because of other people's misdirected hatred of other events which Savannah didn't propagate. She knew she needed to let things play out.

"Comfort her and yourself." Cammy whispered with a small smile.

Savannah looked at Cammy with tear filled eyes.

It was clear everyone hurt.

"Thank you for understanding." Savannah whispered back.

Cammy kissed Savannah on the cheek and left. She knew love was about sacrifice sometimes. This was one of those times. She also knew what Savannah was forced to leave behind again. It wasn't just Cameron either. Savannah needed to leave part of herself in the future. Savannah's comfort and mental well being was more important to her right now.

It seemed everything which Cameron was associated with, especially people, left some type of damage behind. Most of it was unintended. Nonetheless it still happened anyway.

Cameron was a one person 'wrecking crew'.

Allison lay on Savannah's bed weeping.

Savannah sat next to Allison. She gently stroked her face and hair.

Allison looked up through her tears. There was 'Savannah'. It was HER Savannah, the Savannah who saved her so many years ago. It was THAT 'Savannah' who held her and comforted her right now.

It gripped Allison tightly inside.

It was the 'Savannah' she first loved. The Savannah she always wanted…. THAT Savannah was here now soothing her.

"Savannah…." Allison said as she gently pulled Savannah to her.

Their faces were inches apart. They could feel each other's hearts pound, hear their breathing, feel each other's breath, and see the hunger in each other's eyes….

They both knew they wanted each other. Savannah was hurt over Cameron not returning. She was worried about leaving Joy behind. It was all very traumatic to her, even if she planned for it not to be. She really thought she could get ahead of events this time since she went to Cameron's future knowing how events would play out, well, some of them anyway.

Allison was hurt over Holly not returning. What made it worse, was no one would tell her anything. There was no indication she was actually terminated or captured. It was as if Holly vanished from the face of the earth. There was only desolation without resolution.

Now the 'forbidden fruit' was here in front of her. Their bodies called to each other. The love deep within them needed to express itself. They needed the comfort of each other. They needed to share their individual pain with each other. It wasn't about sex. It was about love.

"Savannah…." Allison said again. "I need you…."

Allison touched Savannah gently.

"I love you, Allison." Savannah whispered.

Savannah rolled onto her back as she gently brought Allison on top of her.

"Savannah…." Allison said. "I want you. I NEED you…."

It didn't matter which timeline versions either one of them was. It was the 'Natural Order' exerting itself. It was 'Allison Young' and 'Savannah Weaver'. Nothing else mattered.

There were a million thoughts coursing through Savannah's mind right now. She did a lot more in both of the futures she visited than she ever imagined possible. She experienced more love and sharing than she thought she ever would. Maybe it was all their parting gifts to each other. What better way to express love than to share it?

Savannah was with Allison right now. She wanted to share too. She never told anyone she was with Duplicate Allison several times in the first future she went to. They vowed to never speak to anyone of what they did. She didn't want Cameron or her 'mother' to know and Duplicate Allison didn't want Duplicate Vanna to know she picked the 'forbidden fruit'…. It was a secret love affair. It was something she wanted more than anything at the time. She was with her true love, even if it wasn't from the right timeline.

What Savannah didn't know was Duplicate Allison experienced an additional encounter with 'Savannah. There was only one problem. It wasn't actually Savannah.

Mrs. Weaver previously watched them share as the ceiling or the wall. She saw what each of them liked and how they each reacted. She knew they vowed to never tell anyone or speak of the encounters.

It was actually something she did with all of the girls 'in some future'. It was not only the girls with each other, but the girls with the Metal girls as well. She actually spied on other individuals as well in all three futures and the past she visited. She found the interaction with the Resistance girls to be the most satisfying, even just to watch. She was aware the concept of love existed within people's minds. She also believed she could see it when I was carried out as a physical manifestation with the girls. It was beautiful.

When Mrs. Weaver was sure Duplicate Allison and Savannah wouldn't be together again, she assumed Savannah's form and was 'with' Duplicate Allison herself.

Mrs. Weaver was never so 'excited', or even knew she could be. She did everything as Savannah did. She 'saw' Duplicate Allison as both Allison and as 'Cameron'.

It was one of the things Duplicate Cameron warned Mrs. Weaver not to do. She couldn't help herself when she saw there was an opportunity to do so.

Mrs. Weaver wanted more now. She left Duplicate Allison and told her again they must never discuss it or talk about it ever, to anyone. 'She' reminded Allison she didn't want her 'mother' to know or find out. Duplicate Allison said she understood. She told Savannah all girls need a few secrets. They both giggled when she mentioned it.

Duplicate Allison was also happy Savannah really improved her love making skills. She hoped she was a good teacher…. She taught Savannah the very things 'her Savannah', Duplicate Vanna, taught her. She hoped Duplicate Vanna never found out.

Mrs. Weaver knew she wanted – MORE….

Savannah wanted to share with Allison. It was more than 'just' another 'Allison'. It was a call deep inside her. Her future called to her now.

"Take me. Please…." Savannah whispered. "I love you, Allison."

Allison pulled Savannah closer and softly kissed her.

"I love you too, Savannah." Allison said.

Savannah responded. She deepened the kiss as she pulled Allison into her….

Cammy listened from down the hall. A single tear slid down her cheek. She left Savannah to her destiny, Allison, ALL of them. She knew if she said anything, Savannah would really hate her.

She believed the 'Natural Order' was unstoppable in any form or timeline. It was something she knew as 'Cameron', as well as what Cameron specifically told her. She was told Savannah needed to be with as many human females as possible and not just Terminators. It was the call of every Savannah Weaver. She was warned if she impeded Savannah's development and desires, it was her who would eventually be replaced. It seemed to her to share was better than to be replaced.

Cammy knew she too experimented in the future. She might as well in the past as well. Sometimes things just happened and someone was caught up in them. It was what everyone wanted anyway so it wasn't a big deal. Was it? Everyone knew who they 'belonged' to at the end of the day. It was what really counted. There was plenty for everyone to share, and the Metal girls didn't need to sleep.

Ginger didn't like the fact everyone else was in combat and sustained damage. Her existence was mostly peaceful, even if she was in combat many times. She remained relatively undamaged. She never ended up with the horrific damage like some of the Terminators she needed to repair.

There were people here who cared about others. They loved them and they loved each other. It was time for her to sacrifice again. She could attend to herself once she returned to her future. There were more resources available there thanks to Cameron.

"Bob, I'm going to have you remove my frontal sheath around to the lower back side." Ginger said. "I'm giving Holly the sheath covering most suitable for her quickest regeneration."

Bob couldn't believe it. Ginger was about to 'ruin' herself. He couldn't allow it. She helped Cameron before. She just allowed her chassis to be 'used' for almost a year by Cammy.

He looked at Holly's genderless form. It is what Ginger would look like. There would be no regeneration of any type more than what already occurred with Holly's chassis and sheath. The prospect of what the result would be was more and he could be a part of.

"It will destroy you as a female, Ginger." Bob said. "I can't do it to you."

Ginger gave it some thought. She could still have some sheath replacement done there to keep her 'female'. Holly and Allison both needed something faster here and now.

"It's for Holly. She needs to be whole again. She has a lover who needs her. Allison needs her." Ginger said. "I can use the sheath parts from the darker chassis. They will take longer to regenerate and Resequence to my DNA. It doesn't matter to me."

Maybe Ginger said it didn't matter to her, but it did to Bob. He already saw Holly destroyed. He wasn't going to let Ginger destroy herself on top of it. He needed 'Cameron's' input. Cameron was in the future and the machines here didn't want to activate Cameron's spare chip. He believed it was a mistake. He knew where there was a 'Cameron' at right now. It was one he fought in the future against Skynet with. It was the 'Cameron' on Holly's chip, currently in her abdomen.

"No, Ginger, you can't keep sacrificing for everyone." Bob said. "I'm going to activate Holly's chip, 'Cameron' will have control. We can advise her on the situation and she will decide what we do. I will NOT ruin you. You are beautiful, Ginger. I can't take it from you. I refuse to do it unless Cameron orders me to do so. I will not allow anyone else to do so either."

Ginger appreciated the concern. She still viewed things a little deeper. She was sure it mattered who was on the table. She didn't want to make a big deal about it, but she did want to make a point.

"And if it was Cameron lying there?" Ginger asked.

Bob hung his head. He would do as Ginger asked under those conditions. Right now he wanted 'Cameron' there. One was a hypothetical. The other one was right in front of them.

"I believe it's best if we let Cameron decide in this instance." Bob said. "I'm sure we will both follow whatever advice or recommendation she gives us."

He gently sliced Holly's abdomen open and removed her chip. He unwrapped it from the anti-static bag. He then sliced her scalp open and set the chip.

Ginger quickly put several sutures in Holly's abdomen as Bob put several in her scalp.

Holly rebooted. It should be as Holly-Cameron. It was. She briefly ran scans of the current condition of her sheath as well as gave it a physical inspection. She looked thoroughly disgusted as well as upset.

"I've firewalled 'Holly' on her chip for now." Holly-Cameron said. "I won't be able to hold her indefinitely. There is a lot of anxiety and worry on her part currently. It is more than understandable based upon the circumstances."

Bob and Ginger quickly explained all the options to 'Cameron' in Holly.

Holly-Cameron didn't like any of them. She was most against Ginger disfiguring herself again for someone else. Her calculations soon focused on her current ability to use a TDE. The sheath was repaired to the point where it was possible. It wasn't an option available to her earlier because of the damaged condition of Holly's chassis while she was in control of it. The fact she was there back in the past was proof of it. The option to do what she believed was the best choice, was now available.

The best solution to the current issue regarding Holly was to prevent the disaster from happening to her in the first place. A lot happened since she was sent into the future the second time. The issue was how to prevent the carnage to Holly, and still keep the timeline intact.

The attack on the Connor Compound needed to be thwarted as it previously was or it would be wiped out. It appeared as if some temporal manipulation could rectify most of what happened. It still sickened 'Cameron' to know what happened to Holly. She decided on a 'work around' which wouldn't change the timeline. It would only change what actually happened to Holly. It would create a time loop Holly wasn't a part of past a certain point.

Holly-Cameron needed Ginger's help in another way.

"Did Sheila show you how to operate the TDE?" Holly-Cameron asked Ginger.

Ginger was instructed how to operate the TDE in her future, even if it was inoperable, as well as the TDE at Cameron's base.

"Yes." Ginger said.

Holly-Cameron looked at her featureless figure. It made the 'Cameron' in her 'sick'.

"No one is sacrificing anything on my behalf. I'm not going to be responsible for doing this to Holly in the first place." Holly-Cameron said. "I did what needed to be done to save countless Resistance lives of both humans and Terminators. I needed to protect Future John, all of the girls, as well as the children. Life is about choices and I needed to make one. I regret heavily what I needed to do, to do what needed to be done."

Holly-Cameron looked around the room. She noted the other two deactivated female Terminators. They wouldn't be 'destroyed' either. She would need to take some preemptive measures before she initiated the next phase of what she planned to do.

"I'm writing new programming as we speak." Holly-Cameron said. "You're going to send the time bubble for Holly in MY future, before any of this happened. I'll give you the exact times and coordinates. As soon as she arrives back here, Bob will take her out of there and make sure no one enters. I will emerge from the storage room and you will send me back to those exact coordinates and time ten seconds after Holly left. I'll block this Holly from knowing what I've done to her sheath and chassis. I'll return to MY future and take the place of Holly for those events. The battle will take care of the rest…. I'll cease to exist when I leave the TDE pad. This chassis and chip will be in a temporal time loop. It will be a Temporal Termination."

Bob and Ginger looked at each other. It was the perfect solution to a bad event. The damage would never occur to Holly. It would never be on her chip either.

"I understand." Ginger said. "It's an effective strategy."

'Cameron' was pleased she would face a temporal termination. Somehow since she was the one responsible for it, made it even more palatable. The fact the event even occurred would need to be addressed. Since it was never going to occur for Holly, No one else needed to know it ever occurred. Bob and Ginger would still need to delete their files related to the events.

"Ginger, both you and Bob will delete and erase all files related to these events and what happened to Holly. There will be no record and no one will ever know." Holly-Cameron said. "I'm ashamed of what I did to her."

Bob felt 'Cameron' was too harsh on herself. Things needed to happen to prevent a disaster. It was what happened and a disaster was prevented.

"You did what you did to save Future John and the girls as well as yourself…. there." Bob said. "Think of the children. It needed to be done. It is our function. There's a solution now, which seems to be the best solution possible for everyone involved."

Cameron thought the truth was ugly. There was a victory for the Resistance. It was a big one too. It came with a steep price. Not every victory was sweet. A win wasn't always a victory when the price was too high.

"I'm ashamed I ruined Holly, she's so beautiful…. I love her." Holly-Cameron said. "Make sure the coast is clear and let's get started."

'Everyone sacrifices for John Connor.' Holly-Cameron thought.

It wouldn't be Holly this time.

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Cameron's Future Timeline:

Temporal Replay: Seconds before the Skynet HK drones arrived:

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Holly waited for Bob to return. She was away from the bunker to provide security for Bob's temporal mission into the past.

The arcing and flashing started.

An energy bubble formed.

The 'Cameron' in Holly told her to immediately get into the energy bubble.

Holly did so without hesitation.

The arcing and flashing ended.

The energy bubble was gone.

Holly was no longer in Cameron's future.

Seconds later:

The arcing and flashing started.

The energy bubble appeared.

'Featureless Holly', Holly-Cameron, was in it.

She returned right after Holly left.

The arcing and flashing ended.

'Holly' stood and quickly put 'her' clothes back on. There was some type of block in her programming. She was unaware her body was now featureless and devoid of all female anatomy. The last few moments were blank to her….

She blinked and shook her head, something happened….

Holly was out a ways from the camp when she first heard them. It was the sound of HK drones. They were low and there were a lot of them. 'Cameron' immediately took control of her chassis. Holly-Cameron carried a plasma rifle. She quickly fired it over the camp in a pattern to alert them and give them a few precious seconds warning. She then turned to strike as Skynet targets approached the Connor Compound.

Everything in Cameron's future - happened as before….

Holly was already back at Cameron's base in the past before the first shot was fired in Cameron's future.

Nobody knew….

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Triumph

It's been said before
To the victor goes the spoils
But at what cost
What are the toils

As strange as it may seem
A win isn't always a victory
Not every victory is sweet
Even if it seems contradictory

When one plays the game
Do they play it fair
Maybe they don't always
It doesn't mean they don't care

Short shuffle the cards
Go ahead and stack the deck
Deal from the bottom
Just say 'what the heck'

It may take longer to play fair
It might need some extra oomph
It will only increase the thrill
Of the next conquest's triumph

Nobody