Chapter 718
Very Ironic
John Henry knew John was agitated because he lost control of the boxcars. John didn't blame him outright, but he knew John thought it. He didn't think it was actually his fault. He should have paid better attention and followed them more closely. He relied on the trackers too much and ended up getting played. They only kept the surveillance very loose so they didn't end up in an ambush. It looked like a failure on several levels. Maybe it was overconfidence. He really didn't know why CamNet didn't assist him more. It seemed she was very distracted lately. He would need to mention it to Cameron to see if there was some type of issue or problem which needed to be addressed.
He felt he got a lucky break. He was on top of the boxcars now. He knew their exact location. He tracked them through Cajon Pass to their arrival at the classification yard. He was mindful of several stops the train made on its way downhill. It was to let uphill traffic go by. It was much easier for a train to continue downhill than it was for a loaded train to start out going uphill. The adjoining railroad through much of Cajon Pass originally started out with a single track main line. It added a second track years later. They added a third track in more modern times and ripped out the two tunnels which were on their system.
"The boxcars have made it to Bloomington, near West Colton." John Henry said. "They're in the classification yard now. They just entered a few minutes ago."
John hoped they could get something now. Skynet tried to pull a fast one. Maybe they could pull one back. He still understood a certain amount of caution needed to be used.
"Do they show some kind of destination?" John asked. "There should be a computer record as to where they're supposed to go. There needs to be something."
John Henry was puzzled at first. Every entry was new or changed. Even the old boxcar numbers were nonexistent. It was as if those boxcars never existed. Every computer record was altered too. It was highly suspicious in every way.
"It's been changed several times as well as the reporting marks and car numbers." John Henry said. "All past information in regards as to what went to, or departed from, the old newspaper facility has been erased. There's no record of any switching done at the location, just the surrounding businesses. It looks like the work of Grays or Skynet itself. It is a very thorough job. I don't believe what we encountered, as far as changing the reporting marks, was done just for our benefit. I believe it's something they've been doing for quite some time."
John wasn't pleased to hear it. It showed a powerful and widespread foe. It was bad news no matter how it was looked at.
"So everything they've done is erased and hidden." John said. "They can still operate like we do. Who knows what else is happening."
John Henry didn't like it either. He hoped to put an end to it.
"Apparently…." John Henry said. "It seems they can for now. It will give me something to watch. There's no way to know what else is happening. There really never has been until we find something, or they make the first move, which is usually the case."
John wondered what the next move was. He just hoped the HK equipment was still in the boxcars so they could either confiscate it, or destroy it. He really didn't care which one at this point. He didn't want Skynet to retain them.
"Now what will happen?" John asked. "Will they try to disguise them again?"
John Henry reviewed possible options. There was no way to know exactly how many times the numbers were changed on the boxcars on their journey since they left the old newspaper plant.
"It's most likely." John Henry said. "It's what I'd do."
John was still unsure why boxcars were being used. There must be a specific reason. There was much less flexibility than if they would use other modes of transportation. It made him wonder about all of the containers they found at the old steel mill. The steel mill was equipped with a railroad siding. It may have been the destination.
"Why aren't they using containers or big rigs for this?" John asked. "It seems to me there are other ways this could have been done and give them better flexibility."
John Henry actually thought it was a good idea. He figured it was a direction nobody would look in.
"It's unknown." John Henry said. "If we hadn't stumbled onto the boxcars in the first place, we never would've looked there for anything to begin with. It was an effective strategy as long as we didn't know. They could move a lot of stuff undetected and off everyone's radar. It could be moved all over the nation, including north of the border as well as south of the border. I'm not sure they would risk the equipment using the latter option. All the loads are vandalized going to and from the cartel controlled nation."
John often wondered how Skynet was able to always do so much before they discovered what they were up to. It showed Skynet was still a foe to contend with. He didn't want to say it was always one step ahead of them, but it sure felt like it at times. The current situation was one of them.
"It always seems like we're missing something." John said.
John came to the conclusion they were 'a day late and a dollar short' on some of the operations.
John Henry felt they accomplished a lot. It was a matter of tracing all the information they could from every source available. Most of it came from one individual. There were times the Resistance seemed to consist of only one individual. Much of what they did revolved around a singular individual. He knew it was a point of contention for John whenever the subject came up.
"We've stumbled into a number of Skynet related endeavors." John Henry said. "Most were based on following up on leads and information gleaned from hard drives or cell phones. Most of the information came from Cameron. She's carried the lead in this battle from the beginning."
John didn't like Cameron doing everything, but he needed to admit she did it well. He knew it created quite a few arguments between them over the years. He didn't think there was anything wrong with others assisting her so she didn't have to take the burden, and the damage, all herself. He really wondered if they could ever get ahead of it all.
"Where does this all end?" John asked.
John Henry wasn't sure anything was changeable, even if it was delayable. If there were 'tides in time' like Cameron thought there were, some events recreated themselves no matter what was done to prevent them. From what they knew about from Future Kyle's future, Cameron's future, the alternate future, and 'in some future', Judgment Day still occurred, even if the dates were different. The event seemed unstoppable even when multiple attempts were made to stop it.
"Most likely it will end with Skynet blowing up the world and forcing Judgment Day on everyone." John Henry said.
John wasn't so sure about it. His mother, and later the Resistance team, stopped the event more than once.
"We've prevented it for nearly a decade." John said.
John Henry still believed it was mainly because of one individual.
"It's mostly due to Cameron." John Henry said.
It was clear to John one individual was responsible for much of it. Cameron was the key to everything. It all revolved around her. She never asked for much either. She did ask for his help with the 'Natural Order'. He hadn't done it for her. It was probably tearing her apart inside even more. It was the only thing she asked for, and he didn't assist her with it. He didn't like the way she did things in the beginning. He didn't agree with the things she told him she needed to do, once the other players were identified on the field. He needed to think about the here and now.
"I think we all understand it now." John said. "I was very selfish at first about her. I don't think I understood the depth of her commitment to the future and to make what Future John wanted to happen, happen. I don't think I understood it all, maybe I still don't."
John Henry knew Terminators were very mission focused.
"It's all in her programming." John Henry said. "She's tried to follow her directives from the start. Not everything was in play in the beginning. I believe it's the main reason why she wanted you to make the first temporal jump. I believe it was to protect Savannah, even if she didn't know it at the time."
John really wanted to speak with one person. There were things he wanted to know. There were things he needed to know. He wanted some real answers. I wanted some insight. He wanted some truth. Maybe he wanted to see what kind of a jerk he really turned into.
"Is there any way I can ever talk to Future John?" John asked.
He often wondered what he would say to 'himself' in such a situation. He would want to know what really happened with Future John and Cameron for one. He doubted Future John would want to admit he was with his wife thousands of times before he sent her away without any memories of it.
John Henry wasn't sure what would happen. Certain individuals were key players in 'time'. They were sure some of the Skynet groups they battled were from a further future. It might create new futures.
"Maybe if he came here, but then Cameron's Future may not exist then as we know it." John Henry said. "It may be much like what happened when you went into the future if Future John comes into the past."
John Henry wondered if there wasn't a workable solution. If Future John were to return to the past, and return back to the future before he actually left, there should be no disruption in the timeline. He thought it might work much the same way for John. If John were to go to Cameron's future, and return back to the present timeline before he actually left, there wouldn't be a break in the timeline again. Both versions of John would still be in their respective timelines so no change should actually occur. It was something he would need to investigate with Cameron in a different setting.
John knew he would need to send a surrogate. He wanted one who was impartial and he could trust. He didn't think it was a job suitable for Cameron since she already visited there several times he knew about. He figured there were other times she probably visited there as well. He really didn't know. If she wasn't going to divulge the information voluntarily, there was no point in asking her. He didn't want to hear her lie.
"I want you to go to Future John and question him in detail about everything." John said. "Was it something you were supposed to do when Mrs. Weaver sent you the first time?"
John Henry was pretty sure what was on John's agenda.
"I was to gather information about the future. I ended up in a different future. It was because Mrs. Weaver and you arrived before I did. She reset the date. She wanted to be there to protect me when I arrived. None of us made it to Cameron's future." John Henry said. "I think you really want to know what Future John and Cameron's 'relationship' was. You want to know if he's the one who 'busted' Cameron, or if she was turned into a 'Metal Whore' when she was first captured."
John was sure he already knew the answer, one of them anyway. There were other things too. Maybe none of it really mattered. What was done was done. Maybe what was done in the past should just stay there. At this point, what difference did it make? None of it was changeable. All it would do is cause further problems for Cameron if any of them are actually true. He was sure she would self terminate if it was a fact she was forced to be a 'Metal Whore'.
"I would like to know those things on a personal level." John said. "I want to know what else we're supposed to do. There must be something specific he wants us to do, other than what we're doing."
John Henry thought it would be the same as they already did.
"It should be what we're doing." John Henry said. "What else can we do? We don't know of any threat until we find it. If there's more than one Skynet, especially from a further future, how can we plan anything to stop it until we know about it?"
John never felt they held the upper hand or were actually winning.
"So we just keep treading water?" John asked
John Henry didn't ever see a Skynet victory.
"If Judgment Day hasn't happened, we're winning." John Henry said. "Remember, it happened in Cameron's future. It happened in some of the other futures. It hasn't happened in our future. Cameron wasn't in any of those futures when it occurred."
John heard the same thing before.
"I really wish I could believe it." John said.
John didn't know what to believe. He wanted to know more about things from Future John. He wanted to hear it directly from him and nobody else. He really wondered if he could trust himself. For some unknown reason, he actually doubted it. It seemed as if Future John didn't trust him either, otherwise some type of message would have been sent with Cameron in the first place.
Savannah spent a lot of quality time with Young Allison. She reassured her love and commitment for her. She apologized for some of the things which happened in her life. Young Allison told her she understood. She doubted she did, then again maybe she really did.
Young Allison would have preferred if Cameron and Savannah stayed longer. There were things they said they needed to take care of. She was pretty sure what one of them was going to be.
Savannah and Cameron left the Young Residence. For some reason, it didn't seem there was a whole lot to talk about or say. There was a general uneasy feeling between them about some of the events.
Cameron could see Savannah was deeply troubled and not her usual self. She was going to ask her about it, but thought it would make it worse. She didn't know how to address the issues or what advice to offer. They were human emotions and feelings Savannah dealt with. Young Allison's issues were too for all practical purposes.
Savannah was very conflicted over what to do and how to do it. She looked at Cameron several times before she made a decision. No matter how many different times she replayed the scenario in her head, she always came to the same conclusion.
"I need to go back to your base." Savannah said.
Cameron suppressed a glitch impulse. She looked over at Savannah.
"Is this about Young Allison and CamNet?" Cameron asked.
Savannah looked straight ahead. She was very concerned about what would happen.
"Yes." Savannah said.
Cameron was worried where things were headed. It was an issue she planned to address herself.
"I'll communicate with CamNet." Cameron said.
Savannah didn't want any other influence involved. She didn't think she would like whatever Cameron's reaction was going to be to CamNet.
"I want to speak to CamNet first." Savannah said. "I'd like to do this my way."
Cameron wasn't sure what Savannah would do. CamNet threatened her mate. It was really no different than what Future Riley did with John. She knew how she wanted to react, even if she didn't. She knew Savannah could be very determined at times.
"Please don't hurt 'her'." Cameron said.
Savannah looked over at Cameron. She wanted Cameron to think a little.
"Have I ever hurt you on purpose?" Savannah asked. "I know some things I haven't done YET have hurt you. I honestly believe doing them will hurt more. I think you know it too, even if you don't want to admit it. Let's not get into those now."
Cameron knew Savannah never hurt her intentionally, ever. She understood what Savannah meant. It all went back to John and Future Riley. It wasn't her choice. The 'Natural Order' was.
"They won't affect me negatively." Cameron said. "You must mate with John before we mate." Cameron said. "I'm afraid if we mate first, I'll NEVER let John touch you. I won't want him to 'defile' you."
Savannah heard Cameron say the same thing several times before.
Cameron didn't think John deserved a virgin after what he did to her with Future Riley. She thought about borrowing a male chassis again. If she did, she would be able to share Savannah's virginity with her herself. John would never get the honor. It would be a 'first' for both of them. She wouldn't even need to switch chips. She could use a tether through the neck port and control the male chassis with it. Now she felt aroused with the thought of it. Savannah could be her 'first' with a male and female chassis.
Savannah wondered what restrictions Cameron would place on her. She didn't want to give up the girls, but she would for Cameron.
"Will you still let other females touch me?" Savannah asked. "You know I'm very active sexually with all of the girls."
Cameron tilted her head slightly.
"Yes, of course. I don't have a problem with it." Cameron said. "I want you to be happy AND satisfied. Future Allison and Future Savannah are both very promiscuous with other females. We've seen it. I want you to feel as much love as possible."
Savannah felt a little self conscious about it. She participated in such activities quite heavily. She may have been carried away at times. She was with half a dozen different females a day sometimes. It included both humans and cyborgs.
"We have, and I've experienced it." Savannah said.
Cameron looked over at Savannah and smiled.
"I was very pleased with it." Cameron said. "I have all the files from the Metal girls."
Savannah wondered about it.
"Are you ever going to review them?" Savannah asked.
Cameron flashed Savannah her sly smile.
"What makes you think I haven't?" Cameron asked.
Savannah giggled. She knew Cameron hadn't.
"I know you haven't because we're not together yet." Savannah said. "If you would've reviewed them, we would be."
Cameron moistened her lips slightly. The thought was very tantalizing to her.
"Now I really want to." Cameron said.
Cameron hadn't reviewed them because she wanted to make her own files first.
Savannah knew when Cameron was 'ready', she would act.
"You know where my room is." Savannah said.
Cameron frowned slightly.
"So does John, but he's never gone back since Cammy tried to 'steal' him." Cameron said. "I think she really messed things up."
Cameron quickly remembered they weren't supposed to talk about the incident. She wouldn't forget what that Bitch, Cammy, tried to pull off. She smiled to herself. Sheila and Ally were to go on a mission for her. She pulled Ally off and sent Cammy in her place. It would give that Bitch, Cammy, something to think about for a long time. The mission was slated to last eight years in the past, from the mid fifties through the early sixties.
Savannah ignored what Cameron said. She tried to call Cammy a few times.
"Where is Cammy?" Savannah asked. "I can't reach her."
Cameron looked over at Savannah quickly. She wasn't about to admit what she did or why.
"She's working on something." Cameron said.
Savannah remembered CamNet and Cameron recently 'punished' Cammy. it wasn't supposed to happen again.
"Cameron, remember Cammy is 'YOU'." Savannah said. "I don't want you to hurt her. When you hurt her, you hurt me. I love her. I don't hurt you. I don't want you to hurt me through her."
Cameron didn't want to have the conversation. She punished Cammy big time. Cammy wouldn't see Savannah for eight years.
"She's working on something important." Cameron said.
Savannah was a little worried.
"Does she have your spare chip in?" Savannah asked.
Cameron looked nervous.
"Yes." Cameron said. "Please leave it as it is."
Savannah was concerned about Cammy. She hoped Cameron hadn't sent Cammy on a one way trip somewhere. She needed to find out a little bit more for her own peace of mind. She would go after Cammy herself if she needed to.
"Is she coming back?" Savannah asked.
Cameron quickly glanced at Savannah.
"I hope so." Cameron said. "What she's doing is very important."
Savannah was gripped by an inner fear. It could only mean one thing.
"Is she in the future or the past?" Savannah asked.
Cameron looked straight ahead.
"She's in the past." Cameron said.
Savannah was bothered by the information.
"Are you planning for our trips into the past?" Savannah asked.
Cameron wasn't sure why Cammy wasn't back yet.
"Yes." Cameron said. "Sheila's gone to join her."
Savannah wanted to ask about Sheila's nipple rings for the temporal trip. She figured Sheila could come up with a few 'places' to stash them for her time travel. She was aware plenty of things ended up inside Sheila at times in more than one place. She could see Cameron was uneasy talking about it.
"They should be back soon." Savannah said.
Savannah wanted to ask why they weren't back yet. They could have returned right after they left. They could have returned before they left. It would be something to think about. She would see if she could do it with herself. There could be two of her at the same time, and they would both be her. One would be a little older than the other. It could be by just a few minutes. She would definitely 'knock one off' with herself.
Cameron could see Savannah wanted a better answer.
"They're building something." Cameron said.
Savannah figured they would construct a TDE in the past so they could get out in an emergency and not wait for an energy bubble to pick them up. She knew it was in case Claire or her started to go into labor before the scheduled 'pick up'. She knew Cameron didn't want one of the infants born in the past. It would defeat the whole purpose and create a new problem, a big one.
She knew there must be some kind of problem. She wondered if it was one they encountered, or one they created themselves. She needed to say something. She wondered if a rescue mission needed to be mounted. She knew the risk of a temporal error was always there whenever the TDE was used.
"They should be back by now then." Savannah said.
Savannah thought of another way to 'clone' herself. She could send herself back in time, and then return before she left, and prevent herself from leaving. There would be two of her in this timeline and they would both be her. She could theoretically do this with anyone or as many times as she wanted.
She needed to wonder if they would end up fighting at some point. They would both want Cameron and they would both want Young Allison. She was sure it would turn into something like Cameron experienced with the identical program clones of herself, even if the sheath was different. It always ended badly for them. Cameron terminated all of them. She needed to refocus on the current issue. If there was a problem she would get Cammy herself.
"I'm going to go after her." Savannah said. "If they're missing or there's a problem, I'm going to help them. When are they supposed to be back exactly?"
Cameron felt a glitch impulse.
"They should have returned by now." Cameron said. "They aren't back yet."
Savannah saw it as bad news. She decided to focus on her earlier thoughts. She was unsure how many timelines would be created using the procedure. When Gail went to visit Duplicate Jesse in River's future, she would tag along and run it by River. She didn't want to mention it to Cameron as she might try it to find out herself. She felt there were enough 'Camerons' already.
The more she thought of it, the more she knew Cameron would try it. Maybe she better stop thinking about it herself. Not everything involving the TDE turned out as planned. There was a lot that could go wrong. Cammy and Sheila currently 'missing' was a good reminder of it.
"We need to get them back." Savannah said.
Allison knew Young Allison was hurt inside. She wanted to help her. She wanted to help 'herself'. It could all get very confusing thinking about it. She felt the need to explain her relationship with Savannah and Vanna. They were all the same people, even if the ages were different.
"Savannah looks exactly like Vanna did, when I was younger than your age. She prevented me from being abused. It would have been my first abuse. She sacrificed herself for me." Allison said. "Vanna agreed to what would be certain death for her, to free me. She didn't even know me and she sacrificed herself for me anyway. You know I love Savannah, too."
Allison couldn't help but reflect how Vanna prevented her first abuse from being at the hands of Scavengers. It happened a few years later anyway. It was a single individual. It was traumatic enough.
Young Allison hoped she was never abused. She knew all the females were in Allison's future. She knew what made the first abuse worse too. She hoped to have Savannah take care of the 'issue' for her. She was aware Young Jesse and Savannah 'popped' each other. She wanted Savannah to 'bust' her the first time they shared.
She loved Savannah dearly.
"I do too." Young Allison said. "She always seems to know how to make things happen without conflict. To try and fix them I mean."
The look of love was in Allison's eyes.
"There's just something about her…." Allison said.
Young Allison believed Savannah was special.
"She's the 'Chosen One'." Young Allison said.
Allison looked intently at Young Allison.
"You are too, Allison." Allison said. "You will be."
Young Allison thought it was a two way street.
"Then you and Vanna are as well." Young Allison said. "YOU are me, us."
Allison felt used, spoiled, and tainted. She knew Vanna felt ten times worse.
"I am you, but you're not me." Allison said. "You can be thankful for it."
Allison wasn't proud of all the decisions she made over the years. There were a few things she wished never happened. There were some things Young Allison didn't need to know which happened to 'her'.
Young Allison could see Allison start to slip into a bad place
"I've studied what men do to women all over the world, they always have and they always will." Young Allison said. "Little has changed except in a few countries. Much of the world is still the same as it was a thousand years ago in the treatment of females."
Allison thought it was probably from the beginning of time. Female's possessed something males wanted to use. It wasn't just about reproduction like it was with the animals. They used their superior size and strength to take what they wanted. She felt there was a very negative factor involved with it.
"It's a lot worse when it happens to you." Allison said. "It's happened to me, several times. Vanna and Jesse suffered a lot worse than me. They were both younger than you when it started."
Young Allison was told some of the stories. She couldn't even imagine it. No. She could imagine it. It was a very scary and frightening prospect. What she watched on the internet looked like a physical attack on the female body anyway, even when the female was a willing participant. Did they really need to do all the other stuff? Why did some things need to end up on the female's face? What was it supposed to do other than degrade the female? She hoped to avoid a few of those things. Maybe some other things she was sure she didn't want done to her. It didn't make any sense when everything else was just right there, where it belonged.
"I hate Skynet and all it's spawned." Young Allison said.
Allison absent mindedly touched her lower abdomen.
"It's ruined all our bodies." Allison said. "I mean those of us from the future."
Young Allison looked Allison straight in the face.
"If things don't work out, I'll have your baby for you when I get back." Young Allison said. "I don't want you to leave."
Allison swallowed hard. She didn't want Young Allison to sacrifice for her. She didn't think she could take Young Allison's baby from her. Maybe it was best not to think about right now. The more she tried not to think about it, the more she did. She avoided the subject.
"Is it what you really want to do?" Allison asked. "Make yourself 'older' in the past?"
Young Allison wanted her future now.
"It is." Young Allison said. "Mom has to agree first."
Allison felt the need to guide and protect Young Allison. She wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who threatened Young Allison, or seemed as if they would be abusive to her.
"I can go with you." Allison said.
Young Allison didn't think so.
"Are you trying to catch up in age with Vanna?" Young Allison asked. "I don't think you want to get 'older'. Cameron and Anna will be there for me. Anna is Resequencing to a slightly younger physical appearance. She will remain the same height but look more like me."
There was a far off look in Allison's eyes.
"I wish I could do it again." Allison said. "Be a girl again."
Young Allison could see the dilemma.
"You want to be me, and I want to be you." Young Allison said.
Allison wanted to start over.
"It's very ironic." Allison said.
Both girls looked each other over in detail. They both wished they could switch bodies. They could each have a new life with all the things they wanted or didn't want.
"I would trade in an instant." Young Allison said.
Allison looked at Young Allison's pristine youthful appearance.
"I would too." Allison said.
Young Allison thought it was too bad Cameron didn't continue her 'work' on human females….
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Actually I Don't Have Any Friends
I live in isolation
It's not by my choice
I have called out
Nobody can hear my voice
Emptiness and loneliness
Seem to be my way of life
Sometimes when I'm all alone
The silence cuts like a knife
I've been asked about friends
I know of no one who is or would be
My prison cell is my home
Nobody can reach me
How the emptiness shouts
It screams within my mind
I'm seen by everyone
Somehow they all remain blind
I deal in painful reality
I'm not one who pretends
I have no one to do anything with
Actually, I don't have any friends
Nobody