Chapter 732

She Is Me

Savannah listened to Cameron's answers to John. She was sure there was more to it than Cameron admitted. She was willing to bet the nuclear power plant played into all of it. There was a lot happening there for it to all be coincidental. She waited until Cameron finished her conversation.

"What else is really at Avila Beach?" Savannah asked.

Cameron looked over and smiled faintly.

"CamNet gave me a lead." Cameron said.

Cammy hoped to be able to wear a bikini. She wanted to show off a little, especially since it would be the proper forum.

"Can we still go to the beach?" Cammy asked.

Cameron knew none of their leads really bore fruit so far. The current one from CamNet might not be any different. They might end up with some free time. She would like to give Savannah a break if she could.

"If it works out we can." Cameron said. "I think we could all use a little time to get away from it all."

Savannah glanced at Cammy and then Cameron. She was sure they would draw a lot of attention. They weren't the only two.

"There will be three of you who look almost identical." Savannah said.

Cammy wasn't so sure about it. In her opinion, only two of them looked the same. Ally just didn't measure up to the same standards Cameron and her adhered to.

"Ally looks like our older sister." Cammy said. "I think Cameron and I look like twins."

Cameron looked back at Cammy and smiled. She thought so as well. She decided not to tell Cammy she would come in, in second place. She didn't comment about Ally. She knew she would be a distant third.

Savannah was used to wearing a one piece bathing suit. She didn't like to wear a two piece bikini. It made her feel very uncomfortable. The hungry eyes on her always bothered her. She watched before as Vanna and Jesse pulled weapons on males who looked at her a little longer than they should have when she was growing up. If it wouldn't have been for the Terminators who were with them, she was pretty sure both Vanna and Jesse would have used their weapons on those people. They were always very protective of her. Allison was as well.

She looked down at the clothes she was wearing. She thought about what was underneath them. It was more than she might have on if they ended up with some free time. She wanted to remind Cameron she was uncomfortable about some things.

"I don't know if I would want to wear a skimpy bikini. It's even less than underwear for coverage. I'd have to say by fifty to sixty percent less." Savannah said. "At the pool is one thing, in public and in front of strangers is another thing. I would prefer to be a little more covered. You know what I mean."

Savannah didn't have a problem about being nude in front of anyone in the Resistance. It didn't matter if they were male, female, or Terminators. It was how she saw most of the females growing up anyway. She wasn't sure if it's why she was attracted to the female body, or just because a female body was beautiful. She shared with all of the girls from the future, well, everyone except for Riley.

It was always something which bothered her. Riley was always very nice to her. She always tried to be nice to Riley and do things with her. She felt the same pressure everyone else did from Cameron. None of them wanted to upset Cameron and get too close to Riley. Even Jesse needed to put the brakes on so she wouldn't offend Cameron either. Derek and Riley eventually became a pair.

Cammy wasn't sure if her eight years around Sheila in the past was a bad influence or not. She did learn the power the parts of her body, or her entire body unclothed, could convey on others. She didn't want Savannah to feel self conscious. With five female Terminators with her, she didn't have anything to worry about. She did want Savannah to know how beautiful she actually was.

"See and feel the power your beauty commands, Savannah." Cammy said. "We're like Goddesses walking the face of the Earth, with smoking HOT bodies."

Savannah quickly looked down at her body again. It was more a response to what she knew was coming. She knew it was all going to change in a short while as Vanna's baby grew inside of her. There wasn't much she could do about it at this point. If the baby hadn't needed to be from Vanna's body, she would have liked to have tried a traditional conception this time. She at least wanted to try it one time to see what it was like. If she did try the traditional method, she would know if she liked it or not.

Vanna didn't leave her with any high expectations about the male body and its performance. She did want John to take her virginity and get the card off of the table. Once was all it took. Even Cameron told her it would probably only last thirty seconds to two minutes tops for John to make her a 'woman'. Cameron did explain he would be able to take longer after the first time, and hopefully satisfy her.

She didn't think it was unrealistic from what she read in Cosmo. Only one in ten females was actually able to 'finish' on their 'first time'. More than half of them were in pain and glad when it was over. After two babies, she didn't think the pain part would be too much of a factor for her, everything should be a straight shot. There weren't any restrictions any longer. Young Jesse took care of it for her. They did it for each other.

She still couldn't help but feel self conscious about her appearance. She needed to refocus.

"In a few months, I'll feel like a whale." Savannah said. "I'll look like one too."

Cameron felt a mild glitch impulse when Savannah said it. She knew it wasn't easy for Savannah to go through the process of pregnancy. Now she would need to go through it one more time for Vanna. She took a good look at Savannah right now. She was very pleased with what she saw. She wanted to make Savannah feel good about herself. Savannah was anything but a whale.

"Right now you're a shark." Cameron said. "The world is at your command."

Cammy agreed, she thought Savannah was beautiful. She thought about the other Metal girls. She thought about how they would all compare if they were all dressed in string bikinis.

"Who will get the most looks?" Cammy asked.

Savannah didn't even need to think about the answer. She already saw it played out a thousand times wherever they went. It was everywhere they went.

"Cameron will." Savannah said. "If they start with her face, they need look no further. You'll be right behind her."

Cammy was aware it was usually the case. She didn't necessarily think it still was. She felt she held an ace to play, not in just one spot, but in two. She wanted to remind Cameron she was superior to her, especially with her jewelry. She planned to make sure it was seen. She would like to 'show up' Cameron, at least one time.

"Not if my jewelry is evident." Cammy said. "Then they will look at me. It won't just be once either. They will check everything out multiple times."

Savannah was aware Sheila was always able to steal away some of the looks which should have gone to Cameron when she flashed some of her jewelry. She thought it was more because of what the jewelry was attached to, than the jewelry itself. She was also aware there were other factors in play. She knew size mattered as well, at least to some people. There could be a multitude of factors in what would catch someone's attention. Once everything was taken in, it might be something else which captured it instead.

"Gail is going to be a pretty 'big' draw. She's twice the size of us." Savannah said. "Sheila too will attract attention, everything about her is exotic. We all know her top will 'fall' off at some point. It wouldn't surprise me if her bottoms did as well."

Cammy was going to place her money on Sheila. She watched her closely for eight years. She agreed with Savannah's assessment.

"I'm sure her bottoms will be off at some point so she can show off." Cammy said. "Sheila likes to be noticed. She can make anyone look at her. It doesn't matter who they are, or what they think they won't do."

Cameron knew what she felt in her heart, even though she didn't actually have one. She looked at Savannah with love in her eyes. She said what she felt.

"Savannah's beauty will trump all of ours with her shapely figure, beautiful face, and stunning hair." Cameron said. "She doesn't need to show anything else to radiate her natural beauty over our manufactured beauty. She was born beautiful. All of us needed to obtain our beauty from someone else. None of our DNA is our own, other than Savannah. She wins alone with what is real."

Cameron smiled at Savannah.

Savannah was very pleased with what Cameron said about her. She still thought Cameron was the most beautiful female ever. It didn't matter if she was a cyborg or not. It didn't matter if her beauty belonged to Allison.

"I'm not so sure, Cameron." Savannah said.

Cammy quickly frowned at Cameron and then smiled at Savannah.

"I am." Cammy said. "You are the most beautiful of us all."

Cameron and Cammy both received a message, neither one of them cared for what the message said. They were rudely reminded 'Big Sister' was always nearby.

"Great, 'Killjoy', I mean CamNet, said we would be heavily photographed and video shot of us if we 'show off' in such a way at the beach, or anywhere." Cammy said. "What does she know about beauty?"

Savannah felt a little relieved. She really hadn't wanted to wear a bikini. She figured CamNet would know it. She needed to smile to herself about what just happened. CamNet spoke up on her behalf, as clandestinely as she could.

"I don't think anyone should berate CamNet. She's looking out for us." Savannah said. "She wants us to be protected. She doesn't want any trouble for us."

Cammy looked forward to seeing the Metal girls wear next to nothing. She was a little irritated by CamNet's interference.

"It's because 'Killjoy Net' is a metal box full of wires and electricity." Cammy said. "I should let her plug into my chassis for five minutes so she can see what she's missing. I'll even let her experience a 'finish' my chassis, just so she can see what it's like for real. It's a lot better than playing a file."

Cameron and Savannah looked at each other quickly. It was the project Savannah currently worked on for CamNet.

Savannah wanted to redirect the conversation. She knew Cammy would become upset to know CamNet was about to receive a chassis. She figured Cammy would be even more upset to know she promised to 'be there' for CamNet. With Cammy and Sheila now involved at a 'love' level, she hoped it would be less of a problem. Upon further reflection, she decided it wouldn't be less of a problem. No problem was ever 'less'.

"What's the lead in Avila Beach related to, Cameron?" Savannah asked.

Cameron didn't think it was time sensitive any longer based upon what occurred at the other location. Someone shut it down to cover their tracks. More than likely they'd find the same thing there.

"It showed up as one of the 'addresses' during the hack trace." Cameron said. "I'm sure it's a dead end like the rest were at this point."

Cameron hoped it might turn up something. One thing was for sure, if there was anyone alive connected to it, they were going to be a 'dead end'.

Savannah knew they needed to start somewhere. Things didn't get done thinking about them.

"Let's go check it out." Savannah said. "Let's get our business taken care of first."

Cammy hoped to knock the dead end lead out of the way quickly.

"Once we get it done, we can put on our bikinis and hit the beach." Cammy said.

Savannah still wasn't comfortable with the idea. She wanted to remind them again.

"You know I always wear a one piece swimsuit." Savannah said.

Cammy wanted Savannah to show off her beauty.

"It's because Vanna always does." Cammy said. "She's not here."

Savannah knew why Vanna always did. It was to hide her scar. She always wore the same thing so Vanna would never be self conscious around her. She preferred to be a little more covered up anyway in public. It was a show of support and respect on her part for Vanna. Besides, Vanna was her. Cammy's response bothered her a little. She wanted to remind them of something else too.

"Isn't she?" Savannah asked. "I may not be HER, but SHE is ME. She is always 'here'."

Cammy didn't want Savannah to think about all the terrible things Vanna needed to go through.

"I guess in a way she always is." Cammy said.

Cameron didn't care for Cammy's attitude.

"One of them isn't a clone either." Cameron said.

Cammy looked at Cameron, then back at Savannah. It was sort of irritating to always have a 'shadow', or be considered the 'shadow'. She thought the 'shadow' was more like a mirror in her case.

"I know the feeling…." Cammy said.

Cameron smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Unless she received plasma burns to her face and body, she knew she would always look better than Cammy, even if they looked identical.

Savannah wondered if Cameron regretted making clones of herself. Cam and Camille never seemed to be a problem, but Cammy always did. She was pretty sure it was because she was involved. She really didn't like being a point of contention between them. She couldn't help but think it was all sort of her fault for asking for 'someone'.

John Henry searched all the local traffic cams and security cameras in the area where the big rigs should have traversed. He was pleased at what he'd found.

"John, I think I have something." John Henry said.

John rode with Bob. He sat up in his seat.

"Is it the trucks?" John asked.

John really wanted a solid lead. They needed to get the Skynet equipment or make sure it was destroyed.

John Henry thought there was both some good news and bad news related to it.

"Yes, there are three of them, but they're no longer traveling together." John Henry said. "I tracked them off of a security camera down the street, and at a weigh station before they split up."

It was the news John wanted to hear. It was a start anyway. He figured they would have some type of security or Protection Detail in close proximity.

"How many other vehicles are with them?" John asked. "Where are they now? Do you have a solid lead on any of them?"

John Henry was aware this is where the news wasn't so good.

"There was a van or SUV which followed each of them. I have one big rig east of Sacramento." John Henry said. "The other two I'm still searching for. I believe one of them has transferred the load into a container. I'm not positive about it. It is still speculation on my part."

John was worried they would switch the loads into different trailers or into containers. They could also conceal them in a building once they were away from the boxcars.

"How do you know the load might have been transferred?" John asked. "Is it headed for a container ship?"

Bob was worried about the aspect of a ship being involved.

"If it is, we must sink the ship." Bob said. "There would probably be more HK equipment on it as well."

John was aware it might come to something as drastic as Bob indicated. He thought they should act on the container first if John Henry developed a lead on it.

"Where's the container at?" John asked.

John Henry knew it wasn't a positive lead for sure. He thought the location was somewhat unusual as well.

"It's near Stockton." John Henry said.

John looked at the satellite map. The image he looked at on his phone wasn't zoomed in and didn't offer much detail.

"Stockton is in the middle of the Central Valley." John said. "It doesn't sound like it's near a ship to me."

John Henry already double checked the location and the access to shipping himself.

"They also load and unload smaller ocean going ships there." John Henry said. "Both Sacramento and Stockton are connected by rivers to San Francisco Bay. It's all part of a vast system. It's not as big of a port as Oakland or San Francisco which means it would be easier for them to operate out of."

Bob was aware some of the smaller container ships were capable of unloading themselves in out of the way places. They didn't need to rely on the cranes in a port.

"They could move things to anywhere in the world on those smaller ships." Bob said. "They are all self contained."

John Henry knew everything was speculation at this point. There were no concrete facts. He didn't want them to get ahead of themselves. The only sure lead was the one truck east of Sacramento. It was probably still part of a shell game to Skynet.

"They may be passing through or hiding." John Henry said. "They know we're after them."

John was aware the group they were after liked to leave booby traps behind. Maybe it's what they were being directed to look at. He was still worried about getting 'set up'.

"What if the container was only a sucker play to draw us off the real target?" John asked. "These people are desperate."

John Henry knew they didn't have enough information one way or the other.

"It's currently unknown." John Henry said.

John wondered about the positive hit.

"What's east of Sacramento?" John asked. "Where are they headed to? It must be Nevada."

John Henry already looked into it. He knew what else was located in the area. He hoped it wasn't the destination.

"They may be headed for 'Gold Country'." John Henry said. "Don't forget, it's actually the second location where gold was found in California. The quantity located there is what started the Gold Rush. When gold was first found in Placerita Canyon several years earlier, it was only a very small amount."

John knew there were a lot of mines associated with 'Gold Country' in the foothills and mountains of the Sierra Nevada range. He didn't want Cameron anywhere near a mine.

"It means more mines." John said. "I hate mines."

John thought of the mines Cameron, and later Cameron and Savannah, almost perished in. They were all death traps. If Cameron determined there was a 'Skynet' there, she would go after it with a nuke.

John Henry knew everything was still speculation. He figured John thought along the same lines he did in regards to Cameron and mines.

"It's a possibility." John Henry said. "We still don't have any facts."

John wasn't about to take any chances. He planned to take direct action on his own.

"If a mine is involved, we're blowing it closed." John said. "Nobody is going in one of them."

Bob thought his assessment was a little premature. There could be valuable information or equipment to be obtained. He thought there should be at least some investigation first.

"We may be able to gather intelligence or equipment." Bob said.

John was determined not to allow Cameron to enter another mine.

"We will blow it closed." John said. "THAT is final."

John didn't want Cameron anywhere near a mine again. He spoke with Savannah in detail about what happened in the one she was in. He didn't think he could have done the things she did. He wondered if he could have held up as well. He strongly doubted it.

He later found out she downplayed everything she did. Tom, and the other Terminator's involved in the operation, all came to him separately and in confidence. They told him how Savannah risked her safety and well being on multiple occasions to help each of them. They all felt her actions and bravery should be commended, and known. They knew she wouldn't elaborate on them to anyone. It left him with a lot to think about. No wonder Cameron always said Savannah's the 'Chosen One'.

He knew no other Resistance members or Terminators even did half of the things Savannah already accomplished. She was still a teenager too. It made him wonder if Savannah would survive her teenage years. Her heavy involvement with Cameron's operations may get her killed. He really hoped to take her virginity before it happened. He believed it was a legitimate concern on his part. He didn't want her to die. He especially didn't want her to die a virgin.

John personally observed Savannah was a trooper and never shied away from a battle. She told him if she felt confident there were enough Terminators with Cameron, then she would take a less aggressive role. Otherwise she would go with Cameron no matter how dangerous it was. He didn't need to be reminded of her resolve to know she was willing to die alongside Cameron. He wasn't sure he possessed the same resolve if he would have a chance to leave and Cameron told him to go. If Cameron was going to be terminated no matter what happened because she couldn't leave, what purpose would it serve to die with her? He could still carry on the battle against Skynet if he was alive. He would be able to avenge her. If he was dead, it was all over. It left him with a very uneasy feeling to contemplate it.

Bob glanced over at John. He didn't think he looked well right now.

Young Allison was only aware CamNet knew of her 'adventure'. She was sure CamNet told Cameron, and Cameron told Savannah. She didn't want to disappoint Cameron and Savannah. If it ever came up, she would confess the entire story. She expected to hear from either one of them by now, but she hadn't. She thought the silence said a lot as well. It didn't seem to be in a good way either.

She did know Holly and Allison both did similar things before. She was surprised nobody was 'on her' about what happened. She didn't know they all did something similar. It was more common than she knew. Even John did it before. What was worse, John ran off with Riley - Future Riley.

The more Young Allison thought about it, the more it bothered her. The more she wanted to come clean and try to explain what happened.

Young Allison knew what she did was wrong and could endanger her. It could have also compromised the ongoing operation. She would personally apologize to Cameron when she saw her. It worried her too they might see her as 'not good enough' and as being weak. She would try even harder to do what Cameron asked of her. She knew she needed to do what she was trained for. There was a future to fulfill and promises to keep - ALL of them. It was something she intended to do, more so now than ever.

Now she felt guilty about not doing enough around the house and helping her mother more. She was a little worried about the distance which grew between her mother and her. It wasn't done intentionally, and it wasn't a 'teenager thing'. It was probably more of a 'Resistance thing'.

"Mom, I want to cook dinner tonight." Young Allison said. "I'll do the dishes as well. I need to help you more."

Claire was a little surprised at what Young Allison said. She didn't like it, but she understood the importance of her daughter in relation to the future and her aid to the Resistance.

"You have greater responsibilities to deal with." Claire said. "You don't need to get hung up on trivial things."

Savannah always told her one's family was very important. She didn't really understand what Savannah meant until she realized all of Savannah's family was dead. It was a very sobering thought. In fact it, was on her mind right now. It bothered her how Savannah lost everything. It made her earlier actions seem even more pathetic.

"I also have family obligations." Young Allison said. "I have my parents and my sisters to think about."

Claire caught the wording and emphasis in Young Allison statement.

"Do you view Allison as your older sister?" Claire asked.

Young Allison knew it wasn't technically accurate, even though it seemed like it. It was even more bizarre to know Allison was actually an older version of herself back from the future. Who would ever believe any of it? No really, who would ever believe it?

"She is ME." Young Allison said. "Even if I'm not HER, she is ME."

Claire understood there was truth in her statement. What she thought was even stranger, is while Young Allison saw Allison as her 'sister', she viewed Allison more as her own sister or a close girlfriend. It was hard to wrap her head around the fact it really was her daughter back from the future. It was because they were almost the same age.

"It takes some thought." Claire said. "I know we've experienced a lot of strange things which are actually quite unbelievable. If we didn't see them with our own eyes, we would never believe any of them. I still try to put it all together as I think about it."

It was a concept which still amazed Young Allison. Not only was there an older version of her living in their house, there were also other versions of her alive and living in other futures. She knew about Future Allison, Duplicate Allison 'in some future', and the second Duplicate Allison in River's future. They were all her at one point

"Believe me, I've done plenty of thinking as well." Young Allison said.

Young Allison wondered if she would ever see Future Allison again. She wondered if she went into the future, how it would change the timeline. She was worried she might create a new timeline the same way John did. It would mean no Cameron, and things would be different for Future John and Future Savannah. No, she could never do it. Future Savannah would be the one captured and killed if it wasn't her. She would never endanger Savannah, ANY Savannah.

It was better for her to face the demon. She would face Skynet herself, even if she needed to face Skynet alone. She was willing to go as far as Cameron was willing to go. She was willing to go 'all the way', to protect those she loved. It was probably why Cameron was willing to go as far as she did on several occasions.

She also would do whatever it took to protect Savannah and Cameron. She added John too as an afterthought.

The girls arrived at Avila Beach. It wasn't what Savannah expected. It wasn't like the beach at Santa Monica, Topanga, or Malibu. It was very small. It was sort of 'industrial looking' in spots. There was a nice beachfront motel. The main street separated it from the small sandy beach in front of it. Everything was small and compact. She also noticed something else about the beach as compared to the beach where they were from.

"What kind of beach is this?" Savannah asked. "There's hardly anyone here."

Cameron could only state the obvious. Avila Beach was off of the main track and it was near a nuclear power plant, which probably caused some reservations among some people. Pismo Beach was located nearby and drew much larger crowds. There simply wasn't the same amount of population around the area they currently were as there was in the Southland. The time of year also played a factor in the lack of people.

"It's a small beach ." Cameron said. "If it was summertime, it would be packed and all the motels would be booked. The few restaurants would be overcrowded with a long wait."

Cammy reached up and again to scan Savannah. Once again Cameron neglected Savannah's personal needs.

"You need to eat, Savannah." Cammy said. "You're not a cyborg, even if you're in the custody of one."

Savannah quickly pulled her neck away from Cammy's hand. She didn't want to be the one to disrupt the operation. It was one of the reasons why she never said anything about missing meals on any operation.

"I'm fine. I can grab an energy bar or an MRE." Savannah said. "You know I try to keep up with Cameron and you."

Cammy briefly looked at Cameron and frowned. She knew it was her fault. She turned back to Savannah. She would point out a more important issue to reach Savannah.

"You have Vanna's child to think of." Cammy said.

Savannah knew it was true, but she didn't know what the outcome would be for several different reasons. It didn't really matter in the end. She planned to deliver for Vanna no matter what.

"I do think about it." Savannah said. "I think about it all the time. Vanna will have a child, even if I must give up my own again. It's another way I can fight back against Skynet."

Cameron experienced a glitch impulse with Savannah's statement. She listened outside of Savannah's door as she cried over images of her two daughters, in two different futures, with different versions of herself.

"I can't allow it." Cameron said. "I know how it's hurt you."

Savannah tried to brush it off. She was committed to the cause.

"What doesn't kill me, only makes me stronger." Savannah said.

Cammy and Cameron both tilted their heads slightly with her statement. They weren't sure it was actually the case, even if somehow it was. It would be very risky to Savannah to continue to face such conditions.

Gail pulled up next to them in the van.

"Where's the nude beach?" Sheila asked from the back of the van. "I am already - ready."

Ally looked back into the van.

"No she isn't." Ally said. "She just wants to see Savannah nude."

Savannah was in a playful mood so she responded accordingly.

"She knows where my room is." Savannah said. "I shower twice a day. I could always use my back washed. It wouldn't hurt to have the front washed as well."

Cammy felt a little defensive, even if it was Sheila.

"The line starts behind me." Cammy said.

It seemed the playful sexual banter always irritated Cameron. Savannah wondered if it really did bother Cameron when she was with other females. Cameron always said it didn't. She never saw Cameron's hand glitch. She was sure did. Maybe she should be a little more clandestine with her female hookups.

"Enough." Cameron said. "We have jobs to do first. I don't want anyone to lose focus."

Ally quickly looked at Gail and Sheila and then back at Cameron.

"Let's have the plan." Ally said.

Cameron already formulated a plan and was ready to implement it.

"I will." Cameron said. "This is what I want to do, and where you three are to go…."

Cameron laid out a plan to get the ball rolling. It looked like they might have a little free time between events.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Who Are You

Things are different now
That I can clearly see
Things have changed
It's nothing good for me

The shell is still there
Where do you now reside
Whatever once was
Is no longer inside

The person that used to be
Before my eyes slowly dies
Now upon deaf ears
Fall my unheeded cries

It's beyond sad
To watch what you've done
To cast me aside
Knowing I'm still the ONE

The body is the same
I see what you now do
I don't know you anymore
Who are you

Nobody