Chapter 749
Lighten Up
John was increasingly worried about Cameron. He wished he was with her, or back in the Command Center so he could see everything happening. Now he could only get information relayed through John Henry. There wasn't enough information coming through fast enough for him. He couldn't accept it was because there was no information.
All he knew was Cameron was down and there were no communications with any of the teams in the area. The two drones there no longer sent any data. They didn't even know if they were still airborne.
"Do we have anything yet on Cameron?" John asked. "Is there anything from the drones?"
John Henry was unable to collect any information from any source.
"There's nothing." John Henry said.
The lack of information irritated John. He wanted to slam his fist down on the dashboard. He was aware displaying his anger now wasn't going to accomplish anything.
Bob could sense John's frustration. He also spotted something in front of them.
"The girls are up ahead." Bob said.
John refocused his attention forward.
"I see them." John said.
Bob closed up on the girls.
John hoped for an update from the team he sent earlier to reinforce Cameron.
"What about our back up team of Terminators near Cameron?" John asked.
John Henry knew Cameron kept them away from where she currently operated earlier.
"I haven't received any additional reports." John Henry said.
John figured there should be at least something. It seemed like something should start to work again.
"What about the drones on station there?" John asked.
John Henry continued to search for any signal from the area.
"I don't have any images." John Henry said.
John knew strange things happened whenever Skynet enacted one of its jamming fields. it didn't seem the effects were always the same, even though the result was they would lose all communications with their troops and equipment in the field.
"What would have happened to the drones?" John asked. "Would they have crashed?"
John Henry knew it was always a possibility. They attempted to install multiple redundant systems to prevent it. When everything else failed, they would enter a 'safe mode'. It would give the normal system time to reboot and attempt to determine the cause of the problem.
"They have multiple backup systems." John Henry said. "They would do nothing but orbit until they repaired themselves."
John couldn't help but think about the time when Cameron was damaged and she came after him. The end result of it was he needed to terminate her. He could still hear her tell him she loved him and beg for her life. It almost made him want to vomit to recall it all. It always made his sick to think of it. He still didn't know if she spoke the truth at the time or not. The few times they ever talked about it, she always said she fixed herself and was good again. It made him wonder how everything would be different now if they would have burnt her with Thermite in the junkyard. His mother and uncle were very close to doing the task. He took the chance she did tell the truth and was fixed. If not, he still believed he could fix her. He believed if he offered her his life willingly, she would reconsider. He blinked his eyes several times. He needed to refocus.
"Our drones won't attack our people will they?" John asked.
John Henry knew there was always the margin of error with anything. It included humans as well as machines.
"I don't think so." John Henry said. "They've been programmed by both Cameron and me."
John was aware of the repressed hatred Cameron felt towards herself. For the very things HE caused or did to her. They weren't things she did, but what he did to her, both him and Future John. It did bother him Cameron's problems were all created for her by him in some variation.
Wait.
What if Cameron was actually talking about Future John and her when she said she loved him and he loved her? Maybe it wasn't actually him? It was probably Future John she referred to. Maybe some of her programming became unlocked after the incident. Being smashed between two trucks probably jarred something loose and made her remember something from her past, the future. It was something he thought about before. Cameron always danced around the issue. It wasn't him she was talking about, it was Future John she referred to.
Why did Future John need to erase files from her chip? He knew why. Cameron probably refused to leave him, even if he was the 'General'. She disobeyed his order and stayed because she loved him. The only way Future John could get her to leave was by erasing what actually happened between them. He knew it was something Cameron speculated about many times. He wondered how he would act if his memory was erased with most of his personal interaction with Cameron. It wasn't a good thought.
John shook his head. Why was he getting sidetracked on Cameron in the future? Was it because he thought something bad happened to her? Was it because she was 'down'? What did 'down' mean? What happened to everyone in all of the equipment? He really needed to refocus and get it together. He was stuck on a bad tangent and it was interfering with his judgment. He didn't want any equipment, or anyone damaged.
"I hope they recover." John said. "What about the drone from my team? Where is it at? How much longer will it be until it arrives?"
John Henry checked the progress of the released drone. It wasn't to the target area yet. It could only go so far and remain out of danger itself.
"It's still a ways off." John Henry said. "It will be there shortly. It will need to use caution."
John felt he could sum everything up with a saying he heard since he was a kid. He didn't think it would still be a very 'politically correct' term. Since he wasn't talking about an individual, but a situation, he decided to give it a pass.
"So we're deaf, dumb, and blind." John said.
John Henry knew the choices were limited. He understood what would happen to the Terminators. He wasn't sure what would happen to Savannah. Depending upon whatever caused the outage, it could affect her as well to some extent. Enough electricity in the air could incapacitate or kill her as well. He didn't think he would mention the last part of his thought to John. He would try to put it on a more positive note, even if it seemed like a nightmare.
"Yes." John Henry said. "If Cameron and Cammy are down, Savannah is on her own. She won't have anyone to back her up. She will need to protect Cameron and Cammy, or take the fight to the enemy."
John didn't like the thought of Savannah being alone and on her own to face whatever hostile force there was. John Henry didn't say it, but he very well knew Savannah could be down. If she was down, she was down for good. He could no longer contain his anger and frustration. The heel of his closed fist slammed down on the dashboard. A split developed in the covering.
"DAMN." John said.
John knew a few hours ago, he almost was 'with' Savannah. Once again he was seconds away from claiming her virginity. They dealt with the Grays and then shared a nice meal together with Cameron. Now Savannah was fighting for her life. He knew she would die before she let anything happen to Cameron. Her love for Cameron was going to get her killed. He saw it with his own eyes before when she stayed with Cameron. There were only seconds before the Nike Hercules warhead was about to explode.
"DAMN." John said again.
The heel of John's closed fist slammed down on the dashboard again, cracking it wide open this time.
Bob didn't like to see John so emotional. He could see the depth of his feelings for Cameron and Savannah. He was glad he lacked the level of programming the Metal girls all carried. At times like this it appeared to be something very painful. He tried to soothe John.
"John, they'll be OK." Bob said.
John regained some level of control. He turned his head towards Bob. He knew none of it was Bob's fault so he attempted to moderate his answer. He could only say what he believed.
"You don't know that." John said. "We don't know what's happened or going to happen. Not yet anyway. We actually don't know much of anything."
Bob knew of the lengths Cameron, and by extension CamNet, would go to protect Savannah.
"I know we will go back in time and prevent them from perishing." Bob said.
John wondered at what point things would stop and just be left to be.
"Who gets to play God?" John asked.
Bob thought the answer was self evident.
"I believe the task would fall to CamNet." Bob said.
John already figured out where CamNet's instructions would come from.
"Don't tell me, it will be at Allison's - Young Allison's direction." John said.
Bob was going to remain silent per John's request not to tell him. He remembered it was just a figure of speech and John really wanted an answer. He decided to keep his answer simple.
"The 'Natural Order' will not be disrupted." Bob said.
John shook his head from side to side.
'Beautiful." John said. "Absolutely beautiful…."
John was all for it at this point if Cameron and Savannah were both terminated. He would take Young Allison to Cameron's base himself while Young Allison 'rescued' Cameron and Savannah along with Cammy too. He better understood why Cameron did some of the things she did, the way she did them. She built safeguards into the future.
CamNet might not listen to him but it would listen to Young Allison. He could see how much he would need Young Allison. CamNet would do as she requested or 'ordered'. He knew Young Allison wouldn't let anything bad happen to Savannah. It briefly made him wonder if what actually occurred wasn't a Skynet jamming field, but one from CamNet as Young Allison rescued Savannah, Cammy, and Cameron. No. What was he thinking? He certainly didn't want to get ahead of himself, or the facts.
John was aware everything which occurred seemed to draw the four of them together into an increasingly tighter circle. It was as if they formed a dependency on each other. Maybe it was just him who formed a dependency on the three of them. It was what Future John wanted for him. It really did seem inevitable. The 'Natural Order' always seemed to knock. It appeared the frequency of it increased as well.
He still didn't know a single thing more than he did from when he heard Cameron was 'down'.
Savannah didn't feel Cameron was operating at one hundred percent. She was a little shocked with Cameron's latest declaration.
"Cammy, I'm claiming Savannah…." Cameron said. "I want her for my own."
Cameron held Savannah in her arms.
Cammy and Savannah looked at each other.
Savannah knew Cameron was 'damaged' worse than she indicated. Her hands touched Cameron's back. She instantly felt some slickness to her hands along with ripped material. It appeared Cameron took some shrapnel damage.
"Cammy, I believe Cameron is having some 'trouble'." Savannah said. "There's damage to her back."
Cameron held Savannah a little tighter. Savannah touched Cameron's back. She could feel the damage but not yet see it.
Savannah was very displeased with the latest development. She motioned for Cammy to inspect Cameron. They still needed to worry about any more hostile troops coming out of the bunker, or from some other location.
Cammy moved behind Cameron again to check her out. She didn't like what she was able to view. As to the actual depth of the damage, there was no way for her to observe everything in this particular setting.
"She has shrapnel damage." Cammy said. "There is no way to tell the extent of the damage yet."
Savannah was still concerned about their position. Cammy didn't indicate Cameron's power cell was damaged, so it was a good sign. They needed to worry about another assault, or a counter attack on their flanks, from the Grays or any Terminators.
"WE need to be able to react to whatever develops." Savannah said.
Cammy looked out over the battleground between the drainage ditch and the bunker. The multitude of dead spoke to the true danger of what they faced. She would take the fight to the enemy to protect Savannah.
"I'll take the lead." Cammy said. "You watch out for Cameron."
Savannah disliked their options more and more.
"It is only a matter of time before they come out again." Savannah said. "We still have to worry about a second entrance as well. If it's an escape route, it could be anywhere."
Cameron perked up and became herself again. She was aware of what she said earlier and how it must have hurt Cammy. It wasn't her intention to do so. Words just seem to come out when she looked at Savannah. She was very pleased with what Savannah hadn't done.
"Cammy, I'm sorry." Cameron said. "I mean about what I said to you earlier. I know my thinking was a little off. Everything is the same. I'm fine now."
Cammy disliked what Cameron said earlier immensely. She understood the reason. They were Cameron's true feelings. Cameron said what she really wanted. She knew it was only a matter of time. She didn't want Savannah to get caught up in the middle of anything. They were already caught up in some undetermined battle. Apparently, they were on their own.
"Don't worry about it." Cammy said. "You're damaged."
Cameron ran an additional diagnostic to confirm her status.
"Everything is restored now." Cameron said. "I'm at one hundred percent. I apologize to everyone for my verbal transgressions earlier. Sometimes I can't help it."
Savannah decided to take Cameron at her word based upon her personal observations. It was time to move the operation forward.
"What do you want to do next?" Savannah asked.
Cameron looked over the battlefield as well. She didn't like what Savannah needed to face on her own. It appeared Savannah brought down at least ten of the enemy by herself. It was probably more based upon those who were wounded and drug back inside. The grievous infraction by the Grays would require payback and retribution.
"We're going to attack them." Cameron said. "They tried to hurt us, hurt you."
Savannah looked at Cammy, she was still unsure about Cameron being one hundred percent again.
Cammy noted Savannah's concern. She also knew she was capable of doing everything Cameron could do. She literally was 'Cameron'. It meant she was going to have to take the heat.
"I'll lead." Cammy said.
Cameron felt she was perfectly capable of doing the job herself. It was what she normally did, often on her own.
"I will." Cameron said as she climbed out of the ditch. "I've got this."
Cameron advanced on the bunker.
Her sudden action caught Savannah and Cammy off guard.
Earlier:
The Metal girls took the initiative to disengage from John and go back to where Cameron and Savannah were at when they heard Cameron was down. They figured it was going to cause a problem for them later on with Cameron. It was somewhat ironic as it was Cameron they were headed back to help. The problem was where Cameron was. It wasn't where John was.
They already drove for some time.
Gail spotted something in her rear view mirror.
"John and Bob are behind us." Gail said.
Ally and Sheila were about to get dressed.
Sheila was a little dissatisfied her 'session' with Ally was so brief. She wasn't able to finish more than five times before the change in plans. There wasn't much they could do about the situation until they arrived at the location. It was still some time away. She understood they needed to be ready in case something else developed.
"It was a little shorter than I would've liked." Sheila said. "I was just getting started."
Ally was thrilled she pleasured Sheila. She would have liked a longer session as well. Sheila hadn't even been able to start in on her.
"I have to say your new look is really hot." Ally said.
Sheila was pleased Cammy chose to copy her when they were together in the past. She hoped she would keep the look. She hoped it would share a little inspiration to any of the other Terminators who shared Allison's DNA.
"If you want to know what it would look like on you, ask Cammy." Sheila said. "We're both the same now."
Ally already received a short preview.
"I saw a little earlier." Ally asked. "I want to do a thorough 'exam'. You two were able to see each other all the time."
Sheila understood Ally was a little jealous. Based on the circumstances she didn't think she should be. Eight years was a long time in any timeline.
"Cammy and I spent the last eight years in the past working together, building TDEs and the other things Cameron wanted done. It wasn't all fun and games." Sheila said. "We've 'shared' a lot."
Ally looked around at the clothes which hadn't been put on yet.
"I think you have my underwear." Ally said.
Sheila purposely took them earlier. She figured Ally was a little frustrated she only 'gave' and hadn't 'received'.
"You can take them off of me 'again'." Sheila said.
Gail wanted to help Savannah and Cameron. She didn't want to listen to Sheila and Ally. She could listen to them banter anytime. Now wasn't the time.
"Stop fooling around." Gail said. "Cameron, Cammy, and Savannah are in trouble."
Ally felt their interaction was justified based upon the current circumstances
"We're trying not to glitch out." Ally said. "Lighten up. If all we do is think about the Terminators being down and Savannah on her own, it causes us a lot of trauma. There's nothing we can do about it until we get there. We're trying to make the best of the situation."
Sheila felt maybe if Gail would have had a turn with her, she wouldn't be so high strung.
"Gail's upset because she didn't get her turn yet." Sheila said. "There is plenty to go around, Gail. I have something for everyone."
Gail's thoughts we're a little deeper right now.
"You know I'm worried about them." Gail said.
Gail was worried about all of them. She was most worried about Savannah.
"For all of us before it would have been Cameron we were most worried about." Ally said. "There's a lot more to worry about now."
Gail was totally infatuated by Savannah.
"Now it's Savannah." Gail said. "For me it is anyway."
Ally felt the same way.
"It is for me too." Ally said.
Sheila was love struck as well.
"Me too, love." Sheila said.
Ally wondered about it.
"Is it because Savannah's the 'Chosen One'?" Ally asked.
Gail felt it was a compilation of everything which made up who Savannah was as a person.
"I think it is because of her beauty, her charm, her good nature, her bravery, her abilities, and EVERYTHING about her." Gail said. "She's like no other."
Ally was aware Cameron wanted all the girls to find the greatness within themselves.
"It's not all Cameron's doing either." Ally said. "Cameron guided her and taught her, but everything which makes Savannah who and what she is, came out of Savannah, herself."
Sheila believed there was even more to it.
"I'd say she's one of a kind." Sheila said. "But Cameron is creating another one who will be 'her'. It will be 'Cameron' in human form. It will be Young Allison."
Gail could only see beauty and ability emanate from the two human girls.
"They're the 'Chosen Ones'." Gail said. "They've been chosen by John and Cameron."
Ally wondered what it all meant.
"Where does it leave us?" Ally asked.
Sheila looked at Ally and Gail.
"It leaves us right where we were three minutes ago." Sheila said. "It leaves us with each other."
Gail wanted to move things along.
"It's time to armor up." Gail said. "Then one of you is driving so I can get ready."
Ally believed Gail needed something to calm her down and refocus her.
"I'll drive." Ally said. "Sheila could use some 'help'."
Gail did a quick calculation of their current location and how far they needed to travel to get to where Cameron and Savannah we're at. She could use a little distraction for a few minutes.
"We're still a ways away." Gail said. "Maybe I need to wind down as well."
Sheila stripped off her pants again and took her underwear off.
"I'm game." Sheila said. "It's a long drive. Here's your underwear, Ally."
Ally glanced back and frowned. She knew Sheila took them just to mess with her.
Gail wanted to be with Sheila right now. Sheila was the Terminator version of her lover anyway. She could use the comfort of Jesse right now too. Jesse wasn't there, Sheila was.
"This will help take my mind off what's happening. I'm going to overload otherwise." Gail said. "I think I need to blow off some steam, even though I'm not steam powered."
Ally finished dressing and armored up. She switched places with Gail. They still needed to drive quite a ways to get to where Cameron, Cammy, and Savannah were.
They didn't want to go into combat wound up.
There was nothing like a few good 'finishes' to relieve the stress and tension of everything. There was nothing else to do but ride in the van until they approached the target zone.
Savannah and Cammy were caught off guard as Cameron quickly scrambled out of the drainage ditch.
Cameron was 'over the top' and moved toward the bunker entrance. She would need to pass by a number of fallen Grays.
Savannah and Cammy each raised their M4 to provide suppressing fire, but no targets presented themselves.
Cameron looked over the dead as she approached the front of the bunker. She was surprised there hadn't been any more contact with the Skynet forces after the last encounter. She approached the smoldering SUV and moved around it. She moved up and looked inside the smashed open entrance. There was a heavy 'blast door' on the inside which was now closed. She saw it was currently clear for Savannah and Cammy to join her.
"They've retreated to a secondary position inside." Cameron said. "Move up."
Savannah was a little concerned about all three of them being concentrated at the entrance. She was worried about what could appear behind them at any point.
"Cammy, I think there's another entrance or exit." Savannah said. "We need some intel from our drones."
Savannah didn't even glance at the men she killed as she passed by them. She could see a lot of shapes on the ground. She was fairly certain all but six of them were because of her.
Cammy wanted to check all of the downed Grays and make sure they were human and there weren't any Terminators among them. She possessed the files from one situation where Cameron checked Future Derek's safe house and there was one Terminator amongst the 'dead'. She ended up in a fight with the hostile Terminator, falling out of a multi-story building, getting hit by a car, and losing the hostile Terminator.
She grabbed whatever she could find quickly off of each of them. They were all human and they were all deceased. She noticed Savannah seemed unconcerned. She thought Savannah would be more troubled about what she needed to do earlier. It worried her a little.
"Are you alright?" Cammy asked.
Savannah didn't want to focus on the body count. It wasn't what any of it was about to her.
"I killed at least a dozen people today, one was in cold blood. I murdered her. I watched her die by my own hands. I felt her die." Savannah said. "I did what was necessary to protect our group. I'm not 'alright' but I would do it all again. I'll do whatever I have to do to protect the ones I love."
Cammy was a little concerned as to how far Savannah would go.
"Would you do it even if it means your own life?" Cammy asked.
Savannah looked at Cameron and then looked back at Cammy.
"I'd do it, even if it meant my own life." Savannah said.
Savannah felt 'a hardness' as well as 'a coldness' inside her.
Cammy was aware Savannah almost did it several times when she 'saved' Cameron. Savannah would perish for what she believed in and those who she loved. She looked at the dead scattered around her. Savannah was responsible for most of it.
"I don't think terminating the female Gray would be considered 'cold blood', since she tried to choke you to death first. If you would have shot her or stabbed her, she would be just as dead. They may be quicker methods, but the end result was the same under the circumstances."
Cammy paused and looked up.
"I hear a third drone." Cammy said.
Cameron quickly ushered them inside the bunker. Her biggest fear was it would be an HK drone which came to assist the Grays in the bunker. They knew this group possessed them. They were currently trying to find three truckloads of HK equipment related to them. They didn't want any of the HK equipment to find them first.
If it was a hostile drone, they were between a rock and a hard place now. There were Grays in the bunker behind them and an HK drone in front of them. There was nowhere for them to go.
John Henry watched the footage from the third drone as it arrived where Cameron's team was at. There was a scene of death and destruction. It was general chaos. There were dead which littered the area, some were on fire still. There was no sign of the girls. He thought he should alert John to this latest development.
"The third drone is on station, John." John Henry said. "It looks like a battle took place below. There are at least seventeen dead. Some of them are still burning."
John felt a kick in the gut at John Henry's summary of the battle zone. He wondered what would be burning.
"Is it Cameron or Savannah?" John asked. "Is it Cammy?"
John Henry tried to make sense of everything around the bunker.
"None of them have been identified yet." John Henry said. "Some are burnt beyond recognition. I believe some type of electrical discharge happened."
John wondered what type of electrical discharge occurred. There seemed to be a limited number of options.
"Was it an EMP?" John asked.
John Henry needed more information to come to any reliable conclusions.
"I'm not sure what it was. There are some high tension power lines inactive now as well." John Henry said. "There may have been a massive arc or overload or flying debris. Until I can get some footage from the other two drones, we have no idea."
John figured he would just have to wait for some better answers. He was glad to know the other two drones weren't taken down.
"At least the other two drones are there." John said. "It sounds like a mess."
John was sent some images of the battle zone by John Henry. He looked at the image of carnage and destruction. He wondered what happened there and if the girls were down. They went down fighting if they were down.
John Henry was able to get the drones to communicate with each other.
"The fresh drone is communicating with the two drones already on station." John Henry said. "I'm getting data from them as well now. I saw Cameron go down before, and then lost everything. I'm receiving the footage they recorded while they were in standby."
John Henry fed the raw footage to John. Bob viewed it with one eye as he drove. He kept the other eye on the road.
John felt sick as he watched the scene unfold. His stomach felt like it was in his throat. There are goose bumps over all of his skin. There was a chill which flooded over his body. He watched a teenage girl engage the enemy by herself without knowing what she would face going forward. He could see how she led them away from where Cameron was at on the ground, just short of the drainage ditch.
"I can't believe this." John said. "Savannah's by herself. She took the fight to the enemy alone."
Bob recognized Savannah's actions for what they were. They were totally selfless and showed her willingness to 'go all the way' to protect the others. It didn't matter if she was human and the others were Terminators.
"She also drew the attackers away from Cammy and Cameron." Bob said. "She's using herself as bait to protect them."
John felt a knot in his gut as he watched her in action. Her actions nearly brought tears to his eyes. A few hours ago he was one second away from claiming her virginity. He saw her strangle the female Gray after she tried to strangle Savannah. Now he watched her fight for her life to protect Cameron and Cammy.
"Where are they now?" John asked.
John Henry was unable to identify any of the fallen as Resistance members. He was able to see as Savannah was joined by both Cameron and Cammy. They checked some of the dead as they moved towards the entrance of the bunker.
"They must have gone inside." John Henry said.
Bob was sure it was even worse news awaited the girls once they entered the structure. He understood why they sought cover.
"That is the last place any of them need to be." Bob said. "The third drone must have spooked them and they retreated into the bunker."
John was totally captivated by the footage he viewed. It seemed the only time he saw bravery like this before, it was always Savannah.
"Has anyone else seen this footage?" John asked.
John Henry was aware of the restriction Savannah placed on her actions as viewed by others.
"Savannah's asked not to have what she's done viewed. She would like to keep it private." John Henry said. "She doesn't feel good about hearing others talk of her exploits. She said she was only doing what anyone else would have done."
John honestly didn't think he would be able to do the things he knew Savannah did. He might be able to do some of them, but he didn't believe he could have done all of them. He knew Allison put herself on the line a lot of times in the alternate future he visited. He didn't think her actions went quite as far even if they were commendable. Maybe she was a little less aggressive when he was there with her to protect him. Having Mrs. Weaver nearby as JH the dog, was also another factor favoring him, and Allison by extension.
"We all know she's gone far beyond what could be expected of others." John said. "Savannah really is the 'Chosen One'. Chosen by her actions and chosen by who she is."
Bob wanted to make one thing clear.
"John, Savannah is your 'mate'." Bob said. "YOU are the one who has chosen her."
John really needed to wonder about it. He knew both Vanna and Future Savannah were part of the Resistance. He didn't think either one of them ever faced the same trials in combat as Savannah did. Maybe he needed to know more about Future Savannah. He knew she sure liked Future Allison. Cameron always told him Young Allison would be everything that Future Allison was but even more. He really wasn't sure what it actually meant. He could hardly wait to find out. Those types of thoughts would need to wait. Right now he needed to focus on Cameron, Savannah and Cammy.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
It's The Hardest Thing To Get Right
Kind words can be spoken
Or it can turn into a fight
Can a moment of irrationality
Be justified with hindsight
Empty days can grow long
Never as cold as a hollow night
It only clears the path making it easier
For another to get an undeserved invite
Somehow a frigid icy path
Stimulates a new fire to ignite
Is it out of feeling or desire
Or a hidden form of spite
Is not the real appeal
What is viewed with sight
So open up your eyes
And turn on your heart's light
After all things are said and done
What will matter most is to look Tight
It takes a lot of time and effort
It's the hardest thing to get right
Nobody