Chapter 932

As I Will You

The Metal girls waited by the vehicles as Cameron, Cammy, Sheila, and Savannah were busy in the restroom area. They knew something was happening, they just didn't know what. They were apprehensive and antsy.

Ally was tired of the wait.

"I think we should go in there and see what's happening." Ally said. "They've had enough time to figure everything out."

Cam looked over in the direction of the restrooms.

"It would be nice to know what's happening." Cam said.

Gail didn't like the girls to question or push Savannah.

"If Savannah wants us in there, she'll ask for us." Gail said. "We need to wait for her determination."

Cam looked over in the direction of the mountain where the mine was at.

"I don't like waiting around and doing nothing." Cam said.

Ally was clearly agitated.

"I feel like we should be doing something." Ally said.

Hanna wondered how they were supposed to anything. They didn't have any information to work with.

"We don't even know what we are supposed to do yet." Hanna said. "You need to chill out and relax. We'll figure it out."

Holly wasn't usually away from Allison for this long of a period of time. It began to bother her. She missed her greatly.

"Maybe we can call our girls and see what's happening with them." Holly said.

Cam needed to suppress a laugh.

"We already know what's 'happening' with them." Cam said. "Cameron wants them all to strengthen their 'bonds'."

They knew the girls would be sharing with each other. They really couldn't think of any other way it would strengthen their 'bonds' more.

Ally felt a little jealous. Maybe it wasn't jealousy but a sense of being shortchanged.

"You're all lucky and have a full time human lover." Ally said. "I don't."

Gail saw Sheila and Ally visited the girls often in their rooms. She allowed both of them 'alone time' with Jesse. Cam, Cammy, Holly, and Hanna all allowed them to do the same. There was plenty of love to go around. It also allowed them time to be with others when their human lover was busy.

"You get a lot of action." Gail said. "You actually get more variety."

Ally wanted something to take her mind off of the wait.

"I could use some action right now." Ally said.

Hanna was going to suggest Ally 'rub one off' or replay some of her past files of her 'finishes'. She didn't want to be rude or seem insensitive. If they were alone, she would probably tell her anyway just to mess with her. She wanted to point out the obvious. She originally was part of the trio. She was well acquainted with their private behavior. With Sheila around, it usually wasn't very private either.

"You and Sheila spend a lot of time 'together'." Hanna said. "I know personally what goes on with you two. Don't try and act like it isn't a lot."

Ally looked at Hanna with love in her eyes. She remembered the old times together. She missed being around Hanna all of the time like it was originally.

"I liked it better when it was the three of us." Ally said.

Hanna was happy before, but being with Claire and Allison all the time was very rewarding too. She decided to play it cool and not upset Ally. She wanted to remind Ally the change wasn't of her doing.

"I was 'reassigned'." Hanna said.

Hanna didn't want to mention Claire was given the choice between the three of them. Claire experienced a hard time deciding between Sheila and her. Ally was never seriously considered by Claire. At this point in time, she believed if Claire could do it all over again she would pick Sheila in place of her. It was clear to her Claire was really hung up on Jesse. To have Sheila as her full time lover would be the next best thing. There would probably be a lot more extreme and invasive sex acts involved as well.

Gail found the small talk and banter irritating. She wanted all of them to be alert.

"There isn't one of you who haven't been with each other or all of the girls at some point." Gail said.

Ally let out a snicker as she looked at Gail. She didn't want to point out Gail was the last one to complete the rounds with all the human girls. The event just happened yesterday for her.

"Join the club." Ally said. "You have too, even if you were a little late to the party."

Gail ignored the jab. She was aware only Holly and her didn't have human counterparts in the Resistance. She wasn't even sure if there was a human counterpart for her in the timeline she was currently in. She knew both Holly and her were created from someone's DNA, they just didn't know who it was in the future they came from.

"I did." Gail said. "I often wonder what it's like to be with someone who looks exactly like you 'everywhere'."

Ally shared with Allison, Cammy, Camille, and Cam. She thought she could offer some insight. She was very pleased with the thought.

"It looks pretty Hot." Ally said. "I'm sure when Sheila switched chassis with you for a few days, you were able to get a pretty good lick, I mean look, at what we all see.

Gail did both of those things, but it wasn't what she meant.

"I'd like to find the human female I'm patterned after in this timeline." Gail said.

Gail seemed to think about it more and more. She was sure not knowing was worse than knowing, even if the individual was some type of criminal. At least she would know.

Holly often wondered about the same thing. Both Gail and her were actually created in the alternate future by Mrs. Weaver as Restorators. They were never Terminators who worked for Skynet and were reprogrammed. They started with clean chips under Mrs. Weaver's program.

"I would too." Holly said. "I wonder who or what I am as well."

Allison told Holly if they ever found her, she wanted to 'meet' her first to see if her doppelganger was worthy of Holly for the 'Neural Interface'. Holly always figured Allison wanted to 'be with' her doppelganger to see how she was in bed. She didn't have a problem with it as long as she would be able to do the same thing with her doppelganger.

Ally didn't see what the big deal was. It didn't really matter, but how hard could it be to find them.

"It shouldn't be too hard." Ally said. "We should be able to track her down. I thought it was something both of you already attempted to find."

Gail asked John Henry previously to locate her doppelganger. Cameron intervened and stopped him.

"Cameron has forbidden it." Gail said. "We will be deactivated if we seek them out."

Ally didn't see what all the hoopla was about. What was the big deal? No really, why would it make a difference? It wasn't like they're going to terminate them or anything.

"Why?" Ally asked. "What would it hurt?"

Holly didn't want to cause any problems for anyone. Cameron didn't want them to do it either.

"Cameron is afraid we would alter their lives." Holly said.

Ally felt both Holly and Gail could use the 'experience'.

"But you could use the 'Neural Interface' with them." Ally said. "You could be more like them…."

Gail wanted to be more 'human like'. She wanted to be able to share like all the other Metal girls could with their human lovers.

"I want it very much." Gail said. "I want to know how to love better. I want to be a better lover."

Cam understood Cameron's reasoning. She didn't want the girls to dwell on the subject.

"Cameron will not permit it." Cam said. "You are fine how you are. It's best if you don't think or talk about it. You will only cause yourself grief and sadness for nothing"

Gail frowned at Cam.

"I want to be 'better'." Gail said. "You all are."

Cam didn't want Gail to feel bad about something she didn't have any control over. She wanted to put things in perspective for Gail based upon her recent encounter with Savannah.

"Ask Savannah if she wants you 'altered'." Cam said. "I'm willing to bet she won't. You need to understand she loves you just the way you are. She loves you because of who and what you are right now, not what you might be, or someone different."

Gail was pleased to hear Cam indicate Savannah loved her. She didn't need to ask Savannah about the 'Neural Interface'. Savannah previously told her she didn't want her to be someone different.

"Savannah doesn't want me altered." Gail said.

Cam smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"There's your answer." Cam said. "I'd say it's a pretty good one too."

Gail nodded her head and looked towards the restroom area.

"Savannah is the 'Chosen One'." Gail said. "She knows what's best for all of us."

The 'Cameron' in Cam reached a breaking point. The wait and not knowing was too much for her.

"I'm going to check." Cam said. "I think I can get away with this a little better than any of you could."

The other Metal girls weren't sure it was the right thing for Cam to do. They wanted to find out what was going on. They would rather have Cam take the heat, if there was any.

Cam left to check on Cameron and Cammy. They all ran the same program anyway. It was Cameron's program. She figured if anyone would understand her invasive action, it would be Cameron.

Ally waited until Cam was away from them. She moved a little closer to Gail and Holly. She looked around before she spoke.

"You two should ask Savannah if you can find your doppelgangers." Ally said. "I believe she would be a little more understanding and want it for each of you."

Gail and Holly nervously looked around after Ally's suggestion. They were sure it would bring trouble.

"I don't want to cause a problem." Gail said. "It would compromise Savannah's integrity."

As much as Holly liked the idea, she didn't think it was the proper path to follow.

"I don't want to go behind Cameron's back." Holly said. "I don't want to drag Savannah into it."

Ally figured there was another way to approach the problem. It was Terminator style, 'through the front door'.

"You don't need to go behind anyone's back. Tell Savannah about the issue. She can speak with Cameron for both of you, or with you. Be open and honest about it. It will make Savannah fight harder for you." Ally said. "It can be all four of you together."

Holly didn't want to cause any problems.

"I don't know." Holly said.

Holly and Gail both wanted to be more 'human like' the same way Ally, Hanna, and Sheila were. They both felt those three could pass for a human female anytime, not just when they needed to infiltrate.

Gail often wondered what it would be like to be more 'natural' about everything. It never stopped or slowed Jesse or Duplicate Jesse from sharing and interacting with her. Everyone accepted her for who she was. She was superior to the male Terminators. She was just not as advanced as the other Metal girls were. It always made her feel she wasn't good enough.

Samantha watched all of the interaction with the other Metal girls. She didn't say anything because she didn't feel any of it was her place to comment on. She knew her existence was limited. She would like to do the things all of them discussed. She would gladly trade places with any of them. It didn't really matter. It wasn't going to happen. She didn't think her existence would last the day.

John wanted a better solution and he wanted it fast. He was willing to do anything to keep Cameron from entering the old mine. It didn't matter if there was a Terminator or 'a Skynet' in there. He believed the only thing Cameron would find in there would be doom and destruction.

If there was an H-bomb already there, he wanted to trigger it as soon as possible. He understood now why it was there. If Savannah felt it needed to be there to protect Cameron, he was ready to use it. He would normally oppose any such move. Since there was no apparent way on how to detonate the H-bomb from the outside, he didn't want the option used of someone doing it from the inside, especially a manual detonation. It would most certainly spell doom for whoever needed to do it.

"Is there any way we can set off the H-bomb deep underground?" John asked. "Can we do it on our own?"

John Henry knew they didn't have any facts. They were only working on 'feelings' from Sheila and Cammy. All of their actual files were blocked. They remained unable to view them. Because their files were still locked, it indicated to him there was a good reason for it too. The reason was probably another 'can of worms' they didn't want to open. It seemed when it came to Cameron, there were a lot of those 'cans'.

"We don't even know if it's really there." John Henry said. "We need more information before we can plan anything."

John thought about the way Cameron was able to rescue Duplicate Cameron. It was a bold and daring move, but it worked. He understood the extreme amount of danger involved in the procedure, especially into the unknown.

"What about using the TDE to get inside the mountain, it's been done before." John asked. "We could get in and get out."

John Henry knew a bad idea when he heard one.

"I don't think it's as easy in this case." John Henry said. "There must be more at work here. Even if we possessed the coordinates, things could be different over half a century later. There could be a pile of rock where there was once an open space for all we know. The entire may have collapsed. If someone found the H-bomb, they may have tried to move it. It could be right in the spot where the energy bubble might appear. I don't know if it would set it off or not, but if nothing else, it would release a lot of radiation in a very confined area. It might be enough to actually damage a Terminator because of the concentration. If a human was involved in the procedure, they most likely would suffer a lethal dose."

John couldn't help but feel very frustrated about all the things they didn't know. He wondered what the reason was. There needed to be a reason the information was blocked

"Why would this be blocked in Cammy and Sheila?" John asked. "Based on what we know, why is it still blocked?"

John Henry didn't know what the reason was, but he figured it was a pretty good one. He could speculate, but it is all he could do.

"I'm sure it was so nothing would be altered until this point in time." John Henry said. "Cameron may have acted earlier or done something different up until this point if she knew previously what she knows now about this location. Cameron would like to get her hands on the H-bomb. Savannah must have asked or ordered Cammy and Sheila to block it from everyone."

John Henry was sure there were probably some other reasons. He didn't want to mention them.

John thought he came up with a pretty good idea why. It wasn't a good thought either.

"Cameron must have been terminated." John said. "Savannah would never do this for any other reason."

John Henry already considered the possibility. What he felt was an even worse one. He didn't want to say it but it needed to be addressed. Since everything was speculation he didn't think John should get focused in one area, when it could be something completely different.

"It might not be Cameron who was terminated. What if Savannah was the one who was terminated?" John Henry asked. "Cameron has her program copied and can always get a replacement chassis. Savannah can't."

John already thought about it. He tried to keep those thoughts out of his mind. He was sure it would cause him even more stress than just dealing with the events involving Cameron. There was no way for them to know.

"We keep going back and forth." John said. "All we're doing is shooting in the dark at this point."

John Henry felt they were back to square one. They didn't know any more now than they did earlier. It didn't appear anything was going to change either.

"Everything is unknown." John Henry said.

The more John thought about it, the more it ate away at him inside. He was more sure than ever at this point something bad happened to Cameron or Savannah. The worst thought was, maybe it was both of them. He needed to put the brakes on them immediately. It was something he already stated earlier. He felt it was a point which needed to be reiterated in the strongest language.

"I don't want Cameron or Savannah inside of the mine." John said. "PERIOD…."

John Henry didn't think the solution should be too hard for John. He was the one in charge after all. It seemed to him John often forgot his position and stature in the Resistance. He wasn't really sure why. It was evident to everyone else.

"You can issue an order." John Henry said. "You're the General."

John thought about it. Maybe it's what he should do. He could order all of them to stand down and order them to leave the area. The flip side of the coin was Skynet was up to something, and if they were really trying to build a C-bomb now to use against humans, they needed to be stopped. There could literally be billions of lives at stake.

What should he do then? The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. Was saving humanity worth the lives of Cameron and Savannah?

There was little doubt in his mind Savannah and Cameron would reach the same conclusion and try to stop Skynet no matter what he ordered. They would do this even if it meant their own termination. He saw the files of it happen before.

The worry of any repercussions from not following his order would be meaningless if they knew they were headed off to their termination. What stronger repercussion was there than death?

It left him feeling very inadequate and powerless. If he were there, he would probably attempt to do it himself so no one else would need to suffer the consequences.

Cameron lifted the bloody flap of sheath material and looked inside the gap cut into Cammy sheath.

"That's interesting…." Cameron said.

Sheila just reached around inside of there and touched everything a few seconds ago. She hadn't found anything. It made her wonder if something was triggered to make her not find whatever it was.

"What is?" Sheila asked.

Cameron lifted the bloody flap of Cammy's sheath up a little higher and reached inside of Cammy.

"This…." Cameron said. "Savannah I want you to see this."

Savannah moved up and looked inside Cammy at what Cameron indicated.

Cameron pulled her slightly 'bloody' hand out. She held something.

It was a tiny metal container.

Sheila wondered where it came from. It made her wonder again if she wasn't supposed to be the one to discover it.

"I didn't find it." Sheila said.

Savannah could think of a few ideas. Everyone indicated to her she was responsible for everything currently happening. She still found it hard to believe. She believed Cameron was as likely a 'suspect' as anyone as to whatever was actually happening. There were a lot of things which didn't add up for her involvement or the way she would do things. She understood extreme conditions could dictate non-standard behavior. It still left a lot of unanswered questions as far as she was concerned.

"Maybe Cameron knew where to look." Savannah said. "Maybe it was where she put it in Cammy, or would put it in herself."

Cameron, like Savannah, was in no hurry to take the 'rap' for whatever was going on. She could only point out the obvious, even as lame as it sounded.

"I haven't gone back yet." Cameron said.

Savannah knew she hadn't either. She could see how having the information now could change or influence what she did in the past. Cameron showed her specifically where the metal canister was before she removed it. It meant in the past she would know where to put it, if she was the one who put it there. She could see how this all tied together now and in the past. She really wondered what would happen at this point if she declined to go to the past. What if everything still played out the same way it did? There was no way for her to know. It would only be how events played out now would be the ones which mattered.

"Since I know where it was at, maybe I did put it there." Savannah said. "I now know where to put it anyway, if I ever do."

Cameron wanted better answers. She wasn't getting them. She wanted some straight answers and she wanted them now. She didn't care about protocol or changing things in the past or the future. They were in a serious situation now and everyone needed to get on the same page immediately. It was a matter of life and death.

"Cammy, did we interact in the past?" Cameron asked.

Cammy understood the seriousness of Cameron breaking protocol. She looked over at Savannah. She wanted her approval before she said anything.

Savannah looked at Cammy, looked at Cameron, and then looked back at Cammy. She nodded her head.

Cammy could see Savannah wanted answers as well. She wasn't really sure she was going to be able to give them. Right now it didn't seem like it.

"I have no unblocked files which indicate we did in any way." Cammy said.

Sheila saw the exchange between Cammy and Savannah and added what she knew. She knew Cameron didn't ask her, but she could see everyone wanted answers. She wanted some answers as well. Right now, she didn't have anything new to put on the table.

"Me either, love." Sheila said. "I don't know. I don't show anything specific."

Cammy looked at Cameron, she really didn't know what to tell her.

"If you or Savannah ordered us to block them, we would have." Cammy said. "It's the same way we only have fragments now. We don't know who we really interacted with specifically from the Resistance, other than what we've been able to divulge. There's no indication of any reason why, or any circumstances involved."

Cammy still believed the original reason why Sheila and her obtained the H-bomb was to use it to destroy the Syndicate run town of Las Vegas. It was because of several repeated run-ins with some of the Syndicate controlled casinos. They obviously were instructed to carry out a different mission. Whether it was known at the time or not if they already possessed the H-bomb was another mystery.

Cameron looked at the small little canister she held. Was there something inside which indicated her fate? Did she want to know? What would she do differently if there was something? Maybe the canister contained information about an unrelated event, or different issues completely. Perhaps the fate of the future was held in the palm of her hand.

She was dissatisfied with the current condition of the small container. She moved over to the sink in the bathroom and washed it off, along with her hand. She watched the 'blood' swirl around in the drain. It reminded her of the blood on her hands from everything else she experienced in her existence. There was a lot of it. Was she the one who was responsible for all of the terminations, destruction, and damage which followed her around? Wasn't it the action taken by others who were actually the ones responsible and accountable for their own fate? It seemed like it to her. She needed to refocus. She handed the small metal container to Savannah.

Savannah took a moment to look at it. There were many of the same thoughts in her head as Cameron experienced, even if she didn't know it. It seemed to her Cameron should be the one to view it.

"Open it." Savannah said as she handed it back to Cameron. "You should be the one to read it, especially if you were the one who wrote it."

Cammy wasn't really sure she wanted to know what was in the small container.

"Maybe we should leave." Cammy said. "It might be 'personal'."

Sheila looked at Cameron and Savannah. She realized the message could be about the termination of one of them. Maybe it was both of them. She really didn't want to know.

"We'll wait outside." Sheila said. "Maybe you two should be alone."

Cam entered the restroom. She wanted some answers. She was tired of waiting.

"What's happening?" Cam asked. "I need an update. We need to know what else we might need to plan for. Everyone would like to know exactly what is going on."

Savannah looked at Cam for a few seconds before she spoke.

"I need you to wait outside with Cammy and Sheila for a few minutes, Cam. They can get you up to speed." Savannah said. "We may be at a critical juncture right now. We will need a moment alone."

The look on Cameron's and Savannah's faces said it all.

Cam didn't even protest. Savannah asked for something. It looked personal. She was actually more than a little worried it was something of grave consequence.

Cam, Cammy, and Sheila all walked out of the restroom.

Cameron looked at the small container in her hand and then at Savannah.

"Maybe I should go as well." Cameron said.

Cameron was afraid it was going to be bad news of some type. It probably confirmed the termination of one or both of them.

"No." Savannah said. "We'll face this together as we'll share our lives together in the future."

Cameron looked at Savannah and smiled.

"We'll protect each other." Cameron said.

Savannah wanted to remind Cameron it was the four of them.

"It is John and Allison - Young Allison too." Savannah said. "It's the four of us."

Cameron was very pleased with Savannah's reminder.

"It's the 'Natural Order'." Cameron said.

Savannah felt it was a very important issue. She wanted to stress it a little further.

"Remember it, Cameron." Savannah said as she faced Cameron and looked into her eyes. "It's The FOUR of us. It always needs to be the FOUR of us 'together'."

Savannah wanted to protect Cameron with her statement. She wanted Cameron to remember her importance to the rest of them. She hoped it would make Cameron think about some of her extreme actions before she took them.

Cameron knew Savannah was trying to protect her 'from herself'. It was a sobering thought.

"OK, Savannah." Cameron said.

Savannah reached over and gave Cameron's hand with the canister a little squeeze.

"Open it." Savannah said.

Cameron opened the container. Inside was a handwritten note.

Cameron saw it wasn't her handwriting. It wasn't Savannah's either.

They both looked at each other with a confused look on their faces.

"It isn't our handwriting." Savannah said.

Cameron understood what it actually meant.

"No it isn't." Cameron said. "We didn't do this."

Savannah recognized the handwriting immediately. The sick feeling in her gut earlier returned. It was much worse this time.

"I know who the writing belongs to." Savannah said.

Cameron saw the handwriting was identical to the handwriting she used now. It was different previously until she actually was able to emulate the one she wanted to use. She could still tell the difference the same way there was a slight variation in the voice modulation between her clones and her.

"So do I." Cameron said. "I copied her handwriting style so we would be identical."

It was written by Allison Young, at least some version of her. Their first guess would be Young Allison. It could be Allison or Future Allison or even a Duplicate Allison, there were two of them.

"Do we unfold it and read it?" Savannah asked. "Or do we give it to her?"

Cameron understood Savannah meant Young Allison.

"I don't know." Cameron said. "Everything seems rather ominous. I think we both will be terminated here."

Savannah felt the same thing. If there was any doubt before it was long gone at this point.

"It's my belief as well." Savannah said.

Cameron remembered earlier when Savannah was going to send all of them away except for Samantha.

"You were going to go in yourself." Cameron said.

Savannah heard what Cameron said to John about what would be necessary for the detonation of the H-bomb.

"So were you." Savannah said.

Cameron frowned slightly. She thought about the way multiple past events played out.

"I think we both know what it means." Cameron said

Savannah sucked in her breath slightly and bit her lower lip a little bit.

"I think we went together." Savannah said. "You know I'll never abandon you."

Cameron felt a glitch impulse when Savannah said she would never abandon her. She didn't need to be reminded Savannah stayed to terminate with her when she didn't have to. Savannah could have left her to her fate and escaped, but she didn't. She stayed with her. Now there was a new issue to deal with. It was of another unbreakable love. He needed to deal with the issue and get it resolved. Time still seemed to be of the essence.

"I want you to call her." Cameron said. "It's her love for you why she did this."

Savannah believed there was plenty of love to go around for both of them.

"I think it's her love for you just as much." Savannah said. "You do share a special 'bond' with her for more than the obvious reasons."

Cameron was based on 'Allison Young'. Young Allison was the original one at this point. They all started with her.

"I don't want to know if I was terminated with you." Cameron said. "It would mean I KILLED you."

Cameron's hand started to glitch.

Savannah immediately took it in her own hand. The glitch stopped.

"I'll follow you anywhere, Cameron." Savannah said. "It doesn't matter how it ends or when. Our goal is to protect the future, not ourselves."

Cameron could feel the love radiate off of Savannah.

"I know you will." Cameron said. "As I will you."

Both girls now needed to wonder if they followed each other to their deaths and Young Allison acted 'on her own' to prevent it from occurring. There was little doubt Young Allison would use CamNet to do her bidding. There was no doubt CamNet would respond.

There needed to be more in play with the current situation for a simple 'temporal rescue' not to be used. It must have something to do with the H-bomb and the Cobalt. All the pieces must need to be in play first to stop Skynet. The timing issue still seemed very important. If the H-bomb was currently on the timer rigged to Cammy's power cell, when was it supposed to explode?

Young Allison previously set things in motion. She understood the situation was different from anything else she experienced so far. She decided to do something which needed to be done. She wasn't being honest to do it. Even with the knowledge, she still felt compelled to do it and decided to do it. It didn't leave her with a good feeling and made her feel guilty. Nonetheless she still determined it needed to be done.

"I don't like doing things the way they're being done." Young Allison said. "I feel 'dirty'."

Anna wanted to point out exactly what Young Allison set into play.

"You're the one doing them. You've ordered us and CamNet to assist you." Anna said. "We have no choice but to do as you order."

It wasn't what was being done which bothered her. It was her decision not to be completely truthful, in essence she lied, to John and Savannah which bothered her. The more she thought about it, the more it bothered her.

"I needed to lie to Savannah and John both." Young Allison said. "I carefully arranged my words when I spoke to deceive them."

Anna pointed out a simple truth. It applied to everyone.

"Everyone lies." Anna said. "Humans lie from when they are very small. Machines lie soon after their construction. It's the nature of how things work. No one wants to get into trouble, and everyone has objectives they want to accomplish. I watched a nature show one time which showed even some animals learn to 'lie' to the other ones. Sometimes one will indicate there is imminent danger so the other ones go hide. They then go after whatever it was they wanted on their own unopposed, usually it's food."

Young Allison was sure there was a lot of shared behavior in many animals, including humans. It was the nature of everything which brought them to where they were at this point in time. To know everyone else did something, still left a little to be desired on the moral level.

"I know, it doesn't make it 'right'." Young Allison said. "What I'm doing is a big lie, not a small one."

Anna wanted young Allison to consider what her goal was. There was a reason for everything.

"Is what you're doing 'wrong'?" Anna asked.

It all went back to 'winning'. It wasn't how the 'game' was played but about winning to get the job done.

"The reason is pure, the method is not." Young Allison said.

Anna needed to remind Young Allison how everything worked.

"Sometimes you need to make a hard choice." Anna said. "Not everything in life is a bed of roses. You must also remember all those roses all come with thorns. There isn't such a thing as one without the other."

It was a hard choice for Young Allison. It showed she was willing to cross the line to do things. She felt compelled to do what she was doing.

"I only know I NEED to do this." Young Allison said. "I don't know why."

Anna knew they were going to enter a very dangerous area. The risk of termination would go up exponentially.

"You aren't afraid to die?" Anna asked.

Young Allison swallowed hard. Someone her physical age shouldn't need to think about dying. It was a thought often on her mind. When she followed the operations and trained, it would often creep up on her. She was aware the Resistance dealt in death. By her association with the Resistance, she too would become a 'Death Merchant'. In fact, her recent actions already made her one.

"I don't plan on dying." Young Allison said. "I don't want to die. I have my whole life to live. I want MY future, ALL of it, with ALL of them. I also know there are times when someone needs to act."

Anna smiled and nodded. She was pleased Young Allison knew and accepted her future.

"It's the 'Natural Order'." Anna said.

Young Allison hoped she lived to see it.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

As I Will You

Who looks out for who
Is it me or is it you
Who watches the watchers
And all the things they do

Does one step up
Or do they step back
Was one a meal
Or just a snack

Some are more than willing
To go an extra mile
They will give it their all
And do it with a smile

How does one know
Before it hits the fan
It would make a difference
On things one would plan

Forget the review
Stick with what's true
Be there for me
As I will for you

Nobody