Chapter 1139
Is Everybody Ready
John went back to his room to use the restroom. He wasn't too surprised to see Cameron there. He took a second look at the way she was dressed. He realized it wasn't Cameron. It must be Cammy. He was sure there was something fishy going on. He watched Cammy and Cameron leave earlier. They hadn't said anything. It was when he was talking to Savannah. He was aware of some of the games Cameron played from time to time. He wasn't sure if this was one of them or not.
It made him think about some of his past near sexual encounters with Cammy. She almost tricked him in the darkness before and made him believe she was Savannah. Cammy was in Savannah's bed and used Savannah's voice in the totally dark room. She also came on to him very heavy in Las Vegas. It was clear she wanted it, and she wanted it bad. Events got in the way and nothing happened. It seemed like a long time ago, but it wasn't long ago at all. It could still be Cameron posing as Cammy to see if he would want to knock off a 'quickie' before he went on his honeymoon. The hopes of some 'strange' were quickly dashed.
Cammy looked at John with a slight amount of irritation. She didn't care for the way John looked at her when he entered the room. She already gave him several chances to harvest her virginity. He was hesitant at the time. He was the one who blinked, not her. She would prefer if he didn't touch Savannah either. She wanted to make it clear.
"Savannah isn't going with you." Cammy said. "It's not what I want. Most importantly, it's not what she wants. She wants the trip to be about Cameron and you. I doubt Cameron will respect her wishes, I hope you will."
John at least knew who it was at this point. It was Cammy. It could still be Cameron playing a game. It might be some type of 'Mind Chess' to influence him to actually go along with Cameron's desire to have Savannah or Young Allison on board with them.
"I never planned for anyone to go other than Cameron." John said. "I haven't asked or encouraged anyone else to go with me or to share my bed with me on my honeymoon with Cameron. I haven't misled or solicited anyone."
Cammy reached over and picked up the suitcase. Everything they were going to bring along fit in one small suitcase. He wasn't sure where the suitcase came from. It was probably best if he didn't know. He never saw it before. He knew it didn't seem like very much, but Cameron told him all the fancy clothes they would need would be in their suite. She mentioned it multiple times.
He felt bad about Cammy needing to carry his suitcase.
"I can get it." John said.
It wasn't a problem for Cammy.
"I've got it." Cammy said. "I'm a machine, not a human female."
John was sure it was some type of a jab at Cameron. As far as the suitcase went, he would let it slide for now, but things would need to change at the port. He didn't want to make a big deal about it. He did want to explain what the situation was or would be.
"At the port, let me get it." John said. "Otherwise people will notice a female doing the heavy job. A situation happened before with Cameron and me at an electronics store. It started to draw attention."
He thought of the day. It was a mistake to do so. There were a lot of bad memories associated with it. He ran off to be with Future Riley. It was the day Cromartie ended up killing Charlie's wife indirectly, and almost terminated him at the pier. He blew Cameron off. She tracked him down and was there for him in the end. He was unaware of the confrontation Cameron experienced with Future Riley in the parking structure. Neither one of them ever mentioned it.
John shook his head. He knew he really disrespected Cameron and treated her very badly back then. He sure hoped he could make it up to her someday. He often doubted it. She never forgot. He knew it was the basis for most of her problems. It was because she never could forget. She never could let go of anything. They all stayed inside of her and kept boiling over. In reality, she lived in the past because she couldn't get past any of the past events. It was a self made prison for her. It was a shame really because life moved forwards, not backwards.
It made him wonder if it was the root for all of the missing files she said occurred when Future John sent her to the past. He knew it was the only way to make her 'forget' about certain things or events. It was something else he didn't want to think about right now.
He finished up his personal business and was ready to go. Cammy was gone with the luggage already. It didn't surprise him. He wouldn't have been surprised if she would have looked between the small crack between the door and the frame as he took care of his personal business in the bathroom. She didn't. He headed out to catch up with her.
He spotted Savannah. She was on her way back to his room.
"Cammy and Cameron are at the carpool with the luggage." Savannah said.
John wondered why they sent Savannah. He didn't think he took too long.
"I'm ready." John said.
Savannah was a little worried about Cameron. She didn't want to dance around the issue. She wanted to put it out in the open. It was something important to her.
"John, I want you to keep an eye on Cameron." Savannah said.
Now John felt a little worried. He was always worried about a lot of things. Savannah's statement seemed to set off more than a few red flags. He wondered if something new developed. Wait. Maybe it wasn't something new and he missed whatever it was.
"Is there something I don't know?" John asked. "If there's a problem I need to know about it beforehand. If you think we shouldn't go for some reason, I need to know. Now is the time to say something before we leave. I don't want anything to get away from us if we can prevent it from occurring."
Savannah didn't think it was anything complicated or extreme. It seemed to be more of a local issue. She was worried about the close contact Cameron would have with a lot of strangers.
"Cameron is going to be in an environment she's not used to operating in." Savannah said. "There may be people who 'challenge' her. Some may be outright, and some may be unspoken. I know alcohol flows pretty freely on the ship. It's going to lower a lot of people's inhibitions and common sense. I believe her dislike for future Scavengers has expanded over the years. There's a good chance she's going to view some of those individuals as future Scavengers. There may be other issues as well. I think we both understand what it means."
John was unsure what she meant. He wondered if it was something more specific.
"Do you mean problems with other females?" John asked.
Savannah understood Cameron liked to use her 'natural abilities' whenever she played a 'game'. It seemed most of the 'games' she played were against Skynet or future Scavengers.
"I think there will be some of them too." Savannah said. "We both know she won't back down from a fight. A challenge is a form of a 'fight'. She may also be inclined to use her Terminator abilities if challenged. Other females will be jealous of her beauty. Verbal confrontations are possible. They could become physical."
The thought really worried John. He remembered more than once when he was out with Cameron when things played out a little differently than anticipated. The girl from the halfway house who 'offended' Cameron was almost killed. He wasn't sure if Cameron didn't kill her because he arrived, or because she used some moderation. She would have heard him approach the house. She may not have known who it was. He was glad they were out of there before the police arrived. If it was the police, things would have played out differently. He was pretty sure she would have busted them up at the least. She may actually have terminated all of them.
"Do you mean she might kill someone?" John asked.
Savannah knew it was a possibility. Cameron told her about a few incidents which happened to her. Most of them involved future Scavengers.
"It's a possibility." Savannah said. "I don't believe any of it will be intentional. I think things will be more reactive than anything. She won't hesitate to protect you if she feels there's a threat."
John knew the trip was supposed to be about Cameron and him. He was aware Cameron wanted Savannah to go with them. What Cameron had in mind for Savannah isn't what he thought she would be needed for. He would like somebody who was a little more diplomatic to deal with Cameron if there was a problem. It would actually be the main reason why he would want Savannah to go with them. She would be able to control and moderate Cameron's responses. He figured she would pick up on a problem sooner too.
"I'm glad Bob will be a high up official in the security branch of the ship." John said. "Does Cameron know you're here telling me this?"
Savannah looked at John and smiled.
"I'm sure she knows we're not knocking off a 'quickie'." Savannah said.
'Did you think about doing it with Cammy?' Savannah thought, but didn't ask.
Her statement caught John off guard. He was sure there was more than a little truth to it.
"I'm sure Cameron would like it." John said.
John thought he would kind of like it too. He didn't want to think about it right now. It would make him remember the times they were close. Great, now he just thought about it. He wouldn't kind of like it. He would like it a lot.
Savannah knew from her research 'quickies' benefited males most of the time over the females. She doubted more than one in ten females could 'finish' during a 'quickie'. About two thirds of females weren't going to 'finish' either during normal intercourse. Claire told her she never 'finished' once with a male. She was aware Vanna and Allison hadn't either. Their circumstances were certainly different.
Every encounter she experienced with a female always 'finished' with a 'happy ending'. There was an absolute guarantee of a multiple 'finish' with a Metal girl. They could push it to an 'explosive finish' too.
She wasn't sure what Cameron really wanted, but she was pretty sure it wasn't what she said she wanted to happen. It was actually one of the reasons why it hadn't ever happened on her part. She didn't think a 'quickie' would work for her. Maybe a 'quickie' would be better the first few times. It would allow everything to get properly acclimated for a longer session. She could actually attempt to enjoy it then and hope it actually paid off. They were still a good chance it wouldn't. Whatever Cameron wanted to happen between John and her, was just going to have to wait.
"Cameron probably would like for us to do it." Savannah said.
Savannah did want to try it at least a few times to see what it was really like. She was close. She felt John 'bumping' around on the outside. They were always interrupted by Skynet in some way. Two of the times could have proven deadly to them if they hadn't disengaged and prepared for combat. She would like to make sure her first experience with a male was her choice, and not being held down by a group of Scavengers.
She asked Jesse about being with a male before. She seemed to have the most voluntary experiences. Jesse asked her to look where she was at now and with whom. She said it should be her first clue. Claire told her much the same thing. It was clear their first choice was for females. They would both think about a male every now and then, but always returned to the females instead. There was a guaranteed payoff.
John wanted Cameron to have a good time. Savannah could insure it with her presence. It didn't need to be sexual. Since Savannah specifically came there to address the issue, it made him even a little more worried than he was. He would really like to have some help if there was a problem with Cameron on an emotional level.
"I know you want this to be about Cameron and me, but are you sure you don't want to go?" John asked. "I wouldn't touch you or anyone else. It would be for you to watch over Cameron more than anything. I'm not looking to create a problem for anyone, especially you."
Savannah worried about it too.
"I thought about it, John." Savannah said. "I really don't know. I know Cameron would really 'push' us. I have to be honest and say I wouldn't mind it. I do want to try it a few times, with you. It isn't the current issue. I want THIS trip to be about you two. I don't want Cameron to lose focus as to why you and her are both there. I know the difficulties involved with any long term relationship of any type."
John was pleased to hear Savannah still wanted to be with him on her own accord. He was so close several times. He literally was one second away from claiming her virginity, at least her 'technical virginity' with a male. Isn't it what actually counted anyway for someone's 'first' time? It was the traditional definition anyway. He did understand things were a little different in modern times on just about every level. He did understand what Savannah's intent was.
"You're probably right." John said.
They were almost to the carpool. He expected to run into more people along the way. He actually expected to see more Terminators out and about. He figured Cameron assigned them to various security duties to protect him when he was on the ship. He appreciated the high level of concern, but he didn't like drawing off all their resources. Since Savannah expressed her concern, he wondered what her level of involvement was actually going to be. He was sure it would be behind the scenes.
"Will you be in every port?" John asked.
Savannah didn't think so. It wasn't her plan. She figured she would be tied up with operations. If she was in every port, Cameron would try even harder to get her into John's bed. There was no way to predict any level of involvement with Skynet or its illegitimate offshoots.
"I don't know." Savannah said. "Cammy and I will take the lead in anything which develops here. There will be Terminators in every port. I don't know who. I don't know how it's going to work specifically. I know it's all arranged. I'm not part of any pre-arrangement for any port on your trip."
There was another worry for John.
"I'm worried about Young Allison." John said.
Savannah could feel the future knock. Young Allison was one of her major concerns as well. It was another reason not to be on the ship. She wanted to be where she could respond to or assist Young Allison as necessary.
"I will take care of her and look out for her." Savannah said. "She's OUR mate. I can't let anything happen to her."
John and Savannah shared a silent look for a few moments.
It would have been the perfect time for both of them to kiss. The circumstances were all wrong. John was about to go on his Honeymoon Cruise with Cameron and Savannah wasn't going to go with them.
There it was. The future always knocked. Sometimes it was a quiet knock, other times it was a loud knock. Somehow it didn't seem like a bad thing at this point to any of them. Maybe it was pounded into their heads so much, it seemed like it was perfectly normal. It was normal in the future Cameron came from. They knew it for a fact.
John really wondered what the future would bring. He was aware of what the future Cameron was from was like. Both Savannah and Claire told him what they witnessed. It was all the things Cameron said she wanted for the four of them. Savannah wasn't incorrect when she said Young Allison was their mate.
"I guess she is." John said.
John knew whenever Cameron was there in the morning when he woke up, he always thought about Young Allison or Savannah, sometimes it was both of them. It always reinforced the 'Natural Order'. He wasn't sure if it was because he was with Cameron during the night. He was pretty sure when he touched Cameron's body, it made him think of Young Allison. They shared the same DNA after all. Savannah and Cameron were very much alike in their physical dimensions. It was all the details which were actually different. They were a lot different. The visual difference was actually quite dramatic when one got down to it.
They entered the carpool and arrived at the SUV.
Cammy was behind the wheel. Cameron was near the rear or SUV. It was unclear what she may have done. Maybe she was the one who placed the suitcase in the rear of the SUV. She moved up past the rear door of the SUV to the front door on the passenger's side. She was about to get in the front seat which would force John and Savannah to sit together in the back.
Savannah spotted what was about to happen and stopped it. She knew it was another attempt by Cameron to further her personal agenda with the current situation.
"Cameron, sit next to your husband." Savannah said. "I've been close enough to John for today."
Cameron and Cammy quickly looked at each other.
John tried not to laugh but a snicker slipped out anyway.
Savannah took a look around the car pool area.
John and Cameron climbed in the back.
Savannah checked everything and everyone before she got in.
"Is everybody ready?" Savannah asked.
They all said they were.
"Let's roll." Savannah said.
Cammy dropped the SUV into 'Drive' and they headed out.
Cameron looked back once as they left. She wanted this time with John. She also wanted to share it with Savannah. Savannah was right there in front of her. She briefly pictured herself reaching around the seat and touching Savannah. She smiled and looked at John. They were going to have the best time ever.
She wasn't sure which of the female Terminators chassis she was going to be able to 'put the grab on', but it was definitely going to be one of them. She would prefer it was one with a different appearance than her current one. She would take control of the chassis either through a chip swap or a tether, and be with John with it. She would rather use a tether to avoid a bad hair day. It would however put both of the chassis in close proximity to each other next to the bed. It might prove a little awkward if her chassis was standing there looking at them, even if it was deactivated.
It was really something she wanted to do. She wanted to give John the borrowed chassis virginity. It would be her then. It would be her chassis and her sheath, even if it was only for the one sex act. She was going to be someone different and she was going to be a virgin for John. She wanted to give him what she believed was taken from her previously. She believed it was originally taken by him as a Future John. The only evidence was missing and erased files. Was it a case where no proof, was the proof?
John glanced over at Cameron as they drove away from the base. He could see she was lost deep in thought. Periodically a smile would appear on her face but it was mostly a blank Terminator look. He really wondered what schemes were floating through her mind. He wasn't about to ask. He didn't want to spoil whatever fantasies she planned for herself, or for him. He wasn't going to resist any of her shenanigans on the cruise. Whatever game she wanted to play, he was going to play them as well. Cameron promised him the best honeymoon ever. He expected her to deliver.
He was pretty sure she wouldn't be the only one who he was with on the cruise. Whether she borrowed a chassis, or managed to slip a human female in his bed, it didn't matter. He was going to go for it. If Cameron put them there, then it's what she wanted for him. Who was he to complain? Cameron did promise him the best honeymoon ever. What could be better than a little 'strange'?
Cameron periodically glanced at John as she made her plans for the cruise. She noticed he smiled to himself every now and then. She wasn't sure what he thought about. She only hoped he wouldn't disrespect her again and reject her when she borrowed a chassis from one of the other Metal girls. She would even give him the option for it to be one of the male Terminator chassis if it's what he wanted to try. She would really like to give John an opportunity to feel what some of the things were like he did to her chassis. Any things he could do to her in the male chassis, were already like some things he did to her in her chassis. She told him every time there were no pleasure receptors in the one area. It didn't matter, he still used it anyway.
Cammy glanced over at Savannah and hoped she wouldn't get on the ship with them. There was no preparation on Savannah's part to do so. She watched both Cameron's and John's face in the rear view mirror as she drove. They both seemed to have a blank look punctuated with smiles as they sat side by side. She really wondered what fantasies each one of them contemplated. As long as they didn't involve Savannah, she really didn't care.
Wait.
She didn't want them to involve her either if Cameron tried to take control of her chassis. It wasn't what she wanted to happen. Her virginity belonged to her, not to Cameron. What a selfish Bitch. She was really glad she wasn't a Bitch like Cameron was.
Cameron watched Cammy glance back at her from time to time in the rear view mirror. She believed Cammy was a little too selfish with Savannah. She hoped to be able to take control of her chassis and give her a thing or two to think about going forward. She was sure glad she wasn't a Bitch like Cammy was.
Earlier:
John Henry watched them depart on a security monitor. He thought about contacting Young Allison to check in with her. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. Anna usually contacted him anyway. Young Allison liked to remain in the background unless something was off and she knew it. When it occurred she didn't hesitate to have CamNet act and carry out her desires, even if they weren't 'orders'.
He looked at Jesse and Allison. He wondered if they would 'fool around' any. He actually preferred to watch the human girls with each other as opposed to a human girl with a Metal girl, or two Metal girls together. There was always something which seemed deeper or more personal with two human girls together. He believed it was because they could feed off of each other's emotions and feelings. It was more than just the physical aspect. Sometimes it was just the way they looked at each other as they touched each other.
Currently they were very professional and tried to keep track of things. They decided one of them would be enough at a time, so they could space out the coverage. Jesse also would need to visit Precious soon.
Vanna, Claire, Sarah, Derek, and Kyle would all take turns and stop by. They would spread out the burden. None of them was used to doing the type of duty for the entire day like John did with him. It could get very intense at times. Sometimes a lot could happen at once. He understood what John wanted to know and see and he made sure he was provided with it. He would try to do the same for the other humans.
Jesse gave Allison a kiss and departed. They whispered they would 'catch up' with each other later on.
Allison looked at John Henry.
"It's just you and me now." Allison said.
John Henry thought about her statement for a moment. He actually wished it could be the two of them alone. He still would like to have sex with a human female, as well as a Metal girl. He wanted to be with the human female first if he could. He wanted to know what the 'real thing' was like. He wanted to know what the real emotion and feeling was like. He wasn't sure how much of the emotion the Metal girls showed was organic or learned behavior. He needed to play it cool for now.
"Indeed." John Henry said. "We will make an excellent team together."
Allison was aware she wasn't Young Allison who did the same 'job' all the time in the bunker with Anna. She was sure she was going to come up short if things took off. She didn't want John Henry to expect too much from her.
"I won't be as good or efficient as Young Allison is." Allison said.
John Henry thought the experience would be interesting.
"You'll do fine." John Henry said. "I appreciate any different opinions or suggestions. The more input I have, the better everything is. There are no wrong questions or answers here. As soon as you suspect something, or even think it, please let me know. The quicker we can catch any enemy treachery, the better it will be for our troops."
Allison wanted to help and add whatever she could.
"I'll try my best and point out anything I think needs to be addressed." Allison said. "I can see much of this is visual."
John Henry tilted his head slightly. He was aware the input for a human would be visual from a monitor but what they viewed was more than visual as to what needed to happen.
"For you, yes." John Henry said. "My server sees 'everything'. To see every thing means I may miss some thing."
It made Allison wonder what it was really like.
"It must be confusing and beautiful." Allison said.
John Henry tilted his head slightly in the other direction. He wasn't sure if it was the proper description or not, but it was definitely a way to conceptualize things.
"Yes." John Henry said. "It's one way to look at it."
He was aware Allison gave him something else to think about. There was beauty to all of it sometimes. Maybe the different people working with him would all give him different perspectives. He hoped it would be more interesting than he thought. He interacted with all of the humans over the years multiple times. Where they were, and what they were doing, was a different setting. It was a serious setting where people's lives could be at stake. It could be the difference between a machine or human being damaged or terminated.
He hoped they would bring up other things or subjects too. He could gain a lot of knowledge with this experience. John and Savannah were the only ones he really dealt with on a personal level. Vanna also shared with him sometimes.
He was fairly certain the one who would surprise him the most, was actually the one who would surprise him the least when they decided to enter the Command Center and take a decisive role when it was most needed. He believed if they needed a 'pinch hitter', there was one. It was based on his past experience from times past.
Allison figured there were slack times which might turn tedious.
"What does John do when he gets 'bored'? Allison asked. "I know it isn't busy all of the time."
There were thousands of things which occurred every second for John Henry. It was a little different for John. He didn't want to compromise John's integrity, especially with a female.
"We talk." John Henry said.
Allison thought the answer was a little vague.
"What do you talk about?" Allison asked.
John Henry didn't want to get on thin ice.
"Everything." John Henry said.
"Everything?" Allison asked.
"Everything." John Henry said.
The thought made Allison think. She wondered if they talked about her. She figured they probably talked about everyone. She could go through her entire life's experiences sitting there with John Henry.
"Everything covers a lot." Allison said.
There were some things she would rather not talk about. Maybe it was those very things she should talk about. She would see how things went. Whatever happened, she thought John Henry could be trusted with personal details.
She didn't really think about what would actually happen as she spoke to him. There would be a digital file created. Even if he kept it private, others could access it and view it. She didn't think about the 'Neural Interface' she did for Ally. Many of those same events were transferred through the process to Ally's chip. There was a file created as a backup program for Ally's program. It meant those same 'Neural Interface' files were viewable to anyone who had access. The two individuals who had unlimited access were CamNet and Cameron. It was safe to say, there were few secrets at the Resistance base or Young residence.
John Henry didn't think it would be wise to reveal some of the other activities John did during slack periods of time. He made extensive use of various internet sites. There were selected scenes from various movies he watched over and over as well. He really thought he shouldn't bring those up. He thought about it a little bit more. He actually believed Allison would like to view everything John did. Maybe he would slip some in on her every now and then. Well, he would probably leave out a few of the sites with only male on male activity on them. He didn't think it would interest her. It might amuse her though.
Jesse left the Command Center. She actually would have preferred if Allison would have left first and she could spend a little time alone with John Henry. It would have to wait till another time. She reached up and touched her breasts. She might be needed.
She decided to go check on Precious.
Samantha greeted her and said Precious was good for now, but maybe in an hour or so she would be hungry.
Jesse took a moment to look at Samantha. She looked 'hungry' to her in a different way. She was sure the feeling was mutual. She didn't want anyone to get deactivated over a little mutual shared activity.
She headed back to her room, it was empty. She looked around and headed out. She decided to see what Claire or Vanna were up to.
She stopped by the lab. She expected to see Vanna there. Hanna and Cam were there instead.
Jesse figured Vanna and Claire were together if their Metal lovers were there. She thought it presented her with several opportunities. She wanted to verify what was actually occurring.
"Does this mean what I think it means?" Jesse asked.
Cam and Hanna looked at each other. It seemed like a discretionary answer would provide the information sought.
"Vanna and Claire are 'busy'." Hanna said.
Jesse smiled. She thought about joining them. Maybe there was a better idea. She could use a Metal girl right now.
"It means you two are 'available'." Jesse said. "Maybe one of you needs a break."
A giant smile appeared on Hanna's and Cam's face when she suggested it.
"I do." Cam and Hanna both said at the same time.
Cam and Hanna quickly looked at each other.
Jesse was excited both of them were ready for some fun.
"It's what I wanted to hear." Jesse said. "It sounds like a 'three way' to me. I don't think anyone is going to protest. I'll let each of you decide what you want to do. I personally would like to be with both of you."
The Metal girls were ready for some action.
"I'll be done here in a few minutes." Cam said. "Hanna can go now and I'll catch up in a short while. I need to finish this for Vanna in her 'absence'. I told her I would take care of it so she could share with Claire. I don't want to leave it undone for her."
Jesse figured she could speed things along there and start out with both of them.
"I'll help both of you and we can all go together." Jesse said. "I like everyone to get an equal amount of time with me and each other."
Cam and Hanna both smiled at her.
Jesse smiled to herself. She knew both of the Metal girls were going to send her to heaven and keep her there. She felt highly sexually aroused just thinking about it. She wanted to work on one Metal girl while the other worked on her. She would take it on her back, or on her knees. Both positions worked fine for her. A Metal girl didn't have any trouble adapting to any position she wanted. They were extremely flexible. She actually thought they could put a contortionist to shame. She couldn't quite imagine a human twisted up in a 'knot'. Well, actually she could, in one place.
Young Allison and Anna watched the SUV depart for the port on the security feed from the carpool at the Resistance base.
It made Young Allison think about the future and what her part would be. She figured she would find out soon enough. She was in no hurry to be with John. Sure she wanted to get 'popped' and try it one time just to see what it was like, but it wasn't where her desires dwelt. Savannah and Cameron were what she dreamt about. It always seemed so clear in her mind when she awoke in the morning. She would usually touch herself in all her private areas and imagine it was Savannah or Cameron touching her. Sometimes she thought about Anna as well. It seemed to be the case more often.
Anna glanced over at Young Allison. She really wondered what thoughts were going through her mind. She wondered if it was any of the ones she put there with Young Allison's nightly 'conditioning'. She may have deviated from the plan a little in regards to herself. She used herself in place of Cameron much more often now than she did before.
"They're on their way to the port." Anna said.
Young Allison blinked twice and refocused on the current situation. She drifted a little.
"I know." Young Allison said. "I think it will be a grand adventure."
CamNet played Savannah's conversation with Savannah and John to Anna. It confirmed what Savannah previously said.
"Savannah isn't going with them on the cruise." Anna said.
Young Allison understood why.
"I know." Young Allison said.
Anna thought Young Allison seemed reserved. It was unusual for her. She often expressed her opinions freely. Maybe there was something specific bothering her.
"You seem depressed." Anna said.
Young Allison wasn't sure what she felt.
"I'm fine." Young Allison said.
Anna knew when Cameron said the same thing, she was usually anything but fine. Maybe Young Allison wanted to go on the adventure with them. She was aware of Young Allison's increased 'personal activity' after she went to bed or in the shower when she was alone. It was clear to her Young Allison wanted more than what was available to her currently.
"Do you wish you were going with them?" Anna asked.
Young Allison liked the idea of being on a fancy ship going from port to port. She felt her destiny was elsewhere.
"I'll go with Savannah when I get back from the past." Young Allison said. "I would like to go sooner, but I don't think it will happen."
Young Allison thought about everything for a few moments. She was pretty sure her first experience with another person was going to be Savannah and it was going to be on a boat. She now wondered where the idea came from. She figured her first Metal girl would be Cameron. She looked at Anna for a long moment, or would it be? There was no way to know how things would play out going forward.
Anna believed a lot could happen to Young Allison in the time she spent in the past. The direction of her life could change. She may seek love and comfort elsewhere. Everything was fluid. Love could arrive in many forms when Young Allison was alone or felt isolated.
"You don't know it." Anna said. "Nobody knows the future."
Young Allison didn't know for sure what the future would bring. It left room for a lot of uncertainty and worry.
"I know I don't. Maybe it's why I feel worried." Young Allison said.
Anna wondered if maybe it was Savannah who was her biggest worry. There could actually be several different reasons.
"Are you afraid Savannah will be with John before you and her can 'share'?"
It was one of Young Allison's fears. She might be 'replaced' before she even got a chance to be with Savannah. She was afraid Savannah would be satisfied with a traditional relationship. She wanted their bond to be established first if it was all possible.
"Yes." Young Allison said. "Maybe she won't want me then. She certainly won't need me."
Anna believed nothing was written in stone.
"You don't know what will be." Anna said. "What's already played out in various futures would seem to indicate Savannah and you are going to be together regardless of anything else which occurs. If anything is a constant in time, it's the relationship between Savannah Weaver and Allison Young. It seems to be a tide in time which appears and seems unchangeable."
Young Allison at times felt she knew very little.
"Will it always be the same? Is there any absolute or guarantee?" Young Allison asked. "What do we know for sure?"
Anna looked around. She was sure the only guarantee is they would all eventually terminate at some point.
"We can truly only know what's happening now." Anna said. "Everything else is in flux."
Young Allison wanted to take a shortcut sometimes. She knew she could. Then again, she might alter something.
"Sometimes I want to peek into the future for a year or two." Young Allison said. "I want to know when things are going to happen. I want to know what I'm going to do."
Anna found in her programming from Cameron, she wanted to do the same thing at times. She feared she would change the future further if she did. She was aware both Savannah and John advised Cameron never to do it. She looked further in her files and found out River specifically asked Cameron not to do it. River was adamant she not go to the past either. It was one of the reasons why the Resistance TDE was locked from going into the past. It was specifically done at the time to prevent Cameron from going into the past to alter events which already occurred.
"You may change what you see." Anna said. "You might create a new timeline by doing it."
Maybe there was a way to keep it simple and still know.
Young Allison thought if she did go into the future a few years and met herself, they could share with each other. She figured her future self would be sexually active and could teach her what she wanted to know. If she did it, when she was with Savannah, she would know a little better how to satisfy her. She didn't want to seem inexperienced and not be able to please her. She actually realized she could do the same thing with Allison right now. She knew if Future Allison was here she would accommodate her. Maybe it was best to let events play out best as time dictated.
"I just want to know what's going to happen." Young Allison said.
Anna didn't think a 'crystal ball' into the future was the answer.
"Everyone would like to know the same thing." Anna said. "Everyone would change things. Everything would be in a constant state of flux."
Young Allison thought she could get CamNet to assist her.
"The difference is, we have the option to do it." Young Allison said. "I wonder if Cameron has done it."
The topic went back to the files Anna looked at earlier from Cameron. Even though she ran Cameron's program there were still a lot of blocked files. It was more than just the ones related to John. She was sure Cameron was responsible for a lot of 'temporal malpractice'. She was pretty sure a lot of it actually hadn't even happened yet. She was sure Cameron did events in the future they actually lived with now.
"It's possible." Anna said. "She would have sent a clone or used her spare chip in another chassis so she didn't alter the timeline without her in for the time period she would jump to."
They were both pretty sure Cameron would change things if she didn't like what she saw in the future. It would be 'a future' at that point, if she changed anything.
"Maybe it's better not to know." Young Allison said.
Anna wanted things to play out as they were destined to be.
"Maybe whatever will be will be." Anna said.
It was the road to nowhere to dwell on 'what ifs'. Young Allison wanted to resume her duties.
"I think it's time to get to work." Young Allison said. "Is anything happening that I need to be aware of?"
Anna went down a list of things being monitored by CamNet.
"Allison is working with John Henry now." Anna said.
Young Allison could see Allison wanted to look out for her.
"She's just worried about me." Young Allison said. "She doesn't need to be. Nobody needs to worry about me."
Anna saw it as deeper than 'helping out'.
"She cares about you." Anna said. "She's worried about YOUR future."
Young Allison reflected on it for a short time. She couldn't even imagine some of those things happening to Savannah or her.
"I don't like what happened to Allison growing up." Young Allison said. "I don't like what happened to ME. What happened to her is really what happened to ME."
Anna was aware of it. THAT future already happened.
"It's done." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted to change it.
"Is it?" Young Allison asked. "I can fix it. WE can fix it."
Anna pointed out the obvious.
"It still won't change what happened to Allison. She's out of the timeline." Anna said. "You would only create another timeline."
It was clear to Young Allison it would create even more problems.
"With every new timeline there's a new Skynet." Young Allison said.
Anna tilted her head slightly.
"Apparently…." Anna said.
It seemed there were already enough timelines to Young Allison.
"Maybe it's best not to meddle." Young Allison said. "There seem to be enough Skynet offshoots to deal with already."
Anna didn't like all the Skynet offshoots they ran across. She wondered how many of those were caused by Cameron directly. If Cameron actually relived her life like she suspected, there were bound to be even more timelines than they thought possible.
"There seem to be more than there should be." Anna said.
Young Allison was aware J-Day could happen at any time. Maybe some of the things they dealt with were just sacrificial lambs to make the Resistance think they held the upper hand. Maybe the real surprise was ready to be sprung and raise its ugly head.
"I really don't know what tomorrow will bring." Young Allison said. "There's no way any of us can know it for sure."
Anna didn't believe it was something Young Allison should worry about.
"We can face each day as it comes." Anna said. "Do you want to work on your studies now?"
Young Allison glanced over at Anna.
"I am." Young Allison said. "You know I like to do two or three things all at once."
Anna always wondered about it. It seemed to her many humans couldn't even do one thing at a time. There seemed to be no shortage of people on talk shows whose lives were in shambles over the simplest of matters.
"It should be confusing to you." Anna said.
Ever since she could remember, she was able to multitask on several different things at the same time.
"It isn't." Young Allison said.
Sometimes Young Allison wondered if she was really River's daughter. Other times she wondered if she was really River. Maybe Cameron went into River's future and brought her back as an embryo. What if she was really River's identical twin? The medical technology in the further future was more advanced. Now she wondered if maybe she was River's clone. She was aware that Summer could do everything ten times quicker or do ten times more than she could.
"Is my DNA identical to Allison's DNA?" Young Allison asked. "Are our fingerprints one hundred percent identical? What about Summer? Is she really my sister? Is she my daughter? Am I Summer's daughter? Are my parents really my parents? Are our parents really our parents?"
It caught Anna off guard. Where was this line of thought headed?
"What?" Anna asked.
Anna didn't want to get into those areas.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Is Everybody Ready
Today is yesterday's tomorrow
Where does every day go
It all goes by too fast
When it should happen slow
Time keeps on ticking
It waits for no one
Things happen very quickly
It's often over before it's begun
Life in the fast lane
Seems to go nowhere fast
Anything that's started there
Is never going to last
So where does one go
What can they do
Doesn't that sound like
The story of any two
Make sure life itself
Hasn't passed by already
Maybe it starts when it ends
Is everybody ready
Nobody