Cameron's Expedition
Chapter Twenty-Five – On The Move
Disclaimer: Don't own TSCC
This story is set in The Future Cameron's Universe after Cameron's Revenge. It contains characters from my version of the TSCC universe starting with Cameron Grows Up.
TechCom Detention…
Footsteps approaching woke Chamberlain up.
"Hey! I demand to be released. My rights are being violated."
The footsteps stopped outside the holding cell door and lock was disengaged, allowing the cell door to open slowly.
"It's about time," Chamberlain complained as he stood up from the cot.
Cameron took one step into the cell and shoved Chamberlain back onto the cot.
"I believe the human expression is you are walking on very thin ice."
"You have assaulted me, I will report that."
"Feel free."
"You will be punished."
"Really?"
Cameron's even monotone made Chamberlain pause, uncertain of his bluster.
"Do you wish to make an enemy of me? I sleep with the General. I am the mother of his daughter and the best friend of his mother."
"Don't threaten me."
"I don't make threats."
"What do you call what you just did?"
"Proof I've matured."
"Proof you've matured?" Chamberlain snorted.
"When I was a young Terminatress I would have simply terminated you. Now, I am giving you a chance to have a change of heart."
"How nice of you," Chamberlain replied sarcastically, folding his arms across his chest in defiance.
Cameron yanked him off the cot and lifted him into the air. With his eyes bulging in terror, Chamberlain clawed at her hands with legs flailing and kicking.
Cameron opened her mouth and replayed the entire conversation from the dog park before tossing Chamberlain across the cell.
"What? Where did… That traitor! He made that recording. It's a fake."
"No, I witnessed the exchange and recorded it myself."
Without warning Cameron kicked Chamberlain in the shin, hard enough to bruise but not break the bone.
"Nobody threatens my John. Change your ways or I will terminate you."
Rolling in agony, Chamberlain moaned as he clutched his bruised shin.
"The last occupant of this cell was a fellow named Trevor," Cameron monotoned. "I terminated him by castration. Just thought I would let you know." (see Cameron's Revenge).
Pausing in the door of the cell, Cameron looked back and smiled for a second. "Now see, I can be more tolerant than in the past."
"I'm reporting this! You won't get away with it!" Chamberlain shouted to nobody in particular as the cell door slammed shut.
Agent Ellison fell in step with Cameron and the pair made their way towards his office.
"I want a tracker injected. Have him followed as well. Nobody is as big a fool as that idiot without allies. Monitor everyone he talks with."
"Anything else?"
Cameron stopped and looked Ellison in the eyes. "If he threatens my John in any way, plots against my John or TechCom, I wanted him arrested immediately."
Ellison paused, divided by something that troubled his conscience.
"I will take responsibility. The blame will lie with me. Do not trouble yourself my friend."
"So you want him taken to the black site if we pick him up?"
"Of course."
TechCom Hangar Area…
John watched the activity with fascination. Six HKs were loading for the trip to Airbase S-14. The Gunship would escort the battle group while Sarah and Catherine flew in the Command & Control HK. Cameron's Terminators and the few human personnel attached had already boarded and were ready to depart. Wilhelm was ripping his airborne troops for not already being squared away.
Catherine was directing the personnel loading her luggage while Sarah watched with her lone backpack at her feet. Derek stood next to her, holding the small fawn colored puppy Cameron had bestowed upon them.
Flying in one of the newly liberated Cessna's would be Derek. A stretch of highway had been identified that was suitable for a runway near an industrial park not far from the Northern Kingdom. The plane would be stored while Derek visited.
"Mom, behave and try to keep Catherine in line."
"Isn't that Wilhelm's job?"
"Mom, I have to trust someone."
Sarah kissed John and picked up her pack. She kissed Derek and stroked his cheek for a moment before rubbing the head of their new puppy.
"Be a good boy while Sarah's gone Berkley."
Without looking back, Sarah climbed aboard the C&C HK and the hatch shut behind her. Within seconds the turbines of the HKs all began spinning up in preparation for takeoff. John and Derek hurried back to the elevator and went below ground to the observation room.
They watched the delegation to Airbase S-14 vanish quickly into the darkness. Derek handed John the puppy and extended his hand to John.
"I'm sorry about the recent unpleasantness."
"Family. We're stuck with each other. No big deal."
Derek picked up his backpack and headed for the surface again to depart. John watched the monitor as Derek climbed into the Cessna with his two bodyguards. The pilot taxied down the runway and like the HKs before vanished quickly into the darkness of the Wastelands. In an instant the lights illuminating the runway and landing area were off, swallowing the entire area with darkness.
"Everybody come home," John said as he petted the whining puppy.
The Town of Gold Beach…
"Is everybody clear?"
Lt. Dan looked at each of his group. They all nodded yes.
"Rendezvous in four hours south of town. If you aren't there, we're leaving you behind."
Each member of the group received a hard stare from the Lt. They understood.
"Check watches and internal chronometers. Mark. Now get going. See you in four."
Ruth moved into the shadows and watched as the group split up to carry out their assigned tasks. She picked up the explosive charges the engineers had prepared for her and placed them in her backpack. As she headed into the fringes of the town, Ruth morphed her skin color to a dark grayish black. Even the white of her eyes took on the color.
Invisible in the shadows, Ruth moved cautiously towards the northern part of the small town. Keeping in the shadows and alleyways, she made good time heading towards Gold Beach's small industrial park where the fuel tankers and supply trucks were parked.
Lights had been set up, illuminating the area around the vehicle pool. Guards had been posted around the perimeter. Ruth smiled. The officer who had posted the guards was complacent, assuming there was no longer a risk of sabotage.
Never post an all human guard. It's too easy.
A quick trip around the perimeter allowed Ruth to pick her point of entry, adjusting her coloring as she moved through the shadows. The intended target turned and faced Ruth at the last second. The last thing the guard saw was Ruth's finger before it penetrated his eye and tore through his brain.
Ruth caught the guard and eased the body to the ground, dragging it beneath the nearest truck. She searched the body for papers or anything worth taking. Finding nothing, she pocked the sentry's papers and hurried to the nearest tanker.
Shadows surrounded the fuel tanker as the perimeter lights did not light the interior of the motor pool. In less than a minute Ruth had attached and armed the first of her explosive devices in the piping beneath the tank used to transfer fuel.
In less than half an hour, Ruth had planted bombs on all but one of the fuel tankers. With three bombs left, she climbed up on the cab of a flatbed truck and scanned the area, looking for prime targets for her remaining explosive devices. Parked next to the last fuel tanker was the truck carrying the Spider Mines.
A quick check of her internal chronometer made Ruth's decision for her. She needed to finish planting the devices and start making her way towards the rendezvous point if she was going to be on time. In less than five minutes she weaved her way through the parked vehicles and located her targets. Ruth ducked under the tanker and planted the device, armed it and crawled underneath the truck containing the Spiders
The first of her two remaining devices was attached to the back of the vehicle's fuel tank. The second Ruth cleverly mounted on top of the transmission. If the truck wasn't completely destroyed, at least it would be undriveable.
Ruth began retracing her tracks towards the point on the perimeter where she had slipped into the parking lot. Voices near the location of the dead guard warned Ruth. She morphed into the uniform of a Skynet Grey and colored her hair red. She removed the remote detonator and armed the devices for remote detonation. Picking the tanker the farthest from her location, Ruth set off the bomb.
The resulting explosion threw the trailer in 100 feet into the air. It tumbled as it fell to earth, spewing burning fuel onto the surrounding trucks. Ruth stood and watched as the guards hurried towards the fire. After waiting a full minute she set off the second charge.
Bright yellow and red flames leapt towards the sky and the resulting shock wave from the second blast destroyed the trucks parked around the fuel tanker. Flames spread quickly, jumping from the two fires to the canvas covers of the trucks closest to the fire. Mesmerized, Ruth watched as her handiwork lit up the black sky. She could feel the warmth of the fire with her sensors despite being nearly a football field away.
She'd had to start setting off the charges ten minutes early but it couldn't be helped. Ruth slipped beyond the perimeter and into the shadows where she belonged. Her coloring changed again to the black and grey of the shadows, Ruth hurried away from the parked vehicles. She stopped when she reached an alleyway running behind a series of small shops. In quick succession she set off the remaining charges.
The combined concussion of the explosions knocked Ruth to the ground and sent dust, grit and small bits of rubble into the air only to crash back down on the ground. Flames spread quickly leaping from one truck to the next. A burning truck exploded as the heat set off the contents. The resulting blast leveled the square brick building across the alleyway, setting the two adjacent buildings on fire.
Another explosion rocked the ground, causing Ruth to fall again. Footsteps were all around her as shouting voices tried to direct personnel. She watches as T-600s ran into the flames to start moving the trucks not yet damaged or on fire. Near the center of the town a building had gone up in flames.
Ruth turned to leave only to see the menacing frame of a T-888 looking down at her. Without a word, Ruth morphed into her fighting configuration and charged the Skynet machine. A swift kick from the T-888 sent Ruth tumbling backwards down the alley.
A distinct click sounded followed by the sound of a grenade pin hitting the ground warned Ruth. Before she could duck around the corner the grenade went off mere yards away, the shrapnel tearing into her matrix. Ruth screamed at the sudden overwhelming rush of data as it overloaded her SPU. Momentarily she lost control of much of her shape as she forced the shrapnel out of her matrix.
Reaching into a pouch in her combat fatigues as she reformed herself, Ruth pulled out a thermite grenade and armed it. She charged the T-888 and leapt into the air. Ruth struck the machine square in its chest, staggering it. Reaching down inside it's tunic, Ruth dropped the thermite grenade and fell to the ground.
As she fled down the alleyway the sound of the Terminator frantically searching its clothes for the armed thermite grenade were both loud and clear. So was its agonizing scream as the grenade went off, melting the flesh and armored plate of the T-888s chest.
Putting more distance between herself and the now burning T-888 Ruth could hear sounds of gunfire breaking out to the west of the town. Explosions began to go off around the perimeter of the town, setting fires and sending debris high in the air. Ruth made good use of the confusion and slipped through the chaos of Skynet's forces rushing about and made her way into the Wastelands.
TechCom Command Central…
Distinct footsteps alerted John to Cameron's arrival. She turned the corner of his office and sat down with her perfect posture in the chair across from his desk.
"What's the situation?"
"Ellison will inject the appeaser with a tracker. He'll be followed by two of Sarah's infiltrators. We'll be monitoring him via all available surveillance equipment."
"You're convinced he's another spy, plant, whatever?"
"No, but I am convinced he's a menace to you John. That makes him a menace to our family and TechCom."
John thought for a moment. Cameron generally went to extremes in these situations but her paranoid conclusions were almost always right on the money.
"How do you want to handle this?"
"Termination."
"What about a trial?"
"He means to change how we rule."
"I get that. But do we have to terminate him?"
"This is not a democracy. Authoritarian rule is necessary so long as a Skynet exists. Our people are thriving and our city is growing. Soon we will have the capability to build our own Terminators once we secure a supply of Coltan. Our birthrate has stabilized and increased slightly. To allow this appeaser to spread his ideas will destroy what we have built."
"I never wanted to be General and I certainly didn't want to be a ruler."
"You are the General John. You hold us all together. TechCom is yours to rule."
Leaving her chair, Cameron quickly settled in John's lap. Taking his face in her hands, she kissed her husband. "You are my General and I will follow."
Wrapping his arms around his wife, John looked Cameron in the eyes.
"One day you might regret following me."
"Never. You are my John." Cameron hugged John, reassuring him.
"You just want to be Queen," he teased, thankful for Cameron's unquestioning support.
"That too. It is good to be the Queen."
Town of Gold Beach…
Bullets flew past his head, slamming into the brick wall as he ran. Leaping into the drainage ditch, Lt. Dan turned towards the south and limped along as fast as his wounded leg allowed.
"100 more meters. 100 more meters," he panted.
Explosions still rocked the night as the charges set all over the occupied town as the mischief seemed to multiple with each blast.
Bullets hit the water in the bottom of the ditch, spurring the Lt. to hurry faster. A round, slippery rock hidden beneath the water caused his wounded leg to slip, sending him fast first into the water.
Looking back, Lt. Dan saw Greys jumping into the ditch and taking aim. A round from an assault rifle slammed into his vest, knocking him back into the water. More rounds hit the water around him, some skipping like rocks thrown across a lake while others sank.
Finding his footing, the Lt. scurried to his feet and ran another ten feet before falling again. He clutched his bloody thigh as numbness spread down his leg. Pain wracked his chest from the impact of the bullet on his vest, making his labored breathing painful.
Light from a flashlight from the Greys moved around him, helping the Greys find the range. Weakness began spreading through his body, making it harder for him to breathe.
His assault rifle lost, Lt. Dan fished his pistol out, chambered a round and thumbed the safety off. Standing up, he made on final attempt to climb out of the ditch to escape his pursuers. Three steps up the bank a round slammed into his shoulder, spinning him around and causing him to slide back into the icy water.
The gunfire stopped, leaving Dan waiting in silence, the only sound his labored breathing. In the distance the light suddenly went out and a splash sounded as a body fell into the water, losing his sidearm. Screams erupted in the darkness followed by wild gunfire, the muzzle flashes lighting up the ditch.
Feral growls intermixed with the sounds of splashing water, gunfire and screams. Lt. Dan could smell cordite and the sickly sweet coppery smell of blood as the wind blew towards him in the ditch.
Faint sounds of feet moving in the water traveled with the wind. Exhausted and in pain, the Lt. waited to meet his fate.
"Lt? Are you okay?"
"Ruth, am I relieved to see you."
Airbase S-14…
The former Grey turned leader watched as an entire company of TechCom Airborne disembarked and formed a perimeter around the area the visiting HKs would land. Over the scream of the landing HKs, the Major could hear the voice on his compiece informing him the TechCom Gunship was still aloft and targeting the base's SAMs.
As the HK's settled on the landing area and the turbines spun down, the Major watched as the T-800 he recognized as Major Wilhelm, strode purposefully with cigar firmly clinched between his teeth in his direction. With the business end of his minigun pointed at the ground, Wilhelm smiled broadly at the Major.
The huge T-800 came to attention and saluted the Airbase S-14's commander who returned the salute.
"Permission to disembark our party requested."
"Granted."
"We will maintain our own perimeter defenses around our aircraft but none of our personnel will leave our perimeter without your permission and an escort provided by your own personnel."
"Understood Major Wilhelm. Are Miss Connor and your wife with you?"
"Yes, as soon as the perimeter is established and you grant permission and an escort, the ladies will disembark."
With a wave of his hand, the Major sent a mixed escort of former Greys and Terminators in dress uniforms marching in the direction of Wilhelm's airborne troops.
"It is good to see you under more pleasant conditions, Major Wilhlem," the Grey Major said, extending his hand to Wilhelm.
"Yes, it is. We have much to discuss."
California State Highway Somewhere West of the Northern Kingdom…
"The next time John gets any brilliant ideas about diplomatic negotiations I'm picking who goes where to negotiate what," Derek complained.
"Sir, in two hours we'll be at the designated rendezvous. We knew would have to walk in."
Derek glared at the armed soldier with a look of disgust.
"My point exactly. Sarah rides right to her destination in an HK. We bounce around in a little death trap, nearly kill ourselves landing on a two lane road, and now we have to walk for two hours just to meet the people who are going to guides us the rest of the way to our destination."
"Yes, sir."
Derek moved to follow the point man heading eastwards into the Wastelands. The two soldiers picked up the assorted packs they had been tasked with carrying and followed.
"Bet the Colonel beat the General at poker, what do you think?"
"Has to be something like that. Must be nice being the General."
Remote Command Vehicle – South of Olympia, Washington…
Broken glass flew through the air as the broken body of first a T-800 and then a Grey flew out of the viewport of the large command vehicle as it traveled. Inside the remaining human staff officers flinched in terror while their metal counterparts showed no outward reaction.
"Who permitted this? Who? My plans have been delayed! Who is responsible!"
"Sir, we believe it was a small raiding party of unknown origin."
Skynet lashed out, his fingers extending around the neck of the T-888 who had spoken. Slowly Skynet squeezed until blood began to ooze from between his fingers and smoke came from the T-888's ears. A loud crack filled the room as the steel vertebrae of the machine's neck snapped, severing his circuitry to his neural net. The light in his eyes dimmed as his body went limp. Skynet screamed and hurled the terminated T-888 through the open view port.
"I demand accurate information," the A.I. screamed as his hand morphed back to its normal shape before turning and vanishing in his portable lair.
Somewhere South of the Town of Gold Beach…
Ruth squeezed Lt. Dan's hands and smiled at her commanding officer as the low flying Cessna bounced through turbulence. The Lt. smiled back weakly and closed his eyes, slipping into unconsciousness.
"He's lost a lot of blood," the medic sent with the two pick up planes told Ruth.
"Is there anything you can do?"
"I gave him plasma and that will help. The pressure bandages you applied saved his life. He needs a surgeon and whole blood though."
Ruth nodded and held on to the Lt.'s hand as the aircraft's engines droned.
It would be a long flight home.
Reviews are always appreciated. If you liked this story, you might want to consider my other TSCC stories:
Cameron Grows Up
The Future Cameron
Cameron's Revenge
Cameron versus the Queen
Cameron versus Derek (short story)
Cameron: Fights Past and Present - A Collection of Short Stories
Cameron's Treasures (short story)
Cameron and the Black Bird
Cameron and John's Wedding
Who's the Boss?
The Storm Before the Calm