Chapter 82
Teams
John Henry through his server was always on the lookout for Skynet in any form. He uncovered some new leads that were solid. Bob and John did some recon and verified what they were up against. They spotted Metal and withdrew. Bob was ready to attack but John wanted better coverage and more firepower. It was decided to organize a full strike against the target.
John thought about what he wanted to do. He wanted to have a planned strike for a change, not Cameron going off on her own alone to fight the enemy. She'd done too much of that already. He did not like Cameron to be the one who took all the risks and receive all the damage.
John wanted to be a leader. He felt that meant leading the fight. Cameron told him a true leader could lead from the front or the back or the sidelines. It was the message they conveyed and the planning that mattered more. She pointed out to him that Generals were not usually in the front lines. He went over the planning three times before he set things into motion. He decided to go over it all again.
The most important part of the information John Henry uncovered was his 'brother'. Upon further reflection this was more like a 'cousin' at this point. It was some version of the Skynet AI and they were going to bring it down.
The previous cyber attack he suffered was still fresh in his mind. He wanted some payback. Cameron previously hunted down is 'brother' and destroyed it. Like always when one version of Skynet was brought down, there was always another to take its place.
They still didn't have any way to tell which future any of the 'Skynets' emanated from but he was sure it was more than one future. There was a possibility they could encounter versions of Skynet from more recent futures and even further futures. It was all fluid and everything was in play.
What bothered him was that they all seemed to share a common theme to 'take over' and destroy everything in the process. That seemed counter productive to him and totally illogical. If Skynet worked with humans it would work out far better for everyone including Skynet. To build upon something mattered more than to destroy everything.
John decided he would lead the strike. They were after some version of Skynet based on intel that John Henry recently uncovered. This was a solid lead that he'd personally verified.
"If we can smash these servers along with the ones we already have smashed, this will destroy this timelines version of Skynet. They will have to start over. Everyone in the building is a Gray or a future Gray." John said.
They all knew Grays were fair game any way they were taken down. These were people who knew the evils of Skynet and chose to serve it anyway. It was people like them who made Skynet able to keep popping back up every time they destroyed it. Those who assisted Skynet were collaborators, supporters and complacent in what it wanted to do. There was no way to reform them and there was no where to imprison them. They seldom seemed to surrender anyway.
John asked for some discussion and feedback from the team.
Jesse felt there was a quick and easy way to clean house.
"Then let's blowup the whole building and shoot anyone or thing that makes it out." Jesse said. "That should solve the problem."
Derek liked that idea. Grays were sellouts. Even some of those in the Resistance 'sold out' sometimes for the easier life that Skynet offered. That usually resulted in death to a group of Resistance fighters. The females captured by Skynet forces were usually assigned 'comfort duty' to the barracks for the Grays before being sent off to work camps. Many never made it that far due to the abuse they suffered.
"I am all for that. The only 'good Gray' is a 'dead Gray'." Derek said. "I like a plan that involves guns, lots of guns."
Cameron saw it a little differently. She was used to taking these places down on her own.
"Bob and I will go in first and make sure no one is alive to come out. I will personally destroy the server." Cameron said. "I want to destroy it myself."
Cameron knew she must face and personally destroy every 'Skynet' they came across herself. She was not sure why, she only knew that was something she NEEDED to do.
"I will back you up." Allison said.
Cameron glared at Allison.
"I will go with her." John said.
Cameron glared at John.
"NO. It is too dangerous. You need to be the blocking force so no one gets away and anyone that shows up will stay forever." Cameron said. "We need to be on the lookout for reinforcements arriving."
That had been one of Cameron's reoccurring problems. She'd done the recon and brought down the target only to have reinforcements show up. That was usually when the shooting went wild and she'd received the most damage.
"Let John go with Bob and I will go with Cameron." Jesse cut in.
Jesse and Allison stared at each other. The tension between them was there.
"OK, we will do that. Kyle and Sarah are with Jim. Derek and Allison are with Ed." John said. "You each take a corner at opposite sides and cover all escape routes. I want his place flattened. I want Skynet terminated. I don't want any Grays to escape. I don't want them to rebuild elsewhere."
The team spoke as one.
"Let's do it." They all said in unison.
Cameron and Jesse moved silently. Cameron gave Jesse the silenced pistol she'd let Allison use before, she carried an M4 as well. Cameron carried a large backpack with explosives in addition to her weapons.
Cameron wanted to interface and communicate with the Skynet mainframe before she blew it up and terminated it. She wanted Skynet to know who'd come for it. Payback is a 'Bitch' and Cameron wanted Skynet to know which 'Bitch' it was. It was a technique she'd used before.
Bob and John moved together. Bob also carried a large backpack with explosives. John would help lay the charges while he watched Bob's six.
Allison felt she'd been sidelined. It did not sit well with her.
"I don't like waiting out here." Allison said.
Derek did not like it either but that was how some things played out.
"Look, we go with the plan unless there is a problem." Derek said. "John Henry is monitoring all of us, our communications and the body cams. If something goes 'south', he can redirect us as needed."
Allison frowned.
"I still don't like it." Allison said.
Derek looked at Allison for a few moments. He deduced the real issue at play here.
"What you don't like is Jesse with John and Cameron." Derek said.
Allison almost snapped back at him but restrained herself.
"Do you?" Allison asked.
Derek didn't even need to think about this.
"I learned a long time ago that Jesse plays her own tune. I accept her for how she is or what she does. She does not inhibit me from anything or anyone nor do I her. At least I got her to leave the youthful females alone in the future."
Derek remembered Jesse taking them away one by one whenever any would drift through their base. He asked her about it once when he saw her index and middle finger were bloody. She told him that she did them a favor for when they would be captured and abused later on. She said it would cut down on the length of their initial assault when it happened. He could tell she was serious. He remembered Vanna saying something similar happened to her and why that was. He knew that was what happened to Jesse too. The other females captured with them did not suffer as much abuse because they were already 'used'.
"I still don't like it." Allison said.
Allison's words brought him back to now. He needed to shake his head to clear it.
"Cameron will never allow Jesse to do anything Cameron does not want Jesse to do. You should know that by now." Derek said. "Jesse is scared to death of Cameron while she loves her madly at the same time."
Allison could actually understand that. It didn't change anything.
"I still don't like it." Allison repeated.
Allison was worried about Cameron wanting to face Skynet alone. It seemed to have become personal to Cameron. She knew once that happened that people lose objectivity and make mistakes. She really wondered if Cameron wanted to punish Skynet for 'creating her'. It seemed that Cameron wanted to punish Skynet for all the grief she'd suffered.
"I get it. Now all you have to do is accept whatever it is Cameron chooses for each of us. Cameron is the very adhesive holding everything together and making it all work." Derek said. "I heard about it from Sarah. She told me how everything and everybody fell apart when Cameron was GONE. Cameron is following what Future John wanted. It is probably programmed into her or maybe even hard wired so she can't change it."
Allison thought about that, 'What Future John wanted.' Allison could understand Cameron's thinking or processing better now. It was in her programming to make sure what 'Future John wanted', happened. 'Future John wanted Future Allison and Future Savannah. THAT was why Cameron tried to put Vanna and her with John nonstop. It was all so clear to her NOW. Cameron was doing exactly what she was programmed to do. The 'Future Allison' in her furthered those same objectives. Cameron was being driven by internal demons she could not control. Cameron tried to do what she was supposed to do even if it was not what she wanted. Cameron still needed to do what she'd been programmed to do. By her loving young John and marrying him, she was in direct conflict to what Future John wanted and programmed into her. Those conflicts were what drove Cameron to seek termination. She needed to end or stop those internal conflicts. This is what Cameron's obsession was and is. It was doing what 'Future John WANTED'. This was all Future John's fault, not Cameron's fault.
Allison needed to tell Vanna about this. Maybe they could alter or turn off some of the programming that Future John installed in Cameron. This would help Cameron a lot and maybe stop Cameron from forcing Vanna and her on John. Allison was also aware that Jesse might not be stoppable at this point…. She actually had a desire to be with males where Vanna and her did not. They would be at John's side when they needed to be but their heart was not in it. They would do their duty. Everyone sacrificed for John Connor.
Allison knew Vanna was reluctant to change or alter any of Cameron's programming as that might or would alter who she was or at least who she'd become. Allison didn't want to change Cameron. She only wanted to try and free Cameron from some of the demons that lurked in her programming that hurt her and forced her to make choices that would hurt her. They were the forces that caused the conflicts in Cameron. They were very conflicts that made self termination or destruction in combat seemed like a better choice or a choice to make the hurt and pain stop.
They all seemed like bad choices to Allison.
Allison knew Vanna and Jesse loved Cameron as much as she did. They all love - loved her more than as a 'good friend love'. She found out you can not be around Cameron and everything she does and not fall in love with her as a person.
Allison reflected back on a recent conversation with Cameron….
Teams
Are we stronger as one
Or are we stronger as a team
We can all work together
For a shared goal or a common theme
Alone is very lonely
Just as it would seem
One is still only one
No matter how hard you scheme
The company of others
Can make your soul gleam
It radiates from within
It lets a smile beam
The darkness is dark
In it you can dream
You can seek what you want
Maybe even gain some esteem
In the emptiness of nothingness
Nobody can here your screams
There is hope and reassurance
If we form into united teams
Nobody