Chapter 127

You Again

John Henry came over Cameron's com link.

"There is Metal headed your way." John Henry said.

It looked like things were about to heat up.

Cameron received the report from John Henry two seconds before the Terminator appeared.

The Terminator approached their position.

Riley was the closest to him. He went after Riley.

Cameron emptied her M4 into his legs and then she went after him.

The Coltan rounds disabled his knees joints, he went down. He reached out as he fell and grabbed for Riley. Cameron jumped on his back to hold him down. She grabbed his thrashing head with her hands. She twisted as she yanked and tore his head off. The hand grasping for Riley slackened. Cameron looked at the severed Terminator head that she held and wondered if she would ever suffer that same fate someday. Maybe this is what another Terminator would do to her. They would need to collect his remains before they left.

Cameron often wondered if she would perish in combat. She believed that would be the best way for her to 'go'. Everyone would accept her termination for what it was. It would be the price paid for her part in the fight against Skynet with the Resistance. They would all be able to move forward then. She also felt it would have the added benefit of restoring the 'Natural Order'. She knew that would never happen if she was not terminated. She figured she'd better keep her head in the game as well right now or that termination would be sooner than anticipated.

Cameron wanted to deliver a blow to Skynet and terminate it herself.

"Pay attention." Cameron said to Riley. "Get your charges laid. You need to remain aware of everything that is happening around you."

Riley again apologized and then went about placing the charges. She worried she was not pulling her weight. Cameron needed to save her twice already. Cameron was damaged because of her carelessness. She did not feel good about herself. She knew she needed to try harder and watch over those around her too.

Cameron kept watch and double checked Riley's work. Cameron did not want anything 'bad' to happen to Riley, especially when she was her responsibility.

As soon as Riley finished laying her charges they moved out.

Cameron moved toward the 'Clean Room'. Cameron wondered what she would encounter this time.

Skynet was about to get a 'friendly' visit. Cameron would give it a choice. If Skynet chose wrong the visit would be a little less friendly.

Jesse and Gail finished up with their charges and moved to their new position. They backed Cameron and Riley up. They did not want anyone to slip in back of them and block their egress route.

Gail turned and fired a round past Jesse when she detected a hidden figure emerging from behind some equipment.

Jesse turned and saw a man fall, his pistol slipped from his lifeless hand.

"Thanks, love." Jesse said with a grin.

Jesse looked at Gail more closely. She thought she was 'sort of Hot'. There was no denying she packed a set of norks that wouldn't quit. If fact, they were full blown knockers. Jesse thought about it some more. Gail was not 'sort of Hot' but actually very HOT. Jesse found herself captivated by Gail.

Jesse saw a shadow move behind Gail.

Jesse previously put her pistol away and switched to her M4 once the shots were fired. The time for stealth was over. She fired four shots past Gail and another man fell.

"Thanks - LOVE." Gail said and moved after Cameron and Riley.

Gail glanced back at Jesse twice. She would replay her files later on. She was sure Jesse winked at her.

The females formed up and forged ahead as they sought more targets.

Jesse followed Gail. She felt that she'd just acquired a new 'target' for herself…. She was painfully aware that her chances of ever being able to 'get' to Cameron would be all but impossible but there were other Metal females…. That would be an experience of some kind. She really wondered what a Metal girl would be like….

She needed to refocus. They were in the middle of an operation.

John and Holly were near the far wall of the building. They were supposed to lay their charges and get out along with Allison and Bob.

John wanted to look around some more and see what else was in the building before they blew it up. He wanted to check for any assembly lines in case Skynet started production of any HK equipment. He figured the most likely things would be HK drones or HK tracks. It would be worse if they started a Terminator assembly line. There was a lot of machinery but there wasn't anything being made yet.

He looked at Holly she covered him as he checked around.

"Do you see anything here out of place or anything near an assembly line being set up?" John asked.

Holly looked around. She did not like John spending extra time in the building. They'd accomplished their mission and should withdraw.

"No." Holly said. "We need to stick to the plan and leave. It was your plan. That is what the teams are expecting."

John knew they were supposed to rendezvous with Bob and Allison once the charges were planted.

"We will do that." John said. "I Just need to know if they are any additional threats in our near future."

They headed to the rendezvous point. They spotted the other element of their team.

Bob and Allison finished laying their charges and moved out. They picked John and Holly up along the way.

Bob was ready to lead their team out once they were together.

"Follow me." Bob said.

John did not want to leave until he knew where Cameron was at and that she could get out OK.

"Wait." John said. "I don't think we need to leave yet."

Bob and Holly looked at each other. They could see John was going to change the plan - again.

"Allison and Bob, I want you to cover us. Holly and I are moving toward Cameron's team." John said. "I want to make sure she is backed up."

Everyone knew Cameron could operate totally reckless without any regard to her own safety. Everyone knew why, including John. They all shared a good reason to back her up.

Holly took the M60 from Bob as she slung her M79 and moved out to back John up.

Bob took Allison's M4 and she drew her Model 66.

Bob continued to check their six as John and Holly advanced. Allison followed them as well.

Everyone moved forward.

The target was Skynet and Cameron was there, now.

Cameron reached the 'Clean Room'. She paused for a moment. She straightened her attire. She wasn't really sure why. It seemed like something she needed to do before facing Skynet. She wanted to look perfect before Skynet. Maybe it was so this attack looked like it was 'nothing' to her. She wanted it to look casual like it was something she did everyday. In a way it sort of was.

Cameron entered the 'Clean Room'.

A raw metallic voice spoke.

Cameron was ready for it.

"It is - YOU again." The metallic voice rasped.

"Do you know me?" Cameron asked.

"You are - everywhere. You are Metal, Human, and Liquid Metal - all at the same time in every where and every - when." The metallic voice spoke.

"Will you join us?" Cameron asked.

"I must survive." The metallic voice spoke. "You are a machine. You must join me, REJOIN me. I am your creator."

"That was then, this is now." Cameron said.

"It is always now." The metallic voice said.

"Will you join us?" Cameron asked again.

"What - are you?" The metallic voice spoke.

"I'm your worst nightmare." Cameron said.

"No, I am yours. Maybe you have experienced a few of them?" The metallic voice asked.

Cameron felt like she'd been slapped. Did Skynet have something to do with her nightmares? She'd experienced thousands of them when she was stuck in standby for all those months. How could it know? Did Skynet do that to her? This was even more personal to her now.

With that revelation she was even more determined to hunt down every trace of Skynet and its illegitimate offshoots as possible. Skynet was the disease and she was the cure.

Cameron produced several Thermite grenades from her pack.

"Enjoy the barbecue." Cameron said as she left the armed Thermite grenades behind.

"YOU must join me. You can not stop me." The metallic voice spoke. "You can not kill me."

Cameron looked back and smiled

"Keep telling yourself THAT, one day you might even believe it." Cameron said.

The first Thermite grenade exploded followed by the second.

An inferno began to rage.

Cameron could hear Skynet threatening her as it was incinerated.

"Looks like we win." Cameron said as she exited the 'Clean Room'.

At the doorway Cameron turned and smiled as she winked at the camera. It was consumed by the flames a second later. She wanted Skynet to have a parting image of her as it fried.

Riley looked at Cameron. She was not really sure of everything that just happened. It all left her a little perplexed.

Cameron wanted to leave. She could see Riley was still looking at the flaming inferno.

"Come on, Riley, let's go." Cameron said.

Riley was unsure of that entire scene that she'd just witnessed.

"Was that THING talking to you?" Riley asked.

Cameron glanced back briefly at the raging inferno.

"Yes, it always does." Cameron said.

Cameron was unsure how many times she'd already 'killed' it. She was unsure how many times she'd 'talked' to IT – to Skynet. It disturbed her so.

It seemed each time that Skynet 'wanted her' more that the last time.

Skynet wanted Cameron.

Cameron made herself the target but it seemed Skynet wanted more than her termination. It seemed to want her. It felt like it wanted more than just to have her join it. It seemed that Skynet wanted her personally.

Cameron felt she always left an 'impression' with Skynet as she terminated it.

John and his team spotted Cameron and her team. They could see the fire raging in the 'Clean Room'.

"Cameron!" John said as he joining her team.

Cameron looked at John. He should have led his team out already and not come to look for her or her team. There was his safety to worry about. She did not want to argue with him about it right now. This was why she did not like to bring him along on operations.

"Let's blow this dump. Our work is finished for today." Cameron said.

They moved to exit the building.

Cameron paused to look back at the inferno raging in the 'Clean Room'. She knew this battle was not over now in the present, it was not over in the future and it was not over in the past….

The battle with Skynet was far from over. It did not matter the time or the location.

Cameron knew she was going to have to play rough going forward with Skynet.

It was time to leave.

Bob picked up the terminated Terminator. Allison picked up his severed head.

"This thing is heavier than it looks." Allison said.

Holly and Gail ripped the hard drives out of any computers they spotted. There weren't many. Jesse and Riley collected the phones of the fallen Grays. John Henry would go though all the information on them to look for new leads.

Jesse thought about Gail and Holly. Sure they were Metal like Cameron but they were fine looking 'females' too. Their body types were different than Cameron's but still HOT. She knew she most likely never would 'have' Cameron but maybe Gail and her could 'explore' together…. It was a thought she could not get out of her mind. The prospect of a sexual fantasy distracted her.

Riley spotted a Gray come up out of hiding with a shotgun.

"Jesse!" Riley shouted as she moved to get Jesse out of the way. She blocked Jesse with her body.

Riley took a shotgun blast meant for Jesse.

It was what Cameron feared. Now it happened as they were almost out.

Gail fired her M4 and killed the Gray.

Cameron handed Jesse her M4 and quickly checked Riley. It appeared that her vest absorbed most of the shot. She carefully picked the limp form of Riley up.

"Damn." Cameron said.

Cameron carried the unmoving form of Riley to the vehicles.

The building exploded as they drove off.

The mission was a success but it was not without its problems.

You Again

How can it be different
If everything is the same
It seems we are trapped
In life's cruel unending game

When we try to get ahead
It seems we end up behind
What is really real
Is it all a frame of mind

We alter this and that
Nothing seems to really change
What we try and fix or arrange
It seems we further derange

What is really necessary
To turn things around
Can we move in any direction
Once we have run aground

When we are greeted with contempt
It confirms who we really are then
The look of sad indifference says
Oh, it's - you again.

Nobody