Chapter 285

Hello Mother

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In Some Future:

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Cameron continued flying through the LA River flood control channel. She only came above the sides to clear downed bridges. It became obvious to the Resistance that this aircraft was not under Skynet control. There were no more potshots at it.

Skynet always came straight in without any deviation. They always launched a frontal attack with no let up. It wouldn't be with a single transport without drone support. It was clear that someone must have commandeered this transport and was running for their lives. The damage to it was reported as well. Further reports came in that the transport downed three HK drones and it was unarmed. Everyone knew that meant the personnel on board were the ones who shot them down. There was no doubt about it, that achievement was the work of some good shooting.

The power plants were in need of cooling so Cameron slowed her speed as she moved through the flood control channel. She thought it would seem less threatening to the Resistance as well. There was no more weapons fire directed at them. Instead something else began to happen.

Cameron began to see people coming out of hiding and cheering them on as she flew by. They began lining the sides of the flood control channel. Word seemed to have spread like wildfire. This was something that never happened before. Someone pulled a fast one on Skynet. Everyone figured whoever it was must have some 'stones'.

She was unsure of the reaction this seemed to create. She didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing waiting to develop. She knew if they thought she was Metal that it would turn into a bad thing. She needed to play this as Allison's sister. The ride on top of the transport made it all that more believable as far as her appearance was concerned.

Cameron decided at the first sign of an organized Resistance unit that she would let the captured women and girl off before continuing on. She wanted to make sure they were in safe hands and out of danger. The transport was still a target. She spotted a squad of Resistance fighters up ahead. She slowed and set down in the channel on the broken cement. There was a downed bridge that could act as a way up for her passengers. The walls of the LA River were about twenty feet high at this point.

She turned control of the aircraft over to one of her clones. Cameron was the first one down the ramp. She wanted to make sure it was safe for the girls and passengers. She was soon followed by Allison and Vanna and then the females. Jesse and two of the clones brought up the rear.

Cameron previously switched her clothing back to what the rest of the girls wore. This way Allison and her looked like sisters. She wanted to take control of the situation and defuse any problems before they started.

The uniform Cameron's two clones wore caused a mild panic. Allison and Vanna explained that they were being helped by the Terminators. The group of females quickly backed them up and said they were the ones who freed them.

She designated her clones as, One, Two and Three. It was Vanna's suggestion to help communicate with each one and avoid confusion. It was better than the 'one with the green eyes or the one with big breasts'. They would all decide on names for them later on.

Cameron asked if there was any secure location to take the transport. She knew Skynet would come looking for it. It could be salvaged now instead of being destroyed if they could take it to a secure location. Five of the squad boarded the transport along with Cameron and her group. The women who'd been prisoners were led to safety by the rest of the squad. They all thanked Cameron and her group for rescuing them. Vanna and Jesse both spoke with the girl and told her the same thing happened to them, more than a few times. They told her to be strong.

Jesse and Vanna told the women if it ever came down to it again, to save the last bullet for themselves…. Jesse and Allison gave the women the handguns they'd acquired. Jesse also gave one her knife. They all assured her they would. None of them wanted to fall back into the hands of Scavengers. Now they could fight and try and take as many of them with them as possible and still save the last round for themselves.

Cameron explained her entourage was a delegation from another part of the state trying to make contact with the West Coast Resistance. She explained they came across some reprogrammed Terminators who now worked with them. The soldiers informed them they worked with some Friendly Metal as well. There was still a lot of resistance here to the Metal, even if it helped them. She explained these Terminators did more than just help them.

She noticed some of the soldiers look at Vanna and whispered among themselves. She listened to them.

Vanna noticed and stepped forward with Allison and Cameron on each side of her. She wanted to know why they were looking at her and discussing her. She didn't like where this was going. Something like that could lead to an assault.

"Is there some problem here?" Vanna asked.

The soldiers tried not to look offensive.

"We're sorry if we offended you. We weren't trying to be rude." A soldier said. "You remind us of the General who is the current leader of the Resistance in this sector."

Vanna's heart skipped a few beats.

Cameron hoped this would prove to be good news.

"What's her name?" Cameron asked.

She already knew what the answer was going to be.

"General Weaver." Another soldier said.

Cameron and Vanna exchanged looks. They'd found her. Mrs. Weaver was here….

"She's my mother." Vanna said. "Can you tell us where to find her?"

The soldiers looked a little apologetic now.

"Even better, we can take you to her." The soldier said. "I'm pleased to meet you."

The squad leader used his radio and seemed to get everything cleared and arranged. Instructions were given to the clone flying and they set off in the direction as instructed.

"There will be a crew waiting to take this transport upon our arrival." The squad leader said. "You will be taken to meet the General. First they will have you clean up and get new clothing."

Cameron was aware their clothing looked atrocious, with rips, burn marks and dried blood. There was a lot of dried blood.

The squad leader looked at the Skynet uniforms that the Metal still wore.

Cameron wanted to make things clear.

"They needed to 'borrow' those uniforms to help us break the girls we just let off out of a Skynet base camp." Cameron said.

The soldiers looked at them.

"You mean you broke into a Skynet base camp?" The squad leader asked.

Cameron pointed around her.

"Of course we did. All of us did. Where did you think we got this transport from?" Cameron asked.

The soldiers nodded. That took some stones and they were all females. Then again the one said she was the General's daughter. It sounded like she acted the part too.

"Can you tell us about it?" The squad leader asked. "What's it like inside one."

Cameron didn't have any trouble putting some 'spin' on her story and what it was like inside a Skynet facility.

"We were making our way here on foot." Cameron said. "We came across a big battle and saw that these three females were soon the only ones left in the fight against a lot of Grays and some Skynet Metal."

The men looked spell bound. Cameron was not sure if it was the story or they were concentrating on her. She didn't want to know.

"Three Terminators moved to flank them while the Grays pinned them down." Cameron said. "That was when we made our move and entered the fight."

"It was just the four of you against those odds?" A soldier asked.

"Yes. The girls and my sister took on the Terminators." Cameron said.

The soldiers looked at each other.

"Do you mean three girls fought three Terminators alone?" The squad leader asked.

"Yes." Cameron said. "Life is hard where we come from. You either fight or you die."

"Wow!" One soldier said. "They should make you officers."

Cameron smiled.

"We are where we came from." Cameron said. "They took on the three Terminators and I went down and flanked the Grays."

"Wait." The squad leader said. "You went to engage the Grays alone?"

Cameron smiled.

"Yes." Cameron said. "I was able to capture a 'plasma thrower' in an earlier battle."

The soldiers looked worried.

"Are those things for real?" One soldier asked.

"They're very real". Cameron said. "I was able to flank the Grays and shower them with burning plasma."

The soldiers looked worried.

"Was it a horrible death?" One trooper asked.

"There was a lot of screaming." Cameron said. "It was the break the three Friendlies needed to break free and finish off the survivors."

"What about the other three Terminators?" The squad leader asked.

Allison, Vanna and Jesse were all aware of battles in their future that they fought in.

"We were able to get a 'rope a dope' mine and place it along their path." Jesse said.

The soldiers all took a new look at her.

"What's that?" Another trooper asked.

"It's directed like a Claymore but shoots out a series of braided steel cables." Jesse said. "They wrap around the legs of a Terminator and cause them the trip and fall. They can eventually break out of them but they are down for awhile. When they are down they are vulnerable."

"That's when we moved and fried them." Allison said. "They never even got a shot off."

Allison held out her plasma rifle.

"That thing is brand new." The squad leader said. "It's Skynet issue."

Vanna didn't want any speculation. She indicated where they were again.

"Where do you think we got it from?" Vanna asked.

Cameron wanted to go on with the story.

"We finished off the three Terminators and the twenty Grays." Cameron said. "We hooked up with the Friendlies and they told us about a group of females and a girl they were tracking. They took the Scavenger camp under observation where they were being held. Before they could move in Skynet forces raided the Scavenger camp. They killed the men and took the females. We decided to go in and spring them."

The soldiers all showed a little fear.

"You went into a Skynet base camp alone with a couple of girls?" The squad leader asked.

"Yes." Cameron said.

"How did you breach the defenses?" A trooper asked.

Cameron smiled.

"We walked right in the front door." Cameron said.

There were hushed exchanges among the soldiers.

"You walked in the front door?" The squad leader asked.

Cameron indicated their clothing.

"We put together three Skynet uniforms from the dead for the Friendlies." Cameron said. "We exchanged our clothing from some picked up off of the battlefield. The Friendlies took us in as prisoners."

There were more hushed tones among the soldiers.

"How did you know you would get out?" One trooper asked.

"We didn't." Cameron said. "We knew the fate of the females if they were put in the general population. That's after the Grays were done with them."

The soldiers all heard stories of cruelty and assault by Grays and other prisoners from escaped prisoners.

"You must have been worried that would happen to you." The leader said.

"It crossed our mind." Allison said. "We were armed with handguns, knives and plasma grenades."

"We planned to provoke an uprising if we could." Vanna said.

"Wow!" The leader said. "They should make all of you Generals."

Allison smiled and saluted him playfully.

"How do you all looks so good?" The squad leader asked.

"We have scars too." Jesse said. "We know what pain is."

Jesse quickly flashed her scar and all the men winced.

"We all have scars." Vanna said. "Some are on more private areas."

The men all winced again.

Cameron wanted to wrap the story up.

"The guards there directed us to the holding area." Cameron said. "We spotted the women there. One of the Friendlies told the guard there she needed females with their smaller bodies for a work detail. The Friendlies took all of us away. This transport was sitting on the pad still so they commandeered it."

"What about HK drones?" A trooper asked. "You must have been worried about them."

Cameron smiled.

"We weren't worried for too long. The Friendlies disable all of the ones at the base before we left." Cameron said. "We only ran into three of them on the way here. We shot them down."

The soldiers looked at the hole in the side and in the top of the fuselage.

"You should all be awarded medals." The squad leader said.

"We just did our jobs and duty." Vanna said. "That is all we need to know. I'd want someone to do the same for me."

Cameron and the girls left the soldiers in awe to talk among themselves. This would plant the seeds to spread throughout the Resistance about the 'woman warriors'. It would help breathe hope and new life into the Resistance.

Cameron talked things over with the girls. They thought no one knew Mrs. Weaver was a Terminator. She figured that Mrs. Weaver would be disguised as one of the personnel taking them to 'meet' General Weaver to check for any Skynet tricks. Mrs. Weaver was in contact with all of them before. She would be able to tell they if they were the real people. As far as they knew Mrs. Weaver could be one of the Resistance soldiers right here with them now. That was another reason that Cameron wanted that story out there. It showed they didn't fool around.

The transport landed and a group of Metal was waiting for them. Two Restorators boarded the craft and it took off. The squad of soldiers was led away and Cameron and her group were instructed to follow a group of Restorators. These were all hard looking machines. Life here wasn't pleasant for them. They were treated as machines and used as tools to accomplish the job or mission, nothing more.

Cameron assigned one of her clones to each of the girls. They were to remain with them at all times. The girls knew they were really all 'Cameron' so it was not a problem for them. No one was picky over the appearance of any of the three.

Cameron led the group followed by Vanna.

They went into an underground installation. They were checked for weapons. They'd previously turned them all over to the squad that accompanied them. They were thrilled to receive 'new' weapons for a change. Cameron would not have a problem acquiring more. This didn't look like a trap but the real thing.

They were taken to a holding area. They were asked to strip and clean themselves and issued new clothing. The female issuing the clothing took special note of Vanna and Jesse. She looked at their scars.

Cameron saw her do a double take on Vanna….

She also looked over the perfect skin of Cameron and the not so perfect skin of Allison.

The girls put on their new uniforms.

Cameron looked around and everyone else was gone except the woman who issued the new uniforms.

Vanna looked at Cameron.

Cameron nodded.

"Hello, Mother." Vanna said.

"Hello, Savannah." The female said.

She changed back into Mrs. Weaver wearing a General's uniform.

"I've been waiting for you…." Mrs. Weaver said.

Excellency

With great power
Comes great responsibility
To stay within the rules
Takes all ones honest ability

With authority over others
To take what one wants is easy
The rewards as seen by others
May make them seem sleazy

Dominance and control
Become a way of life
They use what they want
It matters not if it cuts like a knife

Others have been their prey before
Forced to submit to their Almighty power
To use, abuse and cast aside
Over them they do imprison and tower

Ascendancy is their luscious drug
Those they accost are their sacrificial fix
With their endless greed and lust
Beware of their past secret dirty tricks

Nobody