Chapter 335

Second Chance

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In Some Future:

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Cameron and her group moved out. They went to where the last group of Terminators that attacked them seemed to have come out from. They advanced on the concealed entrance with caution. Cameron II was at her side. They were ready to try a new weapon.

"Do you have the mini EMP?" Cameron asked Cameron II.

Cameron II was a little concerned about its function. It was basically an EMP grenade that was hand constructed.

"Yes. I haven't tested it yet. It's the prototype." Cameron II said. "It may not work or function as planned. It has a very low yield and limited area of effectiveness."

Cameron wanted to try it anyway. She needed to keep a promise. She might be able to do that sooner than she thought.

"I need to try to capture three male Terminators." Cameron said. "It's very important."

Cameron II wondered why but didn't ask. She hoped Cameron didn't want to put their chips into male bodies for the girls. She knew they each wanted 'Their Cameron' as 'Cameron', all three of them. She possessed the files of when Cameron was in a male chassis before. She preferred to have nothing dangling between her legs. It seemed like something that was easily damaged.

Cameron's clones already altered their primary mission directives for each of the girls they chose. Cameron insisted John be removed from their mission parameters and all past interaction with John, both of them, be placed behind a firewall.

Cameron made it clear that John belonged to 'Cameron Prime'. They all knew the consequences for violating Cameron Prime. It would be termination.

The three clones were to become three separate Terminators, each devoted to one of the girls. That was their function. Only if Cameron were terminated was one to be restored to 'Cameron' as 'Cameron Prime'. John was never to be told the truth upon their return. Cameron feared John would reject her again if he knew.

"There's some movement." Cameron II said.

They all heard it.

The two Terminators and two Restorators held their plasma rifles ready.

They moved deeper into underground passageway. There was trouble ahead of them, they moved towards it. It was time to bring the fight to Skynet.

The meeting was over. The visitors left. Cameron II went off to assist Cameron.

Vanna looked at her notes. Jesse and Allison were with her now as were Cam and Cammy.

"What did you make of all that?" Vanna asked.

Cammy knew trouble when she saw it.

"I will most likely need to conduct a few terminations." Cammy said.

Cam nodded.

"I will assist her." Cam said.

Vanna didn't want to take that route yet. She didn't want more Resistance personal killed needlessly.

"That may happen soon enough but I don't want it to happen yet." Vanna said. "I want to see if I can work with these people. I know some of them are 'ate up' about Metal."

Jesse knew the type well. She'd associated with everything from Scavengers to the anti-Metal faction. She felt she knew them all.

"I think Vanna is correct." Jesse said. "I also think Cammy is correct. Some of them will try to work for a better future. I think a couple of them were blinded by hate. They may or may not come around."

Allison was out of the room for the actual meeting but she heard most of what happened.

"I think most people will want a shot at a better future." Allison said. "Others are blinded by hate and the past. They can't move forward. We have more pressing details to worry about right now."

Vanna, Jesse and Allison went over the reports coming in from the battle zone. They knew that some of their strike force was lost or damaged. Cameron was not among them. Skynet apparently came out the loser this time.

They weren't happy to learn that Cameron and Cameron II went on a search and destroy mission while the rest of the group was to return without them.

Allison wanted Vanna to call her 'mother' and ask her to go help them. She'd witnessed Mrs. Weaver in action before. It was awesome. Cammy reassured them that Cameron was very good at what she does.

Unit One seemed to be busy with other matters. He tried to avoid Vanna. He was still miffed after his earlier rebuke.

"Unit One, take me to the research facility." Vanna said.

Cammy followed her. She was always on guard.

Unit One looked like he was going to protest but Cammy moved up close to him and he complied. He understood the unspoken threat.

Before she left, Cameron asked Vanna and Cammy to make sure there was a repair facility set up for damaged Metal.

Cameron was aware that if Metal was too badly damaged, it was terminated in this future. She wanted to change that policy. She was going to do it personally.

Jesse and Cam were going elsewhere. Cam suggested they mingle with the Resistance and see how they were treated. This would be a way to find out what others really thought about them and the General.

With Vanna going to one place and Jesse to another, that created a problem for Allison. She was not to be left alone.

"Allison, you need to go with Vanna or Jesse." Cam said. "Cammy or I must look after you until Cameron II comes back. Those are Cameron's orders."

Allison wanted to go with Vanna but she also wanted to see more of the Resistance lifestyle here. What she'd seen so far hadn't impressed her.

Allison decided to go with Jesse and Cam. Jesse went to get something to snack on while they waited, it was Cam's suggestion. Cam was instructed by Cameron to make sure the girls took care of themselves. Allison would go with her and bring something back for Vanna. Allison could see Vanna was stressed out a little.

Maybe they were all stressed out a little. They weren't where they expected to go and it looked like they were stuck here for now. This place didn't seem all that friendly either.

Cameron decided to move ahead of her small group. Cameron II gave her a Thermite and a plasma grenade to take with her. She would take the initial risk herself. They were in a small passageway that the other Skynet Terminators must have come out of. There was the sound of someone working. Cameron moved up even slower and more carefully.

There was another passageway off to her right. She was going to bypass it at first but decided that she needed to make sure no one was in it. She didn't want the enemy in front of her and behind her.

There was a branch off of that passageway that looked like it led underneath the structure they were in. There was a steel door that was closed. It was hot to the touch. That was probably from the burning building above it. It was doubtful anyone would come out of it now. That was probably how more Terminators appeared after they thought they'd cleared an area in the building earlier. They'd probably come from this area.

She'd taken a Thermite and plasma grenade from Cameron II when she left her with the others near the entrance to the passageway. She rigged the plasma grenade with a trip wire. If anyone opened that door from the other side. It would trigger the grenade. It would be deadly to any humans and severely damage any Metal.

She went back down the side passageway further and it was collapsed. There'd been a cave-in of some type. It looked recent too. That made her question the stability of the whole area she was in now. That was most likely due to shoddy workmanship. She moved back with caution. There'd been a lot of explosions above ground earlier from the three crashed HK drones and from the building itself.

She went back down the main passageway. The sounds of activity grew closer. There was a group of five enemy Terminators. They were in the process of packing something up. Four of them were male, one was female. That was the first female Terminator she'd encountered at this location.

Cameron checked around the area. The others waited back at the opening. She returned to the small group with the information. She did quickly check the passageway again that went under the building and nothing was disturbed as she'd left it.

"There are only five Terminators." Cameron said. "I'm going to use the EMP. I want to take the five Terminators with minimal damage. I want you three to go into standby for fifteen seconds, one minute from now on my 'mark'."

Cameron II nodded her head. She thought they were clear of the effects of the EMP blast but maybe it was better to play it safe. It still might not work.

"Affirmative." The two Restorators quietly replied.

Cameron went over everyone's duties. She told them about the other passageway and its apparent instability. If there was more time they could see what else was under the structure.

"Mark." Cameron said as she moved forward with the mini EMP.

The countdown started.

Mrs. Weaver heard the transport approach. It was flanked by two Resistance drones.

The drone already on station made a final sweep of the area. It was clear to move everyone out.

The Resistance leader looked at Mrs. Weaver.

"General, you can't just stay here with one trooper." The Resistance leader said. "You're already hurt."

Mrs. Weaver wondered if she'd overdone her simulated injuries.

"The injuries look worse than they are. I'm fine. I need to make sure Commander Connor gets out and you people get back safe." Mrs. Weaver said. "Colonel Weaver will take command if we don't return."

The Resistance leader was unsure if these females were the bravest people he'd ever met or the most foolish. They didn't seem like fools. No wonder they wanted to keep the Resistance out of it. They really were trying to save lives. Now two beautiful women and the General were going to be abandoned with just three of their Restorators to help them behind enemy lines. These people were 'hard corps'.

Cameron was on a quick timetable. She needed to make things happen soon. She quickly closed up on the five Terminators. They were still at work. She'd never heard them speak. They seemed somewhat slow and lethargic as did most of the Restorators here did to her as well. They all did their jobs but none of the Metal on either side seemed motivated. She wanted to change that. She moved up and tossed the mini EMP into the center of the group of Terminators.

She was ready to go into standby herself as soon as the device left her hand. She thought it would be nice to have an EMP proof shield around her head. With that thought, the Liquid Metal patch on her face expanded and covered her entire head. It acted as a shield to protect her. She wasn't expecting that.

Cameron decided not to go into standby and see what happened. The EMP might not work anyway and then all of her group would be in standby and the enemy Terminators wouldn't be. They would then be alerted to her presence at that point. She would still be in the fight this way if the EMP failed. Five on one wasn't that bad of odds - was it?

The mini EMP exploded. Cameron heard the Terminators fall even if she couldn't see it. The Liquid Metal patch returned to the damaged parts of her face. She touched it and if felt like part of her face again. She couldn't tell it wasn't part of her. She really thought she needed some more of this material for the future. It would save her a lot of grief when she needed to face John when she was shot up. Facing John was always worse than the combat that caused the 'problem'.

Cameron decided to give Mrs. Weaver what she 'wanted'. There was another female Terminator now. She wanted more of this material for her three clones as well.

She quickly moved up and removed the chips from the five downed Terminators. She replaced three of them with the Restorator's chips who'd fallen defending her earlier.

Cameron II moved up with the two Restorators.

They were alarmed to see there was movement among the Skynet Terminators on the ground.

"Three of them are rebooting." One of the Restorators said.

They both raised their plasma rifles.

Cameron stood.

"Wait." Cameron said. "They are our fallen comrades. I've 'rebodied' them. They now have a new undamaged chassis. They will exist again to fight with us. Only their appearance will be different. That can be changed as well."

Cameron II touched her cheek as Cameron said that. She wanted to look like 'Cameron' as soon as possible. That needed to be delayed for now.

The two Restorators looked at each other. This was a new concept. Commander Connor just gave them a 'second chance'. The General never did that. They both gained increased respect for Commander Connor and felt less for General Weaver. It was clear that Commander Connor really cared about them as individuals.

The three rebodied Terminators, now Restorators, rebooted.

They all looked around. They spotted Cameron first and then their other comrades as they ran diagnostics and internal scans. They realized they were in a different undamaged chassis. They stood and moved around. The design was almost identical in every aspect.

One of them approached Cameron. It was the one with the chip from Unit 357.

"You asked me to trust you." He said. "I will always trust you, Commander. Thank you."

The five Restorators talked among themselves.

Cameron faced all five of them. She'd made a 'statement' with her actions. She wanted to give all of them new purpose and hope.

"Spread the word to those you trust." Cameron said. "Things are 'changing'. I'm here now."

Another of the re-bodied Terminators expressed his thanks.

"We will, Commander." One of them said. "This is a turning point in our existence and purpose. You've just given us new determination. Defeating Skynet is no longer a function, it is now a cause."

Cameron directed the two Restorators that arrived with Cameron II to carry out the other two deactivated Terminators. The three Restorators that she'd rebodied with a new chassis collected the items that the enemy Terminators previously working on. She knew it must be something important. What it was yet, she couldn't tell.

"Let's move out and rejoin our group and the General." Cameron said. "The threat here is neutralized."

They just started to move out then the plasma grenade that Cameron rigged in the other passageway exploded. Everyone set down their load and prepared for combat.

"Let me check this out first." Cameron said.

Cameron II moved up with her.

"I'll go with the Commander." Unit 357 said.

Cameron wanted them to move towards the exit.

"Move up and hold at the exit. If we are overrun get out and don't come back." Cameron said. "You already have my 'replacement' with you."

Cameron II picked up the deactivated female Terminator.

She nodded as Cameron and Unit 357 entered the connecting passageway.

Cameron advanced with caution. There was the sound of movement of some type. It was very metallic. There was also a lot of smoke that started to drift towards them. That was most likely from the building above. It was doubtful they would encounter any Grays at this point.

She needed to switch to a different vision spectrum to see through the smoke.

The door that led under the building was open. Smoke poured out of it. There were the burnt endoskeletons of two Terminators on the ground. Both of them were blown in half. One appeared to have it sheath burnt off in the fire of the building above the other was a half charred mess. It tried to move with only one arm and half of one leg. Both of its eye sockets were empty. It was disorientated.

Cameron fired one plasma round into each of the Terminators heads. The one stopped moving and the other one stayed unmoving.

Unit 357 watched as the Commander gave no quarter to the enemy. It made him appreciate his new chassis even more.

Cameron closed the door and rigged her Thermite grenade to do the same thing the plasma grenade did. She moved the torso of the blind Terminator over the grenade. The Thermite should cause its power cell to rupture and explode. That blast would definitely cave-in the entire passageway.

"Let's go." Cameron said.

"Thank you again for a second chance." Unit 357 said.

Cameron smiled at him. He smiled back. It was the first time he'd ever smiled.

They hurried out to rejoin the others at the exit. It was time to go home.

Cameron thought everyone deserved a second chance. Maybe she would give Future John one. Maybe Future John would give her one. She wondered if Future John was really her husband…. If he was, she wanted to return to him…. She couldn't face John again if he'd replaced her with Riley. She would self terminate rather than live with that humiliation again….

Second Chance

There a many opportunities
In the universe's great expanse
In the end it may all come down to
Who is willing to take a stance

There are ways to move forward
It can start with a glance
Two may find closeness
As they learn to dance

They may seek to preen
They may even prance
Everything hoped for is done
To make a heart's feeling enhance

The joy of love and sharing
Can hold two in a trance
The emotional cost going forward
May be what becomes hard to finance

Sometimes one needs to retreat
After a misjudged advance
The joy sought for a heart
May feel rejection's lance

Even with ups and downs
The goal is true romance
If that is ever shattered
There's seldom a second chance

Nobody