Chapter 339

Typical

The team arrived at the target location. Everyone was in place. They brought the area under direct observation. They also were able to view the drone images for a broader overview.

Cameron didn't want this to go 'Hot' if it could be avoided. Somehow these things always seemed to 'expand' and take on a life of their own. She wanted Savannah to be able to obtain real experience to become a true leader. She hoped to ease her into it.

Bob was with John. He pointed down at the structure. John nodded.

"We have movement." John said over the com. "It is at the north end of the building."

Savannah looked but didn't see anything. This was way more intense and harder than she'd thought. Both Sarah and Cameron told her it would be like this. They told her to keep her cool and things would become clearer.

Finally, Savannah saw it. Maybe she was too nervous. She didn't feel scared yet, just nervous.

"I see them." Savannah said.

Cameron knew she could see things better than humans in several vision spectrums. She wanted Savannah to know the true nature of the observation.

"They've been there for nearly a minute." Cameron said.

Cameron knew Savannah was overwhelmed by everything and her first real exposure to true danger. Savannah was young but the nature of the future started everything early in everyone's life. The more experience she received now, the more proficient she would become. There was no doubt in her mind that Savannah would excel.

John Henry wanted Savannah to use caution and error on the side of caution if the issue arose. He worried that Cameron would 'push' her. He wanted a little more prudence.

"Relax, Savannah." John Henry said. "We're here with you. It will all come together."

Cameron wasn't sure she liked the way things developed so far. She might need to take some additional action on her own. It was her function to keep everyone safe.

"Take over." Cameron said to John Henry.

Savannah blinked and Cameron was gone. Savannah never saw or heard anything. It was like Cameron just vanished. She thought Cameron was really like a shadow at night, soundless and invisible. She also knew Cameron could be silent and deadly.

She knew she could do this. All of the others could do it. That meant she could too. Most of them didn't have a choice about it or when. She did. She didn't need to doubt or question herself. She needed to stick with her training. That was the whole point of training so one would know what to do and how to do it without thinking about it.

There was always the unknown and the unexpected. Both could be a game changer. She needed to watch for and factor in the variables as they presented themselves. She also needed to spot them or recognize them when they happened.

Savannah knew that Cameron wanted to keep her protected but there was no guarantee of that. Her gut feeling was that this was going to develop further into something more.

Cam and Sheila monitored everything and everyone's position from the Command Center. They'd assumed John Henry's duties for the evening. Cam was a clone of Cameron at this point. So it was really like Cameron oversaw the operation.

Cam established a secure channel with Cameron. She knew Cameron's four clones were directed to assist her.

"Cameron, your Terminators are in place, both groups." Cam said.

Cam watched as the two male and female 'program clones' of Cameron moved into position where Cameron wanted them to be. Cameron downloaded her program into all four of them and updated it before she'd left her base.

Cameron was 'everywhere'. She monitored everything as well herself.

"I'm in direct contact with them." Cameron responded. "Expect full communication with them. They are officially part of the operation at this point."

Camille wanted a wider look around them from the sky.

"Increase the second drone's sweep." Camille said.

Cam made the adjustments. One drone moved out further for a broader sweep.

"I'm on it." Cam said.

Cammy wanted a better look at the building from where she was at.

"I'm going in for a closer look." Cammy said.

That statement sent up a red flag for Cameron. She was aware that when she did that herself, it usually led to a confrontation. She was unsure how 'close' Cammy would go.

"Use caution. I don't want you damaged." Cameron said. "Don't go inside. Not yet anyway."

Camille and Cammy looked at each other, they both knew what Cameron's 'plans' were for them. They both looked forward to their new 'assignments' after their Resequencing was complete. Neither of them wanted to be damaged either…. They both wanted to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be on their sheaths.

They both thought it was an honor to be assigned to a human female. Where things went after that was anyone's guess. They both felt they knew how things would play out sooner rather than later.

Savannah tried to keep everything sorted out. Her heart still pounded in her chest. The rush of the danger was more than she'd anticipated. She wanted to keep her head and not fold under the pressure of enemy fire. She was sure her training would take over. Everyone told her it would be like this at first. They said they never got used to it but they learned how to deal with it.

She looked around her position again. Cameron was back already and looked at her.

When did she get back? Savannah wondered.

Cameron wanted to keep Savannah at ease and focused. She didn't want her to get tunnel vision. Tunnel vision or target fixation was always a problem in combat for anyone. They could concentrate on what was right in front of them and miss what was about to happen around them.

"Savannah, ask us questions if you have them." Cameron said. "John Henry and I will give you a running commentary of events as they unfold if you want."

Savannah liked the idea of the additional assistance. She wasn't sure it would be beneficial to her. It wasn't something that she would always have at her disposal. She also didn't want to put anyone in harms way by accident or through any inaction. She wanted to be corrected if she made an error or was about to make one.

"If I start to mess up or make a mistake, I want someone to tell me." Savannah said. "I want to do what I can on my own. I will learn better if I do. Don't let me endanger anyone though."

Cameron smiled to herself at Savannah foresight. Savannah wanted to rely on her training and intuition. She knew that Savannah possessed what it took for everything. She only wished she would have started Savannah's 'grooming' earlier and not listened to John and Sarah. They were hung up on 'moral' issues. She wasn't about to make that mistake with Young Allison this time. She was in total control of her 'upbringing'.

Cam and Sheila monitored the drone scans and footage as they did the body cams too. The enhanced drone scans that Camille called for paid off. A new serious threat was detected.

"The long range drone scans have picked up two vans approaching from the north." Cam announced over the com.

Sheila was focused on the other drone. It scored a hit as well.

"The second drone has also picked up two separate SUVs coming in from the east and south." Sheila said.

John was worried for his troops. This wasn't what was expected. There were four additional vehicles closing in on them where they were. They were about to arrive from three different directions to boot. Maybe they'd tripped a sensor and sent the enemy a warning. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Do you think we've been detected?" John asked.

"I don't know." Bob said.

Savannah felt her heartbeat quicken even more. Another surge of adrenaline rushed through her. Things were about to heat up faster than she'd anticipated.

Cameron could see Savannah's response to the changing environment and possibly the changing mission.

"Relax, Savannah." Cameron whispered to her.

Savannah knew that Cameron wasn't even touching her. She could tell just by observing her. She tried to focus a little more.

"I'm good." Savannah said. "It's just a little more involved. I can hack it."

Cameron didn't read the new arrivals as converging on where they were at specifically. She thought a little deeper into this and viewed this as something different at this point. They were in the middle of what looked like a 'hit'. It was possible it was more than one group. It was for sure at least two separate groups at this point. One of the groups of vehicles was possibly reinforcements. It was too early to tell yet. She would like to watch the two or three groups fight it out and mop up the survivors.

"It looks like we're in the middle of something else. There is an attack about to go down." Cameron said. "Everyone needs to be prepared to fallback."

They all knew that meant John and Savannah would be the ones to fallback. They also knew Cameron wouldn't fallback. She would go towards the threat.

Sheila dispatched the other two drones as soon as the first group of vehicles was detected. The second group of vehicles only reaffirmed her decision.

"The other two drones are on the way." Sheila said.

Cam took the precaution to have the relief force ready for assistance or extraction with the helicopter.

"The Blackhawk is ready to scramble." Cam said. "Derek and Kyle and four of our Terminators are already in it."

Cameron was glad they'd held the helicopter for now. She didn't want to present the enemy with any additional 'targets' if one of the groups was looking for some.

"Not yet." Cameron said. "I don't want it to go that far yet. Keep it ready."

Cameron didn't want to endanger the Reese brothers. They'd been itching to mix it up. She was worried enough about John and Savannah as it was.

Caution was in order for the present. They still appeared to be undetected by anyone. Once all four drones were on station or at least in the vicinity, they would have some additional striking ability. HK drones were also a threat.

"Keep an eye in the sky and watch for any HK drones that might show up." Cameron said. "Those will be top priority to knock down."

Cameron was sure HK drones would be their biggest threat if they were detected. They still didn't know who any of the players actually were yet.

Camille and Cammy were now in back of one of the groups converging on the area. Cameron's two male Terminator clones were in back the other group.

One drone targeted the vans and the other drone continued a wide recon sweep for new threats or targets. The other two drones rapidly approached the target location. Cam kept all of them high to keep them from being spotted. They needed to be out of the detection range of any Terminators on the ground. They still didn't know all the details of who they faced and if there were two or three groups at play here.

Originally the operation was to be a recon and training mission. It was clear it was beyond that now. Cameron didn't want to risk further unnecessary danger to Savannah or John at this point.

"John, this area looks like a battle is about to break out. The recon mission is over and so is your part in the operation." Cameron said. "You and Savannah need to withdraw."

John could see there was a lot of uncertainty to what was actually about to happen. It was clear there was an attack of some type about to occur. He didn't want to leave now.

"Typical." John said. "These things always seem to fall apart."

Savannah wanted John protected too. She however was not about to withdraw. She needed to acclimate herself to the violence at some point. She faced Cameron.

"Cameron, I'm not going anywhere." Savannah said. "I came to learn. I'm here to fight as well. I need to get my hands dirty. It's going to happen sooner or later. We still have the upper hand right now and the air support to back it up."

That wasn't the response Cameron wanted to hear from Savannah, even if it was what she knew needed to happen.

"NO!" Cameron said.

Savannah held her ground.

"YES!" Savannah answered back.

Savannah could see Cameron was upset. She wanted to make her reasoning clear.

"Cameron, it's MY future too." Savannah said. "I'm taking my place."

The words seemed to catch Cameron off guard. Cameron wondered if Savannah just 'claimed' John with that statement.

Savannah noted Cameron's hand started to glitch. She took Cameron's hand. The glitch almost stopped but continued slightly. That was a first. Normally it stopped instantly. She thought she knew where the problem was. It was with her wording.

"Cameron, I'm not taking, John. I'm taking my role as a Resistance fighter." Savannah said. "I will never take anything FROM you either."

The glitch stopped.

Cameron felt a little better but not by much. She was still worried about Savannah. She was proud to see Savannah wanted to improve her ability and get her hands 'dirty'.

"OK, but you will do everything I say and when I say it." Cameron said. "This is going to get messy. People are going to die tonight. I don't want it to be any of us. You may have to kill."

Savannah swallowed hard. She knew her life was about to change in some way. It wasn't necessarily for the better but it was for the future. She was ready.

"I'll do what I have to do, when I have to do it." Savannah said. "I will not fail."

John Henry remained silent during the exchange. He too thought Savannah was about to claim John with her earlier statement. He knew with certainty that day was coming. It was about to arrive faster than anyone envisioned. He knew they needed to work even harder to prevent Judgment Day, for Cameron's sake. He also knew that when Mrs. Weaver returned and if she accepted Savannah's future trajectory that Cameron was in peril. Cameron would need to face both internal and external threats.

Cammy original watched the structure. When the threat of the vehicles was detected Camille and her moved away to be in back of the new force that was about to arrive. She didn't want to be caught between two groups fighting. When she repositioned, it allowed her to make a few new observations.

"I've detected Metal in the two SUVs. There is one in each SUV. I also have detected Metal at the facility we were watching." Cam said. "This is two different groups and each is using Metal."

Cameron wanted the groups to decimate each other first.

"Let them fight it out and we will finish off the victor." Cameron said. "That will keep damage to our group down to a minimum."

This was the same technique Cameron used when she put rival gangs, drug dealers or crime syndicates to fight against each other. After one emerged the as the victor, she would swoop in and finish them off. This way they did two thirds of her fighting for her.

John was a little out of his element right now. He wanted to get the facts straight. If there were Terminators in two of the groups, neither of them were the anti-Metal faction.

"Is it two different factions of Skynet fighting?" John asked.

John Henry believed it could be deeper than just factions. Every version of Skynet would want to be the dominant version.

"It may be Skynet from two different futures." John Henry said. "We have no way to know yet."

John wondered if maybe one group was a 'good' group.

"Could any of the attackers be from Mrs. Weaver?" John asked. "Is there any indication any of them are 'friendly'?"

Cam and Sheila both tried to identify any of the individuals. There was often more than one copy of a Terminator made. Cam ran Cameron's program so she knew of Terminators from her future. Sheila ran Gail's program so she knew of Terminators and Restorators from that future.

"I'm running the scans with Sheila." Cam said. "She has no facial recognition of any of them from her future. I don't either from mine. There's nothing conclusive."

John didn't plan to leave if Savannah didn't go. How would that look? He was ready to act as well.

"We'll let it play out then and pick up the pieces." John said. "Jam all communications and cut all the power for the area."

Cam set those actions into motion as soon as she'd received Camille's report.

"I've already initiated that." Cam said. "Communication's are severed. The power should go off any second."

In moments the area went dark.

Cameron handed Savannah some night vision equipment.

"I've shown you how to use these." Cameron said.

Savannah put them on in seconds. Her heart no longer pounded wildly. This was 'go time'. She was ready. She was also aware that both Vanna and Allison needed to kill at her age or younger. They all needed to kill at her age or younger, Jesse, Derek, Riley and Kyle. It was the way of the future.

For Savannah, the future was today….

Typical

Sometimes it seems that
If something can go wrong it will
That's just the way it works
It makes one wonder still

Does anything ever work out
The way it's supposed to
Or must one always try again
And do everything over new

The best laid plans
Can often go awry
When everything falls apart
It leaves one to ask why

Is there really any point
To keep trying over and over
Instead of being part of the herd
One would like to be the drover

All one can do is to keep
Things from going critical
As they inevitably go wrong
All they can say is 'typical'

Nobody