Chapter 345

Use Caution

Cameron and Savannah arrived at the target location. Cameron set things into motion as she wanted them to be. She was worried about the safety of John and Savannah.

Three of Cameron's Terminators, Camille, Cammy and Ron were assigned to watch over Savannah. Ronny was assigned to watch over John. They were all 'Cameron program' clones. Bob was with John as well.

Cameron wanted the drone on 'close in recon' to be able to make a strafing run if she needed it. She wanted to use the missiles as a last resort. She wanted to keep the heavy destruction to a minimum until she could check everything out. She knew HK Tracks could engage aerial targets as well as ground targets. If she could disable some of the HK Tracks before the battle started, that would help.

She advanced toward the target structure. Their various groups took up stations around the facility.

Savannah was pleased that Cameron assigned a few Terminators to assist her. Cameron assigned three of her clones to her. She was ready for a little deeper involvement in the operation at this stage. She informed her team of 'Cameron clones' that they were in the fight as well if one started. She told them they weren't observers but participants. She knew she was about to be tested. She hoped her training would guide her. She'd conducted dozens of simulated assaults and scenarios under Cameron's direction. She experienced one live episode where she'd killed a Gray. Cameron asked her to 'step up' if she felt confident on this operation. It was time for her to get some command experience, with direction from John and Cameron. She was ready.

"It's our duty to protect Cameron and make sure she gets out of there if there's a problem." Savannah said. As an afterthought she added. "And John too, that's also important."

Cammy felt a little different about it. She was 'Cameron' as far as her program went but she was 'assigned' to Savannah and that was all that really mattered to her.

"It's our duty to protect you." Cammy said. "You need to think about your own safety as well during any operation."

Savannah wasn't about to back down. Cameron taught her to be assertive. That's what she planned to do.

"Then be ready to move with me if Cameron needs us." Savannah said. "If she ends up in a jam, we're going to get her out. I will go on my own if I need to."

The three clones looked at each other. That was a bold statement. They would give Savannah some leeway to use her initiative and training but only so much. The events from the last 'outing', which turned deadly, hadn't made Savannah squeamish or afraid. They'd made her stronger and better….

The 'Cameron' in all of her clones was proud of Savannah.

The HK Track ran through some maneuvers. It made a series of turns and rapidly pivoted or turned to attack targets behind it. It conducted a simulated response to an aerial attack as it made some defensive turns. Something happened and it abruptly stopped. It sat there and nothing happened. Two men exited the building and went out to it. One of them opened a panel on the back of it.

Cameron was able to 'zoom in' with her vision and obtain some images of the interior and its layout. It gave her an overall view of what was inside of it. She noted several ways to disable it given the time allowed to do that. If the HK Tracks attacked in a group, which they normally did, they could prevent anyone from climbing on another one. She watched the two men make some adjustments on the HK Track. It started moving again.

It repeated the same maneuvers as it did earlier without a malfunction this time.

John and Bob watched the HK Track try to move as well. It seemed to operate erratically as it started and stopped since they'd first observed it on their arrival. Now it was moving freely. It returned inside the building after it seemed to get everything smoothed out.

Bob told John if the HK Track even turned in their direction, they need to get down and remain undetected. They were within its kill zone.

John and Bob observed it for about an hour before the others arrived. Now Cameron was down on the ground about to attempt to enter the building. Nobody was happy about that.

There was security around the parameter but it was lax. The Resistance team, which was really Cameron's Terminators, moved in and terminated the threats. They manned the two outposts with the Terminators who'd followed Bob and him.

John was critical of Cameron for originally having four of her Terminators 'shadow' Bob and him. He saw it was the right move. They were able to conduct this operation now because there were additional personnel on the ground.

He would have been content with an air strike but maybe they could find out a little more first.

Cameron was about to enter through a side door. She paused and dropped back a little. She noticed there was a Terminator looking over the HK Track after it entered the building. It apparently stopped again. Everyone seemed to be focused on the activity or lack of it by the errant HK Track.

She waited until everyone was clustered around the troublesome HK Track. She made her move and made it inside. It appeared that she was undetected. There was no alarm raised.

There were a dozen HK Tracks parked inside. They were arranged in two rows. There was no apparent assembly line. What she could see was something different. There could be more to this facility too. This building reminded her a lot of the one John invaded with Jim and Bob. That was one of the times that her face was shot up and she didn't want him to see her. She went with Allison and Sarah to back him up. It was when they'd tried the 'Double Play' on John, the 'Double Play' that turned into a 'Triple Play'.

The technician there told her they were about to set up an assembly line for 'large appliances'. She knew what those 'large appliances' were now. It appeared that they were going to start to assemble HK Tracks there. Once they started with those they would expand into HK drones and HK Treads. They would have probably started building Terminators too. There'd been Metal there as well protecting that operation. They'd nipped it in the bud before anything really got underway.

Cameron quietly relayed the information to John Henry and he forwarded it to the team. That way everyone knew what part of the building she was in and what she'd uncovered so far. She wore her body cam as well.

She was sure there would be some computer banks around there. There could be a fledgling Skynet under construction right where she was at. It would probably be underground. The thought of that made her think of Duplicate Cameron and her one way 'mission' to destroy another version of Skynet.

Cameron still possessed four nukes…. She'd stashed the Nike warheads away where only she knew where they were at.

If there was any major underground setup here, she was prepared to use one. It needed to be deep and she needed a way out. Then again she needed to protect John and the future. There were several clones of her now….

Savannah followed the information that was relayed by John Henry to all of them. She didn't like the wait. There was little new information.

"Cameron's been inside there for too long." Savannah said.

Cammy could see that Savannah was antsy. It didn't appear there was a need to worry about Cameron right now, at least not yet anyway.

"There hasn't been any shooting or even a commotion that we can detect." Cammy said. "Cameron may be in close to the enemy. She may have spotted something that could detect her."

Savannah could have done without those last two references.

"I don't like it." Savannah said.

Cammy could see the concern that Savannah expressed for Cameron. It was more than about the 'job'.

"You really care about her don't you?" Cammy asked.

Savannah looked directly at Cammy. She wanted her feelings to be clear to everyone and why.

"I love Cameron." Savannah said. "She's the most special person on Earth. I'll do anything to help her and protect her."

Cammy and Camille looked at each other. They both knew River wasn't on Earth, at least not now or yet. They knew everyone loved River too. They were aware how River and Savannah got along with each other. It was a special bond.

The Cameron clones knew River was everything Cameron was, and everything she was not. That covered a lot of ground.

Savannah could see the clones seemed troubled after her proclamation. She wanted to lighten the mood some.

"Don't take it so literal." Savannah told them. "I'll act only if it's necessary."

Cammy looked at Savannah. She wanted to ask something but didn't.

Savannah picked up on the hesitation right away.

"I know you're 'Cameron' too, Cammy." Savannah said. "Cameron is Cameron. You are 'a Cameron'."

Cammy understood that statement for what it meant. 'She' was 'Cameron' to Savannah. There would be limitations and restrictions placed on her by Cameron going forward.

"Cameron will insist I share another program." Cammy said. "There can only be one Cameron Prime at a time."

Savannah thought Cameron may have acted a little extreme.

"Right now there are at least five of her. They run her program and are updated to a day or less of her. They're all 'Cameron'." Savannah said. "They are all Cameron to me. So are you."

Cammy liked to 'hear' that line of thought. Savannah was entirely correct. There was one minor point and one major point that needed to be reaffirmed.

"Cam is out of date." Cammy said. "She will need to run her Ally programming again, soon. You must always remember Cameron is 'Cameron Prime'. We all face deactivation if we cross that line."

Camille let Savannah and Cammy interact. She wanted to point a few things as well. It was about what Cammy said. They all needed to run a second program and then merge them. That act would effectively make them a 'new program' and no longer 'Cameron'.

"I'll share Gail's program." Camille said. "I will become unique."

Savannah didn't mention she would also set a 'restore point' to be able to be 'Cameron' again, even if she would be out of date. 'Cameron' was still 'Cameron' either way.

Ron hoped for a female chassis as soon as one was available. No version of 'Cameron' preferred a male chassis. Every time she was in one she seriously considered removing the 'junk'. It could regenerate over time for the next owner of that chassis once it was relinquished.

"My chip will be transferred to a female chassis or reprogrammed." Ron said. "I won't stay long in this male chassis as 'Cameron'."

Cammy thought all the talk would distract Savannah.

"You need to stay focused." Cammy told Savannah.

Savannah tried to follow Cameron's position from her description of the layout of the building. She was able to make a few visual spots as well. The body cam helped.

"I have been." Savannah said. "Cameron's now in the office area. I've been following her visually with the body cam and from the com."

Savannah moved her team so they could see in through the large roll up door into the interior. Cammy earlier identified one of the men as a Terminator. The Terminator made a sudden abrupt move and headed in the direction that Cameron last reported she was in.

"Cameron, the Terminator is moving in your direction." Savannah said over the com. "He seems in a hurry."

John and Bob couldn't see this development from their position. They'd pretty much remained in the same location since their arrival. It offered the most concealment and cover if an altercation took place. They were impressed at Savannah's reports. Cameron was 'silent'. The Terminator was probably near her position. That could go hot real fast.

Cameron was now in the office area. She searched for the entrance to the 'Clean Room'. This location was more of a storage or staging area. There was no assembly line here unless it too was underground.

She knew the Terminator was headed her way. She readied her Taser. She would attempt to capture him. She'd developed a repeating 'pulse shocker' to keep a Terminator down until it was removed. They would be unable to reboot. She hoped to test it under real condition soon, real soon. It would render them inactive for as long as it was on. There wasn't always time to pull a chip in a battle. She could come back and remove the chip later. This should allow the capture of another chassis rater than its destruction or damage.

Cameron watched the Terminator open and enter a door. She could hear him go down some stairs or a ladder. That was one way down to a lower level. She was sure there was another.

She slipped out of the office and went from HK Track to HK Track and disabled them. Based on her earlier scan she knew how to put them offline. They were soon all shut down except the one they'd been trying to get to operate properly. She would need to be out in the open to reach that one. She was about to make her move.

There was a hydraulic noise and a section of the floor dropped down. There was some clanking sounds and the hydraulic noise again. Another HK Track came up to her level and rumbled off the lift platform. It was like an elevator. This confirmed her suspicions about a lower level. It was probably more than a 'clean room'.

She relayed the information to John Henry as well as the footage from her body camera.

Cameron needed to check downstairs and see what was there. There was a good chance that she would lose communication with the team once she was below the ground level. She wanted to make sure everything was in place.

"Have two drones ready to strike from altitude. I still want one ready for a low pass." Cameron said. "Keep one on recon around the area."

John could see this was heating up fast. He didn't like it that Cameron was alone.

"Cameron, I want to send in more Terminators to help you." John said. "Bob wants to assist you."

Cameron tried to assess the best way to move to the lower level. She didn't need John's interference at this critical stage of the operation.

"No, that's a negative at this time on additional assistance." Cameron reported back. "I need to look downstairs first."

The technicians got the first HK Track moving again and onto the hydraulic lift. The one that came up on it earlier went outside and the technicians followed it out. That was all except for one. He was about to send the stubborn HK Track down to the lower level for further work. She was able to move over to it. She disabled it. The platform started down as she was on it…. She'd hoped to be off of it before that happened. She didn't make it. Down the rabbit hole she went.

Savannah watched Cameron's body cam images on her phone. She saw how critical it was for Cameron right now.

"If Cameron goes to a lower level we're going to lose communication with her like the last time." Savannah said. "We need to move closer to be able to assist her."

Camille knew that was about the last thing Cameron wanted, especially if it put Savannah in increased danger.

"Cameron doesn't need assistance." Camille said.

Savannah saw it a little differently.

"Sometimes it's nice to have help." Savannah said.

The three Cameron clones looked at each other. Cameron told them this is how it would play out with Savannah. She wasn't going to remain passive this time.

"Let's go." Savannah said.

Cammy needed to issue a warning and some advice.

"If one of us tells you something, you must follow those directions immediately." Cammy said. "It may mean life or death."

Savannah silently nodded. This was for real.

They were going to give Savannah some freedom but make sure she didn't get trapped or hurt. With three 'Camerons' there with Savannah, it shouldn't go bad too fast.

John picked up what Savannah was about to do on the com. He thought it was a good move but he also worried about her safety.

"Use caution, Savannah." John said.

John, Bob and Ronny, Cameron's male clone, moved down as well to assist them.

John knew Savannah was about to 'step up'. He knew she was ready.

Use Caution

When does one use caution
When do they forge ahead
What happens if they're misled
Or if their actions are misread

How far does one go
Should they act fast
Or take things slow
To make things last

What one thinks they want
May not be their true desire
Once they've ended the hunt
There may be no lasting fire

People will grow and change
They seek something different or new
They want more or maybe some 'strange'
But that's what everyone already knew

Here is the warning in advance
Relationships are random chance
Through life everyone must dance
Everyone is a victim of circumstance

Nobody