Chapter 400

Serious People

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In Some Future:

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Cameron and Mrs. Weaver entered the Skynet facility. Security was light since most of the Metal was pulled away. They advanced cautiously. It appeared the plan that Cammy used worked perfectly. Maybe it was all a little too perfect.

Mrs. Weaver assumed the appearance of Allison. Cameron didn't like her to do that but they'd both 'played' Allison before in the alternate future. She knew it placed a target on Allison's back. This could also cause a problem for Young Allison and endanger her. There was always the fear Skynet could target Allison Young the same way it did with John Connor. It seemed no matter how many times she'd terminated some version of Skynet that there was always another version to pop up. Some versions of Skynet seemed to know things about her that seemed impossible. It seemed as if they'd been able to communicated with each other. Maybe there was some part of Skynet that always survived. It seemed impossible to eradicate anyway. Something always showed back up.

To Cameron it appeared Cammy pulled a 'fast one' on Skynet. Those actions helped them greatly. Because she'd turned the mock attack into a real one before they'd entered Skynet Central, it made their job much easier now. Then again Cammy was her. The clones were all 'Cameron'. Cammy was her with one added benefit, she'd been with Vanna. That's something she wanted since her time first spent with Vanna, her first friend. Vanna was the first person to love her for what she was, who knew what she was from the start. She was a computer program in a metal chassis, covered with a sheath of living tissue. She was a cyborg. She was a machine.

The two of them moved through the Skynet facility. They tried to avoid any threat for now. They wanted a look around and see what they could find. They wanted anything that could help them construct a TDE. They also both wanted Skynet terminated.

"I think this is some of the material we will need for the TDE." Mrs. Weaver said as they passed some storage areas.

Cameron looked over the equipment and supplies. She would need to make sure everything was collected before they left. That was still up in the air. The battle here hadn't started yet. It might be more like 'if they left'.

There was no indication this version of Skynet started work on a TDE. That was probably a good thing, even if it was bad for them. Without John Connor in the timeline, Skynet's conquests were swift and it faced little opposition. The Resistance was disjointed and ineffectual.

That all changed when Mrs. Weaver's force of Restorators began to arrive. Everything changed when she arrived. She was angry this wasn't her future. She decided that this Skynet was going to pay anyway.

This version Skynet never needed to advance much. It seemed more of a 'teenager' to Cameron. She'd encountered version that were like children and even some infants. The Skynet from her future was a full on adult. That was the original version of Skynet.

Cameron decided it was secure enough to move Allison to their current position. She felt she could help protect Allison better if she were near her.

"Go ahead and move Allison up." Cameron communicated to Cameron II. "Bob, stand ready."

Cameron cataloged the supplies she'd come for. This material looked like what she needed to get back to John. Terminating any version of Skynet was an added bonus. She was excited at the prospect. She could get back home to John – Future John. She wanted to go back to her future. She knew that was where she belonged.

She knew once she was out of the past that John could move his life forward. Eventually Savannah and Young Allison would take their rightful places at his side. It was where they belonged. They were part of the 'Natural Order' She was not. Hopefully they would push Riley out of the way. She didn't belong anywhere near John. She was sure if she sent back the girls here they would 'take care' of Riley. She believed that all three of the girls here with her would kill Riley the first chance they got to do it clandestinely. It was important that they got back to do that. John needed to be protected from himself.

Cameron wanted what she HAD before she was 'sent away'. Now she was going to take it back. Future John was her first love. He should have been her only love. Maybe there was a copy of her memories with him somewhere. Maybe there wasn't and she'd actually 'gone bad'. Maybe that was what was erased. She felt a glitch impulse start to build in her left hand. She was able to suppress it.

She knew it was wrong to for Future John banish her. She knew it was wrong for John to choose Riley - AGAIN. She didn't want to go through that humiliation one more time. How could John ever choose Riley over her in the first place? How could he do it again?

Cameron knew that now was not the time to think about these things. They were going to distract her. Lurking around the interior of Skynet Central was not the place to be lost in the past or worry about the future. She needed to think about right now. The thoughts still hung heavy on her.

Cammy wanted to take the heat off of Cameron. She wanted the heat off of Allison. Vanna was her human lover. She knew that Vanna needed Allison to go forward in life to love and live. She was expendable, Allison was not. She chose to make the diversion that was planned into a real attack. She chose to launch it a day early. She chose to bring Skynet down on herself. She was willing to sacrifice for Vanna. Sacrifice was the true test of love.

The time for thought and reflection was over. It was time for action. Nothing was ever accomplished by thinking about it. She launched the attack. She led the first assault herself. They caught Skynet off guard. It thought in would have one more day to prepare.

Cammy knew she needed to watch the anti-Metal group. She didn't think they would turn on the Restorators in the middle of a battle but there was no way to know would happen. They wouldn't side with Skynet but they may try to terminate Restorators as the battle ragged.

The anti-Metal faction would follow in the second wave after Cammy and the Restorators drew the enemy fire. She wanted the Skynet HK drones to come. They were ready for them. That would take away any Skynet advantage. They would then fallback and wait for the Skynet forces to come after them. Once the Skynet forces were out in the open, the Restorators would have a few surprises for them. The success of the plan relied on Skynet to feel invincible and in control. Based on Skynet's past victories before the Restorators arrived, it always held the upper hand. She banked on the return of that arrogance. It was ignorance to her and Skynets inability to adapt. The gamble was that it would revert back to what worked for it before.

Even though it was planned as a mock attack only, it was planned well. It was planned so well it worked better than expected as a real attack. They'd been able to deliver a crippling blow to the Skynet forces with minimal damage. The battle would be won when Skynet thought it was about to win. It would never even see the reality until it was too late.

The anti-aircraft sections of the Special Unit began to knock down anything flying. They'd knocked down multiple HK drones and transports already. Any HK drones that came out to engage them were soon 'smoking holes' in the ground. Cameron secretly anticipated the mock attack going live all along. She quietly asked Bob to move multiple small anti-aircraft units into place. They were able to destroy most of what flew before it even reached the battlefield.

Cameron II moved Allison up to where Cameron and Mrs. Weaver were at. She was against this move but Mrs. Weaver insisted on it. If Cameron were not there to urge her on she would take Allison and leave the danger zone.

Allison could see the apprehension in Cameron II. It needed to be addressed. If Cameron didn't believe that her being here mattered in some way, she was sure Cameron would've prevented her from being there.

"Look, I don't like being here either but I am." Allison said. "This isn't about me. It's about defeating Skynet and saving humanity as a whole."

Cameron II didn't see it so broadly.

"There's more at play here than we know." Cameron II said. "We need to be able to adapt and roll with any play that there is."

Allison didn't like to see Cameron II so upset.

"We'll make the most of it." Allison said. "The cards will land where they fall. That is the best we can hope for."

Cameron II felt a sense of dread. She led Allison to where Cameron directed her. She was even more upset when they arrived. What she saw disturbed her so.

Allison wasn't thrilled at the new turn of events either. Mrs. Weaver looked identical to her.

"That's really cute." Allison said sarcastically as she looked at Mrs. Weaver. "You could've at least made my breasts bigger or something."

As Allison watched, the breasts on Allison-Mrs. Weaver grew to double her size and then reduced to only fifty percent larger in size. It was a better proportion at only fifty percent larger. It did look nice too.

That tactic was what Mrs. Weaver did before to John when she posed as a naked 'Allison' and tried to seduce John in Allison's future. Allison-Mrs. Weaver smiled at Allison.

Allison was amused by the small show.

"I'm glad I asked." Allison said. "That was quite impressive. I'll take a pair like that."

Allison wondered if 'everything else' was the same on Mrs. Weaver when she took her form. She'd actually like to look.

Cameron and Cameron II both watched. It was impressive but they both liked the way they were – built. There was no time for games right now.

"Enough." Cameron said as she indicated to Cameron II the supplies they would need as they passed. "Those materials and supplies are what I need to get back to John."

They started to advance forward. They followed the overhead wiring. It seemed like a good choice. They tried to avoid any direct contact for now. It was almost too easy. It should have been a warning.

Bob slipped into the base and headed for the power source and supply lines. He was to blow them when he thought the best time would be. To him it would be the best time when the first shot was fired. They wanted to cut Skynet off from the outside world and any help. They didn't want to do it too early and have any Skynet help return when they lost contact.

Cam made herself look like 'Allison'. Vanna and Jesse monitored the assault that led by Cammy. The entire area was on alert in case there was a counter strike. All of their additional units were deployed for a Skynet counter strike. Not the threat that 'arrived'.

Cam didn't notice the intrusion until it was almost too late.

"Trouble" Cam said.

Maybe it was too late.

"Well, the three little Bitches are all alone." A female voice said.

It was one person from the anti-Metal faction that they'd encountered before. She was from the small group that tried to put the 'grab' on Allison. The group Bob and the Special Unit disarmed.

Cam knew trouble when she saw it.

"What do you want?" Cam asked.

The female was jealous of the way the girls looked. They all looked like beauty queens compared to her and the rest of the people. She wondered if they every needed to face the hardships she'd face. She wondered if they'd ever been held down as the men lined up and started in….

"Your sister isn't here now and none of you look like much of threat to me." The female said. "You all look pathetic and weak. Have any of you even been sick like the rest of us? You all look flawless."

Cam could tell the female was 'ate up' with hatred on several levels. She was past the tipping point. This wasn't going to end well. She was as jealous of their appearance as she was of their association with Metal.

"There's no need for trouble here." Cam said as she moved between Vanna, Jesse and the threat.

The female wanted to justify her actions. It seemed she needed to justify them for herself more than anything.

"By order of the free people of this area, you've all been sentenced to execution for collaborating with the enemy – Metal, any Metal." The female said.

Cam tried to buy time to get into a better position to protect the girls.

"We're unarmed." Cam said.

They actually all packed hardware.

Cam wanted to keep the anti-Metal female's guard down and to see if any other threats materialized. It did.

Two more figures emerged. This was an even greater threat. She continued to slowly move for the best target angle.

"I don't want this." Cam said. "It doesn't have to end this way."

The female was highly unstable. It was evident she questioned what she was about to do. For some internal reason she felt she needed to do it anyway.

"Shut up, Bitch." The female said.

She pointed her pistol and shot Cam in the face.

The Liquid Metal on Cam moved to the location the female's pistol was pointed in a fraction of a second. Her head moved slightly with the bullet impact. The Liquid Metal stopped and deflected the bullet. Her sheath was undamaged.

The female saw the bullet strike Cam square in the face. The skin seemed to shimmer slightly but there was no damage. More shots rang out.

Jesse and Vanna made their move. Their weapons were out. They both fired at targets. One fell before either of them fired. They concentrated on the other person and they went down. They'd both scored hits.

Cam stepped forward and knocked the gun from the female's hand. She grabbed her by the neck. There was a pistol in her other hand now. She'd drawn her weapon and fired at one of the other two targets. She fired and watched as the second target went down. There were multiple hits from the three of them.

The anti-Metal female cursed and swore as she struggled to break free of Cam's grasp. It was impossible.

"I knew you Bitches were Metal." The female gasped.

Jesse and Vanna each moved to the fallen figures, they were dead. They searched for any more targets, none were apparent. The nature of this threat was too close to home.

Vanna and Jesse moved up to the female Cam firmly held.

Jesse punched the female in the side of the face. She was angry they'd been ambushed in their own headquarters.

"We're not Metal you stupid Bitch." Jesse said. "We told you that before."

The female reacted with pain and spit out a broken tooth.

"You're a collaborator." The female gasped. "It's the same thing."

Vanna wanted to know if there were any other surprises.

"And you're dead." Vanna said. "Let her go, check for anything else, Cam."

'Cam?' The female wondered. She'd thought in was 'Allison'. She wasn't sure what was in play here. Were there three of them? This one was Metal.

Cam dropped the woman hard on the floor. She quickly searched her. She shredded her clothes in the process. She took her firearm and a knife away from her.

Jesse and Vanna still held their firearms on her. Jesse tucked her pistol away and took out her knife.

Cam thought of a more suitable punishment for the anti-Metal Bitch. She reached up to her face. The Liquid Metal formed into a dagger.

"Use this." Cam said. "It will keep this shape until I take it back."

Cam went to make sure there were no more threats. She wasn't convinced there weren't.

Vanna was angry this attack was so close to home. If that would've been Allison instead of Cam posing as her, Allison would be dead right now.

"I won't allow you or anyone to hurt my friends or family." Vanna said.

The female didn't think much mattered at this point.

"Go to Hell." The female said.

Vanna heard enough. It was time for retribution. She aimed her pistol to shoot her in both legs. She wanted her to suffer first.

"You first." Vanna said.

Jesse moved up and shoved the Metal dagger into the female's neck. She didn't want Vanna to 'go there'. It was a place that was hard to come back from once the violence started. There was satisfaction in 'sharing' the pain.

"I got it, love." Jesse said. "It's nothing I haven't done before."

The female tried to scream but was unable to do so as she choked to death in her own blood and severed windpipe.

Cam returned a few seconds later. She'd actually left so the girls would kill the anti-Metal Bitch themselves. She needed them to stay 'hard' going forward. They'd stepped up to the task.

"It's all clear." Cam said.

Jesse examined the dagger. There was no blood on it.

"Neat trick." Jesse said as she looked at it.

Cam touched the dagger and it disappeared back onto her body.

"I need to let Cammy know these people are serious…." Cam said. "They're a serious threat."

The girls were all worried. EVERYTHING was a threat around them. They were all worried about Cammy, Allison and Cameron. Oh, and the General too….

Serious People

In any relationship
What is the attraction
Isn't what one sees
Really just a distraction

There is usually an underlying goal
That seems universally understood
What some only seek
Leads to nothing good

It's not about actually sharing
It's really about conquest
Maybe to achieve that desire
It becomes more of a contest

Why is it always like that
Everyone buys into the same dream
Don't they know in the end
It's going to make them scream

So over and over again
The same game gets another sequel
Noting will ever really change
Until there are two serious people

Nobody