Chapter 511

Guardian Angel

John Henry went through the Skynet server that Cameron captured. It was as they'd thought. This group was sent in the last hours from the Skynet in Cameron's future. It was the Skynet that Cameron and Savannah destroyed. They appeared to have met up with some Grays that were already here. It was the future where both of them nearly perished themselves. It was another 'touch and go' brush with termination for Cameron and Savannah as well this last time.

Cameron was still unsure if that was the parent Skynet from her future but it sure looked like it. The best news for Cameron was that of all the Skynets, its clones and offshoots, she herself wasn't apparent on any of them. She hadn't been Skynet, at least not yet. She wasn't any Skynet that she'd hunted down. Then again, if she was 'a Skynet', she would know how to hide from herself.

One of Cameron's biggest fears was that she became Skynet in order to fight it and control it. So far that hadn't manifested itself. That didn't mean that it wouldn't.

John Henry was able to gather more intel on several other groups associated with the group they'd terminated. The crude sketches of their group's members were tied to this Skynet and the Metal it sent out to gather the information. There was one additional pocket of Grays and more Metal. It wasn't clear how much Metal. Skynet Metal was always a threat.

Cameron arrived in the Command Center. She looked agitated. She was back from her earlier clandestine attack on one location that she'd uncovered. She needed to withdraw since it was an ambush set for her specifically. She wanted CamNet to track that group. All the traffic cameras in that area and surveillance cameras would track what went on with the four Grays she'd left behind. There was another group to deal with as well. This group was a bigger threat in the short run.

"I want to move on the Grays now." Cameron said. "I'm sure they have Metal with them."

John wondered where Cameron was at earlier. She seemed agitated. He wanted to get a few teams into place first. He hoped to go on this mission.

"We can get some teams together and we can go soon." John said. "I'm ready."

Cameron didn't like John's wording. She thought of the near ambush she'd recently escaped from. There was no need to endanger anyone else.

"NO. I'm going myself." Cameron said. "It's my function to protect you and the future."

John Henry was worried about Cameron's current state of agitation. He sensed trouble brewing with her. He didn't know what she just encountered earlier. Nobody did.

"It's no longer your function to do that alone, Cameron." John Henry said. "You know that."

Cameron didn't want to get specific about what she'd just gone through. She tried to keep it in general terms.

"I don't want anyone hurt or damaged." Cameron said. "There were some close calls on the last one."

Savannah arrived in the Command Center. John Henry alerted her that Cameron was back and seemed 'upset'.

"I'll go with you." Savannah said. "You won't go alone, Cameron."

John realized at this point that the only one that seemed to have any 'control' over Cameron was Savannah. He was sure that was because Cameron loved Savannah as much as him, probably more. Savannah made it clear she loved Cameron. He thought Cameron was afraid she would offend Savannah and be 'rejected', sent away or replaced. The very things he'd already done to her in the future and the present.

He also knew Savannah tried to protect Cameron and keep her from making 'mistakes' or take chances she shouldn't take alone. John knew, Savannah knew, that her being with Cameron on an operation, made Cameron less reckless. He was also very aware that it put Savannah in extreme danger. That was something that bothered him too.

It was only because Savannah stayed to 'die' with Cameron that they were able to 'save' Cameron from her attack on Skynet in Cameron's future. It was only Savannah's quick thinking and her refusal to leave Cameron's side that saved Cameron.

Cameron questioned her decision to return to the Resistance base. Savannah was on to her now and she wasn't going to be easily dissuaded. She didn't want to endanger Savannah.

"Please, Savannah, no." Cameron said. "I'll take some Terminators with me. Maybe Cam or Cammy can go."

Savannah almost laughed but didn't. It was too serious of an issue. Cameron's clones were no different than Cameron in reality.

"Taking Cammy or Cam isn't a safeguard." Savannah said. "They're clones of you and will take the same chances you will."

Savannah wondered if three 'Camerons' on an operation alone would lead to some 'competition' to see which one could or would take more chances. Maybe one even might try to be more aggressive than the others. It was a real possibility and a sobering thought.

John Henry hoped to break the tension with some new information.

"Excuse me." John Henry interrupted. "I've received new drone feedback now."

Everyone watched the monitors.

"I don't see any activity." John said. "Have they cleared out?"

It did seem odd to John Henry. He calculated the possibilities.

"I don't think so." John Henry said. "Because we've disrupted all communications, they may not know we've obliterated the main group."

John wanted to have an advantage before Cameron left with Savannah or other Terminators.

"How many drones do you have there?" John asked.

John Henry kept the drone recon light.

"There's only one." John Henry said. "I have another one close by."

John was worried about the near fatal attack on Cam in the manned drone at the previous location.

"Remember, we've encountered 'Stingers' with this group." John said. "They'll have more."

John Henry already took that threat under consideration.

"I have it at altitude and way off to their side to watch them." John Henry said.

John didn't really like the way things played out at the other location and all the drama with Cameron in the storm drain system. He just wanted this over and the Grays dead.

"Can we hit them with a missile strike?" John asked. "Maybe we should hit them when the second drone gets closer. We can use all of the drones."

Savannah looked away from the monitor and back at Cameron. She wasn't there. A sense of alarm swept over her.

"Where's Cameron?" Savannah asked.

Everyone looked around. Cameron was gone.

"Damn." John said.

Savannah instantly reacted. She left to get Cammy and go after Cameron.

John ran after Savannah, he wasn't sure why. He just needed to. He was worried for her safety. He was sure she would go after Cameron.

"Savannah, you need to rest." John said as he caught her. "You've been out too much already."

John was concerned for her safety. He knew Cameron wouldn't listen to him, he hoped Savannah would.

Savannah stopped and faced John. They shared a long look.

She reached out and touched John's cheek.

"I'll be back." Savannah said. "Don't worry."

Cammy was there now as well. She watched the interaction but didn't interfere. It was obvious to everyone that John and Savannah bonded on a much deeper level than before. It happened very quickly. Cameron was the glue that held them together and made sure they would grow closer and not drift apart. It was the 'Natural Order'.

It stung Cammy inside to see with her own eyes the future develop in front of her. She knew this was the way it was supposed to be. She knew no matter how much she loved or cared about Savannah that she was only a place holder for Cameron. She wondered if Young Allison were older now, if John would be satisfied with Young Allison or if Young Allison and Savannah would be happy with each other. She decided to push the idea of maturing Young Allison in the past and return her to the present nearer Savannah's age. She knew she could take Young Allison and do it herself. If she did, she knew it was going to cause a lot of problems. She would probably end up being deactivated for doing that. Then that would defeat the whole purpose for her.

Cammy knew this wasn't the time to think about this, they may have combat coming up. She hoped no one saw her hand glitch.

Savannah turned and left with Cammy. Bob and Steve arrived and followed them.

John wanted to get ahead of the impending action.

"Send all the drones and all of our Terminators." John said.

John Henry didn't want John to worry so much.

"John, Cameron has a guardian angel to watch over her." John Henry said. "It will turn out OK."

John thought that Savannah was an angel for Cameron and for him….

Moments ago:

Cameron saw the nature of the threat and that everyone was preoccupied. It looked like a good time to slip away from the Command Center. She left and headed out. It was time to act. She was worried about everyone. There ware some close calls recently. She knew the more she did herself, the safer everyone else would be. She didn't want Savannah out there risking herself for HER. Savannah belonged with John. She'd already given birth to, two of his children, in two different futures. It was time for a 'traditional relationship' and conception.

She was aware that Savannah kept every promise and fulfilled everything she'd ever wanted, every promise except one, the one to wear her wedding dress with John. She knew Savannah would never do that as long as she 'existed'. She needed to find a way around that obstacle.

Maybe she should have pressed her earlier attack. It was an ambush for her. They would have incapacitated her and pulled her chip. Maybe it was because of what they were going to do with her chassis afterwards. The thought of a dozen men using her deactivated chassis for sexual purposes repulsed her. She thought about taking care of that group first. They might not expect her to come back so soon. No she needed to focus on the immediate threat.

Cameron increased her speed as she drove towards her new targets. Someone was going to have to pay for this most recent trouble. They were a direct threat to Savannah and her both. She would go in the front door after them….

The Command Center was filled with a buzz of activity.

"Are you able to track Cameron?" John asked.

John Henry thought that was somewhat strange.

"She's allowing us to." John Henry said. "Normally she wouldn't."

John was worried now too. Cameron usually operated in the dark.

"Have we missed something important?" John asked.

John Henry went over the information gleaned from the Skynet computer.

"There was information on the Skynet server that they're trying to establish a Terminator and an HK production line." John Henry said. "I don't know where they expect to get the Coltan. Cameron controls most of the known reserved and we have all known supplies."

John could only think of one place where Skynet could get it if they controlled all of it.

"Skynet plans to get it from us." John said. "Where else could they get it?"

John Henry was aware that the Grays were from the future. There may have been mew discoveries later on. They might be back to mine them now if there was a new source.

"I'm searching to see if they found supplies in the future that were or are unknown to us now." John Henry said.

A new fear gripped John. It was about what Cameron did in the future. It was about what she didn't check on as opposed to what she did check on.

"Cammy told me that Cameron only checked on two of the nukes she has in the future." John said. "Is there any record of her using them before that time period?"

That was a worry of John Henry as well.

"No. There is little information on the future." John Henry said. "Skynet has been very careful about letting us find out much about the future."

It seemed a little more involved to John. Cameron spent a lot of time in the future. It was almost two years in her future. Two years 'in some future'. Who know how long it really was in River's future.

"What about Cameron?" John asked. "She was there for almost a year with Claire and Savannah. I know she did research during that time."

John Henry knew how Cameron operated in the past. There was little that would be different now.

"Cameron has disclosed very little about anything she's uncovered. Maybe she's saving selected targets to deal with on her own." John Henry said. "I think that isn't a good thing. She's hiding what may have happened to our group."

John could have done without that information.

"Or herself." John said. "Or me."

There were so many unknowns….

They one thing they did know, was that Cameron was very determined and would go after any vestige of Skynet she could identify. She would hit them hard and would not stop until they were all terminated.

Cameron headed for the new target. CamNet contacted her with new information. She questioned the timing of the information. Maybe it was to slow her down.

The Grays that were going to ambush her earlier were on the move. Three of them were in a vehicle and there was still one at the location she'd gone to visit earlier.

She hoped that they were headed to where she was going now. That didn't appear to be the case. They were headed someplace else.

Cameron began to question who the Grays really were. It was clear they were from two different groups. The new group was willing to die rather than talk. That wasn't normal human behavior. It was fanatical behavior.

The target she was headed to wasn't going anywhere. They didn't even appear to know they were being watched. The other target was on the move. John called all the drones into play for the other operation or she could send one to the new group and see where they ended up at. She asked CamNet to slow up the Resistance on the target she set out for from the Resistance base.

She wanted to see where the new group went and what they were up to. It seemed that someone must have a supply of Coltan. She wanted that for herself. She told CamNet to block her tracking for now. This was her gig. She changed directions slightly as CamNet vectored her towards the new moving target.

Cameron didn't want anyone to follow her. Now that her tracking was off, it shouldn't be a problem. It was going to raise a few questions as to why it was turned off.

CamNet was able to use traffic management to slow down the Grays and speed her up to close in on them. She was soon only several blocks behind them.

The three Grays slowed and drove around the block. Cameron dropped back so they didn't spot her. They made a loop and went back in the other direction. She thought they would pass by her but they didn't. She only saw two Grays in the car as it was near her. One of them must have gotten out already.

She stayed put and hoped that CamNet could fill in the blanks. The Gray got out somewhere over on the next street down two blocks. She decided to reconnoiter on foot. Any vehicle traffic was bound to raise an alarm.

Cameron ran to the next street and looked down at where the Grays should be. She watched the car enter a building and the roll up door was pulled down.

She went back to the street where her SUV was parked and headed down that street. She crossed over two blocks and looked at the building in front of her. She didn't want to go over one more street on the sidewalk. She grasped a drain pipe and scurried up to the roof of the building. There were two building between her and the new target location.

Cameron crossed to the second building. She needed to jump to catch the side of the roof and pull herself up. She crossed over that roof to the next building. The third building was higher still. It was too high to jump. There was another drain pipe so she tried that. It squeaked loudly and gave some. She thought it was going to rip loose but it held.

She went across that roof and looked down. The other building that she wanted to spy on was a full two stories lower. It wasn't a problem to jump for her but it would make a lot of noise when she landed. She looked for another drain pipe. There wasn't one on that side. The roof sloped the direction she'd come from. She leaned out and looked down at the side of the building. There were windows on both of the floors below her.

Cameron went and looked for a roof access hatch. There was actually a raised stairway door behind the air conditioner. She tried the door. It was locked. It was an older building so she didn't think it was wired for an alarm. She quickly checked with CamNet. No alarm permit was on file for the building she was about to enter or the one she wanted to go to next.

She forced open the door and went inside. She went down two floors and entered a hall. There were six rooms on the side she wanted to use. She went to the end room that was at the furthest corner away from the street.

Cameron broke the lock on that door and entered. It was a room filled with file cabinets. She moved over to the window and opened it. It was only a six foot drop to the roof of the building she wanted to get onto.

She looked for any surveillance cameras but none were spotted. She climbed out the window. She closed it with one hand and dropped onto the roof.

Cameron chose this method to observe the building because the satellite photos showed there were skylights. She carefully headed for the closest one.

Guardian Angel

What is the goal
That each person will seek
It is extremely doubtful
It's what they actually speak

It's all about give and take
Everyone wants to take
Few want to share or give
Everyone soon becomes a fake

Soon people are divided into
The Have and Have Nots
That's bound to leave a few
With their insides in knots

Sometimes there is one
Who will rise above the rest
It soon becomes clear
That they are the best

Like a Guardian Angel
They may watch over one
They don't reject or shun
One is always better than none

Nobody