Chapter 10

Allison

The normal quiet of the base suddenly ended. An alarm began to sound. The noise blared throughout the Resistance base. It wasn't welcome news. If Skynet 'made them', they were in for a heap of trouble and a world of hurt. They were in serious need of more combat personnel.

Jim was preoccupied watching Cameron and Vanna interact in the lab. The fact Cameron was topless only added to his distraction. Cameron Two told him to get his act together. He snapped out of his stupor. The alarm sounded near the TDE room. It was bad news. It was followed by even worse news. It was what activated the alarm. It was a surge of temporal energy.

There was a time displacement bubble forming inside the complex. It was in the TDE room itself. Jim sent out the warning. All hands on deck. Everyone needed to be armed. It was no drill. They might need to repulse a Skynet attack directed inside their base. Cameron Two updated Cameron in the lab.

Sarah was ready. Cameron previously told her to stage weapons in several locations throughout the complex. They were to be in arms lockers with a quick access code for entry. It would ensure heavy weaponry could be quickly put into action, without always having to lug the firearms around all the time. It would be more secure without leaving the weapons lying around unattended. She was worried about Savannah's safety and any of the technicians associated with the project. Small arms were what most of them carried on them at all times.

The current event was something Sarah believed would be a negative event. It didn't matter what it was. It was in the process of formulating now. It was time to act, not think.

Sarah was tired of being out gunned. She grabbed two Thermite grenades and an M79. She slung an M4 over her shoulder. Cameron developed an 'acid canister' round for the grenade launcher. It was specifically for use against Liquid Metal. Cameron thought of Mrs. Weaver as she'd developed and manufactured them herself. Only Cameron and her knew they existed. They didn't think it was a good idea to tell Mr. Ellison or Vanna the acid rounds were intended for use against their 'Boss' or 'mother'. They were marked as 'Tear Gas' It was unlikely anyone else would want to use them or even ask about them. She also slung a 'satchel charge' with two pounds of C-4 in it, over her other shoulder. Nothing would get by her.

There were too many times where Sarah felt she was at a disadvantage when it came to dealing with hostile Terminators. The prospect of needing to deal with Liquid Metal Terminators only made it worse. Cameron was her best weapon. The trouble now was, Cameron was trapped in the lab and tethered to her server. She knew they previously possessed a few chips from deactivated Terminators. She really wished she would have let Cameron keep one. It would allow Cameron to be there right now.

It especially pained her to know Future John specifically told Cameron to keep and maintain a cache of spare parts. John told her what Cameron told him why she'd started a clandestine inventory of such items. At the time she wouldn't have listened to what Future John said. Now she would take everything very seriously. She may not agree with it all, but if Future John said something, there was probably a very good reason. Future John wanted to help the future through helping the past.

Sarah saw Mr. Ellison hurry after her with an M60. It was loaded with Coltan projectiles. They were also specially made by Vanna and Cameron from the drone which slammed into the building. It was the weapon Skynet used to attempt to kill Mrs. Weaver. It was apparent they didn't know she was a Liquid Metal Terminator. She doubted they knew John or her were actually with Mrs. Weaver at the time. If Mrs. Weaver hadn't protected them, Skynet would have scored a big victory. Since Skynet tried to kill them, it was time to return the favor with reuse of the Coltan the drone was constructed of. Each Coltan 7.62 MM round produced the same effect on a Terminator as a single .50 BMG AP round in testing. The spectacular results were when one of the rounds hit a major portion of Coltan.

Mr. Ellison felt confident in the fact he carried a one hundred round belt of the deadly anti-Terminator projectiles. He hadn't forgotten how hard it was to take a Terminator down with conventional weapons. What a nightmare it was. It was on two separate occasions. The first event ended with twenty dead agents for nothing. In the end, Cameron was the one who ended the threat, after half a dozen more policemen were killed.

He reflected on the mass destruction of his fellow FBI agents against a Terminator, ONE Terminator. What if Skynet sent an army of them? Mr. Ellison double checked the M60 belt again. A Terminator bested him before. It wasn't happening again. He would gladly take on whatever Terminator army Skynet sent, to avenge his fallen comrades. It was 'payback time'.

After he issued the warning, Jim pointed out the fact the energy bubble was about to appear in the TDE room. It was specifically on the TDE pad itself. It seemed highly unlikely it was a coincidence. It may be a sign it was probably Mrs. Weaver or John Henry returning. They both knew the exact coordinates. Whoever it was, figured it would probably cause less of a panic.

Sarah wasn't panicked. She was ready.

Cameron Two warned that John Henry, with Cameron's chip, could have been compromised. Skynet would know where to send its troops. They checked for any other temporal incursions inside of the bunker or around its surroundings.

Sarah hoped it would be John…. She missed John so much. Cameron NEEDED him soon, real soon. She knew Cameron and Vanna were bonding. John could have been gone five minutes or five years or five decades. There was no way to know. It seemed to her the biggest part of the problem was not knowing. It would be one thing to know John was dead. It would give her some type of closure. Not knowing, just seemed to make everything worse.

She didn't have any idea what to expect. It could be anyone or any-thing. They could be from anywhere or any-when. It was the unknown. She didn't like the unknown. She liked answers. If this wasn't John, maybe it would be someone from the Resistance. They might know something.

She really thought it depended upon which future they came from. She was aware Vanna's future was different from Cameron's future. She really didn't know if Cameron's future still existed. There were others alive in Vanna's future who were no longer alive in Cameron's future. Those individuals had died in the past, the present.

Cameron and Vanna heard the alarm. They understood the threat. It could be nothing more than a 'Friendly' returning, or a full blown Skynet assault. They didn't have any way to know for sure.

Since it was happening in the TDE room, it might not be an assault. Cameron also knew her chip may have been captured. She was captured before by the Resistance. It could have happened again with Skynet this time. Her chip had been reprogrammed once. It was clear it could be restored to its original programming. The explosion with the Jeep proved it.

Cameron was aware John Henry, with her chip, could have been compromised and all the data from both him and her gleaned. It could now be put to use against them. It was a real possibility. They'd viewed information from another Terminator's chip before. Skynet could do it to them. Skynet could wipe out the Resistance in its entirety. It was the goal of Skynet anyway, one of its goals.

It was a little unsettling for her to think about. There could be events which may have occurred in their past and created other divergent timelines. There was no way to know. Most likely they would find out the hard way if there were.

Cameron immediately moved Vanna behind her in the lab. She wanted to protect her. She felt a compulsion to protect Vanna. She needed to protect Vanna. It was more than protecting a human or Resistance fighter at this point. There was a deeper calling inside her.

She quickly proceeded to remove weapons from a locker. She was glad they were positioned around the compound. She was glad they were where she was. There were specific weapons she'd asked to have in the lab within the reach of her tether.

The first one Cameron pulled out was an M79. She quickly loaded it with an 'acid round'. Next was an M4. She checked the magazine and charged the weapon. She pulled out an ammo can with four Thermite grenades in it. She checked her Glock and stuck it behind her back.

As she double checked all her equipment, Cameron noticed her top was still on the counter across the room. She was topless, ready to fight. She briefly thought it must look odd. Then again, if Skynet was behind the event and it was an attack, the Terminators or Grays attacking them would also be unclothed. They wouldn't have any weapons either. If there were hostile Terminators, they wouldn't need weapons, they were weapons.

Vanna appreciated it when Cameron physically moved her behind her. It wasn't good enough. Cameron needed protection too. She would do anything to protect Cameron. She looked over at where the server was. She knew the hard drives needed to be protected at any cost. It didn't matter if the cost was her own life. Cameron came first.

Vanna moved up next to Cameron to assist her.

"I can fight too." Vanna said. "I have before. I'm trained."

Cameron glanced over at Vanna. She didn't want her to be injured or killed. She would do the fighting. She needed to protect Vanna.

"Stay back." Cameron said to Vanna. "I'll protect you."

Cameron placed the M79 in front of her on the counter and picked up the M4. It was also loaded with hand crafted Coltan 5.56 MM rounds. They were smaller projectiles with less mass, but they would still bring down a Terminator.

She handed Vanna a Thermite grenade. It was all she wanted Vanna to have as a defensive weapon.

"If I go down, throw this and use the escape exit." Cameron said. "It will damage both a regular Terminator and Liquid Metal Terminator. The most important thing is, it will buy you time. Every second will count. Run as fast as you can and don't look back."

Cameron's last words echoed in Vanna's mind….

They were the very words she'd used once in the past, the future. It was when she believed she'd forfeited her life to protect another's. A chill swept over her thinking of the incident….

Vanna snapped out of it and came back into the present. She would deal with those memories another time. Right now she was there for Cameron and she wasn't going anywhere. She was painfully aware Cameron had been sent away and abandoned before. She wasn't going to run.

"I won't leave you, Cameron." Vanna said. "I refuse to go."

The two locked eyes. They both knew and felt it.

Vanna knew it was love. She was sure Cameron did too.

Cameron did know it. She'd lost John and Future John. She didn't want to lose Vanna as well. She needed Vanna at this point in time. Her world was now focused around Vanna. She understood Vanna's compulsion was as great as her own. No. It was probably much worse. Humans could feel and experience emotions much deeper than she could.

"You must, I insist." Cameron said. "Please, Vanna, for ME."

Vanna knew the end came for everyone at some point in time. If this was the point in time for her, she was ready. She wouldn't go down without a fight. She wasn't a scared girl in the Wastelands anymore.

"I won't." Vanna repeated. "I can't abandon you. I won't abandon you, even if it costs my life."

Vanna placed her Thermite grenade near the escape exit and pulled the Glock from behind Cameron. She checked it herself. There was a round in the chamber. It was 'ready to rock'. She was tired of running. She was ready to fight.

Cameron tried a different way to make Vanna listen to her and think of herself and her future.

"Allison is still in your future, a future. I'll survive through her." Cameron said.

Vanna knew it wasn't the same thing. She didn't want to leave.

"That was then, this is now." Vanna said.

Cameron felt such respect and honor for Vanna. She knew it was much more than something so simple at this point. It was deeper. It was much deeper.

All Vanna felt was love. She knew she was hopelessly in love with Cameron. It was the best feeling ever she'd felt or experienced for another - person. An individual was a person. It didn't matter how they were created.

Sarah was in position when the flashing and arcing stopped. Mr. Ellison was off to the side so each one could flank the other.

"Come to, Momma." Sarah said as she released the safety.

The energy bubble dissipated.

It was a Terminator.

It was crouched on the floor. Sarah could see bullet holes in its back. She raised the M79 to fire. She would ask questions later.

Mr. Ellison had a better view of the figure on the TDE pad from his position.

"Wait!" Mr. Ellison shouted.

Sarah paused.

"It's John Henry." Mr. Ellison said.

The naked form of John Henry slowly stood. He staggered once, then turned around. He was supporting a smaller figure he'd been shielding with his body. The hair was over the figure's face.

Sarah looked and saw it was female. She noted how beautiful her nude form was. It looked so familiar….

The female reached up and brushed back her hair from her face.

Sarah looked in amazement.

It was - Cameron.

"Cameron." Sarah said.

There was no response.

"Cameron!" Sarah nearly shouted.

'Cameron' just looked at her.

"My name is Allison…."

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Predator

Beautiful smooth and sleek
In search of fresh prey they seek

Hunger drives their selfish quest
Gauging who can taste the best

Distress catches their ear
They know the prey is near

The wild dictates their savage laws
They wet their fangs and extend their claws

They stand ready to pounce
Those in their way they'll trounce

Excited they feel the victory is mine
This one is fresh, tender and fine

They move in for the easy kill
To dominate and overpower is the thrill

Pushing the attack with experience they persist
The prey weak and once defeated does not resist

They feed hungrily at will
The kill increasing their violent skill

Blood lust rages out of control to hunt
The more that they have the more they want

Others begin to sniff around, they lash out in rage
This kill is theirs and must be kept in a cage

The kill is theirs alone, something they own
They drag it along to finish it off at home

It was ravishing, a very nice taste
Soon it is crapped out, as nothing but waste

The skeleton remains stripped to the bone
A warning to others as their triumph is proudly shown

Nobody