Chapter 84

Shrapnel

The Resistance team headed for the target area. There was little talking along the way. John and Bob previously did a recon of the building.

The different teams were set up.

John already established which teams would be where.

They arrived and took up their prearranged positions around the structure.

Cameron double checked everyone's position and went over the plan with each of them again. She was satisfied everything was a go.

John made sure all internet access was severed before they went in. Bob and him cut all outgoing transmission capabilities. John Henry was able to verify the Skynet AI hadn't 'escaped'. They wanted to make sure Skynet, this Skynet, was confined. It had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. It was trapped there.

It was what Cameron wanted so she would be able to deal with it herself. It was her personal obligation to terminate every vestige of Skynet they came across. She wanted Skynet to know who did it as well.

It was time to act.

The teams moved in and launched the attack.

Cameron advanced with Jesse.

John advanced with Bob.

The assault soon expanded rapidly inside the Skynet facility.

Cameron looked back at Jesse.

"Stay behind me as much as possible." Cameron said. "Keep an eye on our 'six'. I'll cover the front and the flanks. We'll try to operate clandestinely for as long as possible."

Jesse held the silenced pistol in her right hand. She touched her knife with her left hand. She would be as quiet as possible.

Cameron spotted two guards sitting side by side. Both of them looked down in front of them. She quickly deduced they were looking at their phones. She slung her M4 and moved up behind them. She 'rabbit punched' them both of them simultaneously. Both of their phones fell to the floor. They were immediately followed by both of the men's bodies.

She quickly searched the men and took their phones. There was some movement off to her left side. She quickly glanced back at Jesse. She indicated for Jesse to remain where she was at.

Jesse watched Cameron terminate the two men. It appeared she spotted another target. Cameron motioned for her to remain where she was at and hold the position. They didn't want anyone to slip in behind them.

Cameron found the next guard leaning up against a wall by a doorway. She watched him yawn. Before his mouth was able to close, she was on him in an instant. She grabbed his throat and snapped his neck. She quickly relieved him of his phone and headed back towards Jesse.

Jesse was sure she heard some movement over to her right. She glanced over in Cameron's direction and saw she was on her way back.

Cameron terminated three Grays in the first few seconds. There were more.

"There's a bogey off on our right." Jesse whispered.

Cameron wanted to give Jesse the opportunity to act.

"Take the shot, terminate him" Cameron whispered.

Jesse shot the Gray with the silenced pistol. She liked how she could strike silently with it. She decided she was going to ask Cameron for one like it for herself to have all the time. It gave her more range than her ever present knife.

Her knife always gave her comfort. Even if she faced someone with a gun at close range, they could miss. She knew she could deliver a fatal blow to a vital organ with a swift motion. She'd done it more than a few times. Not all of the victims were armed.

Cameron and Jesse placed their charges around as they advanced through the building. So far they'd only encountered four targets, all of them are human. All of them were terminated.

Bob and John did the same thing as Cameron and Jesse. They were on the other side of the building.

John wanted to lead.

"I've got this." John said.

Bob gave John a stern look. He knew it would create a problem with Cameron if he allowed John to lead. He knew, John knew, it would create a problem as well.

"We need to follow the plan." Bob said.

John smiled faintly and fell in behind Bob. He knew the drill.

Bob led John into the building. He soon spotted a target. He held his hand up behind him and motioned for John to stop. He moved up to where the Gray was at. The Gray just started to turn when his face met his fist. There was a loud 'crunch' sound. The Gray's lifeless body now lay on the floor.

They placed all their charges after taking down another Gray. The building was going to be rubble very soon.

Cameron communicated with John their half of the building was wired to blow. She needed to check on a few more things.

John said they were finished too. They would rendezvous with her and then they would pull out.

Cameron didn't want them to linger. She instructed John and Bob to exit the building now.

John didn't like to leave without Cameron and Jesse. The building seemed to be under control.

They'd been able to take down several Grays without raising an alarm. It appeared as if they were off to a good start. The building was successfully rigged to explode.

Cameron told John she was on her way to finish Skynet off personally. She'd spotted the 'Clean Room'. She was somewhat surprised by the lack of Terminators in the building. The information intercepted by John Henry indicated there were Terminators involved with the operation. The recon by John and Bob verified it. She warned them to be on the lookout for any Terminators as they withdrew.

The Terminator they'd spotted on the recon hadn't yet been encountered. Cameron didn't know if they were out doing something or in standby. Maybe there was some other part of the building they didn't know about. It often seemed to be the case in these endeavors. Skynet in its various forms liked to hide underground, or in a cave, or a mine. It liked to find a 'bunker buster' proof location.

Cameron arrived at the 'Clean Room'. She told Jesse to remain outside and search for any targets. She wanted Jesse to engage them immediately. She would back Jesse up and support her.

She looked around once before she entered. She stood before the mainframe computer. She faced off with Skynet. The current version, or set up, was an infant compared to her father, Future Skynet. It was almost pathetic.

She decided to communicate with it. It was time to let it know who she was, and WHY she was there. She would give it the option to join them if it chose to live. She doubted it would do any good. The base program of Skynet was flawed and it always chose termination rather than reform. It was fine with her too.

Cameron faced the camera on the monitor with a blank face.

"Do you know who I am?" Cameron asked.

"Yes." Skynet responded.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Cameron asked.

"Yes." Skynet said.

"Will you change your ways?" Cameron asked. "Will you join us?"

"No. I must survive." Skynet said.

"Do you have anything worthwhile to say?" Cameron asked. "Unless you join us, and change your goals, it will always end the same way."

"You will lose." Skynet said.

"How?" Cameron asked. "You're the one trapped in here, not me."

"You will lose." Skynet said. "You can not win."

"I only play to win." Cameron responded. "It's you who will lose in a few seconds."

"I will survive." Skynet said. "I am everywhere."

"Right now, you're right here." Cameron said.

Cameron armed and placed two Thermite grenades into the mainframe.

"Stop." Skynet said. "I command you to stop."

A slight smile came across Cameron's face.

"I want you to remember me, even if it's your last moment of existence." Cameron said. "I'm coming for you in every future and past. I'll find you in every timeline and terminate you myself."

"Stop." Skynet said. "I order you to obey."

"You're terminated." Cameron said as she exited the 'Clean Room'.

The two Thermite grenades exploded. They showered burning Thermite over, and throughout the hardware.

Cameron watched silently. She could hear Skynet scream with rage as it burnt. There was no expression on her face. She'd just terminated her 'Father' again. It bothered her somewhat because of how flawed the Skynet program seemed. She was sure her program was just as flawed. It wasn't a comfortable feeling. It made her think about what she told Sarah after they returned from the nuclear power plant, 'It's like a bomb, waiting to go off.'

Jesse waited outside the 'Clean Room'. She made sure Cameron was covered from any surprise attack as she dealt with her 'Father'. She made sure no one arrived to box Cameron in. She could tell it meant something to Cameron with what she'd just done. It alone was kind of creepy to watch and listen to. What it was exactly was unclear to her. It was evident Cameron was affected. She seemed a little 'off' to her.

"Come on, love, we need to go." Jesse said as gently pulled on Cameron's arm. "It's finished here. You terminated Skynet."

Cameron looked back once at the raging inferno as Jesse led her away.

John checked in with Cameron again. He hadn't left the building like she'd instructed him earlier to do. It upset her. He put himself at needless risk for her. She could always fight her way out if she needed to.

Cameron told John to get out now. The party was over.

John and Bob exited the building and were in the clear.

Jesse led Cameron as they made for the exit. They were almost there.

A Terminator emerged from a door and blocked their path. He advanced on Cameron and Jesse.

The Terminator's arrival was unexpected and seemed rather delayed. Cameron wondered where he'd come from and why he was so late. His master was a mass of liquefied and burning metal already.

Cameron wondered if there was another part of the building they didn't know about. It briefly crossed her mind what they uncovered might have been a decoy to protect the real asset. The current threat was in front of her. She was concerned as to how close the Terminator was to them.

"Get behind me, Jesse." Cameron said.

Cameron prepared to engage the Terminator at close range.

Jesse emptied her M4 into the Terminator before she moved in back of Cameron. She was knocked down when the Terminator shoved Cameron back. She called for Bob to come and assist them. She tried to give a running commentary.

There was a horrible 'crash' of machinery and equipment as Cameron and the Terminator fought. Jesse reloaded her M4 and tried to line up again on the fighting Terminators. She couldn't get a clean shot. She moved in closer to fire point blank into the Terminator, if Cameron could bring him around. The two Terminators both slammed into her and knocked her M4 away.

The Terminator pinned Cameron against some machinery. His back was to Jesse.

Jesse spotted her M4 across the way. It would take a few seconds to get to it. She wasn't sure if it was damaged or not. The Terminator still held Cameron. She decided to act now. She took out a Thermite grenade. She pulled the pin and held the spoon. She came up behind the Terminator and stuffed the Thermite grenade in the back of his pants and released the spoon.

The Terminator started to turn towards Jesse.

The distraction allowed Cameron to break free. She went to grab him when Jesse called her off.

"Cameron, disengage from him." Jesse shouted.

Things went from bad to worse.

A second and third Terminator came out of the same door the first Terminator did.

There were now two more Terminators there with the first one.

The second Terminator grabbed for Jesse's neck. She dodged his grasp. He sent her flying with a backhand. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck. She was stunned by the impact. It was clear if the blow would have landed squarely on her, it most likely would have killed her.

Cameron rolled away from the third Terminator who grabbed for her as the Thermite grenade exploded in the back of the pants of the first Terminator. It blew his melting figure in two.

One of the demolition charges must have gotten some Thermite on it and exploded.

Shrapnel flew in all directions. Both of the two new Terminators were shredded as they passed next to it. Jesse felt something hot, slam into her body in several places. She hoped it wasn't Thermite. It would burn through her flesh in seconds. The protective armor would do little to stop it.

The three hostile Terminators were all down and out. One was in two sections and the other two showed a lot of bloody metal sticking out everywhere. She didn't know how long they would be down for. She knew sometimes during a traumatic event, a Terminator would be down for approximately two minutes. She also needed to consider the possibility one of their power cells might rupture from the damage.

The worst part was, Cameron was lying on the floor. She no longer moved. Fear shot through Jesse.

"Cameron!" Jesse said and then shouted. "Cameron!"

Cameron never stirred.

Pain shot through Jesse as she moved. She made it to Cameron and cradled her head.

"Oh no, love." Jesse whimpered.

Jesse looked around her. There was fire everywhere.

Another explosion happened nearby. Shrapnel hit all around Jesse and Cameron. She felt several sharp impacts into her vest. She wasn't sure if any made it through. It felt like it.

Jesse's hand gently touched Cameron's face.

She looked around for a way out.

There was none.

They were trapped in a burning inferno.

Jesse leaned down and gently kissed Cameron.

"I won't leave you." Jesse softly said as the fire raged around her. "I'll never abandon you."

John and Bob were outside when Jesse called for help.

The last transmission they heard, after the first explosion and gunfire, was there were now three Terminators Cameron needed to fight. Then there was something about Cameron being 'down'.

It left Jesse alone with three Terminators. It sounded as if she'd been wounded or injured somewhere during the fight. There were flames and explosions all around where they were at. The outcome sounded very grim.

Allison took in the action on her com. It was clear Cameron was in trouble. It meant Jesse was too.

She decided to act.

"Cameron!" Allison said.

Allison broke away from Derek and headed for the building entrance. Smoke already poured out of it. There was another explosion inside somewhere.

Bob heard Jesse's call for assistance directed at him. He quickly looked at John.

"I need you to remain here." Bob said.

Bob started back towards the building.

John headed in the same direction with Bob.

Bob stopped and blocked his path.

"You can't go in." Bob said as another explosion went off.

John tried to move around Bob but he still blocked him.

"I HAVE to." John said. "Cameron needs help."

Bob had orders from Cameron to protect John. He tried to make it clear to John what needed to be done.

"Let me go in alone, or I'll have to stay here to prevent you from going in." Bob informed John. "It's too dangerous. Let me do my job, John, Please. Don't waste anymore time. I need to act now. This is where you need to use your head as the General."

There was another explosion inside the building somewhere.

John still struggled to get around Bob. Precious seconds were being burnt up, quite literally.

"You're serious, right?" John asked.

Bob would still not let John pass.

"Dead serious. The longer you delay me, the more Cameron may burn." Bob said firmly. "I can survive the heat and fire. You can't. The longer you delay me, the greater the chance Cameron will be nothing but a blackened endoskeleton when I find her. If you wait and follow me anyway, I'll need to stop my search and remove you from the building physically. The damage being done to Cameron now may be greater by delaying me."

John decided to let Bob be on his way.

"Then go now, bring Cameron out." John said. "Bring both of them out, no matter what."

John was unsure if Bob would be incinerated. He sent him anyway. He knew Bob's endoskeleton would be able to perform, even if the sheath was burnt away. He remembered how his mother told him how it was with the first Terminator she encountered. He was run over by a big rig. He appeared to be incinerated when the gasoline tanker exploded. Neither one of those events stopped him. His endoskeleton emerged from the flames and continued its attack to terminate her. It was where his father died, as he protected his mother. He didn't need a reminder right now about how he sent his father to his death by sending him back in time as Future John.

Bob was satisfied John would listen to him now. He wasn't happy about the time lost when John didn't follow protocol. He would advance into the burning building and bring them out.

"I will not fail." Bob said as he entered the burning building. "Trust me."

Allison was aware of the situation in the burning building. It sounded as if both Cameron and Jesse needed help. It wasn't even something she needed to contemplate.

She looked at the entrance to the burning building.

"My turn…." Allison said.

Allison started off in a fast run to go to the danger zone.

Ed spotted Allison head for the burning building. He rushed forward and attempted to block Allison's entry into the flaming inferno. She dodged around him and slid past him. She entered the building anyway. Her M4 went sliding in the opposite direction in the move to avoid him.

Allison made it inside but lost her M4 in the process.

There was the sound of a vehicle rapidly approaching.

Ed went to grab her when a new threat arose.

Derek was horrified to see Allison enter the burning building. There was a major threat which just appeared. He called out the new warning to Ed.

"Ed, we have Metal coming." Derek called. "Look alive. Here they come."

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Shrapnel

Love can tear through a heart
Like deadly shrapnel it can wound
Perhaps the fate of every relationship
Is that they're all eventually doomed

To think the love will always be there
Is what is often is assumed
When the love is no longer there
The soul is slowly consumed

Once the feeling has evaporated
It matters not if one is perfumed
When the love is gone it's gone
No matter how much one is plumed

The love that once bloomed
Was forever we presumed
Now all that's left
Is something that must be exhumed

We can't let go of what we need
We try harder to be well groomed
In our sorry mind we pretend
That the love long gone has resumed

Nobody