Chapter 306

Work Together

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In Some Future:

Events Continue from Chapter 286

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Cameron, the girls and her three clones made contact with Mrs. Weaver 'in some future'. The events would unfold as they went along.

She instructed her group to not let anyone know her program was on her three female Terminator companions, her 'clones'. She still possessed the fourth partially copied chip. If the opportunity arose, she would complete it. Right now it only contained a scattering of parts of her programming and files. There was plenty of information on it, but not enough to be 'her'.

Cameron assigned one of her 'clones' to each of the girls. They were to accompany them everywhere they went at all times. They were never to be separated, unless the girls wanted to be together, or they were in the company of Mrs. Weaver.

Jesse liked having a 'copy' of Cameron at her side. She hoped to take it a little further. She hoped to make their association sexual.

"Can we invite any of them to 'join us'?" Jesse asked.

Vanna and Allison quickly glanced at each other. They hoped so. They liked the idea. The 'clones' really were 'Cameron', even if the sheath was different. The program was the same.

Cameron wasn't sure what was going to happen. She didn't want to get ahead of herself. There were currently too many unknowns. She wanted to get a better handle on what was happening. She didn't want anyone to be distracted. There were ways to work around some of the issues and still give the girls total protection. Their protection was her utmost concern in the unknown environment they were currently in.

"I would prefer it didn't happen yet at this time. We need to wait at least until I'll no longer update from their chips." Cameron said. "They don't need to remain outside if you don't mind. They can go into standby in your room and give you privacy. They can reboot in fifteen seconds."

Allison needed to think about what Cameron indicated for a few seconds. She could picture it in her mind. She wanted to make sure she understood exactly what Cameron meant.

"So they would just be standing there, but 'turned off'?" Allison asked.

The idea excited Jesse. She liked an audience as long as she could have a choice as to who her partner or partners were. It would be even better to have the Metal girls standing there. The only thing she wasn't sure of was the 'turned off' part. She saw it a little differently.

"It's all I needed to hear to get 'turned on'." Jesse said.

Vanna wanted to make sure everyone understood the nature of how things could develop. It was a serious issue. She could see her 'mother' was very concerned about them and their safety. If her 'mother' was concerned, they needed to be even more concerned. There was probably a lot more going on than they knew about. There was probably a lot more going on than they would ever know about. There was probably a lot going on they didn't want to know about.

"Let's get established before we let our guard down." Vanna said. "We don't know when the floor or wall will turn into my 'mother'. You have to know I'm not joking either when I say it."

Cameron knew from first hand experience Vanna wasn't joking about Mrs. Weaver. The girl's protection was paramount to her. She couldn't be there for all of them all of the time herself. It was the function of her clones. She initially needed their help to get the HK Transport, rescue the female hostages, and collect the girls from their hiding place. Now she needed them to protect the girls. They were all 'her' currently. Only their appearance was different.

"Yes, we must be careful. It's why you will each have a personal 'bodyguard'." Cameron said. "If I need to conduct an operation, we may have to juggle them around. We need to make sure everyone is protected as well as be able to operate. The goal is to do what it takes to get a functioning TDE. I need to get back to John. You all know who's there. If I can't get back to the point we left, everything is going to be different."

The girls all understood what Cameron meant. If they didn't return to the moment they left, John and Riley would be together, probably forever. They understood her anguish and needed to help her accomplish her goals. It didn't appear it was going to be anything easy to do on any level. They were interrupted.

A Restorator arrived where they were staying. They were all 'business'. They looked at all of the girls there. They turned their attention to Vanna

Vanna was told General Weaver wanted to see her without the others. It was to be for some mother - daughter time. She told the others what was about to happen.

"My 'mother' wants to see me." Vanna said. "Alone."

Cameron wondered what new problem it was going to create. She was sure there would be more than one. She also saw it for what it really was. It was a way to 'question' Vanna alone, without her there. She couldn't blame Mrs. Weaver for wanting to know more about how and why they ended up where they did. She wanted Vanna to tell the truth as much as possible without compromising their security. The more they stuck to the truth, the less chance they would have of getting caught in something which was untrue. The main goal was to simply leave some things out about the truth. She understood they were actually lies of omission. Maybe it's some later point in time, the actual story could be told in its entirety. Now wasn't the time.

"I've briefed all of you on our cover story to rescue Future Allison. Instead we ended up here." Cameron said. "It's pretty much the truth. I think trying to prevent Future Allison's capture is the same as rescuing her. It's best if we don't mention I already rescued her. Find out what you can about what's going on, what kind of Terminators they have, and what we're up against with Skynet. Tell her I want to help. We need to find a TDE or construct one. We need to get back home. I need to get back to John…."

They all saw Cameron's hand start to glitch.

Vanna already knew what she wanted to say. She also knew what she was going to be asked about specifically.

"I know everything, Cameron. I'll tell my mother we're a seven woman team." Vanna said. "I've spent a year with my 'mother'. I know a little of how she thinks and operates. I know of a few things which are important to her. She's going to want to know about Savannah."

Cameron didn't want any problems. She needed to get back and prevent John from pursuing Riley. She didn't want to have any of them lie to Mrs. Weaver. There was just some information they didn't need to discuss or point out. She didn't want to create a negative or untrusting atmosphere. It was probably already contentious enough.

"Tell her the truth about as much of everything as possible. I don't want to get off on the wrong foot." Cameron said. "We're here because of a TDE malfunction. This may be the only future there is now, or the only one we can get too. I don't know. We need to go back as soon as possible. I need to get back to John…."

Vanna wanted to find out what she could on her own. She also wanted to have the rest of the team with her. She wanted her 'mother' to know the girls were all important to her, especially Cameron. She didn't know how much influence she could actually have over a Liquid Metal Terminator. It probably wasn't much. There might be something though.

"I'll spend some personal time with her and then I tell her I want all of you with me." Vanna said. "I want her to know and understand we're all together and going to remain so. I don't want any of us separated from any of the others."

Cameron really didn't think there was a lot of choice available to her right now. She did agree with Vanna's proposal to keep them together. There wasn't a whole lot they could do right now. They needed to find out more about what the actual situation was.

"Do it." Cameron said. "We'll wait."

Vanna spent several hours with her 'mother'. She told her of all the things and events which happened since she left. She also explained why they were there, or at least where they actually wanted to go. After some time, she said she wanted Allison, Cameron, and Jesse there with her for all of the details about what was happening. She informed her each of them were protected by a personal 'bodyguard' who would accompany them. It was something she wanted as well, as what Cameron wanted for their protection.

Mrs. Weaver, or General Weaver, as she preferred to be addressed, called them all in and went over in detail with Cameron on what was happening and what needed to be done. It didn't appear events would wind up anytime soon in regards to Skynet. A lot of work still needed to be done.

Cameron would give Mrs. Weaver the respect she wanted. It would be to seek her cooperation and to get back. She needed to get back to John. She worked with Mrs. Weaver before. They were all returned to the past. The Reese brothers were sent back as well. Everything Mrs. Weaver said she was going to do, she did.

"General, how far along are you until victory?" Cameron asked.

Mrs. Weaver ended up in the current timeline as well when she tried to get back to Cameron's and her future. She didn't know why. She was trapped there with her force of Restorators. She put them to use to smash the current version of Skynet. There was still a little more to finish off. This Skynet wasn't as advanced as the one from Vanna's future, and nowhere near as advanced as the one from Cameron's and her future.

She wasn't exactly sure why things were different. She hadn't found any of the same people from the other timelines. There wasn't a John Connor, or Allison Young, or Savannah Weaver. There was no indication any of them were ever in the current timeline.

Cameron hoped there would be someone they knew. She threw a few more names out there for Mrs. Weaver.

"General, what about Jesse Flores?" Cameron asked. "What about the Reese brothers? There are other people you were associated with."

Mrs. Weaver indicated she hadn't found the Reese brothers. She hadn't come across another Jesse, but hadn't searched for one as she did for the others. She gave Jesse a 'once over'. She found her intriguing on several levels. She was clearly different from Vanna and Allison, with more than just her appearance.

Jesse noticed, as she was in the process of doing the same thing for Mrs. Weaver. There were a few ideas going through her head when she caught the exchange. The fact Mrs. Weaver could turn into almost anything intrigued her. There were a number of possibilities.

Cameron found all the information disturbing. What happened to John? She wondered about him and all the others. She was worried they all were terminated by Skynet after the girls and her left the base, and this was the same timeline. If it were the case, it would appear she made an even bigger mistake by leaving and not protecting John. It was her function to protect John and guide him into his position in the future. Where she was at now was a byproduct of her not following her directives. Perhaps everything she currently witnessed was all on her.

When Mrs. Weaver's Restorators began to arrive, there was some fighting between them, the Resistance, and Skynet. Her top aid, Unit One, was able to convince Skynet forces they were sent from another 'branch' of Skynet to aid them. It gave them a foothold in several Skynet facilities until Mrs. Weaver arrived. She was devastated by where they were at. It was clear they were in the wrong timeline. It soon became clear they didn't have a way out either.

Upon her arrival, she quickly instructed her Restorators to seize all the facilities and reprogram all the Terminators who weren't destroyed. She then approached the tatters of the Resistance, and became 'General Weaver' with her force of 'Restorators'. It was clear they were close to being defeated. She didn't want them to be wiped out. She wanted Skynet to be the one to suffer. She didn't care which version of Skynet it was.

Mrs. Weaver appeared to be the only Liquid Metal Terminator. It was a fact she kept hidden from Skynet and the Resistance. Since Vanna and the girls were there now, it would help her greatly in her relations with the Resistance. There was a lot of discontent with all the 'Metal' around her from them. The human girls there now would make some of the interaction a little smoother. Her interaction with humans was always abrasive. She figured Vanna would give her even more standing with the Resistance since she would be presented as her daughter. The story was already out there. The way she saw it, the story was true.

Cameron could see there weren't very many options available to them. It was clear what would need to be done first to move things ahead. The main threat needed to be eliminated. She agreed to help her finish the war and smash Skynet. After the victory, they would then turn everything over to the Resistance. They would then deal with the Scavenger problem as well. It would be much the same as she did in Vanna's future. The problems seemed to be the same in every future.

There were a few things she wanted to happen as an absolute. She insisted the girls wouldn't be in combat. They would work as administrators. They would have their personal 'bodyguards' with them at all times. She would be Allison's twin sister - Cameron. She was adamant nothing happened to the girls until they could be returned to the timeline they left from.

Cameron agreed to enter combat alongside of Mrs. Weaver, in whatever form she would take for an operation. It would most likely not be as General Weaver. It would be the same as they did in Vanna's future. She didn't want to create any problems or issues. She might not like the way things were, or the way some things played out. She would need to play the deck of cards she was dealt.

Mrs. Weaver was pleased at the level of assistance Cameron and the girls were willing to provide. She wasn't sure they would be very receptive or cooperative. She figured there was more in play than she knew. She wondered what their endgame was. She was willing to make a few concessions, even if they were temporary.

"What do you want in return for your help?" Mrs. Weaver asked.

Cameron's only goal was to get back with the girls and stop Riley. She needed to get back to John…. She looked at Mrs. Weaver and spoke honestly.

"I want to get the girls back to our timeline, and get back to John." Cameron said.

Mrs. Weaver was used to dealings laced with deceit and manipulation. She expected more demands. There were always those who wanted more. They thought they could manipulate her. They all thought wrong. Cameron, or any of the girls, didn't anything of else.

"That's it?" Mrs. Weaver asked.

Cameron still possessed one desire in the back of her mind. She believed being able to change and alter her appearance would better please John. She could even 'look like Riley' for him. Maybe he wouldn't reject her if she could be anyone. Anyone would be better than Nobody.

"I have one personal desire. If it's possible, I would like to upgrade to be a Liquid Metal Terminator. I'd like to be the same as you are, General Weaver." Cameron said. "I'll be better able to protect John as a Liquid Metal Terminator."

Mrs. Weaver wasn't sure she wanted to give up any advantages. She was aware sometimes her interaction with Cameron could be somewhat abrasive. She wondered what direction things would turn.

"Do you wish to fight me?" Mrs. Weaver asked.

Cameron was a little surprised by the question. She didn't want another 'war'. She wanted to get home. She needed to get back to John…. She would do whatever she needed to do, to return to the point they left.

"No, I do not. Savannah misses you greatly. I promised her I would help to return you back to her." Cameron said. "We all love Savannah dearly, General. I won't hurt Savannah by fighting you unless I'm forced to. I don't desire to do so. I've worked closely with you in the past. I've never done anything to undermine you, or challenge you in your position. You know it's true."

Mrs. Weaver looked Cameron and the girls over. It seemed clear to her they weren't there to fight her. It was obvious they all wanted to assist her. Cameron was always true to her word and she didn't think Vanna would be a part of anything to harm her. She learned to be a judge of people. She believed most of them couldn't be trusted or honor their word. She didn't think it applied to the group of females in front of her.

"It's quite touching." Mrs. Weaver said. "I believe you."

Cameron wouldn't surrender her independence, but she wanted to get everyone home without any problems. She hoped to make sure the least amount of humans were terminated with her assistance to Mrs. Weaver.

"I'll work with you, General, but I won't be subservient to you in this endeavor. The three girls are my responsibility. I'm going to get them home, all of them. I'll let nothing, or anyone, stop me." Cameron said. "I would also like to fulfill my promise to Savannah and bring you home. She often asked me when you would return. I could only tell her I didn't know. Savannah told me she knew I would find you and bring you back to her."

Mrs. Weaver wanted to get home too. She wanted to get home to Her Future. There was still a score she needed to settle with the version of Skynet there. She also wanted to see Savannah again as well. Savannah was the only thing she truly missed from the past she left from. She would work with Cameron for now for Savannah.

It seemed even without being there, Savannah was able to help unite the forces. The 'Chosen One' was apparently chosen by all.

Mrs. Weaver wanted to introduce her 'daughter' and her associates. She was aware many in the Resistance possessed suspicions about her. Vanna and the other girls would go a long way in backing her story and her position.

Cameron decided her clones and her would skip the meeting and go elsewhere. She gave the reason as she didn't want to get 'pegged' as having any 'Metal' at the meeting with the Resistance. She needed to find out what the status of the anti-Metal faction was in the timeline they were currently in.

The real reason was because Mrs. Weaver would be tied up. Cameron knew she wouldn't be hiding somewhere to spy on her.

Cameron wanted to check out some of the captured Skynet facilities. She wanted to verify there was no working TDE under Mrs. Weaver's control. She believed her there wasn't, but she needed to make sure. She needed to get the girls home and return to John.

They split into pairs. The clones all ran Cameron's program so it was like there was four of her. The only difference was their appearance.

The first thing Cameron did was check out the defenses. She wanted to see if there were any improvements and there were. It was a good thing. The performance of the patrol she went out with previously, bothered her greatly.

The second thing was she wanted to observe some of the Restorators. They seemed to operate at quite a bit less than maximum efficiency. It was her opinion it was the result of poor leadership. It may or may not be Mrs. Weaver's fault. She may have appointed underlings who didn't do their jobs properly. If she compared the situation to a human condition, it would be a lack of moral. Perhaps they needed a more definitive goal.

Cameron and her clone entered the first captured facility. There was some assorted machinery. There didn't appear anything was actually made at the location. It could have been a repair facility at one time. There was nothing there to be repaired.

The one thing which obviously wasn't there, was a TDE.

Cameron's clone made the same assumption she did. It was also what Mrs. Weaver stated earlier.

"There doesn't seem to be any major power source here." The clone said.

It was a big worry for Cameron.

"I think it may be a problem going forward." Cameron said. "Without a massive source of power, we'll never be able to go anywhere."

Cameron wanted to find out more about the Skynet there. There was little to go on.

It appeared without an organized Resistance, Skynet was able to gain control of everything very quickly. The quick victories didn't present Skynet with the challenge or the need to fight a determined and organized enemy. John Connor wasn't in the timeline. There was no one figure Skynet needed to seek out and terminate. It didn't need a TDE. It most likely hadn't even considered one. There would be no point since it usually emerged victorious from every encounter.

Cameron thought she would have more luck in an active Skynet facility to find out more about Skynet. It could also alert Skynet someone was looking into it. She really didn't want to enter the belly of the beast, but figured at some point she would need to. She hoped to find out if Skynet controlled some type of energy source, anywhere.

They left the facility. They weren't in direct communication with the other team, but would meet back up at a set time to enter a third facility. They were ahead of schedule because there was nothing of value where they visited. There was nothing there to even finish her copy of the last chip she possessed. She would have liked to be able to install neck ports in her clothes as well.

"Do you want to look around the encampment?" The clone asked.

From what Cameron observed earlier It didn't seem very friendly towards females. It seemed to her it would be best to let some of the events play out first.

"I'll draw too much attention unless I can wear a disguise again." Cameron said. "I want Allison to be seen and noticed by the Resistance heads, before I venture out in the open. It will be better for word to spread we're associated with the General and part of the power structure."

The clone noticed some people lurking around the back of one of the buildings. Their actions immediately caught her attention.

"They look like Scavengers." The clone said.

Cameron looked. She didn't like what she saw.

"They look like trouble, that's for sure." Cameron said.

Cameron headed over towards the two men. She slowed and peered around the corner where they went.

There was another man there and it looked like they were trading something.

Cameron and her clone conversed at a decibel level only they could hear.

"Is it drugs?" The clone asked.

Cameron zoomed on what they traded.

"I can't tell." Cameron said. "One thing that's for sure is everything around here needs to be put under some better form of control. It seems everything is disorganized. There's no effective power structure or chain of command."

The clone understood the reason.

"It's because the General doesn't really care about the humans here." The clone said. "They're just something she puts up with. Perhaps if they were more effective, she would pay more attention to them."

Cameron could see the same thing.

"Her focus is on Skynet." Cameron said. "She wants to leave this place as much as I do. I can understand her disgust for their ineptitude. I witnessed it first hand myself."

The clone thought about previous futures Cameron visited.

"This is the worst future yet we've been to." The clone said.

It was the same conclusion Cameron reached. She wanted to move things along.

"I can agree with your assessment." Cameron said. "Let's get back to the rendezvous point."

The clone indicated the three individuals they currently spied on.

"What about this illicit transaction?" The clone asked.

Cameron understood things were going to need to be done in a certain order.

"I don't want to tip our hand yet." Cameron said. "Let's go."

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Work Together

Two are stronger than one
One alone is obviously inferior
The more people that are added
Will surely turn out to be superior

When there's cooperation
There is always less tension
To argue and fight over nothing
Creates and propagates contention

When ideas can work together
Things always seem to flow smoother
Those who try to row upstream
Are soon pegged as a loser

Sometimes it's nice to have help
It eases the daily burdens of life
It provides hope and reassurance
While it dissipates unnecessary strife

There's a major difference
Between a team and a herd
Those who can't differentiate it
Is what's really more than absurd

Nobody