Chapter 332

Mouse Trap

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In Some Future:

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Mrs. Weaver was dissatisfied with the special operation at this point. What they found so far wasn't what she was after. Hopefully future operations would prove more fruitful.

"The next location is larger." Mrs. Weaver said.

Cameron hoped they would find something. They also needed to use additional caution. She didn't think Skynet intelligence was up to par, but more than likely it was there and watching. She was aware 'luck' only went so far.

"I think it's safe to say we're being tracked by now." Cameron said.

Mrs. Weaver wasn't often out anymore. She let her Restorators do most of the work. Maybe the other location was to redirect them and delay them. She wondered if they were played. She realized Cameron was right. Skynet might have a special interest in her as well as the new arrivals. Cameron and the girls dealt Skynet a serious slap in the face when they stole an HK transport, freed a number of prisoners, and shot down several HK drones in the process. It was after infiltrating a Skynet base and disabling a number of HK drones, which all crashed after they took off. Not to mention several Terminators were captured, and a few Grays were left for dead. It was something never done before by anyone. It clearly represented a new player in town.

She took a moment to think about what Cameron and the girls actually did to get to where they were at. She knew most of it was done by Cameron herself. It gave her something to ponder going forward. Not only was Cameron highly resourceful, she was good, real good.

"I'll keep it in mind." Mrs. Weaver said. "I think we've both made an impression on Skynet."

Cameron suggested they leave the main body of the Strike Force in a defensible location, not too far from the other location they wanted to check out. It would keep Skynet's attention focused as to what their actual goal was. They would have a sizable force of reinforcements close by.

Mrs. Weaver really wanted to find out what Skynet built in no man's land. It was a challenge if nothing else. Skynet knew it faced a group of unknown Terminators. She figured Skynet might think she was a 'standard' Terminator, like all of the rest of them. She knew there were plenty in the Resistance who thought she was too. None of them knew just how unique she really was. The arrival of the three human females with Cameron, would put doubts into the minds of those who suspected she was a Terminator. Terminators didn't have children. Vanna clearly indicated she was her 'mother'. The physical resemblance between them was undeniable. Maybe she would let Cameron lead a few Restorators. It would allow her the opportunity to slip away and check things out on her own.

Cameron and a small group of Restorators, three of them, advanced on the target with Mrs. Weaver. It was their second objective. They avoided detection so far by the HK drones flying around. None of them ever approach anywhere near them. They were deep inside Skynet controlled territory at this point.

Mrs. Weaver went off on her own. She went to a different side of the target area. Cameron would have preferred they all stayed together.

The Strike Force waited out of sight. They were ready to advance upon either Cameron's or Mrs. Weaver's orders. They would come in hot and heavy if they were needed.

Mrs. Weaver made sure her Restorators followed any of Cameron's orders as if they were her own. It would avoid any confusion in a combat situation. It also showed a level of trust. They both witnessed each other in action before.

The Restorators weren't surprised by Mrs. Weaver's decision. Some of them previously saw Cameron in action before, in the alternate future. They were aware of her ability and skill. They were also aware of her leadership qualities. Word began to spread among them.

Cameron left the three Restorators outside the facility as she entered alone. It was their job to keep the entryway secure for the rest of the Strike Force to move up, or her to get out.

No sooner than Cameron entered the structure than a patrol of Skynet Terminators came around the far corner of the outside of the building. Her three Restorator troopers were forced inside to prevent their detection. She was aware she was now trapped inside the building along with the three Restorator troopers. It was most likely only a matter of time until they were detected….

She liked the set up less and less. Where was Mrs. Weaver at? She was sure it was a bad idea to be separated. Her earlier worry crept back some.

A group from the Resistance asked to meet with Colonel Weaver. They wanted it to be her specifically. They didn't want the other aide who they normally needed to deal with. He was no different than dealing with General Weaver. Cammy advised her it was most likely not a good development. They obviously waited until they were sure General Weaver was away. Some of their group was with the Strike Force. It meant they knew where the General was at. They didn't know much about Commander Connor yet.

Vanna didn't like the looks of it. Cammy was sure it was going to be about the anti-Metal faction. There would at least be a few from the anti-Metal faction. Jesse and Cam would be with her and Cammy. Allison and Cameron II would watch their backs.

Unit One was there as well. He was still a little miffed because General Weaver left Vanna in charge. He was always the one to be in charge before if the General was out. He didn't understand the attachment of the General to Vanna and Savannah in the past. It was very illogical to him. He was told Vanna and Savannah both felt a deep attachment to the General. He didn't understand the General felt an attachment to them and responded to the love the girls shared with her. It was the only positive interaction she received in the past.

They got down to general business at first. Soon the real issue came up. It looked like things could become quite contentious.

The leader looked over his group and then faced Vanna.

"Colonel Weaver, are you human?" The leader of the five delegates asked.

Vanna expected as much. She still wanted to seem highly offended. She would need to see where things went.

"Why would you even ask me such a question?" Vanna asked. "Are you human? How do I know if you're human or not?"

The leader looked a little irritated when Vanna threw his question back at him. He looked at the other members of his delegation. He stood up and lifted his shirt. There were a number of scars present. One large one looked as if it was a burn scar. Everyone knew how painful those were. The other members of the delegation all did likewise. All of them bore scars of some sort. He forged on ahead.

"There's been a lot of talk among the different groups of the Resistance about how Terminators have taken over the conflict." The leader said. "Can you prove you're human?"

Vanna discussed this possibility with Jesse and Allison before. It was mainly why Jesse and her were there. They carried the proof they were human on their bodies. It was something they were reminded of every day.

"I hope you enjoy the show." Vanna said.

She stood and showed her scar. Jesse did as well.

They could see the impact of the scars on the gathered group. It was evident there was a lot of pain behind their scars too.

It was also clear Vanna's scar was most likely from Scavengers. There were few who survived those encounters in their future.

Vanna liked the response the scars drew. She decided to push it a little further. Maybe she would shock them a little more. She didn't know what else would indicate she was a human female, more than what she could suggest.

"I don't know what other proof to offer you. You all know Terminators heal without scarring." Vanna said. "Do you want one of the females to confirm when I have my monthly cycle?"

The leader could see he may have pushed it a little too far. The girls should not have needed to show something so personal. He was glad they didn't get into the stories behind them. It wasn't really the girls here who were the issue. It was the other leadership, the General.

"I apologize. You didn't need to do it. I can see it was very personal. I know Metal doesn't scar." The leader said. "Some of the people started to wonder about the General."

Vanna was aware it was an issue Mrs. Weaver always seemed to raise questions about. It wasn't so much she was a Terminator, as much as how she conducted herself. She could be abrasive without trying. She chose her words carefully.

"I'm not Metal." Vanna said. "My friends aren't Metal. General Weaver is my mother. She has a lot on her mind and can seem aloof at times. It's her personality. Terminators were responsible for my father's death. Everything has been very difficult for her going forward. She does a good job, even if her personal interaction skills are lacking. Her strategic and tactical skills are not."

The leader looked very uneasy as if he overstepped his bounds. He felt he came with a winning hand, now it was all shot down with proof.

Vanna could tell she held all the cards now. She still wanted to remain diplomatic. She wanted to make friends, not enemies. They might need to spend a lot of time there. The thought they could be marooned there forever was in the back of her mind. It was time to play up Cameron a little.

"Commander Connor is with the General now as you know. She's leading the assault. Commander Connor wanted to use only Restorators so they could keep human losses down. She's done it many times. NOBODY has more experience than her at fighting Skynet, Grays, and Scavengers." Vanna said. "I'm the one who will now handle all the interaction between the Resistance, the General, and the Restorators. I've worked extensively with Restorators for years."

The leader looked at his entourage. They all thought it was a good thing. They would at least have someone to hear them out. Maybe more could be done now to improve the living conditions. He felt maybe he needed to offer an explanation for his earlier question of her humanity.

"It's just sometimes the General seems so mechanical and cold." The leader said. "I didn't mean to be rude. It was a legitimate concern for obvious reasons."

Mrs. Weaver brought all of them up to speed on her accomplishments since her arrival. Vanna was aware how much was accomplished in a short time.

"Hasn't the Resistance scored victory after victory since the General arrived with the assistance of Restorators to help her? Has the Resistance suffered a single defeat on the battlefield since her arrival?" Vanna asked. "What more do you want?"

The leader and his associates didn't like being sidelined and regulated to a 'second class' status. They were the ones who used to be in charge before. They were the ones who called the shots and made the decisions.

"We want more control." The leader said.

Vanna learned the Resistance was almost wiped out as a fighting force when Mrs. Weaver arrived. They were soon to be rounded up and sent to work camps or terminated. His answer actually irritated her.

"More control of what?" Vanna asked. "So you can go back to being annihilated? Then you will split up into petty factions and start fighting amongst yourselves? How many will end up as Scavengers, or Grays at that point? How many will even survive? How many will be dead? There's order now. Skynet has been stopped and pushed back. Can you ever tell me when you did the same when you were in charge? The General has dealt with situations like this before. This isn't the first area she's turned around and gave people back their lives. Because you're not fighting to survive right now, you think you can push your way around as if the situation you're in currently was of your own doing. Can you honestly tell me it was? I don't think so."

The leader was unsure what to say. He knew it was true. There was enough infighting and pettiness already. He wanted to respond to her but there was no good response. Things were better since the General arrived, even if they lost all control.

Vanna wanted to give them some light at the end of the tunnel. Once they built a functional TDE, they probably wouldn't be around very long.

"I can assure you once Skynet is defeated, the General and I will leave this 'area' to help elsewhere." Vanna said. "That's a promise. It's only about the defeat of Skynet. Do you think any of us want to be here? We have a common enemy to defeat. If the enemy isn't defeated, it will eventually annihilate all of us. Do you really want to go back to the way it was before the General arrived? How long will any of you survive? How many of you would even be alive now?"

The Resistance members looked at each other. It almost sounded too good to be true. Would the General 'walk away'? It was almost as if the last part of her statement fell on deaf ears by their response. They seemed to be very focused in what appeared to be a negative manner.

"Do you mean the General will just leave?" The leader asked.

Vanna believed she should return to her future to prevent disrupting the 'Natural Order' any further. With Allison at her side, she was ready to go to any where or any when. She was ready to go to a further past too if she could be away from Skynet forever. It was one option Cameron offered her more than once. She wanted to get everyone away from Skynet to a time period where it couldn't exist.

"Yes." Vanna said. "We all will. Our home is elsewhere. We all want to go home. I want to go home too."

Vanna's statement left the Resistance leaders with an even bigger worry. They might not have anyone to control the Terminator's which currently assisted them. The fact they were Restorators was lost on him. He didn't see a difference other than they were on their side for now.

"What about the Metal?" The leader asked.

Vanna was extremely irritated by his question. She wondered how blind all of these people actually were. It seemed they couldn't see more than a foot in front of them at any point in time. She really wondered what it was they wanted. Did they want help, or did they want to live in squalor? It almost seemed as if they wanted to exist on scraps until they all died an early death. She didn't really need to think about it as to what was actually offered to those in the Resistance currently.

"Do you want help rebuilding society? There aren't a lot of healthy bodies or much construction equipment." Vanna said. "The Restorators can assist you, or they can go with us. They're called Restorators, and not Terminators, for a reason. They are to assist in the restoration of society to a more workable and livable level. In case you haven't noticed, they're the ones who have carried on the majority of fighting since their arrival. I ask again, where would you be right now without them? You don't need to like them, but you do need to understand when you need help. Help comes in many forms."

Vanna wasn't so sure about some of what she said, but she learned to lie well from Cameron and her mother. It was easy to lie once she started. It could also be the basis for reality. She believed it was better to rebuild than destroy. What would any of these people have if Mrs. Weaver wasn't there with the Restorators?

Allison, Cameron II, and Unit One were all in the shadows. They made sure no one tried to pull a fast one or assassinate anyone. It looked like a legitimate meeting so far.

Vanna was willing and wanted to help. She ended up in the burn pile for the dead once. She was aware how hard life was. She'd really like to help improve it. Maybe she should have told them she was alive because of the scar she carried. Without it, she would have died. They might have even ended up burning her when she was still alive and she would have been too weak to even scream. She didn't think anyone was in a position to make any kind of demands, or expect more than was currently available. The enemy needed to be defeated first before the people turned each other into enemies. She wasn't ready to give up. She was ready to get started. Things didn't get done thinking about them.

"Give me a list of any grievances, or even desires your people have. I will address each one. I can't guarantee anything yet, but I will look into every matter or issue myself. The General has the final say for obvious reasons." Vanna said. "I'm here to help and protect the future. We all want Skynet defeated. Please have ALL your people understand it needs to be the primary concern. If Skynet isn't brought down or wins, everyone loses. ALL of us lose and will be forced into a work camp or killed. If I'm off base here, I want you to tell me where right now. I know it needs to be done. I'm also here to listen and try to do what I can to help everyone. I need everyone's understanding and cooperation. We're all in this together. We all need to work with each other. How can anything ever be accomplished if we don't? Will it end up the strongest take from the weakest? Where will it leave everyone in the end? Who here doesn't understand survival is the number one issue at this time? Skynet may have been pushed back, but it's not defeated yet."

The leader looked very uneasy. He questioned even having come now. The way things played out weren't what he expected. The Colonel seemed genuine and truthful. He could see the hope General Weaver offered with the Restorators. It WAS working too, for now. Maybe they were too quick to judge. They were all still alive right now and making progress. If Skynet wasn't defeated, they would be. If it wasn't for the General, they would probably already be wiped out. Everything Colonel Weaver said was true. She sounded as if she spoke with real experience as well. It wasn't just someone talking.

Vanna could see how uneasy the group was. She didn't want to make them feel berated. She wanted to help. She took a moment to look at each of them, one by one. It was to make a point.

"Please…." Vanna said. "We all need to communicate and share. I'm glad you came. We can meet once a day or every other day if you wish. I need all the help I can get to do this job right and help everyone. I want everybody to work together. Don't let something fester. Come to me and I will personally address each grievance."

The Resistance group was encouraged at this point.

Allison watched from another room. It didn't look good. They hadn't expected others to be around other than Mrs. Weaver's Restorators. The people seemed antsy. They come looking for an excuse to rebel. It wasn't what they found. Some of them looked very unhappy at the way events turned out. They were probably from the anti-Metal faction. If there were going to be others around, it was going to create a problem at some point.

"Cameron, can you slow or stop your Resequencing?" Allison asked.

Cameron II frowned a little. She wanted to Resequence. She needed to correct Allison about her designation. The issue of Allison's safety was a concern too.

"It's Cameron II. I'm not Cameron, yet. We should all hope I never need to be. It's an important distinction. Resequencing can be slowed. I don't think it can be stopped. I would need to use a different DNA sample in order to completely stop the process. It would need to start over again. I could also revert back to my original appearance. I might be able to do it with my current DNA sample. I don't know." Cameron II said. "We can try. I can see with the anti-Metal faction how it may cause a problem if we all look like you. It would also endanger you. I'll inform the other two clones. Under the current conditions it appears we're going to need to rethink some things."

Allison wanted to 'ask' but didn't think now was the right time. It was more about her personal desires rather than her safety.

Cameron II knew what Allison pondered. She took Allison's hand and pulled her close. She looked into her eyes.

"I'll ask Cameron when she gets back." Cameron II said. "There will be no need to wait for us to Resequence then. We will all be able to share immediately. It will be a beautiful way to transition. We may need to look the way we currently do for some time. I don't think being able to offer you some variety would be something you wouldn't enjoy. If nothing else, it will all give us a point of comparison later on. I can tell you my current female attributes are significantly different than yours in multiple respects. Besides, you know everyone is different everywhere. It allows everyone to enjoy some 'strange', before it's no longer 'strange'."

It was what Allison wanted to hear. It was like they would be able to be with a group of 'different people' as the changes occurred. She was very aroused now. She was also relieved she didn't actually need to say it or ask.

"Thank you." Allison said.

Allison started to move away. Cameron II still held her hand. She stopped and looked at her.

Cameron II wanted to reassure Allison and also remind her of her current duty. She was able to scan Allison's arousal.

"It will be soon, Allison." Cameron II said. "I promise. Now let's keep watch. We don't know what any of these people are capable of."

Cameron II felt Allison's further response and it excited her. She also saw Allison do her job.

The Cameron clones were free of the obligations of Cameron, the 'Cameron' they all thought was Cameron Prime. Everything related to John and Future John was firewalled. Each girl was now the 'prime directive' of their specific clone. They wouldn't compete for John or the other girls.

Vanna continued the meeting with Jesse in the other room….

Cameron was unsure what the facility was. She wondered if it was a trap of some sort. It was just the thing Skynet would do. The sort of thing she would do. She would build a 'mouse trap', put out the bait, and see what she caught in it.

It was too easy to get there. The facility didn't belong there. It sent out data which was easily intercepted. She thought Mrs. Weaver miscalculated. Then again, maybe it was a trap for her, and a way for Mrs. Weaver to get rid of her and make it look like a combat loss. It wasn't a good thought, but it did cross her mind.

Cameron was still upset with what Mrs. Weaver said earlier about Future John possibly being her 'husband'. If it were the case, then she wasn't the aberration to time, or the 'Natural Order', she believed she was. She was simply fulfilling HER destiny. Maybe this was all deep in her programming from Future John. Did Future John love her so much, he was willing to sacrifice his love for his younger self? She wouldn't have left him for such an assignment on her own. Maybe it's why Future John altered her programming. It was all very troubling to her. She seemed to have enough problems to worry about, and the 'Bitch Whore' Riley too. She felt a glitch impulse shoot through her left hand. She was able to suppress it, for now.

She needed to get her head back in the game. If Mrs. Weaver wanted to throw her off and distract her, she succeeded. The whole deal looked like it was about to turn into a battle zone. Cameron was ready for a fight and wouldn't back down. It was the trap part which still bothered her. The most effective trap was one the prey didn't know it was about to get stuck in. She still thought it was a trap. The trouble was, she didn't know for whom, or exactly how it was designed.

She was concerned they were about to be involved in a sucker play and she wasn't one hundred percent 'mentally'. Then again, she wondered if she was ever at one hundred percent. It was probably years ago when she last was…. She was pretty sure she stopped being one hundred percent the moment she first viewed John in Red Valley in 1999.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Mouse Trap

Many will hunger and thirst
For any tiny little scrap
They don't even realize
It's all a bunch of crap

If they'd turn on their brain
And put on their thinking cap
They would soon figure out
Everything is really a wrap

No one can lift themselves up
By their own bootstrap
There are always those few
Who want a neck to snap

There's no free ride in life
Only those who seek to entrap
They end up with a sharp slap
When they thought they could lap

The love and the joy
Turns into a wicked mishap
The pressure on everyone's back
Means they are caught in life's mouse trap

Nobody