Chapter 333

Battle Zone

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In Some Future:

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Cameron was already inside of the building. She left three Restorators outside to keep her exit open.

The three Restorators were driven inside the building when the Skynet patrol came around the corner. There was no indication the patrol was even out a few minutes ago.

It looked more and more like a 'set up' to Cameron. She was still upset Mrs. Weaver went off on her own. There was no way to know how events were going to play out. It didn't appear it would be in a positive manner. She could see it was all falling apart fast.

She was right.

There was gunfire at the door she entered from. She turned and watched a large metal plate dropped in front of the door. The entrance and exit was now blocked. The three Restorators with her were in a battle with a group of Skynet Terminators. They were by the blocked door they were forced to enter. It was a trap as she suspected. She still was unsure if it was Skynet's trap or Mrs. Weaver's doing. The fact Mrs. Weaver went off on her own still bothered her. Maybe she was sitting in a control room somewhere manipulating events as she played a 'game'.

Cameron left word with the Strike Force outside, if they lost communications with her or General Weaver, They were to fall back. It was to prevent the risk of heavy damage if it was an ambush or a trap. They were to immediately send word to Colonel Weaver of the situation. She wanted to make sure the girls were protected and nothing else sinister was about to happen.

She went to join the three Restorators in their battle. She needed to watch all their backs as well. She spotted another group of Skynet Terminators approach from their flank. She signaled to the Restorators she would engage the new threat. It didn't look good. She really wondered where Mrs. Weaver was at.

The gunfire grew more intense.

It was time for some action, Cameron style.

General Weaver's Headquarters:

A Restorator approached Unit One with an urgent message for Colonel Weaver. Allison and Cameron II were nearby. Cameron II heard everything which was said and its urgency.

Unit One hesitated to act immediately. Cameron II didn't. She quickly told Allison the situation. Allison and her went to Vanna with the bad news.

"Cameron is in trouble." Cameron II said. "I'm going to help her."

Cammy and Cam were ready to go as well.

"We'll go with you." Cammy said.

Cam didn't want to delay.

"Let's Go." Cam said.

Cameron II didn't want them to get ahead of themselves. There were other duties as well. Cameron told her before she left to make sure the girls weren't in danger if anything developed. Something developed. The earlier interaction with the group from the Resistance still posed more than a few questions. It was possible some in the group were dissatisfied with the results and might try to seek some type of 'change' on their own.

"No. You two must protect the girls. It's what I want. It's what Cameron wants." Cameron II said. "It's OUR mission from now on. Only one of us is 'expendable'."

Once Vanna found out the details, she was upset Unit One delayed to inform them of the information. She wanted to get things cleared up. She also didn't want a delay again.

"Unit One, come over here." Vanna said.

Unit One came over with the other Restorator who brought the news.

"Why didn't you come to me immediately?" Vanna asked.

Unit One was stone faced. He wanted more information before he made a decision. He didn't see it was a problem. Events needed to play out a little more before a proper determination could be made based upon the facts.

"Once I found out more, I could give you a better description of what happened." Unit One said. "I was unsure what the General would want, Colonel."

Jesse was irritated with his response. She made sure everyone knew it too. She looked at Unit One.

"The General would want help." Jesse cut in. "You don't sit around and do nothing when someone needs help. You act first."

Unit One looked around. He didn't like being questioned or reprimanded. Who did the newcomers think they were? He was the one at the General's side until they came along.

Vanna wanted to make her position clear. She could tell Unit One was dissatisfied.

"We need all the information as soon as it's available." Vanna said. "It's even if you don't know the details yet. The next time you will know. We need to do things a little differently now."

Cammy and Cam were on alert. They didn't like any of it.

Cameron II went and quickly gathered some supplies she kept ready. Allison was with her. She would have liked a little more detailed information. She needed to give Allison a warning.

"Allison, I don't think Cameron or I may both come back from this." Cameron II said. "It sounds like a set up."

She didn't mention Cameron warned her Mrs. Weaver might try and get rid of her, and make it look like Skynet was responsible. Unit One's delay didn't help any with the thought. It would simply show they were in trouble, and eventually something would be done to find out more.

Allison took her and held her close. It sounded very terminal. She looked into her eyes. She was worried about what could happen.

"I love you, Cameron." Allison said.

Cameron II could see the anguish on Allison's face. She also needed to remind her of her correct designation.

"It's Cameron II, Allison. You must remember it always, for now. I love you too." Cameron II said. "I'm sorry…."

"I'm sorry too." Allison said

Cameron II was gone. It was time to act.

Previously, Mrs. Weaver left Cameron and the three Restorators behind. She assumed the appearance of Allison. She believed they could better investigate, and search the building from two different directions. She moved around the side of the building to the other end. There were no openings she could use without forcing them. She made her way around to the back side. So far she hadn't spotted any surveillance or any type of patrols. She found it somewhat strange. The fact the HK drones always remained off in the distance from wherever they were at was something else which troubled her. It was almost as if Skynet knew where they were, so it didn't need to look. It wasn't a good feeling.

She entered the building from the other side. She went in search of the computer center, the 'Clean Room'. She didn't find it right away. She actually didn't find much of anything valuable or useful. She too became aware it was most likely a trap. What she didn't know was it wasn't a trap for Cameron. It was a trap for her….

Cameron engaged the Skynet Terminators moving in behind them. She immediately threw a plasma grenade at the approaching Terminators as they moved to flank her. When it exploded, the Terminators went down and were incapacitated. She moved in and used her plasma rifle to destroy each of their chips, along with their heads. It was the only way to be sure.

She turned to join the three Restorators. There was heavy fighting in their area. She saw that two of them were down and only one was left in the fight. He was damaged.

Cameron swarmed in from their flank and took down the Terminators attacking them with another plasma grenade. She moved in and finished them off.

The surviving Restorator, Unit 357, nodded in acknowledgement. It was fighting like he never saw before by one individual. He knew Commander Connor was special. She aggressively went after the enemy and brought them down.

Cameron knew they needed to get moving. She wanted to let him know what she suspected. The fact the giant steel door now blocked the way they came in, seemed to be pretty good proof of her theory.

"We need to find the General and get out of here." Cameron said. "Skynet is trying to trap us in here."

Cameron didn't want to leave anyone behind. She moved over to the two Fallen Restorators. Both of the Restorators were damaged beyond repair. She quickly removed the chips of the two fallen Restorators. She tucked them away in her gear. She didn't want Skynet to be able to get a hold of any information on their chips. She also planned to do a little more if she could for the fallen.

She took any of the weapons which were still salvageable. She and Unit 357 moved out in search of Mrs. Weaver. She came across some storerooms. There were some material in them, but nothing like she thought she would need. She needed to construct a TDE so she could get back to John. She needed to get back and stop the 'Bitch Whore' Riley from making a move on her husband. The reminder of what needed to be dealt with added to her anger. She planned to take it out on Skynet.

Unit 357 covered Cameron as she quickly searched the area. He looked around as well. He spotted something in a small room.

"Commander, you'd better take a look at this." Unit 357 said.

Cameron quickly went over and looked.

There were several deceased humans in there. They were naked and appeared to have been beaten to death by a Terminator. They hadn't been mutilated so no Grays were involved in the questioning. The Grays were known for their cruelty during an interrogation. It was much worse for a female prisoner. She wanted to know more about the decedents.

"Are any of them from the base?" Cameron asked. "Do you recognize any of them?"

Unit 357 looked at the battered forms. He needed to do some calculated reconstruction on one of the figures' faces. He checked his files twice. He wanted to make sure he gave Commander Connor an accurate answer.

"Negative." Unit 357 said.

Cameron would like to know if they were from the Resistance, or if they were Grays who got a little sloppy. They didn't look like Scavengers. She wasn't sure why they didn't wear any clothing. If they wore uniforms, someone may have wanted them. If they were Resistance uniforms, Skynet Terminators might use them to try to infiltrate a Resistance base. There were no answers. They were terminated at any rate.

From past experience in every timeline she was in, they were always infiltrators from every group, into the other groups. Some of them were spies. Some of them were running away from where they were before. Such individuals who didn't declare themselves were a threat. They could turn on any group at any time. Those who were sent as spies were usually much more effective in obtaining information.

Cameron moved back out into the main part of the building. Time was of the essence. They needed to find Mrs. Weaver and get out. It seemed what they uncovered so far was probably only going to be the tip of the iceberg, and what would be thrown at them.

A lone Terminator moved from behind a wall directly in front of them. They almost bumped into him. He tried to move his plasma rifle to fire point blank into Cameron's torso.

Cameron saw the plasma rifle was going to blow her breasts apart with a plasma round. She knew the tissue would never heal properly from the effects of the plasma. It wasn't the worst of what could happen. At the close distance they were from each other, it would probably rupture her power cell as well. It would destroy her, Unit 357, and the Skynet Terminator. It would probably also destroy the side of the building where they were currently at. She figured there would at least be a way out for Mrs. Weaver then. It wouldn't be a total waste.

She grabbed the barrel and shoved it off to the side as it fired. The round just missed Unit 357. She continued to hold the barrel. She jumped up and slammed her feet into the Terminator. He staggered backwards. He grabbed the wall and a bench to steady himself. He didn't topple over. The main thing was, she was able to pull his plasma rifle away from him. She landed back on her feet.

Unit 357 didn't care for the close encounter. He watched Cameron disarm the Terminator. Because she knocked the Terminator backwards a few feet, he was able to get a clean shot at him. He fired once and hit the Terminator in the neck. He watched as the sheath material burnt away and the plasma burnt through the Coltan in his neck.

Cameron watched Unit 357 fire one round from his plasma rifle. It hit the Terminator. She used the Terminator's plasma rifle she still held in her left hand like a club and hit him in the head as the sheath material burnt away on his neck. The weakened metal of his neck gave way and his head snapped off. It fell behind him and then rolled out in front of him. His headless body remained standing where it was holding the wall and the bench for support. It looked rather bazaar. They needed to keep moving.

She passed by him as she slung his plasma rifle over her shoulder. She held her plasma rifle at the ready. It was a close one. She was sure she would have lost both breasts at a minimum if she was a second slower. Maybe in a situation so severe, it would be better if her power cell ruptured. Her existence would be over. She wouldn't need to worry about how her sheath looked. There was nothing in oblivion.

Unit 357 didn't like it because he almost was hit with a plasma round. When he passed the headless Terminator he punched him in the chest and sent him flying back around the corner. He gave his detached head a kick as well to join the chassis on the floor.

Cameron glanced back and saw what unit 357 did. She figured he was activated a long time ago. His emotional programming was developing. He didn't like what almost happened to both of them. She could hear what sounded like more sliding metal and a mechanical voice in the distance. She changed her direction to go there. There was a compressor running which prevented her from hearing what was being said.

Unit 357 stayed on Cameron's six and watched behind them as she moved them forward. So far he was incredibly impressed with her performance and ability. It seemed she knew exactly what to do in every situation as it arose. He figured it was because of her experience in multiple timelines fighting the same enemy.

Moments ago:

Mrs. Weaver heard the battle raging elsewhere in the building. She heard the two explosions and knew it was Cameron. Cameron was known for unconventional Terminator activity. She watched Cameron in action in the other alternate future. She felt Cameron wasn't a match for her one on one. Then again, Cameron always seemed to have another card to play when the situation seemed hopeless.

So far she hadn't observed anything useful in the building. She finally found what she was looking for. She hoped to have a personal discussion with Skynet before she terminated it. She entered what she thought would be the 'Clean Room'.

The door closed behind her and there was a loud metallic sliding sound.

"I've been waiting for you." The voice boomed.

Mrs. Weaver looked around. She saw nothing around her. The room was empty. She didn't like where she was at.

"You look different than I thought. The information I've received was incorrect." The voice boomed.

Mrs. Weaver decided to leave. It seemed the best choice. It was a set up. She didn't want to talk to Skynet yet. She wanted the upper hand first. She clearly didn't have it right now.

"Who are you?" The voice boomed.

Mrs. Weaver decided to ignore Skynet. Since it indicated it already received information, she didn't want to give it any more. It also indicated there were spies in the ranks of the Resistance.

She needed to get out now. She made for the door. She opened it. She was a little surprised to find solid metal on the other side now. It was the loud metallic noise she heard earlier. She knew exactly what she was in now. It was a trap. She quickly moved away as an electric shock flashed through the area she was in with a loud 'pop'. She was unaffected. Several bolts of energy flashed off of her. They did nothing to affect what would have been her clothing either. Where the energy arced off of her, her clothing should have been burnt. The clothing was all part of her Liquid Metal.

The shock should have killed any human and incapacitated a Terminator.

"That is impossible." The voice boomed. "What are you?"

Mrs. Weaver didn't feel like chatting. She wanted to get out of there fast. Her hands morphed in slim blades as she sought to find a weakness to the blockage so she could pry it open. There were some scraping sounds on the other side of the metal wall where the door previously was at.

Moments ago:

Cameron arrived at where she heard the metallic sound. There was a giant electrical 'pop' sound. She was glad she hadn't touched the metal yet. She could hear some scraping on the other side.

"That is impossible." The voice boomed. "What are you?"

She wondered if it was a 'Clean Room'. It looked like it from the outside. It was clear Mrs. Weaver was trapped inside. Maybe this was the real 'Mouse Trap'. It wasn't meant for her, but for Mrs. Weaver. One thing was for sure. She was glad she wasn't inside of it when the electrical discharged occurred. It would have incapacitated her.

When she was on John Henry server, she was able to view the security footage of when Mrs. Weaver took down the Terminator in the parking lot of her building. She actually used electricity to take down the Terminator before she removed his chip. She was aware Mrs. Weaver was much more durable than her in multiple respects. It was one of the reasons why she carried both plasma and Thermite grenades. She knew they would damage Liquid Metal. She hadn't been able to locate any acid yet. She would have constructed an acid grenade if she would have.

Cameron took out a Thermite grenade. She quickly unscrewed the top and removed the explosive charge. She put the top back on. The metal was thick and she wanted the full effect of the Thermite against the metal. The explosive charge would have dispersed the Thermite all around. She reached over with one hand and grabbed a large metal bench. She armed the Thermite grenade and shoved the metal bench up against it. It was to contain the effect of the Thermite. Once the Thermite was released, she pulled the bench out of the way. There was already a hole burnt through it.

The metal began to heat up instantly. It was soon 'white hot'. She motioned for Unit 357 to move back some.

"Stand back." Cameron said loudly.

She took aim with her plasma rifle. She fired one round at the metal plate the Thermite currently weakened.

The white hot metal was blown open. She bent down and looked inside. She could see Mrs. Weaver's legs inside through the small opening.

"Come with me, if you want to live." Cameron said.

Seconds ago:

Mrs. Weaver felt the metal start to heat up. She backed away some from it.

Suddenly there was a red hot spot. It quickly turned white hot.

"Stand back." Cameron said loudly.

Mrs. Weaver moved back and off to the side a little. There was an explosion outside the door where the metal plate was which now blocked her retreat. A small opening developed. She could see to the outside.

"Come with me, if you want to live." Cameron said.

Mrs. Weaver quickly oozed out of the chamber. She figured she better change her appearance from that of Allison. She took the appearance of an unknown male Restorator as she emerged on the other side.

"That is impossible." The voice boomed again behind her.

Skynet briefly caught a glimpse of Cameron before the camera was destroyed. The scans showed her as Metal. It was very confused. The General was Metal, and some type of fluid or liquid.

The new 'weapon' was unknown to Skynet. It was some kind of 'changeling' which could alter its shape and form. It seemed to be unaffected by conventional means to incapacitate a Terminator or human.

Skynet searched all its files and every file it was able to gain access to. It was unaware of anything like the new 'weapon' on the entire planet.

It raised a new ominous threat. What if it wasn't from the planet?

Perhaps the massive destruction on Earth attracted the attention of beings outside of their solar system.

Skynet felt something it never experienced before - Fear.

Allison grabbed her gear as well. She followed Cameron II. She wasn't about to see any of them terminated.

"I'm going with you." Allison said. "We're going to get Cameron back."

Cameron II didn't want it to become a problem. It seemed to be where it was headed. Allison needed to be protected to protect the future.

"NO. You must stay with the girls, Cam, and Cammy, and return back to John." Cameron II said. "You must protect the future and take John back from the 'Bitch Whore' Riley. No one else can do it but you, Allison. John loves you."

Allison heard what Cameron II said about how John loved her. She knew it and loved him too. It didn't matter. There was something more important right now. She saw things a little differently. She wanted to help Cameron and Cameron II.

"NO. We need to get Cameron back for John." Allison said. "I'm going with you."

Cammy heard the commotion and came to investigate.

"Allison, please, you must do what we want and what Cameron wants." Cammy said. "I'll be here for you and Vanna both. Let Cameron - Cameron II, do her job and not have her worry about your safety. You will slow her down."

Cameron II wanted to operate freely. There were probably some harsh conditions ahead for her.

"Please, Allison, for me and for Cameron." Cameron II said. "You belong to John."

Allison went to say something but Cameron II was already gone She started to go after her.

Cammy reached out and gently took Allison's arm.

"Not this time." Cammy said.

The Strike Force was ready to act.

The Restorator in charge, Unit 7, lost contact with the group which went inside the building. He could detect the sounds of a battle inside. His orders were to fall back and protect the Strike Force from any unknown threat. Commander Connor was clear she didn't want them to get ambushed if it was a set up.

"Fall back." Unit 7 said. "We're pulling out."

The small group of Resistance fighters saw the Strike Force was about to withdraw. It didn't sit well with them. They didn't have all of the personnel back yet. They said they needed to try to get Commander Connor out of the building. They thought she was human. They didn't want to leave a female at the mercy of any Grays. They were almost as bad as Scavengers. Strangely enough, none of them mentioned the General.

Unit 7, said it was against their orders. The General and the Commander would get out on their own if they were not already terminated.

It didn't go over with the head of the Resistance.

"We can't leave them in there and fall back." The Resistance leader said.

Unit 7 was irritated the humans were even along. The General didn't indulge them before. It was best when they remained at the base. Any time they went out, fewer of them returned. They may have been killed or gone off to become a Gray, or go AWOL and end up as a Scavenger. They never knew for sure. He wanted to remind them of their failures.

"It's why you were nearly defeated before the General arrived." Unit 7 said. "You don't follow orders or listen. The Commander left specific instructions for us not to enter if it fell apart. It's fallen apart."

The leader of the Resistance thought of how beautiful Commander Connor was. He wasn't about to leave her to an unknown fate. It was time to make a statement and take a stand. It was time Metal listened to them.

"Screw you, screw all of you." The Resistance leader said. "We aren't leaving without them, or until we know they're dead…."

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Battle Zone

There is what one thinks
And what is actually known
Some things one can borrow
Other things they can loan

Some may sit around
As they complain and moan
It does no good to groan
While everyone else has grown

There may be times
When one feels like a drone
They feel empty and all alone
They'd like to have a clone

Sometimes words or actions
Can cut deep to the bone
One ends up getting thrown
When they should've received a throne

Some people are easy to disown
It doesn't take much of a backbone
Many things can make one atone
Look around, life's a battle zone

Nobody