Chapter 380

Snake

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In Some Future:

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Mrs. Weaver tracked the Gray. She made note of the stops he made. She watched who he contacted and what was communicated. She watched for anything to be passed off. She checked to see if anything went to or from them.

So far he seemed to operate alone. She actually thought there would be more. The Gray operated as a true 'secret agent' by operating alone. It reduced the chance of him being discovered if someone else was apprehended. There was also the possibility there was more than one Gray inside the compound, and they operated independently of each other.

It was common for enemy groups inserted into the target area to remain unconnected to each other. Sometimes they were considered as 'cells'. If one of the groups was compromised, the other one wouldn't be. There were times when they could work counter to each other as well, since they didn't know the other one was there.

Mrs. Weaver continued to watch the Gray. She wanted to make sure there were no other contacts. She didn't spot him leave anything anywhere else for someone to retrieve in a 'drop spot'. If she suspected anyone else was involved, they would be terminated as well when she took down the Gray. The thing to do now was to start feeding Skynet disinformation. The goal was to make Skynet look in the wrong direction when they made their move.

Somehow it seemed rather ironic because the Gray who was sent to spy on them, would actually hurt his 'master' in the end. Such was the nature of the 'game'.

Earlier:

The Gray looked around. He wondered what tipped off the Commander to show up. It caused her sister's rapid departure, and almost as rapid return with a heavy weapon. It was almost as if someone informed on them. It was probably the 'low life' Snake. He knew Snake was asking around. He would need to deal with him later. The 'low lifes' were worthless to the Resistance, and useless to Skynet. No one should miss him.

Then there was the dog. He never saw a more deadly looking animal in his life. He would need to keep it in his mind if he ever needed to infiltrate the headquarters area. He hoped it wouldn't be necessary. It wasn't part of his mission, at least not yet.

What about the Commander? The whole group was only there a short while. One of them was supposed to be the General's 'daughter'. Now they were suddenly bumped up in stature and called the shots. The local leaders were all bypassed. It's what raised Skynet's interest. Where did these people come from? They seemed to arrive as mysteriously as the General did. There was still no record of where they came from. It was almost as if they dropped out of the sky.

The change at the top didn't really matter to him. Skynet was going to win the conflict and he cast his lot with the winning side. He would keep gathering information and try to make sure Skynet could capture or kill the Commander and General. Then they would know if the General was really Metal or not. He wasn't sure why Skynet wanted the girl, Allison. It might have been as a way to control the Commander, or perhaps she really was a secret leader who hid in plain sight. Skynet wanted the girl. Those were his orders.

He did need to admit on a personal level the Commander and her sister were both very beautiful. He wondered briefly if Skynet understood or knew beauty. He doubted it. It was just a machine. He did look forward to their capture. He planned to spend a lot of time with both of them as they were tied to a bed. He wanted to see how 'identical' the twins really were….

He returned to his room. He made sure he wasn't followed. He needed to make a restroom stop. The latrine was at the end of the hall. He needed to wait for a few minutes while someone else was in there. The smell was bad enough as it was, it would be worse when someone else just finished using it.

The Gray returned to his room once he was done taking care of his personal business. He checked to make sure there was no one around. He carefully removed his transmitter from its hiding place below the floor boards. He sent his message with the burst transmission about what he observed. He didn't have a clue there was a Liquid Metal Terminator in the room with him.

He put everything away and left his room to take care of some other business. He made sure he wasn't followed as he did. He thought the people associated with the anti-Metal faction were the biggest group of uneducated morons he ever needed to be around. They couldn't see the future was right in front of them, instead they wanted to fight it. He personally looked forward to being able to kill all of them when Skynet made its move. First he needed to put the grab on the two females. He really looked forward to his 'alone time' with them.

Mrs. Weaver followed and watched the Gray. She noted all 'targets' for termination. It also gave her a look around the camp. She was able to listen to numerous conversations and what people were doing. There seemed to be a high level of discord. It was actually much worse than she was led to believe by Unit One prior to the arrival of Cameron and the girls.

She would need to question Unit One further about the inaccurate information she was given previously to the arrival of Cameron and the girls. It seemed his performance was somewhat lacking. The fact he delayed notifying Vanna about Cameron's request for help was a further worry. Perhaps it was time to get a new Unit One. It made her wonder if one of the individuals who Cameron cultivated would actually be a better choice. They seemed much more responsible, as well as motivated. It never ceased to amaze her how Cameron could influence both humans and machines without actually trying to do so. She thought it was a gift.

She didn't like the living conditions she observed. It was evident to her a lot of the rules and changes she put into place weren't being enforced. She would let Vanna and the girls deal with it for now. She wanted to see what changes they implemented and how it was done.

She sent out several surveillance devices as 'mice'. They were smaller than rats. A few even went out as snakes. She actually preferred the same form for movement on her own. A snake contained a sleek body which flowed smoothly. It was pure fluidity in motion to move around in such a way. They were also deadly predators. She felt she was too. She felt she was the deadliest of all of the predators. She did need to remember Skynet attempted to capture her once. She didn't think it was done trying yet. She didn't think it would be a pleasant experience being captured by anyone. She would need to be careful going forward, especially in a Skynet facility.

Earlier:

Cameron II waited nearby for Cameron after she sent Allison away with Cam and Jesse. She was glad to see Sandy and Ginger with them. She was close enough to hear the conversation, and close enough to back up Cameron if necessary. She watched Mrs. Weaver run off as JH and change into a different dog as soon as Cameron let the others go.

Cameron left the group behind and found Cameron II waiting for her. She took the plasma rifle from her.

"Are you going to use it?" Cameron II asked.

Cameron looked back at the area where she just was. She didn't know what would happen going forward. Her brief exposure to the anti-Metal group showed her there were several different types of personalities and the level of hatred towards anything Metal. She didn't believe the leader of the group would be a problem. She thought she would be able to work with him. Some of the others were blinded by their hate. The target they sought was exposed.

"I may have to at some point." Cameron said. "We've identified a Gray and it's what's most important right now."

Cameron II didn't like how Billy responded around Allison. She felt he was too nice and pleasant when he was with her. She didn't want to admit she was jealous.

"What about the leader?" Cameron II asked.

Cameron was aware how he looked at her and Cameron II as 'Allison'. She remembered the way John used to look at her at first.

"He's conflicted." Cameron said. "He wants to do the right thing, but is confused as to what it actually is anymore. I think he can be salvaged."

It wasn't what Cameron II wanted to hear. There was something she wanted to do on a personal level

"If he can't be salvaged, I want to be the one who terminates him." Cameron II said. "I will do it as 'Allison'."

Cameron looked over at Cameron II. She could see she was jealous. There was one thing she didn't want to think about. It was possible they would remain stuck where they were at. It was a very grim possibility. The girls might want to reproduce at some point. If they were stuck there forever, the girls should be able to choose who they wanted to mate with. She didn't believe it would establish a relationship with a male, but it was always a possibility. She quickly pushed the thoughts from her mind. She understood how Cameron II felt about 'someone else'. It was always very irritating to her when John turned to another, especially when she was always right there in front of him.

"I understand." Cameron said. "Personal competition is very irritating."

Cameron returned with Cameron II to the headquarters area. She asked Ginger and Sandy to stay on and keep watch over the girls as well. It would be their new assignment. She noticed right away the girls constantly checked them out. She thought it was a good thing. If the girls became 'friendlier' with Ginger and Sandy, then the two Restorators would protect the girls with even more determination. She also thought Ginger and Sandy might learn a few things as they observed the girls. She knew she did when she observed them.

Whenever one of the girls went out, Ginger or Sandy would be extra muscle to tag along. Cameron would also have Bob assign some of his Detail to further watch over everyone. She would have him beef up security around their headquarters compound. It was all to be done discreetly. If someone was after them specifically to capture them, they didn't want to tip their hand they were ready for them.

Cameron wanted to know more about who warned them of the impending trouble.

Cam filled Cameron in. She spared no detail or her opinion of the 'low life' area.

"I was surprised to learn he helped us." Cam said. "I didn't think he had it in him."

Jesse was as surprised as Cam. She thought there must be more to it. Snake seemed like the type who would want something for his efforts. She wanted to verify if there was any type of exchange made for the information.

"Snake actually helped us on his own accord?" Jesse asked.

Cam wasn't sure if she disliked him, or his name more. No, it was him.

"Apparently…." Cam said. "He was probably afraid I would come back and terminate him. He was right. I still might."

Cam still felt uneasy at the way Snake looked at her and Jesse. It felt like 'visual abuse' of some kind. She could only imagine how much worse it would be if there was some type of 'touching' to go along with it. She didn't even want to think what else could follow if she was a helpless human female.

Vanna was confused as to what the ambush was about.

"Why do you think Allison might have been the target?" Vanna asked. "It makes no sense. She's been the least visible of the girls."

It was a sore spot for Cameron. She believed it was because of what happened on her raid at the Skynet facility. It was something Skynet said about being human and Metal.

"I was spotted on our raid with the General. I believe Mrs. Weaver took Allison's appearance to hide her true self." Cameron said. "I didn't see her do it, but I believe she did."

Allison knew Mrs. Weaver took her form in her future. She didn't understand why she would do it on a raid in this timeline.

"Why?" Allison asked. "What does it gain? She could've been anyone, male or female."

Cameron wondered about it herself. She was aware that various Skynets and their illegitimate offshoots all seemed to know who she was. Maybe they weren't all her. Maybe some of them were from dealings with the different futures she'd been to. This was her third future. She was unaware of the next time transfer which occurred after they were deposited 'in some future'. There was a fourth future which was discovered along with River. The current issue was Mrs. Weaver.

"I believe it was to hide Mrs. Weaver's true identity." Cameron said. "Skynet now knows the General, or 'someone', is a different type of Metal Terminator. It is technology far beyond what this version of Skynet has. This one is very basic and primitive."

Vanna tried to see it from Skynet's perspective.

"So if there are two different kinds of Metal, and a human, the human must be the one who made the others in their image and calls the shots." Vanna said. "My mother has endangered Allison by doing this."

Vanna wasn't pleased with the information. If Mrs. Weaver was there right now, she would storm in and set her straight. She did know Mrs. Weaver always protected Allison once she knew who she was. She was there again for Allison earlier. Maybe she should use a little tact when she discussed the issue with her.

Cameron didn't like it, but she understood the reasoning behind it for the future going forward.

"It would appear that way." Cameron said. "However, when the 'Legend of John Connor and Allison Young' was established in your future, I posed as Allison too along with Mrs. Weaver. It was to give a 'human face' to the victories. The 'human face' gave hope. From what I've seen around where we currently are, hope is something the people here need."

Allison knew it was true. John asked her about it when Mrs. Weaver first started doing it. She told him she understood the reasoning. Cameron continued it as well once she returned to the past. She also knew Mrs. Weaver warned her earlier at the first sign of trouble.

"I don't think it was done to endanger me." Allison said. "Mrs. Weaver told me to get out when she sensed something wasn't right. I was never afraid as long as I knew she was there. I know she would protect me like she always has. She's saved my life several times. I owe her. I trust her."

Allison and Vanna exchanged a long look. They both knew why.

Cameron didn't want to dwell on the aspect. The fact they identified a Gray was worth the risk. It happened much sooner than she imagined it would. She was sure it was because of what Mrs. Weaver did when she was briefly a captive of Skynet.

"We have a 'way in' now to Skynet. We will be able to pass along any false information we can feed them." Cameron said. "We will give the Gray plenty of false information, along with some real information they can verify on their own."

Allison didn't like Grays.

"I'd like to give them something else." Allison said.

Allison reached over and touched Jesse's knife.

Vanna wanted to know more about what was planned. She wanted there to be some advanced planning. She didn't want Cameron to go off on her own.

"Where does this go from here?" Vanna asked. "We need a plan we can all work with."

Cameron already formulated a plan seconds after she was sure they identified a Gray spy. It hadn't changed since then.

"We will mount our real attack against Skynet Central the day before our 'scheduled attack' at the false location. We will build up and prepare for the strike, but hit them at Skynet Central first. I hope to draw off most of Skynets troops to the false location." Cameron said. "I need to get a working TDE and get back to John."

Allison noticed the distress on Cameron's face. She touched Cameron's hand.

"Cameron, John won't go back to Riley." Allison said.

Cameron believed otherwise. She knew the history. She was there before when he did. If he did it once, why wouldn't he do it again? What would be different? He would be even more inclined to be with Riley this time since the girls and her were all gone. There were still a lot of unknowns in play.

"What if we can't get back?" Cameron asked. "Besides, he rejected me and turned to her before. If Jesse, the bad one, hadn't terminated her, they would have mated repeatedly."

Cameron remembered the morning she caught John sneaking back in after spending the night with Riley. He was covered in her lipstick. John rubbed it in her face then. She still didn't believe John and Riley mated only once. She was sure it was more times. Who mates only once? It isn't how humans operate. They all get as much as they can.

She'd been in a fight for her life with another Terminator who suffered a temporal error the same night. She was protecting the future, and John was out with Riley. She remembered John could see the hurt on her face. All he did was smirk at her and walk up the stairs. It was as if he'd spit in her face and laughed about it.

Vanna took Cameron's other hand, it now glitched wildly. Jesse was at her side too.

"We're here for you Cameron, no matter what happens." Vanna said.

Jesse felt a lot of guilt about the whole event. A version of her was mixed up in it and it bothered her.

"I'm really sorry about all it, Cameron." Jesse said. "I know it wasn't me, but I still was involved somehow."

Cameron calmed down some as Allison and Vanna soothed her. She turned her attention to Jesse.

"Jesse, I know it wasn't you." Cameron said.

Cameron made sure this Jesse would never betray her. She made Jesse love her. She felt the love as well. She went out of her way to MAKE everyone love her. If they really loved her, they wouldn't hurt her on purpose. They wouldn't take John away from her. She wouldn't be replaced again.

Jesse still hoped they could get to Cameron's future before Cameron left the first time. It was so she could kill 'herself', Future Jesse. She swore to herself she would kill 'herself' and Future Riley both. The 'old Jesse' in her was buried, but she was still there when she needed her. She would mutilate and carve up both of them. She wanted them both alive when she started. She knew they would both die before she finished.

Bob placed additional Restorators around Vanna and the girls. Ginger and Sandy were always there too. They saw how the girls interacted with each other, and their own 'Cameron'. Cameron again offered for them to have time off to 'explore'.

Cameron organized the 'false strike' and made sure the key members of the anti-Metal group were involved, including the Gray. Mrs. Weaver watched him almost non stop except when he was asleep. She wanted to make sure the false information was passed along. The success of their mission would depend on it.

Mrs. Weaver met with Cameron.

"The false information has been transmitted." Mrs. Weaver said.

Cameron was pleased to hear it. Their plan could go forward.

"It's good news for a change." Cameron said.

Mrs. Weaver wanted to make sure everything was ready on their part.

"Is your 'Special Unit' ready for Skynet Central?" Mrs. Weaver asked.

Cameron made sure it was. She needed to stop Riley.

"Yes, I want to destroy Skynet and get the materials we need for the TDE." Cameron said. "I need to get back to John."

Mrs. Weaver wanted to settle a personal score with this Skynet, as well as her own future's version.

"We will terminate Skynet together." Mrs. Weaver said. "We will also terminate 'our future Skynet' together."

Cameron needed to protect John from himself. He let the little head do all the thinking.

"I need to get back to John." Cameron said again. "I can't delay."

Mrs. Weaver didn't see a problem with the aspect. There were workarounds to everything. She didn't want Cameron to worry about it too much.

"We can set the time so you arrive even before you left." Mrs. Weaver said. "You can stop whatever you want then before it happens."

Cameron already planned to cover all the bases.

"I intend to, but there's always the risk of a temporal error." Cameron said. "It's happened before. I'll attempt to go first and have one of my clones follow me at a later time and then another. The girls only need one clone. If the clones arrive as well, they will be deactivated, reprogrammed and Resequenced. I'm afraid if there is more than one of me, we will fight over John."

Mrs. Weaver could see Cameron was obsessed with John. She wanted to enact her own plan for dealing with Skynet when they went to Skynet Central. She didn't want it to cause a problem with Cameron.

"I want Allison to go with us." Mrs. Weaver said.

Cameron looked intently at Mrs. Weaver. It was about the last thing she wanted to hear.

"NO!" Cameron said. "I want her safe. It's an unnecessary risk."

Mrs. Weaver thought they could do it. She did it before more than once.

"We can protect her." Mrs. Weaver said.

This seemed like a really bad idea to Cameron. There was no reason Allison needed to go with them. A human didn't need to be present during the encounter. two different types of Terminators would be sufficient.

"NO!" Cameron said. "You were almost caught in a trap yourself. If Allison would have been with us, she would've been killed."

Mrs. Weaver thought of the further future.

"I want this Skynet to know it was humans and Terminators who both defeated it." Mrs. Weaver said. "I want the final record of it to be that way in case it ever tries to rise again. It would serve as a warning."

Cameron worried her clones and her might not make it. John would need comfort and love. There were dozens of things which could go wrong on multiple levels, at any point in time.

"I'll think about it." Cameron said. "Allison and the girls must be protected for John."

Mrs. Weaver thought of the original timeline. She didn't see it as an issue. It was a layer of redundancy which was not necessary.

"They are. The younger versions of them are." Mrs. Weaver said. "It can be as it was to begin with."

Cameron saw this as an opportunity to hold Mrs. Weaver to a promise and do what she wanted done. She wanted Savannah protected.

"Will you promise me you will leave Savannah where she is?" Cameron asked. "It can't be negotiated."

Mrs. Weaver asked Vanna in detail about what Cameron was really after in the past. Vanna left no detail untouched. She said she wanted the same things Cameron wanted for the future. It wasn't Allison, Jesse, or her.

"IF Vanna stays with me, I will." Mrs. Weaver said. "Savannah and Young Allison are the 'Natural Order'. You know this, Cameron."

Cameron wanted to make sure what the girls really wanted. She wouldn't 'sell them out' for her own goals. If she needed to fight Mrs. Weaver over Savannah and the girls, it is something she would do. It wasn't something she wanted, but she wanted the girls protected.

"I'll discuss it with them first." Cameron said. "Either way, we will strike Skynet Central soon."

Mrs. Weaver looked forward to it. She wanted to face Skynet again, on her own terms.

"Payback Time…." Mrs. Weaver said.

Cameron nodded.

"Payback is a Bitch." Cameron said.

The two Terminators looked at each other for a long moment.

"And there are two of us." Mrs. Weaver said with a smirk.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Snake

Look who is closest
Are they real or a fake
It should matter a lot
When a heart is at stake

Are they a standup person
Or a groveling weasel like flake
Can they offer true friendship
Do they give more than they take

Not everything in one's life
Is a sweet piece of cake
It doesn't take much for one
To ignore, reject or forsake

A life can be filled with joy
Or it can be plagued with heartache
Events in life add up like a dream
From which one can not wake

It is impossible for a life to remake
A soul once bent will shake and quake
It becomes clear someone is a mistake
When they are revealed as a dirty snake

Nobody

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In Some Future:

Events Continue In Chapter 396

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