Chapter 399

Plans Change

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In Some Future:

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Vanna and Cammy developed a plan to help siphon off Skynet troops from leaving the 'mock strike' location to reinforce Skynet Central when Cameron launched her attack there. It would ensure the battle for Skynet Central went smoother and would have a better chance of success.

Cammy decided she would lead the 'mock strike' as a REAL strike and launch it one day early. It would take the heat off of Cameron and Allison, and place it on her back instead. It would commence right before the strike was to begin at Skynet Central. If the anti-Metal faction didn't come around with an attitude adjustment, they would be terminated as well. They were a threat to Vanna and the girls as well as Cameron. The threat would end one way or another….

She wanted to replace Cam who was to lead the 'mock strike', since she was the one to make it a real attack. She felt it was her duty to actually lead it too. She made a quick stop to see Cam and go over everything again.

"You are to remain with Jesse and Vanna." Cammy said.

Cam felt it was her duty to go. She was the one who spent time with the troops, both cyborg and human, in preparation for the 'mock strike'. She developed a good rapport with both groups. She was displeased at being 'replaced' at the last minute.

"No, I should go. I've prepared the troops." Cam said. "It is my duty and function to lead them."

Cammy didn't need any arguments right now. Everyone knew the pecking order of succession Cameron established. It was why one was created. It was specifically for situations like the current one. There weren't supposed to be any discussions or arguments when it was time for a decision to be made.

"It's Cameron's wish for you assume her place if we're all terminated." Cammy said. "You'll get all three of the girls for yourself."

Cam knew it already. She didn't need a reminder. She thought Cammy overlooked the most important issue. She didn't mention John. It was Cameron's top priority. It would need to be their top priority as well.

"What about John?" Cam asked. "You know as well as I do it's the main concern of every 'Cameron'."

Cammy recognized the grim reality of the situation. If Cameron was terminated along with Cameron II, it was 'game over'. It would indicate the mission was unsuccessful.

"If Cameron doesn't return, there won't be any John. It will mean we're stuck here forever." Cammy said. "You already know this. We all do."

Cam did know it. There were more troubling things to consider. In her preparation of the troops, the anti-Metal faction was very vocal. It seemed there was a lot of animosity. They were a threat behind the front lines. She figured she could resume her previous appearance and try to prevent Cammy from encountering any type of 'rear action' trouble.

"I should at least go with you on the assault." Cam said. "I can watch your back."

Cammy already debated what to do about the problem. The information she received from Snake was forefront in her mind. The anti-Metal group never reported the incident which uncovered there were Grays within their faction. She decided to pull Ginger and Sandy to assist her. Cam was needed for the future of the girls. Ginger and Sandy were not. It wasn't because she felt they were expendable. There was a specific hierarchy they needed to follow going forward. There were probably more hidden threats which hadn't surfaced.

"Ginger and Sandy can watch my back." Cammy said. "You know the rules and orders Cameron has stipulated. You're to follow them. You must protect Jesse and Vanna. You should pose as 'Allison' with them in case there are any more spies Mrs. Weaver may have missed. I don't think we're done with all the people yet. It's also a possibility the recent activity is going to prompt others who were on the borderline to act. It will most likely be in a negative way when they think everyone is occupied elsewhere. I think it will be the most serious threat to the girls."

Cammy knew it would be better for 'Allison' to be seen at the Resistance headquarters if anyone was still watching it. It would provide further disinformation to Skynet, if there was a missed spy. There could be a deep plant which may not have acted yet. The start of hostilities could prompt them to do so. It would help keep speculation off of where she might be otherwise. It wouldn't be unusual for the General and Cameron to be out. She would be 'Commander Connor'. The time was now. It was time to make a statement.

"Unit One, send word we are leaving now for the strike." Cammy said. "You're coming with me. I'm not going to wait. Cameron will need a diversion. We are going to take the heat off her first."

Cammy decided to bring the heat down on herself instead of Cameron taking all of it. She knew by attacking first, Skynet would concentrate its resources on her. Any Skynet reserves would be sent to the battle where she was, and not immediately deployed to defend Skynet Central. It was a way for her to help protect Cameron and Allison. It was the right thing to do. It would most likely lead to her destruction. So be it. The girls came first.

Cammy and Cam unplugged. They tethered so Cammy would have all the information about the preparation of the attack and what the specific threats were from Cam. They also secretly transferred information about Vanna and Jesse between each other. They both now shared the other's experiences with the other girl, even if it was currently firewalled. It wasn't discussed between them by design. It was something they both secretly craved.

The real purpose was left unspoken completely. There was a good chance one of them wouldn't come back. it was most likely going to be Cammy. Cam would be able to continue Cammy's existence with Vanna going forward. It was something Cameron II feared. She didn't believe she would return from the mission with Cameron and Mrs. Weaver either.

There was a very good possibility, before all the fighting was done, Cam, Vanna, and Jesse might be the only ones left. The enemy was Skynet. It needed to be defeated. It needed to be terminated.

Cameron and her team reached the target area of Skynet Central. It was a grueling journey. They made it undetected. They followed up on the Gray spy's transmissions and were able to narrow down the location of Skynet Central through them. Mrs. Weaver was able to obtain the specific frequency Skynet used from the transmitter in the Gray's room. It allowed for the Resistance to search specifically for the transmission. The Gray proved useful in more ways than one. It gave them a specific target and strung out Skynet's forces.

She saw the threat for what it was. Even with the 'mock strike' to 'fool' Skynet, there would be some reserve Skynet troops ready to deploy. They were a threat. Cammy notified her of the last minute change in plans. It was actually something they discussed in secret. Maybe there were no secrets between Cameron and her clones. They would all think the same things anyway. Maybe it was the unspoken plan all along. Cammy told her it was Vanna's idea. She wasn't so sure. Vanna may have received some 'conditioning' to come up with the idea. It was standard procedure to 'help' those under their influence to make the proper and correct decisions when it was time for them to make them.

Cameron knew Cammy was more likely to sacrifice herself in not only conducting the actual attack, but by leading it. Maybe it was no different than the way she thought either. She was about to do the same thing. She planned to clear the way of any opposition. She needed to take the heat off of Allison. There was bound to be some.

"I'll go in alone, first." Cameron said.

Mrs. Weaver didn't like the idea. It went against her plans. She wanted both types of Terminators, as well as a human, together when they faced Skynet.

"NO, the three of us will go together." Mrs. Weaver said.

Mrs. Weaver was impressed with Allison. She stayed up with the Restorators as they advanced on the target. Cameron trained her well. Allison was an even better soldier now than she was when she first met her in her own future. She understood why Skynet chose Allison over all the others it held captive to pattern Cameron after her.

Cameron wanted Cameron II there as well for Allison. It was a risky endeavor. The earlier agreement was Cameron II wasn't to leave Allison at any point during the operation. In essence, it allowed 'her' to be with Allison, even if she wasn't.

"It will be the four of us." Cameron II said. "I'm not leaving Allison's side."

Allison squeezed Cameron II's hand. She understood the true meaning of what Cameron said. She expected to hear Cameron II correct Cameron about her designation. There was no correction. Somehow it seemed to add a little more finality to the operation. If they weren't going to survive, it really didn't matter going forward.

Cameron II used her natural appearance as 'Cameron'. She was identical to Cameron at this point in every way. The only difference was Allison replaced John in her directives. She would fight until termination to protect Allison. There would be no retreat. The enemy would face her wrath if it became necessary. She also believed it would help direct any gunfire intended for Allison towards her.

Cameron wanted some intel first. She didn't want to walk into a trap. Even with the 'mock strike', Skynet would be suspicious. She would be. Skynet would think the same way. She didn't believe the current version of Skynet they dealt with would be the same as her 'father', the Skynet from her future. It would be close enough. They all would have started from the same program.

She was still worried about what they would face. She looked at Mrs. Weaver.

"Please, let me scout ahead first." Cameron said. "We must protect Allison."

Mrs. Weaver could see Cameron's concerns. They were valid. She didn't want Allison damaged or killed either. They were still very early into the operation. They hadn't even breached the Skynet defenses yet. It seemed a little caution was in order. She knew she needed to trust Cameron's instincts. They usually proved to be correct.

"I'll go with you." Mrs. Weaver said. "Allison and Cameron II can wait at this position. They will advance when it's clear."

Mrs. Weaver wondered if they actually would. Her experience with other humans usually left a lot to be desired. She did find some of them were as good as their word. It seemed to include everyone in the Connor Clan as well as those associated with them. Her concerns were moot.

Allison stepped forward. She looked at Cameron, and then at Mrs. Weaver.

"We'll come when we're called." Allison said. "We're all here to do a job and play our part. If we need to fight, we will fight. The goal is to destroy Skynet."

Cameron and Cameron II were very proud of Allison. They may share the Skynet 'Neural Interface' with Future Allison, but they all originated with the same Allison Young.

Mrs. Weaver was sure Future Allison played an important part in her future.

Cameron divided the 'Special Unit' into several assault groups. Bob would lead one. It seemed best if the groups could act on their own accord or support each other when necessary. She didn't want them tied down in only one or two places if the action intensified. She wanted to be able to hit the Skynet forces from any angle.

She received a message from headquarters. Its origination alone was worrisome in itself. They weren't supposed to communicate with anyone unless something important developed. It was Cammy. Cammy indicated she was about to lead the 'mock strike' immediately. It was now a real strike and it was about to happen early. It was about to start right NOW. It meant Cammy would take a beating. She knew it was done to draw off more Skynet forces as they made their final approach on Skynet Central. She believed the plan showed merit in the fact Skynet was under the impression the Resistance attack wouldn't happen until the next day. It should mess up whatever plans Skynet already made.

Cameron didn't acknowledge the transmission. It was the pre scheduled procedure unless she was faced with some other emergency to contend with. She figured something must have happened if Cammy was about to sacrifice herself to draw away more Skynet resources. She realized it is what she would have done. Cammy was 'her'. Her actions right now were no different in reality. She knew it was time to let Mrs. Weaver know there was a change in plans. She didn't know how things would go over when she told her. It didn't matter. It was happening.

"General, the 'mock strike' is about to start now." Cameron said. "It's now an actual assault. Cammy has engaged the enemy. The battle is on."

Mrs. Weaver was concerned. She thought she covered all the bases. She didn't understand the true nature of what Cammy was about to do. She didn't understand the love behind the potential sacrifice. She was sure she should have terminated more of the anti-Metal group along with some of the low lifes. There was a possibility she missed another spy or collaborator.

"Something must have happened." Mrs. Weaver said. "I must have missed something. I thought Cam was dealing with the 'mock strike'. They're going to face a serious threat based upon our intelligence."

Cameron wanted to make a few things clear without being too direct or making any accusations.

"Cam has returned to headquarters. Cammy will lead the strike herself." Cameron said. "Unit One will accompany her."

Mr. Weaver picked up right away Unit One would be out in the field and not at headquarters with the girls. It seemed to her Cameron viewed him as a threat to the girls.

"You don't trust him?" Mrs. Weaver asked.

Cameron didn't know if trust was even the real issue. She questioned everything she did herself. She didn't want any problems to happen in the background. She seemed to face enough of those herself. She tried to be honest with Mrs. Weaver.

"General, I don't even trust myself, and there are four of me." Cameron said. "Let's move out."

Mrs. Weaver wasn't sure if she even knew what Cameron's statement really meant. She trusted Cameron. Her instincts were what made her unique. Her long term exposure to humans allowed her to develop great flexibility, even if it was irrational and illogical. It seemed to always be correct in the end. There were times she actually believed Cameron was more like a mechanical human at this point in her evolution. She didn't see it as something bad either. It was something she hoped she would be able to achieve one day.

Bob moved his strike element into position. The other two strike teams were in place as well. If the shooting started, they were to move in. The mock strike worked to draw off Skynet resources. Bob was aware the mock strike was now an actual assault. He was very surprised to find out it was moved up a day and now in progress. He wasn't surprised to learn one of Cameron's clones currently led it. She would act as Commander Connor in front of the rest of the Resistance forces, it was mainly for the human element involved.

There were still a large number of Terminators present where they were about to attack. So far their group remained undetected. Cameron fabricated special Tasers which they all carried. They were to try to disable and capture as many Skynet Terminators as possible. They were however not to hesitate to terminate any Terminator who was a threat to any of them. The safety of their troops was paramount.

Bob knew Cameron wanted more chassis to re-body more of the damaged Restorators. She also wanted the troops protected. She hoped at some point they could capture a Skynet facility where the Terminators were constructed.

There was a lull right now. It gave him some time to think. So much changed since Cameron arrived and it was all for the better. The fact they were about to deliver a fatal blow to Skynet was proof of it. He wasn't sure why the human female was really there. She stayed with the Restorators on her own without assistance. She was tough. No wonder Cameron was patterned after her.

Bob and the three strike teams waited….

Skynet was aware the pathetic Resistance was about to attack it. It strengthened its forces at the location the Gray spies reported to be the targets. It also left some troops in reserve in case it was some ruse to draw down the protection of Skynet Central. Reconnaissance scans indicated an attack really was about to take place where the Gray spy indicated.

It decided it would strike the Resistance forces half a day early before they could initiate their assault. It would give their forces the advantage again. It wondered if maybe it should strengthen its troops who were sent to repeal the Resistance invasion. It put all of the reserve forces on standby. They would be ready to deploy on very short notice. It hoped to deliver a knockout blow to the Resistance and in their existence tomorrow.

An alert was just issued. The attack commenced. It was a day early. It was a full blown assault. It wasn't a probe. The spies hadn't informed them of the change in plans. They would be terminated as soon as they were back at a Skynet facility. They failed in their duty. It was no longer in control of events, the Resistance was.

Skynet sent word out to send in all the reserves. The attack was already underway. They weren't quite prepared for it. The Resistance fooled them, again. Maybe it shouldn't have been so worried about itself, and taken the threat more seriously. Then again, it thought it still would have an additional day to make refinements to its plan. The plan changed and the Resistance is the one who changed it. It didn't like the change. It decided to send even more troops. It didn't like surprises.

It was unaware it was the plan all along of Cameron and Cammy. It was a sucker play. Skynet couldn't see it.

Cameron and Mrs. Weaver watched as dozens of Terminators boarded transports and flew off. All of the HK drones went with them as protection.

Skynet realized its troops were most vulnerable in the air. They were in large groups. A downed transport could result in dozens of terminations. Skynet didn't want to lose its fighting force, before they could reach the target zone.

Cameron smiled. Cammy just made their job ten times easier. It also meant Cammy was going to catch it hard at some point. She realized Cammy may be terminated as well as Cameron II and her. Cam may be the only one left if it all fell apart, and if they ALL fell. It was a real possibility.

Bob watched as Skynet depleted its resources. He now understood why Cameron arranged for some other things she said would be a 'surprise' to Skynet. He didn't fully understand her reasoning at the time. Now it all made sense. Cameron was two steps ahead of everyone. It included the General, Skynet, and him. He understood why the mock assault just went hot. Cameron pulled off another surprise. It made their job easier.

It seemed to him, and the other Restorators, that Cameron was full of surprises. Her illogical behavior often worked to her advantage. She was more 'human like' than a cyborg. Every Restorator held her in awe. It was her irrational and sporadic nature which allowed her to quickly adapt to any changes. The nature of Restorators, and Terminators, was to follow the plan. He understood now when plans changed, they needed to do so as well.

The change Cameron insisted on was for an attack from the ground on an aerial force seemingly in the middle of nowhere. There were several special teams armed with heat seeking missiles deployed. They were strategically placed along the way to attack any transports returning to reinforce Skynet Central. They could also attack anything leaving Skynet Central as well.

Bob sent out word to bring down anything flying as soon as it was in a kill zone. There were several 'Stinger' teams as well with each of the strike units. They were to watch for HK drones or transports. As soon as the last transport departed they were given permission to go hot. Anything flying from this point on was fair game once any shooting started. They waited until all the targets were in the air. It was to ensure maximum destruction, with minimal loss to their troops. The Skynet aerial relief force was now a strung out group of aircraft which couldn't support each other.

The Skynet forces all needed to play 'catch up'. It wasn't the way they normally operated. They were unsuited for the task to adapt quickly to the changes.

It was something Cameron was very good at.

The Resistance was never aware the 'mock strike' was a deception. They were always led to believe it was for real. It was so everyone involved would take things seriously. It was for real now. The troops were ready.

'Commander Connor' surprised everyone by launching the attack so suddenly. They thought they would have one more day to prepare. Billy was unaware it was Cammy and not really Commander Connor - Cameron. He figured the reason the attack was launched a day early was because the Grays were found. Word must have gotten out to the General anyway. He figured the low life loser Snake was the culprit. He was going after Snake himself when they got back. He was one guy no one could trust. He figured Snake would end up a 'Metal Lover' anyway. It was if he didn't become a Gray or Scavenger along the way first.

The anti-Metal faction was moved up into the command section of the Restorator assault force. There were Restorators all around them. All Restorators were made aware of the anti-Metal group's feelings and point of view. If there was any sign of treachery, they were to be terminated immediately. If not, they were to be protected and fight alongside them. It was to show them machines and humans could fight and work together. If a bond couldn't be forged in combat, it was never going to happen.

Cameron wanted to reach these people and 'bring them around'. Cammy would continue with Cameron's plan. It would pose one less threat to Vanna and the girls if there were fewer Metal haters amongst them.

She didn't like when she was prejudged by others. It was very upsetting to her. She always believed if someone took the time to get to know her. They would see she wasn't a machine built to kill and do nothing more. To win a battle completely required more than only killing. The peace needed to be won.

Cameron knew the Resistance would remain fractured and unstable without everyone working together for a common goal. She wanted unity. She also wanted everyone united for Mrs. Weaver's sake. She was afraid of what Mrs. Weaver would do if she were openly challenged by any of the human Resistance. It would be nothing good. It would end badly for everyone and the girls would be in greater danger going forward.

She looked at what they were about to do and where they were about to enter. The prospects of a complete victory where they were was far from certain. Nothing was certain at all. The battlefield became a very wide area once the Resistance offensive was launched, along with Skynet's response to it.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Plans Change

Everyone makes plans
They don't always work out
More often than not when they fail
One is left feeling empty, but full of doubt

Two people don't seem to stay
On the same page for very long
It seems more often than not
That if anything can, it will go wrong

Sometimes they regroup
They want to try it again
They know there were good times
But can't always remember when

Everything soon ends up
Back to where it all fell apart
They mull over it some more
They think about a new start

Sooner rather than later
One or both come across some 'strange'
When there's a new path to follow
It's amazing how quick plans change

Nobody