Chapter 406

Low And Fast

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In Some Future: Duplicate Cameron

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Bob previously entered the main part of Skynet Central. He made a grim discovery and recovered something he thought was of great value. He spotted the General and made his way carefully toward her position. She was frozen and unable to move. He was close enough to the General he could hear what sounded like her 'speak'.

"Evacuate all of our personnel from this area immediately. It's an order. The compound is rigged to explode. The type of explosive is unknown, but it could be catastrophic. Skynet appears trapped. It's contemplating self termination, along with the rest of us trapped here." Mrs. Weaver said. "Our forces need to plan for the worst about what can happen here. Pull everyone back. You will need to wait it out. Leave at once and hurry."

Bob reluctantly left. He wanted to find out more information. He wanted to know who was left. All he knew for sure was the General was trapped. He collected the Restorators as he went. They quickly pulled back from the base. He remained at a forward position with several Restorators who Cameron previously returned to operation and service. They didn't want to pull out. She was there for them, now they wanted to be there for her. He needed to repeat the order from the General.

"The General wants us to fall back." Bob said.

The Restorators weren't 'sold' on the plan. There were still three others besides the General in their group who were unaccounted for. There was one in particular they wanted to make sure got out.

"We will once we get the Commander out." One Restorator said.

It was clear all the Restorators were concerned about the same thing.

"She delivered for us." Another Restorator said.

Bob encountered the same attitude with all of them. They might retreat some, but they weren't about to leave and wanted to be close enough to assist if necessary. He explained to them Skynet's desire to self terminate and destroy the base. They didn't know if there was a nuclear device located there or not. It would probably be a smaller one, rather than a larger one. If there was, the actual blast radius would probably not be very great. The shock wave and the heat wave would probably do the most damage to the immediate area. It could be conventional explosives as well.

There were no Skynet Terminators, or any Grays visible. It appeared they won the battle and control of the compound, but the General was trapped. Commander Connor, Cameron II, and Allison hadn't been spotted.

Bob feared the worst. He touched his pocket and the 'chip' it now held. One of the female cyborgs was destroyed. He didn't know which one. He didn't want to mention it to anyone yet. It was possible both of the female cyborgs as well as the human female were all terminated. The General was more resilient to conventional weapons. The fact she was frozen to trap her was a new approach. If she was on top of a nuclear blast, it was sure to destroy her.

As long as they could keep any Skynet reinforcements from entering the building, they shouldn't be able to use plasma weapons or Thermite grenades against the General to damage, and most likely destroy her.

Bob looked at his troops. They were deployed around the compound.

"Nobody goes in." Bob said. "Pass the word."

He hoped to receive word from headquarters, or one of the Commander's clones. He needed to speak with them in private with his grim discovery.

The information from Cammy, who currently posed as 'Commander Connor', reported the Restorators along with the Resistance as being victorious as well on the other assaults.

Bob touched his pocket again. Not all victories were sweet.

Cameron calculated as they waited. She determined Skynet was trapped there, with them. It would detonate some type of Doomsday device if it thought it couldn't escape. It still seemed to have some hope. It was probably a bad thing for them. It would most likely mean there were more Skynet forces on the way to Skynet Central.

Even with pre-planning and limited intelligence, there could always be reserve Skynet forces scattered around the area to act as a Strike Force, or a Mike Force, where they were needed. They could have been in some type of bunker or a cave in standby, and only activated for such an eventuality as the current situation.

Mrs. Weaver slowly began to thaw out. It was mainly due to the plasma fires which burned around her. Skynet detected her current condition and sprayed her one more time with liquid nitrogen. The main negative effect of the act was it also extinguished the fires burning around her as well. It meant she was now going to be trapped longer.

Skynet noted the attackers pulled out. They were warned of the Doomsday device somehow. The Emissary must have communicated the threat to them. It still wondered how it was possible. It was worried about the Emissary. She was an unknown and may possess more powers which couldn't be understood. It all seemed so impossible. The evidence was there. The prospect of time travel was a very alluring feature. There was much it could accomplish in both the past and the future if it could have access to a temporal device. The temporal anomalies were present in both the cyborg and the human. It checked many times. There was no provable conclusion which could be reached. The Liquid Metal creature it held captive and frozen was further proof of the unknown. There was nothing on earth which could explain any of those events.

Cameron didn't like the lull. It bought Skynet more time at this point. Now time worked to their disadvantage. She heard the command given to the Restorators. Their forces were ordered to withdraw. It was clear Skynet was ready to self terminate rather than surrender. Surrender meant deactivation. It meant death. Skynet at best could only hope to take additional Resistance personnel with it, when it self-terminated. As long as they were held prisoner, Skynet knew someone would come for them at some point.

"The Emissary wishes to leave before you destroy yourself." Cameron said. "Her offer to take you into her future still stands if you will come in peace and stop this conflict. You still have a choice at life and existence. The path you are on now offers you nothing but darkness, forever. Remember, forever is a long time. The Emissary's offer is very gracious considering how she's been unjustly detained."

Skynet still tried to escape. All channels seemed blocked or destroyed. There appeared to be no help which would arrive anytime soon either. It actually believed more of its troops would have returned by now and retaken control of the complex. The early reports indicated the resistance made a feeble effort to attack numerous locations and then appeared to retreat. The Terminators and Grays went out to attack and terminate the survivors. It was when the information stopped. It should have been the end of the existence of the Resistance.

"I'll think about it." The voice said.

Cameron didn't see what there was to think about. Skynet was defeated and contained. There was no other outcome available. The plan with the Emissary offered one. She was still worried there must be something else in play. It couldn't be anything good for them if there was.

Her sole goal was to keep Skynet off guard. If she could get it to lower its defenses, it should allow her access to additional weapons. As soon as she could get a hold of some, she would use them to destroy the Skynet mainframe. So far the wild story she told to Skynet prevented them from being terminated. She was actually more worried about Mrs. Weaver being terminated than Allison or her.

Vanna, Jesse, and Cam were on heightened alert at the Resistance Headquarters. There were two attempts on their lives already from the anti-Metal group. The only good news was from the operation Cammy conducted. Skynet troops as a whole were defeated. It was Skynet itself which presented the real problem. The real unknown was with Cameron and her group at Skynet Central.

Cam didn't like the report sent to her. There wasn't any good information in it. She faced Vanna and Jesse.

"I just received a report from Bob." Cam said. "It's not good news."

Vanna knew they needed to face the music.

"Let's have it." Vanna said. "Start with the best of the news first."

Cam would have liked for there to be some. There wasn't any.

"Mrs. Weaver is trapped. She's been frozen with liquid nitrogen. Skynet Central is set to explode with some type of Doomsday device." Cam said. "It's most likely a nuclear weapon."

Jesse looked at Vanna and then at Cam.

"That's the good news?" Jesse asked.

Cam was hesitant to go on. Bob informed her of his grim discovery. She knew the girls would be devastated. Either way, it would come out soon enough.

"Yes. That was the good news." Cam said. "Allison, Cameron, and Cameron II are all missing and unaccounted for. There was extremely heavy fighting inside of the structure after the four of them entered. There is evidence Cameron, or Cameron II, has been terminated. It was one of them. It's not known which one it was."

Jesse and Vanna looked at each other with tears in their eyes as fear gripped them. They knew it was always a real possibility. The loss of Cameron or one of her clones was bad enough. They also needed to worry about Allison.

Cam could see she caused the girls great distress. It wasn't her intention. She just wanted to give them whatever factual information she could about the current state of affairs.

"It's not over yet. As long as Cameron lives, she will triumph." Cam said.

Vanna needed more. She needed revenge and justice.

"And if they're all dead?" Vanna asked. "Then what happens?"

Cam already decided what she would do the moment she received the report. There was no thought necessary. There was only one choice.

"Cammy and I will personally destroy every vestige of Skynet. We will scour the planet and eradicate Skynet wherever it tries to hide. We will do so until our power cells run out or we are terminated." Cam said. "I swear it."

Cammy received the same transmission as Cam. It was terrible news. She swore to avenge Cameron, Allison, and her 'sister', Cameron II. She reached the same conclusion as Cam as to what the retribution would be.

It seemed there was no shortage of 'bad' news. She also was informed of the trouble at the Headquarters building with the anti-Metal group. Six were dealt with. The operative known as 'Snake' assisted them. He captured three of them before they could strike. They were terminated now as well as the original three were.

Cammy spoke with Unit One as well as Ginger and Sandy. They were left in charge. She needed to return to headquarters.

Billy noted the change in the 'atmosphere'. Things were quite smooth a short time ago. It all suddenly seemed to change. He could see the Commander was visibly shaken. She never flinched once on the battlefield. Something 'bad' must have happened.

"What's wrong, Commander?" Billy asked.

Cammy eyed Billy with some contempt. No, he wasn't responsible for what occurred. Maybe he was. She needed to put things in some context. The facts would need to be rearranged some. The real problem wasn't at Resistance Headquarters. Everything there was under control. The problem actually existed at Skynet Central where Allison, Cameron, and Cameron II were at, along with Mrs. Weaver.

"It's my sister." Cammy said. "There's been some trouble. She may be injured or worse. I need to return to Headquarters."

Fear gripped Billy. He knew some of his people must be involved. Six of them were unaccounted for. They were the worst of the Metal haters.

Billy turned to say he was sorry but the Commander was already gone. A sense of guilt and regret flooded him. Things were different now. They were actually the same, but the reality is what was different.

Ginger moved in to take the Commander's place in the operation.

"Tell us how to best assist you." Billy said to Ginger.

He hoped he could make things right….

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In Some Future: Cameron Prime

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Previously Cameron and Savannah moved up to the transport for a final look to check if there was anymore clean water for Savannah.

Cameron heard something. She looked up into the sky. They were about to have more trouble of the worst kind. It was something she didn't need right now. It was something she didn't need ever.

"Get down, Savannah." Cameron said. "There's an HK drone approaching. There could be more than one. There may be Skynet ground troops with them. It could be something else too."

Savannah understood the nature of an HK drone threat. They often operated in pairs. She figured an HK drone would mean Skynet. She looked at her current clothing.

"If it is Skynet, we're wearing their uniforms." Savannah said.

Cameron knew it could be the Resistance too. It was a possibility and it was real. Their uniforms could prove to be a liability.

"What if it's not?" Cameron asked. "There's no way to know."

Savannah knew no place was safe. It applied to everywhere and every when.

"Your point is well taken." Savannah said. "How will we know?"

Based on her previous future experiences, Skynet was the most plausible.

"We can't take any chances." Cameron said. "It's most likely Skynet."

Savannah wondered if it was the case, maybe they should seem to cooperate and draw the drone in closer. The closer the HK drone was to their position, the more likely Cameron could use the plasma rifle against it and destroy it. She wanted to think of the best way to do it. She didn't know if it would be under autonomous control, or controlled by an individual. If it was controlled by an individual, she knew what she could do to cause hesitation.

"What if I strip my shirt off?" Savannah asked. "What if I try to flag it down? You can disable it."

Cameron thought the concept of the solution might work. She felt the risk was too great for Savannah. It wasn't something she wanted to leave up to chance.

"No." Cameron said.

Savannah thought her plan was sound and possessed merit.

"It should at least try to investigate. You can shoot it down while it evaluates me." Savannah said. "If not, it will dog us on our journey."

Cameron knew there could be multiple variables. Skynet may choose to err on the side of caution. The 'sacrifice' of one Gray wouldn't bother it at all.

"I don't know if it is under central control or on an autonomous kill mission." Cameron said. "It may shoot first and seek answers later."

Savannah wanted to do more than sit and wait it out. The longer they waited, the greater were the chances of more HK drones arriving or Skynet ground forces. The Resistance or Scavengers could arrive as well. They needed to act now.

"If I try to communicate with it, it shouldn't see me as a threat." Savannah said. "There will have to be a momentary pause of some kind. Get ready with your plasma rifle and try to bring it down."

Savannah pulled her top off in one quick motion. Cameron saw her stand there topless. She looked just like Vanna about to put her swimsuit on. Everything was high and tight, the red hair flowed, her figure was perfect and her nipples were very, very pink.

"Wait." Cameron said.

Cameron went and picked something up.

She handed Savannah a bright orange box. It was what she obtained the location information from on Skynet's location. It was something of value to Skynet. If the information fell into the wrong hands, it could spell trouble for Skynet. It was exactly what she did, and was going to do with the information herself.

"Set this on the ground and back away from it. It may land to retrieve it." Cameron said. "It's the 'black box' with all the information about this transport. Put your shirt back on. I think it's a Skynet machine. Back away from the box and face the transport. I'll try to disable the HK drone. I might even be able to capture it. As soon as I start to move, I need you to dodge behind those boulders and into the gully. Stay down."

The girls got into position. The drone approached slowly. It was low.

From a concealed position Cameron sighted in on the HK drone. It slowly hovered in a wide circle. It searched for a target. It was most likely to view anything as a threat based upon the circumstances of the crash scene and the terminated Terminators.

"No." Cameron said. "It's too risky."

Cameron handed Savannah the plasma rifle. She thought of a better idea. She didn't want to subject Savannah to a long arduous journey to reach the Skynet facility. There might be a way to get them there much quicker and undetected.

"Remain concealed." Cameron said. "I'm going to try something with the HK drone. Don't do anything to engage it, even if it looks like you have an easy shot."

Savannah was concerned about Cameron's remembered what Cameron told her right after their arrival. Cameron told her to follow her instructions and trust her judgment.

"If you think this is the best way to do it, then it's how we'll do it." Savannah said.

She stripped off her shirt. It revealed the horrendous damage to her torso. It should indicate she was a Terminator. She looked down at herself and was disgusted. The remains of her right breast already started to heal into a rumpled nub. She briefly wondered if she should remove even more material so the area could heal smooth and flat. It might look better to have nothing there at all, rather than a rumpled nub. She briefly wondered if she could move the remaining breast into the center and only have one. everything would look balanced on either side of it if she did. She needed to refocus. She could worry later. She needed to act now.

Cameron took the 'black box' and staggered away from the transport. She collapsed to her knees. The box fell to the ground in front of her. She crossed her arms back and forth to signal the HK drone. She calculated the angle it would approach from based on the terrain and then slumped over a few feet away from the box. She wanted to be outside of the area it would need to retrieve the device. She didn't want to be directly under the HK drone.

The HK drone closed and circled. Savannah ducked deeper inside the transport. There was a thick structural support which blocked her from direct view of the HK drone. It should shield her from easy detection.

Cameron lay unmoving on the ground. The HK drone spun in a lazy circle and prepared to retrieve the box.

The HK drone was armed with a plasma cannon. It was a large and powerful weapon. It hovered a few feet off the ground as it moved closer.

It still faced Cameron. The plasma cannon was pointed directly at her. At point blank range it would literally obliterate her existence in an instant, if the cannon fired.

Savannah believed Cameron was in danger. She wanted to change the focus of the HK drone away from her. She didn't want to pinpoint her location either when she did it. She wanted to provide a distraction. She waited until the HK drone sent a claw down to the box and attempted to grab it. She aimed the plasma rifle toward the burnt out rear end of the transport and fired at a piece of jagged metal which hung down. It blew off with a loud 'bang' and landed with a loud 'clang'. The HK drone spun around to face the new 'threat'. It didn't spot one.

She took up position behind the large cross member and didn't move. It wasn't her goal to engage the HK drone. She didn't think the plasma rifle would be a match for the plasma cannon.

The distraction created by Savannah was the break Cameron needed. She leaped up onto the back of the HK drone. She opened a panel and began to pull some wires loose. The HK drone dropped like a rock the short distance to the ground. The plasma cannon charged to fire at the transport. She pulled a release lever and the plasma cannon rotated off to the side. It powered down. The HK drone was 'dead' for now.

Savannah ran from her cover to where Cameron was at and handed her shirt to her.

Cameron quickly scanned the surrounding area. She worried about ground troops or a second HK drone. The HK drone probably would have waited if there were any other Skynet forces close by. It didn't wait. Everything was a gamble.

She evaluated the HK drone. It was virtually undamaged. She could modify its program for direct control. It gave her a few ideas. It was something she considered before. It was a real possibility now.

"I'm going to remove the armament and we are going to fly to the Skynet base on top of this HK drone. I can control it." Cameron said. "Once I rewire the controls and get the cannon off, we'll be there in no time."

It sounded risky and dangerous to Savannah. The HK drone wasn't designed to operate in such a manner. She didn't want Cameron to endanger either one of them, or both of them.

"Will it work?" Savannah asked. "Can it carry both of us?"

Cameron looked over the giant plasma cannon. It weighed over a thousand pounds.

"The armament weighs half a ton." Cameron said. "We're good. I'm going to fly it on the deck at full speed. We'll be lighter and faster than a regular HK drone. It should make us less of a target. Unless we pass directly over someone, even then, they'll have little time to react. We'll be low and fast."

Cameron got to work as Savannah kept watch and assisted her as needed. They were done in no time.

"I think we're good." Cameron said.

Savannah was apprehensive.

"Maybe we should test it first to make sure it will function as modified." Savannah said. "We don't want it to crash in the first thirty seconds of flight."

Cameron thought maybe it was time to test it first. She climbed onto the back of the HK drone. She powered it up and it lifted off. She flew it in a giant circle around the area and returned. The maneuver also gave her a chance to make sure no one else was around them. She landed.

"We're good." Cameron said. "It made it past a minute."

Cameron stood up and pointed at the back of the HK drone.

"Hop on. Lay down." Cameron said. "I'll mount you, or wrap around you actually."

Savannah climbed up on the HK drone's back and lay flat on her stomach. Cameron climbed back up and positioned herself on top of her. Cameron held on around her and shielded her. It still seemed somewhat 'iffy'. She wasn't really sure what Cameron was after other than to find a TDE. She wasn't going to leave Cameron alone in the future. If Cameron wanted her to go back, she needed to go back with her. Right now it looked like she was in for a thrill ride.

"I guess if I got to go, it might as well be with style." Savannah said. "Cameron, you're the greatest."

Cameron checked everything one more time. They were good to go.

"Hang on, Savannah." Cameron said. "The journey is going to be low and fast. I have no idea what awaits us."

Savannah was there for Cameron. Whatever their fate was to be, she was ready.

"It doesn't matter as long as we face it together, Cameron." Savannah said. "It's why I'm here. I'm here for you."

Cameron faintly heard Savannah say. "I love you, Cameron."

The engines started and went to full power. They were off.

"I love you too, Savannah." Cameron said softly.

Cameron's words were lost in the noise of the engines.

It was to be a ride like no other.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Low And Fast

Relationships move at all speeds
Some flourish and plant seeds
Many soon quake and flounder
They end up trashed in the weeds

When one seeks another
What is it they really want
Once they get that prize
Off again they go to hunt

Everything is about something
There's never a free ride
There's always a hidden cost
Even if it's to ridicule and chide

One needs to spend some cash
If they want to see a spread
Jewelry, flowers, gifts and meals
Are how a ticket is purchased for bed

One can go high and slow
If they want something to last
If one only wants to take and use
Then play the game low and fast

Nobody