Chapter 924

We Need A Better Plan

From the drone that was at altitude, they were able to see the armored car turn off the main highway and onto a dirt road. It wasn't what they'd expected to see happen. There weren't many options left at that point. They were most likely headed for a mine. The satellite map showed nothing else in the direction they were headed. The road ended up against the mountains.

"They've turned onto a dirt road." John Henry said.

John figured now since the armored car was off the main highway it would be a good time to hit it with a missile. His main reason for that was to prevent it from reaching the mine. If that was its destination, Cameron would surely try to get inside of the mine.

"I want the drone to hit them with a missile." John said. "Do it."

Cameron didn't want to use that option yet.

"That's a negative on the drone strike." Cameron said as she interrupted them.

John decided to spell it out for Cameron.

"Cameron, I don't want you near any mines." John said.

John Henry didn't want John to lose sight of the goal. There were bigger stakes at play as opposed to one individual.

"John, if there is 'a Skynet' there, it needs to be destroyed." John Henry said. "That's what we are trying to prevent. We need to stop any form of Skynet."

Cameron wasn't in a hurry to go inside of another mine at this point. She needed to track and find any version of Skynet. If there was a version of Skynet in the mine, she would have to go in after it.

"We need to see where they go." Cameron said. "We have Samantha, she can walk right in."

John highly doubted that at this point. He was pretty sure that Samantha's extended disappearance compromised her effectiveness as an infiltration tool. She would be a suspect immediately. He was pretty sure who else would accompany Samantha on that ill-advised adventure.

"It would be Samantha along with you." John said. "Isn't that right, Cameron?"

Savannah didn't look forward to another mine adventure. If that is what the mission called for then she would do what was necessary. She wanted to allay John's fears.

"I'll be going as well, John." Savannah said.

John already figured on that last statement. He hoped it wouldn't come, it did. He was the General and it was about time to lay down some rules. He didn't want to ruffle anyone's feathers but he wasn't sending anyone else into a mine, nothing good ever happened in one of them.

"As soon as we determine the mine's entrance, we're hitting it with a drone strike." John said. "Nobody is going in there."

It wasn't Cameron's desire but it was a necessity to find out the facts.

"John, I'm going in." Cameron said. "If there is 'a Skynet' there, it will be in there deep. There's only one way to be sure. I must face it."

John Henry knew that Skynet would be secure enough to survive 'bunker busting' bombs that would be dropped on its location. A drone strike at the entrance to the mine would be nothing but an inconvenience to Skynet. It would be unaffected. It would remain fully operational.

"She's right, John." John Henry said. "They can use Thermite on it once they locate it."

John attempted to contain his anger. He knew what Cameron used in the past to make sure any version of Skynet was destroyed. One of them was Cameron and one of them was Duplicate Cameron. It was two different versions of her and they both used the same thing

"We both know what she's going to use." John said. "It's going to burn a lot hotter than Thermite."

It was clear to everyone what weapon Cameron would use if she found a version of Skynet in the mine. She would want to eradicate it from the face of the earth with one of her nukes. This was an isolated location and would be perfect for this type of attack.

It just needed to happen without Cameron or Savannah inside of the mine at the time of the explosion.

Cameron's team talked amongst themselves.

Savannah knew there were going to be some difficulties involved with dealing with the armored car at this point.

"Cameron, we can't follow them in on the dirt road." Savannah said. "We'll be spotted. The area is wide open and the dust trail would give us away. It is the same trouble Ally experienced yesterday."

Ally was unable to follow the box truck when it preformed a similar maneuver. That sent her to intercept it on a different path, which lead to a 'run in' with a biker gang. Things didn't end well for them.

The biker gang was dealt with by CamNet at Young Allison's direction.

Cammy felt the other option available to them was taken away as well at this point.

"It's the same problem if we use a missile strike now." Cammy said. "We're too close to the mine entrance at this point. The attack would be spotted immediately."

Savannah was sure that would open a new can of worms.

"If there are any HK drones inside of the mine, they would probably be launched immediately." Savannah said. "It's possible that they would be sent to attack any vehicles in a ten mile radius around where the drone strike took place. We don't know how many they would launch either."

There were few choices available to Cameron. They would have to hike in.

"We'll need to go in on foot." Cameron said.

Savannah didn't think it would be a simple hike.

"They'll have security." Savannah said. "We would need to watch for booby traps and tripwires as we approached the entrance."

Samantha felt her appearance could still offer them some type of assistance.

"I can drive us in." Samantha said. "They'll recognize me and let me pass."

Savannah remembered that things didn't work out so well the last time they'd tried that.

"What if there is a password or recognition challenge?" Savannah asked. "We failed the recognition code at the warehouse and almost paid the price."

That was another 'save' by Young Allison's 'involvement'. CamNet acted on her planning and direction.

Cameron was sure that Samantha's presence was more of a liability with the Grays at this point. She may still have some usefulness with the Syndicate thugs.

"They're also going to wonder where you've been since the early hours of the morning. You didn't contact them and didn't show up." Cameron said.

Samantha didn't want to mince words. There were other ways to make entry.

"We can fight our way in." Samantha said.

That wasn't a plan Savannah wanted to follow. It was too risky without knowing what they would face. There were most likely HK Tracks or even HK Treads that would be in there to protect Skynet. This group possessed every type of HK equipment.

"We need a better plan." Savannah said.

Samantha felt she could accomplish it on her own.

"I can do it." Samantha said.

Cameron glared at Samantha. She agreed with Savannah on this one. What almost happened at the warehouse was a grim reminder of what could happen.

"Savannah is correct." Cameron said. "We need a better plan."

Cameron wanted to stop the armored car. At this point it looked as if it was about to lead them to a Skynet controlled mine. The mine itself was in a very isolated location. The area was on the outskirts of where atomic weapons were tested in the past. There was a rather large testing area. The circular depression scars on the surface of the ground were proof of each below ground atomic test. There'd been plenty of above ground tests as well.

Vanna and Allison watched and listened. They knew of the 'Day Of Loss' and what happened to Duplicate Cameron and their own Duplicates on that day. At least what could have happened to them anyway. Cameron went back in time and saved them.

They both knew it was Cameron's 'mission' to destroy Skynet.

Allison and Vanna sensed the tension build up between John and Cameron.

Allison was sure their presence was going to affect John's decision making.

"Maybe we should go." Allison said. "I don't want to be disruptive."

Vanna had to agree. The atmosphere was very tense and volatile. Tension and temperaments seemed to be very high.

"I think so." Vanna said. "It's not our place to be part of this 'discussion'."

Allison and Vanna both got up to leave.

John could use some 'human comfort' now. He wanted the girls to stay. He felt very apprehensive as to what Cameron was about to do.

"I NEED you two to stay." John said. "Please. I would appreciate it."

Allison and Vanna looked at each other and sat back down.

"John, Cameron's going to do what's necessary to protect all of us." Allison said. "You need to have faith in her."

John did have faith but he didn't want someone to have to run a temple mission to pull Cameron out of a situation she determined was worth terminating for.

"I do but there are other ways." John said.

John Henry knew he could deliver a nuclear punch on his own without anyone needing to get near the entrance of the mine. The nuclear warhead should serve as a 'bunker busting' device.

"I can reprogram a military missile armed with a nuclear warhead to strike the area." John Henry said. "I can have it launched from its silo in seconds."

John quickly looked over and John Henry. That was something that he would expect Cameron to come up with. He needed to think about collateral damage and residual effects.

"That would be an above the ground atomic explosion." John said.

John Henry didn't think it was a big deal based upon where the mine was located. It was right on the fringes of the nuclear testing zone that had been used for decades. Many of those early tests were above ground.

"There were plenty 'tested' in Nevada already." John Henry said. "Nine hundred and twenty eight were officially tested near that very area."

John wondered about the terminology that John Henry used.

"Were there some unofficial ones?" John asked.

John Henry knew several other clandestine government agencies tested various devices as well. There was no official record of most of those. There were also some tests that turned out to be duds. A few of the tests were abruptly canceled at the last moment. There was no disposition as to what happened to the nuclear weapon after the cancellation of the test.

"Of course there were." John Henry said. "There always are."

John wondered how safe it was for Savannah to be in that location since it was so close to the area of previous testing. Maybe it was safe enough now. People were in and out of that area all the time. He needed to remind himself that people currently live in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki as if nothing had ever happened there. There were no apparent residual radioactive effects left from those small atomic bombs.

Allison and Vanna felt uncomfortable. They didn't want to get drug into the 'discussion'.

Vanna didn't want to be part of the decision making.

"There's little we can add to your decisions." Vanna said.

John looked at both Allison and Vanna. He needed their support more than anything.

"It's not my decisions that I'm worried about." John said.

They all needed to worry about what Cameron would do. Savannah would be the check on anything too extreme. That's what they hoped anyway.

One thing was for sure. They all knew that Savannah wouldn't leave Cameron's side, no matter what actions were taken.

They'd all seen the video files of Savannah when she chose to remain with Cameron rather than escape when the end was certain with a nuclear explosion.

Savannah promised never to abandon Cameron. It appeared her actions were as good as her word. That was something for all of them to think about.

Gail and her team had previously been directed to take another route. They received new orders.

"We're being redirected. We've been recalled." Gail said. "We'll be able to back up Savannah now."

Ally heard the earlier proposal to use a nuclear missile against the mine.

"Cool, we can all get blown up together." Ally said.

Sheila could picture her sheath material being burnt off her Coltan endoskeleton a few milliseconds before it melted and was vaporized as well.

"We might as well go out in style." Sheila said. "There's no need to do things halfway."

Gail was irritated by their talk of terminations.

"There will be no one blown up." Gail said. "We have plenty of Thermite."

Ally felt Gail missed one critical point.

"We need to get it in there first to use it." Ally said. "That's going to be the hard part."

There was a thought that popped into Sheila's mind. She didn't know where it came from. It seemed very real to her.

"What if there's a Skynet inside the mine and it is wired to a 'Doomsday' device?" Sheila asked.

Ally and Gail looked at each other. They wondered where that idea came from. They hoped not.

"We'll do our jobs and destroy Skynet." Gail said. "It doesn't matter if we're terminated."

Termination wasn't on Ally's menu.

"I guess there really is one born every minute." Ally said.

Gail was irritated by Ally's inference.

"I wasn't born." Gail said.

Sheila agreed with Ally. She rephrased the statement to make it more appropriate.

"I guess there's one built every minute." Sheila said.

Ally doubted there was any way around it.

"That's us. A sucker is a sucker, wherever they came from." Ally said.

Savannah noticed Cammy seemed a little on edge or even slightly out of it. There was something off about her. There were times when she looked very uneasy and times when she looked lost deep in thought.

"Cammy, you're not saying much." Savannah said.

Cammy looked over at the mountain area where the armored car appeared to be headed. There was a very uneasy feeling about it.

"I have nothing to add." Cammy said.

Savannah wanted to explore some ideas. There were a lot of ideas that popped into her head from time to time. For some reason, this was one of those times.

"I think when you were in the past that you interacted with us at some point." Savannah said. "I think that happened even though those events haven't occurred for me."

Cammy looked over at the mountain area where the armored car was headed. The feeling of uneasiness grew even more. She wanted to remind Savannah that some things weren't possible yet even if they were the past.

"Technically, that hasn't happened yet." Cammy said. "You haven't left yet."

Cameron was very uneasy with the nature of the discussion. She wasn't sure what initiated it. She was sure whatever happened in the past shouldn't be discussed, if somehow Savannah or anyone from their group who would go into the past may have interacted with them.

"This shouldn't be discussed." Cameron said. "Any knowledge of what happened in the past could change what we do in the present or when we actually go into the past."

This was all news to Samantha. She wanted to know more.

"I want to hear about it." Samantha said. "I'm going to be deactivated anyway."

Cammy waited until Cameron looked away and winked at Savannah.

Savannah felt something. It was a sense of alarm. Maybe Cammy was sitting on a 'secret' that they needed to know. She was sure that was why Cammy seemed 'off'. There was definitely more here than met the eye. She was sure of it. Everything inside of her told her to act on her feeling. It was very strong.

"Cammy, if there's something you or Sheila needs to share with Cameron. I think now is the time." Savannah said. "I can wait away from both of you with Samantha."

Cameron felt a glitch impulse. She didn't believe this was information that should be known in the present.

"Cammy will say nothing." Cameron said. "I won't allow her to change the past."

Cammy ignored Cameron. She needed to act on what Savannah said. For some reason Savannah's words stirred something inside of her. It was about the location they were in or at least the area around it. She felt very uneasy once they started in the direction they were headed as they pursued the armored car.

"Maybe I'm supposed to…." Cammy said. "Maybe YOU told us in the past to do 'something'. Maybe you did 'something'."

Cameron strongly doubted it. She would only be on that mission with Young Allison. Savannah and Claire would both be there at times to accelerate their pregnancies in the present. That was mainly to keep any of the girls from leaving for her future. She didn't want to lose Allison, Vanna and Jesse. She wasn't sure what Cammy actually referred to.

"I haven't gone back on that mission yet." Cameron said.

Things began to click in Savannah's mind. She didn't know why but they just did. She needed to know more and she needed to know it now. She needed some straight answers.

"Cammy, are you saying you did something related to this operation right now, in the past?" Savannah asked.

Cammy was aware that files inside her begin to unlock now because of Savannah's prompting. She was sure it was something that was supposed to happen this way. She was aware she'd been acting 'different' and Savannah would pick that up. She would then start to question her. She looked over at the mountain area as a sense of urgency flooded her.

"I may have files that were locked, that are now in the process of unlocking." Cammy said. "I think I need to converse with Cameron."

The vehicle swerved slightly as Cameron felt another glitch impulse. She didn't want to hear what Cammy felt she needed to say.

"No!" Cameron said. "I don't want to know. I don't want to change anything."

Savannah was sure there was something of importance that needed to be explored. If Cameron was supposed to know, she wanted her to listen. Cameron could always block the files herself that she heard from Cammy.

"Cameron, what's unlocking in Cammy may prevent one of us from being terminated." Savannah said. "I think that's what she's getting at. It may be that it's supposed to happen this way. That's my feeling. I don't believe what's happening is unintentional. This may be an attempt to 'fix' something before it happens to one of us."

Cammy didn't have any specific answers yet. She did have a lot of speculation based upon where they were at. She knew how Cameron would attempt to eradicate this version of Skynet sooner or later. Something told her that option was already taken care of.

"You want to eradicate this Skynet, right?" Cammy asked. "Look what we are near. What was tested here almost a thousand times? Maybe one of those tests was a dud. Maybe something that was to be tested 'vanished'. Maybe it didn't go far…."

Cameron's hand began to glitch continuously. It was very mild but it was non stop.

"Stop…." Cameron said. "I'm going in alone. My decision is final. There's nothing that can change it."

Cammy felt that decision was already changed. She felt it was changed in the past.

"Isn't there?" Cammy asked. "Who's sitting right next to you?"

Cameron began to wonder if there was some retroactive action taken as Cammy indicated.

"There's someone who can change my decision. It's Savannah." Cameron said.

Savannah felt something was very important and crucial and it needed to be known. She was going to be at Cameron's side no matter what happened.

"Cammy, what am I supposed to do?" Savannah asked. "I'm going to go with Cameron. You need to tell me, tell us."

Cammy couldn't unlock any more information. She needed Sheila. Maybe Sheila knew what she didn't. Somehow Sheila was important right now.

"The information is still blocked. I only have part of it." Cammy said. "I need to talk to Sheila."

Cameron was able to get the glitch under control. She previously called Gail's team. Now it seemed more important than ever.

"I've recalled them. Gail's team is on the way back." Cameron said.

Savannah didn't want any of their teams scattered around the area. There were too many unknowns all of a sudden. They didn't even know why they were unknowns other than that they were unknowns.

"What about Cam's team?" Savannah asked.

Cameron took that action when she recalled Gail's team.

"I've recalled them as well." Cameron said.

Savannah felt very uneasy. She needed to know more. She wanted Cammy to tell her more.

"Cammy, what's going to happen?" Savannah asked.

Cammy didn't have the answers. She needed to speak with Sheila. Maybe together they could figure it out.

"I need to talk to Sheila." Cammy said. "I feel it's very important."

Savannah felt as frustrated as Cameron looked uneasy.

"This is getting better by the minute." Savannah said.

Savannah felt a growing sense of doom.

Earlier:

Cam and her team were headed to the area where they were directed. She received a call from Cameron that changed everything.

"They have a fixed target location or area anyway." Cam said. "We've been recalled."

Cam gave Holly and Hanna a brief rundown of what Cameron told her. It wasn't much.

Hanna knew trouble when she heard it. She'd just heard it.

"I don't think this is a good thing." Hanna said. "The location reeks of trouble."

Cam wanted to reinforce Cameron and by extension Savannah.

"Nevertheless, we're going back." Cam said.

Holly thought they lacked something very important.

"They don't have a plan." Holly said.

Cam, like Cameron, thought that plans were restrictive and overrated. They were often last minute changes that needed to be enacted that rendered the plan useless.

"Plans change." Cam said.

Cam was very aware that Cameron seldom followed a plan. She didn't wait long enough to make one. She acted when there was a threat. There was clearly a threat in the situation. It seemed greater than that of 'The Enforcer'. The location reeked of a Skynet mainframe in a bunker buster proof location.

Vanna and Allison were unsure what John wanted from them.

"What can we add, John?" Allison asked.

John didn't have an answer for them. He did have a very unsettling feeling inside of him.

"I don't know yet." John said.

Vanna wondered what happened to all the chatter that they could hear previously. Everything was silent now from Cameron's team.

"Why have we lost communication with Cameron's team?" Vanna asked.

That was one question that John Henry could answer. It wasn't an infrequent occurrence when it came to Cameron and her team.

"They've blocked us." John Henry said.

John felt his frustration grow. He was sure he knew what the silence meant. He'd already attempted to shoot down a proposal by Cameron. She was going to work around him and the Command Center.

"They're planning to do something." John said.

Allison thought she could use some of her influence where it would make a difference to find out more about what was going on. There was one person who could find out anything if they asked for it.

"Let me call Allison." Allison said.

Vanna found Allison's statement somewhat amusing based upon the way it sounded.

"That just sounds weird." Vanna said.

John didn't want Allison to create a problem for herself.

"Is that something you're comfortable with?" John asked.

Allison was worried about Cameron, Savannah and all of the girls. Cam and Holly were there as well.

"To help Cameron and Savannah it is." Allison said. "Allison can help us."

Vanna thought about everything for a little bit. She thought something different was supposed to happen.

"John, maybe YOU are supposed to call Young Allison." Vanna said.

John Henry tilted his head slightly. That sounded like the correct call to him as well once Vanna pointed it out.

"She's a sound tactician and has influence that you don't possess, John." John Henry said. "It's a good idea. She'll be your most valuable asset if she isn't already."

John previously thought Young Allison's biggest asset would be in his bed. He felt this was all some part of a big plan that was unfolding somehow.

"This is all playing out like some 'plan'." John said.

Allison couldn't help but point out something that they all knew.

"The 'Natural Order' is knocking…." Allison said.

Vanna believed that as well.

"John, we all know what the future is going to be." Vanna said. "All you can do is delay it, you can't change it."

John looked at Vanna and Allison. They were both so beautiful sitting there. THAT was his future and he was being reminded. By him asking them to stay, it reminded him of the 'Natural Order' and everything that was at stake. Somehow all of this didn't seem like random chance or coincidence. It was like all of the pieces of the puzzle were there and they were all going to have to work to put it together.

Young Allison felt a sense of deep concern. She knew that something was off. As to what it was she didn't know. She just knew by everyone's actions that it was.

"I'm not sure what's happening." Young Allison said. "Something's wrong."

Anna was in the dark like everyone else currently.

"Cameron has cut her team's communications." Anna said.

Young Allison needed to know more. She needed to know it now.

"Unless they are personal, I want to hear them." Young Allison said. "I need CamNet's assistance."

Instantly the discussion about the past came up.

Anna quickly realized why the conversation had been blocked from them.

"I don't think we should hear this." Anna said. "We may change something."

Young Allison wanted to know what was going to happen or could happen. She also knew when to use restraint.

"Block any current discussion of the past or future for now." Young Allison said. "I don't want to inadvertently alter anything."

Anna believed there were many variables to that situation.

"We can change the past and the future without knowing it sometimes." Anna said.

Young Allison was ready for her future now. She knew that some restraint may be necessary.

"I want what I've promised Cameron." Young Allison said. "I don't want to hurt anyone to achieve that either."

Anna was aware that 'hurt' came in many different forms.

"There are different kinds of hurt." Anna said.

Young Allison didn't believe anyone was immune from hurt. She was aware that hurt was part of life.

"I think Cameron knows them all." Young Allison said. "I know I'll experience my share."

Young Allison looked forward to the 'rewards' the future offered her. She was aware that there would be pain to go along with many of them. There was no 'free ride'.

At the end of the ride, someone always needed to pay the toll.

We Need A Better Plan

Of mice and men
Which will it be
That all depends
On what one can see

Is anyone more
Than what they're perceived
That all depends
On what they've achieved

What matters to some
Doesn't matter to all
That all depends
If they hear the call

Does one trudge on blindly
Can they find their way
That all depends
If they command or obey

Do we need a better plan
To move forward in life
That all depends
If one wants less strife

Nobody