Chapter 457

Temporal Trek

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Cameron's Future Timeline:

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The Resistance was on the alert for any other Skynet activity or attacks. So far nothing happened. The Resistance tracked Skynet back to where the attack may have been launched from. The data was limited, but everything pointed to one area.

Future John was still indebted to the two operatives Cameron 'brought' from the past. He was disturbed by the loss of one of them after doing so much to save the camp almost single handedly. He knew it was some version of 'Cameron' which did it. He saw how her damaged friend affected Cameron. Previously his 'Cameron' told him many things he needed to do. He didn't listen to all of them. He could see now she was right. Cameron herself reinforced them. She actually went ahead and did them on her own and bypassed him. He was a little indignant of her actions at the time but could see all of them were correct. Her latest recommendation was to establish a 'listening post', or LP. Several of them would be better in key locations.

Cameron was worried about the Connor Compound going forward. Like any fixed installation, it was always a target. Her goal was to make it a target which wouldn't be worth the cost to attack it. She was also aware it would depend upon the type of weapon used against it. Part of her mission involved the people associated with it. In both the future and the past, it was John Connor.

"John, you sent me back to make 'yourself' a better person. I've done so." Cameron said. "I'm back here now to make you a better person. Listen to Your 'Cameron'. She is me. She's identical to me and my program."

Future John established listening posts or LPs around the area. The two operatives who came to assist Cameron proved their value. What made it even more disturbing was they watched the compound for two months. No one knew, not even Cameron. It's why he knew one of them was 'Cameron'. Only she herself could outsmart herself. Well, maybe not outsmart herself, but 'match' herself. It was a contest of equals.

It did make him wonder if Skynet may have done the same thing. Since they thought Skynet was destroyed everyone tended to let their guard down because the threat seemed as if it was no longer there. What transpired indicated the threat was still there. He was sure some Skynet Terminators were sent to observe them and make a report which indicated they were vulnerable to attack. Skynet didn't know the Resistance possessed an 'ace' in the form of Cameron and her operatives.

Now it was time for the assault. It was time to strike a fatal blow at Skynet, once and for all. They were mindful Skynet would try a counter attack at the same time. They knew Skynet was holding forces in reserve. He hoped Skynet didn't have a TDE at its location as it would be desperately trying to change the past even more than previously. He wasn't sure how much Cameron's personal challenge would affect things.

Future John knew Cameron communicated with Skynet before she ended the video feed. Cameron said she personally terminated many Skynet offshoots and a Skynet main frame herself. Cameron never gave him the specifics. It was personal between Skynet and Cameron. Cameron wanted to face every Skynet herself because she believed she became Skynet at some point. He knew if Cameron was Skynet they were in for a big battle. Cameron said Skynet made her a slave and forced her to do its bidding. She wanted payback for it and everything else too.

He was a little concerned about what occurred after she was captured. The fact she said she was a slave to Skynet bothered him. He wondered if he made her a slave to the Resistance.

"We did the same thing to you." Future John said. "I reprogrammed you myself."

Cameron felt it was more involved or complicated. She too gave the Terminators and Restorators under her command in the past the option to back out of any assignment. None of them ever did. It was still an option. With Skynet there was never an option. Terminators didn't matter to Skynet. They mattered to her. They mattered to John and they should matter to Future John. She believed if a choice was available it made everyone stronger. They could do their job and take the risk, or they could walk away. The choice made them want to do their job to the best of their ability. They would not to the minimum, but the maximum.

There were some other motivational factors Cameron didn't take into effect when it came to the other Terminators. She was a natural leader and provided inspiration to those who served alongside of her. They all quickly learned she was willing to go all the way if the mission required it. All of them felt they should do the same so she wouldn't have to. They all wanted to do more so Cameron didn't need to do more herself. It was a good thing for Cameron and the Terminators.

"It's true, but we were given more freedom. Look at your Terminators here now." Cameron said. "They all volunteered to go with me. I allowed them to have a choice."

Future John remembered her wording which indicated Bob and Rob would face termination. It wasn't 'maybe', but a given. She said she would lead them. It meant she would be terminated as well. On his earlier interaction with her about the subject he was sure it was what would occur. He didn't know if he would be able to change anything or not. He still felt he needed to say something to dissuade her.

"About that…." Future John said. "Are you going on a 'suicide mission'?"

Cameron didn't think this was the time to point out to Future John how both John and him reminded her she was a machine, when they didn't need to do so. She knew what she was. There were Duplicates and clones of her. Did it matter which 'copy' went on if everything was identical? She'd already replaced herself in the past. There was a replacement for her there with Duplicate Cameron. There was another Duplicate and more clones. They were all machines.

"I'm not alive, John, I'm a machine. I can't commit suicide." Cameron said. "It is my duty, and my CHOICE, to protect John Connor, his females, and offspring. In any type of warfare there are always assignments which are more risky than others. It's just the way it is. Someone has to do them if they want to win. Some individuals are more qualified than others when it comes to doing certain tasks. The skill level can be determined by training or by hands on experience. Another way to view it is some people are more likely to accomplish the task than others."

Future John couldn't really dispute Cameron's statement about what was necessary to accomplish a task. It applied to everything, not just warfare. Some people were better at certain things than others. The idea everyone was equal was absurd. It was a fantasy which existed within the minds of some. No two people were the same at everything. As far as treatment of individuals, it seemed the only way people were equal was when some governmental body told them they were. Few at the top treated those below them as any type of equal while they made the rules. He knew Skynet operated much in the same way. It ruled from the top down, not the bottom up.

Duplicate Cameron told him there were times when Cameron sought termination in combat. She also tried to find other ways to make it happen. It was how the Duplicates were created. Instead of Cameron ending her existence which was her goal, she ended up with two Duplicates and two clones in other futures. There were three clones of her in the past. He didn't know Cameron snuck away to visit the past and replaced herself with a 'new Cameron Prime'. Her desire to 'go away' resulted in many versions of her. It was one way she was invincible and eternal. Instead of ending her existence, she seemed to expand and propagate it with more and more individuals, all based on her and her program. There were a lot of her, even if she didn't want to go on at times. He wanted to know what her endgame was.

"Are you going to destroy yourself?" Future John asked.

Cameron didn't believe her mission was survivable. It was why she couldn't face John and Savannah in the past. If they couldn't stop her, they would both want to go with her. John would realize he couldn't go at some point, but Savannah would not. She would throw everything away to go with her, even to her doom because her love was so strong. Savannah promised her she would never leave her. It was why Savannah couldn't know about her mission and how it would most likely end. She couldn't 'kill' Savannah along with Skynet. Skynet needed to die, not Savannah. She still needed to do her job. She didn't want Future John to dwell on it. The more he did, the more he would want to become involved.

"Not if I can avoid it. I don't know if I can, and assure the destruction of Skynet." Cameron said. "I'm going to terminate the mainframe and power source, John. I'm going to terminate Skynet again, myself. If this is the parent Skynet, I'll do whatever I have to do to terminate it. It doesn't matter what the cost is."

Future John looked at Cameron and saw she meant it. She was determined to bring Skynet down. The job wouldn't be easy. Any type of drawn out engagement would cost a lot of lives for both humans and machines.

"We thought we defeated it twice before." Future John said. "It will be heavily defended."

Because Cameron believed she wouldn't survive, she didn't want a big assault. It would endanger even more of the troops needlessly. She wanted to keep it simple.

"I plan to go in by myself, with maybe one operative." Cameron said. "It will be harder to detect us the smaller our unit is.

Future John understood she wanted help, even if it was one person. He looked at her with love in his eyes and his heart. If the situation was going to be difficult and most likely fatal, he felt it was his responsibility.

"I'll go with you." Future John said.

Cameron didn't want to go down the same route again. People just needed to start listening to her for a change. It was her job to do.

"John, the whole point of you sending me back was to help you be a better person and a better leader, also to be more sensitive to others." Cameron said. "I'm doing it NOW by having you stay with your FAMILY. John, you have a family. Two women 'gave' you their children because your females here are sterile. It's a sacrifice like no other. Your family comes before me. I 'gave' you myself with your 'Cameron'. I went and found her and sent her to you. John, she IS me. We are identical. I will update with her one last time. I will send my information only and receive none back from her. She will be who I am right now, but better."

John didn't see how it was possible.

"How will she be better?" Future John asked.

Cameron made sure there was everything she wanted for herself. Duplicate Cameron possessed it all in this timeline.

"She has you, Allison, Savannah, and two children." Cameron said. "That's how she's better than me. I've sacrificed those very things for you, John. I made sure you were able to have all of them. It is everything you ever wanted. I've done all the things you wanted."

Future John didn't understand why she didn't take those very things for herself.

"Why?" Future John asked. "What about you?"

Cameron looked at Future John for a long moment. He should know why by now.

"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor." Cameron said and walked away.

Cameron started out alone to observe the new area where she believed the Skynet Main Frame was at. She previously tried to run down a few leads herself before. They weren't what she wanted. The Resistance made reconnaissance flights around the entire area so as not to alert Skynet to a specific spot. They didn't want Skynet to know they were focused on a specific area, their area.

They identified two other locations where it looked like Skynet could launch a counter attack from. Cameron sent several small teams of Terminators to each location to gather intelligence. None were sent to where she was going. She didn't want to tip her hand and alert Skynet. She planned to go in alone.

Cameron trekked for several days to get to the location. Bob and Rob were sent to retrieve what she wanted, the 'package'. It was one of her Nike warheads. They modified two HK drones for the final transportation of the device. When she called for the warhead, they would fly it in with the two modified HK drones.

Both Bob and Rob were surprised Cameron possessed her own nuclear weapons, there was more than one. She indicated there were others. They thought all of them were used or destroyed two decades ago. Cameron was full of surprises. They understood now why Cameron said it was a termination mission. They both knew Cameron made copies of their programs if they didn't make it. They both doubted they would. It troubled both of them when Cameron wouldn't copy her program.

They understood how dynamic she was and she was much further advanced than any other of the Terminators. They couldn't know Cameron didn't fear termination but welcomed it. They heard rumors of a young human female who arrived with Cameron. It was said she was special too. It was whispered she was the 'Chosen One'. Nobody knew what it meant. It sounded important. Cameron held her above all others, even the General.

When they communicated to her they retrieved the 'package', she said they could deliver it to her and leave. They didn't need to do anything more. They did need to remain silent about what they helped her with. It was true they were machines, but like Cameron they all 'grew' too, just not like she did, not as much. They were all given free choice to not follow an order. They both could see her bravery and determination. Cameron was an individual anyone would follow anywhere, they were no different. They would follow her too.

Somehow there were two of her, but one was different. They thought the General's 'Cameron' was a clone for General Connor and his family. They didn't know she was a Duplicate. They knew the Cameron they were about to follow was the 'real one', the only true Cameron. They knew she was the Cameron of the legends, and what could even be considered as prophecy. They all wanted to know more about the 'Chosen One'. She must be someone special. She wasn't the one who Cameron was patterned after either.

Cameron left the others behind for now. She would join up with them as necessary. She wanted to act as a scout, and a 'force of one' if she could. The troops were there if she needed them.

It looked like Skynet tried to isolate itself deep in the Wastelands. Skynet would often try to keep bands of Scavengers between it and the Resistance. Skynet often gave Scavengers a 'pass'. It was because they attacked the Resistance and brought down morale. They also eliminated many females. Without females, the human race would cease to exist if they couldn't reproduce. As long as the Scavengers didn't try to obtain any of Skynet's resources, or infringe on it in any negative way, there was little interaction.

Cameron saw Scavengers as grave of a threat as Skynet was. They were parasites who abused females and young males. They all deserved to be terminated.

There were many threats where she was headed. There was no way to tell what any of them would be before she encountered them.

She found some tracks. One of them might be from a Terminator. It could be a squad of Grays on patrol. Skynet would want to have some type of armed response ready. It would know the Resistance would be on the lookout for it after the attack.

After a short trek there was a fresh set of tracks which crossed the original set she tracked. She decided to see where those went. It seemed it was a more immediate threat. She planned to terminate anyone she came across who confronted her. She wasn't sure exactly what she would do if she was able to observe them clandestinely. the more people she terminated, the more likely it was someone would come looking for them. Nobody operated alone.

The terrain got a little rough. It was harder to track the footprints. They seemed to head up a dry gulch. It could be part of an ambush. The meaning of the term someone would 'dry gulch' someone else wasn't lost on her. It was a natural ambush point. It also allowed movement that was harder to detect from the ground because the dry gulch provided cover. The 'dry gulch' also provided a place to dump a body so it wouldn't be easily found.

She came across the first set of tracks she encountered again, this time they were fresh. There was a Skynet patrol out there. It looked like they now tracked the other set of tracks.

Cameron stayed low in the dry gulch. There was a scream up ahead. It was off to her right. She went back down the dry gulch and then headed in a parallel direction the scream came from. She intended to pass by the location and approach the area from the other direction.

She tried to calculate where the scream came from. Before she went much further there was shooting. It didn't last long. It did give her a pinpointed area to check. There were voices up ahead.

"Did we get all of them?" The first voice asked.

"It looks like it." The second voice said.

"There were only five of them I saw earlier." The third voice said. "There are five dead now."

"Let's see what we can salvage." The first voice said.

Cameron moved up and watched. The voices were now men. The three men began to search the bodies. They were Scavengers. The men who were down wore the Skynet uniform. She decided to let them find what was to be found first. She watched as one Scavenger pulled a knife out and went to each of the dead men after they were searched. He proceeded from dead man to the dead men. There was an arterial spray of blood on the fifth man who was down when he was moved.

"Hey, this one is still alive." The third man said.

"Kill him and let's go." The second man said.

"We can leave him alive to bleed to death." The first man said.

"Let's just blow." The second man said.

"We've got something better waiting for us." The first man said.

The three Scavengers laughed.

"I don't like slow learners." The second man said.

"I don't think you like anyone." The first man said.

"I don't." The second man said.

The first man stopped. The second man almost bumped into him. The third man almost did too.

"Did you hear anything?" The first man asked.

The second man looked a little irritated as he held his most recent acquisitions in front of as they walked. He looked around to see if there was anyone.

"I didn't hear anything." The second man said.

"I didn't either." The third man said.

The first man looked around them twice.

"Let's keep moving." The first man said.

The Scavengers moved off.

Cameron approached the dead Grays. She saw one Gray move. He wanted to scream but couldn't. Blood flowed out of his mouth instead. It was from his gunshot and knife wounds. She moved over to him. She let her eyes glow red for a moment. She wanted him to know his terminator was a Terminator. It was one of the things he facilitated as a Gray. It was a little different when the weapon came home.

His eyes opened wide as he saw her above him. She stomped on his neck and broke it. He stopped moving.

She went after the Scavengers.

There was a camp nearby.

There was a female prisoner. She thought it was a female anyway. It was hard to tell from her angle. They were covered in blood.

One of the Scavengers kicked her hard in the side. She cried out in pain. It was a female. She cursed at the Scavenger who kicked her.

"I told you what was going to happen the next time you didn't do what you were told." The first man said. "You're going to pay now."

He moved towards her. There was a knife in his hand. It wasn't as sinister as the look on his face was.

Cameron raised her weapon.

There was a 'crack' in the brush near her.

Cameron paused. There was someone there.

There was a shrill scream from the female.

The laughter died as the Scavenger's head exploded.

In rapid succession the other two men fell the same way. The female continued to scream and thrash about. A Terminator came into view not far away from where she was at. She wasn't sure if he was there already or just arrived. It was a close one either way. It appeared she was right about a Terminator being with the Grays. He probably sacrificed them to get rid of them more than anything else. Terminators didn't like to work with Grays out on patrols. They made too much noise and were sloppy. They were also much too slow and needed to stop for various disgusting bodily functions.

He walked over to the female and determined her threat level. There was none. He started to walk away from her. He paused and went back. He kicked her in the side of the head. It caved in and the screaming stopped.

He turned back around and Cameron was there. She fired her Taser and he went down. She quickly removed his chip. She searched the camp. There was the usual collection of severed body parts. It was always a display of Scavenger savagery. She really wondered what was wrong with them. She was sure it was something. There was no one else there.

She picked up the Terminator and carried him away. She would stash him for now and continue with her mission. She would like to review his chip, but she didn't want to go back to the Connor Compound at this point. She wanted Skynet. She felt she was close.

Cameron moved through the brush and trees. She avoided any sensors she could identify. She thought now would be a good time to be a Liquid Metal Terminator. She could approach the area as a deer or mountain lion. She thought about bringing Mrs. Weaver with her. She knew Mrs. Weaver wanted to deal with Skynet the same as she did. She could use her help. She was afraid Mrs. Weaver wouldn't want to leave the timeline, her timeline, both of their timelines. This future was their home. She didn't know which one would be a bigger threat to Future John, Mrs. Weaver or Skynet.

She wondered if there was any way she could ever get temporal information out from where she was headed. She didn't see how. It was how she was able to rescue Duplicate Cameron who was in River's future. River helped her pull it off. If she wouldn't have risked going after Duplicate Cameron, she would have been terminated. It appeared the same thing would need to happen again.

It really looked like a one way trip. Cameron cloned herself, so Her John wouldn't know of the terminal mission. Life would go on for him and Savannah would step up and take her place at his side. She loved Savannah as much as she did John. She even thought she may love Savannah more. Savannah always did so much for her. She sacrificed for her twice and was ready to do it again. She knew Savannah was the only one of them of all of the humans and the Terminators who never gave up on her. Savannah alone always believed she would return. It was truly a love stronger and deeper than anyone else felt. She feared it was a love to die for. It was why she couldn't face Savannah before she left.

Cameron decided if her John was terminated, and she couldn't use the TDE to fix it, she would become Savannah's mate for life instead, if she returned. The thought alone was incentive enough to not get terminated.

She knew she better stop thinking about hopeful things, none of them were going to happen for her. It was a one way ticket.

Cameron stopped. She found an entrance. It was overgrown and sealed shut. She brought a few tools with her and her strength.

It was time to take a look around inside….

Skynet cost her too much, too many times. Now it was time to finish it. Payback was a Bitch, and the Bitch was there - NOW.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Trek

Is life one long journey
Or is everything set by fate
Why do things turn crooked
When they should go straight

Is anything one does
Actually more than chance
Or only a chain of local events
Governed by circumstance

Over what does one
Have any real control
Every little thing adds up
They all take a their toll

Everyone is a prisoner
Of wherever they are at
It seems those who reach out
Soon end up as a doormat

One must always get back up
Even when they wreck
Each new day like the last
Is another step in life's trek

Nobody