Chapter 482

Temporal Team

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Cameron's Future Timeline:

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It was time for everything to be put into play. Everyone already knew exactly what their function was going to be going forward.

The HK drone with the 'package' and its armed escort moved ahead. The lead HK drone fired two missiles at the blind wall and blew it open. The two HK drones continued inside the new opening. Their targets and destination were already programmed into them. They headed to where Cameron waited for them to arrive at the top of the shaft. She was to have the area secure before their arrival.

Bob and Rob on their drone followed the first two drones inside and stopped. Savannah was right behind them on 'HK One' as it continued after the other HK drones.

Rob was to hold their position against anyone who tried to follow Cameron at the opening they blasted through the wall to get the 'package' inside. One HK drone would remain with Rob for fire support. Bob was to continue on foot to assist Cameron. He was to be the last line of defense to protect Cameron once she went down the shaft on what was most likely to be a one way trip. The same ticket applied to all of them. It bothered both of them when Cameron copied their programs but not hers. They understood it was going to be an unsurvivable mission. The indication was Cameron was going to cease to exist upon her termination. They were to be 'rechassised'. They would continue to exist, Cameron would not.

Savannah followed them in on 'HK One'. She halted when they did. She could see what Rob's job was going to be. She knew he could only last so long, even with the HK drone to back him up. She saw no reason for Bob to run to where Cameron was at. She didn't know how far it was, but knew she could get him there sooner. It was her destination as well.

She didn't like what was about to happen to the two male Terminators. The fact both of them looked like Bob in their time period, only seemed to make it worse and bother her more. She understood the sacrifice which was about to occur. It wasn't something she wanted to see any Resistance Terminator face. She did better understand the need to complete a task, even if the task would lead to termination. She thought some words were necessary under the condition. It was aware everyone understood what was about to happen.

Savannah reached out and touched Rob on the cheek.

Rob experienced a rush which was like an 'electrical' feeling. He felt new resolve. He was sure he knew who the young human female was now. He now believed Cameron wouldn't perish with the human female at her side. He heard the 'prophecies'. He now knew they were true. The 'Chosen One' would be with Cameron.

"Thank you, Ron." Savannah said. "For everything…."

Savannah smiled at Ron and then turned to Bob.

"Hop on." Savannah said to Bob.

Bob did.

Savannah wanted to get moving.

"Let's ride." Savannah said.

'HK One' strained slightly but continued on. It wouldn't be a long distance until they reached the destination.

Soon they could hear firing behind them. Rob and the HK drone were giving them Hell….

Savannah knew Rob and the HK drone needed to hold the position. She also knew she needed to make sure Cameron was protected. It bothered her to leave Rob behind. She could only take some comfort in the fact the two HK drones, Unit Two and Unit Three, would help thin the herd some before Rob needed to face them.

Bob noticed it bothered the human female because Rob was left to defend the position alone with the HK drone. They already understood the nature of their duties and what the final outcome would be. Cameron made it very clear to them before they volunteered, as well as several times later, how the mission would end. They could have pulled out at any point. They both chose to stay. They were where they were because they wanted to be. They wanted to serve Cameron.

"Cameron has copied our programs." Bob said. "We will continue on without the last few days of our existence. Cameron did not copy her chip. We both urged her to do so several times. She did not comply."

Savannah swallowed hard. It wasn't good. She didn't care for Cameron's thought process. She did something in the past before she went on her current temporal mission with Cammy. She was the one who personally took charge of Cameron's spare chip from the others at Cameron's base. She was the 'decider'. There were multiple contingency plans put into place as well as three chassis. There were two Duplicate Camerons in two different timelines. There were two Cameron clones 'in some future. No matter what happened, Cameron would be invincible. Cameron was eternal.

"I have her spare chip in the past." Savannah said. "There are other identical chassis available. I will assure her existence. What happens here won't be part of it."

Bob knew the female was special. He reached the same conclusion Rob did earlier. He was sure he knew who she was.

"Thank you." Bob said. "It gives me peace of mind."

Wait.

There was one more thing which troubled him. The cyborgs and drones could be rechassised. Their daily existence would continue along with only a few days interruption in it once they were reactivated. What about the human female? There was no way for her existence to continue if she were terminated. She clearly understood the nature of the mission they were all on. She could have left earlier with the other cyborg. She didn't. She chose to be where she was at right now so she could assist Cameron. There was a good chance she would be terminated in the next few minutes. She was there anyway. He saw her plasma rifle next to her as they rode on top of the HK Drone. It strengthened his resolve to make sure he could protect both of them as long as possible.

Cameron could hear the HK drones coming. There were only supposed to be two of them. Bob was supposed to come on foot and protect the shaft. There were three HK drones coming. She gripped her plasma rifle as she waited for the unknown. She hoped it hadn't fallen apart so fast. If they were Skynet HK drones, she was in for some trouble.

The armed HK drone was right on time. The HK drone with the 'package' was right behind it. It was all she planned. There was a third drone as well. Seconds later Cameron saw Bob and Savannah arrive on another HK drone. The HK drone lit the area.

Cameron felt a sense of dread when she spotted Savannah. Savannah couldn't be there. She knew how it was going to end. Savannah needed to leave with Cammy to insure her survival. It was not the case. She knew she wouldn't leave now either, even if she asked her to. The finality of the situation was very overwhelming to her.

"No, Savannah, you can't be here." Cameron said with anguish and grief in her voice.

Savannah knew the odds were against her. It didn't matter. She was there now and it was too late to go back. She wasn't going to leave Cameron. It's why she was back in the future in the first place. She always promised Cameron she would never abandon her, or send her away. She knew Cameron's only chance to survive was if she was with her. She was willing to sacrifice her life to save Cameron's life.

Bob could see the genuine concern Cameron felt for the human female.

Savannah hopped off of 'HK One' with her plasma rifle along with Bob.

"I AM here, Cameron. It's the two of us, again." Savannah said. "I have faith in you and Cammy. We have a job to do."

Cameron knew she was going to terminate with Skynet. She was sure Skynet was really her. Something so evil needed to be terminated. It included her. It didn't include Savannah.

"No, Savannah. NO." Cameron said.

Savannah touched Cameron's arm and looked at her in the gloom of light from 'HK One'. The 'look' said it all. She was there because she loved Cameron. She wasn't going to leave, even if she could.

"It's happening, Cameron." Savannah said. "Let's go. We're doing this together right until the end. I'm here to help you finish it. We will face the future together."

Cameron didn't want to argue. She couldn't be upset at Savannah. She loved her more. Savannah just didn't need to die there. Now it was too late. Only Cammy might be able to save Savannah now. Cammy still needed to make it away in order to do so. If anything happened to Cammy before she could carry out her task, they would both cease to exist.

Bob unsecured the 'package' from the drone. He helped Cameron with the 'package'. It was now strapped to her back. He knew it was heavy but Cameron could handle the weight. There was a control panel on the nuclear warhead which would activate it either with a timer, or instantly. He understood how quickly someone could cease to exist if it was manually detonated. He didn't doubt for a moment the human female would push the button to complete the mission if Cameron was unable to do so for any reason.

Savannah watched as the nuclear weapon was attached to Cameron. It bothered her some to see them attached to each other, quite literally. She thought about Rob and the HK drone at the entrance to where they were. She would let Cameron make the tactical decisions.

"Cameron, you have an extra HK drone now." Savannah said.

Cameron was pleased there was an extra HK drone there. It gave them additional fire support. She turned to the one with her programming on its chip. She wanted to give Rob a little additional support. It would definitely allow him to hold his position for a longer period of time.

"Go help Rob." Cameron said to the armed HK drone escort. "Thank you for your service and sacrifice."

Savannah reached over and touched the HK drone.

The HK drone departed back to Rob. It wagged back and forth twice. It also contained Cameron's programming. It would fight until it was destroyed. It would go out with a 'bang' as well.

Cameron was startled when Savannah fired her plasma rifle. She scored a hit on a Terminator who appeared from another direction. 'HK One' still lit the area. It allowed Savannah to spot him. He may have approached unnoticed otherwise.

Bob fired in the opposite direction. 'HK One' opened up as well.

Now Cameron was really glad there was another HK drone there with them.

The Skynet Terminators started to arrive quicker than Cameron anticipated. She remembered some of the blocked off sections she saw before. There must have been another way in for just such an occasion.

The mission was in jeopardy now. She expected the main force of resistance to come from the location Rob held with the HK drones. What remained unknown was how many Terminators would arrive from different areas along the shaft they were in.

Cameron and Bob were a little surprised to hear Savannah give 'HK One' orders. It was essentially a termination order.

"Search for targets around this area." Savannah said to 'HK One'. "When you run out of targets or ammunition, wedge yourself into this shaft at full speed once we are down. I want it blocked. No one is to pass. You know what to do when they try to remove you."

Bob and Cameron noticed Savannah touch 'HK One' as she spoke to it. It was a loving touch. They never saw anyone treat HK drones like Savannah did. It was a show of respect and honor. She understood what their fate would be.

Cameron watched 'HK One' set off on its mission. She needed to get started on hers. She didn't want Savannah to climb down the cable. She decided she would be the 'elevator'.

"Hang on to me." Cameron said to Savannah.

Bob moved forward to assist Savannah. He lifted her across to Cameron. Her hand reached up and touched his cheek in a gentle way. It sent a surge of something which was like 'electricity' through him. No one ever touched him the same way. No human ever cared about him before.

"Thank you, Bob." Savannah said. "For everything…."

Savannah was on top of the warhead as Cameron started on down the cable.

Bob felt new resolve. He was sure he knew who the human female was now. He now believed Cameron wouldn't perish with her at her side. He heard the prophecies. He now knew they were true. The 'Chosen One' was with Cameron now.

"I will hold this position." Bob said. "Good luck."

Cameron looked back at Bob and smiled faintly. She knew it was the end of the line for him.

"Thank You, Bob." Cameron said as she disappeared down the shaft.

Savannah and Cameron both knew Rob, Bob, and the HK drones were all going to be terminated. There was no other way. It was what needed to be done and this is what they had to do it with.

'HK One' fired in all directions as did Bob. The battle raged at the entrance to the tunnel in the distance. Rob and the two HK drones were able to hold their position as well for now. They were under a ferocious assault by Skynet forces.

The unarmed HK drone, now devoid of the 'package', went to full power and slammed into another group of Terminators which approached from the other side. It knocked them down like bowling pins. It shoved them back up the tunnel they appeared from. It exploded its power cell which collapsed and sealed the tunnel.

Cameron rapidly headed down the cable in the shaft. The 'package' was strapped to her back. Savannah sat on top of the warhead as she held both of their plasma rifles.

Savannah couldn't see much in the darkness of the shaft as Cameron went down. She did see there was a glow at the bottom. She wasn't sure why. It didn't seem to bother Cameron whatever it was.

Cameron knew Savannah's presence already saved this part of the mission. It would have been compromised otherwise.

Rob was at the entrance to the tunnel. He held his position. He took multiple hits already but was still in the fight. He was damaged severely. The HK drone which remained with him was out of ammunition. It was damaged as well. It went to full power back the way they originally came from. It slammed into the Terminators who advanced on his position and exploded. He didn't expect to last long. The young human female gave him new purpose. The second HK drone arrived next to him and continued the fight.

He knew Cameron gave him all the help she could. It meant something to him. It wasn't part of the original plan. It was because the human female came to help on her own. He witnessed grown men run from battle before. He never saw a young human female run towards it. He heard Cameron speak of the 'Chosen One' before. He knew it was the human female. She was there to fight with Cameron and most likely die with her. He was sure if anyone could save Cameron it was the 'Chosen One'. He knew who she was now.

Rob resolved to make his termination count. He would buy Cameron and the 'Chosen One' every second he could. He reached up and touched his cheek. The thought of the human female's soft touch was very stimulating. He resumed firing as new targets presented themselves.

Bob and 'HK One' took more than a few hits. There were no other targets once they knocked the last Terminators down. He communicated with 'HK One'. He could tell Cameron was off the cable now below.

He ripped the cable loose from the hoist mechanism and it disappeared down the shaft like an insane metal snake as it swirled around and struck the sides of the shaft.

Bob backed away from the shaft. 'HK One' moved away and came back at speed. In a shriek of twisted metal, it wedged itself into the shaft and blocked it. It would remain jammed there until they overran him and tried to pull it back up. At that point it would overload its power cell and explode. Hopefully its final act would collapse the shaft and destroy the Terminators trying to get down to where Cameron was.

He could still hear the battle raging from the direction they came. Shortly thereafter there was a massive explosion, as the second HK drone detonated its power cell into the advancing Terminators. There was still firing going on. Rob was still in the fight.

Bob gripped his plasma rifle and waited. He never looked once at the parts of his sheath which were burnt away by plasma hits. Cameron made it clear it was a one way trip for all of them. They all volunteered including the HK drones.

He hadn't anticipated or counted on the beautiful human female to assist them. She wasn't part of the plan. She came there from the past before. Now she was back again. He saw she was given the chance to escape but chose to join the fight with Cameron. He was around a lot of humans and he never saw one so brave about to face certain doom. The extra HK drone, wedged in the shaft right now, made the difference in them not being overrun. Now it would serve as one extra layer of deterrence. Cameron hadn't calculated there would be this much opposition early on. The attractive redheaded human female helped them get this far with the extra assistance. She also scored the first kill on Terminators advancing on their position.

The gorgeous human female actions ensured the mission would succeed. He heard Cameron speak of the 'Chosen One' before. He knew it was the beautiful human female. He patted 'HK One' on its flank as they waited. The firing at the end of the tunnel ended. Rob was down.

Bob gave 'HK One' a final pat and gripped his plasma rifle….

"It's our turn now." Bob said.

He reached up and touched his cheek. The human female cared about him. He was more than a machine to her. He would buy Cameron and the 'Chosen One' every second he could.

Seconds ago:

Cameron descended down the cable. She saw the area below was now illuminated by the three burning Terminators. The one at the bottom of the shaft was crushed by the boulder as well.

Savannah hopped off of the warhead and handed Cameron her plasma rifle. The area looked deserted. She was surprised to see the three burning Terminators.

Cameron was pleased to see her earlier efforts worked to disable all of the Terminators in the lower section. She wanted to give Savannah a brief explanation.

"I used the Thermite grenade I retrieved from you on the Terminator at the bottom of the shaft." Cameron said. "I dropped it down and pushed the boulder to follow it. I booby trapped the other two Terminators when I inspected the area before. I tied the grenades to their feet so when they first took a step they would explode. I shortened the fuse so there would be no lag time. There would be no way for them to escape the blast. It proved to be an effective strategy. "

Cameron was ahead of schedule. She was also aware of what Savannah's actions did. They made the mission succeed so far. They may have been stopped at the top without the extra firepower and Savannah's help. If Savannah hadn't come, she may have been forced to detonate the warhead at the top of the shaft. The explosive force would have been enough to terminate Skynet. She didn't know if it would trigger the giant power cell or not. It was if she would have been disabled already with the rapid appearance of the Skynet Terminators.

Bob's early arrival with Savannah and the extra HK drone provided the fire support she needed. She was also aware Savannah drew first blood. Without that extra help she never would have gotten as far as she did. She still feared Skynet forces coming after her.

Cameron could hear firing above at the top of the shaft. She heard the roar of the minigun fire multiple times. There was a lot of plasma rifle fire as well. She saw when Bob ripped the cable loose for the elevator cart earlier. Any attempt to follow her would require some type of rope or cable to lower Terminators down.

"Cover the shaft." Cameron said as she removed the warhead off of her back. "I need to go into the other opening for now. It's where the giant power cell is. I'm going to disable it."

Savannah thought about her earlier attempt to do the same thing. She couldn't continue forward because the opening became too small for her body to fit. Even with the oppressive heat, she would have continued if it was possible for her to fit.

Cameron set the warhead down.

Savannah moved next to it. She would help protect it with her body until Cameron returned. She knew it couldn't be damaged.

"I'll be back." Cameron said.

Cameron moved into the chamber with the giant power cell. She took her plasma rifle and set it to overload. It would happen in a few minutes. She placed it at the junction box of the power source and the cables which ran in all directions. It would be a back up explosion in case the warhead didn't detonate, the power source would.

Savannah covered the shaft and looked at the warhead next to her. She knew what it was. It was the end of the line. It didn't matter at this point. They were there to stop Skynet once and for all. It was their job. It was their mission. It was their destiny.

She heard the screech of metal at the top of the shaft. Pieces of rock rained down and bounced off the crushed elevator cart and burning Terminator. She knew it was 'HK One'. It had one more task to complete for its final mission.

She looked away from the shaft when she heard footsteps.

Cameron was on her way back.

Savannah saw Cameron dodge behind a metal support beam. She detected movement behind her and turned to fire. In the corner of her eye she saw a Terminator emerge from inside the 'Clean Room'. She was down on her knees to shield the warhead. He didn't see her. He fired at Cameron. The plasma blast hit the beam with Cameron behind it. The Terminator still didn't spot her guarding the shaft. She hadn't expected a threat from behind her. Cameron told her they were alone. She fired a second after he did at Cameron. She lit him up as she fired several bursts. She moved closer and fired one into his head.

She looked back over at Cameron. She was on fire!

Cameron stripped her burning shirt off. Her back was to Savannah. She took a residual hit from the plasma burst which hit the support she took cover behind. She was still one hundred percent operational.

"Savannah, make sure there's no one else in the 'Clean Room'. Be careful. I didn't know there was a Terminator in there." Cameron said. "I'm arming the bomb now. I'll be right in. I need to be able to manually detonate it if we're attacked again."

Savannah knew things were serious now. Cameron was about to be a walking nuclear bomb. The fact her shirt had caught on fire bothered her. She thought maybe Cameron was damaged.

"Are you OK, Cameron?" Savannah asked.

Cameron didn't need to look down at the front of her sheath. She was here to do a job. Her fate was now sealed. It was how she knew it would end. There was no need to alarm or worry Savannah.

"I'm fine. I'm arming the bomb and going to bring it in." Cameron said. "If we run into any more surprises it's still going to explode. I want Skynet terminated. Between this warhead and the exploding power source in the next chamber, the whole mountain is going to be rubble."

Savannah knew time was rapidly running out. She was with Cameron and they were about to face Skynet together. To see Cameron was able to bring a nuclear weapon there didn't surprise her. She knew Cameron would do something like this.

Things looked grim….

There was no way out, not only figuratively, but quite literally.

Savannah needed to protect the mission. She needed to protect Cameron. If this was where she died, then this was where she died. Cameron's life mattered more to her than her own did. Love was about sacrifice.

"Be careful, Savannah." Cameron called out.

Savannah approached the 'Clean Room' with her plasma rifle raised and ready. She needed to make sure Cameron was protected. She didn't want there to be any more surprises. Maybe she wouldn't be the one who was surprised.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Team

Are we stronger as one
Or are we stronger as a team
We can all work together
For a shared goal or a common theme

Alone is very lonely
Just as it would seem
One is still only one
No matter how hard you scheme

The company of others
Can make your soul gleam
It radiates from within
It lets a smile beam

The darkness is dark
In it you can dream
You can seek what you want
Maybe even gain some esteem

In the emptiness of nothingness
Nobody can hear you scream
There's hope and reassurance
If we form into a united team

Nobody