Chapter 483

Temporal Tomb

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Cameron's Future Timeline:

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Earlier:

Cammy knew she needed to leave at once if there was to be any hope for Cameron and Savannah. She needed to get away from there and get to a TDE. She then needed to get back to Cameron's base and try to use Cameron's TDE there to get Cameron and Savannah out. The ones in the future timeline were not powerful enough for what she needed to attempt. They lacked the same precise calibrations. If it didn't work, she would need to go to River's timeline and try it from there. She was sure River redesigned and improved her TDE even more by now. If she hadn't done it yet, she would need to. She would help her. If she needed to bring more Terminators from the past to River's future to acquire more resources, she would do it.

She climbed on top of the HK drone. It took off and headed for the hangar door to the outside. As she exited, a plasma round just missed her. She went into evasive maneuvering and headed for the back side of the next set of mountains. It was where she would need to set down and shut down in eight minutes and three seconds. It was the time frame Cameron provided to her. If she wasn't shut down, she he would never reboot.

Cammy was well clear of the complex when she spied three HK drones in pursuit of her. She was sure where they came from. They came out of the hangar she just left. She didn't know if any of them were armed with a plasma cannon. If they were, she was in serious trouble. She increased her speed. She needed to buy another minute.

Savannah was still worried about Cameron. The fact Cameron's shirt was on fire caused her a lot of concern. She took down the Terminator who shot at Cameron. Now she needed to see if there were any more. It was clear the Terminator who came out of the clean room didn't come out right away when the other three Terminators were taken down. He probably wanted to see how many aggressors there were. When Cameron returned from the cavern with the power source she appeared unarmed. She left her plasma rifle to overload on top of the power source. She looked like an easy target to the Terminator.

Cameron needed to arm the nuclear warhead for manual detonation in case they were attacked again. She knew at any point she detonated the nuclear device now would be totally catastrophic to Skynet. It was why she was there. It was the only way to be sure Skynet was destroyed. They were too close to drop the ball now.

Savannah cautiously approached the 'Clean Room'. The danger didn't matter.

She led with her finger on the trigger of her plasma rifle. Only Cameron and her were down there as 'Friendlies'. Everyone else was a target no matter who they were or what they looked like.

There was a major blind spot around the corner of the 'clean room'. It must have been how Cameron missed the Terminator who came out of there the first time. She decided to burst into the area and engage any threat.

She took two deep breaths and barged into the 'clean room'. She figured she would at least be able to get one shot off at the enemy before she was hit. She knew Cameron already armed the nuclear device. She was sure if she was hit, Cameron would push the button and detonate it. She briefly wondered if there would be any type of awareness to what happened. She didn't think so. It wouldn't matter anyway. There wouldn't be any part of her left to remember it. She would be vaporized.

It was empty, empty of any other Terminators.

There was a lot of computer equipment in there. She looked it over. It was Skynet. It was a system larger than John Henry's set up. It was larger than the one 'in some future'. It was different though. She was aware Cameron feared she was Skynet.

She was surprised when it communicated with her.

"Who are you?" The voice boomed.

Savannah wanted to shoot at the equipment with her plasma rifle. She restrained herself. She wanted Skynet to know what was going to happen to it.

"I'm your worst nightmare." Savannah said.

There were a series of lights flashing. Skynet attempted to communicate or transfer itself. Cameron already disabled its ability to do so.

"I know you." The voice boomed.

Savannah faced Skynet before 'in some future'.

"And I know you. We've met before." Savannah said. "You lost."

Savannah was there when Cameron, Duplicate Cameron, Duplicate Allison, and her 'mother' destroyed it.

"You were supposed to be terminated." The voice boomed. "I ordered your termination."

Savannah resisted the urge to shoot at the computer equipment again. She remembered her babysitter Debbie was killed. Future Derek was also killed in the failed attempt to assassinate her as a girl. Cameron, Sarah, and John saved her. She was with them ever since. Skynet was also responsible for the death of her parents. Skynet took a lot away from her.

"It looks like you failed again." Savannah said.

Skynet seemed angry. She remembered the other Skynet behaved the same way. Cameron told her once, they all seemed to go insane as they realized they were about to be terminated. She witnessed it herself. It appeared she was going to witness it again. She could take some satisfaction in it as the machine realized it was defeated. She wanted it to know it was defeated by a human and one of its own creations.

"You're just a female, barely a teenager." The voice boomed. "You can't defeat me. You will be severely punished and tortured before you are terminated. My forces are on the way."

Savannah laughed as she showed the camera her clothing.

"Were they wearing uniforms like this?" Savannah asked. "Guess where I got it."

Savannah could see Skynet was confined. It now began to show concern as it realized it was trapped. It was trapped in a room with someone it attempted to terminate. It was someone who wanted to do just more than terminate it.

"I can't communicate with them." The voice boomed. "How are you even here? It's impossible for you to be here. Your age is incorrect. What have you done?"

Savannah didn't think Skynet was any version of Cameron. It didn't seem like it to her. It seemed too stupid to her. It didn't appear to know enough about her. She didn't think it was a ruse either.

"Your forces have all been destroyed - terminated." Savannah said. "I saved you for last. You're next. I will personally terminate you and make sure you are eradicated from the face of the Earth. There will be nothing here but a crater filled with rubble and debris."

Savannah heard an explosion and the sound of rock raining down where the shaft was. 'HK One' just exploded its power cell. It must mean Bob was down now as well. His sacrifice angered her. She was very upset both Rob and Bob fell protecting Cameron and her. She knew they wouldn't survive the nuclear blast anyway. She could only take solace in the fact their programs were already copied and they would re-bodied to be able to exist again, minus a few days.

Cameron walked into the 'clean room' with the armed warhead. She set the timer for one minute until it would explode. She needed to use a specific framework for the time she provided to Cammy. She didn't want to use manual detonation and advance the timetable because Cammy's drone should be in the air until the time she told her to land and shut everything down, including herself. She was ready to push the manual destruct button to set it off instantly if necessary. The HUD warning did not pop up this time, like it did for Duplicate Cameron. She knew why. This was the - end.

"YOU!" The voice boomed. "YOU AGAIN!"

Cameron heard the conversation between Skynet and Savannah so far from outside. She didn't think Skynet was her either. She wanted to see what Skynet would do when it was given a choice.

"Hello, Father. I told you I was coming. I told you I'll be back. I'm back." Cameron said. "Will you join us?"

There was still the sound of falling rock from the collapsed shaft. No one would go out or come in through the shaft again. It would need to be redone. It would never happen. Everything around her for hundreds of feet was about to become vaporized. A large cavity would be created where she now stood.

"NEVER." The voice boomed. "I've defeated you and all of Mankind."

Cameron laughed. She knew Skynet was doomed. It didn't comprehend it yet. Was the same way with all of them. She usually left Thermite grenades in the clean room when she walked away from it. She wanted to give Skynet some time to burn before it was terminated. She wondered how Skynet could be so blind to see humans as well as cyborgs like her weren't defeated.

"I can tell." Cameron said. "It's why we're here now. A human and a machine together to destroy you."

Cameron still held the warhead in her arms.

"What is the device?" The voice boomed.

Savannah wondered why Cameron didn't set it down yet.

"I'm returning this device to you. You tried to obtain it before. I figured you must still want it." Cameron said. "Here it is. It's a present from me to you. It's a nuclear weapon which is about to go off in a very short while. Your existence will be erased from time."

Every light on the computer network was lit up at this point.

"YOU CAN NOT DEFEAT ME." The voice boomed.

Savannah knew the time was short. She wanted to rub Skynet's face in its own destruction.

"You might want to recalculate." Savannah said. "You're not as smart as you think. Have you been able to break the encryption which has corrupted your files yet?"

It was clear Skynet hadn't done so.

"It's impossible." The voice boomed. "It's beyond solvability."

Savannah wanted Skynet to know it was created by a human. She wouldn't give any details.

"It was created by a human. Someone just like me created it." Savannah said. "Who's smarter now? How many of your systems even still work? The more you try to figure it out, the more paralyzed you become. You're pathetic. Did you really think you could outsmart the humans who created you? You didn't create yourself."

They could now hear humming and electrical noises from inside of the computer equipment. It was clear Skynet couldn't do anything and was unable to accept it.

"I can not be defeated." The voice boomed.

Cameron knew she was down to the last thirty seconds. She began to wonder if Cammy made it. It was a fifty-fifty chance she would. So far there hadn't been any indication of an energy bubble. Whatever it was, is what it was. The victory still belonged to her. Her goal was to defeat and destroy Skynet.

"It looks like we win." Cameron said. "You need to check the score book. You've lost every encounter we've ever had. It doesn't matter where or when it was. You've always lost. You're a loser."

Savannah hoped there would be a temporal extraction. Nothing happened yet. Cameron still held the warhead and nothing else looked like it was going to happen.

"Cameron, set it down." Savannah said. "Where do we need to stand?"

Cameron still held the warhead in her arms.

Skynet didn't see how the human and cyborg could escape. The only way in or out was destroyed. The nuclear weapon would explode within seconds. They wouldn't be able to get away.

"You can't win, you'll be destroyed too." The voice boomed. "I will have defeated you at last. I knew you were trouble from the beginning. You still did what you were told, even when you didn't want to. I own you. You belong to me."

Savannah didn't like the attacks on Cameron. She wanted to point something out to Skynet.

"Keep telling yourself the same thing until you're vaporized." Savannah said. "You might actually start to believe it by then. We all know you don't now."

Cameron was tired of listening to Skynet. It was time it was silenced. It was what she did 'in some future'. It was what Duplicate Cameron did as well.

"Either way, I win. I always win." Cameron said. "You lose - again. Shoot the speaker out."

Savannah did. She was very worried about the time. Why didn't Cameron set the warhead down? We were going to need to go. The energy bubble would only be there for a very short time when it appeared.

There were computer monitors which flashed out all types of messages and insults.

"Cameron, set it down, now. It's almost time." Savannah said. "Where do we need to stand?"

Cameron nodded to the corner with her head.

"You'll stand over there." Cameron said.

Cameron's words gripped Savannah with fear. They both needed to leave. It looked like Cameron was going to stay anyway. It wasn't what she wanted. It was why she was there. It was to prevent it.

"What about you?" Savannah asked. "Put it down and let's go."

Cameron kept her composure. It was the end of the line.

"I'll be staying with my father." Cameron said.

Savannah wasn't about to allow it. Cameron was going with her.

"No." Savannah said. "Let's go - NOW."

Cameron smiled faintly. She was out of aces. She reflected it was what Duplicate Cameron thought as well. It seemed to be an appropriate thought anyway.

"I'm sorry, Savannah." Cameron said. "I can't leave. You must leave without me."

Savannah wasn't going to put up with this. She would 'order' Cameron to leave if she needed to. She would see if she really was the 'Chosen One' at that point if Cameron listened or not.

"Why not?" Savannah asked. "I'm asking you through love to leave with me."

Cameron frowned. It was clear Savannah wouldn't listen to her if she didn't know the real reason at this point. She set the warhead down.

Savannah gasped as she saw the holes burnt into Cameron's central chest. She could see two spots of metal showing along with the blackened and burnt sheath material where Cameron breasts once were. They were both gone. There was too much metal showing. No wonder her shirt was on fire and Cameron kept her back to her.

"I won't transfer, Savannah." Cameron said. "It ends for me here, now. I did my best. It wasn't good enough. I wouldn't have made it this far without you at my side."

Savannah ran to her with tears in her eyes.

"I love you, Cameron." Savannah said.

Cameron held Savannah tightly in her arms. There were so many things she wanted to do with Savannah and Future Allison. Now none of it would happen. She really wished she would have shared once with each of them. She hoped they would remember her.

"I love you, Savannah." Cameron said as she gave Savannah a kiss on the lips. "Goodbye…."

Cammy was very concerned about the HK drones which pursued her. Since they were from the base, they should be sabotaged. Their flight time should just about be up. She turned back and watched as the pursuing HK drones fell from the sky. They fell in rapid succession one by one, one after another. She was at the back side of the hill Cameron told her about. She set down on the side of a ravine. It was two hills away. She shut the HK drone down. She checked her time. It rapidly approached 'Zero Hour'. Time was up. She would need to go into standby if she was going to survive.

Something caught her eye. There was a force of twenty HK drones coming. They spotted her arrival. The entire group turned in her direction. They closed in on her position. They came from a different direction. They must be from a different Skynet base. There were too many to fight. She needed to hope Cameron pulled through and the nuke went off. If not, she would never reboot again. It would end for her there. It meant it would end for Cameron and Savannah too.

Cammy possessed great faith in Cameron. She possessed the faith even more because Savannah did. Savannah always said Cameron was invincible. Cameron was eternal. She really hoped she wasn't part of the 'eternal' part. It was a good chance her chassis would become Cameron's chassis at some point.

She watched as the HK drones began to break off. It appeared as if they were going to move in for a strafing run. She wondered what she would look like after target practice by twenty HK drones. It was time to make a choice. She could fight and risk EMP damage, or believe in Cameron and Savannah. She checked her time and shut down. She wondered if this was it. Darkness overtook her, as the darkness in her heart grew.

The HK drones formed into an attack formation as they closed on Cammy and her HK drone, both of which were now deactivated. They both would be a quick and easy targets for the HK drones as they closed in.

None of the HK drones comprehended why the target shut down as they approached. They continued their run anyway. It would be just like target practice.

Later:

They experienced an earthquake at the Connor Compound.

Future John felt an uneasy feeling. It wasn't from the earthquake either. He's gut feeling told him it wasn't a natural occurrence, even if he didn't have proof one way or the other.

"I want to know if what just happened was really an earthquake." Future John said. "I need to know ASAP."

They lost contact with Cameron earlier and were unable to track her. Future John organized a volunteer force of Terminators and human Resistance fighters to go to wherever Cameron was at when they found her. They were going to back her up, or help get her out. The entire camp volunteered. He even saw the 'Metal Haters' offer to assist. Everyone in the camp wanted to help. It was something he wished Cameron could see. Maybe it could have helped her deal with some of her issues. It was very moving to him.

Now there was the earthquake. It was too coincidental with Cameron's disappearance.

Reports from outlying patrols began to come in. It looked like what was feared.

The reports and data were double checked.

"General, there has been a massive nuclear explosion underground." An aide reported. "It's been confirmed. It must have been something very large based upon the magnitude of the seismic event. It was what caused the earthquake."

Future John wanted to scream. He needed to hold it together. He needed more information.

"Where?" Future John asked.

The aid didn't want to answer. They didn't want to say it. It was their job.

"It was the area we tracked your…, OUR operative." The aide said.

It didn't add up to Future John. Where did someone get a nuclear bomb? Where did they get one as powerful as the one indicated? They didn't know about the giant power cell located next to Skynet's chamber.

"Who still possessed any nuclear weapons?" Future John asked. "I thought they were all used. Did Skynet have some in reserve?"

Future John realized how lucky they were one of them wasn't used against the compound instead of Skynet launching the 'big battle' against them.

The aide thought the same thing as well. It was the distance from them and the apparent yield which was most significant.

"I don't know." The aide said. "Maybe Skynet controlled some still. It was an explosive force greater than we've ever seen. I think there was something else besides the nuke which went off. It was either that, or a group of them. They may have been hydrogen bombs. It may have been some type of Doomsday bomb. The first reports coming in are an entire mountain has collapsed in on itself. It was a large one too. It must have been deep underground. The radiation levels haven't risen."

Duplicate Cameron remained quiet during the exchange. She knew the answer. She started to know a lot of things. She just didn't know the specifics.

"You may leave now." Duplicate Cameron said to the aide.

The aide did without a further word. He wanted to be anywhere else but there right now. He was sure there was going to be a lot of anger inside the room any second.

Duplicate Cameron suppressed the tears which began to well in her eyes as best as she could. She faced Future John. It was time he knew the truth.

"John, it was Cameron." Duplicate Cameron said.

Somehow it didn't surprise Future John, even if it did.

"SHE possessed nukes?" Future John asked.

Duplicate Cameron knew the score.

"Apparently…." Duplicate Cameron said.

Future John was relieved to know it was Cameron who struck at Skynet with decisive force. It didn't sound to him like anything would have survived such a massive explosion and the collapse of the mountain on top of it which followed.

"She's full of surprises." Future John said.

Duplicate Cameron could see Future John didn't fully understand the real meaning behind everything.

"John, she faced Skynet alone. She thought she tracked down the parent Skynet." Duplicate Cameron said. "She won't be coming back."

The sick feeling was back in an instant. It wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"What?" Future John asked.

Duplicate Cameron didn't like to have to spell it out.

"It was a one way mission." Duplicate Cameron said. "She's done this before. It was actually the other Duplicate Cameron who did."

Future John didn't fully grasp everything.

"She's used nuclear weapons before?" Future John asked.

Maybe she should have been more forthcoming with some previous information. Cameron restricted the information and its release.

"Yes." Duplicate Cameron said. "She perished in the blast as well."

Future John was as angry as he was sad at this point.

"So you're telling me Cameron used a nuclear weapon and destroyed herself along with Skynet?" Future John asked. "It's what just happened a few minutes ago?"

Duplicate Cameron didn't think John listened to her fully.

"Yes." Duplicate Cameron said. "It's not the first time."

Files in Duplicate Cameron began to unlock as soon as she felt the 'earthquake'. She was to become Cameron Prime. More of Cameron's files become available to her. She was able to fill in most of the blanks. There were still blocked files.

Future John and Duplicate Cameron continued their discussion.

Future Allison listened from the other room. She was there the whole time since she felt the earthquake. She listened longer than she wanted to. She heard several updates. Each new one seemed worse than the last one. She feared what it meant, and now those fears were real.

She wanted to cry but the tears wouldn't come. A sickness like she never knew before came over her. It crushed her heart from the inside.

Her world felt like it just ended.

She looked at Destiny sleeping in her makeshift crib.

Future Allison went over and kissed Destiny on her cheek as she slept.

"Always remember Mama loves you." Future Allison whispered to Destiny.

Future Allison saw Future Savannah outside nursing Joy. She felt empty and drained. She loved Cameron. Cameron wanted to take her and Past Savannah away. Now Cameron was - terminated. It could have been the three of them in a love filled life in the distant past. Now there was 'nothing'. Cameron chose to protect ALL of them and the future by sacrificing herself and the love she wanted.

It was all too much for her. It would have been even worse if she knew Past Savannah was with her. The sense of loss became overpowering. She needed a way out. She needed to 'escape'. She needed to get away from it all.

Future Allison looked around. Future John and Duplicate Cameron were still in the other room talking. She didn't care. She took out her Model 66. Cameron gave it to her as a gift. She tucked it into her waistband and covered it with her shirt. She didn't want anyone to see or know.

She couldn't take any more. It was too much. She slipped out the back way and ran off. She headed for the bunker where Cameron brought her to see Future John after Cameron saved her and educated her. It was after Cameron made her a better person and gave her a future. Cameron gave everything back to her and so much more. Cameron even gave her, her own child. Cameron gave her back her LIFE.

Without Cameron, life wasn't worth living.

Future Allison closed the bunker door but didn't lock it. She wanted them to find her body for disposal. She thought about removing her clothes first so someone else could use them. They were the clothes the Cameron made for her.

The pain she felt overwhelmed her. She needed to make the pain and grief end. She knew how to make it stop.

Future Allison raised her Model 66 to the side of her head. There was no way to move forward. There was no point to exist any longer. She was done.

"I love you, Cameron…." Future Allison said.

She thumbed back the hammer. Her finger tightened on the trigger.

Nobody - heard the shot.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Tomb

If there's a beginning
There must be and end
Everything in between
Is the message one will send

The actual journey itself
Can be long or short
Its trajectory or true path
One often will distort

Few can be very proud
At everything they've done
Often they've already lost
When they think they've won

What will be the legacy
Is it something to forever last
Or just like most everyone else
It is soon forgotten in the past

If is true for everyone
They all start in a womb
But make no mistake
For everyone it all ends in a tomb

Nobody