Chapter 1346

This Is For Real

The two county western singers finished their individual songs and were now going to perform a duet of some classic June Carter and Johnny Cash songs.

Cameron hoped that this was entertaining for John and the girls. This lacked the intensity of the stage show with all the dancers and decorative sets.

It seemed to her much of the 'county' music was about what went wrong in life as opposed to what went right. It really reminded her of her poems. They were mostly about what went wrong and why. It was easy to assign blame, especially when it was the fault of someone else. Many of her poems were about what other people made her feel.

The singers both stepped up to the microphones.

'Jackson' by 'Johnny Cash and June Carter', was the first song.

The audience seemed to like the duet with opposing ideas. The song was more upbeat with the music as well. That alone helped liven things up.

Cameron scanned around the room.

Everything was in order.

She turned her attention to enjoying the performance.

Ally and Sheila did not like all the questions from Mary. They thought she should be happy that they rescued Laura from her drinking and drug use mistakes. They'd prevented her from being assaulted.

"Well, she is physic." Sheila said.

Ally frowned at Sheila.

"She's a psycho." Ally said.

Sheila shrugged her shoulders.

"It happens." Sheila said.

Mary did not know what to think.

"I don't believe you." Mary said.

Sheila smiled.

"She can prove it to you." Sheila said.

Mary wanted to hear this.

"How?" Mary asked.

Sheila thought some time in the casino would prove that.

"We can take a trip to the casino." Sheila said.

Ally thought Sheila would be better at that.

"She'd just being modest." Ally said. "She is the one who is the real psychic."

There was a knock at the door.

Ally motioned for Mary to stay with Laura. She answered the door.

It was Leticia.

Ally stepped aside and let her in.

Mary got Leticia up to speed. It seemed that since they all got the same piercings, they all got along better now. It was evident that Mary and Leticia would most likely hook up before the cruise was over. They checked each other out a lot.

Sheila asked Leticia about her piercings and everything was fine.

The girls were amazed at the almost total lack of blood from any of the piercing when they were done. Then again, most of the videos they watched were nearly bloodless as well. Seldom was there ever more than a drop.

Mary asked Leticia to stay with Laura for awhile. She wanted to see 'Peggy' and 'Sue' play in the casino.

Mary left with Ally and Sheila. They headed for the casino.

"The elevator door will open right as we arrive." Ally said.

Sure enough that was what happened.

Mary really began to wonder about all this. Who were these people?

Cam-Gail and Hanna left the private box and headed out to go back to the suite area.

They kissed along the way.

An older couple suggested they 'should get a room'.

Hanna saw that Cam-Gail took offense to that but she stopped her from acting.

"We don't take any crap when I am with Jesse." Cam-Gail said. "Jesse takes care of any problem herself. She knows how to deal with trouble makers and rude people."

Hanna did not want this to be an issue. She wanted to try a different approach.

"Let it go." Hanna said. "What would Savannah want you to do?"

Cam-Gail thought about it for a second.

"Savannah would want me to be a better person." Cam-Gail said.

Cam-Gail frowned.

"Now what's wrong?" Hanna asked.

"I'm not a person." Cam-Gail said.

Hanna saw it differently.

"You are to Savannah." Hanna said.

Cam-Gail smiled.

"I think that's true." Cam-Gail said. "That is what makes Savannah so special. We aren't just machines to her. We are living beings like any other creature on earth. She loves us for what we are. She never looks down on us for what we are not."

They passed through the casino.

"Do you want to play?" Hanna asked.

Cam-Gail looked at everything there in the casino.

"Savannah would disapprove of gambling." Cam-Gail said.

Hanna saw it a little differently.

"You are not really gambling." Hanna said. "You would just be playing. Like someone plays a video game."

Cam-Gail wanted to be with Hanna.

"I want to share with you." Cam-Gail said. "You're the only 'slot machine' I want to play."

Hanna looked over to the side.

"Great. Here comes Ally and Sheila." Hanna said.

There was a good looking female with them. She appeared to be quite youthful.

"I've seen her before." Cam-Gail said.

Hanna recognized her too.

"It looks like one of the girls that Sheila pierced." Hanna said.

Hanna and Cam-Gail both would have liked to have been there to watch. Sheila told them about it. She told them it totally turned her on.

It made Cam-Gail think about having Sheila do that while she was in this chassis. The breasts were the perfect size for that on this sheath. She'd seen Cameron before when she'd done that. It was several times actually. It enhanced her beauty. She could enhance Cam's beauty for her before she returned her chassis.

"I think we should go before they see us." Cam-Gail said. "What happens if Cameron and Allison stop by here after the show?"

Hanna nodded. She didn't want any issues.

"I think you're right." Hanna said. "Let's bounce."

Hanna and Cam-Gail slipped out the side entrance away from where Sheila and Ally entered.

They headed out to go back to the suites. That's where the real action was anyway.

Jim tracked the team members on the ship. He would need to warn Cameron not to take Allison through the casino if they went that way. Maybe he should tell Sheila and Ally to leave instead. Allison should be able to do what she wanted.

He was a little concerned at the operation that was underway but he no longer received any data about it. He asked John Henry about it and he was informed that CamNet was taking care of it. Somehow that did not sound good.

He did not know that Young Allison asked CamNet not to forward the data to the ship. She did not want Cameron to worry about what she could not control and the group they were most likely dealing with.

Ally and Sheila spotted Hanna and Cam-Gail leave when they arrived. They thought that was a good thing. Mary did not see them. That was a better thing. They hoped Jim would warn them if Cameron and Allison came their way.

Mary wanted to see them prove they were psychic.

Ally walked along a row of electronic slot machines. She looked around on the floor and spotted a quarter. She picked it up.

"Do you see this machine here?" Ally asked. "It is going to payoff on the next pull."

She quietly communicated to Jim about the 'problem' they ran into. He said he could take care of the casino for them.

Mary wasn't 'sold'. She was very apprehensive.

"So you're telling me that if I put this quarter in this machine and pull the handle that I will win?" Mary asked.

Ally looked around.

"Yes." Ally said. "Play it cool."

Mary wondered why Ally and Sheila looked around so much.

"Why do you keep looking around?" Mary asked.

Sheila did not want to get into the whole casino thing with Mary.

"We ran into some trouble before." Sheila said. "They don't like it when people win big."

That statement made Mary wonder.

"How much did you win?" Mary asked.

Sheila looked around.

"It was thirty thousand dollars." Sheila said.

Mary was more than impressed.

"That's a lot of money." Mary said.

Ally wanted Mary to play the slot machine. She checked with Jim while Sheila was talking to Mary.

"Put the quarter in and play the machine." Ally said. "I'm starting to lose the vibe."

Mary looked at both of them and put the quarter in and pulled the handle.

The machine started to make noise, bells rang and lights flashed. Coins poured out into the tray.

Mary looked at both of them.

"Is this for real?" Mary asked.

Sheila reached down and picked up a handful of quarters and let them drop back into the tray a few at a time. There was a loud 'clanking' of coins.

"You tell me." Sheila said.

Sheila and Ally started to walk away.

Mary looked at all the quarters.

"What about your money?" Mary asked.

Ally looked at her and smiled.

"It's your money now." Ally said. "You put the quarter in and pulled the handle."

Mary looked around and found a cardboard coin bucket. She quickly scooped up all the quarters. The circular container felt heavy. It seemed like several hundred dollars to her.

Sheila and Ally moved over to the blackjack tables. They watched the games for awhile.

Mary soon joined them with the bucket of quarters.

"Can you do that again?" Mary asked.

The good thing was she stopped asking questions about them.

"Yes." Ally said. "I don't like to overdo it."

"We experienced a few run-ins with casino types before." Sheila said. "They like to take people's money but not give it out."

Mary tried to hand the bucket of quarters to Ally.

"I can't take your money." Mary said.

Ally smiled at her.

"It's yours now." Ally said. "I can always get more."

Sheila looked at the bucket of quarters.

"That's chicken scratch." Sheila said. "Do you want to really see some money?"

Mary licked her lips lightly.

"Is it legal?" Mary asked.

Ally stood straight and indicated her sheath and dress.

"Do we look like crooks?" Ally asked.

Mary looked at both of them.

"You look like super models or actresses." Mary said.

Sheila smiled.

"I thought you were going to say I looked like a porn star." Sheila said.

Sheila always thought she would make a good porn star. If she was a human female, that would be how she would like to earn money. Where else do you get paid for having a good time and getting off?

Cameron saw how the audience clapped and liked the last song.

'If I Were A Carpenter' by 'Johnny Cash and June Carter', was the next song.

Cameron listened to this song. There was something about the way the male and female singer looked at each other when they sang their parts.

It hit Cameron like a ton of bricks.

They were actually singing this song to each other. She could tell by their body language and facial expressions. This couple was a pair in real life. They were lovers.

Cameron could see the expression of love.

She glanced over and saw Allison and Vanna could tell too. She watched them take each others hand and how their fingers interlaced and touched each other. They were telling each other they felt the same way about each other without speaking. It was beautiful to watch.

She decided to not put them in John's bed on this trip. They belonged in each other's bed. They belonged in each other's arms. She would make sure Holly and Gail-Cam gave them plenty of space and time to be alone together. If anything happened with John on this trip, it would be of their own choosing.

Holly and Gail-Cam did notice it too.

They both loved their girl but saw the real love was between Vanna and Allison.

This was to be the last song.

No one wanted it to end.

Cammy was about to move onto the main workroom floor when the shots from the rear rang out. The lights went out in the same second.

She looked back to make sure Savannah was able to get her night vision on. She saw that Savannah remained at the doorway between where she was at now and captive. The captive was a threat to them until they knew more about her.

Cammy knew where the person she was after was at from the drone images. When she'd entered the workroom floor they evidently sought cover. That was most likely because of the gunfire at the back of the building.

She still knew where their approximate location was. She checked her phone but there was no image. There was no reception.

There seemed to be some type of high frequency energy interference. She began to feel it start to affect her. There was more gunfire from the rear. The gunfire was answered by suppressed shots from an M4.

That was not a good sign.

Savannah could feel a vibration in the door frame she was standing in. Her phone lost its image. It no longer functioned. She thought this might be the start of some counterattack. This was something different and it seemed to be directed at the Terminators. This was like the energy field they ran into at Serrano Point. It was not the random pulses. This one was focused and controlled.

"I order everyone out now. Everyone needs to fallback." Savannah said. "Fallback, that it is an order. This is an electronic attack on Metal."

The com was filled with static a second after she spoke.

There we no responding communications in return.

Derek and Kyle watched the images. They started to pixilate.

"What's happening?" Derek asked.

John Henry tried to determine what exactly was occurring.

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

They heard Savannah's transmission.

"I order everyone out now. Everyone needs to fallback." Savannah said. "Fallback, that it is an order. This is an electronic attack on Metal."

They lost all the images. Only the drones out on wide recon were still transmitting.

Derek and Kyle were on their feet.

"It's an attack." Kyle said. "It looks like it is aimed at our Terminators."

Derek knew what that meant for Savannah.

"We need to go." Derek said. "If the Terminators go offline that means Savannah is out there all alone. She won't leave them."

"Let's roll." Kyle said.

Derek and Kyle headed out the door.

"You need a Metal escort." John Henry said. "I will go with you."

Derek wanted Precious and the girls protected.

"You need to protect the base." Derek said.

John Henry heard and saw their TDE come online. It was powering up. CamNet sent him a priority message.

John Henry sounded the base alarm.

Claire was in a deep kiss with Sarah.

The base alarm sounded.

Claire's eyes shot open when she heard the alarm. Jesse was kissing her.

What?

What the Hell?

Claire thought she was kissing Sarah. She must have dozed off. Was it only a dream?

Claire looked around. She was in her room, not Sarah's room.

"What's happening?" Claire asked.

Jesse was up and headed for the arms locker in the room.

"That's the base alarm." Jesse said. "We might be under attack."

Claire was up in and instant.

"Summer!" Claire said. "We need to worry about Jan and Precious too."

Jesse tossed Claire a vest as she put her vest on.

"We need to move." Jesse said as she held up an M9. "Are you good?"

Claire nodded.

"I'm good." Claire said.

Jesse handed Claire the M9. Claire racked the slide back and put it in the holster on her vest.

Jesse took an M4 along with her M9 and several Thermite grenades. She chambered a buckshot round in the M203 mounted below her M4. She wanted to avoid using an HE round inside the base if possible.

"Stay with me." Jesse said. "We are going to get the girls."

Jesse headed out with Claire behind her.

Claire was scared to death but she followed her training. Jesse would make sure she got to the girls.

Sarah was in her room. She was about to take a shower when the alarm sounded. She headed to the arms locker in their room and armored up. Everything was ready to go. She was out the door in less than ten seconds. She only wore her underwear and vest. She needed to find Jan and Kyle. She could worry about clothes later.

She saw Kyle and Derek running towards her.

She opened an arms locker in the hall so they could armor up.

Samantha entered the bathroom to wash Riley's back.

The base alarm sounded. She sprang into action.

Riley came out of the shower, she was dripping wet.

"Get Precious." Samantha said.

Riley looked at her clothes as she passed. She grabbed her pants and tried to put them on as she ran to get Precious.

Samantha opened the arms locker and took out three vests and some weapons. She entered Precious room. Riley was just hooking her pants.

Samantha handed her a vest.

"Put this on." Samantha said.

Riley put it on over her dripping wet breasts.

Samantha carefully wrapped Precious in a Kevlar lined blanket and in a vest that had everything taken out of it. She handed Riley an M9.

Riley jacked the slide and checked the load. She put it in the holster on the vest. Samantha handed her Precious wrapped in her protective blanket and surrounding vest.

"Get ready to move." Samantha said.

Riley came up next to her as she looked out the door of the room, she wanted to make something clear.

"If anything happens, I need you to take Precious and run." Riley said. "Precious comes first. Don't worry about me. Precious is all that matters."

Samantha nodded.

There was movement in the hall.

"Get back." Samantha said.

Summer and Jan were almost finished. They were putting things away.

Summer looked up and then at Jan.

"Come on, Jan." Summer said. "Quickly, drop everything."

Jan looked around. She became alarmed.

"What's wrong?" Jan asked.

Summer opened an arms locker.

"What are you doing?" Jan asked.

The base alarm sounded.

"Put your vest on." Summer said as she handed her one.

Both the girls armored up.

Summer handed Jan an M9.

"This is just like training but for real." Summer said. "Do everything like you were trained. Don't think about it, just do it."

Both girls were armored up and armed as they headed out.

"We need to find the others." Summer said. "My mom should be in her room."

Jan was not sure where her parents were.

John Henry worked with CamNet to try and determine the extent of the attack. It seemed localized at the target site. Both bases were on alert. There were no transmissions from the target area. Only the outlying drones on patrol could look in from the sides. This appeared to be something different than a Skynet jamming field.

John Henry adjusted the com signals for the base. He did not want everyone talking over each other. All communications would go through his server. He could communicate with everyone at the same time but individually.

It was only ten seconds from the point when he sounded the alarm. He began to communicate with everyone one on one.

Young Allison watched in disbelief.

They heard Savannah's transmission.

"I order everyone out now. Everyone needs to fallback." Savannah said. "Fallback, that it is an order. This is an electronic attack on Metal."

"I KNEW it." Young Allison said.

They lost everything from the attack site. The video feeds were all gone.

Anna tried to find out what happened.

"This is an attack directed against Terminators." Anna said.

Young Allison was armored up. She checked her weapons.

"Go to the site - NOW." Young Allison said.

Mel looked back at Anna.

"Do it - NOW." Young Allison said. "Hurry."

Mel started out in a rush.

"I can't allow this." Anna said.

Young Allison double checked everything.

"You don't need to allow it." Young Allison said. "It's an order."

Anna could not let this happen.

"This is unacceptable." Anna said.

Young Allison looked at her.

"Savannah is there by herself." Young Allison said. "She may be the only one unaffected or maybe only the least affected."

They were almost there. The SUV began to sputter.

"CamNet send the time bubbles." Young Allison said. "If the drones make it out of the target area, I want you have them regroup and prepare for an assault. I want it to be a 'maximum effort' response."

Jan saw that Summer did not turn towards her mother's room.

"Where are you going?" Jan asked.

"We are going to the Command Center." Summer said.

"What about our parents?" Jan asked.

"They are trained fighters." Summer said.

"Your mom isn't." Jan said.

"Jesse is with her." Summer said.

They entered the Command Center. John Henry was armored up and holding an M249.

"I knew you would come." John Henry said.

"Fill me in and notify everyone where we are." Summer said. "Get someone to the TDE room."

John Henry wondered what Summer was doing.

Summer pointed at her ear. She was in direct contact with CamNet.

"Just do it." Summer said.

John Henry sent Sarah to back up Kyle and Derek in the TDE room. He told her he had Jan and Summer with him. He sent Claire and Jesse to back up Samantha and Riley. He informed them he had the girls as well.

Cammy found the person crouched down behind a desk. She shot him in the head. She heard the order to get out. There was a time bubble that appeared off to her side. It was not where she'd been. She heard one near the location where Savannah was at. She followed her order from Savannah and entered the time bubble. She barely made it. She could hardly move.

Savannah moved to reinforce Cammy. She left the female where she was. A time bubble began to form in a room down the hall. It was clear that something was off. She saw it was empty. She went to look for Cammy and the other Terminators. She was sure they were about to shut down if they weren't already.

Her night vision was not working properly. She took them off for now. She switched to her M4 and checked the M203. It was loaded with an HE round.

She entered the workroom area just in time to see three time bubbles. She was not sure how they were all there at the same time. It looked like Cammy was in the closest one before it disappeared. The other two each contained two large figures. She hoped that was the team that was in her building. She did not know. There were no communications. She would need to check to make sure the team was out.

A shadow moved in front of her. It was an unknown figure. They fired at one of the time bubbles as it vanished.

Savannah fired three suppressed shots and saw the figure go down.

She moved towards the back. She held up her night vision to take a look. She saw there was a figure on the ground for a moment before they went out again. She needed to make sure it was not one of theirs.

She moved towards the location. There was some flickering illumination that she could make out. There was a fire burning somewhere up ahead. It must be in a room off to the side.

Derek and Kyle grabbed vests and weapons from the locker Sarah opened. They all received updates from John Henry. He directed all three them to proceed to the TDE room as there was a time bubble forming there. They were told CamNet sent it. They did not know what would be in it. They were to clear the TDE pad for more transfers. They were happening at Cameron's base too.

"What does 'clear the pad' mean?" Sarah asked.

Derek looked at Kyle as they ran. He then looked at Sarah.

"It sounds like there may be causalities." Derek said.

Sarah and Kyle shared a grim glance at each other. They hurried to take their posts.

Young Allison team was a block out from the target area.

It was clear that Anna and Mel were being affected by something as was the SUV. She did not want them trapped there and immobile.

"Stop now." Young Allison said. "Let me out and move back two blocks. Tell CamNet what's happening here. If the energy field grows, I need you to fallback further. Don't get stuck and captured."

Anna received a transmission.

"All the Terminators are out." Anna said. "All the drones but two made it out as well."

Young Allison felt her stomach knot.

"What about Savannah?" Young Allison asked.

Anna could hardly move.

"She didn't make it." Anna said. "There was a lot of trouble with the time bubbles. None of them went to where they were supposed to. They were all off."

"Fallback, that's an order." Young Allison said. "No one else goes in. That's an order."

Young Allison checked her night vision. It was not working properly. She moved towards the south building.

She released the safety on her M4.

She took a deep breath and kept moving forward.

This was for real. Savannah needed her.

A stone cold hardness overcame her.

Anyone who crossed her path was going to die.