Chapter 1417
Show Some Moderation
John looked back at where they'd left Cameron.
Young Jesse took his hand.
"She said she was fine with it." Young Jesse said.
John was not sure if it even mattered at this point. It wasn't the first time.
"This will be our third attempt." John said.
Young Jesse smiled at him.
"I think it will happen this time." Young Jesse said.
She secretly hoped they could try a few more times.
John did not want to 'push' her.
"We'll do whatever you want and how you want to do it." John said.
Young Jesse moved close to him. It looked like she was going to give him a kiss. She looked back over her shoulder and Ally and Hanna were there. They looked just like Allison and Vanna. She gave John's hand a firm squeeze instead.
They reached the private area. The door opened as they approached. Cam-Gail was there.
"Hello." Cam-Gail said.
John and Young Jesse both greeted her.
John paused outside the Honeymoon Suite. He wasn't sure which suite she preferred to be in.
"We can use my suite again." Young Jesse said.
Cam-Gail hurried over and opened the door.
John picked Young Jesse up and carried her into the suite.
As they passed Cam-Gail she winked at them and closed the door behind them.
Cam-Gail could not help but think that Cammy and Anna looked more excited and happier than John and Young Jesse just did. She did not realize they were past the 'happy and excited stage'. They were already at the 'love stage' with a little more seriousness and commitment. They wanted each other and they wanted to create a life. This was for Jesse as much as it was for them.
Ally and Hanna arrived in the private area as Cam-Gail walked away from the Honeymoon Suite.
"I'm surprised you didn't stay." Ally said.
The Metal girls all wanted their 'one time' with John like Cameron promised them.
"The cruise isn't over yet and I have a good chance to pass myself off as 'Cameron' in this chassis." Cam-Gail said. "I haven't ruled it out."
Ally thought she was pretty close herself still.
"I can do that too." Ally said.
Hanna wanted to find out what else they could do on the ship. They didn't need to talk about what they all knew was never going to happen.
"We can go out if you keep us informed where everyone is at." Hanna said.
Cam-Gail thought she'd done a good job of doing that already.
"I got everyone to where they needed to be." Cam-Gail said.
Hanna and Ally turned to leave. Ally paused.
"I can stay if you want to go out." Ally said.
Cam-Gail looked at the Honeymoon Suite.
"I'm fine with this assignment." Cam-Gail said. "Thank you anyway."
Hanna and Ally left the private area.
"She just wants to listen to Young Jesse 'get some'." Ally said.
"Young Jesse is still 'Jesse' to her." Hanna said. "It's not like we haven't all listened to Riley, Sarah and Cameron before."
The Metal girls all listened to the male and female couples before to hear what was different.
"I guess we have and now we have a file from Cameron in our own chassis to know what it's all about." Ally said.
Hanna looked around.
"It's about 'we all want more'." Hanna said.
Ally looked at the Honeymoon Suite.
"That it is." Ally said. "That it is."
The prisoner got off of the main street as soon as she was done with the call. She sent out a message for help and a warning. It went to a drop number where the message was posted online in code.
She moved into an alley a half block down the street from where she'd made her 'escape' from the truck. She moved into the darkness to see if she was followed or anyone seemed overly curious.
She began to check her clothing for any trackers. She started with the 'new' shirt that was put on her. She did not find anything there or in her original clothing. She decided she needed replacement clothing anyway.
She moved down the length of the alley. She wanted different clothes and she wanted some transportation. She kept watch in back of her. That is where she figured any threat would come from. She thought her escape was all her own doing. She did not realize it was 'allowed' to happen.
She reached the far end of the alley. She paused and looked both directions. There was little traffic on this side street. She exited and moved down the street in the direction she'd been traveling. She felt there was a better chance to spot the truck if it came back to look for her.
She could hear talking up ahead of her. It was dark where she was headed. She crossed the street to the other side. She glanced over to the side of the street where she'd been. She didn't spot whoever was over there and that'd been talking. It seemed like a potential threat. Everything seemed like a threat to her at this point. She kept moving. At least she was free right now.
Young Allison watched her phone as Cammy, Anna and Savannah were in the pet store. She sat up straight when she saw that the prisoner 'escaped'. The first part of her plan was enacted. There were three teams of Metal tracking her and two drones as well. She was provided with images of the 'escape' and the prisoner on the move.
Savannah led Cammy and Anna out of the pet store. She did not want them to get carried away. It seemed that they were headed that way. Savannah needed to be the 'parent'.
"That's enough for today." Savannah said. "You need to show some moderation."
Cammy and Anna both looked back at the store.
"The animals liked me." Cammy said. "They all wanted me to pick them up."
"I liked it too." Anna said. "I want to go back again."
They all received alerts on their phone.
Savannah looked at her phone. She didn't like what she saw.
"How's that even possible?" Savannah asked.
Cammy and Anna were soon Terminators again instead of 'schoolgirls'. The fun was over. It was time to get the show back on the road.
Young Allison walked over to join them.
"We need to go." Savannah said.
Young Allison wanted to diffuse the 'threat' level.
"Everyone needs to chill." Young Allison said. "This is all part of my plan."
Savannah could hardly believe this.
"What plan?" Savannah asked. "You let an anti-Metal prisoner go?"
Cammy and Anna didn't seem any less concerned with that news. It still seemed like a major threat to them.
"They may be able to expose our base." Cammy said.
Anna held up her phone.
"A drone is tracking her." Anna said. "It can take her down with gunfire or a missile."
"I agree." Cammy said. "John Henry or CamNet needs to act before she gets away."
Young Allison could tell they didn't understand. Everything was covered.
"There are three trackers on her." Young Allison said. "There are two drones on her specifically and three teams of Metal. It will be four soon."
Savannah did not look happy about this.
"Why weren't we told about this before?" Savannah asked.
Young Allison could see this was a problem now.
"We skipped the part about having a Terminator beat the information out of her and tried to use drugs. That wasted a lot of time and produced nothing of value." Young Allison said. "I wanted to have her 'escape' and lead us back to her hideout. This way we can clean out the whole nest."
That answer didn't seem to satisfy anyone.
"We need to be in on the tracking." Savannah said. "CamNet needs to be ready for a 'fire mission' at a moments notice. The female is a threat of the gravest magnitude."
Young Allison saw some additional assistance ready to go. It was their group.
"We have two vehicles." Young Allison said. "Brian and Randy can procure another one and we will have three teams to assist."
Savannah looked at Young Allison for a long moment.
"You did this to get 'a piece of the action'." Savannah said.
Young Allison thought it was a sound plan.
"I wanted results." Young Allison said. "The prisoner was blindfolded when she was moved both times. She does not know where she was taken."
Savannah led the group back through the mall. She wanted to get back to the SUV.
Anna walked alongside of Young Allison.
"Savannah is not pleased with what you've done." Anna said.
Young Allison still thought it was a good plan.
"There's a drone that has her zeroed right now." Young Allison said. "Do you want her killed? She can be dead in ten seconds."
Savannah slowed and looked back. She didn't want to be angry at Young Allison or create that impression.
"Now that you've started this, we need to let it play out some." Savannah said. "I'm not angry at you but I wish you would have said something earlier."
Young Allison knew where that would have gone. Look what was happening now.
"Would you have agreed to the idea anymore then than you do right now?" Young Allison asked.
"No." Savannah said.
Young Allison still thought her plan was sound.
"I wanted to try a new approach." Young Allison said. "You can all listen to the 'interview' when we get back to the SUV."
The group exited the Fashion Center and moved through the parking lot. Mel was by their SUV as they approached.
"I'll ride with Mel and Anna." Young Allison said. "Savannah and Cammy can be one team. Randy and Brian can be another."
Savannah would rather have two reinforced teams, not an extra one.
"No." Savannah said. "We will remain as the same two teams like the way we arrived."
Young Allison didn't think Savannah was being farsighted enough right now. She also knew she was pushing it. She didn't want to push too far. The current reaction seemed to be pretty close to that. This was way more 'push back' and negative reaction than she'd anticipated.
They all got back into the SUVs like they arrived in and headed out. They listened to the interrogation as they drove toward where the prisoner was at.
Savannah actually would like to have an internment program like that so no one else in the Resistance custody needed to be killed after interrogation. It would be hard to maintain. There was no end to any of this either. It could last decades. The battle in the future did.
"Did you develop the back story in the interview?" Savannah asked.
Young Allison looked to the future not the present.
"Yes." Young Allison said. "It is something we would need to do in the future. We can't kill every prisoner and try and build a new future."
Savannah was not so sure about that. Then again even Skynet did not kill all the Resistance prisoners outright. They at least tried to get some slave labor out of them. This was all very unlike what Cameron would do.
"Is this your plan alone?" Savannah asked. "I don't believe it is."
Young Allison was contacted by someone before she planned everything.
"No." Young Allison said. "Summer worked with me on this. She wants a better future for everyone."
That revelation gave all of them something to think about. Someone was thinking outside the box on this one with a little more vision than they all possessed. They were used to the death that Terminators dealt out.
Cameron went to the top of the sky lounge with Jim. The air was cold and windy but it didn't bother them. They moved behind the superstructure of the elevator shaft to block most of the wind. It was dimly lit up on the top of the sky lounge.
"It's dark all around us." Cameron said.
Jim was not sure why they were up on top of the sky lounge at night in the first place. Maybe it was the furthest place Cameron could physically go on the ship to be away from her suite. She was probably a little more troubled than she would admit to. It was quite understandable.
"We are out on the ocean at night." Jim said.
Cameron looked over at the port side. That was the side the land was on. She couldn't spot any lights on the land. There was probably some coastal fog between them and the land.
Cameron looked up at all the stars.
"People see beauty in that." Cameron said.
Jim looked up. It was the same thing that was always there.
"The rotation of the earth gives the starts the appearance of moving through the night sky." Jim said. "It was something early man did not understand."
Cameron looked at the stars and thought about Savannah.
"People now like to see them too." Cameron said. "Savannah has tried to show me the beauty in them."
Jim did not understand the fascination.
"Some of them may be gone already and there may be new ones we can't see yet." Jim said. "It takes many light years for us to see what we are looking at now. In reality it may all be different. We look into the past when we look at the stars. We don't look into the future there. That's another common misconception about space and the stars. It's all what was, not what is or will be."
Cameron thought about that too.
"Life seems to be like that." Cameron said. "What we see and perceive as real, may not actually be there at all."
"That means seeing is not always believing." Jim said.
"You can't always believe everything you see." Cameron said.
Jim was more confused than ever why he was up here with Cameron. Now he wondered if this was the build up to Cameron wanting to use his chassis. He would decline the file in real time and not want to view it at all.
'Everyone sacrifices for John Connor.' Jim thought.
This was most likely the prelude to 'his turn'.
Mary knew that 'Peggy' could win big and win fast.
"Are you going to break the bank?" Mary asked as she looked at Allison.
Allison looked at Vanna and knew she referred to Ally.
"Not tonight." Allison said. "We've cleaned enough out of this place. I don't want to get busted."
Laura looked over at Leticia and Sheila.
"It seems 'Sue' is doing a pretty good job." Laura said.
Camille-Holly was briefed by Cam-Gail in her com.
"I can play with you two if you want." Camille-Holly said.
"You would do that for us, 'Barbara'?" Laura asked.
Allison and Vanna wanted to be elsewhere at this point.
"We wanted to spend some time together." Vanna said.
Mary hoped for a little more.
"What about later on?" Mary asked.
Allison wanted a little more too. It was the last night. It might be years before she got some 'strange' again. These girls were 'fine' too.
"We can hook up." Allison said.
Vanna figured as much. That was OK with her but she did not want Allison to get too attached. In the past - the future, any of their hook ups were only once or twice before someone moved on. They'd been with these girls a lot and it was all quality time. The fact that they all sported perfect bodies was not lost on her. They were all younger than her too. They all possessed productive bodies as well. That was something she lacked even if she could lactate.
She could not stop Allison from wanting to be with them because it was beautiful to do so. Maybe she would see about hooking up with Leticia later on as well. She might as well go for the gold if she was going for it.
Sheila liked the way everyone looked at Leticia. She felt she was her 'personal project'. Leticia was Hot to begin with but she felt she'd 'refined' her some.
Maybe it was all the attention that Leticia gave her. There was just something about the look in her eyes when they spoke and interacted. She hoped she was not 'playing' with Leticia's life but she knew she was. She'd gotten rid of her partner and where she lived. Now she was 'responsible' for her. She was pretty sure at this point there was going to be a big problem later on.
Leticia moved close to Sheila.
"When you're done winning, we can go back to my suite." Leticia said. "I want to spend the night with you."
Leticia really wanted to tell 'Sue' how much she loved her but was afraid she would 'scare' her away. She'd never met anyone like 'Sue'. She felt she was 'perfect'. She was confidant and strong. She always seemed just a little out of reach with an emotional block thrown in just to make it interesting.
Sheila looked over at Vanna and Allison. Maybe she could dump Leticia off on them.
"I'm sure we'll work something out." Sheila said.
Sheila thought how life was simpler with the girls in the Resistance. There was no 'maintenance' necessary. They were all self sufficient.
Ally and Hanna knew to stay away from the casino since Vanna and Allison were there. They'd already played it pretty close by being there earlier to go with John and Young Jesse. That was all done under the direction of Cam-Gail and it all worked out.
"Everyone around us seems burnt out." Ally said.
"Not everyone is a cyborg." Hanna said. "It has been a very pleasant time."
Ally thought of a few ideas.
"Why don't we go back in time and do this for a few years straight." Ally said.
Hanna looked at her to see if she was joking. It didn't look like it.
"Don't mention that to Sheila." Hanna said. "She already wants to get a 'job' as a 'porn star'."
Ally didn't doubt that. She wanted something more sedate.
"I really mean that." Ally said. "We could spend a few years riding the waves and pick up on different females for a week and then move on to a new group the next week. We would need to make sure we were back 'when we left' so no one would miss us."
That sounded like a good idea to Hanna but also like a lot of problems.
"What happens if we end up changing things by doing that?' Hanna asked. "We might inadvertently create a new timeline. What if we did that and couldn't get back? Maybe we should schedule our departure after our return."
That sounded like the 'Catch 22' that existed with Cammy and Sheila going back in time to the Sixties but no one else actually left yet. There was always the speculation they met up with the same people but from a divergent timeline. Many things were possible in this universe.
"But if we don't leave in the first place how are were going to come back before we go?" Ally asked.
Hanna thought if they went back far enough she could try and find Claire and hit on her and maybe even Sarah. What if that is what they actually did and….
Ally snapped her fingers loudly in front of Hanna's face.
"Hey." Ally said.
Hanna blinked her eyes a few times.
"I don't want to lose you." Ally said.
Hanna knew the temptation was too great to go back and target their lovers.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Hanna said. "We would change too much even without trying."
Ally worried about that too.
"Let's go see what's happening in the rear lounge." Ally said.
Cam-Gail informed them they were good to go.
The prisoner turned down another side street. She didn't like the 'feel' of the neighborhood. Maybe she would work her way back to the main street. There'd been no sign of the truck she'd escaped from.
It made her wonder about what those Terminators told her. Was that for real? Was there some group of Metal trying to 'help' people or were they just another Skynet wannabe working for their own agenda? Maybe they were from a different future. They knew that Fanatics were from a different future or maybe a further future. There was really no way to know. That was a group of real nut jobs. They believed SkyMaster was their god. She really wondered how that all came about.
A cat hissed at her and ran off when she approached several trash cans. That made her jump a little. She hadn't expected that. She needed to focus. She needed some money, a weapon, and a vehicle. She was not sure in what order she could obtain them.
Once she got some cash she could buy a burner and make a few calls. She'd posted a warning for her group already.
She heard the cat hiss again. This time it sounded angrier. It was in front of her somewhere.
Someone stepped out of the shadows in front of her. They didn't go in any direction but just stood there. She decided to avoid them. She looked behind her and there was someone there too. They were following her. She quickly crossed to the other side of the small street. She saw the glow of a cigarette brighten as someone took a drag. The glowing butt flew through the air and landed in front of her with a small shower of sparks.
"Nice night for a walk." A voice said. "Now it's 'party time'."
The prisoner turned around and started to run. The person that was behind her moved to block her path of escape, she dodged around them and kept running. She glanced back once and saw there were four men running after her now. She knew if they caught her what was going to happen. She already accepted that for when she arrived at the 'detention center'. This was different. There'd be a beating with this assault. She hoped they wouldn't mutilate her one good breast.
She learned to be a fast runner in the Wastelands. She was not always fast enough. She hoped she was fast enough now. She glanced back and there were still four men running but she'd pulled away some. Their lifestyle probably did not have any physical training aspect to it. She cut back up the alley she'd run through earlier. There was gunfire behind her somewhere. She expected to see the men come around the corner but they didn't. Maybe they run afoul of another gang. She remembered avoiding another group earlier. They'd been in the shadows too.
She made it out onto the main street and kept running. Now she needed to worry about the Metal again.
Savannah and the girls watched their phones as they tracked the prisoner from the drone footage. They watched the altercation take place.
"How does that figure in?" Savannah asked.
Cammy was not impressed. She still wanted to rip the prisoners tongue out for what she'd said earlier. She still planned to do that if they ran into her. She decided to tone her responses down slightly.
"They will save us the trouble of terminating her." Cammy said. "I wanted to snap her neck myself."
Young Allison couldn't see Cammy snapping anyone's neck when she was holding the puppy twenty minutes ago. Now she was a Terminator again and ready to do her job.
She checked on who was the closest team of Metal to the prisoner. It was Al and Ed.
They all listened as Young Allison directed Al and Ed to stop the men.
"Are you helping the prisoner?" Anna asked.
Young Allison saw several things in play here.
"I need her to lead us to the anti-Metal group and those men are Scavengers now in this timeline." Young Allison said. "Everything comes with a 'price' sooner or later. Theirs is now."
They watched Al and Ed move up behind the men in their SUV. One of the men turned and saw it was a hit and fired a few wild shots at the SUV. All of them missed. Ed fired his silenced M9 and all four men fell. Their SUV turned off and paralleled the direction of the prisoner.
Savannah felt they were lucky how things played out.
"What would you have done if they'd caught her?" Cammy asked. "Would we have just watched what would have happened to her?"
Young Allison was not sure.
"Yes." Young Allison said. "She's the enemy."
Savannah didn't think that is what would have happened.
"Allison would have ordered a drone strike and killed all of them before the prisoner was assaulted." Savannah said. "She would have allowed her to die with some dignity."
Young Allison looked at Savannah.
That was one of the options she'd considered.
"It didn't happen." Young Allison said.
"Not yet." Cammy said. "This thing is wide open."
"She's lost and trying to stay alive." Savannah said. "She's trying to avoid taking anyone's money by robbing them or stealing a phone. She needs a set of wheels too. She's operating with her own set of ethics no matter how twisted that we see them in relation to us."
Cammy was not impressed.
"She would cut the chip out of my head and crush it in an instant." Cammy said. "She should be terminated now and end this folly."
Young Allison didn't expect this level of 'push-back' by her friends. There was a lot of anger and animosity being displayed. If this did not 'pay off' she was going to have a very angry group on her hands. Maybe it was time to cut her losses and end this. It still seemed like a workable plan to her.
Allison and Vanna left the casino while Cam-Holly, Holly-Camille and Gail-Cam entertained Mary and Laura. Sheila and Leticia seemed wrapped up in their own little world.
"It looks like it is just us for now." Allison said.
Vanna liked more order the older she got.
"Isn't that better?" Vanna asked.
Allison still wanted a little more.
"Maybe it is but this was sure fun." Allison said.
"It was but we need to leave it behind us." Vanna said.
Allison knew that was true but she still wanted to be with the girls all one more time each if she could. Then again maybe it was better to show some moderation and not do that.
"I'm not sure we ever leave anything behind us." Allison said. "Somehow it is always still there even if it's not."
Vanna felt that way often too.
"Some of what happened to us is still in the future and yet to happen. Some of it already happened in our future." Vanna said. "We know it was real because it happened to us and we bear the scars of that on our bodies and our minds."
Allison did not want Vanna to end up in a 'bad' place.
"We can do whatever you want." Allison said. "You're my true love."
Vanna looked at her for a moment. The tears welled up in her eyes.
"You're my true love." Vanna said. "The sex here was good but I want love."
Allison wanted that too.
"I guess it's time to head back to our suite then." Allison said.
That was where they headed.
Bob was not far behind them but remained out of sight. He watched them until they entered the private area.
Cam-Gail thanked him and informed Ally and Hanna it was 'open season' in the casino for them now.
John Henry was displeased with all the events he witnessed unfold with the prisoner and how they were done. Maybe it was easier to let Terminators be Terminators. Even if Sheila would have been the interrogator this would be over by now.
"I can see you're displeased." Summer said.
John Henry wondered where she came from and how long she'd been there. He quickly checked his screens for anything inappropriate. He was good for now. That wasn't always the case.
"Hello, I didn't see you come in." John Henry said.
"I haven't been in here that long, this time." Summer said.
That statement worried him a little.
"Is that your plan or Young Allison's plan?" John Henry asked. "She indicated you were involved but I have no indication there was any communication between you two."
Summer wanted to 'play' with him a little.
"Maybe I reached out and touched her with my mind." Summer said.
She saw that made John Henry even more uncomfortable.
"Relax, I called her." Summer said. "A girl needs to have a few secrets."
John Henry thought about asking her if she could do what she said or if it was just a joke. He looked at the security camera and remained silent.
"Did you see what almost happened to the escaped prisoner?" John Henry asked.
"I did." Summer said. "And it didn't."
John Henry knew that it could have.
"What if it did?" John Henry asked.
"She's the enemy." Summer said. "She's chosen her own lifestyle. She will answer to it. She'd already be dead right now anyway if this approach wasn't tried. We all know how this story ends. She's living on borrowed time."
Sometimes John Henry wondered if they all weren't living on borrowed time.
