CH 111

In the net two weeks, things were fairly calm. Joan moved her plane down to the dock at their new house, A bedroom there was completed so Joan moved in there with Allison and Bob. Work on the house slowed down to daytime only.

John got ready for this big meeting. Since it was here in Driftwood, he was sure it was a 'secret' meeting. He got approval from the sheriff on the location, and figured on a terminator guard of 30 to cover exits and auditorium entrances, and some roaming guards. He let John Henry know ID would be checked at the main school entrance and at the doors of the auditorium. Besides the guests, only terminators were allowed inside the school. The guest list increased again, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Alaska, and Virginia would be there also. John Henry provided the names for the official guest list. In the middle of the week, North and South Carolina decided to come to this meeting also.

The Maple inn family was settling in pretty good. Although the only ones who could speak Japanese were Cameron and Delilah, Nana, Kouta and Yuka could understand basic English, Peggy and Lily helped Mayu and Nana by injecting the 'feel' of the English word to help them along.

The first Sunday cookout on the lake was a big party. Joe's family brought their boat from the big lake, and floating near Joan and family's new house, the two pontoon boats floated together. Nana had a mermaid tail on, but used her mind hands to power it. Using the old tail Cameron had since they were about the same size, Kaede got in the water with Cameron and learned how to swim with a big grin on her face. Cameron and Kaede were becoming fast friends. Many Mers also showed up for the party. So did a few alligators. A couple were small ones that normally hung around the Connor house. Seeing them get fed, an 11 footer also swam over. He watched from a distance for a while then came closer. Some food tossed from a boat, he caught, then hung around, waiting for more food. To everyone's surprise and relief, he didn't bother anyone, Except for Joan and Allison who swam back to their house to get more food. He followed them. Seeing another alligator coming, he intercepted that one and chased it away.

Catherine Weaver was waiting at Joan's house outside by the dock, admiring Joan's plane. Joan and Allison jumped up on the dock and took their tails off. "Hi, Mrs. Weaver!" Joan called.

Without looking at her, Catherine replied, "Hello, Joan, Allison. Joan, I would like to experiment on your plane."

"Huh? Why my plane? We just got that," Joan said, shocked to hear such a request.

Catherine pursed her lips. "Perhaps you are correct. I should go buy a new one to experiment on. You don't want a plane that never needs refueling."

Getting up, Joan eyed her. "What do you mean? Without gas, how would it run?"

"Nuclear power cells, similar to what your mothers have," Catherine explained in a light tone. "They are only good for about 120 years at full service."

"You can do that?" Joan asked.

"I have made many power cells," Catherine explained. "I know they work well in terminators and in ground vehicles, even waterborne craft. I was looking to use them in aircraft also, but I need a baseline to begin testing our designs." She looked at Joan for a moment, then offered, "What if I allow you $10,000 a month for the time I am working on it? If you don't like the changes, I can always bring it back exactly as it is now."

"Joan, hon," Allison whispered, "Not having to worry about fuel would make things easier, right?"

Joan looked at Allison, then back to Mrs. Weaver. She winced and said, "It doesn't look like we're going anywhere for a while. How long will these experiments take?"

"Shouldn't be more than a couple weeks. And as I said, if you don't like the modifications, I can return it to a gas power drive like it is now," Catherine assured her. "The wings fold up, do they not?"

Joan then noted the boat trailer in the yard. Mrs. Weaver wanted to take it now. "I take it you're in a hurry?" she asked.

"Yes, time is critical."

Joan agreed because she knew something important was going on. "Ok, Allie, give me a hand."

Catherine got in the pickup truck and backed the trailer down to the water. Joan and Allison got the plane on, tied it down then took the wings off into their stored position and strapped them in place.

"Thank you for your cooperation, you have saved me much time and effort," Catherine said with a smile, then got back into the truck and drove off with her new plane.

Joan watched her go, then let out a huff. "At least I got to fly it some."

"I'm sure you will again," Allison assured her. "Besides, we got work on the house to do." She then giggled.

Joan eyed her. Allison turned her to look at the dock. The big alligator had climbed up on, watching them. "Joan, you've become an alligator magnet," Allison said with a giggle.

"Man," Joan grumbled.

.

Getting home after the party day, John noticed Catherine was at their house and wanted his, Cameron and Dalilah's attention. She'd meet them in the barn after they got the boat unloaded.

Kaede asked Cameron what was going on. Cameron didn't know, but told Kaede she could come too if she wanted. Kaede did. The kids were tired from a day of swimming and playing, they were happy to have some ice cream, relax, and take snoozes here and there. JJ and his wives 'snoozed' in their bedroom.

John led the adult pack into the barn to see Catherine scrutinizing their tanks. "Questions?" he asked her.

Catherine replied, "Only comparing designs. This one you made from a bulldozer has much better armor, but the canon isn't very good on it. The speed is decent. You have a 400 HP car engine in it, correct?"

"Yes, and a fifteen speed road tractor transmission," Cameron said.

Eyeing it, Catherine said, "I have been looking at this design. It's a little high, but with a domed turret, and the two person crew, one directly behind the other, I think this is the way to go. Dual plasma canons in the turret, and I think it would be just as good, if not better than any tank made now."

"That seems mostly correct. You would want to add modern equipment in one, ours is aimed by sight, and we have no positioning or radio," John explained.

"Yes, that must be changed," Catherine agreed. I have a design very close to this, physically. Parts are being made in different areas around the country. Since you build this one from old scrap, except for the armor covering, can I get you to build a more modern version like I described?"

"We can. Why us?" Cameron asked.

"So their production will not be noticed," Catherine stated. "A hundred thousand for each unit you make. Just put all the parts together and make a place to store them."

"You're building an army?" John asked.

"Yes, John, an army for you," Catherine told him. "Just in case you need it."

"Things are that bad,?" John asked.

"Growing worse by the day. The Governor will have the Texas Guard emblems made to display on these tanks."

"He knows about them?" Cameron asked.

Catherine sported a tiny grin. "Not yet."

"Any other preparations in progress?" Delilah asked.

"Only another 1000 terminators assigned to John, 200 AI aircraft to start with, and John Henry as the controller for the flow of all information, and controlling any computer we see fit." Catherine then added, "I stress, these are preparations. There is a good chance that we may not need any of it."

"Better to have them and not need them, then need them and not have them," Cameron agreed.

"Correct. Shall I begin sending parts and more terminators to help put them together?"

John nodded. "Please do, We'll have a place to work soon."

.

It wasn't long after Catherine left, when Mr. Nader from school showed up. Delilah opened the door and ushered him in. "Hello, Mr. Nader. How are you today?" she asked.

Wearing his terminator face he said, "Mrs. Connor, I shall help John Connor build tanks. I have a large barn that I have very little in. It also has a solid lock on it. Please feel free to direct some of the parts to my place. I support John Connor and Catherine Weaver."

"Thank you, Mr. Nader." Delilah said, then called for John.

"You may call me Tommy."

Delilah nodded, "Please call me Delilah."

John jogged up to him. "Hi, Mr. Nader."

"Call me Tommy out of school, please," the T-800 said in his flat tone. "I explained to Delilah, I have a large barn available to help build tanks, ir whatever you need. I support John Connor and Catherine Weaver. Cameron saved me from termination, Catherine taught me how to live."

"We appreciate that," John replied. "When the parts start coming, I will send some terminators to help you. Will that be all right?"

"Yes, the more assistance, the faster we can assemble." Tommy said. He then turned and left.

John had to grin, he was a terminator after all.

.

When Joan found out Dad was going to be building tanks, she got Bob and Allison agree to help out.

"Dad, we don't have a barn, but we can put one up. Until then we can, I don't know, put together track links in the basement."

"We'll figure out some way to help," Bob added.

"We're going to need more security cameras and sensors far from the lake, and around the town. You can start helping with that right away," Cameron told them.

"We will!" Allison replied.

They listened as Cameron told them where the cameras and sensors needed to be.

.

By the time the Sunday for the meeting came, John had the places to build tank set up, Joan had a barn at her house, and Mr. Nader was ready to start assembling. The trucks that came were electric driven box trucks with heavy duty suspensions and nuclear power supplies. The track pieces came in crates and were delivered to Joan's house where the three of them and some terminators put track together. They also got the plasma canons to put together with the elevating gear and electronics to assemble, Mr. Nader had the rest of the turret assembly and rotation gear and turret electronics to assemble. The new long Quonset hut John had put up, and painted a camo green and brown, was put in the trees. That was where the where the hulls went to get everything put together on it. Luckily, the power supplies and motors were already installed. Taking up much less room in the tank and not needing to hold ammunition, there was more room for supplies inside. Even with the tank's reduced height and size.

A test run had even been performed, a small run of five tanks. Having terminators, there was no need to get cranes. Even a fully loaded turret assembly was set in place by picking it up and lowering it down onto the hull. Assembly and a operational check, and they did those five tanks in two days, smoothing out who did what an when to make the operation faster.

Inside one of the tanks, John and Cameron took it for a midnight ride. The infrared optics had four modes that worked very well. The driver in front and the gunner behind him setup, made this tank the same width as a normal car. Both were leaned back inside the rounded hull, so the domed turret was lower, the whole thing was 5'8" high. Radar and the targeting system worked nearly instantly. Out on their land, Cameron fired a shot at 2000 yards at a pig and vaporized it first shot. The dual plasma canons were staggered to give an almost solid stream of plasma fire. The tank was fast, and easy to handle and maneuver. The 18 inches of armor was also covered by insulation, then another sheet of armor atop it, giving great protection to those within from any rounds or an attack from plasma.

They had a winner.

.

Sunday morning, John went early with his wives and the guards. The verified no one was in the school and there were no listening of watching devices. The guard was set and the School entrance watch had the list of authorized personnel allowed, as did the guards at the entrance to the auditorium.

A short while later, the sheriff arrived with his secretary. He verified security and had John put a couple more parking lot guards out.

"Sheriff, are you sure everyone that's coming are agreeable to our plans?" John asked.

The sheriff looked at his secretary. "Yes, I verified it," the very pretty dark haired woman said.

John tried not to look at her. Even dressed in a professional looking suit, that woman was super-sexy.

Catherine Weaver arrived a few minutes later, and also checked on the guard forces and looked for bugs.

The arrival of the the ambassadors from each state didn't go so smoothly or quick. They trickled one or two at a time and took great offense that their 'bodyguards' were not allowed in the auditorium. They also didn't like the fact they were checked for weapons and listening deices.

By the start time of 9AM, half of them had shown up. It was 9:45 before all 41 who said they were coming, arrived. Once they were all here, the auditorium door were shut. The men were in the first two rows, grouped together.

John sat up on the stage. He waved to Cameron who was off stage. Greeting the group again, he said, "Welcome. I'm John Connor. Coming out is my wife, Cameron, Mrs. Weaver will be right in after she final checks that we are secure, and no one else has tried to enter. As you have all probably guessed, this is a secret meeting. So, my first question is, who here is not angry at the way things are being done in Washington, and wants to change it?"

A dark haired man who had been in the sheriff's office when they men from Austin said, "I think we can all agreed none of us are happy, that's why we are here. What we want to know is, who is willing to stand with us, should this become a bloody revolt."

The man from Pennsylvania stood up. "I agree that we should petition Washington, legally fight their ... disregard for millions of Americans, and encourage people to protest, but a revolt? You are talking about an armed revolt, correct?"

"If that is what it comes down to," John said. "In ten days, the President is going to declare Martial Law on many of us for not conforming to his Executive Orders that is ruining lives. If that happens, it will be an armed revolt, possibly a civil war. We are hoping that won't happen."

"You should comply and voice your protests like we have!" the man stated.

John shook his head. "I case you haven't gotten it, they don't care about us. Any of us. Recently, we had a plague of very destructive rats, as did a couple other states. Property destroyed, people bitten and killed by these things, it was all televised, but to Washington, it was only rumors. They didn't even look into it. We tracked down the source of those rats, that had been put on the endanger species list. They came from upstate New York where they had been genetically grown to be very aggressive. The federal government was behind it. It was secret Service guarding the place that made these little monsters. Gentlemen, that is domestic terror, and our President was the cause. He cares about power and making money from his dealings. Us, any of us, he doesn't give a shit about."

"We never heard any of this, the man from Pennsylvania said.

"We didn't," the one from Ohio agreed.

"Because the main Media outlets won't cover it," John said in a hard tone. "Ask them why, but they are very biased. I imagine it's put out what's authorized or be shut down. The question is, will you help shut down the lying and abuse of your fellow Americans?"

"I we not support an armed revolt!"

"How about a legal action by the combined states?" John asked. "Will you support that?"

"We will, as I said, we need to fight them legally."

"Mrs. Weaver can tell you, I don't have the Constitution here, but it does provide an option for a majority of states to disband the federal government," John stated. "We have that, right here. First step, vote to disband the federal government. Second step, the Governors of all states get together and form a new Federal government by the original Constitution, as we were meant to be ruled by. The Constitution also states that if the people are not satisfied with the government, it is their duty to change it." John looked around at the assembly and said, "This is where we are at. If those in Washington truly stand by the oaths of office they all took, they will step down. If not, they we all will know they care about nothing other than their own power, and need to be taken down by force, anyway."

"This is madness!" the man from Pennsylvania stated.

Loudly, the sheriff said, "No, this is working within the Constitution to change our government to serve the people like they should be doing."

"The President is making many Executive Orders that should be made by Congress, not him alone. Executive Orders were designed to take care of an immediate problem, not to be considered as law." Cameron stated. "If we do, that makes our President a Dictator, not a representative of the people."

"I for one, believe these executive orders have a time limit of 60 days so Congress can approve or disapprove of them," Mrs. Weaver stated.

"I also think these career politicians need to be hobbled," John said. "Say, three two year term limits, or two, four year term limits on everyone. Congress will never do that by themselves." John added. "But we, here today can make that happen."

"There are many problems with our current government that they won't even consider looking at. We can change that," Cameron said.

Aliana spoke up and adding a bit of charm to her voice, said, "By the federal government today, states themselves are hobbled. Those in Washington see themselves as the ultimate authority. It is time to prove to them, they are not royalty. They need to be shown their place."

"How can we win against the US army?" another man asked.

John told them, "First, they are bound to support and defend the Constitution, as we will be acting within. Second, we are not exactly helpless, yet. In a few years with things going like they are, we just may be."

"Just before we act, our coming actions will be sent to every high ranking military commander, and Federal official as well as the constitutional allowance that shows we can do what we are doing. There will also be an announcement on all Media so the public will know what is happening," Catherine Weaver announced.

"Each state is allowed a militia, which now poses as the National Guard. They also support and defend by each state. Their Governor is their commander since the Presidential Office will be removed. This also needs to be changed so the Governor is their Commander, and no one else."

The woman who came from Kansas stood up. "I see this as the only right thing to do. Connor is making a very clear and thought out proposal. The only question I have, is if the President will not step down and chooses to fight, what then?"

"Then we fight," John replied. "But only if they make us fight."

"Lightly armed Guardsmen again US army tanks and guns?" she asked.

"No, our guardsmen, tank, aircraft and intel sources against theirs," John told her. "If Mrs. Weaver and myself had not planned for the worst case, we wouldn't be here right now."

"If I may," Catherine said firmly. "My company holds many military contracts. My latest, more advanced weapons designs I have held back from offering. I have still been making them. As of yet, I will not say what they are."

"Again, this is only for the worst case, if we have no other options." John stated.

"If we dissolve the federal government, what about the laws that have been passed? Organizations like the FBI and FDIC?" another man asked.

"That will be up to the new Government, run first by the Governors, then by the newly elected Federal Government, with verifiable paper ballots that the ID has been checked for each voter to prevent fraud," John said. "The new Congress doesn't like a law, they can scrap it. That goes for everything else, You don't like secret courts the Feds have, get rid of them. You don't like the national debt, erase it and the FDIC. Erase every Presidential Executive Order, and make the new president start from scratch, with a limit of 60 days on his Orders unless Congress approves of his actions."

"Mr. Connor is making sense," The man from Texas said, "And I really like the idea of paper only ballots that each voter proves who they are by ID. That will greatly reduce voter fraud. I also agree with the time limit on Executive orders."

"Gentlemen," the woman from Kansas said, "If we are going to do this, we need to do it now, so we can begin with the new ... everything. The Constitution will be ours to change, as well as the entire new Federal government. I also agree that every vote should be verified and reliable paper ballots should be used. Everything they said, I agree with. I also think we should all return home and get this started. Until we are ready to go public, we keep meeting here. Who will second my proposal?"

"I second it," the man from Texas said with his hand up.

"Yey's?" she asked.

Everyone raised their hand up.

"Nay's?"

No one raised a hand.

She then announced, "The motion has been passed. People, we have a big job to do, so let's get to it!"

As they talked about the meeting and wandered to the door, the woman from Kansas came over to John. "None of you voted either way," she said.

Cameron replied, "We aren't the state representatives, you are."

John hopped down off the stage and told Cameron. "Let's go, we got work to do."

"On the new government?" the woman from Kansas asked.

"Nope, we're building things ... in case we need them."

The Texas man came over and shook their hands. "Thank you for hosting this meeting."

"You're welcome," John replied. He then told Catherine, "Our assembly lines are a success. Send everything you need put together."

.

A day later, word got to Washington that 'something' happened in a small town in Texas. People from many states arrived and by the license plates what were photographed, they were all from Governor's offices all across the country. Nervous of what this was about, the President immediately ordered an investigation from a possible, 'coup' attempt by these states. He had nothing to base his theory on, but decided investigating was the prudent measure. Plus coming down hard on anyone that may oppose him however he could, was keeping any serious opposition from forming. He was going to have that area watched closely also.

.

John had a new problem, where to hide all these tanks he was making. Talking about it, he decided to to what the Germans did in the later part of WW 2. Hide them in the trees. He hid 15 in the woods near the house and covered them with camouflage covers, then asked John Henry to look for them. With no heat signature and visually covered, John Henry couldn't find them with a satellite. So during the day, finished tanks were driven out in between the trees and covered up.

Cameron made sure the far sensors and cameras were in place and the monitoring stationed manned. When the pair of figures in camo crept in from the north across heir property, they were spotted. Tanks were held in the assembly buildings, and Deciding how to take car of this, She and Delilah went out to target practice.

Setting cans up as well some soda bottles. The pair put their targets in the path the men were creeping down, staying low and crawling. They waited until the men were in line with the targets, then began blew up soda bottles and send tin cans flying with their shotgun. After ten rounds each, they went out to pick up their mess, and found two men pointing pistols at them as they cowered on the ground.

"What are you doing here?' Delilah asked in a harsh tone.

One man yelled, "Drop your guns, hands in the air, you're under arrest!"

"I don't think so," Cameron barked back. "This is our land, you are trespassing! What are you doing here?"

"I'm calling the Sheriff," Delilah stated and pulled her phone out.

"Drop the guns and that phone, or your both dead!" the other man snapped.

"Yeah, Sheriff? It's Delilah, We caught two armed men in camo on our land, and they are threatening us with their pistols ... we were target practicing, we had no idea they were out here! .. Yes, I'll tell them."

To the men, Delilah said, "The sheriff wants to see you both. We'll meet him by the road down here." She then took their pictures. Both Delilah and Cameron raised their shotguns to point at the men.

"Move," Cameron commanded.

"We will shoot!" one of the men snapped.

"Do , and you're both dead. Up and move, now," Cameron said in a hard tone.

On whispered, "we can't get caught." The both shot.

Cameron and Delilah both shot, taking out the men's knees. The men wailed in pain. Delilah looked down at the hole in her shirt, then Cameron's shirt. "They ruined our clothes! We should break a few more bones," Delilah said over their screaming.

"No, just make sure you don't get any fingerprints on their guns," Cameron told her. They picked up the forgotten pistols and slid them in their waste bands, then grabbed the men by the backs of their collars and dragged them to the road.

They met the sheriff, and explained those men shot first.

The sheriff called an ambulance, then turned the wailing men on their stomachs and handcuffed them. He read then their rights loudly. He did bandage the remains of their knees, tightly, then waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Aliana arrive to read their minds, then went back to the office to begin the trespassing and attempted murder arrest reports.

Casting a sad look at the girls, the sheriff said, "You made a hole bunch of paperwork for me. You'll need to come down and make your statements."

"Sorry," Cameron offered. "Can we pick up our mess from target shooting first?"

"Show me where you were, and your target range." she said with a sigh and go his camera.

.

A detective came and after the doctor amputated both their lower legs, he too wanted to know what they were doing uninvited on private land.

"We're FBI, we have search warrants!"

"Let me see them."

"They are in our office."

"Then, you didn't have them as required. And you shot two women on their land, when they were target practicing."

"They shot at us first!"

"They claim they didn't see you, you were already on the ground. The pictures the sheriff showed me verified that. Here is your options, gentlemen, you can be be charged with trespassing and attempted murder and have your names and pictures in the news, or you can explain in detail who sent you."

"They shot us!"

"You were unannounced on their land, and even didn't announce yourselves after you were caught. You just shot. We have their shirts with the bullet holes in them. In Texas, it is legal to kill aggressive trespassers. Be thankful they only wounded you. Explain what you were doing there, or you'll be shipped to a prison hospital, and the inmates will know what you did, along with the press and your boss."

"If we tell?"

"Then we will check your story out. If you tell the truth, you stay here, then go home after we verify you didn't lie."

"We're fucked," one said with a snort.

"We can't tell."

"Were you sent here on a spy mission from DC? From an agent Walters?" the detective asked.

Both men stared at him.

"You called him, didn't you!" one accused.

"I will now, and inform him of what happened. Your agent status is useless, since you both committed crimes." the detective reminded them.

The men looked at each other. Then one said, "If you send us back, they will kill us and cover it up."

The detective smiled briefly and told them, "Then you better come clean, all the way."

"Why aren't those women dead?" one cried.

"Body armor?" the detective guessed. "Start singing."

.

The next day while the two men lounged in the hospital under police guard, and The news heavily covered their crimes, including showing their pictures on TV, Joan was staring down the big alligator just outside their new barn.

"You can't come in here!" Joan said again, hands on her hips.

"Uh oh, Joan's new alligator is hungry again," Allison said as she and Bob approached. "I'll go get something to lure him away from the barn."

Bob watched Allison head back to the house then stepped around the long alligator. "You should know by now, they are like stray cats. Feed them once and they will keep coming back for more," he told her.

Joan waved an arm at it. "What was I suppose to do? Everyone was around the boat, it was feed him or kill him to protect everybody!"

"Not saying you did wrong, sweetie, Just saying you gained a new friend," Bob replied, then went came up and kissed her. He went inside.

Shortly, Allison came out with a few chunks of ham and stood to the side of the alligator and waved one. "Hey, breakfast is over here!" she announced.

The alligator turned towards her to look at her. She tossed a ham chunk at it, it snapped it up.

"Come on, this way," Allison coaxed and backed towards the water, waving another ham chunk. The Alligator followed.

Suddenly, the alligator hissed and lunged to the side of Allison. Allison yelped and jumped back. The smaller alligator that had been behind her fled for the water.

From the barn, Bob called, "Hey guys, we got thirty crates of track links to put together!"

"Coming!" Allison called back. She tossed the other chunk of meat to the big alligator, then ran to the barn.

.

Knowing the lengths the tracks had to be, four lines were set up. By each line was a cart holding a crate of track links. It was easy, pull out a track link, connect it to the ones there with the pins, then do the next one. Once the entire track was made, except for the last pin to connect it in a circle, the track was rolled up and held together with a strap, then the rolled up link was put in the back of a pickup with a cap. Once the truck was full, it was driven down to John Connor's Quonset hut and unloaded.

The plasma canons weren't tough either. Mount then on the support plate, add the sensors and sights, a test to be sure the electronics worked, and they got loaded onto another waiting truck to go to the Quonset hut to get put on a tank.

With eight terminators assisting, Joan and her family received ten tanks worth of parts a day, and got them all put together and back out to John before dinner time.

Joan checked to make sure they had put everything together, and it was on it's way to Dad's house. Leaving the barn, she saw the big alligator lying on the yard not far from the barn. Seeing her, it got it's legs under it and watched her.

"Dinner will be out shortly," she told it.

Beside her, Bob asked in a playful tone, "By the size of that gator, I'm pretty sure this one's male. A second boyfriend?"

"Jealous?" Joan asked with a smirk.

"Not unless you try to feed him nanites," Bob said. "I can still remember when your got all the flesh ripped off one arm. Gator's don't bite carefully."

Joan elbowed him lightly. "Ok, milk's only for you. I think he's going to stay hanging around though."

"Yeah, like stray cats," Bob agreed. "I don't think he can catch mice though."