Chapter 251

Skyscan

The target was a new firm working on an AI to control weapons systems for the Navy. It was called Skyscan. It was an offshoot of Skyshield from the Air Force. Both were warmed over Skynet programs. The Resistance group knew Skynet was behind them directly, indirectly or would take over them soon enough.

John Henry repeatedly sent viruses out to confuse, slow down and mislead the programs before locking them down. He always made it look like the people behind them were fools. Now the games were over and it was time to shut down the company and any workers foolish enough to still be around.

The two teams arrived ten minutes after the first drone. It scanned the facility while the second drone scouted the surrounding area for any threats or ambushes. It made wider and wider sweeps. It returned periodically to see if anything changed. There was no enemy Metal spotted. Leading up to this attack there were drones that were sent every night for a week at different times and from different directions. They didn't want to set up a pattern if the drones were spotted. They didn't want them to seem like a direct threat if they were.

Derek and Steve cut the power going into the structure, while Jesse and Gail watched their six. John, Bob and the two 'girls' moved into position to enter the facility. Cameron was on the other side about to enter.

The building was left over from the 'Cold War' era. It operated until the late Seventies when the whole aerospace industry entered into a decline mostly predicated by the failed and disastrous government administration in relation to the defense of the nation. Embassy takeovers further added to the decline of the nation. It was clear that the 'milk toast' president at that time would not act to defend the nation or its citizens who worked for it abroad. The military wanted something that would act on its own. The groundwork of a 'hands off' defense of the nation is what led to the creation of the first Skynet.

Much of the machinery was shoved into the corners of the building for years as they tried to use the structure for other things. Skynet seemed to know about this building and Skyscan was created and sprang up inside of it. Much of the old machinery was moved back into place and put back to work. That work was coming to an end tonight.

John's team moved in. The battery powered lights were on. There were some workers milling about. They seemed confused as to what went wrong. None of their phones worked as John Henry jammed all communications. Steve and Derek followed Cameron in while Jesse and Gail remained outside.

Bob, Steve and Cameron took the lead. They were to terminate as many people as they could silently.

Jesse loaned Derek her silenced pistol. She liked the extra 'reach' it gave her over her knife. She still liked to use her knife. It was a personal way to say 'hello' to someone. She knew 'in close' that it was better than a gun. There was never a miss or a body part hit that wouldn't incapacitate a foe. The blade found its way to a vital organ and 'ended it'.

"Don't lose it, love, it's my favorite." Jesse told Derek.

'I thought I was.' Derek almost said.

He remembered otherwise and didn't go there. That was over now. Everyone moved on. Memories still lingered and suggested false hope at times.

"I won't." Derek said.

On the way over Derek and Jesse caught up on some small talk. They never reminisced about the old days. Both of them moved on and what was done was over. That is how it was in their future. Relationships never seemed to last too long before someone ended up missing, captured, killed or died. Derek and Riley were content and Jesse was happy with Gail and Vanna. At least in this timeline for now she was. Life goes on.

Derek saw some movement and fired one silenced round. There was a grunt and the sound of a body falling. Steve moved toward it and then there was a snapping, crunching sound. Steve indicated it was clear. Cameron moved off to one side as they advanced through the building.

Cameron found three targets. The first was a Gray that tried to stalk them. He carried an AK-47 and tried to make his was around them. She spotted him and cornered him near a giant lathe. She moved around the back of the lathe and came up around the front side of it right in front of the Gray. She pulled the AK-47 out of the man's hands and slammed her right fist into his head. It snapped his neck.

There was a second Gray that tried to track Cameron. She'd moved off from the main group to intercept the first Gray. Every time he thought he could get a shot lined up she moved. It didn't register on him that she must be Metal to keep avoiding him so easily.

He heard the struggle by the lathe and knew he had her now. He moved around the back of the lathe with his AK-47 and was ready to fire. The only one there was his friend and he was dead on the ground. Something slammed into his back and he collapsed forward and fell on top of his friend. He was unable to move and stared his dead friend in the face. Even in the dim light he could clearly make out a 'fist print' in the side of his face. He knew he was dying.

Cameron heard the second Gray stalk her. She was ready for him after the first Gray was terminated. She moved right up in back of him and punched him hard in the spine. She fractured it and severed his spinal cord. He was an instant Quadriplegic. She could see he was near death. He could not breathe or even scream. She thought how peaceful the two Grays looked on the floor on top of each other. She stomped hard on his neck and snapped it. His head was now at a crazy angle to his body. She moved on.

She spotted the third Gray as he came out of hiding and tried to run. He was armed so he was still a threat.

The third Gray only chose the lifestyle for all the perks it offered to be a Gray in the future. He liked having first crack at the female prisoners before they entered the work camps. It was something all the Grays looked forward to. He liked when they took a female prisoner. The more she fought the more they beat her. Some did not even survive the initial assault. That always brought complaints from the last ones. They would toss her remains into the holding tank anyway when they were done.

Now here he was and they were being attacked. He was not going to fight but escape. He was tired of Skynet anyway. It seemed to be a lost cause at this point. He spotted some movement across the workroom floor but did not shoot. He did not have a clean shot and all he would do is draw return fire and pinpoint his location

There was some commotion and snapping sounds by the big lathe. It sounded like something to get away from. He did not stop to help or even investigate. He crawled out of his hiding spot and he made for the exit.

Cameron caught the movement and went to intercept the fleeing figure. He did not look like he was going to join the fight but he still carried a weapon. He was a threat. She did not want him to get outside in back of Jesse or Gail. That was sort of the direction his escape currently took him.

The third Gray could see he was almost to the door to get outside. He was going to keep running and not look back. He was done being a flunky. There were a couple of options for his future. The female that appeared in front of him right now was not one of them.

Cameron spotted the exit the man was heading for. She hoped to take him alive. Since he was a coward he might be willing to divulge some information before his termination. She pulled his AK-47 away from him and picked him up by the throat as she lifted him off of the floor. He managed to pull a knife out from somewhere and he made a failed attempt to slash her face. She used her other hand to grab his hand with the knife. She made sure the knife stayed in his hand. She raised his hand with the knife to slash his face instead. He tried to scream but couldn't since she held his throat tight. She noticed that most of his right eye was on the end of the knife now. She closed her hand tight and crushed everything in his throat into pulp. She dropped him to the floor. He no longer moved.

All of three of the Grays were now neutralized. She made her way towards the 'Clean Room'. She was not sure what she would find. Whatever it was, she would terminate it.

John's team cleared out the south side of the building. Bob took down three targets as well. The two girls were on John's six. Hanna dropped back some while Ally was right in back of John. John still did not seem to notice it was not Vanna and Allison.

Bob moved ahead. A figure popped up on the side of John and opened fire. Ally quickly moved to the side of John and shielded him. John could feel the bullets hit her body. Hanna fired and the man went down.

"Allison!" John said very worried.

He knew she'd just taken rounds meant for him. She seemed unaffected.

"It's Ally, John, not Allison. If it was, you would both be dead." Ally said.

John looked her over again real fast. She looked like Allison. She did not look like Cameron. She lacked that refined stunning beauty look.

"Ally?" John asked still confused. "I thought you were Allison."

Ally was a little upset that John didn't say she looked like Cameron. Then again no one ever said that to her. The 'Neural Interface' with Allison only affirmed that her natural beauty was not to be flaunted. That always brought trouble in the future and an assault.

John could see her arm was damaged and some metal showed on the side of her cheek. He was very concerned now.

Ally could tell that John was worried about her. She wanted to put his fears to rest.

"I'm one hundred percent functional." Ally said.

Now John wondered about Vanna.

"Vanna?" John asked as looked back.

"I'm Hanna." Hanna said with a smile.

Hanna scanned the area for additional threats then checked Ally over for anything other than cosmetic damage. There was no mechanical damage it was only superficial.

John was upset they'd fooled him but he was impressed at how much they acted like the real girls. He knew Cameron was behind it to protect him. Cameron saved his life again and made her point. He recalled that Cameron said she could make a Metal version of him. Maybe that was something to think about. He remembered his mother was not impressed with that idea.

Derek and Steve were in a firefight. Steve was hit several times. Cameron joined with Bob and they moved in to flank the attackers and ended the threat.

"Go back to John." Cameron said to Bob.

John Henry came over the com and said that the drones picked up several cars. They were about to arrive with what appeared to be additional help for the enemy. John directed Derek and Steve to go back out to help. Cameron joined up with John and told Bob and Hanna go out the other side to help.

John advanced with Ally and Cameron. One was on each side of him. Cameron was slightly ahead and Ally was slightly in back of him. John stole several quick glances at Ally and Cameron. He couldn't help but think that they possessed identical bodies or sheaths, only the chip was different. Ally still looked like Allison, while Cameron always looked Tight. John wondered if Cameron already played any 'games' with him and Ally…. He really would not be surprised after the other run-ins they experienced over things related to 'sharing'.

John did wonder if this was his 1999 Cameron. She'd indicated there could be several of her. Ally was a one hundred percent physical copy. He was told they both shared the same DNA. Were there others that contained a copy of Cameron's chip? Were any of them 'with' him and he didn't known? He would not put it past Cameron especially after he rejected Isabel-Cameron. She'd told him she accepted his challenge to be fooled by her.

Cameron could see that John was distracted. That was why she liked him at the base. Ally was damaged now because he was inattentive earlier.

"John, I need you to pay attention." Cameron said. "We're in a combat zone."

Cameron was displeased even more now that John was along. It didn't seem like his head was in the game. It was dangerous out here in the field.

John was aware that he'd let his mind wander. It was a good way to end up hurt or worse.

"I'm sorry." John said.

He could tell that Cameron was really displeased with him right now. Maybe he could give Ally a 'whirl' if the opportunity arose….

Cameron could see John wasn't at one hundred percent for a combat operation. She was sure that was going to lead to her being damaged at some point.

"Stay out here and watch." Cameron said as she went into the 'Clean Room'.

John Henry alerted the team to three vehicles that were headed in their direction. The teams outside were ready for them.

Gail unslung her M79 and fired a HE round into the second car as it pulled in back of the first car. The round exploded inside of it. The first car was trapped now. Jesse opened up on the first car with her M4. Derek and Steve fired into both cars as Gail fired a second HE round and hit the first car. Three withering burning bodies managed to get out of the two cars and died where they fell. There were plenty of bullets to end their suffering.

Bob and Hanna engaged a third car that arrived on their side of the building. They both emptied their M4's into it and moved in on it to see if anyone survived. A lone figure crawled out of the car. Hanna grabbed him and slammed him against the wall and held him there while Bob checked the car.

The situation outside was under control and they'd apprehended one wounded prisoner to interrogate. Bob and Steve reentered the building while Jesse, Derek, Gail and Hanna kept watch outside.

Jesse was thrilled to see that they'd procured a 'live one'.

"Derek, keep watch. Gail and Hanna hold him down while I ask him a few questions." Jesse said as she pulled her knife out.

Jesse hadn't done this in awhile….

You've Been Distracted

You know it is to you
That I have become attracted
But whenever I have added
It seems you have subtracted

It appears to me
The more I have reacted
That for some reason
The goal becomes protracted

As I have expanded
It seems you have contracted
The more I have expressed
The more you have redacted

The choices you make
On more than one are impacted
What was once clear
Has become abstracted

Look what you are doing
The way you have acted
You are making mistakes
You've been distracted

Nobody