Chapter 622

Darkness

Cameron and Tom rushed forward to where they'd observed Savannah and a Terminator in a struggle.

Savannah took up a defensive position behind the Terminator she'd just deactivated.

Cameron didn't want Savannah to shoot at them.

"Savannah!" Cameron shouted. "Goat…."

Savannah recognized the challenge word and gave the appropriate response. There were several and they changed everyday.

"Orange…." Savannah said. "I'm OK, Cameron. I have four down in your direction. I think they're all Grays. I have one Terminator deactivated for now. I don't know what else is behind me."

Savannah held her M4 ready until she saw Cameron. Cameron carried the electric lantern one of the Grays previously held. He didn't need it any longer. She quickly switched sides of the sitting Terminator. She still used his chassis as a shield. She turned her attention back to the direction she'd come from. That's where the last two threats originated from.

Cameron moved up and saw the Terminator was deactivated. His chip was destroyed. She pried it out from his shattered skull anyway. It was better to be safe than sorry. She didn't want a partial reboot later on with the chassis bypass system.

The area went dark as Cameron turned off the light.

Cameron touched Savannah and made sure she was undamaged. She was worried there may have been some buckshot ricochets off of the Terminators Coltan skull.

"I'm good." Savannah said.

Cameron looked in the direction Savannah pointed her M4.

"Wait here. Don't move." Cameron said. "Let me check. Tom will be here in a few seconds."

Cameron took off into the darkness. She went the way that Savannah came from. She went all the way back into the area that they'd been in before. Back into the area that still seemed to produced Grays and Terminators.

Cameron used caution. She didn't know where they came from. She hadn't inspected any of the tunnels that weren't steel reinforced. She didn't have a clue as to the size or layout of the mine's interior. She was sure there must be more of the enemy in there still because of the latest encounter.

Savannah was about to put her night vision equipment on.

Tom searched the Grays for anything useful for Savannah.

"I'm coming up behind you, Savannah." Tom said. "I have some breathing gear."

The 'hissing' where the fallen Grays were at stopped.

Tom arrived.

"Do you want me to go with Cameron still?" Tom asked.

Savannah looked in the direction that Cameron went.

"Show me what you have first." Savannah said.

Tom helped her get the breathing gear on and functioning. The gear included a face mask that prevented her from using her night vision. The fresh air was a welcome relief. Her eyes were not as irritated now either.

Savannah felt everything clear up more in her head. It was obvious the bandanna could only do so much.

Tom could see that Savannah was 'blind' right now. She couldn't use her night vision with the breathing apparatus. They were in total darkness.

"I'll remain with you." Tom said. "I have extra oxygen tanks. We shouldn't need them for awhile."

Savannah couldn't see a thing. She was worried about Cameron.

"Cameron's alone." Savannah whispered. "You should go with her."

Tom still had discretion in his 'orders'. It wasn't a 'hard order' that Savannah gave to him earlier. He felt he was needed there with her more.

"I won't leave you 'blind' and alone." Tom said. "You're totally unprotected right now. You can't even see to defend yourself."

Savannah knew she could 'order' him to go after Cameron. She also knew they cared about her. What was irritating about this operation was that it seemed to get worse and not better as it progressed.

She debated removing her breathing gear and return to using the bandanna so she could use her night vision. She was worried about Cameron.

The other Terminators that were headed for Cammy heard the gunfire from behind them. There were the two bursts and the eight shots in pairs. Then there another louder shot. It was the M79. Cameron left that with Savannah.

They knew Savannah was in a fight.

"You two go on and find Cammy." Ed said. "I'm going back."

Ed took off. He knew Cameron and Tom were between him and the firing somewhere. He was worried. Savannah appeared to have engaged an unknown force alone. He took off at full speed.

Cammy followed the tiny narrow gauge railroad tracks. There were small boulders on the tracks in places but the tracks looked intact. No rails were missing. The wooden ties didn't look to be in good condition and the wooden tunnel supports were as equally deteriorated as the others that were made out of wood were. Time appeared to have taken its toll. They all held for now. She wasn't sure how they would hold up if there were any more blasts.

She could tell she was headed to the opposite side of the hill. She continued down the tracks over a shaky wooden trestle at one point. She wasn't sure why it was even there. There could have been a natural cavern in the rock or the area under it was rich with ore and mined out.

The tracks were soon buried in smooth dirt. It looked like mud flowed inside the mine and hardened. The tunnel abruptly ended in an inward sloping wall of dirt. She didn't know if that was the end of the line because of an internal cave in or a mudslide from the outside.

It was a dead end.

That seemed to give Cammy an ominous feeling.

Cammy looked around.

The dirt that blocked the path was all soft earth. There were only scattered rocks in it. The now blocked path they'd entered from was all rock. It was clear which one would be easier to dig in.

She decided to head back.

Tom was with Savannah. He could hear someone running towards them from behind them.

"Someone's coming." Tom whispered.

Tom quickly guided Savannah to move back around to the other side of the deactivated Terminator. She still used his deactivated chassis as a shield.

Savannah quietly removed the breathing mask and put her night vision on. She pulled her scarf up over her mouth and nose again.

Savannah's act wasn't lost on Tom. She chose to back him up and fight if necessary.

"It's Ed." Tom said. "I can see him."

Ed took in the scene with the four downed Grays and he looked at the deactivated Terminator Savannah was behind with her M4.

Savannah was satisfied the area where the Resistance Terminators all came from was clear. The threat was where Cameron went.

"I want both of you to go after Cameron." Savannah said. "The path behind us is clear."

Savannah moved back around the deactivated Terminator and faced in the direction Cameron went. She left her night vision on and used the crude scarf. She needed to be able to see to free up Tom and Ed. Cameron's safety came before her comfort.

Tom was impressed even more with Savannah. He wanted to create a lower profile tactical position for her.

"Let me give you a better firing position and better cover." Tom said.

Tom bent the Terminator into a lying position on his side and placed him crossways on the tunnel floor next to a blind tunnel.

Savannah loaded another 'Buckshot' round into the Thumper. She changed her M4 magazine for a fresh one. She took up a prone position behind the deactivated Terminator. She faced in the direction Cameron went.

Ed silently exchanged his unfired Taser for Savannah's fired one. She'd used her Taser twice already.

Savannah appreciated their care and concern. It was almost 'loving care'. The thought of not dying a virgin again crossed her mind. She could be with all the male Terminators before she ran out of oxygen. That event was still to come.

"I'll remain here." Savannah said. "Please, go assist Cameron."

Ed, like Tom, noted that Savannah choose to keep her night vision on rather than the breathing apparatus. He saw she put their safety before her comfort and safety.

"We'll be back." Tom said as they moved off into the darkness.

Savannah watched in front of her as well as checked behind her at random intervals.

It was back to the waiting game. This was worse. It wasn't just waiting. They were still fighting for their lives.

Savannah kept her Taser handy. The Thumper was next to her as well.

Cameron moved through the darkness. She passed the places where she'd already been earlier. She wondered where the Grays came from. They must have been doing something. The Terminator that stalked Savannah also came from someplace. She knew there were levels above and below her. This whole mountain could be a maze. She hadn't found an easy way up or another way down other than the collapsed chamber Cammy was in. She checked that area again to see if the cage was moved from where they'd left it. It was still in the same exact spot.

She was aware that the gunfire would've alerted anyone still underground with them that there'd been an altercation of some type. Anyone she encountered now would be armed.

There was no light anywhere. There was only darkness.

Cammy started back from the 'dead end'. The prospect of the soft earth intrigued her. She wasn't sure if it was the exit to the outside or a block in the tunnel from a cave in. She heard the small boulders, both big and small, being pushed off the narrow gauge tracks in front of her. That must be more of her team, she hoped so anyway.

"November…." Cammy said.

Her M4 was ready to fire.

"Zebra…." Was the response from Al.

Cammy moved closer and saw Al and Frank. She filled them in on what she'd seen.

They started back the way they'd come. They followed the narrow tracks.

Cammy asked them to help her clear the tracks of all the debris as they returned. She wanted to keep one option open if they attempted to exit from that way.

She didn't have a good look around that lower level she'd been in earlier. Maybe she would give it another try. The fact there'd been a partial cave in worried her.

Cammy heard the earlier gunfire. She knew whatever happened didn't matter. If Cameron or Savannah were terminated she was going to use the TDE and prevent them from ever entering the mine. The versions of them that survived from this current mine encounter would be 're-chipped' or reprogrammed, including her. It would be done to avoid an alternate timeline and another set of Duplicates.

She knew there were already too many of 'Cameron'. She briefly reflected that one of them was her. She knew now she was one too many.

John couldn't take the uncertainty of not knowing what happened to the team. Cameron and Savannah were unaccounted for. So was the rest of the team. He felt the need to do more. He needed to be personally involved in the rescue. He didn't even want to think it would only be a 'recovery'.

"I want to go out there." John said. "I need to be where they're digging."

John Henry didn't see how John at the location would benefit anything. He was sure it would further complicate things.

"I must advise against it." John Henry said. "It's a bad idea."

John didn't care. The fact that they didn't know anything was what bothered him.

"You know I'm still going to do it anyway." John said.

John Henry thought of the danger that still could erupt. There hadn't been a Skynet response yet to what they'd done other than to seal the entrance to the mine.

"Wait until we know more." John Henry said. "That could still turn into a battle zone. We also don't know the extent of the explosion and cave in…."

They both knew their team could all be dead. They might all be terminated.

The thought of Cameron and Savannah crushed under tons of rock was unacceptable to John.

John Henry knew what John thought. He'd tried to do what he could from the Command Center. He wanted John to know he was a part of the effort too.

"It's dark now. I have four drones up. They're doing recon of the entire area. The two in the gravel pit are still on standby." John Henry said. "The Blackhawk has lifted a small 'skip-loader' to the site of the collapsed portal on the far side. It's removing material as we speak. The Blackhawk is making additional trips. It brought in hand tools, power tools and shoring up material, both timber and steel."

John didn't want to commit all of the Resistance forces. He still needed to think about the 'Day of Loss'. It wasn't something that he wanted repeated.

"I only want ten of our Terminators there." John said. "I know they've all volunteered."

"Other than at the LP locations, all our personnel have been moved to the backside of the hill. They're all working in total darkness."

John only knew of the darkness that would form in his heart if Cameron and Savannah were both terminated.

He was aware that left the youngest player alone on the field. He knew that Young Allison would be there for him. He didn't want that as much as he did want that in a different way. He wanted Cameron and Savannah back.

Bob went to supervise the digging and excavation effort. He knew they would tear away the entire hill if they needed to. The dirt was moved away quickly now that the 'skip-loader' was there.

They soon encountered large charred and rotted timbers in their path. They were lying in all directions. That wasn't a good sign. This was most likely the tunnel portal. It showed evidence of a major collapse at the time of the mudslide. Maybe it was before the mudslide from one of the earthquakes over the years. Maybe the opening was actually blasted closed at some point. There were no accurate records as to what happened. They didn't know how much 'mountain' was in front of them. Maybe there was no opening of any type after all these years.

The 'skip-loader' now dug inside the hill. It started to create its own unsupported tunnel. It would fail soon from all the activity.

"This is unsafe." Bob said. "The overhang will collapse without any support."

John Henry located some more heavy equipment for them to use that was close by.

The Blackhawk returned with a small bulldozer.

The front end loader could tear away at the side of the mountain while the bulldozer assisted with the removal of what was scooped out.

"Tear down the overhang and the bulldozer will shove the material away." Bob said.

Bob received a call from John Henry.

"I have a three foot diameter auger ready for the Blackhawk to pick up." John Henry said. "I also have steel tubing located that will fit inside the hole once it is bored."

Bob hoped that would speed their entry into the interior. That was if there still was an interior.

"Bring it." Bob said. "We'll keep excavating until it is set up."

John Henry made several logical deductions. They all deepened on what was still there if anything at all was.

"Watch for any small tracks or even the ties as you're removing material. There was a railroad spur that was loaded there at one time from inside the mine. There should be narrow gauge mining tracks there. If the rails are gone the ties should still be there." John Henry said. "If you can find the tracks or ties, you know the direction to send the auger."

Bob, along with every Terminator, wouldn't give up until they found the team or it was clear they were crushed flat in the interior of the mine somewhere.

"We'll dig with our hands if we have to." Bob said.

Bob remembered back to the 'Day Of Loss' and how they were all willing to sacrifice their power cells to try to blast Cameron - Duplicate Cameron out of her 'tomb' before she detonated the backpack nuke….

This was even worse. It was Cameron and Savannah that were both trapped inside.

Everyone continued to work in the darkness of the darkness.

CamNet directed the Metal girls to a secluded location. It was one that she could observe all the approaches to by road. If anyone came near them she could warn them. She also dispatched a drone to support them now that it was dark. That wasn't something that Cameron wouldn't want her to do on her own accord. She thought about asking Young Allison for approval. She didn't want to have to explain what Sheila and Ally were up to. She just did what needed to be done.

Ally and Sheila drug the two Grays into the empty building. There were still some items left inside from the previous owner.

There were a number of work benches. The two Grays were both tied to two of the benches.

Sheila stripped off her clothes again so she was naked. She anticipated a bloody session. She didn't like what Grays did to females and she was upset they only gave the homeless female four dollars for her 'services'. It was little more than a submissive abuse at that point.

Ally suggested they move one of the Grays to a different room so they could be questioned independently. They carried one work bench away.

The Gray woke up as they moved the table.

"What's going on?" The Gray asked.

He was blindfolded .

Sheila recognized the voice as the Gray who told the homeless female to, 'Look alive next time.'

Sheila used the homeless female's voice.

"This is the next time." Sheila emulated. "I'm back and I'm alive this time. So are you."

The Gray knew he was in deep trouble now. He knew he was being held by the 'Metal Bitch' they'd been warned about. They never said that she was Asian. He heard what conditions the bodies were often found in. They were beaten to death and broken up real bad. It was done a little bit at time. Some of the bodies were carved up. He knew he was a dead man.

Sheila went to work for answers. They needed to know where the Terminators that were with them went.

Ally moved back to the other room. She decided she would start in on the other Gray. She removed his blindfold.

The Gray's eyes widened as he looked at her. This wasn't the slut they'd picked up with the nipple rings.

"You're real." The Gray said. "You really exist."

Ally eyes turned red.

The Gray cringed and tried to move further into the surface of the bench. There was nowhere to go.

"You know how this ends." Ally said. "I don't want to make it any more painful than it needs to be. I have compassion for humans."

The Gray was ready to issue a smart remark.

There was a shrill scream from the other room.

"My associate is questioning the others." Ally said. "She is very unstable and vindictive. Your friend is going to suffer. You don't need to die the same way. Bones can be broken a quarter of an inch at a time…. It's very painful."

There was another sobbing shrill scream.

Ally placed her hand under the back of his neck.

"I'll know when you lie." Ally said.

There was a scream of intense agony.

"I'll be merciful." Ally said. "Tell me everything before she comes over to assist me. Peace awaits you."

Darkness

Darkness, empty, cold, hopeless
Creep into your tender soul
Things that now seem a mountain
Were once only a small knoll

On your ragged journey through life
Before you is the intersection of
Nowhere, Dead End and No Outlet
Depriving you of affection and protection

Out of the cold fog and blinding darkness
There is a gentle guiding helping hand
To softly wipe away the tears of life
Without command, remand or demand

We all try to make our own path
Wanting but trying not to remember
A blazing inferno can erupt
From a single smoldering ember

You still have life and beauty
Raging fires can grow cold
Each day is soon gone forever
Live and share before you grow old

Nobody