Chapter 632

I'm Fine

John Henry kept track of everything. There was now an additional development that looked like it would need further investigation. He followed the movements of the van that let the two men off earlier. It appeared to drive away but that was no longer the case. It seemed to have a new destination.

"John, the drone that's following the other van shows it's taken a side route." John Henry said. "It's now following the power line maintenance road. It appears to be doubling back towards the mine."

John recognized that for the threat that it was. It could be headed for the mine itself. Maybe there was another way out for any Grays and Terminators that were left in there. All communications were jammed but they could have a contingency plan that went into effect. Maybe they would try to check what happened to the power feed that was cut by the Resistance. They might even try to bring down a high tension power line.

"We need to send a team to intercept them." John said. "They're up to no good."

Cameron was with her team that was in the mine plus Bob. They were in three SUVs.

"We're close." Cameron said. "We haven't gone far."

John was afraid of that. It didn't seem like a coincidence. Cameron would put her team back in the danger zone in an instant. What about Savannah?

"Your team's done enough." John said. "It's time to wrap it up."

Savannah understood John's hesitation. She would make her position clear. They were the closest team.

"We are the closest team." Savannah said. "Our team will respond."

John cringed at that thought. He was going to try and talk them out of it.

John Henry could see it for the logical response that it was. He wanted John to get past his trepidation.

"They're all armored up and armed." John Henry said.

John knew it was time to act. They were the closest team. It was a sizable force as well.

"Use caution." John said. "I mean for everyone too."

Cameron tilted her head slightly. What did John think she did normally?

"I always do." Cameron said.

Nobody responded.

Ally followed Bob's SUV. The other team members were behind them in the third SUV.

Cameron looked over at Savannah. She was covered with grim, soot and dirt. Savannah looked back at her. Savannah smiled at her and took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Cammy reached over and gave Savannah's other hand a squeeze. Savannah turned and smiled at Cammy.

Cameron knew she was pushing Savannah too hard. As soon as Savannah released her hand, it started to glitch. Savannah immediately took it again.

They were all aware of the peril that they'd been in. It was touch and go several times. The experience in the steel tubing was very traumatic for all of them. They were all trapped with no way out. Even a Terminator would rather face a situation where they could fight their way out. Trapped under tons of earth was a dead end.

Cameron knew they could go into 'standby' for decades and hope to be located at some point. If not, their power cell would eventually run out and they would be terminated in their 'sleep'. It sounded like a horrible way to be terminated. It would be better to perish in combat. That was a warrior's death. Not to rot away somewhere and fade off into nothing.

Savannah was bothered to see Cameron's hand glitch. She felt it was because of her. She didn't want Cameron to feel that way. She was there for Cameron. It was what she wanted to do and where she wanted to be.

"It's OK, Cameron." Savannah said. "I'm here by choice. I'm here for you. You're not to worry about me. I'll do my part. You know that."

Cameron felt guilty. Savannah did do her part. She did more than her part. She'd faced nearly as many fatal dangers as she'd experienced.

Cammy watched the interaction. It bothered her. She knew she was only a 'place holder'. She hid her glitching hand between the seat and the door. She would ask Cameron to integrate their chips and to have her chassis used for the Future Allison clone. Cameron previously suggested that they would use 'Fusion' or 'Allure' for her name. She liked 'Allure'. She thought it would be fitting for the allure that Future Allison presented and radiated.

Cameron didn't want to get sidetracked. Savannah helped remind her they were a team. There were Grays. There was a job to do. It was time they got started.

"How much further will it be until we make until contact?" Cameron asked.

John Henry checked the drone images with the satellite map.

"I think you can wait and set up an ambush." John Henry said. "It looks like they are coming towards you."

Cameron found it suspicious. Was there another way into that mine? She still hadn't been able to take a good look at everything that was inside of there.

"I want to know where they're going." Cameron said.

John hoped to keep Cameron's team out of combat. They could strike the van at any time.

"We still have the drone on them." John said.

Cameron looked at the eastern horizon again. She wanted to act and have some backup.

"It will be daylight soon." Cameron said. "Maybe we can have two drones return to the gravel pit and wait as you have the others withdraw."

John didn't like the implication. It seemed Cameron wanted to send additional personal away. It was what she normally did so she could take the heat herself.

"As soon as we find out the extent of where the first two Grays went or what they're doing first. I need to know that before we decide." John said.

Cameron wanted to split her team. They could wait while she moved forward. It would keep them out of immediate danger.

"I want Bob's team and Frank's team to wait back here where we are now. We will continue alone in case they don't make it this far." Cameron said. "I've experienced too many close ones today. I want to get some better answers. I want to know what all this was about."

John felt they were all too close to the mine. It would be safer if they put some distance between them and the mine. No one knew what was going to happen.

"That still leaves you and the others in close proximity to the mine itself." John said. "What if there's an explosion…."

Cameron didn't need John to second guess her or interfere with anything.

"I'll watch for a time bubble. Mark our position at this point now." Cameron said. "I have work to do."

John could see that Cameron was about to endanger everyone with her. It looked like a bad idea.

"You also have team members to look after." John said. "You need to think about the others too."

John wondered how Savannah must feel after that entire ordeal. John Henry already filled him in on some of what Savannah experienced from the reports of the male Terminators, especially Tom. They would still have the body cam footage to review.

Cameron didn't like John to pressure her to leave before the operation was concluded. There were still loose ends. She'd made others available for John's 'comfort' if anything happened to her.

"You have many from which to choose…." Cameron said.

John didn't want to get into that aspect of things.

Nobody wanted to go there….

Cameron was ready for some more action. This was all personal to her because of the Skynet attack on them during the rescue operation. She wanted to act.

"Look alive girls." Cameron said. "I want some answers."

Cammy knew this all started with her. Her glitching hand was still hidden between the seat and door. She didn't want anyone to see it. Maybe this was all her fault.

"I want to know how this turned into a major operation from what started as a simple recon." Cammy said. "It was just a drive by to check on some tire tracks."

Savannah knew all the things she'd looked at inside the mine. There were a lot of things that were ready to be put into play. They'd severely disrupted Skynet's plans.

"It's good we found this operation." Savannah said. "I don't even want to think how far they would have gotten in a few more weeks."

Cameron wanted to know more about some of the equipment that was ready to be hooked up. It appeared to be the most sophisticated Skynet variant they'd come across. She was sure it was from a further future.

"I want some answers." Cameron said. "There were many unknown things in that mine."

Savannah wanted Cameron to act freely and not be restrained by her presence.

"Do what you need to do." Savannah said. "I understand and I support it. We need answers."

Sheila was excited. The prospect of interrogating some Grays always stimulated her.

"I'm here, love." Sheila said. "They ALL talk to me."

Savannah reached forward and squeezed Sheila's shoulder gently. It was the signal that it was OK to do what needed to be done. She didn't like that she'd almost died several times over in the mine.

"Everyone will do what needs to be done to get some answers." Savannah said.

Previously:

Dan and his team found the hidden entrance. They needed to investigate where two Grays in some type of protective suits went. There were no security cameras evident.

Dan was able to bypass the entry code and open the 'door'.

The area was hot. It was also unlit and dark. There was no smoke, just the heat.

"We're going to lose communication." Dan said as he passed along all they'd noted so far.

John took it all in. It sounded like there was a problem of some sort and the Grays went in to try and fix it. He still needed to worry about something inside the mine that might explode.

"Maybe we should just blow the entrance and leave the Grays and anyone else there trapped in there. It can be their tomb." John said. "The team could be trapped or lost if the mine actually does have an explosion of some kind."

Dan wanted to give it a better look. They more they could uncover, the more they could fight Skynet going forward.

"If it looks too unsafe we will withdraw." Dan said. "Mel still has some demolition charges."

Dan led his team forward. This was a newer tunnel. It sloped down as it went. Dan sent word back up with a runner to inform John that they were headed back towards the mine.

The heat increased. It would be unbearable for an unprotected human. They would need to turn around or die.

As they moved forward there were some muffled explosions.

That was it for Dan. He wanted his team out. They wouldn't go any further. He hoped to contain whatever was ahead where it was. He calculated the time it would take them to hurry out.

"Everyone withdraw. We're pulling out." Dan commanded. "Mel, plant a charge here in the wall. I want a two minute timer."

Dan waited. He watched for anything that might come back up the tunnel as Mel set the charge. The rest of the team already started back up at a run.

When Mel was done planting the charge, Dan and Mel headed back. They ran too.

Dan wanted to make sure no one else made it out of that tunnel.

"We are almost at the exit. Leave one more charge." Dan said. "Give it thirty seconds and set it down."

They hurried out of the exit. The two charges they'd left should both go off at the same time. There were two muffled explosions and some dust came up out of the opening.

Dan knew the entrance was concealed. The chances of anyone finding it on their own were slim. He figured that only Skynet operatives would be able to find it. That would be because they knew where it was.

"Booby trap this opening with the rest of your charges." Dan said. "We will leave a surprise for the next group that tries to go down here."

The entrance was well hidden. The lock needed a code to open the hatch. They left a transmitter on the booby trap. If it wasn't tripped, they would blow the hatch and entryway up in a few weeks if nothing further happened there.

Dan made a full report to John and John Henry. The mine hadn't shown any major explosion yet so they didn't know what to make of the explosions they'd heard before they withdrew. It was either something that went wrong inside or someone wanted to make sure what they did was covered up.

John felt there were still too many variables. It was time to withdraw and see what happened from a distance.

"I want to withdraw everything and everyone." John said. "There's been enough activity for twenty four hours."

John issued a recall of all the drones and teams. The Listening Posts all came in as well.

Only the bulldozer from the gravel pit was returned. The other bulldozer and skip-loader were left at the rescue site. With the fear that the mine might explode, they figured that problem would take care of itself. New equipment would be procured for the locations where they were 'borrowed' from.

Everyone was headed back to the base or their previous assignments. That was everyone except Cameron's team.

Cameron ignored the recall. There were in the middle of an operation to stop the van and find out what the Grays were up to.

"My team won't return just yet." Cameron said.

John was sure they'd worn out their welcome. Things needed to get back to normal.

"I want to wrap this up." John said. "We've kept the roads blocked for too long."

John Henry was well aware of that issue.

"We have already needed to report, 'Officer needs assistance', three times to keep the Sheriff patrols away." John Henry said. "There has been no further Gray activity."

Cameron disagreed. The van was coming to them. The Grays it left off were involved in some explosions where they'd gone.

"Except the van heading towards us, that's some additional Gray activity." Cameron said. "I want some answers."

Cameron knew the Grays weren't out for a sunrise drive.

"I see it." Ally said

Ally pulled off the dirt road behind some bushes.

They waited for awhile. The van never arrived where they were.

Sheila didn't see them.

"Where is it?" Sheila asked.

Savannah thought maybe the reached their destination already.

"They must have stopped." Savannah said. "They're probably where they wanted to go."

Cammy wanted to point out a grimmer possibility.

"Maybe they made us if there was a Terminator with them. If you saw them, they saw as well." Cammy said.

Savannah didn't like there current location. The eastern sky was very bright now.

"The sun is about to come up." Savannah said. "There's no cover around here."

Cam looked back towards the mountain. It was right in back of them. They hadn't gone that far.

"There is also a mine waiting to turn into a volcano behind us." Cam said.

Ally wanted to take some preemptive action. She looked at the five females in the SUV.

"Let me take Sheila and Cam. We can investigate on foot." Ally said. "Our appearance isn't quite as shocking as you three."

In the near daylight, the three girls from inside the mine looked awful.

Cammy didn't like the condition Savannah was in.

"Savannah needs some…." Cammy started.

Savannah cut her off. She didn't want any special consideration. They were there to do a job.

"Cammy, I'm fine." Savannah said. "The operation comes first."

Cameron knew Savannah would push through everything. She was as tough as they came.

"You three go." Cameron said.

Cam, Ally and Sheila took off. They moved alongside the road off to the side.

Cameron slid over into the driver's seat. She wanted to consolidate her force. It would also move the other two SUVs further from the mine.

"Bob move your two teams up to where we are." Cameron said.

Bob took some preemptive action of his own.

"We'll be there in twenty seconds." Bob said.

It was obvious they'd followed Cameron anyway.

Bob was aware of what the girls went through. He was worried about them.

Cameron let it slide. She knew they were looking out for her, Savannah and Cammy. Most likely John gave them some instructions without her knowledge. She would check with CamNet later and see when. She was usually privy to all transmissions.

Twenty seconds later the other two SUVs pulled up in back of her.

Ally was able to see the van clearly from the side of the road as she moved up on foot.

"The van turned around and is about to leave." Ally reported.

Cameron was afraid they missed something.

"Did they let anyone off?" Cameron asked.

Cam was a little disappointed.

"We didn't see it." Cam said. "The drones are already gone."

It appeared that Cameron wasn't the only one to disregard orders.

"All except the manned one." Gail said. "I'm up high but I still saw everything."

Gail hadn't followed orders to return. Instead she chose to head to a higher altitude to avoid being spotted. She wanted to make sure Savannah stayed out of harms way. The camera on the drone was able to zoom in and see everything.

Savannah knew Gail stayed because of her. She knew she needed to talk to Gail about being so 'protective'.

"Good job, Gail." Cameron said. "Fill us in."

"After the van stopped…." Gail started out.

She soon filled in all the blanks.

I'm Fine

How well is well
Is there any way to tell
Maybe it's a state of mind
Maybe it's no place to dwell

Is good really good
It depends on what is understood
Everything is in a state flux
Is it would when it should be could

Then there is bad
Sometimes things turn out sad
Sometimes 'bad' is good
It can all drive one mad

They there are feelings
Maybe there just dealings
It's but a game to some
They throw rocks at glass ceilings

How am I doing you ask
I don't want to whine
No matter how bad I am
I will say that I'm fine

Nobody