Chapter 697

Crate

Steve needed to leave the location of the old newspaper plant to try to tag the two box cars that left on the train. The train moved along to switch flat cars at a local lumber yard a few miles down the line. It already let off a tank car full of corn syrup at a local food processor.

Al was let off to observe the east side of the old newspaper plant where the rail siding was at. Cam was currently inside in one of the two box cars that were parked there. She'd been 'trapped' inside when a patrol of two Gray's passed by and secured the latch on the box car door that was open.

From his current observation point he could see new activity where the two box cars were at. It seemed only a matter of minutes until Cam would be discovered. He sent out a warning to the Command Center.

"They've opened the second door on the building. They just opened the box car door. It appears they've started to unload it." Al said.

John understood that for the trouble that it's spelled. Cam was trapped inside the box car and believed she might have to fight her way out if she was still inside when they went to unload it. So far there was no report of shooting. She may have been able to conceal herself further back in the load. He wanted Al to be ready to go down to back her up.

"Are you ready to move in to assist her?" John asked.

Al thought he should sit tight for now but he was ready to head down and assist Cam if she needed to escape. He didn't think there was a problem.

"I can be there in thirty seconds." Al said. "I'm ready to move. She still has the option to bolt."

John strongly doubted any 'Cameron clone' was going to run from a fight.

"We all know that's not going to happen." John said.

Al believed that if Cam was going to run that she already would have done so as soon as the patrol of the two Gray's passed around the corner.

"No, it's not likely." Al said.

They all knew Cam wasn't about to run from combat.

Cam decided on a course of action on how best to survive the box car being opened. She was ready when she heard the roll up door in the side of the building open. Soon afterward was the screeching, dragging sound of the box car door as it was opened. It was followed by the sound of the forklift moving and the ramp as it was placed across the gap between the building and the box car.

The boxcar shook a little as the forklift entered and started to remove the crates. One by one they were removed. It took nearly an hour to remove them all. The box car was now empty and Cam was nowhere to be seen.

Cam hadn't been in the boxcar since the third crate was removed….

Cameron moved carefully with Savannah. They were in the hills above the old steel mill and were able to get a direct line of sight to where the activity occurred down below. It appeared two of the very large buildings were in active use. There were a dozen other buildings of all sizes. They would have to check to see what was in each them. They could all be full of assembled HK equipment or there could be production lines operating at full capacity. They could be empty and unused too. There was only one way to find out.

The area was fenced in and there seemed to be only one guard at the gate on the main road in. The truck they tagged was nowhere to be seen.

Cameron felt more than a little apprehension when she didn't spot the big truck. She quickly contacted the Command Center.

"John Henry, where's the truck?" Cameron asked. "The last time we checked with you, it was headed here."

John Henry checked the position of the tagged truck against Cameron's current position. He didn't see a problem

"I show its position to be four hundred and fifty seven yards to the southwest of your location." John Henry said.

Cameron quickly understood. This was similar to a previous operation that they'd taken down if that was the case.

"That puts it inside of an old mill building." Cameron said. "It reminds me of the set up at the defunct helicopter base."

John Henry thought that reminder from Cameron should spark some additional caution on her part. If Skynet got burned once, they would most likely take precautions to prevent that from happening again under the same circumstances.

"If it's connected to the same group, they may have learned a few lessons." John Henry said. "More than likely things will be different here."

Cameron wasn't so sure they were dealing with the same group or any of the offshoots from it. She thought enough things were different that they were dealing with a different version of Skynet. She based that assumption on the advanced HK drone power plant design. As long as they'd been unable to communicate; everything that she did now should be new to them.

"Since the HK drone design is an improved one, it may not be the same group." Cameron said. "It's logical to think any Skynet would make the same initial decisions. They may use the same plan as the other group did before. If we took everyone down, they wouldn't know what happened."

John looked over satellite images of the location that Cameron transmitted from. It seemed that the cover for concealment was minimal.

"Are there any patrols?" John asked. "You're both exposed and vulnerable."

Cameron didn't care for John to second guess her or her abilities.

"I think I can handle anything that comes along." Cameron said.

John was ready for the confrontation with Cameron. He wanted to remind her who she was with.

"But with how much damage?" John asked. "You can be rebuilt. Savannah can't be."

Cameron was even further irritated by the conversation with John.

"Don't worry about it…." Cameron said and cut her com.

Now Cameron was uneasy about her location and worried about Savannah's safety.

If Savannah wasn't with her right now, she would head straight for the buildings and not worry about her security or well being. She would simply do her job and fight her way out if necessary. She knew that was a risk. Sometimes risks needed to be taken to combat Skynet. Things didn't get done by thinking about them or sitting in the Command Center.

Earlier:

Cam was left with two choices. She could force open the box car door and run. She could go over the east wall and be lost in seconds before the Grays ever knew she was there or she could wait inside the box car and fight her way out once they opened it to unload it. She wanted to come up with a better option than that. She wanted to get inside the building and be able to look around. It seemed like a pretty complicated choice. She decided to stay and let the Grays take her into the building themselves. She opened one of the crates with the plastic children's toys and crushed them all flat to make room for her body. She pulled the top down and would make sure it stayed secure when the forklift moved it.

It wasn't long until she heard the door to the building open. Soon after that the box car door was noisily slid open. She heard the forklift arrive with the ramp. It was followed with a loud metallic clang as the ramp was moved into position. The forklift entered into the side of the boxcar. She waited as she heard the first two crates moved then the hydraulic noise of the forklift was upon her. With a slight jerk, her crate was lifted. She sensed the motion of it being moved and then the forklift stopped. The hydraulic noise increased as she was being lifted in her crate. The forklift moved slowly forward and gently set the crate she was inside down. She knew her crate wasn't on the ground level. She didn't know where it was.

Now the next question was, would another crate be set on top of her crate? She lifted the lid slightly and peeked out. The crates were being stacked three high, hers was on top. She looked around the workroom floor and there were HK drones being assembled as well as HK Tracks. It was the third assembly line being set up that worried her. It was for Terminators….

Cameron was irritated as she thought about John's rude and contentious conversation. It did nothing but upset her. It added to the troubles she already needed to deal with. Now she began to think about those and what her mission was. She was still miffed he hadn't done what she wanted and taken Savannah as his mate. That seemed to irritate her even more as she thought about it. She tried to protect John from the future. She decided to push a little on Savannah. She needed to protect John from the anti-Metal faction and Savannah and Young Allison needed to help her do this. This was a specific programmed function from Future John that she needed to carry out.

She turned to Savannah and smiled.

"He is ready to accept you." Cameron said. "John will take you for his mate."

Savannah was a little surprised with the sudden twist and new direction of the conversation that they've been having. She wondered what that was all about. Either way she would carry on the conversation with Cameron. There were a couple of issues that bothered Savannah physically about her body. She really didn't know how to express them to Cameron because it seemed of a personal nature. She knew childbirth was hard on a female's body in more areas than one. She didn't believe that she would be able to satisfy John sexually after the third baby. She promised Cameron a baby with John specifically for her. That would be the fourth one. She didn't even want to think about how her body would be after that. That didn't even include a child for John and herself. What if she needed to go back into one of the futures again and help one of the other versions of herself that were trapped there? She was pretty sure most of the 'bed duty' would need to be handled by Young Allison.

"I'm ready too, Cameron." Savannah said. "How can it happen and you not be hurt? I'll have delivered a third child by then, maybe he won't want me. I think Young Allison will be better able to please him sexually since she hasn't had any children."

Cameron was a little surprised by what Savannah just said. She knew that there was some truth to that but it seemed to only apply the small percentage of females. Most were able to function as before.

"Everything will be fine." Cameron said.

Savannah wished that it would be that way and she could even feel that way. She'd done some research on the subject. She was aware that multiple childbirths would take a toll on her body. It would be even more so with each additional child. She'd read up on what some of the women and men complained about after childbirth. It seemed some of the women were permanently 'altered'. No one seemed to think childbirth was 'better' for the woman. Maybe it was a good thing at this point that she'd ever been with a male and kept her virginity. This way when she was with John, she wouldn't know if she was 'different' or what it would've been like before the children. She would only know what it was like now. Maybe she would wait until all the children were born before she tried intercourse.

"I just don't think it'll be what he wants sexually." Savannah said.

Cameron could see that Savannah was deeply troubled about what she thought were personal issues. She could understand them somewhat. She wanted Savannah to know even if John didn't want her that there was somebody else that did. It was her.

"I'll want you." Cameron said. "I really don't care what he does."

Cameron was a little off guard thinking about John's defiance to her plans. She could care less if he only watched Savannah and her share. Actually, the more she thought of that, the more she liked the idea. She could picture the two of them together. She knew it would look exactly like Vanna and Allison together. She'd watch them dozens of times as they shared with each other. She still thought it was the most beautiful love making that she'd ever seen over everyone she'd observed. She'd observed everyone over the years. She wanted that same love that Vanna and Allison shared with Savannah and herself. She was lost deep in thought as she pictured it all.

She tilted her head slightly. She almost missed the sound that rapidly neared them. This too was John's fault. There was no time to act without being spotted.

She grabbed Savannah and pulled her close and started to kiss her….

Steve was near the lumber yard alongside the railroad tracks. He watched the SW1500 locomotive bringing the short train closer and closer.

He waited by a pile of junk. The short train arrived a few minutes later. It stopped within a hundred and fifty feet of him. The train pulled even with the run around track. The locomotive uncoupled from the train and went forward so it could come back on the run around track to the rear of the train. The SW1500 came back past the train and back onto the mainline. He made his move when the locomotive was along the opposite side of the train and tagged both box cars.

The locomotive coupled onto the full lumber cars and pulled them from the train. It entered the lumber yard. They coupled onto the empties and drug them out. Once the empties were coupled to the train, the locomotive reentered the lumber yard and left off the full cars.

It was a smooth and quiet operation for Steve contrasted to the squealing and rumbling of the locomotive.

Steve was already on his way back to Al when the locomotive coupled to the train and departed. The suspect box cars were tagged and being tracked.

Cameron realized that someone was about to confront them. She's been distracted thinking about the future and the time she would spend with Savannah. Right now she needed to worry about their safety. She thought the best course of action was a diversion. She thought of a pretty good diversion. She was about to kiss Savannah.

Savannah was taken by surprise as Cameron abruptly grabbed her and went to kiss her.

"HEY!" A voice said forcefully. "What are you doing here?"

Cameron released Savannah.

There was a man with a gun pointed at them.

Cameron tried to look as young and innocent as possible.

"We were hiking and lost the trail. I was just about to give my girlfriend a kiss." Cameron said. "We're new lovers. We wanted to be away from everyone. Some people don't understand."

The guard began to check them out. They could both 'feel' his eyes undress them.

"This is private property." The guard said. "You teenagers shouldn't be up here. I'm going to have to take you two in. Trespassing is a serious infraction of the law. You could easily be hurt around here."

He still held his weapon but it was only in his hand. It wasn't pointed at them anymore. He determined they weren't a threat. He actually thought about taking them captive, so he could assault both of them later on.

Cameron was pretty sure of the thoughts that flowed through his mind. She still tried to look young and innocent. The goal was always to draw the 'mark' in for an easy termination.

"You're not going to hurt us are you?" Cameron asked. "We didn't see anyone around here. There was no sign. We didn't want our parents to know."

The guard still looked them over as if they were naked.

"I was at an observation point right next to here." The guard said. "I thought I heard someone talking, that's why I came to investigate. I'm still going to have to take you two in."

They both saw the Skynet tattoo on his forearm when he moved his arm. They knew Grays didn't treat females much better than Scavengers did. It was time to act.

Savannah let her panties and bra fall to the ground.

They sprawled out as plain as day.

The guard looked down at the underwear. He wasn't paying attention to the girls anymore. He was busy thinking about what they must have done to each other without underwear on. He smiled to himself. He was soon going to do that and more to both of them. The difference this time would be they would have the 'real thing' since he was a man. He would give it to both of them good. He needed to decide which one to start with first….

Cameron made her move. She reached up and grabbed his head and snapped his neck. She wondered if he died happy…. There was also a more serious issue.

"The clock is running now." Cameron said.

Cameron turned her com back on. She contacted the Command Center.

"I just needed to kill a guard." Cameron said. "Have everyone stand ready."

John looked over at John Henry with an 'I told you so' look on his face.

"How long do we have?" John asked.

Cameron knew she had a slight advantage but a code word or shift change would negate that advantage instantly.

"I don't know." Cameron said. "I heard his voice so I can respond to any communications, if they have a code word or phrase, we're busted."

Cam communicated to John Henry about everything she was able to observe as she peeked out from inside the crate. It was enough to cause major concern in the Command Center.

John was most worried about the assembly line being set up for Terminators.

"We need to shut that place down." John said.

Cam hoped to spot some version of Skynet. It wasn't readily apparent. That didn't mean it wasn't there or in some underground bunker somewhere.

"I don't see a clean room." Cam said.

John needed to tell her the bad news. He needed to tell all of the troops so they could get ready to act.

"Cameron's operation may go hot soon." John said. "She needed to take out a guard."

Cam was more than ready to exit the crate and start killing Grays. She would like to know where the Terminator was at first. If it was possible, he'd be the first one that she took down.

"I can be out of this crate in an instant." Cam said. "I'm combat ready."

John thought about how best to deploy his troops to attack the old newspaper plant. He liked their proven method of using a 'Trojan Horse'. He knew that they had the ability to do that with some of the trucks they currently had under observation.

"John Henry, I want one of the box trucks commandeered and a team of Terminators concealed inside the back of it." John said. "We can drive it into the compound. We should be able to back it up to the dock and storm the place."

John Henry liked that idea. The Skynet forces would literally open the door for them as the troops rushed in and began the termination process. He could further complicate and hamper their ability to react or warn each other.

"I can also cut all communications so none of these groups can communicate." John Henry said. "They'll know something is up but not what or where. I haven't done so yet so no one is alerted to anything at this moment."

John was a little worried about the Skynet jamming field that they'd encountered in more than one location.

"They seem to be able to jam us at some of these places." John said.

John Henry thought the best course of action was to create a plan and actually carry out that plan. Their operations seldom seemed to go down like that. He would at least point that out to John.

"Then we'll make plans now and stick to them in case we are cut off." John Henry said.

Al was ready to move up to be able to support Cam if anything happened. He could go to the same position that she'd first occupied. It would be underneath one of the box cars. He knew Steve was on his way back as well.

"I can move up to where Cam is at when the patrol passes again. As soon as Bob has a visual that they're almost across the south side, I can be at the box cars." Al said. "Steve can join me when he returns."

John liked that idea in case things went bad before the main assault force arrived. Steve and Al could get Cam out of the building.

"That would put both of you in close proximity to Cam." John said. "If nothing else you can cover her retreat."

Al thought more like a Terminator. That's because he was one. He envisioned a different scenario that would happen with Cam.

"Or we can back her assault up." Al said.

John didn't want to get into Al's comment right now. He wanted more information about the interior of the building.

"Cam, how many people can you make out?" John asked. "We know there's at least one Terminator there."

Cam carefully took another look around the interior from inside the crate she was in.

"I see about a dozen." Cam said. "I don't know where the Terminator went. This is a very big building. There's the office area too. I can't see anything where it's at or what's inside."

Steve heard the plans for the operation they were about to conduct. He thought that he had a 'bonus' in his SUV. He had some of the captured weapons from the previous operation.

"I have two of the silenced MP5 weapons we took in the last raid." Steve said. "I should be back to the old newspaper plant in three minutes."

John liked the idea of Steve and Al to be able to start the attack silently or at least with less noise then if it was a 'full on' assault with un-silenced weapons.

"You and Al move down to the box cars after the patrol goes by. Take the silenced weapons and an M4 for each of you, including one for Cam." John said.

"Affirmative….." Steve said.

It looked like things were about to go hot - everywhere.

My Vision

What you're seeing
Is my creation, my vision
I'm trying to express myself
Not cause strife or division

Reality and fantasy
May have a collision
Nothing is perfect
Everything is a decision.

For what some have done
The way that they did it
I won't give them a 'pass'
I'll MAKE them relive it

This is my choice
This is my right
I don't want it to be something
Over which we will fight

Everyone is entitled to their beliefs
I am too
This is MY vision
I respect yours too

This isn't just a story
It's my life retold
Things that seem gory
Must be told

I'm working REAL hard
Nobody knows how much
I want to spread joy and happiness
As I reach out to touch

My words are like art
As they paint images in one's mind
Through the maze of darkness
Myself I try to find

Much of what we seek
Is real only if we pretend
I'm never trying to hurt
I don't mean to offend

What you see presented
Is all that I have
They are pieces of my mind
That break off and calve

I don't want to create
Any anger or a hard feeling
I want to express and share
I hope my words spark healing

It's very, very lonely
From the outside looking in
With so much time and effort
It leaves the skin very thin

When I'm questioned or challenged
It makes going forward tough
I think I've failed
I feel I'm 'Not Good Enough'

I cower from an 'attack'
The hurt makes me cry
It's times like this
I wish I could die

Nobody