Chapter 837
Proper Choice
Young Allison wasn't very happy about being sent away by Savannah. She was pleased about the flight she would have in the Beechcraft. Still, Savannah was on the ground in a potential danger zone. She felt like she was running out on them, even if they were the ones who sent her away. She was going to need to face the danger soon enough. There was no reason she couldn't start now. The way she saw it, that applied to a lot of things. They were all going to happen sooner or later.
Since everything already happened in the future, everyone knew what was going to happen in the present. She was going to be with Savannah and was going to be with John as well. She really didn't understand what the point in waiting for any of it was. She didn't want to dwell on that now. There were enough other things to worry about other than the fact that everyone made her feel 'not good enough' because she couldn't do the things yet that she was going to do later on. What could be gained by waiting? If that's what was going to happen, it should happen now so that nothing else happened in its place in the meantime.
After they'd taken off, Young Allison asked Anna to come back and 'cut the grass' in front of Savannah. Anna did and she was able to wave at Savannah before they flew away.
Young Allison was aware they were low on fuel. She decided to check for local landing strips. She looked at the map and checked their position.
"We need to tank up at the closest airport. I think this is it." Young Allison said as she showed the map to Anna.
Anna was very aware they were at 'Bingo' fuel. She made the calculation she would be able to get back to Lancaster so that they could return the aircraft. Someone from the Detail would meet them there to do the check-in procedure so there wouldn't be any issues about two young females flying the aircraft. She leaned out the mixture to conserve fuel.
"We have exactly enough fuel to return to Lancaster, if we fly lean." Anna said. "I'm doing that."
Young Allison was instantly disappointed. That wasn't what was promised to her. She wasn't ready to go back home. She wanted her flight time that Savannah promised her. She didn't want it just for the sake of having the flight time either. She planned to use her flight time as part of the operation. She wanted to lay down her own rules.
"We aren't going back yet." Young Allison said.
Anna quickly looked over at Young Allison. She didn't think this issue was going to go away anytime soon. She reaffirmed her position.
"Yes, we are." Anna said.
Young Allison decided she would try this the easy way first. She didn't know if it would be successful or not. It could get messy.
"I'm asking you not to." Young Allison said.
Anna decided to carefully word her response to tailor it for the outcome that she wanted.
"Savannah already asked me to return you home." Anna said. "She made a promise to your mother about your safety."
That wasn't something Young Allison wanted to hear. She felt she should have the same influence that Savannah was able to convey.
"Can I undo her order?" Young Allison asked.
Anna decided to turn the current events into a test. She wanted to make Young Allison think about her decisions and the consequences.
"It wasn't an order." Anna said. "Is that a wise way to use your 'power'?"
Young Allison thought about the specific answer to Anna's question.
"No, it's not." Young Allison said. "She asked me as well."
Anna could see that Young Allison debated what was going to happen next. She wanted her to make a decision.
"What's the correct choice?" Anna asked. "You know the answer."
Young Allison did know the answer. She wasn't done yet. She would try to do what she wanted to do and still comply with what Savannah asked both of them to do. There would be a slight delay, that's all.
"I do. I'm going to do what I feel that I need to do." Young Allison said. "Please land at the nearest airport and fill up."
Anna looked disappointed.
Young Allison reached over and touched her.
Anna looked at Young Allison who smiled at her.
"I want a safety margin for my flight home." Young Allison said.
Young Allison was promised some flight time in the Beechcraft. She intended to get it and try and squeeze in what she wanted to do as part of it.
Anna smiled back at her. She knew that Young Allison would comply with what Savannah asked her to do but it appeared she was about to slip something else in as well.
"You were promised some 'stick time'." Anna said. "I'll give you one hour outside of the danger zone. Thank you for not putting me in a pickle."
Savannah didn't want to cause anyone grief or violate what she agreed to do already. She just wanted to do something to help the operation. She was aware there was a time lag involved over something that needed to be checked. She wanted to reaffirm her position with Anna.
"I don't want to disobey Savannah, not over this anyway." Young Allison said. "It will disrupt the operation and cause Savannah and Cameron needless worry. It's like when John doesn't listen and enters the field. I know how that endangers everyone and draws off all of the assistance from Cameron. That also endangered Savannah because she's normally with Cameron. I don't think John realizes that he endangers both of them when he goes out."
Anna was actually surprised that Young Allison brought John's name up. She was further surprised that she referenced it to one of the problems that he created more than he should. She wondered how far Young Allison thought her influence would go over someone who didn't need to obey her if she gave an 'order'. John wasn't a Terminator. He was the General after all.
"Will John listen to you when the 'Natural Order' is established?" Anna asked.
Young Allison was instructed by Cameron on various ways to 'influence' John when he was reluctant to listen. She was also told about how the girls in Cameron's future dealt with similar situations. They all stuck together when there was some type of 'corrective action' necessary for Future John when he became confused about who was really in charge.
"If Cameron and Savannah are out or away, I know I should have some 'influence'." Young Allison said. "I know how things work. He will learn as well."
Anna did know that there were ways to 'influence' the decision of someone you were 'close' to. It was a time honored method which seemed to work quite effectively. What worked since the beginning of time continued to work in the present and would also do so in the future.
CamNet made sure that the conversation was sent through John Henry so John could 'hear' his future. She wanted John to know that EVERYONE knew what happened when he was out in the field, even the younger Resistance members. The last part about how he would be 'influenced' when he was reluctant to listen or obey was a bonus.
Cameron and Savannah both heard the transmission as well.
Dan used the bulldozer to make a dirt ramp so that the flat bed truck could back up to the boxcar. There was enough of a height difference that the HK Tread might get stuck when it exited. This would allow for the HK Tread to be driven out without a problem. They were still waiting for the flatbed trailers to arrive. They wanted to expedite everything as much as possible so they could get the rear section of the train moving again.
Savannah listened to the conversation that Young Allison and Anna carried on. She wasn't sure she liked everything she heard. She wondered about all what Cameron instructed Young Allison on. There seemed to be a few 'big girl' items in there.
Savannah looked at Cameron.
"What have you been teaching Young Allison?" Savannah asked.
Cameron didn't think it was a big deal.
"What she needs to know." Cameron said. "John won't listen to me about going out in the field. I need you and Young Allison to MAKE him listen. I won't have her or you taken advantage of or taken for granted either. John must appreciate both of you and everything you have to 'offer'."
Savannah tried not to smile. She didn't like that a private conversation was transmitted, even if it was to make a point.
"I'll discuss this further with CamNet when we get back." Savannah said. "We need to get the HK Treads out of the boxcars and the train moving."
Cameron could hear a big rig headed their way.
"The first flat bed is here." Cameron said.
Savannah watched the bulldozer move away. It was returned to its parking area.
"The dirt ramp is finished." Savannah said.
Cameron wanted to expedite the unloading procedure. She knew there was a way to temporarily do that but it would be a strain on one of the trucks. She wanted to get the boxcars moving so she decided to do it anyway.
"We can load both of the HK Treads onto the one flatbed trailer for now." Cameron said. "When the second flatbed gets here they can transfer one over. I want to get the train moving."
Savannah still questioned Cameron's earlier decision regarding the rear end device for the train. She still believed that proposal was too risky to carry out on a moving train for the length of that many freight cars. She wanted to set some stricter guidelines for Cameron safety.
"Are you still going to fool around with the rear end device?" Savannah asked. "I want Frank in the locomotives if you do this."
Cameron felt John Henry could control everything from the Command Center.
"They can be operated remotely." Cameron said.
Savannah didn't want to argue the point. She'd made her position clear. Now it was time for her to step up. She would simply take control of the situation herself.
"I'll man them in that case." Savannah said. "You already showed me the basics."
Cameron wanted to remind Savannah of a few things.
"You need to remember that you only did several switching moves the last time you operated a locomotive." Cameron said. "You will need to rely heavily on the train break over the locomotive break to keep the slack from running out on the freight cars."
Savannah didn't think it would be that hard for her to adapt.
"I think I can get the gist of what needs to be done relatively quickly." Savannah said.
Cameron believed Savannah wouldn't have any trouble at all. She was a natural when it came to operating equipment. It never took her long to get the feel of what was necessary to operate the equipment to its fullest. Every aircraft that she flew she was a fast learner. When she transitioned from a fixed wing to a rotary wing she was able to grasp the principles extremely quickly. There was one other issue that needed to be dealt with.
"What about the plane?" Cameron asked.
Savannah glanced over at Dan and Frank.
"I think there are a few people around here who can fly it." Savannah said. "Or we can pick it up on the way back. We need to be careful and try to mask some of what we've done."
Cameron wanted to keep everything that they'd done low key and in the dark. She even figured out a way to conceal the spot welds that she'd fractured.
"Yes. I don't want anyone to know what we did, where or how." Cameron said. "We're going to use a Thermite grenade in a pit to heat and melt some metal over the welds I broke. I want this train to arrive and look unopened."
Savannah liked that idea. The Skynet forces would need to determine exactly when the load disappeared. They would only know it was there when the spot welds were applied and that the equipment was gone when the boxcars were finally opened. There would be a big gap of time and distance for them to deal with.
"That way they won't know when the goods were taken." Savannah said. "It could have been weeks ago."
Cameron saw it as a gamble. The more confusion she could instill in the Skynet forces the better it was for them. With the loss of the truck on the bridge it still may point the finger at them currently but there was no guarantee of that.
"It is a long shot but they may not look as hard to find where we took them, if they don't know when we took them for sure." Cameron said.
Savannah wasn't sure that was a 'sell'. It was worth a try anyway. The more confusion they could cause for the Skynet forces the more likely it was they would make a mistake. Without one specific group to point the finger at they would need to consider all the groups that they'd experienced run-ins with previously.
John Henry received the latest information from the construction site.
"They're transferring the HK Treads to a flatbed now." John Henry said. "Both of them are being loaded onto one flatbed."
John sat up in his chair a little bit. He knew how big they were.
"That's a lot of weight on one truck." John said.
John Henry was aware of the reasoning behind what they'd done.
"It's only temporary so they can get the train moving." John Henry said. "They're simulating 'welds' on the first boxcar now."
John wasn't really sure how they would do that but he figured that they knew what they were doing. He wanted to make sure there was no danger from the sky.
"What about any HK drone activity?" John asked.
John Henry monitored the air space for fifty miles around in all directions. There was nothing there that shouldn't be. Cameron wanted him to keep the two HK drones that they'd sent out of the boxcars close by so that they could assist them if it was necessary. He determined it was more prudent to have them taken to a secure location so that they could be inspected and make sure that there was nothing hidden. He personally didn't want the HK drones to be a problem later on if they were still in the vicinity and Skynet found some way to take control of them.
"The sky is clear." John Henry said. "I've sent the other two HK drones we appropriated to a remote location for now. I'll have a team go over them."
John was actually pleased with that decision. He didn't trust any freshly captured Skynet equipment not to be re-appropriated or revert to some basic programming on its own and become a threat.
"I didn't want to keep them around our people anyway." John said. "At least until we could do a complete inspection and thorough reprogramming."
There was an 'elephant' in the room.
John Henry thought that it needed to be addressed in some fashion.
"The earlier transmission from CamNet…." John Henry said.
John quickly looked away from John Henry.
"I don't want to talk about it." John said.
John Henry wanted John to know that he didn't have anything to do with it nor could he stop it.
"I couldn't block it." John Henry said.
John quickly glanced over at John Henry. He was clearly agitated.
"I don't want to talk about it." John said. "End of discussion."
It seemed like a good idea for them just to go back to work and pretend like nothing happened.
John and John Henry looked over their monitors and other pending Resistance activity for a few minutes in silence.
John Henry was a little surprised when the CTC board lit up.
"They already finished the last simulated welds." John Henry said. "The rear section of the train is moving."
John quickly began to check his monitors. If the train was going to move he'd wanted to know before it moved. He still didn't agree with what Cameron was going to do.
"They should have left it there." John said.
John Henry understood Cameron's reasoning for wanting to attach the rear of the train back to the train and not have anyone know. The bottom line was it was supposed to cause confusion to the Skynet forces once they realized that the load was gone.
"It's too late." John Henry said. "You know Cameron likes 'Mission Impossible'."
John smiled and chuckled slightly to himself to the reference John Henry made. The seriousness and danger involved quickly made his momentary amusement subside.
"I'm afraid I do." John said.
Sometimes he wondered what was wrong with Cameron. He felt that her behavior was a little more obsessive than other Terminators. He did hear earlier when Dan was to the leave with Young Allison and Savannah that Young Allison told him he could ride with Savannah because she had the Cessna under control. If that wasn't the root cause of Cameron's problems, he didn't know what was. One thing was for sure, Young Allison was going to be a firecracker to deal with. He really hoped that she was going to be dynamite in bed. At this point he also agreed with her that there was no reason she needed to wait to do anything that everyone knew she was already going to do. He really wanted to get his hands on her and claim her virginity. He planned to watch his favorite scenes from 'Pretty Baby' as soon as he got the chance.
Earlier:
Savannah watched as the second HK Tread was moved onto the flatbed truck. It was overloaded but necessary so the rear part of the train could get moving again.
Dan used the burro crane and drove Frank and her down to where the locomotives were parked at the back of the train.
She looked at the two giant diesel-electric locomotives sitting there. Both of them idled with a throaty roar and throb. There was over eight thousand horsepower ready to go.
Savannah saw the locomotives needed to be coupled to the rear rail car. The knuckle was already open on the coupler of the last rail car. She stepped in and opened the knuckle on the coupler of the locomotive.
"I'll move the locomotives forward and couple them. I need you to hook the air hose up or you can move the locomotives up and I'll do that.
Frank didn't want Savannah to need to be exposed to further danger.
"You don't need to be here." Frank said.
She climbed up on the first locomotive. She was going to get things started.
Savannah released the locomotive brakes and slowly moved the locomotives forward until they coupled. Dan quickly connected the air hose. The locomotive air compressor pumped up the air in the brake line. They were ready to go.
Dan headed back to the work site with the burro crane once he saw Savannah climb up on the locomotive.
Savannah looked back and watched the burro crane leave. She turned her attention back to Frank.
"Well, I'm here." Savannah said. "Besides, I want to operate the locomotives again."
Dan understood that the visibility was going to be very poor from their current location.
"We can't see very much because we will need to push the cars." Frank said.
Savannah was aware that Cameron would be sitting on the drawbar of the front boxcar. She would have a very good view of everything that was directly in front of her.
"Cameron will tell us before we hit anything." Savannah said. "I hope."
Seconds ago:
Cameron checked the 'welds' and they all looked good. She climbed up on the coupler drawbar housing of the first boxcar and sat down. She called for the locomotives to start out. The locomotives slowly shoved in the slack. She could hear and feel the slack being compressed in the drawbars as the locomotives began to push. It was done in a much more controlled manner than the locomotive crew had done themselves previously. The train started to move. She was glad that she didn't hear any additional feedback from John before the train started to move. She really didn't need to hear his negativity right now.
She checked with John Henry and asked him to give the front section of the train a red signal. He would hold them there until Cameron's train neared and then he would give them a green followed by a yellow if the crewman was to be sent out to inspect the train again. They wanted to make sure the crew was in the cab as they approached from behind at a slow speed once they were near the front part of the train.
Cameron felt secure on top of the coupler housing as the train moved along. She was ready to make track speed and then some.
"OK, Savannah, you can open it up." Cameron said. "You're cleared for 'Run 8'."
Savannah glanced over at Frank when Cameron said that. She'd already told him Cameron was going to say something like that within a very short period of time. It was actually a little sooner than anticipated.
"I'm not going to rush it." Savannah said. "We're pushing with you on the front of a boxcar."
Cameron wanted to make up time. She knew that Frank would listen to her.
"Frank would do it, if he was alone." Cameron said.
Savannah was very glad that she decided to go along with the locomotives at this point.
"In case you hadn't noticed, Frank is NOT alone." Savannah said. "I'm the engineer on this train."
Savannah wasn't going to try and make up a few minutes time if it put Cameron in even greater danger than she was already in. She was aware that she needed to do very precise train handling, especially if they encountered any slight downhill sections which there were several of. Right now the slack was bunched with all the cars. If they were to go down a downhill section, the cars may accelerate away from the locomotive slightly with gravity and slack could be created between some of them. When they came out of the shallow dip the locomotive would compress the slack again which could cause a series of jolts. If one of those jolts was hard enough, it could knock Cameron off of the front drawbar and under the wheels of the entire train. She would need to make careful and discretionary use of both the train brake and the locomotive brake when they were required on the proper sections of the track.
Frank made sure that their communications were cut off from everyone else.
"Cameron will be displeased if we don't run at full throttle." Frank said.
Savannah wasn't about to push it or allow anyone else to either. There is no need to. She didn't think that they would be able to make up more then five minutes time total by running everything at full throttle. The risk wasn't worth the gamble.
"I won't be." Savannah said. "I don't want this train on the ground and Cameron under it all."
Frank remembered Cameron told all the Terminators that Savannah would always make the right decision.
"You know what's best." Frank said.
Savannah quickly looked over at Frank with his comment. She wanted to make clear what her actions were and why.
"There's no need to 'push it' when we don't HAVE to." Savannah said. "I won't take an unnecessary risk."
Frank could see that his comment irritated Savannah slightly. He wanted her to know where his reply originated at.
"Cameron said you will always make the correct or proper choice." Frank said.
Savannah looked at him for a moment but didn't comment. She'd already heard that previously. She wanted to focus on their operation of the train. She made a few quick calculations.
"How long will it be until we reach the front part of the train?" Savannah asked. "I make it at about thirty minutes at this speed, if they remain slowed and stopped in the manner that Cameron directed."
Frank tilted his head slightly. Savannah's estimate was right on the money.
"That's correct." Frank said.
Savannah didn't want to approach the other train too fast and not be able to stop
"I don't want to run into the back of it either." Savannah said.
Frank didn't think they would be injured from their current position.
"We would be protected this far back." Frank said.
Savannah glanced over at Frank again. She wasn't worried about them.
"What about Cameron?" Savannah asked.
Frank could see it would be problematic for Cameron if that were to occur.
"She will warn us." Frank said. "I hope."
Savannah hoped so too.
"I want everyone to keep me apprised when we start to get near the rest of the train and exactly how much time and distance I will have to do everything." Savannah said.
Savannah didn't want to run into the back of a stopped train with Cameron sitting on the coupler housing of the first boxcar that would impact it.
John was worried about Cameron. He'd heard everything Savannah said and agreed with her one hundred percent. As much as he hated for her to be there, he was glad that she was there. He knew that she was the only person who might be able to moderate Cameron's actions. He wasn't sure if Young Allison would do that as well or encourage Cameron to act in a more extreme manner.
"I need you to make sure those two halves of the train don't run into each other." John said.
John Henry felt he had good control of everything, at least right now he felt that he did.
"I'm monitoring everything." John Henry said.
John didn't want a derailment or a rear end collision.
"Keep Savannah posted as to distance and speed." John said. "Make all the calculations to make sure this doesn't turn into a derailment."
John Henry glanced over at John. He wondered what John thought that he would be doing.
"I'm doing that." John Henry said.
John could see that John Henry looked a little hurt.
"I'm sorry, I know that." John said. "I'm still worried about Cameron."
John Henry was sure that Cameron wasn't the only thing that he was worried about.
"I understand." John Henry said.
Later on:
Savannah figured that they must be getting close by now. She was about to contact the Command Center. They contacted her first.
"Savannah, I'm controlling the CTC." John Henry said. "You're two miles in back of the train, watch your speed."
Savannah gave the train brake a slight application as she began to move the throttle back a notch at a time. She wanted to keep the slack bunched as much as possible.
"I'm throttling back." Savannah said.
Savannah opened her side window and leaned out so she could look forward. The freight cars in front of her blocked most of her forward visibility.
"I still can't see much." Savannah said.
Frank leaned way out on his side. Most of his body was outside the window.
"I can." Frank said. "They were just given a green light."
John Henry could watch everything on the CTC board.
"You're one mile out and still closing." John Henry said.
Savannah was still worried some type of emergency could occur.
"Do the calculations and if I'm closing too fast tell me." Savannah said. "I don't want to have to 'Big Hole' this thing and put it into emergency braking. Cameron might fall off if that happens."
Savannah could picture having to go into emergency braking. The slack would be forcefully run out in the cars as the locomotive brakes would respond first. That event would most likely cause Cameron to be catapulted off of the coupler housing and onto the tracks below as the train ran over her.
"That was some nice railroad slang." John Henry said.
"My phone still works…." Savannah said. "I looked it up. Here is a tune for you in case we pile up."
'Rock Island Line' by 'Johnny Cash', came over their coms.
No Other People Like You
What makes and individual unique
Is it the mind
Is it the body
What makes us one of a kind
Everyone's anatomy is the same
Yet - different
The body parts are all there
But - different
Is it the mind, our mind
That makes us unalike - YES
Every variable is in play
Any outcome is a guess
The mind is where
The damage is done
The horrors created there
Can never be outrun
Whatever you have to shield or offer
When life dictates someone anew
Always remember there are
No other people like you
Nobody