Chapter 838
No Fooling You
Cameron received a view of the desert she really didn't need. She sat on the coupler housing of a boxcar that was currently pushed by a string of railcars and two locomotives. Savannah and Frank were at the controls of the locomotives. They used a set of 'borrowed' helper locomotives that CamNet put the grab on. They were in pursuit of the rest of the train so they could reattach the rear portion of the train to the front part of the train. The Resistance team just finished unloading two boxcars full of HK equipment. The goal was to remove the equipment under Skynet's nose without them knowing that it happened.
They wanted to keep one of the crewmen from 'walking the train' while they sat at a red signal. Cameron elected to reattach the rest of the train on the fly. She didn't want anyone to know what they'd done. She soon spotted the front part of the train.
"I can see the train ahead. They just started out from a red signal with a solid yellow in front of them. The yellow signal should keep their speed slow." Cameron said. "We're closing rapidly."
Savannah needed to use the train brake currently over the locomotive break. She cut back 'one notch' or throttle position on the speed selector.
"We're on a downhill segment." Savannah said. "Call their speed and distance to me. I'll run it against my speed for a closing distance. I'll have Frank check my calculations."
Cameron watched the distance shrink. She did her calculations as well. She was confident that Savannah could pull this off without a hitch. Savannah was able to operate the locomotives the same way she flew, by the 'seat of her pants'. She was a natural at train handling.
"They're at eighteen miles an hour and accelerating slowly. The distance is one thousand two hundred feet." Cameron said.
Savannah slowed but she still needed to close the distance.
"My speed is now down to twenty five miles an hour and holding." Savannah said.
Cameron knew she needed to be the eyes for Savannah. She kept her posted.
"Their speed is now twenty miles an hour." Cameron said. "The distance is seven hundred feet."
Savannah moved the run selector back one notch.
"I'm throttling back." Savannah said. "I'm at twenty two miles an hour."
Cameron watched the distance shorten as the speed began to equalize.
"Their speed is twenty one miles an hour." Cameron said. "The distance is three hundred feet."
Savannah decided to maintain her speed at the same level.
"Start calling car lengths as we get closer." Savannah said. "I'm still at twenty two miles an hour."
Cameron noted a change in the speed of the train that they we're about to couple with. There was now a greater speed differential then there'd been just moments ago.
"They just made a brake reduction." Cameron said. "They're down to nineteen miles an hour. You're ten car lengths out and closing."
Savannah wondered why there was a brake reduction. Things were going to be slightly more complicated now. The train brake was always less responsive than the locomotive brake. That was because the air needed to travel the length of the train.
"Hang on. I'm using the train brake to keep from letting the slack out." Savannah said. "I'm down to twenty miles an hour. If I only use the locomotive brake, I'll cause the train to stretch out as the slack runs out."
Cameron could see that they were very close right now. The speed was almost even.
"Five car lengths." Cameron said. "They are right at twenty miles an hour. The distance is unchanged."
Savannah felt the lag of effect of the train brake take hold. She would need to increase the speed slightly to close the distance.
Cameron felt a slight bump as Savannah eased the throttle forward.
"Four car lengths." Cameron said.
"Three car lengths." Cameron said.
"Two car lengths." Cameron said.
"One car length." Cameron said.
Cameron was a little surprised as the train in front of her began to pick up speed again.
"Two car lengths. The speed has increased slightly." Cameron said.
Savannah didn't want to give it more power yet. She was afraid that if she did that she might come in too hot if the train in front of her slowed again.
"I think he'll do a brake reduction again." Savannah said. "I don't want to be in too close if he does."
"Three car lengths." Cameron said.
"Four car lengths." Cameron said.
"Twenty one miles an hour." Cameron said. "He's slowing."
"Three car lengths." Cameron said.
"Two car lengths." Cameron said.
"We're closing smoothly." Cameron said.
"One car length." Cameron said.
Cameron felt the boxcars slow slightly.
"One car length." Cameron said.
"One car length." Cameron said.
"Half a car length." Cameron said.
"Half a car length." Cameron said.
"Fifteen feet." Cameron said.
"Ten feet." Cameron said.
"Five feet." Cameron said.
"Four feet." Cameron said.
"Three feet." Cameron said.
"Two feet." Cameron said.
"One foot." Cameron said.
"One foot." Cameron said.
Cameron could see the cars were about to couple. Both of the couplers were open and ready to couple together. That was how she'd set them when she'd uncoupled them earlier. There was a slight bump as the couplers made contact and closed. They now firmly held each other. The two halves of the train were now as one.
"Contact." Cameron said. "The couplers are locked."
Cameron felt a slight jolt followed by a series of them as the train slowly pulled the slack out of the couplers behind her, one car at a time.
"John Henry, start the telemetry loop." Cameron said. "I'm going to disconnect the rear end device and connect the air lines."
Savannah wanted to slowly return control of the rest of the train over to the other locomotives.
"I'm being pulled by the train now." Savannah said. "I show our speed down to seventeen miles an hour. He just picked up a few hundred thousand tons of 'extra' drag."
Cameron laid flat on top of the couplers and reached for the air hose connections. She knew that her clothes were thoroughly ruined before when she was underneath the boxcars when the train was moving. Laying flat on top of the couplers only further coated them with grease and grime. There was some slight up and down movement to the couplers as the train went along. She needed to make sure that one of her breasts didn't accidentally get pinched with some of the movement. She doubted how she would like how it looked after that. She we focused her attention to the task at hand. She joined the 'glad hands' and connected the air hoses. She then opened the angle cocks to let the air flow through. Everything appeared to be connected successfully.
"I have the air lines connected." Cameron said. "You're a part of the train now for braking."
Savannah was just a passenger at this point. She'd given it a lot of thought and she didn't want Cameron the move from where she was at with the rear end device. It would be a very risky and unsafe move for Cameron to traverse the rest of the moving train back to the where they were at as she carried the rear end device over the tops of the railcars.
"I want you to remain where you are, Cameron." Savannah said.
Cameron didn't see a point not to complete her task.
"Why?" Cameron asked. "I'm ready to climb up. I've detached the rear end device. I'm ready to move it to the rear."
Savannah made the decision to stop the train completely. It wasn't what they originally planned on but it was what she decided they were going to do now.
"Cameron, I have a better idea." Savannah said. "John Henry, I want the train to draw another red, so Cameron can get off with the rear end device and not have to climb over the tops of the freight cars. Frank has instructed me on the 'dynamic brake' feature. I will slow the back of the train to keep it from bunching when John Henry gives him a red. I'll also use the locomotive brake to make sure the slack doesn't run in. Cameron, you can hop off when it stops and head towards the rear."
Cameron looked up at the top of the boxcar and the rear end device that she needed to carry. It seemed that Savannah's idea was a good idea right now.
"OK, Savannah." Cameron said. "I'll do it just for you."
John Henry manipulated the CTC board.
"He has a red light in the next block." John Henry said.
Cameron felt the train slow down. The slack didn't run in, Savannah used the dynamic brake and the locomotive brake to keep the train stretched for a smoother stop. She briefly wondered if the engineer would think that his train handling improved. He didn't have a clue that there were two locomotives on the back that assisted him for a smooth stop.
When the train slowed to ten miles an hour, Cameron hopped off and started towards the back of the train at a run. She carried the 'rear end device' in her arms. She wanted to save time.
"I'm off the train and headed back." Cameron said.
Savannah looked over at Frank. She was a little irritated that Cameron hadn't waited until the train slowed a little further. She didn't think Cameron was going to stay on until the train completely stopped but she felt she jumped off too soon.
"You should have waited a little longer." Savannah said.
Savannah would have preferred Cameron not to have made a risky move like that. Terminators weren't known for taking the easy route on very many things. She just didn't want her to fall down with all the rock ballast and uneven dirt that surrounded the railroad tracks.
Earlier:
After Young Allison and Anna took off and buzzed Savannah, they followed the railroad tracks back.
Young Allison wanted to turn her flight into an integral part of the operation.
"Slow down and let's check out what we can see where the truck was knocked off the bridge by the locomotives." Young Allison said.
Anna looked over at Young Allison. She understood now why Young Allison wanted her to follow the railroad tracks instead of taking the most direct route to the airport to refuel. She soon spotted the wreckage. It hadn't burnt. That was one of the things that they'd wondered about.
"I see the remains of the truck." Anna said. "It's crushed severely from the locomotive impact and the fall."
Young Allison worried more about the occupants than she did the vehicle.
"What about the bodies?" Young Allison asked.
Anna had to look carefully for the decedents. One was spotted right away the other one took a little longer for her to locate.
"There are two bodies." Anna said. "They're both very disfigured and torn up."
Young Allison wanted a more specific identification.
"Do either one of them look like a Terminator?" Young Allison asked.
Anna didn't see any bloody metal. She only saw bloody bones protruding from the two corpses.
"No." Anna said.
They circled the area twice and then flew on.
Young Allison hoped to learn some more of the characteristics of the aircraft before she took control of it.
"Give me some pointers as you fly." Young Allison said.
Anna gave Young Allison detailed instructions as to what she did and how to do it.
Young Allison previously studied the manuals and instruction videos that Cameron provided her with. She was ready for this flight. She always studied the manuals when she knew she was going to fly a particular aircraft.
The manual and instruction videos that surprised her the most were the ones for the B-25 Mitchell bomber. She didn't know if that was in the future for her or not. She hadn't heard anything about it. She would need to ask Savannah what she knew about it. She was happy for the Beechcraft flight today.
Anna let Young Allison take control of the Beechcraft in flight and at altitude. It gave her a feel of the plane and its characteristics. She allowed Young Allison to be the pilot for fifteen minutes. She then retook control and set it down at a local airport.
Steve was waiting there for them with a fuel truck. Young Allison was a little surprised to see Steve at the airport. She greeted him warmly and he seemed to appreciate it. She figured he was there for the same reason they wanted one of the Detail to meet them at Lancaster when they landed. They didn't want anyone to ask any questions about two 'young looking' girls flying the aircraft.
They tanked up and took off again. Once they were back up, Anna turned it over to Young Allison again.
Young Allison felt the change in handling with the extra weight of the fuel.
"I can feel the difference with the full load of fuel." Young Allison said. "Let me get the feel of everything again."
Anna could see that Young Allison flew in the same manner that Savannah did. They flew like true pilots. They were one with their aircraft. They could feel the aircraft react to them and they could react to the aircraft.
"You fly like Savannah, 'by the seat of your pants'." Anna said. "That's the way a real pilot flies."
Young Allison watched various Terminators fly before. Normally it was Cameron but she'd been with others as well.
"Isn't that the way you all fly?" Young Allison asked. "I don't think any of you even use the instruments."
Anna tilted her head slightly. There was a difference and how each of them could process the information.
"Our processor input is much faster than using the visual interface." Anna said. "Your body lacks that feature. You and Savannah do it through skill and ability."
Young Allison wasn't done with her plan yet. It was now time for the second stage.
"I have a pretty good feel of what's happening." Young Allison said. "I would like to open it up a little."
Anna was not sure where this was going but she thought she knew. She was aware of Young Allison's tactics, even though Young Allison was unpredictable at times. She wanted Young Allison to keep it safe for now. CamNet assured her that the airspace around them was clear.
"I don't want you to do any aerobatics or fancy maneuvers." Anna said. "I see you're going to open it up back in the direction we came from."
Young Allison quickly firewalled the throttles before Anna wanted her to change the direction. She wanted to check something out again.
"Oops…." Young Allison said. "My mistake…. I've already started my speed run so I'll keep it straight and level. I don't want to accidentally end up doing any aerobatics."
Anna looked over at Young Allison.
"I know what you're doing." Anna said.
Young Allison glanced over at Anna and shrugged her shoulders.
"There's no fooling you." Young Allison said.
Anna was aware that Young Allison slipped one by her every now and then at the house. She was sure Young Allison did it just to see if she could do it. If it honed her ability to 'outsmart' a Terminator, it might assist her in the future.
"Sometimes I'm fooled but not today." Anna said.
She wanted to verify with Anna how Steve happened to be at the one airport that they would go to refuel. There were other choices available to them. They could have just as easily gone to one of them.
"It was quite a coincidence that Steve was waiting with the fuel truck to fill us up." Young Allison said.
Anna decided to keep the explanation simple. There was no need to establish who was playing who.
"CamNet arranged that." Anna said. "I guess it would have looked suspicious with two tween 'looking' females and this airplane."
Young Allison briefly wondered if there were other Terminators at some of the other airports they could have landed at. Maybe that was a question for another time. She didn't want to seem unappreciative. She decided to give thanks where it was due.
"I'll thank CamNet later on." Young Allison said.
Anna pointed at her com.
"I think you just did." Anna said.
Young Allison would still give her personal things later on when she was alone. She still liked to talk with CamNet even though she wasn't supposed to, at least not about personal things.
They flew at the recommended top speed of the aircraft. Anna was surprised Young Allison didn't push the redline. They soon picked up the railroad tracks. It was clear where they were headed. It was for a second look at the crash site of the truck.
"We are coming up on the railroad bridge over the canyon." Anna said.
Young Allison was there for a specific reason. She wanted to see if anyone else joined the party.
"I see it." Young Allison said. "I've cut back on the power. See what you can spot and if there's anyone else around that shouldn't be."
Anna searched the area as they approached the railroad bridge as Young Allison flew. There was no sign of anyone else trying to access that area. It didn't appear any additional Grays arrived to check on their associates.
"Nothing is different than when we flew by the first time after we took off." Anna said. "That was only a little over half an hour ago."
Young Allison felt there were a couple things that needed to be accomplished and that they'd laid the groundwork for both of those.
"I wanted to make sure the threat was neutralized." Young Allison said. "It sounded as if everything was OK with the train and the reattachment. I'll head for Lancaster now like everyone demanded I do. I wanted to make sure there was no threat behind Savannah and Cameron. Tom will be here soon to gather intel. We made sure it's clear for him to approach this area."
Anna was aware that Young Allison wanted to assist Cameron and Savannah as much as she could, along with everyone else.
"I know you're trying to help." Anna said.
Young Allison knew her place in the 'Natural Order'. She thought that 'help' would only be part of it.
"I'm going to help a lot more soon. I need to help protect Cameron and Savannah." Young Allison said and then added as an afterthought. "And help protect John too."
Young Allison wanted to be with Cameron and Savannah to help take some of the heat and pressure off of Savannah. It made her wonder how she was going to do in real combat. She hoped she would be able to be half as good as Savannah was. She may have done a lot of training and been through a lot of simulations but she knew when the bullets started to fly that everything was different. So far she'd only used her Taser against a Terminator who attempted to attack Savannah.
Savannah wasn't happy that Cameron jumped off the train at ten miles an hour. She hoped Cameron would have shown a little more caution. She knew Cameron could have fallen on the rock ballast and easily sustained some minor sheath damage. She also could have dropped the rear end device and rendered it non-operational. That could've compromised the entire mission and defeated the whole purpose of everything that they'd just done.
"Damn." Savannah said. "I wanted Cameron to wait a little longer."
Frank didn't see it as a problem. It would actually speed the operation along.
"She's operating within her design parameters." Frank said.
Savannah knew that that was true. She could have Frank get things ready now for Cameron.
"Go out and help her." Savannah said. "We're almost stopped. As soon as we do, 'pull the pin' and I'll back away slightly with the locomotives. It will give some more room to hook up the rear end device."
Frank went out the nose door of the locomotive. Savannah waved to him as he leaned down to throw the couple lift bar.
"I'm almost to the back of the train." Cameron said. "I'll be there in thirty seven seconds."
Savannah was concerned with the train crew.
"John Henry, give the train crew a yellow and then change it back to red thirty seconds later." Savannah said. "I don't want anyone looking back our way or getting off to check the train."
John Henry figured that the crew must be furious over all the delays and ever changing signals that continuously delayed them.
"This is going to be the angriest crew ever." John Henry said.
Savannah wanted to make sure that everyone in the Resistance was as safe as they could be. She also didn't want any of the train crew to be terminated.
"I want our people safe." Savannah said. "Have they loaded all the Skynet equipment yet from the work site?"
John Henry made sure that everything was loaded and removed as expeditiously as possible.
"The last truck is nearly ready to depart." John Henry said. "They're about to remove the ramp and return all the equipment back to where it was."
Savannah wanted to know what else was at the work site.
"What about the plane?" Savannah asked. "What about any other of our personnel?"
"It's waiting for your return." John Henry said. "One Terminator will remain there to pick up Frank. I'll return the locomotives back to where they came from the same way CamNet 'borrowed' them."
Frank motioned for Savannah to back the locomotives up from the train. She engaged the reverser and moved back ten feet.
She saw Cameron and Frank hook up the rear end device and climb up the locomotive steps.
"Give them a green." Savannah said. "We're out of here."
Frank and Cameron entered into the locomotive cab.
Cameron gave Savannah a hug.
"That was some really good train handling." Cameron said. "You have an excellent 'feel' for this type of work."
Savannah relied on her natural ability to adapt to different situations.
"I try." Savannah said. "You've honed all my instincts and abilities. It's time for us to catch a plane."
Savannah accelerated away backwards from the other train, which started to move forward again.
"You wanted 'Run 8'." Savannah said. "You will have it once John Henry gives us the 'all clear'."
Savannah was given the green light by John Henry.
Cameron noticed when running 'light' that the locomotives displayed excellent acceleration.
No Fooling You
Fool me once
Shame on you
Fool me twice
Shame on me too
Everyone likes to stack the deck
It's themselves they want to protect
Everyone wants the other one
To play fair and show respect
The shoe always fits different
When it's on the other foot
Maybe they better listen harder
When the other asks for input
So watch the half truths
Along with the lies of omission
When one pulls a fast one
It little more than sedition
One's own actions spell their doom
They miss when things are through
Reality sucks and here you thought
There was no fooling you
Nobody