Chapter 977

She Is Not Dead

Based on traffic camera footage and surveillance footage from around the area, they were able to determine what the truck they searched for looked like. With that information, John Henry was able to track other locations that it passed. It often took the same route.

John wanted some answers and the truck was part of the equation. Wherever it was going to or coming from represented other Skynet related targets.

"Have you come up with anything additional on the truck?" John asked. "It should give us some answers."

John Henry was a little less than satisfied with the end result of his search.

"I have a general area around the port as its point of origin." John Henry said. "I've spotted it in that area multiple times. I was unable to pinpoint a location."

John thought about what else was around the port area. There was more than one thing they might need to deal with.

"I know there are rail yards around the port. There's a lot of truck traffic as well." John said. "Are we dealing with ships and warehouses?"

John Henry would like to have had that answer ready for John. He didn't.

"I haven't been able to determine that yet." John Henry said.

John didn't have good memories of being around the port. In fact the ocean in general seemed to be bad luck for him. There was the trouble at the pier and the events from the lighthouse where Charlie died to protect him. That was one death that didn't need to happen on his behalf. None of them did.

The overall nature of the area troubled him greatly. He thought maybe they should take some preemptive action and try to get ahead of something for once instead of trying to play 'catch up' like they normally did.

"I want a team of Terminators headed in that direction." John said.

John Henry already reached the same conclusion.

"I've sent one already." John Henry said. "We'll need to have one set of the Metal girls follow the truck when it leaves."

John didn't think about it much when he chose one of the teams that could go.

"We can send Sheila and Ally." John said.

John Henry was aware that Cameron would want Sheila around after they made entry into the structure and sought answers. He also received a specific notification from CamNet. It was a little surprising as to why.

"It will need to be Holly and Hanna." John Henry said.

John wasn't sure what difference it actually made. He wondered what was up.

"Why?" John asked.

John Henry was aware the reason was going to be sensitive for more reasons than one.

"I was informed by CamNet that Sheila will be needed at the old supermarket by Savannah's request." John Henry said.

John needed to think about that for a few seconds. He could only come to one conclusion based upon Savannah's request.

"Oh." John said. "I get it."

John didn't like the implications of what that meant. He didn't condone that type of behavior if it involved the Resistance. What Cameron did outside the scope of the Resistance on her personal vendettas against drug dealers and sex traffickers that was one thing. When it involved the Resistance it was another thing. That was how he saw it anyway.

John Henry could tell John still thought about sending Sheila and Ally anyway to prevent a further 'enhanced interrogation'. He wanted to point out that things could be a lot worse by not having Sheila involved. He was aware of what the reason was why Savannah made that request.

"It's better it's Sheila rather than Savannah." John Henry said.

John liked that idea even less of Savannah doing anything like that herself. He figured she would need to be really upset about it first.

"I don't know." John said. "There must be more that I don't know. There's probably a reason that I don't know it."

John figured there was a lot that he didn't know. He was sure that many things were kept from him. Cameron told him before that she lied to him, even about important things.

John Henry received an update from CamNet. He was to provide John with the information that he lacked.

"This is the information Savannah was provided with when she made her decision." John Henry said.

John looked at his screen. He understood that there may be a young teenager inside.

In more than one instance they'd run into Grays taking females captive and abusing them. It often led to the female's torture and mutilation before the Grays killed the female or she expired due to her injuries.

She could understand Savannah's anger and frustration about what may have happened inside of the old Supermarket already to a female captive. He was the one who needed to make a choice now. He wanted Savannah away from there.

"Sheila and Ally will stay if Savannah does not." John said.

John Henry understood the possibility of a conflict of interest between John and Savannah. He didn't think this was the proper time to test that relationship. He wanted everyone to think things through a little further before any final decisions were made.

"I doubt she'll leave." John Henry said. "The girls take all these things personal, Metal or otherwise."

It was a fact they all understood. Cameron wanted retribution for crimes against all females.

John wasn't sure what he should do or how much he should intervene on Savannah's part. He felt he needed to do something. Maybe he would have to contact her personally. He didn't want this to turn into a big issue on its own.

It did make him wonder why CamNet cleared the information when he inquired about it. Was that an indication that he was supposed to do something? He really didn't know all what was going on in everyone's mind whether they were a human or a machine.

Hanna and Holly were informed of their new task. They didn't like their new assignment. It sidelined them and took them out of the immediate action. John Henry made them confirm the reassignment since they'd been hesitant to do so.

"We need to go to the port?" Hanna asked. "That's a long way from here."

Holly was more inclined to follow the orders from the Command Center without questioning them. She went over them again with Hanna because she didn't see there was a problem. There was a job that needed to be done and someone needed to do it.

"We're to follow the truck and that's the probable destination area. That's our assignment when the truck leaves." Holly said. "It may go elsewhere."

Hanna didn't want to argue the issue. It wasn't Holly's decision. They checked on the other team's periodically for any updates. They were also able to review drone footage of the location as the two drones continued their high altitude surveillance of the area.

"Cammy looks like she is dressed for the beach without her top." Hanna said. "All she's wearing is that pink bra."

Holly felt there was a solution to that problem.

"You could always switch with her." Holly said.

Hanna looked down the front of her sheath. She wasn't sure if she wanted to sit in the SUV only wearing her bra for a top. She looked over at Holly.

"So could you." Hanna said.

Holly raised her hands and cupped both of breasts as she bounced them up and down slightly through her top.

"I don't have a bra on. Cammy's bra is too small for me." Holly said. "If I give her my top, I would need to be topless."

Hanna wondered what was up with that. She was with Holly everyday at the Young residence. She knew how things normally were. She wondered why today was different.

"I'd like to see that." Hanna said. "You always wear a bra. Why don't you have one on today?"

Holly was uncomfortable with the question.

"I don't know." Holly said as she looked away.

Hanna figured Holly was trying to get Allison to pay more attention to her and was 'advertising' herself. She understood the reason why. It was because Allison was back at the Resistance base.

"I do. You were trying to get Allison to notice you." Hanna said. "You're worried about her spending more time with Jesse and Vanna."

That was the exact issue that Holly was worried about. She didn't think she was the only one to feel that way.

"Are you going to tell me that you're not worried about Claire doing the same thing?" Holly asked.

It actually was a concern for Hanna. She also understood it was something that she didn't have any control over. She knew how things worked.

"You know they have total freedom in who their partners are." Hanna said. "That's how it is."

Holly understood and accepted that as the reality they needed to endure to be with the girls. Perhaps Hanna needed to be reminded Claire was no different from the others.

"Maybe you need to see who's attracted to the new girl, Samantha." Holly said.

Hanna didn't believe that the girls would reject them. It was more than likely it would be just the frequency of their visits that would be curtailed. They wouldn't be cut out all together.

"I already know about that." Hanna said. "They will still come back to us, even if it is only one day a week."

Holly wanted more than that. She was normally with Allison everyday of the week. Even when she switched with Hanna to be with Claire several nights a week, she was still with Allison before and afterwards.

"I'm not happy with that." Holly said.

Hanna felt it was an issue Holly needed to learn to deal with. If she didn't, Cameron would side with what she wanted for Allison. That would be Vanna and Jesse.

"You better be or you'll end up in some remote location stuck in standby, guarding some of the captured HK equipment." Hanna said. "You knew this day would come."

It took Holly a long time to understand that but she did know. Her hopes of marrying Allison were long gone. Allison belonged to Vanna. It really made her wonder what she was thinking at the time when she asked Allison to marry her.

"I did know this day would come." Holly said. "I do know that Vanna and Allison need each other. I can see that it is a love like no other."

Hanna was sure that things were going to get more complicated before they saw any light at the end of the tunnel. She did see there would be opportunities that would be available. They needed to be able to take advantage of those when they occurred.

"I'm pretty sure Jesse and Claire are going to need each other too." Hanna said. "When Vanna and Jesse are together, that should leave Claire and Allison free. They will see us then."

Holly tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Let's hope Jesse and Vanna are together often." Holly said.

Hanna wanted to point out that there were other possibilities available for both of them.

"We can always hang out together. Sheila and Ally should be available." Hanna said. "Gail and Cam should be available as well as Cammy and Savannah."

Holly hoped that she would be able to spend more time with the other human females. She didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with Vanna, Jesse or Savannah in Palmdale. When any of those three were in Palmdale, they wanted to spend time with Allison and Claire.

"Maybe it's not so bad." Holly said. "There's a lot of variety for all of us."

Gail couldn't help but look at Cammy wearing only her bra. To see Cameron or any Cameron clone partially clothed or naked was something everyone liked to see. It didn't matter if they were human or Metal. She wanted to provide Cammy with an option.

"Do you want my top?" Gail asked.

Cammy looked down at the front of her sheath. She liked what she saw. She was aware that everyone else did as well.

"It's hot out." Cammy said. "I'm fine."

Gail was afraid Cammy might have it in for her because of her involvement with Savannah. She believed what Savannah and her shared was no different physically than what Savannah shared with all the other females. The difference was that she loved Savannah dearly and intensely. She was aware of the trouble that often erupted between Cammy and Cameron over Savannah. She didn't want any trouble with Cammy.

"Are you dissatisfied with me?" Gail asked.

Cammy tilted her head slightly.

"No." Cammy said. "We've been over this before."

Gail still felt some need to justify herself. She wanted to make everything perfectly clear. She didn't want it to seem like she was going behind Cammy's back.

"I love her, Cammy." Gail said.

Cammy had her own feelings as well. She also had a painful understanding of what the future held. It was something that if anyone, including her, got in the way of, Cameron would make sure that they were moved out of the way, one way or another.

"So do I but I know she belongs to Cameron, Young Allison and John." Cammy said. "It's the 'Natural Order'."

Gail understood Cammy's predicament. It wasn't a good one.

"Are you still going to seek reintegration with Cameron when they finally are together?" Gail asked.

Cammy long ago made her plans and decided her own fate. Nothing had changed in what she believed would happen. She already knew her fate one way or the other.

"Yes." Cammy said. "If not, I will choose self termination."

Gail felt a slight glitch impulse to hear Cammy say that. She'd been down that road before. She was going to self terminate when Duplicate Jesse was believed to have been killed. The human girls argued that she should be deactivated before she could self terminate. That's what happened.

When Cameron was no longer stuck in time with a temporal error, she returned to the base and reactivated her. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Cameron. She believed Cameron was terminated and that there must be a machine 'after life' and that's why she saw Cameron. Cameron told her there was another version of Jesse with her. She agreed to start her life over again. She was very glad that she did.

"I've thought of that before." Gail said. "It was when Duplicate Jesse died for me."

Cammy tilted her head slightly to the side.

"She is not dead." Cammy said.

Gail suppressed a glitch impulse with Cammy's comment. She saw it differently.

"She's not here. What's the difference?" Gail asked. "I can't see her or be with her. It's like she's dead. How is that any different than being dead and buried?"

Cammy felt there was some truth to that. What good was it to be alive if they were gone forever? Then it hit her. The time differential was what was different in this case. There was still a workable solution for Gail.

"The difference is, she is still alive a few centuries in the future and you can change your power cell." Cammy said. "Think about it."

The implication was that Gail could live a life with Jesse now and then live another life with Duplicate Jesse in the distant future. That was actually a good thing. There were actually two sets of Duplicate girls.

Gail wanted to point out Cammy could do that as well. Duplicate Vanna was Savannah Weaver too.

"Vanna is there with Jesse and Allison." Gail said as she referred to the one set of 'Duplicate girls'. "Vanna was Savannah…."

Cammy didn't want to really think about it. She'd thought about it enough.

"I don't know what will happen." Cammy said. "If Savannah wants to share with you or anyone else, I'll never interfere. I don't like it but I know my place. Savannah's happiness comes before mine. Just like Jesse's comes before yours. You must always remember that there's a certain amount of sacrifice if you truly love someone. That person always comes before you do."

Gail often visited her past experiences. It was something that they could do. When that actually occurred, it was as if the event happened again at that moment.

"I know." Gail said. "At least we have our files to replay."

Cammy was aware that was one option. It wasn't the option of her choice.

"Let's hope that's not all we have." Cammy said.

Gail thought of some other options that were available as well.

"There are two sets of Duplicate girls…." Gail said. "There's Cameron's future. There's also a pretty good bet there are other timelines out there. They all offer possibilities."

Cammy didn't know what would happen going forward. She understood Cameron's desire for self-termination in the past. Maybe it was better if it just ended. That seemed like one way to get away from it all.

"I hope it never comes to that." Cammy said.

Cammy would like to know if there was another Savannah or two out there. Maybe she wouldn't need to 'pull the plug'.

She figured if nothing else she could always pull a Cameron like stunts and go to one of the other futures and put the grab on a young Savannah and begin her protection at that point. She was sure that the relationship would eventually evolve into what it was now with Savannah. She was pretty sure that would mess that timeline up but she didn't really care. She would still have 'Savannah'. They were all the same Savannah Weaver anyway. She wondered if Cameron would interfere with her. She still thought Cameron was a Bitch. She was glad that she wasn't anything like her.

Based on the information they obtained from a homeless female named Susan, the girls waited for a truck to arrive at the old supermarket.

They didn't know if it would pick anything up or leave something off. They actually didn't know if it would show up at all.

Savannah was a little concerned about the wait.

"How much longer will it be until the truck arrives?" Savannah asked.

Susan indicated to Cam that even though it was every three days, the time of the day varied as to when the truck would actually arrive.

"That's unknown." Cam said. "All we know is it should be sometime today."

Cameron was informed of the current drone activity. She felt they gave them good overall protection.

"Both drones have switched to wide recon at fifty thousand feet." Cameron said. "They're searching for all Skynet related activity around us."

Savannah wasn't worried about their drones, it was the Skynet drones that worried her.

"Let's make sure no HK drones show up to attack us." Savannah said. "Even though we haven't detected any surveillance from the old supermarket, we don't know for sure if we're not being surveilled as we sit here.

Savannah remembered her encounter with HK drones in both futures she went to with Cameron and what she saw in the present timeline. They could show up fast and do a lot of damage in a short time.

One of the drones on wide recon picked something up. The information was sent to the Command Center as well as to Cameron's base.

"I've detected the truck." John Henry said over their coms. "It's ten miles out."

Cameron thought about what Savannah just indicated. She wanted to set up some parameters for their drones.

"I want one drone to stay with it." Cameron said. "The other will stay with us."

Cameron wanted the extra protection for Savannah, just in case.

"I want to strike this target as soon as the truck leaves." Cameron said.

Savannah didn't want Cameron to act too quickly.

"We should wait a little while in case the truck tries to communicate back with this location." Savannah said. "It could cause some type of alert. We want to know where that truck goes to. Wherever it goes to or came from are also targets."

Cameron didn't want to wait for the truck to reach its destination. She wanted to get into the building and free the female captive they suspected was in there. That was if she was even still alive at this point.

"I want to check on the girl." Cameron said.

Savannah understood what Cameron wanted. There was a higher priority, the mission. She hoped she didn't come off as too cold. Whatever was done to the girl already happened. It couldn't be undone at this point. She wanted to make sure Cameron and all the Metal girls understood their priorities.

"The mission comes first." Savannah said. "We need to find out what they're up to here and wherever the truck comes from or goes to. What's done is done."

Cameron and Cam both looked at Savannah but neither one of them commented further.

John Henry reported that the truck went elsewhere before it returned to the port area. That was based on his review of past traffic cam footage. He didn't know where. His report seemed to indicate that there were two more potential targets. There was the intermediate stop and there was the destination at the port.

Cam was aware that Cameron and Savannah we're going to enter the building along with at least Sheila if not Ally as well. That would free her up with the SUV to back up the team that needed to go after the truck.

"I think Holly and Hanna should have more back up." Cam said. "I'll follow them."

Cameron thought she could spare one more team of Metal girls to assist them.

"If we see a Terminator and he goes with the truck. Gail and Cammy are going as well." Cameron said.

Savannah wanted everyone to be protected but she didn't want to send away too much help. They would still need to enter the building and they had no idea what was inside of it.

"We still don't know what is inside here." Savannah said. "There could be Terminators here too."

Cameron checked her phone and watched the truck approach from the drone video.

"They're about to arrive." Cameron said.

Sheila and Ally moved earlier to cover the back of the old supermarket.

"We're in position in the back and down the east side of the alley." Sheila said. "We'll see what they have in the way of a Terminator or not."

Cammy and Gail were ready from their location.

"We're in position on the west side of the alley." Cammy said.

Cameron, Cam and Savannah were in the front.

Holly and Hanna moved out across the street so their vehicle wasn't spotted. If there was a Terminator with the truck, he might spot the vehicle when it began to tail them and recognize it as being at the old supermarket previously. They didn't want to tip their hand too early.

The truck rumbled into view. It was a dual rear axle bobtail refrigerator truck.

John Henry had one of the drones zoom in on the cab of the truck. The results were inconclusive.

"The drone footage hasn't picked up if either of the two men in the cab are Terminators." John Henry said. "That's still a possibility."

Gail was able to get a good look at the truck.

"The refrigeration unit is running on the truck." Gail said.

Savannah was concerned with what was in the trunk.

"What do they have that needs refrigeration?" Savannah asked.

Cameron wanted a whole slew of answers. There were a lot of questions about the current operation they were on. There were also the other two locations that they would need to uncover. As far as they knew now there could be even more.

"We're going to find out." Cameron said.

Sheila and Ally we're able to watch the truck as it moved into the back.

"The truck stopped. It's backed up to the dock. The two men that were in it are out and have opened the back." Ally said. "I don't think either one of them looks like a Terminator."

Sheila issued the alert that none of them wanted to hear.

"There is a Terminator." Sheila said. "They were riding in the back of the truck."

Everyone received photos of what Sheila viewed.

Savannah looked at the image on her phone. She was a little shocked to see what this Terminator looked like. She'd actually seen the image before.

"That looks a lot like 'The Enforcer'." Savannah said.

Cameron knew that 'The Enforcer' should have been inside of the mine when the H-bomb detonated.

"That is impossible. He was terminated." Cameron said. "It must be the same model."

Savannah was worried there could be several other possibilities as well.

"Was any temporal activity detected where we were in the desert?" Savannah asked. "When we were there?"

John Henry previously looked into that possibility. He'd also checked with CamNet. He did both things again. If there'd been any temporal activity, everyone that was in the mine could have been able to 'escape' before the H-bomb went off.

"Negative." John Henry said. "CamNet didn't detect anything either. I checked with her again, now and previously. There was no TDE activity."

Savannah was more than a little confused as to what was actually going on and who was involved.

"Are these Grays associated with the Skynet activity from the casino?" Savannah asked. "It seems like a different group of Grays, except for the Terminator being the same model as 'The Enforcer'."

Cameron was tired of waiting. She wanted some firm answers.

"I'm going to get some answers." Cameron said. "Instead of finding answers, we keep getting more questions."

She was very dissatisfied with everything that was associated with the old supermarket.

She Is Not Dead

How does one know
If they're dead or alive
Maybe it's all about
Just trying to survive

One can feel pleasure
Or they can feel pain
Maybe the signals get crossed
When they reach the brain

When one reaches out
Does anyone reach back
Or do they only see it
As some kind of an attack

What should be simple
Is actually quite confusing
Does anyone escape
Without a real bruising

Things always happen
They don't work out in bed
Always try to remember
She is not dead

Nobody