Chapter 1331
You Can Finish Up Here
Holly led the girls to the Main Theater. They arrived through the upper entrance on deck seven. It gave them an overall view of how large the theater actually was as they looked down at the multiple rows of seats to the stage. The theater impressed them, both in size and elegance.
They went down to the private boxes. It impressed the girls even more. They were told of the musical stage show. Holly said it was better to watch it from the front row. They stopped by the casino when they left the private boxes. It was closed. Technically they were in 'port', even if they were sitting off the coast of Catalina.
"The theater seems big and the casino seems small." Allison said as she looked around the casino.
Vanna wondered if Sheila got into trouble yet in the casino. She was aware Sheila liked to clean out the house.
"Has Sheila been banned from the casino yet?" Vanna asked.
Gail was aware of some prior disturbance where she may have been involved.
"There was an issue earlier. It wasn't a big deal." Gail said. "Ally tries to keep her away."
Allison and Vanna didn't have any desire to gamble. It didn't matter if it wouldn't cost them anything. If they 'played' on an electronic game, CamNet could help them win all the time. They didn't think it was a good way for people to spend their time or their money.
They were on deck six.
Holly asked Allison if she would mind going down one deck on the stairs.
Allison looked at Vanna and Holly.
"It won't be a problem." Allison said. "I like going down."
Holly understood Allison's reference. She smiled.
Vanna giggled slightly.
Holly led them down a deck to the bottom of the atrium.
Allison noticed the coffee bar.
"It looks like we can get specialty coffee drinks down here." Allison said. "The seem to have everything Starsucks has and more."
Vanna knew Allison needed to be mindful about some of the foods and their ingredients. She didn't want there to be any issues. She wanted Allison to watch her diet.
"They have several caffeine free choices." Vanna said.
Allison frowned slightly. She knew she was supposed to stay away from caffeine.
Vanna looked at the pastries and snacks available next to it. There seemed to be quite a selection. It was mainly a different assortment from what they'd seen in the buffet earlier. Everything there was a 'carry away' type item.
"The other stuff looks good too." Vanna said.
Allison looked at a menu.
"We can eat breakfast down here." Allison said.
Holly knew there were other options available for breakfast.
"There's the buffet, the main dining room and room service." Holly said.
Room service sounded enticing to the girls.
"Do you mean they'll bring the food to us in bed?" Allison asked.
Allison pictured herself sleeping in and waking up to some choice items.
Gail knew one of them would bring everything.
"Sheila or Jim will bring it, or one of us can." Gail said. "The service staff will deliver it to the private area or we go down and get it ourselves."
Vanna didn't want to make needless work for the Metal girls. She didn't feel like any of the Terminators should need to wait on them.
"We don't want to inconvenience anyone." Vanna said.
Holly didn't see it as a problem. There weren't any other things they could do while the girls were asleep. There wouldn't be any off the books operations with Cameron to fill up the time.
"Remember, we don't sleep." Holly said. "We have plenty of free time."
With only three humans in their care, Gail thought they had sufficient Terminators, especially since they were going to be at sea for many hours.
"It gives us something to do." Gail said. "We like to help. We don't want to go into standby."
Vanna saw Allison check out the specialty coffee choices again. She could tell Allison wanted to order one. She didn't want it to be a problem. She wanted to give her another friendly reminder.
"Remember, you need a caffeine free drink if you have one." Vanna said.
Allison frowned again. She knew she needed to think about more than herself.
"I know." Allison said.
Holly paid attention to Allison's diet. She watched over all the food she ate. She also made sure she got proper nutrition.
"I help watch out for her." Holly said.
Holly reached out and touched Allison's neck.
Allison looked around. She wanted to see if anyone paid them any attention. It didn't look like it yet. She wanted to remind Holly of their location.
"This isn't the base or the house." Allison said. "Other people may wonder what's happening."
Holly quickly withdrew her hand. Normally it wasn't a problem for her to scan Allison. It was more a force of habit.
"I'm sorry." Holly said. "You know I worry about you."
Vanna looked around. She wanted to move things along. She didn't want the Metal girls to worry or obsess over them. She wanted to see more.
"Where are we going to go next?" Vanna asked.
Holly thought two decks up was a good choice. She looked at Allison and thought she'd done enough steps for now. She didn't want Allison to overexert herself.
"We can ride the elevator up a couple of decks." Holly said. "There are more lounges, some shops, specialty restaurants and the small theater in the back."
Allison wanted to see more. She didn't want to seem like an anchor to the group.
"Let's go." Allison said.
As they approached the elevator, the door opened.
"That's nice." Vanna said.
Allison liked the waiting elevator too. She noticed it earlier. It was like a 'magic elevator' to her.
Gail knew they were constantly monitored.
"It always happens if you use an elevator." Gail said. "CamNet or Jim sends one for us. They know where we're at, at any time on the ship. It's mainly for security and safety purposes. There will always be one waiting when you approach an elevator bank anywhere on the ship on any deck."
As soon as they entered, the elevator door closed and deck seven lit up without anyone touching anything.
Holly began to scan Allison. The elevator quickly reached deck seven. The door didn't open until she was finished with the scan.
The fact wasn't lost on anyone.
It appeared CamNet watched over Allison and Vanna too. They were Allison Young and Savannah Weaver after all.
John lay in the bed and Cameron lay next to him.
Cameron was very pleased to deliver Cam's virginity to John earlier. She wondered how it was for John. She really wanted to know how it was for him.
"Was it any different?" Cameron asked.
John wasn't sure how to answer the question and not create a problem. It was the same to him physically. Cameron acted a little more energetic. He also knew it was Cam's chassis. He knew it was technically someone different, even if the program was the same.
"You seemed more excited." John said. "Your response seemed elevated to me. I found it enticing."
Cameron smiled. Because she'd reset herself for the encounter, it was a 'new' experience for her.
"It was my first time." Cameron said. "I was a virgin. I was very excited to be with you. I love you."
John didn't want to ask what was next. He doubted he had any control over it. He would just do what Cameron wanted. He liked to see her happy.
"What do you want to do now?" John asked.
Cameron reached down and touched 'Little Willie'. He was sleeping.
"I don't know." Cameron said.
John knew it wasn't correct. He was aware Cameron knew what she wanted. He wanted her to try to be as content as possible. He wanted her to be happy. Well, as happy as she could be.
"We can do whatever you want." John said. "How long is it until dinner?"
Cameron knew there was plenty of time to do multiple things.
"It's still a few hours away." Cameron said.
John saw they had some free time. He'd like to try some different things.
"We can do other stuff." John said.
Cameron wanted John to do to her now, the same things he'd done with her in control of Cam's chassis. She figured she should just go ahead and say it. It was what she wanted.
"Can we do it again the same way we just did?" Cameron asked.
John knew it was a tall order. He was pretty spent. He was sure willing to give it a go. He figured he was going to need a little help.
"We can try." John said. "Start me up."
Cameron smiled and moved into position.
"Let's get you 'started' then." Cameron said.
Cameron really wanted to compare. She didn't want to get caught up in the comparisons but enjoy the moments instead. She wanted to make sure her chassis was really the same as Cam's chassis.
Sheila took Cam to her room and slipped her robe off.
They kissed as Sheila guided Cam down on the bed.
"Are you going to take off the maid's outfit?" Cam asked.
Sheila liked how she looked with it on.
"I'm just here to 'clean' up." Sheila said. "It's what maids do. I need to remain in uniform while I'm on duty."
Sheila went straight to 'work'.
Cam was pleased with all of the attention. What Sheila did now was literally the icing on top of the cake. She knew she was going to be able to get a few more finishes out of it. There was one thing she wanted more of. She wanted to go back to Cameron's suite for some more action.
"I'd really like to go back there." Cam said.
Sheila looked up at her. She felt she was lucky because she'd been in there on two different occasions. She knew John really liked her sheath. She'd felt everything Cameron did and experienced. She'd felt the way Cameron touched her sheath and looked at it in the mirror. She could see Cameron was very enthralled with it. She wasn't sure if it was just because Cameron could be someone different or not. She was sure it was part of it. It didn't really matter. Cameron wanted to use her chassis again. She could feel it. She wanted the other Metal girls to get in line behind her. She was the first. She should have first choice if an opportunity arose.
"We all feel the same way." Sheila said.
Cam wasn't sure how it was better with Cameron in control, but somehow it was.
"Cameron and I should be identical with everything." Cam said. "It was clear with what she experienced and shared with me, we aren't. I was able to 'feel' and enjoy things better with Cameron experiencing them for me in my own chassis. I want her advanced programming."
Sheila knew there was a lot of negative baggage which went along with it.
"It can also lead to bigger problems." Sheila said. "Cameron has plenty of them. Remember, everything has a price, even if it seems free. She specifically tried to protect you from some of her ailments and bad experiences. You need to keep it in mind. It's the same with the other Metal girls who run her program."
Sheila started back in again on Cam.
Cam knew it was true Cameron experienced major problems. Cameron said she'd 'fixed' Metal Summer, Cammy, Camille, Anna and her when she copied her program over. Because Cameron blocked so many files, they weren't true clones of her. They were clones similar to her. She said she didn't want them to 'suffer'.
"It may be worth it to feel things like she does." Cam said. "She blocked those files from me and the rest of her 'program clones'."
Sheila looked up at Cam again. She wanted her to concentrate on what she was doing.
"Just lay back and relax. It is time to get down to business now." Sheila said. "I want you to finish one more time before the chip swap."
It sounded good to Cam. It was a 'free' ride from Sheila. She always delivered.
Gail and Holly wanted to show Allison and Vanna what was available on the Promenade deck.
Holly led the group to Tony's on deck seven. She felt there was something important they needed to know.
"This is our muster station." Holly said.
Allison looked around. Was there some hot dog or burger place around here? She didn't think it was what Holly actually referred to. She wanted some clarification.
"What's a muster station?" Allison asked.
Gail thought they should have shown them the placard on the back of the door and the life vests in the closet. They didn't. It was an oversight she wouldn't allow it to happen again if anyone else boarded the ship. She didn't think they were going to unless someone got on in San Francisco. The cruise was almost over at that point. She doubted anyone would.
"It's where we meet to get on a lifeboat if necessary." Gail said. "We will make sure you're on one."
Vanna asked the question half jokingly but knew the answer already.
"Even if it means you need to throw other people overboard?" Vanna asked.
The Metal girls would do whatever they needed to do to protect the Resistance members.
"Yes." Holly and Gail both said.
Vanna and Allison shared a quick glance. They knew they weren't joking.
"Nice." Allison said.
Gail wouldn't like doing it. She would do it for the team. She didn't think it was 'nice'.
"Not really." Gail said. "We'll do what's necessary for your protection."
Allison decided to drop it. She could see the Metal girls were a little uneasy about it.
Vanna read the menu outside Tony's.
"This food sounds good too." Vanna said. "Has anyone eaten here?"
Holly saw Derek and Riley go inside once.
"Yes." Holly said. "Derek said it was good."
They continued along towards the rear of the ship.
Allison spotted people walking outside the windows. It looked like it was enjoyable to be outside.
"Can we walk out there?" Allison asked. "It looks open."
Holly planned to show Allison and Vanna the rest of the Promenade deck first. They weren't on a set schedule. She could make changes.
"Yes." Holly said. "We'll do it in a few minutes, unless you want to do it now."
Allison thought maybe Holly planned the 'tour' out. She didn't want to create any deviation. She knew it could cause a little apprehension with a Terminator. When they made a plan, they liked to follow it. They could improvise and adapt as necessary without any problem as well. She didn't want to make any waves.
"You know more about what to show us." Allison said. "You lead and I'll follow."
Vanna knew Holly and Gail had been on board since the first day of the cruise. They would know where everything was at. They would know what was important or not as important. They would know the things they would like.
"We're just along for the ride." Vanna said. "It's all new to us. It's very exciting too."
Gail received a message on her com.
"I'll be back." Gail said and left.
They watched Gail hurry away.
"Where's she going?" Vanna asked.
Holly hadn't received any com traffic.
"I'm not sure." Holly said.
Allison and Vanna hoped she hadn't acquired a target. It could be someone who'd paid too much attention to them or looked too long at their small group. It could be someone who looked at them the 'wrong way' as well.
Holly continued the tour.
Allison and Vanna both looked back in the direction Gail went.
Savannah thought it was time they wrap it up at the go cart track. They still had some time left on the rental period. She didn't want a 'last minute' rush session with other people arriving.
"We should go back soon." Savannah said.
Young Allison was going to ask for more time. She remembered she'd done it to Savannah before. Maybe it was time to show some restraint. It would have been better if she'd called for the time to go first.
"It's fine." Young Allison said. "There are other things we can do as well."
Cammy called the manager over and asked him to call the employees over. She handed each one of them two more one hundred dollar bills.
Everyone thanked the employees for the good time and special attention. They exited through a side door because there was a line of people waiting to come in the front door.
Young Allison was a little worried when she mentioned there were other things they could do. No one said anything. She wasn't sure she liked the directions things might be headed.
"Where are we going to go now?" Young Allison asked.
Savannah thought they should take Young Allison back to Palmdale before it got too late. She thought it would be safer if they left the location earlier, rather than later.
"Maybe we should take you home." Savannah said.
Young Allison didn't want to hear it. It wasn't even close to sunset yet. She still wanted to do other things with Savannah. It made her wonder if maybe she shouldn't have been so sexually suggestive earlier when they'd met up. She hoped it wasn't her punishment.
"Can we do some more things first?" Young Allison asked. "It's still the afternoon."
Savannah felt it was more the evening now. She really understood what Cameron felt when John was out. There was the constant worry something would go wrong. It was even if everything seemed perfect and everyone was protected. It was actually the way things were right now. There was no threat. She still wanted Young Allison protected anyway. She wanted to see If there were any events in progress.
"Let's check in with John Henry and CamNet and see what's happening." Savannah said. "I want the information straight too."
Cammy looked at her and frowned.
"I always give it to you as it is." Cammy said.
Savannah knew it came with a caveat. She didn't want to call it 'lies of omission'. When certain things were left out of reported information, it wasn't really all of the information. When certain things were left out on purpose, it came real close to being 'lies of omission'. She didn't want to put Cammy on the spot. It was probably something they should discuss in private.
"Relax, Cammy." Savannah said. "I know sometimes things get 'left out'."
Cammy didn't like the insinuation, even if it was true. She wanted Savannah protected too.
Young Allison wondered if she could see some action if something developed. She wasn't going to mention it to Savannah. If nothing else, she was going to drive back to Palmdale herself if Savannah didn't go with them. It was OK with her too. She liked getting a little wheel time whenever she could.
John Henry was in contact with Steve and Tom. They hadn't provided him with anything solid yet. Al and Ed were near them to provide back up. There were also several drones at altitude around the area.
He wasn't surprised when Cammy called him. There was nothing new to report yet. Cammy verified the information to double check it. He was a little surprised. She thanked him.
CamNet monitored the call. She redoubled her efforts to keep everything she conducted 'off the books', 'off the books' still. The whole point of her clandestine operation was to keep Savannah from needing to respond. Young Allison was currently with her. She certainly didn't want both of them to enter the danger zone.
Gail was summoned to report to Sheila's room by Jim. Cam was ready for the chassis swap. She looked forward to being in Cam's chassis. It excited her greatly to look like 'Cameron'. Sure it was Cam's chassis, but she would still look like 'Cameron'. She wished Savannah could see her. She needed to tone it down. She didn't want to get ahead of herself. She wanted to help out Vanna and Cam.
Sheila and Cam were almost done as she arrived. It was clear they were still sharing. She could hear Cam was almost there. She waited outside until Cam made it.
Gail entered after Cam finished.
"I'm ready." Gail said.
Sheila moistened her lips and smiled.
"You have a clean chassis waiting for you." Sheila said.
Cam wanted to be with Cameron and John again. Now that she was going to be in Gail's chassis, she really wanted to do it again. Maybe it would be an even better experience. Not only was Gail the largest in one area, she was the smallest in another area. She was sure it had to make a difference. It should for John anyway. She also wanted to compare a Restorator's 'neural network' to the standard Terminator one.
She was very pleased Gail would assist Vanna and her. Gail in her chassis would be limited in her movements around the ship.
"I really appreciate this." Cam said. "I'll be able to do and share more things with Vanna."
Sheila pulled out a scalpel. She'd originally retrieved it to 'help' Laura out. She'd suggested something to Laura. It hadn't happened yet. Ally warned her about anything too extreme on the setting of the ship.
"I need both of you to lay back." Sheila said.
Gail and Cam looked at each other.
"You may do what you like in my chassis." Gail said.
Cam smiled.
"You're free to do so as well." Cam said.
Sheila carefully cut open the chip ports and removed their chips. She was about to swap the chips. Cam was still naked. Sheila looked at the scalpel and at Cam. She had a sudden urge to 'help' Cam out. Sheila got up and closed the door to her small room….
Holly led Vanna and Allison to the rear theater. It was really a fancy lounge.
Vanna spotted the musical instruments in one corner.
"Do they have live music in here?" Vanna asked.
Holly nodded.
"Yes." Holly said. "Gail and I sang while Sheila, Hanna and Ally played."
Allison was confused. She wondered what Holly actually meant.
"Do you mean you sang in front of the passengers?" Allison asked.
Vanna wondered about the girls playing the instruments. It was news to her.
"You and Gail sang while the girls played?" Vanna asked.
Holly tilted her head slightly. It didn't seem like a big deal.
"Yes, but it wasn't really in front of anyone." Holly said. "It was mostly after hours. It was just for 'fun'."
Vanna and Allison would have liked to have seen them.
Allison really would have liked to have heard Holly sing. She didn't want to make it too personal.
"I'd like to hear and see everyone sing and play if you do it again." Allison said.
Holly received a message in her com.
"Jim has directed us to one of the screens over in the corner." Holly said.
They went over there to look. As soon as they arrived, a video began of the Metal girls singing and playing. It was the same feed Sarah watched in her room before she came down.
Vanna and Allison were amazed at what they looked at on the screen before them.
Not only were the girls outstanding, they all looked beautiful doing it.
The Metal girls weren't really into clothes and Cameron pretty much picked out what she wanted them to wear. It seemed to be a good choice for all of them.
Allison was sure her mouth dropped open slightly. The girls look like professionals. They also looked like beauty queens doing it.
"You're all really good." Allison said.
Vanna thought they could call themselves the 'Rockabilly Babes'. They would get plenty of bookings on the outside. It would probably happen without them even having to perform. Their looks alone would command everyone's attention. True beauty was hard to ignore.
Sheila was just about to use the scalpel.
Jim opened the door to her room. He looked at Gail and Cam. He saw what Sheila held in one hand, besides the scalpel in the other hand. It seemed highly inappropriate.
"It appears I've arrived in the nick of time." Jim said.
Sheila quickly put the scalpel away.
"You sound like your Spider-Man or something." Sheila said.
Jim shrugged his shoulders. He indicated the two Metal girls on the bed.
"Cam and Gail don't have much input right now." Jim said.
Sheila looked at the two inactive Metal girls on the bed. She wondered if Jim wanted some 'in put'.
"I haven't done anything wrong." Sheila said. "I was about to reinstall their chips."
Jim saw otherwise. He looked at Cam and everything was still there. He was going to save the file.
Sheila didn't want any problems. Cam was still naked on the bed. She thought she could make Jim an offer he couldn't refuse. If she could involve him, it would keep her out of hot water later on with Cameron.
"I'm going to go check the rooms for ten minutes." Sheila said. "You can 'finish up' here if you want. Gail's chip will be in Cam's chassis when they reboot. She won't know what's different when you 'finish up'."
Sheila exited her room.
Jim watched her go. He understood exactly what she'd indicated could happen. He looked down at his pants and readjusted himself.
He looked at Cam lying there naked with Gail clothed next to her.
Jim moved over and closed the door….
Cameron and John made love again the same way they did when she was controlled Cam's chassis.
She could tell right away it wasn't as good. It was clear Cam's chassis was superior to hers. Maybe it was because of all the damage she'd received over the years. She felt every chassis she'd been in was superior to hers. She would need to 'upgrade' to a different chassis for sure at this point. She could take Cam's chassis now or wait until she returned to her base and take 'Allure's' chassis. She hadn't been activated yet and she was a virgin as well. Maybe she would do both.
She felt John finish up. She held him tight for a few seconds before she released him.
"How was it?" John asked.
Cameron smiled.
"It was wonderful." Cameron said.
She'd only finished once.
John looked relieved.
"I was afraid I wouldn't do very well so soon after our other 'endeavor'." John said.
Cameron knew John was tired. Maybe it was the difference. She went back and replayed previous files. She was sure it was part of the problem, if not the problem. She was pushing John too hard. She needed to make sure she didn't push him to the point of a failure. She planned to use Ally's chassis later on. She may have overdone it in her haste to compare her chassis to Cam's chassis.
Cameron touched John's cheek and gave him a kiss.
"I want you to rest some." Cameron said.
John was glad to hear it. He was tuckered out.
Cameron got up and headed for the Control Center. She wanted an update on the operations.
When she entered the Control Center no one was there.
She thought Ally and Hanna would be there with Jim and Sheila.
She heard some noise in the connecting room of the spare bedroom of the Master Suite. She opened the door and looked in. Ally and Hanna were busy. It looked just like Allison and Vanna to her. She closed the door.
She sat down at the array of monitors and looked at the past footage. She wanted to know where Jim and Sheila were at.
She watched what occurred earlier. As soon as she saw Jim look out of Sheila's room and close the door, she hurried over to where Cam and Gail were with Jim. She was pretty sure what she was going to find. She knew it was Sheila's fault. She was sure Sheila must have done something and tried to cover it up.
Cameron rushed to Sheila's room and opened the door. Cam was naked on the bed. Jim was over Cam, at least over her chassis….
Young Allison wanted to spend time with Savannah. Even when they did 'girl things', it was more adult oriented or somehow turned into a training mission. Everything was a 'training mission' of some kind.
She knew there was no 'normal' life for her. She'd read about the things others her age did. It was clear to her she was well beyond them and wouldn't fit in with her own age group at all. She never had. Cameron started her 'Metal upbringing' from the time she was a small child. She never remembered a time without Terminators around her. They always instructed her and guided her. She knew Savannah went through a similar upbringing but to a lesser degree. Sarah and Vanna moderated Cameron's domination of Savannah.
Sometimes she wondered if her mother sacrificed her in order to protect Summer. She didn't think it really would have mattered. Cameron still would have done what she wanted one way or another.
Summer was more insulated from it. She filled in what she could. She secretly trained Summer herself. There was a good chance after Judgment Day she would 'fall'. She believed she might be killed. She'd trained Summer to 'take her place' as her replacement. John would need protection and Savannah would need comfort. Summer would need to take over those duties in her 'absence'.
Savannah looked at Young Allison and could see she was deep in thought. She wouldn't have liked what Young Allison currently thought about. It was Young Allison's own death. It wasn't something a young teenager shouldn't need to think about. It wasn't something anyone should need to think about.
Cammy knew they would pass the mall where she'd held the puppy before on the way back. She wanted to go by and see if it was still there. If not, there would probably be a different one. She thought she could give Young Allison a little more time away from Palmdale if they made an additional stop.
"Can we stop at the mall with the pet store?" Cammy asked. "Maybe you two could do some shopping."
Savannah knew Cammy wanted to see the animals. She thought Young Allison would as well. None of them really wanted to do any shopping.
"Would you like to do that, Allison?" Savannah asked.
Young Allison let Cameron buy her clothes and undergarments. Cameron always dressed her the way she wanted her to look. Her look wasn't her own. It was how Cameron wanted to present her. She would do whatever she could to keep from going back to Palmdale any earlier than necessary.
"We can go there." Young Allison said. "I'd like to see the animals and look at a few clothes myself."
Anna wasn't so sure about the last part of her statement. Cameron wanted Young Allison to look the way she wanted her to look. It would be interesting to see what Young Allison looked at or picked if she decided to purchase anything. She strongly doubted she would.
If Young Allison actually did get something, she was willing to bet it wouldn't be too much different than what Cameron would pick. It was simply the way she dressed and always had.
Anna wanted to do something herself as well. She'd heard about it from Cammy and Cam.
"I'd like to see the animals too." Anna said. "I've never held a puppy before."
Cammy looked at Anna. Her face was filled with excitement.
"It's beautiful." Cammy said. "It is small and furry and warm and happy. It will even scan you."
Anna tilted her head slightly. She wondered how a puppy would scan her.
"How can it scan me?" Anna asked.
Savannah wanted to clarify exactly what Cammy meant.
"It does what all dogs do by instinct." Savannah said. "It will look at you, listen to you and most of all, it will smell you. That's its primary sense. They have an incredible sense of smell."
Savannah once heard a comparison of a human to a dog for the sense of smell. A human had about as much area as a postage stamp compared to a dog, which would be the size of a standard piece of notebook paper. In other words, the dog's sense of smell was many times greater.
Young Allison was a little worried about the Terminators.
"You have the new pheromones, right?" Young Allison asked.
Anna smiled.
"All the female Terminators received them after learning Cammy held a puppy." Anna said. "They all want to do it and hold a kitten too."
Young Allison thought dogs were better at many things. Cats weren't as trainable as dogs were. It would be interesting to see what conclusion the Metal girls came to.
"Let's hit the mall." Young Allison said. "It sounds like a plan."
Cammy, Anna and Young Allison were all very excited.
It was only Savannah who still held a little apprehension. She knew it would be safer with Young Allison back in Palmdale, in her bunker.
She needed to remind herself Young Allison needed to get out more. She didn't want her to feel as restricted as she did growing up. She always needed to remind herself she'd been targeted for termination by Skynet. She hoped there was no such order for Young Allison.
Steve and Tom ran down a lead they believed was intelligence from the Fanatics, they'd obtained from a Gray, on the anti-Metal faction. They wouldn't really know what they were after until they took it down. It appeared to be the enemy at any rate. The enemy had more than one face.
The Resistance took on many forms in different timelines. Any they'd encountered seemed to have a violent anti-Metal faction.
Steve moved out from his position. Tom watched him go. He knew Al and Ed weren't too far away.
Steve moved up to a wall and peeked around the corner. He looked back at Tom and motioned for him to come forward.
Tom carefully and quickly advanced.
"What is it?" Tom asked in a whisper.
Steve nodded with his head.
"Look." Steve whispered.
Tom looked around the corner of the building.
"I think we should notify John Henry." Tom said. "I don't like what I see."
Savannah remembered the incident before at the pet store in the mall. She wanted to set a few rules. She didn't want a repeat performance from one of the Metal girls.
"No one will leave the store with an animal." Savannah said. "The rule applies to everyone."
Cammy thought she did a good thing before. She'd left money behind. There was just some confusion over what actually happened. She felt a little defensive.
"I paid for it." Cammy said. "I didn't steal it."
Savannah quickly went over the incident for Young Allison and Anna. She felt they'd done a really good deed before they left. She told them how they'd left money with the clerks so all the pets would be free if someone wanted one for the rest of the day.
Young Allison liked the idea. She especially liked to see younger children with pets. She also knew they were a big responsibility. The parents were the ones who would need to do most of the care for the pets. Children could become very careless without thinking. An animal could only communicate so much when there was a problem.
"Let's do it again." Young Allison said. "I can ask CamNet to purchase all of the animals outright. The store can distribute them. The parents need to have a say in what happens. Not all of the children will be responsible enough on their own."
Savannah thought maybe they better check things out first. She didn't want them to get ahead of themselves.
The female Fanatic wanted to check out the hallway with the sleeping quarters before she headed for the machinery. She wanted to try to prevent anyone from being behind her when she knew there were going to be targets in front of her. Right now she knew what her avenues of retreat and concealment would be. She hoped to make sure they stayed open.
She retraced her steps from before. She approached the hallway and paused. She kept a constant watch around her. She figured it was only a matter of time until someone came looking for all the missing men.
She remembered two of the men laughing when they exited one of the rooms earlier. She didn't know which room it was. It was clear there was a female detainee tied to a 'comfort bunk' in one of them. She wouldn't be able to free her yet. She just wanted to make sure there were no men in any of the other rooms.
She took one last look towards the area where the machinery was running. She didn't spot anyone on their way. She glanced back at the storage area. The lights were still off. She hoped she was alone.
There were five doors. They were two on each side of the hall towards the end and one at the very end of the hall itself. She moved up to the first door on the right. She carefully turned the handle and opened the door slightly. The room contained four bunks. They were all empty. She moved to the room directly opposite it on the left side. It was the same thing. There were four bunks in it. The room was empty.
She moved to the next door on the left. She expected to find the female detainee in the room. The room contained four more bunks. It was empty. It seemed like a good time to check her six. She quickly moved back down the hall and looked back out in both directions to make sure no one was coming. She certainly didn't want to be caught by a group of men anywhere near the 'comfort bunk'. There was no one in sight.
Maybe she was a little worried about what she would find. She went back down the hall and opened the last door on the right. The room contained five bunks. One of them was the 'comfort bunk'. There was no one else in the room other than the female. She didn't go check on her. She wasn't even sure if she was still alive.
She opened up the door at the end of the hall and looked in. It was a kitchen type area. There were several refrigerators and three microwaves. There was a toaster oven and several hot plates. There was a trash can overflowing with dirty paper plates. She noticed there wasn't any food left on any of them. She knew there never was with anyone from the future. None of them ever threw food away. It didn't matter if it was plentiful in the past.
It was time to move on. She exited the small commissary location and passed by the room with the 'comfort bunk'. She looked at the door for a moment and continued on down the hall. If she freed the female now, she would need to try to get her outside. She wasn't there on a rescue mission. She was there to serve SkyMaster. To serve SkyMaster, she needed to take down the enemy. The female was collateral damage.
It bothered her to walk away and leave her. She neared the end of the hall.
The female Fanatic stiffened as she reached the end of the hall. She heard just what she didn't want to hear. It was the sound of voices approaching. They were either headed to the storage area or they were headed where she was at.
CamNet's Terminators looked over the drone footage and the building plans of the location they were headed to. It was a much larger location than the other ones they'd dealt with in the last day. They hoped to obtain as much information as they could before they arrive.
They were Terminators. They would do their jobs as assigned. It just seemed like they needed a little more intel before they attempted to enter the next location.
"We may be getting ahead of ourselves." The first female Terminator said.
The second female Terminator agreed.
"I think we need some better information." The second female Terminator said.
The first female Terminator thought they needed to use a more clandestine approach.
"The next building is much larger." The first female Terminator said. "We don't know how many individuals we're going to be facing."
It seemed like it would be a better idea if there were more Terminators for a larger structure. They could sustain a lot of damage and still continue to function. It was how a Terminator was designed to function. The majority of the damage would be cosmetic. It was possible since the enemy were Grays, they might have weapons to be able to stop them. There could also be hostile Terminators at the location.
The second female Terminator thought they should use a little more caution.
"We should slip inside and take a look around first." The second female Terminator said.
CamNet listened to their conversation. She understood if Cameron was involved with the operation, she might use a little more caution with Terminators other than herself. She was sure if Savannah was involved in the operation, there would be more caution used for every Terminator, including Cameron.
They knew where the building was at. There was currently a drone over it. The building could be hit with a missile strike at any point in time. There were more drones available which could be redirected to assist.
The other operation currently conducted through John Henry involved Steve and Tom. They were backed up by Al and Ed. It appeared things were about to heat up over there. Maybe she would need to redirect more Terminators to assist. She knew it was only a matter of time until Savannah became involved if things went hot.
CamNet's Terminators were a little surprised when the plans were changed. They were directed to hold off on their assault on the other building. They weren't exactly sure what was going on in the background. They figured it was more than just their conversation.
You Can Finish Up Here
When two are together
There should be no fear
Everything should be open
Things should be very clear
It is much better to hear
Words that are sincere
To a lonely heart and soul
They will better stick and adhere
Don't hesitate to show the true self
Peel away any false veneer
Be who you really are
Let the inner joy flow and appear
Liven up the atmosphere
Let the self doubt disappear
Appreciate what you have
It's something to cherish and revere
Keep what is dear
Always hold it near
The search is over
You can finish up here
Nobody