Chapter 1333
I've Been Around
Tom closed up on the spot where they saw the four people enter a building. They carried with what appeared to be a deactivated Terminator. The Terminator came from somewhere. They wanted to know from where. They didn't know if it was captured or part of their group and disabled in a battle somewhere.
Steve was behind him and covered their six as they moved forward.
They were at the back of a building where they could see the door of what looked like a warehouse. It was where they'd carried the Terminator into.
There hadn't been any vehicle traffic for awhile and none of it went into either building they'd taken under observation.
"Where did they carry the Terminator from?" Steve asked.
There was a van nearby. It wasn't in the direction the people came from. There weren't many choices.
"Maybe it was the van over there." Tom said.
Steve wondered if they'd walked into the middle of something again. There could be something happening right in front of them.
"What if they just captured him?" Steve asked. "Maybe this is an operation by another group."
If the people with the Terminator were the anti-Metal faction, were they dealing with Grays or Fanatics too? Maybe it was both of them. It wouldn't be the first time.
"Maybe we need to rethink this." Tom said.
John Henry provided them with welcome news.
"You now have a drone overhead." John Henry said.
They figured the drone support was probably thanks to Young Allison. Maybe it would give them a clue.
"Do you have footage of where they brought the Terminator from?" Tom asked.
Based on the current drone footage, all John Henry could do was make an assumption.
"No." John Henry said. "They must have carried him from another building or a vehicle parked inside of another building."
Steve and Tom were worried about the scope of the operation and who all the players were.
"Maybe this operation is a little bigger than we first thought." Steve said. "We're dealing with more than one building now if it's the case."
It seemed caution was in order with the new development to John Henry.
"I think you need to fall back for now." John Henry said. "This was to be a recon. It's a solid hit. We need to find out more."
It was the fact they carried a Terminator from somewhere which bothered Tom.
"I want to know where they got the Terminator." Tom said.
John Henry didn't want them to go 'Cameron' on him. He wanted to give them a reminder which put everything into perspective.
"You'd better use caution or they are going to have two more." John Henry said.
Steve didn't want things to get carried away. They needed to know more. There was no need to force the issue.
"Affirmative…." Steve said
Steve and Tom left some surveillance equipment and pulled back.
Al and Ed did the same.
There was clearly more going on there than met the eye.
Holly led the group back inside the interior of the ship.
Allison liked it better inside without the brisk wind. Maybe it was because she hadn't been expecting it. As soon as they went back inside, the cool wind was gone.
"This is much better in here." Allison said.
Vanna kind of liked the fresh air. It seemed free of most of the pollutants around the city.
"It wasn't so bad." Vanna said. "It was a little cool, that's all."
Holly headed towards the elevators.
Allison liked how they opened on their own for them.
"Do we get to ride in the 'magic elevator' again?" Allison asked.
As they neared the elevator, the door opened.
"I guess it answers your question." Vanna said.
They entered the elevator and it went down two floors.
The group exited into the foyer of the main dining room.
Vanna and Allison looked around.
"Is this where we'll eat at?" Allison asked.
Holly looked at the lounge area where she'd waited with Gail before.
"No." Holly said. "You'll eat inside the dining room."
Allison and Vanna looked at each other. They knew they would.
Gail-Cam spotted the menu on the wall.
"Here's what they will serve tonight." Gail-Cam said.
The girls moved over to check out the menu.
Allison noticed a bunch of names which didn't seem to have much meaning.
"I don't even know what a lot of those names are. At least they have a description, sort of." Allison said.
Holly laid out a food plan for them
"You may each choose two entrées." Holly said. "Cam and I will get one for each of you and you can all share and try four different things. It also conceals the fact we're not eating. It was easier when Derek and Kyle were here. They ate a lot. Remember, on the ship if you don't like something, you can leave it and find something you do like. You need to forget about the hard times of the past - your future. You need to enjoy your vacation. Cameron wants you to try new things. You don't have many chances to do so most of the time. On the ship, you do"
Gail-Cam understood it too.
"This is about having a good time and doing things you don't normally do." Gail-Cam said. "The Metal girls all told me of the 'fun' things they have been able to experience. We like to do different things too, even if we can do the same thing for years at a time. A little variety is nice for everyone."
Allison looked at the closed doors to the main dining room.
"How do we get in?" Allison asked.
Holly received a message on her com.
"It will be with a little help from our friends." Holly said.
The doors to the dining room opened. Bob was there.
"I've been waiting for you." Bob said.
The girls checked the immediate area. No one else was around.
"Hi, Bob." Allison and Vanna both said.
They both gave him a hug.
Bob looked at Holly and handed her some small containers.
"This is some medicine if the girls, or John, needs it tonight or tomorrow." Bob said. "The ship has to make good time against the current. It may be rougher than it has been."
Holly took the medicine from Bob. She gave one packet to Gail-Cam for Vanna. She had one for Cameron to give to John as well.
"Thank you, Bob." Allison said.
Bob smiled.
"Holly can show you around the dining room." Bob said. "I need to return to make sure the ship is ready to leave."
Bob took off.
Allison thought all they needed to do was raise the anchor and go. She knew everything came with complications.
Holly led the group inside and showed them their table. Holly noted there were still extra place settings available to them. She was sure Cameron planned to bring more people aboard. It wouldn't be until San Francisco at this point.
Vanna and Allison took in the beauty and grandeur of the two level dining room.
"This place is magnificent." Vanna said.
Allison hadn't even been to a fancy restaurant like this on land. The fact it was on a ship, made it even more amazing.
"It's beautiful." Allison said.
Holly wanted them to know there were a few options open to them.
"You can eat breakfast in here, or in the buffet, or have room service." Holly said. "The same applies for lunch tomorrow."
Vanna liked the menu at the Italian place too.
"Can we eat at Tony's one time?" Vanna asked. "I saw some things I liked."
Holly didn't see a problem with it, as long as it wasn't tonight.
"I think it can be arranged." Holly said. "Tonight we'll eat here."
Vanna was worried about the rest of the team.
"What about the other Metal girls?" Vanna asked. "Will they join us at all?"
Gail-Cam didn't think so. She didn't want too many 'look a likes' concentrated in one area.
"It will be best if they remain in the Control Center or share with each other." Gail-Cam said.
Vanna and Allison didn't like the idea. They wanted them to be able to go out and do things. They would mention it to Cameron or John. They didn't know Summer felt even stronger than they did about it. Summer made it clear to everyone the Terminators were to be treated the same as the humans. It didn't matter if they 'ate' or not. It was the fellowship and sharing which mattered. It was the sense of inclusion and everyone was equal.
Holly concluded the tour of the main dining room. She led them back into the foyer and the elevator bank.
Allison looked towards the elevator bank and smiled.
"It's time for the 'magic elevator' again." Allison said.
The elevator door opened as they approached.
"There it is." Vanna said.
The group entered.
"Where do we go now?" Allison asked.
Holly wanted them to see the view from the sky lounge in the daytime.
"We will go up to the sky lounge." Holly said.
Allison liked the name. It was descriptive.
"What's up there besides the sky?" Allison asked jokingly.
Vanna joked back.
"A lounge." Vanna said.
Holly wanted them to know it was a location for them to check out later on.
Vanna thought it would be an interesting place
"It has a nice view in the daytime and a swinger's party at night." Holly said.
It sounded intriguing to Allison.
"What are we waiting for?" Allison asked.
Holly wanted to move things along.
"Nothing." Holly said.
The door closed. The elevator went up to the sky lounge.
Cameron explained to Cam-Gail what she wanted to do with Cam's chassis and herself with John. It would be much like what was done with Hanna before. This time it wouldn't be just for fun. It would involve actual testing. She figured Gail would be more likely to do the testing than Cam would have been.
Cam-Gail was willing to do it. She wanted to do it 'normal' one time first. She too wanted to see how Cam's chassis compared to her chassis with Cameron in control of both of them.
John was up for the challenge. There was still over an hour left from the benefit of the medicine he didn't know he was given by Cameron.
"I just want to make sure about all this." John said. "It's what everyone wants, and Cam is good with Gail and you using her chassis like this."
Since Cameron already gave the virginity of Cam's chassis to John, she didn't see it as a problem.
"It is." Cameron said.
John looked at Cam-Gail. He hoped for a better answer.
Cam-Gail didn't see anything as a problem. She simply went over what the arrangement was.
"I spoke with Cam and we agreed we could use each other's chassis the way we would use our own and stay within our group for partners." Cam-Gail said. "There's to be no interaction with males except the General."
John wasn't sure if she was serious or not with her last statement. Since Cameron didn't comment on it, he let it slide.
Cameron handed John the tether. She really wanted to get things started.
"We're ready if you are." Cameron said.
John plugged the tether into Cam-Gail and then into Cameron.
Cameron smiled at him and moved over to her normal spot and covered herself over.
Cam-Gail stood by the bed and watched her. She was very happy to look like Cameron.
John saw Cam-Gail's eyes close and open.
Cam-Gail was now controlled by Cameron, she looked at John.
"Well?" Cam-Gail-Cameron asked.
John moved next to her and prepared to pick her up.
"Our wedding night again?" John asked.
Cam-Gail-Cameron smiled at John
"It's the way I like it." Cam-Gail-Cameron said.
Cameron reset her files. It would be her 'first experience' – again.
Savannah went over and 'supervised' Young Allison, Cammy and Anna as they looked at and held many of the animals. She really didn't want any of them to get carried away. She was most worried about the Metal girls.
She talked to the manager before she joined them. She slipped her a hundred dollar bill as a tip and asked for her to accommodate them.
The manager was a little irritated before. She now happily showed them any animal they wanted to see. She even made a few suggestions of her own.
It didn't take them long to go through all the animals. Savannah told Young Allison she needed to wash her hands after touching so many animals.
Cammy and Anna were the only ones to touch the reptiles or amphibians. Young Allison and Savannah stuck with the furry ones.
Young Allison noticed two teenage looking girls outside the window watch them look at the animals. They now watched Cammy.
Cammy took out a wad of cash and gave the manager a few thousand dollars. She put the roll of cash back into her pocket. She told the manager the money was to pay for as many of the animals as possible that would be sold for the rest of the day. She gave her a phone number and said her 'manager' would cover the rest of the cost over the amount if it was needed. It was a 'drop number' to CamNet.
Young Allison was very pleased with the decision.
Savannah stressed Young Allison needed to wash her hands. Cammy and Anna wanted to as well.
They left the pet store and the four of them entered the restroom by the food court. It was just down the hall.
The two teenage girls followed them in there when they'd entered. They were somewhere between Savannah's age and Anna's current age appearance.
Cammy and Anna looked at the two girls with the stern look of a Terminator.
They didn't like them.
Cammy scanned the two girls visually through several vision spectrums. She saw they both carried knives and what appeared to be drug paraphernalia. They were obviously future Scavenger types. They appeared to be a little more than petty crooks. It was possible they were part of a local gang. It didn't appear to be their first time to 'case' someone.
The two groups looked at each other but didn't communicate.
Savannah quickly picked up on the apprehension by the Metal girls. She expected there to be some type of altercation but it didn't happen. Their group washed their hands and left.
The two girls were still in the restroom.
Cammy stopped once they exited.
"I need to dry my hands better. You three go on." Cammy said. "I'll be back."
Cammy turned to reenter the bathroom.
Savannah grabbed her arm. She knew Cammy well enough to know what was coming next.
"There will be no terminations in the bathroom." Savannah said.
Cammy looked a little anxious.
"I didn't like the way they looked at you." Cammy said. "They're future Scavengers. They were armed with weapons."
Young Allison stood next to Savannah.
"I can take care of them." Young Allison said. "They only carried knives."
Anna scanned them too and knew they did. Young Allison didn't have the same ability.
"How do you know they were armed?" Anna asked.
Young Allison looked at Savannah.
"I saw them touch where the knives were." Young Allison said. "They thought about robbing us."
Cammy wondered how she made the determination.
"How do you know that?" Cammy asked. "I just didn't like the way they looked at Savannah."
Now Cammy really wanted to Terminate them.
Young Allison had them pegged when they saw the cash Cammy carried.
"I could just tell." Young Allison said. "It was only because there were four of us they didn't jump us. The 'stone faced' Terminator looks helped dissuade them."
Cammy and Anna quickly looked at each other. They didn't know they looked like 'stone faced' Terminators when they detected the threat. It was their natural appearance.
Savannah hadn't caught everything Young Allison seemed to have picked up. She felt bad about it. Apparently Cammy and Anna didn't catch it all either.
Savannah stopped at the food court. She asked for some change for a dollar bill.
Anna wondered why Savannah needed coins.
"What's the money for?" Anna asked. "You didn't purchase anything."
Savannah smiled.
"I'll show you when we pass by." Savannah said.
Anna tilted her head slightly. She didn't know what Savannah meant.
Savannah laid the change out on the side of the fountain when they reached it.
"Maybe someone will make a wish." Savannah said.
Cammy remembered her time at the wishing well. Her wishes were answered.
"I made some wishes and they came true." Cammy said.
Cammy touched the location of her heart without thinking about it.
They passed the pet store again.
They saw a small boy with the Husky. He was now the proud owner.
Anna felt a little distressed.
"I liked the Husky puppy." Anna said. "It liked me too."
Young Allison didn't want Anna to worry about it.
"Now it will have a good home." Young Allison said.
The boy and his father thanked the manager for the 'free' puppy.
The four of them were about to exit the mall.
Young Allison checked their six.
"We've been targeted." Young Allison said.
The girls instantly became alert.
Savannah didn't want to turn around and tip their hand.
"What is it?" Savannah asked.
Young Allison knew the girls stocking them probably called for reinforcements.
"It's those girls from the restroom." Young Allison said. "They're following us and talking on their phones."
It seemed like normal behavior to Savannah. Maybe they should find out for sure if they could.
"Can you hear them, Cammy?" Savannah asked.
Cammy listened intently.
"No." Cammy said.
Anna looked at her phone. She knew there was another way.
"CamNet is monitoring their phones." Anna said. "There's a crew in a van outside. They are going to try and rob us. They saw the money paid out at the pet store."
Cammy didn't want the 'Chosen Ones' in danger.
"I knew I should have terminated them." Cammy said. "I'm going to do it now anyway."
Cammy stopped.
Savannah held her arm. She didn't want an incident in the middle of the mall. She pictured Cammy walking up to both of them and lifting them by their necks off of the floor before slamming them into the ground.
"Keep walking." Savannah said.
Brian was behind the girls now. Randy came down from the second floor and was in front of them. Mel was outside in an SUV ready to respond. He was armed with an M4 with an M203.
"I see the van." Mel said.
Young Allison wanted to act.
"Let me take them." Young Allison said.
Savannah looked at Young Allison. She seemed very 'cold blooded' right now.
"Are you going to kill them in the mall parking lot?" Savannah asked. "I don't want an incident."
Savannah could see Cammy, Anna and Young Allison were all ready to fight and kill. Young Allison responded the same way Cammy and Anna did. It was like three Metal girls instead of two.
"Send one of the Detail to intercept and disable the van." Young Allison said.
Cammy felt she had a personal issue to deal with.
"What about the girls?" Cammy asked. "They're street trash. I'm going to terminate them. I don't like how they looked at Savannah."
Savannah could see Cammy was still fixated on her initial view. She was aware not much else mattered to Cammy at this point.
Mel received specific instructions from CamNet. He put the silencer on his M9 and took aim at the van. He shot out both front tires with two silenced rounds. The 'getaway' vehicle was now disabled.
Mel was told to lay low and keep his weapons concealed for now by CamNet. She was in the process of working on a plan Savannah seemed to want in this instance.
Anna led the girls into an elevator. It was right by the entrance.
"There's more metal here inside the elevator to protect you." Anna said.
The elevator door opened and Anna all but pushed them inside. Cammy remained outside and Anna remained with Savannah and Young Allison. The elevator door closed.
Young Allison didn't like being sidelined.
"So we're the ones in 'prison' now." Young Allison said.
Anna saw it a little differently.
"You're better protected in here for now." Anna said.
Savannah didn't like Cammy going off on her own. It reminded her too much of Cameron. She looked at Anna and gave an 'order' without making it an 'order'.
"I want you and Allison to remain in here." Savannah said. "I'm going out to be with Cammy. This door won't open again until I come back. You two will remain inside here."
The door opened enough for Savannah to exit. Young Allison went to follow her but Anna stopped her.
"No." Anna said. "You heard her."
Young Allison didn't like the rebuke.
"It wasn't an order." Young Allison said. "I can order the door opened."
Anna saw it was also a test for Young Allison.
"Is it what Savannah wants right now?" Anna asked. "Do you want to endanger her? She'll come back to protect you."
Anna stood directly in front of her with her back to the elevator doors. It was clear she was shielding her with her chassis. It was obvious she wasn't going to move.
Everything was all very irritating to Young Allison. She realized Anna was right. She didn't want to endanger Savannah.
Kyle looked around the room. He preferred where he was at earlier in the day. The ship was very dynamic and offered a lot of choices and possibilities. Now he was back to four walls. His stomach growled and reminded him of the time.
"It will be dinner time soon." Kyle said.
Sarah looked at Kyle.
"What are you going to make me?" Sarah asked.
Kyle hoped Sarah would make something.
"Do we have any TV dinners?" Kyle asked.
It was obvious both of them missed being on the ship.
"I don't know." Sarah said. "I'm going to miss my multi-course meal."
Kyle knew he was going to miss more than just the food.
"I'm going to miss the view and the fresh ocean air." Kyle said.
Sarah normally made something for her family.
"Maybe I'll go and see about fixing something." Sarah said. "Check on Derek and Riley."
Sarah didn't look forward to it. She really enjoyed her time on the ship, even if she did sort or overdo it with the lovemaking.
She left for the commissary.
Jesse went and visited Claire earlier. She came back to the nursery when Samantha called her. She nursed Precious now.
Samantha stood nearby and watched her.
Jesse offered up her other breast. It was in all seriousness as it was in jest.
"I have two of these you know." Jesse said. "I have one for each of you."
Samantha looked around.
"I know." Samantha said. "You know I can't."
Jesse shrugged her shoulders.
"It never hurts to try." Jesse said.
Jesse continued to nurse Precious.
Samantha continued to watch. She felt very hungry now. It wasn't for food either. She didn't eat.
Derek would like to be on the balcony of his suite right now as he looked out over the expanse of the ocean. He wasn't. He was back at the base. His stomach made a gurgling noise. The forces of nature called.
"I'm hungry." Derek said.
Riley looked around.
"Let me call 'room service'." Riley said. "Or would you rather go to the buffet?"
Derek figured it would be a team effort.
"When Jesse's done, we can take Precious for a stroll around the base and see what we can come up with at the commissary." Derek said.
It sounded like a lot of work to Riley. She could think of a few other excuses.
"Maybe we can take it easy." Riley said. "I need to lose some weight."
Derek quickly looked over at Riley.
"You're fine." Derek said.
Riley frowned.
"You already told me, 'the more cushion, the more pushin'." Riley said.
Derek laughed.
"So I did." Derek said. "I was just trying to be funny."
Riley thought she needed a break from all the pushin'. She was still sore. She was sure some of the other soreness was from some of the different positions and her 'doing the work' a lot more than she'd done in a long time. She just couldn't help herself. It was like she couldn't get enough.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in." Derek said.
It was Kyle.
"Is anyone getting hungry?" Kyle asked.
Derek touched his belly.
"I am." Derek said. "I'm having 'food withdrawals'."
Kyle wanted Derek to know there may be a solution.
"Sarah was going to see what she could come up with." Kyle said.
Riley felt guilty now.
"Maybe I should go and help her." Riley said.
As Sarah neared the commissary, she smelled food cooking. It smelled good too.
She came around the corner. Claire was working there and making things. She was more surprised than she wasn't.
"Hi, Claire." Sarah said.
Claire looked over and smiled.
"Hello, Sarah." Claire said.
Sarah looked around to see if anyone else was around. She didn't spot anyone.
She wanted to say something about what happened on the ship. It seemed awkward to bring it up. She didn't feel guilty about any of it at all. She knew there needed to be certain restraints. She'd discussed the issue with Kyle from time to time but nothing ever bore fruit until the cruise. She knew she wanted more. She also knew she shouldn't pursue it.
"Would you like some help?" Sarah asked. "I'm not very fancy. I'd burn water if it was possible. It just evaporates and the pan burns instead."
Claire glanced over.
"We can work together." Claire said. "I can teach you…."
Sarah wasn't sure where things were going. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to send out a couple of return 'feelers'.
"I know a little." Sarah said. "I've been around. It's been a long time."
Sarah and Claire held each other's gaze.
Claire decided to push it a little. It was still a 'dance'.
"I think we can work something out." Claire said. "Everything comes right back with a little refresher course."
Sarah smiled.
"It's what I hoped for." Sarah said.
Claire and Sarah continue to hold their gaze. It was clear they were both on the same page.
Summer worked with Jan on her study material and she worked with her on the keyboard.
Jan was easily frustrated, but Summer wasn't. She worked with Jan until she understood something or until she could do it on the keyboard herself. She managed to study her material at the same time she worked with Jan.
The more Jan learned about Summer, the more she understood how advanced she was. She did things the way Savannah did. None of the girls or guys from the future were educated like her. There were many things her mother didn't know.
She knew the role of her brother in the Resistance and what his future was. When she looked at Summer, she saw her as a leader someday.
Her mother told her she would need to do it. She knew it might come to something like that one day. She didn't believe it was just going to be her. She knew Summer would be the one to do it.
"I need to learn more." Jan said. "I need to work harder."
Summer smiled. She was aware there were multiple ways to accomplish many tasks.
"We'll work smarter instead of harder." Summer said.
Summer saw a lot of uncultivated potential in Jan. It was probably her parents 'fault' for not wanting her to have more 'Terminator exposure'. She'd worked around the same 'problem'. It was mostly Young Allison's doing.
The female Fanatic could feel the bunk move and creak above her. It appeared the man had just got on top of it. She had a choice to make. She could remain where she was at as the female above her was abused or she could take action. She needed to make a decision right now.
Slap.
"Wake up Bitch." The man said.
Slap.
"I want to hear you scream." The man said.
Slap.
The female Fanatic heard enough.
She was ready with her knife. She rolled out from her place of concealment. She was on her feet in an instant. She moved towards the man to stab him. She was relieved to see he was still above the female. It appeared he'd been waiting for her to come around before he made his move.
His head just started to turn in her direction.
The knife found its mark. It went into his back and found his kidney. It was out in an instant and back in again. It switched to the other side and did the same thing. The man only let out a few grunts of pain.
She pulled him towards her and off of the bunk.
The man landed face up on the floor with a loud thud.
She jammed her knife into the side of his throat. She lowered her head next to his as he gasped for air.
"Wake up." The female fanatic said. "I want to hear you scream."
She looked down at his pants around his knees. She was tempted to 'go Scavenger' on him but he was already too far gone to know. It would defeat the whole purpose if he didn't know what happened.
She quickly moved to the door and listened. It didn't sound like anyone was returning. She opened the door a crack and looked out. There was no one in the hall. She went back to the man. She jammed him underneath the bunk and let the plastic drape over him. She tucked it underneath the side of him as much as possible. She hoped he remained hidden for now.
The female on the 'comfort bunk' still wasn't moving. She still had a heartbeat. She didn't know what she could do for her. She could cut her loose. If somehow she regained consciousness, she might be able to make her way out. It seemed highly unlikely. If she cut her loose and left her, and they found the man, they might blame her. She looked over her nude body to see if she showed signs of the future. There was a lot of bruising, some sores and scar tissue. It was also the symptoms someone from a homeless camp often exhibited.
There was some shouting in the distance. She wasn't sure if any of the men she killed in the storage area had been found or not. She needed to get moving. She cut the bounds on the female's wrists and ankles. There was little else she could do at this point.
She listened at the door of the room again. It didn't sound like any movements in the hall. She opened the door and looked out. There was no one there. She moved forward with her knife behind her back. She was sure if she was spotted holding it by someone with a gun, they would most likely shoot first and ask questions later. As long as they didn't see she was armed, it still gave her an advantage, even if it was a small one. She just needed to get close enough. When she did, they would be dead.
It sounded as if there were voices on both sides of the hallway. She moved up to the opening and listened. The ones towards the storage area weren't close. The ones towards the machinery seemed as if they were closer.
She needed to take a look. She got down low to the ground and moved one eye around the corner. There was no one coming along the wall. she looked back in the other direction. There was no one there. She could still hear the voices in the distance.
It was time to make her move. She needed to get away from where she was at. She'd left a trail of dead men up to the point where she was now. She kept below the level of the tops workbenches. They separated the aisle from the main unloading area. She quickly moved down the side of the wall. There were more doors along the way. She didn't open any of them. She needed to see what the machinery was. It was still running.
There were voices very near her. They were on the other side of the crates. She quickly moved under a workbench and paused.
"I don't know what we're looking for." The first man said.
"We're looking for the missing people." The second man said.
"How do we know they didn't leave with the crew that was just here earlier?" The first man said.
"If any of the phones worked, we might know." The second man said. "None of them work."
"There hasn't been any gunfire." The first man said.
The men were just across from her on the other side of the workbench. She hoped they didn't move into the aisle. She doubted they would see her unless they were right in front of, or in back of, the workbench she was under.
"If there was an enemy crew here we would know it." The second man said.
"It only leaves one thing capable of taking down half a dozen men silently." The first man said.
"It would have to be a Terminator." The second man said.
"If that's the case, we should be running too." The first man said.
"Where's our Enforcer at?" The second man asked.
"No one knows." The first man said. "He went out a few days ago and hasn't been seen since."
The men moved past her position now.
"You check the living quarters." the second man said. "I'll head to the storage area."
It was time to make another choice. Did she want to go back and try and take down the man who went to the living quarters? She knew he would go over and look at the female detainee on the 'comfort bunk'. She really needed a better weapon. She'd only found a phone on the man she just killed. He didn't have a weapon either.
The mention of a hostel Terminator caught her attention. She was aware there was a group of them operating outside of the control of any version of Skynet or SkyMaster. some thought they worked for the Resistance. She figured it was one of the reasons why there was an anti-Metal faction. They didn't agree with the policy of 'sleeping with the enemy'. She didn't mean it in literal terms either.
Others thought the Terminators were an independent group who sought to take control themselves. It seemed to be another case of Frankenstein's monster no longer responding to its master. She'd heard the same thing happened when the Liquid Metal Terminators were first created.
All she knew in her future was everyone feared "The Redheaded Witch'. No one knew what it really was. It was something created by some version of Skynet. It had survived into the future after Skynet's demise. Some people speculated it was actually created by SkyMaster. When it lost control of it, it didn't want to take responsibility and blamed it on the past.
She kept watch in the direction she'd come from. She saw one man turn down the hallway she'd just vacated a few minutes ago. She needed to get moving. She needed to find out what they Grays were up to. She started back out low along the aisle she was on.
The machinery was very close now. It was hard to hear what else was happening around her. Suddenly the machinery stopped. It seemed very quiet for a moment.
There were gunshots in the distance by the storage area. She could hear several sets of them being exchanged. She figured the Grays were shooting at each other. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence when people were scared. They would shoot at shadows.
She could hear the sound of running footsteps.
"They have him cornered." The first man shouted.
"Is it a Terminator?" The second man asked.
"You know as much as I do." The first man said.
She ducked underneath another workbench. She heard two men run by, and then two more.
There were more gunshots exchanged in the distance. So far it sounded like pistol fire to her. She doubted if anyone had an automatic weapon, they wouldn't spray the area on full auto.
The female Fanatic continued toward where she'd heard the machinery working earlier. She didn't see any men around the area. She was more concerned at what she looked at in the assembly area.
CamNet's two female Terminators moved along the front of the building. They passed by the front door and moved to the opposite side of the building. They move towards the door the two men exited from previously. It was time to take a look inside.
"The door could be booby trapped." The first Terminator said.
The second Terminator checked the area around them. They still didn't have drone support.
"They seemed to leave in a pretty big hurry." The second Terminator said. "I'm pretty sure they grabbed whatever they thought was important and ran."
The first Terminator knew they still needed to use caution.
"There could still be others here." The first Terminator said.
The second Terminator approached the door and turned the handle. It wasn't locked.
The two Terminators looked at each other.
"I don't know if it's a good sign or a bad sign." The second Terminator said.
The first Terminator figured there was only one way to find out.
"Stand back. I'll open it and go inside." The first Terminator said.
The second Terminator still had her hand on the door handle.
"You stand back." The second Terminator said. "I've got it. I'm already here."
The first Terminator moved back and looked along the front of the building from the side. There are no vehicles on the street. There was no movement around them in any of the other buildings.
"The street's clear." The first Terminator said.
The second Terminator opened the door an inch. She quickly ran her hand along the inside of the door and along the top. She opened the door a little bit more to run her hand further along the top. She looked over at the door jamb side. She ran her hand in the gap between the door and the door jamb.
"The door isn't wired." The second Terminator said.
The first Terminator joined her at the doorway.
"Let's go in and take a look around." The first Terminator said.
The second Terminator opened the door enough to squeeze in.
"Wait here a few seconds." The second Terminator said.
The second Terminator moved into the doorway and looked around in the darkness. There were a few dim lights on in the background. She did a vision scan through multiple spectrums. Nothing stood out. No target was located.
"It's clear to enter." The second Terminator said.
The first Terminator took one more look around outside in both directions before she entered the doorway.
She too did a scan the interior of the building.
They decided to take a quick look around in different directions. They wanted to look for any booby traps, bombs, as well as any surveillance devices. They were on the constant lookout for an ambush.
They met at the rear of the building.
"I didn't spot anything. The first Terminator said.
The second Terminator spotted what they thought would be the key.
"I found a stairway to a loft." The second Terminator said. "It's probably where they had the building in the rear under observation from."
So far they'd only communicated at a decibel level another Terminator could hear.
The two Terminators started up the stairway. They moved as silently as possible. They quickly reach the top. There were several rooms along a platform with a railing. They looked in the first room. There was a tripod setup. There was nothing on the tripod. There was a trash can in the corner. It was overflowing with fast food containers and candy wrappers. There were empty bottles of water and empty cans of energy drinks mixed in with the trash.
There were electrical cables and extension cords on the floor near a table. There were probably several laptops plugged in at the table. They were gone now. There was a chair there.
It was clear the room was used for gathering intelligence.
They moved on to the second room. There was an ice chest and a microwave on the table in the corner. There was even more trash piled up in the opposite corner. There were two sleeping bags on the ground. Both of them looked dirty.
The room on the corner was a restroom. It was incredibly filthy.
"It looks like everything of importance happened in the first room." The second Terminator said. "Let's see if we can find a clue."
They weren't sure how long the two men had been there, or even if it was the same two men who'd been there the entire time. It was clear someone had been there for several weeks by the amount of trash and debris in the two rooms.
They hoped to find a dropped flash drive or memory card on the ground. They didn't find any.
"It's clear they had time to pack up." The first Terminator said. "They may have observed our initial encounter."
The second Terminator knew one thing.
"They certainly observed the last one." The second Terminator said.
It still left the question as to how the men were able to communicate with whoever picked them up. All the communications around the area should have been blocked. They also knew when the vehicle to extricate them would arrive.
CamNet informed them there was now a drone over their location. There was no movement on the ground around them by any individuals or vehicles.
They didn't believe any more useful information could be gathered where they were at.
They wanted an update on the three men in the vehicle.
CamNet's two female Terminators watched some drone images. They were a little surprised at what they saw. There also appeared to be some activity at where they suspected the female Fanatic was at.
I've Been Around
People can be very different
Few will make a mark to astound
Most will be very confusing
They're more likely to confound
The most irritating of the lot
Are those who want to be renowned
There's nothing about them
That should be crowned
Think hard and twice about events
Before they expand and compound
One needs to realize they're lost
Before they can ever be found
It's not one's hands and feet
Where one is actually bound
By the time they figure it out
They will have already drowned
It's time to look a little deeper
There is no need to hound
It's as simple as can be
I've been around
Nobody