Chapter 1502
Shark
John felt everything seemed in to be order in the Command Center.
He was hungry.
"How long will it be until the food arrives?" John asked.
John Henry checked the drone footage.
"The teams are twelve minutes out." John Henry said.
John was thrilled to hear it. He was ready to eat, food this time.
There weren't going to be any operations for awhile.
Summer wanted to get things started.
"We'll check the commissary and make sure everything is in order." Summer said. "Notify Samantha. Jan and I will round everyone else up."
Summer was aware where they all were. She was unsure exactly what they were actually doing. She planned to check. Jan and her left the Command Center.
John wanted to know if there was anything else he could do.
"Do you know if they'll have a lot of stuff to carry?" John asked.
John Henry was advised of everything which was purchased. He didn't necessarily think carrying the food would be the issue.
"There are ten of them." John Henry said. "They can probably get everything. Some of them may need to use the restroom soon after they arrive."
John nodded. He knew it would be more of an issue for the girls than it would be for the boys. It was easy for them to go anywhere, even if all they had was an empty bottle. It seemed like a good idea to show his face other than in the bedroom or the commissary.
"I better do something useful today." John said.
John Henry tilted his head slightly. He thought John made Claire and Jesse happy today. It was the expression on their faces when they left his quarters as he saw it.
"I believe you actually already have." John Henry said. "The mental and physical wellness of all of the Resistance members is very important."
John decided not to comment on it and quickly exited the Command Center.
He passed by the commissary. Jan was in there to make sure everything was ready. He didn't see Summer. It seemed like a good thing. He didn't want to think of the movie again. Now since he'd just thought about it, not to think about it, he couldn't get it out of his head.
Jesse, Claire, Sarah, Riley and Samantha were all topless in Riley's room as they talked.
Samantha received a communication from John Henry the other group was about to return to the base.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, or maybe it's good news, but the rest of the group who was out, is about to return." Samantha said. "They're ten minutes out."
Jesse looked around the room at all the topless girls.
"We don't need to put our tops on, do we?" Jesse asked.
Sarah laughed.
"I'm going to." Sarah said as she did.
Riley and Claire followed her example. It left Jesse and Samantha topless.
Jesse touched her breasts.
"I'm still pretty depleted." Jesse said. "Vanna should be good to go, unless they're having a good time in the back seat. Does anyone want an appetizer?"
Sarah and Claire both moved up.
Riley was a little surprised to see where Sarah was right now. She figured everyone was 'doing' everybody else. She was very pleased she'd made a big dent in it herself today.
Jesse and Riley shared a long look. Riley was aware of the promise Cameron made Jesse make to her about Derek and her. The same promise didn't apply to Young Jesse and her.
"I'm out." Sarah said.
Claire went a few seconds longer.
"Me too, it's all she wrote." Claire said.
Jesse put her top back on.
Samantha was still topless.
Sarah really wanted Kyle to see what Samantha looked like. She figured the shirt she had on earlier would get the message across.
"It's OK, Samantha." Sarah said. "Put your skin tight shirt on. I want Kyle to notice it and say something to me about it."
Samantha put her tight top on.
Jesse really liked the way the top fit.
"I need to borrow your top when I go out." Jesse said. "Everything is just right out there and it's all legal. People in the past, the present, have such a hang up about certain things."
Sarah liked the idea herself. She thought Riley would have a little more trouble than any of them would.
"We can all wear it except Riley." Sarah said. "She'd rip it open in the front."
Riley smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She knew it was a complement. She knew there were a couple of others superior to her.
"Holly and Gail probably couldn't pull it too far down to begin with." Riley said. "They're the ones who are really 'stacked'."
Samantha wanted to wait until everyone was seated before she made her appearance. She figured if she arrived after everyone was in the commissary, it would make more of an impact.
"I'll tend to Precious and arrive a little later with her in the stroller once everyone is situated in the commissary." Samantha said. "They should be here in a few minutes."
Claire wanted to assist them.
"Will we need to carry things in to help out?" Claire asked.
Sarah thought it was unnecessary, but it would give the others time to do a quick wash up or a 'pit stop'.
"I think it's a good idea." Sarah said. "They can take care of any personal business then."
Jesse went out first.
Riley looked Sarah, Claire and Samantha in the eyes. She thanked them for sharing their love with her. They all gave her a kiss and headed out of the room. Samantha gave her a real kiss and sent her on her way.
Everyone was happy.
Summer parted from Jan at the commissary and headed for Riley's room. She was glad to see everyone in the hall ahead of her except Samantha and Precious.
As she neared Riley's room, she noticed the door was open. Samantha was there and watched the four girls as they walked away. She noticed Samantha now wore her mother's shirt like she'd suggested.
"That's a nice top." Summer said.
Samantha looked a little startled.
"Hi." Samantha said. "I didn't hear you."
Summer smiled.
"I'm like a leaf in the wind." Summer said.
Samantha straightened. The shirt clung tightly to her sheath. Everything was clearly visible.
"Wow! You really look beautiful." Summer said.
Samantha looked around.
"Do you want a quick peek?" Samantha asked.
Summer looked around.
"If you don't mind I would." Summer said.
Samantha flashed Summer.
"Thanks." Summer said and hurried after the others.
Samantha watched her go.
"Hi." John said.
Samantha was startled again. She'd actually heard John's voice. She wasn't sure Summer actually spoke verbally with her a short time ago. She wasn't sure it was her idea to 'flash' Summer either. It didn't seem like something she would do in the hall on her own accord. Maybe it was at this point. She'd try it on John and see how it went.
"Hi, John." Samantha said.
John noticed her top. He could clearly see what was inside of it.
"That's a really nice top." John said. "The jewelry really stands out."
Samantha looked down at herself.
"Thanks." Samantha said. "Claire wanted to know how she would look if she tried it so I modeled it for her and Sar…Jesse."
John thought she almost said Sarah. Would his mother do it? He'd seen her topless and naked a lot when they lived in the jungle for years. Looking back now, he could say she always was fit and trim. He didn't think she was a bad looking woman at all. He'd always noticed how all the men stared at her. He knew how she'd earned her keep and 'paid' for her training and his protection. Everything she did, she did for him. If she wanted to do something for herself for once, it was fine with him.
"I would've liked to have been there." John said.
Samantha started to pull her top up.
"I can show you now." Samantha said.
John went to reach for her and stop her from lifting her top.
"It's OK." John said. "It's not….
Samantha quickly pulled her top up past his hand. The move caused it to land squarely on her left breast.
"You can touch it." Samantha said. "It's not like you haven't already."
John figured since he already did, he might as well look a little closer. He lifted the ring up and down several times.
"It's just like an earring." Samantha said as she lifted the other one to show him.
John swallowed hard. His swallow wasn't the only thing hard now either.
"It's really beautiful." John said. "You're very beautiful."
He was about to ask her about something else, but he heard voices.
"I gotta go." John said. "Thanks for 'everything'."
Samantha wanted to remind him of something.
"Don't forget my 'one time'." Samantha called out playfully.
John tried not to look back but he did anyway. He hurried off towards the carpool. He adjusted his pants along the way. He didn't want to be the one on display when he arrived where the others were at.
Sheila played around with Mary and Laura on the boogie boards.
Leticia went out with Cammy and they rode a wave in one time.
Cammy looked like a natural, and a pro.
Leticia paddled next to 'Barbara' as they went out again. She wanted to make her position clear. She knew where the real power center was at.
"I can be with Tony if you want me to." Leticia said. "I know you're really the one in charge, Barbara."
Cammy knew Leticia confused her with Cameron. She didn't like it because Cameron was out with Savannah. She was sure something would happen this time. She'd like to see Leticia with John, and have Cameron know about it. Payback was a Bitch.
"I'm all for it." Cammy said. "You would please Tony greatly."
Leticia moved a little closer to Cammy.
"I'll let him do anything he wants." Leticia said. "We can make it a 'three way' while we're at it. Just tell me what you want and you'll have it."
Cammy figured Leticia would too. She would really like to slip her in past Cameron.
The girls caught another wave and rode it in.
Ally was in the small water station cabana with the ripped female lifeguard.
The female lifeguard was as aggressive as she looked. She was all over Ally and kissed her everywhere.
There were towels inside the little cabana.
"Let's put some of these down." The female lifeguard said. "I don't want any sand in 'there'."
Ally didn't want any either.
"It doesn't seem like a very pleasant thought." Ally said.
The lifeguard thought of an old joke she'd heard.
"It's why girls don't like to drink beer at the beach." The lifeguard said. "They don't want to get sand in their Schlitz."
Ally tilted her head slightly. She tried to make the reference.
The female lifeguard looked out at the five girls who were still in the water.
"Your friends can really surf." The female lifeguard said.
Ally was well acquainted with some of their other attributes.
"They can make love better than they surf." Ally said.
The female lifeguard lightly moistened her lips.
"I really want to hook up with them." The female lifeguard said.
Ally knew all of the girls would want to take a crack at the lifeguard.
"I think it can be arranged." Ally said.
They both lay down on the towels. It was time to get started.
Ally was about to be with a real stranger. She looked forward with anticipation to what was going to happen next.
Leticia was very impressed with the surfing skills of the 'special girls'. She could see 'Barbara' was just as good as 'Sue'. 'Barbara' didn't get as easily distracted as 'Sue' did. She also didn't try to show off as much either.
Cammy was out with Leticia for the third time.
Leticia could 'read' the water. She could see the conditions looked very promising.
"This is going to be a big one." Leticia said. "Get ready."
Leticia went to stand.
Cammy detected something right below them. It was headed for Leticia. She was aware a surfer lying on a surfboard, looked like a seal, or sea lion, to a shark.
"Get up on your board." Cammy said quickly. "There's a shark!"
Leticia started to move when the shark emerged and took a bite at Leticia and her surfboard. She was up, but the shark bit her surfboard and took a two foot circular section out of it. She fell into the water.
Cammy undid her leash and prepared for combat.
Leticia was still tethered to her damaged board. She thrashed about wildly.
"Shark!" Leticia screamed.
Cammy wasn't sure if the Shark bit Leticia or not.
She saw the shark's outline in the water. It moved into position for a follow up attack. She was ready to face the challenge. She jumped in right on top of it. She knew they were both headed for the bottom. Only one of them was going to survive.
Sheila was in the process of stimulating Mary and Laura in the water. They both made it two seconds apart. She'd hoped for both of them to make it at the same moment since they were kissing. She'd needed to work on her delivery and timing.
"Shark!" Leticia screamed.
Sheila looked up and only Cammy was there. She spotted the other surfboard as it was flung up in the air. There was a big circular chunk of it missing.
There was no sign of Leticia.
"Get to shore." Sheila said to Mary and Laura.
Sheila grabbed the closest boogie board and headed out to where she saw Cammy jump into the water at. The boogie board was swamped. When put her full Terminator ability to use, she was able to make it 'plane' on the water. Her speed is what kept her going. She was moving.
The lifeguard's head was low on Ally. She was about to get started….
"Shark!" Leticia screamed.
Ally instantly jumped up.
The lifeguard was stunned. She'd been focused on Ally.
Ally was out of the cabana in an instant. She saw Mary and Laura trying to get out of the water. She saw Cammy jump in the water and Sheila 'plane' on a boogie board like a PT Boat towards the commotion.
There was no sign of Leticia.
John headed for the carpool. Vanna and Allison were already inside and hurried past him.
"When nature calls, nobody stalls." Allison said.
Vanna and Allison both giggled and disappeared around the corner.
He spotted everyone with bags of food.
He saw Sarah with Kyle. Riley was with Derek.
Claire and Jesse both held bags of food.
"Over here, John." Summer said.
Summer motioned for him to go to where Gail's SUV was parked.
John noticed what looked like dried blood on the front fender in back of the wheel. Maybe it was just some dried mud.
Hanna was out and held two Styrofoam containers. John went to reach for them.
"These are heavy." Hanna said. "Get the bags. Summer can carry the cake."
Summer smiled and picked up the cake. John was left with two large bags full of bakery goods to carry.
Gail drove away to park as soon as he closed the door.
Holly and Cam carried some bags too.
Jim and Bob parked the other two SUVs.
John looked at all the food everyone carried.
"How much food is there?" John asked.
Summer was aware of what each of the orders consisted of. She'd made sure CamNet ordered all of the things everyone liked.
"There's a lot." Summer said. "Let's go."
Claire and Jesse were already inside. Everyone filed in after them. The group headed towards the commissary.
The girls turned away from the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Falcon and faced the B-36 Peacemaker.
Young Jesse took in the immense size of the B-36.
"Oh my, that's a big one." Young Jesse said.
The massive size of the aircraft was impressive.
"The wingspan is two hundred and thirty feet." Cameron said. "It's one hundred and sixty two feet long and forty six feet high. It's about the height of a five story building."
Camille indicated the two different types of power plants.
"There are six R4360 engines with three hundred and thirty six spark plugs." Camille said. "There are four jet engines as well."
Young Allison considered the amount of fuel necessary for all of those engines.
"I'd have to think the fuel mileage was less than spectacular." Young Allison said.
Anna pointed out the plane carried a lot of fuel on board.
"It could stay airborne for forty two hours unrefueled." Anna said. "The aft compartment contained bunks to give crewmen a chance to rest on long flights. There were several lightweight versions which lacked the defensive armament. They only kept the tail gun position. Those could remain airborne for fifty hours. That's longer than two full days. Remember, it's all on a single fill up from when it took off. The plane never had the ability to take advantage of aerial refueling."
Young Jesse tried to picture a flight almost three times as long as the one she'd experienced on her trip from Down Under.
"I thought seventeen hours from Australia was a long flight." Young Jesse said. "I can't really imagine forty two hours in the air. That's two full days almost. You said some of them could fly an additional eight hours on top of it."
Young Jesse knew the 'reverberating drone' of the piston engines took some getting used to for a flight of such a long duration.
Savannah looked at the long fuselage. She remembered some of the other aircraft they'd looked at contained two moderate sized bomb bays.
"It looks like it has four large bomb bays." Savannah said.
Cameron pointed out the offensive capability of what the aircraft was designed for. Its original concept was to deliver bombs. It would be able to do so unlike any other aircraft. Well, at least for a couple of more decades.
"It could carry eighty eight thousand pounds of bombs internally." Cameron said. "It was more than a B-52 could do later on. The Stratofortress carried nine tons less. The B-1B Lancer has three internal bomb bays for a seventy five thousand pounds bomb load, plus it's capable of another fifty thousand pounds of bombs externally on six hard points. The 'Bone' packs quite a punch. No other aircraft can carry the same bomb load. It can also fly above Mach at sea level. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Everyone new what the B-36 could carry in conventional bombs was a very massive load. Its primary function was to serve as a strategic nuclear bomber. It was capable of carrying atomic weapons which could destroy an entire city. The aircraft, like most others, wasn't immune from being drafted into other types of service.
"On the reconnaissance version of the B-36, like this one is, the first bomb bay was converted into a pressurized photo compartment with cameras and other photographic equipment." Camille said. "There's a tunnel which runs down the length of the four bomb bays to get from the front to the rear. It's like the one on the B-29 and B-50 but much longer. There is a little cart to pull yourself along on."
Young Allison looked at the length of the fuselage. She tried to picture what it would be like.
"It sounds like fun, but it's probably a hassle." Young Allison said.
Savannah thought about the challenge to move from the front to the rear on both the B-29 and the B-50.
"My knees are still sore from the crawlway in the Superfortress." Savannah said. "I'll try it."
There was a large bomb casing displayed next to the B-36.
"This is a representation of a Mark 17 hydrogen bomb." Cameron said. "The Mark 24 was very similar. The yield was approximately fifteen megatons."
Young Allison pictured the large H-bomb exploding over a populated area.
"I'd have to think anybody not wearing two million sunblock is gonna have a real bad day when this thing goes off." Young Allison said.
Jesse thought of a movie she'd seen once on the television.
"I think I'll pass on riding one of those down until it exploded like Major Kong did in 'Dr. Strangelove or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb'." Young Jesse said.
Savannah and Young Allison glanced at each other. They both knew they would do it if necessary with any nuclear weapon to insure Skynet's destruction. They would do a manual detonation if they needed to. They both understood not all victories were sweet. When the job needed to be done, the job needed to be done.
Anna thought the girls would appreciate the defensive armament the aircraft was originally designed with.
"There were six retractable gun turrets. They were each armed with two 20 MM cannons as well as two 20 MM cannons in the nose and tail." Anna said. "It's a lot of firepower."
Joe and Ted listened.
"Early in 1941, prior to the United States entry into World War Two, it appeared all of Europe, including Great Britain, would fall." Cameron said. "The military wanted a bomber which could fly from North America to Europe and back. This was before aerial refueling. They would have been able to fly from Hawaii to Asia as well."
It was a reminder to the girls, almost all of the aircraft used during World War Two were either designed, or under design, before the US was forced to enter the war. It took time to get all of those designs finalized and put into production. All of the early jets we're already on the drawing board halfway through the conflict. The majority of those didn't see the light of day until after World War Two. There were a few which were operational in 1945.
"The Peacemaker didn't enter into production until after the war was over. Jet powered bombers like B-47 and B-52 were already in development by then." Camille said. "A jet powered version of the B-36 airframe was proposed with swept wings and eight jet engines like the B-52. It was the YB-60. It was severely underpowered. The B-52 design was pushed forward instead."
Savannah looked at the six piston engines along with the four jet engines on the aircraft. She wondered if the YB-60 would have had more of a chance if it was equipped with twelve jet engines instead of the eight it was constructed with.
Ted opened up a hatch in the lower fuselage of the RB-36H.
The girls went up inside. They checked out the front gun position and the navigator's station. They spotted the hatch for the tunnel to the rear. They would enter it in a few minutes.
They moved up to the flight deck.
"This has a really good view all around." Savannah said.
The girls all like the idea of a pilot being in control of his aircraft. With all of the engines on the B-36, it actually seemed to make sense to have a flight engineer.
"It looks like the fight engineer earns his keep with ten engines." Young Allison said. "I'll give them a pass on this big guy."
Savannah pointed out there were two different types of power plants as well.
"It's six turning and four burning." Savannah said.
Anna pointed out a statement crews often thought about while they were in flight.
"Sometimes it was referred to as, 'two turning, two burning, two smoking, two choking and two more unaccounted for'." Anna said. "Due to the size of the wings, the landing gear and the six piston engines could be accessed through a crawlway in both wings while in flight."
Young Allison looked at the size of the wing where it attached to the fuselage. It looked to her to be over seven feet thick.
"It has a big wing." Young Jesse said. "It must have only happened below fifteen thousand feet before where the air starts to get thin."
Cameron knew it was another drawback humans experienced over machines. When she took her joyride in the F-16, she didn't need any oxygen since she didn't breathe. When she hit the silk at 80,000 feet, she wasn't bothered by the lack of oxygen or the cold temperature.
"It was." Cameron said. "It's also possible they may have had portable oxygen bottles to carry with them. It was something available to the crews on both the B-17 and B-24. The cold temperature would still need to be considered at any high altitude."
The girls moved down into the tunnel. The first part was like in a Superfortress under the location of the duel gun turrets. They entered the photo reconnaissance compartment. Most of the photo equipment wasn't there any longer. They moved to the tunnel again and used the small cart. For each of them, a Metal girl lay on her back, and one of the girls laid on top, as the Metal girl moved them the length of the plane to the aft cabin or rear compartment. They each thought about kissing as they moved along, only Camille and Young Jesse did.
They looked at the equipment there for the crew. The RB-36H model they were in didn't have a manned tail gun. It was remote controlled as were the turrets in the bomber versions.
They went back through the plane and exited out of the lower front hatch.
"There was a larger cargo version of this aircraft as well. It was the XC-99." Cameron said. "It was eighteen feet longer with a larger fuselage. It was double decked. It was capable of holding four hundred combat troops which were fully equipped."
Young Allison looked at a photo of the aircraft on her phone.
"Wow!" Young Jesse said.
Anna was pleased the aircraft wasn't scrapped. Its current condition left a little to be desired.
"It's preserved for eventual display in a museum. It's currently disassembled." Anna said. "It's been moved around to three different locations since it was retired. A proposed passenger version was never constructed. It would have been a jumbo airliner two decades before the first jumbo jet was built."
Ted closed up the Peacemaker.
Cameron looked at the Mark 17 bomb.
"There's one other thing." Cameron said. "There was a small jet fighter which was developed to be carried inside one of the bomb bays. It could be launched and recovered in flight."
Savannah learned about a 'parasite fighter' before.
"I read something about it." Savannah said.
Cameron pointed out what it was.
"It was the XF-85 Goblin." Cameron said.
Anna called up a photo on her phone.
"That's a cute little fella." Young Jesse said.
Savannah looked at the dimensions of the diminutive aircraft.
"It was only fourteen feet long with a twenty one foot wingspan." Savannah said. "Doesn't the Starfighter only have a twenty one foot wingspan?"
Cameron was aware the F-104 had very short wigs.
"You're correct." Cameron said. "Don't forget, the Starfighter was approximately three times the length of the Goblin."
Cameron showed them some other photos or several different versions of the F-84 were tried for defense or reconnaissance while ferried by the B-36. One version carried the F-84 under the fuselage, another version carried an F-84 attached to a wing tip mount. She thought it was worth mentioning another variation.
"There was a lot of planning to develop a nuclear powered bomber." Cameron said. "A B-36 which had been damaged in a tornado was rebuilt to carry a nuclear reactor. It didn't power the aircraft. It was to study the feasibility of carrying a functioning reactor. It was known as the NB-36H. The crew was protected by a specially constructed cockpit to withstand radiation. After forty seven test flights, it was determined if the planes were to have an accident, it would cause widespread radiation to be released. The program was terminated after two years. There were already Mach 2 bombers available, and a Mach 3 bomber under development, the XB-70 Valkyrie."
Joe and Ted were pleased to hear all of the information. The knowledge of the girls was amazing. They knew all of the facts without having to look them up. The only time they used their phones was to show an image of something they talked about. It was time to move on to the last aircraft.
"Now it's off to the B-52 Stratofortress or BUFF." Joe said. "That's as in Big Ugly Fat Fu…"
Cameron wanted to keep the conversation clean.
"Fellow…." Cameron quickly interjected.
Joe looked at Anna and Young Allison.
"I'm sorry." Joe said. "It's what I was going to say."
Young Allison giggled. She knew everything already.
CamNet's Terminator would wait and see where the man who made the call ended up at. The drone currently orbited around the area of the massage parlor, as well as the mall. He moved back towards the location he'd damaged with the vehicle.
The drone showed the other man parked a block away. He mingled with some of the spectators who currently viewed the location. They'd come out of the adjoining buildings. There was a single fire truck on scene. On a wider sweep of the area, the drone picked up several police cars and an ambulance on the way.
The other man could see the building was a total loss. He wouldn't be able to get inside of it to check on the drugs or money. He wasn't sure what happened to the girls either. He could hear the police cars approaching. He wanted to get out of the area before anyone started asking questions. Based upon what he heard from the man at the mall, this was the work of one of their competitors.
He tried to call the man he'd spoken with at the mall. There was no answer. He decided to head over in the direction of the mall to see what he could find. He arrived there soon enough. He drove through the first level of the parking structure. He didn't spot anything. He went up a level. He spotted the other man's vehicle. He drove by as if he was looking to get a closer spot towards the front. He drove back around and went down to the first level and parked. He went up the stairway and looked around again. There was no sign of the man or anyone else.
The Terminator watched the man's actions through a couple of security cameras which CamNet controlled. He waited nearby the mall as the drone continued to fly surveillance over all of the locations he'd visited. He watched the man carefully make his way to the vehicle. He was able to open it, and open the trunk.
The man took one look inside the trunk and quickly searched the man who now resided there. He closed the trunk lid and wiped off everything he'd touched. He quickly moved away from the car and went back down the stairwell to the first level and retrieved his vehicle. He drove away from the mall.
The Terminator watched the drone image from altitude where the man was headed. It was clear he was headed to a different location. It appeared he would soon have a new target.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Temporal Mission:
Past Timeline:
November 24 1963
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Young Allison could see Cameron tense up a little bit. She knew it was about Cameron's 'Wild Ride' on the Aerial Tramway. It was when she went after the Terminator who'd escaped in the cable car.
"You did what you needed to do, when you needed to do it." Young Allison said.
Cameron remembered how risky it was. The cable car already started down when she'd arrived at the upper header station. She'd slipped and fell on the ice against a metal railing. It was in an attempt to try to jump on top of it. She'd taken a piece of the metal railing and bent it in a 'U' shape. She'd hooked it over the cable and started down after the cable car like a giant zip line.
"I wasn't sure I was going to reach the cable car before I reached the first pylon." Cameron said. "I would have needed to jump to the pylon before I fell. Everything was covered with ice. I still may have fallen."
Young Allison looked over the direction where the Aerial Tramway was located. She wondered if they could go there. Not right now, but maybe later on.
"Is it built right now?" Young Allison asked. "If it is, we can ride it some other time together. It will be a ride just for the pleasure and the view."
Cameron checked on some of her files.
"It only opened a couple of months ago in September." Cameron said. "It would be nice to ride inside the cable car for the entire trip."
The train pulled out of Palm Springs on schedule. They headed towards Beaumont Pass.
Cameron was aware of a geographic feature on the side of Mount San Jacinto. It was the same mountain the cable car went up the side of. It was in a different location though.
"There's a rock formation on the side of the mountain which we'll pass." Cameron said. "It's known locally as the, 'Angel On The Mountain'."
Young Allison looked over in the direction Cameron indicated.
"I don't see it." Young Allison said.
Cameron knew it was because it was afternoon already.
"It's only visible in the morning the way the sunlight will hit it." Cameron said.
Unfortunately she didn't have a cell phone to take out and show Young Allison an image of what it looked like.
"Maybe we'll see it when we come back into this area later on." Young Allison said.
Cameron looked up at Mount San Jacinto one more time. It gave her something to think about. There would be an 'angel' to watch over her as she confronted her 'demons'.
Young Allison looked at the landscape as they continued their uphill climb.
"This is the area where all of those wind turbines were built later on." Young Allison said. "I know the intent is to create 'clean energy' but they are such an eyesore and ruin the natural beauty of the landscape. I think it's even more reason to come back and ride the aerial tramway during this time period. You've taken me up there before."
Cameron was aware of the controversy surrounding the use of wind turbines. Some groups thought they were a hazard to the avian population located throughout the area, especially any of the migratory birds who would pass by it a couple of times a year. They would be unable to recognize it for the threat it was.
"Unfortunately the eyesores have spread throughout some very scenic locations in California, as well as other parts of the country and even around the world." Cameron said. "When we visit the Tehachapi area during this time period, we won't be burdened with the eyesores which now litter the hillsides there. The infestation has grown to surround the area around Mojave as well."
Young Allison spotted a sign for Cabazon out the window.
"Are we going to see those cool dinosaurs?" Young Allison asked.
Cameron already looked into it.
"Dinny, the Brontosaurus, won't start construction until next year." Cameron said. "It'll take a decade to complete. Mister Rex, the Tyrannosaurus, will be started a few years after Dinny is completed."
Young Allison was aware of another spot she liked to stop at whenever they were in the area.
"The place with the date shakes and the fresh honey roasted peanut butter should be there." Young Allison said. "I know they constructed the new location next to it, but I did like the charm of the old building."
Cameron was aware a lot of the patrons didn't like it because the restrooms were originally located across the street from the store and eating area. Later on, a restroom trailer was moved in back of the location to make closer. It also allowed it to be handicapped accessible.
"Progress always happens." Cameron said. "Not all of it is a good thing."
Young Allison knew Cameron referred to Skynet. She reached over and gave Cameron's arm a little squeeze.
"I can say there are some good things which come out of some bad things." Young Allison said.
Cameron thought about some of her actions since she was created. She hoped she'd done more good than harm. Sometimes she wasn't always sure. It made her think back to her original rhythmic short story, Outsider. It still irritated her because John criticized what she'd written. It was his mention of Future Riley which gave her the motivation and inspiration to create it. If she only had one wish, she still wanted it to be the same. She wanted her one wish to be, never to be built.
It seemed she would be able to have eternal tranquility and serenity if she never existed.
She felt Young Allison squeeze her arm again.
"It is what it is." Cameron said. "Life moves forward not backwards."
They'd passed both an uphill freight train as well as a downhill freight train on their journey up the grade. They were soon at the top of the grade and started downhill. It was a windy and twisty route through the canyon. It was San Timoteo Canyon. She was able to spot the head end of the train several times on the sharp curves. Most of the running in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona had been very straight, with gentle curves.
"We'll be in Colton soon." Cameron said. "Once we pass through Colton, we should arrive at Los Angeles Union Station in approximately two hours."
Young Allison was familiar with the Colton area from her flying. It was where the Santa Fe and the Union Pacific came through Cajon Pass and crossed the Southern Pacific main line at a 'diamond'. She knew the big yard wouldn't be built, a little further to the west in the Colton-Bloomington overlap, for a few more years yet. The Southern Pacific would build its own line through Cajon Pass a few more years from now. It would often be referred to as the Palmdale Cut Off or the Colton Cut Off. It was the two locations the new line would link. The yard followed later.
She was aware there wasn't a lot going on in Palmdale in 1963. It was a rather sleepy and rustic community. Her house in Palmdale wasn't even built yet. Most of Palmdale wasn't built yet. The one constant was the railroad tracks. The Southern Pacific built through Palmdale in 1875. It was only six years after the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific completed the first Transcontinental Railroad. Southern Pacific took control of the Central Pacific. They were both controlled by the Big Four. Central Pacific still existed on paper until only a few years ago when it was finally merged into the Southern Pacific.
The line they were on now became the second Transcontinental Railroad. Most of it was financed by Southern Pacific, not the federal government.
Cameron knew of some other things associated with the Colton area. The Pacific Electric actually made it as far as Colton and shared some yard space with Southern Pacific there.
Colton also involved an incident with one of the brothers from the OK Corral. He'd moved to Colton to recuperate after being wounded. He became the local sheriff. When another railroad wanted to cross the line, the Southern Pacific hired him to 'protect it' and prevent the other railroad from making the crossing. There was a legal battle at the same time and a court order was obtained to allow the other railroad to cross. The Governor of California personally came down, with a private security detail, to make sure the court order was enforced.
Young Allison looked out the window. She could see some dark blue locomotives with yellow ends.
"I can see there's a Santa Fe train waiting to take the crossover." Young Allison said. "It's a freight train."
Cameron was aware how the crossing would be handled.
"The Sunset Limited has priority." Young Allison said. "The Santa Fe train is going to head up Cajon Pass. I don't know if they'll take the cut off at Barstow to go to Mojave and Tehachapi, or if it will turn east and head for Chicago."
Young Allison felt her anticipation level start to rise. She knew they would be at their destination in less than two hours now. She couldn't help but think how rural the area looked as they made their way towards Los Angeles. There was a lot of farmland mixed in between the scattered communities.
Thirty minutes later they went by Pomona. Another half hour afterward and they went by Alhambra. Alhambra was the Southern Pacific connection to Pasadena.
The area was much more built up now. There were houses and businesses everywhere. Thirty minutes later the train slowed.
"We're going to cross the LA River soon." Cameron said.
Young Allison quickly looked at Cameron. She knew a 'bad episode' happened there with John, Sarah and Cameron. It was when Cameron reverted to her original programming after the explosion at their first house in North Hollywood.
Cameron tortured Sarah make her call out to John. Cameron could have emulated Sarah's voice. She didn't. She made Sarah cry out in pain. She could have emulated Sarah's cry if she'd wanted to. She didn't. She left Sarah behind and went after John. She knew Cameron was going to think about the whole thing. John 'terminated' her after she'd told him she loved him. She wanted to get ahead of the situation.
"We're on the Sunset Limited." Young Allison said. "I don't want you to think about anything else."
Cameron already started to think about something else. They went over a large bridge over the concrete lined Los Angeles River. It looked exactly the same as it did from the timeline they'd left from. Well, it lacked all of the graffiti which later infested it. The only difference from her future now was all of the bridges were still standing. In her future they were all down. She tried not to think about Young Allison's statement but did anyway.
"Is it an order?" Cameron asked.
Young Allison smiled and touched Cameron's cheek.
"No." Young Allison said. "It's what I asked you."
Cameron smiled back at Young Allison. She knew the girls would always look out for her. She wanted the girls to personally deactivate her if she ever went bad again. She knew they would be the only ones who would be able to get close enough to her to do it. Savannah always told her she would die first before she would deactivate her. He really didn't know what Young Allison would do.
"There's Mission Tower." Cameron said. "We'll be in the station in a few minutes."
The Sunset Limited crossed over the Santa Fe tracks. It was the Santa Fe's line which ran through Pasadena before it turned east and linked up with the other Santa Fe tracks which went over Cajon Pass. It was the northern route. Santa Fe also had a southern route. The two lines joined before they made the climb up Cajon Pass. The southern Santa Fe line went all the way to San Diego. The Southern Pacific reached San Diego too. they did it from the east side out of El Centro. The line actually crossed over the border for a short time on the route.
Cameron wasn't sure what they were going to do first once they got off of the train. They still needed to go by the tower which controlled all of the switches for Los Angeles Union Station.
Shark
When the flood waters come
Everyone seeks out an ark
Upon an unknown journey
They seek to embark
More often than not
The quest will be into the dark
It's easy to end up
As being made for a mark
When one wants things to happen
They often are stuck in 'Park'
The fuel may be there
There's nothing to ignite the spark
Few things happen in a straight line
There's usually some kind of arc
The words often change
To a cruel snide remark
When things become hostile
It's easy to be snark
It doesn't take too much
To watch one act like a shark
Nobody