CH 17
People in the resistance were happy. Even the soldiers who lay in a hospital bed bore their wounds and missing limbs with a sense of satisfaction. They had been nuked and devastated by Sky Net, but they were winning. John Connor was gathering them together, saving them from dying of radiation poisoning, and they were winning. Every single battle they fought, they were winning.
John Connor wasn't so happy. Yes, they had won battles and drove Sky Net units out of half the country, but Sky Net was still out there. He knew that until they got rid of Sky Net, they truly had won nothing at all.
John called a meeting with Catherine Weaver and John Henry in the caverns. The Way Point station now had a town hall built from interlocking blocks of stone. Cut with a water jet, each stone block was shaped with groves on the bottom and a matching ridges on top. Corner stones had a different 'cleat' design so they would lock together. Kind of like big a lego set. This made it possible to be a little fancier in construction that a square block building. The entry was an arch, that led to a foyer where a woman greeted visitors and workers to direct them to the proper place. John and Cameron came in with their escorts and went up to the desk.
The woman at the desk smiled and said, "John and Cameron Connor! It is a pleasure to see you! You conference is in room 2d. Up those stairs, second door on your left. Mrs. Weaver and her party arrived only moments ago. There is a snack and drink room the next door down if you wish to use it."
"Thank you," John told her.
Going up and into the room, He found Catherine, John Henry and Savannah waiting, Savannah was munching on a snack. Seeing them come in she got up with a smile. "John, Cameron!" Savannah cried and ran over to hug them.
Savannah was much taller since the last time John had seen her. Had it been that long?
"How are you." Cameron asked Savannah.
"I'm doing good in school and I got to come with Mom and John Henry. The caverns here are really awesome!" Savannah beamed. She then grabbed John's hand and said, "After the meeting, can I talk to you?"
"Ah sure," John replied automatically. "Hello Mrs. Weaver, John Henry."
"Hello John and Cameron Connor, Marisa and Maria," John Henry said.
"Hello John Henry," the girls chorused.
"John Connor, you have a plan to find Sky Net?" Catherine asked.
"A theory, really," John told her. "I know we intercept Sky Net radio signals, we can even triangulate and now where they are coming from. I was thinking about a way to trace them back to the source," he told her.
To John Henry, Cameron said, "Each radio tower is a repeater. It receives the weak signal, the transmits the very same signal, stronger. I have noted a slight delay of .5 seconds between the weaker incoming signal and the transmitted stronger signal."
"We were thinking, if we could follow the signals back to the source, we can find Sky Net's location," John told them.
John Henry grew his creepy smile. "Yes, John Connor, that is a very good idea. To do so, we would need a network of listening posts near each transmitter."
"They would have to be in Sky Net territory," Catherine added. "If we find Sky Net in this manner, the any attack would be seen coming, and Sky Net would merely download someplace else."
"If it can transmit, correct?" John asked.
"Yes," Catherine agreed.
"So we isolate it," John explained. We find where Sky Net is, then destroy every radio tower it can transmit to. That isolates Sky Net, and Sky Net can't call for help when we do attack it."
"I see," Catherine said with a smile. "You will need terminators to do this job, for any humans caught would be killed. Just how will you get them into Sky Net territory? Sky Net has backed up across the Mississippi river. It if frozen, but it is also wide and flat. There is no sneaking across it."
"We have boats and one functional submarine that TX's made, and another that is being repaired. They drop off the listening parties along the gulf coast, past the Mississippi, who go search for the transmitters, then listen," John explained. "There will be no direct communication between them for security reasons. They listen for a given time, then more are dropped off to listen while the first set return and we decipher the data. Once we know where Sky Net is, the last set takes out the towers around it."
"That will work," John Henry said. "Unless we can attack swiftly though, Sky Net could rebuild a tower and still escape before we can get to it. Sky Net units also only report when ordered, or something is happening that Sky Net needs to know about."
"I'll give them something to report," John assured him.
"I would suggest planting T-800's do this job," Catherine said. "TX's would be more efficient, but they would also be noticeable. Just another T-800 in the area would cause no alarm."
"Question," John Henry said. "We could have had this conversation over the data link. Why meet in person?"
"I don't know if it is significant, but damaged cable was found in the data line," John told him. "It may have happened accidentally, or we may have a Sky Net spy that removed enough insulation to listen in. Something like this, I don't want anyone to know about except for the people involved."
"Caution is good," Catherine agreed. "I will begin modifying T-800's to maximize their directional sensors Where should I send them?"
"To General Bedell in Corpus Christi, Texas," John stated. "We're going down there next to let them know. As well as to see how their fleet is doing."
"Very well, I will begin the proper Modifications. John Henry, Savannah, come along," Catherine said as she moved towards the door.
"Mom, I want to talk to John for a moment," Savannah said quickly.
Catherine eye her then said "We will be in the foyer, don't be long."
Savannah looked at Cameron. "Will you wait down there too, please?" she asked.
"Don't be long, John," Cameron said and left with Maria.
John knew Marisa wasn't going to leave. "Savannah, it's OK to talk to me with Marisa here. She will say nothing."
Savannah nodded. Quietly, she said, "You always knew Cameron was a machine?"
"I found out a few days after we met. This other T-888 wanted to shoot me. Cameron stepped in front of me and took the bullets," John told her. "I take it this is about your mother?"
Savannah nodded. "Mom told me she is one," she said weakly. "She told me about how my real parents died, and she took Mom's place. I've been thinking about it, and I'm not sure how I should feel about that. Mom is scary sometimes, the way she just looks at me blankly. I just …"
"You want to understand a little better?" John guessed.
"Yes, I mean, if anyone, you should know, right?" Savannah asked.
John nodded. "You know how people grow up right? You are born as a tiny baby, then as you get older, your get bigger. You learn more the whole time," he offered.
"Yeah," Savannah said, watching him.
"Well machine people never grow physically. John Henry is very young, younger that you but he's fully grown, right?"
Savannah nodded.
"When Catherine and Cameron came back in time to help us, they were very young also. They have been learning. As they do, they make mistakes now and then. They may know what they have to, or want to do, but go about it in … not the quite correct way," John explained. "There are times I've gotten irritated with Cameron. It wasn't her fault, she knew what she was trying to do, but went about it badly. Her intentions were good, but not well carried out. Understand?"
Savannah nodded. "You're saying Mom is still growing up?"
"She is, just as Marisa here is learning new things and learning how to handle them," John explained.
"General Connor is correct," Marisa said. "Maria and I volunteered to guard John and Cameron Connor so we can learn from them. At the moment, Cameron is the most experienced and advanced AI."
"More advanced than Mom?" Savannah asked.
"From our experience so far, that is correct. I can tell you your mother will never harm you intentionally, or let anything bad happen to you if she can prevent it." Marisa stated.
Savannah nodded, then frowned a bit and asked, "Why do you have three boobies?"
.
John and his entourage next went to see Derek who was at the Jacksonville base. Derek was building it up and keeping a close eye on Sky Net forces across the river. Although there hadn't been any fighting recently, Derek wasn't idle.
Derek's men had left some Sky Net transmitting towers stand, and found out they could use those to triangulate on the Sky Net towers across the river. John found out they could pick up transmitted signals that were repeated, but unless it was an up and down the line transmission, they didn't receive transmissions from farther east. Derek also re-tuned some towers so the resistance was able to extend their own radio traffic. Some towers far back from the river on their side, Derek was using to communicate all the way to Texas and back to Denver.
Derek had every tower they could detect and get the location on, targeted by artillery. A new anti-radio missile had been developed. Instead of radar, it worked by following a radio signal. Even if the signal stopped, if the missile was on course with a lock, it flew on the same course until it impacted. It also had a destination mode, where it would fly to a location, unless it received a signal. From the pattern of towers Derek had found so far, he had a few of these missile pointed at where towers should be farther east.
John took in this information and headed for Corpus Christi.
While the city itself was a wreck, John found the air station was fairly intact, and some planes were being worked on in the hanger. Three what looked like sleek torpedo boats were tied up an a new dock, as was a small submarine that had a doghouse sized sail.
John met General Bedell at the air station. Exiting the personnel carrier outside a hanger, John went over and shook his hand.
"Martin! How are you doing down here?" John asked. "I see you have some projects going."
Martin Bedell waved an arm at the tower, then the hanger. "We got the tower up, but no flyable planes yet. Two F-15's are nearly ready, and the ammo bunker survived. The AWACS plane is being worked on. So far, the only thing that is operational is the three boats over there and the sub the TX's built."
With a chuckle, Martin said, "The sub is only a little more advanced that the original Huntley, the confederate sub from the civil war. They could not find an engine, so two of them peddle it to go places. It does have torpedoes and sonar, so it can be called a war ship, and of course the TX's own plasma guns. We're working on the Lexington also."
"Lexington .. The aircraft carrier?" John asked.
"The very one!" Martin said. "It was a museum ship, but the hull is in good shape. Some parts of the hull needed a steel lamination, they were getting thin, but if we can get it in working order, we will have some punching power out on the water. Instead of a straight carrier, we were looking to put some big guns and missile launchers on it and make it a battle carrier. We have no escorts as of yet."
"The effort will be well worth it," John agreed. He then said, "Martin, I have a job for your tiny fleet. I need to get our terminators east to drop off along the coast of Mississippi and Alabama. They are going to perform a spying mission. Drop offs and pickups will be in the same place. This will be an extended mission, possibly months long. They will be searching for Sky Net, where it physically is now. Only the ones who need to know, will be allowed to know about it."
"When are these terminators coming?" Martin asked.
"As soon as Mrs. Weaver gets them finished," John explained. "They go, search, then return to be picked up with the data they collected. A TX will be here to sort through the data. He will need his own guarded place to work. As I said, for what he is doing, only those who need to know, will be allowed to. I found a comms cable with a rip in the insulation, but the carrier wire was untouched. There is a possibility Sky Net is spying on our communications."
"News by messenger only," Martin concluded.
"That's right. The factory complex George is the most central point in our area of control. I'll have a space there for incoming messengers," John told him. "This shouldn't impact your other projects greatly. It is vital we get intel on Sky Net."
"I'll go tell the TX crews and send a boat out to look for suitable landing spots," Martin said. "By the time those terminators get here, we can get them out and doing their thing."
"Stress to those crews secrecy is essential. If any of our terminators are caught, it's big trouble if Sky Net can extract information from them," John stressed.
"It would be. You can count on us, John."
"Thanks. Do you have a rough time on how long it's going to take to get the Lexington finished?"
Martin shrugged, "It would only be a guess, and a wild one at that. A long time, that's for sure."
"Well, keep at it," John said. "Got any other ships to work on?"
"A WW2 sub and a destroyer in Galveston. They are pretty beat up, but if we can repair the hulls, then we will have hulls, and the rest will be modernizing. Still, it's going to be a while, a year maybe, before the can be ready to move on their own." Martin said, then grinned and added, "And none of these ships the TX's will be able to pedal."
John relocated his command post to George base to keep up with the messenger traffic coming in from his secret project.
.
Scappa flow in Scotland was once the home of a good portion of the British battleship fleet. After World war 2, it became an important port for merchant ships. When Sky Net struck, it dropped a bomb in the waters of Scappa Flow to create a tsunami wave that wrecked most of the ships currently there as well as the docks and buildings that covered the shore line.
Chas McGregor was Captain of the ex HMS Onyx, a diesel electric submarine he'd bought as scrap, then restored into working condition. Fitted with modern controls, the Onyx was now able to be steered by a single man. The automatic depth keeper would hold then at the depth selected, though the Onyx had only made two dives the entire time Chas had it. Once to prove that the system worked and the other as a show off to some fellow businessmen who were on their luxury yacht to prove he had something more unique that them. The power distribution controls allowed the Conn captain to start the diesel engine, stop then and shift power from diesel to battery with the push of buttons and flipping a few switches.
Chas didn't care about the torpedo tubes, he had the inner doors wended shut The torpedo room was now a lounge, and crew's berthing was individual rooms, small yet private. His quarters took up where the sonar room and attack center used to be. He kept the exterior 'original' as to not upset people who saw it, but the inside was another matter, with a full kitchen with modern appliances.
The Onyx was on it's way into Scappa Flow when the bomb hit, blasting water high into the sky and sending a 100 foot wave in all directions. The bridge captain immediately got down inside and shut the hatch. Coming in between two islands, the Onyx was thrown back by the wave, tipped and rolled hard, knocking Chas out of his bed.
After the wave passed, the ocean refilled Scappa low, pushing the Onyx to rush in between the islands. Secondary waves knocked the ship around, making it roll at one point onto it's side.
The tossing around finally settled, leaving the Onyx bobbing on the surface as the mushroom cloud rolled overhead. Chas had refurbished the periscope. The magnification was high, so he could cruise past nude beaches and zoom in on the best bodies to get a picture of. Raising the scope an angry Chas saw what had happened and got his ship out of there. He headed for the west coast of Scotland. Eyeing the devastated land, he moved across the Irish sea, and found the same thing there. It wasn't until he got to Iceland that there was a town untouched, and he desperately needed diesel fuel when he arrived.
Filling up his hungry fuel tanks, Chas discovered the world had gone crazy. A nuclear war had happened and all communications were out. He paid for his fuel to find his bank card no longer worked, nor did his cell phone. He quietly got his crew back on board, then told the harbor master he had money on the boat, and went to get it. Once on board, he tossed off the lines, and backed out into the harbor on electric power, turned, fired up the diesels and fled.
Low on food, Chas scoped out a quiet village in Newfoundland. Closing up to it, he found out why is was so quiet. Bodies lay everywhere. Some building were still burning, and the ships at anchor sunk, only showing masts and one showed the top of a wheelhouse. At dock a couple fishing boats were leaning over, trying to sink but their lines held them up.
Keeping a lookout, Chas and his crew pillaged for whatever they could find. They brought on food and a fuel truck that had escaped destruction provided some diesel to top off their fuel tanks. Once they had everything they could find, they left.
Down the east coast of the US, all Chas saw was destruction. He and his crew were getting sick, loosing hair, then teeth. By the time they passed the tip of Florida, three men had died, and everyone was weak. They decided to try Mexico. Chas himself died in his bed as they rounded the tip of Florida. When the last helmsman collapsed, and was too weak to get up, the Onyx kept right on the last course it was given to finish the turn around Florida, and sailed until it beached itself in Texas.
A Stug patrol found the submarine with it's engines still running, trying to push itself farther up onto the sandy beach.
.
Derek walked back to his room. Well, his room that Laura insisted she share with him. Going in, he heard the shower running. He had convinced Laura he would be safe inside the new base they had made in Missouri at Jacksonville. Laura was spending time at the hospital, which he thought was a good thing. He was able to hold his lust factor down.
Fearing she was going to come out naked, Derek sat down at his desk to look at the river map and the marked radio towers the had found. Along two hundred miles of river, he knew where their towers were. He also knew if he took those towers out, he could have Stugs to the other side before Sky Net reacted.
Derek had to wonder why John was waiting so damn long to do anything. They could bust Sky Net's line wide open and drive them back another 4 or 500 miles.
"Hi Derek!" Laura said lightly as she came out of the bathroom.
"Hey, Laura," Derek said automatically. He wanted to turn around, he didn't dare. "How was your day?" he asked, thinking of something to say.
"Good! I got enough nanites out to treat thirty people who had radiation sickness," she beamed.
That made Derek turn to look at her. Laura was wearing a light blue house robe. At least she was covered. "That many?" he asked. He noted that even wet, her dark hair looked great and somehow seemed to make her blue eyes even prettier.
"Yes, I am making full production now, though I do need to eat more myself," she explained.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Derek asked, "How do you do that?"
"Easy," she said as she came up beside him. She opened her robe and showed him. "All of my mammaries are fully functional now," she said happily.
Derek stared, he couldn't help it. Laura had three large breasts, the center one was 'tucked' in, making it look even larger. All her nipples were pruned up, like they were begging him to take a sip. "I … ahhh…" Derek said weakly, trying to form a coherent thought.
Derek's hands acted on their own, slipping into her open robe to pet her smooth, sexy sides. "Laura… I …"
"I don't think you've had any yet, have you?" Laura asked.
"I … ahhh…no," Derek said, struggling to find enough sense to at least answer her damn question.
"They get some now," Laura said and straddled his lap and cupped the back of his head to pull it into her chest.
Derek's mind folded. His common sense just flushed down the toilet. He didn't care about anything, except the women before him. An arm around her and the other fondling a left breast, he drank and he loved it. He stroked her back, he kissed her, he sampled all three delicious nipples and kissed and fondled. Somehow they drifted up and over to the bed kissing, arms around each other. Where did their clothes go? Who gave a shit. Laying down with Laura… ok, falling onto the bed with Laura, Derek made love to her. Time had no meaning as they paid attention to only each other. Soft cries asking for more and long deep kisses where the only things Derek could comprehend. He wanted the wonderful sensations to go on forever, as did Laura.
.
A party of men and TX's got on board the beached sub and shut down the engines. The dead were brought out and buried deep higher up on the beach. The boat was soaked with radiation, even the log book had to be decontaminated before TX Frank looked at it. The last entries were of this sub's scrapping, two years ago. The fuel was low, but enough to get it to Corpus Christi and into a berth.
It took another week to clean the ship up enough so humans could safely be on board. Even then Frank didn't want to take the risk. With a high tide, Stugs with poles pushing and all three boats pulling, they got the Onyx floating again.
Driven to a dock at the air base, Martin Bedell looked at their acquisition. "Frank, you said everyone on board was dead. This sub drove itself here?"
"It did, General," the TX confirmed. "The controls are modern. The inside had been greatly modified, making it a pleasure cruiser rather than a war ship. The torpedo tubes are welded shut and there is no sonar station, though the big bubble on the bow is an array of sonar sensors. Everything as far as navigation and depth control works. It appears anything military has been taken out or made useless. The snorkel system is whole, though it appears not to have been used."
"It will carry people, so it will be useful," Bedell said. "Can you spot good landing points with this?"
"Yes, a view by periscope will be less chance of discovery than one of our boats. Our submarine is slow, I'm sure this is much faster."
"Great, Captain Frank, make you ship ready to go scouting."
"Yes, sir."
While Captain Frank worked on getting his new sub ready, General Bedell checked on his scout force. Most had reached the Mississippi. They were finding blown bridges and random terminators who either didn't retreat for some reason, or never got the order. His troops were spread out, which made him nervous, but every place west of the Mississippi he found very few humans still alive. Many corpses bore bullet holes in them, others had died of radiation poisoning.
Knowing at the moment, he didn't have much of an offensive force, Martin understood why John Connor was spying on Sky Net and not attacking.
.
George base had expanded. People came to work there alongside the terminators and on them to give the skeletal machines extra armor. The covering of white ceramic was thinner, but the same as the Stugs being produced were getting. A fourth factory was going up, as was a new underground bunker and tunnel system that was to join Denver, George, and the Las Vegas area together.
John also found out scouts from Gentry's B group had made it into Montana and had found underground connections to three missile silos and a large bunker there. The men were weak from lack of food and dehydrated, but they were alive. They also wanted to help fight. All 490 of them were eager to stop this Sky Net from wiping out humanity.
Gentry's B group heading east were beyond the Mississippi and found a split on the long tunnel. In a large chamber, the tracks went left and right, and another track joined each so a train could go from the left tunnel to the right hand one. They were currently stopped at this junction to await more Stug teams to join them and bring fresh supplies.
.
Derek swore he'd lost his mind. She was weird, having three breasts, she was a TX, a friggin terminator! And he couldn't want her more. A long sleep until past noon after making love through the early hours of the morning, Derek woke up alone and wondering where she'd gone. He then saw a note on his desk, half folded in a tent shape. 'Derek' was written on it.
Derek hoisted himself up and rubbed his face. With a groan he got up and went over to read the note.
Derek,
I had to return to the hospital for my shift. I'm sorry I didn't wake you, but you looked so peaceful I could not disturb you. I left instructions not to disturb you unless it was very important.
We need to discuss last night and this morning. It was absolutely wonderful! I was made aware of your history and the fact you don't like machines. That makes last night even more amazing. You accepted me, which makes me feel special. I will return at two, unless we have an emergency at the hospital.
Laura.
Derek sat at his desk, elbow on the table, his forehead in his hand. "Ughh, what have I done?" he asked himself.
Even sleeping late, Derek found it was hard getting himself up and around. He was plagued with memories of Laura, the soft feel of her, how nice it felt merely holding her, the taste of her lips as they kissed and kissed…
Derek went into the bathroom, turned on the cold water faucet and plunge his head in. It helped until he was back out of the bathroom and getting dressed. One look at the bed and he clearly saw Laura lying there…
Damn, this was going to be one long day.
.
It was already two when Derek got to the command center. No action from Sky Net, just the normal picket terminators reporting in. there was a delivery of another 30 Stugs, 20 more T-800's and three 160 MM artillery pieces, with 100 rounds of ammo each from George, 3000 new recruits and 4 tons of food from the caverns, and 40 drones and 3 more crates of plasma/rocket rifles with two crates of rockets along with 20 more anti-radio missiles from LA. 46 wounded were released from the hospital and returned to duty. 140 who had been suffering from radiation sickness were deemed healthy, and became new recruits.
Derek talked to the quartermaster to find out who needed what from Colonel Jacobson and get the supplies distributed. The men from the hospital he had sent to Stug driver and gunnery school.
Retreating to his office, Derek found he really had nothing to report to John other than the reinforcements he'd received. He was more than ready to pound Sky Net, but until John gave the order, he was to wait and only monitor Sky Net's picket and target any concentration of Sky Net units he found. Two more had been spotted by drones, and were within range of the new 160 MM guns. When word came to move, Derek was going to cut through Sky Net like shit through a goose. He was sure the first day, he could make it 50 miles into Sky Net territory and clean away their picket for at least 150 miles.
A knock on his door frame came with a sweet sounding voice. "Derek, are you busy?" Laura asked.
"No, come on in… shut the door." he replied and tried to work out what he was going to tell her.
Laura came in and sat down across from him. "Last night was really wonderful," she offered.
"Yeah, it was fantastic," he agreed. "I just don't' know …" he started, then seeing her face he told the truth. "Aww, hell, I'm a little scared here. I know … too much for my own good."
"Like what?" Laura asked, watching him intently.
"Like … us. Laura you are fantastic in any way a woman can be measured. I can talk to you about damn near anything," he admitted. "I don't want you saddled by any … fate. I want you to live like you want."
Tipping her head slightly to the side, she asked, "Can you tell me about Nancy?"
Derek face planted. "You're going to get it out of me, aren't you?" he asked in a groan.
"Eventually," she said.
Derek scrubbed his head. "OK," he said with a sigh. "A few months or so before Sky Net went nuclear, I hear about a UFO that sounded like an H/K to me, so I went to the area to look and see if it was one. I found it all right, the damn thing landed on my truck when I was going down the road. The next thing I remember was on an air mattress in the woods and being treated for my injuries. This dark haired girl, who looked a lot like you, except with brown eyes instead of blue was tending to me. Now that I see you, she was almost identical to you, only a little taller. She was near frantic and apologized, her idiot boyfriend hadn't seen my truck and landed on it. She told me I couldn't move yet and she was trying to contact her mother, but she wasn't able to."
Letting out another sigh, he said, "She called me 'Dad', and was surprised I was there. I was surprised too. I wasn't even seeing anyone seriously, let alone have a wife and daughter. Nancy seemed normal enough. Anyway, while I took another long nap, she and Jasper, her boyfriend that destroyed my truck, got it more or less back in working order.
It was then I found out they had come back in time to help … the others with things they had to do."
Chuckling, he grinned and said "Nancy got me up and Jasper was tying to rub two sticks together to make a fire. Nancy wasn't pleased with him. She suggested using a dry stick behind him. When he turned to look, she …" Derek's face softened. "She formed a plasma canon with her arm and shot the fire pit, making a fire. That was the very last thing I expected to see. My only thought then was, I was being tricked. There was no way in hell I'd have a daughter who was a terminator. I just wanted to get out of there. Nancy led me to my battered truck, doing her best to explain … but I wasn't listening. I just wanted to leave. I can't say for sure, but she told me some about you, and how she wanted me to accept you and her. I drove home and drank … a lot."
Derek took on a semi-insane grin and said, "I knew she wasn't lying, even thought I wanted to believe she was. I knew John and Cameron were going to be married and have kids of their own. Hell, later on, I met one. Anyway, when they came home and found me with four bottles of whiskey I had left, I couldn't help but laugh my insane ass of at the look on Sarah's face when she found out about that!"
"You were shocked," Laura said.
"More than shocked. Laura, I was THE metal hater," he explained. "I thought John should get rid of Cameron, I didn't like her one damn bit. Now, to find out I was going to be married to one and we were going to have kids? That blew my mind. I could not conceive it ever happening. For days, I went from laughing hysterically at some great … cosmic joke played on me, to actually believing it and drinking heavily. I consoled myself with the notion it was never going to happen. Then I met you."
"Yes, that explains much," Laura said thoughtfully.
"Nancy gave me a picture of you. This one," he said and touched his pocket. "I don't know why I kept it, but I did." With a weak grin he admitted, "I'd even take it out and look at in once in a while." Gathering his wits, he added, "Laura, I don't want you to feel obligated to me for some future that may or may not happen. Do I like you? Hell yes. Last night, the farthest thing from my mind was that you were metal. All I saw was you. All I cared about was that you were with me. Am I making any sense at all?"
Laura pursed her lips in a grin. She reached out with a hand and took Derek's. Softly, she said, "Derek, I like you too, very much so. Believe me when I say I am not controlled by anything except what I want to do. I want to help those suffering from radiation , I want to do my part in getting rid of Sky Net, for everyone. I do want to stay with you. Not because of anything this Nancy said, but because I think you are a very good man. Even though you hated metal, you have been kind to me and except for the fears you hold from knowing what will be, you have been honest with me. I am your friend, Derek, you never need to hide anything from me."
Derek looked at their hands clasped and said, "I'm a little nervous here."
Laura smiled and said, "I am also. There is so much I want to share with you. To be with you, but I'm not sure if you want to be with me. It's a little scary."
"Yeah, it is," Derek agreed. "I don't want to disappoint you."
"Same here. I don't want to disappoint you."
They looked at each other for a while then rose up at the same time and kissed over the desk, then hugged.
"Derek, is this love?" Laura asked.
"Not sure, but it certainly feels like it," he said and kissed her neck.
"I don't know how we can have children. Maybe if we keep practicing?" Laura asked.
Derek chuckled and said, "I don't know either, but you could be right. They say practice makes perfect."
"Oh, good. I want to practice more."
"Me too."
.
John thought it was forever before the first messenger arrived with data from Sky Net. There wasn't much, just a 'flow' of radio traffic headed east. To increase the traffic, he had Derek take out one of Sky Net's pickets and a radio tower.
Not long after that, Gentry's eastern scouts found the salt mines under Detroit. John didn't even know Detroit had salt mines. From the report, they were gigantic. Even with the combat headlights, they couldn't see the other end. They were also deep down in the ground, but as of yet, no sign of anyone. It was also the end of that arm of railway tunnel, the tracks formed a loop inside the mines. He had Gentry explore those mines and find a way to the surface.
.
Sky Net west segment immediately had the area reinforced where a picket terminator stopped transmitting. It also discovered a single radio tower had been hit. The debris indicated a long range artillery had opened up on the spot. The tower was damaged, but not critically. Shrapnel had cut through the wave guide. It got verification no human had gotten through. Still concerned about an attack that might be setting up someplace else, it sent an H/K over the river to see what the humans were doing. The H/K was shot down and landed on the river ice.
Humans were close by, but waiting for something. Sky Net west ordered it's units to look for any signs of humans. While Sky Net was sending and receiving signals, lone terminators were near 50 different towers, gathering data on the signal coming and going.
.
Lying in bed with John, Cameron had heard the messenger coming. They just had a great intimate time together, and being exhausted, John had passed out. She didn't want to move, but got up so the messenger would not disturb him. She threw on a robe and slipped out their bedroom door into John's Office area. Marisa was already at the outer door and opened it as the messenger arrived.
The man had a folder of papers. He saluted and said, "Ma'am, I have the data on the sky Net towers from General Bedell."
"I'll take them. Wait outside, please," Cameron told him.
"Yes, Ma'am," he said and handed the thick folder over to her.
Cameron went over to the table and took the papers out to study each one. One was a map of the eastern US. On it was exact tower locations. The others were a list of towers and signals sent and repeated and the times each signal was sent and received. Scanning the information, Cameron was able to follow signals from tower to tower. She noted each signal was relayed only by one other tower within range. There was a component in the signal as to which follow on tower was to re transmit. Most likely to keep a signal from bouncing between two towers and filling the entire system with one signal being re- transmitted again and again.
This also help to follow where the signal originated, and replies were sent back to. Studying the data, Cameron found the signals began in the middle of Tennessee, And were not repeated upon returning. Sky Net was there.
So as not to waste paper, Cameron circled the center of the state on the map and wrote, "Concentrate search here" under it. She thought about waking up John, be decided she would tell him when he got up in the morning. She didn't like being disturbed after a long satisfying lovemaking session, she doubted he would like it either. He put the map back in the folder and called the messenger back in.
"Take this to General Bedell immediately," she told him.
"Yes, Ma'am, he said with a salute and left.
Cameron hadn't noticed Maria missing from the room until she went back into the bedroom. She found Maria, in bed with John.
"Maria, WHAT are you doing?" Cameron asked in a harsh tone.
Lying beside John, Maria said, "I know you enjoy lying with John very much. It does feel nice and warm …"
"Up!" Cameron snapped loudly, which woke up John, who also let out a yelp.
"Maria, what are you doing?" John cried as he shot up to sit.
Maria sat up. Looking at John, then Cameron, she said, "I wanted to experience what it was like to lie down in bed with someone," she explained.
John grumbled, "Maria, you only do this with someone you love … not random people."
"And NOT with MY mate!" Cameron said firmly. Her eyes flashed red.
"Marisa and I laid together, but we didn't notice any difference in comfort or temperature. I was curious if it would be different lying down with John as you do, Cameron, and yes, there was a difference," Maria explained.
"Maria," John said with a groan. Explaining, he said, "Being in bed together is only for people who are special to each other. Cameron is very special to me, and I am very special to her. It is our time to be together with no one else around."
"I understand," Maria said, then looked at Cameron. "You are special to me, may I lie with you?'
"What?" John asked, staring at Maria. At least she was still dressed, John noted.
"Yes, Cameron is the most advance AI, that makes her special. Marisa and I want to learn all we can from Cameron."
Cameron tipped her head slightly. "You laid down with John to try and find out why I do?"
"Yes."
Cameron understood. She still wasn't happy to find Maria in her bed. "John, A messenger came. General Bedell's scouts have found Sky Net in the middle of Tennessee. I sent back a message to focus on that area and get Sky Net's exact location."
"Good Job, hon. We're making progress," John told her. He then asked, "Maria, could you get up, please?"
"Maria, come out to the office with me, there are things I need to explain to you and Marisa," Cameron stated.
Maria got up, smiled and said, "Yes, please explain to us."
John flopped back down and rubbed his face. He sure was awake now, but there was no way he was going out to listen to this female conversation.