Chapter 1414


Blinded By Hatred


There were four human girls and four Metal girls in the nude sunbathing area. Things escalated among them into a 'free for all'.

Vanna and Sheila finished up. Vanna didn't want to get too much sun where it didn't normally shine. At least she wouldn't need to worry about 'tan lines'.

"I'm going back." Vanna said.

Gail-Cam was with Laura. She hurried to get the job done. She did.

"I'll go with you." Gail-Cam said.

Vanna and Gail-Cam gathered their things.

Sheila moved over to Laura at that point.

"It's your call, love." Sheila said.

Sheila looked over, Ally was with Mary and Cam-Gail was with Leticia.

Laura thought they'd already done a lot. They were on the upper deck of a cruise ship after all, even if it was a secluded area.

"Maybe we'd better wrap it up." Laura said.

Sheila and Laura watched the other girls finish up.

Mary was pleased with the results but also mindful of the setting. She didn't want to push their luck. She didn't know no one else could access the area.

"I think everyone's happy now." Mary said. "It was quite an experience."

Sheila joined Leticia as soon as she finished.

The rest of the girls collected their things and left.

Vanna needed to remind Sheila to put some clothes on before she left the enclosure. She didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to them.


Cameron held the door for Holly-Camille. They both entered the Control Center. Neither was in a talkative mood.

Hanna got up and Cameron sat down in her spot and plugged in. She wanted to update on everything. It would keep her occupied.

Jim looked over at Cameron but didn't say anything.

He watched Hanna speak with Holly-Camille and they left together. They entered the spare room of the Master Suite.


Frank and Dan were in the San Luis Obispo area. They decided to visit Avila Beach and the surrounding area. They wouldn't actually go onto the property of the Serrano Point nuclear power plant. They wanted to look for any irregularities around the area or any new construction where it shouldn't be. They studied the latest satellite photos. They also had a drone zoom in on any area from high altitude which might be in question.

The location near the power plant where the Skynet activity had been detected was still nothing but collapsed dirt. No one had attempted to do anything at the location. Everything had been buried when the explosion and landslide occurred. Any traces of the activity there were concealed and buried.

The other locations around the area showed no signs of any recent activity either. It was time to move on.

Frank and Dan left San Luis Obispo and headed for Santa Barbara. Ken and Lou would follow in a couple of hours with the Blackhawk and probably get there about the same time.

They wanted to have everything ready in case they were needed to assist with anything on the ship.

They looked for any obvious crimes along the way. If they saw anything which needed to be attended to, they would stop and take care of it. They had plenty of time to burn. Other than petty crimes, their biggest concern was tagging. It seemed to be the biggest eyesore. It accomplished nothing but needless property damage. Tagging crews weren't usually out during the daytime. There were long stretches of the 101 Highway where there was nothing but fields and farmland for miles on end. The cities were few and far between.

They even decided to do a few good deeds along the way. It seemed like it was all part of their 'civic duty'. They'd actually stopped and helped an older couple change a tire on their small motor home. The old couple thanked them when they were finished. They tried to give them some money but they wouldn't take it. They figured Savannah would be pleased if she knew they'd assisted someone in need.

They continued down the 101 Highway towards Santa Barbara.


Steve and Tom finished up with the 'clean up' of where the hostile van was destroyed at.

"I want to get a lead on where the van came from." Tom said.

Tom and Steve weren't pleased with almost getting caught in an ambush. They were glad Kyle and Derek weren't injured.

"It was a close one." Tom said. "They seemed to be waiting for someone and I don't think it was us."

Tom thought about it. All three of the main groups from the future had been active at the old newspaper plant in various ways.

"I believe the captive is from the anti-Metal faction." Tom said. "They thought they were going to bag a Gray or a Fanatic."

Tom was grateful for Kyle making the spot and the connection.

"The Claymore mines would have done a number on us." Tom said. "It would have taken a while for the sheath damage to repair itself."

They knew they would have done a lot worse damage on Derek and Kyle.

Tom wanted to update with John Henry. They wanted some answers, and then they wanted some retribution.


John Henry was relieved Jan didn't return to the Command Center. He couldn't filter anything from Summer. CamNet seemed to push it all on her. What she viewed would have been severely restricted if Jan would've returned.

"Those images aren't something you should dwell on." John Henry said.

Summer didn't look away from her monitors. CamNet fed her information at an incredible rate.

"I've seen most of them before." Summer said. "Don't let my size or numerical age influence you. You know I'm very advanced in everything."

John Henry knew Young Allison started out the same way, but she was older. It was clear Summer was advanced in education and ability over all the other people. It only reinforced his belief Summer was the product of some manipulation or 'temporal malpractice' by Cameron in the distant future. If it wasn't Cameron, it was one of her Duplicates, or one of her clones. It could even be Metal Summer herself. She was another 'Cameron clone' for all practical purposes.

The more he thought about it, the more he thought Metal Summer might be a little more actively involved. Summer was who she was patterned after. She shared her DNA. They were identical. He wondered at what point they would do a 'Neural Interface'. He actually wondered if maybe they already hadn't. Maybe there was more going on behind the scenes than he knew about. None of it would surprise him.

It really made him wonder what Summer would be like if she'd received the same level of 'training' Young Allison or even Savannah was given. He didn't agree with the 'indoctrination' which went with a lot of it. He knew it was a mistake to underestimate Summer in any way.

"I'm aware of your superior abilities." John Henry said. "You would make a formidable enemy."

Summer frowned slightly. She didn't want to be thought of in such a manner.

"I'd make a better friend." Summer said.

John Henry nodded.

"Indeed." John Henry said.

Summer wanted some answers. She wanted some resolution to the earlier events.

"The sooner the prisoner talks, the sooner our troops can act." Summer said.

John Henry didn't want to get into it. He started to look over at Summer's station to see if she was being fed images of the interrogation. So far he hadn't spotted any. He hadn't received any of them either.

He didn't agree with the methods used at Cameron's base. Then again, it's why there was a separate base. Cameron didn't want her actions to taint the Resistance. She did a lot of things outside the scope of the Resistance operation. She did the dirty work to keep John's hands 'clean'. CamNet and Cameron were the Metal Resistance for all practical purposes.

He was certain CamNet currently conducted an 'off the books' operation completely on her own outside the Resistance operations. He was sure it was Resistance related anyway. He thought about where Savannah and Young Allison currently were at. He understood what CamNet attempted to accomplish. It was to give Savannah a break. He did wonder if Summer was clandestinely involved with it. He knew not to ask.


Cammy drove toward the rehab facility. It was the one paid well not to ask questions. If anyone there did, they would be 'replaced', one way or another.

Julie looked a little concerned when they'd left the Antelope Valley and were headed for the San Fernando Valley. She'd hoped to stay around the area she knew.

"Why do we have to go so far from where I'm from?" Julie asked.

Cammy didn't think it was very far. It was just over an hour's drive. It was less for her. She was about to say something when Savannah took over.

Savannah took Julie's hand.

"We're going to a place they'll treat you and not ask questions." Savannah said. "They won't force you into foster care or back to your home if you don't want to go. You'll also need to remain there until you're drug free and have healed up some. You will be given clinical medical care without uncomfortable questions being asked. What you want to divulge is up to you. Probably the less anyone knows about you the better."

Julie looked at Savannah. It was clear it wasn't the first time the girls 'helped' someone. They understood the problems the girls could face going back home or being dumped into foster care. They must have some pull to keep everything out of the system.

"I know you've done this before to help others." Julie said.

Savannah gave her a faint smile.

"Sometimes it's nice to have help." Savannah said.

Julie looked at Young Allison.

"I know I owe all of this to you." Julie said.

Previously what Young Allison saw bothered her still. It was a terrible way to live. The things they found out since they'd made contact were even worse. Somehow it made the future all too real. A Skynet future would be a terrible place for everyone who survived. What she saw and heard would be commonplace. It was what she heard from the girls from the future. It wasn't a future to look forward to. It didn't need to exist now. It could happen soon enough.

"My future will be about helping people." Young Allison said. "There's no reason I can't start now."

Both Young Allison and Savannah resisted the urge to follow what happened with the Resistance teams earlier in any detail. They didn't want to get caught up in anything until Julie was dropped off. They knew Cammy and Anna were on top of it. If anything relevant needed to be dealt with, they'd be told.

Most of the drive was spent in small talk. Julie opened up more to Savannah and Young Allison as they drove.

Something Young Allison said touched Julie.

"Are you really going to help people in the future?" Julie asked. "I mean when you're done with school and everything?"

Young Allison didn't want to get into the specifics. There was no way to know what the future would actually hold. She could only go by what Duplicate Allison and Future Allison did in their respective futures. She imagined her role would be much the same.

"I am." Young Allison said.

Savannah wanted Julie to think about her future.

"If this works out for you, and you stay off drugs, you should think about what you want to do for the future yourself." Savannah said. "You can reach out to help people through some of the programs out there to help others. You can keep an eye on things to make sure there's no abuse either by a group which is supposed to help. One person can make a difference. Every life you help 'save' has meaning."

Julie thought about what Savannah said. She believed some of the organizations which were set up to help others did need some type of oversight. There was no oversight when she went for help. She never expected to get 'popped' on the first night she went to a place for help. She said she would see how things went and look into it.

Cammy pulled up to the gate of the rehab facility.

There was a female administrator there waiting for them.

Julie looked at the surroundings.

"Is this the place?" Julie asked.

It seemed self evident to Cammy.

"It is." Cammy said.

Julie thought it looked pleasant from the outside. She hoped the inside was the same. She hoped it didn't look like a prison.

"It looks nice." Julie said.

Savannah got out along with Young Allison and Julie.

"Take this." Savannah said.

Julie looked at it. It was a small piece of paper.

"Is this your phone number?" Julie asked.

It was a 'drop number' John Henry and CamNet both monitored.

"No." Savannah said. "It's someone who will contact me, or one of my associates, if you run into any problems. There will be someone here within an hour or less. If I'm available, I'll come myself."

Cammy and Anna got out after Young Allison and Savannah were done with Julie and gave her some more specific information. They wished her well and turned her over to the facility.

They all got back in the SUV and left.

Savannah thought Young Allison would talk about what they'd just been through but she didn't. It was clear she was troubled by all of it. She seemed much more at ease dealing out death to Grays.

Young Allison was troubled. She wanted to refocus her mind. She knew one way to do it. She wanted to get back into the swing of things.

"I want a full update on what's happening and what information has been gleaned from the captive." Young Allison said.

Savannah didn't want Young Allison to get ahead of herself.

"You won't be participating in any 'on the ground' action." Savannah said.

Young Allison was about to point out Savannah said something similar at the beginning of the week. Look what she'd been through since then.

"We'll see." Young Allison said.

Savannah didn't care much for Young Allison's answer.

Young Allison and Savannah were updated as they drove.


Jim looked over and noticed Cameron's hand glitched often. He figured she must have received a full detailed update on all the activity which occurred during the last week. There'd been extensive action with Savannah and even a major episode with Young Allison. The reports of it were epic in themselves.

He spied Vanna and Gail-Cam on their way back to the private area. He sent Gail-Cam a message to have Vanna stop by the Control Center. It looked like Cameron could use a 'helping hand'.


Allison and Camille-Holly were still on the balcony when Hanna and Holly-Camille entered the Master Suite.

Hanna and Holly-Camille spotted them sitting on the balcony and decided not to disturb them. They planned to use the attached room instead.

Camille-Holly lifted her head and looked back.

"What is it?" Allison asked. "Is Vanna back?"

Camille-Holly listened for a few seconds.

"It's Hanna and Holly-Camille." Camille-Holly said.

Allison wanted to see Holly-Camille and Camille-Holly together. She figured there had to be something Hot about being able to be with your own body. Whenever she was with a 'Cameron clone', she got the opportunity, well, sort of. It gave her the experience to see what everyone else saw when they looked at her or any specific part of her. Maybe she spent a little more time in some areas than others. It was a different perspective to look at something in front of her face, as opposed to with a mirror.

Holly and Camille could actually be with their own chassis while they were in the borrowed chassis of the other one. Gail and Cam could do it too.

"We could join them." Allison said.

They got up and did. It was always beautiful to watch.


Cameron was very disturbed with all the Resistance action which went down while she'd been on the cruise. They'd be back at the base in a little over half a day. She only found out most of the details now. She was sure a lot was held back. She wanted to take her mind off of 'other things' right now. Maybe what she looked at now was actually worse. There were a lot of close calls.

She felt a soothing touch and looked over. Vanna smiled at her. She noticed Vanna now held her left hand. It must have been glitching. It no longer was.

Vanna looked at Cameron with loving eyes. She wanted to reassure her of her commitment to her. It had never wavered since she'd first communicated with her program in a server.

"I'm here if you need me." Vanna said. "Keep working."

Cameron managed a faint smile and continued the detailed update.

She looked forward to the day when she would share everything she'd allowed John to share. She just needed to get started. She still wanted Savannah to be her first. It was the same goal as Young Allison. Who would be first?

She knew it all depended upon Savannah. Savannah could 'take' her, or Young Allison at any point. So far she'd done neither. It seemed Savannah wanted both of them to wait. She wasn't really sure what they were supposed to wait for. It just seemed like lost time to her.

What was going to be different a day from now, or a year from now? There was a lot of personal sharing which could occur as soon as possible.


Young Allison glanced back as they were updated. Brian, Randy and Mel were behind them in their SUV. There was some extra 'muscle' with them if they needed it.

She didn't want Savannah to ask her to return to Palmdale with Anna in the Detail's SUV.

There was no workable information yet on where the anti-Metal faction was at.

"Do you want to do anything else?" Young Allison asked.

Savannah didn't hear anything operationally which needed to be dealt with right away. She would like the opportunity to spend more time with Young Allison.

"Maybe we can do something." Savannah said.

Young Allison smiled. She wanted to spend more time with Savannah. She didn't care what they did, or if they didn't do anything at all. When she was with Savannah, the darkness she felt inside of herself seemed to go away. The future weighed heavily on her. She was glad she'd prepared Summer to replace her when she fell. Somehow it seemed inevitable.

The first time she'd entered combat, she didn't feel fear. She felt the rush of adrenaline and the uncertainty of not knowing what would happen. When she engaged the targets, she didn't feel anything. They were the enemy. They wanted to kill her. If they could get her alive first, they would do other things to her. She didn't want it to happen. She was sure she would fall at an early age. There was no need to fight it. She'd prepared her replacement. If she fell, she fell. She would go down fighting. Life would go on for the others.


Sheila hooked back up with Leticia when they returned to her suite. She really didn't have anywhere else to be. Ally and Cam-Gail stayed with Mary and Laura. They would keep them busy until dinnertime in their suite next door.

There was time to kill. They might as well make the most of it.

Sheila would rather have time to kill with Leticia, than need to kill people on one of Cameron's 'off the books' operations. Normally it was something she didn't mind. She actually enjoyed enacting justice. Right now, the soft flesh of Leticia was everything she wanted.


Bob kept a careful watch over the girls when they were in the nude sunbathing area. He needed to make sure their activities didn't spill out onto the deck and make sure no one tried to breach their location once access was cut off. It all worked out smoothly.

They all returned to their suites adequately clothed as well.

He would make sure everything was ready for their disembarkation tomorrow morning. He wanted everything to go smoothly.


CamNet released some information as the interrogation progressed. There was no video of it. She only released some audio.

It was evident the female detainee figured out she wasn't being held by the Fanatics or Grays. She was a captive of the 'Metal Lovers'. She'd watched two of her associates killed by the gravity shots. She didn't know exactly what it was. The projectiles fell silently from the sky. It looked like 'metal hail'. There was no noise other than when they impacted into the pavement. She wondered if it was some new type of weapon. Since she hadn't seen anyone else in their group, she figured the same thing happened to the man in the bushes. It was the case.

So far there hadn't been any beating to go along with the questioning. She was simply being asked questions. Most of her answers were half truths or lies. She tried to protect the rest of her group.

She seemed to have a lot of questions of her own. She was very rude, as expected.

"So where's the great John Connor?" She asked.

Cameron's Terminators questioned her.

"It's none of your concern." Hank answered.

The female looked around.

"I expected his 'Metal Whore' to be here." She said. "You know it works for Skynet don't you?"

Larry didn't like all the questions.

"It's none of your concern." Larry answered.

The female looked indignant.

"Great." She said. "I'm stuck with Pete and RePete."

Hank and Larry looked at each other. It was what Sheila and Ally said about them before Savannah named them. They were very proud Savannah picked names for them.

The female picked up on their response. She laughed.

"I can see you've heard it before." She said. "It's rather predictable. You're a machine. You're not alive. You're not real."

Larry wanted to continue the interrogation.

"Give us the information we need and there'll be no problems." Larry said.

The scarred female laughed.

"I'm not getting out of here alive." The female said. "I only surrendered because I thought I was about to be captured by the Grays. I've been a captive of them before. I know how to survive in their camps. I'll do all the things they want me to do. The 'Metal Lovers' never let anyone go. They're more 'Skynet' than Skynet is. At least Skynet will try to put someone in a work camp before they kill them."

The roundabout questioning went on and on.

It rapidly devolved into name calling and finger pointing. The captive soon started to talk of how John Connor was a 'sell out' and nothing more than a tool of Skynet. Those who followed him were all traitors to mankind and they would be punished as such when they were apprehended. The 'Free Resistance' considered them all as collaborators. They would all be tried and hung in front of the masses of people. Any of the 'Metal Lovers' with a Metal lover would be made an example of. Not only was it unnatural. It was sleeping with the enemy, literally.

There were repeated references John Connor was the 'Pied Piper'. He led mankind to its enslavement and doom.

CamNet waited for someone to ask the interrogation to move along in the standard fashion. It would be where the answers were beaten out of the captive 'Terminator style'. With the repeated references as to what would be done to Cameron and by extension Savannah and Young Allison, she considered having the bound detainee blinded and brought down into her bunker. At this point she wanted to beat the information out of her.

She looked over at the box which contained her four chips. She could just put one in for a short time and go up there herself and take over the interrogation. She would most likely be identified as 'Connor's Metal Whore'. She wanted to make sure Savannah and Young Allison were protected. She also needed to think about John and the other members of the Resistance as well. As an afterthought, she knew she needed to think about herself too.


Savannah and Young Allison were allowed to hear parts of the interrogation.

They were on a time delay as to the actual interrogation. There were parts of it which were edited out.

Savannah knew some of those references were about her as a 'Metal Lover' with a Metal lover. It applied to most of the group one way or another. The entire Reese clan would be included as well as 'Metal Lovers', even if they didn't have a Metal lover.

Cammy and Anna heard it all too. It angered both of them.

"How much longer are you going to listen to this?" Cammy asked. "If I was there, I'd terminate her myself."

Cammy's statement made Young Allison think about it. What would she do if she was in the same situation? If she knew she was going to die, what was the point in prolonging it? As a female prisoner, she would have other concerns as well. They would involve what would happen to her physically. Depending upon whose custody she was in, would determine the extent of abuse she would need to suffer.

"It's what she wants." Young Allison said. "She wants to be killed before she can talk. She's hoping to make one of the Terminators snap her neck."

CamNet understood what Young Allison meant. She quickly issued a directive. The prisoner wasn't to be terminated before they'd obtained the information they wanted.

Savannah wondered if they could try a new approach. It wasn't something done under normal circumstances. She knew it was used a lot in the movies. She didn't know how well it actually worked in real life. She would throw the suggestion out there and see what happened.

"I know it isn't the standard procedure, but since we have the time and resources, do you want to try and use some drugs on her to make her talk?" Savannah asked. "I don't know if it will really work or not."

Savannah was sure a strong willed individual would be able to defeat the drugs. They'd certainly be able to limit their effectiveness.

Cammy wanted a different resolution. She wanted there to be some pain and punishment for the female's mouthy words. She wanted to become personally involved in the interrogation.

"We can waste time with it, but what we do works and produces results." Cammy said. "I personally want to wait for Sheila to return and watch her 'work' on her. I don't like the things she's said so far. Her tongue should be ripped out at the conclusion of the interrogation. When Sheila is done with her, I'll do it myself."

Savannah didn't want any violent talk. Young Allison didn't need to hear it.

"Cammy, stop it." Savannah said.

Young Allison touched Savannah's hand. She was aware of how the interrogations were conducted.

"Relax; I know everything related to the interrogations." Young Allison said. "I know it in detail and effect."

Savannah frowned. She knew it was true. It was Cameron's fault. Then again, John and Cameron were the ones being named over and over. It was clear Cameron's hatred and obsession with the anti-Metal faction was more than personal about what happened with John and Future Riley. There was a deep rooted animosity there. Part of it was to blame on the losses Future John entailed on the battlefield. It was perceived he liked Terminators over humans. It wasn't the case.

The real difference was, Terminators could sustain greater damage than a human and were more likely to survive a battle. It should be common sense to everyone. For some it appeared not to be.

The female eventually blamed her burn scars on John Connor. She said the only good thing about it was the Scavengers didn't bother her when they saw her. Then again, no one else wanted her either because she looked like she did.

She asked for a top to wear several times but was denied. She didn't realize it was part of the interrogation. She'd made it clear what bothered her about the Resistance. It was also clear what personal issues haunted her. Without a top on, it was a constant reminder to her. Whenever she looked down at herself, she never looked at her good breast. She always looked at the scarred and withered one.


Cameron listened to the interrogation. She called up some audio of it too so Vanna could listen to it. She wanted her to know what the enemy looked like and why her actions were justified.

Every time the female spat out 'John Connor' or his 'Metal Whore' phraseology, it would cause Cameron's hand to glitch, even with Vanna holding it.

Vanna was a little surprised when Jim left the Control Center and Allison appeared and sat on Cameron's other side a short time later.

All the relevant transmissions were played for Allison even as the questioning continued.

Cameron looked at Vanna and Allison during a pause in the questioning. She wanted to make her plea once again for the girls to listen to her. She wasn't sure if anything actually transpired or not. It needed too. They needed to be there with him. John was more than a 'Metal Lover' with a Metal lover. He was a leader and a visionary. He was the one who'd stopped Skynet. Well, maybe she had a little to do with it in every timeline she'd been to.

"THIS is why you must help John." Cameron said. "You've taken the first step, but I need more from you. You both need to help me protect John from these people. They're going to kill him if they can find him."

They all knew Cameron would be terminated as well if they could get their hands on her. It applied to their Metal lovers and them as well.

As soon as they returned to the Resistance base, Cameron was going to solicit the 'help' of Jesse and Claire. She regretted not having it occur on the ship before they got off in Catalina. She would ask Jesse first. She wanted to save Claire for last. She was sure Claire would make the most effective domestic partner for John. She was very skilled in multiple domestic issues. She wasn't a trained fighter like the rest of the girls were. She possessed many other skills. It might play to her advantage. She was willing to have John's children as well. She wondered how the mother-daughter issue would play out going forward. It was something to think about anyway.

Vanna and Allison continued to listen. Hearing it first hand was very disgusting to them. They knew prejudice and hatred blinded the person to a better reality. What John and Cameron did was to help all humans from being under the yoke of Skynet. They'd prevented Skynet from making humans extinct.


Young Allison was very aware of the irony of it all. Here they'd just tried to help someone eating garbage, now they were about to beat the answers out of another person and it would result in their death. They were both victims of circumstance. The circumstances were completely different.

Savannah didn't like to listen to the information in front of Young Allison.

"We've heard enough of this." Savannah said. "If there's anything to act on, I want to know. We don't need to hear the rest."

The transmission of the interrogation stopped.

Young Allison thought about everything for a few moments.

"How do you help someone like her?" Young Allison asked. "They're so filled with anger and hate. They'll never listen to reason. They're blinded by hatred."

Anna hadn't said much. She was aware of other individuals in some of Cameron's 'off the books' operations. She knew it was the same for people from the future as well.

"Not everyone can be helped." Anna said. "It applies to everything."

Now Young Allison questioned helping the Julie. Maybe Cammy was right. Maybe she would be dead in two years no matter what they did.

"What happens if Julie reverts?" Young Allison asked.

Savannah didn't want to start speculating.

"We don't know what will happen, one way or another." Savannah said. "Things will have to play out for any of the people we've tried to help. The drugs they get addicted to are what their real devil is."

All she needed to do was think about several celebrities which experience 'drug issues'. There was always big praise when they finished rehab. A few of them slipped back to the old ways after a time. Disaster was their master.


Summer and John Henry continued to follow the interrogation.

She got a 'heads up'. Her mother was up and about to leave the room.

"I need to go." Summer said. "I've been in here a long time."

They watched Jesse and Claire leave Claire's room.

John Henry was about to comment. He looked over and Summer was gone. The monitors where she was at were blank. It was almost like she was never there. He checked his files. She was.


The mood was somewhat glum in the SUV now. Cammy wanted to try and salvage something from it.

"We could still go somewhere and do something." Cammy said.

Anna wanted to keep it simple.

"We could always watch a movie." Anna said. "There's a new theater which opened up off of Rinaldi."

Young Allison was afraid they would want her to go back to Palmdale if they didn't do something. The movie seemed as good as anything at this point.

"We can go there." Young Allison said. "If everyone wants to do it, I mean. Everyone should have a say."

Savannah wanted to think about it. They could leave the theater at any time if they needed to. If something turned up on the anti-Metal group, they could act on it. The trouble was, Young Allison was there with them.

Cammy would prefer neither of the girls get involved in a combat operation. The theater would keep them occupied, at least until the evening.

"There's an Islands restaurant right on the corner near there." Cammy said. "We could catch dinner there after the movie."

They would need to check it out to see if any good movies were showing. Not all of them were worth the time spent to watch them. The money wasn't the issue. The Syndicate covered the tab for everything.


Cameron appreciated Vanna and Allison in the Control Center with her. She also didn't want to tie them up.

"I'm fine." Cameron said. "You need to enjoy some of the things on the ship."

Vanna wanted to include Cameron.

"You could go with us." Vanna said. "Is anything you're doing now going to change if you finish it later on?"

Allison thought much the same thing.

"You're on the ship for another half a day. You can't act on anything from here." Allison said. "Obsessing over something like it can't do any good."

Cameron looked at the wall of the Owner's Suite.

Vanna reached over and gently turned her head away. She wanted to make everything clear to Cameron.

"It's either what you want, or it isn't." Vanna said. "What's done is done. Move on."

It made Cameron wonder about Mary, Laura and Leticia.

"What happens with the new girls you met once the cruise is over?" Cameron asked.

Allison smiled. She thought about the females she'd been with in her future.

"We'll remember the good times we shared with them and move on." Allison said. "It's how it was in the past, the future. People come and go."

Allison didn't point out many of the females they were with didn't live too much longer. There was a lot of death involved.

Vanna wanted Cameron to unwind some.

"What happens on the ship, stays on the ship." Vanna said.

Allison remembered there was a movie playing in the main theater. There were multiple large screen televisions in each of their rooms. It wasn't the same as watching a movie on the big screen. She hadn't been to a movie theater in a long time.

"We could go watch the movie." Allison said.

Maybe it was what she needed. Cameron reached back and unplugged. She needed to get away from it all.

"Do we know what movie it is?" Vanna asked.

Cameron knew. She gave them a brief rundown.

"We can go there and see how it is." Cameron said. "If you don't like it, we can leave."

Allison and Vanna took Cameron away from the suites and the private area. The further they moved her away from there, the more she became like herself when she was around them. It was 'the Cameron' they liked. It was 'the Cameron' who was like them. It was 'the Cameron' they loved.

"Do you want to sit in the main part of the theater or use the private box area?" Cameron asked.

Allison liked to see the screen dead center. Their box section was off to the side and closer to the front.

"We can try the main theater seating first. If it's too crowded, we can use the private box area." Allison said.

Cameron wondered if the girls were hungry.

"Do you want to grab a bite to eat first?" Cameron asked.

Vanna and Allison were both stuffed from all the food they'd eaten in the last few days.

"I think I'm good until dinner." Vanna said.

Allison reached down and touched her belly. She pushed in on it a few times. She thought about how tightly the nice dress clung to her body to show every curve.

"I am too." Allison said. "I wonder if we'll still fit into our dresses at this point."

Cameron knew it wouldn't be a problem.

"You will." Cameron said.

Vanna felt the movie would take care of the time before their next main event, dinner.

"Let's just go get our seats." Vanna said. "Dinner won't be too long after the movie ends anyway. We still need to get ready too."

They took the stairs down and walked right into the main theater and found some good seats.

Cameron liked having Vanna and Allison on both sides of her. It was where they'd always been when she let them. It was her own mistake for forgetting it at times. They'd gone into the unknown before with her, even when their future was uncertain. They still went anyway. They went with her because they loved her. It was a love to die for. The girls proved it more than once. It proved love was more than something physical.


Steve and Tom still wanted a target to act on. They didn't like the delay with the interrogation of the prisoner.

They checked the drone footage over the two sites they'd been at earlier. They wanted to know if anyone else was snooping around.

The reports came back negative.

"The anti-Metal faction was there to set off the ambush." Tom said.

Steve thought of the damage they could have suffered. He was irritated at the thought.

"Yes." Steve said.

It was clear to Tom they were waiting for someone to arrive.

"Why were they there specifically?" Tom asked. "They must have come across some intel to expect someone to show up."

Steve thought about it. They wouldn't have been there all the time. They'd also been able to elude being picked up by the surveillance they'd put in place.

"I don't think it was a random hit." Steve said. "They were expecting someone."

They knew the groups infiltrated each other.

"Maybe that someone is still going to arrive." Tom said.

They contacted John Henry for an update. He told them Summer told him the same thing at the beginning of the operation. He'd been watching for something to break loose. It hadn't.

It left a new possibility. Maybe whoever was supposed to show up did. They might have arrived late enough to see what happened and avoided any involvement.

The drone images should have captured something if it was the case.

Someone may have gathered intel on them.


CamNet's Terminators continue to watch the drone footage.

The two men were up to something. They watch them use the electric device and go to the approximate location of where the portal had been. They wondered if there was some type of residual energy signature. They began to wonder if the portal could reopen. It had been open without any power going to it earlier.

Lena and Tina watched as the men installed some type of electric devices around the area of the portal. They thought it might be some type of surveillance device. They hoped it wasn't something to reopen it. The men went back to the van and drove away.

CamNet's Terminators quickly moved to the location to see what the men left behind.


The female Fanatic heard something else when the truck driver closed the latch. It sounded like a lock was put on the latch. She waited a few minutes and moved back to the rear door. She tried to take up the slack in the door. She stuck her knife through the narrow opening and pushed on the latch. It only moved a quarter of an inch. She pushed harder. Nothing happened.

She became a little worried. She tried to move the door up and down a little bit as she pushed. She was afraid she was going to break her knife. It wasn't something she wanted to do. She pulled her knife back inside and sat on the floor of the trailer.

She was aware if the trailer was parked somewhere, it was where she was going to die. It wasn't how she wanted to reach Ascension. She would rather die fighting in the service of SkyMaster.

She could hear voices. They sounded close. She didn't know if the truck driver was back or not. She moved up on top of the crates. She would scurry to the front if it sounded like the door was about to open.

The female Fanatic was worried about the new danger. Why would the truck driver come back so soon?


Jill got back into the vehicle. She noticed the two men exit the diner and head for the pickup truck. She would need to keep her eye on them. She started the car and drove along the side of the gas station. She drove past the bathrooms and along the back of the building. When she reached the street, she didn't see the pickup truck. She drove across the street and headed for where the big trucks were parked.

She wanted to know what was in the back of them. She decided to park next to the two trucks which were already there when the third truck arrived. It would give her a little cover if she needed to run.

She parked next to one of the other big rigs. She turned off the car. She didn't lock it when she got out. She looked at the big rig she was parked next to. She bent down and moved underneath it. She wanted to make sure she'd be able to pass under them without too much trouble. There was plenty of room for her as long as she was bent over.

Jill spotted something as she moved closer to the last big rig.


The two men paid their bill and exited. They headed for their pickup truck. They spotted the female get back into her shabby looking car. Her hair was a mess. There were still several choices available to them.

"We can either go after the skank, or see what's in the back of the big rigs." The first man said.

The second man thought about the unkempt appearance of the female.

"Skanks come a dime a dozen." The second man said. "I still wouldn't mind picking up a little 'trim'. I doubt anyone would miss her."

They watched the female drive around the side of the service station. They figured she would have pulled out onto the street.

"Where's she going?" The first man asked.

The second man wasn't sure.

"Maybe it's to the restroom." The second man said. "We can put the grab on her there and tie her up. No one from here can see anything on the far side. We can go check on the trucks and then have some fun. I'll drive her car. We might be able to score a couple of ways if there's anything valuable in the back of the big rigs."

The truck quickly turned across the street and drove into the gas station. They paused where she'd been parked. They slowly turned around to the side of the building. They didn't see her car. They pulled around the side of the gas station and drove across the back to the street. They paused and looked both ways.

"Where did she go?" The first man asked.

The second man quickly looked behind them. He didn't want to get ambushed.

"She might have made us." The second man said.

The first man shrugged his shoulders.

"It's like you said, skanks come a dime a dozen." The first man said. "We'll find another one somewhere along the way. Hopefully she'll look a little less trashy. The chick we saw probably turns tricks for food. I'm sure she's used up down there."

The second man looked across the way to where the big rigs were parked behind the diner.

"Let's go check the big rigs and see what we can find." The second man said. "We might get lucky and find something of value."

The truck drove across the street and parked near the big rig with the blue stripe on the back of it. The two men got out of it and approached the back of the big rig.

"There's a lock on it." The first man said.

The second man brought out a small leather case from his pocket. It was a set of lock picks.

"I have a few tools we can use to open it." The second man said. "It's no big deal. We do it all the time."

The first man looked over towards the back of the diner. He could see the back of one of the other big rigs. It was locked as well. He couldn't see the third one from where they were at. He figured it would be the same.

"I'll keep watch for anyone coming." The first man said.

The second man quickly picked the lock and opened it. He opened the roll up door. He let it go up about two feet. He looked inside.

"It's some kind of crates." The second man said. "I don't see any markings on them."

The first man wanted him to check better.

"Get up there and see if you can tell what's in them." The first man said. "We don't have a lot of time to lollygag."

The second man let the door go up. He climbed up in the back of the big rig trailer. He could see there were a few crates. There was something else up in the front.

"The crates are all nailed shut." The second man said. "There's some kind of machinery up in the front. I can't quite tell what it is."

The first man looked in the back of the truck from ground level.

"If we can't take anything with us, let's go." The first man said.

The second man was between two of the crates. He didn't feel like going all the way up to the front of the trailer. Whatever was up there was too big to take. The crates were all nailed closed. It was time to move on.

He climbed over the crates closest to the rear door. He turned around and looked behind him. He could see something coming. He wondered if it was some kind of an animal. Maybe there was a guard dog in the back. Why didn't it bark or attack him earlier? He reached for the strap on the door and grabbed it. He pulled the door down as he jumped out and landed on the ground.

"There's something alive in there." The second man said.

He quickly threw the latch. He could hear something hit the rear door. It almost got him.

The first man looked when the second man said there was something alive in there. He could hear the impact on the door when it closed.

"Let's get out of here." The first man said.

The first man grabbed the lock and stuck it through the latch. He was in a hurry to leave.

The two men got back into their truck and quickly drove away.


Blinded By Hatred

Into everyone's mind
Certain things will embed
They may be conveyed
Without being spoken or said

One must be cautious
Of where they will tread
What they seek out
May be something to dread

The direction to move forward
May not always be ahead
It may be to retreat
To visit once was instead

Not every heart or soul
Will turn out to be kindred
One needs to learn to lead
Instead of being led

Keep track of what is real
Not everything can be sacred
Be careful of what can shred
Don't be the one blinded by hatred

Nobody