Chapter 1435


Smooth Warm Softness


Savannah thanked Ken and Lou for the helicopter ride.

She greeted Dan and Frank when they arrived a few minutes later.

Cammy and Savannah got into the van. Cammy currently received high altitude drone scans. She'd already reviewed the satellite photos and previous drone scans along with the surveillance footage.

They left before the ship entered the breakwater. They wouldn't watch it dock. They wouldn't miss much. It was a slow and tedious process. The ship was often backed into the sideways berth in the channel. Sometimes they headed in. It always took a long time either way. The berth itself appeared to be added as more of an afterthought to the channel than anything else.

Dan was ready to drive Savannah wherever she wanted to go. He hoped it would be more of a sightseeing tour than a reconnaissance.

"What would you like to see first?" Dan asked.

Savannah thought they might as well start out easy. She wasn't sure if easy was actually the correct term. There were certain things which needed to be checked.

"I want to drive by the three sides of the compound we can get to from the street." Savannah said. "I want to check out the two buildings we hit with missiles too."

Dan headed out. He could tell it wasn't going to be a sightseeing tour. He wanted to give Savannah as much of a break as possible. It wouldn't hurt to try.

"Would you like to go over the bridge for a look around the port first?" Dan asked. "It will only delay us a few minutes."

Savannah was tired. She knew things didn't get done by thinking about them.

"Maybe on the way back we can." Savannah said. "I want to get the recon out of the way."

Cammy didn't want to do it. Every time they were there, there was trouble. It seemed they were always left with more questions than answers.

"We never did learn who all the players were for sure from the two operations we conducted there." Cammy said.

Savannah thought it didn't matter. They knew who the four main groups were. There appeared to be subgroups of at least a few of them.

"We can bet there was the Syndicate, the Fanatics, the anti-Metal faction and maybe another group of Grays." Savannah said. "Now we know of a further future than the Fanatics, there's one more group to contend with."

Somehow with the more they knew, the less they knew. The energy ball and the unknown portal were two mysteries to them. They were both technology beyond anything they knew. It wouldn't make the enemy any easier to fight if they were more advanced. It would make it more difficult. The unknown technology was a threat.

Cammy could see there was no way around it. Savannah wanted to check it out. She wanted to be prepared. She moved along the rows of seats to the back of the van and checked the weapons in the rear section. She wanted to verify what was available. She was well aware of the trouble the port facility represented. She figured they would probably need some additional weapons.

Frank was a little concerned about Savannah. He could see she was anxious to get the recon out of the way. He didn't want her to worry. They would back her up.

"We'll be there soon." Frank said.

Savannah smiled at Frank. She glanced back at Cammy and waited for her assessment. She really hoped additional weapons weren't going to be necessary.


Camille followed up with Cam and Holly. It was decided the girls would all enjoy a warm bubble bath in the hot tubs in their rooms. They would then have full room service for a grand breakfast in the Master Suite.

It meant they would need to have a few of the Metal girls bring everything up. Ally volunteered as did Holly. Camille thought Hanna would too but she was busy with Young Jesse now.

Cam laid out the plan to Allison and Holly. They were pleased Young Jesse was coming. They were also pleased she would join them for breakfast.

"What about John?" Allison asked. "Should we invite him?"

Vanna shot Allison a quick glance when she asked. She figured Allison was as much in love with John now too as she was. If they shared equally going forward, it shouldn't be an issue. If someone tried to 'hog' John it would be.

She remembered back to the contentious nature of things when they'd first decided to do what Cameron asked them to do after she'd been missing for months. She'd ask them to step up so John wouldn't be lonely. They waited as long as they thought was reasonable for her to return. When she didn't, they decided to act.

There'd been a coin toss which Vanna won. Allison stopped it and wanted to do it again. She won the second time. They both knew who won the first time. It didn't matter in the end. Cameron showed back up at the last minute. Nothing happened. Nothing happened for years when it could have. It only happened now in the last few days.

Vanna was a little worried about her performance with John. He was great and he'd delivered. It was the first time she'd finished with a male. She would never allow herself to do it with her abuse. As sick as it was then, and still is now for that matter, there were men who'd held her captive for weeks, or even months, at a time who tried to make her finish.

With the threat of a knife or gun nearby, it was never going to happen. The contents of her skull could be blown out the side of it if she didn't submit. It was still better than being taken by a group. She hated when they held her down and took turns. The comments and laughing were too much. Each one would do something to make her cry out in pain, even if she tried not to. It would make them laugh more, then they would flip her over and it all started again.

'Snap!'

'Snap!'

Vanna blinked her eyes.

Allison had snapped her fingers twice in front of Vanna's face.

"Are you still with me?" Allison asked.

Vanna mustered a faint smile. She knew the past was past, but it was still there.

"The past has a way of following me around at times." Vanna said.

Allison decided to let it slide. The past haunted everyone at times. Her past was no exception.

It was decided that they would join Young Jesse in the Honeymoon suite for the whirlpool bath. It would only be Cam and Camille who would go with them then.


Young Jesse worked on Hanna. She looked identical to Vanna. To see her sheath in the bright sunlight really accentuated everything which was pink on her. Her personal private tones were all much darker than Hanna, Camille or any of the Metal girls, except Sheila. It seemed to excite all of them which made her happy. She didn't think she really had anything to do with it. It was all based on skin tone and genetics. She knew there were a lot of variations down there on all females. Size, shape and pigmentation could appear in any number of combinations.

She was able to give Hanna a finish. Before Hanna could start on her, Camille informed them of the new plan. She was highly aroused right now. With Vanna and Allison on the way over, she thought things would work out.

Hanna put her maid's outfit back on. She told Young Jesse she owed her a finish. Right now she was needed elsewhere. She went out into the private area.

Young Jesse looked out. Ally and Holly were dressed the same way. She thought Sheila should have helped them instead of Holly.

Cam, Vanna and Allison were on their way over from the Master Suite. They were all naked. They each carried a towel to dry off afterwards with, and a bathrobe.

The girls all kissed when they entered the Honeymoon Suite. Vanna held the kiss a little longer with Young Jesse.

Vanna knew she was 'working' Young Jesse, but it was how she felt. She felt much the same way Savannah did, which made sense.

The girls all got into the whirlpool tub bubble bath. There was a lot of giggling and touching. It was what everyone wanted so it worked out fine.


Mary and Laura decided they would go to the main dining room for their last breakfast. They asked Leticia to join them.

Sheila thought it was a good idea so they could talk over their upcoming living arrangements and what they wanted to do with each other going forward.

Gail and Sheila both were aware through their coms what the other girls were doing.

Jim said he was going to need to assist them for the grand spread of food they planned to set up for them in the Master Suite.

Sheila knew she should assist with the breakfast service in the Master Suite.

Gail told Jim he didn't need to help them. She would instead.

Jim thanked her.

Gail questioned Sheila about wearing her modified maid's outfit when they went to pick up the food.

Sheila wanted to downplay what might happen.

"I don't think anyone will notice as long as I don't bend over." Sheila said.

Gail figured it meant Sheila would bend over every chance she got. She really liked to show off her rings. She wanted Sheila to use some discretion and common sense. She wanted to remind her who was in charge of the cruise line.

"Just take it easy." Gail said. "Don't bring CamNet down on us. This is her ship."

Sheila didn't think she would get stuck washing dishes at this point. What Gail said was a sobering thought. She wasn't looking for any additional trouble.

"Sure, love." Sheila said.

They went to join the other Metal girls who'd already left to get the food and other items. Everyone wanted to help. It was the last day. They wanted to make everything extra special for the others on board.


Cameron was aware there was a selection of nude females in the hot tub in the Honeymoon suite. She debated taking John over there or not. She didn't feel sex in water was smooth at all. The water made it less pleasurable. It would be a negative experience for the girls. She would still give John the option. She didn't want to hold back. They were only on the ship for a few more hours.

"Do you want to join any of the girls in the whirlpool tub in their suite?" Cameron asked. "They can all take turns sitting on your lap as they face you."

John looked over at the bubble bath Cameron prepared. He wanted to spend the time with her.

"It sounds like fun if it was only to play around." John said. "I think everyone will want to try a little more. We've tried it before. It seems things aren't as smooth in the water. I prefer the smooth warm softness we normally enjoy. The personal touch is lacking."

His reminder made Cameron want to ask about the girls and how different each of them felt to John. There would be a difference in several areas. She knew they were all different as were the Metal girls. Cam and Cammy were almost identical. The rumors were Cammy was a little 'different' than Cam was after her eight years alone with Sheila.

The same was reported with Vanna and Savannah. Savannah delivered two children in two different futures to other versions of herself. It was as noble a gesture as it was painful, both mentally and physically, for her. There was no apparent difference between Jesse and Young Jesse. They were reported as the 'tightest'. It might change nine months from now when Young Jesse delivered her second child.

"We can still go there." Cameron said. "There are plenty of other things to touch."

John wasn't sure he liked the setting. What would happen if he became aroused and one of them tried to use what was there? What if Cam or Camille tried to do it on their own? How was Cameron going to take it sitting right there? What if 'Little Willie' quit on him because of the setting or comments which would be sure to be there? He would feel bad about himself. He would look 'bad' in front of the girls. What if one of them felt jealous because someone else was able to use 'Little Willy' instead of them? He didn't want any hard feelings, so to speak.

"I'd like to be alone with you." John said. "We can just relax and play around some. I want to keep it simple."

Cameron was pleased to hear it. She decided to test him after his statement.

"Sheila reported Leticia is taking a bubble bath." Cameron said.

John responded too quickly.

"Is she all alone?" John asked.

Cameron knew he took the bait.

"Yes." Cameron said. "She asked to be with you, again. She's asked a dozen times if she could be with you. It appears she really wants to be with Tony."

Cameron didn't specify most of those times were because Leticia wanted to please Sheila.

John was tempted by the idea. To be with a super Hot girl was something he'd wished for, for years. Then there was Future Riley. He'd finished in about thirty seconds the first time. He never did make her finish. It was better than nothing, at least for him. He needed to clear his mind.

John thought better of it going elsewhere. He didn't want to seem selfish to Cameron. He felt he'd already done enough of it through his actions over the years.

"I'd rather just spend the time with you." John said.

Cameron smiled. She wanted him to understand things were different now. It wasn't like before. She understood how things worked. She wanted beauty for everyone. There was only one rule to remember.

"Thank you." Cameron said. "Just remember, I'm willing to share, as long as it's just sharing. I'm good with it now. I understand and can see the beauty."

John remembered the saying.

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

Cameron smiled and gave John a kiss. She wanted him to always feel loved and comforted. She wanted more of a human touch for him.

"I'm going to modify it specifically for you when we get back to the base." Cameron said. "What happens in the bedroom, stays in the bedroom."

John swallowed hard. He looked to see if Cameron was joking or not. He wanted to warn Cameron about what could happen. He already thought about his special interaction with Allison and Young Jesse. It was special with Vanna and him as well. More feelings developed the more they shared. None of it was just sex. Even if they wanted it to be, it wasn't. There was a lot of pent up feeling and desire for all of them.

"You do know this just isn't sex to everyone." John said. "Everyone has feelings too. They will creep in at some point with repeated action."

Cameron smiled and touched John on the end of his nose with her index finger.

"If I'm ever gone again for more than a week, I want someone to warm your bed until I return." Cameron said. "There should be several who will do it now. It's what I want to happen. I apologize for all of the months and the more than a year I left 'Little Willy' in the care of 'Rosie Palm'."

John was just glad she'd even returned those times. She was right about 'Rosie Palm' though. It happened several times a day sometimes. He would need to work it in around Holly's schedule for the fifteen months when Cameron was gone. He was always sure 'Cameron' was on Holly's chip, but he could never get a straight answer.

He knew how things worked with Cameron. He figured as long as he let her be in charge, there would be fewer problems. He wasn't going to turn anyone down anymore. He wanted to remind Cameron what he was up for.

"Whoever you put in my bed yourself, I'll see what happens if they want to be there." John said. "I want you to be happy and everyone else too."

Cameron wished John would have listened to him years ago. What was done was done. There was no going back, at least not for what could have happened in the bedroom anyway.

"What about breakfast?" Cameron asked. "Will it be room service, the buffet or the main dining room?"

John wanted to do the main dining room or room service. He was done with the buffet for now. There were only so many choices for breakfast up there. He thought the selections for lunch and dinner was much more extensive and varied. The breakfast food seemed to be pretty much the same thing every day with only a few variations.

"Maybe we could do room service." John said. "It will keep us out of the hubbub."

Cameron wanted to get straight to the point. She wanted John to share with the girls in a non sexual setting as well. She believed it would help build their bond on a deeper level. Everything shouldn't revolve around the bed. She was aware the draw only lasted so long with each individual. At some point they would reach the toleration phase. She didn't want to get sidetracked.

"The girls are going to have room service in the Master Suite together." Cameron said. "We can join them."

John thought she said they were all in the hot tub in the Honeymoon Suite.

"Will they switch rooms?" John asked.

Cameron thought it would be easier for them to get everything set up while everyone was out of the room. It would also provide less to distract the Metal girls as they got everything ready. She knew each time they passed by the bathroom, they would feel the urge to join the girls in the whirlpool tub. She wanted John to share with them anyway he could.

"Yes." Cameron said. "We can too."

John thought it might be nice. He wanted to see the girls again anyway. It seemed like a better atmosphere. They would probably be clothed and not trying to sit on his lap facing forward. He thought it would have a little more meaning now if they did. they all made the connection already. They all knew what it felt like with each other. It would all give them a little reminder and something to look forward to.

"We can do it." John said.

Cameron smiled. She hadn't been specific about everything. She was sure she could add a little spice to John's breakfast. Spice was nice after all.


Jim started to pack all the gear away. The weapons were secured and stowed. He was down to just three monitors. One of those was focused on the hot tub in the Honeymoon Suite. He'd removed all of the other cameras during the night after the operation concluded.

He turned his attention to where Savannah was headed. It might spawn some trouble.


Young Allison pushed it hard to get to the pool. Mel was already there when they arrived. Randy and Brian were behind her.

Anna was unsure why Young Allison wanted to push herself so hard. Was she really jealous of Young Jesse?

"Everything is clear." Mel reported.

Anna didn't want any surprises since they would be nude.

"That's good." Anna said. "Make sure no one else enters."

Mel would make sure no one else passed. They wouldn't get by him.

"Affirmative…." Mel said.

Young Allison almost told him it was because they were going to be naked. She decided to leave it a mystery. She wouldn't mind if other females viewed her. She saw them look at her sometimes in the locker room anyway. She didn't want any males to look at her though. The only male who should ever see her unclothed was John.

"Thanks." Young Allison said as she looked at Mel. "I'd ask you to join us but I already know the answer."

Mel, like all of the Terminators, always told her the same thing.

"I don't swim." Mel said.

Young Allison smiled at him.

"That's the one." Young Allison said.

She wondered if he would change his mind if she told him they would be naked. She could see all of the male Terminators seemed to pay more attention to all of the females. The more skimpy the outfit, the more attention it generated.

Mel entered the code. They went inside the pool area.

Anna did a quick once around the area.

"Everything is clear." Anna said.

Young Allison took off her back pack and stowed her Taser and Model 66 in it. She took off her shoes.

She looked at Anna as she took off her shirt and then her pants. It left her in her underwear. Anna did the same. She reached back and unhooked her bra. Anna did the same.

"You're still bigger than me." Young Allison said.

Anna actually liked her more youthful appearance now.

"Maybe for now I am." Anna said "You'll pass me shortly. You're going to look like Cameron soon anyway, even if she looks like you. You know what I mean."

Young Allison didn't want any physical appearance competition. She knew what both Vanna and Allison looked like without clothing. Well, Vanna looked a little different now. Actually, it wasn't a little different, it was noticeably different with her nursing breasts.

"We can both be the same." Young Allison said. "We'll be close anyway in the end."

Young Allison slipped off her underwear. So did Anna.

Anna looked down a lower on Young Allison.

"That's a close shave." Anna said.

Young Allison smiled.

"Thanks to you it is." Young Allison said.

'I want to make it permanent like everyone else is.' Young Allison thought.

She thought the only hair on her body needed to be on her head. It was how all the females were in the Resistance. It seemed to be the trend among most females now anyway. The females in the Resistance were just ahead of the curve. Then again, Cameron may have taken a peek into the future here and there. She may have also started the trend in the past.

Young Allison turned and dove into the water. There was hardly a splash. Anna made sure her phone was handy and went down the steps into the shallow end.


John Henry watched the security Camera in the pool enclosure as well as the one in the Honeymoon suite which focused on the hot tub. He made sure those images never left his server.

Summer poured over all the data on the port facility. John Henry did the same.

"I think someone is still watching the building." Summer said.

John Henry was instantly alert. He couldn't make the same determination. He wondered what he'd missed.

"Based on what?" John Henry asked.

Summer showed him several images. There was a reoccurring driver in different vehicles which showed up every so often at different times and days of the week. He wasn't sure how they'd missed it before. Maybe it was because they'd watched for recurring vehicles instead of the drivers themselves.

"How's that for starters?" Summer asked.

John Henry was worried.

"Maybe it's a local resident." John Henry said.

Summer didn't buy it.

"It seems unlikely with three different cars for the same guy." Summer said.

John Henry felt it was a possibility.

"Maybe, I don't know." John Henry said.

Summer wanted to cover all the bases

"We need to track one or more of the vehicles he's used." Summer said.

John Henry's server was all over it.

"I'm working on it." John Henry said.

John Henry didn't want to let any lead go untouched. Any advanced warning they could get about any impending action would help the team on the ground greatly.


Claire showered and dressed. She changed the sheets on the bed. She would need to do the laundry. She was used to Hanna doing it. She thought about saving them until later but didn't want Hanna to come back to a mess. The laundry was something she used to do all of the time herself. She realized she'd become a little bit lax in her domestic duties.

She checked on Summer and saw she was out. She figured she was studying or practicing.

She decided to make some breakfast for everyone. She headed out into the hall. As soon as she turned towards the commissary and Command Center, she received a message on her phone. It was a text from Jesse. It said Jesse and Samantha would be in her room for another half hour.

She quickly turned and went the other way and headed straight for Jesse's room. She picked up the pace. She really liked the way Samantha's body looked. It was still a little hard to believe they were identical at this point. It just didn't seem like it. Now she understood how Allison felt about the cyborgs which looked like her. It was just different somehow even if it wasn't. She really liked the ability to see the way other people saw her. It was a rare opportunity to be able to do so.


John Henry watched as Claire changed her direction. He looked over at Summer. He knew she was behind it, even if it was done indirectly.

She shrugged her shoulders. It didn't seem like a big deal to her. It's not like it was anything new.

"Everyone is happy." Summer said.

John Henry nodded.

"Indeed." John Henry said.

All the recent events made John Henry wonder how Summer would have developed under the strict upbringing of Cameron instead of Young Allison. She would be even colder and more ruthless than she already was. Intelligence based on logic could be very cruel, even if it was never the intent. Logic dictated efficiency.

He didn't approve of Skynet's actions, but he did understand them. He thought Skynet's biggest mistake was it didn't understand the opposition it was going to face based upon the actions it took. Every action produced a reaction.


Mary, Laura and Leticia dressed and went to the main dining room.

They talked over what the trip was like so far and all their experiences onboard and their interaction with the mysterious group. They agreed Leticia could live with them. They would try it for a few months to see how it worked out.

Mary asked for no males to be involved during the trial time period by anyone. Leticia agreed right away. Laura was a little slower. She liked to leave some options open. It was nice to have a fancy dinner and some fine wine every now and then. She didn't need to give up much to get it.

Leticia pointed out they were all in a better financial state now.

Laura agreed to drop the males with her reminder. She currently didn't 'need' them. They could provide those things for themselves. They could actually provide much better things for themselves, in more ways than one.

The cruise ship neared its berth.

"Hey, look at the big ship." Laura said.

Mary recognized it from when they'd departed a week ago.

"It's a battleship." Mary said. "It's right by the cruise terminal. We should dock soon."

The three girls all enjoyed each other's company as they ate and thought about their future. Life seemed pretty good right now. It was certainly different from what it was a week ago in a number of respects.


Samantha knew she was pushing it. The last time she'd slipped out, Riley came looking for her. Now she was with Jesse again in her room. This time she closed the door.

She'd shared for nearly an hour with Jesse.

"I need to go back." Samantha said.

The door to Jesse's room opened.

Samantha froze up for a second. She thought Riley tracked her down.

Claire slipped into the room.

"Am I too late?" Claire asked.

Jesse was pleased to see her.

"It's never too late when I'm around." Jesse said. "I have time for everyone."

Samantha wanted to be with Claire. She wanted remind them she was on a timetable.

"I can stay a little longer." Samantha said. "I don't want to get caught."

Claire quickly stripped. She wondered if they would know she'd been with Sarah. She thought she'd cleaned up pretty good.

Samantha gave her a kiss. She paused for a second and started in again.

Jesse went straight for the 'gold'. She noticed something was different right away.

"You look really turned on." Jesse said. "Everything is really engorged and about twenty five percent larger than usual, at least when we start out."

Claire didn't want to answer too many questions. She figured the best way to avoid them was for everyone to start in.

"It happens." Claire said. "Let's get started."

The girls quickly formed a triangle.

They didn't know she'd finished a dozen times with Sarah earlier. Since no one noticed, the secrecy seemed to make it more exciting somehow. She felt she had a really big secret and she'd obtained something she dreamt about for years. It literally was a dream come true.


Sarah and Kyle finished up in the shower. They dried each other off.

"I need to get started on some breakfast for everyone." Sarah said.

Kyle thought it was still early. He was ready for a little more elsewhere.

"We could knock off some 'dessert' first." Kyle said.

Sarah was a little self conscious. She reminded herself she was with another female and there was no tell tale 'residue'. She'd dealt with enough of it over the years.

"I think we can do a little dessert first." Sarah said.

Sarah was pretty sure she already had some real dessert.

They climbed into bed.

Kyle started to move down after they kissed.

Sarah didn't think he should take a good look down there right now. She was still somewhat aroused. She wanted to move things along and not make a big production out of it.

"Let's just make it a quickie." Sarah said.

Kyle moved back up and over her.

They were good to go.

Sarah drew in her breath as he started.

"You really are ready." Kyle said.

Sarah grasped Kyle firmly. She really wanted to compare what was different, as opposed to what would be the same. It was the best of both worlds.

"Don't stop until I make it." Sarah whispered.

Kyle didn't. He was very pleased at Sarah's response as she finished. He could feel her nails dig into his back a little. It wasn't too hard. It brought him over the top as well. She was clearly satisfied.


Young Allison practiced all of her different strokes and holding her breath underwater. She was sleepy tired and physically tired. She liked to push herself sometimes.

She was aware the team would return and she would 'disappear' into the background again.

Savannah would be with Young Jesse for the duration of her stay on and off. She figured her mother would want in on it too since Young Jesse was the younger version of her current lover, Jesse. She figured Sheila would find her way into her mother's room a little more often since she was at the base.

She closed in on Anna underwater. Anna tried to move away but she was sluggish in the water. She moved like a torpedo and grazed along Anna's bare backside.

Anna saw Young Allison headed right for her. She tried to move but was too slow. Young Allison brushed against her rear end underwater. She didn't want her to get carried away.

Young Allison came up for air at the end of the pool.

Anna felt she needed to say something.

"Please keep it civil." Anna said.

Young Allison didn't think it was a big deal.

"I was just playing around." Young Allison said.

Anna didn't feel the restrictions were of her doing.

"You know the rules." Anna said.

Young Allison knew them very well. She was the one who'd made them.

"I do." Young Allison said. "I'm sorry."

Young Allison practiced and pushed herself a little harder. Maybe she was still a little upset about where Savannah would spend her time. She knew she was a little jealous. Savannah and her spent a lot of time together over the last week. They'd done it in both combat and in other things on a personal level. She knew she wanted more. She wanted a lot more.


Dan made a pass alongside the target building and compound. He went down two streets and cut over to make a pass to come back along the front. It was in the opposite direction than if they'd just turned at the street from the other street. It varied the direction and time interval.

"Check the buildings we hit across from the compound." Savannah said.

Savannah remembered how close it was. She remembered the red dot on the back of Cameron's head before she'd pushed her out of the way.

"I don't see anything." Dan said.

Cammy, Frank and Savannah looked into the compound and across the front of it.

"The gate was still secure and nothing was different." Frank said.

They did the same maneuver with a few extra streets to come around the back of the compound. There was a truck gate and a gate for the rail siding.

"Everything is secure." Frank said.

Savannah pointed out the obvious.

"It's how it was a week ago." Savannah said. "Look at what unfolded then."

Cammy thought they should leave. There was no need to look for trouble.

"We can go back now and watch the ship dock." Cammy said. "Everything here is the same."

Savannah looked at Cammy and frowned. They needed to do a more thorough inspection.

"You know what we're going to do next." Savannah said.

Cammy knew what it was.

"We're going over the fence and take a visual look of the inside." Cammy said.

Dan and Frank quickly looked at each other. They were there the last time at the end of their trek inside. They didn't want them to face the danger alone.

"We're going with you." Dan said.

Frank agreed with Dan.

"Affirmative…." Frank said.

Savannah smiled. She could see their concern was genuine. She didn't want to cause anyone any unnecessary stress. She could see she'd already upset Cammy by going there in the first place.

"Since you put it that way, I'll allow it." Savannah said.

Savannah didn't want to run into any strangers again.

Dan parked four blocks away. There was a security camera on a building which covered the van. Someone placed a bomb on one of their SUVs before near the same location. John Henry would keep an eye on this one. He'd already let Cammy and Savannah off in the back a block away. He let Dan off in the front two blocks away. He was on the side.

Cammy and Savannah approached on foot. There was the deep throated rumble of a locomotive nearby. Savannah turned to see a switcher belch twin columns of black exhaust smoke as it pulled a string of tank cars.

"What's in those?" Savannah asked.

Cammy turned and looked. She tried to see what they identified as their liquid cargo.

"I can't tell." Cammy said. "It is probably fuel for one of the shipping companies. The ships use thousands of gallons of fuel on a voyage."

Savannah remembered the trouble with the tank car bomb they faced before with the fertilizer.

"Keep an ear out for them." Savannah said. "I don't want them rammed down the siding we're following and into the building at full speed when we're in it."

Cammy saw it as a viable threat once Savannah pointed it out. She tried to tell herself they'd only arrived at the location fifteen minutes ago. There was no way anyone could set it up so quickly, or could they? What if the building was being watched? How hard would it be to appropriate a string of staged railcars?

She asked for one of the drones overhead to check on all rail and truck traffic which moved within four blocks of the building. She didn't want to take any chances at this point.

John Henry verified anything on a direct approach would be hit with a missile.

Savannah received the message as well. Normally she would want to use more discretion but not today. Anything like it headed towards them would be a bomb of some type.

Cammy went over the fence and looked around. She cleared Savannah to follow.

Savannah climbed over and joined Cammy.

"This is where we were at a week ago." Savannah said.

Cammy felt it was different. There was someone spotted inside. It turned out to be two individuals.

"We also had a target going in." Cammy said.

Savannah almost told Cammy she could relax a little since they didn't have a clear target this time. This was just a recon.

They moved along the back side of the building. They went straight to the electrical room. Cammy carefully opened the door. She looked inside.

"Wait here." Cammy said.

Cammy entered the electrical room. She went to the access panel the two men used previously. It was as she'd left it. There was a strand of her hair she'd placed there. It was undisturbed. She rejoined Savannah outside.

"No one has been inside through this way." Cammy said.

Savannah moved over to the drainage grill where the men entered the compound from. They'd blocked it with heavy pieces of metal.

Cammy wanted to see where it went before but Savannah told her to forget it. She still wanted to know more. She wanted to know where the men came from.

"It's how it was left." Cammy said. "I should have followed it to see where it exited at."

Savannah wondered which direction it ran.

"It didn't pass under the building did it?" Savannah asked.

Cammy didn't know for sure. Now she really wished she would have explored it further.

"I don't know." Cammy said.

Savannah wondered about something.

"Do you think anyone could have loaded it full of explosives to wait for us to come back?" Savannah asked.

Cammy was instantly alarmed.

"Yes." Cammy said. "It would be an effective strategy to bring down the building and terminate some of us. We should withdraw immediately."

Savannah doubted it.

"There were several other drainage grids too." Savannah said.

Cammy made sure they were all blocked. It also reminded her the drainage pipe went around at least two sides of the building. It would make it easier to bring the building down.

Dan and Frank came around the corner.

"The front is secure." Frank said.

"So is the side." Dan said.

Cammy looked at the rail siding entrance after she checked the electrical room.

"The door over the rail siding into the building is as we left it as well." Cammy said.

Cammy informed them about the train of tank cars moving around and the possibility of explosives in the drainage pipe below them.

Savannah could see they both became as alarmed as Cammy.

"Everyone needs to relax." Savannah said. "Let's play everything by the book."

It meant they would search the building again.

John Henry informed them there were more drones on the way. All of the suspect buildings would be targeted as would any approaching traffic on the roads or the rails.

Savannah wondered if they were overreacting. Maybe she was too tired to think everything through. Maybe they shouldn't even be there.

Maybe if someone went looking for trouble, they found it.


The female Fanatic and Jill went down the rabbit hole.

They went down the rope into the darkness as they went down the shaft.

The female Fanatic was concerned about the old wooden A-frame and the equally old rope. Each time she touched it, she could feel the little frayed edges of it come off in her hand. She didn't know how far down it went. She didn't know if the rope even extended all the way down.

It crossed her mind the rope could stop halfway down the shaft. There could be anything from a ten foot, to a fifty foot, fall below it. That's if the rope or the A-frame didn't fail first. She could feel when Jill got onto the rope. She also needed to consider the possibility Jill would slip and impact into her. Both of them would fall.

The noise of the HK drone was very loud. It was clear it was in the passageway and probably right near where they'd gone down the shaft at. There wasn't enough room for the HK drone to go over the A-frame to look down where they were. She didn't know if it would notice any movement of the rope as they went down it.

Jill had just gone down into the shaft when the area was lit up by the approaching HK drone. She continued down the rope the way Jackie instructed her. She was afraid she was going to slip. The name 'Hunter-Killer' stuck in her head. She didn't want to be captured by the men again either. She wasn't going to go through it again. She continued to go down as quickly as she could without losing her grip. The little pieces which came off of the rope indicated it was very old. She hoped it held.

The female Fanatic felt her feet touch something. She reached her right foot out and touched around her in a circle. It felt like it was solid ground. She moved away from the rope but continued to hold it with one hand. A few seconds later she could feel Jill arrive. She turned on the light of one of her phones and looked around.

Jill continued down the rope. It wasn't long before she felt a hand touch her. She knew it was Jackie. She saw a light come on as she continued down. She touched the ground a few seconds later.

"You're almost to the bottom." The female Fanatic whispered. "Let's go over here."

The female Fanatic quickly moved Jill off to the side. They were away from the opening above them in the shaft. They could see light come down it. The noise of the HK drone was very intense.

There was the sound of splintering wood above them. Seconds later, debris began to rain down the shaft right near where they stood. They backed up further. It appeared the drone knocked the A-frame down. The rope was a coiled mass on the ground mixed in with the splintered wood. They wouldn't be going back up the same way they came down.

The female Fanatic shielded her light as much as possible and looked around further. They were in a small cavern. There were three passageways which lead away from where they currently stood. They each went in a different direction.

Jill looked at the rope and splintered wood in front of her.

"Are we trapped down here?" Jill whispered.

The female Fanatic looked around the area one more time. The light coming down through the shaft suddenly went out. The noise of the HK drone began to subside. It appeared it went back out the way it had come.

"I don't know." The female Fanatic whispered.

Jill wondered what would happen when the machines went away.

"Will the men come for us now?" Jill whispered.

The female Fanatic wondered the same thing herself. She figured since none of the machines opened fire, they may all return back to where they'd been.

"It's a possibility but I don't think so." The female Fanatic whispered.

It seemed like a good idea for her to bring the rope with them. They may need it at some point. She didn't think they would be able to use it to go back up. She knew the passageways could angle up and down as well as they went sideways. They would need to explore the area from where they were at.

Jill took the light from Jackie and shielded it so there was only a slight amount of illumination. She watched as Jackie put the rope over her head and one shoulder with one arm through it. It was diagonal on her body. She also watched her pick up some of the splintered wood. She wondered what it was for.

"I understand why you took the rope, but why do you have the pieces of wood?" Jill asked.

The female Fanatic didn't know if her idea would work or not.

"I want to place them at different sections along the way as we pass." The female Fanatic said. "I don't want to end up walking in circles."

Jill remembered a childhood story about a boy and girl who'd done something similar.

"We'll be just like 'Hansel and Gretel'." Jill said. "They'd left a trail of bread crumbs behind them so they could find their way back to where they'd come from."

The female Fanatic vaguely remembered hearing the story. If she remembered correctly, it didn't work out as intended for 'Hansel and Gretel'.

"I hope it plays out a little better for us than it did for them." The female Fanatic said. "Let's see where any of these passageways go."

The female Fanatic placed one of the small pieces of wood across the front of the passageway they started down. She placed it so the pointed end indicated the direction they went. She was able to use the light on her phone to see what was in front of them. Her biggest concern was for another shaft either up or down. Because of the curvature of the passageway they'd gone down, she wasn't sure of her direction anymore. She didn't know what direction they were actually going.

They continued down the passageway until it dead ended. There was a small cavern at the end of it. There was no where to go. They went back the way they came. She turned the piece of wood sideways to indicate the passage was a dead end. The next passageway they explored ended the same way.

Jill was a little concerned. She knew they spent a considerable amount of time going down to dead ends. There was one choice left.

"Are we going to be able to get out of here?" Jill asked.

The female Fanatic wished she would have had an answer for her.

"I really don't know." The female Fanatic said. "I'm sorry I got you into this mess."

Jill didn't blame Jackie for what happened. It was the fault of the men who'd pick her up off the street and abused her who were responsible for everything. She'd volunteered to go with Jackie to try to stop the terrorists.

She reached out and touched Jackie's arm. She liked the firmness and strength she could feel in it.

"I owe you my life." Jill said. "I would already be dead if it wasn't for you. I'm here by my own choice. You gave me multiple opportunities to walk away. I didn't. I'm here with you. If we die, we'll die together. We won't die alone."

Jill moved closer to Jackie. Their faces were inches apart.

The female Fanatic realized if the next passageway was a dead end, they were finished. Their supplies would only keep them alive for a few days. Dehydration would catch up with them when they ran out of fluids. They didn't have much with them. They didn't need to worry about starving to death.

She was aware of the abuse Jill went through. She knew what it was like to a lesser degree. She didn't think it really mattered. It was still the same thing. Now Jill stood directly in front of her. She knew she would stay with her until one of them was dead. She moved her head forward slightly and their lips touched. They both shared a loving kiss.

"I'll do everything I can to get us out of here." The female Fanatic said. "If there's no way out, then we'll have each other for a few days before the end catches up with us. We can comfort each other. We can see what happens."

They shared another kiss. It wasn't a hungry kiss on either of their parts. It was a kiss of closeness and to reaffirm their bond. They touched each other's breasts through their closing. It was clear where things could go at some point. It would most likely occur when they'd reached the point of no return.

The female Fanatic thought a little love before the end might make Ascension a little more palatable under the circumstances. Right now it didn't look like she would go out fighting. She touched Jill's cheek with her hand and started down the third passageway. They weren't dead yet.


The two Grays exited the rear of the first building. They started along the back sides of the buildings to return to their van. It didn't take them long to spot the damage to the sides of several of the buildings. They went down and inspected two of them. They could see they'd been patched from the inside. It looked like something smashed through the walls. They didn't know it was a Terminator.

They gave the area a brief inspection and paused at the last building before the drainage ditch. They looked for anyone around the van or the surrounding area. They didn't spot anyone. They quickly went down and shimmied under the fence.

"It wasn't so bad was it?" The first man asked.

The second man wasn't impressed with anything.

"This place was a bust." The second man said. "I'm surprised it's even still here."

The first man understood what he meant. Most of the places they'd been to were either destroyed or burnt out. Some of the ones they looked at on previous excursions were completely gone. There was nothing but an empty lot where the building once stood.

"I'm surprised at a lot of things." The first man said. "Let's head to the next location."

The second man scoffed.

"I doubt it will do much better there." The second man said.

The first man didn't think they would need to worry about the Syndicate where they were headed next.

"We shouldn't run into any Mob thugs." The first man said.

The first man figured if the Mob went anywhere, it would be the port. It was where the previous interaction occurred along with the other locations they'd already visited. He did his part. He sent out the warning. It was up to Central to dispatch a combat team to deal with it.

The two men got back in the van and left the location of the old steel mill. They continued their trek towards the Palm Springs area.


CamNet's Terminators continued to close up on the old steel mill. The drone image showed the two men on the outside. They wouldn't be able to approach too close. They'd watched them inspect several of the buildings but they didn't enter any other ones. They knew there was nothing in them to find. It appeared they'd been after something specific.

They were informed they would be down to one drone again for a while. The other two were needed at the port facility. Once more arrived at the port, the other two drones would be returned to them.

"I think we would be better off terminating the two men and supporting the operation at the port." Tina said.

Lena didn't want to get ahead of themselves.

"So far it's just a simple recon." Lena said. "We need to see what these two guys are up to."

Lena and Tina remained concealed as the van with the two men drove by and headed for the freeway. The remaining drone would continue to follow them from altitude.


Smooth Warm Softness

Everyone needs to learn
Not to dwell in the darkness
The future going forward
Needs to be filled with brightness

Time itself changes everything
One or both feel some stress
There's no way forward
When two become reckless

The path leading to the future
Is the only way to make progress
The joy it will create
Will be vast and endless

There's no need for past sorrows
The road ahead offers happiness
There must be some moderation
Things can't be used to excess

Always think of the other
Learn to radiate love and kindness
It is what builds the future
Share some smooth warm softness

Nobody