Chapter 1456


Time Will Tell


Cameron hurried to get back to her room. She wanted to make sure John would be ready in more ways than one. She did like the way Cammy looked with out anything on but her jewelry and high heels.

She'd been 'dressed' the same way for John more than once. He liked the look too. She briefly wondered if he'd suggested it to Cammy.

She entered the room and was pleased to see the espresso and hot chocolate were both consumed. It would soon have John in top shape for Samantha's chassis. It would become her chassis soon enough.

Cameron entered the bedroom. John wore only his pants.

"Hi." John said. "I'm glad you're back. What should I wear for later on?"

Cameron was aware 'later on' wasn't too far off.

"I think what you wore earlier was good." Cameron said. "You can wear it again. Everything is still out."

Cameron went around and straightened things up and remade the bed. She wanted everything neat for Samantha. She knew Samantha kept Riley's quarters spotless. She wanted to leave a good impression.

They would both have everything ready and waiting for Samantha. John should be good to go for a full four hours soon.

Cameron really looked forward to being 'Claire'. Samantha's chassis was what she wanted. She also needed to do the updated 'Neural Interface' with Samantha and Claire. She still wasn't sure she wanted 'Riley' on her chip.

It did give her a couple of things to think about back at her base. Her menagerie contained several covered chassis. Savannah only ever looked at her parents and what became CamNet.

Since she was harvesting the virginity of each of the Metal girl's chassis, there were a few more which hadn't been activated yet. She planned to use those as well. She was sure three of them would need to be done in darkness so John wouldn't be bothered by the sheath's appearance.

She didn't know two of those three were currently activated by CamNet and conducting operations related to Resistance matters off of the books. They'd also conducted a few non Resistance matters as well.


Jesse was happy to share with Claire earlier. She was sorry to see her leave. Claire wanted to help out Samantha and get her ready for her big moment. Well, another big moment for Cameron anyway.

She wondered where Gail was at. She was still a little concerned about when they were together earlier. Gail seemed a little reserved. She hadn't mentioned she was with John. Maybe Gail speculated she was.

Jesse was aware of the heavy contact with the anti-Metal group over the last week. She thought she was going to be with John on the ship from what Cameron indicated and why. Cameron told her she wanted John protected. She'd thought about it every day she was back and decided to act after the most recent encounter with the anti-Metal faction. She felt she'd done what Cameron wanted her to do. She planned to do it again too. She was aware Young Jesse did and was pregnant. Vanna and Allison also shared with John. She was unsure to what extent.

She was lost deep in thought when Cammy walked into her room wearing only high heels and jewelry. She was instantly excited with the way she looked.

"Wow!" Jesse said. "You look Hot."

Cammy smiled.

"Thanks." Cammy said.

Sheila walked in behind her.

"How do I look?" Sheila asked.

Jesse could never get enough of 'herself'.

"You look Hot like always." Jesse said. "In your outfit, you look even Hotter."

Cammy looked in on Savannah as she passed by. She didn't enter the room on the way to see Jesse. She wanted to let Jesse know why they were there specifically.

"Cameron broke in my chassis." Cammy said. "Sheila thought we could make a stop here, if you don't mind."

Sheila looked at Jesse. It was clear what the reference was to.

"I'll give you the first three minutes before we switch." Sheila said.

Jesse threw back the sheets.

"That's just my game." Jesse said.

Jesse didn't think a 'little more' would hurt anything.


Young Allison was worried about the brown car. She was also concerned about Richard and Michael. She'd ordered their withdrawal from the port area after the suspicious behavior by the brown car. Larry and Hank arrived near the scene of where the brown car currently was at. They held back about five minutes away. They shouldn't be identified as being in the target zone. It should be doubly so based on the fact they'd come from a different direction.

Anna and Young Allison watched the brown car move through an industrial area. It was pretty much shut down for the night. The only thing in motion around there was the brown car.

"We still need to worry about there being an ambush there." Young Allison said.

Anna checked and rechecked the drone footage.

"There is still no indication of one." Anna said. "John Henry is all over it too. He's going through security camera footage of the various businesses around the area. Are you going to involve Summer?"

Young Allison wanted Summer to get involved. Summer could 'see' things others couldn't. She didn't call her. It was late.

"Summer can rest." Young Allison said. "I want everything checked around Richard and Michael as they pull out. I don't trust the port area."

She was ready to give CamNet a 'blank check' to hit anything suspicious. The heavy presence by the authorities dictated otherwise.

"Everything's good so far." Anna said. "If any small drones appear, they'll be brought down with 'metal hail'."

Young Allison wondered what they were about to walk into. It seemed to be exactly what someone wanted them to do. She planned to play things a little differently.

"I wonder where this is headed." Young Allison said.

Anna didn't think there was any way to predict it. They didn't even know for sure what they were dealing with. They didn't know if it was part of a terrorist cell or one of the groups they normally encountered.

"Time will tell." Anna said.

They both knew 'trouble' was where everything headed, or at least ended up at. They were sure the current situation wouldn't play out any differently.


Summer thought about going to the Command Center in her night clothes. She decided against it and threw on her pants and a shirt over them. She'd be able to be back in her night clothes in a hurry. She was afraid John Henry would look at her more in her night clothes anyway. She knew if John arrived, he definitely would as well. She figured they all would, including any of the girls, human or otherwise.

She listened next door in her mother's room. She was tied up with Samantha. She exited her room and headed to the Command Center.

She passed Holly and Hanna on her way there. CamNet sent them to ride shotgun on Allison and her mother once Samantha left. It was her suggestion to CamNet earlier to mask where she would actually be.

They exchanged pleasantries.

Holly looked around.

"We have you covered." Holly said.

Hanna was used to running interference at the Young residence. It wasn't a problem to do it at the Resistance base either.

"The Young bunker asked for you." Hanna said. "We know the drill."

Summer wanted to assist. She didn't want to cause problems for her mother. She didn't think her mother would get mad at her. She was sure her mother would be angry at John and John Henry. She wasn't sure if she would be angry at Cameron or not. For some reason she didn't think so. If she was angry, she probably wouldn't express it.

"Thank you." Summer said.

They all continued on their way.

Summer walked in the front door of the Command Center.

John Henry smiled when she arrived.

They greeted each other.

"What do we have?" Summer asked.

She actually had a good idea before she'd left her room. She followed the developing operation once it seemed it was suspicious and easy to track.

John Henry went over everything and the concerns from the Young bunker. CamNet already prepared everything at John's station and it was ready to view when she sat down. He hoped to get a fresh perspective.

"See what you think about everything." John Henry said. "If you spot a pattern, or something we missed, say something."

Summer was already immersed in the images and data.

John Henry noted there were satellite images too. He hadn't found any useful ones. It must be CamNet providing them. Maybe it was Summer who wanted them herself. He knew she was very thorough. She'd made excellent use of satellite images previously when they encountered a Skynet type jamming field.

"I'll see what I can do." Summer said. "I don't know how long I can stay either."


Allison always felt a little overwhelmed when it came to dressing up. It was just something she hadn't done very often. She'd never done it at all in her future. No one in the future dressed up. Well, she did remember how Mrs. Weaver always looked when she saw her. If she wasn't wearing some type of military outfit, she was wearing her white dress and high heels. It made her wonder what Savannah's real mother must have been like. She was glad her mother was there to properly help Samantha get ready.

The door to Claire's room opened.

Claire and Allison were pleased to see Hanna and Holly arrive.

Samantha thought she was doing a good job herself. She wasn't really sure she needed the additional help. She wasn't going to turn it away though. She wanted to make sure she looked good for John. She wanted to make a good first impression.

Maybe she didn't need to worry about it too much. Cameron would take control of her chassis soon enough once she'd arrived. Everything which happened afterwards would all be Cameron's doing. She would just be along for the ride.

Hanna thought about throwing something out there CamNet 'mentioned'. She actually liked the idea herself.

"Why don't we dress Claire up the same as Samantha and see if John can tell the difference." Hanna said.

Holly was thrilled with the prospect. She would like to see them side by side naked for the same comparison.

"It sounds like a good idea." Holly said. "They look identical."

Allison really liked Samantha's body. She'd watched her Resequence. Even though she looked like her mother now, she didn't see it that way. Maybe it was just something her mind needed to do. It's certainly pushed her mind a little further in a direction it had been leaning anyway. She didn't what to think about those thoughts right now.

What she thought about instead was how there were a number of individuals who looked like her. Maybe it wasn't so much because they looked like her, it was the fact they all looked better than her. Maybe it was what bothered her the most. Only Ally actually tried to look like her. She thought about when she'd met Future Allison and what Young Allison looked like. Both of them looked better than her too.

"It's not fair to everyone." Allison said. "I already know how it feels with a whole gang of lookalikes out there."

Holly tilted her head slightly.

"Only Ally looks like you." Holly said.

Allison felt a little insulted. It was clear everyone else felt the same way as she did. She knew Cameron, Cammy, Cam and Camille were all much prettier than her. She knew Young Allison was as well. Cameron worked on Young Allison's appearance since she was a young girl. She wasn't so young anymore. There was a lot more there now than there used to be. She would really like to look like her again herself.

"I'm not sure if it was an insult or not." Allison said jokingly.

Holly smiled at Allison. She spoke sincerely.

"I'd never insult you." Holly said. "I think you're the most beautiful one of all."

Allison looked very pleased with Holly's comment.

"Thank you." Allison said.

The 'Vanna' in Hanna felt a little jealous.

"Now we know why Holly gets to share her bed the most." Hanna said.

Allison smiled at Hanna.

"I have room for everyone." Allison said.

Claire looked at Allison and smiled.

"We all do." Claire said.

Allison and Claire stole another quick glance at each other. It wasn't lost on Samantha, Holly or Hanna either.

The four of them assisted Samantha and made her flawless in no time.


The brown car made a circuit of the industrial area twice in different directions. It parked between two buildings and just sat there. The engine was off and no one got in or out.

Young Allison waited for something to happen. It didn't.

"I don't like it." Young Allison said.

Anna wanted to let Young Allison know what was available for her to use.

"CamNet has them locked up for a missile shot or 'metal hail'." Anna said. "You can act at any time. The vehicle is isolated."

Young Allison wanted something to happen. The vehicle went through the entire procedure for a specific reason. She hoped they would be able to determine what it was. If not, she would deal with the vehicle herself. She was still worried about her troops in the field.

"Maybe I will if nothing happens." Young Allison said. "Let's get Richard and Michael to safety first."

Their operation went smoothly. Nothing was seen as a tail on them once they were clear of the port. They took a roundabout way to join up near Hank and Larry. They didn't get too close.

It seemed someone wanted someone else to make the first move. The question still remained as to why. Someone wanted something to happen. They must have a reason.


Sheila was the first one to scan Jesse and noted she scanned as pregnant. She motioned for Cammy to scan her quietly as well. Cammy looked right at Sheila as soon as she started. Jesse still hadn't said anything about it. They'd all shared with each other one time at this point.

Cammy and Sheila conversed at a very low decibel level Jesse couldn't hear.

"What do you think about this?" Sheila asked. "She hasn't said anything about being with anyone."

They didn't think it was John, but it could have been. It could have been Derek or Kyle too. Maybe it was someone on the ship. They weren't sure if they should say anything or ask. It seemed private. It seemed like they needed to know a little more information before they did anything. They knew who the best person to ask was.

Jesse seemed a little more reserved to both of them as well. They wanted to find Gail and ask her if she knew anything about it. They were all on the ship until earlier today. Jesse had been back for a few days already, so had Kyle and Derek. Maybe some deal was reached with Riley and Derek. They were pretty sure Cameron wasn't going to be pleased with the new development. They were both aware Jesse's embryos didn't 'stick' around too long before they terminated. They would talk to Gail, but not say anything to Cameron until they knew more.

Jesse looked at the two Metal girls. They didn't seem to be themselves.

"What's wrong with you two?" Jesse asked. "You seem distracted."

Jesse wondered if either of them would know she'd been with John. They didn't mention it or ask her. She wasn't going to say anything either. She really wanted to share with John again.

They all resumed sharing and everyone soon forgot about whatever they'd been concerned with. There were more important things to do. Besides, every finish was a good finish, some of them were just better.


Cameron was satisfied John was ready. The half hour passed quickly. There was a knock at the door. She went over and answered it.

Samantha walked into the room.

John sucked in his breath a little. He was very pleased.

"Wow!" John said. "You look stunning."

Samantha smiled.

"Thank you." Samantha said. "You look handsome too."

Cameron already reminded John that Claire and Samantha were identical 'everywhere'. It was right before the knock came at the door. She knew they were there. He'd asked earlier. She wanted him to know it was what Claire looked like and would feel like. She really looked forward to being in Samantha's chassis for the same reason.

She'd never been able to 'examine' Claire's or Samantha's private parts in detail as she'd done with all the Metal girls before their activation. She was there when Summer and Destiny were born. Things were a lot different looking down there when it happened.

She could see John looked a little more nervous than usual. It was probably because he wanted to be with Claire. She'd mentioned to him many times it was what she wanted. Claire promised her she would be at John's side when she needed to be.

It made Cameron a little uncomfortable to think how she made Savannah and Young Allison promise the same thing since they were girls. It was what she wanted for John. It was what she wanted for herself. She wanted what Future John and Duplicate Cameron shared with Future Allison and Future Savannah. She decided she was going to allow all of them make their own decisions. She was sure John would be busy with Allison and Vanna. She didn't doubt Claire and Jesse would join the fold as well.

Samantha noticed John was a little uneasy. He would look at Cameron and then at her. She realized he was thinking about the 'mother-daughter thing' right now. It was a turn on to all of them. The 'mother-son thing' with John and Sarah wasn't too far behind it.

Cameron thought Samantha looked really good. She was glad she didn't dress up to try and outdo her. She probably would have if John hadn't caught her looking at some of her dresses and told her to let it slide.

John did look at Cameron and at Samantha and he couldn't help but think of Claire and Allison. They were both beautiful in their own right. To see Cameron and Samantha, and think the same thing, was something which excited him. Cameron allowed him to switch back and forth on several chassis before. He really wanted to ask her if he could do it again. He would wait and hope she'd suggested it. He didn't want to create any problems and he didn't want Cameron to go get Allison and Claire and tell him he could have the real thing. If she did, he would be more than willing to try it.

Cameron led John and Samantha into the bedroom. She retrieved the tether and handed it to John.

"You know the drill." Cameron said.

John did know the drill. He liked to use his 'drill' too. He thought it was something important. He thought it was also respectful. What others wanted mattered as well to him. It didn't matter if they were a machine or not.

"I just want to make sure everyone is on board for what's about to happen." John said.

Samantha looked at John, not at Cameron. She wanted to make sure she would get the same deal as all the other Metal girls received.

"I am." Samantha said. "I also want my 'one time' with you when it's good for everyone."

John glanced at Cameron.

Cameron wanted the virginity of Samantha's chassis. She would make whatever deals she needed to get it.

"It's the deal." Cameron said. "I get her virginity, and she gets a file in real time now. She can have her 'one time' at a later date."

John plugged both of them in. He waited for Cameron to crawl into the bed but she didn't. She still stood there as she took control of Samantha's chassis.

John was a little surprised as Samantha-Cameron kissed him.

"You're going to undress both of us one piece of clothing at a time until we're both naked." Samantha-Cameron said.

It's what John hoped for. It was a dream come true.

"OK." John said.

Samantha-Cameron could see he was very excited right now.

"You're going to be with me first as Samantha-Cameron for my 'first time'. Then I'll be with you when I reset my program again as just Samantha-Cameron. You know the drill." Samantha-Cameron said. "We will finish off with my chassis and Samantha's side by side. You can switch back and forth that way. I'll tell you when. Always finish in Samantha's chassis."

John was incredibly excited and stimulated at the prospect of being able to switch back and forth. He wondered if maybe Cameron should have told him after he did it with her as Samantha–Cameron on her 'first time'. He didn't want to get carried away and finish too quickly. He wanted to be able to deliver at least one time for her first.

"It sounds really exciting, Cameron." John said. "I really appreciate this."

Cameron smiled. She also wanted to lay down a reminder.

"This will be the wrap up of our honeymoon." Cameron said.

John wondered about Claire. He didn't want to ask. He wasn't going to mention Jesse either. He wanted to let Cameron know he was on board for anything. He wasn't about to reject anyone at this point in time. It didn't matter who it was.

"I'll do whatever you want and how you want it." John said.

Cameron viewed it as a test for herself as well. She was very curious which one John would prefer. It would most likely be a carry over to the human females as well. It made her wonder about if John would prefer Claire to Allison. Would it carry over to Young Allison as well?

"I want to compare and do the 'mother-daughter thing' as much as you do." Samantha-Cameron said. "We can both see which one we think is better."

It sounded like a loaded question to John. He'd actually already contemplated a similar type question. He thought it would be after the fact, not before. He wanted to be very diplomatic.

"You will be." John said. "Either way it's still you."

Cameron liked to hear it.

"We can start now." Samantha-Cameron said. "Take off my dress."

John did and Samantha-Cameron was down to her bra and underwear.

Cameron switched back to her chassis and John removed her top and pants. She was down to her bra and underwear as well.

John went to switch back to Samantha-Cameron.

"Wait." Cameron said. "Remove my bra and touch me. Then do the same thing on Samantha's sheath."

John did. He hadn't really seen Claire naked before. He was pleasantly surprised.

Cameron could tell right away John liked Samantha's sheath.

John went to remove Samantha-Cameron's underwear.

"Do my chassis first." Cameron said.

John switched back over and removed Cameron's underwear. She made sure he touched her down there too. He watched as she climbed into bed and covered herself over.

"I'm back." Samantha-Cameron said. "I'm ready."

John removed his clothing between their clothing removal changes. He removed her underwear.

'Wow!' John thought. 'I like that.'

"You're beautiful." John said.

Samantha-Cameron smiled and removed his underwear.

"Oh my, that's a big one." Samantha-Cameron said.

They kissed and touched each other.

"I love you, John, and you love me." Samantha-Cameron said.

"I love you, Cameron, and you love me." John said.

John went to pick her up.

"I'm heavier than I look." Samantha-Cameron said.

John and Samantha-Cameron we're right next to the bed.

"I don't have far to go." John said as he picked her up and placed her on the bed.

Everything else played out as it always did.

Everyone was happy.


Hanna and Holly made sure Allison and Claire didn't go to check on Summer.

It was clear Holly and Hanna wanted a little more from Allison and Claire. There was a little tension in the air as to exactly how it was going to happen. Was it going to be two sets of 'one on one' or would it evolve into a 'four-way'? It was clear Allison was a little more troubled by it than Claire was.

The Metal girls didn't want to create any tension for their human charges.

Holly took Allison back to her room.

Hanna kept Claire busy in her room.

Everyone was happy.


Young Jesse and Vanna were very happy in the company of each other. They spent a lot of time talking to each other about everything. Everything they did built on the love they felt between them. Neither one of them could really explain it but it was something which just happened and seemed so natural.

Everyone was happy.


Summer looked over all of the information. She'd looked for any patterns or clues as well as anything else out of the unordinary, other than what was already unordinary.

"I think I found something." Summer said.

John Henry looked at everything she did. He'd been unable to make a determination.

"What is it?" John Henry asked.

Summer look at a sped up image of the vehicle's movements from the moment it was encountered.

"I think it's one of the self driving cars." Summer said. "Someone may be controlling it too."

John Henry nodded. He couldn't help but think of the way Allison drove. Her driving was as atrocious as it was dangerous. No one liked to ride with her when she drove. The only reports of her driving flawlessly were when she was with Summer. Maybe Summer actually 'influenced' her to follow the rules.

"It would explain the clean driving." John Henry said. "What's the point?"

There seemed to be only one choice to Summer.

"I think Allison – Young Allison called it earlier." Summer said. "They drove to an ambush site."

John Henry looked. He hadn't been able to notice anything specific.

"Where is it?" John Henry asked.

Summer pointed with her finger.

"It's in these two buildings here and here." Summer said.

John Henry didn't see anything different than he did before.

"I don't see anything." John Henry said.

Summer still looked at satellite images taken earlier in the day. There was a lot of activity in the area previously.

"There are four cars which arrived in pairs." Summer said. "Their driving behavior was very directed."

Summer pointed out where the two groups were most likely set up at.

There were no satellite images which indicated the cars ever left. There were blank spots in the satellite coverage, even with looking at the images from satellites of several different countries.

"It means there are two cars in each of those buildings." John Henry said.

Summer hoped to use the lure against the men who'd sent it in the first place. She was sure what their reaction would be if her plan was followed.

"I think it's a minimum of four men per building." Summer said. "See if you can find the frequency the car was operated under. You can take control of it and maybe track the signal. If you start to drive it, someone will try to get control back because they'll think it's malfunctioning."

John Henry was sure he could find the frequency. He wasn't quite sure what was supposed to happen next.

"What about the two buildings?" John Henry asked.

Summer attempted to calculate what the response might be. She thought it depended upon the group. If it was the Fanatics, there would probably be a massive bomb blast at some point. She didn't think it was the Syndicate. They tended to operate differently. It could as easily be Skynet related. Her initial determination was none of the above. It was only a feeling.

"We don't know which group this is. There's always the chance it's the anti-Metal group." Summer said. "If it is, and they blow a moderate sized EMP, it will cause a lot of disruption. They might only use EMP grenades. I also want to see the building plans for the two buildings."

John Henry wanted to take action as soon as possible. He hoped to be able to do it before Cameron or Savannah became involved. He remembered his earlier directive from CamNet. He was sure it originated in the Young bunker.

"Let me check with the Young bunker and CamNet on this." John Henry said. "I think everyone wants to wrap this up."

Summer trusted Hanna and Holly to do their job. At some point her mother was going to check on her anyway. She wanted to make sure she was in bed when she did. The sooner it was over, the better.

"I know I do." Summer said. "It's late."

She thought a little more sleep would benefit her as well.


The Gray continued along towards the next location. He didn't know what he was going to find. He felt very tired as he drove. His back continued to hurt. He looked up at one point and saw he was on the wrong side of the road. He quickly corrected himself. He decided to take some of the anti drowsy medication along with an energy bar and an energy drink. He also took another handful of painkillers. He hoped the anti drowsy medication would overcome the drowsiness the painkillers created.

He continued to check behind him for any headlights. So far he hadn't spotted any. He didn't think it would be a problem if he did. He thought he'd taken enough precautions as it was.

So far he'd only passed two oncoming cars. He watched them come and go.

It was a short time after he passed the second car when he noted a pair of headlights behind him. He wasn't really sure when they first appeared. He'd been trying to concentrate on the road in front of him. He'd seen several small animals scurry across the road. He tried to pay attention to what was in front of him as opposed to what was behind him.

The car was quite some distance back and didn't seem to be closing. He turned his attention back to what was in front of him. It was just in time to see what looked like a mean looking dog run across the road right in front of him. He didn't even have time to hit the brakes. Luckily the animal was fast enough to make it. He figured it must have been a coyote.

The Gray thought he'd better pay attention to what was in front of him at this point. He still has some distance to go.


The female Fanatic glanced over at Jill. She watched her recline the seat. She turned her attention back to the road. She could see the tail lights up ahead of her. He wouldn't be able to spot her easily. Their car was blacked out.

She drove for a long while. She glanced over at Jill from time to time. She felt an urge to reach over and touch her. Maybe it was just for her to be close to another human being who wasn't out to use or abuse her. It wasn't a person who wanted, or tried, to kill her. It was just the opposite.

It was someone she'd just met under the most extenuating circumstances. They'd already been through a lot together. She would have to say they were friends. It was clear they'd developed feelings towards each other. So far they'd only shared a few kisses. They seemed more to reaffirm their survival than anything else after several close calls. There'd been a number of times when they could have died together, or even individually.

She spotted a pair of headlights coming. She didn't want the approaching driver to flash their lights on and off to indicate hers weren't on. She also didn't know if it would be a County Sheriff or even a Highway Patrolman.

She let her foot up off the gas and slowed. She braked gently and pulled off to the side of the road. She placed the car in neutral and left it running. She wanted to be able to move rapidly if it was required. She removed the night vision device.

The car passed by without slowing. She watched it for a short while longer. She put the night vision goggles back on and moved the selector from neutral into drive. She checked in back of her and carefully pulled back out onto the road. She needed to speed up a little bit. She soon spotted the tail lights in front of her. She closed up the distance a little more. She knew she would need to do the same thing when the next vehicle came towards her. So far there were no headlights behind her. Those would be a problem.

She tried to contemplate what the next target was going to be. It could be anything from another warehouse to another mine. She really hoped it wasn't the latter. She hoped to be able to locate it before daylight. They would be able to move up on the target during darkness. It would be much tougher during daylight.

There was another set of headlights coming in the distance. She repeated the same maneuver as she'd done last time.

Jill stirred. She could hear the car running but it didn't feel like they were moving. She lifted her head.

"Is everything all right?" Jill asked.

The female Fanatic didn't want her to worry.

"It's just some oncoming traffic." The female Fanatic said. "I don't want them to flash their lights at me. I don't know if it would be law enforcement or not either."

Jill sat up a little bit. She kept her head down since Jackie did as well. She watched a car go by in the other direction. It didn't appear too slow down.

She was glad she'd been able to get some sleep in. She wanted Jackie to do the same thing. It was important to her.

"I can drive for a while." Jill said. "You need to get a little rest as well."

The female Fanatic wanted to remain in control. She knew she also needed to get a little sleep in. Her sleep had been very sporadic over the last few days. Most of the times she actually fell asleep, she'd experienced a nightmare. She didn't know if it was foreshadowing or not. She sure hoped it wasn't. Some of those nightmares had been very extreme. Still she needed to rest.

"You can drive for a little bit. The other car will have pulled ahead by now." The female fanatic said. "You can use the lights. Once you see his tail lights, don't close on him. I know you know the drill. You need to wake me up if anything is different or changes. I need to know right away."

Jill switched places with Jackie. Jill slid over the top of Jackie and she moved over to the passenger side. The car was still running in neutral with the parking brake on. Once everyone's safety belt was hooked, she looked behind her and pulled out onto the highway. Once she was on the highway, she turned the lights on.

The female Fanatic and Jill slowly closed up until they could see the taillights of the car in front of them.

Jill was glad when she saw Jackie close her eyes. She couldn't help but steal a few glances at her as she stretched out on the seat. There wasn't much room in the seat. It didn't recline very much.

They continued their long range pursuit.


The three men in the truck continued along. They increased their speed dramatically. They wanted to make sure they caught up with their 'dessert', the two females.

It seemed like they were going nowhere fast.

"Those sluts must be really flying." The first man said.

The second man forgot his phone.

"Where are we anyway?" The second man asked. "I still can't get anything on my phone."

The third man had his phone out as well.

"They've been out ever since we approached the crossroads junction." The third man said.

The first man knew it wasn't just them.

"They didn't work for anyone in the diner either." The first man said.

The second man looked around in the darkness.

"Where are we anyway?" The second man asked.

The third man was irritated by the second man's question. It was probably the tenth time he'd asked it since they'd left the diner.

"We're two minutes away from the last time you asked." The third man said.

The first man didn't want any trouble. He thought about what the two skanks used in the gas station.

"Now I know why those two broads looked at a map." The first man said.

The second man would like to see one now.

"Do we have one?" The second man asked.

The third man was further irritated.

"Nobody has a map anymore." The third man said.

The second man thought it was a good idea.

"Those two chicks did." The second man said.

The first man was a little upset their efforts hadn't produced some type of results. They passed several cars coming towards them. At the speed they were traveling, there was no one behind them. If someone was behind them, and began to overtake them, it most likely would be law enforcement to write them a speeding ticket.

"We'll catch them soon enough." The first man said.

The three men in the truck continued along. They increased their speed dramatically. They wanted to make sure they caught up with their 'dessert', the two females.

The three men continued their journey.


The two men exited the cable car station. There were a few other patrons still in the parking lot. The group who'd exited with them had mostly dispersed. They passed by several couples on their way back to their van.

"Do you want to put the grab on anyone else's phone?" The first man asked.

The second man thought they should let things play out a little bit. They didn't need any unnecessary trouble.

"Let's see what happens first." The second man said. "We can always roll someone at a fast food joint."

The two men were anxious to get away from where they were at. It was another dead end. The encounter with the 'wild animals' put both of them on edge. Dealing with people was one thing. Having to deal with some type of wild animal was another. People understood what firearms were and the threat they posed. Weapons meant nothing to an animal. They only saw the person behind it. It was what they perceived as the threat, or as food.

They were halfway down the hill when the second man looked in the back of the van.

"Hey, all of our stuff is gone." The second man said.

The first man needed to keep his eye on the road.

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

The second man didn't have an answer.

"It's just gone." The second man said. "I'm going to take a look."

The second man climbed into the back.

The first man pulled into a turn out up ahead. He shut the van off and set the parking brake. He entered the back of the van as well. Everything of importance was missing from the back of their van. All of their electronic gear and weapons were gone. They were both extremely upset.

The first man couldn't believe they'd been robbed.

"Look at what's missing." The first man said. "It's everything we've worked on for the last couple of days."

The second man knew it was a lot of wasted effort.

"That's just great, man." The second man said. "Now what are we going to do?"

The first man could only think of one thing.

"We're going to have to do it over again." The first man said.

The first man got back behind the wheel and continued down the mountain side. They passed the entrance to the aerial tramway and were back on the flat land of the desert floor.


Earlier:

CamNet decided she was probably going to need Lena and Tina elsewhere soon. She wanted to make a bold move. She instructed her Terminators to clean out the van.

She'd already copied everything on the men's phones before they turned them off. Not only had she copied it, she erased everything else. When the men reactivated their phones, she would overload them and cause them to catch on fire or explode.

Once everything was loaded into their SUV, the men no longer possessed any significant value. They could be questioned still. It was doubtful much could be gained. What the men did next would probably prove to be more fruitful.

Lena and Tina started down the hill once the drone image showed the two men enter their van. They were already down on the flatland when the men stopped in the turnout. They figured they would head north on the 111 Highway but didn't know. It didn't matter. There were two drones with them now.

CamNet's Terminators monitored the progress of the female Fanatic. They awaited the arrival of the two men in the van as they sat in the desert. They were informed another drone was on the way.


Time Will Tell

As to what lies ahead
There's no way to foretell
Everyone can only hide so long
In their own personal citadel

No one wants to hear
The words of rejection and farewell
It can get very lonely
When it's time to expel

It becomes quite a chore
To encourage and compel
The past is hard to tame
It's even harder to dispel

Some can't make the changes
They start to crack and rebel
Others meet the daily challenge
They will flourish and excel

Two must join into one
They can't remain parallel
Who will meet the challenge
It appears time will tell

Nobody