Chapter 1579


It's - ME


Derek and Kyle rode along with Bob and Jim. They were going to do recon at two separate locations. They were both Skynet related. They left the base a short time ago. They elected to stay together for now. They could always acquire another vehicle later on.

Kyle hoped there'd been some additional information.

"So what do we know?" Kyle asked.

Bob thought John Henry was clear.

"You heard what we heard." Bob said.

Derek knew the Terminators always knew more.

"You can tell us." Derek said. "We're all in the same SUV now."

Bob didn't want any second guessing.

"All we know are the two addresses." Bob said. "The manager of the machine shop called them on his way back to the machine shop. He was terminated in the raid. I was the one who terminated him. I told him, 'my friend sends his regards'."

Derek was a little disappointed to hear it. He would have liked to have been the one to terminate the manager for tagging him with an electronic device.

"Thanks." Derek said.

Kyle wondered about the surveillance equipment which was left behind.

"Has anyone showed up to check those two places out?" Kyle asked.

Jim specifically checked himself before they left.

"There's been no activity indicated." Jim said.

They drove for a while. They neared the location.

Bob didn't want to take any action which would highlight them. He wanted to seem like part of the traffic.

"We'll do a drive by from across the street." Bob said. "I won't slow down and I'll stay between two autos. I don't want to stand out. It will be the third structure on our left once we pass the signal."

They all looked at it as they passed. It was a small building sandwiched between several others. There were no vehicles parked around it.

They'd all looked at the past satellite images of the building. They compared them to drone images taken earlier. There was no change at the building indicated. There were various vehicles on different days there previously. None were present now.

Derek looked at the images. He thought they could take a closer look and remain in the vehicle.

"There's an alley in the back." Derek said.

Jim didn't want to rush things. He didn't want to tip their hand too early.

"We can return at night." Jim said.

Kyle didn't want to wait for the darkness. He wanted to get the ball rolling.

"We're here now." Kyle said.

Jim went through the satellite photos earlier. He'd noticed one vehicle there several times.

"There was a van which was parked in back of the place in almost half of the satellite images." Jim said. "It didn't turn up in any of the activity last night and into this morning."

Derek knew John Henry and CamNet could access thousands of traffic cameras and surveillance cameras in the area. He wanted to point out the most obvious possibility.

"If they didn't have any 'hits' on the van, it could be inside the building." Derek said.

John Henry sent them an update. He monitored the com traffic.

"John Henry confirms there's been nothing recent on the van." Bob said.

The building looked cold for now. They decided to go to the second address. All they could do is hope it would prove more fruitful than the building they were about to leave behind.


Ajax, a Skynet Terminator, was now inside of the building. He was satisfied he hadn't tripped a booby trap. He'd left a few surprises in the other building. He could only imagine another Terminator would do the same thing.

He made his rounds through the building. He was careful to look for anything out of the ordinary, or any type of booby trap. He didn't find any.

Everything looked the same to him as it did when he left earlier. The only thing different was the man he left behind was gone, along with his truck. There were no additional signs of a struggle anywhere. He didn't know if the man took off, or if he was taken down.

Ajax carefully made his way to the storeroom. He looked around before he entered. He didn't find anything. He moved up to the ladder which went up to the roof. He paused for a moment and looked up. He wasn't surprised to see the latch was missing. He considered the fact the other Terminator was in the building holding the hatch closed when he'd attempted to open it earlier. He wanted to find out for sure.

He took one look around him before he started up the ladder. It didn't take him long to reach the top. He pushed on the roof hatch with a minimal amount of force. It didn't move. He pushed a little harder. It still didn't move. He looked at the lip it engaged when it closed. He could see the metal was bent. It was bent in a manner which appeared it could only be done by a human with tools, or by a Terminator with his hand. He made his way down the ladder and out of the storeroom.

He made his way over to where the two boxcars were inside at the loading dock. The area was all concrete except where the rails were. There was no way for him to spot any type of footprints, or gather any other clues.

Ajax was sure the building he was in was under some type of surveillance. There was nothing else for him to look at. He decided to return to his building to see what happened there.


CamNet's Terminator would need to keep a careful eye out. It was clear Ajax knew he was dealing with another Terminator. He found and identified several other booby traps.

The drone image indicated Ajax left the other building. The surveillance cameras inside showed he only looked around. He didn't appear to set any booby traps at the other building. He decided he was going to try to take Ajax down in the building he was in if he returned.

CamNet's Terminator determined there was nothing of consequence inside of the building. He would need to investigate the building where the two cars of Gray's arrived at a short time ago.


Mel drove Young Allison and Anna towards the park.

Randy and Brian went on ahead. There was a drone at altitude there also. No one wanted to take any chances after the previous incident.

Young Allison was a little bothered by what happened earlier near the railroad tracks. She hadn't intended for things to go 'hot' right off the bat. She still felt her actions were justified. It was a little hard to eat knowing she'd been responsible for the deaths of three people. What made it all palatable, was the fact she prevented some females from being abused. How could she enjoy a meal as someone else was being abused? She knew she did the right thing. She wanted to make sure everyone understood her reasoning and her perspective. She felt there was an important distinction between the few ways it could be looked at.

"I'm not looking for trouble." Young Allison said. "I'm trying to prevent it."

Anna didn't want Young Allison to feel bad about what happened. CamNet informed her Randy and Brian took care of the 'problem'. The bodies were collected and properly disposed of. They were in a dumpster. It was where trash belonged.

"Things happen sometimes." Anna said. "Everything was taken care of. There's no problem."

Brian and Randy reported everything was all clear at the park. They'd found a couple of potential 'good targets'.

Mel headed to the backside of the park. He pulled over to the curb and Anna and Young Allison got out. Randy and Brian were already there on foot.

Anna decided to take the lead. There could always be a curve ball thrown.

"Follow me." Anna said.

Young Allison carried the three take home containers of food. Everything was already cut up. There was a plastic fork inside each container.

They spotted a woman in her late thirties. She wasn't alone. There were two children with her. They looked like they spent the night there.

"Hello." Anna said.

The woman put her children behind her.

Young Allison sensed a very negative vibe. It was clear the woman was scared. It wasn't their intent to scare anyone.

"Is everything alright?" Young Allison asked.

The woman relaxed a little when she saw it was two teenage girls. She still looked around from side to side.

"You need to be careful." The woman said.

Young Allison and Anna looked at each other. It sounded like there might be some bad news coming. It most likely dealt with future Scavengers. They both looked at the woman and the two children with her.

"What happened?" Young Allison asked.

The woman told them they spent the night in the park. Once during the night, someone tried to take her daughter. She was a few years younger than Summer. She hadn't slept all night after the incident. They saw she held a short tree branch she used as a club.

Young Allison handed out the three containers of food to them. They saw how hungry the children were by the way they ate. The woman thanked them.

It turned out she'd been 'solicited' several times since they arrived yesterday afternoon. They hadn't had any food for two days. She'd been hiding from her abusive boyfriend. She'd caught him with another woman in their apartment. It was bad enough. Her daughter told her sometimes he would come into her bedroom and watch her while she was in bed. She pretended like she was asleep and he eventually left. She said she heard some sound, which lasted for two to three minutes, as he stood over her each time.

It was the final 'straw' for the woman. She was very worried the next step he took might affect her daughter very negatively for the rest of her life. She wasn't going to take any chances. After what happened last night, she was just as worried.

Mel approached them. He told them through their coms he was coming with water. They always kept some survival items in the Resistance SUVs.

Young Allison didn't want the woman to become alarmed. She was concerned she might drop her meal and grab her club again.

"There's my brother." Young Allison said. "He has some water."

The woman was a little afraid at first, but the girls were nice to her. She felt bad she'd taken all the items the girls carried. Now it looked like she'd taken all their drinks too.

"I appreciate all the things you've given us." The woman said. "It looks like we've taken everything from you."

Young Allison didn't want her to worry about it.

"It was actually our leftovers from our meal. It was very large. We didn't want to waste the food. I'm pleased it went to a very good cause." Young Allison said. "We can take you to a shelter."

The woman was afraid her boyfriend would find her. He wasn't the children's father. He'd told her he was going to kill her children, but not her. It was why they hid in the park. She was afraid he'd find them at one of the shelters. She knew the locations of the ones to protect females were supposed to be secret. She didn't think it would take too much research on the internet to find where they were located.

Anna wanted to offer them a better solution.

"We can take you to a different city." Anna said.

Mel remained in the background. He was given some specific instructions by CamNet. She was very displeased with what could have occurred.

"He may have moved on by now." Mel said. "Call home and see if he's there. He may be worried he threatened your children. He'll probably leave before he gets arrested."

Young Allison understood the implication. They would see what number she called. CamNet would send them the information without the call actually going through. Brian and Randy could go by the apartment and make sure the boyfriend was 'gone'. She wanted to see what the woman's plan was first. She needed to make sure of what the woman really wanted. Her answers would determine the boyfriend's fate.

"Do you want to see him or be with him anymore?" Young Allison asked.

The woman showed them some welts on her back. It was where he beat her. She said she didn't love him anymore and only stayed because she needed a place for her children to live. They'd been in and out of some homeless shelters in the past. Both her son and daughter were abused in them. They would never tell her what really happened. She didn't think there'd been any penetrative activity, but probably something bad. It was a very uncomfortable thought.

Young Allison was tired of predators. She wanted to make her position known. It was time for action. The time for being a referee was past.

"I think he's run off and won't be back." Young Allison said. "I wouldn't worry about him."

Anna knew Young Allison just 'ordered' the man's termination indirectly. She wanted Young Allison to rethink her decision. She could always change her mind, or let it stand.

"Are you sure about it?" Anna asked.

Young Allison looked at the two children. She didn't want any of them to be abused. She already heard the story of those abused in their own bed, in their own home. She couldn't think of a worse way to destroy someone's life going forward. They would never feel safe in their own bed, in their own room again. They would always worry about what happened before. She thought it would be a terrible way to go to sleep every night. The only thing which would have changed her mind was if the man was the biological father of the children. He wasn't.

"I'm positive." Young Allison said. "He isn't their father. He never will be either."

The woman made the call.

Randy and Brian were on their way now to 'take care of business'.

CamNet made the connection herself as the woman. The man told her he was going to kill all three of them when he found them. He was quite specific about what he was going to do to each of them first. He especially wanted the woman to watch what he did to her daughter before he killed her. He wanted the woman to live with the memory before he killed her later on. He told her she would probably kill herself and save him the trouble.

Young Allison looked at Anna. If Anna wanted to stop it, she needed to say something now. She didn't. CamNet played the man's transmission for her.

Mel drove them to a store. There were several bags of food waiting for them. They took their time before they arrived at the woman's apartment. They wanted to give Randy and Brian time to get things 'cleaned up'.

"My brother can go check to see if anyone is home." Young Allison said. "He's a body builder as you can see. He can be very persuasive without needing to injure anyone."

Mel returned a few minutes later.

"He's gone." Mel said. "There's no one home."

The woman was apprehensive.

Young Allison didn't want her to worry.

"I'll go with you." Young Allison said.

The woman thought the teenager was brave. She could see strength and confidence radiated from her. It was a very reassuring feeling. She didn't think anyone would ever abuse her. If they did, they were probably in for a world of hurt.

"Thank you." The woman said.

Young Allison smiled at her.

"Your kids can stay with my brother and girlfriend when we check. No one will touch them." Young Allison said.

Anna was pleased Young Allison referred to her as her girlfriend. It sounded better than Protector or Guardian. Those terms might have been a little hard to explain. Any reference to a Terminator would probably cause a lot of anxiety.

They went to the apartment and opened the door. It was empty. They looked around. All the man's clothes were gone. There were two keys sitting on the table in the kitchen.

"It looks like he split." Young Allison said. "He even left his keys behind to show he wasn't going to come back. It was his way to make amends for his bad actions earlier. I'm sure he didn't want to face incarceration for what he's done to you and your family. He understood his freedom was on a time clock. It's much better he's moved on."

The woman checked her phone. There was a message on it from him. He told her he found someone better who didn't have all her 'baggage'. He said they did what he wanted them to do. He said he wasn't coming back. He apologized for all the drama he caused. CamNet was the one who left the message for her.

They left the family there and departed.

Randy and Brian dumped his body in a dumpster. They watched the trash truck empty it three minutes later. He was gone.


Sheila and Leticia were in the Master Suite on the 727 'Executive Transport'.

The door to the Master Suite opened and someone entered with their back to them. They closed the Master Suite door. They straightened and turned around.

Leticia's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She stared at 'herself'.

"Oh my God!" Leticia said. "It's – ME."

Sheila smiled. It was the first time she'd seen the new cyborg herself.

"She's beautiful." Sheila said. "She's just like you."

Tricia smiled.

"I'm Tricia." Tricia said. "You can change my name if you'd like."

Leticia was astounded.

"It's a pretty name." Leticia said. "I like it. It's like my name, sort of."

Leticia also was a little concerned. Maybe this was where she would be 'replaced' and 'eliminated'. Maybe they thought she knew too much. This was all done in secret so far. Mary and Laura might not know she'd been 'eliminated'. From the article Laura read, it mentioned in some cases, the machines sent back were to replace specific individuals and assume their positions.

Tricia wanted them to know why she was there.

"I'm here for Leticia." Tricia said.

Leticia took a step back. She heard something like that on an old TV show before. It was right before the person who's name was spoken was killed. It sounded like bad news for her. Maybe this is where she was killed. Maybe they thought she saw too much at the 'secret base'. She probably should have worn the blindfold and a hood.

Sheila watched Leticia's reaction. She could tell she was fearful for her life.

"She's here to share with you, love." Sheila said. "It's what you wanted."

Leticia was excited but apprehensive. She really didn't know what was going to happen. To share was always good. Some of it was just better.

"I'd like to share." Leticia said.

Sheila couldn't wait to take a 'crack' at the new cyborg herself.

"I want you two to be alone together first and then I'll join you later on." Sheila said. "Leticia, your dream was to 'be with yourself'. I think this is as close as you're going to get without some temporal activity. There's always a risk with it."

Leticia never thought any of this was possible. It all happened much faster than she'd imagined possible. Tricia and her stood and faced each other. They both looked each other over. Everything on them was identical. Well, almost.

The jet started to taxi.

"Why don't we buckle up for now and then things can get started once we're airborne." Sheila said.

Tricia wanted to liven things up some.

"We can take our clothes off first." Tricia said.

The jet made a turn as it taxied.

Leticia couldn't take her eyes off of Tricia. She liked what she saw. She wanted more.

"May I undress you?" Leticia asked.

Sheila wanted to watch them do it. She'd like to be a participant, but she would settle to be a spectator. It was an event she wanted to see very much.

"You can undress each other." Sheila said. "I'm just going to watch, if no one minds."

Tricia looked at Sheila. She felt a need to exhibit herself.

"I think I'd like an audience." Tricia said.

Leticia knew she did.

"I'm in." Leticia said.

The jet picked up a little speed as it taxied.

Sheila watched as Leticia and Tricia stripped each other. She took her clothes off at the same time. She really liked how they looked at everything on each other as they did it. It was truly a unique way for someone to see what they really looked like to other people. She'd done it many times with Jesse, and a few times with Young Jesse. It never got old. It only seemed to get better.

Leticia took a moment to stand back and look at Tricia. She was incredibly pleased and satisfied with what she viewed.

"Is this how I look to you, Sheila?" Leticia asked.

Sheila could see the only thing different on them was Leticia's jewelry.

"It is." Sheila said. "You're both very alluring."

Leticia loved how Tricia looked 'everywhere'.

"I think she's more than beautiful." Leticia said.

The jet turned again. It slowed and stopped.

The engines picked up some power.

Sheila knew they were about to take off. It would happen very soon. She wanted to make sure everyone was secure.

"Let's get buckled in." Sheila said.

Leticia and Tricia sat side by side.

Sheila sat across from them. It excited her greatly to see both of them. She couldn't wait to borrow Tricia's chassis. She knew it was going to be very popular with all of the girls.

Leticia wanted to know how much Tricia was like her. She wondered about the procedure she'd done at the 'secret base'.

"Tell me about yourself." Leticia said.

Tricia opened her files from the 'Neural Interface' with Leticia. There was a lot of specific information.

Leticia began to hear her life's story….

The 727 started down the runway. They were pushed back in the seats by the thrust. It felt like another 'hot' take off.


Young Jesse sat in the pilot's seat. Hanna-Camille was the copilot. Neither one of them had actually taken off a jet this large before. She was 'on the controls' when Cammy took off from the other airport. The runway there wasn't even half as long as the one she was lined up with. All the principals were the same. The 727 was designed to operate from smaller airports. It should be easy to take off from 'One Six Right' at Van Nuys.

She made sure everyone was buckled in. She didn't know what was happening in the aft part of the plane. They were notified. She stood on the breaks and brought the power up slowly. She released the breaks as the power was still coming up to take off thrust. She didn't want to push anything or take any chances.

They started down the runway. The acceleration was greater than she'd expected for a bird this large. Then again, they were pretty light. The jet was designed to take off with a maximum capacity load. They were far from it.

She reached take off speed but waited a few seconds longer and lifted off with a gentle climb.

"We're good." Hanna-Camille said. "It was really smooth."

Young Jesse retracted the landing gear. She steepened the climb. She didn't push it. It might be something she would do on another flight. It didn't need to be on this one. The responsiveness and agility of the large aircraft was very surprising.

"This thing is amazing." Young Jesse said.

Laura and Ally watched from the two seats in back of them.

"You would think she did this every day." Laura said.

Ally knew Young Jesse was a skilled pilot. She was able to put a lot of hours in Down Under.

"Jesse is very accomplished." Ally said.

CamNet sent some instructions to Hanna-Camille as they climbed past five thousand feet.

"We're going to experience a mild pressure change for a few minutes." Hanna-Camille said.

Young Jesse looked a little concerned.

Hanna-Camille was informed why. She quickly filled Young Jesse in.

"I guess we won't be landing in Tahoe after all." Young Jesse said.

Hanna-Camille didn't care for the prospects either.

"Apparently not…." Hanna-Camille said.


Cammy and Mary were about to head to the Executive Suite when she also received the update from CamNet.

"Leave your safety belt on for now." Cammy said. "We're going to experience a cabin pressure change. It will be soon. I just want everyone to be ready for it."

Mary looked a little worried.

"Is everything all right?" Mary asked. "It was a really smooth takeoff."

Cammy didn't want them to worry about it.

"Everything is fine." Cammy said.

Cammy looked back. She saw Sheila exit from the Master Suite naked and head for the rear of the plane. She wondered exactly what was going on. Maybe things were going to happen a little sooner than she anticipated.


CamNet wanted a spectacular entry for Ron when he arrived for Savannah. The initial plan was to land the 727 at the Lake Tahoe airport and go to the lakeside cabin by vehicle. There was a new plan now.

Cameron and Savannah were several hours out from returning the houseboat to its moorings at the lakeside cabin. They were two thirds of the way across the lake, and headed towards the center of it now.

CamNet planned to have Ron on the ship within the half hour.

Ron was instructed to exit the cabin now at five thousand feet and wait in the small area between the rear door and the airstair. He didn't need to breathe so the lack of oxygen, and the cold air at thirty thousand feet, wouldn't be a problem for him.

He 'put on' the package he'd carried on board the jet and opened the rear door once the pressure was equalized. There was still a pressure change and the noise level increased.


Samantha was very pleased Precious communicated with her verbally. She didn't know if she should tell Riley or not. Her files indicated to her it would be better if Riley or Derek heard Precious' 'first words' themselves. What she heard would remain precious to her from Precious.


Riley and Sarah were in Jesse's room. They were lost in each other's arms right now.

It was still hard for them to believe it all happened. Since they were naked side by side right now, it was pretty good proof it did happen.

They thought about leaving. Instead they found themselves all over each other again. There were a lot of years to make up for. They were off to a good start.


John heard what Cam said about how Samantha and Gail wanted their 'turn'. He was all for it. He wondered which one of them would come first to his room.

There was a knock at the door. He went and opened it. It was Gail. They both knew why she was there.

"Hi, Gail." John said. "Would you like to come in for a while?"

Gail smiled.

John thought she looked really pretty when she smiled. She seldom did. She was usually all business, unless she was around the girls. She always seemed more relaxed then. She was like a puppy when Savannah was around.

"I'd like to very much, John." Gail said.

John could see she wanted to be carried over the 'threshold'. He picked her up and carried her in.

Gail didn't want to tire him out.

"You can set me down." Gail whispered. "For now…."

Gail was the largest of the female Terminators in every respect except for one…. In one regard, she was the smallest by far.

John led her to the bedroom by her hand. She seemed to like it.

They kissed, and then they really kissed. It was a very loving kiss from Gail.

They undressed each other and stood before each other naked.

John looked at her and said what he felt.

"You really are beautiful." John said.

Gail smiled, she looked a little shy. She wanted to return the compliment.

"Thank you." Gail said. "You're very handsome."

John liked to hear it. He didn't know if it was true or not, but it was nice to hear. He was about to ask her if she was there on her own. He didn't want her 'pressured' to be there. She spoke before he could ask.

Gail could see John was thinking about something. She didn't want him to change his mind. She wanted to make her intentions clear.

"I'm here because I want to be here." Gail said. "I'm here if you'll have me."

She was pretty sure by his rapidly expanding size, he wanted her too. Maybe the fact they touched and fondled each other was a factor as well. A little physical stimulation could do a lot more quicker, than mental stimulation alone.

"I'd like to very much." John said.

Gail opened the bed and waited.

John saw what she wanted. He picked her up again and laid her down on the bed. She smiled at him.

"It's how I want it." Gail whispered. "I want to feel special."

John climbed in next to her. The kissing and touching really picked up. He was still amazed because both of his hands together couldn't hold one of her breasts completely. He spent a lot of time up there before he moved on. He worked his way down to her feet and then back up to the middle. He hungered for what was there in more ways than one. He worked on her until she 'made it'.

He repositioned and he was over her. Their faces were inches apart. He made his move.

John could feel Gail tense up some, as her hands grasped his back.

"Go slow." Gail whispered. "I've never done this before. It's my first time."

Her statement pleased John greatly. He really liked the fact he was able to get two 'first times' out of each chassis, once when Cameron was in control, and once with the rightful owner of the chassis. He tried not to feel guilty about what he did with Cameron as she 'used' each chassis. It was an offer too good to resist.

Things took off after a very short time.

He was pretty sure, as he was with Holly, that the Restorators were very much more like human females in what they felt, as opposed to the way they thought they needed to respond. He was very pleased where he was at right now.


Claire and Jesse finished up several times.

Jesse wondered about Precious. She didn't want to be neglectful.

"I think I need to check on Precious." Jesse said.

Claire was ready for it. She needed to check on Summer too.

They both threw on a pair of 'short shorts' and a tight top.

"Look at us." Claire said as they stood in front of the mirror.

They were as pleased with their appearance as they were with their present company. It seemed they really hit it off in everything they did.


Vanna and Allison were back side by side now.

Their heads turned and looked at each other. Their hands found each other's hand and they held it. Words were unnecessary between them. They both felt it as they always did. They smiled at each other. There was really no place either of them would rather be. The variety available to them only made their bond even more special.

Allison didn't want them to get lost from any of their responsibilities. She gave Vanna another kiss.

"Do you need to check on Precious?" Allison asked.

Vanna looked down at her breasts. She felt she was good to go.

"I see you left plenty for her." Vanna said.

Allison smiled. She looked forward to a further opportunity once Vanna was done.

"I'll take care of the leftovers." Allison said.

They both giggled.

They kissed again and got up. They threw on some 'short shorts' and tight tops.

They took a moment to look at themselves, as well as each other, as they stood in front of the mirror. They were both very pleased with how they looked and who they were with.

"Look at us." Vanna said as they stood in front of the mirror.

Allison always thought they made a pretty picture. It didn't matter how they were dressed or even looked. It was because it was the two of them.

"I can never stop." Allison said with a smile.


The female Fanatic and Jill discussed their options about what to do. If someone was coming to 'put the grab' on them, they wanted to kill them.

"Do you think they'll come during the daytime?" Jill asked.

The female Fanatic didn't know.

"It seems unlikely." The female Fanatic said. "The cockroaches like to come out at night."

Jill cringed at the thought a little. She didn't like cockroaches. She didn't really like any kind of bugs.

"I guess they still have all of the same insects in the future." Jill said. "Most of them have been around for millions of years. They're all survivors."

The female Fanatic thought about it.

"Some things are hard to kill." The female Fanatic said. "Skynet is one of them. It's definitely a computer cockroach."

Jill could see Jackie looking around the room. She looked in 'out of the way' and odd places.

"What are you looking for?" Jill asked. "Is there a hidden camera or microphone in here?"

It was exactly what the female Fanatic was searching for.

"I haven't found one yet, but I'm looking." The female Fanatic said. "You can double check."

The female Fanatic and Jill continued to search the room.


Lena and Tina put their M9 pistols away. They rapidly approached the van.

"Question the homeless guy." Lena said. "I'll check the van."

Lena looked through the front window of the van. It looked empty.

Tina nodded and went up the embankment of the underpass. She could see the man look out from his cardboard enclosure. His head quickly went back inside when he saw she was almost there.

"I didn't do anything." The homeless man said.

Tina didn't want to provoke a negative reaction.

"I'm not here to hurt you." Tina said. "I need to know what happened to the men in the white van."

The homeless man remained hidden behind the cardboard.

"They got out and got into another car." The homeless man said. "They told me I could have the van. I think it would be a better place for me to sleep."

Tina wasn't very surprised. It appeared the two men in the white van wanted a patsy.

"I need to know what type of car, and what color it was." Tina said. "Which direction did it go?"

The homeless man hesitated a moment before he spoke. It immediately sent up a red flag.

"It was a blue SUV. It continued in the same direction the van was headed." The homeless man said. "It was one of the smaller types. I don't know the make. They all look the same now to me. It doesn't matter who the manufacturer is."

CamNet was alerted to the new vehicle to search for. Both drones started a grid pattern.

Lena checked over the van as Tina questioned the homeless man. She noted the doors were unlocked and the keys were in the ignition. She carefully opened one of the doors and checked for a booby trap. She didn't spot one. There was nothing in the white van at all.

She opened all of the doors and the hood. She looked underneath it as well. There was no sign of a bomb.

Lena listened to the conversation between Tina and the homeless man.

Tina glanced back as Lena conducted the search. She could see she was finished.

A preliminary report back from CamNet indicated there was no blue vehicle which went in either direction from the underpass since the white van arrived.

Tina decided it was time to use some of her Terminator abilities. She would probably need to resort to some Terminator persuasion if the man didn't want to tell the truth.

"I'm going to approach you." Tina said. "Don't try to resist me. You'll only be injured."

Lena heard the report from CamNet and was soon in back of Tina.

Tina reached over and grabbed the homeless man. He tried to struggle but she held him in place. Lena moved around to the other side and further restrained him. They would both scan him when he started to talk.

"We don't have time for games." Lena said. "Where did the men go?"

Tina and Lena were instructed by CamNet not to terminate the homeless man if possible. They began to question him as to what happened to the men in the white van.


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Temporal Mission:

Past Timeline:

November 26 1963

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Cameron and Young Allison could see the locomotives emerge from the westward facing portal of Tunnel 28.

"I can see there are six hood units." Young Allison said. "They all have a high short hood."

Cameron was at enough of an angle to be able to identify them.

"There are five SD9 units and one GP9 unit." Cameron said. "They all have one thousand seven hundred and fifty horsepower. These units are all normally aspirated."

At her first glance, Young Allison thought they were all the same.

"I know the SD units have six axles and six traction motors." Young Allison said. "The GP units only have four axles and four traction motors. The SD units are heavier and are able to deliver more tractive effort, especially when starting out. They're usually used on heavy trains or in the mountains. The GP units are usually geared for higher speeds and running on the flat land."

Cameron was pleased Young Allison remembered her earlier instruction.

"The SD9 units were liked very well on the Southern Pacific." Cameron said. "Almost all of them were rebuilt in the Seventies and served for two more decades. They were all constructed in the mid Fifties. Some of them were delivered with steam generators. It enabled them to be used in passenger service when necessary. Only two of the units kept the steam generators when they were rebuilt. They were known as 'Huff and Puff'."

Young Allison knew Cameron was a walking encyclopedia on multiple subjects.

The six locomotives were working hard. There were two exhaust stacks on each of the units. They were on either side of the dynamic brake fans. The SD9 units had two dynamic brake fans because of the six traction motors, the GP9 unit only had one dynamic brake fan because it only had four traction motors.

The dynamic brake could best be described as acting as something being 'downshifted'. It was actually the resistance of the electric motor being turned on its own, which created resistance. The resistance created heat. The dynamic brake fans dissipated the heat from the traction motors on downhill grades to keep the speed down. It helped reduce the need for an air brake application on the train, or the locomotives themselves. The other fans were used to cool the diesel engine.

Young Allison could see the locomotives as they came out of the Big Cut. There were two streams of exhaust coming from each of them. They sounded completely different from the U25B locomotives they viewed earlier. She could also see the caboose come out of Tunnel 28. It was a bay window caboose. The Daylight Orange sides of the bay window was clearly visible.

"I can tell they don't have a turbocharger." Young Allison said. "I know the turbocharged units only have a single exhaust stack. They also have the characteristic whine of the turbocharger itself."

Cameron was aware of the next model of progression from the Electro Motive Division of General Motors. It was the SD18 unit which produced 1800 horsepower. There was a turbocharged version of SD18 locomotive known as the SD24. It produced 2400 horsepower. Southern Pacific received three demonstrator units from EMD painted in their gray and scarlet colors. All they lacked was the lettering 'Southern Pacific' on the side of them. They were even equipped with the full 'light package' of five lights. EMD was sure Southern Pacific would try them and immediately buy the demonstrators.

It wasn't how things played out. Even though they produce more horsepower than an SD9, their tractive effort wasn't very much greater, especially in mountain railroading. They would wait nearly a half decade before they purchased the SD35. It produced 2500 horsepower. For the next decade, there would be a horsepower race between EMD and GE for their locomotives. EMD needed to come up with a better traction motor design to handle the extra power available to the electric motors from the diesel engine. Once they did, they were able to 'out horsepower' both General Electric and ALCO. ALCO dropped out of the locomotive market before the end of the decade. The EMD locomotives proved more reliable during the time period. EMD locomotives were often rebuilt, sometimes multiple times. General Electric locomotives often went to the scrap yard before the lease expired. The same applied to units from ALCO.

"Southern Pacific took its first big step in high horsepower turbocharged units rather slowly." Cameron said. "There were examples of Baldwin locomotives, and some ALCO locomotives. They were all in the fifteen hundred and sixteen hundred horsepower range. They were competitors of the SD7 and the SD9. Southern Pacific also bought a few batches of SD7 units. The SD7 produced fifteen hundred horsepower. They were the predecessor of the SD9. The first SD7 units were delivered with the 'Tiger Stripe' paint scheme. They were soon repainted into the 'Black Widow' paint scheme as all of the SD9 units were delivered in. Some of the SD7 units were delivered with steam generators also. When SD7 units were rebuilt, most of them were used for heavy switching duties."

Young Allison could see the second and fourth locomotives were still painted in 'Black Widow' colors. The other four were painted in gray and scarlet.

A few moments later the locomotives began to enter Tunnel 27 below them. It gave them a good view of the sugar beets in the gondola cars. The gondola cars had been fitted with wooden extensions to the steel sides to hold more sugar beets. The inverted 'V' shape in the gondola cars took up capacity space. The wooden side extensions helped restore it.

Young Allison could see the caboose come around the corner from the Big Cut.

"I guess it's the end of the train." Young Allison said. "You don't hear any other rail activity do you?"

Cameron looked off in the distance.

"I only hear a fire truck somewhere to the southeast." Cameron said. "It has its siren on."

Cameron and Young Allison made their way down from the rocks over Tunnel 27. They came down next to the eastern facing portal of Tunnel 27. They followed the path down the remaining portion of the hill and were soon in Chatsworth Park. They went eastbound on Chatsworth Street back to Topanga Canyon Boulevard. They needed to wait again for the traffic to have a break for them to cross. They continued along Chatsworth Street and returned back to the safe house.


It's ME

There's the world one lives in
Then there's reality
Some can't distinguish one from the other
Neither come with a warranty

When the difference is pointed out
There needs to be a referee
To avoid any problems
It's better to agree to disagree

The goal in life
Isn't to live carefree
It's not all fun and games
With never ending jubilee

Very little remains invisible
Everything is measured to a certain degree
There's always more there
Than one can see

Living on the edge
Makes it hard to hear a plea
It's easy to forget
When it's me

Nobody