Chapter 183
Tehachapi
Cameron sat up a short while after the song finished. It was a soft and calming song for her to listen to. It helped her regain control.
John was a little worried when Cameron sat up.
"How do you feel?" John asked.
Cameron smiled at John.
"Everything is fine now. Everything is perfect." Cameron said. "I fixed myself. I'm fine."
John cringed a little at Cameron's words. He heard the same words before when Cameron was trapped between the two trucks and he was about to deactivate her. His mother was screaming at him to do it. Cameron told him she loved him and he loved her. He reluctantly pulled her chip anyway. For all practical purposes, he terminated Cameron after she told him she loved him. She told him she fixed herself. Maybe it was why he reinstalled her chip later on. Maybe he did believe Cameron, even if no one else did. He wondered how different things would have been if he would have believed Cameron back then and never terminated her, even if it was for only a few hours.
Cameron reached forward and touched Bob and Holly.
They both looked at her and smiled. She smiled back at them.
"Everything's good now." Cameron said. "I fixed myself. I'm fine."
They all doubted it, but were glad Cameron was trying to hold it together. They knew how close to 'losing it' she actually was earlier.
They traveled north out of Mojave and headed west on Highway 58.
Cameron wanted to get the two teams back in order and everyone in their proper SUV.
"Bob, take the next exit so John can return to his SUV and to his team." Cameron said. "We'll be near the target zone shortly."
Bob looked up at the off ramp sign as they approached. He was a little surprised at the name.
"Do you see what the next exit is called? It's named 'Cameron'." Bob said.
Cameron wondered if it was some strange omen, or a long time street name. It was also a geographic reference name for the railroad. She hoped to lighten the mood some. She didn't like how she upset everyone earlier.
"'Cameron', that's funny." Cameron said as she laughed a little.
It made John a little worried.
She gave John a kiss.
The two SUVs exited at the 'Cameron' off ramp. They pulled over at the top.
John got out and whispered to Cameron. He wanted to reassure her of his commitment to her.
"I'll love you no matter how you look or how you 'are'." John said quietly. "I love you, Cameron."
Cameron didn't have much of a reply. She didn't really want to talk about it.
"Thank you." Cameron said. "I'm sorry."
She really wondered why she altered, no, 'destroyed' her sheath, her body. She pushed it out of her mind. What was done was done. It was just a matter of time before it all happened.
John got in the second SUV and they both re-entered the freeway. The railroad tracks were now next to the freeway on their left side. They crossed over the tracks on a bridge right before they entered Mojave. The railroad tracks were on their right side before when they were on Sierra Highway after they left Palmdale.
John Henry gave them the location of the rail webcam where the HK drone was spotted. It was past the community of Tehachapi at Walong. It's where the 'Tehachapi Loop' was located. The Tehachapi Loop was a section of railroad track which circled over, and crossed on top of itself in a complete circle. It was done to gain elevation to keep the grade from being too steep.
John decided he would investigate the webcam lead while Cameron's team looked around the small Tehachapi airport.
The man they spoke with in Mojave said there were some small drones which operated out of there. They hoped to find a lead on a larger drone. The larger drone would be the HK drone.
They stayed on Highway 58 until Summit and exited onto Tehachapi Boulevard. They traveled west. Cameron's SUV turned off to go to the Tehachapi airport. John's SUV re-entered Highway 58 at the end of town and headed for the Tehachapi Loop. They would drive past it on the freeway, exit at Keene, and then return on a side road.
The railroad tracks were on their left as they drove. The freeway was lower than the railroad tracks at this juncture. There was a long container train slightly above them. It snaked through four short curved tunnels. It made an impressive sight. The Tehachapi Loop was soon on their left as the freeway moved away from the tracks. They took the next exit and headed for the rail webcam. It was where the HK drone made itself known. This area was remote, but not too remote. Someone wanted them out there. They were there.
John took the wheel as Dan made ready the Coltan loaded M60. Three brought out several LAW rockets and a Barrett Model 82A1. They knew any of those three weapons could bring down an HK drone. It would especially be more so if they were able to have the element of surprise.
They should have the advantage, unless the HK drone attacked them, or their positions. They would make sure they were spread out to present more than one target. It would also give them crossfire on their target. With a triangulation of gunfire, they should be able to control the narrative. It was their goal to bring the HK drone down without totally destroying it if possible. They wanted to capture it so it could be evaluated. They wanted to compare its construction to the four which were recently captured.
If the HK drone was different, it most likely would belong to another group of Skynet. With the different timelines, they were unsure how many versions of Skynet they actually faced. The HK drone should give them a few clues.
The Tehachapi airport was very small. It was mostly visited by the private aircraft of the wealthy local residents. There were no Warbirds at the small strip. The runway was only four thousand feet long which was almost identical to its elevation above sea level at four thousand feet.
Cameron felt more like her normal self. She wanted to conduct the investigation. Bob and Holly would be there for support if she needed it. Based upon what she observed so far, it didn't look like a threatening situation.
A quick look around the area only showed small or light aircraft. There were a series of small hangars. It didn't seem like an area Skynet would operate out of, especially in the daylight.
Cameron asked around at the airport about any drones. The drone activity at the airport was all amateur stuff. There were a few reports of one large drone not too long ago. It was observed flying over the railroad tracks around the Tehachapi Loop. The workers thought one of the two railroads which used the tracks filmed some publicity or promotional footage. They told her there was some drone footage available to view on YouTube. The bigger drone was only ever seen in the remote area.
It looked like a dead end to them. They went back toward their vehicle. One of the workers followed them. The three Terminators became a little concerned. In a defensive posture, Holly and Bob both moved away from Cameron as she turned to speak with the man. They wanted to be able to provide each other with covering fire if it became necessary.
Cameron could see the tactic employed by Bob and Holly. She believed there was a better way to handle the situation.
"Hello." Cameron said with a smile. "Was there something else?"
The worker looked around. He was away from the rest of his coworkers.
He motioned for Cameron to head over to a small group of sheds. It looked like he wanted to remain out of sight.
Bob and Holly were still near, but in flanking positions if things went bad. They searched for any other threats. So far none were spotted. It didn't mean they weren't there.
The worker looked around again once they were isolated. He was a little concerned about his experience. There were a lot of negative things associated with it.
"I saw it." The worker said. "It wasn't a commercial drone. It was a military drone of some kind. It was armed. I tried to research it on the internet and my system crashed. I used a different computer and the same thing happened."
The revelation got Cameron interested real fast. It sounded like a version of Skynet intercepted his searches and 'punished' him for looking into it.
Cameron questioned the man further. He lived next to the Woodford-Tehachapi road. It loosely paralleled the railroad tracks through a much more curved and twisty route. It all happened in the last few days.
The worker still looked very nervous as he spoke with Cameron.
"I'm pretty sure I saw a larger one too one time." The worker said.
Cameron wanted to know how much larger. Maybe it was the man's proximity or perception of the same HK drone. They could be very intimidating to humans.
Holly sent out a warning to John's team as soon as the man said he thought there were two drones and they were armed.
He said the larger drone was painted a little different and looked slightly different. There was a glass dome on the top of it.
It was news to Cameron. It was unlike any version of an HK drone she was familiar with from her future. She wondered what was in the dome. Maybe it was a turret of some type, or some other apparatus. Whatever it was, it was there for a purpose. She wanted to know what it was.
"Did you get any photos?" Cameron asked.
The worker looked around again.
"I did." The worker said. "I thought it was a UFO…."
The worker paused.
Cameron prompted him a little.
"Did you call the authorities?" Cameron asked.
The worker looked around again.
"I did." The worker said. "My phone didn't work, and it got really hot. I dropped it on the ground and the battery inside exploded. I lost everything including the photos."
Cameron wanted to contain the information.
"I think you should stop looking into this." Cameron said.
The worker looked at Cameron. He could see she knew what he referred to.
"You know something about it." The worker said. "I'm not crazy."
The worker backed up as Bob came and stood next to Cameron. He looked very intimidating. He wore a pair of mirror sunglasses now.
"We're from the government and we're here to help." Cameron said.
Cameron made up a story about international terrorists and they were going to try and take down a building. She cautioned him for his own safety to not pursue it any further.
The man looked even more worried than he did earlier.
"Is it really terrorists, or is it aliens?" The man asked.
Cameron was concerned about the man's safety. Any version of Skynet was a legitimate threat.
"It's fanatical international terrorists. The people we're dealing with are incredibly dangerous." Cameron said. "Don't pursue it any further. They don't leave witnesses behind. We can cover some of your costs for your loss. If you don't heed our warning, your life, and those of your loved ones, could be in danger. You'll probably see more about it on the news in the future when we bring them down. We appreciate your diligence and support. Now you must protect yourself."
Bob took out some money and gave the man a few thousand dollars to get a new phone and computer gear.
"Remember, the next time you won't get a warning, or off as easily as you did." Bob said. "Terrorists are insane by definition."
The man looked very worried. He looked at the wad of hundred dollar bills in his hand.
"I'll get some new shorts too." The worker said. "I messed up a couple of pairs. I dumped them where I soiled them."
Cameron thanked the man for his assistance and cautioned him again not to pursue anything related to the episode.
Cameron's team left the airport.
Bob drove.
"This is definitely Skynet related." Cameron said. "We need to give ourselves more options. The approaches to the webcam are probably all monitored."
Holly already sent out the warning. There was one paved road which could reach the area from either direction. There were a series of dirt roads which were all fenced off with locked gates.
"I already updated John's team." Holly said. "The few roads will all be dangerous."
Cameron thought of a very unconventional way to arrive at the Tehachapi Loop. She wanted to come to the location near the Tehachapi Loop on the railroad tracks, on a train, literally on top of a train. She would drop off from the top of the tunnel entrance at Cable, Tunnel 17, onto the top of the next downhill train.
They received the schedule from John Henry as to when it would be. They didn't have a lot of time to act. John Henry could always take over the signaling system. He could give the train a yellow light to slow it down, or even a red light to stop it. He could make sure it was given green lights to speed its progress as well.
Bob headed down a dirt road to reach the location. He let her off and took the back road through Old Town to head for the Tehachapi Loop on the Woodford-Tehachapi Road. They would approach the Tehachapi Loop from three different directions.
Cameron previously watched some YouTube videos Kyle recommended of the Tehachapi Loop and the surrounding area. They gave a brief overview of the area and the terrain.
She remembered one YouTube video was titled: 'Tehachapi SP "Oil Cans" Exit Tunnel #5'. Another video was titled: 'Tehachapi Double Stacks'. It was quite impressive, she thought. She hoped some of the others saw it as well. She would recommend it to anyone. It was heavy mountain railroading at its finest.
Kyle observed the Gray the entire way to make sure he didn't stop along the way, or get into a vehicle.
Derek and Mel were already in position on the side street where the cul-de-sacs on the other side of the street would exit. They didn't think the Gray would go too much further on foot.
Jim was able to observe him get into a sedan. He quickly forwarded the information to Derek and Mel.
Kyle went back to the first cul-de-sac and ran down it. He didn't want to go down the same cul-de-sac the Gray took to elude being followed. He didn't know if there was some type of surveillance set up or not.
He crossed the street and joined Jim.
Jim already acquired another vehicle. Kyle hopped in and they took off. They would take turns to 'leapfrog' the Gray with Derek and Mel.
Derek watched the Gray pass in front of them. They were currently parked at the curb behind another vehicle. He relayed the description of the vehicle and direction to Jim and Kyle.
John Henry was soon able to track the Gray from the different traffic cams along the route.
Jim and Kyle remained several blocks behind the Gray.
Derek and Mel moved in position to take over the pursuit in a few blocks. They didn't want to spook the Gray.
The slow speed pursuit went on for several miles.
The Gray turned into an industrial tract of buildings. There weren't very many cars located around any of the buildings.
John Henry was able to access some security cameras in the area.
Jim and Kyle, along with Mel and Derek, were able to view the footage on their phones where the Gray stopped at.
John and his team arrived at the Tehachapi Loop first. They took the longest route in and approached it from the downhill side of the loop. There was a mixed container and merchandise train snaking its way around the loop. There were helpers on the rear end. The train was long enough to loop itself. The train literally made a circle over itself.
He went to the spot of the rail webcam. Three lifted him up and he held his phone in front of it with the image of the HK drone on it for ten seconds.
A 'message' was sent.
"You guys take up positions in the rocks on the hill above Tunnel 10 overlooking Tunnel 9 and the loop." John said.
Tunnel 9 was the one the trains looped themselves over.
Bob and Holly would arrive in a few minutes from the back way to the Tehachapi Loop from the old road.
Cameron spotted the next downhill train approach where she was on top of the tunnel. The double track mainline turned into a single track for the tunnels. She stayed low behind the top of the tunnel portal so she wasn't spotted by the head-end crew of the train. She waited until the whining locomotives entered the tunnel below her before she moved to drop down on the top of the train as it passed below her.
She dropped down on top of the double stack container train headed downhill towards the loop. She needed to stay low as the clearance was limited between the top of double stacked container cars and the bottom of the tunnel arch. She passed through the four short tunnels in the span of a few minutes. Highway 58 was down below off to her right. She should arrive right after Bob if the train continued at the same speed. She could hear the locomotives in full 'dynamic brake' mode. It was a form of resistance from the electric traction motors. It was like a car downshifting in a way. The energy generated was dissipated as heat. They made quite a whine.
As the train neared Tunnel 10, Cameron could hear an HK drone. She hadn't expected it to arrive so quickly. It was clear someone expected them. She slid down between the stacked container cars and asked John Henry to notify the others and make sure no one was in the SUV at the loop. John armed himself and took up a hidden position nearby. He was in a separate location from Three and Dan.
The HK drone picked up the railroad tracks and followed them to the Tehachapi Loop to investigate the image which appeared on the rail webcam. Whoever wanted them there, knew they were there now. The HK drone passed over the double stacked container train. It failed to detect Cameron who now moved underneath one of the container cars, her body was just inches from the tracks below as the train rocked and squealed along. After the HK drone passed over, she moved back up between two of the rocking container cars. She wasn't ready to go back up on top of the double stacked containers yet.
Bob saw the HK drone in the distance as he and Holly approached. He told the others it appeared unarmed. He couldn't tell for sure. It seemed it was a messenger, or Pied Piper. It gained altitude over the rail webcam location. It circled and then came down and stopped directly in front of the rail webcam again. Dan moved out of hiding and stood up. The drone turned and faced him. John fired a tracking device. He hit the drone with it. It spun around to face him.
Three fired one round and hit it one of the engines. The drone dropped off on its side and headed down into the canyon. It was aware it was damaged. It started to smoke. Sparks came out of the damaged power plant.
Bob's SUV reached John's location and continued down the hill in pursuit. He drove past John's team. Dan and Three returned to the SUV. John drove off after Bob and Holly.
The train Cameron was on just reached Tunnel 10 near the loop. The train would soon loop over itself and then pass through Tunnel 9.
They saw the HK drone try to climb over the mountainside, but it lost altitude. It dropped down to follow the railroad tracks again. It tried to circle back the way it came. John stopped the SUV.
"Hit it again." John said.
Three hit it with a second round. It wobbled wildly, turned, and headed downhill again. They were only trying to damage it at this point to see what else happened. It couldn't gain altitude to go back the way it came from.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Erode
It is
What it is
Each day
Another quiz
What you have
What you have not
Good for some
Most for naught
To simply exist
Is to be alive
For tomorrow
We survive
We can't have
Who we want
Each one soon
A source of affront
Before our eyes
A dream erodes
With it unseen
Our mind explodes
Nobody
Anxiety
Terror
Panic
Fear
The Titanic
Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
It's collapsing within
What's trapped inside
Aloneness
Sorrow
Emptiness
No tomorrow
Pressure
Cold
Trapped
New things old
Help
Scream
Is it real
Is it a dream
Nobody