Chapter 731

Turn A Few Heads

John Henry didn't have much to go on. It bothered him greatly. This never should have happened in the first place. They'd played it very cautious so no one was caught up in an ambush or terminated. Now they'd obtained one lead. It wasn't much but it was a start.

It appeared they needed to search for a new or newer big rig with a missing mud flap on the left side. It may or may not be traveling in a convoy of three trucks. If they were, that would be a lucky break for them. They at least had a general area to start the search from.

"I'm backtracking through all traffic cameras and weigh station cameras to see what I can find." John Henry said.

John didn't think there were a whole lot of choices available to them. They'd have to work with what they had.

"That will be our best lead. If we can identify the trailers or even the tractors we can see where they came from and hopefully are going to." John said. "If the trailer has a name on the side of it, it may make it easier to find."

John Henry thought the Grays might try to cover their tracks to throw them off.

"They may change those markings with paint or decals." John Henry said.

John figured they could always transfer the loads to different trailers or stash them in a building somewhere. It could have already happened before they'd ever left the base. He hadn't heard much from the third team under his command.

"What about the other team?" John asked.

John Henry was sure that it was a dead end for the third team.

"The other team has reported nothing at their location. We still need to do the follow up at Avila Beach." John Henry said. "What do you want to do now?"

Even though Cameron told John earlier he could take over the operation because she needed to leave, he still wanted to include her because she was still there. He was well aware that there was no one more qualified than her for running down these operations and bring them to a successful conclusion.

"Cameron, you heard all that." John said. "What do you want?"

Cameron was updated by CamNet about Young Allison and the successful conclusion of that particular problem. The incident was over and closed for now. She knew it would still need to be addressed. That would have to happen at a later date. Since they were there, she wanted to run down the rest of this operation. She wanted to get her hands on the HK equipment, the Grays and any Terminators involved with this operation.

"Savannah, Cammy and I will check Avila Beach. Gail, Ally and Sheila will accompany us." Cameron said. "CamNet reports no irregularities at the nuclear power plant. We will be at the closest access to it at that point."

John wanted to briefly review what they'd encountered so far. He knew that it wasn't much.

"So we've uncovered two locations where Grays or Terminators were at and a lead on the trucks that unloaded the boxcars." John said. "We also have five dead people."

Cameron wanted to check out the next lead. She hoped it would turn up more than what they'd encountered so far. Operations like this took time to run everything down when the leads were scarce or non-existent. She didn't think they'd put very much time in so far either.

"We've only been here a few hours." Cameron said. "I'm headed for Avila Beach with the girls now. We'll see what we can turn up. The main entrance to Serrano Point is just up the road a short distance from there."

John looked at Avila Beach on a map. It was a very small place. It looked like more of a tourist trap than anything.

"What else is at Avila Beach?" John asked.

Cameron wouldn't know until she arrived there and took a look around. She decided to give John a few pointers on what else could happen there.

"The beach, it will give us girls an opportunity to wear a string bikini." Cameron said. "And turn a few heads."

Sheila couldn't resist adding her two cents worth.

"That's a few heads in both places." Sheila chimed in. "A girl has to flaunt what she's got."

In the background they heard Ally and Gail both tell Sheila to shut up.

John was intrigued by that idea. He thought that he'd like to see six smoking hot girls wearing string bikinis. He wasn't sure if Savannah would actually wear one though. He knew that she preferred to wear a one piece to help hide some of her figure. He knew it was something that Vanna always made her do. He did understand Vanna's reasoning behind that. Vanna explained to him beauty was a liability in the future.

"Did you bring them with you?" John asked. "I mean your bathing suits."

Cameron hadn't actually planned on doing that. She said it as more of a joke to John. She did however think that if they had time there was no reason why they couldn't do that. It would certainly allow them to create a distraction if they needed one. There was nothing quite like a bikini top or bottom to 'fall off' at just the right moment. It would capture everyone's attention. Everyone would be drawn to look at the exposed part of the body. Everyone knew what was there but it didn't really matter, they all still needed to look anyway.

"No, we didn't bring anything with us. There are shops along the waterfront." Cameron said. "I've been here before. You should check it out. Since we've all used the laser, we can get into a pretty skimpy bottom."

They all expected Sheila to say something but she didn't.

The more John thought about it, the more he hoped Cameron and the girls would do that. When he looked on the map he saw that the turnoff to Serrano Point was right there next to Avila Beach. Anyone going to the nuclear power plant needed to skirt Avila Beach to get there.

"I'm still worried about the power plant." John said. "Maybe Bob and I will check the beach out if John Henry doesn't turn up a solid lead or location on the trucks."

Cameron hoped to draw John in closer to Avila Beach. She would be better able to keep track of him and protect him at a more secluded location.

"I'd recommend it." Cameron said. "It will be a view not often seen. Six smoking hot bodies…."

Sheila could be heard in the background.

"If he gets there soon enough, he can watch us all change." Sheila said as the transmission ended.

Bob glanced over at John, just as he adjusted his pants.

Cameron was pleased with the conversation.

"John can see what he's missing." Cameron said after she shut her com off.

Savannah could see that the area was semi secluded. She was aware that some locations like that allowed a little more freedom to the sunbathers.

"Is there any topless or nude sunbathing allowed there?" Savannah asked.

Cameron tilted her head slightly. She liked that idea. She would need to look into it more.

"There may be a privately owned area. I'm unaware of it." Cameron said.

Cameron wondered why Savannah asked that. Maybe she didn't want tan lines. That was more of a question she would have expected from Sheila. Then again she knew that Sheila didn't need a nude beach to go nude. She'd be more than happy to do that anywhere. She actually thought that Sheila would prefer a crowded street.

"Let's hit the beach." Cameron said.

Savannah headed for Avila Beach on Cameron's instructions. Gail and the girls followed her.

Cameron checked in with CamNet.

"CamNet reported Young Allison arrived safely back on her own." Cameron said. "No one at the Young residence questioned her absence or suspected anything that actually occurred."

Cameron was glad Young Allison was back. She was even more pleased that she'd eluded detection by CamNet and John Henry. She didn't know that Anna tracked her the whole time until later on. She really shouldn't have been too surprised since Anna ran her program. In reality she'd been right there with Young Allison the entire time, at least her program had been.

"I'm glad to hear that." Savannah said. "I was worried but I knew she'd return."

Cammy still hadn't been told all the details about what happened.

"Where did she go?" Cammy asked.

Savannah didn't want to get into it. She didn't want to cause any embarrassment for Young Allison.

"She went out for a stroll." Savannah said.

Cammy tilted her head slightly.

"Do you mean that she went out alone?" Cammy asked.

Cameron didn't know she was about to speak the truth. She wanted to cover for Young Allison as well

"Anna was with her." Cameron said.

Cammy looked over at Savannah.

"It should be Savannah who was and is." Cammy said.

Cammy knew Anna was a substitute, like she was. They were both 'stand ins' for the 'real thing'. It was never a good feeling to remember that.

Cameron looked over at Savannah and smiled.

"That day is coming." Cameron said. "I'm ready to put the entire plan into motion."

Cammy wondered if Cameron would still want to use her chassis.

"Will you still use your spare chip in my second port?" Cammy asked.

Cameron planned to make sure Cammy's chassis would be available to Savannah whenever she desired it.

"Yes." Cameron said. "Your chip will still remain but be inactive until 'Cammy' is needed."

Savannah was very pleased to hear that. In Cameron's future, Cammy's chip was in Ginger's chassis. She's been a big help to her in that future.

"She will be." Savannah said. "She helped me greatly in your future. I don't know if I would have made it without her."

Cammy was very pleased with that adventure as well. She actually liked the chassis she was in. It was unique to anyone else in that timeline. Ginger was actually created as a Restorator 'in some future' by Mrs. Weaver.

"Maybe I can borrow Ginger's chassis again and let Cameron use my chassis with her spare chip alone in it. Who all is going?" Cammy asked. "What will be the order of the events?

Cameron knew she needed to use some finesse. She thought to stipulate the facts was the best course of action.

"Allison will have a miscarriage. I'll take Young Allison into the past. We will be there one year before I, in your chassis, take Claire to join Allison and me. This is to accelerate her pregnancy for Allison in our current timeline." Cameron said.

Savannah was still very concerned about Allison. Allison made her plans very clear to her as to what she was going to do going forward.

"I don't want Allison to leave for your future." Savannah said. "She will, without a child. She already told me she is going to be with her baby."

Cameron didn't want anyone to leave. She continued to lay out the timeline as to how she wanted events to occur.

"Claire will return one week before her due date to deliver and remain here for as long as the baby needs to nurse if Allison has trouble." Cameron said. "Those two events will happen in five minutes time in this current timeline."

Cameron already started preparations to have Vanna and Jesse 'ready' to assist Allison or Riley. They would both be able to help nurse the infants.

"Savannah will then come into the past to be with Young Allison as her friend and confidant. She will bring her pregnancy to term in the past." Cameron said. "Savannah will return one week before her due date and deliver in this current timeline, right after Claire does."

Savannah didn't like the prospect of Young Allison to be unable to be with her for more than a year. This was better than Cameron's earlier timeline of events but still not good enough for her.

"That will be almost two years I won't be able to see Young Allison before I arrive." Savannah said. "She may 'drift'."

Cameron heard what Savannah said. The trouble may have been she didn't listen thoroughly to what Savannah tried to indicate. She was more focused on what Young Allison would do on the short term rather than the long term.

"Anna will be with her twenty four hours a day." Cameron said. "Anna's body will appear to develop at the same rate as Young Allison does. Her height will remain constant. They will be presented as cousins."

Cammy wanted to point out some of the preparations that Sheila and her took while they were in the past for eight years.

"We set up a dozen safe houses and established 'backgrounds' and multiple IDs for everyone when we were in the past." Cammy said. "We constructed more than one TDE, six in fact, in different locations. In case anyone needs to leave early outside of the schedule Cameron has established. There are various weapons caches equipped with the best weapons of that time period. There are numerous bank accounts and plenty of money available. Sheila and I were quite the gamblers."

Savannah wondered what all that entailed. There were probably some problems created by that. Most of the gambling back then was controlled by the Syndicate. It was a little more diversified now but the Syndicate still existed. They'd diversified into other markets. The biggest one of those was illegal drugs.

She was a little worried about the general nature of time travel after the effects they would have on the past or even with each other. Since it already happened for Cammy and Sheila, maybe they could give them some insight as to what to expect.

"Will we see Sheila and you when you were in the past?" Savannah asked.

Cammy quickly looked over at Cameron before she spoke.

"We will try to avoid any interaction." Cameron said.

Savannah could understand Cammy's apprehension.

"I don't want to change anything." Savannah said. "Did you see us by any chance, Cammy?"

Cammy didn't look at either Cameron or Savannah when she answered.

"If we did, I couldn't tell you." Cammy said.

Cameron was irritated by that response. It didn't seem to tell her much.

"That sounds open ended." Cameron said.

Cammy could tell that both Cameron and Savannah wanted to know more. Even if she did know more she wouldn't be able to tell them. She thought perhaps she could ease their minds by making a general statement.

"You don't see me trying to change anything now." Cammy said. "Or stop anyone from leaving."

Savannah thought it was best to stop questioning Cammy about the past. There were other concerns she wanted to address as well.

"What about me going back to visit Young Allison a few times a year?" Savannah asked.

Cameron was always concerned with a temporal error. She worked on a theory of using one of the TDEs in the past to run in conjunction with the one from her base. If it worked as planned it would serve as a beacon to ensure that the energy bubble ended up when and where they wanted it to be. It should prevent any temporal errors that way. That theory was still to be tested. She didn't want to risk anyone's personal safety.

"Any temporal activity is risky but there may be a more efficient system." Cameron said. "We will attempt it. I want your 'bond' cemented. Claire has also asked to return to the past, to the point right after she leaves to deliver and remain with Young Allison for the duration."

Cammy didn't believe it was necessary for Claire to do for several reasons.

"She will age extra years unnecessarily." Cammy said. "That will cut down on her reproductive ability."

Cameron initially expressed the same concern. Upon further reflection she deemed it wouldn't be a problem going forward.

"Young Allison will be capable of reproduction at that point. Claire will be redundant and shouldn't be needed any longer." Cameron said.

That wasn't what Savannah wanted to hear. She was going to protect Young Allison from that endeavor. She didn't want Young Allison used as breeding stock. She would 'order' Cameron and all the Terminators they were not allowed to do that. She didn't want to go that far yet. A 'request' from her was usually sufficient to get things done. She wanted to reiterate her position that she'd previously voiced in that regard.

"Young Allison will not be bred or go into any future to have children for anybody." Savannah said. "That will be my function. It will not happen to Young Allison. I won't allow it. I'll do it and take the risk. I want to make this clear."

Cameron didn't want to argue with Savannah. She felt that decision should be Young Alison's choice whatever it was. She would remind Savannah of the right Young Allison should have in that regard at a later time. This clearly wasn't the time to push the issue.

"It will be her choice." Cameron said. "Once she mates with John it will happen soon enough. It's the 'Natural Order'."

Savannah and Cammy both looked to see if Cameron's hand started to glitch. It was rock steady. It was apparent the 'Natural Order' would happen.

Young Allison felt bad about the emotional trouble she'd caused for everyone, including herself. She felt the need to address it and attempt to make amends with everyone.

"Anna, I'm sorry for everything." Young Allison said.

Anna believed it was more a failure on her part than Young Allison reaching further than she should have.

"I allowed you too much 'freedom'." Anna said. "It's therefore entirely my fault."

Young Allison didn't believe that. She didn't want to dwell on it.

"We've all learned." Young Allison said. "It's part of growing up, for all of us."

Anna knew that life wasn't all 'fun and games'. She'd heard Allison say that more than once. Claire always seemed to agree with her.

"Many things are unpleasant in life." Anna said.

Young Allison loved and cared for Anna very much. She wanted to make her position clear.

"I'm not going to allow you to be reassigned." Young Allison said.

Anna was pleased to hear that. She wanted to know how far Young Allison was going to go to enforce that decision

"Will that be an 'order'?" Anna asked.

Young Allison looked directly at Anna.

"If it has to be it will be." Young Allison said. "I don't think it does."

Anna reached up and touched her now much smaller breasts. It was a little disconcerting to her. It was part of the 'job' she was willing to do to help protect Young Allison in the past. It would have been much less traumatic to her to start out this way rather than have to revert back to this way from her previous appearance.

"My sheath is rapidly de-maturing." Anna said. "This is occurring much more rapidly than I expected. I will have the same appearance as a tween shortly. I'll appear to be a tall semi-adolescent."

Young Allison didn't want Anna to feel bad about that.

"Then we'll be the same." Young Allison said. "We'll be like sisters. Besides, we both know what we'll look like in a few years."

Anna wanted young Allison to know that she was very close to the mark as to what their family relationship would be.

"We'll be presented as 'cousins'." Anna said. "That's Cameron's plan."

Young Allison was worried about her older self.

"Has anyone told Allison yet?" Young Allison asked.

Anna knew that would be a problem to tell Allison all the specifics of what was going to happen. They didn't want to get Allison's hopes up and then there would be a problem with Claire or Allison's baby that she carried.

"No, Allison won't approve." Anna said. "Cameron knows what's best."

"I don't want to lose Allison." Young Allison said.

Anna knew that nobody did.

"Cameron's trying to prevent that." Anna said.

Young Allison was very apprehensive about some other things. They were very personal things. She wasn't sure how to address them.

"Will I have to leave my family when I get back?" Young Allison asked.

"Why?" Anna asked.

Young Allison was specifically worried about some of her 'new duties' in the bedroom upon her return.

"I mean when I need to be by John's side." Young Allison said. "To protect him from assassination and do the 'other things'."

Young Allison didn't like the look of some of the 'other things'. She knew that everyone did them and that was how the population continued. She really wasn't sure if that was the right choice for her. She knew that she was going to at least have to try it.

"That may be an option." Anna said.

Young Allison viewed educational videos on the internet as well as other videos of people 'mating'. She only felt comfortable to watch females together. The 'events' with a male looked more like an 'attack' on the female's body. She didn't look forward to that. She felt she needed to say something about her personal feelings on the issue. She was aware that neither Vanna nor Allison cared for that type of 'activity'.

"I'm worried about the 'other things' I'll need to do." Young Allison said. "I've studied anatomy and biology and know how species propagate. I understand it isn't pleasant at first. I worry about that."

Anna was uncomfortable with the nature of the conversation. It seemed to have taken a direction she didn't have any personal experience with.

"There's no need to worry about that, now." Anna said.

Young Allison swallowed hard. She didn't feel that she would have a choice.

"But I am worried." Young Allison said. "I have 'obligations' to fulfill. Cameron's told me what I must do."

Anna didn't want Young Allison to worry about this now.

"No, everything that happens MUST be your own choice." Anna said. "That's years away from now for you. Your heart, mind and body will guide you in whatever path you choose."

Young Allison heard much of the same thing from Savannah before.

"So I should follow my heart?" Young Allison said.

Anna wanted to ease Young Allison's mind.

"Yes." Anna said. "Everyone will tell you the same thing."

That wasn't the message that was pounded into her head by Cameron and the Metal girls.

"If I chose differently than John, Savannah and Cameron, then Skynet wins."

"That seems most likely." Anna said.

Young Allison knew she didn't have a choice. It was about doing what she needed to do. What she'd been trained to do. What she was destined to do. It was all in her mind as clear as anything. It always seemed to be clearer in the mornings when she woke up.

"OK, we will see where the future takes me." Young Allison said but she already knew.

Her future was already written for her. Some parts seemed they would be more beautiful than others. Other parts she didn't look forward to at all. No matter how much she thought about her 'future duties' when she woke up in the morning. It didn't take her long to think otherwise.

Did You Change

I am as I always was
I like to be consistent
You've failed to notice
I've been quite persistent

The conditions were rough
But I've said the words
For all the good that did
I could have told the birds

I may bend and buckle
But I will not fold
Everything you needed to hear
You've already been told

Here we are now
To another you now cling
Danger to them you bring
Just for a chance at a fling

I'm not the one
Looking for some 'strange'
I'm still the same
Did you change

Nobody