Chapter 1108
Created Each Other
Kyle was thrilled to be in the hangar. Bob told him what each of the planes were and what they could be used for in the future. He really liked the idea that they would all still be able to fly after an EMP burst or multiple ones that would be used by both sides. They could simply go out and start the engines and take off.
Bob led Kyle past what looked like the nose section of two different aircraft.
"What are these?" Kyle asked. "That looks like a lot of heavy machine gun firepower."
Bob looked at the two nose sections.
"Those are each an 'eight gun nose' for a B-25 and an A-26." Bob said. "They're ready to be installed in a few hours time."
Derek touched the eight nose of the B-25 and smiled. He'd viewed three aircraft like that when he first flew in a B-25 with Cameron and the rest of the team. He remembered Cameron gave each one a big donation.
"That means this B-25 will have twelve forward firing 'fifties'." Derek said.
Derek did the math and knew the destructive power of one .50 BMG round. A heavy hit was a heavy hit no matter how you delivered it. That much concentrated firepower would destroy any HK equipment that the team had come across so far in this timeline. He personally witnessed a large group of Terminators that were decimated by an attack from a B-25 with the eight gun nose.
Bob pointed at the nose section.
"That's correct, plus the two in the top turret for a total of fourteen." Bob said. "The A-26 will have eight in the nose and three in each wing, plus the turrets."
Derek looked up at the wing of the A-26 Invader.
"There are a lot of 'hard points' on the wings of the Invader." Derek said.
Bob pointed underneath.
"Don't forget the bomb bay." Bob said. "It will have an entire bomb load to deliver as well."
Derek noticed there was a large single engine aircraft parked nearby. He looked over at it and recognized it as an A-1 Skyraider. He could see it was a different variation than the standard configuration. He noticed that the cockpit area was much larger than the single place variant.
Bob noticed Derek look at the Skyraider.
"This aircraft is a special variant of the Skyraider." Bob said. "There were only a few hundred of them built. It's an A1-G. It has a pilot and co-pilot that sit side by side. Two crewmen sat behind them as well to handle the electronic warfare equipment."
Derek looked up at one of the folded wings of the Skyraider.
"The Skyraider has a lot of 'hard points' on its wings too." Derek said.
Kyle looked at the two large diameter barrels on each wing of the A-1. He noted that with the wings folded there was a cannon in both the folded section and the fixed section of the wing. He would have thought they would both be on the fixed section of the wing.
"It looks like the Skyraider has a heavy punch." Kyle said.
Bob felt the Skyraider was a versatile aircraft for the Resistance air force.
"There are four 20 MM cannons." Bob said. "All of the hard points can carry bombs, rockets, rocket pods and even additional gun packs."
Derek could see the plane could pack a lot of ordnance.
"That's awesome." Derek said.
Bob was content with the knowledge that the planes were good to go.
"Everyone one will be flyable right after a nuclear attack." Bob said. "That's with Metal pilots of course."
Derek remembered that Cameron mentioned other Resistance hangar locations.
"Are there other aircraft?" Derek asked.
Cammy was privy to all the locations that Cameron established. Most would house two to five aircraft to keep the location size from being too large and the force dispersed.
"Yes." Cammy said. "Cameron has established remote airfields where most of these propeller aircraft can take off from hidden hangers on grass fields. Many of them were designed to not need a paved runway."
It reminded Kyle what he'd seen when he was younger. He remembered the P-40 that Derek, Allison and he watched take off before in the future. He was very pleased to see that same aircraft in the past, the present. They'd visited the museum right after its restoration after having been in storage for several decades. He didn't know the history of the aircraft in his future. With the delay of Judgment Day several times, things could have been different.
"We saw something like that before." Kyle said. "I'll never forget that."
Derek was aware of the incident as well. It was something that had a lot of meaning to him. To see the aircraft again had even more meaning. He remembered how beautiful it looked when it was freshly restored. In the future, only the shark's mouth was freshly painted. He always thought it sent a message in itself. It was an act of defiance if nothing else.
Cammy knew that newer or modern wasn't always better.
"An EMP can knock out HK equipment but these planes are good to fly." Cammy said. "They can be sent up right after an EMP attack against Skynet and destroy a lot of their resources before they can reboot, if they are even able to reboot.
Derek wondered about the effect of an EMP on Terminators.
"What about the Terminators?" Derek asked. "Won't they be knocked out as well?"
Savannah finished greeting both of Cameron's Terminators. She was pleased at their reaction to her. She heard what the others discussed as she approached. She wanted to comment on Derek's question.
"There will be human pilots too." Savannah said as she walked up. "We will take the fight to Skynet."
Kyle was aware Savannah flew some of these aircraft. He wondered how many.
"Can you fly all these planes?" Kyle asked.
Savannah felt she could fly all of them in her sleep. Sometimes she felt like she had.
"I haven't actually flown each of them yet but I know the manuals and characteristics of each one." Savannah said. "I could fly them if I needed to. It would take some time to become proficient."
Savannah was aware that every aircraft had its own characteristics and even quirks. They were all well documented and all one needed to do was remember what they were and there wasn't a problem. The key to any aircraft was not to exceed its aerodynamic capabilities. One had to be mindful of your altitude before a maneuver was started. Target fixation needed to be avoided as well.
Cameron checked in with John Henry and CamNet for any updates. Everything was still paused. She spoke quietly with her two Terminators. She looked at the group and smiled.
"The Mitchell is ready to fly." Cameron said.
Kyle looked at Derek. He wondered if that meant what it sounded like. He sure hoped so.
"Can we go for a ride?" Kyle asked.
Cameron indicated Savannah. She wanted to make sure she was up to it.
"We can if Savannah feels like taking a flight." Cameron said. "She'll be the pilot."
Savannah still felt a little tired. She knew that's when she needed 'drive' through the tiredness. That's how one could push themselves and improve. She knew Cammy or Cameron would be her copilot. She didn't doubt her ability and she certainly didn't doubt theirs.
She saw the looks of want and expectation on both the Reese brother's faces. They both look thoroughly excited and thrilled. They talked animatedly amongst themselves as they gestured at the aircraft.
A smile blossomed on Savannah's face.
"Let me use the restroom and I'm good to go." Savannah said. "I recommend you both do so as well. That's unless you want to tie it in a knot later on."
Cammy wanted to be with Savannah. She was very bothered by Savannah's silence on the flight from Palmdale. She wanted to make amends with Savannah.
"Can I be your copilot?" Cammy asked.
Savannah didn't have a problem with that. Cammy needed to remember all the rules. She didn't want any problems with Cammy either.
"As long as you remember who the pilot is." Savannah said. "I don't want you to forget."
Cammy knew that Savannah wasn't talking about the aircraft right now. She believed Savannah was talking about Young Allison or Cameron.
"I do know and I won't forget." Cammy said as she glanced at Cameron.
Cammy wasn't sure which one specifically Savannah referred to. She wasn't about to ask. She figured it was both of them. Weren't they really the same individual anyway, even if one was human and one was a machine?
Savannah thought a few restrictions were in order. She figured they'd ruffled enough feathers in the Bay Area. She thought a change in scenery might be desired.
"It's up to Cameron." Savannah said. "We're not doing the Golden Gate Bridge again either."
Cammy thought of a closer bridge. It wasn't as large as the Golden Gate Bridge or the Bay Bridge but it was the biggest bridge around. She did some quick calculations to make sure there wouldn't be a problem.
"We can do the Vincent Thomas Bridge." Cammy said. "There is about a hundred and eighty-five foot clearance, depending on the tide."
Cameron knew that was by where John and her would leave from tomorrow for the cruise. She briefly thought it would be more spectacular if it was done tomorrow as the ship pulled away from the dock. She doubted John would approve.
"That bridge is right next to the cruise ship terminal." Cameron said.
Cammy evidently thought along the same lines as Cameron. She figured it would make a better flyby tomorrow then.
"I can do it tomorrow when you're about to depart." Cammy said.
Cameron tilted her head slightly at Cammy's suggestion. It was a reminder that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
Savannah didn't think any day was a good idea for showboating, especially so close to home.
"Maybe we should leave that for some other time." Savannah said. "I don't want to do that."
Cameron decided not to comment. The idea was clearly out there. She knew that Young Allison would do that at some point. She would want to fly under the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
Everyone used the restroom.
Savannah was pleased to see everything was neat and orderly as well as clean in there. She was sure her comment to Young Allison was a factor in that.
Savannah felt it was time to get the show on the road. She decided she would do everything with the Reese Brothers in tow.
She started her inspection of the B-25. Derek and Kyle followed her around as she showed them what she checked for. It wasn't that she ever thought anything would be wrong or there ever would be a fire, it was just better to be safe than sorry.
Savannah made sure that they used the little tow tractor to move the Mitchell to the ramp for the start up. She didn't want anyone to see a Terminator pulling the plane around with one hand. She was sure that probably happened more than a few times. Luckily the hangars Cameron controlled were isolated from the majority of the airport. She was sure that wasn't an accident .
Cameron's Terminators would cover the start up with the fire extinguishers. It was an unnecessary precaution. It never hurt to be thorough and safe.
Once they were on the ramp and ready, Savannah called for it to be 'clear'. She turned the first radial engine through several rotations to clear the cylinders before she gave it some spark.
The big R2600 thundered to life with the usual massive cloud of gray smoke. Cammy was the copilot and Cameron was in the jump seat behind them, she would alternate between the top turret and nose. Kyle would start out in the nose. Bob and Derek were in the aft fuselage. They would all switch out during the flight.
Once the first engine ran smoothly, Savannah made sure it was clear on the other side and repeated the same procedure for the second engine. Both engines now put out a steady throaty roar. The two engines alone sounded like a pack of muscle cars.
CamNet must have been involved because they were already cleared to taxi to the end of the runway.
Savannah started the Mitchell down the taxiway. She soon went past the World War One period restaurant near the end of the runway.
A few people clung to the fence to see the plane pass. When the restaurant was open, it always drew a small crowd when a vintage aircraft passed. There was no mistaking the sound of a big Warbird. The sound usually brought out those who couldn't see the aircraft initially. One thing was for sure, they could certainly hear it.
The four Metal girls waited in the Escalade. They'd tucked away into a secure hiding spot where they could move forward or backward if they needed to. There was a drone over them that kept watch around them as well. They found a more inventive way to pass the time as they waited for the arrival of their new ride. The girls took turns kissing and touching each other. They didn't get into anything heavy since they wanted to keep an eye on their surroundings.
Ally opened her eyes and looked around Hanna's head. She saw a welcome sight.
"There's Jim." Ally said.
Gail pushed Sheila's hand out of her top.
"Everyone, button your blouse back up." Gail said. "We need to be ready to move."
Sheila let everyone have another look at her nipple rings. She didn't button her top.
"They don't call them 'knockers' for nothing." Sheila said. "They should be seen and hot hidden. I still don't know why men can go without tops but women can't. What's the difference?"
Ally often wondered about that same question herself. A female could show the tops, the cleavage, the sides and the bottoms of their breasts but they couldn't show the nipples. She wondered why the nipples were considered pornographic. A female could still get around that by wearing a loose top or a 'see through' top.
"There's no difference." Ally said. "In most European countries it's no big deal. Everyone watches nude breasts on television shows and movies regularly. They all look at it on the internet as well. It's only a few simple minded and short sighted people who seem to have a problem with it. Those individuals are probably either too fat for anyone to want to look at them or two flat and unable to accept what nature has given them. They're jealous of those who have more or look better."
Hanna wondered if beauty itself played a factor in that. From what she'd seen, the only females that complained about that issue were anything but pretty. Maybe it was just jealousy. She was sure they didn't want their ugly husbands and boyfriends to look at females that were much more beautiful than they were. They probably all feared replacement.
Gail remembered seeing several overweight men that were shirtless before. Other than the hair on their chest, she thought they actually had bigger breasts then a lot of females did.
"I've seen men with larger breasts than Sheila." Gail said.
Sheila was a little offended by the comment. Her shirt was still open she reached down and pulled on both of her nipple rings.
"I bet they don't have these." Sheila said. "I certainly know they don't look as hot as I do."
Hanna didn't want any trouble when Jim arrived. She didn't want any negative reports to get back to Cameron or CamNet.
"You look beautiful, Sheila." Hanna said. "It's time to button up. We already know how hot you are."
They'd been parked in a driveway between two buildings that were currently unoccupied as they waited for Jim. They needed to transfer over the munitions and then they would be off.
Jim pulled up alongside of them. Gail and Hanna were already at the back to move everything. Ally and Sheila opened the back of Jim's SUV.
There was a muffled 'boom' in the distance. No one thought much of it. It may have been a backfire. It sounded a little louder than that. They didn't know where it was at.
They transferred everything over and drove away. They left the Escalade parked there.
Sheila always liked to drive one when Cameron picked one up. There never seemed to be a shortage of them when Cameron cleaned out the operation related to the drug trade. It seemed to be a popular vehicle among those associated with that type of activity. She looked over at Jim.
"Where are we off to now, love?" Sheila asked.
Jim looked over at her and wondered why her shirt was open. He could clearly see everything. She smiled at him when she saw that he looked at her exposed breasts. She opened her shirt up completely so he could see everything better.
Sheila liked that she got Jim's attention. She thought she would give him an explanation.
"It's hot out." Sheila said.
Jim tilted his head slightly when she made that statement. He wondered why that would have any relevance to what he witnessed. He didn't want to look but he couldn't help it. He was given specific instructions by John as to where they were supposed to go.
"It's back to the base for now." Jim said.
Jim tried not to look at Sheila but couldn't resist. He looked at her exposed breasts again. He found them very appealing to look at, especially with the jewelry.
The Metal girls felt shortchanged.
"Are we getting sidelined again?" Hanna asked.
Jim was told there would be no assault at this time.
"The operation is only surveillance for now." Jim said. "John doesn't want to take any action until it's dark."
There were two fire trucks that passed them.
John Henry monitored all the traffic cams and surveillance cameras in the area of where the girls were at. He was a little surprised at what he spotted on one of the cameras. He quickly double checked what he viewed.
"John, you better take a look at this." John Henry said.
John Henry quickly explained to John what exactly it was that he showed him. He showed John some prior images as well as a current image. There was no mistake at what they looked at.
John could see it was a very serious development.
Everyone received a communication from Command Center over their coms.
"Did you see those fire trucks that went by?" John asked.
Everyone in the SUV saw and heard them earlier.
"They just passed us." Ally said. "I told Jim to follow them but he didn't want to. It would have given us something to do."
John seemed to have a somber tone.
"Do you know where they're going?" John asked.
Hanna looked around. It didn't look like anyone else was going to say anything.
"It's most likely to a fire." Hanna said.
The Metal girls all thought the obvious answer was to a fire.
Hanna figured that maybe this was more than the obvious now.
"It looks like they are going toward the mall where we ditched the SUV." Hanna said.
The Metal girls all felt a sense of tension with Hanna's statement and the call from the Command Center.
John Henry sounded serious now as well.
"I want you all to take a look at your phones." John Henry said.
There was an image of the SUV they abandoned earlier. It looked like it was being driven by a gang member. They'd left the windows down and the keys in it. Apparently someone put the grab on it.
As they watched surveillance footage from a building it passed. There was an explosion and the SUV was blown in half. They all knew that could have been them. It was clear the SUV was targeted.
John felt vindicated and justified in his decision to pull the Metal girls out earlier. He was glad they'd done the vehicle swap as well.
"Are there any questions about this group?" John asked.
Sheila was unable to determine what caused the explosion. She reviewed the footage of the explosion several more times. She wanted to know more.
"What took it out?" Sheila asked. "It must have been a bomb. I didn't spot any projectile, missile or rocket."
John Henry didn't think anything of the vehicle once it was abandoned. Normally once they dumped one and picked up a new one, that was the end of the old one as far as they were concerned. What happened with the SUV they'd abandoned was very unusual.
"We're still trying to determine that." John Henry said. "We didn't have a drone over it. I'm backtracking traffic cams."
Hanna was worried now. Maybe they were about to be targeted next.
"Let us know as soon as you do." Hanna said. "We need to know what to look out for."
Gail wanted everyone to check around them.
"Everyone needs to look alive." Gail said. "I don't want to be next."
Sheila buttoned her top up. She didn't want anyone to look at her instead of search for the enemy.
John wanted to give them some reassurance.
"You're two vehicles changes away from that." John said. "You're in your third vehicle right now."
It was clear the vehicle blown up was a 'hit' aimed at them. Someone did 'make' their vehicle as they'd suspected when they spotted the motorcycle.
Sheila wanted a better explanation.
"It's still not reassuring." Sheila said. "That vehicle was specifically targeted."
John Henry was unsure how the vehicle was targeted. If they didn't learn the specifics, they could be targeted again.
"Either it was surveilled and images captured or there was a Terminator involved." John Henry said. "We're unsure of the targeting information. You must all remain vigilant."
Ally was worried about the other team of Terminators.
"Has the other team withdrawn?" Ally asked.
John issued warnings to all of the teams.
"They have." John said. "They're doing another vehicle switch currently."
That sounded like a good idea to Jim. He'd watch the image of the SUV as it was blown in half on Sheila's phone. He didn't look forward to any major sheath damage or worse if they were targeted.
"Keep us posted." Jim said. "We're going to switch again."
The girls were all in agreement of that as they re-watched the previous vehicle that they were in as it was blown in half. The best they could hope for in a blast like that was massive sheath loss and severe damage. Termination was possible. If one of their power cells was ruptured all of them could be terminated in the blast.
Ally wondered about the driver of the SUV. They clearly were a gang member based upon their appearance. The question remained, did whoever blew up the SUV know who was in it previously? It obviously wasn't four females that were in it when it was targeted. Had they been identified or was only the vehicle identified and targeted?
There were a lot of unanswered questions and there didn't appear to be any good answers. They didn't even know which group attacked the SUV.
Anna and Young Allison watched the events unfold from the Young bunker. It was a very unexpected and disturbing development. It was clearly a targeted hit.
Young Allison was on the edge of her seat as soon as she witnessed the explosion. She saw It for the direct threat that it was against the Resistance team.
"Was that a bomb or a rocket that did that?" Young Allison asked. "Maybe it was two blocks of C-4."
Anna watched the video playback several times.
"I can't tell from watching." Anna said. "The footage isn't very good. I can't spot anything that hit the vehicle. Your assessment of some type of bomb is most likely. If it was a bomb, we need to determine when it was placed on the vehicle."
Young Allison thought about that for a short time. If it was a bomb, was it placed on the vehicle while the girls were still in it? She saw this as a message. She was determined to send a message back. She wanted some answers and she wanted them now.
"I want CamNet to find out who did this and how." Young Allison said.
Young Allison felt the how and when were very important. She planned to strike back and hit hard. She planned to do it immediately. They currently had one clear target.
Anna could see that Young Allison was extremely upset. She monitored all the communications.
"CamNet is checking with John Henry." Anna said. "They have a lot of files to unlock and go through. This isn't something anyone was expecting and no one was watching for it."
Young Allison began to formulate a plan for a clandestine daytime strike. She wasn't going to wait for darkness. She didn't want it to be a problem for the Command Center. She calculated several possible methods of attack. She had a few questions.
"On a missile fired from a drone, can the duration of the burn be timed or limited?" Young Allison asked.
Anna was unsure where this was going.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked.
Young Allison wanted to use a missile from a drone. She didn't want to use it in the traditional method. She didn't want it spotted streaking across the sky and then it's explosive impact when it reached the target. She believed it could be dropped like a bomb but several factors would need to be taken into consideration. Since the drones were at high altitude, they would need to take in the 'Coriolis Effect' on the trajectory of the weapon. In other words, they would have to factor in the rotation of the Earth from the drop time of the missile from the drone to its impact on the target. The other idea was to do a limited burn on the missile, just to get it on track and with enough velocity to reach its target.
"I'm talking about the burn time for the missile propulsion system." Young Allison said. "Can it be of a short duration?"
Anna was unsure if something would need to be done on the ground first or if the missile was 'smart' enough to be programmed for a timed burn. She didn't think that was something that had been taken into consideration during its design.
"I'm checking with CamNet." Anna said. "What are you getting at?"
Young Allison wanted to use a missile like a bomb. She wanted to keep her explanation as simple as possible.
"I want to hit the building now but don't want a 'missile' to be seen streaking across the sky." Young Allison said.
Anna received confirmation. The missile was of advanced design from the future.
"The missile can be fired and the burn cut short. Momentum and gravity will still carry the missile to its target with guidance." Anna said. "It's a workable solution. The accuracy may be several feet off."
That was good enough for Young Allison.
"I want the building hit." Young Allison said. "I want to do it now."
Anna looked at Young Allison for a long moment and relayed the information to CamNet.
CamNet asked for confirmation about a daylight strike. If Young Allison repeated the command it would happen right now anyway.
Anna was unsure about the aggressive tactic. John should be consulted. She spoke quickly before Young Allison could respond to CamNet.
"Do you want to run this by John?" Anna asked. "I don't think it's something he's going to be comfortable with. I don't think he will be pleased if you do it on your own either."
Young Allison looked a little irritated. She did know. She remembered that Savannah told her she needed to be a team player. Even though she wanted to act immediately she realized that she should have CamNet notify the Command Center prior to the missile strike.
"Have CamNet run it by John Henry now." Young Allison said. "I want this done as soon as possible. I want a counter punch and I want it to be a sucker punch. I don't want to wait any longer than necessary."
Anna could see Young Allison played to win.
Young Allison felt it was very important to launch a follow-up attack as quickly as possible. She wanted the enemy to know that they weren't untouchable and they could strike without warning as well.
She hoped it would also put them off balance and make them re-evaluate whatever they were doing in regards to the Resistance team. The enemy would need to think about their own survival now and what else was in store for them. It should stop any further attacks as they consolidated their position.
John Henry received the information and a plan from CamNet. It was a bold move. He believed that it had merit. He wasn't sure how it was going to go over with John. He quickly ran it by him.
John could see the risk involved and the message sent. He wasn't sure if that's what he wanted to do. He thought maybe they should wait until darkness.
"That's a risky move." John said.
John Henry knew it was more about making a statement. It would definitely send a message.
"It's a retaliatory strike." John Henry said. "It will put the enemy into a defensive mode rather than an aggressive one."
John doubted the plan was from CamNet. He was sure it was from Young Allison. She liked to counter punch and hit hard. He didn't like his people being targeted either. If they hadn't switched out the vehicle, they could be looking at a whole different set of facts right now. He actually wondered why Young Allison hadn't acted on her own already.
"Inform CamNet that the plan has been approved." John said. "When there are no vehicles or pedestrians near the target structure, carry out the plan."
John Henry was a little surprised. He hadn't even contacted CamNet when she informed him the action had been initiated.
"CamNet is in control." John Henry said. "The missile is away."
It happened quicker than John thought it would.
As they watched the drone footage, there was a small blur across the screen and the roof of the building exploded. It was followed a second later by a massive explosion.
"I guess that kind of narrows it down." John said. "It was a good call."
Cam and Holly both watched it.
"I guess you won't need us after all." Cam said. "There's not much of the building left for anyone to deal with it.
It looked like the current phase of the operation was over.
John didn't know what would happen later on. He certainly wasn't going to have his troops visit the location at this point. He saw no reason to keep Cam and Holly there.
"John Henry will call you if he needs you." John said.
Holly figured there were other places they could go.
"We can help the girls." Holly said.
Cam and Holly left.
John Henry was surprised that John went along with the plan in the daylight. It was totally out of character for John. He actually thought Young Allison would have acted on her own as she'd done previously.
"I didn't think you would agree to that." John Henry said.
John certainly wouldn't have come up with that idea on his own. Nor would he have enacted it if he had. He thought it was the source that influenced him to go along with it. There were two factors in John's decision.
"Normally I wouldn't." John said. "It was a good plan and she was going to do it anyway."
John Henry was confused.
"Do you mean CamNet would have done it on her own?" John Henry asked.
John saw it a little deeper than that. He didn't know for sure but he thought Young Allison would have based on his earlier interaction with her.
"No. I mean Young Allison was going to do it anyway." John said. "She's like Cameron. I can see it more and more. She's going to act and worry about the aftermath later. She wanted retribution. She wanted payback. She wanted blood. I believe those are all factors that influence Cameron when she acts on her own. I'm not even sure if she knows those are some of the reasons."
John Henry thought it was back to the chicken and the egg.
"Maybe Cameron is like Young Allison." John Henry said. "Cameron's 'Neural Interface' was with Future Alison. Future Allison was once Young Allison."
John often wondered about that. He was pretty sure it was all a mutual relationship.
"I think they created each other." John said.
Every 'Allison' started with Young Allison. The potential for any of them was there. It was abundantly clear that every Allison was a 'firecracker'. Some of them were a big enough firecracker to be a nuclear weapon. Cameron, Duplicate Cameron and Young Allison all used them to go after a version of Skynet.
Cam and Holly exited the Command Center. Cam spotted something off in the distance.
"Look, Claire and Jesse are holding hands." Cam said.
Holly thought it was beautiful. It was painfully aware to her that human females were able to offer other human females more than the Metal girls could emotionally. Since they all shared freely with each other there were no jealousy problems.
"They love each other." Holly said. "Claire has always felt something for Jesse and Sheila by extension."
Cam wondered about that. She knew that Claire was in love with Cameron as well. Claire did seem to have a certain infatuation with Jesse.
"Is it the look or is it the attitude?" Cam asked. "Jesse is certainly different from the rest of the girls in the Resistance in both of those regards."
Cam bet Claire would like to get her hands on Young Jesse in that case. They all would actually.
"I think with most humans that appearance is always the initial draw." Holly said. "I think it's the 'bad girl' persona as well."
Cam witnessed that aggressive or colorful males or females in other animal species were the choice mating partners. Usually the more extreme that they were, the more mates they would attract. Some of the animals even resorted to violence to establish their dominance. Jesse seemed to cover all the bases in those regards.
"You mean like females wanting the 'bad boy'?" Cam asked.
Holly thought sometimes humans lived vicariously through other individuals.
"Yes." Holly said. "Jesse has done all the things Claire never has done or ever will. Not only did Jesse do them. She enjoyed doing them. She was the ultimate 'bad girl'."
Cam understood exactly what Holly meant. She wondered sometimes if machines did that as well.
"Claire can live the life she never had through Jesse…." Cam said.
Holly saw that as much the same thing the Metal girls did through Cameron. It was clear Savannah's actions were all emulations of Cameron's behavior. It didn't mean that Savannah's bravery wasn't her own but it was certainly based on what she'd witnessed Cameron do.
"Isn't that what we all do through Cameron?" Holly asked.
Cam knew of Cameron's many risks that may not have all been necessary. She knew that because she ran Cameron's program.
"Some of us do more than others." Cam said.
Holly looked at Cam.
"Indeed." Holly said.
The real worry here would be Young Allison. Cameron trained her to act and respond as she would. Cameron was dead set on making Young Allison the human version of herself. It was evident she was off to a good start.
Created Each Other
In the beginning
There was nothing
In the end
Will there be anything
It's a question
That has no answer
Everything is a theory or a belief
It eats away at time like a cancer
What does anyone remember
Before they were born
Will it be the same thing
When others for them morn
It is from each other
That we draw strength
How far will we go
Will it be to any length
Without each other
We are both nothing
We created each other
Now we're something
Nobody