Chapter 1177
I'll Knock First
John and Cameron still gazed into each other's eyes as the next 'Beatles' song started.
'Eight Days A Week', was the song the singers and dancers performed to.
"I like this one." Cameron said.
Cameron said the same thing often.
John was sure Cameron liked all of the songs. He wondered if it was the original group who was set to perform on this ship on the current cruise or if Cameron asked CamNet to pull them off of another ship. He wouldn't put it past either one of them. They had almost an entire week to prepare for any modifications to the ship either one of them wanted done. Money wouldn't be a problem with the billions of dollars CamNet controlled. He figured every time the ship came into a port there could be a crew with supplies standing by to make whatever modifications either one of them wanted. He was sure there'd been an addition to the number of security cameras located throughout the ship. He didn't have anything to actually compare it to other than just a feeling.
He looked at the stage and the performers. It seemed the sets were tailored to the type of ship. He was aware there were several ships built to the same 'class' of ships. It didn't just apply to cruise ships. It applied to warships and merchant marine ships as well. Building multiple ships to the same design, one after another, cut down on construction costs.
John looked at the smile and content look on Cameron's face and decided not to ask. It would spoil her mood. It wasn't often he saw Cameron smile on her own about something that pleased her. She would smile at others when they interacted. What he saw now seemed to be a genuine smile of 'happiness'. It was a rarity for Cameron. He wanted to keep her in a pleasant mood. He also agreed with her.
"I do too." John said. "I like all of them."
John learned there was a lot of give and take in their unconventional relationship. That alone made it even more beautiful in its own way. Here they were as husband and wife on a long overdue honeymoon. A human who was advanced a few years into the future to the present and a cyborg sent back from the future, 'a future' at this point.
He was aware there was a lot of give and take in every type of relationship whether it was conventional or unconventional. He saw it with his mother and father, his aunt and uncle as well as Vanna and Allison. Not everyone agreed with everyone else all the time. Everyone had their own opinions about various subjects. Everyone was their own person. As long as everyone could agree to disagree sometimes, things would always play out a lot smoother.
Gail tilted her lead slightly when 'Eight Days A Week' started.
She felt the title was illogical. There were only seven days in a week. She knew the group was from England. She knew they didn't use a different calendar there. Most of the world used the solar calendar, even though some still used the lunar calendar. There was still a certain amount of time needed to complete an orbit around the sun. Any variation would be calculated in fractions of a millisecond.
She soon understood it to mean the love was so strong they loved the other person more than there were days in a week. It was how she felt about someone.
Gail decided to tell Savannah she loved her - 'Eight Days A Week'.
She thought about it a little longer and decided maybe she better not. Savannah made it clear to her how her future was already predetermined and she'd accepted it as her destiny and looked forward to it. Savannah also reminded her of the same thing before they'd shared so there would be no problems later on. Savannah reminded her of her obligations and expectations from everyone.
Gail would have agreed to anything on that night to be with Savannah. She would have even done some of the things to herself that Jesse made her female lovers do to themselves in her future to prove their love for her. At least on her everything would have regenerated, she hoped so anyway.
Now Gail wished there were eight days in a week and she could spend the eighth day of the week with Savannah.
Savannah didn't want to enter a hornet's nest or be tricked into an ambush. She was aware the Grays and the Fanatics seemed to have it in for each other. The Resistance liked to play it low key and operate in the shadows. They tried to make Grays think other Grays attacked them or it was the Fanatics and vice versa. The more they stayed in the shadows, the less likely they were to experience a counter attack. Operating from a fixed base always raised the possibility. The Resistance already attacked plenty of fixed locations that belong to the enemy. All of them were taken down.
She wanted a little more information before they arrived. She wanted to know what they would face before they faced it.
"Cammy, where's the suspected Fanatic at?" Savannah asked.
Cammy thought it would be best for Savannah to receive everything directly from CamNet. It was outside normal mission parameters. She didn't want to be accused of holding back any relevant information. Savannah already berated her for being slow to release the information she did know.
"I'll have CamNet fill you in." Cammy said.
Savannah was a little surprised to hear that. She remembered CamNet's and John Henry's servers communicated with Terminators at a much faster speed than humans could comprehend. It was one of the reasons there was little human interaction with CamNet. It was usually on a personal level if it was. Communication was conducted at the normal human level when it occurred.
John Henry acted as the interface between his super computer and John. It was the fastest way to make sense of all the data in the quickest manner possible to John. CamNet's chassis did the same for the CamNet server. Normally Anna acted as the interface for Young Allison.
Savannah wanted to keep it simple. She didn't want to change things around. She didn't think anything would be a problem.
"Just give me the facts." Savannah said. "I want all of them, not just some of them."
Cammy glanced over at Savannah and frowned slightly. She didn't care for the inference she was less than forthcoming with vital information. Everything was still speculation at this point.
"It's a motorcycle rider who's visited two of the locations previously which experienced bomb blasts." Cammy said. "Since those two locations needed some travel time between them, it's most unlikely a coincidence."
Savannah was aware they'd encountered Fanatics elsewhere. Maybe they were on to something. Perhaps it was the tip of the iceberg.
"There have been other locations." Savannah said. "What about them?"
The images indicated they were on their way to one of those locations next. They'd already been elsewhere. All indications were they were about to visit a third location.
"They appear to be headed to one of those now." Cammy said.
Savannah read the situation a different way. It wasn't anything good either. It reeked of a trap to her or at least a way to identify them. They'd run into something similar before with the Fanatics. They tried to get someone to follow them so they could be identified and then targeted. She wanted the utmost caution used going forward.
"I think if we have them locked up with a drone, we should see where they end up at and not get led around." Savannah said. "If they have some kind of surveillance set up, they'll be able to identify our vehicles as they make the same location visits."
Cam pointed out they'd been targeted before using a similar tactic.
"We watched them target one of the vehicles we dumped." Cam said. "It was being driven by a gang member who stole it and drove it away when it was blown up."
Savannah thought it served as good retribution to the gang member for stealing the SUV they dumped. She didn't think now was the time to comment on it.
A Resistance drone struck a Fanatic target in response to the explosion of the SUV.
"There was a retaliatory strike to answer what was done." Cammy said. "The entire building blew up in a secondary explosion. The building was obviously booby trapped."
Savannah wondered if maybe the Fanatics weren't attempting to do the same thing.
"Maybe it's what this is on their part." Savannah said. "Maybe they're looking for payback."
She also wondered if this was to lead them away from another location. Maybe they were too close to some other Fanatic operation and didn't know it. The current action would leave them looking in the wrong location.
Savannah sent a message to CamNet to check all the other locations they'd struck in the last few months for the slightest hit or anomaly. She sent the message to the Young bunker as well.
She checked her gear. It looked like it was going to be a long night. She'd found one energy bar but decided to save it in case the operation ran all night. They were on a mission now. Personal comfort could wait.
Cammy and Cam glanced at each other but neither one of them commented further.
Young Allison listened to Savannah from the Young bunker. She agreed with the increased level of danger if they continued in the current mode.
"Tell John Henry and CamNet to have Steve and Tom back off and the other teams to fallback." Young Allison said. "I agree with Savannah. It's too coincidental as to the timing of the other events which have occurred tonight."
A drone image zoomed in on the motorcycle rider.
Anna received updated targeting information from CamNet.
"Do you want a drone strike on the motorcycle rider?" Anna asked. "It can happen at any time. They're locked up."
Young Allison wanted to have the Fanatic taken out and end the threat. The only trouble was they didn't know who they were, where they came from, what they were really doing or where they were going.
"I think we need to hang back and see how it plays out. I don't want any of the teams ambushed or damaged over an unknown with no 'payoff' at present." Young Allison said. "We don't have a clue as to what's going on."
John Henry also advised using caution at this juncture.
"John Henry agrees with your assessment." Anna said.
Because of the zoomed in drone image of the motorcycle rider, Young Allison felt CamNet wanted to act now. She wasn't sure it was the best course of action at this time.
"I think CamNet wants to take them down and not wait any longer." Young Allison said.
Anna reassured her CamNet would act on their direction unless there was an immediate threat that needed to be acted upon. CamNet wanted to act on what the girls wanted to happen, when they wanted it to happen and how they wanted it to happen.
"CamNet will follow the directives Savannah and you select." Anna said.
Young Allison wondered what was going to happen when Savannah and her disagreed over something major. She'd witnessed Vanna and Allison have little run ins. They were all over personal or private things. She'd acted outside John and John Henry before. She tried not to do it but always seemed to end up doing it at some point anyway. It was possible Savannah and her would have an issue over something at some juncture. Nobody agreed with someone else all of the time about everything. What they needed right now was more information.
"Get more feedback from Savannah before we make any other decisions." Young Allison said. "This whole thing reeks."
It wasn't long afterwards when Young Allison received the message Savannah quietly sent to CamNet about all past locations they'd visited over the last few months.
She showed the message to Anna.
"This is something we discussed earlier." Anna said.
Young Allison was pleased to see the message.
"Savannah apparently has come to the same conclusion independently of anyone else." Young Allison said. "It's more than coincidence."
Earlier Anna observed the two men who were inside the port facility without previous detection. They were spotted by a random drone inspection doing a follow up recon. It was a recon that was conducted in the daylight from high altitude. It wasn't their normal MO.
"You expressed maybe what we witnessed at the port facility was a dry run for something else." Anna said.
It was something they'd discussed earlier among other things.
Young Allison wanted a more thorough look at some of the previous locations.
"I want a run down of all locations with a possible similar entry point." Young Allison said.
Anna wondered what Young Allison was after.
"Do you have any specific locations in mind?" Anna asked.
Young Allison did have a few and one in particular.
"I do." Young Allison said. "I want to see what CamNet comes up with before I say anything. I don't want to influence her decision."
Young Allison was afraid it was going to get worse before it got better. It seemed to be the way things normally played out.
Cammy relayed the concerns of 'CamNet' to Savannah.
Savannah was sure they were all from Young Allison. Maybe they should speak directly with each other. Maybe it was better if they followed protocol. They might influence each other's decision if they interacted directly. Maybe it was a good thing too.
"I want to hang back with all of our teams and not go to the places the motorcycle rider goes." Savannah said. "We can see where they're at from the drone."
The 'Cameron' in Cam started to show again.
"We may lose them." Cam said. "They need to be intercepted. I can get some answers from them. I want to take them down."
If these were Fanatics, Savannah wanted to point out the obvious. The Fanatics didn't want to be captured alive. They all seemed to have a poison tooth they could activate to prevent their capture. If they weren't able to do that, they liked to use a bomb. They seem to believe if they took their own life they would be granted 'ascension' to the afterlife with their god SkyMaster.
"What happens if they 'blow up' when you try to capture them?" Savannah asked. "We saw the SUV explode earlier. The Fanatics like bombs. It seems all their locations are rigged to blow up as well."
The 'Cameron' in Cammy wanted action too. She offered a solution to Cam and Savannah. There was a copy of Cam's program.
"I have two chip ports if she's damaged." Cammy said. "We can share this chassis until hers is repaired or replaced."
Savannah wanted to prevent any damage or terminations.
"I think you're missing the point." Savannah said. "I don't want her damaged in the first place."
Cammy wanted to know what other options Savannah was willing to use. There weren't a lot of options open to them.
"What do you recommend?" Cammy asked.
Savannah wanted the rider to be isolated somewhere where they could bring a drone into gun range. Then again, maybe it's what the rider wanted so they could try and bring down a drone or maybe try to capture it. There was no way to know what exactly the enemy planned for them. It was most likely they hoped to trap some Grays.
"Let's see where they go for now. Maybe they'll lead us to a bigger target." Savannah said. "Move the drone tracking them to a higher altitude and watch for a surface to air attack. We need to watch for any HK drone hugging the ground or arriving at altitude."
Savannah didn't know exactly what they faced but it appeared to be more than a suspected Fanatic on a motorcycle.
Young Allison noted Savannah's plans. She suspected much the same thing herself.
"Savannah is being cautious." Young Allison said. "She expects this is a trick to lure us into an ambush."
Anna could see it was a possibility. There were many possibilities.
"Maybe it is." Anna said. "Maybe it's not."
Young Allison felt like Cam and Cammy. She wanted to put the grab on them before they escaped.
"I don't want them to get away." Young Allison said. "We have them now. If they head into a parking structure at a mall, we'll lose them if they dump the bike."
Anna received drone targeting information from CamNet.
"CamNet is ready for a missile strike." Anna said.
Young Allison watched the overlay of the motorcycle's trek on the satellite map.
"Not yet." Young Allison said. "There's too much of a risk for collateral damage."
Young Allison wondered if this was a test for her with some of the choices. Anna pushed her several times on the fate of the men they'd taken into custody earlier.
"It happens." Anna said. "What about the altitude of the drones?"
Young Allison studied more altitude was beneficial in a surface to air attack. There was more room to avoid the missile. The downside was it would also take the drone out of gun range. It would only add a second or two to the travel time for a missile fired from one of their drones.
"I think moving the drones to a higher altitude increases their chance of defeating a surface to air attack. It will give them greater response time." Young Allison said. "I agree with Savannah's call."
Young Allison quietly made a request to have more drones back up the drone tracking the motorcycle rider. The Terminators all shared some back up. The drones should too, especially if they were in danger of an attack.
She also wanted a heightened alert for any HK drones. She didn't want to be caught looking in the wrong direction, especially if it was orchestrated. They still didn't know exactly what was going on or what the end game was.
Cameron felt very pleased with the song selection so far. The performers did an excellent job with everything. She would have to recommend CamNet give them all a bonus.
The next Beatles song began to play.
'Ticket To Ride', was of a more somber note.
The song seemed to be about 'the one that got away'. It was about one person who cared more about the other person than the other person did about them. It reminded her of an earlier 'event'.
It made Cameron think how she gave John a 'ticket to ride' literally and he still chose Riley over her. She was there next to him in his bed. She'd made herself 'available' and he blew her off and ran off with Riley to Mexico. What room did they get? The Honeymoon Suite of course.
Cameron tried to get the thought out of her mind. Maybe it was why CamNet chose the Owner's Suite for them instead of the Honeymoon Suite. She didn't know if Savannah or Young Allison expressed any input into the decision. It was best not to think about it. She was having a good time. She didn't need it ruined by past events involving dead people.
The dead could forever rest. At the end of the day she was victorious on the battlefield. She was the one still standing. John was by her side. Victory was sweet.
John noticed Cameron wasn't as thrilled with the current song. He figured she thought about what he'd done with Future Riley. It was after she told him she loved him and he loved her. It was after she 'offered' herself to him and wanted to share with him. She'd even changed her clothes to make herself more appealing to him. How could he have been so blind and stupid?
He figured if nothing else he should have taken advantage of Cameron and what she'd offered him as she lay next to him in his bed. He could have plowed her and still plowed Riley later on. It certainly would have been sweet. It would also have given him a good comparison one after the other as to which one was better in bed. Either way, it was a slap in Cameron's face at the time.
John wondered if he should address the issue or let it slide.
Claire rested next to Jesse. The two of them shared together in her room. She was happy with Jesse's performance but dissatisfied with her own.
"I think I'm under performing." Claire said. "I'm anxious about the trip tomorrow."
Jesse always delivered. She knew other females didn't sometimes. The Metal girls all did.
"Everything will work out fine." Jesse said.
Jesse 'struck out' with Allison earlier and almost again with Claire. Claire was finally able to deliver and didn't stop until she did. Jesse was thankful she did. It wasn't the best trip to heaven but all trips to heaven were good, some were just better.
There was a lot on Claire's mind. Her main focus was on the trip tomorrow. She wasn't really sure what to expect once she was on the ship. She was still a little apprehensive about the flight to Ensenada. She wanted Jan and Summer to be safe. She wanted Jesse and her to be safe.
"Maybe I need to check on the girls and make sure they get to bed early." Claire said. "I don't want them to be late."
Jesse could see Claire needed to deal with more than a few issues. She figured if Claire needed to get up it would only increase her uneasiness and apprehension. She figured she was still good for a few more encounters before the evening was done. There was no reason she couldn't kill two birds with one stone.
"I can do it for you." Jesse said. "Why don't you rest and I'll come back later on. I can check on Vanna and Precious too."
Claire reached out and took Jesse's arm as she started to get up. She figured she was off to find a better sexual partner. She wanted to let Jesse know she could do better.
"I apologize for not doing a better job." Claire said as she gave Jesse a kiss.
Jesse thought at one point she might need to take over herself. She needed to finish herself off earlier with Allison. Sometimes one of the girls fell a little short. It was OK. She just liked sharing with them even if they didn't deliver for her. She knew all finishes were good, some of them were just better.
"Everyone was able to make it to heaven." Jesse said. "Us girls all take care of each other."
Claire was aware there were plenty of times when a male couldn't get her 'there'. It never happened once. Not one of them ever delivered. All they left her with was a mess to deal with and a high level of frustration and dissatisfaction. She would always need to wait until they left or were asleep and finish herself off. Any time spent with a male soon became more of a chore than a love sharing event. She was still dissatisfied with her current performance.
"I hope I won't be as nervous tomorrow." Claire said. "You know I'm usually better than this."
Jesse went back and kissed Claire. She didn't want her to stress out over what happened. It wasn't a big deal. Everyone was able to make it to heaven.
"Don't worry about it." Jesse said. "Everything worked out fine. I'll check on the girls and then Vanna. I want you to relax and take it easy for now. There's no need to stress out over nothing."
Jesse slipped her top on and put her pants on. She left her shoes in Claire's room. She thought she would be back soon anyway. She did notice her shoe was moved away from the doorway and the door was closed. She specifically left her shoe there to keep the door ajar. She wondered who moved the shoe inside and let the door close.
She knocked and entered Summer's room. The room was empty. Jesse looked back at Claire and went into the empty room. The girls should have been getting ready for bed. They weren't even there. She exited into the hall and headed for John Henry. She decided to look into it herself. She didn't want Claire to have anything else to worry about. She already seemed worried enough about the flight.
She'd really expected to find them in Summer's room. It made her wonder what they were up to. She could think of more than a few things that they might be doing. Some of them might even be with each other. The last thought sent another rush of excitement through her. She didn't know what was in the cards for the girls but circumstances and the future were probably a pretty good indication of how events would eventually play out. She smiled to herself as she headed for the Command Center.
Vanna wanted Samantha to be with Claire and Jesse tonight if she wasn't going to be allowed to have relations after Derek and Riley got back. Allison and her could be with Samantha tomorrow or tomorrow night. Claire and Jesse would be on the ship at that point.
She got up and checked on Precious. She was soundly asleep.
Vanna laid out her plan to Allison and Samantha. She reminded her it was her choice and she could decide what she wanted to do on her own. She just wanted to give Samantha an option since Claire and Jesse would be gone tomorrow. When they came back, so would Derek and Riley.
Samantha wanted to try it. She wanted to have the extra experience. The variety excited her greatly. She hoped to be with 4 different females in just a few hours. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted it to happen. She was still a little apprehensive about her duties. She knew Vanna wanted to take over for the night. She still felt a compulsion to do what she normally did. She checked on Precious and quickly dressed.
Allison thought maybe Samantha would like a little company. She figured she could get everyone on the same page as to what would be available.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Allison asked.
Vanna thought maybe she should go instead in case Jesse and Claire were 'busy'. She knew Allison didn't like to hear about it. She figured she would like it even less to witness it.
"I can go with her." Vanna said.
Allison knew Vanna was trying to shield her. She knew how things worked. In reality it wasn't a big deal. It was the same things they all did.
"I don't have a problem with what my mother does anymore." Allison said. "She's no different than me or us. None of it is any different. We're all females in our prime and all almost in the same age range."
Vanna hoped so since Samantha's sheath below her neck was identical to Claire's body at this point. For all practical purposes Allison was just with her 'mother'. Well, it wasn't actually her mother but the body parts were identical.
Samantha didn't think anything would be a problem.
"I'm good." Samantha said. "I'll knock first."
Samantha quickly looked over her appearance in the mirror. She was very satisfied. She almost felt like a whole new person. Technically it's what she was on the outside anyway. She left Vanna and Allison naked in bed.
John Henry ran a diagnostic. He didn't like the fact he'd missed a few things he thought he shouldn't have missed.
He needed to follow the operation about to develop with Cammy's team.
He noticed Jesse looking around after she'd exited Summer's room. She'd already checked in several rooms. She was headed his way. She was almost there. She entered the Command Center a few seconds later.
The smile beamed from her broad lips.
"Hey, big fella…." Jesse said.
John Henry looked over her scantily clad figure. Her appearance stimulated him.
"Hello." John Henry said.
Jesse liked the way John Henry looked at her. She thought about messing with him for a few seconds. It wasn't why she was there. She needed to stick with the task at hand.
"I need to find Summer and Jan." Jesse said.
John Henry checked his files. He'd seen them earlier. Where did they go?
"They're in Sarah's quarters, maybe in Jan's room." John Henry said.
Jesse wondered why they were still there. The plan was for them to sleep in Summer's room.
"I need to get them to bed." Jesse said.
John Henry wondered why Claire wasn't doing that. He was about to ask but wasn't sure if the question would seem inappropriate or not. He was sure he knew the answer.
Jesse could tell John Henry wondered why she was doing it instead of Claire. She didn't think it should matter.
"Claire needed a rest." Jesse said. "I'll go get them. Tomorrow will be an early day for everyone."
Jesse bid him a good night and left.
He noticed Samantha was in the hall outside Riley's room now. He wondered what she was up to.
He continued to run a diagnostic, monitor Cammy's team and the motorcycle rider. He was thankful his server wasn't as easily distracted as he seemed to be lately. It seemed the more personal thoughts he experienced, the easier it was to be distracted.
Jan and Summer played for awhile in Jan's room.
Summer checked the time. It was late.
"We need to go back now." Summer said.
Jan wanted to stay and do other things.
"We can play some more." Jan said.
Summer explained why she needed to go back.
"I need to study before I go to bed." Summer said.
Jan thought it sounded boring.
"You always study." Jan said.
Summer was firm and asserted herself.
"Let's get your things for tomorrow and pack them in your backpack." Summer said. "We can take care of everything now and save time in the morning."
Jan selected a couple of changes of clothes and stuffed them in her backpack.
Summer was dissatisfied with the way Jan treated her clothes. The use of space in the backpack was drastically reduced with the way it was done. She wanted to show Jan a better and more efficient way to do things. She took them out and folded them nicely for her.
Jan was a little embarrassed when Summer needed to tidy her things up. She knew right away she could have done things a little better. She needed to remember Summer liked everything to be done neatly and efficiently. She knew there was more to it. It was about doing things the right way and not taking shortcuts.
"You are always so neat." Jan said.
Summer needed to think about her training by Young Allison. Young Allison told her what she needed to do and what her responsibilities were going to be in the future. She knew what was necessary in a future without Young Allison as well. She was a little surprised at some of the things Young Allison told her she was going to need to do. She'd heard about them for years now. She was acclimated as to what the future would bring and what her duties would be.
"I like to be efficient." Summer said.
Jan was about to apologize for taking a shortcut.
Summer looked at Jan.
"Someone's coming." Summer said.
Jan paused and listened.
"I don't hear anything." Jan said.
Summer gave her a faint smile. She hadn't heard anything either. She didn't need to hear everything to know what was about to happen.
I'll Knock First
There are things everyone wants
Some are willing to take
Time will decide which ones
Turned out to be a mistake
Not everyone can have
Everything they want
Even if they could get it all
Will they ever stop the hunt
It often makes one wonder
How hard is it to ask
In their own glory
Some like to bask
Each person is their own
They have a right to be free
Why does there need to be
Such pain to set one free
There's no need for an outburst
That brings out the worst
Before I'll arrive
I'll knock first
Nobody