Chapter 1307
Remember – It Was ME
Cammy received instructions from Young Allison to use one of the dead men in the back of the SUV as a 'test subject'. It seemed like a unique approach to her.
"We've been instructed to use one of the deceased Gray's in the back of the SUV to see what it does to a human." Cammy said. "It's possible the results would be very similar on the sheath of a Terminator."
Savannah looked at the SUV. It wasn't what she'd expected.
"That's different." Savannah said. "Let's do it."
Savannah thought it was a good idea. They were already dead. What could it hurt? It wasn't like they were going to try it on a prisoner. She didn't doubt for a second a Terminator would actually do it.
Cam wanted to get things moving. She went to the rear of the SUV and opened the back door. She lifted one of the dead men out and carried him up to the spot in the wall and laid him on the floor.
Cammy and Savannah stayed off to the side in case anyone shot at them from inside wherever the unknown portal went. They couldn't see inside past the hologram. It didn't mean someone couldn't see out. They could be watching them right now.
Savannah wanted to try something. Since they were going to test a human, she wanted to see what happened to something electrical. It also might give them a heads up on what was inside of the hologram.
"Here, take my body cam and see what it shows on the other side." Savannah said. "It might give us a clue on how electronics hold up."
Cammy liked the idea. She wanted to wait until after the first test.
"Let's try this stiff's arm or leg first and see what happens." Cammy said as she noticed something else. "He has a watch on. Let's see what happens to it."
Cam was ready to push the dead man's arm through. She attempted to stay as much off to the side of the holographic portal as possible.
"Here goes nothing." Cam said.
She shoved his arm against the 'wall'. It disappeared into the unseen gateway. It appeared his arm was gone or inside the wall.
Cam moved to drag his whole body back.
Savannah wanted to wait for a little bit. She wondered if it was a gateway to the future. What if part of an object was in the past and the other was in the future, what would happen with the time displacement?
"Wait a minute to see if the extra time exposure does anything to his arm." Savannah said. "His body could be in two different time periods at the same time."
Cammy didn't care for whatever it was. She figured the longer the gateway was open, the more chance some type of attack could be launched against them.
"I think we should have John Henry cut the power." Cammy said.
Savannah thought about it. She wanted to know a little bit more before they shut it down.
"Maybe we will, once we see what's on the other side." Savannah said.
Cam felt they'd waited long enough. She pulled the man back inside. The long sleeve shirt on his arm seemed undamaged as did the skin on his hand and arm. His watch was still running and the time was correct. There didn't appear to be any electrical or temporal factor involved.
Cammy scanned for any contaminants which might have adhered to his clothes or skin. None were detected. There was no increased radiation level detected.
Savannah went to hand Cam her body cam.
"Since it appears an electrical device will still function, let's check and see what we can spot." Savannah said.
Cam wanted to try something different.
"I'll use mine." Cam said. "I have an idea."
Cam looked on the work bench and found some wire. She repositioned the man so she could shove his foot through. She affixed the body cam with the wire to the bottom of his shoe so it would remain upright when she shoved his foot through. She tried to stay away from as much of the unseen opening as possible herself.
They didn't know if it was like 'one way glass' or not. Maybe someone could look out but they couldn't look in. Nobody wanted to get grabbed and pulled in. Someone from the inside could grab one of them and close the portal as soon as they were pulled in. They wouldn't have a clue where to look for them. Being abducted seemed as big of a threat as an attack.
Cammy and Savannah looked at their phones. John Henry transmitted Cam's body cam footage to all of them.
Cam looked at Cammy and Savannah.
"Do it." Savannah said.
Cam carefully moved up to the side of the unseen opening.
"Here goes nothing." Cam said again.
Cam slid the dead man's foot into the unknown. Her body cam should show something. Exactly what it would be, they weren't sure at all.
Earlier:
Young Allison and Anna watched the body cam footage from Cammy's team inside the building. Once they started to 'probe' the unknown, they might spark a reaction. It would most likely be a negative reaction. One thing was for sure. It was definitely future technology of some sort.
"Make sure they stay off to the side as much as possible." Young Allison said. "I don't want anyone to get pulled in or shot."
Anna passed along the warning.
They watched the 'arm test' with the dead man.
"I'm glad the shirt and watch are still there." Anna said.
Young Allison was glad something else was still there.
"I'm glad his flesh is still there and the fact the arm came back at all." Young Allison said.
They watched as Cam attached her body cam to the dead man's foot.
"Here comes the unknown." Anna said.
Young Allison wanted a precaution.
"Is John Henry ready to cut the power?" Young Allison asked.
Anna double checked. Young Allison made her wishes known earlier.
"Everything is like you requested it." Anna said.
They could see from Cammy's body cam, what Cam was about to do.
"Here goes nothing." Cam said.
They watched as Cam slid the dead man's foot, with the body cam, into the unknown. They really wondered what was on the 'other side'.
Holly and Gail had taken Jan and Summer to the miniature golf course on the ship. Jan had been upset because everyone else could play better than her. Summer decided to even up the odds a little bit and reduce the Terminator's playing ability to the same level as Jan's ability.
Jan was pleased now Gail and Holly took as many shots as her to play miniature golf. It did make the game a little more fun to play for her. She didn't feel like she was losing anymore. Well, almost, Summer was still the best. She looked at the two Metal girls.
"See how much fun this is." Jan said. "Now you have to try harder."
Gail liked the challenge. Jan told her they were going to have fun.
"I like it." Gail said. "I want to have fun."
It didn't seem fun to Hanna. She didn't like it because it took longer than before for her. It seemed to make Jan happy so it was tolerable.
"As long as you're having a good time, I think it's all that matters." Hanna said.
Jan looked over at Summer.
"She's still winning." Jan said.
Summer didn't want it to be an issue. It was just a game.
"We aren't keeping score." Summer said.
Jan was a little jealous. Summer was perfect.
"Every shot you take is a 'hole in one'." Jan said.
Summer shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm just using my natural ability." Summer said. "I can still play blindfolded if you want me to."
Jan watched Summer do it already.
"You did it for three holes. They were still a 'hole in one'." Jan said. "Are you sure you didn't cheat?"
Summer was a little offended.
"I don't need to cheat at anything." Summer said.
Hanna watched Summer grow up. She excelled at everything. She thought Summer was the most gifted human she'd ever met, at least in this time period. She would be able to surpass Savannah and Young Allison at everything, if she hadn't done so already. She was sure she had at everything she'd tried so far.
"Summer is playing fair. I covered her eyes for those three holes myself." Hanna said. "She's just good at everything."
Summer wanted to play and have fun but she didn't want Jan to be upset.
"I can sit and watch as you three play the game." Summer said. "I don't need to be a part of it."
Jan looked at Summer and felt bad now.
"I'm sorry." Jan said. "I don't know what I was thinking. I know you're good at everything. I want you to play."
Hanna didn't want it to turn ugly.
"We're almost done here." Hanna said. "We can go do some other things."
Jan was ready for a change. It was cold up where they were. She wanted to reaffirm her closeness to Summer.
"We can take a bubble bath to warm up and watch a movie again." Jan said.
Summer thought it sounded good.
"We can do that." Summer said. "There are only two holes left."
They heard the stairway creak behind them.
Bob was back.
"Hi, Bob." Summer said.
Bob smiled at Summer.
"Hello" Bob said. "As soon as you're done, I'll return the sports equipment."
The girls finished up and gave everything to Bob. They thanked him for his assistance.
They went down the half deck to the sun deck above the pool deck. They neared the spa. The stairway and the elevators were at the end of it. On the other side was the pool and beyond it was the buffet.
Gail reached back to unzip her dress as they overlooked the pool.
"I can still go in the pool if you want me to." Gail said. "I've never done a high dive before."
They could all clearly see the sign that said 'No Diving'.
Jan and Summer both laughed.
They headed back towards their suite.
Mary led Sheila by the arm back to her cabin. She was very upset. Laura looked like she was hitting on an 'old flame'. It was bad enough. It was how Hot the 'old flame' was that was the problem. It was clear she was Hotter than Laura or her.
Sheila could tell Mary was upset.
"I need you to relax, love." Sheila said. "This should be a fun time."
Mary looked back and Laura was walking with the new Bitch, whatever her name was. It was 'Sasha' or something like that.
"She always does this." Mary said. "I hate it more when they're guys. I won't touch that thing for a week when she's with a guy."
Sheila wanted to find out more.
"Do you ever hang out with guys?" Sheila asked.
Mary looked disgusted. Males always finished before she could.
"I used to try it, but not any more." Mary said. "Laura still does. It's not very often. I don't think she has anytime recently."
Sheila wanted more information. Mary seemed like providing it right now. She would prompt her a little. She wanted to know more about the medical history of the two girls.
"I think guys are only good to catch something from." Sheila said.
Mary nodded her head.
"Tell me about it." Mary said. "They can't even get you off. It feels more like you're being abused. You end up sore and need a trip to the doctor to see what they just gave you. Been there, done that."
They arrived at the cabin.
Mary opened the door and went inside.
Sheila held it open for Laura and Ally. She looked at Leticia. She didn't like to see Mary upset. She sure did like the way Leticia looked though.
"Unless you are ready to get a few piercings, I think you should move along." Sheila said.
Leticia looked at Sheila and could see she was 'trouble'. She could tell there was a level of violence associated with her. It existed not far below the surface of her current state. She liked strong females.
"I already have one." Leticia said. "I told Laura I'd show it to her, again. She's seen it before. She's seen everything before."
Sheila looked at her for a few seconds. Maybe she could get a new recruit. She gave her a stern look.
"Come in and strip." Sheila said. "I'll strip you myself if you're too slow. Do I make myself clear?"
Leticia liked the forcefulness of Sheila. She liked a dominant female. She liked to be submissive. It's how her current relationship was structured. She preferred to be told what she could and couldn't do. It especially excited her when she was told what she could and couldn't enjoy.
Sheila let Leticia pass. She saw Mary was in the process of removing her clothes. Her top was already off. She quickly took off her dress and was naked in her high heels and jewelry.
Leticia looked at Mary as she undressed and was going to say something to Sheila. When she turned around to speak, Sheila was already naked. She looked at Sheila and liked what she saw. She would like to have this dominatrix tell her what she could and couldn't do or enjoy. She looked forward to Sheila delivering a pleasurable experience and then at the last second, prevented her from allowing the climax to happen. Just the thought of being denied the pleasure, excited her.
"Wow!" Leticia said. "You look really Hot."
Sheila smiled.
"Thanks. I can make you look just like this." Sheila said as she tugged on each of her rings. "I'm a professional."
Ally glanced over but didn't say anything.
Mary was down to her underwear when she spotted Sheila showing off her goods.
"Can I see your piercings again?" Mary asked.
Sheila looked at Leticia. She wanted to make sure she saw everything on the new female.
"As soon as she strips, everyone can see." Sheila said.
Ally didn't want things to go too far.
"We're going to remain within reason." Ally said. "This isn't going to turn into an orgy."
Leticia eyed Ally and thought she was the Hottest of all of them. She loved her face. Everything else looked good too, but her face was tops. It was to die for. She wanted to see more.
"What about her?" Leticia asked.
She wanted to know what everything looked like in detail on Ally.
Ally was wary of all of the girls. She thought there were still a lot of unanswered questions, especially with the newcomer. They didn't know anything about her.
"I'm the referee." Ally said. "I'll make sure no one goes too far."
Mary removed her briefs and watched as Laura and Leticia stripped.
Ally and Sheila both made permanent files as to what they watched unfold.
They would also serve well for 'before and after' images.
Ally didn't remove any of her clothing. The other four girls were naked. Sheila still wore her high heels.
The scene was Hotter than Hot. Everything was right there. Nobody had even touched anyone else. The atmosphere was somehow more intense than if they were having sex.
Cameron currently controlled Holly's chassis. She enjoyed everything about it very much. The superior neural network was something to behold. Mrs. Weaver clearly produced a superior product with the Restorators, as compared to a Skynet Terminator.
John was being driven beyond anywhere he'd been driven before. It was clear Cameron really liked Holly's chassis. He did too.
He really liked various parts of Hanna's and Sheila's sheaths. He really liked everything on Holly's sheath. It may have been because of the way Cameron operated it too. It almost seemed like she couldn't get enough. It was as if she was more invigorated than usual.
John needed to stop and rest for a little bit. He felt he needed to say something.
"Cameron, I need a break." John gasped.
Holly-Cameron didn't slow down but continued. She was in the process of 'chasing the feeling'. She was about to catch it.
"I'm almost there." Holly-Cameron said. "I need to finish."
A few seconds later she quickly slowed and stopped. She looked very pleased. She moved off of John and lay next to him.
John turned his head and looked at her.
"This is the best time ever, Cameron." John said.
Holly-Cameron smiled at him. She was incredibly pleased as well.
"Everything about it has been superior for me too." Holly-Cameron said. "It's been beyond beautiful right from the moment you took my virginity, until now."
John was a little worried. He wondered if Cameron was going to try and take Holly's chassis from her. He didn't even want to say it out loud. It seemed like a really bad idea to mention it at all. There was no need to put any ideas in her head. There seemed to be enough questionable ones there already.
Cameron looked at John. She wanted to keep Holly's chassis for herself. She was sure Holly would trade with her if she asked her to. Holly could look like her girlfriend, Allison, then. If Holly wouldn't trade, she decided she was going to take the chassis from Holly and pull her chip. She blocked the thoughts from Holly. At least she thought she did.
All of a sudden everything went black. Cameron felt different. She opened her eyes. She was back in her chassis again. She moved the sheet and pillows off of herself. She looked at John and he was fondling Holly. Her eyes were closed, so she hadn't rebooted yet.
"I'm over here." Cameron said.
John looked over to his other side and slowly released the large breast he was fondling with both hands.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." John said. "You should tell me first. I'd appreciate it next time."
John looked back at Holly one more time. He then concentrated on Cameron.
Cameron didn't want to make a big deal about it. She hadn't expected to end up back in her chassis so suddenly. She wasn't about to tell him what she'd been thinking. It was best to move on and act like nothing happened.
"She's beautiful." Cameron said. "I wish I was her."
John didn't want things to get away from him.
"I love you how you are." John said. "I love the gifts you've given me and allowed me to share them with you. We need to honor what the girls have allowed you, us, to do. You need to remember their individuals as well. They all sacrificed to please you."
Cameron hoped John liked having three virgins in three days. The best part of it all was, she was all three of them!
There was some movement.
Holly opened her eyes and sat up a little. She looked at John with love in her eyes and then at Cameron with the same love.
"I want to tell both of you this was the best time of my existence. It was the best time of my life." Holly said. "It was the most beautiful loving experience I've ever shared."
Cameron was still trying to figure out how she got booted back to her own chassis. She also was going to remind Holly the experience she'd 'experienced', was actually her experience. Holly only received the file in real time.
John liked everything too. He didn't want to get specific.
"Thank you for allowing us to share everything with you." John said. "Thank you for sharing everything with us."
Holly didn't think she would feel different after Cameron used her chassis, but she did. She felt different and she felt changed. She felt everything was better now. She wanted more of what she'd experienced and she wanted her 'one time' with John. She'd already been in love with Cameron and now she knew she was in love with John. Maybe she always had been since all the time she'd spent alone with him 'to keep him alive'. He did just take her virginity after all. She'd wanted him to take it back then. He'd never touched her once. She needed to remember he still hadn't. It was 'Cameron' he'd just touched and made love to, even if it was her chassis. She only got the file.
The experience was nothing like she'd heard from any of the human girls, even Jesse and Claire. It was way better. It was what she'd heard from Sheila and Hanna when she'd asked them what it was like to be with John and them as 'Cameron'.
It sounded too good to be true. She thought they might be 'over selling' everything a little bit. She figured if anything, they'd 'under sold' it. It was probably so they could get another turn. She knew they'd both volunteered to take her place if she wanted to back out. She could understand why. She would do the same for any of them. It didn't matter if Cameron was the one in control. As long as she was able to share the file in real time, it was almost the same thing.
John could tell Holly wanted more. He did too.
Cameron could see how John and Holly looked at each other. She didn't want things to get away from her.
Cameron leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"Remember - it was ME, John." Cameron said.
John broke his gaze from Holly and looked back at Cameron. He swallowed hard. True, it was Cameron, but she'd really put on a performance in Holly's chassis. Holly had the file now. She could emulate it and do everything the same. He really looked forward to their 'one time'. He really wanted to see what Holly could do on her own. He knew when he was with her the first time as herself, it really would be the 'first time' for her, well, her program anyway.
Cam prepared to shove the dead Gray's foot into the holographic portal. Her body cam was affixed to the bottom of his shoe.
Cammy and Savannah looked at their phones. John Henry transmitted Cam's body cam footage to all of them.
Cam looked at Cammy and Savannah.
"Here goes nothing." Cam said again.
Cam slid the dead man's foot into the unknown.
The camera feed went black. Nothing could be seen. The camera showed it was transmitting.
Cammy was tired of fooling around.
"Everyone get back." Cammy said. "I'm going to light the place up, wherever it is.
She took out a Thermite grenade.
Savannah thought about stopping her but she was worried Cam or Cammy would try and enter the void. She moved back further away from the opening. Cam did as well.
Cammy armed a Thermite grenade and threw it hard into the unseen portal.
The camera feed remained blank.
Savannah sensed a real danger there. Maybe it was because of the total darkness. They'd just taken the first aggressive move. It seemed likely there might be an aggressive response.
"I want everyone to fall back now." Savannah said.
The three girls moved to the back of the SUV. Cammy closed the lift gate. It was still open. The SUV and bodies would absorb any bullets fired from inside the portal.
Cam and Cammy looked toward the entrance they'd entered the work area from.
"Someone is coming." Cammy said.
Savannah felt a heightened sense of alarm.
John Henry broke the tension.
"It's Steve and Tom." John Henry said. "They've been ordered to reinforce you."
Savannah figured the order came from Young Allison. She wanted to keep them as far away from the portal and imminent danger as possible.
"Have them stay against the north wall when they enter the main workroom floor." Savannah said. "They can join us in the back."
A few seconds later Steve and Tom emerged and headed for their position.
Savannah saw they both had M203 grenade launchers on their M4 carbines.
"I think we have two choices here." Savannah said. "Shut off the power and hope for the best, or attack whatever is inside the portal. We know they're some type of Grays. We know they're the enemy. We don't know what we can't see. We don't know what the response will be either."
Cammy was all for an attack at this point. She looked at Steve and Tom.
"I want both of you to fire HE rounds inside there. Use all your rounds. Cam, Savannah and I will cover you in case anyone comes out." Cammy said.
Cammy gave them a detailed description as to the portal's dimensions. She didn't want an HE round to hit the 'solid' wall. They might get some shrapnel fragments blown back their way.
Steve and Tom glanced at Savannah. They wanted her approval. They knew her earlier 'suggestion' was they remain outside of the building. They were given an 'order' to move into the building in reinforced Savannah, Cammy and Cam.
Savannah agreed with it. The portal was a threat. They didn't know where it led, but it led somewhere. She was willing to take some more drastic steps.
"John Henry, if we receive any return fire, I want you to cut the power." Savannah said. "If we hear the throb of a giant power cell about to overload, everyone is to withdraw from the area."
Tom and Cammy remembered the electrical arcing associated with one of the giant power cells as it malfunctioned before it exploded.
"We might be incapacitated." Tom said.
Savannah remembered the episode. She thought she was going to die that night. She got the Terminators away to safety and she was left all alone. CamNet saved her with the manned drone which arrived unmanned. Young Allison asked CamNet to help Savannah in any way she could. CamNet did.
"You should all be able to get outside, even if at first you're sluggish." Savannah said. "At the first sign of arching I'm ordering all of you now to leave the building. This 'order' is unchangeable."
Cammy didn't like it. It seemed to put Savannah in the greatest danger of all.
"What about you?" Cammy asked.
Savannah looked at the four Terminators.
"I'll hold this position until you're clear." Savannah said. "There could be a breakout or a counterattack of some type. I'll drag each of you away if I need to."
The Terminators all looked at each other. They hoped it didn't come to that. They all knew she would do it. She would do it, even if she died trying. It was incentive for them to pull out before it came to anything so extreme.
They could hear the loud noise of drones approaching. There were a lot of them. They were right on top of them. They could hear them pass over the top and move to the rear area.
"CamNet has sent five drones into the back parking lot of the building." John Henry said. "They'll touch down and wait there for immediate evacuation. Open the roll up door."
Cam went over and opened the door. She wondered why they wouldn't use the pass door. It seemed like more was going on than they knew.
"Is it for us to use to get out." Cam asked. "Is something else going to happen?"
John Henry was given specific instructions as to what would occur.
"It's for you to leave and for two drones to enter the building and provide direct fire support so Savannah can withdraw." John Henry said. "The drones will both stay and fight until they can no longer function. The drones have volunteered for the assignment."
Savannah knew right away it was 'Cherry Bomb' and 'Coltan Overcast' who'd volunteered. It brought a tear to her eye. It was time to bring the fight to the enemy. They needed to destroy whatever was on the other side of the portal. Who knew what they could bring through? She looked at Steve and Tom and nodded.
"It will be so." Savannah said. "Open fire."
Steve and Tom both began to fire HE rounds into the void.
Earlier:
Anna and Young Alison watched the events unfold inside of the building with great apprehension.
Young Alison didn't like what she saw. It was time for her to make some choices. As soon as the camera feed went blank on Cam's body cam, she acted.
"Have Steve and Tom enter the building the same way the girls did. They're to reinforce Cammy's team immediately." Young Allison said. "I know what Savannah suggested earlier. This is an order."
Anna saw CamNet already acted.
"They're on the way." Anna said.
They watched as a Thermite grenade did nothing to light the area.
They heard Savannah call to cut the power if any return shooting started from the portal.
Anna knew it could cause a large power cell to overload if they were charging it. It must cut off whatever the cooling process was. She knew of some of the events at prior locations where they'd been encountered.
"There may be arcing if the power goes out." Anna said. "It will incapacitate the Terminators in a very short time."
Young Allison remembered the incident well as she thought she was going to watch Savannah die before under similar circumstances.
"Send five drones now into the back parking lot." Young Allison said. "Savannah is going to stay to fight to allow them the chance to escape if there's a counterattack and they are sluggish. I need a drone to volunteer to back up Savannah and allow her to escape. It must hold the position at all costs."
Anna received word from CamNet that all the drones volunteered for the task. Two were chosen.
"Every drone volunteered." Anna said. "Two have been selected."
Young Allison smiled a sad smile. She knew it was 'Cherry Bomb' and 'Coltan Overcast' who'd received the assignment. It brought a tear to her eye. She wanted to reaffirm her position.
"Savannah must be protected." Young Allison said.
Anna confirmed what Young Allison already knew.
"'Cherry Bomb' and 'Coltan Overcast' will fight until they're terminated or can no longer function. They will both overload their power cells as they're shut down."
They didn't know where things were headed or what the repercussions were going to be.
Young Allison began to think 'bigger'. Maybe it was time to play hardball. She was aware she could hit as hard as anyone on the planet.
John Henry could see how serious things might become. If there was some kind of large power cell to overload and explode, there would be a lot of devastation. He would try to spin it as a meteor or asteroid strike. If the force of the blast was directed in one direction it would be an easier spin.
He contacted CamNet and explained what might be necessary. CamNet readied all the data necessary to feed to all relevant satellites and ground based stations. It wouldn't be entered into the systems until it appeared a power cell breach was imminent.
What worried John Henry the most was Savannah. He was sure she wouldn't withdraw without 'Cherry Bomb' and 'Coltan Overcast'. There was only one way to avoid it. They needed a pre-existing 'order' to hold their position which couldn't be countermanded.
John Henry called Young Allison. She needed to act now to protect Savannah later on. Young Allison made the call. Once 'Cherry Bomb' and 'Coltan Overcast' entered the building, they were to receive no new orders until the threat was eliminated, or they were. Savannah wouldn't be able to order them out.
What surprised John Henry was when Young Allison gave the drones the option to withdraw from their mission at any point they chose to. This appeared to be a termination mission and they'd volunteered. Still, Young Allison gave them a way out. They may need to make a choice later on. It would be a 'hard call'. He knew the option left open to the drones would spread. The 'Chosen Ones' wouldn't order their certain destruction. It would become a choice they could make. It would give more respect to the girls. He remembered Cameron said, 'life was about choices.'
CamNet's Terminators received clearance to approach the vehicle with the box of items in the trunk and retrieve them. It was doubtful anyone would return to it anytime soon, if at all. They'd already been headed in the direction. They turned into the supermarket parking lot. They knew there was no emergency response yet. They're probably would be shortly.
The two Terminators quickly drove up alongside of the vehicle.
The first Terminator was out of the vehicle before it even stopped. It was their instinct to simply grab the trunk lid and rip it open. If either the female Fanatic or the Gray returned to the vehicle, they would know a Terminator had been there. They spent the extra two seconds and reached in through the open window, unlocked the door and opened it. They hit the trunk release. They slammed the door closed and hurried to the back. They lifted the trunk lid and grabbed the box with the items in it. They slammed the trunk lid closed and got back into their SUV.
The second Terminator already started to drive away before the passenger's door fully closed. They checked around them to make sure no one paid them any attention. They drove back out onto the main street.
The Gray came hot around the corner of the street Tango was located on. He saw the van pull away from the curb up in front of him. Why was it at the curb? What was going on? He could see he wouldn't be able to catch it before it reached the building.
'Who is driving it?' The Gray wondered.
He watched it turn in alongside the building. He didn't see the other car return just a short time before he made his turn onto the street Tango was located.
Gray stayed on the accelerator as the van disappeared from view. He was still more than a block away from the building. He didn't know if he'd be able to reach it in time to assist those inside. He was almost there. All he needed was a few more seconds before he could make the turn.
The female Fanatic came wide around the rear corner of the building. She wasn't in too big of a hurry as she approached. She figured they were expecting the van to return. She was pleased to see the roll up door was open.
She looked at her phone. There were still thirty seconds left on the timer. It was time to get everything set up. She turned her headlights to high beams. She knew anyone who looked out through the roll up door would see the van. The high beams would help blind those inside as to actually what was going on with her. She stopped about sixty feet away from the roll up door.
The female Fanatic placed the van into 'neutral'. She quickly tied the steering wheel with the wheels pointed straight at the opening. The van should go straight once she put it back into gear. She took the piece of wood from the pallet and placed it against the accelerator pedal. She pushed it down slightly. The engine instantly revved up. She jammed it against the front of the seat. It wasn't quite floored but it was closed. She checked the timer, there were twelve seconds left. She figured it was close enough for her. She reached over and moved the shift selector into 'drive'. The tires squealed on the van and it shot forward.
She immediately ran towards the side property. She didn't think she was going to be able to make it over the wall in time. She'd needed to cut it close to make sure the bomb exploded where she wanted it to. She didn't want anyone to try to disarm it.
The female Fanatic counted down the seconds as she ran. She heard a metallic impact noise from behind her. It was followed by a much louder one a second later. She heard the tires of the van begin to squeal again. She was a little worried. She was already up to fourteen seconds. It was two seconds past her calculated explosion time.
One minute ago:
The man inside the building was a little relieved to hear a vehicle come back. He hoped it was the van. He'd left the roll up door open so they could drive right in. The other man had gone out to help search for the van. They weren't really sure how the new arrival was going to take things. He was the ranking Gray and they didn't want any problems with him. If there were any problems when one of the Terminators came around, there was a way of anything that was a problem disappearing, forever.
He moved over to the open doorway to look. He was a little surprised to see it was his friend returning already. He wondered if there was some kind of a problem. He moved off to the side and the other car pulled in and moved over one spot. There'd be room for three more vehicles to park inside of the building where he was at. They would all have to park on the other side.
"Why are you back so early?" The first man asked. "Did you find them?"
The second man got out of the vehicle and closed the door. He came over and stood next to the first man.
"I ran into the honcho as soon as I got on the main street." The second man said. "I turned off before he saw me. I know he would have been upset since he told us to wait here. I was going to head over to the homeless camp and see if I could put the grab on someone."
The first man was a little worried. The honcho looked like trouble.
"That sucks, man." The first man said. "Are you sure he didn't see you?"
The second man was sure he was spotted. The honcho didn't follow him. He'd continued straight.
"If he did, he didn't follow me back here." The second man said. "I don't know how it will play out."
They both turned their heads in the direction of the roll up door. He could hear another vehicle approaching.
The first man looked a little worried.
"Are you sure he didn't follow you back?" The first man asked. "It sounds like he's back right now."
The second man tried to think of a cover story quickly.
"We'll tell him there was one more place where we thought to look for them." The second man said. "There was no way for us to call him since the phones don't work. It's why I went to check it myself."
The first man quickly looked at his phone to make sure it wasn't working still. It wasn't.
"I'll let you tell him the story." The first man said. "My phone is still dead. Well, it's not dead. It doesn't call out or receive anything.
The second man decided to check his too. It still didn't work either.
"Mine is still out too." The second man said.
The first man caught sight of the vehicle as it came along the side of the building.
"Hey, look it's the van." The first man said.
The second man looked up from his phone.
"It's about time." The second man said. "I hope they brought back at least one skank."
The first man watched the van make a wide turn and then stop a short distance away from the building.
"You know we'll have to give it a go." The first man said. "I think we should let the honcho go first."
The second man knew how things worked. He noticed the van hadn't moved for a few seconds. The driver's door was open. It looked like someone was going to get out.
"You know those dudes have all done her at least twice already." The second man said. "What are they waiting for?"
The first man wondered the same thing. The high beams were on so he couldn't see anything. He noticed the door open on the driver's side. He wondered what they were doing.
"I don't know." The first man said. "You know I always flip those sluts over and take them from behind."
The second man looked away from the van.
"Do you pull their heads back by their hair too as you make it?" The second man asked.
The first man looked away from the van.
"You bet I do." The first man said with a laugh. "I like them to know what's coming."
Both men's heads spun back towards the parking lot as they heard the tires squeal on the van.
"What are those morons doing?" The second man asked.
The first man could see someone running off to the side away from the van.
"I think something's wrong." The first man said.
Both men backed away from the opening. One went to each side of it.
The van appeared to have swerved slightly when the tires squealed. It shot forward in an instant. Both of the men attempted to get further away from the opening.
The second man was alongside of the car he'd just driven in. He saw the right side of the van impact the wall as it came in on its right side. The van deflected over and headed directly for him. There was no time for him to move. He couldn't even get the scream out of his mouth before the van crushed him up against the side of the other car. It began to push the other car slightly sideways inside of the building as the tires squealed loudly from the resistance.
The first man found everything a little hard to believe. He watched as the van hit the side of the wall and then slammed into the other car. He was pretty sure his friend was between the two vehicles right now. All he'd heard was the impact noise. He didn't hear a scream. The tires on the van squeal loudly again as we begin to push the other vehicle sideways. For some reason, someone continued to step on the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal.
The air was thick with smoke from the squealing tires. There was steam hissing out of the front of the van. It was clear the cooling system had been compromised. It was the noise of the tires squealing which was the most intimidating. The first man didn't know if he should try to help or get away from the whole mess. He really didn't know how anyone was going to be able to explain anything.
He didn't know he wasn't going to need to worry about anything much longer.
CamNet's Terminators watched the female Fanatic make a run and turn in alongside of the building. They saw the Gray make a futile attempt to catch her. He wasn't going to make it.
They watched as she lined the van up and got out of it. Two seconds later it was on its way. The female Fanatic ran towards the side of the property. They watched the van go inside of the opening of the building. They noted the Gray was still on the street about ready to turn along the side of the building and follow it.
CamNet's Terminators waited for the explosion. It was clear it was Showtime.
Remember – It Was ME
The lights are on
Is anyone at home
I often really wonder
Where your mind will roam
What's in your head
As your thoughts wander
Do you really even care
What you're about to squander
That was then, this is now
Look what's in front of you
It all right there waiting
Try to focus on what you do
You think you're a legend
It's a legend in your own mind
When I look a little deeper inside
There isn't much to find
Look around at your mess
There's a lot of debris
When you feel a knee
Remember – it was ME
Nobody