Chapter 1353
I'll Let You Pick
Cameron led John away from the rear lounge. He tried to see Allison or Vanna one more time but he couldn't. The elevator opened as Cameron all but pulled him along.
The elevator ride was short. Cameron ushered him down the hall towards the private area.
He was unsure about their sudden departure.
As they approached the private area, the door opened for them.
Jim opened the door and greeted them.
Cameron could hear Hanna and Cam-Gail in the Honeymoon Suite as they passed by it. She smiled to herself to hear 'who' they were right now.
She liked it when everyone was happy.
Cameron knew Vanna and Allison would be in the Master Suite in an hour or maybe less. It would look like the same people doing the same thing.
She wanted to get a connector and invite Cam-Gail and Hanna into their room. She would put Hanna's chassis in the middle and have Cam-Gail's and her chassis on either side. It would give John a first hand look at what his future held. She would switch back and forth between all three chassis and give him a real thrill. It would represent Savannah, Young Allison and her. What more could a guy ask for? What more could anyone ask for?
Cameron led John into the Owner's Suite.
Jim still waited there near her. Cameron didn't follow John in.
"Is there any update?" Cameron asked.
Jim wasn't given any.
"Nothing new has been reported." Jim said.
Cameron felt no news was good news. She hoped so anyway.
Jim was ready to return to the Control Center. He didn't want Cameron to get any ideas about using his chassis. He was aware Ally would be in there soon enough. He hoped Cameron would set her sights back on Vanna and Allison as well.
Cameron smiled at Jim.
"Keep an eye on Sheila and Ally." Cameron said. "I want Ally here on time. Make sure it happens, even if Bob and you need to bring her here. I want her here."
Jim was a little worried about the extent Cameron would go through to make sure Ally was there. He hoped if there weren't any other female chassis available for Cameron to use, she wouldn't send Bob or the Metal girls after him. There was one other issue. He thought about reporting the earlier incident with the human females which occurred. He decided not to. Bob could do it since he took care of the mess. He was the security chief on top of it as well. He felt it was more his department to deal with since he was directly involved. He figured it was best to make it so Cameron didn't worry.
"I'll take care of everything." Jim said.
Jim turned to walk away.
Cameron wanted to express her appreciation.
"Thank you for everything, Jim." Cameron said.
Cameron spent a moment to look Jim over from head to toe.
Jim turned back and nodded. He really didn't like the way Cameron looked at him. It felt like she was sizing him up. He did know a copy of her program already existed it his chassis for a period of time. There really wouldn't be anything new there for her.
Cameron smiled at him and entered the Owner's Suite.
Jim watched her enter. It caused him to reflect on events.
He was pretty sure after Ally, he was next in 'Cameron's adventures'. It was nothing to look forward to but he would do his duty. He didn't like the thought of a group of Metal girls coming to bring him into custody.
"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor." Jim said to himself.
He walked to the Control Center door and entered. He figured he was at the mercy of one of Cameron's whims.
John was in the bathroom when Cameron entered the Owner's Suite.
Cameron stripped off her dress and hung it up. She left on her necklace and high heels and stood in front of the mirror. She turned a little from side to side. She wondered if the jewelry enhanced her beauty. She was sure a set of nipple rings definitely would. She might drop by Sheila's room and see what she could find later on.
She heard the toilet flush and the sink run for a few seconds. She remained where she was in front of the mirror.
John came out of the dressing room section and looked at the bed. He wore only his underwear and socks. He then looked over and spotted Cameron in front of the mirror.
"Wow!" John said. "You look hot."
Cameron ran her hands over her breasts and then down the curves of her sides.
"I do?" Cameron asked playfully.
She turned and faced John.
John wanted to make sure he got all of his qualifiers in there.
"You do." John said. "You're beautiful wherever your program is."
Cameron smiled. John understood her true self. It took him long enough. It made her think about Jim's and Bob's chassis for a few seconds.
"Thank you." Cameron said. "You're very handsome."
John finished removing his clothes.
Cameron stepped out of her high heels and took her necklace off.
"Will you have me now?" Cameron asked.
John liked her like this.
"Yes." John said. "You know I like things simple."
Cameron did know it. John and the girls all lived simple lives. She allowed them to live how they wanted. They chose the simple life, the life of the future. It was a wise choice. They all could have anything they wanted or desired. There were literally millions of dollars in cash lying around the Resistance base from her forays into the underworld of crime and darkness. They never spent a penny on anything they didn't need. The world they grew up in was about survival, not comfort or excess.
She really hoped the trip opened their eyes to a 'better' life. It was the life she could offer to all of them in the past. The past wouldn't have Skynet in it. She really wanted the best for all of them.
Right now, and for the rest of the week, she wanted John to have the best honeymoon ever. She would soon be with him in yet another virgin chassis.
John wanted to ask about Ally but figured Cameron would take care of everything related to it. He looked forward to having Cameron in a fresh chassis. He smiled to know it would be fresh in more ways than one. He looked forward to the day when he could be with each of the Metal girls for their 'one time' with him. They would all be virgins, even if their chassis weren't. It would still be their first experience. He liked the fact they could all be 'double virgins'.
Cameron came over to him and kissed him. This is where they were now.
"How do you want it?" Cameron asked. "I'm only going to knock one off with you before Ally arrives. I don't want you to finish too early on 'my first time' in her chassis. I want a good experience for her when I send her the file. I want it to be good for myself as well."
John felt he'd done a pretty good job of making sure Cameron 'made it' the first time in all the chassis she'd used so far. Maybe one was a little short, but he'd made up for it right away, as soon as he could.
"I'll let you pick it for me." John said. "You get to pick my pleasure."
John figured she would be on top. She would probably do it for several reasons. It would require less energy use on his part. It would allow him to give her a better performance later on. There were a few ways for her to do it too. He knew for her 'first time', she was always on her back. It was always like that when she reset herself. Even when he'd suggested other positions she always wanted it the same way on her 'first time'. She wanted to 'receive' to start out. She wanted to be 'taken'.
Cameron reached over and scooped him up off of his feet. She then gently set him on the bed. She knew where to start and where to finish.
"Close your eyes and relax then." Cameron said. "I know what you like."
Cameron started a few seconds later. It was clear she was ready. Everything went smoothly.
John did know Cameron knew what he liked. She started doing it now. He closed his eyes and went along for the ride. Only one part of her body touched him with this method. It was the part that counted. It was like being 'started up', but better.
Young Allison kept a watchful eye down the dark corridor. She would only glance back every now and then at Savannah. She actually stopped looking back after the second time. She wanted to keep her eyes dilated for the darkness of the corridor. She needed to spot any 'tell tale' light which might approach them first.
Savannah set her glow stick on the table top as she started to open the electrical cabinets one by one.
She was sure it was all connected to whatever the 'energy thing' was upstairs. Maybe this is where they should use the Thermite grenade. The problem would be to get away before any chain reaction of events started. They would need to explore the passageway to the other building first. It might be their best avenue of escape. Going back up the stairs and out the front, or even the rear, would be insufficient time if there was a catastrophic failure.
Savannah was a little frustrated because each cabinet didn't yield what she'd searched for. She opened the last one. There wasn't a power cell anywhere she'd looked.
"I can't find anything." Savannah said. "There's no power cell here."
Young Allison was worried about it. She was in contact with the door frame as she peered down the dark corridor. There was a noticeable vibration in the door frame. She placed her hand on the wall. It was there too. Whatever was occurring upstairs was getting worse.
"I think we need to move on." Young Allison said. "The low hum we heard is producing a vibration in the walls. It must be stronger now."
Savannah was pretty sure at this point that the part of the building where the energy ball was at, was going to blow up and probably be vaporized. The energy ball wasn't very big. At least it wasn't when they'd last viewed it. If it remained small, maybe the damage would be localized. Maybe it wouldn't. Look what a single split atom could do…. They had no idea what the energy ball was, what it could do, or what could happen to it in a negative sense. She didn't believe there was any positive outcome.
"Let me have the Thermite grenade." Savannah said. "You can start down the passageway and I'll catch up to you."
Young Allison caught the significance of her planned action right away. She didn't like the implications.
"No way, I know what you're thinking." Young Allison said. "I already thought it myself."
Savannah thought she should have been more surprised at what Young Allison indicated. She wasn't. She wanted to keep it simple. She wasn't looking for a one way ticket just yet.
"I can rig it to the door. If someone opens it, they'll set it off." Savannah said. "There's a good chance someone may come to try and shut down the electrical thing. They'll trigger the Thermite grenade when they do."
Young Allison wasn't 'sold' on the idea. She did remember the last man she'd killed seemed somewhat disturbed at the nature of the 'energy ball'. She wondered if maybe she should have let him enter the room and try to contain it or shut it down. It was too late to second guess herself. The energy ball was still there and growing, the Gray was dead. It was time to get going.
They decided to move on.
Savannah returned the glow stick to the inside of her left sleeve. The room went into almost total darkness.
Young Allison opened the door which led to the passageway. She couldn't see anything.
"All I see is darkness ahead." Young Allison said.
Right after she said it, she wished she would have phrased it differently. It sounded too ominous the way it came out. She hoped it wasn't foreshadowing.
Savannah only let enough light escape so it faintly lit the floor in front of her. The idea was, if anyone approached them, they hoped they would use their glow stick at its full strength. It should give them at least a slight reaction time advantage.
She moved past Young Allison. She wanted to issue her a warning about gunfire in an enclosed space.
"Our weapons are suppressed or silenced. If anyone fires a regular weapon in these confines, it's deafening and extremely loud." Savannah said. "You have ear protection so it won't be as bad."
Young Allison was going to switch back to her M4 but decided to keep one hand free. She wanted to see exactly what she could see from Savannah's glow stick.
"I will stick with my M9 then." Young Allison said. "Walk ahead for about fifteen feet or so."
Savannah did.
Young Allison could see the glow of the stick but she lost all detail of the floor.
She moved up a few feet and could make out the details a little better. She didn't want to trip over anything.
"I'm ten feet in back of you." Young Allison said. "I'm going to be on your right side against the wall."
Savannah thought it was a good idea since the glow stick was in her left sleeve. The light is what would draw the enemy gunfire. She wanted to monitor their progress as they moved along the passageway.
"I'm going to pause every now and then to stop and listen." Savannah said. "I'll move the glow stick against my side when I do. We should be in complete darkness."
Young Allison was ready.
"Move out." Young Allison said.
Savannah started down the passageway.
The girls were headed into the unknown. There was a waiting catastrophe behind them. They didn't know if things would get better or worse from this point. One thing was for sure. Going back the way they'd come from didn't seem like a good idea.
John Henry was alerted by CamNet to look at some of the drone footage. They were at various altitudes and off to the sides as they watched everything.
He could see what looked like a faint yellow or orange glow from some of the windows in the south structure. It looked like it might be a fire. It seemed to have a flicker at first but further examination showed it was pulsing at exactly the same rate with an infinitesimal increase in pulse speed with each pulse.
He discussed it with CamNet and they decided it was some type of energy source. It was what Steve and Tom first reported seeing right before the temporal rescue. They'd thought there was a fire in one room based upon its appearance from the outside.
It set off alarms for both of them. They knew what happened to the future energy sources when they were disrupted. They decided the girls were attempting to shut it down to prevent it from going critical. They both thought it looked pretty critical right now. Based upon the known failures of the other future energy sources, this one appeared to be different.
John Henry issued a new warning. No one was to approach the buildings. He explained the situation and what 'Savannah' must be attempting to do. He didn't mention Young Allison yet.
Anna and Mel were directed to fallback further.
The news didn't go over well with the approaching teams.
How were they supposed to get to Savannah if they couldn't approach the buildings?
John closed his eyes as Cameron pleasured him. Only one part of her sheath touched his body. It was smooth and swift. It was over in a very short time.
Cameron moved off of John and lay next to him.
"I could feel things happen pretty fast." Cameron said. "Then again, that way always is."
John felt a little embarrassed. He knew he didn't last long enough to get Cameron even close to a finish.
"I didn't do much for you. I'm sorry I didn't." John said. "I'll make it up to you in Ally's chassis."
Cameron turned her head and smiled at him. She wanted John to last as long as possible as she delivered the virginity of Ally's chassis to him. She wanted to make sure he was good to go in a short while.
"It was the idea." Cameron said. "You rest up and recharge a little. I'll bring Ally when it's time."
John wanted to make sure Ally was good with everything. He didn't want Cameron to pressure anyone. He was aware Ally was a little reluctant so far.
"It's what she wants, right?" John asked. "I just want to make sure."
Cameron was sure. The Metal girls were all very pleased with the experience. They'd all asked her to do it again the same way.
"It's what they all want." Cameron said. "They all want to come back for more, even with me in control."
It sounded exciting to John. He wondered if the policy would carry over to when they returned to the base. He decided he'd better not ask. He knew Cameron promised them all 'one time' on their own too. He thought it was best brought up at some later date as well. He really wondered if there was such a thing as 'one time' when all the players were in the same arena all the time. If everyone liked what they did, they would want to do more.
"I'll do whatever you want, any way you want." John said. "I want you to be happy."
It was what Cameron wanted to hear. It gave her the power to be in control. As long as she controlled what happened, she didn't have a problem with it.
"Rest up and relax." Cameron said. "I'll be back."
John decided to do just that. He was going to need all his stamina for the next round. He wanted to make a good impression on Cameron's 'first time'. He looked forward to 'claim' another virgin while he was at it.
This really was the best Honeymoon ever.
Vanna and Allison danced. They both dearly loved each other. There was something that bothered both of them. It seemed to build up as they danced.
They both knew what the other one thought about right now.
"We need to talk." Vanna said.
Allison nodded. She didn't want to leave before the song finished. She didn't want to seem rude.
"When the song is over we can." Allison said. "I have a few things I want to say. It's almost over."
The song finished twenty seconds later.
Vanna looked around. There were a lot of people around them.
"Let's go somewhere private." Vanna said.
Allison looked to the back of the room when Vanna mentioned it. Holly and Gail-Cam left when they heard what Vanna said.
They appreciated the Metal girls giving them privacy whenever they needed it.
They left the rear lounge.
They saw Holly and Gail-Cam in the near distance, they hadn't gone far.
Allison looked over at them and frowned.
"Let's go outside." Allison said.
Vanna remembered what it was like earlier.
"It will be cold out there in these dresses." Vanna said.
It was getting late.
Allison looked at the clock between the elevators.
"It's later than I thought." Allison said.
Vanna knew where there was a nice warm place waiting for them.
"Maybe we can just go back to the room." Vanna said. "We did a lot today."
Allison smiled when she thought about it.
"It's true. We did do a lot today." Allison said. "It was a fun day."
Vanna didn't see why the fun would need to stop. She looked down at her nursing breasts.
"We can make it a fun night too." Vanna said. "Look at these things."
Vanna indicated her bulging breasts.
"Wow!" Allison said. "The suite it is."
As soon as Allison said it, the elevator door opened.
"That's service." Vanna said.
Allison really liked the way the elevators responded around them.
"It's the magic elevator." Allison said.
Holly and Gail-Cam moved to come and join them. The elevator door closed rapidly before they got there.
Vanna could see the surprised look on their faces. She wanted them to know they weren't responsible.
"It wasn't us." Vanna called out.
Holly and Gail-Cam looked at each other.
They turned to the stairwell and hiked up their dresses. They took the steps three at a time. They hurried to the suite floor.
They arrived before the elevator. They waited in the stairwell for the girls to arrive.
When the elevator doors opened, Vanna and Allison were locked in a deep kiss.
"We're here already." Vanna said as she broke the kiss.
They hurried down the corridor to the private area. The door opened as they approached. Jim greeted them.
Allison felt bad when one of the Terminators 'waited' on them.
"You don't need to open the door for us." Allison said.
Jim wanted to do it. He took his position with extreme dedication as the room steward.
"I want the best experience for our valued guests." Jim said.
Allison was going to make a comment but refrained. It was clear Jim took his 'job' seriously.
He walked them to the Master Suite and opened the door for them.
"Your bed is turned down and there's a night time treat for you." Jim said.
Allison and Vanna walked into the suite. They headed straight for the bedroom. There was a small chocolate candy with the ship's logo on it on top of each pillow.
Allison picked up the candy and looked at Vanna.
"I know what I'm washing this down with." Allison said.
Vanna glanced down at her bulging breasts.
"I think I might need one of the Metal girls at this point." Vanna said.
Allison wanted to give everything a go first.
"I think I can get you off to a good start." Allison said.
Vanna was ready to 'get off'. She wanted to know what was on Allison's mind first.
"Did you want to talk first?" Vanna asked. "We can do it now."
Allison couldn't keep her hands off of Vanna. She was very excited. She wanted to get started right away.
"We can do it after dessert." Allison said.
The two kissed deeply again as they undressed each other. The girls were right where they wanted to be. In each other's arms.
Life was good in Paradise.
Holly and Gail-Cam listened from outside the Master Suite.
"I think Vanna will need me later on." Gail-Cam said.
Holly wanted in on some of the action.
"She does have two of them." Holly said. "I can help."
Gail-Cam was used to 'assisting' Vanna all the time.
"I can switch with you and take Allison." Gail-Cam said.
Holly hadn't been able to be with Vanna or Jesse that much recently. Jesse was off the ship. Vanna wasn't.
"It's a deal." Holly said.
It seemed there was something for everyone.
Ally was bored with the sky lounge. Everyone seemed to want something from her.
She checked her internal time. It was near the time Cameron set.
"I think I'm going to go down." Ally said.
Sheila looked at Ally and winked.
"It will be John's job soon." Sheila said.
Ally was willing to let it happen. She already knew he could never compete with a Metal girl in that department.
"Maybe I'll just ask Cameron to have him do what a Metal girl can't do." Ally said. "I mean without any 'toys'."
Sheila didn't want Ally to get short changed.
"Let him make love to Cameron like she wants." Sheila said. "It will give you a better experience. Love is different than sex."
Ally still had some second thoughts.
"Whatever." Ally said.
Sheila looked forward to her part.
"I'll be waiting for you when John and Cameron are done." Sheila said. "I think the spare bedroom for the Honeymoon suite is good."
Ally wondered why Sheila liked to do it so much.
She was going to ask why when Sheila walked away.
Leticia just walked into the sky lounge and it looked like she was looking for someone. It was probably them.
Ally had a date to keep. Sheila better use some restraint. She wasn't going to be able to babysit her. She figured if she didn't show up on time, Cameron would send the other Terminators to track her down and bring her there. If all of them came, they could take her by force. They would probably just use a Taser on her. She was sure when she rebooted, she would already be in John's bed with Cameron plugged into her and in control of her chassis. No. It's what she wanted to do. It was time. It probably wasn't going to happen any other way. She didn't really think it mattered what Cameron promised. She operated in her own realm.
Vanna and Allison made love with each other. It was beautiful like always.
They never got the chance to speak with each other about what Allison wanted to talk about.
They'd heard Holly and Gail-Cam in the extra room of the Master Suite earlier.
Vanna was sleepy and soon drifted off.
Allison wanted a little more. She checked the time and made her decision. She gave Vanna a soft kiss and whispered she loved her.
She looked at the connecting door to their suite. Holly and Cam-Gail were both very busy and involved. It was what she hoped for. She got up and made her move.
Her night was just getting started.
Anna was upset at the prospect of having to pull back farther. The further away they moved, the less likely they would be able to help in any way.
"What about Young Allison and Savannah?" Anna asked. "They can't pull back. They're in the middle of it."
Mel didn't know what to say other than they should follow their orders. If they didn't, they would soon be incapacitated as well.
It only seemed to irritate Anna even more.
They pulled back even further. It seemed to be a repetitive process.
John was resting when he heard the knock at the door.
He heard Cameron speak.
"Are you sure?" Cameron asked.
"I'm sure." The voice identical to Cameron's said.
John thought Ally was there. He smiled. He was good to go again. He was sure the fresh salt air gave him some extra vigor. He was very pleased with his performance level on the ship the last couple of days. He felt like a new man.
"There is no turning back once it happens." Cameron said.
"It's what I want." Ally said.
"John's resting." Cameron said. "Let me get you ready."
John thought he may have heard them whisper some. He wanted to get things started. He decided to let Cameron know he was ready.
"I need to fill out the room service card for tomorrow morning." John said.
"John's up now. Let's go." Cameron said. "I'll be right in."
"Isn't John supposed to say that?" Ally asked.
He heard Cameron and Ally giggle.
John thought it was funny too.
"Let me bring the tether." Cameron said.
Cameron and Ally walked into the bedroom.
They looked like twins to John. The best part was, they were both naked.
John looked at Ally and Cameron. He wasn't sure which one was which.
"Is this what you want?" John asked.
"It is." Ally said. "I want my one time alone with you too."
At least John knew which one was Ally now.
Cameron nodded.
"It will be so." Cameron said. "I promise."
John got up. Cameron took the end of the tether and plugged it into Ally's neck. She handed the other end to John. She moved her hair out of the way. There was a loud click as he plugged it in.
Cameron whispered in John's ear.
"She wants things to get started right away for the file transfer." Cameron whispered.
John nodded. There was usually some foreplay.
Cameron moved over to her side of the bed and covered herself up. Ally lay down on the other side.
He watched Ally's eyes close and then reopen a second later.
"I'm ready, John." Ally-Cameron said.
John was surprised it would be different this time.
He could see Ally-Cameron looked very nervous. She also looked very innocent.
John skipped the foreplay and moved in as requested.
It all seemed a little different to him. There was a high anticipation level. Everything was going to start right away.
He felt Ally-Cameron's arms on his back as she urged him forward.
Ally-Cameron's reaction seemed more intense when 'contact' was made. It further excited John.
He gave it his all and wasn't going to stop until she made it.
It took a little less time than he thought. He could tell she was close. He wanted to time it so they could finish together.
She held him tighter. They were both about to finish. There was no stopping it now. He felt her nails dig gently into his back as she let out a small gasp. That was a first. He knew she'd made it. They kissed as events culminated.
John thought this was the most exciting time ever, even for being the most simple. Then he saw it. The tether was lying on the pillow next to her head. It was unplugged. She still held him tightly. He quickly glanced over at where Cameron's chassis was. She was up on one elbow as she watched him. He wondered how long it had been going on. She'd just watched him make love to Ally!
John touched the back of Ally's neck. The neck port wasn't uncovered. She'd never been plugged in. It was why Cameron told him to start right away so he wouldn't notice. He should have seen it all along. Her reactions were different and more intense. Everything felt a little smoother and better too.
John went to move off of her. Her legs came up and held him tight.
It was clear to John he'd just made love to someone else and it wasn't Cameron. She was right there while as it happened. She'd watched the whole thing.
Cameron looked at him and winked. She covered herself back over. This was all her doing. She'd set him up.
John looked into Ally's face.
"I didn't know it was you." John said. "I thought it was 'Cameron'."
She wanted to point out one thing to remind him it was OK.
"You did agree to my one time right?" Ally asked. "So did Cameron."
John knew it was true. He didn't think Cameron would allow them to collect.
He was aware Cameron played by her own rule book. He didn't know what she would or wouldn't do at times. He'd been pretty sure she wouldn't honor her promise to the Metal girls though.
John's arms were still wrapped around her back. She still held him close. Her breasts were firmly pushed against him. It was when he noticed. It was the soft rapid pounding. It was a heartbeat! It was highly elevated.
This wasn't Ally.
It was Allison!
The two Grays continued to look for anything Skynet related. So far they hadn't discovered anything. They hadn't discovered any pieces of the Terminator yet either. With the amount of debris scattered around, they could be anywhere, or they could be vaporized.
The first man felt they were too close to the area of destruction. If the police showed up, they were bound to be questioned.
"I think we should just go." The first man said. "Everything here is obviously destroyed."
The second man continued to look around the area. So far he hadn't spotted anything related to Skynet.
"Maybe so, everything looks wasted." The second man said. "I still want to check out the building in back. We need to pass by it anyway to get back to the van."
The two Grays took one last look around at everything in the light of the flames of the remains of the building.
They could see the walls were down in spots on both sides. The first man indicated where he drove the box truck through earlier. He'd driven into the adjoining property to get away from the area. It was his only way to get out with the truck. He was surprised he's been able to go as far as he could with the truck before it quit on him.
The first man pointed to where he'd been in the box truck when the explosion occurred.
"I was sitting right here in the truck." The first man said. "This is where 'circuit brain' told me to remain."
The second man looked at him and at the remains of the vehicle on its side.
"He may have been a 'bucket head', but he clearly saved your life." The second man said. "If you'd have been parked any closer, your body would still be in the burnt out remains of the box truck. It appears to me the car ended up in front of you and shielded you from a lot of the blasts and flying debris.
They continued through the fence into the property on the rear side of the destroyed building. They moved along the side of the building. There was a lot of debris. They reached the door on the west side of the building. The second man paused.
"Hold up." The second man said. "I want to take a look inside of this building."
The first man didn't see what the point was. They should leave the area.
"It will probably just be some homeless freaks." The first man said. "I don't think we want to be around here when the authorities show up."
The second man wanted to know what happened.
"I want to know who did this." The second man said. "You know they'll be coming after us soon. We've lost at least four locations in the last few days."
It still seemed like a bad idea to the first man.
"Let's make it quick and then go." The first man said.
The second man didn't care for the attitude of the first man. He wanted to give him something to think about.
"Maybe we'll find a homeless female." The second man said. "Maybe we'll find a couple of them."
The first man looked a little more positive now.
The second man pulled out his pistol and opened the door. He quickly checked in both directions as he entered. He didn't spot anyone. He motioned for the first man to move around the perimeter of the interior. They both took a quick look. They ended up at the rear of the building. There was a stairway. It appeared to go to a loft type area.
"I didn't find anything." The first man said.
The second man didn't either. He still had a hunch.
"I don't think anyone is still here." The second man said. "Let's go up and take a look anyway."
The second man led as they went up the stairway. They reach the top of the upper section in a few seconds.
They looked in the first room. They noticed something right away.
"I don't think homeless people normally have a tripod with them." The second man said. "It's at the window, or I should say where the window used to be, which faces our building."
They checked the other rooms. They found all the food wrappers and the sleeping bags.
"It looks like this location was under observation for at least a few weeks." The first man said.
The second man smiled in triumph.
"I knew it." The second man said. "It was most likely those nut jobs."
The first man heard other stories as well.
"It might be the group from an even further future." The first man said. "I've heard they got some really good tech."
The second man heard the stories as well. He looks around at the living conditions.
"I don't see anything high tech around here." The second man said.
The first man did think the living conditions looked a little bleak.
"Maybe it was the Metal Haters." The first man said.
The second man knew it was all speculation.
"We really don't know." The second man said. "Let's go."
The two men went down the stairway and looked around the interior of the building one more time before they left. They made their way back out onto the street and looked at all of the debris scattered around.
"I can see it was a really big explosion." The second man said.
The first man was there. It's what he'd told them all along.
"My ears are still ringing." The first man said.
The two men entered the white van parked down the street and drove off. They headed towards the location where the man who'd survived the recent bombing was from.
The female Fanatic looked both ways down the road. She could spot some headlights coming from the east side. It was the direction the second white van had gone. It was the van with a single driver. It was too far away to tell what the vehicle was. She closed up the car and waited. Waiting, it was always the worst.
She could see the vehicle get closer. It was driving with its high beams on. It made identification of the vehicle behind it harder.
She could see the vehicle slow. It was the white van! She quickly looked in the direction of the building. There was still smoke coming up. There were no flames visible. She didn't think the driver would notice what happened unless they paid a lot of attention. She doubted they would. She knew it was time to roll.
The van began to slow even more. She ducked down and looked through the hedge. The van made the turn. She knew it was time to move. She quickly got in the car and started it. She drove up to the driveway and paused for a moment. There was no sign of the van. She knew it was headed towards the bombed location. She backed up slightly and waited.
Waiting was always the hardest part.
The driver of the white van headed back to his parent location. He still didn't have any type of communication with anyone. He knew there was a threat but he didn't know how serious it was.
He made the turn onto the street which would lead to his building. He began to notice pieces of debris in the street. He didn't remember any of it being there earlier. He passed the first cul-de-sac and headed towards the second one. The amount of debris continued to increase. He began to feel a little bit of worry.
The amount of debris increased. He actually needed to drive around some of the pieces. He turned onto the cul-de-sac his building was on. Right away, he noticed a flickering glow. There was smoke billowing up halfway down the street. It was the location of his building.
He stopped the van right after he made his turn. He was afraid if he went any further, he would damage the tires. He got out of the van and proceeded on foot.
The closer he got to the building, the worse it looked. He was across the street from it. Two thirds of the building was collapsed. The remains were a smoldering mess. It was clear the building was completely destroyed. He wondered when it happened. He also wondered why there wasn't any type of emergency response.
He looked back at his van. His first instinct was to run. He decided to take one quick look around. He didn't think anyone could have survived. They would have needed to be outside of the building to have any chance. He saw something that was out of place as he advanced. There were the remains of some type of truck inside of the building. He wasn't sure how it got there. It quickly dawned on him. It must have been a truck bomb.
There was no sign of anyone. He called out several times. No one responded. He tried his phone again to contact anyone else. He thought he needed to warn the mine facility. His phone didn't work. He ran back to his van. He made a three point turn and drove off.
The man in the white van looked back once as he made his turn onto the main street. He didn't spot anyone around. He needed to hurry back to the mine. He checked his mirror once as he drove. There was no one spotted behind him.
CamNet's two Terminators started off in different directions.
Lena took the left branch. She didn't see any signs of activity at all. She wasn't even sure the footprints in the dust were very fresh. It was clear someone had been through there in the last few days. It didn't look like more than a couple of people. She placed one repeater to remain in contact with Tina. She continued along the passageway.
Tina took the right branch. It appeared to her there'd been a lot of foot traffic through the location recently. There were a number of fresh footprints going in both directions. She could hear the sound of metal against another hard surface. She figured whoever they were after was up ahead.
She slowed her approach and searched even more thoroughly for some type of surveillance device. She didn't want to come across a tripwire. She was pretty sure the individuals inside of the mine wouldn't rig an explosive with a tripwire. There was the risk they could create a cave in and trap themselves inside.
There were the sounds of at least four different voices. She filled Lena in on what she'd discovered.
Lena was sure Tina was on the right track. There was nothing in front of her so far. In a few minutes she spotted something. It appeared there was some type of obstruction in front of her. The passageway was collapsed. It was a dead end. She could see there was a big pile of rocks on either side of the passageway. It appeared someone placed them there. She quickly deduced someone attempted to remove the blockage. There was a lot of dust buildup on the stacked rocks. She didn't think it was any time recently.
She informed Tina about her situation. She headed back towards the location of the branch. She picked up her repeater along the way. She increased her pace. She checked the footage of the various surveillance cameras they'd put in place. She really thought it would be nice if they had some drone support. There were no new vehicles parked on the outside of the mine. She paused for a moment and listened anyway at the branch. She couldn't detect any sound from the direction they'd entered.
Tina knew Lena was on her way. She slowed her approach so Lena could catch up. She decided she would terminate anyone she encountered as soon as she spotted them. She didn't think they would have a sentry, but it was a possibility.
Lena quickly closed up the distance and reached the location where Tina was at. They communicated at a low decibel level.
"I think we need to pause here for a few minutes." Lena said. "It should almost be time for another check in."
Tina understood they didn't want to be too close when they responded.
"I thought it should have been one minute ago, two minutes ago." Tina said.
CamNet's two Terminators checked the surveillance cameras they'd left behind at several locations. They'd spotted the two men from one of the white vans at the location where the Terminator was destroyed. They saw the second white van return to the location where the building was believed to have been destroyed. They didn't have any drone confirmation yet.
It soon left the area at a rapid speed. A sedan without its lights on pulled out and began to follow it.
"I believe the female Fanatic has acquired new transportation." Lena said.
Tina was irritated she was even still in the picture.
"We should have terminated her long ago." Tina said.
The communication device Tina took from the terminated sentry crackled. It was time for another check in with the Grays.
Lena decided to move ahead slightly while Tina communicated with Omega.
I'll Let You Pick
When one spots something on another
Such as marks or lipstick
It doesn't take much to know
They don't need to be hit with a brick
Sooner than can be expected
Things all begin to click
In a very short time
One is left feeling sick
No one ever said
Life was a picnic
It all adds up fast
Just do the arithmetic
Go on ahead and play
Think you're cool and slick
Take the game for all it's worth
It's only yourself you'll trick
Things are antagonistic
I'm more than a sidekick
Or maybe I'm just a lunatic
I'll let you pick
Nobody