Chapter 1387
Terminal Velocity
Savannah watched what the Grays were up to from the drone footage. They seemed confused.
"The Grays are in the right area." Savannah said. "I don't think they know the specific location."
It seemed to be the case to Cammy. She wanted to take immediate action.
"I think you're right." Cammy said. "Since we know where the other group is, we can take out the Grays with a missile strike. They're no longer relevant."
Savannah toyed with the idea. If they did, the anti-Metal faction would be on alert and probably shoot at anything or anyone who approached them. She still wanted to attempt her original plan. She still thought it was a worthwhile endeavor.
"I want to try and make contact with them first." Savannah said. "I don't like the fact we need to keep killing Resistance fighters. We're supposed to be on the same side."
Cammy saw no repentance in the anti-Metal faction they'd taken down so far. All of them wanted to terminate the Resistance Terminators.
"I still have to advise against it." Cammy said. "Every encounter has shown them to be violent and vindictive. They're blinded by their own hate. They won't listen to reason."
Savannah wondered about them, their own group. She could say the same about them.
"Have we been any less violent and vindictive?" Savannah asked.
Savannah knew they didn't take prisoners. If they did, it was worse than death. She didn't agree with it either. She knew her hands weren't clean. She was willing to look the other way. It was as bad as participating. It was indirect participation. Then again, it was all done outside of the official Resistance. It was done with the Metal Resistance. It was the very thing the anti-Metal group hated. It was another reason for the anti-Metal faction to hate them.
It seemed hate bred more hate. She was pretty sure it applied to all types of prejudice. Once people made up their mind, it was similar to a belief. It didn't matter if it was true or not. Because they believed it, even if it was untrue, it made it real to them.
Leticia wanted to be with 'Sue'. It was her first choice. The unexpected surprise to be with 'Peggy' and 'Barbara' was a pretty good ticket too. It was actually very sweet. She figured 'Sue' must have wanted to be with 'Tony'. She liked the way 'Barbara' shared 'Tony'. She liked it even better because 'Barbara' was about to share with her. She originally thought 'Barbara' was untouchable. It was actually quite strange how everything was about to play out. None of it was as she'd pictured it would be.
She looked at her bracelet when she took it off before they took their shower. It was definitely the one she saw in the jewelry store on the ship. She really wondered how 'Sue' was able to know she wanted it and how it ended up on her wrist. It didn't really matter. It was hers now. She didn't mind 'putting out' a little to show her appreciation. She'd already decided she was going to do it anyway. It was always rewarding itself.
Mary and Laura raised a lot of questions about the group.
Leticia knew one thing was for sure, it was clear they were 'connected' and 'loaded'. The best part was when they'd gotten her out of several jams. There were some close ones. They always seemed to show up at the last second and stop the trouble. The episode in the park looked like it was going to be a bad one. It was a little close for comfort.
Right now she was with 'Peggy', and it was sweet. As soon as 'Barbara' joined in, it would be a little sweeter. She was a real class act.
Since 'Sue' asked her to be with Tony, she would ask 'Barbara' about it after they'd gone a few rounds. She intended to make the most of where she was first. What could be sweeter than two Hot twins?
She looked over at the night stand when 'Peggy' repositioned herself. She sure liked the bracelet. She worked hard on 'Peggy' to show her approval. It pleased her the way she squirmed in response. She still hoped to be 'Sue's' submissive.
John Henry and Summer were advised Cameron and a team of Terminators were about to arrive near Savannah and Cammy's location. It was a surprise to both of them. CamNet kept it concealed from everyone. It was done by Cameron's request so there wouldn't be any interference.
Summer believed everyone should know the information immediately.
"Why hasn't Cameron contacted Cammy and Savannah?" Summer asked. "The new dynamic will change everything."
John Henry wondered about it too.
"I'm not sure." John Henry said. "I think she's trying not to influence Savannah's decision to try and contact the anti-Metal group. She wants to give Savannah some leeway, even if she doesn't agree with what she wants to do."
Summer thought the team on the ground should know there were reinforcements on the way.
"I think they should know where everyone stands." Summer said.
Summer believed she knew the real reason why Cameron and her team wanted to remain undetected until now. She was sure Cameron was concerned Young Allison or Savannah would 'order' her to go back to San Francisco while the plane was still in the air and they were on it. Either way, she didn't think it was the right move to keep anyone else in the dark.
"It needs to be done now." Summer said.
Young Allison and Anna received the last minute information from CamNet.
"How is Cameron going to be there in less than five minutes?" Young Allison asked. "It took some time for everything to get put into play and make all of it happen. We shouldn't just be finding out about it now."
Anna checked. Everything appeared to have been done at the last minute.
"It was all set up less than two hours ago." Anna said.
Young Allison went over the timeline. It all made sense to her now. She could see there were things wrong on several different levels.
"It wasn't long after Savannah decided to make contact with the anti-Metal group." Young Allison said. "This is disrupting Cameron and John's vacation."
Young Allison decided to get caught up on what was happening on the ship. She informed CamNet what she wanted to see.
Anna thought it was a bad idea. She didn't want any further distractions.
"Don't get involved in anything there right now." Anna said.
Cameron's impending arrival was a distraction which was unexpected. It was certainly an unexpected surprise. It disrupted what Young Allison was concentrating on with Savannah.
"You're right." Young Allison said. "Get me Savannah."
Anna noted the direct communication. Young Allison liked to stay in the background, even if her actions were bold. She wanted to see how far Young Allison was willing to go.
"Do you want John Henry to contact her?" Anna asked.
Young Allison was displeased with what she saw happening on the ship, as well as what was happening where Savannah was. The fact Cameron was almost there was another head shaker. She personally wanted to talk everything through with Savannah.
"No." Young Allison said. "I wish to speak with Savannah."
Cammy tried to talk Savannah out of going on her own again. It didn't work.
Savannah was about to leave. Based on the drone footage she'd already selected her 'target'.
"There's one person of the anti-Metal faction who's isolated." Savannah said. "I'll try to make contact with them."
Savannah was out of the SUV. She put her night vision on.
She received an unexpected surprise when she received a priority message from Young Allison. It must be important for Young Allison to call her right now. She hoped she wasn't going to try and talk her out of what she wanted to do. She felt it was important to at least try to reach out. Skynet was the real enemy. It should be the focus of their attacks.
Savannah took the call.
"Hello." Savannah said.
Pause.
"What?" Savannah asked.
Pause.
"When?" Savannah asked.
Pause.
"You've got to be kidding me." Savannah said.
Pause.
"Right now?" Savannah asked.
Pause.
"I don't agree with it." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I'll wait for Cameron." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I'm not sure." Savannah said.
Pause.
"How can there be worse news?" Savannah asked.
Pause.
"I don't know if I want to hear it right now." Savannah said.
Pause.
"Do I?" Savannah asked.
Pause.
"You've got to be kidding me." Savannah said again.
Pause.
"Do you mean John is with Vanna right now?" Savannah asked.
Pause.
"They're together alone in the Owner's Suite and Cameron is on a jet about to arrive here." Savannah said.
Pause.
"Is Allison next?" Savannah asked.
Pause.
"I know it's really US." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I do understand it's because we're not on the ship." Savannah said.
Pause.
"This is all because of where I'm at right now, and the group we're facing." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I know John has to be protected." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I'm not there." Savannah said.
Pause.
"No. You're not." Savannah said.
Pause.
"It's not happening." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I forbid it." Savannah said.
Pause.
"No. I don't own you." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I know it will happen soon enough. It won't be now." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I don't want to talk about this." Savannah said.
Pause.
"They just jumped?" Savannah asked.
Pause.
"I have them on drone footage." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I told you I'll wait for Cameron." Savannah said.
Pause.
"I love you too. Bye." Savannah said.
Savannah checked her phone to see what the Grays were doing.
"Everything is the same." Cammy said.
Savannah knew Cammy listened to her call.
"I take it you heard everything." Savannah said.
Cammy didn't look at her.
"I did." Cammy said.
Cammy looked up at the dark sky as they heard a jet pass.
"Can you see them?" Savannah asked.
Cammy looked intently.
"Yes. I only see four parachutes." Cammy said. "There should be five."
Savannah wondered if someone was going to do a low altitude opening.
"Did five of them jump?" Savannah asked.
It was the information Cammy received from CamNet.
"Yes." Cammy said.
Savannah looked up. Maybe there was a problem. She looked back at her phone.
"The Grays are on the move." Savannah said. "They've split into three groups of two."
It looked like two of the groups were headed the wrong way. The man the Grays tortured must have been able to give them some bad information. She knew she would attempt to do the same thing. If she was sure she was going out, she wasn't about to help the enemy. She was aware it was what Future Allison did as well. She'd actually tried to set Cameron up to be intercepted by the Resistance when she attempted to enter their base.
Moments ago:
Cameron assembled the team. They were at ten thousand feet. She opened the rear door on the 727. There was a noticeable change in air pressure as well as a dramatic increase in noise. She activated the airstair and lowered it. They were lined up and ready to go down the airstair. Lou confirmed they were ten knots above stall speed to compensate for the airstair being deployed.
CamNet would tell them when to jump based on location, speed, heading and wind direction.
Cameron received the signal and the team deployed. Bob was the first one out. Ally, Hanna and Sheila followed him. Cameron brought up the rear as she told Dan to retract the airstair. The airstair started to retract before she was off of it. They were all two seconds apart.
They could see the objective on the ground. They planned to land a quarter mile past Savannah and Cammy and off to the side. They didn't want to pinpoint Cammy and Savannah's location if they were spotted.
Cameron observed the team maneuver into position with each other. She hurried to catch up. There'd been a little more turbulence than she'd expected. It was probably due to the jet wash from the three engines at the rear of the jet. She watched the jet head away as the airstair was retracted.
She was a little surprised to hear and then see a drone appear over them. It stayed off to the side a little as they glided down.
They were going to open their chutes at fifteen hundred feet.
Cameron watched as four chutes opened. Her chute didn't. She didn't want to hit the ground at terminal velocity.
John Henry and Summer watched the jump from the plane on drone footage. It looked like the last jumper was tumbled around by the jet wash.
"I think that's Cameron." John Henry said. "The airstair started to retract before she was off of it. It put her closer to the jet wash."
Summer was worried about it. It wasn't her only worry.
"The Grays have deployed." Summer said.
John Henry wondered about the direction they were going. It seemed they didn't have a definite direction.
"Two groups are headed the wrong way." John Henry said.
The observation made Summer worry. She redirected a drone to make a pass over the other area. Maybe there was something there they'd missed. They didn't have any first hand information. All they could go by is what they'd observed.
She looked back at the drone over the team in the air.
"There are only four parachutes open." Summer said.
John Henry checked.
"One of them has failed to open." John Henry said.
It was a new worry for both of them. It was already a low opening of the parachutes to begin with.
Summer knew an impact at terminal velocity into the ground by a Terminator, would result in termination.
Young Allison watched with Anna.
"The Grays are moving." Anna said.
Young Allison watched the team as they jumped.
"There are only four chutes open." Young Allison said.
Anna looked.
"The last jumper was buffeted by the jet wash." Anna said.
Young Allison already knew who it was going to be.
"Don't tell me. I bet it's Cameron." Young Allison said.
Anna remained silent.
Young Allison looked at her and frowned.
Vanna felt too much of the past crush down on her. She knew everything was different. She was there by choice. She wanted to do it. It seemed as if everything closed in on her.
"I don't think I can do this." Vanna said. "I want to, but I can't."
John moved off of her and lay next to her. He still hadn't touched her yet.
It was an unexpected surprise, even if it wasn't.
"I'm sorry." John said.
Vanna didn't want John to feel bad.
"No, no, it's not you. It's me." Vanna said. "I'm the one who's sorry. There's a lot weighing on me. I want to get past it and take my sexuality back. I want what's mine. I want what was taken from me. I want my body back."
John lay on his side and faced Vanna. He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He reached over and softly touched her cheek. He wanted to seem as unimposing as possible.
"We'll do whatever you want or don't want." John said. "We don't have to do anything. We can lay here and talk. We can sit up and talk. We can get dressed and talk. We can do whatever you're comfortable with. You're the decider."
Vanna knew it was never an option for her before. She was never given a choice. She never could say 'no'. It always happened anyway. She looked down at John and saw he was ready. She knew if he was one of the men from the future, he would already have done it by now. She still wanted to try it.
"Maybe we can start out slow." Vanna said. "We didn't do any foreplay. I'm excited, even if I'm a little 'fearful'."
John rolled over on his back. He didn't want to make her feel obligated. It wasn't what he wanted. It wasn't what he wanted for her.
"I'll let you control everything." John said. "You can be on top if you want. You can do what you're comfortable with and you can stop at any time. There won't be anyone on top of you to prevent you from stopping when you want. I want you to feel comfortable with yourself. I'm good with anything, one way or the other."
Vanna was determined to have her 'first time'. She was very appreciative of how John supported her without pushing her in any way. Cam told her it was a very beautiful experience, even if Cameron was the one in control. Cam encouraged her to at least try.
"I want this." Vanna said. "I want to do this."
Vanna moved over on top of John. She'd seen others and watched things on the internet. She'd never done it before this way. Her being on top was a first. They usually had her on her back or flipped her over. Sometimes she was on her knees. It was her unfortunate experience that the last two positions usually led to different additional violations, sooner rather than later. It hurt even worse most of the time.
John wanted to gently prompt her. He would do whatever she wanted. Maybe she wanted to start with something familiar first.
"Do you want me to - kiss you?" John asked.
Vanna wanted him to - kiss her. She could tell her body was ready. Her body called to her, even if her mind didn't. She was afraid the longer she delayed; more doubt would form in her mind. She at least wanted to try it on her own, even if nothing else happened further.
"I do, but I'm really ready right now." Vanna said. "I feel like I'm about to overflow. I'm really excited, even if I'm hesitant."
John remembered how Future Riley was. She was very excited in the truck. So was he.
"It's a good thing." John said. "Everything should go smoothly. Take your time. You can stop at any time. This is about you, it's not about me."
Vanna was filled with anticipation. She wanted it very much.
John felt Vanna move a leg on each side of him.
She scooted back a little. She knew what needed to be done.
John was very excited right now too. He really wanted it. He tried to give her a little more encouragement.
"Go ahead. Try to start." John whispered. "You can always stop."
Vanna looked into his eyes as she scooted back some more and lowered herself. She sucked in her breath.
"Oh, John…." Vanna said. "I did it this time. I'm the decider. It was my choice. This is my 'first time'."
Vanna was the master of her fate at this point. Her pent up desire fueled her. Her instincts guided her. The past may have a grip on her, but it no longer controlled her. She was free, free at last.
Cameron struggled with her chute. It didn't open properly. She heard the drone come closer to her. She thought it was going to maneuver under her. She was able to get her chute untangled and it deployed. She was still five hundred feet from the ground when it opened. Her descent rapidly slowed. At least she wouldn't hit the ground at terminal velocity. To know the drone was there to assist her was a welcome relief too. She'd ridden on the back of more than one drone. She just never got on one in the air. They'd always been on the ground when she'd mounted one before.
She was now the one closest to the ground and would be the first one to land. She glided in a little and flared up to lose speed. She landed on her feet in a run. She slowed and dumped her chute. She remained upright. The others all landed about fifty to sixty feet around her in a circle so they didn't foul each other.
Bob would collect the chutes and secure them for everyone.
The Metal girls all checked on Cameron to make sure she was OK.
"I'm fine." Cameron said.
Cameron led the Metal girls towards Savannah and Cammy. They ran at full speed. They could cover a lot of ground quickly. They arrived in less than a minute. They were all combat ready.
Cammy watched all of them come down, even if she couldn't see them land. The LZ was on the other side of a few small trees.
"They all made it." Cammy said.
Savannah was relieved to hear the good news. She was even more relieved when Cameron, Ally, Hanna and Sheila joined them. She was a little worried there were only four of them.
"Where's Bob?" Savannah asked.
Cameron didn't want Savannah to worry.
"He'll be here shortly." Cameron said. "He stayed to police the landing zone."
Savannah expected Cameron to take over the operation. She wanted to give her the option to do so. She knew now wasn't the time to discuss Cameron being there in the first place.
"How do you want to play it?" Savannah asked.
Cameron wanted Savannah to make the decisions. She wanted to remain a support player for the current operation. She made her position clear.
"We're here to back you up." Cameron said. "This is Cammy's and your operation."
Savannah wasn't sure if she liked the idea. Cameron previously allowed her to make the calls before. She knew Cameron wanted to be in control. It showed the two respected each other and trusted the other's ability and judgment.
"There's one isolated individual." Savannah said. "I want to try and make contact with them."
Cameron felt it was a mistake.
"I'm going to say this to remind you these people can't be bargained with." Cameron said. "I understand you want to try something different."
Savannah was aware of some past success. She still felt more needed to be done.
"I want to try." Savannah said. "Duplicate Allison and Duplicate Cameron were able to make some headway 'in some future'. I'll need to deal with this group in the future. I don't want lives wasted if it can be prevented."
Cameron knew it was one of the reasons Future John was targeted for assassination. He'd 'spent' too many lives. Savannah knew it too. She understood the dilemma, even if she didn't agree to the resolution. She was sure everything was made easier because Mrs. Weaver was 'in some future' with them. She was able to deal with the troublemakers, and always make it seem as if their disappearance or death was justified.
Bob joined them.
Cammy looked over at him.
"I've been waiting for you." Cammy said.
The Metal girls all giggled.
Bob looked at the Metal girls.
"That's my line." Bob said.
Ally and Hanna moved out to their flanks to make sure there were no surprises. They were covered by the drones but there could always be someone hidden.
Savannah quickly reviewed what was happening. There were two teams of Grays headed in the opposite direction and one team approached the anti-Metal group from the front and off to the far side.
There were still only a half dozen of the anti-Metal faction spotted. They seemed to be semi-alert, but not on a high alert. They probably missed a clandestine check in by the man the Grays tortured and killed. They had a guard system set up. It didn't look like they took it seriously. She knew it was often the case when people needed to go to a repetitive task which seemed to serve no purpose, even if the purpose was to safeguard their lives.
John Henry came through with an update.
"We're advising you we don't know who the other group is yet." John Henry said. "They could be anyone. Everyone needs to remember It."
Cameron heard the reference to 'we'.
"Do you mean CamNet?" Cameron asked.
There was a slight pause.
"No." John Henry said. "Summer is here with me. It's her concern. She wants to stress we don't know for sure who's there. The anti-Metal operative could have set the Grays up with another group of Grays or the Fanatics."
Cameron was aware Summer was with John Henry. She was pleased with her concern and willingness to speak up. She also liked how she took Claire out of the picture.
Bob knew from his dealings with Summer that she was very prophetic.
"It's advice we need to consider." Bob said.
Savannah knew it was true. When she made contact, she would find out soon enough if they were the Fanatics. She was originally going to approach the position alone. Because there were others there now, she would try a new approach. There was now someone there who might play to her advantage if it was the anti-Metal group.
"I want Sheila to come with me." Savannah said.
Cammy expected to go with Savannah. She was a little upset when she wasn't selected.
Cameron could see Cammy looked a little uneasy.
"Cammy and I will back you up." Cameron said.
Savannah looked at Cameron for a moment. She didn't want them to be too close.
"It's fine." Savannah said. "I need you to hang back a little at first."
Sheila knew why she was selected.
"I take it I get to play Future Jesse if the need arises." Sheila said.
Savannah thought it could be insurance if it was the anti-Metal faction. It may cause some hesitation if they went to shoot her. Sheila wasn't part of her original plan before, but now she was there. She would never endanger Jesse to play Future Jesse. She didn't like endangering Sheila either.
Savannah took Cameron off to the side.
"You need to alert Hanna to some personal danger. If any of these people are really Fanatics, they may have extreme reactions in any encounters with her." Savannah said. "Pair Hanna up with Ally. Bob can cover the position one of them was going to cover."
Cameron knew Hanna and Ally would represent 'The Redheaded Witch' and 'The Good Skynet' as a pair. She would really like to take Sheila's place next to Savannah when they advanced.
Savannah watched as Cameron made the changes.
Cammy didn't want things to get away from them.
"We're going to be right in back of you." Cammy said.
The battlefield was still off a little to Savannah. It really seemed something was missing. She checked for any updates on where the other two teams of Grays were headed.
Young Allison didn't like the changes, even if she welcomed the assistance. Everything Savannah planned was being altered.
"The current events changed the whole dynamic of the operation." Young Allison said.
Anna thought they could always use the drones. Young Allison could act on her own.
"You have the option to take everyone down before anything starts." Anna said.
Young Allison would act if she thought it was prudent.
"I haven't ruled out any option yet." Young Allison said.
She could kill everyone on the ground who wasn't from their group with the drones. CamNet reassured her every drone was in position and ready to act in an instant. All of the enemy combatants were targeted with missiles as well as direct minigun fire.
Holly was with Laura first and very pleased with the experience. She was currently with Mary now. She'd switched with Gail-Cam a short time ago. The new girls were different from their girls. They were both more aggressive and then very submissive at times. She liked the jewelry on both of them. It enhanced their beauty and made them more desirable. She looked forward to going into the adjoining suite with Leticia next. Right now Allison and Cam-Gail were still in there.
Allison turned Leticia over to Cam-Gail. She knew Leticia was in for a wild ride right now. She was about to receive some 'full Metal treatment'. She wasn't going to know what 'hit' her.
She looked in the large closet and found a plush robe. She slipped it on and headed for the private area. She didn't feel like getting dressed. She wanted to check on Vanna. As she approached the private area, the door opened. Jim was there. She knew he could hear everything. She figured she might as well get to the point.
"Hi." Allison said. "How's Vanna doing?"
Jim only listened a little since he took back over his duties in the Control Center. He didn't think it was his place to say anything, one way or the other. He wanted to offer Allison another option.
"I really don't know." Jim said. "I can let you in if you want to check on her. Your card key will open the door as well."
Allison wasn't sure about it. Maybe it was too private of a moment to impose on. She wouldn't want it to happen when it was her turn. She was really warmed up right now and ready to go. She was a little apprehensive about being with John. It was time it finally happened. They both cared about each other and loved each other. They weren't out to 'run off' together and Cameron had leaned pretty hard on her again.
She didn't want Mary, Laura or Leticia in there. She'd just been with Leticia and she was a real number in bed. She felt at a disadvantage. She was inexperienced at being with a male. The three girls from the ship weren't. They really knew their way around the bedroom. She knew they may not actively pursue men anymore, but they were still experienced. She was pretty sure it was like riding a bicycle.
When she thought about a bicycle, it made her think about her birthday party at Griffith Park when she was young. She'd spotted something she'd wanted and asked her father for one. It was a silver mountain bike. Her father was going to get it for her on her next birthday. There was no next birthday party. The world already ended. Well, as far as it used to be. She quickly collected her thoughts. It was better not to think of the past, especially now.
Allison followed Jim into the Control Center. She went over to the pass door which entered the Owner's Suite and listened. She didn't open it. She didn't hear anything.
She wasn't sure how long everything would take. She started to think of the past again. All of her experiences hadn't lasted long. They'd been as short as thirty seconds to maybe around three minutes. All those people were after their own gratification. She was merely the receptacle to get it done. She'd talked with Jesse and even her mother about it. Her mother was very dissatisfied being with a male because none of them ever satisfied her.
She was surprised to hear her mother admit to her the abuse she'd suffered in high school at some alcohol and drug related parties. She was actually passed out when she was first taken and awoke half way through what was happening. His friend went next before she was really aware of what happened. By then, both the boys were gone. She didn't even know who they were. She didn't tell anyone and was glad a week or so later to find out she wasn't pregnant.
"Are you OK?" Jim asked.
Allison looked around.
"I'm fine." Allison said.
Jim thought it sounded like Cameron.
Allison thought about opening the pass door and listening. She was sure Jim would understand.
"She's out." Jim said.
Allison wasn't sure what he meant.
"Who's out?" Allison asked.
Jim pointed at the screen.
"Vanna is." Jim said.
Allison wanted to go to her.
They watched as she entered the private area. She faced the door to the Owner's Suite. She leaned back in. Maybe she just kissed John. She couldn't tell.
She was even more surprised to see Gail-Cam enter the private area. Vanna turned away from the Owner's Suite door and it closed. She ran into Gail-Cam's arms. Gail-Cam held her and then picked her up. She thought maybe Vanna was crying. She wasn't sure. It seemed like something she should find out. Maybe she needed to comfort Vanna herself.
"I'd better go." Allison said.
As soon as she said it, the pass door opened from the Owner's Suite.
John spoke as he entered.
"Hey, Jim, can you tell me where…." John asked and stopped in mid sentence when he entered the room and spotted Allison.
Jim looked at Allison and then at John.
"She's in the Control Center." Jim said.
John and Allison looked at each other. She only wore the robe and he only wore his undershorts.
"Hi, Allison." John said.
"Hi, John." Allison said.
John looked at Jim and then back at Allison.
"Would you like to come inside?" John asked.
Allison smiled. She moved forward and hugged John.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Allison whispered in his ear. "I'm already pregnant with your baby."
Allison looked at the screen where Vanna and Gail-Cam were earlier. They were gone now. She turned her attention back to John.
John led her through the pass door.
Allison thought she needed to clean up some.
"I want to freshen up a little." Allison said.
She headed for the bathroom.
John rushed back into the Control Center.
"Hey, Jim, can you tell me where Cameron is at?" John asked.
Jim didn't think it was a good idea at this time.
"She's keeping herself busy." Jim said. "She asked not to be disturbed for a few hours."
John looked around the Control Center. He actually thought she might be inside of it. Maybe it was best not to force the issue. He didn't have a clue she was about to enter into a combat operation four hundred miles away.
"Oh." John said and went back into the Owner's Suite.
He was back at the dressing room when Allison emerged from the bathroom in front of him.
"You didn't take long." John said.
Allison smiled. She hoped John would.
"I guess I'm about to find out." Allison said.
She moved forward and hugged John. Her robe was open. She was ready for this. All her lady parts were able to respond as intended. They were all doing it right now in anticipation. Tonight was the night and she was ready. She hoped to see what it was really like to make love to someone of the opposite sex. It was long overdue.
The two homeless men took their most valuable items with them and started to walk away from their encampment. They could hear a loud squealing sound on the other side of the railroad tracks. It was at the building where they'd thought the girls might have been taken. They were a little surprised at what they witnessed. It was a very unexpected surprise.
They saw the doors open over the railroad siding. It was where they'd tried to enter the building earlier. They were even a little more surprised when they saw a boxcar start to come out of the building. It was soon all the way out. It was followed by the second one. They appeared to be coupled together.
There was no locomotive. There wasn't the sound of any mechanical equipment either. The only sound was the slight squeal of the wheels on the rusty rails.
"How are those boxcars moving?" The first homeless man asked.
The second homeless man looked across the tracks to the distance beyond. He was just as confused.
"I don't think they're runaways." The second homeless man said. "Someone opened the doors."
They were both a little more astounded to see a female pushing on the rear corner of one of the boxcars. They stood in awe as they watched them pushed several hundred feet away from the building and around the corner of the spur track. There were two females pushing the boxcars. Once they were near the switch they stopped and set the brakes. They hurried back into the building and closed the doors.
The two homeless men looked at each other for a long moment. It took a long time for one of them to speak.
"I think those are the two females we saw earlier." The first homeless man said.
The second homeless man attempted to replay the events he'd just witnessed in his head.
"You realize what we just saw is impossible." The second homeless man said.
In the distance they could hear the sound of a big rig moving. It was followed a short time later by a second one.
The two homeless men started to walk away from their encampment and the strange sight they'd witnessed.
"Do you smell smoke?" The first homeless man asked.
The second homeless man looked around.
"I think I do." The second homeless man said.
They looked over towards the building they'd been at earlier. It was the one the boxcars just came out of.
"I think the building is on fire." The first homeless man said.
The second homeless man was concerned for the two females they'd just seen.
"What about those two females?" The second homeless man asked.
The first homeless man was concerned at first as well. He thought about it some more.
"Wait." The first homeless man said. "I think they're the ones who started it. It's why they pushed the boxcars outside first. Even though we both know it's impossible, even if we just saw it."
Second homeless man was worried.
"They're going to pin this on us." The second homeless man said. "We touched both of those doors on the back of the building as well as the ones on the side. Our fingerprints are going to be all over the building when they do the investigation."
The first homeless man had seen enough. He was done with this area forever.
"Let's hope it burns to the ground then." The first homeless man said. "It should destroy all the evidence. I'm never coming back to this area again ever. There are too many weird things happening around here. Let's get moving."
They headed towards the main street. The crossing gates begin to sound over the road. They looked behind them and saw the headlight of an approaching locomotive.
"If the train is slow enough, I think we should get on it." The second homeless man said. "I don't care where it's headed."
It sounded like a good idea to the first homeless man as well.
"It has to be slow enough." The first homeless man said. "I don't want to get hurt trying to get on it."
They looked over towards the building and could see smoke coming out of the large doors over the railroad siding. So far they hadn't spotted any flames.
The train approached them. It was going slow. They hung back off to the side as the locomotives passed. There were three of them. It was a mixed merchandise train. There were boxcars, tank cars, flat cars and a few auto carriers. They made a quick dash towards a boxcar with an open door.
"What about the rail gang?" The second man asked as they neared the boxcar.
It was a concern of the first man as well.
"If we see them we won't get on." The first man said. "I just want to get out of this area."
The second man needed to agree.
"There's been too much going on around here." The second man said.
The two homeless men made it to the boxcar with the open door. They threw what they carried inside of it. The first man was able to get up into it. He quickly looked inside to make sure there was no one else there. There wasn't. He reached down and he helped the second man inside of the boxcar.
They took one look back as the train began to build up speed. They both struggled to pull the boxcar door closed. They left it open about six inches so they could look out.
"Goodbye to all that." The first homeless man said.
Moments ago:
CamNet's Terminators were instructed to push the boxcars outside of the building first. The other two Terminators there would assist them before they left with the big rigs.
The two male Terminators opened the rear doors of the building over the railroad tracks. Lena released the handbrakes on the cars. Tina and her both begin to push. There was a 'clang' as the slack was taken up between the first and second box cars. The Metal girls were able to handle both of the empty boxcars at a walking speed. It wasn't a problem. They told the male Terminators they could handle it. They told them to get the trucks away.
They already knew the two homeless men were across the tracks. They could see they were pulling out.
"Those two men are going to see us." Tina said.
Lena knew it wouldn't be for long.
"We'll be away from here soon enough." Tina said. "After what they saw in the other building, I think we're the least of their worries."
CamNet informed both of them she'd given an approaching train a yellow signal. It should pass by the area where they were at slowly. If the homeless men wanted to get on to it, they would be able to do so.
They pushed the boxcars down the siding away from the building. They set the brake and returned back the way they'd come. They closed the doors back into the building. They went to the areas where they'd staged combustibles. They lit each one of the piles on fire. They'd already disabled the fire sprinkler system inside. They heard both of the big rigs drive away. A drone went with them. The trucks were headed to a secure location where everything inside would be examined to make sure there are no tracking devices on it.
They looked around the interior of the burning building. The bodies of the men they'd terminated were moved to the locations where the fire would burn the hottest. Any evidence of what occurred in there would be destroyed.
"I think we're done here." Lena said.
Tina still thought there were a few loose ends.
"What about the stiffs at the end of the cul-de-sac?" Tina asked.
CamNet informed them she would deal with it.
The Metal girls took one of the vehicles parked outside of the burning building. They drove away from the area. They turned onto the main street. And made a left hand turn. They could see the crossing gates go up. The freight train the two homeless men got on, just passed.
They turned east after they crossed over the railroad tracks. They saw a streak of light in the sky. A few seconds later they heard a muffled explosion. One of the drones fired a missile down the staircase of the burnt out building. It exploded in the basement below. The entire area collapsed in on itself. There was no fire there. The fire was at the building they'd just left. There would be no emergency response.
CamNet's Terminators headed back to the location where their SUV was parked. They parked the 'borrowed' vehicle two blocks away and walked to their SUV. Everything was as they'd left it. They were directed to go to the location where the female Fanatic currently was at.
The female Fanatic took one more look around her and started up the paved road. It soon turned into a dirt road. She carried two Berettas, two bombs and two grenades. She would have liked to have gotten her hands on another night vision device. There was no such luck. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay on the dirt road for very long.
She wasn't sure if there was a checkpoint or not. She figured the men in both of the two vehicles she'd engaged were in communication with someone. Their absence was bound to raise some type of an alarm. She didn't know for sure if they were tracking the big rig or if they were part of the same group and were the case vehicles. Either way, both of the vehicles attempted to track her at different times.
The paved road turned into a dirt road. She decided to move off of it. She looked over at the gully which ran alongside of the road. It was the same gully she'd dumped the SUV into. The gully was dry. There would only ever be water in it when it rained heavily. It wasn't going to rain anytime soon.
She moved down into the gully. The bottom was uneven, but it was relatively flat. It was approximately five feet deep where she was at. The majority of her body was below ground level. Sometimes it would be a little higher, other times it would be a little lower. If there was a checkpoint, she figured it would watch the road and not the dry gulch next to it.
The gully began to angle away from the road. It wasn't what she wanted to see. She paused and knelt down. She looked at the satellite image on one of the phones. She could see the gully moved away from the road. It went around the far side of the building. Maybe it was best to stay with the gully and approach the building from the rear. There was no way for her to tell what the depth of it would remain as she moved along. She was sure it was getting shallower. Before, only the top of her head was above the level of the ground, now everything above her shoulders was. She began to move along in a slight crouch.
She could see something ahead of her in the dim moonlight. She approached it with caution. It was a fence. She could see the fence had been there for only a short time. It was there for at least one rainfall. There was some debris piled up behind it. She looked for any insulators on the fence. She couldn't see any. She wanted to make sure it wasn't electrified. She didn't think they'd be able to electrify a section which might be underwater at times anyway. She cautiously touched it. She didn't get a shock.
The female Fanatic slowly lifted her head to be able to look across at ground level. She could see the fence ran in both directions. She looked over towards the road which was now in the near distance. She could see a checkpoint. Right now she needed to get over or around the fence to continue her trek to reach the building.
Terminal Velocity
Some will look at quantity
Others will look at quality
There's a big difference
One is more about opportunity
The other may be more
About ability and reliability
Some may seek ambiguity
Others may see it as nobility
Many factors must be weighed
There can be extreme volatility
Which may open some vulnerability
It could even lead to liability
All things need moderation
There should always be equity
Things can't happen instantly
If there's ever going to be security
Stay away from animosity
It could forge a monstrosity
No one wants an atrocity
Things happen fast at terminal velocity
Nobody