Chapter 1571
Go Screw Yourself
CamNet's Terminator was already on his way back towards the location where the two men were at.
The two men continued to search the building with their weapons out. Neither one of them attempted to contact Ajax with their speculation. They didn't want him to return to the location. They weren't sure if he would blame them for whatever went wrong or not. Neither one of them were in a hurry to be terminated.
The first man was very displeased with the current situation.
"This is completely unnecessary." The first man said.
The second man didn't think they had a choice.
"Let's just take a look around." The second man said.
The first thing they did was go around the building to make sure all of the doors were locked. They were.
The first man knew there was one more spot they needed to check.
"Let's go to where the roof access hatch is." The first man said.
The second man didn't really want to go outside to where the ladder was at.
"I think we should just stay in the building." The second man said.
The first man looked a little irritated.
"I'm talking about the one the other guy went up on the roof and tried." The first man said. "Let's see if it can be opened from the inside."
The second man wasn't sure what the point was. If it was locked, it was locked.
"He said it was secure." The second man said.
The first man was still a little wary.
"Where's the other guy at now?" The first man asked. "Where's his truck at? Where are the bodies? Is anything ever secure?"
The second man understood the reference.
"Do you think it's where the Terminator was hiding?" The second man asked.
The first man was pretty sure whoever killed the other men was still in the building when they were in it. He still felt they were lucky to get out alive.
"Let's just take a look." The first man said. "We already checked everything else. It was the only thing we didn't check earlier either."
The two men made their way to the storeroom. They opened the door and went in.
The second man looked at the ladder which went up.
"Let me go up and check it real quick." The second man said.
He figured if nothing else, it might be another way out of the building if he needed it. He wanted to make sure how it worked. He wouldn't have time to waste in an emergency.
The second man went up the ladder. He reached the hatch. He could see the hasp was broken. There was no lock. There was no hasp. He tried to open the hatch to go outside. It wouldn't budge. He took out his phone and shined it around the edge of the hatch. He couldn't see any reason why it wouldn't open from the inside.
"There's no lock on it." The second man called down. "It's jammed. I can't open it from the inside. The other guy couldn't open it from the outside."
The first man went to move away from the ladder. His foot hit something. It slid across the floor. He looked down at it. He could see it was a padlock attached to a hasp.
"I just found the lock down here on the floor." The first man called up. "It's still attached to part of the hasp. It's still locked too."
The second man had already started down. He went back up and looked at the hasp. He could see it was sheared off.
"The hasp up here is broken." The second man called down.
The first man was more certain than ever there'd been an enemy Terminator inside of the building.
"What do you suppose could rip a steel hasp apart?" The first man asked.
They both understood the question didn't require an answer. There was only one thing which could do it. It was a Terminator.
The second man went back up the ladder and put his shoulder up against the hatch. He pushed as hard as he could. He couldn't get it to budge.
"I can't open it from the inside." The second man said. "Maybe it's just a jammed."
It wasn't something either man actually believed.
The second man came down the ladder and looked at the lock and broken hasp.
"It looks like what's missing from up top." The second man said.
Both of the men understood what it meant. They both pulled out their firearms again as they continued to look around the interior of the building.
"I want to check the outside cover on the ladder." The first man said.
The two men walked to the back door. The second man opened it. The first man walked outside. He went over to the cover and checked it. It was still locked. He looked back towards the doorway.
"It's secure." The first man called out.
The first man walked back over to the doorway and the second man let him in. They made sure the door was locked behind them.
CamNet's Terminator was able to follow the progress of the men inside the building through the security cameras. He parked his SUV near where the other box truck was parked. He made his way quickly to the building the two men were inside of. He knew exactly where they were at.
He went around to the rear of the building. He went ahead and jumped up and caught the second rung above the cover over the access ladder to the roof. He moved up across the roof to the access hatch. He straightened the metal he'd bent earlier. He was aware the two men approached the storeroom and would attempt to open the hatch. He held it closed when the second man tried twice to open it. He saw them leave the storeroom on the security camera. He opened the hatch and entered. He bent the hatch closed behind him.
The Terminator made his way down the ladder and to the door of the storeroom. He checked his phone to track their progress. They were by the rear door of the building. They'd just come back inside.
The first man looked at the second man.
"I told you it wasn't nothing." The first man said.
The two men put their guns away as they moved back through the building. They were satisfied there were no threats.
A drone tracked Ajax on his way back to the other building.
The female Fanatic and Jill headed up the alley. They both sported a new look. The female Fanatic had red hair under her hoodie. Jill had curly blonde hair under her hoodie. They didn't look anything like they did when they'd exited the boxcar and killed the gang members who'd accosted them when they came to loot the train.
A police car stopped at the end of the alley in the direction they were headed. One of the policemen in the car briefly looked at them before it drove off.
"Do you think they were looking for us?" Jill asked.
The female Fanatic wasn't sure what was going on.
"I think with all the shooting going on around the train, the police needed to respond." The female Fanatic said. "We no longer meet the description of anyone associated with the area."
There was another round of shooting in the distance.
"Did we start a gang war?" Jill asked.
The female Fanatic didn't think so.
"It was an ongoing problem which would come to a head at some point." The female Fanatic said. "Without any prosecutions because of the new DA, it's a waste of time for the police to arrest anyone. The criminals are back on the street, and have usuall committed another robbery, before the police can even finish their report."
They made it through the alley to the other side.
Jill looked over and spotted a car come around the corner.
"There might be trouble." Jill said.
The female Fanatic looked over. She saw the Impala she'd tossed the keys next to earlier. There was a male with a headband driving it. He continuously looked back over his shoulder as he drove.
While the driver was looking to the rear, another vehicle approached from the other side of the road. There was gunfire directed at the Impala.
The female Fanatic and Jill both ducked down behind a parked car.
The Impala quickly made a right hand turn off of the street. The vehicle which shot at it, attempted to turn around. They impacted a telephone pole as they tried to complete the turn. The impact broke the right headlight and dented the right fender. The other car backed up and sped off after the Impala. The occupants could be seen shouting at each other.
The two females got up and moved along in the direction they were going. They watched a bus make a turn and pull up to a bus stop two blocks in front of them. They broke into a run to try to catch it. It pulled away before they arrived. They heard some noise behind them on the street. They turned around and saw another bus approaching. It was a much larger bus. It was articulated in the middle. It was basically a bus with a trailer, which was open on each end, so people could pass through it.
When the bus stopped, they both got on. They didn't care where it was going. They just wanted to get out of the area.
Jill folded a five dollar bill up and jammed it down the change slot. The bus driver looked irritated when she did it.
The two females looked around at the other passengers as they moved through the bus. There were several open seats in the rear section of the two section bus. They moved to one of those and sat down.
"Is it even safe to be in this neighborhood?" Jill asked. "I've seen some rough neighborhoods before. I think this one tops it."
The female Fanatic was aware most of the intercity areas of all of the large cities, would be destroyed by Skynet on Judgment Day. She wasn't so sure it was a bad thing based upon her observation in the past time period. She was sure it cut down the future Scavenger problem some.
"It's all simply a matter of the breakdown of the rules." The female Fanatic said. "When the rules aren't enforced, there are no rules."
Jill figured the same statement applied to a lot of things. There were rules for certain reasons. She knew she'd broken more than a few of them herself. It was one of the reasons why she ended up homeless.
"I really don't see how any of this can ever be fixed again." Jill said.
The two females watched patrons get on and off the bus as it drove away from the area. It didn't take long before they didn't hear gunfire or sirens anymore.
Lena and Tina were alerted to what the drone discovered as they drove the SUV towards their new target.
The drone picked up a mangled body near a switch. It appeared the individual had been run over by the train. They were missing several limbs and looked like they were busted up pretty bad. A short time later the drone picked up another body. It was near a trestle over a dry gulch. It appeared as if the individual fell, or was pushed, from a moving train to be in the location he was at. A few minutes later another body was picked up near a body of water. All of the bodies were located within a ten mile section of track.
CamNet began to pay close attention to the drone's discoveries. The drone quickly tracked the train which passed in the direction earlier back towards the city. The drone made a surprising discovery as it found the train. It appeared to be in the middle of a gang war. The police had just started to arrive.
Lena and Tina looked at all the footage as it unfolded.
"There's a lot of destruction and chaos going on down there." Lena said.
Tina was aware a body count always seemed to follow the female Fanatic around. What occurred around the train appeared to be a local matter. It was par for the vicinity.
"It seems to be typical behavior for the neighborhood." Tina said. "I'm actually surprised there's a police presence involved."
The drone images showed there appeared to be a dozen bodies on the ground. Most of them were around the train. There was a police presence now. They attempted to round up some of the perpetrators. Most of them ran off in all directions. The police were able to assist some of those who'd been shot and we're still alive.
The drone searched for any images of the female Fanatic and her accomplice. None were spotted in the vicinity. The drone made a sweep of the entire area around the railroad tracks. There were no hits detected. The drone moved on to some of the locations they'd visited previously.
Two men returned to the white van near the warehouse at the end of a dirt road. It turned around and went down the dirt road. It didn't pause anywhere along the way. There was still a vehicle on its side in the drainage ditch. It didn't appear anyone discovered it. There was no help for the dead anyway.
Lena and Tina were put on an intercept course with the white van. They hoped its next destination would provide them with a new target.
Cameron and Savannah were in the hot tub at the rear of the houseboat. It was registered and marked as a 'research vessel'. The simple act of 'hocus pocus' by CamNet, gave them the ability to operate anywhere on Lake Tahoe with what was essentially a luxury houseboat.
Savannah needed to rest after Cameron treated her to a special 'vibrating finger' experience.
Cameron was a little worried she may have overdone it.
"Are you OK?" Cameron asked.
Savannah went pretty far with the experience Cameron just provided. Her breathing returned to normal, or at least a little closer to it.
"I'm good. It was a wonderful pleasure." Savannah said. "I want to offer you one. Take a look around at everything. You'll see more, than just what's there."
Cameron and Savannah now sat side by side and took in the scenery. It alone was a rewarding experience for both of them.
The varied depths of Lake Tahoe, and the way the sunlight reflected off of the water, caused several variations in the color of the water. It went from dark 'Royal Blue' to 'Emerald Green' in different places.
"Look, the water is green over there." Savannah said.
Cameron knew where they were. She switched to several vision spectrum choices before she returned to 'normal'.
"It's 'Emerald Bay'." Cameron said. "The water is very shallow in that section. The water is actually clear. It's the vision spectrum you see which makes the color look different. The water is the greenest color at the entrance where it's the shallowest."
After they passed Emerald Bay, the speed of the houseboat picked up. Because it was a flat bottom type, the ride was a little rougher.
Cameron monitored Savannah's skin in the morning sunlight.
"You will need some strong sunblock soon." Cameron said. "I don't want you to have tissue damage. The effects can show up years later."
Cameron recalled seeing some 'beach babes' who were older. The skin below their necks, and between their breasts, now resembled leather, with darker spots on it. It was dry and rough too. She watched one of them change her top. The area of her breasts which was normally covered with a bikini top, or a bra, was still a pale milky flesh color. The skin was still soft and resilient. The darker leathery skin was all from repeated sun exposure.
Savannah previously found some sunscreen in the bathroom in the lounge area of the boat. She was happy with the texture and color of how everything was now. She didn't want any of it altered unnecessarily.
"I put some on earlier." Savannah said. "I don't usually get this much direct sunlight for so long. I don't want to look like a 'leather chest'."
Cameron didn't want Savannah's skin damaged or sunburnt because she was naked now. She normally wore a nice one piece bathing suit like Vanna always did. Cameron bought her bikinis before. Savannah didn't feel comfortable around others in them. Vanna was very protective of her and didn't want males to look at Savannah. She knew where those looks led.
There was something Cameron wanted. It was something she couldn't get enough of.
"Let me do one more thing and then we can go back inside for a while." Cameron said.
Savannah was about to ask what it was, when Cameron disappeared under the bubbling water. She felt Cameron gently pull her to the edge of the seat. Things got good real fast for her. She leaned her head back as Cameron pleasured her. She made it three times before Cameron returned to the surface.
"It was beautiful." Savannah said weakly. "I'd drown before I could do the same for you."
Cameron lifted Savannah out of the tub and set her on the padded edge of it. She draped her robe around her shoulders.
"Can you walk?" Cameron asked.
Savannah stood up with Cameron.
"I think so." Savannah said. "I usually recover pretty quickly."
Cameron picked up her robe and put it on. She helped Savannah put hers on the proper way.
Savannah thought part of her unsteadiness was also due to the speed of the flat bottomed boat. The multitude of finishes left her even more drained.
"I'm good." Savannah said. "It seems I need my 'extreme finish legs', more than I do my 'sea legs'."
Cameron didn't think so. There was a very specific image in her mind.
"It's what's between them that's beautiful." Cameron said. "I wish I looked like you, or at least I was the same pigmentation everywhere. Your pigmentation is very unique and extremely beautiful."
Savannah was used to the way Cameron 'looked' from all the versions of 'Allison', to all of 'Cameron's clones'. The slightly darker pigmentation was just part of it. People were how they were.
They entered through the glass doors into the lounge area of the houseboat. They passed through the dining area and went past the galley.
Savannah didn't want Cameron to become obsessed with certain things. She realized it was something Cameron might do. She wanted to make sure there was no experimentation involved.
"I like you just the way you are." Savannah said. "It's part of what makes you – you. Keep it that way. I like everything just the way it is."
Cameron thought she could at least borrow Hanna's chassis to be with Savannah. Wait. She would borrow Anna's chassis. It was still untouched by anyone. She could have the 'first' experience in it with a female, and then a male with John.
"I can always borrow a chassis." Cameron said.
Savannah wanted to try something. She'd thought of it before, but wanted it to be special. Since she was with Cameron, it could be. She was ready to experiment a little bit more with her sexuality. She wanted to take the next step. She wanted it to be unique. There was a way for her to 'give' Cameron something special, even if it was a technicality. She at least wanted to try it one time to see what it was like.
"Can you borrow a male chassis?" Savannah asked.
Savannah asked Cammy before, but Cammy declined. Sheila told her she would do it, but CamNet put the lid on it. She didn't know CamNet threatened Cammy and the other Metal girls with deactivation if any of them did it with Savannah in a male chassis. CamNet said they could do it with any other female except Savannah and Young Allison. CamNet was very possessive with both of them.
Cameron tilted her head slightly. It was something she'd thought about, but not with Savannah. Now it was. She knew there could only be one reason Savannah would ask for a male chassis. It would alter her plans.
"Don't you want John to be your first?" Cameron asked.
Savannah wasn't too happy about 'everything' John already 'did'. She didn't even know about last night's activity yet. She knew it could be a 'first' for Cameron and her.
"I'd like to give my true virginity to you." Savannah said. "John has already 'busted' enough virgins. I don't want to be one of many. It would be a 'first' for both of us that way. It would be special to both of us forever."
Cameron wanted the experience. She wanted the virginity of both Savannah and Young Allison. She would take Anna's too. She should have done it with all the Metal girls as well. She could have been the one to 'bust' all of them instead of being 'busted' in their chassis by John.
Wait!
With a chip swap into the male chassis and a tether, she could be both a male and the female at the same time! It would give new meaning to the term to 'go screw yourself' or the other less couth variations of the saying.
"I'm in." Cameron said. "I'll do it. I want to. I want to be your 'first'. You will be my 'first' too in a male chassis. You were my first female as well with my chassis."
They went up the spiral staircase.
Savannah was aware Cameron was in a male chassis more than once. She wanted to make sure she'd be Cameron's 'first'.
"Did you ever do anything similar when you were in a male chassis before?" Savannah asked. "I want to know everything."
Cameron did manually stimulate herself in each of the chassis. It was quite messy. She actually found the 'junk' to be unsightly and in the way. She almost removed it from the different chassis. It would take a long time to regenerate. Everything would most likely be smaller when it did. She didn't want to 'short change' any male Terminator who inherited the chassis later on. She dealt with the nuisance.
"No." Cameron said. "I was only with myself."
Savannah giggled. It was how they all started out.
"It will be a real first for both of us then." Savannah said. "I'd want nothing more than to have my 'first' male experience from you."
Savannah wanted to 'give' Cameron something special. Her 'first time' could only be once, unlike what Cameron was able to do by 'borrowing' other female chassis.
Cameron was going to check to see what male Terminators were the closest to them. She wanted the experience now. She wanted Savannah's virginity. She would block all her files so it would really be like her first sexual experience.
She was aware all males weren't the same. Some had more to offer than others, quite literally.
"Do you have a preference for the chassis?" Cameron asked. "There are 'differences'."
Savannah repaired male Terminators before. She'd seen a size variation. She also knew the erect size could be different in each of them as well. She'd read in Cosmo flaccid size didn't always correlate into a proportionate erect size. She briefly wondered after two children if she should go for a bigger size. She wanted to make sure Cameron was satisfied.
Cameron began a visual inventory of what the different male chassis could offer. Of the three she'd been in, Jim's chassis packed the most 'punch', so to speak. Bob and John Henry were about equal. They weren't far behind.
Savannah didn't want Cameron to do to the males, what she'd done to the females. Cameron's act of selfishness bothered her.
"I would prefer you use a chassis which hasn't been activated yet." Savannah said. "I don't want you to take anything away from them like you did the females. I don't want it to be my 'father' either."
Cameron didn't think she'd done anything 'wrong' by what she'd done. They would all still get their first time at some point. She didn't know of all the activity which occurred since she'd left. She didn't know the Metal girls decided they would collect what was due them. None of them thought Cameron would live up to her promise. While the cat was away, the mice did play.
CamNet blocked everything from Cameron including the operations. She'd blocked out and supported what Cammy orchestrated with the girls from the ship too. She would need to make sure Cam, Gail and Samantha were all able to be with John before Cameron returned and found out John was with everyone. She would try to keep Riley out of it though, but wouldn't stop her if she did. It would be a real slap to Cameron's face. Cameron deserved it for being with Savannah. She would however support what Savannah 'wanted', even if it was Cameron, and Cameron in a male chassis. Savannah's happiness was more important than her possessiveness. She knew love was about sacrifice. She would sacrifice for Savannah's desires.
Cameron quickly considered a few things she could do. Maybe her head, or at least her face, on a male Terminator chassis would work too. She could use a little 'temporal management' and do it very rapidly. She was sure CamNet would assist her.
Savannah wanted to look out from the bridge of the boat. They did it for a little while. She took control of the boat at one point just to see how everything handled. She was aware CamNet would hear their conversation. It was her way of silently asking CamNet to make it happen for her.
While Savannah controlled the boat, Cameron contacted CamNet with what she wanted. CamNet said she wanted to do the same thing as well. They argued over it since Cameron told CamNet 'no'.
'We'll see.' CamNet responded.
CamNet already set things in motion on her end.
Cameron abruptly ended the conversation. She was sure CamNet would deliver what she wanted. She'd often butted heads with CamNet and Cammy over Savannah. She believed Savannah belonged to her. Cammy and CamNet were just placeholders because of necessity.
Savannah liked to control the boat. She took it up to full power for a short time. The ride noticeably worsened. She cut the speed back some. She didn't want to get seasick. She'd seen some motion sickness packets in the bathroom of the lounge area. She would check in the bathroom of the Master Suite as well.
"I want to see the engine room later on." Savannah said. "I like to know how everything works."
Cameron was elated with the new prospect of being in a male chassis to see how everything 'worked' on it with Savannah.
"We can visit the engine room after dessert." Cameron said.
Savannah knew what Cameron wanted. She owed Cameron a couple of finishes for the ones she'd given her in the hot tub. She turned the controls back over to CamNet and she headed aft with Cameron. They passed the spiral staircase and the other smaller cabins. They entered the Master Suite.
She went and looked in the bathroom of the Master Suite. There was a large bathtub with hydro jets, a large shower, two sinks and a separate enclosure for the toilet. It was large in itself, with a small sink. She found a packet of the motion sickness tablets and took two. She knew she needed to take them before she became ill, before the best effect.
"This is a really nice bathroom." Savannah said.
She exited the bathroom and faced Cameron. She moved close to her and kissed her. The more she thought of Cameron in a male chassis, the more she wanted it.
"I want you to be my 'first'." Savannah whispered in Cameron's ear as she slipped off her robe.
Cameron returned the kiss and slipped off Savannah's robe.
"You were my 'first'." Cameron whispered.
It pleased Savannah greatly to know she was Cameron's first female.
They headed for the bed. They both got on it.
Savannah gently held Cameron down.
"My turn…." Savannah whispered. "I owe you a few finishes."
Cameron knew when not to protest. She wanted Savannah's love. She enjoyed everything as Savannah worked on her from head to toe and back again. It was Savannah's time in the 'middle' which she'd enjoyed the most. Apparently Savannah really did like the way she looked there. It was where she spent the most time. It was good enough for her.
The boat continued along the circumference of Lake Tahoe. Cameron and Savannah shared with each other and made sweet love. There was no other place either of them would rather be. They both looked forward to the special treat they'd discussed.
Claire asked John to look in on Summer for her. He walked along the hall towards her room. He felt a little uneasy. He knew he looked at her often. He was drawn to her. He wasn't even sure it was of his own doing. There seemed to be an invisible magnetism about her. He was sure it radiated from her being. Now she was at the base.
His eyelids felt heavy as he approached the door.
The door was open as he approached. He looked in and knocked. He didn't see Summer.
There was something in his mind from earlier. It started to come back to him. It was something about his mother and Claire. He almost could retrieve it. It was almost back.
"Hello." John said.
There was some noise in another room.
"I'm in here." Summer said. "Come in."
John wondered where 'here' was. The door to Claire's room was open as was the bathroom door.
The thought of his mother and Claire was stronger now.
He looked over on Summer's bed and her nightgown was there. He briefly received a flash of it on the floor earlier. The thought of his mother and Claire began to slip away as he contemplated the nightgown on the bed.
There were also two tops, a pair of pants and a pair of underwear on the bed.
"Hi, John…." Summer said.
John jumped about a foot.
Summer came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. He couldn't help but look at her. She picked up the pair of underwear and slipped them on. The towel was still around her.
John tried to think how he'd gotten there and why. His mind seemed to have a lot of confusion in it.
"Your mother asked you to check on me – I mean for me to check you. No! I mean I should check on you for her." John said.
Summer was ready for him. She wanted to keep him confused.
"Are you sure?" Summer asked. "I thought you came to see me because you knew where my room was at…."
John looked at the door. He needed to get out of there. Things were on the move.
Summer wanted to hold him there.
"Which top do you like better?" Summer asked.
John looked back at the tops. His eyes drifted to the nightgown and the bed itself…. He refocused.
"The blue one looks nice." John said.
Summer picked it up and held it in front of her.
"Are you sure?" Summer asked. "I want to look nice for you."
John watched the towel slip to the floor as Summer put the blue top on. She put her pants on next.
Whatever he almost remembered about Claire and his mother was gone forever. The image of Summer was forever burnt into his mind. She reminded him of someone. He was in deep. It was just as bad.
"How do I look?" Summer asked.
She arched her back and rotated from side to side slightly. The top was skin tight. Everything was prominent.
"You look beautiful." John said.
Summer smiled.
"Thanks." Summer said.
Summer looked in the mirror.
"Maybe this top is too small for me now. I don't want to hold anything back." Summer said.
She went back over to the bed and stripped the top off and put the other one on.
John felt more than a little confused. It couldn't be happening.
"How about now, how does this look?" Summer asked.
John knew he needed to leave.
"It's very pretty, like you look." John said.
'Did I just say it out loud?' John wondered
Summer tossed the towel and blue shirt in the clothes hamper. She folded her nightgown and went to put it under her pillow.
"This is all I wear at night." Summer said.
John swallowed hard. He remembered the image of the nightgown on the floor. If it was Summer's, it indicated a lot.
Summer paused with the bedspread pulled part way back to get to the pillow.
'I could open it all the way up'.
John blinked.
'Did she say that?' John wondered.
Summer was in control.
"Did you have something else in mind?" Summer asked.
She still held the bed part way open.
John shook his head. What if he said - yes? He'd needed to clear his mind.
"If I did, I forgot." John said.
Summer smiled and put the nightgown under the pillow. She pulled the bedspread back up.
"Let's go." Summer said.
'The bed won't go anywhere.'
John was sure she hadn't said it, even if he'd 'heard' it.
She took his hand and led him out the door. She released it and reached back to close the door.
John swayed slightly. Maybe it was from lack of sleep.
He looked at the closed door. He looked around.
'Where did Summer go?' John wondered.
The door to Summer's room opened and she walked out. She was dressed differently than she was a few seconds ago.
"Hi, John…." Summer said. "Did you come to see my mom?"
John was at a loss for words. He wasn't sure he'd even knocked yet. There seemed to be a lot happen, but it was all in his own mind. It was clear he'd experienced a daydream. He hadn't had much sleep recently. He might have actually been sleepwalking. He really didn't know.
"I was about to check on you, I think." John said.
Summer looked back towards her room.
"I was doing my school work." Summer said. "I've been working on it for two hours straight. I didn't even have time to take my shower yet."
John was confused. He was sure what happened a few minutes ago was real. Maybe it wasn't. Was it all in his head?
"You didn't?" John asked.
Summer started towards the commissary.
John hurried after her.
"I didn't what?" Summer asked as she glanced back.
John didn't want to say. He quickly adjusted things.
"Nothing…." John said. "Your mom will have breakfast ready soon."
Summer looked back at him and smiled.
"Thanks for checking up on me." Summer said. "I'm glad you know where my room's at."
Summer looked forward again and suppressed a giggle.
John wasn't sure what he'd seen this morning. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night and it showed. He wasn't sure what was real at this point. There were things he thought happened but clearly they didn't. He wasn't even sure where some of them came from.
One thing was for sure. It all couldn't have been real. There was never enough time for anything to have actually occurred.
He adjusted his pants again. He was glad he was behind Summer. It was a sobering thought to him. He needed to get things under control. Everything had been running wild and basically out of control for the last day. Maybe it all started to go out of control when they went on the cruise. He often wondered if it was the beginning of the end.
Maybe it was the beginning of the beginning….
Anna still was next to Young Allison. She watched her sleep. It was something she often did. It just wasn't next to her in her bed like this.
She still held Young Allison's hand. She scanned her contentiously. There was no indication there were any bad dreams this time. It was a good thing.
She thought about conditioning Young Allison but settled for telling her she loved her instead. She waited for the start of REM to do it just a few times.
She hoped it would provide Young Allison with a more pleasant dream.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Temporal Mission:
Past Timeline:
November 26 1963
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Cameron stood in back of Young Allison as the locomotives approached. When Young Allison took a step back, she did as well.
The sound as the locomotives passed in the enclosed space was very intense. They could feel the shaking of the ground as well as reverberations from the walls of the tunnel. The air quality around them took a significant turn for the worse from the diesel fumes of the locomotives.
Cameron looked at the locomotives as they passed. There was an F7A on the point. It was followed by two GP9 units running back to back.
Young Allison watched as the locomotives thundered by. She felt even the sound of the freight cars on the track was very loud as they passed by.
Cameron detected a sound which was out of place. She took a quick look out from the alcove along the side of the approaching train. She spotted what made the noise. It was something very dangerous.
"Move into the rear corner directly in back of me." Cameron said.
Young Allison quickly followed the instructions. Cameron stood directly in front of her with her back to the railroad tracks. She thought it could be some type of romantic moment, but she knew it wasn't. It was clear Cameron reacted to some type of danger. It made her feel very apprehensive. She could only think of the worst case scenario.
"What's wrong?" Young Allison asked. "Is the train going to derail?"
It seemed like a really bad place to be if a train derailed. Young Allison wondered if there were any tank cars carrying chemicals or petroleum products.
Cameron didn't like the prospect of something so serious.
"There's some type of loose equipment on one of the cars coming." Cameron said.
Young Allison could hear it now as well. There was a strange metallic 'singing' noise. It continuously changed in tone the closer it got. She was about to ask what it was, but it was by them in a second. She heard a definite 'thwack' on the other side of the safety alcove from which they were on. The metallic singing noise faded.
"What was it?" Young Allison asked.
Cameron glanced back as the sound passed them.
"It was one of the metallic straps which binds a load of lumber together." Cameron said. "It broke at some point. What you heard was a twelve foot section of it bouncing around as it hit the ground and the tunnel walls. It could prove fatal to someone if it hit them in the face or neck.
Young Allison understood better now why there were safety alcoves in the tunnel. Just laying on the ground next to the railroad tracks might not be such a good idea or safe.
"What will happen with it?" Young Allison asked.
Cameron could only speculate.
"More than likely, at some point it will catch on something and break off." Cameron said. "There's always the possibility it could catch on something and it could pull off the section of lumber it was attached to. It would create a catastrophic incident if it did. It might even lead to the derailment of the train."
Young Allison didn't think there was much they would be able to do about it.
"There's no way for us to notify anyone." Young Allison said. "We don't have John Henry or CamNet here to help us."
Cameron took a glance out along the side of the train. The end of it was in sight.
"The train will be by us in nine seconds." Cameron said.
Almost as soon as Cameron finished her statement, the rear of the train went by.
Young Allison was immediately reminded about something.
"It almost seems strange to see a caboose on the end of a train." Young Allison said.
Young Allison was aware the majority of cabooses on the Southern Pacific were bay window cabooses. Instead of the brakeman and conductor sitting at the top in a cupola and looking out and down, they sat on each side of the caboose and looked forward
The pressure feeling inside of the tunnel changed as the train moved down the tracks. The feeling of wind was gone almost as quickly.
Cameron didn't know if the 'rear end' crew would be able to spot the danger.
"If one of them sees the occasional sparking against the side of the tunnel wall, or the rock and dirt kicked up by the loose band, they should radio the 'head end' about the potential hazard." Cameron said. "It's part of the purpose of having crewman at the rear of the train. It's hoped they can spot a shifting load or other potential hazard before it causes a derailment."
Young Allison cautiously moved out of the alcove and looked in the direction the train went. She turned around and looked in the direction it came from. There was nothing there but the light of the distant porthole.
She took a moment to shine her powerful flashlight on the edge of the alcove they'd been in. She could see a fresh white gouge in the concrete where the errant metal band struck it. She shined her light along the wall. All the scratches and gouges she saw in the cement made sense now. A lot of stuff had been loose over the years. There was no need to dwell on it. What was done, was done. It was time to move on.
They moved back out into the opening and continued on towards the eastward facing portal of Tunnel 26.
Young Allison originally thought it would be fun to be inside of the tunnel when the train passed. After the incident which occurred, it didn't seem as fun at all. She understood better why there were 'No Trespassing' signs posted. It wasn't all fun and games when it came to railroading. It was serious business.
The train was through the tunnel in no time. They could clearly see the eastward facing portal was now open.
"Let's pick up the pace." Young Allison said. "I think I've experienced enough of the big tunnel."
Cameron listened as they moved along through Tunnel 26. She could detect an air horn in the distance in the direction they were headed. She figured it was the train which just passed by crossing Chatsworth Street. A minute later she heard it again. It wasn't the only thing she heard. A few minutes later, there was the sound of another air horn. There was a slightly different tone to it. She quickly deduced it was a second train. There was probably a train sitting on the siding in Chatsworth waiting for the train which went by them to pass it. It sounded as if it just signaled for the crossing at Devonshire Street. It would most likely pass through the 'spring switch' at a reduced speed until it was fully on the main line. It would then make a run at the hill.
She was aware when two trains passed each other, if one of them was stopped, a crewman needed to get out from the stopped train and go to the opposite side of where the other train would pass. It would allow eyes on both sides of a passing train. They should spot the loose band and report it to the crew of the train which passed by earlier.
A couple of minutes later, Cameron heard the air horn signal for a street crossing again. She figured the train coming towards them was now at Chatsworth Street. It would probably be to their location within the next ten minutes. She looked towards the ever larger growing eastward facing portal of Tunnel 26. They wouldn't be out of the tunnel before it arrived.
"There's a train coming uphill towards us." Cameron said. "We're still going to be in the tunnel when it arrives."
Young Allison felt a little apprehensive.
"Beautiful…." Young Allison said.
Screw Yourself
Everything unfolds with time
There's always a new task
One's former glory and accomplishments
Soon become another type of mask
Feelings which once existed and thrived
Turn to ice and then stone
Even when someone is there
They remain isolated and alone
Shortcomings are easy to conceal and hide
With some varnish and polish
They do little to change the fact
When one is really selfish
When the inner door
Only opens in one direction
There's never an even exchange
There's no salvation or protection
It doesn't take too long
To regulate one to the shelf
The options which are left
Leaves you to screw yourself
Nobody