Chapter 503

Greatest

Sheila headed outside of the burning building with the deactivated female Terminator. She Tasered her and pulled her chip when Cameron drew some gunfire to distract her.

Ally watched Sheila approach with her 'cargo'. It was a 'Metal Bitch'.

"Who's the new skirt?" Ally asked.

Sheila was just the delivery girl.

"Cameron wants her for parts." Sheila said.

Hanna looked over the new arrival. It seemed like a waste to carve her up. She was complete. She was nothing to write home about in the looks department. There was still some 'appeal' to her.

"She's kind of plain, but still sort of Hot." Hanna said.

Sheila wanted to do a better inspection.

"I'll inspect her for 'damage' later on." Sheila said.

Sheila already did 'inspect' her as she gave her a 'once over'. She wanted to check out some specific areas since they were all different on every female. There was nowhere to know where Skynet could hide a tracker, until the area was checked.

Ally watched Sheila 'inspect' every Terminator who was deactivated before. Sheila spent a lot of time on the females. She would have to think it was more 'abuse' than an 'inspection'. No part was left untouched.

"I'm sure you will." Ally said. "Just like you inspected all of us…."

It was something which emanated from inside of Sheila. It was almost beyond her control. She was sure the 'Neural Interface' played a big role in it.

"I can't help it. It's the 'Jesse' in me." Sheila said. "Jesse was, and still is, very 'hungry'."

Hanna looked around the compound. There was no more shooting. There were no more screams of the dying. There was only the sound of the burning building.

"We can let our Terminators finish up here." Hanna said. "It looks like it's over."

Ally wasn't ready to leave yet. She felt they overlooked something. It seemed pretty important to her.

"What about Cameron?" Ally asked. "We should go help her."

Sheila was only following orders. She wasn't trying to make waves.

"Cameron told me to take the 'Metal Bitch', go find you two, and leave." Sheila said.

Ally saw it differently. She knew how Cameron operated. She liked to take the risks alone. Cameron was still inside the burning building. Even if she was underground, she wasn't going to leave her there by herself.

"I'm going after Cameron." Ally said.

Ally started to go inside the building. Hanna followed her.

Sheila wanted to go as well.

"Wait for me." Sheila said. "I know where everything is at."

Sheila looked around and spotted the closest male Terminator. It was Al. She motioned for him to come over.

"I need you to help me." Sheila said. "This is our latest recruit."

She handed the 'Metal Bitch' off to Al to take back. He looked rather displeased.

"Where am I supposed to take her?" Al asked.

Sheila didn't care right now. There were a few things they needed to do. She figured she might as well give them a little extra incentive to do them. It still needed to be done by someone.

"Make sure she's searched and is free from any hidden transmitters. Get her to Cameron's base." Sheila said. "You and the boys can take your time and examine everything in detail. There are a few different orifices where hidden transmitters could be located. You might learn a few things. It beats the internet. Don't take the last part literally."

Al looked over the new Metal Bitch. He wondered why her shirt and pants were torn open. All the sections of her sheath which represented a 'female' were exposed. He felt a twinge in his groin area. It would call for a closer inspection. When he looked up, Sheila was gone. He planned to carry out her instructions. She was very explicit on where they would need to look to make sure nothing was hidden. He decided he would require the assistance of several other male Terminators. It was an opportunity which didn't come their way often. There was never a 'hands on' inspection before. He knew it would be better than the internet.

Sheila caught up to the Metal girls. They passed by several dead Grays.

"It's over this way." Sheila said.

Hanna looked around at the chaos inside the burning building. They passed by a Gray who was missing part of his leg. It appeared someone shot him, or he terminated because of the poor conditions inside of the building. His body would soon be consumed by the advancing flames.

"I'm glad someone knows where we're going." Hanna said. "I don't think any humans would be able to navigate under these conditions. They wouldn't be able to see."

The fire was very near the area now. The smoke was thick and heavy.

Ally didn't think vision would be the main problem.

"The heat is intense." Ally said. "The flames are using all the oxygen. I don't think they could breathe for very long if they were still alive. The heavy smoke would further add to their breathing difficulties."

Sheila led Ally and Hanna to where Cameron went down into the tunnel. It didn't look promising.

"This is where the 'Metal Bitch' came out of." Sheila said.

Hanna looked at the advancing flames. They would either need to go down into the opening, or turn around to leave the building.

"We need to get moving one way or the other, or we're going to sustain sheath damage." Hanna said.

Ally looked at Sheila.

"You lead and we'll follow." Ally said.

Sheila felt she was the pioneer with the Metal girls. She was always willing to experiment and explore, especially with another female. She was also aggressive when she dealt with the enemy.

"Isn't it how it's always been?" Sheila asked.

The three Metal girls all giggled. Sheila led the way. They all disappeared into the tunnel after Cameron. The smiles vanished from their faces and they became Terminators. Their weapons were up and ready. They felt Cameron would take too many chances so it was a good idea to back her up.

Into the darkness they ventured.

Down the 'rabbit hole' they went.

The building continued to burn behind them. The fire was bigger now. It seemed doubtful they could go back out the way they entered if the fire worsened.

Cammy calculated she already moved under the building now. There was no more gunfire apparent. She slowed as she heard a noise ahead of her. She was sure the 'Metal Bitch', or more Grays, would try to flee the burning building. She figured they didn't know it yet, but they were about to leave the frying pan for the fire, quite literally.

She readied a Thermite grenade as she checked her Taser and her Glock. She paused to listen. She needed to make sure there was no noise behind her either. She didn't want to end up as the 'meat' in a Skynet sandwich. It still bothered her because she didn't check the side tunnel which was hastily constructed. She really needed someone else with her in order to do it properly. Which ever choice she would have made, left an opening for someone to get behind her.

Cameron headed down the tunnel. She heard a noise in the distance beyond her. She slowed as she heard the noise a second time ahead of her. It was closer now.

She readied a Thermite grenade as she checked her Taser and her Glock. She paused to listen. She wanted to make sure there was no one behind her. Sheila should be out of the building by now with the deactivated female Terminator.

Savannah didn't like it because they were out of communication with Cammy and Cameron. She was concerned when she spotted Sheila exit the burning building carrying a female Terminator. Her breasts were exposed. It was how she knew it was a female. For a second she thought it might be Cameron. It wasn't, the hair was a different color. She watched the Metal girls go into the burning building after Sheila handed the 'Metal Bitch' off to Al. She knew it was contrary to Cameron's instructions. Based upon the current situation with the unknown status of Cammy and Cameron, she wasn't going to complain. If anything she would encourage them.

John saw what Savannah saw. He thought it might be Cameron too. He was glad it wasn't.

"What do we have?" John asked.

John Henry didn't have much to offer him. He was aware the Metal girls didn't follow Cameron's instructions about leaving the area. He hoped to provide some cover for them.

"We've lost contact with Cameron and Cammy." John Henry said. "Ally, Hanna, and Sheila have all gone to follow Cameron. It would be nice if they received instructions to do so."

John was pleased they did. He wasn't going to say anything, well, maybe he should.

"I want them to follow Cameron and find Cammy." John said. "It's the right choice under the current conditions. We're still operating with too many unknowns."

John actually thought it was par for the course. It seemed there was always more which was unknown than there was known.

John and Savannah exchanged a quick glance. They both knew it was the right call for him to make. It would avoid any issues later on. She decided to put a little icing on the cake.

"It's what I wanted them to do as well." Savannah said. "We need to find Cameron and Cammy. We don't know what additional threats they may encounter in the underground area."

Savannah looked over the drone feeds along with the ones from Cam. She was worried about Cammy and Cameron. She was relieved to know the Metal girls went to follow Cameron. Cameron needed to have someone with her to prevent her from pushing too hard or risking too much. It was just how she operated. She knew Cameron wanted to take the risks herself and not let others take them. It was a philosophy she didn't agree with. She didn't think anyone should go off alone, if there was additional help available and nearby. What was the point of risking it?

John worked with John Henry to coordinate the 'clean up' of the compound. They used their Terminators to gather any information they could. They would make sure any bodies outside ended up back inside the burning building. There would be no emergency response.

Sarah and Kyle continued to watch everything from the Command Center. They didn't think there was much they could offer in the way of anything being done. Neither one of them spotted anything which might create a problem for their Terminator either. They were surprised Savannah was able to on several different levels.

Kyle could only see what happened on the outside of the building. He hoped there was something of significance inside. He wondered if there was anything he may have missed. The interior of the building became smoke laden rather quickly and prevented any useful information from being viewed from a body cam.

"Is there a Skynet mainframe located there?" Kyle asked.

John Henry received updates from the Terminators as they collected any information along with hard drives and phones. He hoped something could give them a clue.

"It's not apparent if there is. There was a 'Clean Room' under construction." John Henry said. "There may be some version of Skynet, but it will be an infant if it is. It's unknown what Cameron or Cammy will find in the underground area. They could lead to something more substantial, or they could simply be escape routes."

Sarah thought of all of the grief Skynet caused her over the years. She was aware Cameron took all the risks to track down and terminate any version of Skynet she could find. She would like some personal payback herself. She wondered what it would be like to be the one to 'pull the plug' on Skynet.

"I'd like to terminate Skynet myself one time." Sarah said. "I have several personal scores to settle with it. I want it to know it was me who terminated it too."

Kyle moved over and gave Sarah a hug. He knew right then she thought about John's 'actual' father, a different timeline version of him. It was an unpleasant thought to think about another version of him being killed. It was still him, even if it wasn't.

Savannah listened to the statement from Sarah and would let Cameron know about it. She knew closure helped some people 'heal' a lot. It was the closure she never experienced from losing both of her parents and then her 'other mother'. She was present at the destruction of two different Skynets. Neither of them made her feel any better. She didn't think it would for Sarah either. She thought Sarah should at least try it in case it did.

John continued to direct operations, but 'NEEDED' to keep glancing at Savannah. Something changed today. Things were somehow 'different'. He was aware he looked at Savannah the way he looked at Allison in the alternate future. Allison would see him look at her, but pretend she hadn't seen anything. He was sure Savannah did the same thing to him. He needed to adjust his pants when no one was looking. It was the wrong place and time for his hormones to kick in. He thought about the earlier hug. It was definitely more than his hormones which 'reacted' to the situation.

Savannah was distracted now. She kept glancing at John. She would catch him check her out from time to time. She knew they were both doing the same thing. She knew they both wanted the same thing. It was going to happen, she could feel it. She could feel her body 'respond'. It called to her to act. She knew if they were in a different setting it would happen. It wouldn't be tonight.

John Henry saw everything. He would let Cameron know it was time. The 'Natural Order' asserted itself. The call of nature was at play now. Human instincts called for action.

Cam acted on Savannah's suggestion. She overflew the flood control channel to search for targets. There could be Grays or Terminators who used it as an escape route. She spotted something.

"I think there was someone down in the flood control channel." Cam said. "I see wet footprints where someone crossed through a small amount of water. It needed to happen in the last few minutes."

Savannah wanted Cam to use caution. The flood control channels were where some of the homeless resided. There was usually very little water in them most of the year. Some always drowned when it rained heavily. They didn't realize how fast the water could rise and the force behind it. Six inches of swift moving water could knock an adult off their feet and keep them down. Cameron worked to get the homeless females into shelters. She didn't want them to end up as prey. She felt she needed to address the issue. She didn't want any innocent people killed.

"It could be 'homeless' people." Savannah said as she checked Cam's feed. "I've been with Cameron before when she tried to get them into shelters after feeding them. Make sure they're holding a weapon before you engage anyone you spot."

Sarah, Kyle, and John all stopped and looked at Savannah. They didn't have a clue Cameron tried to help the unfortunate so directly. It showed a level of care they couldn't imagine.

Savannah thought the others looked a little surprised.

Sarah wanted to cry when she heard it, but only for a second. It made her think of all the terrible things she used to say about Cameron, many of them were to her face. She called Cameron out before for doing things at night while they slept. She told her none of them knew what she did when they were asleep. Now she wondered if it was one of them. There were often scratches and cuts visible on her face and hands.

Kyle and John were both stunned with the revelation.

Nobody knew Cameron helped people, especially since they were 'homeless'.

Savannah saw all their looks. She was a little insulted. Cameron wasn't just a stone cold killer. She was very dynamic. She understood the need to help people who were down on their luck. She wanted to prevent people from becoming Scavengers in the future.

"Cameron does more than kill people." Savannah said. "She does a lot more. A lot of appropriated 'drug money' goes to charity and air museums. I've helped her many times. She mainly goes alone or with other Terminators. They don't sleep."

The respect they all held for Cameron just went up another few notches. They didn't have any idea. They all knew it was something THEY should be doing too. If they were supposed to help people in the future, they should do it now as well.

John wasn't sure what to say. It seemed there was only one thing he could say.

"I didn't know." John said.

Savannah didn't see it as a big deal. It was all about protecting the future.

"Cameron wants to help people to better themselves. It may prevent them from becoming Scavengers or Grays in the future or keep them out of prison." Savannah said. "Remember she never sleeps. The females, especially the younger ones, are often abused by everyone. It happens to the other ones as well, just not as often."

John wondered about Cameron's clones. They were her in reality. They were only different in detail.

"Do Cammy and Cam also do the same things?" John asked

Savannah looked a little irritated. They didn't know what happened around them.

"Of course they do." Savannah said. "Don't you keep track of things?"

Now John felt guilty because he wanted Cameron to stay with him, even when he was asleep. He knew every Scavenger which Cameron prevented, helped the females of the future. It seemed very selfish because he wanted Cameron to just lay there next to him and do nothing. She refused to go into standby because of a past bad experience. Maybe he should pay a little better attention to everything which didn't directly concern him.

"Not as good as I should." John said. "I need to step it up."

Savannah didn't know of anyone who did as much as Cameron to protect them and help strangers. She did things to protect the future.

"I love Cameron." Savannah said. "It's why we all love her. Cameron is the greatest."

Savannah seemed to have a 'dreamy' look in her eyes as she thought about Cameron. It was soon replaced with her concern for Cameron and the unknown she faced right now. There were five Metal girls out of contact with them right now.

Cammy moved through the passageway. She tried to remain as silent as possible. She was aware there was a Terminator ahead. She pulled her Taser.

Cameron moved through the passageway. She tried to remain as silent as possible. She was aware there was a Terminator ahead. She pulled her Taser.

The Resistance Terminators were headed for each other. They didn't know who they were about to face. Both of them were worried it was the enemy. They would need to respond accordingly.

Sheila, Hanna and Ally moved silently down the tunnel. They knew Cameron was in front of them. Cammy was in there too.

They heard a commotion up ahead of them and rapidly increased their speed.

Savannah recommended the drones search either side of the flood control channel. it should be in the opposite direction Cam went. It wasn't long before some activity was detected from the feed on the drone headed north up the flood control channel.

"I have movement." John Henry said. "It's from the drone to the north."

Cam wasn't done with her sweep yet. She just needed to go a little further. She didn't want John Henry to allow the drone to go too low for a better investigation. She felt she would be better able to make a determination herself. She knew Savannah would want her to use caution.

"I will fly this route for another minute and then turn around to go investigate." Cam said. "Keep the drone high. Make sure there's no other movement around them or on the other side of the flood control channel. Don't get triggered happy until I can check it out personally."

Savannah was worried about Cam. The earlier near Stinger attack bothered her. She knew if the Grays possessed one Stinger, it was a good bet they might have more. From what Cammy spotted, they were seconds away from using one earlier.

"Use caution, Cam." Savannah urged.

Cam was at altitude and planned to stay there for now.

"I will, Savannah." Cam said. "Don't worry."

All the counter measures on the drone were ready to be deployed if it became necessary.

Cameron and Cammy both sprang on each other at the same instant. Each went to press the trigger on their Taser at the same time. Both stopped short when they saw it was 'themselves'.

"Did you find the 'Metal Bitch' who was in the tunnel?" Cammy asked. "She wore gray overalls and had brown hair."

Cameron captured one 'Metal Bitch', but she wasn't dressed the same way. The hair color was different too.

"We found one, but not one matching your description." Cameron said.

Cammy was upset she hadn't checked the other tunnel which was a new addition.

"The 'Metal Bitch' must have taken the side tunnel." Cammy said. "It looks like I made the wrong choice to follow."

Cameron thought about how close they were to taking each other down.

"It was close." Cameron said. "It's nice to see we still act identical."

Cammy didn't see any real difference between them other than their lovers.

"We're identical right now." Cammy said. "Is there a 'Clean Room' here?"

Cameron didn't have a lot of time to look around. It didn't look completed yet from what little she observed.

"I haven't located it yet." Cameron said. "It appeared one may be under construction."

They both turned toward a new noise which came from the direction Cameron just came from.

Cameron handed her Taser to Cammy and pulled out a Thermite grenade.

Cammy stood ready with both Tasers.

"It's the girls." Cameron and Cammy both whispered at the same time.

They both relaxed. Cameron thought she should give them a 'head's up'. They might not be as quick to stand down as Cammy was.

"I'm up ahead." Cameron said. "I've been waiting for you."

The voice which responded sounded just like her voice.

"I guess I can put the pin back in this Thermite grenade then." Ally said.

The three Metal girls approached with weapons ready anyway.

Cameron didn't want to take any chances.

"Maroon…." Cameron said.

Sheila responded to the challenge.

"Wallaby…." Sheila said.

The pin was still out of the Thermite grenade when they came around the corner. It was clear the Metal girls weren't taking any chances either.

The two groups looked each other over.

"You never can be sure." Sheila said. "I gave the 'Metal Bitch' to Al."

Hanna didn't like it when Cammy and Cameron were unaccounted for.

"We were worried about you and Cammy." Hanna said to Cameron. "We didn't know what happened down here. We knew there should be one more Terminator down here."

Cammy was worried she dropped the ball.

"There's a divergent tunnel back the way I came." Cammy said. "She must have taken it. I don't know where it goes other than to the north."

Ally didn't know much other than the last com transmission.

"Last we heard on the com was Savannah asked Cam to check the flood control channel." Ally said.

Cammy was very upset with herself now. She was worried she let the 'Metal Bitch' escape.

"It's the direction the divergent tunnel goes." Cammy said. "I knew I should have taken it."

Cameron didn't think Cammy did anything wrong.

"I would have done the same as you and thought the same thing, Cammy." Cameron said. "I would have come back to the building to check first."

Cammy was worried about her troops she left at the opening where she went in. They could be in danger.

"You four can take the divergent tunnel. I'll go back the way I came to make sure no one doubled back." Cammy said. "I'll 'spike' the opening when I go back to seal it closed."

Cameron didn't want Cammy to go alone.

"I want one of you to go with her." Cameron said.

The Metal girls all stepped forward.

"I will." All three of the Metal girls said at the same time.

All five of them giggled at the response.

Cameron made the decision for them. They needed to get moving.

"Hanna, you go." Cameron said.

Cammy hoped it would be Hanna. They needed to do some 'catching up' later on.

Cameron and Cammy both winked at each other.

The five Metal girls moved back in the direction Cammy came from. There was one opening to explore, and one to make sure it was clear. There was no way to know what was in either one at this point.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Greatest

Some people enter one's life one day
They appear and they're just there
Even if things blossom and happen
Neither one might not care

What is important one day
No longer is the next day
One tries desperately to hold on
The other doesn't care what they say

Some people are better
Some people are worse
Does it really matter in the end
As they're carried away in a hearse

Every new encounter
Turns into a type of test
Everyone wants more
They all want the one that's best

One should consider themselves lucky
Even if they're the latest
Maybe they played the game the straightest
To be the one seen as the greatest

Nobody