Chapter 623

Contact

Cammy wasn't ready to give up on the narrow gauge track route yet. The worrisome part was the rotting timbers which helped support the walls and ceiling. The area looked ripe for a cave-in. It appeared most of the large boulders which littered the tracks fell recently. It probably happened when the main entrance was blasted closed.

She saw where the tracks ended in the dried mud. It looked like mostly dirt, not rock. If they started there, it would speed the process of digging. It was only if they could obtain some tools. She was sure there were some there. It was just a matter of finding them. There were probably a lot of things they could find there. Depending upon how long it took to do things, there could probably be a lot of things discovered.

First she was going to find Savannah and then worry about everything else later. She was about to step out of the area between the tracks. She stepped on the top of the rail. There was a moment when she thought she felt something.

'What was it?' Cammy thought.

She bent down and laid her ear to one of the rails and her hand touched the other rail. She wanted to know what she felt. She thought it would repeat itself. It didn't. Maybe more of the underground level was collapsing. Only so much of it would be able to collapse before it affected the level they were on. She was actually surprised it already hadn't. She decided to wait a few more seconds.

Cammy waited and was about to stand when she felt it again. She was sure something metallic made contact with the rails at some point. She also knew it could be more boulders falling from the unstable ceiling. Maybe the ancient trestle collapsed after being disturbed from its decade's long rotting slumber. It did wobble some when she crossed over it. What was the trestle actually built over? If there was time later on she would try to find out.

She was sure the metallic pulse resonated from the direction of the mudslide blockage. She wasn't sure it was a good sign either. What they faced might be a blockage in their path out. The narrow gauge mining track could continue on for some distance as far as she knew on the other side of the blockage they currently faced. The blockage could be fifty feet or five hundred feet.

She would find Savannah and report to Cameron what she found. Maybe there was another way out, she doubted it. All she knew at this point was Savannah wasn't going to die there. Savannah wouldn't die in this Skynet death trap.

Cameron went back to where the increasing heat was at before. It was even hotter now. There was more bad news to go along with the discovery. She now detected smoke. It was even worse news. If there was a fire burning somewhere, it would use up all the oxygen Savannah needed, or the smoke would get to her and kill her. She was now aware Savannah didn't have weeks or months to live underground, it was now down to days or even hours.

She started collecting more of the oxygen tanks from any of the breathing apparatus she found. They would only buy Savannah a few more hours if the fire got bigger. She was going to try and make sure Savannah could get every minute of oxygen she could.

Cameron moved back out past the deactivated Terminators. She heard movement. She carried a small crate she filled with the oxygen tanks. She carefully set it down and brought her M4 up. It was Tom and Ed. She wanted to alert them to the newest problem.

"This area is a dead end. There's a fire burning on some unknown level as well. I don't know where." Cameron said. "Even if I find it, I may not be able to extinguish it."

Ed told Cameron what Cammy located. He didn't have all the details. He hadn't gone all the way.

Cameron was aware of the tons of rock at the entrance they came in from. Dirt sounded like an easier and faster material to work with. It also seemed to be the furthest location away from where she currently was. The further away Savannah was from the fire, and the smoke it generated, the better.

"We will try to dig our way out from there." Cameron said. "Maybe the area will be more stable."

Cameron knelt and picked up a Terminator, it was the Metal Bitch.

She wanted whatever she could bring out with them.

"Both of you, bring one. We'll head back to Savannah." Cameron said.

Cameron carried the Metal Bitch over her shoulder and picked up the small crate with the oxygen bottles. Ed and Tom each picked up a Terminator. They headed out and went back to where Savannah and Cammy should team up.

Savannah waited in the darkness behind the fallen Terminator. It seemed the air quality was worse. Maybe it was because she just breathed some clean air with the mask on. She thought she could smell smoke. She considered putting the breathing mask back on, but she didn't want to lose her ability to see. The team was out there and she needed to do her part.

She held her M4 ready to fire. Her Taser was ready and the M79 was next to her.

Savannah thought she saw something coming. It was hard to tell what it was. She flipped the thermal mode switch and made out three large forms which were moving towards her. They didn't look like people or Terminators. They seemed to be top heavy and lopsided in their appearance. The shapes weren't right….

Savannah moved her finger to the trigger of her M4.

She didn't want to jump the gun. She needed to make a positive identification if possible. She knew she should have let Tom stay with her. No. She wanted Cameron protected.

Savannah glanced behind her. She saw figures moving from the other direction as well. She felt a little frustrated there were figures approaching from both sides at the same time. The ones from behind her showed traditional heat signatures. The ones in front of her were still misshapen and very odd.

She reached over with her left hand and picked up the M79. She bent her arm and laid the Thumper upside down across the top of her shoulder to fire in back of her as well. She sure hoped it would work. She knew it would at least scatter those approaching. She might get lucky and take one or two of them out. She was boxed in. She knew her team members were counting on her….

She would unload everything and retreat into the blind tunnel. She would be trapped when she did, but there was nowhere to go in the main passageway. She knew the gunfire would draw the others. It was possible it would draw more Grays and Terminators as well.

Earlier:

Bob checked every few feet for signs of ties or rails. So far none were spotted. It took much longer now as they removed the earth above where they wanted to dig. The small 'skip-loader' lifted out chunks of dirt and rock. It dumped it off to the side. The little bulldozer shoved the dirt and rock away into a deep gully. It was a continuous process which was done at the maximum speed possible, even if it could have been done a little safer.

The Blackhawk returned twice more, once with the auger, and again with a load of large diameter steel pipe.

Bob saw the 'skip-loader' struggle. There was a loud metallic 'clang'. He motioned for it to stop. He signaled for it back away. When it did, he saw it. It was a small rail. It was heavily rusted. Maybe this was it. It might be the break they hoped for. He desperately hoped to find a second rail parallel to it. If they could see the tracks ran straight. it would be the direction to send in the auger.

He indicated the 'skip-loader' needed to remove a section of earth above where the rail was. It backed away when there was a small amount of earth above the lone rail. They moved in with hand tools and found a section of track. They located the parallel rail. They were still in perfect alignment. They dug it back a few more feet. They obtained the angle of the tracks now. They knew it should lead inside the mountain and to the tunnels within.

Bob didn't want to get ahead of himself. He was concerned about more of the area above them collapsing down on top of where they worked. He wanted to get some more of it moved out of the way to give them a larger buffer zone. His biggest concern was encountering hard rock. So far they were only occasional boulders mixed in with the material they removed from the mudslide.

There were several feet of the narrow gauge rail line exposed now. It was definitely the direction they wanted to go. It was time to see if they could accelerate the process and bore a three foot hole into the side of the mountain. He knew if they hit any hard rock they were probably going to have a problem. It didn't matter. They needed to get started.

It was time to bring the auger up.

A level of 'hope' flooded through all of the Terminators. The main problem was they didn't know how extensive the cave-in or mudslide was. It could be twenty more feet or two hundred more feet. The entire section of the tunnel could have collapsed in on itself. They didn't know what lay ahead of them. They would find out soon enough and do what they needed to to continue the process. They were at least on a path which once led inside of the mountainside.

Savannah hoped what was behind her were 'Friendlies'. It was time to find out. She didn't want to engage both sets of targets simultaneously.

She couldn't help but think about the time she asked John Henry what 'simultaneously' meant. She was at home doing her homework. Her nanny Debbie was there with her. It was right before her life changed forever. Every time she thought of the word, heard it, or used it, it always went back to that moment of time.

John Henry tried to help her as much as possible. There was only so much he could do. She followed his instructions and initially avoided the Terminator stalking her. She didn't know what a Terminator was then. She went down into the garage area. She lost contact with John Henry. John was there to help her. John saved her. It was the first time he held her in his arms. She thought about the groups approaching from both sides of her. Would John ever hold her in his arms for more? She needed to refocus.

Savannah needed to push the past from her mind. It was the present which mattered now. She took a quick glance in both directions. The group approaching from behind her was much closer than the group in front of her.

"White…." Savannah said.

There was a reassuring voice.

"Cow…." Cammy said. "Savannah, it's me."

Savannah switched her attention to what was in front of her. There were three shapes all much bigger than any human form. She couldn't tell what they were from the thermal imagery. She could only tell they were moving in her direction. She wanted to make Cammy aware of the unknown threat.

"Something is coming in front of me." Savannah said. "There are three of them and they're big. I don't think they're HK Tracks. I don't hear any clanking.

Cammy moved up next to Savannah. She took the M79 from her.

"Wait." Savannah said.

Savannah needed to check to make sure it was or wasn't Cameron.

"Yellow…." Savannah called out.

Cameron could see Cammy and Savannah were about to light them up. She needed to let them know what they looked at.

"Snake…." Cameron said. "Savannah, we're carrying some of the deactivated Terminators."

Savannah and Cammy covered them anyway. It was Cameron, Tom, and Ed.

They set the deactivated Terminators down where Savannah was at.

Cameron was instantly worried because Savannah didn't have her breathing gear on. She didn't know if the smoke would become toxic or not. It all depended on what was burning. She didn't know where to find out to even look at what the source of the smoke was. She did think some precautions were in order.

"Savannah, put your breathing gear on. You'll need to leave it on from now on." Cameron said. "The conditions are going to get worse."

Cammy looked at Cameron in the darkness. She understood the warning for what it was. Savannah had even less time than they ever imagined.

Cameron could see the 'knowing look' on Savannah's face. She understood the bad news for what it was. Her life was on a timer.

She wanted to consolidate what they could take with them. She sent the four male Terminators to get the rest of the deactivated Terminators, and see if any more small oxygen tanks could be located. They would also search for tools or anything they could use to dig with.

Cammy filled Cameron in on what she found in more detail.

Cameron wanted to know more about the vibration.

"I felt it several times." Cammy said. "It may have been rocks hitting the rails. I'm not sure."

Cameron was sure it was falling rocks.

"We don't know." Cameron said.

Cammy thought otherwise.

"I think it was metal on metal." Cammy said.

Cammy and Cammy both understood what it could mean. There might be someone working from the outside. There was no need to get any hopes up yet. It could be the enemy. Skynet possessed a large footprint inside the mine. They might want what was in there protected. They might want their people out. There was no way to know what it was yet. It was most likely falling rocks.

Cameron went with Cammy to the four dead Grays and collected their lights and oxygen bottles.

Cammy looked back in Savannah's direction, she was out of earshot.

"What did you really find?" Cammy asked. "I know I can't be good."

Cameron could only give a preliminary report of what she discovered.

"There's smoke and heat building up where we were at with the deactivated Terminators." Cameron said. "I don't know where it's coming from."

Cammy didn't understand why.

"Is there a fire?" Cammy asked.

They both knew it was bad news for Savannah.

Cameron wanted to stop the fire from using all the oxygen. Since they didn't know where the fire was, or if they could put it out, their options were limited. There was only one way to do it.

"Yes." Cameron said. "We need to seal the tunnel. I'm going to have to try to blow it closed. It needs to be a complete closure to prevent the oxygen from being sucked away from where we are now."

Cammy thought about the rock which fell and almost hit her earlier in the section with the narrow gauge tracks. Everything there was unstable.

"You may end up collapsing even more." Cammy said. "It's too risky."

Cameron would try and seal it at the location where she detected the problem. There was another route to where the fire was at somewhere. No. She would need to do it at the end of the tunnel they were in. It would seal off the rest of the mine complex.

"I'll attempt it at the tunnel location as it enters the first cavern." Cameron said. "In addition, it should prevent the appearance of more Grays or Terminators."

Cammy held the M79 and the bandoleer of rounds. She knew Cameron was going to need a bigger punch than the Thumper.

Cameron and Cammy looked at each other for a long moment. It was clear what needed to be done. There was only one way to do it with a big enough explosion to collapse the first cavern. It was most likely non survivable.

Cammy looked at Savannah. She wanted her protected.

"I'll do it." Cammy said.

Cameron looked at Savannah.

"It's my job." Cameron said.

She took the M79 and bandolier of grenades. She headed back to the Terminator taken down by Savannah a short time ago.

"Savannah, I'm going to turn on a light." Cameron said. "Shield your eyes."

Savannah wore the breathing gear but covered her eyes anyway. She was in total darkness for sometime now. Her eyes would be very dilated.

"Cammy is going to take you to a possible escape route." Cameron said. "It appears to be the most promising thing yet. You need to get away from this area."

Savannah looked at Cameron, she knew there was something bad. She suspected something and wanted to confirm it.

"How bad is the fire?" Savannah asked.

Cameron thought she better make Savannah understand things were terminal. There was no sugar coating what was about to happen.

"It's bad enough." Cameron said. "It'll use all the oxygen at some point. The smoke will build up as well. You won't be able to breathe. There are only so many oxygen bottles."

Cameron started to cut into the Terminator in front of Savannah.

Savannah knew Cameron was going after his power cell. She knew Cameron was going to use it as an explosive. It was sure to collapse the tunnel where Cameron would be. She wouldn't be able to make her escape. Unless…. Cameron planned to use her power cell as well.

Savannah tried to appeal to Cameron on a different level other than herself.

"No, Cameron, you can't use it." Savannah said. "The mine seems unstable enough. What Cammy witnessed on a lower level could happen on this level. It will endanger all of you. I'm only one person…."

Cameron saw it all differently. All of their programs were copied. Savannah didn't share the same option or ability.

"You're the only one who matters, Savannah." Cameron said.

Cameron removed the power cell.

Savannah knew what was going to happen.

"I can't let you." Savannah said.

Cameron looked at Savannah. She didn't want to perish. She would try to get away if she could. There were still a lot of things which could go wrong.

"I should be able to get away from the blast." Cameron said.

Savannah looked at pieces of rock which now littered the ground. They weren't there when they first came in. It was a testament to the instability of everything around them. Additional rocks in the same area would present a major obstacle for Cameron to deal with.

"What about the falling rock if this tunnel gives way?" Savannah asked.

Cameron looked at Cammy and then at Savannah.

"You have my spare chip…." Cameron said.

Cammy knew Cameron was more important than she was. She was, 'one Cameron too many'. She just thought about it earlier. Under the current circumstances, it seemed even more so. She reached for the power cell.

"Let me do it, Cameron." Cammy said. "Only Savannah and you matter to the future, I don't."

Fear gripped Savannah. One of them wouldn't make it. It was unacceptable to her

"I won't allow it either." Savannah said.

The four male Terminators returned with more oxygen bottles and the remainder of the deactivated Terminators. They heard the discussion and Savannah's anguish. The females mattered. They didn't.

Tom was very concerned about their 'discussion'.

"What needs to be done?" Tom asked.

Cameron felt the situation was under control.

"I need to take care of something." Cameron said.

The four Terminators step forward simultaneously.

"I'll do it." All four of them said at the same time.

Cameron possessed copies of their programs. They could even switch their chip out with one of the captured Terminators and their original chassis could be taken out, and a replacement chip with their program on it put back in it. Once they were reactivated, they would have only lost a few hours of time. It was the same thought they all had at the same time.

Bob made sure they found the tracks before he made his report back to the Command Center. He didn't want to give false hope. He wanted to make sure it wasn't just a short segment which was shoved out of the mine at some point.

John Henry was pleased he could deliver some good news for a change.

"They've found the buried mine tracks." John Henry said.

John stood up. He was done waiting. Now there was something positive. The suspense of not knowing ate away at him. He wanted to do something. Now he could.

"I need to go there." John said. 'I'm going there now."

John Henry still worried about the lack of a Skynet response to their attack. He was sure it was yet to come.

"I must advise against it." John Henry said. "The area can turn into a battle zone at any time."

John was aware of it. What he wanted most was inside the mine, trapped.

"Cameron and Savannah are in there." John said. "I have to be there."

John Henry knew the anguish the 'Day Of Loss' caused Cameron.

"It's the LAST thing Cameron would want." John Henry said. "You KNOW this."

John spun around and faced John Henry. He was frustrated by everything. He felt if he was able to go, it would make things different.

"I do KNOW it." John said. "It's a human shortcoming."

John was so involved with the operation and what was happening elsewhere, he didn't notice everyone was now gathered outside the Command Center until he spun around.

They all remained silent as they watched and listened. They all knew there was nothing they could do. They were all willing and ready to go anyway.

John Henry quietly sent a message to CamNet, it was a gamble. There was only one person who could stop John, and ALL of them from going. He needed to act fast.

Sarah stepped forward.

"If you go, we're all going too." Sarah said. "We all feel the same way you do. How couldn't we?"

John knew they were setting up for another 'Day Of Loss' by all of them doing it.

John looked at everyone. It was important to him. He went after Cameron, well, Duplicate Cameron, before. He would do it again.

"Then we'll all go." John said.

John's phone rang.

He looked at it as it rang a few more times.

Sarah could see John was uneasy about the call. It stopped him in his tracks. She wondered if it was Cameron or Savannah. Not much could affect him in such a way.

"Who is it?" Sarah asked.

John swallowed hard and went to answer the phone.

"The - Future…." John said as the phone rang. "The future is calling me."

Everyone was confused.

Sarah wanted John to act. It's what a leader needed to do.

"Answer it." Sarah said.

John looked at everyone gathered and answered the phone.

"Hello." John said.

He didn't expect the next part.

"Hello, John. Put your phone on 'speaker phone', please." The voice said.

John did.

"It is." John said.

"John, I'm aware of what's happening and what everyone's planning." The voice said.

"Is it Cameron?" The whispers went around the room.

"I'm asking everyone there to stand down." The voice said. "John, I'm asking you to keep everyone safe."

John felt very uneasy. He was compelled to act.

"I don't know…." John said.

"Yes you do." The voice said. "I need you to protect the future, not only for yourself, but for Savannah too."

There was a long pause.

"You need to protect it for Cameron." The voice said. "The future needs the four of us."

A small gasp went around the room. It was Young Allison!

Future Allison was the voice of reason and compassion to Future John. It was the same thing now. Young Allison exhibited the same quality for John.

John knew she was right. She seemed to possess a lot of faith in what would happen. It was always something he struggled with.

"OK, Allison, we'll let it play out some more first." John said.

"Thank you, John, and thank you, everyone." Young Allison said. "You all need to believe in Cameron. Cameron is invincible. Cameron is eternal…."

Everyone felt tears in their eyes.

It was the future calling.

Ally and Sheila both 'worked' on their own Gray. They needed to find out where the Terminator, or Terminators, associated with the group went.

There were a lot of screams from where Sheila was at.

Ally listened to the results of Sheila's 'work'. She turned her attention to the Gray in front of her.

"Things can still end the easy way." Sheila said.

There was a muted curse and then some muffled screams.

Ally could hear gagging.

There were more muted screams.

"Just answer the questions." Sheila said. "Let's see what we can get to jog your memory."

"No. Not those." The Gray pleaded.

There was a sharp scream followed by crying and sobbing.

Sheila laughed.

"Let's hear it." Sheila said. "You know what comes off next."

Ally looked at the Gray before her.

The screams continued in the other room.

"She's unstable. She'll be hear soon. He will bleed to death now." Ally said. "Let me help you."

The Gray already told her several things about what he knew. It seemed all the Grays operated in cells and didn't know what the other cells did. He didn't seem to know about the mine or the attack on it. She scanned him closely as she questioned him.

He could only tell her there were two Terminators and they left with the RPG launcher and a dozen grenades. He thought they may have a LAW rocket as well. He didn't know for sure. He saw several once, but didn't know what happened to them.

There were more screams from the other room the entire time Ally questioned her prisoner.

There was a sobbing whimper, it didn't stop.

The Gray looked at Ally.

"Please…." The Gray said. "I told you everything. Make it quick."

Ally wanted to know about the homeless girl. She didn't care for the situation, or the way the transaction took place.

"How many times were you with the homeless girl?" Ally asked.

The Gray looked nervous. He didn't want to answer. He could feel her hand press harder against his neck. It indicated she wanted a response.

"It was twice, like everyone else." The Gray said. "We didn't force her."

Ally thought it was more a matter of perspective.

"She was cheated." Ally said.

The Gray didn't think so. He acted on his own.

"I slipped a 'fifty' into her pants pocket after my first turn." The Gray said. "No one saw me do it."

Ally was confused. It was an act of kindness.

"Why?" Ally asked.

The Gray looked a little sad.

"She reminded me of my sister." The Gray said. "She died on J-Day. I felt as guilty as Hell."

Ally still scanned the Gray. He was truthful.

"Close your eyes and think of your sister and the good times before Judgment Day." Ally said. "You'll find the peace and comfort you seek there."

The Gray closed his eyes and a slight smile developed on his face.

Ally snapped his neck.

Sheila emerged from the other room. She was fully dressed.

Ally looked at her. She expected to see her covered with blood.

"What happened?" Ally asked.

Sheila shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"The Gray had a heart attack and died before I could start." Sheila said. "I guess he did have a weak heart. It was the same bloke I needed to revive earlier when his heart stopped in the SUV."

Ally thought about all the screams coming from the area.

"But…." Ally started.

Sheila smiled.

"It was all me, love." Sheila said in the Gray's voice.

It looked to Ally as if Sheila enjoyed it.

"You're demented." Ally said.

Sheila smiled.

"Maybe so, but we did the job." Sheila said.

Ally went and looked in the other room. The Gray was naked on the table and untouched. He really did have a heart attack.

"I'll be…." Ally said. "Let's blow this dump.".

They headed out for the last location the Skynet Terminators were known to be at.

Sheila looked back once. The Grays all feared the "Metal Bitch' who stalked them. The thought alone seemed enough for those with a weak heart to check out on their own. It actually wasn't the first time. She knew it wouldn't be the last either. Fear was the key.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Incarcerated

Bound
Trapped
Imprisoned
Shackled

I am what I am
I do what I can
Into your arms
I sought and I ran

Captive
Confined
Jailed
Unfree

I may be many things
None are useless
Life slips away quickly
There is always ruthless

Tethered
Fettered
Indentured
Prisoner

Nobody